morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-11
From: Dickey Gap

To: Mt. Rogers Recreational Area HQ
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

No, not possible! That can¢t be the sound of rain slashing off leaves and into puddles outside the trailer. Yesterday was a glorious day and when we went to bed there were no signs of precipitation or any call for it in the weather reports we heard.But yes, it was rain -- a soft, chilling rain that continued all day long. The Trail was simply asserting itself and reminding me that it calls the shots out here ¢ always the unexpected; the unpredictable; the things to write home about and today was no different.Bill dropped me off at Dickey¢s Gap around 9:15 am and I scrambled out of the car and headed out as quickly as I could to make sure I got ahead of a bus load of teenagers who were in the process of off-loading from a bus and getting organized to go for a hike (¢Are we really going to go for a hike in the rain?¢)The Trail was in surprisingly good shape considering all the rain they¢ve been having down here and it really felt good to be back on it. After four miles I detoured into the Trimpi Shelter for a quick break, made quicker by the a gaggle of very young Thru Hikers whose only apparent interest in life was to get drunk and high at every possible place along the Trail. The day was wet, grey and cold but not my spirits. I spent long hours remembering other sections and places where I¢ve been in similar conditions (a lot!) I passed a number of hikers heading South (I was going NOBO) en route to Damascus for ¢Trail Days.¢ Most of them like ¢Brown Bag,¢ ¢Meat Bag,¢ ¢Doxie,¢ and ¢Cup-o-Joe¢ (whom I remembered from 2004-05 when he was on the Trail having completed 1000 miles in ¢04 before blowing out his knee and the again in ¢05 when he was able to do the entire thing starting all over again) have done Thru Hikes previously. Everybody expressed the sentiment that ¢Trail Days¢ is getting to be a big party (which I guess explains why they¢re going there!)Just before ending up at Mt. Rogers Headquarters where Bill met me, I met a nice Red Sox fan from Boston who is heading north. Maybe I¢ll run into ¢Lunch Box¢ later this summer if my plans to finish up the 184 miles, I have yet to go in Maine hold true.After returning to the Hungry Mother Campground I sole away for a hot shower then a peaceful cigar and diet coke as the clouds cleared away and the sun came out. Stars are now shining brightly and, hopefully this will bode well for good weather tomorrow but that, I believe, is up to the unpredictable nature of the Trail. I¢m pooped and ready to douse the lights and call it a day ¢ a great day of hiking on the AT.
Date: 2009-05-12
From: Massie Gap

To: Dickey Gap
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I walked all day. No, literally I mean it: I walked all day today. From the time Bill dropped me off at Massie Gap in Greyson State Park at 9:00 am until he picked me up at 6:00 pm, the total time I was stopped and not walking didn¢t exceed 60 minutes ¢ five minutes to sign the log book at Wise Shelter around 10:30 pm; twenty minutes for a sandwich and to sign the logbook at Old Orchard Shelter at 1:30 pm; ten minutes to eat my second sandwich atop Iron Mountain at 3:00 pm; five minutes for a NutriSystem Bar at 4:00 pm and fifteen minutes to stuff my poor hooves into the icy cold Jacuzzi beneath the falls at Comers Creek ¢ Aaaah! The simple pleasures of life one has while on the Trail. The falls were conveniently located just a mile and a half from Dickey Gap where Bill found me, stretched out on my sleeping pad in the sunshine, half awake, half dead but all very happy with the day and with my successful first two days back on the AT.The access trail to the AT at Massie Gap is 12 mile and takes you up to a ridge with spectacular views of Mt. Rogers, thousands of open acres of mountain meadows that are pot marked with boulders and clumps of rhododendrons -- acres where wild ponies run free. The Trail is well maintained throughout this section and in spite of all the rain they've had here of late, the track was dry and afforded good footing. With the exception of a few 1-200¢ rises, most of the day¢s course was downhill. By late morning the Trail had returned to the woods and lower elevations but, unlike so many wooded sections I¢ve hiked, here the songs of a variety of birds could be heard, especially toward the end of the day. When I started hiking five years ago I had expected to hear songbirds singing wherever I went (just like in a Disney movie!) but that¢s not the case. More often than not, the woods are quiet except for an occasional whistle, caw or tweet. To actually hear birds singing was a striking and unexpected change. So, although my feet were busy all day doing their thing, the vistas in the morning, and the songbirds in the afternoon and the warmth of the sun throughout made it a most pleasant day¢s journey. After a hot shower at the campground Bill and I treated ourselves to an Italian dinner at The Tuscan Italian Grill in Marion, which was actually quite good, even by New York standards. Bed is coming later than I wanted as emails and journaling all have taken time ¢ more time than these weary feet deserve. But now, to bed!
Date: 2009-05-14
From: Whitetop Mountain

