morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-06
From: Nahmakanta Lake

To: Abol Pines
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: broken clouds

As typical in my morning preparations, I walked away from camp/water to have a nice poop in the woods. I dug my cat hole and noticed what appeared to be a chipmunk hole about 2 feet away. As I was squatting there pooping, I noticed that one of the nearby squirrels was creating a bit more of a ruckus than is usual. He climbed down one of the trees chirping away, only to climb back up then down and even closer tree. I think he might have been upset that I was pooping on his nut stash. Once he got close enough I think he realized that a) I was far enough away not to be damaging his house, and b) I was way too big for him to do anything about it. My hiking goal for today was 24 miles in 12 hours. That would get me to Abol Bridge, officially out of the 100 mile wilderness, and just 10 miles short of the base of Katahdin. I managed to continually stay ahead of that goal, while walking slower that I did the day before and taking longer breaks. So I was able to setup camp just outside Baxter State Park about an hour before sunset. The restaurant at Abol Campground had a private rafting party going on when I arrived, so I just got a soda and some cookies with the plan to eat my own food for dinner (I could have gone back when the party left), and come back for a good breakfast in the morning. I would then have a casual stroll to the base of Katahdin tomorrow (Labor Day), and summit on Tuesday morning. Just Mike was camping at the same place, but his plan was to get up at 3am and summit tomorrow. There was talk of the beautiful weather we've been having turning to rain on Tuesday, but I was still intimidated by Katahdin and wanted to give my body an extra day after the big miles I'd been doing.Fitbit-------------Miles: 24.4Calories: 5300Stairs: 368
Date: 2015-09-07
From: Abol Pines

To: The Birches
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

I went to the restaurant at Abol Campground this morning for breakfast only to learn that they'll be closed till Wed. That sucks. My plan was to have breakfast there, then grab something to go for lunch and save all the rest of my food till tomorrow's summit. Ok, new plan is to get to the campground at the base of Katahdin and find some people camping/grilling and try to buy (or yogi: sweet talk them into giving it for free) some food from them.I flew through the last 9 miles in about 2 and a half hours. That was about a 4mph pace. Sadly when I got there I found that there was no one around at the campground. All this talk in the media about how thru-hikers are ruining the park with their large groups and big parties, yet there's nobody at all in this place. I thought I was in the wrong place, but no, there just wasn't anyone there, and the few people who were in the park were still up the mountain. I waited around and eventually chatted with a few of the thru-hikers who came down after completing their thru hikes. I also sat around with Maxipede, the only other hiker to arrive with plans to summit tomorrow. Maxipede and I registered with the ranger and headed over to the Birches, a camping/shelter area designated specifically for thru-hikers. We hung around and waited till it was late enough to eat dinner and go to bed. Another hiker who Maxipede knew, Waiting, arrived just before I went to bed. Fitbit-------------Miles: 12.8Calories: 3400Stairs: 115
Date: 2015-09-08
From: Katahdin Stream Campgrounds

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I summited Katahdin!The end goal has been reached. I was dreading the climb down Katahdin for several days. Since being in Maine I found that going downhill was becoming and even bigger challenge every day. And the way people talked about the boulders on the climb up, I was trying to find a way I could get evacuated from the summit instead of having to go through that. But after talking with the hikers the day before, and during the climb up thinking about how a blind guy, a 5 year old, and many people over the age of 80 have done this, I'll be ok. The weather on the summit was a bit foggy and gray. It had rained a decent amount last night, and there were a few spots on the hike up that were wet, but the sky seemed to be clearing the higher I got, and I thought it'd actually be rather fitting for it to be a cloudy day when I reached the summit. I started the climb up just before 7am and reached the top just before 10. There was much rejoicing when Waiting, Maxipede, and myself were all up there. Then those guys got a head start down, even though I expected to be the slowest (I had all day to get down, and the last 2 miles would be pretty easy). It turns out that the way down was actually quite fun. With the giant boulder scrambling on the way up, I had to put my poles away (it was the first time since starting to prepare for this hike that I hadn't used poles, and it felt weird). And on the way down, not having the poles meant I could use more upper body and butt to hop down the boulders. It would have taken me much less time to reach the bottom had I not stopped to talk with all the other hikers and celebrate my achievement. Also, as soon as we started our decent, the clouds cleared and the views became amazing. I feel like we got the best of the weather in that we experienced what it's usually like with the clouds, but still got the stunning views of Maine.I no longer have any little white blazes to follow, or a guide book telling me what's to come. With more choices besides sleep/eat/walk, I'm not sure what I'm going to do...The three of us hitched out way into Millinocket and stopped first to get food at the Appalachian Trail Cafe. They offer a Sundae Summit Challenge, and I took the challenge. It's 14 scoops of ice cream, a snickers bar, donut, banana, m&ms, and whipped cream. You have as much time as you want, but you can't leave the building or go to the bathroom. The fastest anyone has ever done it.... 8 minutes. I got nearly complete in 45 minutes, but even after a 30 minute break, I wasn't able to complete the challenge. All the ice cream was gone, but I still had a half of donut, and small pieces of snickers and banana. There's still some miles of NH that I need to piece together, but for the next couple weeks I'm going to be in Boston doing some rehab on my ankle. Fitbit-------------Miles: 16.7Calories: 4400Stairs: 402
Date: 2015-09-17
To: After thoughts
Miles today: 0.0

