morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-09-11
From: Wawaynda Shelter

To: Pochuck Shelter
Miles today: 11.6

Weather: HotLocation: Pochuck ShelterMileage: 11.6Animals: A few deerPeople: Romin GoatFood: Peach and pop tarts, donuts peaches brownie, big loaf of bread with grilled onions red and green peppers and olive oilReally nice day today. I didn't get out of the shelter until 11 this morning. It was cold and it was tough to get out of my sleeping bag. I had incentive though, Heaven Hill Farm on NJ94. It was a little under 6 miles from the shelter and I was moving. I met some nice weekend hikers on the trail today but kept my conversations brief to get to the farm sooner. I bought 4 peaches, an orange, 6 donuts, and a huge loaf of bread with grilled vegetables and olive oil. The only thing I have remaining is a peach and orange which I will have for breakfast. I'm going to get into Unionville tomorrow for a much needed shower. I am probably the dirtiest I've ever been right now. My shirt is absolutely disgusting. There are salt stains covering the whole thing. It has been so dry I haven't been able to wash it on the trail at all. I don't even plan on staying in Unionville, I just want to watch the Falcons beat the Eagles and night-hike the 2 miles to the Jim Murray secret shelter. I can shower there and maybe do my laundry as well. The hiking in Jersey has been nice and easy so far. I saw more people day-hiking today than I did in the whole month of August. I finished reading my book last night and now have nothing. I hope there's a bookstore in Unionville, and a TV too. This area is supposed to have a lot of bear activity, unfortunately I've had no sightings yet. I am so stuffed and ready for some sleep.
Date: 2005-09-12
From: Pochuck Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Weather: ScorchingLocation: High Point ShelterMileage: 7Animals: Groundhog, donkeys, deerPeople: KiteI've had a nice couple days. Yesterday I hiked into Unionville, NY to get my mail drop. Roamin Goat was already there sorting food from his package. Goat and I had our food spread all over the sidewalk when a man named Dick Ludwick walked up and introduced himself. It just happened to be the mayor of the town. I asked him if there was a place in town to watch the Falcons game. He said, "My house, come on over." Goat and I accepted his invitaion for obvious reasons. We picked up some groceries and headed to his house. When we got there we took showers and started our laundry. Dick prepared us an amazing meal. We had bacon-wrapped filet with twice-baked potatoes and fresh corn cooked with red and green peppers. After dinner I took my postion in front of the TV to watch the Falcons. And what a game that was. Dick and Goat only watched until half-time and headed to bed, I was up until the last play. The Falcons beat the Eagles 14-10 and looked good doing it. Deangelo Hall was all over T.O. like white on rice. This morning Dick cooked us bacon, eggs, and toast. He was driving us back to the trail when I saw Niko walking down the road. I had hiked with him back in Maine and he has been behind me. I jumped out of the car, said bye to Dick and went with Niko(now Kite) into town. He got groceries and we hit the trail. We stopped by the "Secret Shelter" on Jim Murray's property. It was a nice little cabin in a field with a shower and sink. There were 2 donkeys in the field that were fighting and making a lot of noise. We were going to throw the frisbee but it was too hot in the direct sun. We considered staying but only having hiked 2 miles we pressed on. It was only 5 miles to the shelter and it seemed like forever. Temp was in the 90's and we walked through fields in direct sunlight. I was sweating up a storm, it was miserable. We got to the shelter and Goat was already there. He left for the next shelter and we stayed. A Park Ranger drove up to the shelter in a Durango and we didn't even know there was a road there. It's kind of weird when you're sitting at a shelter and all of the sudden a big SUV comes out of nowhere. We talked with him awhile and then cooked dinner. The End.
Date: 2005-09-14
From: High Point Shelter

