morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-09-29
From: Horns Pond Lean-to

To: Long Falls Dam Road
Miles today: 14.0

9/29 Horns Pond Lean-to to Long Falls Dam Road - 14 miles I hit the 2000 mile mark today! Wooo-Hooo!!!!!!!!! That was the best part of the day. I just can't believe how close I am to the finish. 168.7 miles to go.This morning seemed to be like the rest of the mornings that we have had lately. Clouds, fog, rainy mist, cold and windy. It is so hard to get motivated and hard to leave the cozy warmth of my sleeping bag. I managed to finally get moving. I knew today was going to be big since we wimped out yesterday. But I didn't realize that it was going to be tough to do 17 miles, especially in Maine.I hiked the rest of the Bigelow Mtn Range, which was all the peaks but the first one. At a couple spots the fog had lifted, the clouds moved and the sun was shining. Finally, a view from the mountains in Maine. I had been on a streak of climbing mountains on cloudy foggy days. I've been missing the views. But today there were some great ones of the fall foliage, of Flagstaff Lake, of mountains. That made me happy.It took me all day to do the first 10 miles. I thought I was a little crazy for moving on from a shelter into the unknown at 4:30. I figured there would be a stealth spot near the lake or one of the upcoming roads. The lake was gorgeous. There was a great stealth spot - the beach!! But Last Minute wanted to catch up with Tank and Willow so the 3 of us - Viking, Last Minute and I kept going despite the great lakefront property.Viking and I hit the 2000 mile mark after sunset. Took some pictures and then tried to find a flat spot for our tents. No luck so we moved on. Within 5 minutes we found Last Minute who had decided to stop. The 3 of us are camping near a creek and Long Falls Dam Rd. I wonder if the others made it to the shelter or if they are camping with in a half mile of us and we don't even know it.Tomorrow I am going to try and push to get to Caratunk. That means that I will have to cross the Kennebec River by 5pm, before the ferry closes for the night. And it is 16+ miles away. I am hoping that the terrain is as easy as the maps look.
Date: 2003-09-30
From: Long Falls Dam Road

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 17.5

9/30 Long Falls Dam Road to Caratunk, ME - 17.5 milesAahhhhhhh!!! I don't know where to begin. Too much to write about. I'll start with last night.I was woken up at 1:30am to the sound of something stomping through our campsite. In my state of groggieness, my first thought was that it was Viking going to the bathroom, and he must have put his big clompy boots on cause he had to travel further away to poop. But then my brain was starting to unfog and I thought no one would put their boots on, he'd wear his waldies. Anyway, the stomping went inbetween our tents, and just kept going and going and going, breaking a few twigs and branches as it went along. I went back to sleep and then dreamed about the stomping.I dreamed that Happy Feet, Stocliff, and one other guy showed up late and camped across from us. I had gotten up to tell them about the stomping, and Happy Feet said (in his strong Boston/Irish accent) that it was the two "fatties" camped over there. In my dream two very large section hikers had also camped out near us and that was my stomping noise.In the morning, there was noone else camped by us. Reality finally set in and Last Minute asked if anyone had seen or heard the moose that went through our campsite last night. I am ashamed to admit that I was so tired that when I heard the noise I didn't even bother to sit up and look out of my tent. Or maybe I was too afraid that it might be a bear as I broke one of the AT rules - I stored my food bag in my tent. :o I know it is wrong/bad/dangerous etc. but we were in a spot that had been logged and all the trees were pine and there were no branches to hang food from.So, that was just last night. Onto today.Today was spectacular. I woke up to sunshine and blue skies. It was a little chilly, but nice and sunny.We had a lot of ambition today, 17 miles to get to town. I took off this morning fast and hard. I was amazed at how I was moving. I made it 3.5 miles in an hour and 15 minutes. I'm loving the terrain today. I hiked past several beautiful ponds today - West Carry, East Carry, and Pierce Pond. All beautiful. I came upon a sandy beach at East Carry Pond and had to stop for lunch and catch some rays. At Pierce Pond there were some entries in the shelter register about loons and stars. It was so tempting to stay and enjoy nature at night, but I was town bound.Before hitting Caratunk we had to cross the Kennebec River. There were 5 of us - Last Minute, Bear Magnet, Viking, Nameless and myself. The ferry was a canoe. I was very impressed with the girl who was ferrying across the river to come get us. She was able to take 2 at a time. I went with Bear Magnet and got to sit in the front and help paddle. It was fun!We all headed to the Caratunk House where they had just enough room for us. Chillie Willy, Kilroy, Tank, Willow and Indiana Slim are all here too. We had a great dinner at the Kennebec Brewing Co. I'm filled with beer, burgers and cheesecake. Can't believe Monson is only a few days away!
Date: 2002-12-24
To: Christmas Eve!
Miles today: 0.0

