morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-11-18
To: Kentucky
Miles today: 0.0

Well,I have been home for a month and a half. My wife Sue and I took our time getting back to Kentucky, with stops at Acadia National Park, Cape Cod, friends Ann and Tom in Maryland, the Appalachian Trail Conservency office in Harpers Ferry (to fill out the forms to document the completion of my thru hike), and then Shenandoah National Park, before heading home. My aches and pains from the final weeks on the Trail have been gradually getting better but not quickly enough for me. I've been unable to do the physical activities I enjoy such as biking and running. I have put on about 10 or 15 pounds, due to lack of physical activity and also being unable to put the breaks on my eating habits. But I am determined to get that under control. I've been going through my Trail Journal entries to add information and fill in mileage information where needed, so I will have a fairly complete record of my experience. It is great to be home and I am enjoying the comforts of civilization, but I do miss the simplicity of the Trail. Get up, eat, hike, eat, sleep, do it again, and again, and again...No ambiguity there, the goal is clear. And of course I miss the many wonderful people I met along the way, and the community.
Date: 2010-07-02
From: Blue Ridge Parkway mp 92.5

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last year I completed just over 700 miles on the trail before my right knee decided that it had enough hiking for the year. I was quite disappointed in the fact that I was unable to do a thru-hike, but after much reflection I realized that if I can't do a thru, at least I can attempt to section hike the trail. So here I am, ready to continue on this journey. Let's see how far I can go this year.
Date: 2008-05-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, as much as I would have liked to thru hike this year I'm going to have to put if off for another year or two. Not a big deal as I still need to work out all my finances. For the past two weekends I have been out backpacking so I can test out my gear. So far so good! Although, I'm still debating about what pack I will use. I bought a Dana pack when I first started hiking back in the early 90's...oh, it's a beast weighing in over 6 lbs but it really carries the load nicely and I hardly notice the weight at all. Last summer I bought a Gregory Z55 which is about 1/2 the weight of the Dana. I'm still trying to get used to it and how I'll pack everything inside.
Date: 2009-12-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Its been a while since I have posted anything.I am still planning on a 2010 thru and will begin sometime in March or the beginning of April. I just took on a seasonal job so my start date will depend on when I finish up at work. I am hoping it will be sometime in March...Anyway, to make a long story short I was laid off back in June and I decided to take some time off to hike the Long Trail. I figured it would give me a good opportunity to do a shake down of my gear....it was also the longest backpacking trip I have done. All my gear worked out great except for my boots, which ripped out on the second to last day, and the zipper to the lid of my pack also ripped apart on the very last day. Oh....I also lost both gaiters sometime during the last few days too. Other than that I was very happy with all my choices. I have since replaced the pack....its slightly bigger but I think I will like having the extra space. I am still not sure of what I will do for boots though....I wore Asolo's for the LT but I am still not sure if I want to pay that kind of money again for boots. I still have time to decide.
Date: 2009-12-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A few weeks after coming home from the Long Trail a friend of mine invited on what is known as The Direttissima.....a 240 mile hike through the Whites. The route would take us over all the 4000er's and the plan was to complete the hike in 11 days, unsupported. I figured I was in pretty good shape so I decided to go.....I still wasn't working so I had the time and it's always good to take advantage of oppurtunites when they arise becuase you never know if you will ever have the chance again. We started on August 13th and my pack weighed in at 53lbs and we were planning on 20 plus miles per day. On the LT my pack was never more than 35 lbs and I averaged about 14 miles per day. To make a long story short I made it five days before my feet were a complete mess! I took a day off to rest them and then rejoined my friend but I shortened my days where I could. My friend only had one day left before his feet gave in. He had sucessfully the trip in 2007 so it can be done.Many lessons learned on this adventure! Here are just a few things I discovered about myself on this adventure.1. keep pack weight down2. big miles with a heavy pack made my feet very unhappy3. if you can keep your feet happy your legs will take you anywhere4. long days are doable but recovery time from a long day can set you back5. a good, properly fitting hiking boot makes the feet very happyIt was a fun time and I think I will give it another try maybe next year if I am home in time. So....right now my feet are my biggest worry when I start....trailrunners are totally out of the question due to the surgery I had last year. I will more than likely end up with another pair of Asolo's but maybe I can find something between now and then that is similar but not so expensive.
Date: 2009-12-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Its hard to believe that 2010 is almost here! I know the next few months will fly by....March will be here soon! I am so excited to get on the trail. In the meantime I though will try and be as patient as possible and enjoy wonderful beauty that the trails offer in the winter time.This past weekend I bribed some from of mine to join me on a hike up Washington....I make a wicked good chicken salad sandwich. I am always so amazed as to how the trails change from one week to another. Just a couple of weekends ago there was virtually no snow and now there is just so much! Winter hiking is great training becuase the pack is heavier and the extra weight from the winter boots and snowshoes will make the legs strong. I am hoping when I start the trail its not too cold....I don't mind being cold it just that getting warmed up again can take so much time!
