morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-07-08
To: Home - Dickinson, TX
Miles today: 0.0

Update statusI got off the trail in May to be with Libra Lady. To make a very long story short, she was recently diagnosed with a stage I cancer. It was detected early, and was removed in a surgical operation earlier this month. No further treatment is projected at this time. She is recovering nicely and if no setbacks are encountered, I expect to get back on the trail in several weeks.I recently talked to Lumpy and he is doing fine. He also has some upcoming family medical procedures and I ask that he and his family be included in your thoughts and prayers. As for me, Big Ugly has departed. In fact, he left during one of the rain soakings during my last week on the trail.   Little Joe is also looking a great deal better; not so good a report for Little Brother or Trey - - hopefully they¢ll leave the scene soon as well. The feeling is returning to my feet. I estimate it¢s about 90% in lefty foot and 75% in right foot. I have a flight to Bangor, Me on July 20. I expect it will be a day or two later to get back on the AT. My plan is to climb Katahdin and then hike SOBO to Harper¢s Ferry. I did notice that the ¢100 mile wilderness¢ is just south of Katahdin - what a way get welcomed back on the trail!! If my plans are successful, I should reach Harper¢s Ferry before Thanksgiving. I¢ll then think about getting back to Damascus, VA, and finishing the trek to Springer. And maybe Lumpy will be able to join me somewhere down the trail.I should be readily available for the next 2 weeks, either here via the guestbook or at my personal trail e-mail:   ticandlumpy@comcast.net. In the meantime, I¢ll try to download some more photos and update/edit some of the reports.
Date: 2009-07-09
From: Home - Dickinson, TX

To: En -route - Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Hello Hello again, I¢m heading to get back on the Appalachian Trail, really. I have a plane ticket to Bangor, ME (not Argentina). Then, I¢ll bus to Medway and next shuttle to Millinocket. After an overnight stay, I¢ll shuttle to Baxter State Park, summit Kathadin, then start SOBO hike to Harper¢s Ferry. I¢ll even have photos to prove where I am.Libra Lady is doing well and her cancer has been a text-book surgical procedure and recovery so far. No other treatment is expected at this time. I¢ve enjoyed the rest and look forward to what is essentially my ¢3rd¢ start on the AT this year. During my rest, I¢ve been able to see many friends and they have asked similar questions about my hike. I¢ve tried to capture these and will be answering them in future journal entries. Also, I invite you to sign the guestbook and post your questions as well.I¢ve also done some prep work. Feeling is returning to my feet and I treated myself to a first time pedicure. I¢m also checking out a new tent and even picked up a hiking kilt (LL is surprised again that I¢m not packing heat). And this week, I was interviewed for an article on the AT for Virginia outdoor living magazine.
Date: 2009-07-22
From: Katahdin (Baxter Peak)

To: 100 mile wilderness
Miles today: 0.0

III. Report of the Day. The last person to actually speak to Tic was Libra Lady. He called on Monday pm to let her know he made it to Maine safely. Although, he told her his flights from Houston were not the greatest and he missed Southwest Airlines. He is currently in the 100 mile wilderness. Libra Lady and I don¢t think his cell coverage is the best. We hope he is on the trail. He gave me several days worth of ¢question of the day¢ and ¢person of the day¢ items that he wrote before leaving Houston. I am going to copy-paste direct from his e-mail.   IV. Question of the Day: How do you plan for the hike? I would describe three phases of planning: strategic, tactical and daily. Today¢s answer will address the strategic part.Answer 1/3 (2/3 will be tomorrow).The strategic phase began a year or more prior to starting the hike. It involved a great deal of reading and research about what to expect on a thru-hike. Then there was the medical aspect. getting physicals, check-ups and approvals with all my doctors. My primary care physician, Dr Linda, provided hepatitis vaccinations, [which are given in series over a year], as well as prescriptions for infection and GI virus bugs if encountered on the trail. Next, was getting the gear and checking it all out. Here, I could have done a better job in hiking in my boots with full pack, and checking out my homemade alcohol stoves. Also, getting into shape for the physical demands of the hike.   Another major aspect was preparing the food and selecting potential mail drop locations. And finally, selecting the date and itinerary. Here, Lumpy and I chose a April southbound flip flop, starting at Harpers Ferry, WV to Springer Mtn, GA, then flipping to Katahdin Me for the flop back to Harper¢s Ferry.V. Person of the Day: Cliff Reindel. Cliff passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. I enjoyed visiting with Pat and Cliff at their island home. I caught my first salmon with Cliff off his ¢front yard¢ and we later fished at Port Washington and Vancouver Island, Canada. I would check the tide charts for planning my visits, so that I could go clamming during the peak periiod. And Cliff had the Dungeness crabbing down to an art. He would start heating up the crab pot , then we¢d go launch the boat and run the crab traps. The crab pot water would be ready when we returned, then we¢d start cooking the crabs. The crabs would be done by the time we cleaned up the boat. Let me tell you there is nothing finer than fresh crabs. Thanks for the good times ,Cliff.Miss P & B for Tic
Date: 2009-07-23
From: 100 mile wilderness

