morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-20
From: Bodish Farm Road

To: Pleasant River
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

August 20th: Hiked 16 miles from Bodfish Farm to Pleasant River. Total miles hiked: 2101.7, 84.2 to go. Today's hike was pretty with several peaks offering great views but it was also extremely tough. Some of the descents were straight down testing concentration and nerves as if ME doesn't tolerate complacency. The trails conditions are beginning to wear us down. Thick roots crisscross much of the trail and stepping on them is unavoidable making the bottom of our feet tender and sore. I have seen movies where they cane the soles of the prisoners feet to make him talk. Now I know why. Normally a zero day or two would be the remedy but with less than a week of hiking left that is not an option. Better to suck it up and tough it out. There will be plenty of recovery time next week so this week we move on. Tomorrow looks to be tough as well with 4 mountains and over 2500 feet in elevation change. The last steep section until Katahdin. The final 60 miles in the wilderness look flat so we should be able to make up some time beginning on Thursday. Once again camping on the banks of a mountain stream aching feet and all. Old habits s die hard.
Date: 2013-08-21
From: Pleasant River

To: East Branch Lean To
Miles today: 16.4

August 21st: Hiked 16.4 miles from Pleasant River to East Branch Lean-to. Total miles hiked: 2118.1, 67.8 to go. Today's hike involved a lot of climbing which for the first time in recent memory was welcomed with open arms because after we summited Whitecap, the 4th and final mountain of the day, we were done with the high elevations until we reach Katahdin just over 60 miles away. On the trail you hike in bubbles or waves. For the past few days we have been hiking in close proximity with Meadow Flap Jack, Salad Days Riskit and Dr. Pepper. Like us, they are planning on hiking Katahdin this coming Monday. Crazy Legs and Hoops are planning on a Sunday summit and Grampa, Tall Boy and Java Man are looking at Tues. or Weds. All in all, a busy time for realized dreams. Also met up with Zook today, who flipped and started from Katahdin south after being off the trail for 6 weeks. Great to see him back out here. Tomorrow Chapinlara and I are planning on hiking to Antlers Campsite just 16 miles away. Situated on a lake, we were told by a southbound hiker we met on the trail today that it is one of the prettiest camping areas in ME. Good enough for us. Tomorrow we are also meeting Buddy, the charter guy from Monson, on an old logging trail to get our last 3 days of food hand delivered to get us through the rest of the 100 mile wilderness. This way we didn't have to carry the recommended 6-7 days out of Monson. Nothing like roughing it on the AT.
Date: 2013-08-22
From: East Branch Lean To

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 16.0

August 22nd: Hiked 16 miles from East Branch to Antlers Campsite. Total miles hiked: 2134.1, 51.8 to go. Had a really good day. Chapinlara and I started at first light as we made our way to our food drop 12 miles away. The trail was pool table level and wide open for most of the day. Chapinlara nearly killed me today when he covered the last 7 miles in only 2 hours. When we got to the drop site, there was Buddy with our food and a cooler full of ice cold water. Sufficiently cooled down and rehydrated we continued another 4 miles down the trail to the Antlers Campsite. We had been told by a southbounder that the campsite is one of the best on the entire AT. Is it ever. To get there, you need to hike down a side trail down a spit of land. A peninsula really, that juts out about 200 yards into Mary Jo Pond. Only about 50 yards wide you are literally surrounded by water on 3 sides. The campsites are located in a pine grove which is about as it good as it gets. Add the pond and its nearly perfect. Went for a swim with my clothes on which out here is both a bath and laundry. Really getting into this simplified life style. Spent the rest of the afternoon taking in nature and soaking up sun. Feeling really refreshed and ready to put in big miles tomorrow. Just 4 days to Katahdin.
Date: 2013-08-23
From: Antlers Campsite

To: Pollywog Stream
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: moderate rain

