morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-28
From: Dismal Falls

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: moderate rain

It was raining this morning so we were a little delayed getting out of our tents, but we finally did and made our way north. We thought we would take a blue-blaze today to try and shorten up the miles a little, but we got lost and ended up not going as far as we would have liked to. We went to the shelter and got a big fire going to dry out our stuff. A bunch of others rolled in and took advantage of the fire as well, to warm up and dry out. It was a fun group and we all talked and shared many storys.                              -Truckin'
Date: 2008-05-29
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: few clouds

The sun was shining this morning, so we got a good early start. It was hot today and the sweat was rolling! We hiked the rest of the way into Pearisburg where we ran into Baltimore Jack. He pointed us in the direction of an all-you-can-eat chinese buffet where we stuffed ourselves full! There was a goodwill store next door, so I bought a shirt and pair of shorts. The shorts came in handy for swimming when we booked a room at the motor lodge. It was nice to be in the AC and have a pool to swim in. There was alot of other hikers there as well so we made a party of it. Tomorrow my friend Dave is coming down from PA to hang out for awhile!                                  -Truckin'
Date: 2008-05-30
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We took the day off and swam in the pool and run some errands in town. Dave showed up at about 5pm. We all hung out and had a good time! Thanks again Dave for covering our motel room, we really appreciate it!                                 -Truckin
Date: 2008-05-31
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Captains Hiker Feed
Miles today: 0.0

Today there was a hiker feed going on about 20 miles north of Pearisburg (trail miles) and we knew we would miss it if we tried to hike there so we just piled into Daves vehicle and drove there. It was a great time! Many hikers showed up and The Captain had everything you could think of to eat and drink. There were hot dogs, hambugers, beans, chips, desserts, sodas, beer and all you wanted. It was awesome! We all threw the frisbie around for awhile, football, and even lawn darts. We had a great time! Dave had to leave so we all said bye to him. We'll see him again soon in PA! After playing and partying all day, I was ready to crash!                                 -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-01
From: Captains Hiker Feed

To: Pearisburg, Church Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

We got up this morning and The Captain gave us a ride back to town. He dropped us off at Wal-Mart where we resupplied our food for the next stretch to Catawba. We walked to the church hostel after shopping and relaxed for awhile. We got into a serious game of monopoly and ordered pizza. A big storm rolled through and the sky afterwards was absolutly beautiful! It was a chill place to be. We all slept out on the porch so we were dry and out of the rain.                                 -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-02
From: Pearisburg, Church Hostel

To: Symms Gap Meadow
Miles today: 12.9

We hiked out of Pearisburg today after a few zeros. It was good to be back on the trail. It was a kinda tough climb leaving Pearisburg, probably because we just took a few days off, but we made it up. There were a couple nice views off the trail today, which is always nice. We camped out in a big gassy meadow and watched another terriffic sunset!                                 -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-03
From: Symms Gap Meadow

To: Baily Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

It was nice for awhile today, but then it started raining. We hurried to the shelter and found it full. But it was full of people we knew so it was cool. The rain stopped and we made our meals and hung out. We do alot of hanging out and we're getting quite good at it if I must say so myself. Gouda and Taba were there, Burass and Mr. Elegant, Savannah and Kaya, Dracul, Wannabe Goat, Guinea Pig, Myway, Landlubber and Ice Princess stopped in for awhile before moving on, and us guys, Dirty Girl, Pilot, and myself.                                        -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-04
From: Baily Gap Shelter

To: Laural Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Not much to say about today. We hiked, ate, drank water, hiked, and made it to the shelter just before dark. It was really hot today so we relaxed during the hottest part of the day in the shade. We passed JOHNS CREEK VALLEY, and I took a dip in a cold stream. It felt great and really picked me up. DG and I came to a cooler full of soda, trail magic, and helped ourself. The sodas were awesome! Then we hiked on to the shelter. After hanging out for a little while Savannah and Kaya, Guinea Pig and Myway showed up. We hung out for awhile then hit the sack.                                       -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-05
From: Laural Creek Shelter

