morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-01-17
To: Introducing Birdleg's Transcriber
Miles today: 0.0

I few days ago, I was contacted by Birdlegs to help transcribe her trail journal. After a few emails back and forth, we have decided to partner together while she is on the trail.So, a little information about me. My name is Hunter Squires, and I live in Macon Georgia. I am 35 years old, married, and I have 2 children. I had the opportunity to thru hike the in A.T. in 1994, but got sucked into the notion that a career was more important. (I guess 5 years of college taught me nothing). Anyway, my desire to complete a thru hike has never left, and it is still one of my top goals in life. It might take me 15 or 20 years to get there, but none the less, I will.So why help out with a journal. First, I read trail journals every day. I love to keep up with the preparations, and the stories that everyone posts on a daily, weekly, and in some cases monthly basis. As the journey begins, I find myself anticipating the next journal entry and the stories that follow. I guess I am a TJ junkie.Second, helping with a trail journal is the closest way that I know to experience a thru hike without physically being on the trail. It gives me the opportunity to hear the stories, cover the miles, experience the frustrations, and celebrate the successes.Finally, it allows me to give something back to the hiking community. As you all know, we are one big family willing to help each other out at a moments notice.It is my goal to help Birdlegs in any way that she needs my help. I commit to posting her journal and pictures as quickly as possible. I will do my best to accurately represent her thoughts and feelings as she successfully makes her journey from GA -> ME.More later,Hunter
Date: 2007-03-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m sitting here in an antiquated Amtrak sleeper car with ¢Midnight Train to Georgia¢ playing in my head. If I weren¢t so deliriously happy, it might be a very corny place to be. But it isn¢t. Thinking of this trip, of dreams, and of a life well lived has sent my heart almost rocketing through my chest many times during the past few days. My last week in the city was filled with a decadent tour of good restaurants and bars, good-byes to friends, good-bye to my city.And now I¢m in my ¢decompression chamber¢, train 19, bound for Georgia. The author of ¢Dead Men Hike No Trails¢ referred to Amtrak as the ¢jiggle box¢. With my pen skating across the page, I can see why. But it¢s haggling all of the city¢s urban residue out of my system too, loosening my muscles and my mind. A sleeper car on a train is a delightful mish-mash of gadgets. There are buttons, levers, and switches to cater to my every whim. It speaks to the same Inspector Gadget sensibility in me as RVs, yachts, and hiking gear. I¢m like a little kid with ADHD poking around here. I¢m bouncing around like a monkey on amphetamines.
Date: 2007-03-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

After spending a bliss-ridden night snoozing on the Amtrak, I rolled into the Hiker Hostel. It was a full day for me; many hours spent dozing in the rocking chair on the front porch, taking a stroll with Maggie the dog, and, of course, seeing the doctor. The doctor, John, hails from Alma University in Illinois and is conducting a comprehensive study on the effects on thru-hiking on the body. Surprisingly, it¢s the first survey of its kind. Dr. John strapped a pack on me with a 50 pound load and hooked me up to a crazy contraption that measured my breathing and heart rate. It was very sci-fi and very fun. As a part of the study, I provided information about my nutrition and health history. And I had to give a urine sample. Let me tell you, you haven¢t experienced thru-hiking until you¢ve trotted around the Hiker Hostel chugging water and carrying an empty urine sample cup. Lala got into Atlanta airport in the evening. We picked him up and grabbed some Chinese take-out. My fortune cookie fortune read, ¢Your present plans will be successful.¢I feel good and calm here. I like the warm air and the red soil. I¢m ready to go. As Josh drove us back to the hostel this morning, he pointed out a line of ancient looking mountains on the horizon, telling us that it was 20 miles of the Georgia AT. I looked at them and my heart caught in my throat.
Date: 2007-03-24
From: Springer mountain

