morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-01-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

            First part of my plan worked perfectly (to get Tug to be not so scared of gun shot noise]. Left the house at 6:30am with Tugboat driving to the Hunt river hoping to do 9 miles. As we started the sun was just coming up, no wind at all, and the trail is snow free. This makes for a pretty quick pace. I love walking when its cold (18 degrees).   When you layer properly, as it warms up you just shed pieces. By the time we finished the first loop i was down 1 shirt. By the time we were at the end of the second loop I was down to a tecwick shirt and my rain coat.             Back to Tug, we did not hear one gun shot untill the end of our hike and we were just a few hundred feet from the truck. The second part of my plan will be to minimize what the shooting means or Tug thinks it IS. I am going to start using bubble wrap. What the hell is he talking about? Just this: if I can show Tug, that popping noise is not going to hurt him and he hears it enough and he can see what is making the noise, maybe he will accept it. So Monday when i get the bubble wrap & start popping it I will do it randomly and each time i will show him what is making the noise. Then when we go on the trail If we hear gun shots i will pull out the bubble wrap and pop it along with the gunshots. This along with showing him the plastic i hope will help him. WHAT A PLAN - i just hope it helps.             I got a call from a friend i met on my first hike in 08. His name is Shakedown Cruise. Great hiker and a better man. He's a pretty good trail angel too. Last year when i was having a hard time getting into my hike he showed up at Fontana Dam with a bunch of trail magic and then he took me out to dinner. A month later he showed up at Standing Bear hostel with bags of trail magic again. He had to drive hours to get there but that did not stop him and Smoochy [his wife] from finding me. Again i thank him for his kindness. Shakedown you take care of yourself.               The best part of hiking the AT are the people you meet and the friends you make. They are what makes for great memories.               LATA............................Southside
Date: 2010-01-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                  Yesterday was a great day 42 degrees and only a lite breeze. Shelter Trail is 7 miles long, so i went half way and then took Breakheart Trail. Total for the day was 10-11 miles. Today was the day for bikers and hikers. Saw 10 bikers and 6 hikers. Did not take Tugboat and it was a good thing i didnt. There was a lot of gunfire and it wasnt from a firing range.                   I start my real weight training on Monday. I'm sure it will be with very lite weights but i have to start somewhere. Cardio is at 7:00 am, then some type of class, then weight training. The classes consist of diet, relaxation, stretching, well you get the picture. And the nice thing is my insurance pays most of it.                  LATA............................Southside
Date: 2010-01-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

               I am so bored, at least thats what my wife keeps telling me. My training is going well and now that i started lifting weight that should help with my boredom. 77 days until i start my 2010 hike, everything that i had to do in 2008 is done. All gear is purchased and i will buy all my food from the trail. The only thing that is in question are my boots. They seem to be hitting me on the top of my foot by the big toe.                Yesterday i went to the gym and walked 4 miles at 2% grade. Then 1 hour of lifting, easy weight and mostly legs. Will work more on the core as i build up strength in the chest and back. Just going to take it slow right now.               I am still working with Tugboat my dog, on his fear of gun fire. I started the bubble wrap popping ,and today i will try it out at the Hunt River. So far he thinks the snapping noise is a game and along with his treats its becoming more fun. Cool if this works because i love hiking with him                  LATA......................Southside
Date: 2010-01-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

            At the gym at 6:00 am and knocked off 4 miles at 2% grade. Then had weights and stretching class. But something just dosent feel right. So i called my surgeon up in mass, and he got me in for an appointment on today. I am pretty sure that its nothing but i just want to be sure. "Also" just had my blood work done. It came back awesome, trgs at 96, hdl 52, ldl 55, total 126. I don't know if i will ever have blood work so good again.                As i walked yesterday i thought of the trail in the Smokey mountains; of all the places it is the one i dislike the most. Both years it either rained or snowed all but one day that i was in SNP. And the one day it was 15 degrees when i woke up and everything was covered in ice. It was also the best photography day,with sun hitting the ice on the trees, mountains and rocks. It felt like i was walking in a world of glass. The other thing i found in the SNP was all of the shelters were full. Some of them had 40 people in and around them. Spring breakers, boy scout troops, they will all be there. Just some advice start early in the morning and get to the shelters early.               LATA........................Southside
Date: 2010-01-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                     Wow did it get cold and windy. Yesterday was an off day... first i went to the dentist and had my temporary bridge put in. Then i drove up to Salem, mass. and met with my cardiac surgeon. Thought something was going on with my heart rate; it felt like it was coming thru my chest. But after a few minutes he was convinced that every thing was ok. The doc was more concerned that i had done something to my sternum. He explained that everything is healing and sometimes i will feel these type of things in my chest. If nothing else it put my mind at ease. What a class man Dr Vandersalm is, i arrived at the hospital 1 hr. early. His secretary called him, at the time he was assisting in another operation. I guess everything was going well because he came 15 min. later and saw me. After seeing me he went back to the OR. He is a man i truly admire; not just because he saved my life but because he makes me feel like i am the most important person to HIM and thats not a quality you find very often.                  Tomorrow its back to the gym, weights and tread mill. 73 three days until my start day, my weight is down to 195 10 more to go. See ya on the trail.                     LATA.........................Southside
