morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-12
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Monson, ME - Lakeshore House
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I couldn¢t wait to arrive to Monson to dry out, our last trail town before hitting the exalted wilderness and ending our journey, time to get fat and drunk in honor and remembrance of all the great trail towns along the way. My poor body needs one more break, bath, and binge before the final push through Maine. It seems neither my feet are too happy with me and my decision to walk in the rain, for, although I¢m no doctor, I think I have the beginning symptoms of trench foot. Conventional treatment for trench foot ¢ rotating shoes every other day to allow them to dry, avoiding synthetic materials against my feet, frequent changes of socks, seeing a bona fide doctor ¢ isn¢t going to work in the woods. So hopefully a day off is just what this doctor ordered.   The Lakeshore House, with hosts extraordinaire Jeff and Rebekah, could not be a finer place to rest our weary bodies. We had no doubt we would end up here after receiving their gracious invitation about 3 miles outside of town ¢ a cooler of ice cold beer in the woods, the best of the best when it comes to trail magic. Their place was as cozy and comfy as it gets, a bed and breakfast atmosphere usually reserved for more hygienic and refined guests. It¢s so nice to be treated as cleaner and less savage than we are. It must be the dress I carry for such occasions.I can¢t help but begin to think about the end of my journey, a glorious finale to six months of pushing my body and being to the limit, yet a sorrowful farewell to the lifestyle and hikers, one in particular, I have come to know and love. Despite all my diatribe to the contrary, I guess it was bound to happen, for I have spent every waking, not to mention sleeping, moment for the past two months with a guy with whom I have more in common than anyone I¢ve ever known. Neither of us can predict what is going to happen after the trail, likely nothing is the reality, but for now, I want to enjoy the time I have, with someone I may never see again, despite what we both want. All we have is the here and now, to talk about our hopes and dreams, share our spirits and souls, and play silly word games. Tough girl exterior has been broken. Smack talk of trail romance has been all but obliterated. I tried so hard to remain stoic and single, independent and isolated, detached and determined. Instead, now I¢m about to be heart broken. I don¢t like this game. Fierce competitor that I am, I like to win, and I give everything I got in the process. Yet I fear that this is one round I am about to lose when faced with our prospects back in the real world. I should have stuck to my ¢no love¢ resolve.miles remaining 114.5
Date: 2007-09-13
From: Lakeshore House Monson

To: Lakeshore House Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Despite the realization, even though I fought it kicking and screaming, of the depth of my feelings for someone I met on the trail, the Lakeshore House in Monson provided the perfect atmosphere for rest and relaxation before our final advance on Katahdin. I think I finally rolled out of bed around noon; only after much pleading and cajoling did Rebel get up at 4 pm, just in time to watch the sun set across the lake. We are about to enter the much talked about ¢100-Mile Wilderness,¢ possibly the most isolated section of the trail we would encounter. Signs proclaim this area¢s remoteness and warn the unprepared hiker to stay away. According to the warning, hikers should give themselves ten days to get through the wilderness, with enough additional food and supplies just in case something bad happened.We¢ve decided on seven days as more than sufficient. Seven days of food is the most I¢ve carried on this journey since the Smokies in the South. With my winter sleeping bag, warm clothing, and a good 15 pounds of food, my pack is as heavy as my heart, my steps as weary as my body, my desire still strong yet tinged with regret for the end.But if we¢re not prepared now, we¢re never going to be. It¢s what the past six months have been about. Prepared? Physically, yes, we are strong but tired, ready for the hiking aspect to just be done. Mentally, I¢m not so sure, for the journey and experience are ones I want to hang onto forever.And so it is with mixed emotions that I venture forth into the wilderness for the last time during this adventure. The Big K awaits.
Date: 2007-09-14
From: Monson, ME

