morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-08-12
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Rt. 27, Stratton 
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

Due to the bad weather on tuesday we stayed in the shelter. Normally we always tent. That saved us time in the morning and we hit the trail at 6:30. We hiked in the clouds until noon. Everything was still wet and the trail was a mixture of a stream and segregated puddles. Couldn't see anything from the Crocker Mountains. On the way down to Rt. 27 the weather cleared up a bit. We reached the waypoint of 2000 miles. Putting together the hike of this year with our efforts from 2013 that's the mileage we spent on the trail totally. Still 188 miles remaining. Once we reached the road it was an easy hitch on the back of a pickup truck into town. Now we are waiting for the Wolf burger which is served in the local restaurant.
Date: 2015-08-13
From: Rt. 27, Stratton 

To: Stafford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

As always the amenities of civilization made it difficult to leave town. Nevertheless we were on the road (AT) again around 9:30. A nice guy from the state of New York drove us from Stratton back to the trail. The program today was the Bigelows mountain range with very attractive viewpoints. Despite the good weather there was not much traffic on the trail. After a long descent down from Avery peak we found ourselves alone on the Safford Notch Campsite. Now it's close to hikers midnight.
Date: 2015-08-14
From: Stafford Notch Campsite

To: West Carry Pond 
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The most beautiful day so far. Early in the morning there was not a single cloud in the sky. We enjoyed the last scenic pictures of Sugerloaf Mtn. and the beautiful lakes from Little Bigelow Mountain. The Bigelow Mountain range provided the last peaks with elevations higher than 4000 ft. until we get to Katahdin. We passed several big lakes on our hike, all of them with clear water and well-suited for a swim. The goal for today was the West Carry Pond Lean-to, where we swam finally and washed out the dirt of the trail. Tomorrow we are planning to cross the Kennebec river which is one of the biggest rivers in Maine.
Date: 2015-08-15
From: West Carry Pond 

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 14.0

Today we hiked along a rather easy section towards the Kennebec river. We absolved the first 10 miles to Pierce Pond Lean-to before noon because we had to catch the ferry over the river, which operates from 2-4 p.m. It is part of the official AT to cross the river using the ferry. The ferry is a canoe that is good for two hikers at a time. This service is funded by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy because people died while trying to ford the river on their own. Using the ferry you are required to sign a release form and to wear a life jacket. The canoe is handled by David, who is famous among the German Appalachian Trial Community, since everybody knows him from the documentary in TV. The current of Kennebec is very strong, so he needs your support with the paddling. On the other side of the river are a few houses which represent the town of Caratunk. That is where we stay tonight.
Date: 2015-08-16
From: Caratunk

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

This morning we got unexpected supplies provided by (of course) Hobo's family. Hobo also brought some contact lenses for Flair, since she has forgotten to pack them in Germany. Being equipped with lots of high quality food we continued our way north. The trail led us over Pleasant Pond Mountain that was easy to climb but the descent consists of plenty pointless ups and downs. After a long day we set up our tent at the Bald Mountain Brooke Lean-to.
Date: 2015-08-17
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 13.0

Another very hot day made us sweat a lot. In the early morning we climbed Moxie Bald Mountain. Rumor has it that on very clear days (was not the case today) you may see Mt. Katahdin from the top. We don't believe that because it is still 130 trail miles to that point. Afterwards we sneaked in the heat up to Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to. That site is located at the Piscataquis River where we bathed in the evening to cool off.
Date: 2015-08-18
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Rt. 15, Monson
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Only 9 miles for us on Tuesday. We have been hiking for 9 days in a row so we planned to have a shorter day when we come into the town of Monson. We are going to have a zero here tomorrow. Monson is the last hideout before hikers encounter the 100-mile wilderness. This stretch of the trail is especially remote and does not cross public roads. There are only private gravel roads that are used scarcely. For those being not assured wether they can hike the full distance without resupply local people arrange a food drop at one of these private roads. We may probably use that offer because if the weather was bad we would stay 8 days or more in the woods.
Date: 2015-08-20
From: Rt. 15, Monson

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: light rain

First day out in the 100-Mile wilderness. We entered the wilderness around 8 during some misty showers. They started to become stronger but until noon showers were gone and we had a pleasant day with nice views over some ponds. After 13 miles we came to a dirt road where a sign says trail magic. We followed that invitation and had dinner with Scout and Birdmen who served us excellent pasta. After that with a full belly it was only two miles to Long Pond Stream Lean-to where we stayed over night.
Date: 2015-08-21
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

