morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-11-15
From: Neel's Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

I slept pretty good last night. Skittles, a young SOBO, arrived after dark. It started raining this am as advertised. Pirate had the coffee pot on early. Skittles slept in a little late and then started out in the rain. He has a plane reservation later this week. I ventured out a bit and took some mood photographs in some pretty draft wxI think I could smell Springer before it started raining. The wx is supposed to get worse tomorrow  And I must be close to Atlanta, the radio in the hostel can pick up an FM stationThe rain has brought in some pretty wet hikers.  First there was a group of local section hikers up from Springer. Later a MS couple also NOBO arrived  They all showered and did laundry. I continued chillin'.  Later, Pirate made bean soup and corn bread. I had a first when I got some moonshine jelly.   Time for bed nowLife is Great!
Date: 2010-11-16
From: Neel's Gap

To: Hiker's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm beginning to really like sleeping in a real bed - another rather good night's sleep. I had been advised that the MS NOBOers would be getting up early, real early, around 0300 . I was up then but they were still in the bag. I went back to sleep until Pirate was up and making coffee - around 0600. It was drizzling rain pretty good and a wee bit cool. Pirate laid out a breakfast spread and everyone started rolling out. After breakfast, MS started NOBO in the rain. The local NOBOers were thinking about taking a zero to let the rain pass, Me, I decided to hostel hop. I made arrangements to spend the night at the Hikers Hostel, managed by Leigh and Josh, and caught a shuttle there. The rain started to pick up pretty good by then. I arrived at the new hostel mid-morning. As far as hostels go, it was like moving from a 1-star to a 5-star hostel. I chilled out most of the day. It started to clear out before dark and I went out for some photos. Later, Josh went to Springer to pick up Skittles. He reported that it had rained on him continuously from the time he left Neel's Gap, until just before summitting Springer. (Note: "summitting" Springer is a loose term here). I fixed dinner in the hiker's kitchen, watched a movie and placed my order for tomorrow's breakfast.I'm cleared for landing and on final approach.Life is Great!
Date: 2010-11-17
From: Hiker's Hostel

To: Hawk Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

I really enjoyed last nite. Fixed dinner in the hikers kitchen. Then watched a Clint Eastwood movie.  Had a DrP and microwave popcorn from a great vending machine, then turned into the bunk bed with privacy curtains so Skittles wouldn't disturb me. Slept great. We had an 0830 breakfast. Custom hiker blend coffee, scrambled eggs, oatmeal and Belgian waffles. I really enjoyed the Woods Hole Hostel for it's history and ambiance, and the Mayor's Outhouse for assisting me in getting medical treatment and the gourmet meals. But, I'm most impressed with the Hiker Hostel for its all-around quality. I really feel sorry for the NOBOs who make this their first stop, because they sure won't see anything else like it on the trail I got a ride to the trailhead and began hiking a little late. The wx was perfect, clear, sunny, mostly calm and a little chilly. I was really making good time today. Don't know whether its from my newfound fitness, all the recent rest, the fact that the trail isn't nearly as challenging as before or probably a combo of all the above. I easily passed today's objective and continued SOBO. Then I had a decision to make. I passed some water at a stone footbridge. Next water source was 6+ miles at a shelter. The choice was to press on with existing water supply to the next shelter or load up with water and camp along the trail somewhere  I wasn't all that interested in stopping to load up on water and then have to carry it up over a couple of hills so I pressed on. It was an easy hike. Saw a couple of Army helicopters flying below in the valley and an Army comm truck at one of the forest roads. I got to the shelter before dark, watered up, fixed dinner and started posting my journal entry. It was dark when Bryan showed up. He's a day hiker from the Springer parking areaLanding gear lowered and lockedLife is great!
Date: 2010-11-18
From: Hawk Mtn Shelter