To: 100 mile wilderness
Miles today: 0.0

III. Report of the Day. He is alive and well on the AT. See the Guest Book entry made by Burly Girl Bugsy, July 22, 2009, 8:59 pm. She put a video of Tic preparing to cross a stream on the internet. Abol Bridge Campground is 15.2 miles from the start point Katahdin. His trip until this point has been 'all down hill.' He started at 5,268' and the campground is at 588' (TOC p 255). IV. QOD How do you plan for the hike? I would describe three phases of planning: strategic, tactical and daily. Today¢s answer will address the tactical phase of my planning. Here, the length is approximately a week, which is established to allow a ¢zero¢ hike day for recovery, and determined by the maximum amount of food I want to carry. Next, will be reading the maps, looking at expected distance to travel, amount of elevation changes, food resupply options, potential zero day locations, weather forecasts and most importantly, water sources. The food resupply require three drop planning: one is the actual pick-up, the 2nd resupply needs to already be in the delivery mode and the 3rd should be ready for final inventory, location confirmation and shipment. The water source information will determine how much I will need to carry. Earlier, there was a 13-mile stretch between water sources. The weather forecasts are valuable to predict whether I¢ll be hiking in the heat and/or rain.V. POD Since I missed Father¢s Day being off the trail, I¢ll use my first day back to recognize my father, James Walter Luna. Dad was the runt of the litter, the last of 10 living siblings born to Walter Arslo and Mary Cummings Luna. I never knew my grandparents. We have a favorite picture of all the family in a cotton field, where they were sharecroppers. Dad grew up in Bay City, was quite active in Boy Scouts and worked for a long time in the Long Theater. He later got a job in the plant office at Abercrombie Oil Company and moved to Old Ocean, and then later to Sweeny. He was very good in all things mathematic. Dad continued to be an adult leader in Scouts, and was always active in the Sweeny Methodist Church. He enjoyed traveling, photography, and family. And it would have been a terrible oversight to fail to mention his candy making, which was truly of Texas proportion. He loved making candy for just about everyone, and I estimate that he made between 4 and 5 TONS over the years.Miss P & B for Tick
Date: 2009-07-25
From: 100 mile wilderness

