morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-09-12
From: Unofficial Campsite MM1784.3 (NH)

To: Unofficial Campsite MM1769.4
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

I woke up this morning at 5:25am and it takes me nearly 2 hours to get on the trail. I was hoping that if I wasn¢t waiting on SC to wake up I might be able to get on the trail faster in the morning. However, I¢m not used to breaking down this tent and in general it¢s going to be slower to get ready when I¢m in a tent rather than a shelter. I guess I¢ll have to see how things go as I get used to being by myself. While I didn¢t get any rain overnight, it is cloudy when I get up and starts raining shortly after I get on trail. I start off the day with a climb up Mt. Cube. I see a day hiker with a large dog and 3 nobos while walking up the mountain. I am also passed by the guy I leapfrogged with yesterday who wants to know when I passed him. The top of Mt. Cube is rocky and open, covered with slick rock. There would be views without the rain and clouds. I have service on top and am happy to see that the rain is supposed to stop by 11am.I see 2 more nobos coming down Mt. Cube. One of them warns me that there is a lot of slick rock on Smarts Mountain. I cross a road and then a creek. I stop at the creek and take off my packcover and filter water. Spike is glad to get out of the confines of the pack and see again. A couple going nobo stop at the creek and we exchange information. They also warn me about the slick rock on Smarts which is my next climb. I don¢t have too many problems climbing Smarts. There is a fire tower on top which Spike and I climb. Spike is nervous about heights, but by the time we get to a height he¢s worried about we look up and we¢ve reached the top.I meet a couple of day hikers coming down Smarts. When they come down, they ask questions about our hike. They tell me about the great views on the way down the trail. Maybe I¢ve been ruined by Maine and the Whites because I don¢t find the slick rock as treacherous as the nobos seemed to think it was and the views weren¢t all that great either. I had fall #17 today coming down Smarts. I stepped on a slippery rock and went down without injury. I did notice that we are starting to see some fall color. I should also mention that I saw 4 red efts today. There¢s a road and a creek at the bottom of Smarts. I fill up with water and check Guthook for camping options. There is supposed to be a place to camp off of another trail about .1 from here. I have found something. Not the best campsite ever but it will work.I have survived my second day out here alone. Tonight there doesn¢t appear to be anyone camped nearby. My phone is telling me I climbed 325 flights today. That seems like an overestimate. Maybe the fire tower climb threw things off.
Date: 2019-09-13
From: Unofficial Campsite MM1769.4

To: Mink Brook Unofficial Campsite 
Miles today: 11.0

I didn¢t sleep well last night, and then I woke up at 3:30 and got up at 5. This morning was another 2 hours to get on the trail and I didn¢t even dig a cat hole. I had been hoping to get to the Trapper John Shelter yesterday but I didn¢t want to be hiking in the dark, so I stopped and camped. Today I stopped by the shelter and used the privy and signed the shelter register. The privy was the fullest I have seen. It was almost unusable. In the register I see that Sidewinder is a day ahead of me. The trail was very quiet this morning. I didn¢t see anyone until 10:45 when 2 women with dogs passed me. Shortly after that, I passed a couple still in their tent at 11am. At first I thought they had found a nice spot with a bench of some sort, and when I got close I saw their tent was practically on the trail and the bench was actually a footbridge. I had to avoid their kitchen set up to cross the stream.There is an old stone fireplace by the shelter, so Spike gets his picture taken on it before we move on to Moose Mountain. We stop at the north peak of Moose and have an hour lunch break. There is a shelter just before Hanover, but getting there would be an 18 mile day, and I¢m not feeling that. Looking through the Guthook comments, my best bet for a campsite is only an 11 mile day, so I feel like I can take my time.Between the north and south peaks of Moose Mountain is the Moose Mountain shelter. I also stop there to read and sign the register. They have a bench there too, so of course Spike and I spend some time sitting on it. On my way down Moose I see a guy I met back on the third day we were on trail. I then make my way to the campsite which is beside a creek. I don¢t like camping so close to water or the trail (not exactly practicing leave no trace here), but all I see in Guthook are comments about places that aren¢t good for camping. I¢m alone again tonight, although I¢ve seen a number of day hikers walk by since I¢ve been here. A woman with 2 kids and 3 dogs stopped and talked for a little while. I also have service here so I talked to Spike¢s Dad. I enjoyed getting to camp early enough that I didn¢t have to rush to get everything done before dark. I do wish I had more daylight when I put up my bear bag because I have this one on a branch 45¢ up and I¢d like to take a picture of it. I am impressed especially because I was aiming for a lower branch. Anyway, I should get to bed early. Tomorrow is a town day.
Date: 2019-09-15
From: Elm & Main, Norwich, VT

