morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

ButterfliesSome of the best opportunities to photograph butterflies are on those spring days with changeable weather ¢ warm and sunny one moment, then cloudy and cool the next. Butterflies appear to be solar-powered and will sometimes sit patiently during the cool, cloudy periods, letting you get close to them without flying away, while they wait for the next warm moment. I¢ve even seen a couple sit motionless when I¢ve been hiking shortly after dawn. It seemed as if nightfall came before they got to where they needed to be, and they were waiting for the next day¢s sunshine to enable them to complete their journey. But, I didn¢t know any of this at the time, and was often frustrated when butterflies flew off as I moved slowly closer, but before I snapped their picture. So, I decided to take a movie clip of one instead. Then at least I¢d have the image of it until it took off. Some butterflies are much faster and more agile than others. The one I chose was the next one that came along, nothing special as far as I knew. I moved in very slowly, recording the movie clip the whole time, and as expected, at one point, the butterfly took off. But, when I reviewed the movie clip I realized I could single-stop backwards or forwards through the frames with the left ¢ right control on the camera. The camera takes a frame every 1/15 of a second. Through the frames I see the butterfly sitting, sitting, sitting, and then   there¢s a bit of a wiggle. By the very next frame there was a single whoosh of the wings and then the butterfly was about 3¢ off the ground. Assuming the butterfly¢s acceleration was constant, I could estimate it. Starting at rest, the butterfly traveled a distance of d = 3¢ = 14¢ in a time of t = 1/15s. Plugging d and t into the equation, d = 12 at2, and solving for acceleration, a, gives a = 112ft/s2, or a little over 3g. (1g, the acceleration due to gravity, = 32ft/ s2.) The acceleration you might feel on a violent amusement park ride, or that a race car driver might experience in a tight, fast turn would be similar to this. It¢s remarkable to me that a butterfly, a creature so delicate that it most likely would crumble if held between your fingertips, would routinely experience forces like these just lifting off from the ground.
Date: 2005-05-31
To: near Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 0.0

Difficulty        Prior to May, I would have said that the hardest part of the trail was the area south of Hampton, Tennessee, before Kincora hostel. When you tune into NOAA weather radio, they call that area the ¢foothills¢. There the trail crosses all of these little streams that feed into the Elk River. Between the crossings, you¢re driven over 100 ¢ 200¢ hills, climbing and descending just minutes at a time, but usually very steeply. I¢m usually very good at estimating when I¢ll be somewhere, but after a while I lost track of what crossing I was on and had no real idea when I¢d be at the next shelter. I was pleasantly surprised to arrive an hour earlier than I expected, but it could just as well been an hour later. For a long, continuous climb you can gear up, get into a rhythm. But, that wasn¢t possible for me at the Elk River, making it feel more strenuous overall. The bottom line: very hilly terrain can be tough going even at the lowest of elevations. Back in North Carolina I thought about people driving down a highway with a mountain range to the side. From the viewpoint of the car it may seem like little wiggles connecting one peak to the next, but if you were up there hiking all the ups and downs of the ridgeline, you may find that it feels a lot like the Elk River terrain.         This was all superceded by Pennsylvania, especially the area just south of the Delaware Water Gap. But, it wasn¢t harder because it was more strenuous. Glaciers had shredded the rock into chunks of all shapes and sizes, and it¢s the cumulative effect of days and weeks of walking on these very rocky trails that seems to take its toll. My ankles were pivoting in every direction, the soles of my feet getting pinched every now and then. I fell a few times, even hitting my head once. I had hiked in the Delaware Water Gap before. When I entered Pennsylvania, I felt I was almost on my home turf. Who would have ever though that the hardest area for me would be right in my own backyard? And I don¢t think it¢s just me. People are people. I discussed Elk River, TN with one other hiker at a hostel, and the area south of Delaware Water Gap, PA with another, and heard similar assessments. And today I was especially amused to find that about 5 miles past High Point State Park, NJ comes another low elevation area filled with steep but short ups and downs, very Elk River-like. There in the lower areas you are often crossing boggy sections on wooden planks, or one of many roads.        But, New England awaits. The one consistent thing so far has been that there are always surprises. I doubt I¢ll be disappointed.
Date: 2005-06-09
To: before Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

