morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-09-24
To: Washington DC via Gettysburg
Miles today: 0.0

Today was the first day in over a year I did not have miles of AT to hike hanging over my head. It was a great feeling. I shared a room with a fellow hiker at the Microtel Motel, but I was so excited I could not sleep beyond 5:30. So, I got up, ran a bath and soaked in the tub for 30 minutes trying to get the stink off my body. After the soak I took another shower and went down to the motel continental breakfast. Recom arrived at 10:45 and we drove to Gettysburg. I had a hard time staying awake because it was so hot and I had not slept much the night before. WE got to Recom's house in Arlington and watched the film "Gettysburg" while we ate dinner.
Date: 2010-09-25
To: Stockbridge
Miles today: 0.0

My plan for getting home was to stay in DC until Tuesday so I could see Adam and Shanna, but as I slept last night I kept thinking about home and I knew I couldn't wait until Tuesday. I asked Recom if he would mind taking me to the airport today and he was very understanding. So I booked a flight and was on a jet at 6:30. I walked into my house at about midnight and could finally say my AT adventure was over. And, yes, LIFE IS GOOD! REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, GOOD!
Date: 2008-01-01
To: PLANS SET IN STONE
Miles today: 0.0

It is infectious to listen to those on the trail now. We've anticipated this hike for 20+ years, and now it is within site. There is not a day go by that we do not think about those out there, and our own path to follow. What a great transition from a lifetime of working to retirememt. Our hope is that we rediscover the simplicity once precious to us. The past couple of years we've done quite a few shake-down hikes. And didn't wait for optimum conditions to do them, realizing our AT hike will be about taking the elements as they come. Mosey is terribly out of shape (:<), so she has (re)inlisted at our local Y, worked with a trainer these past six months and is determined to regain her fitness level that enables her to access life!! TheLippys.com
Date: 2008-06-07
To: RETIREMENT! Finally!!
Miles today: 0.0

It's official! We've completed all of the paperwork, and David is actually really going to retire on August 1. It's hard to believe--you think about retirement half of your work life, then "all of a sudden" it's here. Attempting to prepare our bodies for the Trail in Florida would be near impossible, so we've rented an adorable log cabin in Franklin, NC, and the day David retires we'll head for the mountains to begin 7 months of training before our start date to do the Thru Hike.
Date: 2008-06-08
To: MOVING FROM FLORIDA TO FRANKLIN, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The Lippys are going stir crazy in Florida. Our thru hike starts 3/01 and all I can do in the interim is try to train and read about others on the trail now. Preparing a home of 22 years to sell in a discouraging market, renting storage space in preparing of being "homeless" next year while on the trail. Discontinued land-line; cell phones are all that are left. Purge, downsize, get-rid-of, you name it. Going from a 2700 sq ft home to a 20 sq ft tent is truly down-sizing! (:>) All of our "stuff" will be in a 10 x 20 storage unit in Franklin. Working with a dynamo trainer once a week named Marco, who aims to see me FINISH. Some friends have rented us their log cabin in Franklin, NC. We'll use it as a homebase to get in some serious training for the 6 months prior to the start of our hike.
Date: 2008-10-28
To: DRY RUN - TESTING GEAR
Miles today: 0.0

We've bought a lot of new gear for our 2009 thru hike, so we needed to get out and see if it worked in cold weather. We picked this day to do an overnight hike on the AT using the Timber Ridge and Beech Gap approach trails for access. We stayed at the Carter Gap shelter. I think we did pretty well on pack weight. Kim weighed in at 24 lb with water and food, and Dave weighed in at 30.5 lb.The weather forcast was for highs in the 50's and lows in the 20's. Our hike started with overcast skies and high winds. We were the only ones at Carter Gap, so we used the shelter to cook and eat but chose to pitch our tent nearby since we thought that would be warmer. Dinner went pretty well using our Jet Boil stove though we're still thinking of an alcohol stove for the thru hike though. When we went to wash out our titanium mugs at 7:30, ice immediately formed in the mugs. We quickly retreated to our tent, got into our 20 deg bags, and settled in for the night.The wind was really kicking up - gusts to 40 mph according to the weatherman. I got up once during the night to do what older men do, and there was white stuff all over the ground. Kim was surprised when she looked outside the tent in the morning and saw the snow. Temperatures had dropped into the teens. We were both real pleased with how our gear worked. We stayed warm and were able to get all our camping tasks done without too much hassle. The hike out in the snow was fun, and we were reassured that when we start next March in cold weather, we'll do all right. We'll make a couple small adjustments, but in general, we're good to go.
Date: 2009-01-08
To: OUR DOG SITTERS
Miles today: 0.0

