morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-24
From: AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tentsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Absolutely incredible. There are no other words for this day. An entire day of sunshine, blue skies, and almost no wind crossing the whole of the northern Presidentials; all this in a place known for having the worst weaather on the entire planet. I awoke this morning to find more thick fog, only to have it part into sunshine as Mt. Washington appeared from the clouds just a mile and half north, though seeming to loom directly overhead. The timing couldn't be any more perfect today. I strolled along with Walk On all afternoon doing short miles and just enjoying the weather on some very rugged and rocky trail. Only being turned away from Madison Spring Hut in the evening was the day's low spot. So, we just chugged on 3 long miles farther down the trail to a very quiet Osgood Tentsite. We're both so tired, we just threw down our pads on the tent platform and rolled out our sleeeping bags to cowboy camp underneath the stars.
Date: 2004-07-25
From: Osgood Tentsite

To: AMC Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: mist

A nice cruise on down to a lunch at Pinkham Notch this morning--a place I haven't visited since my last spring trip to ski at Tuckerman Ravine on Mt. Washington. Met up with Waldo and Camel at the visitor's center there and chatted with each other about our respective experiences at the AMC huts and the incredible scenery in the Whites. I finally pulled myself away from my nap at the visitor's center in the late afternoon up a long and yet again very rugged climb to the top of Wildcat Mt. and steeply down to Carter Notch Hut. The last of the AMC huts, this one is probably my favorite. Just a caretaker here rather than a large crew, no full service meals, the place all to ourselves (for free nonetheless), and a beautiful setting in a very steep-walled notch. Wonderful profile views of all the big Presidentials on the Wildcat Mt. peaks.
Date: 2004-07-26
From: AMC Carter Notch Hut

To: US 2
Miles today: 15.2

Tough. Long. Tiring. Yup, that pretty much encapsulates today. Lots of ups and downs, but I felt suprisingly more energetic throughout all of it, even trail running a bit over the last couple of miles down to the road. It's always an uplifting feeling to feel like my body is regaining its normal strength a bit. Waldo, Walk On and I are in a terrible and hot motel room tonight since The Barn Hostel is full.
Date: 2004-07-27
From: US 2

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

My last full day in the state of New Hampshire, and it did not get off to a good start. After a night of zero sleep, bad headaches, hot flashes, and a very dry sore throat in our oven of a motel room, I think I'm coming down with some kind of bug.   I managed to feel at least decent as I trudged the 12 miles to the shelter in light drizzle and fog after a 1:30pm start from the road to Gorham. Hopefully this beautiful shelter full of friends along with a small bottle of Knob Creek bourbon will help get me some sleep and take away this impending sickness.
Date: 2004-07-29
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The day we've all been waiting for--Mahoosuc Notch. Thankfully, I felt a little bit more healthy and energetic for this famous stretch through a mile-long deep notch where the trail scrambles over, around, and sometimes under some extremely large boulders. It was great to pass through this stretch feeling better and laughing with the others about where the white blazes were leading us at times. So much fun to enjoy this long jungle-gym with the rest of the bunch from last night. In some places, you could actually spot large patches of year-round ice deep in the rocks where the temperature is considerably colder than the trail outside the notch.   A beautiful day for hiking with Footloose, Camel, the Camera Crew, and Leki-less who were all sitting at a break together when NY Mule (a.k.a. Brett) came along. I barely recognized him, but the trail name jogged my memory. Being the brother of my friend Shauna back in NY, I knew he was out hiking the trail but had no idea where he was or if I might see him before the end. It's great to have such a surprise meeting with someone from home, and we walked for a ways together catching up on each other's trail experiences. Apparently, when I reach Katahdin I have his permission to date his sister, so I've got that going for me....which is nice.
Date: 2004-07-30
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: East B Hill Road
Miles today: 8.0

A short day today heading into the town of Andover for a night at the Andover Guest House and a re-supply. Feeling gradually better this morning, but a bit weary, walking with Camel, Leki-less, and the Camera Crew. We all had some amusing entertainment this morning on the top of Baldpate between Camel's handstands and Leki and Heather's (Camera 1) impromptu performance of "The Hustle"--all, of course, to the musical effects provided by Arwen (Camera 2).   I got extremely sick and weak after our lunch stop for some unexplained reason. Luckily, the last few miles were easy going to the road--good thing for me since I felt like I was going to throw up the entire way, and though my legs were moving, I had no idea how. Not fun. I'm hoping this all takes care of itself with a good night's sleep and relaxtion at the Guest House amongst friends.
Date: 2004-08-01
From: East B Hill Road