To: Springer Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Last nite was entertaining, courtesy of the US Army. I had gone to sleep early and was awaken by this loud, mysterious noise. It became louder and after awhile, I recognized it as a helicopter. Then there were more flying up and down the gap below. I was only about 400 ft above the gap and 1/2 mi from the comm truck which was probably the HQ for the night war games  It was nice to see the helicopters flying below me  Then there was small arms fire, probably a 100 rounds or more. I sure hope they follow "no trace" camping and picked up all their brass. Later it quietened down a bit and I could heard voices from the gap, but not clear enough to understand the communication. Eventually I went to sleep I got up late, fixed breakfast and was on the trail for my last meaningful hiking day. Kinda bittersweet in a way. The wx wasn't as good as yesterday, but still pretty good  It was cool, slightly damp and heavy overcast. The trail was in very good shape from recent rain. Crossed the Benton Mackaye Trail several times. Saw several section hikersI pulled into the Springer Mtn Shelter and got set up. Saw Charlie and Allyson and took some photos, even got an apple. Later met Jonathan and his Dad. Started a fire, enjoyed some snacks and now going to fix some dinner and get ready for bedFlaps set for landingLife is Great!
Date: 2010-11-19
From: Springer Mtn Shelter

To: Springer Mtn Summit
Miles today: 0.2

Pardon recent entries  Cell service has really been spotty and I've recently edited some minor errors on my partCell service lately has really been erratic. Here at the shelter at the exact same location, it has varied from "No Service" to 4 bars. -  go figure. I had been trying to confirm pickup plans with T2 and had been unable to complete the loop. I brought out my emergency Verizon phone, only to find the battery indicator blinking red. I then had 3 bars on the AT&T service and made a quick call to close the loop on the pickup. My iPhone charge was going down and I decided to hook it up to my backup charger and leave it on during the night in case there were any changes. I was also able to talk to Libra Lady, who was enroute to Atlanta. It got dark early and was beginning to really cool off. I hit the bag early and was soon asleep. I was awaken by something walking on the leaves and then I get a phone call. It was Cap'n Jack. He was checking in and wishing me well, before he and the Admiral Lady took off for somewhere exciting (Bahamas I think?)Jonathan and Dad were up real early and hiking well before sunup. I tried to stay in the bag as long as possible and got up at sunrise. I fixed a leisurely breakfast and was able to talk to T2. Libra Lady arrived unexpectedly in ATL at 0700 and he and the Princesses would be late in leaving. I hiked on down to the parking area, It was the last, lightest, easiest mile of the entire hikeI got to the parking lot and soon T2 arrived with the two precious princesses. I then hiked the hardest mile of the trek back up to the summit. I forgot what it was like to hike with a 4 and a 2 year old. But we did reach the summit and took a few photos. Later,I was pleasantly surprised when Rooster arrived at the summit. We has not met previously though we were close on several occasions. IMHO, he has the best photos of anyone who has thru-hiked the AT, no comparison. I highly recommend you check out his website. After a few more photos,we went to the Springer Mtn Shelter and let the princesses enjoy the "playhouse" a bit. On the way down to the parking lot, I saw Flora.,who was carrying a bottle of sometrhing sparkling  She and Rooster were waiting to greet Herbert, who we saw later carrying a ripe pineapple. I'm sure they had a good celebration  We were soon at the parking lot and loaded up my gear. This probably officially concludes my hike. Mrs P&B has some more photos to post. I'll probably take a week off to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family in Atlanta. Then I'll write my wrap-up and hiking gear review. If you have any questions you'd like answer, plz post them in the guest logTOUCHDOWNNNNNNN!!!!Life is Great!
Date: 2010-11-20
From: Springer Mtn Summit

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I been somewhat under the weather lately. I returned home to Texas with a good case of the 14 ¢day flu. Believe me it hasn¢t been very much fun. Also, my primary care physician wanted to check out ¢Ol Faithful¢. It has been feeling much better; but, she determined the cyst is still present, still leaking and should come out sooner or later. I chose sooner and have an appointment for out-patient surgery on Monday.In the meantime, I¢ve catalogued my photos and completed some minor photo processing for Christmas card and calendar purposes.I¢m also in the process of writing my equipment review and the end of hike report should follow shortly.
Date: 2011-01-23
From: 2010 Q&As