August 23rd: Hiked 19.2 miles from Antlers Campsite to Pollywog Stream. Total miles hiked: 2153.3, 32.6 to go. Down to my last few days on the trail. Really enjoying the solitude out here. Except for the hum of the occasional single engine plane it is really quiet out here. The wind through the trees and the churn of running water are the only discernible sounds. Even the birds seem to respect the silence. The landscape is unspoiled and largely untouched by human hands with beautiful ponds and bogs and rolling hills. Mile after mile not a man made structure to be seen, wild and free. Today after climbing Nesuntabunt Mt., Chapinlara and I got our first good look at Mt Katahdin on the horizon. Magnificent and majestic, Katahdin has been dominating my thoughts for several days now and suddenly there it was, the finish line, within my reach. Almost too much to comprehend.
Date: 2013-08-24
From: Pollywog Stream

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 17.5

August 24th: Hiked 17.5 miles from Pollywog Stream to Abol Bridge. Total miles hiked: 2170.8, 15.1 to go. Wow its all starting to hit me that this amazing journey is coming to an end. Chapinlara and I hiked out of the wilderness and across the Abol Bridge to the outer boundary of Baxter State Park and Mt Katahdin. We decided to get a campsite at Abol Campground on the other side of the bridge. When I went into the office the guy told me they only one site left. "We'll take it!" And get this: the last campsite they had left had the most unbelievable view. in the foreground was a pond. Behind the pond stood a stand of trees disappearing out of view and towering above it all was, you guessed it, Katahdin. Over 10 miles away yet it looked like you could reach out and touch it. Spent the afternoon sitting at the picnic table just taking it all in, growing sentimental about the last 6 months and the realization that in 2 short days it will all be over. People on the trail mention Katahdin with reverence not because it is Katahdin (which believe me is pretty spectacular) but because of what it represents, the completion of this unforgettable magical trail called simply the AT. 2186 miles, covering 14 states and ascending over 400 named peaks and there stands Katahdin the very last one in my amazing journey. Incredible.
Date: 2013-08-25
From: Abol Bridge

To: Birches Camp
Miles today: 10.0

August 25th: Hiked 10 miles from Abol Bridge to Birches Camp. Total miles hiked: 2180.8, 5.1 to go. All day long I have felt like a little kid on Christmas Eve, all excitement and anticipation. Can't tell you much about today's hike other than the fact that Chapinlara and I were like a couple of school girls with our non-stop chatter during the short 10 mile hike to the Birches. The Birches is a camp in Baxter State Park, at the base of Katahdin set aside exclusively for long distance hikers. After registering at the Ranger Station we set up our tents and started making preparations for the big day. Tonight I am joined by 7 of my fellow hikers who will be making the final 5.1 mile assent to the top of Mt Katahdin in the morning for the the final leg of our AT journey. My band of brothers and sisters will include Chapinlara, Meadow Flap Jack, Dr. Pepper, Riskit, Salad Days, Bella and Bird. We started a fire in the afternoon hours and sat around for hours recounting trail stories, the colorful characters we have met along the way and simply enjoying each others company. Lots of laughs as if everyone was trying to squeeze in one more day of trail memories. Tomorrow is a big day and like little kids on Christmas Eve my guess is that there will be a lot of tossing and turning here at the Birches.
Date: 2013-02-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hello everyone!Please sign my guestbook!For my non-hiking friends, trailjournals is the place you can read details of my hike. I'll be writing things like people met, location, miles per day, mood, weather, etc. So you can keep track of my progress throughout this journey One thing to note: this is a public journal, meaning anyone can read it. Dates, locations, etc. are not going to be 100% accurate for saftey reasons. Please keep that in mind. I don't plan on using the internet more than once weekly (hopefully) so a lot of info and pictures may get posted at once. I hope you enjoy reading about my hike!So no more secrets, I announced my hike to the world yesterday! The knots in my stomach are getting worse and that "what the heck did I just do" feeling is starting to sink in. The house is rented, work is notified I'll be leaving, all my gear is pretty much ready... yikes. I still need to find housing for the dogs, but hopefully that won't be a huge hurdle.I'm still working out minor details. How many mail drops and where will they be, bounce box or no bounce box, contacts or glasses (my optometrist recommended dailies... I think they're going to take up too much space), etc. A few people have asked if they can send things along the way. The answer is yes. I'll announce the locations for maildrops on my FB page in the near future along with what and what not to send.To avoid worsening my pre-hike jitters, I'm pretty much avoiding all hiking sites/ forums until I leave, so this will most likely won't post much until my start day. I'll see you in March!
Date: 2013-02-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

