morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-05
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter, NH
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: 0

Cell none.I slept well in the hostel last night, which was well needed. I then had an AYCE breakfast at a Birches Diner in Hanover, the food wasn't that great and I don't recommend future hikers to eat here, there are plenty of other options in Gorham.I forgot to mention in yesterday's journal that I had to say goodbye to an old friend. I was forced to retire my hiking poles. The reason I'm so attached to these poles is because they've been with me from Springer, Mtn, and the beginning of the hike. The farther I go, the more pieces of gear I have to retire. I hope I'll have something to bring to the top of Katahdin that was with me at Springer. The reason I had to retire the poles is because they went into total breakdown a few days ago, and they had multiple problems. I wanted to repair them, but the outfitter didn't have the parts I needed, so I ended up buying a new set. Using the new poles worked well today, they were straight and had good tips that stuck when I needed them to.Today we hiked in the sunshine all day - this is a change from the weather we had all last week. It was a really pleasant and comfortable day. We also had an excellent view from every rock outcrop we reached. I actually saw more of Mt. Washington than I did when I was on top of Mt. Washington. The trail was better for hiking and not rock climbing, which we seem to have been doing the last two weeks in New Hampshire. The Whites are supposed to be beautiful, hopefully I'll get a chance to revisit them and see it.The reports from every southbounder who started their thru-hike at Katahdin says Maine is really tough. One even said a northbounder told her he felt it was his toughest state. This does not really concern me, as I know if I take it easy I can conquer it.There are only 4.5 miles until I enter Maine tomorrow. I've hiked 13 states, and Maine is the last one to go. I can't believe this hike will be ending soon, only a few more weeks. I definitely want to go home, and I also want to be able to get up in the morning and not have to hike all day. I've dreamt and talked about doing this hike for so long, and it's hard to believe that it will be over soon.Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-07
To: Admin Note Photos Galore #4
Miles today: 0.0

<-- Admin PostingHere's the fourth batch of Old Goat's photos. There are 21 new photos! I've added them to their respective journal entries and I suggest you view them there so you can get a feel of what he was thinking/doing on those days. You could also use the link to the left that says PHOTOS, but you'd miss a lot. To make them easy to find I have included links below that will take you to all 21 photos. Enjoy!!--Chris5/29 - Gravel Spring Shelter - 3 photos5/31 - Rod Hollow Shelter - 1 photo6/1 - Blackburn AT Center - 1 photo6/2 - Harpers Ferry Hostel, MD - 4 photos6/5 - Rocky Mtn Shelter - 2 photos6/6 - Pine Grove Furnace State Park - 1 photo6/7 - Boiling Springs, PA - 1 photo - THE HALF WAY POINT PHOTO6/8 - PA 850 (1124.2 miles) - 1 photo6/9 - PA 850 (1124.2 miles) - 4 photos5/14 - PA 850 (1124.2 miles) - 3 photos
Date: 2006-08-07
To: Admin Note Photos Galore #5
Miles today: 0.0

<-- Admin PostingHere's the fifth batch of Old Goat's photos. There are 52 new photos! I've added them to their respective journal entries and I suggest you view them there so you can get a feel of what he was thinking/doing on those days. You could also use the link to the left that says PHOTOS, but you'd miss a lot. To make them easy to find I have included links below that will take you to all 52 photos. Enjoy!!--Chris6/11 - Clarks Ferry Shelter - 5 photos6/16 - Allentown Hiking Club Shelter - 1 photo6/17 - Palmerton Bridge (mile 1243.3) - 1 photo6/18 - Leroy Smith Shelter - 3 photos6/20 - Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ (mile 1290.0) - 1 photo6/21 - Brink Road Shelter, NJ - 2 photos6/23 - Appalachian Motel, Vernon, NJ - 11 photos6/24 - Wawayanda Shelter, NJ - 6 photos6/26 - William Brien Memorial Shelter, NY - 2 photos6/27 - Hemlock Springs Campsite, NY @ 1390.8 miles - 2 photos7/1 - Schaghticoke Road/Bulls Bridge Road, NY - 3 photos7/2 - Schaghticoke Road/Bulls Bridge Road, NY - 15 photos
Date: 2006-08-07
To: Admin Update
Miles today: 0.0

