morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-24
From: The Birches

To: Millinocket
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

KatahdinMillinocket MaineAT HostelUp at 5:00 AM rapidly stuffing things into my pack. Doing my morning chores. Wolfing down the cherry pie AND the Danish I bought at Abol store just for this breakfast.On the trail at 6:00 in humid morning air that was heavy and still. The trail seemed to take forever to start going up. Gradually it became steeper then steeper. We passed Katahdin stream falls as coolness began to creep between the trees. Another eternity up now steeper terrain through gradually shrinking trees. AJ and I stopped at the spring, downed the remaining water in our bottles and filled up.Eventually we broke above the tree line, but the climb had only just begun. Above us the Hunt spur was in and out of clouds. Here is a short video. View climbing Katahdin The wind had picked up and would continue to build until we once again ducked under tree line, but that would be much later.The scrambling was fun for me. The others were apprehensive. I knew that feeling. By the time we reached the gateway, the clouds had converged on everything above. We crossed the tableland in wind and cloud. I had to remove my misted glasses and put them in my pocket. By now I had put on both my down jacket and my wind breaker. It was a different world from the quiet humid campground down below.Half an hour later, still climbing, I was 50 feet from the sign before I heard voices and realized I had come to the terminus. There were only a few of us thru-hikers there at 9:30 AM. I waited a few minutes for my opportunity for a the sign photo and Gummi Bear snapped a few for me through the clouds. As for me, I loved being inside the clouds. We all hovered for at least half an hour; reluctant to let go of the moment. A large raven joined us, landing nearby. Probably looking for a handout, but it was surreal to be that close to the large bird.Ninja-Hoops and others expressed their anxiety about going down the crazy Boulder scrambles we had just climbed, but I was able to put them at ease; knowing it really wasn't as bad going down. Others confirmed this as we descended our last miles.An hour and a half later we were back at the ranger station collecting the items we had left there, while slack packing the mountain.Katahdin is without a doubt the most intense, yet the most exhilarating 5 miles of the entire AT. A fantastic way to end a journey of such proportion that all we can do is remember moments one by one. As many of my companions have expressed today. It will take some time to get our head around this.It's over. Really? Does the trail ever really end? Ask a hiker.Conductor... Signing off.
Date: 2016-09-02
To: My Feet Still Hurt
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

