morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-10
To: Prep #9-Lions and Tigers and Gear...OH MY!
Miles today: 0.0

Well....I've been in hyper-gear-research mode for the past 2 weeks. For me, I enjoy the planning and anticipating as much as the actual experience. It's all part of the experience to me. Much like Christmas morning as a kid. All of the excitement is over in 1 hr, after you've opened all those mysterious presents. At least on this adventure...Christmas morning will last more like 6 months! I'm a bit overwhelmed w/all of the gear talk, gear choices, etc. Here's a preliminary list of what I'm thinking about:GEARPack:      ULA Catalyst w/pack cover and 2L hydration sleeveTent:      MSR Hubba 1 person 3-season tentBag:      Marmot Women's Helium 15 degree 850-down Bag Liner: Cocoon Ripston Silk Mummy LinerMat:      Thermarest Ridge Rest Full LengthHeadlamp:   Princeton Tec Aurora LED HeadlampUtensil:   Lexan SpoonCooking:   Esbit Stove w/Fuel TabsPot:      Evernew Titanium 1.3L pot (NOT non-stick)(maybe .9L instead)Poles:      Either Pacer Poles or Leki MakaluGaitors:   Not sure which brand, but I think will need w/trail runnersFirst Aid: Thinking of making my own + Emergency BlanketTrowel:   Not sure if this is necessary....I can dig holes w/my hands Pocketmail: I already have this...got on ebay..my first piece of gear!Navigation: Maps/book CLOTHINGCamp Shoes: Crocs Beach StyleSS Shirt:   1-REI Women's Swift V-Neck TPants/Shrt: 1-REI Sahara Convertible PantsThermals:   (2 pair-hiking/sleeping)Patagonia Midweight CapileneRain/Wind: REI Ultra Light Jacket and Pants (waterproof/breathable)Mid-Layer: REI Thermo Light Fleece JacketBra:      1-Ex Officio Camisole (could be 2nd SS shirt)Undies:   1-Spandex shorts (men's from Wal-mart)Socks:      2-REI Merino Wools SocksLiners:   1-Polypro Liner, 1 Sealskinz waterproof/breathable linerShoes:      Montrail Hardrock Trail Runners (need to get fit and see)Head:      2-bandanas, 1-Balaclava or Fleece Cap (still researching)Hands:      Gloves/Mittens? (still researching)MISCELLANEOUS      550 cord, lighter, knife, duct tape, Diva Cup, head bug net, DEET, Aqua Mira, sun screen, Tyvek as footprint, ziplock for trash, food bag (haven't started looking yet), camera, my cat Henry, comic book collection, laptop computer w/portable printer, fishing gear.....oh wait!!!.....I'm OUT OF CONTROL!!   When I first mentioned this trip to my mother...she (who knows less than zero about hiking) suggested I take my laptop, because (and I quote) "well, you're going to need something to keep you busy all that time out there."I think Mother Nature will have that covered!--Michele
Date: 2006-04-14
To: Prep #10-Why Can't Anything Be Easy?!
Miles today: 0.0

So today, a good friend e-mailed me a link to a job posting. I read this job description, and it was literally my DREAM job at the University of Michigan, which offers INCREDIBLE benefits (I haven't had health insurance for 2 years). I couldn't believe it. So, here I am filling out an application for this job, and at the same time, kind of hoping I don't get it, because it may mean I'll have to postpone my hike. I FEEL LIKE SCREAMING!!!! Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself....probably so. I just want to hike....but if this job was offered to me, I don't know if I could say no to it. It is THE job I've been waiting for all along. Anyone who has read my previous entries knows that I decided to step away from school at the end of this semester. I'm spent w/school. Since the age of 6, I've been in school for 22 of the 27 years I could be in school. 4 years that I wasn't in school, I was serving in the military....so in a sense....that was a school all its own. Well...I believe all things happen for a reason. I will see where this journey takes me. Nonetheless, even if I have to wait another year (like I originally planned) I WILL thru-hike the AT. For once, it would be nice if the answers were crystal clear.... but what fun would that be now?
