morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2002-12-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hi, We're the Poolerbears and we'll be hiking the AT with "Nose" in March 03. We've been dreaming about the AT since 1990 and finally made the decision in November. I'm Cheryl and I will be taking a six month leave of absence from work and Bruce, the other half of the Poolerbears, is closing his business for six months. We are both anxious to get going, and are starting to feel the urge to head south and walk home to Maine! We've done some backpacking on the Long Trail in Vermont, the John Muir Trail in California and many trips, in March, at the Grand Canyon. We're both in our mid-fifties and decided that although we're not retiring YET, we want to experience the AT while we are both in good health and can enjoy all the great experiences.Since Nose will be writing the journals, we'll just enjoy the ride! The "Poolerbears"
Date: 2003-02-04
To: Running Scared From Bears (or: Mimi's Journal)
Miles today: 0.0

*****WARNING*****THE CONTENTS OF THIS JOURNAL ARE IN NO WAY GUARANTEED TO BE ENTERTAINING. THE AUTHOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO GO WEEKS AT A TIME WITHOUT POSTING (SEEING AS SHE WILL BE IN THE WOODS COME MARCH), TO USE PROFANITY WHEN NECESSARY, AND TO EDIT ENTRIES AT WHIM. THIS JOURNAL IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES. THERE IS NO HEIGHT REQUIREMENT FOR READERS OF THIS JOURNAL.Welcome to my journal!That was going to be the beginning of a poem until the only rhymes I could come up with for "journal" were "infernal" and "urinal."Hi there. I'm Mimi, and you will learn a lot about me in the coming pages. In addition to the information provided in the disclaimer, you should know that the Guest Book (at left) is a forum for you, the reader, to interact with me, the writer, and with other members of the readership, as it were. I will read postings and respond to them: in fact, this introduction is a response to a comment that the "real" beginning of this journal, found in the following entry, made me sound like a "yuppy." Can you even be a yuppy at 22? I certainly hope not.FYI, the original planned address for this journal was www.trailjournals.com/runningscaredfrombears, but I settled on /mimi because it seems there is less that could go wrong.Signing off,Mimi
Date: 2003-02-05
To: Welcome!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Here goes. The obligatory introduction to me, my aspirations, etc. Who Am I?Rather than answer the huge philosophical question, I am Mimi Asnes. 22, female, graduated from college (Hahvahd) June '02. And if anyone tries to put my alma mater in my trail name...well, they'll have to deal with all 4'10" of me. Jewish, speak Arabic and Hebrew and deteriorating Spanish, a little ASL. Started hiking when I was 16 in Colorado with NWF (thank you, Laura and Tad), and have wanted to do the AT ever since a trail crew stint in 1997 (thank you, Seth Green). Having Mrs. Jennifer Huntington as a high school principal did not hurt either.Oops. I have already segued into Why I am Attempting The Trail/"I Mean Am I Insane Or What?"I am very apprehensive and excited about the trail. I have spent the past four months in Portland, OR, where I had better running/biking conditions than my frigid Boston (Watertown) hometown. After leaving warm weather and a warm bed (thanks, Art) behind, I am accumulating the remainder of my gear. To anyone reading this, please tell me that a discounted W. Mountaineering APache SDL sleeping bag was a good choice if I am careful about the wet, whether or not I need snowshoes, and if an alcohol stove will work in the colder months. I clearly already have contracted "Gearmouth," the infectious disorder whereby it is impossible to conduct a normal conversation without digressing to gear.So Who Is Going To Protect Me?I will be hiking solo but have been chatting with other girls who are heading out in early March, like Debby Neuzil. I would love some feedback about the safety of trail journals: I expect to post entries a week or so after I write them, so no one could stalk me, and to be vague about future destinations and dates. After all, anyone on the web can read these. Nevertheless, advice is welcome.More tomorrow; this is Mimi, sad about the Columbia and sadder still that Bush is going to wage war in Iraq during my thru-hike, signing off.
Date: 2003-02-06
To: Details
Miles today: 0.0

