morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-08
To: Home to Massachusetts
Miles today: 0.0

   ~Final Entry for 2004 Hike~Dear Friends,   Regrettably, we have decided to end our hike for this year and go home to Massachusetts. In the hours before our scheduled slack-pack hike, we did some walking around town and found that I still was in much foot pain.       We had seen posters advertising the local high school¢s production of Oklahoma and since the high school was a few blocks behind the library, we thought we would walk up there for the Friday night show. It was a wonderful evening and a treat to see the kids singing their hearts out in a fun musical like that, but the walk home was slow, difficult, and painful. We figured that we had probably walked 3-4 miles total and the hike the next day would be more than double that. We were afraid that to try and attempt it might be foolish and possibly add additional injury.    We¢d already stayed in Luray for a week waiting for things to heal, but this was apparently going to take longer than we ever thought. As much as we wanted to stay and continue hiking, it just seemed wise at that point to make plans to get home.   Luray has no taxi or bus service and no place to rent a car, so again Greylock¢s brother Jim came to our rescue. On Sunday he drove out from Midlothian, picked us up, and took us back to his house. On Monday we rented a car and drove home to Massachusetts.   Are we disappointed? Of course! In retrospect would we have done things differently? Again, yes. We would have trained at the gym as we did before last year¢s hike. This year we took physical stamina and ability for granted since last year¢s hike went so well. We would have planned shorter hiking days with fewer miles at the beginning. This year, we started out in the mindset of when we ended last year, thinking that 13 or 14 miles were reasonable. We might have started a week later so that the Waysides in the Shenandoah¢s would be open. That would have given us places to stay without trying so hard to get to a shelter each night. We also would have added stretching to our routine before hiking each day, something we always did neglect to do.   Are we going to go back next spring and continue this section of trail? Absolutely! We learn from our mistakes and try again. We¢ll be wiser the next time. At any rate, we¢ve added 135 miles to our total from last year, giving us a grand total of 927 miles so far. Watch for the Journal of our 2005 hike next spring and thanks for reading along as we hiked this year.      ~ Scamp and Greylock   Thank you Lord, for watching over us as we hiked this year, and for giving us strength to not only add these miles to our total, but also add more great memories to our A.T. experience.
Date: 2004-03-13
To: Dahlonega, GA
Miles today: 0.0

All my bags are packed, I¢m ready to go. I¢m standing here, outside your door. I hate to wake up and to say good-bye. I¢m leavin¢ on a jet plane, don¢t know when I¢ll be back again¢¦ -- Peter, Paul, Mary3.13.0410am That pretty much sums it up. I¢ve got a good hour-plus wait at the airport before my plane jets off. (Good ol¢ mom, couldn¢t risk being late, could we?) The tearful goodbyes are over with, although I managed to shed them privately. Now, I just have to quell the nervous fluttering in my stomach¢¦ Hopefully when I get settled with Josh and Leigh they¢ll calm my fears. (Or at least temporarily distract me from them.) I awoke to a fresh dusting of snow. Packed a few last minute things (some cheese (yum!), my now-dried fuel bottle), dad snapped some final pictures of my sporting my unbelievably weighty pack, Woody got in some last good morning (and good-bye) licks, and mom and I took off. The last time I¢ll drive for probably the longest duration of my driving career. We picked up Jan Stackowitz, who needed a lift into Pittsburgh. Probably a good thing. Kept the tears away. Now, no tears, just nerves. I keep reviewing mentally the things I packed, hoping I didn¢t forget anything -- at least, anything crucial. How could I have, right? I¢ve got 40 bloody heavy pounds (although I don¢t really see how you can have 40 bloody light pounds) of crap. Well, whatever ________________________________________________________________________________ ¢Take only what you need to survive.¢ -- Lonestar ¢That is an industrial strength hairdryer, and I cannot live without it.¢ -- Princess Vespa Spaceballs________________________________________________________________________________I've got I¢m stuck with. I¢ve got all the necessities -- luxurious necessities -- but necessities nonetheless. I wonder what Beth and others think when I consider a small, confined tent the lap of luxury. Gonna leave off for now and read some news. The last bit of current media I¢ll enjoy for some time. More tonight.
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 12.2

