morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-19
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

LONG day... I spoke with Randy Bishop today. He's my Dad's dear friend whom he's known since kindergarten or something like that. He and his new wife Carol are in the process of buying and moving into a new home in the Ashville area, so they weren't available to meet this weekend. They are leaving in a week for upstate New York to sell his house over the summer though, so there will be ample opportunity to rendezvous further north.Lots of steep climbs today with chilly fog and rain. It was a very physically demanding day for me. Max Patch, a huge bald, was awash in fog but cleared enough for a momentary grand view of the surrounding countryside. Within 50 feet of walking further along however, it was completely obscured by the fog again. It was surreal.By the time we stumbled into the shelter, we were exhausted, wet, cold and hungry. But the shelter was already totally full. I felt too tired to pitch my tarp and was ready to sleep on the dirt floor again when I discovered a large space underneath the shelter that was a perfect spot to bed down for the night. The ground is sloped such that the floor of the shelter that forms our roof is about 4 feet above, and the ground is sandy, clean and dry. It's like having our own little private room away from the rest who all happen to be guys. Hurray! We gratefully laid out our bedrolls, got cleaned up and changed into dry clothes.The shelter journal had entries describing several recent bear incidences where people's bear bags had been stolen by a wily bruin. Apparently no one even stayed here last night for that very reason. The problem was it was very difficult to find a suitable tree to hang our food bags in the area and it was getting dark fast. In the end, the majority of people's food bags were hung up in a rather flimsy tree about 50 yards from the shelter, but because everyone was trying to clip their bags onto that one line it was too heavy to hoist the line up so Colleen and I pulled ours off and tossed them on the shelter roof attached to our line, hoping for the best.At about 12:30 in the morning Colleen awoke with a start and then woke me, insisting that she heard the crash of a tree going down over in the direction where people's bags had been hung. The men in the shelter above had also been woken up by the noise and donned their headlamps to investigate. Upon inspection, the tree was still standing, but two of the three bags were missing and the third was swinging wildly back and forth from the line. I hope the bear is satisfied with that and doesn't attempt to approach the shelter after ours! Colleen is particularly agitated and afraid the bear will return.Later... For some (stupid) reason, the fellow who's bag was still there had left it in place and the bear came back again to get it and succeeded! So in all, three people have all lost their food bags. PLEASE bear. Eat their food and be satisfied!Later...
Date: 2008-04-20
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs 
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: light rain

In all, three people lost all their food last night. Since I'd been making better time than I'd planned and was carrying extra food, I gave most of what was left in my food bag to the unfortunate souls who'd lost all theirs and hiked on with a MUCH lighter pack today. A double blessing! I knew I had a resupply packed waiting for me in Hot Springs, and so it worked out perfectly - well, not for those who lost their bags of course, but...anyway.Both the weather and the terrain were more mild today. Though the day started chilly and raining, it cleared and gradually warmed throughout the day. Although we hiked almost 19 miles today, it was a much easier day than yesterday for us. Finally, we're here in Hot Springs for my first zero day. Boy do I need it! Pod and Rhody are sharing a room with us again to split the cost.As the days have progressed, the increased incidence and sheer variety of birdsong, wildflowers and plants in evidence are enchanting. Spring is in full swing on the AT! TO BE CONTINUED.....
Date: 2008-01-02
From: Northbound...

To: Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

No stranger to the Appalachian Trail, He... This shot was taken by Skip (I think that's what they called you last year, Justin) as Calamity Jane (a great trail friend and EMT) mounted a rescue mission in North Carolina. See my heel blisters in the Photo Section of this Journal...Yes, Laura (Cloud 9 Hostel in Hiawassee) tried her best with the hot Epsom Salts and the Rubbing Alcohol [an old backpacker's remedy that REALLY stings...], but by the time I made it to Franklin, NC, my boots had really made hamburger out of my feet (March 2007).It seems that I have a wide foot but a rather narrow heel and no outfitter yet has found me a pair of boots that will fit... Yes, I lace my boots "over" instead of "under" the top fittings. Yes, I wear Liner Socks. I ALWAYS wear SuperFeet Green inserts (the heavy-duty ones). I keep my backpacking weight down to what I consider a reasonable weight. I change my Merino Wool Backpacker's Socks often and even wash them from time to time......MoleSkin; MoleFoam; Duct Tape; Liquid Skin; Dr. Scholls' Blister Care Pads... and the list continues... For me, there's simply no magic bullet.
Date: 2008-02-29
From: Preparation

