morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-01-19
To: March 9
Miles today: 0.0

Gosh. I used to like that song "Sweet Home Alabama", but now every time I hear it all I can think about is fried chicken. Thanks to the marketing geniuses employed by the Kentucky Fried Chicken company. Nice.A little update: I've made plans with my cousin in Georgia, and I've got my start date set. For real this time. No more changies. I will be leaving San Antonio on March 6, stay with my cousin at her apartment in Macon for 2 nights, travel by Greyhound (I've already got my ticket!) to Gainesville and stay at the Hiker Hostel, and be on the trail March 9. That particular date bodes very well for me--infused with near immortal symbolic meaning:1. It was the day that Bill Bryson and Katz started hiking in "A Walk in the Woods". Okay, that's probably lame considering that the author was in some ways a self-righteous prick who made some very rude comments about Southerners while being unappreciative of the services they provided...but it was also funny as hell. Anyway, reading the book, for all its faults, re-implanted the idea in my head to attempt a thru-hike. For that, I am grateful. 2. It was the day that Bugs, a 2006 thru-hiker began her hike. Hers was the first journal that I addictively adhered to for a couple months last January. It helped me get a more accurate picture about what life on the AT was like...because Bill Bryson evidently had no idea. I also enjoyed hers above many others because she was a solo female hiker who never really got absorbed into any groups--which I anticipate will be my lot.And now for something completely different. Because Monty Python had style.Living in Lytle has been like living in breakfast taco heaven. And I don't even want to limit myself there. It's like living in Chilaquiles heaven. If you've never tried Chilaquiles, I pity you. It's a mexican concoction of eggs, mixed with pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic), mixed with crispy corn tortilla pieces, and draped with cheddar. With a side of refried beans, Mexican potatoes, and flour tortillas. It really is delicious. I guess I have no chance of finding this on the trail...? I've begun sharpening such gustatory fantasies for on-trail use. A girl can dream. ***After writing the above entry, my dad came in with today's mail. I rejoiced to find, at last, my copy of Junius "Model-T" Tate's "Walkin' With the Ghost Whisperers: Lore and Legends of the Appalachian Trail". Within the first chapter I read about Jumpstart Henley, the guy that parachuted to land on Springer Mountain at the start of the AT. Start Date, you may ask? March 9.
Date: 2008-01-28
To: a revelation
Miles today: 0.0

Only forty days left. I have to admit that the anticipation has been building and getting scarier as the months dwindle into weeks, the weeks into days. Soon my countdown will be by the day rather than the fortnight (okay, fortnight plus 6 days. I just wanted to say fortnight).But today I something wonderful escaped Oliver's lips--"Babe, I'll be alright while you're gone." The seemingly paltry phrase instantly unhitched a tightening knot in my gut. Wow. I don't need to feel guilty for doing this. Oliver will be alright--he won't be resentful, wretched or spiteful. He'll be alright. He will worry about my well-being...that's a given. And he will probably have to fight bouts of loneliness or depression (I will too, from what I've learned about long distance hiking). But he'll be alright. I feel like I'm on Morphine. I never realized how much I needed to hear the liberating words uttered.So back to planning, as usual. By the way--someone please tell me that I don't need to buy anything else to prep for this hike. I believe I have retail burnout.
Date: 2008-02-06
To: Grocery Store Psychology
Miles today: 0.0

