morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2001-06-30
From: Black Mountain

To: Graymoor Friary
Miles today: 13.9

We had a cool day for some good climbs. Good views. We saw Bear Mtn Tower from the vista. It was cool actually getting to the tower. It was full of a lot of history. Real neat. They had no water - bummer! Hiked down past a ski jump, then came up to Hessian Lake. Lots of people picnicing, fishing. We then walked up to this huge pool. It looked so cool, so refreshing. We checked in our packs so we didn't have to carry them.We met up with Speck, then went swimming. Oh, it felt so good! Our swim was cut short by a thunderstorm that didn't last long at all. We walked through the Bear Mtn Zoo. The trail went right through the zoo. The black bear exhibit was the lowest point on the AT at 124 ft. The zoo is an educational and rehabilitation zoo for the animals. My favorite was the bald eagle. Also, I found out that the umbrella looking plant thats name was a mystery is called the May Apple.We stayed there for awhile. Then, the guys and I went into Ft Montgomery. Had to get more food. I have hit my starving phase. We got to go to this park focusing on the Revolutionary War. Took a bridge back that cut out the extra miles back to the trail. We got a good view of Bear Mtn Bridge. We crossed that iron bridge - over the Hudson River. It was really really beautiful. Wishing I had film. I guess some things aren't meant to be captured on film but at least I'll always have that memory.New York is beautiful, as well. I think people tend to overlook areas like this and focus more on the big cities. I tried to hike faster because the day was quickly losing light. It was neat hiking as the sun was setting. Reddish orange light hit the trees, giving the trail a glow. I ran down most of the trail for several reasons. One, to get to the camp area before dark, and also my feet hurt so bad. I made it to Graymoor Friary. They allow hikers to stay at a shelber by the baseball field. Arrived close to 9:00, glad to be there. Took my first ibuprofin since Georgia. Feet throbbing and killing me. Jan Liteshoe, Jesture, Mule, and several others camping there.
Date: 2003-01-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

63 days to go--9 weeks from today is the projected start day from springer. after all the months of preparation, taking notes, making lists, reading, writing and every other method there is to get ready for something like a thru-hike (not having ever done one), i feel now that i am as ready as i'll ever be. i'm realizing that i can only learn so much. the next phase is to go out and do it. now might be the toughest part...waiting.         room reservations have been made and my transportation to springer has been arranged. support from home base has been established too. i feel that i've run the gamut to the extreme edges. i can prepare no more. now i just have to wait and go through the 'cabin fever' stage, with my light at the end of that tunnel being the AT. and SPRING!!!         next weekend is a 3 dayer. my start group--diane, aaron and CLAIR--are all meeting at diane's. i am looking forward to this. diane and clair have met and talked to actual thru hikers and possibly the one diane talked with at her outfitter will be there on saturday for dinner. ive never met a thru hiker. ive only seen them on videos and the net. i am excited to meet one.         going through all my gear, i take each piece and metally think if and how i can get along without it, if possible. this should help in reducing the pack weight, which is important. as far as maildrops go, i only think i'll have a few...one at fontana at least. everyone i read about says if they had to do it again, they wouldnt bother with maildrops. too restricting, too planned, too much schedule keeping. i'll know if this was the right decision for me when i'm out there. i'd like to know the ABSOLUTE places you should get a maildrop though. the few i remember right off hand are FONTANA, HARPERS FERRY and PORT CLINTON. any feedback on these?        well, im gonna go now and do something to kill some time til the trail gets here. later! (1512 hours to go!!)
Date: 2003-01-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

