morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-06-14
From: Spring past BRP 9.6

To: Calf Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: clear sky

Off at 5:45 AM. Re-supplied on the fly by Poseidon's Mom at Rockfish Gap--15 miles by 1:05. In to Shenandoah Natl Park soon after and tented at Calf Mtn shelter. Lots of thru and section hikers at shelter. Stayed up too long talking. Three bear cubs walked up to us (15 feet away)as we were cooking breakfast. I stood up and two of the cubs climbed a tree and started mewing for Mom. Cool but dangerous. Threw our stuff in the packs and walked down the trail with our oatmeal in our pots. Tick site not healing quickly. Saw scarlet tananger, blue jay, cardinal, thrushes. Pack heavy with food.
Date: 2009-06-15
From: Calf Mtn Shelter

To: Loft Mtn Campground
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Rain at 3:00 AM on---got late and muddy geared start. Breakfast on Skyline Drive--motorcyclist stopped to talk--he rode four corners of US in a year on a springer Harley (10,000 miles) 20 miles by 4:30 PM to Campstore, shower, laundry, and camp store calories. Saw Karjens and Katz at dinner. Saw two bears after breakfast; an adult and a yearling. So many deer up close it is hard to keep track. Pack does not carry as well with heavy food load. Will try to take advantage of SNP food resources.
Date: 2009-06-16
From: Loft Mtn Campground

To: Lewis Mtn Campground
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: broken clouds

Off at 5:45 AM in the clouds and mist so thick. Saw many deer, both does and bucks. Saw an adult bear in the afternoon a few miles from Lewis Mtn. Plan was to do the miles to get to next camp store at 6:10--closed at 6:00. Great trail, easy miles. A little rain in the morning and the evening. Found another tick on me--not dug in. Saw towhees, rosy finches, pileated woodpecker, a hawk. Poseidon's Dad to meet him in a couple of days; I will walk to Harper's Ferry alone from then. It will be good to have some solitude.
Date: 2009-06-17
From: Lewis Mtn Campground

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: light rain

Rain started in the middle of the night, blowing hard mist into the tent. Used camp towel to clean up the water. Walked to Big Meadow for 4 or 5 breakfasts in the rain and then on to Skyland for more food for early dinner. Trails and everything else is wet. Saw two does with three fawns of different sizes--an example of animal communal day care?? Many deer in trail, some laying down in vegetation. Saw two grouse with same strange aggressive behavior--must be some maternal thing. All day was raining, misting, blowing, dripping--all about the rain. Damage to the feet again. Stayed at Byrd's Nest--just changed from day shelter to overnight--very nice. Slow hiking the last six miles.
Date: 2009-06-18
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Camp past Hogwallow Gap
Miles today: 22.4

Slept well at shelter--no mice. Great old stone building. Spring is down quite a ways, .3 down and 200 vertical. Met MoFo and Sista at ElkWallow Wayside for lunch and blackberry milkshakes. Big toe-ingrown toe nail may be a problem, trimmed and Vit. I, and liquid bandage may work. Will miss SNP, the animals, the waysides, camp stores, the food. Skyline did not bother me the way I thought it might intrude.
Date: 2009-06-19
From: Camp past Hogwallow Gap

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Another day, another tick. Strange orange mushrooms by the trail today. Had to move a black snake off the trail today. Humid, muddy, low elevations today--felt like a swamp. Heard a bear cub in the bushes near US 522, getting barked at by dogs, walking near the houses. Walking slow but still making the miles. Feet are a bit better- Vit. I helps the ingrown toenail. Saw cardinals and indigo buntings. Tough mental day today.
Date: 2009-06-20
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: moderate rain

Humid and started raining early. Did the infamous roller coaster of 13.5 miles in the rain to get to the Blackburn Trail Center; started at 10:00 AM, done by 4:45 PM. Few breaks and didn't eat as much as usual--definitely stressful on the body. Got to Bears Den Hostel at 3:00 PM, should have stayed for the night, but wanted to meet the Trail Boss, of the Roller Coaster gang. Got dinner, a solar shower, and slept on the screened porch-no Trail Boss, not there. Got eaten alive by the midges. Met Rael, who has hiked the trail several times--funny dinner conversation.
Date: 2009-02-05
From: My bedroom

