morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-03
From: Carrabasett River Campsite

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 5.1

Today's objective was the Poplar Ridge lean-to, about 13 miles. Didn't happen. I was on the downgrade after the Spaulding Mountain summit trail intersection when I suddenly felt really sick and weak. Decided to divert to the Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to. Tiger had already gone by this time. By the time I was at the lean-to and had set up the tent I knew things were not right. Basically got sick as the proverbial dog all night through the thunder storms.
Date: 2014-07-04
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Had hopes that I would be better this morning. No luck. Couldn't keep anything down. Moved into the shelter about noon when I could at least eat something. Just in time too as the heavy rains associated with Hurricane Arthur arrived with a vengeance. Rained all day and well into the night. Hope to feel better tomorrow.
Date: 2014-07-06
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: broken clouds

This is ridiculous. I'm still really weak but I need to get out of here. Talked to a local that pointed out that I could hike back up to the top of Sugarloaf Mtn. and then go down the ski slope to the lodge to get a shuttle to Stratton. Very useful info as otherwise it would probably be at least two days for me if I stuck with the trail. In my weakened condition it took me most of the day to get to the Lodge. Called Sue at the Stratton Motel and she picked me up.
Date: 2014-07-08
From: Andover, ME

To: Gorham and home
Miles today: 0.0

Got the runs at Pine Ellis so I have decided to retire from the trail at this time and recuperate at home. I will be back on the 14th of August to walk the section from the CT-NY border to Delaware Water Gap with my sister.All in all I would say that this was the most difficult physical activity I have ever done. But most of it was enjoyable. So the thru-hike will now become a series of section hikes in the future.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: few clouds

   First night was a success! Ear plugs are wonderful and block out so much sound. I also was never shivering despite how cold it was which surprised me. Got to see the sunrise when I woke up to use the privy! So gorgeous. I woke up completely at 7 or 730 but didn't get onto the trail until 1030. Part of it was because it was still chilly but the rest was because I had everything strewn about in my tent. And I made breakfast. I met a few people during breakfast - Jim (Buckwheat) from southern Georgia and Enrique from Texas and kept leap-frogging them on the trail. Paul is another older guy sorta with them because they found out they all hiked the Camino del Santiago in Spain last year but they didn't know each other until meeting here. They're all really nice and funny. In the morning, Jim said maybe they should call me Long Strides but since I'm slow, I don't know if that works well. Paul said maybe Spider because of my legs. We'll see.    After a mile or so I met another older Jim but he had done some training for this so he's in better shape. We stuck together for a bit though because the second and third miles were rocky. Talking to him made that time go quicker, or rather made me forget about the difficulty. He's from LA and might leave in the summer for a job. We talked about gear since his pack is 24 pounds and then about vegan food since he asked about protein (of course). He flew on but I soon stopped for lunch at a road crossing where tall Ben and Paul were. Just before that spot was my first experience of trail magic! Someone left four gallon jugs of filtered water. It was nice to not have to filter but not exactly necessary since water is all over here. I relaxed awhile during my break, put my feet up and let them breathe. Zach, Jim, and Enrique showed up after a bit too.    It was only 3.5 miles to the shelter but it seemed so much longer than the first half of my day. But it was filled with some nice things. There was a lone yellow butterfly that flew across the trail in front of me that I watched until he disappeared. That made me smile. And then there was Justus Creek that was so beautiful. It had stairs on either side and a lot of greenery around it. I was glad to finally reach the shelter though. I started thinking I was getting hot spots on my feet but I'm not sure. We'll see tomorrow.    Met a guy named James around our age at the shelter today. He was hanging out with us (tall Ben and Zach) for awhile. They were making fun of me for my long journal entries. I know they'll get shorter (maybe) but I like noting the details.    The older guy made a fire not too long ago and all of us younger kids are sitting around the shelter table. It's still nice smelling a fire. Might go sit by it.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Walasiyi-Inn at Mountain Crossings