Date: 2009-12-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I finally decided in a pair of boots. Last week I was at LLBean and bought a pair of the Vasque Breeze. I've been wearing them around the house and they feel pretty good!So for the most part I am all set on gear. I really do not need anything else but I am a gear junkie so if I find a good deal on something I might just have to buy it.I'm still deciding if I should carry maps with me and if I should just buy them in bulk or buy them along the way. I'm also trying to figure out what I will use to keep my journal updated. On the LT I had a hand written journal....it worked well but it was a short trip. I'd like to be able to make updates along the way but there are so many different choices out there. Still time to figure that out.
Date: 2009-12-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Only 59 days till March! I can't believe tomorrow it will be 2010....seems like it has taken a very long time to get here. Hopefully I will deicde on a start date soon....I'm thinking of leaving my job the first of March...I am not sure when my seasonal assignment will end and as much as I would like to complete it before leaving it may straggle out into April and I know I can't wait that long to leave!Got out for a hike yesterday. It was most beautiful but the temps hovered around 0 degrees all day. Hope I don't have to deal with these kinds of temps on the AT. We did a nice long hike up to Zealand Mountain....its usually not a bad hike but the access road to the trailhead is closed in the winter so it adds an additional seven miles to the hike. The views from Zeacliff were stunning as usual and there must be over 5 feet of snow in some places!
Date: 2009-12-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I bought the maps and guide book for Georgia and North Carolina last week. The maps are big and bulky and I am tempted to cut them down to just the parts I will need. I really do not see any need to carry the guide book either. The book I will use for my thru has all the info I need. I do enjoy looking at maps and seeing where I am and what the terraine around me looks like but most people I have talked with say they are not really necessary. So, instead of spending a lot of money and buying them all at once I will see how useful the ones I bought are before I buy any more. I got out for some hiking over the weekend. It snowed the entire time! A few of us tried making our way over to Monroe from Crawford Notch but got turned around before making to Eisenhower. The winds were whipping and the visibilty was about zero from time to time. Yesterday we decided to something a little more sheltered and had a very nice snowshoe up to Garfield. Way up on the ridge we were swimming through waist deep snow drifts! Not much for views on the summit but the beautiful snow filled woods made up for that.
Date: 2010-01-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Food and Maildrops.....I have decided on the towns I will stop at along the way for resupply and I have started to update them on my journal. I will more than likely do a couple of maildrops but will buy most of my food along the way. I have put the information on here so that if my friends and family want to send me stuff they will have the necessary information. I think it will be easier and I will have much more flexibility during my hike. I do not want to stress about getting places before they close. I have always eaten mountain house meals with all my other backpacks.....they are expensive though and I am not sure if I want to spend that kind of money. I have tried cooking the Lipton sides and I made a huge mess....guess I need to practice more. I like the idea of the freezer bag cooking but I am skepitcal of eating from a plastic bag everyday. Maybe I could reuse the moutain house pouches and cook my food in those?? Hhhmmmm....something to consider.
Date: 2010-01-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I went and looked at getting a blackberry phone today. After finding out what it would cost I decided I will just do a hand written journal. If I went with the blackberry I would be locked into a two year contract and I really do not want to pay that ikind of money just to have a telephone. So....my next step is to find a transcriber....or maybe I can talk my sister into doing the updates for me.
Date: 2010-01-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Went out today for a walk in my new boots. They are very comfortable! I am anticipating a certain amout of foot discomfort along the way....its unavoidable especially when you have bad feet to begin with. As long as I can keep them relatively happy I should be ok. As a good friend of mine told me once if you can keep your feet happy your legs will take you anywhere you want to go. I'll use tape, advil and moleskin during the day and at night I'll try and find some cold water to soak them in to help with the swelling and more advil. Finding someone to rub my feet at then end of the day would be nice too....but I only subject my closest friends to such requests.I'm getting more excited to start the trail as each day goes by. I am now thinking of leaving my job the beginning of March.Just wanted to also say thank you to those who have posted suggestions in my guest book! Lots of great ideas to consider.
Date: 2010-01-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So right now I am trying out a freezer bag meal. It is absolutely disgusting! Maybe it will get better with practice? I don't know though.....I am invisioning exploding bags, leaking bags, punctured bags, bags tipping over.....maybe I will be better off cooking in a pot. You see I am sort of clumsy at times and I am afriad I will end up making a mess of my meals if they are in a flimsy freezer bag...plus if they are all this gross I won't be able to eat them. I tried making one of the Lipton meals and it was in the cozy for about 20 minutes....its still all watery and the noodles are starchy in texture. Barf. I look forward to my meals at the end of the day and if this is what I have to look forward to than I will need to rethink my cooking strategy. I have also decided to modify my pack back just a bit....well one of my friends will make the modification. She is going to sew in a secret compartment under the lid! This used to be a common feature and I find them to be quite useful.
Date: 2010-01-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

