morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-25
From: Erwin

To: Erwin (Miss Janet's)
Miles today: 8.3

.25.05Day 435pm Completed my challenging (or, not so much) 8.3-mile slackpack in, oh, less than 3 hours of hiking. Also completed my move, not from but across Erwin, all the way to Miss Janet's. I didn't stay there last year, and I'd wished that I had. So, here I am. Currently, I'm at the Erwin Burrito Company, another cultural necessity of the town. I hiked today w/ Butterfly Moon and her significant other, the newly named Toast. The three of us also adopted Miss Janet's dog Fabian for the day. What a great trail dog. And what a treat to hang out w/ a canine friend all day. I shouldn't say that we hiked (or I should at least qualify it by saying that we "hiked") b}c it was really more of a stroll, an afternoon constitutional. The easiest 8.3 miles to-date, I'm sure. (Those who hiked NOBO may disagree, however.) The virtually empty pack didn't hurt either. (As a side note: when I do get around to actually hiking out of Erwin (and not returning in the evening), the stays of my pack may very well bend under the sheer weight of my food bag. I have no estimate of the poundage of that bag, other than it's bloody heavy, and if a bear tries to swipe it, I may simply wield it as a blunt weapon. Honestly, I'm not sure where all of the food came from, but somehow my intended 5 days of food ended up as an actual 8 days worth. Huh. Could possibly have something to do w/ the fact that I had lunch a whole 2 hours before going to the supermarket... Nah.) Anyway, I vastly enjoyed the weightlessness of my pack. And I enjoyed even more the beautiful blue skies, and suprisingly dry trail. I was anticipating some residual snow from yesterday's anomalous weather. It was even more surreal, remembering how bundled up we all got yesterday in preparation of a quick dash to Mickey Ds or the next-door gas station (purveyor of beer), and then walking the lanes of Erwin today, watching people mow their lawns in shorts and T-shirts. Bi-zarre.As I was hiking (oops)... strolling along today, literally skipping at times, I was trying to remember my first slackpack last year. There was the whole mile and change b/t Fontana and the dam that I did w/ Mom, but that was so short that, blink, and you missed it. No, I think my first true act of purist rebellion was when I joined the slackers being shuttled by Lady Kritter (Krispy, Bear Tracks, Rooster, Sanguine, Jester, Riva Queen). Good times, those were. We started our operation at the Relax Inn, the truckstop boasting a Dairy Queen and a gas station. And we ended up near Bland. Then, we headed back to Damascus for Trail Days. Awesome times, those were. So, post-Damascus but pre-Trail Days on the slackpack last year. Well, I guess I'm just precocious this time 'round. Well, I just polished off my scrumptiously yummy (and heftily large) burrito. Time to head back to Miss Js, see who else has rolled in.
Date: 2005-06-06
From: Dutch Haus

To: points north
Miles today: 0.0

To my faithful trailjournals readers, as well as those who stumble here by accident, or in their incurable trailjournals addiction, or just in random web-surfing:I humbly and heartily apologize that I have not been faithful in updating my journal. I am still wandering about, (not-entirely-)aimlessly in the woods. I'm currently located in the small Virginia town of Montebello, being pampered by the luxury of the Dutch Haus. As I write, I sit a mere 80 miles south of where I departed from the trail last year. So, needless to say, there's a great deal of flip-flopping and butterfly romping going on in my midsection. Another 5 days, and I'll be tromping through untraversed territory! The trail is treating me fan-tabulously this year -- no (major) aches (sore knees seem to be a necessity out here), no pains, and most importantly, no mental doubts plaguing me. The Virginia Blues aren't singin' to me this year. Instead, I walk along and whistle a merry tune.Anyway, just wanted to let all of you know that I'm still alive and kickin' (and walkin' in the woods). Eventually, my journal entries will get posted. Eventually. Until then...
Date: 2005-06-23
From: points further north

