morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I didn't see anything besides chipmunks and squirrels for a month and a half. Then came Virginia. In the first few days of Virginia, you enter the Grayson Highlands and get to see a bunch of wild ponies. Pretty cool, until you get kicked by one (so I hear - happened to a few of the thru hikers). Then you keep going and enter the Shenandoah National Park, which is full of cool wildlife. This past week I saw a dozen deer, one blackbear, a rattlesnake, the most humongous toad in the land, a box turtle, and buzzards. Haven't been kicked by any animals so far. Next up: I love it when people visit!
Date: 2011-06-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I've had a few visitors in Virginia, which has definitely helped the miles pass by faster. First my parents came and treated us to an awesome zero day in Daleville. When they came, the highs were in the high 90s. We mostly holed up in air conditioned places and took care of errands, but getting to see them and eating Turkish food was amazing. It was also nice to have a car and the ability to help out other thru-hiker friends with rides and such. Guess my parents got a small taste of trail magic. Next came Eric's parents - bearing watermelon, hygiene products, and best of all, Eric. I finally got to meet them after being with Eric for so long. And Eric got to hike with me for a week, from mile 787 to mile 908. The goal was to give him some experiences that he didn't have when he hiked the AT back in 06. That is, shorter days, staying in shelters, and doing some other more slackerly activities (slackpacking, blue blazing, etc). We ended up doing 23 miles on his second day out, but that's neither here nor there. It was a fun week that was concluded by Eric's dad coming to stay with us at a shelter for a night before whisking Eric back to reality. Thanks Keith and Mary Kay for coming out to visit, bringing Eric, and for the headnet!Next up: my favorite and least favorite things about the AT
Date: 2011-06-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Favorite things about the trail so far: Swimming holes Lounging in my tentMassaging my feetEating anything ever without worrying about itOther thru-hikers Trail magic!Least favorite things about the trail so far: Bug bites. Being covered in bug bites. Having no willpower to stop itching bugbites, and then getting giant bloodied scabs on my legs that make me look like I've been wrasslin' b'ars.   Bugs that bite. Next up: the grand plans of the next few days/week
Date: 2011-06-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Catalyst and I are excited for the next few days. We're taking a vacation from hiking and hitting the water. First we're going to rent a car and go to the beach for a couple of days with some other thru hikers. Then we're going to come back to Luray, VA (a town near the Shenandoahs) and aqua-blaze from there. Aqua-blazing is when you canoe/kayak a section instead of hiking. A lot of people do it...cause let's face it, we're all pretty sick of walking by now. :D Anyways, the aqua-blaze will take about 3 days, so we'll be off the trail for about 5. We're going to start up in Front Royal, which is only about 50-55 miles from Harpers Ferry. AAAAHHH!!! Once we get there, we're both taking a zero to meet up with friends around DC. Then comes the fun part - the four state challenge. Yeah...that's when you attempt to walk 45 miles in a day in order to have walked in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania all in one day. I've heard of people who were exhausted after this feat and didn't get back on the trail for two weeks. I've heard of people that quit halfway through. I've heard of people whose feet fell off. Mmmm. We shall see. Hopefully I'll miraculously have lots of internet again soon and can relate some of the funnier things that have been happening. Until then, hasta la vista!
Date: 2011-06-22
From: 1000 mile mark

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

We made it to Harper's Ferry!!!! I'm hiker number 530-something this year. Right now I'm with my best friend at her apartment in DC. We just went out to get some Turkish food. Yessss. Yesterday was hike naked day, as most of you know. I saw only one person who was daring enough to do this around Harper's Ferry, and he was wearing a wisely chosen loincloth. But when I passed him, I almost wanted to say "I'm impressed. You've got balls, man. And I'm not just saying that cause I can see them."Anyways, tomorrow is the four state challenge. We might attempt it, or we might just collapse at mile 30. Or 20. We shall see. So yeah, I'll either be in Pennsylvania Friday or collapsed on the trail somewhere. In conclusion, WE MADE IT TO HARPERS FERRY!! My Harper's Ferry's resolution will be...to start keeping a daily journal again. Yes. Starting after the four state challenge. ..
Date: 2011-07-26
From: stealth site near the US 7 bridge

