morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Bland, VA

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1

The staff at Big Walker Inn were great and treated me very nicely. Had a DQ for dessert last night - :o). Short¢term resupply at the Dollar Store, paid bills online at the library, and mailed my notes to my special transcriber at the post office. Got back on the Trail at the intersection of US 52 and the AT. Hit a slippery spot on a downhill walk, went reeling down the trail trying to stay on my feet, spun around and headed for the drop off backwards, slammed into a tree that really hurt my left elbow, but the tree stopped me from falling off the mountain. Now, that would be great ¢ ¢AT hiker falls off mountain.¢ Saw all kinds of animal tracks in the mud of the Trail. One really big bear track. Glad I didn't meet him in person. Saw a large set of deer tracks, followed by some very small ones, must have been a doe and her fawn. Now, my elbow and my knee hurt but no rain today ¢ hurray! Now, I have hiked in the rain, hiked with pain, hiked in the sunshine in pain, all that¢s left is to hike in the sunshine with no pain ¢ that day will come. The Lord¢s Creation is awesome. The firmament really does show His handiwork. At Jenny Knob Shelter tonight with a lot of rowdy young people so I am tenting near the shelter. Hiked 12.1 miles today ¢ hallaleujah! It¢s late so I¢m headed for my tent. Good night.¢Man is meant for happiness and his happiness is in him, in the satisfaction of the daily needs of his existence.¢ ~Leo Tolstoy
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.2

Hemingway, retired Army Colonel, and Dude (Army veteran, 10th Mountain Division) were at the shelter last night. Dude is headed south, so I won¢t see him again. Will probably see Hemingway again. No rain last night ¢ nice! My right knee is doing well but my left knee has started hurting just above the kneecap, and my hips hurt at night. Man, getting old is not for sissies. Sometimes I wonder if my gait changes when I¢m carrying my pack and that¢s what is causing my knee problems. Saw some great views today. Looking down into the valley that is checkered boarded with farms and homes. Still lots of mud and I slipped pretty badly again but not close to the edge of the mountain. My boots are just about shot. I don¢t know if they will make it to Catawba. The sole is flopping because the complete side has separated ¢ on both of them. As I hiked today, I gave a lot of thought to thru ¢ hiking and the things I¢m missing in my life. I have decided that a thru-hike is not for me. I miss my wife so much. I would much rather be with her. Right now, I¢ll miss two daughters and their families as they visit the farm in Vermont. I¢m missing out on a lot of things that are extremely important to me. I¢ll finish Virginia and then head for the farm. I¢ll complete Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts with Sam. I¢ve enjoyed all the hiking I¢ve done to date and will finish the AT in sections, but no thru-hike. The really important things in life are my wife and my family!Tonight at the shelter are Splash and Head First, a brother and sister, and Ron Burgundy, who is a hoot! I believe Hemingway stayed at Trent¢s campground tonight. Itchy, a retired Marine is here, too. He has really had some adventures since he retired ¢ tried to canoe the Mississippi River and was swamped by a barge¢s wake. A bear has been coming to the shelter according to the shelter register. We all have our food bags hung high in the trees. Met a hiker who is really taking his time (4 months to get to Trent¢s campground) His name is ¢Poet¢ ¢ a rhyme anytime. It¢s getting dark so I¢ll rebandage my blisters and get ready for my bed. Sweet dreams all. Hiked 14.2 miles on the AT today and another 1.6 miles down to Trent¢s Grocery and campground for a total of 15.8 for the day ¢ sore knees, blisters and all.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 7.2

I decided to take some notes as I hiked because, by the end of the day, I¢m usually too tired or too distracted to remember the things I wanted to write about. Yesterday, I was hiking through some meadows with grass waist high on both sides when I spotted a copperhead in the trail. I wasn¢t about to hike through the grass where his mother and daddy might be. I poked him with a stick, pushed him, but he would just strike at the stick or raise his head and stick his tongue out. I had to get by, so I opened my gas bottle and threw a little Coleman fuel at him and he took off. Ran into Foot Step¢s grouse today and it liked to have scared me to death - - flapping off like its wing was broken. Have now hiked Old Bushy Mountain and all three of his brothers! Found a tick on leg but got him off before he dug in for a meal, probably from the grass meadows. Saw Shades of Blue and Nightingale again. They are a very nice young couple that I have seen a couple of times. Arrived at Woods Hole Hostel and it was awesome ¢ just as the AT Journeys magazine article had described it. Grow most of their own food, have chickens and goats, and heat with wood ¢ very much back to nature. Sleeping in the bunkhouse tonight with Hemmingway, Itchy, and Wilderness. Lights out, see you tomorrow. The Lord is good!
Date: 2013-06-22
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Holy Family Hostel
Miles today: 10.4

