morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-14
From: Andover, ME

To: Black Brook/South Arm Road, ME
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Started today with breakfast at the Little Red Hen. I ate with Wifi, Bama, and an older couple that go by The Tandem Teacchers or Hob and Chickadee. They are from Conneticut, have thru hiked before, and done some long distance bike trips. Saw some familiar faces there including Sockless, Blazer, and Sassafras.Resupplied after breakfast and then caught a shuttle out of town. Today's picture comes from Moody Mountain. We camped for the night along side Black Brook. Sockless, Blazer, Solitude, Chicklette, Sassafras, Chip, and a bunch of other hikers are camped here as well.
Date: 2014-09-15
From: Black Brook/South Arm Road, ME

To: Moxie Pond, ME
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Started today with a strenuous climb up Old Blue Mountain. Had a snack on top with Wifi, Bama, Sockless, Blazer, Sassafras, Chip, and a couple other hikers. Later in the day we pushed on to Moxie Pond, hoping there would be campsites there. There weren't, so we settled in an arbitrary spot in the woods near Solitude and Chicklette. After sunset we started to hear the eerie, mystical sound of the loon call.
Date: 2014-09-20
From: Stratton, ME

To: Avery Memorial Campsite, ME
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up this morning and ran across the street to pick up some breakfast. Around 10am (checkout is 11) the cleaning lady at the White Wolf Inn walked into our room without knocking. She then checked back every 10 minutes (we could see her shadow pass by the window) to see if we had left yet. Kinda rubbed me the wrong way. We resupplied and did laundry, then threw out thumbs up in front of the gas station. It took over an hour for us to get a ride out of town. The trail then takes us from 1200' to around 4000'. We stopped briefly at the Horns Pond Lean-to and the caretaker warned us that it was 11 degrees last night on top of the mountain, our intended campsite. We decided to try our luck anyway and push ahead. Weather as we go over "The Horn" at 3831' is windy and visibility is poor, though not terribly cold. Then we crossed the west peak of Bigelow Mountain, at 4145', where we hit the strongest winds I've seen on the trip. I had to fight not to be knocked over. Easily 50/60mph gusts. Just past that, at 3841' was out intended campsite. It was cold and windy, but manageable so we set up camp for the night.
Date: 2014-09-21
From: Avery Memorial Campsite, ME

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: scattered clouds

It was very windy last night, but the temperature never dropped below 45, so we stayed warm. We started the day with a short climb to Avery Peak, but were afforded very little in the way of views due to the low clouds/heavy fog. Occasionally we caught a glimpse of the massive lakes down below. As we got lower, the cloud cover broke and the sun came out. We caught a series of nice views on our way down (today's picture). It was a nice change of pace. Since entering Maine, we have had a string of cold, wet, and foggy days. We had lunch on top of Little Bigelow Mountain, although the wind had ramped back up and cloud cover had resumed. We stopped to skip some rocks along Flagstaff Lake. The sky had turned grey and it started to drizzle on and off. We stopped for the night at the West Carry Pond Lean-to. It's foggy and I can't see much, but I've set my hammock up on the pond's shoreline, hoping for a better view in the morning.
Date: 2014-09-22
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to, ME

To: Carratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

This morning the weather cleared and I awoke to a nice view of West Carry Pond. The fall colors are in full swing, so the view across the water is filled with yellows, oranges, and reds. I had coffee in my hammock and read for a bit before I got moving. Bama and I took a side trail to Arnold's Point, a thin peninsula that juts out into West Carry Pond. The trail hit a short patch of sandy beach along East Carry Pond. We stopped here for lunch. I kicked off shoes to get my toes in the sand and skipped a few rocks.From there we pushed on, hoping to cross the Kennebec River before 4pm. There is no bridge at this river crossing, instead the official path of the A.T. is a canoe paddled by Dave - The Ferryman. Bama and I got to the river just after Dragonfly and Freckles. They crossed first (today's picture, canoe = small dark spec in the river) and then Dave came back for us. We walked to the Sterling Inn for resupply and determined that Wifi was at the Northern Outdoors Center, 2 miles in the other direction. The owner of the Sterling Inn shuttled us over there. We grabbed showers, dinner, beers, played some pool, and jumped in the hot tub before turning in.
Date: 2014-09-23
From: Carratunk, ME

