morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-14
From: Humpback Rocks Picnic Area

To: Humpback Rocks Visitor Center
Miles today: 5.0

Our day started with a wake-up call at 7:00. In a sleepy stupor, I beggedBumpkin to let me sleep all day, but she was having none of it! We arethru-hikers.....therefore, we must hike! After running some errands, wecontacted local trail angel, Tom Brown, for a shuttle to the trail. Tom wasjust as nice as he could be, and even drove us by his old stone home to showit to us. It was beautiful, and I immediately started wanting to move here!:)   As we began to hike, I couldn't help but notice that the weather wasperfect for unicorn sightings! Foggy and gray with streams of mist blowingthrough the dark green forest, The trail was hushed and magical. The fogand mist have a way of dampening the sounds of the forest so that even ourfootsteps are muffled. The birds were subdued this morning so that the onlycontinuous sound that I could hear was the beating of my own heart.   With the trail completely to ourselves, we traveled the rocky patheasily for a few hours. As we sat down to lunch, the sun began to come outand bright blue sky appeared above us. We were taking our sweet time, andweren't making particularly good progress, but we didn't care. It wasbeautiful and peaceful.....that is all that matters.   Towards the end of our hike, the AT joins up with the Old HowardsvilleTurnpike for a while. This is a road that was built in the mid-1800s. Thereis still an old wall lining it for much of the way and you can easilyimagine the traders going back and forth from the James River to theShenandoah Valley with their wares. The trail was extremely rocky, and Ifound myself wondering how wagons traveled it. It was such a neat part ofthe trail!   We finished up our hike near the visitors center and spent a few minutestalking to Elise, the woman that played guitar for us yesterday. As we werestanding out front, one of the volunteers that works at the center walked bytelling a co-worker that he was going home. Having no pride, I immediatelyasked him if he could give us a ride! He generously agreed and drove usback to Rock Fish Gap regaling us with stories of his life in Germany. Ialways knew that when I hiked the AT, I not only wanted to spend time getingto know the trail community, but also the American community. This man isjust another example of that, and I am proud that we are taking the time tomeet some of these people. It really helps that Bumpkin has similiar goalsfor her hike, too! :)   Evening found us having dinner with the delightful Dr. Anderson,president of the local Rotary Club. He is funny and intelligent and Ienjoyed our conversation immensely! The meal went by much to quickly, butBumpkin and I finally had to retire for the night. Tomorrow is a swirl oferrands and Rotary meetings, so there will probably be no hiking.If anything exciting hapens, I will keep you informed.....otherwise, I'llsend my next entry on Wednesday. My best to you all!Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-07-31
From: Campton Campground