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Left Whitetop Mountain headed south under threatening skies which soon yielded to sporadic sunshine throughout most of the day.Moving quickly across Beech Mountain I descended 2,300' over 5.6 miles to VA 859 where Bill met me after he had enjoyed a hike along the Trail to Buzzard Rock and back to the top of Whitetop. The only stops I made along the way were to retain my proficiency with my orange shovel and to pop into the Lost Mountain Shelter where I ran into ¢Meat Bag¢ and ¢Doxie¢ for the third time in four days.While Bill drove me to the parking spot where the Trail crosses Route 58, I ate my lunch in the car then quickly saddled up and headed south toward Damascus while Bill hiked north a ways before returning to the car and heading to town -- or so we thought. With all the driving around and jumping from place to place we were both TDCed -- "temporarily directionally challenged" --(something I hate to have to admit since I've now done this three times in the past two years!)meaning I went north and Bill (whom I've now taken to calling "Pack Rat" or "Justin Case" since he has caches of things he doesn't use but keeps on hand, "just in case...") went south. This didn't pose a problem for him since his hike was an out and back, but for me it meant three miles of hiking that took an hour of time after which I was back where I started with the climb over Iron Mountain into Damascus still to be commenced! The way I found out my predicament was when I ran into two hikers I had met two days earlier ¢ ¢Dancing Queen¢ and ¢Dairy Queen¢ -- who were also going to Damascus... only they were going in the correct direction and I was going in the other direction. Oops!Hot, tired and still slightly peeved at myself for the fubar, I met ¢Pack Rat¢ (aka Bill) at the local ice cream parlor in town and drowned my embarrassment in a Butter Pecan hot fudge sundae on a freshly made brownie and two diet sodas (where's the logic in that combination?) and then slept in the car all the way back to Marion.After a hot shower, we picked up Mark and Bob (the two hikers from the previous day) at their motel and went out for Mexican dinner. Mark's knee problem is muscular over-usage and after a few days off the Doctor say he'll be ready to go back to the Trail. We had a pleasant evening (mostly involving Trail stories, of course) and made plans to pick them up in the morning to take them to Damascus for ¢Trail Days¢ while I finish up this 64 mile segment and say goodbye to Virginia. I have placed my compass under my pillow in hopes it will re-trigger my directional while I sleep...
Date: 2009-07-20
From: New York City

