morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-17
From: Lost Pond Shelter 

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter 
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Busy place here at the shelter tonite,probably 20 hikers either in the shelter or tenting. Tents all over the place. Early to bed this evening, tired and the mosquitoes are pretty pesky.Psalm 8.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-18
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter 

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter 
Miles today: 13.8

Bit of a tougher hike today with a rock scramble and a climb of 2500 ft to an elevation of 3928 ft. Under 500 miles to go,only 494.6 miles to Mount Katahdin. After setting up our tents and eating dinner Bazinga and I climbed another 0.2 mile to the top of Killington Mountain. Great views.Psalm 15.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-19
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter 

To: Gifford Woods State Park 
Miles today: 9.4

Shorter day today and with the trail generally downhill. Passed a trail work crew. At US 4 found magic, cold sodas. Tenting at the state park. Had a hot shower and did some laundry in the shower. Thought about walking 0.7 mile to a deli in Killington,but didn't have the gumption. Relaxing afternoon with plenty of sunshine.Psalm 19.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-20
From: Gifford Woods State Park 

To: Winturri Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and away at our usual 6:30. Passed Kent Pond as the sun was rising. Stopped for photos of Thundering Falls. Then trail magic of snacks,nice supplement to my breakfast. Took a side trail to the Lookout,a private cabin that the owners let hikers use..sweet. Another super weather day. Sunny and dry just every day since I returned to the train,unlike the rain in late June and early July. Psalm 19.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-21
From: Winturri Shelter 

To: Thistle Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Up and down Vermont hills. Another fabulous weather day. Do you suppose it will be like this to Katahdin? Trail magic at Cloudland Rd. Snacks,bananas,cheese,pb sandwiches,water and frozen Gatorade. Way to good. Walked up to Cloudland Mrkt expecting to resupply and was sadly disappointed. Did get pint of chocolate almond ice cream and relaxed out on the porch sitting in a chair. Charged my phone and called my main squeeze to see what is going on at home. Psalm 23.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-22
From: Thistle Hill Shelter 

To: Hanover,NH
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Up and out early to make it to the Full Belly Deli in the West Hartford Village Store for breakfast. Had the "Full Belly" breakfast. Along with a quart of chocolate milk it was quite filling. Only one breakfast today. Also stopped along the trail to pick blackberries. Walking into Norwich there were a couple of stops for trail magic,including baked goods and refreshments. Crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire today,only 2 states to go. Walked thru Hanover the home of Dartmouth College. Took the free bus to the Sunset Motor Lodge in West Lebanon.Psalm 29.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-23
From: Hanover,NH

To: Trapper John Shelter 
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: moderate rain

Caught the bus right in front of the motel for the ride back into Hanover. Road around New Hampshire for about an hour for the two mile ride into town. Stopped at the co-op to resupply along with several other hikers. Walked past Dartmouth stadium and field house on the way out of town. Some pretty fantastic views at the end of the day from Holts Ledge. Lot of renters here at the shelter tonite, with a large group from Harvard. Psalm 33.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-24
From: Trapper John Shelter 

To: Hexacuba Shelter 
Miles today: 12.0

Bit of a shorter day today but a couple of tough climbs particularly up to Smarts Mt(3237 ft). Climbed up fire tower on the mountain for some awesome views. Tenting at Hexacuba Shelter,as it's name suggests it is a 6-sided shelter and rather roomy. There is also a 5-sided privy.Psalm 49.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-25
From: Hexacuba Shelter 

To: NH 25
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Up to Mount Cube this morning for some nice views. The rest of the day was up and down New Hampshire hills and another beautiful day. Staying at Hikers Welcome Hostel and its a full house tonite. At the trail head a fellow stopped to give us a ride the 0.5 mile to the hostel and it was in the opposite direction he was going.Psalm 37.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-26
From: NH 25

