morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-09-30
From: 325

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Whew, that was a long walk. And it was so pleasant until we hit that last ridge line. They piled enough rocks on that last hill to make up for the whole day. And then there was Duncannon... Sunday when we did the other side of this section and walked into Duncannon it was raining and we stopped at the south end of town. Today we had to connect from the north end of town. I had no idea this was such a looonnggg town. We felt like we walked forever! But we did it...all the way through.We started the day early, Owl, Roo and I walking with Karen the first nine miles. It was great to spend the morning with her catching up. The trail wasn't too rough, but nine miles gave her a pretty good work out. Unfortunately she did end up with one blister, but not too bad. Hopefully it won't hold her back for the next two days.At the nine mile mark Karen got in her car and drove to Duncannon to wait for us. Her story of her adventure in Duncannon was humorous. She didn't know exactly where to meet us so she asked some town people. She was eventually directed to the Doyle where she made some hiker friends and learned much more about the town than she really needed to know. But she was entertained.Meanwhile Owl, Roo and I hiked the remaining seven miles down to town and two through town. It was considerably harder than the morning hike. Very rocky, small stuff and boulders. My feet are tired.By 3:30 we were finished and off to make an evening plan. The campgrounds we had thought of staying for the night did not allow dogs in their cabins, so we found an inexpensive hotel instead. After checking in and showering we went out for an excellent dinner and then did a little shopping. We're breaking ourselves back into the real world slowly.Tomorrow is our last section in Pennsylvania. It's a short ten miles, then it's off to Maryland. So close.
Date: 2008-10-01
From: 94

To: Pine Furnace 
Miles today: 11.0

What a full day. We started with a nice breakfast a Panera. Great way to start a hike day. Then it was off to connect our last Pennsylvania section. We had left off over the weekend during the rain at Rt 94 and had to make it to Pine Furnace State Park to complete the state. We've already hiked the remaining PA miles.This section was very pretty. For the first time we did see leaves changing in the forest, reds, oranges and yellows. It was beautiful! The walk was pleasant. Karen and I had a good talk and lost track of time. Before we realized it we were almost finished.We came to the sign in the middle of the woods that marks the symbolic center of the AT. Truth is the actual center changes all the time with relocations. But we took our picture there anyway.We finished up the trail by 1:00, loaded up in the car and headed south to Maryland. On our way we stopped at Party City to pick up balloons. The other day we were talking about our last day and how even tho we were planning to slackpack, it would be nice to carry our backpacks. Someone said something about not carrying any weight in them, or for that matter maybe attaching helium balloons to carry them for us. And an idea was born. We each bought a large helium balloon to attach to our packs as we take our final walk into Harper's Ferry. We even got one for Roo, tho she thought it was a little scary. :o)Next it was to a laundry so we wouldn't stink too much on our last day. Then to Maple Tree Campground to met our friends Mary and Carolyn. We got one of the newer cabins, the Magnolia. For a rustic cabin it's pretty nice. Out to a local small town for dinner, then back to settle in for the night.We're all cozy in our cabin for one more night's sleep before our journey comes to an end. I am amazed that we are finally here. I'm not sure I'm ready to answer all the questions... what was your favorite part, etc. At the same time I am very ready to head home. Tomorrow morning Greg is coming to hike with us along with Anastasia and Marty. Soaring's sister Judy and her husband Ken are also coming along for our final walk. It's going to be so much fun to have them all join us.For now tho, I am beat. What a long day, but it was a good day. Tomorrow's going to be even better.
Date: 2008-10-02
From: Gapland

