morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-01-17
To: T- two months!
Miles today: 0.0

Dear Readers,As I sit here in a warm cozy tea shop in Bend, Oregon, I look at the online weather map and observe the below 0 temps that are sweeping the other side of the country currently. And I am hoping that mother nature gets it all out of her system in the next 60 days. I am back in Bend for my final two weeks in this town. Temps have been in the fifties and skies of been clear. It looks like I escaped the midwest cold spell just in the nick of time! I went snowboarding yesterday for my first outing of the season (and potentially last) and a jacket wasn't even necessary. It was wonderful, although the psychological fear of getting injured was constantly on my mind as I cruised down runs at a speed that would most likely injure me if I caught an edge or wiped out. With less than two months until my hike, I'm in that precious time period where there may not be time to properly heal before I'm supposed to start at Springer. It brings me back to the month or two before the Club Tennis National tournament every year in college, when an injury could eliminate me from participating in the event, which I spent the entire school year looking forward to. I hope to finish up my itinerary in the coming week as well as finalize my gear list and actually purchase everything. Gotta love no sales tax in Oregon. Other than AT planning, my days will be spent cross country skiing, snow shoeing, trail running, yoga, and spending time with good friends who I will soon be saying goodbye to. Life is good. The mountains have been beautiful. I'll miss this place. Maybe I'll be back, someday.
Date: 2009-01-23
To: Let the Goodbyes Begin
Miles today: 0.0

Dear Readers,The days here are numbered. I have exactly one week left in Bend and my goodbyes have started. In fact, most of them have already happened due to all of my Sage Walk friends heading into the field this past Wednesday for their two week rotation. It was a reality check, to say the least. It still hasn't sunk in that I won't be seeing any of those wonderful people again. There are only a few (but important) people left to say goodbye to before I go, and I am dreading them, but I know the strong friendships will survive my thru-hike, so what is there to be sad about? "See you later" is more like it... I don't handle goodbyes well, but I find comfort in the fact that very shortly, my life will consist of nothing but "hellos" which excites me. Just got my hair chopped eight inches in prep for my hike... That's all for now. This one's short and sweet. Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-02-07
To: Gear List
Miles today: 0.0

What I'm Starting With at Springer... CLOTHINGIcebreaker ultralite Tech TUnder Armour t shirtIcebreaker 200 Oasis CrewIcebreaker 260 Olympia CrewPatagonia R2 jacketMarmot Precip rain jacketMarmot Precip full-zip rain pantsCapilene 3 long underwear bottomsAdidas shortsHot Chilly's skin leggingsREI convertible pants 3 (4?) pairs merino wool socks3 pairs Patagonia underwear1 sports braTNF insulated liner jacketBlack Diamond glovesNeck WarmerCrocsKeene Targhee hiking shoesMt Hardwear rain hatwinter hatGEARFirst Aid KitAura 65 backpackMt. Hardwear 0 degree (REI Kilo 35+ in summer)RidgeRest sleeping padMSR Pocket Rocket StoveKatadyn Hiker Pro filter32 oz. Nalgene4L Dromlite bladderMSR Hubba + footprintLeki Luau trekking polesHeadlampBenchmade Mini-Tika knifelighter (2)REI TI-Ware .9 L potHYGIENEtoothbrushtoothpastehandheld mirrornail clippers/tweezersbaby wipestoilet paperMISCELLANEOUSdigital cameraiPod ShufflehandwarmersjournalThru-Hikers Handbookspare batteries, and chargersApproximate Grand Total Weight: 25 poundsMinus gear I will be wearing and carrying will probably make for a pack somewhere between 20-25 pounds in the winter before food water and fuel. So far, I have yet to think of anything I've forgotten.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-02-07
To: Let me vent...