To: Hawk mountain shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After a year and a half of planning, standing on Springer was anticlimactic. But pleasantly so. I felt calm and good and didn¢t have a nagging sense of needing or wanting to be elsewhere. When athletes arrive at a perfect spot where their gear, bodies, and minds operate smoothly, they¢re said to be ¢in the zone¢. Now, of course I¢m not some highly trained athlete ¢ I¢m a farting slow thru-hiker to be. But I feel like I had that sense of immediate reality, a lack of self awareness, a perfection of being in the right place at the right time. That was Springer mountain for me. I was in the zone.Some people say that a thru-hike is like a bunch of shorter hikes strung together. Packing my pack, selecting food, and stepping onto the trail was so much like every other weekend or section hike I¢ve done. I¢m totally in the short hike mind-set. I know rationally that I¢m going to Maine but my intuitive actions are operating in a short hike mode. Strange. In at Hawk Mountain there are SO many boy scouts. It¢s like a KOA Kampground here! A few thru-hikers are hanging out at the shelter. There¢s myself, Lala, Steps Small, Jim from Las Vegas and, who knows, maybe some others caught in the throng of scout tents off in the distance. A 2006 SOBO, ¢Superstar¢, rolled in with friends to say hello and dispense advice. I¢ve got my hammock in action now and am contemplating food. The South, so far, has been kind to us with its good weather, smooth and flat trail, and great hospitality (speaking of hospitality, we were treated SO WELL at the Hiker Hostel. I highly recommend it). And, someone just gave me MoonPies¢¦bliss.
Date: 2007-03-25
From: Hawk mountain shelter

To: Gooch Mt. shelter
Miles today: 7.3

Hot today but Georgia is still treating us great. The trail maintenance crews here are to be commended for keeping everything in such good shape. We¢re at Gooch shelter right now and Steps Small has just invented a contest ¢ the first person to fix her stove wins a Twix bar. We¢re trying to establish whether or not conjecture alone can win the candy. There¢s a mammoth German Shepherd here, Otto, who I¢ve taken a fancy to. And there are 8 other thru-hikers. And no boy scouts. The thru-hiker to scout ration is good today. There terrain was much more interesting today than yesterday and the schlep up Sassafras Mountain was invigorating. We met up with Ranger and her grandson, Nathan, at (what we thought) was the summit. Nathan found a bunch of bullets a la Rambo style, to be worn criss-crossed across the shoulders. I¢m loving conversations at the shelters. So different than what people talk about in bars in nyc. So much better. Today, the hot topic was a pile of white feathers everyone saw along side the trail between Springer and Hawk Mt. It looked like a chicken massacre had taken place. I thought it was a product of some weird deep south voodoo. Jim had the rational explanation that a hawk must have killed it, flew off with it, and left its mess next to the AT. But who really knows?
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Gooch Mt. shelter

To: Jarrard Gap
Miles today: 10.6

I¢m one dirty bird. But my body feels great and I¢m happy. Knock on wood, I haven¢t had any pain or soreness. I attribute this partially to the excellent switchbacks and partially to the hours I spent in the gym when I lived in the city. I¢m here with the crew from Gooch ¢ Lala, Steps Small, Moon Goat, Otto the dog, Jim, Dan, Mike, and Will. We¢re planning on cruising into Neels Gap by lunch tomorrow to re-supply then we¢re going to camp right outside of the gap. It¢s funny how all of a hiker¢s thoughts turn to food, miles, and logistics. All extraneous stuff has been squeezed out of my head for the time being and I¢m a human metronome tick-tocking up the side of the mountains. We¢re already having serious food fantasies. Someone was cooking mac & cheese and we all simultaneously sighed when the first whiff of cheese smell drifted out of the pot. Ahhh¢¦processed cheese. Today¢s hike led us up and over Ramrock, Big Cedar, and Burnett Field mountains. Beautiful views and pretty easy climbs abounded. Another great day on the AT.
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Jarrard Gap