To: Front Royal, Va.
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Date: 7.31.03Starting Location: Compton CampgroundDestination: Front Royal, Va.Mileage: 11.0   Well, thanks to the joys of Tylenol PM, I slept through a party ofyoungpeople last night as well as the arrival of a family complete with twotents! However, almost everyone was asleep, and the small campground wasquiet as we got up. The river was as calm as glass and the mountains werehidden in clouds. An overcast sky contributed to the feeling that thewholeworld was still sleeping. Occassionally, a fish would jump, marring thesilence and stillness of the water, but otherwise, all was peaceful.   After a breakfast of bagels and peanutbutter, we loaded up the canoeanddrifted softly past the banks.The morning was beautiful, and I was happy to drift along as my back andshoulder muscles slowly awoke to the rigors of paddling. The milesliterally glided by as we passed the mile markers nailed to trees.   After our final Class II rapid, we decided to take the Mill Run Race.This is a small arm of the river that is lovely and intimate. We paddleddown the narrow, shallow canal periodically ducking under low-hangingtreesand giggling as we scraped the bottom. We only got stuck once, and foundthat repeated rocking finally freed us. The canoe floats in amazinglyshallow water, and didn't get stuck til the water was only 3 inches deep!Asa result, we were able to go places that I would have never dreamed. Itwasa dreamy, magical part of our trip, and I loved it!   As we neared the end of our trip, the river widened and we foundourselves floating past cow fields on the right and a row of vacationhomeson the left. Every tree in front of the vacation homes had a tacky,blaringsign that read "Keep Out", and "No Trespassing". I remarked that peoplethat were intent on doing harm would pay the signs no mind at all. I toldBumpkin that nice people like us didn't need the signs! We wouldn't comeashore unless we had a medical emergency! "Or unless they were grillingout!", Bumpkin added dryly. I laughed so hard that the canoe tippedalarmingly. Never let it be said that Bumpkin isn't a consummatethru-hiker! :)   As our canoe trip came to an end, we landed at the Down River Company,and turned in our boat. The owner, a wonderful man named John, gave us aride into Front Royal and dropped us off. Tomorrow morning, Bumpkin speaksat another Rotary meeting, after which, we hit the trail again. That isgood, because as much as I enjoyed the canoeing, I am ready to hike somemore! These boots were made for walking! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-08-05
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Date: 8.5.03Starting Location/Destination: Bears Den HostelMileage: 0   Well, I woke up this morning sick. I have a stomache thing, and on topofoverwhelming exhaustion, it was just more than I could take. Afterwatchingme alternate tears of exhaustion and determination to hike, Bumpkin tookpity on me and called a zero day. I immediately went back to bed andslepttil 4:30! I guess I needed it! After I woke up, I called and talked tomomand dad, and they went a long way towards lifting my spirits!   I ended up being so glad that we stayed at the Hostel, though, becausethis ended up being the best hostel experience I have had. Last night, wehad the whole place to ourselves, but late this afternoon the placestartedfilling up. We are down in the hiker room, which is two rooms hookedtogether that house five bunk beds. A couch, chairs, small refrigeratorwith sodas, a computer and phone all come together to make this a greatplace for hikers to come together! The walls are covered with murals oftheAT and maps. Also, there is a big AT poster that all of the 2003 thruhikers have signed. It is so neat to see the signatures of all our friendsthat have been here!   As the day wore on, people started showing up, starting with two youngguys from Ohio that are section hiking. I tell you what....you couldn'thope to find two nicer young guys! Respectful and kind, we had a greattimetalking. They both work at the climbing wall at Galyans, and encouragedmeto go home and try the climb. I promised them that I would!   Next came three women, two of whom were the most intimidating femalehikers I have ever met!! There was a 61 year-old American woman and withher were her two friends from Germany. They were all very nice, but I amtelling you, those two German women were scarey! Unbelievably fit, theyaresaid to be rock climbers, mountaineers, and backpackers. Stories wereflying around about their trips biking across the US, trekking across Asiaand climbing in the French Alps. I was amazed by them and found myselfwishing that we had more time to talk. I bet I could learn a lot fromthesewomen!   The last member of our traveling tribe to join us was a eubuillantyoungthru hiker named Sleep Talker. He walked in and pointed at us, saying,"MudButt....and Bumpkin...". It turns out that he has been following us fordaysand days and knows our every move. :) All of the other hikers arewonderful, but it is especially nice to meet other thru hikers. We haveourown language, our own traditions, our own culture. When we meet eachother,we already know each other, and for the most part, we are already friends. So, as a group, we passed the evening talking, laughing and generallyenjoying the stories we each had to share. I still feel a little undertheweather, but I am ready to hike out tomorrow. The need to keep movinglivesin me, but I will remember tonight with warmth ad fondness.Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2003-08-09
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

Well, I am sorry that I haven't posted anything for a couple of days, but I have been pretty sick. I went to the doctor, but didn't learn much. By yesterday, I was in bad shape, so SleepTalker took me to the emergency room. After a ton of tests, this is what we know...my heart is superbly healthy, I am extremely dehydrated, and they have no clue why I am sick! :) However, all of the test results should be back in Monday morning and then, hopefully, we will know something! Til then, I am holed up at the Comfort Inn sleeping 23 hours a day.    Thanks to the miracle of modern pharmaceuticals, I am finally feeling somewhat better, but I cannot hike yet. However, I am getting a bit antsy, so this body needs to get wellquickly! There are mountains calling my name! :) I will let you know what the tests say on Monday. Until then, send all your best wishes, vibes and prayers up here for me! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com
Date: 2003-08-21
From: Schaghticoke Campsite

