morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-09
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

sunny, high 70hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates. it has been rather tough to find good internet access. well, what to talk about. the snow storms with windchills in the -teens, the 100+ mph winds that hit me and blew me over when i was trying to get over hump mountain in 18" of snow. yep, i'm glad that winter has finally blown on out of here. i humped it into virginia by april 20th to see a concert and visit my buddy stu for my birthday. thanks williams, wilkinson, mira, and a.p. for coming to visit. it really meant a lot to see some friends after a while on the trail. my best hiking buddy marvin mason (train) drove down to damascus on april 25th for my birthday and hiked with me for a few days. we fed ponies in grayson highlands state park, and got to experience the best views in virginia with a good friend. i've been pretty lucky to have so many folks come to visit. i now like to walk in the rain and just get wet, bc the sweaty salt stains on my shirt is not too attractive, so i figure why not get a shower. and the new big news, I CUT MY AFRO OFF!!! sorry to all who were supporting my hair as much as you are supporting me, it was just getting too hot. don't fret, though. i still have the beard in pristine condition. hope that everyone is having a great time back in the real world. hopefully i can get another update in when i go back to trail days next weekend (may 18-20). until then!!!
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Charlottesville, VA

To: Charlottesville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

well, a lot has happened since i was in pearisburg. i sunburned my head and ears the first day out (i still don't have this short hair thing down). it has felt tons better and i am a lot more aerodynamic now, though. the hiking has been a little crazy. i have been starting at 1000' in elevation and walking up down up down all day long. no straight parts and a lot of rocky parts. i did get the opportunity to go to trail days in damascus. stuart came and picked me up in daleville, so i didn't even have to hitch back for the festival. afterwards, stu even went back to daleville to backpack with me for a couple of days, but not before we decided to take the sidetrip to Catawba, VA to eat at the Homeplace Restaurant. it was nice to have a friend out with me. my recent highlights have been camping at tinker cliffs, stealth camping under the blue ridge parkway on a forest service road, passing the 1/3 mark, having stu drive his truck back after our section hike just to take me to taco bell in lynchburg (best trail magic yet), good views (despite the horrible rocky climbing), and last but most certainly not least on this thru-hiker's list-stopping in charlottesville to hang out with brian wilkinson and having some crazy five star meal prepared for me 5 feet away from the sofa. so that's where i find myself now. charlottesville is a wonderful place to visit and i am glad that i got to come over for a few days to hang out with wilkinson and lightsey. the campus and the city are very aesthetically pleasing, it reminds me a lot of auburn. tomorrow, my good buddy Train will come pick me up here to take me back to the Shenandoah's. i will slack pack for a day or two while train (and 'just mike', maybe?) are around. nothing but good times and good friends on the trail, i hope everyone else is doing well!
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Compton Peak

To: US 522/ Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: few clouds

sunny, high 80sso, the Shenandoah's were pretty sweet. my best trail buddy and friend, Train, came and picked me up from Charlottesville and took me back up to the park. i have to say that the Shenandoah's are a lot easier than the Smokies. there are waysides that serve food and drinks, and even have a small campstore for resupply. the most i had to carry was one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner! it was too nice. but anyways, Train spent three days with me running around in the park trying to slackpack as many miles as possible. when the day was over, we would retreat back to Loft Mtn Campground for dinner. Train, thank you so much for everything, you are a true "trail angel". i look foward to the next time we are able to meet up with one another i also managed to run back into Totally Different Subject (TDS) at the campground and we have now been walking together for the last 75 miles along with Mr. Easy and No Problem. together we are the Dirty South Nepalese Sherpas (we like to carry crazy amounts of water to stealth sites and engage in other random acts of craziness on the trail. on june 8th, i awoke at 6:15 and had a 125 lb black bear right outside my tent, literally 2 feet away! you talk about a close encounter. he actually bit 2 holes in my trekking poles as a souvenir, it was nice of him. he just watched me eat my breakfast, and when he got bored with that, he had to scratch his butt a little and chase a deer. besides that, i saw some baby deer and baby turkey, it let me know that spring was in full effect in the Shenandoahs. well anyways, this is my LAST STOP in Virginia!! my next stop will be in Harper's Ferry, WV home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and 9 miles past the 1000 mile mark. who woulda thunk it?
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Powerline @ 1004.2

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: clear sky

sunny, high 80s.   well, not much has changed. i am ready to take on some major miles in PA. since my last post, i have passed the 1000 mile mark and even gone through WV into MD. my next feat is the half-way point, just 77 miles away. hope all is well!
Date: 2007-06-27
From: pipeline @ 1126.4

