morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-22
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm playing around with the ins and outs of using this journal. I've enlisted my techie son, Adam, to help me. Thanks, Adam! I've sent an email to quite a few people here in Atlanta who might be interested in receiving my hike updates. I'm getting a great reception! It will be fun hiking, knowing so many friends are waiting to hear about my adventure!   Thanks, everyone!Time to stop fretting and know that the trip will unfold with ease! Tomorrow, my husband, John and I will go to Georgia Section 5.3 and chop weeds. My clubmates have happily agreed to take care of my section while I'm hiking. Thanks, Lawson!mssnglnk
Date: 2007-06-23
To: Mt. Katahdin - in my dreams!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

With John's help, I'll be ready to head out the door TOMORROW at noon! I'll drive to the Atlanta MARTA and take the train to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. My flight takes me to Portland, Maine where I'll be picked up by Tom, husband of Mrs. Pinky who we met on a section hike at the foot of Blood Mtn. in March. She invited me to stay with them on my way! Mrs. Pinky will take me to the Portland bus station. I'll catch the bus to Bangor, then another one to Medway. The fine folks at Appalachian Trail Lodge will pick me up, put me up, then take me to Baxter State Park for my first sight of Mt. Katahdin. Thursday, I'll summit the mountain, then start southbound on Friday. It's the third anniversary of my Dad's passing. I've already enlisted him to help me carry my pack - "I'm counting on you Dad to remind me to step lightly and happily!"I'll probably not post anything until July 7 or so because the first leg of the trip is the HUNDRED MILE WILDERNESS! 8 - 10 days in northern beauty (well, with its associated "beasts") I'll let you know how it goes!
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Mt. Katahdin - in my dreams!

To: West Carry Pond lean-to
Miles today: 165.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Posted by John ReiterMssnglnk got to the summit of Mount Katahdin on June 27. She has since hiked the Hundred-Mile wilderness, taking advantage of the long daylight hours to hike as much as 19.6 miles in a day. She has found genial hiking companions and is enjoying her home-prepared raw-food diet. One of the highlights of the trip so far was Wilson Falls, a dramatic geologic formation of tilted shale. For the first couple weeks of her trip at least, she has managed to go DEET-free.
Date: 2007-07-13
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Horns Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

I had a fabulous, awesome birthday today, starting with a beautiful sunrise over West Carry Pond (the lakes are called "ponds" here). I took pictures of some 18 inch tall Jack-in-the Pulpit and was visited by a black-throated blue warbler as I sat snacking on a mossy rock.I hiked most of the day alone, stopping on the peak of Little Bigelow Mountain.The trail led up an 1800 foot climb to the summit of Avery Peak, one of Maine's highest at 4,037feet. After two hours of stepping up rocks (in Maine, the trails go straight up and straight down!) I was within sight of the summit when a wind blew up. Within minutes, the summit was concealed with clouds and the wind was whipping! I thought my poncho would blow away as I pulled it out of my pack!Realizing it would not be safe to summit in the wind, I hunkered down and waited. In the next hour, I saw a fantastic sky show! The clouds swirled on my left, jumping up and over the ridge. The sun beamed on my right! I thoroughly enjoyed the show and rose to start up the peak when the sun came out aboiut 50 minutes later. There was one more treat in store for me, though. I turned and looked back down the ridge and saw a COMPLETE rainbow arching over the ridgeline! Since no one else was up there, I decide that it was my own personal, birthday rainbow!Soon, David, another south bound hiker I've been meeting at the lean-tos in the evenings, came along. We summited together, holding tight to the rocks in the wind. Then, we climbed down three more miles to Horns Pond Lean-to. A surprise birthday feast developed when a local hiker who had brought his new wife up to camp at the lean-to offered us some fresh caught brook trout! David took care of the cleaning, having worked at a fish market in his past. Together with some of my rehydrated vegies, the fish was superb! This section from Monson to Stratton has been a combination of some of the easiest and hardest hiking. We skirted several ponds and traversed the Bigelow Mountains - 4 peaks above 4000 feet. I hiked several long mileage days, several over 16 miles. My body is doing great and I'm so happy I can hike as long as I want!I've thoroughly enjoyed the company of three southbounders. Although we're all hiking our own hikes, we have ended up at the same shelters at night. In addition, for a few days, I've hiked along with a guy named John who is also a middle child in a large family. We have some things in common! It's fun to share wildlife and plant sitings with someone. We hike for a while together then drift apart and hike alone. The hard part about meeting people, though, is that we do go ahead or drop behind, following our own paces and needs. So, I'm still adjusting to the pattern of meeting people for a short time, then watching them hike off into the distance. The trail journals help to keep up with hikers ahead of me.I"ve now hiked about 187 miles of the trail from Katahdin and am anxious to get back out!!!
Date: 2007-07-14
From: Horns Pond Lean-to

