morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-24
From: Eddy Pond

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

The alarm went off at 5:30 am and it was frigid outside. We had contemplated a change of plans last night before we fell asleep and hoped to talk about it with Dharma this morning before we got going. We dozed off after the alarm. Dharma woke us a bit before 6 and we asked him what he thought about doing 2 shorter days instead of one long one. Since he was all for it, we all snuggled back into our bags for some more sleep. We left camp at about 10 and joked about attempting to have the laziest day possible as we hiked up Saddleback Mountain. We spent the day napping and lunching on top of Saddleback and The Horn. It was an amazing day, bright sun and clear sky. the kind of day you dream about while trudging through the rain. We slept in the shelter, or tried to. The "baseball bat" flooring was a bit rough under the ridgerest, but oh well, no tent to pack up in the morning.
Date: 2004-08-25
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Sugar Loaf Summit House
Miles today: 10.9

We slept in until almost 8. Flora got up and put the water on to boil then climpbed back in her bag. When the tea was ready we sat up and ate breakfast in our bags. Since it's been so cold in the mornings (48 degrees Farenheit, according to Dharma's thermometer) "breakfast in the bag" has become one of Flora's favorite things. The day warmed up nicely and we took a break by a waterfall just on the north side of Orbeton Stream. There were no spectacular views today so we headed straight for Sugarloaf Mountian Summit House (AKA "the Sugar Shack"). It was 0.5 miles off the trail, all uphill, but well worth it. The views and sunset were spectacular. The Sugar Shack is mostly all windows so the views are 360 degrees. We are hear with Longshot and Lint and it is great to be inside out of the wind. We are anticipating a nice sunrise so off to bed early!
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Sugar Loaf Summit House

To: Stratton, ME 27
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

I can't believe I almost forgot to mention a crazy event from yesterday! We saw 2 guys hiking naked. They were SOBO and it was actually only slightly startling. We stopped to chat briefly. I suppose in the magical corridor of the AT it SEEMS natural. The ford we were anticipating was only a rock hop and hiking up and over the Crocker Mountains went fast. We were met at the trailhead by a guy asking us to fill out a survey about the aesthetic effects of a wind farm that could be viewed from the AT. We got a hitch before we even crossed the road. We hit the P.O. then the library then the White Wolf Inn. Almost every room was filled with hikers. After laundry and showers we ate pizza and ice cream with Long Shot and Bluebird, and of course Dharma. It's really great to feel like we have a "Trail Family" again. We had been orphans since PA until Dharma started hiking with us. It was great to be clean and eat town food, but Flora always finds it frustrating that she sleeps better in a tent than in a bed. Guess you can't win them all.
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Stratton, ME 27

To: Mt. Avery Tent Site
Miles today: 8.0

After sleeping in and enjoying breakfast at the Stratton Diner we hit the trail. The Bigelows are the last substantial mountain range of our adventure. We spent the majority of our 8 mile day hiking up. We ate lunch at a nice vista. The day was hazy and humid. Although it was challenging, Dharma and Flora managed to pitch 2 non-freestanding tents on the same wooden platform. Meanwhile, Fauna prepared dinner, her favorite trail meal: Mac and cheese with tuna. We hung the food and settled in for our last night over 3800'. Tomorrow we will hit 2000 miles. That's a really long way to walk. Although we have become accustomed to, and love life on the trail, it's just as astounding to think we have hiked this far as it was daunting starting out in Georgia with the intentions of hiking this far and further. I don't think I have ever felt healthier. This is a great place to be. I'm so glad we had the courage to start this adventure.
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Mt. Avery Tent Site