Day 23.15.047am44deg.Slept horribly (if at all). Thought I would be out like a light, what w/ physical exhaustion coupled w/ lack of sleep last night (Frank¢s throaty roars). But alas. Can only hope for better tonight. Some rain overnight. Nothing significant. Still hear a few drops. Not sure if it¢s residual from the trees or still drizzling. Don¢t hear anyone else stirring, but it¢s time to be up. (My tummy says.)7pm54deg.Today was a very good day. I¢m tired, exhausted, weary, my period started, but I couldn¢t be happier. I stumbled into Gooch Mtn Shelter at 4:45pm, sweaty, bedraggled, and burdened w/ my pack. But, I met some awesome people. Said good-bye to Notes this morning. He¢s buying ice-cream for all thru-hikers at Walasi-Yi. I left @ 9, following Old Fogies Inc. Caught them up and passed them w/in the half hour. I did see Eagle Eye and Blue Bell at Hawk Mtn., but I think they decided to camp there tonight. As it was only noon and I felt fresh, I headed on. Ran into a bunch (7 or 8) from Miss. State and we leapfrogged all day. They came into Gooch around 5ish. I briefly hiked w/ Kickstand (from TN) and Ron (MN), thru-hikers both. I¢m amazed by the percentage of people over 50 who are thru-hiking. Well into the majority, for sure. Passed a couple coming through Horse Gap. Encouraged me on my way up Sassafrass. Whoa boy, did that bugger kick my butt. Just past Cooper Gap, I encountered my first trail dog (Bear Bait) and owner Packet, driving the sag for fellow NC section hiker Storm (sporting the same Icebreakers shirt as me). From them, I learned Gooch Mtn was just a hop, skip, and jump (up a mtn) away. All the incentive I required. It¢s amazing how motivating just chatting w/ complete strangers can be. New AT motto: ¢Have you talked to a thru-hiker today?¢ At Justus Creek @ 4pm. Ran into father/son on spring break. Justus almost tempted me to stay. Very idyllic setting. (And the first water in 7 miles.) But, I pressed onward. Glad I did. I talked w/ Digger (from nowhere, a vagrant) over dinner. He¢s done from Springer to NY before. And there are 2 blokes from New Zealand. Had a bit of a chat w/ them as dusk set. Really interesting mates. Hope we keep pace, at least for a few days. All in all, awesome day. Long Falls were magnificent. Well worth the minute-long hike to see them. I was misted by the spray, then carried on. Saw a superb campsite under a rock overhang, downtrail from Sassafrass. A little too isolated though, for my (or mom and dad¢s ) comfort. Hope that tomorrow continues well. Trying to rain again. 12 miles to the next shelter. According to Wingfoot, did 12.2 today. A record!
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Gooch Mtn Shelter

To: Wood's Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: light rain

A Hazy Shade of GeorgiaDay 33.16.046pm57deg.Rain again last night. The sprinkling from the night before, just enough to settle a dampness on my tent, didn¢t compare to the downpour last night, which firmly established the dampness in my tent, sleeping bag (the foot always gets wet, where it touches the tent), my food, my clothes. Well, you get the idea. It¢ll all dry out tomorrow, at Neel¢s Gap. Wohoo! Looking forward to a short day. Pushed on another 11.9 miles of AT, bringing the grand total to 26.6. I think doing the same mileage yesterday hurt me today. Not too many problems, just exhausted. Still no appetite. Only one blister, on my right pinky. Think it¢s b/c of those darn warts. I was just plain beat today. Couple of big uphills. Yesterday, I didn¢t even know I was climbing Sassafrass at the time. Today, I felt every step of uphill. But, wonder of wonders, my pack didn¢t give me trouble. Could it be I¢ve become accustomed to the ungodly, overweight monkey on my back? Even so, looking forward to jettisoning some weight tomorrow. Quite a crew tonight at Wood¢s Hole: Hermann, the PA duo, 88#er were here when I arrived @ 4:15pm. Met Andrea and Norma (retired military) ~3, and hiked the duration w/ them. Nice, slow pace up the mountains. Nathan and another guy showed up as I was getting water, as did Heather. One of the Oscar trio¢s here, as is Shirley (72 yrs old and still kickin¢). The MSU troop arrived as well. Ted and Ted too. So, quite a full house here. Can¢t wait ¢til tomorrow. Phenomenal sunset. Nighthiker is just about to depart for Neel¢s Gap. Forgot to mention -- magnificent stand of virgin hemlocks around Three Forks/Long Falls. Absolutely awe inspiring. Hiking through this dense grove, then coming out into this bare stand of trees w/ no canopy. Saw a hawk yesterday. Well, actually, couldn¢t distinguish a hawk from a turkey vulture at that distance, but I¢m saying it was a hawk. Today, across the trail was an earthworm, had to be pushing a foot in length. Not much other wildlife. Went by an old oak bordering a mossy boulder this morning w/ Heather and an Oscar woman. All noted the LotR feel to the spot. It was hazy all morning, but by 2pm, the fog had all burned off and it was blue skies and poofy white clouds. And I mean blue. Deep, lose yourself, immerse yourself in it blue. Magnificent. Hope for a dry night to air my stuff out. Kinda chilly though. Windy too. Broke out my fleece liner. Maybe I won¢t ship it home¢¦________________________________________________________________________________¢We¢ll all be a whole lot thinner.¢-- Han Solo, Star Wars(trash compactor)________________________________________________________________________________
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Wood's Hole Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 4.1