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: few clouds

What the signs don¢t tell you is that the ¢100-Mile Wilderness¢ is a bunch of hype, for it is not actually 100 miles, nor is it really a wilderness, not nearly as remote and isolated as the paraphernalia makes it out to be. Conditioned thru-hikers can zoom through portions with 20 miles a day, so the idea of carrying 10 days of food is absurd. And there are roads just about as often, enough so that hikers can actually slack pack the entire wilderness without ever sleeping out in it. There are a few new hostels, even a hotel serving burgers and beer, advertised right smack in the middle. I kid you not, I almost got run over by a truck, not once, but twice today, zooming by on one of the remote wilderness roads.In addition to surviving the automobile traffic, I also survived my first real ford today. From prior journal entries, you can likely sense my fear of water, so the thigh-high swirling waters made me nervous. No Steve ¢The Ferryman¢ to save me this time, I had to make my own way across. I removed my trail runners and tied them carefully around my neck, opting for the ever popular and trail worthy Crocs, mine the Wal-mart knockoff version, instead to protect my feet from the rocky bottom. Next, I undid my waist belt on my backpack, for if I were to fall, I wouldn¢t want the 45 pounds of stuff on my back to drag me under. I searched for the path of least resistance, shallowest water, calmest current and timidly entered the water. Rebel was no help at all, sat on the other side basically laughing at me, while I relied on the encouragement of Big Shanty to uplift my own. I made it across, without an ounce of fun included. Larry and Brue, coming after, were not nearly as graceful, but much more fun to watch, like two little old men shaking while holding onto their trekking poles like canes for support. The current ripped Brue¢s cane out from under him, nearly toppling him in the process. As Brue¢s trekking pole floated downstream, Larry leapt to retrieve it and fell face first, on his hands and knees but somehow miraculously not fully submerged, into the water. Fortunately, his grab was successful, but too bad he bent one of his own trekking poles in the process. I guess I, for once, wasn¢t the day¢s only entertainment and am more coordinated than I give myself credit. One more day of not drowning is always a good sign.miles remaining 95.4
Date: 2007-09-15
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Five of us have banded together to conquer the wilderness -- me, Rebel, Big Shanty, Larry and Brue ¢ and it is with this group that I will likely finish my journey. I could not ask to be surrounded by better people, for these are some of the best I have ever known. No matter what happens after the trail, as we are sure to go our separate ways, they will forever remain in the reaches of my heart, forever a part of my most special of memories and most heart-warming, and possibly ridiculous, of stories. It is their bearded faces I will picture when I think about the end of this trail, their smiles I will summon when I am saddened by the realities of the world, their laughter I will recollect when I need a boost of morale, their camaraderie I will recall when I believe that no one else understands. They do.It is a bit scary how completely our thought processes and minds have aligned by this point in our journey. Without a word spoken between the five of us, as we awoke to a cold rain this morning, we all simultaneously but independently decided to go back to sleep. At 9 am it was still raining and still cold, so we resolved to stay in our warm, dry sleeping bags for a few more hours before heading out into the bad weather. Easy enough, we will just do a few less miles today, as long as we leave by noon. Noon comes and goes, and I¢ve already eaten breakfast and lunch, slept a bit more, played a few word games with Rebel, plus replanned our remaining mileage four times, all from the comfort of my 20-degree bag. At 2 pm I finally mustered the strength and determination to emerge from my cocoon and pretend like I was going to hike, yet I didn¢t get very far, for my support system remained firmly zipped in. Too cold to sit and wait for them, what the hell, I crawled back into my bag, where I stayed for the rest of the day.Together we determined that hiking in the rain, arriving wet and cold to the next shelter, is no longer the adventure it once was. And so the five of us stayed at the shelter the entire day, hunkered down warm and dry, to await better weather and the urge to hike. It¢s the first time that I zeroed at a shelter in the middle of the woods without contact with the outside world on a trail which I¢ve been hiking for six months. I guess it¢s about time.
Date: 2007-09-16
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Maine is beautiful, quite possibly the most gorgeous portion of the entire AT. The leaves are just starting to change colors; a week or two from now I suspect the mountains will be awash in vibrant reds and stunning oranges and brilliant yellows. I would love to be here to see the fall foliage at its best, but I can¢t wait around any longer, for it has come time to finish this trail.I hate that at this point thru-hikers, myself included, are not stopping to smell the roses and take in the beauty of our environs. We see the finish line and think of nothing else. Because we are so close, we focus only on Katahdin and therefore may be missing out on other sights and sounds along the way. Daily planning is all about making the mileage required to summit on our chosen day. It¢s why most thru-hikers forgo the additional 2.1-mile loop to Gulf Hagas, a striking geologic feature formed by water eroding the slate walls of a deep canyon, creating a series of waterfalls in a 500-foot chasm. Even though my feet hurt, and I would rather spend my extra hours sitting in the shelter than traipsing around in the woods, especially when the miles can¢t be deducted from my AT total mileage, I don¢t know when I will again have this opportunity, if ever. Plus, I know that Rebel loves waterfalls, and if someone is important to you, sometimes you do things just to make that someone happy. Although personally, I could do without the waterfalls, I wouldn¢t want to forgo the look of excitement on Rebel¢s face. I don¢t know when or even if I¢ll ever see it again.miles remaining 78.6
Date: 2007-09-17
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: few clouds

