morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-15
From: Bald Pate Shelter

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, my legs are sore but my belly is full of ice cream, which makes all of my aches and pains manageable...So, here I am in my first Maine trail town. Maine. Wow, this whole time I have been saying that I am "headed to Maine," and now I am here and still have a long ways to go! The mountains since the Whites have been rather tough but the views above treeline are stellar. Since Gorham...A-Train and I had plans to meet at Full Goose Shelter, which meant I had to pull a 21-mile day out of town. I got in after a beautiful sunset and 15 minutes of night hiking, but no A-Train! He "got bored" and hiked on, so I had to chase him for two days until I caught up and kicked his fanny today. Day two in Maine was through Mahoosuc Notch, and I have to say I was disappointed; the Notch was challenging (lots of wedging one's body under and over boulders) but not beautiful. Speck Pond (where I first decided to hike the AT back in 1997 while doing trail work) was a great stopover, got to meet some nice AMC trip leaders and psych myself up for 7 more miles. Today's 18 was rough, but slacking the second half of the day thanks to the nice peopel at The Cabin and The Andover House made the day bearable. At 5pm I realized that I was going to be late for my A-Train pickup and had to RUN up Moody Mountain, which is 1 mile straight up (lots of semi-gratuitous steel rungs and ladders). Had a VERY mediocre dinner at Addie's, but as I said the ice cream cone redeems Andover. Also bought a cheesy Andover shirt, my first and last trail souvenier but I couldn't resist a moose pumping gas in a Red Sox cap.THERE ARE MORE PICTURES UP. And I will be checking mail at all of the towns listed under "Maildrops" if you wanted to send me a hot fudge sundae (be sure to include an ice pack!)
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Sabbath Day Pond Shelter

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hello all from Rangeley, ME, where I am gorging on fruit and hanging out at the lake beach here while deliberating on whether I should climb all the way up Saddleback Mountain today. Yesterday, A-Train and I reunited and headed from Andover together; he is still into bigger miles so we hiked 17 to the shelter where I got to meet Chicken, Spork and Mountain Jam (section hikers and former thru hiker) and Chicken and I sang some mean Joni Mitchell, Dar Williams and Indigo Girls. Yay for pack guitars. My body is aching from these Maine ups and downs, though the views are quite nice when it isn't raining as it was yesterday!I'll be getting into Stratton this weekend and am looking at an August 3rd finish, if not a day sooner. Many moose prints but no Maine meese so far, though Chicken is convinced that meese (mooses?) are actually quite small and hide behind rocks, which is why we cannot see them.Onward and northward! Two weeks and change to Katahdin...unbelievable.
Date: 2003-07-31
From: The Birches

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 2172.6
Weather: light rain

Poptart summitted Katahdin at 6:30am on July 31st, having set out from the campground at 3am. With her were A-Train, Train, Team Iowa (Chicken, Spork and Mountain Jam), Ben and Witt. It was a beautiful sunrise and a crystal clear day to finish the Appalachian Trail. Stay tuned for a final Trailjournals entry. Poptart has also begun to enjoy referring to herself in the third person.
Date: 2003-08-04
To: Running in Circles
Miles today: 0.0

