morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-15
From: Waynesboro

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

zero day in WaynesboroThere was just too many things to be done to try to get a hike in today. You can tell how much a person loves you when they will get up EARLY in the morning to go to a meeting with you. That is exactly what dear Mudbut did today. I had a short speech to give to the Waynesboro Morning Club which Dr.Anderson is the president of. Of course, Rotary is like good Baptist. They are going to eat and eat good at that. Our breakfast was a real treat. Fresh fruit, scambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, bacon, juice and coffee. A real nice change of pace from trail food and from Holiday Express' continental breakfast. I received a warm welcome from my fellow Rotarians. It is exciting to meet so many people who have a common interest. I made it to the library to catch up on my hiking friends that are ahead of me via the internet. Then it was time to go grocery shopping, and of course to lunch. We didn't forget that all important trip to the outfitters either. Before I knew it, it was time to leave for the area 3 Rotary meeting. I had hoped to go to the Rotary meetings in this area this week, but all of them but one had been canceled because of tonight's dinner. It is a very formal affair and I felt very underdressed as I walked in the door. Cocktail dresses, suits and ties. I am in my one pair of hiking pants and my good shirt. I decided to wear my camp shoes instead of my hiking boots. There were alot of raised eyebrows. No matter, I am a hiker and I am on a mission. I meet the new district govenor Barbara Hayes. She says she remembers meeting me last year. I tell her that we met two months ago at the Abington Rotary! We both had a good laugh. Two months walking and I am still in Virginia. The objects of Rotary are read, and once again I am reminded of why I am a Rotarian. I get a warm feeling from that and am glad to be here. So many people from so many different walks of life, yet we have a commoness that binds us together. Mudbutt decided to go see a movie tonight, she thought she was going to see Charlie's Angels. It has been showing for awhile and she has been wanting to see it. But once again, she is disappointed. It is not showing. Maybe another time. I enjoy the hot tub one more time before hitting the bed again. I am already missing the woods, the smells, the sounds, the quietness.
Date: 2013-03-07
To: Myakka State Forest
Miles today: 0.0

I drove down to Barb's today and we went for a short hike and an overnight at Myakka State Forest near Englewood, FL. We hiked out from the trail head at 3:40pm. The ranger told Barb it was 3.2 miles so I estimated an hour and a half. I hope my estimates do as well on the AT because we arrived in exactly that amount of time! Our packs felt good on the way out. When we arrived we set up our tents and enjoyed our surroundings. We are right on the Myakka River and it is beautiful. We had dinner and then played three games of Toss Up (a neat lightweight dice game). We watched some really neat little ducks diving for fish right before the sun went down. After dark it got cold so we retired to our tents. That's where I am right now writing this. It's only 7:30pm!It is supposed to be lower 40's tonight. Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-03-08
To: Myakka State Forest
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

It was a chilly but beautiful quiet night. This area has had a recent controlled burn so there were very few night sounds. At least that's what I figured might be the cause.We both slept well but of course turned and turned during the night. Barb told me that she even does this at home - and so do I. The funny part is that the Thermarests that we are using make a LOT of scrunching and crunching noise when we turn - and that sound is loud! Barb said we would probably get kicked out of a shelter - or at the very least confined to a far corner :-)It was 41 degrees outside when we woke up. There was very little wind though. We were packed and back on the return trail by 7:15. We opted for the longer trail back to Barb's van. We estimated 4 miles and it took us 2 hours. Well, 2 hours and 15 minutes because we stopped for breakfast at a well placed bench :-) No land speed records for us. At this point we only have one speed and you can guess what that is :-)This will be Barb's only equipment and set up test until we start one month from today. Barb will be traveling north to her other home in New York for the last three weeks prior to our start date.Treasure Hunter
Date: 2003-07-18
From: Three Ridges

