morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-02-22
To: Mail Drop Packaging
Miles today: 0.0

Well, when my friend Kris reads my journals he keeps saying that he wants more. He wants to know more of what I'm doing day to day and more about what's going on inside my head. Well, here it goes.       Right now I'm in at Nicole's house, starting to put together mail drops. This is what the living room looks like: forty or so broken down boxes in a pile waiting to be packed, twelve of these boxes full of miscellaneous types of foods (ramen, mac and cheese, candy bars, granola bars, instant lipton meals, hamburger helpers, oriental meals, instant mashed potato bags, foil packets of tuna and chicken, pop tarts, oatmeal snd cream of wheat concoctions vacuum sealed with fruits and nuts, boxes of crackers, peanut butter, tortillas, ziplock bags with 10 orange vitamins, and a pile of 8 oz. mini water bottles 3/4 full of olive oil). In the oven we're dehydrating mixed vegetables to add to our meals. We've cooked up pounds of hamburg to dehydrate and add for our hamburger helpers. If Nicole's digital camera didn't have a dead battery, there'd surely be a picture of the chaos. We don't pick it up when we take a break; we just leave it for the next session of food packing chaos.    It was pretty difficult to pack the first mail drop. We have no idea how much food we're going to need. It's generally stated that you should pack 2-2.5 pounds of food per day. That's pretty easy to do, after our first attempt we hit that figure right on the nose. Every time though, we ask ourselves if it'll be enough. How are we supposed to know how much food to pack while in the comfort of our home, when if we're hungry we just open the refridgerator and pig out? After a few attempts I started getting more confident with our selections and feel like they'll be fine.    With all this effort I'm reminded that we could easily purchase our food as we go. The selection may be extremely scarce in places (one big reason why we chose mail drops), but we'd be able to choose foods depending on our immediate interests and impulses. Right now we're trying to package up as many mail drops as possible in order to take the presure off of Nicole's parents this summer. We won't fully seal them up. If we find that we are getting bored of a certain food we can ask them to take it out of the packages, or add things in. The biggest dilemma would arise if we get so sick of a food that we no longer want it in any package. This would create a waste of food and money. These are all problems that I was aware of before we decided to send mail drops, therefore, I'll deal with the consequences of it.
Date: 2006-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So begins my first true days of unemployment. Last week was February break for school systems, so I didn't truly feel jobless. I'm thankful that I've given myself this time to further preparations before I leave, but the day seems so long! Luckily I have a couple of friends to hang out with after my gym sessions.    Yesterday I managed a double session at the gym. I clocked myself for a two mile run and came in at twelve minutes flat. I was very satisfied since I haven't been running at all. Afterwards, I walked two laps to bring down my heart rate and finished with another mile run. At night I played basketball in the men's league for an hour. We didn't lose, so I had the chance to get a great work out. Today I stair climbed for thirty minutes and followed that with a fast paced mile run.    Since today was my last day with BCBS health insurance I made an appointment to see a doctor about the planter's warts on my feet. I have one on each foot. I'm glad that I went to the gym this morning because there's no way I'll be able to get back today. The last time I had them frozen it didn't hurt my feet much. However, last night I cut away at the calluses on my feet so the doctor could get right at the root of the wart. This is probably why my feet are in so much pain right now. Hopefully this treatment will take care of the problem once and for all. The warts have never hurt my feet before (I actually never knew I had them until my physical in December), but I don't want them to spread while hiking.   I signed up for a new health insurance policy that will go in effect tomorrow. It's through Assurant Health, previously known as Fortis. I decided to make my appointment today because I didn't want to make a claim on my health insurance the first day I had the policy.
Date: 2006-03-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The final preparations are completed. Nicole and I spent a couple of days last week adding final food items into our boxes, taping them, and addressing them. The first box will be sent tomorrow. It was a great relief to finish that task once and for all. On Friday Jasper will pick up the AT Partyvan in Bangor and drive south with three other hikers, Des, Shane, and Christina. Nicole and I will meet with them in Augusta and the journey officially begins. The drive to Georgia will take roughly nineteen hours of straight driving. We'll do it in two days at an average speed of 65 m.p.h. It's amazing to think we'll be returning home at an average speed of 2.5 m.p.h. and will spend roughly one hundred and fifty days walking home. I finally found a steep hill to climb in Boothbay. Strangely enough it happens to be right behind my house. I became excited when I finally thought about it! I could have been hiking this for months! I started my stop watch as I began to trudge to the top. Branches littered the path from the severe wind storms we've received this winter. My heart rate began to raise...I felt my muscles strain as I stretched for higher ground...what a great idea! When I reached the top I checked my stopwatch...two minutes! What a gem of a hill! She ain't no Blood Mountain or Katahdin, but she's probably the best Boothbay's got to offer (intentional use of local dialect). It took around 25 climbs for a sufficient work out, but I'll do it a few more times in the coming week. A few weeks ago Nicole's best friend Kyle asked me if I was afraid of being attacked by bears on the trail. I figured it was worth explaining this topic to people. Although there are a great number of bears along the Appalachian Trail, hikers rarely have trouble with them. If we suspend our food supplies from trees (known as bear bags) away from our sleeping quarters the bears aren't likely to come near us. Should we ever cross an aggressive bear, I told Kyle this: as long as I can run faster than Nicole, I'll be safe. He got a chuckle out of it. T.J. Halliday used the same joke at our IAABO meeting today. He seemed to think I was the one that was in trouble. Another ref responded, "Matt, you can definitely climb faster though, then you get to cheer her on as she runs for her life." In all honesty, it's not something to worry about. With the proper precautions we'll be perfectly safe. If not, I'll have my toe nail clippers to fend him off with. A manicured bear is a safer bear.
Date: 2006-03-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

