morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-03
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite (1993.7)

To: Avery Memorial Campsite (2009.1)
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: moderate rain

Day 138 - Friday, July 3, 2015180.1 miles to KatahdinBig day today -- I broke the 2,000-mile barrier, only 180.1 to go.***My left leg is getting better every day, and I think that¢s all I¢ll say about it. Each day I can hike a little longer before the pain begins.Everybody is hurting somewhere, or was, or will be. But thru-hikers rarely talk to each other about injuries and I¢m going to knock it off. If my knee goes south again and delays my hike I¢ll say so. Otherwise, I¢m done.***I¢m starting to hike a decent number of miles again in spite of difficult terrain. The trail in this neck of the woods goes up and down, doesn¢t it always? And when it isn¢t rocky and rooty, it¢s muddy and rooty.Still, I did 15.4 miles today and 14.2 yesterday. Not bad.
Date: 2015-07-04
From: Stafford Notch Campsite (2011.4)

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to (2024)
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

Day 139 - Saturday, July 4, 2015165.2 miles to KatahdinMost of us didn¢t realize, I don¢t think, that today is Independence Day. I don¢t even know what day of the week it is unless I glance at my watch.When I was reminded that it¢s the 4th I said to someone, ¢Well, this is one 4th we¢ll never forget.¢But I have, already.What I haven¢t forgotten is that I hiked north for 14.9 miles.I¢m almost in the short rows. Soon, I hope. Mt. Katahdin will pull me toward her like a magnet and I can relax and just enjoy the ride.
Date: 2015-07-05
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to (2024)

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to (2034)
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 140 - Sunday, July 5, 2015155.2 miles to KatahdinI¢m running out of food. I had instant potatoes for breakfast and no lunch. And there was no chance for me to buy more food until noon tomorrow in Caratunk, ME.And then along came Iceman bearing gifts for me and all the other thru-hikers gathered at Pierce Pond, waiting for morning to be ferried across the Kennebec River.There were more than a dozen of us: Mother Nature and Between, remember them? Red Feather, a Canadian Olympian I had heard so much about but had never met; Styles, Hulk, Krumbs and Bruin; Wallace, a man I had hiked with one morning back in North Carolina but hadn¢t seen since; Pa Bert, who is almost finished with his third through hike; and several others I had never seen before. Iceman had messaged me earlier asking where I¢d be and then he showed up with soft drinks and lots of high calorie junk food that hikers crave. (It became my supper.) Iceman gave me extra food, including two dehydrated meals and other goodies. His gifts were enough, I thought, to allow me to skip a time consuming supply at Caratunk, just across the river.Skipping the resupply would give me a shot at reaching Monson, 40 miles away, in two days instead of three. In effect, Iceman had given me a chance to get to Katahdin one day sooner.Thank you, Iceman, for the help you gave me today and almost two months ago in Port Clinton, PA. Thank you also for the many kindnesses you have shown my friends.When you hike through North Carolina I¢m going to be your trail angel.
Date: 2015-07-06
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to (2034)

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to (2056.8)
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: light rain

Day 141 - Monday, July 6, 2015132.4 miles to KatahdinI got up at 4 a.m. and was on the move by 5.It was only 3.6 miles from the shelter (they call them lean-tos up here) where I was staying, to the Kennebec River, but I was taking no chances. I had to be first in line, the first hiker to be ferried across. I had to have an early start on the other side.Yesterday the terrain was easy and I hiked 10 miles in five hours, arriving at Pierce Pond at noon.Would today also be easy?I didn¢t know but I was taking no chances.The ferry, a canoe, only operated from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and, I was told, I would have to be there no later than 10:30.Moreover, I needed to be first and everyone at the shelter, about a dozen, could out-hike me. I had to be up and out before they even woke up, and I was.The trail was almost as easy as it was yesterday and I arrived at the Kennecbec at 7 a.m., way too early. But I was the first one there and Red Feather and I would be the first to cross the river. So far, so good.When I cross the Kennecbec something happened in my head. For the first time I began to feel the hike is almost over.I had planned to hike 18.7 miles today and 22 miles tomorrow. But when I arrived at the shelter a few minutes past 5 I decided to go on, and hike 22.8 miles today and the rest tomorrow.If I got up early and got going, if it didn¢t rain, if the trail was good, by early tomorrow afternoon I could be at Shaw¢s, a hostel in Monson. A resupply box, mailed by my wife, Donna, would be waiting for me there.
Date: 2015-07-07
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to (2056.8)

