morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I am home now, back at work, and reading the trail journeys of others as they continue their journey toward Maine. But I am still walking. I walk my dog Abbey, twice each day. Nearly every day I walking on the beach's edge where the sand meets the water of Lake Michigan. I have been thinking about how important walking is after reading chapter 4 of ¢An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith¢, by Barbara Brown Taylor. She tells how Augustine of Hippo, one of the early theologians of the Christian church wrote "Solviture ambulando" ("It is solved by walking.¢) What is ¢it¢? If you want to find out you will have to do your own walking.What is needed is the decision to walk with some awareness, both of who you are and what you are doing. Where you are going is not as important, however counterintuitive that may seem. To detach the walking from the destination is in fact one of the best ways to be fully aware. Most of us spend so much time thinking about where we have been or where we are supposed to be going that we have a hard time recognizing where we actually are and seizing the gift of the moment. What might I be missing in my rushing from here to there? My goal is to continue hiking and to give my full attention to where I am. To feel myself pressing down on the earth, even as I slow down and allow myself to be grounded.
Date: 2013-11-01
To: Finishing Well
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

As I look back, I feel good about finishing my eight weeks on the Appalachian Trail strong. I am committed to living out the insights I gained while on the AT. I want to make steady, good progress on the trails that I am still on: the ¢Dad Trail¢, the "Grandpa Trail", the ¢Be a Good Friend Trail¢, etc. I know I will not experience all easy downhill smooth trail days on my continuing journey towards the goal of finishing strong and well in life. I know, like everyone else, I will face the inevitable challenges of life (rocky sections, stormy weather, muddy patches) and need to do so with the same attitude I had while on the AT. I can¢t fight the trail. I must flex with it and accept what is, while continuing to put one foot in front of the other. Quitting is simply not an option. Thanks for reading and for your interest. Feel free to contact me at Brucesparks59@yahoo.com
Date: 2013-04-15
To: Finally, I'm a thru hiker!
Miles today: 0.0

After 3 years of section hiking, I am finally able to thru hike. Originally, I was planning another section hike. But things changed at work, and I ended up quitting my job. The first thing I decided to do was plan my thru hike. This gave me about a month and a half of planning before I would be able to depart. I basically had everything I needed for the hike. So the planning portion was more about the logistics and budgeting that would need to happen in order for this hike to work out in my favor.My brother is marrying my best friend in Galax, VA in May. I am in the wedding, so I knew I had to leave after that. Since I would already be in Virginia that weekend, I decided the day after the wedding would be the best time to start. I'm going to have my Dad to drop me off in Damascus before he drives back home to Charlotte.I have made a few changes to my gear. I bought a new tent - Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2 person. It is super light weighing in at a mere 2 lbs 2 oz. I also invested in a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. For years I've used AquaMira drops. I was always envious of people with a filter. I asked my hiker friends for their opinions, and decided to go with the Squeeze. Lightweight AND compact, I'm sold! Now, I am ready hit the trail!Let the count down begin!