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

The better part of the past few days has been spent on preparing for some AT Hiking in Maine beginning in the middle of next month -- August 15th to be exact. My plans will take me to Katahdin which I'll get to hike with my friend and financial advisor, Brian Prichard, his wife, Lindsay, and a friend of theirs who live in Old Town, ME. After Katahdin, I'll head south through the 100 Mile Wilderness to Monson where I'll do a ¢Zero Day,¢ (presuming I'm still on schedule) and then head south to Catatunk where my friend and hiking compatriot, Dick Hurd will join me. I'll finish up my Maine terrain at Stratton around August 31st.I've got new trail shoes on order and have already blocked out my daily plans, and have made plans for each of the places I hope to stay along the way. I've figured out my drop box arrangements and have begun the rudiments of a meal plan for myself.I am quite excited about this segment and am eager to get back into the woods. Between now and then I've got a trip to Boston, one to Cleveland, another to Newport, RI and a long weekend in Toronto planned. So it's good that I'm out in front of things in so far as my planning is concerned.When I finished my Spring segment with Bill (aka now, "Justin in Case") I had promised to include some of my views about the spirituality of the Trail in an addendum. I haven't forgotten about that, but I'm finding it harder to put down on paper than I had suspected. But I will get to it, I promise (myself if no one else). My journey has been filled with too many "Ah-Has" for me not to share them. So as they say when constructing a new office or retail outlet here in the City -- "Watch this space... Coming soon to a Blog near you... etc., etc., etc. By for now...
Date: 2009-08-14
From: New York City

To: New England Outdoor Center in Millinocket, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

My limo picked me up at 7:15 am this morning for the trip to La Guardia and my flight to Portland. Fortunately, it was on time. I had just collected my pack and B-for bag when Brian Pritchard and his wife, Lindsey, arrived (right on time) for the trip north to Millinocket and Baxter State Park area. The trip was a pleasant four-hour drive on I-95 in lovely sunshine. We stopping for lunch in downtown Bangor at Giacomo¢s Restaurant across from the Epic Outfitters, where I tried to replace my missing dual-purpose laundry bag / pillow case but to no avail. We arrived at NEOC, where we will be staying in a very spacious, brand-new, two-story, three-bedroom ¢cabin¢ (ha!) replete with an outdoor gas BBQ, patio, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with all of the modern appliances. This is a far cry from ¢roughing it¢ on the AT! Brian and Lindsey went for a swim and returned with a couple of canoes while I ¢painted¢ my tent cover and my food bag (¢Miss Piggy¢) with a water-repellent silicone and treated my backpack and tummy pack with a spray version of the same thing (I had already coated my Gater Sandal¢s and rain jacket on the roof of my apartment building a couple of days ago). After a cigar and ¢cocktails,¢ Brian cooked baked potatoes and a delicious marinated steak on the grill while Lindsey prepared the corn. A delightful feast!About a half hour after sunset, as the first stars were coming out, the three of us paddled our canoes back to the dock, picking our way through rocks and enjoying the stillness of the lake and the cool freshness of the evening air. Tomorrow is a very early ¢go¢ (up by 4:00 am to be at the park by 5:15 am Trail start. So as the time is now approaching 10:00 pm, I am more than ready to turn in). There is no cell or internet coverage here, so the experience of being plucked from the city and deposited in this surreal spot of splendor is total. This is hardly roughing it, but it is far from the hub-bub of the Big Apple, that¢s for sure! I¢m glad to be here.
Date: 2009-08-26
From: Stratton, Maine Route 27 