To: Tye River
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

start Three Ridgesdestination Tye RiverWake up came too early again, but I forced myself out of my bunk and got dressed. I grabbed my food bag and went to the table to fix some breakfast. I fix a bowl of granola that one of Mudbutt's friends had sent her. With some fresh ice cold milk it was a real treat. Rusty is slacking us today. We will have a grand hike today. Light on our feet and ready to hike. We are rewarded with a fairly easy trail. I come to the trail that leads to the water falls. I am blue blazing to the falls. Hillbilly is already there. He had finished his lunch, but sticks around to see Mudbutt and I. The water is so cold it makes my feet throb. I try to keep my feet in the water as I attempt to get brave enough to get my whole body in. It does not work! There is no way I can get all of me in the water. The sound of the water as it rushes over gigantic boulders and to the river below is deafening. I sit and just watch the power of the water. We eat our lunch and play a little bit more before heading on down the trail. The trail seems magical this afternoon. The trees, long and stately stand at attention along either side of the trail. The rain and warm weather has caused a spurt of growth in every plant along the trail. In some places the trail is almost closed up with the young tender vines that send spindly fingers out to grab at our packs or legs. I brush against stinging nettle at one point and am quickly reminded of how it got it's name. total 8.8
Date: 2013-03-17
To: Eric and Dad Hike Day 2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The tent was comfortable enough for two but crowded with our gear inside too. This area is well used and Eric and I were the only ones there so I was concerned about critters with our packs.So, we did get some sleep but not real restful sleep. I was concerned all night long as to whether Eric was warm enough because all he had was a blanket. I think the temperature was about 55 for a low so it wasn't too bad. At one point I draped my down jacket over top of him. That probably helped him - but I lost my pillow because of it :-)When we packed up and I said we were ready to go Eric said "No breakfast?" I told him we would be stopping a short ways down the trail after the sun warmed things up a bit and we would have breakfast then. He was happy with that.Our hike back was very enjoyable and we had some really nice Dad and Son conversations. I really appreciated that a lot because he is now at the age where being with his friends is of the utmost importance. We don't often get a lot of time with just the two of us.This was my last overnight prep planned before the hike. Barb and I hit the trail three weeks from tomorrow. I'm SO ready to get this started.Oh, a shout out to one of my "trail heroes." Stumpknocker signed my guestbook! Thanks Stump! I love it that he will be following along :-)Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-04-01
To: ONE more week!
Miles today: 0.0

