morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-18
From: Speck Pond Campsite 

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

We hiked into Andover, or shall I say hiked to Upton Rd. and then hitched into town, for a resupply and night¢s stay. The Andover Guesthouse is our place of slumber tonight, a lovely historic house turned B&B run by Sandra and just recently by her deceased husband, ¢Pegleg.¢The house is full of thru-hikers, most of which are SOBOs. We NOBOs are being outnumbered for the first time!Bluebearee, a good acquaintance of mine and ¢02 thru-hiker, will be meeting us tomorrow for two days of hiking. I¢m very excited about this as I know her only through e-mail and have been corresponding with her well before I set foot on the trail. She lives in Maine so this will be a relatively short jaunt for her.
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Andover, ME

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Check it out¢¦ I saw moose! On the bank of Surplus Pond, about 1.8 miles north of Andover, I saw a momma moose with her little calf. I can now summit Katahdin a thoroughly happy hiker.On top of that excitement, I finally met Bluebearee at our campsite for the night on Old Blue Mtn. Our voices floated over the pine trees and blazing campfire while our tummies became full with chocolate chip cookie bars baked by Bluebearee.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Campsite

To: Sabbath Day Pond
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I¢m sitting next to a beautiful pond with the waves lapping against a small sandy beach and the sun making its way towards the horizon. Another beautiful day in Maine. How do I give up this life? I could very well reach Katahdin, turn around, and head south back to Springer. Forget school and the ¢real world.¢ I¢m already stressing out about finding an apartment and getting enough loans to cover my monster Ivy League expenses. I need to concentrate more on my last two weeks on the trail. Honestly, I don¢t let these worries bother me too much, but they¢re often in the back of my mind. I¢m already missing the trail and I haven¢t even left it yet.School and Ithaca do excite me. Mixed emotions are very present at the moment, however. Talking to Bluebearee about her transition after the trail brought these thoughts back. On such a peaceful night such as this one, sitting next to the pond that is now much calmer since the wind died down, I wonder how anyone could give up such a life.
Date: 2003-07-21
From: Sabbath Day Pond

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

A short, fast hike into and out of Rangeley for a resupply. The terrain was extremely forgiving, reminding me of the stretches through the mid-Atlantic states. It was great to be moving so swiftly again since the New Hampshire and Maine mountains have slowed me down a good degree.Java and I ran into Cheddar just before attempting a hitch into Rangeley. He¢s back on the rail after taking time off for a wedding and informed us that he, Rockhand, and Beefstick are looking at a finish date of August 4th or 5th. Java and I are set with August 4th so may see them on the summit. Only two weeks from today!
Date: 2003-07-22
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: moderate rain

I propose that the official A.T. trail marker in Maine be piles of moose poop as opposed to the more traditional white blaze. I am often amazed at the sections of trail the moose traverse. Maine has very rocky, root-littered trails and the moose are all over them. It¢s those long, gangly legs I tell ya. I hope to run into one on the trail soon to possibly hitch a ride. I have no doubt that one could carry me the remaining 200 miles. What a finish that would be!
Date: 2003-07-23
From: Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: moderate rain

I picked up my very last maildrop today in Stratton, and what a maildrop it is! One box, three packages, and five letters awaited me. I couldn't wait to get to "The Widow's Walk," the B&B we're staying at, to rip into everything. I immediately devoured a bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies from my friend, Ant, and ate half a can of Pringles (I polished off the remaining half for dinner). Thank you all for thinking of me! I couldn't have asked for a better last maildrop.
Date: 2003-07-24
From: Stratton, ME