CoyotesI pitched my tent in the NY woods on Wednesday, 6/8/05, in a area as far north as the Catskills, where my nephew, Woody, and I had heard coyotes howling once while on a backpacking trip. This time they were on both sides of me and closer. I first heard them at about 9:40 PM. At the time, I was in my tent with the rain fly on, and I tried to gently and quietly close the zipper for the extra security. I didn¢t think of putting my boots back on, in case I needed to get up and about, but I will next time!! By about 10:10 PM, it became clear the coyotes were coming towards my tent site. I turned my digital camera on and started to record the sounds, and within 30 seconds I heard running footsteps, then some snarling and shuffling about. One coyote actually bumped into the tent, in the corner where my upper body was. Within another 30 seconds, they were all gone. I didn¢t get much sleep that night. I heard and recorded some of the barking and howling at about 1:30 AM, 3:00AM, and 5:00 AM. It would only last a few minutes and then they¢d be quiet again for a couple of hours. (If anyone wants to hear these sound clips, I could probably e-mail them to you or post them somewhere.)        If I get into a tight spot and I know it, I¢m going to have my camera turned on. If anything were to happen, just locate my camera and take a look at the last file or two! Once in Virginia, I got a little bit off the trail, which I later realized followed the ridge above some steep, rocky slabs. Not seeing where I was supposed to go, I started across the slabs and soon was about 20¢ vertically down from where I should have been. I took a picture and recorded a sound clip when I realized I made a mistake and was now in a precarious position: it was a long way down if I was to slip, and it was unsafe to climb up. I had to backtrack to where I had gone wrong. But, I still have the camera files from that moment.
Date: 2005-06-14
To: Race Mountain, MA
Miles today: 0.0

BugsBugs have been around since I started in February, but they hadn¢t paid me any attention until the beginning of May in Harper¢s Ferry, W.Va, where I noticed for the first time mosquitoes. Even in winter give ants a warm and some bare ground and they¢ll be out and about. With the June being fairly steamy ¢ temperatures of 80 ¢ 90 degrees and high humidity nearly every day- insect activity has naturally increased, and appears to pick up a bit with each added day of weather conditions that suit them. If you¢re in town or some other wide, open area on a muggy day, it may feel uncomfortable, but you might be surprised at the ferocity of the bugs once you step into the woods, and particularly when you¢re near water.        You¢ll see, hear, and occasionally feel the bites of flies and mosquitoes. But, both appear to be rather slow and dumb. If one door of your tent is unzipped, and you¢re not inside, some of them find their way in, but seemingly as a result of their random wanderings, rather than through any kind of clever intent. With the door unzipped, I herd them outwards, like so many cattle.        You won¢t hear or feel ticks, but have to regularly look for them and pluck them off.        Ants are the most impressive, particularly the black ones about 1/3¢ in size. They move quickly to exploit opportunities. In the few minutes that my backpack is sitting on the ground while I pitch my tent, a couple will invariably climb on board. I always lift, shake, and brush off the pack before bringing it inside my tent. If I don¢t, they¢ll gain critical entry, much like the soldiers hiding inside the Trojan Horse. They usually keep moving on and around the outside of the tent. If the door is left unzipped one minute, one would probably get in. They¢re fast and they¢re absolute powerhouses. I¢ve seen them carrying larvae larger than themselves, up vertical rock. They¢ll run up and down the tent walls at about the same speed, giving no indication that climbing takes any more effort than descending; they don¢t seem to get tired.        Gnats are truly pesty. They have this gnasty desire to fly right into your eyes. At first I thought it might have been just unfortunate clumsiness, but it became clear that it¢s intentional. As you walk along, they travel with you, hovering inches from your eyes, until the moment they choose to dive in, kamikaze-like. I¢m not sure if they¢re a problem gnationally, or just in these parts. (People from Gnashville: do you bug you too?) Gnaturally, I¢ve considered various ways of thwarting them. One is to close the eye they are hovering around; with the other eye you can see when they¢ve left. Another is to blink just as they are coming in, forcing them into a collision with your eyelid. If you squint, you¢re safe too; your eyelashes create a barrier they can¢t or won¢t penetrate. Best of all is to wear glasses, which is what I¢m doing. Glasses completely eliminate gnats as a gnuisance, thus taking take care of about 14 of the pests you encounter when walking in hot weather. That was egnough relief to give me satisfaction
Date: 2005-07-27
To: Suzanne (Su) Bodnar Lynch
Miles today: 0.0

