morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 9.0

Day 110- July 30, 2016We woke up early to get to town before the post office closed. It was Saturday so it closed at 12 and we had 8 miles to walk. I was getting destroyed by mosquitos so I left before the guys. With my music on, I briskly walked. I got to town by 9:50am, plenty of time. As I passed a sub shop, I saw ninja roll and crash. I left my pack with them and headed over to the postoffice. Once I got our package with our warranty replacement parts for our trekking poles, I went back to the sub shop and hung out with the guys until dregs and trooper showed up. We ate some great steak subs and filled up on coffee from the cafe next door. Trooper got a room at an inn and we went over there to do laundry and shower. We lounged around for a good long while before dregs and I headed out to the woods. We walked about a mile on the trail through a neighborhood and parked ourselves just outside of town in a pine forest. It was supposed to rain at 8pm so we quickly got our chores done and cooked dinner in the tent vestibule. I got attacked by mosquitos and hid in the tent. We hung out for a bit before the rain started and then went to bed. In the morning we would need to make it to another town to meet aunt Becky and Julia!
Date: 2016-07-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.0

Day 111, July 31We awoke along side the trail just outside of Dalton to a slight rain. We packed up as quickly as we could and started the climb over Crystal mountain. It rained pretty hard but the climb was gradual and easy enough. We made it into Cheshire with a bit of time to spare which was perfect because as we walked down a quaint residential street we were called over to a crowded carport. They was a nice family cooking breakfast for hikers! And it was amazing! Chicken Hawk and I ate our fill and pushed on into town where we're going to be met by my aunt Becky and cousin Julia! They had no trouble finding us and we drove to the trailhead to meet a trailing Storm Trooper.Even though it was still raining a bit, Becky and Julia wanted to do a bit of hiking so we left Chicken Hawk in the car and walked into the woods to meet our hiking companion. After a half mile we came across trooper and headed back down to the warm car. We had a couple hours to kill before we could check into the Air B&B that Becky and Julia had rented for the night. We found a nice diner in North Adams called Izzy's where we spent the next couple hours. The food was great and they even had a life sized Darth Vader that Storm Trooper had a moment with. On our way back to Adams where our new home there was was an outfitter. Our gracious hosts stopped there for us and we were able to get our trekking poles fixed. The last stop before check in was a a trip to the grocery store for more food for dinner. This was the perfect opportunity to resupply for us. We finally all arrived at a great little place with a cloud obscured view of Mt Greylock. We hung our tent and wet clothes to dry and had some showers and relaxation. We hung out for a bit and then had an absolutely wonderful meal cooked by Aunt Becky. The rest of the event was spent hanging out and having dessert. It was a truly great day!
Date: 2016-08-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 112- August 1, 2016This morning I got to have a real cup of coffee and a fresh apple as I headed out to read my new Harry Potter book on the porch while all but myself and trooper slept. As soon as I was about to sit down, the owner of the Bnb jumped up from his side of the porch and started asking me a million questions about the trail. Trooper say inside listening and chuckling as I answered the typical list of questions. I was able to get some reading in and a few cups of coffee before dregs, Becky and Julia got up. Once everyone was awake, we packed up and went to a breakfast spot called the daily grind. I ate a large veggie omelette with home fries, bacon, and toast. It was great but very filling. After breakfast we were dropped off to start our 11 mile hiking day. It was raining all day as we climbed up Mt graylock. With my full belly and town accustomed feeling, I did not enjoy the climb. It was a constant climb for about 5 miles, I felt nauseous, felt dizzy from not wearing my glasses, cold and wet. Dregs worked hard to help me keep my spirits up and not to crash. We did make it all the way up though, and it seemed to not feel as strenuous. We caught up to trooper at a beautiful pond with a cabin near the top of the mountain surrounded by pine trees and misty fog. It looked like a scene from a move or a painted picture. We continued on to the summit where the fog had whited out any view of anything and it began to rain more. We made it down the mountain to a shelter where we pitched our tent as the sun came out for the first time today. My spirit was much higher than it had been earlier in the day and we were able to get all chores done quickly. I crawled into our tent and read my book while dregs and trooper hung out outside. Tonight will rain again and will be cold. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.
Date: 2016-08-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 113- August 2, 2016It pored rain all night. We woke up to our tent filled with water that had gotten on our tent foot print which then soaked through the bottom of the tent. Our blankets and sleeping pads were drenched and it was cold. Dregs recommended we wait another 30 minutes or so to see if the rain slowed or stopped before getting out and dealing with the situation. We waited and soon enough, the rain stopped. We did our best to clean up the water but knew it would be something to deal with later at camp. It was cold out but the rain was not supposed to start up again. Dregs and I left before trooper and walked for a little while with a section hiker who yesterday briefly thought I was storm troopers son... He was a really nice guy who had thru hiked in '93 and we walked to the bottom of a large mountain with him. There, we found trail magic of Gatorade and bananas and trooper caught up to us. We continued on through a town and then up a fairly long and steep climb. At about 8 miles for the day we crossed into Vermont. I was really excited and so was dregs. It's amazing to me that we have walked from Georgia to Vermont, 113 days out here, and only 3 states left to hike. What an accomplishment. I really feel that God had been guiding our journey and bringing about the success that we've seen. After eating lunch at a huge boulder, we hiked on to a shelter to find camp. It was a 17 mile day. We found a cozy corner of camp ground across the river from the shelter and apparently the tent sites on the other side filled up quick and are crowded. Trooper made a fire with wet sticks and we were able to hang up all of our wet gear to dry. Dregs found a rock in his pack that trooper had put in there as a joke. It was a shrink wrapped rock form a coffee shop we had recently been to and on the back it said "friends ". Dregs was not amused at first but it was hilarious. He will carry the rock to ME. After eating, two hikers came over to find a spot. Lucky us, it was crash and ninja roll! We ended the day with dregs hanging out talking to our friends and I read my book and relaxed.
Date: 2016-08-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: moderate rain