From the top of White Cap Mountain, we saw our first glimpse of Katahdin! The five of us sat staring in awe at the mighty mountain, our goal for the past six months hiking and even longer planning and preparing. I¢ve dreamt of this moment for years. I thought I would be more excited, as were my four closest hiking buddies. It felt weird to see our endpoint so close. I had the same feeling of longing as my comrades, but mine seemed to be mired in a bittersweet regret.Maybe part of it is my feet hurt, cracked and bleeding at every point of flexion. Every step is painful, to the point of sometimes crying out in pain and agony. I am hiking alone right now, because I don¢t want the friends I so treasure to see me hurting so bad. I don¢t want them to see my tears. I don¢t want them to hear my cries. I don¢t want them to feel sorry for me or pity me or try to help me. They must finish this journey for themselves, as I must do the same for myself. Although they care about me, it is my pain to bear, not theirs.I do not know if I can make today¢s miles. I do not know if I will be capable of hiking at all during the coming days. I do not know if I will be able to summit on our proposed date. Just in case I can¢t, I said good-bye to my friends. Although it breaks my heart, they have to continue on, with or without me. It is their journey just as much as it is mine. Although they offered to stay with me, I will not hold them back.Again, this time only a few days from the end, I wonder if can do it. I remind myself that I have deliberately chosen this path, literally and figuratively, and therefore I have chosen the pain and discomfort and isolation and sometimes ostracism that come along with it. Just because you go after a dream doesn¢t mean it¢s going to be easy. Au contraire, my friend. There¢s nothing easy about it.miles remaining 59.7
Date: 2007-09-18
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

At least the terrain is a bit easier today, and the feet a little less sore. I¢m too close now to think negative thoughts. A log book entry from a few days back reminded me of my goal and pushed me onwards towards the grand finale: ¢Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.¢ Amen to that.Supposedly the AMC, or Appalachian Money, I mean Mountain, Club has purchased the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine to do with it exactly what it has done to the Whites in New Hampshire. Plans call for a similar system of huts, making the wilderness more accessible to a different type of back packer. If you recall, this system is not favored by many thru-hikers.One of the shelter registers asked for new names for the 100-Mile Wilderness after it comes under the control of the AMC. Many were derogatory, such as 100 Dollars a Night Wilderness, or 100 Ways to Ruin the Wilderness. My favorite, though, was ¢Shit, I¢m Almost at the End of my Journey and Still Haven¢t a Clue of What I¢m Going to Do with My Life Wilderness.¢ I second that. I came to the trail, in part, to rediscover the inner Stacy, to spend six months thinking about who I am and what I want to do with my life. I thought the trail a perfect place to do so, without all the distractions of the real world interrupting my soul-searching introspection. I thought I would be able to answer my deepest, darkest questions if I had nothing to do but walk for six months. I thought I would be able to figure it all out, finding myself along the strip of packed dirt that extends for 2174 miles from Georgia to Maine. I thought wrong.I¢m definitely getting closer to all of that, to knowing who I am and what makes me tick, and the Appalachian Trail has certainly been a huge part of my journey of self-discovery. But I am not any closer to knowing what comes next. I realize that there are so many options, how will I ever choose just one? When will I again feel so free and independent? So confident and self-assured? So true to myself and my being? So able to go after what I believe is important?Never is my fear, but always is my hope. Crap, I only have 40 miles to figure it all out.miles remaining 38.2
Date: 2007-09-20
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