After a week at home slowly working back into my old routines I am wondering when my feet will fully recover. I've been sorting through the thousand pictures trying to both remember the past five and a half months and organizing it into a comprehensive pile. Not making much headway.It is not all that difficult to rehabilitate into sleeping in a comfortable bed, wearing deodorant and having long face to face conversations with Beth. What is difficult? Not stuffing my face constantly, just cause I'm in town. I will do a little bit of editing on my gear list for anyone seeking reviews. I must warn you, I can be harsh. Just as the trail can be a harsh environment. I may also try to get the YouTube video's working from the left hand menu.And finally, some acknowledgements:My awesome and beautiful wife, Beth, made this all possible. She has made me who I am today, supports my crazy adventures and laughs at me when I need it.My friends and family. Thanks for always being there. The guest book comments sustained me through many rainy days.My anonymous and not so anonymous readers. Some of you have even become friends. Thank you for following my meandering thoughts. I hope you had a few laughs, some excitement and a sense of wonderment. I did. It was always great to hear from you and in some cases actually meet you. Do I miss the trail? Not really. Maybe in a year. Right now, I am reminded that I walked 2189.1 + umpteen tenths uncounted miles every time I stand up.Thanks for coming along.
Date: 2016-01-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My Top 10 Reasons for Thru-Hiking the AT (continued)...4. I love meeting new people, seeing new places, and then writing about them. What will I find around the next bend? Can I run faster than the approaching bear (no), or at least faster than the person hiking next to me (maybe)? Who will I meet at the campfire tonight? What¢s their story? What can I learn from them? Can I encourage them in some way, or will I be the one needing encouragement? Will the shower be hot at the next trail town, and will there be an all-you-can-eat buffet to devour? I look forward to the unexpected twists and turns on this journey as much as the expected ones.5. I love planning. I don¢t know if this is my military background or what, but I love ¢assessing variables¢ and making or revising a plan. In fact, I¢m pretty geeky about it. If you want to get the most out of 24 hours in Paris, or 3 days in Italy, I¢m your guy. My AT prep has been an obsession¢¦a truly magnificent obsession. I spent over 3 months researching sleeping bags and over 3 hours researching sporks. That¢s right¢¦3 hours on sporks. The very thought that I have to get from Point A to Point B, in the forecasted weather, with the projected elevation changes and terrain, using nothing but prayer and what I can carry on my own back¢¦and that my survival depends on it¢¦well, I find that all rather intriguing.6. I love getting in shape. I hope to lose at least 20 pounds on the trail and get a resting heart rate in the 50s. The AT will do that to a person. It¢s one of the few activities where you literally can¢t eat enough to replenish the 5,000-6,000 calories burned each day. Six months of pigging out and losing weight? Sign me up!7. I want to help Amber and Julio Colon adopt a child. I hope my hike and blog will raise awareness, and some money, to help a really awesome Christian couple fulfill their dream of having a child. More on that later.To be continued...
Date: 2016-01-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My Top 10 Reasons for Thru Hiking the AT (continued)...8. I hope to inspire some 5th and 6th grade students at Foundation Christian Academy. Yes, two Florida classrooms full of students will be tracking my journey and completing some related geography and history assignments. With each hundred miles trekked and each state traversed, they¢ll get to move a thumbtack on an AT map on the wall of their classroom. More than that, I really hope that in some small way, I can encourage them to dream big dreams and then go after them. In the Everest movie, Jon Krakauer asks Doug Hansen, ¢It hurts. It¢s dangerous. I gotta ask the question, you know I do. Why?¢ Hansen responds, ¢I have kids. They see a regular guy can follow impossible dreams, maybe they¢ll do the same.¢ I hope that¢s what at least a few of the FCA students will see in me. Perhaps their first assignment should be to answer the question, ¢What is a really big dream that you¢d like to achieve some day?¢9. The timing is right. Carpe diem, folks. It¢s time to seize the day. My wife has lovingly and graciously given me the green light. I will embark on this journey less than one month after turning 50. The body and mind aren¢t getting any younger. I need to do this before the urge to lie down and grab the balance beam, click on ¢safe mode¢, and coast to the end of my life kicks in. On my deathbed, I want to be able to look back on my life and know that I took some risks and didn¢t always play it safe.10. I told my mom I would do it. I don¢t know if people can watch things from heaven, but I will hike as if she can. For this hike, and for my life in general, she is among my ¢great cloud of witnesses¢ (Hebrews 12:1) I doubt she would be all that concerned whether or not I finish, but I think she would be disappointed if I didn¢t follow my dream and make an attempt. As added incentive, my dad has agreed to let me take a teaspoon of her ashes with me, which I will spread at the final summit. I hope some day one or both of my sons will thru-hike the AT and do the same thing with my ashes. (No pressure, fellas.)So there you have it¢¦my reasons for attempting a thru-hike of the AT. I¢m not a recently graduated guy in his early 20s trying to figure out what he wants to do in life. I¢m not a guy in his 50s facing a mid-life crisis or trying to escape something. I have a great life and, hands down, the greatest wife. And yet, I have my reasons. This is something I must do. I must find out if there is something inside of me superior to circumstance. I must learn to rely on God like never before.Some of you will identify with one or more of my reasons. A few of you will identify with enough of them to join me on the hike¢¦in 2016 or perhaps some day in the future. As for my mother-in-law, I suspect she will read this blog, shake her head, and say, ¢Now why in the world would you want to go and do something like that?¢
Date: 2016-01-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Continued...ElectronicsiPhone 6 w/ charger ¢ use as phone & camera; read i-Books, listen to music, takes notes, blog, etc. I also have the 2016 AT Thru-Hikers Companion downloaded on it.Mophie 3X Powerstation ¢ external battery, 2.4 amp, 6000mAh; provides 3 full charges for the iPhone. Yurbuds Ironman Earphones ¢ because not everyone wants to hear my playlist.Casio ProTrek Titanium Solar Watch ¢ among other functions, has a compass, altimeter, thermometer, & barometer. And check this out¢¦it will also tell you what time it is. Mind blown.So there you have it! All that checks in at 21 lbs. of base weight, and another 7-12 lbs. of food and water depending on how far to the next resupply town. I don¢t believe this constitutes the ¢best gear¢ or the ¢right gear¢ for anyone else¢¦it¢s just what I think will work best for me. If I¢m wrong, I¢ll adapt and adjust along the way.Only 44 days til launch!Big SteveQuestions for Miss Walsh¢s/Mrs. Wilkinson¢s and Mr. Reeve¢s 5th/6th Grade Classes:1.        What do you think is the most important item on the list? What is the least important? Why?2.        If you had to hike the Appalachian Trail with only 10 things on this list, which ten would you choose? Why?3.        Why is it important to not bring too much stuff with you while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail? What are the possible consequences of over-packing?4.        If you were hiking the AT and could bring one luxury item with you, just for fun, what would it be?5.        Why do you think they call your tent, backpack, and sleeping bag the ¢Big Three¢?6.        Some experts say that for long-distance hiking, the ¢Big Three¢ should weigh no more than 3 lbs. each, or 9 lbs. total. How much do Big Steve¢s Big Three weigh?7.        Research the pros and cons of having a down sleeping bag versus a synthetic sleeping bag.8.        If you could regenerate any part of your body with the body part of an insect, which body part and which insect would you choose? Why?
Date: 2016-03-13
From: Hightower Gap