So, I have now explored the Trailjournals site more extensively and I am very impressed. Nice job, guys! I feel like I am joining a community rather than heading out alone.Today's big frustrations are: REI and EMS didn't have size 5.5 boots in stock (mine are toast) so I had to mail order. Which leaves less time to break in, tho I usually have good luck on that end. I'll just bring lots of secondskin and moleskin. Also, MAPS ARE EXPENSIVE. But I am a map freak and besides, if I or someone else needs to get out in an emergency I like to know all the options. If anyone would like to offer advice on getting cheap maps or would like to donate/sell maps for one or more of the states, give a holler.My helpful friend Adam from Israel just told me he thinks doing the AT is stupid, why not the PCT? I told him this is probably a good hike to start with, and that the PCT requires more technical knowledge of desert and alpine climbing and more planning. But then I dreamed (dreamt?) of beaches all night. It's the pre-hike jitters for sure.I just saw the listing for transcribers and think I will take someone up on their kind offer. I don't want to feel like I have to find a computer all the time on the trail, as I have spent the last four years tied to one.Signing off on a sunny and COLD-ASS day in Boston,Mimi
Date: 2003-02-06
To: Jew Power
Miles today: 0.0

It has just occurred to me that I will be on the AT during the Jewish holiday of Passover. Oy vey! This will be my first Pesach away from home. I wonder if I will be able to find a Jewish family whose seder I can crash in NC in mid-April? I guess I will have to eat a lot of rice and beans that week and pretend that I am a Sephardic Jew. For all those readers who are confused, Passover is a holiday where you have two nights of celebration and ceremony, and eight days of Eating Boring Food (food without leavening in it, which inexplicably includes most candy and junk food--I suggest a conspircay of Jewish Moms).
Date: 2003-02-11
To: NYC
Miles today: 0.0

This week is the anti-AT, as I am spending it in NYC. It was good to run in Central Park and do city stuff. I got to see my cousin Jason, aka DJ Angola, spin at a club called Apartment (APT) and went to a spa (shoutout to Christina). I opted not to get my eyebrows waxed or nails polished, tho I do think it might be stylin' to have red toenails on the Trail.I have finally got my new boots, a size bigger of the ones my feet have been aching in for two years: the ASOLO 520 Gore Tex. I also checked out options for trailrunners for the easier less snowy midsection between PA and NH: turns out only North Face makes a Gore Tex trail shoe in a women's 5, but Marathon Sports will ship them anywhere on the trail. They are a great co., really supportive of athletic endeavors. Highly recommend if you're in the Boston area.Right now I am still looking at a March 1 start, but this week in Boston it is supposed to be 8-10 degrees F during the day and up to -16 at night. Any word on trail conditions in GA? Actually, does anyone know of a good site that gives trail condition reports? I've been reading Rocket's journal, but it looks like things might be substantially different by the time I am out there. Also may delay my start 3 days so I can see my sister in a show.Shuttles to Trail: I have found a cool guy who will shuttle from Atlanta Airport to Amicola for 35 bucks. My flight gets in at 1:45 on the 28th of Feb, so if anyone else wants to hop on let me know. Or if anyone has a better idea...Lately it has occurred to me that there may be a war while I am on the trail. I have mixed feelings about this: I think it will be nice to get away from that whole thing, but I also am against going to war with Iraq as it stands now and I feel I should be out there protesting instead of holed up hiking. I feel the same way about my interest in the Middle East; if that is truly my passion, is this hike an escape from life? I guess it just feeds a very different but also important part of me. Maybe I'll sew anti-war slogans on my bag :) Tip of the Day: for style points, use clothing paint (I use that bubbly kind in the little squirt bottles, the name of which escapes me) to decorate your pack.Signing off, Mimi, who has decided to bring her leopard-print fleece scarf on the Trail for warmth and style points.Just a brief shoutout to James Allenspatch (Jim2) for the beer-can stove he sent me in the mail. Not only does his model have a "snuffer" to put out still-burning fuel, but it came in an eco-friendly recycled and cut-down Crate and Barrell box. Thanks for supporting new thru-hikers, Jim!
Date: 2003-02-12
To: Goldsman Family History
Miles today: 0.0

My great-grandfather, Maurice Goldsman (previously Akiva Maishe Holtzman) left Warsaw in 1914 to travel to a place called Harbin, then to Manchuria, then to Shanghai, and finally to America where he made his way from San Francisco to Minnesota to Maryland, where he ended up raising a family with his wife and first cousin Bluma. He was in his mid-twenties during all of his travels, and was dealing with a lot of the same questions I now have: Where am I going? What will I do with my life? Will I ever fall in love? My great-grandfather kept a journal in Yiddish which my great-aunt Faye had translated into English this year. Reading his journal it is clear that it is a document that started out as a place to tell secrets, reveal sorrows and get out frustrations, but later became something he knew his children or grandchildren would read.I never met my great-grandfather, but I do feel it is somewhat serendipitous that I am first reading the translation of his journal in the weeks before I am about to embark on my own journey. I am going to shrink down his diary and bring it on the trail, despite my efforts to "go lightly," because I think it will be very powerful to be in dialogue with him as I write this journal.
Date: 2003-02-14
To: "...and the other's Gold"
Miles today: 0.0

