morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-08-17
From: ME 15, Monson

To: Campsite at mile 2089.6
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I awoke early, 5:00 a.m., and walked into Monson to buy a summer sausage and a packet of Tyson chicken from Pete¢s Place. The diner opened at 6 a.m., and I wanted to be there when the doors opened. The reason for the last minute food purchase is that today is the start of our hike through the infamous 100-mile wilderness, and I wanted to have enough food to carry me through our planned six-day traversal -- Shop and I had decided to carry six days of food rather than schedule a food drop and pickup at some midway point, something we found to be both expensive ($80) and restrictive because we did not want to be tied to a rendezvous schedule, not knowing how difficult we would find these woods. Six days of food. Yikes! The thought of its weight made me apprehensive. I hadn¢t carried that much food since the Smokies.Breakfast at Shaws was a fiasco. Too many of us signed up for the well beloved feast, and the hostel could not find seating for us all. So several of us unfortunates had to sit in the living room and await an opening at a dining room table. By the time I got seated most of the food had been inhaled by the earlier diners. I got one pancake, a smidgen of syrup, a whiff of home fries, an eyedropper¢s amount of orange juice, a spoonful of scrambled eggs, and a bad attitude; not exactly how I wanted to enter the Wilderness. Not only that, we did not get a shuttle ride back to the trail-head until 9:40 a.m. Perhaps the hostel should feed its guests in shifts, one group at 7 a.m. and another at 8 a.m., limiting the early shift to folks who want to get back to the trail first thing, while the later start time serves for those who plan to linger about the hostel premises.  Despite the late start, we managed to reach an unofficial tent site at mile 2089.6 aside the Long Pond Stream, a 14 mile accomplishment. It was a fine day for hiking, sunny, warm, and breezy. We passed several ponds along the way, confirming what many have said about the Wilderness being a beautiful stretch of real estate. I rank the difficulty level of our first day in the Wilderness as moderate because the backpack was heavily laden with so much food and the terrain had countless pesky ups and downs.
Date: 2017-08-18
From: Campsite at mile 2089.6

To: Campsite at mile 2105.5
Miles today: 15.9

It was a tough day. In addition to the various steep peaks to climb, such as Barren Mt., Fourth Mt., Three and a Half Mt., Third Mt., Columbus Mt., and Chairback Mt., it starting raining about 10 a.m. and continued throughout the day, making the rocks and roots especially slick.  My worn out boots gained little traction on these surfaces.  I went down hard, twice, the first onto my right elbow and hip, the second into an awkward position with my right leg bent under me behind my back. Gratefully, I suffered no serious injury ¢ I certainly do not want a season-ending injury at this late stage.  But my hip stung from the first fall.The difficulty level of the 100-mile wilderness surprised me. Everything I¢ve read and heard about this stretch of the trail extols its beauty and the ease in crossing it. The peaks I encountered today, however, were by no means trivial. It took Shop and I twelve hours to cover sixteen miles, that¢s how hard we found them to be. To ratchet up the misery level, it started pouring just as we set up evening camp. Not wanting to cook in a deluge, I had a cold dinner of energy bars and peanut M&Ms within the confines of my tent, fully cognizant of the potential downside of leaving food odors within, namely, enticing another unwelcome visit from those furry beasts that don¢t trouble themselves to use the front door. On the upside, I went to sleep knowing I have less than 100 miles to go to reach Baxter Peak.
Date: 2017-08-19
From: Campsite at mile 2105.5

