morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-12-10
To: REI Trip
Miles today: 0.0

Wow, so I went to REI down in Conshy yesterday since I was down that way visiting friends for the weekend, and let me just say that I could seriously spend a lot of money in that store. It was pretty sweet. I only bought sleeping pad (therma-rest z lite, 15 ounces) and a gift card for my sister for xmas. But I looked around for awhile as I had already made up a list of things I would need for my hike, so I got a pretty good idea of what I would want eventually. The only thing I was a little disappointed about was the hiking boot selection. It just didn't really seem all that big. Dick's Sporting Goods near me actually has a much bigger selection.Another thing I'm thinking about is whether to get a new tent or not. My current tent is a two person tent, but it's about 5 yrs old and not very light or easy to pack. I'll probably end up buying a solo tent. Oh yeah I also pre-ordered a thru-hiker's guide. I figure it won't change too much from '07 to '08. And it looks like you can get updates to it online anyways. Otherwise, I'm pretty certain I'll start my hike in Mar. of '08. I really want to do a northbound hike.Ok well that's about it for now.Adam
Date: 2006-12-10
To: I need 3
Miles today: 0.0

Well I just realized that I need 3 entries for my journal to get up and running and become 'visible' so here's #3.Actually, I've been perusing other journal entries and one of the first things I jump to is what people have to write about the AT in PA. The general consensus seems to be pretty negative due to the rocks. I have to say I find it all pretty amusing. Not that I like the rocks, they totally suck. But more or less because the only parts of the AT I've hiked are in PA, so I've kind of become accustomed to the rocks. Not that I like them, but I'm just used to them. I think I'll be in a state of constant surprise for awhile at how smooth the AT will be in other states compared to PA's rocks when I finally get started.
Date: 2006-12-21
To: Short day hike
Miles today: 0.0

So I went for a short day hike this past Sat. (12/16) on the AT heading north out of Port Clinton (now that deer season in PA is over I felt a little more comfortable getting back to hiking again). I'm pretty sure I had done this little part years ago as a boy scout, but I could be remembering wrong. Anyways, I wanted to do a short hike and try out a new pack (REI Saturn). For kicks I carried my two person tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, a few maps, two nalgene bottles of water, and my friend Hill's binoculars. I also brought along my hiking stick which has a compass built into the top of it. The compass seemed to be working, unlike this past summer when it was clearly not working. Maybe the heat does something to it?? Anyways I was surprised to find it actually pointing north, after consulting with maps, etc. just to make sure. But in any event Hill and I met in Port Clinton, it was pretty nice out for a Sat. in Dec. in PA (about 50 degrees), I grabbed some sesame seed trail mix at the Peanut Shop and we head north out of town. Well, let's just say the ascent is pretty steep and I realized that I was a little out of shape after not having gotten a chance to hike, or exercise much at all since this past Aug. We got up to the top of the mountain, found a good look out (probably only good b/c it was winter and there were no leaves on the trees), and planned to smoke a cigar, when we realized Hill's lighter was empty. So we just sat and chilled and watched some hawks flying over the valley. All in all it was pretty nice, and although I was a little winded, I really wasn't sore afterwards. I did realize though that I probably need to ditch my hiking stick and just invest in trekking poles. Once we descened back into Port Clinton we stopped at the Port Clinton Hotel, smoked out stogies, ate some cheese fries, and drank some lagers. I'm pretty sure we managed to counteract any exercise we had just done, but all in all it was a good little day.Oh yeah, just a little perspective, it took us about an hour and a half to ascend the mountain and go about 3.3 miles, whereas on the way back it only took us about 25 mins to get back to town. The PA rocks were only a little treacherous on the way down due to all the fallen leaves covering them up.Adam
Date: 2007-03-14
To: One year. . .roughly
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it's roughly one year until I begin my thru-hike! I can't believe how quickly the time is going. Still a lot of planning and gear to acquire, but so far I've been sticking to a pretty good plan of saving and acquiring something new every month. I don't think I've gotten out hiking at all since my last entry. Too cold and snowy and wet for awhile. Yeah, yeah, I know I shouldn't be such a fair weather hiker. But the weather this past week has finally started getting warm and all the snow melted and hopefully the trails will be drying out quickly. Can't wait to get back out there and try to finish hiking as much of the AT in PA this year.Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I'm planning on a 3-4 day hiking trip this coming Memorial Day. I know there will probably be a ton of people out, but it works into my schedule nicely since I already have that Mon. off and will only have to take another day or two off from work. I'm planning on hiking south from route 30 in PA to Harper's Ferry. It should be a good test run for all my gear and figuring out what needs to be improved, etc. I probably won't update again until after that hike.Adam
Date: 2007-04-17
To: 11 months
Miles today: 0.0