To Tom's, NO.11's readers, I've never been one to wait for an invitation and I certainly believe in giving credit where credit is due. Todd, the last invited guest entry, quit after 4 entries. I am the new transcriber. Many of you know me, but if you don't, I'm Tom's younger sister. I think I may have been mentioned a few times through his adventures, but I am the sole keeper of all journals now!! Please look through carefully, I am putting them in by date; at least I hope they fall in that order. If you think I have no time, so that I am able to do this, think again. I hve four children, three in college and one in Middle School. I have a cat, rabbit, 2 hamsters, 2 gerbils, a bird, and at last count about 6 fish. Unfortunately I have chronic pain disorder and have been diagnosed recently with seizure disorder/epilepsy. Fortunately I get to live through his adventures in a way that no one else can. I feel a close kinship to Tom for allowing me to assist him in this way and I will be the first to cheer when he makes it to the end for I love him so!!! If any of you want to share your adventures with me, I'm home. Enjoy the journals. Read them once or twice or you'll miss the really good stuff!! Good hiking to all on the At and PCT!!         Su
Date: 2005-08-08
From: Suzanne (Su) Bodnar Lynch

To: Now, following Tom in his backpack next adventure
Miles today: 0.0

To all readers: Hi again! I'm back to giving credit where credit is due. When I rechecked all of the entries I believe Todd did 7 not the 4 I had previously stated. But, I have done all the rest and there are plenty more to follow. I thought it would seem like an overwhelming task - there were many papers and envelopes when I began that needed to be sorted - but, believe it or not, I am enjoying this endeavor tremendously. So, I hope you enjoy it also. Tom put much humorous thought into his work!!! Take care and in Tom's words,   "HAVE FUN".      The transcriber,   Su
Date: 2005-09-02
To: Thanks!
Miles today: 0.0

Thanks a lot to my sister, Su, for entering the bulk of my journal entries! It was a lot of work and I greatly appreciate it.Thanks also to any readers I might have and to those who signed my guest book.Now off the trail, I started adding more pictures, just today getting to about a month beyond where I last left off. There is still more to go.
Date: 2005-08-31
To: Unfinished business
Miles today: 0.0

Going to go finish my Appalachian Trail hike. Officially it is classified as a section hike. However, to me it is a thruhike, just that it has taken me three years. In '03 I hiked Rockfish Gap to Mt. Katahdin. I had intended to continue, but was running late and came home to have arthroscopic knee surgery. In '04, I started south from Rockfish Gap and was rolling along until I ended up in the hospital after an encounter with some very angry yellowjackets just north of Spivey Gap.Looking forward to getting out there again.
Date: 2005-09-01
To: Pack weight
Miles today: 0.0

Finally have everything pulled together so that I can weigh it all up. Got some very interesting results and am reasonably pleased. The weight of the Big Four items (bag, pad, shelter and pack) comes in at 5 pounds 8.7 ounces. I have gone back to the poncho/tarp for shelter. I probably won't be using it much since I stay in the shelters along the trail as much as possible. Since the weather should be mild I have gone back to the Big Agnes Horse Thief 35 degree bag I used in '03 and '04. The base weight (everything except food, water and fuel) totals up to just under 15 pounds (14 lb, 13.3 oz). I had thought I would be at 14 pounds, but there kept being little things that caused a version of mission creep. I consider this a lightweight total. Not sure I can ever get to be an ultralight hiker. Still I feel pretty good about this, since it also included 1 lb, 12 oz. for my toys - GPS, cell phone, and camera with extra card and batteries.   With six days of food, fuel, quart of Gatorade and nearly a quart of water in the filter bottle, the whole thing is going to total 31.75 pounds. A bit of a load, but that will decrease toward the base weight as the supplies get used. For me this represents a load of about 17% of body weight, decreasing to less than 8%. Says that I have some room to decrease the denominator.Some people like to quote a skin out weight for everything that is worn or carried besides the pack. Never checked this out before, because you have to wear something (Hike Nude Day aside). This adds another 5 pounds 14 ounces. Beside clothes, this includes shoes, trekking poles (also used to pitch the tarp), pocket knife and large watch.
Date: 2005-09-06
To: My weight
Miles today: 0.0

