morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-29
From: Mahar Tote Rd

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

We had a nice stay at the White House Landing. We are back on the AT and heading north. It's a beautiful day. The trail meandered along a river for most of the morning. It was a very scenic morning hike. The trail eventually left the river and headed for higher ground. We walked past a number of beaver ponds and pretty streams and and ended up at Rainbow Stream Lean-to whick sits on the stream bank. We can clearly hear the water rushing past. This will be our last shelter. The journey is quickly coming to an end. Wicomico and I will miss the early morning sounds of the woods waking up. Sunrises and sunsets, burds singing, and the fragrance of a pine forest are some of the things we will miss. Slogging through mud, bugs, roots and pointless ups and downs are a few of the things we will not miss. Tomorrow we will hike to Abol Stream Campground and probably spend our last night in a tent. Looking forward to hiking the big mountain on Monday.
Date: 2005-07-30
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Abol Stream Campground
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: scattered clouds

It's another beautiful day. A very good hiking day. The trail only had a few climbs and we made pretty good time. We arrived at the campground at 1pm so we had a lot of time to relax today. The campground had a store where we were able to get something to eat. Then we set our tents up and took a nap. Life is good. It's going to be a short day tomorrow, then the big climb.
Date: 2005-07-31
From: Abol Stream Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

The temps dropped into the 40s last night, which was good sleeping bag weather. It's a beautiful day. We have a short 10 mile hike today. Most of the hike will parallel streams and ponds. Maine has some of the most spectacular ponds and streams on the AT. Some more things Wicomico and I will miss: mountain flowers, wild blueberries, waterfalls, chipmonks, and mountain balds. Some more things we will not miss are wet clothes, wet boots, trail food, and slate rock. We arrived at the campground around 3pm. Tomorrow is the big day. We will climb Mt. Katahdin, known as the great mountain. The climb will be from about 1000 ft to 5280 ft, the largest elevation change on the AT. Nearly 2 miles of the climb will be over bare rock and nearly vertical. Should be interesting.
Date: 2005-08-01
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning it's raining and our big concern is whether we will be able to climb today. We go to the Ranger Station to sign in and nothing is said about the weather, so off we go. The first couple of miles are below the tree line. Then we pop out of the trees and start climbing over rock. The climb is steep and the rocks are very slick. It's raining harder and the temp is falling. The wind is picking up as we keep climbing higher. A very dense fog is settling over the mountain. I'm feeling good. I feel like I'm flying up the mountian. Wicomico is right behind me. I have been preparing a long time for this climb. At times we have to crawl to get over the rocks. We climb up to an area known as the Tablelands. This is where the mountain flattens out for about a mile and a half. The rain is coming down in sheets now and the wind has increased. We have our rain jackets on but we are starting to get cold. We have about a mile to go. Visibility is about 20 ft, and now we are starting to climb again. Finally I see the sign. The sign that says Mt. Katahdin summit. The sign that indicates the end of the AT. I made it, hallelujah. This is something I have dreamed about for a long, long time. The weather is so bad that we have to get off the summit. So Wicomico takes a couple of pictures of me and I take a couple pictures of him. We walk away from that magical sign and start back down the mountain. Our hike is officially over but we still have to hike down the mountain. Because of the slick rocks, it's as tough going down as it was going up. We make it back to the treeline and the weather improves dramatically. When we get back to the campground, Wicomico's son Robert is waiting for us. We head for Millinocket where we will stay the night. Tomorrow we will be on our way home. It's about a 14 hour drive to Baltimore where they will drop me off at the airport. It's probably too early to try and express how I feel because I have mixed emotions right now. I feel relief and also happiness that it's over. I also feel a little sad that it's over. I didn't quit. I finished what I started, but the hike's over. This will take some getting used to. I would like to thank Wicomico Walker for calling me one day in March and asking if I wanted to finish my hike. He has been a wonderful hiking partner. He wanted us to finish what we started last year. I will be forever grateful that he wanted to go hiking with me again. Thanks to Robert for coming to get us once again. I want to thank Karen, Matthew, Michael, and Rosy for all of their support. Most of all I want to express my gratitude to my wife Ethel. Her patience and understanding gave me the opportunity to finish the hike. I also want to thank those who read my journal. I hope I provided some insight into walking the Appalachian Trail. Life is good.
Date: 2005-02-01
To: Welcome!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Welcome to my trail journal. I am a bit more interested in hiking than journaling, so once the hike gets underway, I'll only be updating once in a while. (EDIT: not true!)I've been essentially all packed for the last 4 months, except for food drops. The time can't pass fast enough. One of my prep tasks is to delegate and transfer my responsibilities at work so I can take a 6 month leave. I guess I'm pretty good at this, so I have nothing to do this morning except think about the trail.
Date: 2005-02-02
To: Talking to an old friend
Miles today: 0.0

