morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-27
To: The Fun of Plannning
Miles today: 0.0

This has ben a wonderful weekend! I am enjoying Lisa and Rob's visit very much. Reading the "Barefoot Sisters" while on the beach is a bit surreal. It is a real good read! I biked to the island and pumped the whole way, beating out the cars I started with...always nice to leave a Corvette in your dust! I have three plans going at once and this is before I even get my car worked on so I can go.       Been following the trail of Ziggy and Spirit is telling me I can help him somehow...Then there is Smoky Road, could meet up with him somewhere in Central Virginia....then there is the original plan....hmmm...don't know where this trail is going to lead. Did think last night that I can hike out of Damascus on the Creeper until it reaches the 2nd AT access. That could be my shakedown and let me know if my body is going to be able to handle the pack weight. I am really worried about pressure on my lower right quadrant...If all is well, I will get on the AT there and hike on, with an emergency bailout point at White Mountain. If it is too much for the body, I can either catch a shuttle back to Damascus or hike the Creeper back...it is downhill that way...If I am able to hike and all my body parts are cooperating, I will hike on as far as i want NOBO. Lisa will be taking the month off from one job and has said she will help with transport back to the car and we can visit!      I found Ziggy's journal while chair hiking and feel that I am either supposed to help him where he is or take him some place else on the trail to get him with the crowd. I do not know this person, have no information except what I have been reading, but for some reason Spirit is guiding me to offer him a chance to hop up to Virginia. He can always cover the missed miles. I don't know why these things pop into my head. He may think I am the oddest bird for even asking him, but when I get ideas this strong, I can't ignore it.      Then there is the chance to help and meet Smoky Road. He will be farther north than I want to hike, but who knows where my feet will lead. I hope to meet him near Catawba in 2 weeks. If he is near, a trip to the Homeplace will be in order! I wonder if you can still camp for free across the street...lol. It may be that i can help him get his grandson to him. The boy is going to hike with him a bit this summer. It would be cool hearing his perspective of the trail. 12 years old was a lifetime ago.      At the very start of this planning I was glad to be free from obligation...just had to hike....but the thought of doing trail magic has been laced with every thought. I am prepared for my body to not work so I am not too disappointed, but really would like to get some white blazes in. I am going to work today on cutting pack weight. I bought a new sleeping pad and am very excited to try it. The old one was from my tent life south of New Orleans the summer after Katrina. It has gone many miles since and held the sweat of many dreams.   Off to try and get some morning miles in.
Date: 2012-06-02
To: A day at the beach
Miles today: 0.0

Took my 6 Odyssey of the Mind team members to the beach today and showed them where I grew up. It was awe inspiring to see the beach again with a child's eyes. We had kiddie cocktails and dinner at the Sandbar, a very special thing when I was a kid. They had a good time and so did I. This has been a good year! I have had the best students, with the most talent, who have enjoyed what I have taught them! I am sure going to miss my 5th graders moving on. Each year, I come back from the mountains or where ever, to bring back stories for my students and any other I meet. I teach almost 900 kids a year and they have come to expect wild tales from their drama teacher. I tell them I am a story collector, a story teller, a teacher of all ages. It is who I have always been. I don't know how much I will hike this summer. My body will be making that determination. However, I know I will gather stories no matter where I end up. There is a fine line that separates those who live life and those who let life live through them. If my students only see a glimmer of the world through my experiences, I will have taught them more than any state benchmark or standardized test can measure. This fact alone sends me out into the woods, again. no matter how my body may feel about the effort. I need some new stories. I need their energy.
Date: 2012-06-07
To: Weird Day
Miles today: 0.0

It seems this end is going to be one of weirdness. Staff beat the 5th graders at kickball today. It was a good game, played well. I took a 5 hour nap when I got home from taking the car in. The mechanic said it sounded like a pulley. That doesn't sound catastrophic so hoping that is the diagnosis. I will drop the car off tomorrow after work. I was told today that I would not be changing rooms. I am hoping this stays true. I walked a bit this week with my pack on and in my new boots. They feel good and am glad I went up the half size. My pack weight seemed good. The pressure on my right side was only mildly bothersome. I know i am asking a lot from the body, but just know it will be worth the views. I will take good care to not stress myself and enjoy the journey.Looking forward to hitting the trail next week. The forecast is rain everywhere I want to go, but hoping this will not be the case. However, I am determined to get into the woods. I am not going to let the rain stop me.
Date: 2012-06-09
To: SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!
Miles today: 0.0

