morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-11
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: US 201 - Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 21.3

Woke up at 6 and was on the trail by 6:30. I got up so early today because I am trying to hike 21 miles to the Kennebec River before 4pm when the ferry service to cross the river closes. I got lucky today too... normally I hate waking up early to hike because it means you are walking through spider webs for most of the morning. But today Red Dane got up and left the shelter an hour before I even woke up. So I owe Red Dane a great deal of gratitude for knocking down all the spider webs for me.The trail today was amazingly easy and flat compared to the rest of the trail we have been hiking on in Maine. The miles seemed to just fly by and hiking felt really good. The trail passed several beautiful ponds so I stopped for a few minutes to take pictures and skip rocks.I reached the Kennebec River and the ferry site at 1:45, I made great time, 21 miles in 7 hours and 15 minutes is really fast. At the river I ran into Eagle Eye and Conductor again and talked them into going to a food shack a quarter of a mile off the trail. After eating I began to hitch the 2 miles up the road to Northern Outdoors Resort. I made it to Northern Outdoors and was able to get a Cabin-tent (Canvas Tent with cheap bunk mattresses inside) for $10. I also got to use the internet and take a shower. Northern Outdoors also has a brewpub so I ate dinner and had a few beers before returning to my Cabin-tent for the night.
Date: 2006-08-13
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to 

To: Maine 15 - Monson, ME
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Was awoken to the sound of Loons singing this morning. Packed my gear and was on the trail by 7:45. The trail today was nothing special... it was beautiful, but nothing I hadn't seen before.I made it to the road to Monson around 1:30 and was in town by 2. I went to Shaw's Lodging (the hostel in town) dropped off my bag and then went to Spring Creek BBQ which had an amazing Beef Brisket. Monson is a really small town, so the fact that they even have a restaurant is pretty amazing. The rest of the day was spent sitting, talking to other hikers, and watching tv. It was great. Plus my Dad made it to Monson ok, which is really great. He got to town around 8:15 which is about an hour before I thought he would show up. We then walked down through town to the Mobil Mart and he got a pizza and we bought a few beers to bring back to the hostel.
Date: 2006-08-14
From: Maine 15 - Monson, ME

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Breakfast call came at 6:45. For breakfast I got the 4X4: 4 eggs, 4 french toast, 4 bacon, 4 sausage and hash browns. It was all really good, but I did trade my Dad my hash browns for his bacon. After breakfast my Dad and I began to go through our food for the hundred mile wilderness. There are no good resupply options for about 100 miles so we had to figure out about 6 days worth of food. We also gathered a box of things that could be sent back to VA that I wouldn't need any more. My tent was one of those items, since my Dad brought a 2 person tent for us to use I didn't need my tent with me any more.I went to the Post Office and found I received 2 items. A letter from my brother Jon and package from my friend Katie, filled with lots of snacks and goodies from the trail. It was great to receive things from both of them, I love getting mail.We got on the trail around 1:30, both of us with packs that weighed in at about 33 pounds a piece. Much heavier than I was used to, but not too bad considering we had 6 days of supplies. Much of the trail today was fairly flat and very graded. If I had been hiking alone, I probably could have knocked off the 10 miles in 3 or 4 hours. But I stayed with my Dad and hiked with him. It didn't really bother me that I was hiking slower, if anything it got me to notice a lot more things along the trail than I normally do. We came to this really cool 60ft waterfall called Little Wilson Falls. We stood at the falls for about 20 min and had a snack, but were eventually chased off by the No-see-ums that were viscious. A couple miles later, we had to ford the Big Wilson Stream. We tried to find a place to rock hop across, but had no such luck.Made it to the shelter a little after 7 and were greeted by 3 other thru-hikers (Quarters, Brian and Firefly). All guys that had also stayed at Shaw's the night before. They had a fire going so once we made dinner, we stood around the fire for a bit before heading to bed.The 2 person tent that we got feels really small. My single tent wasn't very big, but it was private and I had room for all my stuff. In this double tent there is barely room to lay here without bumping into my Dad. Oh well, it's only for a week.
Date: 2006-08-15
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: West Chairback Pond Stream
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