it was a great weekend, and 3 days long! the best kind. the gang all met at diane's (journey '03) on friday. i made it there this time in 3 hours. it had just gotten dark when i arrived. clair (goldberry '03)was already there and she and diane were going through their gear, talking about this and that. aaron arrived later that evening. it was good to be there. this was my third trip there and i am already feeling at home there.         saturday we got out to the trail around 11am and it was nice and chilly; hopefully NOTHING like this when we're out there for real. 10-15o tops. moving was very necessary just to keep warm. this was all very exciting too because here we all were--all of our start group--hiking together. very important step in our AT prep. 52 days to go. this is seeming like an eternity. the waiting. right now its 4o outside my door. stir crazy? cabin fever? YES. i'm ready to go NOW!!         i think we are as prepared as we can get. rooms are booked. dates set. we've discussed maildrops, gear, ideas, stuff we've read, things we've tried, concerns, etc. i believe we all have come into our hike mindsets, knowing what's important to each of us about this challenge. there's a point you come to when you've read enough, tested enough, thought about enough when you just say STOP. that's when you decide that its time to start walking. the rest you'll figure out along the way.
Date: 2003-02-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

33 days to go!--"yikes" and "yayyy!" at the same time. yikes--am i forgetting anything important? what else do i have to take care of before leaving?.....YAYYY!--finally, its almost here! am i dreaming? my biggest concern really, the one i keep ending up at, is food. i have always been somewhat organized, but i also wing it alot, too. maybe this is the philosophy that will work for me. i'll have a few maildrops in the towns that i repeatedly read about as being good maildrop places (fontana, port clinton, monson)--my organized side. and i'll treat the rest as, well, an adventure--my wing it side. adventure--have you heard the definition of that? ADVENTURE--THE RESULT OF POOR PLANNING. wait a minute....thats all i have been doing is planning and getting ready. so is it really an adventure, according to the above? at least getting food will be. maybe the food thing is more just a challenge. anyway, i've been doing what i can do exercise-wise in the past month. at night i go backpacking around the block, which is 4.15 miles, uphill and downhill. the pack is about 40 lbs. these frigid temps outside at least are getting me acclimated to being cold (not that living in snowy western new york isnt cold and snowy enough!) and testing my gear and i am very happy with the frogg toggs which i wear on these hikes. i work outside more often than not. and i've heard this has been the coldest winter in over 10 years. so to summarize: anything over 15o is a bonus. and i dont remember reading anywhere that extended temps like that are very common on the AT. except for mt washington i guess. but it will be summer by the time i cross that path.so, its getting to be crunch time. the pressure to finish up things here at home is being felt. just do some every day. little bits at a time.....just like hiking the AT......hmmm......yeah, just like that.
Date: 2003-02-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

2 weeks to go before i leave my home, family, friends, work, SNOW (and frigid cold!--its 0o right NOW), and get going on this wonderful endeavor that has consumed my efforts and thoughts for almost 2 years now. for i think it was around this time in 2001 that i actually decided that hiking the AT is what i wanted to do. a grasp at some real happiness. on a side note, you may have noticed that this is the end of february....and the name i'm using for the trail is leapyear....i guess its because i was born in a leapyear. the 29th of february. this is not a leapyear. i just realized something new about leap year; that is, us leap year people are most likely to remember their very first birthday, because we didnt technically have our first birthday til we were 4 years old! and ironically i do remember mine. it was a saturday morning i believe, because the saturday morning shows were on tv and the local show of "commander tom" had the birthday list and he read my name. i was all excited. "wow", i thought." how did HE know it was my birthday?"         i just got back from my friends' house and now i have the wool tshirts that laurie made for me for the trail. i still have one on and i love it. its unscratchy, wool tshirt type material and i decided not to go with the capilene or synthetic fabrics for base layer, due to what i've read about the synthetics. i'll know alot more about the topic by september.         the packing is going well. i'm basically moving all my stuff in my house into storage. that way my apt can be re-done and rented out. i'll have a place when i get back though. i just have 4 small rooms anyway; living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom...so theres not that much to pack up. although im finding ALOT of junk!! i suppose thats always the case when you move. like, man, where did i get all this stuff?         2 more weeks and i'll be heading down to diane's, and from there, to georgia. finally. this prep phase has been very informative. costly. all consuming. hectic. mind numbing. great. fun. and now im ready for the next phase. its all coming together now. i know everything im taking. i know how i'm getting there. i know which direction to head. LETS GO!!!
Date: 2003-03-12
To: "I LEAVE NEW YORKKKKKK!!!"
Miles today: 0.0

