morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-21
From: High Point State Park Information Center

To: NJ Route 94, Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 20.6

Well, it looks like I'll be off the trail again for awhile as another injury surfaced. I am bummed!!!!  I have developed a bulbous inflammation in the area of the arch on my right foot. This came from out of the blue, as normally my plantar fasciitis manifests itself with an inflammation of the tendons in the heels of my feet. Although I felt a mild discomfort in my arch yesterday when I went for a walk at my sister¢s, it didn't seem like a big deal. However today when I was about two miles into my hike, carrying my normal full pack, the pain became much worse. Every step I took with my right foot was very painful. No fun.  I was carrying some strong prescription pain killers with me and tried taking those, but they had no impact - the pain in my foot persisted.  I don't know if there's a problem with my new orthotics or what, but rather than risk a permanent debilitating injury I'm going to get off the trail again and have my feet checked out by my podiatrist. This is a most unexpected setback, but it is what it is. It seems like I'm snakebit lately, with one injury/illness after  another.  Other than the problem with my foot, everything else was working great for me - both from a health and a fitness standpoint. I felt like my trail legs were back, and I was ready to pound out some serious miles. To say I¢m disappointed is an understatement, but I just can¢t hike with my foot the way it is. I was fortunate in that my son Eric and family live in nearby Westwood, NJ, so I called him and he came and picked me up in Vernon. I want to thank all of you that have been following along on trailjournals, and appreciate all of your supportive comments and words of encouragement. I haven¢t given up hope yet for a successful thru hike, there¢s still time. Regardless of what happens next, I¢ve had a marvelous adventure so far on the AT. I¢ve met some great people, have seen a part of this beautiful country of ours that I haven¢t seen before, and have memories to last a lifetime!  I am most grateful for the opportunity I¢ve had so far to hike the AT. I am safe, warm and dry at my son¢s house. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-05-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

As you may know from my prior trailjournal entry I got knocked off the trail recently, due to some pretty bad pain in my right foot. I am currently in Brooklyn visiting with my daughter. She has a friend that's an orthopedic surgeon here in Brooklyn who was kind enough to see me. They took X-rays of my foot, did an examination, etc. I have a non-displaced stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal. Ultimately I expect to be fitted with a boot when I see my own podiatrist back in Rochester next week to help support the foot during the healing process, which will take several weeks. During this time I can walk, but no hiking, jogging, etc. Well, at least I know what it is - it could be worse. Other than the issue with my foot I feel pretty darn good.Between my foot, my scheduled hernia surgery later in June, and my commitments for the summer, I expect that the earliest I¢ll be back on the trail is early September. In the meantime I will be thinking of all the other AT thru hikers out on the trail, and want to offer you all my very best wishes for a successful hike!
Date: 2018-08-30
From: Katahdin 2190.9

To: Katahdin Stream Campground 2185.7
Miles today: 5.2

I didn¢t sleep much last nite at the AT Lodge. My bunk was comfortable enough, it¢s just that I was filled anticipation of being on the trail again. I¢m sure I¢ll make up for it tonite, I expect to sleep very soundly. After a hearty breakfast at the AT Diner, four of us southbound flipfloppers (Caveman, Truck, Drizzy and Opa) got shuttled and dropped off at Katahdin Stream Campground around 0730. We checked in at the ranger station, and were very fortunate to get a campsite here at KSC that 3 of us are sharing tonite. My pack weighed in at 37lbs, whoa nellie, that¢s the heaviest it has been. About half the weight is water and food (I¢ve get enough to get me to Monson).Once I started hiking, I was both elated and thankful to once again be back on the trail. Thank you Kayanne for your never ending support of my endeavor - without you, I couldn¢t be out here. My one and only previous climb up Katahdin was in 2010, when my buddy Art and I went up/down via the Hunt Trail (the AT). I debated about going up via a different route today (e.g. the Abol Trail), but ultimately decided to stick with the trail I knew from my previous climb. I know my friend and former AT thru hiker Rev. Yukon Jack will be disappointed that I didn¢t broaden my horizons by trying a different trail, but hey, at least I¢m hiking! The weather today was great, dry and not too warm, but unfortunately the summit was in the clouds when I got there so no views. There was some clearing on my way down (naturally, shortly after I left the summit), so I did enjoy some great views of the Maine wilderness. Lots of people on the trail today, taking advantage of the weather. I expected I¢d have a tough go of it today as I¢m not in as good a shape as I¢d like to be - and I did struggle a bit. I hiked 10.4 miles today, but of course only 5.2 of those miles actually counted towards my trip mileage. It took me 4.25 hrs to go up, and 4 hrs coming down. The trail had a couple more rocks on it than from when I hiked it before, rock nos. 4,567,883 and 4,567,884, HaHa. By the way, on Katahdin a rock has to be at least 12¢ or larger to be considered a ¢rock¢, anything smaller is a pebble. Now that I¢m back at the campsite just lounging around after dinner, the soreness is starting to set in. I think tonite I¢ll pop a couple Tylenol PMs.I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-08-31
From: Katahdin Stream Campground 2185.7

