morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-01-16
To: Preparation continues.
Miles today: 0.0

Last week I covered the pool table with plastic and started packaging up some food for the mail drops. I have about 30 dinners ready. Those will take the most time to prepare so am starting on them first. I went to my cousin's bulk food store and bought dried potatoes, dried milk, dried onions, potato flakes, cheese sauce mix, gravy mix, etc. Some of the dinners seem to be pretty heavy but I guess when you consider they are for 2 people, this is not too bad. I'll mix with some lighter meals like ramen noodles with dried vegetables. The foil packets of tuna, chicken, and turkey are what make them heavy. I would have tried drying them but just was not sure about how they would turn out. It would take some weight off, for sure. If I work on these meals between now and the time we leave I may be able to have all our dinner meals packaged and ready to go, along with breakfasts which should not take as much time. Lunches I would like to pick up along the way as much as possible but I don't want to have to go off the trail far to get them so some lunches may have to be sent also. Lunches will probably be limited to peanut butter, cheese, and bagels or some other type of bread. I'm sure we will get tired of them but I remember as a kid when working in the tomato fields a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tasted pretty good at noon after working all morning. I received my Cho-Pat knee braces a while back and am anxious to see how they work for my knees this next weekend on our hike into Zaleski State Forest. I guess that is my main concern for walking the trail.We recently found out that at the end of August sometime we will have to get off the trail to make a trip to see the first born of our youngest daughter that lives in Concord, Ohio. We are very excited about being grandparents for the 4th time. They all are up in the northern part of Ohio so we do not see them as frequently as we would like. It'll be hard not seeing them while we're on the trail. Thanks to all who have given us great advice on mail drops, pocket composer, gear, etc. We really do consider the info. I still need to finalize the mail-drop list so it may change before we start the trail. If it was up to Mike we would just wing it and maybe that would be ok but I don't want to be caught out there with no food and a town 10 miles away for resupply.    It is hard to imagine that just 2 years ago the idea of doing this was not even in our minds. And now in just 54 days we will be out there in whatever the weather happens to be. I hope that we meet up with as many of you hikers and trail angels that have e-mailed us or signed out guest book. If not we look forward to seeing your entries in the registers along the way. We know from some of you that there may be some poems and sketches that may appear from time to time. Thanks to everyone for their encouragement. It will be something that will keep us going.
Date: 2005-01-25
To: LOA
Miles today: 0.0

I turned my request for LOA in on Friday and today, Tuesday, I received a letter denying my request. But, you know what? I don¢t care! In a way I feel rejected but I know anyone with a similar request would have been denied so I do not take it personally. I just think it is sad that some employers do not look beyond school and health for legitimate reasons to take a leave of absence. But it feels good to know that when we get off the trail that I will not have to think about going back to work at any specific time. The letter reassured me that should I want to return I would be considered for rehiring. Now, my options are open and I can go anywhere and anytime I want. I had asked for 8 months LOA instead of six. I would have started the leave a week before our departure date and returned in November. Since our daughter is due to have her baby at the end of August we knew we would be getting off the trail then and that when we got home we would want some time to visit with our family and get acclimated to being off the trail¢hence the 8 months. But it wouldn¢t have made any difference¢90 days seems to be the limit. I haven¢t figured out how someone can get through school in 90 days and/or recuperate from some illnesses in 90 days. Oh well, I said I wanted them to make the decision about whether I resigned or took a LOA. Now I just have to write a letter of resignation. Had I done that in the beginning I might have forever wondered if I would have had a chance of getting a LOA. 45 days until we leave from home!!
Date: 2005-02-23
To: "Climb "Til Your Dreams Come True"
Miles today: 0.0

