morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-07-21
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: View Entry
Miles today: 152.0

I wrapped up Connecticut and Massachusetts. Both weren't too difficult of hikes. Connecticut was by far the prettiest state I've hiked through thus far. It seemed to be nothing but hemlock forests, meandering streams with crystal clear, cold water, and moss covered rocks. Massachusetts was pretty as well, but not as much as Connecticut. In Massachusetts I finally had some climbing to do, not a lot but I finally got above 3000 feet for the first time in several hundred miles. I stayed at an awesome hostel in Dalton, MA. The hostel is run by Rob Bird and it is appropriately named The Birdcage. It is an underground hostel, meaning it isn't listed in any of the guidebooks. To get to it, you walk to the Shell station in town and ask for Rob and the attendent calls him and he comes and picks you up. All he asks in return is that you treat his house like it's yours. That evening he ran a van-ful of us to Old Country Buffet so that we could gorge ourselves - which we did. After Dalton I climbed Mt. Greylock, which is sits just under 3500 feet. I stayed at an emergency shelter on the summit. For an emergency shelter it was nicer than the other shelters. It was fully enclosed and had a 4-sided fireplace in the middle of the shelter. MA and CT weren't very long states to hike through; they were about 150 miles total. Vermont seems pretty sweet so far. I'm only 50 miles into the state, but it already is giving Connecticut a run for its money. I can tell I'm getting into higher elevations because I'm seeing different species of trees. I'm leaving the oaks and beeches behind and seeing more and more birch, hemlock and firs. I'm also in moose country, which is the last big animal I hope to see on the trail.I'm at a pretty amazing hostel right now. It is run by Jeff and Regina Taussig. When Jeff took me back to the hostel I saw a large house and a smaller house. I was expecting the hiker house to be the smaller one, but it was actually the larger house. The hostel has a fully equipped kitchen, complete with cereal, milk and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. There's a washer and dryer, a living room with a few movies and copies of magazines and newspapers all for hikers. To top it off Jeff is a fellow Buckeye. I picked a good day to lounge around because it is currently raining and it seems like it is going to do so all day. I've got about 6 more days of hiking to do in Vermont and then I'll be in New Hampshire.
Date: 2009-07-27
From: Hanover, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 95.9

Vermont has left quite the impression on me. It was extremely beautiful and green. It was also very wet and muddy. It rained nearly every night I was in the state. Then in the morning the sun would burn off the fog and mist and leave the days sunny and beautiful. All the rain did leave the trails a wet, soggy, sloppy mess. I now see why Vermont is called "Vermud" by hikers. As of late I haven't been seeing too many thru-hikers on the trail. It has not been unusual for me to hike all day and not see a single thru-hiker until I get to the shelter for the night, and even then there's usually only one or two people there. I come across several section hikers and an occaissional Southbounder during the day, but no Northbounders. Which is fine by me. I enjoy the solitude of hiking alone. I see and hear so much more, it's like the woods come alive. Now that I'm in the Northeast I desperately want to see a moose. I've seen plenty of evidence of moose in the way of moose tracks (the actual footprint, not the ice cream) and moose scat, but no moose. The moose is the last big animal that I want to see on this trip. I've seen bears, rattlesnakes, and a bobcat, so I'm hoping for a moose sighting to complete my wish-list. Though a porcupine would be pretty cool to see as well.I'm posting from the campus of Dartmouth College, which the AT runs through. I plan on spending the day wandering around campus checking it out. While I'm at it I'm going to try to score a couch/floor to crash on tonight and shower/laundry privledges. The bummer with Hanover is there are no cheap places to stay and laundry is a couple miles away via a bus route. But I've got all day, so we will see what happens.From here on out the town stops get fewer and farther between, so I may not be able to post as regularly as I have been. But I will my best to post every 10-14 days or so.
Date: 2009-08-10
From: Gorham, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 143.9

