morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-17
From: Rte 27 (White Wolf Inn, Stratton, ME)

To: Avery Memorial Tentsite
Miles today: 8.0

8.0 mi. in 5.5 hrs.Breakfasted with Pete, and said farewells to Raven, Southernman, and Doc, who left for the trail soon after. We stayed around to mail stuff from the post office then to meet Bill Yates at 10:30 AM and hit the trail with him. We enjoyed our stay in Stratton. The Bigelow range, our last big climb! At least 3000 feet cumulative vertical ascent up South Horn, then West Peak, then down to Avery Memorial Tentsite. We had stunning views west off the ridge over Flagstaff Lake, and Sugarloaf and the Crocker range in the opposite direction. The haze prevented seeing back to the White Mountains or ahead to Katahdin. Too bad. Views I'd seen on previous day trips up Bigelow, but never as a thruhiker returning at last to Maine. What a charge! Bill is a speedy climber and worked me hard. We had plenty of time to catch up on each other's life. A strenuous but enjoyable stroll. Bill then took off down the Fire Warden's trail back to our parking spot. Pete set his own pace and hiked his own hike, coming into camp an hour later. This site is a series of square tent platforms set amidst a scrubby, rocky, tilted hillside. Grey breezy cool weather drove us into our tents early. Glad I'm surrounded by dense new growth, which cuts down the draft. Several other weekend hikers are on the other platforms. We're told Hurricane Ivan is dumping on sections south of us, but not here. We'll see! So G'nite! Now or Never/
Date: 2004-09-18
From: Avery Memorial Tentsite

To: E. Flagstaff Rd.
Miles today: 8.7

8.7 mi. in 5 hrs.I fell asleep believing we'd escape Ivan's rain. I awoke to the lively patter of raindrops, heavy at times. Fog swirled past and I shivered in the damp gale. Water had infiltrated my tent from the platform outside, and I had a good deal of inside condensation. Packing up wet...yuck! Pete took off at 8 AM and I followed a bit later, hoping the rain would stop. It did. We met up on Avery Peak, just out of camp. What a scene: clouds streaming by, ragged wisps climbing out of valleys and covering peaks in every direction. We found a spot in the lee of the wind and just soaked in the scene.Clouds breaking up, Sugarloaf in distance Then on with the hike, down to Safford Notch then up and over little Bigelow. We met a young man in a very light outfit hiking south, fast. Named "Pacific Bound", he was doing the "Sea to Sea" hike, starting at the Gaspe Peninsula, down to the Maine intersection with the VT Long Trail, then west through the Adirondacks, then toward Ohio, etc. He was getting backing from Go-Lite and Balance Bars. He does big, big miles daily. We wished him luck, especially with fall rushing on. We also met three young folks on break from their jobs as trail maintainers at Acadia National Park. They must like their woodsy habitat since they chose another patch, over here in the Saddleback Range, to take their weekend in, not the bars and bright lights of, say, Portland or Bangor.Vertical landscape, descending Bigelow Range Along the way we came on the number "2000" neatly arranged in pine sprigs on the trail. Someone had figured that's where this year's 2000-mile mark lay. Didn't that feel good to see! We reached our intended shelter to find it full of teenagers bent on a weekend of fun, and no good tent sites around. So on we marched, down to the first road crossing. There we found a big empty gravel pit with plenty of tent space, water nearby, and even fire pits and firewood piled up. The skies have now cleared, our gear is all dried out, and we're watching a great sunset by a campfire. Our fortunes have turned around since our bleak, soggy start this morning, as they have so many times before. As the hikers' mantra goes in times like these, "Life is Sweet." Big miles ahead tomorrow, so we can cross the Kennebec River into Caratunk two days from now. G'nite! Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-24
To: Norridgewock, ME (Home)
Miles today: 0.0

