morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-06
From: Hot Springs

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Reporting In:Am safe and sound. The best news in the last several days is that I was not wearing my pack when it was run over by a truck. Truck, apparently, went undamaged. However, most everything that was inside or attached to the pack at least has some type of scar.Warning to all campers/hikers: do not leave packs lying in a parking lot.Also note that expensive titanium cookware will not reform well once it has been crushed.Am at the first 'real' trail-town along the part of the A.T. that I have hiked.138 miles of the Alabama Pinhoti142 miles of the Georgia Pinhoti090 miles of the Benton MacKaye Trail025 miles going in circles while lost for 3 days in Cherokee National Park150 miles on the A.T.Unable to find a way to reconnect to the Benton MacKaye I bailed to a town named Murphy. Road-walked to the NOC and started the A.T.Have crossed the Great Smokey National Park and am again in the Cherokee National Park.My next planned trail-town is Erwin Tn at the Nolichucky Hostel and Outfitter in 6 or 7 days. I am carrying 7 packages of Ramen Noodles, 4 2-pack pop tarts, and a box of 10 hot cocoa mixes - my main stay of food.Current weight is 173 pounds, easily down by 25 since I started.I recently stayed at the Standing Bear Hostel. A neat place for thru-hikers; pictures taken, but not able to send/show them ¢ Google Stand Bear Hostel.People have to stay at/inside shelters in the Smokies so I won't count that; my record of 74 days straight sleeping in my tent between September 1 and mid November may be in danger of falling, but the record restarted on 5/3. I'll have to break out a calendar to see. I have slept indoors 5 times since September first. Once at the Oak Mountain cabins; once with Don Rick; twice with BetaMan on a geocache trip, and recently at Standing Bear.I have sit on the great indoor fixtures 9 times since I started this little journey in March.Other than the visits by Don Rice and by Betaman & oldBoyHiker, I have sat at a 'real' table with 'real' plates and flatware and eaten 'prepared food' 5 times. Cave Spring, Ga; Dalton, Ga; Murphy, NC; Fontana Dam, NC; Hot Springs, Tn.I am currently walking at the same pace as a group known at the Hippy Chick Gang. You might look at her trail journal, Hippy Chick, or her husband's, Poet.
Date: 2008-05-11
From: Erwin

Miles today: 0.0

I am unable to do the miles that would take me to Damascus by Trail Days and am busy trying to figure a "road-walking / hitching / bus / bike" plan that will get me there before the last day.I have some gear that might be 'exchangable' if the brand name folks show up. The metal tip on one hikeing pole has wore down excessively; boots are a near perfet 'built tuff' demo set; pack buckles and one strap are broken; some tent pole tips are a bit out of round; and the jet boil is a bit of out of round - doesn't regulate too well either, but on is on and off is off!The other stuff, like the double walled cocoa cup still holds water or what ever it is suppose to be doing.Today is my first zero day. I plan no miles.Killer bad wind and rain last night, stayed in my tent at "uncle johnny's" ...$8 to sleep in somebody's back yard in my own tent, but the morning shower was well worth the cash. My second hostel and second stay for pay since I started on March 12.Thanks all for the interest. More thanks and great appreciation for the donations. Betaman is keeping the info on that activity and I will get back with everyone as soon as possible.Time is up on this shared computer...Warrenaka GubboolFounder of the...
Date: 2008-05-12
From: Erwin

Miles today: 0.0

Quick links to most recent hikers met on the A.T.05/13/08Rainbow staying Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TNFreeWil member of the Hippy Chick GangHippyChick & the Poet the Hippy Chick GangSpot staying Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN.The General Spot Hard Core Trail Maintenance.
Date: 2008-05-14
From: Erwin

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Am safely in Damascus Va., the home of Trail Days. Learn more about the events by clicking hereI brought enough supplies, can soups and peaches from Wal-Mart, that I can in the 'park' and not incur any real expense for the next several days.I also brought enough light-weight hiking foods that I can hike south from here and return to the last point that I was on the trail without having to stuggle with overflowing crowds and demishing food selections. Other options exist, so the plan is to watch the other hikers and weather, and then taking the less traveled road.Several of the members of Hippy Chick gang are here - same plans; and many others from the two trailing groups are planning to show up on Thursday and Friday.Distance-wise, my miles/day and miles/week are suffering but Damascus is a major event for me and so, well, there it is... I am here and I am happy to be here.
Date: 2008-05-20
From: Damascus