To: Moxie Pond, ME
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

The shuttle back to the trail was leaving around 9. We packed up and headed downstairs for breakfast. Bama and I were dropped off at the post office in Carratunk. The shuttle took Wifi to The Sterling Inn to resupply. I picked up a new credit card (someone had gotten ahold of my old credit card number) and some "space pants". While there, Sockless and Blazer came hiking up the road. We ended up hiking with them for the rest of the day, which was sunny for the most part. The 5 of us ate lunch on a dock that jutted out into Pleasant Pond. It was warm, sunny, and hard to leave. Then we were treated with views from Pleasant Pond Mountain. We camped for the night just past Moxie Pond, before the crossing of Baker Stream.
Date: 2014-09-24
From: Moxie Pond, ME

To: Piscataquis River, ME
Miles today: 16.7

Slept last night with no tarp since the skies and weather forecast were agreeable. Sockless and Blazer took an early start. Bama, Wifi, & I were moving by 9 and caught up to them on top of Moxie Bald Mountain. It's a beautiful day and the bald offered a 360 degree view. Today's picture is Bama, Wifi, and I on top of Moxie Bald Mountain. We had lunch on the rocky shore of Bald Mountain Pond. I kicked off my shoes and took in some sun after I ate. In the afternoon we hit our first river ford of the trip on the West Branch of the Piscataquis River (no oxen were lost in the fording of this river).Late in the day we passed the Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to. Shortly after, the 5 of us set up camp on the bank of the East Branch of the Piscataquis River. Tonight I'll sleep with the pleasant white noise of the river.
Date: 2014-09-25
From: Piscataquis River, ME

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 8.1

Got moving by about 9 today. Passed an old wrecked Plymouth SUV way out in the middle of nowhere. Got to the road crossing for Monson around 12:30 and got a shuttle into town. We are staying at the Lakeshore House. Bama and I joined Wifi, Sockless, & Blazer for a bite to eat and a round of drinks at the bar. Then we caught a ride from Miss Janet to resupply at a nearby grocery store. Tomorrow I will enter the most remote stretch of the trail, the hundred mile wilderness. I bought 8 days worth of food. 4 days I'll carry out of town, 4 days I've loaded into a 5 gallon bucket that the Lakeshore House will drop off for me half way through the hundred mile wilderness. When we got back, myself and 5 other hikers took kayaks out for a paddle. We stayed on the lake for sunset and then came back for some drinks before bed. Its possible that this will be my last update before I finish the trip since I may not have reception or internet access. But I'll post more updates as soon as I can.
Date: 2013-08-07
To: Heading North
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was a kid when I first heard about the Appalachian Trail, and it immediately held a very real mystique for me. Tales of people braving the wilderness for months at a time¢ climbing mountains, knife-fighting with bears, etc.¢made me marvel at the type of person who was possibly able to undertake such a journey. Even through high school and the early years of college, I would think about this great adventure and how incredible it was that other people could accomplish such a physical and mental challenge.It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that not only was I able to do this myself, but that I needed to join their number.I was always exposed to outdoor activities thanks to my father, who would take me on camping trips and hikes in order to show what wonderful things existed in the natural world. But for some reason, after reading a few journals and watching documentaries about the AT, the urge to start walking started to build every day. I would see pictures of beautiful skylines and jovial hikers, and then read about the torturous terrain, the endless hunger, and the misery of walking in the rain again and again. I wanted it all. I wanted to have a real adventure for myself, with the ups and the downs, the challenges and the camaraderie that seems so abundant in the hiker community.So starting in March 2014, I will finally begin my walk. It has been a long time in the making, and I cannot wait for the morning when I lace up my boots and take my first step on the trail, the first of the five million it will take for me to make it to Maine.Now to train...
Date: 2013-08-08
To: Deciding When to Hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

