morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-08-11
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 16.4

Day 109The mosquitoes aren't as bad anymore. There are still a few, but I'd say they were the worst from the last part of PA through Dalton, MA.Today was not a hard day for me, despite a couple long climbs. The last two miles down to US4 was very well graded. I skipped The Long Trail Inn because there was no room phone or A/C. Getting a hitch to Rutland took a little more time than usual.I got a ride from Carrie, a gregarious 20-year-old with a beat-up, muffler-dragging car. The car failed inspection due to body rust so she duct taped it bumper to bumper and it passed. She took me to the P.O., outfitter, and would probably have toted me around more but I didn't want to abuse her generosity. It was overcast again. I got rained on only lightly, mostly while doing town errands. I bought new shoes (pair number 6), New Balance 806.I have less than 500 miles to go.
Date: 2003-08-13
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 26.3

Day 111Back when we were only 5 days into this rain, Buckeye jokingly said: "If we were paid to do this, we would have quit by now." Of course his joke was based on the truth.It is hard on the ego for a hiker to get off the trail just because it is no longer fun. You have to admit to making the wrong decision to attempt this hike or for not being able to tough it out. If you were being paid it would be easier. You could just say there are better ways to make money.These days on the muddy trail are little fun. I am just moving north while waiting for better days. I got rained on heavily in the early afternoon, which was a good thing; I think it was the front finally pushing through. By the end of the day, the skies were clearing.I crossed south bounder Goggles today, and without introduction he exclaims: "There he is! Can I get a picture?" He is a former resident of Titusville, and his friends have been sending him my newspaper articles.I walked a short day yesterday, intending to go to the Rosewood Inn today. When I learned the Inn was closed, I decided to come here. It was a long day, and I drug in after 7 pm exhausted. There is no lodging in town, but hikers can ask at the convenience store, which families take in hikers. The store was closed, so I wandered down the street and talked to the first person I saw. It was Kevin Kemmy, who invited me into his home where I'm staying in the basement, showered, and they are making me dinner. Bonus: Kevin is a chef.Hiker info on West Hartford:There is no pay phone in this town. The road that crosses the bridge ends in a "T" intersection with VT14. The P.O. is about 0.2 miles to the RIGHT. The trail follows VT14 to the left about a quarter mile, passing a convenience store with a grill that is open 6 am to 7 pm most days. It is open 7 days, but I think it has shorter hours some days. They serve breakfast, lunch & dinner (short order menu). The convenience store can tell you which families will let you stay with them or tent in their yards.
Date: 2003-08-16
From: Firewarden's Cabin (a shelter)

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 20.0

Day 114My streak of dry days ended at 2. Arrow, Whack-a-pack, and Giggler (2002 thru-hikers) were set up with trail magic - hamburgers, beer and sodas for a bunch of hikers who came through around 1 pm. Minutes after moving on at 2 pm, a nasty thunderstorm soaked us. Lightning scared me into a shelter where I waited for a half hour.Arrow has been a huge help to me on this hike. He slack-packed me for the last 8 miles of my day. The same crew grilled dinner at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. From Glencliff Arrow took me to his parent¢s home for a shower and laundry and we stayed in a trailer nearby.
Date: 2003-08-19
From: Franconia Notch