To: West Carey Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.6

What an excellent day! A little bit of rain in the morning but we soon dried out as the day turned sunny. We were nice and hot and ready for a dip in the "tubs" at little Bigelow Lean-to after lunch. The water had carved out deep pools that were only about 4' x 8'. The water was cool and refreshing and it felt great to sun ourselves on the warm rocks after climbing out. Actually, the feeling of your body warming in the sun after swimming in very cold water is one of Flora's favorite feelings in the world. So, feeling incredibly relaxed, we headed for the lowlands. We skirted Flagstaff Lake and had much fun taking our picture with the "2000 miles" painted on one of the black top roads. Wow! We've walked 2000 miles. That's a really long way, but what fun it's been! When we reached the shelter we were greeted with "You're just in time for dinner!" I rounded the corner and took in one of my favorite sights on the trail: Trailmaintainers party! Dana and his crew fed us BBQ chicken, pasta salad, cookies, beer, chips, salsa and celebrated 2000 miles with us by providing shots of tequila. What great people and great compnay to top off a near perfect day on the trail. I love trail life!
Date: 2004-08-29
From: West Carey Pond Shelter

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

After being treated to more food by the trail maintainers we took off at a good clip to make the Kennebec Canoe ferry by 4 pm. We had a nice relaxing lunch at Pierce Pond Shelter. The miles flew by and we were standing on the banks of the Kennebec in no time. Craig, the substitute ferry man came over and took Fauna and Dharma in the first load and then came back for Flora. The current was very strong today and so was the wind so it took 2 people paddling to get across. We walked up the bank to the road and re-supplied at the normal ferryman's (Steve's) store. Craig then gave us a ride to Northern Outdoors where we got a room in the lodge. It was a great place. There was a tasty restaurant/brewery so we sipped a sampler of beers with our dinner before soaking in the hottub. A very relaxing night!
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Bald Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

We inadvertently slept in until 7:30 because our hotel room was so dark. We had breakfast, mmmmm...eggs, and headed back to the trail. About half way through the day and on top of Pleasant Pond Mt it began to rain. It poured pretty much all afternoon, but it was a warm rain so it wasn't too bad.   We made it to the lean-to and Hobbs treated everyone to chocolate zucchini bread that a co-worker had sent tim. It was really good.
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: West branch of Piscataquis River
Miles today: 9.9

It rained all night long! Complete with lightening and thunder, and just when we thought it had blown through, another round began. We later learned it was again the remnants of a hurricane. Gaston, this time, and it dumped as much as 5" in some areas. The sky began to clear as we summited Moxie Bald so we had some nice views and had fun taking pictures with us doing the "Moxie pose." The Moxie pose comes from the label of a soft drink we've only seen in Maine called Moxie. It tastes like nothing I have ever tried, yet I wouldn't say that I liked it. However it does have a cool picture of a guy on the label pointing at you as if to say "you've got moxie!" hence the Moxie pose.The rest of the day was wet and mucky. The trail closely resembled a series of ponds with streams connecting them. We met a few SOBOs and spoke with them about the upcoming ford we knew would be perilous and they certainly thought the same, however they had made it across. When we reached the west branch of the Piscataquis we realized that we probably could not make it with our packs. So we camped on the south side. It was a great evening with a nice fire.
Date: 2004-09-01
From: West branch of Piscataquis River

To: ME 15 Monson
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

By morning the river had dropped another foot and after Dharma scouted a few different routes he finally found a winner. We found that you had to arc out to stay where it was shallow. When the water got deeper it was almost impossible to keep your footing. Fauna took off next and didn't arc out far enough, she got into the deeper water where the current was brutal but Dharma galently came to her rescue. He helped her to the island in the middle with only one slip, which ended up pulling her to where the water was shallower and she could stand up and walk ashore. After watching it be done twice Flora forded with out incident. That was deffinitly the strongest current we have ever walked through. The rest of the miles swiftly flew by. We got a hitch right away. The post office held great suprises, we were thrilled to receive so many letters and cards of encouragement and well wishing from our family and friends. We loved reading them all, thanks guys! The three of us got a room at the Lakeshore House over the laundry mat. We baked up some cinnamon rolls and ate pizza. The Lakeshore house deffinitly has the best kitchen on the trail. What a beautiful place to stay. Lots of good energy. Monson is really cute with lots of friendly people. Only 100 miles to go!
Date: 2004-09-02
From: ME 15 Monson

