morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-12
From: Monson, ME - Lake Shore House

To: Long Pond Stream Campsite (Stealth)
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

100.2 and counting down! Can¢t believe it! Now I¢ve said it before, but the end is in site! What an awesome day hiking today. For the first time this entire journey I was relaxed and was able to enjoy the splendor. My morning started off with breakfast. I paid the cook for the previous night. Man was that good! Asked if he knew where to get some aqua Mira (water purifier). He said the other hostel (Shaw¢s) might have some, so Bono and I took a walk, stopped along the way to get cash at the post office and a short walk around the corner in which we did score some fuel and water purifier. On the way back I did some re-supply at the general store to prepare for the 100 mile wilderness! Got back to the hostel where we stayed and ¢Buddy¢ the cook/shuttle guy had left. The owner, Jeff, who owns a black lab, said he would shuttle me to the trailhead. Nice guy who helps out the hikers a lot. I gave him a few tips to increase his business. Once tip was to mention he takes dogs in the ATC Companion Handbook. Got on the trail at 9:30 a.m. My Achilles tendon felt so/so today. I did ice it the previous night and it looks like my body is just going to allow me to literally crawl and finish this journey. The wind was heavy today and it did start to rain for a short time (No, No Rain!) but it passed and got into heavy wind storms, reminding me of Hot Springs, NC. Did our first (ford) across Long Pond Stream. It was moving pretty fast and the water was up to mid thigh and cold! Pack weighed about 60 lbs. with shoes and everything else dangling from it. ¢Not Yet¢ and ¢Mr. Easy¢ a couple of hikers I met, OH? way back when, walked with me for a bit. ¢Not Yet¢ told us of his close call with a falling tree limb. He seemed a bit shaken up. They stopped at the shelter and I moved on a ways up the trail. 4 miles ahead, not more than 12 hour into it and about 30 seconds in front of me and Bono, I hear, CRASH! ¢ SNAP! ¢ BANG! A tree had just fallen right on the trail and if we were 30 seconds faster, it would have been over at that point. No finishing at all!
Date: 2007-09-13
From: Long Pond Stream Campsite (Stealth)

To: East Chairback Pond Trail (Stealth)
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Slow start with it being so cold this morning. Went back to bed 3 times after my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. Fall is in the air and the leaves are changing a bit. Today was 55 degrees and even colder atop Barren Mt. with the wind chill. Bono fell in Long Pond Stream today. No biggie since he didn¢t mind. I don¢t think he liked me laughing at him though (LOL!). Oh yeah, 85.8 miles to go! It will be so much a bitter sweat end. On one hand, it has been my way of life for 6 months and although brutal at times, the simplicity of only having to worry about do you have food, water and your next destination planned out was about it in a nutshell. On the other hand, it¢s going to be nice to have the everyday comforts back in my life and also have my loved ones and loyal students and leadership team around on a daily basis is going to make my day, everyday! Can¢t tell you how lonely it has been ¢ it¢s been a long and lonely trail.My hands (especially my right hand) got so numb and cold today I had to put on my gloves! At break time it was time to get to lower altitude and find the sun. Only 55 degrees out! Nice views of lakes down below from the exposed ridge walks today. Maine is very beautiful to see from high up on a rock ridge. Made it to my planned destination today with not much pain in my left Achilles tendon. Was looking for a tent site when ¢Luke¢ and ¢Lunchbox¢ showed up and said a bunch of hikers were tenting down by the river 4 miles below. Not that they talked me into it, but I decided to go. Since they haven¢t done the whole trail and are 100% healthy, they are faster than me and I made the mistake of trying to keep up. I started to feel it in my left foot because I was thrashing. Since they were long gone and it was starting to get dark, I decided I wasn¢t going to make it, so I stopped short of the river.
Date: 2007-09-14
From: East Chairback Pond Trail (Stealth)

