morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 6.4

i think it should be a crime to sleep as poorly in a bed as i did last night. but i couldn't...i just laid there thinking about everything. i thought about past days on the trail, good and bad. i thought about a foster baby my parents were caring for when i left who won't remember me if she sees me again. i thought about how supportive my parents have been for me. i thought about my job that's waiting for me in October. i thought about my family and friends back home who i miss. i thought about the charity that i'm dedicating my hike to, the Parish Kitchen and the incredible woman who runs it. i thought about what it will be like to be home again and how it might feel. i thought about the next 345 miles i have left to hike something that only 6 months ago seem impossible. i thought about cheesecake. i thought about the wonderful people i've met on and off the trail and how it's become a network of connections that i want to continue after Katadin. i thought about LT and ! Orb and what we're sharing together and how they HAVE to visit me in December. i thought about how i might have changed since March. and i thought about how i can keep the good changes even after i leave the trail.   yep, lots of thinking going on. i think i fried some synapsies (sp?) last night.well, i didn't get any impressive revelations so i figure i better keep hiking for a couple weeks more.so OLG got back on the trail at Crawford Notch in the afternoon and hiked a very slow, pleasant but strenuous 6.4 miles to Mizpah Hut.it was cloudy but didn't rain until we were inside the Hut (a pleasant change). Orb and LT are staying in the Hut (they got the last 2 reservations for the night--we learned our lesson and called ahead this time). i volunteered to tent camp nearby because i felt like i needed some solitude for the evening. the weather is suppose to clear up tomorrow, which would total rock since we'll be walking over the Presidential Range for most of the day. Here's hoping.
Date: 2003-07-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 6.0

we were planning low-miles for today so there was no rush to get back to the trail early. after some breakfast and resupply, we got a shuttle back to pinkam notch around 12pm. we only hiked ~6 miles today but i felt every step of them. the ascents were killer but the descents were even worse. with our late start and this terrain, it felt like we were getting no where fast. but, believe it or not, i enjoyed the hike. the weather was decent and we got some views to the west of us showing where we'd been the day before. it gave me perspective on how high those mountains are.we got to Carter Hut around 4pm and are staying here for the night. barely bald was there but decided to hike on a couple more miles. magnolia was also there and is sleeping in the hut with us.
Date: 2003-07-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.2

i got up early today. it was a good thing to do for Me--because of all of our slackpacking recently, it's been difficult to find any solitude for more than a couple of mintues so I hiked solo today. Apparently, i needed it more than i realized.I was on the trail a little before 6:30am and had a big climb from the notch to Carter Dome right above me. it was overcast all day but since the ridge that i was on wasn't as high as the Presidential Range, I could still see some vistas. It only drizzled now and then so i was relatively dry for most of the day (always a plus). But it was a good day for hiking in my book. A really good day. Nothing exciting happened but i was just feeling fine and enjoying hiking. Recently, i guess, it's just felt like i've been hiking to click away the miles, which isn't a good way to hike at all.I took a lot of breaks and even meditated a little on top of one of the peaks (something i should do more often but don't). I chatted with some southbound ATer's who gave me the heads up on what Maine's like. Towards the afternoon, Barely Bald caught up with me while i was chilling out at a shelter. LT, Orb, and Magnolia found me napping at a shelter and we hiked the last 1.6 to the road where Orb's car was waiting patiently. (good car! yes you are!) This is a 15.2 (i think) mile day. OLG are going back to Orb's house for two more nights and then it's back to the real world of thru-hiking. no more car for us! We're taking a zero-day tomorrow though. I think we all need it, for a lot of reasons.TANGENT:at this point, I'm just a little less than 300 miles from The Mountain. On some days, this seems like such a small amount. On others, it seems like I'll never get there. It will be a bitter-sweet end, no doubt. Originally, the finish date was set at the 15th of August but, after several OLG staff meetings, this has changed and it will probably be between the 15th and the 20th. I don't really have an appreciation for the terrain that Maine's going to throw at me anyway. I've heard it's very rugged but also beautiful--the perfect combination to slow down for.Why rush Maine anyway? Why rush at all really?.......Righto: hey man, get that keyboard away from her! now's our chance to send for help! Lefty: Is there anyone out there??? This is Clair's left foot sending out a cry for help! You don't know what she's doing to us--it's torture! I thought it would get better after she got that 30-mile day out of her system but it hasn't! 300 miles left! Argh! My toes are numb and swollen all the time! does she think this is easy or something?Righto: Yea, man, what my bro lefty said. This clair chick has totally flipped out. She's wicked cruel. Dude, where's my toes?Clair: Hey! Quiet over there or I'll walk another 20 tomorrow! Give me back that keyboard and how did you learn to type anyway?Pay no attention to the feet. They don't know what they're talking about. Lucky for me my knees can't type at all!
Date: 2003-07-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

