morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-07
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

I have reached what is considered the psychological half-way point of the Appalachian Trail and am finally out of Virginia. Man, was that a long (but amazing and beautiful) state. Soon, I will be crossing the line at which point I stop calling it the "AppaLATCHIN" Trail and have to start calling it the "AppaLAYSHUN" Trail. Yessir, I will be in Yankee country soon - home, sweet home.I've also crossed the 1000-mile mark heading into town. Man, it feels amazing to have come this far. I can still remember the exact moment I crossed the 100-mile mark at Glassmine Gap: Momma's Boy was rebel-yelling like a son-of-a-gun and jumping around giving high-fives...it was a moving moment. I joked to the fellow I was hiking with while crossing the 1000-mile mark that the reason I don't holler anymore is because the joy has completely left me by now. hee hee...sarcastic humor was appropriate at the time.I'm also slightly injured right now, so I'll be spending a few days in town taking in the sights and resting. My folks have been doing a great job responding to my needs and I should be back on the trail before the weekend. I'm excited to be in a such a historically-charged place for my break.Sometime, while I've been in town, I've lost my Sheriff's badge. With the other events that have happened in my life recently and having reached such a milestone on the trail, I've decided that it is a sign that I need to change my trail name. After much thought (last night), I've decided to change my trail name to "footprints", because for all of the toughest times I've had, God has lifted and carried me through them, even if I've sometimes felt alone.In a few days, I will wander back onto that dirt highway and look to the north once more and pray...Lord, give me strength when I'm weak, courage when I fear, and wings for my feet when my endurance fails me. His Will be done.
Date: 2004-08-10
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Dalton, Massachusetts has a new Sheriff in town, and he's feeling good!The past couple of weeks have been wonderful on the trail. My body is almost 100% healthy, the weather has been beautiful and not humid, and the trails have been gloriously gentle. The last four states seem to have flown by in the past month. I think God knew I needed it.Today has been the epitome of the days all thru-hikers dream of on the trail. I woke up this morning on Upper Goose Pond in the enclosed bunkhouse. The caretakers (rare for shelters) were making coffee and pancakes for breakfast and the smells were drifting up the old wooden stairs to my nostrils poking out of my warm and cozy sleeping bag.After stuffing myself on blueberry pancakes (blueberries fresh from the bushes just 10 miles down the road) and coffee, my crew of north-bounders wanders north on the trail towards today's destination: Dalton, MA. At around 9:30, I come across a south-bounder who informs me that just 10 minutes ahead at a road crossing, some alumni thru-hikers are making banana splits for hikers coming through. My pace quickened. There's nothing like a large ice cream sundae at 10am.The trail to Dalton from Upper Goose Pond, is, for the most part, flat. I think we had two 200 foot climbs today. We easily did 3mph (fast for us) for most of the 20+ mile day.At the 1/2-way point, Pittsfield road, we stopped at the home of famous trail angel, "The Cookie Lady" and had cookies and coke for our second break of the day. Our sugar high was in full swing by now. I'm sure we were quite annoying at this point.3/4 of the way through the day, on a nice downhill stretch, we came across a cooler full of both Coke and Pepsi (very thoughtful for those taking sides), so we "refueled" and kept basically running up the trail. I'm sure our demeanor would probably have been characterized as "obnoxious" by now, because our irritating and unceasing banter was now interrupted periodically by terrific burps.2 miles from Dalton we passed 18 cans of grape soda. We didn't even stop. Making record time, we arrived at Tom Levardi's place in Dalton where he promptly offered us ice cream and then took us out to dinner at the Applebees. My die-hard, rough and rugged hiking crew is sitting in the living room now watching Comedy Central.Life on the trail is rough, indeed. Some days, I know exactly what keeps me going (sugar).
Date: 2004-08-19
From: Dalton, MA