To: Tentsite 2167.9
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up a little before 04:00, and decided to pack up and get hiking. I was on the trail at 4:35. An early morning for sure. Caveman and Truck were not stirring, so I assume they elected to sleep in a bit. Go figure! I was able to turn off my headlamp at 05:30. I really enjoy being on the trail early in the morning - the forest has its own surreal qualities, and there¢s a stillness in the air that in many respects is very calming. Of course being the first one down the trail brings with it the job of clearing out the spiderwebs!Today was just a bluebird day for hiking. Clear blue skies, comfortable temps, and only a slight breeze. Hey Mother Nature, maybe you¢re going to make up for all those cold/snowy days you threw at us down south in March and early April. Another 50 or so days like today would be perfect!Trail conditions today were pretty tame, with the stretch from KSC to Abol Bridge being fairly flat. According to Guthook today¢s climbing elevation was a modest 1,800¢, but let me tell you the trail kicked my butt -I was really dragging by the end of the day. Still recovering from yesterday I guess. My legs felt like wooden appendages when I dragged into camp - and it¢s not like I was moving along at any kind of a pace. Took me 10:20 to hike today¢s 17.8 miles. I know it¢s only been two days since I¢ve resumed my hike so I shouldn¢t expect a lot, but I sure hope I get my trail legs back by the time I hit the southern Maine mountains. The heavy pack with all that food I¢m lugging around doesn¢t help. I suppose I could eat half my food tonite to lighten the load, HaHa, but I¢d really regret that about 4 days from now.I stopped at the little camp store at Abol Bridge, was hoping to get some kind of breakfast sandwich, but they didn¢t have much. There was a nice view back to Katahdin from Rainbow Ledges, folks hiking Katahdin today will enjoy fantastic views. Lots if blueberries to enjoy up on the Ledges as well. I crossed paths with maybe around 20 NOBOs. In passing we generally just exchange pleasantries (hi, how¢s it going....have a great day), but I can tell that they are NOBOs nearing completion of their AT thru hike: they look lean & mean, are generally grungy looking, and have a determined look on their face. Congrats to all of you! Once in awhile a more lengthy conversation is engaged, today I chatted for several minutes with a NOBO couple here from England!I am camped tonite at a tentsite along the shore of Rainbow Lake. So far I am the only one here, it is a very picturesque setting. Just sitting on a rock looking out on the lake as I type this journal entry. Best part is no mosquitos! Looking forward to a nice leisurely evening/dinner, before hitting the sack. We¢ll do it again tomorrow. I expect to be safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite. PS: Cell service so far in Maine has been very sparse at best. No service at all here at the campsite, will try to post tomorrow if I get service somewhere along the trail.
Date: 2018-09-02
From: Nahmakanta Lake 2150.1

