morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey everyone! This is just a quick update to let you know where I stand these days!! I am at home here in Atlanta healing just as fast as I can. I got the regular cast off last week and now have to spend three weeks in a walking cast. After that comes off, depending on how my foot feels, I can head out at my discretion. There seems to be some question as to how healed a fracture is after eight weeks. It seems that it will be healed enough for 'normal' activity, but I think we all know that hiking the AT is not normal! :) Several doctors have said that it could take up to 2-3 months more for the bone to be completely healed. Well, I think you will all agree that that is just not acceptable! It seems that the worse thing that can happen is that I get out there and re-break the foot. If that happens, I will definitley be off of the trail for the season. I think that is a chance that I am willing to take! So, I will be back out there before you know it!! In the meantime, if any of you are doctor types, I would love some more opinions on length of healing times for bones!! Just log on to my guest book and give me your opinion. You have no idea how much I will appreciate it!!    As for my hiking partners, a quick update......Bumpkin has joined up with Pushing Up Daisies (remember her from Franklin?), and they are going strong! I am so proud of them both!!! Silver Lining had to leave the trail to go home and teach a class, but she will be back in 8 weeks. She was a hiking machine up until the time she left and I know that she can't wait to get back! Hikerbikerbabe hiked with Silver Lining until she left the trail and she is headed North as we speak. I can't wait to see her somewhere down the trail!!   I am defintely going to Trail Days next weekend, so keep an eye out for me! I will be the one stumbling around in a big clumsy walking cast with a huge grin on my face! Why will I be so happy? Cause it won't be long til I am back out there!!!!!
Date: 2003-05-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I'm coming back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I went to the doctor for one last visit, and I am headed back to the trail!!! It looks like my foot has healed up pretty well. It is not completly healed, but that would take two more months, and the doc said that I was close enough to give it another try! So,the first weekend of June (June 1st)I will be back in Virginia meeting up with Bumpkin. The doctor says that I have a 50/50 chance of making it all the way through on this foot, and given that all hikers only have a 10% chance of making it, I think I can live with that.    So...your job is to pray for me!!! Hard!!!!! When I go back, I will be taking it very easy, and I will watch every single step. Each day that goes by without me re-injuring it, it one day that the foot is healthier and that I am closer to my goal!!So, I have ten days to get my act together. Thank you all so much for all of your continued support and emails! They have meant the world to me! And the fact that so many of you believed that I could come back this summer and keep going has really helped me to believe!! Keep your eyes open here on Trail Journals for my next entry! It will be from the trail!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2003-06-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 5.5

Well, it has finally begun! Operation Hobble is a three day experiment to see if my foot is going to hold up to get back on the trail. It started in the driveway of my parents home in Atlanta with mom and dad cracking open a bottle of champagne and christening my foot with it!! :) My parents are so wonderful! In addition to being unbelieveably supportive about this dream, they have been taking care of me for the last 8 weeks! Between mom feeding me mountains of vegetables, and dad buying bottles of calcium, I know that if I can keep on hiking, it will be thanks to them!   After posing for pictures and toweling off, I hugged my dad once more and off we went.   My mom and I are back in Damascus, home of Trail Days, and are situated in a lovely bed and breakfast called The Maples. We have a loose plan to walk the Virginia Creeper Trail for 15 miles over the next three days, and then if all goes well, mom will leave me in Perisburg, Va. to continue northwards.   The VCT is a rails-to-trails project that is 35 miles long and runs from Abington, Va. to Whitetop Mountain. From Damascus to Whitetop, it parallels the AT, but is wide, smooth and flat! This is a good thing when it comes to testing out this foot! :)The VCT is mostly used by bicycles and is a wonderful day trip for families! Today we did 5.5 miles from Whitetop south and it was stunning!! Gorgeous vistas, old farms, deep green woods, and a wonderful river that follows along for much of the trail. Did I mention that it was beautiful?!    Mom and I got a shuttle ride from the Ole Barn, (many of you know the owners as the owners of the Quinceys Pizza that used to be here). Mr. Reed drove us up through the mountains along this winding dirt road. It turns out that he took us the "scenic route"! I wonder how he knew that we would really apreciate that?! :) Well he was so neat and I enjoyed the ride immensely! Anyone that comes up here to ride the trail should definitely use these nice folks!   After three hours of strolling through the countryside and a short stop at the only surviving railroad station/general store along the trail, we finally arrived at the car. Off we went to have lunch overlooking the river. Sipping mimosas, we agreed that the morning had been a success. :)   As I lay in bed, my foot is a little sore, but I am optimistic. One day down...about 180 to go!!! :) Love, Anna aka Mud ButtPS- Rawson women- when you put this in the journal, don't worry about the mileage since it is not AT mileage. Please just put Damascus for starting place and ending place. June 1, 2003 Thank you a million times!!!!:) Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-06-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 17.0

