morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-04
To: I must be nuts!
Miles today: 0.0

"I guess Im taking my chancesgiving up the ring, throwing in the gloves I guess I'll take my chancestrading in my thingsfor a couple wings on a little white doveand one big love" - Patty GriffinWhat the hell was I thinking? Who in their right mind quits a perfectly good job, making perfectly good money to walk 2100 miles in the cold, the rain, and the scorching heat only to celebrate end of a long grueling day of endless ups and downs with a bowl of noodles? I guess that would be me. I must be nuts!Who in their right mind, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, leading a fairly sedentary lifestyle thinks they can walk up 500 feet, down 300 feet, up 1000 feet, down 600 feet on a daily basis for 6 months with 40 pounds on their back?I guess that would be me. I gave notice at my perfectly good job the other day. They all are sad to see me go, but understand this is something I have to do! I have made some significant friendships at Garnet Volkswagen and will truly miss them all. An excellent group of kind, caring, generous and very funny people! And a good place to buy a new Volkswagen! Hint hint! Seems quitting your job, makes attempting a thru hike VERY REAL! It is suddenly all very, very real! Exciting and terrifying! I started having AT dreams. One dream tormented me with the fact I left my work clothes outside my tent in the rain! Hard to believe that in 10 days I will be walking up Springer Mountain!The new and improved plan is to arrive at Amicola Lodge on Wednesday and start walking on Friday March 14th. Just in time for the US to start the war with Iraq. An idea I am totally against! Until next time, caio and peace trail sisters and brothers!
Date: 2003-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Life is short and we need to live in the moment. "Paying attention to thismoment and accepting your experience now; an awareness of your breath... noticing your thoughts... sensing your body... opening your heart to the gift of life - is the present"   - Samuel Kirschner So the journey has begun! Saturday evening was a final farewell with friends and family! Had a rowdy dinner at Buca di Beppo (Italian on steriods) then went to see an excellent cajun/blues/zydeco band. The harmonica player was outstanding! Check him out at Steve Guyger.com. Sunday was a bit of a challenge following a 6 dirty Martini night. I drank like a rock star! Ouch!At dinner my brother in law shared a poem he wrote for me...Margie and the tale of the trail.Margie, all your gear is packed this is no joke, so sit back and enjoy dinner and more than one rum and coke. This hike will last thru three seasons we know, but once you're done your pride will glow.Spring, Summer and fall will be spent on the trail, stopping in small towns to pig out, shower and pick up your mail.The trip won't be easy, simple or brief and may take practice to learn to wipe your a$$ with a leaf.But as with all things in life we learn as we do, just watch out for other hikers errrantly thrown poo.Ramen, tarts and gorp are the foods you will stock and don't forget to check for mice in your boot and your sock. Many of us say "no way" I could never, but to you Margie this is a lifetime endeavor. Some may find this freakish or quirky but you are going to be in great shape and smell like beef jerky. To you we extend our wishes and prayers, just watch out for the f'ing snakes and bears.   Seriously though, we wish you the best of luck on this trip of a lifetime and when the going gets tough just keep in mind that nothing worthwhile in life is easy. Keep focused, keep safe and keep going. You will do this.    Today I am at my folks in Maryland, packing mail drops, organizing home base so to speak. Tomorrow we head out to Charlotte NC, spend the night, then Wednesday we arrive at Amicola Falls. Norm (dad) hooked us up in a cottage. The 3 of us (mom, Dad & me) will enjoy accomodations for 8 with a fireplace! Excellent!
Date: 2003-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"Almost cut my hair...." Neil YoungThis entry was written by Margies' dad the day before we drive down to Amicolola. She is busy packing boxes, etc etc at this time. She also got a haircut on the spur of the moment and it looks great. She lost about 2 pounds of hair which will probably help going uphill. We haven't weighed the pack yet but I bet it is approx. 40 lbs. We will stay overnight tomorrow in Charlotte, NC and the next 2 nights at Amicola. Friday morning we will try to drive up the forest road to the trail so she doesn't have to take the 8 mile hike up to Springer and the official start hiking. Got to go and start the fire for Margie's last home cooked meal for a while.Margies' Dad.
Date: 2003-03-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I don't know where we are and I don't care. We're out of gas and running on air and one big love."   (One Big Love - Patty Griffin)Here we are in our delightful cabin at Amicacola Falls. It is thursday evening and a very peaceful one. Mom Dad and I are relaxing in front of a roaring fire. I am gearing up to to start out for Springer Mt. tomorrow morning. We arrived at Amicacola wednesday afternoon after (2) days of driving down from MD. The mountains along I-81, the Shenandoah Valley, are beautiful and huge. We went up to Walasi Yi this afternoon and dropped off my bounce box. Cool place. Met some hikers, chatted and headed back & had lunch at the Turner Cafe on the Chestachee River - nice. It reminded me of the place in "Fried Green Tomatoes" - Towannda. Also stopped at Walmart in Dahlonega - 3rd Walmart stop since leaving MD. Back at the cabin I got my stove out and had problems keeping it lit. Went up to Amicacola Lodge and called MSR and they faxed me the directions. However they were basically illegible. Thats when Skeemer and his friend Dave King came into the lobby. I had chatted with Skeemer through HikersRUs. Great guy. Dave will hike with him untill Blueberry Patch. We all will start tomorrow AM and our itineraries are the same for the first 3 days and that makes Dad & Mom happy. Dave figured out what the problem with the stove might be so I think I will be fine. After dinner at the lodge I met Goldberry and her parents in the lobby. She is starting on saturday with 3 others from Trailjournals - 2Fiddy and 2 others, all from the same sorority. The weather has been beautiful - sunny 75 degrees. Some light rain tonight & friday and maybe saturday as well. It is supposed to cool down also - hopefully no snow. The pack weighs (36) lbs. with food - heavy but not too awful. I don't think I'll be pitching things off of Springer.
Date: 2003-03-14
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

