morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-07
From: near Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: View Entry
Miles today: 24.9

This morning I did get up and out for an early start. It was a long day. I did make it all the way to The Birches campground and I'm tired! It feels so good to be here! The campgrounds is only 5.5 miles from the summit!! The trail today was mostly flat. I'm planning on starting out about 7:00 tomorrow morning, with ETA on the summit at around 10:00 AM. It feels so strange to be almost done. One more day! I need to remember to pick up a small stone from the summit of Katahdin to go with the one from Springer Mountain. I also have the photo with me, that Silver Fox sent. It was her suggestion to carry the photo with me to the summit, in loving memory of my dad and brother, Ron. Both my dad and Ron passed away in March, shortly after I began this journey.
Date: 2010-08-09
From: 10 AM on Mount Katahdin !!! 

To: Matagammon High Adventure camp
Miles today: 0.0

FROST was able to contact Art from the summit of "K", then hiked down in about 2 hours. He caught a ride in the bed of a truck with 2 fishermen heading north towards where FROST was headed-Lake Matagammon. They were able to flag down Art and save him the whole trip down to Katahdin stream campgrounds. The High Adventure camp was havingtheir annual "Moose Feed". Is that a meal to eat moose meat or a feeding of the moose? Actually the "Moose Feed" is an appreciation dinner to all who help operate and support MHA to be a successful High Adventure Camp.Monday Art and Alan headed out, down to Millinocket for lunch, then on down to Bangor.
Date: 2010-08-10
From: Matagammon High Adventure camp

To: Bagor, Maine on to Greyhound bus
Miles today: 0.0

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU,Art and Heidi and Codyfor EVERYTHING you did for FROST!! Again, you all are so wonderfulto have helped him get off the trail and on his way home.Thank you for all your hospitality, giving him a bed and wonderful mealsand a "doggie fix" with Emma. Frost left Bangor Tuesday morning on "the dog" heading down to NY.He called me about 1:00 in the morning(EST) from a bus stop 3 hours west out of NY. He wanted to walk around NY over his 1 hour layover, but his next bushad a long line so instead, much to his disappointment he just got in line. He says the buses have been packed full! Welcome back to civilization FROST!!
Date: 2010-08-11
From: Bagor, Maine on to Greyhound bus

To: Omaha, Nebraska
Miles today: 0.0

We should tell the folks who set up this Trail Journals website to add"BUS" to the sleeping location on the journal entry form here. I just checked "under the stars" since he is in a bus under the stars. The other options of tent, shelter, hammock, hotel, house or hotel do not work.FROST called from Fort Wayne, Indiana at a 10 min bus stop. It was another short call he did not want the bus to leave without him. A friend of ours didget left behind by the Greyhound bus driver in the middle of the night at a 10 min bus stop. He swears he was NOT in the restroom more the 10 minutes! Came out of the building to see the tail lights of the bus pulling away in the distance!It's on to Chicago next then on to Omaha, Nebraska by 1:00 this morning.FROST was happy to report he got a front seat on this bus - his favorite seat!!Picture window out on the world ahead.
Date: 2010-08-12
From: Omaha, Nebraska

To: Denver--->Longmont, CO
Miles today: 0.0

About 3:00 pm Wed FROST called his mom to tell her "the old grey dog"(his bus)had broken down, and could she please drive from Longmont to Chicago to pick him up(ha-ha!!) We do trust that Greyhound soon sent a "fresh new dog" so all the passengers could get moving again and on to their respective destinations.FROST is so glad he had his back pack and gear mailed back home.FROST said the last of his AT journal pages are in the US mail. As soon as they arrive I'll post them-so stay "tuned in"for his final journal entries of his last week on the AT.
Date: 2010-08-13
From: Denver--->Longmont, CO

To: Longmont, CO
Miles today: 0.0

FROST finally made it to Denver Thursday, August 12 afternoon at about 1:45 after having left Bangor, ME on Tuesday, August 10. The entire bus trip took 49 hours!! This included about a 3 hour delay in Chicago due to the bus breaking down. FROST was unable to do an exploring during the delay. No information was forthcoming about when a back up bus would arrive and leave Chicago. This meant just hanging out at the bus station the whole time.THANK YOU Phil for picking FROST up at the Denver bus station and taking him upto Longmont. WOW! Has it really been over 20 years since you 2 guys last saw each other on the Big Island of Hawaii!!
Date: 2010-08-16
From: Longmont, CO