To: Bull Gap
Miles today: 6.1

One of the locals, a turkey hunter, walked past our campsite during the evening. He was clad in camo, rail thin, and, to be honest, looked a bit like one of the cast from ¢Deliverance¢. About 15 minutes after he passed, we heard a turkey call then gun fire. And then he strolled past us with a massive turkey slung over his back. It was a classic scene from Southern Appalachia and he could have been a costumed docent at the museum of the deep south. He stopped and talked to us. Turned out he was a nice guy with a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of the local mountains. HE pointed to a member of our group who was struggling with a bearbag and said, ¢that one ain¢t goin¢ to make it.¢ We tried to yogi a turkey dinner from him ¢ but no luck. We woke in the fog and hiked up over Blood mountain. It was a pretty series of gentle switchbacks lifting us up through the mist. Though there was no view from the summit, it was a beautiful hike. We rolled into Neels at noon time and took advantage of the AYCE spaghetti dinner before night hiking to Bull gap. The folks at Neels were super nice and it was a pleasant oasis of cold drinks and gear advice. It¢s also a good place for a nascent hiker to stop before a hike to get a free gear shake-down. I didn¢t need to buy anything or send anything home ¢ and I found out that my pack is a bit under 20 pounds. I¢m happy that my gear is in order and that my body feels good. My nerdy pre-hike research is paying off so far. After the first 15 minutes of hiking every morning, I feel really good and warmed up. The endorphins have kicked in and the body is working. It may sound silly but the past few months, I¢ve been reciting a little prayer of thankfulness for mental and physical soundness, the beauty around me, and the wonderful company that I¢ve kept. It¢s important to be aware of and grateful for the wonderful experiences life drops in our laps. Moon Goat just commented on how surreal this whole experience is. Surreal but good. He said that, regardless of the blisters and the pains, walking everyday is a good existence. And I have to agree.
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Bull Gap

To: Low Gap shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: broken clouds

Food fantasies abound. Chocolate cake. Steaks. Big juicy burgers and fresh tomatoes. Every morning I¢ve woken up in my hammock a little hungrier. This morning it was my growling stomach (rather than the songbirds) which woke me. I purposely put 20 pounds on for this hike and I aim to keep on as much weight as possible. Don¢t want to look like Skeltor!After the delicious AYCE at Neels, we hung around until dark and hiked out to Bull gap. The view of Blood mountain from the nighttime trail was awesome. It looked massive and dark, with a halo of deepening blue from the night sky. The stars shone and planes buzzed overhead, like giant cosmic zippers opening up the sky. The hiking today was long and tough. It¢s funny ¢ everyone gave us ominous warnings about Blood Mt. but it ended up being a piece of cake. Rather, today¢s stomp out of Tesnatee Gap seemed like the hardest climb yet. I¢ve learned not to rely on word of mouth advice too heavily. Even the guidebooks and maps can¢t determine how hot it¢ll be, how tired I¢ll feel, or what sort of day I¢ll have. It¢s all up in the air out here and, at any rate, we¢re going to walk through it all regardless. The payoff for today¢s hike was some beautiful views. It¢s hard to beat southern Appalachian for prettiness. Our Gooch Mt. crew is still together and staying here at Low Gap. We¢ve become a strange little family. Having done most of my hiking solo, I can¢t express how nice it is to have such great company. And the night time conversations are getting more bizarre and hilarious every day.
Date: 2007-03-29
From: Low Gap shelter