To: Mashipacong Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather: Hot and HumidLocation:Mashipacong ShelterMileage: 7.3Animals: TurkeyPeople: KiteFood: Granola, Bacon egg and cheese sandwich, ChiliAnother very hot day on the AT. Kite and I got a pretty early start to enjoy the cooler morning. We made it down to the road and Ranger Station. We hitched down to a deli to get sandwiches and some snack foods. The trail was really dry today, there's no water at the shelter. This shelter happens to be the same one that guy got bit by the bear. I'm really hoping to see one tonight. We hiked about 5 miles and when we got to the road .2 from the shelter we had to figure out how to get some water. Kite has a road map and that's all we had to figure out where we were. The closest town looked to be about 12 miles away and there wasn't much traffic on the road. While we were looking at the map a white van drove up and a woman jumped out. She had 2 gallons of water in the van and let us fill up. It was a nice woman from Tennesee who is doing some day hikes in the area. It was some great trail magic at a time we really needed some. It was still early when we got there so we threw the frisbee around in the nice little field in front of the shelter. It has started raining and is supposed to do the same tomorrow. This area really needs the rain but it's not going to be fun hiking in hot humid rain showers. It's not supposed to be this hot in the middle of September, is it? I'm looking forward to the cooler weather coming in. I thought I saw a little bear today in the trail but it was just a big turkey. I'm going to read some and watch for bears.
Date: 2005-10-08
From: Mashipacong Shelter

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 307.6
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Hi - This is Superfeet's mom. Superfeet called from Harpers Ferry to check in. One of his recent hiking friends, Niko, was getting off the trail as planned. Superfeet reported the weather was really bad due to the remnants of the tropical storm. He had stayed in a motel in Harpers Ferry Friday night with Niko, Stone Passer, Lady Bug & one other person who I can't remember. He hasn't been sending any pocketmails recently. He had no complaints, except his new digital camera isn't working well. He thinks he will finish his hike in Damacus, VA in mid-November. I checked out the Doyle Hotel's website (www.doylehotel.com) and saw the photo they took of him about 10 days ago. Hopefully, he'll start journaling again. Thanks for reading!
Date: 2005-10-18
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 54.0
Weather: clear sky

Mileage Update from Superfeet's mom. Taylor called from Simpsons Hollow (outside Waynesboro, VA). Ladybug's parents picked up the group of four hikers at Front Royal for 2 nights at a really cool bed & breakfast-type place (www.simpsonshollow.com). I really appreciate the kindnesses shown to Taylor on his hike. Taylor mentioned that a flip-flopper, Grandpa Bob, told this group of hikers that they were the most fun group he's been with this year. The group had finished the "roller coaster" earlier in the week. They've been having big fires every night to stay warm. Taylor is just using his Frogg Toggs for layering - no jacket yet. I'll post again when I hear something. Thanks for reading!
Date: 2005-10-31
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 107.0
Weather: clear sky

Mileage update from Superfeet's mom. Superfeet is in Waynesboro, VA with Ladybug, Big Fish & Stone Passer. It may seem like they aren't making much progress for a good reason. On Saturday, October 22, Big Fish's parents were going to drive from their home in Richmond to meet them for lunch & reprovisions. The hikers ended up talking the parents into driving them back to Richmond (2 hour drive one-way) so they could attend a concert that night. A hiker they all met in Massachusetts named Crazy Horse plays the guitar & was giving a concert. So they all surprised him by showing up at this concert. They were supposed to leave the next day to get back on the trail, but a couple of the hikers weren't feeling well, so they waited until Tuesday. There was a winter storm in the VA mountains, but they called to make sure the roads were ok. Well, they got all the way up there just find out that Skyline Drive was closed, so these poor parents had to turn around and drive them back to Richmond. I think they finally got back on the trail Friday, October 28. It has been very cold & the jacket, sleeping bag liner & gloves have been received by Superfeet. Last night, Sunday, October 30, the hikers were surprised at about 9:00 p.m. by the arrival of Traction, a hiker that actually gave Superfeet his trail name back in March in North Carolina. He's a student at James Madison University & been waiting (and waiting!) for Superfeet to ever make it to Virginia. Traction brought his girlfriend with him & food to grill so even though everyone had gone to bed, once they arrived, they were all up. I found out that Ladybug & Big Fish have a website - www.stinkyhikers.com and there are lots of photos of Superfeet & the group. We are trying to see if Superfeet will finish by Thanksgiving - he only has to make it to Damascus to complete his thru hike. If the weather cooperates, he should be able to do it. Thanks to everyone who has been driving, feeding and providing trail magic to this group. The end is in sight!
Date: 2005-11-06
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Buena Vista, VA
Miles today: 65.0

