morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-02-27
To: Shakedown hike?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

A shakedown hike - it's sort of a practice hike. You go on a one or two night hike with all your gear to see if what you have is going to work. Does your stove fire up and cook your food efficiency? Is your sleeping bag warm enough? Is your pack comfortable? (That's relative because a 25-30 pound pack is never completely comfortable.) Are your shoes going to cause blisters? Are you in shape enough to make it? Things like that. Our shakedown hike was planned for today and tomorrow. I say "was". Plans change. Last week Gooseman started feeling bad. He went to the doctor and tested positive for Strep. So he is in the bed trying to recover, and the shakedown hike won't be this week. And yesterday I started feeling bad. Went to the doctor this morning, and yep, I've got Strep also. Now I'm sitting at Walmart waiting on my prescriptions. Not a part of my AT plan. However, I'm glad it happened while we were at home and not out on the trail. I wonder how we will handle being sick out on the trail? Most of the people I hear from who have thru hiked the trail have gotten some sort of illness or injury during the hike. Blisters or norovirus or Lymes disease or a twisted ankle. Think about it. In the "real world", haha, most people don't go six months without getting some sort of illness, even if it's just a cold. And what do they do? Usually they suck it up, go to work, and do the best they can. Sometimes you have to take time off and go to the doctor. I guess that's what we'll do on the trail, too. It's not part of the plan, we just keep going. So there may not be a shakedown hike after all, but we will keep going. After all, isn't that part of what hiking the AT is about? Just keep going. Put one foot in front of the other. Persevere. And be grateful2 as you are going.
Date: 2017-03-04
To: feeling better
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm sitting on the back porch of our home in Chattanooga overlooking the Cumberland Valley. It's a beautiful view. God has created an incredible world. I can't wait to explore it on foot.Only 13 days till I leave. I'm finally starting to feel better after a week of strep. It knocked me down. I've done nothing but lay around in the bed for a week. I was getting in shape but now nothing. I'm definitely not ready to hike 10 miles a day at this point. I've decided not to postpone my hike though. I guess I'll just get in shape on the trail. Not the best plan, but is the one I'm going to roll with. I still have a few days to do some walking but I recognize it won't be enough. I'm reading everyone's trail journals and getting excited. I'm also noticing that several of the people I have been following have already gotten off the trail by Blairsville. It's an awful lot planning, sacrifice and work to just last five or six days. People do get hurt however, And things do come up. I hope I make it farther than that. God has a plan, and I'll find out what it is in a few days. And I'm grateful2.
Date: 2017-03-11
To: one day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We've been trying to get ready for the task ahead by hiking with a full pack. Five miles a day on the Cumberland trail three times this week. It's probably not enough for me to be completely ready, but it's enough to keep me sore. I'm still trying to recover from strep last week, and trying to get my multi-surgery bad foot to cooperate and not swell. Only one more week! It's hard not to live "in the meantime". Even though we are leaving in a week, there are still so many things do around the house until then. Replanted grass, fertilized the yard, sprayed for insects around the house, finished taxes, and so many other things keep the days busy. It's too easy to just look forward to leaving and not focus on what has to be done today. I'm looking forward to hiking in a week, but I need to have joy in living here for another week. I'm really going to miss my wife for six months!Some people live their whole life like that - "one day". One day when I finish high school. One day when I graduate college. One day when I get married. One day when I retire. That's not a good way to live. You turn around a few times and life is over. Plans are important but so is living today to its fullest. There is joy in the destination, but there is also joy in the journey. I hope that our AT hike has both. I want to enjoy each day, the sunshine and the rain, but also I want to enjoy summitting Mt Katahdin. Completing the challenge of each day and completing the challenge of six months. I'm grateful 2 for the opportunity.
Date: 2017-03-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Only three more days till we leave. Still lots of things to do. Sacrifices have to be made in order to be gone for six months. One of those sacrifices has to do with personal hygiene. Long hair can't be washed regularly, so the long hair is gone. Not that it was long before, but it is really short now. The things we do to be able to hike for 2200 miles . . . Still grateful2 though.
Date: 2017-03-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Leaving in the morning. Ready to go. Supposed to pour down rain. I guess it won't be the last time we get rained on. Wonder how long it will take to get used to it?Drove over to my brother's house this afternoon. He lives about thirty minutes from Springer Mountain. We are enjoying their company. He took us out to a great BBQ joint for what he called our "last meal". We had the big combo platters. A lot of food, and good, good, good! Our first trail magic, and we don't even start till in the morning. Thanks Kevin and Tammie. I tried to explain to him and his wife about how we will kill the AYCE restaurants along the trail. Hiker appetites are the stuff legends are made of. We are watching the NCAA basketball tourney. I love the win or go home pressure. This may be the first year I will miss most of the tournament since I was a kid. I think I'd rather be hiking though. . The journey instead of the tourney. Tomorrow the journey starts.
Date: 2017-03-18
From: Springer Mountain

