morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-21
From: The Place, Damascus, VA

To: The Place, Damascus, VA
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Following a Rooster suggestion, I slack-packed down to the Tennessee-Virginia border today and came back to Damascus. I can now say that, when I reach Harper's Ferry, I have hiked all of Virginia. It was a good way to get back on the trail. I only carried 15 pounds in a day pack -- food, water, camera, ID, some other stuff I didn't want to leave lying around (yes, the rest of my stuff was still there when I got back). I wish I could carry only that much all of the time. I did 7 miles round trip in about 3 hours and it was pretty easy. On my way south, I passed a number of NOBOs I knew. I also met a turtle, surprising him just hanging out in the middle of the trail. After I returned, I completely repacked my backpack and weighed it at Mt. Rogers Outfitters. 38 pounds without water. Almost 20 pounds less than when I started. I can almost live with this. I think I can still shave more, though.There are a number of people here at the place who are recuperating from injuries and several who look like they should be. Thumper has tendonitis in her ankle. Victory Light has an infected blister. Others are limping around and look like they're not having much fun, but they all want to get back on the trail. I have heard stories all the way up from Springer about hikers overdoing it. Guess what? Me too! Me too! I overdid it and injured myself before my body was ready to handle the added stress of more miles per day. DoIt's advice at Gooch Mountain comes back to haunt me -- don't overdo it. If you do, you'll be sorry. Overdoing it seems to be epidemic among thru-hikers at the beginning of their hikes. We try to make miles before we're ready. We don't know how to take care of injuries when they happen. We sometimes don't have the wherewithal to take care of injuries right away. We don't see doctors when we have the chance. We don't follow their advice fully. We take any two bit advice offered by the last yahoo we talk to. We depend on aspirin or acetaminophen or ibuprofen in order to mask our pain and keep up our mileage, instead of giving injuries a chance to heal. Some injuries can cause other injuries. Some hikers are able to hike through injuries because theirs are less serious. Some have to rest and recuperate.I slept in the yard tonight; the room in The Place was too hot for me to sleep in. It was nice and clear with a nice breeze.
Date: 2003-12-17
To: Here goes nothing. ..
Miles today: 0.0

Hello to our family, friends and fellow dreamers,See, I told you we were serious! This initial journal entry feels like the first real step on our walk from Georgia to Maine. I hope this journal will help you to keep track of where we are and how we are doing. I would like to thank Roger Scott for volunteering to enter my journal entries and download the pictures. It is a big job and I really appreciate all his efforts.Lisa, "Don't Mind", and I, "Don't Matter", have been dreaming of hiking the AT for about 5 years. We are both business professionals and the thought of leaving our jobs and going without income for an extended period of time somehow seems unnatural and somewhat frightening. We are both taking a leave of absense and heading to the trail to start hiking on April 4th 2004.My wife and I have never backpacked. I know this must sound insane, but we are looking forward to doing something completely new and unknown. We have hiked before; however, we are not unaware of the extreme difference between the two activities. In fact, our outlook on this scary aspect of the trip is where our initial trail names originated. We figure that we can do anything because if Lisa don't mind, Kit don't matter! I have planned the trip over and over in my head and on paper. I am aware, however, as any military strategist will tell you, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. We are just trying to be as prepared as possible while maintaining a positive attitude and commitment to lightweight backpacking. We read Ray Jardine's book "Beyond Backpacking" and have, with very few notable exceptions, bought into his theories hook, line and sinker. We both hope to keep our pack weight under twenty five pounds with food and water. Lisa is in charge of our menu and I am in charge of making sure we keep heading in a northernly direction. I will provide a more complete equipment list as I go, as well as, additional background information. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,Don't Matter
Date: 2003-12-22
To: The cold scares me. . .
Miles today: 0.0

