morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-01-28
To: Gear - Sleep System
Miles today: 0.0

¢Mom, I¢ll carry the shared gear, but you¢re still going to need a large pack to carry your sleep system and that jacket!¢        I can hear it now ¢ ¢Gosh, that young man has such a small pack compared to his mother. Maybe HE should be carrying the bigger pack!¢ It may look bigger, but my pack will probably have a lot more ¢fluff¢ in it! And, as I get stronger and more accustomed to carrying the pack, I¢ll be able to carry the baguettes, salad greens and fresh fruit on the trail!        Figuring out the ¢sleep system¢ was tough. I¢m NOT a mummy bag person. Inside a mummy bag is about the only place I feel claustrophobic! My legs can¢t curl up and my arms have to either be straight down my side or crossed over my chest. Talk about feeling like King Tut! I¢m a side sleeper with legs and arms going all over the place during the night. I am also related to the ¢Princess and the Pea¢. Not so much the Princess, but the Pea part, definitely. I can feel the smallest fold in the sheet and need to do something about it.        I was starting to think that there ought to be a ¢lollypop¢-shaped sleeping bag: the straight part to stretch out in, but then the round ¢lollypop¢ area to curl up in. About the same time, Michael got another Backpacker magazine and in it was featured the Nemo ¢Spoon¢ bag. It¢s an hour glass shaped bag for side sleepers. I thought and thought about it, and finally took the plunge. When it came, I immediately got in it, and YES, I could turn on my side and curl up. There¢d even be room to wear my Marmot jacket to sleep, if the tent¢s heat pump stops working! I think this will work! The other option I had thought about was a mummy bag with an extra ultra-light quilt, like Michael¢s, in order to ¢wrap¢ both around me. I don¢t think that would have worked as well.        Now the problem is to smooth out all the ¢peas¢ I¢ll be feeling. I had a NEO Air that Michael usurped for his 500-mile Oregon trek in 2012. It became a lumpy, bumpy mattress that is no longer used. My husband has a 3 inch air mattress that he really likes. I eventually got an Exped Synmat 7 air mattress, as well as a light weight closed cell foam mat. The mat will perform several functions: 1) ¢smooth¢ out the ground, 2) protect the air mattress, 3) be my yoga mat for morning/evening stretches, and 4) be my sit-upon throughout the day.        I¢m also hoping that I¢ll be so exhausted from the day that when I eventually crawl into the sleeping bag, it won¢t matter!Marilyn, Mother of:
Date: 2014-02-15
To: Why Walk?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Back in the fall of 2013, I was attending a women¢s Bible Study, which met at a house about 3 12 miles down the road from our house. (It¢s ¢down¢ because it¢s south of our house, and as we know from the Ents in The Lord of the Rings, south feels like going downhill. Maybe I should start at Katahdin!) Anyway, I had started walking to and from the Bible study. The first couple of times, I got picked up within about a half mile of the meeting place. Upon leaving, the women graciously offered to drive me home. ¢No, but thank you. It¢s only 3 miles, takes about an hour, and it¢s beautiful out!¢ And so, they stopped offering. I¢d put on my shoes, don my pack, take up my trekking poles, and off I¢d go.It was gorgeous weather to walk, having hoofed it the two Fridays prior, then on October 18th, my son Michael walked to a friend¢s house. It was on the way to my Bible study, but he needed to be there earlier than me. He headed out of the house a bit earlier than me and we planned to meet up after the Bible study. I called him as I left the Bible study, and we were able to meet about 2 miles from home and walk back together. It was a very pleasant walk with Michael back to the house.But it was on October 25th that all the right reasons for slowing down and walking came together. There was the obvious ¢ sun on my face, breeze on my back, but I also got to see beautiful Amanita mushrooms adorning the roadside and an eagle soaring out of nowhere and going right over my head. I was able to easily cross the road and chat with a new neighbor and watch a ¢war¢ between a flock of crows and a hawk. The crows seemed to be giving the hawk the verbal ¢what for¢. The hawk flew into a fir tree, followed and surrounded by the crow flock, yakking loudly at it. Finally, the hawk flew out of the fir tree, ¢escorted¢ by the flock, still yakking at the hawk as they all flew off.I don¢t care how brave that hawk may have been, that whole episode appeared to be serious intimidation for the hawk, who may have done something to get the crows riled up.Even though by this time I was within the equivalent of a couple blocks from my house, the reasons for walking didn¢t end with the hawk episode. When I got home, I hung up my poles, took off my pack, and my son placed a bowl of still-warm vegetable curry in my hands. Now, that¢s Trail Magic Extraordinaire!~ Marilyn, Mother of:
Date: 2014-03-03
To: Buffalo is Back