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was the kind of day that makes you say "Wow it's really cool how that all worked out!" We got up late and spent a while cooking breakfast. Such a cool kitchen. Our breakfast menu consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and cinnamon rolls. Breakfast is definitely the best meal. We were cleaning up in the kitchen and Stretch and her mom walked in. It was great to see them. They were doing laundry and said Wildcat was back at their lakehouse. Dharma had hiked a lot with Wildcat, who grew up in Kansas, and we were always hoping to meet him. So we piled in their car and rode back. It was great seeing Bean and Root again, too. We hung out for awhile chatting before heading back to town. Stretch dropped us all at the trail head. But before we had time to put on our packs LWOP, Bearbaghanger and Hammock-Hanger pulled up in a big van. So we chatted with them for a while, too. We still managed to hike 10 miles, although it had just gotten dark as we reached the shelter. The hiking was fairly uneventful and we forded without incident.
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

It is hard to believe it took us almost 11 hours to hike 15.6 miles! We thought all the hard stuff was over. Not a lot of elevation gain/loss, just tough trail. Lots of mud, roots and rocks. It seemed we had to constantly pick our way along. When we make it to the shelter I was exhausted and possibly dehydrated, but happy to be here. Less than 100 miles. Can't believe we are so close. The best part of the day was when we dropped our packs and laid in the sun at Barren ledges. It felt awesome.
Date: 2004-09-11
From: Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Editor's note:Flora and Fauna, aka Kyle and Kara, sumitted Mt. Katahdin at approximately 10:00 am EDT today. The weather was "amazing" and there were lots of thru-hikers finishing. This journal will be brought up to date as soon as entries are available. Thanks to all who have supported them on their trek!
Date: 2001-01-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It¢s been more than 15 months since I set out on the Appalachian Trail, a journey that would take me nearly 11 months to see to the end. Did I know what I was getting myself into? No. I thought that maybe I would walk from West Virginia to just south of the Shenandoah mountains, maybe all 1000 miles to Springer, if¢¦ The funny thing was, I didn¢t want to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail before I actually started doing it. Yet, in the winter months I took off from the trail, I dreamed about hiking almost every night. For me, this is the most fulfilling experience I could have hoped to have at that time in my life. It all felt like the most wonderful accident, for now I know that no one can ever really plan a long distance hike. That first long adventure can never be re-created, but here are segments and summaries of my journals during the hike:
Date: 2004-08-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

August 29th 2004   In Which I Purchase a Ticket Sayville 9:48 ¢ Penn Station 11:09 Penn Station 12:05 ¢ Washington Union Station 3:20 Washington Union Station 5:20 ¢ Harper¢s Ferry 6:31 I choose Harper¢s Ferry as my starting point because the train would pull up only a few tenths of a mile away from the few short miles of trail in West Virginia. It also happens to be the psychological midpoint of the trail. Right now my psychology is going along something like this: Sometimes only you believe in yourself, but that¢s enough; there are no promises in the future; the unexpected will happen; you can never be sure of anything, no matter the trust or love you have in it; and in spite of all of this, it¢s important to stay open because freedom is nothing if love can never enter. I know all this, but why am I going on this hike?To remember what it is like to catch my heart in my throat. To fall in love with a vista that is bigger than me in a way that makes me feel small and big both at once. To heal a hurting heart, to value who other people are. To prove that I can do it. Because I want it. To see if I want to hike other long trails in the future. To learn that my belief in myself has validity. Because I¢m lucky enough, healthy enough, wealthy enough and the trees are still there. To understand who I am and what my own decisions mean to me, as well as my expectations. To be comfortable with my self, and proud, and to succeed and get strong. Because I like to hike. To have fun, an adventure! To enjoy life. Because I don¢t even know the things on this list that I will accomplish, but I¢m excited. I thought I could manage all of this in less than a month, by the time I got through the first real mountain range south of Harper¢s Ferry, West Virginia.
Date: 2004-08-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Monday August 30th 2004 I¢m leaving tomorrow        ! I don¢t understand it. My pack weighs too much, I¢ve got to set my alarm¢¦ but all of these things are meaningless. I don¢t believe they are real. At the same time I¢m so ready to go; I can¢t wait to get out of here! I¢m tired of my emotions bouncing around. I¢m tired of hearing how ¢stupid¢ and ¢foolish¢ I am for going backpacking by myself, tired of hearing how I¢m so ¢weak,¢ how could I ¢ever think you can do this?¢ I need to go somewhere else so much that in a way it would be harder not to go. I am so afraid and uncertain, but I don¢t need to beat myself down as well, so I¢m just telling myself to take it one day at a time. The longest backpacking trip I¢ve ever been on before was 3 nights, and the longest one alone was only one overnight. It is funny how I doubt the sincerity of nice words, but I never doubt the sincerity of ugly ones. I do appreciate the friends whose first words were ¢You can do it!¢ but I¢m already tired of being told ¢be careful!¢
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Chestnut Hill
Miles today: 2.5