What a wonderful day! My foot felt a little tired, so mom and I decided to bike 17 miles of the Virginia Creeper Trail today. I wish I could adequately describe it! It was, literally, the most wonderful thing I have ever done! We rented bikes from the Ole Barn, (have I mentioned how great these people are?!) and spent the next four hours riding down a gravel lane between fields of grass with old barns and a tumbling trout stream. At times we were in gorges with high rock walls around us, and at others we were walking through farms. The sky was bright blue and the sun was warm on our faces. At one point, mom saw a deer pass between us on the trail, and at another, we sat on a big rock and soaked our feet in the ice cool water. Ahhhhh.....   When we got back, we treated ourselves to sandwiches at the Ole Barn and settled in for a long afternoon of reading on the front porch. We both agreed that dad would have enjoyed it immensely and that we wished he were here. Well, the foot feels good, so tomorrow we will hit the trail for a few more miles. Keep your fingers crossed!! :)Love, Anna aka Mud ButtLove, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-06-05
From: Kimberling Creek

To: Parisburg
Miles today: 4.0

We got up early and hit the road running this morning.....or should I say hiking! :) After a bite of breakfast at the Ole Barn, (can you tell how much we like these people?!) Mr. Reed dropped us off to hike 4 miles of the trail.    It was raining and cloudy....great unicorn weather!All of the greenery was wet, making the colors rich and lush, and the river was running high. We felt lucky to see this trail in different kinds of beauty each day! The walk was easy and uneventful, and the trail was almost completely deserted. However, at one point a young woman came hiking up in the rain to ask if she was headed to Damascus. Her name is Kismet and she is doing a fully-southbound flip flop. She started at Harpers Ferry headed to Ga. and once she gets there, she will go up to Katahdin and go South. She was really neat and we figured that we would see each other again on the second half of the trail.   After bidding a fond farewell to Damascus, mom and I headed towards Parisburg where she planned to drop me off. I kept looking at her and saying, "Are you sure you aren't a little stiff?!" 5.5 miles of hiking, 17 miles of biking, and then 4 more miles of hiking and she wasn't even stiff!! I tell you what..she is a real woman!!! :)   We finally arrived at the Holiday Motor Lodge in Perisburg, and moved my pack in. I have to say, this is just as intimidating as the first day of the hike back in March! There are hikers everywhere and I don't know a soul! As soon as mom left, I wanted to call her and say "come back and get me!" But an hour later, I was talking to Melvin, a famous local that drives hikers around town, and someone hollered out "Hey Mudbutt...how is the foot?!" My shoulders relaxed and my hands unclenched. I am back. Love, Anna aka Mud ButtLove, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-06-07
From: Parisburg

To: Kimberling Creek
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up this morning and lazed around for a while. It was so lovely! One of the good things about hiking 5-7 mile days is that you never have to hurry! I am going to enjoy it while I can, cause soon it will be 12-15 mile days and I will be hiking sunup to sundown!   Well, as I was getting down my bear bag, (did you know that I have to hang my food in a tree every night so that animals don't get it!), along came several hikers from the shelter, and with them was Pirate! Pirate is a man that my friends Jan and Hummingbird introduced me to last fall at the Gathering. He is a retired Navy guy from Florida and has been hiking for the better part of 13 years! Some of you will remember him from early on in my journal when he was sneaking rocks into my pack without me knowing it! :)   Well, we all exchanged a few words and off they went. I sat down to some breakfast....you gotta love those cold bagels with peanutbutter!!..and slowly got my show on the road. The hiking was really beautiful, and started with about 2 1/2 miles uphill. Whew! This poor body is struggling! But I can literally feel myself getting stronger every day! The trail got pretty rocky, so I spent all day with my eyes glued to the trail. It is so nerve wracking to know that one small step is all that separates me from a bus ride home!!   As the day went by, I gradually started going downhill. Most of you are probably thinking....yay! But this is harder on the knees and feet than the uphills, so I was happy to know that I was almost to the road.   Things were going along nicely, except that my pack was causing major problems! Things keep sliding out between the straps, and I can't feel my arms cause the circulation has been cut off by the straps! I hope to beg mom and dad to send me my other one. It is much heavier, but much more comfortable!   I finally hiked down to Kimberling Creek and sat down on the bank to take a break. This creek is big enough to be a river, and sitting there munching on trail mix and watching the water flow by was just about as peaceful as it gets!   After 30 minutes, I managed to haul myself up and head down the road. My goal for the day was Trents Store which is a mile up the highway from the trail. The Trent family has a store and a farm which houses a small campground. You get a tent spot and a shower for 3 dollars!! Can you believe it?! Well, I walked into the store and there was Pirate! After settling into the tent space across from him, we headed back to the store for a fresh baked pizza and some cold drinks. We sat at the picnic table eating and talking for the rest of the day. Later we were joined by a young woman named Bogie and the three of us talked til the lightning bugs went to bed. All in all, it was a great day! I am laying in my tent and it is raining gently. The creek is gurgling and the crickets are chirping. Something tells me that I am going to sleep just fine tonight.
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Symms Gap Meadow

