morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-09
From: stoney brook shelter

To: VT 12
Miles today: 13.3

Stoney brook shelter (1707.0) to VT 12. (1720.3) 13.3 milesNo much sleep last night. Very noisey. Somewhere around 1am my left knee began to really hurt. It finally eased up around 4 and I dozed off. Got up around 6:30 had some oatmeal with raisins and hit the trail at 7:25. The highlight of the walk today was the "lookout". This was a .1 mile blue blaze that led to a great shelter with a ladder to a viewing platform with panoramic views of the whole area. Awesome! The overall walk wasn't too bad with ups and downs but nothing over 700 feet. All went well for the first 11.5 miles then on the downhill to the road my left knee just stopped working. I could hardly move it all and it was very painful. Stopped took some ibuprofen and tried to move forward. Finally Johnny began taking some of my pack weight to help me get to the bottom. Once we got to the road Dan Quinn allowed us to us his barn and then took us to town for supper. I wish I knew what was next. Going to try to slack pack another 13 tomorrow back to dans and then 10 more into Hanover. If the knee doesn't improve greatly I'm going to have to stop. I am willing but for the first time since 2007 maybe not able to do this right now. Thanks for all the prayers. Love to my girls, pod.
Date: 2014-06-10
From: VT 12

To: VT 14
Miles today: 13.0

VT 12 (1720.3) to VT 14 (1733.3) 13 milesActually slept pretty well in the barn last night. Found some old blankets and put them on the floor for added cushion and it really helped. Dan is a really nice guy who owns the barn and helps hikers when he can. He let us use the water spigot at his house for a "hiker" shower then we changed clothes and he took us into town for some supper. We got up this morning and he took us to VT 14 where we slacked back to his barn. It was the same piece of trail that we walked in 2006 when we were on a mission trip in this area. Deja vue who would have thought that 8 years later I'd be back on the same turf again. The walk without the "beast"/ pack was not bad. About 1500 feet to start with then the topo map looked like a heart monitor. Up 3 or 400 then down 3 or 400 then... You get the idea. The trail itself was overgrown it a lot of areas so it always seemed like something was rubbing up against you. May not sound bad but in the morning when everything is wet you get soaked by all the overhanging stuff. We also had to walk through 4 or 5 grass fields. Again this sounds innocuous but all that grass and weed ( usually 2 to 4 feet high )on bare legs made for a very uncomfortable and itchy day. The knees did ok. Sore by then end but not debilitating. Hopefully   I will be able to do the 10 miles into Hanover and reevaluate. Thanks for all the prayers. Love to all my girls, pod out.
Date: 2014-06-11
From: VT 14

To: Hanover New Hampshire
Miles today: 9.9

VT 14 (1733.3) to Hanover NH (1743.2) 9.9 milesSlept pretty well in the barn. Got up this morning and Dan took us to VT 14 and we were on the trail about 8:30. The trail today was probably the easiest 10 miles that I can remember. A gradual 1000 foot climb over 4 miles then a very reasonable down into town. No major rocks to negotiate or slippery grades. Mainly pine needles and soft mud. Not a very good test of the knees. Even so it's a little sore. We got into town and decided to go to the Sunset motel about 2 miles away. We started walking and it started raining. Lightly at first then a steady light rain. So I put the pack cover on and donned my raincoat and walked on. Made it to the motel, got checked it, showered, and did laundry before catching a bus into Lebanon for the Chinese Buffet for dinner. As I journal I'm waiting for a taxi to take me back to the motel and I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep and talking to the family. The mountains are getting bigger and I'm not at all sure of what to do next. We'll just have to take it one day at a time. Listening for the melody, pod.Thanks to everyone for the prayers and words of encouragement.
Date: 2014-06-12
From: Hanover New Hampshire