To: ME 15, Monson, ME/Shaw's Lodging (2074.7)
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: few clouds

Day 142 - Tuesday, July 7, 2015114.5 miles to KatahdinI got up even earlier today, at 4 a.m. I have to get to Monson as soon as I can.I folded my tent, packed up, and was on the move by 4:50 a.m. I had a piece of hard candy for breakfast, the last of my food that I did not have to heat -- and I was out of fuel. Most important, I was out of toilet paper.Yesterday morning I hiked with Red Feather for several hours (she slowed down and I speeded up) and today I hiked a while with Pa Bert. Both of them paced me, helped me go faster. Pa Bert, who is in his 60¢s, has already thru-hiked the A.T. twice; Red Feather, 42, is a Canadian Olympian, who won six medals, including a gold. I arrived at Maine 15, the Monson trailhead, at 1:30 p.m. p.m., after hiking 17.9 miles.I stayed at Shaw¢s, as did most people I sheltered with last night. Wonderful place, Shaw¢s, and full of thru-hikers, most of whom were headed north. But I¢m not going, not tomorrow, at least. I am not hurt or sick, but I am worn down a little. I¢ve dropped another 10 pounds, to 170 from a starting weight of 202. Main reason for taking a zero: my ride back to North Carolina, Brother Dave, won¢t be there until next Wednesday, the 15th. A couple of weeks ago, when we making a plan, that¢s when I told him I was most likely to finish on that date. Now it¢s obvious that if I hike what they call the 100-mile wilderness in six days, and I think I can, I¢ll have to take a day off here, or after I finish. Might as well take it now and rest up.Besides, I need to mail a few things home to lighten my pack, like my bag liner, insulated jacket, toboggan, socks, pocketknife, extra food. And I need to buy a few additional supplies.And then I¢m gong to hike to Mt. Katahdin without further delay.It doesn¢t look like I¢ll be alone. Mother Nature and between also took the day off and did Styles, Hulk, Krumbs and Bruin.Am I sad that the hike is almost over?No.
Date: 2015-07-08
From: ME 15, Monson, ME/Shaw's Lodging (2074.7)

To: ME 15, Monson, ME/Shaw's Lodging (2074.7)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Day 143 - Wednesday, July 8, 2015114.5 miles to KatahdinFeels funny just laying around, eating and taking care of chores ¢ washing clothes, resupplying, packing everything I can possible do without and mailing it home. I¢ll be carrying six days of food into the wilderness, the bare minimum of what I think I¢ll need.Why not carry more if you might need more?Pack weight. The more food you carry the slower you go and the more food you need to carry. Besides, there is no more room in my pack.I¢m going to hike with the four young guys, Styles et al, or least start out with them. They¢re fast. They started behind me and hiked all night Monday ¢ a total of 40 miles ¢ and got to Shaw¢s a few hours before I did yesterday.I wish we didn¢t have to pass on breakfast at Shaw¢s tomorrow ¢ eggs any way you want them, bacon, home fires, and blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. All you can eat. Skipping breakfast will enable us to get an early shuttle back to the trailhead and start hiking at 6:30 a.m.Am I excited?Oh, yes. Seven days to go, including the Mt. Katahdin climb.
Date: 2015-07-09
From: ME 15, Monson, ME/Shaw's Lodging (2074.7)

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to (2093.8-95.4)
Miles today: 19.1

Day 144 - Thursday, July 9, 201595.4 miles to KatahdinPoet, one of the owners of Shaw¢s Lodging in Monson, got the five of us ¢ Styles, Hulk, Krumbs Bruin and me¢back to the trail head at 6:30 a.m., as he said he would.The sign there, at the beginning of the ¢Hundred Mile Wilderness,¢ said:¢Caution: There are no places to obtain supplies or get help until Abol Bridge 100 miles north. Do not attempt this section unless you have a minimum of 10 days supplies and are fully equipped. This is the longest wilderness section of the entire A.T. ad its difficulty should not be underestimated.¢I am carrying a six-day supply because I intend to go a lot further than 10 miles a day. I have questioned a number of hikers who have crossed the wilderness. They told me the trail had its moments, but that it was cake toward the end, where I could put up twenties.The hike today was uneventful and I ground out 19.1 miles in spite of the fact that I had to ford three streams.The others got to the Cloud Pond Lean-to before I did, as usual. I pitched my tent beside the shelter, made supper (instant potatoes and summer sausage), and I should have gone to bed right away. But I didn¢t. I stayed up to play Hearts with Styles, Bruin and Hulk.They have just begun to learn the fine points of the game. I¢ve played for more than 50 years and I¢m happy to teach them as much as I can. And beat their brains out in the meantime.Oh, meant to tell you, it¢s not a good idea to be the third or fourth in a line of hikers. The first hiker alerts a nest of ground wasps. The second hiker alarms them. The third hiker ticks them off. And the fourth hiker gets stung. I was second at the time ¢ they had just overtaken me. Krumbs was fourth and, yes, they jumped him.BTW, the trail went up and over so many mountains today they ran out of names. I kid you not.One was called ¢Third Mountain¢ and another ¢Mt. Three And A Half.¢ And another, ¢Fourth Mountain.¢
Date: 2015-07-10
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to (2093.8-95.4)

