morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-01-24
To: Anxious
Miles today: 0.0

The excitement is brewing around the homestead. More gear arrived today. This time not for me. We ordered our seven year old granddaughter a backpack from REI, with a few adjustments it should fit her like a glove. She will be joining me on a couple of farm shakedowns next month. She will also be joining me with Paws for a few days in April during Spring Break somewhere along the trail. I do love to see the glimmer and sparkle in her eyes when we talk trail talk. She keeps asking how many days until I leave and Paws made the comment that soon; she'll be asking how many days until we meet Paw Paw Bri on the trail or how many days until Paw Paw Bri comes home. It's moments like that, when I think about what I am going to miss over the next long months and I am thankful for my supportive and loving family. The dream is fast becoming the reality.   I want to wish the class of 2007 good luck and I hope to see you on the trail.
Date: 2007-01-26
To: Homestead Shakedown
Miles today: 0.0

This evening, Paws and I have a hiking friend arriving, who has shared many miles with us. She has to travel several hours, so she will be staying for the weekend. Tonight we are going to talk gear. She tests gear for backpackgeartest.org. She is into light weight! What you would call a "gram wienie." Tomorrow we are hiking the hills and hollows of the farm. Paws has selected a place known on the farm as "Walnut Grove" as our campsite for tomorrow evening. She has fond childhood memories here with her grandparents and family. We will keep you posted on our progress.
Date: 2007-01-28
To: Shakedown on the Farm Jan 27 - 28
Miles today: 0.0

Greetings Family, Friends, Fellow Hikers and Strangers, I am most honored (happy to be here and able to use my fingers) to be reporting in Flint's journal this evening the experiences of our shakedown hike of the weekend. We did some gear review with Gadget Girl on Friday evening, kind of had our own Ruck so to speak. Then we realized we were missing some of our gear or maybe I should say my gear. We moved in with my dad, on the farm, in August to help take care of him and we put our house on the market. We sold it three weeks ago and the new owner took possession at closing. That meant, we had a bunch of stuff to move quickly and no space for it. So we pretty much have stuff on top of stuff and stuff stashed everywhere, anyways you get the point. We spent Saturday morning digging for some of my gear in the garage and building which wasn't too bad since the weather was rather pleasant, partly sunny and about 53 degrees. We finally found some of it and made do with what we found. We began our trek around 4:00 pm. It was rather warm for January, although, it was beginning to cloud up. We knew the weather was suppose to take a drastic change with temperatures dropping, rain turning to sleet and then snow and 15/20 mph winds. We were prepared or were we?
Date: 2007-01-28
To: Shakedown on the Farm Jan 27 - 28 cont.
Miles today: 0.0

Why of course we were prepared. Our three dogs also decided to join us for the night. Our merry band consisted of Flint, Paws, Gadget Girl and our four-legged friends, Apollo, Storm Surge and Bear. We did some of the PUD's just to get into the groove of things. We finally decided to make camp around 5:30 pm just before dark. The wind picked up, and it began to sprinkle just as we had all secured our shelter for the evening. (Flint is still trying to decide whether to take his large hammock fly or his smaller one in the beginning of his hike. He used his smaller fly last night and he said it worked well. He still hasn't decided.) We prepared our dinner as the rain picked up and so did the wind. We found a sheltered area under some trees and sat and talked for a while and then decided that our Great Dane - Apollo, really should go home to his heated box. Danes can't take the cold. We tried everything to get that dog to go home, he refused! So we decided to trek back out in the rain to walk him home. We get back to the house, get him on the back porch in his heated 70 degree box, then we decide, what the heck, we might as well use the bathroom while we're here and get a Diet Pepsi. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about the 6 inches of mud we walked in and the cow patties, at night using a LED headlamp, when it is raining the mud and cow patties blend to the same color or something, I just gave up and said what the heck, either way I'm going to stink tomorrow anyways. Sorry I got side tracked, back to the house, then we decided to take some dice and paper to play a game back at camp. We left, trekked back to our campsite, this time it was raining harder and of course the same old mud/cow pattie stuff was there, so I decided, I would try to sidewind some of the hillsides instead of following the most obvious paths. That was pretty nutty, that was like slicing butter with a hot knife. The hillside being the butter and me the hot knife. Needless to say, I nearly had several mishaps. Backdown to the path I went into the mixture of mud and cow patties. Just as we are almost back at camp, who should arrive, Apollo. We decided, if he gets cold enough he will go home. He never did. We arrive back at camp, the temperature is about 40 degrees, the rain is steady, the wind is about 10 mph with an occassional gust of much higher. We all gathered in my tent for an hour or so and played a game as the rain came down and the wind howled around. It was nice. Around 10:30 pm we decided to call it for the evening.
Date: 2007-01-28
To: Shakedown on the Farm Jan 27 - 28 cont. part 2
Miles today: 0.0