To: hawk mountain tenting
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Random thoughts from the first day on the trail:1. I am so thankful to be out here. This is something I have wanted to do since I was a teenager. I am thankful that my son gets to experience it with me. He seems to be having a good time so far. Time will tell. 2. My often surgically-repaired foot held up for the nine plus mile hike with no apparent problems. 3. I miss my wife already. She's my best friend. I so wanted her to go with us, but it is just not her thing. She walked the mile up and mile back from the parking lot to the top of Springer to wish us Godspeed and to say goodbye. She is a trooper. 4. The hike today was good, except for all the crowds. People everywhere! They should rename the Appalachian trail the Cattle Trail. We must have seen three or four hundred people on the trail today. They say the crowds will thin out in the next fifty miles. There is so much foot traffic that the trail is a mud slip and slide in most places. I almost fell twice. Gooseman did fall hard once. He came up covered in mud but was otherwise unhurt. It Will probably be the first of many for us both. 5. More trail magic today. Someone left Gatorade energy bars on a footbridge hand railing with a sign that said "trail magic". Thank you to that angel. 6. If you are following us, please take a minute and sign the guestbook. Thank you to all of you who already have signed it. 7. Hope you like the picture from the Visitors center. We figured it was the fastest way to travel the trail. I have no cell service down in Hawk Mountain Gap, so I will post this when service comes back.
Date: 2017-03-19
From: hawk mountain tenting

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

Met a lot of great people on the trail today. Stewart is an early 30 something teacher on leave from England. We talked about a lot of the trail customs on the Appalachian Trail which are very different from how they do things in England. He was amazed that no one uses detailed maps here; they just follow the blazes to the next place.We met one young man from the Netherlands. He speaks English, Dutch, and a little German. Amazing.We met Tom the ridge runner. His responsibility is to show up at the shelter we are staying in tonight and make sure everything is going OK. He did a great job helping almost 50 hikers to get situated in the shelter and at tent sites.We have chosen at this point not to stay in the shelters. They are dirty, overcrowded, and full of mice. Everyday after a full day of hiking we are setting up hammocks. That means we have to hang a hammock, set up a rain fly, put out a sleeping bag, hang an underquilt, and unpack. Then we have to go get and filter 2 gallons of water, get out our stove and pots and cook supper, eat, and clean up from cooking. Then in the morning we have to break everything down and pack it up. Then we have to get in enough miles hiking so that we can get to Maine before the bad fall weather sets in. Makes for full days. When we got up this am it was colder than I expected. My thermometer said 25 degrees. It warmed up during the day to maybe 65, which made for a beautiful day of hiking. So warm, in fact, that both Gooseman and I got sunburned. From 25 freezing degrees to sunburn, and we were outside for al of it! Still grateful 2.
Date: 2017-03-20
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 8.4

