morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-13
From: Hurd Brook Lean-To, ME

To: Best Value Inn, Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 13.4

I couldn't be more anxious. My father and I had a really nice walk to Katahdin Stream Campground in Baxter State Park, where most thru-hikers spend the night before they summit. He was downright speedy after we lightened our packs at Abol Bridge, where my car was parked. I keep getting congratulated by people, but I can't rest easy until I've summitted, and it doesn't look like that will happen tomorrow.The weather is calling for rain tomorrow, and I hear the climb is pretty treacherous when wet. Several people have compared it to Mahoosuc Notch, but with an incline, and that's enough for me to wait it out without question...though I'm so excited to go home that I'm still questioning it. I'll wake up early and if I see stars we can drive to the park and climb. If nothing else, I've finally gotten a shower!Good night,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-09-14
From: Best Value Inn, Millinocket, ME

To: Best Value Inn, Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 0.0

OH the frustration!Tomorrow should be nicer, but there is next to nothing in this town and I'll be upset if it rains again! I do think I needed the break today, however. I've been extremely tired lately and can't seem to get rid of a headache. Dad and I had a big breakfast at a diner in town, then I bought a book and fell asleep reading it in the hotel. If nothing else, Saturday is supposed to be nice.I'm within one day of finishing my hike, it's just a question of when that day will come!Trying to stay patient (not my strong suit),Chardonnay
Date: 2006-01-01
To: Branch's intro
Miles today: 0.0

Branch: I¢ve dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail since I was in the 7th grade. A thru-hiker brought all of his gear into Mrs. Patton¢s Social Studies Class and told us about the great journey that he was about to undertake. I hung onto his every word as he told of the mountains that he would climb, the places that he would stay, and the people that he would meet. I stared at his gear in fascination. I was hooked. After class, most of the kids were appalled that one would desire to hike from Georgia to Maine. What would they do for 6 months without T.V.? Not me, from then on, my mind and my life were filled with scenes of the Appalachian Trail. After that day in class, it did not take much to convince my parents to begin purchasing the needed equipment to go backpacking. Soon we were taking short trips as a family and having tons of adventures. Memories of those adventures will stay with me forever. I will never forget seeing my first shelter--Low Gap Shelter in Georgia and reading the register there. I desired to be a part of the trail community. I even got to know Clay on the Appalachian Trail. He was a long-time family friend and began joining us on our family excursions. When everyone else was too busy, he and I began to hike together. Together, we experienced highest of high joys and the lowest of lows as we walked through the hardest of rains and the darkest of nights. I so enjoyed being his hiking partner on the trail that it was a natural step to become his partner in life. So, when he proposed to me about a mile north of Woody Gap, Georgia on a rock we call Preacher¢s Rock, I happily accepted. We got married not far from the Appalachian Trail. In fact, in many of the pictures from our wedding you can see the mountain where Clay proposed. All along I have dreamed about thru-hiking the A.T.. I have envisioned my launch from Springer and the summit of Katahdin. I have pictured the mountains that I will climb, rainstorms that I will pass through, and the stories that I will be able to tell my children. However, until recently, my dreams were mostly locative. Sometime in the past three years my dreams have shifted from location to serving others. When I envision Clay and myself on the A.T., I envision the people that we will talk to, the conversations that we will have, and the relationships that we will build. I no longer measure success in miles completed, but in being able to hear ¢well done thou good and faithful servant¢ from God. So, here are I am a mere 76 days from the start of a great journey. As I write this inaugural journal entry I amazed at the years of preparation that have taken place. Before we ever set foot on the trail, thousands of prayers will have been lifted up to heaven on our behalf. We know that this is the time that God has ordained for us to go and we are ready to see where this narrow path will lead.
Date: 2006-01-16
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