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

QOD: What is the average day like?The day begins at daylight, getting up, taking down camp, eating some granola for breakfast and getting ready to hike. I¢ve slept in late and not started hiking until 1000 or so. I¢ve also gotten up and started hiking before dawn. My preference has been to be up and on the trail around 0730. There has been nothing ¢average¢ about the hike, other than there has been a lot of ¢ups¢ and a lot of ¢downs¢. Depending on the intensity of the hike, I¢ll stop for a short feed break at 1 to 2 hours of a power bar After about 4 hours, I like a longer break and may have a hot food break, either oatmeal, cup of noodles or the sort. Then more hiking and a little more substantial feed breaks, jerky, gorp. Around 600 pm, I start looking for a campsite for the night. Shelters are fine because they usually have a privy and water source. I¢m not too keen about sleeping in a shelter with a number of other hikers and prefer to either cowboy or set up my tent. If a shelter is not available, the next location will be near a water source, hopefully with an already established campsite. So far, I¢m always been able to stop hiking before 700. I then set up camp and start dinner, which have been either packaged or home-made vacuum packed meals. While dinner is cooking, I try to do my stretching exercises. After dinner I then try get gear and clothes ready for the next day, and then body check for ticks, scratches, cuts and bruises.   Then into bed for some light reading and planning for the next day.POD: Gladys Sarah Moore Frost, a.k.a. Granny. Granny was born in the Indian Territory, next to a reservation in what is now Oklahoma. She was reported to have been a flapper in her early days and there are wild rumors about her being involved with Tom Mix. Granny was ahead of her time in many areas: serving on school committees in New London, selective service board in Bay City, owning an insurance business in Sweeny, and active in Republican politics when Texas was a one-party Democratic state. She was uncomfortable living alone. After Papa died, I moved in to live with her ¢ all the way across the street and down two houses. When we moved to Sweeny, Dad had the house plans altered so that what would have been a two car attached garage, was converted to the ¢mother-in-law¢s apartment. This arrangement worked out very well. Granny was an active Pink Lady volunteer and loved playing bridge, teaching me to ignore the fundamental basics and going instead by my instincts.   That advice has also served me well in my personal development.
Date: 2009-07-27
From: 100 mile wilderness

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Report: Tic called Sunday (7/26/09) and left a voice mail with the following:        Monday (07/20/09) I was in Millinocket;        Tuesday I climbed Mt Katahdin;        Wednesday I stayed at Abol Bridge;        Thursday I stayed in a shelter 15 miles south of Abol Bridge;        Friday I stayed at the Wadleigh Stream Lean-to;        Saturday I stayed at the Antler campsite which was really great;        Sunday I am calling from Cedar something.Since I didn¢t have coverage, I put out a public service message through Burly Girl and Bugsie to let everyone know I was alive. I am trekking with two companions, Fluffy Bunnie and Mr TNT, who both have search and rescue devices. We are going to stay together until we are all out of the 100 mile wilderness, and I am very comfortable with this arrangement. ¢It is ugly out here.¢ Do you treat the water?Yes, I treat all water. The oldest method is to boil water; but this is takes time and fuel. Modern methods include chemicals, filters and UV lights. Each method has its own pros and cons. I use Polar Pure, a bottle with iodine crystal solution to treat my water. POD: I grew up in the ¢slate houses¢ camp in Old Ocean. It was a single street, Abson Drive, named after Mr. Jim and someone named Nelson (AB ercrombie nel SON) there were just over a dozen duplexes on the street. On one side were        101 ?? /103 Dodsons (Carl, Jack)        105/107 JLH and Ethel Cox        109   Lindamood/111 Luna        113 Haynes (Johnny, Susan) 115        Hancocks        117 Ms Preas/119 Hightowers (Linda)        121 Paynes/123 Backens (Rodney Bob [Terry didn¢t arrive until much later])              125+¢¦.On the other side of the street        106/108        Bodens (Louise Johnson, Sue)        110 Frosts (grandparents/        112Heintschells        112        Porteaus??/114 Lowry (Martha Nell [some relation to Bulldog Drive Inn] Susie)        116+¢¦I don¢t recall those living on the far side of the street. And, I didn¢t go to the other camps all that often. But, here are some who lived in the other camps: Rodenberg, Authenreith, Johnson,.Houston, Engle.The Person of the day is Mr. John Louis Henry Cox, known as ¢Alphabet¢ Cox at the plant. He was a safety engineer and could do almost anything with metal. He spent a great deal of his time repairing worn out personal equipment (mostly other people¢s) and a lot included fabricating parts on his workbench. He loved to fish and had a beach house at Sargeant Beach. We often went to his beach house, where I was ¢Manuel Labor¢ for grass mowing, house repairs and otherwise maintaining the property.   I remember one particular hot and steamy day, grass and weeds were very high. I was pretty well worn out clearing out the back lot, when Mr. Cox came driving up on his homemade riding lawn mower, with a six-pack of beer around his neck, looking like the St Bernard rescue dogs in the European snow mountains. And I do remember catching a good mess of speckled trout that outing. Later, Mr. Cox and my family moved to Sweeny and we were neighbors again for a total close to 40 years.Miss P & B for Tic
Date: 2009-07-28
From: 100 mile wilderness

