morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-04
From: Glencliff NH

To: Glencliff NH
Miles today: 0.0

Took the day off to rest up and heal some. The Whites are waiting in theon-deck circle, so I¢d like to go in with a different attitude and in alittle better condition. Did the resupply in town, got some food, dranksome beers, and tried to move as little as possible. The hostel was a greatplace to just chill out. Had good times around the fire pit that night.
Date: 2005-08-05
From: Glencliff NH

To: Beaver Brook Shltr, NH
Miles today: 7.9

I¢m cursed with never being able to sleep in when I want to. Had a latenight, but still woke up just after sunrise. Laid in the tent trying tosleep more just turned into an exercise in futility. Gave up, packed up mythings and sat around the hostel for awhile. No hurry whatsoever. Ended upstill being there at lunch time, so I got the shuttle into town again formore food. As I ate, some intense afternoon thundershowers rolled through. Since it was raining, I made an attempt at napping.   By the time the rainquit, I gave up and decided to roll out. Bams and Caroline did their bestto convince me to stick around longer, trying to tempt me with beer andsnacks, but I got out. Couldn¢t justify doing two zeros. No use putting theWhites off any longer. First on the menu was Mt Moosilauke. It was a3700ft climb to the top. Thought it was going to be worse than it actuallywas though. Long ascent, but the grade was manageable and the trail wasgood.Got up above treeline for the first time once I was near the top. Nicealpine meadow up there. The sun was getting low as I climbed to the top. The wind was rocking across the peak, it was cold, but it was clear andvisibility was great. Found Morel and Sean up there, so I got my picturetook. Spent about 20minutes up there before pushing on to make the shelterbefore it got too dark. There are some big ol mountains up ahead.Nice colors in the sky too for the trip down. Got into the shelter at dark. It got cold in a hurry, which makes me think I might be glad to have thiswinter gear with me. It was a good day today. Didn¢t do a big day oranything, but I did get over a little mental hump. I¢ve been a littleapprehensive about the Whites. That¢s all I¢ve been hearing about lately,and there¢s that whole reputation they have for being nasty. Now that I¢mover the first peak though, the first game jitters are gone. Game on.
Date: 2005-08-06
From: Beaver Brook Shltr, NH

To: Kinsman Pond, NH
Miles today: 13.1

From my tent behind the shelter, I could hear everyone and they¢re brotherthumping around at sunrise. Payback for all the noise I made after dark lastnight I suppose. Hit the trail for a steep, wet, rocky downhill to bottom. Walked along a stream the entire way down, there were all kinds of cascadesand falls along the way. Pretty, pretty. Took a lot longer thananticipated to get down, though. After that though, the trail wasn¢t sohot. Lots of little ups and downs, more boulders, some bogs, mud pits. Seemed to be going in slow motion. Caught up to Morel and Sean in theafternoon, and we all tackled the climb up Kinsman. The first part of theclimb was reasonable, but the second part was ridiculous. Lots ofhand-over-hand climbing over slippery rocks and questionable foot holds.Poles were of no use. Grabbed onto rocks, roots, trees, whatever to pullmyself up. Had some good view on the climb up though. Spotted tomorrowspeaks, from the view spot atop kinsman. Had we not been out of water, thethree of us might have slept up there on the rocks. Alas, we instead headeddown to Kinsman Pond campsite. Ended up in the shelter there due to lack oftent space. Oh well. Bugs are nonexistent. The water source was the pond.Nasty brown water. Glad Sean let me use his filter. After darkness fell, I slinked down to the pond again to check out the stars. No moon, so theywere out. As they say up here, wicked bright.
Date: 2005-05-08
To: Grand Rapids, MI - Reflective Intro
Miles today: 0.0