Date: 2006-04-15
To: Prep #11-Proud Gear Purchases
Miles today: 0.0

WOW! I am hooked on e-bay. I've done my homework, and I just purchased a BRAND NEW pair of Leki Super Makalu Ergo SLS trekking poles for $83.00, and they are $140.00 brand new at the store! I ALSO just got my brand NEW MSR Hubba tent for $150.00, and it goes for $230.00 new at the store. With my 3 ebay purchases, I've managed to save $175.00 so far.   I'm excited about this, because the more I can save $ like this, the easier it will be for me to financially make this happen. Everything in life is so up in the air right now. I've got an interview for a mid-level administrative assistant job on Tuesday. I'm sure the pay will be better than hoped because of the organization it's in, and in some ways, I hope I get this job, because I KNOW that's not what I want to do for the rest of my life.....it would be a total waste of my education and knowledge. And for anyone reading this that might be an administrative assistant, please don't take my comments the wrong way. I'm anything but an elitist. I just know that my place in life is somehow related to social justice, I just don't know in what form. If I got this job, it would be easier for me to quit next year, than if I got my "dream job" that I applied for on Friday.      I was at my professor's house tonight for a get together. We were all outside around this awesome outdoor fire place she has in her backyard. I was sitting there, feeling the warmth and staring straight up at the starry sky. I was dreaming I was on the AT, in the middle of nowhere, just bonding with nature. God...I really want to do this. I hope the answers will reveal themselves sooner than later.
Date: 2006-04-18
To: Prep #12-An Omen?
Miles today: 0.0

Well this has been a strange day. As everyone knows, I'm looking for a job....just some job that will allow me to pay the bills and save for my hike next year. To complicate things, my "dream" job presented itself, and I applied, but it will probably be at least another month (maybe 2) before I hear anything.In the meantime, I had an interview today for a mid-level office manager/administrative assistant's position. Everything required by the job, I've got experience in, so I went to the interview. Come to find out, it would be a really great job for my current purposes, the woman I would be working for is great, AND, it pays more $ than I had originally anticipated making for the next year...which is good.....so where does the Omen come into all this?As she was explaining this job to me, she told me that funding was changing all of the time, and although she would want me 40-hrs a week, she could only guarantee the job would be available for guess how long......1 YEAR!!!!!!    Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo  Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo(Insert Twilight Zone Theme here)             So how weird is that?! I only NEED a job for about 1 year, and I need a job that pays decent money....and here it is! It's not for sure that I'm hired, she still had one more person to interview, but I feel really good about it. In the meantime....I'm hoping this stays this simple and I DON'T get a phone call for the other position....it would just be so nice for things to be that clear. I know, however, things rarely happen like that, especially since the job description for my dream job looks like they wrote it for me. Oh well....now everything is just up in the air, and I must wait.On a hiking note....I hiked 8 miles this morning for the first time (well..since I was in the military...forever ago). I'm trying to get at least one 6-8 mile hike in per week, and maybe one or two 4 milers in per week. The terrain is flat and easy, but I've got time and I'm going to start adding weight to my little camelback pack that I wear. My feet are screaming today, but mainly because I put on shoes for my interview that weren't so comfortable, and I've got a blister inside of a "used to be" a blister. Ugg...why are my feet such wimpy little thing? Can I buy a new pair at an outfitter or on ebay?
Date: 2006-04-20
To: Prep #14-WHY?
