morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-12-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

One of my favorite hikers I met on the trail was Joe the Hiker from Houston. One of my favorite hikers in the Bible is Joe the Carpenter, also known as "the supposed father of Jesus" (Luke 3:23). He gets pretty lost in the Christmas story as not much is written or known about him. We are told that he was a "just man." He was probably around 20 years old when he was chosen to be the "supposed father of Jesus." Being chosen for such a task really changed his quiet life as a carpenter in the small, remote village of Nazareth. After the birth of Jesus he had to flee, probably by foot, with his wife and baby 800 miles round trip to Egypt. He then settled in Nazareth. As a carpenter he would be expected to teach carpentry to Jesus beginning at age 12. The Gospel of Mark states that Jesus was also known as a carpenter. Interestingly, the original word for carpenter, "tekton," is a broad term meaning "a craftsman." It could be one who works with wood or stone. Many scholars believe that Joseph and Jesus were more likely stone masons since houses and most structures in the area were made of stone. Another reason is that at the time Joseph and Jesus lived in Nazareth, King Agrippa was rebuilding a beautiful Greco-Roman capital city named Sepphoris; just three miles from Nazareth. Agrippa would have forcefully employed all quality tektons in the area to work on his Galilee capital city. I have hiked from Nazareth to Sepphoris through fields, woods and abandoned stone quarries where stones were quarried to rebuild the city. It is not easy terrain. It is very likely that Joseph hiked to Sepphoris and back 6 days a week to work. He would have been carrying his tools and food for the day in some sort of pack. My point is that Joseph would have related well to hikers. If he worked in Sepphoris that means he hiked six miles a day, 36 miles a week and 1,852 miles a year. The last mention of Joseph in the Bible was when Jesus was 12. Life was hard and life expectancy was short. Life as a stone mason would have been especially hard. Joseph would have been very strong physically and a strong hiker. When we see depictions of Joseph at Christmas I think we should imagine him much like a thru-hiker, except with arms and shoulders unlike us scrawny shouldered thru-hikers. Maybe his trail name was Joe the Hiker.
Date: 2013-12-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I got to wondering how far Jesus walked during his time on earth. Thankfully, a man named Arthur Blessett had already done the research. Arthur is quite a walker himself. He holds the Guinness Record for the longest walk. He has walked over 40,000 miles carrying a 12-foot cross. He claims from his studies of the Gospels that Jesus walked more than 21,000 miles. His earliest long walk is believed to be the 400-mile trip back to Nazareth from Egypt when he was perhaps 5 or 6 years old. Whatever the cumulative distance, we do know that he is constantly seen walking many miles over difficult terrain throughout the Gospels.However, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are celebrating the Son of God leaving heaven, coming to earth and becoming flesh. How far was that journey? His hardest walk was less than a mile from Pilate's headquarters in Jerusalem to Calvary outside the city gates. He was able to slack pack as Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry his cross.Followers of Jesus believe that he rose from the dead, walked the earth for 40 days, ascended into heaven, and will one day return to once again walk upon the earth as King. Now that's a thru -hike!
Date: 2013-12-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Many thru-hikers from the class of 2013 had the privilege of coming across Fresh Ground. Fresh Ground drove remote roads close to the trail, following a "bubble" of hikers and serving up fabulous trail magic. I met up with him four times! He was a true Trail Angel as he warmed us up with hot food and drinks during the cold and snowy first couple months of the hike. His North Carolina accent, continuous talk and contagious laughter warmed us up as well. An accomplished and very knowledgeable hiker himself, he knew hikers' needs and always provided a place to sit and rest while he tried to get us to eat another hot dog. Inconspicuously placed in the background would always be a plastic covered paper sign. Roughly scrawled on it were the words of Jesus: "Come unto me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest." He would gladly share with you the story of his rough past and how he came to cast that heavy burden on Jesus. It was evident to all who met him that Fresh Ground had gone through a "shakedown" in life, was "traveling light" and had come to find rest and joy in life. I know if Fresh Ground were to add a few words to this post he would say, as he did on the trail, "All thanks goes to Jesus; I'm just grateful to get to serve hikers."
Date: 2013-12-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16. These words from Jeremiah are worthy of serious reflection as we enter the new year. To stand is a summons to a traveler to stop and think about their journey. We as travelers of life have a new year ahead of us; we are at a crossroads. It is a good time to stop, stand and ask ourselves some serious questions. Questions such as how is the journey going, where is this path taking me, and is this the path I want to remain on? We should also ask those who are traveling well where the ancient (eternal) paths are. Walking those ancient paths will with time prove to be the good paths that bring rest to weary souls.AT hikers know how important it is to stay on the path marked out by white blazes. Followers of Jesus have found that the ancient paths blazed in the Bible are the paths that prove to be "the good way." Let's commit to traveling those paths. No blue blazing in 2014!
Date: 2013-12-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

