morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-23
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Will I had to come. The day after Pine Swamp my feet were unreal. I knew I had get them checked out. They had been hurting for a few hundred miles. The pain was getting old. I had to tell Dovetail to move on. I'am now home and it's the 24th. I had my X-rays today and will its good news. Dr. Westphal, Dovetails Dad, diagnosed me with Sesamoiditis. This is good because on May 3rd I can get back on the trail. I will also have new shoes and custom insoles. Also I will be starting back where I left off so Dovetail and I are now separated. I'm really tired right now so I will put more info on tomorrow.CaribouUpdateHey everyone I'm going to definitely be back on the trail the 3rd. My sister is planning to drive me down and I will hike with her for a few days, doing small miles. Oh yea and I pushed school back till the 2nd week of January, so I now have till October 1st to finish. I'll do this thing even if its only 10 miles a day haha. But I do hope to heal up and maybe catch Dovetail by the finish. Who knows? Wish me luck! Pray for me! I really need it! You guys reading are my team. I might be walking, but you guys keep me walkingMuch love from Georgia to Maine-Caribou
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Will still at home. Got new insoles today. They are definitely going to help. Decided to switch from hammock to tent to save time on setting up and putting away camp. Going to keep my hammock fly so I can have double rain protection. Some people have been asking me why not join up with Dovetail and return to the section missed. I really will miss Dovetail, but not ending on Katahdin wouldn't be right. I'm so ready to hike on!Caribou
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Im itchen like crazy. Can't wait to hike again! Will I made a video to pass time. Hope you like it. Its only a minute and a half and has my favorite pics so far. Hope to have a full video at the end of this hike.Just copy and paste or search Caribou and Dovetail on youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PQBUvn0xbcSo pumped for Friday!Dovetail I miss You!!
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I went for a bike ride yesterday and although I could feel my foot being weird it didn't hurt. I can't wait to be hiking again. I'm tired of this whole house nonsense. I can't wait to be out in the woods once more. I'll Drive down tomorrow with my sister. Then I will start hiking on Saturday. Although I plan to take it slow I hope I can do 15 miles a day within couple weeks. as always party on.Caribou
Date: 2013-05-03
From: home

To: somewhere in Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

About to head out the door to the next part of my journey. I feel resreshed both physiclly and mentally. I'm going out now with a whole new frame of mind. I want to try and spend a lot more time on the trail and out of towns. Stay posted for my first post back in the woods tmr. Thats if I have service. Till next time.Caribou
Date: 2013-05-04
From: somewhere in Virginia

To: shelter at 662
Miles today: 10.0

Found sevice to do my first journal entery on my new phone. Great day it felt really weird at firat to be hiking alone but after a day I like it. My foot hurt a little but in general felt a lot better. Enjoyed ramen and new friends at the shelter. I hope I can finish the trail by aug20. I'm hiking right now so peace everyone.Caribou
Date: 2013-05-06
From: shelter at 662

To: four pines
Miles today: 34.0
Weather: broken clouds

Will there is a lot to talk about. First thing, I have to get off the trail for good. My foot was just in to much pain the past two days. I did hike a lot of miles and I know I shouldn't have but I don't have the mental ability to hike only 10 miles and sit around the rest of the day. I had lost the mental drive. This thru hike was great but a lot went wrong. I had an awesome time though. I do plan to section hike the rest of this trail. And for me the trail is all about the experience not the destination. Will I really hope the trail can b part of my life. I loved being apart of something. And that is why I'm going to look into wwoof programs. I want the adventure to continue. Wwoof is really cool. I can go any where in the us and do volunteering at organic farms way cool.Anyways to all hiking on. Enjoy the journey bc u never know when u might injure urself.Oh yeah rain is crazy when its coming down hard on top of a ridge line and ur foot is killing u.Dovetail is in Waynesboro and is doing great. He still has a great drive to hike. Check him out on instagram under tuckahwestphal. Ill do some updates on him every once and awhile. Bye everyone! Sorry I had to be apart of the 50 persent dropping out by the end of Virginia. PeaceCaribouLife is about the journey not the destination
Date: 2013-05-07
From: four pines