To: MA border
Miles today: 16.0

Hanging out in the Salisbury library, waiting out the thunderstorm. Usually at this point I would be taking out my journal to furiously transfer entries from the past few days, but I've decided to minimize blogging while out on the trail. I'm waiting till I'm back home to fill out all the entries. Less time spent typing = more time spent enjoying town. Can't remember if I mentioned this, but I'm called Pair of Aces now. Bandit no more, since someone finally gave me a name that fits better. Unfortunately it's not because I'm a poker junkie. I'm always wearing a pair of ace bandages on my knee and people always think that I've come out of a car accident or something. They're just meant to keep swelling down and support my knees a little, but it's entertaining to hear people's hypotheses on why I need them (are they holding your legs together??).We're entering our 11th state tonight/tomorrow. I'm really looking to Massachusetts - meeting up with Raindancer, going to Dalton, and being close to home. I live about 40 minutes from the trail in MA, and frequently I would drive on I-90 and see where the Appalachian Trail crosses over it (there's a big sign, I'm not psychic or anything). For several years I would always wish I were on that overpass and hiking the AT. I knew that I would be doing it someday. Surreal that within a couple of days, I'll be walking on that overpass.
Date: 2011-08-12
From: Vermont

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hanover! I'm finally in New Hampshire, which means there are only two more states to go. AAAAHH!! Vermont was beauuuutiful. Looking forward to New Hampshire. A couple of nights ago I met up with a friend who lives near Rutland, which was exciting. She was pretty amazed that I walked to her house...from Georgia. :D Catalyst and I recently met up with some friends that we haven't seen in a while on the trail. Needless to say, there's a girls' night planned for tomorrow. Time to go figure out how I can slack tomorrow so I can be back here for girls' night!
Date: 2011-09-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We fuckin' did it. About 11 or 12 people summitted on 9/26, and I was one of them. 8 of us left at 2:40 in the morning, to catch sunrise up top. The conditions on the way up were rough and visibility was nonexistent. Lucky for us the mountain is blazed like a drunk pirate. When we got up there, daylight was a comin' but the summit was in the clouds. We weren't gettin' down without some views though, so we hung around for about 5 hours while the clouds cleared. We had the summit to ourselves for at least 4 of those hours. But it's not over till you go down, so we did. Via the knife edge, which was spectacular and terrifying all at once. We were down around 3 in the afternoon. Between the emotional hub bub and challenging terrain, I was so exhausted. It seemed like a good way to end - tire yourself out to the point of exhaustion so you won't miss hiking again for a really long time, if ever. Congratulations to everyone who's summitted already, and to all who'll be there in a jiff now. Especially to ma summit peeps - Catalyst, Trump, Poncho, Tomahawk (Tom C, that is), Spitwalker, Spicoli, and Charter (and the people who summitted later that day that I know of - Raingear, Boy Scout, Poppins, and the 49ers). We fuckin' did it.
Date: 2011-10-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I realize there are a million post-trail entries to this effect. But it's freakin weird to be back, so I will whine about it and you will listen. Or get bored and fall asleep. From the start, I was one of the kids who had a deadline and needed to keep on track with a mid-September summit. That seemed reasonable. Yet as New England crept up, it looked like I was due to summit further and further from my original date. Finally in New Hampshire, I made the decision to stop worrying about when I would be on Katahdin. This meant I'd get no time to readjust, but I'd get to hike with my friends and enjoy the journey. Enjoy it I did - so much that, true to ultimate procrastinator fashion, I made it back to Seattle literally two hours before my first class. That seems to have worked out in some ways and not in other ways. 1 - I have no friends yet because I didn't make it to orientation. 2 - I don't have a place to live (luckily my parents are around and I'm bumming with them). 3 - I showed up to my first class in crocs and people probably think I'm weird.Yet 4 - I'm diving straight into things and moping around less than I would otherwise and 5 - my sleep schedule is very old-man-on-the-trail right now (you all know what I'm talking about). So I actually get things accomplished before half the day is over. Then there's the usual thru-hiker adjustment issues. Like feeling weird not being surrounded by a bunch of emaciated smelly bearded dudes. And feeling weird changing clothes every day, wearing regular clothes in general, trying not to eat my weight in delicious things, etc. The other day I saw some people getting into a car that clearly looked like UW students, and I almost hitched a ride with them to class. Totally would have, if I hadn't been excited about walking there instead. Trail withdrawal already seems a tad better though. I'm starting up volleyball soon and meeting up with some old friends. And I'm getting to enjoy the west coast again. At the first possible chance, my parents and I peaced out of Seattle to go check out Victoria, BC and the San Juan Islands. In Victoria now, writing this post because I got up at old-man-o'clock and my parents are still sleeping. (on a side note, our room could fit at least 6 or 7 thru-hikers) By golly, I think it's all going to work out despite me missing all of my trail friends with every fiber of my being. I'm keeping the dream alive this weekend in Victoria by not changing clothes for 2 days. And I can't wait for trail reunions, but until then, I'm going to go make the most of Seattle. Come visit and crash on my couch, people!! (i'll have one soon..) This is my last entry for a while, except all the fixin' uppin' I hope to be doing on the actual hiking entries. So see you on the next adventure, perhaps? Making time/money to hike the trail was the best decision I ever made. As I heard a friend put it once, the AT is a holy place. Go out and discover it if you haven't. As always,
Date: 2010-11-15
To: 3 2 1 Blastoff
Miles today: 0.0

