morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-10-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The Thru-Hikers' Companion Handbook uses a lower case w as the symbol for water. An upper case W is the symbol for the direction west. Now,it is very important to have your directions correct but having water is crucial. Your daily hiking plan is heavily influenced by where water will be available. That could be from a spring, stream, pond or lake. Springs and streams are preferable. Water from ponds and lakes is suspect and should be filtered ,treated or boiled. I usually "hydrate at the source" and carry as little water as possible due to weight. Water weighs 8lbs. a gallon! However, water is so crucial that I have at times carried a gallon and filtered water from mud puddles when the situation demanded it. Thinking about water caused me to reflect upon an event in Jesus' life from a thru-hikers perspective. John 4(According to Hoosier), Jesus and his disciples were hiking back home in Galilee from Jerusalem in Judea; a hike of around 60 miles over rough terrain . It was very hot ,around noon and they were out of food and water. They were hiking through Samaria and were less than a mile from a town named Sychar. Samaria was not hiker friendly and Sychar was no trail town. Still, Jesus was hot, tired and thirsty and they were out of food . So, he told his disciples to go into town to buy food while he rested by a well. He was really thirsty but had no way of getting water out of the deep well. A woman came to draw water,but she was a Samaritan woman and he a male Jew. She certainly was not a likely trail angel. However, he does asks her to draw him some water from the well ,but instead she wants to talk about their religious differences. Jesus tells her that if she knew who she was talking to she would ask him for the water he had to offer; living (flowing,pure) water. She finally recognizes him as a prophet and runs to town just as the disciples arrive from the food run. She returns with a crowd from Sychar and Jesus and his disciples are offered trail magic from the whole town and end up taking two zero's there. While there he continues talking about living water until they finally realize he is speaking about spiritual thirst and is offering a drink from the "well of salvation that never will run dry" but will satisfy the thirst of their souls . She had been trying to quench the thirst of her soul through men, had been through 5 marriages and was currently living with a guy. They have a wonderful time in Sychar before Jesus and his disciples continue on their journey. They arrive home in Galilee with fond memories of their time in the new trail town Sychar which was now full of trail angels.
Date: 2013-10-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The AT is described as "a footpath for those seeking fellowship with the wilderness". I did enjoy the wilderness but the fellowship of other hikers is what I enjoyed most.In Southern Virginia I got into a "bubble" with two young thru-hikers with the trail names Dovetail and Caribou. They were recent high school graduates, best friends and having the time of their lives. They turned out to be the happiest hikers I met on the trail. It surprised me that they really enjoyed hiking with older hikers like Sparks and me. They were much faster hikers than us but we would catch them throughout the day as they took breaks whenever they came to a scenic overlook. We usually camped with them in the evening as well. I loved being around them. Their smiles , joy and enthusiasm were contagious. They reminded me of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer on a big adventure. They were living out King Solomon's wise counsel found in Ecclesiastes 11:9, " Rejoice O young man in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes..."Soon these two friends would be "getting on with life" but for now they were young and strong and "living life to the max". However, I was not aware that both of them had for some time been dealing with foot and leg issues which would eventually take them "off trail". It was Caribou who first succumbed to recurring foot problems. Dovetail continued on without him and did make new hiking companions but never seemed the same without his friend Caribou. It was actually hard seeing one without the other. Eventually, Dovetail also had to forfeit the hike due to injuries and illness. They are roommates now at a technical school in their home state of Pennsylvania. They do have plans to return to the trail and complete a thru-hike later in life. I know they have what it takes to do so. They survived the brutal winter of the Smokies, unforeseen medical bills, and severe pain with positive attitudes and contagious smiles. They have all the character qualities it takes to complete the trail. One day, I expect to receive a picture of them on Mt. Katahdin.