To: Final Thanks
Miles today: 0.0

Addition to Q&As?Best hitch ride? Fire engine red BMW convertible, really!Most exciting hitch ride? Back end of a pick-up bed, roaring thru some mountain back-roads, with a bunch of good ol¢ boys who liked good beer and plenty of home-grown, NC wacky-weedAnd now to give thanks for the 2010 AT hike:I must begin by praising God for the beauty of the Earth and the opportunity to hike this amazing place. And thank you Lord Jesus for being with me every step of the way. And the Sweeny FUMC 3Ms for all the thoughts and prayers.My thanks to ¢¦Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the early pioneers for proposing and developing the trail,The National Park Service, Forest Service, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the trail clubs and ALL the many volunteers who provide, manage and maintain the trail,The trail towns and hostels that go out of their way to provide the support to assist all the hikers, All the trail angels: the church groups and individuals who live along the trail and dedicate significant efforts to aid the hikers; the day and section hikers who assist the thru-hikers, and the anonymous angels who help in their own unique way.The outfitters who provided all the excellent equipment and were most outstanding in replacing gear that wore out on the trail,Trailjournals.com for providing this website. It was helpful in learning a great deal about the hike, as well as provide a forum for me to share my experiences. My fellow hikers, those that I hiked with on the trail for a day or more (Lumpy, JP, Outside Dog¢¦ ), those that I played some leap frog (most notably Appleseed and Branch who I met in NY, CT and ME), those that I met at my flip and then the flop, and I must include all my virtual hiking parners.My ground support team, Ms P&B, Sky King, St Kit, St John, Mystery Lady Mary, DQ and BIL DougAnd last but certainly not least, Libra Lady, who has put up with me, supported me and allowed me to pursue my dreams for well over 40 years now.I¢m sure I probably forgot something or somebody,; its not intentional.   And now what¢s next? Many have suggested that I need to hike the PCT next. I also have several standing offers to hike the Long Trail. And then there are a couple of places that I skipped over the AT that I might want to revisit some day. But I don¢t know that I¢m really a hiker. I like camping and want to do more photography.   I¢ve also really missed out on hunting and fishing. I have a retirement lot that¢s waiting for me to build a home there. And, I have two precious princesses that I know are going to need a lot of quality ¢Grandy¢ time.Near-term plans are to leave later this week for my annual Utah visit with Lumpy. We¢re planning to take some photos in Yellowstone, then possibly the Grand Tetons and finish off with a few days of skiing. Also, hope to see Chomp and Half Full as well. And with this, I¢ll close out my 2010 hike.THANK YOU ALL, ITS BEEN A TRIP!!!
Date: 2011-01-28
From: Home

To: West Yellowstone, WY
Miles today: 0.0

Hello HelloThis is my first journal entry for 2011. I left home in Dickinson, TX yesterday and flew to Salt Lake city to meet up with Lumpy. We left this morning for West Yellowstone to start a photo shoot in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. The ride was quite scenic. It started out very cloudy but cleared up as the day wore on. At one point, we passed a cattle feed pasture that must have had 100 mule deer enjoying the bounty. Later, near Henry River, we saw some trumpeter swans and a lovely photo op location. There was a snow packed road adjacent to the river which we entered to take some photos. Unfortunately, this was an unmarked snowmobile trail and we quickly got stuck. A local sherriff's deputy came by, issued us a warning ticket and called a tow truck to pull us out. After a hefty fee, we were soon extracted and back on the highway again to West Yellowstone. We checked into one of the local Best Western hotels and met some fellow pphotgraphes who we will be sharing a snow motor coach for the next couple of days in Yellowstone. following that, Lumpy and I will be taking a photo course at the Buffalo Ranch in Yellowstone, and then travel down to Grand Teton. I don't know how good internet coverage will be during the next week; but, I do expect some excellent photo ops. so, standby for some good images, I hope
Date: 2011-01-29
From: West Yellowstone, WY