Beautiful day for a hike today. Up-and-down the mountains seeing the splendor of Gods creation. It is awe-inspiring to imagine the one who created all that we see and enjoy. The attached picture is of preachers rock looking out over the Blue Ridge Mountains at an elevation of 3700 feet. The picture doesn't do it any justice. We met a nice mother and daughter team,Amanda and "Mother" Mary out hiking for the day. The daughter wants to hike the whole AT beginner my next spring. I could see the fire in her eyes to do it. That is the kind of person who finishes all 2190 miles. They gave us energy bars! More trail magic. When I am hiking, Mornings always start out with such potential and energy. On long and difficult days, that potential gets lost somewhere along the way and each minute just becomes about putting 1 foot in front of the other. Today was such a day. Walking in the outdoors is enjoyable. Walking in the outdoors up and down 1000 foot elevation gains and losses can be hard. Walking in the outdoors up and down 1000 foot elevation gains and losses with a 35 pound pack can be downright difficult sometimes. Today was such a day. My legs ache, my knees hurt, my back kept cramping, my feet burned, but still we kept walking. I was so glad to finally get to the campsite for the evening. We had a good meal and some great fellowship with other hikers. Tomorrow we will get up before the sun and do it again. Are we crazy or what? My son says he's having a great time. Tomorrow we get to Neels gap where there are pizzas and hot wings awaiting. Boy are we ready! We are Grateful 2 be here.
Date: 2017-03-21
From: Lance Creek

To: neel gap
Miles today: 7.2

Today was a day for big adventure. An anticipated climb over Blood Mountain with the reward of real food at the end of the descent. The morning started with a spectacular sunrise. The climb toward Blood mountain had more challenge than we expected but we finally made the base of the mountain at the aptly named Slaughter Creek. As we summitted the Mountain the view was better than we expected! Spectacular! There is an old stone shelter at the very top which would have been nice to stay in, but the ATC has mandated bear canisters for this short stretch. No self-respecting thru hiker would ever carry a canister because of the weight. The descent down to Neel Gap was a brutal rock scramble. I had done this years ago and remembered that it was difficult, but I had not remembered it as this difficult. I must be getting old! More on this later. I had heard that it was supposed to rain so I was able to find two other hikers, Dillon and Tyler, to share a cabin for the night. More on this later also. As an aside, as we walked in the howling wind Gooseman me their names, I told him "Tyler like Texas". Gooseman said back to me, "His name is Texas? Cool."We rented the cabin at Blood Mountain Cabins, and boy were we glad we did. We were hit a few hours later with a horrific storm. Heavy rains, marble sized hail, fierce winds, lightning and thunder. It would have been tough in the outdoors tonight. I wondered how my newfound friends fared?Let me back up a moment and talk about our arrival at Neel Gap. There is a full service outfitter here with everything the hiker needs. They do "pack shakedowns" where they help the hikers decide what they do and don't need to help them to be successful. I have been hiking enough that I didn't think I needed a shakedown, but I did need to pick up a couple of things, take care of a pack issue, and resupply some food. I went inside and found a nice salesman who took the time to help me with everything I needed. He spent a considerable amount of time with me even though the store was crowded. He helped me find everything I needed. When I went to check out I found out he was the owner! Logan, you rock and so does Mountain Crossing! I saw you and your staff really help a lot of thru hikers today.
Date: 2017-03-22
From: neel gap

To: hogpen gap
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: moderate rain