3 weeks! The final hurdles have been passed. Work announced my leaving at the last staff meeting (talk about making a girl blush, making everyone stare) last week. My letter of status change has been officially submitted. I found an amazing dog farm in Virginia to take both dogs for the duration of the hike. The woman that runs the facility even offered to either bring the dogs to the trail to visit me or allow me to sleep in her backyard with my dogs! She seems wonderful and so do the pictures and reviews of her facility. People keep asking "are you nervous"? Yes, I'm nervous. Not so much about the hike though. I'm more nervous about having a stranger rent my home and handing my dogs over to someone I don't know and trusting them to return happy and healthy. Bring on the hike! 21 days seems like forever.Mail drops have been planned up to the 1/2 way point. A lot of friends have asked about sending items. The addresses and ETA's will be posted on FB for friends. I still deciding on a bounce box. Seems like a major PIA for a few ounces. I mean, what would go in to it? A camera charger, extra baggies, tent/ sleeping pad repair, and extra guide pages. I think my support team at home can mail most of that so a bounce box is a probable no.I had been avoiding all AT related reading and online forums up until this week. I joined the AT thru hikers 2013 page and have to admit, I'm glad I did. It was kinda awesome talking to other people that are in the same boat. One lady in particular seemed to have really similar experiences. I'm excited to catch up to her on the trail and see how she's doing.http://www.sophiaknows.com/atdb/weather.phpWant to see how the weather is on the trail? This website posts the weather at ALL shelters on the AT. I also started another map that will show progress in visual terms. Please see my FB page for that site.To all friends and family: I would LOVE to see you all before I leave. Please please PLEASE get ahold of me and we can set up a time to do something I'll miss you all like crazy!
Date: 2013-03-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