Last night was my last night at work. I had hoped to get a call saying I could have the night off because of low census, but knowing that by it being the first of the week the census would be higher due to surgeries. So I assumed nothing and rested a few more hours before leaving for work. As it turned out it was a wonderful night because we had more staff working and I felt like I was able to do my job better than usual. When I got to work I had a beautiful huge bouquet of flowers that was from ¢my family.¢ They were from a friend of my son¢s and she had not wanted me to know they were from her. But since she is here visiting from Ky. I thought the extravagance had her ¢feel¢ rather than that of my family.   My family is more practical. Sometimes practical is good but sometimes extravagance makes a person feel pretty special. So thank you, Susan! One of my co-workers brought some munchies in to work for the special occasion of my last night and I found a card on my locker when I left from her and it was SO appropriate. The card has a picture of a wooded lane with a block pathway and the verse inside says, ¢The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.¢ A small wallet size card inside is titled the same as this entry and it goes like this:Often your tasks will be many,And more than you think you can do¢¦Often the road will be ruggedAnd the hills insurmountable, too¢¦But always remember, the hills aheadAre never as steep as they seem,And with Faith in you heart start upwardAnd climb ¢til you reach your dream,For nothing in life that is worthyIs ever too hard to achieveIf you have the courage to try itAnd you have the Faith to believe¢¦For Faith is a force that is greater Than knowledge or power or skillAnd many defeats turn to triumphIf you trust in God¢s wisdom and will¢¦For Faith is a mover of mountains,There¢s nothing that God cannot do,So start out today with Faith in your heartAnd ¢Climb ¢Til Your Dreams Come True¢! ¢¦Helen Steiner Rice¢¦.If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.Mark 9:23Thanks Gypsy! I will carry this to look at along the way. It can¢t weigh THAT much!I turned in my ID/Time Clock Badge and my parking sticker and now I am no longer employed. It certainly feels wonderful to know that I will be able to sleep every night now and be on a more regular schedule for sleeping.   Susan had on the card with the flowers, ¢The AT awaits you.¢ That is so true and I am so ready mentally, if not physically and preparation wise at this point! Stay tuned to the next chapter in our wonderful saga of a six month hike on the AT. We will try not to leave anything out and if you have questions you would like to ask feel free to e-mail us at our pocketmail e-mail address: theduhls@pocketmail.com. We will try to answer as many as possible in our journals and/or e-mail directly back to you.
Date: 2005-03-11
To: Outreach International
Miles today: 0.0

Within a couple of hours we will be in the car and on our way to Springer Mountain to begin our journey on the A.T. Diana is going around the house like a whirlwind, trying to figure if she has forgot anything, etc. Hopefully when we start walking on even when we begin our drive she will begin to relax and enjoy the trip.Anyway, if you have been reading our journals you have seen Outreach International mentioned. Their web site is www.outreach-international.org. Visit this site and become familiar with what they do. I am one of the reps. for this area and Diana and I have been with them on site visits to Nicaragua and to the Philippines. Currently they are working in 14 different countries including projects in the U.S. They work using a process called Participatory Human Development. They develop specialists from within the project area and enable them with skills to carry out their own work curriculum. They set their own priorities, determine what their needs are, and make decisions on how to solve them. Outreach International offers them assistance through the local specialists they have help train. It truely is a great organization to be associated with. 85% of each $1.00 goes directly to the countries O.I works in. There budget last year was around $1.7 million, not very much for work in 14 countries. That is why Diana and I are walking this trail as a fundraiser for O.I. We hope to raise around $250,000 dollars as a result of people sponsoring us at so much a mile. Just call 1-888-833-1235 on their website and mention that you wish to sponsor Mike and Diana Duhl for the Appalachian Trail Walk for Hunger. They would be happy to take care of you!!!Oh yes! The donation is of course tax deductible!!!!Ok, it is almost time to grab our backpacks and head for Springer!! It just doesn't seem possible what we are about to do!!! Please keep the emails coming and the prayers for our patience, stamina, strength, and health in general. We truely appreciate all of you who have read our journals, signed our guest book and emailed us. I really cannot express how much these mean to us! Just a great big thanks!!!!!!!!Next entry? On the trail! No more prep entries! Best to all of you!Mike and Diana
Date: 2005-03-11
To: Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

From the edge of the trail they were not far, so came I to take them there. This is the last glimps I saw that night as I headed back north. Friday, March 11, 2005 (post by MWD)3/11 ON OUR WAYWe did not get started for Georgia until noon due a Dr.s appointment and I had to go pick up my last pay check. Mike had wanted to be on the road early but there was nothing to be done. The earliest I could get in was today and I had called earlier in the week for any canellations and there were none. Then the Dr. was an hour later seeing me but she delivers babies and sometimes it can't be helped. Anyway, everyone in the office wanted to know all about the trip so I gave them our tj address so they can follow along. The Dr. said it wiill be good for my bones. I wanted to ask if it would be good for my bone's joints but was afraid to. She probably would have said that an orthopedic Dr. would have to determine that.My Mom and Dad were at the house when I got home and Dad offered a prayer for our trip to Ga. and for our son's trip back and also for our hike.We arrived at the Hiker Hostel around 10:30pm and Josh was waiting up for us. We were given the top 2 bunks in a room with 2 bunk beds. Neither of us slept well--Ithink we were too tired from the long trip and anxious about the day ahead. Also, our packs are heavy and at least I am concerned about how to cut down the weight. We did not weigh them. I'm sure we will have a chance to do that sometime tomorrow. Tomorrow will be our first journal entry from the trail.
Date: 2005-03-12
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: few clouds

