morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Melville Nauheim 

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

Hey happy birthday late Jess! You are the best daughter I could hope for. I'm extremely proud of you. I didn't have service. Was chased by a thunderstorm all day. I got to the shelter 15 min before all hell broke loose. Hikers I saw in the shelter all agreed we are tired of the rain. Nothing is dry and everything is at the least damp. I'm certain Vermont is beautiful, but I haven't been able to sit at the lakes, or ponds as they are called here. Too damn busy tying to beat the storms.To all the smart folks reading this I have a question...I've been using iodine tablets for water purification mainly the last 4 days. Last few days I've drank a lot of water and tablets. Yesterday my heart felt like it was coming out my chest and I was dragging and gasping for air on small ups. Lost my appetite as well. I've quit the tablets and I'm using aqua drops again. I don't have any tick bites, so all I can think of is a reaction to the iodine. Make sense? We'll see how I feel in a day as it goes out of my system. I'm going to attach a pic of the hail storm we had. All hell broke loose for twenty minutes. Tree leaves were flying down and hail size of my thumb... just hailed down. Then it poured rain again. Having tread issues with my Oboz again. I know everyone goes through this but mentally the fog, rain, mud, more rain, wind, more rain is taking all the pleasure from the trail. Last few days it's been just hiking to move forward. Something has got to change. Basically from Bear Mt, NY it's been rain with scattered sun. Either that, or the building of the Ark may become a reality. Vermont has been prettier. I guess it's green from the rain! Laughing!
Date: 2013-06-18
From: story spring shelter

To: Manchester Center
Miles today: 21.1

Story of the day is my tongue hanging out most of the day. Towards the end of the day the heaviness in the chest was less so I'm thinking the iodine tablets affected me. We'll find out in the days to come. Had a ton of stuff to do quickly in town so I stayed at Sutton's Place and not Green Mt. Don't throw stuff at me...I know, I know. Well EMS didn't have oboz in my style or for that matter any size 13 shoes that I could use. Oboz is sending me a new pair to Lebanon? So I have to wear these for another week. In the old westerns the indians were always in moccasins. I don't know how they didn't kill themselves just walking. Mercy thanks for the food box! It's a perfect selection. Cookies I hope weren't for the trail. They kinda disappeared into....thin air? Yeah that's what happened. Climbs still bugged me today, but by being on trail by 530 I can do the miles and Stratton was really the only climb. Tomorrow I'm going to a local restaurant open for breakfast only. They have a "hikers" plate. Then I'll either try and hitch a ride out or call a taxi. My hitching skills suck. I did the laundry but I swear my clothes stink worse, and I threw out the old socks and bought two new pair. The old ones smelled just a tad. So, all the chores are done, journal is done, time to sleep. BTW this place is really nice. I'm trying to not make a mess - left my shoes outside and dried everything off on the porch. Yeah it rained again but only in buckets for 15 minutes or so. Supposed to be dry the next few days which is why I'm pushing on. But I swear no more 20s from this old man. My legs and feet feel it. NH is just grinning and waiting for me to show up so I can see true ups and downs. Take care!
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Manchester Center

To: Roaring Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.5

Today was the best day on the trail. I got up early and had a fantastic breakfast at "up for breakfast", two pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and home fries. Walked to the place that was supposed to be a good hitch place but had zero luck in 20 minutes. I called Manchester Taxi and he came in 5 minutes and took me back to the Mt. Cost $12. He was from Poland, moved to NY, drove up to Vermont and fell in love with Vermont. Talked to him about my Polish Grandma from Chicago. Nice to talk with"common everyday person". Weather was fantastic and trail really not that bad considering the rain totals. I was going to make it a real short day but just kept walking until I got to the prettiest river I've seen yet. Big boulders, rushing water. Griffith Lake was also beautiful. Folks got it right - Vermont is beautiful. Fully fueled by a good breakfast, I hiked the three peaks pretty good. Caught back to Guiseppe, Wide Load and Moose. All in all, one of the best days I've had on trail. I needed it.
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Roaring Branch Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