To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

It rained hard all night, but let up just before morning, just in time for me to break camp without getting soaked. Our first challenge was to cross the West Branch Pleasant River without taking our boots off. The branch was wide, about 60 feet across, and there were too few rocks above water level to step on. We walked up and down the stream looking for other places to cross. Finding none, I took off my boots and socks, put on my crocs, rolled up my pant legs, and splashed through the cold water. Not wanting to change shoes, Shop went through in his trail runners. Frankly, I believe I made the better call, for I walked in dry boots today.Though today¢s hike carried us across four high peaks, Gulf Hagas Mt., West Peak, Hay Mt., and White Cap Mt., the last three being above 3000 feet, it was not as difficult as yesterday¢s. Granted, the rocks and roots were still wet and slick (I face-planted once, in slow motion, and broke my fall with both hands), the streams were swollen, I was somewhat undernourished from last night¢s ¢meal¢, and my packed weighed more from the wet gear, at least it was not raining. Further, the terrain after White Cap Mt. leveled off, making it a sweet section to traverse. White Cap Mt. is the last of the biggies; until I reach Katahdin I will see no more peaks above 2000 feet. This alone propels me. As an aside, supposedly you can see Katahdin from White Cap Mt., but I could not distinguish it in the distance amidst the blue haze. That night I tented reveling in the knowledge that the next three hiking days would be over relatively flat terrain. To keep me humble, mosquitoes in biblical proportions plagued me while I ate and later congregated just outside my bug netting, buzzing and knocking, asking to be let in.
Date: 2017-08-20
From: East Branch Lean-to

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 19.5

My hiking is becoming faster; I am feeling stronger, more confident than when I passed through the Whites and southern. Maine, and I¢m getting increasingly excited as we draw closer to the destination. My backpack is getting lighter, too, my having eaten already three days of food, this being our fourth day in the Wilderness. Because today¢s terrain is mostly flat, I was able to reach 3 mph, not mind-numbing fast in our world of rapid transit, but for me this pace nearly pierces the sound barrier. And every uphill along the way I was able to power through. The day passed quickly, almost a blur, with essentially nothing noteworthy to speak of, just more miles of woods.  Several people have reminded me to enjoy the remaining miles, but I¢m struggling with this. By now I¢ve seen enough mountains and streams and lakes, I¢ve slept enough times in a tent or a hostel or a hotel, I¢ve eaten enough Ramen noodles and pasta sides and tuna, and I¢ve spent enough days in clothes soaked from rain or sweat. Now I¢m yearning for my own backyard, my own bed, my own brewed coffee, and dry clothes. It¢s time to finish this. One person said, ¢No one who has completed the hike has wished they had done it one day faster.¢ I¢m sure I¢d be the exception that disproves this rule. This is, I think, my 172nd day on this mission. I would have done it twenty days faster if I could have. That¢s not to say that hiking the AT has not been one of the greatest adventures of my life. I¢m just saying it still would have been a great adventure even if it had been shorter. My hat¢s off to those who have fallen in love with life on the trail, who loathe the idea of it ever ending, and who are already planning their next long distance hike, perhaps on the Pacific Coast Trail or on Continental Divide Trail. I have met many of these people along the way, and they are a marvel to me. But I know my limitations, and the AT has brought me to those limits many times over. That I haven¢t quit is a marvel to me.
Date: 2017-08-21
From: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

The hike today was our fifth consecutive day in the 100-mile wilderness. While the lay of the land was not as flat as yesterday¢s, and some sections of rocks and roots and mud were downright difficult, it still proved to be a relatively easy day¢s work. The shore of Pemadumcook Lake and an outcropping on Nesuntabunt Mt. both treated us to unobstructed views of Katahdin. We also tried to glimpse the solar eclipse from our vantage point while on the mountain, but failed to see any definitive darkening of the sun.The biggest surprise of the day was running into Norseman, who drove his white pickup truck one hour along a gravel road, to bring trail magic to hikers in a remote area where you least expect to find people, let alone free food. He, too, was a thru-hiker, but was sidelined with an ankle injury. Rather than sit around ruing his bad luck, he decided to help other hikers complete their journeys by providing much needed nourishment. After five days in the woods, I knew I was running a serious calorie deficit.  Hence I made a gallant effort to recoup some energy, downing two Gatorade drinks and two honey buns. Some might not consider this nourishment, but it fueled the remainder of my day.As for surprises, I have been asked on multiple occasions what has surprised me most about the AT. Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the general lack of wildlife that I have seen from the trail. Certainly there¢s been no shortage of squirrels and chipmunks, but I was anticipating gaggles of deer and moose, flocks of bear and wild pig, herds of mink, beavers, marmots, and bobcats.  However, the wilderness surrounding the trail is so vast, I suppose the wild animals have no difficulty staying away from this narrow corridor traveled by humans, well out of sight.
Date: 2017-08-22
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

