morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-02
From: Madison Spring Hut 1847.8

To: Wildcat Mountain 1858.0
Miles today: 10.2

This is going to be a 14 mile day. First I have to hang around the hut until all the paying guests have their breakfast, pack up and leave, then I can sweep the place out and do whatever other chore they dig up for me. It is overcast outside but I haven't been out. A group of boys got up at 5"30 and started playing cards but other than that I had a very good nights sleep.This hut is so small that I will have to go outside while breakfast is being served since there is nowhere to sit. I suppose I could sit on someone's bunk if it was raining but today, outside will surely be a reprieve.One of the Croo (their spelling) is up making coffee and oatmeal. I'm sure ready for the coffee. The way it will come about is as such; the guests will get up and will come into the dining room and sit at the tables. Then the croo will announce breakfast will be ready in a half hour and that the guests will have to leave the dining room while they set the tables. Then the croo will throw the plates, cups, silverware, etc. onto the tables and when they are ready will call the people back in. Then there will be a loud and lively meal, ending with a skit about packing out everything that was brought, folding blankets and leaving tips. I get to view it all like a fly on the wall.*************I think I gave it my all. This, 10.2 miles, is the best I could do. There continue to be many, many, rocks and steep, steep grades. I met a couple who were Southbound from Maine, they assured me it is going to be just like this all the way to Katahdin. EEEEGADS. I'm trying my best to put on a happy face.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-03
From: Wildcat Mountain 1858.0

To: Imp Campsite 1868.7
Miles today: 10.7

I started hiking at about 6:45 and arrived at Carter Notch Hut at 9:45. The day ahead looks strenuous. I'm at Carter Notch Hut trying to fill my belly on baked goods and soup. It costs 2 dollars for a bottomless bowl of soup and 2 dollars for as much cake etc. as you can eat. I'm not sure when I left Carter Notch Hut, but now I am at Zeta Pass. It is almost one. I seem to be making better progress. Maybe I will reach Gorham tonight. It is now 2:00. I have come about 7 miles in about 7 hours. I should at least be able to hike 6 more miles in the next 6 hours. There is a good chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight. It would be good to be in a shelter. Imp campsite is 4 miles away and Rattle River Shelter 10.It is now 3:45 and I am 2 miles away from Imp. I'm hiking 45 minute miles. I guess thats better than 60 minute miles. On I go.The other shoe dropped. Shortly after I wrote the last entry I started downhill from North Carter Mountain. I think it was the steepest descent so far. I had to throw my hiking poles down the slope and go hand over hand most of the mile. When I finaly reached the bottom there was a Southbounder sitting on a log taking a break. He wanted to talk and I wanted to move along but somehow I stood talking to him with my pack on for fifteen minutes or more. By the time I reached Imp Shelter my knee was telling me it was time to quit. The claps of thunder in the near distance were a good motivator as well. It is still eight miles to Gorham so I may as well get used to the fact that it is going to take me most of the day tomorrow to get there. I got in my sleeping bag around 8 and slept pretty darn well. John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-04
From: Imp Campsite 1868.7

To: Gorham, NH. 1876.7
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

I woke around 6:00 and was on the trail by 7:00. It is a beautiful day. Didn't rain last night. I feel great. I'm sitting on top of a 4000ft mountain looking South toward Mount Washington and the cloud shrouded peaks I passed over a few days ago. It fills me with a feeling of awe that I was able to cross those high peaks. Then again it isn't the Alps and I did see plenty of children and people older than me. Still, I feel good to have come this far and to have traveled over mountains so high that they seem to always be in the clouds.It is nice to be away from the crowds in the Whites. I haven't seen anyone today and it is already 11:00. I'm all out of snack food. I have one more dinner and some oatmeal. I think I can wait until I get to town.I fell again as I neared Gorham. I was just hurrying too much. I resupplied, showered, shaved and did laundry. There are a lot of Southbounders here at the White Birches Campground/hiker hostel.I ate plenty. I think I feel strong enough to go on tomorrow, The word from the Southbounders is it will take all of five days to go the 40 miles to Andover, ME. I sure don't like that, but I like that I only have 300 miles to go.I am ready for Maine.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-05
From: Gorham, NH. 1876.7

To: Zero day in Gorham
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The bunkhouse at The White Birches stirred for a little while at 6:30 as two hikers who were getting rides got their gear together and left. I got enough of my gear together to make a bowl of granola and a cup of coffee. The wife of a thru hiker stopped by and explained that she did trail magic. She asked me if she could get me anything and then gave me a long list of what she had. I asked for an orange and she went and got it while I ate my granola. She brought me two and I really enjoyed eating them. Her husband's trail name is Focus. I wish I could say I was looking forward to hiking today. Maybe I should take the day off. I'm a bit stiffer than usual but mostly I'm just wishing I could avoid the next part of the trail. My pack is heavy with five days of food and just ahead is what the guide book calls the toughest mile on the trail. It is a part where a person has to crawl under things and drag his pack behind him. It is Sunday, after all. Maybe I would do better to go to church.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-06
From: Gorham NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter 1888.1
Miles today: 12.0