EPILOGUEWell, the gear's strewn all over the basement floor, some to be repaired then sold or stored in the attic, some simply to be junked. It's had hard use. Same for me: weight down by 15 pounds, love handles and little beer gut totally gone, two inch smaller pants size. Calves and thighs a bit sturdier, and shoulders and upper arms bulked up a bit from all the vigorous stick handling. That should all revert to my pre-hike shape over the coming months, unless I get back into the gym/swimming habit and suppress my hiker appetite. And the "inner me?" Changes too. I witnessed many hikers make major life decisions along the trail. Nothing so drastic here. More like a reordering of priorities. My medical work was fun and I worked hard at it, but it didn't dominate my life; it remains that way, and I still have no immediate plans to retire. Music was a big part of my life, but perhaps too big, as if it were filling in something missing, hence being used for the wrong reasons. That's been largely corrected. It's been a great homecoming and promises to remain so. Life on the trail can be sweet. So can life afterwards.Maybe it's best to close with mention of the trail's destination, Katahdin. Here's a register entry my son Rob found at Bald Mountain Lean-to on his way north four years ago and which resonates somehow:"You cannot stay on the summit forever;you have to come down again.So why bother in the first place?Just this:'What is above knows what is below, butWhat is below knows not what is above.One climbs, one sees, one descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen.There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower region bythe memory of what one saw higher. When one can no longer see, one can at least know."(Author unknown by entrant)Happy trails to all those still on their way, and to all those who've finished one way or another! Now or Never
Date: 2004-01-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well hello everyone-   Thanks for stopping by and checking on my trip. Since you are here you proboly know that I am going to do a thru-hike of the Appalachain Trail this year but many of you may not know why. Some people think I'm crazy to take the summer off and walk 2,172 miles from Springer Mtn., Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. Some think it is a exciting thing and some people just can't comprehend the task at hand. Let me explain why I have decided to take this trip. It all started 10 years ago when I was in college and I started hiking. I decided to work for the Discover Outdoor Center for UNCW, Brock Snyder decided to take a chance and give a trip leader job to some how had only hiked once before. I thank him for that chance and I hope he never regreated it. I went through training with a bunch of really cool people and discovered that hiking was just my pace and what a better job for college. Then for every year instead of going to some tropical place and getting loaded for spring break, I worked for the DOC and went hiking on the AT for a week. I really enjoyed what I saw, who I talked to and what I experienced. That started my love of the AT and hiking. So the seed was planted. I then told myself someday I will hike the trail but I need to wait for the time to be right. Then I began working for the Park Service as a summer seasonal ranger and did what ever it took to get through the winter until the hiking season started again. Then after hiking all around the country during my time off I ended up moving here to Jackson, WY and started working for Grand Teton NP where I hike and camp for 4 days at a time. The country here is some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever experienced and the hiking blows my mind. In the winter I went to the ski resort to work in the ticket office where I have moved up to supervisior. So now I have a good winter job that I enjoy and can come back to. So at the end of last summer I was sitting on a rock and thinking about life, what I do a lot in the woods and it hit me, THE TIME IS RIGHT. My park job was up in the air due to funding, I could go back as a trail dog but the project for the up coming year was not to thrilling. I would to be sitting on a rock face with a rock drill and drilling in 180 steps up Guide's Wall. Not that it would not be fun but I don't belive that we should be creating a permanant change to the park like that, espically since the people using the trail are going to climb a multi-pitch climb with gear. I also have a good job to come back to and the timeing is perfect, fininsh work at the beginging of April and not starting again till middle to end of Oct. So I made up my mind, I will quit my job that doesn't exsist (pretty easy choice), put everything I own in storage except for my hiking gear and start walking north to ME. Later on I will try, though it might not me very easy, to explain what this means to me and hopefully be able to answer some questions I get a lot.   Tim
Date: 2004-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well hello everyone-   It is now Feb 28th and the time is flying by, I have no idea where it is going but it is going fast. I am really looking forward to the trip or as I tell people the Walk. The planning is coming along, a little slower than planned but I am a great procrastanator. Everything should be in line for my start in late April. I have decided to park my car in Missoula with my friends and fly home instead of driving. My brother made a good point driving to PA well be no problem but after hiking for 5 months the drive back to Jackson may be hell. So I will take to the air before I hit the trail. I think about the walk everyday, it just seems to fill every thought. The closer the time comes the more excited I get. I can't imagin how I will feel come my last night before I take my first step. All my friends even people who I don't know here are excited for me, which is pretty cool. I have realized that a lot of people have heard of the trail but have no idea what it actually entails. They all ask a lot of questions and they all ask the same questions. I sort of feel even with all the info I can give them they will never really understand until they have walked the trail or even part of it. It is nice I have found 1 long distance hiker here in town and it is nice just to talk about trail life and everyone who listens in just looks confused. What else can I say the snow continues to come down and I feel the snowshoeing is helping me prepare for the trip. I will check back soon. To all those who are starting soon good hiking and god speed. For all of you not hiking I will dream a little dream for you.
Date: 2004-02-29
To: Why oh Why
Miles today: 0.0