[It is hard enough to give up the many wonderful aspects of the trail: hiking all day, eating as much as I want, swimming everywhere all the time with or without clothes. The prospect of giving up my trailjournal makes me a little weepy, so I think I'll taper off with a few entries about LATH (Life After Thru-Hiking).]This entry is dedicated to Chicken and Dimples, triathletes extraordinaire.Today, I exercised for the first time in five months. You may laugh; after all, I have been hiking the Appalachian Trail! However, I never think of hiking as exercise; the workout is a fortunate but not all-important side effect of thru-hiking. Anyone who gets on the AT solely to lose weight or get in shape is off at Neel's Gap. No, the kind of exercise I am talking about is the get up and put on the running clothes, compacted and intense kind of citified activity both dreaded and loved by urbanties everywhere.For my reentry into "working out," I chose my favorite route from the JFK bridge to the Arsenal Street bridge along the Charles River. Along the 45-minute route, I discovered a few things:--Bostonians don't like to look at each other. On the trail, it is de riguer to talk to every southbounder, mostly as a way to break up the day. At one point, I tried to ask a woman bounding towards me what the mileage was on my route; she was so surprised I was making contact that she veered off the pavement. Oops.--Running on pavement is harder on your joints than hiking on dirt. --People will stare at you in disgust if you blow your nose onto the ground. No such reaction in the woods. Snotrockets are therefore a wilderness activity.--Hiking does translate to running; despite joint readjustment, I found the run surprisingly easy. Even the extreme humidity and heat didn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. At least there were no mosquitoes.--Just because I have hiked numerous miles in the rain does not mean that running in in a downpour is nostalgic. It still sucks.--Running is funner when there is less to jiggle around. Note to self: become a man. Or maybe just a poorly endowed woman.--Cambridge is dirty. It never bothered me before, but there was trash everywhere all along the Charles. I didn't even want to lie down in the grass to do situps because who knows what dog might have shat there. Sure, there was moose poop along every foot of the AT, but somehow that felt cleaner. Besides, according to Chicken the "poop" is actually moose eggs. --It is nice to be going somewhere. Even though at times my get up and go on the AT got up and went, I had the luxury of always heading north, towards Katahdin. The whole ending up where you started thing was a little startling: "What do you mean, I'm back at the car? I was here 45 minutes ago!" --Note to self: must curb uncontrollable urge to follow any and all white blaze-like markings.
Date: 2003-08-24
To: The End
Miles today: 0.0

Well, this is it. The photos, including ones from early in the trail, are all uploaded and dated for your viewing enjoyment. This is my signing off of trailjournals, though I like the online format so much I may have to get one somewhere else. I just thought it would be lame to write about moving to Michigan and graduate school in this particular place, though if I end up going to an AT-related event I may not be able to resist adding an entry here or there.There is a bit of news: the AT continues in Boston! Cannoli has moved here and the two of us spent an evening at Charlie's and the next day at the beach with Pippa recovering. I just talked with Johnny Walker as well, so we may see a mini AT reunion before I leave for Ann Arbor on Tuesday. I'm hoping Tubbs is around as well.For now, I have to pack before reuniting with friends in Boston. It really figures that the one year I decide to get out of this city, everyone else converges upon it!Oh yes: and I did get to go back to Maine to spend a few days on Scheffield Point (north of Acadia) with Meredith, who is fresh back from Scotland. I think maybe after the Bigelows the AT should reroute to coastal Maine, where the weather is nice, there are no mosquitoes, and you can swim (frigidly) in the ocean and eat lobstah.So, au revoir for now. Back to being Mimi, at least until the John Muir trail next summer. Anyone interested?
Date: 2004-01-17
To: Who is Going to Trail Days?
Miles today: 0.0

Okay folks, if anyone from '03 is reading this, I end classes at the end of April and was hoping to hitch a ride from Michigan or Boston down to Pearisburg and then hike from there south to Damascus for Trail Days. Anyone interested? Dimples, Grunt, A-Train, Java, Flick, Team Iowa, Train, Poncho, Team Holliwell, I am talking to you!
Date: 2004-08-21
To: Sugardaddy's Pit Crew
Miles today: 0.0

