morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-12-30
To: Last Post of 2006
Miles today: 0.0

It is not quite New Year¢s therefore I am well within my right to change my resolution. Twice a week postings maybe a little too much to which to obligate myself, therefore, I will post once a week with the potential for more. I really have a lot to do and time is spent at work (I still have a real job you know and it requires a lot of hours), building the Free State, chores, and family; no time is spent in front of the TV (I don¢t get any channels) and limited time with the computer. If I¢m in the middle of some work, like I was last night, I don¢t want to feel guilty that I didn¢t get to my Trail Journal. Thanks for understanding.The big Free State activities that took place between Tues and today were:- more wood cutting and staining for the bunks. I will sure be glad to be done with the staining. I am on my fifth quart of stain. To give an idea of the bunk project, I will have 17 beds and they are constructed of 79 2X6, 30 2X4, 5 quarts of stain, 12 sheets of plywood, 6 pounds of wood screws, and elbow grease.- submitted an application to a credit card service so that The Free State can swipe cards. I know that for me cash on the trail was a hassle. My $1 bills were treasured and I tried to save them for any soda machine, etc that I came across on trail. I hated burning my cash on hostels, hotels, etc. Food opportunities were rare and I always wanted to have cash on hand. Other hikers may appreciate this service.- tearing out another wall. This wall is in the Laundry Room and I am making way for plumbing and electrical for a washing machine and deep sink.Happy New Year!
Date: 2007-01-01
To: First Post of 2007
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m about a dozen 3¢ screws short so I have to finish the bunks tomorrow. Jennel and I have spent much of the day assembling and I¢m so excited about the near finished product that I thought I¢d go ahead and post a picture. This morning was spent buying the most unexciting product on the planet . . . mattresses. Next to tires and carpet is there anything more utterly boring to buy than mattresses? Well, it¢s New Year¢s and there are good sales. We traveled to the local Mattress-O-Rama (not the real name) to buy mattresses for the Free State. I had a flyer in hand which had the advertised sale price of a twin mattress. The salesman met me. I showed him the flyer and asked, ¢Do you have anymore of these mattresses?¢ He said that he did and showed me the floor model. Jennel and I both took a turn lying on the mattress. It was definitely better than my Themarest on an AT shelter floor so I said, ¢I¢ll take seventeen.¢ You should have seen his face! ¢Seventeen . . . Uh, I¢ll have to check with my manager.¢ The salesman and the manager hem and hawed about, reading and rereading the advertisement, until finally Jennel and I forced the issue by calling another store. ¢Will you honor the advertisement in the paper for 17 mattresses?¢ I asked the salesman at the other store. ¢Sure,¢ he replied and Jennel and I proceeded to walk out of the store. I am a true capitalist and competition has a way of improving service. Suddenly the fine print on the flyer was no longer important to the salesman and the manager. We left with the four they had and Jennel and I will be making regular trips to the warehouse for the rest. I posted a thread on Whiteblaze last week announcing the development of the hostel. I have enjoyed the feedback. There is a nice debate going on visavis the price of a night stay at the Free State ($30). While I¢m into giving back to the trail and all - what do you think 17 mattresses costs? Even on sale.
Date: 2007-01-07
To: Oh Well Part 1
Miles today: 0.0

We had a snafu with the ¢Bed and Breakfast¢ designation and have had to change some characteristics of the Free State. We will be able to provide services for hikers but due to the fact the Free State ¢failed¢ the traffic impact study and handicap accessibility is a financial impossibility the Free State is not a Bed and Breakfast. While this is essentially nomenclature to the hiking community it effects proprietors in parking, commercial dropoffs, signage, insurance, breakfast, blah, blah, blah. Oh, the details in the trail books mention ¢pancake breakfast,¢ well, no pancake breakfast.
Date: 2007-01-07
To: Oh Well Part 2
Miles today: 0.0

I changed some details in the previous posts about the Free State. While I was in discussions about becoming a Bed and Breakfast I had to pull the posts down. Now it makes very little difference. I get to chalk my $2100 site plan as an education in the workings of the county government. I am going to have the site plan framed. It¢ll be the most expensive piece of art I own.
Date: 2007-01-13
To: Progress 1
Miles today: 0.0

