morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-29
From: Davis Farm Campsite

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

Today was not much better than yesterday. My feet hurt a lot and the weather has been pretty bad all day. I was going to camp with Wrong Way and Ribbit a few miles back but the book had the campsite mileage wrong. So we either had to walk another 4 miles to town or backtrack 1.5 miles. We decided to push forward and I was kind of happy because I needed to get out of the wet weather. I decided over the past 2 days that I've hiked quite a bit and I'm just not having fun anymore. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, and it won't stop raining. I always said that when I wasn't having fun, it was time to come home. I al;so know that I shouldn't make any rash decisions. So I've decided to go home for a while and figure out what I want to do. I may just stop hiking, I may skip some of the trail and just hike sections, or I may come up with another plan but at this point I don't want to be out here.I've had an awesome time and whatever happens I consider this trip a resounding success. I just need to get away from the trail and figure out what I want to do. Bland, VA -- a hell of a place to end a hike. My parents agreed to come pick me up tomorrow.
Date: 2003-07-01
From: Snickers Gap

To: Devils Racecourse Boulder Field
Miles today: 3.7

Parkway was back on the trail for a few days after some R and R. I am just out hiking with my old hiking buddy Sidewinder for a few days before I have to go back to the "real world". I picked Mike up in Baltimore around 9:00 AM and we headed out to Harpers Ferry. Our plan was to drop the car off in town and hitch a ride out of town and hike the last 30 miles north into town. We found out quickly that its not really all that easy to get a ride out of town because its all back roads along the trail. Liam from the Outfitter offered to take us out after he was done working -- around 6 PM -- to Snickers Gap. That was only 20 miles out but since we were already running behind schedule it was OK.Since we got to spend most of the day in Harpers Ferry I got to catch up with a lot of friends that are still hiking. Moo and 42, Sleepy Floyd, Steppenwolf, Bluebird and probably about 10 others. It was weird to see everyone hiking since I've decided I'm done for the season but I was still psyched to run into that many people. Moo and 42 are actually raising money for a childrens charity while hiking which is quite admirable.We had lunch with Sleepy, Steppenwolf, Bluebird and one of her friends (name escapes me) and soaked up the sun while waiting for our shuttle ride. By the time we finally got out to the trail it was close to 7:30 PM. We were both feeling good so we hiked until it got too dark to see. Sidewinders headlamped is WEAK so we stopped around 9:00 PM and set up camp for the night near a huge boulder field. It felt really good to be on the trail again but I can already tell the bottoms of feet still hurt from the 575 miles I did earlier in the season.We are probably just going to hike the 17 miles into town tomorrow if I feel good. There is rain coming from a tropical storm and I might have a mental breakdown if I have to hike in the rain again!
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Devils Racecourse Boulder Field

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: mist

17 miles today and me feet hurt. Hmmmm, haven't said that in a while. The hike today was easy on everything except the feet. We had a nice time walking into town as the terrain is super easy. We stopped at the Blackburn Trail Center to hang out for a bit and down a few sodas. Other than that the day was pretty uneventful. It was fun hiking with Sidewinder again. Just like old times. The beers at the pub afterward were a nice reward after a long day. Today I realized I made the right decision almost a month ago to get off the trail. It was fun and I had a greast time but it was just too much for me to handle. The rain, my feet, and everything else. I had a good run and don't regret a thing!
Date: 2003-07-04
From: Springer Mountain

To: Conshorockin', PA
Miles today: 0.0

Thanks to everyone for their love and support during my journey. I would not have made it a mile without my family, friends, and of course Bridget.I am as happy as a man could possibly be! My trail family better keep in touch!kmullinsmail@yahoo.com610-825-0952 (h)610-574-1190 (c)
Date: 2003-02-04
To: Anticipation
Miles today: 0.0