To: Thistle Hill Shelter (VT)
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

I woke up at 12:30 this morning to what sounded like a party downstairs. I could tell it had woken up my roommate as well. I managed to fall back asleep and sleep pretty well until 5:30. Then I got up to go to the bathroom and have breakfast. This hostel offers all you can eat pancakes and eggs. Finally, something besides pancakes. I had also picked up yogurt and kombucha at the co-op yesterday, so I had that as well. I considered having another pint of ice cream, but decided against it. Maybe if they had chunky monkey. A guy who came in late last night is the first one to join me. He is going sobo and summited Katahdin 26 days before me. Finally, someone going slower than me!The sobo, my roommate, and I are all itching to get out and on the trail. The other 3 appear to be staying another day. I get a ride back to Norwich and start hiking about 8:20. I start off with more road walking. The houses are all old and really look nice.Finally I¢m back in the woods. I start seeing red efts almost immediately. Over the course of the day I see 5. That has to be tied with the most I¢ve seen in one day. Then I see the guy who showed me the ¢nope noodle¢ back in Pennsylvania. He remembered my name and seemed excited to see someone he knew. He¢s trying to catch up with the guy I saw yesterday. He had lots of questions about the Whites.I stop by the Happy Hill Shelter. It¢s super cute, but the register book is missing. I eat a snack and move on. There¢s a lot of walking in the woods today which I like because it¢s a lot easier on the feet to walk on dirt than rock. There¢s also evidence of trail maintenance in this section. In the middle there¢s another road walk. Just before I get there I pass 4 nobos, 2 of whom tell me about some trail angels that live on the road walk in West Hartford. I stop by the back porch of Randy and Linda and have a soda and talk with Randy for a little bit. They have friends visiting so they are a little preoccupied. I see in their log book that the guy I leapfrogged with on Wednesday was here today. Randy tells me that he stayed the night with them last night and didn¢t leave until 10am. That means he¢s less than 4 hours ahead of me.I don¢t stay long and I¢m back to road walking. Just when I reach the woods again, last night¢s roommate appears. She was doing a day hike and ending at West Hartford. She is followed a few minutes later by a guy who looks very tired. I walk a few more miles and come to the second shelter of the day. It¢s only 4:30 and I could go farther, but I want to see if I can get ready faster if I don¢t have to pack up the tent. Also there¢s another hiker here, and I would prefer not to be alone. This hiker has a bad cough he says from camping in the rain. He has apparently been hiking the trail for the last 14 months and has done 5300 miles. He has built a large fire in the fire ring here and says he does so every night if he can. It¢s nice to have a fire.There is a shelter register here. Sidewinder was here earlier in the day, so I am less than a day behind him.
Date: 2019-09-16
From: Thistle Hill Shelter (VT)