To: Stony Creek Valley
Miles today: 7.4

Starting Location: Symms Gap MeadowDestination: Stony Creek ValleyMileage: 7.4Date: 6.15.03 Well, as far as the hiking went today, I can sum it up in one word...wet! We got off to a fairly dry start, but within the hour it was raining, and within 2 hours it was pouring! It poured for about 3 1/2 hours and we were completely soaked. Bumpkin went on ahead to the shelter and I just squished my way down the trail. And I do mean squish in the literal sense! My boot were full of water!!! I was on the verge of getting really mad at the situation when a hiker came along and said, "You know, there is a plus to having boots that are completely full of water!". I asked him what, pray tell, could be good about this, and he said, "Now you don't have to watch where you step!". Well, that statement floored me! And then it freed me!! I spent the rest of the day stomping in puddles and wading across streams with abandon! It was a beautiful thing!   Once the sun came out, I spent a long time going down a series of switchbacks that were exploding with mountain laurel in full bloom. Everything was green and wet, fog was rolling between the trees, and all the beautiful delicate flowers were hanging over the trail. It was a fair payoff for spending hours soaking wet!    After I reached the shelter, I hung out for a few minutes talking to Bumpkin and the other guys that were there. I wrung out my socks, dumped the H2O out of my boots and we headed down the road to meet MG with our food drop. Before we knew it, we were ensconsed in a hotel room and headed for dinner. It was a good day!   The hiking was good today, but for the most part my heart wasn't in it. That is because my heart is with my dad on this Fathers Day. I spent the hours remembering the things that make me think of him. Things like him singing "O Holy Night" at Christmas, the sound of the Braves game on the radio during late night drives, any pun....good or bad, and him playing "Hot Canary" on the violin. These are just a few of the many things that are just "dad" to me. You have to know that this is a father that I look up to and love so much that I carry a scar on my face from trying to shave when I was a kid! I wanted to be just like him!   I wish I was with him this Fathers Day, but since I can't be, I carried him in my heart all day long. I bet he has no idea that he spent the day hiking a Virginia ridge line in spirit. :) I love you dad, and I hope you have a great Fathers Day!Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-06-17
From: Baily Gap Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Well, today was not quite as fun as one would hope!! We left the shelter at 9:00 and BAM! Two miles of rocks! Big rocks, medium sized rocks..rocks that move when you step on them....rocks that are covered with moss and wet leaves....I think you get the picture! And do you think that they are flat, so that you can walk on them?! Noooo! They are all on edge! How is that posible?   Anyway, it is safe to say that I had a bad attitude for most of the morning. Oh....and did I mention that it was raining? I woke up to the indignity of having to put on clothes that were still soaking and icy cold. Add to that, they are all soured. Yechh!    Well, the beginning of the hike was miserable, but things started to look up when I got up to Wind Rock. Of course, I hauled myself up there to see the view, but all you could see was solid white. I guess that would be due to the rain cloud siting squarely on the trail. :) After that, the terrain got easier and the miles went by a little faster. I spooked a bunch of deer, two which had little spotted fawns with them. That was the extent of my wild life sightings today, but a passing hiker told me that Pirate had seen a wild cat! Isn't that cool?!   Somewhere late in the afternoon, I passed the 200 mile mark of my hike. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It seems like so much work to only add up to 200 miles! Everyone around me is doing 20 mile days, and I can barely manage ten.I don't think I will ever make it to Maine. The immensity of the goal hit me when I realized that the best thing I could say about hiking 200 miles of the AT was that I have less then 2000 to go! Well, all I can do is give it my best shot and that is what I intend to do.    The last two miles of my hike today were simply stunning. I walked on a smooth, wide path through bowers of Mountain Laurel that were at the height of blossom. The beauty was enough to make me forget the pain in my feet, and I raced along this section of trail feeling like part of a fairy tale. Then the trail went through a thick forest of pines, with waist high ferns as far as the eye could see. A mist was floating between the trees, and the plants were so green that it looked like the mist itself was green. It was perfect for unicorn sightings! :)   When I got to the shelter, Bumpkin surprised me with 2 Pepperidge Farm cookies to celebrate me hitting the 200 mile mark. I was really touched!I know that she is frustrated with my speed, but she never says so, and always goes that extra step. I am so lucky to have her as a partner!   After gourmet dinners of Ramen and Mac and Cheese, Pirate, Bumpkin and I are snuggled in for the night, and for the time being, I am fairly dry, so life is looking up. :) Let's hear it for 200 more miles! Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-07-03
From: Wright Motel