Hardly a day goes by now without the excitement and anticipation of hiking tying knots in my gut. There's really very little to keep my mind off of it. I'm not working, I'm not in school anymore, the only thing I have to do right now is make sure everything is in order for the hike. I guess it's a pretty enviable situation to be in, but it's driving me nuts! I just want be down at Springer, shoulder my pack, kiss the plaque on top of the mountain, and be on my way to Maine.Well, this is hardly a way to begin a journal, with whining! My life right now is actually pretty sweet. I've been in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the past month hanging out with a lot of really cool people and doing lots of really cool stuff. (Many thanks to Wes and Dana for allowing me to stay at their place.) I've gotten in several days of skiing, one snow camping trip (where I found out the sleeping bag I was planning on carrying on the AT wasn't going to cut it), and a good bit of rock climbing. Tomorrow evening I'm going to an indoor rock gym and climbing around til my fingers are so tired I can't even grip a beer anymore. And when Ii'm not doing that active stuff, I'm either gear shopping (what outdoor geek doesn't love that!) or reading Lord of the Rings (I'm on the second book). This is definitely the good life!There's still a lot of preparation to be done before March. I need to come up with some sort of skeleton itenerary, figure out my food situation, and pack up maildrops. I'm slowly working on that right now, but the bulk of the work I'm putting off until I head back home to Tennessee next week. I've got most of my gear in order aside from a few small unexciting purchases. Though I did make an exciting (for me) purchase today. I replaced my old synthetic North Face sleeping bag with a new, much lighter down Western Mountaineering bag. According to all the reviews I've seen, WM is one of the top sleeping bag manufacturers out there. And you can tell this in the price of the bags. I shelled out $300 for this one 20 degree bag today! It should last me a really long time, though. Much longer than my old bag.I don't really know why, but I'm going to close up this entry now. I could keep typing about all sorts of stuff that's only interesting to me, but I guess this has been enough for one night. So peace out!-Carter
Date: 2003-02-05
To: About me
Miles today: 0.0

Wow, I just put my first journal entry up last night, and I'm already getting readers. Pretty cool! Thanks for the email, Allyson. And thanks for signing my guestbook, Sarah. I look forward to meeting you on the trail.Today I figured I'd do an about me type of entry. Kind of my background, where I'm coming from for this hike. My hometown is Hendersonville, Tennessee, though I've spent most of the past four years in Blacksburg, Virginia. I just graduated from Virginia Tech this past December with a degree in Wood Science. While I was there I got heavily involved with the Outdoor Club of Virginia Tech, which maintains parts of the AT in southwestern Virginia. Pretty much it was meeting people through the club, working alongside them on the trail, and going backpacking with them that made me decide that I one day want to hike the AT. Last summer I got an even better taste of the AT community when I got to work on the trail in Pennsylvania as a ridgerunner. That was pretty much a dream job for me. I got paid to hike and meet interesting people, which made my desire to hike the trail that much stronger. I also got an up-close, in person look at the real impact people have in the wilderness by leaving trash, having campfires, and doing other careless things. So one of my goals for my hike is to pay close attention to the Leave No Trace guidelines and gently encourage others to do the same. It makes a positive, real difference on the experiences yourself and others have in the backcountry.Okay, so that last part kinda turned into a rant instead of a background thing. But it's my journal page, so I can do whatever I want, right? Cool.Peace,Carter
Date: 2003-02-09
To: Leaving Colorado/Thank you's
Miles today: 0.0

Well, come morning it looks like I'm leaving Colorado and heading back to Nashville. I more than likely won't be doing the whole drive in one day, maybe stopping somewhere in Missouri tomorrow night. Usually as I leave Colorado I get really depressed. My family used to come here almost annually on summer vacations, and I think that it was on those vacations where my love for the outdoors really blossomed. At times I've even felt like this place is a second home for me. My heart always longs to return. However, as I leave this time I don't think I'll feel the sadness as strongly. Over the last month I've gotten to see old friends and family, meet many new people, and have several adventures and new experiences. But tomorrow I will be looking forward to the new faces and adventures I will meet on the AT. Really it seems that's the only thing that occupies my mind. Many thanks to Wes and Dana for letting me crash at their already crammed apartment, and of course for organizing another fantastic ski trip this winter. Thanks also to Dixon and Jenny and the rest of the movie night crowd for the many delicious meals they've fixed and bought for me. And thanks to Jason for helping me with the drive out here and for the nights he's let me stay at his house. Lastly, thanks to everyone else for making the past month so much fun.I need to get back to packing, so ta-ta for now.Carter
Date: 2003-02-13
To: Back home
Miles today: 0.0

