morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-26
From: Ore Hill Camp Site

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 7.3

While many things intrigue hikers, of particular interest is availability of a privy at a shelter and its condition. The privy at this shelter was quite interesting and spacious. This privy had just recently been built this year and the user actually sits on a "throne" shaped seat and was much bigger than the usual privy to the point that it could have been used as a shelter and was actually cleaner than some of the shelters I have seen. With that matter taken care of it was back to the trail where we enjoyed more views of ponds and wilderness of which we got nice pics. We met another SOBO Reboot and 2 more NOBO Section hikers from western NY. we made it to NH 25 where the Miller family from MA were hosting trail magic of water, soda, home made cookies and cantaloupe. It was so awesome and greatly appreciated. Their son who was there had thru hiked last year and this was their way of giving back. After filling our bellies we made our way to the Hikers Welcome Hostel where we settled in, got a bunk, took a shower, did our laundry and hung out. I made good use of the hammock in the back to do some journaling and take a much needed nap. This break is really great. Around 5, 6 of us and a dog made a trip to the local gas station/convenience store for food for the night. Oconee and I made our way to the local watering hole where we took nourishment in the form of tasty beverages. Thanks Oconee for the birthday Margarita! We both had a pizza which was quite tasty also. Back at the hostel we relaxed some more and I cleaned up some of my photo log. We watched a DVD and I had a sub I had bought earlier. This hostel is very rustic with limited amenities. What they lack in this though they have a strong commitment to the hikers who pass through and which is greatly appreciated.I just want to thank everyone for following me on my journals and to know I will be taking the next couple of weeks off to attend my grandson's 1st birthday and to attend two weddings. I plan on getting back on the trail 8/11 and may post some of my activities if I get a chance. My wife Laura and son Kristopher are picking me up tomorrow and taking me home. While it is exciting to be going home and seeing everyone, I am still a bit envious of those that are moving up the trail and will miss their companionship especially Oconee who I wish the best to.
Date: 2014-07-27
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Getting off the trail today and heading home for some family camping - a tradition of over 20 years, 2 weddings and most important, my grandson Elliott's first birthday. My Laura and son Kristopher are driving from NY to get me. My emotions are really mixed as I'm drawn home to my family, but at the same time I want to keep moving forward on the trail. As I watched Oconee head out this morning I was pretty envious of him. I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out the Whites and a schedule that would work for me. The biggest issue appears to be resupplying as I want to carry as little as possible in order to keep my pack weight down. How little I knew of what would be in store for me in 2 weeks.
Date: 2014-07-28
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Watching Elliot today. What a joy he is. I'm enjoying getting reacquainted with him. Also started working on list of jobs Laura needs done before I go back to the trail. Checked my weight and I'm at 158. I would like to be at 165 by the time I go back. Good to be home but still thinking about the trail.
Date: 2014-08-10
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Have jumped ahead to catch up with journal. I will go back to when I was at home when I get a chance. After being home for 2 weeks I was feeling more jittery each day like I was on a tilt a whirl at full speed. Being home was so much different than being on the trail and it definitely gave me some introspection to what I would be facing when I got home and what I need to do then as I deal with regular day to day life responsibilities.I want to give a shout out to my sister Jean Marie and bother in law Richard who went out of their way to get me back to Glencliff, NH as they made their way to Maine while on vacation. You are definitely trail angels of a special kind and I really appreciate everything you've done for me.Back at Welcome Hiker Hostel I ran into Lorax and Wikapedia who I haven't seen in a month or so. A lot of North bound or South bound here with most of them being young. I feel out of sorts as I now shift to trail life and try to get into another mind set. It's suppose to be nice tomorrow but storms and rain the rest of the week. Not how I would like to see my start of the White's begin. I'm also concerned how my legs will hold up and the pack weight and miles will affect me. I'm praying it will all come together. All in all I just want to get started again so I can finish up and go home to stay!
Date: 2014-08-11
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.8