Don't Mind and I spent the weekend helping her brother, Hampton Foley, build his family's new home in the Shenandoah Valley. It was bitterly cold and windy. As we were working, we realized that we may have days like this on the trail and I began to think about how difficult it would be to get away from the cold. It is strange, but I realize now that I have never really given the weather conditions their full due. When you begin to contemplate living outside for six months, you really start to notice how awful the weather tends to be outside your window.   All year long, Don¢t Mind would point outside every time it was pouring down and say ¢This would be a great day to be on the trail.¢ The first couple of hundred times it was good for a chuckle; however, it began to seem like it was raining everyday!The fact is that it was raining an inordinate amount this year. I am hoping Mother Nature got it out of her system and we will have an especially temperate and perfectly balanced new year with a particularly small bug population. I am sure everyone who attempts to hike the AT starts out hoping for good weather and then just takes what comes, but the cold really frightens me. Oh well, we will weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not. I¢m ready to start tomorrow!Don¢t Matter
Date: 2003-12-23
To: Don't Mind is cold. . .
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to set our tent up yesterday and it looked so nice in the yard that I left it up and talked Don't Mind into trying it out last night. It was going to get into the twenties so I thought this might be a good opportunity to test out our fear of the cold theory. Well, it is no longer a theory. We are considering not using sleeping bags and, instead, carrying a lightweight quilt with a foot pocket that we both can share. Don¢t Mind is going to make the final quilt; however, for our test run we shared a fluffy down comforter. To stay true to our plans, we both wore clothes that we expect to carry when we hike. The tent felt somewhat chilly and damp when we first settled in for the night, but I quickly warmed up and dosed off. My wife, on the other hand, never did warm up enough to go to sleep. She curled up against me for heat but it was no use. Although she wasn¢t freezing, she wasn¢t toasty either! Since Don¢t Mind had to be in to work early the next day, around three o¢clock in the morning we decided to call an end to this first test and head back inside.The results of this test only prove that I carry considerably more body fat, insulation, than my wife. Next time she intends to beef up the amount of clothes she wears to bed. I purchased a MSR Zoid 2 as our tent because I liked its two wall construction and ventilation. I think it will be a great tent, but it does not hold in much heat or hold out much chill. Oh well, live and learn and we will give it another try tonight.Don¢t Matter
Date: 2003-12-24
To: Death was so unexpected. . .
Miles today: 0.0

We slept in our tent again last night. This time both of us slept. It was a warmer night and we quickly felt snug and sleepy while enjoying the wonderful sensation of going to sleep outside. We had just finished a conversation about how it may be a bit scary to be exposed to the forces of nature and strange animals on trail behind only the thin barrier of our tent. We had chuckled and agreed that we would try to be tough in the face of strange winds and wild bears; when, as we were just starting to doze off, one of our three cats jumped onto the side of the tent. I literally thought I had wet myself! We had anticipated the possibility of being attacked in a remote mountain location by a wild animal in search of a plump meal; however, we had completely overlooked the possibility of a friendly fire incident in our front yard. We quickly experienced a shock of panic, a moment of consideration and then several minutes of uncontrollable levity as we realized we were going to survive after all and just how brave we truly are and will be in the face of such lethal danger. Oh well, as Clint Eastwood would say, ¢a man has got to know his limitations.¢ Shortly after our brush with danger, we let the cat into the tent and fell asleep. Shortly after that, it started to rain. The rain continued the rest of the night in a decent downpour. The sound of it hitting the tent was pleasantly soothing and I was extremely pleased with the tent¢s performance. Not a single drop of water made it into our cocoon. Don¢t Mind slept like the angel she is and said she was comfortable all night. So we can handle rain, now if we can just figure out how to keep her warm on particularly cold nights without introducing onerous additional weight to her pack. This learning process is becoming as much fun as the main event.Here¢s wishing all of our fellow dreamers a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year! Don¢t Matter
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Foley House
Miles today: 0.0