One year and seventeen days after summitting at Katahdin, I returned to Maine for a brief four-day visit to reconnect with old friends and myself. Cannoli and I were proud members of the Sugardaddy Pit Crew as we saw our friend through one of the most beautiful sections of trail, from Stratton to Caratunk. I'll let you all read about it in Sugardaddy's journal of 2004 (www.trailjournals.com/sugardaddy). Suffice it to say that alcohol and cookies abounded, as did skinnydipping. We were unfortunately rowdy enough to piss of Tortoise (who was a big sourpuss in the morning and wouldn't even be civil to me) but the Horn Pond caretaker Alice was splendid company, even at 10:30pm, and was easily plied with homebaked chocolate-chip-cranberry cookies.The Bigelows were just as beautiful as I remembered, and the descent from Avery peak just as long! This time there was ample time to swim in the Tubbs at Little Bigelow Shelter...and at West Kerry Pond...and at East Kerry pond's sandy beach...and finally at Pierce Pond Shelter, even in the midst of the tail-end of a thunderstorm. Sugardaddy showed us all up by packing nightly treats in his 50-pound (I'm not joking, it was heavy) pack in addition to out-burping and out-farting everyone else. It was wonderful to meet Meercat (flipflopping) and we ended the section with a crossing of the Kennebec (in the boat this time) and the requisite burgers and hot tubs at the Northern Outdoor Center (special thanks to waitress Julie and to Debbie, who started out our fabulous hitching and strangely has a son who meditates at the Buddhist center I was hanging out at in Moscow). Cannoli and I hitched the 65 miles to Caratunk in a heartbeat (thanks to Ryan and Alice) and repayed the karma by driving Chigger and Saint Rick '04 to Stratton. All in all, a great reliving of the end of my thru-hike, with a bit more action this time Hike On!
Date: 2003-01-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   This past few weeks has been difficult for my family. My sister has been in and out of the hospital and ended up getting diagnoised with an autoimmune disease. She's only 11! Why is such a young body attacking itself? It's kinda scary.   She was given meds and is now on a strict diet. The meds are making her puff up and the diet cuts out many of the foods that she loves, such as milk. It's hard to have to tell her, "Sorry Kid-o, you can't have that any more." She just looks at me and repeats what I have said like she still trying to understand why. She's tricks my Dad into giving her the foods she can't have, and she ends up getting sick. It's so frustrating to watch.   And through all this, she has been more worried about me after my surgery. She has been making sure that I don't have to move, so she insisted that she bring me my meals. She's so sweet and thoughtful. She occasionally comes down stairs and asks, "You need ____?" and then runs to get it.    I am healing slowly, but think I will be ready to go by end of March. When I heal, I will hiking. (Thanks Blue Jay.)
Date: 2003-02-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   This weekend I was busy getting ready for my hike. I was looking through my gear from last year, checking to see what needed to be replaced or fixed.   I will end up replacing my sleeping bag, as I had a lot of the down come out of the bag last year. REI is going to replace the bag for free, but I need to wash it to get rid of the hiker smell. I didn't realize how bad it smelled until I took it out of storage. I'm going to take care of that this weekend.   Next piece of gear that I will be replacing are my rain pants. There is a hole ripped along the side. Or maybe I should just fix them with duck tape and get the long distant hiker look right away. :) It would go along with my duck taped rain jacket, which had a small hole burned in the back of it from a spark while sitting by a campfire.   I replaced my pack with a smaller pack (REI Talus 30 with an extra outside pocket 2600ci total). It weighs less and will help me from adding extra, unneeded gear later.    I dicided to go with the ALDHA Companion and the Data Book for my mileage and town information. I just don't like the new set up of the Thru-Hiker's Handbook.   The only thing left to decide is if I'm going to use a filter vs. AuqaMira water treatment. Last year, I used filter at first then switched to AuqaMira and then found I was borrowing other hikers filters. I'm leaning towards taking a filter.   Another thing that is getting replaced is my camera. I've seen some great pictures taken by digital cameras and so I think I will start looking for one. Anybody have any suggestions? My roommates think I nuts, I think. They come home and find me repacking my pack for the hundredth time or standing at the sink washing dishes and I have my pack on. One of my roommates just shakes his head and says, you're really going to do this, arn't you? And so I tell him:   Yes, I am. And then give him a big smile.
