morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-05
From: Atlanta Airport

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

If I did my math in my check book correctly, I'm good to go. Federal Taxes have to be paid and this year its a little inconvenient at the beginning of my hike. If I made one of my periodic errors (never in my favor) its going to get a little skimpy hiking the trail. Some of my fellow hikers may find out what the word "yogi" is really all about Most likely, this is just me borrowing trouble from an indifferent future, not a neurotic behavior I haven't dimmed the quality of my life with in the past.I bought new hiking boots while in Madison on sale for $100. Strong and heavy duty, polar opposites of the light weight trail runners that I also crave. I prefer light but really need sturdy with my history of ankle sprains...so sturdy it is. Usually I can hike in new boots right out of the box but these took a solid 2 weeks to get the right feel. They don't feel cushy soft but the toe box is a good fit with just enough "tightness" to keep the toes from sliding hard into the end on the downhills. I lost all 10 toenails in '05 and don't want to do that again. Right now these boots seem good to go.I've mapped out the first 10 days of hiking and every food resupply from GA to ME. There will be changes to the resupply for lots of reasons: underestimating food requirements, going to town for other reasons and coincidentally flipping** off my food bag, closing in on an upcoming town and my food bag is too full (not likely) with the result of killing a scheduled stop.{**transcriber note: it is unclear if the term 'flipping' is actually what Nimble wrote..but it seems as though that is something he would do. So FLIPPING it is considering its the only word I can't make out**]I hope to start a little different this year (the part about not spraining my ankle is understood) hiking harder at the start and 'forcing' myself into a trail discipline that doesn't come natural to me. There is something to be said for starting slow and letting the hike come to you but unless pushed, I just don't get it done. The fact that I can alternately push myself hard and at other times hike at a more casual pace resulted in me being the only hiker in both Team Hustle & the Slacker Confederacy back in '05. Which of those two loose affiliations of hikers was more slack was always a question. Essentially, the Slacker Confederacy couldn't hike hard and Team Hustle wouldn't. Like I said, I moved with ease between both camps, fitting securely into neither & both.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Atlanta Airport

To: Dahlonega GA
Miles today: 0.0

I slept about 6 hours in the Atlanta airport last night which is about 6 hours more than I slept atop Springer Mt. on March 6th. I stretched across a row of seats in concourse 'c' with my hips fitting perfectly in the small depression between 2 chairs, my shoulders resting in the next and my head awkwardly positioned on the adjacent seat. The lights were always on, noises from various cleaning machines always present and the cheerful banter between workers seemed non-stop as they shouted greetings to one another without concern for my restless corpse...as it should be.Sometime during the night, during a moment of semi-lucid consciousness, an angel appeared in the form of an elderly black cleaning lady. I say elderly because she was, although she was younger than me and I'm not. Everyone over 50 should understand this. We chatted for a bit and she seemed genuinely interested in my hike. Good thing..because thats all I ever talk about. She gave me an airport care kit consisting of the basic personal hygiene items and a T-shirt which when rolled up made a perfect little pillow. So I slept the night, a little uncomfortable but not much (not really). Just a guy who was both fortunate enough to receive a small act of human kindness and temporarily have the gratitude to be sensitive to it. We spoke again this morning as her shift was over and she was heading home. She reminded me of last night's conversation and said she would be with me in spirit all along the trail.My writing all this down is a crude attempt to fix it in time, to strengthen a memory that I can refresh whenever I choose to visit my journal. I have the sense that by doing so I'm sort of sticking a pin in the head of a butterfly. Maybe not (I am, after all, tired) but I will carry her kindness and spirit up and down quite a few mountains and hopefully all the way to Maine. Thank you to Evangeline Ledbetter of Atlanta, GA.A tall, angular, large breasted black lady just passed by where I am sitting. Hundreds in this busy airport have passed within my gaze as I kill some of this early Atlanta morning. Why did this lady so completely grab my attention? Easy, SCOTTY PIPPEN WITH TITS!! There are little kiosks all over concourse 'c' staffed with men and women trying to lure you in and sign up for credit cards or something. They almost, but not quite, grab you and drag you in to hear their tired sales pitch. Now I know the economy is bad and I am sympathetic to their plight, but somewhere in Kansas there are a number of perfectly respectable hookers badly in need of a pimp. This to me is imminently more moral than pimping the credit card industry and its still about the customers getting screwed
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Springer

