morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-29
From: Maine Hwy15

To: mile 2094.6 (stealth camp site)
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I got up and walked next door to bakery/store/restaurant for breakfast. I then got a ride to the trail head from one of the employees of the hostel. It was 9 am when I reached the trail head. From this point on I would be in the 100 mile wilderness. I also had a great topo map for this section that I purchased in Hanover.I started off fast wanting to make up for my late start time. I knocked out 7 miles quickly until I reached Little Wilson Falls. This is a popular spot because of the scenic falls and large swimming hole. There were about 6 people there. Immediately I was approached by two women. One of them asked if I had cell service. I looked at my phone and I told her I had no cell service. She said she was having a medical emergency that she was having a hard time breathing. She did not look to me that she was in that much distress though I could tell she was exhausted with the look of she had enough of this thing called hiking. I looked at my map and told her if she walked another 2 miles she would reach a road. She said she had asthma and she couldn't walk another step. She asked me to call 911 for her when I got cell reception. Honestly I thought she bit off more then she could chew and she had just given up. As usual though I will always error on the side of safety so I promised I would call 911 for her.About 30 minutes later I got cell reception at an outcropping of rocks on the other side of the drainage. I called 911 and I was transferred to the local ranger station. The ranger took my information and then asked me to stay where I was so they could contact me if they needed further information. He said they would contact me in less than 15 minutes. An hour passed by and they had not contacted me so I continued on.For an area called the 100 mile wilderness I crossed a lot of dirt roads and even an active railroad track. I ended the day with a climb up Barren Mountain where there was an abandoned fire tower. Another 2 miles downhill and I found a stealth campsite at the base of Fourth Mountain.
Date: 2016-08-31
From: East Branch Lean-to

To: Nahmahkanta Stream Campsite
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: clear sky

I went at a slower pace today. I have a heightened concern about spraining or breaking my ankle because the roots crossing the trail have once again become a major obstacle and I had heard several stories of hikers having to be taken off the trail this last week because of broken ankles. My nightmare is breaking my ankle and being unable to finish the trail now that I'm so close. One of the frustrating things about hiking the AT is that if you want to look around at your surroundings the safe thing to do is come to a complete stop. I have tripped countless times because of looking around or looking ahead while I'm still moving.There were no hard climbs today. I had to ford several streams though I was able to successfully hop rocks without getting my feet wet. I reached the Nahmahkanta Stream Campsite well before dark. Nahmankanta means "many fish." The Indians that lived this area were the Abenaki.It was an overused campsite, though I was the only one using it today. I set up camp and ate dinner. I ate the last of my food except what was left in my peanut butter jar. Tomorrow it looks like a strict diet of peanut butter. I have less than 50 miles to go!
Date: 2016-09-01
From: Nahmahkanta Stream Campsite

To: Department of Conservation Abol Pines
Miles today: 28.9
Weather: moderate rain