Hi Everyone. As you can tell I got behind on keeping the main page (http://trailjournals.com/chipsadventure/) updated, therefore I am disbanding it (http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=133842). I will try to keep the most current posts as the start page so you have an easy start point. Until then check out these new photos. I recently uploaded 73 photos, linked to the links below, enjoy!!--ChrisLinks below from this post.PHOTOS GALORE #4!!! <-- Admin PostingHere's the fourth batch of Old Goat's photos. There are 21 new photos! I've added them to their respective journal entries and I suggest you view them there so you can get a feel of what he was thinking/doing on those days. You could also use the link to the left that says PHOTOS, but you'd miss a lot. To make them easy to find I have included links below that will take you to all 21 photos. Enjoy!!--Chris5/29 - Gravel Spring Shelter - 3 photos5/31 - Rod Hollow Shelter - 1 photo6/1 - Blackburn AT Center - 1 photo6/2 - Harpers Ferry Hostel, MD - 4 photos6/5 - Rocky Mtn Shelter - 2 photos6/6 - Pine Grove Furnace State Park - 1 photo6/7 - Boiling Springs, PA - 1 photo - THE HALF WAY POINT PHOTO6/8 - PA 850 (1124.2 miles) - 1 photo6/9 - PA 850 (1124.2 miles) - 4 photos5/14 - PA 850 (1124.2 miles) - 3 photosLinks below from this post.PHOTOS GALORE #5!!! <-- Admin PostingHere's the fifth batch of Old Goat's photos. There are 52 new photos! I've added them to their respective journal entries and I suggest you view them there so you can get a feel of what he was thinking/doing on those days. You could also use the link to the left that says PHOTOS, but you'd miss a lot. To make them easy to find I have included links below that will take you to all 52 photos. Enjoy!!--Chris6/11 - Clarks Ferry Shelter - 5 photos6/16 - Allentown Hiking Club Shelter - 1 photo6/17 - Palmerton Bridge (mile 1243.3) - 1 photo6/18 - Leroy Smith Shelter - 3 photos6/20 - Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ (mile 1290.0) - 1 photo6/21 - Brink Road Shelter, NJ - 2 photos6/23 - Appalachian Motel, Vernon, NJ - 11 photos6/24 - Wawayanda Shelter, NJ - 6 photos6/26 - William Brien Memorial Shelter, NY - 2 photos6/27 - Hemlock Springs Campsite, NY @ 1390.8 miles - 2 photos7/1 - Schaghticoke Road/Bulls Bridge Road, NY - 3 photos7/2 - Schaghticoke Road/Bulls Bridge Road, NY - 15 photos
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Andover, ME

To: Bemis Mtn Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: 0

Cell none.Today started with an excellent breakfast at "The Cabin." They had blueberry pancakes, bacon, biscuits, orange juice, and to top all that, make your own omelet. With sitting down for breakfast, and then being shuttled to the trail, our hike ended up starting 8:00 am. Right now we are in the mountains of western Maine. They are steep high mountains with deep notches between them. We spent the whole morning climbing Wyman Mountain (1200 feet), only to drop down the other side right away. Then we climbed Moody Mtn (2000 feet), and another immediate drop on the other side. It was steep, and a few times we had to climb metal bars that were set up like ladder steps. We did all of this before a 2:00 pm lunch break. The next 9 miles were also all up and down, and didn't stop all the way to the shelter.I arrived here about 8:00 pm, it was almost dark out, I was both physically and mentally spent. Hiking 19 miles today in this terrain was very taxing on the body and soul. I made dinner again in the dark, and headed for my sleeping bag, where I'm writing this. I don't have much more to say, as I am again almost brain dead so I'll just say goodnight. Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-09
From: Bemis Mtn Lean-to, ME