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slowing way down...I am in Manchester Center in lovely, muddy, ever so muddy Vermont. It's beautiful up here, but the trails are a mess! It's a good thing that Vermont has all of these trails, otherwise I don't know what they'd do with all of this water. I could swear my last few days could be considered "aqua blazing".Life is going well. I'm staying in town tonight with some old friends, Chuggs and Skywalker. They caught up with me yesterday and we talked each other into taking a short day and staying in town tonight.We'll be back on tomorrow, heading for Killington, VT, for a mail drop pickup and possibly a night with Skywalker's friends.I've vowed to not do any more 20-mile days and am going to take a lot more breaks. I want to start really enjoying this time in the northeast.I should be in New Hampshire next week sometime and the Whites await me. I await them and their incredible beauty.Only 500 miles and 5 or so weeks left in this adventure. I'm a happy, happy man today.
Date: 2004-08-29
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hello, New Hampshire!I hiked into Hanover this afternoon, the past two days hot and humid - very odd for these parts this time of year. The heat index today was 94 degrees and boy did it feel like it.Vermont has been, by far the hardest state to leave. It has been a beautiful trip through the Green Mountain state and I've enjoyed almost all of it immensely.Chuggs, Skywalker and I spent a good break with Sarah O'Doherty in Poultney, Vermont and I really was renewed through my time off. Sarah is a wonderful host and my body and spirit were rejuvenated to full strength there.Tomorrow, we head off into New Hampshire, and in two days we'll be in the White Mountains. The Whites are rumored to be the toughest section of the trail and the south-bounders have echoed the same sentiments. Thankfully, my days will be shorter and I'm going to try to unload some weight before we get into the mountains again.I'm excited that I'm in my 13th state and have less than 450 miles to go. The north is beautiful and I'm looking forward to enjoying it at a reasonable pace.
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Hanover, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Gorham, New Hampshire - the gateway to Maine (about 12 miles or so). I'm finally here. It's been a long and difficult week, but the experiences I've had, I will never forget.After reaching Mt. Washington last Wednesday, a group (Chuggs, Skywalker, Still Frank and Chef Vegan) of us decided to hitch into Gorham to wait out the hurricane that was supposed to come through the following day. So, on Friday, we hit the trail again at the top of Mt. Washington with the plan that Still Frank and I would traverse the ridgeline while Chuggs and Skywalker headed south down the same trail. At the end of the day, one group would pick up the car and the other folks at the opposite end of the trail. The plan didn't work at all.When Frank and I arrived at the summit of Washington, we were greeted by 30-40mph winds with gusts in the 50s and 60s. The temperature was the low 40s. It was all we could do to get from the rental van to the summit house without blowing away. Intuition told me that our day should end there. BUT...after talking to the ranger who said, and I quote "It's doable. As soon as you get down off of the summit, the winds will be strong, but not so gusty." He was wrong.It took us 5 hours to go the 5.8 miles to Madison Hut, traversing the Presidential Range and summiting Mt. Jefferson and Madison. On the summit of Jefferson, the winds were much stronger than those that we felt on Washington - we were in trouble. We reached Madison, but hadn't heard from Chuggs and Skywalker yet, so after waiting an hour, decided to push on. We eventually (after taking a wrong turn and blue-blazing off of the ridge) got back to Pinkham Notch and found that Chuggs and Skywalker had turned back during the day and had an awful hike as well. While my difficulty was with the weather, they had to hike some wicked terrain. We learned later that shortly after Frank and I left Mt. Washington, windspeeds were clocked at 86mph making the temperature near freezing.We were lucky to escape the range alive and well and we're all thankful for it. I think adventure is defined as being out in a crazy situation through which you constantly wish you were home - quite accurate.I'll be glad to hike into Maine tomorrow. I don't think I'll be finishing by the 30th of this month, but that's the breaks. I'm healthy and moving north. I can't ask for much more these days.
Date: 2004-09-24
From: Gorham, NH