To all those who intend on sending mail to us: try to have the package arrive a week ahead of our estimated time of arrival. Without further ado:Goodbye showers with hot water, soap, and shampoo.Goodbye a change of clothes.Goodbye beds with clean sheets and pillows.Goodbye razors, deoderant, and toilet paper (just kidding).Goodbye lights, music, and television.Goodbye alarm clocks, work responsiblities, and short lunch breaks.Goodbye Monday night basketball (I hope someone screens for you Kris).Goodbye March Madness.Goodbye friends and family.Hello to an American dream.Give me the strength to walk when my legs are tired, the courage when all seems dismal, and the focus to keep progressing in a seemingly endless journey.
Date: 2006-03-10
From: Boothbay Harbor, ME

To: Winchester, VA
Miles today: 0.0

We got picked up today at 10:15 in Augusta. The rental car company didn¢t have the car ready so we got a Dodge Durango through Enterprise. We totaled around 750 miles, but the day didn¢t seem long. Through the entire ride we told stories, made jokes, and made fun of each other. It seems as though Des, Christina and Shane will be great company for some miles to go. We got off the road at 10:30 and found a hotel room for $60. Tomorrow we¢ll get up early, eat a good breakfast and try to get to Georgia.         Des gets the quote of the day in commenting on Pennsylvania, ¢This whole state smells like shit.¢ I warned her that it was quite a generalization, but she stood by her word. Hopefully the state loses this reputation on our return trip because walking across the state with the constant smell of poo could be challenging.        It¢s surprising to see that you can actually smoke in public places in other states. It¢s something we take for granted in Maine. We were instantly hit with a wall of smokey air when we walked into TGI Friday¢s for dinner. The first hotel we stopped at only had smoking rooms available.        Another funny incident occurred in the TGI Friday¢s bathroom. Jasper, Shane and I marched in after a few hours of driving. Five or six boy scouts were fooling around and I asked, ¢How we doin¢ boys?¢ A couple of them responded, ¢Gooooood!¢ As they walked out the door the oldest one punched the others in the arm and scolded them, ¢DON¢T TALK TO STRANGERS!¢ It was pretty funny, but it shows we aren¢t in Maine anymore.
Date: 2006-03-11
From: Winchester, VA