Date: 2013-05-14
To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm camping at the Grayson Highlands State Park with Fiddle and her mom BJ. Their friend Mary picked us up to re supply in town. But it wasn't much of a town if you ask me. We ate dinner at a gas station...real high class lol! I think it was the first time I've ever eaten gas station food. And it probably won't be the last on the trail.I took a shower while simultaneously washing my clothes. It requires some skills. Yesterday I saw my first wild pony. It was standing in the distance with two hikers. There were beautiful rolling hills with green grass, the sky was blue and the sunshine was perfect. Seemed almost magical. I pulled out my phone as I approached the pony. It turned and casually walked toward me. Then it tried to eat my phone. I backed away and quickly put my phone away. Then it started coming at me again. It was trying to bite my hands. I turned to walk away and it started chasing after me. It butted my pack, pushing me forward! I freaked out and ran away screaming with both of my trekking poles pointed behind me like a skier. From a distance I warned other hikers as they approached the deranged pony. The pony bit the next guy on his arm. I'd had enough and walked away. Moments later I heard someone screaming at me. I turned around to see the pony was stalking me! I ran until I reached the fence stile. I was finally safe!That night I stayed at Thomas Knob Shelter. It was a really pretty view at the shelter. I camped bc it was going to be really cold that night and felt like my tent would be warmer. I noticed hoof prints all over the ground. Later fiddle spotted a mommy pony and her baby. After the first pony encounter we were both terrified! Fiddle was quick to point out the tracks that went right by my tent site. Great, I thought, I picked a horse path to pitch my tent. It was too late to change it though. Fiddle and I played cards and talked until it got dark. I had an opportunity to share my testimony with her. She is not a Christian. She got goose bumps when I told her about the Damascus verse I read. I prayed a lot for God to give me boldness to witness to her and her mom. I'm probably gonna be with them most of the week. It was around 5am when I heard the sound of flapping lips a horse makes. It was next to my tent! I turned around to see outside my tent flaps. I saw a horse nose impression in my rain fly. It was trying to come in! I yelled, "go away!" It backed away. That was when I unzipped my rain fly to see how close it still was. It was the baby pony! I took a few pics before yelling and scaring it off. As I was leaving this morning, I saw Blue playing with the same two ponies. He said they were a lot nicer than the first one. I got to pet them. The big one kept licking my legs. All day long I kept spotting groups of ponies grazing. It was a gorgeous hike.
Date: 2013-05-14
To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm camping at the Grayson Highlands State Park with Fiddle and her mom BJ. Their friend Mary picked us up to re supply in town. But it wasn't much of a town if you ask me. We ate dinner at a gas station...real high class lol! I think it was the first time I've ever eaten gas station food. And it probably won't be the last on the trail.I took a shower while simultaneously washing my clothes. It requires some skills. Yesterday I saw my first wild pony. It was standing in the distance with two hikers. There were beautiful rolling hills with green grass, the sky was blue and the sunshine was perfect. Seemed almost magical. I pulled out my phone as I approached the pony. It turned and casually walked toward me. Then it tried to eat my phone. I backed away and quickly put my phone away. Then it started coming at me again. It was trying to bite my hands. I turned to walk away and it started chasing after me. It butted my pack, pushing me forward! I freaked out and ran away screaming with both of my trekking poles pointed behind me like a skier. From a distance I warned other hikers as they approached the deranged pony. The pony bit the next guy on his arm. I'd had enough and walked away. Moments later I heard someone screaming at me. I turned around to see the pony was stalking me! I ran until I reached the fence stile. I was finally safe!That night I stayed at Thomas Knob Shelter. It was a really pretty view at the shelter. I camped bc it was going to be really cold that night and felt like my tent would be warmer. I noticed hoof prints all over the ground. Later fiddle spotted a mommy pony and her baby. After the first pony encounter we were both terrified! Fiddle was quick to point out the tracks that went right by my tent site. Great, I thought, I picked a horse path to pitch my tent. It was too late to change it though. Fiddle and I played cards and talked until it got dark. I had an opportunity to share my testimony with her. She is not a Christian. She got goose bumps when I told her about the Damascus verse I read. I prayed a lot for God to give me boldness to witness to her and her mom. I'm probably gonna be with them most of the week. It was around 5am when I heard the sound of flapping lips a horse makes. It was next to my tent! I turned around to see outside my tent flaps. I saw a horse nose impression in my rain fly. It was trying to come in! I yelled, "go away!" It backed away. That was when I unzipped my rain fly to see how close it still was. It was the baby pony! I took a few pics before yelling and scaring it off. As I was leaving this morning, I saw Blue playing with the same two ponies. He said they were a lot nicer than the first one. I got to pet them. The big one kept licking my legs. All day long I kept spotting groups of ponies grazing. It was a gorgeous hike.