Gadget Girl and Flint have several hammock insulation pads/quilts, and were sleeping ratherly warmly by the sounds coming from their directions. I was in my tent, sleeping on the ground, using my Therma-Rest, my 20 degree Mountainsmith (my old trusty bag), a Primaloft Quilt, and every layer of clothing I had brought with me. It was 12:30 am, I was shivering terribly. I had a cramp in the left side of my neck, the kind I have experienced caving when you are in a crawl and you can't lift your head and you need to, it was strange. I was very cold. I had slid off my pad. My fingers were aching badly. I was not in good shape at this time. Gadget Girl offered an extra pad, I took it, it helped - it was awesome. It is a pad that can be used in hammocks but not in my case, from Gossamer Gear. I could actually feel it redistributing my body heat. For a moment I thought, "Oh no", I'm starting to feel hot and I know feeling hot when you're not can be a sign and lead to serious and deadly hypothermic emergency. But then I reasoned, I could not be having these thoughts of reasoning if I was truly in a hypothermic state. Anyways for me it was a long very cold night. By morning temperatures were in the low 20's, with windchill it was around 13 degrees. My tent fly was frozen in the coolest looking puddles. But actually this shakedown wasn't for me, it was for Flint, he's the one that learned a few things. This is why we go, testing and perfecting his new and old gear, trying to get it where he wants it and feels comfortable with it. We leave this week for our Madog (Mothers and Dads on Get Away) family and friends get together, we are doing part of the time at our cabin and part on the Allegheny Trail. The forecast for this week is snow and cold too. We will keep you posted. Thanks for reading. Hope I made you smile. Life is about laughter.Paws.
Date: 2007-01-29
To: Hannah's Journal
Miles today: 0.0

As I've said before my granddaughter Hannah is all about my hike. She has decided to keep a written journal about my trip. This is one of the pages of her journal. I sum it up like this . . .North Face TKA Pullover $50.00Leki Poles            $150.00Marmot Pounder + Sleeping Bag            $200.00Hannah's Journal Entry PRICELESSThere are some things about my hike that just hit me so unexceptedly, right in the heart, this is one of those.
Date: 2007-01-29
To: Best Friends
Miles today: 0.0

Paws here. Today driving to work on a snowy and bitter cold Monday morning, realization struck. My best friend, will be starting the trail exactly six weeks from this very moment. I was sad. After all, I'm the nut and he's the squirrel, and everyone knows squirrels love nuts. I'm quoting Flint there. He told me this, after one of our first dates, after I explained to him, I can be a nut sometimes. Flint just has a way of looking at the glass half full instead of half empty, he can always find that silver lining. I'm going to miss that.
Date: 2007-01-30
To: Madog/Allegheny Prep
Miles today: 0.0

Paws here. Greetings to all. We are in the final prep for our Madog and Allegheny Trail getaway in beautiful Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The weather forecast is snow, snow and more snow. We are planning accordingly. My brothers picked up one our friends Buck from the airport today. He flew in from Florida. They headed out this evening. Flint and I and a few friends are leaving bright and early in the morning. We are expecting around 40 for this year's Madog. Thank goodness we added on to our cabin over the summer. A lot of folks say it's more like a lodge than a cabin. Heck, maybe one day we will turn it into a hostel for the Great Eastern Trail, since there is an Allegheny Trailhead that passes within 15 minutes of the cabin and I understand the GET will be using this portion of the Allegheny. Well anyways, Flint is packing the truck as I type. We always have a theme so to speak every year for Madog. This year's theme is "We are Madog" in support and honor of our beloved hometown university, "Marshall" GO HERD! I was born and raised in Huntington, WV, in 1970, in a horrible plane crash we lost most of our football team, coaches, staff and devoted Marshall University football fans, 75 sons, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and daughters of Marshall. Our town was devasted. In December 2006 a movie came out "We are Marshall", it's about loss, struggle, perserverance and the kindred spirits that united a community and a school. It is an excellent movie. I won't be updating for a few days but will take lots of photos to post.
Date: 2007-02-05
To: Madog/Allegheny Update
Miles today: 0.0