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Chuggs, Skywalker and I are zeroing here today in Stratton, Maine at the White Wolf Inn. Logistical issues have delayed us this time. At least we are all, for the most part healthy. My impatience with being so close to the end of this journey and being torn between solidarity and individual pursuits is difficult to hide. I pray that I can just chill out and try to enjoy this time I have left.The pure hiking is the most enjoyable I've experienced on this trip. The weather is incredible: crisp air, changing the leaves to beautiful reds and yellows and making me feel so alive sometimes it stings to breathe. Today, it's sunny and clear - probably the most beautiful zero day I've taken.With the way things are working out, I will probably summit Katahdin sometime in the middle of the first week in October. I still am having a hard time believing where I am right now and what I'm doing (and have been doing since April). For the first time on the trail, I can honestly say that I wouldn't rather be anywhere else, doing anything else.It seems contentment (as is the case even back in the real world) will forever be an issue for me.
Date: 2004-10-07
To: A Journey at an End
Miles today: 0.0

Well, as soon as it started, it was over.Yesterday at 2:30pm, after 5.2 miles and a 4000+ foot climb, I reached the summit of Mt. Katahdin(5267'), kissed the Northern terminus sign of the Appalachian Trail and began the celebration. 171 days (on trail) and 2174.1 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia, this trail ended for me. I can't begin to describe the feelings that were pouring through me as I finished this hike. Incredible.Today, I'm in Bar Harbor, Maine until Friday night and then my good friend, Steve is coming up from Portland to help me begin the relatively short journey home. I'm concentrating on celebrating right now, though.This is a momentous time for me and the single biggest emotion I feel right now, and especially when I hit the top of Katahdin yesterday, was gratitude. I feel like I'm blessed beyond belief - blessed with the health and strength to complete this journey, the financial and material resources, and most of all, the family and friends (on AND off trail) that have watched over me and prayed for me during this arduous trip. I'm so grateful for them all. God has truly given me more than I could have ever expected when I left that parking lot in Amicalola State Park and hiked up Springer Mountain on the first of April, six months ago.Now on to other things and a life that I haven't lived in a while: A new adventure with a new perspective on so many things. God's will be done. - Tim "Sheriff footprints" Morrill   10/7/2004 Bar Harbor, Maine
Date: 2004-03-25
From: South Lake Tahoe, CA

To: Atlanta, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Here I go! After 3 years of planning, I¢m on my way to Georgia. Up @ 2:00am and flying out of Sac @ 6:30am after four hours sleep. Hung out with my Mammoth roomies last night @ Caesars and then went home to buy temp insurance. Think I spent about 400 dollars for 6 months. Spent the day yesterday doing last minute errands. Got a ton of great fleece and base layer stuff at Great Outdoor Clothing Company. Good sale. Still need some stuff at REI in Atlanta though.
Date: 2004-03-27
From: Atlanta, GA

To: Horse Gap
Miles today: 10.9

10:12amHere we go! Susan and I signed the trail register, took some pictures of flowers for mom and we¢re off!5:10pmHiked 10.9 miles today. Feet sore but I feel great. Wasn¢t too hot, thank god. Almost out of water but we¢ll just conserve @ dinner and get more tomorrow. Should have stopped at that last river. Happy to be backpacking again! P.S. Finally got my guitar tuned after trying all day!
Date: 2004-03-28
From: Horse Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Forgot to mention my pack weight. I¢m weighing in at 52 lbs after water and food. Susan is at 48 lbs before water. I found a trail name for Susan¢¦ Spiderweb. She is thinking of giving me Mix Master Goat Boy but I¢m not so sure that¢s going to fly!Spiderweb had a cool idea today. At the end of the trail we¢ll get a tattoo to celebrate the journey¢s end. We¢re also going to put together a book of games to entertain you while on the trail.
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Woody Gap