Day 114 Friday August 3thThe first thing I saw when I stuck my out of my tent was Vera sleeping outside right by the scenic view. I was very impressed, I have not yet cowboy camped and I'm not sure if I am brave enough. We all slowly packed up and walked the mostly flat 5 miles to the road where we would hitchhike into town for resupply. We ran into Stick at the trailhead parking lot. He was leaving town and saying goodbye to a friend from home that he had been hiking with. They had already sorted out a ride to town for Sticks friend to use so we hopped in. The ride was from the towns hostel owner. He dropped us of in Manchester Center by the grocery store. Our plan was a little different this time. We wanted to eat lunch first and give our food time to digest before we headed back out to hike. After much pleading from Stormtrooper we decided to get Thai food. There was a couple of hours to kill before it opened so we started the rest of our errands. First up was Starbucks to charge up our brains and our phones. Next we spent quite a bit of money at the outfitters. After a short walk we arrived at a restaurant called Thai Basil. The food was excellent! On our way to resupply we got bagels at a nice local place because they were there. Finally we made it to the grocery store and left with 3 more days of food. We repackaged our meals and we're lucky enough to steal a ride from the hostel owner again. Thanks! Our planned 2 mile hike to the shelter went smoothly and it was a relaxing night at camp
Date: 2016-08-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 116- August 5, 2016Today was a very simple day. We woke up to light on and off rain and packed up quickly. Once on the trail, I felt energized and like I could hike fast all day. It was foggy as I made my way up a mountain where I passed many other hikers. It was beautiful being in a pine forest filled with fog. Trooper eventually caught up to me as I slowed before lunch and we decided to eat at a shelter 12.8 miles in for the day at only 12:30. Dregs showed up for lunch not long after and had with him two south bound hikers, butterfly and dragonfly. All of us chatted for a bit as a bit more rain suddenly came through. It passed shortly and then I took off to hike more. There was trail magic at a road crossing and I grabbed a Pepsi and a banana before trooper and I finished off the day of hiking. Only another 5 miles to make our 18 mile day. It was an easy hike and once at the shelter at a large pond, I dropped my pack and went on a quest to find better camping that we didn't have to pay for. I walked almost all the way around the large pond with no luck. I returned to the camp site and dregs had arrived. We made camp and washed up in the pond. Dinner was had and we payed our 10$ for our over crowded campsite. Overall it was a good day with 18 miles done by 3:50pm.
Date: 2016-08-10
From: ruttland, vt