I've always had an odd fascination with analyzing the combinations of items grocery store customers will load onto the converyer belt. Like the lady who buys fifteen cans of catfood, an orange and a 12 pack of beer. It makes me wonder what could possibly be going on in a person's life to bring them to invest in such a strange assortment of seemingly unrelated items.   In the past two days I've been to the grocery store about half a dozen times. My errand: collecting miscellaneous items for my pack and bounce box. Of course I don't possess the foresight to make a list and go to the store once. Oh, no. Instead, I think of a few things, go get them, come home and realize I've forgotten something and that I need a few additional items. Most people will go grocery shopping and buy enough food and supplies for a week or so. Usually if you go to the store past 9:00 at night to buy just a few things, it means that you need the items immediately. I can only hope that my mis-matched goods made some good clerk furrow puzzled brows.   Basket 1: Baby wipes, trash compactor bags, hair elastics, neosporin, butterfly closures, alcohol wipes, ziploc sandwich sized bags, toothbrush, notebook, a 10 pack of cheap pens...and a donut (i.e. possibly the most important single item in the basket).Judging by this haul I'm about to wipe a baby's ass while doctoring a deep possibly infected wound, compact some trash, write a novel (how long could 10 pens last?), bag a sandwich, brush my teeth and presumably go to bed. I'd guess that I was a busy housewife juggling a baby, a Dennis the Menace and a budding writing career. Donuts are good.Basket 2: Gold Bond medicated powder, gallon size freezer bags, sunscreen.This one seems a little more experimental. What would happen if you mixed Gold Bond and sunscreen in a freezer bag? Why would I need sunscreen at night so badly that I went to the store? Judging by the contents of this basket I am a deluded serial killer who stuffs body parts into freezer bags with gold bond "menthol much?" medicated powder to mask any unsettling smell. I'm so sensitive to light that I wear sunscreen in an effort to avoid moon burn.
Date: 2008-02-07
To: THIRTY happens!
Miles today: 0.0

Oh my goodness!That was me freaking out. So much to do! I've got ALL of my gear except food--and it weighs 17 pounds. I thought that was pretty good. During the summer it's going to be even lighter. I still need to finish making my bounce box, though I've planned out the stops for it. I still need to apply to graduate school. I think it's time, I've put that off about as long as I possibly could...AAAAAAHHHHHH!
Date: 2008-02-12
To: Twenty-five....happens?
Miles today: 0.0

Only 25 days to go. Holy crap, this is scary. I feel like I'm planning a trip to Mars. I'm trying to purge all expectations from my mind, so on day one I can't think, "this isn't what I expected." And really, I don't have a clue what to expect. I'm a creature of the flat-lands, and a creature of habit. This adventure defies my elemental nature.On my more pessimistic days I find myself wondering just why I feel compelled to throw myself on the mercy of the unknown. There are so many fears and doubts floating around in my brain--old insecurities are re-surfacing. Will I make any friends? Will I be so nervous I close up and build an impenetrable wall between myself and would-be companions? Will I be unbearably homesick? Will this trip become a long string of awkward silences? Will I make a fool of myself? Will I fail?The reason I decided to actually hike the AT instead of merely dreaming about it was that I wanted to do something completely out of character. The Rachel I know is that girl five years ago who spent many lonely hours holed up in her dorm room nearly devoid of human contact because she was too shy to join any clubs or even chat with the person next to her in class. The old Rachel would have sat for years in tepid mediocrity in an effort to avoid trying something new, or to avoid notice. I heard a quote the other day: "the brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." Yeah, that quote is from The Princess Diaries...the source doesn't make it any less great . I'm completely resolved to become one of "the brave" who I've always envied from the shadows. It's time to stop dreaming and start DOING.So, yes, I'm scared that in slightly over three weeks I will be leaving my comfort zone for a six month romp in the woods. But I'm also excited...heck, it's a six month romp in the woods! Six months of introverted reflection interrupted frequently by the good-natured jests of stinky newly-acquired friends. Can it get better than that?Okay. As Miranda from Sex and the City said, "I've shown emotion in public, I've set myself on fire...I think I'm done."Except for the fire part. But I AM about to play with my newly created SuperCat stove so there's still hope.By the way, I've been experimenting with freezer bag cooking. This is the process as I understand it: you dump your Lipton noodle side (for example) into a Ziploc, boil some water, dump appropriate amount of water into freezer bag, let bag sit for about 20 minutes. Sounds simple, but I've failed miserably at the whole water-estimating step. Each time I've gotten soup. Still practicing. Someone let me know if I'm missing something here.And one more thing: I may be a little anxious to set out into the wild blue yonder, but there are only 2 freakin' ways I will quit at Neel's Gap. Either I will have broken bones, or I will be dead. That's it.
Date: 2008-02-17
To: Veinte mas!
Miles today: 0.0

