morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-26
To: Why?
Miles today: 0.0

Several years ago I was talking to a colleague about the Application Trail and he mentioned that earlier in his life he had thru-hiked the AT and that it was a great adventure and experience. Numerous questions later I parked in the back of my head that when I retire I want to thru-hike the AT. Several years passed and I was talking about hiking the AT to one of our children and she mentioned that she would be interested in taking a sabbatical from school and hiking it with me. More time passed and my daughter told me that there was going to be an AT thru-hiker giving a talk about his journey at a local public library and would I like to go and listen to his talk. Accepting the invitation we went, listened and became totally hooked on the idea. A few days later my wife was paying for an item at a local store with cash and she had dumped out some change into her hand. I spotted a quarter with an engraving on the backside that I had not seen before. I had thought that it might have been one of the U.S. Protectorate engravings for which we were looking. As it turned out it was a 2013 quarter depicting New Hampshire and the White Mountains! Kismet! That sealed it! I was going to thru-hike the AT. I have a sign, I have a hiking partner, I have the excitement, the desire, and the drive, and now I have a cause, Parkinson¢s Disease (PD) Research, for in 2010 I was diagnosed with PD and refuse to let it hold me back. The step off date is March 24 or 25, 2015. All I need now is the equipment, which I am starting to acquire. I am setting up media to communicate with those who wish to follow my journey.
Date: 2014-03-29
To: Always Have a Plan!
Miles today: 0.0

I always instilled in our children that anything you do is ok but ALWAYS have a plan. My daughter and I are assembling a collection of things we may want to bring among the things we already own. You know, a compass, signal mirror, nail clippers, etc. So far it fits in a plastic box in the storage room. We are evaluating back packs, tents and other items. We have heard that the stores will sell you anything you want to buy, but we try to remember that we will have to carry it!
Date: 2014-03-30
To: A Little Progress
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Easter to you¢¦¢With God, all things are possible.¢ 338 days to go and some progress has been made. The taxes have been filed and paid. I was successful in getting my employer (University Hospitals Case Medical Center) to sort of sponsor my hike (no money ¢ not looking for that). UH will be providing the avenue for collections of donations which will go for Parkinson¢s Disease (PD) research. They will provide the tax exempt letter as well as the payment facility. I will provide the web page when it is up and functional. On my next post I will provide my equipment list in Microsoft Excel format. The purpose for Excel (other than it is easy to make lists) is so that I can task the various columns for data. As an example: I could task: give me all the items that are over 5 ounces (5oz). I would get the results and then be able to make decisions on which items to eliminate. In other post I will provide the formulas that I use so that you can ask your spread sheet some questions that are important to you. I have been warming up by section hiking the Ohio and Erie Canal Tow Path I only have 26 miles left. Yeah, it is pretty flat and easy , but it¢s a start. Until next time.
Date: 2014-05-04
To: Equipment Lists
Miles today: 0.0

5/4/2014327 days and counting¢¦I cannot seem to upload my Excel Spreadsheets (if anyone can help it would be great). Anyway, if you would like to see them please sign my guestbook and I will gladly e-mail them to you.   I have my proposed packing list as well as a blank one for your use if you so desire. The basis for my list is: I have selected a weight goal of between 35 and 40 pounds without food or water. The reason for not including food and water into my calculation of weight is because they are consumables which are converted into energy then into waste products and then finally off loaded thus causing a decline in weight as the day / week wears on. In any case this list is just a blueprint as a starting point and will be refined as time marches on. I am sure and I hope a lot of you can provide some helpful hints as to what I should leave out and what I should definitely pack like: backpack, sleeping bag, tent, ect¢¦in any case I look forward to your input of suggestions / critiques. When I was in the Army it was not a problem. The ¢MAN¢ told me what I needed to carry and it weighted between 75 and 100 pounds. I also had my combat load to go along with my ¢stuff¢ (picture). So in the end it just did not matter, I followed orders. Again if you like a blank spreadsheet sent to you electronically just sign my guestbook requesting it and I will gladly e-mail it to you. As I get closer to the execution phase I will be posting pictures and comments on the equipment page of my journal.
Date: 2014-05-18
To: Tow Path, Cleveland 10K and the OUTFITTERS
Miles today: 0.0