miles of the AT hiked today: not a one.for some reason i woke up around 6am with more energy than i remember having on the trail. so much for sleeping in!my zero day was full of good food, good company, great kids (from the day care), a little EMS shopping, buying a hackie (sp?) sack and a yellow bandana since i lost mine in VT, a little olive garden (score!), and catching the last half of Maverick on TV--gotta love that movie. overall, one of my best zero days yet. (maybe my last--who knows?)i want to briefly define a AT term for my reading audience: hiker trash. this is when an AT hiker is so use to behaving a certain way in the woods and then they are put into some social setting and Still act the same, usually unaccpetable, way. here's an example: if a hiker wants to eat more, it's good to lay on your stomach and arch your back a bit--it kinda streches out your belly. i really have no idea if this works but just go with me on this. so, OLG is at olive garden and we're getting Stuffed. LT still has a little food left. so I do what any mature adult would do: i Dare her to lay on the floor right in front of our table to "stretch her stomach" (there were, of course, lots of other people in the restaurant). and i'll swear that she ALMOST did it too. so close, but LT managed to fight back the hiker trash instinct. her mom would be so proud.it would have made a good story though...
Date: 2003-07-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.8

we were getting back on the AT as real thru-hikers today--no more slackpacking, no more use of a car. it has definitely been a fun week, but i'm kinda anxious to just hike. i've probably got about 3 more week left before Katadin and i want to use every minute of them Right (whatever That means--sometimes i just think i sound wise and thoughtful when all i'm really doing is being ambiguous).[Editor: With this knowledge, Goldberry has prepared herself for any management position. Now she merely has to master phrases like "walk the talk" and "synergize"]orb's father drove us back to the trail (thanks wayne!) and by the time i managed to lift my Super heavy pack onto my back it was around 12n. but what a day for hiking! beatiful blue skies, puffy clouds, and hot the way i like it! i hope some thru-hikers are enjoying hiking through the Whites on a day like today--heck, it'd be a good day to be hiking anywhere. so that's what i did--sometimes alone, sometimes with the entire 3-headed-monster, somtimes with Barely Bald who also took a zero day yesterday. compared to the terrain i hiked through a couple of days ago, things have certainly settled down some. but it's still more ups and downs than i saw in VT and more southern states. i've heard from southbounders that it stays like this through Maine. I'll begin to find out more about Maine tomorrow though...brief reflection:maine: the last state (of mind?) bittersweet: it's the best word i can use for my feelings about it.miles today: with a late start, it's 11.8total hiked: 1886.5miles left: 286.1
Date: 2003-07-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.2

