morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-28
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Lake Shore House - Monson, ME
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: moderate rain

Happy Birthday Renee! I love you.Our wish is that the remaining terrain all the way to Katahdin was like today ... flat! .... well, flattish. There were a couple little bumps but nothing that slowed our two-plus miles-per-hour pace. The fording of the west branch of Piscataquis River was simple, a little shallower than yesterday's fording, but colder because it was first thing in the morning.We sailed into Monson arriving at 12:30. The hitch was quick for a change and we were stuffing our hungry bodies by 1:00 with real people food. Darlene, Sam and Katherine were to meet us at the trailhead at 5:00. We phoned to let them know of our early arrival only to look up and see them walking towards us. The afternoon has been delightful here in the suite of the Lake Shore House they rented. The next five days' worth of food has been sorted and packed and we only have to get a good night's sleep before we strike out on our final 100 miles.It seems as though the dental devil has struck again. I just now have chipped a tooth or lost a filling. Only eight to ten days remain. I must be diligent about my dental care to avoid an infection such as the one which plagued Ursa! I'll be praying nothing becomes complicated or painful until the end. Ankles, knees, feet, and now tooth. Please Body, hang in there for 10 more days!! We're almost there.In town tonight preparing for the homeward stretch are Arms, Chef TB, Chef Vegan, Screaming Steven, Sanguine, One Thing, Doc, White Patch, Keytone and Mousebait. If there are others we¢ll see them on the trail in the morning.
Date: 2004-10-01
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Happy Birthday Sis! Love you much Today's actual mileage was 15.1. We chose to take the blue-blazed Gulf Hagas Trail supposedly taking us along the rim of the "Grand Canyon of the Northeast". It was way overrated. The rock walls were spectacular, the seven waterfalls were not. What was most discouraging is the trail was too far away from the canyon cliff to give us any worthwhile views. We lunched at the headwaters of the Gulf, a very pretty location. It makes for a lovely dayhike, but for a thru-hiker, it was a huge disappointment. We hiked 5.2 miles, three hours, which gained us nothing in our northward direction. Bah humbug!Consequently, tomorrow we'll be humping over five mountaintops, three of which peak at over 3000 feet. It's going to be a killer of a day as we hope to tally a full 19 miles to our total. The good news is, after tomorrow our major climbs are done. Only the Big K remains.A good night's slumber is much easier to attain when the temperature is above 40 degrees. Last night I was very comfortable; I actually could have my nose out of my bag without it freezing! A few sprinkles fell during the night but never materialized into a real rainfall. At 6 a.m. when I first crawled out, the sky was cloudy. By 7:00 it had cleared and it bore tidings of another glorious day. The sun shining through the birch forest of golden yellow leaves gave an irridescent yellow-green tinge to the atmosphere. Every now and then I'd notice a haze of moisture lingering above the greenery and a hint of a rainbow would catch my eye.Of course we had a climb greeting us this morning. Chairback Mountain peaks at only 2219' so the climb, although significant, wasn't lengthy. Thank goodness the steep descent wasn't lengthy either, as approximately 175 yards was a pure boulder pile.The west branch of Pleasant River required a fording. So off came the shoes and socks once again, into plastic protection went the camera and across we went. This one, albeit very cold, was simple. The bottom was more level, not as slippery, and was easily navigated. It took longer to take off and put on our footwear than it did to cross. We crossed with four or five dayhikers which brings up a puzzlement. If this is a 100-mile wilderness, how do all these "day" hikers get here?! And why are we hearing construction traffic and train whistles?!I'm glad today is over. The 5.2 mile side trail put me in a foul mood. When tomorrow is ended I'll be even more delighted. In camp and in the shelter with Ursa tonight are Swix, Squatter, and Two Dogs. I'm tenting for privacy and opportunity to journal.My nose is cold; my fingers are colder. My appetite is raging once again and we're carrying minimal food because of the distance between resupply points in this 100-mile stretch. Ah well ~ the end is near. Yippee!
Date: 2004-10-03
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: White House Landing Wilderness Camp
Miles today: 13.8

