morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-18
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2..... He hiked away from me, but that's what I expected. I would have hiked faster if I could. The first 50 yards were brutal. Full on head windm, with not cover. That is probibly the hardest hiking I have ever done. After that it died down. I still had to fight the wind, but at least I could stand upright. Probibly only around 40-60 mph. The hike down went really fast. I wanted to get to the Lake of the Clouds hut. Before the hut there is a small lake. Man a swim would feel great. A warm swim. So I moved on. I did see a sign that said world's most dangerous weather ahead, pointing for the norhbounders of course. So being the die hard guy I am, I stopped and took pics. That was cold. A few mintues later I finally rolled into the hut. I couln't see it until I was right there. Man I was happy to be there. Barbarasoa yelled and me from across the way and told me they were cool. I talked with the peole working here and scored a work for stay. All the work I did tonight was wipe the tables after everyone was done eating. I think the hardest part of work for stays is watching everyone else eat and waiting your turn. You wait until after everything is cleaned up and put away. Dinner was spectacular tonight. Ham, rice, and choclate chip bars. There were about 6 of us doing the work for stay. For once there was more food than we could eat. That's saying something right there. Afterward the hut crew brought out the left over part of a cake covered in hard candy choclate we could finish up. The crew here was really cool. A group of us sat in the kicthen until 9:30pm at lights out talking and eating with the hut crew. There was a guy there that thru hiked a couple years ago. He is caretaker at different tentsites. It was his off day and he was up visiting my love interest. All in all a great hut experience. side bar: I think now I have a really warped view of hiking conditions. Maine is now the bar that I measure everything by in terms of terrian. Nothing the Whites have gave me so far has topped it. It seems like once you get on the ridge, you pretty well stay up there. Today is the bar I now set for weather conditions. I'm not sure I want to top it. We'll see what winter in the south throws at me.
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Niezpah Spring Hut

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2.... I was talking with them and said that if I was part of the croo than I wanted to be in the morning skit. They do a skit every morning where they basically say fold your blanket, pack out your trash, and tip them. Some of them are pretty funny. They said I could. I think it is going to be pretty funny. I had a good talk with a northbounder here from NC by the name of Tootals. She hiked part of the south, jumped ahead to finish this section, and is going to hike south from where she jumped ahead after Katadin. I leap frog flip-flip hike I guess. I got a really good complient from her when we were talking about experiences and things to see. She said and I think I agree it was b/c we have the same mentallity and goals when it comes to hiking. She was out to enjoy herself and see everything she could. That and she loved swimming in everything she could. Someone after my own heart. The coolest part was she gave me her phone number and email. She lives about 45 minutes from the trail in Not Springs, NC. She said if she was done she would drive out and help me resupply, and throw a little trail magic my way. All good things to have. She commented on how cold it was getting she was only using a 45 degree bag. I let her use my top quilt for the night on top of her sleeping bag. I mainly use my thicker underquilt at night. Funny Hammocking story. Tootals started out with a Speer hammock and switch over to her tent. She needs to sleep with her legs straight. Don't worry I told her abput the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock I am going to test out that would fix that. Anyways. She was setup in a Campground in the South somewhere. She knew bears her in the area. She put her food in the truck of the person at the next campsite to keep it safe. That evening when she was in her hammock she felt something big brush up against the hammock. The woman at the next site yelled bear. She had a bear brush up against her hammock while she was in it. That is crazy and awesome all at the same time. She said she didn't sleep to well after that for the night. That has to be one of the better hammock and animal stories I have heard.
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2....On the front of this hut there is a big porch. I decided that when I got there as long as the weather was nice and the sky was clear that I was going to sleep out there. No way it could be a worse night sleep than all the snoring last night. When I went to bd it was clear so I am giving it a try. The plan is to use my 2.5L loft quilt underneath my 3.5" loft one. I am also wearing my long underwear, short sleeve shirt, poly long sleeve, smartwool long sleeve, 100 wt fleece, hat, socks, and mittens. We'll see how it goes. Oh I almost forgot. I was talking with the people staying at the huts and they said a mother and son thru hiking together gave the AT talk at the last hut. It was Blissful and Paul Bunyon from WB. I have been wanting to run into them. I sewn and gave her something to use on my hike and was wondering how it was working out. I have never met her or saw a photo. After talking and asking question about them to the people who stayed there, I figured out I did pass them just before the falls. I emember she didn't look to happy. I was thinking she was an unhappy weekender. I even spoke to him for a minute when he asked me if I saw her. I wonder how many other people I pased like this. I was really wanting to talk with them for awhile. Paul Bunyon is only 15 and is taking time off from being home schooled to hike the trail.
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Past Lonesome Lake Hut