Day 43.17.0411:30amSitting here at Neel¢s Gap. Wonderful feeling to know that although the day is not yet half over, my day is. Called up Leigh -- gonna pick me up in a couple hours, along w/ Heather, Nathan, and whoever else there¢s room for. Looking forward to a hot shower and clean clothes.9pmHave both shower and clean clothes, as well as a hot meal. Feel tired, for the first time in quite a while. Hoping for a good night¢s sleep, but I¢ll settle for just a night¢s sleep. 6 of us ended up coming from Neel¢s Gap. Full house at the Hiker Hostel. Joann, the 72 yr old, is here, as are Laura and Rob, who start at Springer tomorrow. Today felt great to do virtually nothing. Hope it gave my body enough time to recover. Phoned home today. Good to hear familiar voices. Not sure how far I¢ll get tomorrow. We¢ll see¢¦
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Neel's Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6

Day 53.18.047:30pm48deg.Doesn¢t feel quite that warm. Today was a miserable day, but in a good way. Quasi-zero days are hard enough. Can¢t fathom how difficult it would be to motivate myself after a true zero. My aches and pains didn¢t really have the opportunity to heal -- still blistered, and chafed skin in the unmentionable nether area. One thing I¢ve learned already on the trail is that modesty doesn¢t exist, and you have to listen to your body. Not peeing a lot? Need more water. No bowel movements? Time for some fiber. Prunes, anyone? Right now, my body¢s just exhausted. Didn¢t leave Neel¢s Gap until 11:30, getting into Low Gap before 5pm. I decided to have a ¢strip down¢ of my pack. Weighed in this morning at 48# (how can I have only dropped 1# in 4 days?), weighed out around 39. (Not sure exactly how much --- it was 36# before fuel, sandals, and Nalgene.) So, I lost 10#. I also lost $330. But, money well spent, I hope. Got a new, lighter, smaller pack. Osprey. Fits much better than the Gregory. Feels heavenly. Okay, may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it¢s much more comfortable. Only hiked 10.6 miles today, but since I started late I pushed myself and I¢m bushed. Ran into Papa Bear and Dennis this morning at Walasi-Yi. Another New Zealander w/ them. 70 years old. Thru-hiked in 2000 but got the bug again and his wife gave him the ok. It¢s amazing how quickly you get dirty. I was just looking at my hands, and they¢re already dirt-encrusted. Hard to believe this morning was a breakfast of waffles and eggs. Still no appetite. Guy at Walasi-Yi said it¢ll hit me like a freight train when it comes. Kinda rainy off and on today. Never really opened up into a downpour , but never cleared up either. Everything stayed dry, at least. Except me. Gonna try and get some sleep. Last night I actually managed to, despite Digger¢s nocturnal rumblings. Not the sleep of the dead, but at least more that 4 hours. ¢Night.
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap (Helen, GA)
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

Day 63.19.0410pmLivin¢ in luxury. Andrea twisted my arm and got me to come down to Helen. Yeah, she really had to yank hard. Yesterday, I did too much. Whipped myself and now I¢m hurtin¢. Shower felt sooo good. Guilty pleasure using so much hot water. Super 8s bill, not mine. Little tipsy right now -- ¢ve had 4 beers. Feel¢s good though. Will probably take a zero tomorrow -- do some grocery shopping, explore Helen, rest my feet. Also, just discovered if I keep my pace, I¢ll be 12 way thru the Smokies on 4.2, when Gma and Gpa come get me. Better to slow down. If I take a day, then maybe I¢ll hike w/ Papa Bear, Dennis, Eagle Eye, Blue Bell. That¢d be nice. And I¢m in no hurry. Hurryin¢ just leads to worryin¢, and that¢s not what this is about.
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Unicoi Gap (Helen, GA)