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So Warren went to Damascus Va to see the bright lights and hustle & bustle of the big city. Population 1,000 - a few more or less depending on how you count the folks hanging around in the city jail.A bit out of place, he was - no beer and no wild women. A few notes/pictures about the place could be found here:Talent ShowAfter the slightly underwhelmning stay - plenty of free food and light heart entertainment, I signed up to do a couple of days of "Hard Core" trail maintaince with the semi-famous Bob Peoples. He takes about 50 thru-hikers and 50 old-timers out for some seriously hard work. Quote - unquote : 'Hard Core" is an annual trail maintenance event hosted by the TEHCC following Damascus, VA's Trail Days in May. It lasts for 2 days and gives Trail Days attendees the opportunity to give back to the Trail. Hard Core has grown to over 100 participants and helps the TEHCC complete special projects in a short amount of time. Cold, wet, and hungry, we worked until the work was done. To get the picture, imagine a hundred or so folks being lead into the woods where the trail was nothing but a string of those little survey marker flags that you sumetimes see along the road before some street construction.Now you take your section (20 feet or so) between two flags and start removing overburden, roots, and rocks. If your section is on a moutain, then YOU cut into the side of the mountain to make your part of the trail flat so it blends with the persons to the left and to the right. The trail is about 3 feet wide and depending on your luck it might be loaded with rocks or have water seeping off the mountian turning your 'work' in to a slip-sliding path of muddy slush.If you are stronger or faster than the person to the left or right, you just take up the slack until the section is TRAIL. Work done, move to an unclaimed section down the flagged trail. Repeat. And yes it did rain on Sunday and yes, we were about 120 tired, filty, hungry people by dark.Supper and stay was free - you could say say that, anyway.
Date: 2008-06-10
From: Parisburg, VA 

To: Dalesville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Just a minute or two to write a note...Am in Parisburg, VA.About 900 trail miles from B'hamLast night, upon arrival I met a 24 year-old female teacher from Oak Mountain AL named Carlee Sanford CMsanford at bama.va.edu.She's had just finished a 20 mile slack pack and departed this morning, so I am already 20+ miles behind her. She's traveling alone and seems able to get thru Va.There are between 9 and 11 of us that keep turning up. The first person that I met on the AT is a man named Kyle. He was a week behind me, partly because I hit the AT with 300+ miles under my feet. He caught up when I zipped to trail days and then Hark-Core. The rest of the gang, which aStep meet or say, include: Bad Dinner (never invite him to your table, he's a hands-on eater; Pete's Dragon (as in Pete is dragging), 32 year-old CPA; gNormal, 30-ish (and dog, Cobi), actually is normal - now that he has shaved. Satchel, 62 year-old female from Florida, just getting her long distance trail-legs.RockLocks, single female, 28, (and dog) newspaper advertizement.Robert, the only on carring a weapon - a knife. He just changed from boots to trail runners and is paying a hugh price in foot pain. Something I can relate to, though his is way worse.Others are Tower, Kyle, HoboJoe, Slurpee, and DahWahHeDahWahHe is pertty much like me while the others are much younger.The most exciting of late is the meet with aStep.We didn't have a meeting plan and there was not enough time to talk about about the what's-new of the trail or B'ham. I wish it could have been longer - I could have eating more fries and drink way more sweet tea.What was really neat is that I managed some cell signal just after he had tried to contact me.I gave him a target waypoint near I-77 and he started that way. I was way up on a mountain and needed at least two hours to reach the flat lands and would still need some travel time.My handy Garmin showed the AT running pretty close to a side road and I focused on that. In an hour or so, I left the trail at 75 feet and climbed to what should have been a road - gotta remember, sometimes a road is road, sometimes it is not. Happens that it was a real road and not an old logging road or gated park road.During the race to the road I passed the flat-footed Robert and when I started climbing up the hill into the unknow, I told him that he could continue or come with me... and that if karma was with us, we'd be eating food in twenty minutes.He didn't charge up the hill right after I did - who would(?), 'cept a geocacher with confindence in the gps.Sure enough... 900 trail miles from bham for me and 450 road miles for aStep - and we intersected p e r f e c t l y.well, I gotta get...Warrenaka gubboolHilary LeighCourtney aka gullival's travelsRobertthe TMNT girlsSaskatchewanGirlRon & the wife
Date: 2008-06-24
From: Wanye's World, VA

