morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-08-09
From: hemlocks shelter

To: plateau campsite
Miles today: 17.0

DAY 10 SAT. MILE 705.         made 17 miles today . almost more thatn i can handle. thought i had missed the shelter but finally came to it. was a welcome sight. only 2 others here so far. cheese cake and stocliffe. trying to treat blisters. fashioned some heel things out of plastic milk jugs. put them in shoes in heel location. so maybe will slip instead of chafing. blister stuff had come loose today. mosquitos are bad. but they don't seem to bother me so much. don't know why. must be the indian in me. or when their little stinger hits steel it bends.lol. was five more in campsite last nite. listened to radio. started to sprinkle about 4 a.m.so stayed in bed. rained til about 5.a.m.
Date: 2003-08-09
From: plateau campsite

To: st andrews episcopal church
Miles today: 0.0

SUN. DAY 11 left campsite around 5:30 a.m. no rain. met triple t and her dog jezebel. she likes to bark when she sees somebody and wants to lick you. tripled t got her name from tape on all her toes. met tough from va. got her name from working on a ranch in n.m. she is tough. climbing mt. ran into baltimore jack. he is famous for hiking up and down the trail every year. asked him if he remembered seeing me up in the whites in n.h. last year. and if he had heard anything about pete farley. said he thought pete had died up in the mts. in n.h. also said pegleg who ran the guesthouse in andover me. died. asthma attack. met sherpa from me. told him my name and he said he remembered me from rainbow lake and was fishing. said i had only been out 3 days and i had this big pack that was cutting into my shoulders. said he felt sorry for me. now he is hiking the trail. heading home to maine. met superman with a question mark. from minneapolis. is with torch who got her name from going thru several headlamps. met widget . down by the housatanic river saw a young couple fishing. he is a dairy farmer. milk 550 cows. met vic. and named sleepy floyd from chattanooga tn. she said that is a long story. and glacier. from mich. walked down a road to an old gas station bunch of old cars . what a dump. old boy was pumping gas. asked him if he had any soda. he said of course i have soda. all stations have soda don't they? i said some don't. he said where are you from that gas stations don't have soda?. kind of a smart aleck. (eccentric) charged me a $1.20 for a soda. but any way got to visiting with him and he turned out to be a good guy. has 4 daughters and some grandchildren. so i need to remember not to make snap first impressions. met purtin. latin for persistence. and met scotsman from scotland. met liz and trailname is 42. and met moo likes to moo and eats a lot. is from n.j. met steamboat from columbus. oh. got his name from working out at steamboat springs on a ranch. met sing a lot from nashville. met ted and dog named jane. met stocliff from port clinton. pa. makes walking sticks for hikers. cheesecake from pensacola fl.carries cheesecake with him.
Date: 2003-08-10
From: pine swamp shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

MON. DAY ?         leaving shelter at 7:30 a late start. mosquitos bad. rained all nite. quit this morn. nobos red dirt and payphone and his brother from ok. payphone cause he calls home all the time and reddirt cause of the dirt in ok. strider from bartonville me. 65 yrs old. just talked to mary on wanderer's cell ph. talked to daughter val and granddaughter brenna. val talked about her son tim who is taking a class at usc. and leah who is in ak.on vacation with other daughter theresa and her family. i really get to missing my family out here. i am kind of a home boy but her i am out her hiking the trail. maybe not very smart but doing it anyway. nice to have ph. but kind of takes away the wilderness experience? met walkabout from the bahama's and his dog pula. a dalmation. met froggypete from wells me. 61 yrs old. likes frogs. nobo. staying at church tonite in kent. ct. they have a nice little building with a shower set up outside. went to outfitter and bought a sleeping bag liner. also a mosquito net for sleeping. sent 20 deg. bag home. met wanderer. he kind of skips around the country. he knows bill wilson. amazing sometimes what can happen out here on the trail. he is from vt. heading back to n.c. met sparrow and hutch. sparrow got her name from the bible. his eyes are on the sparrow and he watches over me. broke her arm and hit her head in n.j. hike another 50 miles. then took some time off. met moxie. from fla. bunked in basement hallway of church. was a hot nite. and lots of snoring.
Date: 2003-08-11
From: st andrews episcopal church

