morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-24
From: amicalola

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I decided to go ahead and make a journal i did a section hike from amicalola to Neal's gap. I only hiked for a week because one of my best friend's decided to go all the way to Katahdin. Anyway i am a truck driver and due to the need of my friend Andy to save a few bucks in travel expenses i decided to get a load of goods to the atlanta area and give him a ride in the process. I consider myself somewhat adventurous so on the spur of the moment decided on hiking the first section with him. I did and now must get back. I don't know if i will ever be able to do the entire through hike or not but i certainly hope to. the friends you meet and the comraderie amongst hikers and the enjoyment of peaceful reflection with friends is inspiring. To all those i met; the Vermont twins ( Vermonsters), steve, sheila, andy, john one-leg and all of the others i met on the trail i wish you all the best. please look me up and come to austin for a visit. Basically only spent $120 and hiked approx. 40 miles. the first day CCCCOOOOLDDD! 14 degrees. after surviving a night curled in my bag and miserable. maybe sleeping 3hours, i was fired up. there are amazing sites that the photographs here simply don't do justice to. To anyone with the means at least do a section or two you will go back. Now i am planning on trying to get another section in toward the end of summer. If i have to i will do a couple of sections at a time but would really rather do the entire thing. I am thinking of perhaps trying for a fundraiser and donating all proceeds short of supplies to charity. We will see. You will also be amazed at what you will learn in the way of environment protection while on the trail, what you can do on a daily basis to make a difference in preserving americas parks and trails for others to enjoy. If you are a littering, graffitti minded ass i urge you not to go. anyway im just rambling now and i doubt anyone will read this anyway until i get back out there.
Date: 2004-12-25
To: prep. hike
Miles today: 0.0

Well i went on a 9 mile hike close to my home in Novato, CA. It was on the Marin County Open Space Trail. I just got so excited thinking about my upcoming hike i had to venture out a bit. It was an absolutely wonderful hike and my coke can stove works great. I also saw 2 doe and a buck. they were no more than 30 feet away and were not even scared and did not run at my approach. I must have stood 5 min. just checkin' em out then one of the doe followed me bout another 1/4 mi.         Anyway I just wanted to let everyone know that the photos posted of me from last years section hike are listed under trail name's Lonesome Dove, or Cocoon. Well Merry Christmas See you on the trail soon.
Date: 2005-02-03
To: thank you sponsors
Miles today: 0.0

