morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

For most of November and all of December both Rawhide and I worked on my grandparent's Christmas Tree Farm. It was a familiar but well-loved stress for me and a whole new experience for him. In many ways it was like hiking, get up and eat because your stomach is growling as soon as your feet hit the floor, go all day, eat dinner, relax for a few minutes then go to bed. I was still taping my favorite shows to watch at a later date and I was still able to see food as a necessary fuel for my body - not as the enemy. Don't worry, food is back to being the enemy now. Yum, you mean I really get to eat carrot sticks every day for lunch?!?        By the end of the Christmas season, I had made the decision that I wanted to go hiking again. Not just for a weekend but for something longer. Something that had the feeling of a thru hike if not the actually length. I kept it to myself for a few days. A happy secret that made me smile when I thought of it. When I slyly hinted around the idea, Rawhide's immediate ear-to-ear grin was all the answer I needed. But more on that later..........        Now it's January and I am back to subbing while Rawhide is looking for a job. We are still trying to get everything unpacked and put into place. The most exciting thing is that our shower may be fixed soon! When my Aunt moved out of the house, she had said that the water damage on the ceiling came from when the toilet had overflowed. When we officially moved in in December we quickly found out that it came from a leak in the shower. Back to showering at my mom's house. We were all just too busy to look at it in December but now Christmas is over and the ceiling is coming down. Yes, I am dreading having to move and plastic our living room right after getting it all pulled together but having to pack a change of clothes every time I want to shower is even worse. It is a good thing I'm used to not showering for days. By the end eight days was about average. Now every four days is just a luxury.
Date: 2006-01-21
To: Do I miss the Trail?
Miles today: 0.0

Do I miss the trail?        Of course I miss it. It was a grand adventure. And I made it every step, every single mile to Maine. Nothing skipped at all. It makes me feel really good that when I say, "I did the whole thing" I mean every word of that. But in many ways I still do not feel like it was that big of a thing. Hiking is just what I did everyday; Maine just happened to be the direction I was heading. There are so many places that I would never have known existed if I had never hiked. There is so much less stress out on the trail. Especially once you leave town and step onto the AT. Whatever problem you were dealing with--there was nothing you could do about till the next town. The amount of money in your pocket was not going to change (unless you were lucky enough to spy a roadside restaurant or ice cream place) till the next town. And all you had to do was walk, eat, and enjoy the views.        But right now I am glad to not be out there. I am a fair weather hiker. Being out in this cold would just make me unhappy. A warm house will beat out a cold tent any winter. The running water thing is pretty sweet too. At this point I am back to taking it for granted. Turn on the faucet and water comes out. Move the handle a little bit and hot water comes out. (After I impatiently wait for a few seconds.) No filters or stoves involved. I guess knowing that I'm taking it for granted is at least a step in a better direction though, right??        And the food. I still can't look at Lipton or Granola anything. Mostly because I know that I will have to eat it again at some point in the future. I'm just saving it for then. Plus I still get a slightly nauseous feeling when I look at trail food. When I first came home, I was in shock that my family could pick all of those different things out of the cabinet and refrigerator and weren't eating it all of the time. I think when I came home I ate all the time just because so much different food was there and I didn't have to carry ANY of it.        For me the hike was about the people: The friends I met, the saints that I stayed with, the angels with sodas, and the hikers who shared the path with me. The trail community is part of what makes the trail great. And it did not disappear when I stepped off of Katahdin. I still talk to friends and even got to bring one home with me. In many ways there is nothing to miss because the important things are not gone. If you are part of the trail community (and yes, sadly it is possible to hike and not be) then the trail just goes with you when you leave.   It was Pixie and Pinedragon who said that hiking is not what you do, it is who you are. If you get what thru hiking is about, by the end you realize that the AT is just the first adventure and not THE adventure. Yes I miss it but at the same time feel that I took all of the good parts with me.
Date: 2006-01-27
To: PA Ruck
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday I was over at my mom's house. She asks, "So, are you guys going to the PA Ruck this weekend?" "What?" was all I could come up with. "You did know that the PA Ruck was this weekend right?" "Mmmm, no." So once again, the non-thru-hiker in the house knows more about what is going on trail-wise than the thru-hikers.It's incredibly short notice, we haven't registered (are we even supposed to??), and I have to go grocery shopping because of course there is food involved. Duh, of course we are going. To save money (sadly to hike it does take money and we are always saving for that next trip. Wait, is this going to be the pattern of my life - hike till we are broke, work and save money - hike till broke...?) we are going to stay with Rawhide's parents who live close to Pine Grove.   Due to traffic and me working we won't get there till after things start tonight but who cares; Longhaul says Mouth is coming!!!!! I haven't seen him in person since NJ. If some of these people could have just started fooling around more and hiking less, my lazy self would have gotten to see them!!!Anyway, I think we are off to the PA Ruck in just a few hours. So excited!!!!
Date: 2005-02-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well I have almost cleared out of the Army only a 2 more weeks. I went paragliding near Bland VA, so I put in a cache of freezdried food. I happened upon some thru hikers that started in 2004 going south and took them into town. It was nice to get to help some fellow hikers, and get a chance to meet some people I will come buy again as I go north. They said they should finish mid March and I plan to start Mar 5.
Date: 2005-03-05
To: Dahlonega
Miles today: 0.0