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to (2110.6)
Miles today: 16.8

Day 145 - Friday, July 10, 201578.6 miles to KatahdinTalked with Brother Dave late today and he gave me the long-range weather forecast: rain next Wednesday when I had planned to summit Mt. Katahdin and finish the hike.Katahdin has an elevation of 5,268, well above the tree line. I would be completely exposed and, in a storm, I could expect high winds.The old Lucky would have said, ¢Bring it on!¢The new Lucky has been there, done that, and doesn¢t want to do it again.It looked like I would have to sit on my hands when I get to Baxter State Park, at the base of Katahdin, and summit on Thursday. And the more I thought about that, the less I liked it. The group broke up tonight, at least for the time being. Krumbs and I stayed at Care A. Newhall Lean-to while the other three moved on down the trail several more miles and camped. So did Mother Nature and Between.Still, Krumbs and I had a good day, 16.8 miles. Only 73.4 more miles to the base of the big mountain.I thought about that when I went to bed. Could I hike almost 75 miles in three days, get to Katahdin on Monday, summit on Tuesday, and beat the rain?
Date: 2015-07-11
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to (2110.6)

To: Antlers Campsite (2137.4)
Miles today: 26.8

Day 147 - Saturday, July 11, 201551.8 miles to Katahdin (by nightfall)(Editor's note: Dad is caught up on the blog entries - on paper - but has been having no luck getting them through to SKYCOM - Maine is a long way from Delaware! We'll git R dun soon enough. What follows is my notes from a quick phone check-in from the top of Gulf Hagas Mountain (2111.6) this morning at 6 and tonight at 10. Lucky is on the move, heading toward the barn.) Today, I hiked 26.8 miles to the Antlers Campsite. My plan is to hike 46.6 miles to The Birches Lean-to, at the foot of Katahdin, in two days, and summit Katahdin (a 4162 foot climb over 5.2 miles) on Tuesday, July 14, 2015. And go home. That sounds like a lot, but most of the way to the foot of the mountain is flat as a card table. And the weather is good. The forecast for Wednesday on Katahdin (according to Brother Dave, this morning) is sunny in the morning, rain by noon, turning heavy in the afternoon. Today I decided to summit the day before the weather turns. That¢s the report from Lake Wobegon.Here's the blog entry:When I got up this morning, I had decided to hike the Wilderness in five days, to average almost 25 miles a day for the next three days. So had the others.I set the alarm on my iPhone for 4 a.m. and was on the trail shortly after 5. Lots of hills in the first half of the day, lots of relatively flat in the second. I laid my ears back and hiked.When I arrived at the Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to, it was shortly after 5 p.m. and I was beat. Styles, Hulk, Bruin, and Krumb planned to stay there, along with Jax, another northbounder. I couldn't. Not if I wanted to get to the base of Katahdin by Monday night.I knew Mother Nature and Between were camping at Antlers Campsite (mile 2137.4). That would give me 26.8 miles for the day, and more importantly, leave me with only 46.6 miles to the base of Katahdin.If I could get to Antlers, I could beat the rain because the last few miles, I had been told, were easy.Besides, this camp was on the edge of a pond where I would be serenaded by loons. And it had a two-seater privy called "Fort Relief."I made it just before dark.
Date: 2015-07-12
From: Antlers Campsite (2137.4)

To: Rainbow Lake Campsite (2162.9)
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: light rain