Today is my 1 year anniversary at my job. It is the longest I've held the same job, since my first job in high school ten years ago. It is also roughly 11 months until I begin my thru-hike.I know I said I probably would not update again until after Memorial Day weekend, but well, here I am. Since my last entry I reworked my proposed hiking schedule (as posted in a previous entry) to give myself shorter mile days early on, as I am worried about overdoing it and getting a knee injury. I've also added more mail drops in my revised schedule. And speaking of worrying over knee injury/pain, I spoke to a friend with an MS in sports medicine who recommended I start taking Gloucosamine supplements and is looking into recommending a knee brace for my left knee, which tends to get more pain than my right knee from all the impact of hiking. Hopefully, these things will help.Finally, I've gotten out hiking the past 3 weekends for short days hikes, and even got a little sunburned last Saturday. This was a huge change from the first weekend, where it was cold, windy, and even sleeting a little bit (despite the weather forecast for sunny 50 degree weather). I hiked to the Pinnacle from Eckville; from Swatara Gap south; and then Swatara Gap north this past weekend. According to the guide book and my calculations I've now hiked a total of 138.8 miles out of roughly 228 in PA. With more to come!Adam
Date: 2007-07-30
To: Phase II
Miles today: 0.0

I have entered what I like to think of as Phase II. Of course I don't really know how many phases there will be. I moved my stuff home this past weekend in the heat and rain. Most of my belongings are now in storage in my parents' basement. Not being locked into a lease frees up income to devote to my thru-hike fund, which is already looking pretty good. I suppose Phase III will actually be starting my thru-hike.The next thing to do will be to totally revamp my gear. I'm planning on taking a trip to REI sometime this fall and getting everything else I'll need, including a new tent. My current two person tent, although it held up fine for a 4-5 day hike, still kind of sucks and I don't trust it for a 5 month hike.Other things to look into - deferring my student loans for 6 months. If I can't do this, I don't see how I can do my thru-hike. I won't have enough money to keep up with those payments as well as support myself on the trail. But I think I can get at least an economic hardship deferrment if I don't have a job, and if I'm thru-hiking, I won't have a job. . .. . .oh, and another funny tidbit, is that at least 3 family members have asked me if I'll be carrying a gun on the trail with me. Even though I've never used a gun in my life before.
Date: 2007-09-02
To: Less Than 200 Days and a Mathematical Error
Miles today: 0.0

Less than 200 days until I start my thru-hike. What has changed since my last entry? Not much. . .except that I forgot to multiply by 2. This is very important as it means the numbers I was working with previously for my projected finances have now doubled! It appears as though I will now have enough money saved up that I will be able to support myself while hiking, continue paying my student loans (whether I defer them or not), and still have some money saved up after I finish my thru-hike. What a relief!Otherwise, not much else to report. I still need to revamp my gear, but I did get out hiking this past weekend. I finally did the climb north out of Lehigh Gap, one of the few sections of the AT in PA I had yet to complete. This is the famous section that had previously been polluted from over mining and is now a superfund site. The climb was steep and nearly vertical and hand over hand at a few points, but overall very fun. Of course, I was not wearing a 30lbs pack on my back. I have no idea how NOBO's do this with full packs, but I suppose I will find out soon enough.I've now done over 10% of the AT, all in Maryland and Pennsylvania.Adam
Date: 2007-10-30
To: Dreaming in Trailvision
Miles today: 0.0