So I thought I may try to explain why I am hiking the trail besides the obvious of for the adventure or because it is there. I hope the the experience will give me the chance to get back to life. Through all the chaos that is going on around us everyday and every minute it can become over bearing at times. People do not have a chance to step back and breath for a moment. When I venture into the woods I go for the chance of reflection on life and time. To think about what has transpired in my life, my family, my friends, to think about my morals and values. Everytime I step back from society and the hectic world I return as a different person. Most people can not see that I have changed, but I come back with a renewed sense of life and things. When you sit upon a rock and just sit the life of nature begins to surrond you and over take you like I have never experienced in towns or cities. Thoughts come to me and I ponder everything you could imagin without thinking about it. When I wake up in the morning I feel vibrante and refreshed about what is to come for that day and for the rest of my life. When I hike down the trail with everything I need in a bag on my back I feel self sufficate and realize that I can accomplish anything and everything I just need to belive in what I am doing and to take the chance to do it. When I go to bed I feel relaxed knowing that I have accomplished a small goal and I have more goals to reach for. Without dreams and goals is life worth living? I ask that of you. Also when I go to the woods I am not seeking answers to the questions I have but to seek the answers to questions that have not come up with yet. I feel that this is a big way that my morals and values of life have devloped in me. My parents gave me an excellent base to begin with and for that I thank them. Then nature, time to be alone and think has shaped them even more, it has made me more focused and passionate about things in life and to realize that certain things mean very little in the big scheme of life. Life in the woods is that one thing completes me. If I do not go into the woods for a period of time I become on edge and uncomfortable, then with my first step into the woods the weight of life rolls of and life starts to get back to normal. Although life in the woods is not always easy, life is always good you just need to seek the good out of the bad. When it rains for days on end it can be hard to motavite because you know you will stay wet all day. Then when you realize that there is nothing you can do about it and start walking you feel different. The smell overwhelms you, the sound of drops on the trees moves you, the dampness enlightens you and you realize that this is not that bad and life could be much worse and it can even become enjoyable. Life is just a state of mind and what you choose to make of it. So I guess in short I want to take the time to reexperience my life to see what I have become and where I may go next. I do not expect you to understand all of this ramble but hopefully you can understand some of it. Until another day I wish all of you life.
Date: 2004-03-23
To: 24 Days
Miles today: 0.0

