morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-09-02
To: Here Goes!
Miles today: 0.0

So I decided I wanted to hike the AT June 18th, 2006. I can hardly wait to DISCONNECT and be one with nature! My favorite place to be is deep in the woods on a trail surrounded by trees so when I learned about the AT I knew pretty quickly I wanted to do this!! I want to need very little. I want to set a goal and achieve it. I want to hike for a living, if only briefly and BE with nature. I want to be a member in the most sincere, respectful and genuine community that lies within the AT.This will no doubt be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life!! I also know it will be the best thing that happens to me! I've started a new chapter in MY story recently and can hardly wait to see how it goes! This trail is mental, not physical and it fits in quite nicely with what I have already begun working on. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me!!I am taking off from Springer Mountain in Georgia with my dear friend Laura on March 23rd. She will be with me for a couple weeks and I can't tell you how grateful I am she is able AND willing to do this with me. :o) We'll hardly be alone though because approx 1500+/- attempt to thru hike the AT every year with most taking off between mid March and early April.I have met a couple long distance hikers through the Hoosier Hiker's Council and my gym so I am very grateful I don't have to go at this planning alone! Their experience and advice is priceless!!Stay tuned as I am just getting started... :D
Date: 2009-10-20
To: 5 months and counting
Miles today: 0.0

The planning continues! The core gear pieces have been purchased as well as some clothes. Thanksgiving weekend Turner and I are going to hit the Knobstone and put this gear to use! November is slated as my month to work on my itinerary and maildrops so I am anxious to get back to work on it! Stay tuned for more details...
Date: 2009-12-15
To: tick tock, tick tock...3 months to go!!
Miles today: 0.0

Hello everyone! I am happy to report that all is going well! The planning continues! We are wrapping up the gear and just about ready to hit the trail! Our trip on the KT has been delayed due to a minor injury but hope to hit it here shortly! The dehydrator arrives tomorrow so it's time to get cooking! Since dehydrated food can last a year refrigerated I hope to make a BIG portion of my meal/maildrops before departure. I decided not to box everything up but when needed, I will put in an order with Turner and Amy (God love 'em) and they will pull it and mail away. Once @ room temp or so the food has a 3 week shelf life so I should be good to go! These maildrops will cover, I hope, 50% of my food. The rest will be bought in towns each week or so. I'm hoping I don't experience too much burn out on my food because 1) I tend to eat the same few things for weeks at a time until I'm over it and switch and 2)I plan on making a nice mix of all my favorite meals! We'll see!! Thanks to little hiker who reached out, tick tock is right! It's flying by fast now!! I hope to see you on the trail too! Springer Mtn: here we come! Recently, we reviewed our options and chose our path to the southern AT terminus in Georgia. for those who don't know, the terminus is not just a simple trailhead next to a parking lot, it's actually located 8.8 miles UP Springer Mtn! I think that may sum up the trip in a way! CRAZY hard from the very start in GEORGIA to the very cold end in MAINE! I already know to expect more bad/crummy/painful/wet days than good/ideal temp/dry/sunny days and have faith I'll remember to keep my expectations in check!For those new to Trail Journals and Hiking in general there are links to the official AT website and book info below the counter on my Journal. You can also find info on the AT at www.whiteblaze.net and good info on the Knobstone Trail (aka Little AT) in southern Indiana at www.knobstonetrail.net! I suppose that is it for now! Stay tuned...
Date: 2009-12-31
To: Gear tested~Cold weather approved!
Miles today: 0.0