This day was really bad. As soon as we left camp it started raining. We climbed several peaks but they were all in the clouds. The terrain was rugged with slippery roots and rocks and swamp-like areas in between. It took us 8 hours for about 11 miles to Chairback Gap Lean-to. When we arrived there the rain stopped for a while. Thus, we decided to stay in our tent. This turned out to be an epic fail, because once we had built up the tent a thunderstorm with heavy rain came through. Our tent was underflooded, since a stream went right through. This gave us a hard time and a late start the next day.
Date: 2015-08-22
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: broken clouds

We started around 9 after cleaning our gear from the night. The first few miles where still annoying until we came to Katahdin Iron Works Rd., which is a private gravel road that connects to a state road. Beyond that road we had to cross the west branch of the present river. The water was high due to the rain of the previous days. On the other side of the river is the gulf Hagas loop trail located, which is famous among day hikers for its water falls. These day hikers spend the night in a lodge on the private road that is maintained by the Appalachian mountain club (fancy stay, expensive, rather not a place for long distance hikers). In order to do the gulf hagas trail these people have to ford the river, too. For their support they sent a ridge runner who gave advise on where to go in the water. We were quite surprised to see so many people on the trail. We forded the river and walked up to the Sidney Tappan campsite where we stayed (almost) alone over night.
Date: 2015-08-23
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Cooper Brook Falls 
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

As aforementioned we stayed almost alone at the campsite. Close to our tent a moose spent the night. We heard it shaking its head and eating grass or leaves. It did mooselike noises moreover but unfortunately it was absolutely dark and we couldn't see it. Whereas the day before was still cloudy, the sun came out early and dried our shoes. We climbed the last peak over 3000 ft. named white cap and had a view in the ultimate goal of Katahdin at 9 in the morning. After a 5 mile descent we crossed the east branch of the pleasant river and hiked up to Cooper Brook Falls lean-to. The brook offered a nice swimming hole where we washed out the dirt of the last days.
Date: 2015-08-24
From: Cooper Brook Falls 

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: few clouds

We stayed in the shelter knowing that rain had been forecasted. We would prefer to stay in the tent but that would give us an early start. So we started early at 7 and the rest of the day is easily told: there was rain again and our shoes were wet from the inside. Though we hiked over 20 miles because the trail was muddy but flat. We had lunch at some shelter which was mice's den. In the evening the sun came out for a while and we bathed in Nahmakanta lake.
Date: 2015-08-25
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

Very cloudy day with some showers. All viewpoints on Katahdin didn't work for us. We were quite excited to get close to the finish. Our whole gear was wet and stinky plus we needed some rest. Owing to that we decided to go another big distance which brought us close to abol bridge which represents the northern end of the 100 mile wilderness. We tented next to the last shelter before Baxter State Park which is home of the northern trail terminus. During the night we were exposed to an epic thunderstorm. Thunders made the earth vibrating and the lightnings were that close we thought they were inside and not outside our tent. At 3am the storm faded away and we could find some sleep.
Date: 2015-08-26
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

In the morning we agreed with Bad Hiker, Mimi and Brenna, who shared the trail with us in the wilderness, to meet at Abol Bridge for breakfast. At the bridge there is a commercial campground plus restaurant. Unfortunately this place was disappointing. The restaurant was still closed when we arrived at 9 and the campground store had only a few supplies. On that account we continued hiking to Katahdin Stream Campground which is the starting point of the so-called Hunt Trail that leads to the top of Katahdin. Interestingly the terrain surrounding Katahdin is totally flat. The last 10 miles to the campground were most of the time a pleasant river walk. Of course it rained and the trail was muddy and full of puddles but we somehow expected it. At the campground long-distance hikers are supposed to stay at The Birches, the last shelter belonging to the AT. All other sites must be reserved weeks in advance, because Baxter State Park, where Katahdin is located, is been heavily used in August. Nevertheless we decided to hitch into the town of Millinocket in order to dry out and recover. This was a difficult task on a rainy day. Millinocket is 25 miles away from the trail head and not too many day hikers would hike on a day like this. Fortunately Dan from the state of Washington was crazy enough to climb on Katahdin without seeing anything but clouds and water. He drove us to the AT lodge together with Psych, who had finished his thru hike.
Date: 2015-03-24
To: A new plan
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We started our AT hike last year, making the 165 miles from Springer to Fontana Dam in a little over a month. We found that our hike speed was slower and our daily mileage was lower than we thought it would be. Our permits for the Smokey Mountains had already expired before we got there since we had expected to get there much earlier. So this year we'll be starting from Fontana Dam where we left off, tackling the Smokies, hiking through North Carolina & Tennessee, and going as far into Virginia as we can get in the three months we've allocated for this year's hike.To get to the AT in NC, we'll rent a car and drive to the town nearest Fontana Dam where we can turn it in. The nice folks at the Hike Inn, where we'll be staying, will pick us up from the car rental place and bring us back to the hostel for the night. Then they'll shuttle us to the Fontana Dam parking lot where we left the trail last year. And we'll be on our way again.
Date: 2015-03-27
To: Gear lessons learned
Miles today: 0.0