To: house in va
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm not going anywhere today. But I'm going to get hack on the trail for one more go tmr. I don't know how its going to work but I can't quite quit yet.Caribou so here is my last final plan. I'm going to go home and wait for dovetail he is my trail brother. I need to hike with him. Also i need the chance to test my foot. Ill be getting back on at the pa md border. I don't know what's going to happen but I'm far from quitting. Yes I'm might not be a true thru hiker but hey i walked 700 miles and if i start from the half way mark i still will walk 1800 miles. Watch for the return of the journal. PeaceCar
Date: 2013-05-18
From: house in va

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hey everyone I'm going on for another go TOMORROW. Going to be with Dovetail again. I'm going to meet him at the Mason Dixon line. Wish me luck with my foot and congratulate Dovetail on reaching a thousand miles! A thousand more wow! Stay tuned for awesome kickass adventures!Caribou
Date: 2013-05-19
From: home

To: tumbling run
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

It felt really good to b on the trail again. Yes my foot did hurt and it was frusterating bc it was right off the back. I was worried but the pain never got to the point of unbearable. I hiked the last few miles of md which was a rocky mess. Boulders were the name of the game. I did have fun and my foot went from an ache to a weird numness. I continued hiking. I keeped thinking about my journey about how perfect this envirment is for me. I felt and feel great its just that one point on my foot that is holding me back. I can't change the fact that I injured myself and missed 300 miles. So I just have to enjoy the moment as much as I can... I met dovetail about 15 miles in and we hiked one more. It was great to hike him again. Bros reunited! I can't believe he hiked over 1000 miles! I hope to say the same in a little. Saw tarzan! Crazy! Glad to be hiking again! So much fun!
Date: 2013-05-20
From: tumbling run

To: quarry rock
Miles today: 12.2

Woke up late and took a good amount of time getting ready. Once hiking I noticed my foot hurting a lot. And tucker had a hurt shin so we went slow taking good breaks. Tucker/Dovetail had done 28 mipes the day before so he was hurting. At one point today I was really hurting and wanted to go home. I couldn't acctually make that call though. I belong on this trail. Its too much fun. So I'm gonna walk until I can't. We got to a really cool shelter today. Its the most interesting thing in pa so far. There are potted flowers and a nice little spring. A picnic table under a roof. Really Cool. I think the lesson for today is live in the moment bc u never know what tmr might bring. Follow ur heart and dreams bc u will never feel more free. Most important have fun bc ur life is about u.Caribou
Date: 2013-05-21
From: quarry rock

To: pine grove
Miles today: 16.0

Today was a good day for me and a bad day for dovetail. We started out leaving the shelter after9 bc we planned to do only 13 miles. I had a good day bc my foot felt a lot better. Dovetail however was having a hard time with his shin. It was starting to swell up by the time we got to the shelter. From my experience I knew thay he should get off the trail. So instead of getting off at 501 shelter for a few days we decided to get off at pine groove. We passed the half way point congrats to dovetail. Cant wait for dovetail to heal up so we can get back on. Ill keep posting in the mean time so u all know what's going on.
Date: 2013-05-22
From: pine grove

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

So Dovetail has a form of tendinitis in his shin. Not a good thing but its better than a stress fracture. He is going to physical therapy every day, then the plan is to go back out on Monday. I can't wait! With this time off my foot should be ready to rock and roll. Oh yea I LOVE HIKING. I don't care about anything as long as I'm hiking. Its all in the moment. When I was hiking yesterday the fact that I missed 300 miles didn't even matter. I was so happy to be doing what I do best. I have achieved my dream already. I never felt so free! Dovetail and I are going to have a real good time for this second half. He is going to be back to normal in no time.CaribouLIVE LOVE HIKE
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Hey everybody. So things arn't looking good for Dovetail right now. He will do his own journal, but right now it looks like he had really bad stuff going on in his leg. He is going to need a lot of recovery time. I'm going to go back out as soon as I can to get hiking again b/c I really want to hike this northern section. I'll be posting again when I'm out there. Should be within a few days.CaribouHikin and livin
Date: 2013-05-24
From: Home

