morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-28
From: Laurel Creek shelter

To: Niday shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

10:25 PM   Niday shelterToday has been another difficult one. It started out with rain¢again. Packing up a wet tent and not knowing when it will be drier is unpleasant. The morning was spent hiking through cow pastures and hayfields. I can¢t count how many stiles I climbed, but it was close to a dozen. I missed seeing the Keffer Oak, the largest oak tree on the southern AT. It was right beside one of the stiles. I was so focussed on getting over that stile and avoiding the poison ivy (They all had poison ivy around them.) that I didn¢t even notice the tree. I had read about it and planned to look for it, but the stiles wiped that activity from my consciousness. The shelter I hoped to get to be lunchtime was down a long steep trail. I got to the shelter trail at 2:00. It was a fifteen minute hike down to the shelter. I had to go because I needed water. As I was getting ready to leave, a southbound hiker was smoking a cigarette and I accidentally got a whiff of the smoke. I had to stop and use my inhaler because I was starting to be ill. Sinking Creek Mountain is long and rocky. I fell about 7:00 PM, slipped on a rock and landed on my butt.
Date: 2004-05-29
From: Niday shelter

To: Cove Mountain
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: scattered clouds

10:00 PM   Cove MountainI really, really wanted to go all the way to 4 Pines Hostel tonight, but I ran out of daylight, and I am just not a night hiker. When I got to this attractive little spot, I saw a tent and heard voices. It was Worldbridger and Lots of Fun reading aloud. They encouraged me to stop and set up my tent. I wanted to get off the mountain because of all the noises I can hear. I have heard an electrical hum off and on ever since I arrived at Niday shelter last evening. It was loudest in the cove by the creek. It was muted over the rise by the shelter, but I heard it in my tent all night. It was very annoying at 3:00 AM. The hum was loud in spots along the ridge of Brush Mountain. I heard it crossing Trout Creek, and then it was loud again when I reached the crest of the ridge on Cove Mountain. Also, someone drives a very loud car very fast on Va. 621 and 311. I don¢t hear too many road noises right now, so maybe the night will be OK.I had a good plan to keep hiking all day¢eat about every 1 and 1/2 hours and take many short breaks. Spin Cycle and Trail Dog donated snack food to my cause. I left the shelter at 9:30, the very last one, as usual. I ate an oatmeal cake (Little Debbie) with a Skippy Squeezestick (chocolate and peanut butter) at 10:15. I had a granola bar and a Little Debbie brownie at 11:40. I had cold oatmeal at 1:00 PM and my very last KitKat. I had another package of oatmeal at 3:00. At 5:00 PM I had mashed potatoes with milk and the last of my salt, no butter or cheese. Phooey! At 8:10 I had another package of oatmeal. I have one more package of oatmeal. I have milk, mashed potatoes, soup mix, soy protein, pasta, Tang, tea, and raisins. I think I can make it to 4 Pines in the morning.
Date: 2004-05-30
From: Cove Mountain

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: scattered clouds

5:45 PM Four Pines HostelI had thought I was closer to the hostel last night than I actually was. I am doubly glad that I didn¢t try to keep going because the place I camped was the last good spot until another mile. The mile from my campsite to Dragons Tooth was very steep and rocky and climbed about 300 feet in that mile. Now that I have my AT map of this section, I can see what I was not really prepared for when I had my fantasy of going 16 miles in one day. I left my campsite at 7:00 AM. It is easy for me to get out early if I don¢t cook breakfast. I had my last package of oatmeal with milk powder and a little cold water straight out of the envelope. I finished the rest of my water by 7:30 climbing up to Dragons Tooth. I didn¢t start missing water and food until about 9:00 AM when the steep rock climb down went on and on. There was no water until the faucet at 4 Pines at 100:00 AM I was really dragging up the road and the driveway. I had a hard time deciding what to do first. A cup of Orange Crush with ice helped tremendously. Then a bicyclist on the Transamerica Trail offered me an almond coconut bar that his girlfriend made for him. I made myself a cup of tea to go with it. Soon all was well. I washed some clothes in the sink to have something clean to put on after my shower. Then Jitterbug came in and offered to take my clothes I was wearing to the laundromat with her laundry. I couldn¢t ask for more. Joe Mitchell, the owner of this place, gave us (me, Party Girl and her boyfriend, Sean) a ride to the Homeplace for All You Can Eat dinner at 3:30. We ate until we were painfully full. It was well worth $12.00 for fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, biscuits, gravy, cole slaw, green beans, pinto beans, and blueberry cobbler with ice cream.
Date: 2004-05-31
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