"Delusions of grandeur make me feel alot better about myself."                  Jane WagnerFirst Day. Hit Springer at 10:40 AM. Signed the register. Picked up a pebble to carry to Katadhin. and headed down. Not too bad going up or down. Met Dad half way down. I'm proud of him. Met some great folks today, Saw Skeemer and his friend Dave as we were pulling up on the Forrest service road. Several people on the approach. Tearful farewell with Mom & Dad at trailhead and I'm off - "alone". At lunch met Melissa and 2 guys from England. (Crackers, water and power bar) Then met Mag & Doug, section hikers who will complete at Harpers Ferry. Wierdest thing - they are from Coatesville, PA. - 5 minutes from my home in Downingtown. How ironic. Nice folks. Got to Hawk Mtn. at 4:50 PM. "Exhausted" My ass has been kicked. Set up the tent in light rain. "Yuk" Ate ramen & hot choc, chatted and off to bed! It's 7 PM - it's wet, it's cold and I'm going to bed.
Date: 2003-03-15
From: Hawk Mountain 

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

"I'm a walking in the rain, tears are falling and I feel a pain."         Del shannon & Max Creek - Bonnie Raitt7 AM Cold - wet - hardly slept - sore - hungry.8 PM. Met some great ladies today. AT Wannabe, Melanie (Midnight '96), Heddy & Jen. AT Wannabe and Jen are thru hiking. We are all camped just up from the herd at Gooch Gap shelter. 25 + there & 5 of us here. We ate dinner, chatted and then the back rub chain began. Much needed after an 8 mile day. This is so hard - I am not a hiker, a day hiker at best - doubted it many times today. I thought of getting off the trail. I may go off tommorow to Suches just to rest my weary bones - everything aches. (2) Alleve & a Percogesic - maybe I will sleep! Heard machine guns firing on top of Sassafras Gap. The military has a post up there. Very discomforting! Thought I heard a rattle snake too but I didn't see anything. Light rain and fog most of the day. It's drizzling now. Wicked hills - 3575 ft high - not many views - just clouds & trees - lots of trees. Drank alot of water - 64oz! Sweated like a line backer all day. Too many clothes. Tomorrow it should be warmer - shorts again but more difficult hiking. "Pray for me."
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Springer Mountain