Hey everyone- The time approaching fast but not fast enough. I will be on the trail in 24 days. I can't wait. I think about it everyday and all day even though I try not to. Then when people ask me I start thinking about it more and start to drift off. People ask me if I am excited, of course I am but I am not bouncing off the walls yet. I will leave Jackson on the 8th of April to head up to see my friends Eric and Chrissy in Missoula, MT. They said I could park my truck there. Thanks guys thats a huge help. I then leave Missoula on the 10th and hit the trail on the 16th of April. I will also be home for Easter, which will be great since I have not been home for a holiday since I have not been home since the Thanksgiving of 2002, it has been a while. My job is almost over. The resort closes on Apr. 4th and I will work all day on the 5th to finish up. I can't wait. It is not that I don't like my job but after a season of being yelled people are starting to piss me off. I am starting to come down with Short-Timers Disease and a case of the _uck-offs. I am sure time will start to slow down but it will arrive soon. I hope all hikes are going well and I can't wait to get out there myself and just start walking north. Hope to be walking real soon. Tim
Date: 2004-03-24
To: Always on my mind
Miles today: 0.0

Well hello everyone. It is 19 days till I get this thing started. I can't stop thinking about it. It is on my mind first thing in the morning when I wake and on my mind at night when I go to bed. I just can't stop even when I don't want to think about it, it just seeps into my thoughts. If you have hiked the trail or a starting to you can understand where I am coming from. It is one of the most exciting things I have done and like every other adventure I am nervous as well but I think that is common with anything you do that is out of the norm. The resort is coming to a schreeing halt, finally. It is not that I don't like my job it is the snow is crappy and I am tired of dealing with all the people and the scammers. Also because the trail is only 19 days away and all I want to do is walk and walk some more. I hope all is well and I will write more later.
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Jackson, WY

To: West Yellowstone
Miles today: 0.0

Well the time has come for me to leave lovely Jackson, WY. The season has ended and we lucked out with some snow at the base. I cleaned up work in a day and checked out the next. Then after 2 days of running around I think I am almost ready to leave. I went out with all my friends from Jackson. I love you all I hope to see everyone again when I arrive home but until then take care, I love you all. Thanks espically, Todd, Nora, Lori, Leslie and Jeff for the beautful flask, I will keep it full and toast you everytime I drink from it. You guys rock. Jeff thanks for the quater, hopefully I won't find and bastards that charge you for use. Just Jokin'. So I leave today to drive to West Yellowstone to see Scott and Mellisa, it should be a good visit. Then off to Missoula to hang out with Eric and Chrissy and leave my truck. Then fly to Pittsburgh on the 10th and hit the trail on the 17th. I will definetly miss Jackson with all my heart. It is trutly one of the most beautiful places in the US. Huge catherdal mountains drapped with clystal blue lakes under bluebird days. It is trutly a paridase. That will be missed. I will be back but first comes the AT.   Love,   Tim
Date: 2004-04-09
From: West Yellowstone

To: Rock Creek, MT
Miles today: 0.0

Well today when we woke it was snowing again. Over night we received about 2 inchs of snow and it was getting heavier and harder. It was great to See Scott and Melissa again, I wish them the best of luck with there wedding since unfortunly I will not be able to be there. Scott was leaving for EMT school and with the snow becoming harder we decided to leave before it got worse and they started closing roads. For those of you who don't live out west here isi what happens, it snows so hard and fast the plows can't keep up so they will just close the road and hopefully you are gone by then or you are just stuck. So we left before they closed. The drive was not to bad and made it to Missoula to see Eric and Chrissy. Eric was not thinking and left without leaving a key and spaced that I was arriving that day so I hung out at Rock Creek Lodge for about an hour with some scary people. Rcok Creek lodge is home of the Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival or as most people call it the Testy Festy. Finally Chrissy came and we chilled, so nice to see them. Off to Pittsbutgh tommorrow.
Date: 2004-04-10
From: Rock Creek, MT

To: Pittsburgh, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Today I arrive in Pittsburgh. This morning was nice and relaxed. After breakfast we all went over to Eric and Chrissy's land so I could see the progress for the big home build. It looks good. Then Eric took me to the airport and I checked in with no problems (which is good), I was not even searched. Then a flight to the twin cities, a 2 hour layover and then to Pittsburgh. Not much happened today just a lot of flying.
Date: 2004-04-12
To: 5 Days
Miles today: 0.0