Tonight will be my last night on the trail, the last time I will sit around a campfire with this fabulous group of people, the last entry I will make for daily mileage, the last night I will sleep next to a man with whom I could spend my life, the last time I will dream of summitting Katahdin. The weather has been great, the company superb, the experience invaluable, the emotions not so much.Oh but the stories I could tell¢¦Walking along the trail today, I hear a guy¢s voice say, ¢I¢m taking off my clothes to go deeper.¢ I look through the bushes to the water beyond, and simply reply, ¢I hope you¢re talking about swimming, my friend¢ and continue on my way.Shanty¢s parents arrived from the ATL to welcome their son, plus all the dirty and hungry thru-hikers trailing behind him. They brought with them pounds upon pounds of lunch meat and specialty bread for sandwiches, cords of firewood to burn long into the night, pride so evident in their voices and eyes as they once again hugged their son, plus all the dirty and hungry thru-hikers trailing behind him. Shanty was eager to see his beloved parents again, but also willing to share them with me and Rebel, Larry and Brue, and whoever else included in the posse of dirty and hungry thru-hikers trailing behind him.I felt so fortunate sitting around a huge campfire surrounded by my thru-hiker family with whom I will summit and end this chapter of adventure in my life. Our raucous laughter over trail mishaps interspersed with our deepest thoughts on life and what we mean to each other, I not wanting to be anywhere else at the present, trying to hold onto this moment in time forever and never let go. It makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. And the saddest.I often ask myself is it better to live a life filled with passion and adventure, but with the resulting inevitable feeling of emptiness that is bound to come with the good-byes? Or live a life with fewer ups and downs, with even and stable terrain, to avoid the ensuing hurt? Seems I always choose the former. Hard as it is, I will do the same next time when faced with a similar decision. I will have no regrets, for I will have lived my life to the fullest, loved deeply and maybe irrationally, but with always a good story to tell.miles remaining 5.2
Date: 2007-09-21
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Mount Katahdin, ME
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear blue skies, warm temperatures, no predicted storms. A Class One day to climb Katahdin means the weather can¢t possibly be any better. And it was gorgeous ¢ not a cloud in the sky, great visibility and views, not too bad a climb, unseasonably warm temperatures, and an amazing group of people around me.The Indian translation of Katahdin is ¢greatest mountain¢ and it certainly has become so for each and every thru-hiker who has walked here from Georgia. For so long the mountain has been just an abstraction, a dream, an intangible which we all wanted so badly. At 5267 feet Baxter Peak on Katahdin is the highest elevation in Maine, not the tallest mountain on the trail, just the most revered, most dramatic, and most longed for. It stands alone, jagged and abruptly rising from the surrounds of Baxter State Park with over 4000 feet of elevation change in just five miles, reputedly one of the toughest climbs of the entire AT.And there was the sign, the tell-tale sign that my journey would soon be complete, ¢Katahdin, Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail.¢ I have seen so many pictures of other successful thru-hikers standing behind and on top of and beside and underneath this sign at the peak, touching it and crying tears of joy and exhaustion, kneeling before it in humbled awe. It¢s what all thru-hikers want, to stand victoriously on top of Katahdin after months of laughter and tears, pain and sweat, grit and determination.You can see the sign for about a mile in the distance, appearing closer than it really is, but still just out of reach, like so many of our dreams. The adrenaline overtakes our weary bodies, the excitement difficult to contain, the pace quickens as we shove day hiker obstacles out of our way. And then I am there, at my destination, standing on the goal, reaching out to touch a dream that has now become tangible. I am literally on top of the world.Day hikers were all very excited for us and quite interested in our journey. You walked here from Georgia? Congrats all around. That is so awesome. You must be so proud. Good for you. Someday¢¦Did you read that book? Yeah, but I actually walked the AT. Did you have any bad weather? Hail, rain, thunder and lightning, snow, freezing cold, blistering heat, but overall, great weather. What do you do now? Go to Millinocket. What do I do now? Your guess is as good as mine. I do know one thing though: I hiked the Appalachian Trail, start to finish, Georgia to Maine, 2174 miles. My journey is now complete. But it will stay with me forever, for the trail has become a part of me.
Date: 2006-08-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hello all,After a great summer of work and planning I am ready to start up this final year of school. Just so you know a little about me; I am currently finishing up a B.S. in Ecology/Environmental Biology with a minor in Geography at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. I have been leading backpacking trips, hikes, and climbing trips here in the surrounding Southern Appalachains all summer. Its been a lot of fun and also keeps me in good shape. I am looking forward to lots of trips during the semester and hope to get out on some personal trips as well. So far planning is going well, my friend Seth and I got a good head start and hopefully things will continue to fall in place. Right now I am focused on stocking up on gear (I've been trying for four years now). I have posted some gear in the gear section and hope to get some more up there soon.Keep hiking and don't forget to stop and enjoy the simple things.-Stan
Date: 2006-08-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

School has started once again. The good thing is that classes are somewhat fun seeing that I am able to take things I am actually interested in. Not much has changed over the past couple of weeks as far as planning goes. I finally got in my digital camera and I'm very anxious to get out on some trips and see how it does in different situations. I got trips lined up all semester long and it looks like we are going to be starting out on a nice rainy labor day weekend with Ernesto moving through. Whenever I can I will throw on some photos of the surrounding area and since I am taking a class on mushrooms probablly some mushroom pics as well. Keep hiking,Stan
Date: 2006-10-25
To: Recent Trips
Miles today: 0.0

Well it has been awhile since my last post, but that is due to a hard semester of school and backpacking, hiking, and climbing trips every weekend. Time seems to be flying by which is a good thing for now. The excitement and anticipation is building, just as fast if not faster. It seems as though at this point planning is really focused on what kind of gear I still need to get and test before my trek.Since the last post, I have led four backpacking trips. I have made it to three new places while doing that which is always exciting. One of those was Gorges State Park, NC. The foothills trail was really the only actual trail the others that were used were old roads. The park has a lot of potential for trails they just need to get them built. We did get to pull out the map and compass and do a great bushwhack, always fun to do (if there are no trails! LNT). I also made it to South Mountains State Park, NC as well, another park with great potential. Seems like they have a lot of land they just need to put in some good hiking tails and leave campsites primitive. The last was a Fall Break Trip to Big South Fork National River and Recreation area. I really like this area. There were some cool rock arches and a great trail along Laurel Fork Creek (be prepared for Crossing it many times). We only saw a very small area of the park but I would love to get back and just play around in that whole area and the surrounding area as well.Well that is enough for now I will try to throw on some pictures soon.-Stan