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was a hiking party! We had an awesome day. The weather was beautiful tho it started out just a bit nippy. Several friends joined us. Karen hung with us for a third day, Mary, who had hiked our first day out of Harper's Ferry back in March, along with her friend Carolyn, Marty and his pup Rosie (Roo was happy to have a new friend to hike with), Soaring's sister and her husband Ken who had welcomed us to their home on our drive to Maine back in July and hiked a day in New Hampshire, and Anastasia, who had hosted us at that beautiful cabin down in Bryson City and loaned us her son Nick to hike the 100 miles wilderness with us. And of course Greg, our greatest supporter, encourager and trail angel.We were hiking into Harper's Ferry. It was a symbolic walk, we've section hiked this part of the trail several times. This was actually the very first section we hiked back in 2002 when Owl was eleven and she first started cooking up the idea for hiking the entire trail.It was a bit surreal hiking the canal. Can we believe we are really here? Well, yeah! This was a long walk. It made the canal seem all the longer. And of course there were lots of pictures to be taken. Finally we came to the footbridge. Our friends went ahead to take pictures as we came to the final blaze.We were carrying the balloons we had bought the day before. We couldn't find the Pooh characters so we had to pick other things. Owl carried a bumblebee (long story), Soaring had Strawberry shortcake (I don't know that story), Roo had Scooby (At the end of every day when having her pack removed Roo would wallowed on the ground like Scooby Doo), and I carried a butterfly (it was the only balloon I liked). So we really did look like a walking party... balloons, friend, cameras and lots of fun.There was some logistic juggling afterward getting the cars back from Gathland Park. Then we made a stop by the ATC headquarters. Back in March I had promised Owl we would buy a t-shirt when we finished. Turned out they were having a celebration, forty years since the passage of The National Trails System Act. We felt bad not hanging around for the party, but we had a long drive ahead of us.What now? Well, first this weekend our high school reunion. Then back home to Colorado. We've decided on three days of just sitting. I just want to sit on my comfy couch and stare at the fireplace. Owl is planning to go on Netflix and order every movie she missed the last six months. I'd like to spend sometime with Caleb, if he has time for me now that he's off to college. And I'd like to go to the grocery store and shop for REAL food, nothing dried, no snickers and not worry about how much it weighs, then cook it on a REAL stove in REAL pots and eat on REAL plates.After that I'll take the time to sit down and write a journal entry or two reviewing gear and such. Until then, thanks for coming along on our adenture!
Date: 2008-10-09
To: Memory Chain
Miles today: 0.0

Before starting our hike I decided I wanted to find a creative way to remember the experiences we had. I decided to make a memory chain. I took a length of jute and a small bag of assorted beads. At first I mailed the rope and beads forward in our bounce box, but toward the end of the hike I carried them with me. The first beads I started with were ones I had around the house and a few I picked up at Michaels. I added to the collection at a Ben Franklin store in Waynesboro and from a vendor at Trail Days. A few more were added again from a Michaels somewhere in the north and from a bag of bead my Uncle Ellis gave me in PA. When we stopped at our first zero I tied a couple beads onto the rope to remind me of things that happened. At the next zero I did the same again. Each time I added beads I would tell the story to Owl. By the end of six months she may have been about tired of my stories, but she was very patient with me. =0) Now that we have completed the hike we have two long beaded ropes that tell the story of our adventure. It's pretty cool.
Date: 2008-10-18
To: Packs, Pad and Bags
Miles today: 0.0