Day 1I awakened about 0600 and crawled down from the bunk I was on and went out to wait for everyone else to get up. Breakfast was supposed to be at 0645 and we were to be ready to be taken to the trail head at 0745. We were planning to do the approach trail which is over 8 miles to the beginning of the trail atop Springer Mountain but we changed our minds because the approach trail miles don't count toward the total AT miles.So Josh from the hostel drove us over 15 miles, I think, on a forest service road where the AT crosses. But we had to walk south 0.9 mile to the top of Springer Mountain in order to say we walked from there. The morning was cold and windy but no snow. We started out with our long underwear and fleece jackets and gloves. The trail to Springer was frozen with patches of ice. On the way back north over the same trail the path was thawing and getting muddy. Our trekking poles helped more than once to catch ourselves when we slipped in the mud or stumbled on a rock or root (and there were many). We took some pictures of the trail with mountain laurels arching over the trail in a couple of places. BEAUTIFUL!!!Oh, we got our packs weighed on the porch of the hostel. Mike's weighed 43 pounds and mine was 32. We have to get the weight down.I forgot to mention that Leigh fixed a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, OJ, grits, and coffee. I also forgot to memtion that our bunkmates were 2 older (like us) men trail named Nimblefoot and Swampfox.We asked when the bears come out of hibernation and was told by Josh that bears do not hibernate down here although they are a bit less active during the colder months.We saw also rhodedendrums and holly trees, the only green besides the pines, huge hemlocks, and mountain laurels.We left Springer at 1000 and got to the shelter around 5pm. I think we were some of the last to get there. We were exhausted!! We kept thinking we should be coming upon the shelter just over the next mountantop or when we would get to the bottom of it on the other side. So when we got there we were too tired to want to do anything. But we set up the tent and cooked our supper. The wind was so strong it kept blowing out the flame. After restarting it several times we gave up and ate the dinner with it half cooked and only lukewarm. We were too tired to care. it was getting dark so just crawled into the sleeping bags and hoped we would do better tomorrow. All in all it was a great day and we could hardly believe we were on the AT at last.
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Past Woody Gap somewhere

To: Neel's Gap 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 5Today we decided not to hike. The weather is rainy and cold and besides we wanted to have the people at the Mountain Crossings Outfitter take a look at our packs and see what they suggest getting rid of. We will trust their judgment. We got rid of about 7 pounds. Mike's waist belt on his pack started coming loose so he asked the people at the outfitter to see if there was something they could do. As it turned out there were other packs of the same kind that had had the same problem. They called Laura at the Outfitter @ Harper's Ferry and she said if they sent the pack to her she would send it back to the company and refund us the money. So Mike has a new pack now. I tried one like it but the shoulder straps cut into my shoulder too much. Actually my pack is fine but I did not think I could get all the gear and food in it when I am on the trail by myself. But Nathan did it and it looked so nice when he did it. It took a long time for this to be done. They are shipping the unneeded items back home UPS for us and the broken pack back to HF. We are sending home the pictures we have taken so far so Michael can get them on TJ with our entries. We got a call at the outfitters today. Jackie has decided to stay on the trail for another 2 weeks before getting off. We're happy about that--we'd miss her. We came back to the motel again tonight and had dinner with David and Jackie--this time at an AYCE pizza place. Tomorrow we all hit The Hole in The Wall again and say goodbye to Blairsville, Ga. We have clean clothes again and will be on the trail for another 4-5 days before we get off in Hiawassee.Good night.
Date: 2005-03-17
From: Neel's Gap