I had an phenomenal time through the White Mountains. I could not have asked for better weather. Out of the 6 days that I was in the Whites, I had a half day of nasty weather. In that half day I had winds that would blow me off balance, snow, sleet, hail, rain, and temperatures in the 40s. I gladly took that half day of ugliness for the 5.5 days of absolutely beautiful weather. Climbing up Franconia Ridge and getting above treeline was one of the most gorgeous sections of the trail I've been on. It's really difficult to describe the views or the impression I got from them other than to say they were breathtaking. The Presidential Range was a ton of fun to hike through. It was a lot of rock hopping over large boulders. I found the climb up Mt. Washington to be not as nearly as strenuous as other hikers made it out to be. Climbing Mt. Washington was very enjoyable; the weather cooperated with me on that day. The views on top of Washington were pretty spectacular. There's a building on the summit that houses a museum, gift shop, and food court and it was overwhelming walking into it. There were people everywhere, most of them not dressed for the weather. It was amusing watching tourists arrive off the Cog, a rail car that people can take to the summit, in shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops and head straight for the summit building because   it was 50 degrees on the summit. Leaving the Whites I had an awesome view of the entire Presidential Range from the top of another mountain.The only bummer about the Whites was the lodging situation. The Appalachian Mountain Club, or more appropriately, the Appalachian Money Club, charges $8 to stay at shelters in the Whites. After staying at shelters for free for over 1800, I don't see why the AMC thought I'd suddenly be willing to pay to do that. There are huts, which are like mini-lodges that offer work-for-stay options to the first couple thru-hikers that show up. In exchange for doing dishes or sweeping out bunkhouses hikers get leftovers from dinner and breakfast and are able to sleep in the hut, albeit either on a table or the floor. Because the huts only accept 3-4 hikers each night, it became almost a competition to get to the huts early enough to secure a work-for-stay, but not too early that they turn you away. I was able to hop from hut to hut and do work-for-stay at them. It was a nice change of pace having someone else cook for me and sleeping in a fully enclosed shelter.The Whites were truly amazing. The views I had were awe-inspiring. They are definitely one of the places that I want to revisit when I'm finished with the trail. That being said, I am currently about 15 miles from Maine. I'm off to head into Maine and finish up what I started 5 months ago.
Date: 2009-08-21
From: Monson, ME

To: View Entry
Miles today: 183.4

I'm in Monson, Maine, the last town on the trail. Ahead of me is the Hundred Mile Wilderness and after that is Katahdin. You cannot believe how exciting it is to know that in one week's time I'll be done with the trail. I saw Katahdin for the first time yesterday while standing on top of a bald, so I can say for a fact that she does exist and she's out there waiting for me. It's impossible to describe what I felt when I was looking at her. Excitement, joy, and relief was running through me as I stood there staring at Katahdin. It won't be long now before I'm actually standing on top of her. Maine so far has been tough and beautiful. The first couple of days absolutely kicked my butt. The terrain was really rocky and covered with tree roots. I think I spent more time walking on rocks and roots than I did on the ground the first couple of days. Then the trail got better and I had some awesome views from the tops of some mountains. The past few days I've been hiking by some enormous ponds. A few of the shelters I've stayed at even sat right on the pond. At night I would fall asleep listening to loons calling out to each other.My next post will be from either Millinocket, ME or Portland, ME. The Hundred Mile Wilderness is one of the most remote sections of the entire trail. Outside of some logging roads, it's just you and the trail for a little more than 100 miles. I can't wait to get into it, it sounds like it's going to be fun and beautiful. After that I'll be at Baxter State Park, home of Mt. Katahdin. Then I'll be hitching a ride to Millinocket to spend a day doing nothing but kicking my feet up and not moving. I'm about 115 miles from ending my adventure. As Joe Nuxhall would say, I'm "rounding third and heading for home."
Date: 2008-02-13
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

