morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-09-15
From: Guilford, ME

To: Monson, ME (Shaw's)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I got up and went for breakfast at McDonald's. We went to the store for resupply, then headed over to Monson. I went by the post office where I thought I sent my maps, but I actually sent them to Shaw's. We checked in at Shaw's and found Little Aspen and Toothpick there. They had hiked in this morning with On the Loose who went to the Lakeshore House instead of Shaw's. I walked over to find her finishing up her lunch. We made plans to meet for dinner at 6pm. When I left I found Captain Slick sitting at a picnic table on the lake eating lasagna. Little Aspen's family had come up to meet her and brought all kinds of food. I joined them and had a great visit. Then it was back to Shaw's where we met with Dawn to discuss possible road crossings in the 100 mile wilderness. The first crossing isn't until the second day, so I'll have to carry a full pack into the wilderness. Oh well...
Date: 2010-09-16
From: Monson, ME (Shaw's)

To: Long Pond Lean To
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Breakfast at Shaw's is always great. I had a "two"... that is two bacon, two eggs, two pancakes, plus potatoes, juice, and coffee. Lion King dropped me off at the trail and I was off! It was a gorgeous day, but rain was expected for evening. Maine does not have bridges for its water crossings. So far I've been able to rock hop across them (except the Kennebec, where there is the canoe ferry). Today there were three major crossings. The first one was thigh deep, but there were ropes to hold. I made it across holding the ropes with both hands. The next crossing was not as deep, but there was no rope. I started across using my poles. I misjudged one rock, and went sliding down into the water. Luckily my pack has a trashbag liner, or everything would have gotten wet. My cellphone and camera were a loss, though, as the baggy holding them was not properly closed. I got up and walked on, soaking wet.I came to the Bodfish Tote Road, where I had walked out of the wilderness back in 2008. I crossed it and walked down to the third water crossing. Lion King had walked up the tote road and left trail magic. For me there was a Gatorade and a message that I was nearly there (to the shelter). For other hikers he left sodas, but only one was left. I picked it up for On the Loose, since she was behind me. This water crossing also had ropes. I made it across and hiked on to the shelter. It was getting dark and cold. I put up my hammock, changed into dry clothes, cooked dinner, and went to bed.
Date: 2010-09-18
From: Third Mountain Trail

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

By the next morning, I was absolutely positive. We had breakfast at the Appalachian Trail Caf© where other hikers were celebrating their completions. It was especially great to meet up with Seeker again. I picked up my mail at the post office and we headed west to Glencliff, NH, where I dropped Lion King off.Then I drove to New Jersey to my eldest daughter's home. I arrived about 9:30pm and was surprised to see guest's cars in her driveway. She seemed to be having some kind of party. It was Yom Kippur, and they had just broken the fast. She was very surprised to see me, as was everyone else. I had a great time visiting and went to bed happy.The more I thought about it, the more I saw my hike as a life metaphor. You make plans to follow a certain path, but take some turns along the way, some good, some not so good... and sometimes it's over before you expect it, but it's great, all in all, when you are walking in faith.
Date: 2010-01-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