This morning we had hot coffee and home made pumpkin bread for breakfast, courtesy of the hostel. I enjoyed hiking and taking in our Lord¢s creation, but it is sure great to hike with Sam. He has some wonderful stories and he has a way of keeping you motivated. Next year, I¢ll be hiking with him if he has the time. The views today were picture perfect ¢ clear and sunny and you could see for miles and miles, absolutely awesome. What a Lord we serve! Hiked into Pearisburg with Itchy. He¢s staying at motel, but I caught a shuttle up to the Holy Family Hostel operated by the Holy Family Catholic Church. The rocks, again, were awfully hard on my feet and they have just about totally destroyed what was left of my boots. I will probably get a shuttle up to Catawba to pick up my new boots that I ordered from Sierra Trading Post. Hemmingway, retired Army Colonel, and Turn Around, a nurse from Orlando, are staying at the Hostel. Had a shower, ate a potpie, and will head for my rack ¢ pleasant dreams.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Holy Family Hostel

To: Holy Family Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Staying at the Hostel and enjoying the Lord¢s day. As I sit on the porch, I can see the mountains and blue, blue sky and marvel at His creation. Going to get a shuttle up to Catawba to pick up my drop box and my boots tomorrow. Will take a nap and enjoy the Sabbath. Another note, no rain for the past couple of days. Hemingway and Turn Around left this morning. Made-It was supposed to hike in today, but I haven¢t seen him. Had the Hostel all to myself. Sure do miss my wife.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Holy Family Hostel

To: Holy Family Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Another zero day as I wait on my new hiking boots. The rain and rocks (forget about the Pennsylvania rocks) sure worked on my old boots ¢ the sole has completely come loose, and there are holes in the bottom. Walked into town to use the computer at the library and saw Rafiki and his lady. When I got back, ¢Made It¢ had shown up, so I¢ll have some company tonight. Called the Catawba Post Office and Jeremy told me it should be no problem with UPS delivering my boots to them ¢ hope so! The sky was overcast this morning (more rain?) but it is very blue this afternoon, with huge marshmallow clouds. The heavens do declare His glory! Will make a spinach salad tonight for dinner. Staying put like this, waiting on my boots, sure makes me homesick. I¢ve got to get hiking again. More later.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Holy Family Hostel

To: Catawba Post Office then Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 4.4

Said good-bye to ¢Made It¢ and ¢Hemingway¢ this morning, they caught a shuttle up to Waynesboro so they could hike the Shenandoah¢s together. ¢Made-It¢ and I had a good time at the hostel. We were the only hikers there. I was able to talk to him about my faith, Christ, and the truth of His gospel message. He is a fine young man and I wish him well.Yahoo! Got my new hiking boots but had to get a shuttle ride from the Catawba Post Office to the UPS center in Roanoke, VA. They fit right out of the box and have felt great all day. The trail is no longer slippery like a snail¢s tail, and there was no rain, so I really enjoyed the hike today. Went out on McAfee Knob and the vistas were absolutely breath taking. Sat out on the knob for several minutes just looking. Staying at Campbell Shelter and unless some hikers show up after dark, I¢ll be here by myself. Critter sightings today included a red winged black bird, a grouse, and a little fawn that still had its spots and wobbly legs. It was so cute! Joe Morriss from the Four Pines Hostel was the man that shuttled me into Roanoke ($1 a mile ¢ round trip - $26). As I watch the sun set, I think of how good and awesome and loving our God is. Time for the sack ¢ good night.¢Seek the first possible opportunity to act on every good resolution you make.¢ ~William James
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.4