In order to keep smells and sounds from mixing, I have installed a steel door between our home and the Free State. In answer to the question about the "shining 'AT'" in the hiker room, the 'AT' is painted on the wall. I thought it made a nice touch to the hiker room. (See "Oh Well Part 1" post)
Date: 2007-01-13
To: Progress 2
Miles today: 0.0

The Free State Hiker is three rooms and a bathroom. Since Jennel and I call the hiker room - The Hiker Room, we call the other two rooms The Free Room and The State Room for simplicity. Remember though, like everything here in the Free State of Maryland, the Free Room is not free. The Free Room is the laundry room. At some point in the near future it will have a phone, computer, and fridge. Right now all attention is on water hook-up and sewage for both washer and deep sink, then venting the dryer.Jennel picked up Appalachian Impressions from the library. We watched it last night. The trail will always be a part of me. My experience on the trail is so vivid. Watching that movie makes me live the experience all over again. Man, was my hike hard.
Date: 2007-01-14
To: No Leaks
Miles today: 0.0

I got the water lines and drain lines connected to the deep sink. All the plumbing is finished. The washing machine just needs to be dropped in. My son came up and inspected my work. He said, "Does this work?" as he reached for the faucet. "Does now," I replied. He turned both knobs and then promptly looked under the sink. "No leaks. Great job, Dad."
Date: 2007-01-19
To: Rotary
Miles today: 0.0

Mary Ann Burke invited me some time ago to speak about my Free Hike to her Sunrise Rotary. This morning was the morning. Along with a great breakfast I was granted the opportunity to speak to the members about thru-hiking, the Free Clinic, the AT, etc. I had an enjoyable time and received some positive feedback. There are many wannabe thru-hikers out there. I hope they all go for it (and stop at the Free State while on their way).
Date: 2007-01-27
To: First Hiker
Miles today: 0.0

¢We¢ve got a hiker!¢ Jennel¢s voice sings out. My son runs up the stairs to where I am painting the Free State. Panting he says to me, ¢Dad, there is a hiker outside.¢ I come downstairs and standing, smiling on the deck is a hiker. ¢This is the Free State, right? I know you don¢t open until March 15th but I had to see the Free State.¢Bookworm is the hiker¢s name and he is a NOBO who left Springer, GA on October 1, 2006. When the Free State is up and running I won¢t have any work-for-stay opportunities but Bookworm showed up during my painting project and I was more than happy to have him help me paint the hallway. We had a nice visit. This guy is truly on a solo hike. Not too many folks out there sharing the trail with him.I found the visit to be extremely exciting. As if I didn¢t already feel the pressure to be ready, man, do I feel under pressure now. I had to run out and get a ledger to have him sign and we scraped together some linens, food and stuff for him.Kinda an amazing turn of events for the day.
Date: 2007-02-03
To: Operational
Miles today: 0.0

With considerable help from my dad the Free Room is well on its way to completion. Just a phone and computer need to be connected. The washing machine is attached and operational and the dryer is now up, vented, and running. Furniture is placed and some pictures hung. Any surprise visits from hikers will now be more readily accommodated. Bring ¢em on.
Date: 2007-02-08
To: Hooks
Miles today: 0.0

I reflect back on my thru-hike to the things that I used often in hopes of having the Free State complete. Hmm, what do I need to put in the Free State that I know is imperative and without which the Free State would be lacking? I came up with the one item that I used everyday while on trail and nearly overlooked in the construction and development of the Free State. Hooks! Is there anything more important in a shelter? There were nights on trail that, alone in a shelter, I would have everything I owned draped on every hook, nail, line, knot, rafter, branch, broom handle, and hand rail that was available. And then, there were those nights where the shelter was full and there was no place to hang your wet gear. It was those nights my gear was crammed together in a wet heap wherever available and, of course, was still a wet heap when morning came. Yes, hooks are very important. So with my new insight I purchased nearly $40 worth of hooks. I¢ve got hooks everywhere in the Hiker Room. I¢ll have hangers to boot. Maybe even a clothes line. Yes, I say again, they are that important.
Date: 2007-02-19
To: State Room
Miles today: 0.0