To: NorthBound...
Miles today: 0.0

THIS YEAR'S PLAN:- Gear Up- AMTRAK to Gainesville, GA all night 25 March- Shuttle (by Josh and Leigh of Hiker Hostel) to Forest Service Road 42 Parking Lot the morning of 26 March [hey, once is enough with the I'm-A-Koala Park Trail]...- Place one foot in front of the other on my trek North-Bound...- 1-1/2 weeks of Diamond Hunting with my Baby Sister, Bette [pick-up along the I-81 Corridor 09 May with a return drop-off at Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia... Yes, I hike my own hike... She'll keep the diamonds...- Make many new Trail Friends and do my best to make it to the Northern Terminus before First Frost...
Date: 2008-03-01
From: NorthBound...

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

OK, I'm looking for a Trail Buddy or Trail Buddies to help me to sing this song I wrote for the 2008 Trail Days Hiker Talent Contest. Must be able to play or sing (in tune, please) the Theme Song From MASH..."A North-Bound Hike is Painless¢¦"To the tune, ¢Suicide is Painless.¢ Adapted and words by Glen ¢the Colonel¢ DavisSung with feeling!Through piles of projects, I can see        Visions of the things to be,An ¢A.T.¢ hike, now that¢s for me,        Adventure a-round every tree¢¦Refrain:A North-Bound hike is painless        It brings on many changesAnd I can take what comes for six more monthsOh Boss, please, let me now explain¢¦        This ¢same old grind,¢ this ¢same old strain,¢I simply can¢t abide the pain        I bought my ticket for the train¢¦I¢ll have no cares, I¢ll have no woes        I¢ll filter water through a hoseIdentify the wild tea rose        Watch sun-downs from a casual pose¢¦This gear costs more than I would have thought;        Especially this Titanium Pot¢¦On credit card t¢will have to be        But, ¢What the heck,¢ the walkin¢s free¢¦Outfitter, what-¢cha doin¢ to me?        This gear is piling high you seeI understand you¢re ¢giving¢ deals        ¢¦but do you sell a pack with WHEELS?!?You sold me this, you sold me that,        A fan to ride upon my hatAn orange and yellow sleeping mat        A card to show me types of scat¢¦I have my pack, I have my tent,        Care packages will soon be sent,No bills to pay, no grass to cut;        Soon ¢ ¢Freedom¢ from this awful rut¢¦I first hiked left, and then hiked right,        Perhaps you¢ve never had this plight.While hiking north in fog, you see        White blazes weren¢t so clear to me¢¦Oh Mountain steep¢¦ Oh Mountain high¢¦        There¢s water pouring from the skyCan¢t get this blasted gear to dry        I miss my Mama¢s APPLE PIE¢¦My armpits stink, my socks do too,        I also have a ¢HAT HAIR-DO,¢Last night I stepped in someone¢s poo¢¦        But to mine own self, I¢ll be true¢¦Oh Mama, Mama, help me please,        This shelter¢s full of mice and fleasThere¢re EWOKS living in the trees        It¢s cold tonight, and I might freeze¢¦Trail Angel, would you feed me please?        My food was scattered thru the trees¢¦Last night by some big brown raccoon.        I¢ll faint if I don¢t get fed soon¢¦!I¢m sending home some stuff, you see,        To heal my back, to save my kneeThis lighter load feels great, you know,        In every town it tends to grow¢¦Inn-Keeper, would you help me please?        I need a place to get some ¢Z¢s¢A shower and a decent meal,        A talk with some-bod-y who¢s real¢¦The moral of this story¢s true¢¦        A NORTHBOUND HIKE might be for you.Snakes; bears; rocks; storms; and insects too¢¦        Are all right here, oh HIKER, ¢THRU¢¦¢I made it North, my hike is done        My picture¢s sent to everyoneThe only other thing to do        Is ¢turn around, and hike South too¢¦Last Refrain:The A.T. Life is painless,        It brings on many changes¢¦And I can take what comes for six more months¢¦And you can pack and meet me if you please¢¦!
Date: 2008-03-02
From: NorthBound...

