morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-06
To: The Green Monster
Miles today: 0.0

The Class of 2014 is doing a fantastic job of sharing their experiences as they take on the AT. I already have a few favorites, and, I confess, I sometimes go back and read some 2013 journals as well. I am having three challenges here at home, while living vicariously through Reset, Left Turn, Cowgirl and TLM, Sisyfus, Dallas, I Believe, Rocketman, Ranger & Princess, etc, etc etc. The first is the doubting - will I make it that far? Heck, will I get out of Georgia next year??? (Usual comment to self: In order to walk 5 million steps, you have to first take one).The second is that ole Green Monster - I so want to be out there NOW! I feel I am missing out with people I just know I would love meeting in person. (Usual comment to self: Maybe be a trail angel later this year and/or meet with some hikers that are local after they finish their journeys)The last is FOOD CRAVINGS! All this talk of cheeseburgers and BIG Lu's cooking and ice cream has me wanting to run to the nearest burger place and order two! (Usual comment to self: maybe a little ice cream. :-)So in the meantime I am reading and reading and reading - here, on Facebook, on my Kindle and some vintage trail books loaned by a friend. I am also training. I need to gain greater strength in my upper body and core as well as muscles supporting the knees. I am in awe of No Spring Chicken's 4 minute plank. Serendipity is finding a trainer at the gym who is also a hiker/backpacker.Thirdly, I am cooking and dehydrating. My wonderful husband gave me a freezer for Mothers' Day and I am filling it up with dehydrated meals and snacks.And lastly, I am planning a little trip to the Top of Georgia Hostel for one of Sir Packsalot's AT Thruhiker Coaching weekends. Time to test out that gear and see what works and what I need to work on. (Maybe even eat a cheeseburger!)Thank you for all of the comments and notes.
Date: 2014-08-12
To: Camden Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

An "Easy" Hike in Maine?My husband I and are spending a week on the coast of Maine ad we decided to hike a trail in nearby Camden that was described as "Easy to Moderate." Neither of us had trekking poles as we didn't have room in our luggage and we weren't planning to do anything challenging. We didn't get started until mid afternoon, and the day was beautiful. The trail seemed much harder than it was described; the uphill angles seemed to be 25% inclines right from the beginning. It was also typically rooty and rocky as are many trails in New England. But it also had sections covered in pine needles and some beautiful views, as well as lots of opportunities to sample wild blueberries. All the trails in this state land preserve were blazed light blue and it seemed the distances shown on signage kept changing all of the time. For example, it was .5 mile to a lookout and then 30 minutes later it was still .5 mile to the same place.I went farther up to a second summit whileJim rested up a bit. The views of Camden Harbor were spectacular. However, some fog was rolling in and it was getting later, so I hurried back down. By the time we reached the base of the mountain, it was definitely twilight. Over dinner, we looked up the trail again on my iPhone and it mentioned that, if you weren't careful, you could end up on more difficult trails.So, lessons learned:1. I miss my my hiking boots on the "downs". My toes felt as if I was wearing ballet shoes and I was on my toes in the trail runners I wore.2. I can hike an easy to moderate trail in Maine 3. Could a trail with sustained climbs over granite really be called easy?
Date: 2014-08-15
To: Little Bigelow Summit
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