Following Ed Write¢s suggestion I updated my Trail Journal to 2007 even though my thru hike was 2006. Since the development of the Free State is the 2007 adventure I will throw myself in among the Class of 2007. I get to share a whole different side of the AT experience. Now that I am back from my conference it is on to the development of the third and final room of the Free State Hiker. The Free Room (Laundry Room) and the Hiker Room are, for all intents and purposes, completed; now it is on to the State Room. The State Room will be the ¢hang out¢ room. Tables, chairs, puzzles, games, books, microwave, etc will be the furnishings of the State Room. I have to pull out all the stuff in the room and paint first. Did I mention that I don¢t care for painting?
Date: 2007-03-03
To: Bears Den
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Many of the ¢07 hikers are working on their final preparations prior to setting out on their adventure on trail. Some have already set out. One thousand trail miles separate them from me ¢ here at the Free State. Preparation, for me, is extremely necessary for success. We have been preparing. Today Jennel, the kids, and I drove down to Northern Virginia to Bears Den Hostel. Queen Diva is amazing! Queen Diva is the caretaker of Bears Den and today she was a tour guide, encourager, facilities manager, security guard, and all around exceptional resource as Jennel and I gear up for the coming hikers. The AT is community. If you haven¢t experienced it you must, if you have you won¢t let go, rather, it won¢t let go of you.
Date: 2007-03-13
To: Hiking to the Free State Part 1
Miles today: 0.0

"I am so ready to be off this trail," the weary hiker says to himself as he cranks out another long trail day. The weather has beat him down. He¢s hungry ¢ and not for another night of Ramen. Food, resupply, rest, shower, something, anything to make him feel human again. He pulls out his Companion and mumbles under his breath, ¢Dude, I gotta be coming up on that Free State place.¢ Leafing through the Mayland section he finds the page. He pauses to read the entry. He rereads the entry. Visions of pizza, Coke, warm water, a soft towel, anything but a three sided lean-to and his gnarly sleeping bag. Maybe even dry socks in the morning. His pace quickens. He is determined to check out this Free State place. ¢Maryland isn¢t so bad but it¢s still the trail ¢ daggone trail,¢ a voice inside his head says. ¢What am I doing out here?¢ he asks himself for the 589th time since leaving Springer.He¢s been walking a ridgline for several miles and now the trail turns down the mountain. ¢Was that a car?¢ he asks, not sure this time whether it was in his head or aloud. ¢Must be coming up on Md 17/Wolfsville road.¢ There is an increase in his pace either from anticipation or the force of the decent. Reaching the asphalt snaking through the gap he looks around. As with all road crossings thus far on the AT there is no signage to indicate what road is about to be crossed. He pulls out his Companion again. ¢Gotta be the right road. Hmm, West 0.3 miles.¢ He takes a left. His feet pound the pavement. There is absolute agony as his feet strike the asphalt. There is pain from the pounding of the uneven surfaces, rocks, and roots of the trail but that pain pales in comparison to the agony of a road walk after miles on trail! His toes are usually numb but they are screaming their displeasure now.Wolfsville road is a narrow road with no shoulders. Cars and trucks come speeding up and down the road with only casual regard for the hiker. ¢Point three miles! Yea right! This ain¢t point three miles!¢ he screams down the road. He feels like he has been walking the road forever. Finally, he rounds a slight bend in the road and sees a mailbox¢¦¢¦..
Date: 2007-03-13
To: Hiking to the Free State Part 2
Miles today: 0.0

He reaches the mailbox that reads Free State. At the mailbox he sees ¢ well ¢ he sees nothing. Just a huge rock retaining wall . . . and the the steepest, longest looking driveway he has ever seen. ¢You¢ve gotta be kidding me.¢ He sets off up the lane and quickly comes to a sign nailed to a tree and decides to snap a picture¢¦¢¦
Date: 2007-03-13
To: Hiking to the Free State Part 3
Miles today: 0.0

Just around the bend this enormous castle-looking wood and stone building comes into view. ¢What is this place?¢ Another sign. Another arrow. ¢Will this ever end?¢ he growls. Down more lane until it becomes a trail. Around the house he walks. ¢Point three, humph.¢ Then he sees it¢¦..
Date: 2007-03-21
To: Just an Update
Miles today: 0.0