To: 1112 mile marker
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hey everybody. Today was my first day in pa with out dovetail.. it wasn't so bad. Its going to take me time to get back on pace. Other thrus are flying pass me. The terrain was rather boring and very flat. Went to the green mountain store for a break. Bought two sodas. One to drink there and one for dinner. Today was also the first time that I lissened to a book on tape. Its deffinitly nice for the boringparts of the trail. I made camp on the side of the trail by a stream. It was nice to be alone. I made a fire then two other hikers joined me. I wasn't going to be alone after all.... I soaked my feet in the stream. It was freezing cold! My feet are feeling good now. Cant wait for boiling springs tmr.Caribou
Date: 2013-05-25
From: 1112 mile marker

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

Today was an easy day. I woke up to nice weather and took down my camp. It was nice bc there wasnothing to rush about. I had to only hike 18 miles. I came out into a farm feild after 4 miles. I ccontinued to cross feilds for the rest of the day. About half way thru the Cumberland valley (where I was hiking) I went to a dinner and bought lunch. I wish dovetail would had been there... at the end of the day I climbed a mountain and was able to look back on all the feilds I had just hiked. I got to camp early and thought about doing another 7 miles. But decided not to push it just yet. I'm alone at the shelter right now. But ill bet someone shows up. 22 miles tmr. That will be the real test for my foot.Caribou
Date: 2013-08-22
To: Reflection
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hello Hikers and Readers,Here is an update and the 2013 thru hike reflection... Today I will have been in my new home of Williamsport PA for a whole week. I moved here with Tucker (DoveTail) and my other friend Trevor. Together we are going to Penn Tech college. I¢m in the horticulture field and Dovetail is in the masonry program. We are both very happy here. One of the best parts of Penn Tech are the mountains. The college is in a valley between two mountain ridges. Those who have hiked in Pa can probably imagine the flat straight ridges on the peaks of the mountains. I go out my front door and the ridge line is there, right in front of my face. I go the opposite way pass the college and I¢m facing another mountain... The other day we took a drive through the mountains. There was tons of woods on either side of the road. There was a serious urge to jump out of the car and start backpacking right there. I¢m definitely closer to hiking trails in Williamsport so, I should be able to get out hiking soon.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Reflecting back on my hike was a very hard thing to do after I had to call it quits. However, as time went on I started to understand the importance of this reflection. I just had gone through some of the best times of my life. There is no point in trying to blow it off and to forget about it. I want to remember as much of the trail as possible. It had such a positive impact on my life.        The other reason, probably the most important reason for reflecting, are the lessons I learned on the trail. There are two subjects these lessons are beneficial towards. First, lessons that can be taken from the trail and applied to real life. Most of these can be found in the previous journals. Especially the quotes at the end. I¢ve learned the importance of meaningful relationships, about hardship (cold and snow), problem solving, ect... Second, lessons that make me a better hiker. These would include doing the right amount of miles, taking care of my feet, planning, ect.        Most things that I learned are found in my logs as I said before, but there is one that I think really sums it up a lot. That is I really love the concept of thru hiking. Before I left I had a love for my idea of what the trail was going to be like, but until I got out there and experienced the trail myself, I had no idea what a thru hike really was. It was a challenge, a place to meet new people, see new places, and become truly free. I¢ve learned that the trail isn¢t so much about katahdin but more about having a great time while learning a lot about yourself and the world around you. No matter what thru hiking will be apart of my life. Weather I ever make it 2,000 plus miles or not I will always be scheming a long distance hike up till the moment I can¢t walk anymore... There will be more trips and more journals very soon.Caribou                        G O N E   H I K I N G
Date: 2014-01-03
To: End of a Great Year
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hello Everyone,I'm sure there are very few people who are going to read this but I wanted to wrap up this Journal with one final log. It has been half a year now since I've had to leave the trail. It seems time doesn't slow down even for one second. I think about the trail constantly. Some days more than others. Sometimes its very hard to think about the dream of thru hiking. It doesn't make sense to me why I didn't finish. However, I realize the magnitude of what I'm trying to accomplish. After maturing for half a year its starting to make sense. I've now learned how much goes into a thru hike. I'm also starting to understand the mistakes that lead to the diminish of it so early into the journey. My training, attitude, and strategies were good, they just weren't at a thru hiking level. I also let my head get to me and I didn't keep my eye on the dream. I gave up, not that I didn't have an excuse. My foot was a problem for sure, but when it comes down to it I should have sucked it up more, at least somewhat.I'm far from finished with my journey as an explorer and hiker. Over the past few months I've done a bunch of hikes. Most of which I did in northern Lycoming and Tioga Counties Pennsylvania. The area is beautiful and the trails can be very hard as well as very easy. The view are jaw dropping. Thru it all I'm learning how to be a better backpacker. I'm learning even better gear management, map reading skills, ect... I been seeing more wild life than ever. I ran into a bear on a solo hike. It was a little scary because he walked right into my camp site, but I stayed calm. The bear manage to take most my food and I had to find a way to cut my hike a day short, so I could get food.... I'm going to try and post more of my hikes from now on so there is better detail and I can do it day by day. Also check me out on instagram for more pictures I'm caribou_MEGALast thing I want to talk about for the journal of Caribou and Dovetails 2013 AT Thru Hike Attempt. THE DREAM STILL LIVES. I (Caribou) will be hiking in 2015. A year and a half away I will set off from Maine for a south bound thru hike attempt. I'm already so pumped, and because I've attempted I'm even more pumped than I was for 2013. I will most likely be alone this time. Dovetail, also wants to attempt but he's further behind on saving money than I am so he probably won't make 2015... I just can't wait to have another attempt at a thru hike. Check out my other journal for updated ect..Goodbye 2013 and hello new adventures, good times, and SmilesCaribou
Date: 2013-02-03
From: Indy