To: The Lookout (VT)
Miles today: 14.8

Last night I slept pretty well except that between 12midnight to 1am I was awake. I dreamed my dad was an intern at a butcher¢s, which meant I got to eat a lot of meat. I woke up about 5:30, used the privy, retrieved my food bag, and then made breakfast. My sheltermate began stirring around 6:15, so I got dressed and started packing. I was able to get on the trail by 7:20. A slight improvement, although I¢d still like to be faster.Today was lots of walking through fields.  One even had cows! I felt like I was back in Virginia again. The last several days there have been lots of apple trees too. I haven¢t been brave enough to eat any though.When I was in the woods, I noticed a lot of leaf confetti. Apparently something is cutting out small holes in the leaves around here, so there are a lot of leaves with holes in them and a lot of little leaf circles on the ground. I¢m guessing some sort of invasive insect is at work.The next shelter after Thistle Hill was Winturri, 12.3 miles into the day. I got there about 3:30 and stopped to get water. My goal for the day was the Lookout and it is dry, so I needed water. I signed the register while I was there.I got to the Lookout about 5:30. It is privately owned, and they let hikers use it. There¢s a primitive cabin with an observation deck on top. I set up my bedding inside and then went outside to make dinner. A day hiker came up with a dog and then a nobo thru-hiker arrived. He checked the place out and climbed up to the deck. I brought Spike and my dinner up on the deck. All these mountains are making me less afraid of heights.The nobo was up there taking pictures. He pointed out that we can see the Whites from here. I ate dinner while the sun set. The nobo left to get some more miles in. A few minutes later I hear someone coming. I look and it¢s the same nobo. He said it was too great of a place to not stay.Once the sun was down I climbed down and then got ready for bed. I am now tucked into my sleeping bag. The nobo is still up doing his own thing. I hear mice scurrying around, so I¢m going to put in my earplugs and pretend they¢re not here.
Date: 2019-09-21
From: Lost Pond Shelter (VT)

To: Mad Tom Notch (VT)
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: broken clouds

I did not have any visitors, bear or otherwise, to the shelter last night. Unlike 2 nights ago when it was so cold, I was actually pretty warm, and had to stick my feet out of the sleeping bag because they were basically on fire. They do not feel significantly better this morning than they did last night.I waited until the last possible minute to put on my shoes, and then started hiking up Baker Peak. At the top I have service and call Spike¢s Dad. The plan was for him to pick me up at VT 11/30 around 4:30pm, but there is another road crossing that is closer to me, so I give him instructions to pick me up there instead around 1pm.I am in significant pain today. It¢s the worst when I first get up after stopping for a snack or something, but pretty much unless I am walking on flat ground (of which there is very little on the trail), every step creates pain. I don¢t know anything about bed sores, but I think my feet look and feel like they have pressure sores that have not opened yet.I stop by a shelter that is on the trail and leave a note in the register that I am likely getting off trail. I don¢t know if Sidewinder is ahead of me or behind me, but SC has his number if I need it. I would like to say good-bye, but I do not see him today.I cross Peru Peak and then Styles Peak before heading downhill to the parking lot at Mad Tom Notch. Occasionally I start to tear up as I think about getting off trail. As I come down Styles, I begin to run into day hikers coming up the mountain to enjoy a beautiful Saturday. Several ask me how I am doing and I just tell them that I am great even though my feet are in pain and I want to cry because I¢m going to have to get off the trail. I keep my mind busy by thinking about next year. Maybe I can get back on and finish what I have left.When I reach Mad Tom Notch, I have completed 1,258.8 miles of the trail with 933.2 still to complete. Spike¢s Dad is waiting for us just before the road because he wants to do part of the trail with us.The first thing I do when I get to the car is take off my shoes. We drive to the hotel in Manchester Center. I expected that I would cry, but I don¢t. I take a shower and then we go out for burgers. This is it. I¢m done. But it doesn¢t feel real.
Date: 2019-09-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It has been just over a week since I got off trail and just under a week since I got home. In that time I have seen a primary care physician, a podiatrist, and a dermatologist about my feet. The PCP thought that I had a bad case of athlete¢s foot. The other two did not know what it was but pretty much said it was not athlete¢s foot. Anyway, my feet are looking a lot better after doing a lot less walking on them. Now my feet just hurt all over and my toes feel like they¢ve been shot with novocaine.The living room looks like it has been hit with a hiking gear tornado. Today¢s job was to clean my pack. I scrubbed it down in the tub. It took 2 rounds of soap and 4 rinses.I also have been trying to figure out what clothes I own that fit. I lost 35ish pounds on the trail (I¢m not sure of the exact number ¢ Spike¢s Dad gave away our bathroom scale while I was gone), so pretty much everything I was wearing is now too big. I still have clothes from before I broke my ankle (and gained weight), but none of them are too small. I¢m not looking to get new clothes, though. If there is one thing I learned on the trail is that I have the ability to wear the same clothes for 100 days straight. Also, I am not sure how successful I will be staying this size when I am not hiking every day while carrying 30 pounds on my back.I figured that I would need smaller clothes and bigger shoes, but my feet do not appear to have changed all that much. I think I went from an 8 to an 8.5. I will need new shoes eventually, though, because I either wore the shoes I had until they fell apart or gave them to my sister.I thought I would cry or at least feel depressed. I feel pretty good, although I am not exactly doing anything. I do a lot of staring out the window. I haven¢t quite figured out what to do with myself if I¢m not hiking. I have plenty of things to do, just no motivation to do not hiking-related things yet.I do want to fix up this blog eventually. The mileage is off about 11 miles, so I need to figure that out.  I also want to add photos to all the entries. I still have entries from 2017 and 2018 to post as well! It was good for me to write something every day and just post it without editing for hours. I am bothered by the inconsistent verb tenses, but it was an important practice for me to post without getting everything perfect first.Thanks to everyone for reading! Like I said, I will be adding pictures eventually. I will probably add another post-hike post or two. If you have questions about my hike or its aftermath, feel free to use the guestbook to contact me (or if you have my email address or phone number, you are also allowed to contact me that way).
Date: 2020-01-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