It was cold last night. I'm going to look for a sleeping bag liner in NH. Another great day on the trail. Lots of climbing today, but I wanted to make some miles during the good weather. Got to climb some rocks today on one up just for practice for NH. I got a late start today for me and I didn't get to the shelter until after 6. I took some breaks just to soak in the outdoors. I got to see first hand the damage from hurricane Irene. Tons of trees down and three bridges out. The AT crew has been busy here and they were out working on moving the trail higher in one spot. The devastation and power of the storm showed as trees were just leveled and streambeds widened 10 times over. This shelter is the second oldest on the trail. Imagine the stories it could tell. A lot of folks walking the long trail as it and the AT share about 105 miles through Vermont. I was talking with two older gents each hiking alone off and on for a few weeks. Both kinda made choices that they now question. They are in their 60s, and wonder about their futures. I've always told family, friends and folk that worked for me that for every action there is a reaction. Once you make a choice you'll find out sometime if it was right or wrong. Unfortunately I've made plenty of wrong choices, but without doing so along with the good choices I wouldn't have the life I have now. I wish both these gentleman the best. I couldn't imagine being homeless after doing this walk for a while. I've spent money for food, showers, clean clothes, a clean bed. Every day lately I thank God for throwing speed bumps in my way and giving me the fortitude to overcome. As well as the realization that I'm never going to be a long distance hiking junky. A weekend hike or a week hike..but not weeks for me, and I can accept that. Looking forward to the rest of Vermont
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Vt 100
Miles today: 13.9

Forgot to mention that yesterday I went under 500 miles to Mt K. Saw the sign on the trail. I went over 1100 for this trip. Another beautiful day. I did start the day out not turning on the trail and instead followed footprints up a trail road for two miles just happily looking at nature, then I turned around and walked Killington Peak. First 2000 foot climb since VA. I've noticed folks eating more, like two dinners and other stuff. When I resupplied today I bought some different stuff and I am going to eat more. Four hundred calorie meal after walking all day doesn't regen the muscles. Killington wasn't that hard, just going up for about 3 miles. Again the trail crew worked their butts off to get the trail done. It's weird to see all these trees leaning one way like toothpicks. Did some rock hopping, mud jumping and tree root trail. The shelter or "lodge" on top was interesting. Stone walls and fully enclosed from what I could see. Looked like it was also old. I enjoyed walking among the pines. Yesterday tired me out so I was glad for a shorter day, although the side trip added a few extra miles and the road walk to the hotel and food added more. Then the clerk tells me the laundry is only about 1.5 miles and folks pick up hikers. Needless to say my clothes were washed in the sink and have been drying outside. I'll do laundry in Hanover. Not certain if two or three days to Hanover. If the weather holds I could do it in two, but it is supposed to change and some of the terrain from what I see has a lot of ups and downs. I did that one big push I needed to do to make up for some of my zero days by doing close to 135 miles I think this week. Just having a hard time believing Hanover is within the sights.
Date: 2013-06-22
From: Vt 100

To: Wintturi shelter
Miles today: 16.6

Good day of hiking. A lot of ups and downs and little ones as well. I finished early but it was good to just sit and listen to silence and nature. I met Tom Shaw and his daughter Ruby, all of six years old and hiking strong on a two day hike with dad. She hiked over six miles today and will do four tomorrow. I was afraid of getting passed on the trail by a six year old girl with a pink pony backpack. His mom is of the Shaws of Monson fame. Great talking with both of them. Wide Load and Moose came in late and tired. They are great hikers and a nice married couple. They hike in all weather. Not certain how far I'll hike tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Wintturi shelter