To: Billings, MT
Miles today: 0.0

FROST left Longmont, CO this morning on "The Dog" and is on the final leg of his journey home.He'll be heading north through WY and arrive in Billings, Montana at about 9:00 this evening. There's a 4 hour and 30 minute layover. At 1:30 in the morning the bus will head on west across Montana, Idaho and Washington.
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Billings, MT

To: :) Bellingham, WA !!!!! :)
Miles today: 0.0

FROST just called from St. Regis, Montana, on Interstate 90 -- 20 miles east of the Idaho state line. He said it was 10:00 in the morning there and a gorgeous sunny day with clear blue skies.He was out stretching his legs during a 20 minute layover. After leaving Billings at about 1:30 this morning the bus went through Bozeman, Butte and Missoula last night. They'll go through Coeur d'Alene, Idaho next. Frank and Laura, if you read this, he said the bus does NOT stop there. I considered calling you and asking if you 2 could have surprised FROST by showing up at the bus station. Oh well, so close to you - yet so far. He'll have a 40 minute lunch stop layover in Spokane, WA. Then it's on westward across WA state, still on Interstate 90 through Moses Lake, Ellensburg, over the Cascades and on into Seattle for a 2 hour layover, which it looks like now will not be 2 hours since FROST says the bus is running a bit late, due to some delays at various stops.SO -- he sure hopes it does not get in too late so that he misses his bus transfer connection up to Bellingham!! That would be a bummers!! BUT I would just drive down there a get him!!This morning I hung a big banner on the front of our home that I made which says "WELCOME HOME ALAN". Also tied a big bunch of rainbow colored balloons to the mailbox. The BIG mylar balloon says,AWESOME - FANTASTIC - WOW!! - WAY TO GO!- GOOD JOB!
Date: 2010-08-24
To: I made it, and I feel great !
Miles today: 0.0

As I think about the past six months and 2200 miles of hiking along the Appalachian trail; It has been an adventure with memories to last a lifetime, of fellow hikers, shelters, camp sites, grocery stores, hostels, section hikers, hitch hiking rides,(and no rides). Walking 10 hours through snowdrifts. Being so cold that my shoes would freeze solid. Being alone on a snow covered ridge miles from any other person. Total quiet. To be under your tarp and a Screech Owl starts up. To cook up a tasty meal after a 20+ mile day. To sleep under the stars alone on a cliff after watching hawks and turkey buzzards fly overhead. Walking all day in the rain and mist. Having wet shoes and loving it. Talking with a group of kids who were so interested in the hike. I asked a lot of my legs, feet, back etc..and they never let me down. It was always in the back of my mind that only one misstep or for no particular reason my ankle turns or knee twists and my hike would be over. All I could do was to be careful.    Just a few highlights along the AT. To witness the seasonal changes each day. Special people like Lenny and Gary at the Blueberry Patch Hostel. Spending a very windy night on Big Bald and surviving to tell about it. Hitchhiking into Buena Vista and not knowing if I could get back.   Has the experience met my expectations? I would say, without a doubt, yes!! I will add more to this entry in the next weeks, as I get my thoughts together.    Aloha for now. Frost Note to visit my photo album go to this site.   http://picasaweb.google.com/Inasuefox/AppalachianJourney2010#
Date: 2010-05-04
To: Arrival
Miles today: 0.0