It is hard to believe that a year so full can end so quickly. So proud of all of my students and their accomplishments! So i was labeled the "radical activist" in the end of the year slide show. I guess if the boot fits, and all that....the cheer that went up tells me I am doing the right thing!Spent 384.00 on the car and it is still making the funny noise. I am hoping that it is just a noise and not a problem waiting to be discovered. Robert changed the battery and I am hoping he will do the brakes tomorrow. I still don't know where I am starting or where I am driving. i just know that I am ready to get into the car and go! I wish Robert were going. I wonder what his trail name would be....This is going to be a journey of wandering on my own. Each plan I have tried to make has slipped away without regret. For some reason, real mountains are easier to climb than the ones we create.
Date: 2012-06-13
From: Hampton

To: Wautaga Lake
Miles today: 6.0

2:45pmIn Damascus waiting for my ride to Hampton, TN.....will update when I can....thanks to all for your thoughts. I am about to make my body do something I want to do!4:20pmI am sitting beside a creek just steps from the AT! One moment I am thinking of shaking down, the next, I am riding a shuttle to my starting point. It has been a good start to this journey. Hampton is close to where my great grandparents lived during WWI. I am sure she passed this way before. For more than one reason I wish Gagie were here to enjoy it. I miss her muchly. I coughed the last 10 miles into Hampton, had to use my inhaler, while wondering what the driver thought of all the racket...He showed me where the trail entrance is and then just left me there on the side of the road. It is a bit disconcerting at first. As soon as the van pulled away, a group of thru hikers came from across the street towards the store I was standing in front of. They said they had been kidnapped by a hippie a couple of days ago and been partying at his place ever since. Days of free food and beer-a hikers dream!9:20pmWell, since I am believer that missed directions is good luck, I walked an extra two miles before I found the trail. I had thought I would go to Laurel Falls, however when i reached the trail junction I realized I would have to climb Flat Pond Mountain to get to the lake. I did not mind doing the 7 miles, but did not think my body was ready for that climb so headed back towards Hampton to reach the other AT access. The walk was a quick test of my pack and a reality check for my body. I have picked this route so thatI can bail if it seems like my body is suffering beyond hiker pain. After a hard road walk, I reached the Lake in time to see the same hikers, but they had already gone over Flat Pond Mountain, I think. I kept to myself and observed the behavior of the people at the Lake. They have to have the whitest skin I have ever seen. I threw my trash away and decided not to take my boots off and go in the water due to the fact I didn't know if my feet would let me put them back on. I filled up on water and threw my trash away. I am eating a lot. I started to hike to the shelter, but I was lured by a solo campsite high above the Lake and on it's own ledge. It is noisey. There are some boaters screaming and shouting making all sorts of noise. I think they are trying to scare something away. It is like being at an organized campground. Yuck. I am really happy to be out. I want to see what this damaged body can do. My lungs are crappy, my liver is failing, but after four years of waiting I feel as though I am coming home.
Date: 2012-06-17
From: campsite outside of Damascus

To: Abdington
Miles today: 2.5

It is getting cold and there is white sky. No better time to come down from the mountains. I think I can justify a room tonight. I haven't bathed since Tuesday morning! I talked to Robert. He is off today. I have developed three hot spots on my feet. I am blaming the shoe sales woman. Last night, I was so sore, when i tried to get up to pee, I almost couldn't move. My muscles are really getting a work out. I am still dreaming about work, though.So, I had planned to camp at another spot, however, I was so worried about logs all day, I didn't camp at the spot I planned because a log crossed the path to the spring. It was almost as tall as me and I couldn't see away around it easily. Since it was the end of the day and i had been thinking about logs, I decided to push on to this site. Now I am glad. I'll be leaving in a few minutes for Damascus and i do not have that very far to go!9:52 amI am sitting on a rock delaying re-entry as many others have done at this spot, I am sure. I can hear such noises below- a dog barking, a motorcycle, a radio, a bird. My senses are really in tune. Things needed: Dayquil, more tissues, warmer clothes (have an idea for this), have to fix boot problem, may glue old boots and see how they feel. Better food. Granola bars won't cut it. I have gone back to using my tent as stuffing in my pack. It is keeping the weight off my shoulders better. Figured out about hiking poles and know that if I let my body perform as it is designed, it will, while I zone out. 1:50 pm at Mojo'sEnjoying a nero day. Thinking about heading out tomorrow. I am making plans, need to check my gear and do town chores. Bought some warmer wear and a new hiking shirt like the other one. I still need to modify one of them to protect my shoulders from the straps. I am not ready to come off the trail and I know I may do so if I sit for too long. I had a good realization today. I met my original goal. I planned to walk from Hampton, Tennessee to Damascus, Virginia. When the shuttle people asked me where I wanted to go I just said south of there...they asked if Hampton was good. Everything is happening the way it should. I am not in town because I have given up, I am here to resupply, see to my car, and get back out on the trail. The physical aspect is very hard. Some moments I do not think I can go on much further. Then, I take a break and contemplate the fact I am doing it. I am hiking and making progress. So many people congratulate me on what I am doing, but I wish for one moment they could see how hard it is for me. I shy away from other hikers not to be anti social, but so they will not hear me breathing so hard and how I take breaks so much. I may never complete the trail, but I will have this part of it and that makes the effort so worth it!
Date: 2012-06-18
From: Car Garage- Damascus

