morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-19
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

After 86 miles the last 4 days, I¢m in heaven¢¦WOW! This Hostel I¢m at, The Bird Cage, is great. So is a certain Trail Angel who asks to remain anonymous. Yesterday I arrived here broke; today I¢m in much better shape. Here is why:Rob, the owner of ¢The Bird Cage¢, slackpacks hikers. This is when a hiker carries only food and water in their backpack, but leaves his or her gear at the house. That way someone can hike with less pack weight and have a warm bed at the end of the day. Flava-flav (aka Tang/Katie), Gorbachev, Lightweight Joe, Dig-dug, Backdraft, and a sobo hiker Skeet-Skeet, all piled in the van to hit the trail slackpacking. I joined them so that I could pick up my post office packages in Cheshire, Mass. Our crowded van left around 9:30 a.m. At the post office I found not only my expected mail drop, but also a gift from a ¢trail angel¢. It contained not only a plethora of AWESOME hiker treats, but also 60 bucks! I was speechless. After my awesome post office experience Rob dropped off all the slackpackers. As he dropped us off 4 of us all peed in the bushes in a line. I have no doubt it was an awesome picture. After the drop-off, only Skeet Skeet, myself, and Rob remained. Rob drove us to Lee, Massachusetts. There we went to ¢Joe¢s Diner¢, home to a famous Norman Rockwell painting. He treated us to lunch (yay-bacon cheeseburger) and we chilled and talked. Lee was a cute town and Rob rocks! I cannot believe that he is nice enough to run a free hostel out of his house, that he slacks as many people as he can, and that he even takes hikers to lunch. As we returned to town I saw Wipe-out on the phone (she looked upset). It was hard to see her looking so down, and I waved good-bye. She is hiking out and will no doubt zoom ahead of me. I finished the day by using the library and vegging out in front of the Olympics¢¦yay Women¢s Volleyball :-). As I chill here with Gorbachev, Chicago Rob, Dig-dug, Backdraft, Rob, Hemmingway, and others, I just feel at home. My foot really hurts and is cut in the center, so I will be zeroing again tomorrow. While I¢m not ¢healthy¢ I¢m happy to be here. I will close with 2 poems:      To Trail AngelsWhen I get down and feel so sadYou all just won¢t let me feel badYou give me gifts, and love to feed You give me money, you fill my needsBut more than that, the words you send Let me know I always have a friendYour encouragement tells me I won¢t failWith your words in mind I hike the trail You¢re so important to my hikeYou¢re more than people I merely likeYou¢re people whose kindness I truly loveAnd I believe you¢re angels from aboveSorry to by hoky; thank you all so much!      The Bird CageHey hiker why don¢t you stay hereOh by the way, here¢s a cold beerTake a load off and restTake a shower with ZestTomorrow we¢ll slack back to hereI¢m happy to be here tonight, and I thank God for Hostels like this and wonderful Trail Angels.Goodnight, BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-21
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