We were picked up in Rockfish Gap in a car full of my family. My Mom, Dad, brother Hampton, and my nieces Allison and Anna. Allison came along just to see if we smelled as bad as everyone said we would. She was not disappointed!!! We rode home with all the windows down. We had a surprise welcome home dinner with family and friends. I spent my two days off visiting, shopping, and hanging my sister Mary¢s curtains. Standing on a ladder on poor tired feet! Kit spent his days off playing golf. We had a much needed rest from the trail, but it will be a hard day for me when we leave.                                         --Don¢t MindP.S. Thanks to Pam and Karen for all the great stuff! Karen, your homemade cookies were awesome!                                        --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-01-01
To: A prayer for my family. . .
Miles today: 0.0

Today is the saddest day of my life. This morning while I was playing golf with my brother, I was told by a club staff member that I had a family emergency and needed to call home. I rushed to the clubhouse and called my parent¢s house. My sister¢s husband informed that my brother¢s thirteen year old daughter had died in her sleep. It was like a bolt of lightening out of a blue sky. My brother and his wife had kissed their perfectly healthy and wonderfully happy little girl goodnight and told her that they loved her and would see her in the morning, but God needed her to come home. I¢m too sad to write more right now. We will always miss our little Nanette, but she is whole and happy in a far better place. Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-01-05
To: We gained a hiking companion today.
Miles today: 0.0

In Loving RemembranceToday, we buried the earthly body of an angel. My niece Nanette was a special child whom her mother always felt was only borrowed from God for a short time. She brightened every life she touched and loved everyone she met. She spent countless hours swimming in our pool and laughing at the silly things I would say to her. She was happy everyday of her life and she went to sleep for the final time assured in her faith and hearing her parents tell her they loved her and would see her in the morning. Hers was a blessed life and the morning meeting will just take a little longer than expected. My Father and Nanette¢s Grandfather, Albert Letchworth, wrote the following obituary for our local papers:Nanette Evanell LetchworthOn the evening of March 25, 1989, an angel vacated her golden pedestal in Heaven and came to earth to live with her earthly parents, Brian Keith and Lisa Evanell Letchworth. Nanette Evanell Letchworth grew into a beautiful, charming, loving and delightful young lady whose presence brought happiness and joy to her family and to all who shared in her short but full life.Nanette loved deeply her family, her host of fiends, and her pets ¢ dogs, fish ¢ all of whom she fully welcomed into her life. God, in his perfect wisdom, saw fit to recall our angel to Heaven early on New Year¢s Day, 2004, leaving behind the most precious memories that life has to offer.Nanette leaves to cherish those precious memories her parents, Brian Keith and Lisa Evanell Letchworth; her brother, Brian Keith Letchworth Jr. and his wife, Alicia; grandparents, Raymond and Catherine Bowles, and Albert and Lucille Letchworth; a nephew, Brian Alexander Letchworth; plus a host of aunts and uncles, and cousins, living locally and in West Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina.The following poem was printed in her honor for the funeral and I think it was a perfect selection by her parents:He Only Takes The BestA heart of gold stopped beatingTwo shining eyes at rest:God broke our hearts to prove to usHe only takes the best.A million times we will need youAnd a million times we will cry.If love could have saved youYou never would have died,It broke our heart to lose youBut you didn¢t go alone,For part of us went with you.The day God took you home.My wife and I will always miss Nanette and we pray for my Brother¢s family every day. Someday they will be able to celebrate the precious memories of her blessed life; however, for now it is too difficult to see beyond the loss of her daily companionship. I am sure that my wife and I will think about her on each mountain top. We were planning to have her walk with us for a week or two somewhere along the AT this summer. Now we know she will be with us every step of the way. Go rest high on that mountain Nanette, you will be missed.Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-01-13
To: Back to work. . .
Miles today: 0.0

