morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 36.8

FINISHING VIRGINIAWe banged out big miles for our last two days in VA. June 13, we stayed at Jim and Molly Denton shelter with a teacher from N.Y. named Stops for Berries. The shelter was luxurious with a big deck out front furnished with an Adirondack style bench seat. The best part of the stay here was someone's grandfather left a cooler full of fresh meat for the hikers. How they lugged that thing a couple miles from the road I'll never know. We enjoyed flame broiled chicken leg quarters that night. MMM-MMM---Delicious!The second night, June 14, we tented at Rod Hollow Shelter. Also with us were section hikers, The Pink Ladies. These two women, Slo Go and Wild Thing, were the most comical pair I'd seen yet on the trail. They are both school bus drivers out on a two month weight loss adventure on the AT. They appeared to have all the wrong gear for a long distance hike, but their spirits were high and you gotta give 'em credit for trying.Other than that, it was rainy for days and we looked forward to drying out in Harper's Ferry.
Date: 2006-08-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 17.5

AN A.T. BIRTHDAY   We rode the roller coaster (woo-hoo!)for my birthday on June 15. The roller coaster is a 13 mile stretch of trail that has 10 hills of four to five hundred foot climbs. The first three weren't too bad, but the rest did wear me out by the end. We actually did 17.8 miles that day with a stop at the Horse Shoe Curve Pub on Pine Grove Rd. Burner joined us there for a hearty lunch of roast beef and gravy smothered fries. Burner was about to start the four state challenge but he was already looking wiped out. He had to meet his parents at Penn-Mar State Park in 24 hours, so the race was on for him. There's no four state challenge in these ol' legs of mine. The 17-plus miles we did that day took us to the Blackburn AT center. The caretakers, Redwing and Hopeful, are a married couple who recently through-hiked the A.T. They found out it was my birthday, so after a nice spaghetti dinner, Hopeful brought out a pan full of brownies with a votive candle in the middle. Outbreak and Morning Fit were also there to help celebrate my 45th. What an exhausting but great birthday I had.   The next day, early into our hike, we passed the 1000 mile mark. For the first time, I was impressed with how far we'd come. It felt great. Harper's Ferry was only 12.2 miles away and we couldn't wait to get there.   The first thing we did was go to the ATC office. There was a gathering of a bunch of hikers out front. Among several others there was Cash, Homeward, Bofus, Lebowski, Holly, Knock-Knock, Hawkeye and the Aussies. We got our official picture taken for the record there. We came in at numbers 374, 75 and 76. Man, there are a lot of hikers out here!The next morning, my brother Bill came from Arlington to spend the day with us. We had a terrific time touring Harper's Ferry. The exhibits are free to get into and there are several places to eat. I was quite interested to learn that Harper's Ferry has a history of early civil rights activism in addition to having a key role in the civil war.   After a long day of touring, we still had to go to the store for resupply. It was after 11:00 by the time we were finished. The day seemed more exhausting than hiking all day.   On a final note, The Outfitter at Harper's Ferry was very helpful with everything we needed. They also replaced a bent section of Mudflap's Leki pole for free.
Date: 2006-08-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 40.9

MARYLANDThe sun beat down on us as we traveled the flat trail along the C&O canal. Shortly after turning uphill back into the woods, we came upon the Ed Garvey Shelter. It was nicely built with plenty of room. It was tempting to stay, but 7 miles was not far enough for the day. We finished up with 11.1 miles at Crampton Gap shelter. The next day was interesting passing through two parks. Sizzle managed to get two free sodas from a family picnicking at Gathland State Park. The soda machine only takes coins, not bills so he went over to them and asked for change. Probably because he has the starving hiker look, they felt sorry for him and gave him a grape and an orange soda and change, too!   Next, we came to a camping area that has a shower. I got in the shower clothes and all. It was so hot for a couple of days, the "hiker funk" was especially bad. Wouldn't you know, by the time I came out from the shower it was raining? It's kind of the same as washing your car in the rain.   The next park we came to was Washington Monument State Park. This park has a path with signs that tell of George Washington's life history. At the top of a hill is the original monument built in his honor in 1827. It looks like a huge stone grain silo. You can climb up inside to the top for a good view.   At Pogo Gap, our second and final night in MD, we slept on a slanting spot in the rain. Bummer.
Date: 2006-08-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 88.5