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Used one of the ¢Drills for Skills¢ I teach my students today ¢ ¢The Alligator Pit!¢ Students try to only step on the training pads and focus targets and not the carpet which is the ¢water.¢ Bono and I had to cross a 40 ft river today. Other hikers were already across putting their shoes on. I shouted across, ¢You have to take your shoes off?¢ One guy shouted back, ¢If you don¢t it¢s wet sneakers for the day¢, and then he walked off. I thought to myself, ¢I see a line I could take just like in the ¢Alligator Pit¢ drill, but in this drill I¢ll be committed once I go!¢ Needless to say, I made it across and had only one far stretch and one wobbly rock that got my attention! Side note: Leaving the campsite this morning Bono farted as he jumped over a log! I know it doesn¢t seem like a big deal, but you never hear it, you just smell it in the tent when he lets ¢one¢ loose! Met a south bounder going south today going up Hay Mt. First thing he said when he saw Bono was ¢WOW! I¢m very surprised to see him up here. They told me not to take my dog. They said it would be too tough to do!¢ I replied, ¢Of course it¢s tough, but it can be done. How does he look?¢ The guy couldn¢t believe he came the whole way! As I left I said to him, ¢You could always send for your dog!¢ I think he might.Bono and I saw what we¢ve been walking to see for the past 6 months and over 2,000 miles! Mt. Katahdin!!!!!! What an awesome site! I did a short self interview/recording while we were up on White Cap Mt, then I set up for a still placing my camera on a boulder on a very windy day. As I turned to look at the self timer go off, Bono had gotten up from an exhausted looking position to being on the boulder right next to the camera. I nearly pooped myself! Luckily, alls well. 71.4 miles and counting down today! The last big peak was climbed today, now it doesn¢t go over 1,600 ft. until Katahdin! Next week sometime should be when I summit, no hurry. I¢m finally now enjoying it and even taking some nice deep breaths every now and then. Everyone else seems to be moving on to the next shelter. I decided to quit early today at 3 p.m., 14,4 today in 8 hours is good enough and my Achilles is feeling it! (NC) Put my sore feet in the stream by the shelter and I thought my feet would fall off! So cold it numbed my whole leg and 10 seconds was as long as I could keep them in. All my clothes and 0 degree sleeping bag will come in handy. It¢s 5:20 p.m. and only 40 degrees!
Date: 2007-09-15
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Lying here in Logan Brook Shelter at 3:20 p.m. listening to the rain fall down with ¢Bonified¢, ¢Boneca¢ (her dog), Rain Dawg and Bono. Not much to do except wait it out since I can. Having plenty of leeway days to finish. Food might be a problem though. Last night the wind was so strong I thought the shelter floor lifted up a couple times or I could have dreamt it? The rain started falling, or should I say, hurricane wind blown rain at around 3 a.m. and on an aluminum roof. It made quite a racket! Been seeing a bunch of wet hikers come through. They stop for a while to get out of the rain and move on to the next shelter. ¢Snowplow¢ and his wife Tammy came through, ¢The Gimp,¢ ¢Usual Suspect,¢ ¢Tom Dooley,¢ ¢Pooch,¢ and their dog ¢Rockie¢ all moved on 4 miles or so down the trail. Even now with this rain coming through and seeing Mt. Katahdin for the first time since 6 months of walking, I have my doubts. Don¢t ask me why? Guess I¢ll believe it when I¢m on the summit that the dream will come true!Yeah, trying to kill some time until the weather breaks. Boneca, the Wet Portuguese Water dog¢s lying on my sleeping bag. Normally I might mind, but only 4 or 5 days left to hike. It¢s all good! What¢s for dinner tonight? Maybe more oatmeal? One things for sure, there will be no food left in my bag when I make it to Baxter State Park. The mice were very active last night rummaging through all our stuff and racing over our head on the aluminum roof. Sounded funny actually. Just became 6 p.m. and full house with 2 more hikers totaling 5 people and 2 dogs. Time to make food for all the wet and cold comrades. Bono is sandwiched between me and Trisha that has been hiking with her mom and sister. My gear is finally crapping the bed. My tent zipper is broke, my air mattress is leaking, my bag to my footprint is finally totally ripped, my boots are ¢blown out¢ and my body is battered and broken, but I think I¢m going to make it by skin of my teeth. Temp is going down and I think I¢ll be zipping my bag tonight. Last night I unzipped it because I was too hot ¢ not tonight! Six packs of oatmeal, that was my breakfast and dinner today. Might just make it to my destination with the food I have on me. I¢ll have 1 more chance to re-supply.
Date: 2007-09-16
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Sand Beach Lower Jo-Mary Lake
Miles today: 21.3