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

50.9 miles into my hike at Unicoi Gap I was treated to some trail magic by the mother of a 2009 thru hiker....fruit, cold drinks and home made cookies. Sitting in the provided chair I spontaneously decided to hitch a ride into Hiawassee and take a break.Thus far the trail has been, well, the trail...stubborn, tough, unyielding and completely beautiful. Day 1 was a gorgeous start although I did fall on my face not 3 minutes from the start (but haven't fallen since )the temperature continued to climb into an unknown degree that for me was just plain too damn hot. Slogging persistently, I finished the day with 11.8 solid miles, camping alone at Cooper Gap. At about midnight, 13 terrorists came into camp, tortured and killed me. Fortunately, I was merely feigning death so I remained still until they departed, got up and smoked another bowl. That was the closest call I ever had while on the trail. I also had safely descended the nefarious Sassafras Mountain where I had fallen on the downside on the 2nd morning out in '05. Foolishly, I had trash talked the mountain after an easier than expected ascent and moments later I lay in a heap with a sprained ankle after stepping on a loose rock (old thru hiker rule #1: never step on a rock if you can easily walk around it) This 2nd time around I never cursed the mountain aloud but I did mentally say a few things.The day ended at Cooper Gap with the first trail magic of the hike. A local couple were passing out bottled water and Famous Amos cookies. The water meant I could stop where I was for the night rather than hiking 2 miles to the next water source at Justus Creek.It will be what it will be.
Date: 2010-04-08
To: Granny Top Mountain
Miles today: 10.8

During the night while camped at Cooper Gap it begain to rain hard. Its hard to get up and about when it's already raining. Staying in a tent during 15 straight hours of rain is no picnic either. Eventually I got myself moving, loaded up my soggy gear and marched into the rain. I learned alot during the adverse weather conditions in '05. The most important being that eventually you just have to walk...good weather or bad. So I did, eventually pitching my tent at the very top of Granny Top Mountain. Setting up in the rain is even more ridiculous than breaking camp. Any idea of a dry and snug shelter is ridiculous and one can only hope to keep some of the water out. Once the tent was pitched I crawled inside with my pack, finishing the set up under some sort of roof. I sopped up rain water with my dirty clothes, inflated my mattress pad and layed out my sleeping bag. Everything was wet but I was tired and slept very well. The rain stopped about half an hour after the tent was up, remained so that night and has been since.It is what it is...wet.
Date: 2010-04-09
To: Slaughter Creek Campsite
Miles today: 4.9

While hiking in yesterday's down pour I developed several hot spots on both feet, five in fact. I hadn't thought about them during the rain because my focus was more on keeping dry and simultaneously paying attention to a slippery and jagged trail. I had sort of a whiney day and stopped at Slaughter Creek campsite, the base of Blood Mountain, foolishly listening to the little voice of fear that said it was too rugged to ascend and descend the same day following a painful walk just to get there. Foolish mistake with hindsight being 20/20, costing me only one day in totality of this hike but it was 'one' day that kept me from finishing in 2005. One day in a group of 52 zero days attributable to sickness, injury and fun, any one of which if not taken would have enabled me to summit Katahdin..or not I am not obsessed with this but am very aware that zero days add up....and thats why I'm leaving Hiawassee (from where I'm writing) in the morning and hiking "some" miles rather than zero resulting from another night in town.A zero here a zero there..but not today.
Date: 2010-04-10
To: Hogs Pen Gap
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This 2nd hike is completely different from the first, totally.   I'm struggling to open myself up to the Class of 2010 because the class of 2005 still glows so warmly in my heart. I've already met more than a dozen hikers, all bright and kind folks with good values but I find myself standing a little back, hiking and camping alone. Maybe I want to see who's likely to stick. Let the trail cull the herd of the sick, lame and lazy so that I won't have to bother making a friend of someone who will soon disappear. That doesn't flatter me too much does it?The gift though is that self awareness is always great. I can use this little spiritual lesson as a way to grow and make myself a better servant (ideally) The trail just provides the opportunity in its simplicity and granduer to explore our spiritual natures. We are of the earth...I am what I am.
Date: 2010-04-11
From: Hogs Pen Gap