Superfeet called this morning to check in. He had no idea what day of the week it was. I guess trail time runs on a different calendar or clock. He stayed in a hotel last night in Buena Vista, VA with Stone Passer, Ladybug & Big Fish. They were doing their laundry this morning & then heading out of town. Superfeet said he really enjoyed see Traction at James Madison University on Monday night (Halloween) but they were so tired, they never left Traction's apartment. Thanks, Traction, for hosting them! Superfeet expects to be in Glasgow, VA tomorrow to pick up a mail drop. He doesn't want anymore dehydrated meals in the mail drops - just snacks. He's very tired of the dehydrated entrees he's been eating for the last 6 months. I checked out Ladybug & Big Fish's website (www.stinkyhikers.com) and saw quite a few of recent photos of Superfeet. Our family thinks he looks like a cross between a buffalo (you know the singing one at the wall at Country Bear Jamboree?), a centaur & Goat Boy from Saturday Night Live. Oh well, nothing a razor & a barber can't fix. Thanks for reading!Mom Superfeet
Date: 2005-11-13
From: Buena Vista, VA

To: Blacksburg, VA
Miles today: 50.0

Superfeet called from Blacksburg, VA. Cocoa Bean (Chris) was kind enough to pick up the group of six hikers from the Homeplace Restaurant on Saturday. There were 7 people crammed in her Ford Taurus headed for the VA Tech campus, where Chris is a student. Apparently, Traction's sister was at the Homeplace while Superfeet was there. The group had just finished McAfee Knob. Superfeet said he got some incredible photos using Stone Passer's camera. Not much news - Superfeet's miles left to hike are under 200 and he's not anxious to finish because he's enjoying the group he's hiking with. I asked if he was tempted to keep hiking after Damascus just to stay with the group but he said it was "too cold." Thanks for reading.
Date: 2004-07-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

PLEASE NOTE: This is written between March 7, and April 20,2013, long after my 2005 Appalachian Trail experience. Before I forget everything about the most amazing 102 days of my life, I want to record this experience. During my 102 days on the Trail I experienced virtually every emotion possible; from utter dispair to supreme elation, lonliness to the best comradeship possible, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, and wet all over. I experienced failure, accomplishment, love, amd human kindness as I had never known in 65 previous years. I met some of the most amazing, wonderful people, and maybe a few jerks. So here goes---Today, July 10, 2004, is my 65th birthday. In seven months I will retire from a 44 year career as a civil engineer. I have looked forward to an Appalachian Trail thru hike for most of those 44 years. I have enviously read Trail Journals and tried to prepare my self for My Adventure Of A Lifetime. -Swamp Fox
Date: 2004-08-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

