morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-21
From: Smarts Mountain

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

What a day! I woke up just before the sun crested, but fell asleep before it did. Hiking down Smarts Mountain, I thought about Steve and where he might be. I resolved to text him soon and request a Katahdin picture. I passed by Adventurer and came across someone I didn't recognize from the shelter. I eventually caught up with him. Low and behold, it was fucking STEVE! I ran up to him, yelling his name and embracing him in a hug. I've been alone so long and to see a familiar face (a very loved familiar face) was better than any sunrise or sunset. We hiked along and chatted, then parted ways at South Jacobs Brook. So odd to depart when feeling so elated of being reunited...not sure what that's about, but that was my direction for the day. I hiked down an old gravel road not knowing where it led, but hoping it followed the brook. It did. I ended up road walking a bit (1.5 hours) when I learned the road I had anticipated taking was grass. I walked a bit, then got a hitch a few miles up the road from a couple looking to do a 2 hour hike, after which I hitched into Wentworth with Ladd, who looked like he was headed to work. I immediately got another hitch from a guy who lived about 1.5 from the hostel and who had a view of Moosilacke. Holy shit. It was a big ass mountain. Am I insane? I must be. I walked on to the hostel and got settled in. I ran into the foursome and asked why it had taken them so long. Bumble Bee also approved of my blatant yellow blazing and found it quite amusing. (BTW- if you don't approve, I don't care and will delete rude comments so save yourself the time). I thoroughly enjoyed my evening, hanging out with new friends and old.
Date: 2016-07-22
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Mt. Moosilauke
Miles today: 9.3

Legion, a former thru hiker who runs the hostel, cooks an amazing pancake breakfast with just two skillets. For $5, you can't beat it! Today I slacked Moosilauke, getting dropped off at the north side and hiking back to the hostel. The cascades going up were absolutely stunning. The climb up the stairs/rock slabs was steep, so I took a break at the shelter before having my first experience above tree line. It was literally breathtaking and tear jerking. Though you do come a over tree line on the Balds of TN, it's not at all the same as puffing up a mountain for hours and seeing the trees shrink smaller and smaller until disappearing completely. The wind whipped around me as I took in the views, which were partly obstructed by clouds and haze, but lovely nonetheless. I took my lunch behind a rock enclave and chatted with the "alpine specialist," who objected to have his photo taken, before heading down the mountain. Along the way, I spotted what I assumed to be moose shit as it looked very similar to deer shit only bigger. Afterwards, I walked past a moose. Wait. What? I walked backwards to confirm what I had flipped from my peripheral vision, and the moose turned towards me. Shit. Now it's going to trample me. I ran past the small opening and was not, thankfully, followed. I took a few photos, but felt pretty guilty; this moose had been on the top of the moi rain for days and was likely dying. It had a wound on one of its legs which was covered with flies and you could count her ribs. I wanted very much for someone to put a bullet in her so she wouldn't suffer. I was told the other side of the mountain would be a gradual descent, which is true minus the first half mile. I decided to yellow blaze a bit and took Sanitorium Rd. Back to the hostel rather than the trail. When I arrived at the hostel, I again ran into Steve, but he headed out shortly afterwards. I went on the run to town for a beer. On the way back, we had to slow down for a truck toting two chicks in the back who just happened to be Moonshine and Ninja. I was super stoked to see them and have them both big hugs. Moonshine decided to go to another hippie festival with the drivers of the truck and Ninja hung out at the hostel.
Date: 2016-07-23
From: Route 112