To: Greenleaf Hut
Miles today: 6.4

Day 117Awesome. I haven't seen a more spectacular place on the A.T. than the 3 miles above treeline I've walked along the Franconia Ridge. With all the rain I've had on this trip, I have had the good fortune of clear weather at opportune times. Today it is cloudless and about 60 degrees on the ridge.Fir and Spruce are the only trees and they give way to rock the last few hundred feet up to the ridge. I can't describe it near as well as you will see in the photos. I took many as I walked, and still want to take more as I sit here at Greenleaf Hut. In the White Mountains, The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) operates bunkroom-type cabins with a crew that serves paying guests breakfast and dinner for around $70.The first 2 thru-hikers (sometimes more) can do work-for-stay. Tonight Dirty Bird, Fido, Sparky, and I are staying and working. I got the easy chore of sorting books. Dinner was excellent: Ham, mashed potatoes, peas, and apple pie. We trade stories of trail magic and scary hitchhikes. This morning I got a ride from a guy who was drunk before noon and still drinking. He figured I must be living off of small game on the trail. "You aint carrying a f-ing hunting knife? What if you get attacked by a f-ing bear?"I wrote this morning and didn't start until noon. The 6 miles was a lot of work today, and there was an extra mile down to the hut that took me 40 minutes.
Date: 2003-08-20
From: Greenleaf Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 13.6

Day 118"No, not the shoe, anything but the shoe!" is what my feet say in the morning when I'm getting ready to go. Now that there is more rock walking, and steep, toe-jamming descents, my feet are getting sore again. There are many section hikers going hut-to-hut on this strenuous trail. I met 3 coming up to the intersection of a side trail as I was heading down. One says; "That trail goes to the campsite..." - and then pointing down the trail falling off the mountain they just climbed - "...and that one is hell." I saw a smart-looking critter - a marten - up in a pine tree.It is another beautiful day, very scenic, but not as much trail above treeline as yesterday. The hiking was just a little less difficult than the previous 3 days - or maybe I'm getting more used to it. I saw no other thru hikers today NOBO or SOBO, which may be a good thing since we are vying for work-for-stay at the huts. "Biscuit" (also NOBO) came in after me and is also doing WFS. This hut, like all the rest is booked for paying guests.I've been doing less than 2 mph on the day in the Whites, so days this length will be what I plan for over the next week. Everywhere else on the trail I would shoot for around 20 miles, and in a pinch I could go as fast as 3 mph. There is no making the miles go faster here.Happy anniversary Juli.
Date: 2003-08-31
From: Andover, ME (South Arm Road)

To: Oquossoc, ME (ME 17)
Miles today: 13.3

Day 129Ken and Marcia surprised me by returning to the hostel last night. For the second morning in a row we make ourselves a pancake breakfast. It looks like we will be on the same pace for at least another 4 days, and I am happy to have their company.Last night Juli told me the temperature at home (Florida) was 93 degrees. This morning in Maine it is 38. I'm lucky I was in a hostel or I would be suffering for my poor judgment - carrying a summer bag. It looks to be a great day, clear skies and little wind. I de-fleece only 15 minutes into my hike.The trail is moderate most of the day, with a long climb up Old Blue and a steep descent at the end of the day. When I get views, the mountains seem to be tapering off, and more lakes are visible.I'm at Gulf Pond Hostel near Rangeley along with Crossroads. I hiked with him many days on the way north before he got off the trail in New York to return to his job. He quit his job and is trying to complete his hike by hiking south from Katahdin.
Date: 2003-09-02
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Perham Stream (tarping)
Miles today: 15.4

Day 131The guidebook says Katahdin can be seen from Saddleback Mountain, and I think I may have seen it. The morning was blanketed in fog, but it cleared away just as I was getting over Saddleback. No one else was there to tell me what they thought of the mountain I thought was Katahdin.There were some steep downhill sections from Saddleback, the Horn, and Poplar Ridge slowing me down. The more level sections didn't go fast either, because the trail is rocky and rooty. I passed about 4 pons today, all at different elevations.I still don't feel 100%, and today was a hard day. I'm beat even though this was not a particularly long day. All I want to do is lay down. I'm lying on my sleeping pad writing this at 7 pm. I picked this site because I wanted to camp at a relatively low elevation (2200') to stay warm. Tarping is also warmer than shelters. Tomorrow I'll get my warmer sleeping bag and I'll feel less limited about where I camp. I saw no other NOBO thru-hikers today, only 2 late-starting SOBOs.
Date: 2003-09-05
From: Horns Pond Lean-to

