morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-30
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter.

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

Last night I learned there would likely be another trail angel at Blackhorse Gap about 5 miles down the trail. Checked the guide...easy day with the exception of a 1700 foot climb over the final 3.5 miles. Again, a beautiful day, but pretty cool when I awoke. I had not acticipated it would get quite this cold so I didn't put on "sleep socks"...big mistake. Had to shove a fleece pullover into the foot of the sleeping bag in the middle of the night to wrap my feet in. As predicted, I encountered a white van at Blackhorse Gap providing "tail support." The van's owner, Gordon, offered me a cold root beer.(AHH) He and I sat chatting for 15 - 20 minutes on two folding chairs he had set out. He is disabled and for the last 4 years has been traveling the country providing "trail support" along several of the national scenic trails. Back in the day he had provided trail support for his blind diabetic sister. She eventually had a successful transplant and went on to hike sections of the Continental Divide Trail with a hiking partner and guide dog. Quite an inspiration. Gordon thanked me as I was leaving for allowing him to be part of my hike...it's unlikely I will forget Gordon.Quick stop for a snack at Wilson Creek Shelter where there were 2 groups totaling 8 hikers heading north. I sat next to a guy who is currently living in Florida but maintains a P O Box in Glen, NH where my P O Box is...what're the odds?After a long climb to Fullhardt Knob Shelter, I met Padre, who had arrived earlier. Padre is a pastor of a small church in Leadville, Colorado. He is on a 60-day sabbatical to continue hiking the AT. He hiked about 700 miles from Springer in 2001. He plans to complete another 700 miles this trip...and finish the trail on his next sabbatical in 2021 when he is 70...go Padre.Had a very relaxing evening with just the two of us in residence. Only 5 miles tomorrow into Daleville and an overnight at the posh HOJO Express.
Date: 2011-05-01
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Cool again this morning but I slept well with my trusted sleep socks. Took my time getting packed up...had a second cup of coffee. Poked around just long enough for the fog to come in with some light rain. On with the rain gear and headed for town. Pleasant hike through the woods and fields. Called Laura to see how her weekend in Las Vegas had gone. She had a wonderful time with Lori, Di, Carmen and Nancy. We compared notes on Vegas vs. Daleville...Vegas wins by a nose.I arrived in Daleville around 1:00. The trail drops off next to a Pizza Hut and the Pizza Hut was directly across from HOJO's...I bet you can see where this is going. I went into Pizza Hut, pack and all, and ordered a medium Alfredo Chicken Supreme hand-tossed pizza. Ran across and checked in at HOJOs, ran back to get my pizza and devoured it in 15 minutes while watching basketball. Was it yummy!!Took a loooooong hot shower and headed for the outfitters and grocery store. UGH...the outfitters is closed on Sunday and I need fuel for my stove. They re-open tomorrow at 10:00. Did some shopping at Kroger's where I picked up what I need for two days to get me to Catawba for my next mail drop. Rushed back to the hotel to watch the Celtics. Oh yeah, I added a bag of chips and 2 24 oz beers to the groceries...a televised sporting event without beer and chips...not a chance. Had an uneventful dinner and talked with Bob. He provided a pretty good forecast for the next week. Spoke with a local guy who provides shuttles in the hope I could do a short slack pack tomorrow, however there doesn't appear to be anything shorter than 17 miles. Still need to go to the outfitters. I may take a zero for some R&R and catch up on the journal. I'll get a good night's sleep and sort it out in the morning over the sumptuous HOJO full breakfast...anything that doesn't involve me needing to boil water will definitely be sumptuous.
Date: 2011-05-02
From: Daleville, VA