TIME TO GET SERIOUS:I have been following Appalachian Trail journals for 5 years, in anticipation of my own Adventure of a Lifetime. I wrote my "About" section and this first entry months ago. However, now that this is getting for real, I totally rewrote them. In about 7 months, I expect to take that first step north from Springer Mountain, and My Adventure of a Lifetime will be underway. One of the challenges of My Adventure of a Lifetime is that there are no guarantees of completing a AT Thru Hike. While I'm in good health, many things can go wrong. You name it: injury, Lyme Disease, homesickness, family emergencies back home, the unexpected. But I didn't know in advance if I could meet the past challenges in my life: college, my first real job, job changes, raising two terrific sons, running Marathons, service with the Marines in Vietnam, starting a business and surviving in it, among others. But we managed to survive each challenge, and went on to the next adventure in life. It seems to me that one will not fully appreciate meeting a challenge if success is assured. Life is a long journey, and it is not possible to know what will happen enroute, and for that matter if the destination will be reached. Thank you for joining me on this Adventure. I hope I can make it interesting for you. -Swamp Fox
Date: 2004-10-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So Near yet Far: March 12, 2005 seems so far away. I've joined the Appalachian Mtn Club and the Appalachian Trail Conference in preparation. The big issue facing me is equipment selection. Key items are boots, tent, pack, sleeping bag, and cooking system. I'm tempted to take my 1992 Coleman stove. It's been quite reliable but so heavy compared to the newer models. I have no experience with alchol stoves, so I'll stick to white gas. I will be doing a pair of weekend hikes on the trail in late October and early November. I'm concerned about a back problem I developed two months ago that is lingering. If it bothers me on these two weekends, it's a cause for some rethinking. -Swamp Fox
Date: 2005-02-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This morning I took a short run on a cold, crisp, clear morning. I felt like my feet weren¢t touching the ground. I was so elated. The memory of my Retirement Party last night was still very fresh in my mind. I have to thank my partners in Marathon Engineering, Rick and Dan, and my administrative assistant Michele, for planning and executing a wonderful evening. We had over one hundred guests: former and present professional colleagues, clients, political people, and family and friends. I got a big laugh out of Tim Bell, my good friend and client. He was sort of the emcee and he came dressed in the loudest sports jacket he could find in imitation of me. However, I told him his jacket couldn¢t hold a candle to some of the eye-blaster jackets I used to wear. What surprised the heck out of me were all the gifts I received, which were totally unexpected (but appreciated). Many of the items and gift cards were specially directed at my forthcoming Appalachian Trail hike. One gift I really appreciated was a beautiful ash walking stick from my former colleague, Chuck Smith. I had decided that I would not use trekking poles, so the stick will be very useful. It is polished, carved, and quite heavy, with a rubber tip. Last fall I borrowed a pair of trekking poles for a weekend hike on the Pennsylvania AT. I darn near tripped over them as I tried to negotiate the Pennsylvania rocks. A walking stick is more appropriate for me. My last official working day was Friday, February 11th. However, I will probably be in the office most days to clean up pending projects, organize drawing files, and say last goodbyes to professional acquaintances. Today will be my last run before my hike. I am afraid of injury so close to my March 12th starting date on the Trail. I am in good cardiovascular condition, so my main concern is carrying a pack of over forty pounds day after day. I will walk in the neighborhood carrying the pack to get used to the weight. After all these years of planning and anticipation it¢s hard to believe that in just 26 days I will be on my way to Georgia. I will fly to Atlanta where I will be picked up by my childhood and Boy Scout friend, George. He will deliver me to Josh and Leigh Saint¢s Hiker Hostel for the night of March 11th. The next day I will be shuttled to the parking lot below the summit of Springer Mountain and I will finally be on my way.-Swamp Fox
Date: 2005-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday was my last working day. My partners celebrated by having a pizza lunch for all our employees. (Guess they were glad to see me go!) It was also my good byes to my former co-workers. I expect I will be seeing them all when I return from my AT adventure, as I anticipate working a few hours a month for the company, whether paid or not. I turned in my company car and I would have liked to have turned in my company cell phone. Unfortunately I lost the darn thing yesterday, but I won¢t miss it. Tonight my family had a little going away dinner for me. My son, Matthew, gave me a digital camera to record my adventure. He tried to explain how to operate the camera, but I expect I will have my difficulties, just as I do with most electronic gadgetry. I will be mailing home the camera cards for the family to print, so they will see the photos before I do. Our family friend, Carole, joined us and gave me a polyester fisherman¢s vest. I will be wearing this as my outer layer on my hike. This way I can have camera, maps, flashlight, maps, trail guide, a small water bottle, and snacks readily available.My back pack is already in Georgia. I shipped it, along with my beautiful walking stick, to my friend, George. He now lives in a suburb of Atlanta, after living most of his life in the Philadelphia area. He will pick me up tomorrow at the Atlanta airport and deliver me and my gear to Hiker Hostel. Tomorrow is a big day. A dream of many years is just two days away. -Swamp Fox
Date: 2005-03-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