I was up at five and out by six and it took me about 4 hours to reach the top of Mount Moosilauke. Got some pics at the East peak and again at the summit where I ran into a section hiker Doug who took a pic of me and another thru hiker Duff. I am amazed by the way the rock cairns stand like silent sentinels when the weather is good but beacons of hope when the weather turns nasty. These views are truly what inspire poets and hikers alike and I was having a great day! Until......the wheels fell off going down the backside of the mountain. It seemed like I was falling apart as my groin began to ache, and my knees and ankles began to fire out shooting pains. Going down hill was murder as the bang, bang, bang would allow for no relief. I made it to Beaver Brook by 11 but it was way too early to call it a day pain or no pain and with the shelter name of Eliza I was sure it was an omen to move on. But was it? The pain continued and I began to think I had bitten off more than I could handle and the cascades where relentlessly steep and slippery with rebar handles drilled into the bed rock of sheer rock faces along the stream along with wooden blocks that "helped" us get over the worse spots. By this time my knees are starting to scream so I stopped and soaked them in the cold water of the stream and got some relief so I pushed on. Finally the bottom came into sight when, WIPE OUT!!!! I had taken my eye off my feet for only a split second and I stepped on some moss on a rock and the next thing I knew I was tumbling head over heals. Fortunately I ended up in some moss and mud but it took a bit of time to right myself. Besides hurting my pride and pissing myself off, I only had some minor abrasions to my forearm. But there was no time to feel sorry for myself so I crossed over Rte. 112 and headed up Wolf Mtn. which was a 1600 foot climb. As I continued up my knees got worse and I had really screwed myself over by forgetting to pack any ibuprophen. I was now down to only 1 mile per hour when I ran into some South bounds on the Mt. Wolf east peak and they were gracious enough to give me some Ibuprophen. this helped a bit and while it still hurt, I could move a little faster. As I started to close in on Eliza Shelter the rain started to fall necessitating me putting on my rain jacket and pack cover. Now the trail was wet and even harder to navigate over large rocks which were even more slippery now. I finally made it to the shelter at 6 and we ended up with a full house as Hoops got in about an hour later. Cup cake and Sprinkle Bursts were there and it was a good group of NOBO's. There's talk of heavy rain and storms on Wednesday when I'm suppose to do Franconia Ridge. This will suck as this is suppose to be one of the most spectacular views of the whole range. Now the question is do I zero in Lincoln or N. Woodstock or at least start up the mountain to Liberty Springs? I need to get some Ibuprophen of my own as I don't see this knee thing going away any time soon. Either way I will go to the Flume Visitor's Center for my package tomorrow and hope the rain holds off.
Date: 2014-08-13
From: Chet's Place/Lincoln, NH

To: Chet's Place/ Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0

I forgot to mention a loss of a beloved hiking companion - my "Life is Good" baseball cap which I left at Eliza Brooks shelter. I have had it with me since 1992 and have worn it since the Approach Trail in Georgia. I had hung the hat up there because it was wet and forgot it when I headed out. Oh well, if I had to leave it somewhere at least it was in the White Mountains. Now I have to look for a replacement and I was able to find one in town - a gray cap with red lettering New Hampshire and a moose on it. We'll see how it works out. There is a group of SOBO's and one is a girl who graduated from SLU and has said she will look for it and if she finds it will mail it to me. I can only hope. The rest of the day was spent on the couch with my leg up and reading a book. I did go out in the storm to get some pizza and chicken for supper. Lorax gave me a script pill just in case my knee gets worse. The knee is getting better but I'm still quite leery of how it will hold up. Tomorrow is the big test. I'm so glad I'm inside as we had a huge storm with high winds and heavy rains that lasted most of the afternoon and part of the evening. Mount Washington recorded 75 mph winds that day and it will be interesting to see what weather tomorrow brings. I also mailed 9 POUNDS of food forward to Gorham to lighten my load and hope it helps my knees.
Date: 2014-08-14
From: Chet's Place/ Lincoln, NH

To: Garfield Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up at 5 and so anxious to test my leg. I've decided if something happens its going to happen as God see fits and I will be all right with it. It's cool and overcast outside and the mountains are shrouded with clouds. I had some breakfast (power bar and cliff bar) and took some Advil. Gone Swimming, I and 2 other guys caught a ride back to the trail head from Dutch who was staying at Chet's. Along with Gone Swimming I headed up Franconia Ridge which is a 2900 foot climb over 3 miles. Gone Swimming left me behind which was all right with me as I continued to practice Wet Dogs mantra that "You can't go up hill slow enough". The trail was not too bad and there wasn't as much debris as I expected with the storm and all. The climb was slow and steady with medium size rocks. Little Hay Stack which is the first mountain was socked in with a heavy wet mist. The open ridge was nice with lots of people but no views on Lafayette or Lincoln. I did finally get a great view on Garfield which had a stone foundation left over from a ranger tower. After a half hour or so I moved on and continued to have some nice views and made it to the shelter in good time. It was suppose to be in the low 40's or upper 30's tonight. My knee was sore but not as painful as usual. Then again I didn't have as much down hill as before. got something to eat and had some Advil and got into my sleeping bag. I'm curious as to how the knee will feel tomorrow. I'm going to try and continue to keep the miles low and my pack weight light whenever possible. The Shelter which is designed for 12 has 17 tonight. Lorax and Wiki arrived late and got 2 of the last spots. Gone Swimming and I talked for a while and then it was off to sleep for me. I woke up at 2 and couldn't get back to sleep until 4 thinking about my knee and worried about what kind of schedule to keep and how much food to resupply with and where to get it from. The trials and tribulations of the trail.
Date: 2014-08-15
From: Garfield Shelter