To: Craigs Creek Valley
Miles today: 13.4

Today was brutally hot and it didn't help that the trail had us in the sun for awhile. It was a pretty hike though. The trail followed an exposed ridgeline for quite sometime before dropping back down in the trees. When we made it to Craigs Creek I was done for the day. The others wanted to push on but it was late and I was ready to set-up camp and call it a day. We passed another trail magic cooler when we got close to the road, but it was empty. So Pilot, DG, and Gouda pushed on and I found myself camping alone for only the second time since I started this hike. I didn't mind but after they left I missed them so I decided to hike on and catch up but my headlamp died and I didn't have any spare batteries so I was stuck. So I set-up camp along the creek and made a nice little fire when a van pulled into the parking area. I heard car doors and saw a guy at a distance but could tell what he was up to. He must have seen my fire and came down to say hi. I found out from him that it was his trail magic cooler that was empty. I said so when he asked if I got a soda. " It's not empty anymore" he said. "I just filled it up with sodas and a fresh watermellon". So after a while I made my way back up to the cooler and grabbed an ice cold Pepsi and a big old slab of watermellon! It was delicious! Thanks Dave! After my treat, I crawled in my tent and fell instantly asleep.                                 -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-06
From: Craigs Creek Valley

To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 382.4

So I hitched into Catawba today and made it to the Post Office right at 8am. I picked up my mail drop and went to the general store for a breakfast sandwich. There was a place out back for hikers to camp so I made my way back there and saw some farmiliar faces. I hung out there all day waiting for Pilot and Dirty Girl and Dirt to show up. They got there at about 3 and when they did we went to the Homeplace Restaraunt, an all you can eat with some of the best food on the entire trail. It was incredible! We stuffed ourselves to the max! After dinner we walked back to camp feeling bloated and full, but happy! Tomorrow we must find our way to Roanoke, VA. We have a bus to catch to Manchester TN, home of BONNAROO!!!!
Date: 2008-06-09
From: Roanoke, VA

To: Manchester, TN
Miles today: 0.0

We finally made it to Manchester after a horribly uncomfortable bus ride from Roanoke. Greyhound Bus is no luxorious means of transportation, it sucks! But we made and we were happy to be here. Weeks ago we were given an opportunity to work for a food vendor at Bonnaroo this year to make a little extra cash, so naturally a bunch of us got on board! Atreau was ther man with the plan. He was the one who got us all hooked up with jobs. So we were able to make some money and see some music, sounded like a good deal. Well, we're all here and ready to go. Upon arriving we checked into a Days Inn to relax after a long tiring bus trip. We got together with Atreau and he got us all wristbands for the festival. So now we were ready! We made our way to the Boannroo grounds to see if we needed to work and we ended up setting up the booth for a few hours. After we were done we all made our way back to the hotel to party a little before crashing.                                 -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-11
From: BONNAROO!

To: BONNAROO!
Miles today: 0.0

Today we set up some more and got prepared for the craziness of the crowd. It was fun being there before the gates opened. We walked all around and checked everything out, we knew it would all be different when a couple hundred thousand people showed up. We set-up camp in an area just for vendors to camp yesterday, so that was home base for us there. We all set up our tents and a big tarp for shade and rain. Today the rest of the crew rolled in. So now it's Atreau, Voodoo, Spring Loaded, Windjammer, Bear paw, Poker, Rambo, Resin, New Guy, Dirt, My Way, Pilot, Dirty Girl, and myself. Let the music begin!
Date: 2008-06-15
From: BONNAROO!

To: BONNAROO!
Miles today: 0.0

Bonnaroo is crazy! But cool! There were so many artists performing here this year on several stages for 4 days! We were busy all weekend serving food and drinks. We all had time to see some music too. Here's a short list of who was there: Metallica, Pearl Jam, Stephen Marley, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Phil Lesh and friends, The Avett Brothers, Lez Zepplin, Little Feet, Kanye West, and many more! It was awesome! I saw Metallica and Pearl Jam, which were great but Phil Lesh was my favorite. It was a great time!                                          -Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-17
From: BONNAROO!