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Wayne's World... Wayne's World...Stopped in Wanyesborro Va for supplies of Ramen Noodles and Tuna and drink mix.Hopefully a quick trip into town and back out... too many people here, tooooo many cars, for sure.My next leg is 104 miles of the Shenandoah. This is suppose to be fairly easy and full of food loving bears. The past VA hs been fairly nice - good weather, good trails, and really nice trail folks - both on the trail and off.I am wanting to clear this part of the trail in 5 days. I didn't manage to get out of VA. by June 25th, but with only 150 miles left, I expect to be near D.C. by July 3th. There a 'let's go watch the fireworks in DC' plan in the planning. So many of us are trying to get within striking distance by the first or second.Last night I spent my tenth night (since Sept 1, 2007) in a place that had four walls and an indoor bath. It was a real home with real people. Satchel and & I came into Wayne's World at 8pm and managed to meet a couple of avid PCT hikers who took us in for the night.Those faster kids that had started from the same shelter >20 miles back had to sleep outside the YMCA and then struggle to do the town-stuff like laundry, Post Office and breakfast while we took the morning off and still have managed to do everything but the library.This will let us get out of town and ahead of those hiking machines. Satchel is 62 and managing pretty well though she she's lost 15#'s that she could not afford. She has a habit of losing stuff and falling down. I think she loses stuff so she can carry more bandaids.I managed to stop my weight-loss issue by carrying and eating PB&J sandwiches not noly as my main meal but as a frequent snack. Heavy, it is, but very managable.The feet are enjoying the VA trails and they are returning to a more normal size - the old boots did not do much to restain their widening.And other than the usual, that's it. I am living proof that a 57 year old out-of shape, left-handed man can hike over 1,150 miles and not get eaten by a bear.I recently had BetaMan send me a couple of those empty, tall 'smartwater' bottles because after 90 days, something had taken to growing inside. Thoughtfully, he encluded several FOOD items and COOKIES and COOKIES. Life is great when the food problems disappear before they ARE problems.That was my first mail drop and it turned out much better than I could have ever expected. By the way, my next remote re-supply is in Bear's Den... hint... hint..
Date: 2008-07-12
From: Bear's Den, VA

To: Carlisle PA
Miles today: 0.0

An accidental library...Am walking on hwy 34 to Carlisle and found myself at the Mt. Holly Springs Library.Carlisle is about 12 miles off the trail and this kind of blows.I had arranged a ride with a fireman here and expected a quick trip and resupply but the fireman woke up this morning in the Baltimore Hospital.So, Plan B - as always, handle it.I'll go east from Carlise and catch the AT again there. I think that I'll be doing an extra 3-4 miles but I get a hot meal here today.HEY! I have walked from Alabama to Pennsylvania! I bet you didn't think that I could do it.Thanks for the support... no, really, thanks...Warren
Date: 2008-07-22
From: Delaware Waters Gap

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

Another accidental library...Just passing by this unknown place that is a few miles from Delaware Water Gap where I am taking a zero. My second this month, that makes 4 total - not covering the trails days in Damascus.Getting a few miles every day has been a pretty good decision, I am able to keep up with or just ahead of what I consider the ususal gang. The lower half of PA was mostly hard climbs up to a ridge followed by long flat trails where I could make pretty good miles. The upper half was harder climbs onto long flat trails covered in assorted but always painfully placed rocks - requiring either slower days or ruining the feet.Figuring to use my feet for a few more years I opted for the slower days. The younger folks are all sporting some ugly feet, bad knees, and general aches. It is almost as they don't see why the HAVE to take more zeros... I am on the edge of the PA/NJ border and intend to strike out tomorrow after the morning rains. The weather has changed from painfully hot days to regular T-storms each evening. It didn't affect me alot 'cause warm here is still cooler than B'ham, though carrying usual 35#'s plus the 3 litters of water (2#/L) makes the back ache after 10 hours.Word is that NJ will be alot like southern PA - we will see. The word is always "its all down hill from there" or "its all road walks" or "Easy street" but, so far, they LIE.I have crossed the 'under 900 mile' mark. I would like to see that number fall to under 500 before August 21st. Currently, using my Virgina numbers of 17+ miles/day average, September 21 is a do-able target date.To get that average over the month of June, I have at least twelve 20+ days and that is really hard on the body. I've gotten 7 in July and will have to get my feet moving in NJ and NY or else. Actually with no zeros, my required average is only 14+ miles/day with is pretty easy.The more interesting hike recently was Lehigh Gap. Here is a link to someone's pictures. Pictures of Lehigh Gap PALibrary time is short... gotta run...
Date: 2008-08-05
From: New Jersey