To: Dahlonega, GA
Miles today: 0.0

We woke up at 7:00 this morning and got ready for another long day of driving. I had a dream about hiking; a dream that is becoming more and more frequent. We had a continental breakfast in the lobby. After I sat down with a bowl of oatmeal, Jasper cam over with a plate full of donuts. ¢Eat.¢ he said. Apparently he¢s decided that it¢s his responsibility to fatten me up the day before I leave.        While driving through Virginia we immediately started to notice that the land was becoming more green. The temperature hovered between 70-80 degrees, a far cry from the range in Maine. It felt great to comfortably walk around in shorts and a t-shirt.        Along the road we continued to tell stories, play games, and make fun of each other. In North Carolina we passed a car full of kids that seemed to be enjoying the ride as much as we were. Soon after they passed us with a full moon pressed against the window. Not to be outdone, I returned the favor. They looked hungry so Jasper passed a banana to them through the window.        When we came to North Carolina Jasper pointed out a devastating vine called the Kudzu. It¢s an out of control vegetation introduced from Japan as a plant to fill gardens. Today it has spread throughout the south and kills everything in it¢s path. It looks similar to a thick spider web moving across the countryside, growing up trees, and collapsing them under it¢s weight. We¢ve seen houses completely engulfed by the ugly grey vine.         Tomorrow morning we will drive to Springer Mountain. Jasper presented me with a small rock that he brought home with him from Katahdin. He asked me to bring it back for him. It¢s amazing how such a small token can mean so much. I don¢t need any more motivation to keep moving along the trail, but I bet I¢ll pull that rock out from time to time and feel compelled to finish. It feels like such an inspirational mission that it almost brings a tear to my eye. I better not find out he got if from the parking lot!!!
Date: 2006-03-12
From: Springer Mountain