Happy Birthday Ursa Minor's Mom! For the first time in 26 weeks I slept through the entire night in my tent! Finally!! The usual awakening, tossing and turning, causing me to look at my watch only to discover it only 2 or 3 a.m., didn't happen until 5:15. I forced myself to lie quietly for another hour, then happily, feeling totally refreshed, began my 27th week on the Appalachian Trail.Were today's terrain indicative of the entire 2174.1 miles, the AT would be as crowded as a freeway. How delightfully flat and wide it was. By looking at the profile map we knew that in advance. So we determined the day was meant for a slower pace and pure enjoyment. Eight miles in we paused on the shore of one of the many serene lakes for a casual lunch. Seven+ miles further we were on a blue-blazed trail headed for this lovely lakeside camp. Bill and Linda served up homemade zucchini bread, veggie pizza for me, and a full-pound burger plate for the non-vegetarians. A bowlful of just-picked cherry tomatoes was ours for the taking. I nearly made a meal out of them -- yums! I greatly missed my garden produce this summer.I'm amazed at the crowd of hikers which has come together these final days. For a while I thought Ursa and I might be summitting alone Thursday. But here tonight filling up the bunkhouse are White Patch, Mousebait, Keytone, Arms, Skywalker, Chuggs, One Thing, Kip, Gather, Chef TB, Walking Stomach and Sherfoot. It appears we'll have plenty of company with whom to celebrate journey's end. The more the merrier. Blue, Gray Panter, Statler & Waldorf are one day ahead. Rooney Tunes summits tomorrow, his 21st birthday. We were graced with the most incredible viewing of Katahdin today. At first neither of us could believe it was actually Katahdin -- it appeared to be closer than 50 miles. Then we realized it's the only peak above treeline in the viewing area so it HAD to be our final challenge ~ duh!Tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp we'll scarf down an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Thankfully the first part of the day remains flat so we can walk it off before a climb. Fifteen miles tomorrow, 15 miles Tuesday, 10 miles Wednesday; Thursday it's a brutal 5.2 miles up Katahdin and then back down.Tonight I'm hoping my missing journal pages have been found and delivered to my transcriber. I was dismayed to learn my pictures taken with this camera are less sharp and vivid than those taken with my first camera. All it took was a two-second setting change to improve the quality (I hope). There are alot of pictures, including the White Mountains, that were taken on the lower quality setting. I hope they aren't too noticeably poor. It's disappointing if so. My food box from home (the last one) didn't arrive here on time. I've garnished some meals from the hiker box for the next three nights. My energy and protein bars were here though so we're set to go. One final stretch and then we meet our last mountain straight on. Yowsers!
Date: 2004-10-04
From: White House Landing Wilderness Camp