We're going to use pretty much the same gear as last year. We're not posting a new gear list on this journal, since last year's list is still true and viewable. Our tent, backpacks, sleeping bags, and pads all worked very well. In fact, we usually slept better in the tent than we did in motel rooms. We did add sleeping bag liners and inflatable pillows along the way last year. The liners gave us more flexibility with the sleeping bags through various temperature ranges. Bags and liners together gave us more warmth when we needed it. The liners alone were enough on warmer evenings. We tried using our clothes bags as pillows, but that was too inconsistent, depending on what clothes were still in the bags, and they weren't very comfortable at best. So we got light-weight inflatable pillows to guarantee a comfortable sleep.We carried and used two sets of sleeping pads: one foam and one inflatable. The foam pad provides good protection from the ground, but is not very soft, itself. The inflatable pad provides the cushioning needed for comfort, but if punctured is useless. We use the foam pads as seat cushions or folded up as head rests during breaks. And in the tent at night we use the foam pads as a base layer under the inflatable pads to protect them from punctures from sharp objects under the tent.Woofie got a new pair of hiking shoes in Franklin, NC. She had blister problems up to then. After she got the new Merrill shoes, no more blisters. I had Merrills from the start and never had a blister. We learned one thing the hard way. Washing rain resistant clothes in detergent makes them go from rain resistant to rain absorbent. Better to be dirty and dry than clean and wet.
Date: 2015-03-29
To: Food lessons learned
Miles today: 0.0

We started last year's adventure having never backpack camped before. Having read many others' trail journals, we knew what types of foods worked and what types didn't. Fresh and canned foods weight too much and produce lots of trash that you have to pack out. Dried foods are lightest, and freeze dried are also convenient. Our primary evening meals were the various Mountain House freeze dried meals. We liked some better than others, but all were eagerly devoured after a day's hike. We found that each MH meal was enough to the two of us. Then a snack for desert was all we needed before bedtime.We also found that ramen noodles worked well, especially when we added a packet of tuna. It tastes just like chicken noodle soup.Our big mistake was taking peanut butter & jelly. We used bagels for sandwich bread. The problem was that it was messy and sticky and smelly. It was very hard to clean up our sporks, and we were always afraid that the smell of the peanut butter would attract animals while in camp. So we ditched the P&J at the first town stop.But when we got the Neel's Gap, we discovered the perfect hiker food for daytime meals: Clif Bars. They're light, full of calories and fiber, and the wrappers take up no room and don't smell. They are the closest thing to the magical bread from the Lord of the Rings - Lembas. Eat a small one and you can hike all day. The only problem with Clif Bars is that they're not easy to find. Outfitters & convenience stores carry them, but not in great quantities or flavor selections. Again, all the peanut butter or peanut chocolate flavors are out of the question. In grocery stores they're half the price that outfitters and convenience stores charge. But the main problem is that there are no outfitters, convenience stores, or grocery stores along the trail. For snacks we took the big three GORP items: nuts, raisons, and M&Ms. We kept them separate so we could enjoy whichever one filled our yen at the time. We also learned from other hikers that mixing the fruit and the nuts made their nuts sticky and not very appetizing. I'm a purist we it comes to snack foods. I like raisons. I like nuts. I love M&Ms. But I hate them mixed together. Unlike most people, I find the nut/chocolate combo disgusting. I can smell the foul odor of peanut M&Ms from across a room. Once someone gave me an orange M&M, or so I thought, that turned out to be a Reese's Piece. Had to spit it out and wash out my mouth. If you remember Tom Hanks' experience with caviar the movie Big, you'll get the idea.
Date: 2015-04-02
To: Looking ahead
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The time to start making final preparations is getting closer. In the next couple of weeks, we'll be scheduling our rental car, making reservations at The Hike Inn, and getting our permits for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.We found last year that our normal comfortable hiking pace is about 7-10 miles a day. So we expect to make it to New Found Gap and into Gatlinburg for our first resupply on hiking day 6. Gatlinburg, a popular tourist town, is sure to be even more crowded for Memorial Day weekend. So to ensure we can find a place to stay, we'll want to get there, rest and resupply, and get back on the trail before that. That's why we plan to start on May 15 -- as late as possible to avoid snow in the Smokeys, but early enough to avoid the holiday crowd in the town.Hiking shorter mile days gives us more time to enjoy being on the trail and avoid the common injuries people get from over exertion. But it does make resupply problematic, since it takes longer to get to places to shop. To solve the problem, we'll do a couple things different than last year.First, we'll use mail drops to send supplies ahead where feasible, probably to a hostel a few days up the trail. Also we'll be doing mini flip-flops, as other hikers on trail journals have done. For example, to get from Hot Springs to Erwin, we plan to get a shuttle up the trail about half way to Erwin and hike back south to Hot Springs. Then, fully resupplied, get shuttled back to the half way point again and hike north to Erwin. With these two tactics, we should be able to mosey our way along. Can't wait to see Max Patch and Charlie's Bunyan in the Smokeys. Also looking forward to the Laurel Falls and the ponies of the Grayson Highland farther up the trail. We've been following hikers on TJ for many years and enjoying their photos. It'll be wonderful to finally see those beautiful sights in person.
Date: 2015-04-11
To: It's official
Miles today: 0.0