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

This morning we woke up at 7:00 and hit the road. It took twenty minutes to find a restaurant; perhaps it¢s something to do with South and Sunday mornings.        When we finally arrived at Springer Mountain parking lot we headed back .9 miles to the summit. An AT Ridgerunner named Many Sleeps took our names and asked how old we were. After a bunch of group photos we came back North to the parking lot. We said our goodbyes to Jasper, kicked our heels together and set off.        I was surprised that most of the day¢s hiking was relatively flat. There were a couple of climbs, but nothing that elevated my heart rate. I guess the months of training paid off.   We took a side trail in the afternoon to see Long Creek Falls. I was glad that I made a note about it only being .1 miles, because the others seemed apprehensive about taking it. The falls were amazing. I immediately threw off my pack, my boots and my shirt and ran in. The water was freezing! But hey, it¢s Georgia, so we did it anyway.        By the end of the day our feet were getting tired. Our total was 9.6 miles, 7.6 actually headed North. There were a lot of people here when we arrived. More showed up later with thirty racks of beer and tequila. I have no idea how they managed to fetch that! After eating dinner they wanted to make a fire, but no one knew how to! I couldn¢t believe it. The Mainers took the initiative in lighting the fire. We got back after fetching water and it had almost gone out. There were plenty of sticks piled on top, but they did keep it going.        Nicole could feel some blisters forming today. We slopped some Neosporine, band aids, and duct tape on them. It seemed to work for the rest of the day.        We had a lot of fun on our first day. We continued to goof around, tell stories and laugh. I gave Shane the trial name Mufasa, after a long conversation about the Lion King and where or not he or I was the Alpha One. Nicole obviously got the name Blister, but a little Maine accent changes it to Blistah. I know Tenney would be proud of that one. Des took the name Dudley, because of a trail located near her home. We¢re still working on Christina.        ALERT! 8:51 PM. Gunshots. Lots of them. Forgot to mention that there¢s a military training head quarters in the area. We¢re told we may see camouflaged trainees running past us on the trail.....or helicopters buzzing by at the tree level deploying troops via repelling lines.This is updated on 3/4/06. At Neel's Gap we met an employee who used to train in the area. Instructors send trainees out into the field to spy on hikers and find out information about them, how much they're carrying, how fast they're traveling, how well they could handle themselves, if they could possibly be carrying arms. He also said they train snipers by following hikers in the cross hairs of their scopes! YIKES!
Date: 2006-03-13
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn¢t get much sleep last night. I was pretty comfortable on the second floor of the shelter, but my mind was racing. I fell asleep until 1:10 when a volley of Ranger gun fire woke us up. I asked if anyone new the international smoke signal for ¢shut up!¢. At around 3:30 a group silently marched through camp. I was glad when the sun rose and I could get up. (I wonder if Matty did the patented ¢bike trip sleeping bag crinkle noise¢....a personal favorite in the wee hours of the morning....)         I think the Maine Train started a little earlier than most would have liked. It¢s difficult the for five people to break camp with the stealth skills of the Georgian Ranger. We moved on and hiked for 45 minutes before we stopped for breakfast.         The incoming clouds brought a wall of fog that covered the land like a blanket. We could only see twenty feet in front of us, but it made for excellent hiking conditions. We made a few long climbs and I never broke a sweat with my rain jacket on.         So far my body is taking the trail very well. I have no blisters to speak of, but my big toe on my right foot bothers me a bit. There is no visible mark on it; it just feels strange when it touches the top of my shoe.         Everyone seems to know when the Maine Train is moving though. We get some strange glares from time to time. The general consensus seems to be one of amusement though. Bill seemed to think I¢ll pull a muscle throwing AC/DC guitar kicks off logs. All I know is, the day we lose the energy to sing and throw guitar kicks is the day this trip becomes monotonous.         After hanging out at Hawk Mountain Shelter for a couple of hours we pushed on to Gooch Gap. A lot of hikers were moving on so they could meet Geek, a past hiker who has provided trail magic for the last three days. Today and his friends provided a spread of hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas, beer and chips. Geek is a funny fellow. He wears a pair of Scooby Doo boxer shorts over a pair of tights. He took great interest in the story of my bike trip because he too has partaken in many great adventures. He was the first person to ever thru-hike with a cat, (which he carried on top of his pack) and has a book coming out about it this fall. His greatest adventure included a canoe trip from Pittsburg to New Orleans, AT thru-hike to Maine and cycled back home to Pennsylvania. He said it took thirteen months.        The comradery was awesome tonight. It was great to get to know some of the other hikers on the trail.
Date: 2006-03-14
From: Gooch Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

Last night I couldn¢t sleep again. A thunderstorm moved in around 12:30 and it continued for a few hours. I was paranoid about throwing a poor bear pag and forgetting to put a couple of items in it. At one point I got an adrenaline rush because something started poking into our tent; it turned out to be a branch. I felt like such a sissy. With all said and done, I only got a few hours of sleep.        The views today were spectacular. The thunderstorm at nights was followed by a cold, cloudless day. The path so far has followed the shape of an ¢S¢. We can look back at any given time and usually see where we were a few miles before. It is easy to tell when you are approaching a gap because the sound of the wind increases in volume. The wind fires directly through the gap and whistles as it passes.         Today was a difficult day because we don¢t want to get stuck waiting for a mail drop on a Sunday. That means we need to show up on Saturday mornings before noon, or wait until Monday morning. I¢m glad we are receiving mail drops, but can already tell there will be problems along the way.        When we finally made our way down from Blood Mountain to Neel¢s Gap, we signed up for a room at the hostel and for a shuttle to an all you can eat buffet. It was fun to drink milk and eat to our hearts content, but I was so tired I just wanted to fall asleep. Two nights without adequate sleep along with strenuous exercise has been draining.
Date: 2006-03-15
From: Neel's Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

