morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-06
From: Shenandoah Tenting Area

To: Random Tent Site
Miles today: 21.2

Today has been a great day! Moss and I are still getting up and leaving around 4:45am which is making more time for us to enjoy other things along the hike, like deli-style sandwiches and sodas. Today Moss and I hit 3 stores that were all about .4 off the trail. The first one we ate breakfast at and got a sandwich to go for lunch. Then at the Dover oak we met up with a guy named "tri-pod" whose girlfriend "hippie long-stockings" was doing a slack-pack so he drove us into Pawling, NY and we got a soda and a candy bar. It was still only 3pm and se had already hiked 18.5 miles or so. Well,since I was feeling so good,I thought it would be a good idea to push on further(2.6mi)to the next road and look for camping somewhere around there. Moss agreed and so we left a note for Sweep and Ziploc. When we got to the road Moss wanted to walk down to the deli(.5)and get and ice-cream. I said I would go along because I needed water and to clean off a bit. We made it there and back before 630pm Traildawg had mentioned to me sometime ago to hike while the hiking is good and I seriously feel like I could keep going,however I don't want to push myself too hard.Going back abit to the Dover Oak that I had mentioned earlier..that tree was amazingly beautiful! It is the largest oak tree on the whole A.T. and is about 350 yrs old! I'm not sure if anyone remembers me mentioning the Keffer oak back in VA but both trees are similar to one another. I always smile at these wonders and think how awesome God is truly incredible.Tomorrow we plan on going into Kent,CT I hope to get in touch with a trail angel by the name Rob. My friend "still walking" gave me his name and number so hopefully it will all work out. I am heading out early again so i have to get some sleep... later taters!
Date: 2005-08-07
From: Random Tent Site

To: Kent,CT
Miles today: 18.4

Well I am bummed out. not only was today a somewhat tough day but all the fun things that I was hoping for in Kent are not working out. Rob did call me back(thank you so much to still walking for passing along my name) however he was out of town visiting his daughter in the beautiful White Mtns. So we decided at that point to try and stay in town but every place was about $120 or higher and the local laudromat is closed. As it turns out, we are now staying in Cornwall Bridge at the motel and the owner has said we can borrow his car to drive to Sharon to do our laundry. How nice is that? When we had called him and asked about the alundry his son had told us it was available,however his son wasn't aware that it was broken so that is why he is letting us sue his car.It's nice to be out of the heat tonight. Maybe tomorrow will be a cooler day.Well,it is now 8/8 and we are still in Kent CT. as it turns out,we have met a couple by the name of Richard and Charlotte who run the bookstore here in town. Charlotte approached me,ziploc and sweep at the P.O. and told us that we were more than welcome to stay at her house,either on the porch or tent in the yard, and take showers and do laundry. If only we had met her yesterday! Still,we have decided to stay because it looks like rain is heading in tonightI'm not sure if I have told you yet but the mosquitos are INSAME! They are vicious and even bite me through my clothes! The only way to truly escape them is to sit in your tent. Anyhow,we plan to be in Great Barrington, MA on Thursday,which means 15 plus miles a day. It is so hot still and the climbs are slowly getting bigger, I hope I make it.
Date: 2005-08-09
From: Kent,CT

To: Pine Swap Brook lean to
Miles today: 17.0

We started today around 6:45am which was good because it was a hot day! The hike was a good one for me. I haven't written this,but over the past couple weeks life out here has been hard for me. When I went to see Will and Autumn I was able to talk to some other friends from home. I realized how much I missed everyone and how long it has been since I've seen them. With that along with the heat,bugs and climbs I have not had much motivation at all. Today however was totally different. I'm not sure why or what changed but I have laughed and smiled all day! The three-blind mice are some funny people! I think it helps when we all hike together. One of the main things that made me laugh was my boots. So the right one is falling apart(litterally the heel is detaching itself from the rest of the boot) and sweep offered to fix it for me. Well little did I know that to fix it meant to duct tape it....all the way around the entire shoe! We were crying we were laughing so hard! Make sure you look at the pictures to see.We are camping at the shelter(Pine Swamp Branch)which is close to the Swamp(obviously because of the name) and the mosquitos are horrible! We are all hanging out in our tents to keep from getting bitten by them. We have met 3 new hikers tonight,Stinger(sectioning from ct to me) panda(from England sectioning from ny to me) and elf(a thru hiker) all seem to be nice guys. Always fun because new people mean new stories.
Date: 2005-08-10
From: Pine Swap Brook lean to