Date: 2010-01-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                              Last year i was going to the Blueberry patch hostel. Sweaty, tired and ready for a shower, i turn into the driveway and standing there is Gary the owner. He greets me and says John grab a bunk your the first one here; so first pick. Then he tells me to get out of my dirty clothes, put them in a laundry basket and Lennie his wife will do them. I tell Gary that i am going to hitch into town to eat and resupply first. Gary then tells me that i can use his Jeep after i clean up. Stunned i say "are u kidding me" and he says noooo, just cleanup and when you are done your laundry will be ready.                              When i came out of the shower and went back into the bunk house standing there is Sarge. Sarge is 76 years old and he had hiked the trail 5 yrs ago and is a diabetic. He then tells me that he had to get a ride to the hostel because somebody stole his food bag and water. Unbelievable! I waited for Sarge to get ready and just when we were ready to leave Wizard from Ct. walked in. He jumped into the Jeep with us and off we went. We resupplied and ate at a great all the ribs you can eat barbecue. PERFECT! Sarge had to leave the trail going back to Houston to his sisters. He will be back i am sure of that.                              Gary and Lennie also fed us; pancakes, eggs, sausage, toast and you guessed it' home made blueberry syrup. I still can't get over the kindness and trust these two wonderful people have toward thru hikers.   If you can swing by and stay with these two nice people, you wont regret it. They also drove us back to the trailhead the next morning. The Blueberry Patch is at mile 67 in Hiawasee, Ga.                                 72 days left, only walked 4 miles but i did go to weight lifting, also started yoga. Surprising thing is i liked the yoga.                                  LATA........................Southside
Date: 2010-01-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                  I took an off day yesterday 6 degrees and a stiff breeze made the decision easy. But i did go to the REI garage sale. Thats where REI sells all of the returns and damaged gear at amazingly low prices. I got there 2.5 hours early and i was still 14th in line. Luckily a nice girl came out and gave all of us a number. She said to come back at 9:30, the doors opened at 10:00. By the time REI opened the line had grown to 80-100 people long.                   I was looking for only one or two things:hiking poles, ultralite down sweater, really anything that pertains to hiking. The first 14 people went straight to the box with the poles and in a blink they were gone. I did pick up a pair off MSR denali ascend snow shoes for 40 dollars that were returned because they had rust on the steel runners. In the first 30 min. anything thats worth picking up is gone. I did find a returned road bike, brand new cost was 459.00 marked down to 199.83. and the last thing i picked up were a pair of north face gloves $3$ marked down from 40$.                  Then i took Pam to the show, had lunch and went home. I hope everybody up in the mountains got off them with this storm coming in. It wont be fun up there especially if the winds are blowing. If you stayed, it will be beautiful up there so go slow and easy- take a lot of pics.                     LATA.........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                  New month same old story, went to the gym and walked for 2 hrs. Nice pace too, 3.8 mph for most of the walk. Also had the treadmill up to 7% grade, had to lower my speed to 3.5 mph. Total miles of 7, also continued with my weight training.                  Just heard from a good friend from over the big pond. General thats his name, he hiked the trail twice. He finished both times the last one was 2008. He told me he took a leave of 6 months to hike the trail and thats how long it took [to the day.] We hiked together for a couple of weeks and then he jumped ahead and hiked sobo so he could be at trail days. So while i continued north he was going south, then he would secure a ride north to where he got his ride to: and go nobo. I kept thinking i would see him but day after day and no General. Well we came to Waynesboro VA and i was in a car going to Hardys rest and who do i see but General. I called him and we met at Weasies a great all you can eat pancake house. General told me that he got delayed by a little old stress fracture in his leg and he had to hold up for seven days. Finally he said the hell with this crap and continued south to trail days. He made it to Katahdin bad leg and all. No excuses, no quitting just the trail and the General.                   71 days to start. 194lbs feeling pretty good.                     LATA...............................Southside
Date: 2010-02-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                     Had a good day at the gym yesterday. 4 Miles at 6% grade in 65 mins. Actually worked up a pretty good sweat. Then went to the Apple store for class, on movie making. I started editing my AT movies and pics into dvd format.                         Two years ago [2008] i only took pictures of my hike: with Chad [aka Bull} my son. He was hurt in virginia and it ended his hike. So i took some of the pics and made three albums. I matched all the photos with our daily journals. Its like reading a good book only you are the main characters. Every time i read them i think how sad a day it was when he had to leave on that bus and go home. The albums turned out beautiful and i think they were the perfect xmass gift.                        I read Wags journal from start to finish that girl should wright a book. I am so glad that all of the stars are lining up for her. Her ups & downs are what great AT stories are made of. Tag & Tagless are also inspirational. For the people wanting to read about hiking the trail go to 2009 journals and click on their links.                        LATA.......................Southside