We called yesterday and made our reservations with The Hike Inn near Fontana Dam. We're leaving home in a rented car on May 13, driving as far as Marion, NC, and staying the night in a motel. Then on the 14th we'll call The Hike Inn and arrange a time to meet in Silva, NC, where we'll drop off the car and be shuttled back to the Inn. On the morning of May 15, after a good breakfast, they'll shuttle us to the Fontana Dam Parking lot, where we finished last year.And a new adventure begins. We know we'll be doing short days, since it'll take a couple weeks to get our hiking legs back. Since we have to stay only at shelters or officials camp grounds, we expect to take 5 nights camping before we reach New Found Gap, where we hope to get a ride into Gatlinburg.The iPhones we carried last year worked great. We had the iPhone 4. Having a phone with internet and camera all in one, we could post our journals & photos on TJ as we went along, although data service was usually limited to towns. But we did have pretty good cell phone signal coverage along the way with our Verizon service. Having read many journalists on TJ complain about their lack of service on the trail with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, we chose Verizon when we got our iPhones. Last fall we upgraded to iPhone 6, and we like them even better because of the larger screen. Their battery power also seems to last longer. Of course we carry them in Airplane Mode to conserve power. By doing that a full charge lasts about 4 days. We also have a lightweight charger that can provide two phone charges.We are using three different guide books on our hike. We have the AT Thru-Hiker Companion PDF edition installed on our iPhones. That way we have the whole book and no weight to carry. During last year's hike we picked up Awol's Trail Guide, which has a lot of info in it about services available at road crossings. And this year we also have Guthook's Trail Guide App for the iPhone. It's an outstanding App with map and elevation views, waypoint and services listing, and photos of the waypoints like shelters, campgrounds, water sources, and crossroads. It even has a GPS feature that shows were you are on the trail in relation to the waypoints, so you can tell when you're getting close.
Date: 2015-04-22
To: Three more weeks
Miles today: 0.0

In just three weeks from today, we leave the comfort of home to return to life on the trail. Two days after that we'll be dropped off at the Fonatana Dam parking lot where we left the trail last year, and we'll head north into the Smokeys with "all deliberate speed." For those of you who aren't familiar with that historical phrase, it comes from the Supreme Court ruling in 1955, Brown vs Board of Education, which ordered the southern states make progress toward desegregating public schools with all deliberate speed. That was subsequently interpreted as meaning "as slowly as possible."I'm not saying that we'll be hiking as slowly as possible on purpose. It's just that our hiking pace from last year was...let's call it leisurely.   Now we're going to start through the Smokeys without the hiking strength that we'd gained from the month it took us to get there last year. Last year we were surprised by how hard the hiking was through the Georgia mountains. This year we expect the Smokeys to be tough, and we plan to go slow and steady. We're going for a long hike, not long hike days.And slow and easy seems to be popular with some of our readers. Three of the most recent guest book entries were from people to signed only because they were impressed by how slow we were going. Who knew that going slow would be so good! Of course, though many go fast because they have to, we go slow because we can. I'm retired so there's no job or clock waiting for my return. And the best part is that Woofie & I are hiking together, so there's no spouse waiting at home doing all the work while the other one has all the fun, but feeling guilty about it.And speaking of the guest book, although we expected our friends to sign in, we were surprised by the number of strangers (new friends) who also signed. And realizing what a nice boost we felt by the additional moral support, I promised myself to do a better job of signing other hikers' journals when I read and enjoyed them. So I did sign all six of the hikers' journals I've been following this Spring. Not only have we enjoyed their stories and pictures, we'll be taking what we learned from them on the trail with us, just as if we'd met them on the trail ourselves. And who knows. Maybe we will meet on the trail some time.