There is no perfect time to do anything.That¢s one thing I learned for sure when I decided to hike the AT. There will always be something that, on some level, can be deemed ¢more important¢ than what you dream about doing. My wife faced the same conundrum a few years back, when she had the option of continuing her career and climbing up the corporate ladder, or to instead take time off to further her education in the field she was truly interested in. She chose the latter, and now she is happier than she ever was with her old job (and the owner of a master's degree from Oxford).I think her experience is partly what inspired me to finally step away from what was the ¢safe¢ and ¢smart¢ thing to do and, instead, pursue the adventure I have been looking forward to for so long. It was a big decision (obviously), especially since it would mean that I would actually have to quit my job in September¢as a high school teacher with a year-long contract, I didn¢t have the luxury of resigning just two weeks before I step onto Springer. Truthfully, I¢m surprised my nerves have been as steady as they have been, but I think that is because I know that, though it may not be perfect, this is a time in my life when hiking the trail makes sense. Of course, telling people that I was quitting my job to the hike the trail was not (and still is not) met with the same level enthusiasm that I have for my endeavor. Here are just a few of the questions and statements I¢ve been privy to over the past few months:¢You¢re going to camp for how long?!¢ ¢You know there are bears on the trail, right?¢ ¢Don¢t you think you should work just a little longer before you spend all of your money?¢ ¢I¢m not sure what I would do if I had to fight a bear.¢ ¢Wow. I would never do that.¢ ¢Please don¢t get hantavirus and die.¢I don¢t think I¢m the only past-or-future thru-hiker to hear statements like these (or worse), but I¢m also thankful that, despite any misgivings they may have, my family and friends have been extremely supportive of my choice to take on this little walk of mine.So no, it may not be the perfect time, but when will it be? I could keep putting it off until that day came, but I¢m willing to bet that I would be waiting for a long, long time¢¦
Date: 2014-01-08
To: Preparations
Miles today: 0.0