Well this journal is just a quick note to say thank you to the following people who have agreed to sponsor me on my hike. the following is a list of those people....Cathie Ranta cranta@utdallas.eduEmebet Sahle Emebet@utdallas.eduGayle Hurst, 9713 Milltrail, Dallas, TX (no e-mail but she¢s the one who put 10 cents per mile)Linda Morrow morrow@eaglemail.unt.edu (she pledged 5 cents per mile)Shannon Karr skarr@ednet10.net (she pledged 2 cents per mile)Norma Richardson nrichardson@utdallas.eduMegan Mullins mlm014510@utdallas.eduLynda Gary Lynda@utdallas.edumy sincerest thanks to you all or your support and hopefully a list with many more thanks to follow. If anyone else is interested in giving to a good cause and sponsoring me on this hike you can contact me at darynhemerson@yahoo.comthere are several articles i've written discussing the charity hike but this is the first mention of it my journal. I am taking donations for an AT through hike. I am hoping that this will provide any extra incentive i may need when the weather gets wet and cold. Here is a list of the charities i have chosen..10% will go to the continued upkeep of the Appalaichain trail. the remaining 90% will be divided between CCF, unicef , and global ministries. The first two unicef and CCF both help children across the globe recieve better nutrition, water, and medicine such as immunizations. the third will be using 100% of the money i send them to build water wells in E. africa, Please look for updates to my journal as my hike is getting closer and closer. my tentative starting date in between March 30th and april 5th. thanks for your support. the pledges will be based on a per mile donation much like the MS walks im sure most of you are familiar with. So if i can complete the entire hike each penny per mile pledge will equate to $21.08. If you or anyone you know would like to pledge email me. Also i would love any equipment donations from anyone who will not be able to hike or has no further need of any items they posess. And corporate sponsors would be wonderful if anyone knows any business owners. thanks again for your time. BUZZSAW
Date: 2005-02-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey hey hey trailblazers!   Well i just wanted to write because i have not done so in awhile the hike oh so close and my preparation is underway. I have to go to REI this weekend fortheir once a year blowout sale on all returned items. i hope to save some serious cash on my pack and shoes which are the only main items i need. Again thank you to all my sponsors an updated list will be coming shortly.   I really wanted to adress my reasons for hiking on this particular entry there are alot of people who just don't have the same dreams and can't understand my passion. Some ask are you doing this for charity? I answer it is a charity hike but that is not my reason for setting out on this journey. I planned on doing the hike regardless. But this will add motivation for me and hopefully inspire others with similar plans. If you are going to do something and can help others in the process why not do so. I am also looking forward to droppin a lil weight while on the trail. though not fat i've definitely gained some weight since my matabolism slowed now that im 30 somethin. But that is not the sole reason for my hike. I think for me it is simply a chance to test my inner soul, intake the majesty of a part of our great country, and form lasting bonds and friendships with other hikers. I had one of the best weeks of my life just doing the section hike last year and can't imagine the fun,misfortund and mayhem that await. To me it is an adventure. One that hopefully will provide stories to last me a lifetime. Stories to share with family and friends. That is really why i choose to hike. I am in a position to have a rare opportunity with my career to be able to do what i want when i want and i love that freedom. Many simply will never have the opportunity because of family and work responsibilities. In a way i do this for them for this may be the only chance i have.    Well now that's out of the way i would like to say that i just returned from Paris and Deauville France. What a beatiful and wonderful and EXPENSIVE country. I was asked to deal in a poker tournament in deauville france and got to meet many of the foreign stars of the poker world. I had a couple of days afterward to visit Paris and all of its attractions. What an awesome site. I have to go back i could have spent 2 days at THE LOUVRE alone. It was my first trip to Europe but definitely will not be my last. I look forward to working the EPT or European poker Tourney circuit next year. Well this is getting a bit winded and i still have to get my taxes out of the way. I'll update soon enough for anyone who wants to read it.
Date: 2005-04-04
To: ready to go 
Miles today: 0.0

well this is just a quick journal entry to say off i go. tomorrow i fly to atlanta where josh will pick me up. Josh and leigh run hikerhostel.com and i highly recommend them. they are helpful knowledgeable and inexpensive wonderful hosts whom i will be staying with tomorrow. anyway i will right more then. They will pick you up lodge you and feed you breakfast in morning and let you wash and use their computer. Talk soon trailblazers.
Date: 2005-04-05
From: springer mountain

To: kitahdin maine
Miles today: 0.0

well it has been a long day flew to Atlanta where Leigh picked me up she runs the hiker hostel with Josh. they are very cool people and i am very excited to get started tomorrow. It is late here at the hostel and i am the last one awake so i will keep this short. pack weight with water and fuel and all 36 lbs. Keep in touch i will post more soon. check out hikerhostel.com if you ever need a cool place to stay. josh and leigh are the best i will post pics of them and their place and dog soon. goodnight.
Date: 2005-04-06
From: springer