To: stream campsite
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: few clouds

3:30pm first campsite NOBO outside of DamascusI spent the night in a hotel in Abington-would love to bring Rambo and Robert here. There would be so much to do in the area! There are many historical markers around town and buildings that look to be old. I haven't stopped at any of them, saving them for a day that Robert is with me. I took the car to MRO in Damascus and they recommended Mr. Joe, down the street. SInce it was not making the noise, they told me to drive around until it did. He listened to it with a water hose, then told me to take it over to the garage because it would have to be taken apart. The men at the garage got right to it, and told me they thought they could fix it. The process seemed so informal. I took my backpack out and told them I planned on hiking for the next week and could I leave it there until the next Monday. They said sure and I gave them the key. They said they charged 30 dollars an hour. I didn't mention that the shop in FL charges $100 an hour. I have believed, the entire way up here that MRO would point me to the people who can fix my car, cheaper than Keilly's. They wanted to charge me 1300 dollars. I bet they didn't even hear the noise. It has only gotten worse the further I have gone. I feel like the whole engine is going to come apart. It worries me to be sure but it is out of my hands.The motel room gave me the opportunity to go through my gear and wash. I left the convertible pants and bought a skort. The belt for the pants just doesn't work with my hip straps and I like having my knees free. I bought some thermal pants and a shirt since I have no cold weather gear. I have lost my smart wools and i forgot my black layer at home. I bought another shirt like the first one that has no seams on the shoulders. I cut the sleeves off one so it would be short sleeved and am using the extra material to pad the shoulder straps. Right now, I am waiting for it to get a bit cooler. The climb out of town was torture. My full food bag and water supply have me weighted down. I have a plan to use the creeper to get to White Top Mountain and resupply at the gas station there. Common sense tells me I need to save my body and not try and do that climb on the AT. I'll decided tomorrow before the last cut off to get take the Creeper Trail.MRO hooked me up with some free insoles. I decided the problem with my boots is that the heel comes a bit higher on my ankle than my other pairs and this hits the tendon to hard. I feel like this is going to work, My old boots are almost done in. The guys said they would fall apart if I tried them. Even though I glued them together last night, the place the guys sewed on the street in Vietnam is the only section still together. I did get another year out of them. For shoes that were going to be thrown away in a Vietnamese airport, but saved because of street-side stitching, I think I will keep them forever. It is almost 90 degrees on my thermometer! I am hot and tired and just plain lethargic. I am all alone out here.
Date: 2012-06-21
From: White Mountain Campground

To: Campsite past Thomas Knob
Miles today: 5.2

"I feel immeasurably at peace, and find the world to be a wonderful and youthful, after all" T.S. Eliot, 1917from the tattoo on Gypsy's back.DAY OF TRAILMAGIK=CAR and BEER   What a great hiking day and the best solstice I have had. I woke up after a milky way filled night and dried the dew off my tent. The stars were so close last night like a blanket on the sky. The camp owner offered to take me to the store and trailhead if i was ready to go. I had made sure I would be as I was hoping for a ride back. What an angel. I would hate to start my day with a long road walk up mountain.    In honor of "hike naked" day I was wearing only my bathing suit as I started up the hill into the Grayson Highlands. My bag as full as it could be with calories. From the start, I seemed to be leapfrogging with some day hikers. No one commented on my attire but I felt the need to tell them since it seemed no one else was participating. The walk up was almost prehistoric. Tree roots wrapped around boulders, springs coming from ancient rocks, tunnels of green, left unseen by most. I talked with a frustrated teacher from North Carolina. I let people pass as I took my time on the climb, enjoying the day.    We seemed to congregate at Thomas Knob as the rain started. There were about 15-20 people at the shelter. All of the day hikers had gathered there for lunch and several thru hikers came in. Turtle came up but didn't say anything, not even hello. Weird. I met up with some cool dudes and gave one of them the apple that the man insisted I get at the store. I thought I would keep going. And even walked down the trail....but the rolling mist and dropping rain convinced me to go back and hang out for a bit. It was cold enough that I had thermals over my suit at this point. All that was left at the shelter were 2 thru hikers and a habitual section hiker named diesel who works on alternative fuel sources. When out of the woods comes, the dad from DC. He was carrying an old, rotten backpack with four beers in it that he had found while searching for a campsite. Let the magik begin. We enjoyed the beers, waited for the rain to stop and I told them about the campsites up ahead.    As I put up my tent they took the spaces across the trail from me. We sat around the fire and talked trail. The father and son from DC showed up. He liked the name "Sideways" I had given him and thinks he will keep it. I cooked hot chocolate, ate my sub sandwich, enjoying the fire. We saw the moon rise and I am happy to be in the same spot I camped at last time.
Date: 2012-06-22
From: Campsite past Thomas Knob