You can¢t hide in your home forever so today I got in my car and headed to the train station and back to work. I am sorry for putting everyone through my family¢s grief over Nanette¢s death; however, when I began my journal my intention was to capture all my thoughts and feelings as Don¢t Mind and I prepared for our grand adventure. I never expected to record a family tragedy. However, I have received so many kind comments and words of support and friendship that I am forever grateful for the response that my observations generated. So many people have to endure the overwhelming depression that accompanies a death in the family that it is useful to share in the pain and experiences of others going through the same thing. Thanks to everyone who wrote. My wife and I already feel like we have a trail family and we have never even backpacked. I was once apprehensive about whether or not I could make it from Georgia to Maine, now I know that I can. Whatever forces provide our inner strength and confidence in life are often unanticipated and truly unexplainable. I just know now, barring injury, I will make it and I am more excited than ever to begin my journey. I promise to try to stay on subject from this point forward.Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-01-14
To: And if you call now. . .
Miles today: 0.0

In our early attempts to sleep in the wilds of our front yard, viscous wild animal attacks and severe cold temperatures, below seventy degrees, were identified as potential threats to prematurely end our hike. Having accepted the fact that there is really nothing we can do to prevent a bear from eating us if it so chooses, we are working on a solution to the cold problem. As a reminder, I had no problem sleeping outside but Don¢t Mind was freezing. To lower the overall weight requirement, we are trying to avoid using sleeping bags and instead are using a quilt to cover both of us. Ray Jardine, the author of Beyond Backpacking, recommended this approach based on the theory that the material under you is wasted weight and under a quilt you can more easily share heat, and other things, with your partner. Don¢t Mind is a talented, although cranky, seamstress and had been planning to buy the recommended materials and sew our trusty quilt from scratch. However; while out shopping the other night, we found a large lightweight sleeping bag (0 degree), normally a hundred dollar value, on sale at Dick¢s Sporting Goods for $39.95 (Each bag weights 4 lbs. Dr. Doom called my earlier mistake to my attention. I had read and posted the insulation weight as opposed to the overall weight.). Well, as we all know, you have to spend to save! Don¢t Mind determined that she could not buy the raw material for less than the cost of two sleeping bags, so we purchased two of the bags and she immediately started her experimentation by ripping one of them apart at the seams. Surprisingly, once the single bag was destroyed, its lifeless carcass easily covered both of us lying side by side. She then attached a fleece foot pocket and pronounced the first prototype ready for a live test environment. It is going to get down to fifteen degrees on Thursday night. I will set up the tent in the yard and we will try out our new semi-custom quilt. Don¢t Mind says that if we freeze to death on a lonely mountain top there is some glamour involved; however, if we freeze to death in our front yard it will only be embarrassing to our families. She may have a point.Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-01-18
To: Considering an ark. . .
Miles today: 0.0

Don't Mind and I continue to be impressed with our tent's ability to keep us dry. Maybe all tents have improved to this level of performance, but every tent I have ever used leaked to some degree. Our ZOID II has been rained on several times and has yet to allow a single detectable drop of water inside. We slept in our tent last night and listened to it rain and confidently fell asleep. We awoke to more rain and just remained comfortably still, dry and warm under our quilt inside our little living space. A person could get used to this kind of life approach! The quilt design is really coming along. Don¢t Mind, my mad scientist wife, added a foot wide strip of fleece to each side of the sleeping bag to act as a draft guard when we move around under the bag. The insulated sleeping bag material was too stiff to easily drape and tended to lift off the floor and let in cold air. The fleece hangs down and dams any potential opening. The difference in quilt performance was remarkable. She is now considering adding an additional strip to the top of the bag to drape over our shoulders and around our neck. In our opinion, it is so much nicer to sleep in the less encumbered area under the quilt than in two individual mummy bags side by side. If we can come up with a design that provides the same comfort level, we are definitely going with the quilt.Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-01-21
To: Why am I limping. . .
Miles today: 0.0