This is the last entry for my 2019 AT hike. I am returning to finish the AT later this year. I have begun the Trail Journals blog for that hike if you would like to follow along with this year¢s hike. My feet are doing much better, thank you for asking. After about a month home the sores on the soles of my feet healed and my feet stopped peeling like crazy. I still have a couple of toes on my right foot that tingle like they are ¢asleep,¢ but they are getting better, and I think they will eventually come back. I started running in mid-November, and I am training for a half-marathon in April. So far the running is going well, and I think I¢m a little faster than I was last year at this time. I am also practicing yoga regularly. I would like to get back to swimming and strength training, I just haven¢t figured out where to add those in yet. Getting off the trail early, I felt like I wasn¢t able to get to that point where I figured out what I want to do with the rest of my life or even the next few years. Fortunately, Spike¢s Dad just got a new job that came with a pay raise, so I am currently keeping house. While I was on the trail some of the siding on our house fell off and squirrels moved in, which means I have been trying to find a contractor to do repairs and evict the squirrels. I am hoping that after another 933.2 miles on the AT I will have a better idea of what I want to do next. The one thing I do know is that I want to stay in Michigan. Anyway, this will be my last post for this hike. Please follow along at my AT 2020 journal. Oh, I almost forgot: Spike and I have been doing some hiking on the North Country Trail (NCT) since we¢ve been back. I have finally completed my NCT 2017 journal, and I am currently working on getting the 2018 one caught up. I plan to have it completed by the time I start back on the AT. I will do a 2020 NCT journal, and we will try to complete the 2020 #hike100NCT challenge. Our 2019 NCT hikes will eventually be catalogued there.Thank you for following along with our adventures. Hopefully there are many more to come.
Date: 2017-04-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Based on my plan I will hit the trail 6 weeks from today. I have told very few people about this since I wanted to make sure it was going to happen before I posted any information......I do feel like I have a made the commitment since I booked my flight to Atlanta last week......My plan is to hike the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Ga to Hot Springs, NC.... This trek is 274 miles on the AT (I will cover close to 300 miles with side hikes)......I will fly to Atlanta on May 25 and hit the AT on May 26. The Plan is to reach Hot Springs on June 19 (Tyson will be with me the last 2 days - 30 miles).More later...........................
Date: 2017-04-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Thinking this morning about the preparation for the trek. 1st I am very thankful Marilee has supported me in doing this.... I hate I will miss her birthday on May 29 but I will send my love to her from the trail.......Training for this adventure - I started doing a 3 day a week work out (2.5 miles on the treadmill and then about 20 to 30 min on different machines to work on my core body muscles)in February 2016. I was motivated to start my workouts by watching Marilee's dedication to her workout routine (4 or 5 days a week). I have added to my workout the last few weeks the hike up and down the Lowes' hill (100 ft from top to bottom -- this is where the kids sled). I do this with my 40 lb pack. 15 times up and down is a mile and 1500 feet in elevation change.
Date: 2017-05-25
From: Springer Mountain