Had the shelter all to myself last night. In fact, I saw only one hiker all day long ¢ Ohenn from Germany ¢ before I arrived at the shelter. Lots of wind last night ¢ snapped off a huge limb on a tree behind the shelter. Got off to an early start and had some magnificent views from Tinker Cliffs. I felt right at home on the Cliffs as my nickname as a child was Tinker. :o) Critter sightings ¢ I always see squirrels and rabbits so I don¢t list those. Saw my first bear today. It was on the mountain above me and walking parallel to the trail. Saw another fawn with all its spots ¢ they are so cute! Later saw a doe. I walked right into a severe thunderstorm as I hiked along Hay Rock and Tinker Ridge ¢ rain, lightning, and very strong winds. I¢m up about 2,000 feet, on a ridge of rocks, and lightning popping all around. When I had a flash and an instantaneous boom (no one-mississippi between the flash and the boom), I went to the side of the ridge as far as I could and just sat in the rain for about an hour. I started hiking when most of the lightning seemed to have abated. Saw two trees right on the trail that had been struck by lightning and two big trees that had been blown down across the trail ¢ had to do some trail blazing to get around them. As I entered Daleville, my new boots were soaked and so was I. Haven¢t seen Wilderness, Itchy, Shades of Blue, or Nightengale for several days. In fact, I hiked all day and saw only two south bound hikers. The forecast is for rain throughout the week and thru the weekend. This hike is no longer fun. It has turned into more of an endurance test and that¢s not what I came out here to do. I¢m thinking I will hike into Bearwallow Gap (VA Hwy 43) and get a shuttle up to the Shenandoah¢s, hike them, and go home. That sounds good to me. More later so stay tuned.PS ¢ Had my first fall today, making a turn, my poles were up, my foot caught on something, and down I went. Face right into the dirt. Sure glad I was not in the rocks!
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Daleville, VA

