morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-11-17
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

I didn't sleep well and get up before daylight and get the fire going. The others seemed to stir once there was a toasty fire going. Just 3.5 miles and we'll be in Georgia! We say good-bye to Grizzly and head out eager yet saddened to be in our last state. The terrain is definitely more rolly and the mountain less steep up and down. The temperature warmed up nicely today. We all feel real greasy and decide to go into Hiawassee for a shower, laundry and food.   We end up getting rooms at the HI express. Loot goes to the library while we're doing laundry. On his way back he spots Tink in town talking on the pay phone. That was a surprise....we didn't think we would see her nor Voice again.   He says she seemed upset. We feel bad for her and go to see if she needs help or someone to talk to. She tells us that one of her best friend's parents had died and she felt bad that she was not there to be with her. She also said she ran into Grizzly. That @#%* fool had to open his big mouth and give her some crap about Loot saying this or that.   We told her we were there, and Loot never told him to say a word to her.   She also felt that being so close to Springer was really starting to hit home. It was terrible seeing her so sad and we invite her to share our room but she said she needed to be alone. It put all of us in a somber mood. Maybe we can cheer her up tomorrow? She said Voice and Leo are just south of us and that they were trying to catch us. It seems he did want to finish with the rest of us.....the "sobo Nation" on the 22nd of Nov.   Only 11.6 miles today.
Date: 2004-11-18
From: Hiawassee

To: Blue Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Nice Breakfast then to the P.O. to send back some winter gear we won't need (hopefully). Just our baklavas and some neck gaiters and such. We didn't see any real cold weather heading our way prior to our finish on the 22nd. We catch a quick hitch back to the trail with Curt '01 and his wife Judy. Super nice people who really love the trail. Thanks. At the trail head we see Loot who had left before us. He is there with a group of hikers we haven't see since Hanover New Hampshire. What's left of the DF, Steady, Spork and Finn and Jack Straw too. It was great seeing them all again. Eric is also there from the Hike Inn at Amicolola Falls. He is Steady's former boss and was giving them some magic (a huge breakfast).   Nice guy, he says he'll save us a room at the hike in the evening of the 22nd. Eric takes the girls and Jack Straw for a quick trip into town while we hit the trail. During a short break, we meet Brun and Paul. Two new sobos for us.   The "sobo Nation" is gathering! We should finish with them if things work out. To our surprise Tink walks up too. We're glad to see her. She seems better and said she stayed at a real nice B&B last night and the folks spoiled her. She still feels that she wants to finish on a quieter note and plans to finish on the 23rd. and we respect her convictions. We will miss her dearly at the end. She truly does light up the trail. It's been fun and we say goodbye and get a departing picture. It's very hilly today and we all gather one more time for water a few miles down the trail. Brun and Paul do Tray Mtn. shelter, Tink the Cheese Factory campsite. She was going to hook-up with a friend there (Cactus '04, one of the Dutch Boy Posse. We meet up with Tortoise again as he sets up his tent. He has changed his mind and will finish on the 22nd as well. He needs a ride to the airport in Atlanta. We should be able to help as my Dad is will be driving up to get us. Nice view from Tray. The trail is steep but looks better tomorrow. After a short night hike we arrive at Blue Mtn. Shelter. Leo comes out to greet us. It's unconditional love! It's great to see Voice again too. To our surprise, Single Track is there as well. He lives in the area and is doing a bit of hiking....testing his ankle. We originally met him at Gull Pond Hostel in Maine. He was nursing a hiking injury at the time and was part of the dysfunctional family, the "father". He had to call his AT thru-hike quits after his ankle was found broken. While we cook and ready our sleeping bags we talk with him about the DF, hiking and mountain biking (where he gets his trail name). We'll have to get together and ride with him someday.   Loot shows up later.   18.3 miles today
Date: 2004-11-19
From: Blue Mtn. Shelter