Carlos Goldberg landed in Atlanta this morning at 5:49 EDT and in the coming hours head out to Amicalola State Park where he will access the Appalachian Trail. During the coming days, weeks and months, we will be providing you with regular daily updates as to his progress. Carlos' attempt to beat the current world record of 60.5 days will begin on Friday May 7, 2010.
Date: 2010-05-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Galilee Man (Carlos) spent his first night at a shelter at the entrance of the Amicalola Falls State Park. After settling in he registered with the trail's administration and tomorrow will head slowly to Springer to get everything organized and ready. In the meantime, the folks here are really excited about him coming from the Galilee, even comparing him to no one less than Jesus himself!!! It is almost 8PM and is still light out. It seems that this will be a good hour to finish each day and still at least 30 min. of dusk to get settled in and organized for the next day. He slept about 3 hours in the afternoon and by nightfall the jet lag is wearing off. Today the weather is similar to Israel although it is difficult to light a fire because everything is wet after two days of rain. His shoes did not reach Mr. Rogers (and thanks to Fed Ex)to they agreed that once they arrived to Hot Springs they would be sent by mail northward. Galilee Man (Carlos) is tonight alone in the shelter, aside from some strange seed-like insects, but that's OK with him. The surrounding forest is quite thick. He can't wait to start out and beginning eating from his backpack to reduce its weight. Its final weight is 18 kg (nearly 40lbs)and more than he had planned. OK, time to get some sleep. Noises are starting in the dark, seems like the animals are having a party somewhere! Got SMS's. Thanks. Now let's hope that the Iranians don't spoil anything.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Amicalola Falls State Park Shelter 

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

What else is there to do on a cold Wednesday morning at 6AM? Start the trek from Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain, that's what you do! Galilee Man is on his way to the Springer Mountain Shelter before I start my Speed Endurance Run of the AT! Will write when I'm there. Bye for now.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Amicalola Falls State Park Shelter 

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.13
Weather: clear sky

Climbed from Amicalola to Springer. The climb took 7 hours and it was good getting my legs in action again after traveling so far. I had to rearrange my backpack repeatedly, it¢s too heavy. The woods beautiful and there is a lot of water in the springs. Tomorrow I will make the final touches and start out at midnight. The trail is clear up here although I almost stepped on a snake. No bear sightings yet. Just started and I¢m already dirty as a pig. At night it¢s very cold but comfortable during the day. I¢m dying to start.
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The battery recharging device does not work. At first I was excited with all the mail, but currently I am with only half a battery. Therefore, until I reach Neel¢s Gap on Friday, I will be austere in my communications. I will be able to recharge there. I slept another nine hours straight until waking up just now. Today is my last day of preparation. I¢ve already met some great folks and some¢¦ First light here is at 06:30 and sunset is at 20:30. So far everything is under control. Regards, turning off the phone to save energy.
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Time To Get Started!I had a good night¢s sleep last night and also throughout the day. I left the shelter during the morning and walked back about half a mile so I could pass the day at the peak of Mt. Springer near the trailhead signs because there the scenery is simply amazing and frankly the shelter did not have that wonderful view. It is actually quite awe inspiring, everything here is so big, the forests and mountains are endless. The trail is buried beneath the trees. Already during my climb from Amicalola to Springer is was clear that my pack was too heavy, so I¢ve decided to do without my first aid kit and ship it up to Damascus(of all places). I have already eaten. I am writing at 18:30 and although I have planned to wait here until midnight, I am not sure that I can and just maybe¢¦ I will steal an hour or two. The trail of course is clearly marked and my eyes (and mind) have adjusted to the dark so that I am able to distinguish between the field mice and the squirrels that run before me. I have been told that the first section is a killer. So best wishes to us all. Next mail in 24 hours. Bye
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 41.5
Weather: broken clouds

I started out like I said, around midnight, it was a long, very tiring night. I reached Neels Gap around 11:30, bought a hot dog from Winton, charged my phone battery and moved out.I reached Low Gap around 18:00. Nearly twenty hours on my feet that have now received their first blisters of this journey. It was a crazy day, I am exhausted because in Georgia it¢s nearly impossible to cover these kinds of distances. Saturday I will probably move at a slower speed or may less distance, we'll see. I am having to stop every two hours to purify water because I am drinking so much!!! That take up so much time. Getting some rest and looking forward to another day.
Date: 2010-05-08
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