The trail today was about as flat as any encountered thus far, with a brief climb of Rainbow Ledges from where we saw Katahdin, the top of which was covered in clouds. I had another day of strong hiking, moving as though I had wings, the level ground making great athletes of us all, but I banged my left shin hard against the blunt, sawed end of a branch lurking at the edge of the trail. The branch did not budge and I sounded off with a vociferous ¢ouch¢ or something innocuous to that effect. I hobbled for some time afterwards, but soon thought nothing more about it.Shop and I emerged from the 100-mile wilderness and reached the Abol Bridge by mid-afternoon. The view from the bridge was picturesque, the Penobscot River flowing strongly beneath it, a slower moving tributary joining the Penobscot in front of the bridge, a loon swimming in an eddy, a young boy standing up to his knees in the tributary, fishing, a young lady standing on the shore, looking on, and Mt. Katahdin looming large in the background beneath a deep blue sky. I was spellbound and felt something inside strangely akin to joy.  We crossed over to the Abol Campground and its General Store. An active logging road goes over the bridge and passes in front of the store. Several trucks loaded with lumber rumbled by, kicking up plumes of dust that coated everyone and everything. Foremost on the agenda was to shower and then to launder. For a time I walked about in my black long johns and Marmot rain jacket while my every day clothes spun and rinsed and tumbled dry. It was exactly the wrong gear to wear, for it was hot, 86 degrees, a temperature unheard of in late August this far north in Maine. The propane-fueled generator that provides electricity to the entire Abol Campground complex failed on account of the heat, delaying our laundry. I tried to sit inconspicuously in front of the store while we awaited power to be restored, but I received many an odd glance from people staying at the Campground, mothers hurrying their children along, admonishing them not to make eye contact with me.After laundry completed, we went about setting up camp at Abol Pines. Again we bumped into Norseman and his white pickup truck full of beverages and snacks. The mosquitoes were again voracious, so we sought safe harbor in the Northern Restaurant, which is attached to the general store. There we ordered dinner and set about discussing plans for tomorrow, including our approach to the base of Katahdin.Afterwards we returned to the Abol Pines campsite and retired early, as we are wont to do, particularly to escape the hoards of mosquitoes that were patiently awaiting our return and working up their appetites. Shortly after dark, it started raining, hard. Fine, I thought, as long as it does not rain two days from now, when we plan to summit Katahdin. More than one person has warned us against climbing the mountain in the rain, a caution I fully take to heart.
Date: 2017-08-23
From: Abol Bridge