To: West Carry Pond Shelter
Miles today: 17.5

Day 134I took my time this morning, taking pictures and stopping to put my jacket on or take it off. The West Peak of Bigelow Mountain and Avery Peak are scenic on this clear day. They poke above treeline so there are mountains as far as the eye can see in every directions and a sprawling lake to the west.Down below treeline the deciduous trees have started dropping red and yellow leaves. I went over 2000 miles today. After passing Little Bigelow, the trail really started to flatten out. I don't think I'll see another 4000' mountain until Katahdin. I got to the shelter feeling leg weary and with sore feet. Ken & Marcia and 2 section hikers are in the shelter with me tonight.Awol
Date: 2003-09-06
From: West Carry Pond Shelter

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

Day 135I've stayed about the same weight (160) since the halfway point. I still eat a lot. My typical trail breakfast is 3 packets of instant oatmeal and hot chocolate. I'm hungry an hour later. Today I downed 2 candy bars before 9 am.After my final journal entry I'll do post-hike entries with thoughts on trail food, equipment, favorite trail sections, and my rating of hostels and trail towns.Southbounders have told us that once we got over the Bigelow Mountains it was a cakewalk to Katahdin. That has been true today - walking has been about as easy as it gets on the AT. The weather is perfect today. It was a scenic walk, going along the shoreline of 2 large ponds, a stream with waterfalls, and the Kennebec River. I took my time walking, and still had to wait for the ferry (canoe), which takes hikers across the Kennebec River from 3 to 5 in the afternoon.I hiked with section hiker 81, who started piecing the trail from Georgia in 1981, and Ken and Marcia. Trailjournalers Chief and Jan Liteshoe are also staying here at the Caratunk House.
Date: 2003-09-12
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Whitehouse Landing
Miles today: 13.8

Day 141"Bear Magnet" is what Tenderfoot thinks I should be called. Today I saw 3 more bears, bringing my total bear count to 21. I saw a mother bear with 2 nearly grown cubs less than a mile after leaving the shelter.Last night Biscuit and Grasshopper came in around midnight, walking under the full moon. I had a hard time getting back to sleep and in my mind I've been recalling events of this hike.The trail and weather continue to be as nice as it gets.Whitehouse Landing is a bunkroom/campstore reached from a one mile side-trail. At the end of the trail the lodge can be seen on the other side of a large pond. We blow an air-horn at a boat dock, and the owner comes to give us a ride in a motorboat. There is no electricity or public phone, but there are nice propane heated showers.It's just Kiwi and I here tonight, eating monster cheeseburgers and taking the canoe out on the lake at sunset.
Date: 2003-09-13
From: Whitehouse Landing

To: Rainbow Springs Campsite (tarping)
Miles today: 19.6

Day 142I hiked all day with Kiwi. We are taking an indirect route to Katahdin, on a trail that winds around all these lakes and ponds, which means we see views of the mountain from different angles, and our line of sight is about half the distance we have left to walk. Katahdin stands out more clearly than I can capture in a photo. It looks intimidating.Maine is possibly the most scenic state on the trail with a nice mix of mountains and water. I don't mind repeating myself when it is to report that the weather was perfect again today. Fall is becoming more evident. We crunch through fallen leaves and the maple trees hanging on to their red and yellow leaves stand out like torches.There was only one hill to climb. Most of the "work" hiking today was picking steps around rocks and roots. Ken & Marcia and Kiwi are tenting nearby. Loons are in the lake near this campsite making calls that sound as if they were blown from a flute.
Date: 2003-10-02
To: Afterthoughts
Miles today: 0.0