Just heading out to the post office to use their scale to weigh some miscellaneous gear that I don't yet have weights for. I'm kind of ridiculous about this sometimes, but it's the only way I can keep the pack weight down.More later...Wow! I just got off the phone with Howdy (GA-ME 94, PCT 95 & 96). I haven't talked to him since I hiked a few days with him in the Whites during his thru hike in 94. I had a car in Gorham and was his trail angel for a bit, shuttling him to the PO, etc.He was a Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop and I mentioned that my son was just old enough to become a Cub Scout (back in 94), but that I didn't think too much of the idea. I thought we did enough fun stuff on our own. He suggested I give it another look. Thanks Howdy. Thanks partly to you my son and I enjoyed many years of scouting and he recently became an Eagle Scout (goldilocks AT 2005).Well I mentioned to Howdy that we had a start date in GA this year, and that we'd sure like to run in to him. Was he hiking at all this year? Oops, I may be responsible for some stress in his family life (sorry Mrs. Howdy). Stress of the good "gotta get back on the trail" kind. Heh heh.Sounds like Howdy may be using the AT as practice ground for some even cooler hiking later in the season. I sure hope we run into him!32 more days until we catch the train to Gainesville! Can't wait.
Date: 2005-02-03
To: Thinking of food already
Miles today: 0.0

Working in NYC today. I often wonder how difficult the transition will be after the hike when I have to start working and commuting into the crowded, dirty city again. I'm not a "city person", but that's where my work is.On the positive side, there is a fruit vendor across from my office on Wall St. who sells a fresh fruit salad for a few bucks. All the fruit is cut up to order, whatever you like in it. It's delicious. I'm making a point to eat more of this now, as I'll particularly miss this kind of stuff on the trail.
Date: 2005-02-04
To: advance trail magic
Miles today: 0.0

Hey Stumpknocker! Thanks for signing in. Now I have two whole guest book entries. Woohoo. I've sent your permanent, non-transferable reservation to the Moosie Hostel by private email.Yeah, as goldilocks mentioned, it sure is good to have trail magic. First we get shuttled, lodged, and generally taken care of by Carolina Scout, and then we have our own personal hiking pro to get us started and teach us about opportunistic eating. Thanks both of you guys!We haven't seen Stumpy in a while now since he stayed at our "hostel" last fall. It'll be good to see him (as long as the alligators don't get him first - check out the link above to his Florida Trail journal).We haven't seen Carolina Scout since our only meeting at the White Wolf in Stratton, ME Aug 2003, when we went out to the local restaurant for a 2-for-1 special. That sure was good eatin'! Goldilocks and I were section hiking ME and NH SOBO. Carolina Scout was headed north, completing his final (long) section of the AT - the culmination of 28 years of piecing together the whole trail! Woohoo!Anyway, CS made the mistake of telling us how close he lives to Springer and offered to help us start our trip in 2005. We remembered a great offer like that! We could have gotten to the trail from Gainesville one way or another, I'm sure, but this is the best start to our trip I could imagine. This is such an auspicious start -- I suspect the whole trip is going to be like this -- meeting up with old friends, making new ones.
Date: 2005-02-09
To: Boogernose
Miles today: 0.0