To: Fullhordt Shelter
Miles today: 5.0

Slept well last night. It rained, and rain is forecasted for today. In fact, rain is forecasted through next Monday. Met a couple of South Bounders ¢ Mess, Belay, and Gift Box. During the day, I generally hike alone. If I do see anybody it is usually a south bounder or a local section hiker. The hikers I met earlier have either jumped ahead to the Shenandoah¢s or gotten off the trail. Even though rain makes the hiking a little more difficult, I see the Lord¢s hand in it as He waters the earth. I like hiking in the rain. It is cooling and invigorating. What I don¢t like is setting up and taking down camp in the rain (wet tent probably adds 2 lbs to your pack weight) and hiking the trail when it is a flowing stream. It rained today just as forecast, but it didn¢t last long. I believe I would enjoy hiking more if Sam were here, or Mike and Ken or even old Steve Whittle. :o) At first, I was the only one at the shelter, and I get homesick when that happens. Later, thre hikers (Caveman Chris, Fire Hydrant, and Blue Bird) showed up. Then about dusk, three or four SOBO¢s showed up. Got two names ¢ Belay and Gift Box ¢ met them in Daleville. They had jumped ahead to Daleville to meet family and went back to hike the section they missed. Not raining, campfire burning, getting dark, time for bed, Good night :o)
Date: 2003-01-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hello from Diane. In just a little over two months we will begin our hike! It's hard to believe how quickly time is passing and there's still so much to be done. A wonderful young couple and their baby daughter will be living in our house while we're gone. It's good to know the house will be cared for and that our golden retriever, Elly, probably won't even miss us as long as they throw the ball for her and give her lots of dog treats. I'm sure the neighbors will also pay extra attention to Elly while we're gone (lump in throat). A fellow hiker and friend, Tamara (Ladybug), provided lots of good advice about hiking from a woman's standpoint when I visited her recently. She and her husband, Milton (Humbug), have hiked portions of the AT. After looking over her equipment and clothes, I decided to get Frog Togg jackets for all of us and a Cocoon silk liner for my sleeping bag. Thanks, Ladybug.Our Pocketmails arrived last week. Bob and I will share one and Christine will have her own. My friend and neighbor, Billie, has graciously agreed to post our journal. Without such wonderful friends, it would be so difficult to make this hike a reality. Other than a few small items just ordered from REI, we have our equipment. Christine, on the other hand, has virtually no equipment other than her Stephenson Warmlite tent and a sleeping bag (which I won from Backpacker Magazine at Traildays 2000). She's still working on the expedition cruise ship now located in Baja CA and won't get home until the third week of February. It should be pretty hectic around here then. Fortunately, she is very familiar with hiking gear having worked at Trail & Ski in Tallahassee FL.She hopes to make a journal entry soon.My knee healed nicely since surgery in November and I'm back at the gym trying to strengthen it more. If there's any such thing as a "quota" on accidents, I hope I've met it before our hike begins. Just before Christmas I ran into our sliding glass door on my way outside to the BBQ grill. The result was a goose egg on my forehead, an injured nose,split upper lip, bruise on my post-surgical knee and a misaligned front tooth. I sat with one bag of frozen peas on my forehead and one on my knee while Bob ate the ill-fated steak (he felt bad about it). We enjoy reading other 2003 AT journals and look forward to meeting you along the way. Our excitement is building day by day and we can't wait to begin this amazing adventure.
Date: 2003-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Since we have most of our gear now, we decided to make a few entries on the Gear List today. It isn't complete, so we'll add more items soon. As you can see from the list, we are not ultra-lite backpackers. Our motto is, "Go slow, rest well." About one-half of the time spent on the trail is in camp. This is as much a part of the hiking experience as the walk itself and we want to enjoy this part of our journey as well. The equipment we have is the lightest we can find without sacrificing comfort and durability. You may notice I'm using a lot of the same equipment I had during my 1999 AT thru hike. The quality of this gear proved itself. Less than 2 months to go!   See you up the trail. Bob
Date: 2003-01-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hi, this is Christine. I haven t had a chance to sit down at the computer and type an entry since I ve been out at sea. I ve stopped in port and had the opportunity to write but couldn t bear the thought of sitting inside an internet shop during my time off. Now, I m in Mexico with just 3 short weeks left in my 6 month contract as a steward aboard a small eco tourisim ship. It has been an amazing experience from Alaska all the way down to Baja. I've met a lot of people who have offered my parents and myself a place to stay along the trail. I'm sad to see this experience come to an end, but I CAN NOT WAIT for the trail. I think and talk about it all the time. I'm sure the rest of the crew is now very educated on the AT and have also developed quite the interest in a thru hike. I have been hiking almost every day here in the dry rocky hills of Baja California Sur. It is amazing with the cacti and lose footing. I've definately got the scratches to proove that! I'm pretty impressed with my up hill endurance. The hills are quite steep and I believe they are good training! The down hills will literally throw you down the side of the hill. It is so steep and rocky, it is testing my confidence in my downhill abilities, but I guess it just takes time! When I get home in mid February I will spend everyday until we leave packing, unpacking, shopping, and packing again. I'm getting nervous about the amount of time I've left myself for preparation [buying all the items] but I know it will all come together. Well, I'm going to leave this smoltering hot internet shop and look for something cool to drink in the shade! I will start with an equipment list soon. PS HI MOM AND DAD!! I'M STILL ALIVE! I LOVE Y'ALL