Well I am officialy a civilian.Got my Dragon Stamp and DD214. It feels good to not have Uncle Sam on my back any more. Although I know he is going to always have his hands in my pocket. I'm staying in Dahlonega Sunday evening and I start walking on Monday. The one thing I hope for on my first day is to walk past a Ranger school class. That would make my day. I don't know what I would say if anything, maybe try and give them some chow, if I could. But I would probably just get one of them recycled, so maybe I won't. Before I write to much more, I have to appologize for my spelling and lack of punctuation, and every other grammatical error you may read in my journal. My english teachers would be apauled. In the last sentence alone I question the spelling of at least three words. I also don't know how often I will get to write in this journal, or if I will even have the will to once I get going. But I think this will be the best way to let whomever may be interested in how I'm progressing know what is going on. I feel like I get to start my life over. I have no debt very little exspenses and enough money for whatever I may need on the trail. I am very fortunate to have the chance to do something like this. I don't realy consider this a vacation, since I know it is going to be alot of work. I'm sure I will have fun, but I plan on meditating daily(without fail)and trying to come off the trail a little more grounded and with a better control over my mind. I think that if I can do that, I will be more succesful with whatever I may want to do in the future.
Date: 2005-03-07
From: Springer Mountain

To: View Entry
Miles today: 14.0

Hi! I'm writing in this entry for Buckwheat. The name is Raisin, and I will occasionally be writing in to keep all updated, as well as transcribe for Buckwheat as needed......Today is Buckwheat's first day out. The morning is beautiful. A little breezy and crisp, but clear. It calls for showers later in the evening, and on the chilly side, so hopefully it will be a dry first night.    As I drove away excited and sad, I pulled over for a moment, got out of the car, and with the sun on my face I took a breath, and could just feel the peacefulness of the surroundings. Buckwheat, I hope your hike is full of that and more.   Raisin
Date: 2005-03-09
From: Springer mountain

To: Neel's gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hello all,      I got a chance to speak with Buckwheat since his first day out. He is now in Neel's gap and is staying overnight in a cozier place. He's doing good considering his first night, he camped just short 2 miles from a shelter(too tired to go any further), set up on the side of a hill, and down came the rain and sleet. Needless to say, it was a cold and wet first night. Tonight when I spoke to him he had to buy his resupplies, because his package he sent to Neel's gap was not there. But hopefully he will not have this problem when it's time to resupply again. ...Boy, with all the preparing hikers do for this adventure, you would think things should just go perfectly smooth, but of course, it this case it did not apply, and I don't doubt there will be more obstacles to overcome....   Well that is all I have for now, stay tuned for further updates.Raisin
Date: 2005-03-10
From: Neel's gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 16.0