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 9.5

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) runs a number of Huts which are more like lodges in the mountains. They usually hold anywhere from 30 to 90 people and serve breakfast and lunch. One of the things thru hikers can do is ask if they can stay for free and have left overs if they do work for the hut croo workers.Up at 5, had my medicine, ate a power bar and cliff bar and had some preventative Advil. got on the road at 715 with a downhill right out of the gate. This climb was down an almost vertical waterfalls which really tested the knees which are both now hurting. I stopped at the Galehead Hut and Beowolf the cook gave me a day old muffin and some apple juice for free. I was also able to get a bowl of soup for $2 and refills for $1. Also bought a snickers bar and 2 pieces of cake. The climb up South Twin Mountain had an elevation of 4900 feet. Man we are really getting up there! It wasn't too hard with mostly rock climbs of stable and had easy footing. Had a bit of a problem trying o get down North Twin when I missed a sign that had fallen on the ground. I had gone about a quarter mile and had not seen a white blaze or any other blaze when I looked back and dang it there was a blue blaze marking a side trail. Back up the mountain I went and looked around and there was the sign on the ground showing the way down the AT. It was a steep downhill that was putting a lot of pressure on my knees and it took quite a while to get to the bottom where it "leveled out" a bit. I made my way past Zeacliff ridge mm 1829.1 which had a lot of rock scree along with some awesome views all around. Another place I could have sat for a while but off to the east there was a particularly dark cloud that looked like it had some rain in it so I moved on. I continued down hill and it was really pushing my knees and the pain while still bad was no worse. I got to Zealand Hut after only 9.5 miles that felt more like 19.5 miles! I decided to ask to do Work For Stay (WFS) as it would allow me to sleep inside, get some food and do less miles since it was another 5 miles to Ethan pond. Doing WFS with Blue Jay, Spot, Cupcake, Sprinkle Burst and Burn and 2 SOBO's who are stealth camping nearby. While the paying hikers who are staying at the hut eat we are outside waiting until they are done. Afterwards we got to go inside and eat any of the left overs. Tonight we had Ginger Chicken, green beans, peas, rice and chocolate cake. I got to clean the oven grates and catch pan. Afterwards at 930 it was lights out and we slept on the dining room floor and they would wake us up at 6 the next morning as they had to get ready to serve breakfast at 7. All in all I was very appreciative of the hut croo and the fact that I was inside and had a good meal.
Date: 2014-08-16
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 14.3

I slept pretty good despite the traffic of people going to use the bathroom all night long. Got up and ready to go quickly and bought a couple of snickers to go for the day. Again, a steep downhill right out of the gate. It was a nice path for a couple of miles after that with great pics all around. Man these views continue to just grab you from everywhere and you just want to sit there and soak it all in. Afterwards it was a long down hill to Crawford Notch which was real hard on the knees but they were holding their own. Made it to the top of the Webster cliffs which was long and hard but the views from the top justified all of the work to get there. things continued to be tough with a lot of ups and downs over Webster and Jackson Mountains. Walked most of it with Gone Swimming which helped to pass the time. He's a real nice kid and has a lot of ambition to work out doors. I finally made it to Mizpah Hut only wanting to do Work for Dinner (WFD) so someone else could do WFS. But when the AMC volunteer heard I had a bad knee she said I could have WFS which was fine with me. Cupcake and Sprinkle Bursts also had WFS with me. I like these two as they are fun to be around. Tonight I had to scrape the ice out of the freezer and wipe out the vegetable fridge. It wasn't too bad and we had potatoes, corn, pork chops and mac and cheese. Another good meal. Things are definitely looking my way as I make my way across the Whites. It has been a great adventure and look forward to whatever comes next.
Date: 2014-08-20
From: Mount Moriah