To: Blue Mountain shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

Easy walking today. The first 3 miles or so of the trail followed an old logging road. The weather¢s cooled off and we had our first rain shower last night. Reminds me of how spoiled we¢ve been with all of the sun and warm temperatures. Apparently I missed something called ¢the penis tree¢ on the trail yesterday. It was the big talk at the shelter last night. Hmmm¢¦guess I zoned out and hiked right past it. I¢ve been going into autopilot a lot the past few days. I blink and, before I know it, two or three miles slip under my feet. Some of the other hikers said that they¢re going through the same sort of time-warp coma when hiking too. It¢s a mindless state. Blissful, great!Our group is in charge of taking it easy on the trail. We plan on going slow for the first few weeks. It¢s a long trail and there¢s really not too much of a hurry at this point in time. We¢re having a great time with super long lunch breaks and general sloth. Also ¢ we¢re hoping to avoid the injuries and burn out that comes with going too fast to far too soon. It¢s a real type B approach to hiking. We ran into some guys who want to do the trail in 3 months. The first question they asked us was about out projected finish date and daily mileage. They said that, ¢anything under 15 miles a day is boring.¢ Huh???Speaking of boredom, I feel as though I have a full schedule even with the low mileage. I have yet to get bored with all of the camp chores and socializing. My days are packed in a nice way. Here¢s a rundown of the crew I¢ve been hiking with since Gooch (listed in no particular order):Moon Goat ¢ he could be the poster child for mountain men of America with his calm demeanor and big beard. Great guy.Otto ¢ Moon Goat¢s dog. Possibly the best dog in the world. He could be the poster child for best dog in the world. Steps Small ¢ A young woman with a great attitude who¢s had adventures all over the world. Sometimes at camp, she dresses like an international gigolo. Dan ¢ witty. Really funny too. Knows all about random stuff. From home made gear to operating meth labs, he is out #1 information source. Jim ¢ He¢s from Vegas and is always in a blessed out state. He¢s good to sit next to because he will draw a swarm of gnats away from you and onto him.Lala ¢ I talked about him in a prep entry. As an update: the kid found his trail legs and is smoking us all. Go Lala, go. Bad Influence ¢ A fellow hammocker, Bad Influence got his trail name by trying to shorten our mileage for a grilled food stop. Bad Influence, don¢t you think our daily mileage is low enough as it is? 99.9% of the time, I follow his advice. These folks are really making the trip incredibly fun and laid back. Hope we get to see many more miles together.
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Blue Mountain shelter

To: Tray mountain shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

After a quick 6 mile walk through Unicoi Gap, we waited at Tray Gap for trail magic for 6 hours. A local scout troop served up burgers, hot dogs, and snacks to us grateful thru-hikers. A short but strenuous climb up to Tray mountain shelter followed. I managed not to loose my precious caloric intake by barfing up the magic feast (that¢s 2 hot dogs, 2 burgers, chips, and candy). The scouts have been hosting trail magic for 7 years but this was the first ear they hung up signs to advertise. They must have been surprised to see over 20 ravenous thru-hikers waiting for them when they pulled up! We were all crazy-eyed with hunger and smelled like a pack of wild dogs. Despite that, the scouts treated us like royalty and I¢m grateful for the kindness. At the hiker feed, we got to see a hiker known as ¢Kitchen Sink¢, one of the legends of the class of 2007. Evidentially, he showed up at Springer Mountain with a hundred pounds of food on a dolly, a hatchet, and a shot gun. His hike was planned last minute and he was totally unprepared for the trail. He¢s since trimmed down his pack and looks really fit. He¢s a character and an underdog so, of course, we¢re enamored with him. On a darker note, I was attacked by a dog at Tray shelter tonight. The culprit was a lab/poodle mix ¢ a ¢Laberdoodle¢. I walked up from the water source when I saw the dog on the trail. When I was about 6 feet away, I said hello to it and the next thing I knew a bundle of Laberdoodle fury was at my neck. He tore through the front of my fleece, tearing it but I came out of the ordeal not requiring a blood transfusion. The owners seem like nice people ¢ they apologized. But, if you¢ve got a psycho dog, leave it at home! Please! Evil dogs are best left to guarding junk yards, not hiking the AT. Tomorrow is our first zero day on the trail. We¢re heading in to Hiawassee to stay at Cloud 9 hostel. Sunday will be a full day and we hope to send out some mail, scrounge up some steaks and cold beers, and do our laundry. I¢ve been in the woods for a full week now and I¢m honestly not that excited about being in a loud crowded environment. I have to admit that I am excited for town food. And I guess our rag-tag dirt ball group could use a little dose of civilization.
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Tray mountain shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 10.6