To: Stratton,Maine
Miles today: 5.1

Today, I got up at a "leisurely" pace and left the lean-to at 7 a.m. and hiked the five miles into Stratton to pick up my maildrop at the Stratton Motel. Part of the motel is a big room with a bunk room upstairs for hikers. From here, I'll continue on a section to Andover, Maine, crossing the Saddleback Range which includes a couple of peaks above tree line.On about the third day of the section, I'll take a break in Rangeley, Maine to go get a MASSAGE, arranged by my sister. Thanks!!I enjoyed a short and staticky phone call with my family who are having a reunion at Woodland Altars in Southern Ohio! They all sang 'Happy Birthday" to me! I miss being there, but hiking sure is a good "second best"!
Date: 2007-08-01
From: Andover, ME/ South Arm Road

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 116.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Posted by John ReiterRegina has completed her hike through the Presidential Range and now section-hiked over 1,000 miles on this wondrous trail. Her next milestone is the halfway mark. She will be stopping in Hanover, N. H., in a few days to assess future food drops and itinerary.
Date: 2007-08-08
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 69.1
Weather: few clouds

I've arrived in Hanover, NH! The White Mountains and Maine are behind me. I miss the rocks, the climbs, the mountaintop views, and hiking above treeline! What a difference in the terrain once we passed Glenclif, NH!   I've been hiking pretty consistently with a group of 6 other southbounders which makes the days interesting. Lots of laughter and sharing the beauty we see every day.Yesterday, hiking from Hexacuba Shelter to Hanover, we had our first rain in over a week. Just when the rain started, I arrived at a shelter that used to be a fire warden's cabin. It was cozy and dry. Shortly after, other southbounders started arriving. As the rain poured, we had a fine time together, singing Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens, waltzing, and playing a game of "I'm going on a backpack trip and in my pack I'm taking...... we named outrageous things for all 26 letters! What fun. The rain let up and we all continued. This was one of my favorite days hiking because I got to hike along with each of my southbound friends one by one.It's hard to exlain how much I loved hiking in the high mountains of NH! I hadn't realized how magnificent they were until we left them. Sure, the hike was consistently rocky and steep, but so beautiful with magnificent views!I'm taking some great pictures but having challenges getting them on this site! Thanks, Simon for adding some pictures for me. I'll try to get them labeled.Having a fantastic time, loving the time in nature, and making friends on the trail! The next section, from Hanover to Dalton, MA should prove pleasant, with more towns. I should also be able to get phone coverage more often and keep in touch better. Mssnglnk
Date: 2007-08-13
From: Hanover, NH