To: Etna-Hanover Center Rd
Miles today: 5.8

Hanover NH (1743.2) to Etna-Hanover Center rd (1749.0) 5.8 milesGood news... The knee didn't hurt today... Granted I only walked to the bathroom... Just kidding more about that later.First night in hotel since we left and it was good. The room was adequate and we kept it nice and chilly so sleeping was easy. It rained on and off all night and I woke up around 6 am to a light rain falling. I checked the weather and the forecast was for a 70% chance of rain today and a 70% chance again tomorrow. So we talked about what to do next and decided to go back into town eat at Lou's and head north. We called Karen at "Tigger's Treehouse" and she said we could stay with her tonight and to call when we got to the cemetery. So we got groceries at the coop and headed out. Only 6 miles and they were relatively easy. We made it to the road and headed east to a general store. The store was great. Lots of homemade goodies and cold soda. I had a chicken sandwich, two mtn dews and a 3Musketeers! We called Karen and she picked us up at the store and took us to her house. Here tonight with Johnny and two other hikers (salt and hienz). This place is great. Washer/ dryer, shower with deodorant, nice atmosphere. I have a cell signal and she has wifi! We have had a great evening of food and fellowship and are working on tomorrow's plan. Hard to start off in the rain if u have a choice. Today was the first day since day 2 that my knee has not hurt during the hike! Granted it was only 6 miles but I'll take it. With lots of big ups coming I hope to be back at 100% when I get to them. Thanks for all the prayers. Love to all my girls. Great talking to you tonight.Pod out.
Date: 2014-06-13
From: Etna-Hanover Center Rd

To: Etna-Hanover Center Rd
Miles today: 0.0

Tigger's Treehouse (1749) zero day Hard rain forecasted for today so we decided to stay put. I've been pretty worthless. Watching golf, eating, and napping. What can I say. The plan is to leave around 10 in the morning and do 11.7 miles to Grafton Turnpike. 11.1 on Sunday then 14.8 to the hiker welcome hostel on Monday. If all goes well we'll do our first really big climb (3800 feet) on Tuesday (Mt Moosilauke). Feeling good and refreshed after the stay here and looking forward to heading on north. Love to all my girls. I miss you terribly. Pod (
Date: 2014-06-14
From: Etna-Hanover Center Rd

To: Fire Wardens Cabin, Smart mtn
Miles today: 17.5

Etna-Hanover Center rd (1749) to Fire Wardens Cabin Smarts Mtn (1766.5) 17.5 milesGot a good nights sleep and started the day with 2 PB & J sandwiches and 20 oz of water. This would prove to be possibly the best decision I made all day! We started out with a plan to do 11.7 to Bill Ackerlys place. The morning went well and we walked up Moose Mtn and then Holts Ledge stopping at the shelter to rest, snack, and hydrate... See how smart this sounding so far. Just like I planned it we made our way to Bills by 4 pm. He wasn't there but had ice cream and cokes for any hikers that might come by. What a guy. We enjoyed the ice cream and coke while resting in the afternoon sun...ahh yes just like I planned it. The knees were strong and I felt young again ) then it happened...someone just couldn't stand to be still while there was still day light left. Johnny, as any good salesman would, began planting seeds of new plans and opportunities. "hey pod u know we could make the fire wardens tower if we wanted to. It's up to u of course. How r those knees?" I probably should have lied I said "they're ok now but I'm not sure how they will be if I go 5.8 more miles all up hill with 2800 feet of elevation change." Silence followed...there was a lot of daylight left and I did feel good...what an idiot so off we go. I really don't know how to describe for you what happened during the next 3.5 hours. The climb may not have the steepest I've ever done but it's the steepest i can remember. Throw in the mud and wet rock faces that dominated the climb and you begin to get some idea of what it was like. At one point I looked up to see a wet rock face that was so steep that someone had placed rebar hand holds in the rock face to aid climbers! We used them as steps and finally made it to the top. What a day. We are in the shelter now and bedded down for the night. Just Johnny and I tonight. No signal so can't touch base with the family Hopefully everything will work tomorrow and we'll continue to move north. Love to al my girls, pod.
Date: 2014-06-15
From: Fire Wardens Cabin, Smart mtn