7:50 AM Four Pines HostelLast night was a typical hostel night. I suffered greatly from exposure to cigarette smoke. The smokers tried to be responsible by smoking outside, but gusts of wind would catch me by surprise, and the wind persisted in blowing some smoke into the open garage that is the hostel. I went to bed about 8:30, but I had to get up to use my albuterol inhaler about 9:30. "Lights out" was supposed to be 10:00 PM. Some of us old fogies asked for the lights to go out about 10:50. The party outside with beer, Jack Daniels and laughter went on until midnight. I went to sleep sometime before midnight, but I was up about every two hours, partly from the fact that I had eaten so much and drunk so much lemonade/tea at the restaurant, plus a root beer that I bought at the store in the evening. I was hungry again at 2:00 AM, and I felt my chest tightness from the smoke. I used my inhalers, but I didn't want to clank around getting food, so I waited until 6:00 AM to start eating. Breakfast was a lentil stew I had cooked during the morning previously with leftover roast beef from the restaurant and cheese I had gotten from the store. I wasn¢t sure I would eat all the lentils I had cooked. I had planned to share them when I cooked them, but the pot is now clean, and I ate the entire quart of lentil stew that I made.Marny is coming at 1:00 PM to take me to Roanoke for dinner, then on to her house in Martinsville. It is goodbye to the Appalachian Trail until a later date.
Date: 2004-02-19
To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Hello to all - This is my first entry - obviously. My anxiety for this trip is building. I am so excited to step my foot onto the Appalachian Trail once more. It has been three years since I have seen the trail and it is way past due. I am looking forward to this hike in a way that I have never looked forward to anything else in my life. My mother and I will take this endeavor one step at a time until we summit Katahdin. Luckily we are only (ha-ha)going 1,479.6 miles, but somehow it still seems like a long ways. It will be the completion that she is needs to be a 2,000 miler. Hmmm... every thought of this journey is so exciting and empowering.... okay - I had better get back to work...
Date: 2004-02-20
From: Catawba, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it is yet another cold and windy day here in Michigan. I sit here on this fine Saturday morning dreaming of being in the woods - instead of sitting here at my office hearing the cars wiz by on the slick roads. Later today I will be going hiking with my mother - it will be great to get outdoors again. I went for a couple mile trek through the woods on Thursday with my friend, James. It was great! It had been the warmest day in 8 weeks at 45 degrees, but it felt like it was 70.... pure heaven... the snow had started to melt, but it was still deep enough that it was somewhat of a challenge - sublime... so I leave my writing once more to day dream of hiking on the trail... or I could get some work done since I will be here for the next three hours... unfortunately, work always prevails somehow.
Date: 2004-03-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Unfortunately I still have not left Michigan, but hiking is not that far away. I don't have an exact start date so it is hard to count down the days. It is approximately 2 months though. Oh... it seems like that is such a long time, but on the other hand... I have so much to do before I go. Bills Bills and guess what more Bills to pay off... had a great day at work today and tonight I am brewing my second batch of homebrewed beer with my friend James. It is nice to be filling up these last weeks with a new hobby to make the time go faster. Unfortunately, homebrewing incorporates a lot of waiting too... always waitin on somethin in this life. :-) The days have been getting longer and the weather has warmed up about ten degrees in the last week. This is making me anxious for spring. Have started to hike more and more each week in anticipation of leaving. I think I could go on for hours about my anticipation of leaving. Since I have been on the trail before I have this strange background knowledge of leaving: I can't wait to leave, but once I do I will be homesick for those who are closest to me... The beauty of a good imagination and a few pictures on the trail will hopefully help out this trip. Plus, cant be homesick when hiking with my MOM. That will definitely keep the homesickness at bay this time. Only two months... but for now - back to work!!! Okay - can't lie - back to dreaming of the trail at work.