To: Beaver Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: clear sky

Rained overnight but stopped before summited Mt. Moosilauke at 4802 ft. Have not been over 4000 ft for quite some time. No views as it was foggy on the summit with a pretty stiff wind blowing. Missed a turn and got off of the AT for a while,oh what joy.Psalm 65.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-27
From: Beaver Brook Shelter 

To: Eliza Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Difficult descent from the shelter to Kinsman Notch. Very steep and wet. In several places wood steps attached to the rock faces. Not sure how they did that. Another tough day in the Whites. Nice shelter and tenting area here with probably 18 hikers spending the night.Psalm 96.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-28
From: Eliza Brook Shelter 

To: Stealth tentsite
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Steep climb up to South Kinsman Mt(4358 ft) right out of the chute this morning. Alot of hand-over-hand rock climbing. Stopped at Lonesome Lake Hut to check it out and wanted to see the bunkrooms. Ate lunch at the hut,2 bowls of soup,bread and coffee. Tasted really good. Descended from South Kinsman to. Franconia Notch of 2919 ft over 6 miles. About 15 minutes from the notch had a downpour. First time we hiked in the rain since returning to the trail. Stealth camping tonite not far from the summit of Little Haystack Mt. Hearing thunder all evening with on and off rain. Nice to be in my tent.Psalm 100.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-29
From: Stealth tentsite

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Fog and mist this morning,no views over Little Haystack Mt(4800'),Mt Lincoln (5089'),Mt Lafayette (5291'),or Mt Garfield (4500'). Another tough day of hiking in the Whites today. Bazinga,the Captains and I got work for stay at Galehead. The work was washing dishes and some kitchen cleaning. The stay was all the dinner leftovers we could eat after the paying guests were finished eating and we got a space on the dining area floor to sleep. Tomorrow morning we will get all the breakfast leftovers we can eat and then sweep the floors. It was nice to be in the hut as it rained late afternoon and evening. Psalm 111.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-30
From: Galehead Hut

To: Ethan Pond Campsite & Shelter 
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

A member of the Croo at Galehead played Country Roads to get people up for breakfast this morning. After breakfast leftovers swept the bunkrooms and then off hiking for the day. It was foggy and misty starting out but finally clearing and sunshine by the time we reached Zealand Falls Hut. Stopped for a late lunch of 2 bowls of soup and bread. The last 5 miles of the day from Zealand to Ethan Pond were quite easy and very unlike New Hampshire so far.Psalm 121.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-08-31
From: Ethan Pond Campsite & Shelter 

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut 
Miles today: 14.1

Saw a moose this morning along Ethan Pond but not quick enough for a picture. Stopped at Mizpah Spring Hut for lunch. Really getting into soup at the huts. Staying tonight in the Dungeon at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. The Dungeon is a small room under the hut with 6 bunks. It was dark but amazingly dry. There was a full house as all the bunks were occupied.Psalm 130.It's another glorious day.
Date: 2013-03-14
To: It Finally Sold
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The house that would not sell finally did, at least it will, I hope. We have a contract and this unleashes the hounds of hell, chasing sound judgement and reason from our lives forevermore, or at least until we walk to Maine...and Georgia. Walmart sells these compressed camp towels that expand from the size of a pregnant Lifesaver to that of a washcloth when water is applied. Our lives are now compressed camp towels. We've got two months to prepare for something most sane people feel rushed to do in a year. We have jobs to quit, money to be vacuumed from our bank accounts at alarming speeds and a lot of broccoli to dehydrate (seriously).
Date: 2013-03-15
To: Gear, Gear, Gear
Miles today: 0.0

