morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-07
From: Pattison Road

To: Mt. Greylock
Miles today: 5.4

We left the Frost's around 7:45 and parked a car at Dalton AT parking area. Headed north to N. Adams -- Pattison Road, a foothill north of Mt. Greylock (3,491). Full packs for a 2-night hike which includes tents. I volunteered to carry the tent and fly and Dan to carry the rods and floor. This because Dan is still gearing up for the hike...not yet in shape. Three to five extra pounds while climbing is enough to squash your feet. I went back to the first year of hiking....counting steps, one, two, three, ten, OK, rest, one two, three...ten, rest, but we all finally made it to Greylock (3,491'), highest in MA. There is a stone tower atop the mountain, a war memorial to the state's war dead. We climbed the 89 steps for views of the White,Green, Catskill, and Taconic ranges. A splendid day again and it offered the superb clear views all around. We spent the night at Bascom Lodge, a stone and wood lodge built by CCC in the early 30's. Busy time is on week-ends so we luck out again with a private room, one with a gorgeous view, and at a 30% discount because it's mid-week. Scrubs and Chino whom we'd met at the Hemlocks showed up for a while, then hiked on to a shelter 3 miles north.Around 7:30 PM, I noticed a bagpiper leave the lodge toward the memorial. He played almost 1 full hour soothing any restless souls of our war dead. It was very moving to watch and hear him. We were joined by a lady as we sat on the stone ledge and found that she was his wife. We noticed her Jose Grant wedding band. She was stunned to know of this and asked that we mention it to her hubband. His Jose Grant is just like mine and it blew his pipes. He visited with Jose some many years ago when he was making th=ese rings in his garage. Jose Grant is a former TWA pilot and is now in his late 80's if he is still with us. This whole beautiful day was topped by a gorgeous sunset over the Catskills. Too unbelievable to see from across the Hudson River to the west and the Connecticut to the east.
Date: 2005-06-08
From: Mt. Greylock

To: Crystal Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: clear sky

We hiked south from Greylock through Cheshire, MA, and and the Cobbles which are marble outcroppings...huge outcroppings from whence we have more fabulous views of the Hoosic River Valley, Cheshire and Mt. Greylock. That was the highlight of this day's long hike. Waaaaaay toooooo buggy. And they love my elbows. I worked my sticks like a mad woman to hike as fast as I could despite having all sorts of bug juice on. I used the sticks as my fore legs in an attempt to run like a horse. And then, we get to the campsite...let me say this...the nice thing about that place is that it had a privy. That was the nice thing. It was the only nice thing, if you get my drift. Period.
Date: 2005-06-09
From: Crystal Mountain Campsite

To: Dalton
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: clear sky

Storm last night so the forest is wet and still buggy. That is one of the main differences between hiking the southern states and New England. We were not bothered by bugs down south. Gotta remember that. Uneventful except for the bugs and the best thing is that the car was parked 1 mile closer to the trail from what I remembered. Off the trail and drive north on Rt. 7 to Bennington, VT to look around the town and prepare for an overnight 2-day hike tomorrow. We'll go south from Rt. 9 back to beautiful Mt. Greylock below Rt. 2. End of the hike is soon for Greenie who will head to Portland on the 13th, when we go to Hanover. Dan and I hope to continue after his reunion. We'll see, won't we?When we arrived in Bennington, it was Moose Festival time. Many stores and businesses had moose-sized moose sculptures on displayed, each decorated according to the whim of the business. We had lunch in town at the Brewing Co (Brats and Chicks), then later scouted the departure location for tomorrow. It was around 7PM when we caught sight of Free Spirit (from The Hemlocks) barreling down the trail. She was to have met a friend there at 6PM and together they would continue the hike...BUT...he was not there and when she called him, she found that he was "having trouble with my gear" LAME, LAME, LAME and we told her so...took her to the grocery store so she could do some re-supply, and back to the trailhead. She was brave, saying "I have a good headlamp...I'll just hike to the nearest shelter...it's a real good headlamp". We felt sorry for her AND lo! when we arrived at the trailhead, helped her with her gear, she turned around and down the trail came a Hemlocks hiking friend. We think he had been looking for her and this is a happy ending. No fun hiking in the dark, especially alone. We went to the Mexican Restaurant for dinner.
Date: 2005-06-10
From: Bennington