To: Stream Campsite
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: broken clouds

I mentioned it before but I can't get over how easy hiking is with having 2 good wheels. While saying how 'easy' this is, I must also admit that it remains the most physically demanding endeavor I've ever experienced at any age in my life...not any sport, not rolling sod, not busting rock in the quarry or building retaining walls..nothing. You just can't imagine how cool it is for me to be able to do it. I fit in this world. Good or bad, I am a thru hiker in whatever it represents to anyone. You can find it all in me.It is the music and I will be the rockstar.
Date: 2010-04-13
From: Stream Campsite

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 2.6
Weather: clear sky

This is an aside note to all of my readers. I was just catching up on my journal entries and came across some descriptions of events and behaviors that have nothing to do with me. These events have to do with alcohol, weed and raising hell in trail towns. Evidently my transcriber's biker boyfriend gained access to my password and has been having fun at my expense. I'll try to edit those posts and write in what actually happened as I get more time, Meanwhile please trust that I remain the same introspective, soft-spoken religious boy that you've always known.Remind me to post about the Georgia preacher that prayed over me a couple days ago
Date: 2010-04-14
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Round Top
Miles today: 10.0

So thats it in a nutshell. I'm doing far better than expected, though no doubt it is in part due to my legendary reputation for always being willing to lower my standards in matters of self evaluation.I've eaten like a pig and drank coffee and ice tea at the same time. Got my grocery shopping to last until Franklin, NC. (about 57 miles distant) A shower and beard trim is a first priority but the laundry is broken so it will be 10-11 days of the same underwear (for those keeping track at home).Drawls will be what they will be.....dirty.
Date: 2010-04-15
From: Round Top

To: Plum Orchard Gap
Miles today: 11.1

I hiked a very hot uphill kind of day from Round Top to Plum Orchard Gap Shelter, crossing Dicks Gap and US HWY 76 in the process. Theres a little road side picnic area and water source where hikers stop for a short break and take on water or do other maintenance chores. Travelers also often stop to take a break from their busy lives on such a beautiful day as this. I was hot tired and not too sociable, reclining on the ground with my feet elevated against a sign post trying to let the swelling subside a little while simultaneously allowing the gravel to rub the spasm in my back away.I remember one particular fellow sitting off by himself at a picnic table seemingly lost in thought. As I worked to ease the pain of my physical discomforts, he was easily forgotten. After a time I noticed he had moved from his position at the table and was meandering slowly towards me, sort of side ways.He was a meek appearing man, quite slender and almost ascetic in appearance. Soon he was next to me, so I braced for the inevitable questions...and they came. Where was I going? How long will it take? Am I scared? Will I take a gun? etc etc When we finished all of this, with me all the time wanting to close my eyes and rest, he kept on and on about his hiking boots and how water proof they are. I began to entertain the vision of his eyes bulging from his distended face as my fingers tightened around his scrawny throat. It was all good. Suddenly I was quickly brought back to reality by his asking if I would join him in prayer. I asked if I could pray while laying where I was on my back and he reckoned it was okay. I began to pray for a pound of liver pudding for my backpack and his prayer was something like: "Dear Lord, protect your humble servant Nimblefoot from the dangers he might find along the Appalachian Trail, from terrain, animals and human evil doers, protect him should he be inclined toward falling into temptation, please save him from himself. In Jesus name, Amen." As he finished, he raised his head opened his eyes and said, "Nimblefoot, its me....Sarge....your quest is honorable and you will have much success. Go forth and walk hard" He shook my hand, turned and walked away..climbing into his pure white Cadillac Escalade and quickly drove away.That was some good stuff
Date: 2010-04-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Official thru hiker administrative note.Just to update a little about the hike, I am now in Gatlingurg, Tn, about 204 miles up the trail. I walked here, which would generally be assumed if it were not for the presence this year of some wannabe named Hyway who left his boots in a hiker box and started hitching north. Oh well, hike your own hikeI'd like to thank Grandma Paul for her recent comments regarding my difficulty getting journal entries posted. All I can do is keep walking, write out the entries and mail them to my transcriber in North Carolina. Frankly, that's the problem with signing on with one of them liberal union transcribers, they just want the notoriety of being affiliated with a genuine hiking rock star. Unfortunately, Hyway was not in need of a transcriber and she had to settle for me. Such is life.I'm leaving sometime today with a full food bag (ugh), full belly and a whiney attitude over having to carry a heavier pack. However, I must remember the words of my transcriber, 'It is what it is', and hike on. We shall over come, etc, etcOkay all you readers, get the hell back to work and earn some more tax money so I can keep walking...and I need a payraise this coming January too. See you up the trail.NimblefootSole survivor of 'Team Hustle' and the 'Slacker Confederacy', AT 05.Walk Hard 2010Peace to all who work for it.
Date: 2010-05-24
To: Carlette King Lewis, Transcriber Extraordinaire
Miles today: 0.0