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: 0

Cell good.Today was our best hiking day in Maine so far. The terrain was kind to us, and it gave us a reprieve from mountain climbing. The hills we climbed today weren't as steep, or as high, as the others we've seen the last few days. I actually felt like I was hiking, and not mountain climbing today.While hiking today I made a big decision. I've decided to break away from this group, and take a zero day in Rangeley. All of my body is aching, and I need to spend the day mending it to continue. A day of not hiking will give the muscles in my legs a needed break to recover. I'll also fill up on some town food to build up my energy reserve.The next few days of trail have more mountains, and looks like it will be tough. I plan on shorter miles per day in this section after the day off. I have to think like a thru-hiker, and go for the long haul.It hurts to leave a group of friends I like hiking with. I would rather leave them healthy knowing I will finish, than pushing myself so hard that I leave them hurt.I will finish, and I probably will meet friends I haven't seen in a long time. In the end it will be good. I'm at peace with this decision. Old Goat Sue's Note: As of tonight, Old Goat has 220 miles to go! I find it amazing to realize how "few" miles are left to the end of this adventure. I said once before that it's all in the perspective....never before would I have thought of hiking 220 miles as being only a "few" miles!I feel Old Goat's decision to take a zero day is a good one. He's been keeping up with "kids" half his age, plus everyone who talks about the section they've been hiking say it's a very difficult section. Some even say it's the hardest section they've hiked, and Old Goat and the others have been doing 18 mile days!! That's impressive!
Date: 2006-08-11
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: 0

Cell good.The zero day did me some good. My legs felt stronger going up the mountains. My leg strength seems to be the first thing I notice when I get tired. I'm always slow when I climb out of valleys, but I know I'm fatigued when my legs lose the strength.I chose not to do big miles today and sort of continue the rest cycle. I figure if I slowed down and didn't go as far, I'd have more time to recover.The big mountain for the day was Saddleback Mountain (4120 feet). The climb was gradual for the first 4 miles, then very steep for the last mile. The view from the top was fairly good, but there was a haze and some distant mountains were covered with clouds.Being a leaving town day, I had a sub from the deli dept of the local IGA for lunch. I found a spot where I could get out of the wind and ate my lunch. No Pickle Pimento loaf this time, it was Ham and Swiss with lettuce and tomato.Before I tell you what happened next, I need to tell a story from a few days ago. A fellow I met about a week ago lost his hiking partner in the woods. This hiking partner stands about 2 feet tall and walks on four legs. He carries his food in saddlebags that hang on either side of him. You see, the partner is a dog, and in this fellow's case, his best friend. The dog did not answer to his masters call, and he appeared to have wandered off or got those saddlebags stuck in the trees. The guy was heartbroken, and he looked all night, and at one point a few of us helped walk into the brush where he disappeared to see if we would walk upon him.Now I'll take you back to Saddleback Mountain where I was eating my sandwich. As I looked towards the summit sign, I see a man with a dog. I think it looks like my friend but I'm a little bit too far to be sure. As the guy gets closer, I discover it is the guy I know and his dog. He said he was about to give up the search when the dog walked up to him at the shelter near where he disappeared from. I guess the dog wanted a zero day, so he took one.I didn't tell the story about the dog being missing the day it happened because it was too sad. Now that it has a happy ending I wanted to share it with you.With the short mileage, I got to the shelter about 4:00 pm. The temperature was dropping, so I made dinner and prepared for an early bed time. By the time the sun went down it was a lot colder than I've seen in a long time. The best place to get warm is in your sleeping bag. I have my winter bag and it is rated for 15 degrees - that should be warm enough. Hopefully I'll get a good nights sleep. Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-12
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to, ME

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite, ME
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: 0