To: Prep
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It is cold and snowy here in Indy but the trail is already heavy on my mind. I think that line could be the start of a good Blues song. Come on JJ Cale lets hear it. I am just getting over the flu and boy did it pack a punch. I am getting a flu shot next year, for sure, in both arms.I hope this is the year for a safe and long hike North. My feet are doing ok as long as I don't run too much, hike too much, play basketball too much, stand on my feet too much, and well: walk on my hands a lot. So, I think it is worth a shot.My wife will give the trail a shot this year also. We gave it a short trial in 2011 but she had Graves disease and her legs just didn't have any strength.So after we graduate our sons, paint and update our rental house, find a home for our beloved Bichon, Sammy, find a house sitter, complete our taxes, find a lawn service, help both sons move, solve a world problem or two ---- we will hit the trail----and relax!We look forward to meeting some of you on the Trail.Godspeed to all.
Date: 2013-03-18
From: Rock fish Gap

To: Humpback Mountain Stealth Camp
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light intensity drizzle

My wife and I decided to take an early hike near Waynesboro where my Uncle Ken and Aunt Ann live. The forecast for the week looked very good. No rain and temps in the 50's. What a surprise we had when we got to VA and it was snowing. The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed. Ok so we go with plan B. We got to Ken's house about 4:30 and had dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant. The eve was spent talking and putting a puzzle together on the dining room table. A favorite pastime for my wife and Ann. We got up at 7 am and had a delicious breakfast that Ann fixed for us. It was not snowing when we left but it was very cold. We dropped my car off on Rt. 56 by the The river and drove back to Rockfish gap. It was 10:30 before we said thanks to Ken for the shuttle and started hiking. The trail was icy and the wind was cold but after an hour of hiking we dropped in elevation and it warmed up a bit. We got to the Paul Wolfe shelter about 1 pm and stopped for the lunch. The sun was shining and it felt good to sit in the sun and eat our lunch. It was easy hiking for a couple of miles before we started up Humpback mountain. The sky was clear and the views were great. About 3 pm we started getting tired and decided to not try and hike over the mountain. We were low on water and were lucky to find a trickling stream before we stopped to camp. We met one thru hiker, Hatterfox, who started Jan. 2. He was way ahead of the pack headed North. At 4pm we found a campsite and started a fire. It got cold fast and it felt wonderful to have a fire. It was going to be a cold night.
Date: 2013-03-19
From: Humpback Mountain Stealth Camp