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So, you've gotten to meet my mom through the past several entries. Think I can put up with her for the next 6 months? And she can tolerate me? We've been ironing out our approach to hiking, and it has not all been easy. Most of our disagreements stem from me already having a system that works and her demanding more comfort. Exampple: the shelter. Originally, mom was OK with using only a tarp. Then she decided she wanted a tent. I still wanted the tarp even if I carry the tent too since the trap can cover a cooking area and allow the tent to be set up without getting the inside wet. When we spent the night out in the tent, mom didn't think it was big enough. At that point, I really shouldn't have argued since she was willing to buy a bigger AND lighter tent, but our family already owns several tents that we rarely use, so I resisted. Finally I convinced her to try actually camping in the tarp, and she thought it was fine. So back to square one, but now she is more comfortable with that choice. We're getting there. One week left until the trial by trail!About journaling- I have received positive feedback about my PCT journal (and those of you who had criticisms wisely kept yer traps shut! just kidding!) however, the page-a-day method was exhausting after a while, and I missed opportunities by limiting myself to such a concrete style of journaling. What do you, the reader, want to hear about? Arm chair adventurer or future thru hiker or anywhere in between, what captivates you in outdoor literature? Some things I plan to do: Stories as they happen, especially ones that have plot lines. I think I did OK at this with my PCT journal. Better descriptions of the people I am hiking with and the trail community. I love writing that makes the characters come alive, and I have a lot of work to do in this arena. Poetry, as it comes to me. I journaled in haiku for a month and it wore me out but every once in a while it was fun. Emotions, if I have them. That is hard for me to capture with my analytical/literal writing style! Gear, as I use it. If you want to know the best gear or find a detailed gear list, look for a more qualified adventurer than I, but if you want to know what works for me, I will try to share my observations. Finally, why it is awesome. The wildlife, the sunsets, the starlight, the struggles, the storms, the serenity, the summits. Mom and I hope to write daily entries, and the updates will be more regular than mine were last year since Mom has a smart phone and a portable keyboard. We will share the entries, as in, you will hear a bit form each of us, or we will compose the entry together.About the photo- Claire (formerly known as Scones) and I went day hiking in the Olympics and came to a snow covered Lake Angeles breaking trail in the fresh powder.
Date: 2014-03-05
To: Preparing for my Absence Part 2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I may not be the major "bread-winner" in the family (and especially since I quit my part-time teaching position in 2013), but I am the Bread-Maker, as well as the granola, jam, lunch and dinner maker, dog feeder & care giver, well, you get the picture. Marty is something of a bull in a china shop in the kitchen. Buying and preparing food is out of his comfort zone!When we dated up in Fairbanks, Alaska, his refrigerator consisted of a pound of hamburger cooked up with Hamburger Helper and equally divided into four containers, a few apples and a half gallon of ice cream! (How he kept a half gallon of ice cream for more than 2 days, I'll never know!) He was pleased to find someone who would cook and he readily relinquished the kitchen to me.So, what IS he going to do in my absence, and how can I best prepare for it before I go?Since we just have a refrigerator with a top freezer and not a big, deep freezer unit, I had to decide what would be most beneficial for him. I have been baking my family's bread for several years and thought about going into bread production. First, that would be A LOT of bread, but also, there's many good breads on the market now. (Dave's Killer Bread comes to mind.) Homemade bread might not be that necessary.I used all the frozen fruit and vegetables I had in order to make jam. He may have enough for almost the 6 1/2 months we'll be gone. (Ever have blackberry-red beet or strawberry-zucchini jam?)I also thought about frozen soups and stews but our freezer would hold just a drop-in-a-bucket of the amount he'd need, so it's a lot of work for a little payoff. Besides, Olympia has a lot of good restaurants, Vic's Pizzeria sells pizza by the slice, and there's a Subway at the end of our road. Some of our friends may even take pity on him once in a while! Eating won't be a problem.So this brings me to the granola. Many years ago, Marty asked to have a little cup of granola in with his lunch. As a food co-op shopper, I'd bring home samples of their bulk granolas to try but to no avail. Then about 10-12 years ago, while visiting friends, the wife served her homemade granola. Marty raved about it, and I got the recipe. I have been keeping our kitchen stocked with it ever since, baking a double batch about every 2 weeks, depending on how much Michael and I eat.If he really likes the granola, and we can't find a reasonable substitute, I need to stock up! I made 12 double batches plus more to put n our resupply boxes. You see, Michael and I like it too!I will be making one last batch of bread before we leave, but the freezer is packed with bags of granola for Marty and our resupply boxes! (See "Photos" for the recipe.)A few more "cooking lessons", a buying tour of the food co-op, and Marty will be set! And, if all else fails, the dogs are NOT fussy eaters!