To: Ol Faithful Geyser
Miles today: 3.0

Today was a full day at Yellowstone. Our group was up early and we were met by our driver, Brenda; who was later to be learned to be the Ben-Hur of all the snow coach drivers in Yellowstone. We were probably the first coach into Yellowstone, arriving just after 0730. The temperature at the gate was 5 deg. Driving into the park, we met several cross-country skiers, who seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Our first stop was a photo op of an elk cow and calf. They weren¢t too impressed with our presence and soon crossed the river. Next stop was for a pair of bald eagles in a tree near the trail.We then started seeing a good number of buffalo. One stop was for several in a snow pack near the road, another had several on the far-side river bank and the next included a mall group walking down the middle of the snow trail towards us. Also saw an elk carcass which was cleaned pretty good.   I imagine the half-life of an animal carcass in the park to be a week or less. We had a rest break at a coffee shop and then went to Old Faithful (the Geyser, not my shoulder injury). We stayed for lunch and shot two geyser shower. Next were a couple of stops at a geyser field which were truly unique: acid geyser showers, clear crystal pools, and boiling mud pits. It was getting dark and had been a long day. On our exit, we came across more buffalo and a good size elk herd. The elk bugle call is an amazing animal call for those who have never heard one.We got back to the motel after dark, had supper and am now securing photo files and getting ready for tomorrow. Today¢s weather was Chamber of Commerce perfect. However, its supposed to start getting worse tomorrow and really be bad on Tuesday. Anyway, day 1 was great!
Date: 2011-01-30
From: Ol Faithful Geyser

To: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Miles today: 3.0

Yellowstone Day 2 We were up early again and ready to depart by 0730. We had a different driver today, Joe, who we would later learn was more along the lines of A.J. Foyt. For those who thought my characterization of yesterday¢s driver as Ben-Hur may have been a bit harsh or premature, it has been reported that she is the only one who has successfully completed a donut maneuver in a snow coach.We arrived shortly at the park entrance and soon saw another cross-country skier. Turns out it was Joe¢s wife, who is a park employee. She prefers skiing in the early morning as there is no traffic and the roads have been groomed overnight.Yesterday¢s focus was on wildlife and Old Faithful; today¢s focus was on the canyons and waterfalls. Nevertheless, we still saw many buffalo, elk, swans and even a couple of coyotes (although they were couple of hundred yards off and moving away)They weather wasn¢t the greatest, nor was it as bad as was forecasted, It was quite a bit warmer today, with only a brief snow shower, some cloudy overcast and a good deal of sun. We all took a god number of images.On our exit from the park, we passed a number of buffalo trotting past us. We also got very close to a good size elk herd and herd the cows and calves calling each other loudly.We returned to the motel, went out for dinner and getting ready for departure tomorrow. Lumpy and I will go to the Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley for a photo class, some of the others will visit Grand Teton and one has returned to Salt Lake City. Overall, another excellent day!
Date: 2011-01-31
From: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

To: Buffalo Ranch Day 1
Miles today: 0.0

I had a good night¢s sleep and was up early checking out my internet interests. Lumpy and went down and had breakfast with some of our fellow photographers before saying our good-byes and checking out of the motel. We then proceeded to relocate from W Yellowstone to the Buffalo Ranch. This is only a short distance thru the park; however, the road was closed and we had to take a circuitous route. Our first excitement was a brief stop on the highway to allow a buffalo family to pass. Papa Bull tried to climb over the siding but the snow was very deep. Mama cow and two calves were happy to stay on the road. But we soon passed and were out on our way. Later we passed several herds of elk; even saw a young spike bull. Also noticed several eagles.We stopped and had lunch at Gardiner, just outside NW entrance into Yellowstone. We entered the park, stopped at the Mammoth Springs Visitor Center and talked to a park ranger who would also be a fellow student at the class. We saw a lot of Mammoth hot Springs and then drove on to the ranch. En route, we noticed many buffalo and also passed two coyotes running along the road. Naturally, each was a photo op for us. It was interesting to watch the buffalo move the snow to get to the grass to feed. They would bury their heads into the snow and then swing side to side to clear out a patch of grass.Eventually, we drove on the ranch and checked in. We unloaded our personal gear in rustic log cabins that had a gas heater. Then went to the Bunkhouse to stow all our foodstuffs. After brief introductions and chat, we then drove to a Cooke City just outside the NE park entrance. The roads were plowed up to the edge of the city. We returned to the ranch after dark and had dinner and met many of our fellow students. Some small talk and then back to the bunk to get ready for tomorrow. The weather today was very sunny and very clear. However, the temperature began art - 8 deg, rose to a high of +6 and then is expected to get down to -21 tomorrow, with a high of maybe zero. And the next day is supposed to be even colder!!
Date: 2011-02-01
From: Buffalo Ranch Day 1