After giving my lack of cooking skills some considerable thought I decided to do a bulk purchase of some mountain house meals and I will mail them to myself along the trail. There...I did it. I know everyone says its easier to buy food along the way but the stress of figuring out what to cook myself for dinner every night was really bumming me out. I woud not say I am lazy I just like convience The last thing I want to do at the end of a long day is to cook. Simple, easy and no dishes to wash! Just boil water and pour into pouch....do chores while meals cooks....than eat and relax and sleep! Either way I look at it I will need to go to town to get food anyway and a lot of the places along the trial will hold mail drops. Breakfast, lunch and snacks I'll buy in town and whatever else I might want. Even if I do not finish the trail it will not be a waste of money because I am out backpacking or hiking just about every weekend.
Date: 2010-01-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I think I will like having the BB on the trail....I know I said before I would do a hand written journal but I changed my mind. Still getting used to it and I need to figure out how to get pictures to upload to my journal...not sure what I am doing wrong but am hopeful I will have it figured out before I leaveSpeaking of which....when will I leave for Springer? Probably the last week of March. There are a couple of reasons I am waiting till then....first I feel obligated to carry out my temporary job assignment as long as possible...the second reason is a personal one. Back in 2004 I really got back into hiking full speed...I started working on "lists" and one list leads to another and than another and so for the past couple of years I have been working on the Grid....climbing all of NH's 48 4k's in each month of the year. I only have 10 peaks left and I will be done....3 in February and 7 for March. It will be nice to complete this insane chapter of my hiking career! As much as I am looking forward to leaving for Springer I am at the same time nervous, excited, scared and sad. I am nervous about what I might discover about myself....excited for a new adventure.....scared about having too much fun...and sad that I will be away from my family and friends for so long. I am not afriad of failure or not completing the trail.....failure would be if I did not pursue my dream of hiking the trail. As long as I give it my best I will not fail.
Date: 2010-01-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today my sister and I went for a nice hike up Kearsarge...it was cold but so beautiful! Her and I have been hiking together since 2003 when we started our adventure hiking the NH 4000's. I will miss her the most when I am gone. We have a lot of fun together and talk about anything and everything...oh and when we get going watch out! I feel very fortunate that my best friend is also my sister. I was hoping she might be able to join me along the way on some sections closer to home but she found out she was having a baby and is due sometime in August....at least I will be close to home and can get off to be with her when her time comes. So I started looking into my options for getting down to Georgia the past couple of days...I can take Greyhoud for about $85 or Amtrack for about $160 and both take about 2 days to get there. I had not thought about flying but looked into it today....it's about the same price as a bus ticket and it's less than 5 hours to get there! Also....they had a credit card promotion and if I get approved I can get the ticket for about $35!! Can't pass up a bargain price like that! If all goes well and I get approved I will purchase my ticket than. Getting wicked excited!Life is good today.
Date: 2010-02-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Got the rest of my mail drops added today and also started getting them ready....crossing my fingers all goes well and that I get to pick up each drop!I have a lot of friends in Vermont and New Hampshire so I am relying on them to help me out when and if I make it that far. I have thought about skipping VT because I did that section last summer when I was on the Long Trail....maybe I will just slackpack VT and NH seeing that I have done all of the AT in those two states....we'll see. If you haven't noticed I like to change my mind a lot and I like to have options!As far as my gear is concerned I keep picking up things that I think I will need....honestly I do not need anything but like I said before its good to have options. My most recent purchase is a collapsable cup. It packs up very nicely in my food bag. On the LT I had a lexan cup and it was bulky and I did not like the way it packed. I also bought a new light weight pack towel. I am anticipating I will probably have to buy new shoes along the way as well as socks. Other than that I am crossing my fingers everything else will hold up.The one luxury item I am bringing is my pillow. Its kind of big and heavy (9 oz?) but it is so nice to have something soft to put my head on at the end of a long day. I used it while on the LT and it was awesome!!! I've tried using stuff sacks but I find them noisy and slippery and not very comfy.
Date: 2010-02-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So I am still counting the days before I leave...oh I am getting so excited! It seemed like 2010 would never get here and now time is just flying by till I leave.Hoping to get some hikes in this coming weekend. I think I am in decent shape for my thru and it will just be a matter of my body adjusting to carrying a heavier pack. I am afraid of what my appetite might become when I get out there. On the Long Trail I ate well but when I knew I was going to town this insatiable hunger would take over! My thoughts were consumed of only what I would eat and how much. At a stop in Johnson 4 us managed to eat four large pizzas, salads, baked goodies and I can't remember how much beer! At night I would go to bed with a full stomach but I woke up several nights totally starving. So my advice to myself is to make sure I eat well and often. I want to avoid spending a lot of money in town but this may be unavoidable and out of my control.
Date: 2010-02-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sort of played hookie from work yesterday...on Monday I told them something came up and that I had to take yesterday off....they didn't ask me why so I didn't have to tell them it was so I could go hiking!I went out with a group of friends and we hiked up Jefferson and than over th Washington....it was a fabulous winter day and optimal above treeline conditions. On the drive over it was snowing lake crazy through Crawford Notch and the wind was tossing my car around....but as we started up the weather cleared and the winds died down. The next time I travel up this way will be when I am on my thru.....hopefully I will be blessed with good weather day for the Presientials when I get there!
Date: 2010-02-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Found out the other day my last day at work will be the 27th of this month....in a way I am ok with this because I did not want to quit but on the other hand it will leave me an entire month of trying to keep busy. It would be nice to leave sooner but I will wait.I went through my gear again today trying to weed out things I will not need. Have to keep the weight down in order to keep the feet happy. The hardest part has been deciding what clothing to leave behind...I do not enjoy being cold so I am trying to find the right balance of enough but not too much. I decided to bring fleece pants as opposed to long underwear...the weight is about the same but I think I will feel more comfortable walking around in my fleece pants....I also decided on my smartwool sweater instead of my Montbell jacket....the sweater is heavy but I have been wearing it year round hiking for the past few years and it is warm and cozy. I decided to bring my Go-Light wind/rain jacket which comes in at 7oz I think. I have not worn this jacket too much and I worry about not being able to cinch the hood tight around my head and if it can withstand the abuse it is sure to encounter. My other wind/rain jacket weighs twice as much but it also has a bomb proof hood and it is very reliable. I hope my choices are good ones but if not I can always have my sister mail me things along the way. The other big thing I am worried about is bear bagging my food....on the LT and all my other backpacks I have never hung my food. I did buy some light weight spectra cord for hanging my food but I am still not very skilled at hanging the food bag. The times I have been out when it had to be hung someone else always took care of that chore. Will April 1st ever get here??? It seems like such a long ways away still!!
Date: 2010-02-25
To: Meet Derek
Miles today: 0.0

