morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Cooper Brook Lean-to

To: Mile 45.9
Miles today: 0.0

I started early, 6:15, and with pretty good trail, made it to White House Landing hostel about 2:30. 14 miles, and as soon as I got here, I had a pint of ice cream. At 5:00, I got a 1 pound hamburger! I talked to Heyward, who is picking me up. It looks like it will be difficult with the rules as they are, but hopefully we'll work it out somehow. Only, 45.9 miles to go!
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Mile 45.9

To: Mile 30.1
Miles today: 0.0

Got a late start from the Whitehouse Ldg, plus lots of roots, rocks, and mud. I got a pleasant surprise, I saw Pushing Up Daisies who I met in '02. She is section hiking to complete the AT. Bearbehind and Aussie took off, they plan to summit Thursday. Cheers (fron England), and Snowman are going up Friday with me. I also saw Walk Softly, I haven't seen him since PA. 16 miles today, only 30.1 to go!
Date: 2004-09-01
From: Mile 30.1

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I left Rainbow Stream lean-to at 6:10. I was on a mission to get to the kiosk at Baxter to sign up for a campsite at The Birches, a campsite reserved for thru-hikers. When I got to the store at Abol Bridge, there was Bearbehind and Aussie. I went with Bb. and signed, and he went on. I tented at Abol Pines Campground. There I saw Jimmy, the Trail Angel who helped me at Caratunk. I've got 15 more miles to go! Tomorrow to Baxter Park, then up Katahdin on Friday.
Date: 2004-09-02
From: Abol Bridge

To: The Birches Campsite and lean-to
Miles today: 0.0

Well, here I am at the Birches campsite in Baxter Park. I had an easy 10 mile hike in to the park. I spent some time talking to the Rangers, and stayed until Bearbehind and Aussie came down. I got a good look at THE mountain on the way in and it looks awesome because we are so low here. Only 5 miles to the top tomorrow, probably in the rain, and then I can go home to my family.
Date: 2004-09-03
From: The Birches Campsite and lean-to

To: Baxter Peak, Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

   This is the day I've hiked so hard for for so long. There was no problem with Heyward getting in, he met me around 6:00 AM. It was a hard, rocky, uphill, rock-scrambler of a day. Heyward, even though he is in pretty good shape, quit about 3 miles up. Good thing, because the hardest part was yet to come. No rain, however, but it was cloudy, which means no fantastic views from the top. Boy, the emotions were high as I got within sight of the sign at the top. I got there about 11:30. There were several people there and we got lots of pictures, including one placing the rock I brought all the way from Springer Mt. at the foot of the sign. Then a hard downhill to the park. We drove to Connecticut, and got a motel room.    Please note that something is wrong with the Trailjournals site, and We can't get our pictures on now, but I am sure Leif will fix that soon, and I'll have some more gorgeous photos on.
Date: 2004-09-04
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