In which I get the answer to my question...First of all, let me state unequivocally that my husband is a saint. In fact, from here on, I will call him by his new trail name of St. James. So here are "just the facts"1. The AT in Maine is about 3 hours from where we are staying. 2. Most hikers feel that much of the hardest parts of the AT are in Maine3. We had just hiked about 5 miles that may or may not have been an "easy" trail but which we thought should be rated at least a "moderate"4. The library has wi-if with a better signal for us to look up trail info.5. How can I pass up an opportunity to really see how I can do on the AT?St. James agreed to drive to the AT and do a short hike to see just how hard it really is (or, to put it differently, if there's a snowball's chance in hell that I can really hike up a whole lotta mountains).So we were up early and at the base of Little Bigelow by 10:30, complete with Bud Lights, Snickers, Diet Coke and dog biscuits in a cooler to do a little trail magic. We were really hoping to meet Cooper (The Little Man) and/or the Catfox if they were nearby. I also was hoping I would run into Reset, who is my hero of 2014 Thru Hikers.This time I did kiss the first white blaze! The trail was very rooty and rocky right away, but just a gradual uphill. It was also wet and muddy in spots from the rains of a few days ago. Saint James wanted to take the blue-blazed trail to see what an AT Lean To looked like, but we passed when we saw that we would need to ford a pretty strong stream to get there.We stopped at many of the amazing views along the way and had lunch at the summit. We also met a few thru hikers and let them know where to find the trail magic. They were amazingly appreciative of our small effort and super encouraging to me for next year.Lessons Learned:1. A little lambs wool in the toe of your shoe really helps on the downs.2. What was I thinking trying this out without trekking poles?3. Hey, I did this WITHOUT TREKKING POLES!4. The thruhikers we met were just awesome and really helped St. James get comfortable with my thru hike.5. This is going to be really hard, but deep in my heart, I know I have the mental strength to see me through and another 7 months to get me to the best I can be physically!"Climb every mountain, Ford every steam, Follow every rainbow, Till you find your dream." Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, The Sound of Music.
Date: 2014-08-26
To: No Words
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ok - as those that know me will attest, there are very few times where I am at a loss for words. However, since posting some of my summer fun and prep for the trail, I have become speechless at the kind comments I have received. I am eight months from my start date and I already have folks offering trail magic and "following" my journal. I am in awe of how supportive this community is.Lately I keep dreaming that I am on the trail - I hear running brooks and see light filtering through shades and shades of green. Ok - and rocks and roots - always lurking.Right now is the time for the Class of 14! They have shared their highs and lows - both figuratively and literally - over the past 6 months. They have inspired us, entertained us and made us a wee bit green. I feel deeply vested in their success. Go '14, go. You can do it; the time is yours.
Date: 2014-12-29
To: Another Milestone
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, the Katwalk is (partially) out of the bag. I flew to Ohio on Monday to share my retirement plans with my boss. It wasn't easy. I have a great boss and manage a truly wonderful team There are a lot of reasons to push off retirement beyond the obvious ones that start with $$$$. However, I want to leave at the top of my game vs. being the person that gets shuttled to positions where they can do little harm.My flight was delayed for an hour and it felt like forever. My emotions were all over the place as it was, and since I was going to meet my boss that afternoon, I couldn't even have a cocktail!My current plan is to leave effective March 2. I left the door open in case I want to return post Katahdin. I think I would enjoy working part time on special projects, mentoring, etc. The scariest part is, what if I ask to come back in April because I never made it to NC? I try to keep these negative thoughts tamped down as much as possible.My next step is to share this with my team on Monday - this will be even harder.Trip N' Roll, my hiking partner, and I are still looking at a March 23 start date. My husband and I plan to attend the wedding of my best friend's son on the 20th. We will drive from The Villages to Atlanta the morning of the 19th and catch a flight to Boston from there and, hopefully, get a visit in with my son. We will return to Atlanta on the 21st. The original plan was to spend a night with kids and grandkids, however, they are being transferred, so it may be a night in a hotel. Next step is go to a SuperCuts and get my hair really short and have a blue streak added! Then off to Amicalola to spend the night at the Inn and meet up with Trip N' Roll. She wants to hike the Approach Trail, so will likely do that on Saturday. I have already hiked it so, we plan to start on the 23rd at the FS lot and hike the mile south to the Springer Summit - hopefully with husbands. We will then head back north, pick up our packs and hike on. (Butterflies in tummy tummy going NUUUTTTTTSSSS!).I will be blogging on Appalachian Trials as well as maintaining my journal here. I plan to use TJs to track my journey and Trials to blog about certain topics, but not a day-to-day progress report. If you are interested in following my blog, it can be found here: http://appalachiantrials.com/author/katwalk15/Cheers - can't wait to start and meet my fellow 15-ers and those of you who have already sent notes of encouragement.
Date: 2015-01-01
To: 2015 is Here!
Miles today: 0.0