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

From the VT 9 AT parking, east of Bennington, there is a 1.8 mile climb. This is a steep incline and gives us little relief over big rocks, a lot of mud and much more mud...to Harmon Hill (2,325). Harmon Hill offers some nice views of Bennington,including the obelisk, and the skies are clear enough for us again. Except for the overlook at Harmon Hill, the hike is uneventful, unless bugs, mosquitoes and black flies make a hike eventful, to say nothing of the humidity. After applying more than the recommended amount of DEET, the body perspires so much....my head became a faucet...and those clever bugs knew this so they just wait til all the DEET has rinsed off...those little buggers!. We make it through the mud along Vermont's Long Trail (LT) which runs with the AT for 104 miles from the Massachusetts border to vacinity of Killington....then the LT continues north to the Canadian border which is another 165 miles. The LT is the first long-distance trail in the US. It receives heavy traffic which is why the trail is so muddy at this time of year (so soon after the snow melt) and so rocky. We reach the shelter and find Tex from Missouri already there.He is happy to see us again and we find him much more talkative about his past in rock and roll and present in education. He will hike until Father's Day and is now looking forward to seeing his family, but he does want to get miles in. He too is section-hiking the AT.
Date: 2005-06-11
To: MA-VT border
Miles today: 6.9

More of the same...hot (92) very humid and unbelievably buggy.   We are not allowed to stop to drink without those pests hovering around us. Dan and I make the decision that New England is a September hike and we will continue until the 40th Dartmouth reunion, then quit for this month.From Mass 2, we pick up the car and head on up to Killington. We will hike in that area tomorrow, then Sharon is off to see her mom in Portland , and we are off to Hanover for Dan's reunion.The hike is tedious. That's it, just plain tedious.
Date: 2005-06-12
From: Shelburne Trail

To: Pico Mt
Miles today: 5.8

From US 4, near the Inn at Long Trail, which we were disappointed to find "closed for spring cleaning" we find a few hikers preparing to climb Pico Peak along the Sherburne Pass Trail. Today is very overcast and there are, GET THIS....there are MORE BUGS! That is it! That is the hike. Tedium ad nauseum. And don't even think of going into the open along a ski trail...don't even think of it.
Date: 2005-06-13
From: Hanover

To: Hanover
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: haze

Yesterday, Sharon left for Portland and we arrived in Hanover for the reunion festivities. As we ambled along Main Street, we find Big Daddy D who is hiking into town. He would have had to average 16.5 miles a day to make it here at this time from the Iron Bridge in Conn. He says he hiked the whole way. We give him a ride to his motel. He is retired Air Force, a navigator and we tell him of Chino, who is also retired navigator and is thru-hiking and is on his heels, maybe 2 days back. He carries 40 lbs and treats himself whenever he gets into towns. He has more money than most thru-hikers, so a motel, a beer, etc are definitely part of his experience.As for us, we will return to the trail next June and will go back to Virginia where we left off in the Roanoke area.We will be in the the area again in September when we return to Dartmouth for the opening of the Corey Ford Rugby Club House. Corey Ford was Dan's mentor while at Dartmouth. We'll be back to honor him but won't have time to hike. Adios for now.
Date: 2005-03-06
To: Here we go...
Miles today: 0.0

We have been debating on when we should open an acct with trailjournals for a while. For some reason, today seemed like the right time to do it. We must say that reading everyone elses journal really makes the anticipation of getting out there tough! We are really looking forward to this awesome adventure, and can hardly wait to start!There will be a few more prep entries between now and then, so check back often as we share our plans and anticipation.
Date: 2005-03-07
To: A side note
Miles today: 0.0