To: Kent Connecticut
Miles today: 4.4

A rugged new reality....that is what Bumpkin's book said about Connecticut. Oh man....you can say that again! All of the nice things I said yesterday about the trail through this state, I take them all back!!   This particular day did not start well. We knew that we had a short day into town, so we hung out at camp for a while. When the mosquitos became unbearable, we headed up the trail....literally. We climbed up and over an increasingly rocky path, struggling in the oppresive humidity. Neither of us had eaten dinner last night, and our energy levels were rock-bottom.    We dragged up and down rocks for an hour when we came up to a large flat area with a sign that said "Schaghticoke Campsite". You have got to be kidding me! It seems that the campsite we chose last night was not the one we thought it was. So, we did not go quite as far as we thought, and today, we had to go further than we thought. Bummer.   So, we adjusted ourselves to our new reality and continued on. I was fighting to stay pleasant, but I had a problem. I was out of Advil. It's not just that I have an emotional attachment to those little rust-colored tablets....my hike depends on them completely! And without them....my attitude is likely to go south quickly!   Luckily, the trail diverted my attention from my increasing pain levels by becoming more and more difficult. At one point, I lookeddown and all I could see was boulders piled on top of boulders. Later, I looked up to see the exact same thing, just going up instead of down.It took me six hours to hike 4 1/2 miles.   When I finally found myself at the road, my head was throbbing. It seems that I had clenched my jaw for all that rock scrambling!    No dinner the night before, no lunch, no Advil, rocks, heat, humidity.... It had all taken its toll on me, and when we got to town, I couldn't even be happy about it. However, lunch, a shower, and shortly after, dinner, all served to make me feel somewhat human again.   One thing, though, served to make it all better! I called Winton at Mountain Crossing Outfitter in Georgia. Both Bumpkin and I have been going there for years, and a great deal of my dreaming has taken place there. One of the things Winton does is hang the old boots of some of his customers on the wall. Well, I ordered some new boots, and then gave the phone to Bumpkin. Winton told her that he wanted us both to send him our boots to put on his wall of success stories! Me! A success story! And I am going to have a boot on the wall at Mountain Crossings! I cannot tell you how cool that is! And the fact that he already considers us success stories is awesome.   So, the day wasn't all bad, or all hard. Like most of the difficult things in life, there is a silver lining hiding out there, and today, Winton was my silver lining! :)Tomorrow, we hike on. Cross your fingers that the trail is a little kinder. Oh, and I did buy some more Advil! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com
Date: 2003-08-22
From: Kent Connecticut

To: Atlanta, Ga.
Miles today: 0.0

So, last Thursday I got an email from my mom saying that she had hurt her foot. I didn't need to come home or anything....she was just filling me in on the news. However, I have to say that in a way, it was the pudding on the cake for me! I have been feeling terrible because we own a family business and for about six weeks every fall, life is extremely crazy at our violin shop. It is rental season, this year we are busier than ever, and I have missed it all. My parents are working their tails off, my mom has hurt her foot, and....I am terribly homesick!!! So, I agonize all evening and then finally ask Bumpkin the next morning if she would mind if I went home for five days. I don't want to GO home, or leave the trail, or anything like that. I just felt like this was important for my own peace of mind. Noticeably upset, Bumpkin agreed that I should do what I feel is right. Arggghh! I hate this! I want to do the right thing for everyone which means that I should run home, and that I should stay right where I am!!! Well, my homesickness won out, and before I knew it, I was waiting for a bus in front of the inn we are staying at. After taking a hysterical picture in which Bumpkin has grabbed my foot and is refusing to let me go, I climb on the bus and head for home.A long bus ride, a terrifying cab ride across Manhattan at rush hour on a Friday, a flight that sat on the runway so long that they showed us a movie!!, and a $65 cab ride up to North Atlanta at 1:30 am.....I am finally home. It was so late that I didn't want to wake anyone up so I grabbed a hotel room and did a quick load of laundy in hopes that I would be somewhat presentable the next morning. I called my friend Christine to come get me, and with much fanfare, we headed for the shop. We walked in, and I hid behind Christine while she teased my dad about having a surprise for him. When she stepped aside and he saw me, the look on his face told me that I had done the absolute right thing. I fought back tears as he hugged me tightly. Mom was squealing, dad was hugging me and Christine was just grinning. I am home.The next few days went by so quickly that my head spun! I came home to work, not socialize, so as a result, there are lots of people that I did not get to see. Really important people!! I hope that no feelings were hurt, because I just rented instruments and rehaired bows, but my lack of effort to see my friends is in no way reflective of my feelings for them!! In all honesty, I knew that if I got too comfortable,and saw too many people, that going back would be a real struggle! So, I put my head down and worked, knowing that I would be home again in a couple of months.Tomorrow morning I am headed back to the trail via a plane, train and automobile. I needed this break badly, but now I am ready to hit the trail again! I really missed it, and I REALLY missed Bumpkin! It just isn't right, one of us being out there without the other and I don't intend to let it happen again!! So, Bumpkin, here I come!!! Who knows what the next weeks hold for us!
Date: 2003-09-04
From: N. Conway, NH