To: Brassie Brook lean-to
Miles today: 21.0

Today has been another great day! Sweep and I left camp together around 7:45am. I got a good nights sleep last night which I hadn't had in about 4 days. We walked for about 6 miles to us7 and got some snikers bars as trail magic. Then about .5 futher we decided to go off the trail .2 to the mountainside cafe. I got and egg and cheese sandwich with a R.C. cola. Its been a long time since i"ve had R.C.! We alsoran into Moss and Ziploc there. We wanted to try and slack-pack and the staff even helped us to try ad find someone but no such luck. The staff at this place is a part of an AA 12-step program right down the street. Once they have so many days clean, they have the opportunity to work at the cafe while they work on their sobriety. I told them about my work at Ridgeview and that I thought it was so neat for them to have this opportunity I wished them well and went on my way.Moss and I ended up hiking together again this afternoon. He and I are so silly/goofy when we hike together. He is one of only three people who can bring out the stupid,silly humor that I have inside. Mom, I know you know what I'm talking about(like when me and Ashley Kelly used to laugh uncontrollably). Anyway, he and I keep each other going. It also makes the day go by much easier. I'm glad that I am out of the low that I was in. It makes my time out here much more enjoyable.Today we crossed over a nice waterfall that appeared to be an area that has been converted into a public swimming area. I wanted tp get in and swim but didn't think I would have enough time to dry out so i chose not to. Then,shortly after that we walked by "giant's thumb" which is a huge rock formation that jets out from the ground. I took pictures for everyone to see.Now we are at the Brassie Brook lean-to in our tents. I don't think anyone is even sleeping in the shelter because of the mosquitos. The water here is just like it sound too, BRASSY! It is seriously a golden color which Moss says is due to the acorns. Who knows. It's a good thing I got my water earlier at the spring. No brown water for me. Tomorrow we cross into Massachusetts. WOOO HOOO! 11 states and only 3 more to go!
Date: 2005-08-11
From: Brassie Brook lean-to

To: Great Barrington MA
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: few clouds

Welcome to MA! Talk about some awesome trail magic we are so lucky to be where we are tonight! When Moss and I reached the road,he immediately started calling Motels and such to find us a place to stay. Well all the motels in town were full, Sweep showed up and so she and I stuck out our thumbs to hitch to the P.O. while Moss kep calling places. We got a ride from a guy named Allen who drove the three of us to the P.O. I had to get there to pick up new boots(YEAH) and sweep had to pick up a new pack. While we were there Moss got in touch with a family who lives in town that hosts thru-hikers! The gentleman said he would come pick us up and take us back to his house where we could shower,do laundry and sleep for FREE! How awesome is that He and his wife are ministers and have a daughter who has done a pilgramage across France and Spain. They explained to us that they do this to return the favor of the many families that helped their daughter. So awesome! God is so good to me!
Date: 2005-08-12
From: Great Barrington MA

To: Tyringham, MA(fire pavillion)
Miles today: 20.5

Last night was one of the best nights on the trail! John and Cathy are awesome people. They invited us to have dessert with them last night and cooked us breakfast this morning! I wasn't able to send my old boots home yesterday beacuse the P.O. closed so Cathy was nice enough to send them for me. Oh Yea-The other part of the trail magic that I forgot to mention yesterday was that while Moss,Sweep and I were in town we ran into Chef-boy-r-dee who said he had rented a car. He asked us if there was anything he could do for us and I randomly said "maybe a slack-pack". He immediately agreed! So now I am sitting at the fire pavillion in Tyringham, Ma after a slack pack from chef-boy-r-dee! And Timshel is back with us after being gome from us for about 3 weeks. Ht left us a Delware Water Gap because he had meet his family by a certain date and we couldn't go with him because we had to meet sweep's uncle and my fried Will. So now we are all back together again! I've had such a great couple of days!
Date: 2005-08-13
From: Tyringham, MA(fire pavillion)

