morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-19
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton Motel
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

I woke up at 6:00 but stayed in my sleeping bag until 6:15. It supposedly got down to 24 degrees, I'm warm in my sleeping bag. At least the sun was out and the wind had died down. I left at 7:00 and stopped at the privy at the bottom of the trail. No Rush and Astroguy left on the water trail and were ahead of me. I thought they were behind me and I was walking slow to let them catch up. By the time I found out that they were ahead of me they had a pretty good lead. Astroguy thought that I was ahead of him and was trying to catch up with me. We never saw him the rest of the day until we got into town. He was rocket man today. We did find out later that he hit his knee on a rock and it was quite sore. Hopefully, he will answer the call of the trail again tomorrow. It was cold on top of Spaulding Mountain, the mud and ground was frozen. I had ice in the bite valve of my camelback and the hose was freezing up even though I just put the water in there this morning. We came to a bronze plaque coming down Spaulding Mountain. It was marking the last section of the AT completing the trail from Georgia to Maine. We went around the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain but still had to go down some slippery rocks. I fell down head first and flipped over on my back coming down. I landed on my pack and then I slid into a tree. The pack absorbed the landing and my head and neck hit the tree stopping my forward motion. I just laid there laughing at myself for being so clumsy. After the long downhill No Rush and I stopped at the South Branch of the Carrabassett River for a lunch break and to settle our nerves. We sat on some rocks in the sun, listened to the water and enjoyed the view of the trees turning red. We still had to climb South Crocker and North Crocker Mountains. After that it was a long downhill to the road. We got a quick ride into town from Kim, who also gave us a homemade Whoopie Pie. The ride was much appreciated and the desert was delicious. Thanks Kim! We claimed a bunk at the Stratton Motel which also has a hostel for hikers on a budget. We had two more food packages there but they both belonged to No Rush. We split up our food to get us three more days down the trail. The rest of it we gave to Astroguy so we wouldn't have to carry it. We went to the White Wolf Inn for dinner. It was fish night and we ate fish until our hiker stomachs were full. It does happen from time to time. I went back to the hotel for a shower and to work on a couple journals. I weighed 175 at the hotel, I haven't gained any weight even though we have ate a lot in town lately. At least I am not losing too much weight. I went to bed a little after 10:00.
Date: 2014-09-23
From: Moxie Pond 

To: Pond Not on AWOL'S Guidebook 
Miles today: 20.5

I woke up at the first sign of daylight, about 5:50 this time of the year. No Rush said he heard a moose earlier but I must have been sleeping pretty good. We were hiking by 7:00, we are pretty consistent. We had to rock hop across Moxie Pond first thing, it is harder to do when your legs aren't ready to hike. We had one nice climb up Moxie Bald Mountain(2629 feet) but the trail up was pretty good. It was cold on top and we had a little bit of trail across bare rock above treeline. There were some nice views though and some neat rock features to see, climb over, or climb through. We stopped at Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to for our first break, we were the only ones there. We saw very few hikers all day. We crossed roads all afternoon and a stream and two rivers. The guidebook said that we would have to ford them but the water was low enough that we rock hopped across all three of them. We followed rivers and streams all day so it made for some nice hiking. I met one guy hiking up with his fly rod he was enjoying the afternoon catching trout in various pools. No Rush and I debated wether or not we could make it to the road and get into town. We found a nice campsite by a pond not in our guidebook so we decided to spend the night there. There was a beautiful sunset on the water of the pond. The loons, ducks, owls, and other birds were really vocal after dark. There was no wind tonight but you could feel the crisp, fall air after dark. We are about 4 miles from Monson where we will resupply and take on the 100-mile wilderness. That part of the trail had worried me earlier in my hike but now I just accept it as another part of the challenge. I have heard that it is full of great scenic areas and my son Carson will be joining us tomorrow for the final stretch. 119 miles to go!
Date: 2014-09-26
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: West Branch Pleasant River
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 6:00 and Carson and I packed up most of our stuff in the tent before going to the shelter. We had a light breakfast and started hiking at 7:30. Carson will figure out the morning routine and we will get out of camp quicker tomorrow. Today was going to challenge us with several mountains along the way. We did get a nice view from Barren Ledges early to inspire us to move on to the next mountain. We took our first break in the woods to get some more food in us before we began our next five mountain climbs. I had a good signal on top of Fourth Mountain (2380 feet) so I sent out several text messages. We also had a 10 mile stretch without a good source of water which added to the challenge. Three and a Half Mountain was a tough climb up and Third Mountain (1812 feet) was a tough climb down. Carson was feeling the miles already and his feet were hurting. Going up Columbus Mountain(2325 feet) and Chairback Mountain (2180 feet) wore all of us down. We night hiked again for about an hour before we got to the West Branch of the Pleasant River and found a camp site. Puzzle, No Rush, Carson, and I set up camp in the dark. Chip was already there for the night. Carson filtered water while I set up the tent. We would probably be sharing the tent for the entire six day hike, a little father-son bonding. It was a nice spot by the river but after dinner we were ready to call it a day.   84.2 miles to go!
Date: 2014-09-27
From: West Branch Pleasant River