We have always hiked with our black lab, Trekker, but she's 8 1/2 years old now, and the trail would be far too hard on her. Having a dog on a hike also limits options for shelter and recreation along the trail. So, our GOOD friends, Dennis and Katy, have graciously agreed to keep Trekker for the duration of our trip. We are most indebted to them. As for Trekker, we hope she wants to come home with us after the hike. Dennis and Katy live on a lake in Tennessee, and Trekker loves water. She also tends to get spoiled on her visits. We also appreciate Jae & Bing Futch of Orlando, FL who have GENEROUSLY volunteered to act as backups for Dennis and Katy. We don't anticipate any problems, but we know from previous experience, it's always a good idea to have a Plan B. Without our friends stepping forward to take Trekker, we'd have to pospone our trip, since we'd never kennel her for 6 months. The Rosolowski's are also storing our vehicle for us during this time. Talk about supportive!!
Date: 2009-01-09
To: FOOD ON THE TRAIL
Miles today: 0.0

Mail drops are a subject of debate among hikers. Some swear by them and others avoid them. We've decided to do quite a few to facilitate the use of meals dehydrated at home prior to the hike. We think this will provide better nutrition and keep us from getting bored with frequent repeats of store bought food.We've entered our planned mail drops under the mail drop link (blue side bar). Now our challenge is to get all the meals together that will go in the mail drops. Time is getting short, with our AT thru hike start day just about 50 days away.If you want to send us something at a mail drop, please check for updates to our mail drop schedule that will no doubt occur as our hike progresses. Also, be sure to follow the guidelines for labeling and lead time that are given on the mail drop list.
Date: 2009-02-07
To: WASHINGTON DC
Miles today: 0.0

We made the 1000+ r/t mile trip to Washington, DC, this past weekend to attend a crash course in wilderness videography by the Producer and Director, Jason Pavelko. Jason invited us to carry one of the 7 video cameras to document our hike for his show, The Road Less Traveled, intended to be a 6-hour documentary about hiking the AT in 2009. We stayed at the Hyatt, which we suspect will be a fond memory three weeks from now, when our abode will be a three-walled shelter or tiny tent (;>). They videotaped the training session and will use that as part of the final show. We were shown how to get the most out of our videocamera to capture our hike. All of the hikers involved in this project were able to meet each other BEFORE the hike begins. Most of us are planning to start at different times as well, so we may only pass one another on the trail, if we're lucky. We also picked up our camera and gear, and learned it how to use. No doubt we'll be asked, "WHY would you want to commit to hauling the 2+ extra pounds of camera equipment, just for someone else's show?" Well...I have to tell you, for the past 10+ years that we have dreamed about doing our own hike, we have been blessed and motivated by others that were willing to take the time, carry the weight, so we could live their like vicariously. So it is for those that will follow in our footsteps to say, "If we can do it, so can YOU!" (;>). Its our personal believe that NO ONE comes off an expedition like this without changing. Documenting those changes, as they happen, might be interesting, especially for our grandkids in the years to come.
Date: 2009-02-08
To: SCRIBE - NINA ROGERS
Miles today: 0.0

Nina Rogers, aka Waterfall, is a Thru Hiker herself, and very good friend. She has volunteered to be our Scribe during this hike. This is a labor of love for this very talented, brillant young woman, and we appreciate it more than we could possibly say. Nina is also an English Major, and an editor for a large software firm located in Franklin. We will be calling her phone from our cell phone when the signal allows to give her updates on our locations, photos, and updates on how our hike is going. You can check out Nina's Journal on this same site at http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=71596 or just seach under Trail Names for Nina Rogers/Waterfall.
Date: 2009-02-10
To: HIT THE TRAIL PARTY
Miles today: 0.0