Date: 2004-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Here I sit in front of my computer again. I have spent the last three hours reading and looking at photos from new and old trail journals. I am feening (sp?) the trail. The urge to get up earlier than I ever do at home, slap on a pack that I know weighs more than I want it to - you know more than zero pounds and head out on the trail w/ my usual healthy jump start of a snickers bar. Having to glide up mountains sides for days on end... wait - actually - i don't believe i ever actually "glided" up a mountain side... but moving on - where was I - oh yes - gliding up the sides of mountains for days on end sounds like the answer to my life questions - what is the point of life if all i do everyday is the same thing over and over... I want to explore... go to new places... seek out nooks & crannies on the sides of mountains... run w/ the wolves - bark at the moon - reach for the stars - entertain a life less ordinary... a life that makes my heart proud to be within me... that makes my soul smile back at the world... a life that leads its own path to happiness --- I am not the child they bargained for, but I am the woman that I hoped for... okay - so - got a little carried away - but it feels good to let go sometimes...
Date: 2004-03-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, yet another Holland entry... still haven't left, but am constantly reading the trailjournals site and can't help but throw out an entry every week. I am still counting down the days til we leave, but it isn't exactly 100% what day that will be. If my sister has her baby this weekend then we leave on the 18th of April, but if she doesn't have it until next week then we have to wait until the next weekend. I keep telling her she has to be more of a team player! just kidding Mandy! It is still cold here, but it is raining now more than it is snowing. Next weekend mother and I will be hiking to Grand Haven. Another lakeshore town about 13 miles from my parents house. We are taking our packs, but there will be no mountains... plus it will be on a bike path. It is a beautiful walk, but no exactly parallel to what we will be encountering on the trail. Still have not gotten a pack cover. I would also like to pick up some umbros, but haven't seen any around. Going to Grand Rapids ( bigger city - last census it was the 100th largest city in the U.S.) this afternoon - hopefully I will be somewhat more successful there. so here I sit dreadfully wanting to be out in the woods and hoping to see the lovely hills of virginia sooner than later. The idea of leaving work and the normal day to day has become a thought that will not leave my mind. I am ready to leave....
Date: 2004-03-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It's a GIRL! 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 18 inches. how great! I am rejoicing in the birth of my neice Margaret (Maggie) Patricia Cooper. Today I remember that when I am down and it is cloudy skies there is always a silver lining. I left a confusing period of my life behind today and am wonderfully happy and fulfilled by the birth of yet another amazing neice. This means that I will be leaving my life here for 4 months and surely starting my hike on the 18th of April in Virginia!                  Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams.                         Live the life you've imagined.                            --Henry David Thoreau                     Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told,                            'I am with you kid Let's go!'                                  --Maya AngelouMany things in this life challenge me & as of yet... I have not been conquered - well not all together at least :-) ... happiness shall always prevail as the winds in my sails. - kind of lame, but it sounds kind of spunky! Less than a month - Wahooo! The count down is officially: 23 days.
Date: 2004-04-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have faught off the urge to make another entry for a little over a week now. I have been trying to stay focused at work and not constantly daydream. The days are going so quickly... only 15 days until I go back on the trail. The hike to Grand Haven last was great. It was the most beautiful day of the year thus far. I got three blisters in 13 miles. I didn't think that was all too terrible. It was nice to be able to walk to a motel as opposed to what the trail will be like. Plus... well... it was on a sidewalk. Plus, my dad ended up going to Starbucks and picking up Iced coffee and chai for us... yeah - don't think that will be happening too often on the trail. So that means obviously it wasn't any sort of roughing it, but it was good to get the legs into high gear. We are going to hike again tomorrow afternoon and then the following Saturday as well. I am having a going away party next saturday at my house w/ a bonfire (weather pending). Should be a pretty good time. I have my nephews baptism and my brothers profession of faith on This sunday. I realized that I am going to have to work up until the day before I leave... not exactly how I had planned it. It seems like every time I turn around there is one more thing that I have to squeeze into my schedule before I go. Luckily, I will be on the trail in 2 weeks and the stress will be behind me. Well... started writing this around 10 am and now it is almost 5... gotta work... oohh!!! I get to go to the grocery store w/ my sister and neices... sometimes the smallest things in this life are the greatest!Farewell for now...
Date: 2004-04-16
From: VA 311

