morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Welcome to my journal! I hope that you'll enjoy it and visit often, and that you'll sign the guest book and write words of wisdom. Check out my brother Jeff's journal, he and are I are hiking together. To everyone who has been involved in this adventure I can't say enough to thank you, but you have my undying appreciation. My friends and family I thank for your credulity, humor and support. Those of you who have promised to meet me along the way for some hiking better prepare yourselves for a high degree of happiness - and a brisk pace. To my colleagues at Piedmont Virginia Community College I'll be seeing you again in August, never fear. And Melicca, you shall travel along with me every step of the way without having to walk the trail yourself, nor miss the comforts of our rainbow colored home.
Date: 2003-05-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it's ten months before the hike starts and I'm not ready yet. My brother and I have been planning this trip for about 2 years now, so that should shed some light on my powers of getting ready for something ahead of time. Good at talking about action, even better at procrastinating it. The trip's the thing, though, and though pre-trip preperation may prepare one more thoroughly it doesn't come with a satisfaction or your time back guarantee. A good rule of life is to throw yourself at it, messily if neccesary. All rewards are greater if the effort was sown with passion.Tomorrow being my one year anniversary I'd like to give thanks to my wife Melicca for among other things she's provided a joyful and earth counterbalance to my will o' the wisp ways. That probably sounds paradoxical coming from a guy planning to hike 2,160+ miles through the woods next spring, but I couldn't do it without her. The sun's not up yet, as usual. Time enough to go back to a soft bed and dream awhile. Talk to you later.
Date: 2003-08-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Just got back from a 4-day trip hiking on the Long Trail around the Camel Hump area. All trips now, and many days, are preparation in thought if not deed for next year's hike. Spent a few days walking in rain and on slick rock, trying out some new equipment. Embrace light hiking even if you're unwilling to committ to ultralight! By changing my pack, sleeping bag, and tent I've shed nearly ten pounds, and thus find it easier to enjoy being outdoors. The northern Vermont section of the trail is hilly, rocky, and at least this past weekend, slippery. The sensory highlight was the fantastic shapes of the low trees with their abundant root systems showing plainly as they attempted to hold fast to the steep, rocky hillsides. The shiny and oft impregnated rocks were imprisoned in mud, and rarely did we tramp levelly over them. That meant sliding along the roots of trees across passages of rock, up and down, moving approximately a mile an hour. Tough. Trekking poles were a big help here. Blueberries were abundant, and on Sunday when the sun broke out we four: Jeff, Chris, Tim and I basked in it and bent greatfully to eat.
Date: 2003-12-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I haven't updated the journal for awhile so here goes. It's post-holiday time and instead of singing the blues I'm nearly vibrating with excitement. Nice thing about being an employee of the Virginia Community College System is the time off - lots of holidays and school closes at nearly every opportunity. An inch and a half closed the school earlier this month. Bad thing - state employee - 5.25% salary raise over 5 1/2 years - and that's for all state positions share and share alike.Back to my vibration. The next workday is Jan. 5th, which leaves all this time for... more hike preparation! My living room is arrayed with 25 boxes in various stages of completion, which leaves my dog Bogie anticipating the day he's lonely enough to tear into some dehydrated food. Gear is piled everywhere there isn't a box. Family was very generous this holiday, and unsurprisingly, many of the gifts revolved around the upcoming adventure. My gear page will be updated soon, but mostly from here out I'll just be filling out the small purchases. Thank you everyone!By the way, for the first time in my life I can proudly say that very few of my pants fit anymore! Months of gluttony have helped pad pounds onto my frame only so that they can be magically melted away next year. Atkins and South Beach have got nothing on an AT hike.
Date: 2004-01-03
To: more AT prep
Miles today: 0.0

Trying out my new digital camera, which so far seems awesome. I bought it for it's size, weight, and most importantly, waterproof abilities. Ok, it's not waterproof, but it's water resistant, and seems pretty hardy too. It's 60 plus degrees today, in Central Virginia, on January 3rd. Unbelievable. Happy New Year to you - it's going to be a great one.
Date: 2004-01-04
To: oh brother where art thou?
Miles today: 0.0