So this entry is being written 2 days after it occurred. This is because right when I started to write my journal, my Dad who already wasn't feeling well, began to throw-up.The hike today was a slow, tough hike. Both for me and my Dad, but especially my Dad. I am not exactly sure what happened, but today he was not the hiker he was yesterday. To make matters worse late in the day we hiked about 4 miles more than we should have because there was no place to stop and get water. Once we found a place to camp near water, I made dinner and my Dad laid down in the tent, thinking that might make him feel better. He didn't feel well enough to eat dinner and then right as I was starting my journal he threw-up several times outside of the tent. On a positive note it was almost all water and was therefore not very smelly. He then went to sleep hoping he would feel better in the morning.On a side note, earlier in the day, while I was going down a side trail to get water, I saw a Moose. The trail came right up to a mountain lake and right there in the lake, no more than 10 feet from me, was a female Moose. It looked like a mix between a horse and a cow, but it was still really cool. I stood there and watched it for about 20 min. Occasionally it would look up at me, but then it would just dunk its head back under water and continue eating.
Date: 2006-08-16
From: West Chairback Pond Stream

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up this morning and my Dad still wasn't feeling too great. The next several hours of hiking seemed like torture, and for him they probably were. He felt nauseous and feverish all day and by 3 in the afternoon, we had only hiked 3 miles. At that point, we came to a logging road and were able to flag down a car. We told them how my Dad is a sick hiker and they said they would drive him out of there. So, my Dad is no longer hiking with me. It is a very bittersweet feeling. While I really want my Dad to be able to hike all of the hundred mile wilderness, I don't want him to be miserable while doing it. And on top of that, my Dad having a hard time made me miserable.After my Dad left, I hiked on. Had to ford a river almost right off the bat, but that wasn't really a big deal. The hardest part was the fact that my pack now weighed more. I probably added about 7 pounds of food to my pack, all stuff that my Dad had been carrying.Earlier in the day I did run into Nifty and Master Plan again. They had caught up to me and I found out that they were going to try to summit Katahdin on the 20th. Tonight I am joined in the shelter by both Eagle Eye and Conductor.Today was just a very weird day. I hope my Dad is ok, and that he has found a hotel or something where he can lay in a bed and get some rest. Tomorrow should be a good day to get my hiking rhythm going again, so that should be really nice.
Date: 2006-08-17
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 26.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a very long, but a very good day. One of those days were I just didn't want to stop hiking.Woke up around 7am, after everyone else at the shelter had already left for the day. Packed my gear and was on the trail before 8. Almost right off the bat, I started to climb. The trail went up and down and up and down before finally summitting White Cap Mtn. From the top of White Cap, I got absolutely breathtaking views of Katahdin. These views blew me away, but also started to get me really excited. For the rest of the day the excitement of climbing Katahdin continued to build. I was also able to get a cell phone signal from the top of White Cap so I called my Mom to see if she had heard from my Dad. I learned that she hadn't heard from my dad and therefore didn't even know that he got sick. I filled her in on the details and told her that he is probably just sleeping off his illness.White Cap Mtn. is the last big mountain to climb before Katahdin, and the trail after White Cap was amazingly flat and smooth. I was able to get into a really good hiking rhythm and hiking felt really good! I got to the Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to a little before 4pm so I decided to eat my dinner there and then hike on another 8 miles to Antlers Campsites. While eating my dinner, I talked to a bunch of older guys out doing a section of the trail. They had lots of questions but were a lot of fun to talk to.The hike to the campsite was just like the trail I had been hiking on for most of the day, flat and smooth. I was able to make really good time, but by the end, the ball of my right foot was really starting to hurt. OH, I also saw a Beaver on my hike to the campsite. I heard this splash in a pond next to the trail, looked over and he was just swimming around in circles in the middle of the pond. I was able to get some really good pictures of him too.At the campsite, I quickly set up my tent because the mosquitos were surprisingly bad. I then checked my cell phone and was shocked to see that I got a really good signal. (How in the hell could I have a great signal- I am in the middle of NO-WHERE!?!?) I got a voicemail from my mom and found out my dad had called right after she talked to me. He is staying with the family that picked him up from the trail. She said he is starting to feel better and that he hopes to meet up with me at Abol Bridge and hike the final 10 miles to the base of Katahdin. I then called my dad and left a message telling him when I expect to be at Abol Bridge. Well it looks like everything is going to work out perfect. Everything seems to be coming together very nicely. And I am excited!!! Oh God how I am excited! What a great journey this has been. Only 52 miles to go!
Date: 2006-08-18
From: Antlers Campsite