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Unable to sleep, I was up and checked out of the hotel early this morning. The weather got pretty bad last night, and I was anxious to meet Bumpkin and Jerry. Somehow, I will just feel better when I can see their smiling faces! But first, I had chores to do! I wanted to clean up all the glass in the car, so I took off for a car wash. Several hours later, the car was vacuumed, my mail was sent, my pictures developed, and I had a car load of groceries. I had all day long with no pending plans, so what was a girl to do? Trail Magic!!I drove to Crawford Notch, and didn't even get up to the parking lot before I came upon three thru hikers. Jumping out of the car, I plied them with ice cold drinks, cookies, apples and banannas. Kung Fu, Cheesecake, and Loser immediately settled down to some serious eating, and soon, Loser had pulled out his guitar and a party had ensued. As the hours went by, lots of other hikers came through, and I either fed them or shuttled them to the nearby campground. They all seemed to understand why I was feeding them rather than hiking with them, and found it hysterical when I said that I was doing trail magic to pay pennance for blowing off the Whites! The neatest events of the day had one thing in common. They both involved dogs! First, Paul and Sharon came hiking up with their beautiful Border Collie. These are people that I hiked with way back in Georgia, and their dog was my "favorite trail dog"! She is gorgeous and plays fly ball like a pro. It was so great to see them again!Then, as I was packing up the food to take up to the parking lot, here came Llama, Doc, and their dog Coy. When I broke my foot way back in Franklin, NC, my mom gave Llama and Coy a ride from the post office back to the hotel! Imagine running into them again all these miles later! It seems like these last few days have been filled with encounters like this. It is one of the things that makes the AT special! Llama and Doc assured me that Bumpkin and Jerry were right behind them on the trail, which was a relief since none of the hikers I had met had seen them at all. Sure enough, they soon came traipsing down the road. I was so glad to see them! Bumpkin took the news about her window graciously, along with, I am sorry to say, the news of a scratch that had appeared on her car that afternoon! It appears that if you don't set her parking brake, her car rolls, and it had an unfortunate meeting with an AT sign while it was in my care. She was wonderful as I apologized profusely and told her I would pay for the damage.Several hours later, we were well fed and ensconsed in an over-priced hotel room. I will surely sleep well tonight! Tomorrow, we do Mount Washington! Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-09-11
From: Great Barrington

To: White Mountains, NH
Miles today: 0.0

The sun came up into the Retreat this morning and woke us gently. I slept so peacefully and comfortably that I got up in a wonderful mood, ready to face the day. Tortoise, the hiker that joined us last night, needs to get to Salisbury, CT to the post office, so our day consisted of driving here, there, and everywhere before arriving at our destination. The weather was so pretty, and it was nice to have the wind blowing in our hair as we tooled down the road listening to Arlo Guthrie.We had not been driving long when we noticed that all the flags were at half-mast. We tend to somewhat behind when it comes to world events due to our being removed from the media most of the time, so it took us a few minutes to realize that it was September 11. It is a date that makes me cold and causes my stomache to knot up. I think pretty much everyone feels that way, but for me, it is not only about New York and the Twin Towers. I was competely touched by the horror of that time, but for me, the date holds a different meaning as well. On this day two years ago, our family stood on the brink of losing my grandmother. Ten days of bed-side vigil, September 11, and then three days later she was gone. When reminded of the date today, I was taken back to that hospital completely. I could smell it, see the nurses, feel the chairs of the waiting room. The same thing happened to me last year, and I suspect that it will happen for years to come. It would have been all too easy to let that put me in a black and blue mood, but instead, I decided to spend the day thinking about my Meemaw. She is with me a lot on this hike, and she is rarely far from my thoughts. My Meemaw was, flat out, a character! A strong, controlling woman in a long line of strong, controlling women, (many who know me would say that I am doing an excellent job of carrying on the tradition! :)). She had a mind like a steel trap, especially when it came to numbers, and had a way of knowing things long before anyone else did. In the last ten years of her life, a wonderful sense of humor came bubbling to the surface and my favorite memories of her involve us giggling like teenagers as I poof-ed her with a powder puff after her bath.Would she have loved the idea of me hiking this trail? Heck no!!!! And, yes, a little. :) She would have shaken her finger in my face and told me that I had no business out here....and then would have enjoyed my journal and pictures throughly.So, today, and for the next few days, I am going to travel with Meemaw. She may be gone, but she is in no way forgoton, and while I am walking, I will be smiling as I think of her shaking that finger at me. Hmmm...maybe I will even go buy myself some bath powder. :)Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com