To: Zero
Miles today: 0.0

Awoke at 6:30 and reset the alarm for 8:00...how decadent. Had a late breakfast and headed to the outfitters. Arrived before they opened and went next door to a Starbucks knockoff. Read some of the paper and worked on the journal until 12:30. Picked up what I needed at the outfitters and headed back to HOJOs with a Dr. Pepper and some sushi from Kroger...pretty good lunch. Logged onto Trail Journals and brought the journal up to date. Began organizing my food and gear for the next couple of days. I plan on an early breakfast and then back of the trail. Had I nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant across the street and back to the hotel with some milk and cookies while I finished packing up. Weather looks pretty good over the next few days.I have been having a foot problem for the last couple of days. Appears I have a small infection on a toe and it is fairly uncomfortable. Before leaving NH my PCP gave me an Rx for Cipro. I started taking it this evening and hope to get some relief over the next couple of days.PS Like all of you, I awoke to the news Bin Laden had been killed. My initial reaction was probably quite similar to yours...great news; it's about time. That lasted only a moment before I had a terrible feeling of sadness for all those who were killed almost ten years ago. I saw the destruction and human devastation personally in NYC...what a tragic and senseless waste.
Date: 2011-05-03
From: Daleville, VA

To: Lambert Meadows Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

As with all town stops, the first miles are always a climb. It felt good to be back on the trail and to get the road noise behind me. A warm breezy day made for good hiking. Arrived at the shelter at 2:15. Typically, I would have continued hiking but the forecast was for some wet weather this evening and I wanted to ensure a spot in a dry shelter. I will pick up my next mail drop in Catawba, VA in two days. Looks like I may be able to eat at The Homestead...an AT institution...I'll keep you posted.Laura checked with our PCP regarding Cipro for a foot infection. Using Cipro was confirmed so hopefully this will be resolved in short order. Laura is also doing some research about orthopedists in Pearisburg. Time for a lube job...aka cortisone.
Date: 2011-05-04
From: Lambert Meadows Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night we had moderate rain and rolling thunder. The forecast had called for something a bit more serious which resulted in a pretty "intimate" evening...10 hikers and 2 dogs in a shelter for 6. This time I was lucky and was at the opposite side of the shelter from a leaky roof. I remained dry. The rolling thunder reminded me of an AT section hike Laura and I did years ago in NH. We made it into a shelter along the Dartmouth Ski Way in the mid-afternoon just before it started pouring and enjoyed a great nap while it thundered in the distance.Before leaving Lambert's Meadow Shelter I connected with Laura to get up to speed on some research she had done on my behalf. I'll take a zero tomorrow and head into Roanoke to Carilion Urgent Care hopefully for a cortisone injection for my right knee as well as some treatment for an infected toe. Need to get these resolved since the associated pain is adversely impacting the rate at which I hike, which, in turn, translates into longer days and more pain...vicious cycle.On today's agenda were Tinker's Cliff and McAfee Knob. After last night's rain, it was cool and clear with wonderful views. When I got up on McAfee Knob I realized if I picked up my pace I could avoid stopping at a shelter and make it into Catawba for my mail drop and stay at Four Pines Hostel. This would be my longest day yet, 16.4 miles.I picked up my resupply at 4:45 and successfully hitched to the hostel. I was the first in around 6:00. Four Pines has a bit of a reputation. It had been closed for a couple of years but re-openned on 4/21. It is a multi-bay garage with a few cots, an area with a couple of hot plates, toaster over, microwave and fridge. Most importantly, there is a bathroom and shower! There are also a couple of resident cats and an occassional chicken or two. Took a quick shower and fixed something to eat...wish I had grabbed a cold beer in Catawba at the samll convenience store when I was packing the resupply into my pack...oh well.Shared our Pines with three NOBOs...pretty quiet night.
Date: 2011-05-05
From: Zero Day