TWO WEEKS!I can't believe it's only 2 weeks until I start the drive to Georgia. At this time on 3/18 I should have already dropped the dogs off in Virginia and be somewhere in NC! The closer it gets, the more real this entire situation is. The worry is starting to fade and the excitement and anticipation are beginning to build.I finalized mail drops for the first 1/2 of the trip, up until Harper's Ferry. I don't have any scheduled around southern/central PA. Hopefully I'll get to visit some friends and family in person. I have a feeling my mail drops have too much stuff but I'd rather donate things to hiker boxes than be without. So far they include: camp soap, new contacts, a contact case, contact solution, razor, toothpaste, spare AA battery (for my headlamp), fresh ear plugs, and a sponge. A few have things like extra dental floss, chap stick, matches, and bug spray. I've packed each drop in a labeled zip lock baggie, that way if adjustments are needed it will be easy to add/ remove items. I really want my support team to have to think as little as possible My last major trouble spot is clothes (isn't it with most ladies?). I keep seeing pictures of the snow-covered mountains in GA and get chilly just looking at them. All I have for warmth is a patagonia down shirt, which is supposed to replace a fleece. That might get left at home in favor of a real fleece and my heavier down jacket. What to do, what to do... weight vs. warmth... I've never visited GA/NC during early spring, so I can't even guess what the weather is like, let alone at 4,000 ft. Thank heavens for an emergency blanket... just in case!I've been trying to keep as busy as possible to prevent constantly thinking about this trip and all the details. Movies watched- thousands, word puzzles- more than I can count, random chores- probably not enough, time spent on FB- wayyy too much! As a final thought, I guess this is my 3rd journal entry which means this journal will go live on trailjournals. That's a little nerve-wracking too! Remember to look for weekly(ish) updates!
Date: 2013-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Still busy daydreaming¢¦. I¢m very thankful to have lots coworkers so I avoid sounding like a broken record. I¢m sure my friends and family want to change the subject but they are kind enough to indulge me, at least for the time being. In the past few weeks I¢ve shown more bear pictures, campfire tales and hiking stories than the rest of my life combined. Springer fever has set in. Symptoms include anxiety, nervousness, apprehension, excitement, restlessness, depression (of not being outside), hiking related diarrhea of the mouth, and occasional abdominal pain. In addition, I have a case of sinusitis, which is pretty miserable. My face feels like it¢s ready to implode and I¢m about ready to remove a molar to relieve the pressure. That has put a bit of a crimp in my plans the past few days because I¢m kind of tired and cranky and it hurts to eat or do anything other than lie in bed or take a bath. The tissue companies should be thanking me, I¢ve used about 3 boxes in 3 days.Hiking preparations have been on the back burner the past few days because of this sinus issue. I¢ve mostly been doped up on Benadryl, working, or sleeping. I have been keeping up with foot care though. I bought a Ped Egg and sanded off the thick calluses on my feet, which have accumulated after years of running, hiking, and climbing. I¢ve also been using lanolin every night. I heard it should help with blisters, we¢ll see! My biggest concern isn¢t an injury or getting eaten by a bear, but blisters. My feet blister if you look at them the wrong way. I¢ve tried all types of boots, trail runners, insoles, etc. The only thing that seems to work is wrapping my feet in duck tape, which gets changed out at least twice a day. What a chore! Hopefully this is my lucky year, and I¢ll be blister free for 2013.I¢m getting more and more comfortable with online journaling and starting to really enjoy it. I would look for journal entries more than once a week. Happy daylight savings time! The days are getting longer, brighter and warmer! Perfect for hiking ?
Date: 2013-03-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I¢m in the middle of my last shift at work! Only 4 days until the drive starts, 6 days until I¢m on the trail, and 6 more hours of work stand between me and the start of this hike! Yahoo!My pack has been packed and repacked about 20 times. It looks like a tornado hit my stuff. It¢s sprawled all over the house. A few items have been adjusted a little, chapstick was swapped out for vasoline, the heavy fleece was swapped for the lighter fleece, just little stuff like that.I guess the reality of the hike really started to set in when the forecast for 3/20 showed up on the 10 day forcast. It¢s even crazier that Wednesday will be in the 5 day tomorrow. Plans are a full go. Leaving around 5 am on Monday, driving to Cascade VA to drop off the dogs and get a full, in-person tour of the facility, drive as close to Amicalola as possible. Then wake up bright and early, drive to Amicalola falls, day hike the approach trail (or some part of it), spend the night at the lodge, and then start at Springer bright and early! This weekend is going to go so slow!Goal of the weekend: SLEEP! I haven¢t slept in about a week. I finally kicked the sinus infection and managed to get extra Doxycycline in case any signs of lyme disease pop up. I highly recommend pre-hike doctor, dentist, and optometrist appointments to anyone thinking of hiking. They do an amazing job of working with you so that you stay happy and healthy for your trip. My providers have all gone above and beyond the standard visits and it¢s really appreciated! Anyways, I can¢t sleep, the last time I remember feeling like this I was 8 and it was the week before the family went to Disney World for the first time. I guess the trail is an adult¢s version of Disney.The weekend is really crammed full of dinners with friends and family. It¢s my little brother¢s birthday the day after I start, happy birthday, Jake! We¢re celebrating it a little early this year. You can¢t forget St. Patrick¢s day either, everyone needs to have at least one green beer! Have a great weekend! My next post will be from Georgia!
Date: 2013-03-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