To: My living room
Miles today: 0.0

Hello there, denizen of internetland.If you're reading this, you probably have some semblance of an idea of who I am, but if not, here goes. My name is Michael Graham, I'm a junior at Harvard, and I'm going to try to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Holy shit.The quite logical response most people have when they find out my plans is, "Why in hell would you want to do a thing like that?" The short answer is as follows: I want to do something awesome. Ever since I arrived at college, I've had this desperate, wrenching fear that the best years of my life were going to pass me by. Maybe it's just because I saw one too many cheesy movies when I was a kid, but whatever the cause, the feeling was there. I had this overwhelming need to do something that when I looked back on it, I wouldn't think was a waste - something of which I could be truly proud.When I was younger, I was a Boy Scout and did some hiking with my troop, but I was never that hardcore about it. Then the summer after my freshman year, I was bored out of my mind so I grabbed a few of my friends and went for a hike up Mt. Monadnock (after getting about 2 hours of sleep the night before, if memory serves). The hike made me remember how much I enjoyed being in the mountains, so I kept going up to the Whites for the rest of that summer and the following summer. When one is in the White Mountains, it's basically impossible not to run into thru-hikers, and after a few conversations with some really cool people, I got the idea in my head that walking a few thousand miles might be just the thing to cure that awful feeling that had been with me for much of college (and probably before then as well).So here I am, vomiting my thoughts in a text box to be read by anyone who feels like it. Yay for the internets!How this thing's going to work:-As I won't have internet access for most of this expedition, my dear parents have agreed to transcribe letters that I send them and publish them here. Thanks guys!-I probably will have internet access on occasion, so if you comment on posts, I'll probably be able to respond or see them eventually. Also, I intend to have my cellphone with me (although it won't be on 99% of the time) so if you want to call and leave me voicemails, go for it.-Fair warning: This journal is going to be a fairly uncensored expression of my thoughts, both in terms of ideas and verbiage. Why you ask? Here's why: http://xkcd.com/137/
Date: 2009-02-22
From: My Bedroom

To: Bed
Miles today: 0.0

My trail name is as follows:The Dread Pirate Ishmael Buttercup Thyme; Child of Fortuneto be known by most as Child of Fortune.If you're wondering what to make of the above, here's the explanation. The Dread Pirate is my trail title, akin to Mr. or Dr. or what have you. Ishmael Buttercup Thyme is my full trail name (first, middle, last) and Child of Fortune is my "job description" (a la Dick Tracey; Private Eye).I could explain the whole thing, but that would take too long, so here's the explanation of the main bit. Child of Fortune is an absolutely fantastic book by Norman Spinrad, which I would highly suggest to pretty much anyone. It takes place in the distant future in the semi-utopic Second Starfaring Age where all young people must go on a wanderjahr (German for "year of wandering") to figure out what in hell tehy want to do with their lives. the book is a chronicle of the journey of Moussa Shasta Leonardo and her quest to find her true name and calling in life.So basically, and infinitely more grandiose version of what I'm trying to do.In other news, I'm still at home, counting down the 299 or so hours until I leave. The planning is driving me a bit insane, and it doesn't help that whenever I walk in the door, my parents assail me with new questions and requests ranging from suggestions on which equipment to buy to advice on how not to get shot. They're letting me do this though, and they mean well, so I really have absolutely nothing to complain about.Equipment-wise, I have basically everything. Last Monday, I drove 2 hours up to L.L. Bean in Freeport to get a pack, and this really nice guy (Dick Somethingorother) helped me try on packs for another 2 hours until we found the right one. Now I just need soap, a few articles of clothing and some stuff sacks and I'll be good to go.Sweet!
Date: 2009-03-06
From: My House