Date: 2013-05-24
To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 21.0

21 miles today. Staying at Woods Hole Hostel tonight. I feel a little ripped off. I'm paying $10 to sleep in my tent. It isn't even a good campsite. Oh well...I had to come here anyways to pick up my mail drop. I have had a really nice time out here. I feel stronger each day. Tomorrow I should make it into Pearisburg, VA. I'm hoping to catch up with Foot Shelf and Bad Larry there. I've been hanging out with them this past week. They are from Maine. My heel started hurting towards the end of my hike today. I think it's from all the uphill today. I took my shoes off and it felt fine. It's pretty chilly today. I am surprised at how cold and rainy it's been this week. I was expecting warm weather by now. I hope I can stay warm tonight. Since I've been out here I've seen 2 trees fall! One almost hit me. Kinda freaks me out now every time I hear creaking wood in the forest. I've seen 4 snakes. Not really sure what kind though. I'm gonna go to my tent and try to sleep. I wanna get outta here early tomorrow. I wish I'd just gone to the shelter tonight. Probably would've been more fun.
Date: 2013-05-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I'm in Pearisburg, VA at the Holiday Lodge Motel. I decided to take a zero today so that I could attend church this morning. Also, my heel was starting to hurt on my left foot. I noticed I was limping the majority of the day yesterday. I figured a day of rest and icing it would be a good idea.I went to First United Methodist Church this morning. The people were so warm and welcoming! I got there really early. I met the pastor in the parking lot. He invited me in to sit in his office and play on his iPad until Sunday school started. He even gave me a chocolate bar! The Sunday school class consisted of about 10 people (8 women and 2 men). I was the youngest of the group by about 30 years. It was still a great study. Then, during the service, the pastor introduced me to the entire congregation. I felt like a celebrity! Afterward, everybody was coming up to me with questions about the trail and my life. The couple that was sitting behind me offered to drive me home afterward. On the way back to the motel, they invited me to join them for lunch. Of course, a hiker never turns down a meal! We picked up their daughter and son-in-law, then headed to Queens for some italian food. This family was soooooo nice! They paid for my lunch, then took me to Wal-mart and bought me some decongestant for my allergies. I couldn't buy it because I have an NC license. Earlier that morning I had prayed that God would bring me to a church like that, and that a family would host me around town for the day. It was so awesome!I've had a great time this week. Fiddle got off the trail last weekend. Her mom ended up leaving right after Thomas knob. This allowed me and Fiddle to hike on at a faster pace. We did a 20 miler into Partnership shelter. From there, we got a shuttle into Marion, VA and stayed the night. Her mom and Mary picked us up the next day and we went to Trail Days. We were in the parade when a car drove into the crowd, injuring 50 people! At first, we didn't know what all of the commotion was from. Then, as things developed we picked up more information. 4 people had to be air-lifted to the hospital. Talk on the trail said the driver had a stroke behind the wheel, and died later that night. Very sad.Once Fiddle got off the trail, I was on my own again. I meet some cool guys that night. Beyonce, Foot Shelf, and Bad Larry camped with me for the next few nights. We got a motel room together in Bland, VA. The weather was cold and rainy, so I made a last minute decision to stay with them in town. I had blisters on top of my toes from hiking in the rain for so long. It was not fun.Those guys have passed me up now. I don't recognize any of the hikers rolling into the motel today. I can't wait to get back on the trail tomorrow. I'm not sure how many miles I'm going to do tomorrow. I might make it a nero and do 7 miles to the next shelter. Just depends on what time I wake up and leave. I'm praying that God would show me my next "assignment". I have been asking for boldness to talk about Jesus with other hikers. It is hard sometimes when you're outnumbered.