To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up about 6:30, everbody seems to be moving slower this morning. We got ready to go and I wore my Crocs till we got to the river crossing. It was a wide, shallow river but no rocks to cross on. The water was cold but it woke me up pretty quickly. We met Ridge Runner Brawny hiking south on the trail. She said that she is the only Ridge Runner in Maine for 281 miles of trail. Connecticutt has 6 Ridge Runners for 60 miles of trail, that doesn't make any sense to me. There were day hikers coming across the river to hike the Gulf Hagas trail this morning. It is a loop trail with a narrow, deep gorge with several waterfalls. It would be nice to hike it someday but there isn't time today. We have people meeting us at Baxter State Park on Wednesday. Carson put on his shoes and started hiking, he likes to get a head start because his sore feet are slowing him down. Puzzle told us that he was going to have to try and get into town because of some medical problem with his leg. Fortunately, there is a road with a parking lot and because it is a Saturday lots of people will be hiking the Gulf Hagas Trail. He should be able to get a ride into town. His decision to go back did come unexpectedly to us but he will be back on the trail after going to an Urgent Care and getting some antibiotics. We caught up with Bullseye and Ladybug filtering water just before the next shelter. They are planning on climbing up Katahdin on Friday so they are in no hurry today. We stopped at the Carl A. Newhall Lean-to, a 5.6 mile hike in the first 2 1/2 hours this morning. Carson is setting a nice pace for us this morning in spite of our late start. We needed to get water and eat something before we tackled the four mountains coming up this afternoon. Gulf Hagas Mountain(2713 feet), West Peak(3178 feet), Hay Mountain(3244 feet) and White Cap Mountain(3650 feet). We ended up doing the first 12.3 miles in 8 hours, the mountains slowed us down. On top of White Cap I took plenty of pictures and called Shaw's to set up our food delivery for tomorrow. They will meet us at Jo-Mary Road at 1:00 on Sunday. We had a view of Katahdin from the north side but there was some disagreement between hikers on which mountain was Katahdin. I took lots of pictures and then chased Carson and No Rush down the mountain. We got to the East Branch Lean-to just before dark and we set up our tent away from the shelter. Carson took care of the water and I set up the tent and hung the bear bag. There was a lot of people in the shelter and they were hanging around the campfire for awhile. We fixed dinner and then crawled into our sleeping bags for the night, we didn't have time for social activities. Carson's sleeping pad is not holding air and he will appreciate the softer ground where we set up the tent. I worked on journals as usual and planned the next three days of hiking to get us to Baxter State Park. 67.8 miles to go !
Date: 2014-09-28
From: East Branch Lean-to