To: Neals Gap - Walasi Yi Center 
Miles today: 17.8

I'm up at day-break and before anyone else except Leo, who greets me with leaves. I guess they are supposed to be a gift so we won't leave him again? Then he cuts me off and herds me from walking a short distance from camp to use the "latrine" and says, (in dog talk) "please don't leave without me". Coming back from the "latrine", we play the stalking game.   He is so cute and smart. Voice has trained this dog to respond to commands such as "get out of the kitchen" (to keep Leo from bothering those cooking or eating), chill (when Leo starts playing a little rough), and utt oh (Leo's signal that some food has been dropped and he is permitted to retrieve it). Voice also has a unique call for Leo. It's sorta like trilling your R's and rises in pitch. For some reason he can't whistle but it works just the same. Flounder can do it pretty good but I am at a loss!By 8:15 we are all on the trail. Brun and Paul catch up with us during our lunch break at Low Gap. They actually got on the trail at 5:30 am! Single Track says he will slack all of us the last 6 miles of the day to the Walasi Yi Center at Neals Gap. Brun and Paul decline as they have not slacked at all thus far and are too close to the finish to tarnish their record. Single Track has hiked this section of trail many times and points out different peaks and other interesting landmarks.   At Hogpen Gap, Single Track gives us some "sweet" trail magic with cokes and candy bars. He tops it off by taking our packs! Thanks.Warm weather for the most part but it sprinkles on and off the rest of the day. No rain ever materializes like forecasted but it doesn't look good for the rest of our adventure :-( We get some great views today... an especially nice one at Cowrock Mountain. Neals Gap is interesting in that the trail goes right through to Walasi Yi Center breezeway. The outfitter there is well equipped with gear but the food selection is grim and grossly over priced but they do give each of us a pint of Ben and Jerry's!   I wish we would have just carried all the food we needed from Hiawassee. A lesson learned for the next time! Single Track shows up with our packs and a bunch of sandwiches. Thanks.   He says he will be at our finish also and plans to reunite with the remains of the Dysfunctional Family. With enough food to get us by we head down stairs to the hostel and later we go for some BBQ (everyone chipping in for the shuttle). Yum! Back at the Center we do laundry and make some phone calls and get a nice shower. It looks like my parents will pick us up on the 23rd. The weather turns nasty....rainy and cold. At least we are warm and dry for the night! Voice got his last resupply box and his parent have sent him these huge bones for Loe's finish! I told Voice I would slack one for Leo. It weighed at least 3 lbs! Less than 31 miles to go. 17.8 miles today.
Date: 2004-11-20
From: Neel's Gap

To: Gooch Mtn. Shelter 
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

[Got a call from Little Bump last night. He and Flounder are almost there. Neel's Gap is about 30 miles from the beginning (or in this case the ending) of the AT. They plan to complete their hike on Monday morning. After climbing Springer Mountain they will stay and wait for others to finish. Some of the SOBO hikers that will finish that day with Little Bump and Flounder might be Voice, Loot, King David, Shredder, Focus,Jack Straw,Walmart and maybe Steady, Fin, Spork, Tortise, Laz, Pope Paul. There were two new SOBO hikers they met yesterday but I can't think of their names now. Tinkerbell is choosing to finish her hike on Tuesday, I think.]ENTRYFlounder and I are first out on the trail. Brun and Paul will wait for Wal Mart, a sobo we have not met yet. We are overjoyed that it is not raining as we head up Blood Mtn. It's a very busy trail, I guess the normal weekend crowd. Not looking like thru-hikers, we weren't stopped and drilled with questions too much. We meet some very nice people up on top. Unfortunately there was no view except clouds. The shelter on top is actually a dumpy cabin and we are glad we are not staying for the night. The forecasted rain never came and it really wasn't a bad day. We did get some nice views from some overlooks and ate lunch perched on a rock ledge just before Woody Gap. We toss around the idea of going on to Hawk Mtn. Shelter, which would put us just 7.5 miles from Springer, but since we are not getting picked up 'til the 23rd. there is no hurry. Not only that, Gooch Mtn. Shelter looks real nice from the trail and lures us in. Section hiker Walker is there. From Nova Scotia, he is doing a section from Damascus to Springer. He is a trip and we like him a lot. Just as it turns dark, Voice shows up and as always, Leo is thrilled. Voice, looking like a thru-hiker, had a hard time getting away from the masses on Blood Mtn. On top of that, he wasn't feeling too well. He was thinking it was the BBQ from last night? We are disappointed that Loot doesn't show?We are really going to miss the trail and it's people. We are like a little community . Life is so simple and peaceful out here usually however, with the emotions running full blast the last couple of weeks, we all have had issues to deal with (the finish, work, relationships etc.). I felt like I was living a drama at times, but overall it is the most spectacular and rewarding thing we have ever done. Given the opportunity we would do it all again in a heart's beat! We cringe at the thought of going back to storm beaten Punta Gorda, FL and having to deal with the mess from Hurricane Charlie. We now can understand why people yo yo. 16 miles today.
Date: 2005-04-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, here it is a few months after the completion of our thru-hike. What did it all mean to us? I'm not going to dazzle any of you with some profound, wordy rhetoric of how we became "one with nature". A #1, I don't have the words in me, B#2 the trail is more than that, and C#3 we just plain didn't become "one with nature". Different people get different things from the adventure, what we got, we feel is much more important than re-uniting with our primordial instincts. Voice pretty much summed it all up for us when he said the trip restored his faith in humanity. The trust and kindness on and along the trail is the most remarkable thing. Because of this trust and kindness, friendships blossom quickly. We were truly our own little community. Everyone is in the same boat and everyone watches out for each other. It's amazing and makes my heart glow just thinking about it! It also is what we miss most now that we are off the trail. It's sad how we can't trust each other in the "real" world. We're still following the white blazes, it's just that they are down the center of the road now. We can only hope and pray that we will be able to do something like this again. I think it is only appropriate that I finish this with my last Jeff Foxworthy style saying. ......if someone asks you how far it is from Katahdin to Springer and you can say walking distance then you are a thru- hiker!!! Happy trails and God Bless everyone!
Date: 2004-03-19
To: time is drawing near
Miles today: 0.0