To: Cooper Brook Falls LT 2131.2
Miles today: 18.9

Had a very pleasant nite last nite camped along the lake, but in the AM my fly was completely soaked both inside and outside. It did its job though, as my tent/gear were all dry. The trail here in Maine is really beautiful as it meanders through the woods and along small ponds and lakes. Overall the trail is very well maintained (thank you trail crews!), and today in particular it has been easy walking. It¢s a good thing because for the first half of the day my legs just did not want to cooperate - but for some reason they felt rejuvenated in the afternoon. Go figure! Honestly the only reason I managed 18.9 miles today is because there was minimal climbing. Haven¢t seen a whole lot of wildlife so far, just chipmunks, red squirrels (they are much smaller than the grey squirrels we have back home), mice and toads. And of course various birds and the sound of woodpeckers. However I have seen bear scat and moose droppings on the trail, so you know they are out here. It was a warm day today, which brought the mosquitos out. Had to use some DEET, which proved effective. I benefitted from some trail magic today at Jo Mary road, it was great. Arrived there at around 14:30. Baguette, a very pleasant grad student from U Maine, had chips, pastries and cold drinks available, along with some lawn chairs to take the load off. Baguette thru hiked the AT last year with her Mom, she was now giving back. What a treat, I was so grateful. There were a couple of other thru hikers there, one of whom told me he never hangs a bear bag and always sleeps with his food in his tent because he says bears can¢t smell your food. Well I thought, I¢ve never heard that one before! Think I¢ll continue to hang a bear bag every nite. I lingered for about 40 minutes, during which time maybe 4-5 cars/pickups drove by on Jo Mary road - further dispelling the ¢remoteness¢ mystique of the 100 Mile Wilderness. For tomorrow I¢m planning a shorter day, in preparation for Tuesday¢s first significant uphill since Katahdin: peaks White Cap, Hay, West and Gulf Hagas. I¢m happy to report that so far at least my feet are holding up. I am trying to hike a little ¢smarter¢ than I did on my first leg, by stepping carefully so that I avoid stepping directly on sharp/pointy rocks/roots as much as possible - especially with my right foot. It¢s not always possible, but I¢m trying to avoid a stress fracture reinjury. I¢m in my tent here at the lean-to, my tentsite is right next to Cooper Brook. The gurgling sound of the brook is very soothing. Also here is northbound flip-flop-flipper Peekachou (sp.), we talked for awhile about our hikes. It¢s always interesting to hear about the experiences of others. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-03
From: Cooper Brook Falls LT 2131.2

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite2114.1
Miles today: 17.1

Every day that I am on the trail is a blessing - a day to be thankful for. One thing the trail has taught me is that each day is precious, a gift from God really, and a day is not to be taken for granted. I am also grateful for my dear wife and the love we share, my wonderful family, and my friends. I am blessed in so many ways!I originally intended for today to be an easy low mileage day, but one thing led to another and by day¢s end I¢d gone 17.1 miles and climbed 4,600¢ over four mountains: Little Boardman, White Cap, Hay and West. I¢m whupped tonite though, won¢t have any trouble sleeping. On the summit of Little Boardman I crossed paths with NOBO Zipper, who asked me to pass along a message to Biz. Sure I said, no problem, expecting to see Biz shortly. Well I hiked along crossing paths with maybe a dozen hikers, asking each one ¢Are you Biz?¢ I felt a little foolish after awhile, but about 1.5 hrs. later I finally crossed paths with Biz and was able to deliver the message. Being an old guy my short term memory is not what it once was, I hope I didn¢t goof anything up in the message!Unsolicited by me I today received commentary from two different NOBOs on the condition of the trail back to Monson. One said the trail was easy walking for the most part; the other said the trail was rough- lots of roots/rocks. I¢ll reserve final judgement till I get to Monson, but based on what I encountered on today¢s hike I¢m inclined to agree with the later opinion. A fair amount of blowdown on the trail today as well, that the trail crews just haven¢t had a chance to get to yet. My carrier is Verizon which is considered the best on the AT in terms of coverage, but the only place I¢ve had any kind of signal in the last 3 days was today on the summit of White Cap - and even then it was intermittent. I quickly called Kayanne, checked text messages, and uploaded my trail journals of the past two days. No service tonite at my campsite, so this journal entry will hopefully get uploaded tomorrow. It was generally overcast most of today, but no rain. At one point I felt some drops and quickly covered my pack and threw on my rain jacket, but no sooner had I done that and the rain stopped. I can¢t believe how great the weather has been these past five days, lovin¢ it! I am really pounding down the water though, as it has been warm/humid and I¢m sweating like a pig on the uphills. Water sources have been frequent and plentiful though, so no issues there. Laying in my tent with the fly pulled back I can feel the temperatures starting to drop a bit, which will make for a comfortable nite. The nites have been so warm of late, that I¢ve hardly had to use my sleeping bag - just the liner is all.I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-05
From: Campsite at West Chairback Pond 2100.7