Date: 2010-02-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                        Had a great day on the trail yesterday,Tugboat and i did a 6 mile loop at the Hunt river. Tugs gun shot training seems to be working fairly well. Every time i here a gun shot i pull out these large plastic bubbles and pop one or two. Then i show him what they are and now he is actually playing with them. I also do this at home, when i pop one i show him it, then i rub his back and head with it. He actually likes it. I also gave him one on monday and found him laying on it.                        68 Days left until take off, weight 195# ht 5'6' and shrinking, memory gone, the hike priceless.                           LATA........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                        My training continues, more and more on the trail less on the treadmill. Shelter trail and Breakheart trail make for a fairly good workout. When combined they give me everything i need; some pretty good ups and descents and rocks thrown in for good measure. I did a total of 10 miles in 3 hrs. Tomorrow its back to rehab and the treadmill.                         As i train on the trail i am finding my boots are not the right ones for me. So its back to the drawing board. I am looking at Vanderzans: if anybody has an opinion on this boot drop me a line. The reviews have been 5 star just would like trail hiker opinions.                        LATA.........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                  4 boring miles on the treadmill the good thing was, i had it set at 7% grade, a personal best. Then i had weight lifting for one hour. The attending doctor told me he was raising my target heart rate up to 120 bpm. Thats good news,   i have been waiting for that for weeks .                  I had computer class right after and as i was on my way there it dawned on me how nice a day it was. So i turned around and picked up my dog Tug and went to the Hunt river. It was a good move 37* and the sun shining. We hiked 2 loops for a total of 6 miles. That gave me a total for the day of 10 miles. Half way through the first loop we hear gun shots, so i pulled out my bubble wrap and popped a couple of them, It really is working, he is starting to accept the noise as only that "noise".                  LATA........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                        Tugboat had taken huge steps forward: until yesterday. We went to Shelter Trail. Not a sound, light snow flurries and a lite breeze. Just perfect for a day of hiking with your dog. About a mile in BANG the first gun shot. So i pulled out my bubble wrap and popped a couple. Tug seemed to be OK so we hiked on, then the shots started to come more and more. No amount of popping bubble wrap was going to calm him. We turned around and hiked back to my truck. When i opened the door he jumped in and sat there shaking. I really think he can over come this so we will continue with the hiking and the bubble rap.                         Only got in about 3 miles yesterday but thats ok. My back is a little sore right now anyway. I am going to take Sunday off and just watch TV or work on my gear. Monday i will be back at it, first the gym then the Hunt river for a 6 mile walk with Tugboat.   "Hopefully"                        What a snowstorm i wish it had hit us head on. I would love to snowshoe in a 30" blizzard.I guess i will have to settle for a nice dry trail and a cloud of dust. To all the hikers that have started, i hope they got out of there or at least into a good shelter. There can be nothing worse then being airlifted off a mountain. This is hoping they are all safe and warm. What a winter!!!!!!!                        LATA..........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                        Everybody suffers with setbacks, its what we do to recognize the problem and rectify them.Tweaked my back 2 weeks ago: thought i could work through the problem, like i have so many times before. I t has just become" worse" just when i think i have it turned and under control it flares up. So i took Sunday off and watched football all day long. Monday it was still tender, but better so it was off to the gym. After walking 1 mile i could feel it coming on again so i called it a day.                         Talked to my brother and he might join me for the first two weeks. Memories are better when you share them with people you love. They then become part of your family history, thats what made my 2008 thru hike so special. I hiked with my son. 2009 was a great attempt also, but they were my memories alone. Yes you make new and special friends. Some that last forever and they are an imprint on your memories as well. Combine them and it becomes> all of you, not just small parts but the whole story.                           I was lucky to meet and hike with a young man named Topo. Except for the last few miles he had hiked the entire trail in sections with his father. Last year he decided to thru hike alone. At the end he met up with his father and together they finished both their section hike and Topos thru hike at the same time. And the best part of this story, is It! in the AT Journeys magazine. Jan-feb 2010 edition.   Now thats something that will last a life time. And thats what hiking the AT is all about.                           LATA.......................Southside