There goes without saying that an endeavor of this magnitude takes a bit of finesse to accomplish. Let us explain...We must first sell or house... It's going to be hard enough not to worry about stepping on snake or getting eaten by a giant bear - much less a monthly mortgage payment! It is currently on the market, and we have a few prospective buyers. Ideally, we want our house to sell mid-May and then we can move all of our stuff into storage. So, if it sells before mid-May, we may be living with some friends or family until we can offically claim "General Delivery" as our address status. Either way, late May or early June we hopefully will be standing on top of the big K. For those who don't know... Mt. Katahdin, the big K, is the Northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It is located in ME within Baxter State Park. Most people finish here, but Lisa and I, for a variety of reasons, chose to start here and hike S. The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states in approx 2200 miles. It's Southern Terminus, Springer Mtn, is within an hour of my folks place. I am sure a big celebration will follow...and hopefully a ride home.Between now and then, check back for some more prep entries as well as a few pics as we prepare for our Southbound Thru hike of the Appalachian Trail!
Date: 2005-03-08
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

As far as gear goes, I think we pretty much have everything we need. Between the two of us, we have logged a lot of miles on the AT, Bartram Trail, and the Chatooga River Trail so we pretty much know what we need for most types of conditions. The only thing we are both a little apprehensive about are the bugs. We both have head nets, rain gear, 100% Deet - I don't care that it can eat through plastic...as long as it works. But for you gear inquirer¢s, here is our rough list:PacksMe - Osprey Aether 60She - Gregory ZSleeping PadsMe and she - thermarest ultra lightStovesHis and her budweiser and bud light stovePotsTitanium 1.3 literSleeping bags20 degree for both of usTent2 person TNF - 4lbsWater Filter - Iodine tastes like my Dad's hot tub water...MSR SweetwaterRaingearMarmot Precip - his and hersUnderwearAll capileneFootwearVasque Sundowner Boots for me Merrell low tops for herSocksSmartwool with linerFoodbagUrsack - I haven¢t met a rat that can chew through mine yet. I hope I don't! When all of our gear is in our bags, mine weighs w/o food or water 24 lbs while hers weighs in at a respective 18 lbs.As time permits, I will slowly enter these items into the Gear link. That is it for now. Check back soon!
Date: 2005-03-10
To: Good News!
Miles today: 0.0

It appears that things are falling into place. We got a call from our realtor last night and she informed us that someone had made an offer on our house. The deal was one that we couldn't refuse - so we accepted!How awesome is this - the buyers want to close at the end of April... Obviously, that works for us! So, in May we can spend some time in Savannah and Toccoa finalizing our travel arrangements, mail drops, plans to get through the 100 mile wilderness (section of the AT that we will be entering the 2nd day our hike), and getting to see my brother graduate high school before we leave for ME. Boy, the reality is really starting to set in!We will continue to update our journal with pics and a few more prep entries between now and our departure, so keep checkin' back. Also, we really enjoy viewing our guestbook entries - keep the positive feedback coming!
Date: 2005-03-21
To: Counting the Days
Miles today: 0.0

Approximately 71 days until we are on top of Katahdin! We are so excited! Saturday, we drove to Unicoi Gap (just N of Helen, GA) for a short day hike up Blue Mountain. We had a great time ~ ran into several NOBO thru hikers and chatted for a bit. Maybe we¢ll cross paths later on in the year. Also, we¢re actually planning on hiking from Woody Gap to Dicks Creek Gap around the 1st of April. Maybe this GA section of the AT will suffice until we get to ME. Well, yesterday we spent several hours at REI finishing up buying (well using the last of our gift cards ¢ thanks family) the last of our gear. Basically, all we needed were a few synthetic undergarments.This week we plan to make our reservations for Katahdin Stream Campground and look at plane tickets vs. Greyhound. Counting down the days!
Date: 2005-03-28
To: Plans + Misc 
Miles today: 0.0