Outfitters¢¦So, I finally was brave enough to go and ¢window shop¢ at one of the area¢s outfitters. It was just like Bill Bryson described in his book A Walk in the Woods. I met (we will call him Tom) (Bill¢s Dave); what an affable young man. ¢Can I help you sir?¢ A voice from the other side of the hanging rack of sleeping bags came. I was startled as I was in deep concentration writing down prices on my equipment list so I could compare the prices to the on line outfitters. ¢Well¢¦ah¢¦if ¢¦do you give discounts for bulk purchases?¢ ¢I am going to thru-hike the AT, the Appalachian Trail, next March, you know 2015¢ I said in an authoritative and positive tone. After all I had been well prepared for this encounter after reading Bill Bryson¢s book. ¢Well, I would have to ask the owners first if they would want to provide a discount.¢ ¢But, we do have a spring and fall sale with generally up to a 20% savings.¢ ¢And then there is the swap meet coming up in the next couple of weeks.¢   ¢Would you like to be on our mailing list?¢ ¢Yah! That would be great?¢ ¢Now, how can I help you?¢ Tom said as I glanced down my packing list.¢Sleeping bags. Do you have the NEMO Strato Loft 25?¢ In an attempt to sound like I knew what I was talking about. Tom was not fooled for one moment. He knew; real thru-hikers do not come into an outfitters store wearing a Reebok jogging suite. ¢No, we don¢t carry the NEMO.¢ ¢But, we do have the SEA TO SUMMIT right here and it would be just fine for thru-hiking.¢ ¢This one here, the Spark has ULTRA-DRY Down it won¢t get wet from your sweat, body oils, and moisture and it will retain its loft.¢ I wonder what he thinks I¢m going to be doing in a single person mummy sleeping bag on the AT. He went on. ¢The fill weight is only 180 grams, the bag weight is 348 grams the R rating is eight degrees Celsius you could add another ten to fifteen degrees with a fiber or down filled mat.¢ ¢What type of temperatures do you think you will need it for?¢ Tom asked.¢Well, you know, for the AT;¢ showing my brilliance and exceptional command of the lingo not to mention the subject at hand. On it went for about an hour and every minute that passed I wished I was somewhere else ¢ my bed! Having not purchased anything, but, leaving my e-mail address it was back to the Internet, Google and Wikipedia with my new found terms and expressions, to discover some new knowledge. Thank goodness I started this process of searching and planning for equipment early.I am within 20 miles of completing the Ohio Tow Path. This is gorgeous scenery and I have been plugging away at it in two hour intervals. Today I finished the Cleveland 10K. My kids ran the half Marathon and Marathon respectively. My wife ran/walked the 10K and our grandson ran the Red Nose Run. All in all ¢ a great weekend and there are 313 day left prior to launch.
Date: 2014-06-15
To: Now a word from our Sponsor
Miles today: 0.0