Somehow with all of the planning around the holidays, the New Year arrived in a blaze of glory (and too much champagne...). "Class of 2015" now has a great deal more meaning. So my plans for this month are:    1. Finish updating my planning worksheet. I want to make my husband's job as easy as possible as he also has a "day job."!    2. Practice setting up my tent, filtering water, using my stove.   3. Begin to practice loading and reloading my pack every day, once i am comfortable with item 2.. Next month I want to begin doing the same plan in the dark.   4. Order the individual supplies I will need to supplement my dehydrated meals (olive oil, S&P, etc).   5. Do another shakedown hike with Trip n Roll.   6. Intensify my physical prep at the gym.
Date: 2015-01-20
To: FAQs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

For those reading this that are not familiar with the Appalachian Trail, here are a few FAQs.1. The Appalachian Trail or (AT) runs from Springer Mountain, Georgia (The Southern Terminus) to Mt. Katahdin, Maine (The Northern Terminus). Every years the mileage varies a little as the volunteer crews that keep the trail in all of its beauty, have to reroute portions of the trail due to damage from high winds, flooding, etc. For 2015, the mileage is 2189.2 miles.2. A thru-hiker is someone who has completed a hike of the entire trail within a twelve-month time frame. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy refers to those who achieve this as a 2000 miler. I consider myself to be a prospective or aspiring thru hiker as there are a whole lotta miles to cover before I can call myself an AT Thru hiker. 3. Most aspiring thru hikers begin their hikes at Springer in late February through early April. These hikers are referred to as NOBOs - short for North-bounders. Those who start in Maine are, conversely, called SOBOs. Other terms are GA-ME for the NOBOs and ME-GA for the SOBOs.   Other hikers do a flip flop. They may start in the middle and go north to Katahdin and then return to where they started and hike south to Springer. There are a lot of good reasons for doing a flip flop: fewer crowds, easier (not easy) terrain at the start and better weather. Others start at Springer and then realize that they won't make it to Katahdin before the snows do, so they drive/fly north and then hike south-bound to where they left off.4. The actual mileage from Springer to Katahdin is closer to 1400 miles, so there are a lot of ups and downs to account for the remaining 800 miles.5. The trail passes through 14 states - with Virginia being nearly 25% of the trail.6. Animals along the trail include black bears, deer, snakes, porcupines, moose etc.7. There are many shelters or lean to's along the way as well as many towns, making it relatively easy to resupply or get mail drops. (hint, hint)8. Many hikers survive on Ramen Noodles, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Lipton Sides, peanut butter and packaged chicken or tuna. Those of you who know my abhorrence of processed food must be wondering what on earth I am getting into. However, I have dehydrated about 2/3 of the meals I will need and will supplement that with town food and a few commercially dehydrated dinners. I have also dehydrated lots of fruit and made many fruit roll ups with fresh fruit last summer.9. For more trail info, try Wikipedia   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail   Three books I also recommend are "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" by David Miller and "Appalachian Trials" by Zach Davis.
Date: 2015-01-22
To: FAQs - Part Deux
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

