morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-09-23
To: Hiking Shoes!
Miles today: 0.0

Once again, REI sucked me into making another impromptu purchase for my thru-hike. I bought a pair of Keen Targhee II Mid shoes yesterday. I've hiked in the low cut Targhees and liked them a lot and I figured the Mid would be a good choice to start the AT with- it's got more ankle support which will be good for the start of the hike as my ankles strengthen and also will be better for wet snowy conditions I'll most likely be encountering. They are really comfortable and have great traction- I'm a fan of E-Vent waterproofing. They were on sale for $79.99 from $120 because it was last seasons colors and only one pair was left. It was a deal I felt I couldn't pass up. It's true, I was giddyer (is that a word?) than I have ever been over buying a pair of shoes at the purchase of this pair that would be starting at Springer with me. I can't imagine what the sales guy was thinking about the huge smile that was plastered across my face as I made the decision to take them.Currently, I'm in the midst of composing a spreadsheet that will list all of my gear, it's weight, what it retails for and what I paid for it. I'm curious to see how much money I've actually spent on everything that I'll be taking. I'll post the gear list when it's finished. I did some updating last night on my gear page on trailjournals- it has all the major stuff posted.Today I'm going for a 9 mile day hike in the Three Sisters Wilderness. I'm really looking forward to getting out into the wilderness around here. With all of my travels the past few months, I haven't spent any time in the wilderness that's out my front door! It's a beautiful day so views of the mountains should be great.After climbing in the W's Kilo 35+ sleeping bag yesterday at REI, it solidified my decision to use it for the summer months. Also, I'm pretty certain I'm going with the REI 1.3L Ti Ware cooking pot as well. The only big ticket item left for me to figure out is trekking poles. I'm in the researching phase. It feels good to have a set list, even if it's not all purchased yet. The buying is the easy part- it's the figuring out what to buy that's the challenge.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-09-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So, I've been fortunate enough to spend some time in the Three Sisters Wilderness the past few days. I came to a realization a few days ago that I only have 3 weeks, at best, before the snow flies and they close the access highway to the Three Sisters Wilderness area trailheads. Suddenly, I feel the need to get out into the mountains that have been my playground since living in Bend, OR the past 18 months and make the most of my limited time left in which I'm able to explore and enjoy them. It's already making me sad to think I'll be moving away from the best place I've ever lived in a mere 4 months. Hopefully, I'll be back some day...But yeah, so a few days ago some co-workers (referred to as Sage Walkers) and myself took a day hike to the top of a huge cinder cone next to North Sister and today I went out for a 7 mile trail run to Mirror Lake. Part of it was along the PCT! That was exciting in itself. If I can't be on the AT, it's the next best trail. Being alone in such beautiful wilderness was wonderful, and it was a great run with the weather being sunny and in the 60's. Hopefully I can squeeze in an overnight somewhere before heading into the field next week!I hear the leaves are starting to change in the Northeast right about now... autumn colors are the one thing I truly miss living out here in Oregon. Hardly anything changes, it's all ponderosa/lodgepole pines and sage and juniper trees. The thought of being able to see and experience the autumn colors changing a year from now as I'm nearing the end of my thru-hike is enough motivation to get me to Maine. I get a natural high just thinking about it. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I feel as though I haven't been able to experience it since moving out here.On a more random note, for those of you who don't know (which is most of you reading this) I am a total fanatic of NBC's The Office. I don't watch tv hardly ever, in fact, we don't own one that works for anything other than dvd's, however, The Office is my one guilty pleasure. It's such a great show, I don't even feel guilty admitting I love it. It's just a pleasure. Anyway, I realized yesterday, as I was sitting there getting excited for the season premiere that airs tomorrow, that I will be hiking for the season finale of season 5! Yes, I will be on the trail for May Sweeps (and many episodes before that, for that matter). This realization was very bitter sweet. Sad that I will be missing out on my weekly 30 minutes of pure hilarious bliss, but SO EXCITED THAT MY HIKE IS SO SOON! It's less than a tv season away! WAAAAAHOOOOOOO. Funny the perspective we can take on things. Also, the hike is officially less days away than it will presumeably take me to hike it. That seems like some kind of milestone in itself.Til the next time I think of random, useless facts, thoughts, or feelings to share!Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-10-01
To: Flight is Booked!!!