Don¢t mind and I are lucky enough to live in a beautiful woodland area that is infused with a network of state maintained dirt roads that meander through forests, swamps and around a large reservoir. There is abundant wildlife and views to die for. I have included some of these views in earlier preparation journal entries. We use this network of back roads as a ten and a half mile long training hike. Last night, Don¢t Mind and I decided to hike our training loop today if the weather was nice. We awoke to the kind of beautiful day that only happens in the heart of winter. A pristine blue sky and air that seems to go deeper into your lungs than at any other time of the year greeted us as we stepped out of our house and began to walk. Today¢s picture was taken about a mile from our door step as the sun was beginning to gain momentum in its daily sojourn across the sky. We usually walk a ways and find a nice place to cook breakfast, but today we ate before we left. It was about twenty five degrees outside and a little windy. We are trying to stick with the clothes that we will be packing for the AT hike, so I was wearing a pair of thick socks, hiking shoes, long johns, shorts, hat and a rain jacket. Don¢t Mind was wearing two pairs of long johns, sweat pants, fleece top, gloves and a ski cap. I was carrying a twenty five pound pack and she was carrying twenty two pounds. I kept thinking that I would warm up as I hiked, but with the exception of a few windless sunny spots, I remained chilly most of the hike. When we stopped for lunch, I got pretty cold. Don¢t Mind did somewhat better with her additional layers. Each of these practice hikes provides much needed educational benefits. Today I learned not to take a twinge for granted. I was walking up a hill when I felt a small but sharp stab of pain at the top of my right leg. The muscle that lifts your foot had apparently blown a tire. I limped for about thirty steps and then it worked itself out. We walked the ten and a half mile loop in four hours at a strolling pace and had a wonderful time. I finished our walk without further incident, but man I am sore tonight! It is hell to be old, but I can¢t wait to see that trail. Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-02-11
To: So much to do. . .
Miles today: 0.0

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that we are more excited than ever to begin our hike. It is amazing how quickly the available time for preparation passes, and yet, April 4th seems like it will never arrive. We are getting down to acquiring the last few things that we need for the trip. Some of the things that we thought we wanted to do have not worked out so well in our test environment so we are going to try different approaches. Does anyone have any advice on water pumps? Are they a good thing to have, a waste of time or more trouble than they are worth? If I don¢t pack one, what are my alternatives?   Oh well, that is all for today.Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-03-10
To: The AT journey....
Miles today: 0.0

Well, you have about three weeks before your journey begins. I'm sure the excitement is building as you get closer and closer to departure. Kit, as you know, I've spent many weeks and weekends over the past five years backpacking on the AT with the Boy Scouts. The sections that I've covered, from the James River to the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, are without a doubt some of the most beautiful places on the east coast. I've included one of my most favorite pictures from a couple of years ago. May you find many thousands more just like this one. I'm looking forward to reading all about 'Don't Mind...Don't Matter's' adventures as I enter them into your journal. May your back be strong and your will stronger.--Roger
Date: 2004-03-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Oh wow!   We are in the woods behind our home under a starry sky, with a brisk wind and having a blast.   This is the final test run of all our equipment. We have our final pack configuration worked out.   We hiked for a while, set up the tent after dark, built a small camp fire while ¢Don¢t Mind¢ cooked dinner and had smores for dessert.   An evening that may not be representative of the trail, but a great time none the less.   We are ready to start and yet so unprepared for the adventure.   -- Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-04-02
To: What were we thinking. . .
Miles today: 0.0

Today is the day that we have been looking forward to for a long time. My friends, Howard and Virginia, will be here in a few minutes to ride with us to Georgia. We have had wonderful send offs and parties, but now we have to actually put one foot in front of the other. I would like to thank so many people for all the love and support needed to take this leap. Virginia hosted one party that had a State by State AT theme. Each State on the AT was represented by a native food. It was a great time but didn¢t help with my waist line. My sister Karen and her husband Thomas hosted another get together at my mother¢s house last night. My whole family was there to wish us the best and laugh at how unlikely it is that we will be able to walk from Georgia to Maine. People have asked Don¢t Mind and I what we will miss the most while we hike and the answer has become obvious. We will miss these people. . .Don¢t Matter