Paws here. We're back. We had a great time. Flint got his shakdown in, not quite as planned. We had a great time with our family and friends and even accomplished some more work on the cabin before people arrived. There was snow on the ground when we arrived and it snowed a little everyday. The wind picked up too, with windchill on Friday it was about 10 below zero. Pretty darn cold. I had to do first aid several times, due to the remoteness of my own job at times, I am a First Responder (Wilderness). Lacerations to the head caused by a carpenter's square falling from the upper level to the lower level as my brother happen to walk by at that exact moment, large treated lumber splinters to the hand, 16 penny nail to the foot, burn to the forearm, laceration to the thumb by a pocket knife, injured foot by falling down the stairs, falling off the top bunk and doing a crash land on the next bunk down etc., so it was quite an eventful Madog. I actually began to cringe just a bit, each time I heard someone say my name. Everyone was bandaged up with TLC and will be just fine. We told all of them about Flint's upcoming trip and all wished him well. Actually, a few there had done a few sections of the AT themselves. The biggest question is - "2,174 miles, are you crazy?" We assured them, just sometimes. Continued to next entry.
Date: 2007-02-05
To: Madog/Allegheny Update Continued
Miles today: 0.0

Paws here. I decided not to go with Flint on his shakedown. We had scoured over the new maps and trail guide to decide exactly which section would be best. We made a decision. I dropped him off at the Rt. 92, Greenbrier County, Bear Branch Trailhead on Friday morning. The weather was very cold. It was forecasted for snow and a low of 3 degrees that night without windchill. I was very worried about him, especially with it being so cold. It was a 9.5 mile hike for him from the trailhead to Watoga State Park. He was planning on hiking about 6 - 7 miles camping for the evening, hiking out tomorrow and I was going to pick him up at the park office in the morning. In the mean time, my friend Jen and I went into Marlinton to the store and I decided to stop in at the Visitor Center in Marlinton, to ask about information and to check on what maps they may have on the Allegheny Trail. I explained I had just dropped my husband off and he was hiking a section and I was due to pick him up in the morning at WSP. But I was concerned about the snow and the extremely cold weather. She was very nice and told me not to worry, they had the best Search and Resue Team around.   This alarmed me just a bit, and I turned to my friend and said quitely, "Did I miss something, he's not missing, yet." Anyways, she said, "They (SAR) are already on alert because there are others hikers out on the Greenbrier River Trail." I guess this was meant to make me feel better. They made copies of the map for me and were truly very lovely people and a great help. We left and headed back to the cabin. I hung out with my friends and family but my thoughts were never to far from Flint. He called me Friday night at the cabin around 7 pm from the phone booth at the park office/diner he had actually hiked about 14 miles. He just wanted to let me know he had made it to WSP. Continued in next entry.
Date: 2007-02-05
To: Madog/Allegheny Update Continues On
Miles today: 0.0