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: light rain

After freaking out at having thought I lost my wallet (it was in my tent bag...), I was dropped off at the trailhead yet again, though this time I had to head north. I saw Bambi and Catfish again and wished them well before heading up Wolfe Mountain. When I neared the summit, it began to sprinkle lightly. The sprinkling was soon accompanied by gusts of wind and claps of lightning and thunder. I put on my rain jacket and pack cover and drove on, with my heart rate slightly higher. I was about 2 miles from the shelter when the lightening cracked over my head and I was hit with pea-sized hail. I was completely soaked and the trail was a creek through which I stomped and splashed as quickly as I could towards the shelter. Unfortunately, I really had to pee. Trail logic/reasoning works like this: if I'm completely soaked, have no dry TP, and will continue to become more wet...what's the point of dropping pants when I can simply squat. This was the second time in my life I can recall intentionally urinating on myself. I will not go into the first. I was almost at the shelter when I ran into Doc, Legs, Hawk Girl, and other dude, who had been slack packing and had to turn around to return to the parking lot since they had no gear to wait out the rain. When I got to Eliza Brook, I understood why they turned around and walked back into a thunderstorm: the brook was raging and suicidal to cross. I arrived at the shelter and stripped down and changed into my dry clothes, not really caring there were 4 others also stuck in the shelter. The shelter and tent sites filled up quickly; a few brazen SOBOS forged the river using a fallen tree down to prevent them from being swept downstream. Bumble Bee showed up and I had a grand time chatting with her and sipping Red Label Johnny Rocket with some weekenders.
Date: 2016-07-25
From: Lincoln, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I am very sad to report my lifeline to the outside world, my beloved iPhone 6, took a bit of a swim yesterday afternoon as I was helping a woman cross a brook. On this iPhone was my journal entries since last updating...I had decided I would make it easier to update this journal by typing in my phone rather than writing in my pocket journal. On this iPhone was many pictures and videos of my journey, including recent photos of N & S Kinsman, which I went over yesterday and had yet to upload to Instagram. On this iPhone were my many hiker contacts I had met on the trail. On this iPhone was my Guthook App, which has seriously helped me not become completely lost. On this iPhone were three poems I have been working on since April. Of all I lost on this iPhone, I only cried for the poems. I have little to no money, but I will get a new phone; I will try my best to remember all that has transpired over the past few weeks; and I will be grateful many of my photos are on Instagram...maybe I'll even figure out how to get them off Instagram one day. I will continue on to Katahdin. I will hike that fucking mountain and make it my bitch. Just kidding...I heart mother nature and fear her wrath.I spent 4 hours on the Internet and on the phone with AT&T and my mom. $400 later, I'll have a used iPhone & SIM card by tomorrow. I had a mini breakdown chatting with my mom. I ran into old friends, but decided to recharge my severely drained batteries at One Love Brewery. I feel bad for having to ask for help from my mom, but grateful she has the ability to help out and make me feel better for asking.
Date: 2016-07-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Got my phone working! Not sure how, but I recovered most of my info from the cloud. Happy days! Replaced a faucet as work-for-stay. Hung out with big foot, fire, toasty, 100 mil, and bluegrass; told someone that black people are fully capable of saying "ask"but did not for cultural reasons ( this individual thought their lips prevented them from saying it properly).
Date: 2016-07-27
From: Franconia Notch

To: stealthsite north of Garfield Shelter
Miles today: 10.8

7/27Franconia Notch- Stealth Camp 0.5 miles north of Mt. GarfieldTook a shower and ate bowls of CapNCrunch before heading to McDonalds to attempt to download some music to my new phone. I grabbed some sausage burritos for lunch and made my way to North Woodstock to hitch. By this time, my stomach started to growl,so I stopped to get a breakfast sandwich that cost me $8. Shoulda bought mas burritos. I got a hitch pretty quickly from a fellow Tennessean and took the blue blaze from the parking lot. I've decided bonus miles should count double in The Whites. Hiking out of the notch was pretty strenuous, so I took a break at Liberty Campsite. Coming out of the treeline brought tears to my eyes. Franconia Ridge was absolutely spectacular, though riddled with day hikers. Garfield Ridge was equally impressive and I was able to catch a glimpse of Mt. Washington. I debated staying at Garfield Shelter, but I passed a large group of teenagers and decided to push on and stealth for the night.
Date: 2016-07-28
To: stealthsite north of Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