This journal will be short. Today was my 3rd zero in Dalton. I awoke hoping to hike and found the cut on my foot had scabbed over and reopened. Succinctly, it hurt! I tried to walk to the store and winced for the entire 30 minutes. I¢m bummed at my foot, and I soaked it in Epsom salts tonight. Not only could I not hike today, but Rob (and others) suggested I take at least a couple more days off. I don¢t know how I¢m ever going to reach Katahdin :-(.While I¢m whining, the Bird Cage is the best place I could ever hope to be stuck. It¢s free and Rob is great. It is quickly becoming my ¢Miss Janet¢s of the North¢. Rob now has me give the new hikers the rundown and I am sleeping in the cushy bed in the back bed room. Tonight, I just finished vegging out in front of the Olympics. In addition to a massive amount of ¢Olympics¢ I met 3 hikers today: Mr. T, Flint, and Scorch. Mr. T and Flint are a cool couple and Scorch is a cool girl. We all chilled tonight in front of the TV. In addition to Olympics, we watched Cartoon Network and Comedy Central. It was fun, but I feel like a complete BUM!I wish I had more exciting things to relay but I don¢t. I ate an awesome sub today :-) ¢¦OK, I am out of stories. I want to hike but I can¢t, my foot hurts, and I¢m tired. I will definitely zero tomorrow too. Until then I¢ll watch some more of the Olympics and be a bum :-).Goodnight,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-22
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I was a bum! I slept in until noon and missed church :-( . I will not bore you about the TV shows and Olympic events I watched. My foot is still hurt but mildly better. I soaked it again tonight and I will be zeroing again tomorrow. I am so antsy to leave, but I know I can¢t. Tomorrow I will break my record at Miss Janet¢s for zero days.For anyone at home please pray for my energy and my healing. I feel like a bum and I am totally lethargic. The highlight of my day came when Chicago Rob walked in. After 23 miles in 3 days Rob saw Chicago on the roadside and said ¢Do you want lunch?¢ Now Chicago is making a return trip. I¢m excited to have my friend back and excited to be healing. I wish I would have realized how bad the cut on my foot was when I did it. Oh, well, I¢ll live¢¦but will I leave? God Bless,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-23
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLA! Today was my 5th zero in Dalton and my foot is clearly progressing. I will decide tomorrow whether to hike or not. Today I went to the mall with my old buddy ¢Tinker¢ who came to visit. Flint and Scorch came too. We saw the movie ¢Without a Paddle¢, which would have been more aptly named ¢Without a Plot¢. Still it was relaxing fun and it was great to see an old friend. In the evening I e-mailed my sister ¢Happy Birthday¢ and returned to the hostel. There I found a plethora of new hikers: Atlas, Moma¢s Boy, Mickey & Mallory, Rowboat, and Otter¢¦WOW! I spent the night meeting new people and watching the Olympics (BIG SHOCK!). I cannot explain how wonderful Rob has been in letting me stay here ¢ he has treated me as a guest, given me all I need, and been down right cool. With all that said, I WANT TO LEAVE! :-) Ahhh. Goodnight, BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-24
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I awoke this morning and checked my foot. Though sore, the cut had clearly healed. Part of me wanted to leave so badly, yet part of me knowing 1 more zero was safer. I watched as Atlas, Mickey & Mallory, Rowboat, and others prepared to slack. It killed me, but I made my decision: I would zero one more day. That is how my 50th zero began. Myself, Scorch, and Chicago Rob rode along, the latter 2 not sure if they would hike or not. At the top of the mountain we prepared to unload (9 of us had been packed in with Scorch on my lap). As we unfolded our intermingled bodies all but 3 of us got off at the top of Greylock. When Scorch shut the door she did not notice one thing: My hand was wedged between the door and the vehicle¢¦OWW! I looked up wincing ¢Could you open the door?¢ As she opened it, I was amazed that while my hand hurt, nothing was broken. We came down the mountain and stopped to drop off Scorch and Chicago¢¦neither of them moved. After 5 see-saw minutes it was final. They would zero again :-). We all celebrated at McDonalds. This afternoon I tested by foot by shooting around at a basketball court and taking a short walk. I wore my hiking shoes and my foot felt great. By the end of the day I realized I probably could have hiked, but I knew for sure my foot was healed. Come tomorrow, I will slackpack 17 miles from the top of Mt. Greylock. I finished my evening by getting a huge sub (I¢m out of money so Rob spotted me :-) ). While I was proud to eat a 10-inch turkey with roasted red peppers, I was mildly sickened as I watched Atlas consume an entire 2 foot hoagie as part of a challenge. We all watched the women¢s gymnastics (GO USA!) together and now I am preparing for bed. Tomorrow I will hike! I cannot begin to describe just how excited I am. Goodnight,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Dalton
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