Date: 2003-01-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Only seven weeks to Springer Mountain and the beginning of a long-awaited journey. We've added some pictures using our new scanner. We are so electronically challenged, we never thought we'd learn how to use it and now we can't stop. We'll save some picture space for our upcoming hike. We're enjoying everyone's journals. Take care and see you up the trail!
Date: 2003-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Only 35 days left until our hike begins! Yesterday, Holly, Heath and Emma, the young family who will be living in our house while we hike, visited and we went over some details. We're so happy they'll be staying here and we hope they enjoy it as well. Later, the neighbors came over to meet them and we had a nice get-together. They all offered their help if there were any problems and it made us feel so very fortunate to have these wonderful friends. Our good friend (Bob's friend since childhood days),Glen, was also at the house yesterday and surprised us with an MP3 player and a great collection of old radio shows for us to enjoy on the hike. It will be great to listen to them at night in our tent. Glen, many thanks for such a thoughtful gift! Last week, a young man by the name of JP called and talked with Bob about our hike. He's a student at Florida State University's film school and is doing a documentary about the Appalachian Trail. We thought he'd read Trailjournals, but as it turns out, he heard about us from Trail & Ski, the outfitter store in Tallahassee Fl. He asked us if we'd be willing to be in the film and (because he's an FSU student), we agreed. The plan is for him to meet us atop Springer Mountain on March 16th. He'll join us for a few days as we begin our hike, that is, if he can walk that s-l-o-w!!! We haven't talked to Christine this week, so she doesn't know she may become a film star!Last weekend we took our loaded packs out and hiked six miles in two hours. Our Gregory backpacks felt good and we could have gone much further, but it was too late in the day. We still have a few last minute items to add. Bob will pack the kitchen sink just before we leave. I already have the microwave in mine and Christine will carry the George Foreman Grill. Happy Hiking! Diane
Date: 2003-02-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday I had a very pleasant surpise. When I opened our mailbox I found a package addressed to "Waterboy". In the package was a book written by one of my favorite hiking teams, Fullmoon and Sundog. Paul "Fullmoon" Gadola wrote a book entitled " Lie In My Grave" about his time on the AT. I met Fullmoon and his dog Sundog early on in my hike and enjoyed their company very much. Sundog was really my favorite but she asked me to be nice to Paul as he was carrying her food. I have really enjoyed " Lie In My Grave" since I am mentioned in his book several times and mostly in a positive manner. The details in Paul's book are great and while reading I can see the sights and smell the smells. The title of the book is from a Dave Mathews song which I will now have to listen too.Well, its one month from today that we fly to Atlanta and then meet up Wes Wisson for our shuttle ride to Springer Mt. We still plan to camp that night and then start our hike on the morning of the 16th of March. There is going to be a full moon those first few days we start. So, even if we don't get to see Fullmoon and Sundog as we start out he will still be present.Take care and see you up the trail.Smith Family
Date: 2003-02-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Bob made an entry on 02/15/2003 along with one of his favorite AT'99 pictures. At 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning, an approaching storm woke me up and I started thinking about our hike. Needless to say, it's now 3:25 a.m. and I'm at the computer making another entry. Yesterday, we went to Trail & Ski in Tallahassee FL to check out lighter rain jackets. We both got Mountain Hardware rain shells which weigh 11 oz (much lighter than Bob's former 3lb rain jacket). Between these jackets, the Frog Toggs and fleece jackets, we should stay warm and dry. Yesterday was Christine's last day on the expedition cruise ship. It has been an amazing experience for her over the last six months and I'm sure she was sad to leave. She's taking a few extra days off in Baja and will fly home next weekend. We can't wait to see her and look forward to the flurry of activity as we make our last minute preparations for the hike.Bob mentioned earlier that we'll fly to Atlanta and Wes Wisson will meet us and take us to Springer Mountain. Many thanks to Wes, especially for his suggestion that we UPS our packs to him instead of taking them on the plane. That will make check-in at the airport much easier. Our trio may appear a bit strange, all with one-way tickets, dressed in hiking clothes and boots and each carrying a Walmart grocery bag with bagels, cheese and squeeze butter (the items we can't pack ahead of time).   See you up the trail!   Diane
Date: 2003-02-20
To: Diane's Injury Update
Miles today: 0.0

In my journal entry dated January 12, 2003, I happily reported that my knee recovered nicely since surgery (stepping in a leaf-covered hole while backpacking in Georgia in October). My collision with a sliding glass door in early December was also reported. Nine weeks has passed and, unfortunately, xrays confirmed the injured front tooth was dying. I was referred to an endodontist who worked me in her busy schedule as an emergency. Yesterday I had my first root canal. With just a little over three weeks until we begin our AT hike, I can't begin to explain how panicky I felt about this tooth. The root canal went well (and I'm a real coward when it comes to dental work), and the tooth won't have to be capped. Thanks to Dr Nabors and Dr Merkle.Bob says we'd better hurry up and get on the trail before I hurt myself again. I never considered myself to be clumsy or accident-prone. Believe me, I will begin our hike very cautiously and slowly. Keep your fingers crossed for me as we head out on the trail.      Happy Hiking!   Diane