Started my day by eating a couple spoons of peanut butter. No food in my pack except a jar of peanut butter that is only a 1/4 full. The good side of not having much food is that my pack is light. After I pack up I go to the near by spring and get some water. I'm off, I'm going to put in some miles today.The terrain is mostly flat. The inclines are short and not very steep. The trail as it has been is crossed and crisscrossed then crisscrossed again with roots, each step presents me with a decision on where to safely put my foot. My head is down rarely looking up. I'm tired and hungry though this is more than offset by my motivation to finish the trail. Every time I catch a glimpse of Katahdin I'm driven to keep pushing the pace.Because my head is down I inadvertently go off trail today a couple times. I'm surprised when I look up to see a blue blaze instead of the expected white blaze this means I'm on the wrong trail. Each time I made a wrong turn, I was not on the wrong trail for long. After a short back track and I'm on the AT once again. My attitude is still positive. I do take note that I'm making mistakes, a sign that I'm hungry and tired. For lunch I have the last of my peanut butter. There is a good chance I won't have dinner tonight.As I hike I have come up with two options. Option A is that I put in 25 1/2 miles and camp at the Hurd Brook Shelter. Option B is that I put in 29 miles and eat dinner at the Abol Campground Restaurant and camp at nearby Obel Pines. As I near the shelter trying to decide what option I will take I feel intense pain on the top of my left hand near my thumb. I scream out my worst cuss word and look down to see a huge blueish black wasp stinging me. I swat at it. My first swat fails to dislodge it, the wasp has its stinger in deep. It takes a forceful second swat to dislodge it. I'm still cussing. It hurts! I take off my pack and get my medical kit out. I take some Benadryl there is nothing more I can do. I continue on with my hand throbbing.I blow by the shelter I'm going to go for it. It won't be easy. It is 5:10 pm. I have 50 minutes to get in 3.4 miles before the store and restaurant close. I jog the rest of the way getting to the store with 10 minutes to spare. I ask the owner if I can order at the restaurant next door. He says he thinks they closed the grill for the night but I can ask. I go next door and ask. The cook says yes she will cook me a hamburger. Back to the store I buy miscellaneous junk food with the idea I'll return tomorrow to get more. Back at the restaurant I enjoy a hamburger, fries, and a soda.After dinner I walk a short way to Abol Pines Campground where I pay $8 at a self registration box to camp there. I find a nice camp spot on the grass next to the river. I'm invited by a kayaker to share his fire, food, and beer. I sit with him a short while but I'm exhausted and I excuse my self to go to sleep. Despite my throbbing hand that has swelled to three times its original size I fall asleep quickly cussing at wasps in my exhausted stupor.
Date: 2016-09-02
From: Department of Conservation Abol Pines

To: The Birches
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Up early. I was at the entry kiosk at the Baxter State Park boundary at 6 am. I found the sign up list for "The Birches," the shelter for AT hikers that are going to summit Katahdin. I was the second person to sign up that morning. After I signed up I hiked the 10 miles up to the Katahdin Stream Campground. There I signed in with the ranger in order to climb Katahdin tomorrow. The process for an AT hiker climbing Katahdin in Baxter State Park is a several step process that is complicated. Don't make the mistake of not following the process because of its complexity. Baxter is one of the most patrolled parks I've ever seen and they fine permit violators without hesitation. After I was done signing in and answering the ranger's questions, he issued me a plastic card that read, "Baxter State Park AT-Katahdin Hiker Permit, Trail Name: BASA, Name: Joe Telles." My number was 597. I assume I will be the 597th AT thru hiker to summit Katahdin this year. Now being 597 is pretty good considering over 2,100 hikers voluntarily registered with the AT Conservancy to start their hikes before my May 11th start from the approach trail. That means I've passed over 1500 registered thru hikers. This does not include all the thru hikers that did not register with the AT conservancy. By 1 pm I was at "The Birches." The rest of the day I relaxed. Tomorrow is my final day on the AT.
Date: 2016-09-04
To: Portland, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I was fortunate to get a ride all the way from Millinocket to Portland, Maine from Sam, a trail angel that I met two weeks previously. She had attended a wedding nearby and had offered to drive me. She picked me up at the hostel and took me to a hotel in Portland near the airport. I would have to wait two days before my scheduled flight. I'm extremely sick and I need to be near a bathroom.I called my doctor and she is unable to prescribe me any medications without me going through some tests. Because of a previous bad experience in getting a bill paid by HMO from going to a hospital not associated with my HMO I made a decision to suffer.I really don't have any more weight to lose but I'm losing it! I'm just hoping to feel better so I can make the flight home. I have to first fly to Atlanta, then from Atlanta fly to San Francisco. This will be an all day affair. I'm on standby. My daughter is a flight attendant so I will be flying for free!
Date: 2016-03-16
From: home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