To: Top of a mountain
Miles today: 9.5

3/17Day 6Starting: Neel's GapDestination: Top of a mountainToday's miles: 9.5Total miles : 40.1 milesWE said good-by to Blairsville today. It is a friendly little town that is growing but we spent most of it in the older part. We went to The Hole in the Wall restaurant one last time for breakfast. It is such a typical small town restaurant that we wanted to take a picture of it. It has plaques all over the walls with little sayings on it. The one Mike liked was one that said, " Don't steal. The government does not like competetion." I asked permission from the waitress to take a picture and took several. One had a customer in it and he said if I'd send him the picture he'd autograph it "Chuck Norris" and send it back to me. I guess he has been told he looks like him. Well, maybe.Nathan, the young man that went through our packs yesterday to get our weight down picked Jackie, David, Mike and I up at the motel at 8:15 and we got to the Walasi-]i Center where the outfitter is and where the trail crosses through the center via a breeze-way. It was not raining but was foggy-- but not like yesterday. We started climbing out of the gap and it started sleeting. Soon it was snowing and the trees and ground had a thin layer of snow on them. It was really beautiful. The ground was not frozen and was pretty muddy in places. I took my first fall today on a muddy rock I was walking across. Mike was up ahead sitting on a log talking to a couple that were having there lunch. David was close by and he halped me up. I'm sure there will be many more. Now Mike and I are even on falls.It continued to snow but let up some in the afternoon. At Tesnatee Gap we were lower in elevation and and it was a bit warmer so we stopped to cook our dinner rather than wait til we stopped for the night. By the time we started cooking there we several other hikers there and they cooked also. Hopeful Hiker was one and he has been having trouble with his knees on the downhills. He looked like me when I was having trouble with mine before the hike. I really felt bad for him. He said he started having the problem when he was trying to keep up with a group of faster hikers. Before that he had never had this knee problem at all. Three young guys stopped, also, that we had met back at the oufitter yesterday. One was Jacob, our first trail angel's (Skip's) son. With him was Raz and Wyatt.From there we climbed again, back into the higher elevations where there was snow and ice on the tree trunks, limbs, leaves of the mountain laurels, rhododendrums, holly trees, and needles of the pines. Mike got some good pictures.We stopped on another mountain top to camp. We preferred to make it to the shelter ahead but it was getting late and cold and did not want to set up in the dark. We hurriedly set up the tents with the wind blowing toward the backs of them and crawled in. It was getting windier and it was starting to sleet. ------------------------------
Date: 2005-03-18
From: on top of a mountain

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

3/18Start: on top of a mountainDestination: Unicoi GapMiles today:10.4Total miles: 50.5Day 7We were up and packed to start hiking at 8:15 am. The sun had risen by the time we left and was already melting the ice and snow from the branches. We only had a little snow on the tent this morning. I did not sleep well last night. I was cold all night. We were going to zip the bags together but I was too cold and couldn't get my fingers to work. Mike said I had to many layers on which was probably right.We hiked to Low Gap Shelter to cook our breakfast. Everyone had left from there so we had it to ourselves. We filtered our water and then hiked out to go as far as we could. The day was sunny and warm as long as we hiked but when we stopped we would get cool, especially when the wind blew. We stopped for cooking our dinner in the afternoon at a sunny little spot and then headed on toward Blue Mountain Shelter where we thought we would be the only ones there because absolutely no one had passed by us that day. The shelter is, according to the companion book, a quite windy and cold place to stay and we were not looking forward to it, but then we thought, "Hey, if no one is there we can set up our tents, which are free-standing, and that will give us double protection from the wind!" Well, less than a mile from the shelter a lone hiker, Darcy, comes whizzing by us. her destination--the shelter. When we got to the top of the mountain, finally, we found several others there. But a miracle happened. On top of the mountain Tater, a 2000 thru-hiker, was there. He had climbed the over 2 mile climb up from Unicol Gap to find some hikers to take to his cabin. He had been to Dick's Creek Gap but no one was there. So for the first time he went to Blue Mtn Shelter. The four of us followed Tater off the mountain (a grueling 2.2 miles to the botttom where he was parked). It was getting dark and hard to see by the time Jackie and I finally reached the truck where Tater was waiting with David and Mike. But it was all worth it for a hot shower, a hot meal and a warm bed. Tater's cabin, a weekend home, is beautiful!! And he opened it up so graciously to us, strangers. Wow!! What trail magic. Just before we went to bed he made us an offer. "If you all want to slack pack tomorrow to Dick's Creek Gap, I'll pick you up and you can stay here another night. Tempting! We'll have to sleep on that one. That's a 16 mile hike! Everyone seems to be for it b!ut I don't know if I do it. We have a mail drop at Blueberry Patch and we had planned to stay there when we reached Dick's Creek Gap. Tomorrow morning we'll see.------------------------------