End of the weekend, end of vacation, back to work! Just wanted to share a photo of my brother Jeff and his fiance Heather, who surprised us Friday by calling from TN. Turns out they'd chosen to get off a flight in TX and drive the rest of the way home to MA. Strnage, huh?Heather will be the one decoding my mailed letters and entering into my journal on the hike. She's actually volunteered to do this - thank you, Heather!
Date: 2004-01-31
To: 6 weeks and counting
Miles today: 0.0

There's a sign outside a closed nursery I pass every day on my way to work. It says, Closed, reopening March 6. I get a little thrill nearly every day when I pass that sign, of anticipation, of nervousness, of dread that there's still so much to do before that place opens with the beginning of Spring. Doesn't matter though, I'm going anyway, and things will take care of themselves. That nursery opens, and I'll have two more days of work, two days without work, and then off for GA I go! Here in Virginia bulbs will be blooming, and buds starting, the Forsythia leafing out and the redbud following. April's probably the finest flowering month and the town covered in dogwood and azalea and bradford pears...Well, Melicca will send me pictures.Six weeks isn't a lot of time. It's been fun watching the increase in journal postings among the AT class of '04, reading the excitement amid last preparations. There's a lot of great journal writers out there, and participation on the trail forums. This is such an informative site. I'm not sure what the "stickiness" is here, but I'd bet anything it's impressive. It's addictive, and hard not to skip from one journal to a threaded topic and then off to someone else.It's Saturday, and I'm at work, doing the worst part of my job, which is enjoyable most days, but not on ones like today when I'm copying files and entering information into databases. Soul killing work that drains fun out of life. Equanimity is easier to achive though when there's a five month break just around the corner! It's fifteen degrees outside tonight. Think I'll set the tent up in back yard, throw my thermarest and bag inside, camp out and dream six weeks ahead.
Date: 2004-02-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This journal that you're reading is being typed by heather, fianc© to brother Jeff. Thanks Heather!Oh, the rigor of home. Just trotted out to the back deck in my bleached stained slippers and cold tested by alcohol stove. Despite trailjournals forums to the contrary the stove worked fine. It¢ll be colder tomorrow and I¢ll test it again.Now I'm basking in the heat of a fire going in the squat timberline in the living room, soaking away comfort for when its absent, which brings me to the fact that I¢ll leave in 2 12 weeks. Probably everybody planning a through-hike gets to this point where you get planned-out! Overplaned, tired of making preparations, and just plain ready to start hiking.I¢m even tired of talking about it. Went for a short hike on Sunday along the Rivanna River in Fluvanna County wearing my pack with a 10 lb. weight included to represent 5 days of food. A nice amble, startling some deer and buzzards. Beauty and well other beauty.That¢s all folks!O.K. Postscript. These pre-hike journal entries are coming very irregularly but will be written pretty close to daily from the trail. However you¢ll be reading them only once the mail brings the written pages to MA, so probably they will be a week behind.
Date: 2004-03-06
To: and then there was one
Miles today: 0.0

Another week of frantic work down, and another night of insomnia to top it off. I'm going to be glad to start hiking just so I can relax. Of course hiking the trail isn't a vacation... and yet it is. For five months I won't: do redundant paperwork, do data entry, take care of someone else's problems {ok, probably not true}, shave (maybe), get paid, or bathe (just kidding). Good luck to all those already hiking - and good luck to those who aren't. Last night I was at a performance of the Ahn Trio and sat outside talking to guy I know, who remarked that his church was the outdoors. A simple comment, and I nodded knowingly and let it pass, but it shook me. Always nice to meet a fellow member of the congregation, especially when it's unexpected. Every day now a dozen people are asking me if I'm ready for the trip, or getting excited. "No", I say, "don't think about it much". That's been true - mostly - but tendrils of excitement are starting to coalesce amid the drive to just get stuff done. Mostly I clamp down hard, for thinking about the trail is too much like daydreaming right now, and way too inviting. I'll be there in a week.And for Bruce, all I want to say is 6-3 you, and five months before I can do anything to change it.
Date: 2004-03-11
To: Leaving for GA tomorrow
Miles today: 0.0

All these nights of little sleep are compounding to make the state of leaving tomorrow morning a resounding unreality. It'll happen, but this trip is acquiring a dreamlike aura due in part to just being so darn excited that I haven't slept well for weeks. Excitement has been part of it, the other part is the sheer effort it takes to remove/disentangle oneself from all that one is involved in over a five month span. I don't know how people do long jounrneys repeatedly, it's like culturing schizophrenia.Anyway, this will be my last pre-hike entry, and probably the first entry for awhile until my notes from the trail start getting entered. Farewell all, see you in the fall.
Date: 2004-03-13
From: Springer Mt