I left Low Gap at 06:00 and concluded my second day at 18:00 at the Deep Gap Shelter, 8 miles less than my originally planned stop at Plumorchard Gap. The day was particularly difficult because of the blisters, so I decided not to go further, rather stop while it was still light out to care for myself. The big news of the day however was that I saw my first bear! I heard a loud noise above my head and suddenly instead of a bird, I see a bear stuck on a branch some 30 feet in the air. The moment the bear saw me he jumped down and stood up in the middle of the trail, looking straight at me. He was a beautiful, muscular animal with shiny black fur, looked very healthy. Fortunately for me, he didn¢t eat ¢kosher¢ meat. I gave a yell, causing this massive animal to move 50 feet to the side of the trail until I had passed. That¢s it, end of story¢¦ to paraphrase the old saying ¢once you see bear, you never go back¢¦¢. I have come to understand that the schedule I had made concerning the Smokies¢¦ is at best unrealistic. My back doesn¢t hurt today, my shoulders are alright as well. Now I just need to roughen up the soles of my feet and onward to Maine! I¢m dying for a pizza. I have no idea why of all the foods I could dream about, I¢ve got pizza on the brain! Regards to everyone, tomorrow we move onward.
Date: 2010-05-09
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: few clouds

It is 18:00 at Standing Indian Shelter after what has proven to be a long and difficult day without any possibility of running. I was faced constantly with steep climbs and sharp declines, not to mention rocks that cut into your feet. I considered continuing further, but feared I would not reach the next shelter when in the middle there is a peak reaching greater than 5,000 feet. At this point, the gaps in the altitudes I have climbed and descended reach an average of 1,000 feet. At these altitudes, I am dependent upon the shelters because I do not have a tent. My food will barely last me until the Wesser Bald Shelter (45 miles from here) where there I will purchase enough for the segment until Hot Springs where I have a package waiting and god willing a second pair of shoes better suited for rocks. Although I am disappointed by my day¢s distance, I must remember that I did go 12 hours without stopping. I figure that until now, that is over three days I have gone some 84 miles or an average of 20 miles per day. The problem is that I have already accumulated a gap of 27 miles and the territory is not getting any easier. However and here is the optimist in me, if I get a good night¢s sleep tonight, maybe I will get up earlier tomorrow and see what of that gap I can close. Higher and higher and still at 18:00 I am alone in the shelter, as alone as you can get. At these difficult segments, you pretty much do not meet anyone, except for those few crazy ones like me. I am hoping that it will be warm! In the meantime, I have not had rain¢¦now I probably put my foot in my mouth! Good night
Date: 2010-05-09
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

After going on at length about my first snake sighting and my first bear sighting, I thought it only right that I tell you about the ¢Galilee Man¢ sighting! Deborah and her friend were two hikers who had heard about me through a friend in Atlanta and this tells of our unplanned meeting along the busy AT. Everything is in her words¢¦¢Hi! The Galilee Man gave me this email address so I could send this update. My friend and I hiked the Appalachian Trail for 1 week, from Springer to Woody Gap (May 3-5), then Neels Gap back to Woody Gap (May 6-7). We were camping about 3 miles North of Woody Gap - between Big Cedar and Woody - and starting to make breakfast (7:15ish AM on May 7) when we saw someone coming up the trail. I knew that the Galilee Man was starting his trip May 6 and wondered if we would run into him - a friend from Atlanta had sent me a newspaper article about him just before my trip. I yelled, "Hey, are you the guy from Isreal?" He stopped, seemingly surprised, saying, "Yes, how did you know?". I told him I had read about him in the news. "I was in the news?," he asked. I asked if I could quickly take his picture and he generously obliged. Here are the photos!(see attached). It was a great ending to our trip. We had originally planned to make it to Woody Gap on Friday, but when we made it there on Wednesday, we stayed at the Hiker Hostel that night and then had them shuttle us to Neels Gap so we could hike some more and then be picked up again at Woody Gap in order to stay at the Hiker Hostel on Friday night (as originally planned) before flying back to Colorado on Saturday. It was fun to see the familiar faces hiking toward Maine that we had met along the way when we were hiking North.¢ Deborah MathisColorado Springs, CO
Date: 2010-05-10
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: clear sky