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers, Enjoy my heated rant below about how REI no longer carries my favorite zip-off hiking pants."The Search for REI's Women's Denali Convertible Pants, a Lost Cause"I found out tonight that my favorite hiking pants, REI Denali convertible pants, have been discontinued by REI. To me, this is mind boggling. Why? Because any female who has ever tried on hiking pants knows how difficult it is to find zip-off pants that fit! Either the waist is too high, the crotch is too high (or too low), or the pants zip off at an awkward length creating something in between shorts and capris that just doesn't really work. The Women's Denali pants at REI were amazing! A comfy waist band located well below the belly button, an adjustable nylon webbing belt, a 16-inch inseam in boardshort-like fashion (and dress code appropriate at Sage Walk!), and a crotch that neither sagged nor produced camel toe. WHY WOULD THEY DISCONTINUE THIS PRODUCT!? (There is a long trend of female Head Instructors who sported this pant, as well: Luna Mongoose, Aurora Wind, and myself to name a few...obviously, I'm not the only person who appreciated this style of pant). I am quite heated about this, if you can't tell. #1.) I was planning on getting a new pair to wear from Georgia to Maine since the ones I wore at Sage Walk are somewhat destroyed. #2) Had I known this product was going to be discontinued I would have stocked up last year when they were on clearance sale!!!I am not happy about the prospect of having to find new hiking pants, especially ones I like well enough to wear every day for sixth months on the biggest adventure of my life! I only have 5 weeks left, and I do not want to spend those precious weeks trying on ill-fitting pants. Maybe this is a sign that with a pair of shorts and a pair of long johns already on my gear list, I do not need another pair of pants? A higher power of sorts is trying to help me out by eliminating an unnecessary 10 ounce pair of hiking pants from my pack. Maybe I will get tired of the Adidas shorts over Capilene 3 leggings look, though? Then what? I'm digressing. And I'm irritated and needed to vent.Thank you Traci at REI for your suggestion of the "closest alternative", the Rondesvous convertible pant, but they are not the same. They sit too high on my waist and are too tight in the butt (maybe the latter would be good if I were wearing these pants for something other than backpacking!!!), and the 17.5 inch zip-off inseam was too long. Also, who needs a floral print lining on the inside of the non-adjustable waistband? (coming from the girl carrying striped arm warmers...)I guess tomorrow's task will be repairing my old Denalis that I have worn for 200 days in the field with some duct tape, seam sealer, and a little bit of sewing in hopes that they can last another few thousand miles...Thanks for letting me vent!Happy (pantless?) Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-02-23
To: How to send me stuff
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,Many of my beloved friends and family have asked how to send me things along the trail. The answer to this, my friends, is my Maildrop locations! They are all listed under "Maildrops" on the menu to the left of your screen, with the address you should use as well as the date I'm to be expected. I will be collecting boxes at those locations sent from home around those dates anyway, and, well, the more mail, the merrier! They recommend sending things about 2 weeks ahead of my expected arrival date to make sure it arrives in time and does not miss me. Those dates are all tentative, so make sure to check them before sending anything because I may change/update them according to where I'm at when.The other question everyone has been asking me is "what can I send you?" My initial response is "something that doesn't weigh a lot!" But in all seriousness, what would probably be most meaningful and appreciated is a good ol' fashioned handwritten letter or postcard I can keep with me and maybe pull out when times get tough and I need a smile or reminder of the wonderful people I have in my life outside of the trail who are rooting for me. Some of my most treasured possessions were created with pen and paper... However, if the urge to send me something of caloric value strikes, I certainly won't stop you. Small in quantity, high in calories please. Anything I can't eat in one sitting will have to get put in my pack and carried up and over mountains, so yeah... please keep that in mind. Candy bars, cookies, Clifbars, Powerbars, etc. are great examples of good care package foods. However, a letter that lets me know you are thinking about me would mean the most (and last a lot longer!). I've appreciated everyone's interest in wanting to know how to send me things along the way. I will, of course, do my best to restore the lost art of letter writing by sending letters and postcards to friends and family along the way... especially to those who take the time to write me! Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-02-26
To: I'm turning into a hypochondriac...