GearClayWeight (oz)BranchWeight (oz)Backpack ULAP2 ULAP2 PackCover Custom-made sil-nylon by Branch3Custom-made sil-nylon by Branch3House (Tent)Aprilthru September HenryShires CloudburstSingleWall Tarp Tent40Weshare this item0  Tyvekground cloth Weshare this item0 March-April(maybe but doubtful)SierraDesigns Double Wall Clip Flashlight60Weshare this item0  Plasticground cloth8Weshare this item0Bedroom     SleepingBagsMarch-AprilMoonstone15 degree down44WesternMountaineering 0 degree down44 April-June¢ Moonstone15 degree down44 July-AugustMoonstone45 degree synthetic28New45 degree summer bag TBA?First Previous Next LastHiker Entries January 16, 2006JournalistDestinationTrailLeader of the PackMore Trail IntroductionAppalachian TrailCrazy Horse-- View Entry --Pacific Crest Trailbear-- View Entry --Appalachian TrailFrostyCruisin¢ with NPRAppalachian TrailRed DaneDicks CreekAppalachian TrailSkeemerSection Three Queen Wilhelmina S.P. Lodge MP 51.6Ouachita National Recreation TrailPonch-- View Entry --Pacific Crest TrailRock*Star(formerly known as AveMaria)-- View Entry --Appalachian TrailTortoiseFTThe Florida TrailPapionCold Brook FallsOther TrailsMore...Grouped By Trail... I woke up before dawn to enjoy another grand morning watching the sun rise while hike along the scenic Northern Cascades ridgeline.Knowing this was the end, I just couldn't stop hiking. Covering over 30 miles for each of the last two days and couldn't stop smiling by how beautiful everything was around me....    Snackies ¢Pacific Crest Trail2015HikingTrailsJournalsPhotosCalendarGearLinksPartnersULA EquipmentREIPatagoniaNetworkTrail ForumsTrail NewsAbout UsContactDonateJoinLoginHelpFollow UsFacebookInstagramTwitterPinterest LinkedinTop Photo © Rick Ashley - Trail Days, 05/17/2002 by ZipdriveTrailjournals LLC © 2024All Rights Reserved. privacy policyNewburyport, MA 01950Terms under which this service is provided to you. Build: 20210226:165913Manage Settings
Date: 2006-03-01
To: We have no home now!
Miles today: 0.0

"I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling" (2 Samuel 7:6)Yesterday we moved out of our apartment. We put everything in storage, kept but a few essentials, and moved into a friends mountain cottage to finish planning for our hike. In the next 18 days, we have to do all of the planning for our thru-hike. Hope we get everything done!Wow. If we had not been committed to this venture before, we definitely are now. Having no home to go home too will hopefully prove to be great motivation for staying on the trail :o).
Date: 2006-03-05
To: Clay's Birthday Party!
Miles today: 0.0

Today was Clay's birthday. We had an interesting birthday party. There were no hats, balloons, or cake. The only party favors were ziploc bags and a bunch of hiking food. Today we made a special visit to the "big city" and bought way too much hiking food. While we are planning only about 5-6 food drops, we have bought much more food than that. Mail drops always seem to be a hit or miss for us. We'll see if this system works. So, instead of the traditional birthday celebration, we had a great time putting together what we think may be our mail drop system. Hey, this will probably only be done once in our lives. What better way is there to celebrate?
Date: 2006-03-18
From: Amicalola Falls

To: Springer Mountain Shelter, GA
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day:1Date: 3-18-06Start: Amicalola Falls State Park, GAFinish: Springer Mountain Shelter, GAApproach Trail Mileage: 8.8A.T. Mileage: .2Weather: beautiful, mild during the day, very chilly at nightBranch: Today was an odd day. I've been dreaming about starting a thru-hike since the 7th grade. I've lived this day out in my mind thousands of times, each time imagining the emotions that I would feel on the first day of my thru-hike. I thought that I would be extremely nervous, excited, full energy to get started. However, when today finally came, I felt none of those emotions. I've dreamed of this for so long, and lived it in part so often, starting this thru-hike felt as natural and calm as coming home. I feel a peace that can only come from being in the perfect will of the One true God.We woke up early and went to breakfast with our families and then went to Amicalola Falls where a bunch of friends came to send us off. We weighed our packs (Clay's pack weighed 33 pounds and mine weighed 30 pounds with 4 days of food), signed in as thru-hikers at the Visitor's Center and, after about 50 hugs and 20 pictures, we took the first steps of our six-month journey. It was so nice to see how loved we are and how much support we have. We will definitely miss our family and friends.Clay: As we hiked the infamous Approach Trail to Springer Mountain (i.e. the Southern Terminus of the A.T.), I realized hiking the Approach was more than just trail, it seemed like a right of passage. It was as if we were earning the right to hike the trail. Over the past few years, we have been preparing for this thru-hike and now it is finally here. Unfortunately, it feels like another day at the office. Maybe because this is our current job! Setting aside our administrative duties has been very difficult. The hiking terrain was not terribly difficult today compared to our 2005 Long Trail preparation hike. However, it was mentally tiring. Today, we started the trail carrying the weight of hundreds of peoples expectations of us.However, with each step my mental stress became less heavy. As I began to enjoy the hike, God gently began to remind me that He is the only reason we are out here and that His expectations are the only ones that we need to strive to meet.We finally arrived at Springer Mountain at about 4:30 in the afternoon. We sat on a rock with a plaque delcaring it as the Southern Terminous of the A.T., we took turns signing the register, and then we prayed together thanking God for bringing us here.Three highlights today were sharing with our friend named "Easy" about how to be empowered by God's Spirit, having a fantastic send-off with family and friends, and meeting our goal of making it to Springer. (see Proverbs 4.26-27)
Date: 2006-03-19
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter, GA
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: broken clouds