BackpacksI started the hike with a Six Moon design pack and early in the hike changed to my old Mountainsmith Chimera pack. The Six Moon design is a lightweight pack and my winter pack was just too heavy for it, there wasn¢t enough back support and it began to hurt my back and shoulders. My Mountain Hardware is an older pack and heavier, but it was so comfortable it was worth a couple extra pounds. Next year when we head to the Whites I will most likely look for a new pack, probably an Osprey. Owl began the hike with her old Wild Thing. She loved that pack, but it had been a few years since we bought it and it took her awhile to admit she had outgrown it.   We bought her a new Osprey Aura 50 pack. She really enjoyed carrying it. The only thing we didn¢t like about the Osprey was that we couldn¢t figure out how to get the pack off of its frame to wash it. I was able to wash my pack regularly through the hike, but the Osprey couldn¢t go into a washing machine. Sleeping bagsWe began our hike with Mountain Hardware 800 fill down Phantom 15 degree bags.            They were very comfortable bags tho surprisingly we found them to be too warm. Because of the route we took for our hike we didn¢t have a whole lot of cold weather. After about a month we sent them home and had our summer weight bags sent to us. My summer pack is an old Sierra Design 600 fill 30 degree convertible lid, it doesn¢t even have a bottom other than a thin sheet. It¢s a strange bag, but it worked great for the rest of the hike. Owl¢s summer pack is a Moonstone youth synthetic bag she has had for years. Neither bag is the latest in high tech gear, but they are lightweight and worked fantastic for the rest of the hike.   Sleeping PadsOwl began the hike with a Pacific Outdoor Research pad. When it developed a slow leak that we could not locate we bought her a similar Big Agnes pad. She loved this pad. I started with the pink Thermorest women¢s pad. I¢ve used it for years and really like it. After the 100 mile wilderness I decided to cut back weight anywhere I could. I finally broke down and bought the orange Thermorest foam pad. It was a bit lighter but so much bulkier. It wouldn¢t fit inside my pack like the inflatable so it made my pack much bigger. I¢m not sure it was worth the trade off.
Date: 2008-10-18
To: Feet, Pole, Tents and Stoves
Miles today: 0.0

We loved our Merrill shoes! Before the hike we bought three pairs of Merrill Radius Mid rise waterproof trail runners. (waterproof only applies to small water puddles, not swollen Maine rivers or bogs) These are great shoes, the Vibram soles stuck to most rock and they were very comfortable. We had a new pair mailed to us just before the Smokies and another in Massachusetts. We used Superfeet insoles with Smartwool socks. We were very pleased with both. I changed my Superfeet a couple times with each pair of shoes. We began our hike with our old Liki hiking poles. At Trail Days we bought Gossamer Gear lightweight poles. They were so much lighter and we really thought being carbon fiber would be so much better since we tend to hike across mountains in thunderstorms. However when we hit the rocks of Maine we found they were not sturdy enough to hold up. We both broke poles in Maine. We weren¢t sure if it was just the rough terrain or if the pole were not strong enough. Then when I broke another pole in New York I sent home for my old Liki poles. Wow, did they feel heavy after using the Gossamer for so long, but even the rocks of Pennsylvania couldn¢t break them. Maybe next year we¢ll look at Liki¢s carbon fiber poles. We started the hike with the Seedhouse 2 from Big Agnes. It just did not have enough room for two people and a dog. We had bought it because it was lighter than the Hubba Hubba we had used in the past, but we soon traded in the Seedhouse and had the HH mailed to us. It¢s a great two person plus a dog tent. It¢s got great headroom. With two side doors we each had our own entrance and vestibule with space to store our packs, pole and shoes at night. It¢s also really tough. Roo put the tent through a lot. She liked to get right up against the side at night, pushing on the wall and poles, but it held up well. We snapped on pole section about 34 way through the hike but MSR responded quickly in getting us a replacement. I was surprised how easy it was to repair the tent pole. And the stove. We started the hike as a team of four planning to cook and eat together. We bought the Primas Eta group cooking system. It¢s a great stove, but when we decided to split up the cooking it was too large for Owl and I to use on our own. Since we were so impressed with how the Eta worked we decided to try the Eta Express, a smaller version of what we had been using. It¢s a terrific little stove, similar to a jet boil but I liked it much better. The pot is not attached to the heat source making it more useful for cooking. The handles have rubber coverings making it easy to pick up. It heats really fast, stats say faster than the jet boil, tho we didn¢t test it. It uses very little fuel. Soaring had bought fuel for the entire hike and was mailing in them drop boxes. I suspect she has a lot of canisters left because this stove didn¢t use much fuel at all. It also has a lid that is a frying pan that is just the right size to make a small pancake, which became one of our favorite dinners. So the Eta gets two thumbs up.
Date: 2008-10-18
To: Roo's gear
Miles today: 0.0