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Happy 21st Birthday and Summit Rooney Tunes! Looks like you have a Class I Climbing Day . We love and miss you! Breakfast was great but we got a very late start: 9:30. The boat ride to the trailhead ended up being a boat ride to the dock right across the lake, necessitating a reiterated 1.2-mile hike to the trail. This time of year, every year, the powers-that-be lower the water level of the lake using the water for generating energy. It puts the crunch and extra difficulty on the proprietors of White House Landing. Bottom line: today's mileage actually totalled 17 miles.We truly are blessed to have made the acquaintance of Sherfoot and Walking Stomach. They, we, and One Thing are in the over-40 group and expect to summit together. Their company on the trail today made the miles fly by much more quickly. Nesuntabunt Mountain was our only little bump at 1520'. The trail was lovely but we were all business, trying to make camp before sunset. That we did, but cooking and eating transpired in the dark. The shelter is full: Blues Brothers and Ranger Jan are in residence. Tenting are White Patch, Mousebait, Keytone, One Thing, Gather, and us. Sherfoot and Walking Stomach stopped a couple hours back; we're hoping we reunite tomorrow.It is cold tonight but we're counting down the number of nights remaining on the trail. We'll tolerate anything right now to meet our goal on Thursday.
Date: 2004-10-05
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Katahdin Inn - Millinocket, ME (Abol Bridge)
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Boy are we ever glad we met Sherfoot, Walking Stomach, and Little Tree. They had a car waiting at Abol Bridge. Weather report has the temperature dropping to mid-20's tonight so when Stomach suggested a town night, it took a nanosecond to say "Yes, please!". So here we sit: clean clothes, warm shower, hot supper, and soft bed, instead of air mattress, tent, smelly clothing, and cold cold air. It doesn't take much to make us happy nowadays!Today's terrain was rough. The elevation changes were minimal but the trail was a solid mass of roots and rocks. My ankles took a beating, twisting and turning with nearly every step. To maintain any kind of rhythm, stride, or momentum was impossible.The store at Abol Bridge was a grand place to wait for Sherfoot and Walking Stomach. Within arm's length was food, hot drink, telephone -- and we were warm! It was a very chilly hiking day; we kept moving to stay warm. Stopping at the final shelter I took time to read some of the register entries. I managed to get through five or six and then had to stop. The usual witty quips and greetings had changed to reflective emotional poetry, filled with love and gratitude to all who were a part of each person's journey. I left my own three-liner of minimal wisdom and sent my love to everyone still coming through. My fingers were too cold, my brain too muddled to write much. White Patch came limping in while we were paused there. He took a nasty spill and messed up his knee bigtime. Ursa and I did our Melaleuca nursing and hope it does its usual miraculous healing.We crossed Abol Bridge and took the requisite postcard picture of the Greatest Mountain. Ten miles to go and then we'll be summitting and sitting atop that majestic pile of rocks. Someone gave us some high-powered binoculars for a close-up view. Yep - it's a huge mass of boulders. But we've come, now we've seen, and we will conquer. Actually, conquer is a lousy word. I'd rather think in terms of becoming one with the power and grand stature of Katahdin.Fifteen point one miles away ........
Date: 2004-10-06
From: Katahdin Inn - Millinocket (Abol Bridge)

To: The Birches Campsite
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

Fear of the unknown, anticipation of the ecstasy of meeting my goal, doubt about my capability to tackle this final climb, sadness at saying goodbye to those who summitted today, questions about why I came out here, why I stayed, what I've accomplished, what I've learned.At the moment, mostly fear about the climb. It is going to be very slow-going and very intimidating. I will stay with Ursa Minor every step of the way to assure her safe ascent and descent over the boulders and hand-over-hand rebars. At the same time, I pray I can maintain my personal equilibrium and get myself up and down with relative ease. One more day, 10.4 miles, and it's over. I'm taking up a full box of tissues!Everyone coming off the mountain today was pure pie-eyed, exclaiming it to be "just awesome, like nothing else we've experienced on the trail". My turn is less than 24 hours away. I expect to have a sleepless night ... but that's nothing new for me out here. An early start will be reassuring in case the average three to four-hour climb is a five-hour journey for us.Weather report for tomorrow: 65-70 degrees, partly cloudy -- sounds perfect . Today started as a Class I climbing day but when our friends reached the Tableland, it deteriorated into a Class III, complete with snow flurries. We'll see what God has in store for us. Please be kind as You have been for six months. Amen.
Date: 2004-10-07
From: The Birches Campsite

To: Baxter Peak, Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

SHE DID IT!!!   MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!   DREAM FULFILLED!Jan reached the summit of Katahdin at approximately noon EDT today.After spending about an hour and a half at the top, celebrating the completion of a six-month journey along with a dozen or so fellow hikers, she safely has descended.She says that each of you now may pop the cork on your champagne, but please save one bottle to share with her the next time you see her.
Date: 2004-10-08
To: Home of Nuke and Darlene, Coopers Mills, ME
Miles today: 0.0