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hello, hello! Yesterday, several monumental milestones were crossed -- I made my final farewells to Virginia (at last, after 550 miles!), I crossed the 1000-mile mark, and I reached Harpers Ferry, the mental mid-way point on the AT (although, in actuality, it lies about 75 miles _south_ of the half-way point. But really, who's counting?). It was an absolutely _stellar_ day, the weather unsurpassable -- yes, after 2 solid weeks of sunshine and blue skies, we get rain. "Isolated thunderstorms"? Nope. It was a raincloud, perched over our heads. Which, naturally, cleared up about 30 seconds _after_ we walked into town. Figures. But, despite my resemblance to a drowned rat and dripping water all over the floor of the ATC Headquarters, it really was a perfect day. Spent w/ my AT family. Hard to believe it's already been three months. So many adventures and memories in that time. And so many more to come, in the miles to come. Crossing the point (even if it was in a canoe, and not on foot) in the Shenandoahs where I left the trail last year, was a _huge_ mental un-burdening. Not that I was consciously stressing or thinking about it, but still, the awareness was there, hovering just on the periphery of my mind. And now that it's come and gone, it's like I can focus solely on the journey ahead. And what a journey it will be! Sorry this is such an abbreviated update. But, as usual, I have a million errands to run while in town; and, as usual, I've procrastinated long enough. So, until next time... [transcribbler's note: to further align with GLGE standards, Scholar's entires will not show mileage. She has asked me to post these general entries and she will fill in specific information and dated entries after she finishes her adventure. Some news is better than no news, right?
Date: 2005-07-29
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Pawling, NY
Miles today: 0.0

Just a quick note to let all of you know my whereabouts. I'm currently in Pawling, NY , having been adopted by a local family for the night. I reunited w/ Freedom and Thatch two days ago, after not seeing them for several weeks. We were on a hunt for Feelin' Free, Serenity, and Poet , for a while thinking that we were chasing them, then suspecting that they were chasing us. Finally, last night, we got word from them. They're taking a few days off the trail to rest and recuperate as well. So, I may be hanging out in this area for a couple of days, just enjoying a dose of 'normalcy' (whatever that is). The trail has been superb. New York is slightly more challenging and demanding than the last couple of states, as we no longer perch along the ridgeline for 20 miles at a stretch. Lots of ups and downs, and boulder scrambling. Good times, and a good taste for what's to come in the Whites. (Or so I hear...) Life is grand, and I'm still having the time of my life. Sorry to cut this short, but I'm on borrowed computer time as it is. Be well, everybody.
Date: 2005-08-03
From: Kent, CT

To: somewhere further north
Miles today: 0.0

Yes, I'm still in Kent, CT , but my departure is fast approaching. All of this time away from the trail (even though it's been spent largely in trail towns) is inflicting me w/ a serious case of cabin fever. Four zeroes in five days... Whew. I need to get back to the woods. I _yearn_ to be back in the woods. We've gotten word that Feelin' Free, Serenity, and Poet are in the vicinity of Kent, although we have yet to actually catch sight of them. Hopefully, we'll track them down on the trail at some point today. Anyway, just letting you all know my whereabouts. Should be arriving in Massachusetts in a few days. Hard to believe how quickly time and the miles are flying by. Until next time,
Date: 2005-08-18
From: Bennington