285 Days and still counting down.   Now a word from our Sponsor¢¦Trail Journals has been extremely kind in allowing me to make this one post plea for Sponsorship of my AT Thru-hike for Parkinson¢s research. This is mainly for those of you who have come to my web page looking to Sponsor me. I now have a Sponsorship web page thanks to the graciousness of University Hospitals Case Medical Center located in Cleveland, Ohio: https://secure.uhgiving.org/walking-the-appalachian-trail-for-parkinsons When you Sponsor me you will immediately receive a return e-mail for a tax receipt. Every penny donated through this sponsorship will go directly to Dr. Benjamin Walter, M.D who is part of the staff here at University Hospitals, Case Medical Center. These funds will be used by him for his research projects and none of the money, although important, will be used for administrative purposes. My mission statement is:¢I hope to touch the hearts of one million individuals so that I may inspire them to sponsor me in my quest to Thru-hike the Appalachian Trail for Parkinson¢s Research at the rate of 1¢ per mile for its entire length of 2,183.3 miles. This sponsorship would represent a commitment of $21.83.¢ChiefFinally, I am asking you to pass this information on to your Friends via your social media accounts and then ask them to please pass it on to their Friends¢¦etc.Thank you all and Thank you UH CMC and Trail Journals for your support.ChiefNow for some updates on what I have been doing¢¦ I have mainly been reading books about Thru-hiking and the AT. I have started some specific exercising for core body, ankle, and trapezius muscle strengthening and stretching. I have been using an AT planner to start setting the plan and distance goals. Being former military, I realize that when the first round goes down range all bets are off and the same holds true with AT planning. I have started writing a book about my Thru-hike. It is not going to be just about the hike, you know ¢I got up, again, got dressed, a bit chilly today, ate a good breakfast of power bars and dirt.¢ I plan on interspersing the marvel of the AT with stories of my life. Finally, today I am going to make my first equipment purchases. I will let you know how that goes! Happy Fathers Day!
Date: 2014-07-06
To: Training-UP
Miles today: 0.0

R264 Days left to practice and shape-up for the trek. My employer, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, located in Cleveland, Ohio; is providing a web page for my sponsors for Parkinson¢s Research through:   https://secure.uhgiving.org/walking-the-appalachian-trail-for-parkinsons. Recently they did a photo shoot of me tramping through the Cleveland Metro-Parks with my newly purchased pack filled to the brim with ¢stuff.¢   Well anyway, to the point. I loosened all the straps and then snugged all of them up securely. It was amazing! It was as if Obi-Wan Kenobi had taken hold and I was one with the pack. It was nothing like the book-bags I am use to toting around on my back. I sure hope that this is a sign of things to come. Speaking of things to come; I am in need of some advice / assistance. My daughter has some concerns about my expectations of the AT. She feels that I do not have a grasp on the physical toil the AT is going to dish out upon me. Particularly in light of my Parkinson¢s symptoms with the occasional tremors on my right side and the potential of having some balance issues which could be displayed in a symptom called freezing ¢ when your movement can¢t progress because your body won¢t do what your brain is telling it to do.   I haven¢t experienced this symptom yet and have tried to allay her concerns by telling her that my symptoms have not progressed to that point and that the exercising I am doing and will do once we hit the trail will actually work in my favor. It is through exercise that you can allay and delay the progression and the manifestations of the disease process. I have also told her that based on my readings of the various books I have purchased, my observations are that we need to start slow (7 miles per day for the first week) and then gradually pick up the pace (10, 15, 20, miles per day in succeeding weeks). So, as an example, she feels that on the second day if we finish the 7 miles by one in the afternoon we should continue on to the next point and that remaining daylight should be more of our gauge. What she is trying to avoid is running through the Whites, nitrous with their rigor, which I fully understand will never happen. Her attitude reminds me of a story¢¦There were these two Bulls on a hillside and in the valley below there were all these Cows. So, the young Bull says to the older Bull: ¢let¢s run down and have our way with some of those Cows!¢ The Old Bull says: No! Let¢s walk down and have our way with ALL of the Cows!¢ Please feel free to write in your best tips on how to condition for and hike the AT. We are also looking for some day hiking locations in Ohio or in a nearby state that would be representative of the more moderately challenging parts of the AT (northern Ohio is pretty flat and I think I am okay with that). I look forward hearing from you.
Date: 2014-07-22
To: Just another day!
Miles today: 0.0

248 day to go until step-off and I can still count backwards, I think¢¦This week was my birthday! I am certainly older but I don¢t know if I am any wiser; I guess only time will tell. It was a really great week for me. All my co-workers were very kind with their birthday wishes. My family gave me gifts that I really wanted and very was very grateful to receive ¢ Gift Certificates to the outfitter. My plan is for my daughter and I to go to the local outfitter this coming Sunday. It should be a real treat. I will let you know how it works out.
Date: 2014-08-02
To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂa humble thanksÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ 
Miles today: 0.0