Here are some stats and other thoughts about my experience on the trail. Keep in mind, this is all based on the fact that I still haven't hiked through the whites due to tendinitis in my ankle. STATS:2015Total miles150Total days5Pairs of socks I carried 0Pairs of underwear I carried13States I walked through11Times I fell 37.8Max miles in a day1Bee stings7Bears I saw3Moose I saw1Rattlesnakes I saw2007Chipmunks I saw or was it just the one chipmunk???11Shelters I slept inWould I do it again?Simple answer, no. Am I glad I did it, yes. Will I do another long hike in the future, probably. But if/when I do another long distance hike, I think I'm going to cap it at 2 months. 3 months max. Being out on the trail for 5 months felt like too much, and the urge to start doing something else in my life really started to get to me. FAVORITES:State:         MaineTrail town:   Hot Springs, NCFood (trail): Honey Stinger chewsFood (town):   Ice creamGear:         ChairTrail name:   Buttery WolfpackShelter:      David Lesser Shelter* (last shelter before Harpers Ferry)Camp spot:   Indian Grave Gap (there were so many better places that I missed)Hostel:      Green Mountain House (Manchester VT)Trail magic:   Every bit of it!Moment:   Reaching Snowbird Mountain and sitting down to read on the grassy bald.* I didn't stay at the shelter. The best one that I stayed in was probably the three floor Plumorchard Shelter in Georgia.COSTS: (I didn't do a good job of noting when I got cash back or when I paid cash, so these aren't really accurate sums)Resupply:   $1825 (grocery stores for trail food - this includes a lot of cash back)Food:         $1665 (restaurants and such)Gear:         $1466 (before starting hike)  Hotel/Hostel: $1065ATM:         $328Gear:         $255   (while on trail) Mail:         $241   (bounce box, returning gear, etc)Random:      $118   (movies, massages, etc)Transport:   $92   (probably a bunch more spent in cash) TOTAL:      $7055
Date: 2015-12-10
To: Post-hike Gear List
Miles today: 0.0