last nite i arrived in pennsylvania, at diane's house, leaving family, friends and home for the next 6 months. im all moved out of my apartment, and most loose ends are tied, such as phone turned off, car off the road, apt. empty, etc. i am now "homeless". thats a funny feeling because i think of it, and i realize that it was all self-imposed. "what the hell did i do all that for?" seems kinda nuts i know. all i can say is that THIS IS THE TIME. i can always find a house and a job later. but this is somewhat harder to do because i worked with my dad, which is something i believe alot of people never did with their own dad. its been a real privilege and a pleasure, dad, and if youre reading this, THANK YOU. yes, its an end of an era. the next step is to get to georgia, which is happening tomorrow. we're driving down...jack, diane, me and we're picking aaron up on the way. clair is going with her family tomorrow too, from her home. we'll all be at amicalola lodge for 2 nites, then saturday.....SATURDAY!! the BIG day, will be here. the thought of wearing shorts to hike in is tempting. you cant wear shorts in NY to hike in for at least another month or 2, maybe 3. so to me it will feel like late spring, early summer. that makes it all the more exciting, after slipping on ice and snow for the past 4 months straight, risking inury at every step. before i left home, about 3 hours before i left, i finally put my pack together and tried it on. i was really surprised that it didnt weigh more. this feels like at least 20-25 lbs LESS than what i usually carry for a long weekender in allegany national forest. what a process, though. everything reduced to a backpack. all the lists made, stuff bought, tested, boxes packed and moved...all of that, to get to this point. and last nite, i slept the best i have slept in at least 2 weeks. it was peaceful. im glad all the planning is done. gotta get going. next entry will probably be when im at the lodge. my wonderful sister tina is going to be my transcriber and picture-putter on-er. thanks tina for figuring out the right-click properties problem i had. i know that was a big last minute factor that allowed to sleep so well last nite, by my not having to think of a solution anymore. to all my friends and family who may be following me here, who have helped me get to this point so far, you are going to see a happier toby from now on im sure. also to my friends who are over in afganistan and "other" places who cant be out living their dreams right now, im thinking of you all too. and saying THANKS! more to come.....
Date: 2003-03-18
From: neels gap

To: First Entry via email
Miles today: 30.7

i am currently at neels gap (30.7 miles) and got here today at 445 pm. started at gooch gap this morning at 715. so, i did 14.3 miles, and it was raining most of the time. so im taking a night off from camping and staying at the neels gap hostel. showers, bunks, washer/dryer, microwave. very nice place. and tonite the owner even took us to blairsville to the all you can eat place; the cookie jar. $6 there. the first day, saturday, we drove up to the parking lot for springer mountain and hiked to the top in heavy fog. signed our names in the register book. took pictures. went back down and said goodbye to the folks who brought us up. the it began! nite 1 was spent at hawk mtn shelter..7.6 miles. pretty packed up there so i set up my tent. there was a boy scout troop there too, but they had their own tents set up. i left the next morning at 826am and got to gooch gap by a road at 505pm. no shelter but very nice spot near a spring. so, that was 8.8 miles. and i pushed today to reach here, 14.3 miles. i really need to lighten my pack too. and i can do that here. theyll send boxes UPS. i want to drop 20-25 lbs. believe me, my body is telling me to do so! so, i must listen. being here at the hostel is very social. its great to talk to the other hikers. the owner is really cool. he really loves his job he told me. if he won the lottery tomorrow, he'd still work here he said. i can see why. well, i will update when i can get to a phone to send these pocketmail reports. may be awhile. i thought i could update it very frequently. but so far havent been able to. thats the nature of trail life! and it is GREAT!
Date: 2003-03-22
To: Day Seven - Leaving Georgia
Miles today: 66.0