We spent the weekend in the Uwharrie National Forrest testing out some new gear and dialing in old gear. We went with a friend who's thru-hiked the PCT. We pumped him for helpful info. Among the tings he told us: 1) Don't take the bags of mysterious white powder from the hiker boxes 2) Always use porcelain toilet facilities when the opportunity avails itself 3) Stick your thumb out even if the passing car is a Ferrari because you might just get a ride.It was my first time using an alcool stove in the back country. I've been through an isobutane stove and an esbit stove so far. If I can avoid spilling alcohol on myself whist holding a lit match, I might just survive the hike with a decent way to prepare food - otherwise it's off to the burn unit I will go. And, I'll go hungry.Hungry we did not go this weekend. We ate rice and black beans I'd dehydrated and vacuumed sealed. With the addition of chili powder, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper plus some Cholula brand hot sauce it was actually kind of tasty - even more so with crumbled Fritos. So, now I just need to make 40 more bags of it and that will be one less meal I have to add to our mail drop list.My handy dandy Klymit air mattress was as flat as the pre-Columbus world this morning. Hush was still floating a happy inch or two above the cold, cold ground. I'm conducting a leak test as I write this. The other equipment downer was a hole that suddenly appeared in a pair of my Smartwool socks. I will not go on Amazon and give them a one star rating because of my experience but I reserve the right to be sad.59 days and counting.
Date: 2013-03-24
To: Poptarts
Miles today: 0.0

Another weekend and another piece of gear to test. After reading a really long and horrific thread about the shelter mice and acquiescing to the need to hang food bags, we both got a steel mesh product called the Outsak and 50 feet of parachute (550) cord. We watched a couple of really comical videos on YouTube about various food hanging techniques and proceeded to go to sleep with the food in our tents. The only thing that will make me hang food is peer pressure. I found what I looked for while researching the topic, three seasoned hikers whose opinion was "don't bother." Hush didn't even bring her bag. We spent another weekend in the Uwharrie National Forest, the closest thing we have to real mountains. Because we are sufferers in training, we purposefully took the steepest, rockiest trails. While I was all proud of myself, I still had the sinking feeling that I have no idea what the terrain will feel like when we leave Harper's Ferry. Next weekend we're going to the real mountains in the Shining Rock wilderness area in western NC. There are several 6,000 foot peaks on our planned hike including Cold Mountain. I imagine we will have fun - suffering.
Date: 2013-04-09
To: No Map Needed
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It's a good thing hiking the AT doesn't require map reading skills. I suck at map reading. Bad. More on this later.We took advantage of a long Easter Break to practice important AT skills like wearing the same clothes for days, getting wet, being cold, peeing in a bottle and being attacked by rodents. We hiked in the Shining Rock Wilderness area near Brevard, North Carolina. Trails in wilderness areas are not marked with signs or blazes. Faded maps mounted on plywood at trailheads are the only guidance the government provides.On day one we quickly lost track of tail near the Big East Fork River and bushwhacked a few miles until we rediscovered it. No harm, no foul. As the trail climbed, the effects of a lingering snowfall made for slippery going. When we reached the amazing cluster of intersecting trails at the top of the knob, I used the handy photo an online friend provided to choose the right trail, The Art Loeb Trail towards Cold Mountain. Holy shit.Although our intention was to follow the trail north to the Daniel Boone Boy Scout camp we missed the cutoff thanks to a group of tents conveniently pitched right on top of the diverging trails. That's OK folks,. We'll just walk right on up this 6,000 foot mountain in the snow and sleep there. Which we did. In the morning we descended from three inches of snow to no snow, found the right trail and mostly didn't get lost for the next nine hours.Then we arrived at Ivestor Gap and Grassy Cove where we spent the night. In the morning Hush smiled at all the cute little rabbit poops and then screamed in anger when she saw her trekking pole handles, gnawed beyond recognition. Mine, just a foot away were untouched. I'll spare you all the poor decisions we made the next day. Just know we hiked across the top of the same waterfall twice, crossed a river that knocked me down again and again and finally emerged onto the closed Blue Ridge Parkway a good seven miles from where we anted to be.It was kind of cool road walking the parkway. We went a couple of miles seeing no people and no cars. If the Zombie Apocalypse happens, I know where to go. I'm experienced. We finally hitched a ride from a patrolling ranger who delivered us to our car. From there we hauled ass to the Uwharrie National Forest to hike on a beautifully marked trail - just like the AT. In all we got in a four day hike and climbed a few mountains. Nobody whined.
Date: 2013-04-12
To: Why?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