Twenty more days.Yesterday I went to Half Price Books and judged some books by their weights, not their covers. I kinda wanted to read some of my old Anne Rice favorites, but alas, the woman is incapable of writing a short novel. So I've got some literary classics. The contenders: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, short stories by Washington Irving (including the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle), The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Like Water for Chocolate (not qutie a classic, but seemed interesting). Oliver tried to get me to buy a Stephen King book, but I didn't think horror was the wisest choice for a light sleeper planning to be in the woods alone at night. Anne Rice isn't horror because the monsters are good guys. The damage: $10. Great Success.I also got a haircut. I've always hated my hair. It's frizzy and puffy and the humidity loves to torture it. But it improves with the introduction of oil and sweat--perfectly suited for the trail. And now that the split ends are gone everything is looking sunny on the hair side.It's 47 degrees (feels like 43) and raining today at Amicalola Falls State Park, according to weather.com. In Lytle, Texas it's sunny and 80 degrees. God help me.
Date: 2008-02-22
To: Fifteen
Miles today: 0.0

Just 15 days until I start hiking--12 until I leave.Today was GORGEOUS. Blue clear sky, warm air with a slightly cool breeze. Me listening to "Mother Nature's Son" over and over. It was nice. I hung my hammock under one of our oak trees and slept until the sun peeked under the gnarled boughs to make me uncomfortably warm.I was wearing my shirt that says "Sunshine Makes Me Smile", which was fitting. I hope my first day on the AT will be as beautiful. Of course, I'll take whatever comes. Sometimes rain is just as lovely.Still doesn't feel real, but I'll believe it real soon.
Date: 2008-02-27
To: Solo diez mas dias
Miles today: 0.0

Yep, 10 more days.Nope, still doesn't feel like reality. I think I need to break my routine--I'm still working, watching TV, hanging out with Oliver, reading...I have my pack ready (except my down items). I have a plan for the placement of all my little items. Nobody warned me when I decided to use a hammock that my gear would be so much more bulky. Light, but bulky.I also have a few last minute items I need to purchase. A different pair of long underwear, a large duffel bag (or something) for when my pack rides in the airplane...body glide. The chafing, ladies. Here in Texas, I can tell Spring is a-comin'. It got into the 30s last night, but a few days ago it was over 90 degrees. It's snow-stormin' in Georgia. I seriously have no conception of a snow storm. The only time I have ever seen snow fall it was more a snow drizzle mixed with sleet, everyone hoping agaist all hope that the powdery stuff will stick to the ground. It never does.I did some amateur genealogical research a few days ago, courtesy of ancestry.com's free 2 week trial period and excess boredom. I found out that my Carters came from England to Pennsylvania, from Pennsylvania to South Carolina, from South Carolina to Georgia, from Georgia to Alabama, and from Alabama to Texas. Assuming the website was correct (which is probably questionable) one of the great grandfathers was a semi-wellknown Irish Quaker. Now I'm excited about Pennsylvania regardless of the rocks. I wonder if the trail passes through Bucks county.Enough of rambling. I don't think I'll do a day to day countdown...its tiresome .
Date: 2008-03-03
To: Salvador Dali 5
Miles today: 0.0