And then there was Roo¢s gear. She wore a Ruffgear Palisades Pack 2. The saddlebags detached from a harness, which I thought was a wonderful idea. Whenever we wanted to give her a break we could take off her load but still keep her harness on.   It also had foil water bottles inside the pack, which we removed. I thought it was too hard to get the water in and out of the bottles to make it worth carrying the weight.   It was a tough pack that held up great. The other important piece of gear for Roo was her leash. We found a Granite Gear Absorber Dog leash at the outfitter in Front Royal. This is a GREAT idea. It is a strong webbing leash with elastic running through the inside. We clipped a lightweight carabineer to the loop handle and attached it to the waist belt of my pack. That way she was on leash, but with a stretchy line. Other than that, she carried her bowl. At first we had one of those folding Flatworld Orikaso plates, but it didn¢t hold up well. After awhile I noticed that my rubber Squishy bowl was absorbing the smells of food and I started to toss it. Instead I decided to try it for River. It worked great for her bowl, light, just the right size and sturdy. I think that¢s it for her gear, except the orange vest we bought in the fall at an outfitter. We also mailed her heartworm and flea and tick preventative in our bounce box.
Date: 2008-01-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hello all! Time is flying by and our trip is drawing near. I'm deep in preparation, creating meals, making financial arrangements (or re-arrangements if you know what I mean) and trying to keep my head about me knowing I'll be living my dream in a mere 6 weeks.The kids (Moki & Journey), too, are getting excited although they're not really sure why just yet.I can't wait to get more in "journal" depth for all to hopefully feel as though you're hiking with us. Dawna, Moki & Journey
Date: 2008-02-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it's beginning to feel real these days. Our spare room has become a "staging room" full of boxes and supplies ready for their trek to Moms "mailhouse". Hope she isn't too overwhelmed with the whole process!! I'll be making a couple of trips to Milwaukee between now and early March to deliver supplies, provide explanations and hopefully have some time to hang out with family before I go.Things are all starting to fall in place, the tentative departure date is March 10. Uncle Ronnie will be "delivering" us to AFSP in Georgia. We will begin our trip camping near Amicalola Falls for a few days before journeying onto the approach trail. We would like to be at the terminus at Springer Mountain around St. Patty's day, provided Gaia is on our side!
Date: 2008-03-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Good Morning Everybody:Just a quick update, my tentative maildrops have finally been posted on this site. Please note, these are TENTATIVE as I'm quite sure there will be many places along the way we'll want to stop.We're down to three days before we depart and have about 4 days of things to get done. I'm not sure if there will be a spare moment to write before we leave, if not, we'll see ya on the trail!!!Thanks again for all of the support, well wishes, and surprise messages (VT). Happy Trails!!!
Date: 2008-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I don¢t think anyone knows how much influence Gramma had in my life. Her love of nature and all living things, her green thumb and most of all her attitude!! Sitting me down in the organ room (by the white furry thing) with a sketchbook, pencil and one of many Peterson¢s guides not only aroused my curiousity, but provided the foundation for my love of nature. I couldn¢t think of a better person to be walking beside me.Namaste
Date: 2008-03-10
To: SMILE
Miles today: 0.0

Sorry--completely unrelated to the trail, just thought it might make someone smile this morning.There is a hotel in St. Germain, Wisconsin with a display sign that contains witty, usually inspirational-type sayings. I've appreciated these signs since the day I moved up here. This week's signs really cracked me up and I thought someone out there may get a kick out of them as well!!The other one is called "woods" and can be viewed in my photo file. Thanks for the photos Robbie!!
Date: 2008-03-15
To: one more day
Miles today: 0.0

Sitting in Ellijay Georgia. Excited for a small change in my plans, I get to start a day early. I will be dropped of at Springer Mountain tomorrow morning. Looks like a nice couple days to start, forecast calling for high 60's. The girls are getting plenty of rest and relaxation on account of a little rain. A special thanks to Collin at North Georgia Mountain Outfitters for the help with the last of the preparations. A ride to the start and a new sleeping pad were a big help. Your little store is great!! Thanks for all the well wishes I will be in touch.
Date: 2008-03-19
From: Springer Mtn