My first entry and it is on Christmas Eve. I am going to try my first cold weather camp out tonight, in my parents back yard. Eastern Pennsylvania is supposed to get hit with a wintry mix tonight - snow, sleet and rain. Temps are going to be in the mid-20's. I thought this would be a perfect night to test out my whole combination of sleeping bag (a Marmot Helium) and my cold weather camp clothes. Hopefully I'll be able to tell if I need to add a fleece liner and make any other adjustments. I'll be sleeping in my Sierra Designs tent, not the one I will be using on the AT, but it has alot of mesh ventilation so it will be close to what I will be using.Happy Holidays Everybody!!!!!
Date: 2002-12-25
To: I survived!
Miles today: 0.0

My camp out in the snow went really well. I didn't get outside until 2:30am, due to our family tradition of going to the late church service and then having a Christmas snack and opening a few presents.I slept in fleece top and bottoms. My bag kept me toasty warm and I added a warm Nalgene bottle at my feet. I woke up at 6:30am hot, and because of the wind and snow decided to stay in my tent rather than run thru the snow back to the house. I had very little condinsenation and my tent stayed completely dry. Right now I am using my Sierra Designs Orion, tent and rain fly. I'm curious to see if I feel as warm when I get my single wall tent, a Wanderlust 2-4-2. Well, I proved to myself that extremely light sleeping bags really do keep you warm and that I can handle sleeping in the cold. Now I need to practice hiking out in the cold and rainy weather. Merry Christmas!
Date: 2003-05-20
From: Spivey Gap, Erwin, Tennessee

To: Uncle Johnny's, Erwin, Tennessee
Miles today: 56.9

Day 26 -----Well, I've made it into Erwin, Tenn. or 338.8 miles into the trail. We're going to take a no hike day tomorrow, our first, and just relax. About to hit up my first all you can eat buffet tonight. It should be nice cause I really need to get some food in me. I've lost about 25 pounds so far. I'm hoping that my weight will eventually level off but if not I'm going to have to change my eating habits. Got my 3rd shower of the trip a little while ago so I feel great right now. Hoping to be in Damascus by the end of the month. So far so good, no real complaints. Been able to avoid the rain for most part this past week but it's been kind of cool, especially at night. I'm really looking forward to summer getting here. The 55 degree bag I have hasn't been cutting it for the most part. But I'm still starting to get better sleep as the days go by. Well, need to get going and try to put some of that weight back on.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Woodshole Hostel

To: Pearisburg, Virginia
Miles today: 162.3

Day 45 -----Have now pushed our way on into central Virginia. Good to be back in town after a 160 mile stretch from Damascus. Virginia has definitely been a lot kinder in terms of the hiking terrain. A lot of ridge walking and crossing through the Valley's. Each state seems to be a little different. Stayed at a hostel last night. They always seem to be very interesting places run by great people. It's amazing the generosity that some of these people have towards hiking even though they seem like they don't do much hiking themselves. Still haven't seen any bears, poisonous snakes, or bobcats. Just a bunch of deer, horses, cattle, turtles, and rabbits. I did, however, get chased down by a chicken. He charged at me out of the bushes and I've read you're just suppose to stand your ground which I did. He then proceeded to run in circles before attempting to unsucessfully fly away, crashing himself into a batch of rhododendron. I think he was a little looney. Well, I'll try to write more later but haven't had much luck in terms of getting online.
Date: 2003-06-16
From: Lamberters Meadow Shelter