Okay, so I'm sitting at home at 2:30 in the afternoon drinking a Sex on the Beach and drawing an exciting 5 with my computer's paintbrush application. There is a high probability that I will not repeat this particular event again. It was all about novelty. I don't drink often, but it feels damn good to be off work.I've been takin' care of business. I cleaned my room (getting rid of the clutter that comes when you move your apartment into a single room), took the dog to the vet, started seam sealing my homemade stuff sacks, ate at Uncle Barney's Hamburgers, took a bath in our garden tub (when's the next time I'll get to take a bath, not a shower?), rolled with my homies, bought a cheap suitcase for pack transportation, pet the cat, washed all of my clothes, authorized Oliver to have access to my bank account, chose THE BOOK to start the trail with (Congratulations, Bless Me Ultima!) and ate chilaquiles. Tomorrow the agenda is: go to Whole Earth Provision Co. to see about getting some wool hiking socks, take dog to the groomer's, finish applying to grad school (just need to get some things in the mail), clean out my car, eat Amy's Ice Cream, charge my cell phone, charge camera battery and put chargers in bounce box.I'm sure I'll think of something else tomorrow that needs to be done. I leave on Thursday. Woohoo!
Date: 2008-03-04
To: Cuatro
Miles today: 0.0

I know I said I would not do this--the daily countdown. But that was before I was bored and unemployed. Before I discovered that I have considerable talent with the paintbrush application. So here's my four. I didn't get a whole lot done today. I took my dog to the groomer for his 10:00 A.M. appointment. They didn't start shaving him until after 2:00 P.M. The good thing about this was that I had the rare and treasured opportunity of seeing a cat being shaved--everything but his head, legs and tip of tail. That cat was pissed. He kept flashing everyone that , "I am NOT amused" look that cats use so often. I couldn't stop laughing. People were staring.So after I dropped off the dog, I went to Whole Earth Provision Company. Whole Earth is San Antonio's only decent outfitter. Hey, we didn't become one of the fattest cities in America by traversing the great outdoors on foot. Found some socks. Went across the street to Amy's Ice Cream and found the store still closed. It was disappointing, but I did discover later that Marble Slab's birthday cake flavor ice cream with Kit Kat crushed in tastes almost the same as Amy's Mexican Vanilla with Kit Kat crushed in, so it was all peachy keen.Another noteworthy experience of the day: I was looking at the lizards at PetSmart while I was waiting for my dog, and there caged on sale for $7.49 was one of those little green lizards that bit me a couple of months ago. The one that thought it was a dinosaur. I couldn't help but mutter aloud one of those Nelson Muntz "Ha, Ha!"s. Man, I coulda had one of those babies for free!I also discovered that I can still sing Weird Al's "Amish Paradise" in its entirety. Yeah, I did a lot of waiting around. I still managed to keep myself amused.Only four more days until I start walkin'. Tomorrow is my last day in Texas for who knows how long. I've never been to Georgia. I'm hoping the weather improves.I'm really not all that nervous. I can't say that I've ever been excited about meeting people before, but I am stoked about meeting really great people out on the trail. People just as weird as me.Thanks, everyone who signed my guest book. Y'all are more encouraging than you know!
Date: 2008-03-11
From: Gooch Mountain Campsite