   Well, folks, it's all over but the bragging. I had a great time, met a lot of great folks. I regret that I didn't get addresses of all them, but if you met me on the trail, please e-mail me so we can keep in touch.   I owe a lot of people who helped make this possible, number one, my wife, Carol, who kept the home fires burning, sent mail drops, and transcribed journals and photos. My son, Mark, who kept things fixed at home. My friends, Bruce and Jan weeks, who flew to Vermont and brought Carol with them. Lots of "Trail Angels who helped me out by giving rides, treats, etc. Bill Holzhauer and his family, also Bamboo Bob and his wife, Judy, who took me to their home for a zero day. Lots of friends who encouraged me through guest book entries and phone calls to Carol. My friends, Charles Duke, who carried me up to Virginia, and Heyward Henderson, who carried me up to Springer mountain, and drove all the way to Maine to bring me home. My friends Mike Mcleod and Wayne Lee who accompanied me to Springer.   I hope those of you who read these entries and looked at my photos got something out of it, I sure enjoyed writing them. I will have to apologize for my lack of writing skills, but, after all I'm a hiker, not an author.
Date: 2004-04-17
To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Justin..Happy Easter to you, too. My love to everyone in return. I wish Icould have been with family today. Instead, I got to hike for my sins.Hike and hike and hike, and in the rain no less. And then I looked upat one point to see my buddy up ahead and wham. Next thing I know I'mpulling my face off a flat rock splattered in blood. Tripped on a root.First thing went through my mind was, "well, there it goes. broke myglasses, broke my nose, game over." But my nose is okay and myglasses, miraculously unscathed. I took the full brunt of the fallwith my forehead. I was still bleeding when I emailed you, as I hadreached a mtn top and that was the next thing I was gonna do. Gotright back up and kept hiking. Spent a coupla hours at a shelter beingwatched/interrogated by a few fellow hikers to make sure I wasn'tconcussed. But this is all just fodder for the writing. I just wroteto say bangup job, thank you, glad yer mom's diggin the words, can'twait for the cookies, dunno at moment what else to ask for, but thanksI¢ll let you know. Alone in my tent in the rain.. actually nice to bealone after over a week spent in shelters. Drinking hot cocoa ww/nipbottle of pepp schnapps, my Easter present to myself. My big Eastermeal was powdered Huevos Rancheros in a bag, just add water! theforest I¢m currently camped in could easily be right out your mom'sback door, same. God bless us beasts and the children we'll alwaysbe.. Tricky Cuzn Gonzo RickMr. McKinney,It has come to my attention that you have had a wee little mishap onthis trial, uh, I mean, trail. We at Mutual of Omaha want to be certainthat you are in the finest condition possible to continue on thisordeal, er, vacation. We are sending our finest health inspector agentout to your location for a complete physical. We at at Mutual of Omahaare requiring this testing in order to assure the financial stabilityof your primary dependant, Duke. Dr. Ruth Westheimer should be there to meet you at your next shelterand will need to conduct many tests to determine your true well being.She understands that you have been woman-less for awhile now andbelieves that this could be the underlying cause of your spontaneousface plant. It is a well known fact that men's brains can not functionproperly if there is a lack of influential female presence. This mustbe remedied. Dr. Ruth will be interviewing potential "mates" for you asshe makes her way along the trail to the shelter. Look for marks on thebackpacks of all the women as you hike. She will put large check markson the backpacks of those that she feels are appropriate and large Mr.Yuk symbols on those that are not. She is an expert in her field andyou must follow her advice. Remember, baby Duke is counting on you!Thank you, Sister Maria Margaritaaka Agent RedDepartment of Salvation and CopulationFor the full story of Rick's journey, visit jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 282.0
Weather: overcast clouds