Date: 2013-05-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I'm camping alone tonight. I was hoping Sole Sister would make it this far. She must've stayed at the shelter 4 miles back. When I first got here I got everything ready for dinner. I put my rice side in my pot with water. I even cut some cheese to add to the mix. I poured my alcohol into my stove. I went to light it, but my lighter wouldn't work. At first I thought it was out if fuel. I thought maybe the button had been pushed in my pack causing all the fuel to escape. But it had fuel inside. I started to panic. I didn't know if SS was gonna make it, and I hadn't seen many people on the trail today. I started praying. I walked around to other camp sites to see if maybe somebody had left a lighter behind. I even stuck my hand in the fire pit to see if there were any hot embers. No luck. I reminded God of the times he sent fire so hot that it burned stones. I just needed to cook dinner. I put my lighter down and went to get use my hand sanitizer. I was preparing to eat something else that would require me to use my hands. Just for fun I flicked my lighter. It sparked! I did it again and it lit up! I was so happy! I immediately lit my stove and cooked dinner. I don't know if the hand sanitizer had anything to do with it. I definitely thanked God for making it work. Lesson learned: always have a backup plan for your lighter. I saw a bear cub this morning! Occupy saw them first. He saw 3 of them. By the time I saw them there was only 1 left in the tree. It was really cool! Later I saw 2 deer and a black king snake. I'm a little concerned about the bears. I haven't been hanging my food. In fact, I'm sleeping with it tonight. I pray I'll be safe. I've been wrestling with the thought of going home. I think about it every day. I think I need to find a hiking partner soon. That's my biggest...Just heard something outside. Sounded like a big animal. I yelled 'hello' a few times. Then I opened up my tent to make sure it wasn't a bear. In the distance I saw 2 deer running. I clapped my hands so they would leave. I'm really wishing I had somebody camping with me. Also thinking I should hang my food...
Date: 2013-05-29
To: Middle of nowhere
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Camping alone again tonight. I was originally planning on staying at the shelter, but it was almost a half a mile off the trail. I decided to push on to the next shelter. Only problem was it was already 6:30 and the next one was 6 miles away! I hiked about a mile when I saw a flat spot at the top of the mountain. I decided to camp there. I'm glad I did. Another hiker came by SOBO shortly after I stopped and said it was really rocky going down. Rocky hurts and slows me down. It would've been closer to 9:30-10 when I finally made it there! I decided to hang my food tonight. I hope mice don't get into it. I hung it pretty high up. I saw a ton more deer today. One of them got really close to me. He wasn't afraid. Most deer run away as soon as they spot me. I was talking to this guy and he just nodded his head and went back to eating. I cried a few times today. I cried a lot about Bruiser. There was a place called Bruisers Knob on the trail today. I miss him so much. I don't know why I'm crying about it. He's been gone for 5 months. I guess I'm missing everything and everybody right now. I dreamed that I walked home last night. But I only got to stay for one day. I didn't get to see any of the people I wanted to. It was so disappointing. Then I couldn't figure out where I'd left all my gear. I had to go back and get it on the trail but didn't remember the way back. It was weird. Also, I couldn't get into my house. So I broke in. But for some reason I ended up sleeping on my parents back deck. Weird, I know.I told myself I would have to stay out here for 1 month before I made any decisions to come home. I am on day 18. Today I hit the 200 mile mark since I started in Damascus. This is the most I've hiked in one trip. I've never been stronger! I know I CAN make it to Maine, but I don't know if I WANT to be gone that long. I go back and forth in my head throughout the day. Sometimes I get excited about all of the adventures that I have yet to experience. Then other times I think I've seen enough and would rather be home this summer. I keep praying for God to help me stick to it. I don't want to quit. It's too important to me to give this dream up. I'm going to pray he sends me a hiking partner. He'll know the perfect person to pair me up with. I trust Him. Going to sleep now. It's 9pm. My knees hurt a little. I did like 18 brutal miles today. Climbed up and down 2,000 feet of elevation. Crazy hard! Had two things of trail magic today too! Cold cokes and snacks! It was nice
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Middle of nowhere

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Guess what! I'm camping alone, again! I'm so unhappy right now. I'm dirty, my feet and knees are throbbing, it's hot, and I've basically been alone for the last 2 days. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I'm staying at Pickle Branch shelter. It's .3 off the trail. I'm camping about halfway down to the shelter. Nobody has come by. After cooking my ramen noodles I walked down to the shelter to sit at the table and eat. I kept hoping somebody would come down. I read the register and it doesn't seem like anybody has stayed there for the last two nights. I really can't figure out where all the hikers are at. I saw a whopping 2 people all day. One passed me early this morning. The other was heading SOBO and stopped at the shelter I ate lunch at. It's been very lonely. Tomorrow I think I'm gonna stop by a hostel for a shower. Then get a ride to The Homeplace to eat. I'm gonna get back on the trail there too. It'll be skipping about 6 miles of trail, but frankly I don't care. I need new shoes. The ones I'm wearing are coming apart. The tread is worn out too. I think new shoes will make a big difference in how my feet feel at the end of the day. Part of why I'm so beat at the end of the day is because I feel like my feet are bruised to the bones with every step I take. In Troutville there is an outfitters. I plan on getting shoes there. If I do, then I will have no choice but to continue hiking. I need to get my money's worth outta the shoes. I took some Tylenol PM. Hopefully I will fall asleep soon. I'm really bored. I hope I can charge my phone tomorrow. I'm down to 15% battery. By the way, I found a lighter today! I went down to a creek to get water and saw it on the ground. It is full of fuel AND it's pink! So now I have 2! Praise God!