To: gooch gap maine eventually
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Well the first day is in the books and i got 13.5 miles it was actually 12.6 plus .9 from springer parkin lot up to the beginnin of the trail. it was a pretty good first day. i did have a couple of blisters that i am hoping to take care of tonight. I really should have broken in my shoes a bit more buti didn't. I used body glide and am very pleased i got no heat rashes. I am prone to them but no problems today. i really wanted to make gooch gap, but with the blisters and my knee popping a bit on the downhills i decided coopers gap was enough. Plus the forecast is calling for rain, so i headed back to the hikerhostel thanks to a lil trail magic and a ride from adam. He runs a shuttle service but did not charge because he was out there anyway so thank you adam. i did tip. www.happytrailsguide.com if ever you need a shuttle in the area. Last night a few people tried to take my title of buzzsaw away by putting out some pretty loud zzz's. Plus i am still on California time so i did not get much sleep maybe 3-4 hours. So my body was fatigued. All -in -all i am very happy with my progress for the day hopin to make trail days. Well its off to treat some blisters and get a good nights sleep. Before i go big thanks to Rambler who helped me with the blisters. He did a through hike last year so some of you reading this may know him got some pics of him and Moose who i hiked with today Moose is goin through. Then i met a guy named Steppenwolf who apparently is doing this through hike as a sort of personal rehab of some sort did not want to ask him to much on the subject. anyway we will see you all down the trail. thanks to all the folks who sponsored me and it's never too late for charity if anyone wants to sponsor some great charities call 214-448-4103 or email jlpatter@utdallas.edu my mom would be thrilled to accept sponsorships on my behalf while im on the trail. if you have not read previous journal, funds are going 10% AT repair 30% each Unicef CCF and Global Ministries to help fund water wells in Africa.
Date: 2005-04-07
From: coopers gap

To: woods hole
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: moderate rain

                        WET WET WETWell it is my second day and I know what the rain is like. They say " if you wanna' make it to Maine you gotta walk in the rain." I hiked 17 miles and my feet are literally getting killed. Blisters are soggy, and getting worse. The balls of my feet are getting very sore and bruised. My right knee has also been taking a pounding on the down hills. Hopefully a nights rest will be the cure. I slept out of the rain on the picnic table at Woods Hole, because the shelter was full. I didn't want to set my tent up in the rain and get everything soaked. Oh well i am determined and Neal's Gap comes tomorrow. May be a shorter day, but I want to get past Neal's Gap. After that it is all new territory for me. I met Beefstick who gets her name from her chosen meal. I also met KG Josh and Phoenix. Hopefully sunnier days ahead. Was told to get some insoles for my shoes spenco's recommended will try that at Neal's Gap.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: woods hole

To: past Neals gap
Miles today: 7.5

Well Neal's Gap was a very welcome relief. The guys at the outfitter helped me treat my blisters and hooked me up with some spenco insoles. I had some food shipped ahead to the Blueberry Patch in Hiawasee, as i have too much right now and don't want to carry it. I also sent heavy sleepin bag forward. The weather for the next two days should be nice. After Neal's Gap i was feeling pretty good. My feet were attended to i had my insoles and it was to be all new territory from here. Then guess what? RAIN. No sooner had i passed the point of no return, showered laundered and ate then boom thunderstorm. I was really thinking the weather would hold but NOOOoo. About two miles past Neal's it poured hard. I put my duck back over my pack and just let it rain on me. I got drenched feet a soggy, muddy, blistery muck. Boots wet as well. I ran into loose goose and phoenix another mile up the road and they had pitched camp. The rain let up for a bit and i did likewise. We all camped there that night somewhere i believe to be atop Rock Spring Top. Tent did not leak Rain finally subsided sometime in the night. Here's hopin for better weather.
Date: 2005-04-09
From: past Neals gap Rock Spring Top

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

What a difference a night makes. I woke to a beautiful sunrise and helped myself to a yummy breakfast of 2 multi-vitamins and a cliff bar. Packed another cliff bar and a multi-grain in my shorts packed up camp and off i strode. I finished off one bottle of agua as i knew there was a water source just p the trail. Came to it shortly at Baggs Creek Gap. Met two hikers there whose names i can't now remember. Went as far as Low Gap shelter. Only 7.5 miles or so I was planning on hiking furhter but after looking at my feetabd setting up tent and putting clothes on a line to dry decided a short day was in order. I pulled into camp at about 1pm. Some weekend campers offered up some gatorade and coffee which were readily accepted. That afternoon was nice, warm, and relaxing. I walked around barefoot to let my blisters air. Beefstick, Kg "Korean Girl", josh, phoenix, and mild bill all showed up that night. We got a camp fire going and phoenix and i played gin rummy. I am up 2-0 on him so far. We all swapped some stories and i got to know Phoenix pretty well. He is a very intriguing guy. Id say mid 20 something he has a pony tail and a cool wooden staff his father got him. He has a gymanastic and martial artist background and me and some of the ohter hikers noticed him leaping like 20 feet across ravines barefooted while doing a martial arts side kick. It was pretty entertaining. He also broke some pretty thick logs using bare feet. I think they must be made of iron. And you should see him climb a tree. I guess im lunch if any bears decide to attack on the trail and its just the two of us. I had a good meal of Jalapeno style lipton noodles and Tuna with Tabasco sauce liberated from mild bill. A good night all in all.
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Low Gap