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: scattered clouds

partly cloudy, scattered tstorms, mid 90s.man it's hot, i can't even drink enough water to keep myself from getting thirsty. yesterday i drank 12 liters and wanted more! i have finally passed the halfway point, so that's a big marker both mentally and physically for me. it is still me and mr. easy walking together on the trail, we go together well because we both have the longest legs on the trail. we make people jealous with how fast we can walk. maryland was a lot of fun, there were state parks everywhere with mtn. dew machines! i had to stop at every one. we recently started to hit some big pastures and fields just in time for the extreme heat. it has also become some pretty rocky terrain. i have to walk for an hour and then take a break to camel up on water and wring my clothes out. we have gotten to visit Gettysburg for a day and stayed at a hotel right across from where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address, and mr. easy and myself ran into some wonderful trail magic that consisted of a battlefield tour and dinner (thank you, jay h). just before that in maryland, the trail also passes right beside the original Washington Monument that was built in 1827 (it looks like a big stone milk jug). the upside to pennsylvania is that it has about one good stop per day where you can walk off the trail and get something to eat or drink. it is also the first good state where i can see just how much the gypsy moth is demolishing the forest. so, here i am in the middle of PA bearing the heat, praying for rain. i just listen to music all day and that keeps my mind off of the weather.
Date: 2007-07-18
From: New York City

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

rainy, mid 70swow, so here i am in the big apple; the big, big apple. man, it's weird getting on a train 35 miles away from the city with no one around; and when we arrive in NYC, the train is full and there are people everywhere. both mr. easy and myself have sore necks from staring up at the skyscrapers, not trees. we are crashing here with our good buddy tatoo and his girlfriend, marie. it feels like we are living in a tree house because we are on the 15th floor. but anyways, the last part of PA was quite tough, after Port Clinton, it got very, very rocky. you could not take one step for 75 miles without stepping on a rock. my feet were aching every night. the rocks stopped for NJ, they were only moderate. i only saw one jersey bear which was a little disappointing, i thought that i would see more. so we arrived in Vernon, NJ and my good buddy, Just Mike, came down to visit and hike for a day. it was nice to slackpack for a day, since i have been carrying my pack since the Shenandoahs. we just took our time all day, stopping at every overlook, and eventually crossing over into state #9 (aka New York). it was a rude awakening, for the terrain became rocky again and the climbs and decents are straight up and down, not very forgiving. it's like the new york trail club decided that we were becoming too soft from the last couple states. it is just as rocky, and there are several tight squeezes and big jump ups in between rocks (like the lemon squeezer). i do have to say that the state parks here are some of the nicest that i have seen thus far. NYC is also a great break from the trail. the markets are wonderful, the museums are interesting, and the yankees won in the bottom of the 10th. i have a little bit of repairs to do on my gear (i tore my pack and i need to glue my shoes) and then it will be time to start pushing for CT! the great deli run through new england is about to begin, you can literally stop every day (though i doubt that we will) and get something substantial to eat. till next time.
Date: 2007-07-20
From: New York City

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

sunny, high 70swell, what started out as 2 zero days quickly turned into 4 when i found out that Widespread Panic was playing at Radio City Music Hall today. so, i debated on whether or not to go, and when i searched on ticketmaster, there was a seat available on the 27th row center stage. so that answered that question. i have spent the past couple of days getting some gear repaired and trying to prevent some of my gear (my shoes) from completely falling apart. i can certainly say that i have seen New York City, and i can certainly say that i have seen Widespread Panic play an awesome show at the renowned Radio City Music Hall. not bad luck while hiking the AT! i am about to catch the train out of the city, and pick back up at Bear Mountain Bridge on the Hudson River. next stop, CT for a quick resupply in Kent, and then onto MA for a break in about 180 miles. until then!
Date: 2007-08-02
From: Pittsfield, MA @ Zubie's

To: Pittsfield, MA @ Zubie's
Miles today: 0.0

sunny, low 90sso here we are at a well deserved (and well awaited) zero day at the famous Zubie's house. it is good to see her again, she picked us up in Dalton yesterday and took us to her house for a big BBQ. i received my new shoes and maps from my parents, so i don't think that my feet will fall apart anymore. they were really beginning to hurt because there was no more support in my old shoes, but i'm a brand new man now. since we got back on the trail in new york it has been nothing but business. we haven't stayed in any towns, we have just gone in to resupply and then walked right back out again. the walking has also been fairly easy. there are still a lot of up and down's going on, but you can tell that we are headed back up to the real mountains, because the climbs are getting higher and higher. for some reason, it is easier for me to do a couple big, long climbs each day instead of a ton of little ones. the weather has not been too bad-just a couple of rain showers either in the morning or late in the afternoon, never in the middle of the day. i do have to wring my shirt out two to three times a day because i am dripping in sweat, but that is the worst that has happened to me. it is actually better getting rained on because then you feel like you are getting a free shower, and not a sweat shower. so, we have been out of new york for a little bit, and conneticut was not a big state at all, only 60 miles, and our latest milestone was passing mile marker 1500. so now i find myself 30 miles away from vermont and our northern big mountain push. before i get too ahead of myself, i am going to enjoy my r&r at Zubie's and dream about flying down the trail in my new shoes. hope all is well in the real world!
Date: 2007-08-13
From: Cooper Lodge