T-minus two months and a few days til I¢m off to GA to begin my thru hiking adventure on the AT! Still a lot of details to take care of, planning to do, and mail drops to organize but I¢ve updated some of my gear and clothing (thanks Santa) and feel pretty happy with what I currently plan to bring along for my few months in the woods. Now it¢s just a matter of packing and repacking to figure out the best way to organize it all!I¢ve never really been one for writing journals or keeping blogs, but I¢m going to do my best to keep this updated as it looks to be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends as well as meet fellow hikers and AT enthusiasts that I will hopefully encounter on the trail.   I know that I have read (stalked) other hiker¢s journals in the past dreaming of someday giving it a shot myself¢¦ and at this point in my life all signs are telling me that now is the time! (always best to listen to those little voices inside your head ) Just finished a masters degree, so putting off settling into a full-time job again for a while longer in order to live out a long standing dream of mine doesn¢t seem like too bad of an idea.First thing's first - why leave the comforts of home and attempt to hike 2,175 (give or take) miles through the woods? That seems to be the biggest question people have when I tell them of my plans to hike the AT. Some people think I should be committed, while those closest to me are not (really) surprised at all. The biggest reason is simply that- I just love being outside and I love to walk. Put those two interests together and hiking and backpacking is a natural hobby. That combined with the fact that an AT thru hike has been a pipe dream of mine since I was a child, and over the years as I got more hiking and backpacking experience it has always been there at the back of my mind popping up every now and then like a bad habit. I also enjoy setting goals for myself- albeit noncompetitive goals and ones that I can accomplish at my own pace in my own time. I¢m very much a slow and steady wins the race kind of girl. It also seems to be a great way to experience a good portion of our country's natural beauty while meeting some wonderful people along the way. I understand that it won¢t be all daisies and sunshine but I feel grateful to have the opportunity to give it a try. It¢s not everyday that you have a chance to live out one of your dreams.Anyhooo, that¢s all I¢ll bore you with for now. Hope everyone else¢s preparations for a 2010 hike are going well!
Date: 2010-01-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So it looks as if 3 journal entries are required to begin a journal on this site, so I¢ll write another quick two.A little bit about me I guess: I¢m 28 and from Massachusetts. I¢ve been camping since I was born, although where I camp can hardly be considered ¢roughing it¢ (with electricity and running water these days) but I just love the peace and simplicity of the woods. About 5 or 6 years ago, I got more interested in hiking and backpacking and joined the AMC. Most of my hiking and backpacking experience has been on shorter trips in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as a stint my brother and I did into the Grand Canyon last year. I just finished a masters degree over in Ireland, and not entirely sure what direction I want to take with it so hoping with these six months in the woods I¢ll have a chance to consider my options a little. Well, that¢s about it really¢¦. I am currently staying with my grandparents in Florida for a month (bbrrrr¢¦ I thought Florida was supposed to be warm people!). Then back up home to the snow to wrap up planning details before heading back down to Georgia and beginning this adventure! Can¢t believe it is all coming up so quickly!! Very excited and looking forward to meeting everyone else headed to the trail this year!
Date: 2010-01-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So¢¦ the plane ticket is bought and barring any blizzards or canceled flights, I¢ll be down in Georgia on March 12th and hopefully on top of Springer on the 13th (!!!!). I actually don¢t think I¢ve heard of a single person so far also starting on that date¢¦ but seeing as it¢s a Saturday I sure hope to have some company down there! I¢m very fortunate that my parents are coming to see me off at Amicalola Falls State Park while they are en route to Florida. It will be great to have them there, and probably very reassuring in calming any last minute jitters I¢ll likely be having. (and as part of my evil plan, I¢m hoping they¢ll fall in love with hiking too so that we can go on future trips together!)Well, there is not much updating to be done at the minute as I am still down south for another few weeks. I¢m busy enjoying the nice weather and attempting to do a bit of exercise (brush the cobwebs off the ole muscles). Even though I¢m eager to get home, finalize my preparations and get hiking around the local hills to give my trail legs a head start, I¢m having a great time here and feel very grateful to be down here to help out my grandparents for these few weeks. I¢ve also been able to do a bit of work via the internet which is handy for saving some hiking funds.So without any major updates, I figure I¢ll talk about some of the gear I¢m planning to bring along. I know this is of absolutely no interest to many of my friends and family who might read this journal, but for those of us who hike or are planning their own thrus, gear choices are always an interesting topic!Today we¢ll start with shoes¢¦ Women¢s Vasque Breeze. These aren¢t new shoes at all- in fact they are the same ones I¢ve been using for the past few years since I got into hiking. But they haven't led me wrong so far (or given me blisters) and I figure I¢m going to run whatever shoes I start off with into the ground anyways so might as well start with the ones I already have. I will, however, be adding some spiffy new insoles to begin with so hopefully they¢ll give me good support. I know many thru hikers go more for trail-runner-type-shoes instead of hiking boots, but I tend to be slightly accident prone (note fresh scrape on my leg in picture) so I sure appreciate the additional ankle support that I get from my boots. As they say¢¦ if you take care of your feet your legs will take you anywhere!Until next time ¢¦.(Inset pictures (if I can get them to work- testing 1,2,3...) are of my brother Steven and I on our 3-day backpack into the Grand Canyon a year and a half ago- a great trip!)
Date: 2010-03-08
To: The final countdownÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¦
Miles today: 0.0

With only a few days left things are beginning to come together and excitement is building bigtime! I¢ve noticed when telling people of my thru-hike plans, that generally I¢ve gotten one of two reactions. Either someone thinks it is kind of cool and is interested in hearing more about it or they think I¢m completely insane for even thinking about heading off to the woods for six months! Despite this, I¢ve been overwhelmed by the support I¢ve received from friends, family and complete strangers even! All the messages and words of encouragement mean more to me than I can say and will continue to I¢m sure as I begin this journey. Thank you to Ms. McKay¢s 5th grade class for having me as a guest in their class and letting me share this with them, former thru hikers for being willing and available to answer many questions from thru¢s-in-training (Loon and particularly Wags who took the brunt of my questions- my AT guru ), Traci for lending me her yaktraks for this unseasonable snowy start, Erin who gave me a fabulous pre-hike haircut the other day, Carolyn from Murph¢s Place for hooking me up with many miniature salt and pepper packets to spice up my meals and of course all the support of my wonderful family and community. In particular, thank you to my parents who continue to be my biggest cheering section throughout all of my crazy life adventures. You guys are the best!I¢ve had several people ask how to get in touch with me while I¢m on the trail. I¢d say internet access along the trail might be sporadic, so the best way of keeping in touch would likely be with an old fashioned hand written letter. It would mean the most, be light to carry with me and probably lift my spirits as I read it in my tent after bad days or lonely nights on the trail. And I will do my best to write back any letters I receive. Under the mail drop section, I have listed a number of places where I plan to pick up mail along the way and will update estimated dates I expect to be passing through each stop. Anyone who knows me knows that I¢m no whiz with technology so I will do my best to keep this journal updated, but that will likely be through my support team at home so updates might not be immediate. Thank you to everyone who might read this journal and will be following along with me!Well, on to the next adventure and looking forward to becoming a part of the AT community! See you all out there¢¦
Date: 2010-03-12
From: East Walpole, MA 

