morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-02-04
To: Working on Maildrops
Miles today: 0.0

Gee, time is getting short! Five weeks from today, my friends will drop me off at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, and I'll start hiking the next day. Alas, I had planned on being in awesome shape by this time (or at least as awesome as one can be at my age!), but it hasn't happened. Oh well, I'll just take it very slow at first.I've collected the priority boxes for my maildrops. It looks like a priority mail truck exploded in my bedroom... My goal for tonight is to to finish addressing them, then start with loading them up with stuff.Looks like I will be carrying a Pocketmail device. Several people (hikers) tried to talk me into this at SORUCK, and I demurred. But since I've been back, I mentioned it to a few people here and they all think it is a wonderful idea, especially since I refuse to carry a cell/satellite phone. It will also make it a lot easier on my poor beleaguered sister, who has volunteered to keep up my journal for me as I head north. Does anyone know how long the batteries last?I've also been reworking my itinerary (which will go by the wayside on approximately Day One, but it helped with planning maildrops.) I am putting in a few zero days this time... Can you believe I hadn't even put in a stop at NOC?See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-02-11
To: Kibble!
Miles today: 0.0

Four weeks to go. My God, I'll never get everything done! This weekend I am packaging kibble, uh, I mean TVP, with my Food Saver. It really does look like kibble and not a very good grade kibble at that... I remind myself that I will be hungry enough to eat the bark off the trees and a little kibble will taste mighty fine!The Food Saver kinda surprised me; not only how long it takes, but how noisy it is. Since I tend to do most of my work at night, it's a good thing I'm not in a thin-walled apartment building.Just got back from a food shopping trip. Little by little everything is coming together. I'm trying to use maildrops for most of my breakfasts and dinners; snacks and lunches I'll mostly wing it until I find out what I want. Luckily, or not, maybe, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, except when it comes to Krispy Kremes hot off the line, and I doubt there are Krispy Kremes along the Trail with the "HOT" sign lit up! But tonight I still bought some peanut M&M's and some Snicker bars; gotta be part of the Program.I've also been reading a lot of journals. Am in the middle of Cuppa Joe's right now. The group he's traveling with just finished an out-loud reading of the Hobbit. Maybe I'll bring a copy, or more likely include it in a maildrop, so that we can do the same thing in the Shenandoahs. It sounds like fun, and it such a great story.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-02-13
To: Mail Drops
Miles today: 0.0

Just finished putting my maildrops on line, all (gasp!) 34 of them. I tried to use hostels and outfitters as much as possible, to avoid the "arriving in town on Saturday too late to get to the post office and having to hang around until Monday to pick up the package" syndrome. One of the mail drops I'm not so sure about -- it is not a town listed in the extensive drop-down list of resupply locations -- that's Bartlett, NH, but it sounds as if there is a nice hostel nearby, that unfortunately does not have an address for maildrops.BTW, you might want to start planning now, for items to be sent to maildrop #11. I will pick that one up right around my 60th birthday, and I LOVE surprises, LOL!Finally got all the kibble packaged, and most of the dried egg packaged. I was going to do the egg in individual packets, until I figured out how many of them that would be, so now they are in cup packages -- that's about 14 eggs worth.Back to work tomorrow, so for the next 3 days nothing will get done. I work 12 hour night shifts, so that's actually 14 when figuring in commute time (which is really pretty minimal), but when I get home from work there is barely enough time to get my 8 hours of beauty rest before going back the next night.Is anyone else out there having dreams (sleeping) about the Trail? I have the nice ones of strolling along on a perfect day, but more often I have the anxiety type dreams. One I had I was sitting on the front porch at Miss Janet's sorting my maildrop and trying not to cry, because Miss Janet's was full, Uncle Johnny's was full, all of the motels were full, it was raining and getting dark, and I didn't have anyplace to stay... In another I was in New Hampshire, the weather was horrible, and the hut where I had planned to stay was full and they told me to leave. When I pointed out how bad the weather was, they said "Tough, you should have thought about that before"... Guess my biggest fears about this trip are being cold and having no place to go. Either that or I'm totally neurotic; also a possibility, LOL!Finished up Cuppa Joe's journal and have read GypsyLulu & Touks, and am now reading Break a Leg's. She's so eloquent and full of deep ponderings, and has such wonderful family stories. Wish I could write like that!See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-02-19
To: Three Weeks and Counting...
Miles today: 0.0