April 18: Day 30Mile 281.9Tuned in right off this morning to Herb Alperts Tijuana Brass. Sweet. Then some lousy jazz shit takes over and I change the station. Yes,that's right. Henry David has gone to ear buds and Appalachian stereo. Johnny Cash is bound for the Promised Land. Me, I'm bound for a towncalled Erwin where a new keyboard awaits to replace this poor oldplastic magic gadget upon which I have wailed poetic for two years now.Until then, the words will be few I¢m afraid. [All D's, E's, and W'shave been meticulously added in by hand with the stylus today.]Until then, here is a list I have compiled over the past weeks of trailnames I have heard spoken or read in shelter registers. You'll lovethis. I know I do. -RSMTrail name list (partial thus far): Captain Hook, Fuman Chu, Biscuit, Fireass, Long Shot, Toe-ritis,Poppins, Squirrel, Squirrel Master, Hog Walker, James the WanderingNun, Tinder, Shortcake, Sir Fix-a-lot, Hoplite, Mississippi Mule,Marzipan, Krispy Kritter, Eagle Eye, Blue Bell from Texas, Sweet Leaf,Ashtray, Dirtnap, Dingle, Skirt, Sarge, Little Engine, Mockingbird,Solarman, No Dog & No Beard (couple), Big Horn Wanderer, Breathless &Speed, Crash Bang, Maine Sail, Circuit Rider, KP, Sherlock, Dark Cloud,Sunset & Sunrise (couple), Pipesmoke, Zipcode, Slow Walker, Pucca,Wicomico Walker, Kickstand, Squish, Grits, and me, Jester Jack Gagetthe Only.For the full story of Rick's journey, visit jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-05-04
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I die each night with the setting sun. Down it goes, falling languidlytoward my native California making me wonder, as I often do, what thehell I'm doing here. "Here" over the past many years has been manyplaces, many places not California. I have roamed nomadic, at timesecstatic, others pathetic. Now at sunset on a Sunday in North Carolinaon Standing Indian Mountain, I merely stare, stupefied, stoned byanother eight-hour endorphin rush, the result better than codeine,valium, any of that shit. We clean our pots, we hang our food againstthe bears, and I, somewhat against mountaineering protocol, leave out apremade cup of coffee for myself, sugared and creamed instant, cold butconveniently located for that early morning groggy grab out the tent,lighter in hand, pocket rocket propane stove on, coffee hot. If thebears come after that, well, let em have it. And then it's down like afighter throwing the fight, into the tent, out likes a light. At 7:30p.m. Can you believe it?-RSMThe above excerpt is just a taste of a long running tale that you can follow athttp://www.jigglebox.com/rants04.html Head on over for the whole enchilada!
Date: 2004-06-08
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Early 700sJune 8thBack on the trail with a vengeance. Feeling somewhat retarded both inmy pace and in my brain after 10 Zero days on Carolina beaches, I hitthe Appalachians hard on Sunday, cranking out 40 miles in the first 48hours of my return. It is now Wednesday. On Sunday, I was looking at130 miles to Waynesboro, VA, my next mail & supply stop and thesouthern portal to the Shenandoahs. On Monday morning, I had delusionsof making it to Waynesboro by Saturday morning, before the post officeclosed at 11 a.m. After a humbling day of grueling ascents yesterday,fully 5400 feet in total spread out over an insane 21.7 miles, I am nolonger delusional. Just dead on my feet. Ascents and "big miles" aside, I'm not sleeping at night. Three nightsnow, I lay awake most of the night. I joked to Jess & Eric that I hadjust gotten used to sleeping in a hammock tent when they abducted meand made me sleep in plush comfy beds for over a week. But it's nojoke. Though I recall nearly acclimating to the odd sleep of thehammock two weeks ago, I now hate the fucker. If I had Mr. Hennessyhandy, I'd make him eat it. [Random thoughts and notes never expounded upon in the mad dash of 90miles in 4.5 days:]Spiders and visionsGiant ones descending on meI've a clear vision of stepping outside to webs everywhereThis hammock like a spider's wrap, unnatural positionWhite daddy long legs spiders recall MatrixGiant millipede on my morning socksBright night of moon doesn't help reassure me in the spinning webs ofmy mindSweet babbling brook helps Heebie jeebies from insects surrounds meCrying hysterically at close of 22 mile dayScreaming pain in feet, cold waterDrugs for pain but can't take em w/o waterNo water to drink until the MIOX purifier does its job: 45 minutes tokill viruses4 miles short of goal..Waynesboro by Sat no way5400 feet climbed today, madnessI'm gonna shoot for half the trail, quit at 1000 miles=fuck it!Half off!Swollen gums last night around my on-and-off abscessed tooth.. fuck!Party Girl regards my Tinkerbell, says I have issuesI'm sick, from lack of sleepGlasgow, don't wanna go, but might60-something Froggy Pete says "don't know what I wanna do when I growup," sweetI want my tent back!Oh, no, now nature calls, 5 a.m. sleeplessTwo snakes on trail todayMillipedes on Eric¢s backFuck you ray jardine the bugs are driving me nuts!Out here on the trail, after years of feeling like a second classcitizen, out here I'm a 1st class AT citizen again!Renegade tells tale of putting peanuts in his Coke as a boy.. wow! never heard of such a thingWatermelon wine, a country song, very funnyShopping list: plastic lemon, pnut btr, restaurant packs mayo, jar offrostinq[Closing irony:]Deputy Director of Military Operations in Iraq on the radio beinginterviewed when suddenly (as so often happens on these ridges, anotherstation cuts in, a rock station, splicing in exactly on target withSublime singing, "crooked spine" nice irony. -RSMFor the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-06-10
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Mile 808June 10, 02Surreal romp through the fast forest of morning today stomping theterra double-time to reach a road crossing and a rumored ride to town. Surreal music, that is. Or voice/music overlay. Ronnie Reagan and RayCharles, suddenly married in a weird mournful tribute montage of Ray'ssong and Ronnie's rockem-sockem "Don't tread on us!" rah rah Americadrama club champion oratory overlayed. Very strange. And I'm verynear D.C. now and all I can think is: Yesterday the old coot's corpseflew over my head on its way to the rotunda, and this afternoon they'regonna wheel his old bones back on another armor-plated stealth jet androar over my head again on route to Simi Valley Cali-Cali and stick himin the ground just as the final green flash goes, "Ffffllllppppuut" andthe Pacific goes dark and mournful forever more. Dead President flyingover my head, and old Ray Charles finally gettin' his sight back on thestreets of Heaven and me? I've been humpin' the Blue Ridge with allthe gonzo conviction and masochistic foot-mashing, bone-crunchingslam-dunk drive of Attila the Hun on a rotgut homebrew binge & tear,stomping out 90 miles in just 4 & 1/2 days. Madness. And the result?Well, hell, it was suddenly announced to be a nationalholy-day-of-mourning, so, why should I work? Hiking from dawn to dusk,some 12 hours a day for close to a whole work week. I quit. -RSM For the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Maine