Shalom all of you readers and ¢potential¢ readers of my journaling experience on the Appalachian Trail. Thanks for stopping by! It¢s my pleasure to share with you my thoughts, feelings and gifts that the AT gave to me. In the following pages, you will read of one journal entry I wrote during a pre-hike I enjoyed with my friend Kristen Kaptein, and best friend/trail buddy/hiking extraordinaire, Paul ¢Wag Daddy¢ Wagner. A week later, Paul and I came to Springer Mtn., and the rest is history. I spent over a month on the AT, though sickness and injury kept me down for part of it. I completed roughly 675 miles of the trail within that time, averaging nearly 25 miles a day. If you¢re interested in pictures, I will need to refer you back to my friend Wag Daddy¢s page. I believe he has ever single picture taken, available on his site, (www.trailjournals.com/wagdaddy). I must confess his page is much more thorough and detailed than my own. He offers another perspective on those 675 miles we walked together, as well as information on our gear, specific sites visited, and people we met. I¢m thankful he had the patience of investing so much on his page, with which our story makes so much more sense! It would be my hope and joy to return to the trail someday, and finish it in its entirety. Considering this, these journals are not yet complete, which is exciting to me! You may also notice an opportunity to sign my guestbook. If you have a moment, please feel free to do so. The origin of my name, ¢Puppy Power¢ is another option! Just hit the ¢Trail Name¢ button on your left. And now, without further adieu, I present the reading journals of Joseph ¢Puppy Power¢ Puplis. Digitally remastered and completely restored for the ultimate in viewing and reading quality! : )
Date: 2005-05-09
To: St. Ignace, MI
Miles today: 0.0

May 9, 2005Tonight I find myself in St. Ignace, MI. We've (Paul, Kristen Kaplein and myself) have just set up camp after a long and enjoyable day. It included an early short prayer with Kristen's grampa, and about a 4.5 hour drive from Grand Rapids. We ferried over to Mackinac Island and had great fun exploring. We even enjoyed some Mackinac Island Fudge Ice Cream. We were also turned away at the Grand Hotel....grrr! But were welcomed at a family owned Inn, which was splendid! More recently, we unpacked pounds of carrots, potatoes, sunflower seeds, and cereal to lighten our pack load and fill our bellies. We're about a week away from Springer Mountain. Wow! Tomorrow we'll be in Bois Blanc - if our Lord allows. Hopefully we can try out our stove more!
Date: 2005-05-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.8

May 15, 2005 The First Epistle to the Appalachians (1:1)Amazing. How does one put a day like this into words? 15 hours ago, I had a room, kithchen full of food, TV/internet/movies at my disposal, and a pretty nice truck! Now I find myself hiking in a place I've never been, alongside people I've never met, with equipment I'm just getting used to...and loving every moment of it! Today I'm on the Appalachian Trail, about 5-6 miles north of Springer Mountain! After an enjoyable plane ride, shuttle train, and an hour in a truck with a local named Fred Woodward, we are well on our way. Please let me explain. The reason we're only a few miles from Springer is because Paul (my partner in crime), and I also hiked the 9 mile approach to Springer. The terrain was as steep and tumultuous as I've ever seen, but was also immersed in some of the most beautiful country I have ever laid eyes on. It hasn't been all work! Paul and I amused ourselves by pretending to be foreigners as we mingled with the locals! We also passed the time by singing, praying and comparing the two creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2. Good times! I'm also writing this with a full stomach! Yes mom, it's true! We stuffed ourselves - didn't hold anything back! I'm sittin' on a gutful of carrots, grapes, chicken tacos, a half eaten tomato, lettuce, about 4 liters of water, and a generous portion of GORP! (Good 'ol Raisins and Peanuts!) It's my new favorite snack. Paul and I have worked well together so far. I hope that (along with the sunshine and scarcity of mosquitoes and other critters) it continues! It's good to be able to share this adventure with him. It'd be a totally different experience without him. I've been thinking about my friend Stevens and his bride today. Looks like they're off to a great start. I've also thought about my other friend soon to be married, Casey. I sure hope things have stayed in the 'up and up' (as he often puts it) with his bride to be. Well at this point I feel great and well nourished. I'm ready to go on tomorrow. I'm thinking I'll get a good rest tonight, too. Leaves and pine needles make for the ultimate in good bedding! But not before I finish reading my Bible portion for the day. I'm at Genesis 6. God just flooded the earth! Stay tuned to find out what happens next!
Date: 2005-05-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 24.2