In less then 2 weeks I leave for Georgia to start my thru hike of the Appalachian trail. I am full of nervous excitement and it is starting to effect my sleeping. I still have lots of loose ends to tie up and a few more days at work. I am leaving my full time job to set off on this adventure which I know will be the ultimate challenge for me. I can not explain exactly why I am doing this and why this is the right time, but it is very clear to me that I am suppose to do this and I am suppose to do this now. Today I am heading to a local mountain near where I live. Mount Monadnock. It is a 3100 foot mountain that I hike regularly. It should be a good training mountain. I will be hiking with a 32 pound pack, which is more then what I will be taking on my thru hike. It is all about getting use to having that pack on now and getting some good training runs in. I am 47 so my approach to this trip will be carefully thought out. I am going to take it easy for the first month and then once I have adjusted I should be able to pick the pace up. I do not want to hurry by any means though. I want to enjoy this whole experience. I know I will be challenged like I never have been before and I am looking forward to all the challenges.
Date: 2016-03-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It has been a crazy few weeks getting prepared for my thru hike. Everyday has been jammed packed with getting ready in one way or another. There is so much to get in order before I leave, plus I am getting out and doing some good training hiking. Today I took my pack out in the Quabbin. I got 3-4 miles in before a severe thunderstorm warning hit the area, so I made it a short hike.. Spent the evening preparing some food items. My brother will be serving as my base support system and we will be mailing stuff back and forth. It is actually pretty fun doing all this preparation work. It is keeping me very busy and focused. I can not wait to be on the trail. 10 days! Let the countdown begin.
Date: 2016-03-28
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

So today was my first day on the trail. I could not have asked for a more perfect day. It started at the hiker hostel in Dahlonega. The folks there picked me up from the Marta Train Station. I road in with two other hikers, Matt and Electra. Very nice people. I can not say enough good things about this hostel. They were awesome and I met some more nice people who will be out hiking the trail also. I did not sleep well at all, but that was because I was full of nervous excitement. We had breakfast and headed to Springer Mountain. The ride was up a very winding dirt road and seemed to go on forever. It was a rough ride and all 14 of us were ready to get out of that van. We all hiked back to the beginning of the trail a mile and then started our 2189 mile journey. I hike most of the day with Jenny from Norway, Electra, and Jeff. Surprisingly we did not encounter a lot of people on the trail. It was a picture perfect day. Bright blue skies, 65 degrees, crispy clean air and beautiful mountain landscape. I was like a little kid at Christmas all day. We stopped pretty early at Hawks Shelter around 3:00pm after hiking around 9 miles. There are a lot of other hikers here as well. I would say 30-40 people. I set up my hammock, which is still a little bit of a process and got settled in. Water had to be gathered and filtered and I did some talking to other folks before finally making my supper. It is suppose the get down to the mid 30's tonight where we are. I should be fine in my hammock as it is encased in down, but it will be a good test. So that is my day. It was a perfect beginning.
Date: 2016-03-29
From: hawk shelter

To: Woody gap
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: few clouds

So it was another fantastic day. However last night it got down to 33 degrees. I managed to stay warm enough and got some sleep, but I would not want it much colder. Today I hiked from Hawk Mountain Shelter to Woody Gap. It was a 12+ mile day and the weather was picture perfect again with temps getting into the seventies. I hiked with several other thru hikers at times which was very enjoyable and had my first real miles alone. When I got to Woody Gap the trail magic bus was parked here and I had a clementine, which was so juicy and tasty and then they had this awesome beef and been soup. I had 2 bowls and it was late in the day so I called it dinner. I'm planning to get to Neel Gap tomorrow and probably get off the trail for Thursday. They are saying rain and storms. I am having a blast so far...
Date: 2016-03-30
From: Woody gap