Paws here. I asked him, "How are you doing, is everything alright?" He said, "I made it. I got my feet wet and I am freezing!" I said, "Do you want me to come and get you?" He said, "It's up to you, I can make it but if you are really worried about me and all." Okay, do you see where I am going with this. Yes, I was worried about him, and yes I did go get him. It was a wicked night. It was well below zero with windchill factored in. Jen and I take off from the cabin to make the 30 mintue drive to pick him up. The road conditions were terrible and I explain to my brothers before we leave if we aren't back in three hours come looking for us. But I tell you what, I fussed at him the entire way there. I drove through blizzard/whiteout conditions to get to him, one minute there would be a road and the next it would be gone. It was kind of scary. We get to the park office and pick him up. His hydration hose is totally frozen solid. His pack has a coating of funky ice crystal formations and so does his trekking poles. He was happy to see us and I was happy to see him. He put his pack in the back of the truck, jumped in and begged for heat. The important thing here, is he learned several things. He is changing his footwear. Doing away with his hydration hose for the beginning of his hike. The 9.5 miles was more like 14 miles, mileage is never right. He wasn't sure if he would like the trekking poles, he loves them. It's a whole different world when you hike in the wilderness at night alone. You can't and shouldn't try to control what the trail gives you, just suck it up and deal with it.We arrive back at the cabin, where Flint gets his steak dinner, (I had fixed him a plate and put it in the fridge for later) sitting by a warm cozy fire, while the snow and wind rage on outside. This night I'm glad he's here. I don't know what I'm going to do after March 5th and then for the next five months. I know, I'll worry just like I did this night. But I knew when I agreed to this trip what I signed up for, I guess I'm the one who has to suck it up and deal with it now.
Date: 2007-02-05
To: Day To Day
Miles today: 0.0

Paws here. Flint is my "Day to Day", he keeps me going day to day, with just a smile, a laugh, a touch, a word, or a look. In 27 days my "Day to Day" will be leaving for a little while. Remember to give your "Day to Day", a smile, a laugh, a touch, a word or a look.
Date: 2007-02-05
To: Blank Canvas
Miles today: 0.0

When you begin your journal, it's like a blank canvas and with each journal entry, it's like the stroke of a paint brush. We try to paint a picture for the reader. We aren't artists. We are just average folks. Flint is a hard working, kind, and loving husband, father and grandfather and I am the wife of man who has decided to hike the AT. We have feelings we want to share. We have experiences we want to share. We want to share our knowledge and our mistakes. We have a great supportive family we want you to meet. We have great supportive friends we want you to meet. We want to share our passion about the outdoors, environmental education, and spark a renewed enthusiasm in our youth about the AT. We want to share laughter and humor. As Flint's hike progresses we want to share his daily hiking mileage, experiences, and thank you's to folks who will help along the way. What masterpiece awaits, is yet to be determined. Our sincere wish is you enjoy sharing our lives for next five or six months.
Date: 2007-02-07
To: Where On The AT 2?
Miles today: 0.0

Okay, this is your mission if you choose to except it - what state is this pond located in? Use the following facts to aid in your discovery. The southernmost glacial pond on the AT. Supreme Court Justice William Douglas and others fought in the 1960's to keep it from becoming a power plant reservoir. The pond became protected in 1980. Good luck.
Date: 2007-02-11
To: Making Some Changes
Miles today: 0.0

I purchased new trail shoes. Merrel Chameleon (Goretex)Wrap Around Mid. I have the lower cut ones and I really like them but they aren't Goretex. After the Allegheny experience, I've learned walking in snow for 14 miles, you really need Goretex. I've worn them for several days now, just trying to get use to the upper ankle support. I usually hike in low cut trail shoes. I've been wearing them in some pretty wet conditions and 6 - 7 inches of snow and so far they are working out. Of course, an added benefit I change out the insoles and use Super Green Feet - they rock! I also ordered the Atmos 65. I have the Atmos 50 - which I really like! I just felt I needed a bit more space for gear - although I am trying to go light - I'm not striving to get an "A" in the ultra light department. Paws and I ordered the long handled titanium spoons from backpackinglight.com, since we eat our meals out of freezer zip lock bags. In the past, we usually just rolled the bag down, it usually kept us from getting crusty knuckles. Paws was somewhat iffy about the titanium, she burnt her bottom lip once using a titanium spork while we were backpacking in the Shenandoah. She had prepared her meal in the baggie and it had set its required length of time, she rolled the bag down, stirred with the spork, took a taste and she ended up with zig zag burns on her lower lip. Not sure exactly what went wrong, but needless to say titanium flatware has spooked her since. I'm getting excited and pumped to get going, reading others trail journals make me all the more anxious to be on the trail. I'm still working on finishing a few more things around the home, it seems time is flying by yet standing still. It's so strange. Take care. All you hikers keep warm.
Date: 2007-02-11
To: The Gift
Miles today: 0.0