May 16, 2005Wow! Today, Joey Puplis met the Appalachian Trail. And I'm feelin' it! Paul and I did knock about 24 miles off of her today. Though I'm not very fatigued, I have a bit of pain in my upper back and right knee. I'm thinking it's because I put too much force into my steps while trodding downhill. I spent half the day trying to adjust it. I also developed two small blisters on each of my feet. Nothin' a small knife and moleskin couldn't fix! Of yeah, we didn't have our knife yet. I had to borrow one from another thru-hiker. Her name is Julie. Trail name is "Ivy." Paul and I met up with her and her husband Joe around 4. They were nice. They were familiar with the hiking philosophy of Ray Jardine, so we had stuff to talk about. We met some other hikers along the way, but sadly we might not see them again because of our pace. But oy, what a day! I can't remember a time when I felt such a wide range of emotions! I went from determined to frustrated, to enthusiastic to angry, to beaten to awestruck, always hungry, and just about everything in between! But it seems that everytime I felt like giving up on a mountain (today we conquered about 6 of em..) the Lord rewarded us with a breathtaking view. That kept me going. That and the encouragement of my partner. Paul was great for me today. He spurred me along right until we set up camp. Food's been good. Today's diet included GORP (love the stuff!), Frosted mini wheat cereal, PB and J on a bagel (very good), lots of water and a special dish arranged by Paul, including tuna, noodles, and pea pods. Quite to my surprise, I loved it! I helped Paul finish off the whole thing (along with some mashed potatoes and some corn on the cob). One thing I need to mention, relating to food and please forgive me for being blunt, but Paul and I both have had gas like you wouldn't believe. I mean it's just....nevermind! OK, enough on that. I've learned quite a few hiking tricks already. I've learned that a good handful of grass blades make for an excellent substitute for toilet paper! And along with that, snake holes make ideal places for burying excretement! And on that note, sadly, neither Paul or I have seen much in the area of wildlife. A few critters and crawly things...not much else. Well, I think I'll treat my 'ol knee and get some rest. Oh yeah, and Noah survived, just in case you were wondering. Good night!
Date: 2005-05-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 23.5

May 17, 200551.7 miles Oh my goodness I'm tired! Now I get to journal. Okay, day 3. Wow, a lot has happened today. I'm not sure where to begin. I'll do my best. I hope I can give this day the justice it deserves because it was awesome. A rough nights sleep (on a considerably slanted incline) amazingly got us off to a pretty good start. Setbacks were still my sore knee and the fact that our beloved GORP strangely came up missing. We didn't know how or why, but Paul (who slept on a rock) thinks it involved some wildlife. During our breakfast (which we always enjoy after hiking a few hours), were befriended by a woman from North Carolina. An english teacher named Katie was leading some students on a portion of the AT. Speaking with her actually gave us a boost. Another couple, "Lady long legs and Mega Pete", had a similar influence. Yeah, today was all about people. Next we bumped into a naked man! Clothed with nothing but a thin fanny pack. This guy was the real deal and barred no shame! I saw him during a rather long and difficult stretch with no water. I was hurting, but thankfully Paul and I found some great spring water in a place called Stinlay Creek! After that, the Trail relieved us with a long stretch of flat ground! After the terrain we battled through so far, that was a God-send! I also noted another small blister on my right foot. I guess the other two needed a friend. Thankfully, they didn't hurt too bad. Next, Paul and I took an extended break talking to a really eccentric thru-hiker named "Tackle Bill". Bill's great. He's from Hawaii and was very generous with his food to us! (His ultimate motive was probably to lighten his pack weight!) That helped replenish our loss of GORP and rejuvenated us. The Lord provides again! We enjoyed our dinner with a really big family who were hiking for a few days. They had small children who were very sweet and quite interested in our gear. We were able to share our hiking philosophy with them, and were even able to exchange contact info. I hope that's not the last time we hear from the Franec's! Now, after Paul and I left the family (which at this point was a couple hours ago), Paul and I were given a pretty good scare as we encountered two bears! That's right, two black bears! No cages, no windows, no nothing! Just us and them. They were magnificent. I was so humbled my them. They got within 50 yards of us (No, I DIDN'T get a picture). Then they moved on. Needless to say, Paul and I were rather edgy since. Even now I'm shaking! But I am so happy I had that opportunity. Best as we can figure, it was a mama bear and her cub. She was just looking out for her boy, as I know all good mothers do! Before we set up camp, we bumped into more thru-hikers hoping to end around our end time. Nice guys. Their names are Ethan and Jesse. They volunteered their family to put us up in Connecticut- Trail Magic....it's a beautiful thing! Thanks for reading! More to come---Good Night!
Date: 2005-05-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.0