Before I think about today¢s episode, a few things happened last night that might bring a smile to your face. First, it was so cold I had my North Face jacket on Bono with hood on. Still, he was shivering all night and couldn¢t find a spot to get comfortable. He was wedged between me and this girl Trisha. Anyway, he gets up in the middle of the night to readjust with the hood covering his eyes. I hear him rustling about and then he plops down, right on my head! I could have killed him, but didn¢t. The other thing that happened was that all I had for food all day was oatmeal, so when I went to bed I was pretty hungry. I dreamt of pasta salad with chunks of cheese in it, pepperoni and black olives. When I woke up my pillow was wet from drool. I guess I was hungry!Pretty much no sleep last night. Tossed and turned and luckily had to get up to pee once. Man was it freezing! So I kept looking at my watch to see when my 5:30 a.m. alarm would go off. Side note: 50 miles to go! When it did go off, I was out of the shelter and on the trail by 6 a.m!Cold start, but I had all my clothes on, but slowly warmed up and it turned out to be an awesome day, 65 degrees and breezy. Passed the next shelter and ¢Roxie¢ the Shepard came out to meet Bono. Soon her owners passed me and later I met up with them at the next shelter. On the way to the shelter I was thinking how little I had to eat and how I could get my hands on some food. Just then I looked down to see two fun size Snickers lying in the trail! Joy! Turns out ¢Pooch¢ left them for her boyfriend, but he didn¢t see them. Oh well, I thought they tasted great! I ended up giving them a free Martial Arts class on this unbelievable tent site on this deserted beach in Maine! All the dry firewood and a nice flat sandy beach with the sun shining! It doesn¢t get any better! What a change from yesterday.
Date: 2007-09-17
From: Sand Beach Lower Jo-Mary Lake

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Must have been the moisture coming up from the sand. The whole inside of the tent was soaked! Bono brushed his head on the inside and it looked like he just went for a swim! Nice view at 6:30 a.m. of all the steam/fog rolling off Jo-Mary Lake as the sun started pressing through. It was about 8:45 before the sun hit my tent to dry it out a bit. I moved a lot of my clothes around to this rock and the stuff dried in no time. I realized I could re-supply at Maher Tote Rd, so I ate the last of my food and then ended up missing the trail! Oh was I mad! I could have gotten some ¢real food¢ while I was there and I think that¢s what really made me mad, because I was looking forward to a nice juicy hamburger and 1 for Bono of course. Now I had very little food for myself. My rations were 1 packet of tuna ¢ 1 packet mashed potatoes, 2 fajita flat bread slices, 1 beef stroganoff side pouch and 3 power gels with 30 miles to go! Not much fuel when you consider how much I will burn in a day. Plus I would have to share with Bono since he was totally out. When I passed ¢Bonified¢ she asked if I went for some food and I swore it was still ahead, but the flat terrain was deceiving and I traveled too far beyond to go back! Not so nice words flowed from my mouth at that point! ¢Bonified¢ had some extra dog food which she gave me. Now Bono had dinner for the night. Made it to Nahmakanta Lake and talked with an older couple who had a nice spread on the picnic table. I tried to ¢Yogi it up¢ but they weren¢t getting my hints about not having much food, so I moved on down the beach where I cooked some instant mashed potatoes and had a flat bread. I decided I was going to punish myself for being an idiot and missing the trail, so I picked up the pace real fast. Passed by ¢M¢ (not to be confused with ¢M&M¢) and told her of my mishap and she graciously said she had some food she could share which was nice. 15 miles to go tomorrow to Golden Road Abol Bridge for re-supply and 30.1 miles left to finish the journey!
Date: 2007-09-18
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Golden Rd Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

