morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-10-05
To: Trip to Baxter
Miles today: 0.0

We got back from Baxter State Park on Monday after a couple of nights at Katahdin Stream. Car camping, a lazy visit was what we needed. We had a choice of day-hikes on Sunday. We could take the Hunt Trail (AT) up to Baxter Peak on Katahdin, or we could branch off on to the Owl Trail and hit that peak. I hadn¢t done the Owl. Andrew hadn¢t done either hike.We pulled in on Saturday afternoon. The place was packed. But, we arrived excited anyway. When we checked in with the ranger, the porch and front yard were crowded with thru-hikers, all getting ready for the next morning¢s finish. From all the recent reading we knew enough not to disturb them with a hundred questions. As Andrew said, they were revolving in their own private spheres. While sitting by our fire, we heard the occasional whoop as another finished the trail. The campground was noisy that night, not usually a plus, but those folks deserved to celebrate. The next morning we chose the Owl trail. By 8:15, there were fifteen parties headed up Katahdin. It was their mountain. We followed white blazes for a mile and then turned of on the blue blazed Owl Trail. It¢s listed in the guide as strenuous. It is. You follow a continuous steep grade that gets steeper half way up. Through the canopy of trees a view of the valley and dramatic peaks opens behind you. It was a pristine day, no clouds with fall foliage starting to peak.Two thirds of the way up you get your first view of Katahdin. You see the length of the Hunt Trail the tableland and Baxter Peak. When we cleared tree line our trail climbed a beautiful vertical face. Unfortunately we forgot the map or we could have identified more of the mountains and lakes. After several false summits, we manteled on to a flat ledge topped by a five foot cairn. From there the peak is a level stroll along a short ridge through dwarf evergreens. You get an unobstructed 360 degree view.We relaxed and surveyed Katahdin. We saw tiny specks moving up the ridge and across the tableland. Too far away to cheer for them, we looked on with admiration. As we began our decent, People on the other trail were on their way down. They moved quickly and looked like they were dancing down Katahdin. Probably were. While walking the last mile back to camp, we stepped aside to let a hiker pass. Skinny, matted hair, bearded, and¢¦ um¢¦ pungent, he said thanks. I said, thru? He said yes. I said congratulations. When we got back to camp Andrew and I were thinking the same thing. The next time we see that trail¢¦
Date: 2005-11-01
To: Home at the end of the road
Miles today: 0.0

Over the weekend Andrew and I secured a storage unit in Portland. We¢ll fill it up before I make the final move to Maine in February, my third move in a year. I won¢t be taking much with me. After three moves, I¢ve given away and dumped more than half of what I started with, and I didn¢t start with much.Right now I¢m doing everything I can to put away $3000 for the trail. I¢m leaving my current apartment at the end of November to rent a room in the house of an old friend. Doug has a good backyard for testing tent and stove systems in winter snow. There¢s lots of hills in the neighborhood for training runs and pack carrying. Neither of us is home all that much, so it should work out fine. I¢m sifting through junk I didn¢t toss before the last move. I¢ll drag a bed, pack and some clothes over to Doug¢s. There¢s a desk, table and bookshelf bound for the storage unit. My mother gets the TV, radio, and DVD player. The Schooligan, my soon-to-be transcriptionist, is taking my crash pad for next year¢s climbing season. The rest is for Salvation Army or curbside pickup. Lightening the load.Gearing up continues. I¢m closer to done. I¢ve decided against the bivy. It¢s too uncomfortable. I picked up a small, one-person tent, the Eureka Solitaire. It weighs 2lbs, 9oz, a couple ounces more than the bivy. The outfitter told me his nephew had used without a problem on his own thru-hike. Online reviews are good. Besides, it was only $70. If I get $100 for the bivy I¢m doing fine. I spent a couple of hours last night putting together my first solo soda can stove. Not a great effort, but it looked much better than the one I attempted at the Gathering. I¢ll get better with practice. Now I have to pick an aluminum cook pot, make a cozy and complete the set.I¢ve invited friends over for a trail dinner buffet once I get a couple of stoves built and ready to test. Results and recipes in my next journal entry.
Date: 2005-11-09
To: Stoves and broken bones
Miles today: 0.0