Today...      Well after a Zero day waiting around at Neel's Gap for a package that never arrived and spending some bucks on resupply, getting a good night's sleep was just the thing that gave Buckwheat some energy to truck on 16 Miles! He said he had a good day, he hiked mostly by himself and set up camp a couple of miles short from the shelter, in concern that it might be overcrowded. He rigged up a sweet covering using some sort of tarp(I forgot what he called it)a trek pole, and a log on about a 5 percent slanted hill. He should stay dry even if the rain comes, but the weather calls for only a 20% chance tonight and tomorrow. YEAH!! Later,Raisin
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Franklin

To: Franklin NC
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: light rain

I made it a short day today. I only did 4 miles and got shuttled into Franklin. I plan on doing all the things you do when you get to a town. Eating as much as possible at the buffet, taking a shower, cleaning my clothes and spending some money at the outfitters. I think I may but a new pack. I like the one I have but it is just two big and heavey. I have been enjoyong myself so far. Doing some decent miles starting to get into a rythem of how I do things. I had a pretty miserable day two days ago. I woke up at 1:00 in the morning and could not go back to sleep. So although it had been raining lighly I decided I might as well do some night hiking since I was up. I went to find the food bags which we hung a good distance from the shelter(also my first saty at a shelter).It was so foggy that I could not see further than about 15 feet. So after searching for about 30 min, I finally found them. Welll to make a long story a little shorter, I lost a glove, woke everyone up and was fairly wet before I started walking. With the limited visability, it was difficult to find my way on the trail. I kept scaring the crap out of myself by walkig through the switchbacks a finding myself standing in the middle of the woods. The one thing that was easy to see though was the reflective "Bear Conservetory" signs along the trail. Between that and ranger posting about a bear that had taken people's packs, and was unafraid of humans. I was a little concerned about running into a bear, since I could only see 15 feet and the bear would probably just smell his dinner coming(my dinner!)and wait for it to walk right up to him. I was constantly bagging my poles together hoping that might scare any away. But luckily I had no other major problems, besides cold hands and did about 14 miles that day. The group I was hiking with otherwise known as "Team Fantastic" know says that anytime some gets up inthe middle of the night and wakes everyone up, they are "pulling a buckwheat". The group of people I had left earlier are nice, and so is the one now leaving me. So I'm in good company. Just a few of the trail names(I can remember) of people I have met so far. Whitey, Tofu, Super Cheese, Snail, Orphan, Sabatoge, Cracker, Lone Trail, Jaws, and a bunch of others who do not have trail names yet. I'm going to leave tomorro at 9:00am and hope to make it two NOC in two day. Its supposed to be raining and snowing all week so it might be salow going but I gotta get the miles in. And I have to officialy thank Raisin for transcribing my calls and helping me with sending my stuff. I'll try to write more once I get my pocketmail. So buy for know Comment from Raisin....Oh Buckwheat, I'm not much of an English teacher, but for sentimental reasons, I won't edit this entry.
Date: 2005-03-19
To: Sassafras Gap
Miles today: 91.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hi!   Well I apologize for the delay on an update. Also since my lack of updating, I had to put such a high number of daily miles so it would calculate the total miles to match where Buckwheat's at now. (Which is Sassafras) He posted the last update, and saw that the miles were alittle off from the destination he was at, and I am to blame for that mishap.    Sooo any whoo... after Franklin, he hiked along for a couple of days and well I can sum it up by saying "COLD AND WET". Yes it was very rainy here at home as well. I literally got up around 6:30 a.m. and it was constant precipitation ALL DAY LONG. I was going do a little morning hike my self, because keeping this journal has put me in the mood. But I was hoping for a sunny day, so I passed. But not everyone who's on the Trail.. Back to Buckwheat, he stayed at licklog gap, and made his way to the NOC. YEAHHH!!!! his package came. GO NOC!! He finally decided to ditch his ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC, HUGE pack and chose something a bit more compact. The one thing that I'm sure he'll miss about it, is that he told me he didn't ever have to worry about trying to fold everything just right to make it fit. It was just Stuff and Go!   So needless to say he's doing well and I will return when I get new info.Raisin
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Fontana Dam