Well, only three weeks from right now I will be at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega that is owned by Josh and Leigh Saint with all the other hikers starting the same time. Been thinking a lot this week about some of the early starters and the terrible weather they've encountered in the last week or so. It's interesting reading the journals of those who are waiting out the weather in various hostels and motels. Sure hope that nobody got into any serious trouble out there.This week has been spent working on maildrops. Who knew that they would be this much work??? And there is still a lot to do. Also today I finally broke down and admitted to myself that the boots that I had were not going to work. I wore them into work one night last week (yeah, this nurse/granny wears hiking boots, LOL). Leaving work on the very gentle downslope to the parking lot, my toes were hitting the front of the boot. So today I went to the outfitter's, and shelled out the big bucks for some Montrails -- even wore them out of the store! They are one size bigger than the other boots/trail shoes I had been wearing. They are heavy though, so when winter is past I might switch to trail shoes. Also got a new stuff sack to use for my food bag, because I was told at SORUCK that the bag I was using was too small to hold all the food I would be needing. The FoodSaver has been getting a real workout. For the Lipton sides that use milk, I've been repackaging them with dry milk included (and a little Creamora for richness). Guess I'll be doing a little more cooking than originally planned, because I tried on one of my shakedown hikes to cook them using just boiling water and a cozy, and it didn't work. I was hoping to avoid any washing of dishes for six months, LOL!Guess I'd best stop procrastinating and get back to work packaging stuff. Thanks to all who have read my journal and posted comments!See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-02-26
To: Two weeks and Counting...
Miles today: 0.0

Two weeks from today I will be arriving in Dahlonega to start hiking the next day. Quite frankly, I can hardly wait to be finished with all the preparation stuff and finally get out on the Trail.The big acquisition of the week is my Pocketmail. I spoke with a charming bloke in Sydney, Australia to get it set up (you never know where a 1-800 number will take you these days!). Now I just have to learn to use it...This will be a busy week. I'm working the next three nights, instead of the nights I usually work, so that I can attend a nursing conference on Wed-Thurs-Fri. It is here in Savannah, so I don't have travel and hotel expenses, and is always a good conference. It is presented annually by our Perinatal Department. Not only are most of the speakers and topics good, the food and beverages are superb, LOL!That leaves just one weekend to finish up everything and get ready to leave. Aargh!Well, I'm sitting here at the computer with food on my lap which is supposed to go in a drop box, so I had best get back to work. A big THANKS to everyone who has stopped by and left messages in my Guestbook. See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-01
To: Twelve Days -- But Who's Counting, LOL
Miles today: 0.0

Only about four hours left of this night shift, and then only three shifts to go next week before D-Day (Departure Day, Dahlonega Day, Dem Dar Hills Day). Still have lots to do, but somehow everything will get done!I got a pleasant surprise in today's mail: a notice from the hospital I worked in Portland, OR. Mind you, I've been gone from there almost 13 years now, and I was only there for 3 years. They want to know what to do about my retirement account. I did not even know that I was vested after that short time span. Anyhoo, they have something over $14,000 in this account that they say is mine all mine, except for Uncle Sam's portion. While wondering why on earth it took 13 years to notify me of this, the money is certainly not unwelcome. To splurge, I went out and bought a digital camera (the Canon PowerShot A620), a 2 gig memory card, batteries, etc. The salesman was GOOD. He found out what I wanted and why I wanted it, and made multiple suggestions that fit my criteria. Or he know when he had a live one on the line, LOL!Then I went to Books a Million because I had a gift card that had been burning a hole in my wallet for several months. Of course, by the time I got out of there, I had spent almost another $50 over and above the value of the gift card. Got some books that I plan on including in mail drops that are not usually available at my more common paperback book venue -- Goodwill. The ones I got today are a little bit more lofty and philosophical that my favorite fiction mysteries and thrillers. That way, when someone comes upon me reading one of my who-dun-its along the trail someplace, I can sneakily replace it with Thoreau or Adams or Tolkien and folks will think not only am I charming and witty and beautiful in my grubby thru-hiker way, but also well-read and a deep thinker....Hm-m-m-m.This morning, if it's not too wet out, I plan to set my Tarptent up in the yard and put seam sealer on the floor to limit my sliding around inside the tent. Maybe I'll even sleep in it this weekend.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-03
To: Madly getting ready...
Miles today: 0.0