To: Lee, Ma(steve's hpise)
Miles today: 8.6

I think I'm on a roll here because the magic just keeps coming! Todat Timshel and I left around the same time(moss and sweep were ahead and ziploc was behind hiking with her uncle and cousin) and we hiked together all morning. We had all talked as a group last night about hitching into Lee, Ma for a soda or something so when Timshel and I got to the Hwy. we started thumbing. Well a guy on a motorcycle(coming the opposite way from where we were hitching)pulls up and says that if we can wait 15 minuted or so that he would pick us up, take us into town and bring us back out to the trail, Of cource we accepted his offer and waited for him to come back and get us. He returned about 20 min. later in his suv and picked us up. On the way though,he asked us if we were on any king of schedule and we said no so then he offered to let us stay with him in his house.feed us lunch,dinner and breakfact,take showers and do alundry. I was in shock! Timshel agreed with delight! So now we are sitting here after having a nice hot shower a huge deli-style sandwich and guacome that steve(the guy who picked us up) made us for lunch and our laundry done. This is sonice! Steve is a nice person to do this for us! He states that the reason he is doing this is to pay it forward of sorts because he is a bicyclist who had gone across the US. from Oregon to Maine and across many other countries in Europe and some countries in the Meditterain. While he was in Italy, he had a family let him stay in their fall/winter home all by himself! Then the family made him a Itallian bicycle jersey(which costs about $300- $500) So now steve says it is his turn to return the favor! He made Timshel and I promise that we too will pay it forward. How awesome to have such great trail magic! Life is good.
Date: 2005-08-14
From: Lee, Ma(steve's hpise)

To: Dalton, Ma(tom lavardi's)
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: haze

Well to sum up the rest of the awesome trail magic...steve made us sushiand baked salmon and cucumber salad for dinner and waffles with homemade blueberry sauces this morning for breakfast! I know I know,you're sitting ther thinking is she hiking or just vacationing! To tell you the truth it's a little of both Steve gave us his number and e-mail in case we get into a bind and need help Nice guy!Timshel and I plan on going all the way to dalton,ma today. We'll see.We made it to dalton,ma by 4:30pm to find all of our friends hanging out at Tom Lavardi's place! Tom is somewhat of a trail legend he has been hosting hikers at his house for over 20 years! He is so nice too because he brings out a sundaw for all the hikers tenting in his yard. There are so many hikers here! The 3b mice,moonshine,history and bulldawg, Sal paradise ivy and wanderlust,cricket and litmus and piker and ms mileage. I am so happy to be back with these people again! I'll try and write more later I want to chat with these guys!
Date: 2005-08-16
From: Dalton, Ma(tom lavardi's)

To: North Adams Ma
Miles today: 23.3

So as you can tell be the date 8/15 missing we took an ill-advised zero yesterday and had to make up for it today by doing 23 miles.The day started off good. Nice and cool and sunny. The first then miles went by in 3 hours and we decided to stop in Cheshire (next town on the A.T.) for a sandwich and an ice-cream. After this we had Mt. Greylock to conquer. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Then I started down the other side. Very steep and slippery which caused me to fall four times! Right on my butt except for the last time when I fell on my right knee. It immediately started to bruise. I felt pretty embarrassed by this because everyone saw me fall and honestly this is the first time I have truly fallen on this trip. Sure I've slipped here and there but this was all-out falling which scared me pretty bad.We finally made it down and ended up having to walk 2.5 more miles into North Adams. I was in tears by the time I made it to the hotel. It was just a long and overwhelming day today. Its funny how the trail can be so metaphorical to my life. And how God always seems to teach me more and more lessons everyday. I have been reading a new book "captivating " by John and Stasi Elderege and God has been opening my eyes in so many ways. Thank you to everyone for your continued love and support. It truely makes the biggest difference to me.
Date: 2005-09-26
To: Dana
Miles today: 0.0