day 7 summary-arrived at dicks creek gap today about 1:30. coming from tray mtn shelter. stayed overnite in the shelter. woke to the light of the moon. then as it got lighter, the SUN rose. yes, the sun. its been gone since sunday afternoon. we were all celebrating its return this morning. now, we will be able to see the great sights from the mountain tops. it was rainy and foggy all week. tonite im staying at the blueberry patch outside of hiawasee, georgia. ATwannabe, spunky, F8, lawrence and nightstalker are all here too. ate at a buffet tonite and saw rich and cindy there too. the 'family' is growing all the time. no bears or rattlesnakes yet. just little junco-like birds and some squirrels and a deer i saw on monday. and some buzzards flying around. 3/21--0656-now im at the table in the hostel, slept alright, despite the creaking bunkbeds. woke up hearing birds im not familiar with, which makes me want to dig out my minidisc player that has my bird call discs to figure out what they are. for now, though, they are just birds. in about an hour or so, gary and lennie, the owners of this hostel, will have prepared the famed giant, wonderful blueberry pancake breakfast! no trail oats today! well, i plan on crossing into north carolina today. got food at the store in hiawasee last nite. so im good for a week or so. im wondering if ive lost any weight yet. it feels like maybe i have. i bet ive gained 10 from all this gourmet eating! my face got some sun yesterday. well, today i'll say goodbye to georgia. 1 down, 13 to go?
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Day Seven - Leaving Georgia

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

just a fast update from the macon county library in franklin, NC. im here with spunky and atwannabe for our first zero mile day. its 75o outside and sunny. lovely. got a few more gear items. back to the trail tomorrow, starting at wallace gap. got over 103 miles so far. just have to hitch out to that spot. i love it down here. its like early summer in western new york. i think i have my boots fixed up with new inserts from the 3 eagle outfitters in franklin. and a new shirt. gotta go. leapyear 03 all the way
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Day 11

To: Day 11
Miles today: 0.0

day11-25mar03-103.7 miles-zero day #1-tonite, im at a microtel hotel in franklin, nc. here with atwanabe, spunky, dejavue and cindy. what a day of eating! started after noon with wendy's, then dairy queen for dessert, then some crazy bread at little ceasars, then dinner at a barbq place. all within walking distance. im ready for the trail again. but these stops are important. to get different gear youve been thinking of all week. to get rid of things you dont need. to sleep, to eat, to clean up. one day is enough for now. even this hotel has a hiker box. thats for when you want to get rid of things and dont feel like sending them somewhere. plus you can look through it for stuff you want. food and gear in a community box. theres really no fear of starving as long as these boxes are around. if you dont mind noodle dinners and ramen. gonna try to get in an early breakfast at shoneys before our arranged ride to wallace gap at 9am. and its 947 now. so its bed time again. should be at NOC by thurs nite. bye for now.
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Day 12

