morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-08-07
From: The Barn

To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.0

Its hard to believe that its already seven days in to August. Time is a flying by. But the miles they are not. Especially when I can only do 13 and fell as if I have been beaten with a pipe. No need to go into it but everybody seems to be drained.This morning I didn¢t live up the spirits either. After a so-so nights sleep at The Barn Hostel in town I attempted to hitch the 3.6 miles back to the trail head, to no avail. 45 minutes of frustrations latter I decided to walk back to the trail, something I have never had to do. I know I am walking from Georgia to Maine and shouldn't be complaining but I hate road walking. And I walked and walked the whole way-damn everyone who drove by me today.Anyway, that¢s behind me now. The rest of the day was tough like the rest but there were about 3 ponds that took some of the monotony away. I waited until I got to the shelter then took a nice bath at the pond that sits 100 yards from the shelter. This should be a nice waker upper in the morning.I'm so tired and sore that I am going to take a pain killer and dose off to bed right now.Trukin¢
Date: 2003-08-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Going to wait until the morning to conquer 'The Notch', which is said to be the toughest mile on the trail.This morning started off of wet. I woke up, ate, saw the rain, and went back to sleep. Woke up, saw the rain, went back to sleep. Woke up, saw no rain-hiked. Rain=sleep/No Rain=hikeSo, I have crossed the boarder and am now in MAINE! Congratulation Trukin', thanks.The whole day was either spent in a valley or scrambling up a slab to a viewless mountain. The clouds hung around the mountain tops most of the day but I did get a nice view right out of NH. Some people stand in Maine and pee in NH, not offensively but because they can. I didn't do that but I¢ll never forget my last rushed poop in NH--I nearly dirty my draws.I reach the shelter at 2:15 but my mind insisted on moving no further. My body feels good for a change but from what every SoBo (south bound hiker) is saying about the next mile I will rest up and put on my Superman Cape in the morning. 4 North bounders, 1 Southbound, 3 section hikers and a group of girls from camp share the living quarters tonight. Good company makes for a good night.Peace and HealthTrukin' there are a few new pictures to check out!
Date: 2003-08-12
From: South Arm Road

To: Bemis Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: light rain

Ahhhh. Back on the trail never felt so good. I¢ve been on the trail lately but slack packing 10 miles a day and returning to 'The Cabin' Hostel each night for the past 3 nights. (Check out Iron Toothpick or Tang's journal for details on the last 3 days). I am excited to be sleeping out in the woods again and not inside with a TV and other wired noises. I loved my stay but I could stay another day away.Today. The climb up Old Blue Mtn. was a big'n. 2200 feet up, straight up in places, in 2.8 miles. The summit was so-so and clouds hid any chance at a view. Myself, Tang, Iron Toothpick, TJ, William, and Flatlander enjoyed a break and snack for a while and then off I went another 4.2 miles to the shelter. Contemplated moving another 8.3 to the next shelter but I¢m not the old go-getter I once was so I¢m chillin here. Hopefully the rest will agree and will have a cotton pickin' good time.Tommorow'--who knows.Trukin'
Date: 2003-08-13
From: Bemis Mtn. Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 20.0