12 more work days (19 including weekends and holidays). Then 5 days of final preparation:Tie up loose ends at homeFinish preparing mail dropsMail early dropsWALK DOG!I'm really going to miss my dog. His name is Stewart, or Big Stewie, or Boogernose, or anything else like that. He responds to any name spoken with biscuit in hand. He's an English Bulldog, and due to his build only good for 1/2 mile walks, not expeditions.He loves going for walks in the woods across from our house. He'd really enjoy certain parts of a thru-hike if he could do it. For instance, he always sits in a certain spot on top of the wooded hill where we go and sniffs the air and looks out over his domain. I think he really enjoys the view.Then he comes home and takes a nice long nap, snoring away on one of several dog beds.He has joint pain and often has trouble going up steps. Unfortunately he has to do steps to come in from the yard. I'm concerned because I sometimes carry him up the stairs, but my wife can't do that. I've gotten a dog ramp that he uses to get in the car, and up one very short flight. I'm hoping his new Glucosamine and Chondroitin medication, along with 2 aspirins a day, will get him feeling perky enough so he can get around without me to carry him.My wife's not really a "dog person", but Stewie sure likes her just the same, and I'm sure she'll take very good care of him. Thanks honey!
Date: 2005-02-12
To: Will I really eat this much oatmeal?
Miles today: 0.0