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 42.1
Weather: clear sky

Hi Everybody, Well I want to start off by saying that the daily miles are over a couple of days from Fontana Dam, so Buckwheat and I could meet in Gatlinburg for a weekend. And after a long walk for him, and a long drive for me we finally meet. Who would have thought picking someone up somewhere on US441 would be so easy. (maps are great) So, I never saw him with a beard before, but he sported his new look great! We had several things to take care of while we were in town, but we did manage to scoot in a little fun. (what I mean by that is..we rented a scooter for the day) I highly recommend it especially with all the traffic, you'll get around much faster. Well, maybe not if your going up a very steep hill, you might have to give it a little "Fred Flintstone push"...heee...One place we took care of a lot of business is at THE HAPPY HIKER. What a great store, they are very helpful there so stop on in. (located off light#10) They will mail your packages too. While we were there we did run into a few people that Buckwheat hiked with on the trail. One couple was heading back to the working world (like me after the weekend) and the other guy was to return to the trail after his town visit. Small world...you can walk with someone in the woods one day and see them in a town on another.   Well after a great weekend with Buckwheat it was time to see him off once again. He mentioned how it almost felt like day one again. I guess you can't take too many zero days before you get that feeling. One good thing about thru hiking is that you set your own pace, but for Buckwheat I think its about to pick up. The send off: After taking a picture on a very foggy (the smokies are no where in sight), a little chilly, and add in a few scattered hard pellets of rain, I ran on the trail up to the first white blaze, kissed Buckwheat goodbye and ran back and watched him fade away into the mist.Raisin
Date: 2005-03-28
From: Tri-Corner knob

To: Davenport Gap,Tenn
Miles today: 16.0

I talked to Buckwheat this afternoon and he is now through the smokies.(phewwh!!) The weather hasn't been too great. While making it to a shelter to stop for lunch, it was just in time because down came some big snowflakes, but it did manage to stop when he was ready to move out. Tonight he will enjoy a "BIG MAMA" cheeseburger and hopefully he will be able to get his pocketmail set up. I will still transcribe occasionally, but now he'll be able to keep up with the daily details info. Goodbye for now...RaisinThis just in...Buckwheat got his pocketmail set up and here's what he wrote:miles done= 16 to Davenport Gap {mountain mamas}Lessons Learned= shiny objects are slippery. Falling on your ass is painfull.people met= Stalker, Not Guilty, pixie and pine dragon and I met my first ridge runner {shatter}.other stuff: walked alot faster today so that I could get some real food before the grill closed. Alot of talking going on in the Hostel so it's hard to write. I'll try to write tommorow.
Date: 2005-03-29
From: Davenport Gap,Tenn

To: Max Patch Summit
Miles today: 16.0

Morning Entry: Just waiting for Mountain Mama's to open to get some breakfast and a ride back to the trail. I have a good picture of the Honeymoon sweet I stayed in. Have to wait for that though. I hope to be at Max Patch summit tonight. I hear it's a pretty place. The weather is supposed to be good. Which is more important now that I no longer have a tent.Miles: 16Thought of the day:   Always remember that you are special and different just like everyone else.Well I made it, and it is gorgous.About two football fields of grass at the top of Max patch. Like always the pictures will be well behind the text. I'm going to try and bang out some more miles so I have a long day to chill in Hot Springs.
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Max Patch Summit