To: Ore Hill shelter
Miles today: 12.8

Fire Wardens Cabin Smarts Mtn (1766.5) to Ore Mtn campsite (1779.3) 12.8 miles Cold night in the fire wardens cabin. The temp was around 40 and the wind on top of the mtn was about the same. I slept on and off but was cold most of the night. We slept in and didn't hit the trail until 10 am. It was a full day. Down the steep smart mtn (1800 ft) then up 1500 feet on Mt Cube then of course down again (2000 ft) The trail was steep both ways as well as very wet and rocky. I must admit to being tired of slogging thru the mud every day. The views today from mt cube were nice. The clouds finally gave way to sunshine and the summit produced a photo opp. We continued on to the ore mtn shelter (up 1000 ft to the shelter which burned down in 2011 I believe) where we pitched our tents and enjoyed a rice and broccoli dinner by the fire. It's late now 9:40 I'm journaling by the fire as it slowly goes out. Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there. Lead well... You were created for it! Tomorrow should be a short day (7 or 8 miles) to the Hiker Welcome Hostel. Looking forward to a shower and clean clothes again. The knees did ok. They did begin to act up on the steep down of Mt. Cube. Tomorrow shouldn't be bad and some rest before we try Mt. Moosilauke will be good. That will be the test for the knees. Thanks for all the prayers! Love to my girls. Pod out.
Date: 2014-06-16
From: Ore Hill shelter

To: Hiker welcome Hostel
Miles today: 7.3

Ore Mtn campsite (1779.3) to the Hiker Welcome Hostel (1786.6) 7.3 milesSlept well last night in the tent. I must be getting older because I was a little chilly again broke camp and had some oatmeal to get me started. We had a short day planned that looked easy enough. Turns out... It was. With the exception of the seemingly never ending swamp lands the walk was nice. I did have a moment today when I thought I was being attacked by the "Chupacobrea". I was walking along dodging branches and mud when all of a sudden something "jumps" on my pack a hits me on the back of the head! I went into Ninja mode and used my whole body as a weapon and quickly subdued the intruder...turns out a fifteen foot tree branch had fallen out of a tree and landed on my pack Alls well that ends well. The hostel is good. Hot shower, laundry, and cold soda! Tomorrow we will hike Moosilauke and stay one more night here. The caretaker of the hostel says it is the second toughest climb next to Katahdin.The knee story should take a turn one way or another. Here's to hoping all goes well! Thanks for all the prayers! Love to my girls, pod.
Date: 2014-06-17
From: Hiker welcome Hostel

To: kinsman notch
Miles today: 9.3

Hiker hostel (1786.6) to NH 112 Kinsman Notch (1795.9) 9.3 milesToday was a long time coming. First big climb in the Whites. Even though the AMC doesn't recognize MT Moosilauke as in the White Mts it technically is. Either way it was a big climb and major decent. We got shuttled to the notch and hiked up the steep side going back south. It was quite a climb and I do mean climb! It's really not possible to convey the terrain and verticalness ( is that a word ?) of what I experienced today. 3000 vertical feet mostly right beside an enormous waterfall complete with numerous rebar hand holds that at least made the climb doable then down 3800 feet back to NH 25. It took us 2 hours of constant climbing to reach the summit and another 3 hours to make the decent. It was a spectacular climb. The views from the summit were fantastic and were the best since the Smokies as far as I'm concerned. There were a number of times on the climb today that were "adrenalin filled" and required all of my attention. Kind of fun in a weird kind of way. The knees did ok I guess so we're going to move north again tomorrow. It's about 17 more miles to the next town and potential exit spot. We'll just have to see. We've been out here now for 16 days and only 3 of them have been pain free. It really makes it hard to enjoy the journey. Thanks for all the prayers and guest book entries they certainly are encouraging. Love to all my girls. Pod out.
Date: 2014-06-18
From: kinsman notch