The HIT THE TRAIL PARTY, given to us as a send off by our new home town hiking friends and neighbors, was a lot of FUN! Hostess (and our Scribe) Nina Rogers (aka Waterfall) really put on the Ritz, with an elegant bouquet of flowers and fruit gracing the tables. Food and drink were incredibly good. Guests showered us with little ditty bags of small consumable specialized trail snacks, our FAVORITE being Justin's squeeze pack Peanut Butter. Neat ideas Waterfall came up with for our Hit The Trail party included an AT trivia game, which Sly won (surprise!). The winner's prize was an AT Trivia Game. There were stamped postcards with a map of the entire Trail on them; each guest put their address on them, and we will send them as we continue up the Trail. And of course, Dulcimer Dave entertained the group with some of his dulcimer music and song. Thanks to all that were there, most esp my beloved cousin, Robb Neill, his lovely wife Liz, and Jackson. They drove 3 hrs just to be at the party. A good time was had by all.
Date: 2009-02-28
To: AMICALOLA FALLS ST PARK LODGE
Miles today: 0.0

We checked into the lodge about 2:00 today. We have a Loft Room at the Amicolola Falls Lodge. As for our start time tomorrow morning, we want to get hiking by 9:00AM (ambitious, huh?), so Dulcimer Dave's job is to get everyone up and moving early. We plan on breakfast at the Amicolola Falls Lodge (dining room opens at 7:00AM), and then we'll have the 45 min. drive to the trail on FS 42. Our son and 4 year old grandson will be with us. Since our son is driving us to the trail, the first up and back mile will be a slack pack which should be nice. In the beginning we'll be doing LOW mileage to get started, and some of the longer days like Jarrard Gap may get modified on the fly depending on how we feel. Thanks again for supporting us, and we're looking forward to meeting up with you all at some time, maybe on the Trail? If you haven't already, we invite you to sign our Guest Book here on Trail Journals. Dulcimer Dave & Mosey
Date: 2009-03-01
From: SPRINGER

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: light rain

After spending the night at the lodge at Amicalola State Park, we drove to the parking area near Springer Mountain. We hiked south one mile to Springer Mountain where "Many Sleeps" signed us in and gave us our Leave No Trace briefing. We were joined by our son, Jason; grandson, Nathan; three hiking friends, "Mother Nature", "Smokestack" and Elizabeth Nicholson; and the producer of the to-be TV series that we're supposed to be part of, Jason Pavelko. Despite threatening weather, it was quite a joyous occasion, and we took all the obligatory pictures at the start of the AT.We left our family and Elizabeth back at the parking lot and continued our hike north in a snow storm. It kept getting colder, and the snow was all over everything and everyone. We stopped for the night at Hawk Mountain shelter after lunching at Stover Creek shelter where we met "Sarge", a 78 year old thru hiker and another young thru hiker just out of high school. We pitched our tent since the shelter was full and cooked in the vestibule since the wind was so strong that it kept blowing our jetboil stove flame out. We finished dinner late and hunkered down for a long cold night. We're tired, but still enjoying the thrill of starting our AT hike.
Date: 2009-03-02
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Just past Justus Mountain
Miles today: 5.2

Woke up to clear skies, but the temperature was 15 with strong winds. A cold breakfast shake was downed quickly, and we packed up with freezing hands. Hiking started to warm us up, but it was a day for many layers. I doubt it got much above the mid-30's. "Mother Nature", "Smokestack", and Jason Pavelko left us early to hike out to their Tuesday jobs, so Mosey and Dulcimer Dave were finally on their own. Most of the hiking was over snow covered trails with lots of ice. Sassafras Mountain was our biggest challenge of the day, but we made it over the top! Quite a few people passed us, but everyone was nice to us old people.The hiking was tough, and we shortly found that we could not do the miles we had planned on. We finally decided to stop at 5:00PM and set up camp, where ever we were. We made it to a gap and found a flat spot that took up half the trail, but that was home for the night. We melted snow for water and again cooked in the vestibule. It was really cold and we climbed into our bags early and stayed there. It's interesting to none that we found a large clip of expended blank ammunition right next to our tent. No doubt a left over by the troops who use this area to train. To summarize, it was a long hard day, but still better than a day at work.
Date: 2009-03-03
From: Just past Justus Mountain