I feel like writing a journal entry right now, but I don't feel like I have a whole lot to talk about. I made it back home on Tuesday evening after a long but uneventful drive. Since then I've slowly been figuring out what to do about maildrops, but that's not a particularly exciting story either. It's just mundane logistical stuff. Tomorrow I think I'm going to try to figure out exactly what should go into the maildrops and do a whole bunch of grocery shopping online. Most people try to get enough groceries to last, say, about a week. I'm trying to get enough to last 6 months. Though I will also be resupplying in towns along the way from time to time.Today my mom asked if I would be carrying sunglasses on the trail, and when I said no she seemed stunned. I don't think she quite grasps yet that anything I want, I'm going to have to carry on my back, and that means doing without some things. Then she asked if I would go find a place to stay indoors for the rainy days. I don't think she quite understands this thing I'm doing yet, but she's trying. Both my mom and dad have been really supportive of the hike ever since I mentioned the idea several years ago. I don't think they believed at first that I would really go through with it, but they still supported it. Now they're driving down to Georgia come March, and they plan to be on top of Springer to see me off. So here's a shout out to the parents, for supporting me even though they may not know why. Thank you.Carter
Date: 2003-02-18
To: It's getting worse
Miles today: 0.0

March 2nd is less than two weeks away. After years of waiting for this date, you'd think two weeks would be easy. And yet I sit here thanking the world that there are only 28 days in February. I worry though that with all this anticipation, I'm building this hike up in my mind to something that it couldn't possibly live up to. Rather like before the Star Wars prequels were released, and then the movies weren't that great because nothing could have lived up to that sort of hype. (Oh, and the dialogue and acting was pretty poor too, but that's beside my point.) I hope this thru-hike can match the fantasies I'm having. Yes, I'm having hiking fantasies, like giving gear advice to an attractive coed. And then she asks me about the trees around us, and I identify them and talk about their specific importance to the wildlife and she couldn't be more interested. That's got to be a sign of some psychological problem.Ooh, I got my Wingfoot book (the Thru-hiker's Handbook) today and a bunch of maps from the ATC. That's kind of interesting, I guess. I probably won't need the maps, but I love dragging them out with a compass and identifying all the points around me when I'm in the backcountry.On a completely non-trail related note, I got a free pass to a pre-screening of "Gods and Generals" tonight. Don't bother paying to watch it. It's very boring and very long. It's about a war, and yet there's absolutely no sense of confict in the movie. I guess if you're a Civil War buff you might enjoy it, but otherwise watch something else. It did have a picture of Harper's Ferry in it that looked like it was taken very near the place where this month's picture for the ATC calendar was taken.Okay, that's all for today. Pointless, I know, but I enjoyed writing it. I was worried that I'd have a hard time keeping a journal on the trail since I've never been able to keep one before, but I'm actually enjoying keeping this one so far. Hopefully that will keep up.Carter
Date: 2003-02-21
To: what to expect?
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday I was talking with my Dad about hiking through the Shenandoah's. Assuming everything goes according to plan, ie. the timing works out and I actually make it that far, he's going to join me for a week of hiking in Shenandoah N.P. We were talking about some logistical stuff, and then he says something to the effect of "I'm really getting excited about this hike. I've never done anything like this before and so don't really know what to expect." Bingo. He knows exactly how I feel, but for me it's probably 10 times greater. I mean, I've done week long trips before and did the ridgerunning thing last year, so I think I probably have a better idea than most about what I'm getting into. But I can't seem to wrap my mind around something of this magnitude. I think I'm going to love thru-hiking and I'm really excited about it, but I can't know what it's really going to be like. Now that I think about it, I had a similar feeling before I started the ridgerunner job last summer. That turned out to be a really fun experience, so hopefully the next several months will turn out the same way.I need to do a couple more thank-you's. So many people have already helped me out that I will never remember to thank them all, but I'll keep doing the ones that come to mind and hopefully cover most of them. First, thanks to my dentist Dr. Balkan and his staff. I went to get my check up today and told them about my plans. They were kind enough to give me several sample tubes of toothpaste, the perfect size for carrying on the trail. They also gave me a whole bunch of Advil, which I'm sure will come in handy. The next thank you goes out to my fellow VT alum Lawton "Disco" Grinter for agreeing to be my journal transcriber. He hiked the AT in '99, and I hope my slideshow from this journey will be as good as his. He's also got a journal on this site (disco) from his hike of the John Muir trail over the past summer that you should check out. It's a good read.Just over a week to go!!Carter
Date: 2003-02-23
To: shocked. sad....
Miles today: 0.0