To: kinsman pond shelter
Miles today: 11.5

NH 112 (1795.9) to Kinsman Pond Shelter (1807.4) 11.5 milesGot up and had a couple of breakfast bars and a muffin washed it down with some chocolate milk and we were off. Got dropped off at NH 112 and headed north for what would be a long and crazy day. We made our way up to the summit of Mt Wolf (about 1600 vertical feet) which stands at 3478 feet then proceeded down 1000 feet to the shelter. We took a little rest there and then it was up south Kinsman mtn. This was about a 2000 ft climb that turned out to be mostly straight up and extremely rocky. I would say that it was as difficult as Moosilauke because there were no hands holds or embedded steps along the way. All was going well for the first half mile. Very steep and rugged but still ok. I will not be able to adequately describe the series of events that happened next. However I will try to capture the gist of it. My left knee began hurting and with one step stopped working and was extremely painful. I let out a yell and found a rock to sit on. It was excruciating. I simply could not use my left leg. 8 miles in either direction was the closest road. Best option was to move ahead and try to make the shelter which was only about 2.5 miles ahead but up over south kinsman mtn then down 600 ft then back up over north kinsman mtn then down about 600 ft to the shelter. This trip would end up taking 4.5 hours! It would not have been possible without David and Johnny. They took my pack and literally took turns shuttling it up the mtn to the shelter. David is a seasoned triathlete and he earned his wings today as he went up and down the steep slopes over and over again. And all this for a guy he met only a few days ago! Johnny helped with the packs as well but mostly stayed with me pulling me up rock face after rock face. It really was epic the way these guys gave of themselves. I was mostly helpless but tried to crawl as best I could using the one good leg I had. It's really hard to put into words all that happened. The pain, the teamwork, the encouragement, the praying. I often found myself reciting bible verses to try and take my mind off the situation. We did make it to the shelter. A testament to prayer, determination, and friendship. I am in the sleeping bag and resting the knee. Will hopefully be able to do the remaining 4.8 miles into Lincoln NH tomorrow. My hike is over. I really knew this the first time I hurt the knee but continued on. After the second time I should have stopped for sure. It was selfish not to. Today I not only put myself at risk but also put the people hiking with me at risk. I am sorry for that men. I will miss the rest of these mtns. They are spectacular. If you found yourself thinking or praying for me today...know that it mattered. Love to all my girls. Pod out.
Date: 2014-06-19
From: kinsman pond shelter

To: flume side trail
Miles today: 5.5

Kinsman Pond shelter (1807.4) to flume side trail east (1812.9) 5.5 milesThe night was a little chilly up on the ridge but the shelter which was built in 2011 and really well made kept us buffered from the elements. As morning came we got up ate some breakfast bars, filtered some water and headed off down the mtn towards the highway. Our first milestone would be the lonesome lake hut about 2 miles away. Stephan the caretaker for the shelter area came out to check on me and offered to carry my pack down the very steep first two miles to the hut. It was difficult to swallow my pride but it seemed like the smart thing to do. He picked it up and said I must not have much in it and took off down the mtn. It was a good decision. Very steep down that would have really been a pounding on the knee with an extra 35 lbs. we made it to the hut and the views from there were great. After a break we secured a nights stay at the Comfort Inn in Lincoln NH and were off. It was relatively uneventful yet at the end the knee began to act up again. Not to the point of stopping me this time but still something is definitely not right and I'm glad to be getting off to let it rest and see a doctor. In the end as always God is good! Even though this wasn't what I had planned I know that He must have something better in mind and while I will miss Johnny and this journey I look eagerly forward to what is next. Thank you to everyone that has followed the journey and prayed for me throughout. I wish I could somehow express what it's meant to me. May God Bless you and keep you. IPOD out.
Date: 2014-03-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

At this hour, I am brought back to a year ago. I was stepping out of the Hiker Hostel van at Amicalola State Park, ready to hike to the summit of Springer Mountain and to begin my long awaited thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. I can remember every detail as though I were there. The clouds threatened to dump rain. My pack felt heavy and my legs were shaky. I had slept little in anticipation of this day. The romance of the trail and the start at Springer had carried me through years of dreams. And today, I was stepping out of that van and actually beginning my journey. The chill in the air reminded me that this was real, that hiking the AT meant I would be cold and wet, not dry and warm as I had often felt as I pondered this trek. This was real. In a few days, I will be back out on the trail, attempting to hike the section that I missed last year. The weather report promises to recreate the conditions I experienced on that first day in Georgia. However, I will be further north by a thousand miles or more. Pennsylvania is not Georgia. It's a mid-Atlantic state where winter still grips the mountaintops. I know what the trail holds for me because I've been there. I know what it feels like to be cold and wet to the core. I've awakened to a tent full of water with all my things floating above the bathtub flooring of my tent. I remember. The fear of the unknown has become the fear of what's known. But I am excited. I will feel the wind in my hair. I will hear the bird song in the mornings and at night. I will see the farmlands of Pennsylvania from the ridges and the views of the northern states. And I will begin with Rami, a trail buddy from last year. I hope to meet new friends. I hope to be warm. I hope my knees hold out. I hope....
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Bake Oven Knob shelter