To: Wilson Valley LT 2086.8
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

A couple entries ago I mentioned how I received some unsolicited feedback from two hikers concerning trail conditions, one of whom said the trail back to Monson was relatively easy. Well let me tell you, I couldn¢t disagree more. The 100 Mile Wilderness may not live up to its hype in terms of remoteness, but it has been one rugged trail. Lots of rocks, roots, and steep ups/downs with some scrambling involved. One thing for sure though, the Wilderness is certainly a beautiful part of the country. When viewed from the top of a peak/ridge, one can only marvel at the seemingly endless miles of untamed forest within which are nestled ponds and lakes. Beautiful!Physically I felt pretty good today, but it¢s just not possible for me at least to pound out big miles. The trail is such that you often need to watch each and every foot placement, or run the risk of a nasty fall. As a matter of fact last nite at my campsite there was a hiker there getting shuttled off the trail because he took a fall and injured his knee. I¢m surprised there¢s not more of those kinds of accidents, or worse. Better to just be slow and steady. Peaks climbed today included Third, Fourth and Barren. I had lunch on Barren Ledges, where I had great views. Another beautiful day, but warm and humid. I¢ve got a little over 10 miles left into Monson tomorrow, which is manageable and should enable me to get there at a decent hour. Can¢t wait to take a shower, I think that I¢m the dirtiest/smelliest that I¢ve ever been in my life. I¢ve now been back on the trail a full week on this second leg of my thru hike, and have hiked 105 miles (plus 5.2). Considering in how bad a shape I was in when starting this leg, I¢m happy with that. I did take a side trail today of about .6 miles R/T at Cloud Pond to grab some water, as I was concerned that some of the smaller streams might be dried up. My fears were misplaced, as water continues to be in good supply. Better safe than sorry. Tonite here at the campsite are 3 folks from Australia, Stu, Mark and Bell. They all work for Virgin Airlines, Stu and Mark being pilots that fly 737s. They are section hiking the 100 MW, today being their first day on the trail. They are experienced hikers, having done a lot of hiking in their part of the world. They are nice folks, I really enjoyed chatting with them. No sleeping bag needed again tonite, at least to start out, it¢s so warm. At most I¢ll toss the sleeping bag over the top of me like a blanket if I get chilled during the nite. I am safe, warm and dry in the tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-06
From: Wilson Valley LT 2086.8