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

   I didn't sleep too well at the hostel but someone left dried apricots so I took those. I switched out my leaky soap bottle at the store and got two Clif bars. I weighed my pack after that and it was only 29lbs with 2L of water and about 4-5 days of food. So that'll be more accurate to what I'll usually have and I'm good with that. I called my mom after that which I should've done the night before because I ended up wasting battery but it's okay. It was nice to talk to her and she sounded happy to hear that I'm having a good time. Shorter Ben was waiting for me so we could hike together. We said goodbye to Paul in case we don't see him (he was waiting for Jim and Enrique) and took some photos going through the walkway of Mountain Crossings on the trail. I hope we do run into him again though.    The day was absolutely beautiful. I quickly took off my jacket, soon my long sleeve, then put on my shorts not long after. Some of the climbs were making me sweaty. We took a ton of breaks, probably one every hour from 930-almost 4 I think. There were a handful of gorgeous views too that we soaked up. At one of them, Ben handed me a snack - it was a dandelion! He said they tasted like spinach and that they're good for you. I tried it and it didn't taste like much, just greens I guess. I like it. We basked in the sun on rocks on a few of the breaks and on others, we were itching for some shade. My left knee started hurting out of nowhere but luckily it didn't continue. And my back/shoulders wasn't as bad as it has gotten recently which was nice.    There were so many times where we were just in awe and in ecstasy that this day was so wonderful and that the trail is now our lives. Definitely a lot of living in the moment and gratefulness going on. We had a ton of good conversations too and got to know each other better. It was the first time I hiked the whole day with someone and I loved it. I liked being able to share some of those views and moments with someone. We also often had breaks with Dan, who would catch up as we say around. The last mile or two was definitely tough and deceiving. Just when we thought we were over the last mountain, there was another one! So it felt great to reach the final descent and make it to the shelter/camping area.    Tomorrow is an easy 7.3 mile day. Unfortunately, the day after is expecting thunderstorms all day so I might take a zero then because there are two big mountain climbs and I don't want to be exposed during that. The shelter will be packed probably when people find out so hopefully I can get a spot. Or at least get to sit there during the day while it happens. It only fits seven people so we might be out of luck.    This camping area is really nice. Well, down by the shelter there's a small stream with a lot of pretty yellow wildflowers around it. It got chilly pretty quickly though up by our tents so I'll have to bundle up for the night. Hopefully I'll sleep better today!
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

   Everyone slept in a little late so that was nice. I took my time as usual, made oatmeal, and decided that I was going to take that same southern route of the shelter loop trail back out. Ben went the other way since he didn't do it yesterday. I planned to go up to the summit of Siler Bald since it was only 0.2 extra and I could do it without my pack. When I got to the base, I saw Dan's pack and he was at the top of the hill, yelling at me to come up. I was glad to hear it was worth it. I quickly got up there and it was so beautiful. 360 degree view of mountains all around. The sun started coming out while we were there which was great. We actually were able to see Ben coming out from the trail and motioned for him to come up. He ran the last half; that was impressive. He enjoyed it though. We headed back down and got our stuff together when Ben noticed Little Champion wasn't in the sock. We kinda freaked out and planned to walk back up to look for him. Ben walked about 20 feet and actually found him on the trail. I almost started crying; I was so relieved.    Hiking on from there was ridiculous. We went like three miles and it felt like it took forever and that we went further than we actually did. Along the way, we met Michelle and Josh who are out here for a few days. They're around my sister's age and are likewise a lot of fun. We passed by them a few times throughout the day. There was a stone tower at Wayah Bald where we caught up with them again and it was another gorgeous view. We actually saw the hill we climbed to get to Siler Bald this morning from there! We had some snacks and hung out there for awhile, relaxing in the sun and talking to those guys.    The rest of the trail also felt like it was taking forever. There was a shelter after almost 8 miles but we wanted to keep going since it was early and we'd only have less than 4 extra miles. The last 1.5 was awful and straight uphill. Ben and I were dragging ourselves along and couldn't wait to get to the shelter and I couldn't wait to eat. Paul was there as well as Yvonne and Tony. Josh and Michelle showed up soon after. It was a nice evening with some new people. Ben and I forage a ton of ramps earlier so I had a whole bunch of leaves to put in my Ramen and I loved it. We were glad we found them again. And I have some extra for tomorrow!   Three been a nice fire for awhile now. It was tiny enough for me to heat up my apple pie right after dinner but it's much bigger now. Ben and I caught the sunset but there were a lot of trees in the way. The colors in the sky were beautiful though and looked like sherbet. Lots of pinks, purples, yellows, and oranges throughout the sky. Still nice to see. There's a crescent moon and a ton of stars visible right now so I'm loving that but it's 930 now so it's time for bed in the shelter!
Date: 2014-04-06
From: Springer Mountain

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Met Ziplock, Rambo, and Sambo at the Georgia adventure group trail magic. Met Sandstorm, Groundscore, and P-Funk while taking a break at Hawk Mountain Shelter. Walter White, Bear Burrito, Ken, Jolly Green Giant, Amy Stardust, Persistence, Refugee, and probably a bunch of other people were all at the shelter that night. It ended up raining something like 4 inches that night and the next day.
Date: 2014-04-07
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 15.9

 Walked all day in the rain, it wasn't a whole lot of fun. I saw a handful of other people throughout the day. I met Wings at the Lance Creek camp ground, he was cold and lost on account of having been dropped off at Woody Gap instead of Springer Mountain. We hiked together to Neels Gap, where I ended up meeting Tesla, Snuggles, Baltimore Jack, Ninja Turtle, and Frankenstein. Wings got the last spot in the hostel, so I hammocked out back in what turned out to be a wind tunnel. The wind got so bad that it ultimately pulled the stakes out connected to fly.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Got to the shelter pretty early, so left my stuff under the watchful eye of Maximus (and someone else) and then headed into the NOC. Ate a burger there with Tesla and then we hauled two cases of PBR back up to the shelter and proceeded to enjoy them with everyone else.
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Asheville - The home of Gribley and Daystar
Miles today: 9.9