To: View Entry
Miles today: 20.0

Day 121- August 10, 2016 Today we left Ruttland, VT with a man who offered us a ride in our inn parking lot. We had only a little to me before we left to get dunkin doughnuts and make sandwiches to pack out for lunch. It was raining and we weren't excited to be leavening town so soon. Once on the trail, we each got into our rhythm of hiking. I listened to my book and took off from the group. I had slipped in the mud early on and was sad that my cleanness from town lasted almost no time out here. The time seemed to fly and before I knew it, it was 4:09pm and I had hiked 20 miles. At a shelter, I made camp and not long after dregs and trooper showed up. As we prepared for the evening, I was happy we finally got our winter gear back as I was cold from the rain and sweat the wouldn't seem to evaporate even after I had stopped hiking. Dregs and trooper made a fire as loud screeching girls giggled in the shelter not far from our tents. I hope dispersed camping starts to be more readily available soon.
Date: 2011-03-05
To: Starting The Journal - Pre Hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

[To clarify, the 2015 thru attempt started back in 2011 with the entries below. There were a few setbacks. Skip ahead if you want to get to the hike which starts in May 2015. I'm back!]A number of people have been asking if I have an online journal. I can now say "yes" with this entry.Just over one month to my expected start date. I have all the basic gear to start the hike. I plan on making adjustments as I go and will plan one or two days ahead as I hike.More to come...
Date: 2011-03-22
To: Preparation at Home
Miles today: 0.0

Been having doubts about this, afterall I am 64 and not in the greatest shape. This past winter was nasty and difficult to get out even for a short walk. The past 3 weeks I have been doing short hikes in some hills for about an hour+ nearly every day. Still nowhere near the 6-10, or more, hours I expect to do on the AT each day.Then there are all the things and responsibilities I will be leaving behind. I'm probably overestimating the things that I take care of, but still there are things I do at home that, if not taken care of, will become bigger problems later.Sitting on top of all this is the fact that time passes so quickly as I get older. One, three, five years will pass so quickly. If I don't do this now I'm afraid I will lose the chance, and in five years I will be 69! I want to have at least one thing that stands out in my life as a unique accomplishment that "takes my breath away" when I reflect back upon it.
Date: 2011-03-23
To: Preparation - nasty weather 
Miles today: 0.0

Miserable weather this morning. Snow, rain, ice pellets and 38 degrees, but I still did the hour-plus training walk in the hills. By AT standards, these are tiny hills, but good enough to give the heart and legs a fair workout. I was also checking out my rain gear (again). The rain jacket is good for about an hour then gets clammy and cold on the inner surface. With two layers under the jacket I was ok, but started to sweat near the end and got cold when I stopped.Can't imagine being out on the trail in these conditions for hours, then trying to set up a tent and getting dry and warm, let alone eating and sleeping. The lesson I've learned over and over is to keep the sleeping bag and a 1 set of clothes dry - ALWAYS! Anyway, the warm shower at home felt good and made me think about how I must be insane to consider doing this.Been thinking about starting from GA instead of further north. Surgery is scheduled for April 12, I think I could start by April 20th at Springer and still be near other hikers.Thanks to those who made entries in the guest book. Your encouragement means a lot to me!
Date: 2011-04-10
To: Preparation at Home
Miles today: 0.0