Day: 2Date: 3/19/06Miles: 7.4A.T. Total: 7.6Start: Springer Mountain Shelter, GAFinish: Hawk Mountian Shelter, GAClay: Today was a great day. We went to bed at 8 PM last night and we woke up and moved around around 6:30 AM. We tented near the shelter last night so we could get some rest and it paid off. Today we had what seemed to be 5 downhill miles and 2 uphill miles. Within the first few miles we were hanging out with Crusty, Shoto (Japanese for "pine"), and Bugler (named after his brand of tobacco). They are some really nice and funny fellows. A highlight for me today was seeing Subman ('03). We talked, we laughed, and we edified each other. Another big highlight was having Branch's parents surprise us. Branch will talk about that.There are about 50 people around the shelter tonight--probably 12-15, including us, in the shelter. Shoto is hilarious! The only muscle in my body that hurts is my jaw from laughter. Like me, he used to be a wrestler and he suffered the Long Trail ('00). I hope to see him and his buddy, Crusty, later.Using Vapor's (AT'05) "boil water on the coals" technique coupled with Hunter's (AT class of many years) "eat out of the Lipton package" technique saved us both fuel and cleaning. Thanks guys!Branch: This morning, as planned,we met up with my parents on Springer, they walked down with us, and continued walking with us past the parking lot for about a mile. We said our good-byes and they turned around and went back. Clay and I went on, thinking that we would see them next at Neel's Gap. After about two miles, we came to Three Forks Gap and there were my parents sporting cold Cokes and Little Debbies--our first Trail Angels! Not only did they feed us, but they fed our new hiking bud's as well. The Coke tasted great, but the surprise of seeing my parents again was even better.We pulled into Hawk Mountain Shelter at about 1:30 with 2 people already claiming space. We claimed 2 more ourselves and before long the shelter filled up. I'm sitting here now, amidst about 15 thru-hikers enjoying a great fire and even better company.Its been so neat meeting and hiking with other people who are planning to thru-hike. I love this community that we now find ourselves becoming a part of. This is the first day on the trail for most, so its fun to watch everyone's excitement as they cook their first meal, build their first fire, and prepare for their first night on the A.T..
Date: 2006-03-20
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter, GA

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter, GA
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: moderate rain

Day: 3Date: 3-20-06Start: Hawk Mountain Shelter, GAFinish: Gooch Mountain Shelter, GAMileage: 7.3A.T. Total: 14.9Weather: Overcast, cold, then major rainBranch: According to all of the great weather experts on the radio, we were supposed to be dumped on with rain last night and today. However, as we walked today, thankfully we were only blessed with only few sprinkles. We are from Georgia and it is so weird hiking long distance on a trail that I have so many fond memories of. Every where Clay and I walked today, we were reminiscing of hikes past. In fact, I remembered today as being incredibly difficult. I was pleasantly surprised, though to find the hike more invigorating than exhausting. Before I knew it we were at the shelter.In rainy days like today, the name of the game is the love thy neighbor principle.Clay: We were one of the first few persons at the shelter. Oddly enough, the persons at the shelter said that there was no shelter space. To the contrary, there was *plenty* of space--enough for 5 extra people on the first level of the shelter. So, we laid down our sleeping pads and claimed our stake. Within two hours of getting to the shelter, the rain started and there were a whopping 27 people in the shelter that is rated to hold 14 people! Many of these people were trying to escape the rain. When our buddies, Crusty and Shoto, showed up to the shelter, I found out that they were not carrying a tent! Suzy and I offered to give them our shelter space and, instead, we would sleep in our tent. However, these guys refused our offer. They will try to find space in the shelter. There is room for one more person if we squeeze together but the person next to us is adament to not give space to our tentless friends. As a matter of fact, when we moved to make room, this said, "there is no room" and then took our space! It is very sad. On the trail, like the real world, there are people who do not "love their neighbor like they themselves" (Matthew 12:31). They practice an ethical system called "egoism" or "conventionalism". On this view, even those who are very selfish now, will find themsleves needing to "love thy neighbor" in order for society to work. Depravity is alive and well on the trail.Conversely, we have also met some very fine people on the trail. A highlight of this rainy day was talking with Aaron last night was fun. He gave me quite a bit of insight about a certain school I have been considering attending. Another highlight was going over Sassafrass, Justus, and Phyllis Spur mountains with no problem.
Date: 2006-03-22
From: Neel's Gap, GA