Besides gear considerations I¢ll need health insurance on the trail. My current plan ends when I¢m leaving my job in January and COBRA payments would break me. Andrew is adding me to his policy, so last weekend we signed a "declaration of domestic partnership" and had it notarized. Don't get me started on pc terminology. It had to be done. The enrollment period is now through the end of the month. I¢ll be covered as of January 1st. I¢ll shell out for the portion his employer doesn¢t pick up. When I sell my car at the end of January I¢ll pay in advance for six months worth of coverage. I¢ll get a job ASAP after finishing the trail to continue coverage. I may put in applications at Starbucks, EMS and L.L. Bean before I go. A completed thru-hike may make me more interesting to one of them. Then I¢ll conduct a proper job search.Besides insurance, I¢d like to check out healthcare proxies and powers of attorney. Who knows? I may be clawed by a bear in Virginia or bitten by a deer tic in New Jersey. Chances are slim, but better safe than sorry. Without specific orders, I don¢t know who gets to make my decisions if I¢m incapacitated. Happy thoughts?On the lighter side, about those homemade alcohol stoves¢¦ They¢re a pain in the ass! I didn¢t finish any in time for the trail food buffet. No problem though. Most of the folks invited were going rock climbing in Mexico. I¢ve built four stoves, three from soda cans and one from tomato paste cans. I still need to try cat food cans. The first three did not perform well. Instead of coming through the evenly spaced holes, the flames just shoot through the wide-mouth opening. Soda stove #3 worked a little better but the flame smothered when I put a pot on to heat.The stove tests are pretty amusing. Glad no one¢s here to watch. I was a little nervous the first time I lit one. I wasn¢t sure what to expect when I lit it. Would it explode? I put the stove on a large baking sheet and put the baking sheet on the floor of my shower. I kept a pot of water and a snuffer nearby. I lit the stove while lying in my belly on the bathroom floor. Again, safety, safety, safety. I¢ve had enough safety lectures from folks on AT-L. Besides, I can light stoves in my sleep now, a skill I'll probably need.Ramping up physical training now too, but that¢s for another entry.
Date: 2005-11-29
To: Turkey day
Miles today: 0.0

Well, now there are three months between me and the trail. I¢m not as far along in my preparations as I would like to be, but I¢m not worried yet. As long as I do something trail related every day, I¢m fine.Besides, the last couple of weeks have not been conducive to trail prep. I spent time with my mother and family before and after the funeral. Thanksgiving immediately followed. We went to Portland the day before to give her some peace. We walked the dog, cooked and took it easy. Andrew¢s been very understanding through it all. We did dinner for 11 and worked steadily to get everything ready. Big success. I started the day off by running the Portland Thanksgiving Day Race, 4 miles in snow then rain through downtown Portland. Perfect running weather and perfect way to start a holiday. I finished 431 out of 790. That¢s me, always mid-pack. My mother was surprised by how friendly and polite the runners and crowd were. I told her runners are always that way. She hasn¢t met any hikers yet.When dinner was done and folks dispersed, Andrew, his friend Ellen and I settled in with cherry pie and turkey sandwiches to cure evening munchies. He and I had the next day to relax. We spent Saturday and Sunday loading and unloading a moving van between my old place, his place and a storage locker. Another chore accomplished before the trail.
Date: 2005-12-14
To: A short walk
Miles today: 0.0

I started walking to work with my pack this morning, about three miles door to door with good hills in-between. I know it doesn¢t come close to anything on the trail, but it¢s a start. Anyway, the real tests were seeing how the pack felt and checking out my clothing layers.The pack was about 20 lbs. A coworker just told me her daughters carry more every day to school. I¢ll add more weight next time. When I start the trail it will be at least 35 lbs with food. I¢ve lost weight since buying and need a new belt. I¢ll lose more on the trail. I also learned that I have to be more careful with my gear. When I got here I dropped my headlamp and smashed the crystal that covers the bulbs. Hopefully Petzl will send me a new one. The lamp also pops open easily and spills the batteries. I had left one of the outside pack pockets open and thought I dropped my keys. I was ready to call a locksmith to make me new ones. Luckily I found them at the bottom of the pocket. It was 2 degrees this morning and my layers worked fine, but hopefully we won¢t have single-digit temperatures in March in Georgia. I had heavy Bergalene top and bottom for a base layer, running pants and long sleeved shirt, then zip-off hiking pants and performance wool sweater. When I stepped out the door the wind cut through my top layers so I added a Golite shell then hat, neck gaiter and gloves. I put on a balaclava when the wind hit my face. I¢m taking all of this gear. The whole system was pretty cheap. The first two layers and pack are a couple of years old. The hat and gaiter were 40% off. I only paid full price for the sweater and shell.Successful start to the day.
Date: 2006-01-02
To: New beginning
Miles today: 0.0