Well, the nursing conference is over and I have until Tuesday to get everything done that will last me the next six months. No sweat, LOL!The Tarptent is set up in my front yard, and I will sleep out there this weekend. I sure hope it gets easier to set up, or someone shows me what I am doing wrong that makes it so hard. Having never actually seen one, except in pictures, maybe is making it harder for me. It seems like the rod that goes in the back of the tent is just about 1/2 inch too long.Most of my time this weekend will be spent working on maildrops and filling out necessary forms and paperwork for my LOA, Cobra, IRS, etc.Time for lunch. Think I'll hit KFC, love that chicken!For some reason, I've been thinking a lot lately about people I used to know. Some people are really good about keeping in touch with people that they encounter in more than a casual way in life. I'm not one of those people... I did find a former college roommate through Classmates, but have not contacted her yet. She and I shared a basement apartment our senior year of college, which means I have not seen her in (gulp!)almost 40 years. It was in a building very close to campus where the basement apartments were rented out to starving students and the nice apartments in the building were mostly rented to elderly people. She and I shared a lot of adventures, first serious boyfriends (not the same one, LOL), classes, heartbreaks, etc. So long ago, yet yesterday. Guess there will be a lot of time on the trail to think about people I knew years ago, and I will probably talk about some of them, though mostly not by name, in my journal.Leaving Savannah a week from tomorrow at 5 AM. See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-06
To: Gold Dust!
Miles today: 0.0

As the time comes down to less that a week before I start the trail, I've been frantically packing maildrops and dealing with other odds and ends that need doing. Since I'm working right up to the time I leave for Dahlonega, it's getting a bit worrisome about getting everything done.Took my first two maildrops to the post office this morning and sent them off. Butterflies are having a huge raucous convention in my tummy... I've been planning and dreaming for so long; now it's almost here.I've slept out in my tent (Henry Shires Tarptent) the last three nights. Other than some issues with condensation, which I've been assured is because the tent is pitched on grass, it has been very comfy. The first night got down to almost freezing, but I stayed cozy with rather more clothing on than I had planned on wearing to bed. Now if I could just make it magically happen that I wouldn't have to get up and "go" 2-3 times a night, I'd be all set!I got a haircut the other day for the Trail. Don't remember ever having it this short before. But it will sure be easy to take care of out there. It's a little longer than a buzz, but not much.Got to get back to packing up maildrops...BTW, the gold dust mentioned is pine pollen. My home is surrounded by pines, and when you come out, the cars and everything else is covered with a fine layer of gold dust. Things are blooming too; azaleas and other things. Spring is here in the low country of southern Georgia. I have to remind myself that it is still winter up there in the mountains.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-07
To: Butterflies???
Miles today: 0.0