So, I have been planning for my upcoming hike, and I have been deliberating whether or not I wanted to create on online journal.Unfortunately, I am not in a position where I can take off and do a complete 6 month thru hike, so I have adopted a 20 year plan.What is my 20 year plan you ask? Well here it is.If I section hike a 100+ mile section every year, it will take me approximately 20 years to complete the A.T.Also, in about 20 years, I plan on retiring from work. So, if all goes to plan, I will summit Katahdin on my final section hike, while also retiring from work, which means I can then turn around and do a full Southbound thru-hike back home to Georgia.Sounds like a plan to me, but who knows....... I could get fired, win the lottery, or inherit some vast fortune from some very distant relative that I never knew existed. In either of those instances, I might just be on the trail, but for now, I'll stick to my plan.So, for those of you that may happen upon my journal, I say thank you for stopping by. While I know it will not be near as interesting as a complete thru-hike in one session, I still wanted to put my memories and experiences down on paper (or screen in this case).So, there you have it. Hope to see some of you out there soon.Hungry
Date: 2008-02-14
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, now that the 20 year plan is out of the way, I thought I might let you know where I have been, and where I am headed.My first experience with the A.T. began in college, when myself and 3 of my buddies had the grand idea that we would hike the Smokies for our Spring Break. After spending way too much money on gear that was really not needed we started out at Stechoah Gap with our 60+ lb load. We had no plan, no clue, and no chance of making it to the other side of the park.Even though the trip didn't turn out as planned, we had a blast, and eventually 2 of those friends would complete a thru hike after college. I actually had the opportunity to go with them, but thought a job and career was a wiser choice. Yeah, Yeah, I didn't learn a thing in college.So, almost 15 years later, I decided I wanted to start my trek north, and devised the "plan". I began the first leg of my thru hike last year at Springer, and I headed north to Franklin, NC. I have since done a weekend trip to take me up to NOC, so it is from there that I will start.The plan this year is to hike from NOC to Hot Springs, some 136 miles over a 9 or 10 day period. I have a buddy of mine that is going to hike with me this year, so it should be fun.More to come later.....Hungry
Date: 2008-02-16
To: Shakedown Hike
Miles today: 0.0

Arrangements have been made for the shakedown hike. My buddy Shae (a.k.a. Box O Wine) and I are staying at the hiker hostel on February 29, and departing for Springer on Saturday. We will hike the 30 miles to Neels Gap, and get a ride back to our car on that Monday.This should give us a good idea of of any changes that we need to make to our gear, and it will also let us know at what pace each other hikes. We have done some camping before together, but never really set out on a long hike. Hopefully this will give us an idea of each others hiking styles.Until next time.Take care-Hungry
Date: 2008-02-27
To: Bourbon St. and Springer
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I've been spending the week in New Orleans on a business trip prior to my leaving for my shakedown hike this weekend. I would think, that normally, it would be quite a contrast going from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon St. with all of its noise and decadence to the quiet and slow lifestyle of hiking in the Appalachians. However, I would imagine that spending the weekend around Springer on March 1st, might be somewhat like Bourbon Street on its own.I think I saw here on Trail Journals, that something like 45 people plan on starting their hike this week, and those are just the ones registered on this site. I'm thinking of trading in my filter and water bottle for beads and one of those huge plastic beer mugs that I've seen all the people walking around with in their hands. That way, the party will just continue on....Nawlins style.So, to those of you that are starting this weekend, I just might see you out there. I'll be the guy wearing the black bandana, with beads around the neck, and a plastic beer stein in one hand instead of the hiking pole.YEEEHAAAAAA!!!Take care-
Date: 2008-03-01
From: Bourbon St. and Springer