Two days in a row hiking¢¦Oh yeah! At this pace I¢ll be done by November¢¦uhh, never mind. After groggily rising I crammed into the mini-van to start my day (sorry if this is a weak journal; my tummy is mad).I was the first to be dropped off in Cheshire around 10 a.m.   I immediately made a less-than-difficult 2 mile climb. Rob gave me a camera to take some pictures for him. On the rock outcropping known at ¢The Cobbles¢ I did just that. I could see Cheshire nestled in the col between the mountains below with piles of rounded white rocks on the cliffs overlooking a town with a lake to the left and Mt. Greylock as a backdrop. I felt like I was in a painting. As I hiked on the next 3 miles were relatively flat. I passed little chipmunks :-) and a lot of mud :-( . I also passed a hiker who seemed really cool named ¢No Pain¢. He is from DC and is only the 3rd African-American hiker I have met. As he walked away I realized I had forgotten something. My stomach squeezed off a warning round and I had no T.P. Flummoxed, I quickly grabbed any broad leaves I could find and sprinted into the woods. Whoa. (Sorry I¢m always gross :-)).Right as I finished ¢business¢ and returned to the trail I met 2 hikers: ¢Carnethy Bob¢ and ¢Thistle¢. They are a father and daughter from Scotland who made it from Springer to Massachusetts before their visa ran out last year. They¢re out for a few weeks this year and it was nice to talk to them. I will admit it was particularly nice to talk to ¢Thistle¢. She could be 17 for all I know, but she was sweet, attractive, and just seemed nice¢¦I¢m a sucker for accents.My last 5 miles were relatively downhill and easy. As I walked by a lake I thought about my friend ¢K-less¢ who recently had a death in the family. I hope he is all right. I moved on quickly, passed 2 cute chipmunks, and jaunted downhill. I was walking into town before I knew it at 2 p.m. This afternoon one hiker, ¢Dapper Dan¢ arrived and I filled in with the introduction since Rob was taking a nap (tired from helping too many hikers). Dan was nice and we talked a bit. I finished the day with a trip to the library and jointed the gang on a trip to the sub shop. At the shop I was not myself :-( . I finished 12 of a sub and my stomach could take no more. My tummy is being ¢weird¢ and I need to take a little rest.Goodnight,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

We just got back from the buffet. Where last night my stomach was ¢weird¢, tonight it is upset. I only was able to eat 1 plate of food tonight¢¦and it felt odd to move too much. Still, my stomach had little to do with my 51st zero. I am a bum!As I awoke I rationalized that Bennington, VT, is 2 days away and I expect a letter from my sister there. If I left on a Friday I¢d have to zero Sunday (and I¢m broke :-)). So I stayed again today. I love it here and l love Rob, but I need to hike out eventually. I¢m worried that I have forgotten the routine of thru-hiking. I won¢t drone on about the day. I talked to Rob, ¢Pap Tart¢, and others. I visited the library¢¦again, watched the Olympics¢¦again, and was a complete bum¢¦again. Some hikers who go by ¢The A-Team¢, arrived, along with the 3 of the boys¢ father. They seemed cool and we all made the fateful buffet trip together¢¦ugh. Now I¢m reading the fine book ¢How to Sh*t in the Woods¢, after numbing my mind with every track and field race known to man. The book is actually a good book on environmental impact in the woods. It¢s also a good book for me to go to sleep to.Goodnight,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

There was no way I was taking a zero today¢¦until a freight train hit me this morning. As I lay half conscious I vaguely read a logo that read d-i-a-r-r-h-e-a.I have never (and I mean NEVER) had a worse stomach experience than today. Where 2 days ago my stomach was ¢weird¢ and yesterday ¢upset¢, today it was ¢psychotic with fits of rage¢. I visited the restroom over 2 dozen times in 8 hours (27). I¢m exhausted. I¢m drained¢¦literally. I did not even know a bowel movement could be sheer liquid (yuk)¢¦I¢ll stop.Needless to say most of my day was spent on porcelain and I felt like pure death. Rob is at a show tonight and a pile of new hikers are here. Two of them, ¢Knuckles and Underhill¢ are an awesome couple I met at Trail Days. In addition to the hikers sleeping here, 3 others (Kiwi, Magnet, and Seraphim) came to visit. The house was jamming and my sickness finally broke around 7 p.m. Tonight was fun! We joked, told stories, and played the song game :-) YAY!I really hope to hike, but I could not get sick at a better place. Eight zeros anywhere else would have ended my hike financially. Thank you Rob.Goodnight all ¢ BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-29
From: Dalton