Hello there from New York City (again), and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. I have been assiduously preparing for the trail by Eating As Much As Possible while in the Big Apple (I ate that too). Big thanks to Jody Asnes for acquainting me with the cool fabric stores, department stores and restaurants of Chinatown. I was really excited to buy a lot of dried squid for protein on the trial until we saw that MSG was in the ingredients. Incidentally, it was very hard to find anything without MSG in the whole snacks section, which is too bad because there were some awesome soup and sauce mixes as well as dried anchovies. My mom and I both have weird reactions to the compound so I decided not to chance it. Interesting fact: Tostitos lime chips also have MSG in them. I spent last night out drinking with two girls I have known since we were all 2 years old. It is equal parts hysterical, wonderful and bizarre:Allegra: (swigging Guinness) I totally remember when in kindergarten your mom stood behind me for a whole day because I was afraid there was someone in back of me.Mimi: Susanna always had the best my little ponies.Susanna: (swigging Guiness) Remember when Mimi wanted to be Rainbow Brite?Mimi: Remember when you had that birthday party and we all put the pizza on our heads? Also in Chinatown, my cousin Jody and the fabric store guy insisted that I buy 4 yards of fleece to make a sleeping bag liner for the warmer months. I though i needed less, but they insisted and then once it was cut, Jody said, "Wait. You're going to carry that around for six months?" They cut me about 6 pounds of fleece! For 15 bucks it was a great deal. I think I will use only part of it and find something interesting to do with the rest. Mimi "fleece lingerie" Asnes
Date: 2003-02-16
To: A Tale of Two Stoves
Miles today: 0.0

A Tale of Two Stoves.Early on in my adventures at this lovely website, someone who I think was James Allenspatch offered to make me a soda-can stove. When I received it in the mail I thanked him, whereupon he expressed surprise that it had arrived so quickly. Today, I received a second stove: apparently both Trial Slug and Jim2 (James) are nice people who like making stoves.If anyone needs a stove, give a holler. I actully may end up just hiking with two and giving one away to a poor MSR user along the way. Incidentally, I have always packed in Coleman stoves, which are really heavy and finicky but good for heating a gallon of water, if you're into that sort of thing.I'd like to take a brief moment to give a shoutout to a wonderful program, Harvard's First Year Outdoor Program. I led trips and staffed basecamp for FOP all through college, and I learned an incredible amount. I am sure I will thank FOP every step of the AT.Starting date news: I will either be starting on 3/1 or 3/3, more on this to come.Other news: it is WICKED CHILLY in Boston. I was going to sleep out in my Western Mountaineering bag to check it out, and then decided that I want to enjoy my bed and fireplace while I have them :)Signing off, a New-Yorked-out Mimi
Date: 2003-02-16
To: 100 Miles (Looking a little bit ahead)
Miles today: 0.0

A Brief Note to Journal Readers:There is this funny thing called a "Guest Book." It lives in the lefthand side of the screen you are currently viewing, and it is a way for you to say "hi there, I'm reading your journal." Though I am sure you could be more creative. Please sign the guest book so I feel loved.Food:I was feeling highly stressed about all these maildrops, predicting what I will want to eat 58 days from now, etc. So...I have decided to make jerky in the oven, buy dried fruit online in bulk, take lots of soy nuts (cheap protein) and buy most of my food along the way. Jeannie (class of '02 in so many ways) said this worked for her. I feel much more at ease; and for me, changing things as I go will be part of the journey.Hiking Solo:This AT thru-hike attempt, while largely a solo endeavor, will be highly augmented by the addition of one (1) stellar backpacker and companion for the 100 mile wilderness and Mt. Katahdin, insha'allah. The Intrepid Meredith Osborn, Scotswoman Extraordinaire, will be accompanying me for this section. Incidentally, whenever I talk with my parents about the trail, my mother says, "I just want to know if you have someone to hike with you during that hundred miles of wilderness" and I say "yes, Mom, Mere is hiking with me" and that seems to be sufficient. My mother has a lot of faith in the bear-repelling starvation-preventing water-divining powers of Meredith.A big closing shoutout to Big Boy for mailing me maps. I hope the dehydrating continues to be smoooooth.Signing off,Mimi, a very big fan of the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy who wishes his film Rivers and Tides was a little less like that white noise you play to lull you to sleep. Which both of her parents did, during the movie.
Date: 2003-02-17
To: Please just not "Fartsalot"
Miles today: 0.0