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I did not want to wake up this morning. But, eventually the sun hit the tent and made it too hot to stay asleep. On the trail about 9am and about 2 miles into my hike, I heard a loud rustling in the woods and then 2 Moose (a mother and a calf) crossed the trail about 30 feet in front of me. That brings my Moose count to 4.The trail early in the day seemed long and was not very enjoyable. It was fairly flat, but there were tons of root and rock obstacles that made it frustrating. I did get some absolutely breathtaking views of Katahdin, however. One was along Pemadumcook Lake and the other was from the top of Nesuntabunt Mtn. Katahdin does not look at all like an east coast mountain, it looks like it belongs somewhere in the Northwest. It just towers over everything around it and seems to have the arrogance to-boot.The second part of my day went a little better then the first, time seemed to move a little faster and I was able to get a good hiking pace going. I made it to the shelter fairly early and was able to eat and rinse myself off before it got dark. Tomorrow I will be hiking to Abol Bridge where there is a camp store. I can't wait to drink a coke. I am dying to drink something other than water. My dad should also be there to meet me which will be nice as well.It still doesn't really feel like my hike is coming to an end. I have only 30 miles left but I don't feel any different than when I had 1,000 left. I mean I am excited, but I have to keep reminding myself to be excited. Maybe it won't really hit me until I see that sign on top of Katahdin, maybe then during those final steps will I realize that it is almost over. All I know is that I am trying to relish every moment, I don't want to miss anything.
Date: 2006-08-19
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Golden Rd., Abol Bridge
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and on the trail by 8am. It rained a little bit but not enough to get me wet. For the first 5 miles or so I hiked on auto pilot - the roots, rocks and mud just seemed to fly by, which was more than fine by me. Around 5 miles into my hike, I passed Conductor and Eagle Eye. The next couple miles of my hike were not much fun because I was walking through spider webs the entire time. Spider webs are like hiking kryptonite, they just completely ruin my mood and take all the fun out of hiking. When a Southbounder came hiking towards me down the trail I about did a little dance because I was so excited that I would have to walk through web anymore.The final miles breezed by and the excitement of getting to Abol Bridge and having coke and a beer grew and grew. When I arrived at Golden Road, I was greeted by my Dad who was sitting right along the side of the trail. I gave him a hug and he handed me a coke. He then proceeded to tell me how bad I smelled.We walked down to the camp store where I was able to get a microwaveable cheeseburger and some snacks. The cheeseburger was absolutely terrible, but I ate the whole thing, and was happy. We went and set up camp across the road at a state park and then I went back to the camp store to take a shower. The shower was perfect, the nozzle was like a powerwasher and the water was nice and hot.Later on, a lady at a campsite just down from ours came up to visit and she invited us down for cake after dinner. After eating we went down and enjoyed a delicious cake that she had made in her dutch oven, they even gave me some milk to drink with it. We then sat around and talked for a bit. It was a great ending to a great day.
Date: 2006-08-20
From: Golden Rd., Abol Bridge

To: Katahdin Stream Campground 
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