Happy New Year.The count-down has begun. Fifty-nine days. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and for the first time counted the days up to the trail. I dream about it every night now. I wake up thinking about it every morning. I avoided counting before this. I didn¢t want to worry about being too far behind. I¢ve done a few things since my last entry. I got out of town for a very quiet Christmas then back and forth to Massachusetts a few days ago to help my brother and mother with her final move. She¢s set in the new place. A huge worry off my mind, and the biggest job done before the trail. Lightening the load. Feels great.
Date: 2006-01-12
To: To you, gentle reader
Miles today: 0.0

This is not the entry I¢ve been meaning to put up for over a week, but it is one that¢s overdue. I¢ll move it to the front of the journal in a few days for anyone starting from the beginning.This is probably the only time I will directly address all of you. I¢ve been sharing my journal link with quite a few people lately. To this point I¢ve been trying to tell stories that you will find interesting, informative, and enjoyable, but I¢m also writing for me. As the 1st or March gets closer and closer my Springer fever burns hotter, I want to remember everything, the preparation, the hike, all of it. If any details are unsavory, so be it. A comment in an early entry mildly offended a reader, and I sent out an explanation. I was talking yesterday to a friend and said I can¢t worry about what is palatable to some people and not others. I won¢t be sending apologies or explanations from the trail. It won¢t even enter my mind. When talking about the trail, RockDancer (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=892), a ¢97 thru-hiker and a recent acquaintance and mentor, often refers to sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. I¢m personally not offended by any of these things and won¢t avoid mentioning them when they pop up on the trail. Don't worry, I don't go out of my way to be rude, crude or salacious. You might actually find a lot of this repetitious and dull. After all, I won¢t be doing much of anything for six months but walking, day after day after day.With that said, please feel free to read on or to pass me by.boulder
Date: 2006-02-09
To: Judgement day
Miles today: 0.0

19 daysThis past weekend I drove down to Lowell to see Arthur ¢ RockDancer ¢97 and Mara ¢ Stitches ¢99. I arrived with fish soup and a heavy pack ready to be tuckerized. We chatted for a while. Arthur had a new stove from Tin Man and tested it in his kitchen. Mara gave me a good lighting tip and more followed. I had heard that the pack review can be tough, that it reduces strong men to tears. I wasn¢t crying by the end. I just sat in stunned silence. I¢m grateful for the experience. To start, I exploded my pack, emptied everything on the living room floor. I purposely brought more gear than I needed so I could make a few decisions. Arthur took notes that I have tacked on my wall. I¢m working through them, using some tips and disregarding others. From the start I¢m kept my purchases to a minimum. Counting ounces is important, but counting pennies is the priority. I understood and appreciated every word they said, but all my mind heard was SPEND MORE MONEY. Things I will do: Take the closed cell sleeping pad, not the thermarestTake either the neck gaiter or the balaclava, not bothUse the lighter 20* bag, not the 0* bagUse small Ziploc bead bags instead of pill bottles for ibuprofen, etc.Choose another insulating layer instead of the wool sweater I planned onThings I won¢t do:Leave the patchwork scarf homeLeave out the almost weightless Ziploc cup from my stove setSkip soapSkip toilet paperThings I might do depending on budget:Get wind pantsGet a different shell/rain jacketGet lighter, stronger tent stakesThey gave me lots of other good advice as well. Right now I¢m listening to everything everyone says, much of it contradictory. Some valuable, some not. I¢m making my decisions based on all information, plus my own experience and common sense. In the end, I¢m hiking my hike, learning as I go, and taking it as it comes.
Date: 2006-02-27
To: Tomorrow
Miles today: 0.0