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 5:30, decided to get up early since we have a 12 mile hike to Jo-Mary Road for a 1:00 food drop. We were able to rock hop the river crossing at the East Branch of the Pleasant River. It was weird that we stayed at the West Branch on Friday night and the East Branch on Saturday night. I wore my Crocs to the river this morning so I had to put my shoes on and start hiking. We need to average 2 mph to get to the road on time. Carson has already left and I was hiking by 7:00. We had one uphill after the river then one small mountain to climb. We hiked past Crawford Pond and had a nice easy walk following a stream after that all the way to the road. We got to Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to and there was a nice view in front but I only had time to take a few pictures. We got to the road by 12:30 and Turtle Tracks was giving out Trail Magic. He has been setting up the last few weekends and was giving hikers sodas, hot dogs, and Oreos. It was interesting talking to him while we waited for our food. Shaw's showed up a little after 1:00 and we stuffed everything in our packs for the next three days. We had an apple pie that Black Bear brought us in Monson and we shared it with several other hikers. They were thrilled to get apple pie in the 100 Mile Wilderness. Emily your Trail Magic is keeping lots of hikers in good spirits and keeps on giving. I hope you get to experience lots of Trail Magic on your hike next year. Happy Hiker, Amy Stardust, Blue, and Day Tripper, and Chip enjoyed the pie along with us. The lady from Shaw's said that she talked to the people at Pine Ellis in Andover, Maine and 30 hikers left their hostel this morning. They are saying that there are lots of hikers behind them. I am glad to be winding down my hike and wouldn't trade places with any of them. I hope the weather holds out so they can finish up. We hiked the next 4.2 miles in 1 hour and 30 minutes and took a break at the Antler's Campsite. It is on Jo-Mary Lake and has a two seat privy called Fort Relief. I was glad that I walked up the hill to take pictures of it because I saw that the trail went that way instead of following the lake. Carson got to see a Marten in the woods this afternoon but we skipped the sand beach at the lake. It really isn't that warm to get in the water anyway. At 5:30 we got to Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to and got a couple of nice spots for tents. We got everything done before dark this evening in spite of spending an hour and a half at the road earlier. We will have more time to rest up for tomorrow, it will be a high mileage day.   48.3 miles to go!
Date: 2014-09-29
From: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to

To: Rainbow Lake Campsite
Miles today: 22.0

I got up at 6:15, fixed coffee and breakfast for Carson and I. I left at 7:15 with No Rush, Carson had left earlier. Carson and I saw 5 grouse this morning and got some pictures of them. We followed a nice stream earlier and than took a break at Nahmakanta Lake. There are so many lakes, ponds, and streams in Maine. I was able to send out a few text messages at the lake but no pictures. A float plane went over the lake and tipped his wings at us. It was looking like possible rain and it is in the forecast for today. Shoes and John were at the shelter last night and stopped at the lake while we were there. Shoes is 75 years old and finishing up his hike also, John is just hiking part of the way with him. We stopped at Wadleigh Stream Lean-to for a quick break, the shelters in Maine are right by the trail and makes it convenient to stop and take a break. We had to climb up Nesuntabunt Mountain(1520 feet). I know, they are getting smaller but I can't convince Carson that these mountains are small compared to what we have already climbed. We are hiking by lots of ponds, one of them we reversed direction and hiked about 3/4 of the way around counter clockwise. I joked with Carson that they needed to add a few miles to complete the 100 Mile Wilderness so they took the long way around. We had a little drizzle during the afternoon and it was cooler. I met Nike and Bigfoot hiking south, they both had to go to part of Virginia to finish their thru hikes. I was following Carson today and tripped over a root and skinned up my right shin and right elbow. I also have pain in my right knee, right heel(bone spur), right wrist, and a bunion on right foot that hurts whenever it hits a rock or root. The right side of my body is wearing out. We stopped at Rainbow Stream Lean-to and fixed dinner. We decided to hike on and get another 3.8 miles done. We had to hike a little in the dark and set up with our headlamps, but we finished setting up quickly because we didn't have to fix dinner. Amy Stardust came in after dark and set up just below us. I went down and told her who was camping nearby and to let us know if she needed anything. We are all trying to help each other finish up the hike so we can all go home. 26.3 miles to go!
Date: 2014-11-22
To: Back to the Real World
Miles today: 0.0