To: Troutville, Virginia
Miles today: 42.9

Day 53 -----Well, if anyone ever wants to know what it's like to hike in the rain I could tell them all about it. I've gotten wet the past six days in a row. I've started to forget what it's like to have dry boots. I'm just thankful that I'm in a town now where I can relax and enjoy my dryness. From the weather report it seems like the sun may be vacationing for a few more days which isn't very uplifting. Oh well, I guess you have to expect this even though people have been saying this could be a record year for rainfall. There was one silver lining this week though. A couple of days ago we stayed at Four Pines Hostel and were shuttled to a restaurant called The Homeplace for dinner. It was an all-you-can-eat family-style dinner which was sublime. Needless to say, out of the ten thru-hikers we had at the table many of us were hurting pretty badly afterwards, including myself. Lesson learned - don't over exert yourself when it comes to an all-you-can-eat meal. Moderation is the key. I'm going to try that at the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at Shoney's tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-25
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro, Virginia
Miles today: 131.9

Day 62 -----Got into Waynesboro late last night. Have really been pushing ourselves since leaving Troutville, averaging about 19 miles a day this past week. My feet are really hating me right now. The good news though, haven't seen any rain for about four days in a row. I'm astonished. But now it's really starting to heat up. I think the heat index today is over a 100 degrees, which means it's good to not be hiking today. Meeting our fathers and company tomorrow for a week of hiking through the Shenandoah's. I've been looking forward to this for a while. Should be a nice vacation from all those long hiking days. My body still seems to be in tact after 800 miles. I just look like I've been fasting for almost a month. I'm a little scared to even step on a scale. I haven't been this small since freshman year in high school. Hopefully I'll gain some of that weight back this next week. Hear there's plenty of good eating through the park.
Date: 2003-08-01
From: Goldsmith Road

To: Vernon, New Jersey
Miles today: 63.4

Only six more days until I'll be getting off the trail to meet family. Really looking forward to that. Have really enjoyed the hiking through New Jersey thus far with great weather and great terrain. I feel as if I don't deserve it but I think I'll be staying here an extra day at the church hostel. What better way to celebrate 100 days on the trail. That's my excuse anyways. They have two TV's here with extended basic cable. How could I possibly leave?
Date: 2003-08-08
From: RPH Shelter

To: Pawling, New York
Miles today: 88.5

Well, after another week's worth of solid thunderstorms I made it to Pawling, New York yesterday where I was picked up by Helen. My family used to live on Ball Pond in New Fairfield, Conn. when I was younger so I'm taking the weekend off. Met up with my parents this afternoon and will be embarking on a journey for a steak dinner here in just a bit. Glad to be out of this weather even if it's just for a couple of days. The trail was really starting to get me down since Vernon. But we all have those moments. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, soul searching, whatever you want to call it. A few days ago I was at this park area to get some water and there was a little boy, probably around 8 years old, hanging around the park. He asked if I was a hiker, which I said yes, and his next question from left field was, "What have you learned?" Needless to say I was completely stumped. I told him, "You're not supposed to be asking me that. Ask me if I've seen any bears." Well since then I can't help but question my own intentions and all I can come up with is that the experience as a whole, at least for me, is currently difficult to put in words. Maybe when it's all over I'll be able to more eloquently describe my journey on the Appalachian Trail. Or then again, maybe I won't. Either way, this truly has been a genuine experience.
Date: 2003-08-10
From: Pawling, New York