Miles today: 0.0

I officially sealed the deal yesterday by the purchase of my one-way plane ticket down to Georgia. It was very exciting and made the entire thing feel that much more real. I was nervous about clicking "purchase", I don't know why. But it's done now, there's no turning back. March 13th- woohoo! :-) I guess that means I can start an official countdown, but I think I'd rather not because I think it will drive me crazy. I just know its 5.5 months away :-)!Okay, this entry is short and sweet because I'm heading into the field for two weeks in about a half hour. Time to switch gears and focus on my job for awhile, opposed to the AT. I'll be back October 15th to resume full focus, though! :-)My goals for my next off shift are:-decide on trekking poles-plan miles 450-1000Ummm, yeah, that's all the stuff I can think of for now but I'm sure more will come to mind... Hopefully my parents will be picking up my summer sleeping bag for me at the REI sale that is going on for the week and half that I'm in the field! (thanks guys) :-)This should be a relatively easy rotation for me... I'm working with girls for the first time since January, and there are only two of them at the moment. I can't imagine it being too difficult when staff outnumber students. Knock on wood. Unfortunately, fall has arrived here in Central Oregon and there is a chance of rain every single day. We've been lucky enough to hardly see a cloud since June... Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-10-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey all,After 12 days, I am almost back to being 100% healthy. During my recuperation I spent some time at Barnes and Nobles browsing some books to entertain myself while I was not feeling well. There was a book on happiness that I picked up and it gave me lots of things to think about and reflect upon in my life. The chapter that piqued my interest the most was on the concept that intrinsic happiness is a sign of four things:1.) We like where we are, physically/geographically2.) We like the people we are surrounded by3.) We are doing the right thing4.) We are doing the right thing for the right reasonsLooking back on different portions of my own life, it all made a lot of sense. The best time periods for me have been when I can say yes to all four of those statements, primarily, my time in Bend, OR working for Sage Walk as a field instructor. It got me excited for my thru-hike because I am fairly confident that those statements will be true as I walk from Georgia to Maine.I got a tarot card reading done last night through an acquaintance. I have to admit, I'm a bit skeptical of that kind of stuff- it's simply cards, what if I chose a different card? However, the woman knew nothing about me and a lot of what she said made a lot of sense with my life the past year and with what lays ahead of me. She claimed I have a huge achievement coming my way in which I will prevail over odds that are against me (after I pulled the achievement card followed by the courage card). Let me remind you, she knew nothing about me. Crazy huh? I hope she's right. :)My trekking poles arrived yesterday. That was exciting. I hope to get out and use them one of these days on a day hike to test them out. Oh, a good friend gave me the newest issue of Backpacker Magazine today because it has a great section on the AT!!! I highly recommend it. Lots of good information/gear list/articles, etc. I also read today that Robert Redford has once again announced concrete plans to turn A Walk In The Woods into a film. Hopefully it'll happen this time. I couldn't find any information on a time frame, though. Maybe they'll film this summer? :)Tomorrow I hope to take my laptop to the local tea house and crank out another 500 miles of tentative itinerary. OH, and a few days ago was the 5 month mark. I'm resisting actually calculating an exact countdown because that number will drive me mad, however, I can't help but estimate it in my head. (30 x 5 - 3). Somewhere around 147 days to go... I'm off to go read more of my Backpacker before having sweet dreams.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-10-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey all,After 12 days, I am almost back to being 100% healthy. During my recuperation I spent some time at Barnes and Nobles browsing some books to entertain myself while I was not feeling well. There was a book on happiness that I picked up and it gave me lots of things to think about and reflect upon in my life. The chapter that piqued my interest the most was on the concept that intrinsic happiness is a sign of four things:1.) We like where we are, physically/geographically2.) We like the people we are surrounded by3.) We are doing the right thing4.) We are doing the right thing for the right reasonsLooking back on different portions of my own life, it all made a lot of sense. The best time periods for me have been when I can say yes to all four of those statements, primarily, my time in Bend, OR working for Sage Walk as a field instructor. It got me excited for my thru-hike because I am fairly confident that those statements will be true as I walk from Georgia to Maine.I got a tarot card reading done last night through an acquaintance. I have to admit, I'm a bit skeptical of that kind of stuff- it's simply cards, what if I chose a different card? However, the woman knew nothing about me and a lot of what she said made a lot of sense with my life the past year and with what lays ahead of me. She claimed I have a huge achievement coming my way in which I will prevail over odds that are against me (after I pulled the achievement card followed by the courage card). Let me remind you, she knew nothing about me. Crazy huh? I hope she's right. My trekking poles arrived yesterday. That was exciting. I hope to get out and use them one of these days on a day hike to test them out. Oh, a good friend gave me the newest issue of Backpacker Magazine today because it has a great section on the AT!!! I highly recommend it. Lots of good information/gear list/articles, etc. I also read today that Robert Redford has once again announced concrete plans to turn A Walk In The Woods into a film. Hopefully it'll happen this time. I couldn't find any information on a time frame, though. Maybe they'll film this summer? Tomorrow I hope to take my laptop to the local tea house and crank out another 500 miles of tentative itinerary. OH, and a few days ago was the 5 month mark. I'm resisting actually calculating an exact countdown because that number will drive me mad, however, I can't help but estimate it in my head. (30 x 5 - 3). Somewhere around 147 days to go... I'm off to go read more of my Backpacker before having sweet dreams.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-10-23