Today Tang, Iron Toothpick, TJ, and Josh and I attempted and succeeded at a 20 miler. First time in ages hiking over 14 and it felt great. The terrain was conductive to big mileage and we took advantage.Events of the day: 1. Broke my hiking pole--yah! This morning it was raining lightly and the beginning of the day was fairly steep and boom bang pow, down I went and on the pole I guess and it broke. No worries because I can replace a pole but not me (something a other would say).2. Took a fabulous swim in Sabbath Pond. Could have been my favorite swimming pond to date. The water was primo and the sky cleared and it became, at that moment, the perfect day. 3. Got to the shelter at 5:30 and was delighted to see 5-Alive (Speck, Slip Rock, Diesel, Katch-up, PuPu) again. They have started to slow down and have decided to do 10 miles a day until Monson and are planning to summit on the 31st. Don¢t know if I¢ll see them after tomorrow but it sure is good to be in their company and listen to Diesels great guitar playing.Best day in a long time. This is hiking, and this is Maine, and This is why I love the Appalachian Trail."Sun is shining, the weather is sweet yah, makes you wana move, your dancin' feet"Trukin'
Date: 2003-08-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Back to back amazing days. Myself, Iron Toothpick, Tang, Shrek, TJ & Josh had another long day and we all made it safely. Although we nearly lost TJ's dog today. Not because she fell or got ran over or ran away but because she made TJ fall into the one stream crossing. I was across the river and making my way up the mountain when I hear TJ yell--loud. And then yell more and more and more. Cadillac (the dog) made TJ fall of the rocks and into the stream backwards--everything got wet. Not a good time for man and dog relationship.We climbed Sattleback range today. The first time above tree in a while and the weather was primo. It was very windy up on Sattleback-Horn-Sattleback Jr. but dry nonetheless. Got to the shelter around 6, built a fire, ate, talked, and now its time for sleepy sleepy.Finally, a shelter that is not crowded and I can feel less like a sardine and more like a------person with room to sleep!Good day calls for a good night.Peace,Trukin'
Date: 2003-08-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Short but long day into town to spend the night in a motel for first time in ages. Staying at white wolf inn with TJ, and Jeff. Lots of other hikers here as well. Kinda fellin' lazy after the AYCE Friday fish fry!Heard about the black out today. Sounded like a good time in NYC! We have a black out every night on the trail, and we like it like that.There's a beer to be had so I¢m gona go have it.Peace,Trukin'
Date: 2003-08-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 5.0

Don¢t feel like composing tonight but rest assured I¢m alright. We did a leisurely 5 out of town today but this area we are staying at is lovely. We have the Bigallo Mtn. right in front of us and Sugarloaf in the distance to the right. The weather is very irregular here. It's gray and hazy here and blue with sunshine down in the valley. It didn't rain but looks threatening for the future. I'll take in some deep breaths of mountain air and fade to sleep.Trukin¢there are a few new pictures, with more to follow soon
Date: 2003-08-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Another tired day in the woods. I ate about 700 calories for breakfast but it was sugar loaded. I got going but slowed down very quickly and then stopped.This morning the sky was clouded up and didn't seem likely we would get any views but after Avery peak the sky cleared and by the time I summited Little Bigallo (not little at all) the sky had cleared and the sun was out. There was a great view from Little Bigallo of Flagstaff Lake, which I jumped into hours latter. Also got to swim in the pond here at the shelter so I¢m happy. Sounds like there will be some music here from a southbounder playing a guitar. Sweet Lullabies.Trukin'
Date: 2003-08-20
To: Shaw's Hostel
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Tonight I am spending my last night in a bed before entering the wilderness, the home stretch. It's all coming full circle right before my face. Tonight I am exchanging contact info with a few great people I might not see for some time. I don¢t want to get into a long speal-a wrapping up journal because I still have 115 miles to hike. That¢s not much and I will be summiting in about 7 days but I still have to get there.Tonight I am at Shaw's hostel where I have successfully ate so much I nearly barfed. But, no way I would let that good home cooking go to waste. Tomorrow I will eat to much breakfast and fell ill again but I can¢t wait.I hiked a relatively uneventful 9 miles to the road to town. Monson in 6 square miles small. Very small yes, but along with that comes a very slow pace and friendly folks.I have started to contemplate how I will get 'home' after summiting. So far I have got rides that will get me to Washington D.C. Not a bad start, can¢t wait to begin that journey. With all the hitchhiking I have done in the last 5 months I should have enough wits to get home safely and by Thanksgiving!Time for a little music as I drift off.Trukin'
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 1.0