Today is officially the two month mark until I step onto the AT for my thru-hike on March 8. It's odd how that feels simultaneously far away and right around the corner, though that is likely because time seems to be both crawling by and accelerating. I am living a life of oxymorons.I am a teacher by profession, which means that I am expected to sign a year-long contract whenever I accept a position. While some school systems may be more flexible, my system made it clear that, should I leave in March, it would be necessary for me to break my contract. Which means, dear readers, that whenever I applied for a new position, there would be a black mark on my record saying, "This man does not believe that contracts matter." And seeing as I have only worked at two school systems through my career, it probably wouldn't be a smart idea to have one half of my references label me as a deserter.So I took the other option: I resigned.For the past few months, I have been unemployed by any major school system, working part-time for a few different grading and tutoring institutes to help supplement my income.Fortunately, that has also given me some time to get in shape and perform various shakedowns to test out my gear. I have camped overnight in the Cohutta and Blood Mountain wildernesses, helping me break in and adjust the heavier winter loads I will be carrying the first several weeks of my hike. Those have been supplemented with day hikes whenever I can get them in, including a wonderful day hiking 12+ miles in the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield park about two weeks ago: there were deer everywhere, and the cool weather was perfectly complimented by warm sunshine.I have also experimented with various ways of keeping my phone charged; I don't plan on keeping my phone on while hiking, but it would be nice for when I wanted to check in with my wife and family or upload a journal entry. Plus, I'm sure there will occasionally be a day or two (or five) when the wonders of Mother Nature will have lost their luster, and listening to a podcast or music playlist may give me the motivation I need to keep going.Currently, my base weight is somewhere between 15 and 18 lbs. That makes me happy, though I feel like I can get that down a little more over the next few weeks. This weight includes most of my winter clothes and my two luxury items (my iPhone and Kindle), and I haven't trimmed the excess cords from my pack or other sacks yet, so I have a few things to tinker with over the next few weeks.The weather has been very cold lately, and the Farmer's Almanac predicts that the cold streak will continue well into spring. I love winter hiking, and it will be nice to justify collecting a bunch of winter gear over the past several years. So to all of my warm-weather hiking friends, I think I will be just fine when the brisk breezes begin to blow (but I won't stop you from sending warm thoughts in my direction).So in essence, right now I am in a holding pattern. For the next two months, I will be prepping, trimming, and studying how to make my hike the best it can be. I am a little more excited every day.
Date: 2014-01-09
To: What's In A (Trail) Name?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Part of the Appalachian Trail experience is to have a trail name, a pseudonym to further extricate you from life outside of the trail. This name is typically tied to some element of your personality, an experience or event that was meaningful or entertaining, or simply something that sounds cool. While on the trail, its common that your ¢real¢ name will go mostly unused, and your fellow hikers will only know you by your trail moniker.And that can be a terrifying thought.Just by taking a random sample of trail journals, it doesn¢t take long to find a hiker who is completely dissatisfied with their name¢something generic or clich© such as ¢Gandalf¢ or ¢Strider,¢ or maybe even something worse (¢Puss Gut¢ and ¢Rat Puke¢ were a few of the gems I¢ve found). Of course, you don¢t have to accept a trail name that¢s presented to you, but if you wait too long for the perfect one to arise, you might be waiting for a long, long time.The other mode of thought is to simply make your own trail name, a much safer option that ensures you will be satisfied with the result. One of the most well known modern thru-hikers, ¢Baltimore Jack,¢ adorned himself with his trail name and has frequently professed that it is the wisest choice.But as Tevye might say, ¢On the other hand¢¦¢On the other hand, there is a certain free-spiritedness about finding your name on the trail that is appealing to this journey.¢¦Yet on the other hand, being labeled ¢Mud Butt¢ or ¢Pu Pu Platter¢ might not be worth the payoff for being a free spirit.I¢m betting on coming up with a decent trail name over the coming weeks, something fun and just the right amount of pretentious.If not, I guess I¢ll put my fate in the hands of my fellow hikers.
Date: 2014-01-10
To: Hiking the AT Approach Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I have decided that I will be hiking the approach trail on March 8, adding an additional 8.5 miles to my hike, pretty much all of it uphill to the peak of Springer Mountain. Opinions are split as to whether or not this additional mileage is ¢part of the trail¢ or if it even makes sense to hike it when the entire AT is still in front of you. That argument makes a lot of sense. But I will be hiking the approach trail for a few reasons. I have hiked to the summit of Springer from the trailhead parking lot before (which is only 0.9 miles away), so this will offer me a few new views and experiences. I also think the idea of hiking south to Springer, saying ¢Well, here I am,¢ and then retracing your steps back to the parking lot is a little anticlimactic. My last day on the trail will be a steep climb up Katahdin; I might as well start the way I finish. But mostly, I think the approach trail hike will be a good way for me to share a few more hours with my family before I begin the AT in proper. On my departure day, some of my closest family¢my parents, in laws, longtime friends and, most importantly, my beautiful and very understanding wife¢will be seeing me off at Amicalola. This will give me an opportunity to spend some time hiking with them, saying goodbyes and well wishes before diving deep into the North Georgia woods. Then, some of my family less inclined to hike 8 miles uphill in the cold (hi mom) can pick everyone up at the summit and take them home. Leaving me alone with the trail, with 2,185 miles ahead of me. I cannot wait. The excitement is building. I have loaded and unloaded my pack a dozen times by now, adjusting and readjusting to find the best gear arrangement. I keep looking over my AT Guide and Thru-Hikers¢ Companion attempting to squeeze out a few more details to help make my hike a success. I push myself just a bit harder on my runs, bike rides, and practice hikes, telling myself that a little more effort now will prepare me even more for the torturous, wonderful difficulties that lie ahead. But I also know that one of the biggest obstacles I will face will be the separation from those I love. So the approach trail is my way of spending a few more minutes with my family, the long goodbye before taking that first solitary step to Maine.
Date: 2014-01-16
To: Combating the Jitters
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