Hi everyone!The bad news is Turner and I did not make it out to the Knobstone Trail as we planned, the good news is we still made it out for a very chilly test run down in the Charles Deam Wilderness/Hoosier Natl Forest! We understand it was as low as 16 degrees in the morning! Whew! I hope we don't see too much of that on the AT. The even better news is that my sleeping bag is the BEST! Turner's Big Agnes bag is also up to par! They claim 15 degrees for both and they meant it!I think I will also get one of the pop can stoves to accompany Turner's which will aid in heating up my tent; this will also allow us to prepare warm drinks and dinner at the same time! I have a little progress to make on my cold weather functioning but hope I've experienced the worst I'll run into! We had 2 great days of hiking! A nice mix of terrain, of which we had practically to ourselves! We camped next to the Terril Cemetery which was very cool! We intend to go back and do a little investigating next time! We certainly got a grasp of how that last mile of the day can DRAG on! Whew, it was crazy to see how quick we covered that same distance the next morning! It was also cool to see how we were able to push through the pain, like I know is possible! One step in front of the other! That's all you gotta do to get to Katahdin, right! I think all the other gear proved successful! I think my pack weighed in around 28 and that had extra food and a couple cans of Dew! Not too bad for starters! I should be so lucky to walk off with a 28 lb pack in GA! I don't yet know what's missing, but that just can't be right, can it???!!! We both observed some things we can remove from our packs and are excited to review everything we brought to see HOW MUCH we can eliminate! Along with that there were many little lessons and ideas that came out of the trip so we are EXCITED! I am still dehydrating food and trying to learn all about it. Progress has been made, slow moving perhaps, positive forward motion none the less! Departure is in 88 days!! Stay tuned!
Date: 2010-01-08
To: About Me
Miles today: 0.0

To my fellow AT class and other hikers...I am so grateful to be in touch with many of you and look forward to seeing you on the trail. I am in my mid 30's, never married, no kids and live in Indianapolis. Employment~wise I am in purchasing. I've spent the last 10 years doing so and hope I don't have to return to this field! Not that I don't like it, I am just ready to do something different...to make a difference! I consider myself a glorified car camper who likes to day hike. This will be my first long distance hiking trip. I will miss my dog as he is a great hiking buddy AND trail finder but I know it's best to leave him at home with his comforts and Otis~kitty.I also spend some time volunteering. Most recently with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, thanks to my new friend Tammy! I enjoy helping her on the recycling side of KIB as that is a major interest of mine. I hope when I return I am able to find new employment that will allow me to help others more directly! We'll see what happens. All I know is that I want to be able to give things and knowledge to the less fortunate and am anxious to explore the different ways this may be possible.I am not over exerting myself training~wise but am trying to get some hilly miles in with a full pack. I have also been going to spinning and pilates classes at the gym. I hope it helps!! (It certainly can't hurt, right?!)I suppose that's the scoop on me. I really look forward to seeing you guys out there!
Date: 2010-01-28
To: January is almost gone!
Miles today: 0.0

Hi everyone! Today is about 12 over leaving me with 52.5 days until my departure! I must share just how blessed I feel and how grateful I am that I am able to do this! It would not be possible without ALL of the love and support from some key folks in my life, and I mean this literally! Not to mention MANY friends who've been supporters & believed with me all along! I can not wait to get this journey underway! I have been planning & planning & it¢s all about to come to an end. As soon as I hit the trail I know that it all goes out the window! Well... bring it on, I say!I have backed off on my dehydrating but am hoping to have a small stock pile of pasta & marinara and applesauce fruit rolls! (which by the way are VERY yummy!)   I think I¢ll have to make a couple more batches of the ham strips too! I am trying to pack on a few more pounds so that I have some to lose! Most girls lose 10lbs or less, thank goodness! I¢ve been chatting with many of my ¢classmates¢ (the AT 10ers) :D and that has been awesome! Anxiety levels are rising in us all! As a whole I believe we are all ready to hit the trail! It¢s been very nice to have some wisdom available as well as sharing all the fun stuff!!I suppose that¢s it for now! Stay tuned!!
Date: 2010-01-28
To: Wish List
Miles today: 0.0

Due to the WONDERFUL fact that some loved one's may desire to send me a care package I decided to post a little wish list. Please know that all thoughts and prayers are plentiful enough! Anything beyond that is truly an extra! Remember, this trip is after all, about needing and wanting less!Please check out the Flat Rate boxes the USPS offers at www.usps.comSo, on to the goodies! :DCALORIES, CALORIES, CALORIES!!chocolate chip,snickerdoodle or peanut butter cookieschocolate or vanilla pop tartschocolate or krueller donutsLittle Debbie nutty bars, zebra cakes, star crunch's or swiss rollssnickers, baby ruth's, m&m's, milky way'shoney roasted or salted peanutscrackers w/peanut buttercheese chex mixslim jims, (original please,) pepperoni or dried hamketchup packets!! yep, from the fast food joints! Are you really surprised? Ok-there it is! I thank you in advance for your time, energy & funds if you're squirrely and want to send something!Please know that some of what you send will get eaten right away but hopefully, a bunch goes into my pack to last several days! Nothing too heavy please!!
Date: 2010-02-12
To: Ripple it is!
Miles today: 0.0