When I started the trail in '03 I weighed 212 lbs. The starting photo taken at Rockfish Gap is downright embarrassing. Lost 40 pounds in four months that year. Came home with hurting knees and was inactive trying to recover. Had knee surgery after two months and then further inactivity while recovering from that. The refrigerator was way too convenient. Started in '04 weighing 204 as a result and lost 20 pounds in two months of hiking. Think I am seeing a pattern here. The PCT attempt was so short that was a wash on weight. Since returning home from that I have been walking a lot. Didn't lose as much as I wanted to, but I am starting this final piece of the AT with an official weighin of 192. Should lose 10 - 12 over the five weeks. Need to keep that off and even reduce it some more.
Date: 2005-09-08
From: Spivey Gap

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

First day back on the AT this year. Very nice day, although it looks like water sources are going to be spotty.Spent the last several days getting in position to start. Drove from home to my sister-in-law's, Linda, (also my transcriber) in Marietta, GA and stayed two nights. Drove to Amicalola to leave my truck and meet Wes Wisson for a long shuttle to Miss Janet's in Erwin, TN. Stayed at her hostel and then she shuttled me to Spivey Gap this morning. This was after cooking breakfast for me and two other hikers. Was on the trail by 9:45.Easy day mileage-wise, but I knew there was a fair amount of climbing involved. The altimeter says 2900 feet of total ascent, 1100 feet descent for a net climb of 1800 feet. Felt pretty good. Pack is as heavy as it will be with six days of supplies.Saw six other hikers today, but no one else is here in the shelter tonight. Sort of resuming last year¢s experience on shelter stays.Looking to complete the AT this year, after being rudely interrupted by some very ticked off yellow jackets. Ended up going home after a hospital stay. Check out last year¢s journal for the details.Happy First Day Trails
Date: 2005-09-09
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Hog Back Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

Another gorgeous day. Not too warm and sunny. Comfortable sleeping at night. Saw two groups. A mother/adult daughter and a group of five guys with two dogs. No one here at the shelter tonight.A 360 degree view from Big Bald, but some haze. Fairly easy walking with 2300 foot ascent and about 3100 foot descent. Dragging some the last hour and a half climbing up from Sam¢s Gap. Did a lot of walking at home this summer, but it is all flat in Corpus Christi.Non-Flat TrailsP.S. A man and a woman arrived so there will be three here tonight.
Date: 2005-09-10
From: Hog Back Ridge Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

Short day today, in anticipation of a longer one tomorrow. Got here by 12:45. Two section hikers stopped by. One of them had read my journals. They are headed for Jerry Cabin Shelter. I told them that several people had told me that there is no water there. So they loaded up on some extra. The one fellow was a novice and had advertised for a partner to section hike with.The last two nights I have hung my pack with everything that I didn¢t need overnight from a tree. Tonight I¢ve had to hang it at the shelter. You would think that in a forest full of trees that it would be easy to find a suitable tree, but it is actually rather difficult. Finding a tree with a limb sticking out that is high enough but not too high is more of a problem than it sounds.Hanging Shelter Trails
Date: 2005-09-11
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: few clouds