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

Still on the mend after my cold, so I decided to take a shorter day and head back to stay at the Andover Guest House for one last night where it should be a bit quieter with everyone else back on the trail.   Footloose's daughter Jan arrived this morning to join Footloose for the rest of the hike to Katahdin, so it was really nice to walk with them for about 6 miles until the shelter where they decided to stop for the night. It was a very tough moment, to move on while they stayed, to say goodbye to Footloose, my oldest and dearest trail friend. Seeing as how I'm shooting to finish on the 19th, this was probably the last we'd see of each other on the trail, and it was sad to know that we would most likely not be summitting Katahdin together. We've spent so much time together on the trail that it's hard to imagine not having him nearby the rest of the way. Still, I know we'll keep in touch down the road and see each other on another of life's trails I'm sure.   A quiet and relaxing night at the Guest House here, chatting and watching movies with Deja Vu and my friends Chris and Anna, who arrived with their dog Beau this afternoon. It was yet another trail reunion to brighten my spirits after saying my goodbyes with Footloose.
Date: 2004-08-02
From: South Arm Road

To: Bemis Mt. Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: broken clouds

Nothing much exciting today, just a beautiful sunny day with one big climb off the bat and another short-mileage day to keep easing my body back to recovery from whatever sickness I had. I feel good and rested after one more night in Andover, and I'm here for the night with Chris, Anna and Beau, Ramblin' Man, Capt. Hook, and Sparrow.
Date: 2004-08-03
From: Bemis Mt. Lean-to

To: ME 4
Miles today: 17.7

Finally, an easier day of hiking with most of the miles being pretty flat. I happened upon a nice cooler of soda trail magic this morning, but it was nothing compared to the trail magic I got with Chris and Anna after walking through rain until we hit the road crossing this afternoon. A guy standing there next to his pickup offered us not only a ride into town for resupply, but also a place to stay the night at his family's home in Rangeley. We gladly accepted and were quickly whisked away to a stop at the grocery store and then on to a beautiful home on the shore of Rangeley Lake, complete with whirlpool, sauna, and steam shower. We had a wonderful sit-down dinner with Conor and the Beliveau family, got laundry done, and went to bed under some nice cozy blankets. Apparently, another son in their family had once thru-hiked the trail so from time to time they bring other hikers home from the trail for a night as guests. Incredible hospitality from complete strangers--another wonderful trail experience.
Date: 2004-08-04
From: ME 4

To: Campsite
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

A late start today after a breakfast with the Beliveau family, and Chris, Anna, and I were off on a big climb up to the exposed alpine summit ridge of Saddleback Mt.   Blue skies all day today for us to enjoy along with views of surrounding lakes and Maine forest. A few tough ups and downs later, we found a great spot to camp for the night next to the sound of Sluice Brook just a few feet away.
Date: 2004-08-05
From: Campsite

To: ME 27
Miles today: 18.7

Hiked again today with Chris, Anna, and their dog Beau up and over Spaulding Mt., past Sugarloaf ski resort, and up and over the Crocker Mts. down to the road that leads into Stratton, ME. We struggled for hitch more than any other time I can remember, but we finally got a ride in for resupply just as the sun went down and the temps started getting quite cold while we waited. A couple of nice hot pizzas later, the three of us decided to all split a $30 motel room at the White Wolf Inn, which turned out to be quite nice. Spending a nice night in a bed knowing you're going to sleep in? Priceless.
Date: 2004-08-06
From: ME 27

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

What a great night's sleep at the White Wolf Inn last night, and now a beautiful, cool day to cross the Bigelows--the final big mountain range before the end of the trail. In perfect suit, it was also the perfect day to cross the monumental 2000-mile mark with friends Chris and Anna. Late start and late finish, but loved the company and the feeling that with 2000 miles down, Katahdin is closer than ever. After these last few tough ones, I'm certainly grateful for having a few easier days up ahead starting tomorrow.
Date: 2004-08-07
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: US 201
Miles today: 21.3

Well, so I lied awhile back when I said that my last 20-mile day was actually going to be my last. So, now I'll say it again: "This is my last 20-mile day." There. A much easier stretch of trail today for Chris, Anna, and I to race along on, and with our early start we were gunning to catch the canoe ferry across the Kennebec River which only runs until 4pm. Passed several scenic ponds along the way, but didn't have much time to stop and admire them with 21 miles to do before 4:00. We all arrived at the river at 3:50 in perfect time to catch one last ferry ride with Steve, the ferrymaster. A good thing too, since the current 8-foot water level in the river would have made fording impossible and would have forced us to camp at the river and wait to catch the ferry in the morning. It felt really great to have my strength back for big miles and it was awesome to barely make the ferry and have 20+ miles in the bag by 4 in the afternoon--it's really an indescribable feeling of satisfaction. Things just continued to work out for us today as we caught a hitch back to a hostel with Steve, who happens to own the place in addition to running the Kennebec River ferry, and we sat all afternoon sipping beer and relaxing. Just the threee of us in the bunkhouse here with, of course, the superdog Beau for a night in tiny little Caratunk, ME.
Date: 2004-08-08
From: US 201