To: Atlanta International Airport
Miles today: 0.0

Wow.In the past couple of days, it has finally hit me what I am about to do. I literally cannot comprehend what it will be like to live outside for 5 weeks, let alone 5 months! However, I won't have to strain my poor beleaguered brain muscles much longer, as I am flying to Georgia tomorrow morning.From there, I will take a train to North Springs, GA, where the nice people from Hiker Hostel will pick me up and bring me to the hostel. I'll stay there overnight, and the next morning they will shuttle me to the start of the Approach Trail. Although the AT actually begins at the summit of Springer Mountain, it's tradition to hike up the 8.9 mile Approach Trail to get there (even though it's possible to get within a mile or two of the summit using USFS roads).Once I'm there... I walk. 2,178.3 miles.
Date: 2009-03-07
From: Hiker Hostel, Dahlonega GA

To: AT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I am officially down South. Got into Atlanta airport without too much trouble (although the TSA guy was rather confused by the stove in my carry-on...) and made it to North Springs, where I was picked up by the hostel shuttle. I shared the ride with two guys - a 23 year old Israeli fresh out of the military and a forty-something year old dad from Wisconsin who quit his job at a fire truck manufacturing company to come live the dream.The hostel I'm staying at is wonderful. It was built by the owners (Josh and Leigh) four years ago and is basically a house with a few bunk beds shoved in spare rooms. I had dinner sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch because IT'S FREAKING 70 DEGREES!!!! SO GOOD!!!!!Tomorrow morning, we have breakfast at 7:30 and then the shuttle takes me to the trailhead. I'm still a little nervous, both about my physical shape for the 9-mile first day and about my ability to start living in the wilderness, but more than anything I'm excited.Ima go to sleep now so that I can start hiking without being a walking zombie.But to conclude, and at the risk of upping the cheesy-factor to dangerous levels...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ5iKRpE41E
Date: 2009-03-15
From: Blueberry Patch Hiker Hostel

To: Plumorchard Shelter
Miles today: 67.5
Weather: light rain

Wow.So I have officially been on the trail for one week, and so far it's been amazing. The first couple of days were a bit bizarre. Aside from getting used to living outside, the temperature was around 70 or 75 degrees, which is especially absurd considering that the week before it got down to about 4. It turns out I was in much better shape physically than I thought - I've been managing mostly 12 mile days without too much trouble. I was especially delighted by this because I found out at the start of the trail that my pack, when fully loaded with food and water, weighed about 50 pounds (about 20 more that I was expecting).Getting used to trail life has also been easier than I thought. I've had no trouble going without a shower, adjusting my diet to consist largely of instant mashed potatoes, or sleeping in the shelters. However my sleep cycle has become a bit strange - I'll fall asleep for an hour or two and dream intensely, then wake up completely, reposition myself, and drop straight into another intense dream. It makes the night a bit interesting, but I wake up every morning well rested, so no complaints there.By far the most interesting part of the journey thus far has been the people I've met. There are people out here ranging from 18 year olds to people in their mid 60s, and from every walk of life imaginable. One of the coolest people I have had the fortune of meeting is a guy named Pecan. Doing the trail usually requires a few thousand dollars for equipment and food. So far, in total, Pecan has spent about 15. He has no tent and no sleeping bag, his clothes are all cotton (generally shunned by hikers since cotton doesn't dry)and his stove is a coffee can that burns wood. His food comes from a combination of donations, foraging and dumpster diving. He is the self-proclaimed poorest hiker on the trail, and he is also by far one of the happiest people I have ever met. Even after spending a night on the ground in the cold rain shivering and cuddling with his dog, he still had a smile on his face in the morning.So now, I'm about to go off on the trail again. Today or tomorrow, I'll hit the GA/NC state border, and from there I'll hopefully keep on truckin' to Maine!P.S. - I hiked 67.5 miles from Springer mountain over the past week, not today as the "Daily Miles" would suggest. I'm not that strong... yet. ;-)
Date: 2009-03-18
From: Franklin, NC