i got up earlier than OL so set off solo. i wish i could describe how the terrain has changed over the past 2-3 weeks. it's a Lot harder and, at least compared to the pace i use to keep, it slows me down a lot. but the scenery is pleasant and well worth the extra work.after several slow miles, i crossed into Maine, my last state on the AT. i still have ~280 more miles to go, but just entering Maine gave me goosebumps and made me a little emotional. after a couple more miles, i was on top of a peak which had great views of the White Mountains behind me and Mahoosuc Ridge in front of me. i think i spent at least 2 hours up there, soaking in the sunshine and waiting for lt and orb to walk up. apparently, i didn't realize how much sun i got until later when my face and legs started to burn. Oh well--it was worth the 2 hours anyway.after orb and lt show up, we hike on a couple more miles. around 5pm we only had 2.5 more to go which would Normally take me an hour to hike. (see how "Normally" is capitalized? that was no accident1) but not these miles: they're special. the first 1.5 descends into a valley so it's mostly a down hill that makes my knees wish for Pennsylvania again. and that last mile? well, it's called the dreaded "Mahoosuc Notch"--the bane of hikers everywhere. not really, but people do tend to talk about this mile a Lot. it's traditionally known as the toughest mile of the AT and usually takes well over an hour to hike through.and it did. it was a very neat mile though. lots of bouldering over and under rocks, rock hoping, and butt sliding. at a couple of especially interesting sections, there was a white arrow painted on a rock pointing Under some boulders. it was like it was saying "yea i Know it doesn't look like the trail, but trust me".i had to take my pack off twice and push it in front of me to make it through. it would be easy to get hurt in there so the going was slow and steady. we're camping out right at the end of that mile. i hike a grand total of 12.2 and earned every step of it. a cute hiker saying back in the "flatter states" was to "bust out a 20" if you hike 20 miles in a day. i've decided to change that to "bust out a 12" for Maine. i think that's about all i can handle on this terrain. and, i'll say it again, why rush now?
Date: 2003-07-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.9

what a great night's sleep--it can really make or break a day of hiking. i was on the trail around 7:30 and had to climb the Mahoosac Arm right away. i am constantly amazed at where the trail leads me--up cliffs and along ledges for most of the morning. my arms are finally getting a workout! the trail terrian has certainly changed since the flatter days of PA and VA. but it keeps things interesting and the views from the tops of these climbs remind me about why i'm out here sweating.i caught up to barely bald taking a break and went on ahead. it was another great day for hiking, no matter if my pace is slower. i got to a road crossing with a picnic area around noon and decided to stop for lunch.there were two people with a cooler of food waiting for a group of boy scouts to hike in after a 4 day trek. after talking to them for a while about the trail, they offered me some of their water and Lasagna (sp?). sure beats peanut butter!another family came up and started asking me the normal "thru-hiker" questions. the 13 year old girl asked how much my pack weighed and then the father wanted a picture of her wearing the pack. that poor poor girl: i'm sure the dad had no idea how much my pack smells but the girl found out right away. i tried to warn them! she held her breath the whole time :-(i decided to start hiking again too soon after eating my second lunch and my stomach didn't agree with this decision. It Forced me to take another break after half a mile to wait for it to settle. I didn't want to stop--my Stomach made me. Honest.after an impressive up hill climb to the tops of Baldpate Mt, i met up with Barely Bald again and we hiked the rest of the way to the shelter. LT and Orb showed up an hour later.overall, the terrain of the day was better than yesterday but still brutally difficult. i earned every step of my 12.9 mile day. (one of these days i'll break 13!)
Date: 2003-08-01
To: Andover Guest House
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

OLG hiked out around 7:30. We had 4.5 miles to go to get to a road leading into Andover. Little did I know what kind of Town Vortex Andover ME was!We got a hitch into town a little after it started raining. And, of course, it was Cold. It is, of course, summer, and what better time for it to be cold than now?So it didn't take much to talk each other into staying at a hostel on main street. it wasn't part of any plan (plans were made to be broken anyway) but we're staying at the Andover Guest House. Good times. and what a collection of movies too! Watched a little of the Last Crusade and i got to watch enough of Highlander to get to the part where Christopher Lambert laughs and that's all i needed to make my day.Good times!
Date: 2003-08-02
From: Andover Guest House

