morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-10-14
From: Katahdin stream campground

To: Abol bridge
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

Today we, (Cul de Sac, Moosehead, Skip, Bigfoot, and myself) went back out and did the 9 miles that we skipped so now I am truly done with hiking. The mountain was shut down today with snow and ice so we were lucky to summit yesterday. All of my friends are stuck out there waiting for a good day. I pray they will get it. The other big thing that happened today was that I finally saw my Moose. Moosehead's dad spotted it standing in a pond on the way out and we pulled over and took pictures of it. The hike was super easy as the trail was smooth with no up and downs at all. Since we hiked backwards I ran into all the people who were coming in that day, Keymaster, Worldwide, Whitecrow, Pinball Wizard, G, Luna, Privywinks, Nutella, Tater, Candybar, Coldylocks and Sudoku. It was a reunion on the trail. The rest of the day was spent eating and resting.
Date: 2007-10-15
From: Millinocket, AT Lodge

To: Millinocket, AT Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My last zero day of the trip. Cleaned my gear and then boxed up my pack and mailed it out at the Post Office. I bought a daypack so I could carry it on the plane. Most of the other hikers that I knew came into town today because they could not summit. Besides the others already mentioned I saw Bag Lady, No Pain, Fishstick, Wyoming, and the Hobbits also in town. That night as a last hurrah a bunch of us went down to the bowling alley and "candle bowled." Apparently it is a game played mostly in Maine. A good time was had by all. I said goodbye to the Hobbits and Gazelle.
Date: 2007-10-17
From: Millinocket, AT Lodge

To: Newark, Ohio
Miles today: 0.0

The journey is truly over now. I said my goodbyes after breakfast in the morning and wished everybody good luck. The mountain was still closed down for the day. Paul and Jamie, the owners of the AT Lodge and Cafe, and their friend Patches gave me a ride to Bangor. From there I caught a bus to Portland. G was on the bus with me because he had a flight scheduled on the 17th and decided not to change it on the chance that the mountain would be open the next day. We found an Econo Lodge near the mall and the airport and split a room for the night. The next morning I caught a plane out and here I am sitting in the comfort of my sisters house. The shock of not being a hiker has not quite sunk in yet. I got a little taste of it yesterday when G told a woman that we had just finished hiking the AT. She paid about as much attention as she would have if he had said that "we just got off of the number five bus." The significance of the accomplishment is lost on most people outside of the hiking world. Back to the real world. I will try to get the pictures on from the second half of the trip sometime in the next couple of days.
Date: 2007-03-06
To: Hello again
Miles today: 0.0

Hello and welcome for the second installment of what may prove to be a fun journal. I'll be doing this on two sites, this one and my homepage http://www.phullish.com . So be sure to check out both, the latter will probably turn out to be a less edited version.When do I start: I'll be taking a train down on April 19th.How long are you going: Until Early August, because then I've got college to get too. I've put that off a little too long as it is. If I finish, I finish. If not, I'm not gonna worry about it.That means you've got about: 105 days or so. Am I physically able to hike the whole trail in that amount of time? Maybe not, but I'm going to try. I'm going light this time as compared to my ADT trip last summer, I've learned my lessons about what's worthwhile to take.Here's hoping to a good time. Tune in later for when I actually get a move on. I've got most everything planned out that I need to so it's just a matter of getting off my butt and doing it now.
Date: 2007-04-18
From: Charlottesville, VA