For whatever reason I didn't sleep too well last night. Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's the adrenaline I've been starting to feel. Either way I finally crawled out of the tent around 9 after the rain had stopped. My Dad and I packed up our gear and made our way to the camp store. We got a microwaveable breakfast sandwich and I also got a couple cokes and candy bars for when I got to Baxter State Park.Just as we started hiking it began to rain and proceeded to rain for almost our entire hike. The trail was pretty easy and followed a river and a stream where there were a bunch of beautiful waterfalls. My Dad seemed to do really well hiking but said that at a couple times he felt a little dizzy. We made it to the Katahdin Stream Campground around 3:30. We were wet and cold so we bought some fire wood and started a fire once we had found our Lean-to site. Putting on dry clothes is always a wonderful feeling, but having a fire to get warm by is an even better feeling. The rest of the day we just stood by the fire and attempted to dry our clothes and shoes.It is really pretty amazing that I am 5.2 miles from completing the entire Appalachian Trail. I can hardly believe it. Starting the trail back in Georgia seems like this distant memory and hiking the rest of the trail feels like one big blur of an experience. All I have to do now is hike up 4,200 feet in 5.2 miles... piece of cake!
Date: 2006-08-21
From: Katahdin Stream Campground 

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hung out today at Katahdin Stream Campground until my Mom and my sister arrived at 11am. We then drove out of the park to the closest town of Millinocket and got lunch at a local diner. It ended up being a great day to not hike due to the fact that it rained all night and most of the day. The rain let up in the mid-afternoon and I am hoping for a beautiful day tomorrow for my summit of Katahdin.
Date: 2006-01-07
To: Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

My actual planning start date was in June 2004 when my son Scott came to me and indicated that he was planning an AT thru hike and was working for a start date of April 1, 2005. I told him that I might have some information that he might be able to use. I then produced the maine AT trail guide including maps. As he looked through the guide he noticed marks and notations that I had made in the book. Looking up at me with a kind of surprised look he said you've been planning this for a long time dad. I had to admit that for the past 20 years it had been at the top of my todo list. As retirement nears July-2005 I feel that this is something that needs to be completed. I'm only sorry that my son and I can't make the trip together.However, I did support him as much as I could on his hike and am accepting all the help and information he has to offer me on my hike.
Date: 2006-01-07
To: Prep # 2
Miles today: 0.0

Well the planning continues for my walk in the woods Feb 2006, equipment, menus, etc. At times I wonder what am I doing. Most people retire and want to take it easy and here I am planning what will probably be the toughest thing I've ever done in my life. Hence the planning aspect, I feel that the better the planning the better the trip one should have. A trip that I can look back on and smile instead of grimicing in pain at the memories.
Date: 2006-01-07
To: Prep # 3
Miles today: 0.0