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 30.7
Weather: light rain

"The power which resides in her is new in nature, and none but she knows what that is which she can do, nor does she know until she has tried."            From Self Reliance - Ralph Waldo Emerson   This entry is wriiten by Margies' dad. We probably will not be getting any of her written messages for a few days so I will enter this to update Margies' many friends and relatives who have written notes of encouragement to her in this journal. I am sure that she will appreciate them when she is able to get to a computer to read them. We received a phone call from her on monday night - (4) days after she started on Springer Mtn. on friday morning = about 10:30 AM.When she started the temperature was fairly warm but it was evident that some bad weather was approaching. The wind was blowing, dark clouds in the sky and a light rain was beginning to fall. Her pack came in at about 38 pounds which was pretty heavy.In her phone call she stated that she was pretty down after the first (2) days of being soaking wet and having difficulty with her stove. She hacked it out however and her spirits were up during the phone call as she and another girl hiker, Goldberry, came off the trail at Walasi Yi and got a lift down to a motel where she got a warm shower and a real meal. There are quite a few through hikers on the trail with her which is good news because they all tend to look out for each other. However because of the many hikers, all of the shelters each night were full and she tented out. She said that it was better to tent anyway because she could get away from all of the mice that swarm over everybody in the shelters trying to get into the food packs and sleeping bags. While Anne and I were up on Springer with her on friday, about (20) hikers all started about the same time - including a few husband/wife - boyfriend/girlfriend couples, a 60ish fellow who retired from his job at 5:00 PM that day & (4) guys from England. Many through hikers acquire trailnames while on the trail based on something that happens to them up there. Margies' trail name apparently will be "Molasses" because she was singing some song that had something to do with molasses and your asses. She wants me to check out a Pocket E-mail for her so she can enter her trail notes and E-mail them to me instead of using snail mail.   Thanks again to all who are following Margies' great adventure and sending her encouragement - she will probably need alot of it during the coming days, weeks and months.Margies' Dad
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Gooch Gap

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."            Frederick DouglasCould not write last night - far too tired - 13 miles. Left Gooch Gap at 8:15 AM Hiked all day got to Woods Hole shelter late at 6:30 PM. Put up the tent, ate 1/2 my dinner in the dark and out. Up at 6:30 AM - out of camp by 9:00. Very tough going up Blood Mtn. - 2.2 miles. The first 2 days were "really hard". "Not much fun - cold & wet." I really thought of quitting. One hour after leaving Gooch Gap I had my first taste of trail magic, Animal,a 2000 thru hiker, was at the road crossing with his VW van. He gave me an ice cold soda, coffee, cold fruit & all sorts of goodies - plus I smoked a butt. The Trail Magic brought my spirits right up. It had gone through my head 100 times - "Margie - only 2 miles to town - call Mom & Dad, they'll pick me up." I was so thankful for the trail magic, I almost cried! I did keep going and was very happy about it.It began to rain just as I was leaving camp with Spunky Jen. It rained then poured! Got to top of Blood Mtn. around 11AM. Hung out & chatted with 2 day hikers, Matt & Neely. Packed up & then the lousy wet, rocky tough descent! Hard! Started singing to myself - then out loud - "She'll be coming down the mountain when she comes" - then I started making up words. "She's as slow as molasses, cause these mountains kick her asses, she'll be coming down the mountain when she comes." There's also a verse about eating 16 pizzas & drinking beer, but I won't bore you. Got to Walassi Yi around 1:00 PM and one of the owners said "You must be Margie." I must have looked at her like she was green. I was shocked. She recognized me from my picture in Trail Journals. Kindda cool! Got a cold soda, ham & cheese sandwich. Said Hi to the crew, AT Wannabe, Jen, Skeemer, E Dogg, Matt, Nelly & the rest of the gang that started the same day at Springer Mtn. Walassi Yis' bunks were full. I thought "bummer" but luck of the Irish on this St. Pattys day, bumped into Goldberry and one hour later we both are sharing a deluxecabin at Goose Creek - luxury! Private bath and we each have a full size bed! It's awesome at $25 / night. Can't be beat- plus they do your laundry for you! We cranked up the heat to 100 and laid out all the wet gear, tents, sleep bags, etc. to dry. The Goose Creek Lodge is decorated with tons of animal heads - deer, geese, mtn. goat, bison, elk and a 10ft. lion. Keith runs a great place. Beer and soda are only .65 cents. Had a fun night with all the crew at a AYCE buffet. In bed by 9:00 but didn't sleep well, Odd! Got my 1st blister on my right heel. Mole skin & duct tape will keep me going onward. It is now a very good day.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: light rain