To: Trey Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

Whew, my second longest day . Got in roughly 15 miles today. The walking sticks helped greatly with my knees ty Jasmine. The balls of my feet are better as well thanks to the insoles. The first 7.5 miles flew by. Phoenix caught up with me early in the morning and told me a very elaborate story he has been working on for some time. He is planning a series of novels. When he is finished i am definitely buying a copy. Truly amazing kid and very cool to talk to . Best day so far. Went all the way to Trey Mtn. Shelter. Met Loose -Goose , mild- bill , and Beefstick camped at the Cheese -Factory site. I was really fatigued by this point and wanted to stay but was urged on by phoenix who was told of Awesome views of the sunset. Begrudgingly after getting some water from loose-goose and filtering it using phoenix's filter, i trudged on. As i left i received a chorus of cheers from the hikers camped there who would not have to put up with a night of snoring from me. Toward the end of the 5 miles of trudging along, i was headed down trey mtn and noticed Phoenix and a new girl, also named phoenix " rising phoenix i think, headed back up the mtn. toward me. I yelled out jokingly " you're going the wrong way." Apparently the view of the sunset was approaching and the view from the shelter was no good. I declined the offer to ascend back up the mountain and instead asked phoenix to get a few pics for me. Night brought some new company as i met Shank, amy , daughter-in-law, and a couple from Maine. SHank had packed a Yuckalaylee? have no idea how to spell that one. Anyway he played it a lil and phoenix and i made another fire. I ate up most of my food as Blueberry patch comes tomorrow. Lipton Noodles Alfredo style with tuna added is DA BOMB! Another game of rummy this one i lost now 2-1 still in the lead though. It has been fun hangin with phoenix hope he doesn't out pace me too soon, though i know it is just a matter of time. He has been cool to hang with. He has to find an outfitter and get another tent it has been leaking. Mine does not leak but once folded gets soaked on the inside. i may decide to go hammock after awhile for now im good. thats that on to blueberry patch tom.
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Trey Mtn. Shelter

To: blueberry patch "Hiawasee"
Miles today: 10.6

Beautiful sunrise this morning. Got a bit of a late start but only had a 10.6 mile day. Bout 8:30 got under way. Today my feet and Tight knee were giving me some problems. A much tougher day than i had anticipated. Kelly Knob was a real pain. Phoenix passed me by but and set out to catch Rising phoenix the girl from the previous night. She had grown disspirited and he was going to try to talk her in to staying with it. I caught up with them climbing Kelly Knob. They were kind of poking fun at me and quoting movie lines from "what about Bob" you know like baby step to the kitchen. baby step down the hall, that sort of thing. They even joked about changing my name to baby steps. It is because of the relentless yet slow way i climb hills in a half step sort of choo-choo step fashion. But it works and i did pass them by. " baby step up the mountain." They did not catch me again until well down the hill. Though really i have seen Phoenix climb and am sure he could have caught me or for that matter gone up the hill had he not been trying to instill some confidence and fun in the other phoenix. I saw my first snake today very idle and non agressive seemed to just be coming out of a deep sleep. It was solid gray and about 2 feet long. it would not move so i ambled up a hill and back onto the trial. Finally made my way to Dicks Creek Gap on some very sore feet. Hitched a ride to Blueberry patch just after pickin a four-leaf clover famous in the area. When i got there John and Rachael were waitin they are a couple of hikers i met briefly at Coopers Gap. We waited and Gary and Lennie Poteat showed up about an hour later. Rooms were available and we agreed. They were very nice and ran a hiker hostel ministry. They did our laundry, offered up snacks and soft drinks and fed us breakfast the following morn. all donation based no fee. i offered up $18 would like to have been able to offer more. I showered and hitched a ride to town ran into Amy and shank and another hiker named Seiko like the watch. We ate a hardy meal at Shoney's which had an incredible lake front view. After a burger and a salad bar i was ready for rest and feelin good. Seiko offered me a ride back. Oh yes the people who gave me a ride into town gave me a cool quarts crystal piece found common in these hills ty to them they also gave me some fresh sage. Anyway the owner of the Hiawassee inn made me soak my feet in E[psom salt and hot water before i returned and i got some flip flops for my evenigs after i set up camp. Back at the Blueberry patch i put some liquid skin on my blisters and caught up on my journal.
Date: 2005-04-12
From: blueberry patch 