To: Safford Notch Campsite 
Miles today: 10.4

It¢s 8:15 p.m. and dark in Safford Notch. A half-moon is rising brightly in the east. I am sitting on the edge of a tent platform, smoking a cigar, drinking hot tea, dressed for bed (long johns, my hiking shirt, and a light fleece). It is very still. There are two SO-BOs on another platform several hundred yards further up the notch. Tonight, however, I hope I am otherwise alone. I say that because I had a pleasant chat with the caretaker for this area (an employee of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club who lives on Bigalow Mountain all summer long to oversee the usage of the four campsites on the mountain). Jeff was at the Horns Pond Lean-To ¢ a gorgeous spot nestled at the base of the first of the twin peaks (West Peak and Avery Peak) where I stopped to have lunch. He told me that in the past few weeks, some bears had moved into the house-sized boulders that are unique to Safford Notch ¢ so if I¢m NOT alone, it means my company is of the 400-lb, four-legged variety ¢ believe me ¢ I do hope I¢m alone here tonight ¢ all night! Just to make sure, I haven¢t sent any unintentional invitations to my potential neighbors to drop by for a nocturnal snack, I ate my dinner (two packages of oatmeal and some cookies) well away from my tent and have hung Miss Piggy even further away (behind one of the boulders below me in the notch. She¢s on her own tonight. I¢m delighted to have made the 10.5 miles I did today. The way the day started out, I didn¢t think I would have a chance of getting this far. Although I was ready to set out immediately after another one of Shaw¢s ¢best breakfasts on the trail,¢ Dawn McPherson (one of the owner¢s who was my shuttle driver this morning) couldn¢t leave the lodge until 8:30. The trip by road was nearly 100 miles, even though my return trip via the trail is only 65 miles. The trip over took almost 212 hours, and when we arrived at the drop-off spot, the wind was blowing hard, and the skies were gray and threatening. On top of that, the hike went straight up for the first eight miles, climbing 4,500¢! Between the possible rain, the terrain, and the late start, I wasn¢t sure how far I would get. As I reached the first peak near Horns Pond, the skies cleared and I was treated to an afternoon of bright sunshine and fantastic views from each of the summits I crossed. The trail was in good shape, and to my surprise, there were only a few spots that had to be climbed (as opposed to hiked without using my hands), which also enabled me to make better time than I had expected. After having a full day of rest yesterday, I was able to make good time without feeling particularly taxed. All in all, it turned out to be a lovely day of hiking. I have now finished my tea and my ¢smoke.¢ The wind has started to blow through the tops of the trees, the stars are out, and the moon is up. Time for some shut-eye ¢ and hopefully with no rude awakenings!
Date: 2009-08-29
From: Moxie Pond Road 

To: Caratunk, Maine (Route 201) 
Miles today: 12.4

My friend, Dick Hurd, arrived last night just after I finished my journaling and in time to enjoy a couple of hot dogs with me. Talk about a good guy! Having read in my journal that my camel pack had sprung a leak, he showed up with a replacement one for me just in case I needed it. Now that¢s a friend, indeed! He also brought with him news of the weather for the upcoming part of our trip. He told me rain for today that is expected to be heavy at times. After dinner, we spread out the map and considered all of our options to deal with the weather. Then we decided to make arrangements with Wallace for him to drop us off for a 12-mile slack pack southbound. By doing it this way, no matter wet and cold we might get, we knew we would have a hot shower and dry bed waiting for us at the end of the day. When you are cold and wet, slogging out your miles on the Appalachian Trail, the idea of being ¢wet and dry¢ becomes a very powerful motivator to any hiker, that I can assure you. The rain did arrive today but nowhere nearly as hard as expected. After a couple of fabulous, hot-out-of-the-oven blueberry muffins for breakfast, we were ready to enter the woods around 7:30 am.We hiked at a good pace to keep warm, and by 11:00 am we were up and over the 1,500¢ summit of Pleasant Mountain and at the lean-to on the south side. Unfortunately, Pleasant Mountain wasn¢t particularly pleasant ¢ there was nothing to be seen from the top except gray drizzle, gray clouds, and gray fog (The consummate ¢gray day¢ in the woods). We had lunch at the Pleasant Pond Lean-To with a flip-flopping Thru Hiker named Adam, who was still snuggled in his sleeping bag, drinking hot tea and clearly in no rush to go out into the grayness of the day. After eating our lunch, ¢Hurdy-Gurdy¢ (a.k.a. Dick Hurd) and I headed back out without much delay to keep from getting any colder. By 2:30 pm, we had hiked off the rest of the miles and were in the showers. After naps and some discussion about possibly revising our approach to the remaining two days, we headed off to the NEO Pub for a couple of their famous cheeseburgers in sourdough buns, some sweet potato French fries, and strawberry shortcake for desert. Since then, we have organized our gear, written postcards and watched a little preseason football on the inn¢s television in the common room all for the sole purpose of staying awake long enough until bedtime at a respectable hour. It is now a very respectable 9:00 pm, so time for lights out.
Date: 2012-01-31
From: New York City 