"I wanted to have nice clean shiny teeth to smile at the bears with." That's what I told my dentist and hygienist. Dr. Cullinan and Bree were impressed that I had a cleaning and exam prior to my depart. They are great people. I gave them my TJ info so I hope they will check out the site and follow along.We have one more week and this adventure will begin! Actually it started many years ago with a thought. Tomorrow Jenny will buzz cut my hair. The shorter the better - less to mess with :-)Wednesday I will post my complete gear list! My base weight (without food and water) is 19 pounds. I will start the trail with 7 pounds of food and 3 pounds of water. Total: 29 pounds.Barb flies into Tampa on Friday evening. I missed our hiking and other adventure time while she has been away. We have lots to catch up on.The "Hiker Party" is Saturday. My FANTASTIC wife and WONDERFUL mother-in-law have been planning quite an extravaganza. The last count was about 45 people that might come!!!About 6am on Sunday morning we depart for Amicalola State Park. Jen, Claire and Eric are all joining us for the drive up. We will all stay one night at the lodge. Monday morning Barb and I expect to be on the approach trail right after breakfast. Jen and the kids will then drive back to Tampa. Just typing those last three sentences has made my palms sweat and my eyes well up a bit. What a support team.Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-04-03
To: Gear List
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Here is my gear list. We are not carrying a stove. I have one that Jenny can mail to us if we feel we really need it. I am starting out with 7 lbs of food and 3 lbs of water.        ***BACKPACK SYSTEM***44.00       Pack & Pack Belt        ***FRONT BELT ITEMS***15.00       Carry Pouch w/phone in ziplock, whistle, Knife, AWOL Guide - 300 mi2.50        Water Bottle Holder        ***SHELTER***4.00        Ground Cloth, Tyvek0.25        Sponge48.00       Tent, Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2        ***BEDROOM***9.00        Sleeping Bag Liner, Sea to Summit Reactor Thermolite27.50       Sleeping Bag Western Mountaineering MityLite 40 degree, in stuff sack10.00       Sleeping Pad, Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Air Mattress (Small, Limon)2.00        Stuff Sack, 9L Waterproof to double protect down items        ***CLOSET***12.00        Base-layer, Top & bottom, Patagonia Cap 213.00        Camp Shoes (hang on outside of cylinder)1.00        Gloves, Mountain Hard Wear1.00        Hat, Cold weather, Mountain Hard Wear9.50        Jacket, Down, MontBell U.L.13.00       Pants, Convertible, Columbia Sportswear Aruba III Pant11.50       Rainwear, Jacket & Pants, O2 Rainwear by RSI6.00        Shirt, Short Sleeve, ExOfficio Men's Give-N-Go Tee3.00        Socks, one pair        ***KITCHEN***2.25        Ground cloth, Tyvek to sit on, 38 x 59" - "Picnic Table"1.00        Mesh Bag, 4L Sea to Summit (zippered) to hold rocks to counterweight food1.75        Nylon cord, 25' (1/8" dia.) in ¢rock bag¢ for hanging food6.00        Sam's Club Pretzel Jar (6oz) for food2.00        Spork, Plastic Bowl & Plastic Cup1.50        Stuff sack to hold food jar Sea To Summit 9L0.10        Trash Bag, Small7.00        Ziplock w/Sawyer Filter System, 10 drink mixes, & gal zip (empty)        ***BATHROOM***1.25        Towel, Pack1.50        Toilet Paper (1/2 roll with middle removed)2.00        Ziplock w/Foot Powder6.00        Ziplock w/floss, mirror, toothpaste, toothbrush, vitamins(30), fibercon(30)10.00       Ziplock w/soap, hydrating cleanser, shaving cream, deodorant, shampoo, razor        ***MISC ITEMS***1.00        Bandana3.00        Headlamp6.00        Jar, Sam's Club Pretzel Jar (misc items, bathroom & first day food after resupply)1.50        Stuff sack to hold misc jar Sea To Summit 9L3.75        Ziplock w/bandaids, neosporin, pain medication, lip balm, duct tape2.50        Ziplock w/Credit Cards, Cash, Driver's License, Insurance Cards, ATC Card6.25        Ziplock w/Insect Repellant & headnet6.50        Ziplock w/Phone Charger, portable phone charger, 3 AAA batteries for headlamp        305.10        Base Weight (in ounces)        19.07       Base Weight (in pounds)Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-04-07
To: Amicalola!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today we traveled from Tampa to Amicalola. My wife Jenny, daughter Claire and son Eric all came along. As stated yesterday, I was a very tired person on this journey. I think I got about 2-3 hours sleep last night.The trip up was smooth and took us about 8hrs 30min. We had Publix Cuban sandwiches and chips for lunch and we ate them while we traveled along.We arrived at the visitor center at 2:30pm. We immediately weighed our packs. Barb's is 28 and mine is 29 - both with food and water. We then proceeded to the arch for some picture taking. It was a magical time.We placed our packs back in the van and went inside to sign the thru hiker register. Barb's hiker number is 884 and mine is 885.***News Update!*** Barb has been in the process of deciding on a trail name for many weeks. Today she officially signed the NOBO register as "Catskill." She lives on the edge of the Catskill mountains in update New York and thought it would be fitting to take that name. I think it is cool. So, Catskill it is.After registering at the visitor center, Barb and I took the kids and climbed up the approach trail along the falls. 600 steps!! Whew. It was fun though. While we climbed the steps, Jenny drove up and checked in at the lodge. She waited for us up there.We had dinner at the lodge. It was a great buffet and were treated to live music besides. There was a family of musicians that could really sing and play several instruments. The youngest was a little girl that looked like she was about 10 years old. Amazing.Now it is evening and we are back in the room. I went into the bathroom and emerged with my new Patagonia long johns on. Everyone got a kick out of my new sleeping attire display :-)Time for bed. Early start tomorrow!Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Amicalola Lodge Parking Lot 