Date: 2014-03-09
To: Care Package info
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Despite not posting any information on how to mail stuff to me while on the PCT last year, I still got several care packages and letters. Many thanks to all who persisted despite how difficult I made it for you! Well, I¢ve wised up this time, and just posted some addresses and Estimated Times of Arrival (ETA) for resupply spots on the AT. This is by no means a request for everyone reading this to send us letters or food, just a way to simplify the process for those who would anyways.If you do send something, please mail it to a listed address as it appears in our trail journal about 10 days before the listed ETA (in case we get to the town earlier than expected) and LET US KNOW ON OUR GUESTBOOK SO WE KNOW TO LOOK FOR IT AT THE POST OFFICE. If we get well ahead of schedule, we will update the ETAs when we have the chance. Letters are much appreciated! So is food! If you want to send food, please note that we have adopted a vegan diet, meaning we choose not to eat any animal products, especially meat, but also including dairy and eggs. I went vegan mainly out of concern for animal welfare and the impact that raising animals for food can have on the environment, though I am aware of many health benefits as well. This was a personal choice, and I am not trying to tell you what to eat (though if you are interested in eating vegan, I encourage you to check it out!). If you are still interested in sending food, here are some ideas of things to send:Dried fruit, nuts, dark chocolate (check out Theo, Divine, or other Fair Trade certified brands to ensure fair wages for the cocoa growers!), Clif bars or other vegan energy bars, homemade goodies, or any other non perishable vegan food item you can think of!
Date: 2014-03-10
To: Backpacking the Coast
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Last week I got to go backpacking with my friend Jenna, another 2013 PCT thru hiker, on the Olympic Coast and it was EPIC (see sunset!). As forecasted, it rained the whole first day, and we forded the Ozette River which ran mid-thigh deep. Having never forded a deep and wide river before, I fretted a bit as we approached the river, but by the time I was halfway across, I stopped to take a picture! We camped at Cape Alava, the westernmost point of the contiguous US and the western terminus of the Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT).The next day, we woke to sun (NOT forcasted!) and dried out our gear as we waited for the tide to go out enough to get around the headlands. We also explored the petroglyphs at Wedding Rocks and climbed through tunnels in the rock. While cooking dinner on my alcohol stove, we caught the sunset from the first place I ever camped on the coast, Kayostla Beach.Day 3 we maintained a good pace despite the slippery rocks we were climbing over and finally saw other hikers (did I mention we didn't see a soul since my folks dropped us off at Shi Shi Beach until now?). We camped at Mora Campground, a drive-in campground, you know with amenities like picnic tables and bathrooms with flush toilets and running water. I think it's a thru hiker thing to stay at a drive-in site while out backpacking because there are toilets and water you don't have to work for.We road walked the 7 miles to the Third Beach trail head (on the south side of the unfordable Quilleute River) in 2 hours the next morning and then sat watching the waves as the tide went out. The beach down south here is pretty much all sand (unlike the rocky north coast) and had a very enjoyable afternoon walk watching eagles soar overhead. The photo above I took this evening, since we night hiked to get to our camp.At 4am we packed up from our camp on the overland trail around Hoh Head in order to make it around two headlands during the morning low tide. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to drive home until the evening if we waited for the evening low tide. We descended ladders off the headland trail in the dark and walked on starlight for a while as the wet sand reflected the twinkling moonless night sky. Needless to say, we made it to the Oil City trailhead by dawn and drove home in weather that made us wish we were still hiking.It's funny- Jenna and I saw better weather in the winter on the coast than when I've been here in the spring or summer. It's always worth hiking in the wild! Thanks for a great hike, Jenna!
Date: 2014-03-12
To: Yo-yoing back to Atlanta
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

The Plan: We need to go grocery shopping and get to Chattanooga by 3pm, and there's a time change between Linda's and Chattanooga. Plus, Linda, Brent, and Baylee the dog are heading up to New York for Linda's father's funeral. Frantic packing back home for all of us, after grocery shopping. I left a pile of stuff for Linda to mail back to our house after she gets back from NY. Pile in the car and head to Chattanooga.We're supposed to meet people from the Hiker Hostel at the North Springs MARTA station by 6pm. Will we make it with a 3pm departure from Chattanooga? It sounded plausible when we made the arrangements.We said our good byes at the bus station. It was so wonderful to reconnect with Linda and get to know Brent a little better. I will truly miss them. The bus got into Atlanta at about 5:15 pm. Oooo, we've got to skiddadle! with packs on, we raced off the bus, down the street and around the corner to the MARTA station. We already had our Breeze cards loaded to pay for one last trip. We want to go north so the firsts northbound trail that came, we hopped on. Then it hit me, there are two trains that head north but one takes off to the northeast. Michael quickly check the map. "We'd better get off before we go too far!"We got off at the next station and thank goodness, because that was the split, and we WERE on the wrong train. We asked someone about the Red Line and how would we know. We ended up waiting about 5-10 minutes. Would we make it? We kept watching the clock. At about 6:05pm, Shannon form the hostel called to ask where we were. We're coming!Got off at North Springs, NOW how do we know who to look for. I saw a woman "looking around" as if for someone. That HAS to be her. It was Shannon from the Hiker Hostel with three other people - Mark, Allison, and Meghan. Off to the hostel!What a cool place. There's a bottom floor, the main floor with 2 sets of bunks and where Michael & I slept, and a loft. The main floor also has a common living area, the hostel kitchen, and eating space. We're in with Danny and his dog from Germany, as well as Alex. I got chatting with Alex when he came in and never did go downstairs to see what it was like. From what I could tell, the 4 of us had the bathroom pretty much to our selves.