It has been a BUSY day. We hiked out of Tray mountain shelter early and got to Cloud 9 hostel and trout farm by 2:00. This place is fabulous¢¦heaven on earth. We unloaded our packs, bathed, did laundry, and then got a shuttle to town to re-supply. All of this activity culminated in a bleary-eyed sensory overload at the grocery store. The food choices were endless and we were hungry when we went shopping ¢ a dangerous mix. I felt like I was in a game show with a limited budget, limited pack weight and space requirements, and 30 minutes to do it all in before our shuttle left the parking lot. I wheeled my shopping cart with a vengeance, dodging rural moms and kids. Into my cart went the Ramen, the fruit roll-ups¢¦I¢m beginning to feel like a pro at this re-supply business. I had a couple of pleasant surprises during the evening. A bunch of rowdy hiker guys from the hostel went to Franklin for an April Fool¢s party while the rest of us stayed at Cloud 9 to enjoy the hot tub and a few beers. After we dried off and were on the porch, a car pulled up and out stepped Llama Punch! She¢s recovered from her tendonitis and will be joining us to continue her thru-hike. Later, Lala came home from the hiker bash. He told me that he had a photo he wanted to show me. I looked at the display on his digital camera and there was a picture of Hungus! Both of my hiking buddies from Jersey are here. I heard that Hungus is on his 4th zero in Franklin. Apparently he went out to the bars last night in a limousine with a bunch of college girls. Too funny¢¦
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Cloud 9 Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I caught my first trout today! Fran, the owner of Cloud 9, busted out fly rods and let the hikers loose on the stocked trout pond. As if we weren't fully immersed in the mountain man culture, we got to catch and kill our own trout dinner. Awesome!! I fully shamed myself with the fly rod for well over an hour when a sympathetic Fran baited a hook, casted, and stuck a different rod in my hand. With his help, I managed to pull a fat rubbery trout monster out of the pond. Can't wait to eat the sucker. Cloud 9 is a fabulous place to zero, let me tell you.Laberdoodle update!! This vile dog was reported to have bitten the pocket off of a thru hiker's shorts. We must unite to bring justice to this devil beast!
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Cloud 9 Hostel

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.8

Last night, we had an all-out hiker trash jamboree. Fran and Laura served up an amazing trout dinner around a bonfire then we hit the hot tub until the late hours. Cloud 9 was fabulous.Today, we entered North Carolina. Steps Small, Mistah Cheeks (named for his silnylon chaps), and myself hiked to the state border together where Lala, Bad Influence, and Moon Goat cheered us on. Three feet before the state line, I fell to the ground to add a touch of tragedy and excitement to the occassion. We took the obligatory group photos with the sign and put our names on the register.We are minus one of our group tonight. Jim hurt his shin coming down into Dick's Creek Gap. He's going to spend a little time healing at his sister's house in Knoxville, and then he's going to yellow blaze to meet us on the trail. We miss him already.The zero day left me feeling worse off than if I'd kept walking. I don't know if it was all the time spent on the couch, the fatty foods, or the beer, but I feel a little beat up. It's good to be back on the trail, back in my hammock for the night.
Date: 2007-04-03
From: Bly Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

A night spent swinging in my hammock left me feeling rejuvenated and ready to stomp through more of North Carolina, but the easy 12 miles left me deliriously tired. We were all dragging by the time we got to Beech Gap. Actually tired, but happy.The trail today was full of fabulously strange names such as "Chunky Gal Trail". One has to wonder what went on in Southern Appalachia when names like "Swinging Lick Gap" were created. With all of the "knobs", "licks", and "Deep Gaps" on the trail, I imagine a 1970's trail covered in shag carpet...a perfect setting for backcountry swinger parties.Torpedo and I were talking about an interesting trail phenomenon today. Apparently, most thru hikers are hyper afraid of injuries early on in their hike. Every little strain, soreness, bump, or bruise is over analyzed. I call this "trail hypochondria". We're aware that something simple like shin splints can take us off the trail, so we closely monitor the slightest twinges in our feet and knees. I experienced a little "trail hypochondria" yesterday since it was the first time I'd had any soreness (which I managed to walk off this morning). But, all is well and my legs won't be falling off anytime soon. WHEW!!!!We had the pleasure of meeting Bama (NOBO 06) and Lipstick. It's great how all of the AT veterans are so encouraging and upbeat. It makes the miles that much better.