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Easy day today¢¦ about 7 miles from Woody Gap. Woke up a little later this morning and got a slow start. Made some apple and cinnamon oatmeal, which was kinda bland. Met some new people including Katie, Carl, and Holland at Woody Gap. Also met Dave, Rick and Trainwreck here at the shelter tonight. Hugs and Badges who we had met at Gooch Gap are here as well. They had gotten a ride into Neels Gap from Trail Angels and were able to get their packs down to about 40 lbs. Glad we only did 7 miles today because my feet are killing me! My feet are void of blisters so I guess their just sore dogs. Soaked em in the stream while filtering water (I filtered upstream of course!) Had parmesan lentil soup for lunch and garlic mashed potatoes with falafel for dinner. Starting to get my appetite back but I still want to avoid stuffing myself. Will pass through Neel¢s Gap tomorrow and get a bit more fuel. Will also send out some postcards and probably call home.
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Rock Spring Top
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Started out the day with rain at 1:15a. Ran out in the sprinkle to throw the fly on. Didn¢t sleep well the rest of the night because of the pitter-patter on the tent. Hung out in Neels Gap today and got some M&M + Skittles¢¦ Yum. Called Mom to say hello. Camping just a few miles past Neels Gap. Should be in Hiawassee in about five days. Beat Spiderweb at Shitboots three times. Yea¢¦ I rule.
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Rock Spring Top

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: light rain

The UnknownCresting a ridge on ancient mountains highAmazement steals my breathWords can only run and hideA sight truly described only in the heartSounds never to be heard and only understood in the eyeA cold snow blown by a north windMelts on the old groundAnd frosts my warm skinAnother print made on a beaten pathAn adventure of a lifetimeA personal challenge, a journey with a friendWhile shared with others, each step I take is my ownI¢m building a stairway to KatahdinAnd taking another step into the unknown© John Truesdell
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Low Gap

To: Cheese Factory Site
Miles today: 13.0

Had a fun time with a big crew of thru-hikers last night. Scratch, Sweetpea, I Need A Hug, Didi, Powder Finger, Sal, Trainwreck, Halfway, etc, etc. Played some guitar around a smoky fire. This morning Susan and I hiked seven miles in only 3.5 hours so we passed up Blue Mountain Shelter and came here. Nice site with a beautiful maze of green tress. Still windy as hell out here though. Twenty degrees on Springer Mtn last night and even colder where we were. Supposed to be colder tonight. Still not sleeping all that well. I feel rested but am waking up too much at night. Last night I was really uncomfortable and cold. Will be going into Hiawassee day after tomorrow. Will be good to be in town for a day.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 7.2

What a day. Got a late start after ¢take care of the body¢ day yesterday. Got snowed on and almost blown over by the gusting wind today. Cold damn day with only a slight tease by the sun. Was going to eat lunch at Addis Gap but saw something unusual coming down the hill. We passed tree after tree with bright neon signs attached advertising free food and good times. For almost a mile, we saw signs encouraging hikers to come down into Addis Gap for the 11th annual Feast in the Forest. Didn¢t quite believe it but Spiderweb and I decided to go check it out. Turns out it was true and had great food beside a big camp fire. Started drinking and eating from 2:00pm till late into the night. Very friendly people and one of the hosts, Kelly, was awesome on the guitar. What a random but amazing experience!
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Addis Gap

To: Diick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: clear sky

Got a lazy start today which was much needed after last night! Left the Feast in the Forest just before noon after a big breakfast of ham omelets and French toast. Great hospitality from some interesting but friendly people. Rolled into Dick¢s Creek Gap around 2:30pm and tended to the feet for a bit. Set up camp, made dinner and strummed some tunes. Feels somewhat lonely now after such a great party last night. We spent some time with some fun thru-hikers, many of which left early this morning. I can¢t remember all the names but I know Banana, Chigger, Chef Ra, Army Sean and others were there. I Need A Hug and Trainwreck were also there. Banana told me funny but totally lame joke¢¦ What is Beethoven¢s favorite fruit? Banna-na-na-na. Ha Ha Ha.
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