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So, do I carry around too much weight? Yes, of course, but it's the excess weight on my front and not that which may be found in my backpack...Have no fear, however. A month from now the Georgia mountains will begin to carve my spare tire right off of me -- almost as I watch.They'll also begin to level out my bad cholesterol; blood sugar levels; blood pressure; and help me to fit into clothing that's just hanging in the closet.So, if, in several months you see this tan streak passing you on the trail, it might be me -- newly released from a fair amount of body fat (which is currently similar to walking around with a full backpack on my front every day...
Date: 2008-03-14
From: ...and holding...

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

And now for a startling truth that every trekker should realize, but it¢s not in an American¢s nature to admit: NOBODY HIKES THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL BY THEMSELVES.VERSE:Trail Angel, would you feed me please?        My food was scattered thru the trees¢¦Last night by some big brown raccoon.        I¢ll faint if I don¢t get fed soon¢¦!REFRAIN:A North-Bound hike is painless        It brings on many changesAnd I can take what comes for six more monthsThis verse both shows us that Nature is in charge out there, and many very generous and caring people will make it a point to help us when we need it. Don¢t take my word for it ¢ simply read between the lines in almost every other Trail Journal to find countless acts of kindness (some random and some not so¢¦).Over the years, people in some far away places have helped me with food and water when I needed it. For example, last March it seemed that I had no sooner left Neels Gap when I came out of the trees to find ¢Chief¢ and ¢Christmas¢ with Hot Chocolate and water for my canteens.In this instance, I was about to climb Cowrock Mountain, and I didn¢t yet know that water was so scarce for that stretch of trail. They did! I haven¢t forgotten that little act of kindness, Chief, and perhaps some day I¢ll get the chance to repay it.Perhaps when I have more time, I¢ll tell you more of these, but for now ¢ suffice it to say ¢ THE CONTRACTORS ARE LEAVING FOR THE WEEKEND AND I NEED TO GRAB MY BACKPACK¢¦More Appalachian Trail Corollaries to Murphy¢s Law:- Most animals found along the trail choose to be seen by you, if it happens¢¦- The magnetic center of the Universe shifts to Dahlonega, Georgia for five weeks every spring. Hikers cannot resist its pull no matter how much they choose to move northward¢¦- The loss of gear becomes most obvious in direct relation to the trekking distance from it.- Shelter Mice can¢t read the register, and so they normally have no idea that people don¢t like to play at night¢¦- Switchbacks are the trail designer¢s way of telling you to slow down and enjoy the trek.[Will I ever run out of these? I doubt it¢¦]
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Scoped and Almost Ready to Go...

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Just a quick entry to thank the docs and nurses at the McGuire V.A. Hospital in Richmond for scoping me with no complications. It looks as though from my medical perspective at least, that I'll be ready to go on 25 March.I'm so groggy right now that all I want to do is to hop into bed. More later (probably tomorrow).
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Two More Days...!

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Easter, fellow Trail Journalists and Readers! Although I have a few more chores and additional preparation to do before Tuesday (final touches on medicines and re-supply boxes), I¢m ready for a nap ¢ having just returned from Kitchen Duty for a Sunrise Service Breakfast. It¢s rather ironic, really. I had to retire as an Army Officer to become a, ¢Lunch Lady¢¦¢ *lol*This just means that I might have a better chance to convince the local ¢Croo Members (Caretaker Crews in the AMC Huts along the Trail)¢ to allow me to, ¢Work for Stay.¢ I can also split firewood with a hand maul since I do this all the time at home. After all, we¢re one of the few houses in our subdivision with a real fireplace that still burns wood¢¦ [conversation with a neighbor], ¢Glen, I¢m having two oak trees taken down tomorrow. Would you like to have the wood?¢ [my casual response] ¢Certainly, neighbor¢¦ Please make certain they cut it into 18¢ sections so it¢ll fit into my fireplace insert¢¦¢ [I remember when everybody needed firewood and it was rather scarce¢¦   Not now¢¦ *lol*]I¢ll miss my family; the cats; and the other wildlife that lives around my yard and out back in the transition zone of the forest; but I know there¢ll be many more people to meet along the way ¢ not to mention the different trail animals. I can¢t say that I¢m wild about the snakes, but I can at least respect them and give them their, ¢space.¢I¢ll also do my best to ensure the biting insects visit the folks who use the white headlamps¢¦ My red lens along with a little DEET will help me to stay almost invisible to them.Still More Ramblings and Possibly Germaine Items from the Appalachian Trail and Murphy¢s Law:- Free Room and Board can sometimes be obtained, courtesy of local Trail Town Constables.- Jokes seem funnier when heard through the rarified air at altitude¢¦ Exhaustion also helps¢¦- One¢s most despised food dishes actually taste good after the first month or so¢¦- One can believe everything that is written in Shelter Journals¢¦ *and I have some land to sell you in Florida*- Every Trekker washes his or her hands before picking up and making entries in the Shelter Journal¢¦ and nobody ever sneezes, coughs or wipes their noses on the pages, either¢¦ [yes, I believe it ¢ don¢t you?]- Oatmeal truly is the ¢Breakfast of Champions¢¦¢- On the Trail, it¢s hard to find a more well-rounded meal than a Snickers Bar and Gatorade¢¦ and some stores sell Snickers with Almonds¢¦
Date: 2008-03-24
From: Last Day of Preparation...

