morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-30
From: New Tripoli Campsite

To: Palmerton
Miles today: 11.6

   I got up early this morning, I think, since I don't have a watch I can't be sure. It didn't seem to take too long to get to Bake Oven Knob shelter. There was some difficult hiking to get there. Hiked over the knife's Edge, which is a giant pile of boulders. I didn't care for it much but it did provide some variety to the hike.   I arrived at Outerbridge shelter a little before 4:00pm. I debated whether to stay there for about 5 minutes and then went on to Palmerton.   It took about 15 minutes to hitch a ride into town. Once there I set up in the Jailhouse hostel. It's a really great amenity provided by the town of Palmerton. A free place to sleep, a hot shower, and a goodie bag to boot. I bought groceries, did laundry, took a shower, ate a lot of junk food, and generally enjoyed all the services that the town offers. I recommend going to Mugshots, they have 50 cent drafts for hikers. I had a great time in Palmerton.
Date: 2004-07-01
From: Palmerton

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

   I got a late start out of Palmerton and didn't get to the trail until a little after 11:00 am. There was a steep climb over large rocks coming out of Palmerton. With the heat reflecting off the rocks I wished I had gotten an earlier start.    I met Ponderer during the climb up and we hiked together much of the day. We saw a rattlesnake while at Metallica Spring. It was a long day for me and it was almost dark by the time I pulled into the shelter. I would prefer to do shorter days but the spacing of the shelters and water sources makes that difficult.
Date: 2004-07-02
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

   Since everyone in the shelter got up early I was forced to get an early start. I was out of the shelter about 8:45 am which is very early for me. I made good time to Wind Gap. I followed Ponderer to the Gateway Motel and bought a soda and filled up on water.   I then decided to walk into the town of Wind Gap and get something to eat. It was about 1.5 miles each way and took up quite a bit of my day. As a result I didn't get to the shelter until almost 8:00 pm. There are only three of us in the shelter so it should be comfortable.
Date: 2004-07-03
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Backpacker's Campsite
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

   I started off fairly early today. I still arrived at Delaware Water Gap later than I had planned. The hostel is not open for this year yet so I won't be staying in town. I had a meal at Doughboy's Pizza and headed out of town.   While in town I called my Mom and found out I wasn't accepted into graduate school. They want me to take six upper level credits before they'll accept me. I suppose I'll return home to enroll in school for the fall. I'm disappointed so I'm going to think about it for a day or two.
Date: 2004-07-04
From: Backpacker's Campsite

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

   I stayed at the backpacker's campsite last night. It is about three miles into New Jersey. I hung up my food on the bear poles that were provided. When I woke up I found that food had been kept safe from bears but a squirrel or some animal had gotten in my bag and eaten almost everything. I decided to hike back to DWG to resupply since I had almost no food back. It is very disheartening to have to hike back over trail you have already finished.   When I arrived in town I decided my hike was over. I got a room for the night. It was rather expensive since it was July 4th weekend. I left from DWG on the bus the next day. The bus station is actually in DWG although it is listed as Stroudsburg. I will post a conclusion entry soon and share why I quit my hike, what I took away from my hike, what I would do differently, and what my future hiking plans are.
Date: 2004-08-27
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

   Well I am finished hiking on the AT for this year. I am disappointed in myself for not finishing it. I do feel some sense of accomplishment for what I have finished though. I think my main problem was a lack of focus and impatience. I wanted to hike the entire AT but I also wanted to go home and make some money, go back to school, etc. I need the AT to be my most important goal and not worry about other goals during the hike.   I do plan on hiking the AT again next year. I have not decided whether I will start in the spring or summer. If I start in the summer I will probably skip the sections I have done and try to complete the rest of the trail. If I start in spring I will hike the entire trail. I really want to do a thru-hike so this is the most likely option.   When I started the trail this year I had doubts that I would be able to finsih. I now feel confident that I am physically capable of finishing the trail. And if I adjust my frame of mind I will be mentally capable also. I hope you will be reading my journals again next year.Thanks
Date: 2003-06-24
To: Prep #1
Miles today: 0.0

"What's the matter with you!""Good for you.""That's cool about the trail.", and then the classic line"And this is fun for you?" Welcome all, to the beginning of my 2004 AT Journal. The above comments were a few I heard after I announced my intentions of making the journey. It has been a long time in the making, beginning in high school (a long time ago I might add) and thoughts of the trail slipping in and out of my mind over the years. In 1997 I discovered some of the trail journals on the net and the bug began to take a serious hold on me as I read them. By chance, fate, whatever you want to call it, life's path took a turn in December of 2002 which allowed the dream to become a reality. In March, 2004 it will be time to hike a long time dream. I am writing this journal for the friends I know, for the friends I will get to know, and for the readers who wish to follow me on this journey. I plan on writing this journal with the thought that the one's reading it know nothing about the AT. I also hope to make it a little different other journals. Can't say how just yet but I do have a couple of ideas. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself, not that I have said anything about myself yet :)
Date: 2003-07-12
To: Prep #2
Miles today: 0.0