To: Kent Ct
Miles today: 0.0

Each mile of the A.T. has an average elevation gain of 217 feet, which means that a thru-hiker will climb and descend a total of 88.3 miles between Katahdin and Springer. That's the equivalent of going from sea level to the summit of Mt. Everest and back more than sixteen times. Arrived safely Monday evening.A nice, tourist trail town just a mile off of the trail. Expensive, $3.00 to wash my sleeping bag (and another six to dry) and the sodas are $2 each.Food comes from my pack so that is cheap enough, but it is hard to pass up a cold drink- though it never refreshes, regardless of what the commercials show.I skipped the twenty-dollar tour of New York, saving the adventure for a future date. I had correctly foreseen that many of those power hikers who were slightly ahead of me would be sucked by the ¢big city¢ lights and I would be able to close the gap. Several folks from way, way back are in town so I am not so much a stranger here as I usually feel when I go into a town for resupply.I¢ve managed a fairly good buzz about me because of my story that I was only walking from B¢ham to Damascus for Trail Days and then bicycle home; that story never mentioned the word ¢quit¢ in the story, so I liked that. Then the story changed to ¢do a thousand miles¢ then bike home, and then I started telling them my goal was New York City.I¢m going to need a new ¢story¢ within a couple of states; but, my B¢ham-Damascus story was always fun to relate to south-bounders back in Va. So I stuck with it for a long time.Of course, I maintain that come colder temperature, this southern boy is going to be head home on a bicycle.The new story is: I'm just a section hiker planning to do just through Vermont...that will give me a cool 2,000 miles from B'ham._________________
Date: 2008-08-22
From: Rutland, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

An accidental Library in Rutland Vt.I failed to pick up fuel in Manchester Vt last week and had to veer off the trail a bit. Not too bad, this Rutland - a local bus service that works!In one or two days I will cross the 2,000 mile mark FROM Birmingham. I recently crossed the 500-miles-to-Katahdin mark.I am about 40 miles from Hanover, NH and 40 miles later I start hiking some real mountains - at least that is what I have heard from the south-bounders.The Whites look high and cold to me, I might not like them too berry much.My next re-surfacing is in Gorham, NH, just beyound the Whites. I will be cold and hungry, so send some of Birmingham's "Bud's Best" cookies to me c/o General Delivery, Gorham, NH. 03581
Date: 2008-08-27
From: Hanover, NH

To: The Whites
Miles today: 0.0

And so I be here in New Hampshire, the ¢Live Free or Die¢ state.Hanover, NH is where I have picked up my cold weather gear for the remainder of the trip north. And they say that it will be needed while crossing the Whites, starting in 3 days and lasting until Maine ¢ a distance of about 100 miles.They say that the ¢Whites¢ are the place to be¢¦ on the A.T. and we shall see. I found this website, hikethewhites, that covers some conversation and it includes a few photos there. Many of the photos are during winter proper but word is that the weather in some parts includes snow most any time of the year.There are many mountains in the area and exactly all that the A.T. crosses is beyound my pay grade. However, it does start with a 3,500 climb to Mt. Moosilauke, heads over to Mt. Washington (home of high winds) and ends Mt. Moriah, covering at leat 20! Good luck to me...
Date: 2008-08-27
To: Hanover
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It seems that several of the old group have caught up with me here in Hanover N.H.After a few minutes of ¢where¢s who¢ this is what I think I know.On Trail Pete' Dragon John & KellyRockLocksTrail FoxFiresocks Butterfly moonLunaSpideyBigglesworthThoughtfootRodeoMedium RareBlazing StarBordersSpillerLandlover & Ice PrinceCharlieGooseJust MikeLeftfieldScatter ArchitectTigger KyleHobo JoeGrandpa JoeBeccaDah Wah HeGonzoJEFEUnknownMountain SpiceSunnyChipmonkCastaway & Kick ItTerry7Mr. J.Y2KCanadian GirlsRobert Van SherpaHippy Chick & the PoetSgt PepperFlip & Flop CreeperSlow BarbaraYou Go GirlMuffin ManJennyKind ShineOff TrailSatchelDowntown VenusG NormalBad DinnerTiger BombStory TellerCanadian GirlsMashHandy Man
Date: 2008-09-08
From: Hanover