Date: 2003-02-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   Last week, my doctor gave me the thumbs up for recovery from my surgery. He said that I would be close to healed by the end of March, just in time to go. Yeah! That was good news that I was waiting to hear.    So I bought a plane ticket yesterday, gave 60 days notice to the person I rent from and put in notice at work today. Now I can't back down. I've got to be in GA at the end of March.    Plans are now being finalized, belongings packed up, and decisions are being made. I'm so bad at deciding what needs to be done first. It seems as though my brain shuts down until the last minute and then goes into overload mode. Right now, it's just starting overload mode. Gotta get things done. Starting to feel the crunch of time.
Date: 2003-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   I just finished adding all my gear choices to my gear gallery. Not all the weights are listed, but my gear (not including what is worn) will be about 15-16 lbs. That is if I don't take the guitar! Feel free to sign my guestbook if you have any suggestions or if you think I have forgot anything. I would also love to hear from you even if you don't have any suggestions.   I will be joined by Roger Rabbit for the first month of my journey. He just happens to be a former co-worker of Boot (AT 2002) who I started with last year. I have been having a very fun time talking to RR about our plans over email. He only has a month to hike, so we are going to try to make to Erwin, TN so he can see as much of the trail as possible.   Some of my friends and family have been asking me why I want to do a second round of this kind torture. Reason: The feeling of accomplishing a goal is one of the best feelings in the world. Last year, only part of a goal was accomplished, leaving behind a feeling of defeat. Yes, about 900 miles were hiked, but that wasn't my goal. I need to show myself that I can complete something I set out to do.    Another reason is all the great people that are met out on the trail. No where else have I felt an environment where it seems like everyone helps each other and is very excepting of each others quirks. I love the trail family atmosphere.    Also, to everyone in Pack 31 - as you start your hike tomorrow, my thoughts are with you. I hope you have a great journey. I will also be thinking about one member that will be hiking with you in spirit, instead of by your sides. Soleman will have a great journey as well, but just of a different kind.
Date: 2003-03-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   As I get closer to my start date, I'm realizing just how much the AT means to me. I love the different challenges that arise and figuring out how to deal with them. I also like being able to choose what I will be doing that day (sleep, eat, walk.) And of course, the people. People from all walks of life who you wouldn't meet otherwise, come together to laugh, cry, and share the ups and downs (no pun intended! :) ) of the trail together.   Doesn't sound to difficult, but the day after day monotony does start to take its toll on people. That's when you really start seeing the best and worst in people. It's also when you see what people are made of. You also learn a lot about yourself.   There were many things that I learned about myself last year. I found out just how stubborn I really am. I realized that I had a difficult time asking for help when I really needed it (instead of when I wanted it). And many more things that I am still trying to figure out.   I saw many quailities in other hikers that I admired. Werewolf for his honesty. Pete for his kindness and humor. Senior Cheif and Hookuks! for their respect and love for each other. Poetry in Motion for her spunk. Radar for his consideration for others. There are just so many people out there that I had a chance to meet and learn from.    I know that this year will be the same. More self discovery. More of the great people to learn from.    Only two weeks left before I go.
Date: 2003-03-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   With the last of the major issues solved, and my pack all ready to go, I am ready to head down to GA.    I sold my car this weekend, which was one major issue I wanted to take care of before I start hiking. I had been holding off on putting it up for sale because of weather and just plain laziness. The weather was great this weekend, so there was no excuse. I put my car up for sale.   There is a very neat car lot in my town, called Owner to Owner. You bring your car there on Friday or Saturday and sign some legal papers, pay your $22 and put your car on the lot. Then people call you up to say they are intrested and you go back to the lot to let them test drive your car. My car was sold within 15 minutes of first person driving the car. WOW!    I got my boxes packed up to send to The Blueberry Patch and Fontana Dam. Those will be the only planned Mail Drops I will have. After that I will decide as I go if I need any. I also will be sending a box to Sassy, who is starting the trail a few days after me, that contains stuff that can not be on the plane with me. I will then be able to carry my pack on the plane.   I am still packing up all my stuff that will be stored at my parents house while I am gone. I have been getting rid of lots of my clothes and other items so that there is not as many boxes to store. This has been a pain. I have been putting this off, and now there is not much time left. I will get this done though. Really, I will. :)   Almost time to meet all the people I have been talking to on line and through email over the past few months. Can't wait to see you out there!
Date: 2003-03-29
To: I'm On My Way!
Miles today: 0.0