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up at 7 a.m. Dad drove us to VA 311, and we stopped to do the final good-byes. All of my years and anxieties are now behind me I thought to myself. I can do this.My parents hugged each other and tears welled in my eyes. Love you dad. My parents hugged once more--final photo op as we headed into the trail. My dad drove away and a butterfly passed through me. He honked and my mom yelled--I LOVE YOU HONEY!And off we hiked into the woods.
Date: 2004-04-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 4.5

Now I sit here at McAfee Knob. What a glorious view! Mountains line the horizon, the foreground, and everything in between. I feel at home atop this beautiful mountain. More at peace than I have in the last three years. I am off to have lunch and bond with mother . . . more tonight. I actually ended up not writing more last night, because I went to sleep at the late hour of 7:30. Yup. 4.5 miles and slept for 11 hours.
Date: 2004-04-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up at 6:30 to a beautiful sunrise. Patti Pooh and I decided that we would hike a daring 14 miles to Daleville today. Well, no it¢s 2:00 and not a prayer in the world could make me hike to Daleville.We coasted into Lamberts Meadow Shelter at 12:45. Wowsers . . . it is frickin¢ hot out here. Tinkers Cliffs was startlingly beautiful with a lovely walk along the cliffs.One of my socks is now dangling over the picnic table¢s edge. Patti Pooh nicely pointed out how the flies are euphorically swarming around my socks. And - oh - none around hers. We had a good chuckle about my lovely stench that seems to attract a swarm of bugs wherever I go.We might stay here tonight or push on down to the campsite is a big .3 miles down the trail. I can almost hear my friends laughing about the low mileage, but hopefully this way we can build up to bigger and better days. So we ended up pushing on a little further, convinced that we could do more miles. The heat and sunburn have been pretty unbearable. As the sun is setting over a chain of mountains behind, I am happy. Happy to be in my tent, on a beautiful mountain top, in the middle of no where.Tomorrow a hike to Daleville & Troutville. Sounds like fun to me. Oh - I just have to mention that I love my MP3 player. A little Bob Marley and some Janis Joplin make climbing these hills a cakewalk - OK - almost.To all my loved ones back home. My thoughts are with you through the day, wondering what you are all doing. Love you all so very much. Sleep is calling - good night.A quote: ¢nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance: They make the latitudes and longitudes.¢--Henry David Thoreau
Date: 2004-04-19
To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

7:30 a.m.Sitting atop yet another mountain. The forest opened up to a beautiful panoramic view. I am sitting adjacent to this large valley with many mountain ranges in the distance.Mother and I had a slight argument this morning. She just hiked by without a word. Stupid, squabbling is our downfall. Speaking should be against the law before 9:00 a.m. Well, back to hiking.Hiked like a thru-hiker today. Went up the mountains with no problems. It feels great. We hiked down into Daleville today and got a hotel. Mmmmm . . . a shower. Then, went to the outfitter and the UPS store to ship the unnecessary warm weather clothes and some other stuff home.Called James at the usual 11:15 a.m. It was good to say hi to him. Short call - he was busy at work, and I had things to do as well. Marcus and Janis are making beer tonight. First time without me. Have fun boys! Drink one - OK - a few for me.
Date: 2004-04-20
From: Waynesboro!