Well here we are monday, 5 days before the big walk begins. I am working on things here in the 'burgh. I ran some errands today and reworked my food drops again, which I will proboly do again. I have gotten it down to 16 mail drops. I have also decided to mail about half the food and buy the other half as I go, so that way I can have some varity instead of buying something that I got sick of and then have something like 30 meals left of it. It should work out that way or at least I hope. Tommorrow is the big day of buying food, what a task. I spoke with my buddy Matt and he is going to come to Springer to see me off which will be cool. What else should I say? Everybody asks me if I am excited. Yes I am excited it is something that has been 10 years in the making and I am so excited I can't stand it but I guess people expect something different like maybe bouncing off the walls are can't stop talking about it. People also ask me all the time if I read the book A Walk inthe Woods by Bill Bryson, if I get that question again I think I may explode. Of course I read it but it did not influence me to do the trail, I already wanted to do the trail. I also get asked all the other questions like:Are you going to carry a gun? NoWhat about all the crazy people? Ah, I seen them beforeAre you afraid of bears? Sure, I've been hit by 2What are you crazy? Nobodys normalHow long will it take? 5.5 monthsReally? YesWill you walk everyday? Yesand it goes on and on. I have never really been asked are you scared or nervous? So I will answer that since it is on my mind. Yes. When I think about the undertaking of walking 2172 miles in 5.5 months it is over whelming. I know I can do it but there is a part of me that thinks Oh my God what are you doing. Physically I know I can do it but what if. Mentally I know I can do it but what if. When I worked up in Alaska we would always play the What If game so I am used to it. I will just make my goals realistic day by day week by week until the end. So I say yes I am scared and nervous but like anything new you are and if you are not maybe you should reconsider what you are doing because being scared and nervous keep you alive and kicking. I know that if I don't finish for some reason people will understand but I will finish and I will enjoy everything the trail has to throw at me. I may not enjoy at the time but in the big picture it will change me. So 5 days and counting till it all ends and begins at the same time. So keep on dreaming because the day you stop dreaming it is time to day. (I think Blind Melon said that) Tim
Date: 2004-04-13
To: Dream Big
Miles today: 0.0

I just read this on the forum section and it is pretty moving. I don't know if Yogi said it or if they got it from some plae else but think about it and it may move you. TimDREAM BIGIf there were ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, it is now.Not for any grand cause, necessarily, but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your aspiration, something that's your dream.You owe it to yourself to make your day here count.Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch. Dream big.Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy. There will be good days And there will be bad days. There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up and call it quits. Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself, that you are not afraid to learn by trying.Persist.Because with an idea, determination, and the right tools, you can do great things. Let your instincts, your intellect, and your heart guide you.Trust.Believe in the incredible power of the human mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of working hard. Of laughing and hoping. Of lazy afternoons. Of lasting friends. Of all the things that will cross your path this year.The start of something new brings the hope of something great. Anything is possible. There is only one you. And you will pass this way only once.Do it right.
Date: 2004-04-15
To: Georgia on my mind
Miles today: 0.0

Well here we are the night before I leave for GA. I have been crazy busy today visiting with friends and packing and all that jazz, but I am ready to go (or at least I hope). I can't belive this is actually going to happen. I am excited and scared at the same time. I will make this breif because I still have more to do. I would like to thank some people before I start. First and formost, Mom and Dad- They are my support system. They will be sending all my drops along the way, driving me to GA and beliving in me. With out them the trip would be much harder. My brothers John and Bill who will be updating this journal for me- Thanks. Chrissy and Eric for letting me park my car on there land. Todd, Nora, Lori, Leslie and Jeff for the beautful flask which shall be refilled when ever it can. Also thanks to everyone else who has helped me in differeent ways. Finally thanks to everyone I know for all your support and encouragement it means the world to me and when I get lonly on the trail I will think of each and everyone of you and pretend you are by my side. So until Saturday April 17th, 2004 when dreams become reality. Tim