To: Gorham
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Am in Gorham NH!The Whites were... the Whites... the most fun was the Wildcat trail between Pinkham and Gorham.I figure that there were four different sections within the Whites... each with its own challenges and rewards.Mt. MoosilaukeKinsman RidgeCrawford Trail thru the PresidentialsWildcat a needless trail to and from hell...and the library closes... of course... so... good bye... with luck, I'll get back with you from Rangeley Ma in 6 days (70 miles)
Date: 2008-09-09
From: Gorham

To: North 10 Miles
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m not done, heck I am still 15 miles short of Maine, but¢¦Thank you! To all, and there are many, that prompted, encouraged, pushed, and fed me during the last several months while I traveled from Birmingham to Maine.This note is, of course, being comprised and posted in one thirty minute library session so I¢ll not get everything and every one mentioned; something that I will clear up on my next computer session(s).During my hiking I spent more than a few minutes thinking of just how to enumerate those who are guilty of putting me in the place that I find myself ¢ 2,175 miles from ?.I thought, ¢first come, first serve¢; or maybe ¢most money¢; or maybe ¢food¢ was the ticket; however nothing seems fitting.For perspective, I¢ll compare it the ¢gear¢ that I carry. What is most important, the tent that keeps me dry (most nights); the sleeping bag that keeps me warm; the long handle spoon that also serves as a knife for spreading the PB&J; or maybe the pack the expands to contain it all. All is important, even the fourth pair of socks that I found laying in the trail. While the extra large heavy duty trash bag that keeps everything dry has been called upon very few times over the last months, whenever it was needed it WAS there and performed well every time it was re-used.I may as well of had none of the gear if I could not have it all ¢ and it is the same with the people that supported me.I will, eventually, re-order and include some details AND will fix the missing names and FIND the list of some very important unknowns that must, because of their unexpected generosity, be prominently listed here. [I have a list of those folks, it is packed in the semi-rain-proof pack waiting at the door and I am reluctant to disturb the above mentioned extra large heavy duty trash bag.]So¢¦ without further deliberation, I will start with the most obvious people: Jim aka betamanNancy aka the Constant Companion Kathy aka Robert-the-knife's motherSteve aka Old Boy HikerLee aka aStep@aTime (boots, boots, boots)Victoria aka MissMississippiMelissa aka SisDon aka the boss that fired meBrian aka Low Cash Flow - the Bicycle GuyDah Wah HeJudi aka SatchelPete's Draggin' aka PeteCortney aka Gullible TravelerMarti/swansongPudman aka PudmanJoel aka JoeFrogDavid aka Frodo13Lewis aka BlueLew & CookieToo (3 bags of Birmingham's own Buds's Best cookies)ohailMoonSilverTerri aka sar_k9David aka LazerMrsblueman4Ps In-A-PodTazDevil091102not2shabbyScott aka CaverScottBob aka BobndwoodsMonty aka 3CardBama '06 aka OBH¢s neighbor
Date: 2008-09-13
From: Bethel

To: Bethel
Miles today: 0.0

Maine! A very seamless transition from New Hampshire to Maine ¢ the trails(?) continue to be rugged and impassable. Mahoosuc Notch. Around here they use Mother Nature to create the paths. Steep, washed out gullies make up most what is called trails; both UP and DOWN. Bare rock and rock out-croppings, mostly; the good news is that rock texture is non-slip when dry. Less so when wet, as several hikers have found out.Sitting in Bethel Maine, 2,200 miles from Birminham, I am meeting with OBH on Sun/Mon and headed north to Katahdin and like he says, we will hike south until...