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: moderate rain

The rain has returned. The past five days have been wet, with today being the worst yet. With pruned fingers and toes I went up and down four peaks in the Bigelow Range. Let me tell you, I was not in the mood to hike, but little things that occurred throughout the day kept my motor running.The first of these was meeting a southbound section hiker named "Mailar." Mailar knew who I was before any introductions were made because, you see, he reads this here journal. This is not the first time I have met a reader of my journal on the trail, but it came at the perfect time. Mailar was genuinely excited to meet me. He reminded me of myself whenever I find a register entry or picture of someone I followed in trailjournals - I get all excited as though I've spotted a celebrity. It's funny to think that I still do this even though I'm now out here just like they once were. The best thing about this encounter was when Mailar said, "You made my day." I got the biggest smile and realized that Mailar had made my day as well. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip, fellow hiker, and best of luck on your potential Georgia to Maine stretch.The second occurance of the day actually happened a number times, whenever I found myself on an exposed peak. The clouds were literally hanging over the mountain tops, but every few moments a gust of wind would blow them away and reveal tremendous views of the surrounding peaks and valleys below. Then the clouds would rush in again, blowing across my entire body. It is an incredible feeling to be engulfed in a cloud. Standing on top of such a peak makes one feel so vulnerable and alive.The last gist of the day was reaching this shelter and subsequently the 2,000 mile point. Java and I celebrated with fellow northbounders "Hoser", "Homebound", and "Psyco Heiko" by drinking Bud Lite left by a trail angel and eating chocolate pudding courtesy of Homebound. Rock on NOBOs! It's smooth sailing from here on out.
Date: 2003-07-25
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

When it rains it pours. I saw another moose. This time it was a bull moose that I caught by surprise on the trail. The gangly monsters can move! I saw him for a brief second and then all that remained from his hasty departure were hoof marks along the A.T. What an exciting encounter! I was a bit on edge after the spotting as I had no idea where he had sped off to and I know that moose can be testy animals if provoked. There was no need to worry, however.Tonight I find myself camped alongside Pierce Pond, the loveliest pond and campsite I have yet seen on the A.T. The only negative aspect of this site are the mosquito swarms. They are absolutely horrendous. Thank goodness for tents.
Date: 2003-07-26
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 4.0

Today I crossed the mighty Kennebec River. With oar in hand, Matt the ferryman and I paddled ourselves and Java from the south bank to the north bank. It took all of three minutes. Ha! The ferry crossing is the official A.T. It is a dangerous river to ford because the water level is unpredictable due to a dam release that doesn't run on a strict schedule. Hence, the ferry, which unfortunately began due to a section hiker's death in a fording attempt back in the 80s.Upon our speedy arrival to the north shore as a result of my fierce paddling, Java and I walked into Caratunk for a resupply that ultimately became a nights stay. Joined by Cheddar and his dad, we're relaxing with movies while my tummy is content with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and three slices of pizza.
Date: 2003-07-27
From: Caratunk, Me

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

A long hiking day with rain and sunshine playing a game of tag from start to finish. We reached the shelter after the sun set (a late morning start) to find hikers already fast asleep, so we've set up our tents alongside Moxie Pond. I just stepped out to the bank to look up at the sky and noticed that the stars are reflected in the the glassy pond, and as I looked back up a shooting start shot across the sky. The whole setting reminds me of a scene from "Immortal Beloved," where Beethoven has just escaped to some body of water after a beating from his father and lays floating with the stars reflecting all around his body while staring up into the night sky. A peaceful escape.
Date: 2003-07-28
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