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2.... gear update. Ok I only scored half of what I need to get. I scored a new spoon. I wanted to buy the $20 titanium one and be done with it. But all they had was the same $.70 plastic sea to summit one I was using. So I went with it. I figured for the price, why not. I also baught convertable pants. Originally I was not going to bring these. I usually just hike in shorts. But I figured I would give them a try. At $35 a decent deal. I was also getting tired of the swim trunks sans the liners I was hiking in. They are more weight in the pack. I swear my base weight keeps increasing, but I think they will help me save in the long run. I thing I will be able to get away with not adding the second pair of long underwear to hike in for longer, if at all. I will also be able to wear these in the bad tick area in place of my gaiters. So I might come out ahead. Anyways, they look and more importantly feel a lot better than what I was doing. The old shorts pockets were also in bad shape. My camera ripped holes in both pockets. I still was unable to find shoes in my size. My wide feet are a killer. I am the least picky person in the world, yet I have the hardest time picking out shoes. 12 EEEE is a bad size to have. I keep almost getting a new foodbag. Mine still has a bunch of holes in it. But it is still hanging in there. I want to get the sturdier model, but can't justify it at 3 times the weight. Mine now weighs in at 1.9oz. I keep almost buying a new one of what I do have now, but never do. Budget Update.I am still over budget. I was going to try to use this week to get back on. If I would have skipped this town I would have done it. It isnkt going to happen next week. I have hanover with Dartmoth to go through. I plan on spending the day there. Something I want to do I have been wanting to do since I heard the trail goes through there. Don't worry, you'll read about this one. I think I will end up reupping the budget to $115 a week. Right now I am only $64 over after 6 weeks. Not too bad. Journal update. Thanks everyone for signing my guest book. It's good to see everyone enjoying my rants. I was wondring for awhile. It's cool to see people I meet like Jane-Sarah checking in. Oh and Firework's mom Karen, I say that b/c my aunt Karen is also reading this, stop asking him about what is going on. You'll have to wait the lag time I have built in like everyone else :}. I think we are only going to hike together 1 more day anyways. I need to stop in Glencliff and he is hiking on to Hanover. Oh and to answer your question, I am picking up my new hammock in 2 days in Glencliff. I am really hoping to make it to the PO in time of Saturday. It will be close. Health update. Thanks for asking in the guestbook. Other than my tailbone everything is fine. I a hiking without the help o vit I   The trick for m is t take the downhills slow. It really saves m knees. My tailbone i getting better, but really slowly. The new hammock i going t help out a lot. Right now I wake u worse than when I g to bed.
Date: 2007-08-26
From: Hiker's Welcome Hostel