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a Tearful goodbye for me and the family. Six months is a long time for kids. Hell, it's a long time for anyone - including me and Jen. We will all see each other in a little over two months - so that's good. Barb and I took breaks every hour. Packs off. Just 5 minutes or so. Barb also took her shoes off for one break and lunch too :-) We had lunch at Black Gap Shelter at 12:20pm. Barb surprised me by taking out 8 chocolate chip cookies!! My daughter-in-law Liz made a huge bunch of cookies for our drive up from Tampa. Thank you Liz and thank you Barb!At 2pm we made it to the summit of Springer. We both had a tearful moment and took pictures of each other. Oddly, there was no one there when we showed up! A couple other hikers came shortly after. On our path to the forest service road parking lot (1 mile) we passed several hikers. One was named Bus. He was a nice guy. He did the one mile up (and back) today and will start tomorrow from the parking lot. We made it to Stover Creek Shelter at about 4pm. We are the only ones here (so far) and tenting. I drank two 20 oz bottles of Gatorade and two 20oz bottles of water filtered from a spring and stream. I was thirsty!It is time to eat. But, I'm not that hungry. I'll eat something. Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-04-09
To: Jenny
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ray was featured again in "Backpacker's Blaze," an occasional column for The Lakeland (FL) Ledger. Mostly about his gear, the article also touches on Ray and Barb's registrations at Amicalola and the emotional goodbyes as they began their trek. It also links back to Trail Journals for some pictures. The column's author, Kim Fatica, is a hiking enthusiast and an excellent writer to boot. Definitely worth the read! You'll need to either copy and paste in your browser, or highlight and right-click. Here it is: http://backpackersblaze.blogs.theledger.com/11197/unique-pack-heads-to-the-at-with-local-hiker/
Date: 2003-07-26
From: Lewis Mtn. Campground

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: light rain

start Lewis Mountain Campgrounddestination Big MeadowsCampgroundIt was a rough night for sleeping last night. Too much noise, too many lights. I finally gave up trying to sleep in and got up and fixed some hot tea. The four of us had breakfast together, sharing the cartons of milk and cereal. More laughs and stories. Then one by one we left to hike our own hike. I feel 10 pounds lighter, and it has nothing to do with my pack weight. I am sure I am hiking on a large amount of adrenaline today. I hit the 900 mile mark as I left the campground. I can almost taste the halfway point now. It seems to have been such a short time to get here, yet such a long time. Today I have been on the trail four months. Again it seems like yesterday that I left Springer Mtn. Giddy with excitement and anticipation. I stil feel like that most mornings. Maybe not quite as giddy, but certainly still excited about what the day holds and where it will take me. I have been loking forward to do he Rock Scramble Path for a couple weeks now. Mudbutt doesn't have the same excitement about hiking over any more rocks than nessessary. She agrees to meet me up the trail at lunch. The rock scramble is .2 miles and it is just what the name implies. You scramble over huge rocks, then along a rock face, more huge rocks until you reach the pinnacle. A spectacular view awaits you at the top. There are several places where you climb hand over hand. Your hiking poles are useless to you. It would have been a lot more fun without a pack, but it was exhilerating for me just the same! Maybe I will take up rock climbing when I am finished hiking. It was a real challenge to me today, but each successful step gives me more and more self confidence. I can only imagine what the White Mtns. will be like. The hike today is a short 8.7 miles. We had big plans to get a campspot, a shower, wash our clothes and eat a fine meal. We ate a fine meal at Big Meadow Lodge. Prime rib, baked potato, fresh bread and green beans, finished off with blackberry cobbler. The campground was full, so no site for us. We started walking through the campground towards the AT when I got a wild idea. I asked a young couple who were camped out on a big spot if we could set up our tent on the other side. They graciously agreed as long as we did not play any of that loud music!! We laughed and guaranteed them we would not do that. Set up and content, we sat under the trees and studied on how good life is. I know the lights from the bathroom just across from us will make it hard to sleep tonight. But at least the bathroom is close for me! There is a stiff wind blowing and at one point it pulls my tent stake out of the ground. I have to get out and fix it back again. The night is cool, but not enough for a sleeping bag. The sounds of people talking by the fire, and children calling out to each other lull me to sleep.total miles 8.7
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Justice Creek Campsites
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Too many miles too soon - and it was because of me - and unavailable water sources. :-(I have been drinking a ton of water - and I still feel dehydrated. And I have no appetite. We filled our bottles at the stream at mile 8.5. There was no water for 6 miles. I didn't even think about our stop for the night, my huge consumption, and of course the terrain (biggest factor of all). When we got to the campsite late after getting water at the stream, there was no room. Thru hiker Aviator (on TJ!) offered to move her hammock and make room for us. I felt like crying. That was so kind. I set up my tent and immediately crawled inside for a nap. After about 30-45 min my stomach felt a little better. Barb offered some fancy trail mix (with fruit) and I had one handful of that. That was so special of her. That was all I could eat. I think my ailment is a combination of dehydration and exhaustion. It's dark now and 8:30 pm. We have a nice bunch of hikers here. Most of us met when they all passed us on the trail. That is easy to do because Catskill is hiking with a turtle. :-) Perhaps I should change my trail name!Oh, sorry for no pictures today. :-(Until tomorrow. Treasure Hunter
Date: 2003-07-31
From: Compton Campground