Well my thru-hiking dementia has reached a new level. In the past week I have had three separate dreams about thru-hiking, and it's still about 4 1/2 months until I begin my thru-hike. I've had dreams about hiking before, but never any directly related to thru-hiking, so it was a new experience. Especially since one of the dreams involved a friend and I hiking the approach trail, which turned out to be the wrong approach trail and instead ran parallel to the real one and took us through an abandoned zoo and a giant hollowed out log. I'm still trying to determine if I accidentally took any drugs/hallucinogens for that one. Another one involved me thru-hiking southbound with three other people and running into snow in Connecticut. All I can say is that the excitement is certainly building and it must really be seeping into my subconcious now.
Date: 2007-12-06
To: A Question of Purity
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Birthday trailjournal. One year old. It is a little hard to believe it was one year ago that I started this journal, and in a lot of ways began to mentally commit to the idea of doing a northbound thru-hike. The past year has gone quickly. Funny how that seems to happen the older I get.I have done a lot of planning in the last year. I have acquired nearly all the gear I will need in the last year. I have saved up enough money to take off for 6 months in the last year. All in all it has been a pretty productive year in terms of planning for my thru-hike.Other than a few minor pieces of gear, the only things left to figure out is how many mail drops I want to do and get those together. For getting to the trail it looks increasingly likely that I will take a bus to Columbia, SC in mid-March after I leave my job and then a friend who will be living there by then will take me over to the approach trail. Speaking of leaving my job, I am dreading the potential confrontation of telling my boss that I plan on quitting or taking a 6 month unpaid leave of absence. I do plan on giving at least 2 months notice, so he'll have plenty of time to find a replacement if necessary. Part of me is not worried about finding a job when I come back, but another part worries that I will be shooting myself in the foot as far as finding a job within the county when I come back.Anyways, I've also talked to several people planning on doing a thru-hike in '08 and it is interesting to get different perspectives on how people are preparing and planning to do their hikes. Which has brought to the forefront of my mind the question of, how do I want to hike? There seems to be various debates on what is the best way to thru-hike and what counts as a thru-hike and what constitues 'cheating'. Some people say you have to walk every mile north past every white blaze on the trail. Some people say you can skip sections and come back and do them later. Some people say you can do some parts north and some parts south. Some people say you can take side trails.The conclusion I've come to is that there is really no right or wrong way to thru-hike. However, the way I plan on hiking is: every mile north, with my backpack on, past every white blaze on the trail.
Date: 2008-01-23
To: GAH!!!
Miles today: 0.0

Ugh. It's about 2 months until I start my thru-hike. And I have everything ready for my start. One problem. I still haven't told my boss I'm leaving, let alone ask for an unpaid leave of absence. On the one hand I feel like I should have given him notice weeks ago. On the other hand, I feel like a month and a half notice is adequate. The fact that he is paying for me to go to a conference this weekend where I'll get continuing education credits seriously threw a wrench into my plans for when to tell him. My plan is to tell him after the conference. I wish I wasn't being so indecisive and non-confrontational about this. . .
Date: 2008-02-01
To: Did It
Miles today: 0.0

Well I did it. I told my boss I was planning on leaving to hike the Appalachian Trail and requested a six month unpaid leave of absence/notice of resignation. I don't know what I was so worried about, as it actually went pretty well. He said he would have to think about my request for unpaid leave of absence, but, if possible, he would like to have me back once I finished my hike if there was an open position. I couldn't believe it. I guess I was way too worried about this whole thing. But I would have been even more worried about not attempting the experience and adventure of a lifetime. And now my faith and spirit in my decision to thru-hike have been renewed and it is full steam ahead from here -- no looking back.
Date: 2008-02-20
To: A New Direction
Miles today: 0.0

