morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-30
From: Swift Little Pond Campsite

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up a bit later than normally, it felt good to sleep in for a bit. Tunnel Vision, Shrugs and I hiked less than 5 miles to reach the road leading to Rangeley, ME. We strolled down a gradual incline and a minimally obstructed path. We made it in 2 hours. It felt good to be hiking at a decent speed, for once.The traffic was light so we walked to a nearly-on-trail hostel called the Hiker Hut where they offer shuttles into Rangeley. We went to the grocery store and did our resupply. We had a few hours to kill as the shuttle was only coming back later in the afternoon so we headed out of the grocery parking lot and started walking towards the town's main commercial district... until, our arms aching from the heavy bags, we decided that it was too far away. We went back to the grocery's parking lot and sat down against the building, like a pair of bums. We ate ice cream.The shuttle came back and brought us back to the Hiker Hut where we met the owner, Steve. The place is really nice, a hidden and very rustic sanctuary with a beautiful garden. Steve is a great guy: he does volunteer work with an NGO that raises money to pay for medical treatment for children in India with disfiguring tumors. We talked for a while and finally headed out; while it would have been nice to stay, we wanted to move on a bit.My bag was so heavy. So, so, so heavy. We wanted to be able to skip the next town (Stratton) and reach Monson in one stretch. This implied 7 days worth of food. During these last few days, even if I knew that my pack was getting smaller (as we were eating our food reserves), it still felt as if my pack's weight was increasing. Decreasing volume yet increasing mass, my pack seemed to be gaining density. Maybe there is a strange cosmic occurance in my pack where previously undescribed particles are accumulating. The same way that the Higg's Boson "gives" mass, these particles, let's call them "suffertrons", add density to the object on which they are applied. Maybe stars encounter suffertrons too as they roam through space, speeding along the void. Lonely stars that have witnessed eons pass, solitary and forlorn. They grow tired and begin to decay, gradually collapsing on themselves as suffertrons swarm them, until they implode from the weight of their misery and become black holes. I need to get to Katahdin before I too become a black hole. Things are already starting to wear down and degrade. My pants are in tatters, my pack is ripped and my boots - oh Lord, my boots - are barely wearable. Holes are forming and two eyelets have been ripped off. I don't know if they can last much longer. I will try to tough them out.- Axon
Date: 2015-08-05
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up in (surprise!) a dry tent. We started the day by crossing a jumble of wet, round and unstable wooden logs. A series of planks held by the rocks on which we walked on contained somewhat the overflowing pond. The sky was overcast as we followed a large stream that flowed towards the Kennebec River, going over roots and rocks and crossing smaller streams.We arrived early to the shore of the Kennebec River. A light drizzle started as we were waiting for the ferry to cross it. As the canoe arrived, we were joined by Firestarter and Five. We have seen Five only once before, coming out of Franklin, NC almost 5 months ago!Axon thoroughly enjoyed the canoe ride across the river. We were about the 900th hikers the ferry had carried this year. (And yesterday afternoon was the only time no one had come for the crossing. I wonder why!)We then had a 5-minute walk to the road followed by a 20-minute walk to the Sterling Inn. It is a very nice place with a resupply containing exactly what hikers need. As we were enjoying a pint of Ben and Jerry's and just being clean, a thundershower started outside. It only lasted a few minutes but I was very glad to have avoided it. It has been sprinkling on-and-off the whole afternoon since. It was a nice nero.- Shrugs
Date: 2015-08-07