So why are we hiking the AT? Here's whyHush's List1. I have been discontent with my career and need time to reevaluate.2. I want to share an epic adventure with Lefty.3. I want to live life to the fullest now and not hope that there will be time later.4. I think a 6 month honeymoon would make a great memory (more on this later)5. Completing the hike would be a big ego boost and confirm our badass status. 6. I am hoping I will fall in love with backpacking and be ready to start planning our hike of the PCT as soon as we finish.Lefty's List 1. You only live once and this is the best way I can think of right now to act on that belief. 2. I want the time to think through the rest of my life 3. I want to prove to myself that all of the endurance goals I accomplished on my bike were not flukes (21,000 miles in two years). 4. Taking a hike through 14 states in a row will help me see America in a way few people ever do. 5. I want to be able to hold onto this accomplishment for the rest of my life 6. I want to take advantage of an opportunity that may never happen again 7. Waiting until I am 67 is not really an option. Who knows what I will be into then. It might be competitive TV watching. 8. I want to experience the minimalist lifestyle 9. I want to be a part of a unique and very special community, AT thru-hikers and wanna-be's. 10. I want my body to reflect five months of continuous exercise (at age 48) 11. I want to show people I'm special. 12. I want to master the challenges of rain, cold and hunger 13. Conquering a lifelong fear of heights is appealing to me 14. I want to see if all the backpacking skills I've quickly tried to cram into 2013 are sufficiently developed enough 15. I want to test all of this expensive gear 16. Hush wants to do it with me (and I with her) 17. I want to make my relationship with Hush bullet proof and I can think of no tougher crucible in which to do it. 18. It's something I've wanted to do since the day years ago when I first heard of the AT.
Date: 2013-04-17
To: After Effects
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

Thanks to the book Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis, Carol and I made several lists in mental preparation for our hike.This list is what we want to have at the end of the adventure.When I successfully thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, I will...Lefty 1. Be in the best shape of my life 2. Have a lot more self confidence 3. Have many, many stories to tell 4. Be closer to Carol than I have ever been with anyone 5. Be a member of a very small, very select club 6. Have seen things I would never see without being a thru-hiker 7. Be admired by people who are important to me 8. Have the satisfaction of achieving a very difficult goal, again 9. Be an asset to other people with the same dream 10. Weigh less than I have since I was in my 20's 11. Have life-long friends with the same spirit as mine 12. Have thought out my life in a meditative way 13. Know that I can accomplish tasks that defeat most people 14. Own a set of experiences that can't be bought 15. Not be intimidated by difficulty in the way I am now 16. Be an example to people who've dealt with the same life issues I have 17. Know myself in a way I couldn't without finishing the hike 18. Have confirmed that I am just a stone bad ass!Hush1. Have an epic story2. Be closer to Lou (if that is possible)3. Have a better idea of what path I want my life to take 4. Be proud of my accomplishment 5. Be itching to try another trail
Date: 2013-04-23
To: Doesn't Everyone
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I've been active enough for the past few years to not worry too much about my body's ability to complete the Appalachian Trail. If I don't fall down and go "boom", there is no physical reason for not completing the hike. Fighting failure isn't a matter of training a little harder, it's a matter of being prepared mentally. I started cycling in 2009 a few months after tipping the scales at nearly 300 lbs. In 2010, I rode over 10,000 miles. I gave credit then and now to mental preparation and goal setting principals. Since it worked so well then, I'm doing it again.I've already shared my reasons for thru-hiking and what I hope to gain from the experience. In trying to face the flip side of success, I'm also sharing what I think failure would prompt. If I give up on the Appalachian Trail I will:1.        Regret it forever and have to live with that2.        Be seen as a blowhard3.        Have to explain it again and again4.        Feel like my best years are behind me5.        Never have that climactic moment on top of the last mountain6.        Not be able to write the story I want to write7.        Stop dreaming big dreams8.        Have blown what may be the only opportunity I'll ever have for an adventure like this9.        Feel like I have nowhere to go for meaningful physical challenges10.        Make hiking the Pacific Crest Trail more of a dream than a reality11.        Lose out on all the positive aspects so being a 2,000 mile hiker12.        Have negative mental health consequences13.        Have wasted a lot of money on an incomplete goal14.        Miss out on parts of the trail I want to see15.        Have a downer of an experience with Hush16.        Feel like a failure17.        Cry tears of sadness rather than joy18.        Regret it for the rest of my life - Lefty
Date: 2013-05-01
To: FAQ
Miles today: 0.0