Tuesday August 31st 2004 2.5 miles Outside Harper¢s FerryI¢m on the last train to Harper¢s Ferry, and I¢m scared out of my mind. My pack weighs too much; how can I handle it? It will be dark by the time I set up camp. I finished an entire book on the train today¢¦. Scared! LaterIt was hot and muggy when I arrived at Harper¢s Ferry, and I walked the wrong way for what seemed like ages until a passer-by helped me find the way. I was so happy to see my first white blaze on a post near some church ruins. Right near Jefferson Rock, I saw the first sign of ¢trail magic,¢ which in this case was some root beer left for hikers. I saw two deer and a heron (for me, even better trail magic!) before I made my way up a gigantic hill on the other side of the river. It got dark before I got up the hill, but I set up camp in a cleared area near a switchback. I am so glad ¢ I really feel like I should be on this trip! P.S. January 2006 - I just found out that on this very first night, I camped where I wasn't supposed to.
Date: 2004-09-01
From: Chestnut Hill

To: near Blackburn Center
Miles today: 10.5

Wed September 1st 2004 10.5 miles Camping near Blackburn center Rest. Evening. Long. Hard. Need to lighten pack. Hot out. I met a hiker named Cobol and his parents. Cobol¢s dad had a ¢What¢s a girl like you doing out here?¢ attitude. It¢s not appreciated. I wonder how much I¢m going to have to put up with that. The first water supply today was polluted. Lack of water made the scratches from brambles seem worse, my clothes dirtier, my feet more tender, and my neck, throat, and shoulders just too painful for me to want to claim them as my own. I am so beat, and am already making a list of things I want to get rid of! The ridge I am camping on is beautiful. It¢s only .1 to the Blackburn Center, but I just want peace and no more questions about my heavy pack from Cobol¢s parents! I¢m glad I¢m alone though ¢ I only have to worry about myself!
Date: 2004-09-02
From: near Blackburn Center