To: Best Western
Miles today: 0.0

Yep...somehow we ended up doing a 0 day. One thing I have noticed, when company comes to visit, we lose all ability to make decisions! :) Every five minutes we decide to do something else, and by the time we come to a final decision, most of the day is gone. It is pretty funny actually! So, we bummed around for the day. My only regret is that I spent the whole day in Lexinton and did not see any of it! This is a gorgeous litle historic town and it is on the top of my list to come back and visit after my hike.   We did have some fabulous Italian food, and as always, the company was great. We were going to stay and visit the balloon festival and watch the fireworks tomorrow, but now I think we are going to hit the trail instead. That is great as far as I am concerned cause I want to be out there!   I know that this is the least exciting journal entry ever, but tomorrow I should have a more interesting day! :) I am enjoying visiting with Bumpkins family.....they are awesome, and as you have learned, hiking with EverReady should be an adventure! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-07-10
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Seely-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: broken clouds

Well, today we dragged! It started this morning at 7:00 when Bumpkin saidthat we should lay in bed and listen to the birds for another hour. Iagreed wholeheartedly and when 8:30rolled around, she was packing up and I could not drag myself out of mytent! Finally the sun came out and roasted me sufficiently to get me moving.Our young friends had left at 7:00 in hopes of making their furthest dayyet, 13 miles. All I could say is more power to them! :)   Our morning hike took us over a partial bald and wound us around smallcurves and in and out of groves of trees. Bumpkin and I hiked slowly,talking about everything under the sun. It seemed like time was going byquickly, but the miles were not! We both agreed that we felt inordinatelytired.   We plodded through the day with very little spirit in our steps, However,our lack of energy did not keep us from noticing the beauty of the trail.The rain that we have had has been record breaking, and as a result, partsof the forest have become positively tropical! The thing that really stuckout today were the mushrooms and other fungi. Every wet, rotten log is hostto a bunch of these plants and all it takes is a practiced eye and a slowpace to pick them out. They are all kinds of shapes and colors with myfavorites being miniscule sunset orange mushrooms. They grow in littlebunches and they are no bigger than a BB. There are also little purple onesand small white ones that curl up out of the dead leaves on the forestfloor. The Carter Women gave me a hand lens for this trip and I am puttingit to good use! It sounds cliche to go on and on about the life that is out here, but ittruly is amazing! I spend 95% of my time watching where I put my feet and Isee new things every single day. One of my goals for this hike was toincrease my comfort level outside and getting to know the forest thisintimately has really helped. The last part of our hike took us through the wonderful ferns again. Tallstraight trees, black soil, huge grey rocks the size of houses, and acres ofwaist high ferns as far as you can see. It is so beautiful! Today the skywas cloudy, and when the forest gets that dark, the ferns seem to becomegreener than ever.If you were to see a picture of it, you would think that it had been takenwith a colored lens, or aided by a developing technique, but I am here totell you that these colors really do happen!   We decided to call it an early day and the bugs drove us to our tents by6:00. We both ate a big dinner and drank lots of water in hopes thattomorrow we will have more energy! Anyone that has ideas of ways to betterfuel ourselves out here, please let me know! In the meantime, all is welland we are headed North.Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com