May 18, 2005 (AM)Day 4Mom,Thanks so much for your love for us and supporting us well on our journey! We love you and miss you already. Enclosed is the first batch of journal entries. Please post them soon- whenever you get the time. I hope my penmanship isn't too difficult to read. Please greet everyone in the family for me, and inform them of our progress! Today is the 18th, and we'll in Hiawassee, Georgia for the day. I hope all is well. I love you!Love, Joey*Please also save our written copies of our journals! Thanks again.We now find ourselves in Hiawassee Georgia's Post Office. It's been quite a morning, but now we are taking the rest of the day off. Paul and I got another early start (after hardly sleeping a wink, due to our bear encounter!), but we made great milage. We did about 16 miles in 6 hours. We hiked through lunch in order to get into Hiawassee and take advantage of their "All you can eat buffet!" Obviously, these nice people don't know what they're in for! But we actually have been eating very well. Food that I ordinarily wouldn't touch has become a culinary delight! Later today, we're hoping to buy some groceries at a Health Food Store and maybe stay at a hostel- get cleaned up and stuff! Boy, are we unpleasant! That was made more clear when a nice gentleman named John offered us a lift nto town earlier today. Between the two of us, wow! What an odor. But hopefully, we'll take care of that soon. In terms of our gear, it hasn't failed us yet. Everything is going very well (Yes, I know it's only the 4th day), and each day brings more and more confidence. Our bodies are hurting, but good. Both Paul and I can feel the muscles building in our legs. Mountains that seemed impossible 3 days ago are now a regular hurdle for Paul and I....usually conquered in an hour or two! I've sort of mastered the hiker "lock-step." It's a useful form of walking up very steep terrain. I do it quite naturally now. I wish I could properly express the wide range of emotions that I feel throughout the day. (Officer Taco once said hiking makes one bi-polar. Thus far, I agree!) Often, when Paul and I are on the trail, things are tough, and millions of questions of doubt pop in my head. Other times, my determination and drive is so fierce, I feel as if I could go through a brick wall! Something that's helped me along is not thinking about Katahdin at all! I can't even think about the next state or the next shelter. All I can really handle at any moment is the 5-10 steps in front of me. I know that sounds silly, bt if I start thinking about the next mountain, or next lunch break, I feel so overwhelmed. All I can handle are those precious 5-10 steps. And so far, it seems to be working out quite well! Lots of love to all of you back home who are praying for us, thinking of us, and rooting us on! We definately couldn't do it without you! Well, it's chow time so I'll wrap this us. Thanks again for reading. Good night and may God bless you
Date: 2005-05-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 25.3