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 9.9

Again it rained hard all night and stopped just before we needed to break camp. We¢re down to the last 20 miles of the hike. I cannot put my feelings into words. Happy? Proud? Anxious?  None adequately captured the jumble of emotions I had this morning.We signed our names to the registry, posted at a kiosk just inside Baxter State Park, for staying at the Katahdin Stream Campground. Only 12 thru-hikers are allowed to stay there overnight on any given night, so we went early, 6:30 a.m., to assure ourselves a place. Then we returned to the Northern Restaurant to enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading out over the 10 miles that took us to the Katahdin Stream Campground. When we returned to the trail, a trail runner who worked for Baxter State Park met us at the footbridge leading into the park. He asked for our trail names and then, after crosschecking his list, told us we had improperly registered for the campground. Apparently, we should not have gone back to breakfast after signing the registry, but continued on through the park. We apologized for our innocent error and promised never to do it again. While we were talking to the trail runner, Outsource arrived at the footbridge. He was a thru-hiker who started in GA in mid-march, his name deriving from the fate of his last job. He turned 65 years old on the trail. He said his wife was supporting him over the next two days, had a van, and would gladly drive us to Millinocket when our summit was over. Later that afternoon, we met her in the park, and she treated us to baloney sandwiches and Cokes.Again, the mosquitoes were savage. For the first two miles I was preoccupied with swatting my arms, face, and neck instead of being concerned about where I placed my feet. One swat killed three mosquitoes, they swarmed so thickly.  Much of the trail paralleled the Penobscot River, and I watched several rafters floated by.  I made a mental note to add that to my bucket list, it looked so much fun.    We reached the Birches Leantos around 3 p.m., and set up camp, joined by MacGyver, Trinity, Sir Linear, Princess Bubblegum, Superman, and Scarecrow. Baxter State Park quarantines thru-hikers at these leantos, keeping us separate from day visitors and campers. It has two shelters, each supposedly capable of sleeping six and tenting accommodations that are meager; the nearest water is a quarter of a mile away. Though we were treated like second-class citizens, nothing could dampen our spirits for we were on the cusp of reaching our goal. That night several of us sat around a fire pit, reminiscing, swapping stories of our travels over the many miles. Princess Bubblegum and Superman were trying to convince others to start the ascent of Katahdin at 1 a.m., in order to reach the summit before daybreak, and thus to watch the sunrise from the top. Since this amounted to night hiking up a very steep mountain, I declined quickly, this not exactly fitting my idea of prudent. During the night I heard them pack and leave on their quest. I slept like a kid on Christmas Eve, meaning hardly at all.
Date: 2017-08-25
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Sue, Outsource, Shop Teacher, Scarecrow, and I had breakfast in downtown Millinocket, a last meal before she drove us to the AT Lodge to catch our 9 o'clock shuttle.  It got us to the Irving gas station in Medway, the official bus stop, fifteen minutes before the arrival of the Cyr bus heading to Bangor.  I still found it difficult to fathom we were heading home.  It started to sink in, though, when Shop Teacher and Scarecrow got off at the first bus station in Bangor, the connector stop for Concord Coach lines. I bade them farewell, giving Shop Teacher the standard thru-hiker fist bump. He had become my good friend and constant companion these past months and many miles. We first met back in North Carolina, sitting on a bench on the trail with a view of Hump Mt. and Big Hump Mt. We then hiked together for a spell with Multi-tool in Pennsylvania, and then with regularity after the Delaware Water Gap. I promised we¢d have him and his wife up for a vacation in Rangeley, ME, next summer.  Until then, have a good hike my friend.Diane picked me up at the second bus station in Bangor, used by the Greyhound bus line. She drove the entire way home to MA, through the thickest traffic -- which stirred in me great revulsion -- I being too fatigued to drive, with my left shin aching terribly (I cannot imagine that I would have been able to climb Mt. Katahdin the way my shin currently felt, but I am certain the ascent and descent of the mountain is what aggravated the injury).  Once home I plopped my backpack into the corner of the foyer and collapsed into a sofa, not a smidgen of adrenaline remaining to carry me another step. Oddly, it felt like I had never left home. Was it all a dream? Did I really spend nearly 6 months in the woods and on the road, walking from GA to ME? Inconceivable.  Then again, there are those photos in my camera, 4350 of them, concrete proof of El Vago¢s most excellent adventure.