To: Neel's Gap, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Clay: Today we took a much-needed day of rest at Branch's parent's home. I slept in, I took a long shower, I caught up on e-mail, and I continued my reading in the Bible of the minor prophets. These guys are amazing. They would see a problem (viz. sometimes a social problem like the poor being taken by the rich or just general sin), they would state the problem, they would cite God's (sometimes conditional) judgment. The most interesting thing to me is that the minor prophets consistently talk about "the remnant" of believers. Romans 11 also talks about the remnant as well. What this says to me is that not everyone that goes to church or claims to be a follower of Christ is a believer. This is no deep insight however. We've all met these people. Sometimes they are in leadership positions. Conversely, some of the most rough-looking, "weak" people you meet are the finest Christians. When we run into "the remnant", we are edified.Branch: Today was nice because I got to hang out with my family. I love spending time with my sisters, hearing my brother play his guitar, being near both my parents, and watching life go on as normal. I am so proud at how each of my siblings is growing up. They never cease to amaze me.
Date: 2006-03-23
From: Neel's Gap, GA

To: Hogpen Gap, GA
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: broken clouds

Day: 6Date: 3/23/06Start: Neel's Gap, GAFinish: Hogpen Gap/Friend's home, GAWeather: Cold, windy, cloudyMileage: 6.4A.T. Total: 36.9Branch: This morning we woke up, said our last goodbyes to my family, and headed to Neel's Gap. My dad rearranged his work schedule today so that he could drop us off (thanks dad!). When we pulled into the parking lot, I was excited to see many of the same people from the crowd that we were with before still hanging around. We were especially excited to see Crusty and Shoto. We milled around for a while getting reacquainted with people and hanging out with my dad. Finally, around 9:30, we signed in as thru-hikers, took a picture, and began today's hike. We are hikers 328 and 329.We enjoyed spending the time between Neel's Gap and Tesnatee Gap hanging out with hikers and sharing the views from the ridge with them. We even met a few other thru-hikers that we'd not seen before. Three of them were women. It was great meeting Harley Hogpit, Spaghettio, and Daphne. I hope that we get to hang out with them more.Clay: At Tesnatee Gap, our buddies Kneebee and Medicine Woman were waiting with a bunch of goodies for hikers. What a nice thing to do! All of our hiking gang were happy to eat the goodies. We all laughed and had a good time.I have known Kneebee for 24 years. We are best buddies. He and his wife, Medicine Woman, told us that it was going to snow tonight. So, we asked them whether we could spend the night at their home in order to avoid the snow. Of course, they said 'yes'. So, while they dropped Spaghettio and Harley Hogpit at Neel's (they too wanted to avoid the snow), we hiked Little Wildcat Mountain--our favorite mountain in Georgia. When they got back, we headed to their home. Tonight we had a cozy fire, tortilini, salad, and fun conversation. Thank you, Kneebee and Medicine Woman. We had a great time. We are going to miss you.
Date: 2006-03-25
From: Blue Mountain Shelter, GA