To: Neel gap
Miles today: 10.9

I did not sleep that good last night, but managed a few hours. I ended up camping with Aaorn from Illinois, and Garrett and Michelle from Maine. I also have been hiking on and off with them today and yesterday. Garrett and Michelle have a dog named Dexter. We have been passing each other back and forth since day one at Springer Mountain. They are super nice, as is Aaron. So last night was not as cold and I was much more comfortable. It is pretty cool listening to the wind rustle amongst all the trees while laying in my hammock. I seem to be really good at the hiking part of this, but I am struggling a bit with setting up my camp and then breaking it down in the mornings. I know it will get better the more I do it. I can not wait until I am more proficient at it. Today it took me an hour to get out of my hammock, make a breakfast shake and take down my camp and get it all in my pack. I was off at 8:30am. I hiked to the top of Big Cedar Mountain, which only took a half hour or so. The views were awesome so I stopped and made a cup of coffee and let the morning sun warmth beat on my face. It was really nice and relaxing. The rest of the day I hiked on and off with Aaron, Garrett and Michelle, but eventually I got ahead of them and spent the second half of the day hiking by myself. It was another perfect weather day. Sunny and in the high 60's. Today was Blood Mountain day, which is 4457 feet tall and biggest hardest accent so far. I made great time today and made it up and over without a hitch. The views from the top were awesome and the best from the first 3 days of hiking. I took lunch at the top before heading down two in a half miles to Neel Gap. I did the whole eleven miles in a little over six hours. I passed Patriot on the way down. He stayed at the same hostel on our first night before we set out on this adventure. He is a very nice guy, as is everyone else who I have met out here. They are saying rain tomorrow and heavy rain and storms tomorrow night so I made the call to come into Blairsville and get a room. I will take tomorrow off before getting back at it on Friday. They call this a zero day. I have a hard time setting up camp in perfect weather. I can not imagine doing it in the pouring rain. I know that time will come soon enough, but I am putting it off for this storm and rain event. It has been just an amazing 3 days of hiking. The trails are much more forgiving then my home mountain of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire or any of the White Mountains which I hike every year. It is a lot of hard packed flat dirt that goes up and down. I know it will get tougher soon enough, but I am loving hiking on these trails.
Date: 2016-03-31
From: Neel gap

To: Blairsville
Miles today: 0.0

Today is a day off the trail. Myself and many others have gone into town because of the storms in the forecast for today and overnight. When I arrived at neel gap the man working convinced me to hitch hike into the town of Blairsville rather then call for a shuttle. He said it was easy and would not take long. I was skeptical. He even told me where to stand by the road in front of the establishment. Sure enough he was right. The second car that went by picked me up. The 2 folks that picked me up and were very nice. There names are Rob and Debbie Morgan from the nearby town of Suches Georgia. Funny thing is it was the first time I had ever hitch hiked and the first time they had ever picked up a hitch hiker. A big thank you to them for helping me out. They recommended a pizza joint to eat at and I need to thank them for that too. I ate at a place called Sicilies. It was one of the best pizza's I have ever had. I had a a great waitress whose name was Holly. Everyone is so nice and friendly down here. I love it! So this afternoon I did some shopping for re supplies and did my laundry. Spent some time talking to other hikers. There are at least a dozen of us here maybe more. All of us would rather be on the trail, but strong storm on the mountain and hikers do not go very well together. I think everyone is planning on getting back on the trail tomorrow. I just loaded a bunch of pics on here, so check out the photo page if interested.
Date: 2016-04-01
From: Blairsville

To: Blue moon shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: light rain