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

MON. DAY ?            had coffee with wanderer this morning. and he had a daily reflections. so he read that to us. great!!i have this giant blister on my ankle bone and heels. might have infection in it. looks like rain. bunch of locals sitting here at the cafe talking about the world problems just like they do everywhere else i have ever been. left about 8 a.m. met nobo. firefeet. got her name from having so many blisters she felt like her feet were on fire. met some scouts out for a couple weeks. still no appetite. can't figure that out. last nite bought a half gallon of ice cream but couldn't eat even half of it. so gave the rest to wanderer. and this morn. couldn't even eat two muffins.   guess what somehow got turned around and went backwards for about 2 hrs. saw state park that i had already passed earlier. bummed as hell. worst thing that can happen to hiker. was on a big bald and took a break. then got up to go and followed the wrong arrow. uh oh is a rattler right in middle of trail. what a day . am walking thru indian res. they must have a curse. met lone wolf named because he is always ahead of everyone. told him about my screw up. told me about a woman he met recently in a shelter. she came in for the nite took off her pack and was reading the trail reg. started crying. he asked what was wrong. she was reading her own comments from the previous nite. so had hiked all day and somehow got turned around. so i didn't feel so bad after hearing that.    probably shouldn't mention this but my urine is almost red. might be from that fall i took. i know my back hurts so kidneys may be bruised or maybe i just need to drink more water. am walking along the housatanic river right now. across the river there is a waterfall and a two cabins in the woods. rustic. met turtle from boston. named cause she is slow and steady. met magic rat from vt. named from old springsteen song. gave me two maps for n.y and nj. really appreciated that. met nobo. name chaco. sandals are chaco's. nobo. jimbo treks. from long island. maintainer came in has a saw on his back etc.               staying tonite at ten mile mt. shelter. only made ten miles today after backtracking so much. really beat. zagut came in name from restaurant guy? he is from twin cities.
Date: 2002-07-23
To: Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

July 23, 2002, leaving July 29, 2002. Waiting for my Kelty   50th anniversary pack right now have camp trails from Camp More to practice with and have sore muscles.   This is a new experience for me; I have never hiked long distances or camped out. But I have been reading about the AT for a year or more on the trail websites. I have a thruhikers guide it looks like something I need to do. I am doing it for my grandchildren, I want to leave a legacy to them, I want them to have some good things to think about their grandfather instead of some of the bad things they are going to hear as they grow up or if they do a family history. Some people say they believe that is not the right motivation but I think it is anyway.
Date: 2002-07-26
To: Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

I am having a lot of second thoughts about going on the AT.   I think about that I am afraid of the dark, afraid of things that go bump in the night.   I have never camped, hardly, maybe a few times.   I have not experienced backpacking. I have been practicing or should I say practiced probably about 3 miles with it twice and man oh man are my muscles sore. Using muscles I haven¢t used before.   Heights I am visualizing Mt. Katahdin and they say if you¢re queasy about heights this will be tough.   I have a picture of a person that is up on that knife edge of Mt. Katahdin that I am carrying with to visualize myself and telling myself, ¢I can do it, I can really do it.¢ It¢s going to take everything I have got to do it. Also there is another part of the trail that has boulders the size of houses, and is the one of toughest Miles of the whole trail. I have been reading about this in my guidebook and they say it¢s the toughest in all 2,168 of the miles on the trail. But I have done some other things and I need to do this, I need to conquer these fears. All my life if I walk out into the dark¢¦. I don¢t know, I am just leery of it. I need to get over it for my own good. I know at 62 I should be over it by now. But I am not. So I will fight through it. I am going to miss my grandchildren, Mary, and my kids and my home. But Like I said I am 62 years old and I am looking to do this for my grandchildren and leave a legacy and maybe find myself.   My kids are all for it so I am going to just make a real attempt to finish it. I remember when I went into the Navy when I was young and when I was a kid there were a lot of things I did when I was a kid that I didn¢t finish and I always regretted not doing those things and not doing the things I was supposed to do. I know it¢s hard for other people to understand but I think that people, who have done it, will understand
Date: 2002-07-31
To: Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