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up late and watched the lake as we ate breakfast. It was going to be a beautiful day. We had 3-4 knee-deep rivers to ford. The sun was shining and the river's bottom was clear so it was easy to navigate through the rocks. The water was cold though! Otherwise, the terrain was excessively muddy and rooty. My boots would get cleaned from the rivers but they would get dirty again in a few seconds. We made incredibly good time and arrived in Monson at 3:30 PM. Monson is the final town before the end. The last shower, last resupply. I have never yet felt that we are coming to the end, but today it hit us. I am ambivalent: we have been wanting to come back since forever, but the prospect of returning to real life is surreal. Shrugs said that this journey must end one day: all things must end. I agree. Finishing the AT, it's hard to imagine. How will we feel? I am trying to compare the end of this journey to other major life transitions, but I can't. Maybe I lack life experience to do so or maybe a thru-hike is really a unique experience. It is undoubtedly the hardest thing I have done and it is a relief to think that the physical pain and constant discomfort will end, but pushing through those hard times is invigorating and rewarding, as if we are revived, emerged as new people. Axon is my alter-ego, a temporary (?) identity.Anyway, this will be my last update for a while. I probably won't have any reception and I won't buy a new data plan (it is bought for 31 days at a time, so it is not worth it for a few more days, especially since I won't have reception.Katahdin ETA: August 15th +/- 1 day. Of course, there is so many things that can go wrong... I am nervous. And excited. I don't know what to think. See you all at the end.- Axon
Date: 2015-08-08
From: Monson, ME

To: Stealth camp by Long Pond stream
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a great breakfast at Shaw's: eggs, fried potatoes, bacon and blueberry pancakes. I burned the roof of my mouth eating a potato, I was eating too fast. It is a great hiker hostel, I am glad we stayed here (my only "complaint" is the really, really steep stairs leading up to the second floor, dubbed "Mt Shaw"). Hippie Chick and Poet, who tend the place are AT hikers themselves and are also basically the nicest people.Poet gave us a ride to the trailhead and we were off. After two minutes of hiking I stopped as I felt a sharp object digging into my foot. It was the plastic mold that serves to reinforce my ankle brace. The stitches were ripped and the rigid plastic had drifted out of its place. Everything is falling apart. I hope we make it to Katahdin soon and in one piece.We entered the 100 Mile Wilderness, the final stretch of this journey.I have heard that the 100 Mile Wilderness is easy as the terrain is flat and one can breeze through it. Indeed, acoording to the elevation profile, there are a couple days worth of incredibly flat and level terrain, like the ECG of an unresponsive heart. However, the first few days are far from easy. We hiked over small rocky bumps for the whole day. And this wasn't a smooth, continuous stream of rolling hills. They were jagged hills: abrupt vertical up over tangled roots and rocks followed by a symetrical downhill.I wasn't feeling very well. Maybe I had eaten too much at breakfast. Maybe I just wasn't into it. Sometimes, it's hard to say if the issue originated from a physical ailment or if it is mainly mental. In any case, we hiked slowly and took many breaks between the numerous up and downs. We crossed a set of railroad tracks. The guidebook calls it the "Montr©al, Maine & Atlantic Railroad". That would have been so cool to hop on the train.There were many rivers to ford today. Two of them had a long rope that extended from one shore to the next to help hikers. Good idea, however the rope was very high up. It was difficult to retain my balance when fording the knee-to-thigh-deep river with my arms completely extended over my head and my fingers stretched out to grapple the rope. I was once more saddened by my perma-wet feet. They look so bad. At one point, seemingly out of nowhere, the Trail became littered with rocks. Impossible to maintain any momentum through the path of large rocks. Was Pennsylvania trying to make a comeback?The last river to ford had a particularly strong current and slippery rocks. The rope was again overhead. I inched forward and slipped. My foot shot out and was caught between two rocks, which hurt a lot but it was enough to halt my fall and stabilize myself. We crossed the river and saw some great stealth spots. We were less than a mile from the shelter so we decided to stay. I checked my thumb and it is still swollen and red. How can one wasp (confirmed, it was a wasp) hurt me so much?- Axon
Date: 2015-08-09
From: Stealth camp by Long Pond stream

To: Campsite near West Branch Pleasant river