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and being that my Paws is such a thoughtful and sentimental girl, she got me a really unique token of her love. I thought it was cool and wanted to share it with you. She gave me the longest "kiss". She purchased a glass shaped "kiss", that she said reminded her of the swirls of color of the "long green tunnel", otherwise known as the Appalachian Trail. The glass "kiss" is hand made in West Virginia by Ron Hinkles of Buckhannon. She then wrote a poem, made a card and gave it to me today.The Longest KissThis kiss, a swirl of green, tunneling to a crest, Its likeness of the journey you are savoring with zest. You too, shall travel the long green tunnel to a peak, From Springer to Katahdin, for this is what you seek. As this kiss magically, day by day, unfolds, Memories, trail stories and greatness will behold. This kiss shall hold true, keeping you strong, Until you return from being gone so long.By Kim Beach-Shaffer aka Paws
Date: 2007-02-13
To: Clean Bill of Health
Miles today: 0.0

I went to the doctor for my final check up before I leave. I'll be taking my sugar tester along for the ride for the first couple of weeks - don't really want to carry it because it is added weight but it's probably best. I'll be recording my sugar once a day at my evening meal - my dosage may need to be altered because of the daily streneous excercise. Hopefully, I'll only have to track my sugar for the first two weeks and we can get the dosage worked out and then I can send it home. He gave me a strong antibiotic - to fight against bacterial infections (just in case I need it along the way). He made a couple of other good suggestions as well, I have been taken a potassium supplement to aid with leg cramps, he suggested glucosamine sulfate for cartlidge and a calcium/magnesium supplement. I really appreciated all of his great advice. He is an avid outdoorsmen himself and pretty excited about my upcoming journey.I only have 19 days to go. I did make another purchased or should I say Paws made another purchase. With all of this cold weather and snow, she became concerned about my feet/camp shoes in the evening. I had just planned to bring my crocs to use at the end of a hard day. A friend had suggested down booties. Paws said I didn't quite seem like the down bootie type, I agreed. This just doesn't seem too practical in the wilderness. Leave it up to my clever little Paws to put her thinking cap on - we are cavers (use to wet and muddy conditions), so she went to one of our trusty suppliers of caving equipment- Karst Sports to see what they may have in the waterproof sock department - I would never have guessed waterproof socks existed - neoprene booties maybe, but not socks - but guess what, they do. Paws found "Sealskinz" socks and gloves. She ordered the Sealskinz Chill Blocker socks and gloves, plus she ordered the "Sealskinz" Coolmax Socks for my late spring and summer hiking - all waterproof and breathable. We haven't received them. We will keep you posted. She rocks! This guy is getting excited to get on the TRAIL!!!. Oh yeah - for Valentine's Day - I bought Paws the diamond journey necklace - to remind her - the journey I'm about to embark on will lead me to straight back to her. I hope she doesn't check this before we go to bed.
Date: 2007-02-19
To: Time
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Hi Family, Friends, and Strangers, Time is standing still yet flying by. Two weeks from today I start my thru. I'm so ready to get on the trail but still have so many loose ends to get tied up before I leave. I'm still working try to complete our room addition to the point Paws can have the carpet installed and take care of the rest while I'm gone. I put the stovepipe for the wood burner in today and I'm working on installing the woodburner tomorrow, hope to finish the walls by the weekend. Then it is a few minor things here and there. Next week, I want to visit with family and friends before I leave. I rec'd my Sealskinz, Paws ordered, they are sweet. I tried them out recently with my crocs in our latest snow storm over the weekend. They aren't something I would want to wear all the time but for their intended purpose they will work great! The Chill Blockers weigh in at 5.2 ounces and the lighter version, Paws will send later weigh in a 4.4 ounces. We have been working on food and repackaging. I think we have that squared away. I think my first mail drop is going to be Fontana Dam and then we will take it from there. Paws and I completed my "Might Be Here" schedule, just to give us an idea of where I might be along the trail and when. There are so many variables out there you just never know - you can get a head or fall behind. Paws says, "Hike your own hike, make friends, memories, enjoy it, and when it's time for meet to hook up with you I'll meet you wherever you are." I have to admit, I have a lot of emotion running through my head right now; nervous, scared, and excitement. I know one thing for sure, I'm going to miss Paws.