Hi Everyone, I am Dick, and I am 62 years old. I recently retired from the USDA in Ames, IA.   Everyone at work thinks I am crazy for doing this. When they ask me why I would want to do this. This is something I want to do for a legacy for my grandchildren. Then they understand. I recently just finished the RAGBRAI ride in Iowa. This is a annual event that I do every year. Bicycling across Iowa with about 12,000 other cyclist for 7 days.I am leaving for Bangor, Maine, August 1. I will be Thru-Hiking and my daughter will be helping me to fill out my journal diaries and gear list, etc. Her name is Pam. I have a wonderful wife who has been understanding and patient with my dream to hike the AT. I love her for this and send her all my best wishes and love. I couldn't have begun without her. Thank you MARY!!!. I also have 2 sons and 4 daughters, and 10 grandchildren. I will be thinking about them every step of the way. Thanks and prayers for safe hiking appreciated...TRAIL GRANDPA
Date: 2002-07-31
From: Mt Katahdin

To: Georgia
Miles today: 10.0

July 31, 2002Left Abol Bridge Campground at 7 this morning.   Got all packed up trying to get organized.   MY pack is just not right; I would like to order a new one. Don¢t know where I am going to do that just yet but will have it overnighted to me as soon as I figure out how to do that. I am getting a couple of blisters, one on my heel and one on my left foot. Met a guy on the trail, a north bounder, who was just finishing up his hike. He is from Israel; his trail name is Amtrak, nice kid.   What a day, July 31, about 2 in the afternoon.   Sitting here resting. I have just about had it. My ankles and my feet. I have got blisters on my left foot, on the ankle and on the ball of my foot. I met some more people. A young lady from New Jersey, she hiked from New Jersey. A couple, he hiked the whole thing and she joined him in Monson for the last 100 miles. I met a young fella from Ohio who is just finishing up and a person named Chief, who has done the whole thing, but I am looking for Rainbow Stream Campground but I think I may have passed it. So I might just camp out in the wild tonight but I am going to travel on and put one foot in front of the other. I am now into the Rainbow Stream Shelter about 6.00 and a guy had the whole shelter taken up with his tent but I did¢nt ask him to move it so I went up to the top of the hill to pitch my tent even though I am not very handy, but what the hell. So I am going to go down to the stream wash some clothes and wash my feet.   Wash some socks, and my shorts and cook some supper. Tough day today. Pa Kettle
Date: 2002-08-01
From: Mt. Katahdin, Maine

To: Georgia
Miles today: 10.0

Well it¢s August 1, and boy am I stiff and sore, I got to get a new backpack, don¢t know just when and how yet. It¢s 5 am in the morning and better brake camp and get going. Keep putting one foot after another. Slept pretty good last night. Kept tossing and turning. Didn¢t know if I had my bear bag high enough. Conquering the fear of the dark. SO I am going to cook some oatmeal for breakfast and have some tea. Then take off. Rough going this morning. Seems like I have only gone a couple of miles in 3 hours. Up and down, up and down, roots and rocks, roots and rocks. I am beginning to wonder what I am doing out here. But you know I am stubborn so I will keep putting one foot in front of the path of the other one. Beautiful day and I have passed by some beautiful mountain streams and I haven¢t seen any bears yet. I did see some bear droppings. So I do know that the bears do poo in the woods.Pack is not so bad must be getting used to it. But it¢s still not as good as I think I need. I am still thinking about ordering a new one. I still feel the blisters on my left foot. On the ball of foot and heel. I put duck tape on it this morning. No problem on the right one. I don¢t understand it.
Date: 2002-08-02
From: Katahdin, Maine

To: GA
Miles today: 13.0

August 2, 2002Well, another day, Really tough day for me today. I am camping besides a stream and it¢s just a campsite called Nahkamoata campsite. I met some people earlier at Nahmoahkanta lake, I think that is what it is called. There is a group of kids. 2 boys 6 girls and 2 counselors. They were called the outbound group and they take people on adventures and they took these kids canoeing and bushwhacking and now they are finishing up backpacking. They are just really good kids. They offered to feed me supper and everything. Anyway I stopped at this campground and I got here before they did and ask me if they could set up and I said sure go right ahead. Oh they are just having a great time, fun to listen to. But it has been really tough for me today. I met a gal who was going from Key West to Quebec, she was Mother Goose. She looked like she was OLD.   She is hiking from Florida to Canada. Boy I don¢t¢ know, these blisters are really getting me. I hope they get better. I am going to hit the sack, it is now 8:30pm. Pa Kettle
Date: 2002-08-03
From: Katahdin, Maine