Miles today: 0.0

Why do I want to do this?1. I am jaded and overwhelemd with the false-reality that we've created for ourselves in this consumerist-oriented country, and I NEED to escape from it for just a bit and reconnect with nature2. I am sad when I see people RUNNING (who would probably never choose to do so on a normal day) into the store, to keep a few drops of rain from touching their heads3. I have started developing completely irrational fears of parts of the natural world, and self-doubts as to my ability to live within/adapt to it....I DON'T like that...it is just wrong.4. We flat out don't have enough time in the day to properly eat, exercise, sleep enough, and work. This is no way to live life.5. I need time to think, reflect, absorb, remember, and just be.6. I want to remember what it feels like to be physically exhausted, have truly EARNED my hunger, put my body and mind in adverse situations just to overcome them and be that much stronger in the end.7. I want to experience a certain amount of suffering....it grounds me.8. I want a perspective check, one that will allow me to rediscover just how petty most things in life that I get stressed about really are (and 99% of them ARE petty)9.   Simplicity....one foot in front of the other, sleep, eat, breathe, endure, survive10. Because I feel like my soul has already died when I don't have experiences like these11. I want to let go of control, I want to let go of rigid schedules that are dictated by a watch, and because I want to experience solitude 12. Probaby the worst reason on the list....but now...partly because someone told me they don't think I CAN....they don't know me very well
Date: 2006-04-20
To: Prep #15-Sloooooooow Dooooooown
Miles today: 0.0

So today, I got up and decided to hike either 8 or 10 miles. I used my new Leki poles for the first time.I figured that hiking with the "it's about the journey...not the destination" mentality was something I probably needed to start adopting now. I often get caught up in the end goal...only to realize once I've made it, that I didn't take enough time to relish it, as I was getting there.So, today, I decided to stop worrying about how long it was taking me to finish my 2-mile loop (I just repeat the trail several times). I stopped a few times to just stand there and listen to the beautiful sounds of the woods, I took the time to stop and stretch when I felt my legs getting really tight, and I even slowed down enough to be able to witness a baby snake (about 12" long and the diameter of a Sharpe Permanent Magic Marker) eating this poor little squeaking baby frog. I'm a total sucker for feeling bad about the prey, but I always remind myself that in a balanced ecosystem, everything must eat, and the snake was adorable. (I love snakes...only thing I fear are spiders and swarms of bees...I was once chased by a swarm of bees). At the 8-mile mark, I decided I should listen to my body and call it a day. From reading so many other journals, I'm learning that too many people get caught up in "big mileage" and end up hurting themselves. Like I've said before, I'm taking this time to physically prepare, and that means that I'm really getting know my body and its limitations. I'm learning to listen to it for a change.
Date: 2006-04-23
To: Prep #16-Sweaty Palms, Racing Heart,& Drooling
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a VERY exciting day for me, and now that I look back, quite comical as well......it's official.....I'm a gearhead!So I bought this pair of Merrel Montrail Gortex boots last summer. Even after hiking/breaking-in, etc., I still get horrbile blisters. So, REI guarantees their products, and told me I could bring them back for a full credit (since I'm a member). REI Rocks! I went to REI today, and decided to go ahead and buy some trail runners and sock liners. After choosing my footwear, I went to the register to "see the damage" in comparison to what I was returning. After the exchange and store credit, I ended up having an "extra" $50.00 to spend......dum dum dum.....that was the end of all rational thinking.I suddenly saw my ENTIRE gear list passing before my eyes, my heart was racing, I couldn't orient myself, I started running all around the store, trying on the hiking clothes that I wanted, looking at gadgets, sweating..heart pounding..saliva dripping from the corner of my mouth...OH MY GOD...I HAVE $50.00 WHOLE DOLLARS TO SPEND!!!Errrrrr (insert screaching tire noise here)! I said to myself.."STOP Michele...think rationally for a moment, calm down, breathe, and think about what pieces of gear you still need that you KNOW you won't be able to get a significant discount on thru ebay, what are the less expensive things you need that could add up to $50.00?"So, I decided to buy my Princeton Tec Aurora Headlamp and my Thermarest Ridgerest sleeping mat. I happily walked up to the counter, purchased the items w/my remaining credit and even got $6.47 back in change. I was very pleased and left the store to drive home........but WAIT...there's MORE!!Half-way home, I had an epiphany. There were still some other items I could purchase with the remaining $6.47 that I received in change, so yes...I did it. I TURNED AROUND and went back to REI! I spent all but .37 of my change!All in all, my $160.00 pair of blister-causing boots that I bought last summer ended up turning into the following pieces of gear for my hike next year:Thermarest Ridgerest (closed cell, full-length sleeping mat)Salomon XA Comp 2 XRC Trail Runners(2) pair of REI polypro sock linersPrinceton Tec Aurora 3 LED Headlamp50 ft of orange 550 cordPlastic sanitation trowel(2) Lexan spoons...I will only take 1 thoughWhat this ultimately means, is that this is $160.00 I can shave off the amount I need to save for gear...making my total savings w/this and ebay $235.00! Like I said...it's been a good day. I'm now going to take pictures and weigh everything that isn't labeled (I have an oz food scale), and post everything on my gear link. Until next time.........oh still no word on a job, but I'm trying to stay positive. I'm going to call or e-mail the lady tomorrow.