The storm took its toll on the hikers last night. At least two hikers had their tent poles snapped in half. Dozens of hikers had standing water in their tents during night. Tents blown over. Several had their tarps ripped by high winds. The hikers today were consistently estimating winds of near 50 miles an hour last night. Many hikers were visibly shaken, but no one was hurt. Glad I was in a cabin last night. As we started down the trail this morning, Gooseman said to me, " My knees are hurting bad." Not good. He never complains about his body hurting so i knew it must be bad. I asked him when they started hurting. "After we finished the rock scramble down Blood Mountain yesterday." Uh oh. I looked at them closely. Not swollen but sore to the touch. Seemed to be the worst just either side of his patella tendon. I had him stretch, and then I massaged them. Not much help. Bad knees can end a hike. We had planned to hike 11 miles today. The first mile took us over an hour. Usually Gooseman is bounding down the trail; his six foot three, two hundred thirty pound frame leaving me in his dust at 2-3 miles an hour. Not today. We are supposed to meet my wife at Dicks Creek Gap on Saturday, but we needed to make the miles for it to happen. 6 miles today, and they were very painful for Gooseman. Uh oh. The plan now is to try to make it to Unicoi in two days and the wife will meet us there. She can take us to a motel in Hiawassee and Gooseman can rest his knees for a couple of days. I hope he can walk on them tomorrow. He's really loving the hike so far, and then this. Tomorrow will be a better day, and I'm Grateful2.
Date: 2017-03-23
To: cold water
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

This is a picture of the rattlesnake orchid. They, along with many other mountain wildflowers, are starting to emerge from the soil here. It won't be but a few days and the Trail will be ablaze in color. Interesting fact about the rattlesnake orchids. Native American Indian women believed that if they rubbed it on themselves that it made a man fall more deeply in love with them. Im taking orders guys! Not really! It does signal the beginning of spring though. We made eight miles today, trying to get back to civilization. We will be at Unicoi Gap tomorrow. Gooseman's knees are still not doing well so we are meeting my wife and taking a couple of days off for them to recuperate. I'll see if I can eat back all the calories I have lost so far. It will be fun trying. Still Grateful!
Date: 2017-03-24
From: cold water

To: unicoi gap
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: broken clouds

We are warm and dry now, but today's weather up on Blue Mountain was brutal. Walking in 40 degree weather with 30-40 mph winds and rain and fog can be a good mixer for hypothermia. All the hikers we saw were walking with their heads down just putting one foot in front of the other. But we made it along with everyone else. Gooseman's knees are still bothering him a lot, so we found a hitch into Hiawassee. Kent Stewart from Flowery Branch, Ga. came up here to see if he could help some thru hikers, and boy did he help us. Turns out that we knew some of the same people from the north Atlanta area. Thanks   to Mr. Stewart from Wages and Sons funeral home. We are staying a couple of days in Hiawassee to see if Gooseman's knees will heal up. We had trail magic at Unicoi Gap today. Bob and Dave take one day every year to drive from Warner Robins, Ga. to provide food for thru hikers. (Bob and Dave are the two nearest the truck.) A hot dog, a Mountain Dew, and a banana make a great pick-me-up for a tired hiker. I'm Grateful2.
Date: 2017-03-25
From: unicoi gap

To: hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I cried. And I'm not a crier. I got up from the bed and went to the bathroom of this two-bit motel room where my wife, son, and I are staying and I cried some more so they wouldn't hear me. I cried hard. Gooseman has decided he's going home. His knees are hurting, he has a sinus infection, and he's decided to go home. I'll miss him so much but that's not why I'm crying. We've had a great week and shared a lot of laughs. It will be hard without him but that's not why I'm crying. I'm crying because I hurt for Gooseman. What many of you don't know about Gooseman is that he has autism. I've watched him his whole life not be accepted. I've watched him try so hard to be successful in life, and he struggles. He's doesn't have a job and he still lives at home. He's a good man with a great sense of humor, but he struggles. He's generous and loves giving to others. He always stands up for the underdog. On the trail, if he can walk, he's normal. I've watched him being accepted this week. I so wanted him to finish- to be accepted as a hiker. Not for me but for him. We had such fun picking out meals together, choosing campsites together,and enjoying trail magic together. I thought he had what it takes to make it, at least a good part of the way. I wanted him to make it more than I wanted to make it. Now it's over for Gooseman. How is it possible to want more for your son than you want for yourself? I've wanted this since I was 15 years old, but I'd gladly give it up if he could make it. I hope he can get to feeling better soon, and maybe we can work it out for him to rejoin me. The sun will still come up tomorrow and thru- hikers will still be walking toward Mt Katahdin. I'm crying and trying to be Grateful2.
Date: 2017-03-26
From: unicoi gap