To: Kent Pond, VT
Miles today: 42.1

Since Hanover, I've been hiking with "John". Unfortunately, he's not my husband, John, but has been a fine companion. He's encouraging me to lighten my pack, which is now down to 22 - 25 pounds. In Hanover, he loaned me a smaller, lighter pack which he had been using to send gear ahead. We switched my bigger pack for that one. In Hanover, I met my cousin-in-law, Jamie Wheeler who took me to lunch and to the local Eastern Mountain Sports and L.L. Bean stores. I now have a new hat and water filter cartridge! (Pumping water is so much easier now!) We got behind our other southbound friends because we spent an extra half day in Hanover, then took our time in the next 35 miles. So, Cat, Timber, Tumbleweed, Jack, and Woody, we'll catch up with you sometime!! Two nights were spent sleeping in open fields with 360 degree views of the sky during the Perseid Meteor Shower peak. We saw a few beautiful, long streaming meteors - and tons of stars!! I'm writing at Mountain Meadows Lodge, a fine B & B near Killington, VT. It's great for hikers because it's just 200 yards off the AT and serves a good lunch! The owner even drove me to the nearby P.O. to pick up a maildrop package - more food! Also, here at the desk was a small package containing the first of the fantastic raw food bars that my family and friends are sending me. What a treat! Thanks for the love and support, everyone.Vermont continues to unfold in beauty and diversity. I marvel every day at how many combinations of trees, plants, and rocks there can be. One moment, we're hiking through beech, maple forest, then twenty minutes later it's hemlock or white pine. We even walked through a beech-spruce forest at a higher elevation! Some forests are dark, soft and shady, others are open and bright. I noticed at one point that the forest lacked logs and dead trees, indicating that it has only recently grown up from a field, so no old growth trees have fallen yet. It looked more like a park than a forest!I've been seeing huge Solomon's Seal and lots of Trillium seed pods. The herbaceous plants are becoming more of the lower elevation types in contrast to those of Maine and New Hampshire. I'm starting to recognize more of my own familiar "plant friends" which is always fun. "Stop!" I say, "I haven't seen THIS plant yet."The berries have been plentiful along the trail. Raspberries, blackberries, a few blueberries are common treats which we gladly munch on.Tomorrow, the AT will join with the "Long Trail" which runs the entire length of Vermont. 'Til now, we've been walking basically southwest, but will take a direct southerly turn through the rest of Vermont.Every day I am grateful for getting to take this hike - spending every day outside, meeting people, and enjoying the exquisite, marvelous beauty of Nature from soil, rocks, and water to vegetation, sky, and weather. I am so blessed!!!Mssnglnk
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Kent Pond, VT

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 135.6
Weather: haze

I've reached Dalton, MA and things have changed a lot in both terrain, temperature,and social life. The terrain is more rolling as I got into MA. The trail goes through little towns which all have restaurants, stores, etc. so it's easy to get lured into the town life - and not hike! I spent one night in North Adams, MA in a Howard Johnson's motel! MMMM! A bed with cotton sheets felt great!The weather has turned hot! I have to be careful to drink plenty of water! The streams and springs, however, are few and far between, so I have to carry my water in greater amounts.The biggest change for me, though, is that John, who I've been hiking with for the last 500 miles decided to go ahead and hike alone. So, for the first time on my trip, I'm really solo hiking. I haven't yet worked through all the ramifications of that, but noticed today how quiet the woods is! I miss his company, but certainly respect our need to "hike our own hike". And who knows, maybe we'll meet up again, or someone will come up from behind. It's still beautiful out here on the trail and I am open to what comes along for me. I've now hiked over 620 miles from Mt,. Katahdin, and 1300 overall on the trail with all my trips combined! That feels great!
Date: 2007-10-06
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Smithsburg, MD
Miles today: 92.7

We've hiked into Maryland! Last night, John and I stayed at a new hostel, The Free State Hiker Hostel, just .3 mile from the Trail. It's a beautiful home hosted by a 2006 thru hiker and his family.But! The trailjournals server has been down and now it's time to go hiking again, so I'll write more in a couple of days when we get to another hostel in Harper's Ferry!I love my trip and the Trail!
Date: 2007-10-08
From: Smithsburg, MD

To: Harper's Ferry, WVa
Miles today: 31.0

We arrived in Harper's Ferry today! This is the location of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy National Office. Thru hikers get their pictures taken here, then get "officially" noted when they complete the trail. It's been hot this week, not feeling much like fall.The trail followed the C & O Canal towpath for a few miles before crossing the bridge over the Potomac River into Harper's Ferry. The Potomac looked beatiful and refreshing!Since leaving Smithsburg a few days ago, the trail took us across Interstate 70. I felt a little tingle on the footbridge crossing the interstate because I've DRIVEN under it many times when we lived in Arlington, VA.   This was my first time going OVER the road. What a thrill!We hiked through Greenbrier State Park, then over South Mountain, a significant Civil War area. The trail took on a "historic tour" feel to it as we walked through several monument parks, including the first Washington Monument and several placards describing the battles of South Mountain in 1862.A highlight of the week was to meet Art and Bonnie, old friends from Gaithersburg, MD and their daughter, Lara, at the Old South Mountain Inn. The Trail crossed Rt. 40a very close to the Inn where we all enjoyed a delicious brunch on Sunday, Oct. 7. What fun to visit with them again for the first time in about 12 years when Lara was 5 or so!Next, we'll be heading into Shenandoah National Park, where we've been assured that everyone sees a bear. Not having seen one in any of the other states where bears are supposedly frequent, I'm hoping for a sighting in Virginia.With Maryland behind, it's time for the long and beautiful stretch through Virginia!
Date: 2007-10-11
From: Harper's Ferry, WVa