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hello everyone! So, I decided that all of the rave reviews of Vermont that I received through the AT grapevine were just a whole lotta hype, and that Vermont wasn't really worth hiking anyway. So, I skipped it. The whole thing. Every single mile. But now that the Pod is in New Hampshire, I feel that I can now comfortably resume hiking once again. Yeah, I wish. I'm still feeling less than 100% (considerably less, unfortunately). But, it's been two stinkin' weeks now that I've been off the trail, and I'm sick and tired (literally) of hanging out in trail towns. Not to denegrate the towns. Vermont has had some fabulous stops along the way, with the Northshire Bookstore (predictably) topping the list. But, at this point, all I want to do is hike. It's what I think about when I wake up. It occupies my mind throughout the day, and it's my last thought before falling asleep at night. And I'm sure that if I actually remembered my dreams, the trail would occupy a prominent role in those too. So, recovered or not, I'm hikin' today! No unreasonable goals, just a short 8-mile hike today, followed by a hike of a similar length tomorrow. Then, the lovely Mama and Papa Poet are supposed to be meeting us -- well, I suspect that they're looking to meet their daughter; the rest of us are just an added bonus. I'm hoping these two short days will be a nice break-in period for me, before setting off to scale the Whites. And maybe this whole fatigue-headache-thing will stop pestering me... Anyway, thanks for all of your well-wishes. I may be returning to Hanover w/ Poet's family in a few days, so maybe I'll be able to write a little more about how the hike goes. Until then...
Date: 2005-12-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I don't know if I'll get around to posting a continuation of my trail-tales today. (I think the verbosity of my last entry should tide me over for at least a few days... My next entry is about half-written, but my poor ol' brain is just plumb tuckered out.) Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm going to be adding some photos from my hike -- check the Photo link on the right -- now that I've finally managed to find myself a decent internet connection, thanks to mooching my brother's laptop and hanging out in an internet cafe. Yes, I've become a cafe bum, despite my pledge never to do so. Ah well... Enjoy the pics!
Date: 2004-11-20
To: More about me
Miles today: 0.0

115 days until March 15th, 2005...So, I thought I'd share some information about me. What I like, what I don't like, that sort of stuff.I currently live in Beaverton, Oregon, which is just West of Portland, Oregon. I recently graduated from Portland State University (June 2004) with a dual bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering and Physics. Since graduating from school, I haven't done much besides hike and work. I currently work as a low level manager at a coffee shop in Beaverton, Oregon.My biggest interests, besides hiking, include movies, theater, and music. I also enjoy the company of my cats, Maggie and Skipper. I actually like them more than most people. They never lie to me and they're always there when I need them. Honesty is fairly important to me. While I may be stubborn and difficult at times, I rarely, if ever, will lie to anybody, even if it's going to get me into trouble. It isn't worth my time or theirs to impede communication by lying. I do, however, love to tease people, which goes great with my stubborn streak.My hair has been dreadlocked for a little over two years, I'm tattooed liberally, and have body piercings in various locations. I consider myself a near vegetarian, as I still eat fish and occasionally chicken. I'm a nurturer and try to be selfless. I look out for those involved in my life, even when doing so may be inconvenient for me.Things that I don't like include intolerance, hatred, and pretty much abuse of any nature. I believe that people should treat others the way they want to be treated. I try to treat others well and believe, to a certain extent, in karma; i.e., What goes around comes around.As of late, I haven't done much besides read about and research the AT. I've been having more fun reading the trail journals of others rather than actively working on my hike. March 15th is getting closer, so I've made it a goal by next Saturday to have my mail drops planned. This entails determining caloric contents of certain foods and planning out my meals accordingly. Quite a bit of work, but I should be able to do it.
Date: 2004-12-11
To: Maildrop planning nearly complete!
Miles today: 0.0

94 days until March 15th...This past week, I've completed my maildrop planning through Hanover, NH. ~442 miles of planning left. I found that it was much easier to do my maildrop planning by entering everything into an Excel spreadsheet. I should have done this last week for the Springer Mtn. to Damascus, VA section. No big deal. One of the last pieces of gear I needed to order was a stove. I ordered a soda can stove from Tin Man of AntiGravityGear. Although I've only corresponded with Tin Man through e-mail, he seems very nice and sent me personalized e-mails, as opposed to canned (no pun intended) responses.I'm also interested in the Macabi hiking skirt for men. It's a neat idea and I'll probably give it a go, though I'm going to wait a bit before I buy it. Money is a concern and, while it's not super-expensive, I could buy a good pair of trail pants for the same price.Other than that, I've been searching for cheap airfares from Seattle to Atlanta. Flights are cheaper this week than last, though I'm holding out for better prices, which I expect to see in January. I'm debating whether to purchase a round trip ticket from Seattle to Atlanta with the challenge of figuring out how to get to Atlanta from Katadin after my thru-hike. Alternatively, I could purchase a one-way ticket to Atlanta and figure out how to get back to the West coast at a later date. This option seems more fun to me; perhaps I'll take the Amtrak back across the country.
Date: 2004-12-18
To: Hiker card and maildrops complete!
Miles today: 0.0