I have many ¢happy I dids¢, ¢wish I hads¢ and ¢wish I hadn¢ts¢, but many of them are contradictory. For example, I wish I had hiked shorter days, yet I¢m happy with the time frame of my hike and avoidance of colder weather.I wish I had made less town stops. On the other hand some town stops were highlights of my trip. It is a big trail, and there is more to see and do than can be done in one trip. That¢s what makes everyone¢s experience on A.T. different, and also what makes hikers want to return to the trail.Many of these ¢glad I did/wish I hadn¢t¢ items I will list in other post-hike entries like the gear info I¢ve already posted. Even though I set the record for photos posted, I wish I had taken more photos, especially of people I met and places I stayed.   If you read this and are someone I met on the trail, please send me a photo!After being home a week I had a dream about driving my truck. It had no brakes so I was rumbling through town out of control. Maybe this represents my lack of direction or control of my post-hike life. I had hoped that I would do more introspection, make some changes for the better, and potentially hatch a new employment plan. Upon returning home, everything seemed too familiar ¢ like I had never been gone. I¢ve already re-applied for my former job. It is like I had this big chance to change my world and it didn¢t materialize. I tried writing this paragraph without sounding depressed about the results of my hike. I don¢t think my hike was a failure ¢ it just wasn¢t as impacting on my post-hike life as I hoped it would be. In many ways that is a good thing. And I am very pleased with the experience in itself.I have changed in smaller ways. I am more patient. I worry less about money. I can get by with less. I¢d rather get rid of stuff than get new stuff.I spent much of my first week home getting prints of my digital photos and making a photo album, and reading through other hiker¢s journals on this website. Both these activities were good for refreshing my memory and ramping down from the experience.   Near the end of the hike I was biased toward the last two states, but then looking through the photos with family, I noticed I wanted to say ¢this was a neat section of trail¢ to describe many areas all along the trail.While I was on the trail, I was asked if I would do it again. ¢No way in Hell!¢ was my immediate response. Now that the hike is over, fond memories of the trip are winning out over the memories of pain and rain. I surprise myself by thoughts of getting back on the trail. These thoughts are for naught since Juli¢s answer hasn¢t changed from ¢No way in Hell!¢When I was considering doing this thru-hike I fretted over the impact it would have on my life and my finances. A few people chose to be my voice of reason, letting me know how pointless and irresponsible it was to go off on a 4+ month walk. Now it¢s over and the world never stopped spinning. Most bounds people place on themselves are contrived. I¢m glad I did it.
Date: 2003-12-21
To: Leaving Family to hike the A.T.
Miles today: 0.0

Last summer when I thru-hiked the A.T., I left my wife and three girls at home (ages 5, 8 and 9 at the time). I¢ve had more than a few people ask how this worked out, so I¢m adding these comments to my journal.It is tougher for your family to cope with you being gone than for you to cope with missing them. My wife (Juli) had a creative approach to her summer with our girls. Since I would be having a summer I'd never forget, she chose to make it a summer they wouldn't forget, either. She got a membership at a club with a pool and engaged them in many new activities. They set out to have a summer of fun without dad, rather than dwelling on my absence.I honestly never felt guilt (over family separation) on my hike and hadn't even noticed the absence of guilt until someone asked. For this Juli gets all the credit. She was supportive of me doing this from the start. We talked about how demoralizing it would be for her to express regrets about me being away. On the trail you will have your low points - times when you feel like quitting. You got to have your spouse help with two things: 1) They should never agree with you that it is time to quit or say that you have hiked "enough" before finishing the trail, 2) They should never let you know how tough things are without you - even if they feel that way. You both have to be in it together and that's just what your partner has to agree to if you are going to do the trail. If he/she contributes to your doubts while you are gone, you are "finished" before you ever leave home.Juli had some days in which she was overwhelmed, and she was wearing down toward the end, but mostly she did fine. It helps if your spouse is involved in your trip. My wife posted all my journal entries and photos, so it became her project as well.I missed my wife & kids, which kept me moving along at a pace a little quicker than most. That made my hike harder, but you can't have it all. I usually called more than once from every phone I reached. Sometimes I'd go out of my way or make an extra town stop to get phone time. Pocketmail helped, because sometimes you say more in email.I wrote a bi-weekly article for my local newspaper (Florida Today newspaper in Brevard County). I think my kids got a kick out of the recognition they received for this. They were proud and it gave them a "stake" in my hike. My youngest daughter missed me the most. Repeating what I said earlier in my journal, when my kids visited after I had been gone about 6 weeks I asked them how they felt about me being away. They said they wanted me to finish the trail.
Date: 2004-05-30
To: Trail Days 2004
Miles today: 0.0