To: View Entry
Miles today: 3.4

Springer Mt. - Stover creek shelter This trip started out badly when just before we hit the drop off point we came across a cyclist who ran run off the mountain road. He lay in a ditch, dressed in black, one arm waving weakly and his bike headlight still on. We jumped down to help him, as did other folks. Fire rescue showed up in 10-15 minutes and we left knowing he was going to be ok. It reminded me of when my wife and I were heading to Italy for our honeymoon and the woman ahead of me made a high pitched warble and fell straight down, slamming her head on the airport tile with the most aweful noise. She suffered a seizure. Airport personnel were tending to her when we left.   Others misfortunes do not seem to make one's own life seem beeter. This contradicts my theory of my so many stories by the news media are about terrible events. Anyway, today I hiked 3.4 miles, but the first .9 were South, back to Springer Mountain, so we only totaled 2.5 AT miles. There were approximately 10 other thru hikers signed in ahead of us today and we met some of them. A woman named Lynette came to chat over our campfire and another guy named Neal brought a chair over and sat and talked for awhile. Thanks to John for driving over 1000 milesto drop us off at the start. Then turning around to drive back up to MA.
Date: 2004-03-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hell of a good hike today. Claude, Jeff and I hiked over some rolling hills and some very pretty little streams. Claude is an old friend who lives in SC, and who is hiking the first 2 1/2 days before heading back to his family and work. He'd hike longer but he's got to fly for business Wed. It's sort of symbolic to have Claude here at the start of this journey. When I used to run, he came to run the last mile of 4 Boston Marathons. I'd get to the 25.2 mark and he'd jump in from the crowd and yell encouragement in my ear for that last mile. It's also very exciting to be reading the journal entries in the shelters and seeing all the names of the people thru hiking ahead, people I know from reading their trail journals entries pre-hike check some of the other 2004 AT journals out - thet're great! I'm writing this from my tent in a soft drizzle. Tomorrow's hike looks easy but maybe a little wet. Anyway, it won't be the average Monday.
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Blackwell Creek Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 3 - 3/15Well, today I¢m sore. Only did ten miles and the ups and downs weren¢t severe, but cumulative effect is growing and will continue to grow until my body hardens, or I drop dead.A gray day with occasional light drizzle, but for the most part the rain consistently held off until after we were in out tents. Same as last night. Thank your Rob McKenna!Laura Ferry drove nearly five hours from Columbia, SC to bring us lunch from Subway and to reclaim here husband. Thank You Laura! Claude, Jeff, and I are alone on the trop of a hillside listening to birdcalls we can¢t identify. Wish you were here!I saw about a dozen more thru-hiker attempt-ees today, including a 65-year-old retiree named Rover who was hiking first with an 80 # pack! Yeesh! He was figuring out to lighten his pack somehow. A trail angle named Willy C was hiking south and offering thru-hikers snickers bars from his pack. Thanks Willy C! Good luck on your own hike this August. We¢re meeting many people who have been waiting to do this hike for a long, long time, and now are doing it. It is such a fantastic pump to be amidst so many happy, motivated folks. First mail drop is tomorrow.
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Baggs Creek Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.0

Day 4March 16Daily Miles 10Total Miles 34.5Next Time, Blindfolded!¢D, you up?¢¢Yeah, what is it?¢¢I think it will be light in about 45 minutes, lets get up and start walking.¢¢Ummm¢¦ok.¢It is pitch black out and the drizzle steadily, but we break camp anyway and start hiking with our headlamps. It began to rain harder perfect conditions for our own biggest assent so far, Blood Mountain.To cut to the chase, we traveled 4 miles in the dark up the slippery lichen crusted rocks to Blood¢s 4500-foot elevation. By the way we broke camp at 2:20 AM. I peaked at my watch. Our circadian rhythms are wrecked. Here¢s the kicker. At the top of, disoriented we forgot which darkened path we had come up. There were no signs available and the compass was no help. Did we turn around and descend the very same path? Yes, we really did. Took 1.25 miles to figure it out too! Here¢s Jeff again later¢¦¢it was my fault, I¢ll buy the beer when we get to at town.¢ Sounds good to me.
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Blood Mountain