To: Helen, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Day 73.20.049pmFirst true zero day. Sheer luxury. Helen¢s quite a town -- a displaced Bavarian village, windmills and all. Betty¢s Grocery Store definitely worth the trip. Had lunch (and dinner yesterday) along the Chatahoochee River. Right now a thunderstorm goin¢ on. Feel bad for the folks on the mountain, but glad I¢m warm and dry here at Super 8. Andrea and my hitch into town yesterday was memorable. Got into Unicoi Gap just after 2pm. Nathan, Todd, and Beatbox were breaking there. Got to witness our hitch attempts. Once we figured out which way Helen was (right off the trail), we threw our thumbs out. Luxury car after SUV passed us by. Then, this beat-up old pickup, towing a flatbed trailer full of junked washing machines, puttered up the hill at a break-neck speed of 10mph. As he neared us, the driver rolled down his window and hollered ¢Where y¢all going¢? Ya goin¢ ta Helen?¢ in a true Southern accent. We yelled out ¢Yeah sure,¢ and he replied ¢Y¢all can hop in soon¢s I get stopped.¢ About 100m down the road, he crawled to a stop. We hustled up, grabbed our packs, and considered the situation. The trailer had at least 15 appliances strapped on, the bed of the pickup was full of rusty wire and various bits of junk. There was no rear window to the cab, and there was another passenger. But, it was mobile and headed in the right direction. Nathan yelled out to us, asking if we were seriously going to get on that contraption. Heck yeah, we were. And we did. We squeezed into the cab, and tootled down the hill. Didn¢t top 15mph til we reached the bottom, 6 or 7 miles down, and never reached 30mph at any point, which was fine by me, the gear shift being between my legs. The gents were true Georgians, very polite and definitely unhurried conversation. ¢We went fishin¢ down thar on that river, was it 2 months ago?¢ Pause. ¢Nope.¢ (pause) ¢3 months?¢ (Pause) ¢Nope¢ (Pause) ¢Back in November?¢ (Pause) ¢Yep.¢ Like that, all 10 miles to Helen. Friendly folk, though. And sure gave us a story. Well, tomorrow¢s off to the trail again. Up and over Tray Mtn. Stokes is here (George) at the Super 8 as well. Banged up his knee. May join us tomorrow, depending on how he¢s doing. Hope the rain stops.
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Unicoi Gap (Helen, GA)

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 83.21.045:30pmTough, long day today. Hiked from Unicoi to Deep Gap, 12.8 miles. Felt ¢em too. Actually, wasn¢t hurtin¢ ¢til the last 4. Tray Mtn was nothing after the climb up from Unicoi. I had been a little worried about how I¢d hold up (physically) after a true zero day, but now I think it was a super smart decision. It gave my tootsies a chance to de-blister, and psychologically gave me a huge boost. This morning, I was missing the trail, aching to slap my boots back on (my feet quite literally aching). It was definitely the right thing to do. No second guessing. I¢m glad I¢m not on a schedule, that I can be flexible to take zero days on a moment¢s notice. I¢ve met many thru-hikers who keep saying -- ¢I¢ve gotta do 12 miles a day through GA, then 14-15 into NC/TN.¢ Operating like that just eliminates the enjoyment. You¢re too concerned and tied down to some arbitrary schedule. Me, I¢m flying loose and free. Although now I seem to have acquired a deadline. Sounds like mom and Woody¢re coming to Hendersonville April 2. So, I¢m shooting to get to Gatlinburg by then. That means 153 miles in 13 days. Well, I guess it¢s now 140 in 12. It seems doable. It is kinda nice to have something to shoot for. But, if I don¢t make it, I don¢t make it. Not the end of the world. Tonight¢s my first night in a shelter. We¢ll see how the mice act. It¢s pretty chilly out. Was about 42 at 4pm, but unbelievably windy. It¢s a 2 story shelter and I¢m in the loft. Heat rises, right?I realized today that this journal has been more factual than personal. Of course, if I decide to share this w/ others (strangers and friends alike) then maybe I want to avoid more private issues. But, since I want to document my evolution on this journey (and I definitely expect to experience a personal transformation over the next 6 months) I¢ll try to include more thoughts and ponderings. Trouble is, I do my thinking during the day and my writing at night. I need to keep this journal accessible for those deep thoughts. Right now, I¢m stuffed into my sleeping bag and fleece liner. The sun¢s just about to go down, and I¢m thinking how last night I was drinking a beer, watching hockey, chattin¢ w/ Andrea in a heated hotel room last night. And yet, I wouldn¢t trade tonight for yesterday. (Maybe when I¢m half-frozen in a couple of hours, but not now.) Coming up Kelly Knob, 11 miles into the hike, cold, hungry, tired, not wanting to go on, I came across a bare spot in the trees, where you could, as Andrea says, ¢You can see foreve¢.¢ Makes it all worth it.
Date: 2004-03-22
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