To: Jacobs Brook
Miles today: 16.1

mi 16.1sleep hammockdest. Stealth site near Jacobs Brook day 45 Well I kept the milk kick going. I had a quart of choclate milk along with breakfest. I slowly packed up today. Bobcat opffered to slack me if I wanted. I really didn't want to or stay there another night. Plus it would entail me walking a section Northbound which we all know is the wrong way. After I packed up and waiting the the northbounder that I ran into at the hut that was really annoying came in. Her car was parked on the opposite side of moseualic and she wanted a ride over. Some people you just can't seem to get awy from. Then the guy I had hiked with the other day came in can in. He picked up some snacks and we decided we didn't want to be there anymore and hiked of together. He told me that she was at the shelter last night with him and 5 people out for a night or 2. She was getting on him for making a fire and burning someone else's trash. I little more words were exchanged, but I'll leave that part out. I have a strange feeling I'll run into her again. The rode to the trail ran right by some great apple trees. Also along parts of the trail today were ripe rasberrys and blackberries. They tasted fantastic. I did my second blue blaze of the trip. There was a side trail that unless you were looking for it you would miss it. It ran right down to the lake. It was a spot that people had to use. There was also a big stack of firewood there. If I wasn't feeling a nero after Hanover this would have been a great place to have one. One more funny side story. Bobcat was haning out at the hostel for so long because she needed a new pack. She is from Vermont and picked up her car when she was there. She has been slackpacking herself and others up from there. She sat her pack down and forgot about it. She ended up backing over it. I thought it was funny, I don't thank she did. The hike to the campsite was pretty chill. I passed a sign that said mt. something I forgot the name now 2200 feet, I also forgot the exact number. The gaps in the whites were almost higher than that. Funny how things change based on the area. We found a great stealth site right next to the stream. It already had a firepit. I don't understand why people think they need to make a stone fire ring when they have a fire. That is the major LNT issue with having a fire. Other than that, all I proper fire does is speed up the decompistion of the wood. Tonight is also the first night in my hammock. Can't wait. I'll hold off judgement for a few nights.
Date: 2007-08-28
From: Hanover

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2....Later on who would stoll in but Firework. He said he missed the turn for the AT and got lost. He caled a cab back to Hanover. Pretty funny actually. A pitcher and food later he was better. We scored a yard to sleep in and all was good. I had my extra hammock, but no one wanted to try it.
Date: 2007-08-31
From: Cloud Pond Over Look

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2....We sat up there and watched the sunset. Great views of what I just hiked over, also the Green m,ountains, Camels hump, mt mansfield, killinton, and tons more. we sat up there and watched the stairs come out. Big B knew some of the constalations. He also pointed out a cool stair. It is actually a red giant and a blue giant. It looks like a red then blue light with the way it comes through the atmosphere. We sat up there until the moon came out. Great views of it. Funny thing was I was considering sleeping up there. I'm really glad common sense got the better of me. It would have been really easy to fall off, plus it is really windy tonight. We sat around and shared cool places to see along the trail. It says I am staying in a shelter, but it is actually a little cabin. I am thinking that I need to come up with a better sleeping pad system. Something I can ground or hammock with, and use as a frame in my pack. Oh well, next hike. ;} I keep thinking that each night will be tough to beat. Then I get a great one like today. It looked like rain all day, then cleared up in time for me to get here. Tonight was just one of those great nights that make up the journey of mine.
Date: 2007-09-02
From: Rutland Hostel

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2....So I am ending up staying in the hostel. It is overtop their resturant. It kind of reminds me of a cross between a dorm room and a small city apartment. They have a couple different bunch rooms. They do have some rules that other hostels don't have. Reading them basically reminds me of staying at a grandparents house. No Drinking/drugs, men and women in seperate bunch rooms, in by 10:30pm, lights off by 10:45pm. With the whole time rules being really lax. In the end I have having a good experience here. The other hikers here have been here for about 3 days each. This seems to be the type of place you stay at for awhile. Especally since they like to feed you and you can do an easy work for stay. They were joking around that the trail name for the hostel should be zero, since most people stay a few days. I'm planning on heading out tomorrow. They even said I was welcome to stay longer. I just want to spend some of my time everywhere, instead of a lot at a couple places and the little bit left everywhere else. I really needed a chill day. I have been wanting one for awhile now. I just wanted to spend it in a good spot.
Date: 2007-09-10
From: Congdon Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2.... I got to the shelter to find 2 LT northboundes and Mountain Man. He was yo-yoing the At with his dog. That is where you hike all the way north and turn around and hike all the way south. He skipped the 100 mile wilderness and the smokies. No reall big deal. He must have been just in front of me for awhile. He zeroed here and took a couple small days. The rest of the night was filled with great food and great conversation. Now off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow. Man I love it out here.
Date: 2007-09-21
From: Mt.Algo Lean-To