To: Palmerton
Miles today: 8.0

Tired, tired, tired. Today I learned that all those Bloody Marys, huge dinners and little exercise have exorcised any semblance of trail legs I might have had. We are moving like slugs along the rocks of PA. Last night was cold and damp, but I slept pretty well in spite of it all. I awoke a few times, chilled. However, I was able to fall back to sleep and to sleep deeply. Rami informed me that I snore. Poor Rami. Rami is a wonderful hiking partner. I know he can go faster, but he puts me in front and we slog along at my pace. The time goes quickly because we have so much to talk about. He and Becky have been married for 37 years and raised two daughters. Last year, at Trail Days in Damascus, we called him "Grandpa" because his first grandchild was born. Rami loves good beer, another favorite topic of conversation. When we started out from the shelter this morning, the mist still shrouded the leafless forest. The path was slippery with wet leaves, still mulching from fall, and wet and slippery rocks. But the path was well graded, and we made a good pace. Then, as if to say "are you awake yet?" the trail threw in large, slanted rock fields. Our pace slowed, and we carefully picked our way through the rocks. And just when we thought it would never end, the rocks slipped under the dirt, and we were able to pick up our pace again. I learned the hard way that the rocks are still just below the leaves, hiding. I fell hard three times. But I'm okay. We were surprised to encounter three backpackers heading south. They were section hikers (completing the AT in increments) and had slept at the Outerbridge Shelter. They were the only people we saw in our 8 mile day. Eight miles. That's it. When I was thru hiking, 8 miles felt like nothing. As I lie in my bunk, I can feel the strain of the day's hike. And tomorrow is nearly 13 miles. But the weather will be perfect. No wet rocks as we climb out of Lehigh Valley. We reached the town of Palmerton about 1:30 and checked in to the Jailhouse hostel. The borough master remembered me when I told him I was the one who spent several days here last summer with an infected spider bite. Such infamy!I was so happy to be able to walk through the town. I revisited Bert's Diner (after showering) and ordered a salad and chocolate malt, extra thick. Heaven!Tomorrow,we will slack pack 13 miles and spend the evening with the Stempa's. And the weather should be sunny and dry. Life is good!
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Palmerton

To: Smith Gap
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Meet Wilson. He's done the entire AT with me. But he insisted on doing this section with me. He was great company on the AT. After a great night's sleep in the jailhouse, Rami and I were up in time to pack and to hit Bert's for breakfast. A 2013 NOBO named Soul Flute picked us up and took us to the trailhead. I was wishing I had gloves for the temps were a mere 32 degrees and the start of the hike involved some pretty good rock climbing. As we started up the path, I thought to myself that the difficulty was not as bad as I remembered. It took us a while to get to the top, but it was not really too hard. At the top, the path wandered through deadened trees that stood like skeletons against the blue sky. This area is a Superfund site due to zinc manufacturing that poisoned the land about 100 years ago. Eerie but fascinating. The trail was gentle with rocks sprinkled throughout the path. As we strolled along the ridge line, I could feel blisters forming in my arch. We stopped and I applied in hopes of avoiding blisters. Didn't work. Oh well. We reached Little Gap in good time. After some bouldering, we reached the top. A great place for lunch! The sun shone on the rocks and the views extended to New Jersey. It was so difficult to get this old body back up to resume hiking. Can't I just lie on warm rocks all day? But the miles were calling. We were so surprised to amble along a relatively rock free and flat trail. I turned my ankles a few times but didn't fall. Getting stronger. The shadows became longer as we continued our trek and we knew that we had better keep moving if we wanted to finish at a decent hour. And then the "View" sign appeared. We couldn't resist. Of the trail we went to a rock ledge with amazing views. We could see all the way to Allentown. After lingering for too long, a slight odor of skunk sent us back to the trail. Getting sprayed was not in our plan. As we continued, I started to feel very tired. We were almost out of water. There was not any water on this 13 mile section, except for half mile walks off trail. We were not out so we did not walk that extra distance. Finally, the road appeared, and John Stempa showed up to carry us to his home. He has a nice garage that he shares with hikers. We received an extra treat--dinner out! It's hiker midnight. Tired and happy. Life is good.