My start date is set 3/21 (blastoff). I have my plane ticket to Atlanta and a ride up to the start of the trail arranged. Sherri, who raised my guide dog, is going to Georgia to drop me off at the trailhead. Upon returning to Portland, OR will also take over care of Wieland, my guide dog who is retiring from work when I start hiking. Right now I feel like I have two incompatible gear personalities. There is the gear slut side of me that wants it all battling with my gram weenie side that considered spending $230 today to save 5 ounces. Obviously I had to much free time and a great Internet connection today!Time seems to be moving so slowly right now. I want March to hurry up and get here but I also know I have a lot of meal prep, hammock quilt tests, practice hikes and hopefully gain some visual acuity prior to my start. My retinas are degenerating but the doctors don't know why. I had a second problem with my eyes but that is hopefully being resolved. I had scars on my corneas from some other eye surgeries. I had one partial cornea transplant in January 2010 and the other eye had the same surgery in September 2010. So far my amazing doctor Winston says everything is healing well. I still can't get the 20/200 line on the eye chart (the big E) but I hope to by the start of my hike. If misspelled words and grammar errors bug you I would suggest reading someone else's trail journal.Bat
Date: 2010-11-17
To: My worries/predictions
Miles today: 0.0

Being legally blind I know some of my trail challenges will be different than they are for fully sighted hikers. My biggest concerns are finding things in towns, shopping and recognizing people.When I say finding things in towns I'm talking about post offices, grocery stores, laundry and hostels. I can't read street signs of most business signs. Ironically I feel the trail will be easier than towns. I'm used to finding my way down trails. Shopping is the bane of my "normal" life. It takes me forever to find things in stores that I shop in regularly. I'm going to attempt to ameliorate my frustration of shopping by prepackaging much of my food and doing more mail drops than many other hikers and hopefully shopping with hikers I meet. I worry about not being able to recognize hikers I have met before because people tell me all the time, "it looks like you can see fine." since it looks like I can see I worry people think I am snubbing them if I don't say "hi" or they think I'm stupid if I stand there staring at them trying to figure out who said hi to me. If you ever are friends or meet someone that can't see well please introduce yourself. For example, "hi Bat, it's Cannible."I'm quite curious how real my fears will turn out to be. Guess we will all get to find out in a couple of months.
Date: 2010-12-05
To: Texas humidity
Miles today: 0.0

I spent ten days in Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was around 80* for the first few days and slightly humid. I know everyone talks about food in their trail journals but I predict I will be mentioning the hot and humid days in mine. Coming from the Pacific NW I'm not used to hot and humid. This week I have been getting some urban hill workouts in by hiking around San Francisco. I've made the decision to order a custom Cuben fiber tarp for my hammock. It will more than cut my tarp weight in half and pack smaller. I'm ordering it from Joe at Z-packs.
Date: 2010-12-18
To: Time flys
Miles today: 0.0