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,Two weeks from tomorrow I fly down to Georgia! And, every possible health ailment that could pop up right before this huge physical challenge, is. Okay, maybe that is a slight over-statement. And maybe they are not even real, simply my imagination getting the best of me, but either way, it's making me anxious. A red dot on the side of my pinky toenail has been there for 6 months or so. Had it been a bother when I actually had good health insurance, I would have taken care of it then, but alas, it did not turn infected and painful until I lost my health insurance from my job and am weeks away from this thru-hike. And if you think a pinky toe cannot be painful, you are wrong. I didn't think they could either, until it happened to me. Don't take your healthy pinky toes for granted, people! I'm hoping to see a doctor about is ASAP so I can hopefully get it treated and healed in the next 16 days.Also, I have come down with a sore throat. Knock on wood, it hasn't gotten worse in 48 hours, but it also hasn't gotten better. I'm loading up on Airborne and Halls with zinc, vitamin C and Echinacea.   Better to get sick now, rather than a week or two from now. And if you think a painful pinky toe is going to keep me from hiking, you are wrong. If the doctors can't do anything about it, I'm gonna go in with the mindset that my body will most likely hurt so many other places once I start hiking that I won't even notice it. But ideally, I'd like to feel 100% heading into this. I'm not even sure what the deal is with my toe... it's some red bloodvessel-esque bump preventing the nail from growing and it hurts. Weird, I know. If worse comes to worse, I can always amputate it myself out there if it gets unbearable. Ya know, Aaron Ralston-style. That's what pocket knives are for, right? Okay not funny.Keep your fingers and toes (pinky ones especially!) crossed for me to have a strong and healthy body come March 16th! My thoughts go out to everyone who is starting this coming week at Springer! Good luck! I'll read about ya in the trail registers two weeks down the road, err... trail. Peace, Love, Health, and Happy Trails,AmyPS- checked out ATC Hdqts. yesterday at Harper's Ferry. I made my family make the detour on our roadtrip to Washington DC. Was wonderful to see some white blazes... but sucked knowing it was only temporary. I'm ready for following white blazes to be my life!!!
Date: 2009-03-01
To: Pinky Toe Update!
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,As ridiculous as it seemed, I finally sucked up my pride and went into the doctor because of my "pinky toe". It doesn't exactly make me sound as hardcore as you'd expect from someone about to hike 2,178 miles. He looked at it, assumed it was some kind of staph infection caused from the nail ripping when in the field for work and due to my lack of hygiene, it got infected. He prescribed me two oral antibiotics and a topical cream. Hopefully, between the three, something will work! Oh, and I was pleasantly surprised at the coverage my health insurance (bought for my hike) provided me! It's nice to know I'm getting my money's worth, despite wishing I never had to use it... As far as the sore throat/cough goes, I think I'm on the upswing. It never actually hit me full force, and I thank Airborne for that. As much as my mother (and apparently research?) thinks that stuff is a load of crap, it has fended off/reduced what could have been full-blown sickness. How often do you have a sore throat one day that doesn't morph into something worse a day or two later??? Airborne is definitely being added to my first aid kit, although it's a bit heavy...On a non-medical related issue, guess what tomorrow is!? The day REI dividends get entered into their computer system and can get used even if it hasn't arrived in the mail yet (like mine!). Wahoo! Can you guess what's on my to-do list tomorrow? Hopefully my next entry will be written with a healthy non-infected pinky toe, and the last of my gear purchased from REI! Two weeks from today I'll be hiking the approach trail!!!Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-03-03
To: REI dividends have arrived... 