Awesome trail magic! Snuggles, Caboose, Lorax and myself were scooped up and given a place to stay at the home of Gribley and Daystar, friends of Lorax from his 2012 thru attempt. They fed us, entertained us, toted us around in Asheville and helped us get a wonderful resupply at Trader Joe's. Gribley and Daystar are both wonderful people, I'm extremely grateful to have met them.
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Painter Branch

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Camped at the big tree by the field half a mile past the summit of Max Patch. Yellow Beard, Patch, Lorax, Caboose, and probably Snuggles all camped here. It stormed pretty good this night, YB's tent collapsed and my sleeping bag got pretty soaked.
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Max Patch

To: Hot Springs - French Broad Overlook
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: moderate rain

Did a big day to make it to Hot Springs on account of my wet sleeping bag, and then ended up camping out anyways. Bumped into Baltimore Jack walking down the street and he told me about a great stealth spot above the French Broad River, just north of town. It was truly lovely!There were a LOT of hikers in town, so I went to Spring Creek Tavern and drank a lot of beer and hung out. Good times!
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Hot Springs - French Broad Overlook

To: Hot Springs - Laughing Heart Hostel
Miles today: -0.9

My first zero/red day. I hiked SOBO almost a mile and stayed at the Laughing Heart Hostel. Snuggle's mom had paid for a private room for him and paid for bunks for me, Lorax, and Caboose. It was great hanging out! I also got a new tarp here, a nice Deep South Mountaineering tarp.
Date: 2014-05-15
From: Tray Mountain

To: Damascus
Miles today: 408.8

My sister is plugging these initial entries in for me, and then I'll take over from the trail. She has a map where she was plotting my journey https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zfjhmvggsghw.kNwj9t8ZtBB8 but she got hung up trying to calculate the distance between Tray Mountain and Moreland Gap, a couple of days into my hike. So instead she's going to plop Tray Mountain to Damascus into one big journey. This part of my journey took a little over a month. I spent the night at Moreland Gap on 4/10 and arrived to Damascus on 5/15 - in time to enjoy the end of Trail Days.
Date: 2014-05-22
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: few clouds

I spent the night at Partnership Shelter and then decided I needed to get off trail for a couple of day because my foot was really bothering me. I spent one night in Marion and then got a ride home where I spent a little over a week, letting my foot rest. I saw the doctor and made sure I wasn't doing any permanent damage.
Date: 2014-06-28
From: Rockfish Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

At mile 857.8! We ate entirely too much food at Mings and then spent the night at the YMCA field in Waynesboro. Now we're doing computer errands at the library, and then it's off to Weezies for (hopefully) an AYCE breakfast. Shenandoah National Park here we come!
Date: 2014-08-23
From: 1638

