morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey hey my peeps. I have to take a moment here for a shoutout too my icebrakers back home in the upper valley. rumor has it you folks did pretty well (the women's team of course). Hope all of you are doing well and that no serious brain injuries (aside from whatever afflicts dan already) have happened. also the hiker's i've met along the way, hope you're all still on the trail and such, and not in pain. maybe a bit of pain. in the butt. also you're drunk. So yes, i'm on yet another day off here with my aunt and uncle who came all the way from detroit to visit and do some light hiking. So it'll slow me down a bit if anyone's close behind me and hoping to catch up. After that though, BAM, straight to the mooon. one of these days. Have some new poles that won't fall apart. Also i have access to computer machine thing and pictures. soooooo, i'll put some new pictures up there documenting what will no doubt be looked at by historians as perhaps the single greatest epic journey in the post-modern american experience. that and horsies are pretty. So weather has been pretty cold recently, just the day after i mailed home my winter bag for my 3-season, it decided not to go above freezing for several days. no biggie, cause i was still warm at night, but it would have been nice to have my mittens and perhaps my big fleece jacket back. Still, i'm doing well, and as always, the weather is pretty much not so imporant unless you're wet + cold. that = bad. So you have to eat large quantities of babies to keep warm and such, ya know, keep the calories flowing. Ok kiddies, time to go for a bit. i'll put another enlightening entry in before my relatives leave with their laptop and i am forever disconnected from the world of wikipedia. How much does a baby horse weight?
Date: 2007-04-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Evening faithfull followers of my journey. i come bearing news and high spirits (zeugma). Allow me to first vent my frustrations regarding certain trail running shoes. The montrail hard rock, which was recommended to me. it is comfortable, and is nice on sharp rocks. it also doesn't give any hot spots on my feet. however, BOTH feet are starting to delaminate at the toes. this can be fixed with glue, however i find it quite upsetting that after ~150 miles they are starting to poop the bed on me here. be warned people. woodstock, i know you're sponsored by them and all, but this is not cool buddy. looks like i'm going to have to mail them poisened muffins. again. another thing to add. i don't bother with the statistics, but if you're curious, i'm something like 848.6 miles in. i think. i don't have the book. in other news, i finally met osprey...cool guy, needs to work on the stash though. oh right, i'm in waynesboro VA, at the threshold of the shanendingerthingy national park. Zero, if you're reading this, i'll try and avoid the dreaded 'sickness'. heheeheh. i'd laugh out loud, but i'm in a library. Nothing seriously eventfull has happened to me (still), but i did have a day of the highest winds i've ever encountered. even in the countless times i've been above treeline in the white mountains i've never almost been blown off of my feet before. and this was happening all day today. quite fun as the trail went along some cliffs and such today. at long last though the rain has stopped. for now. it was getting old zeus, i'm glad you decided to turn into some random animal in order that you might inpregnate some random mortal women. To the Aunt and Uncle, 'twas nice to see you. hope you made it home just fine and that you are no longer upset by my lack of proper capitalization. it's just too hard to hit the shift key whenever i want something to be 'proper'. see i didn't even make real quotes. too hard. the new poles are working out great, and the vest is the perfect item for the weather. many thanks.So my children, i'll see you all (and by see i mean type into the endless ether that is the internet machine) at harper's ferry at the latest, where i will take some time off to visit people in some cities. that'll be fun. i can't even figure out which way to turn in a tiny little town, balitmore and D.C. will probably cause my brain to melt. at least i can go to a BAR there. jeez. time to eat a whole pizza! peace
Date: 2007-04-24
To: baltimore
Miles today: 0.0