I should have updated this list right after I finished the trail, but I'll try my best to be accurate.I think my dry weight varied between 16-18lbs. ItemBrandWeight (oz)The entire hikethe big 3 (plus comfort)backpackOsprey Exos 58 (mailed out the brain)44Ypack coverZpacks cuben fiber*YtentTarptent (old model with tyvek groundsheet)*Nsleeping bagWestern Mountaineering Caribou 35^23NlinerSea To Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme8NlinerKathmandu silk standard4Ysleeping matExped SynMat UL 716Ypillow caseTravelite Fleece Pillowcase2YpillowKlymit Pillow X2NchairAlite Mayfly16Nwater filtrationfilterSawyer Squeeze (the mini sucks)*Nevernew dirty bag(upgraded to 1.5L)1Yhalf of a water bottlefor scooping Ytornado tubegreat supplement for the Sawyer1YSmart water bottlechanged when the mouth piece got nasty  camelback clean bagalways as a backup and rarely ever used1Ycooking (I went without a stove for the second half of the hike)lighter 1Yspoon 0Npocket knifeleatherman1Ybowl/cuphalf a gatorade bottle*YclothingshoesBrooks Cascadia 926Ycamp shoeshavianas14YsocksI was carrying 5 pair by the end*Ycompression socksFeetures FS6 - to try and help my tendonitis*NkiltMountain Hardware Elkommando Kilt*Nsleeveless shirtAsics compression shirt (best piece of clothing)*Nlong sleevecamp shirt6Yshortscamp shorts*Yrain coatPatagonia Torrentshell12Ylight glovesnorth face fleece - I bought them in VT at a good price and didn't bother mailing them out1.5Nhatvisor2.5Ysunglassescheap Walgreens pairYpackingdry bag for clothingZpacks1Yfood bagZpacks cuben fiber roll top ¢Blast¢2Ylunch bagSea To Summit Ultra-Sil 8L - kept the dinner at the bottom of my pack*Nmesh sackREI 8oz sack - for toiletries and other smelly things to hang Ymesh sackblack sack - for electronics and extra guidebook pages YMiscpipe cleanersfor keeping the spider webs out of my face*NheadlightBlack Diamond Spot Headlamp3YpolesBlack Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Poles10YtowelREI3Ytrowel 3YropePMI 50ft4Ytrash compactor bagto keep my bedding dry*YMulti-vitamin.?Yibuprofen.?Ytoilet paper.?YTooth-brush.?YTooth-paste.?Ynail clippers.?Ywet wipes.?Yzip lock baggies.?Yhand sanitizer.?Yprotein powder.?Yantiseptic ointment.?Yusb chargerAnker 2nd Gen Astro 6700mAh?Nthe AT Guide.?YphoneSony Z3 Compact?Ykindlewaterproofed by waterfi.com?Y
Date: 2015-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I just set up my journal after thinking about it for a while. I've never been much of a journal writer so we'll see how long I keep this up. I'm flying down to Florida March 12 to spend my Spring break with a couple of friends and then I have a tentative start date of March 21. It will probably all depend on when I can get a ride and such. As of now I have no trail partner so I'm a little scared about doing the hike solo, but I'm not going to let that stop me! I've been reading as many books and watching as many documentaries as I can to get myself prepared for the trail. I have most of my gear and am just waiting for my next paycheck to get the rest. I think the hardest part is going to be planning my mail drops. I'm not very good at planning so we'll see how that goes. I'm on a budget and a time crunch so I'm hoping to finish early to mid August, but still want to enjoy my time on the trail! I probably won't post again until it gets closer to my start date, but I'll be hiking as much as I can and testing out my gear...I'm unbelievably excited to see what the next couple of months will bring!
Date: 2015-02-03
To: Two months to go - noch 2 Monate
Miles today: 0.0

In two months I will stand on Springer probably with many others. All the preparation is focused on this day. Yet I have no clue what to expect. Reading books and trailjournals, practice hikes, being a regular in a sports gym and daydreaming about the AT does not really help. It gets you there on that mountain and helps you to make that first step. But I may be in for a rough wake-up, if I expect the trail to be just like I think it will be. I hope that I am not to prejudiced to accept the experiences that the AT has to offer.No maildrops, NOBO, no approach trail, because my visa is limited to 180 days. In 2 Monaten stehe ich also tats¤chlich auf Springer Mountain und mache den ersten Schritt. Immerhin habe ich es bis dahin geschafft und dieser Traum hat sich erf14llt. Die Lekt14re der Wanderjournale im Netz und auf Papier, die Wanderungen auf dem Eifelsteig, im Tessin oder auf dem Pandurensteig letzten November, die vier Monate in der Muckibude und meine Yoga14bungen sind hilfreich, aber nur f14r diesen ersten Schritt. Ich muss mich davor h14ten, das was ich mir vorstelle mit dem tats¤chlichen Trail zu verwechseln. Den gibt's in 2 Monaten t¤glich live und in Farbe.Ich laufe nach Norden(northbound=NOBO) und starte direkt auf dem Springer, sonst m14sste ich am ersten Tag 14km und 500 H¶henmeter extra laufen, die nicht zum AT z¤hlen. Mein Visum ist auf 180 Tage beschr¤nkt und daher will ich mir das nicht antun.
Date: 2015-02-15
To: Countdown
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This weekend I actually packed for the first time. Until now I only had my Excel list, to calculate my weight. Well I'm not amused to say the least. 24 pounds! I hoped for 22 or less. Now I'll have a hard time to cut that extra weight. I tortured myself for months with these gear decisions, so now I'm all wrong? My other big concern is electronics. I bought my first Smartphone CAT B15Q and am struggling with it. Same goes for the Ipod and mx camera Lumix FT 5 and...Trailjournals. In order to journal I need to be able to handle all this. But since I got all this last minute, I suffer.Das Karnevalswochenende habe ich dazu genutzt, den Rucksack zum ersten Mal live zu packen. Bisher fand das alles nur auf einer Excelliste statt. Zu schwer! 10,9kg statt der angestrebten maximal 10 kg. Das ist zwar nicht viel, aber wenn man sich lange fast zwanghaft mit Ausr14stungsfragen besch¤ftigt hat, kann man nicht einfach 1Kilo rausnehmen.Das zweite Problem ist die Technik. Mein Outdoor smartphone CAT B15Q, mein Ipod, mein Photo Lumix FT 5 und der Blog hier bei Trailjournals alles neu und ungewohnt. Vor Technik dr14cke ich mich halt gerne.
Date: 2015-03-04
To: About - ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¼ber mich
Miles today: 0.0