To: Bald Mt. Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

A second straight day of easy walking after a good night's rest at Steve's bunkhouse in Caratunk. A great guy--he left us coffee on the porch this morning and even gave us each a postcard with an individual, personalized congratulations message for finishing the trail. It was one of the more thoughtful things I've seen on the whole trail.   We reunited with Camel, Leki-less, and the Camera Crew today as we all joined together in a great blueberry picking adventure on top of Pleasant Pond Mt. Even a driving afternoon rainstorm an hour before we reached the shelter couldn't bring down our fun!
Date: 2004-03-16
To: Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

I first heard the term Appalachian Trail while growing up in Ohio in the 60s. In the early 90s I was visiting in-laws at Falls Village CN and the trail was nearly in their back yard. We stood upon the footpath and there was something compelling about it, thinking of all those hikers who hiked past from distant places. I first really went backpacking two summers ago when living in California. Two friends invited me to hike the ten mile trail to Sykes Springs at Big Sur. Before I knew it I was hooked, buying gear and heading out on trips alone in Big Sur and the Sierras. When we decided a year ago to eventually relocate in Philadelphia all I could think of was the nearby Appalachian Trail. My awareness of the Trail had become a dream. I started reading backpacking and Trail books, studying trail journals for every bit of wisdom I could squeeze out of them. I ordered a Wanderlust Nomad tent and started accumulating gear. Three weeks ago we finished our move to Philadelphia and preparations reached a fever pitch. This afternoon my housemate and I board a train for Atlanta and I start hiking Saturday March 20.
Date: 2004-03-16
To: Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to aim towards lightweight but not Ultralight. I also decided on a synthetic bag. I already owned an MSR Pocket Rocket and when I learned fuel cannisters seemed available I decided to start with it because of it's quick heating. I might switch to an alcohol stove after things warm up. I plan to switch sleeping bags in Southern Virginia and again in New Hampshire. I am also planning to rely mostly on stores for food, perhaps mailing food ahead to myself at a few locations with limited stores. I will also use a bounce box to forward maps, guidebook pages and spare filter parts, etc. I take medication for a seizure disorder and don't want to risk running out, so rather than put it in my bounce box I will take a full 3 month supply and have a friend meet me in Harpers Ferry with the second 3 months. It means an extra quarter pound of weight, but is worth it for peace of mind.
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Atlanta

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: few clouds

One last hotel breakfast in bed, then I went down to the lobby to meet Bill Porter, who would be driving me to Springer Mountain. His wife Judith came along for the ride and we had a nice conversation on the drive. Much to my delight, Bill offered to take me first to Amicalola Park Headquarters. That allowed me to sign in as a through-hiker and go through the obligatory pack-weighing ceremony. Then a quick stop to admire the falls, then on to where USFS road 42 intersects the Trail .9 miles from the start of the Trail. There they both gave me a hug for luck and I started for the Summit.I got there at about 11am and found a small crowd. I signed the register and had someone snap my picture in the traditional pose by the plaque marking the start of the trail.The weather started cloudy and a bit chilly but cleared and got up above 70 degrees as the day wore on. I got to Hawk Mountain Shelter just after 4pm. I was a bit sore but no major damage.It was a bit bigger than most shelters with a loft as well as the usual sleeping platform. There were already about 18 hikers but they had reserved the loft for the women so I had a space inside. I laid out my pad and sleeping bag, then fixed ramen noodles with tuna for supper.  After cleaning up I sat and wrote and listened to the conversation until time for bed. Besides the two women sharing the loft with me, there were three other women sleeping in tents.The two in the loft were friends who had met in college and were hiking together the year after their graduation. As we went to bed one remarked that she had seen lightning in the distance. Sure enough, a storm blew up with lots of lightning REALLY close to the shelter.  Again and again the interior of the shelter was brightly lit by a nearby bolt. It made me glad I was inside and not out in my tent!Next morning was chilly and windy. I piled on both my Polartec top and Gortex top before going out to cook breakfast. Some hot oatmeal and hot chocolate revived me though, and got me in the mood to hike. I was moving out at 8am while my loft-mates were still packing up.
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