It's amazing. I've laid here for several minutes, and in that time have heard...nothing! Absolutely nothing. We're out in the middle of nowhere! We just set up camp in a bed of leaves and...it's great. Let's see...today is Day 5 on the AT. It was good. The gentleman from the Hiawassee Inn gave us a lift back to Dick's Creek Gap round about 7:30 AM with some other hikers. They (along with several others today) asked a lot of questions about our gear. They all seem to be quite interested in learning more about it and about this style of hiking. Today was quite a day. We unofficially logged about 26.3 miles! (that's the same distance as a marathon!) We also broke into North Carolina. It wasn't a very warm welcome though. The mountains were the steepest we'd seen yet! Paul and I passed the time well though. We spent a good hour debating who the most attractive animated Disney character has been so far (Princess Jasmine won unanimously) and also chewed over who would star in a Legend of Zelda movie, if one was ever made! Our 26 mile day did hit my body pretty hard though. I've gotta say...my right leg is messed up! I have a small case of poison ivy on my ankle, soreness in both my ankle and knee, some chaffage a little further up, and several blisters on my foot! I found another one today. I didn't think I had room for any more on that foot! But honestly, all things considered, I'm feeling very well. Thankfully Paul is too. Another item worth mentioning is the food! We have we been spoiled! After our "All you can eat" smorgasboard last night, Wag Daddy and I bought some groceries. We did some experimenting this morning. Paul whipped us up a 3-egg omelette! Boy, that was a treat! Little ham, cheese, potatoes...mmm! I can still taste it! It was our first warm breakfast and hopefully we'll treat ourselves to an omelette like this everytime we stop into town. For lunch, we enjoyed some PB & J, with some GORP, jerky and a peach. Dinner was the best ever yet. 5 soft shelled chicken tacos with cheese and tomatoes! We also made a quick batch of Mac & Cheese with tuna fish. I'm slowly learning just how mental this hiking thing is. Today I was rejuvenated. I had spoken with my mom the night before and several other hikers today spurred us on. One worth mentioning is "Salt Lake City" John. The poor guy has at least 45 lbs. on his back, but he just keeps truckin' along! We talked about everything from Monotheism/Catholicism to Comic books! After dinner, we met up again with Ethan and Jesse. They're a couple young guys who are roughly holding the same pace as we are, so we hope to meet up with them sometime tomorrow. Tonight, they told us we were the "talk of the trail!" Apparently, everyone's talking about our "light weight" style, ambitious mileage and umbrellas! In fact, we're known as "the two umbrella guys." Flattering?... Well, I suppose it could be a lot worse! Boy, I sure have enjoyed the quiet and serenity of this place. Time to get some shut-eye. Gotta pull another 25 miles tomorrow. Hopefully- the feet and ankle will be working better after a good night's rest. Thanks again for reading. Good night.
Date: 2005-05-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 25.1

I woke up to the sound of thunder and a torrential downpour of rain! Lightning streaks were scattered all aound our little tarp! We must have been right in the middle of it. Mmm... I love storms! It was magnificent....to watch. Quite another experience getting ready and going in the middle of a thunderstorm. We weren't near any shelters so we were pretty much on our own. We suited up real good (Wag Daddy's raingear worked great!), but after a while, we realized we were gonna get wet whether we liked it or not! So we just went for it! We got so drenched! We laughed the whole time. It was the most fun I've had since Steven's bachelor party! A while back, some thru hikers dubbed us "the two umbrella guys." I may have mentioned that before. Well let my say, they sure came in handy today! We still got soaked, but the umbrellas helped ALOT! The rain today actually reminded me of Jen Sternberg, a good friend I have back home. She absolutely loves the rain! She would have been in her glory today! So, morning was good. And then like all the other days so far, things changed. There wasn't actually a defining moment, but at some point, the trail just got long. Paul and I separated for a bit and my mind began to wander. Doubts crept in! Feelings of regret! Fear, defeat all slowly infiltrated my mind, and my mind gradually became darker. These feeling weren't limited to the trail itself, but more dangerously, to my own life. I began to question things that I've done, decisions that I made, and soon, it just overwhelmed me. If I could have at that moment, I probably would have quit. At the time, everything seemed so hard, and my life appeared to be a failure. Things bottomed out at dinner. While we were cooking in an open area, the weather subsided. Then, it began to pour on us! Our meal was almost ruined. Our gear was also exposed. We acted quickly and thankfully were still able to salvage our food, but at the time, it was too much. I think my partner was feeling some of the same. We were able to talk about it after dinner and I think it did us both some good. It was the kind of conversation that wasn't very articulate, but meaningful. We didn't need to say much because we both just kind of "knew." It really helped me, and I hope I was of some encouragement to him, as well. The Lord then treated us with a beautiful sunset, and we set up camp around 4-5 miles South of Fontana Dam. I do feel better, and more able to face tomorrow. I'm still learning about trail life. Maybe the hardest adjustment is needing to urinate 15-20 times a day! With all the water we're drinking, that's a pretty safe estimate! I used to think that's just something old people did! Guess one can add 'hikers' to that list. Going to sleep now and looking forward to a good night's rest. Thanks for reading. Good night.