To: Andover Guest House
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I was planning on getting back on the trail and just hiking out this morning. But it was raining still. And cold. And so i decided to join orb and LT in a 10.1 mile slackpack for the day. The woman who owns the hostel will pick us up around 2pm after we're done hiking and she's drive us back to her hostel. This way, she gets us to pay for another night and we get to stay dry and clean...and watch more movies of course. it rained for most of the hike but knowing we were going to be able to dry off by the day's end made things a little better. It's so nice to be able to hike without my big heavy pack: makes me feel human again and it reminds me how to walk upright.Argh: i forgot to mention in yesterday's journal who i met up with: Sally and Snail showed up which just made my day. I wish i would have had more time to get to know these guys but they might push on a bit after today and i might not see them before Katadin. "T" also showed up too!   Good times. It makes me wonder who else is behind me that could be sneeking up on me any day...[Editor: This section was added on 8-6 after I got back to my abode from work... far too late]so since i've been hiking the AT and have had to hitchhike into towns, i've gotten some good, bad, and just weird hitches. but today, hands down, takes the prize. when OLG got to the road and tried to hitch back to the hostel, a truck pulled over for us. usually trucks are ideal for hitches--we get a breeze and the driver doesn't have to smell us... But this truck had a canoe in the back. so there was room for LT and orb on one side of the truck but the only place for me was Riding In the Canoe. orb got a picture of me with an ore, in the canoe, in the truck, driving down a road. i got some odd looks from people we passed too. it was Great. Best Hitch Ever.
Date: 2003-08-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So, here I am doing a guest entry in one of my favorite hiking buddies' journal. Yup, Goldberry, head number 3 of 3 in OLG...! We've all had some crazy times together, as you might imagine! I won't go into all of that, and instead, I've decided to use my entry as a form of "memorabilia" for us. Along the way, we've managed to come up with some crazy quotes. Many of these won't mean too much to the average reader of this journal. For that matter, some of these quotes don't make too much sense to us either... I'll do my best to add some context to some of these...though some quotes are better left unexplained!* GB: Hiking is getting in the way of my AT experience* Orb: I suck at life.* LT: My pants are so wet, I can't keep them up* The conversation is as follows:Orb: GB, what do you think is the scientific meaning of life?? GB: Procreation???Orb: Agreed.GB: Then what the heck (ed) are we doing out here hiking?* Golberry and LT discuss the perfect preparational video for hiking the AT. Our jazzersize movie title: How to Gain Weight the Hard Way* Villianoscopy* Golberry is ALWAYS happy!* GB: If what we've gone through builds character, than I have character coming out of my ears (ed)!* LT: You know you're on the wrong trail when you get a good view!* Poo....he actually said poo* LT: It's all fun and games 'till someone get a rock up his butt (ed)* LT: Maybe one of these days...!!* Jinx personal* LT: Must be nice to be someone else* Hmmmmm....indeed* LT: Tolkien -- one of the best authors of our timeGB: He's dead.LT: Ummmm, that's why his stories are timeless classics* Hardcore in a softcore kind of way* You guys sure look "healthy" for a group of thru-hikers* Are you guys from that circus that's in town??* DRAMA!!DRAMA!!DRAMA!!* Lucky: Quiet woman, why do you vex me so!?K, those are most of our quotes, though I'll probably remember some more once this gets posted on GB's web page. I'll finish up by saying that I'm so happy to have hiked with GB and Orb. We'll have more memories than we'll know what to do with!-LT[Editor: Just so you all don't think I'm playing favorites and giving LT a break from my comments just because she's not my sister, I do have to wonder what a Villianoscopy is. I'm not entirely sure, but from context I'm sure I wouldn't like it one bit.]
Date: 2003-08-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 28.0