hi hi hi friends family and anonymous internet stalkers. i've taken a short 'vacation' from the hike to spend a few days with friends and the little brother here in the d.c. baltimore area. started out staying with Tushar and his cousins south of d.c., and has ended with me in baltimore where my little brother goes to school, and another friend alex lives. nice to rest the feet for more than just a day, i feel much better in the leg and foot areas, although i'm getting ready to be hiking again. as fun as walking around a city with the backpack is...wait, no, it's not fun at all. I have aquired a fresh haircut courtesy of alex's trimmer. now my beard is longer than my hair. imagaine how awesome that looks. between that, the pack, and the skirt, i get some strange looks from people. with regards to the trail, SNP was fantastic. smooth hiking the whole way and even an awesome milkshake and beer. ready to get moving on to MD and PA now. i hear tell it's rocky up ahead. weather has been warm...i'm debating when to try out my warm weather bag. probably not yet as it can still get cold, but lugging around a 12 year old synthetic that's lost most of its loft is getting on my nerves. sorry crazy-legs, you were a good bag, but you suck balls now and i'm going to have to retire you. maybe if while losing loft it could also lose weight it wouldn't be so bad, but that's not how it works. i guess this is a good reason to buy a down bag, they last much longer. i'm also considering going z-rest instead of the prolite. i'm really a snob about the whole sleeping thing, and i love inflatable pads....but i could shave close to a pound off by going to z-rest, and they're not too expensive or anything. or i could just stop using a pad and sleep in the hammock every night. it's comfy on its own, and once it warms up enough it won't matter that i won't have butt-insulation. hey z-rest people, are they comfortable in shelters? do they hold up well to repeated use? in future news, i'll see the parents again in a few weeks, and then i'll enter areas where i have lots of 'friends' that live near the trail. should be nice to have a hiking buddy or two every now and then. i certainly do enjoy the isolation, but i won't say no to having a friend around to appreciate my loud flatulence. ok, i'll put up some pictures now. happy things and all smiles whatnot and whatever.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: duncannon

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

hellow all, i'm here in duncannon PA, staying at the famous doyle hotel. very nice, good food and cheap beer. plus nice people as well. i can't say that i have too much to report. met some new hikers who started a flip-flop around front royal and harpers ferry, but other than that, i haven't seen a thru-hiker in several weeks. woodstock is still a few days in front of me (maybe 3), if you're reading this, looks like i won't ever get to see you again, but i still enjoy reading your log entries.to those behind me, hope things are going well, and maybe i'll get to see some of you again before this journey is over. maybe not. good to see that most of you are still hiking (the ones that i can see on this site at least).i'm tentatively moving for a lighter sleeping bag as it has become apparent to me that my aged 'crazy legs' bag is really only as effective as a 35 degree bag at best, but weighs as much as an old 20 degree bag. the trail here is great for big miles. yes, rocky, but it's not prohibative. PA will always have a special place in my hiker heart as it is where i did my first backpacking. body is holding up well, feet are as happy as they ever were. allow me to once again suggest orthodics for the feets. they've held up quite well and they make my feet happy, if quite smelly. the montrail runners are actually doing well now that i gave them a superglue upgrade. the rocks here are starting to tear them up a bit, but it's an acceptable amount of wear. weather has been fair. had a pretty solid week of showers last week. on and off rain from tuesday to saturday got pretty old, but it wasn't too hot or too cold. can't complain. i wish i had some funny or stupid stories to write about, but things have been fairly uneventfull. a did get bitten by a dog a few weeks ago, but that's about as exciting as it gets about now. no ticks, minimal bugs. i suppose the campsite outside of boiling springs was something interesting. it's the only place you can camp in the region, and it's right next to train tracks. yes, trains are loud. i now have verified this. also i missed the half-gallon challenge as the store was closed as i passed. oh well, i can eat ice cream some other time. right now its a steady stream of burgers and beer to refuel myself for the rest of the state. soon i'll be hitting areas where i have 'friends', so i'll be doing some hiking with others for a change. now when i talk to myself i can pretend that i'm talking to another person. that will make the voices stop...won't it? pictures might come soon as i'm about to fill up a flash card and mail it out to my new support crew (thanks barbara, art). and for those of you in hanover, i'm coming soon, one month and i'll be sipping the sweat nectar that is the norwich inn's beer. oh how i long for your loving embrace. are you guys going to have hockey going this summer? my stamina is fantastic! well, we shall see what is what and who is really a man dressed like a woman soon enough. until then, happy thoughts about puppies and kittens. being ground into dog food. nightnight.
Date: 2007-05-11
From: vernon, nj. church