To: Va 603, Fox Creek
Miles today: 12.5

8:00 am at my campsite, near Thomas Knob Shelter   It rained during the night-a slow gentle drip drop. I got less wet than the night before with the dew. It is crisp but not as cold as last year. The beer in the woods was cool and cold too! I don't know if I am going to jump off in Troutdale or Marion. I at least have 25 miles to go. I'll assess then.    I would like to know what is happening with my car. I wrote a couple of years ago that I dind't think I could thru hike. Now I think I would do ok.11:00am NOBO past GH BoundaryEnjoying a 20 min break on a rock. Haven't seen any horses today, just day hikers. I am having a good time and enjoying the day's walk-so glad I didn't push through yesterday in the rain. I would have missed the beauty of this morning.Helped the Homeland Security guy this morning with maps and Aqua Mira drops. Funny, I gave my last set away to Tahn in Vietnam. This guy just needs to make it down the mountain. Sideways has holes in his shoes. I am worried about them. Who goes hiking for two weeks with their kid without any maps or water cleanser? In jean shorts, no less, with 20 dollar tents, in the Highlands. not meaning to sound like a hiker snob, but all of those things would be ok, if he had also been prepared, but he didn't have a clue as to where he was or what the terrain was like. The soles of his kid's shoes were split in several places and they are miles from a town. He thinks he can swing into a Walmart and get new ones....There isn't a Walmart within 50 miles of us right now. 9:00pm near VA 603It has been a great day! HIking out of the highlands and through the Scales was easy compared to other days on this hike. I am not overwhelmed with pain. I can move freely with my pack and am not bothered by it very much. My body has adjusted. I have been spending the day bouncing with AGNY and Just Joe. We seem to be walking at the same pace. I can really fly down the downhills but the ups still make be pause. When we got to the shelter, it was full of boy scouts who had hiked about 3 miles to get there. They took over every available space and made us seem as if we were intruding. The sky was turing black with a storm and the thunder rolling over head gave me my first proof I have truly moved from day hiker status. I preferred to hike in the weather than stay another minute at the shelter. Turtle caught up and Sherlock was dashing around. He took the knife to give to the family that left them. I had thought I would catch them by now. Just as the pouring rain was letting up, I heard a voice from the wood and AGNY was calling, "want to share our fire".....so I am camped near the road with several other thruers, listening to one play the traveling martin guitar singing Rock me Momma like A Wagon Wheel. I yogied a ride to town from a woman who is camping with horses just down the road for tomorrow. I need more food. I am eating over 3000 calories a day. Cosmic Brownies are a gift from the Earth!
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Va 603, Fox Creek

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: clear sky

What an awesome day!!!!! Happy Birthday, Daddy!I celebrated with the most hiker magik allowed on this trail. First we took the horse woman up on her offer to go to town, but no town existed! The weather was amazing. Sitting in the back of the truck, faces to the wind, smiles as wide as the trail....Sine there was no resupply, she took us to the church hostel up the road she new about. No one was there. We got out of the back to look around and she got out of the cab. Then her huge pickup started rolling down hill with her grandchild in it. The boys jumped in behind it to try and stop it. After the shock wore of I got my teacher voice and told them to get out from behind the truck, they dashed out of the way just as she was able to get it under control. It was a weird moment. She then wanted to drop us off on the horse trail, but we couldn't judge exactly where it met the AT so we skipped some miles and ended up in Sugar Grove where I spent over 50 dollars on food for my pack. It is like I am starving or something.       We yogied a ride from someone else to get to the Partnership Shelter. We were really looking forward to getting a pizza delivered. Then we decided we wanted to go to marion to get beer. I tried to put my thumb out and lasted about 5 minutes. I then told the boys we would catch a ride with the pizza guy. It ended up being the owner and she took us to her place and gave us a ride back. I have slipped into another world. it was nothing for me to fill my Nalgene with my beer from dinner. It did not bother me that I stunk while I was sitting at the restaurant.       We returned and AGNY had to break up some fire wood. Then he turned into 49.5 when the mMarine ordered him to do 50 push ups. What good times.       Turtle has been invalidated as a fraud. He is taking other people's stories. Out of all the years I have been hiking this trail, tonight is a memory maker!       I have had a few bears, a Johnney Bootlegger, and a Limarita....I am sleeping with my left over steak and french fries near my head, I have decided. I have had enough garlic to keep the wolves at bay. I feel like I am sitting on an ancient road that intercepts the present. The woods are full of Spirit tonight.