As departure day approaches (51 days and counting), my mind jumps continually between two primary emotions. The first is pure elation, the eager anticipation of a grand adventure. The other is a conglomeration of worries: from my physical and mental preparedness for the trek itself, to the hypothetical events¢both positive and negative¢that may or may not occur while I am away. Like two sides of a mentally exhausting coin, these emotions sometimes occur within minutes of each other.In other words, it's official: I have the pre-hike jitters.I guess there isn't really anything that can be done about it, and I know that I am nowhere close to being the only one who is experiencing this type of anxiety right now. Nor am I sure anything should be done about it, as any great life change is sure to be met with the same mixture of excitement and trepidation.And like anything that is truly worth it, the jitters only make my resolve stronger.I will need that resolve, as hiking the AT will be as much of a mental game as a physical one, perhaps even more so. Many hikers attest that if you are physically able to hike the first 30 miles, then you are physically capable of walking the entire trail. And while people will get off the trail for medical or family emergencies, many simply choose not to play the mental game anymore: days/weeks straight of rain, the "green tunnel" effect, the constant filth and stink of your body, and other factors can quickly sap one's will to go on.So for now, I consider the jitters to be pre-training for the harder times on the trail. It may suck right now, but there is a cure coming for me soon.On March 8, to be precise.
Date: 2014-01-23
To: Prepping for My Appalachian Trials
Miles today: 0.0

In order to better prepare myself mentally and lessen my aforementioned jitters, I have been reading (and re-reading) books, journals, and other literature focusing on preparing mentally for a thru-hike. One of my favorites was Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis, a 2011 thru-hiker who admits to feeling the same emotional mix of ¢Holy crap, this is going to kick ass!¢ and ¢What the hell am I doing?!?¢ that aspiring thru-hikers are likely feeling right now. In his book, Davis meticulously covers the mental hurdles people will go through while hiking the AT, from the extreme lows one can encounter¢such as hiking in the freezing rain with another seven miles to go for the day¢to the inevitable end of one¢s honeymoon period with the trail, commonly referred to as the ¢Virginia Blues.¢Davis promotes not just being aware of said difficulties, but rather incorporating them into the reason you are hiking in the first place. Overcoming challenges are what keep us satisfied and interested in our lives, but when we are aware of and expecting said difficulties, we have a greater chance of success. Many who give up on their AT dreams are the ones who expect the entire journey to be a constant stream of sunshine, mid-60¢s temperatures, and a smooth trail with endless views. In reality, we will all get rained on, we will all be freezing/sweating our butts off, and we will see little beyond the Green Tunnel for significant portions of our hike.Oh, and blisters. Don¢t forget the blisters.Then there are aspects outside of the trail itself, such as homesickness, lack of communication, and the realization that friends are probably comfortable in their homes when you have just swatted your 5,000th mosquito. The important thing is to keep an upbeat perspective about the challenges, embracing them as experiences and adventures instead of obstacles. ¢If you try to beat the AT,¢ he writes, ¢the AT will beat you.¢Yet as human beings, we all have moments of weakness when the temptations can be overwhelming. In order to combat these moments of weakness, Davis recommends making a set of lists before you begin your hike and keeping them with you as you walk toward Maine (or Georgia, you weirdo southbounders). These lists should have three focuses: 1.        I am thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail because¢¦ 2.        When I successfully Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail, I will¢¦ 3.        If I give up on the Appalachian Trail, I will¢¦Simple, yes, but the reminder of these goals could be the push I need to overcome those low moments, when anything in the world seems preferable to climbing ¢just one more hill.¢My lists will be up for everyone¢s perusal over the next few days, and I encourage my fellow thru-hikers (and anyone else who is interested) to check out Appalachian Trails when they have the chance. I think it will help reinforce your dedication to your goal, or at the very least, it will remind you why you wanted to embark on this crazy journey in the first place.