To: Ten Mile River Lean-to, Connecticut
Miles today: 12.3

Day 108 -----After 2 & 1/2 days off the trail eating, resting, and relaxing it's time to get my feet moving again. My time off the trail was great. It's always nice to meet up with family & friends to temporarily slide back into the real world. And I rather enjoyed all the looks I was getting from people who I'm sure were thinking "Where the hell has this guy been." I guess from now on, whenever I see a grisly looking person I'll probably just assume that they're a hiker of some sort. Anyways, am really looking forward to my hike through New England and seeing the seasons change. Just hope the weather holds and I'll be able to see the sun for at least half the week.
Date: 2003-08-30
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, New Hampshire
Miles today: 94.7

I can't believe I've made it to New Hampshire. Crossed the state line yesterday making that the completion of my twelfth two-state challenge. In just a few more days I'll be heading into the Whites and will hopefully get some nice views from above the tree-line. I really need to pull myself together and try to hike out of here before getting sucked into the Hanover vortex. These town stops really seem to empty out your wallet. The past few nights have been pretty cool indicating that fall is right around the corner. I could see my breath a couple nights ago for the first time since May. Looking forward to getting to Glencliff and picking up some cold weather clothing. I'm curious as to whether I'll see any snow before this trip is over. It wouldn't suprise me. Well, time to keep movin'. Hasta luego.
Date: 2003-01-01
To: Another Perspective
Miles today: 0.0

   Our brother John was born between us. Brotherly love was never in our vocabulary. We abided each other-that¢s all. Since he was left handed, we should have been clued in early that he needed to approach life with a different slant. We weren¢t. John was always an enigma. He liked to fish and be outdoors but never really liked sports. He preferred a solitary pursuit rather than team activity and has maintained that approach to this day. Oh, how John could draw! As kids he was always drafted to create the homemade cards for family occasions because they would always be perfect. His sketches of a dog¢s head, a humorous caricature of Dad fishing, and an Indian profile we remember as what we call ¢folk art¢ nowadays. The puzzle continues. He can relate a story like ¢Death Dog Camp¢ with Twain-esque humor and insight, but never share a moment of his time in military service. He is immersed in the history and lifestyle of the French and Indian War years yet he embraced the 21st century using the .com world to foster current interests and future plans. The paradox is that he doesn¢t own an answering machine or color TV. Cell phone or cable? Forget it!John projects a tough exterior. He has worked in a high stress environment his whole career and maybe he has steeled himself against that stress. Still, he is supportive and empathetic to other¢s problems or needs. The real enigma of John is that while you may know what he thinks (just ask him!), you are less sure of the emotional waters. They run mysterious and deep. One knows they exist, but they remain only glimpsed in rare, unguarded moments that seem more poignant by their scarcity.We are anticipating reading John¢s journal: we love the beauty of the outdoors. Our idea of this trip would be to drive along the AT and picnic outdoors with wine. That would avoid the bugs, the snakes, the dirt, the fatigue. We don¢t have the guts to change our lives so drastically and we¢re looking forward to living the experience vicariously through John¢s journal. His creative storytelling will let us travel the trail with him while letting us know him better. In many ways, deciding to hike the Appalachian Trail isn¢t an unprecedented challenge for John. He has always depended on himself rather than the strength of others, and succeeded. Of this we can be certain: John won¢t be hiking the Appalachian Trail 2300 miles as the crow flies. He will proceed surly step by hardass step, until the precise mileage is traveled, until the goal is attained.John Thomas T-shirt Thundershower will prevail.This entry was written by my two sisters in a collaborative effort while they were visiting one another. I asked them to write an introductory-like description of me. I'm sure the material they didn't include was just as, if not more, interesting than what they put down on the paper. From what I understand they had a few glasses of wine, and a great time doing this assignment. Thank you Barb and Mary.jt
Date: 2003-01-02
To: Americana
Miles today: 0.0