Went food shopping last night for mail drops. I'm afraid that whatever we mail ourselves, we won't want when we get it. But some things I know I'll end up eating and can get much better prices in bulk (not doing very much of this though, preferring flexibility over price). Mostly I'm mailing because I hate the foods in the "middle aisles" of the grocery store. The boxed, processed stuff. So I'm mailing home cooked dehydrated vacuum sealed stuff.The plan is to mail about every other resupply, leaving the others open to buy along the way. And only the first quarter of the trail is defined in terms of mail drops. At Damascus, Front Royal, Kent, and Gorham, there will be large drops that will be redistributed northward as whim dictates.Actually, Kent is not a mail drop, because I live right near there.So now, the family room is taken over with boxes labeled by mail drop into which we're dumping all the stuff we bought. The office is already taken over with gear - carried, worn, and needed-later stuff. Seems like an awful lot of stuff for a couple of ultralight hikers.
Date: 2005-02-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, one more day closer to the hike. Time's crawling.Felt feisty on the Stairmaster this morning. According to the stats I went 2.5 miles (straight up) in 36 minutes. That's faster than I'll ever climb anything on the Trail. I'm not sure I believe the machine. It's just trying to make me feel good. Ignorance, bliss, and all that. I dream of coming back from the hike and breaking the Stairmaster - heh. If I still have any knees left, that is.Only five more work days left. I've made a list of work related things, like where to redirect all of my email (I get 300-400 messages a day -- sheesh). The company I work for has been kind enough to hire me anyway last year, even when they knew I wanted (no, needed) to take 6 months off to hike. So this is a leave of absence, and I have a job to come back to, although who knows precisely what my role will be in the ever shifting business landscape. But it'll work out, I'm sure.I just read bgone & Appalachian Annie's journal and was sad to hear of their postponement. They were slated to start a day after us, I think. I hope it's only a temporary setback.That kind of thing starts my mind working in unproductive circles. Went skiing last weekend. People saying I'm crazy to risk it this close to the hike. So, I guess I need to stay in bed until I hike, and then I better not slip the first day and crack an ankle. Oh-oh, just saying that probably jinxed the whole thing. Perhaps I can walk backwards under a ladder 100 times, throwing salt (or is it horseshoes?) over my shoulder the whole time to undo the bad luck.My friends at work say encouraging things like "you're gonna die out there", and "you're not carrying a gun?" Thanks guys. I think they suspect I'll be back in under 3 weeks. Heh, I'd spend the whole summer walking in circles in the Amicalola parking lot first.As you can probably tell from all these words I've been having fun with this journalling thing. More fun than I thought. My original plan is to just write my own personal pen-and-paper journal, and then summarize whenever I get to a town with an internet connection. But I've started toying with the idea of a Pocketmail. Just toying, mind you. I don't like to add weight, especially something that weighs half a pound (is that with or without batteries I wonder - does anyone know?). I'm afraid Stumpknocker will rag me about thinking too much causing a heavy pack - oh, wait, he already did that. Oh well...I get to take my bulldog for a nice walk tomorrow - only a few more of those left for a long time. Nighty-night.
Date: 2005-02-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Goldilocks and I went for a 10 mile hike along the AT in CT near Schaghticoke Mountain Sunday. I used my Leki replacement poles. The positive angle grips work really well.I wore my newly rebuilt pair of orthotics. I tend to get something called metatarsalgia in my left foot when hiking. It's an inflammation of the area around the ball of the foot near the third toe. Can't see it, sometimes can't even feel it when poked. But if it's heated up, walking is a big slow ache. I've got little felt pads from my podiatrist in the shape of toilet seat covers. Sticking these on the underside of the orthotic help avoid the problem, but it has to be placed very precisely. I wasn't sure where to put it on the new orthotic, and before I realized it my foot was inflamed from the hiking.So now I'm taking double doses of anti-inflammatory and wondering if I maybe need a cortisone shot before leaving for GA in 1.5 weeks. Sheesh. This condition, although I didn't know what it was at the time, gave me lots of trouble section hiking Maine in 2003. I really-really hope I can control it. Stupid feet. Stupid getting-old.I noticed a couple of stress points on my home made pack that need reinforcing, so I'll be sewing a bit.The mail drops are largely complete - just need to get some good boxes. Goldilocks got some good ones (we're too cheap to buy USPS boxes unless we have to), but some of them had fertilizers shipped in them and I don't think they'll be good to ship food in. But I called the local book store and they may have some good boxes for us. They should be nice and strong.I have a Western Mountaineering MegaLite 30 degree down bag. I waited too long to sew a down quilt - if I had I could have used it to cover the Megalite and get down to 10, and could have used it in summer. Oh well. As it is, the Megalite is only 1.5 pounds, so I plan to carry it the whole way. And to start the trip, I'll be carrying a second sleeping bag - yes, I'm bringing TWO. I don't like to be cold when I sleep, and I suspect the temps can go as low as 5-10 early in the season in GA/NC/TN, especially at elevation. I plan to swap the second bag for a fleece liner at some point - this will cut a pound.OH! I'm so excited I almost forgot I ordered a PocketMail Composer. I agree with Stumpknocker. Sitting around thinking about hiking has added weight to my pack. Crap. But I expect to have lots of fun with this journal. I know I'll like reading it after the trip, and others may even find it interesing too. With the pocketmail it'll be easier to have a detailed journal. Otherwise I fear I'd finally get to an internet connection after two weeks and just say "having a great time. Weather sucks...", etc.I've enlisted the lovely Mrs. Moosie as my transcriber. I'm not sure she understands the idea of transcribing yet, though. She mentioned editing things out that she doesn't agree with. So keep that in mind if you think I sound CRAZY some day.
Date: 2005-03-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