My tummy is doing a number this morning. I don't know if it is just the butterflies had too good a time last night, or if I have picked up another kind of bug (besides butterflies...). Or maybe ate something not so great. It's hard packing up food maildrops when you don't even want to look at food.Spent another night in the tent last night and learned what it is like under windy conditions. For awhile I thought it might just take me on a ride like a big old kite. But at least there was no condensation problem, LOL! It says to pitch it with the foot into the wind, but that's kinda hard to do when the wind is not blowing when you set the tent up. I think I had it sideways to the wind... I was out at 1 AM tightening up guy lines, etc. It looks like it could shower this afternoon so probably I should get out there and take it down and stow it before I have to stow a wet tent.Lately I'm like a toddler with ADHD, can't focus on anything except the big picture. Except I need to be ignoring the big picture temporarily and concentrating on getting the details taken care of...See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-09
To: Food Poisoning!
Miles today: 0.0

Stopped at Popeye's Fried Chicken on my way into work last night, ate chicken with red beans and rice. Noticed the red beans and rice was not hot, barely warm, but ate it anyway. There were way too many people in line to bother the counter people. Well, by 9:30 last night I was sicker than a dog! Luckily we were staffed OK so that I could go home. Slept restlessly, up every hour or so. I do feel better this morning, though tired. I work yet tonight, then leave for the start of my hike early Saturday morning. I won't be starting my hike until Monday morning, staying two nights in Dahlonega. I guess that means that I am taking a "zero" day before even starting!I want to thank folks who are helping me. First my sister, Peggy, who will be transcribing my journal for me. Then co-workers and friends Beryl and Nancy, who are driving me to Dahlonega by way of the Aquarium in Atlanta. Then my friends who are handling my Maildrops: Attracta and her daughter Siobhan, Candi, Heidi, and Christa. Then all the people at work and friends in the Red Hat group for their excitement and support for me. Will probably have one more entry before I leave.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-11
To: Slight change in plans
Miles today: 0.0

Well, as it turns out I couldn't get everything all done and ready to leave this morning. So rather than stress myself out over it -- the mountains aren't going anywhere after all -- I decided to postpone my hike and finish up over the weekend and Monday, and leave Savannah on Tuesday. Now all I have to do is line up another ride and finish things here.My last night at work, the gang had a party for me with lots of food and a big sheet cake that said "Happy Trails to You" on the top. They took up a collection and my Pocketmail was actually a gift from them; they just had me order it so that I could get connected and learn how to use it. They plan to follow my hike so took a picture and will have a poster of the Trail and do a "Where's Fran?" on it. I kinda hate to miss seeing it.Ate supper last night at a new cafe in a strip mall not very far from where I live. It's Tex-Mex, called Lucy's Nachos, and I had a wonderful huge burrito. My hiker appetite must be kicking in (wonder what it will be like when I am actually hiking, LOL), because I finished the whole thing. The owners are a young couple (not young young, but considerably younger than me, and we had a great conversation about the Trail. It is something that she wants to do sometime soon, and his dream is to climb Mt. Everest. While he is climbing Everest, she plans on hiking in Europe, then he will hike the AT with her. Kinda cool, the people you meet...Going to get some breakfast and then get busy. Maybe I wil have maildrops for the last half of my hike!See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-13
To: Last Prep Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I've been running errands all day, trying to think of things that will need doing and paying while I'm gone, for example car registration and fire department insurance coverage (both due only once a year). Did not get all my mail drops done, but probably have enough extra in them that I will have a monumental bounce box by the time I get to New England! I do think I'll fix one up yet to send to Monson for the 100-mile wilderness.It is HOT here in Coastal Georgia right now; the highs the last several days have been in the mid-80's. I have already read in one journal (beeline's) that he is off the trail due to the heat. Of course down here the spring heat brings the dreaded gnats. These awful things bite and are really ferocious. In fact, Savannah's minor league ball team is the Sand Gnats. Loved it when I heard that name, because I'd almost rather come up against a Tiger (the mascot of my Alma Mater) than a swarm of sand gnats.I leave tomorrow for Dahlonega, and plan to start hiking on Wednesday. It's really here!See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-15
To: Last Prep Entry #2
Miles today: 0.0

Finally I am getting away from here! Hope I don't forget anything essential...Decided to finish up my maildrops, so they are prepared and distributed to the fine folks who are mailing them for me all the way to Maine. Now all I need to do is pack up, pay a couple of final bills, take that last shower, and hit the road.The next entry will be from the trail, unless I have access and send one from Dahlonega.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-16
From: Last Prep Entry #2