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2.....gear update. The first night back in my hammock was great. It was kind of like you you drive a rental car instead of yours. It feels good, but not quite right. It feels great to get back into mine. Funny thing is that it is not as cold at night right now. But I don't care. It is only a pound or less more and about the same as my fall setup I started with in Maine. I am loving being warm at night. That was the good news, now the bad news. My gearskin pack just isn't cutting it anymore. One load lifter completly ripped of the top seam. It still connects with the shoulder strap, just half way down instead of on top. The other load lifter is almost ripped in the same spot. One of the shoulder strap seams is coming out on the bottom where it connects to the bottom of the pack. The hipblet seam is also starting to come undone. It looks really bad for 71 trail days. I only used it on a few overnights and day hikes before. I only got it in March. I didn't see a load rating on it when I got it. The only thing I can think of is that I am overloading it. I really only have 35 lbs max with full food bag and 2 liters water. It should be able to hold that. I hate to do it, but I am going to look for yet another new pack when I get into town tomorrow. I already have 2 at home. 1 weighs 6 lbs or more empty so it's out, and the other can't handle the bulk that I have. So it looks like I have no other choice. I could repair my gearskin. But I think I will be fighting this the whole way. Plus I am really tired of messing around with packing it. Yet another hit to the gea budget.
Date: 2007-09-25
From: RPH Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2.....Tomorrow we are planning a huge day. My biggest so far. It is nice having someone to meet up with and push me into doing the miles I know I can and should. I'll leave everyone insuspense until then of the planned distance. I was reading my book "The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul". Below is an excert that properly explains my navagational skills and stratagy at times. Last night it had a good one on sleep I will have to share at some point. "....he had a tremendous propensity for getting lost when driving (or hiking in my case). This was largely because of his "Zen" method of navigation, which was simply to find any car (path, trail, or even road in my case) that looked as if it knew where it was going and follow it. The results were more often surprising than successful, but he felt it was worth it for the sake of the few occasions when it was both." Pretty fitting I thought. Funny how things find you at the right time.
Date: 2007-09-28
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2.....I was going to save some water and eat up my snacks for dinner. One of them found 2 cans of soup in the shelter and gave me one. So I had that and some extra food from the other. Really cool how that worked. I will have to use my water for coffee in the morning. Tomorrow onto campmor and a new pack. Now in my hammock I am loving my hammock sock. The wind is blowing and swirling around. It is keeping all of the wind off me. I am nice and warm and headed for bed after watering the leaves. added on the next night.... A couple things I forgot to mention. Walking up bear mountain wasn't that bad. The only issue is the use it sees. I bet that is the most used section of the AT. So many people day hike it. Case in point I saw about 60 or so high school kids on the trail going down when I was going up. It was pretty funny seeing some of them out there. Lets just say I think some of them had never walked on anything other than a sidewalk. Trail wise this is extreme use. All of these people take side trail, cutoffs, or just want not on the trail. This makes for a maze or real and bushwack trails. I ended up off the AT for awhile. I waited for 5 minutes or so when I crossed an old road for a large group to go. I went up what they came down. Turned out they were not even on the right trail. The Zen navigation got me there though. Oh and in the Walking with Freedom AT movie that Lion King did in 2003, the guy at Neels gap said that was the only place where the AT passed though a man made structure. That is not true. Technically any bridge with a full suspension on the side you walk under you are passing through. But I could see overlooking that. What I can't see is the tunnel under the road the trail goes through. That is passing through a man made structure. Although technically not this year. It was closed and you had to cross the raod at strret level due to some construction on the southern end of the tunnel.
Date: 2007-09-30
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2......I only had 4 miles to go and about 3 hours of light to do it in. So no big hurry. One of my reasons too for staying at this shelter is that it has a good water source. It is the only one listed until the store 4 or 5 miles away. Plus it fits good with my miles. There was some great steds 4 miles back with great views, but I want to make it into unionville tomorrow and watch monday night football. The looks to be a good one 4 miles away, but that is a little too far.The water source here was a spigot on the park office .3 down a side trail .1 before the shelter. So I knew that would be flowing. I sat there and drank up. It also had a payphone, so I sent my emails. I was sitting there waiting on my pocketmail on a bench. I had my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I was tired and just relaxing. I woman leaving the park stopped in her car to ask if everything was ok. I said yes I was hiking and just resting. We talked for a minute and I thanked her for asking. Even people in NJ are nice. I got to the shelter and have the place to myself. I was able to setup and eat before dark. A nice thing about the shelter is that there is a bear box. I put my food in there without messing with hanging it. For those who don't know NJ is known for having a lot of bears. It is also nice to be able to lay in the shelter and relax to read. If I get in the hammock I will fall asleep. If I do that at 7pm, I will be up at 11pm or so for half the night. It is getting dark now around 7pm. I'm losing some serious daylight. I did finish my book. One of my faster reads. Great book and I recommend it for a funny read. I will say I was dissappointed a little in the ending. The main body was good though. Off to bed way to early still.
Date: 2007-10-06
From: Delaware Water Gap Church Hostel