Date: 2013-10-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Proverbs 18:24 states "He who would have friends must show himself friendly".I don't know if Rash had ever read or heard of that verse but he certainly lived it out. He was the friendliest hiker I met on the trail. The last time I checked he had 381,000 visits to his trail journal. Rash is a "good ole' southern boy" , but don't let that fool you. He is smart as a whip; a very knowledgeable photographer, technologically savvy, and an excellent writer; even if as he says "I need one heck of a spellchecker".I first met Rash in Damascus, Va. I remember the encounter well because I instantly liked Rash. I think it is because he genuinely likes people and enjoys life. I had the privilege of hiking with Rash off and on over several months and in several states. At one point he got "off trail" for a week to visit his girl friend before returning to the trail. However, he was now out of his "bubble" of friends. Rash decided to abandon the thru-hike and yellow blazed ( traveled by vehicle)ahead to rejoin them. He and a couple friends also aqua blazed. ( kayaked a portion of the trail) Several people criticized him on his trail journal for doing so, but Rash had been forthright that he was no longer a thru-hiker. Rash's love for people meant more to him than having the coveted title of thru-hiker. I once kiddingly told Rash that everything he does ends with in'; huntin', fishin', hikin' and drinkin'. Because of his popularity on his journal Rash had people in trail towns and road crossings waiting for him. They all wanted to buy him a drink put him up for the night and even take him fishin'. It was hard for him to get out of town! Rash did summit Katahdin ,not as a thru-hiker, but perhaps as the most liked and popular hiker on the trail in 2013 . He didn't quote the Bible verse on friendliness, he just lived it. He is writing a book now. He is thinking of titling it "Neon Blazing- Bar Hopping the Best Bars Along. the AT.
Date: 2013-10-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hot Springs, North Carolina was one of my favorite trail towns. Sparks and I arrived cold and weary. The weather report called for even colder temperatures and snow for the next day. We spent the night at Laughing Heart Hostel run by Chuck and Tigger Norris and ate at the hiker friendly Smoky Mountain Diner. Most of the hikers in Hot Springs were planning to take a zero due to the weather. However, Sparks, Nichelodian and I decided to take Chuck Norris up on an offer to "slack-pack" us. So early the next morning Chuck drove us 15 miles north to Allen Gap . We then hiked back through the beautiful snow to enjoy another night in Hot Springs . The following morning Chuck drove us back ,with full packs to Allen Gap ,to continue our journey north. It was so much easier for me to carry a 10-15 lb. pack rather than my usual 30-35 lb. I was really enjoying the hike and was actually singing the song ,Walking in a Winter Wonderland. We passed a northbound section hiker with a very heavy pack. Referring to the beautiful falling snow I said,"Beautiful day isn't it"! "I hadn't noticed", he grunted back,without even looking up,as he passed by.The exchange reminded me of how important it is to travel light, on and off trail. In a sense we should always be slack-packing. Peter was a slack-packer. In 1 Peter 5 he writes "Cast all your cares upon Him , because He cares for you". He was referring to Jesus whom he had heard say "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". Sometimes we too are called upon to slack-pack others in life. In Galatians 6 Paul says,"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ". There are many kinds of burdens people are carrying in life. For some on the trail it was the burden of limited finances. Just before coming into Hot Springs Sparks and I came across a hiker who because of financial issues was going to camp in the cold. Instead, we put him up for the night at Laughing Heart Hostel. Doing so brought joy to our hearts and fulfilled the law of Christ ,which is love. Pretty good deal for $15 !
Date: 2013-10-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have been asked to speak at my grandchildren's school today. It is a Christian school, so I have freedom to share my beliefs. I plan to wear a t-shirt with a white blaze on it . I will also show a few of the approximate 80,000 blazes found on trees and rocks ,and tell how important they are to hikers. I will share how in the winter sometimes snow covered the blazes and made it difficult to find the path. Also,that there were sections of trail where blazes were few and far between,and hard to find. All hikers have had that experience and know how frustrating it is to not be able to find a blaze, and the joy and relief that comes when finding one. I will then transition to life. We are all hikers in life and need to know the correct path to take.Psalm 1 states "Blessed is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the LORD."The law of The LORD is not a list of rules and regulations given by an ogre god to spoil our lives but "white blazes" given to bless our lives. The word of God gives us direction for life. We have all known the frustration of not knowing where to go or what to do in life. We have also known the joy and relief that came when we found our way.July 22nd a thru-hiker named Inchworm disappeared into the Maine woods. I was in the area at that time and met her husband and game wardens out searching for her. One game warden later said to me,"we know for certain she is not on the trail. We have searched it thoroughly." She had apparently gotten off the trail. No one knows how or why. There is great safety , freedom and assurance when we are confident we are on the right path of life. The word God gives us that path.