7/28 stealth site- stealth site 0.4 from Zealand Hut (9.6)The hike this AM wasn't too bad, and I made good time to Galehead Hut. I stopped to claim any breakfast leftovers, and was rewarded with a plate of scrambled eggs and oatmeal topped with peaches and brownie crumbles. This fueled me up the strenuous 0.8 to South Twin Peak, which took me 50 minutes to ascend. Damn. From there I was able to gaze proudly upon what I had hiked the previous day and what I would be climbing in a few days, Mt. Washington, which was (of course) in the clouds. I ended up hiking with Soup for a bit until I led us 0.6 on the wrong trail. He chose to hike by himself after that. I started to tire, so I took a bit of a lunch break, though I wasn't actually hungry. I noticed I had less than half a liter of water and 4 miles until the next water source. Dehydration is a bitch. I was very spacey and borderline deletions, not that that is much different from how I usually feel, but at a greater intensity. After my break, I again ran into Soup, who thought he was lost, but wasn't. We hiked on to the hut, hoping to get there just after the suggested one of 3pm to ask for work for stay. The cook informed us we were too early; apparently each hut makes up their own time. This hut's time happened to be 5:30. Soup and I hung out while a light storm blew through and chatted with those more fortunate. I was gifted three dehydrated meals and some bars by said fortunate individuals. Jeff (the previous owner of the dehydrated meals) even offered to pick Soup and I up from Crawford Notch the next day and take us out to lunch. I've never been much of a mooch and tend to look down upon those who engage in mooching activities, but with my funds nearing their end, I've decided to accept any and all charity bestowed upon me. After checking back in at 5:30 and told again we were not allowed to work for stay, I took down Jeff's number and headed to a stealth camp suggested by one of the other hut crew members. I ended up camping with a group of 13 year old girls from a YMCA camp I had run into earlier in the day.
Date: 2016-07-29
From: stealthsite north of Zealand Falls Hut

To: 12 Tribes Hostel in Lancaster, NH
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

7/29 Stealthsite- Crawford NotchWoke up and tried to give back Jeff's coffee, but it fell out of my pocket. I took a poo and headed out. My foot hurt. The trail between the hut and Ethan Pond is amazing: mostly flat, wide, and loaded with blueberries. Ethan Pond was pretty, but the shelter sucked. The hike down to the notch wasn't too bad, but foot progressively got worse. Hitched a ride to Crawford Notch Campground and ran into Soup,who had called Jeff. Jeff and Michelle picked us up and took us out for lunch, then dropped Soup off at a motel and me at the campground. I hitched back to the trailhead (45 minutes) around the time of the shuttle. Learned you had to call to arrange the shuttle. Met a SOBO, Tourist, who went with me to the hostel. Saw a moose on the side of the road. Rode with Jeremiah and George. After arriving, went in search of food and ice, which I procured at the pizza place a block down and the movie theatre across the street. Was reunited with Bonnie and Clyde.
Date: 2016-07-30
From: 12 Tribes Hostel in Lancaster, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up and foot was still sore. Had great breakfast (eggs, rice, cheese and buttered bagel). Washed clothes and decided to get an ankle brace and some Epsom. B&C almost got caught being safe. Walked through street fair. Bought a cucumber and fried dough. Ate lunch with B&C. Tried to work on journal. Watched movies and downloaded songs. Ate a pizza.
Date: 2016-07-31
From: Crawford Notch

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

Another yummy egg breakfast. Was dropped off at the notch. Not sure if it was good food, rest, fear of being stuck above treeline in a thunderstorm, or the (most likely) steroid I took for my foot, but I hauled major ass. Sweaty as fuck at Webster cliffs, after which I stowed my poles and did many rock scrambles. Stopped at Mizpah Hut for some leftover chicken and got to sit in on a jam session featuring a hut croo member and a thru-hiker (Juanderer), which brought tears to my eyes. Fucking beautiful coming up to the presidentials. Also brought tears to my eyes. I kept Washington in sight all day, my goal getting closer and closer. I ran into Thunderbolt, gave him a hug, and chatted a bit. He said Bruce aka "still kickin" broke his leg. I felt no sympathy for him. He should have never called me a bitch. I ate many blueberries and giggled when I finally caught sight of the hut. I was offered work for stay (my first yet!) and was told I could hang out until after dinner. I sat by the pond and chatted with my step dad and mom. I hung out with thru hikers and played a card game (Dutch blitz) with some regular people. I feasted on leftovers, then cleaned the fridge as my work. I played more cards until lights out. People continued to talk loudly, so sleep was not an option. I chatted with my wife and saw a shooting star.
Date: 2016-08-01
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Valley Way Tentsite
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: moderate rain