A few more FAQs on the AT:1. The Trail is marked with White Blazes (see photo). They can be on trees, or, above tree level, on rocks. To get from Georgia to Maine (or vice-versa), you follow the white-blazed "path." 2. Many of the shelters and water sources on the AT are slightly off the trail and are designated by a blue blaze. There are often two of these trails to each shelter; one from the south and one from the north.3. Hikers that are "purists" are of the opinion that you must pass every white blaze along the trail - even if it means returning to the AT from a shelter on the same blue blazed trail they came in on (essentially backtracking) as opposed to taking the second blue trail that will drop them off 50 years further along.4. Blue blazers are those who occasionally miss a white blaze for the reason above or to take a more scenic trail. Purists object; some strenuously.5. Yellow blazers are those who hitch a ride to skip part of the trail.   Purists truly object.6. Aqua blazers are those who skip sections of the Shenandoah and kayak through. Many do return to complete the miles on the trail.7. Slack packing is hiking with less that a full pack. Some hostels or friends will transport your pack for you to help give you a break, especially over difficult terrain. Most purists object here as well.8. HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike - this is the key lore of the trail. It doesn't matter who judges you; it's YOUR hike.9. For the record, I am a semi purist. I am open to slack packing and wouldn't worry if I missed 50 yards to the trail. I would also take a blue trail if there were dangerous conditions on the AT. But that is only my own hike...
Date: 2015-02-04
To: Reality is Setting In
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

This is one of my favorite hiking buddies - our dog, Finley. He is 14 pounds of ready, set, go and loves to hike. He has happily scrambled up rocky slopes in Maine and saved me from being completely lost on a Florida trail. He is fearless and, sadly, not coming on my AT hike. At 7, he is a little too old and, given his size he is a tick magnet. He is also not reliable off leash when any distractions come his way (squirrel!!!!). As the clock keeps ticking toward March 23, I begin to think of all I will miss while on the trail. If Finley were able to be with me, I think that would lessen that feeling a bit. Since he can't, we bought him a new color made to look like a bandana to show doggie solidarity. First of all, I will miss my husband Jim, a/k/a St. James. He is my rock and his support at home will make the hike possible. I can't imagine how difficult it will be to be apart for so long. Because my job called,for a lot of travel, we are used to being apart. However, the longest times away were for a three-week business trip to Asia, when me moved to Florida and when the grandbabies were born. But it was easy to be in touch compared with being in the woods.On the home front, I will also miss our kitties Tommy and Miss Claudie. I worry that Tommy, who is 12, will not still be with us when I return and that they, and Finley will wonder where I am. I will also miss my three granddaughters. We will face time when we can, but it isn't the same. They are moving further away from us later this month, so that does make it easier. In my head I know I won't see them as often as we can now. But the youngest will be six months old when I leave and likely walking when I return. I will also miss my kids. They are old enough to understand that I need to do this, but still it will be hard to not see them for so long.Lastly, I will miss all of our friends. Many will, and have, cheered from the sidelines which I appreciate beyond words. I am so excited to get started, but the reality of all I have to do and all that will change is another sort of mountain to climb.
Date: 2015-02-11
To: Home Sweet (AT) Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have always professed to be more of a hiker than a camper... my backpacking skills are nearly nil.   But I am in love with my tent - LightHeart Hear SoLong 6 and looking forward to cozy evenings. In the meantime I am hitting the treadmill and Stairmaster, lifting weights and walking around with my pack feeling a wee bit silly. Most people seem to do a double take but don't comment. One man stopped me about a mile from home and I thought, "Oh, boy, here it comes." Turned out he wanted to pet my dog! Contrary to (my) opinion, it really isn't all about me. 40 days (and counting!!!!!)
Date: 2015-02-22
To: Georgia on My Mind
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

One month from tonight we will be in Georgia. My last night before starting on the adventure of a lifetime. I know I will have a tough time falling asleep with all the excitement. But right now, knowing that I am a month out is both exciting and scary. I have one week left of work and need to stay focused on AT training and preparation as well as wrapping up my work responsibilities. It is easy to get distracted with so many folks wanting to get together "before I leave."In order to eat a more balanced diet on the trail and to lessen the amount of processed foods I will need to consume, I am doing a lot of dehydrating and mail drops. The reality of that is that I really need a military logistics officer to get all this pulled together. You can see a photo of mail drops in process. I plan to get the first 12 put together for my husband and then we will evaluate what I need more, less or none of going forward. It takes HOURS to pull all of this together. I have been also thinking of those classmates that have started already and the horrific weather out there in the Southern Appalachians. Stay safe and warm!
Date: 2015-03-03
To: A Bittersweet Day
Miles today: 0.0