To: Unknown Campsite
Miles today: 8.9

Day 5March 17Daily Miles 8.9Total Miles 44.4Last night was 34°, so tonight my lovely sleeping companion is my svelte 16oz. stove alcohol bottle. It fires up better when it it¢s warm.Only traveled 8.9 miles today. Jeff¢s left knee is bothering him and my feet are tender. The better part of valor seems to resist hurrying and wait until our bodies harden before we put in big miles. (Anyway, we¢re ahead of pace.)Had some nice trail magic today. Came off descent to find a former thru hiker named Bruce and his wife handing out sodas and passing out apples, banana and powered doughnuts (mmm¢¦doughnuts¢¦aghraargah, Ed.) Yumm! Also they had half a dozen lawn chairs and refilled water. Not to bad to find in the middle of nowhere. Thank you!We¢re meeting other thru hikers and settling into friendly relations. There¢s Sarge, who heads north every year now and hikes slow and long. Raman noodles who are a couple of retired doctors, Rob + Robin, Liz and some others. Jeff has decided that his trail name is Squish (Ed. note: I am not to happy with the idea of being Mrs. Squish¢¦) His explanation why seems too glib, so some digging is in order. The Chattahoochee forest is starting to wake up from winter. I can hardly wait for what the next few weeks will bring.
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Campsite

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 6March 18Daily Miles ??Total Miles ??Off and on drizzle day today. Lovely rolling hills. We marched along with Squish moving slowly due to his knee being stiff.We reached our original stopping point but decided to hike up to tray fort shelter, to sleep in a shelter in the first time but when we got there we found 8 sleeping bags in a row filling up the space, plus other tenting around or tarping off the back of the shelter. In all there were 13 of us, including many thru-hikers we hadn¢t met before. Let¢s see¢¦there was: Cumberland Joe, Little Engine, Pilot, Vapor Trails, Numbskull, Rob, Robin, Liz, Ramen Noodles, and Sake. A good, chatty, cold wet time was had by all.
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Haiawasee, GA
Miles today: 10.6

Day 7March 19Daily Miles 10.6Total Miles 66.8Hiawasee G.A. This is being written in a hotel room! The floral comforters aren¢t quite natural, but the bed pillows are soft! We¢re at the Hiawasee Inn along with tons of other hikers. The new (6 days!) owners here are overwhelmed but awesome. They¢re shuttling hikers everywhere, giving hikers one of their vans to shuttle each other in rounds. We just descended on them like hairy locusts on the local AYCE (important letters that sand for all you can eat).Stuffed, showered, and in bed! Heaven!Tomorrow we pick up a mail drop and send out journals and memory cards, pick up stove fuel and any other necessities then catch a lift back to the trail. Short, really hilly day planned.
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Hiawassee

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

3/20Location: Bly GapMileage: 8.8 Daily, total 75.6Title: StormMarched out of Hiawassee after a drop of by 1 AM. Before we got to the trail around 11 we picked up our food at the post office, shipped a few items back to VA and MA and visited the hardware store and Rite-Aide. Then started hiking.Hiked with a few nice fellows named Eric and Paul who were out for a two-day hike. Good conversation and Eric was a useful resource ¢ he¢s hiked these woods for the last 25 years and knows them well.The weather was warm and sunny. which has been rare, but shortly after a drawn-out dinner at Bly Gap we noticed a nearby mountain top becoming indistinct and knew a storm was approaching. Everyone scattered to tents (there were about 14 of us) and made everything fast. It was a good blow! Hard rain, heavy wind and brilliant lightning. Some stuff inside the tent got wet, but nothing catastrophic. Oh we passed into North Carolina today, Goodbye GA!
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Bly Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

3/21Location: Beech GapMileage: daily 12.1, total 87.7Title: Spring is here?Today hovered around freezing all day, sunny and when the wind wasn¢t blowing the weather might have been called pleasant. But¢¦we¢re walking the AT, which means ridgelines, which means wind.All day long I kept waiting for it to be the sun¢s turn to try to make me take off my jacket. Perhaps tomorrow.We¢re camped out with half a dozen newish people tonight, but only 2w of them are attempting to walk to ME. One couple Anna and Chris are hiking with their dog Bo, which is making me miss my dog very much.Oh well I¢ve got some Robert Frost to read, and that¢s very appropriate cold comfort
Date: 2004-03-22
From: Beech Gap