NEW YORKEven though the heat continued to bear down on us, we pushed on the best we could. We didn't have to make big miles for the time being because our good friends Danette Reid and Diane Sunden, who work for Brookwood, the place we're raising money for, were coming to pay us a visit when we get near Kent, CT.    It was exciting to have made it this far and NY was very pretty. At one point the heat did cut our day short and we ended up getting a shuttle to ETA, a youth camp that also caters to hikers. Since we now had some miles to make up, we decided to slack pack for the first time. It was 18 plus miles from NY 17 to Bear Mtn. bridge. Cheetos, Puffy Nipples, Home Cookin', Sizzle, Mudflap and I took off at 7:30 a.m. to get to the post office in Ft. Montgomery at the end of our hike by 5:00 p.m. Up and over several short rock scrambles and through the Lemon Squeezer we went in the morning. In the afternoon it was the bigger mountains, including Bear Mtn. The younger folks broke out ahead of us by early afternoon. We did our best to get there by 5 but it was 5:45 by the time we reached the Ft. Montgomery Post Office. Our feet hurt a lot by the time we walked the more than 19 miles that day and we figured out slack packing doesn't save us that much time after all.We made it to Wingdale, NY on time to meet our friends the next day. We had to spend our first day together doing laundry, going to the post office and grocery store: the usual hiker routine in town. It was nice to get to ride in a car to do these things for a change. The Duchess Motor Lodge was not located near any of these amenities anyway. Our second day together was much more fun. Danette's 20 year old son Doug and Diane's 16 year old twins, Mike and Evan, came along for a four mile hike over Ten Mile Hill. This hill rises 500 feet in elevation so our friends got a small taste of rugged A.T. terrain. Danette and Diane actually ended up walking close to six miles by the time they turned around to get the car. They were picking us up at Hoyt Rd. so we wouldn't have to back track. They also earned trail names on their hike. Danette became Grasshopper due her accomplishments in Martial Arts and Diane became Water Lily because she is lovely like a flower and possesses the enduring strength of water. After Ten Mile Hill, we went to see a magnificent cave that a local resident told us about. It was a bit of a hike to get to it, plus it rained a little, but it was well worth it. I think we all had a good time together. It meant so much to Mudflap, Sizzle and I to have this visit from our dear friends. Just when things get tough on the trail, something uplifting always happens.
Date: 2006-08-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 41.5

CONNECTICUTStill too hot to hike, but we had to keep going. Less than 7 miles into CT, we were ready to stop for the day. We thought our two days off in NY had ruined us and made us weak. As more hikers came into Mt. Algo Lean-to, we found out everyone was feeling the same way. The humidity was draining us all.The terrain started getting hillier again. We were glad for it too. We knew the Whites were in our near future and we needed to get back into climbing condition. Connecticut was also surprisingly scenic. We did enjoy many areas that we passed through. The mosquitoes were still pestering us, but not as bad as they were in NJ. It seemed like the further north we went, the more pleasant, albeit arduous, the hiking became. Not only that, there were a couple of nights when we were a little too cool without our sleeping bags. But we still had to get through most of Mass. to get them back.
Date: 2009-01-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sorry the journals stopped in Massachusetts; however we finished on October 9,2006.It was hard to keep up the journal and hike every day.Daisy and Sizzle finished strong however I was worn out.I was ready for a segway so I would never have to walk again.I said I would never do this again. NEVER SAY NEVER.                                          Thanks you for reading our journal.                                                               MUDFLAP
Date: 2005-12-24
To: A little about myself...
Miles today: 0.0