An interesting conversation takes place between Alice and the Cat in "Alice in Wonderland." Alice, upon coming to a fork in the road, asks the Cat, "Would you tell me please which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," says the Cat."I don't much care where," replies Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," says the Cat.AT thru-hikers come to forks on the trail. Since they are committed to reaching Katahdin it matters greatly to them which way they go. Life itself is a pilgrimage for all of us. If we desire to travel well and arrive at our desired destination then it is of great importance which way we go. I have found following Jesus and His teachings to be the best road to travel and recommend it to all fellow pilgrims. It matters! God bless you in 2014! Hoosier
Date: 2014-01-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hikers are obsessed with the condition of their feet. As your feet go, so goes your hike. I have seen hikers completely duct tape their feet in order to continue their hike. The New Testament records over 13,000 miles of the Apostle Paul's journeys, much of it on foot. He did so in order to spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman world. He didn't have merino wool socks, gortex boots with vibrum soles or duct tape. I assume he wore the best shoes or sandals available at the time. Still, I'm sure he often suffered from foot problems. He never mentions the condition of his feet but rather his purpose in walking. He writes in Ephesians 6 that followers of Jesus should have their feet shod with readiness to share the good news of peace with God through Jesus Christ. As Paul traveled and preached he also strove to live a life that would draw people to his message. Many years later St. Francis of Assisi spoke of the importance of a winsome life as well when he stated that "walking to preach is useless unless our walking is preaching."
Date: 2014-01-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The story goes that a first-century rabbi was walking after dark and being deep in thought took a wrong turn. Without realizing it he came upon a sentry guarding a Roman military outpost. Hearing footsteps the sentry yelled out,"Who goes there and where are you going?" The rabbi did not reply. Again, the sentry yelled out even louder,"Who goes there and where are you going?" This time the rabbi called back "I am a rabbi who took a wrong turn,but how much do you get paid for asking those questions?" "Ten denarius a day", the sentry gruffly replied , "why?" The Rabbi responded, "Because I will pay you double your salary if you stand outside my door and ask me those same questions each morning."The wise rabbi realized how important is is to know who we are and where we are going in life. It is also very important on the AT to remember that you are a thru-hiker and headed to Katahdin. Trail names are helpful as they are constant reminders of who you are and define your new identity on the trail. It is also crucial that each morning as thru-hikers break camp and hit the trail that they get back on the right path , going in the right direction and remember their destination. Off trail the same holds true. We must remember who we are , stay on the right path and keep focused on our ultimate destination.
Date: 2014-01-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Most people are surprised to find that the term "Christian" is mentioned only three times in the entire Bible. Acts 11 states that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. It is believed the term was used derogatorily when referring to the "Christ Ones." The second use of the term is found in Acts 26 where King Agrippa mockingly says to Paul, who was on trial before him, "Do you expect to persuade me to become a Christian?"Then Peter writes in 1 Peter 4: "If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." Although Peter does state that believers should not be ashamed of the name Christian, we find that Christians referred to themselves by another term. Jesus had called himself "The Way" and his followers called themselves followers of "the Way." In Acts 9 Saul went to Damascus hoping to find those who belonged to "the Way" in order to bring them to Jerusalem to stand trial. Later in Acts 19 we find Saul, now a believer, going by the name Paul, living in Ephesus and proclaiming the message he once so strongly opposed. Opponents of his message spoke evil of "the Way" and a great disturbance erupted concerning "the Way."In Acts 22 Paul states he used to persecute "the Way" but he now worships God according to "the Way." Lastly, Acts 24 states that Felix had a rather accurate knowledge of "the Way."Why would I bring this up and elaborate on it? In earlier journal entries I have shared that in the Bible the word "walk" is the most used metaphor to describe life. It seems that the best way to understand and live the Christian faith is to realize it is a way of live by which followers of Jesus, "The Way," strive to walk a particular path of life that Jesus lived and taught. I have found that thinking of life as a long-distance walk has been extremely helpful in trying to live life well.
Date: 2014-01-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today I received a journal response which succinctly states why I kept the online journal and continued posting entries even after completing the trail. David from Florida wrote:"Really enjoy your trail journal. As a fellow follower of The Way, I have received great encouragement to stay on the path." Praise God! I want to thank all of you who have followed the journey and my musings about how life on the trail translates to our lives off trail. Your responses have been a tremendous encouragement to me. I hope to publish the journal as a devotional book for hikers sometime later this year.This will be my last entry about my AT thru-hike. However, I am currently preparing to hike the Jesus Trail in Israel beginning in late March. I will be posting entries as I prepare for and hike the trail. I am currently checking to see if I can just continue the journal here or if I need to establish a new journal listed under the Jesus Trail. If you care to follow along, please go to my 2014 Hiking journal which is listed at the left and is up and running.God bless and Happy Trails!Hoosier
Date: 2013-02-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I've been so excited for this trip! But as the day gets closer I get more nervous than excited. Up until now it's seemed more like just a dream than a reality. But the plane ticket is booked. I have most of the gear. The sleeping bag I ordered isn't even available until the 16th so it should come in soon after that. I've just decided on a hammock but haven't purchased it yet because I was agonizing over the decision. I'm not looking forward to testing the gear outside. In February. In Maine. But if I survive that than Georgia will be a piece of cake. Okay, that's a lie, but I'm going to (try) to be optimistic!
Date: 2013-02-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I feel like such a slacker! With some new information I'm still agonizing over which hammock to buy. Weight vs. price. If I still had my old job money wouldn't be an issue but money is tight considering it'll be 5-6 months without a job. I've been reading up on 2013 journals, trying to get a feel for who will be out there and I'm thinking I definitely need to up my physical preparation! I go to the gym and do various workouts but I really need to strap on my backpack and just go walk lots of miles. It's hard to find the time because I'm getting as many hours as possible between 3 jobs just to support this undertaking. I'd LOVE to do a few shakedown hikes...but time is again the issue. Well besides the fact that February in Maine is fairly brutal. I'm trying to mentally prepare for at least some hiking in the snow but I hate being cold! I'll keep my fingers crossed for a warm spring...
Date: 2013-02-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Wow. An apple, a kiwi, 3 bananas, and a box of strawberries. Dried fruit DIY style. If they've maintained their calorie content I'm going to have no problem getting enough calories on the trail. In other news, I got a card in the mail that said the sleeping bag I'd ordered was back ordered until March 4th...When I called they told me that it wouldn't actually be available until the 23rd! What to do? It had taken me forever to choose a sleeping bag. They were able to cancel my order and I checked other sites for the same bag. Backcountry.com had it - and at a cheaper price! When I called with my fingers crossed, they had it in stock! My oh sh** moment turned into a blessing in disguise. Now if the dang thing would just arrive I'd feel a whole lot better.
Date: 2013-02-28
To: Hiker hostel, Suches, GA
Miles today: 0.0