To: VT 100
Miles today: 9.5

scattered showers a.m., sunny p.m., low 80'sso, here we are in VT. it is weird thinking about where we are in relation to where we started. the weather here has been cool, o.k. cold. we find ourselves putting on layers every night and starting to build fires once again, every night. i have also met up with other people who know friends of mine in birmingham. stone age and triple deuce are old college roommates with an old employee of mine, Nick Nelson; and a girl named Eulah is friends with my good buddy pete, they went to college together in colorado. Mt Greylock was nice in Mass. since there is construction going on, so no cars were allowed up to the summit, it was quiet and nice. we have also stayed at some pretty good places in vermont. i stayed by myself at prospect rock, there was an endless sunset behind the mountain range that i was facing. mt bromley ski warming hut was an unexpected suprise, we got an awesome sunset from the observation tower right beside the hut (not to mention an enclosed building while the temps outside went down into the mid 40's). i really feel sorry for the hot summer that the south is getting, i don't think i ever want to experience that humidity and heat again, sorry guys. we have gotten back into the good water sources, so we don't have to drink the murky, sketchy water of new england any more. also, now that we are so much higher in latitude, 3000' up here in vermont feels like 5000' back down south. i am thoroughly enjoying the fir and hemlock forests, it smells like christmas everyday! it is about time for some cold weather gear, i will be in new hampshire in 3 days and the white mtns in 7-10 days (i am a little anxious and intimidated). two days ago, i passed the 500 mile to go mark, i can't believe that i am getting that close to the end. we had some coke's and cheese/peanut butter crackers for some trail magic at the mark. and yesterday, i passed the maine junction where the long trail turns off the a.t. and heads up toward canada, so now i have made the turn for maine. presidential range, here i come!!
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

partly cloudy, mid 60swell, here i am at the gateway to the White Mountains. since the last update, it has been a fond farewell to Vermont and a cool welcome to New Hampshire. I can't believe that i am up to my thirteenth state! I got to sleep in a fellow named Randy's barn while the cold front blew through a few days ago. We made it just in time for the initail downpour, so, i didn't get wet! And an added bonus, the village store had just re-opened last month, and they had the best breakfast just about on the entire trail, or at least in the northern part. Hanover was a nice city, and the campus of Dartmouth was beautiful and there was a lot going on there. it was a quick up and over to Glencliff, and since the cold front, a chilly up and over. it has been going down into the mid 40s the last couple of nights (eat your heart out birmingham!) so i have been in need of some layers, and i have been a little intimidated of the weather to come in the Whites (it probably gets about 15-20 degrees cooler on the peaks with a 30-40 mile per hour wind on a good day). i am sorry, but i cannot get you any new pictures right now, i'm on an older computer, but i promise they will come. so, here we go, the hardest part of the trail, it's time to earn it!
Date: 2007-08-29
From: Carter Dome

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

sunny, high 70sso, i am finally done with the White Mountains. they were beautiful when they wanted to be and ugly when they wanted to be. i broke one of my trekking poles the second day out, so that had slowed me down a bit. on the real good days, you could see for about 75-100 miles in every direction. but, on the bad days, you could see about 10 yards and the wind was about to knock you over! it was cold, i am so glad that i got some warmer clothing when i was in Glencliff. the climbs were rocky and straight up, it was a test of the last 1800 miles to see if we were in shape enough to make it. our stealth sites were good, we only stayed in one hut (lake of the clouds) and one tentsite (nauman @ mizpah springs hut) so the whites were not too expensive. it was nice to be able to go into each hut and buy some ayce soup, bread, and coffee (it was some good "go juice" that we didn't have to cook!). the whole northern end of the park was crystal clear and cool. our last night we stealth camped on top of Carter Dome for the full moon, it was a good culmination to the Whites. now, we find ourselves in Gorham, NH, the last stop in New Hampshire and 17 miles away from Maine! time for payday, i thought that this state was just a myth and didn't really exist! i hope to make another update or two before the end of the trip, but i don't know how easy it will be to get on the internet. 298 miles to go!
Date: 2007-09-06
From: Spaulding Mtn Lean-to