An interesting thing happened today, took me by surprise, pleasant surprise, but surprise none the less. I live in Florida and if you have never been here there is nothing in the way of a hill/mountain here which makes it difficult to "train" for the hills. Anyway, I decided to give my pack a short break in hike today. I purchased a Dana Design 4000 CI Bridger model and have not used it yet. It did feel very comfortable when I shouldered it and walked around the house but I wanted to give it a short test. So far my pack weight is about 22 lbs.(I plan to start the hike with a max weight of 35-40 lbs. with everything included). I loaded everything in and headed toward may test hike. Keep in mind that this walk was over a bridge and to the ocean and back, about 3.5 miles in all. Also keep in mind that the town I live in has absolutely no store that specializes in camping/hiking gear. Closet store that fits for boots is an hour away. So, I park my car, shoulder my pack, and head for the bridge. During the course of the test hike I had some people comment on my activity. Comments like; "Training for a hike?" (This person was going to do some hiking in the Grand Canyon). "Ah, a backpacker doing some training." and so on. To say the least I was very surprised at this considering the town I live in but I started thinking (no snide comments allowed:) and came to this conclusion. Everyone talks about the "trail community" but I believe it is far more than just a trail community. It is a backpacker/hiker community and no matter where you live or plan to hike there are others that can relate to what you are doing. Side note aside, I felt the test hike was a success. I really like the way the pack rode and felt. I am going to have to make a few adjustments to the shoulder straps but it felt good walking with it. Over the next few months I plan on adding mileage and weight knowing full well that it will not compare to what I will face at the start of my journey but it will give me the feel of the pack.
Date: 2003-08-13
To: Prep #3
Miles today: 0.0

A month has passed since my last entry. The time seems to be flying by and my start date is coming closer and closer. I have been doing a lot of reading about others who have made the hike and I would like to share, what I consider, are a couple of good reads.1) Walking on the Happy Side of Misery -- J.R. "Model T" Tate (I have read this one twice already)2) And Then the Hail Came -- George Steffanos --This is online account of his 1983 thru hike. It is very interesting to read about the trail he hiked compared to all the relocations since then. I also feel this is one of the best accounts of the physical toll the trail can dish out to a hiker that I have read.I have also been following a lot of 2003 journals as well as the forums. Can we say, information oveload!! Most of my gear has been purchased. I do have some clothing I still need to pick up as well as some odds and ends but the major items have been acquired. At the end of August I will be posting my gear list. I want to wait till then because I will be picking up my digital camera within the next 10 days and I want to upload some photos.
Date: 2003-11-06
To: Prep #4
Miles today: 0.0

Hello everyone! It has been almost three months since my last post. I have not forgotten to post, it¢s just that I did not have a lot to say. Still don¢t know if I have a lot to say but here goes ?   I know there are some of you who follow several journals on this site and this is partially a response that goes hand in hand with Crystal Robinson¢s (no trail name yet) journal. She knows me as Swamper on the AT chat we are in and yes, it is Cuppa Joe for the journey. She mentioned that we were discussing our goals of our thru hikes and she has posted hers in her journal so I guess I will clarify mine.   Why the Appalachian Trail? Why have I decided to take 6 months and do the trail as opposed to taking 6 months and doing something easier and less strenuous? All I can say it has been a long time dream of mine. When I was in high school I read everything I could on the national parks, trails in the parks and so on. I would plan how I would hike the trails in the parks and where I would go and when. Then real life got in the way, or, I should say, what I perceived real life to be. You get wrapped up in these things and the dreams of youth go on the back burner. With me, the dream never really died, as I have mentioned in a previous post and I guess I am fortunate that I am able to finally act on this dream. Do I think it will be a piece of cake? Far from it, I know the minute I put my foot on the start of the approach trail that I am going to be in for a physical and mental beating! There will be many a day where I will say, ¢I just got done kicking my own a**!¢ However, that is for the physical beating. I think that more people get off the trail for the mental aspects as opposed to the physical. So, if I go in thinking the worst it helps me prepare mentally for the hike. I realize there will be bad days. Heck, there will probably several bad days in a row and there will be things that I am not prepared for but as long as I keep the bigger picture in mind I feel I can prevail. That is one reason I mentioned that only injury or illness will knock me off the trail. I am going out there to smell the roses, hike my own hike, and not feel pressured to do something I feel will change ¢my hike¢. I have done a ¢pre-plan¢ of the distance I will hike on any given day during my hike. It only averages 12 to 13 miles a day. Does this mean I have to follow my exact plan? Far from it, if I reach the days goal and feel like hiking more I will. If I don¢t reach my days goal, so what.   The only real I have is to finish and to be in New England for the fall color change. (That was another lesser dream I have had). Anyway, this is getting long so I will cut it off for now. I did get my camera and I am starting to take pictures of my gear so look for that in the very near future.
Date: 2004-01-13
To: Prep #5
Miles today: 0.0