I took a zero day in Gorham yesterday. I am heading out this morning when I get a ride to the trailhead.All is well now, but earlier there was room for discussion. I started hiking under overcast skies and it wasn't long before the rain started. When I finally arrived at the shelter there were already five hikers there, two more arrived after me. Everyone reported the same hypothermic conditions of being cold and unable to warm up. Of course in the shelter, under a roof with warm clothes on, the chilled feeling quickly went away. I'm in my sleeping bag now and it is only six o'clock. I'm getting my feet warm for one thing but there isn't anywhere to sit, the shelter is full and their are backpacks and gear all over.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-07
From: Gentian Pond Shelter 1888.1

To: Full Goose Shelter 1898.1
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Three of the hikers who stayed at Gentian last night are predicting a August 19th completion at Katahdin. They are up at the crack of dawn and are soon on their way. The rest of us are older and slower. The youngest of the leftovers is a Frenchman who is hobbling and quitting his hike after today. He says he can go home and say he has hiked across four American states. I say he hiked across the Whites and that is a feat. Another one of the remaining hikers is a section hiker who is doing the whole trail one section at a time. Another man, named Rockman, started several weeks after me and says he has no planned completion date gets his gear together and departs with a soft goodbye. The lone woman in the shelter, Pokey, was the last to arrive last night and the last to arise this morning. She gets up well after everyone else and starts to pack without a word. It turns out that her boot has come apart and she is going into Gorham on a side trail to buy a new pair. I have a 10 mile day planned and take it easy. By 6 o'clock I am quite tired and wish I were at the shelter. I forgot to mention my broken hiking pole. I was in a hurry to catch someone who I could see through the pouring rain was just ahead. I rarely pass anyone on the trail and I let myself get excited. Down I went on a slick group of boulders, as I was watching him instead of where I was going, my pole was wedged in between two of the boulders and the bottom foot snapped off cleanly. The best I could do was to extend what remained as far as it would go. I can't say the broken pole is slowing me down. It is just the many rock faces and boulder hopping. By being very careful I didn't fall today. John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-08
From: Full Goose Shelter 1898.1

To: Speck Pond Shelter 1903.2
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up at first light and realized it was raining. There are two southbounders in the shelter with me while a fellow Northbounder, Rockman, is out back in his tent. I make my coffee and eat cold cereal. The man and women who are Southbound gradually rise, they say they left Katahdin 29 days ago. I will have to do better than that. Eventually everyone leaves except me and Rockman, a just retired Geologist. We talk about whether it is a good day to challenge the Mohoosuc Notch. It is a difficult hike on a good day and we are afraid the rain will make it unsafe for us two old men. It quits raining and I decide to go. Rockman decides to stay. As soon as I start through the notch I begin to wish I was through it. There are many, many scary scrambles and jumps. It is clearly something for someone half my age. At one point I did lose my balance and fell hard but was lucky to land in the branches of a tree, instead of the rocks beneath it. There are half a dozen places where I had to take off my pack and squeeze under narrow overhangs, slide down steep rockfaces, and jump from one boulder to another. I ws almost spent when I reached the North End. I didn't leave camp until 11 and arrived at Speck Pond after 6. It took me 7 hours to go 5 miles. I'm just glad it is behind me.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-09
From: Speck Pond Shelter 1903.2

To: Frye Notch Lean-to 1913.8
Miles today: 10.6

It was cold last night, between 45 and 48 degrees. I had to get up several times to blow up my leaking mattress. All in all, I fared pretty well, but I'm wondering if my heavier sleeping bag is going to be missed more than just last night.I decided to hitch-hike into the town of Bethel which would be my very last chance to visit an outfitter. It is a long hitch and not recommended. Two French Canadian women from Quebec city took me all the way to the outfitter and then drove me into town. The outfitter fixed my pole for free, using old parts, and sold me a new therma-rest.I had lunch at a Chinese Restaurant and then started hitch-hiking again. I wasn't there ten minutes when my Canadian angels came back and drove me the 22 miles to the trailhead. I managed to get in another five miles of hiking, over the steepest and longest rockface yet. It is terribly hard on the knees to come straight down a steep mountain without the benefit of switchbacks. I was very grateful to have both hiking poles working as they are meant to work. The carbide tips dug into sheer rock and held my weight as I tippytoed down.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-10
From: Frye Notch Lean-to 1913.8