[Editor: I combined the mileage for both days into today. HyperBerry is not back]brief summary of yesterday (since it was LT's guest entry): slackpacked 13.1 miles. watched some movies when we got back. had a great time helping LT think of all the hiker quotes we have. i drank 800 calories of chocolate milk and it was good. that's about it for the day.moving on to the 4th:galen (a sobo staying at the hostel) dropped us off on the road around 9:30. it was, of course, foggy and cold and rainy when we started hiking. Go Figure.the terrain for the whole day was, however, surprisingly un-Maine-like. it was almost (dare i say) flat in some places. i was hoping to see my moose today since we hiked near so many ponds and lakes but it wasn't meant to be.we got to a road crossing around 4pm after doing ~13 miles. and then something that hasn't happened in months occurred: the 3 headed monster lost a head. this was actually kinda planned though so it wasn't as dramatic as i make it sound (but since i'm typing this in my tent and am not sleepy yet i'm allowed to exagerate some). previously, i had told LT and orb that, before Katadin, i wanted a day or two on my own to reflect, to meditate, and to sing songs really loud on my own.so today was that day: at the road crossing, LT and orb hitched into Rangley to stay the night in a hostel and possibly slackpack tomorrow. I hiked on another 1.8 where i'm camping. it turns out that i am no where near being alone though-there are quite a few sobo's staying here tonight. but it's lots of fun talking and getting to know them anyway. T is also here, but we're the only nobo's.so i hiked 14.9 miles. tomorrow is a bigger day with much bigger climbs--we'll see how far i get. that reminds me of something T told me today: he asked a veteran thru-hiker what the toughest mountain he had to climb was. the hiker's answer: "the next one". good answer.
Date: 2003-08-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 16.9

it rained more throughout the night but i slept okay in my tent. the rain kept up all day, which was disappointing because the trail went up to some mountains and vistas. in fact, from the top of saddleback mt, which was the first big climb of the day, my guidebook says you can see Katadin. wouldn't that be neat? but it wasn't meant to be--the only thing i could see from the tops of any of today's mountains were the blueberry bushes right in front of me.so despite the rain (i was already drenched anyway) i spent some time compensating for the lack of view by eating a Lot of blueberries. remember in willy wonka and the chocolate factory when the girl turns into a giant blueberry? lucky for me, i'm not what i eat.the one thing that saved the day from being a "zombie walk" was that i saw...A Moose! his name is Wazoo and he was just hanging out near a pond when i walked up in the morning. he looked at me for a minute and decided to leave. it amazing to see an animal that size move that fast through the trees. that made my Day.i got to the shelter (which was to be home for the night) around 4pm. sure, it's early still but i'm tired and wet and hiked 16.9 miles today anyway. after i got here, T walks up. and soon after that it starts raining even harder with the occasional thunder now and then. so i'm glad i stayed. it is good to be dry.
Date: 2003-08-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.5

the hardest part of today was working up the nerve to change into my wet, cold, smelly hiking clothes. things like this should be illegal.it rained all morning and afternoon. sometimes, for a change of pace, it was windy too. i walked 13.5 miles today and hitched into Stratton. T is also going to stay in town tonight. the best thing that happened today was that snail and sally and pile-up were also here for the day.i found out where the sun's been hiding too. it came out when we got into town. maybe it will follow me back up to the mountains when i leave... wouldn't that be nice?tonight, i have a hotel room all to myself. this is something i haven't done so i'm looking forward to it. tomorrow, i'm either going to stay in town or just hike ~5 miles so that i can meet up with LT and orb again. OLG will be reunited i hope!
Date: 2003-08-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

well, the town vortex wouldn't let me leave today so this will probably be my last zero day before the end when all days become Zeros...sorta.not a whole lot happened so i'll keep this brief. snail, sally, and pile-up left in the morning :-(. after that I went to the post office, went to the library, watched some "ducktales" (owoo-woo), and ate. LT and orb walked into town around 4pm which made me a happy-berry. the three headed monster is reunited for the final stretch. 187 more miles to go. looks like we're shooting for the 20th to finish, which should give us plenty of time.Quote I got from a friend: Remember...Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, butby the moments that take our breath away.hey, does that include when the wind is blowing so furiously that you can't breathe?