No, I have not become one of those silly Southbounders ('Sobos') walking in the wrong direction on the trail, but my hike has become more than just about my own desire to thru-hike the trail. I have decided to use my hike, in part, to raise awareness for a group called Penn State Dance MaraTHON. This is a group I was involved in when I was in school, and it is the largest student run philanthropy in the country, if not world. Essentially THON requires participating students to stand on their feet and stay awake for 48 hours straight to raise money for an organization called Four Diamonds here in Pennsylvania. This organization raises money for pediatric cancer research as well as helps to support low income families of children with cancer. This is a great organization that raises millions of dollars annually for Four Diamonds. I thought that I could do a little bit by using my hike and trailjournals to raise awareness for THON and Four Diamonds. If you're interested in finding out more, you can go to http://www.thon.org. where you can also make a donation to THON. All proceeds go directly to THON 2009, and nothing goes to me. Also, the local newspaper here, the Reading Eagle, is going to do a story on my hike (and maybe follow up articles). I'll post the link to that article when it comes out. At first I was a little wary about doing the article, because what if I get an injury and cannot finish the hike? Seems like it could be some unnecessary pressure and expectations. But ultimately, if I can't finish the thru-hike for whatever reason, well, that is just a part of long distance hiking sometimes, and anyways it'll hopefully give people some insight and ideas of what the AT and my experiences are like. Writing about this and being interviewed by the newspaper has also made me ponder why I am hiking the trail. I can say that I am not doing it because I hope to find God or discover the answers to life's mysteries. Rather, I see it as a challenge, and I really just like to hike and the sense of freedom and accomplishment that goes with it, and now seems like the best time in my life to do it. I also like the idea of carrying everything I'll need on my back like a turtle and I love maps. I find myself pouring over the AT maps like a revolutionary or civil war general plotting my advance North. Will I learn things about myself while I'm out there? Undoubtedly. Will I be forced to confront things about myself that I don't like? Sure. But that being said, I believe my thru-hike will also exemplify qualities that I like and are good about myself and those will most surely outweigh the bad. And I believe that by walking into this adventure with my eyes wide open as to the realities of the trail and its difficulties, that I will do my best in reaching my goal of Katahdin.Adam
Date: 2008-02-24
To: 26 Days - Or, Another Countdown Entry
Miles today: 0.0

March 1st will be here in less than a week. Only 3 weeks of work left. And less than 4 weeks until I take my first steps on the Approach Trail. I have mail drops ready to go so far as until I get back to Pennsylvania. If they seem to work out pretty well I'll throw a few more together for the second half of my hike. Sometimes people ask me how else I am preparing for the hike (other than not getting a gun). I have to admit, and anyone who knows me will agree, that I am not the most inherently athletic or coordinated person in the world. I also have numerous allergies. I guess it may seem like a lot of things working against me and there are reasons for me not to succeed in this endeavor. I also haven't really been out hiking since mid-December in New Jersey. But I have put on 15lbs since last summer, so that my pack weight will be more like 20% of my body weight rather than 25%, and my body will have some fat reserves to feed off of when I'm struggling to take in enough daily calories. I seem to have plateau-d at only being able to put 15lbs on despite the holidays. My pack weight looks like it'll come in at somewhere between 30 and 35lbs once fully loaded with water and food. A little better than when I went for my 4 day trip over Memorial Day and my pack weight was between 35 and 40lbs, and that was without any cold weather gear. I've also occasionally been walking on a treadmill, with or without my pack on, with the incline cranked up as high as it will go and keeping my pace to 3 mph. However, I have to admit that based on previous hiking experience that I am of the philosophy that no matter I do, I will not be truly prepared for the Georgia mountains until at least a week into the trip, if then. I'll just have to suck up the pain and soreness the first few weeks until my body adjusts. Or maybe that's just what I'm trying to convince myself of. Adam
Date: 2008-03-14
To: The Last Day
Miles today: 0.0