The finishing touches are being applied to The Free State in hopes of welcoming hikers over the coming weeks to months.Updates:The hikers have a better computer than I do. I got a computer deal and monitor (which is 22 inches) and have wirelessly hooked it up. Transferring my life that sits on my primary computer to a new computer is too much of a hassle, therefore the Free Room has a fast, big, powerful computer and I sit here typing on my now obsolete HP.After work and this past weekend I have been on trail talking to hikers, posting flyers, and humping out shelter trash. I¢ve been to all the shelters in Maryland over the past few days. Great hiking but I sure appreciate my bed at night.We are stocking up on chips, candy and soda.Microwave, games, radio, and CDs round out the rooms.I added some updated pictures. If you¢re a trailjournal junkie you may just glance at these pictures and not remember them five minutes from now, but get on the trail for a couple of months and the passing glances at these pictures will come front and center in your mind. ¢Ahh, Freeeeeee Staaaatttttte,¢ you¢ll be moaning as you walk like a zombie through the rain to the Free State. Sodas and Pizza and Shower oh my!
Date: 2007-04-06
To: Intently Waiting
Miles today: 0.0

¢Have ya got any hikers yet?¢ is the question asked of me daily. ¢No,¢ continues to be my reply but always with the comment, ¢still early yet.¢ And it is. Work around the Free State continues to bustle. Put in a fire pit out back. Gazebo is cleaned up and ready. Approach trail is improving.Instead of my computer time being in front of Trail Journals it has been designing the Free State Hiker web site. The web site is complete - all the links work, fonts are correct, pictures uploaded, and all is visually pleasing ¢ but have to get a reasonably priced host and upload the site to the net. Hope to have the new site up just after Easter and I look forward to sharing it with the world. The attached picture is taken from the fire pit looking back at The Free State. The door in the picture is the hiker entrance and all the upstairs windows are Free State windows.
Date: 2007-04-08
To: Official Start of Season for Free State
Miles today: 0.0

A bounce has been added to our step. We welcomed Jetjumper into the Free State yesterday. He is headed to Trail Days in Damascus, VA from Pennsylvania. He said that he had a great stay.He single handedly filled up the Hiker Box with all his extra food and also filled up a trash can; both in an attempt to drop pack weight. Anyone in the mood for oatmeal? We have enough now for anyone who is low.
Date: 2007-04-19
To: 4/19 Hiker
Miles today: 0.0

Natz! joined us today. She started her Flip-Flop thru in Harpers Ferry 4 days ago.As a side note:I am trying to separate my journal entries about The Free State development and the 07 hiker pictures from my '06 thru hike journal. I don't want to be confused as a Class of '07 hiker, rather I want to show pictures and updates of the Class of '07 from the perspective of The Free State. On the blue side bar you can see "My Other Journals" which will eventually allow you to toggle between my Thru-hike adventure and my Free State adventure.
Date: 2007-04-22
To: Switching to 2007 Account
Miles today: 0.0

I am continuing to transfer photos and entries from the 2006 account to the 2007 account. The Free State welcomed some more hikers these past couple of days and their pics can be seen on the 2007 AT account.I hope that I don't lose any family members, friends, or fellow faithful Trailjournal readers as I make this change in the accounts. The Free State is here for the long haul and I want to break out the exciting Free State adventure from the now distant Thru-hike adventure. Follow the Free State as it presents the folks that make up the Appalachian Trail. See it all at: www.trailjournals.com/thefreestate
Date: 2007-06-22
To: First Anniversary
Miles today: 0.0

June 22, 2007: It has now been a year since my summit of Katahdin and thus a year since the completion of my 2006 thru-hike. In what way do those that have completed their own thrus signify their own anniversary? I thought about it and what better way to celebrate the completion of a thru than by reproducing some of the pain, fatigue, trail pounding and long miles that made up my thru-hike. And what better way to do that than by doing the Four State Challenge over again.I took the day off work and recruited another sucker to hike with me. Britt Miller did half of the 4 State with me last year and told me that he thought he would like to do the whole thing. Here was his opportunity. We both set off from the Pennsylvania state line at 12:15am. Last year was northbound, this year southbound. Seventeen hours later, at 5pm we crossed out of West Virginia and into Virginia. We still had to back track 0.7 miles into West Virginia to be picked up at a road crossing but that was nothing compared to the previous 43.5 miles. It is strange and I know it sounds bizarre but there was a familiar comfort to the severe pain, chaffing, and blisters that the Four State gave back to me. Ahh ¢ the Hiker Hobble. I left the trail today knowing that I have a few more days of walking and feeling like a guy doing a thru-hike.
Date: 2006-06-01
To: Jumping off point
Miles today: 0.0