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

long time no see my chilldren. no internet access since i was in the middle of PA. i've since left the state, where i will always have a special warm spot at the base of my underwear. so yes, it made my feet hurt, but there's no need to complain about the rocks. as far as i can tell, the whole trail is pretty rocky in general. i mean, wait until you get to the whites. maybe they aren't as sharp up there, or as rolly polly (those one's suck), but it's just a big pile of rocks last time i checked. roots too. oh yea, and mud. you just wanna roll around in it. good times. so i'm taking the day off to see the parents again on what will be pretty close to mother's day. since i'm not supposed to pick flowers on the trail i've been taking a slew of pictures of flowers. that'll have to do mom. you're driving here right now so this won't spoil the suprise. met some hikers for the first time in a while. two ladies finishing up various parts of the trail from previous thru-hike attempts, and an ohioan out for a section. good times were had by all. that reminds me. if you're not hiking and you're thinking about it, you should expect a few things regarding the trail. while you perhaps can shower every day and sleep indoors almost every day...dont' expect to. sheesh. how is it backpacking if you don't sleep outside. i won't be too critical, you can of course, do whatever you want and it won't affect me. people stink. you're just going to have to deal with it. especially the shoes. it sometimes gets 'cold' at night. this is normal. don't be surprised by it. perhaps if you're someone who looks down on other people simply because of what they do and how they live their lives, you might want to consider staying away from other hikers. some of us don't want to get into trouble with our gracious town hosts because you had to open your mouth. as far as i can tell, if you're somewhat polite and understand that you're a guest of the trail, pretty much everyone will be nice to you. of course, do what you will, and have fun. dig a hole in tbe ground for pooping. that's key. well, i'm getting close to new england, where i finally have some local support. assuming i still have friends in this world, i'll probably slow down in the next few weeks to say hi to long lost friends and to kiss babies as i prepare for my coming campain for the presidency. to the icebreakers...i plan on picking up a small keg and hiking it into town before i show up. be prepared to consume it. LOTP....if you're reading this. TAKE STUFF OUT OF YOUR PACK. it makes me weep to think of all that weight you're carrying. a single tear i cry for you. it tastes salty. mmmmmmmmm, salt. oh yes, and before i forget, NJ ROCKS. awesome state. lots of ticks. i even got a close up picture of a fruit fly. i'll post some when i get high speed. dialup ain't gonna cut it. CT here i come....(that's chocolate thunder if you're curious). peaches
Date: 2007-05-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

short entry today kids, i'm in salisbury CT. stopping by cause it's only a half mile off the trail. and there's a bar. it's my 12th week celebration for the thru-hike (has it been that long?), and you know what that means. correct. 6 miles of me hiking drunk. i'll take pictures. so in other trail news i've met my first thru-hikers since almost a month. wow. a double-whammy as well. guthook and fedex, who have been on my heels the whole time, and the goodfellas, whose heels i've been on the whole time. yay for people. it's now been a whole week with no shower in hot, humid weather, and i'm beginning to upset locals. you know it's bad when your farts make the air around you more pleasant. for those of you near me, i'm off the trail for a day or two near the mass boarder to visit a fantastic friend of mine i haven't seen in a while. years. i'm excited. thumbs up for science!
Date: 2007-05-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