We decided that we will fly out of Atlanta on June 1st to Portland, Maine. The rates going into Portland vs. Bangor were substantially less. However, what we haven¢t determined yet is our summit date. We¢re toying with the idea of renting a car and driving it up the coast as opposed to just hopping on a bus headed for Katahdin. We figure that it won't hurt to spend a little time in Portland, and we also like the idea of seeing the coast as well as eating a lobster or two. So, depending on our decision and obvioulsy the weather, we will either summit Katahdin on June 3rd or 4th. Our verdict will soon follow as we need to make our reservations at Katahdin Stream Campground as well as calling the AT lodge for a prior night stay. Misc. info:I (Keith) will now be walking in a pair of Salomon cross training shoes as opposed to my boots. My new boots were really rubbing my ankles and just felt totally uncomfortable. My feet must have changed shape since my last pair because they never gave me any trouble. I also got a 1 pound 40 degree sleeping bag last weekend. My 20 degree is a tad bulky, warm, and heavy for the conditions I expect to see for the majority of our trip. This decision frees up a lot of room and shaves off two pounds from my base weight -Fine with me¢¦ Lisa and I hung out with my folks this past weekend and briefed them on our mail drops and trailjournals transcriptions. Our mail drop support team will consist of both families. This should eliminate too much aggravation for anyone in particular¢¦we¢ll see. My (Keith) sister has volunteered to transcribe our journals. She is a gifted writer and her plans are to major in journalism once in college. We told her that corrections/comments were welcome. My Dad will be responsible for uploading our pictures once he receives our camera's memory sticks in the mail. Our GA section hike on the AT is still on in a few weeks and we are really looking forward to that. Still counting the days!
Date: 2005-04-07
To: Beachin'
Miles today: 0.0

Lisa and I spent the 1st part of this week on Tybee Island, GA. This beach vacation has been awesome! We've been relaxing, walking on the beach, hanging out with the family, and eating good seafood. We¢re pretty sure that¢s the plan for any vacation¢¦ We couldn¢t have asked for better weather. It has been outstanding up until today. The clouds moved in and shortly after so did the rain. Our plans are to drive back to the GA Appalachian Mountains tomorrow for our planned section hike, so our spirits aren't too ¢dampened¢.
Date: 2005-04-08
To: Hog Pen Gap to Blue Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Hogpen Gap to Blue Mtn Shelter ¢ 4/8/05 ¢ Approx 12 miles_________________________________________________________It rained off and on throughout the day, but we had several nice breaks in the clouds which afforded some awesome views. We only saw two North-bounders during the day, but when we got to the shelter plenty more rolled in. It was raining and nobody wanted to tent so ¢all¢ of us cooked our dinners and set up our bags on the wooden shelter floor preparing for bedtime ~ that was at 7:00 p.m¢¦ At approximately 7:45 p.m. a guy, girl, and a husky showed up. Lisa and I didn¢t catch their names; however, we did get their dog¢s. Her name was Vedder and she was a beautiful Siberian husky and well behaved, too. We tell them to come on in, so they did. Then at 7:55 p.m. a former NOBO thru hiker from PA came in and we made room for him. Just as we were all nearly asleep Mountain Man Dan came hobbling in at approximately 8:45 p.m. (More on him later). The next morning I counted eight people + one dog. Needless to say, the shelter was packed. Back to Mountain Man Dan¢¦ Lisa and I passed him earlier today about 12 way to Blue Mountain Shelter. We chatted for awhile and he told us that he was born in 1935, a former marine, a newly wed of seven months, and had dreamed of thru-hiking the AT since he read about Earl Shafer¢s famous thru hike over 50 years ago. After our exchange, we wished him well and proceeded on. We did not expect to see him again because he said he planned on tenting before the shelter. When he rolled in that night, everyone was deservingly surprised to see him. He was soaking wet but still in good spirits. Dan is one tough guy and we hope to see him again further up the trail.
Date: 2005-04-09
To: Blue Mtn Shelter to Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Blue Mtn Shelter to Deep Gap Shelter ¢ 4/9/05 ¢ Approx 15 miles_______________________________________________________________We couldn¢t have asked for a more perfect day of hiking. The weather was great and we met lots of interesting people along the way. I even got sunburned on my neck. This particular section of the Georgia AT is probably the toughest due to the vertical elevation gain/loss, so we were pretty tired when we arrived at the shelter. We had to tent because the shelter was full. This time of year is when most people start their Northbound thru-hikes, so we were expecting full shelters. While we ate our delicious Mountainhouse dinners, we enjoyed chatting with the northbound thru hikers that were there. Unfortunately, one NOBO said he was planning on getting off the trail tomorrow. He said he wasn't as prepared as he thought he was for dealing with the physical and psychological rigors of day to day trail life. He was by his self and his morale seemed really down. Maybe he'll change his mind tonight ~ he is only about 12 miles from the GA/NC line. Approx 3% of the trail already complete. Oh well, off to bed.
Date: 2005-04-10
To: Deep Gap Shelter to Dicks Creek Gap - US 76
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Deep Gap to Dicks Creek Gap 4/10/05 ¢ Approx 3.5 miles______________________________________________________We woke up fully rested and refreshed this morning. Slept from 7:30 p.m. last night until 6:30 a.m. this morning. We didn¢t have to meet my Mom and Step dad until 11a.m., so we were in no big hurry to get moving. After we retrieved our food bags from the Bear cables, we cooked up a nice hot breakfast w/ coffee and socialized again with everyone that was still there.I (Keith) was beginning to smell a tad ripe, so I decided to bathe in a nearby stream. The water was super cold, but I felt amazingly refreshed afterwards. When I got back to camp, we finished up packing, said our goodbyes, and headed out for the road crossing.After about an hour of hiking, we met up with my Mom and Step dad. They hiked in to meet us ~ it was cool to get to hike with them back to the car!!! It was so nice not to have drop two cars ¢ we are so thankful for such great family, and all of the support we have been given for this venture!!! This week it¢s back to work, exercising, and packing our house contents into boxes. Less than two months before we start our thru hike!!!
Date: 2005-04-18
To: Bachelor Party/ Going Away Party 
Miles today: 0.0