Monson, Maine - my last trail town. We are staying at Shaw's Boarding House, the oldest established hostel on the A.T. I heard about this infamous place at the get-go and now I've finally arrived. It's a nice hostel, although not one of the best in my opinion, but it has a long history of helping out weary hikers and it lives up to that.The trail towns along the A.T. play an integral role in the thru-hike experience. They allow hikers to sample a bit of life in the Appalachias. Interestingly, the towns here in Maine are much smaller and remote than those down South. In Monson, for example, the nearest bank is twelve miles away. To get cash in the town one can go to the bank and get 'cash back' with a debit card, otherwise you're out of luck.I think the cultural immersion that the A.T. offers is one of the biggest draws for thru-hikers. Not only do we immerse ourselves iwthin our trail community of hikers, but of the trail town locals as well. I definitely recall beautiful and/or intriguing places along the trail, but it's the people I've met along the way that really stick in my memory.
Date: 2003-07-29
From: Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I started the day with Shaw's famous all-you-can-eat breakfast. I took it rather easy after last night's bottle of "last trail town" celebratory wine but was still able to put away two blueberry pancakes, two eggs scrambled, hash browns, a piece of bacon, a sausage link, and a donut. Plus two cups each of orange juice and coffee. Just what I needed to prime myself for the 100 Mile Wilderness, supposedly some of the most remote hiking on the trail. I've found this to be quite the contrary with the near hords of hikers I passed today. The summer camps and summer vacationers are on the prowl. It's no wonder, they are in such a beautiful place. There is water everywhere with very forgiving terrain. This area is yet another along this trek that must be revisited.
Date: 2003-07-30
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Gulf Hagas Brook Campsite
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: few clouds

"I have learned that the swiftest traveller is he that goes afoot." ~Henry David ThoreauNot today my dear readers, not today. The hiking today was painfully slow, or so it seemed. How glad I am to be resting in my tent next to a racing stream after climbing mountains and fording streams all the day long. Mine is a weary body.
Date: 2003-07-31
From: Gulf Hagas Brook Campsite

To: Cooper Brook Falls Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 20.9

I had my first glimpse of Katahdin from White Cap Mountain! Through the midday haze Java and I saw before us our final destination, the rocky monolith that we have walked over 2100 miles to reach. I was so excited to see it I was actually nervous. All this time we have been calling ourselves "thru-hikers," even though we have not yet thru-hiked the Trail, and now we are so close to claiming that title. Already people are congratulating us. It's an odd feeling, the Trail has become my life these past few months and to think of its completion as an accomplished feat seems silly. I wish I could somehow share this experience with everyone, what it really feels like, not just through pictures and journal entries, but that's impossible.
Date: 2003-08-02
From: White House Landing Wilderness Camp

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 27.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I don't know how to react to this near end of my journey. Here I lay in my tent, less than two days from my summit of Katahdin, struggling to put the right words on this paper. Many hikers have done better than I in this respect; the register at this last shelter before Baxter State Park is chock full of sentimental anecdotes from northbounders - our last goodbyes to one another. Tomorrow we enter Baxter State Park, set ourselves up at the thru-hiker campsite called The Birches, and prep ourselves for the final leg of our journey.So far I have heard of few others planning to summit on Monday. Cheddar has caught up to us after his dad pulled off the trail from a broken hand, so it is he, Java, and myself representing the northbounders as far as I can tell at this point. Poptart and A-Train summited on the 31st I believe. Grunt, Squirts, and Flick summitted on the 22nd and I think Subman on the 28th. Many more have finished this weekend. How exciting that most of my trail friends have made it. Soon I will be there too.
Date: 2003-08-03
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: The Birches
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

My last dinner on the trail, my last pseudo washing on the trail, my last campfire on the trail, my last journal entry on the trail, my last night on the trail... I don't know what to do with myself. Excitement, relief, nervousness, and happiness are all flowing through me. I will miss the trail life - living out-of-doors, smelling the fresh air, and being surrounded by wonderful hikers. I am so glad I took on this challenge. It was damn hard at times, dealing with fatigue, soreness, blisters, rain, bugs... But it was all part of the journey and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have so many great stories to tell about the things I saw and the people I've met.
Date: 2003-08-20
To: Fate 
Miles today: 0.0

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."                                    -Helen KellerI discovered this quote while writing my graduate school application essay last year. I found it to be such a simple yet profound statement on how one should live their life, how I like to live my life. The quote served me well in my college acceptances. On March 1st, at the base of Springer Mountain, a trail angel named "Swallowtail" handed me a bag of goodies with a strip of folded paper enclosed in it. I unfolded the paper and read, "life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." At that point I realized that The Trail was unequivocally where I was supposed to be.I often think back to that moment. The coincidence of Swallowtail being at Springer on March 1st, doling out the small gift that had provided me with such inspiration only a few months earlier, was fatalistic.
Date: 2003-09-04
To: Transition
Miles today: 0.0