To: Stover Creek Cove
Miles today: 2.8

May 25: Springer Mountain: 0 miles to Stover Creek Cove: 2.8 miles Started out the day finishing up a few items and sending a few email reminders. It is hard to get ready to leave for 30 days.Marilee and I got my pack ready last night so it could be checked st the airport.We left for the airport at 7:30 and everything went great at the checkin. Marilee and I said our goodbyes (I am really going miss her the next several weeks). Boarded the plane for Atlanta at 9:30.Arrived in Atlanta at 1pm and was on Marta at 1:45pm. Survivor Dave picked me up at the North Spring station at 2:35. We stopped in Dawsonville, Ga for food. The last 13 miles on the trip the trailhead parking was on US National Forest dirt road. We arrived at 4;45pm. I loaded up my pack and back up (Southbound) the AT so I could start at the 1st AT blaze. It was 1 mile to top (1000 ft elevation gain) of Springer Mtn. After a few pictures and a sandwich at 6pm. I decided to hike some of trail vs spending the night at Springer Mtn. I was going to Stover Creek Shelter which was 2.8 miles. So I covered 3.8 miles my 1st day on the trail. I arrived at Stover Creek at 7:05 with plenty of sunlight to pitch my tent.I met the people at campsite. There were 6 people in the shelter and 1 person tenting. I put up my tent first and since it was my first time it was taking a little long. Sebastian from Montreal come over to tell he had the same tent and I got him to show me the features of it I purchase the tent at 3pm yesterday (another story for later). I got the tent up, ate the other half of the sandwich I purchased in Dawsonville, and refilled my water bottles at the spring. It was a long day but it was good.I am ready for tomorrow.
Date: 2017-05-26
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn 
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Starting Stover Creek Shelter(2.8) and going to Gooch Mtn. Shelter (15.8 )-- 13 miles Several trips to bathroom during the night but I was up at 5:45. It was not light until 6:15am. I had 2 packages of oatmeal with pecans and 2 cups of coffee. At 7:30am I was on the trail. The trail starting out was good with a little up and down. Within the 1st hour I had at least 7 crossing of Stover Creek. The section to Hawk Mtn Shelter was mostly downhill with only a piece that had 700 ft elevation gain. I reached Hawks Mtn. at 8.1 mile post at 10:15am or I hiked 5.3 mi in 2.75 hours (I had planned on staying Hawk Mtn on first day of hiking). I called Marilee to check in and I left Hawks Mtn at 11am. My next stop was at Cooper Gap (12.3 mile post) for a snack. I arrived at 2pm. It was hard. It took me 4 hrs to go 4.1 miles. The terrain was back to being covered with roots, rocks and boulders and I had to hike over Sassafas Mtn. It was an 800 ft elevation gain over 1 mile on tough terrain. A couple of times I could touch the trail front of me; it was so steep.  Even after I clear the peak the downhill was hard because of large boulders. After a snack at Cooper Gap I left at 2:20. Justin Mtn up next it was hard because of Terrain but not as hard as Sassafras. I reached Gooch Mtn Shelter (15.8 mile marker) at 4:45om. I was on the trail 9 hrs and covered 13 miles. This is the longest I have ever backpacked in one day. The terrain was a big "WOW" today but I reached Gooch Mtn Shelter. My shoulders are sore and I have a hot spot on my big toe but very satisfied. I made Gooch on 1st full day on the AT. After I arrived in camp I got my water ready for tomorrow. For dinner I had peanut butter and honey on a tortilla plus some trail mix (too tired to cook). Spent the rest of the evening talking to people in the campsite. There are 6 of us who stayed at Stover Creek last night that made it to Gooch (Joe & Jake -  brother and sisters from NY and are going Franklin, NC; Chris from Atlanta and he is hiking for 14 days; Gabriel & Sabastian  from Montreal and they going to Maine). Memorial Day weekend has brought a lot of hikers on the trail. I saw 10 to 12 hikers during my 9 hrs.Heading to bed at 9:15pmIt was a good day!