To: Ramrock Mountain
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The heavy rain and wind gusts started about midnight. I was kind of excited about it because I wanted to test everything out early on the hike. I stayed warm and dry in my UL Flycreek 2 tent. Matt didn't fair so well in his hammock and tarp. In fact he got soaked. I felt bad for him but he bounced back pretty quickly.I got up at 7:30, packed up in the rain, and ate the pop tart that had been sitting in the bottom of my food bag for the past 2 months of training hikes. It was basically brown sugar cinnamon sawdust. Sassafras Mountain, at 3347 feet, was my first butt kicker. It's not as difficult as what lies ahead, but it's difficult because your lungs and legs are still getting acclimated to these altitudes. The moderate rain didn't help. My glasses were fogging up so I took them off...causing my vision to fog up.Our luck improved around noon as the sun came out and we had lunch and got water at the beautiful Justus Creek. Later we paid a visit to Gooch Gap shelter and talked to several hikers. One guy was a 50 year old pastor from Belleville IL (where we used to live) who has a son who spent 2 years at Harding University where Kyle and Jason go/went. A short time later, at Gooch Gap, we got our first trail magic!!! A former thru hiker, Sticks, is spending his Spring break making hot dogs for hikers. He asked if I wanted one. That answer will always...ALWAYS, be yes! Pretty cool, selfless thing to do on your week off. I ate it in 2 bites.We finished our 10.2 mile day atop Ramrock Mountain. It's the 2 of us and 2 young ladies from Indiana University. Don't worry honey we're only sharing a bear bag line as they didn't have one. It's been a good day...the only downside being Matt's soaking hammock (which eventually dried out) and a couple blisters on my heels which I treated tonight. And I miss Lil Jan. Supper tonight was 2 packages of Ramen noodles (beef and chicken) with a packet of tobasco sauce. I haven't pooped in 2 days so I'm hoping that will stir the pot. (If that's TMI for you, you're reading the wrong blog!)Very grateful to be here, and grateful for the folks cheering me on. Looking forward to tackling Blood Mountain tomorrow and possibly getting to Neels Gap, where we may stay the night to shower and re-supply.God is good all the time.
Date: 2016-03-16
From: Neels Gap

To: Sheep Rock Top Mountain
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