"For the love of God folks ....don't try this at home."                        David LettermanWoke up at Woods Hole Shelter, very new and nice. Slept in the tent but a morning mouse report gave no sign of critters. Packed up slowly-damp tent & all, the gear had exploded inside. Hit the privy and saw a Pileated Woodpecker high in the trees-very cool. Hiked out with Spunky Jen of Stsmford, CT. Shes' a very nice young girl. Has no tent, uses a tarp but hates it. She misses her boyfriend Oscar. Hiked up Blood Mtn. in the rain & fog. Reached the top, 4461 ft, highest on GA. part of the AT, at1:00 PM. Hung out - signed register - talked with a few day hikers. (1) guy went to Colby College in Maine. Hiked down the mountain and was happy knowing that there was a shower, bed and real food tonight at Walassi Yi. Got to singing out loud, " She'll be coming down the mountain when she comes ... she's as slow as molasses cause these mountains kick her asses - she'll be coming down the mountain when she comes." Thus my trail name was born. There is also a verse about "16 pizzas, Pepsi, and martinis but I won't bore you with that. Got to Walassi Yi at 2:00 PM and saw Skeemer, ATWannabe & the rest of my crew. Bummer - Walassi Yi bunkhouse was full but I bumped into Goldberry who I had E-mailed thru Trail Journals and who I spoke with at Amicalola. We decided to split a cabin at Goose Creek - and boy did we luck out. Each of us had a double bed in a deluxe cabin. We cranked the heat up to 100 degrees and laid out all the wet gear to dry. The lodge is decorated with many animal heads - deer, geese, bear, bison, elk and a big 10 ft. lion. Keith runs a great place! Does your laundry for $5.00, .65 cents for soda and beer. Had a fun night with all the hiking crew at an AYCE buffet. In bed by 9:00 but didn't sleep well - odd!.
Date: 2003-03-18
From: Neels Gap

To: Whitely Gap
Miles today: 6.2

"Things just do not happen, they are made to happen."                     John Fitzgerald KennedyUp at 6:30, packed up, checked oit of Goose Creek Cabins and shuttled up to Walassi Yi, Winton, the owner, went through my pack. Its' an incredible service. He went through all my gear down to the vitamins, 1st aid kit, socks & clothing. Decided to pitch my tent foot print, stove, pot, water filter & some minor other stuff. Bought a Pepsi can stove, a lighter aluminum pot set & a few 1st aid items. (The stove runs on denatured alcohol.) Spent $80 & lost 10 lbs to the pack. It now weighs 30 lbs without water. Excellent! Sent a bounce box up to Blueberry Patch at Hiawassee and started walking at 11:30 - in the rain (yuck). Very uphilly, rocky and slow. Hadn't eaten & energy & spirits were low. Fog and rain all day. All potential mountain views were socked in by fog. I needed to get my drenched down sleeping bag & rainfly dry so decided to hike 2 miles to a road crossing and hike back to Blairsville & warm dry Goose Creek Cabins. Ken decided to go with me & Ryan & Taylor pushed on. The forecast was for heavy rain & fog through thursday (2 more days). We hit the road and waited 0ne hour before the 1st car passed us. It was pouring rain and windy as hell. Walked 1/2 mile down to Testnatee Gap and waited as 3 more cars passed in the driving rain. Finally the 5th car, a red pickup stopped. Buddy, a school teacher on his way into Blairsville to give a test, picked ud up. Ken hopped in the cab, he is sick with a bad cold, and I happily hopped in the back. I enjoyed the spectacular clouds, fog, trees of northern Georgia all the way - it was great! Buddy dropped us off at McDonalds. The Golden Arches looked very welcoming. Claudia , Rose and the rest of the McD crew let us hang out for about 2 hours as we waited for Keith at Goose creek to come pick us up. Enjoyed a quarter pounder, fries & Coke - yum! Their hospitality was incredible They were very nice to us and even called the Suches Fire Dept. They were quite interested in our trek. Thank you all at Blairsville McDonalds. You are Trail Angels. Keith picked us up and took us to Goose Creek Cabins. Nice cabin with TV, phone, 4 double beds, sofa, kitchen, tub & shower. It has an adjoining unit. Ken and I were soon joined by David (looks like Grizzly Adams), of Washington state, "Lemmings" of Austin, TX and Dan of Moorestown, NJ - all solo hikers. We dried out all our gear., showered, did laundry, flushed toilets because we could, and went to dinner at the Cookie Jar, AYCE! Came back and watched the war on CNN and the weather channel - more bad weather through thursday. Got 3 beers from Keith & went to bed at 11:30 - slept like a rock.
Date: 2003-03-20
From: Neels Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction."            General Douglas MacArthur   This is another entry by Margies' dad. Margie has oficially acquired a trail name "Molasses" so if you are reading this you discovered that you will now find her on the journal under "Molasses" instead of "Margie". As a result she is farther down on the long list of hiker journals. Another hiker gave her that name from a song she has been singing. I don't know anything about this song but will ask her next time we speak and let all of her friends and relatives who have been following her in Trail Journals know the details and words of the song. We talked to her at Goose Creek Cabins which are up the road a piece from Walassi Yi at Neels Gap, GA. She and 4 other guys stayed there for 2 days to ride out the terrible rainy, foggy, windy weather. Margie says that the weather has cleared and they saw some blue sky late in the afternoon. She plans to start back up hiking tomorrow - friday morning after a stop at Walassi Yi to get a new piece of equipment - I don't remember what it was. She also said that she believes that she has not been consuming enough calories each day and that has caused her to be extremely exhausted. (What about hiking up and down large mountains in the pouring rain with 38 pounds on your back kiddo??) She says that she will be eating more high calorie foods from now on. She needs to eat 3000 calories each day and has been consuming only about 800. The blister on her foot is better and she got something called "poteat" at Walassi to put on it. One of the guys who stayed with her at Goose Creek Cabins has been on the trail for (2) weeks but only has been able to hike for (4) days as he has been sick as a dog with the flu or bad cold. He will stay at the cabin for another day or two. Margie says that she will not be making any real long hikes for the next few days, 6 or 7 miles, untill she gets to Hiawassi, Ga. and the Blueberry Patch Hostel. She plans on getting to Whitely Shelter tomorrow ,friday, and tent out - probably to get away from the mice or "microbears" as I believe they are called out on the AT. Margie asked for some pictures to show some of her buddy hikers so I copied some of the photos that are on Trail Journals as well as the latest messages that her friends and relatives have entered in Trail Journals. I know she will be happy to see them."Keep those cards and letters / e-mails coming."Thanks   Margies'dad.
Date: 2003-03-20
From: Neels Gap