Today I was colder than I can remember being in quite some time, if not ever. But that's not how it started, and I like journaling in chronological order. This time I didn't. Trying new things. We were told the thunderstorms were now just a slight chance of rain in the afternoon by the hut members during the morning weather announcement. The rain began at 10am, shortly after I summered Mt. Washington and before I had begun my descent. It was a grey drizzle at first, much like the mist acquired while walking through dense fog. I saw two girls (Croc and Lost and Found) who had stayed at the hut with me a bit ahead of me, so I picked up my pace to catch up with them. I put on my rain jacket once I began to hear the drops. We hiked on for awhile until noticing we were on a blue-blazed trail. At this point, I replaced Lost and Found as the navigator and used Guthook to bushwhack over the delicate alpine vegetation (so sorry about that) back to the trail. Along the way we picked up Juanderer, who had also taken the wrong trail. By this point I had decided to put on my rain pants as the rain had become a bit heavier and the air colder and more windy. Unfortunately, an older man (Jerry) had followed us but could not hear the cries to turn back, so Croc ran back along the trail to guide him. He hiked with us to the intersection of another trail, where he was going to meet his family. The four of us continued on, me leading the way, to Madison Hut, 3.8 miles away. 3.8 miles up, over, and down rocks: wet, lichen-covered rocks. I nearly face-planted three times and turtled once, the first turtle experience of my hike. (To turtle is to fall on one's back, landing on the pack, which is typically wedged in rocks making it difficult to get up without assistance.) We sang songs (or rather a few lines of songs) off key, ate food thanks to Lost and Found, and played word games to ease the pain of walking through a rain cloud for four hours, having to walk cairn to cairn, and not always being able to see the next one. Once we got to Madison Hut, we all changed into dry clothes and ate/drank hot things to raise our body temperatures. Other hikers were already there doing the same; one was wrapped in his down quilt. I had on my winter base layer, two fleece jackets, socks, a fleece hat, and a heavy woolen blanket. It took an hour for the cold to leave my bones. After changing our plans at least 6 times, Lost and Found, Croc, and I headed out for the tent site 0.6 from Madison Hut on Valley Way trail. After arriving at the site, we set up our tents and had a safety meeting in mine. We spent a good while engaging in "girl talk," something I've not done much of lately. All-in-all, it was a great dreary day.
Date: 2016-08-02
From: Valley Way Tentsite

To: Gorham, NH (The Barn)
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: light rain

I woke up to the sun shining through my tent and decided I'd head down Valley Way Trail rather than the AT. I ended up with a nice gradual descent accompanied by several waterfalls. Fuck more rocks. I got a hitch from a weekender who had met me at Lake of the Clouds and was dropped off at Walmart. I set up a line in the parking lot to dry out my gear and ran into a couple of trail angels in their AT RV. They fed me ice cream, strawberries and cream, and helped me get safe before heading off to Grafton Notch to dole out trail magic. They were definitely an interesting couple with interesting views on the coming of a new Earth. I packed up my now dry gear and headed into Walmart to pick up resupply and spent a bit of time updating my journal in the Dunken Donuts. Afterwards, another interesting woman (Cheryl) picked me up and insisted on stopping for beer. Not wanting to be rude, I obliged and determined she was either more ADHD than myself or ingesting serious stimulants. After two beers, we spent a good 10 minutes going through her Facebook posts and pictures before heading towards the hostel, where I ran into Lost and Found & Big Foot. More free beers had been left in the fridge, so I continued to drink. Later that evening, a huge crowd of hikers descended upon Mr. Pizza (poor patrons) and had a wonderful time drinking, laughing, and eating.
Date: 2016-08-03
From: Gorham, NH (The Barn)

To: Gorham, NH (The Barn)
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: clear sky