Date: 2006-04-24
To: Prep #17-Another Nail In The Coffin
Miles today: 0.0

I got the job! I got the job that is "temporary" for 1 year. The job that pays more than I planned on making, so it will be that much easier to save $ for this hike. Now....I want all other doors to close and STAY closed! Yeah right......like anything is ever that easy.I think I've made a pretty big decision though. IF (and that's still a big IF), I am called for an interview for the "dream" job that I applied for, I'm going to be up front about my plans. I NEED to do this hike. I suppose if they want me badly enough, they'll be willing to compromise...but like I said, there have been no phone calls up to this point, so I'm probably getting uptight over nothing (typical).   I had a long talk with a good friend today, she's a published poet, and like me, has had that mundane 9-5 job and hated every minute of it. She's almost 50 now, and told me that there is nothing worse than looking back and regretting not taking chances and risks. I was told by a philosopher friend that we are all born into a tribe. Sometimes we realize we don't fit into the tribe we were born into, so we must then go out and search for our tribe, because if we don't, we will live a life of disappointment and unhappiness. I think that is true.I'm not saying I think my tribe is "Hikers," but I do know that I will finally give myself the time to think and reflect. I don't expect the trail to "give" me the answers....I expect it to allow me to have the time to think and hopefully discover some answers. My partner has pointed out for the past 10 years that I never stop. It's from one big thing onto the next...usually revolving around a career. I've never just "been." Therefore, I just don't see the harm in taking this time for ME, doing something for ME, and trying something that so many people would never dare. I start my job on Monday...I'm excited about this. It's been a crazy few days w/my disorienting gear-attack (see previous day's post) and now confirmation of getting what appears to be the perfect job for my situation. Man...someone is watching out for me.
Date: 2006-04-30
To: Prep #19-New Place To Hike
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday, I went to Kensington Metro Park, where there's a beautiful lake. There's a paved biking/roller blading trail around the entire lake. It's 8 miles long, so I hiked around the whole lake, but hiked on the side of the paved path...on the grass.This felt much longer than the 8 miles I do here at home, but then again, I'd never been to this place, and I think not being familiar and having a few hills makes a difference. As hoped, no blisters w/the Salomon Trailrunners and sock liners. My feet were aching pretty badly when I finished, but I'm learning about the importance of taking shoes-off breaks. I also wore my Camelback "Mule". I carried 3 liters of water, and I've added weight by putting some books in it. I weighed the thing at 15 lbs before I left home. I think I need to stay at 8 miles for now, and give my body time to adjust to that length. If anything, I'll add more weight. I'd like to get up to 40 lbs. I'm not planning on ever having a pack that weighs that much, but I want to train with heavier weights than I'll be carrying on the AT.It was a bit on the cool side, but beautiful nonetheless. Even though there were a million people out on this path, I still managed to see a snake (only because I was walking in the grass), I watched a momma and daddy duck w/6 little yellow fuzzy ducklings following, and then the coolest of all...a HUGE swan (?) that was laying in and building her nest about 3 feet from the path in the water. It was amazing to watch. She was laying down in it while at the same time grabbing one piece of straw at a time w/her mouth from the side, and placing it around her...I think to build-up the nest. I've never witnessed anything like it. These are the types of things I can't wait to see on the AT. Those things that if you're in too much of a hurry, you'll just miss it. I don't want to miss anything. I figure even if all I can do is hike a longer hike on Saturdays, and maybe do stair climbing for 30 minutes during my lunch break M-F, that will be better than zero preparation. I am totally intending to hike REALLY slow at first on the AT. I'm not naturally a fast hiker, so I'm going to meander and not get caught up in the mileage. I think it's more important to listen to your body. Anyway...that's all for now.