Spent almost 48 hours off the trail. Got a hitch into Hiawassee yesterday from a couple going Kayaking. Had to walk about 1/3 of a mile but finally got picked up. Got a room at the Hiawassee Inn and ate a bad buffet at Daniel¢s Steakhouse. Man what a religious town¢¦ of course we¢ve arrived here Sunday as church is getting let out. Couldn¢t get beer¢¦ bummer. Ate way too much sugar; lemonheads and chocolate. Got back on the trail around noon after a frustrating conversation with the company I thought I was insured by. Turns out I¢m not insured because they wanted a different mailing address than the one I supplied. I haven¢t been able to check e-mail for a week so they canceled my application and now I have to reapply! Nice hike today, although I felt a bit weighted down by our maildrop. Ended up putting a lot of food in the community hiker box. Still feel like I¢ve got a lot. Hiked 8.7 miles today to Bly gap. Very scenic hike and we crosses over the state line into NC! Yea! Once state down, thirteen more to go!The balls of my feet are feeling like mush. Wondering if it¢s going to develop into bigger problem. Can¢t wait to get my custom footbeds in my next maildrop. I found an old trail leading out to an outcropping here at Bly gap and got to watch a beautiful sunset tonight.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Bly Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Got started around 10:30 this morning. Not used to getting up this late when backpacking. I used to be up before or with the sun! Susan and I made about twelve miles today to Beech Gap. Pretty camping area full of lots of greenery and sheltered campsites. No wind tonight so we actually had a very enjoyable fire. Fixed up come Moroccan Stew and Mac & Cheese after that. Was so thirsty after the salty Mac & Cheese that I chugged a liter and a half of water. Now I have to pee.While this campsite is nice, I¢m bummed that people have trashed it. Came into camp to find some plastic applesauce containers and Snickers wrappers in the fire pit. People think they can burn anything! On the way down to the water, I discovered a forest littered with half buried toilet paper. I even saw a tampon applicator! Last night two of the thru-hikers thought it was fun to knock down small but live trees for firewood at Bly Gap. To break up their kill, they began smashing six inch diameter branches against a living tree to break them. Most people out here seem pretty respectful towards the environment but others haven¢t a care in the world. I don¢t want to come off as some jerk from California, but I feel like I should start calling people on these things. Met a girl today who has been spending a lot of time in Humboldt County, my stomping grounds throughout college. Susan told me later that she works with one of my Humboldt friends. Small world! Maybe I¢ll run into her on the West Coast sometime. Enjoyed the hike today. A couple locals pointed out some different kinds of trees. Much more greenery as we get further north. Seems like a lot of fallen trees¢¦ maybe from the strong winds we¢ve been hearing. Many broken leaves on the trail from the fall season shed and even saw some snow on the accent up Standing Indian Mtn. Yea!One of the guys showed me a couple new cords on the guitar last night. I really need to work on rhythm though.
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Beech Gap

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Great hike today. Started a little after 10:00am. Bad breakfast though. Powdered eggs. Not recommended. Felt strong again today and my feet felt great until the last couple miles. Mostly downhill through green tunnels today. Came across a great vista looking south. It was a clear day so we could see quite a ways. Refilled water @ Betty Creek which looked like a real nice place to stay. Water 14 mile off trail through a rhododendron tunnel to a cold, clear stream. A log bridge across it led to an open grassy field with good campsites. It was only a couple miles away from Beech though so we kept going. Really enjoyed the hike up Big Butt Mtn. and Albert Mtn. Big Butt was a steep climb at first to a gentle up hill on the side of a cliff. A thin wall of trees separated the narrow trail from possible B.A.S.E. jumping adventures. Very green with moist, firm ground. How fitting that the forest on Big Butt Mtn. smelled of skunk weed!Really enjoyed the accent up Albert Mtn because it was steep and challenging! 500 ft climb in 3/10 of a mile. Once on top of the 5220 foot mtn, you can climb another hundred feet up the fire tower for some great views. After Albert Mtn, it was a gentle 6/10 mile hike to the shelter. Finally met Will-Make-It and Jack & Jill from Texas. Wife & Beater and Trainwreck also staying here tonight.Got a creepy feeling @ Beech gap last night and just found out that Susan was feeling weirded out too. Don¢t know if it was the openness of the area and solitude or if something happened there. Either way, it was the first time Susan and I had been freaked out on the trail. Will have to ask Trainwreck if he got any strange feelings about that place last night. Off to bed. Going to watch the sunrise tomorrow from Albert Mtn!