A month ago today I was standing on top of Mt. Katahdin. Now I am sitting at a desk in a computer lab in Sibley Hall on Cornell's campus. How quickly things change. I've been meaning to write this entry for some time now but haven't had the chance to sit and think it through. The last month has been non-stop activity what with getting things together to move out to New York and to begin my first semester at Cornell.The Trail already seems so long ago. The night of my summit I was undergoing a sort of shell shock; I didn't quite know how to react to the end. I awoke the next morning before anyone else and immediately walked to the window to check the weather, as if I was preparing myself for the day's hike. I continued to do this for a few days thereafter. The shell shock came to an abrupt end during a side trip to Cornell's campus on the drive home. The second I stepped foot on the campus I knew that The Trail was done, finito. It hit me like a ton of bricks. My return home was great - to see more of my family and relive the trail experience through the telling of stories, but I felt displaced. I had been out of my parents' home for some time prior to hitting The Trail, and returning there with no personal space of my own left me feeling as though I was a visitor. On the trail, everything was my space. After two short weeks back home, I headed out to Ithaca, New York with two dear, helpful friends. Roughly two and a half weeks later I find myself still living out of boxes, with little time to get things in order with my hectic school schedule. It's been great though. I have met many wonderful people and each day my interest in my studies grows. Despite my busy schedule, I don't think a day goes by that I don't recall some trail memory. My fellow students are probably going to get sick of me bringing up trail anecdotes so frequently, but I can't help it. It was five months of my life, and the most recent at that.I've tried to return to my old routine of running, biking, and swimming but unfortunately my knees are shot. They have hurt more after leaving the trail than they did when I was on it. I've been ignoring the pain, however. I can't stand to be sedentary for such a long period of time. It drives me absolutely nutty. I keep telling people that I'm like an old lady with all my joint problems. Come to think of it, my knees are probably the equivalent of a 70-year-olds with all the abuse I've given them. This is one long arse entry, I must say. I suppose I should end it here. To sum it all up, I miss the trail tremendously. The people, the beauty, the freedom... Anybody that is out there reading this journal and has any interest in hiking the AT - DO IT. You will never regret it.Thanks to all for following this journey, the family and friends who provided me with such amazing support along the way, and of course my 'trail family'.DimplesGA->ME '03
Date: 2003-02-25
To: Labor of love
Miles today: 0.0

I finally decided to get this journal going. Now there's no turning back. I'm making jerky and will be finishing my pack this week. The next 3 weeks I will be dehydrating food and finalizing my mail drops. Liz, my wife, has done an excellent job on the home-make pack. It weighs 13 ounces and holds over 5,000 cu. in. My base pack weight (not including food and water) is around 15 pounds right now. But that may change depending on how much extra photo gear I wish to carry. So my total pack weight should come in around 25-30 pounds. I've set 27 pounds as a goal, fully loaded with 6 days of food and water.I've broken in 3 pair of trail shoes and have been jogging and lifting weights. Next week when the pack is done, I will load it up and climb some hills. This will be a good test of the pack (comfort, fit, and durability) as well as conditioning of the different muscles used up and down hills. I've got to finish the jerky, so bye for now.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Springer Mtn