To: Front Royal, Va.
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

start Compton Campgrounddestination Front Royal,Va.The sound of Mudbutt talking woke me up this morning. She was talking to one of the other campers. I survived the night in my make shift tent set up. I was amazed!! Never under estimate the creativity of a desperate woman!! We had hot tea and breakfast, took our time packing up. The morning was still wet and misty. Everything was quiet and fresh. We packed the canoe and headed down the river. Or should I say up the river.T he south fork of the Shenendoah River actually flows north. We watch as the mountain range raises in front of us. The tops covered in a foggy mist. The sky is full of grey clouds. We float along, hoping to get a glimpse of a bear or deer at the river edge. All we see are more cows. Standing in the water...polluting the water....This disgusts me even more today. Mudbutt and I watch the shoreline and gaze upon the houses that line the shore. We play dream games as we pick out our favorite one. We could live there, we say over and over again. The only class two rapid we have today turns out to be a piece of cake. Or is it that we have become expert canoists?? Ha ha ha. Before we know it the morning is over and the bridge signaling the end of our trip is in site. This has been a wonderful trip. We have laughed and laughed. Mudbutt got wetter than I did through the rapids because she as sitting in the front of the canoe. It was a definate treat, and an easy 28 miles!!! The canoe trip we took incliuded a ride into Front Royal, so it wasn't too long before we were at Super 8 motel checking into a room. The first thing on our agenda was, what else ? food!! We walked through town hunting a shoe shop to get my shoe fixed. We never did find one, but we found a neat little eatery. Run by a retired couple, the specialty sandwiches were superb. And the desserts!!Oh, my!!! Triple chocolate brownie complete with cream cheese cinnamon icing..Mmmmmmmm Back at the motel, we went through our packs, making a list of what we would ned to hike into Harpers Ferry. Before we knew it, it was time for supper... We got directions to the mexican restaurant and headed off to eat. We were rewarded very well for the mile walk by our meal. The biggest treat we have had in the past few weeks was the big glasses of sweet tea that we had with our meal tonight. It was like nectar of the gods to drink. We both had several glasses. We both ate way too much dinner tonight and needed a forklift to get us back to our room. Since we could not find a forklift this late we settled for a cab. $2.50 got us a ride back to our room. It also got us a really sad story about a family situation here in Front Royal. It served to remind me of how blessed my family and I are. Tomorrow it will be back on the trail again. Headed north, with my pack, walking to Maine. total miles 11
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Neel Gap (Mountain Crossings Hostel)

To: Camping Area Betwn Hog Pen Gap & Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: broken clouds

Last night it was like I was transported back in time and was in the Navy again. I had seven shipmates in the bunk room. We all had a great spaghetti and meatball dinner. Barb and I found a deck of cards and played a couple rounds of rummy. Then it was "taps" and lights out at 10pm. This morning reveille was at 7am - lights on! Pancakes for breakfast! (Apparently, the donations for dinner last night were generous enough!) It was very windy today. But, as soon as the sun came out in force we still peeled the clothes off. (Jenny's comment: Say, What? I hope you're talking about jackets and the long-leg part of your pants! Ha, ha!) We were going to stop at Whitley Gap Shelter but found out that it is 1.2 miles off trail. Plus, a LOT of weekend campers were headed up there with kids and then another group of college age kids with coolers. We're not quite into that scene :-)So, we hiked in about a half mile north of the gap and found a nice camping spot. We estimate that we are at about mile 39 even. I felt great today on trail and stayed hydrated well. Time to set up and have some dinner :-)Treasure Hunter