morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-20
From: The Birches Lean-tos

To: Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: moderate rain

The night had been a long one, buzzing relentlessly with the sound of mosquitos. I was up all night, thanks to a new sting on my face or neck every five minutes, but by 3:00 the cold and rain arrived and suppressed the mosquitos. So, for an hour, I slept.At 4 o'clock I was up and packing my things. "This is it," I repeated in my head. "Don't get scared now" (that's a line from Home Alone). I hit the trail by 4:37, moving swiftly up and up and up into the end of this horrible trek. The terrain was as difficult as I expected (Katahdin is widely believed to be THE hardest peak on the entire AT), but to be honest I made quick work of the 5.2 miles to the summit. My stomach cramped with hunger and my legs burned with lactic build-up. I felt like Edmond Hillary ascending up the final cornice, the "Hillary Step," but like Hillary it went quickly. "A push and a shove and Tenezig and I were on the top of the world," Hillary wrote later.So there I was, standing at that godforsaken sign, wind whipping and white cloud shrouding the peak. I showed little emotion--in fact, I showed none. I just stood there, looking at the sign. I didn't feel like anything important was going on, nor that I'd accomplished any sort of feat. I nodded to myself and walked down the mountain. At the bottom, a day hiker asked me my name. "Uncle Fra-," I began to say. But it was all over--the trail had expired and my trail name with it--so I smiled and said, "Ford. Ford Prior."
Date: 2010-06-21
From: Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin

To: HOME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hey everyone. It's been over for a couple weeks now and I'm getting comfy back at home. Just letting you know that I'll be continuing to write on my website, www.fordprior.weebly.com, so check it out if you ever get bored. I did kind of a trail recap. Thanks for following.
Date: 2009-08-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So here it goes, my first entry. I have been waiting to start this journal for awhile now, and now I find I don't know how to start! I guess I'll start with who I am and why I have decided to leave my life behind for 6ish months and head for the woods. I'm Laura, I'm 28 and I live in Nashville with my husband and dog, Cleveland. I have a master's degree in social work, but I have somehow ended up in a career that is everything I never wanted to do. I work from 8 am to 5 pm in a cube, in an office building full of cubes, sitting behind a desk at a computer. This is not really what I anticipated for myself when I got my degree. But such is life and you do what you have to do to make things work. But I'm over it. So about a year and a half ago I was hiking with my dog and looked around me and realized how happy I was. And I thought, "man, I wish I could do this every day." I started thinking about the AT and I started wondering why I couldn't do this every day. I really need a career change, I'm making enough money to save some and I need a breather from the mundane to figure out what I'm doing and what's next. So after significant rumination, I started talking to my husband, friends and family about it. Though no one is psyched about me leaving for so long (mostly my husband and mom), everyone was fairly supportive and I started planning seriously. I figured out today that I have pretty much exactly 7 months to go until I start my thru hike attempt. I will try not to overdo it with pre-hike entries, but I can't make any promises. I am super bored behind this computer.I will end my first entry with a poem (this will not be a habit, I promise). I have it taped to my computer and it reminds me to keep things in perspective and know that I have plans to do something better than this.The Summer DayWho made the world?Who made the swan, and the black bear?Who made the grasshopper?This grasshopper, I mean-the one who has flung herself out of the grass,the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.I don't know exactly what a prayer is.I do know how to pay attention, how to fall downinto the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,which is what I have been doing all day.Tell me, what else should I have done?Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?Tell me, what is it you plan to dowith your one wild and precious life?
Date: 2009-09-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I had a genius idea the other day and I believe it's going to work. An admitted trail journals junkie, I have read enough to know that if I show up at Springer Mountain when I'm planning on starting the trail (late March), there will be countless thru hikers and I will likely meet people with similar paces and personalities that I can hike with. This is fine with me, however my friends and family aren't buying it. Despite the fact that I will be nearly 30 years old when I start the trail, everyone would feel a lot better if I didn't start alone. This is where my brilliant idea comes in. One of my very best friends, John, expressed a lot of interest in hiking the trail but knows he can't make the commitment to leave for 6 months. This is a shame because we went on a 50 mile shakedown hike a couple of months ago and it went beautifully. We were great partners and had a great time. He has professed some interest in going on shorter hikes with me, so it dawned on me the other day...John could start the trail with me, ease me in and get off in a week or two. I proposed this idea to John, he agreed it was brilliant and now I have a partner to start with! Hopefully by the end of John's section hike, I will have met some wonderful people to continue hiking with. Everyone's happy, including my mom. In other news, I have discovered a truly evil foe in the woods. A friend and I went hiking last weekend and I woke up the next morning with no less than 100 chigger bites! Do chiggers exist on the AT? If so, I might have to seriously second guess my decision to go. Not really, but I did promptly make a trip to REI for some DEET. My friend was wearing 30% DEET and didn't get one single bite, so I'm a believer. I'll take the threat of cancer over chigger nests.
Date: 2009-09-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The desire to leave all comforts of home behind and hang out in the woods for half of a year isn't considered normal to many people, so the first question that comes to most people's minds when I tell them of my plans, is "why?" Usually I don't have the time or I know the person doesn't really want me to launch into a long confession, so most of the time I give them a drastically reduced version of my reasoning and move on. Well, this is my journal and if you are one of those people that wants the short version, skim this. For those of you willing to hear me out, here it goes. Describing why I want to attempt an AT thru hike is not simple. I'm sure those of you that are reading this that have either attempted or completed a thru hike or are planning one understand this. It's a very personal calling. For me, I started looking around me and realizing I was uncomfortable with all of the comforts surrounding me. I have lived my life primarily by the books: go to college, go straight to grad school, then straight to a career, get married, get a dog, and settle down. All of this is well and good and I am grateful for it. However if I was faced with death tomorrow, I would feel like something was missing. I need something to strive for; something that challenges me on all levels in ways that I have never been challenged before. I need a break from the comforts and regularity of life so I can take a step back and figure out what's important and what I need to do to be happy. I need something that I can look back on when I'm an old lady that I can be proud of; an achievement that not everyone can accomplish. For me, this means living in the woods and climbing mountains for awhile. I worked as a Social Worker in hospice for several years and it made me cognizant of the fact that life is fleeting and I have made a promise to myself to try to live without regret. Or at least live outside the box a little. So that's primarily my spiel. I could certainly say more but most of you that are reading this probably don't know me, so I will spare you. I do promise a very honest and open journal. In reading so many trail journals in the last year or so, I have always greatly appreciated the individuals that are honest about both the good and the bad aspects of their journeys and I intend to be one of those individuals.So I hope you stick around and follow me while I give this thing a shot!By the way- I chose a start date! I am setting out on Sunday, March 28th!
Date: 2009-10-06
To: Bump in the Road
Miles today: 0.0