Perhaps I was born 250 years too late. Or perhaps, having lived most of my adult life in far northern rural small towns has warped my view of America 2003. I guess I am a fringe player at best in this society. I manage quite well without a cell phone, pager, and all the electronic gizmos that link most folks now. I haven't flown on a plane in over thirty years. My black and white TV only gets a couple of channels(if the atmospheric conditions are right), and I don't have a VCR. I have never used an ATM machine. I have a credit card, but rarely use it. The only reason I have this computer is because a nice woman I worked with gave it to me, as her kids had to have more power to play video games and burn CD's. I don't own any CD's, or even tapes for that matter. My faithful rusty '86 Toyota truck still manages to get me around, even without a radio. You won't hear my woofers thumping a quarter mile down the road. Can't remember the last time I saw a movie at a movie theatre(I think it was 'Rob Roy'). I don't have an answering machine, or Call Waiting, or Caller ID. Until two years ago I had a rotary phone....but now I have to "press 1 for...". People at the bank, post office, grocery, etc. know me by my name. The nearest 4 lane super highway is two hours away.Some people are quite amused by all of this, and some of them actually feel sorry for me!Funny thing is...I don't feel deprived. I am not poor. What I do have is bought and paid for. I don't owe anyone anything....and no one owes me.Maybe I should get with the program, and drive over scenic America in a leased 6000 lb. 'Intimidator' SUV, while talking on my car phone, with someone reciting poetry in the background, instead of hiking the trail. Perhaps that would catapult me into the 21st century. Brown Bess
Date: 2003-01-15
To: Who Am I ??
Miles today: 0.0

I have really been struggling to decide on a trailname. I have asked friends, relatives, perfect strangers, cyber people, but no one seems to be able to come up with a name. So I began a list, added and subtracted, whittled and pared, but none of them sounded interesting or clever enough.Several years ago, while hiking the Fox River Trail, I was tagged, but since this is a family show we can't use that one. Let's just say it was fitting for a guy that walked most of the way without any pants, due to a chafing problem!! But i did learn never, ever wear wool leggings while travelling cross country.I guess I should add that since I was always way behind(no pun intended), off on my own, and there was zero chance of running into anyone 'respectable' out there, it was no big deal. Besides,the bear hunters had already seen us nude in a creek, bathing, as they drove across it twenty feet upstream anyway. Now I can figure I was just practicing for Naked Hiking Day.Back to the name thing....Since I was journalling, I wanted the name now so that we wouldn't have to go back and edit everything from the beginning. The name I would like to use would take too much explaining. So, I have settled on Brown Bess....good name!! Well, good enough.
Date: 2003-01-19
To: Where am I??
Miles today: 0.0

I'm having a little problem--seems that this is a stealth journal, since it isn't listed with the other 2003 AT journals. Just a temporary glitch in the system perhaps. So if you really, really want to read this masterpiece of literature, you have to search for it. Bramble(of Bramble and Bushwhack '01) was nice enough to take a look and see if she could see any errors, but she couldn't spot anything obvious. Being somewhat of a cyber idiot, I'm going to just keep typing stuff and I guess it will be up to you to find and interpret it. If anyone does find this mess, and if you have any suggestions of topics or questions I will try to include them at no extra charge(there may be a small handling and shipping fee however).jt
Date: 2003-01-22
To: Mainstream
Miles today: 0.0

Ran into Leif and Zipdrive in the chat room, and after some investigation Zipdrive managed to figure out the journal listing problem, so now i have gone mainstream!! Besides having to deal with trivial problems such as mine, these guys are putting alot of time and effort into improvements for the site. Having my humble offerings included at trailjournals adds a whole new dimension to my adventure. I appreciate the efforts of Leif and Zipdrive to make this opportunity available to everyone to enjoy. I think I have read just about every journal of the past two years, and have learned much from the contributions of all those thruhikers who have shared their trips. Many of them are able to describe so well their observations and feelings. They have been a great inspiration to me as I prepare to follow in their footsteps.brown bess