Date: 2013-10-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This morning I was reading Hebrews 12:1, 2 in The Message, a paraphrase of the Bible in contemporary language. I love how this passage reads and how it relates to being a spiritual and physical thru-hiker. I will quote it here with a few "Hoosier's Reflections" in parenthesis.Chapter 11 is a list of spiritual thru-hikers of the faith who successfully completed their journey. Chapter 12 then states, "Do you see what this means-- all these pioneers who blazed the way (people can be white blazes along life's trail, showing us the way. For example, Roadrunner broke trail through the snowdrifts of the Smokies in bitterly cold and snowy conditions), all these veterans cheering us on?(I love the fact that there is no competition on the AT. Everyone is pulling for the other to make it to Katahdin.) It means we'd better get on with it.(If they could do it, so can we!) Strip down,(lose weight---both physically and pack-wise, get rid of the extras, non-essentials) start running (walking for us--get moving, take that first step) and never quit! (not even on a sunny day!) No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.(Surrender to a spiritual shakedown.) Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race (hike) we are in.(Jesus is our ultimate example of how to hike through life.) Study how he did it. He never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God (although we walk through life one step at a time we need to keep the end in mind. Don't hang out too long in trail towns, get back on trail, stay focused; and remember,you are a thru-hiker!) he could put up with anything along the way; cross, shame, whatever. (sleet, snow, rain, roots, cold, heat, bugs, bogs, boulders, blisters, snakes, stench, snoring; whatever!)And now He is there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. (He is THE GOD-MAN THRU-HIKER)When you find yourselves flagging in your faith (feeling you cannot complete the journey) go over that story again and again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. (obscene gestures from people in cars when hitch-hiking, towns, hotels, restaurants and stores that really don't want you there)That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (That will keep you on trail as an AT thru-hiker and as a follower of Jesus on the trail of life!)
Date: 2013-11-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This morning I received an email from Eastern Mountain Sports advertising their "Semi-Annual Upgrade Your Gear Sale". Gear; it always grabs a thru-hikers attention. Before the hike a lot of study goes into what gear to purchase. A lot of money too! A good rule to follow is ; "the lighter, the more expensive". During the early stages of the hike there is a lot of discussion and comparison that goes on about gear. Questions like," Are you satisfied with it, how much does it weigh and how much did it cost?" However, with time those conversations seem to die out. You come to realize that although gear is important ,even more important are the "gears between the ears" i.e. your attitude. One young,strong thru -hiker carried outdated heavy gear (even an external frame pack) quiet well which earned him the trail name Heavyweight,all the way to Katahdin.After reading the advertisement I read the letter of Philippians. Paul wrote it as a prisoner under house arrest in Rome. However, even in that difficult situation he had a very positive attitude. The words thankfulness, joy and rejoicing appear over and over again. Paul repeats the word rejoice so many times that he states ,"To write the same thing to you(rejoice) is no trouble to me". (3:1)Then in chapter 4 he writes, "Rejoice in The Lord always; again I say rejoice" . How could he maintain such a positive attitude in such a situation? I believe one answer is found at the conclusion of the letter where he writes ," All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household". Paul was accomplishing his goal of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ even while in prison. The imperial guard assigned to guard him were coming to faith! (chapter 1:12)So as a thru- hiker on the trail and on the trail of life we need to remember that it is the " gears between the ears " that matters most ,maintain a positive attitude in any situation and keep pursuing your goal.
Date: 2013-11-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I first met Joe the Hiker in the early stages of the hike, when it was cold; real cold. Joe has a military background and he is tough, but still,even he was suffering; but at least we were suffering together. We were in the same "bubble" so ended up at the same campsites at night. Soon Sparks, Joe the Hiker and I began hiking together and sharing our life stories.Joe had given himself the generic trail-name Joe the Hiker because he wanted to be just a common ordinary hiker on the AT. In his early 50's ,Joe had recently completed a very successful corporate career. However, he had not been as successful in his family life. He was often away on business during major family events. A major reason for him taking the hike was to rethink life and his priorities. He shared that already he had decided things would be different when he returned home. His relationship with his family would now be a high priority. Joe also opened up about his spiritual life. He said that he had been a committed "churchman" most of his life and had participated in several mission trips,but that his relationship with God needed to become a new priority as well. One of my highlights of the hike was sharing with Joe how he might have a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Joe committed himself to being a follower of Jesus Christ.Not long after making that commitment Joe announced that he was going home for a few days. His daughter had a recital he wanted to make a surprise appearance at. He also was going to treat his wife to a night at her favorite bed and breakfast. He did make the trip home and then returned to the trail and put in "big miles" in order to catch back up with me. Later in the Shenandoah's Joe had several extended family members join him to hike short sections of the trail. Joe was accomplishing his new priorities even while on the trail. Joe was no longer "hiking his own hike". This slowed his journey down to such an extent that he would not be able to complete the trail before needing to keep a prior commitment to help build a school in Belize with his home church for Habitat for Humanity. Joe would not return to the trail after the completion of the building project. This was a shock to anyone who knew him. Totally out of character for Joe! However, a new Joe was emerging. He would now value close relationships and would enjoy the journey of life rather than being so goal driven. Joe did not accomplish a thru-hike on the AT but he will on the trail of life.