The flight went well. No problems and found the train with ease. It was a cold 30 minute wait for the shuttle. I expected GA to be warmer! Met Sam, a nice kid on a year of between high school and college. He's an experienced hiker and I might never see him again! It was a long drive up to the hostel. They've converted their house so it's not that big but its beautiful. Very new looking with a country/rustic design. Slept in a room with the couple Escargo and Snowman and I've been grateful for their plentiful advice. Snowman completed a thru in 2001 I believe and this is the 3rd or 4th attempt with his wife. They're hopeful for no injuries this year. Simmeron was also with us. He'd taken a spill on the mountain and had to come back. He's 89 years old! 4th attempt at a thru though in 2003 he made it all the way to New Hampshire only to be stopped by hurricane Irene. He's trying to set a new record. The oldest thru hiker is 82. He's going to rest up a week or two and give it another go. Not sure how many of us are here total. 10 are starting at Springer Mountain and 1 is doing the approach trail tomorrow. I decided to skip it because it doesn't count towards total miles and its a butt kicking. We'll be driven to a parking lot and have to back track a mile on the trail to start at the beginning of the AT and sign the log book. And then the advenure begins!
Date: 2013-03-01
From: Hiker hostel, Suches, GA

To: Hawk Mountain shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The bed was comfortable but I tossed and turned all night. Nerves? Bag is packed. Total weight: 46 pounds...oops....too much food and water. At least it's consumable! The hostel made an awesome breakfast and we were on our way. Got to the top of Springer and took some pictures. Forgot to sign the register! That sucked but there was no way I was backtracking. Twisted my ankle early in the day but it feels okay. I hiked with Journey and Silverfox most of the day. Journey completed a thru in 2003 and is back 10 years later to do it again. There's a 10 year reunion group out hiking that all thru hiked in '03 and I met the infamous Jan Liteshoe! I loved reading her trail journal while prepping for my hike. She also wrote a book about her hike on the Long Trail called "The Ordinary Adventure". Took a side trail to Long Creek Falls and it was beautiful. Had our first trail magic later in the day. Trail magic on the first day? Can't get much luckier than that! The miles were easy today. I ate SO much food for dinner even though I'm not hungry just to get rid of weight. My muscles are cramping a bit but not bad. Met a couple thru hiking with their dog Charlie. He's so cute! Gray jay gave me a shot of honey burbon to warm up from the inside out because I'm cold. It was so good! Hotdog also gave me some hand warmers because I thought I packed some and apparently didn't. Everyone has been so generous! There's about 30 people here tonight. I'm sleeping in the shelter tonight because I know I'll be freezing in my hammock. Goodnight!
Date: 2013-03-02
From: Hawk Mountain shelter