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,The day I have been waiting for finally came. The day my REI dividend arrived in the mail (I imagine it's the equivalent to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition for guys). It made me drool. Even more so when I opened it up to find out that I racked up $148! At first I was ecstatic, then I was slightly disturbed at how much of my income had to go to REI in order for it to be that high. In my defense, I have their credit card, which helped a ton! I got 5% back on all REI purchases and 1% back on everything else. And well... I will say that 20% of what I charged in 2008 was at REI. Is that bad?Then came the difficult task of walking into REI only to purchase what was on my list (the remaining thru-hike necessities) and nothing more, despite having money to burn. That new pair of Patagonia underwear is looking better and better. I would say I did a pretty good job, only spending about $30 to get my 4 L bladder and few other small odds and ends. I have no concerns about being able to spend the other $120 before December 31, 2011.And that was that. Every piece of gear I could possibly need or want for this adventure is purchased. If there was anything else, believe me, I would have bought it! Now I'm left with a feeling of emptiness. Years of research, comparing, contemplating, justifying, and buying are over (for now anyway). I'm simply ready and waiting. Sure, there are the address labels for my maildrops that need to get taped to the boxes, and the Clifbars that need to get distributed amongst my food drops, and I need to mail my tent, sleeping pad, and trekking poles down to Georgia this week (I don't want to have anything strapped to my pack when I check it at the airport), but they are all minor details. I simply feel ready. It's crazy to look at my fully packed pack and know that's it, that's all I'm gonna have for the next 6 months. Life's necessities can fit into a 4,000 cubic inch pack- who woulda thought? So, with all of this spare time I suddenly have for the next 10 days, I volunteered to talk to an all-girls middle school about my thru-hike. A friend of mine is a teacher there and suggested the idea. I could have sworn she said "class" in our initial discussions (I'm thinking 20 girls), so I am thankful that in talking to her today, she mentioned it was the entire school (150 girls). So today, I brushed up on my PowerPoint and went to work making a presentation full of facts, pictures, and answers to common questions. I'm looking forward to it and am curious as to how 12, 13, and 14 year old girls will react to learning about what I'm about to do, on my own. I will be giving them a map to track my progress and plan on sending them a few postcards along the way...On that note, I need to go get my pack together and finalize presentation details since I'm giving it tomorrow.   10 days til Georgia. How can it seem so far yet so near?Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-03-11
To: Minor Change of Plans
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,There has been a very slight change of plans regarding my start date. And by minor, I mean, like 12 hours. My good friend (who I have not seen in 6 years), John Paul, is the lucky one who gets to drop me off at the start of this grand adventure of mine. It was going to be at the base of the Approach Trail on Sunday, but he's a hotshot in the world of sports marketing, and well, apparently athletic coaches like doing business on Sundays. Since my schedule is wiiiiide open (just gotta get to Maine) until.... well, John Paul's wedding on October 3rd, actually, I told him I was more than happy to start my hike Saturday since it works better with his schedule. He was so concerned about it and felt horrible and was willing to cancel his job stuff, but I reassured him that on a 6 month journey, one night will make no difference. Besides, I've been ready to hike for weeks! This brings it one day closer! I'm simply starting the AT the day I was planning on starting the Approach trail. He will now be dropping me off Saturday evening at the summit of Springer Mt. and I'll start the AT on Sunday. He was nervous I'd be upset about not hiking the Approach. Darn, JP, I'm really upset I can't hike those extra 8.8 uphill miles just for fun to get to the start of the AT...... as if I won't have any other uphills to climb the next 6 months (or the next day).So, that is the newest scoop! It's only a one night difference, but for some reason my heart is racing. In this case, that's a good thing. Excitement is setting in. I hope I can sleep tonight! I'll try to get one more entry in before flying to Atlanta Friday morning, but if not, I'll definitely get one more posted before we take off Saturday afternoon! EEEEK!It's so real now.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-03-12
To: Georgia... TOMORROW!?!?!