OK, almost out of "prep" phase. Yesterday was my last day of work for 6 months.   Last night I dreamed of vague unfinished work related things. I'm sure that'll pass - probably real soon HAH!Sent off the first mail drop today to NOC. It should get there about a week before us, which is safe for us and hopefully not too burdensome for the holders. Thanks NOC.My Pocketmail came yesterday, but it's broken. Apparently there's some software problem and I have to send it back to Pocketmail for them to work on, and the minimum turnaround time is 14 days! I can't imagine why I'd have to send it back for only a software issue, but that's what they said. So, instead, I'm completely returning it, and buying a new one. Shipping overnight to get here tomorrow. I'll just have to wait for the credit to come through for the first one. I read the manual last night and it looks like I'll need a couple of days to play with it to ensure I have all my mail forwarding, etc. set up correctly.I was finally able to put away the food vacuum sealer. All done in that department.Took my bulldog to the vet for a final checkup before I leave. He offered Mrs. Moosie all kinds of suggestions for doggie physical therapy for bad knees. It should be pretty funny to see Mrs. M and Stewie walking around the living room on a leash, doing figure eights. Stewart will love it.Stewart lost a pound-and-a-half since the last visit 6 weeks ago. He needs to lose another 6 pounds! He'll be invisible! (not really, he's 66 pounds now). Less weight should be easier on his knee ligaments, and he should have less pain. Perhaps cooked broccoli for treats...We're getting more snow here in Connecticut. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It's looking quite wintry. It's gonna feel funny getting on a New York City commuter train in winter weather with just our little hiking shorts and long john leggings.Goldilocks and I decided to forego hiking last weekend. How much "practicing" can one do? The foot problem that flared up last week has mostly quieted down. For now.So, not much else to say. Just waiting now. I thought there would be tons of details to address at this point, but all is pretty well set.Perhaps the next time I write, I'll be headed to Georgia.
Date: 2005-03-01
To: Message to Just Playin' Jane
Miles today: 0.0

Hey JP Jane,I composed a nice email response to your query in my guestbook, but your email address wasn't any good. It was returned undeliverable. Anyway, here's what I said:The Pocketmail Composer (http://www.pocketmail.com) is a handheldelectronic thingie with a regular (albeit small) keyboard and a smallLCD screen. Text only, no graphics. It runs on a couple of AAbatteries. I hear that 2 Lithium AAs keep it going nicely for a monthor so.Anyway, it does email. Keep in mind I haven't actually used thisthing yet, but I think I'll be able to compose an email, type somejournal stuff into it throughout the day, and then compose a new emailtomorrow, for that day's entries. I may also compose a non-journalprivate email to a friend. Then, when I pass by any kind oftelephone, like at a hostel, or a payphone, I dial an 800 number andhold the device up to the phone handset. It makes noise like a fax,sending your outbound emails and retrieving any inbound email that'sbeen sent to you.My outbound journal entry emails - one per day - will be sent to mywife, who is my transcriber. She'll paste the email contents into thetrailjournals.com site - she has the password to edit my journalaccount.Whenever anyone signs my guestbook, I'll get those as inbound emails,as well as other emails that friends send me.So for me it allows in-depth journaling (otherwise I'd updateinfrequently and wouldn't remember all the cool details), and contactwith friends and family. It also makes it easier to find other hikersif you both have pocketmail you can keep track of each other.I generally prefer a hand written journal, but this looked like fun,and I know I'll treasure the journal in years to come. I know quite afew thru-hikers that use the pocketmail and love it. It costs around$100 for the device and around $15 per month for the service. I maytry to ebay the device when I'm done with it, if still intact.Hope this helps. See you on the trail!
Date: 2005-03-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sitting in line for a car wash. Washing the car is one of many final little details in these last few days before the hike. Stuff that if it weren't done wouldn't affect the hike one way or the other, but that fill the waiting. It'll be nicer when my wife wants to use my car while I'm gone.It's a glorious day -- the sun is shining in a blue sky with just a few wisps of clouds, the snow glaring whitely below. We have about 8 inches on the ground here in Connecticut, and the temps are in the low 30s during the day, with light winds. Definitely still winter. It's usually mid April before it all thaws and the earth starts smelling like Spring, and the spring peepers start their chorus in the marsh across the street from our house.Goldilocks and I said our goodbyes to our Boy Scout Troop last night at our final weekly meeting. It was Goldilocks' last event as a Scout, as he's off to college right after the hike. We sure have a lot of good friends there, and they all wished us well. A troop tradition is a July 4th backpacking trip in the Presidentials in NH. We should be in the area around that time and plan to hike with them for a day or so. That'll be great.Well, it's my turn in the car wash. Later for now.