To: Len Foote Hike Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Well, things have gotten off to a great start here. Yesterday was a bit hectic with last minute preparations and I woke up to the unhappy fact hat I had "pink eye!" Well, not "pink eye" but an eye infection, so a quick trip to the doctor got me sortedwith some meds. And by a stroke of luck (or divine intervention - you be the judge!)I had decided at the last minute the day before to take my glasses with me instead of shipping them in my bounce box.Back to today - it's been a long one! 3AM trip to the airport to head to Atlanta, drive to Amicalola Falls State Park and then a 5 mile hike with the parents to the Len Foote Hike Inn. Weather wasn't too cooperative with rain, thunderstorms, wind and fog but there were moments where the sun was trying to break through and hey - it wasn't snow and ice. Overall, I really enjoyed the hike today and thought it was an appropriate intro to the AT. Plus I was headed somewhere where I could have a hot shower so how could I complain.So leaving my parents tomorrow and heading to climb Mt. Springer on my own, so the journey continues. And I also have to give a huge recommendation to the Hike Inn. The place is wonderful, food is great and everyone is super-friendly. There are quite a few former thru-hikers I've been talking to here tonight. There was even a presentation on thru-hiking this evening which somehow managed to simultanously psych me up and freak me out slightly. But overall, I'm psyched to get there tomorrow! My transcribers will be in sunny Florida for a few days so updates might be a little slow this week but they'll get there!P.S. Pack at Amicalola Falls State Park weighed in at 31 pounds - happy days! And I signed in as thru-hiker #229 from the Visiters Center.P.P.S. Got touched by some trail magic before even setting foot on the trail when looking for alcohol for my stove but the Outfitter we stopped at didn'y stock. Clerk magically found a can nearby and filled up my bottle for me. Will think of him when I have hot meals over the next few days.
Date: 2010-03-13
From: Len Foote Hike Inn

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: light rain

I'm officially on the AT! Okay maybe only uner 3 miles but who's counting? Day started off great - watched the sunrise at the Hike Inn which was gorgeous. Of course, the second the sun started to rise the fog rolled in right on cue followed shortly by the rain.The day turned out to be a melange of all different kinds of weather changing about every 10 minutes. Had some fog, rain, dropping temps, lovely moments where it looked like the sun might pop out, to hail, then more rain. Sounds bad but it really wasn't at all. It always amazes me how warm your body is when moving. Don't want to jinx myself but felt pretty good today. Met Roger (Many Sleeps '98) at Springer summit and chatted with him for a bit - he was lovely. Currently at Stover Creek Shelter for the night. Nice place and think its only a few years old. We'll see how it goes with the mce tonight...This might be a bad idea, but I'm thinking I might speed up the next few days. Not because I think I'm fast or anything but I was supposed to let my parents know I arrived safely but my phone battery went comletely dead searching for a signal (should have kept it off - oops!)so I just don't want them to worry and I'd also like to know they made it down the trail and to the airport okay. So might try to pull a couple of 12 mile days in order to reach Neel's Gap by Tuesday.So far I am loving the trail. Probably about 10 of us - Kyle, RafiC, Mitch, Christen (Montreal), Captain Gutz, Ari)- in the shelter now and people keep rolling in. Off to make some dinner and then off to sleep! Some people say it's supposed to warm up tomorrow but I don't know if I should beleive that because people said the same thing yesterday!
Date: 2010-03-14
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Gap Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: light rain