To: West hartford
Miles today: 16.4

Long hot day. In the morning got dumped on and had to stop every few hours to wring my socks out. In the afternoon, hot and humid. Decided I couldn't make next shelter so staying at trail angel's backyard shed as thunderstorm rolls in. Supposed to be a bad one, but who knows. Trail all day didn't match my book due to I think the relocation of trail. Book had the mileage down as 16.4 but new signs had it at 17.6. They added a few more ups. Talking with the folks here about Irene and how they just got the final mud out. Place looks fantastic. Vermont Strong! I'd like to do something to see more things like this. On the AT you are above most folks and don't get the interaction. I guess Deb and I will have to take more vacations and travel when she retires with our dog. I'm bone tired from the heat. Slow going in the morning. Didn't make my goal today but only 10 miles from Hanover. Will meet Moose and Wide Load there tomorrow. Got stuff to pick up.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: West hartford

To: Hanover
Miles today: 9.0

Made it to NH. For me a great accomplishment considering everything. Hanover is a very clean town. Would be a great place to hang out. Think Deb and I will head this way in a month or so. Got my food box, shoes and part to fix my backpack. Life is good. Taking a zero with a nero and will leave Wednesday. Anticipation, self doubt, excitement to see new country are some of the emotions. I've lost 32 lbs, all upper body. So much for weight training. In some other areas dissapointment and anger still runs strong. But I'm extremely lucky. All I have to do is look around and see how people are struggling everyday, but move forward in their daily lifes with the cards they have been dealt. Vermont was, in fact, pretty, very pretty. Only two bad mud days. Mass took care of the mud. Very hot here again. It was great staying in the tool shed. The owner is restoring a model T. It's funny I guess how uninformed folks have to get involved in things that they have no right to be in. My hiking ego? Funny-I don't have one. I know I suck. I hate mud, rocks, bad weather, hot weather, I'm slow on ups and I'm slow on downs. Hiking probably is not in my future, nor is it high on my priority list. This hike confirmed that. Other things are more fun and important to me. Time to see NH and not dwell on things I can't control. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Sometimes they just need to keep it to themselves. Later family! Love ya.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Hexacube Shelter

To: Hikers welcome hostel
Miles today: 14.6

Happy birthday my wife! Best looking 29yr old ever! Love you a ton and thanks for everything. Rain is the word of the month. Yesterday it poured so I zeroed in the shelter with Blue Moon. Hiked in to Glencliff today. Under 400 miles to go. Youth is impressive. The young hikers just go and go. In yrs to come that determination will help them in many ways. Mt Moosilauke tomorrow. I'm just doing the 10 miles to NH 112, slackpacking and then coming back here. Some folks going to franconia notch slackpacking, thats 26 miles. Not this kiddo. Norseman is supposed to show up here tonight as well. Johnnie Blaze is here as well as Tarzan and Blue Moon. Some hiking machines. Trail is muddy as expected. Shoes may dry next year. Rain is forecasted for days to come. I'm hoping to be able to see some views and not through lightening strikes.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Hikers welcome hostel

To: Hikers welcome hostel
Miles today: 9.5

Did Moosilauke today. Tomorrow is the big day/test for me. Clouds stayed away and we had a great view. Hiked with Norseman and Blue Moon. Blue Moon kept on hiking and Norseman came back to the hostel for one more day. Folks doing the 26 are in for a long day. I think they were only about 45 minutes ahead of me at noon. Backside of Moosilauke was slick but the waterfalls were the prettiest I've seen. More hikers coming in today. I'm figuring 30 days from today. We'll see how close I come.
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Hikers welcome hostel

To: Lincoln nh
Miles today: 16.0

Rain, wet, climbs, very limited views. Chet's place is awesome. He is a fantastic person who in later days I'll go in to how this remarkable person has survived. Jess, my thoughts have turned solely to you until you get more info from the doc. I'm trying to get done so I can be there at home to help. Love ya deb. Had to come into town and get meds for blood pressure as I had run out and it was way high. Then headed back out into the rain. Long day.
Date: 2013-07-26
From: Lincoln nh