Date: 2010-02-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                     Yesterday was an easy day, Bright & sunny not a cloud in the sky. 42* and a light breeze made for perfect hiking. Brought Tugboat and thankfully not a shot was heard. After 30 min. i could feel it in the small of my back. I slowed down and got in another 15 mins, for a total of 2 miles. I have had this problem for the better part of 20 years. Sometimes it takes a couple of days to settle down, and if its a bad tweak it can take much longer. I think this is a medium one.                     Tomorrow its back to the gym and the treadmill. Maybe if iam lucky i can get a few miles in at the Hunt river. Hopefully the snow will come down like the hammers of hell, and i can get some snowshoeing in. Pam and i leave for Vermont and a 5 day snowshoeing trip in a couple of weeks. By then this back thing should all be gone. Until then i will just take it easy and go as far as i can.                        193 lbs, 14 lbs down 8 more to go, and 61 days untill i hit the trail.                                          LATA.......................Southside
Date: 2010-02-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                     I had a very easy day yesterday, went to the gym and walked 2 miles at a 7% grade. Then after sitting at home for a couple of hours i went to the Hunt. It just started snowing [which i love] and i was hoping to get in a couple of miles. As the snow picked up i started to feel pretty good. I was very pleased that i got in 3.5 miles in a little over 1 hr.                      Thursday it's off to apple class at 7:00 am. Working on photo to dvd movie making; its amazing what this thing can do. I think the hardest thing is picking the music and placing it in the correct place in the dvd. After class i will pick up Tug and head out to the trail. Maybe i can get in 6-8 miles, the trail should not be in too bad a shape. We only got 3-6 inches of a wet heavy snow.                        I was hoping to get 12" to 18" of snow so i could use my new snowshoes But untill that happens i will just slog around in my regular snow boots.                        LATA.........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                        Yesterday was a Great day, i was at the gym at 6:00 am geared up and hit the tread mill at 7:00. After walking 3.7 miles at 7% grade in one hour, it was on to YOGA class. Then i drove home to pick up my dog Tugboat. But sadly he refused to get into my pickup truck. I quess he's had enough of me trying to help him with gun shot noise. So i let him back into the house and off to the trail i went. Hiked two more hours for 6.5 miles and a total of 10 miles for the day.                        Today Pam, Tug [if he will go] and I are going to drive to the Conn. line and do some snowshoeing at Parker Woods;it will be a new trail for me. I talked to somebody at class and he told me they got 8-10 inches out there. Hard to believe that it is only 15 miles west of my house and they could have a half foot, more snow than i got at my house. We will try out our new MSR Denali ascend snow shoes. They have a great feature on the back of the shoe. I'ts a bar that you can pop up and then rest your heel on. It puts you up and forward and keeps the snowshoe down in the back It takes most of the stress off of your achilles tendon and your calves when you ascend. When descending you flip the bar down and this puts the weight back on your heels.      Have a great weekend and hike on.                        LATA...........................Southside
Date: 2010-02-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Pam and i went to the Parker Woods trail. One thing the book did not tell us, was no dogs allowed. After driving all that way we decided to walk Tug anyway. I will call this trail little Pennsylvania, because of all the rocks. Great trail to train on, there was a lot of small ups and downs. History everywhere: rock walls that used to divide property, dozens of ancient cairns "stone towers" and a 100 year old water saw mill. There was also an old stone: barn and house foundations from old farms abandoned long ago. It was only 3 miles long and we probably would have gone further but Tug had enough.               The nice thing out on the trail is the quiet when all you hear is the crunching of the snow. Happy Vlentines day have fun on the trail.               LATA......................Southside
Date: 2010-02-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                           Sunny, breezy and cold what could be better? oh I know. Snow shoeing with my wife Pam and Tugboat on Valentines day. 5 miles on the Breakheart trail it has to be my favorite for snowshoeing.                           Then it was back home and shower and meet some friends for lunch. It is amazing how bored i am. When i got back home i went on the computer, I am looking for new boots and a head net. Can't seem to find anything that fits me perfect and feels right. Its almost like i dont want to as its the last thing i need for my trek.                        I hope you all did right on Valentines day> it goes a long way.                        LATA.......................Southside
Date: 2010-02-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

                     The weather is not being too kind to the hikers on the trail at this time. Last year i started on March 2nd and we got clobbered. 15* windy and 6" of snow on the ground. Three days it lasted and when it broke we thought 35* was warm. This year i am starting mid April, in Harpers Ferry and we could still see weather that far north. I dont mind the snow but it would be nice if we don't get 23 days out of 30 days of rain. That was a real ball buster.                     Training goes on, and on, and on thank God it does. Next week i go to Vermont for 5 days with Pam for some snowshoeing and hiking and a lot of RnR. Yesterday i walked on the treadmill for 1.5 hrs. and then went to the trail for 1.5 hrs. Total miles 8.                         To all on the trail YOU ROCK, be safe.                                 LATA.....................Southside