Well, here's a kick in the head: I have Lyme Disease! I have had several symptoms for several months but about 2 weeks ago my knees started aching. I stopped exercising for a few days and the pain did not subside and was moving from knee to knee. This was obviously scaring me quite a bit- knee problems in a healthy 28 year old preparing to hike for 6 months is not right. Finally one morning last week a light bulb went off that the headaches, flu like symptoms, joint pain, fatigue, and tingling in my fingers may be due to Lyme Disease. I have certainly had my share of tick bites this year. So I went to the doctor and now I'm on a 21 day antibiotic regimen. The antibiotics make me feel terrible, but hopefully after they've run their course, I'll be as good as new and ready to hike again. Is it weird that this hasn't deterred me in the slightest from wanting to hike the AT? I just want to get well as soon as possible so I can get back out there. I will likely be much more vigilant about using DEET from now on, but I'm still counting down the days until the trail. I hope this clears up soon!
Date: 2009-10-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I finished taking my Lyme Disease meds a couple of days ago. I'm a bit concerned because I am continuing to have joint pain in my knees, but I did read somewhere on the internet that symptoms can persist for some time even if the Lyme Disease is gone. The internet is always right, right? I guess I'll head back to the doctor if it gets significantly worse or hasn't dissipated in a couple of weeks. Here's hoping it doesn't come to that. I am planning on hiking for the first time since the diagnosis this weekend and I'm anxious to see how my knees hold up. I've had to stop exercising for several weeks now due to my knee pain and I'm really ready to resume some sort of physical activity aside from just walking. I'll let you know how that goes.I'm also planning a trip to the Smokies next month. It's ridiculous that I live mere hours away and haven't ever been hiking there. It's past time to check them out. The trees are changing here in the south and it's perfect hiking weather. Bum knees or not, I've got to get back out there. Thanks to everyone who's been reading my journals and a special thanks to those that have signed my guest book. It makes my day. Update to come on hiking with Lymes.
Date: 2009-11-04
To: Kicking Lymes
Miles today: 0.0