To: Finances
Miles today: 0.0

Today while driving out to the field, I began thinking about my finances for the coming year and started to freak out. I'm not sure why because I've been saving money and have more than enough to get me through my hike and still be comfortable after. I think it's only natural to feel a bit uneasy you realize will have no income for about 9 months as of December 10, right? And then there's the health insurance to buy,rent through January, the car insurance to pay for, the car payments (I'd like to pay off my entire car which is a couple thousand more dollars), and the rest of my gear (only big ticket item left is my tent). Once all that is paid for then there's still the cost of the actual hike. Eeeek. It's daunting to think about, which is why I have been working my butt off on my off shifts. I'm down to my last month or two of earning money before what I've got in my account is all I'll have for my hike. I've been saving money all year and I've got it totally under control, it's just daunting to know my last pay check is only a few weeks away...My trekking poles arrived the other day and I tested them out on a long day hike yesterday! Weather was beautiful as was the trail we hiked. (I posted a few pictures). There was a light dusting of snow in the upper elevations of the forest, then it was warm and dry and desert-like coming down the other side. I'm going to miss the pacific northwest and hope to spend as much time as I can hiking this next week before heading into the field. Weather is supposed to remain sunny and 60s. I also need to get more used to my trekking poles. Currently, they are a danger to anyone in my vicinity due to my clumsiness and lack of coordination when using them. Also, I was thinking about things I could do to help get in shape the 6 weeks I'll be at home in Michigan before my thru-hike and I thought that bikram yoga would be really beneficial. I did it for two weeks here in Bend and loved it, but after the two week introduction period it got too expensive so I couldn't continue. I might suck up the high cost and pay for a month long pass to the local studio in Ann Arbor leading up to my hike. My strength, balance, and flexibility all drastically improved in the two weeks I did it and it's awesome to do bikram yoga as a supplement to other work outs, such as running.My parents are getting ready for a road trip to Washington DC and North Carolina. They, too, are getting excited about my thru-hike and are planning on doing some day hikes along the AT while out there. The changing leaves should be beautiful this time of year and I'm extremely jealous of them. Their support, interest, and enthusiasm for this grand adventure of mine means the world to me. I feel very lucky.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-11-20
To: One more rotation...
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,Sorry it's been awhile since an entry. My life has been busy to say the least as I wrap up my time here in Oregon. Upon coming out of the field from my second to last rotation, I was asked to help out in the field for the first week of my off shift due to staffing issues. Out of desire to want to help and give back to Sage Walk as well as the urge to earn as much money as possible before income stops for 10 months I repacked my pack the day after getting out of the field to head in for another week. I had the opportunity to work in the Drug and Alcohol group which I had never done before, as well as work with instructors on the other shift who I hardly get to see but have a lot of respect and admiration for. It was a wonderful five days, huge paycheck aside.Now, with one week left before heading in for my final rotation at Sage Walk, I find myself getting sentimental. It will be bittersweet, for sure. I'm excited to be moving on in my life, and glad to be leaving at what feels like the top of my game and on a good note. I don't feel checked out or "done" yet, which is great. There is always the potential that I will find my way back to Sage Walk after my hike, who knows... It has certainly been the most incredible 19 months of my life full of change and growth within myself. The quality of people who work at Sage Walk and who I've gotten to work with and know so closely never ceases to amaze me. The students have taught me more than I think I have taught them. The travel opportunities my schedule has allowed over the past year and a half are a lifetime worth of vacations, and the friendships formed I'm confident will stay strong through our unique shared experiences. Looking back on who I was when I started in May 2007 I see a different person. May my last 15 days in the field be as wonderful as the first 270...With a lot of emotions going on in regards to leaving Bend, saying goodbye to friends and Sage Walk soon, and unpredictable twists in my personal life, I find myself being the least focused on the AT that I have been in the past 6 months. With plans to move home, my trip to Hawaii for my brothers wedding coming up, and my days in Bend being numbered, I simply have other things on my mind right now that have to take priority over my hike that doesn't start until March. I'm feeling pretty good about it still, although I've fallen a bit behind in my itinerary planning. Hopefully I can get a bunch done this next week. I'm still waiting to buy my tent and will need to buy another pair of shoes. The Keens I got have become my field shoes and will most likely be my winter shoes in Michigan so I'll need to replace them before March. Other than that, I just need a pot and a few stuff sacks and I'm pretty much good to go equipment-wise. I celebrated my 4-month countdown out in the field this week. It was exciting and made it feel very close, especially with all that I have going on in the next two months. March 16th will be here before I know it.Thanks to all of those who have expressed interest in this grand adventure I'm about to embark on.Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-12-18