As I prepare for my hike several trial runs have proven valuable to the extent that much of my equipment was not adequate for my upcoming hike. My advice to anyone who might be thinking of a long distance hike is to test your equipment by hiking and carrying what you intend to use. I have many people to thank for assistance and information in helping me get ready for this adventure.
Date: 2006-01-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well I spent most of this past weekend getting the site up and running and working on mail drops. It seems the more time that is spent on preparation the more there is to do. Went out this morning and picked up some more items of a personal nature. Still awaiting some food items that I sent for, my pack, and the new pacer poles. Hope all these items arrive this week. I can't believe that I only have 26 more days before departure. Its been a long year and a half waiting. I've had itchy feet for the past 6 months.
Date: 2006-01-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Still at home preping. Been running around like a bee in the spring flowers. Still trying to get all my ducks in a row at home. Can't leave things undone. Been looking in on other journals and can see I'm not the only one in a state of agitation. Later, gotta get my bisquits out of the oven. Mans work is never done.
Date: 2006-01-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well we're back on, let me start off with a disclaimer, in that no one has contributed to my hike in any way eiher financially or through the supplying of equipment for this endeavor. That said I do have a few people to thank for there help and encouragement. First of all I would like to thank my prep hike buddy "Root" for her help and encouragement in getting ready for our hike, she will be starting a couple weeks after me. Hope to see you on the trail.Then there's the two gals who run the Wild Asaph Outfitters in Wellsboro, Pa. They are Liz Berkowitz-Paintbrush and Jen Borneman-Blue Heron AT Thru-Hikers in 2002. Being able to go down and chat with them the past year has provided me with a wealth of trail info and knowledge that I otherwise would not have been privy to. Thanks guys and all the best to both of you. A special thanks also must go out to my son Scott, AKA Darwin for all his help and information, and for seeing to it that the old man gets to the mountain. His support and assistance in getting me ready for this hike has been and will be greatly appreciated throughout its entirety.Most of all I have to thank my wife and best friend Jo Ann AKA Lil-Pisser who for the past 38 yrs has supported me in all of my wild and crazy romps. Without her love and understanding, support and encouragement this hike would never have materialized, thanks honey.
Date: 2006-01-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well 18 days left before departure, finally received my pack from Brian at ULA-equipment, looks great, now all I have to do is load it up and then see if I can lift it. Have gotten my mail drops put together except for the addressing part. Reservations have been made at the Amicalola Lodge for 2 nights. My thinking here is this would give me a little time to do the pre-hike "Stuff" and then on Sunday I can hit the trail early. This would also give Darwin a head start on the drive home, some 9 hrs. About all that remains at this point is some banking, labeling of mail drops, taxes and any other last minute preps that pop up.
Date: 2006-01-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well I just thought that I had better produce a short glossery of trail terms that I might be refering to while on my journey."BLAZES"--These are 2 by 6 inch white rectangles placed usually at eye level to mark the trail. Side trails are marked by blue blazes."BLOWDOWN"--Trees or other shrubs that have fallen across the trail."CACHE"--A supply of food or other supplies hidden for later pick up and use."CAIRN"--A pile of stones used to mark the trail above tree line and in dense vegetation."DODGEWAYS"--These are v-shaped stiles through fences."DOUBLE BLAZE"--This refers to two blazes, one placed 2 inchs above the other which usually indicates a turn or other change in the trail."END TO ENDER"--Another term for a 2000 miler."FLIP FLOPPER"--Is a thru-hiker who begins at one terminus, hikes halfway and then jumps ahead to the other terminus and hikes back to where he left off."GEARHEAD"--A thru-hiker who has hiked over 1000 miles and still talks about his gear."LEAN-TO"--Another term for shelter usually used in the northern states."N.P.S."--National Park Service."POWER HIKER"--This is a hiker who chooses to hike long distances each day."PUDS"--Known to hikers as "Pointless Ups and Downs". Usually on less interesting sections of the trail."PURIST"--A hiker who hikes past every white blaze on the official trail. This I hope to be my goal."SECTION HIKER"--A person who strives to be a 2000 miler by hiking one section of the trail at a time. Usually done over a period of years."SLACKPACKING"--Usually a term used by hikers who are able to hike sections of the trail without a pack."STILE"--Usually wooden steps or a ladder that allows easy passage over a fence or other obstacle."THRU-HIKER"--Is an attempt to become a 2000 miler in a continuous journey. Again this is my goal."THRU-HIKING"--Is an attempt to become a 2000 miler in one continuous journey."TRAIL MAGIC"--An act of kindness toward thru-hikers by strangers usually food, drinks, and other items of need."2000 MILER"--Is a person who has hiked the entire trail either by thru-hiking or section hiking."U.S.F.S."--United States Forrest Service."YOGI-ING"--Is the good natured art of getting food from strangers by not really asking for it. Asking would be begging."YO-YO-ING"--The act of completing one thru-hike and immediately starting a return hike in the opposite direction."ZERO DAY"--A day in which zero miles are hiked. A day spent in a town, or on the trail resting.I hope these terms will be of some help to those non hikers who might be follwing me on my journey.