Well my first shelter experience went well last night. I didn't sleep the whole night but I did get some sleep despite some snoring in the shelter (thoose ear plugs are key!). I didn't notice any mice either but they must have been there cos in the morning Mitch's food bag was chewed through. It's true what they say about thru-hiking being male dominated - I was the only girl in the shelter last night aside from a couple who were tenting nearby. And there was about 20 boy scouts camped there as well.Todays hike was long and tiring but fun. Ended up hiking with Mitch all day which was fun and we kept leap frogging with others who were at the shelter. We heard a coyote howl when woalking in the morning which was cool. Most of us made it here to Gooch Gap tonight. Lots of ups and downs today - particularly Sassafras Mountain which was a beast. Ended up meeting up of RaffiC (Raphealle from Puerto Rico)who's a Yankees fan (I'll try not to hold it against him) and the three of us trudged our way through those last 3.5 miles or so. Right as we came into Cooper Road came to a road crossing a car was driving through. They rolled down their windows to ask if we were thru-hiking and proceeded to give each of us a bottle of water which was a pleasant surprise. Weather was pretty much the same today - about 40 degrees F., foggy and drizzly so still no views yet. Had a great fire and lots of laughs tonight. Loads of people in the shelter tonight but I decided to stay in hotel hubba (aka my tent) this eve. Met a bunch of peaple at the shelter tonight. Klarity (another thru-hiker chic!) Dan (I think) from New Jersey and there were a couple of guys from Maine here to - James and Peter (Big Dipper). Had a big dinner tonight after my big day - my lunch as an appetizer (p,b & j), my rehydrated risotto which was Delicious (much better than my pesto soup and oatmeal sludge this morning - yeah for the dehydrator!) and a snickers for dessert. Muscles are really sore after today and feet were killing me at the end of the day but aside from that feeling pretty good. Currently raining out so as long as it says outside my tent thats fine by me! Good night!
Date: 2010-03-15
From: Gooch Gap Mountain Shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: scattered clouds

"My Achy, achy feet!"Oh man, today was a tough one. Day started out ok - took time breaking camp and ended up hiking with loads of diff. ppl today - Dan (NJ), Mithc, Dan (Alabama), Klarity, James (aka Powernap) and a couple named Panther and Ridley.Sun came out in the morning and was thinking how lucky I am to be doing all this and we got our first views today. Then later in the afternoon, it got cold and windy. And I was super-tired. Luckily at the end of the day Mitch passed me and we trudged our way to the shelter. Was very sore and miserable (to my Steven - it wasn't the death zone, but close, more like the zombie zone). Was great to be here though and a bunch from our crew from last night is here crammed in the shelter (it's fricken freezing outside - like base camp 1 someone said - ha!) Am sore but in good spirits and still having fun.Tomorrow morning is the climb up Blood Mountain (highest in Georgia) and looking forward to a short 4 mile day to Neel's Gap. Off to bed - it's 7:30!
Date: 2010-03-16
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Was up early this morning for my attack of Blood Mountain (well it wasn't really that intense but it makes it sound a little cooler, doesn't it?). It was cold last night - RaffiC said he felt like he was at an airport from all the wind in during the night. So headed off early and up Blood Mtn which was foggy and covered in snow(Nothing too serious though. I leapped frogged alot with Jackal and Hawktail. As I got to the summit, the sun came out and got a nice view. Continued down a rock face by accident where Ridley and Panther were and had done the same thing. We climbed back up and rejoined the trail. A little while later was walking on my own and two white-tailed deer ran in front of me. That's been about the height of animal sightings aside from squirrels, mice, and bear mudprints the first couple days.Rolled into Neels Gap around 11 and had a great afternoon - cleaned myself, my clothes, resupplied and enjoyed free burgers being cooked from a church ministry which was fantastic! Had a fab dinner in the hostel tonight cooked by Miss Janet and hung out and heard stories from other former thru hikers - Baltimore Jack, dart man, and grizz. Overall, it was a great NERO (Near Zero Hiking Day). Off to bed now and out for about 11 miles tomorrow. Hope the beatifl weather holds out.
Date: 2010-03-17
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

This morning started off well. Ms. Janet cooked us a fabulous breakfast. Had some grits and they were delicious. Headed off and had a great day of hiking. Flipflopped most of the day with Powernap and Craig (from Kentucky). Was good fun but about halfway through the day my left knee started bothering me and has continued to since. Think I will take an easy day tomorrow in order to make sure I don't get injured too badly. Today we traveled about 11 miles to the next shelter and we heard rumors that a St. Patty's Day Party would be happening.Well it turns out there was and former thru-hikers from PA (Geek and daughter Crazywolf) came and had trail magic and beer and hot dogs. Met a couple of other cool thru-hiker chics - one from Worcester (Jocelyn) and one from Alabama (Megan). I was also "christened" in a manner of speaking with a trail name. For those of you that don't know - a trail name is one that you go by on the trail - not your given name. Some choose their own while others have it given to them by other hikers. Mine was given to me by Geek (and my brother Brian will have a field day with this). We wwere all enjoying some trail magic with a beer when Klarity decided she had to go to the ladies room and asked me to hold hers. While I was standing there, Geek looked at me and asked if I had a trail name. I said no and then he named me Two Fist and so it was.