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Interesting past couple of days. Spent half of Monday sitting in a shelter with a girl named Tuna because my left ankle was bothering me and I was sick and tired of hiking in the rain and cold (it was the 4th straight day of rain). In talking to Tuna, I realized that doing the trail could potentially drive me insane. When hiking, we would both have massive mood swings throughout the day that would leave us ecstatic at one point and absolutely miserable only a few hours later. We chalked it up to the fact that as solo thru-hikers, we live in our own heads for 90% of the day, only venturing out to converse with others for maybe an hour at the beginning and end of the day.Up to that point, these swings had only lasted a few hours at a time, but then yesterday, I had an absolutely miserable day. It was odd because there was really no reason why I should have been miserable - the sun was shining, it was relatively warm, and the terrain wasn't terribly torturous. Yet despite this, I spent the entire day in an emotional cloud, basically loathing every step I took forward. Rather ironic, because it was days like that I had hoped to avoid by doing the trail.So as a small respite, I decided to hitchhike into town, use the internet, and buy a sandwich. I'm eating the sandwich right now, and it's tasty. :-)I guess I knew that the primary challenges in this were going to be mental and not physical, but I guess I didn't realize how purely mental they would be, or how soon they would come.Ah well. Onward and upward!
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: The Dollar General
Miles today: 0.0

And I'm back at a computer!I'm currently in the library in Hot Springs, NC after a measly 2 days out in the woods. The trail runs right through the middle of town, which is especially convenient since there's a Dollar General (so cheap! so good!), a library, and an outfitter literally on the trail.I originally wasn't going to stay in a hostel for another week (I'm trying to keep the bills relatively low) but everyone else in the group I was with was going to stay at this place called the Sunnybank Inn, so I decided to join them. In short - excellent decision. So excellent in fact that I decided to take my first zero day here and relax at the hostel and around Hot Springs.The hostel is incredible. It's a Victorian mansion that was built in the 1870s and is run by this former chaplain named Elmer. The food is all organic and vegetarian, the people are wonderful, and nearly every wall in the house is covered in books. Without exaggeration, I think his house has more books in it than the library in which I am currently typing.That's about where my organized thought runs out, so time for bullets again!-Had a crazy time on a mountaintop called Max Patch. Some stories are too good to write online, and need to be told in person, so all I'll say is it involved snow, 60mph winds and possibly saving a girl's life.-Elmer's has a work for stay program, so in return for shucking pecans and listening to Simon and Garfunkel vinyls for 3 hours, I'm staying the night for free. Yay exchange of goods!-As alluded to above, the Dollar General is the best place ever. A 1-week resupply in Fontana Village cost me 90 dollars. At the DG here, it cost me 37.-I guess my washboard washing skillz aren't so good after all. At one point today I walked past Elmer, and we conversed as follows:Elmer: Have you washed your clothes since you've been in town?Me: Mmmmm... no.Elmer: You should probably go do that.Keep in mind, this is coming from a guy who smells hiker-stink on a daily basis. I think this means I may have successfully acheived permafunk.-Mark and Kathy, the trail angels who gave me an apple and breakfast bars, emailed me a picture they took of me! It's in the photos section and should somehow be associated with this entry. Thanks again guys!A th- th- th- that's all, folks!*Cue Loony Toons outro music*
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Next to the wood stove

To: The snowy wild
Miles today: 0.0

Short update:I stayed another day at the hostel because the weather today was not that amenable to hiking. It was snowing for most of the day, and although none of it really stuck down in the valley I've heard people talking about knee-high snow drifts up in the mountains. It's been kind of bizarre seeing it snow like this in April in Tennessee, but also really nice because I've been watching it through a window while sitting next to a wood stove.As for the stomach bug, I'm now fairly convinced I got it from a sick guy at a shelter instead of untreated water, which is what I originally thought. Since I've been here, 3 more people have come down with it, and I've heard people say it's been going through the neighboring towns as well. Thankfully, I'm completely recovered and hope to stay that way for a good long while.Excited to hike through snowdrifts tomorrow,
Date: 2009-04-25
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 162.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Man, it's hot outside!Rolled into lovely Pearisburg, Virginia this morning and I'm going to rest here a few hours before going on.Unfortunately, I wasted most of my hour on the library computer doing other stuff, and now I don't have time for a full update. Bah.Short version.-Grayson Highlands, VA. Feral ponies. I got to feed a foal oats. So cute!-In one day, it rained, snowed, hailed, and was foggy, sunny and cloudy. Insane.-Last night, I camped on a ridge overlooking a huge valley and watched the sun set and rise on an outcrop with an incredible view while the warm wind buffeted my hair.This is why I'm out here.Currently eating a tasty peppermint,
Date: 2009-05-15
From: The Baptist Church