To: Green Mountain House
Miles today: 0.0

Green Mountain House is asily the best hostel we've stayed in! The kitchen is all yours (breakfast supplies included, but buy stuff for dinner), good DVD library, laundry, showers (with soap and shampoo), computer, wifi, VERY clean and VERY well maintained. Complementary pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. This was a great place to unwind after the very muddy last few days. Well rested for the next leg up and over Bromley!
Date: 2013-12-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Homeward Bound. I was listening to Paul Simon and Willie Nelson singing ¢Homeward Bound¢ on a YouTube video and realized that is the best idea yet for my trail name. It relates well to the Wordpress Blog I started sometime ago named ¢Running Back to My Father¢s House.¢ The blog title is based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son as told by Jesus. Mostly, I view myself as the runaway son in the story and I running as a metaphor for spirituality. Everyday is a new opportunity for me to come to myself, and return to my True Home, my Father¢s House. No matter how many times I forget God, He comes running with arms outstretched to welcome me home.         At first, I thought, the words Homeward Bound may make me homesick just like the storyteller in the Simon and Garfunkel song. After all, I expect I will yearn for the touch of my family and friends in central Kentucky. But once again, my trail name, about ¢coming to myself¢ and returning to my True Home, my Father¢s House, will be found geographically located along the AT beginning this spring.
Date: 2013-12-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I first thought I would be Homeward Bound, but in a less serious moment, I have changed my mind. I was sitting in a cafe with a friend and we were talking about our spirit animals. I stated I believe mine has to be the bear because I often dream about bears and they sometimes even talk to me. Animals talk to me in my dream world and I don't think it strange at all. Until I wake up, of course.    During our conversation a server came by with samples of a fresh blueberry desert but only had one left. I offered to to my friend and explained that blueberries are my favorite but it meant a lot to be able to share it. (My friend likes blueberries too.) Anything blueberry is delicious, especially blueberry muffins and blueberry pie. Therefore, I have changed my mind and shall be "Blueberry Bear" until further notice. It is more like a trail name than a philosopher's name.      I didI a brief google search on this name and found very few references except a couple of children's books, which I shall have to read.
Date: 2013-12-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I bought an Osprey Volt 60 back pack and had not checked to see if it will hold everything. I had expected to put the sleeping bag in the bottom sleeping bag compartment but It would not fit. (It is a big fat synthetic model for cold weather) I put in the sleeping bag, liner, tent/groundcloth, stove/utensils, and tied the sleeping pad on the outside. Looks like there is still plenty of room for food and clothing. I weighted it on bathroom scales and came to about 12 pounds. I haven't calculated the weight of clothing yet. By the way, I have some gear posted in gear list and will finish posting clothing, etc soon.
Date: 2014-01-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I opened up my fortune cookie at lunch hoping for wisdom rather than astrology and read: the dream has to be larger than the fear. This was true when I started in Seminary at the age of 52 wondering in Seminary was right for me. I had some fears but God reassured me and the dream of being a hospital chaplain has been fulfilled many times over. My dream of marriage to Marcia has been realized over and over. I questioned whether this was then the right person, the right time and the right thing to do. I believed it was and it has proved to be so. Some decisions have a lot of unknowns. My decision to hike the Appalachian Trail for example time will tell. But there is a dream. Fears of standing up to the rigor of living outdoors at age 65, fears of having enough will power to crawl out of the tent and discover a world I have seen but not seen like ever before. If the dream is larger than the fear it will happen.
Date: 2014-02-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I plan to eat an Oatmeal mixture for breakfast so I tried it out. I added the following ingredients to an extra large sandwich bag: .5 cup old fashioned oats. Some oat Bran, pecans, honey, butter, raisins and chia seed. I was dubious about the baggy withstanding the slightly cooled cup of boiling water. I supported the bag with a bowl, poured in the hot water and squished it around to stir than ate with a long spoon. The bag held up without the bowl. On the trail I will support the bag with cook pot. I will prepackage the bags after shopping before getting back on the trail. (It would be heaven if I could find stores with items in bulk so I could buy just the right amount--as in Whole Food Market and some super markets)      Clean up consisted of rolling up the baggy and licking spoon clean so carry out garbage is a minimum. Other ingredients I will consider are dried cranberries, Powdered protein mix or dried milk, walnuts, cinnamon, honey packets from fast food and squeeze margarine.      The attached pix shows ingredients and the resulting trash. I could have put coffee in the oatmeal to simplify but there seems to be more a degree of satisfaction in sipping a hot drink aside from just getting a little shot of caffeine. I will go for a six mile run in a few minutes to test the energy provided. Since I am home I had toast and jelly and banana. So I will probably use a few more oats on the AT.
Date: 2014-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

One Sunday this winter I walked to St. Michael's Episcopal Church because roads were too icy for me to go to my regular church. During the service we sang "Let our Praise Be to You as Incense." As I heard "we see you in your Splendor; ...we gaze upon your Majesty" I wondered how can I actually see God's majesty? February 2013 I announced my intention to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in 2014, and ever since then it has almost become a metaphor for life itself. A benefit I expect from this hike will come from my immersion in Nature. I will see the majesty of God in creation from tiny star grass blooms to towering poplar trees. Yet the song reminds me Nature is not God , because "We ...worship you alone." However, it occurred to me that the objects of nature are icons which may be venerated. Icons are sacred paintings used most often, but not exclusively, in Orthodox Christian worship. It has been said an icon is a window of revelation of God. Furthermore, it may be said an icon can be any symbol that is used as an aid to faith. For example the cross in Christianity and the sacred texts of many faiths are used as aids to worship God. I may carry small icon prayer cards in my backpack n the A. T., but I will observe the majesty of God through the beauty of nature God has created.
Date: 2014-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have read many journal entries for last day at work before starting hike. Today was my day. I can better understand how you felt. Great mixture of emotions as we said good byes to each other. Joy at just being with people I love but tears because relationships will be different. I resigned as chaplain at Saint Joseph hospital knowing I may never work there again (even though I am keeping the door of possibility open. Who knows what I will want to do after 6 months in the woods. )      My consolation is being able to leave the web page for trail journals so we have possibility of staying in contact.       I have been so busy these last two weeks I couldn't think much about this day. Probably makes no difference. Colleagues tell me to live by faith and trust in God. So many today said they will be praying for me. Blessings of good luck and God bless. Days or weeks from now when my mind and body are protesting the taking of another step the voices crying stop will be drowned out by the power of the people cheering me on. I love you and I will do my best to not let you down!