To: Rainbow Campground
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

3/22Location: Rainbow CampgroundMileage: daily 16, total 103.6Today we humped big miles to the Rainbow Springs Campground. Last night it was 16 degrees and today frost was everywhere. So we decided to extend our miles to reach the campground.Nice trail magic today from an ¢03 thruhiker Hazmat and his fried Jen, who were passing out fruit and drinks s and sticky buns from where the were parked before the ascent up 5200 feet of Mount Albert. Sweet 360 degree view but due to the weather we hurried swiftly on.Here at Rainbow Springs, I¢m sleeping in a big yurt with 14 other people. The company is a mixed blessing, but the shower and the gas heater are worth any price.We caught up to some people whose entries we¢d been reading and some of them are very cool. This temporary community evolves very quickly, erodes again, and reforms.
Date: 2004-03-23
From: Rainbow Campground

To: Wyah Bald
Miles today: 13.3

3/23Location: Wyah BaldMileage: daily 13.3, total 116.9Title: BlueBlue day today, blue sky, blue distance mountains, blue mood. Tired of feeling cold, sore, hurried. I have contemplating quitting all morning. It is a hard thing to face. I Spoke with Jeff and prepped him. Talked through plans. Called Melicca and had her send spare cooking equipment to Fontana Dam, the next mail drop (60 miles north).The afternoon was better and my mood improved. Did you know that male moods actually swing more widely than women¢s? I was probably just chemically unbalanced there for a while. Tucked in now, stealth camping (Ed. Note: How does one stealth camp in a lime green tent? H.W.) On top of Wyah Bald. A beautiful 360-degree horizon and gorgeous sunset. Eating a Sweet Dreams Luna Bar I fade off to sleep¢¦ ¢ And all the doubt was now, should I be fit?¢
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Wyah Bald

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

3/24Location: Wesser Bald ShelterMileage: daily 11.5, total 128.4Shorter day today with lots of ups and downs. Tomorrow prospects the same only mores, excellent for lunch at the Nantahola Outfitters Center. The rumor is that there are burgers and sandwiches are good enough to help you forget the aches and pains for a while.Skies where blue, weather warped up, I¢m actually acquiring a tan. Staying in a shelter for the first time. Shelter mates include Windwolf, Rockhound, Squish, Bob and Joe are tenting.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 13.8

3/25Location: Cheoah BaldMileage: daily 13.8, total 142.2Title: All Hail Ben and Jerry!Good day today, Hiked way down and dropped a couple thousand feet in elevation, got to the Nantahala Outdoor center in brilliant sunshine, and used the magic of Ben & Jerry to power back up another couple of thousand fee. Camped at a very tiny depression in the woods, I ate gobs of food amongst gusts of wind. Nearby tenters are Squish, Rockhound, Hawkeye and Mongolian.A beautiful sunset just finished and it¢s time for shuteye. Sleeping hours are truly incredible out here. Remember it is cold and dark for about 10 hours a day right now. Talked to Melicca from the NOC around noon today. I miss you hon.About 14 miles planned for tomorrow, then the march downhill to the resort town of Fontana Dam, where our next mail drop awaits.Memorable nightmare from last night. The whole bottom half of my right heel pad fell off. All my cultivated calluses gone!
Date: 2004-03-26
From: Cheoah Bald

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

3/26Location: Cable Gap ShelterMileage: daily 14, total 156.2Title: Days and ConfusedToday makes two weeks out here, depending on how you¢re counting I guess. These words are being written less than 10 feet from a bubbling stream. It¢s warm tonight, and there¢s a welcome breeze through the mesh tenting of my apple green one-of-a-kind tent.Other thruhikers came out here include: Mongolia, Hawkeye, Rob & Robin (the J-birds), Squish, Rockhound, since tomorrow we¢re all headed into Fontana dam to resupply (and shower!)We all ate sort of communally, urging food on one another.Or maybe we are all just trying to shed weight from our packs.Anyway, time for some shut-eye. Short day tomorrow, goodnight.Oh, memorable feature of the day? The 700-foot climb out of Sassafras Gap over half a mile. Steep!