Day 147 - Sunday, July 12, 201526.3 miles to KatahdinMother Nature, Between and I hiked 25.5 miles today and are now within striking range of Baxter State Park. Styles, Krumbs, Bruin and Hulk are here too. Looks like we¢ll all summit together, on Tuesday, before the weather turns ugly.Lots of roots, rocks, and mud but no climbing to amount to anything. Oh, there were little ups and downs but nothing to write home about. Relatively speaking, the trail was flat. Still, it reminded me of a teacher who loads up her students with homework on the next to the last day of school. Teacher, I¢m thinking, it¢s over. We should be drinking Pepsi¢s and eating Moon Pies.   But, no. Here I am, rock hopping, stepping over or around thousands of tree roots, and sloshing through mud. And, since yesterday, wearing a bug net over my head to ward off gnats, mosquitoes, and flies. One gnat flew into my eye and stayed there until I caught up with Mother Nature tonight. She got it out for me.My heels have blistered again, from stepping on so many roots with the backs of the heels of my boots. I bandaged them this morning, for the first time in weeks.But nothing can dampen the good feelings I have. I¢m almost there! None of this other stuff matters. Barring a terrible fall, and injury, I¢ll climb Mt. Katahdin day after tomorrow. So bring it on.We camped by a beautiful lake again tonight. Maine is blessed with lakes, and loons, whose song I have come to love.One more day and I, and all of the NoBos with me, will cross the Abol Bridge into Baxter State Park, the beginning of the end. I¢m ready.
Date: 2015-07-13
From: Rainbow Lake Campsite (2162.9)

To: The Birches Lean-tos and Campsite (2184)
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 149 - Monday, July 13, 20155.2 miles to KatahdinIt was only 21.1 miles from my campsite to the base of Mt. Katahdin and the trail was cake by Maine standards. Better yet, it was only 10.9 miles to the store and restaurant at Abol Bridge. With food in my future I had no trouble making tracks.I got there ahead of Mother Nature and Between but behind a new NoBo, Jax, who began the day four miles south of our campsite. Boy, can he hike.The restaurant was closed (it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays) so I bought a prepackaged ham sandwich from the convenience store, some junk food, and two scoops of strawberry ice cream.And then I left for the camp at the base of the mountain, the last mountain on the A.T. that I have to climb.I don¢t know where Styles and his three companions are. They stayed last night at a shelter about four miles south of the pond where I camped. And they are so fast they could have easily caught me, but they didn¢t.***I¢m still meeting SoBos and they¢re still telling me how tough the trail is ahead, forgetting, I guess, that I¢ve hiked more than 2,000 miles and they¢ve barely begun.I forded one more stream today. Maine is big on fording steams. I don¢t recall but two trail bridges, the Abol and one other whose name I don¢t remember.***Tonight at the shelter, at what I hope will be my last night on the trail, there were five of us ¢ Mother Nature, Between, Jax, a new NoBo named Bstridge, and me. (I think Styles and his companions are camped at a commercial camp ground near the Abol Bridge.)The others pitched their tents to ward off mosquitoes but I was the last to arrive and I was too tired. Big mistake. I stayed in a shelter and had to wrap myself in a down quilt to keep the bugs from carrying me off. It was a hot night and I burned up. The weather forecast remains unchanged ¢ pretty tomorrow, rain on Wednesday. The sacrifice we made in the wilderness, hiking almost 75 miles in three days, will not be wasted. Tomorrow, I am going to hike to the top of Mt. Katahdin.
Date: 2015-07-14
From: The Birches Lean-tos and Campsite (2184)