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Good day today, mostly. Took me awhile to get to Woody Gap where it started sprinkling as I tried to eat my lunch: peanut butter and jelly tortilla wrap.The hike out of Woody Gap was disheartening--it contained steep, rocky climbs which took me FOREVER to work my way up. Today's special word of the day was, "F*******CK" as I rounded curves and encountered more inclines. As I was headed up Big Stamp Mountain I was about ready to give up and go back down to Woody Gap to stay at a hostel, but the trail has a funny way of working things out for you. When you're feeling low, it picks you back up. As I headed up out of Woody Gap, for instance, I was full of piss and vinegar all the way up until the trail handed me a wonderful view. It was the type of view that reminded me why I'm a deist and not an atheist. Of course there's a god, the evidence lies before me in those sweeping vistas.It was a long day. I hiked almost 11 miles. It almost killed me. My feet, knees, shoulders, calves were sore. I accomplished it, though. Mind over matter. Actually I found you can use your momentum to your advantage to forget about aches and pains. I was so happy when I got to the blue blaze trail to Woods Hole Shelter. The blue blaze trail is really long, though, so long I almost thought someone was playing a prank on me. How long will she walk this trail before she turns around, realizing the blue blazes lead nowhere?I arrived here a long time after everyone else and immediately did camp chores, ate, visited the privy before I went to socialize. I just love these guys: here tonight was Daddy-O and Peacock, Atreyu, Walker, Forrest, Michael who looks like Harry Potter, and some others I didn't recognize. Fantastic company. All we did was sit around the campfire and laugh, the kind of company that makes the hard day worth every step. Walker was saying that he used to be in a band called The Dingleberries. I MUST remember to look that up on YouTube. Just because they're called The Dingleberries.Tomorrow Blood Mountain, then Neel's Gap.I forgot to mention a couple of things about yesterday:1. I spent a lot of time looking at the rocks. There are big chunks of mica everywhere, also big pieces of quartz and a little feldspar, all components of granite. But I only saw granite once in a rock outcrop where it lay as a layer in the bedrock.2. I got named. I was sitting around the fire ring with yesterday's group, wearing my crocs with no socks on and Forrest asks, "is that a wing on your foot?" I said, "yes, I got 2." So everyone said, "You're Wingfoot!" because earlier we made fun of the famously self-centered hiker. I said, "WingFEET." So it was done. I am Wingfeet.
Date: 2008-03-12
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Whitley Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Today I woke up and hiked Blood Mountain for a splendid view. A few of the guys from the shelter woke up at 5 AM so they could hike up and see the sun rise. Not me. I was content with the 10 AM view. I met up with Forrest at the top, he was still waiting for Walker to drag his arse out of sleeping bag.I didn't stay too long at the summit--the cold winds were still blowing, just as they were the night before. It was cold enough that ice formed in some spots on the mountain. I pulled into Neel's Gap around 11:30 and took care of some business. I got one more dinner, some cookies, more tortillas, batteries, hot chocolate, a ziploc bag, and most importantly A HOTDOG and a cold Dr. Pepper to wash it down. Then I made some phone calls--Oliver and my Mom. I hadn't talked to them since the first night when I was so depressed, so they were still worried. I told Oliver to go ahead and send my bounce box to Fontana Dam. My mom was relieved to hear I'm enjoying myself. I stayed at Mountain Crossings long enough to see Rob before he went home and back to work (he was on vacation). Rob was the best. Every time I got discouraged that everyone had passed me Rob would come along and have a chat. He was pretty much the silver medalist of the slow hike, with me taking the gold. I hike so slow that every single person I recognize passes me, and I always arrive at the shelter dead last. I have to go slow with BOTH knees bothering me now--but they're not so bad with Advil liqui-gels every 4-6 hours.I left Neel's Gap around 12:30 and got here at Whitley Gap Shelter at 6:30. That's slightly over 1 mile per hour. The climb up Wildcat Mountain was really difficult--it felt almost Sisyphean. NOT ENOUGH SWITCHBACKS. And once you get to the turnoff to Whitley Gap Shelter you have to hike an additional 1.2 miles to get to the shelter. You can't tent (or hammock) here if your shelter needs to be staked, because the ground is about 2 inches of soil over solid bedrock. So I am staying IN the shelter for the first time. There's one other person here--a guy out hiking for Spring Break.
Date: 2008-03-14
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

Yesterday was another of those emotional days, sorta like day 1. This time I was annoyed that the other knee started hurting. Of course this followed a bad night's sleep. That night I stayed at Low Gap Shelter--the name described my mood perfectly. But now I'm at Cloud 9 Hostel, and it also describes my mood exactly. Funny how things work out.This morning I woke up and got going early. I was on the trail by about 8:30. All day was kinda rainy and drizzly, so I hiked with my rain jacket on. I liked the rain. The rain makes the greens greener, and green is exactly what this forest needs at the moment. It's all grey and brown. I hiked the 7.2 miles to Blue Mountain Shelter by 1:30 because they were so flat and easy. The knees and blisters felt great on the flat path, even better because yesterday I only hiked 6 miles and spent the afternoon resting them. From Blue Mountain Shelter I called the hostel for a pick up at Unicoi Gap, almost tagging along after Voodoo and Walker.