I reached the Siler Bald Shelter at 20:30 and in a word, I¢m exhausted. There is a tremendous distance between shelters. As I predicted I put my foot in my mouth big time by mentioning how nice it had been that the rains had held off. Today at 16:00 the rains came, and came, but not just the rains, the cold came as well. It is another difficult night. I slept to about midnight, then I was awaken by the cold. After that I can¢t get back to a good sleep and my feet were freezing. These are the primary problems. Tomorrow I think it will be hard for me to move at all. Good night.
Date: 2010-05-11
From: Siler Bald Shelter 

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center 
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I ran like crazy the long drop to Nantahala and reached the Outdoor Center at 19:10 and everything was closed up tight! I barely got them to agree to let me have a bed in one of the trail staff rooms. After that, I went over to one of the kitchens where they leave the leftover food and found ¢slim pickin¢s¢, a roll and butter, a packet of onion soup and three carrots, what a disappointment! In short, this trashed my plans for tomorrow. The store opens only at 09:00. That means I will not get out of here before 10:30 and tomorrow of all days there are steep climbs with impressive altitude differences. Well, we will head out and see where we are. The big miles I am sure will come in Virginia. Aside from my blisters, I feel very good. I am pulling hard and simply continuing non-stop for 12-14 hours. The folks I meet here are astounded by me. All the others I have met barely finish around 10-12 miles. I feel like the bunny rabbit from the Duracell battery commercial. I myself do not know where I find the strength. The segment in the Smokies is murder. Up and down and you still do not know what is preferable. The entire trail seems to be one green tunnel wrapped in a thick fog. The last two days it has poured. Of course, I am soaking wet, but the real story is how slippery the trail becomes. Most of the time I am running on exposed roots. The trees here are tremendous! I have decided not to purify all of my drinking water because it takes so much time. The new rule is if I see the water coming out of the ground, I do not stop to purify. I have begun to burn fat and can see it on myself. If the truth is to be told, I only eat once a day, at night when I have set up camp. Most of the day I move on an empty stomach, but the most important thing is that I had my first shower since May 3rd and I was able to fully recharge phone batteries. Good night.
Date: 2010-05-12
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center 

To: Near Cable Gap Shelter- on the AT
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: light rain

Because I reached Nantahala 10 minutes after closing, I lost half a day. So I made use of the time waiting for the NOC Outfitter store to open at 09:00 by have breakfast, not too much, really, but obviously enough to make it feel like a ¢weight¢ in my stomach. I know that it is sometimes difficult to eat ¢normal¢ food after you have been on trail food for a while. I bought a new ground mat with better insulation from the cold as well as a new liner for my sleeping bag that will give me 2-3 degrees more warmth at night. I refilled my water and by 10:00, I was on my way. I ran straight through to about 17:40 and took a short break to check the magnificent scenery; now I was sorry that I had not had more for breakfast. I moved on, it is now 21:00 and I have completed another 22-mile day. I am somewhere before the Cable Gap Shelter, I seemed to have missed the shelter at Brown Fork Gap and decided to stop where I am, ¢in the middle of nowhere¢, I think, for the night. I have arranged myself some shelter and will spend the night out here on the trail, without a meal so as not to attract any ¢friendly or less than friendly critters¢. Good night.
Date: 2010-05-13
From: Near Cable Gap Shelter- on the AT

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I set out at 06:00 from near Cable Gap after sleeping on the trail and at 19:45 I it made to the Mollies Ridge Shelter, in the Great Smoky Mountains. The truth is I still do not know how I did it. It was another difficult day. Fontana Dam was a terrible disappointment! I got there around noon, only to find the place deserted and the souvenir store closed! I was lucky there was a coke machine and restrooms of course. My feet hurt but I made the most of my day and kept moving. Tomorrow I will start the climb towards Clingsman Dome, Tennessee here I come! Good night
Date: 2010-05-14
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: light rain

This morning I left Mollies Ridge Shelter and set out for Clingsman Dome. From there I moved on and at 23:00 reached the Mount Collins Shelter. It is difficult to communicate from this part of the trail. The rain is coming down in a tremendous downpour. I hope to get out of the park by tomorrow.