Heloo everyone! I know its been a long time since I have written and updated everyone as to where I am so I thought now would be a good time. I have made it to MAINE!! Its crazy, happy, sad, exciting, emotional and so many other things that I can't really put into words. I have learned so much being out here in God's country and I can't wait to come home and share all my stories with you all! I miss you and think of each and everyone of you everyday! I plan to summit my final mountain, MT. Katahdin, on either the 8th or the 9th of October. That's in like two weeks!! YIKES!! Please pray for me and my brave parents (they want to climb the Mtn too). Thank you again for all of your love and prayers and continued support along the way!! I definately could not have made this journey without it. I plan on driving home with traildawg and we might be making some stops along the way so I'm not sure of the exact date that I will be home, but I will definately let everyone know so we can all get together and celebrate!! Love to you all!!Love, Linus
Date: 2005-10-17
To: Dana
Miles today: 0.0

Well I have officially made it back home! I have so many things to do it seems and still have much to do with this site. To those of you who have been logging on and patiently waiting for the updates, I want to apologize. I will be posting the new pictures and journals this week and hope that it doesn't take me too long (I just got back from Wolf camera with four CD picture disks with about 900 pics on them!!). My final summit date was Oct. 12th (which ended up being my 2nd time up due to the weather, however it was a true blessing from God because it was BEAUTIFUL up there on the 12th!). I hope everyone will continue to log and see the rest of the adventure that me and many others endured this summer. Truly amazing stuff!!
Date: 2005-05-03
To: Still at work
Miles today: 0.0

For my first entry into my online journal that I will record my thoughts in for the next 6 months. I am going to start by telling you more about myself, my name is Todd Smith. I am 23 years old and i grew up in Lancaster Ohio with my parents and two brothers, I went to college in Nashville TN, I soon found out that I didnt believe college was for me and I quit and came home. I started working for my dad, making kitchen cabinets and molding. I got hired onto a company called Lancaster Bingo Co., working in the warehouse was easy work and I didnt mind most of the people that I worked for. This being my first real job in my life I just adapted to how other people worked. I was a good worker, I never called off, never gave my bosses crap, and most of all always listened to everything they told me to do. I worked hard and gained respect in the warehouse. Even though I wasnt making that much money, I bought a house, remoldeled it and am currently living in it. I currently have a roommate living with me, who is still gonna live at my house while im gone. This ends my first journal entry. Todd (no trail name yet)
Date: 2005-05-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My phone alarm rings, so I wake up for my 3rd last day at work. Needless to say in 20 mins I am not going to have work on my mind. I take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and me and Jason(my roommate) are ready to walk out the door to go to work when he says, "you know the garage door is open". As the words rolled off his tongue my mind quickly thought about last night and how I had locked it at 11:30 and turned out the light. We don't live in that bad of a neighborhood but someone had broken in, Jason walked in first and said "well I don't see anything missing" and in turn I said "yeah not much except my Dirtbike". Not only did they steal it 1 week before I was leaving on my hike but I was going to sell it to a guy at work for $1800 within a couple days. So the day was filled with anger and depression. I talked to my home owner's insurance company, they said well it's not covered, thats when I lost it, told my boss that I needed to leave for a few hours. Theres nothing worse than a thief, Don't know if I will find my bike or not but, as my mom said "some things you just can't change, things happen and thats just they way it is"
Date: 2005-05-06
To: Last day at work!!!
Miles today: 0.0

well it has finally come, As I walk out the door of the place I have worked for the last 4 years, It felt weird being unemployed. I was now free like a bird, I am gonna miss a lot of people from work, some really gave me a lot of inspiration to hike this year (thanks jenny). Some of the managers want me to come back to work there, but heck I don't know what im gonna wanna do in after I have 6 months to think about what I want to do with my life. Maybe I will wanna go live in Alaska and become an eskimo, LOL doubt that though. The day was pretty much the same as any other friday, I went that night up to see Rachel my girlfriend, this was her last night staying in her dorm room at Denison University. Summer for her was here, so she had all this time now to do things with me, but I am leaving in a week, kinda sucks but we will get through it. Back in the begining of april I did my last shakedown trip. I drove to Damascus, VA and hiked from Partnership shelter south to Damascus. I planned on completing that hike in 6 days, I did it in 4 days hiking. So I have about 70 miles of the AT under my belt already, but im still gonna rehike what I just hiked last month. Gotta see the wild Ponies again!!!
Date: 2005-05-11
To: at home
Miles today: 0.0