Today is the last day of winter. And here I am, on this wonderful island in Maine, preparing for the new adventure soon to come. This is my last full week on Peaks. And although so grateful for the time and friends here, I feel ready to go. So much still to do: decided on changing tents, so just ordered it today (TNF Canyonlands). Have to organize some more mail drops, finish packing (deciding what is "essential" and what is not!) I'm following a friend out on the AT now (quincy girl). She has good days and not so good...it's helpful to learn from her. I'll learn as I go.littlefish
Date: 2004-03-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Two weeks from today will be my first day of hiking...the Approach Trail on Palm Sunday, April 4th. Hard to believe. Today I took a nice 2 hour walk with my dog in the woods near N. Conway...found a good hill callled Devil's Kitchen and was really huffing and puffing up that (and no pack). Granted I had snowshoes and I hadn't eaten anything, but whoa! Sometimes I have doubts about my physical ability to do this, but I think of the times I've run a marathon when not in the best shape. It's not a pretty sight, but I can do it. I am pretty determined when it comes to pushing myself. So, gotta think of The Little Engine That Could. I spend this week packing and moving off my little island in Maine. Going to miss the ocean, the open skies, the friends I've made. Hope to decide on final gear to take. Will send first two boxes : To Amicalola Falls Lodge.Alot to do. Wanna still take time to experience the island. Saw two eagles today. littlefish
Date: 2004-03-23
To: imagining Spring in the South
Miles today: 0.0

Ok, so it was close to ZERO here in Maine last night...and I think I understand part of my problem in trying to pack lightly for the trail--I imagine it being this cold, so I put in an extra fleece, an extra vest, etc. You get the picture. No wonder my pack is so heavy. It's kind of like going to a grocery store when you are hungry...there is simply no objectivity...So, my pack weighs 23 lbs and that's w/out my food and tent (still waiting for it in the mail!). My hope was to keep it under 35 lbs. We shall see. Meeting w/ my friend Peter today (who did the AT two years ago) and we're going through my pack, item by item. He is a real fan of ultralight hiking, so I know he's going to tell me "no book, only one pair of this, one pair of that, less TP, etc."I'm trying to get the packing all done so that I can enjoy these last few days on the island. I've made some dear friends, and they will be 'following' me via this journal.Off to the PO to mail my poles and my food to Amicalola Falls Lodge (going to a work-related conference in New Orleans for 4 days before starting the trail and didn't want to carry all that)
Date: 2004-03-26
To: this circle of support
Miles today: 0.0

I feel a little silly writing so many preparation entries, but now that my friends and family know of this site, I feel inspired to write more, to share more. Since last entry : my tent arrived. Canyonlands and it weighs 3 pounds, 9 ounces. That seems great. After Peter, my lightweight guide, went though my pack with me and took out 'stuff' that added up to 4.5 pounds, I am psyched! I have room, now, for food and the weight should be under 38! Yeah! I fought him over every object, but I know he is only trying to "lighten my load". His philosoply is to take the things that one can't improvise (like a filter, a compass). The rest, he says, can be...like for first aid guaze, etc. Ultimately, I know I'll have to take what makes me feel comfortable. Not much left to do. I found unscented baby-wipes, though, and will have to package those. (Peter wouldn't approve!) And now the rest of preparation feels mental and spiritual...I've been looking up at the sky each night and wondering how it will be to see the same moon, the same stars but from down South and in the woods. Still, there is some comfort in knowing the sky will be the same (minus the rain, I guess!)I had my final yoga class this morning. This class-no, not the class, but the teacher, Rebecca, and my fellow seekers--have blessed me so much this winter on the island. A place of growth and peace, a place of learning and the gaining of wisdom...Today's class was gentle. Lots of streching. Wonderful... we opened the windows for most of the class...the wind off the water was more like a breeze today. At the end of the time, the people in the class and Rebecca formed a circle around me, hands up, and some offered a sort of blessing (verbally). Here are their words:Be a butterfly...Tread softlyKeep an open mindLet each day be newBe found by delightListen to your bodyTrust in the difficult (more by Rilke)There is no place to get toPeace to you, TinaAnd Rebecca wrote: Remember, you only have to take one step, one breath, and one moment at a time. Enjoy each one as a gift.So many blessings, so little time--not really. I guess I have all the time in the world. Just in different places.
Date: 2004-03-27
To: wildlife here and there
Miles today: 0.0