To: Day 12
Miles today: 0.0

day12-wed,26mar-425p-got back on the trail today at 927a, after getting a ride from a guy who was in the 8th air force during the big one. he said the word was that the daytime bombing was gonna cease til the p-51's showed up. aspunky, atwanabe and i are at siler bald shelter, so we did 7.3 miles to get here in just less than 4 hours. we want to be in NOC on friday, which is 24 miles from here, so if we get up early tomorrow and friday morn, we cant get there easy.everyone here is cooking dinner now. its way too early to cook before 4, so as soon as its past 4, well, then its almost too late. still gotta get water too. this shelter was made in 1959, so its one of the oldest ones on the trail. big grassy lawn next to it. outhouse too. no shelter register though. we were planning to do just over 13 miles today, whichwould have us end up at a campsite. but it started raining, and we figured, well, if we do the 13 in the rain, we're still not gonna be at a shelter, so we'll have to use the tents and get them all wet on our first day back out. so we'll be hauling more water weight for who knows how long til we can dry them. so we just headed for this shelter and since it was so early, we got a space to sleep. always a good thing.who else is here? brendan, slowwalker, bumpass, yacker, al with the dog, and the guy from new york. yesterday was a good relaxing town day. good ol' NS drove us to franklin from his place, and we got all our necesary things done, like buying food, eating at all the restaurants, laundry, showers, etc. i got a new shirt. and a few other things. i wanted pizza, but settled for the next big thing...crazy bread from little caesars. you gotta indulge ive heard. and enjoy things. when youre gonna pamper yourself, do it up right. youll thank yourself when youre back on the trail.im gonna use therest of the daylight to cook and get water. im trying the new aqua mira drops. im leery somewhat because nowhere on the label does it actually say it gets rid of giardia or crypto. but ive drank it and havent felt ill effects. so now im the guinea pig.ive been hearing that at fontana dam we may have to be rerouted because of a terrorist risk. we'll see. so far, i see that the talk is getting away from the gear and going more toward who's where, and stories of the trail. and im already becoming well known with this years hikers already. spunky will introduce herself, then atwanabe, then me. then the new person will say,"leapyear...yeah, ive heard about you." kinda neat.well, all you folks in cyber land, its time to do some dinner. i still have the beer too, for all those playing "when will he drink it?". and today we have completed 5% of the trail.hmmm...is that an occasion for drinking the corona? tune in next time...
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Day 13

To: Cold Springs Shelter 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Starting point:siler bald shelter, 110.5 miles. destination:cold springs shelter, 122.6 miles.made it to cold springs shelter at 430pm. started this morning at 0807. lot of hours for so short a daily mileage of 12.1, but we took it easy today because it was so nice and sunny. each break was longer than normal. we only planned for 12 miles anyway, so we'd only have 12 to get to NOC tomorrow. this is a cool shelter and it was built by the CCC in 1933. think of that. this was here before the AT was even officially open in 1937. people met today...zero, yoyo, drinkwater, scott, orbit, f-stop and some others icant remember what their names are. met apple today at a little station he set up on the trail, serving coffee, water, cocoa, reeses peanut butter cups. this is known as trail magic, and apple would be called a trail angel. he is from raleigh and decided to come here and just set this up. very welcome by us hikers. twofiddy is here tonite too. he came in with yoyo and zero. last time i saw him was mon the 17th. we started together with journey and goldberry. good to see him again.get this!!! you know how i said in former updates that people out here say theyve heard of me before theyve even met me? well, yoyo comes here today and says,"youre leapyear? youre the guy with the thermometer? the thermometer thats all hooked up to your body to monitor your body temperatues at different spots? thats you? man, i gotta see that!" im like WHAT??? that makes me laugh even now. yes i did have a thermometer. it doesnt work now. it recorded hi and lo. thats all it did though. funny how rumors travel out here.for lunch, we were on top of wayah bald where theres a stone tower. and the view was amazing. we could see mountain tops in all directions, up to 35 miles out. ones we were at and ones we're going to. w took an hour and a half break up there. boots off and getting some sun.tomorrow its mostly downhill to NOC, which is the nantahala outdoor center. need some more food soon. so ill check out their supplies.im lucky to be in this shelter tonite. on our way here, we were sure itd be packed, but it wasnt. i was the 2nd one to get a spot. we were joking about how big the mice must be here, since theyve been infiltrating this shelter for 70 YEARS! i still havent drank the beer. im also still hanging with the gang...me, atwanabe and spunky. my left middle finger tip has been numb for about a week now. must be a pinched nerve somewhere. ill look into having a doctor or someone like that tell me what it is, and how to get it un-numb. i think its from my forearm being sore. we'll see. well, folks, i hope you are enjoying following me on this little adventure. my video tape has 5 minutes to go, and the camera card only needs 30 some pics to be full, before i can send them to my sister, tina, for loading into the site. the pics i mean. so hang in there. youll see them soon.gonna sleep now, getting late. its 828pm. bye. leapyear.