ok, so the damn browser crashed and i'm not going to retype all that crap that just spewed forth from my fingertips. the skinny. i'm in bennington. i'll be in norwich/hanover soon where i'll have time to do pictures, more entries. the hike. i'm hiking 'with' people for the first time in a while. the goodfellas. we seem to be getting along just fine, though i fear they plot my demise behind my back. took a few days off in southern mass for a rejuvination of essentially all of the major aspects of the human condition. body, mind, soul, bowels. many thanks Kristen, for i will always be in debt to you for your kindness. also the spinning fire thing was cool. blackflies and mud. if you're behind me and are curious how bad the season is so far, well. it blows. they crawl up my skirt and fly in my ears. they wisper things to me. telling me to do things. to burn. actually i just kill them. probably several hundred so far. well, i'm off, gotta hike more today and it's HOT. peace
Date: 2007-05-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

currently allowing my bowels to recover here in hanover. spent the night in a bed. i'm actually at manchester center, so i'm gonna head back there today where i will finish up vermont in the next few days and will be back here for real. for those of you who live in hanover, i'll be in town on wednesday. please say hi to me.
Date: 2007-05-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

ah yes, home at last. where the buffalo roam freely in the streets, and dartmouth undergrads sunbath on the green in only bikinis. at least i seem to remember that happening. it's cloudy, so not a very good day to be working on the tan. how jealous they all would be of my oh so tantilizing 'strap tan', resulting from wearing hiking poles for the past 3 months. that plus the smell and i'll have no troubles scoring at the bars tonight. oh yeaaaaaa. so i get to see all the old crew, work, hockey, etc. most people exclaim 'you look healthy' when they see me. now, this is nice, because if i looked sickly i'd be slightly concerned. however, it also makes me think that perhaps i looked like a dialysis patient before. perhaps not. in the meantime, i must procure a location for social enjoyment and consumption of beer (a more difficult task than previously i considered). i guess i didn't have as many friends as i seem to remember having. certainly at least one of them as gone to the wayside (not the waysides in the shenandoah that sell you milkshakes). I was also expecting to have to do some work for the lab when i came back as i had assumed that i screwed something up before leaving, but apparently i covered my tracks well, and nothing has emerged yet. heheheeheh. it's going to be hard to try and coordinate everything, i just have too much i want to do. rock climbing, drinking, slackpacking. i need to find the goodfellas and possibly fedex and guthook (you guys are in town eh?). i doubt any of you are going to want to stay here as long as me, so you might leave me in the dust. still, july 1st i'll be touching that sign with a hand mostly taped to a 40. mmmmmmm 40. there might also be some crying, but we'll have to wait and see how windy it is. the trail. so good to be back in vermont. awesome hiking up killington (blowdowns and some snow too). great views and all. got to hike with Marc, a good friend and hiking partner. didn't even need to slow pace for him to keep up. way to go man. feeling better today, but i'll hold off until tomorrow to say all is well. i also left my iodine on the top of some mountain. now i guess i never have to treat water again right? i'm also trimming the pack down. i cut off the rest of the z-rest that i wasn't using. took some clothes out, ditched my solid gold crack pipe, and finaly came to terms with the fact that i didn't need to be carrying a 200 pack of condoms. tempting though, isn't it?i'll post again before i leave, and i'm gonna work on some pictures soon. i have internet machine now. just need to find some good shots and slap them up there on the web thingy. i'm the commander guy.
Date: 2007-06-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

short one. i'm in glencliff. i promised more pictures. i failed. hanover was a good time, but a little over the top. it's possible i'll get around to doing some pictures stuff in gorham, but my cable is in the bounce box and i can't get access to my photos here. sorry. i have lots of good stuff too. including beer pong and a cute husky puppy. everyone loves puppies. ok, back to not really hiking again. peaches
Date: 2007-06-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