Well another milestone achieved. My last day of work was yesterday, March 2, and now I am officially retired. Between getting COBRA sorted out, to be sure I have benefits while I'm on my hike, having a visit with the doctor to be sure everything is still okay as well as to get a few preventive prescriptions, and working out, I felt like I've been running around more today than I do when I'm normally working. Leaving work was emotionally wrenching. I was really surprised at how the emotions just went up-and-down for the last couple of days. It seems like I've been close to tears over and over and over again. I know I will. really miss my team. I worked with a fabulous bunch of people and their support has really been amazing. The thought put into retirement gifts and surprises was just unbelievable. Several retirement gifts included a solar charger, a Pandora bracelet with 2189 G-M, and a small notepad to keep notes for my journal while walking during the day and some of my favorite tea and a tea caddy. Also, the teeniest little book you can imagine - Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - my absolute favorite. You will see a quote in my very first TJ entry. The book is about the size of a postage stamp, but contains every word. They wanted me to be able to take along my favorite book - without the weight. All this in more came inside a lovely Dora the Explorer backpack.My house is also full of flowers from my wonderful husband (St. James) my daughter and her family and all of my brothers- and sisters-in-law. Less than three weeks till we get started. I cannot wait. (I think).
Date: 2015-03-05
To: Kathmandu
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

It seems that every day there always is something that's reminding me of the trail. Tonight on the way home from the gym, I heard a program on the BBC that spoke of a man who is 92 years old and the last surviving member of a group of men who carried cars into Nepal for the Royal family. Prior to an airport being built in Kathmandu the only way into this landlocked country was over mountains. As you may know, Nepal has some of the tallest peaks in the world including Everest. A minimum of 64 men carried a car for nearly 25 miles. The report said "luxury car "so I did a little research and it seems that even today a Rolls-Royce way somewhere around 5000 to 6000 pounds. Doing some really rough math that would equate to carrying about 5200 pounds on your back over some really tough mountain terrain. So every day as I work hard at the gym to try to increase my strength and my VO2 capacity, I'll be thinking now of those men and thinking that maybe hiking over the AT with 20 to 25 pounds on my back won't be so bad at all. Honestly I do think it'll still really be hard, but maybe if I think about those men and what they had to do under horrible conditions it will help give me some strength.To all of you sending me good wishes, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Date: 2015-03-09
To: Sixty!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I turned 60 yesterday. And two weeks from today, I will start hiking. It seems that what has been so far away for so long is now careening madly like a runaway train. Yesterday was also International Women's Day. Today it seems that many hikers are women, but Jean Deets (aka "Indiana Jean") wrote in "There Are Mountains To Climb" that were very few female hikers web she thru'd in 1994. When I was very young, my mother contracted pneumonia, which left her heart and lungs, already weak from childhood rheumatic fever, much weaker. She never had the opportunity to explore the outdoors. Television was her connection to the world beyond the small city where we lived. She was a huge fan of talk shows and the soaps. I remember one soap opera that had a female doctor in its storyline. I vowed that I would grow up and work in a non-traditional female occupation. I don't know why that mattered so much then, but it did. When I realized how much science I would need to be a doctor, I switched to business. But I always believed that girls can do anything they set their minds to. I put up with a lot of crap back in the day - including a supervisor the telling me that if I "f####d up" that he would hang me by the short and curlies.   I think the crudity lost some impact when I naively asked what that meant!My oldest granddaughters turned two last week. One reason for my hike is to show them, and their baby sister, that girls and women are strong. I am hoping that this desire helps keep me motivated on the hard days.