Date: 2013-11-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In Vermont the trail passes through an area with white rocks scattered indiscriminately upon the ground. It is the custom for hikers to pick up a rock and place it upon others, creating a cairn to mark the trail where white blazes cannot be seen. However, hikers have begun building other interesting rock formations here as well.One such structure in particular caught my eye. It forms a bridge between two large boulders. A rock slab spans the gulf between the two and several small rocks are balanced on top of the slab. To me this bridge symbolizes what the Bible calls the gospel, i.e., the Good News of how to have a relationship with God. The left boulder represents all humanity and the right boulder God. The rock slab bridging the gulf between the two represents Jesus Christ. Paul wrote "There is one God and one mediator (go-between, bridge) between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5) I placed my rock on top of the long slab spanning the gulf between God and humanity. On the AT I attempted to live and share my faith in such a way that I would play at least a small part in causing fellow hikers to desire a relationship with God and consider "the gospel of Jesus Christ." Paul goes on to write that "Jesus gave himself a ransom (the payment paid to set one free) for all people. All people would include all the hikers I grew to know, respect and love on the AT. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. To me, this ordinary white rock formation in the Green Mountains of Vermont is worth a million words.
Date: 2013-11-05
To: Bethel
Miles today: 0.0

Throughout history and in many cultures people have set up stones to commemorate the fact that their god or gods either met them there or brought them safely to that point in their journey. One such occurrence is found in Genesis 28 where Jacob is fleeing from his brother Esau. He has traveled all day and stops for the night at "a certain place" just as the sun is setting. He then takes a stone and puts it under his head to use as a pillow for the night. ( I hope he had a clothing bag to put over it!) During the night he has a dream in which angels are ascending and descending a ladder to heaven. God makes promises to him there ; one of which is that God will watch over him wherever he goes and will not leave him. When Jacob wakes up he says to himself,"Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it." Then he exclaims out loud "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." Early the next morning Jacob takes the stone he placed under his head and sets it up as a memorial pillar. He calls the place Bethel which means House of God in Hebrew.At "a certain place" near White Rocks State Park in Vermont the AT passes through a field of white rocks. For years hikers have picked up rocks and placed them upon each other creating a very interesting but somewhat eerie sight. It actually reminds me of a place where ancient worship rituals might have taken place. However, it is a very special place to me. When I arrived I set up a stone to celebrate the fact that God had brought me safely 1700 miles into my thru-hike. I also sensed His Spirit 's assurance that He would be with me and watch over me for the remaining 500 miles to Katahdin. I continued on and that night;used my clothing bag as a pillow!
Date: 2013-11-14
To: Wyoming
Miles today: 0.0

Last weekend I had a speaking engagement at a retreat center in the Black Hills. The subject was "Spiritual Lessons Learned on the AT." My friend Samson, a fellow thru-hiker I met on the trail, flew in from Mississippi and spoke along with me. After the retreat, he and I spent almost a week hiking the Black Hills of South Dakota. The park was abandoned---we had it to ourselves! One of the highlights of the trip was "cowboy camping" under the stars on a moonlit, crystal-clear night in the desolate beauty of the Badlands. It was awesome, especially so in experiencing it with a good friend. Someone has said that "a shared joy is a double joy and a shared sorrow is half a sorrow." On this hike the joy was double, and there was no sorrow. It wasn't always that way for Samson and me. We shared many difficult days on the trail. However, walking through them together is what fostered such a close relationship. We have what I call a David and Jonathan relationship. David and Jonathan were both committed to the God of Israel. They were also soldiers. They fought a common enemy for the survival of the nation of Israel and the glory of their God. Samson and I are both followers of Jesus striving to glorify him with our lives as we serve as soldiers of the cross. Samson is truly my brother and now a lifetime friend.