Of work that is. A week from today I'll be on the trail. Years of dreaming and months of planning are finally coming to fruition. I'm filled with all sorts of simultaneous feelings of excitement and apprehension. I find myself laying in bed at night going over endless scenarios in my head of what to expect, what could go wrong and what last minute things I still need to do. In reality I'm probably about as prepared as I can be at this point. I've been trying to listen to some good tunes and RELAX, but to no avail. I travel to South Carolina on Wednesday the 19th and then to Georgia on Thursday, and then Amicalola Falls and Springer Mountain on Friday. The weather next Friday is forecasted at Amicalola Falls, Georgia as Sunny with a high of 59, low of 39, and 0% chance of precipitation. Not too shabby. I will welcome the exhaustion the trail will bring just so I can fall asleep at night without these endless thoughts running through my head. Can't wait to finally be out there!Adam
Date: 2008-03-20
To: Chillin' in the SC
Miles today: 0.0

"South Carolina here we come, right back where we started from"Made it to South Carolina yesterday. Left Pennsylvania about 8am after picking up the rental car. Got to Columbia, SC about 5:45pm. Was treated to dinner at the Mellow Mushroom by my friends Johnny O and Theresa and spent the night at their place. Will spend the day here and maybe watch a little of the opening day of March Madness until John and I leave for Georgia later this afternoon. Will probably find a place to stay in Dahlonega tonight. It's the madness baby! Thanks for your Southern hospitality Johnny O and T! Trail tomorrow!!!!!
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Visitors Center, Amicalola Falls State Park, GA

To: Springer Mt. Shelter, GA
Miles today: 0.2

The first day. I could not have asked for better weather, sunny and in the 60's all day. I woke up at 7:30 AM at the Super 8 Motel in Dahlonega (which I have been horribly mispronouncing). I had set the alarm for 7:15 AM, but set it for PM instead of AM. After a McDonald's breakfast next door, I got to Amicalola Falls a little after 9 AM. I signed in at the visitors center and was thru-hiker #303 for the year. I think 303 was also my college apartment #. Tres Tres. Anyways, despite my best efforts to keep my pack weight under 35lbs, with food and water my finaly weight came in at 40lbs. My friend John who drove me to the park hiked the first mile with me to the top of the Falls. I think the trail was recently rerouted here and I'm not sure if I took the old route or the new route, but still ended up at the top where John said goodbye and left to go back to his car.Now you might be wondering why my trip miles only says .2 miles if I have already hiked at least a mile. This is because there is an 8.5 mile Approach Trail to get to the AT (I know, a trail to get to the trail). You can also take a forest service road to within a mile of the start of the AT, but something about the Approach Trail seemed more official to me, maybe it was the stone archway at the start. So really, with the Approach Trail, I did 8.7 miles on my first day, but I am only counting AT mileage so it is 0.2.On the way to Springer Mountain, the official starting point, I went up and over Frosty and Black Mountains. The terrain while not too strenuoua or steep still wore me out. I just took my time and got to the official starting point around 3 PM. I am staying in my tent tonight because the weather is so nice out, and had a bit of a headache (as I always do on the first day of a hike), but took some excedrin and drank some water and feel fine now. I also got to name a thru-hiker tonight when a guy named Matt had a stove malfunction and almost caught the shelter table on fire. His trail name is now 'Flamethrower'.** Note ** After my third day on the trail I did not see Flamethrower again until my zero day at the NOC. From there I hiked with him until the day I went into Kincora Hostel in TN. He stopped short that day due to an injury and I did not see him again until Waynesboro, VA. After Waynesboro, VA I did not see him again until Wildcat Shelter in NY. We hiked together again from there to North Adams, MA, when he went home for his brother's wedding.