I added up the days to departure the other day. I was wondering when 100 days to departure would happen. It was then that I noticed I only had 95 days until I leave. I feel like I have a lot that still needs to get done (finalize which hammock suspension I'm going with, build my windscreen for my stove, prepare and test more meals...) then I acknowledge that I also need to move more. I walk daily but I need to increase my milage and start carrying my pack with weight. The good news is I don't have to buy much more gear. I'm going to Central WA state in early January to test out my gear in cold and snow conditions. Figure it won't get much colder on the trail then what we will have there. I can't wait to meet some of my fellow hikers! Thanks to the folks that have already signed my guestbook and offered support.
Date: 2010-12-27
To: Gyms
Miles today: 0.0

I never have been into organized sports or gyms. However, some realities are unavoidable and I want to be in decent shape at the start of the trail so I have been hitting the gym. It has been fun because my younger brother has been here to go with me. He leaves in a few days but I will continue my workouts. I do love the stair master. The one with the real stairs. I see it as a video game and I want to beat it. So far it beats me but not too bad. I haven't jumped on it with my loaded pack yet. I'm sure I will get some strange looks but I won't be able to tell so it will not matter.
Date: 2010-12-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to take advantage of a cold weather front that blew in. I received my new 3season Incubator in 900 fill power down underquilt, five days ago. It is rated to 20* and last night got to 22* and I had a good night of sleep. I also tested out my new Possumdown hat. It initially felt to thin and light to keep me warm enough but it sure did the trick last night. I only wore the clothing that I'm planning on taking. I didn't put my rain gear on because I was warm enough without it. I did put my down jacket on at 3:30 but I think that was because I didn't have my underquilt pulled up as tight as it should have been. I had an air gap under my legs. I've tightened up the suspension and I will test it again tonight at a predicted 20*. My 3 season Blackmamba top quilt is also rated to 20* and I think it is a perfect combination for me on my trip. I had an email conversation with Dutch (previous thru-hiker in a year with lots of rain) about rain gear. I'm not going with my poncho idea but instead shifting to a rain jacket and pants for the begining and the end of the hike and a jacket and rain skirt (yes I said skirt I could say kilt if that makes you more comfortable) for the middle. Sounds like I need to do a little shopping
Date: 2011-01-12
To: General update
Miles today: 0.0

I went to a hammockforums.net "hang" last weekend in Ellensburg WA and it was great! The people were amazing and the gear everyone had was super cool. I got to see so much ultra light and cottage industry gear, everything you can't find at REI. I know I have all the gear I need but I may still swap out a couple of things to go even lighter. I made a titanium foil windscreen for my MSR Pocketrocket. I ordered the foil off eBay and use three Bobby pins as the supports. It is a pretty nice DIY piece of gear. Will I switch to Esbit by the time I leave? I've tried alcohol stoves but it doesn't fit me and my style. I'm still going to the gym 5+ days a week. I always get at least 200 floors in on the stair master. I'm really noticing the muscles toning up and my cardio improving. I have been taking 3 grams of Niacin a day. Yes I really said and mean GRAMS. It makes my joints feel slippery and not hurt. Wish I would have known about this stuff before. I wanted to share that because maybe someone else will discover that it helps them too. This weekend I will be up at 5000 feet snowshoeing. I do get variety in my workouts. My family has been and continues to be amazingly supportive. It would be so much harder to do this if they weren't the great people they are.
Date: 2011-01-28
To: Cross training
Miles today: 0.0