Today I hiked at a fairly slow pace and aimed for Gooch Mountain Shelter only about 7 miles away. I started about 10-15 pounds heavier than when I ran the New York Marathon in 2002 and I had hurt a hamstring training for that. So I am not in the best shape and want to give my body a chance to ease into longer distances.The day was very windy and in the 40's and 50's. I wore my Polartec top until about noon when I turned into a sheltered valley out of the wind. At points one can see down into a lowland to the east. Then I could begin to grasp the Trail's location high up on the Blue Ridge.All through the day I was passed by other hikers only to pass them when they stopped for breaks, then get pased again and so on. Our different break schedules made it hard to tell who actually was covering the most ground. Since I did not plan to hike as far as yesterday I took infrequent short breaks knowing I could rest at Gooch.I expected to reach the shelter at about 2pm so was a bit astonished to see a roof through the trees to my left. Sure enough, it was Gooch Mountain Shelter! There were already a few men I'd seen at Hawk Mountain and I took my air mattress and climbed to the loft to claim a spot.   No sooner did I have it inflated then the men started packing up. They were headed for the site of the old shelter at Gooch Gap to get a couple miles head start. That made sense, since the Woods Hole Shelter was over 12 miles away. Also a dayhiker had told me a cold front was moving in and it was expected to drop into the 30's at night and this shelter site was quite windy.   So I ended up packing up and leaving the nice new shelter to follow them. First I left a note in the shelter register. That way the two women I'd shared the loft with at Hawk Mountain would know what happened to me. Given choice of sharing their company again I chose instead to trim a couple miles off the next day's hike.The new shelter was not on the map so I was not quite sure where I was starting from. So I worried about missing the Gooch Gap campsite and having to stealth camp somewhere. But crossing the road at Gooch Gap I found it, with 3 of the men setting up tents.I quickly got my tent up then fetched water from the stream. I had brought a six liter Platypus bag to allow me to get a full night's water in one trip. Then I entertained myself untangling my new nylon cord and getting it looped over a high branch to hang my food after supper in case of bears.   Then I started writing my journal. By 4 it was getting chilly and I began thinking about supper.
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: scattered clouds

My pack felt overloaded for a 3 day trip to Dick's Gap. That made it hard on my feet and by the time I reached Low Gap tender spots were starting to form. To make it worse, the second half has no water sources and I missed the last spring. So I only had a pint and a half of water for that leg and the weather was in the 60s. Except for those things it was a pleasant day's hike, with some high climbs and descents but much of it on a high ridge line with excellent views. I even saw my first flower!The shelter has lots of flies so I am tenting up the hill.I'm not sure that I can do another day like this tomorow. Also there seems to be a forest fire up ahead that might stop us until it is out. I checked my food and should be able to stretch it out for 4 nights. That would let me do four 7-8 mile hikes instead of a 13 mile and two +10 legs. Another option would be to go to the town of Helen tomorrow but that wastes a day very close to my last resupply.Tomorrow I will see how it goes and plan from there.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Cheese Factory
Miles today: 13.0

I made it!!! All 13 miles to the Cheese Factory. I guess with a trailname of Mouse it was preordained. The first 5 miles were quite nice, fairly flat and smooth making for fast hiking. Early on I ran into the German woman, Sylke, with another hiker. They were trying to fix his pole, one section of which had come off and would not go back in and lock properly. I joined them and we fiddled a bit with a screwdriver unsuccessfully. Then the plastic expansion piece came off exposing the little butterfly nut. That reminded me of when I had the same problem at home when I first bought my treking poles. If you turn the shaft to unlock it and turn too far, the butterfly nut jams against the pole. The screw was not the problem, the nut just needed loosened. By now several more hikers had gathered and we asked if anyone had a microtool. No one did, so I finally used my teeth to free the nut, then reassembled the pole. The trick is to unscrew it only far enough to let the section slide freely. Any further and the nut jams.Later Silke caught up with me and then we met Danny. The three of us hiked the rest of the day together. We reached Blue Mountain Shelter where I had considered stopping for the day and it was still only noon. That meant plenty of time to reach the Cheese factory. But first we had to climb Blue Mountain, descend 1000 feet into Unicoi Gap, climb another 1000 feet up another mountain (I guess to appreciate the slight difference in view between the two?), down ANOTHER 1000 feet and up 400 to get to the Cheese Factory. It was a nice pleasant sunny day and nice hiking despite all the climbing. I hiked most of it in T-shirt. Still, the ups downs and milage took their toll. I used up most of a sheet of moleskin warding off blisters, dipped into my supply of Ibuprofin for the first time, and had to use my water bottle full of cold water like an ice pack in the evening to soothe my achilles tendons, holding it upright between my ankles in the foot of my sleeping bag. The Cheese Factory is a campsite on a ridge just before Blue Mountain at the site of a mid-1800s cheese factory. We pitched our tents just off the Trail. We were joined by four more hikers, had a campfire and a nice evening.