63, 62, 61, 60 days and counting before I leave my home and head toward Springer Mt. and the start of my journey. Amazing how time seems to fly as you get closer to the start date. I have most of my gear. There are just a few odds and ends that have to be picked up. I am hoping this will be completed by the end of this week. The goal of 40lbs or under looks pretty good and that will include gear, food, and water. Right now, the main concern I have is what to bring for winter clothing. Leaving on March 15 will definitely allow for winter weather and having lived in Florida for the last 5 years I have forgotten what winter feels like. I think I will overpack for winter and then ship back what I do not need at Neel¢s Gap, which is around day 4 on the trail. Figure it is better to be safe (and warm) than sorry.   I have been revising my planned itinerary a bit, especially early on. I am going to stop at more of the campsites as opposed to the shelters. It is not adding or subtracting days to the journey, just where I stop for the day. One thing I do not want to do, if at all possible, is stay "in" a shelter. Most of my planned days end up in a shelter area where I will set up camp. This will allow me to socialize with other hikers and have my tent set up. This is the mode I plan on using for most of the hike. I am an early riser, between 5 and 6 most days. Tenting will allow me to get up when I want, make my coffee, eat breakfast, pack up and start hiking without bothering other hikers. Getting up at 5:30, making coffee, packing up and being on the trail by daylight will probably beat most people by 2 hours For those of you unfamiliar with the AT there are 3 sided shelters (for the most part) along the trail. The mileage between the shelters vary but most hikers plan to end their hiking day for a certain shelter along the trail. Each shelter can hold a different amount of people and they are a first come, first serve basis. Over the next couple of weeks I am going to finalize my menu for the first 10 days or so. I will have my starting food and then I will have a maildrop at Neel¢s Gap. From there I will be doing most of my resupply along the trail. There will be several maildrop places and I will post them in the maildrop section of my journal once I determine which ones I want to use. This brings a thought to mind and this is as good a time as any to say it. There have been many thru hikers that have gone before me and I have read a lot of the journals and forums. By reading what others have done before me has helped me in making a lot of the choices I have made on gear, food, etc. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those that have posted their thoughts and ideas based on their hiking experience. With their input I feel I am better prepared to make the journey! That¢s all for now.
Date: 2004-01-25
To: Prep #6
Miles today: 0.0

Ruck? ¢¦ What the heck is a ruck? That is the question I asked Sudz when she first said there was going to be one at Lopaka¢s house. When I found out what it was I was pretty jazzed about it. I am pretty much a newb when it comes to this, even though walking has been a great part of my life. I was especially thrilled when I found out there were going to be some ¢03¢ers there. I can¢t thank AWOL, Subman, and Wench .(going in order so not to offend) .. for the information they provided! It was great to hear and ask question from those who have walked the walk! You cannot imagine how much I have been freaking about cold weather hiking lately. What the heck do I bring for winter gear! It¢s like I have had a major obsession about it and yet, prior to 5 years ago I lived in winter weather!.. Real winter weather! How easy we forget!¢¦ I will admit I have turned into a weather wimp since moving to Florida. The three 03¢ers provided some excellent info and I feel a lot more comfortable with what I have. I cannot thank you enough for sharing your thoughts and information. I also met, in person, some of those that I have read about on this website, Burn, who is as ready to ¢burn¢ trail dust as I am. Lopaka, whose house we shared and who has a wonderful wife to support him in his journey. Krispy Kritter, whose story about his trailname cracked me up big time.   Sudz, we finally meet after many chat sessions! And last but definitely not least, Peak a Boo, whom I have come to know thru many chats and emails over the last few months. To her, I am Swamper or Cuppa Joe, she could never decide which ?. It was such a pleasure to actually meet and talk to the real person you have been talking to since last September in the chat and via email. Many of you know of her situation (if you have read her journal) and I think I found the solution to the situation! I preformed the ¢Vulcan Mind Meld¢ on her (though she did not know it). If the meld goes according to plan she will do the hike, even if it is for a short time¢¦ because if you are blocked from following your entire dream then there is nothing wrong with doing part of the dream! All kidding aside I really hope she can do this journey. The passion and fire about the trail burns so deeply in this woman she deserves to go! Again I say thanks to all that were there at the Florida Ruck. It felt like family and I hope we can make it an annual event. 48 days and counting!
Date: 2004-02-12
To: Prep #7
Miles today: 0.0