Cell good.This morning reminded me more of my earlier days of this hike. The temperature was in the 40s, and I didn't want to get out of my warm sleeping bag. Also, the sunrise is later, and it is no longer light out at 5:00 am.I immediately put on a few layers of clothing - that consisted of fleece sweater, zipped on pants legs, and rainsuit. This kept me warm enough to eat my breakfast and pack my backpack. I took all of them off except the rain jacket and packed them before hiking.The entire day remained cold, and I kept putting on and taking off the rain jacket. You see, as I climb mountains I get hot and sweat, then when I reach the windy top, I get cold. Also, on the other side of the mountains where I go back down, I have to go slow and I usually cool down, so on cold days the jacket is needed. Even with all the temperature regulating, I now have a sore throat and a cold. This is my first illness on the trail; I'll be lucky if this is all I get.I realized early in my day that I am out of sync with the Post Office. I'll arrive in Stratton on Sunday morning, and the PO won't be open till Monday morning. I now have to spend a night in Stratton. This should do me some good with the cold. I'll drink OJ and stay warm to fight it.I have the Crocker Mountains to climb before reaching Stratton. I stopped around 4:00 pm today instead of pushing into town. I probably would have made it before dark, but I would have been exhausted. I took the zero in Rangeley to regain my strength, I don't want to use it up all at once. Other than it's cold out, I'm very comfortable here.Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-13
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: 0

Cell good.I spent about 11 hours in my sleeping bag last night, as the temperature was in the 40s and I have a cold. I think I may even have a fever judging by how chilled I get when the wind blows. When I finished dinner there wasn't much to do but stand around and wait for dark, so I chose to get into my sleeping bag and, of course, fell asleep. I'm in town once again for a couple of reasons, one is to nurse the cold, and the second is because I have a mail drop to pick up first thing tomorrow morning. Once I sort the food out I'll pack and head out for the trail.The first major obstacle I will meet is the Bigelow Mountains. I'll spend most of the day negotiating them before calling it a day near the top. After the Bigelows, the remainder of my hike to Katahdin will be relatively flat. With flat land comes a new challenge known as river fording. This means I'll have to take off my boots, put on my crocs, and wade across rivers. There is one river, the Kenebeck, where I get to ride in a canoe across. This canoe is the only way, and the official way, to cross this river. The ATC hires a ferryman to transport people in his canoe. The reason this is done is because the river level changes so quickly when the dam is released. A hiker could drown - in fact, one hiker did drown a few years ago. I read the reason there aren't any bridges on the rivers is because the winter ice flows down the river and wipes them out. The paper I read said they had a bridge 20 feet above the water they thought would be safe. It lasted only a few years before it was wiped out. Oh well, the fording will add another element to the hike and another story to tell. One nice thing about being in town today is that I had a chance to watch the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen. I've missed so many races this year that I'm way behind in what's happening. I'll be done with my hike to watch the last ten after I return home. Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-14
From: Stratton, ME

To: Avery Memorial Campsite, ME
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: 0

Cell good.I had a difficult night sleeping due to the cold I have and a sore throat. At one point during the night I went through the hiker food box looking for something to soothe my throat. I ended up taking a few mint candies to lubricate my throat. I bought some menthol flavored cough drops this morning. I'm breaking one of my cardinal rules while camping - I have them in my tent tonight. What I mean by that is that I'm a stickler about not having food or candy in tents. The smell attracts animals and could cause trouble if they want the candy. I have the cough drops in a zip lock bag that I hope contains their smell. Also, the wind is very strong out, and will probably dissipate the smell. Either way, I really don't have a choice - if I put them in the bear bag, I'll probably wake up coughing with a sore throat.Well I'm partially through the last mountain range of my hike, The Bigelows. After this, the only mountain in my way is Katahdin. I'm looking forward to not having to climb hills.Also, I'm at mile 1994.8 on my hike; I'll hit 2000 miles tomorrow. Prior to this hike, I've never gone more than 100 miles in one trip - I'm now at 20 times that! Tomorrow I start into my sixth month. I started March 15th, and August 15th is here already. Sue and I have locked in Aug 28th as my final day. She'll drive here over the weekend, and we'll go up Monday morning. We figure she needs that much time to get here, and we'll avoid the weekend campers at Baxter.You know, as things come to a conclusion I need to share some f my thoughts. I used to say I'm taking this hike after I retired to think about what I want to do when I grow up. I've made my decision - I refuse to grow up. I'm coming home the same person I was when I left. My goals will be to be a good husband, father, and grandfather to my family. To let them know how special they are to me, and to show them the love I have for them, as often as I can.Well that is it for tonight. Goodnight. Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-15
From: Avery Memorial Campsite, ME