To: trey mountain shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up this morning at Mulls Inn in Hiawassee. We went to a great church service at McConnell Baptist Church. Then it was onto the AYCE buffet at Daniels Restaurant. Chicken, Turkey and dressing, roast beef, green beans, creamed corn, and hot banana pudding for dessert. I can eat anything I want and not gain weight! My wife and Gooseman had me to the trailhead by 12:30, and it was time to say goodbye again. I miss my wife and I miss having Gooseman with me. The trail today from Unicoi over Trey Mountain had elevation changes shaped just like an "M". Up, down, up, down. Not a 100 yard flat stretch the entire trail. The trail was well graded though, so the miles went quickly. Even though it was only 5.7 miles today, for the first time my feet and legs feel great. Maybe I am starting to get my trail legs?I traded out my hammock setup for one of my tents which my wife brought from home. The hammock was comfortable, but it just took too much time to take down every morning. We will see if my bad shoulders can take sleeping on the uneven ground. Grateful 2 be here.
Date: 2017-03-27
From: trey mountain shelter

To: deep gap
Miles today: 7.4

The ruffled grouse have started mating. Not that I've actually seen it, but I am hearing the male's mating call. It is loud. It sounds sort of like someone slowly starting an old piston engine. Whomp...whomp...whomp...whomp..whomp.whomp.whomp. It's loud. Funny, no one else on the trail seems to know what the noise is. It's freaking out some of the girls. When I tell them what the noise is, they can't believe it's a bird. Try describing what a ruffled grouse looks like. It doesn't look any other bird I know of. It's kind of like a giant quail or a little short-legged chicken. Anyway, it's another signal that spring is here. Another easy day today in terms of miles. They will get bigger very soon. I'm walking mostly by myself the last two days. I seem to be in a bubble of 18-25 year olds. I've only seen two other hikers over thirty since I left Unicoi. I'm walking by myself because I can't walk their speed. Even though a large percentage of AT hikers are in their fifties, they are not in my bubble. I start out early and the twenty somethings pass me all day, except for the ones who sleep till almost lunch before they start hiking. 1 1/2 to 2 miles an hour is as fast as I can go, and most of them pass me at 2 to 3 miles an hour. So I'm hiking by myself all day. I meet people at the shelters at night. We eat supper together and then it's everyone to bed before dark. The solitude can be refreshing sometimes. Walking alone and seeing the next ridge in front of you can be inspiring. The mountains are majestic when seen from a distance. They are tough when you are climbing them alone. It gives me a lot of time to think. Staying tonight at Deep Gap Shelter at 3456 elevation. The picture is of our food bags hanging. We hang our food bags every night to keep the varmits away. Supposed to start raining tonight and continue all day tomorrow. I'm still grateful2.
Date: 2017-03-28
From: deep gap

To: bly gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's post is about weather. You really notice the weather when you're in it 24/7. The weather in the mountains is constantly changing. Last night a front came through and dumped at least an inch of rain on me in my tent. Heavy rain. Big drops. At one point it was raining cats and dogs. I know it was raining cats and dogs because one dog landed on the top of my tent and started peeing through the tent right on to my face. Annoying to say the least. It was a very small hole so I couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. But I must be a Methodist because I've definitely been sprinkled.After the rain stopped the wind began to blow ¢ probably 30 miles an hour and it was a cold north wind. After I broke camp this morning, the wind stopped as a fog settled in with visibility of about 20 feet. Then by mid morning the fog had lifted and it was sunburn hot. Then by early afternoon the clouds had thickened and it was cool again. Then late this afternoon the sun came back out and it heated back up. Now I'm in my tent on the ridge where the wind is blowing at least 40 miles an hour, and I'm hoping that my tent won't implode on me. I walked my biggest day so far today, 12 1/2 miles. I'm in North Carolina now where I will be until I start into the smoky mountains. One down, 13 to go. And I'm grateful for the opportunity.