87 days until March 15th...Last week I designed and ordered hiker cards to hand out to people I meet along the trail. I got this idea from Ken and Marcia Powers (Gottawalk) 2002 CDT thru-hike journal. A digital image of my hiker card is featured on this page. If anybody knows which mountain is featured in the image, I'd appreciate hearing from them!Also, my resupply and maildrop planning is complete! This was quite a bit of work and I'm glad that it is over with. My 22 maildrops can be viewed by clicking the maildrop link on the sidebar.I based my resupply calculations on 15 mile days for the first 400 miles. For each succeeding set of 400 miles, I based my calculations on 16, 17, 18, and 19 miles. While I may actually end up hiking 20 mile days once I become acclimated to the trail, these calculations allow for zero days and short days. Most of my resupplies are for 3-5 days with minimal distances neccessary for hitching.I'd originally planned a maildrop in Gatlinburg, NC, though I eliminated it due to concerns about snow and availability of hitches out of the Great Smoky Mountains. My target arrival date (March 28th, 2005) for the road crossing leading to Gatlinburg in the GSMs nearly coincides with that of Apple Pie's 2004 Nobo AT hike. After reading about the trouble she had with hitching to Gatlinburg due to snow and closed roads, I thought it wiser to keep Gatlinburg as a potential resupply point. So, if there is light snow in the GSMs, I'll do a smaller resupply in Fontana Dam, though I'll still have a maildrop large enough to last me to Hot Springs, NC.My plans for this week include watching airplane ticket prices, ordering Aqua Mira for water purification, as well as some insect repellent items. I plan to use the Aqua Mira as a supplement to my water filter, a MSR Waterworks EX. I also need to research and find a good seam sealer for my backpack and tent. I've got a three day weekend Monday thru Wednesday, so I'm headed up to Olympia to visit my Mom for a couple days. After that, I'll be back to work 11 hours on both Christmas eve and day, which will help finance my hike, as both days are 1.5x pay.I believe my last day of work is going to be March 7th and I'll soon begin packing up my belongings and moving them into storage. This is going to take time and I've alloted the month of January to do this. I'm giving 30 days notice to my apartment manager on the 1st of January. What a great way to start the new year!
Date: 2004-12-25
To: Gear purchase nearly complete (maybe?)
Miles today: 0.0

80 days until March 15th...Happy holidays to all!Marcia Powers e-mailed me suggesting that Mt. Rainier is the mystery mountain onthe background of my hiker card. While I'd looked at pictures of Mt. Rainier, I wasn't sure that was it until she sent an image scanned from a piece of Mt. Rainier park publicity material.This past week, I ordered the last items that I *believe* I'll need for my hike. Hopefully this will be the immediate end of my spending on hike gear. Well, I still need to seam-seal my tent and backpack. So I suppose I still have some gear to buy. I also spent a couple days in Olympia visiting with my Mom. She purchased a Capilene midweight top for me for Christmas. Thanks Momma! During my visit, I spent a bit of time checking out prices on various food items so that I can determine what is worth shipping from Seattle --> AT. I'm not sure whether Lipton noodle packets at $0.89 are worth shipping them via priority mail. For that matter, I'm not sure whether they are readily available in the small stores along the trail.I'm still watching the airline ticket prices. So far, the cheapest one-way ticket from Seattle to Atlanta is for $185.This is my last entry until 2005. I hope that the New Year brings good things for everybody.
Date: 2005-01-01
To: 30 days until moving day!
Miles today: 0.0