To: New York
Miles today: 0.0

Two and a half years have passed since I've set foot on the Appalachian Trail -- Pretty hard to believe since I only have a little over 200 miles to go to complete my Section Hike of the AT! What happened? What has it taken me two years to get back at it? All I know is that I hope, though, that this will be the year to finish it up. In 2010, I agreed to cut back on my hiking because my business partner wanted some additional time away from our business. I elected to stick closer to the office and allow her the time; she had so graciously given me. Then last year I moved from NYC to Eagle, CO. I had having had an epiphany regarding the out-of-whack structure of my life; I decided to make a changLiving in New York was good for business, as I could walk to work, but then again I had to commute to play golf, hike, or ski. My idea to cut down from my work responsibilities coupled with my necessity for being out of the city necessitated a move. I found Eagle, Colorado to my liking, having spent a great deal of time in the Rocky Mountains in the past with my friends over holiday vacations. In Eagle, I found a place where I could commute to work (in my own home, and with an airport nearby for business trips), a home in a golf course community and near hiking trails, and skiing nearby; cross country out my front door, and Beaver Creek and Vail only a 30 minute ride. The move made sense to me!My plan (more like my "hope" right now!) is to fill in the remaining section between Davenport Gap, NC and Damascus, VA by going northbound to arrive in Damascus in time for ¢Trail Days¢ (May 18-20).Stay posted... at 67, I still feel ready to rock and roll and kick some serious ass on the North Carolina Balds! (Yeah, but it'll probably be my own!)
Date: 2012-04-14
From: Eagle Colorado Post Office

To: NYC and the Trail
Miles today: 0.0

I arrive with only five minutes to spare, before the Eagle, CO Post Office closed (note the look of slight exasperation on the postmistresses' face) on the Saturday before Easter (note the bunny ears on the postmistress head). I managed to deposit my four drop boxes and one large box of gear on the counter, packed, sealed and fully stocked with everything I will need for the next couple of weeks I am on the Trail. I am crossing my fingers that I didn¢t forget anything! I won't know if the drop boxes have arrived at their destinations (#1= Hot Springs NC; #2=Erwin, TN; #3= Elk Park, NC; #4= Hampton, TN) until I get to each location sometime next month, but I do know that my gear arrived at my office in New York in good shape just five days after I dropped it off.Way to go USPS!
Date: 2012-04-25
To: Antigua
Miles today: 0.0

Wait a minute, Dorothy -- we're not in Oz anymore!! (Or maybe that IS where I've been this past week!) But for sure, this isn't the view from the front of any AT shelter I know!After five days in ¢The City,¢ I headed for a week of true R&R at my favorite resort in Antigua with my family. I've been going to Curtain Bluff Resort with my family for nearly 20 years and now that my grandchildren are six and three and a half, the place is truly magical. Besides, I can't think of a better way to rest up and carbohydrate load than this! (I just hope the memory of this picture, taken out my bedroom window last week, will ease the inevitable discomfort when I'm peeking out my tent flap in a torrential gale in central NC/TN in just a week or so.)
Date: 2012-04-30
To: Asheville, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday Bill's (my brother-in-laws, in case you forgot), and I drove down to Ashville from his house in New Market, VA. Together we took out the Trail Maps and scouted out the Trail, where it goes through Erwin, TN and Hot Springs, NC, and made our plan for how to complete this section of the AT hike. But before I could begin hiking, I had to take care of a number of business calls. I then went through my gear and food. Realizing I was missing some items I had Bill drive me over to the local REI store for a replacement compression bag for my clothes and then to the grocery store for salami, cheese and wraps and other food stuff I may need for the Trail. Ready or not, here I come!