Seth Warner S.-Melville Nauheim S. 13.1It¢s me being the lazy me lately with journaling but I¢m back again, at least for today. Now that I am in Vermont I am happier than ever and can feel my progress more than ever! Unfortunately VT hasn¢t been that great yet due to two days of rain, and I¢ve been in the state for only 2 days. I sense things will be getting dryer soon and VT should open up like an oyster. I am keeping this one short but wanted to report that I finished another state and am down to three!Trukin'
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 133.0

Seth Warner S.-Melville Nauheim S. 13.1It¢s me being the lazy me lately with journaling but I¢m back again, at least for today. Now that I am in Vermont I am happier than ever and can feel my progress more than ever! Unfortunately VT hasn¢t been that great yet due to two days of rain, and I¢ve been in the state for only 2 days. I sense things will be getting dryer soon and VT should open up like an oyster. I am keeping this one short but wanted to report that I finished another state and am down to three!Trukin'
Date: 2003-01-09
To: none
Miles today: 0.0

Here it is 2003 and less than three months before I begin my journey. I haven't done much in the way of preparation since before Christmas, but I did meet one of my hiking partners. His name is Stephen and he is from Chattanooga, TN. I met him while I was home for Christmas and I think he will make a great hiking partner. We think a lot alike on strategy and have mapped out our estimated daily mileage. We should finish around Sept. 30 which was my goal to begin with. We should also hit Damascus, VA around Trail Days so I am very glad for that since I really want to go and be in the parade! At this point I am feeling very much like I have a lot to do and little time to do it. I have to buy my food for resupply, address the boxes, figure out what I need in each box. I need to find storage for my furniture (preferably free!) and sell my couches. I need to either sell my car or get it fixed, organize my finances, cancel my lease and gym membership, and on and on and on! This doesn't even include what I need to do at work! Somewhere in the midst of doing all this I have to run, workout, backpack, camp, lose 10 pounds (I already lost 12!), and keep myself healthy. I am feeling a little overwhelmed at this point and thought maybe a journal entry would help me to vent.I have purchased a digital camera. I bit the bullet, got a killer deal, and bought one. It's also a MP3 player, but I don't plan to listen to music on the trial. I don't really see that as being part of the experience. Now I have to get over being paranoid that I will damage it in some way or totally screw it up! So I guess since I have this camera I can return that big stack of film developing envelopes to Wal-Mart...I never truly appreciated the importance of socks until I began hiking. Why do the best ones have to be so ugly?Until I need to either vent again or I go hiking, that's all I have for now.Mary
Date: 2003-01-16
To: none
Miles today: 0.0

Weighed my pack today. 39 pounds. Somethin's gotta go! I bit the bullet and ordered the Ultralight Adventure Equipment P-2 backpack today with custom options. This will help me lose 4 pounds. Well, it will help my pack lose 4 pounds. For me to lose pounds, I have to do a lot more than type my address and choose a few options! Something else can go too, I just know it. I just have to figure out what. This weight included 2 liters of water and three days of food. Even after all the research I did, I still seem to learn more each day about gear.If this pack works well, my Osprey Luna 90 may be for sale. I've gotten rather attached to it though and it is a great pack. Maybe I will keep it since I'm sure I'll need a new pack after 2,171 miles of hiking.I'm still trying to figure out the digital camera and how to load pictures. I'm also looking at getting a MailStation from Earthlink. This way I could download my journal myself and wouldn't need a transcriber. My journal would be more current. I'm not sure yet though. What if I end up staying in a lot of hostels where phone lines are not readily accessible? Any opions on this. Check out Earthlink.com if you aren't familiar with MailStation. It's a great little invention!I'm going to go work on my pictures now. I hope nothing explodes. Reading that instruction manual is like reading a foreign language - and it's in English!Gear, gear, gear. It's all I've thought about all week. I think I have the pre-thru-hike jitters.Mary
Date: 2003-01-19
To: Gold Strike Canyon/White Rock Canyon
Miles today: 0.0