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: 0

Cell none.Last night I woke up sweating out a fever. I didn't know I had one, but usually when I sweat in my sleep it's because of a fever. When I woke up I also had to suck on a cough drop to soothe my sore throat.I think the throat is better than it was yesterday; it doesn't feel as sore today. I was able to hike a good pace without having my throat bother me. Right now I have a tickle in my throat, and I hope it will go away. I raided the hiker box at the last place I stayed and took some herbal tea bags. I made tea after dinner and allowed the warm liquid to soothe my throat. It helped, but is wearing off now.The place where I camped last night was on the side of a hill. The only level spots were the wooden platforms for the tents. The wind howled all night, and the tent was shifting right along with the wind. I awoke at 5:00 am, and the first thing I heard was rain. It is difficult to pack up when it's raining and you're not near a shelter. I decided to wait a little longer and went back to sleep. I awoke a little later, and eventually started hiking at 7:45 am.The hike started with a steep uphill climb up Avery Peak of the Bigelow Mountain. It was very windy up there, so I took a quick glance around, and headed down the other side.I'm now through the mountainous part of Maine. I'm in the lowlands, and I'll be hiking on fairly level ground from now on. If the last few miles are any indication, I'll be flying through the rest of my hike.On my way here I passed the 2000 mile mark! The actual point is in the woods, and it would be hard to figure exactly where it is. Someone painted "2000 mi" in the middle of Long Falls Dam Road, so that ends up being the photo op point. I took a few pictures of me with the 2000 mi in the background. I didn't want to miss that.Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-16
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to, ME

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

I awoke early and was hiking by 6:06am. I wanted to make the afternoon ferry [canoe ride] across the Kennebec River. I've mentioned this before, but the only authorized way to cross this river is to take this ferry ride. The river rises quickly when the power company releases water to generate electricity. We were in the canoe when they did this, and it did rise quickly, and the current did become swift.The hiking was excellent all morning. I was able to walk with a full stride, and I made excellent time. Also, a trail crew fixed a bog walk that had everyone having to wade in water just last weekend. I could tell this by how fresh the logs were, and how few footprints were on them.I arrived at Pierce Pond Lean-to about 10:15 am, and had an early lunch there. This is a nice place to swim and enjoy being on the water. The wind was blowing cold air, and I didn't want to take the time, so I chose not to.One thing that made my day was a note from NEFFA. "Slow Walker" had carried it in from another Lean-to, and put it in the register. She says she hasn't given up on completing the AT, and will resume the sections she missed. She said she and Bob were celebrating 15 years together by being out in the wilderness. She didn't mention any physical limitations, and she was out in the woods. I'll take that as a sign she is okay and getting back to normal. Way to go NEFFA!The remainder of the hike got a little harder as it followed the creek through uneven ground. I arrived at 12:20 pm for the 2:00 pm ferry. I preferred to be a little early and wait than to be late and have to wait till tomorrow to cross the river.I met up with Sleeper while waiting for the ferry ride. He is an Anesthesiologist from Georgia who is also thru-hiking the trail. I met him in Virginia when my son Chris was hiking with me. We've seen each other a number of times since then, but never hiked together.We hiked into the facility that is run by the Ferryman Steve Longley. He has a bunkhouse and some cabins as well as a small store with hiker supplies. Sleeper and I are in a small cabin that Steve put us in as overflow because the bunkhouse didn't have two beds.Steve is a real nice guy, and a wealth of knowledge on the trail in Maine. It is enjoyable talking with him and eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's from the store.Speaking of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, an ice cream readily available along the trail is Hershey's Ice Cream. Each box of their ice cream has a disclaimer that reads "Not affiliated with Hershey Foods," the chocolate candy company. The reason I bring this up is because on the Ben and Jerry's it says they are a division of Hershey Foods - go figure.Old Goat