To: Gooch Gap/Suches, GA
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: clear sky

It was 10 degrees out this morning and we were both very cold. Packing up was painful. Much of the path was still ice and snow covered, but it did get warmer later in the day. Our water bladders froze up almost immediately, and it was about noon before they thawed out. We met "Southside", who was slack packing to check out his knees before picking up his pack at Neels Gap to continue on a thru hike. He said he was staying the night at the Hiker Hostel in Suches, and that planted the idea that a night at the hostel might feel good after all the bad weather. We got the last two spots at the hostel and enjoyed nice warm showers. We got to wash our clothes and ordered a big batch of Chinese Food to satisfy our dinner needs. The hostel was full with 19 hikers and we enjoyed a few hours of hiker talk with them. Tomorrow we get back on the trail and head for Neel's Gap. I suspect we'll take two to three days to get there, but we're moving forward. I'm told that Georgia will get us in shape and the miles per day will pick up when the time is right. Until then, we'll plod along enjoying our hike.Oh, and they say by the weekend we'll have above average temperature with highs in the 60's or low 70's. Should be quite a change from our arctic hike.
Date: 2009-03-04
From: Gooch Gap/Suches, GA

To: Miller Gap
Miles today: 6.5

Left the Hiker Hostel very refreshed after a night in the warmth. The weather is warmer today and we're getting great views as we head north out of Gooch Gap. We met several very nice young people at one of our breaks and are encouraged that the young people hiking the trail are really wonderful.We ate lunch at Woody Gap where we enjoyed the concrete picnic tables and privies. The water source was feeble, but we did get some at the gap. We spent the night camping in a gap with three young ladies, "Cadilac" and two yet to be named, who were traveling with the 63-year old dad, "Turtle," of one of them. We were also joined by "Mississippi" who was hammock camping. The ladies built a small fire and we all stood around and related our experiences so far before turning in for the night.Dulcimer Dave had a little trouble with his left knee on the downs, but some "vitamin I" (ibuprofen) took care of it. We're ready for another great day tomorrow.
Date: 2009-03-05
From: Miller Gap

To: Blood Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: clear sky

Temperature was above freezing this morning, yea! We felt good this morning and hiked the morning with no problems. We lunched at Bird Gap before starting our ascent of Blood Mountain. We decided that since it was a clear day, we'd stay at the Blood Mountain Shelter and enjoy the views. With no water at Blood Mountain, we tanked up at the base and carried a heavy load of water to the top.Two other hikers joined us for our first night in a shelter. They were "Sponge Bob" and "Big Boot," both young men from Ohio. We were warned of rats in the shelter, but nobody saw or felt any creatures during the night.
Date: 2009-03-06
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: clear sky

We took a "nero" (near-zero) day and lounged at the hostel at Neels Gap. Warm showers, laundry, a soft bed, hot dogs, and lots of hiker companions. We're starting to see familiar faces, and everyone is still high on hiking.We got our first mail drop and bounce box, and are ready for the next push to Unicoi Gap - probably a three day-affair. We are doing well physically with no major injuries. We've found that our slow pace is working well for us with lots of time for enjoying the views and talking to other hikers. The speed will have to come later.
Date: 2009-03-07
From: Neels Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: few clouds