To: Swag of the Blue Ridge, GA
Miles today: 11.1

Day: 8Date: 3/25/06Start: Blue Mountain Shelter, GABreakfast: Helen, GAFinish: Swag of the Blue Ridge, GAMiles:11.1A.T. Total: 59.4Clay: What a great time we had last night. Fun and funny conversations were had amongst the blazing fire and snow. With the wind and snow surrounding us, we figured out why they called this shelter "Blue" Mountain. Although sleeping in a hotel room would have been beneficial hiking-wise, being amongst our warm-hearted peers far outweighed those benefits.Today Shoto and Crusty wanted to do something wild and fun. They crack us up. After braving the cold, wind, and possibility of another bear encounter last night, they wanted to hitch into Helen and eat breakfast at the Huddle House! So, we huddled up, scurried down the hill, and got to Unicoi Gap.Getting a hitch always seems to take forever in the cold. So, Branch, Crusty, and I said a short prayer. God answered that prayer in a mere 1 minute 11 seconds through the generosity of Freddie from Sautee. Thanks! Soon we were whisked away from cold and snow to the warmth of the little German town of Helen.Branch: At the Huddle House, we gorged ourselves on food and enjoyed the company of great friends. It was a most enjoyable field trip. After breakfast, we made a few phone calls home, and walked through town praying that we would get a quick hitch back to the trail. Within 6 minutes, a wonderful lady and her son offered to let the four of us pile into her minivan. I had the best time talking with her as she kindly drove us up the mountain and back to the trail.The food from the Huddle House acted as fuel as we climbed up Rocky Mountain. The sun began to peek through the clouds and we had some amazing views as we climbed. Before we knew it, we were standing on top of Tray Mountain. Tray Mountain has a reputation for being colder than average. This reputation was confirmed as we found ourselves once again standing in the snow. So, in order to better weather the cold, we continued downhill in hopes to find a warmer campsite.Within an hour, we came across a site with water, enough room to accommodate our two tents, and a fire ring with embers left by the previous guests. With only about an hour of daylight remaining, we made quick work of setting up the tents, getting water, hanging the bear bag, and gathering wood for a fire. Soon, all the chores were done, and we gathered around the fire with our dinner. I am so glad that God has allowed us to hang out with our new friends, Crusty and Shoto. I wish that they could hike the whole trail with us.
Date: 2006-03-26
From: Swag of the Blue Ridge, GA

To: Dick's Creek Gap, GA (Hiawassee, GA)
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Day: 9Date: 3/26/06Start: Swag of the Blue Ridge, GAEnd: Dick's Creek Gap/Hiawassee, GAMiles: 7.2Cumulative A.T. Miles: 66.6Clay: Sleeping in the swag was cold but a good choice for our conditions. Although it was very windy, it was certainly better than sleeping atop Tray Mountain. It was snowing and windy up there. That did not seem to affect some of the hikers. There was a guy at Tray Gap handing out hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks, and beer. So, that was enough to make some hikers happy. For us, we had our own food, we knew that town was near, and we had fun fellowshipping around the fire in the Swag.Having lacked sleep for the past two nights was tough. We all woke up with the thoughts of getting to town. With every step we thought, "Town...town...town...town..." Today was the first day that the skies were clear and the warm sun was mixed with freezing shouts of wind. It was a great hiking day and we had more good conversations. We even talked with a person who worships fire. I wish that this person's god would heat things up but since fire is impersonal and lacks any divine attributes, I decided to bundle up instead.Immediately prior to Dick's Creek Gap/Hwy 76, we were offered a ride to a hostel from a new hostel owner. Crusty, Shoto, Branch and I decided we'd rather forgo this opportunity. Instead, some of us decided to pray for a ride again. Within 7 minutes, two Christian fellows named Sammie and Owen 'felt impressed' to take us to town despite the fact that they were supposed to be driving in the opposite direction and their destination was south Georgia. This was amazing. We were grateful for them being sensitive to God's prodding.Branch: We packed ourselves into the back of Sammie's pickup truck and headed to Holiday Inn. After saying goodbye to the Godly men who drove us into town, we hurried into the luxurious Holiday Inn where we were greeted by hot showers, comfortable beds, and the biggest room I've ever stayed in.Tonight we ate one final dinner with our friends, Crusty and Shoto. They have to press on to Franklin tomorrow and we are going to stay in town to take some personal time. I have been having a nagging left knee/hip issue since day 1. While it is improving, I think that the day of rest will help it to heal much more rapidly. Sadly, though, tomorrow we will say goodbye to our Georgia hiking buddies.