So I went hiking for the first time since being diagnosed with Lyme Disease a couple of weekends ago and the results were shaky. The hike was beautiful. A friend and I went to Edgar Evins State Park about an hour outside of Nashville and hiked a 9 mile trail. The weather was perfect- cool and sunny. The trees are beautiful right now and it felt great to be back out in the woods. I carried a pack and there were some decent climbs which made my knees pretty angry at me. By the end of the trail, my knees screamed at me with every downhill step. Even ground and uphills were better, but by the time I went to bed that night, I was extremely stiff and my knees were very sore. So, not the best news.But that was a couple of weeks ago and I am happy to report that my knees are starting to feel much better. I have not had to take any OTC pain meds in a week or so and I even started running again this morning. So far, so good. I'm going to keep adding more exercise and hiking as I feel stronger and hopefully I'll be back to where I was pre-Lyme soon. I'm heading to the Smokies in a week and a half for a couple of days and the plan is to hike some fairly intense trails. I'm staying away from the AT but there are plenty of other trails in the park. I'm nervous about my body but very excited about the trip. We'll see!Only 5 months to go!
Date: 2009-11-17
To: And it continues...
Miles today: 0.0

I believe my last journal ended with my hopes for recovery and my excitement that I was back to running. Well, I spoke too soon. My symptoms continued and the joint pain spread to my wrists and fingers. So I bit the bullet and found a PCP, which I've avoided for the last 2 years. The PCP ran some tests and I tested positive on an autoimmune disorder test. So he's sending me to a Rheumatologist. Some possibilities include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or possibly nothing. I also tested positive on the lyme disease titer but the level wasn't high enough to warrant additional medication. I suppose there is a chance that the lyme disease has caused me to test positive for something else. There is also the possibility that I never had lyme disease and was misdiagnosed. My appointment is next Monday, but who knows how long it will take before I know anything concrete.To avoid depression, a good friend and I headed to the Smokies last weekend after I got my results. It was the perfect distraction. We hiked a few trails that were absolutely beautiful. We also hiked a trail called Chimney Tops which involved a steep rock scramble to the very top of a mountain, which was incredible. I feel like I was hit by a bus now, but it was worth every minute. I can't believe I've never been to the Smokies before; it's so close! We met some nice hikers (Hi Brad! Thanks for signing my guest book!) and had a perfect weekend. My friend and I talked a lot about the possibilities of my health and the effects the outcome may have on my plan to thru hike. Barring the doctor forbidding me to go or confirming that a thru hike attempt would ruin my health for the rest of my life, my plan is to still go for it. It may take me a little longer and I may be on medication, but I have to try. Here's hoping for good news...
Date: 2009-12-04
To: Bring It
Miles today: 0.0