To: Catawba
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Today we hung out in Manchester waiting for Dirt to get back with the rental van. When he showed up, 11 of us piled in with our packs stuffed in the back. We were heading to Waynesboro, VA to Aqua-blaze the Shenendoahs, but only made it as far as Catawba for the night. We stayed at the same spot that we left from for Bonnaroo. Tomorrow we will reach Waynesboro and see what's up with this aqua-blaze, Can't wait!                                    Truckin'
Date: 2008-06-24
From: Catawba

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 107.0
Weather: few clouds

Ok, so the last post was us trying to get to Waynesboro to do the aqua-blaze. We made it and it was awesome! We hooked up with a guy named Rodney Turner who supplied our fleet with boats and a nice map of our 5-day water excursion. The plan was to take the Shenendoah River north for 5 days, bypassing the National Park which is full of tourists this time of year anyway, and enjoy a nice alternate route. This has been done by thru-hikers before and hearing about it for so long made me think of it being a fun idea. So we did it! Our time on the river was relaxed and fun, with great weather and plenty of comrads to make it an epic story. I wish I could put into words how awesome and memorable the trip really was, but I can't and won't try to. Five sunny days, lots of friends, a great river, and all the time in the world. A trip of a lifetime!!!                                 AQUA-BLAZE 08'                              "Hey, It might work!"                                                      -Truckin'P.S. It will be hard keeping track of all you 08' aqua-blazers and I suspect that will be the last time we're all together, but I wanna give a shout-out to all of ya! Burass, Mr. Elegant, Resin, New Guy(we'll miss ya bro), Atreau, Voodoo, Last Minute, Rambo, Poker, and my homies Dirty Girl and Pilot, you guys are the best! And I hope to see you all again so stay in touch.-Peace Junk
Date: 2008-09-12
From: The Birdcage, Dalton, MA

To: Galehead Hut, White Mountains, NH
Miles today: 262.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm now in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I'm here with Pilot, Dirty Girl, Dirt, Pips, and Sanford. Right this minute we're all hanging out at the Galehead Hut, waiting for some bad weather to pass through. The last couple days have been incredible!! We left the Hostel in Glencliff after Dave left and hiked into the beginning of the Whites. We climbed Mt. Moosilauke which was absolutely beautiful and it was our first time above tree-line so far. After crossing the mountain we dropped down into Kinsman Notch and went to Chet's Hostel in Lincoln, NH. We stayed the night and slacked (hiking without a full pack) the next day from Kinsman to Franconia Notch. It was a tough day (17 miles), but one of the most rewarding days on the whole trail! We climbed thousands of feet and dropped back down thousands of feet too, we saw a moose really close like 10 feet, and gazed out across the valley of picture perfect views of where we were going next on the trail. It was so cool to see Franconia ridge and the mountain tops we were about to traverse. So we went back to Chet's and crashed for the night. Chet's Hostel is a great place for hikers and Chet is a great person. He welcomed us all with kindness and hospitality. The next day we went back to the trail and climbed up to Franconia Ridge which was almost 4000 ft. straight up. It was hard, but worth it! So awesome! Walking an exposed ridgeline with cliffs on either side and views in all directions! We could see Mt. Washington towering over the mountains all around, a couple ridges over. It was the best day on trail so far!         Just wanted to mention Vermont too. It was a really cool state. It was pretty muddy, actually the first 20 miles were more muddy than the whole state of Massachusetts. The mosquitos were bad too, but we had almost perfect weather throughout the whole state. We stopped in Bennington to do our town chores and were invited to stay with a trail angel who takes hikers in to her home. It was such a great experience that we took a zero there! We helped out around the house too, we weeded, mowed the grass, and I even got to do a plumbing repair on a pin hole leak in a copper water line. It felt good to help out! We hated to say good-bye but the trail was calling.         Shout-Out to Ann, Cassidy, Haley, Zoe, and Trey. You guys are the best and we won't forget you! Take care and we all wish you the very best. Peace.        So we have less than 400 miles left. I can't believe it! It only gets better, everyday! But the countdown is on! We'll be in Maine in less than a week!                -Truckin' PS My mileage is incorrect so I'm temperarely changing it to the mile marker until I correct it.
Date: 2008-10-03
From: Galehead Hut, White Mountains, NH