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,Holy crap. It's almost here. My mind is racing. My emotions are all over the place. I'm trying to remain in the present but my thoughts are 48 hours ahead of me. I couldn't sleep last night after bumping my start date up to Saturday. Who knew one day could make such a difference, mentally?I wanted to go to yoga but I figured it was a lost cause. My ability to focus is non-existent, which correlates directly to my ability to balance (which is already sub-par). Yes, yoga - which involves lying still , holding ridiculous postures, and focusing on nothing but yoga, was definitely not going to be happening today. I've got other things on my mind besides "how in the world is my forehead supposed to touch my toes!?"I've gotten a few wonderful good luck charms from people, which are all very meaningful and special to me. And luckily they are very little and lightweight.My pack is packed and sitting my the door. What I decided to do about my pack at the airport is a combination of checking and carry-on. I didn't want to part with my pack or sleeping bag. The pack has a mesh airscape back that I was afraid could get ripped or torn if not handled with care. And the sleeping bag, well, it's just the nicest piece of equipment I own. So, I bought a cheap, used duffel for $1 and I put the rest of my pack contents in it to check. Primarily, my food, first aid kit, hygiene stuff, and anything else I thought could be at all questionable going through security as a carry-on. Since I'm currently in Michigan and its FREEZING here, I will be wearing most of my clothes tomorrow. I'll throw the duffel away once getting to Atlanta. My pack, with only my sleeping bag and a few other odds and ends should be small enough to carry on.My room is more or less spotless- ready to be vacant for 6 months. All gear/clothing that I could possibly want sent to me is in a box in the basement. I sent myself my first maildrop today. I'll get it in Hiawassee. It's weird writing yourself a letter to receive in the future, and then taking it to the post office to mail. I felt like I was doing some funky time travel. Oh, and I have taught my mom how to upload photos to my TJ account, so when they receive my first memory card in the mail, she'll post 'em on here. Also, I showed her how to write an entry so that if I am able to talk to her but unable to get internet access, she can post an update as to my whereabouts and how I'm doing. But if you don't hear from me for awhile, just assuming I'm kicking some serious AT ass. Thanks to everyone who has emailed me or written kind messages in my guestbook wishing me well! I will try to get a final entry posted before hitting the trail Saturday afternoon. Keep fingers and toes crossed for my safe and uneventful flight to Georgia!Lots of A.T. Love (and of course, happy trails),Amy
Date: 2009-03-13
To: GA/ME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,My final night pre-AT. My final "preparation" entry. Wasn't it just yesterday I was writing my first entry, excited about how my thru-hike was 11 months away?Todays travels to Atlanta went very smoothly, thankfully! My luggage arrived timely and in one piece, and my pack carried on without a problem. The only casualty of the day was a GU packet that exploded in my food bag. YUCK. At least I discovered it tonight at my friends place rather than on the trail. It was a mess to clean up but at least I had access to a bathtub!We just finished eating a yummy dinner, and now it's time for me to do a final pack job. I'm exhausted... It's been an emotionally draining day, not to mention I didn't get much sleep last night. Keep your fingers crossed for nice weather! It's supposed to rain all day Sunday, but that is supposedly followed by days of sunshine and temps in the 60's. That's a trade-off I'm willing to make!Thanks again for following along. Let the journey begin! I'm ready as I'll ever be. Looking forward to meeting a bunch of my fellow thru-hikers tomorrow on Springer! Maybe I'll have been given a trail name by my next entry! Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Blueberry Patch, Hiawassee, GA

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Dear readers,Sorry for the lack of entries. This will be short b/c I¢m on a friend¢scell phone. Life is great. The first three days was raaaainy! Butsince Tuesday it¢s been nothing but sunshine and sixties. Feet are ingreat shape and body hasn¢t been sore. My only qualm is a twisted anklethat hopefully won¢t hinder me too much. For those curious, I haven¢tnoticed my pinky toe at all! A pleasant surprise, for sure.At the Blueberry Patch tonight. After a 16 mile day yesterday, today¢snear zero day was much needed. Gary and Lennie have been fabuloushosts. Tomorrow I cross my first state line. Wahoo! 1 down, 13 statesto go. I¢ve been hiking with Nevena and we¢ve been having a great time.Lots of laughter. I¢ll keep you posted on my trail name when I settleon one. Many have been thrown around. I¢ll write in more detail when Iget to a real computer. Won¢t be for at least a week tho. Sit tight tillthen. Next stop... NOC!Happy trails, Amyps. Bill Bryson did not lie or exaggerate the rodent issues in shelters.
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Carter Gap Shelter, Franklin, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Amy is looking forward to crossing her 100 mile boundary sometime tomorrow, after having crossed from GA into NC yesterday. She is braving the shelter floor for sleeping tonight....gotta conquer those critter fears sometime. Trail name is still undecided, although fellow hikers who have learned of her Sagewalk adventures are promoting a certain kind of bag as a name.....hopefully something more to her liking will soon surface! This update comes from Amy's mom after her telephone call tonight.