well, i couldn't help it but take another day off. it's like i've become an old man on this trip already. feet are swollen again, knees a tad upset with me. ants living in my beard. again. I PUT SOME F*&CKING PICTURES UP. finally, i know it's been a while. i put up so many, that i'm gonna show with with this entry. that's how savy i am with this website (yet my millage still says 0.0). i'm about to ascend the presidentials. pretty exciting. the main goal is not to be that guy who dies on the mountain. it happens a lot rumor has it. it'll be a cool moment for me, 'cause even though i've been here before, it feels quite different. carrying a pack 1800 miles apparently will do that. in fact, the lovely picture of myself that i posted as my ID for this site was taken on ol' washington a few years ago. it has yet to attract members of the opposite sex as was originally planned for. good food in the huts (some free even), plans to stay at lake of the clouds in the basement (where i belong of course). then it's pretty much just whities to maines, hundred mile wildernesses, and then we'll just ask from there. does anybody speak swahili? well, i'm a fully qualified mountaineer. two men, skilled at climbing a mountain. i approacheth the end, and i've been through 13 states now. good and bad, up and down, credit and debit. GA. my first state. i'll always remember you, but i was inexperienced, and it's gotten a lot better since you. NC. well, you had some big ones, but in the end, i had a hard time loving you. TN. certainly where i did the most squat pooping. that counts for something. VA. smooth down below, bumpy in the middle, and a super highway up top. NO i do NOT carry a gun with me. WV. um, i don't really remember you too well. what was your name? MD. short and bumpy, the perfect follow up for VA's longtime lovin. PA. i heart you, but you did eat my shoes. NJ. better than i expected, a pleasant surprise. don't take it the wrong way that i used to think you beneath me. NY. well, you smelled a little funny, but i guess we aren't all perfect. CT. somewhat unfriendly. made me sweat like i've never sweat before though. MA. an emotional roller-coaster of kindness. will you marry me? VT. always a favorite, but i think you might have given me something. bad. NH. i've never understood you but i just keep on coming back. ME. i've heard all about you and i can't wait to meet. hold me.
Date: 2007-06-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

oh my children, so long. so far. so what? i'm in MAINE. that is correct. so i guess that means it's the beginning of a yo-yo, right? not so much. i have produced a good story, but i'll save it for later. it involves the 'hardest' mile of the trail. of course, i'm always on the hardest mile it seems. even the people in PA wanted to tell me their state was the hardest. false. well, i taught my sothern companions how to play euchre, and now we play about 4 games a day. sometimes at lunch break. it's making an impact on the miles, but oh well. still gonna finish july 1st it seems. i don't have much new to add really, except that the hiking has gotten harder, and the bugs have gotten buggier. Mt. washington, if you're reading this...YOU'RE MY BITCH. that's right. i own you now just like i owned you all the other times you sat beneath my feet. smell them! you like that? yeaaaa. mmmmmmmm. all SOBOs and NOBOs not in the whites...lake of the clouds rocks, the 'croo' there is really nice and they gave us a great work for stay. keep it on the d.l. i don't want No Joke spoiling it. ok, time for shower fun bath happy. i'll be kissing a large wooden sign soon enough. Peaches. i'm sorry Mt. washington, you know i love you really. baby. come home.
Date: 2007-06-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

time for a short update. i wanted to do pictures right now, but it's just not in the cards. sorry. i have nice pictures. i passed the 2000 mile mark today (fedex, etc. yes, we're only a day behind you). i thought of things to say while i was hiking today, but i have forgotten them. probably something about how uncanny it is the amount of gear that SOBOs are carrying. even 200 miles into the hike. you DON'T need 9 days of food at a time. holy crap. well, i'm just a bitter old NOBO at this point, so it can be ignored. if this trail is truly a metaphor for life, than it is about time for fruitfly to die. this was of some concern to me recently, but i'm over it. get busy living or get busy dieing right? well, i slowed down pretty good to do the living part, but now...it's time to die. he won't be gone 100%, but still. death. rest in peace my friend. you have taught me many things and showed me many interesting places. because of you i met so many people, ate so many snickers bars, drank so many beers, reached so many heights. climaxes of wonder and beauty. friendships forged in weeks that seem to last indefinitely. meaningless ramblings of a mildly buzzed hiker on an open Internet forum. good times. peaches.