My trail name that is. While it came to me early in my trail name thoughts...I'd held off...trying other names...as usual, I should have trusted my instinct! For those of you who don't know, trail names exist, and if you don't have one, someone will be SURE to get you one! This can be dangerous so I hope I'm out of those waters!! Ripple has been my favorite Grateful Dead song right from the start! (It¢s on the album American Beauty.)To me, ripples signify calm change. The slow and constant change of ripples finding their way home suits me well these last couple years! Sure, they may become waves, eventually crashing, but who's to say that's not the best part of the journey and what happens next isn't better because of it.
Date: 2010-02-12
To: General Info for Long Distance Hiking
Miles today: 0.0

Here¢s some basic info on this trip for those who are unfamiliar with long distance hiking¢¦Food-I¢ll carry no more than 7 days worth, cooking a hot dinner like mac and cheese or spaghetti on a small alcohol fueled stove and resupplying in town markets, gas stations and Wally worlds, with some occasional packages from the girls at home.Shelter-I have a 3 lb tent and intend to use it often. The alternative is to sleep in my bag, in the shelter/3 sided lean to with the other hikers. I believe the tent set up and down will get old, but I believe the privacy and comforts will be pretty tempting along the way. I am also not interested in mice running all over me as they do in many of the shelters! Stay tuned¢¦we¢ll see how that one works out for me!Water-I have a couple different containers for water I will fill at the end of each day at a spring or creek. These water sources are listed in my data book, so I¢m not flying blind here!! I have a hand pumped filter I will use to clean the water and also some iodine tablets in case my pump breaks. Clean-up-many wonder about this and yes, it¢s as bad as you think. I will stink, but we will all stink together! I will clean up daily but will shower about once a week when I come to a hostel or campground. Pack-My pack will hold everything I will need. I hope to get it down to 35 lbs with food and water but we'll see!Hiking alone? Yes...and...no. First off, 1200-1500 people will be attempting this trek and most leave between 3/15 & 4/15. There will be MANY folks on the trail with me! Folks do tend to hike alone during the day but at night everyone bunches up around the next closest shelters.I¢m sure there are other basics I¢m missing but this covers a couple at least! 37 days to go my friends!!
Date: 2010-02-18
To: 30 days come midnight!!
Miles today: 0.0

Hi everyone! And I mean everyone! I am glad to have some more folks on board for this incredible journey! I have now notified my friends and family of this trail journal! Each and every one of you are a wonderful blessing for which I am grateful! Your support has meant more than you will ever know!!A minor problem I'm experiencing is info overload! I have SO many thoughts and bits of info in my head I can't see straight! I will do my best to get them typed up into more entry's!I would like to encourage you to check out some of the other journals on here too! Some of these folks write very well and a bit more informative, we'll say. Some have many, many miles while others, many others like me with not~so~many! These are the people I will be out there with too! You can search by year, or trail or date updated (you can still see which trail.) You are also welcome to hit me up with any questions you may have. I am happy to answer them! As for the latest...things are moving right along! I only have to make a windscreen and my camera decisions...I think I have all my other gear in order! I've also got about all my food for take off! Weight is good...putting on a few! Mental status today: pretty fantastic! I am ready more and more everyday for this challenge! I have the knowledge, the gear and the faith...and that my friends is what I think you need to accomplish this trek!I think that's it for now...stay tuned!Ripple
Date: 2010-02-21
To: This just in from the ATC!
Miles today: 0.0