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

mostly cloudy, low 70sso, the weather has been great since we entered Maine. it was a rainy exit to New Hampshire, but everyday since then has been wonderful. the lows are in the low 40s every night, and the highs are usually high 50s to low 60s. the climbs up and down are still a little tough, but they are ever so rewarding when you get up there, its just very windy, which intensifies the chilly weather. it smells like Christmas in the high elevations with the spruce fir trees, and the low elevations are starting to change color a little bit (mainly the birch trees and some maples). we definately feel like we are back in the wilderness, and we definately feel like Maine is the state to end our thru-hike in, it's everything we have imagined and then some. the towns that we go thru are quaint and friendly, the people here couldn't be any nicer. since this is one of our last stops, we are pigging out. for dinner, i had a salad, a 16" pizza, 2 cokes, 2 apples, and a pint of Ben and Jerry's (i've got to get it while i can). one more stop in Monson, and then the 100 mile wilderness! the culmination of my dream is almost here!
Date: 2007-09-11
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: heavy intensity shower rain

rain, mid 60swell, here i am so near the end of my voyage. what a long, strange trip it has been. i knew that i could not have a sunny day everyday, and it has been raining for the past three days. the sun peeked out of the clouds for a few hours yesterday afternoon, but that is all i have seen of it the past three days. needless to say, i have taken quite a few falls the past couple of days. the mountains that we have been climbing are rocky and quite slippery when wet, it makes for some slow miles. although, two days ago i had the most superb breakfast that i have had on the trail at the Harrison Camp. Tim cooks breakfast for the hikers every morning, and it consists of coffee, juice, sausage, eggs, and 12 (that's right, 12) red, white, and blue pancakes (strawberry, apple, blueberry). he serves it early in the morning so the hikers can make it down to the Kennebec River ferry. the ferry is a canoe that Steve Longley of Caratunk runs on a daily basis. you can tell that he is a veteran because he paddles the river standing up in his canoe! you talk about someone in their element. i still haven't gotten my first glimpse of Mt Katahdin, but that should be any day now (i am kind of enjoying the mystery). Monson is a wonderful, quaint town with everything easy to get to and not too much to do except resupply for the next 100 miles. it is nice because i get to rest my weary bones (and trust me, they are weary after 500 straight miles with no days off). i am glad that i haven't taken any zero days because i know that clocking back in is just around the corner (i have dubbed it "city strike 2007". i still have not seen any Maine moose, but i have gotten two encounters with a fisher (an oversize mink looking creature that is supposed to be pretty fierce, it is the only animal that can kill a porcupine). i am also very excited that my good buddies Pruitt and Byrd are driving up from bham (that's one heck of a road trip) it's good to have such dear friends with that dedication who want to drive (yes, drive) up from alabama, it's sure to be a magical time that i will never forget as long as i live. well, you know that my next update will be after mile 2,174, till then!
Date: 2007-09-18
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Baxter Peak, Mt Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

sunny, mid 60swell, this day certainly came and went a little quicker than expected. but, back to that in a few. the 100 mile wilderness was one of the funnest things that i have ever experienced in the woods. the first half are demanding mountains and ups-and-downs that you think will never end. but, the flora was awesome and i even saw my first and only moose! he jumped out on the trail 10 yards in front of me on his way down to a stream. it was a big, bull moose. my first view of Mt Katahdin came at White Cap Mountain on a very windy, clear day. as soon as i was summiting from the south side, Totally Different Subject was coming up from the north side; it was a classic moment. he had just finished the Northern Canoe Trail and was now headed back south to finish his thru-hike. it was good to give him one more hello. the second half of the wilderness is low land walking with a lot of water. i put in some good days of hiking there because it was so easy. the miles just took care of themselves. it was oh so great to see friendly, familiar faces when i arrived at Katahdin Stream Campground on the 17th. Jason and Jonathan had driven up to Maine on a crazy east coast excursion to pick me up and summit with me. today was the ideal summit day. it was 37 degrees when we awoke, but quickly warmed up as the day went on and we climbed 4200 feet in 5.2 miles. there were almost no clouds in the sky, and the wind was breezing around 10 mph on the summit. it was so good to have close friends there with me at the beginning and at the end. big pappa got to see me a little jittery at the beginning, and pruitt and jonathan got to see one of my life's greatest accomplishments there at the end. the trail family that i had made was filled with great people that i learned several things from. they were some of the kindest and most caring folks i have ever met. it was also great to have caring people at home thinking about you all the time- you don't know how much you miss them until you are gone for such a long time. my parents and brother were my biggest fans, i hope they know how much their words of encouragement and advise kept me going on my journey. thank you to all who followed me! until the next time, happy trails!