ok so even though I have had the whole week off I have still been working, laying hardwood floors and now Im painting a deck. Im looking forward to today cause rachel is coming and helping me. We had a little get together at my parents house last night and my dad made me explain all the items in my pack to my family, I had a good time and im glad so many people came. I really do appreciate all the support I have gotten from so many of you, thank you so much.
Date: 2005-05-11
To: none
Miles today: 0.0

I am going by myself.Northbound - Georgia to Maine. About 2,175 miles and fourteen (14) StatesAbout 6 to 7 months. In a lean-to or my tent.Everything will be in my backpack.About 30-40 lbs. Hitch Hike into towns along the trail to re-supply every 5-7 days. Springs, creeks, ponds, rivers, and roadside rain puddlesWill filter the water. Why? Giardia, Cryptosporidium, HepatitisLyme¢s Disease, Hanta Virus, Poison IvyNo, I am not going to bring a gun.Bears, snakes, moose, mice, deer, porcupines, wild boar, Mtn. lions, etc.No, I am still not going to bring a gun.Overall average about 15 miles per day.Yes, all on foot over mountains, rocks, rivers, and valleys.I can call home when in town for re-supply.Laundry, shower, mail in town also... about once a week.The same clothes, every day, all day, rain or shine. Yes, we smell Bad.
Date: 2005-05-13
To: The DAy
Miles today: 0.0

Well today is the day I have and havnt been waiting for. I feel sad for leaving everyone behind, wish you all could come with me. In a sense you will be coming with me if you follow along in this journal. Tonight I will be in Damascus VA, then tommorrow my parents and I will go to the Trail Days Festival and I will pick up last minute items I think I need. I just cant believe the time has come already for me to leave. I am so excited!!!! I begin hiking on sunday morning, hopefully after a huge breakfast. Gonna go finish packing right now and I will maybe type another journal up later. Don't be afraid to email me if you have something to ask about my hike. Todd
Date: 2005-05-13
To: leaving
Miles today: 0.0

So its the last day and I have not started packing yet. I know what I want to take but just dont have it all together yet.   so I share a few goodbyes with the some people from work. I hug Jenny goodbye for now, I think she is coming to visit me sometime, Harpers Ferry perhaps? (one month north) Now back to my house, I try to finish downloading songs to my MP3 player, I got 213 songs on it and have 40 mb left on it. I get packed up and me and rachel go to my parents house to get my food ready. My parents and I went to Sams Club about a month ago and I bought about $100 worth of granola bars, crackers, candy bars, and breakfast bars. So we divided them up in gallon zip locks so each time someone comes to see me they can bring a bag down. I left a box of stuff at my parents that I want them to bring down each time they come down. Rachel and I went back down to my house to get the rest of my stuff ready. My parents arrived ready to pick me up. Jason took a few last minute pics of me with my pack on my back, Rachel and I shared a few last minute tears and I said good bye to her. Rachel, her mom, and maybe some of friends are gonna come see me later in my hike, I hope. So we was off to a great start but then I had dad turn around cause I forgot my sunglasses. I don't think I forgot anything else. It rained all the way to Abingdon Va where we had reservations in a hotel for friday and saturday night. It was a miserable trip with all the rain, dad let me drive cause he said he couldnt see the lines on the road, they were a little faded. The hotel was very nice, my parents went directly to sleep I stayed up a little bit and watched Friday the 13th Camp Crystal Lake. A great show. If I remember right my roommate Jason told me that some of that movie was either filmed at clear creak metro park or at lake logan I can't remember. well off to Damascus tommorrow for Trail Days.