To: Home Sweet Home
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,The purchasing of equipment for my thru-hike is nearly complete with the exception of a few small things like stuff sacks, a new pair of shoes, etc. It felt good to finally buy the last few big ticket items left, my tent and cooking pot. I went to REI with the intent of using the 20% off one full priced item coupon on my tent, since 20% is a chunk of change. However, I was ELATED to see the Hubba was in their clearance bin, marked down to $179.99!!! Funny how life works out sometimes. That freed up my coupon to get used on something else so I put it towards my pot. I ended up going with the REI Ti-Ware .9L. Needless to say, it felt like Christmas a few weeks early and I felt like a 6 year old on Christmas morning, doing a hop, skip, n' jump (or something to that effect) when I saw my tent on super sale at REI, grinning from ear to ear the rest of the night unable to contain my excitement of my purchases, and making sure to tell everyone around me about it, regardless of if they cared or showed any interest. Of course I set it up as soon as I got home and spent some time laying in it, trying to grasp the concept that it's soon to be my home for 6 months. On top of that, a close friend bought me the footprint for it for my Christmas present! YAY! (thank you, Mike! I thought about whether or not I wanted the footprint but ultimately decided that I want to take as good care as possible of this "home", so the extra few ounces and little space the footprint takes up was worth it...I'm back in the midwest for the holidays. Soon after Christmas I'll be heading to Hawaii for two weeks for my brother's wedding. We're getting pounded with winter weather right now, as is Central Oregon. I'm glad I'm not going back into the field this coming Wednesday. Yes, I think Hawaii sounds like a much better place to be going this time of year... I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2008-12-31
To: Happy New Year!!
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers, I can't believe it, I am hours away from it being 2009! The year, MY YEAR, to hike the AT. Spring 2009 has always sounded so far away, I can't believe it's finally here. At long last, I won't have to click a different year to look at my fellow thru-hikers trail journals- it will be the ones that appear on the first page! (talk about simple pleasures). Super exciting, I can't believe it's almost here. I don't think I've mentioned that I finally received my summer sleeping bag! The REI Kilo flash 35+! My parents bought it a long time ago and insisted on hiding it until Christmas morning. It was one of those things I had totally forgotten about until I saw the big REI cotton sack sitting in the living room Christmas morning, and got really excited all over again about the bag.   This year was, in my opinion, the best to date. It was full of challenges and growing experiences, and definitely tumultuous at times, but that's what makes the year feel so fulfilling and my current place so rewarding. I'm proud to say that I accomplished everything on my New Years Resolutions list last year. I actually wrote them down for the first time ever, and I am really glad I did. I think I will make a point of doing that from now on. Written down, tangible goals make the feeling of accomplishment that much greater. I had some amazing travel experiences and met some truly incredible people. It's crazy to think that twelve months ago I was in the field, lying in a wall tent while it snowed outside, writing in my journal about my hopes and goals for the following year. Feels like it was yesterday... time is flying. I can only imagine how fast this coming year will feel, seeing that my hike will dominate the majority of it. My Sage Walk buddies are currently out in the field right now. Despite me being in Hawaii, relaxing on beaches and preparing for my brother's wedding, they are in my thoughts. New Years out in the field was really special for me last year. I had a lot to be thankful for and to reflect upon. It's weird to know that I'm not going back to work in the field. I find myself thinking "when I go back in..." and realize there will be no "next rotation". Crazy Well, on that note, I should wrap this up. I have a booze cruise to go get ready for. I'll be on a boat, in Hawaii, with close friends and family. Sounds like the best New Year's Eve I could ask for! I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year Year!Happy Trails,Amy
Date: 2009-01-08
To: Aloha 2009
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers, I'm happy to say that my 2009 has been off to a fabulous start Hawaiian-style! My new years resolutions for 2009 were pretty simple (and obvious) this year. Resolution #1: GET TO MAINE!!!!!!!!!Yeah, that's about it. Only one this year. Short and sweet. Everything else I came up with paled in comparison that it seemed not worth writing down. I guess if I were to add a second one it would be to figure out my next step professionally for after my thru-hike. I'll have three or four months of 2009 left upon completing my hike to figure it out. And I'll have six months of hiking to ponder it! Let's hope I'll be as successful at accomplishing my resolutions this year as I was last year.My brother's wedding took place on January 2nd and was beautiful! The dress and makeup and fancy hair felt worlds away from the field life I'm so accustomed to and the trail life I will soon be adopting. I enjoyed being girly while the opportunity presented itself. Currently, I'm in Maui enjoying some rest and relaxation daily by the beach and pool. It's a rough life. I'm making the most of this relaxing vacation while I can and trying not to think too much about the trail yet because I know I'll have the entire month leading up to my start date to focus on it. But as of recently, my dreams nightly, have encompassed either Sage Walk and/or the AT. Stuck in an emotional transition, ya think?That's it from this part of the world. Enjoy the posted photos.Happy Trails,Amy