To: Hawk Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: few clouds

Left Boise at 7:45 AM and arrived in Atlanta at 4:20 PM. Gene Powell met me at the airport and drove through the afternoon Atlanta traffic to his home in Buford. The next day he and Linda graciously drove me to the trail after stopping and buying me lunch in Dalonega. We stopped at the Forest Service and got better directions and a map to the end of the trail at Springer Mtn. We finally arrived at the parking lot 0.9 mile from Springer and started hiking up to the trail's end at 1:54 PM. We got to the plaque at the end of the trail around 2:30 PM and took photos as I signed in. The official AT greeter (Gizmo, Glen Reynolds) took several classes from Dr. Steve Herman at Evergreen College in Olympia WA. Twelve thru-hikers had signed in so far on April 3rd. Gene and Linda took more photos at the parking lot before they left me to start my hike alone at 3:25 PM.I spent my first night at Hawk Mtn Shelter arriving at 6:10 PM. The shelter was full with many hikers tenting all around. I met and listened to the Lion King and Buddy play Buddy's Montana backpacking guitar as Elizabeth was baking corn bread on the open fire. High Octane and The Littlest Hobo were also there. I went to bed around 8:30 PM.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Hawk Mtn Shelter

To: Gooch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up at 5:54 AM and got on the trail by 6:39 AM. Not feeling too good; stomach is a little queezy. My quadraceps began to hurt and cramp up on me going up the steep hills. I've never had that happen to me before. I think I may be dehydrated or it may be a side effect of the antibiotic that I am still taking for my sinus infection. I need to take some time off and get some rest until I feel better. I made it to Gooch Gap Shelter, a distance of 8.8 miles today. My original goal was to make it to the Gooch Mt. Shelter at 14.7 miles on the trail. I'm actually at 16.4 miles now so I am still a little ahead of schedule. I arrived at noon and will rest all day as it looks like it may rain.It's raining at 5 PM. Glad I stayed here. Jo Jo Smiley, whose journals I've read, is here along with Buddy, Littlest Hobo, a couple from Canada, and a retired Army officer with a local Georgia guy. Jo Jo met here husband to be here a few years ago. This shelter will be tore down this fall.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Gooch Gap Shelter

To: Bull Gap Campsite
Miles today: 15.4

Woke up at 6 AM and was on the trail by 6:35 AM. I actually started hiking at 6:30, but since I backtracked the blue side trail to where I left the AT yesterday, it took me 5 minutes to get to the trail. So staying in a shelter saves me 9 minutes of packing up my tent. Since it was already raining, I put on my Frogg Toggs (top and bottom) but soon took the bottoms off as they were too hot for hiking up hill. If it were colder, I may have left them on.I hiked in pouring rain until 9:30 AM when it stopped raining. I was totally soaked from the butt down. I noticed my feet were soaked and you can see through my shorts when they get wet. However, within an hour or so everything seemed to dry out. I stopped to ring out my socks and continued hiking in comfort. I think I will only need the rain pants when it is very cold and windy.I joined Home Bound from Maine and we hiked up Blood Mountain together and arrived in Neels Gap around 2 PM. He ran the Boston Marathon last year and just graduated from Unity College in Maine with a degree in Fisheries.I immediately bought some microwavable food, took a shower washing my clothes in the shower too, and bought some more food and alcohol (fuel) to take with me. After calling my wife to let her know where I was and find out how she was doing, I took a photo of the only building that the AT passes through, and headed up the steep hill to a campsite (Bull Gap) 1.1 miles away that the Lion King told me about. Twenty-eight minutes later at 5:20 PM I was done hiking for the day.Sightings: I saw my first Red Eft or Eastern Newt, those orange salamanders with dots on them. I hadn't seen one since I was a kid in PA. I also saw a rufous-sided towee, a cedar waxwing, broad-winged hawk (I believe), a pileated and hairy woodpecker, many millipedes (I started counting them, but thought, this is stupid, counting millipedes), and lots of gray squirrels.Lesson Learned: Don't hike when I'm sick. Take some time off and get well.I got my trail name tonight from the Lion King and Home Bound. They said I was "Dirty Harry" since I looked like Clint Eastwood. I also have a propensity for dirt, or dirt has an attraction for me. I sweat alot, so dirt has a way of finding me even when I'm not looking for it.Got to get some shut-eye.Dirty Harry