Standing in my front yard in front of God and my neighbors, I threw a small bag containing two rocks over a tree limb. I tied a 50-foot length of 550 (parachute) cord to the bag first. After I managed to get the cord where I wanted it, I tied the cord to a larger bag containing about four days of trail food. Clipping a carabiner to the bag and pulling the loose end of the cord through it, I hoisted the food into the air. With one hand I awkwardly fastened a very sloppy clove hitch around a small stick. I let go of the cord and there hanging about 15 feet from the ground and more than 10 feet from the trunk of the tree, completely out of range of the bears marauding through suburbia. Folks want to know about bears. The most frequently asked question doesn't concern bears. It concerns guns and, no, we aren't bringing one. My pocket knife has a two inch blade and no, we aren't scared. I'm not scared of the boogeyman, Iran, carjackers, airplanes or the homeless either. Next question. Yes, we will take showers. The AT is not in Alaska. It goes through parks, towns (occasionally) and by many, many sources of water. We have soap. And bandanas. We don't know how long it will take. Our plan is to average 15 miles a day for the 2186 miles the trail covers. That will be somewhere close to 150 days. That's the plan. See my previous post about food. No, we are not carrying five months of food on our backs as we start out. We are starting in Harpers Ferry, WV because it is too late to start in Georgia and make it to Maine before the park at the northern terminus of the trail closes. After we hike to Maine, we will return to Harpers Ferry and walk to the southern end of the trail. Again, that's the plan. We start the journey in four days. Check back then.
Date: 2013-05-05
To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 1.6
Weather: clear sky

I should remember this date. Cinco de Mayo, right? Of course it's also the day Hush and I got married and the day we took our first steps on the Appalachian Trail. Busy much?We were at home this morning (at Midnight). A train ride brought the night took us to Union Station and after an interminable wait, another train deliver us to Harpers Ferry, WV. Within minutes we'd crossed the Potomac river and we were in Maryland. We hiked along the river and the old C&O Canal before diverting to the Harpers Ferry Hostel, we are camping tonight. Since we've not laid down since yesterday morning, I predict a pretty good nights sleep. I'll kill he urge to wax on rhapsodically about all of this. We are happy, excited, it's Spring and we are in love. Queue the music.
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Lots of firsts today: first fellow thru-hiker, first blister, first rainstorm. Breakfast at the hostel where we camped last night was all you can eat pancakes with coffee. Hush has celiac disease and can't eat wheat so she ate oatmeal and had some coffee. The only other hiker there was a fellow flip flopper, Loon, who started at Springer but had to leave the trail because of an injury. We're camped at a great campground near Boonesborough, MD. It's got hot showers, picnic tables, tent pads and its free. It also has trash cans so we can get rid of poptart wrappers and other junk. We got our first trail magic today, a bag of hiker supplies from a pair of folks traveling along the trail leaving the bags at hostels. We got candy, TP, band aids and wet ones. Score!Tomorrow we meet a cycling friend of mine from the AT class of 2010, Doppler. He was my go to guy in preparing for the hike. We're tired but pleased with the miles. Tomorrow it's going to rain all day long. Whoo-hoo! Not. Hush's entry:My first day on the trail wasn't quite as good as Lefty's. I went to bed last night with a nasty headache. I woke up this morning with the headache and it decided to stick around all day. But even with the headache, it was a good day. The hiking was good, the rain wasn't too bad and I didn't get any blisters. Here's hoping for no headache tomorrow.