I am 62, retired recently and live in Aachen, Germany quite close to the Dutch and Belgian borders. I am married again and have 3 children and four grandchildren and when I return there may be three more! Like many German hikers I watched a documentary on TV and I have been hooked ever since. This hike is a big adventure in itself, however as a foreigner it is an even bigger challenge. The US is not completely new to me, but still my last visit was 12 years ago. In 1975 I spent 7 great months in New York as a student, my sons both spent a year at a high school in Dayton, Oh.Even after spending hours here and on WB I don't know what to expect. I hope this journal will help me and those who read it to understand at least a little bit what is happening.Once I am on my way, I plan to post only in German, since I probably won't have the time to translate my entries. Sorry!Ich bin 62 Jahre alt und seit einem Jahr im Vorruhestand. Ich bin verheiratet, lebe in Aachen und habe drei Kinder und vier Enkel. Wenn ich zur14ckkomme werden es - wenn alles gut geht - drei mehr sein.Wie viele deutsche AT Hiker habe ich die Doku "Durch die Wildnis Amerikas 3000 km" gesehen und da habe ich Feuer gefangen. Der AT ist f14r einen Ausl¤nder nat14rlich noch eine gr¶ere Herausforderung. Ich war zwar schon mal in den USA, aber mein letzter Besuch liegt 12 Jahre zur14ck. 1975 habe ich ein 7 monatiges Praktikum in New York gemacht. Danach habe ich meine S¶hne besucht als sie auf der High School in Dayton, Ohio waren.Auch nach vielen Stunden vor dem PC in den verschiedensten Foren, habe ich keine wirkliche Vorstellung davon, was mich erwartet. Dieser Blog soll mir auch helfen, das zu reflektieren und festzuhalten.Wenn ich dann unterwegs bin, werde ich aus Zeitgr14nden wohl nur noch auf Deutsch schreiben.
Date: 2015-03-05
To: Trail angel from Boston or Maine wanted
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

Since I am hiking the AT from Germany I am looking for someone to serve as my US postal address during my hike. I I need someone I could send the airplane-bag for my backpack to, my extra glasses, part of the AT guide and a few other things that I may need later on. On the other hand I am sure I will have a few items, that I don't need and want to send back. It would be a great hassle to send each item back to nGermany. My start date is April 3rd.After my hike I would drop by and pick up my stuff from this friendly soul. My flight back is scheduled from Boston, so I feel it makes sense to find someone in Boston or near Kathadin. Of course I will pay whatever expenses there are. I hope potential trail angels are not discouraged by the fact, that once I am on my way this journal will be in German only. It would be really very nice, if someone volunteers. Sorry to be so late...Ich suche jemanden in Boston oder in Maine, der bereit ist, meine US Adresse zu sein. Nach meiner Ankunft m¶chte ich dort z.B. meine Ersatzbrille, den halben AT Guide deponieren. Sachen, die ich nicht brauche will ich da ebenfalls hinschicken. Da mein R14ckflug in Boston startet, hole ich die Sachen dort vorher wieder ab. Es w¤re eine groe Hilfe, wenn sich jemand finden liee. Auch wenn ich schon sp¤t dran bin...
Date: 2015-03-20
To: Last Minute - Auf den letzten DrÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¼cker
Miles today: 0.0