To: Katahdin, Baxter Peak (2189.2)
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 149 - July 14, 2015Reached Baxter Peak approximately 10:15 am. Called my wife. Took the picture. (SKYCOM note: news here in Delaware is sketchy, but from Mom's FB post, 2300: "Just talked to a very tired hiker. Lucky had a nice supper, got a shower and is washing his clothes. Plans to ride a bus to Portland and meet us tomorrow. Can't wait.""He is so tired but healthy.""He is riding a bus [Wednesday morning, July 15] to Portland, ME, and we will drive two hrs and pick him up at one and bring him back to [Boston, to celebrate with family there].")Email sent 2312:To: Bo Gordy-StithFm: DadSubj: The EndBo,I climbed Katahdin this morning. The hike is over. Love,DadHere's the final Blog entryFor days I have wondered how I would feel when I got to the top of Mt. Katahdin, when my hike was over.And when I got there this morning, I was surprised. I didn¢t feel much of anything beyond relief. To have failed, for any reason, was unthinkable. And I was relieved that had not happened.In a few days, in a few weeks, maybe, I¢ll gain some perspective. And when I do, I¢ll write about it. I¢m also going to write down what I¢ve learned about equipment, and food, and then describe the mistakes I¢ve made, so that, one day, hopefully, it will help people who plan to thru-hike the A.T. themselves.But I know this now:***I¢m glad I hiked the A.T. I met a lot of wonderful people and I had some interesting times.***It was a lot harder than I thought it would be; it tested the limits of my physical strength and endurance.***It changed me, and strengthened my faith in God. Would I like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail, the other two stars in the triple crown of hiking?No. Stick a fork in me. I¢m done.Note: I climbed Mt. Katahdin with Mother Nature and Between. And we talked with Bstridge at the top. The four of us spent Tuesday night at the Appalachian Trail Lodge in Millinocket and went out to eat together that night. After eating spaghetti and meatballs I ordered only one chocolate milkshake and one piece of pie, topped with butter and whipped cream. As you can see, I¢ve already begun to cut back.On Wednesday I rode a bus to Portland, ME, and that afternoon, Brother Dave, his wife and my wife picked me up and we headed home. It¢s over.
Date: 2015-07-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Friday, July 24, 2015When I finished my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, on July 14, I said I would post my equipment recommendations and some food suggestions.Here they are.A list of suggested dos and don'ts, and a discussion of some of the things I did right, and wrong, so you can avoid my mistakes, is coming in the next week or two.I'm fine.I'm so glad I hiked the A.T. and so glad to be back home. I've caught up with some of my old friends and I've begun work on a lengthy todo list. And I've cut off my beard and got my hair cut. Little by little I'm rejoining the real world.No, I haven't been to the beach yet, to Topsail Island off the coast of North Carolina. But after the wedding -- my oldest grandson, Christian, is getting married on Aug. 1 -- Donna and I are out of here for a few days.After that I've got to get the hernia I hiked with fixed.Somewhere along the way I'm going to try to figure what five months on the trail meant to me, how it changed me. Or if it changed me. And one of these days, soon, I'm going to write something about that, too.Lucky
Date: 2015-08-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The Famous Hiking Vikings have posted a video on You Tube of a story I told them at lunch one day when we were thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.NOTE:The Vikings, Nate and Sharon, are man and wife now. They got engaged on the trail and married after they finished their hike on July 12.   NOTE:I like stories, the kind you trade back and forth around a fire or to while away the night on a long drive somewhere.I know more than 500. Some of them I heard someone else tell and kept them for myself. But most of them are from my own life. Before I left on my thru-hike last February I wrote down most of My Stories, more than 400. They're short, most of them, a page or so. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them when I finish, blog them maybe.NOTE:I'm going to give a talk about the hike on Aug. 29 in Charlotte, N.C., about what I learned and, sometimes, felt. I'll describe the people I met along the way, too. And tell some stories. That's the thing I'm looking forward to most, telling stories. NOTE: Next Monday I am going to have an operation to repair the hernia that forced me off the A.T. for six days last March. I didn't know I had a hernia when I left Georgia on Feb. 15 to hike to Maine. When I found out I decided postpone an operation because it would have forced me off the trail for seven weeks.Instead, I decided to wear a girdle, a six-inch wide, three feet long piece of stretchy material, around my abdomen and keep going until something inside me busted or I finished the hike, one or the other. I finished on July 14. Now, there's no point in further delay.
Date: 2015-08-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Hello...I've spent the last several days thinking about, and writing about, my thru-hike, getting ready for a talk I'm going to give in Charlotte weekend after next.It's been fun, selecting the stories I'm going to tell and the accompanying photographs and videos.I'm also going to bring my backpack and the equipment I hiked with, including the micro-spikes I would not have sold [at the time] for $500. And a one-day supply of food.You're invited.If you plan on coming, please let Ed Hyland, know. His email address is: elhyland@bellsouth.net.Here's the time and location:5:30 - 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29Hospitality Suite, main doors and to the right.University City United Methodist Church3835 West WT Harris BoulevardCharlotte, N.C.[Most of you, of course, live too far away to come. Or already have plans. So I'm going to post the talk here a day or two later and Ed plans on making a DVD.] NOTE: My hernia operation last week was a success.   The surgeon said I'd be better than new in six weeks. And I had no pain, ever.Lucky
Date: 2015-08-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The one-hour talk I gave in Charlotte last Saturday evening, giving friends and family and some folks I didn't know, an overview of my Feb. 15-July 14 thru-hike, went off pretty well.Mostly I just told stories, illustrated with 40 photographs and two videos. By the end of the week,I hope, there will be a slightly more detailed version of the talk on the blog.It will be in three parts,so it won't take so long to read.Please stay tuned.