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tomorrow I plan to step aboard that south-bound AMTRAK train and my adventure will begin again. Of all the individuals who¢ll have to adjust to my absence, Kathmandu, the feral cat who takes shelter in our garage, will probably miss me the most.From both the length of time it took for him to, ¢adopt,¢ me and from his still very feral ways, it¢s clear to me that he¢d never associated with people except perhaps to snag an offering at a friendly door once in a while. Also from his actions, it¢s clear to me that he came from a line of feral cats.In the picture, you¢ll notice that his ¢Kitty Bed,¢ isn¢t a true Modular Appalachian Trail Sleep System, since his is an old poly-filled bed quilt (folded for loft); a Modular Sleep System Patrol Bag; and on top of all of that is my old Polartec vest. He seems to like it. He certainly prefers it over the place he used to sleep¢¦Yes, I feel a little guilty to leave my wife and ¢family¢ to pursue, ¢the carefree life,¢ of the Appalachian Trail¢¦ As I¢ve said before, however, I use this time as, ¢therapy,¢ even though it¢s actually one of the hardest things I¢ve ever done.By the way, I took Kathmandu¢s picture with a $19.95 ultra-light digital camera. Because it requires a computer with their special disk to manage the picture it takes and to charge the thing, the only way I can think of to use it on the Trail is to take as many pictures as it will hold and then mail it back home for a download. In a perfect world I¢d prefer to provide you with day-by-day pictures, but unless somebody has another suggestion, you¢ll see mine in one lump every now and then.This promises to be a Monster Day, with all of the standard chores and more, so I¢m off now to begin my day.More Appalachian Trail Corollaries to Murphy¢s Law:- The longer the trail day, the more likely one might actually hear the trees and bushes making snide remarks.- Deep Mud is nature¢s way of telling you to slow down and enjoy the journey¢¦- Grandma Gatewood never said she slept comfortably in her Army Blanket.- Icy Stretches in the Trail are nature¢s way of telling you to slow down and enjoy the journey¢¦- One¢s gear expands after the first night on the Trail.- That cold water shower in the Hostel is their way to free-up bunk space for the next trekker¢¦- Buzzards circle overhead for a reason¢¦
Date: 2008-03-25
From: Fredericksburg AMTRAK STATION...