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Laura had identified a cab company that would pick me up and take me to Roanoke. It was a beautiful day for hiking but I was off to Urgent Care. After the requisite patient registrtion, triage nurse and waiting room, I met with an MD. He wasn't "comfortable" with giving me a cortisone injection. He preferred rest and a strong anti-inflammatory. I interpreted his discomfort with cortisone as a skills deficit...in that case, it made sense. For cortisone to be effective it needs to be injected properly.My toe was a different issue. He told me I had celulitis. I needed a different antibiotic. Most discouraging, however, was his "very strong recommendation" that I not hike for 7-10 days until the infection had completely passed. Without proper treatment, which would be impossible on the trail (multiple bandage changes and warm water foot bath daily), it could / would become "more serious." I needed some magic...and none was to be had. As I waited for the nurse to bandage my toe I had two choices...return to Four Pines and ride it out or return to Four Pines, pack up my gear and return to NH. I'm going to leave the trail and head home. Surprisingly, it wasn't a difficult decision but it was disheartening. I have really been enjoying the trail. I had just begun to meet increasing numbers of NOBOs who I had hoped to meet again in Maine and New Hampshire. We had all been on the trail long enough to exchange stories, advice and recommendations. I will miss the trail.I called Laura and told her I would be returning home. She was wonderfully supportive and really understood my mixed emotions about leaving the trail. I'll be returning home via Amtrak with an overnight in Rhode Island. My sister, Marilyn, will pick me up in Providence and give me a lift to my sister Susan's place in Lincoln. I'll crash there Friday night while Susan and Joe are in Florida. Laura will arrive late Friday and I'll be back in New Hampshire on Saturday.
Date: 2011-05-06
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Up early to get to the train station. I repacked my bag last night and got everything in including by boots!It's a beautiful clear and cool morning in Lynchburg. I arrived at the station a good 45 minutes before my 7:30 departure. After getting my ticket I went outside to wait. I started thinking about the routine...getting out of a warm sleeping bag and startng the stove to boil water for oatmeal and coffee. I was becoming a bit nostalgic. While I never became an oatmeal afficianado...it does have its place. I can't wait until I'm eating oatmeal again...it means I will again be back of the trail.I spoke with Boppa last night and he was disappointed for me as well. The bright side is we discussed doing a section hike in Maine this summer and, if that goes well, I hope to return to Virginia in the early fall to finish the 230+ miles needed to complete the AT in Virginia. I can't wait. I have more than enough time to get a lube job and get this infection completely in the rearview mirror. Looks like I will be a section hiker...need to start thinking about what will be on the 2012 agenda...It has been a wonderful journey and I wouldn't change a thing except for the premature ending. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and support. While I had limited access to the journal from the trail, Laura was an outstanding conduit. Again...thanks.PS. Just a word about a resource that can go unrecognized and underappreciated...the fraternity of dedicated "professional" trail angels who provde shuttling services. This is a truly amazing group. I have mentioned them briefly...there is Lyle in Wayneboro, Ken in Glasgow and, most recently, Del in Daleville. With short notice these folks will pick you up and shuttle you where you need to go...trailheads, hostels, hotels, groceries, outfitters, medical visits, etc. They are also a vast reservoir of advice and recommendations. Lyle got me to two different trailheads in the Rockfish Gap area affording me an extra night in town. Ken not only got me into Glasgow from the traihead, he checked in with me while I was running errands to see when I would be ready to head back to the trail. When I made the decision to leave the trail and return home, I called Del. He picked me up in Roanoke, took me out to Four Pines to pack up my gear, stopped in Daleville to fill prescriptions ad deposited me at the Quality Inn in Lynchburg just a 5-mnute cab ride to the Amtrak station. I am very appreciative of their help and support. I look forward to meeting more members of this fraternity when I return to the trail.
From: Front Royal

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0

Post for May 27-29Start. Front RoyalDestination. Front RoyalMiles. 0.0Title. Front Royal Fun Three days to spend with Denise and Mary Ann--it has been so wonderful! I asked Denise to bring some clothes from home for me to wear, so I really felt like a vacationer and not a thruhiker for the weekend. Of course, eating was a central activity. Having a hot fudge sundae every day is pretty wonderful. We took advantage of having a car and drove to different towns. We went to the Luray Caverns and Garden Maze in Luray, and we went to a Civil War Calvary re-enactment in Middletown. We drove to Harpers Ferry to go to the outfitter, where I go a much-needed lighter summer sleeping bag--and where we ended up drinking beer with some other thruhikers, thus giving Denise and Mary Ann a taste of one aspect of thruhiker life!Tomorrow they will drop us off on the trail on their way back to the airport and home. The weather is hot, the elevations are lower and it feels like we are moving into another phase of the hike. Fortified by food, rest and, most importantly, connection with our partners, we are ready to move on.
From: Front Royal VA