What can I say about Gold Strike Canyon? Truly extraordinary! A group of four of us from the Ramblers Hiking Club went on this trip and camped in a wash (again!) near Kaiser Warm Spring between Wickenburg, AZ and Wickiup, AZ. This was a small spring, but enjoyable. I was the only one who slept in a tent. This was a cold night and I didn't sleep very well. I think I had too many clothes on and my body heat didn't heat the air in the sleeping bag. I'll never do that again! On Saturday we woke up late, 7:15 A.M., and packed up and took off to Gold Strike Canyon which is in Nevada just west of Hoover Dam. We had planned this as a day hike to the hot springs, but ended up backpacking in and camping which was an excellent decision. The hike was only 2.5 miles, but got challenging the closer we got to the springs. We had to use some ropes to get over rocks, but we made it and it was well worth it! The springs had been constructed by volunteers to create pools and in all there were about 8 t0 10 pools where we camped. The area was overused, but fortunately volunteers also help clean up as well. The pools were clear and had a range of temperatures so you could choose the one you liked best. The whole area was beautiful. I have pictures and will add them later. On Sunday we went further into the canyon to the Colorado River. This involved some ropes as well, but we didn't have our packs with us. We left the canyon Sunday afternoon and drove back to the AZ side to White Rock Canyon. This was an easy 3 mile trail through a beautiful canyon with lots of white rocks. Wonder where this canyon got its name? Again, we reached the river and camped, checked out the Arizona Hot Springs which consisted of two pools in a sort of cave like atmosphere, but it was really a narrow canyon. Great pools, pretty hot, and someone brought candles. I discovered there are some really nice, really interesting people that like to go to hot springs, including the three people I was with. I learned a lot about my gear on this trip too and am going to change some things, especially when I get that new pack. My pack was far too heavy to begin with - probably about 45 pounds with 4 liters of water and 4 days of food. I'm hoping my new pack will allow me lighten up to 35, except maybe in winter when I carry more clothing. I want some assurance I will have warm, dry clothes to camp in! Cold really ain't my thang and cold and wet definitely ain't my thang! I'm also questioning my Platypus Hiker I carry on top of my pack. That weight seems to upset my balance when we climb. I really enjoyed this trip. I will definitely go back. I learned a lot and will make some changes to my gear as well. Oh yeah, almost forgot. The last two nights, I slept without a tent. It was great. I woke up both mornings to see the big dipper and a full moon not far off lighting up the canyon. Way better than a tent. Of course, it was too cold to worry about critters and there was no threat of rain. Those two obstacles definitely require a tent.Come back to this entry later. I'll add pictures!Mary
Date: 2003-01-25
To: Romero Pass in the Catalina Mountains
Miles today: 0.0

It is January here in AZ. I am sunburned from this last hike. It was 80 degrees as we hiked out the canyon. Is there a greater place on Earth? I have a tan in winter and it was free! This hike was my most challenging yet, not because of distance, but elevation. We hiked 6 miles on Saturday to Romero Pass. It was uphill and it kicked my butt! A day hiker, Andreas, who was with Steve and me carried my pack about a mile I guess. Then we ate lunch and I carried it the rest of the way. I felt like such a girl! Once we got to our campsite I felt pretty good about what I had done. It was a much steeper climb than any I had done and my pack weighed about 40 pounds. The next day we hiked out of the canyon and the days miles were supposed to be 12. It was downhill or flat and I did fine except my feet began to hurt. I wore my Teva hiking shoes and I don't think they are going with me to the AT. I wimped out on the last 4 miles and took the tram down to the Sabino Canyon entrance. Steve kept on truckin' and made it the whole 12 miles in good time. I got a picture of my hiking buddy and will download it as soon as I figure the damn thing out!I wasn't really sore after this trip which I take to be a good sign. I slept without a tent again. The biggest advantage is I don't have to pack it up the next day! I love it. I can't believe I was so opposed to it for so long. This trip has really made me reevaluate my pack weight. I have ordered a new pack, a one ounce knife, a one ounce stuff sack for clothing, and I am looking into getting a GoLite Cave 1 instead of using my tent. I love my tent and will keep it, but the weight is a real downer. If I can hike in trail running shoes, I will be ecstatic!I'm starting to get overwhelmed with all I have to do. I am not a procrastinator, but other people are! It is driving me crazy. I just want to be on the trail, but I have to contend with everyday life for 7 more weeks. Selling my car and putting my stuff in storage are my two biggest headaches.I have already mastered one aspect of thru-hiking - the smell of a thru-hiker! That is one less thing I have to worry about on the trail.Mary
Date: 2003-02-04
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