To: Springer
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Tonight I'm going to be jumping on the iron horse and slowly riding down to gainesville. The trip is something like 10 hours long and I'll be on it from about 9pm to 7am, so I hope, hope, hope I'll be asleep for most of that.But before that my family and I are going to a chinese buffet one last time before I go and I'll get to pig out and stuff General Tso's into my pockets for later. So probably the next time I update will be somewhere on the trail in a week, I guess, I'm not really sure (or really care) where internet connections are along the way.So, hope to meet some of you other people I've read about on here, good luck to everyone who have still yet to start. Also someone give me a good trail name like Roughstuff Mountainstomper Sr.
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Blood Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Andrew made it to the shelter on the highest mountain in Georgia with very little trouble. [[Straight from the Hiker's Mouth]]Woke up better than before. I slept so much better than on the cramped train. This day wasn't bad. It was easy going for the most part, my legs started to hurt a bit. The downhills are what did it for some reason. But those concerns were kicked (erm) to the curb when I saw two people. The first looked Cuban. He was a huge dude with a big pack, nice guy too. Not to mention he was on crutches. Crutches? Crutches. He was about 25 miles into the trail, going inches at a time, straining on uphills, resting on crutches. Turns out he had polio. And then I saw another guy about a mile down the way. Considerably skinnier, big red pack, fake leg. Fake leg? Fake leg. Holy moly.Yeah, my legs didn't hurt so much after wards.I made it that night to the highest summit on Georgia. Blood mountain. Again, the shelter was empty except for 4 day hikers camping outside. It looked like an old chapel, sitting atop the rock peak. And a beautiful view. I was proud of myself. It had been awhile since I'd been truely proud of something I'd done.Sleep. A day hiker told me about a German wonderland called Helens. Maybe I'd go there soon.
Date: 2007-04-21
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Campsite on the Trail
Miles today: 11.2

Saturday morning, Andrew arrived at Neel's Gap about 10:00 and tried to call home for the first time but was unsuccessful. Mom had to do a little detective work to determine that the number on caller ID was the outfitter's there. It was comforting to know he'd at least covered 30 miles at that point.Andrew hiked on until he came to a clearing where he decided to pitch his tent for the night. Alone, he slept restlessly. It was the first time he'd used his tarp. He's not sure if he's a fan or not, but when you're traveling light, you can't be particular.Andrew says that people mostly comment on one of three things. No, his youthful age of 19 isn't one of them He says they either comment on his shoes (he's hiking in Waldies only), the number of miles he's been able to cover this early in the trip, or the weight of his pack. There's gotta be a trail name in there somewhere. The Waldie Wonder or Lite Brite. No, he'll come up with one eventually.[[Straight from the Hiker's Mouth]]Yeah, it's true. 19, 24lbs., fast, hiking in waldies. Don't be scared, I'm not a masochist looking for a kick. People find it hard to believe I'm having fun or that I'm comfortable. Which I can understand. Comfort is things, I guess. But one thing I've come to find out is that the hikers with less, complain less.Anyway, I got a pretty early start and headed down the Neel's Gap for some civilization. I picked up some candy bars and toilet paper and moved on. It looked like a nice hostel, but man, it's only been two days. I was a little embarresed by how I smelled, but I've gotten over that. I stink.A little down the way I was attacked by a dog. Well, not attacked, but it ran at me, teeth bared, barking and snarling. "Sorry! That's the second time. *huff*" Maybe that should be a clue or something, like, get a leash, jackass. Now, don't get me wrong, I love dogs. I've met quite a few trail dogs and they have all been awesome (Trail Max, Willow, Django: you're my dogs). But when I'm worn out, sweating, huffing and puffing, I don't need that. Camped out that night. My tarp is just big enough for me to get under. I'm not looking forward to using it in the rain.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Campsite on the Trail

To: Helen, GA
Miles today: 11.2

Andrew met a hiker named Edge today and hitch-hiked into Helen, GA. Andrew's only comment was that it reminded him of Busch Gardens, the Old Country. They did their laundry, took showers,(Andrew said he "smelled like two skunks in a gas station restroom"),ate well and will share a room for a good night's sleep tonight. Edge was generous enough to let Andrew use his phone to call home for the first time tonight. What a treat for Mom. I suspect it was a treat for Andrew, too. It was great to hear his enthusiasm and pride. This is such a contrast to those phone calls a year ago...[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]Today was a pretty short day. Just went down to the gap and hitched into Helens with a guy I just met. After about 10 minutes we get a ride in the back of a red pickup. Having no real idea what I was in for besides warnings of "germany" and "touristy".The place wasn't too bad. I'm told it pales in comparison to Gatlinburg, but it still had it's fair share of "What?" Fudge shops and glass shops were the name of the game. Glass dolphins? Load me up!But after the initial shock, Edge and I headed down to the Willendorf and got a double. $20, not bad. Took a shower and then walked to main road to find dinner.Unlucky for me, I lost my bandana on the ride in so I went to the closest biker shop and bought the roughest, toughest one I could find. All in all the place wasn't that bad. It was Earth Day after all.
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Helen, GA