On the move at 6 a.m. and moving fast, excitement in my feet because after today only 15.1 miles to realizing my dream! Over 6 months ago I set out on a journey that would take me through 14 states and over 2,175 miles beginning in Georgia on Springer Mt. and ending in Baxter State Park in Maine on Mt. Katahdin. It¢s been a long, l ¢ o ¢ n - g walk with my hiking partner Bono and it has been very trying. Clearly, the most difficult goal I have ever set for myself. The question has always been in my mind since that very first step ¢can I do this?¢ The answer, ¢YES!¢ As I walked across Abol Bridge on the Golden Road and saw Mt. Katahdin looming above, I felt so many emotions ¢ #1 emotion being relief! I achieved what I set out to do, what not many who start out are able to complete. In only the past week I¢ve breathed using my whole lung capacity and fully enjoying my success. Prior to, I was so stressed about achieving not only getting myself to Maine (that was the easy, well not so easy part), it was also getting my best friend here looking happy and healthy in the process. The compliments I received from everyone who stops to pet Bono confirm I did my job and did it well! ¢You¢re here, you¢re finally here!¢ is the phrase I have been waiting to say to Bono for 6 months now. Up until then (and from our first steps on GA soil) it has always been ¢we¢re almost there.¢ Now, his journeys done!I wonder what he would say if he could talk? Maybe ¢Master, you said a walk! But this is a bit much!¢ Ha Ha Ha! What will he tell is big brother who he hasn¢t seen in 6 months? We started seeing Mt. Katahdin over 75 miles away shooting up into the clouds with a hazy view, but nothing like when we walked over the bridge at Abol campground. I stopped in awe at the Mt., translated means sacred or greatest mountain and reflected talking to my dog as I had done for half a year now. WOW! WOW! Holy crap! We made it! And as I made my way across to the far side of the bridge I felt this overwhelming urge to let out a Yee-haaa!!!!! But there were people around and I thought it would be inappropriate, but it started building up inside of me and building until I couldn¢t contain my jubilation, and once I let out my ¢war cry¢ everyone at that moment knew exactly what I had just accomplished.
Date: 2007-09-19
From: Golden Rd Abol Bridge Campground

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I¢ve seen a lot of my hiker family pass through as I sit and wait for my mom, girl and my girl¢s daughter to come pick me up on Friday. ¢Bocephus¢ who I met at mile 99 came through! I never ever thought I would see him again, but that¢s the way thetrail works. It was great to have a few ¢sooodas¢ with him, his brother, ¢Pogue¢ and ¢Rain Dawg¢ Tuesday night. Linda the owner said if they come down they would have to all pay the $9.00 fee so they came down after dark. The next day I went to her and told her the truth that they all came down and I needed to ¢square up¢ with her. She didn¢t charge me! Guess it pays to be honest. As I sit on the bank of the Penobscot River, which is the Baxter State Park boundary, it all suddenly came into perspective as to how rich I¢ve become as a result of this journey. With my own power of determination I¢ve seen so much of this great country as no one else could have seen it unless they walked the trail that I had walked. As I studied every feature of Mt. Katahdin one of those beautiful ¢larger than large¢ grand tour campers towing a full size car and motorcycle behind it pulled up. The occupants slowly got out of the massive vehicle and took out some type of paperwork and seemed oblivious to the beauty that was literally right in front of their faces. Now don¢t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with what they had and more power to them, but right at that moment I wouldn¢t have traded my experience or appreciation for what I had toiled over now for over 180 days in exchange at that solitary moment I was very, very rich indeed!I now can¢t wait to get back home and reward the loyalty of my followers. It¢s time to show them my appreciation for their ¢staying power¢ when so many others abandoned me. So many things, so many positive and great things have come from me being in the woods for 6 months with nothing but what I need to survive on my back. I have so much knowledge to share with the people that had the ability to be visionaries and know that I wasn¢t taking a 6-month vacation! Those that thought I was going to let my business suffer and didn¢t have the patience or insight will unfortunately not benefit from all the wonders that go beyond just hiking the AT.
Date: 2007-09-20
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

As I near the end of my journey, I¢m finding a deep sorrow inside of me, contrary to how I felt midway and 34¢s of the way home when I thought it would never end, how true the saying goes, ¢Nothing lasts forever!¢ I¢m enjoying the time with my family in town, shopping and ¢gorging¢ on all kinds of delicious food. ¢Life is good!¢ In no hurry to summit. Spent 4 days at Abol Campground in my tent eating pink hot dogs and washing them down with plenty of ¢sooodas.¢ $220.00 was spent enjoying the finer things in life with the most magnificent view and backdrops, which is the holy mountain, Mt. Katahdin.Flash-forward to Millinocket and breakfast at the AT Caf© where I was very fortunate to meet Bill Irwin the man who thru-hiked the AT with his seeing eye dog, Orient. Unbelievable story of a blind mans journey on the Appalachian Trail. He was at the caf© for a book signing, so I picked up his book and had a photo taken with him, his dog and Kayla. The following day we went to hear him speak at a local church. Turns out there was a lot more to his story/journey (as there usually is). The AT saved his life! I recall when I decided to take my journey and reading ¢IF you¢re looking for a life changing experience by hiking the AT you¢ll be sadly disappointed.¢ I don¢t know that that statement is not true, for if you look hard enough you will find that your life has changed for the better in more ways than one or maybe I was just lucky to come out of this a better man.If I die trying to summit Mt. Katahdin I will look back at where my feet have touched and what my eyes have gazed upon and I know I will have a fulfilled feeling inside me.
Date: 2007-01-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