To: Andover 1918.1
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I spent a relaxing day in Andover trying to determine how I will finish the AT by September 1st. It was nice to spend an hour on the internet at the Andover, Guest House, where I am staying. My Keen water shoes came in the mail and I am planning on wearing them for the rest of the hike. It is hard to part with the Nikis I have been wearing. They were sliced up pretty bad in the Mahoosuk Notch but are still in good enough shape to wear. I scrubbed them good, to knock off the stink, and I will take them along for awhile to make sure the Keens work.Not much to say. I went to the post office, I ate and I watched 2 movies from the hostel owners' collection of tapes. I slept.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-11
From: Andover 1918.1

To: South Arm Rd,1928.2
Miles today: 10.1

I decided it was time to slack pack.The shuttle driver had a bunch of guys to take to South Arm Road so Rockman and I went with them and we hiked with day packs Southward to East B Road. Back to the Andover Guest House, more food, more movies, more sleep.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-15
From: Campsite at 1968.5

To: campsite at 1983.5 
Miles today: 15.0

It rained a bit. I have found myself in the middle of a throng headed toward Katahdin. Some are people I have seen off and on again since Harpers Ferry and even before, others are faster hikers who are new to me. I have returned to hiking from campsite to campsite rather than shelter to shelter in order to avoid being packed in the shelter. I suppose the shelters just weren't spaced well for my hiking speed anyway. I hiked as far as I could, and there was no shelter nearby. I have used the trusty tarp two nights in a row. Last night I didn't set up the mosquito net since the cold weather has reduced their number to almost zero. I will try to get in and out of Stratton tomorrow without staying over-night. I want to finish.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-16
From: campsite at 1983.5 

To: Horns Pond Lean-to 1991.9
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: broken clouds

I hitch-hiked into Stratton in time to have breakfast with an assortment of other through hikers who had stayed there the night before or just arrived. We washed and showered and were back on the trail by 2:00. I arrived at the shelter just as it started to rain. It rained hard for several hours and then became quite cold. I was glad to be warm and dry. I sent home about three pounds of stuff from Stratton and this included my air mattress with the leak. My old hips are still adjusting to te thinner harder foam mattress. I am normaly a restless sleeper but now I would describe myself as tossing and turning throughout the night. John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Horns Pond Lean-to 1991.9

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to 2009.4 total miles 
Miles today: 17.5

I joined half a dozen hikers atop The Bigelow Mountains and enjoyed the clearest and warmest mountain-top day yet. We were sure we could see Katahdin to the North, just a shadow, still far away. The Bigelows mark the 2000 mile mark and we crossed a highway late in the afternoon that had a large 2000 mile sign painted across it. Diesel and I took each others pictures on the road. Shortly after, as my stomach began to grumble for supper, it started to drizzle. Then it rained. Then it rained and hailed. I was quickly soaked and chilled. Thankfully it blew over as suddenly as it had arrived and the sun came out for the last hour of daylight. I made it to the shelter and spread out my sleeping pad. I heard my first loons of the hike. I enjoyed being in the shelter as several more downpours woke us up during the night. I was dry and warm and getting ever so close to Katahdin.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-18
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to 2009.4 total miles 

To: Pleasant Point Lean-to 2029.1
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a big day today. I crossed the Kennebec River, resupplied, ate and then continued to hike until sunset. The Kennebec is a big river without a bridge. The Maine AT Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservency pay a guy in a canoe to ferry people across. They strongly urge people not to try to ford the river. The canoe ride is free to hikers. The ferryman's name is Steve Longley and he has been doing the ferrying for years. When he comes over to ferry a hiker he stands in the middle of the canoe while he paddles. Once the hiker is in the canoe; the hiker sits in front and paddles and Steve sits down and paddles in the back.We crossed the river in a matter of minutes even though it was windy and the water was high. There was no-one else in the shelter with me qnd I enjoyed a peaceful though cool night. John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to 2042.2

To: Monson, ME. 2060.1 
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

There were a few small climbs and a couple of rivers that had to be forded but I hiked the eighteen miles at a two mile per hour clip and arrived by dinner time. I checked into Shaw's and relaxed. Somewhere along the way I developed a very tight Achilles Heel tendon. The more I favored it, the more it hurt. Like a lot of Hostels, Shaw's had a small foot massager with Epsom Salts. I decided to use the massager and take a zero. No sense in hurrying now.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Long Lake Lean-to 2075.2