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Thursday September 2nd 2004 11.5 miles Sam Moore ShelterThey say many people quit the trail because of loneliness, but I thought that wouldn¢t be a problem for me. I couldn¢t have been more wrong. There is a lot of time for thinking here, staring out at the ¢vista¢ ¢¦ or overgrown shrubbery. Some of the places the map marks as having a view don¢t really have one. Even though I haven¢t been on my own that long, it was nice to meet and talk to Gnome Sherpa, who made me feel really good about this hike, at least temporarily. He was trying to hike 30 miles in order to pick up a new pack, a ULA P2. I ended up sleeping alone at Sam Moore Shelter, and even Gnome Sherpa¢s hug wasn¢t enough to make me feel okay about what I read in the register. One man wrote about how he had found two dead bodies on the trail a few years ago, but that wasn¢t even the worse thing he had seen on the trail. One year he was near a young woman, 15 years old, who died slowly as he watched, unable to do anything. She died because she tired out her body and it couldn¢t handle the temperature anymore. I dreamt that I was on a moving red house with some friends. I went into the woods alone and found some corpses, but before I could leave I saw that the killer was still there, and that he saw me. He chased our moving red house. Then I woke up. (For 1000 miles I would continue to have a nightmare almost every night. At the time, though, I didn¢t know that this was only the beginning.)I left a lonely message in the shelter¢s register.
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Friday September 3rd 2004 7 miles Today I managed only 7 miles, worn out both physically and mentally from the days before. Even though I walked in the woods at least 4 miles every day all summer, I may as well have just sat at a desk. My legs are strong enough, but I am always out of breath. I don¢t know when I¢ll make it up a hill without stopping. The trail in this area used to be a long road walk. When they finally got some land to put the trail on, the trail corridor was so narrow that they could only make a route full of pointless ups and downs! It¢s called ¢The Roller coaster.¢ Towards the end of the day, a section hiker met up with me. He was doing all 2,000 + miles of the trail without once staying on the trail overnight! He drove from Pennsylvania on weekends, hiked 10 miles or so, and then drove home. The logistics astounded me. I also met a thru-hiker, Home Fry, who suggested that we hike together for a couple of days until Fort Royal. This means that I won¢t have my first hitchhiking experience be a solitary one! At about 5 pm, a bunch of rowdy thru-hikers came into the clearing where the shelter was. It was so overwhelming for me, when I had barely had a conversation with anyone in days! There was Flare, who wanted to name me ¢Sprouts,¢ because I had packed in fresh Brussels sprouts. He was actually carrying a head of cabbage at the moment. He wore a wool skirt and feathers in his hair. Then there was Windsock. He got his name because he didn¢t have a trail name, and his friends walked past a windsock when they were trying to think of one. I met Boot and Rally, a couple, briefly. I felt out of place with this friendly, happy bunch and their ultra-light stoves made out of coke-cans. I felt better about my safer MSR pocket rocket once I saw some food and stoves get knocked over.
Date: 2004-09-04
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Saturday September 4th 2004 14 miles Today I hiked with Home Fry. We went to check out a ¢locked cabin.¢ There wasn¢t much to see. The Appalachian Trail Club maintains these cabins and rents them out to people for revenue. Home Fry teased me about being a girl scout, but he acts like a boy scout, picking up trash that other people have left behind. He loves the trail. He wanted to hike it so much, but his parents forbade him to. When he graduated high school, though, he left his house in middle of the night when everyone was asleep, and walked 60 miles, some of it on highways, to the nearest trailhead, 120 miles south of the official terminus. When he got to the trail, he had no guidebooks or maps. He didn¢t know where any water sources were, or shelters. His only guide was the white blaze. Unlike me, he was alone for weeks, not just for a few days. Brave or stupid, next to him I looked wimpy and levelheaded. Home Fry, however, told me how he and a couple of other thru hikers were remarking how unusual it is to see such a petite young woman hiking alone, but that they admire me for it.There were warnings of the shelter being used as a snake den, so I set up my tent a little ways away. My worries that were so real back in New York seem so far away.
Date: 2004-09-05
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Sunday September 5th 2004 12 miles Hitch hiking wasn¢t the scary experience I thought it was going to be. When we got into town we found the hostel was closed, so we decided to sleep in a hotel instead. What a luxury! I could actually see the water turn brown while I was showering; I was that dirty. When I looked into the mirror I saw that I had black marks on my shirt from where my pack rubbed. It wasn¢t until I got back in town again that I realized just how different I felt, and just how dirty. I don¢t think I¢ve ever worked so hard in my life. It¢s too bad we didn¢t do laundry, but maybe then I would be too clean. Home Fry said not to worry: once you¢ve been on the trail a while, it takes weeks to get rid of the trail funk. Town just doesn¢t feel right. I don¢t belong here. I am happy to be inside on the first night of rain during this hike, but I don¢t want to stay. I want to be in the woods. Even though I grew up in suburbia, as I watched the people in the stores and parking lots, I felt like an alien. I finished my second map today, but even more exciting is that I¢ve finally made it to the Shenandoah National Park, one of the main reasons I started my hike in West Virginia. The hike should get better, not least because Frank, the man we got a ride into town from, is mailing home some things for me. I¢m really lucky that he volunteered, because the post office is closed today. On the list is: a hat, a pair of pants, a stake bag, my stove, my pot & lid, fuel, a stake bag and two stakes, rope, a nalgene bottle, a compass, and a water pump. Now I¢m going to try going without cooked food.