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: McAfee Knob
Miles today: 0.0

Finally, I'm sleeping with other people! Yay! I had a really nice day. It started out really lonely. I saw a few day hikers going SOBO up at Dragon Tooth. That place was insane! The rocks were crazy big & steep!!! I decided to stop by Catawba Grocery and called Joe, who runs the Four Pines Hostel, to give me a ride. He picked me up at the store and brought me to his place. Occupy was there! I was so happy to see a familiar face. I got a shower too. 5 days since my last shower. It felt so good to be clean. I hung out there all afternoon. Then joe took me, Occupy, Buddy Bass, and Stretch to dinner at The Homeplace. It was so yummy! I got dropped off at the trailhead. It was about 5.9 miles ahead of where I got off. But it was the only way I could get to the shelter before it got dark. Tomorrow I'm gonna see McAfee Knob! I'm hoping to get there to see the sunrise. It's suppose to be beautiful there. I set my alarm for 4:00. Occupy said he was hiking to the shelter I'm at tonight. He will get here late though. I'm gonna try to fall asleep now. The people here keep talking though. There are 4 guys here. 2 are just camping for the night. The other two are sectioning. I can't remember their names. I need to do like 20 miles into Daleville tomorrow. Should be a pretty long day. But looking forward to town. Today was much needed! Thank God for answering my prayer :-)UPDATE:Occupy got to the shelter around midnight. He suggested we night hike to McAfee Knob and cowboy camp. I was excited to go! It turned out to be the best night I've ever had on the trail! The sky was so clear, I could see every star! The weather was perfect too. We got to the top of the knob, laid out our sleeping bags and looked at the star constellations. The plan was to wake up early and watch the sunrise. Around 4:45 we woke up and you could see the light starting to brighten the horizon. Around 5:30 a group of students from VA Tech showed up for the same reason. It was gorgeous! I am so glad I got to see it. We started hiking around 7am. About 15 minutes after we left the knob, we saw another bear cub! It was such a great morning!
Date: 2013-06-01
From: McAfee Knob

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Occupy and I decided to stay at the Howard Johnson Motel. We originally were going to do a nearo today, but at 1:00 it started raining really hard. So we decided to do a zero and stay here another night. We went to church this morning. The sermon was so relevant to what we are doing on the trail. It was the first time in 12 years since Occupy had been to church. After church, we stopped at the Urgent Care so I could get something for my knees. I bought a new pair of shoes yesterday at the outfitter. Hopefully, that will help my joints and feet too. My old shoes were falling apart.Looks like rain tomorrow too....but eventually you have to get back on the trail, rain or shine.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a really easy day. Occupy and I did about 14 miles. There was a swimming hole along the trail. We stopped for about 2 hours and swam around. It felt so good! There was a family with little kids across the water playing. A few hikers came by while we were there too. Tomorrow we are shooting for 17 miles followed by an 18 mile day. I'm sleeping in one of the nicest shelters I've seen so far. It has multiple levels. Really cool. Grey Wolf, Jackson, and Jason are here too. I'm going to sleep early to make sure I get up early tomorrow. Looking at the book it appears to be a hard day tomorrow. Full of climbs. Good night!