2009 Hiker Counts (updated February 19, 2010)NORTHBOUND (Georgia to Maine)Springer Mtn., Ga.         1425 hikers leftNeels Gap, Ga. (30 miles)         1325 arrivedFontana Dam, N.C. (160 miles)         911 arrivedHarpers Ferry, W.Va. (1,000 miles)         708 arrivedKatahdin, Maine (2,176 miles)         343 completed the whole trailSOUTHBOUND (Maine to Georgia)Katahdin, Maine         252 hikers leftHarpers Ferry, W.Va. (1,160 miles)         124 arrivedSpringer Mtn., Ga. (2,176 miles)         49* completed the whole trail* This number includes thru-hikers who started later in 2008 and completed in 2009.Check out this and other great AT info at the link below the counter!!
Date: 2010-02-22
To: Maildrop locations-UPDATED!!!
Miles today: 0.0

Hello everyone! I have set the following locations for my maildrops, or scheduled packages from home. I have basic ideas of when I will be there, so we are going off that! If you are so inclined to send a care package, 1-thank you and 2 please, keep it small! A simple letter would be lovely really!!For everything NOT going to a PO please address: Jennifer Freeman Name of store/organization/hostel Street address City, State, Zip "HOLD FOR NOBO (means northbound) AT THRU-HIKER, ETA = X/XX"For Post Office packages (2 drops): Jennifer Freeman General Delivery City, State, Zip "HOLD FOR NOBO AT THRU-HIKER, ETA = X/XX"***1) ETA: 4/1~UPDATED NOW: 4/9Nantahala Outdoor Center/NOC13077 Hwy 19WBryson City, NC 28713 PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL TIME TO FUTURE ETA'S2) ETA: 4/24PO/General DeliveryHot Springs, NC 287433) ETA: 5/14Mt. Rodger's Outfitters110 Laurel Ave.PO Box 546Damascus, VA 242364) ETA: 6/4Outdoor Trails (Outfitter)Botetourt Commons28 Kingston Dr.Daleville, VA 240835) ETA: 6/29ATCPO Box 807 or 799Washington St.Harper's Ferry, WV 254256) ETA: 7/12Ye Olde Backpacker45 Penn St.Port Clinton, PA 195497) ETA: 8/1PO/General DeliverySalisbury, CT 060688)ETA: 8/16Hanover Outdoors17 1/2 Lebanon St.Hanover, NH 037559) ETA: 9/9Stratton Motel & HostelPO Box 284Stratton, ME 04982I will have another entry with my basic itinerary and actual progress!That's it for now!
Date: 2010-02-23
To: To & Fro
Miles today: 0.0

My plans have changed a smidge for the start. It doesn¢t look like Laura will be able to start out with me. She will be joining me further up the path in VA to hike and celebrate Trail Day¢s in Damascus. Trail Days is a hiker festival held each year and should be awesome!!! http://www.traildays.us/ If you know me, you know I need at least one festival in my summer!! I think this will work out best for both of us!! I won¢t be alone at the start though! Our family friend Jane Jones will be driving me to the lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park, god love her!!! Thank you Jane Anne!   I will be meeting up with another AT Tenner (2010'er,) Cope, at the start. He lives in GA and his family will be dropping him off so they are going to pick me up from the lodge Mon AM and give me a lift to the top of Springer where the southern terminus lies.I am VERY grateful to him and his family!! I¢m in touch with another hiker who¢s also leaving this day too! I am excited to meet them face to face!As for my finish, Laura and Amy will be coming to Maine and will climb Katahdin with me, my final climb! I am SO excited they are willing to come out and be with me as I complete my journey! Anyone else is welcome to come out and join us!! :D They will then carefully ease me back into society on a long ride home!In between I believe I¢ll have a few visitors and am very excited about it! Mom is scheduled to visit @ Harper¢s Ferry, WV. This is 100 miles short of the 12 way point! My Uncle Rog and Aunt Janet want to meet up with me in Virginia! My friend Mark hopes to join me in MD when I get to his turf! I¢m also expecting a visit from my sister Lea and hubby Joe, some family friends that live in NE and a friend from the Hoosier Hiker¢s Council! I¢m so grateful!! To ALL of you!! So that's that! All that's left now is 26 long days!
Date: 2010-03-09
To: Less than 12 days remain!
Miles today: 0.0