To: Dahlonega
Miles today: 0.0

I am here at the wonderful hostel run by Leigh and Josh Saint in Dahlonega. This place is beautiful, a huge log cabin, so I decided to do my first zero day here, LOL. Actually my pack is so overstuffed that I need to get it "tuckerized" before I leave.Got up at 6 a.m. yesterday, but did not get on the road until about noon. there was always one more thing to do! Arrived in Dahlonega about sunset, but had some difficulty finding the hostel. Finally called Leigh, who was on her way back from someplace with a hiker. She was passing my location in about five minutes, so I followed her the rest of the way in.We had close to a full house last night, with 12 hikers, some already on the trail, and some just starting today. Met Conductor, Gumby and Coyotebec, Bill Murray (who I had met at SORUCK), and a host of others. Had a delicious breakfast this morning of orange juice, pancakes, scrambled eggs, grits, and lots of coffee. Leigh is out now shuttling people around, and I haven't met Josh yet. Ole Man and Navigator (Paul and Jamie) are staying here and helping out with upkeep of the hostel and cooking.Today, after Ole Man goes through my pack, I plan to drive over to the state park and weigh my pack and register, then hit the trail at the forest road 42 trailhead. I've done the approach trail already two times and I don't feel a burning need to do it again...See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-17
From: Dahlonega

To: Chester Creek
Miles today: 4.0

Today I am officially hiking the Appalachian Trail! Josh from the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega took six of us to the Springer Mountain trailhead, where we hiked 0.9 miles up to the summit. Talked with an older gentleman named Many Sleeps, who registered me, took a couple of photos, gave a little spiel about Leave No Trace, and gave me a book of matches that can be traded for something or other (don't remember what) when I get to Neels Gap. I tended to a blister that had magically formed on my left heel, went to admire a patch of daffodils that were blooming atop the mountain, then hiked back down. Did not make big miles today, stopping at unofficial campsites at Chester Creek, 4 miles into the hike, making a total of 4.9 miles hiked today, counting the backtrack down Springer.It is beautiful here at Chester Creek, where I am camped close to the murmuring stream. The sounds of the water flowing and the breeze in the trees is very soothing. The weather has been perfect today, sunny and cool enough for pleasant hiking.I stopped early, because the shelter is another 3.6 miles and I don't think I can do that before dark. In a few minutes, I will boil some water for my dinner, eat, then bearbag my food.A word on bearbagging: To keep food safe from bears and other animals who might be interested in it we hang it. It is a matter of finding a tree with a small horizontal limb at the right height, then tossing a rope over it and suspending the food bag from the limb. The limb needs to be small so that it won't support the weight of a bear. Sure hope I get good at it, because I'll be doing it all the way to Maine! Some of the shelters do have bear cables set up where all you have to do is attach your food bag and lift it into place, but when you camp not at a shelter or at a shelter that doesn't have bear cables, you use available trees.Last night at the Hostel, I shared a room with Catwoman (a woman about my age, and two younger women, Kat and Ave Maria, all also here on Trailjournals. All three had hiked as far as Woody Gap, and are taking a zero day today.Lots of hikers on the Trail today, and lots of excitement about finally getting started on realizing a dreamSee you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-18
From: Chester Creek

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The word of the day is COLD. It chilled way down during the night. The water is my bottle is not frozen, but probably very close.Last night I stayed at the Hawk Mountain Shelter, but not in the shelter, but instead in my tent. There are a lot of us here, but most people stayed in tents rather than the shelter. Subman, who I met at SORUCK is here on a section hike, but I do not think I had previously met any of the others. An interesting group of people... I am hearing a lot a tantalizing and scandalous trail gossip. There are several people here who already done thru-hikes.I am hoping to get to the Gooch Gap shelter tomorrow, though it will be a lot farther than I came today.See you on the Trail! granny franny