"I intend to make Georgia howl." - William Tecumseh ShermanDay 4It's only fitting that The Hunger Games and The Walking Dead were both filmed in Georgia. In my first week on the trail in Georgia, I have experienced zombie-like stretches when all I thought about was food.Fortunately, as I awoke at the Walasi-Yi hostel on the morning of day 4, hunger was not going to be an issue. A friend and fellow sojourner, Maureen Welch, arrived with her family at 9am with a ton of McDonalds food and coffee! God bless her dear soul! There was enough for Matt and me and others to devour sausage and egg biscuits and cinnamon thingies. I enjoyed meeting her family. After sharing a few hiking stories, we prayed together, and I specifically thanked God for Maureen being a true trail angel early in my journey.Matt's legs were really bothering him, so he decided to take a zero and stay another night. Since the weather was nice and I was feeling good, I decided to head on out. As I left Neels Gap, I thought of my Uncle Phil who hiked the 40 miles from Amicalola Falls to Neels Gap as a 65-year-old about 15 years ago. (Mad respect for you, Uncle Phil!)It was another warm day and I was glad I had done a good bit of my training in Florida. Mid-afternoon, I descended into Tesnatee Gap and discovered more trail magic! King Tut and Angela were serving snacks and drinks, answering questions, and offering crochet winter hats courtesy of the Crochet Group from Bethlehem Georgia's United Methodist Church. I took one and now use it as my clothes bag cover, which is also my pillow. Thanks, ladies!The climb out of Tesnatee was the toughest to date, especially for my blistered right heel. I missed Matt, but enjoyed taking a few breaks and getting to know other hikers. First there was a guy from California who sold all his possessions and is traveling around the country in a van with his dog. (I thought, what kind of a nut job goes and does something like that?) Next were two ladies hiking together, one of whom lives near Tinker AFB, OK (our first AF assignment). At Blue Mountain Shelter, I met a medically retired Marine and his girlfriend. We shared stories of our time in Afghanistan. He was in the lead vehicle of a convoy in Helmand Province when an IED exploded, sending him and others flying through the air. His face was torn off and had to be reconstructed. Kudos to his docs, because his face looks really good. He doesn't have a trail name yet, but it would be alright with me if people called him Hero.After 10.5 miles, I called it quits atop Sheep Rock Top mountain. It was a good warm day of hiking. In fact, as I settled in for the night, I noticed salt formations from my profuse sweating had formed on my backpack straps.Fob
Date: 2016-03-17
From: Sheep Rock Top Mountain

To: Rocky Mountain
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 5I woke up to a beautiful sunrise this morning. Before heading out, I spent a fair amount of time building moleskin patches for my blisters on both heels. I descended into Low Gap Shelter to get water and then spent this 12.1 mile day doing a series of small ups and downs.At the Blue Mountain summit, I spoke with a young, fast-hiking, red-bearded guy from Murfreesboro TN. He spent 22 years affiliated with the churches of Christ and then moved on to the Baptists and then another group. He said he was out here to find himself and figure things out. I hope he finds what he's looking for and can use this experience to re-connect with a God who loves him and is evident at every turn.The final climb of the day out of Unicoi Gap was intense. I try to take those fairly slowly and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I also think of weird things to focus on. For example, I wondered what it would run me to have my friends Adam Key and Mickey Shrader do mold remediation on my body after the hike.Exhausted, I set up camp on Rocky Mountain, with wonderful views from 4017 feet. I fired up some chicken and rice on the MSR Pocket Rocket and gobbled it down way too quickly...a losing play in The Hunger Games. I called Lil Jan and was thrilled to hear her voice. Unfortunately, as she updated me on happenings back in the real world, I had to put her on speaker as my acid reflux kicked in and I started throwing up. It was like, "Yes, dear" (barf)..."that's good news" (gag), etc. Sorry, honey! And sorry I missed out on those carbs! It wasn't the most romantic, mountain top phone conversation I'd ever had...but then again I guess it was.Fob
Date: 2016-03-19
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: light rain