Day 9The day I conquered GA!3.22.046:30pm39deg.Right now, snuggled deep in my sleeping bag. My thermometer may read almost 40, but in the shelter it was 29¢¦and dropping. Gonna be another cold, cold night. Today was a day of many firsts: first state line crossing (wohoo! one down, 13 to go. NC here I come), first ground freeze, first frozen water bottle (actually, my Nalgene was empty and my bladder only got a little frosty, but the hose did freeze and didn¢t thaw ¢til 11am), first sighting of a SOBO (Fumon, a winter hike - avoids bears, mice, rain, traffic. But the last, the people you meet, that¢s what makes your hike), first 15-mile day (and boy, do I feel it). NC was only 3 miles, but I wanna go back to GA. Soon as I hit the state line, the wind picked up, the trail maintenance worsened, and the trail went up, and up, and up. Right now, too cold to write more.
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Carter's Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, NC)
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: few clouds

Day 113.24.048:30pmWhoa, what a day. Still a little chilly last night. Just us at Carter¢s Gap -- Happy ¢n Dutch, Just Do It, and Pilpro, who wandered in at 7:30. I ended up puttin¢ in a 17-mile day. Wow. Didn¢t really think I¢d be able to do so much so early. But, the miles really flew by. And some magnificently awesome sights. Albert Mtn was a long, tough haul up, but worth every ache. Quite windy at the top. I scaled the ladders up, but the trap door was locked. Curses, foiled again. Up there, you can see for miles and miles. The cloud cover even blew off to accommodate me. The detour around might have saved a few sore muscles, but you miss out on so much. The people who skip the extras, it just doesn¢t seem like they¢re experiencing the trail. Slow down and enjoy yourself. I hiked down to the Wasilik Poplar. Awesome. I just laid down next to it and looked up. Had to be at least 10 feet in girth. Sure, it added a mile to an already long hike, but to miss that¢¦ My body held up fairly well up to the last uphill, about 3 miles to go. Then, it just wanted to quit. But, I pushed on. And now I¢m clean, my clothes are clean, my feet are resting. Here in Franklin. My second hitch wasn¢t quite as entertaining as the first. I passed Happy ¢n Dutch as I was coming up from the Poplar. They got off at Wallace to go to Rainbow Springs. I went on another 3 miles, and just as I got onto US76, I pulled out Wingfoot to check which way to hitch. A Honda Element (brand new) turns around, honks, and lo and behold, H & D were in the back. The driver was a Michigan State student I¢d seen yesterday. Small world. Boy, it felt great to peel off my dirty clothes. Hadn¢t been separated from them since Sunday morning. My little tootsies are hurtin¢. 3 blisters per foot. Talked to mom and dad. Dad seems to be following along on trailjournals. I guess if you can¢t be out on the trail yourself, live vicariously. He¢ll get out there someday. Tried to call Matt. Will try again tomorrow. Think I¢ll take a zero. Give the feet a day of rest.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, NC)

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 12Zero Day!3.25.04Walking certainly changes your perspective; you observe things that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. For instance, smokers appear to be indiscriminant litterers. Walking the mile or so from the south end of Franklin to the north district, I must have gone past at least 1,000 cigarette butts. Why? Cuz smokers are too lazy to throw ¢em away responsibly? Dunno. Don¢t want ¢em stinking up their cars, I guess. I¢ve only met one smoker on the trail. Paddler. Must¢ve gone thru at least a pack the night I spent w/ him. Don¢t know if it¢s b/c hikers are a more health-conscious bunch, or it¢s just too hard to smoke -- on the lungs and just getting them and carrying them. Haven¢t met any Green Blazers either (pot smokers). ¢ve heard they¢ll come out and show their true colors though. To each his/her own. I¢m just happy to be settling into my zone. Today was a great day off. Walked around downtown. Found a used bookstore. Picked up Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Started it years ago, and Heather had a copy. Said it was great trail reading. I just need something. I miss it, especially at night. My trail name may become the Scholar. Eventually the mantle will fall on my shoulders. Went to the library and checked e-mail. What a luxury. The true luxury was the rest my feet got. Hope it¢s enough for tomorrow.