To: Gulf Hegas Cut-off Trail 2092.5
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I started out early but only made it 17.3 miles. It was dark by the time I had my tarp set up. I was able to get some water from a trickle of a spring and proceeded to cook my dinner. I was immediately visited by a bold little mouse (they are all bold) and had to keep constant watch on my food bag lest he end up in it snacking on my food all night. John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Gulf Hegas Cut-off Trail 2092.5

To: East Branch Lean-to 2106.0 
Miles today: 13.0

I woke this morning to a heavy rain. I stayed in my sleeping bag as long as I could stand it and then made breakfast. I had to rearrange the tarp so I would have some elbow room and ventilation to cook and managed to do it without getting too wet.I'm quite comfortable now with a good view of the beautiful, forest that will be my home for a few more days. It is bitter sweet nearing the end of my six month long hike. I'm proud of myself to be sitting under my tarp alone in the middle of the woods and to be comfortable, but the weather is really quite pleasant and the bugs are leaving me alone. All too soon the temperature is going to drop and the elements will not be so easily subdued. One of my worst qualities, and I am afraid it is now a quality of too many Americans, is that as I sit idle, I eat. If I don't hike I will eventually eat everything I have. If I could sit and write without eating or drinking, and getting myself comfortable, I could surely write a book a week. So much of my time is spent preparing food, eating food, cleaning up food and getting more food. Now that I have my tarp erected just right and I'm comfy and cosy, I have to tear it down lest I sit here dry but unhappy while I eat. I will be happier hiking in the rain and burning calories rather than sitting under the tarp and consuming them.Two hours later...I made it to a shelter. My plan is to go another 10 miles today. It is already almost 1:00PM. The trail is wet and slick so it is slow going, but it only drizzles from time to time. Lunch is over. I will have to hike 10 miles so I can eat supper. 8:00 PM... I almost made it the ten miles. I'm sure I have come at least 9. It was a long wet day. I fell again when I slipped on a large wet rock. Lucky for me the tree stump I fell on was rotten and gave way beneath me. I had several other near falls, slips and trips. I'm glad the day is over. I'm glad it isn't raining and my sleeping bag though damp is dry enough to sleep in. John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-25
From: campsite 2106.0 

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to 2126.3
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: light rain

I woke up before dawn and got up. I cooked 5 packs of instant oatmeal (my usual) and two cups of strong coffee. It had been a dry night and I was glad to realize my tarp and sleeping bag had dried during the night. I calculate that I have to hike another 52 miles to get to the end of the 100 mile wilderness. The first three days involved a lot of elevation change and some rough going. After a short climb today there should be flat trail all the way to Katahdin. Note: a fellow who is from Maine says the correct pronounciation is, "Katardin". I am going to break camp and head North while the sun is struggling to rise high enough to allow me to shut off my headlamp.20 miles later... I am under my tarp, it is dark and rainy and not quite 8.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-08-27
From: Rainbow Springs Campsite 2148.3 

To: The Birches 2169.4 
Miles today: 21.1

Katahdin lies 25 miles to the North. I'm eating oatmeal and getting set to hike the eleven miles to Abol Bridge and then to The Birches at the foot of Katahdin. I can phone my wife and get something to eat. Then it will be another 10 miles to Katahdin Stream Campsite where I can start tomorrow, on the last day of my thru hike, up Katahdin. Another long day but I made it to the Birches. Tomorrow I will climb Katahdin and my thru hike will be over.John-Knee-Mud
Date: 2007-04-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Have completed some 450 miles of training hikes now. Did a shakedown cruise of the Foothills Trail (South Carolina) in March and completed the 75 miles in 4.5 days. I recommend this particular trl. as a training hike, as it's lower in elev. than the AT, and a bit southern, hence allows a hike earlier or later in the year than on the AT. The Foothills Trl. Club has a website (just search the web with those words, and poss. "SC" thrown in) and you can learn about that trl., as well as buy a guide book and maps (you don't strictly need maps, as the book has strip maps of ea. trl. section).
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Getting packed up II

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is Joan again. Jon will spend tonight gathering up his stuff. Sometime or another, he needs to do a hand-off to me of his maps, the guidebook, etc. I'll be sending things as he needs them. I'm going to try to persuade him to start with a real sleeping bag instead of a fleece bag and a liner. It's supposed to be COLD Sunday & Monday in north Georgia.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Greyhound Station, Orlando, FL

To: Springer Mtn.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Dropped Jon off at 9:30 pm. at the Greyhound Station in Orlando. Matt Pulsts is going to meet Jon at a MARTA stop in Atlanta and take him to Springer. Jon spent at least 8 hours today finishing a new display board for the FTA. He only devoted about 15 minutes to packing for his thru-hike (or so it seemed). So far, all I've found that he forgot is his second pair of shorts which he left in the dryer.