Hi everyone!So less than 12 days remain! First I want to send a thank you to everyone who made it out Sat! I am so grateful for everyone's support and feel so blessed!!! Saturday Laura, Amy and I had a little shindig for our friends and family! We had movies on the tv's, food in the kitchen and gear outside in the sun~shiny day! We even held pop can stove demo's every so often! What a time! I look forward to seeing everyone again for the After party in October!! :D There is very little left on the list so I am almost ready to hit the road! I will continue drying pasta, marinara, applesauce and some ham until departure for my future maildrops. I received 2 additional fruit roll trays I ordered for my dehydrator so my capacity is doubled for liquids!! Late as it is, I am excited!! My goal is to keep her humming everyday until the 20th!I received most of the dehydrated food I bought online and have started dividing them up! Unfortunately the peanut butter is on B/O until late April. Fortunately Turner can put it in the next mail drop for me and everything will be fine! Last night she whipped up a little of each that came while I weighed them out and MAN! what a score! I am very pleased to have these staples for the start and available for up the path! I ordered refried beans, cheese sauce, broccoli, butter powder, scrambled eggs w/bacon and vegetable noodle soup! Add boiling water to all of these and they taste damn good! I look forward to many combination's with breads, chips & who knows what! I added some chicken to the broc & chs and it was great! I will look forward to the first couple days out of town when I'll tote a couple cans of chicken from the DG! I picked up another book recommended by my friend Bonnie I'm glad to read before leaving. It's called Women & Thru-Hiking the AT written by Beverly "Maine Rose" Hugo. This and plants have to be the last specialties I have not covered! I'm glad this one crossed my path up first! If anyone knows of any AT plant or plant & flower books though shoot me a line! It's time to dry something else so I better get to it!Stay tuned...Ripple
Date: 2010-03-17
To: 3 Days until Departure!
Miles today: 0.0

Let¢s get this party started!! I am very happy to report that everything is just about wrapped up! I will be ready without a doubt to take off Sunday morning, 4:30 am! Yep, the plan is to leave Greene Co by 7am! Cope and his family will also be staying at the lodge Sunday night so I look forward to hooking up with them! I suspect I will not sleep much Sat. night and hope that helps me sleep some on Sunday night, but we¢ll see!¢¦I have to laugh¢¦I just took notice of what was on my tv now and it¢s Survivorman¢¦on a Mountain! He¢s in the BC Rockies! It has to be the only one I haven¢t seen! Oddly though, I haven¢t seen him in over a year! These crazy things happen all the time! I still believe without a doubt the universe is behind me, I am strong mentally and physically, I am educated on this and I believe with all my heart I am going to make it to Katahdin!!! I am happy to report the taxes are filed, my doctor approves and my teeth have been cleaned! I still have to wrap up the dehydrated food, mail off the bounce box, freeze the car insurance and fill out my census! Other than that, I am ready to go! I scheduled my final weigh in for Friday night! I believe I have the last little pieces of gear and will be able to pack it for Springer! I¢ll be sure to let you all know how that works out!I¢ve been busy visiting a lot of friends and family and it has been great! Thanks to all of you for your support and for taking the time to connect! My prayers will include all of you while I am away! I think that¢s a great summary! I¢m going to jump to a new entry and touch another subject!Stay tuned!!
Date: 2010-03-18
To: Shout out to my Little Flower friends!!
Miles today: 0.0

I was invited to come and talk to the fantabulous 3rd grade class at Little Flower! Hey Hey everybody! I sure had the best time with you!! You all had so many good questions and hope you had as much fun as I did talking about it all! For everyone else...we then looked over all my gear and talked about that! We sampled some of my applesauce roll ups! Then we passed around some dehydrated food and talked about what and how I will be eating. We topped it off of course, with a stove demo! Fun! Fun!   They invited me to join them for lunch...so of course I did! That was fun too! After that I joined them for recess! It sure brought back some good memories! I really want to play kickball again when I get back so get ready my friends! I'm so excited you kids will be following me! Just knowing you're pulling for me will help me so much! I will also have fun sending you postcards and letters! Thank you so much for my gift! I can't wait to pull them out along the way! ...They wrote up words of encouragement and advice for along the way! They put them on small strips of paper because they know all about weight and how every ounce counts! Aren't they something!!I can't wait until I get back so I can come visit you in the 4th grade! My thanks to both teachers: Miss Johnson-3rd grade and Mrs. Behrle-4th grade, for your interest and enthusiasm! I really do appreciate it!I suppose that is all for now! Stay tuned!!