To: deerpark
Miles today: 16.6

Miles:16.6Well It was almost a nice sunrise at Max patch. Everyone was up to watch it. The cirrus clouds over the mountain were extremly red and the sky over us was dark blue, but the sun sneaked into the clouds and we could never see it. It was still very nice. It was like the color was turned off when the sun came up behind the clouds. My ankle was giving me a hard time this morning. I stopped after the first half mile to take some celebrex. But then I was burping it up (Tastes like soap).But like always it worked it self out. I arrived at the shelter (Deer Park) at 3:00. I didn't know if I was going to come this far, but the terrain was pretty easy. Tommorow I only have a little over three to Hot Springs. I have a drop box at the Post Office and I should also be getting my Hennesse Hammock tent. I can't wait. I have been sleeping very poorly on the ground. I probably won't write tommorow. Just staying in town and getting stuff done.Deep thought of the Day: If I were in a war, instead of throwing grenades, I would throw baby pumpkins. When the enemy saw I was throwing baby pumpkins, they would think how silly that is, and how silly war is. And while they were thinking I would throw a real grenade.Add on: alot of people came to the shelter since I have been here. The Tennesse Walkers, John and a boy scout troup from Greensboro NC. We got a fire going and it has been the best social time I have had so far.
Date: 2005-03-31
From: deerpark

To: hot springs
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: moderate rain

I said I probably wouldn't write but this has been the neatest town I'vestopped in so far. It seems as though everyone I have met decided to meet here today. The hostel is very nice.It's an old victorian house and the owner has an organic farm and makes gourmet vegetarian diners. He must have read my mind, because we are having a coconut curry vegetable dish. There is a fairly extensive library and a music room and it seems like every time I go by someone is playing anything from rock to bluegrass on flute to banjo. Which I have also become very fond of. My Hammock arrived and I set it up and tried it out and it was little bit of heaven. The outfitter here has had the best selection so far, so I got a few more toys. As soon as breakfast is over tommorow, it's back to work and I should be in Erwin, TN on Tuesday morning. Its seems like things keep getting better, so I hope it keeps up.
Date: 2005-04-01
From: hot springs

To: Hot springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I was going to leave here today after breakfast, but I was going to have to go very slowly or get to my next mail drop(Elk Park P.O.) on the weekend. So instead I figured to just stay here another day and walk how I would like. Plus it's raining.Social Situation: I have met alot of different types of people but few I can relate or talk to very well. I seem to be in the stuck in the middle, between the super intelligent and the somewhat ignorant. I'm not sure if I'm more lonely with people, or without them. But I am still in good spirits and am enjoying my freedom.Raisin says: Buckwheat also took a dip in the hot springs on this day as the French Broad River flows along side. From what I've read and heard about, it seems like a weekend adventure town thats a must see.
Date: 2005-04-03
From: Hot springs

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: clear sky

In my last email I said that it was raining yesterday. That is not exactly true. It sprinkled a little, but it was supposed to rain all day. The day I left, there was predicted to be a chance of PM showers. What really happened was...it rained all day below 2500ft...it snowed up to about 10in...and with the added bonus of 40mph winds, which then made the snow drifts nice and high. And of course my gloves were already soaked from the rain, so I would have to put my hands in my pockets every couple of minutes to warm them back up, which would leave tell tale drag marks through the snow as my trekking poles flopped around behind me. But I did the 11 miles to the shelter and there was a pretty cool group there. Clarisa, Bill, Jay, 42, and 1/4 of the way. I could write so much more, but it's a pain so, I'm not.Next Day:Everyone out here is very interesting though. I did 16 miles today to Jerry's cabin shelter. I was the first one here, but I knew the shelter was going to be full, so I decided to set up my new Hennesee Hammock, which is where I'm at right now. I wasn't being totally selfless though, I really just wanted to set up the hammock.Raisin says: Sorry I can't be there to tie down that flappin poncho Buckwheat(its a little windy tonight) but I wish you a good night's rest as you sway in the breeze. At least you won't have any rats jumping on your face scaring you awake this evening. (woooh..I get the heebee jeebee's just thinking about that) Goodnite! Even though you might get a bug bite!
Date: 2005-04-04
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well today was not fun. 6mi in 4 hours. It's a nice day, but I went to fast yesterday and my ankle is letting me know it. So this is as far as I think I should go today. I'll have to do a few more miles tomorrow or I will run out of food before I get to Erwin. I'm glad I brought a book with me.