237 day to go¢¦ Thank you one and all for giving me very moving words of encouragement and for your suggestions on how I can better prepare for the adventure ahead. I have truly parked some of your very thoughtful words in my heart. I was extremely moved by them. Thank you! chief
Date: 2014-11-15
To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂSome housekeepingÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 0.0

137 Days left as the countdown to step-off continues. To date I have raised $951.87 for Parkinson¢s Research! I cannot thank those of you who have sponsored me enough! It is really great and I hope that your 1¢ pushes Dr. Benjamin Walter¢s research over the edge enabling him to find the key to unlock the mysteries of Parkinson¢s disease. Thanks an awful lot for believing in me. I will make it! Now...not to sound too much like a Public Radio fundraising campaign... but for those of you who have not signed-up for the $21.83 sponsorship (1¢ per miles for the 2,183.3 miles of the AT) what are you waiting for? And for those of you who just like following my journey thanks a lot for following and please continue to enjoy the adventure. Everyone please don¢t forget to encourage 5 of your friends to follow me.      I would like to thank Leif of Trailjournals.com and anyone who assists him. Leif and Trailjournals.com have been extremely kind and supportive of me and my quest of the AT. They have set up a hot button taking the reader directly to my sponsorship web page (on left side), they have changed my thumbnail picture, and they have bent the house rules a bit by allowing me to write about my cause, as long as it does not become the focal point defeating the intended purpose of the journal.   ¢ THANKS GUYS! It has been over two months and CrossFit continues. The coaches have certainly lived-up to their part of the bargain in preparing me for the AT ¢ they have not beaten me up, over tasked me or driven me into the ground...All of the coaches have been extremely supportive and encouraging. They go out of their way to make sure I am doing the exercises correctly (at least the first repetition) and that I am not over-challenging my body...When fitting, the coaches suggest that I scale down some of the repetitions to meet my physical and age appropriate condition. So, thank you Tami (the PT Goddess), Kevin, and Anthony for all of your support, encouragement, and coaching. Also thanks to the other really wonderful athletes for their encouragement and support. I have joined a fantastic box. As an example of the transformation I have had: A couple of weeks ago I would have broken my leg if I slipped and fell on the sidewalk while walking from the train station to work. I was walking along the sidewalk and down a slight incline when I stepped on one of those reddish-orange ramps, you know, the ones with the bubble things. I had shoes on that had no tread on the bottom of the sole. The soles were just flat and smooth. The ramp was wet from a recent rain storm and my left foot slid out from under me causing me to collapse back onto my right leg folding it under my butt, my knee hit the concrete and I fell back. I got up right away feeling like a klutz, but able to stand up right away and to my amazement, I was able to walk without any difficulty. I only had a small scrape on my right knee. Thanks to the coaches they have given me a lot of my flexibility, strength and stamina back...and for that I am really grateful...Thanks!
Date: 2015-03-04
To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂTime Spent in Reconnaissance is Seldom WastedÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 0.0

21 Days and its down to the wire. This past weekend we, that is Gail and I found ourselves in Dahlonega, Georgia. It is a quaint little town in the foot hills of Northern Georgia. But, more importantly it is the gateway to the AT. We visited Amicalola Falls State Park to check out the beginning of the approach trail to Springer Mountain. Then it was off to Springer Mountain. We started driving down Forest Service Road 42 in our rented Chevrolet Spark when we came upon another couple driving towards us. We pulled over and they pulled over. We exchanged pleasantries. And then I asked what the road ahead was like. The gentleman in the other car said that it was too muddy and that is why they decided to turn back. Not wanting to void my rental agreement on the spot I decided not to off road it in the Spark. So, we turned around. As for the climatic conditions it was a bit nippy at night and there was still snow on the ground from the ice and snow storms earlier in the week. Based on the aftermath observed I tell you I would not have wanted to have been on the trail during that period. My heart goes out to those who had just started their trek. Now I am back in Strongsville second guessing myself! Ah, the life of a Thru-hiker!
Date: 2015-03-07
To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂYou get out of life what you put into itÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 0.0