To: Whitely Gap
Miles today: 0.0

"Nothing prepare you for hiking miles and miles with a 40 lb pack on your back, other than hiking miles and miles with a 40 lb pack on your back."         Lynn Setzer - Author of " A Season on the Appalachian Trail."Left Goose creek and got a shuttle up to the trail. I hoped to catch up with the crew I started with at Low Gap, but they are all in better shape and faster hikers. I conceded that I would spend the night at Whitely Gap alone. I hoped and prayed that someone would be there. The weather still was not good! gOT TO Whitely Gap at 5:30pm to find Ryan, Taylor and Ken. Yeah - company! Ryan and Taylor are hiking together, nice friendly guys in their 20s-both just graduated from college. Ken is 65 & retired. He started hiking 4 days before me but got a cold and spent 3 days in the Hostel. When I arrived at the shelter, he was in his bag already. Weather was awful! Cooked ramen with tuna on the alcohol stove - quick & easy. Hot & tasty. Ryan & Taylor had gourmet food - cheese & pasta & dehydrated veggies. As the rain came down harder and blew directly into the shelter - I hung my rainfly to try and stop it from hitting my bag. I tied my nalgene bottle to the bottom to hold it down but the fly just became a huge sail and kept blowing in all night long. The night went like this ...hear a gust of wind - feel the breeze - the sail fills & lifts the bottle onto my arm - unzip my bag - do a sit up - pick up the nalgene bottle and hurl it 6 ft out of the shelter. I continued to do this every 20 minutes or so for nearly 12 hours - not much fun! The only break I got from this routine was when I felt a mouse on my feet. It crawled up to my belly and I launched him with my arms from inside my bag. At last, a small victory - flying mice. The little critters ate holes in my ziplock bags. When I arrived and surveyed this crummy shelter and impending awful conditions, I noticed a few beer cans - Holy Smoke one of them was unopened. I asked the guys if it was theirs and it wasn't. Hello - trail magic! Ryan, Taylor and I shared the beer, a Natural Light, smoked a few of my cigarettes in the rain - excellent 15 minutes! An exceptionally close thunder storm came in overnight which was pretty scary at 3500 ft.