Date: 2017-01-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am so excited to announce my plans to hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail in order to raise awareness and funds for Talbot Interfaith Shelter and its mission to provide safe, temporary shelter to men, women, and children who lack adequate housing, and to raise awareness of the issues of homelessness in our community. Julie Lowe, Executive Director of Talbot Interfaith Shelter at Easton, MD, and Jayme Dingler, Fundraising Director, have done an awesome job of building the fundraising campaign called the ¢Long Walk Home.¢ I have a special interest in Talbot Interfaith Shelter because, although I choose to be homeless while on the trail, many homeless families are forced into that condition by any number of factors beyond their control. And it troubles me the number of homeless persons taking up shelter on the trail for lack of a home.I am thrilled to be able to combine my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with my desire to give back to my community. Hiking the Appalachian Trail while fundraising for Talbot Interfaith Shelter will allow me to combine my love for the outdoors with my desire to help homeless families. As anyone familiar with the Appalachian Trail will tell you, a thru-hike of all 2,190 miles is a monumental effort, with only one in four hikers completing the entire trail. Knowing that my efforts will benefit many families in need of adequate shelter motivates me all the more to complete this thru-hike. The difference that I know this hike will make in their lives is what will help me keep pressing on in the face of relentless rain and difficult physical challenges.I am maintaining this online journal of my hike, along with photos, videos, and more, as part of my AT thru-hike fundraising effort. Please also check Twitter at @RobertMessickat and Instagram at @robertmessickontheAT. Be sure to also check out the Long Walk Home fundraiser page at http://talbotinterfaithshelter.org/LongWalkHome.html where you can make a donation to, or volunteer services for, Talbot Interfaith Shelter.
Date: 2017-02-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I spent the better part of the day with Bob Wenneson, Easton, MD, an experienced Appalachian Trail section hiker. Bob did a "shake down" of my backpacking gear, going through each item and questioning whether it should stay home or go into the backpack. I had spent a lot of time in past months researching backpacking gear, reading books and reviews, and testing the equipment I had purchased while backpacking. Most of the equipment passed Bob's muster. The biggest question mark was a stainless steel 2 cup thermos. At 11.7 ounces, it's difficult to justify lugging that thing over 2,190 miles. I'll have to make do with my Evernew Titanium Ultraight 900ml cookpot, weighing 4.1 ounces. How about the ZAGG Foldable Wireless Pocket Keyboard(weighing in at 7.3 oz.) for my iPhone so I can type my journal entries while on the trail? Since it expands to 85% of the size of a regular keyboard, it's going with me so I don't spend half the night pecking out text on my iPhone screen.
Date: 2017-02-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Food preparation can be a significant part of preparing for an AT Thru-Hike. I say ¢can¢ only because most AT thru-hikers just wing it, resupplying at gas stations, convenience stores and, when available, grocery stores in towns near the trail. My desire to approach the task differently is partly attributable to being a ¢foody.¢ I am also an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist striving to live and eat in accordance with Ayurveda, the sister science to Yoga, which encourages a healthy lifestyle and eating habits.In some respects, Ayurveda can make my diet on the trail more challenging. But as with all things in life, I need to balance my desire to follow Ayurveda with what will become an overwhelming physiological need for calories to fuel the tremendous physical exertion. It is said that thru-hikers need about 4,000 calories per day. So, while I must pack food with high caloric content, I also want my food to be healthy, nutritious, and satisfying. Well, that is my vision for now-- my values could change if my body tells me otherwise.With that background, perhaps you will understand better why I have made certain decisions about the thru-hike. I¢m not asking you to agree with my decisions, but simply to follow along for the journey.
Date: 2017-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The weather was so foul today it presented an opportunity to train in weather I could easily encounter in the Great Smoky Mountains in late April. In my Outdoor Research Foray rain suit I stayed dry and warm, but was able to vent the pits once the sky began to clear. Although I didn't need to, I could have unzipped a portion of the legs to release heat as well. At the gym, after rowing, I also worked out on the treadmill for 45 minutes at 3 miles/hour on a 6% grade while carrying a 30 pound backpack. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard either. I was relaxed and able to maintain nostril breathing throughout. I had read on Whiteblaze.net that if you could pass this test, you were ready for the AT. It seems to me it sets the bar a bit low, because I know I will face inclines way beyond 6%. Therefore, I will continue to train on the treadmill with the maximum setting of 15%, for 5-minute intervals, mixed with 5-minute intervals at 4 miles/hour on the maximum decline setting of -3%.