In the past 24 hours I have seen 3 loons, 2 cormorants, 1 harbor seal and also deer tracks on the beach...no squirrels, no skunks, no bears, no porcupines ~ as none of them can swim to the island! Soon (one week and a day), I'll see all of them (and more!) I'm having a little party for my island friends tonight. And then the packing begins!
Date: 2004-03-28
To: Last day on Peak's Island, heading south soon
Miles today: 0.0

It was exactly 3 months ago tomorrow that I came to this wonderful place.Winter had just begun. The days were short and the nights were long. The air was harsh on most days...but the sky was clear, the stars were bright and so my life on Peak's began. Now it's Spring. The Cardinals sing with heart and the buds are coming forth more and more each day. And it's my time to go. I will carry with me the love of some very special people as I head back to my Mass home (I was on sabbatical) for a few days, and then I go to New Orleans on 3/31 for a conference...taking my backpack and my dress clothes! One week from tonight will be my night on Springer, God-willing. I will miss the fresh air until I reach the mountains of Georgia. (no open windows in big hotels in New Orleans!) Just heard from quincy girl who I met in Janurary at an AT workshop at Pinkham...she is almost to Hot Springs and going strong...a great motivator for me!Only a few more preparation entries and I'm on my way!
Date: 2004-03-30
To: last day in New England
Miles today: 0.0

It's late and I still have some packing to do (yes, still deciding what warm clothes to take, although someone special gave me a lovely warm sweater that will walk with me). These past few days have been so transitional; leaving a place that has been my 'home' for 3 months and then back to what has been my 'home' for 18 years...not sure where is really 'home' right now...I always thought I was most comfortable when surrounded by things familar, but I had such a pleasant surprise on Peak's Island as a visitor...it became so comfortable, like a home that I have never known. I hope the trail will continue to offer that feeling...even though all will be new.This piece by Dag Hammarskjold had been in my mind the last few weeks on Peak's and I had a chance to find it today and will share:"I am being driven forwardInto an unknown land.The pass grows steeper,The air colder and sharper.A wind from my unknown goalStirs the stringsof expectation.Still the question:Shall I ever get there?There where life resounds,A clear pure noteIn the silence."*****I'm off to the South, to New Orleans for a few days, then to Atlanta on Saturday. I hope for one or two more prep entries, but not sure of internet access there- but at least on via pocketmail.Thank you for your support. I feel it...
Date: 2004-04-01
To: The Big Easy- is it?
Miles today: 0.0

What a silly thing it was to plan this trip to New Orleans just a few days before I hit the trail/ What was I thinking? My head is spinning from the culture shock of Maine to New Orleans in 3 days. Being 'trapped' in an airplane for 6 hours was no fun, either (our plane from Providence to Atlanta was diverted to Chattanooga, TN due to wind shear in Atlanta yesterday-we sat on the tarmac for 2 hours, had to fly back to Atlanta to change planes for New Orleans) I found I needed fresh air... rather desperately, too. This morning I woke early, only to think about a few mornings from now when I'll say good-bye to all I know to embark on a journey to what I don't know. I had a little melt down, but decided it was best to get up and go for a walk...so I did, out the hotel door before 6:30am...we are right near the Mississippi, so it was ALMOST like being in Maine (water, water, sky, birds). Nice morning, too. Spring is here...First time I have seen green in months, and flowers, and dragonflys and birds and short-sleeves.Today I took a tour of the cemetaries and churches of the city...found myself lighting a candle in each church, saying a prayer to St. Jude , the patron saint of "impossible things", and to St. Teresa (not sure who she is)...also found myself doing a little Vodoo ritual that we learned might bring good luck: "xxx" on the tomb (just outlined it w/ my finger) then 3 spins one direction and 3 the other. I figure anything might help...What is this fear? What is this doubt? When I express my fears to my friends, they remind me that I don't HAVE to go on the trail...but then I get all defensive and say "of course I do, I HAVE to go" ...and that brings me back to that Dag Hammarskjold piece yesterday: "I am being driven forward...". So, I just take a deep breath and know that I am called to do this at this time of my life. I can do it, I WANT to do it...and fear is okay as long as it doesn't get in the way of the joy and the faith and the lessons to be learned as I walk. Ok, deep breaths/// Peace, peace, peace...Namaste,