I have been having a lot of fun adventures since my last update here. I got to go up in the mountains for a four day snowshoe trip. That was fun! I bought my 2 3/4 year old nephew snow shoes. He liked it and they were so cute on him. To get up to the cabin we were shuttled in 4-5 miles on snowmobiles. I'm not sure my Guide dog ever wants to have that experience again. I've been down in Portland OR visiting friends and doing tax free shopping. When I have been in the Tacoma WA area I've been disc golfing and bowling with great friends. I have also continued walking and showing the stair master who is boss (except yesterday when I ran out of energy because I hadn't consumed enough calories for all the exercising I had done over past 24 hours). I will refuel this morning and get back to the gym to avenge yesterdays defeat. I am proud that I listened to my body yesterday and didn't just push through to meet an arbitrary goal. Maybe I am becoming more mature??? If so that sure took long enough to happen All the gear is purchased except for shoes. I'm waiting to see if I can get a pair of the Merrell Barefoot shoes in time for the trip. My feet are fine in almost any shoe so that isn't a big deal. I got my new phone. Dumped the AT&T iPhone for a Verizon Droid. I've never felt so technologically inept. Glad I will have a month and a half to figure it out before I leave. Food still needs to be prepared and I need to plan my mail drops but I'm feeling ready to hit the trail.
Date: 2011-02-04
To: Traveling and training
Miles today: 0.0

I know that there aren't going to be any computers along the trail that I will be able to use because of my vision so im attempting my first post from my phone.My training continues to go well. My cardio and endurance have really begun to take off.I finally found another hiker that is departing the same day as me. I knew someone else would be leaving on that date but finding a person was refreshing. I was beginning to get jealous of the people leaving on days with so many others. However, in reality I think I would actually prefer starting with a smaller group.Im headed back to the town I used to live and work in. Time to say my final goodbyes to old friends and co-workers.The gear is all purchased and the final items should get here next week. Time to go test run the whole set-up.Hope my fellow hikers are doing well on their preparation, im looking forward to meeting everyone.Special thanks to my hammockform.net friends for their support of my hike!
Date: 2011-02-16
To: Two more weeks together
Miles today: 0.0

In two more weeks Wielamd, my guide dog, will be retiring. Wielands puppy raiser, Sherri, and I are taking a week vacation to Maui. Who needs a vacation to a tropical island before a thru hike? That will create a Yin and Yang experience for my body and my mind. There is a betting pool on who wil complete the hike and who will not. I'm curious if anyone picked me for their fantasy hiking team. I have all my gear except my new tarp which should ship any day. I have already made my new ridge line and prussics for my guy lines. I still need to package my food but I have what I need. I'm going to Portland, OR tomorrow for my last eye check-up prior to the hike. The new pieces and parts feel good and seem to still be attached. We will see what the pros say on Thursday. Sherri got the folks at Keen to give me free shoes for my hike. Thanks Keen! I was trying to get a free pair of the Merrell barefoot running shoes but the Merrell person said that those shoes wouldn't hold up and that they were not appropriate for the AT. I'm going to try them on anyway and see if I like them. Friday is my going away party with my Portland "family." I'm sad that Cindi can't be there. She trained both of my guide dogs and is an amazing person. I will be walking more than a few steps in her honor. My training has improved. My card and endurance have made quantum leaps these past few weeks. I will have lost about half of my pack weight by the start of my hike. Not that I'm a big guy but I had become softer than I wish to admit. I have had a ton of good things happen in the past two days. I feel ready to hit the trail. I wake up every morning dreaming about the AT. I think beginning the hike is the only thing that is going to break my "Springer Fever."
Date: 2011-02-18
To: Weekly World News
Miles today: 0.0

I got a super cool email this morning. I've been a long-time fan of The Weekly World News (WWN) and their mutant Bat Boy. The WWN is sending me a Bat Boy patch that I'm going to sew onto my backpack and my Bat Boy Figurine that will travel the trail with me. If the Chupacabra comes into camp I'm sure our little mutant will put up a valiant effort to protect all of us. On a more serious note my new corneas are healing well but one of my retinas was bleeding a little yesterday. Retina surgery would most likely derail my trip but I'm hopeful my body will heal on it's own. My eye doctor looks like Doogie Hauser. He was surprised by my beard. I haven't shaved since Halloween and I saw him right before that. He is great and I appreciate all the support he and the Casey Eye Center staff have given me. However, my tech yesterday must have been a dominatrix in a former life. She kept trying to get me read smaller letters than I could. Pure torture!Tonight is my going away party with my Portland "family". I will be showing off my hammock and some other light-weight gear. Take the good with the bad but keep moving forward.