What a day! As planned, George was there to meet me when my plane arrived in Atlanta. I hadn¢t seen him since he left the Philadelphia area, over fifteen years ago. First we drove to his house, where I was reunited with my back pack and walking stick. I had shipped these two items to Georgia at a cost of about fifty dollars. I weighed myself and my pack. My pack weighed in at 44 pounds, with food to reach Neels Gap, but without water. That¢s 28 percent of my body weight of 156 pounds. A bit more than I would have liked.George¢s wife had prepared a nice lunch for us before we left to drive to the Hiker Hostel near Dahlonega, Georgia. We arrived at Hiker Hostel in mid afternoon, and I met a few of my fellow hikers who will be starting tomorrow. I am sharing a bunk room with Nimblefoot, and Mike and Diana (later to be known as "Dorothy and Toto") from Indiana. I had communicated by email with Mike and Diana before leaving for the Trail, so it was great to meet them in person. They will start with me tomorrow. Nimblefoot is recovering from an injury and slackpacked today. I thought I should buy dinner for George in view of his assistance in starting my hike. So we drove back into Dahlonega and found a pizza restaurant. Now, pizza is my favorite food, along with ice cream and doughnuts, but I had no appetite tonight. I could only eat a little of the pizza and George took the rest. I am pretty wound up tonight and I have no interest in food.Back at the hostel, George and I chatted a bit, and then he left to drive home. Thanks, George. This would have been far more expensive and complicated with out your help. I doubt if I will sleep much tonight. I never expected to be so apprehensive before the start of this adventure that I have dreamed about for years.-Swamp Fox
Date: 2005-03-12
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: few clouds

DAY 1I slept very little last night. To say I am apprehensive about the start of my adventure would be an understatement. Josh Saint prepared a great breakfast for us this morning. Unfortunately, I couldn¢t eat very much. It was late morning by the time Josh delivered our group to the parking lot at the base of Springer. In our group were Mike and Diana, and a couple who had previously thru hiked, ¢Jake Break¢ and his wife, ¢Low Gear¢. After Josh took the compulsory ¢Start of the Hike¢ photos, I started the 0.9 mile climb to the summit of Springer Mountain. It was a great day to start a thru hike. It was crisp and clear, with temperatures in the 30¢s; a perfect hiking day. I didn¢t spend much time on the summit and headed down the Trail, northward. On the way down I met Mike and Diana working their way up. They are also in their 60¢s, but are not in good hiking shape. They are great people and I wished them well. It seemed that most of today¢s hike to Hawk Mountain Shelter was downhill. The hiking didn¢t seem that difficult, despite my heavy load. I saw many other hikers on the Trail today. However, I only talked at length with one other hiker; a big, somewhat overweight hiker by the name of ¢Sasquatch¢. I arrived at Hawk Mountain Shelter in the late afternoon. There were already about thirty people camped in the area. Surprisingly, there was still room in the shelter, as the vast majority of the hikers preferred to tent on what seemed to be a nice day. I claimed my favorite spot in the shelter: the right side, next to the shelter wall. From past experience, I knew that if you were against a shelter wall, you only had one other person bumping into you. The only other person in the shelter when I arrived was an attractive lady, dressed in black, who introduced herself as ¢Rocky¢. After getting set up in the shelter it was time to cook dinner. There is a shelf on the outside of the left side of the shelter. However, the shelf was packed with other hikers¢ stoves, food, and miscellaneous stuff. As I stood there wondering where to set up my Whisperlite stove, Rocky came out of the shelter and offered to move her stove.   She added, ¢I don¢t COOK in the morning!¢ My initial reaction was to make a snide remark and say, ¢What do you do? Order take-out?¢ For once in my life, I resisted the urge to make a snide remark and make a bad joke. After dinner, which was not very tasty or rewarding, it was time to get set up for the night, which promised to be cold. I chatted with Rocky a bit. She had started the day before on the Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls. This was her second night on the Trail. She was hiking with three other people: ¢Baby Steps¢, ¢Gazer¢, and ¢Wizard¢. These three had thru hiked together in 2003. They were having a reunion on the Trail and were going to give Rocky a good start on her thru hike.So ended my first day on the Appalachian Trail. Finally, after all these years I am on my way. Only 2167 miles to go.-Swamp Fox