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

Update provided by Mom...Andrew enjoyed his stay in Helen. A couple of showers and a good night's sleep works wonders. Andrew and Edge parted ways, and personally, I am a bit relieved. What Andrew didn't reveal to me at the time was that Edge got his trailname during a previously unsuccessful hike. It seems that he was carrying a machette and six throwing knives at the time. This trip he's packing lite--only brought along two of them.Anyway, Andrew made his way to Dicks Creek Gap where he spent the night under his tarp. That's pretty rough because that tarp is not very big. There's not much wiggle room at all. He decided to stay on the trail and not visit Hiawassee.[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]After stopping at the local grocer and drooling over food, I hitched a ride back up to the trail. I don't think I ever got the guy's name, but her reminded me a lot of David Carradine. Anyway, he was kind of a character. He told me how he had seen the blind miracly healed and how just a change in diet can cure any disease. A ride is a ride though, no use complaining.The day wasn't too tough, I had lunch with a nice older couple, Mike and Jane. I think this was probably the first day that I actually felt like hiking. The days before I was fairly indifferent. It switchs on and off. Sometimes I'll start getting the dread, the "fear and loathing", and will just want to go home. But that's normaly only on the tail end of a long day. Thankfully I have an iPod to break the inner monolouge and I can put everything on autopilot when I get that feeling.Camped out right near Dick's creek. Quiet. I miss thursday night TV. Will someone buy me The Office on DVD?
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

An update by Mom...Andrew got back on the trail and enjoyed lunch at Muskrat Creek Shelter. It rained and he found himself walking for about three hours in the rain. He made it as far as Standing Indian Shelter before he stopped for the day.I'm not sure when or where Andrew has run into the following folks, but he has certainly enjoyed listening to their stories. A young fellow like Andrew has a lot to learn from listening. He spent time with Rebel from North Carolina, Flash, Huckleberry, Wooly Bear and Easy Strider, but perhaps the most colorful?? were Fortune Cookie in his hiking kilt, and Park Bench, both veterans of the thru-hike. He will have to elaborate later. Second-hand, mom-censored versions are just not that interesting.[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]This day was overcast from the start. I could tell I'd get my first rain of the hike and I did. It wasn't bad though, the clouds cleared after only a few hours and I was dry by the time I got to the Standing Indian Shelter. Had lunch with a kid and his mom, Mike and Bev, both had shaved heads. Very chill people. Get to the shelter and meet Rebel. Hadn't seen him since before Helens. Inside were three people already asleep at about 5pm. Later they woke up and learned it was Fortune Cookie, Ryan and Flash. There's misinformation in Mom's version. I had thought Ryan's trailname was Park Bench, but that's another guy entirely. To be honest I never really learned his name because he talked as much as I do. Fortune and Ryan are bother in their 20's I think, Flash is in his 60's. Short-shorts, cokebottle glasses and a rainslicker. An interesting guy.That night I had my first fire of the trail.
Date: 2007-04-25
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: clear sky