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

June 26, 04Somewhere in Maryland just south of PAEarly in the day I write: "I'm halfway thru Maryland, `charging thelight brigade' to get over the state line into PA by tonight. I'mfucking hatin' the trail right now, but sssshhh. Don't tell anyone,including me. I'm doing my best to fool myself. This is feeling moreand more like a job and no fun. I just hump it over rocks all day,pushpushpush, stare at my watch anxious for lunch break, etc."Following 19-year old Big Stick through the darkening evening woods ofPennsylvania, it occurs to me that I've been humping it over everyboulder and jamming along at the tireless gate of this 19-year for daysnow. Willard's words as he reads through Kurtz's top-secret file in"Apocalypse" comes to mind. Kurtz dropping out of the brass andapplying for a transfer to airborne, back to boot camp basically, andWillard saying something like, "Man, those young marines must have hadquite a shock watching this thirty-five year old man hump it over theobstacle course with them." And then, "They must have thought he wasone far out cat."I feel like that far out cat tonight. The molten gold light of lastsun sets fire to the tops of trees to the east and all is North for us.Ever and always North.For the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-06-27
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Mile 1054Deer Lick Shelters, PAJune 27, 04Pulled a 23-mile day yesterday, 18 to make it out of Maryland into PA,and another 5 miles to get to the next nearest shelter. Day beforethat was another 19 or so, to about the middle of Maryland and someshitty shelter in the rain, half a mile from a roaring freeway. Kind ofa drag. Going back one-day still, that was Thursday, spent the dayvarnishing ancient windows in some historic building on the Potomac,evicting spiders as I went. Seems like my days are filled with spidersout here on the trail. Seven hours painting, then, pack hefted, I setout on the footbridge over the river, out of West Virginia and intoMaryland for a whopping 7 miles in the early evening. Beautiful shelter that night with wonderful company. Which was a damngood thing cuz I needed it. Foul mood. Lonesome. Bad foot pain fromcontinually hiking on my now-1000 mile old shoes, light distancerunners not meant for such endurance. Met Nayber, Phlegm, El Paso anda Mark that night. The former three were (in fact) former thruhikers,from two years ago I think they said. Nice guys. Loaded with groovyfoodstuffs from Trader Joes, some for their personal consumption thatnight but most of meant to be given out to whatever thruhikers they meton their one night "angel hike" out. Well, guess who was their onlythruhike customer? Man, those guys were happy to see me. Neighbor busted out a littlebottle of Cuervo and we toasted to present, past and future hikes. Perhaps thanks to all the residual varnish fumes, I was high as a kitein no time. Mark, a section hiker from Annapolis, either arrived afteror was already there when I arrived, I can't recall. But in eithercase, not being a thruhiker, the poor guy didn't get the goodies like Idid, nor the adulation. Unfortunately from the day's labors, I crashedfast, crawling up into the Swiss alpine lodge-like loft of thegigantor-beamed log cabin shelter. I must have slept like the dead,because the guys made a fire and Phlegm played flute and I never hearda single blue note. I left Friday morning with a promise from Nayber of replacement shoeswhich he said he'd send me to my next mail drop. I told him I couldn'taccept a gift of new shoes, but he assured me he had tons of usedhiking shoes. If I never hear from him, twas at least a sweet gesture.My poor zapatos are destroyed.Called Lowa shoes after damn near two months since talking to the Lowasales rep at Trail Daze. My procrastination owed entirely to the waythe rep dissed me. Guy named Mike says, "We get thousands of AT hikerscallin' us every year (bullshit).. we KNOW what YOU guys DO to ourshoes out there on the trail." What? "Mike," I said, in a very honest, Charlie Bucketmeek-shall-inherit-dog-dick tone, "All I did to your shoes was walk in them." -RSMFor the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-06-30
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