To: Bear's Den Hostel, VA
Miles today: 20.3

I want to tell you about an interesting side trip Hiker John and I made this week. We hiked off the Trail for a mile at mile 1170 from Katahdin to the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship and the Mountain View Farm. We had seen a flyer at the Ed Garvey Shelter north of Harper's Ferry that invited hikers to camp at the farm and work for stay.It turned out to be a lovely place and a wonderful overnight stay! We met Ginny, this year's intern, and Shawna, one of two farmers. Ginny shared leftover rice casserole that we fancied up with fresh veggies and eggs. Yum!!!In the afternoon, we helped Ginny catch grasshoppers! She wanted to fix them up for the evening's potluck, a weekly gathering for farmers from the many local organic farms. What fun that was! Poor grasshoppers, though.Later, we took a ride with her and Travis, from Potomac Vegetable Farms, into Leesburg, VA. Travis told about his job interview teaching bike repair for a very interesting organization in D.C. It turned out that it's Bikes for the World, directed by Keith Oberg, a cousin of mine! Small world! We shopped at the grocery store in Leesburg and got stuck in rush hour traffic on the way out. Boy! Am I glad I'm out on the trail! And in no hurry to get back to Atlanta traffic.In the evening, we enjoyed the company of 8 or so other farm workers and interns, many of whom are finishing their season on their respective farms. I felt a kinship with them in our mutual outdoor lifestyles. We had mixed up a big bowl of guacamole to add to their dishes of fresh picked sweet potatoes, apple/green tomatoe pie, greens, and brownies, corn tortillas - oh, and grasshoppers with onions. Another fantastic trail meal!We slept snug in a shelter on the Blue Ridge Center grounds and were escorted out to the AT trail junction by the two farm dogs. They would have gone with us, but we kept saying "stay" and they stayed behind. Although the trip took us off the trail for a day, it was definitely worth it! I'd like to go back there again! Great people and great work!
Date: 2007-10-26
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Maupin Field Shelter/Home
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: moderate rain

On Monday, October 22, I tearfully said goodbye to my hiking partner, John. My scheduled time off from the trail had come. I had a week of practicum to complete my Radical Forgiveness Certification coming up. I headed north on the trail to meet my brother Jim, and sister-in-law, Katherine. They picked me up at Mile 13.1 on the Blue Ridge Parkway where the AT crosses the road a little after 6 p.m. I had a restful night at their home in Richmond, VA. They fed me well and laundered my clothes. Katherine even treated me to a lovely foot massage - mmmmm! Jim drove me to the airport for my 4:45 flight home. Alas! The plane didn't take off from the tarmack 'til 7 p.m. because of RAIN in Atlanta. Rain is something to celebrate these days in the south, so I sat back and enjoyed my time reviewing trip photos while I waited.I've been busy at home preparing food and regearing for my return to the AT and completion of the remaining 829 miles. Although a mere 139 miles will take me to Catawba, VA and completion of the AT by sections hiked since 2003, I'm now resolved to hike the entire 2,174 miles in a continuous trip. That will take me another 8 weeks and involve winter hiking, but there are plenty of hikers who have gone before me in this regard. I'll pick up a fluffy down bag from the Mt. Rogers Outfitters, pack fleece pants, down vest, sweater, extra socks, and warming foods, then get back out there and ENJOY!There's still plenty of dehydrated food in my store room, although I've been processing walnuts and sunflower seeds that the moths are inhabiting. I've washed, soaked, and dehydrated them so I now have quite a bit of yummy nut/seed mix ready to go. Better storage containers are in order! I want to add dehydrated sweet potatoes, squash soup and tomato sauce to my supply. My limitation is the puny 9-tray dehydrator I have. Nine trays seemed like an awful lot when I bought the dehydrator 4 years ago, but now I could use 2 or 3 of them!I'm looking forward to Saturday, Nov. 3 when my next hiking partner, John Reiter, joins me where I left off at Reeds Gap, 20 miles south of Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA. THIS John is my husband and he'll be hiking with me through Thanksgiving before he heads back home again. What a treat!
Date: 2007-11-03
From: Home in Decatur