To: plumorchard shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: light rain

Had breakfast and after somne hesitation decided not to take a zero but a nero. hiked 4.5 to the first shelter and met up with Ragman, Chilly , and Christian. Later Carol, and her daughter Britney, and dog Sassy joined us. We sat around out of the rain all but Chilly who hiked on. I had some fun playing fetch with the dog, but Ragman was trying to work on his journal could not concentrate and asked us to stop because the dog was barking. That night after the lights were out we heard mice scurrying about. Ragman brought out his flashlight to discover that a mouse was on the third level the level i was on pulling on a nutri-grain bar wrapper out of my bag. We scared the little guy off into a corner and Carol was looking at the little guy trapped in a corner held by the highly intense scrutinizing beam of a flashlight. I just could not help myself, while she was peering down at the mouse on the first level i reached down from the third level and lightly touched her hair and made a light squeak sound. This scared the daylights out of her and the rest of us all had a good laugh. Though i felt a bit guilty. anyway i put the nutri-grains i had forgotten about on the bear line with the rest of the food and off to sleep we all went after i decided to change sleeping levels all the mice seemed to be up in the rafters with me.
Date: 2005-04-13
From: plumorchard shelter

To: standing indian shelter.
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Made it to standing indian shelter on a wet yucky and cold day. we had a hail storm today that i managed to avoid. i stayed at muskrat shelter for lunch and waited for the hail to subside. i saw steppenwolf on my way out and phoenix and britney and i bore on out. the rest of the hikers ragman christian and chilly and a coupple others stayed. It was a wet cold hike and that night was the coldest yet. we were at 4650 feet in elevation and wind swept through the shelter. phoenix and britney made camp and ragman ended up showing. chilly and a aguy named jeff and me sharred the shelter. that is really about all other than the fact i showed phoenix what a plant was Wild Onion and we all picked and ate some of them. He seemed very fascinated by this and i really can't remember why or how i knew what this plant was, but i remember it from somewhere deep back in my boyscout or country boy days.
Date: 2005-04-15
From: old hwy 64 shelter

To: Franklin NC
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: clear sky

Short day but what a great day it has been. Me and Loose Goose found a lost dog and saved it. It was a blue tick hound and it followed us once we got on the trail all the way for 4 miles to where we hitched a ride to Franklin. There were some guys doing fiber optics on the side of the road so i asked one of them if they had a phone to call animal shelter. turns out the guy would love to have a dog and comes up to take a look at her. He recognizes it as one of his cousin's dogs and agreed to return her. Said if he was wrong he'd love to have her himself anyway. His name was Chris Armstrong and it turns out he knows my grandfather Leonard Long because he used to pull fiber optics cable with him. Well me and Loose Goose got to town I had a double cheese-burger did laundry showered and am here at the library catching up my journal. All is well and even my blisters are almost healed. I will be taking a good nights rest at the Franklin Inn and hittin the trail hard tomorrow. I have a bunch of pics but have not made it to get them developed yet stay tuned and I will write more soon.