I fly out of Portland at 11:30 tomorrow, Tuesday, morning. I step foot on Springer Mountain on Wednesday. The waiting and preparation is finally over. I've been running down a thousand details since my last entry. Little time for anything else. I've been hiking around Portland, up and down hills, rain or shine, all month. I've been hitting the gym about five times a week since I joined on a one-month membership. I even appeared doing a pull-up in their TV commercial.Two send-off gatherings, one at my mother's place, one at our place. Best wishes from everyone I know. Meant so much to me. I've been talking and talking about this trip to anyone who asks for the past month, really the past six months. And I tell everyone that it's all theory, that I have ideas about what will happen and what I hope will happen out there, but there is really no way to know until I'm on the trail.Gear's final. Just finished up a few days ago. I wend down to my favorite outfitter for a weigh-in. Base pack weight, no food or water, is just a hair over 25 lbs. Was very happy. It's not ultra light, but that was not a goal. I waned to be less than thirty lbs and certainly am. That's winter weight. It will be much lighter when I start sending home cold weather gear. I'll also figure out what isn't necessary as I go along. No problems here.Really very hard to describe how I feel. It's been everything from fear to mania to excitement to deep peace and satisfaction. Interesting to see how well I sleep tonight. The very biggest thing on my mind now is saying good-bye to Andrew. We've been keeping very close to each other for the past week. We know what is coming and have not really approached it head on. When one of us makes a mention, the other says not yet. Well, yet is here. There is absolutely no way for me to take this trip without his help and support. No way. We both know it.I'm not recording any more. I know I will not forget this.Tomorrow.
Date: 2006-02-28
From: Tomorrow

To: Atlanta
Miles today: 0.0

I'm in the air. Out of Portland 5 minutes ago.Overall good spirits. Thoughts are on the end of today's trip and especially on tomorrow's start. All of the speculation is over. The real thing has begun.Up at 5:00 this morning. ___(?) good-byes from me and Andrew. Watched him down the stairs and off to work. We'll see each other again in Virginia. We're getting together with my cousin Lynanne & Peter, when I get off the trail for a few days in the Shenadoahs. Kept busy & final paperwork details, final stuffing of the pack, a couple of walks with Bosco. He's known something is up for a while now. Nice play with him yesterday and big sad eyes from him today.Also had a chat with Benjamin the cat. Sixteen and a good old guy, he probably won't be around when I get back. Neighbor Suzy, also a hiker, drove me to the airport. She bought me coffee and gave a little pocket money. She talked about where to meet me on the trail, maybe Monson, ME. Pocket money didn't go to waste. I'm a bad flyer and a bloody mary at the airport bar is my usual tradition. Too bad the flight was delayed. The intended effect wore off. Flying anxiety plus delays, plus turbulence, plus screaming baby, plus urine stench from chemical toilet sure make for a good time. Glad for the 1 way ticket. Even if I weren't hiking the trail, I'd rather walk home to Maine from Georgia anyway.Put the little annoyances to the side. All of the preparation, reading, chatting, obsessing, gear collecting, waiting, all of it has been worth it.
Date: 2006-03-02
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Great Day. Maybe hot weatherwise, but still a great day. Both the trail and the people, excellent combination. Woke up to more goofy chat with Apple Pie. Also asked her to help solve my shoe problem. She'll be at Neels Gap a day or more, probably more, before me. Strong hiker. I'm going slow to start and slower with the sore foot. She'll call Andrew for me when she gets there and ask him to overnight my other shoes and CamelBak. Hopefully, they'll be there when I arrive. Fixed the problem a bit with moleskin, thinner socks and removal of one layer of insoles. When I said I had a proposal to make, she said great. She needed her green card. She's from Holland, but prefers the states to Amsterdam. Go figure.Cedar Moe and I were breaking camp when the rain started. Hiked 5 miles up the trail in drizzle and fog. Saw some of the slick red Georgia mud. As he left the shelter, Cedar Moe said I blessed him. He's a minister from Tennessee. I of course was last to leave. Last to get my shit together. Caught up with Will and Shane. They got lost yesterday and slept on the trail. The Benton McCaye Trail crossed the AT in several places, so it was understandable.We leapfrogged all the way to the Hawk Mountain Shelter. Only 5 miles from Stover Creek, but Gooch Gap is another 8 miles away. Too much in the rain and on my foot. Good decision. Over the next half hour the crowd grew to about 13. Ajax and JazzyPants from Portland and Boston, both college students. Two more from NH, Greg and another Shane. Nice New England connection in the South. The hike, even though wet, was very satisfying, peaceful. You get in a rhythm. There's a different beat to the hills and level ground. Once you fall into it, you travel. Us New Englanders used to the dramatic contours of NH and Maine commented on the hills they call mountains here. Won't get over-confidant on the 2nd day. Also not getting too accustomed to the warm weather. I know we'll see some snow.Camp filld up. 13 or more including a high school group form Minnesota doing a 30 mile section. A retiree from South Carolina. Heavy accent and a character. Plenty of non-sequiturs. Obvious difference between 60 and 19 year olds. And me in the middle, well, closer to one extreme than the other.We were all here by 12:30 and wondered how to fill the hours. No problem. Ice broken when the NH Shane got lost fetching water. Disappeared for 1/2 an hour and several searches didn't turn him up. He appeared drenched in sweat and with empty water bottles. All of us laughing by then and fell into conversation that's not over yet.Somehow we got to talking about cherry pie. JazzyPants says she knows someone in Atlanta who bakes a great one. She's trying to arrange a delivery to the trail. I told her to leave messages in the registers if it arrives.Before dark, sky cleared, sun out, and all wet things dried. I'm tenting tonight to celebrate. Yup, great trail day.
Date: 2006-03-04
From: Gooch Gap