To: Tent city
Miles today: 0.0

I'm in Damascus! Again!For those of you who are very confused, I took a 200 mile detour off the trail to go to the annual AT festival/party called trail days, which is located in Damascus, VA - that lovely little trail town which I passed through about 450 trail miles ago.I've only been here one night, but so far it's been excellent - I've showered, washed my clothes, received free gear (!!!) and participated in an epic dodgeball game which pitted the thru-hiking class of '08 vs. that of '09. (Needless to say, '09 swept all 4 matches in the series.)Unfortunately, I'm in a makeshift internet cafe with a 15 minute time limit so I can't write much now. However, one more little story...I got down here due to the generosity of a wonderful woman named Peanut, whom I met on the AT enthusiast site whiteblaze.net. She picked me up, brought me here, gave me food, and was excellent company for the 4 hour car ride. However, she's staying down here to hike for a while, so I now need to figure out how to get 218 miles up I-81 and back to where I left off. Hooray for adventures!Going to go beg strangers for rides,
Date: 2009-06-13
From: The Mayor's house

To: Pint of Ben & Jerry's
Miles today: 0.0

Shit, it's been a really long time since I updated this thing. Many apologies to those out there in internetland.When I last wrote in this thing, I was recovering from sickness and really hoping I didn't have swine flu/giardia/lyme disease/whatever else I could think of. Thankfully, I didn't have any of the above, and whatever it was cleared up by the time I hit Harpers Ferry.For those who have never been, Harpers is a beautiful little town. It's a national park, and nearly all of the buildings there are refurbished 1800s-era buildings that were built into the side of the hill that the town lies on. In one of the buildings, you walked in the door to find a floor made of unfinished bedrock with little rivulets of water running through the cracks and a natural spring in the corner. I stayed the night at a wonderful B&B/hostel and because the owner was very nice and didn't think she was going to sell the room, gave me and another hiker a $135 per night room for $30 each.After Harpers came a few days in Maryland (it's only 40something miles long) and then the infamous state of Pennsylvania. Up to that point I had been kind of dreading the state - the joke on the trail is that the trail crews go out to sharpen the rocks on the trail to make it harder to hike. It definitely was rockier than the previous terrain, but the southern half of the state wasn't all that bad in terms of terrain. However, I didn't have that great of a time because I was basically alone. When I took the days off after Shenandoah, I came back on the trail in a rut between groups. Thru hikers usually end up forming packs, and I found myself right smack dab in the middle of two of them. That meant that from Bear's Den hostel in VA to Duncannon, PA I saw a grand total of 2 other thru hikers. I spent a good number of nights alone, and for someone who came out here hoping to meet people, that was a bit depressing.To get out of the rut, I had two options - either slow down drastically and wait for whoever was behind me to catch up, or speed up and catch my friends who were ahead. To me the choice was obvious - hike like hell - and so I did. I did 20 mile day after 20 mile day and ended the stretch by doing a 29.6 mile day into Duncannon, PA where I finally caught up with my friends. I think something must have happened to my body when I slowed down for the stretch around Shenandoah, because previously even a 20 mile day hurt my feet, whereas at the end of my 30 miler, I felt like I could have done another 10!The town of Duncannon was awesome. I stayed in a place called the Doyle Hotel, which was one of the original hotels built by Anheuser-Busch around the turn of the century. It had laundry, showers, a bar downstairs with cheap draughts and a pool table. Basically, it was hiker heaven.I'm really tired right now, so I'm going to end this entry for now, but I'll try to finish it tomorrow morning.Thinking to myself...