My lab results came back and I spoke with my doctor yesterday, who confirmed that everything came back clear and I am good to go! So I am ready to hike! All of these health scares have just reminded me why I want to do this and now I'm ready to go more than ever. Now I just have to get back into hiking shape. I'm starting tomorrow with an 11 mile hike. It's insane that I have under 4 months to go. When I first started planning to hike the AT, it was nearly two years away and I felt like the time would never come. Now it's just around the corner. I'm so excited.Thank you to everyone who sent me well wishes and good thoughts. It really helped. Alright, forget all this health mess- let's get back to hiking. Thanks for bearing with me while I sorted everything out; I promise my journal will get back to being about the AT.
Date: 2009-12-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I am so ready to go! I took a few days off last week and got to hike three days in a row in Big South Fork, TN. I day hiked three different trails and didn't see another soul; just me and my dog. I have been trying to hike as much as possible in the cold so I can play with clothing and temperature regulation. I think I have a good system going. I have been wearing long johns with shorts, liner socks with smartwool hiking socks over them, a wicking merino wool t-shirt with a long sleeved base layer on top. Over that, I've been wearing a zip top fleece while hiking and carrying my down jacket to wear when I stop. I've also been wearing a turtle fur hat and a turtle fur turtle neck, which has proven to be key in temperature control. The turtle neck and the zip top fleece have been such small yet critical pieces of clothing. It's amazing how much of a difference zipping or unzipping the fleece makes, as well as pulling the turtle neck up or down. The turtle neck is just a piece of circular cloth that goes around your neck and it doesn't feel suffocating like a balaclava does. Plus, the turtle fur fabric is extremely soft and comfortable. I am still having some trouble with my right knee, which I have found is exacerbated by cold weather, so my next gear purchase will be a knee brace. Hopefully that will take care of it. I can't believe how close I am to leaving. It's starting to hit me. I am getting so excited but I'm also starting to think about the impact of being gone for so long. For the first time in a really long time, I have an amazing group of friends that feels like family here in Nashville and it's going to be really hard to be away from them for so long. They are truly amazing people- they threw me a hiking shower! Who does that?!? They have all been so supportive of my decision to do this and I will miss everyone so much. But the test of friendship is whether you can pick right back up where you left off no matter how long it's been and I have confidence my absence won't affect anything long term. Only a little over 3 months to go!!! I only have 11 weeks of work left!
Date: 2009-12-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Three months from today, I will start the AT. I am so excited! I was able to hike a few times over the holidays and my knee is finally starting to feel better. I tried tying a bandana around my knee to keep it in place and that has worked great. So I will probably get a knee brace for the trail. I got some new boots for Christmas, Keen's, and tried those out yesterday. They are really great boots. I liked my Montrail's a lot, but even though I got them a size bigger than I usually do, they are still too small. When I went on my 50 mile hike over the summer, I ended up with a numb big toe because of my boots. The Keen's have a bigger toe box and are super comfortable. It didn't even feel like they needed breaking in while hiking yesterday.So now that it's crunch time, what am I doing to get ready? The plan is to hike as much as possible. Because I have a full time job, this will mean hiking every weekend I can. A good friend of mine, Kristina, who has been my willing hiking partner for the last few months, is going to hike with me as often as she can. She is planning to meet me on the trail for about a week toward the beginning of my hike so she's training as well. I am going to leave my job at the end of February, so I should have a lot of opportunities to hike in the month of March before I leave. I'd also really like to get an overnight trip in during the cold weather so I can prepare for that. I can't believe it's so close. I'm not nervous yet, just ready to go!
Date: 2010-01-05
To: Resolutions
Miles today: 0.0

Happy New Year!! My new years resolution, naturally, is to complete a thru hike of the AT. New years eve took on a completely new meaning to me this year. When the clock struck midnight and the year changed, it meant that it was finally my year to hike. If all goes well, the year 2010 will always be the year I thru hiked the AT. While a year can be categorized in so many ways and can hold so many memories, it is extremely likely this will be one of the most important years of my life. It will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable and unique. This year will be categorized as a year of challenges. The physical challenges in hiking daily and climbing mountains higher than I have ever climbed; the mental challenges in being away from my family and friends, in pushing myself day after day to complete the journey; the emotional challenges I know I will face when I'm tired and questioning my decisions. But all of those challenges are why I want to do this. Because this year won't just be about challenges. It will be about overcoming them.
Date: 2010-01-14
To: Resignation
Miles today: 0.0

I gave my resignation at work today. It felt amazing! My original plan was to wait until only a month out, but I've known for awhile now that I was leaving and I started getting antsy. And I wanted to make sure my team had plenty of time to fill my position and get someone trained. Luckily my bosses were supportive, though they weren't happy. When my boss asked me why, it was pretty fun to tell him I was leaving because I'm hiking the AT. I'm guessing that's not an answer he's heard before or will again. Telling him today made it feel real in a way that I hadn't experienced before. True, I still have 6 weeks to work and over two months before I actually start hiking, but I've been planning this for so long and taking this step felt like it was really happening!
Date: 2010-01-15
To: Nervous
Miles today: 0.0

Giving my resignation yesterday was a great feeling. But now I am experiencing my first bout of nervousness. Gangsta, who thru hiked last year, told me it would happen, but I have been so excited that I haven't felt any nervousness...until last night. I started realizing that I am actually leaving work soon, which will be quickly followed by ACTUALLY leaving for the trail and I have to admit, I had some butterflies! Now don't get me wrong, I am still super excited and ready to go! But I do have a touch of the fear. I can't say what it is exactly that I am nervous about; Gangsta described it as a fear of the unknown, which sounds accurate. It hit me again at work today when I started thinking about the day that I walk out and not return. While I've spent many days at work daydreaming about the trail and anticipating the day I would get to leave my job to hike, the actuality of it all is starting to sink in. I expect that this feeling will continue and intensify between now and my start date and I'll deal with it. Don't butterflies accompany most great things in life? I guess it illustrates the risk and the chances you're about to take. But isn't that the whole point of doing something like this? Take a chance, do something different, change your life? So I'll try to welcome the nervousness and see it as proof that I am about to do something worth butterflies.