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

Another banner hiking day. Peaks included Ramrock Mtn., Big Cedar Mtn., Granny Top, Burnett Field Mtn. and Turkey Stamp Mtn. 30 degrees when we got up & moving, but the trail keeps you warm. Even at that temperature I stopped after 1/2 a mile to take off the fleece, under layer, pants, mittens, scarf.Minor scare on the trail at a great overlook. I took a quick step to grab my camera. I felt a snap at my heel and my calf muscle fluttered like a broken window shade.Each step made me wince. Was with Will, Shane, Greg (now Monk) and Shane (now Milk Dud). Told them I was hurt and to go on. Limped like that for a mile and planned to get off at Woody Gap for a hitch into Suches (?) if the pain kept up. Saw the others again and told them the plan. Thought, Damn nice knowing you.As I went along I figured how to place my foot right so as not to fully extend the pulled muscle. Suddenly I picked up pace and made it out to Woody Gap. The others were at a table by the parking lot into Chattahoochee National Forest. I waved my hiking poles in victory. I downed 6 ibuprophen, we refilled water and moved on. Starting to feel like a thru-hiker. Tenting again after evening around the fire and a bite of cherry pie.Collective signs that we're all turning into thru-hikers:* I can change clothes in my sleeping bag on a 25 degree night.* We can eat leftover pizza found on the table in the park.* Sit around examining feet and give lessons on popping blisters.* Hike through what you think is two miles of trail to find out it was four.* Yell with excitement about having mac & cheese and Stove Top in ONE MEAL.*Two guys can fight over a single Milk Dud found on the trail.* Laugh uproariously at the inane things like ear wax adn loose skin under your elbow (called a wenus. go figure).* Dream about food.* Turn in at 8:00 and it feels like 11:00.Last night I dreamed that we were all standing under a bridge and Andrew lowered down a full picnic basket.Tomorrow we top Blood Mountain, highest peak on the Georgia trail. At Neel's Gap food resupply, laundry, showers, phone calls, mail. I hope my shoes are waiting, but it's a Sunday. I'll have to stay and let the rest move on. Hoping I can arrange for them to be delivered further up the trail. I'll ask the outfitter at Walasi-Yi Center.Amazing that 7 strangers can meet, stick together, make decisions and assume that it's all for one. Will was glad I didn't have to get off trial and let them go on. Fingers crossed for same tomorrow. Writing at 4 a.m. Strange sleep cycle. Gelling some more now.