Less than 2 weeks until I step on the plane. There are many thoughts flashing thru my head, but I long for the day when I can just get up in the morning and walk. So here just a few flashlights:- I am taking care of my to-do lists, but I'm a bit low on anticipation.- When I ask my children to explain some electronic gadget to me, they don't read the manual nowadays. They just try. I have to admit, that the phone manual I printed is really useless. It is not written for people like me. It makes me feel stupid, small and like a hopeless case.- I spend a few wonderful days near W14rzburg with my wife. Leaving her will be really hard. For her it is just as much an adventure as for me.- There are more and more goodbyes and I wonder how will we catch up afterwards. When I returned to Germany after my 7 months in NYC in the seventies, I felt that most people were not really interested. You just exchange a few formalities and that is it. - I am happy I found a 'mail angel', so I have an address to send my stuff to. One worry less. Thanks to Beachwood, NJ!!!In knapp 2 Wochen geht's zum Flughafen. Mir geht alles M¶gliche durch den Kopf, aber ich sehne mich danach morgens einfach aufzustehen und los zu laufen. Hier ein paar Gedanken...- Ich arbeite jeden Tag meine To-do Listen ab, doch die Vorfreude bleibt dabei ein wenig auf der Strecke.- Wenn ich meine Kinder bitte mir Handy, Foto o.¤. zu erkl¤ren, dann schauen die nicht in die Gebrauchsanweisung, die ich brav ausgedruckt habe, sondern probieren einfach rum. Gebrauchsanweisungen scheinen so wie so nicht f14r Leute wie mich geschrieben zu sein, denn ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. Ich komme mir dann vor wie ein kleiner Idiot, ein hoffnungsloser Fall.- Ich habe mit meiner Frau ein paar Tage Urlaub in Franken gemacht. Die Trennung von ihr wird mir nicht leicht fallen. Und f14r sie ist das genauso ein Abenteuer wie f14r mich.- Die Abschiede h¤ufen sich jetzt und manchmal frage ich mich, wo und wie wir nachher wieder ankn14pfen k¶nnen. Als ich in den 70ern nach 7 Monaten New York zur14ckkam, habe ich gesp14rt, dass viele nicht wirklich interessiert sind und es bei h¶flicher Konversation bleibt.- ber mein G¤stebuch habe ich tats¤chlich einen Mail Angel gefunden. Tausend Dank nach Beachwood in New Jersey!!! Eine Sorge weniger.
Date: 2015-03-31
To: Farewell - Abschied
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

On sunday my children came over to say good-bye. It was really nice with the grandchildren,and even the unborn Lea, Felix and Mayla were clearly visible - at least shape wise. My children gave me a little booklet with pictures of all of them. I weighs only one ounce, but it will carry me, when things get heavy.During my farewells people told me so many nice and touching good wishes! Somehow, we should tell each other our appreciation not only when somebody goes on a long journey. Am Sonntag waren meine Kinder zum Abschied bei uns. Es war eichtig wuselig mit den Enkeln dazwischen und auch die ungeborenen Lea, Felix und Mayla konnte man schon gut erahnen. Zum Abschied haben meine Kinder mir ein kleines Fotobuch gemacht. Das wiegt zwar nur 30gr aber es wird mir die schweren Tage etwas leichter machen. In den letzten Wochen habe ich so viele bewegende gute Wuensche mit auf den Weg bekommen, dass ich oft den Traenen nahe war.
Date: 2015-05-20
To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

PineCone and 1Step began the last phase of preparation for the AT Thru-hike with a shakedown hike. A shakedown is really the first field test of our new equipment. Nearly all of our equipment is new in our attempt to lighten our load to be hikers rather than pack mules. We've cut 1Step's weight in half and PineCone's by about 25%. The three-day test was a good one. We decided to not use any of the rain gear or protection during the first four big downpours of rain just to test out waterproofness. Our equipment passed with flying colors as we discovered everything inside our packs was dry. At night we were dry and toasty. The shakedown was a 22 mile, 3-day hike. After the first day and night of rain, we had clear, cool weather the next two days. We enjoyed getting used to the new equipment and only need to make a couple of minor gear changes. More on gear later.Change in plans for PineCone who will not begin the hike with 1Step. Readiness and things at home call her to delay her start for a couple of months. So PineCone will operate base camp for the first leg of the hike and join for the finish.
Date: 2015-05-28
To: Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 0.0

1Step here.After considering several travel options, I'll take the Amtrak from Atlanta to Boston, then by three buses to Medway, a shuttle to Millinocket where I'll stay at the AT Lodge for a day. ETA to summit Mount Katahdin and begin the AT SOBO thru-hike is June 2nd.
Date: 2015-05-31
To: Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Riding the train turned out to be a very easy way to travel from Atlanta to the Northeast. Trains ran pretty close to on time, spacious, smooth, and definitely a different view of American than I'd seen before. Connecticut was very interesting and beautiful. We passed marina's, coast lines, state parks, marshlands, and many many rocks. Older houses, well-kept and tended yards, and mostly smaller than what we see in the Southeast were the norm. These Connecticut houses reminded me of what I saw driving from Quebec City to Tadoussac in 2001. I want to come back with PineCone to spend some time on the NE coast.Stayed at the Inn at St. John's here in Portland, a very nice, quaint hotel over 100 years old. No elevator, but hey, I need the practice. Definitely a recommended stop for anyone visiting Portland. I wish I had more time here during my layover to tour. Literature says the oldest lighthouse in America, commissioned by George Washington sits on the Portland harbor.From Portland, ME "1Step" out.