16 January 2007Greetings all,        This is my first entry for my first NOBO AT thru-hike attempt. I guess I will just introduce myself. I am a student at the University of South Carolina taking my spring semester off to hike the length of the AT. Well not really off, upon completion of the trail and with subsequent work with the university I will receive 10 credit hours for my efforts. My inspiration for a thru hike came from the monotony of my life right now, I want to do something that is grander than myself, something that will mark this time in my life.         I have a decent amount of trail miles put behind me but I have intentionally avoided any hiking on the AT for the sole reason that I want it to be a completely new experience for me. Most recently, this past December I hiked the Foothills Trail of South Carolina/North Carolina. I used this hike as a kind of shake down hike and was able to find several problems with my gear. From this hike I purchased a new, lighter sleeping bag and new footwear.         Currently, I have almost all of the gear that I am planning on starting with. I still want to get rain gear: a pack cover and a jacket. But I am in the air about whether a poncho or jacket would be better for me. I am also still debating on my tent and whether or not to just use the rain cover for it in conjunction with a lightweight tarp. I have found ways to save pack weight like by switching to a tiny titanium alcohol stove which is, in my opinion much better than my MSR Whisperlite International.        I have set a pretty lofty goal of averaging 18 miles per hiking day and finishing in 116 hiking days. I have also chosen to use minimal mail drops, this way I will be able to diversify my food choices according to my current desires. The planning for this hike has been much more than I thought it would since first throwing around the idea with family and friends since this past fall. Currently I am looking at hitting the trail starting in Amicola St Park on 18 March. So that leaves me 2 months of conditioning and planning to go.
Date: 2007-01-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Greetings,        Well today, well really last night (I couldn¢t sleep) I went through the AT Thru-Hikers Companion as well as Re-Supply information supplied by Whiteblaze.net and came up with a list of probable towns where I will be re-supplying. I will list those later on at the end of this entry. Whiteblaze.net has a great article about resupplying. Although it specifically refers to 2005, there are updates from fellow hikers which make it more current. Here is a link to the website, http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=89401&postcount=1 .         In other news, I finished reading the book, Awol on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller. I really liked this book for the information it contains as well as the level-headedness that it is written. Hopefully I will learn from his experience and make mine that much more enjoyable. I would say that anyone considering a long distance hike on the AT read this book.        It is hard to fathom the undertaking of walking 2100 miles with all you need to live on your back, but one way I see it is that it will give new meaning to the old saying ¢within walking distance¢. A good friend of mine who I have backpacked with several times also has aspirations of one day hiking the AT but cannot come with me this year, he has been helping me with the planning of this undertaking and will use the knowledge that I learn on his probable hike next spring.         I guess that is all that I have for today, but for those reading, I discovered a great website Steepandcheap.com this website offers one deal every couple hours on name brand outdoor equipment and apparel which is no less than 50% off the retail price. Just thought that I would offer up that site to anyone interested. Here is the list of the towns in which I will probably get supplies in (order from southernmost to northernmost). Hiawassee, GAFontana Dam, NCGatlinburg, TNHot Springs, NCErwin, TNDennis Cove, NCDamascus, VABland, VAPearisburg, VADaleville, VABig Island, VAFront Royal, VAHarpers Ferry, WVSouth Mountain, PA (after MD challenge)Boiling Springs, PADuncannon, PAPort Clinton, PADelaware Water Gap, PAArden, NYWingdale, NYGreat Barrington, MA (after CT challenge)North Adams/Wilmington, MARutland, VTHanover, NHNorth Woodstock, NHGorham, NHAndover, MEStratton, MECaratunk, ME