This is my buddy Oscar. We have been together for more than 10 years. He's about 13 years old, and his eyes are really brown. I took this with my digital camera and his eyes always come out looking like something out of a B grade horror movie. I don't know how to fix it. Anyway, I have mentioned him before and I think he is worth having his own entry in my journal. I am away from my family for 6 months or more at a time. I don't see my friends at home except at Christmas so I'm used to being away from them too. But I see Oscar every day unless I'm on vacation and have to put him in the kennel. He is my companion. He makes me feel better when I'm upset or sick. He listens without passing judgement. He doesn't care if I shower or not. He doesn't care what I look like. He just loves me. I will miss him tremendously.My sister is taking care of him while I am hiking the AT. She lives in Ohio and has a big fenced yard with grass. He's never had a yard before. I hope he doesn't get too attached to a yard with grass. My sister also has a dog, Honey. She is a good dog, well-trained and I think they will get along great. Thanks to Melinda for taking care of my best buddy. I owe you a big one!Leaving Oscar will be very difficult. I think he suspects something already. A lot of people won't agree with me on that, but I don't care. He's been acting differently this last month or so and I think it's because he knows something about me is changing.
Date: 2003-02-20
To: Blue Range Primitive Area
Miles today: 0.0

This weekend was just what I needed. Steve and I hiked in the Apache Sitgreeves National Forest in the Blue Range Primitive Area of Arizona for four days. We hiked all day and camped each night. It was a great practice run and I thank Steve for planning it. I hiked for four days with no problems, but sleeping at night was a different story. The last three nights were below freezing and I had never camped in temps that low before. Didn't like it!The first day of hiking involved some snow. I could do without it, but it wasn't bad overall. The scenery was beautiful, had a little snow at lunch, and my warm dry clothes felt great at camp. I also got to try out my rain gear from Marmot. Works great, kept me warm and dry, and it breathes. The second night was downright miserable. I tried the GoLite Cave 1 tarp for the first time. Didn't tie it tight enough and it began to sag on me from the weight of the FROST! Then the moisture from my breathing condensed on the inside so I might as well of been rained on. I used an umbrella from GoLite to hold the tarp off me since there was no way I was going to get up in the freezing cold and fix it. I survived and continued hiking just fine the next day on very little sleep. The next day was sunny and warm (my prayers were answered, literally!) and I was so grateful. We hiked to the Blue River and had a premium camp spot. This third night was fine, the tarp worked great, but I really took my time putting it up. If it had been raining I would have gotten soaked. I need more practice. Stepped in a pincushion cactus on night four. Didn't like that either. The night sky was fantastic though and we didn't even use a tarp or tent. I have never seen so many stars...This trip was very educational. I thought of some ways to lighten my pack, learned a lot about how much food to carry, and decided I need different shoes. I'm trying out some Scarpa Vento low cut hiking shoes this weekend. I think I will carry the GoLite Cave, but I hope to learn to tie it quickly. This could take some practice, but the weight and size of a tent is no longer an option for me. I learned a lot about myself this weekend too. I learned I can physically go a long way on very little sleep. I try not to complain on hiking trips, but snow tries my patience and the complaints started rolling! Kudos to Steve for putting up with me that first day. Given the recent weather in the south, I think I better start preparing myself for some snow in the mountains of GA and TN! Maybe I should take cold showers. The most important thing I learned was this - I can do this. Other than an injury, I cannot imagine not finishing. This hike is an opportunity I chose to create for myself. It was a dream for six years, and now it is a goal. Mary