To: Front Royal VA
Miles today: 0.0

Front Royal Fun Three days to spend with Denise and Mary Ann--it has been so wonderful! I asked Denise to bring some clothes from home for me to wear, so I really felt like a vacationer and not a thruhiker for the weekend. Of course, eating was a central activity. Having a hot fudge sundae every day is pretty wonderful. We took advantage of having a car and drove to different towns. We went to the Luray Caverns and Garden Maze in Luray, and we went to a Civil War Calvary re-enactment in Middletown. We drove to Harpers Ferry to go to the outfitter, where I go a much-needed lighter summer sleeping bag--and where we ended up drinking beer with some other thruhikers, thus giving Denise and Mary Ann a taste of one aspect of thruhiker life!Tomorrow they will drop us off on the trail on their way back to the airport and home. The weather is hot, the elevations are lower and it feels like we are moving into another phase of the hike. Fortified by food, rest and, most importantly, connection with our partners, we are ready to move on.
From: Front Royal

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0

Front Royal Fun Three days to spend with Denise and Mary Ann--it has been so wonderful! I asked Denise to bring some clothes from home for me to wear, so I really felt like a vacationer and not a thruhiker for the weekend. Of course, eating was a central activity. Having a hot fudge sundae every day is pretty wonderful. We took advantage of having a car and drove to different towns. We went to the Luray Caverns and Garden Maze in Luray, and we went to a Civil War Calvary re-enactment in Middletown. We drove to Harpers Ferry to go to the outfitter, where I go a much-needed lighter summer sleeping bag--and where we ended up drinking beer with some other thruhikers, thus giving Denise and Mary Ann a taste of one aspect of thruhiker life!Tomorrow they will drop us off on the trail on their way back to the airport and home. The weather is hot, the elevations are lower and it feels like we are moving into another phase of the hike. Fortified by food, rest and, most importantly, connection with our partners, we are ready to move on.
Date: 2011-02-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I just got back from EMS, where I bought the last of the gear I am planning to take on the Trail. I feel like I am living in this somewhat suspended state, in which I am partly already on the Trail yet still at home living my regular life. I have been thinking about hiking the AT for over 40 years and first thought about 2011 as a possible date to go at least 6 years ago.I am so lucky--I have a seven month leave of absence from my job, as does my hiking partner, Karen (neither of us have trail names yet). I have an amazingly supportive wife who will take care of the home front and, most importantly, our dogs, while I am gone, as well as a group of friends who will do anything I need.I also have my first Trail Angel. Harry is a donor to the non-profit where I work and lives in Atlanta. He has generously offered to pick me and Karen up at the Atlanta airport and take us to the Hiker Hostel where we will spend the night on March 13--before starting the Trail on March 14. I can't believe it is almost time.
Date: 2011-02-21
To: The dogs stay home
Miles today: 0.0

I will miss my dogs, Bishop (poodle) and Strider (border collie) so much--especially Strider, who has been my heart dog for the last 5 1/2 years. I was never a dog person. My wife came to our relationship with two Jack Russell terriers. I became fond of them (she would say I learned to tolerate them), but it wasn't until Strider entered our lives as an 8 week old puppy that I understood the power of dog love. I fell head over heels in love with that dog.He is a fabulous guy and goes on all of my day hikes with me. I have worked hard with him on trail etiquette--when he sees someone coming, his job is to come to my side and sit down. But he also has some border collie anxieties--if he hears thunder, no matter how distant, he sits down and gives me his most pathetic look. He is clearly communicating it is time to turn around and go home.I thought a lot about whether to take him on this hike, and then I read a post in White Blaze that said, if you take your dog, you need to be prepared to hike his/her hike...not yours. That seemed so true to me and, having spent so many years dreaming of this day, I know I want to be able to hike my hike.So Strider and Bishop will stay home with Denise. And I will have to get and give my dog love with those I meet on the Trail.
Date: 2011-02-27
To: As prepared as ...
Miles today: 0.0