So I got back on the trail this morning after a zero day yesterday. Last night I shared my room with D3 who I have seen a few times on the trail. They had three guys in his room and he was going to have to sleep on the floor. I had two beds in my room so I told him he could have it and he took it. He is a nice guy. He lives in Roanoke and I believe he is only going to be on the trail for a few months. I ended up getting out the door at 8:30am and it took me about two minutes to hitch a ride back to Neel Gap. There is an outfitters store there where everything is way over priced, but it is nice stuff. I picked up a pack cover and a little food before heading out on the trail at about 9:30am. The first hour was foggy and then it burned off. It was a great day for hiking. There was some good humidity in the air and it got up in the seventies. It stayed mostly cloudy, but it was pleasant. I love the way the humid air feels on my skin, especially after a New England winter where the dryness just sucks all the moisture out of you. I set a good pace in the morning making good time. I hit the first shelter, Whitley Gap Shelter at 1:00pm and then I hit the 2nd shelter, Low Gap Shelter at 3:00pm. I was feeling good so I decided to press on and see if I could make the next shelter, Blue Moon Shelter, which is at 3880 feet. At about 5:00pm my feet really started to get tired and I had a blister on my right little toe. I pressed on, but my pace had slowed. I hiked mostly solo today, however I did run into Aaron again. We passed each other a few times and I eventually got ahead of him for good. Later on I was passed on the trail by Moose. He stayed at the same motel as I did the prior night and we spent some time talking there, so it was good to see him. I hiked with him for a short time, but it was later in the day and my feet were sore so he eventually got ahead of me. Just before 7:00pm I made it to Blue Moon Shelter and boy was I glad to see it. I struggled to set up my camp and then I made my dinner. After I ate I realized I had to readjust my hammock and tarp and it was dark now. It stunk but eventually I got it right. I am tired and hope I can get a good night sleep tonight. I have some bigger ups and downs tomorrow. I ended up hiking 18.8 miles today. I think I over did it. Tomorrow should be shorter miles.
Date: 2016-04-03
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0

I am in Hiawassee today. I need to pick up a mail drop tomorrow morning and then I should be back on the trail at Dicks Gap by 10:00am. I am doing laundry and going through my pack today. I am sending a few items back home. I am expecting to be on the trail for the next seventy miles without coming to town. I am going to take six days worth of food, which means my pack will probably be around 35lbs. It is suppose to be nice weather this week, but cold at night. I am excited to get back out there, especially now that I have more cold weather gear for sleeping. I have loved Georgia and all the nice people I have met. I mean the state motto is "In God we trust" and it is on all the license plates as well. It is awesome. I met a fellow a few days ago and he use to live in New England and he said living here is like in New England, except you do not have winter and the people are nice. He said he would never go back. I will reach North Carolina tomorrow. The mountains will be bigger and the terrain a little tougher. I should be in the Smokies in a few weeks. I just thank God I am here and am doing this. It is pretty awesome.
Date: 2016-04-04
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

Monday April 4th entry. No cell coverage where I was last night. The day started in Hiawassee. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express last night. I ran down to the post office at 8:30am to grab a few packages I had mailed to me. I then checked out and took a shuttle ride 10 miles back to the trail head where I had left off. I started my hiking at 10:00am from Dicks Creek Gap. My two blisters are still hurting and I have taped them and treated them but it made for slow going in the morning. I stopped several times to re adjust the tape and gel things that I was using. Finally I took two Aleeve tablets and put a piece of soft foam under my little toe and that seemed to help. Ok, enough whining. It was a gorgeous day. Temps in the mid seventies with light winds and bright blue skies. I hit the first shelter around noon and stopped there took my shoes off and had lunch. Another guy who I had been passing back and forth through the morning also stopped and ate with my. His name is Stephon. He,has been given the trail name Hollywood and he thinks he is going to keep it. He was a real nice guy. After lunch I pushed on. I hit a mile stone at mile number nine for the day. I crossed into North Carolina, which is 78.5 miles into my journey. Thank you Georgia. You were awesome and hello North Carolina here I come. Almost immediately the terrain seemed to change. You can tell a lot of people must quit by this point because the trails are not nearly as worn down. There are still leaves on the trail, which there were not in Georgia because of the high amount of foot traffic. The afternoon had some good ups and downs and I got some amazing views from Courthouse Bald at over 4700 feet. It was awesome. I preaty much stayed above 4000 feet throughout the afternoon and because their still is no foliage on the trees high up in the mountains I was treated to awesome views all day. It will be a lot different in a week or so when there is foliage on all the trees. I like it now. Everything is so bright and you can see forever in all directions. I hiked way too long again, but I really like hiking in the evening. I finally stopped a little after 7:00pm at Deep Gap. I hiked about 15 miles today. It was a great day. It's suppose to be cold tonight, but I'm feeling warm as a lay in my hammock and say good night.