To: View Entry
Miles today: 7.5

part 2.....The rest of the night was occupied with showering and doing a few town chores. Namely deep clleaning my pot, cup, coffee screen, and spoon. I didn't do that in awhile. I also got another shave in and did my 3 week trimming of the finger and toe nails. No I don't wait forever, they just grow slower now. I was going to use the hair clipper here to trim Torque's hair. But the 2 sets they have here were both dull. Too bad I always get a kick out of using hair clippers in someone's hair. I was going to have a go at trimming my own hair. The ends are split and get trangled easly. But we couldn't find any scissors. Which probibly was for the best. I think I could do it, but there is a good chance it would go wrong. I would hate to have to cut it all off and start growing it out from stratch. In front my hair is down to about my lips.
Date: 2007-10-09
From: Palmerton

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

part 2...... A little while later it lightened up and we headed out to the IGA with rain coats this time. My last resupply was brought to you in part by hostess. I had 3 apple pies, 3 cherry pies, 1 cinibun, and 1 2 pack of twinkies. So I needed a change. I am also pretty sick of eating candy bars. So I got some hard salami, chz, and english muffing to eat. Lets just say my food bag is way to heavy yet again. I have a huge climb in the morning. I'll just have to deal with it. The manager was cool. He gave us both an apple. He said every hiker gets one. Yet again, not much cost on his part. But a really nice gesture. PA is turning out to be a great state. All of these stops minus the post office where withing a block or so in each direction of where we are staying. This is a great spot. Best of all I didn't get "Palmerized". It even says that in the guide. It's when hikers get arested after checking in. They take all of your infor down and I assume do a quick check. People are always getting pegged if they have anything out for them. Call me strange, but I wouldn't stay here if I had someone looking for me. If you come after 4:30pm you have to check in next door at the police station. I'll leave you with an excert from the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It fits prefectly with what I am going to say next time someone asks if I am crazy. Believe it or not that was a common reply when people found out about my hike. Basically the character is asked if he is crazy and this is his response. "It's a possibility I haven't ruled out yet. I only know as much about myself as my mind can work out under its current conditions. And its current conditions are not good."