Upon the completion of my hike I intended to take a few days off and not think about anything even remotely related to hiking. After six months on the trail I ended up needing a few days plus a few weeks to unwind and to gather my thoughts. Now I am ready to add a couple of more posts before signing off of Trail Journals for good. I have updated my gear reviews and I was amazed at all of the gear I replaced during my hike. The gear I finished with was trail tested and made it to the end, just like me. My reviews are unbiased and intended to help future hikers make wise choices with their money. I thought about writing a summary of my hike but I realized that I don't have the writing skills to describe the journey of a lifetime in a couple of paragraphs. If you can find the time this winter you could read all of my daily journals and maybe you would get a feel for the day to day trail experience. But the best way for anyone to capture this type of experience is to hike their own hike. I hope that everybody that aspires to spend some time in the woods gets their opportunity and makes the best of it. I tried my best to keep my entries positive and not let the hardships of the trail overshadow all of the good things that I saw or the great people that I met on and off the trail. They call the AT the people trail for good reason. I would like to use my journal to thank all of the people who helped me and other hikers with Trail Magic, rides, or words of encouragement this year. I met people on the trail that will be in my thoughts for a long, long time; maybe forever. I hope to return to the trail someday and return the favor to other hikers. Until then it's back to the real world.
Date: 2013-11-17
To: Mobile Journal Entry Test
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

This is a test to see what it would be like to write my journal entries in the notes app of my iPhone and upload them when I have a better connection. I'm hoping that this will help preserve my battery but will still allow me to relay some of my thoughts and experiences while I'm on the trail. Hopefully it won't be too hard to just copy and paste this from my notes to the website.
Date: 2013-11-18
To: Planning Daily Mileage
Miles today: 0.0

So I have already gone through the process of planning out exactly where I might stay every single night during my hike by using the AT Companion. I realize that this is an act in futility because as soon as I step foot outside, who knows what could happen. Either way, having a daily mileage plan is helping me figure out where I want mail drops and where I might want to just get groceries.I'm hoping to get out this weekend for a few days or at least an overnight. It will be my first test for a good number of new items.
Date: 2013-11-30
To: Overnight Shakedown
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I was able to get out and do a short overnight last night. I parked at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and did about 7 miles into the the James Fry Shelter. My roommate and I pitched a tent down closer to the stream rather that stay in the shelter. Now the reason I decided to do this shakedown was to test the limits of my cold weather gear and my sleeping system. All I can say is that it needs a little tweaking. It was supposed to get down to about 20 deg F but it ended up being closer to 12 and I was cold. I've done cold camping before and I have a 0 degree bag, I wanted to test what I was planning to bring next year. While it was a little colder than I was expecting I don't think that this situation was a unique one. This leads me to wanting a slightly warmer sleeping bag but not quite a zero and possibly adding a down jacket.
Date: 2013-12-17
To: Less than 6 months away
Miles today: 0.0

As the fall semester comes to a close the realization that I will be starting my journey in less than 6 months (174 days to be exact) is really sinking in. I feel very prepared mentally and am beginning my physical training (running and indoor rock climbing mostly) but still feel very unprepared as far a schedule for mail drops/resupplying goes. I've been reading on various AT related websites everyone's advice on this but I still am not so confident. I think the most difficult part of the resupply issue for me is that I would like to not stray too far off of the trail for supplies. Is there anyone out there who has advice on how to not go more than 1.5 miles off trail the entire trip?
Date: 2014-01-22
To: Thinking about the trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I head this quote in the documentary, "To the Limit" about two German brother who were attempting to break trying to break the speed record on the nose of El Capitan. While hiking the Appalachian trail might not be as extreme as speed climbing a giant rock face, I feel it applies to how I, and many others feel about the experience that we are about to undertake. I share it with you now an hope and that you enjoy it as much as I do.Well what we're doing here flies in the face of reason. You could call it...an absolute revolt against common sense. Imagine we're always searching for something...like this. One time it's free solo, another time we're in Patagonia and now it's speed. In the end it doesn't matter. But this constant search for a thing like this exactly what gives our life sense at the moment. You could also call it our daily bread which we need to live. And without this daily bread we'd probably be as faint and pale as a plant that doesn't get any water or light.- Alexander Huber
Date: 2014-02-18
To: Possible change of plans
Miles today: 0.0