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 244.2
Weather: broken clouds

This will be my last entry before reaching and climbing Katahdin. Im now in Monson, ME, about to enter the "100 mile wilderness". After that its a short way to the end of the trail and the end of my journey. This trip has been so incredible I find it hard to express the amazing time that I've had out here, in the woods, for 7 months, meeting so many awesome people and making great friends. There was a lot of fun to be had, and our gang did it right. The off-trail adventures will be just as memorable as the on-trail adventures and every decision we made seemed to be the right one. This last stretch will be hard because its almost over and every step I take will bring me closer to the end, and I'm not really ready for that, but every step, even from Springer was to get here and to the end. It was never about the destination as much as it was about the journey and having as much fun as we could possibly have every moment of being out here. So the end is bittersweet, but it's also part of the journey.      I'll update again when I'm finished, until then I've a few more mountains to climb and miles to hike. See-ya on Katahdin!!!                                                      -Truckin'
Date: 2008-10-11
From: Monson, ME

To: Baxter Peak, Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 114.3
Weather: broken clouds

It's over, done, finished, complete. It's a weird feeling. It will be a tough transition getting back in the swing of things. I miss all of my friends already! But we have so many things to look back on and remember the greatest trip of our lives! To all my trail friends: Good luck in all you do and keep in touch, and thanks for being the awesome people that you all are! I'll never forget the trail and all its glory, or the people that made it that much better!         "What a long, strange trip it's been"   Peace out -Truckin' P.S. I'll get some pics up soon
Date: 2007-07-01
To: The Elevator Got to the Floor
Miles today: 0.0

It has come together, through the kindness and enthusiasm of members of my family, my workplace, and many friends - it looks like a thruhike starting in early March will come to pass. I've heard it said, "When the elevator gets to the floor, just step off", or, when all the conditions are right, just do it. If you try to do a thing before it is time, you'll meet with obstacles. My two biggest obstacles were imagining it to be impossible to take time from family or from work. But I finally realized, "What do I have to lose?" and just asked. Both responded with amazing enthusiasm and offers of support - I was flabbergasted! And here I am, starting my Trail Journal. Yikes! What have I done??!!*****If you are new to this on-line journal thing, here's a few things to know: - click the blue "next" button up above to read the next entry. Ditto for the first, last or previous entries.- click on the buttons along the left margin for other info. Self-explanatory.- "Guest Book" allows you to just "view" it, or "sign" it. The info about your email address is so I can email you back, and it does not show up on the public page.- And then, to make it easier to keep track of where you are, you can set up a "Reader Account"( www.trailjournals.com/rjoin.cfm ). It's worth fiddling with this because it gives you the ability to mark where you left off, and to keep interesting journals all on one page. (I have had a reader account for years, and they have NEVER solicited me for anything, in case signing up on a website makes you nervous - it really just does make it easier to keep your place.)
Date: 2007-07-02
To: Surprise, Surprise!
Miles today: 0.0

I am probably more surprised about this decision to hike from Georgia than anyone who knows me - I've always insisted that thruhiking is an extreme sport, and I'm not that type. On the other hand, my defining interest and extracurricular activity for many years has certainly been hiking and backpacking - everybody knows this! For the past 10 years or so, the Appalachian Trail has been my focus. I had hiked various sections of AT in New England up to that point, and took the suggestion to add up what I'd already done and see what it amounted to. From there, it was natural to see what sections remained, and to plan to hike them. Now, all but 5 miles in Maine, 41 in New Hampshire and 111 in Vermont remain. They provide a happy focus for this summer's hiking adventures.I read Trailjournals and hang around on WhiteBlaze with great satisfaction. Every year I follow the journals of a number of hikers, and from reading and from my own experience, appreciate how much focus and energy it takes to craft a journal entry at the end of each day. I'm very grateful to all the hiker/journalists who have been amusing and edifying me for years. I hope to return the favor in kind.
Date: 2007-07-04
To: Motive, Means & Opportunity...
Miles today: 0.0