To: Dalton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

The Olympics are over¢¦and so is my stay in Dalton¢¦Yipee! I will hike tomorrow. Today I slept until near 1 p.m. after yesterday¢s physical decimation. Rob¢s show last night kept them until 3 a.m. and no one rose before noon. Hiking was not an option for anybody. Today, zero #53 was a day of rest. Today was a day marked by generosity. Knuckles, Underhill, and I hung out, and Knuckles (knowing I¢m broke) bought me a sandwich at the deli. I felt so loved :-) . Both of them make me laugh and are a blast to chill with. All 3 of us, and other hikers, spent the day vegging out. We also watch the cinematographic¢¦hehe¢¦masterpiece by the name of ¢Joe Dirt¢¢¦ahh. ¢Life¢s a garden, dig it!¢As we lazed the one hiker to arrive today, a sobo named ¢Pan¢, pulled out a gold ring with tiny diamonds. He said he found it.   As I looked at it, I tried it on and it fit. He told me I can have it. I reminded him that it may be worth something but he did not seem to care. Suddenly my eyes grew large and I turned into Smeagul from Lord of the Rings¢¦¢my precious¢. In reality I appreciated the gesture and I hope I do not end up needing to pawn it :-) .The biggest generosity I have seen is of course from Rob. I have received a free place to stay for 11 days. When I¢ve been hard up on cash Rob helped me, when I was hurt Rob tended to me, when I was down about hiking, Rob talked tome. I cannot express my gratitude enough for all of these things. More than all of these though, I just enjoy chilling with him. Today he took us to a waterfall with a small swimming hole and I realized just how amazing his kindness is. As we talked he explained ¢Why?¢ ¢I just want to see you make it to Maine¢¢¦WOW! I¢ll admit I¢m worried as I hit the trail again. I¢ve lost another group of friends, I¢m tired, and I probably have lost my ¢hiker legs¢. I need to pray more, see more, and continue to smile at the little things. Still, I know that I can make it and I know tough times are still ahead. I also know that if I ever need encouragement I can think of Rob or Miss Janet. ¢I just want to see you make it to Maine¢. I¢m on this trip for God, I¢m on this trip for me, and I¢m on this trip to validate the love and actions of people like Rob. Thank you!God Bless,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Unnamed Campsite
Miles today: 2.8

Wow, I don¢t know what is wrong with me. I feel uninspired, mildly dizzy, and just plain out of it. I am set up under power lines letting the wind and sun dry my tent which I am sprawled out in. I barely hiked today and I have no good reason why. Though my day was lackluster, here is how it went.I awoke about 17 times last night in the rain. I finally surrendered at around 8:30 a.m.   Since I never ate dinner last night due to my late arrival I began my morning by cooking ramen. As I went to prepare my meal the 5 hikers known as ¢The A-Team¢ set out to do 22 miles. I planned on doing the same, but first I decided to eat and dry out some of my stuff in the newly vacated section of the shelter. As I began my morning I met the 3 remaining hikers ¢Tombstone¢, ¢Peanut¢, and ¢Pez-Dart¢. The first 2 are thru-hikers and Pez-Dart is the couple¢s friend visiting for 3 weeks. Soon Pop Tart emerged from his hammock hidden in the trees and the 5 of us chilled.For the first time since yesterday afternoon I relaxed a little. We all talked and joked. Pez Dart was friendly and she talked of just completing grad school and not knowing what to do¢¦I relate. The couple was cute, but not in a make-you-want-to-vomit sort of way. We all stalled together until the rain let up. Even when I was all packed up and the rain had stopped I could not get up. Pop Tart left, but I just sat there in my own world. 30 minutes later I finally left to go, it was 11:30 a.m. (doh!)As I started to walk I felt tired and disconnected. It was weird to see the trail I had blindly felt my way in on last night now completely illuminated. The mud, rocks, greenery, and trail were a blur. I hiked as though I was not in my own body. What felt like forever later (probably a mile) I finally stopped, pulled out my sleeping pad, and fell asleep right there on the side of the trail. At least 4 people passed me but I was oblivious. There in the shade I made up for last night¢s lack of rest. When I finally awoke in late afternoon my head throbbed. I only packed up because I could not possibly tent where I was. I walked for another zombie-like hour until I reached a clearing atop a mountain under power lines. There was room for a tent and despite taking a day to cover what I usually do in an hour I was done. My spoon is missing and I do not feel like dinner. I just want to curl up and read my book until the sun sets and takes my light away. I¢m in a rut and I need to get out of it. I need to wake up and I need to hike. I also need to address food/money needs. The fact is however, that right now I need to just relax. God Bless, BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-09-11
To: Kilington, VT
Miles today: 0.0