To: Shakedown Hike
Miles today: 0.0

After a long week of travel in New Orleans, I rushed home to get my pack ready for my shakedown hike. "Box o'Wine" and I left Macon around 4 p.m. on Friday to head up to Dahlonega to stay with Josh and Leigh at the Hiker Hostel.We arrived around 7:30 or so, to find the hostel almost full with hikers ready to head north. We ran into folks like, The General, Lil Mak, Brian, and others, ready to start their journey. We sat around and "talked shop" for a couple of hours, as everyone was buzzing with energy and ready to go.The following morning, Josh loaded us up and first dropped a few hikers off at Amicalola, then, he dropped us off at USFS 42. We hiked the .9 miles up to Springer, took several pictures, caught up with "Many Sleeps" (the volunteer that registers thru hikers), and meet several hikers just beginning the hike.After that, we began our march to Gooch Mountain Shelter. The first several miles of the trail are down right easy, so don't let it fool you, it gets harder, and much steeper. After the first 7 miles or so, we stopped for lunch at Hawk Mountain shelter. We ran into twin brothers, KTR and Solace. They were taking things nice and easy, and having a blast. We decided to push on to Gooch, as it was still early in the day, and we wanted to get a fairly big mile day under our belts, to simulate our first few days coming up at the end of March. So onward we went, climbing up and over Sassafras Mountain (now renamed Kickedmyass Mountain). We limped on in to Justus Creek, about 1 mile out from Gooch, and filled up with water before pushing the final mile or so into Gooch Shelter.Once at the shelter, I set up my hammock, cooked some dinner, and visited with Kanati, Box o' Wine, Brer Rabbit (who hiked from Amicalola to Gooch on day 1), and others until bed time.Once I climbed in my hammock, I feel asleep fairly quickly, but battled being cold most of the night. I use a JRB quilt, but I am not sure I had it adjusted right. Any way, it was a great day, and it gave Box o' Wine a good idea of what to expect in few weeks.Take care-
Date: 2008-03-02
From: Shakedown Hike

To: Shakedown Hike Day 2
Miles today: 0.0

We got up around 7 this morning to pack up and head on to Neels Gap (or atleast that was the plan). We took our time getting everything together and eating breakfast and finally got on the trail just a little before nine.The hike out of Gooch is a nice little hike, with some easy grades and a few tough ups and downs. It wasn't until we hit the ups and downs, that Box o' Wine started having problems with blisters on his heel. Apparently, he had started getting them yesterday, but didn't take the time to apply any duct tape, mole skin, or body glide. So for the last 1 1/2 miles before Woody Gap, Box o' Wine is one steppin it with one boot on and one in his hand. Note to future hikers: TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET. If you feel a hot spot, stop and apply something like tape or body glide. So, once we got to Woody Gap, we decided to not push another 10 miles to Neels. We figured the point of the trip was to give Box o Wine a good idea of what to expect, and there was no need to push on just to push on. There will be plenty of that coming up at the end of the month. So, we called Leigh, at the Hiker Hostel, to pick us up.Overall, I think the shakedown went well. I realized it may be a little early in the season to hike with my hammock, so I think I will be taking my tent. Box o' Wine realized that he needs to take care of his feet. I was a little disappointed that we didn't reach Neels Gap, but I have made this leg before, so it wasn't a huge deal. Once we start at NOC in March, there will be no getting off until we reach Hot Springs. So, mission accomplished. I can't wait til the end of March to get back on.Take care-
Date: 2008-03-28
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Kelli and I drove from Macon last night and stayed at the NOC in motel D. We got in around 10 pm and meet up with 3 Cats and Sharkey. As a side note, Box o Wine decided not to come on the trip, so I am out here kind of solo, but have met up with 3 Cats, who I met last year. So, once we got up, we went to the Rivers Edge restaurant for breakfast. I had a delicious meal of eggs, sausage, biscuits, the works. After we finished up, Kelli dropped me off at the trail, and I took off with 3 Cats and Sharkey. The climb today was not too bad out of the NOC, but it was long and steep in some sections. We made it in to the first shelter early, but we opted to stay and make it a short day. We've messed around all afternoon, eaten, gathered firewood, and now just socializing with Hi-Lo, Route 66, 3 Cats, Sharkey, Sprite, Mosey, and others. We plan to pick up the pace tomorrow and go 16 miles. That should give us an easy day in to Fontana for my first resupply. More later-Hungry
Date: 2008-03-29
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Marina
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