73 days until March 15th...It's done. I've given my 30 days notice to my landlord and I'll be vacating my apartment at the end of the month. This is somewhat unnerving, as this has been my home for the last six years while I was going to school and working. The Latin root of vacate is vacare, meaning "to be empty, at leisure." Nothing could be further from the truth. By leaving my apartment, I certainly hope to empty myself of the day to day stress of working and bills and so forth. Vacare also spawns vacation, a period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation. Yes, I'm vacating my apartment to take a vacation.I'll be fairly busy the last few days of January, though I intend to start packing tomorrow. I spoke with my Mom this morning and she may split the cost of a storage facility with me, as she also has items to store. Although I'll have to move my belongings 130 miles North to Olympia, I'll feel more at ease with her regularly checking on my stored items.I've decided that my last day of work will be Sunday, March 6th. That means I'll have to give my two weeks notice around February 21st. The way that our tip schedule works is that we pick up tips on Monday for the previous week worked. So, soon after I pick up my tips on March 7th, I'll be headed to Olympia for a few days to prepare my maildrops and spend time visiting with my Mom before flying out in mid March.Once I fly into Atlanta, I'm tentatively planning to employ the services of the folks at the Hiker Hostel. Their $55 thru-hiker special includes an airport shuttle, an overnight stay, the first AYCE (all you can eat) breakfast on the trail, and a trailhead shuttle. I talked to Holly the other day and we have tentative plans to meet at the HH.One way tickets for Seattle to Atlanta are still priced at $185. I'm becoming antsy - I certainly don't want to buy a ticket at that price if they're going to drop soon, though I don't want to get hit by the Spring Break rate hike.I ordered a new watch for my hike, the Timex Helix WRKS, which includes a compass, altimeter, and thermometer. Besides that, I believe the final items I need to purchase are an "UR Sack" to protect my food, Aqua Mira for water purification, seam sealer for my tent and backpack, and moleskin / footcare products.I spoke to my Uncle Patrick the other day and told him about my intended thru-hike plans. Although I'd briefly mentioned them to him before, I hadn't told him about any concrete plans. I mentioned that I might fly to Fresno, CA from Maine after my hike. It would be cool to see him and maybe hike the JMT (John Muir Trail) shortly after finishing an AT thru-hike. That may sound overconfident, though I prefer to think of it as ambitious. I'll see what happens.
Date: 2005-01-15
To: Still packing plus "fun" in the snow.
Miles today: 0.0

58 days until March 14th...Not much has changed in the last week. I picked up some of the final items(mole skin and seam sealer) that I've been meaning to purchase. After visiting the Ursack website, I found out that they're temporarily out of business due to the shortage of "bullet-proof" material they use to manufacture their bags. I also received my Highgear Altitech 2 Altimeter-Compass watch. I haven't extensively tested it, though it initially seems like a cool piece of gear. I still need to mail-order Aqua Mira; other than that, I can't think of anything else I need.Due to the unavailability of the Ursack, I sent out a call for help to the AT-L, asking to purchase a used Ursack. Fortunately, I received a reply from a hiker who lives less than 20 miles from me who is willing to either loan me or sell me his brand new Ursack. He had purchased it for a PCT thru-hike, though ultimately left it behind when the Ursack was declined at the last minute (by whatever governing authority makes these decisions) as a viable option for a bear-proof container on the PCT. I consider his generosity my first trail magic and feel very fortunate.Last night, a friend and I took an impromptu trip to Bagby Hot Springs, which is about 80 miles from Beaverton in the Mt. Hood Wilderness. The elevation gradually rose as we got closer to the H.S. and we eventually found ourselvesdriving through impacted snow. As we arrived at the Hot Springs parking lot, I found the trailhead blocked with a notice stating that the temporary trailhead was 1/2 mile further up the road. After driving another 1/2 mile, we didn't see the temporary trailhead and drove a bit further until ended up stuck in an icy rut amidst the snow.Fortunately, I was strong enough (no, I'm not trying to brag) and her car was light enough that I was able to rock the car back and forth to get it unstuck. This was very tiring and my frustration level increased quickly, though our success immediately brought a huge smile to both of our faces. We couldn't help but laugh after freeing her car. As she drove, I walked along side the car, pushing when necessary, and guided her backwards down the hill for about 1/2 mile, then I took the wheel, did what seemed like a 37 point turn on the narrow snow-filled road to to face the car downhill, and we headed back to Beaverton. Shortly after turning around, we found the temporary trailhead, though after our minor ordeal, we decided it more prudent to head home rather than get stuck again. Bummer, I was really looking forward to a nice hot soak. I still need to work on my gear list, but more importantly, I need to finish packing my apartment!