Transcriber note:Against my better judgement I'm making this entry without permission and creating updates in previous entries so Nimble's total mileage is correct.....so Nimble, if you take issue with this entry or the total mileage thus far......well, tough.Because some have inquired as to Nimble's lack of new entries is the only reason I'm posting an update. To be honest it feels as though I'm breaking into someone's house and spraying graffiti on the walls by even making this entry...but he can paint over it when he feels like it.Simply put...he's not writing. Which is making my job as transcriber the easiest job I have ever had. I'm just as bummmed about it as the next person..but when he feels like writing I reckon he will. Just in case he doesn't, I'm being totally serious when I suggest everyone give him as much grief as possible in their guestbook entries. Thank you for your cooperation...ManagementC.K. Lewis aka GatherNoMoss aka very bored transcriber
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Abingdon Gap

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Sorry for the lack of communication...it's not Carlette's fault. Everything I write sucks and I'm not willing to post.I'm in Damascus, Va and leaving today with a heavier pack (mostly food and a new stove). A bear got my food about 50 miles south and I was done in by constipation (no sh-t!) for 5 days in Erwin, Tn. The hike is going great.I've lost between 25 and 30 lbs and feel reasonably fit...incredibly fit when compared to anyone else who went to Webster High SchoolGood luck with your mundane lives.
Date: 2010-05-29
From: Library/Damascus. Va

To: Nimblefoot Home for Unwed Fathers
Miles today: 0.0

Only one more stop before heading back to the trail - gotta get some fuel for my new cooking operation. I quit cooking in Tennessee in '05 and continued to not cook through Tennessee on this hike, so I guess I've done one thru hike without cooking. Unfortunately, when the bear stole my food while I was camped at Lake Wautaga, I was fed cooked food by Big Bear for the 40-50 miles into Damascus. She spoiled me so completely that I am now wrecked for a continued diet of peanuts and spring water, so I bought a stove and some of that 'cooking food'. Sadly, she got off the trail yesterday (another damn section hiker), but now I am stuck with dealing with the hot food addiction. I also added some of those Folgers coffee bags which are right up there on a par with Alley Cats CoffeeThe spontaneity and excitement of '05 has been missing from this hike, but has recently returned with a vengeance. I'm starting to have some fun (tell neither the priest or the government; it's likely a sin and taxable at that) and have been letting my hair down so to speak. What this means is that there may be more of these silly trail journal entries in the future. My health is better that in '05, no sprained ankles and no shin splints, and I think I may be ahead of my '05 pace of 1 Nimblefoot per hour. Although I'm not any younger, the one hike experience has made me a lot smarter (knowing exactly is over the mountain...to the extent I remember) and it's even possible I am faster, which is pretty funny in itself.Gotta go. Hikers have to hike and while I'm pretending to be one there is a certain amount of hiking that must be done each day. TTNF
Date: 2010-05-31
From: Damascus, VA