An update from Mom...OK, I confess, I track Andrew through his debit card online, but I have his permission to monitor it and add funds as needed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that he had checked into the Franklin Motel and hadn't called home. You see, Andrew isn't carrying a cell phone, so we only hear from him when he's in a town. When he finally called he said, "I didn't want to disturb you watching American Idol, Mom." Thoughtful kid, but doesn't he know that at this moment he is my All-American idol? I admire him for following his dream while he can and doing something most 19-year olds wouldn't consider.He had hiked his longest day yet and had easily caught a ride into town. The driver said he'd never picked up a hiker before, but Andrew has that look you can't leave stranded. Check out his picture for yourself and you'll see what I mean. Edge had teased Andrew when they hitched into Helen that Andrew was his ticket into town. Edge had never gotten a ride so quickly...If you want to read more about Andrew's hitch-hiking experiences, read his other journal from last summer when he tried to hike the ADT. [[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]Aw shucks, mom.This day was rough. 24 miles, the most I've ever hiked in a day. I lumbered up two big summits today, Standing Indian and Albert. The second with a great view. Propel Powder helps. It's like drinking lemonade when you trudge uphill and it helps physically and psychologically.But between to the mountians, there were long stretches of flat, which helped immensely. Nothing too exciting happened today because I spent most of it hiking.When I finally got to the road to Franklin I was picked up after a 30 minute wait by Alfred Rickman. A local chevy salesman who dropped me off at the Franklin motel. A bed and a shower never felt so good.
Date: 2007-04-26
From: Franklin, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

An Update by Mom...Andrew enjoyed a zero day in Franklin doing the usual in-town chores. This couldn't have come at a better time because that familiar feeling of "I don't think I want to do this anymore," the feeling he knew so well last sumer, was starting to creep into his mind. He was able to stop by a post office and send home a box of unused stuff to lighten his already light 24 pound pack.[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]A zero day. An easy day. I got to watch The Office.
Date: 2007-04-27
From: Franklin, NC

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

An Update by Mom...Andrew was able to hitch a ride back to the trail, refreshed, lighter, and with a can-do attitude. I don't know many details other than he made it to Cold Spring Shelter for the night.[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]Went to the post office this morning. I was in a bit of a bind. There was a free shuttle to the trail at about 8, but the post office didn't open until 8:30. Looks like I get to wait! Not long though, at about 10:30 I made it to the second shuttle.Ron Haven gave me a ride, and guess who else? Edge. I hadn't seen him since I left Helens. The accordian effect.For the first part of the hike I was moving like a bat out of hell. A little more than 3mph. Don't worry, I slowed down later on. The day was fairly uneventful. Met up with Half-beard and jen again.And then I get to the shelter. I'm greeted by a thru hiker, P.S., and two day hikers, Leo and (I forget the other guy). But they hand out Amber Bock and everyone is having a good time. Then this lady shows up. I never got her name, mostly because I didn't understand a word she said. She would shuffle the same words and repeat sentences. It was fairly odd and brought the mood down a little bit. All I could gather was that she was heading to Atlanta and didn't have a home. She was older too, long gray hair. Probably in her 60's. Sang to her self, had a huge pack, and had tons of plastic bags. Kinda weird.
Date: 2007-04-28
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

An Update by Mom...At Sassafras Gap, Andrew met who he called "Crazy Lady." As his story progressed, I realized that was not her trail name--it was a description Andrew and the others had given her. He said she was about 70 with wild gray hair. It would appear that the woman was walking to Atlanta with all her earthly possessions in one incredibly heavy backpack and staying in shelters along the way. She talked in gibberish that no one could follow even though they politely tried. Andrew had the honor of sleeping next to her in the shelter. It would seem to me, just an observer, that the trail teaches you many things. I think in this case, the experience has taught Andrew to be tolerant and accepting of all sorts of people. On the trail, everyone is dirty and smelly and probably not looking very attractive at times. The trail's gift to its hikers is that they learn to see past the outward appearances and see the person as a fellow sojourner in life. How wonderful it would be if all of us comfortably at home could learn that same lesson![[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]This day was kind of weird for me. I walked a decent amount, the last 6 miles or so all uphill, but the thing that weirded me out the most was NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center). At first I didn't think I'd be passing by anything special today so I didn't know what to think when I roll into this oasis in the forest. There's an outfitters, cabins, restaurants and tourists strewn all over the banks of the river. Upon crossing the bridge from AT to road I was kind of stunned, but I knew pretty much without thinking what I wanted. A hamburger. A big one. And set off for the restaurant.It was a decent burger, the Wesser Burger, with all the fixings and double patties. The hiker's stomach was gaining ground. But I couldn't finish. No, it was good and I could have, but something startled me. Now, it may have just been my imagination and it certainly could have been, but as I chowed down on my meal I caught out of the corner of my eye what looked like an old girlfriend.My insides just did a back flip. There's a whole story behind that I won't get into here. I was in the middle of nowhere, a place where I'd hoped not to see any of my past and there it pops up like the Bad Sleep Well. Well, I stopped eating, paid my check and left as fast as I could, eyes fixed on the trail looking for a way out. And I got out. I walked that 6 miles uphill without missing a beat, straight to the shelter where I hoped to just look forward and not backward again.That night was better, met Peter at the shelter, real funny guy. After a few hours and some dinner I fell fast asleep. Tomorrow was a new day.
Date: 2007-04-29
From: Sassafras Gap shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: clear sky