I feel the need to write something down, but I can't seem to make anything of the thoughts running around my head. One big mushy bowl of thoughts.Word is spreading through the hiking community today that we have lost one of our newer and yet finer members. I don't really know what happened, so I'm not going to talk about that here. I got to meet Ted very briefly at the Gathering last October while we were taking the picture of the aspiring class of '03 hikers. Even for that short a period it was impossible to miss his spirit and infectious sense of humor. That's what will live on in my mind. Since then I've seen daily his posts on hikers-r-us (an internet group of aspiring thru-hikers) and on AT-l (an email list), and I really looked forward to meeting him again on the trail in person. With his spirit on the trail these coming spring and summer seasons, this year's class of hikers will be stronger for it.Now I'm even more eager to start the hike, if that is possible, because to me it represents living my life to the fullest (to borrow the cliche). But at the same time it seems so insignificant. I hope that there is a greater purpose to my hike than just the physical challenge of making it to Katadin. And I guess I've always felt that there would be, but now that hope has been brought to the forefront of my mind.Carter
Date: 2003-03-01
To: The Day Before
Miles today: 0.0

I've often wondered what this day would be like, probably as often as I wondered what tomorrow would be like. I figured that today I wouldn't be able to sit still with nervous energy, but that really didn't turn out to be the case at all. My family and I just kind of took an easy day and explored the area. We went to the Amicalola Falls visitor center where I ran into Gizmo, the Springer Mountain caretaker. I knew him from last summer as the ridgerunner up in northern PA. It was good to see a familiar face here. Made me feel more comfortable in a new place on the eve of embarking on a huge journey. After leaving Gizmo at the visitors center, we drove out to Nimblewill Gap on the approach trail and hiked the mile and a half to the Len Foot Hike Inn. It was all in the clouds and drizzling the whole way, but I had a very relaxing hike. That's probably a large reason why I'm not so anxious right now. The Hike Inn was a really neat building, built to have a minimal footprint on the land. The staff is all very environmentally concious, which I find refreshing.Tomorrow we're all getting up early to go to the breakfast buffet at the lodge. Then we're driving back to Nimblewill Gap, where my parents and K.D. (sister) will hike with me to the top of Springer. And then, it begins !!
Date: 2003-03-02
From: Nimblewill Gap