My name is Josh Turner. I'm 28, although by the time I start hiking the trail I'll be 29. I first learned about the AT when I started college. However, I didn't realize how long the trail was. I thought it was only a lengthy section through northern Georgia. When a friend told me she used to live next to the AT in Pennsylvania I thought surely she was mistaken. I looked it up and was immediately proven wrong. I was suddenly intrigued by this trail and I was eager to hike it. I soon found a friend that wanted to hike with me and we planned a trip. Eric Evans agreed to go hiking with me for a few days. We planned to hike from Blood Mountain to Amicalola falls. Although he only hiked a day and a half (due to injuries) I finished the intended hike and was consequently stricken by whatever bug that causes one to drop out of everyday life and walk over 2,000 miles. Since then I planned a second trip with Conway Herzog. This time we hiked from Neels gap to Amicalola falls. This only deepened my desire to hike the AT. Finally in August of 2005, my girlfriend Melissa agreed on an ambitious weekend hike from Dicks creek gap to Blood Mountain. We were stopped 7 miles short of our destination by a hurricane turned tropical storm. I left melissa and the backpacks at a crossroad and jogged the last 7 miles to the Walasi-yi center parking lot and retrieved my truck. I couldn't wait to do it again. It wasn't until about October that I finally decided I was really going to do it.    I am lucky to have the support of my friends and family, but I wasn't sure how my employers would handle this. I work on an inland barge drilling rig for Axxis Drilling in southern Louisiana. Currently, I am a Motorman on the Axxis Justice rig. I had a part in refurbishing this rig and am extremely proud of its outcome. There were of course some kinks to work out, but hopefully all will be running smoothly by the time I leave for the AT. Negotiations are in progress for my status of employment throughout my trip. On a light note, when the Vice-President of Operations found out about my trip, he asked if they had drug-tested lately on my rig. Don't worry guys, I'm clean.
Date: 2005-12-25
To: A little more info...
Miles today: 0.0

The gear is starting to mount up. I am shooting for a 25lb. pack, but I tend to be a gearhead. Choosing between comfort on the trail or at the campsite was proving to be hard. I think I have found the solution in a hammock rather than a tent, an alcohol stove rather than the pressurized cans, and a shovel over the portable toilet...Just kidding. I'm trying to think ultralite, like cutting out tiny items to shave off weight.
Date: 2005-12-26
To: Final gear decisions
Miles today: 0.0

I think it's about time to start making some final decisions about gear that I'll have on the trail. I wanted to wait until Christmas was over because I was anticipating a few gifts for the trail. Of course, as presents go, I wasn't quite sure exactly what they would be. My girlfriend got me the backpack that I wanted and a multi-plier tool that always comes in handy. I also recieved several gift cards to various outdoor sporting goods stores and Barnes and Noble. I still have clothes to buy for cold weather. It doesn't really get that cold down here in Mobile Al.
Date: 2005-12-27
To: more jounal entries
Miles today: 0.0

I just wanted to throw in a picture of Melissa and I when we hiked a portion of the AT. It was somewhere between Dicks Creek Gap and Neels Gap. We had some unpleasant weather at first, but our second day cleared up. Little did we know that this was the calm before the storm. A hurricane hit the Gulf Coast and proceeded North towards Georgia. As hurricanes do it downgraded to a tropical storm. It could've fooled me though. The wind howled through the forest and the trees seemed like they were going to bend over and touch the ground.
Date: 2006-01-11
To: Gear update
Miles today: 0.0