8 More working shifts until I retire and 18 more days left before I hit the AT Trailhead! Today was a very awe inspiring, moving day for me. The day started off as a typical Saturday for me...You know, just another day, get-up, work-out and do your Saturday thing. Only, today was going to be a bit different, taking some strange and mysterious turns and twists. You see, this was the Saturday that my CrossFit Box was going to do a work-out in my honor as a send-off for my Appalachian Trail Thru-hike, raising money for Parkinson¢s Research. Everything was set and ready to go. I brought in my tent, sleeping bag, pack, and stove to set-up as a display plus all the usual information I have handed out about the AT, how to follow me on Trailjournals.com and information on how to donate to Parkinson¢s Research. People began to trickle in for the programmed workout ¢Chief¢ (the name given to the workout in my honor). Then 0830 arrived and the flood gates opened, people of all ages were pouring in to support me and what I was doing for Parkinson¢s Research. The coaches of the Box had set out a small jar for donations...The jar began to fill with cash and checks. Perfect strangers would come over ask what was going on? I would provide them with answers and then they would ask more questions; the type of questions that said that they were truly interested in what I was doing and why I was doing it. Then they started putting money in the jar. Then people whom I had not seen in years started to show up. Then co-workers came in. On and on it went for hours. And at the end of the event I had raised $928.97 for Dr. Benjamin Walter Parkinson¢s Research. Then my son who lives in Missoula, Montana CrossFit Box did the exact same workout that had been programmed for our Box ¢Chief¢ and they raised another $110.00 for Dr. Walter. Then there are those folks in Missoula and Strongsville who took information and said that they would send in their donation online. In a world where people are malicious to one another just because...It is awe inspiring to know that a tiny group of people can have such a significant positive impact on the lives of others who are perfect strangers. In closing I would like to thank my CrossFit Box, 42 X 82 CrossFit, for making this Saturday a memorable and moving event for me. And I would also like to thank the Missoula, Montana CrossFit Box, ZooTown CrossFit, for supporting my son in his efforts to support me. But most of all I want to thank those of you who cared to take a few moments out of your lives to come and visit me and to support me not only through your very kind and generous donations but for just saying: ¢Hi, we care about you, we support you.¢                                 thank you Chief
Date: 2015-03-15
To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂSPOT or ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂBreadcrumb TrackerÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ activation" 
Miles today: 0.0

4 shifts until retirement and 10 days left to mess around or go through another round of packing and unpacking then repacking.I now have a SPOT device and I have activated it. This SPOT device uses satellite technology allowing the folks who are following my Thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail to track my movements in near real time on Google Maps. I also call this device my ¢Breadcrumb Tracker¢... Simply copy and paste the link I have provided below to locate my SPOT / Breadcrumb Tracker. I have set the Breadcrumb Tracker to update every 10 minutes. The actual ¢Go Live¢ date will coincide with the following time line: 22 March leave Strongsville, Ohio; 23 March leave Knoxville, Tennessee; 24 March hike the 8.8 miles of the approach trail through Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia to the trailhead located on Springer Mountain, Georgia; 25 March step off onto the AT for a really great adventure or an: ¢Oh My God what have I gone and done moment!¢ A word of CAUTION: If you happen to observe that the posted Breadcrumbs remain in one general location randomly going to-and-fro or back-and-fourth...Fear Not! For I have probably dropped something and I am now looking for it! In real time... Just follow this link to see my location updates:http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Cq68PWVbWd3VYtpdpTqkbiWn2gI0WtxjIf the link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it to your browser's address bar. Also, save the link in your Favorites. If you are experiencing some difficulties or problems with the site and need assistance, or to learn more about the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger, visit: http://www.findmespot.com. I apologize for my lack of technological expertise and cannot be of greater help.