Arrived in Bar Harbor yesterday after flying into Bangor from Nashvillle, TN. I had a hectic 4 days of last minute gear assembly/mail drop prep prior to departure--lesson learned to allow plenty of time for that. I owe a lot of thanks to my friend, Kellee who is handling mail drops for me and will probably spend more time packing mail drops for me than either of us had ever anticipated. On the plane from nashville, I met Tom from Cleveland, TN who is planning to start a thru hike from Kahtadin tomorrow as well (small world).   A brief stopover ar Newark ariport, allowed me to see my parents, aunt, cousin Melissa, and her new baby, Brandon. My Aunt Terry made some very good homemade energy bars. My friend Marc picked me up in Bangor yesterday, and is planning to climb Kahtadin with me tomorrow. I started preparing to hike about 6 weeks ago, and have been spending a lot of time selecting gear. My base pack weight (without food and water) is about 22 lbs, although I have only accounted for about 15 lbs of it. A lot of odds and ends add up weight fast! With 5 days food and 2 liters of water, I am just under 40 lbs. Tomorrow night I should be in Kahtadin Stream campground and will post again at the next opportunity.Eric
Date: 2006-06-02
From: Jumping off point

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Started hiking at 7:30 after staying w/ friend of Marc Chalfoun's friend Sara McKay, Janice Bjorkland, north of Millinocket. Beautiful cabin with view of Katahdin across water. Breakfast: Bagel w/ cream cheese, OJ & yogurt from IGA in Orono purchased day prior. Climbed Katahdin via Chimney Pond trail, Dudley trail (9:00), and Knife edge (10:30). Reached Baxter Peak (start of AT) approx 1pm; Sara and Marc both outpaced me. Consumed 2L of water on ascent and was out at the summit (slack packing) (Weather clear in AM hi 79, cloudy in PM, low, 60). Saw Tom Fulmer (who I met at the airport in Nashville) at the summit, left Marc and Sara (descending via cathedral trail), to descend Hunt trail (AT) at about 1pm. Drank 1L of water from Thoreau Spring with iodine, and an additional 3 liters from a spring around 3500ft elevation. I believe the hind synthetic T shirt evaporates sweeat faster than cotton. Thought about switching to cotton at Monson, but it wasn't a problem for the rest of the 100 mile wilderness. Off trail @ Katahdin Stream campground 6:30 pm. Just missed Marc, but he left my pack at the ranger station. I thought I had left my spoon in his car and borrowed 1 from a random camper, but I found mine in my pack 2 days later. Dinner: Tuna in foil pack w/ noodles, peas & cream sauce--good, but scorched pot and took forever to cool off enough to eat--also bag in a bag with powder was a bit messy, but the portion was perfect. Made chocolate pudding in a bag--also good, but messy. In bed 9:20 pm.P.S. Saw a white tail deer at the campsite, also a chipmunk
Date: 2006-06-03
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: moderate rain

Up at 5:30, light drizzle; in bed until 7. Breakfast oatmeal (good), repacked from day pack, on trail approx 8:45. Pack weighted @ ranger station--40 lbs including 2 liters of water, 4.5 days of food & 220g of canister fuel. Past several ponds & waterfalls in baxter, moose tracks & ran into Carlos Valencia, a thru hiker from California, ex army rigger and finaicial accounting student in Columbus, GA (carrying a 70 lb pack!). Had to ford downstream branch of indian pitch because the bridge was washed out. Trail hit the west branch of the Penobscot river and followed it to Abol Bridge campground. Arrrived about 3pm w/ Thomas Fulmer (TN) close behind. Got some old woodsman (bug dope), after bite, nail clippers and a cheeseburger at the camp store. Weather was rainy, 62-69 degrees. Goretex socks came in very handy today until submerged in knee deeep water. Leisurely afternoon in campsite--Thomas bought firewood and we dried shoes and socks (I melted 1). Split a 6 pack of bud, courtesy of Carlos (cold!). Dinner: GV noodles alfredo, peas chicken--bit watery, but good--added cheese and garlic. Hot shower (25 cents for 3 min) hit the spot. In bed 8:30.