Date: 2014-03-13
From: Springer Mt.

To: Springer Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: overcast clouds

My new wristwatch alarm went off at 6:30am. Denny was already up because of his dog! Thought about showering but hey, what the heck! Well, I didn't sleep much at all last night, but that's normal.Breakfast at 7:30 am - smorgasbord of pancakes, scrambed eggs, oatmeal, and grits.Four of us got taken to Amicalola Falls State Park - Michael and me along with Angela and Wolfgang, a German couple. We're the crazy ones doing the 8.8 approach trail that starts off with 600+ steps up to the top of the falls, then continues UP to 8Springer Mountain. It was a windy, cool, but sunnny day. Gorgeous!We got our first official "Trail Magic" soon after the steps. Two couples were coming down from Len Foote Inn and were handing out Snickers Bars! Thanks!Although I planned to do the approach trail in two days, not knowing if I could continue to walk 8.8 miles UP, we ended up getting to Springer Mountain! Took pictures and signed the hiker log, then hiked the .2 miles to the Springer Mountain Shelter on the official AT!We got to the shelter area. I sat down and couldn't move! I was spent. "Mom, do you want to set up the tarp?""I just want to roll out me stuff here and crash!"At the shelter, we met up with Spirit Hawk (Of Love), whom we'd met on the approach trail, Solo, Anthony, and another 3 girls and a guy. The shelter had a loft, which would have been cool but I wasn't about to 'climb' anymore that day! Saw the German couple hanging their food bags.No signs of mice but it is pretty cold.-MarilynBuffalo says: Holy Crap! Mom is hiking the AT!!!
Date: 2014-03-14
From: Springer Mt. Shelter

To: Hawk Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 2: Friday, 14 March 2014 0.2 - 8.1 miles Springer Mt. Shelter to Hawk Mt. Shelter. Sunrise and people started moving around. Michael got our food bags off the bear line. Miraculously, I got up relatively pain-free after doing that 8.8 mile approach trail. I guess slow and easy are the key!I didn't sleep last light either, so I wonder how the day will go.I had a hot cup of Gatorade and off we went.Today's hike was great, pretty easy going and a gorgeous day. WOW! We have a 7.9-mile day today but it's a 'beautiful day in the neighborhood'!Solo told us about a water fall not too far off the trail, a "Blue Blaze Trail". We also ran into a couple who told us to go see the water falls, that we weren't too far away. By this time, we were hiking with Anthony, who stayed at the Springer Mt. Shelter last night. He's a couple years older than Michael and an Eagle Scout, who had workd at a big scout camp in Texas, where he's from. We turned off the AT (White Blaze Trail) onto the Blue Blaze to the falls. At the juction, we saw the German couple head up the AT. We stopped to chat with an older woman who was interested in gear and is hiking, doing the AT at 5 miles a day! Bless her heart! We headed to the falls but saw her head up a different trail than the Germans. Michael ran back to check the sign posts and get her oriented.The falls were great and met up with Solo. Anthony met up with a group of people he'd met earlier on the trail. He got a beer out of the deal! The falls (Lost Creek Falls) were beautiful, a nice place to have lunch.Made it to Hawk Mt. Shelter at about 5pm. Decided to tarp rather than stay in the shelter. There were quite a few people there already, but mostly in the shelter. First come first serve! We made dinner on the table near the shelter to socialize. It was fun! Met a woman named Robin and an Australian man who's a one-man show. Pretty funny! Spirit Hawk of Love was there and several others.Nice relaxing evening! Thank you, God for another beautiful day on the trail!-MarilynBuffalo says: not much in the way of views, but th privvys (toilets) are awesome! Walls, roof, and they don't smell bad. If you hate pooping in the woods (like Mom) this is the trail for you.