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

After two weeks of nonstop preparation and practicum, I'm heading back out to the Trail.   Hallelujah! My 4 day practicum, in which I completed my certification requirements as a Radical Forgiveness Coach, was delightful, challenging, and empowering! It was held in North Georgia at The Center For New Beginnings, just two miles from The Hiker Hostel where many north bounders stay before they start. I loved staying overnight at the hostel, feeling connected to the hiking community at least for the night.   Today, my husband and I fly from Atlanta to Richmond and spend the night with my brother, Jim. Tomorrow, he'll drive us out to the Blue Ridge Parkway and drop us off at Reeds Gap. A short hike up to Maupin Fields Shelter, where I said goodbye to Hiker John, will put me back on the trail! It's been a productive break and now I AM READY TO HIKE AGAIN!!821 miles to Springer Mountain!
Date: 2007-11-21
From: Reed's Gap, VA

To: Holiday Motor Lodge, Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 205.8
Weather: broken clouds

Since writing last I've hiked 205 miles from Maupin Field Shelter at Reeds Gap, VA to Pearisburg, VA at 1551.9 miles from Mt. Katahdin. The days have shifted from warm Fall days to blustery, wintry days and back again to gentle fall days. I've also shifted hiking partners again! My husband, John, joined me from Reeds Gap to Daleville but decided to shorten his three week hike to 10 days, saving a week of vacation to visit his 90 year old mom in Houston. I loved the short time with him, though! We hadn't hiked together on the AT since our last long section in Virginia in 2005. When John decided to go home, I contacted Hiker John and told him that I'd be hiking alone after Daleville. He had just arrived at the Relax Inn at Rt. 11/I-81. He decided he would come BACK to Daleville and hike with me - repeating the 190 mile stretch from Daleville to Atkins! Now that's a hiking partner to treasure! So, on Tuesday, Nov. 13, Hubby John was hitching a ride south to Roanoke to catch a bus home and Hiker John was hitching a ride north to Daleville! Whew! I was relaxing at the Howard Johnson's in Daleville, sending them both good energy for a safe and quick journey. They both arrived at their chosen destinations in good time and I revelled in my blessings of having these two fantastic Johns in my life! I am blessed!This section has also brought a mileage landmark for me. At VA 624, near Catawba, VA, I unofficially completed my 2005 - 2007 section hike of the entire AT! Except for 10 miles south of Pearisburg which I'll be hiking tomorrow, I've now hiked the entire Trail! I didn't know what I would do when I reached the road at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. Surprisingly enough, when I caught sight of the road at the foot of a hill, I started CRYING! Hiker John got some good pictures of me in a victory stance, and I felt so happy to have completed this goal. Now, I'll be looking forward to hiking familiar areas in the remaining 622 miles of the trail for a 2007 Thru Hike. Again, I am blessed to have this opportunity to hike the entire Trail in one trip. On this Thanksgiving eve, I am thankful for my family, friends, hiking community, and all of the trail angels and Trail Journals readers to make this hike a most momentous time of my life.
Date: 2007-11-22
From:  Pearisburg, VA

To: Doc' Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Hiker John and I are heading out from Pearisburg in a light rain and cool temperature. I can see Angel's Rest summit from behind the hotel. We're carrying out a whole pumpkin pie, a bowl of pomegranate seeds and a delicious salad made with broccoli, cauliflower, and dried cranberries.Blessings to all and thanks for making this a favorite Thanksgiving for me!
Date: 2007-12-07
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Two days in Damascus! That's the first time I've stayed two days anywhere on the Trail! I sorted my stuff and added a couple of clothing layers. I'll pack out two sleeping bags. I made a pot cozy for my peach-can pot. John and I will carry out two stoves this time - the alcohol burner and the cannister stove. Temperature is affecting the burning of fuels, so we want to be prepared.We're off for another 74 mile section - to Elk Park, NC. Time to say goodbye to Virginia! Lots of great memories from the Shenandoahs to Mt. Rogers.