Well, my gear list is finally coming together. I bought a cook set from Anti-Gravity Gear. I took a few things out that I thought I wouldn't need and the result was a substantial decrease in weight compared to my old cook set. My cookset is now comprised of a stove, pot, handle, windscreen, fuel bottle, and a spork. It's as light as a feather. well, a big feather but it beats my old pocket rocket stove and the fuel canisters. I splurged a bit and bought a 0 degree REI sleeping bag. I had a gift card from Christmas, so it wasn't too much. I thought about those first few cold nights and couldn't help myself. I also stocked up on a lot of food. I tried some of the Back Country camping foods and found them to be a bit tasteless. Of course, Wal-mart had the most variety. The look on the cashier's face was priceless when I told her what 30 boxes of angel hair pasta was for. I went to some organic food stores and found them full of dehydrated soups, noodles, meats, and also different flavored rice. The "Fresh Market" had a large variety of trail mixes. I thought I would wait and buy some a little closer to my departure date. I also recieved more safety points from work. I traveled 100 miles out of my way before going to work just so I could go spend them. I was surprised to find a lot of the merchandise on sale. I racked up on hiking socks, long underwear, gloves and another new pair of boots. I'm sure I won't use all of it on the trail but it's nice to know there is a backup available. Final arrangements are being made at work to replace me when I'm gone. I was told I will have a position when I get back, I just don't know what it will be. It looks like I'll be planning a short trip soon to try out some of this new gear. I'll update again when I test it out. Untill then, I've got some work to do. We just finished a 13,500 ft well.
Date: 2006-03-09
To: Prep hike
Miles today: 0.0

I know after you make a test run you always wonder how your gear would have held up in a worst case scenario. I can honestly say I know. I hiked a loop trail at Talledega and Cheaha state park in Alabama. I pieced together the Skyway Loop Trail, Chinabee Silent Trail, and The Pinhoti Trail. All together it was about 20 miles. I started Saturday February 11th at about 11:00 A.M. I put in about 12 miles in beautiful hiking weather. The temperature was in the 50's and the sun was out. I found a great spot next to a waterfall and pitched camp. I set up my hammock and put the tarp up anticipating rain during the night. Just like the weather report said, the rain came about 2:00 A.M. The temperature dropped in the 30's and it started to sleet. Lucky I was under the tarp, right? Well, I don't know if the trees snuggled close together for warmth or if the straps on the hammock stretched, but my butt was in the water. Trying to get out of that sleeping bag proved to be difficult. I must have looked like a catapillar wriggling out of its cacoon. I finally got out and adjusted the straps on the hammock. I went back to bed (cold and wet now) but no more than an hour passed before I had to get up and do it again. Once I finally got comfortable again I slept till about 7:00 A.M. It was hard crawling out of bed, but after I started hiking I warmed up. It rained all day and I got pretty wet but as long as I was hiking I was warm. If I stopped for more than a few minutes I was shivering. Overall the hike went well and most of the gear withstood the elements. I will make a few changes though.    I have 5 more days of work left, and the anticipation is reaching its peak. I still have lots of preparations left and time will be tight my last week home. I'll be moving to Pensacola just before I leave for the trip. I guess I could consider that strength training for the hike.
Date: 2006-03-22
To: Time's a tickin...
Miles today: 0.0

Somehow this is reminiscent of my high school days when I waited till the night before to start on a school book report. The last couple of days have been relaxing to say the least. I played golf with my friend Craig. He'll say that he beat me, but that's not what golf is all about right? Right... That night Me, my girlfriend Melissa, and Craig went to downtown Pensacola to a pool hall where we played a few games of friendly billiards. Tuesday was my birthday, and we celebrated that on my sailboat. Our friend Tommy joined us for an afternoon sail on Mobile Bay. The sun was out and the wind was blowing hard. We put the boat to the test without capsizing it. At times there were 3-4 foot seas. We all got wet with overspray but it was a blast. Now I'm putting the last minute items together. Hopefully everything will arrive where it's supposed to when it's supposed to. I'm off to Atlanta Thursday and then Amicalola Falls Friday. Saturday is the first day hiking and then it should be about a week and a half before you hear from me again. Until then just remember this: " Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take many small steps." -Helmut Schmidt
Date: 2006-03-25
From: Amicalola Falls Welcome Center