Time is moving along quickly, as it always does when looking back. Finally getting this surgery over in two days, I just hope it heals quickly so I can get on with things.Training hikes are going well. I can get through them without much effort compared to a month ago. The weather, although wet, is warming up enough for shorts and lighter upper layers. It's supposed to be in the upper 70¢s at the DWG (Delaware Water Gap) and I will do a final day-hike up there tomorrow.During the next week I will be getting an itinerary together. The thing about doing this solo is that I have the flexibility to change plans to suit the moment. Other than myself, my main concern is the well-being of my wife while I¢m away. I know she will appreciate her time to herself while I am off on this dream, but my plans will always be in tune with concern for her. I¢ve been thinking maybe the best thing to do is not think. When I woke up this morning, I was thinking how can I give up this nice soft bed for attempting to sleep on the ground? Later, while drinking coffee I was thinking how can I give up this nice cushy chair for sitting on some damp log? Damn, I¢m about to walk all day with 30+ lbs on my back, be cold, hot, tired, sore, thirsty, wet, dirty, stinking, hungry, and whatever else goes with this for 6 months! Why does this appeal to me? Enough thinking, I just want to do it! The best/worst is yet to come...
Date: 2011-04-23
To: 2011 - 1st Attempt - Home - still !
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hitting a bumpy start to this adventure. I need to go back for another round of surgery on May 24. Discouraging? Yes, but I'm inclined to think there is a reason for this. If nothing else, I can always look forward to a well-planned start next year and leave this year for some good section hikes.A rainy day today and a good day for a funky mood.
Date: 2011-05-22
To: Home - Still!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Looks like I overdid the training hikes. I got sick and the surgery has been pushed back another week to May 31. The last hike I did was up at the DWG about two weeks ago, just to Sunfish Pond and back. Knew something was wrong since I had no energy on the return leg and had to stop a few times to rest. Anyway, feeling better and positive about the coming summer. Still looking forward to a few good section hikes. I figure with everyone getting a one-year notice, I should have a bit more support from the family for the thru starting next April (or sooner).I've been reading Big Dog's journal (we met last year on an AMC sponsored event at Mohican Outdoor Center), he's doing quite well and I'm amazed by the positive change I see in him through the photos he posted. We are about the same age so he is giving me great inspiration.Learning through failure and set-back hurts, but I'm allowing myself to take chances. Life has been patient with me, now it's my turn. Patience is key.
Date: 2011-06-06
To: Home - where else
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The second round of surgery went ok. This is the second attempt in same area on my cheek to remove a melanoma. I¢ve been doing some reading about this and getting a bit concerned. A few weeks ago I knew something was not right. I felt real tired from an easy hike and had to cut it short. A couple days later I came down with a case of shingles which can be brought on by a weakened immune system. Somehow I think all this is related. Anyway the shingles are gone and the 2nd surgery is done. Still waiting for the lab report. I¢m thinking I should do this hike sooner rather than waiting until next April.I will head back up to the DWG later this week for a test day-hike just to see how I feel. If all goes well will move on to a section hike and take it from there.
Date: 2011-07-19
To: 2012 Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

It's been a while! Training has intensified and I've shifted into the hot-humid weather conditioning. For the past few weeks been doing local hikes in the smaller hills around here, about 4-5 miles per day. About 1-2 times a week I'm up on the AT doing either day hikes or an overnighter. Feeling much stronger, the heat doesn't bother me once I work up a good sweat and I'm actually losing some weight without much change in diet.I've resigned myself to the idea that the thru is not going to take place this year, so this all is preparation for a 2012 thru. Tomorrow I will be on the AT for yet another day-hike and hope to meet up with a friend who is doing his thru now and is coming north through NJ.In the next week or so I plan on leaving from High Point and heading north. I'll start off with a 3-day supply of food and just go from there. No schedule, just want to get a good feel for at least several days on the trail. The trick will be to maintain the conditioning through the rest of the summer and winter for a March 2012 start.
Date: 2011-07-20
From: 2012 Preparation