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 4.2

Well last night was freezing. I was warm after an hour and a half of hand warmer therapy on my legs but I just couldn't get comfortable. Eventually when I fell asleep I woke up having a panic attack because my face mask was completely coming my face, I couldn't find the opening to my sleeping bag and I was tangled in the liner. The second time I fell asleep, I woke up to a mouse crawling across my head. It was all I could do to hold in the scream and just shake it off. From that point on I checked my watch every 15 minutes until it was time to get up. Got maybe 2 hours of sleep total? Started shivering around 5am. I guess it got down to 12 degrees last night. Got up as soon as the sun was out. Hard getting out of my bag but it wasn't that bad once I started moving around. Right before we left, Jesse and Mike came in, two guys from North Carolina. Jesse is bringing his feret with him the whole way. I hiked with Brooke (Powder Puff) and Danielle (Mini Pearl) today. It snowed almost all day. The climbing was harder, but still do-able. We were trying to make Gooch Gap but when we stopped at Cooper Gap to set up a hostel for that night the guy told us to wait there to be picked up. There was trail magic in the form of clean water. 2 days running! I really wanted to get more miles in but I guess its worth it to be able to spend the next 2 nights in town and avoid the freezing temps. Tonight is supposed to be colder and I heard rumors of single digits on Sunday. Jesse and Mike decided to come with us into town. It was an hour ride into Blairsville. He charged us $15 per person which I thought was a bit much because the were 5 of us. I hate spending 2 nights in town so early on but 10 hours is a long time to just sit and shiver in your sleeping bag. We'll try to make up some miles when we get back on the trail.
Date: 2013-03-03
From: Blairsville, GA

To: Blairsville, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Slept wonderfully and hung out in the hotel this morning because nothing in this town is open till after 12 on Sundays because of church. What a cute little town! Had biscuits and gravy for lunch at the "Hole in the Wall". Then we made Jesse and Mike get their lazy butts out of bed and go to the grocery store with us. A nice woman saw us walking in, and found us in the grocery store to give us a ride back to the hotel because it's so cold outside. Thanks Monique! You've officially become a trail angel. Trail magic every day so far! Even on a zero day! Wow.Still trying to get a ride to the trail tomorrow morning. Hopefully early. We'll shoot for 12 miles and depending on how much daylight we have left, go for 20. Excited to get back to the trail!
Date: 2013-03-04
From: Cooper Gap

To: Lance Creek Campground
Miles today: 12.0

The same guy came and picked us up at the hotel this morning. Didn't like paying another $15 but that was our only option. Got on the trail by 9-9:30. Had a big climb at first and Brooke's knee was really hurting her. Eventually Danielle and I took off. Danielle's blisters were killing her so she took off her shoes and hiked the last 7 miles in my flip flops which she said felt amazing on her feet. I was surprised how fast she could hike in them. We had some amazing vistas today. Spectacular. And trail magic 4 days running! Fresh Ground - a section hiker - was set up at Woody Gap with hot dogs, chips, sweets, and cocoa for hikers. Yum! We did 12 miles today and my legs feel great! Only two big climbs and a bunch of PUDS (pointless ups and downs) in between but still nice to be moving up mileage wise. We made it to the campground around 5 and set up. Brooke, Jesse, and Mike came in about an hour later. Jesse's new trail name is 2pack because he carried Brooke's pack most of the day. WOW.Hung out at a camp fire and met some new people including a woman from Colorado with the trail name Moxie. I happened to be wearing my Moxie t-shirt and she took a picture with me. She had no idea it was a New England soda. I drank my first stream water! It was ice cold and delicious. Later that night the ferret was digging around in the leaves and apparently found a bat sleeping in the leaves. Who knew? It grabbed a hold of the bat but it flew off. Just another interesting day on the AT.The next two days are supposed to be rain/snow mix so a couple of fun days ahead. we'll go 5 miles to Neels Gap tomorrow and spend the night. Hopefully no more hostel nights for a while after that! Tomorrow is the biggest climb yet. Blood Mountain is the third highest peak in Georgia, and the highest point of the AT in this state.