Another nice day. Little longer, but I made the distance in a little over 7 and a half hours including all breaks and phone calls. There was one section of about a mile that was very rocky, reminiscent of Pennsylvania, that was slow going. Not a scramble, but close. Up on an exposed ridge and there was a blue blazed bad weather bypass trail. Some nice views but too hazy for pictures.There is a good tree here, right beside the shelter for hanging the pack. But I have an even better solution for tonight. A large hunting dog has joined me. He has a radio tracking collar and ID collar with phone numbers. Tried calling the numbers, but no answer.He was coming toward me about five miles back, turned and followed me for a bit. When I stopped for a drink, he continued on ahead and I thought that was that. I get to the shelter several hours later and there he is! He has been hiking the trail and doesn¢t even need the white blazes, which, by the way, have been pretty lousy in this stretch. Fed him a few of my food items, so I have a best buddy. Problem will be to get rid of him when the time comes.Found a yellow clog like camp shoe on the trail just after starting out this morning. I know it belongs to one of the hikers that stopped at the shelter yesterday. I have carried it all day on the chance I would run into them again, but I didn¢t. Not sure if I¢ll leave it here or take it to Hot Springs.This weather has been great. No way I can expect this to hold for the entire five weeks. Maybe I¢ll get lucky and have it just rain when I am zeroing.Just realized that it is Sept 11. Besides the national symbolism of that date, this is when we summitted Katahdin two years ago. ¢ Aloha Ann, Gutsy, Coffee and myself. Great personal memories.Hound Dog Trails.
Date: 2005-09-12
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

Since today was short, I turned off the alarms and tried to sleep in. Still woke fairly early and was going a little after 8 a.m. My faithful companion (see yesterday¢s entry) was right on my heels.We got to a dirt road and there were two guys out for an exercise walk. When I told them what was going on with the dog, they offered to take the dog to a nearby neighbor¢s house, that was visible, and contact the owner. Solves that problem in a positive manner for everyone.The ALDHA entry for this shelter says it was built in 1938 and it looks every bit of that. Imagine, a shelter that is older than me. Water source is down the hill about 100 yards. The weather has been great, but you can tell that the water sources are slowing down. Got here abut 1 p.m. Another hiker came through and is camping further south. A minister with five kids.Supplies have worked out just right. Out of almost everything and pack is much lighter. Pack is now too big for what I have left to carry.Old Shelter Trails
Date: 2005-09-13
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Elmer's, Hot Springs
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Nothing like a light pack to put a spring in your step. That and a net 2000 foot descent. But the real reasons are that there is a shower, bed, laundry and a meal cooked by somebody else waiting. I am staying at Elmer¢s which is one of those trail institutions that everyone must experience at least once. Sort of like the Doyle in Duncannon, although not quite. There is nothing quite like the Doyle.Hot Springs is a neat little town. Everything is a close, easy walk. The trail runs right through the town. Hope the AT conference doesn¢t screw this up by trying to route the trail out of town, like was done in Monson. Probably this is the only place to cross the river for some distance, so that is not an option.Been to the post office for my mail drop and to mail journals, to the outfitters for some more Aqua Mira and a new shirt and to the USFS office for my backcountry permit. Showered, shaved, snacked up and the laundry is just finishing. Not sure if Elmer¢s is doing dinner tonight, but I understand the caf© has good food.Had a most excellent meal at the Smoky Mountain Diner. Need to sort through the mail drop box. Think I have too much food and some big climbs ahead. Tradoffs, always tradeoffs.Trail Town, Good Town
Date: 2005-09-14
From: Elmer's, Hot Springs

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: clear sky

As warm as it has been, as I left Hot Springs this afternoon at 1:30. Got a little cooler as I entered the woods and climbed higher. I am doing a ¢nero¢ (near zero), a term of the art that I picked up last year. This gives me a start on tomorrow by 3.2 miles and 1000 feet of elevation. Cuts tomorrow down to a more manageable size. Pack is full again.I had breakfast with Elmer, just he and I, as I was the only guest. Left a couple of the Enertia dehydrated entrees in the hiker box and a shirt. There was a recent sci-fi best of book in the hiker box. I read about half of the first story while eating lunch at the diner again and I was laughing out loud. I debated bringing the book, but it weighed about two pounds. So I mailed it home. Just have to finish the story later.The shelter here is another one of those 1938 CCC built ones. No one else is here as usual. Hope there are some folks in the Smokies.Non-Book Trails