To: GA
Miles today: 14.0

August 3, 2002At Natteewatchho spring lean to, brand new lean to. Stopped her for a little break. Saw the kids again from Outward Bound.   What a bunch of characters, just good kids. Having a tough time again with this pack. Was stupid not to get a new one. My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, the hip belt is rubbing against my waist, rubbing it raw.   The mosquitoes are bad today, but that was to be expected. I feel like going home.   I just wonder what I am doing out here. I see why people start this trail and go home within 2 weeks. I really see it now. It¢s a different ballgame. I didn¢t realize how tough it is walking. The roots are terrible and the rocks. You are constantly walking on roots and rocks, there are just no good places to walk or step. But we will see what happens, I just keep trucking away.   The outward-bound kids invited me for supper tonight if I can find their campground. They are going to have chili. Outbound group been leapfrogging with all day long and I am going to have chili with them. There is Scott, Joe, AJ, Mike, Hannah, Kristin, Caroline, Abby, Allison, and I think that is it. I met some characters on the trail today. One was Windjammer and can¢t remember the other one. They were north bounders. Then another old guy Grandpa but I don¢t think he was as old as I was, said he had 2 young grandchildren. Said his name was Rocky. Then I met some people on a logging road there was a guy from Shaw¢s boarding house shuttled them up there and they were going to take off and hike few days. So they happen to have a cell phone and I used the cell phone and ordered a new backpack. Takes 2-day air to Shaws Boarding house. SO I was lucky there. The old one is really tearing me apart. I should have known better to have a cheap pack like that.   But anyway things will work out. My blisters have healed just a little bit. I am getting a little bit stronger. I felt like going home earlier but feeling less discouraged now. But I met a few guys that our north bound and they said, Oh don¢t give up. Keep going you¢ll love it once you get going.   So I will keep plugging away. Camping tonight at Cooper Spring brook campsite. Shelter lean to was full, the tent sites were full so we had to camp on top of the hill. Camping with the outbounders again. They invited to eat with them again. Sure taking them along time to get it made. I am about ready to go to sleep here in my tent. I met Locomotive and Asirite, troy and Hillary, they are from California and they are going southbound, they started when I did. They said they hope to make it to Georgia by Xmas.   I think I can tag along with them. Met some other people today, can¢t remember all their names but they said we are going to see a lot of south bounders about now.   I am a little bit behind schedule. I am about 3 days behind. I got overly optimistic with my itinerary. I have a catch in my back and I just can¢t get comfortable. I hope they get that supper cooked pretty soon, because I am getting¢ HUNGRY.
Date: 2002-08-09
From: MAINE

To: GA
Miles today: 0.0

Friday August 9. Spent the night at the airport. Didn¢t get much sleep.   Had to take my shoes off in Bangor had to do the same in Boston and Minneapolis. Got to airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and my son-in-law Rick picked me up. I took Shelly¢s car and went down to a camp store in Cedar Rapids and tried on about 5 packs.   And finally found one that I think is gonna work for me. Soaked my feet last night and this morning in some Epsom salt. Who knows, I might go back, feeling better already....Pa Kettle
Date: 2002-08-13
From: MAINE