To: Troutdale, VA
Miles today: 49.2

Word on the street is that Nimblefoot has arrived in Troutdale, VA. Not bad...Maybe his trail name should be Hermes?? Don't believe the hype that he did 49.2 miles in 1 day. I'm just keeping up with his mileage as he reports it rather than creating blank entries.Carlette reporting for Nimblefoot..over and out.
Date: 2010-06-01
From: Troutdale, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Herpes? She called me Herpes? Don't be fooled boys and girls, there's lots of dangerous stuff to catch along the trail, but all the good stuff (at least in the sense of fun to catch) seems to be avoiding me. Noooo, I have to come up with constipation. Oh well, at least that's more than 200 miles in my past.I left Damascus, Va a few days ago with new hiking boots, a new stove and food to be cooked. It hailed and rained shortly after the hike began and, true to form, I kept putting off donning my raingear until the sky opened and the deluge began. First hail and then rain for about 5 hours. My rain gear is a single unit that fits over my body and the pack, thus not allowing any rain into the pack. This works well when used properly, however it does not work when you're to damn dumb to put in on until you are actually drenched. The good news? First warm rain of the year, splashing in the puddles was fun and my attitude was great. So was the first cooked meal of the trip. A little side note: Sometimes I actually learn from my mistakes, a couple days later, I felt a drop of water on my bald head and had all my rain gear on before the 2nd drop hit. It never did rain that day. The new boots are the bomb. In 2005 I had pretty serious foot pain from Georgia to Maine. This time it was from Georgia to Damascus where I picked out some new trail runners. This gives me about 2700 AT miles with daily foot pain of 8-10 hours duration. It's gone, vanished, disappeared. Funny thing is that there was no help available at the Mt Rogers Outfitters, so I picked 'em out and tried them on all by myself (I'm a big boy). You can't imagine what a relief that is.Another positive note is the advent of cooking on the trail. I had not cooked thus far this trip and in 200d I quit cooking in Tennessee. That equates to one thruhike without cooking a solitary morsel. A couple of days ago I was really dragging at about 5:00 p.m, pulled over, whipped up some ramen noodles and tuna and drank a couple of cups of strong coffee. I was really cranked and tore up the trail as if it were midmorning rather than the end of the day. Same deal yesterday afternoon. Lesson learned: Even folgers coffee packets will move you up the trail to Maine. If I had Alley Cats coffe on a daily basis, I'd probably be in Maine. That Hyway fella better keep checking his rearview mirror, someone's closing quick behind his sorry... It's gotta be tough on the old boy, he's done passed through Carolina and southern Virginia. There's no hommies to carry his sudan chair anymore. Anyone seen the movie 'No country for old men'? For some reason it keeps popping into my headSo, that's it. Stop worrying about me just because I don't write. I've dropped about 30 lbs, am in good shape and still talking a little trash (but only in self defense). I feel sorry for you nonhikers. I'm hoping to jump of the trail for my class reunion in Webster toward the end of August. Hope to see a bunch of you there.Is it true that Joe Schaaf has started a shuffleboard league in Webster?
Date: 2010-06-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hi all,I'm at mile marker 538 in Atkins, Va. Rolled into town after an 18.5 mile day, totally whipped and needing a zero (rest) day. That was yesterday and I ate about 5 meals and hung close by my little motel room. There's an Exxon convenience store/ gas station that has some of the best food I've yet encountered on the trail. I ate way too much and it's time to get back on the trail.The cooking food thing seems to be working well. A hot meal and evening campfire keep me up physically and spiritually (not to be confused with organized religion). Feet are still in great shape and I have no complaints other than having aged a little more in 5 years than I expected. It's tougher, but I keep plugging along trying to figure out some balance between doing the necessary work and having fun without getting too exhausted.Hope everyone out there is doing well