So I woke up hungover (no shit, Sherlock) but decided to push on with Big Foot, Lost and Found, and Croc and gondola blaze to the top of the Wildcats. I felt extremely sluggish and my head did not respond to the aspirin or poweraid, so when we reached Carter Notch Hut and I saw a sign that read: Route 16- 3.8 miles, I knew what I had to do. It was at this point I realized I truly had no more fucks to give. Hiking is hiking. Traveling is traveling. I let go of the small twinge of guilt I felt about skipping another section of the Whites and reminded myself I am not out here to hike in misery; if I can find a way to make life easier and more enjoyable, you better fucking bet I will. I walked down the 19 mile trail to Route 16 and immediately got a hitch into town. I returned to the hostel, splurged on a bed, and sat down to watch a movie while eating Bagel Bites and Bugels. Fuck. Yeah.
Date: 2016-08-04
From: Gorham, NH (The Barn)

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Woke up early and showered before having my phone inform me I was almost out of storage. Shit. I downloaded the Google photos app and began the long process of uploading my memories. I do hope I'll be able to retrieve these photos and videos later. Steve strolled by and I was able to say hello and give him a hug while I waited. I do love me some Steve. I hitched a ride to the trailhead and ran into Romani, so we hiked together for a bit, then parted ways at the base of Mt. Hayes. I ran into Romani and Croc again a bit later at a water source and ended up hiking on with them while listening to a podcast on blast about anal play. It was HILARIOUS! We passed by several people giggling to words and phrases such as "I have the best hands for fisting," "If a man pulls out a bag of toys, he's a keeper," and "pegging," and "anal bondage." I'm pretty sure I was reliving my teenage years. It was fabulous. We stopped by Dream Lake, hoping to take a dip, but had no shoreline access. I said hey to Steve and then pushed on to Gentian Shelter, where Romani decided to continue on and I stopped with Croc. While having girl talk by the Pond another hiker (Solo) showed up and told us he had just seen a moose pass him on the trail, so we snuck off in search of said moose, who we found swimming at the north end of the pond munching on some sort of pond grass. Success.
Date: 2016-08-05
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

The plan today is to do 15 miles. I can't remember the last time I have hiked 15 miles. I'm about to do one of the most difficult sections of Maine...at the end of a 15 mile day over rough terrain. I'm fucking insane. I hiked with Croc and Solo and took many breaks throughout the day. It was hot and humid. The trail was excessively steep. Croc and I were exhausted, but pushed on to Full Goose Shelter and took an extended lunch break. A group of teenagers showed up mostly in their sports bras. We psyched ourselves up and (some-including me) drank some caffeine and headed for Mahoosuc Notch. For the longest time, I've had much anxiety about the Notch; I even brought my Xanex with me as I felt I wouldn't be able to handle the climb through boulder caves, squeezing myself and my pack through tight cracks. Everything I had built up in my mind was a complete fallacy. The Notch was by far the most fun mile of the trail. I felt like a superhero jumping from rock to rock and climbing through and above crevices with ice. The group I was with (Croc, Solo, and AJ) made it through in just over an hour and took a brief break before tackling the Mahoosuc Arm, which was a complete fucking bitch. It's seemingly doable at first, simple more Boulder climbing. Just after the campsite, it becomes sheets of vertical rock with spindly pine roots for climbing. I was exhausted and it was too much to handle. I ended up having a full blown panic attack halfway up the 1250 foot climb. My heart was already racing and my breathing was ragged, and then it all became a million times worse. I had no option, so I climbed on until the attack had passed and finally summited. I was still exceptionally emotional, so I drank a bit of water and continued on without my crew, who invariably caught up with me by the time I arrived at Speck Pond, which reflected the colors of the setting sun. At the shelter, some old weekenders had rudely commandeered the shelter, so Croc, Solo, and I shared a tent platform and filtered water for a camp of girls in exchange for water. I was able to chat briefly with Youngish (Alison) whom I'd met in Shenandoah and forced myself to eat dinner. I didn't end up crawling into bed until 10. Exhaustion.
Date: 2016-01-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I will be starting another attempt on the Appalachian Trail in early February. The last time I started a thru-hike on the AT, it did not start or end the way I had hoped. My trip will probably be a little different than some others. In March I will be taking a break from hiking to return home to help out with a charity fundraiser. In May I will be taking another break to visit Oklahoma to see one of my nephews graduate college. The estimated date of my hike completion is whenever I get to the northern terminus.