To: katahdin
Miles today: 374.0

haven't added any entries for a while, but I Finished my hike on 25 July. Thanks for the support! Feelsgood to finish. Long distance hiking career is completed. I'm retiring back to retired life of family, fishing, being with friends and my dog that I have to make up to for being gone so long. Life is good. To some poor souls that thought their opinion mattered, as examples of stewardship, do you think wishing people to get hurt, or off trail is what hiking is abt? I think you don't understand life in general. Also I never "gave it up". I looked for "it"all along the trail and never found it. You needed to be more specific, but your limited cognitive skills prob didn't allow you to do so. But thank you anyway and God bless you as well. you inspired me to continue. I truly feel sorry for you. Take things that you said you learned on the trail and use them. Dont wish bad things on people and then go to church on sunday and praise God. He's watching all the time. Later and good luck to all. The adventure is one of a lifetime.
Date: 2013-02-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In 8 days I leave for Georgia, and I will be starting at Springer on the 16th!!!Its been quite the process preparing for this trip, especially seeing that I procrastinated the actual planning of my trip until after Christmas. But its almost over and I'm very excited to be hitting the trail soon. I quit my job about two weeks ago, but I've been dehydrating almost around the clock from early January up until about a week ago, preparing my dinners for the trail. I have compiled slightly over 100 meals, which I will be supplementing with the "trail traditionals" of ramen and mac&cheese. I also have some powdered 'goodies' for the trail including whole milk, eggs, and butter The trail is not going to be an easy undertaking, but luckily I'll have my harmonica with me (hence my name "Blues Brother") to keep me company. I'm no sure how often I'll get to updating my journal, as I plan to keep a good pace and so won't be stopping at every town to recuperate.Anyways, I look forward to reading all of your entries in the guestbook, and hopefully I'll have some exciting stories for everyone.
Date: 2013-02-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So today I went to Costco and stocked up on some items for the trail. I got some good bulk deals on cliff bars, snickers, m&m's, zip lock bags, dried fruits, granola bars and cereal. Since I have pre-made pretty most of my dinners, most of what I need now is snacks for during the day. Headed to REI tomorrow to buy the remaining gear i need for the trail.
Date: 2013-02-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

As for training, I've been making an effort to hit the stair machine at the gym as much as possible. I weighted down my pack for training with some extra water bottle and steel bars. My training weight is much greater than my anticipated hiking load, which enables me to gain more strength from my sessions, especially in my feet.So I want to segway into talking a bit about my preparation for this hike. I know there are plenty of people who look to this site for useful information in preparing for their own hike, so I'd like to give back a little and share some of the insight I've gained over the last few months. I'll start by recommending 3 books that I think everyone should read as they prepare for the hike. The first thing you should read is "How To Hike the AT" by Michelle Ray (http://www.amazon.com/How-Hike-A-T-Nitty-Gritty-Long-Distance/dp/0811735427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360199917&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+hike+the+AT). This is a great introductory book for those who don't have a lot of hiking experience and need to learn about which gear might be best to bring, as well for those more 'seasoned' hikers who have a good foundation of gear and experience and want to know more about what to expect from life on the AT.The second book EVERY thru-hiker or section hiker should read, and also carry with them on the trail is a current edition of David "AWOL" Miller's "The A.T. Guide" (http://www.amazon.com/A-T-Guide-2013-David-Miller/dp/0982980825/ref=pd_sim_b_1). This book is essential, and I find it to be a much better book than the Thru-Hiker's Companion. He details all the critical information any hiker needs to know, including water sources, shelters, and town stops. He shows you what services are available in town, who can give you a ride, accept your package, provide a shower, etc. And the best part about his guide is that he shows you a graph of the elevation changes you can expect during your hike, rather than just simply listing elevation numbers.The third book I think everyone should read is "Fixing your Feet" by Jon Vonhof. This book really gave me a lot of insight into caring for my feet, and the importance of taping properly to avoid further injury. He helped my to figure out what things i needed for my foot care kit on the trail, and he shows you proper techniques on taping and caring for your feet which can go a long way on the trail to improve overall physical and mental health (nobody likes to hike with a bad blister, especially in rainy conditions often encountered on the AT). The last resource I want to mention is long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka's website www.andrewskurka.com. He hiked the AT back in 2002, and since then he has completed numerous long-distance solo journeys, including a 7,775-mile 11-month Sea-to-Sea Route in Alaska. His website has some useful guides on how to keep your pack light and hike fast, and in addition he has multiple gear lists available from his trips.
Date: 2013-02-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