In some ways I think I am well prepared for the Trail, and in other ways--not at all. Physically, I am in excellent shape. I've been a runner almost my entire adult life and run five miles five times a week. I play basketball once a week and go to power yoga three to four times a week. I do abdominal, back-strengthening and upper body weight exercises regularly. Until this December, I had a second home in New Hampshire's White Mountains and spent vacations and many weekends hiking in the mountains. I have a lot of stamina.And yet, although I did a lot of backpacking in my 20's and 30's, I have done almost none since my son was born in 1986. I had hopes of doing some backpacking trips this fall to prepare, but life got in the way and it didn't happen. So, for the last few weeks, I've been carrying my pack when I go out with the dogs to the local conservation area. The pack feels good--and I am so impressed with how much lighter equipment has gotten since the olden days when I was backpacking. But an hour or so in the woods is hardly the same as days spent going up and down mountains. I have been working on my mental preparation--reading books and trail journals and spending a lot of time on Whiteblaze.net. I think I know a lot about the Trail and what to expect. For the past couple of years, every time it rains, I put on my rain gear with enthusiasm, go out walking with the dogs, and tell myself I am training for the Appalachian Trail. I know I will be, at various times, wet, cold, tired, hungry, sore, homesick, bug-bitten and miserable. I am also expecting (hoping?) that I will experience the deep joy that comes from being in the mountains and the woods and having so much time with one's self.I leave for Atlanta in two weeks. And I guess I am as prepared as I am going to be.
Date: 2011-03-03
To: My hiking partner
Miles today: 0.0

I believe I met Karen in 1978 (at least that's close enough). There was a small group of us that was putting together a team to play recreation league basketball, and Karen was interested in playing. That was the start of a journey that has led to us leaving in 10 days to hike the Appalachian Trail.In one context or another, Karen and I have been playing basketball together for most of the last 30+ years. I worked for a number of years at the same hospital she works at--and everything I know about troubleshooting equipment, I learned from her...including the incredibly useful tip--is it plugged in?For the last ten years, we have traveled together, with other basketball buddies, to the NCAA Women's Final Four basketball championships. It was on one of those trips that we started talking about hiking the AT and how much we both wanted to do it some day. And 6 or 7 years ago, as we were talking about the AT during that year's Final Four trip, we lit on 2011 as a good year to make the attempt. Karen would be nearing 60 and I'd be turning 62, so we didn't want to wait much longer. It gave us a lot of time to start saving money. And we thought we would likely be ready to leave our jobs if we needed to.At that point, it was mostly just a dream. But we kept talking about it. It started to move from a dream to a goal--even after I changed jobs and started working at an organization I was not so interested in leaving. Then, perhaps a bit to our surprise, it moved from a goal to a plan. Now, in just over a week, it will not longer be a plan, but a reality.I feel so lucky to be sharing this reality with Karen. I think we'll make a good team.
Date: 2011-03-08
To: There is nothing like a team!
Miles today: 0.0

I was not at all athletic growing up. My older sister was quite the athlete, and I tagged after her, awkward and uncoordinated. Starting college in Cambridge, MA in 1967, I couldn't help but be exposed to the Women's Liberation Movement. It changed my life in many ways, but especially in how I viewed physical activity.It's not that I suddenly became coordinated. It's that I learned that I liked using my body, no matter how awkwardly. I started taking Tae Kwon Do, and martial arts became an incredibly important part of my life. I started running in 1973 and have never stopped. And, in the mid '70's, I started playing recreational league basketball. I'm old enough that I first played basketball in high school under the old women's rules--no more than 3 dribbles and players were either permanent offense or permanent defense--no crossing the center line. I was permanent defense, so I've never been that good at shooting, but I love to play the game. After playing rec league ball for years and years, in 1990 some friends decided to pull a group of basketball loving women together to rent gym time and have a regular place to play.That was the birth of what we now call the Hot Flashes, a group of women, some of us long past the hot flash stage, who have been playing together for over 20 years. Some women have left and new ones have joined, but the spirit remains consistent. We play because it's fun and we love the game. Then we go out to eat, because that's fun and we love to talk about our lives.I'll miss those basketball gals when I'm gone, but know there will be a place for me under the basket upon my return.