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: few clouds

Deb had trouble keeping warm even though she had a 15 degree Down sleeping bag. I keep warm in my 20 degree bag but I did have to put on more clothes to stay warm. I got up and started a fire and we had breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. At 8:30 we broke camp and had a steady climb up Humpback Mt. It was cold but not as windy and the sun was trying to break out. Deb just couldn't get warm even though we were hiking hard up the Mt. When we hit the BRP at 9.6 mm Deb was still not warm and decided she would get picked up by Ken and try to get warm in front of the fireplace. I was lucky to catch Ken on the phone and he was gracious enough to drop what he was doing and come pick up Deb. It was a great to see him pull up in the car but sad to see my wife leave. I hiked on to Maupin Field shelter and got there about 4 pm. There were two packs in the shelter and a fire was smoldering in the pit. I got unpacked and gathered wood for the fire. About 5 two hikers showed up. They had been up Three Ridges mt. and checked on the weather forecast via iPhone. It was not good. Cold, snow, and windy conditions forecast for tomorrow.They packed up and hiked back to their car. I ate my mountain house dinner and crawled into my bag just after 7 pm. I got up at 5 am and it was snowing. Bummer. Tomorrow may not be much fun.
Date: 2013-03-20
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: VA 56 Tye River
Miles today: 818.5

I had trouble sleeping after 5 because I was wondering how I would follow the trail over Three Ridges if the blazes were on the rocks and not the trees. At daybreak I peeked out of my mummy bag and cheered because it had stopped snowing. It was very cold but after a cup of steaming via starbucks coffee I was ready to hike. It was a 1300 foot up to start and it was icy and snow covered. The higher i got the harder the wind blew and then it started snowing again. Bummer. The forecast from the week before was really off. I had trouble finding the blazes even on the trees but for the most part the trail was easy to follow even without the blazes. I was glad to get off the ridge before the snow accumulated too much. I arrived at Harpers Creek at 11am and the sun was shining. It is amazing how quickly the weather changes in the mountains. I got lost trying to find the trail out of the shelter. It was very confusing and the blazes were not placed very well. I finally felt sure I was on the AT when I saw the sign at the intersection with Mau-Har Trail. The last 2 miles were down hill and it was easy hiking. I saw the foot bridge through the trees and knew I was close to my car.An hour later I was sitting the Devil's Backbone brewery eating turkey based chili and an IPA. Sometime in May I hope to start at Rockfishgap and head North to Katahdin. I totaled my miles for the last two years but the mile calculation is still off. the guidebook shows Rockfish Gap to be 857.5.Happy Trails to all the 2013 hikers.Godspeed
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Indianapolis, IN

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Drove 565 miles to Harpers Ferry. Left at 7:15am and arrived at 5:00pm. It rained most of the way. Laurel checked me in at the Teahorse Hostel. I was a quiet evening and I hit the hay around 9pm.
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Gathland State Park

To: Teahorse Hostel
Miles today: 12.5

Laurel gave me a shuttle to Gathland State Park and I started hiking in the rain about 11:30. I only met one hiker all day. I got to Ed Garvey shelter and ate lunch out of the rain in the shelter. The stink bugs were everywhere but thank goodness they left me alone. I got to town and stopped at the ATC to sign in and get my pic taken. I will be a 2000 miler but not a Thru hiker. I met Arrowhead (he loves to find arrowheads), Villa, and Aloha. I ate dinner next door to the Teahorse and planned the next day. The Teahorse was almost full tonight with section hikers like myself. In 2011 I met Middleberry and Starwatcher. They were doing a long section hike to NH. I enjoy sharing stories about the trail and hearing from all the other hikers about their adventure.