To: Buffalo Ranch Day 2
Miles today: 1.0

A short description about the Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park¢¦. The facility is managed by the Yellowstone Association and conducts classes and workshops here thru-out the year. The main building is the ¢Bunkhouse¢. In back is a kitchen/dining area. There is 1 microwave, 2 stoves and 4 refridgerator/ freezers. The middle area is a classroom with room for about 2 dozen students. There are 19 in our class. The front area is a check-in/reception area and primarily ¢mud room¢ ¢ outside shoes and coats are stored there.The next major building is the Bathhouse. It is a heated area with showers and toilets. Surrounding the Bathhouse are cabins. Each cabin has 3 beds and a propane stove. The stove is kept at max output all day and manages to keep the cabin bearable.   And one of the cabins serves as a mini-general store. Also, there are two larger cabins which are occupied by the full-time park rangers, and farther back is a parking lot and gas generator facility for the complex.I didn¢t sleep all that well last night. Lumpy got up early and went to the vehicle to get something. He returned empty handed a bit later because the locks were frozen and he couldn¢t open the doors. We were thinking about getting up early for some sunrise photos. We waved that off for several reasons, primarily due to the cold. And there were several mini-explosions last night from icicles falling off the roof.I arrived at the bunkhouse for some coffee and was almost shocked to death ¢ the weather station was reading ¢ 28 deg!!! This is a mere 100 deg swing from when I left home. The park closes all non-essential activities when air temperature falls below -20 deg and this has been the coldest night at the ranch this year. There was a lone buffalo grazing about 25 yards away from the cabins.We started the day with a classroom lecture and introduction., then went out for an afternoon photo shoot. Saw a lot of buffalo; one on the roadway had suffered a broken leg. Also saw an trophy elk carcass from winter kill, as well as another big bull laying down under a tree.We took some afternoon photos around Mammoth Hot Springs and then went to another spot for evening shotsWe fixed dinner and then had a slideshow by our instructors. Went to bed around 2230 and slept fairly well for the night.
Date: 2011-02-02
From: Buffalo Ranch Day 2

To: Buffalo Ranch Day 3
Miles today: 0.0

We got up early for a sunrise photo shoot. The temperature reading at the bunkhouse was -32; the official reading at the Buffalo Ranch Ranger Station was -45, I repeat, -45.   I had a light breakfast and a mug of coffee before heading out. We were at the shoot location well before sunrise. However, we were quite a bit early at this location for the sunrise and we were outside for at least an hour before the light was really suitable for photography. That is one hour, outside in <-30 deg weather!!!!!!!!. I took my glove off once for a short period to check camera settings. My camera battery had frozen. I then swapped the dead one out with a battery in my chest pocket and then learned my auto focus wasn¢t working. I set the focus manually the best that I could thru the frost-covered monitor and snapped a few images. My fingers were frozen by now and I adjourned to the bus for a quick warmup. We had thought for a while that maybe the sun had frozen; but, it finally decided to wake up and make an appearance. Many others had camera problems, some even being totally inoperative.   We all went out and took some images to complete our morning shoot and return to the ranch We proceeded immediately to the Bunkhouse to warm up. The cold weather was causing the generator to stress out and we lost power several times. We had a short digital workflow program and then went out to shoot again. We started out ¢shooting¢ river otters. Five of them were putting on a pretty good show. We then moved back to another location for sunset landscape shoot. There, we also saw two ram bighorn sheep with full turn horns, as well as a good size bull elk in the near distance. My lens was not acting right and I put it away to warm up over night.We were then given choices of a short demo of night photography, and for the next day returning to Mammoth Hot Springs for a morning photo shoot or staying at the Buffalo Ranch for a preview of a wolf documentary.   I chose the photo shoot and then adjourned to bed.