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When I asked Shrugs at the end of the day what stood out for him he answered "up a lot... steep". So there you go. The day did indeed start with some difficult climbs. We went up Barren Mountain, 4th Mountain, 3.5 and 3rd Mountain. Seriously, those are dumb (albeit quite logical) names. I don't remember much of the details except that the terrain was typical Maine. At one point I was mindlessly hiking, not paying attention to the ground and my foot suddendly sank in a calf-deep mud pool. I feared that I would sink in the bog and be lost forever. Shrugs pulled me out and the thick, viscous puddle made a huge suction sound. Not too long after, the same thing happened to Shrugs. We smelled particularly bad afterwards.Another time, I had trouble climbing over a large rock. I positioned my back against the rock wall and pushed myself up backwards. However, my pack tilted backwards as I managed to get over the rock and I landed on my back, like a turtle. My pack seemed to be stuck, wedged between some rocks or roots and I was unable to get up. I called for Shrugs to help me but he was laughing too hard to help; he could barely stand up. I finally managed to unbuckle my pack and slither out of it. We decided to take a break on top of 3rd Mountain. There was a group of high school seniors or college freshmen who were feeling ~badass~ as they were eating Snickers bars for lunch. They were hilarious. I also noticed how they were sitting down facing the view while we were sitting with our backs turned to it. Sometimes, we don't really care: the views can be repetitive and mundane, especially when we are tired. It's an unfortunate fact but it's worth mentioning that hiking can be dull at times. Here's a story to highlight my statement. A while back, we met Slingshot, a hiker who has a beautiful doberman named Aramis. Slingshot is incredibly attentive to Aramis' needs and will always stop if he notices the dog trailing behind. At one point, Aramis began stalling for no apparent reason. He eventually bolted in the forest and came back with a large stick that he presented to Slingshot, trying to initiate a game of tug-o-war. EVEN THE DOG was tired of hiking! The final mountain of the day was Chairback. Nothing particular about it except that the descent was a rock scramble. Giant rocks that were either smooth and frictionless or pointed and sharp.Luckily, the stretch afterwards up to the campsite was great. A nice break.- Axon
Date: 2015-08-10
From: Campsite near West Branch Pleasant river

To: Stealth camp near Mountain View pond
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

It was another beautiful day. We packed up our stuff and headed out. After two minutes of hiking, we came across the West Branch Pleasant river to ford. I groaned loudly (in the name of my feet) and I heard Young Blood laugh from his tent. "Happy fording!", he yelled out. Today we had a small chain of mountains to hike over: Gulf Hagas, West Peak, Hay and White Cap, the tallest of the four (~3,500'). The mountains were definitely steep but the Trail was very well maintained and the rocks and roots were few. We made great time. I did notice however that the mountains were swarming with flies; I could almost make out a low humming sound in the background. The view from White Cap Mountain is especially grandiose as we can see Katahdin, far away in the distance. Our first look at the finish line (and tangible proof that said finish line is real and not a myth). The other thru-hikers were ecstatic at the sight of the great mountain although I could not say the same for me. Katahdin appeared to me like a mirage, a blue-ish projection. What immediatly struck me was how far it still seemed. We had a long climb down but the terrain was reasonable and it went smoothly. Consequently, we managed to arrive early at the shelter which prompted us to push a little further. We found a nice stealth spot near a pond. We were really tired.- Axon
Date: 2015-08-11
From: Stealth camp near Mountain View pond

To: Nahmakanta Stream Campsite
Miles today: 21.9

Today was great because we finally arrived at a flat portion of the Trail, comparable to a highway. Incidently, we sped through the Trail today. We are finally able to instinctively avoid all the rocks and tree roots that creep across the Trail to block our path. We were quietly hiking when we saw through the trees the profile of a hiker sporting an unmistakable mustache charging down the Trail. Giuseppe! I excitedly called out his name and he recognized us. We had last seen Giuseppe in Virginia. He said that he had completed his thru-hike few days prior (his third!) and was now hiking back down south. He still wasn't sure if he would make it to Springer, but I think that it's pretty amazing that he chooses to continue hiking. I hope he does manage the yo-yo hike.We passed through a campsite which had a privy named "Fort Relief". Or maybe it's the name of the campsite. It cracked me up.We continued hiking as usual until I suddenly stumbled forward as a sharp jolt of pain paralized my calf. No doubt, it was another wasp. I did not see my assailant this time as it had fled the scene but that pain is unmistakeable. I limped for a few minutes, unintelligibly muttering to myself "it'sOKit'sOKit'sOK", as I waited for the acute pain to subside. Short bursts of pain shot up my leg and the skin where the stinger