   Time to go, the clock tells me. Today is the day.    I leave in a few hours, and I think I am ready. I've gone over my gear list several times, and beleive everything is packed. I'm worried that something will be forgotten, cause after this, I will have to make it to Neel's Gap with what I have. I am always forgetting something.    I checked the weather forcast for the next few days. The forcast is for rain today and tomorrow. It seems as though there has been lots of rain this year. Time to get used to the idea of dealing with the rain. It looks like it will be a rainy hiking season.    Tonight, Sassy and Kodiak, are meeting me at the airport and hosting me for the night. A big THANK YOU! They will be starting in a few days. Be sure to check out their journal as well.    Mext time you hear from me will be from the trail!
Date: 2003-03-30
From: I'm On My Way!

To: Hawk Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 7.6

   It's great to be back. A bit cold, buy hey, I can deal with that!   Started out the day @ Sassy and Kodiak's house. Packed my stuff, drank some coffee, and enjoyed the great conversation, but soon it was time to go.   We pulled up to Amkalola State Park just before noon. Weighed my pack (24lbs including 4 days of food and I liter of water), got the necessary pictures and signed the register. I was up on Springer by 1pm. Sassy and Kodiak had to be back home by 2pm, so I asked a group of guys, Cosmo, Silverback and Pakabear if I could catch a ride from them. I really didn't want Sassy and Kodiak to be late for their family gathering.   I hiked with Silverback and Pakabear until Stover Creek shelter, talking the whole time about filtering and treating water. Sounds boring but it was actually quite interesting. I stopped at the shelter and lo and behold, who pulls into the shelter....the elusive Redbeard! (see poetry in motion's jounal from last year). I was so surprised that he was on the trail this early! He told me he was starting on April 1. I was so happy to see him! I had been thinking about leaving messages on the trail addressed to him and sign it "your secret admirer". I don't want to embarrass him though.   I also was keeping my eyes peeled for another hiker who had signed in at the State Park that morning. Heather "find me" Martin who's journal I had been reading since she started in the Florida Keys. This girl is so cool! She built her own house over the last couple of years.    I met so many hikers today. Cheap Suit, EZ does it, Boudin, Bluebird, Cuba Libre, Roger Rabbit, Jason from MN, Annie, wild Flamingo and Casey.   Made it to Hawk Mt. by 6pm. Not too bad with as many stops as I made. Going to be cold tonight and it has been snowing off and on all day. Early night in the sleeping bag.
Date: 2003-03-31
To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

   I didn't get much sleep last night. Was it because of the excitment of being on the trail again? No, my sleeping bag was too small. I could hardly move around in it and I have a tendency to move around a lot.   I had tested out my bag that was used on last year's hike a few days before I left. After sleeping in it all night, the down was coming out of it so I took it back to REI, who exchanged it for a new one. Very nice of them, only one problem, the new version of the bag is smaller. A call to REI is soon to happen.   Despite my lack off sleep and trying to think about my sleeping bag delemia, I had a great hike today. Sassafrass Mt. kicked my butt for the second year in a row, had a great lunch break at Justus Creek with Play and Big Stick (the ridge runner). Roger Rabbit stopped for a brief time to eat lunch but kept moving. I knew there was plenty of time to make it to Gooch Gap so I sat and talked to Play.   I love Justus Creek! What a great place to camp it would be. The ridgerunner did mention that the road was only a half mile from the campsite and reachable by the old forest service road that ran pretty much through the campsite. So beware if you stay there.Many tents set up at the road here tonight. Camping with Roger Rabbit, EZ-does-It, Boudin, Bluebird, A guy from MN who's name I can't remember, DC and many more.Also here are Heather and her mom, Wendy. I finally got to meet Heather! Yeah! They have agreed to take RR to the bus station tomorrow, as he is going home. He knee is really acting up so bad that he is having trouble bending it. I offered to take his pack ahead for him, as his was heavier. He didn't think that would help though. After dropping his pack, EZ-does-It came back up to us and told us he had made arrangements for a ride for RR. Heather's mom would be willing to help him. I felt much better after that. As for the sleeping bag, I'll feel better once I find a way to get rid of it.