As I wait for our ride to Coopers Mills, ME, everything is in overload mode: visual, audio, billboards, traffic, blacktop, people, restaurants. We've been in many town scenarios these past six months but never have I felt so overwhelmed and saddened as I am at this moment. The difference? I can't escape now. I'm here to stay. There are some beautifully fall-christened trees a short distance down the road calling out to me. I can't respond. My soul is answering but my feet can't move. Run Swan Run! Before you are sucked back into the realities of life, go while you can. You still have lessons to learn, issues to sort. If I were to continue for another month, would I find the illusive calmness and peace, wisdom and clarity for which I've been searching?I walked in fear a great deal, mostly a fear of injury which would force me off the trail, compromise my intended goal, and disappoint an entire community of well-wishers and supporters. That fear is now dissipated. Will I simply find another to take up residence in my consciousness? If so, do I possess the tools to dispel and quiet the anxieties? Have I increased the degree of my Patience? Tolerance? Endurance? Have I strengthened my Perseverance? Determination? Have I learned to love more deeply and to receive love more graciously? What did I bring to the trail and with what am I leaving? Have I gifted my trail brothers and sisters with anything of value in these six months? Have I grown spiritually and emotionally or was this nothing more than an exercise for the physical body? The answers to some of these queries are obvious; others are subtle, clouded, muddied and inbedded in confusing emotions. Perhaps after my re-entry those of you who knew me well will be able to enlighten me with some insightful observations.
Date: 2005-01-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

An open letter to say THANK YOU and GOD BLESS!No one walks the AT alone. And it is with that recognition I add one final entry into this journal. In reviewing my notes of six months I have tallied nearly 500 individuals who I had the pleasure of meeting during my hike. What I find so amazing is that I can put a face, a smile, a voice, and a locale with almost all of you beautiful souls. Of the 500 people I met, about 200 were Trail Angels. I was blessed by your generosity and friendship. I delighted in all gifts, from a cooler stashed along the trail filled with Snickers, sodas, fruit, to the note posted on a tree welcoming me to a night¢s comfort in a private home, to the patience of a postal clerk handling my numerous parcels. I received food, water, soft beds, showers, transportation, prayers, smiles, and marvelous companionship. As much as I liked to think of myself as an independent sojourner, I was very reliant on the many kindnesses extended to me by total strangers. How I would like to list and personally acknowledge each and every one of you in this entry. However, it would be a formidable task. As thoroughly as I could, I named you in my journal. Some have names which I never knew, many for which I have no addresses making it impossible to send a thank you. And now another thru-hiking season is about to begin. May each and every hiker be respectable, honorable, and verbally grateful for all which you so freely give. My AT adventure was enhanced by the love and care of my fellow hikers. Many of you I will never see again, but you will never be forgotten. If we as much as momentarily passed on the trail only one time, I remember you. Each encounter is forever imprinted into my memory. I pray you remember Swan with the same fondness I feel when I think of you. Again, I won't even attempt to begin a list for fear of leaving someone out. However, I cannot neglect expressing my gratitude to my dearest trail sister, Ursa Minor. Thank you my friend, for so many gifts, all too cherished and valuable to be expressed in words. You have my admiration and my love. So .. whadya' think? The PCT in 2007??! And last but certainly not least. To my Rochester community, my extensive cadre of musical peers, my many church families, my incredible friends, all of you who signed my guest book and sent e-mails, and my loving family .... your countless expressions of support and concern, your prayers, best wishes, and congratulations are overwhelming. I reiterate what I wrote in one of my pre-hike entries: " 'Faith, hope, love, but the greatest of these is love' .. such familiar words and today they hit home. There is nothing more soothing and wonderful than to be loved. I didn't realize I was! But the outpouring from everyone to me is love manifested; I am so blessed." Thank you all for your love. And, as I signed so many of my entries in the shelter registers, I now leave for all of you my wish of four gifts to be yours today and all of your tomorrows:"Blessings and Joy, Peace and Love" No one walks the AT alone. Thank you and farewell. I love you all.
Date: 2004-06-04
To: Hotel 
Miles today: 0.0