During my thru-hike last year, I didn¢t stop at Trail Days. I went this year to see what I missed. It was good to see some of last year's crowd visiting trail days: Footslogger, Skeemer, Lion King, Kodiak, Psycho Pat, Goggles, Magic Rat, Moss, Buttercup, Jersey, Night Owl, Moonshadow, Jan Liteshoe, Bono, Crash, Skittles, Hopeful, and Fisher King. The gear show was interesting and the parade was wild. Model-T put on an entertaining talk. I'm glad I went, but also content that it was not part of my thru-hike. The event definitely would've been a tough distraction to hike away from. I hiked for a handful of days, leaving a little north of Erwin and finishing in Damascus. The section from Erwin to Kincora was hard for me last year, but not so bad this time around. The weather was great. Last year blisters and the rain bothered me. Also, my perception of "tough" trail has been redefined by having hiked through the White Mountains and Southern Maine.I was stronger for this year¢s section in than I was in the middle of my thru-hike. In the midst of my thru-hike, sore feet and knees slowed me down. This was contrary to my expectations ¢ I had thought that during a thru-hike, I¢d just keep getting in better shape. That¢s not how it worked; it was more like being worn down by the journey.I made the drive up with Jacquie, wife of 2004 hiker Krispy Kritter, and got to meet a batch of new hikers, and some of those I¢ve been following in trail journals.On my second day walking I went over Roan Mountain and covered 15 miles to Overmountain Shelter. I was itching to continue on another 9 miles to road 19E.   When I was able to talk myself into staying, I congratulated myself on being a wiser hiker. Then 2 days later I walked 24 miles by 4 pm, and on my final day into Damascus I did my 18 miles by noon.My feet were burning after these long days and were starting to develop blisters. If I have been in the midst of a thru-hike, it would've been a problem. It is easy to see how I made things more difficult than necessary last year. I still haven't learned to moderate my speed miles covered. During this short section, I was more in the pack of thru-hikers than I was at any time last year, because of my timing. I¢m Happy about that - I liked having a more solitary experience. I¢ve updated my Hostel info with places I stayed this year (Laurel Fork and Mountain Harbor) and added more photos. Within the next week I plan to post one more entry, a Questions & Answers page where I¢ll put together Q&A from all my correspondence with other hikers. I¢ve written a follow-up newspaper article for Florida Today (in Brevard County), which will run in the Unwind section of the paper Sunday, June 6, 2004.
Date: 2006-05-08
To: My book is now published
Miles today: 0.0

I have written a book about my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, titled Awol on the Appalachian Trail.My journal, and articles that I wrote for my hometown newspaper, served as good resource material for my book, but this book is NOT a journal with a cover slapped on it. In the two years following the completion of my thru-hike, I worked to develop the most interesting and entertaining material, and pare away repetitive or mundane details.I have added insight gained since completing my hike, along with more about my past and what brought me to the trail. There are abundant photographs; each placed immediately following the relevant text. Awol on the AT has footnotes loaded with additional information. The book includes an original map of the trail, and every chapter header includes a thumbnail map showing the section of trail covered.Please visit www.AWOLontheTrail.com for more information. The website features the front and back cover, excerpts from the book, and more.I will have a booth at Trail Days 2006 in Damascus, and will be giving a presentation on Friday, May 19 at 11:30 in the Rock School Auditorium.