Day 7I woke up highly motivated at 6am, because I needed to hike 3.6 miles to catch the 9am shuttle into Hiawassee for some time off. I packed up everything in the dark and departed at 6:45am while everyone else was still in their tents. I got a chance to use my headlamp for the first hour, and enjoyed hiking in the dark. Just gotta watch the steep ledges. About a half mile from the pickup point at Dicks Creek Gap, I went by a trail maintainer who was blowing leaves off the trail. I knew these folks removed trees and limbs, but it never occurred to me they used leaf blowers to keep the trail clear. I thanked him.I arrived at the Budget Inn and signed up for 2 nights, in order to get a full zero day on Saturday, give my heels some time to heal, and to hopefully get to church services on Sunday. It's not a race and I plan to enjoy these trail towns while I'm here. While waiting for my room to get ready, I met Pat and Meagan, a mother-daughter thru-hiking team from Vermont. Meagan graduated from Dartmouth, taught English for awhile, and is getting married in October.   It was her birthday, and we were all craving coffee, so I took them for some coffee and conversation at the nearby Dairy Queen. They filled me in on the Green and White mountains I'll face up north. Fun, random fact: the Asian guy who made our coffee was the first non-Caucasian person I had seen in a week.Once my room was ready, I took a long hot bath followed by a long hot shower, did some laundry, and then headed straight for Daniel's All-You-Can-Eat Steakhouse! It was so, so very good! I had a salad, bread, potatoes, fried chicken, fried fish, fried shrimp, pees, Mac n Cheese, baked beans, strawberry dessert, 2 waters, 2 diet cokes, a tall glass of chocolate milk, and a cup of coffee. Did I mention it was really good? Maybe I won't lose weight after all!As I walked back to the hotel, I re-supplied at a Dollar General and then headed back to the Budget Inn. Several 20-something hikers were gathered around a campfire next to the Inn drinking, smoking and sharing hiking war stories. I stopped by for a few minutes to chat, then headed off to bed...actually a sleeping bag on top of the bed. It was good to be in civilization.Fob
Date: 2016-03-20
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 8Saturday...my first Zero Day! My goals were to eat, rest, take a nap, prepare my backpack, and call my wife and father. I was able to get all that in. I had a foot-long Italian BMT sub at Subway for brunch, and was joined by a traveling soccer team from Francis Marion University out of Florence, SC. I finished off the day with a Quesalupa combo and a beefy 5-layer burrito for dessert. Glad I got a single room.It was a great zero day and I love Hiawassee. But I'm anxious to get back on the trail tomorrow and get some more miles in.Everything is going well. In fact...Diguidou!Sir Fob
Date: 2016-03-24
From: Near Winding Stair Gap

To: Franklin, TN
Miles today: 1.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 12I awoke highly motivated to get to Franklin, my next trail town. I broke camp and hiked 1.6 miles to Winding Stair Gap. As I approached the parking lot, there was a couple set up to provide some Trail Magic!!! Not just any magic, but piping hot breakfast burritos...courtesy of Jim and Beth! He is a former Special Forces soldier who worked at Joint Special Operations University...so we knew some of the same people and shared some stories. Really cool of them to be out on a chilly morning feeding hot food to hikers.A short time later the shuttle arrived, driven by the one and only Ron Haven. Talk about an interesting guy. He's been a professional wrestler. He promotes gun shows. He's run for County Commissioner. And he's well known to hikers for offering a free shuttle and owning a hiker friendly hotel and hostel in Franklin. On the drive in, he gave us an overview of Franklin and key points of interest. He made it clear that he offers the shuttle to one and all, regardless of whether you stay at his Budget Inn or hostel.I ended up getting a room at Ron's Budget Inn and began working the trail town checklist...hot shower...check. Laundry...check. Chopped sirloin steak wrapped in bacon + fries + salad + bread + 2 waters + 2 diet cokes at Normandie restaurant...check. Re-supply at Ingles...check. Outfitter to replace carabiner I gave Matt...check. Print $20 Smoky Mountains National Park permit...check. And then I spotted a t-shirt shop across the street and had an idea...I'll leave that one for you to figure out. I returned to the room to rest and get caught up on March Madness.Being a Wednesday afternoon, I researched options to attend Bible study that night. I found a Westside Church of Christ and called its contact number. John, the preacher, answered. He and his wife, Joan, were not only willing to pick me up, but insisted I let them treat me to the restaurant of my choice. Wow...just wow! God is so good. I chose a local Mexican place and devoured 5 scrumptious enchiladas and enjoyed chatting with then. We shared a lot about our respective families. One of their sons has written a Christian evidences book, Unraveling Evolution, which I plan to read. Another son has faced some challenges related to his prior military service and time in war zones. I plan to call him to tell him about his awesome parents and see how he's doing. After dinner, I enjoyed our Bible study...ironically, it was on benevolence. As John taught the class, I kept thinking here's a guy who, along with his wife, just practiced what he preaches. I'm thankful that, once again, God has put people in my path to encourage me.Verdict: A+ grade to Franklin, NC...this town loves and supports its hikers. And they would have one final parting gift the following morning...Fob