I got Derek a few years ago on a trip out to Monhegan Island. He is a Jelly Cat but he is really a dog. Derek is the name he came with. Do you see how happy he is? Derek will be with me on the trail and when I am having a bad day he will cheer me up....how can one not laugh looking at him? He comes with me on most of my hikes right now....he never complains about the weather or being hungry or tired. I could not ask for a better trail companion....that is except for my sister.
Date: 2010-03-08
To: Winter wonderland in the Whites!
Miles today: 0.0

Got out hiking for the past three days....haven't hiked since Valentines Days weekend and I sure did feel it. The weather was absolutely spectacular so that made up for the tired legs and blistered footsies. Its hard to believe April is almost here! I am heading out later in the week for some hiking in the Adirondaks....those are beautiful mountains as well. Guess a few more hikes with my winter gear will keep the legs strong and toughen up the feet....I am so looking forward to wearing my summer boots and leaving the snowshoes behind.
Date: 2010-03-14
To: Back from the Daks!
Miles today: 0.0

Spent the last four days hiking in the Adirondaks....this was my thrid trip out that way and those mountains are impressive! They are nothing like the whites....more rugged and remote. Still tons of snow on the ground. My tootsies got a little sore but that is mostly from the boots I wear in the winter....so looking foward to regular hiking boots and no snow!
Date: 2010-03-18
To: Getting Nervous
Miles today: 0.0

Ok....so two weeks from today I will be flying down to Georgia. Can't believe its almost time to start my hike. I went through my gear again and my pack comes in around 35lbs with four days of food and 2 liters of water.....not too bad I guess. I had a get together with my sisters and mom the other night and brought my pack with me...it was fun unloading it and showing them everything I will be using along my hike. Two of my nieces were there and they were fascinated as well. Maybe some future hikers in the works?I am looking forward to the simplicity of being on the trail...just need to worry about walking, eating and sleeping. It will be so nice to only have one outfit to choose from in the morning...no worries about hair or makeup (not that I care right now anyways) No opening the mailbox and fining 99% of the stuff is just trash to be recycled, etc, etc. I am going to miss my family, friends and dogs.