To: ME 15, Monson 2076.4
Miles today: 10.4

On the trail this AM at 0600. I can definitely tell that the days are getting shorter, each day the headlamps are needed for a few minutes later than the prior day. Had a thundershower this AM for about an hour, but at least it waited till after I had broken camp. The rain actually helped cool things down a bit, and I think it knocked down the humidity. It was so muggy last nite and when I first got on the trail, cooler temps and less humid conditions were a relief. I didn¢t pound out many miles today, and I am still struggling with my conditioning. I continue to be very slow on the uphills, but I keep telling myself that it¢s OK not to be pounding out 20 mile days. If it takes me a week or two longer to finish this thing, there¢s no harm done. The main thing is to keep plugging along. There were no peaks climbed today, but still there were enough ups/downs that according to Guthook the climbing elevation was still a respectable 2200¢. Today¢s hike did include a ford of Big Wilson Stream. Water was just over my knees, with a swift current, and the rocks were very slippery. There was a rope strung across the stream which between that and my poles I was able to keep my balance. Rather than risk going across in my crocs, I tried something new and went across in my hiking boots. I of course took off my socks first and pulled my orthotics, and the boots helped with the footing. Since the boots are non-GTX, they dry out fairly quickly. I no longer have a need for my crocs, as I couldn¢t wear them around camp anyway because of the need to always have the orthotics in place. In Monson today I went to the local post office and mailed them home along with a couple other items of unnecessary gear - all in the interest of keeping my base pack weight as low as possible. I arrived at the ME 15 trailhead around 13:15, and got shuttled to Shaw¢s Hiker Hostel in Monson. This is a really great hostel, owned/operated by a husband/wife (Poet and Kim) that are former thru hikers. Got laundry done, took a shower (it felt so good), picked up my maildrop, did my resupply shopping, and had dinner at the local barbecue place. I shaved using one of those cheap $1 disposable razors, man that was brutal. Ouch! I wasn¢t able to get all my whiskers off, but it¢ll have to be good enough. I also weighed myself, and according to the scale at Shaw¢s I¢ve lost 10 lbs. There¢s no way that is correct. No doubt I¢ve lost a few pounds, but not 10. Am just relaxing tonite, tomorrow I get breakfast here: eggs, bacon, home fries and blueberry pancakes, can¢t wait!Many thanks to those of you that are following along on trailjournals, your guest book entries and supporting comments mean a lot!I am safe, warm and dry in the hostel tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-07
From: ME 15, Monson 2076.4

To: Bald Mt. Pond LT 2058.5
Miles today: 17.9

The trail continues to kick my butt on the uphills. Today should have been an easy day for me, being that there were no major climbs and good trail conditions. Nevertheless I struggled today on any uphills that had any kind of a grade. My legs just feel heavy, I can go maybe 200 paces and then I have to stop and rest. I can¢t understand it, and find it frustrating. Are there side effects to the prescription I¢m on? Have I not given myself enough time to get my trail legs under me? Is it something else? These questions go thru my head as I plod along. I keep telling myself that I¢ve got to find a way to get myself through the rest of Maine and the Whites - even if it means doing low mileage days, which I¢m ok with. Once through the Whites things should hopefully get easier. Yesterday¢s stay at Shaw¢s was great, I highly recommend it. Breakfast this AM really hit the spot: juice, eggs, bacon, homefries and blueberry pancakes! Poet does a nice job, and he has an amazing ability to remember everyone by name. There must have been 25 people there yesterday, and he knew them all by name. After breakfast Poet shuttled 8 of us to the trailhead, and I was hiking by 8:30. I was the only southbounder, everyone else was headed north. I think there were 3 or 4 river crossings today, all of which would have been fords in a normal year. As it has been so dry of late, only one crossing was a ford; the others were a rock hop. I also met another Ridge Runner today, he is actually camped here tonite at the LT. There are probably about 8 or 9 hikers here at the LT tonite, but everyone is in tents/hammocks; the LT itself is empty. This is a great campsite, right on the shores of Bald Mt. Pond. Beautiful, with the sound of loons off in the distance. I have noticed that in the past couple days the makeup of the forest has shifted from predominantly evergreens to a mix of evergreens and deciduous trees. I would expect I¢ll start to see the leaves turning color before too long. It was cooler today, perfect weather for hiking. Tomorrow starts off with a sizable climb up Moxie Bald Mt., being first thing in the AM hopefully my legs will be fresh and up to the task. We¢ll see how she goes! I¢m not sure how far I¢m going to hike tomorrow or where I¢m going to camp, as the options showing up on Guthook appear limited. I¢ve also got to factor in the schedule of the ferry across the Kennebec River, which runs 9-2 daily this time of year. The Kennebec is 19 miles away, so I¢m realistically looking at Sunday to cross. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.