Date: 2006-05-03
To: Prep #20-Filing Cabinets and Desk Organizers
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I've been going to my new job for 3 days now. Can't say I've ever literally worked that 9-5 "office" job before, until now. I'm approaching this whole thing through the lense of a spectator of sorts...knowing that I won't be staying past next March. As I've wandered around trying to fill out appropriate paper work and learn who is who, I've been paying special attention to the ways people self-organize their work space, and I've been taking note about their (as it appears to me) overall display of enthusiasm regarding their particular 9-5 office job. First, I noticed that most people are isolated into their own offices or little spaces. Yet another way that we've managed to detach ourselves from everything and everyone else in this world. So many people seem to be waiting for the clock to tick onto the 5:00 mark. I wonder if they are truely happy, because they don't seem like it. I wonder if they think everyday when the alarm goes off, "Oh God...not again." I wonder where the self-satisfaction or sense of purpose comes from for these people. I've not seen the movie "Office Space," but from what I hear, it is quite accurate in some senses. Especially how what was once petty is now the meaning of life. Are we meant to live a life where we find a job with those coveted "great benefits" while the pay-off is having to endure monotony, predictability, isolation, and boredom? Are we meant to do this for an entire 1/3 of our lives, just so that we can "look forward" to those 7 whole days paid vacation that we earn after 1 year of work? I don't get it. I peek into the offices of other people as I walk down the hall, and everyone has their L-shaped desk, cute little matching magnetic clips, filing cabinets, folders, and desk calender. Everyone seems busy clicking away with their computer mouse. What exactly ARE they doing? Is there really that much "work" out there that requires so many people to live this way?I sincerely hope that at least some of them are truely happy. Since our culture/society has evolved into this insane system, I really want to hope that there are those people that genuinely love this type of routine.I haven't been at my job long enough to make any type of judgement as to whether I like it. And honestly...it's irrelevant. It is a tool, a vehicle that will allow me to hike next year. I think as long as I keep that in mind, I'll be fine, no matter what this job turns out like. You never know....I might just love it!
Date: 2006-05-09
To: Prep #21-Must Be Love
Miles today: 0.0

Well..I'm in to week #2 of my new job. Can't say it has gotten very exciting, but I'm crossing my fingers I'll start to get and stay busy all day. I can't stand feeling unproductive at work. Especially when I know I could be out hiking instead of sitting in the 4 walls of a building (aka free person's prison). On top of this 40 hr/week job, I still have 2 other little jobs (which I've had for a year now), that will take me straight from my day job to my night jobs 3 nights a week, and will utlimately turn into 16-18 hour days. (I do bookkeeping for some lawyers and I'm an editorial assistant for an educational journal) Ugh....makes for some very long days, BUT, it is what I must do to live my dream next year...so it's alllllll good. The point of my title for this post is that I am NOT a morning/day person, so this whole "getting up at 5:30 a.m." thing is taking its toll on me. Here's the kicker. I'm not able to hike in the mornings like I was doing while in school, so I have actually CHOSEN to get to work an hour earlier, so that on the two days a week I come straight home, I'll have enough daylight to go out for at least 6-8 miles before it gets dark. That's sick isn't it? Do you have any idea what that means? Honestly...next to a fire (which would've had to have burned the rest of the apartment down already), Ed McMahon at my door saying I've won the 10-million dollar sweepstakes, or perhaps a delivery truck full of Tony's frozen pepperoni pizza and Ben-n-Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch icecream slamming through the walls of my bedroom...NOTHING and I mean NOTHING would possess me to actually CHOOSE to get up any earlier than absolutely necessary! So yes....this hiking thing....well...it must be love.