So after exploring the ATC website and mulling over some thoughts I may be changing my thru hike to a flip flop. I'm thinking of starting my thru hike at Pine Grove Furnace State Park (half-way mileage wise and the AT museum) in mid May, hiking north to Katahdin and then shuttling back down to Springer and hiking north again to the half way point.So far this is what I have for pros and cons:Pros:Starting and finishing at what is essentially my AT stomping grounds (I only live 20 mins away)Starting on easier terrain to build up to the more challenging NE sectionsNot worrying about any closing datesMissing mud/insects/pests that come with a June SOBOHaving more reliable water sources PA-NYCons:Missing the psychological boost of having a terminus finishMissing out on having a continuous trail familyTransportation costs of flip-flopping
Date: 2014-05-18
To: Leaving Tomorrow
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sitting in my living room after a steak dinner and a couple beers I couldn't be more relaxed but, I couldn't be more ready to make myself uncomfortable and challenge myself everyday for the next 6 months. I've been dreaming of hiking the Appalachian Trail ever since I found out about it when I was 14. Still can't believe that it's here but I'm ready to go.
Date: 2014-05-20
From: Rocky Mtn Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Thought I'd do an update while I have service. Didn't have the greatest sleep last night, but it's to be expected the first few nights of the trip. Did three miles early into Caledonia and we're headed another 10 to Birch Run shelter. Should be another great day.So...big edit to what I posted earlier. Dad and my brother decided to both leave early today, at different times, and I decided to push a little further in order to make an easier day out of the rainy day tomorrow. 19.4 miles. Feeling sore after today but still strong and excited.
Date: 2014-05-22
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Backpacker Campsite (Boiling Springs)
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Once again, change in plans. Ended up just out of Boiling Springs, 11.5 miles. The plan is to split a room with Surfer and have a zero day, no hiking. My feet have been bothering me and I decided that I need new insoles for my shoes. Hopefully I'll be able to take care of that tomorrow. I ended up walking with Surfer most of the day today and this morning we stopped at the Green Mountain Store for breakfast. While we were eating he let me know of loudly I snore and he says sounds like the A-train. So from then on, Surfer has been calling me A-Train and it has begun to stick. I shall now be known as A-Train.
Date: 2014-06-04
From: New Tripoli Campsite

To: Palmerton Borough Hostel
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Another beautiful day for hiking! Rained last night a bit the morning was cool and didn't heat up too much into the afternoon. I walked into Palmerton early this afternoon and checked into the free hostel run the borough. After that, I was picked up by the Wentz family and taken to an awesome meal on the slopeside. It's too bad that I missed Alyssa by a few days (Alyssa and I were the same major and graduated together but she just started a new job in NJ on Monday) but the rest of the family was very gracious and friendly. Thanks guys! Headed only 12ish miles tomorrow and I'll be met with my grandparents RV and I'll push past 200 total miles.
Date: 2014-06-06
From: Smith Gap Rd (RV Campground)

To: kirkridge shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a really great day. Started with corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast in my grandparents RV. Slack packed most of the day so I covered some miles without too much effort. I will admit that parts of the day got to be a bit monotonous and I listened to music on my phone for the first time during the day. After finishing the slackpack my grandparents took pooh bear and myself to subway and I finished with a half mile hike to the shelter. Had a really great time my grandparents and I'm looking forward to my first state line crossing!