Last Friday about nine of my (Keith) friends and me went car camping along the Tallulah River. There were lots of huge boulders sprinkled along the river bed that made for some awesome waterfalls and rapids. Some of the most beautiful country in North Georgia!This camping/fishing trip was a bachelor party for Stephen and a going away party for me. We had temps in the mid 60¢s during the day and upper 30¢s at night, and there wasn¢t even a cloud in sight. ¢Most¢ of us caught a lot of Rainbow Trout, but all of us cooked and ate lots of ribs, brots, burgers, sausage, eggs, bacon, and cheese. I can feel my arteries clogging as I type this journal entry;-) Fun was had by all!Car camping definitely has its benefits, i.e. no worries about weight. Lots of adult refreshments, perishable foods, grills, firewood, fishing poles, guitars, etc., obviously, are all items that we will not be carrying on our hike. While this is no big deal, it was just something that my friends kept kindly reminding me of over the weekend¢¦ On a funny note: Yesterday morning when we were all sitting around the camp fire, one of my friends said to me, ¢You know I've had a lot of fun out here, but I¢ll be glad to go home and get a shower. And, I don¢t see how in the hell you could do this for six months.¢ I replied, ¢Watch and see¢ not knowing exactly how to answer:-)Well, moving is on the top of our list for this week. We expect to have all of our stuff, which is a lot, moved out by this Saturday. This time next week we will be living out of our suitcases until June 1 ¢ then it¢s on to a backpack!Wound up!
Date: 2005-04-26
To: Moving
Miles today: 0.0

MovingWe¢re done. It¢s hard to believe¢¦but after two full days of loading and unloading, our ¢stuff¢ is finally in its new home. There would have been no means of getting this done without the help of our friends and family. We have really been blessed!A SPECIAL huge thanks to Lisa¢s sister and brother-in-law. They are letting us store our stuff in their basement until we get back. They even helped us unload it ¢ talk about service!!! This is our final week of work, and we close on our house either this Friday or next Monday. It¢s all starting to come together¢¦ The anxiousness to head out for the trail we¢re feeling is almost overwhelming. We¢ll try to update at least once or twice on this site before we head up to Maine. Our plan is to stay super busy until June so it will hurry up and get here. If we don¢t happen to update, the next entries should be coming from the trail. 36 Days to Portland
Date: 2005-05-04
To: Free and Clear
Miles today: 0.0

Both of our last days of work was 4/29/05. Lisa had a great going away party in the CCU at ST. Joseph's of Atlanta. And, I had a equally nice final lunch with my business partner, Stephen. Today we closed on our house and the deal is finally offical. We are now completely jobless and homeless. It's surreal, but real. This was a major milestone for us both being that it was our first home and the biggest obstacle we had anticapted for planning our departure.We are staying temporarily in Smyrna, GA with Lisa's selfless sister and brother-in-law who have helped us out tremendously. We will be forever in debt to them and so many others who have helped us in the past months. Not to get too sappy, but we love you guys!!! 26 Days...Holy cow!