Drunk Cannon, PAMile 1134June 30, 04Have arrived in Drunk Cannon, PA, and landed, blissfully, in the barflyarms of the 100 year old decrepit Doyle Hotel, long a haven for ATThruhikers. I'm on the fourth floor of the old firetrap in a roomthat, I swear to God, is the spitting image of the final location shotsin the film "Drugstore Cowboy," a seedy old hotel where Matt Dillonhangs out with William Burroughs. Great flick, one of the few DVDs Iown. In the film, he's been a junky all his life, robbing drug stores,finally cleans up, and in the end get's shot (not fatally) by some punkkid, and as they wheel him off to the hospital, his closing line issomething like, "I was gonna be just fine.. the irony of it all. Theywere taking me to the biggest pharmacy in town."I loved that. I just loooooove irony.-RSMFor the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-07-01
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Doyle Hotel BarJuly 1, 04My God, things are getting way out of hand. The bartender, my love, mylife, my future wife Sara, has just admitted to me that she wantsPegasus in the worst way, that she likes to lure girls off the trailand take advantage of them. Sara's mother, Sue, strums her guitar andsings, wrapping the present of an evening bar scene in the ribbons andbows of acoustic blues, beautiful. All this here in the bar in thedownstairs of the Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, Pennsylvania. This place a favorite of thruhikers for years now and years to go I'msure with rooms reasonable like thrift store prices and a clientelerife with all the usual vices and tap-tapered 16-ounce cures of all theills of the sad modern world of terror and cruel, cruel poverty. AndPegasus tells me how she likes brutal honesty so I finally, after anhour or so of build-up, come out with: "I'd like to take you upstairsright now and get nekked, you know, no expectations, I can't promiseyou much, been drinkin' all day and all, but I'd just like to get nakedwith you, just be. It's been a long time since I've so much as toucheda woman." Well, Pegasus took it rather well. But she didn't bite. We sit herestill an hour or so later listening to the harmonica and guitar riffsand waling...[the preceding passage was never finished due to the author being sweptaway in the clutches of a winged horse and dropped onto a squeaky metalbed and um.. ]We apologize for the abrupt cessation of the previous passage, but NetNanny has censored said explanation. Thank you and good night.-RSMFor the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-07-02
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: light rain

pulled my longest day yesterday, 26.4 miles. A true marathon. Andmuch of it over heinous rock fields, miles and miles up and down oftoaster-to-TV size stones. Insane. As such, arrived here early for mySaturday flight. No problem, I thought. I'll write. And write. Andwrite some more. Oh, and drink vast quantities of beer, since I'mbasically now living above a bar. Single room: $17.50/night. 22 ouncePBR draft: $1.95Heaven.And owner Vickie took a shine to me immediately. Wouldn't let me go tobed last night without a hug. Bathroom down the hall, pull stringoverhead lighting, lots a caulked holes in the walls, old woodensix-pane windows that threaten to launch out into the night with everytouch. Sturdy fire escape right outside my door though. Gotta love it.We interrupt our bar story with this short lesson in how not to dealwith Chilean women on a train..]Where would Jack be now? Where would Thompson lay his head? WouldMiller even go to bed? And like the constant division of the "oldElvis" versus the "young Elvis," would the septuagenarian Bukowski burnthe midnight oil with me for the reasons I now sit here, still awake,still drinking, thinking radically impaired as I round the corner andenter the final lap on a five liter box of table red? Well, I cananswer one of these questions with some resolve: no, Bukowski wouldn'tbe sitting here with me. Not to belie a lack of interest in boxedwine, but because Bukowski would have told that Chilean chick to suckhis dick, or fuck off, anything but my milktoast concession to herquestion "Do you mind if I lie out on both cushions?" which meant noseat for me, not even to sleep sitting up in. Thompson would have slappedme upside the head and Miller would have ignored me and seduced thewoman. Jack just hands me a jug of red and smiles and we drink tilldawn in the train's bar car. -From the Amtrak archivesFor the full story of Rick's journey, visit Jigglebox.com
Date: 2004-07-04
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

COMING SOON! THE SORDID TALE OF DRUNKEN DEBAUCHERY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE! INCLUDING: GORILLAS ON THE ROOF; THE VIRTUAL POOL PARTY; AND TRAILMAGIC EXPERIMENT THAT PUT US ALL ONE STEP CLOSER TO REHAB!!For the full story of Rick's journey,visit Jigglebox.com