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was the big day. The day I've been dreaming about for years. So this is what it feels like to have a dream come true. Actually, after the initial excitement and apprehension, it was a lot like any other day of hiking.I started the day with my family eating a big buffet breakfast at the Amicalola Falls Lodge. Afterwards we headed down to the visitors center and signed in and weighed my pack. 43 pounds, ugh. But I've carried worse before. Then we headed to Nimblewill Gap and hiked to the top of Springer. After some pictures at the summit and a snack at the shelter, it was time for us to part ways. Goodbyes are never easy. I kind of wish I could take them with me for a few nights so they could understand the love of the trail a little better.The rest of the day was just hikin'. I ran into Gizmo again and talked with him a bit. If all goes well I'll see him in northern PA again later this year. The shelter area is pretty crowded tonight with a bunch of aspiring thru-hikers and a group of boy scouts. Of everyone I've talked to so far, I definitely feel the most experienced at backpacking, the most aware of what lies ahead. Hopefully it's good times. I'm looking forward to it.
Date: 2003-03-03
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Old Gooch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Great day! Fantastic day!! The weather today was great. First day of blue sky I¢ve seen in a while. It was a bit cold to start off this morning, but it warmed up as the day went on. I got a good view from Sassafras Mountain and took some pictures looking southwest down the ridge towards Springer. Tonight I¢m at the old Gooch Gap Shelter about a mile north of the new one, which, may I say, is very nice with a bunch of people I met last night. I still can¢t remember all their names, but I¢m trying. They need to get trail names so I¢ll remember them. One of the guys said yesterday that he¢s going to ¢boycott trail names,¢ so I¢m trying to get the name ¢boycott¢ to stick. I¢m not getting much help, though. Anyway, they¢re all good company. We¢ve spent the evening talking and telling jokes and just generally hanging out, having a good time. I¢m wondering where all the people are that are supposed to drop out so quick. All these guys (and one girl) seem to be having a blast so far and are dedicated to the long haul. Hopefully this weather will hold out for a little bit, and hopefully I¢ll have many more days like today.
Date: 2003-03-04
From: Old Gooch Gap Shelter

To: Goose Creek Cabins (Neels Gap)
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn¢t intend to press so hard today. It just sort of happened. The weather today again was great. There were some fantastic views all day. I never thought of Georgia as a mountainous state, so it¢s kind of shocking sometimes. I took a big long lunch today at some random spot in the trees. I wanted to take a nap there it was so relaxing, but the desire to catch up with the guys I was hanging out with last night overcame it. I caught Stacey on top of a climb a few miles before Woods Hole Shelter. She told me about he quick hitch into Suches. Within a couple of minutes of hitting Woody Gap she had a ride and got dropped off at a store to make a phone call. Then a delivery guy that happened to be in the store right then gave her a ride back. I hope my hitches always go that smoothly. About a mile before I hit the shelter I ran into the Georgia ridgerunner and talked with him for a while. He¢s an older guy who lives nearby, and he covers all the AT in Georgia for eight months. That¢s a big job. As I came upon the shelter trail the rest of the guys were coming out saying they were going all the way to Neels Gap. After a few minutes they convinced me to go with them. So I continued up over Blood Mountain and down into the gap, which killed my legs. We finally made it to the Walasi-Yi center where they were having a cookout, and never has a hamburger tasted so delicious!! A bunch of the crowd that started March 1st was there also, so all the space was full. We ended up getting a ride down to the Goose Creek Cabins, and tonight I¢ll have a shower, clean clothes, real food, and a warm bed. I also grabbed a beer here and just about passed out after one I¢m so tired.
Date: 2003-03-05
From: Goose Creek Cabins (Neels Gap)

To: Campsite past Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I guess I should introduce the group I¢m with. First there¢s Joe and Erin (I don¢t know what spelling of the name he uses, and he¢s the guy I¢m trying to call Boycott) from Maine. There¢s Ray from Greensboro, NC, and Marshall from Knoxville, TN. We all met the first night at the shelter, but we really bonded the next night at Gooch Gap. Stacie was there that night too, and I was hoping she¢d catch up with us today since we got a late start, but we never saw her. So the five of us left Neels Gap together and hiked together for most of the day today. Before we left, though, I got to introduce everyone to Miss Janet, who runs a hostel out of her home in Erwin, TN. For anyone familiar with the story of last year, she¢s the one who helped call my rescue off of Roan Mountain. I¢ll have to write down the story sometime. Anyway, she was at the Walasi-Yi today for some type of reunion. We talked with her for a while, and then took off hiking around 11:00. The weather was pretty warm and overcast, but we still got some pretty good views. At Hogpen Gap we met Dale America giving out sodas and cookies. He hiked the trail last year and wanted to meet some of this year¢s hikers. A few miles beyond there Erin, Joe and I spotted a campsite and decided to call it a day, while Ray and Marshall went on to the next shelter. There¢s a good chance of thunderstorms tonight, and this is my first night in my Silshelter, we will see how it holds up.