To: SPRINGER MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA, at last!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This has to be a quick entry this morning, because I'm still working on my, "To Do List," and I have four hours before I leave for the AMTRAK Station...I was unable to find a Transcriber, so I'll have to update this as I find Internet access along the Trail. Perhaps something will change in the near future, but for now I'm certain the updates will be rather infrequent -- Sorry!Still More Appalachian Trail Corollaries to Murphy's Law and Other Ramblings of a Trakker Who's on His Way Back to the Trail:- All roads lead to Franklin, North Carolina. Even if they don't actually, a little yellow bus will drop you there any way..._ There¢s no such thing as a ¢Free Dog.¢ There¢s also no such thing as a ¢Free Hike.¢- There¢s not one piece of level ground in Harpers Ferry and camping is prohibited any way...- Pennsylvanians don¢t know the difference between aimless wanderers and thru-hikers.- ¢Sticks and stones may break my bones¢¦¢ Boots might not react well with them either.- On the Trail, billboards come in all shapes and sizes and they say, ¢Petzl; MSR; Mountain Hardwear; Snow Peak, and so on¢¦- Every piece of backpacking gear is sold three times per year on EBay. North-Bound Early Birds buy in January and then sell the stuff to those who start, ¢with the pack.¢ They in turn sell the same stuff to South-Bounders by mid-summer¢¦- There is a direct relationship between the length of one¢s stay in a Trail Town and the weight of one¢s pack for the climb out of that Town.- The best things on the Trail are FREE. For everything else, there¢s MasterCard¢¦- Trees tend to fall across one¢s route of advance rather than parallel to it.- Hammock Hangers soon realize there¢s a reason for those signs that say, ¢Bridge Freezes Before Road Surfaces.¢- Sleet the size of one¢s little finger is nature¢s way of saying, ¢Slow Down and enjoy the journey¢¦¢- Yukon mushers didn¢t call it a, ¢Three Dog Night¢ for no reason¢¦- One smells bad to a Trail Dog, whether or not it¢s been a few days since the last shower¢¦- If it weren¢t for gunpowder, bears would view every trekker in a hammock as a very large trail-side taco¢¦- It¢s time to take a break when the pink elephants start to follow you up the mountain¢¦- Compatibility isn¢t a strong enough force to keep many ¢Trail Marriages¢ together¢¦- Boy Scout troops at Trail Shelters are like the ¢Tourist Buses¢ at restaurants along the Interstate Highway¢¦ They tend to make a long line at the privy, raise the ambient noise level considerably, and make mean remarks about the service.- There is no ¢Book of Moose Behavior¢ for a good reason¢¦- When you need to use nature¢s compass (as taught by ¢Survivorman¢ and others), the moss tends to grow, not only on the North side of the tree, but the Southern; Eastern; and Western sides as well¢¦- Bears view your suspended bag of food as a Pi±ata¢¦- There is always life after a Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail¢¦ It¢s seldom the same one left behind, but there¢s always a life waiting out there somewhere¢¦I'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE, FOLKS!
Date: 2008-03-26
From: SPRINGER MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA, at last!

To: Justus Creek
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

I'm sitting in the Cloud9 Hostel and although I don't have much computer time, I'd like to bring you up to date.I was dropped about mid-morning at the Forest Service 42 Parking Lot. Briar and a couple of women from New Jersey shared the vehicle. It was great spring weather and there were a fair number of hikers (of several sorts, of course).I passed Claw Tooth and Chianne and Rie -- they were climbing Springer as I was coming down. I played tag with the Tourist from Pennsylvania, who hikes faster than I do so he's now in front... He's a big name at the National Boy Scout Jamboree so we had a lot to talk about since I volunteer to teach merit badges on their Merit Badge Midway (since I live only 22 miles from Fort A.P. Hill.Tourist and I (along with Mike and Matt across the creek from us) camped at Justus Creek, which is a great place unless you have a weak bladder...
Date: 2008-03-27
From: Justus Creek

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather was so mild and I was able to get up and moving so early that I simply couldn't stop, thinking of the all-you-can eat spagetti dinner at Neels Gap (thanks Hostel Angles and Pirate!).I stopped for lunch at Woody Gap and met Hollowood, Sure Foot (and dog, Libby); and Richard a day hiker. These are good people and fun to be around.I made it to Neels Gap just as the Outfitter was closing, however, they gave me a bunk in the Cabin, sold me an ice cream sandwich, and even listened to a couple of verses of the Trail Song (and offered to charge me double for my bunkk if I sang another). *lol*With a chance of rain, I once again hit the trail...
Date: 2008-03-28
From: Neels Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

I actually got to Low Gap Shelter around 4:00pm and ate a snack/filtered some more water. It was a tough choice to stay there for the night with Amy; Dust in the Wind; Hot Tang; the REI Gurl (I don't know her trail name, sorry); and others, but I wanted to put in some more miles and shoot for Blue Mountain Shelter (another 7.2 miles to the north)...The trail was rather easy on this stretch -- a few patches of rocks and several steep grades, but mostly gentle rolling trail below the ridges -- this is rare...I made it about five more miles and had to turn on the old TacTikka Headlamp to continue. It was threatening rain. I met Tina and Rob (mo trail names yet). Then it started to rain and about one mile short of Blue Mountain Shelter I pitch the MSR Twin Peaks for the night.The next day I decided this was a good and sound decision because of the rain, mud, and slippery rocks that didn't need darkness as well...I heard an owl. It was raining for a while and then it converted to just heavy fog. The pitch of the bear bag wouldn't have been much of a challenge, but nobody tried to get it. There were a couple of strange grunts, but I made some loud strange sounds of my own and it eventually went away.I find that if I urinate under the bear bag that is sort of marks my turf...