We woke up to find out that some of our laundry was stolen. Nicole and Christina had to buy a pair of socks and Des was missing her fleece pants, long sleeve shirt and a pair of socks. It appears that it was come towns people. It would be hard to believe a thru hiker would do it; they wouldn¢t want the extra weight!        It was another cold morning that warmed when you escaped the wind. I find that I¢m comfortable hiking in most combinations of clothing that I throw together. I often hike with shorts, t-shit, and a long sleeve shirt, then just deal with the cold when we approach gaps.        Today we reached flat hiking areas for nearly three miles. It was great on the feet and improved our average speed for the day.        We didn¢t see a couple of water sources while hiking so we had to finish the last six miles without water. I¢ve been drinking so much water it was strange to feel the effects of dehydration. I really felt lethargic for the final push of four miles after lunch. From now on, when a water source is nearby, we¢ll have a to look harder to find it.         Just to clarify, my comments are in bold. Everything you read in regular type is straight from the journal. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don¢t hesitate to e-mail me at crit111@hotmail.com. I check it almost every day. I spoke with Matt on the phone last week and he said there were some more journals in the mail. I¢ll try to get those up as soon as possible after I receive them. Until next time....
Date: 2006-03-16
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Cheese Factory Site
Miles today: 13.0

It was another cold night, but I slept quite well. We were on the trail by 8:15. The first few miles were quite easy. There were very few rocks and it was soft on the feet.         For the first time I felt strong at the end of the day. We are still hiking as a group so the pace is pretty slow. A couple of times I took the lead so I could open my legs up and hike in a normal stride. I think it takes more energy for me to hike slowly because I have to take twice as many steps as I normally would. I love hiking with the Maine Train, but I may start attacking more mountains on my own and then wait at the top.         We got a letter addressed to the ¢Maine Train¢ at the Blue Mountain Shelter from Ryan. We never knew how he felt about us, because at times he was very nice and then make sarcastic remarks afterwards. I guess we now know the answer. He invited us to stay with him in Greenville, Tennessee when we reach Hot Springs.   He¢ll be taking a couple of zero days at home but said he¢d like to see us. He may reach Hot Springs a day or two before us. After all, he¢s go tree trunks for legs causing us to call him Thunder Thighs. The offer is convenient because Nicole and I have a place to stay in the same town at dad¢s friend¢s house. We didn¢t want to break with the group so this sounds perfect.
Date: 2006-03-17
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Hiawassee Inn
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

Last nigh Nicole and I pitched the tarp on a slight hill so we kept waking up haven slipped down to the bottom of it.        The sun got hot during midday and we all started to show some color. We try to keep the lotion on but we haven¢t been keeping track of the time well. Since we head in the same direction all day long, we get the sun on one side of our bodies. We¢ll have to start paying more attention to it or we¢ll be prime candidates for sun cancer by the time we get home.        Nicole has been getting a lot of blisters on her feet. She never complains, but I worry about it continually getting worse. I think her total is up to six now. Hopefully her skin will start to toughen and it won¢t be such a problem in the future.        When we arrived at Dicks Creek Gap we started hitch hiking into town. Des and Shane got an immediate ride from some kids returning from a hike. Nicole, Christina and I unsuccessfully attempted to get a ride when more guys showed up. By then, I don¢t think there was any way a car would stop for a mob of smelly hikers. Luckily Bryan had a cell phone and was able to call for a shuttle.        Once at the Inn we showered and made way for an all you can eat steakhouse. The food was just as bad as the last buffet, but it is fun to make a lot of trips to the line. Afterwards we got a couple of pizzas for breakfast, yes breakfast, and came back to the room to do laundry.         The small of my back started to feel a little sore today. It¢s only a small area on the right side, but I hope it goes away quickly. I tried stretching it to no avail. I¢ll take some Ibuprofen to see if it will help. Tomorrow is our last day in Georgia.