To: Antler Campsite
Miles today: 51.9
Weather: clear sky

Report of the Day: You can see Tic in all his glory on a video. Step 1 ¢ go to the Trail Journals Home Page. Step 2 ¢ just below the beautiful picture of a butte in somewhere in the southwest is a blue bar. The first choice is home, second choice is journals. Highlight and hit the ¢search¢ button. Step 3 ¢ type in Burly Girl and Bugsy. Step 4 ¢ before you hit Google button, change the small dot that says ¢web¢ to the second choice which is ¢trail journals¢. Step 5 ¢ hit the big red Google button. Finally, the first web choice should be for Burly Girl and Bugsy. Open this, go to videos on the left side of the journal, go to the pull down in the center of the page, and look for Sun, July 26 Tic in the 100 mile wilderness. Enjoy !!!QOD: What are the modern water treatments? Two of the more popular methods are filters and chemicals. The filtration systems can involve handpumps and/or gravity feeds. With filters, water can be collected from very shallow sources, and immediately consumed without any ¢taste¢. The negative aspects include weight (1 lb or more), pumping action (100 strokes or more/liter) and tendency to clog. Chemicals are lightweight, take 20 minutes to purify and can leave a chemical taste.A relative new treatment are the Steripens lights. These use UV rays to sterilize the bacteria in the water. Quality control on these units appear mixed, users either absolutely love them or hate them. They are relative quick (90 secs/liter) and are heavy battery usersPOD: I attended school in the Sweeny Independent School District, which is the major reason our family moved to Old Ocean. The SISD has always been one of the wealthier school districts; primarily due to the oil industry the teachers and programs were always well regarded. SISD elementary school included the first four grades. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Rudd and second grade was Ms Preas, I think. The 3rd and 4th grade classes were held in the ¢tree houses¢, which have been long removed.   The tree houses were elevated buildings, which allowed recess and PE activities to be held under them during hot, and rainy weather periods. I don¢t remember much of these times, other than the time Keith Hudkins and I were sword fighting. Our ¢swords¢ were new yellow #2 lead pencils, which were precisely sharpened. During one of our fights, I stabbed Hud in the hand and broke off the pencil lead in his hand, just below the finger. I think he still carries the scar.POD: Mrs. Rudd was your prototypical first grade teacher. She (and Mr. Rudd) also attended church at Sweeny Methodist. Mrs. Rudd also kept and maintained her yard well into her retirement years, and it would compete quite well with the nicest country clubs.   During one of my military transfers, we had a period where B2 was also in Mrs. Rudd¢s for a short period ¢ now that is a coincidence. Mrs. Rudd even remembered me well and recalled how well I did in ¢numbers¢.Miss P & B for Tic
Date: 2009-07-29
From: Antler Campsite