Wow! What an incredible day on the A.T. But, before I get to today, I had a few follow ups from last night.Since we had all day to mess around yesterday, we had an amzing fire. Everbody just hung around the fire having a good time. We crashed early around 8 pm, so it made for a long night. I woke up several times through out the night, but woke up feeling rested. We woke up to rain and decided to head on out early. The rain stopped fairly soon, and we found that the clouds lifted just enough to give us some incredible views, especially from Cheoah Bald. As we headed into Stecoah Gap, we were greeted with some incredible trail magic. Queen Diva, Hopeful, and company had set up an amazing spread. We ate hotdogs, chips, cookies, slaw, and had a nice cold Pepsi to wash it down. Amazing! After we got done stuffing ourselves, we we headed oit of the gap for one amazing climb up sweetwater gap. We pushed in our 16 miles to Cable Gap Shelter, but it was small and full, so 3 Cats and I decided we would push another 6 miles to Fontana. We are at the lodge, have had an incredible dinner with a few beers, and have showered. The folks here at the lodge have been very accomodating and helpful. We battled the rain, pushed a big day, and have had a blast. Wow, what a day. More later-Hungry
Date: 2008-03-30
From: Fontana Dam Marina

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 1.1
Weather: overcast clouds

3 Cats and I woke up at the lodge and had a delicious breakfast at the bistro. I had eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy. MMMMM.......Good! After breakfast, we packed up and headed back to the marina (where we were picked up) and we met back up with Sharkey to complete the 1.1 miles to the dam. We took the day to rest, resupply, and plan our next leg of the trip. We are going to try and make it to Hot Springs by Saturday. (6 18 miles days in a row...we will see). So, we have enjoyed our stay at the Hike Inn which is owned and operated by Jeff and Nancy Hoch. They have been very accomodating and helpful. Thank you to them! Well.... a string of fairly big days to come, and it looks like rain, and a lot of it. YeeHA! I'm having fun.More later-Hungry
Date: 2008-03-31
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up at the Hike Inn and got busy packing our things and headed out to start the Smokies. We had to make a quick pit stop by the P.O. so that Sharkey could pick up a few things. Of course one of the nice things about going to the PO with a friend are the baked goodies that accompany the package. With out disappointment, we were treated with what seemed liked 5 lbs of fresh baked cookies. Sharkey was kind enough to share, but I really think he was just trying to get me and 3 Cats to eat down some of his weight. But nonetheless, the treats were amazing. Thanks for sharing Sharkey, and thank you Mrs. Sharkey for cooking and sending. Delicious!!!!So, we crossed the dam around 9:30, which was actually a blessing. The dam was scheduled to close around noon for some repair work, so we were fortunate to get across the dam without having to do the 2 mile detour. Once we crossed over, we started the 4 mile long climb up to Shuckstack Mountain. I had heard horror stories about the climb, but it is well graded and not too severe. I hiked a good bit alone today, but that was okay. I think I needed a little time to clear the mind and relax. That is the one thing about section hiking that I don't like. By the time you get into a relaxed groove and forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is time to go.The weather has been a pretty mixed bag so far. It was rainy and cold for most of the day, but has cleared now, but it is very windy. I have set up my tent because the shelter is packed. I have meet many great peopled like V8, Auntie Mame, Pips, Sauerkraut, Komatose, etc. We have a long day tomorrow so off to bed for me.More later- Hungry
Date: 2008-04-01
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

Well, the day didn't go quite as planned. We had originally thought we would go 19.8 miles today, but the body just would not cooperate. We woke up early to a full on rain and mist covered mountain around 7 a.m. We packed up our wet tents, ate some breakfast, and then hit the trail. Today was filled with climbs like Thunderhead and Rocky Top, but all the views were socked in due to the rain and clouds. The weather made for a very miserable morning, plus the legs did not want to perform to the grind that I was asking of them. 3 Cats and I made a slow 6 mile trek to Derrick Knob Shelter were we stopped to rest, eat and get water. We thought refueling ourselves might help the next set of climbs, but once again, it was slow going. As we started back out, the clouds lifted and it made for one beautiful day. The remaining 7 miles were amazing, filled with beautiful vistas and incredible scenery. We decided that since we knew we wouldn't make it to Hot Springs this trip, that we should slow down and enjoy our time out here versus feeling like a slave to the miles. So, when we finally pulled into Double Spring Shelter, we just layed out in the open field and soaked in the sunshine. We hung out for a couple of hours expecting to see Sharkey round the corner at any moment, but he still hasn't showed. Perhaps he didn't find our note. Anyway, we have pitched our tents and have eaten an early dinner. 3 days to Davenport Gap and then its back to the real world....UGH!!!!!!!!!More later-Hungry