To: GA
Miles today: 0.0

August 13, 2002I am on the bus headed back to the trail in Bangor. I have a new pack. My foot seems to be recovered, my blisters are not recovered fully but hoping bus ride will allow healing to continue. Called Shaw Boarding house and Keith said he would come and get me and bring me back to Shaws.   I get into Bangor at 1 in the morning. Will see what happens there. I have mixed feelings about going but I haven¢t got anything else to do this fall and it¢s an adventure and I might as well just keep doing it. Mary has been just a little bit grouchy, I don¢t know if she really wants me out here. But I am going, but she has been pretty good. My pack weighs 42 pounds but that is with my boots on and everything. SO I think once my boots and clothes are out of there it will weigh around 35 pounds. I was off the trail for about a week and so that is going to leave me in a position so that I probably won¢t be able to finish before Xmas.   But you never know, I am going to try my best to take it slow and get my pack broken in and get my blisters healed. But you never know if things don¢t work out, I am just going to have to head back home again. And then that will be it. But I can¢t quite I have to keep going. That is just the way I am built. Kind of nice riding on the bus, kind of like riding in the car but you don¢t have to worry about driving but have to change in Chicago, Cleveland and boston. Bus was late getting to Bangor and got there about 3:30 in the morn, told a cab lady I want to go to Highway 15, and she dropped me off at this truck stop. I am about 4 miles from Highway 15 so I might have to call Keith and pay him the money instead of trying to hitch it to Shaw¢s.   Went into the bathroom to cleanup a little bit. My feet are swollen from my ankles down. I Don¢t¢ know what it is. It just looks like it is fluid. A third or bigger than they should be. Maybe from sitting and not having my feet up. I have never had my feet do this.   I don¢t know if I can get my hiking boots on. I will give it another day or 2 but if not. It looks like will have to just go back home. It¢s sort of looking like I am not supposed to do this. I don¢t know. Anyway, here I am at the truck stop trying to find a ride to highway 15 and then hopefully to Monson, back to the trail. Gonna go for it again.Pa Kettle
Date: 2002-08-16
From: Georgia

To: Georgia
Miles today: 12.0

Friday, August 16, 2002Ready to hit the trail again. Had a good night and good meal. Slept really well. Had a good breakfast with the Shaw¢s. Foot seems to be okay, put blister protection on my heels. The swelling has gone down on my feet. Going to try and take it easy, it¢s going to be a hot day. Have mixed feelings of getting started again. So I will just start walking.    Stopped into Horseshoe Canyon Shelter and saw that the guy that I started with back on Katahdin was here on the 12th. He had stayed at Shaw¢s and then came here and I am here at 11:15, so going to rest and then get going again.   It¢s a hot day; the Skeeters are kind of bad today.    Stopped for a noon break. My Pack is working really well. It¢s 75% better than the old one that¢s for sure. It¢s a lot less damage to my hips and shoulders.   I have been going pretty hard here today; I need to slow down a little bit. It just seems like when I get going, I just want to keep going.   I stopped at that lean-to shelter, and didn¢t rest for long but did take my shoes off and fixed the dressing on the blisters.   I don¢t know how they are doing, sometimes I can feel them and sometimes I don¢t.   I sent that tape to Pam, and then realized you don¢t have tape recorder. (From Pam, NO worries Dad¢¦got one cheap on EBAY)¢¦   Had a southbounder pass me here about 2 hours ago.   I couldn¢t understand him. He was French.   From Quebec, Canada.   I saw him a gain and he was eating some lunch, cooking some Ram3n Noodles.   I asked him his name, it was Sylvine. He had a hard time understanding my trail name. I said Pa Kettle¢¦he said pop¢¦ Pop¢¦Kettle?   Anyway he is kind of funny. I am making too many miles today; I need to slow down here.   I don¢t know. I can¢t seem to slow down I overdo it all the time. Arrived here at the lean-to about 5:00.   The blisters on my heels I can still feel them. On the one about half way through the day, those moleskins start slipping. I think it¢s my darn boots. But I arrived at Moxy Bald lean-to and there is nobody here but French-Canadian Sylvine, me.   He is a character. There is a lake right beside the camp here. I went swimming and then took a bath in the lake.   Washed clothes. It was a pretty good day, I kind of overdid it but there was no place to stay other than when I got here.   The first lean-to I got to, I got there at 11, and you know I couldn¢t stop then¢¦I had to keep going.   Then I thought I wouldn¢t be able to make the next lean-to or not but here I am, and it¢s 5.      The trail was pretty good. Not a lot of climbing today. A lot of rocks and roots though.   But my legs feel good and I am camped on kind of a slope, so don¢t know how it will go tonight.   I will probably slide down every 5 minutes¢¦but anyway, going to go to bed now¢¦it¢s 10 minutes to 8.   (Background sounds: Loons)