punctured me felt numb. In a few minutes, my calf swelled and reddened in an almost cartoonish fashion. Maybe the wasp stung me because I was still excited from seeing Giussepe. The Trail thought "this hiker is too happy, I better do something about it... let's see, I think I'll hit her with a wasp sting/rain combo. Enjoy, bitch!"And yes, rain came moments after. We had stopped near a lake so that I could tend to my wound and saw Loon. We chatted while we hiked and said that the weather had been so great for the last FOUR consecutive days that rain was bound to fall soon. And it did. Delicately at first but, once we reached the shelter, it was pouring consistently. We took a break and reluctantly pushed on. We made it to the campsite a few minutes past 5 PM, after having completed 22 miles, a clear time record for us (and a proof that the terrain was indeed easy). The rain was hitting hard so we decided to set up our tent and hide. Had it been nice out, I think we could have continued. - Axon
Date: 2015-09-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This is only a semi-serious entry, but why not: we have counted how many days of rain we experienced. We read through all our journal entries and looked at all our pictures to help us remember. We have included in our calculations any type of rain of varying quantity. This means we count when it showered for only a few hours, where there was a persistent, light drizzle and when there was a terrible thunderstorm. We therefore received some sort of precipitation 41% of the days. That¢s a lot! Bear in mind that this year has been particularly cold and wet. However, I will still state that if you cannot stand the rain, the AT may not be for you! I am sure that every year there is always a couple of weeks where it rains all the time. Hiking in the rain is miserable, though the trepidation that arose when anticipating more rain was probably worse as it made us dread the following days. I think the worst part is the perpetually wet feet. I don¢t really have a solution to this problem other than to have a way to dry them out for the night, be it by keeping a dry towel or dry socks. A pack cover is a must and if all waterproofing measures fail and all your gear becomes wet, it is ok to run away towards civilization for a brief reprise. At least when it rains, there will be flowing water. We never experienced a dry water source although this is an important issue. Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey were probably the ¢driest¢ states, that is, those whose water sources are prone to drying up after a few consecutive hot days. We typically carried 2 liters/quarts of water per person and sometimes 3 if we knew we were going through a longer stretch without water. I know it seems like a lot (and it definitely adds a lot of weight), but I was unwilling to compromise on the issue of hydration. Random note as well: most of the time, the water was fine (we ALWAYS filtered) but from New York onwards the water was sometimes discolored and odd-tasting. We had packets of powdered flavor to add to our drinking water when that happened. It has now been about 3 weeks since our return and it has rained a couple of times during the night only. SERIOUSLY?! I plan on uploading a couple more entries soon. I began school again last week and have not been focused on the journal. In the meantime, here is an immediate post-AT observation: calculus is hard Justine
Date: 2015-02-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Recently, hiking the Appalachian Trial went from something on my life list to a serious prospect for this year to a full commitment to a Northbound thru-hike starting April 7. 47 days! In late December, I met a woman who had completed a thru-hike in 2013 (Aviator) at a meetup at a local craft brewery. I learned that it was possible to prepare in 3 months (or less!). I caught the trail bug bad.   Since then, I've been mentally and physically preparing and selecting gear. I am grateful to live close to the AT in Central Virginia and have many opportunities to get out on the trail to train and, more importantly, to clear my mind. Talking with people who have successfully completed the AT has been my best source of information, and I have also enjoyed reading Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis, Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Phar Davis, and AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller. I have eagerly awaited the arrival of my 2015 Guide and gear that I've ordered.      So why am I hiking the Appalachian Trial?These verses from e.e. cummings sum it up well:(i who have died am alive again today, and this is the sun¢s birthday; this is the birth day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay great happening illimitably earth)Happy trails to me!