An Update by Mom...I can't wait for Andrew to find a computer somewhere so he can add his own color commentary to these bland updates. It is just hard for me to tell it the way he does. I've noticed that our phone conversations start out as the usual "where are you/how are you" exchange of info, then the stories unfold. The longer we talk on the phone, the more we are able to draw out the details and actually help Andrew put things in a timeline of his days on the trail. I can only imagine that for hikers, sometimes you are so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that other thoughts get pushed to the back and have to be coaxed out. On the other hand, there are times when the thoughts and reflections are so deeply profound and enlightening that we here at home can only imagine with envy.On this day, Andrew made it to Fontana Dam Shelter, or what hikers refer to as the Fontana Hilton. It is supposedly the best shelter yet, perhaps even on the whole trail, partly because it has real toilets. One thing about the trail, hikers learn never to take toilets for granted--or clean clothes, or a good hot shower, or a warm, soft bed. I imagine it's not only the creature comforts either. My guess is they will never take friends, family, or the beauty of God's creation for granted either.[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]Nothing much happened this day, or anything that I wrote down atleast. It was a bigger mile day and like most bigger mile days I had some nice chaffing going on. That's always fun. A recommendation for future thru-hikers, bring some Body Glide or Gold Bond with you for the first month or so. You'll need it.Later in the day I finally arrive at Fontana Dam Shelter. A huge, well made, modern marvel. It holds more stinky hikers than you'd ever want in one place at one time. But it was cool because I saw Fortune Cookie and Rebel again and had my first meeting with Joker, Dogman (with Django and Willow in tow) and Sizzerz.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

An Update by Mom...This was a pretty typical day of hiking. Andrew met back up with Rebel, Gandalf, and Fortune Cookie. These guys seem to be traveling at about the same pace.I asked Andrew if he had experienced much trail magic, and his quick response was that it didn't come from outside as much as from the hikers themselves. On this day when Andrew found himself with only two days of food left and nothing for a snack, it was Fortune Cookie who came to his rescue with some high calorie sesame crackers that would be enough to carry Andrew up Clingman's Dome the next day. I know that this generous spirit is making an impression on my 19 year-old son. I hope someday soon he will have the opportunity to give--[[Straight from the hiker's mouth]]So far on the trip there have been many beautiful sections we get to hike through, but so far my favorite has been the Smokies. The first day hiking is uneventful for the most part. You don't get to see the full impact of wildflowers scattered on the forest floor, on a wet day the sound of bees around you feet makes you glad your soles are rubber or the deep green colored moss mingling and mixing with the red bark of the trees. Walking along ridge lines you can look on either side and outline the craggy mountains that head in directions you wish you could go.That's the kind of stuff I like. So much of the forest in some sections looks the same after awhile, the ups just look like ups and the green tunnel covers you still. But in the Smokies it seems like something new everyday.Took a few pictures of what I could and moved on the Spence Field, which was packed for the night. I had trouble sleeping because of the snores. It sounded like someone cutting wood, but at the same time choking on a ham sandwich that was still snorting.