Trevor (AKA Tape Worm) is walking to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association. The picture on the left is of The Huggable Hains - raising donations to fight this disease.The following journal entries are being entered by Trevor's Mom...Hopefully he will work on his hand writing in the next journal entries he sends! :-)This is it! It's finally here! And let me tell you I have never been so nervous before in my life. It's hard to believe I left Lincoln four days ago. Just getting here was a trip in itself.I left Lincoln, NE at 11:30 on Monday, May 31st thinking I would get off the Greyhound and start hiking...I was wrong!By the way- As I am writing this after I begin the trail and there are thousands of these little bugs everywhere. If you're walking you are okay. If you stop they pinch, usually about 500-1,000 of them swarming around every part of flesh on your body. Even when my face is covered they go for my eyes, nose and mouth so you have to be careful and don't forget to never stop!So okay, back to when I started, sorry about the tangent. So I leave Lincoln by Greyhound. This is definitely a trip that no one should ever be asked to experience...I'll just leave it at LOTS of interesting people. One that sticks in my mind the most is the man who just got out of prison. All he wanted was a pork chop or a case of beer and he would be happy...I pointed out that now he can have both!After many bus changes and taxi's I get dropped off in a tiny town called Medway, at a truck stop a mile away from my hotel. "Aren't you going to ask for a ride into town?" asked a super smart high schooler.I thought to myself wasn't now the time to start? I walked into town not knowing where I was going or how to get to Mt. Katahdin. I passed up one hotel-the road curved for a long time, FINALLY Katahdin Shadows Motel! "you should have called. I would have picked you up" said the owner.The room was discounted since I was a hiker ($42) and I bought a calling card and made a few calls because my nerves were on end. This was it... I was going to wonder into the woods alone!
Date: 2004-06-05
From: Hotel 

To: Mt Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The taxi driver picked me up at the Appalachian Trail Cafe and took me to Katahdin Stream Campground. On the way he told me stories of hikers past. He told me about all the wildlife in Maine that I could run into.Moose, Salmon, Trout, Black Bear, Loons, Bobcats, Cougars...and the list went on. My brain stopped at Bobcats and Cougars. "REALLY, Bobcats and Cougars?" He promised me I wouldn't see them unless I was walking really early in the morning. He also said Maine in known to have moose that weigh 2,000 lbs...For all of you out there that aren't good at math, that's 1 ton. 1 ton of pain if you make him mad! Can you imagine seeing a 1 Ton Moose popping out of nowhere?Entrance to Baxter State Park was $18 for a walk up camp site (25) at Katahdin stream campground. Pricey, but worth it. Katahdin is a beautiful site. It stands so tall in such majesty. It has its own climate and weather separate that of the park below. At my site a stream rolls by my tent within 20 ft and I get fresh water with no trouble at all. There are rakes at every site so you can make the perfect spot for your tent. Your neighbors are blocked from dense forest land.At the ranger station I met a guy from Jersey who is fishing. He had walked part of the A.T. and gave me a couple of pointers. Supposedly Jersey has a lot of bears and Pennsylvania is where the crime happens. (Mothers note-CRIME??)The Ranger asks me to sign in for my Katahdin ascent and gave me a day pack for the trip. I left my 43 lb pack on the ranger porch. The average hiker supposedly scales Katahdin in 8 hours- I did it up and down in 5 1/2 hours. The first mile and a half already had me scared. If you could have seen the pile of bear scat I had to step over you would be scared too! After you climb 3 miles, you then have to climb 1 1/2 miles nearly straight up. Traversing boulders, and looking for your next hold. I now see the use for the day pack. The wind started to come up quickly and as I neared the tablelands it started to blow in.A winter storm brought sleet my way as the grey clouds flew by my face. You could see sun shining on the park below. A loon with a wingspan of over 10 ft dropped beside me. My trip has begun!!!I bolted down from the top and scaled the walls in no time flat. My mind and body altered in a sense of excitement. I was going to beat this trail.I set up camp and chatted with the neighbors and planned my next day. I was going to shoot for 13 miles, to the Hurd Brook Lean To. I retired early.