Left the hostel at Neels Gap with little sleep. There were 15 hikers in the hostel and one of them got a good night's sleep, snoring so loud that all the other hikers got no sleep. Needless to say, he was the talk of the day.The weather has turned very nice and we had lots of sun with warm temperatures. This section of trail that includes teh Raven Cliffs Wilderness in the Chattahoochee National Forest has fantastic views. We met numerous thru-hikers and day hikers who were all very friendly and encouraging.Today we did 1,909 ft elevation gain and 1627 down. Our one mistake was staying at the Hogpen Gap road crossing. We were tired and set up near the water source. Since it was Saturday night, the locals filled the nearby mountains and partied along with gun fire until about midnight. It was still a better night than at the hostel with the snorer. All in all, a great day.
Date: 2009-03-08
From: Unicoi Factory

To: Chattahoochee Gap
Miles today: 9.4

We felt strong today after a good night's sleep. Again, we had great weather, and Mosey even hiked in shorts. We had some nice views in the morning in the Mark Trail Wilderness on our way to the Low Gap Shelter, where we had lunch. This is a beautiful shelter not far off the trail with a stream right there for water resupply. It would have been easy to spend the whole day lounging there, but we were feeling good and moved on.The trail out of Low Gap is an old historic roadway that goes on for several miles. It has some great views with occasional water sources. We met a few day hikers who were all very polite and interested in our journey.Late in the day, we came to Chattahoochee Gap where the wind was really howling. We were tired and decided to spend the night there anyway. Fortunately, we found an old road leading into the gap that was just behind a ridge that protected us from the wind. We had the camping area to ourselves and enjoyed a very restful night with only the wind blowing through the trees to break the silence.
Date: 2009-03-09
From: Chattahoochee Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up before sunrise and packed our gear for an early start. Our path wound through the mountains, where we quickly found a water source to top off our water bladders. We snacked at Blue Mountain Shelter, which sits on top of a ridge with outstanding views.Our morning finished with a hike down Blue Mountain into Unicoi Gap. It wasn't until this downhill that we met another hiker. Once we reached the roadway, our friend, Mother Nature, was waiting to take us into the town of Helen for lunch and then back to her home for the night. It was quite a treat to shower, do laundry and enjoy a home-cooked meal. We had quite a conversation on trail experiences with Mother Nature and her husband, Smokestack, and are looking forward to a quiet night in a real bed.Tomorrow, we'll pick up our hike through Georgia with Tray Mountain as our big challenge of the day. Another great day hiking as we are about 2/3 of the way through Georgia. One last note: We really appreciate all the encouragement we're getting from entries in our Trailjournals guest book. We have very limited access to the internet, so please don't fret if we don't get back to you right away. We try to answer all entries, but we have a big backlog. We do read all the entries and thank all of you. If you have a personal question to ask, please leave your email address if you want a response. We won't get into personal topics on the Trailjournals web site.
Date: 2009-03-10
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Refreshed from a night with Mother Nature and Smokestack, we resumed our trek north. Today's miles were not long, but we tackled two mountains, Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain. The space age watch says we ascended 2231 ft today. We met several other hikers during the day, including a brother/sister duo who stopped to have lunch with us. Today we entered the Tray Mountain Wilderness. We got into the shelter area early and set up our tent near a rock overlook with great looks to the east. It was very relaxing to lay out on the warm rocks and just watch the world go by. The group at the shelter was a mix of young and old, thru hikers and section hikers, and a couple overnighters. Lots of tents. The weather has been great and we got a good night's sleep.
Date: 2009-03-11
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Enjoyed a great sunrise at Tray Mountain Shelter before heading up the trail. Lots of small ups and downs today with Kelly Knob being the only significant climb. Kelly is the last peak over 4,000 ft that we'll encounter in Georgia.We lunched at Sassafras Gap with two other hikers, both young and going a lot faster than us. Rain threatened, but never appeared. The temperature was a little cooler today, so hiking was really a pleasure. The hikers we met today were all talking about getting to Hiawassee where they'll get showers, fresh laundry, and meals that someone else will cook.We tented along with several others at Deep Gap and let the youngsters have the shelter. Our evening companions seemed to fit into two age groups - those of us that have been around for quite a while and another group just out of high school or college. Only one young lady this night. Many of our other nights have been characterized by lots of young ladies. We've been suprised with the number of females on the trail this year. Go girls.