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Another early start today at 7 a.m. Hiked up to the Fullhardt Knob Shelter and am sitting on the edge of the shelter. Lovely out today. Lots of switchbacks on the trail. My tendonitis in my right achilles tendon is bothering me today. I did so well the first three days that it is frustrating to have to take such small strides. I feel like a hobbled horse.I (---?) took some quotes off the internet from home. Now that I¢m out here, I read one every day. Not all positives, but some are applicable:¢Trying is the first step towards failure.¢-- Homer SimpsonMother and I had quite the laugh about this quote last night.Evening has set in and we are sitting inside the shelter. A thunderstorm hit just after we got our water. Perfect. Now we are sharing the shelter with some lovely people from Maryland, who are out on their semiannual trail vacation. Each year they hike for two separate weeks. They have done more than 1700 miles of the trail over about the last twenty years, I would guess. Awesome! That is so great to continuously return to the trail, year after year with your mate.Guess what, kids at home? You¢ll all be thrilled to know that an attractive (not hot) thru-hiker is staying at this shelter with us. I love mountain men: the beard, the backwoods look, the longer hair. So much fun! Ahhh - haa!My mother did a wonderful thing today. Oh back track. It has been boiling hot and without leaves, it¢s been a touch unbearable. She experiences what I jokingly call ¢BRAIN CLOUDS¢ - A Joe versus the Volcano reference. She gets like crazed when hiking in the heat. She saw this stream and all but threw herself into the stream head first. While stripping (not really), but while grabbing her glasses and everything off her head in order to dip her head, she forgot her prescription sun glasses behind. She was so crazed that I immediately said I would traipse back to the last stream, and get them for her. I could have slapped myself silly as soon as the words came out of my mouth. But, she looked so happy, so I went back over the last mountain for her glasses. At least I didn¢t have to wear my pack. I all but sprinted the entire 1.5 miles over the mountain. My achilles tendons were killing me! She was so grateful that it made it all worth it. Auh - how nice.We hiked to the shelter then. It was a painstaking .7 miles all up hill, and mother (sorry mom) kept yapping at me, while I was about to drop dead from all the extra hiking without water or food. It was my fault, but I was determined to just make it to the shelter. No stopping! Luckily the last push was worth it - we beat the rain!Going to bond with the locals. Good night my friends. Lots of love to you all! O X O X O X O X O
Date: 2004-04-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Wednesday, I believe. Noticed today that I haven¢t been logging mileage/destinations/or starting points. I¢ll go back and pencil those in today - tonight - whenever. So, thunder storm rolled through last night , and we woke up to a very damp fog. I feel like Julie Andrews in the ¢Sound of Music¢ - little flowers in every color of rainbow, many different mosses, birds chirping and singing, water in the distance . . . ahh . . . to be at home in the woods.It¢s just past noon and we are sitting at Bobblets Gap Shelter. A stunning 7 miles before noon today.Saw a rock today that reminded me of a gift from home. It put a smile on my face for most of the day. Oh naughty me - I am now carrying that stone. It was all sparkly - I couldn¢t resist.So I just examined my feet. Well, it looks like the battle of the toenails is going to be a bust. Both big toes have air bubbles in the middle of them, as do a couple of other toes as well. Oh well. The only thing is that I know they won¢t grow back by the end of summer. Definitely not something that men look for.Boobs - checkButt - check, checkHair - checkLips - checkNotice: missing toenails didn¢t make this list. But what do you know anyway!Moving on - water is a real issue today. Cove Mountain Shelter doesn¢t have water, and that is 7 miles away and our supposed destination. But now we will possibly push on to some creek 3 miles further. Total 17 miles approximately for the day. Ouch. My soul hurts thinking about the one.More later if I¢m not completely incoherent by the time we set up camp.Okay, we made it to Cove Mountain Shelter. It was a bit of a trudge, and mother and my energy levels had decreased right around 3 miles before the shelter. But we moronically refused to stop and pushed on. So we ate dinner. I had very unfulfilling cajun rice. Not great by any means. We sat inside the shelter, happy to be alone. Then, a few new friends popped in - Carpenter BEEZZZZ. Yeah. Quite annoying that they were constantly dive bombing our heads. We are now each sitting in our tents . . . on a rather irritating slope. But the ground is soft and I am happy to be back in my tent.My biggest day yet of this adventure at 13.7. miles. We are both really tired. I am now feeling rather cozy in my sleeping bag, and am almost ready to sleep. A few more things, though . . .I have been thinking a lot about my life today, and the past few days. I have so many unanswered questions about it. I hope my time out on the trail helps me find some of those answers within myself.