Only I could do this. Somehow I pulled my leg while sleeping¢¦doh. This morning I awoke shocked that I¢d twinged a leg muscle badly. I started the day at their ¢gathering¢. It was again nice and again clearly not for me. The yogurt and cake was good though. On my way home I swung by the library one more time and read about football :-) . I was packed to leave by 11:30 and I made sure to say goodbye to Jonah and Kesher, the 2 members who spent the most time with me. By just after noon I was waiting for a bus to the Long Trail Inn, and my leg still hurt. When I arrived at the Inn I found ¢Crank¢ and ¢Sarvis¢ who I had not seen since Virginia. I also found ¢Tombstone¢ and ¢Peanut¢ still there. Then I met a man who has thru-hiked twice who told me I had to stay. With my leg hurting, and with a feeling I had not rested around the 12 Tribes people, I bought a room. It was fairly cheap and very nice. All day I just chilled.I listened to an awesome Irish band and had 3 drinks at the bar. Then I vegged out in front of College Football for a while. Ahh¢¦Go Maryland, Go Notre Dame! I talked with ¢Sarvis¢ & ¢Crank¢ a whole bunch. We chilled outside for a while and it was beautiful. Crank and I even sang Amazing Grace in harmony with each other. As evening rolled around the 5 of us, we ordered pizza and played Trivial Pursuit in my room. That is where I proved to be a big nerd. We also sang, told silly jokes, stories, and the like. I performed the ridiculous ¢Restaurant Cheer¢, always an addict for entertaining :-) . All told we relaxed and had all kinds of fun. I finished the night by drifting to sleep watching more football in the lobby. The girls, ¢Sarvis¢ and ¢Peanut¢ were really cute when they woke me and directed me to my room. I¢m pooped and more than ready to pass out again. Tomorrow, I will be further hindered as far as hiking. Pro football starts, and to my shock, the bar owners are from D.C. What are the chances of a Redskin bar in Vermont? It is highly likely that I will not make it out until after 4 p.m. :-). Until tomorrow:Goodnight,BEATBOX   ttt
Date: 2004-09-12
From: Kilington, VT

To: un-named campsite
Miles today: 4.5

Yay, after zeros 54, 55, and 56, I hiked today. I awoke at 6:30 a.m. after passing out last night and headed to the lobby. There I found a hiker named John. We talked and went to the dining room for our complimentary breakfast promptly at 7:30. We enjoyed our meal and Tombstone, Peanut, Sarvis, and Crankall joined us as well.   Nothing quite like a Tomato & Goat Cheese Omelet to start a day :-) . After breakfast John, Tombstone, & Peanut would leave. I hid by the piano and sang worship songs. After my mini-church was over I walked outside. The day was gorgeous. I talked to a couple from New Hampshire who told us how amazing the foliage would be. I also talked with Okie, the amiable gentleman from the front desk. In reality I was simply stalling for my Redskin¢s game. At 12:30 I set up in the bar for the game. The bar is cool because the lodge is actually built around a large rock which serves as one of the 4 walls of the room. I ordered a Rueben and played darts. Then I met the bar owner, a fellow Redskin fan :-) . The next 3 hours were great. I drank about 6 cokes and had an amazing Rueben. The Redskins looked awesome and beat Tampa Bay 16-10. The owner and I talked and cheered the whole time. After the game I could not quite leave. I watched the first half of the Giants-Eagles game before finally packing up. I said goodbye to all (The Long Trail Inn rocks!!!) and set out at 7 p.m. It was almost dark. As I began at the trailhead a wall of green loomed on my left from the nearest mountain. I walked avoiding rocks and roots as dusk settled. Soon it was dark, but now I have a headlamp :-). I walked on through the night enjoying the chill and watching my breath turn to steam. As I walked I processed my stay in Rutland/Killington. I¢m sick of worrying about a plan, I just want to walk as far as I can every day. I¢m so excited about the Whites. After 3 miles I walked through Gifford Woods State Park in the darkness and across a road. Shortly thereafter I reached a bridge over a rushing brook. There is something almost magic about rushing water at night. There on the bridge I lied down and sang to God. The stars peeked through the opening in the pine. I had little doubt my creator could hear me. I sang the songs ¢Father I Adore You¢ and ¢Please Take from Me My Life¢. As I did I cried. I just want to be close to Him. My last mile was near a pond. I could see beaver marks on the trees and a loud splash into the water spooked me. I prayed over the last mile until I found a place to hide and camp in the woods. Still in awe from my stop over the brook beneath the stars I just crawled into bed. Now I¢m going to read my Bible. I¢m glad to be back in the woods. Goodnight, BEATBOX   ttt