To: 2012 Preparation - MOC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Started from the Mohican Outdoor Center around 8 AM heading south. Hiked about 5 mi to the overlook where there is a pile of rocks, there is nearly a 360 degree view of the horizon. Today it was just a hot, humid haze with the temp in the lower 90's. The heat conditioning has kicked in because I felt reasonably comfortable once I was soaked in sweat. The wicking effect of the shirt, shorts, etc. kept my body temp in check. Carried 4 liters of water since this would be 10 dry mi, out and back, at a temp of 90+. Good hike, heat was not a big problem, glad I had the water though!
Date: 2011-07-21
From: 2012 Preparation - MOC

To: 2012 Preparation - Local
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Outdoor thermometer reads 101 in the shade! Completed a 2-hour hike, about 5 mi, in the local hills. Nothing like the AT hills, but a good workout. Tanked up on water mixed with EmergenC before the hike. Drank half liter of gatorade and half liter water during the hike. The heat was no problem with the wicking shirt, shorts, once they were soaked with sweat.May not seem like such a big deal, but hey! I'm about to turn 65 and at 225, 5'11" I'm at least 40lb overweight. If I can do 5-10 mi in this heat with little problem, I feel ready to take on the AT. I figure if I start with a good bit of extra weight, and in reasonable condition, it will be a great way to come down to my recommended weight while being a little more comfortable with the start of the thru. Heck if I can just lose 30lb, that will cancel out the weight of my pack and I can effectively slack-pack the trail!Dream on...
Date: 2012-01-08
From: 2012 Preparation - Local

To: Detour
Miles today: 0.0

Can¢t believe how much time has passed. In August I landed a job back in the corporate world. Amazing since I am now 65 and never thought I could ever go back to the 9-5 grind. Well here I am wearing the tie and neatly groomed hair. Sitting in one place for 8+ hours a day was a real challenge, but I got used to it and actually get some satisfaction from the job.My thoughts are still with the thru-hike on the AT.
Date: 2012-04-27
From: Detour - continued

To: Springer
Miles today: 0.0

The thought of hiking the AT is an ember compared to the blaze it was this past summer. I'm still working. Staying in shape has been a problem, but in moments of daydreaming I still go back to the AT.On a long weekend (March 24), I drove the 900 miles to Springer. I got to see a few hikers starting out on their journey. Stayed at the Lodge at Amicalola Falls, which is a great deal for $88. It included dinner and breakfast. I drove up the "preferred" northern route, a winding dirt road, to the parking area near the summit and hiked the mile to the start of the trail. Even picked up a pebble as if I were starting out on the hike to Katahdin.Overall a great experience. I still have the pebble. One day I will drop it off on Katahdin. The ember is glowing much brighter now.
Date: 2014-12-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Planning on doing a flip, starting at Harpers Ferry NOBO in early May. Just got back from a road trip with my wife. We visited HF and spent the day walking around the area. Very historic and worth the 4 hour trip. We hiked a small portion of the trail leading north out of the town on a rail bridge with walkway, then on for a mile or so. Seeing the white blazes and imagining that in a few months I would be actually hiking the trail made me think I must be nuts. There is no way that I am underestimating the difficulty of this. Prep work is in progress. I'm walking about 4-5 mi nearly every day in the local hills with 30+ lbs. in my pack, not easy. Breaking in new boots for a backup. Still sorting out my gear and waiting for warmer weather to get a few overnighters in before May. This year (2015) has to be it.
Date: 2015-03-30
To: 2012 - 2nd Attempt - Ready to Go! Again
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Ran into a few stumbling blocks yet again. In the past few months had a nasty winter with one snow storm after another, a melanoma surgery, followed by a ruptured tendon in my arm, but still on schedule to start the thru in a little more than 4 weeks, the first week of May 2015. Nearly gave up when I popped the tendon, but the docs said I should be ok with another month of physical therapy.Starting a flip-flop from Harpers Ferry heading north seems like a good way to avoid the crowd starting from Springer. At least I'll be closer to home if I need to bail out.My gear is all set to go. I managed to stay reasonably fit in spite of the recent problems. The support is there from my wife and family. Finally, after 4 years this looks like it's really going to happen.