Details, details, details! Sometimes you wonder if it is better to just decide to go and leave a week later or decide to go and plan for a several months. You can find yourself second-guessing a lot on gear. You wonder if you have all your bases covered on the home front. You wonder if you have all potential bills covered and you lay awake some nights with it all running around in your head. I think I am on the downhill side of it all because I leave in 30 days and here is an update on some stuff since my last post.   I leave on March 12 and no, I have not changed my start date. As a part of the whole experience I am traveling to Georgia via a mode of transportation that I have not used before, AMTRAK. I¢ve never traveled by train so that will be a new experience.   It is a little strange how I get to Gainesville, GA. The train leaves West Palm Beach, Fl. goes to Washington D.C. where I switch trains and then ride back down to Gainesville. The train leaves on the 12th and I get to Gainesville on the morning of the 14th. It works out well though because I have about an 8-hour layover in D.C. I will take advantage of the time and visit my brother who lives there. Speaking of brothers. My brother and his wife have graciously accepted the job of being my transcriber for the journal so many thanks to them. I am going to update my journal using Pocketmail. I received my pocketmail unit last week and I have to say it is a great little unit. Lightweight and easy to use. For anyone that is interested in dropping me a line during my journey my email address is:CuppaJoe@pocketmail.com   ¢¦¢¦. No brainer there.   I also made a decision to switch tents. I decided to get one of Henry Shires Tarptents. I made this decision yesterday. I saw one displayed at the Florida ruck and I really liked it, not to mention that it is about 2 pounds lighter than the one I was going to use. My new tent should arrive next week. After I get it I will have everything I need. Everything, I guess, except for those last minute decisions.   I put everything together (including food for 4 days and 2 liters of water) and it came out to 35 pounds total. I still figure it will be about 35 pounds with the new tent and that last minute toss in.   When I get to Gainesville I am going to spend the 14th at the new Hiker Hostel. (www.hikerhostel.com) and then begin the approach trail on the morning of the 15th. In the next day or two I will be posting my maildrop list and I will also be putting up some info about the Appalachian Trail. Looking over my past entries I noticed I have been writing with the sense that everyone reading this would know all the in and outs about the trail and I realized that this is not true. Talk to you all soon.
Date: 2004-03-11
To: Prep #8
Miles today: 0.0

The Appalachian Trail is ¢a long thin strip of America ¢. Due to the efforts of Benton MacKaye the trail became a reality in the early 1920¢s. The first section of the trail was completed in 1923 in the Bear Mountain area of New York and the entire trail was completed 14 years later, in 1937. The trail changes every year due to rerouting. For example in 1971 the trail was 2015 miles long. This year it is going to push 2176 or so miles. This doesn¢t mean it changes 100 miles or more every year. Between last year and this year the change is about 4 miles or so.    The Appalachian Trail is maintained by volunteers and each year hundreds of people head out and clean up sections of the trail in their area. Their work includes repainting the white blazes that mark the trail, cleaning up deadfalls, and rerouting the trail if necessary. Without their hard work and the work of the Appalachian Trail Conference the trail as we know it today would not exist.   The Appalachian Trail passes through 14 states, 2 national parks, 8 national forests as well as several state forests. The approach trail from the south begins at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia. After an 8-mile climb the official trail begins at Springer Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest and winds its way north to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. (Trivia ¢ Chattahoochee is Cherokee for ¢flower painted rock¢). Each year hundreds of people attempt a thru hike, completing the trail in a single hike. There are also those that hike sections of the trail and those that go out for a day or two. I am going to attempt a thru hike and over the years a lot of terminology has grown around the Appalachian Trail. Here are some of the terms you may run into while reading the journal and their explanation.NOBO and SOBO ¢ North Bounder or SouthbounderSlackpack ¢ Hiking part of the trail without your pack. Usually someone takes your pack to a point up the trail for you to pick up laterWhite Blaze, Blue Blaze, and Yellow Blaze -- The official trail is marked with white blaze marks. Blue blazes are side trails that go around and sometimes shorten the official trail. Yellow Blaze means skipping entire portions of the trail by getting a ride in a vehicle.Trail Magic and Trail Angels ¢ Quite a community has grown around the trail from people that live close to it and the hikers that use it. Trail magic refers to goodies that are left on the trail for hikers to partake of. A hiker may run into a cooler with cans of soda, or someone cooking a lunch at a shelter for passing hikers. Trail angels are the people that provide the trail magic or do something else that goes above and beyond.There are others and if I use one of them in the journal I will give an explanation. 2 days until I head north. 5 days until I hit the approach trail. I will put up one more entry on the 14th from the Hiker Hostel and then my brother will post as I send them in.