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We left the Lodge at 7:30 this morning, had breakfast and hit the falls by 8:15. We walked down the falls the to welcome center where I checked in, signed the Thru-Hiker register and bought some post cards. The approach trail is 8.8 miles long. It doesn't actually count as AT mileage but I sure felt it. It was all uphill to Springer Mountain where the AT actually atarts. My girlfriend Melissa, my sister Jennifer, and her boyfriend Gary hikied the first day with me. We packed a small lunch and stopped at one of the summits along the way. Gary pulled out a couple Amberboch beers for lunch. What a treat. I knew I wasn't going to see one of those for a while. When we got to the top of Springer mountain we signed another journal that is kept under a big boulder in a metal box. We hung out for a little while, but it was so cold and windy that we felt we needed to get off the summit. We slowly made our way to the shelter knowing that I would say goodbye soon. It was tough saying goodbye, I'll see ya in 5 months, but we eventually did. This is where I officially started my thru-hike. There was a Boy Scout group at the shelter. I had heard some stories about Boy Scouts at shelters and how rowdy they can be, but this group was very well-behaved and well-mannered. They built a great fire and maintained it as the temperature dropped. If I remember correctly it was Troop 625 out of Georgia. Let me know if I got it wrong guys. I'll fix it. The temperature dropped down to 23 degrees that night and my water bladder froze solid. It completely slipped my mind. I ended up hauling around a chunk of ice the next day. I stayed warm in my 0 degree sleeping bag in my hammock. It was hard getting up in the morning because I was so comfy. I didn;t want to get out in the cold. I said bye to the scout group and thanked them for the company. If it wasn't for them it would have been a long boring night.
Date: 2006-03-26
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Justice Creek Campsite
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

I was the last one to leave camp this morning. I took off hiking with a lot of warm clothes on. It didn't take long before I started shedding clothes. There was another man that stayed at the shelter the night before. His name was Bill and he was out hiking for 5 weeks. I hiked with him for a while then moved on. I stopped at Long Creek Falls for a picture. I had been here before and decided to stop again. Nice place for lunch. I hiked until late in the day when I came to Justice Creek. There was a worn out campsite next to the creek and I decided that it would do. I started gathering firewood and found a great campsite on the other side of the creek in a secluded area under some rhododendrons. On top of that there were sticks all piled up by the fire ring. I set up camp, hung my hammock, cooked dinner and I was out. I think it was only 6:00 but I was tired. I woke up at midnight and just laid there watching the stars. I read a little of my guide and wrote some in the journal. I eventually fell back asleep.
Date: 2006-03-27
From: Justice Creek Campsite

To: Blood Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

I woke up refreshed and ready for a day of hiking, but when my feet hit the ground a shock went through my body. My feet were killing me. I pulled my socks off and tended to some blisters. A little moleskin here, a band-aid there and I was ready to go. When I pack my bag up I noticed a tiny hole where a mouse chewed through the lining and got into my garbage. He didn't do too much damage but it still ticked me off. That's a brand new pack! I met up with Bill again and also some guys on Spring Break form Auburn. Everyone seems really cool and laid back out here. I made it to Blood Mountain Shelter where I decided to stay the night.
Date: 2006-03-28
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a pleasant night at Blood Mountain Shelter. It rained a little last night so I'm glad I decided to stay. I met a guy named Dan there. He's Thru-hiking also. It was a 2.5 mile hike down to Neels Gap where the Mountain Crossings center is. I stopped in for some snacks and picked up a few provisions. I sent a few postcards and hit the trail again. I made it to low gap shelter at about 1:30. Not bad considering it was 14 miles.There was a guy named Travis there. He was using his Jet-Boil stove for the first time. It boiled over when he put his noodles in and when he tried to turn the gas down the boiling water scorched his hand and arm. He nocked the stove over and his food went all over the shelter floor. I'm thinking this is great considering bears and mice just love this stuff. As people started piling in to the shelter it was kind of comical to watch them as they fired up their new camp stoves for the first time. Stoves were flaring up and the smell of burnt noodles was in the air. I met a lot of people this night. One of them, who'll continue to hike with for some time is Dan. His trail name is Rainbow-Brite because he has some multicolored shoestrings that his girlfriend put on his boots. The night ended up being eventless. Except for someones impersonation af a dirtbike at 3:00 int the morning. Snoring is one major drawback at the shelters.