Since the opportunity is arranged, and the means (gear - another entry in itself) is set, the only real discussion is MOTIVE.At 56, I'm realizing the inevitable nature of aging: it goes in one direction only. Funnily enough, it's taken me until just this past year or so to realize this - which, realized, snaps into focus the transient nature of health and strength.More personally, my father died, suddenly, at age 57. His family was filled with men who died young from heart disease. I never took this personally, being a woman, until I realized that the benefit of female hormones runs out and that after 50 or so I assumed the same risk as the men in the family. WHOA! All these realizations got me walking to work, and walking the dog, and slowly pulling my weight back down, in order to decrease the risk. I can't change my family history so I need to work with the factors I CAN control. So, the plan to thru-hike provides lively incentive to keep moving over the next 8 months. I will be 57 next year, and since March 1 was my father's birthday, that makes a good time to start the hike.
Date: 2007-07-10
To: Early Gear Talk
Miles today: 0.0

Now for those who like this kind of thing: the gear talk! The basic thing about gear is that an item seldom meets all 4 criteria: light weight, low cost, low bulk, and effective. Two of the four are easy to get, but all four at once is really hard. For example, a really warm, light, small sleeping bag costs a lot of money, or you can get a really warm sleeping bag for less money if you are willing to carry more weight in a bigger package. Etc. Here's what I carry, all constantly subject to modifications:Pack: ULA CatalystShelter: Hennessey Backpacker UL Asym Hammock, MacCat tarpMat: depending on season, 3/4 thermarest, Big Agnes air mat, z-rest. (Unfortunately, even hammocks need mats for insulation except in very warm weather, and if you sleep in leantos, you - at least I - need a mat for comfort. Nothing meets both needs really well and is also very lightweight and low bulk - stay tuned.)Sleeping Bag: Western Mountaineering UltraLite Stove: cat food can, Esbit tablets in warmer weather, maybe the MSR superfly canister stove plus canister in March/April.I'm pretty sure that the amount of time hikers spend thinking about, comparing and discussing gear bears no relationship to how well the hike actually goes - some food and a blanket is about all you really need, and John Muir even dispensed with the blanket at times... (For up to date gear list, as changes occur, see the Gear page: click on the Gear button on the left.)
Date: 2007-07-20
To: The Trail Analog
Miles today: 0.0

Hiking the trail makes both physical and mental demands, and so good conditioning has both physical and mental dimensions. I've been experimenting with a notion that works with both aspects - seeking the "trail analog" for situations and challenges that come up in non-trail, pre-hike life. It turns out that most everything that happens in daily life has a trail analog.Rain: Wake up to a rainy morning, don't feel like taking that walk.Injury:My back is all stiff from a long drive yesterday, I REALLY don't feel like going for a walk.Difficult people:Meet a strange individual while walking in the local woods. Or people in the motel room next door are up late and loud. Needs of others:Relatives are coming to town, only a narrow window of time to visit. Or a hiking buddy develops knee problem on a long hike.Fatigue:I didn't sleep well at all last night, don't feel like walking and doing exercises today.Food:Making a long drive to see friends, the highway stop has only fast food available, and the small town stops are even more limited, closed on Sunday, or way off the route.Footwear problems:These sneakers are giving me a blister, now that I'm wearing them for 5 miles most days - I hadn't noticed it at 3 miles a day. Competition:Feeling delighted that I am up to five mile walks for conditioning then hearing that so-and-so RUNS five miles...or that I have gotten the pack weight to about 26 pounds, but so-and-so is hiking with 18....and so on.You get the idea. The basic strategy I'm trying to develop in these situations, which will be useful on the trail, is a combination of Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH), and Find A Way. This is conditioning my attitude to cope with annoying (or delightful) diversions NOW, so it will be a little easier to cope with same on the trail.