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

QOD: Rambunny from Marion asks: what has been the most unusual thing you¢ve found on the trail? I didn¢t have an answer at first; but, after thinking about this for awhile, I have two things. First, is the number of single female hikers I¢ve met on the trail. I wasn¢t going to mention this initially; but, later found a good number have their own trailjournals. Also, I¢m confident that after a woman has been on the trail for a month or more, that she is very capable of taking care of herself. The second item is the generosity of the trail angels. Lumpy and I thought we were low on water (we really weren¢t); but, oiila¢, there in the middle of the trail was a 1 12 liter bottle of water. Later, we were running low on snacks and were given more than enough to help us make to our next re-supply. And then on my lowest day on the trail, totally drenched, all clothes wet and really feeling a lot of self-pity, here comes an angel totally out of nowhere offering the most welcomed trail magic of pancakes, eggs, sausage, OJ etc.POD: The SISD middle school included 5th and 6th grade. One of my lasting memories will be reciting the Texas state pledge and state song (which is ¢Texas, Our Texas¢ and not the more familiar ¢The Eyes of Texas¢). I already identified Mrs. New and her 5th grade art class. Another key teacher was Coach Joe Pantalone, today¢s POD. Coach was from the Pennsylvania coalmines, did some boxing and taught a 6th grade class, as well as running a very well organized PE program. He set up three teams, one being the boys from Sweeny, another from Old Ocean, and the third was the Rag Nots, which included all the other areas. He kept and published the sporting statistics. And he wasn¢t shy about using ¢Duster¢, his paddling board. Well after he retired, and was in poor health, I saw him at the mall in Lake Jackson. I went over and said something along the lines of ¢Coach, how are you doing?¢. He immediately rose up proudly, said everything was fine, and proceeded on with a slight rise in his step.The SISD junior high included the 7th, 8th and 9th grades. I attempted to play football all three years. The net result was two broken ankles and the most significant event was a serious leg puncture wound. This injury became infected and I spent nearly two months in a hospital. I was much more successful in number sense at the district meets, placing each year.
Date: 2009-07-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

QOD: Ginny from Damascus notes: zero days aren¢t really zero days. So, what are zero days like? Zero days may mean ¢zero¢ hiking; but, they are far from a do nothing day. For me, the first item of business is to take a shower. Then get something to eat. Next usually, is to wash my clothes, then get something to eat. Then pick up resupply box and get something to eat. Then clean and repair gear, get something to eat. I¢ll then make a re-supply run ¢ pick up alcohol fuel, fill in the resupply/repair lists.   Then after catching up on my snacks, I¢ll try to go find a hearty meal. Later, time and facilities available, I¢ll catch up on e-mail, and journals. Somewhere in here I¢ll find a way to mail my SD picture cards to Ms P&B.POD: Mrs. Bessie Cutcher. She was from Mt Pleasant and was an English teacher in the S.I.S.D. for many years. She was very well know for her style and grace, even being featured in a personal essay in the Houston Post and tried her best to pass this on to her students.Miss P & B for Tic
Date: 2009-07-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

QOD: Several have asked about how you deal with the rain.   If you¢re certain that the rain/inclement weather is a short event, then you can probably find/make a shelter and ride it out. However, I have had two stretches where it pretty much rained solid for an entire week. I haven¢t found anyone with a week of supplies in reserve, so you have to hike on regardless of the weather. I¢¢ve seen many reported ¢waterproof¢ outerwear; but, none of these will actually withstand sustained rainfall. In fact, I¢ve seen some gore tex clothing totally saturated and probably weighing several pounds. I haven¢t prepared my ¢official¢ gear review yet; but, I have been quite pleased with my Frogg Toggs. They are very lightweight, repel water very well and dry out quickly. Next, you try to keep equipment dry, and try to save one set of clothes dry at all cost. And if you want a good wake-up exercise, try putting your foot in a wet pair of boots, lacing them up and watching the water seep out of the eyelet holes. Finally, when you do get into some sunlight, try to hang everything out to dry.POD: High School covered the 10th, 11th and 12th grades. Probably the most notable event was Hurricane Carla, one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Texas coast.   A more fond memory was a field trip by the football team as a reward for going undefeated thru the non-district schedule. The team went to Austin to see an outstanding UT victory over Arkansas, 7-3. POD: Mr. C.W. New was primarily a school administrator, but taught a senior college prep course and was an advisor to the photo club. He was the best college prep teacher one could ever have. The New¢s were our neighbors in Sweeny. My Dad was very serious about recording rain fall amounts and was surprised that when he compared readings with Mr. New that they were always identical. Then several years later, Mr. New confessed that he used his binoculars to read Dad¢s rain gaugeMiss P & B for Tic