Date: 2015-03-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I've been out walking in my new hiking shoes and testing my sleep system for cold weather. Mentally, I am ready to go. I just need to finish getting my gear ready and tying up my life here before departure (5 weeks away!). I have heard and read that planning an itinerary is pointless and former thru-hikers wished they would have been more spontaneous, so I have an idea about where I'll sleep the first three nights and a place picked out to resupply and restore before entering the Smokies, but that's it. Here's to seeing where the day takes me! It has also been helpful not to keep a master list of all the things I need to do before my start date. Instead, I write on the calendar whatever I have accomplished that day that got me closer to being ready. Wishing peace, happiness, and safety to everyone starting this month.   These words from the poem "Bajo la lluvia" (Under the Rain) by Juana de Ibarborou (Uruguay, 1892-1979) should come in handy on The Trail. Here is my translation:It rains, it rains, it rains,and I go, path in front,with my soul light and my face radiant,without feeling, without dreaming,full of the voluptuousness of not thinking.
Date: 2015-03-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

One month from today I'll be signing the register at Springer...woah.My second attempt to do a practice overnight with my cold-weather gear setup was cancelled this weekend due to a snowstorm two days ago and sub 20 temperatures at night. But temperatures are forecasted to be in the 50's this week, so I'm hoping a lot of the snow will melt in the mountains and I will be able to get out soon and really test my kit. That said, I am prepared for snow during my first month on the trail and I've been out hiking in the white stuff.So instead of sleeping out, I went to the grocery store and calculated the caloric density of foods. My mental math skills are sharpening! I know I'll need to be really careful to get the (many) calories I need without weighing down my pack. Macadamia nuts seem to be the nirvana of high caloric density foods at 200 calories per ounce. I got to be pretty good at this game and could tell whether something was going to have a high caloric density or not before looking at the "nutrition" facts. The cookie/cracker/trail mix/nuts/jerky aisle was pure gold. I'm counting calories...this is a strange new world.
Date: 2015-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was able to get out last week for an overnight test run: a loop using the AT from Reid's Gap (Blue Ridge Parkway mile 13.6) and the Maur-Har Trail that parallels Campbell Creek. I spent the night at the beautiful Harper's Creek Shelter, situated, you guessed it, right beside Harper's Creek. With all the snow melt and rain we've had lately, the creeks and cascades are beautiful and the stream crossings can be creative. Two retired guys out for 8 days were good company at the shelter. All my gear is working well except my shoes were too small and did not pass the test of a steep descent over several smiles. I am grateful to know this now while I still have more time to look for footwear before departure. It seems my feet have already changed with my training because all my shoes seem to be too small. I got Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes by John Vonhof from Wilderness Press for some bedtime reading. I shot this photo on the Maur-Har trail. As Awol mentioned in his book, the best thing about being outside is not usually the big view or huge waterfall, but all of the small experiences like the beauty of this log submerged in a sunlit pool and the smell of the trees. It was about 60 degrees and cloudy with some light rain the first day, probably got down into the 30's at night and the clouds cleared out to reveal a clear starry sky, and the second day was in the 50's and sunny-- perfect backpacking weather. It was a challenging hike with ice on the steep sections on the north side of Three Ridges. I chopped my hair off for The Trail and am now sporting a pixie.
Date: 2015-03-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last weekend I enjoyed an overnight with the Central Virginia Trailblazers meetup group on the southern part of Massanutten, a short mountain range West of the Blue Ridge and East of the Shenandoah Valley. I am so grateful to two hikers, Sherri and Keith (Madison Star and Winging It), who had done the AT from GA to CT and helped me review my gear and gave me more tips. Two weeks from today I'll be starting my grand adventure!