To: Walasi-Yi
Miles today: 30.5

Well, the first stretch is behind us and earlier than anticipated. So far it's been all I dreamed of and more. We've learned so much already and have made a few gear adjustments. Things couldn't be better! The peoole are helpful and kind (and so far Journey tolerant), the trail is beautiful and I can't stop smiling! Happy Easter to everyone and I'll be in touch next week, photos are coming, promise!
Date: 2008-03-28
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 36.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Hi everyone,   Section two has come to an end for us. We started monday in freezing cold, nearly white-out conditions and ended with a couple of beautiful summer like days. We are really beginning to get the "feel" for the trail and trail life and are loving every minute of it. We've stayed in absolutely stunning places, including Low Gap, Blue Mountain, Tray Mountain, and our favorite Deep Gap Shelter. Life truly couldn't be better. As I've said before, the people on the trail are amazing-all unique and great to be around. The towns people are more than accomodating. If this experience had to end today, it would have already been positively life altering. I am so thankful we still have over 2100 miles of smiles to go!!!    Thank you as always for your love and support. Dawn, Joe, and Mom-thank you for EVERYTHING-the notes of encouragement and the girls doggy treats-you guys are the best!   We'll talk to ya'all in Franklin, NC (yes we are super excited to cross our first state line Monday morning) Light and Laughter   P.S. My chinese fourtune tonight was you "will step on the soil of many countries."
Date: 2008-04-03
From: Franklin, NC

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City, NC
Miles today: 40.1
Weather: light rain

Hi all!! Just arrived in Franklin, NC at the Budget Inn on a cold and rainy North Carolina morning. Hiking this past week was phenomenal to say the least. Not only did I cross my first state border, I also crossed the 100 mile marker and am at 106.6 now!!!I have to say, the hiking is becoming second nature and we had no problem doing a couple of days over 12 miles this week. The views have been wonderful!! I am sending home my SD card on Saturday so there will be many photos to view soon, just wanted to wait until I had some good pics for ya'all. We've had some cloudy days with little or no visibility so you'll see there are some days without photos.All is well here, the dogs are doing great as am I. Life seriously couldn't be any better (don't I say that every time?!?!?). All the messages are so much appreciated (and Moki and Journey have really appreciated all the extra hugs and kisses from everyone, we all know I don't ever give them enough!!).I hope all is well at home, hopefully Mother Nature will stop topping you guys with so much of that white stuff that I don't miss. I'm told I'll have some in the Smokies though.I miss everyone and love everyone!! Thanks for everything!!Light & Laughter,Dawna, Moki & Journey
Date: 2008-04-09
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Dawna asked me (her mother aka/Maude)to make an entry for her as they are leaving Nantahala on their way to a somewhat difficult 7-mile hike up a mountain. The next stop will be Fontana, the last one before the Smokies. She has met some amazing people and having the time of her life. She said the weather has been pretty good but it looks like they will encounter colder temps soon.Moki and Journey are doing great and getting lots of love and attention from other hikers (they're not spoiled at all). They will be kenneled while Dawna hikes the Smokies. Dogs are not allowed in that area. She will be hiking the Smokies with other thru-hikers she has met so they plan on sharing gear etc. They will have any extra gear, food etc. shipped ahead to lighten their loads and make the hike easier. They also plan on having a good time partying in Gatlinburg (I am so jealous -- that's one of my favorite places).So I guess I have to get really serious about training so Dawna and I can do the trail together after I retire. It sounds like such an amazing experience -- something that I might possibly be able to do. What a perfect way to bond with your daughter.We should be hearing from Dawna when she reaches Fontana. I feel so much a part of this whole journey and am so proud of Dawna for having the courage to follow her dream.If you really want to know first-hand what a thru-hike is all about, read the book "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" by David Miller. After reading this excellent book, I am now very familiar with the places Dawna talks about and some of the situations encountered on the AT. I'm sure you'd all enjoy reading it too. Hopefully Dawna will be writing a book of her own after this really neat experience.(Happy Hiking, Dawna. We love you and miss all of you.)