As for training, I've been making an effort to hit the stair machine at the gym as much as possible. I weighted down my pack for training with some extra water bottle and steel bars. My training weight is much greater than my anticipated hiking load, which enables me to gain more strength from my sessions, especially in my feet.So I want to segway into talking a bit about my preparation for this hike. I know there are plenty of people who look to this site for useful information in preparing for their own hike, so I'd like to give back a little and share some of the insight I've gained over the last few months. I'll start by recommending 3 books that I think everyone should read as they prepare for the hike. The first thing you should read is "How To Hike the AT" by Michelle Ray (http://www.amazon.com/How-Hike-A-T-Nitty-Gritty-Long-Distance/dp/0811735427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360199917&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+hike+the+AT). This is a great introductory book for those who don't have a lot of hiking experience and need to learn about which gear might be best to bring, as well for those more 'seasoned' hikers who have a good foundation of gear and experience and want to know more about what to expect from life on the AT.The second book EVERY thru-hiker or section hiker should read, and also carry with them on the trail is a current edition of David "AWOL" Miller's "The A.T. Guide" (http://www.amazon.com/A-T-Guide-2013-David-Miller/dp/0982980825/ref=pd_sim_b_1). This book is essential, and I find it to be a much better book than the Thru-Hiker's Companion. He details all the critical information any hiker needs to know, including water sources, shelters, and town stops. He shows you what services are available in town, who can give you a ride, accept your package, provide a shower, etc. And the best part about his guide is that he shows you a graph of the elevation changes you can expect during your hike, rather than just simply listing elevation numbers.The third book I think everyone should read is "Fixing your Feet" by Jon Vonhof. This book really gave me a lot of insight into caring for my feet, and the importance of taping properly to avoid further injury. He helped my to figure out what things i needed for my foot care kit on the trail, and he shows you proper techniques on taping and caring for your feet which can go a long way on the trail to improve overall physical and mental health (nobody likes to hike with a bad blister, especially in rainy conditions often encountered on the AT). The last resource I want to mention is long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka's website www.andrewskurka.com. He hiked the AT back in 2002, and since then he has completed numerous long-distance solo journeys, including a 7,775-mile 11-month Sea-to-Sea Route in Alaska. His website has some useful guides on how to keep your pack light and hike fast, and in addition he has multiple gear lists available from his trips.
Date: 2013-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I went to REI and purchased the last of the gear I needed. Most of what I got consisted of lighter weight replacements for items I already have, but one big item I replaced ended up being my boots. It was when I was trying out insoles that I realized my current pair of boots would be lucky to make it the first 500 miles, given that there was already some noticeable damage to the sole, including the completely gone 'vibram' logo on the bottom; time for a new pair.As with much of my planning I should have gone earlier. But I didn't, so now I'm faced with having to break in my boots in only a weeks time. They'll get plenty of use on the trail, however being so new it may leave me more prone to getting blisters, either from the stitching or from an altered gait. Luckily I'm bringing a good foot repair kit with me so hopefully it won't be too much of a problem.
Date: 2013-02-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So I am leaving for Georgia in about 30 minutes. Its been a blast the past few months preparing for the trip, and its very surreal to be minutes from leaving behind my regular day to day existence for the woods. I'll be living out of my backpack, which I've managed to bring down to an impressive 25 pounds base weight, 36 with 10 days of food in it. And what's great is that I'm able to include a lot of amenities which will make my hike very enjoyable, such as an extra cooking pot for rehydrating, a camp chair, and a solar panel. Anyways I'm off to Georgia now, hiking in with my Dad on Friday night to the shelter atop Springer Mt, then officially starting the trail on Saturday, so it may be a little while until I update this journal next.