I'm at Amicalola lodge!!!! Ahhhh! I can't believe the day is nearly here! Today was such a huge mix if emotions, i can barely describe it. Dropping my dogs of was definitely the hardest thing. I didn't want to leave them with a stranger. She was kind enough to send me a video less than an hour after i , which helped me feel better. Driving 14 hours and waking up at 4 am wasn't easy . But driving up to the Appalachian mountains and finally arriving at the lodge gave me a chill, this is really happening!!!I want to give a huge shout out of thanks to my family, friends and coworkers. You have all been amazing and supportive and I'm lucky to know all of you! I'm sorry i didn't get to hang out with a lot of you the past few weeks, but I'm sure well see eachother soon! And to those of you i did see... Thanks for all the themed meals, cakes, dinners, lunches, drinks, etc. I am starting 10 lbs heavier but not hungry, lol :-) I love you all!
Date: 2013-03-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Going to springer in 2 hours to get this hike officially started! Yay! I am so excited, i only slept 3 restless hours last night!Amicalola park and lodge have been amazing. Amazing views, friendly staff, decent food, breadth taking sunsets. We hiked to the visitors center and checked in yesterday. I was lucky #513 for the year. Then we looked at the arch and got pictures. Checked out the reflection pond and walled the 604 steps up to the top of the falls. It was gorgeous! Then at dinner of tilapia and veggies with chocolate cake, with about 5 large glasses of sweet tea. We watched the sunset over the Appalachian mountains then went to bed...or tried to. Turned out to be a great day!I'll write soon, happy spring everyone! Oh, temps ate in the mid 50's and sunny, blue skies. Hopefully this weather keeps up! The trees are all starting to bud and some wild flowers are out!
Date: 2013-03-20
From: springer

To: Cooper gap
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

Starting day! Had an awesome breakfast at Amicalola and drove to springer bright and early. Georgia is gorgeous! Hiked over sassafrass mtn and stumbled into cooper gap campsite. I meet some awesome people around the camp fire including Lisa, Brandon, Kristen and tinker. Survivor Dave stopped by and dropped off water and took our trash. Pat came by shortly after and gave us cookies! Many thanks to both!
Date: 2013-03-21
From: Cooper gap

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a freezing morning in Cooper Gap. Everyone's water bladders were a brick, as were the gallon jugs of water that Survivor Dave dropped off the night before. Thankfully, Tinker started a fire to warm us up before heading off. Made it to Lance Creek by 3 and set up camp in one of the last flat tenting spots. By the end of the night it was tent city and there were 20-30+ tents spread out everywhere. I met Jeff and Nicole, Goatman, Harrison, Cole and Kristen and Brandon showed up again. We all made dinner, chatted for a bit, then headed to bed because it was so cold. As I was drifting off I thought I heard someone saying there would be a hot breakfast if the weather was bad, but I wasn't sure if it was a dream.
Date: 2013-03-22
From: Lance Creek

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4

Woke up to a much warmer morning than the previous day. Everyone pretty much agreed on that! I asked Goatman if a lady really offered us breakfast. He said "yeah, if the weather was bad"... but the weather was fine, so we assumed no breakfast. Headed out of Lance creek super early to try to avoid the rush to Neels gap. I kind of understand the bear cannister rule on Blood Mountain, but boy does it cram a lot of hikers together. About 1/4 mile into the hike I saw an orange flag hanging off the tree that said "breakfast, 1st house on right". Sure enough, there was a gorgeous house just off the trail with a welcoming woman waving in the window. Her name was Jan and she allowed us stinky hikers into her gorgeous home! She made us egg scramble, pumpkin pancakes with syrup, grapefruit juice and coffee. She even allowed us to use the restroom. Many thanks Jan! I ate breakfast with Harrison, Brandon, and Kristen. We all agreed to share a cabin at Neels Gap. Hiking over Blood Mountain wasn't horrible. We all agreed it was better than Sassafrass, which was a PIA (hehe, it rhymes!). Took a quick break at Blood Moutnain shelter, climbed some rocks and got great views. We all chatted and hiked down the mountain to Mountain Crossings. What a welcome sight! Brandon had already reserved a cabin for the 4 of us. I ran inside to Mountain Crossing, grabbed a coke and fudge cup and some postcards for the family. Signed the register and got my photo taken for the FB page. We ran to the cabin, wow... I HIGHLY recommend them. Nice, soft beds. Heat, fully stocked kitchen and enough hot water for 4 people to take 4 very long, hot showers. The store owner is amazing and has frozen pizzas. We bought 4 pizzas and a Dr. pepper and each person ate one. We went to visit the other cabins of hikers then came back to relax. Harrison, Brandon, and Kristen taught me to play spades then we went to bed.