The Trailname:I love nicknames. The very idea of someone having multiple names is exciting to me; perhaps it is the anthropologist talking here, but different names mean different levels and ways of knowing someone. My given name is Miriam Rachel Asnes. My dad is the only one to call me Rachie, and sometimes he'll even call me by my Hebrew name, Malka Miriam Rachel (the Malka is after his mother). It is unlcear when Mimi became the name of choice, but that is what everyone calls me now, or some variation like Mimster or Meems. In class or in an interview or other formal situation, like at the airport or at a meeting, I'll use Miriam. An annoying and somewhat inappropriate Teaching Fellow once suggested that "Mia" sounded more sophisticated than Mimi. Well, screw him.The other place I use Miriam is in the Middle East. I worked in Nazareth, a Palestinian town in Israel, for two summers. I found that Miriam is a great name for a Jewish girl in Arab communities because it sounds a lot like "Meriam," which is Mary in Arabic and a very common name. People would often assume I was Jordanian because some Hashemites have light brown or reddish hair. By the time people got around to asking what religion I was (which they always did), they liked me enough that being Jewish was not an issue at all (it helped that I was speaking Arabic).So it is with great anticipation that I look forward to having a trail name, yet another level of knowing and naming. I sort of belive in names being given, not chosen. Will I be named after my height? (Shorty, Midget, Short Stuff, Little ______...) None of these are offensive to me: I love being little, and at 4'10" I have "technical" migdet status. Or perhaps it will be another diminutive of Mimi.   Perhaps I'll be named after an item of clothing: my bright red gaiters? My bright yellow rain jacket? My bright teal rainpants? Do we see a little bit of a pattern here? Maybe I should choose an old nickname. When I was 3, I wanted to be Rainbow Brite, and made everyone (including my teachers and parents) call me Rachel Rainbow for two years (this incidentally coincided with the birth of my sister: no surprise there.) In my mind, Rachel Rainbow was a heroine: I created elaborate explanations for how she could breathe in space and save the solar system from destruction. I don't remember seeing the movie Rainbow Brite: I must have thought it was real! I might need a little bit of Rachel Rainbow with me on the trail to get me through the tougher spots. Or maybe I need a name that is entirely new. Sign the guestbook! Cast a vote!I was going to walk into Harvard Square and do some trail errands today abd break in my boots, but it has just started to snow VERY heavily. We'll see if I make it :)Signing off,Mimi "Nutella on a Spoon" Asnes. Hey, Nutella wouldn't be a bad trailname...
Date: 2003-02-17
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

My Fair Weather Friend from the guestbook is not only trying to christen me before I even get on the trail, he/she has also suggested that I list all of my gear. Well, rather than go through that tedious listing process here is a succint list of what will get me from Springer to Katahdin (greatuniversal-spiritblahblah willing). If anyone reading this wants to know more, you can send me an email, and that also goes for if you have suggestions for the TBA items.Shelter:the shiny thing they gave me at the end of the Boston Marathon for a groundcloth1 10oz. one-person tarp (Integral Designs)and P-cordWestern Mountaineering Apache Super Dryloft 15 degree bagThermarest Guidelite 3/4 sleeping padNourishment:pepsi-can stove courtesy of Trailslug/Jim2 w/filter nails for holding potSmall nalgene for fuel, large Nalgene and Platypus for water.TBA filter, probably Sweetwater, and Polarpure as backup.TBA windscreenTBA lightweight pot and cuplexan spoonspice kitscrubby and Dr. B'sClothing:Mountain Equipment Coop Gore Tex jacket (this Canadian co. is cheap and great)Homemade gore tex pants bought at the consignment shop in North Conway, HN.Wild Rose Crocodile Gaiterspatagonia fleece zip-T long underwear topsmidweight patagonia long underwear (Patagonia and MEC both make size Xsmall and I have found their products to be incredibly durable, comfortable and even, gasp, stylish.)North Face fleece Jacket with funny underarm zips that are useful for ventilation.the usual assortment of hat, socks, wool gloves, glove liners2 pairs running shorts (one with pockets)one patagonia poly T-shirt (it's all about the outlet in Freeport, ME)ASOLO 520 Gore-Tex boots with snazzy red-and-black striped laces, one inexplicably twice as long as the otherMisc:trowelfem. hygeine kitpacktowelmaps and compasshair/toothrush (not the same item)very lightweight journals by some Japanese co.Uniball Micro waterproof ink pensdatabook and important contact info etc.cell phone with 2 charged detached batteries and chargercamera, as of now regular but this may change to digital if I find a good deal.Swiss Army knifeStill Debating on Bringing:pepper sprayextra long underwear (warmer) OR patagonia fleece pantscrazy creek pad->chair converter
Date: 2003-02-17
To: Non-Gear
Miles today: 0.0