To: U.S.2/white Mtn. Lodge & Hostel
Miles today: 5.9

The night was beautiful with a light breeze and comfortable temperatures. The only drawback was the extra condensation that created a lot of dew on top of my bag and other gear. No big deal. The stars last night were particularly awesome as I have never seen so many and with such clarity. The Milky Way was unbelievable as it stretched across the night sky. I packed up early and headed to the top of Mt. Moriah. I was glad I stopped where I did last night as it was the best spot on top of the whole mountain. I didn't wear my knee brace or take any advil this morning just to see who they would hold up. 3 miles downhill to the Rattle River Shelter was pretty steep but manageable. However, my knees were sore so I guess its back to the brace and the advil. Fortunately the trail got a lot smoother and I made good time to US 2 and the short walk to the hostel. I quickly got my gear out and hung on the line to dry and my dirty things into the laundry. Eric who is a Marine was working and hooked me up with a bed where I wouldn't have to climb out of a bunk. Thanks Eric. I went through my bounce box again to see what I would need to buy for the next leg of the hike. It looks like I will have to carry for 3 to 4 days which will be a bit more than what I had been carrying. I ate my sub from the day before and then talked to David Burns. It looks like we may not be able to connect this week but will look at doing so later down the line. It was nice to talk with him and I really hope we do get to connect. Off to town we went were I bounced some more gear and food forward and then went to the outdoor store to see if I could get a water filter. But alas they didn't have one, but I was able to get some iodine tabs which will work for now. Got another sub to eat and then it was back to the hostel where I updated more of my journal. At 6 we made a run to Wal Mart where I picked up my food for the coming days. I was also able to make contact with my uncle's brother who lives in Maine and he is looking forward to helping me out. I really appreciate all of this support. Laundry was finally done so I sorted through it and got my stuff and organized my gear for tomorrow. Each time I do get a chance to stop like this it seems there is never enough time to do everything. I could use just one more day but the trail waits for no one. Just to let everyone know, cell reception is getting spottier and access to a computer may become more difficult which increases the period of time between when I can update my journal. So please be patient as I will try to keep my posts as current as possible. Also, I have looked at my schedule and have now got a window of time when I expect to complete my hike. If the weather and my knees hold I expect to finish between September 13th an 20th. As I get closer I will be able to narrow it down even more. Again thanks for all of your support, notes and everything else that has helped me keep going.
Date: 2014-08-22
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Pond
Miles today: 9.6

I took my time this morning in getting ready as I don't have that many miles to do. I'm not sure how much water to carry as I'm trying to stay light but don't want to run out. Oh well I'll figure it out. Its overcast and cool to start, probably in the 50's which is great hiking weather except for the loss of views. The hike up to Mount Success is long and hard. For some reason it felt like it would never end and keep going and going and going, but I did finally make it but there was no view because of the weather. On a positive note as I made my way up I passed the 1900 mile mark slowly but surely closing in on the final 2185.3 mark. Then on the way down I entered my 14th and final state, the great Pine Tree State! The trail was good overall with well placed foot holds easing the stress on my knees which are getting better each day or at least not any worse. there were only a couple of tough spots and they weren't that long. Going up East Goose Peak I ran into a group from Harvard. There have been a number of these groups which is some type of orientation program. The clouds started to part as I topped off onto the top of East Goose Peak which was more of a tease as you couldn't really see a lot. I made a final push to Full Goose Pond Shelter and arrived by 3pm. Dallas, Money Maker, Jeff and Taz were there along with others I didn't know. There was also a group of 8 that showed up but they are tenting on one of the big tent platforms. I hate getting here so early as I feel like I am wasting time and should be hiking but I need to keep myself in check for the sake of my knees. Talked a little bit with the others but they all seem overly concerned with the Mahoosuc Notch and Arm that await us tomorrow. This was really clear when a couple of SOBO's Phoenix and Johnny Appleseed showed up and were pounded by questions. While I understand people wanting information sometimes they over do it. You just have to take it as it comes and adapt on the go. Tomorrow I'll find out how this philosophy workds for me. The shelter continued to fill up as others arrived and as I said before its funny how you can go from a totally empty shelter one night then end up with a full one the next. Everything is in such a state of flux.
Date: 2014-08-26
From: Bemis Mountain Shelter

To: Maine Rte 4/Hiker Hut
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Bemis second peak which I climbed over first thing in the morning brought views of clouds in the valleys below that looked like giant lakes. There was suppose to be a ford at Bemis stream but due to the lack of water I was able to rock hop my way across. Views from Me 17 were unbelievable. There was a bench there where I just sat and soaked it all in. I was able to talk to my wife Laura who continues to hold down the fort at home for which I am very grateful. As I headed out Sophia a group leader from Tuft U. Took a pic for me. Along the trail it passed a sandy beach on a huge pond/lake and I stopped for lunch. The day was warm and the water inviting so I ended up cooling off by taking a dip. There were lots more ponds and I continued to look for moose but no such luck. The trail was not bad but the ups and downs were really pulling at my legs making me wonder what the big climbs in the coming days were going to be like. The day was hot and I couldn't drink enough. Refilled at little.swift river pond that had a nice spring. Still filtered it because I do not want any problems this late in the game. I tried to stay hydrated but had a bit of a headache all day long. Ran into Junco and Early Bird who I hadn't seen in a while. I made it Me 4 and to the Hikers Hut which is a fantastic place. Kate and Cathrine were real nice. I was able to enjoy the wonderful flower gardens while journaling and waiting for dinner. Cathrine put together a rice tomato dish using vegetables from her garden. It was superb. Rest of evening used to pan next couple of weeks and deciding what to ship home. Need to cut this short as its Thursday when I am doing this entry and leaving for 5 days so I won't have anymore entries until I get to Caratunk. See you then.