FYI, I have started putting info on big gear items in the gear section. I have not the time or energy to look for the .gif files for them, but at least you can take a peek.Speaking of gear, I have decided to make several helpful lists.Gear I Am Not Taking:more than one pair of underwearsunglassesmedications (Allegra: no dust in the woods! and Alesse: AS IF).crazy-creek traditional chair (see below)leaopard-print fleece scarfGear I Maybe Don't Need But Am Taking Anyway:crazy creek thermarest->chair converter (6oz)small watercolor sketchbook and tiny watercolor setjournal and penshiking poles (a necessity, some would argue)pepper spray (aka "Making my loved ones feel secure for just 2oz")maps and compass (you'd be surprised how many go without)And, finally, a poem for all of you loyal readers:Snowby mimiI walk outside and there is snowsnow everywhereI walk to the video store:they are outof almost everything.I rentRequiem for a Dream(for some laughs)as I walk back home,I marvel at the purity of the snow.Then I look down.I see brilliant yellow, the color of dandilionsor dog pee.I lift my shoe.The dog has left another giftfor mein the virgin snow.epilogue:dog shitis hard to get out of the tread of one'snew boots.
Date: 2003-02-18
To: The Big Jerky Experiment
Miles today: 0.0

The website: www.microwebtech.com. The assignment: Homemade beef jerky.The intrepid cook begins by going shopping with her mother at Bread and Checkbook to buy a nice and somewhat expensive piece of brisket for the Big Jerky Experiment. $4.99 a pound is pretty average for non-hormone-augmented meat: it looks so good that they buy an extra pound to cook for dinner. The recipe at the website above gives great advice and how-to information for drying jerky for that romantic dinner for two. What it neglects to tell you is that if you are using a gas oven, the drippings from the marinated beef slices will start to smoke. The intrepid cook thus sets off the fire alarm twice and has to open every window in the kitchen in 30 degree weather AND turn on the ceiling fan. Thankfully, the smoking stops after the first 40 minutes of Burnt Jerky Hell. The cook is currently waiting for the thicker slices to dry completely. Notes for next time: Use half or none of the Liquid Smoke.Be careful when placing foil at the bottom of the stove to catch drips that you don't cover the oven vents and almost get carbon monoxide poisoning.Do not sample jerky until it is done.Do not waste day watching Sex And the City while drying jerky. Also, do not begin writing in one's journal like Carrie Bradshaw.If you are inspired to try your own Big Jerky Experiment, read the food safety notes on the website: you should first heat the meat to 160 to kill all the bacteria before lowering the temperature for drying.Signing off,Mimi "Salmonella" Asnes (no, that WILL NOT be my trailname)
Date: 2003-02-19
To: NTR Poem
Miles today: 0.0

Warning: the following is a poem not about hiking or the trail. If you are at all squeamish about current events or political debate, you might want to sit this one out. I direct you to the "Next" link above.Again, this is a poem. About being Jewish in the world today. If this alarms or disturbs you, as it has others, just don't read it.I was born in the wrong generation; I would have been a good fighter.I could have been the girl with the gunprotecting the children,savoir of a nation.My parents would have sent me forthin glory,Enemies would have trembled at my name.But today I find myself withina different operationDefender of my morals, not my ghetto.Once pitied for its suffering, my peopleis branded and reviled as Oppressor.My body, not accustomed to the comfortof velvet sheets, longs for a rockto sit on,longs to feel the pang of righteous anger,longs to feel the sting of Egypt's sandstorms.Can I still invoke the bright spirits of Deborah,Of Miriam to lead us all to water?