morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-08-05
From: Hexacube Shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Hikers Welcome HostelHexacube Shelter to Hiker¢s Welcome Hostel, Glenclliff NH: 15 Miles I got up very early. I was actually the first one up. I find that this happens a lot when I¢m about to go into a town. I¢m a sucker for town. Actually, I won¢t even go into town but I¢ll get a shower and laundry and be able to sleep on a bed; that is, if I¢m not up all night doing my internet stuff and blogging. Since it¢s currently 2:26 AM and I¢m still typing I guess we both already know the answer to that one. The trail was as muddy as ever and although it didn¢t rain, I heard it was going to rain later tonight so I wanted to get in to town early and secure a space for myself at the hostel. I also thought I might be able to get there in time to pick up the stuff Doug sent to me. I met a lot of Southbounders today and I made good time. I got to the road and it looked like it was going to be a close call to get to the post office before closing but the hostel was loaded up with people. I found an available couch and dropped some gear there to lay claim to it. I was standing there in my underwear and apparently I offended Phat Chap, the guy who runs the hostel here and drives people all over the place. I bonded with im later but I was a little put off thathe suggested I put on a pair of pants. I¢ve been grumpy lately and I¢m not the only one. In fact, I¢m more sick of people¢s attitudes out here than I am of the rain. I keep running into all these sensitive people and they are pissing me off. It¢s annoying when you¢re at these hostels with people that can¢t lighten up. Phat Chap took us in to the grocery store and I picked up a resupply and got some steak to cook for dinner. Some people had cooked up a hug feast and eventually we had a big campfire. I was up all night trying to get stuff together from the gear that Doug sent me and update all of my blogs. The weather is not looking good. It looks like sever weather out here every day until next Friday. That¢s 10 more days of rain. Some of the rivers are too very high and have to be waded through. It¢s actually kind of dangerous and it started raining again a few hours ago. I¢m really sick of the rain and I¢m having serious thoughts of getting off the trail.David AKA ¢Mister F. Gentle Spirit¢ Website http://www.wbafinc.org Photos: http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproofVideos: http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
Date: 2008-08-06
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Zero in Glencliffe Hikers welcome Hostel: 0 miles I stayed up most of the night and finally got to bed around 3 or 4 am so it was interesting to me that I still woke up at 7AM to the sounds of people getting ready to get out to the trail. This cat Phat Chap is doing a bunch of shuttling but it¢s kind of expensive unless you get a bunch of people to go with you. I¢m teetering on the verge of leaving the trail and I¢ll be talking to Doug today about the logistics of getting off. I¢m hoping I get re-motivated; but, at the same time I would just love to go home and chill and get my hernia fixed. I¢m willing to bet that I won¢t be able to do it though. I know how I am. I¢ll sit here for a day and get all fretful thinking about how horrible I¢ll feel about myself if I do get off the trail and I¢ll be dwelling on how I should have kept going. I know how I am. I¢ll go crazy unless I go as far as I can; however, today that¢s not how I feel yet so I¢m going to blog and work on the pictures and talk to Doug about how soon he could get up here. Doug called and he didn¢t offer any motivation; he just said I can be there on Saturday to pick you up. I felt funny about that as soon as he said it. I figured he would give me a boost or something but instead he just said, ¢I¢ll come get you.¢ It made me want to keep going actually. I can¢t explain it; but it did. We¢re watching a marathon of movies here while it pours rain outside. There are seven or eight hummingbird all hanging around the feeder at the same time. I¢ve never seen hummingbirds do that before. Usually there¢s only one at the feeder at a time and then another comes and chases that one away. These ones are swarming at the feeder and they are reminding me of the Mosquitoes in Connecticut and Massachusetts. We watched about six movies today and I finally decided to keep going. I¢m going to hike out tomorrow morning instead of slackpacking because this place is costing money. There¢s another Hostel at the end of the next section that is free and Fat Chap charges too much to shuttle you around. This place is very cool though and I¢m going to hike over Moosilauke tomorrow. It¢s a rough one; 3800 feet up and 3500 feet down. I¢ve heard the downward section on the north side is horrific, especially when wet. I figure it will probably rain all day tomorrow but I¢m going out anyway. I had better get some sleep.David AKA ¢Mister F. Gentle Spirit¢ Website http://www.wbafinc.org Photos: http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproofVideos: http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
Date: 2008-08-09
From: Franconia Notch

To: Chet's Garage
Miles today: 0.0

Punishing, Grueling Climbs punctuated by beautiful views completely obscured by fog and rain.Chet¢s Garage Hostel Zero Day. Blazing socks and I went down toe Mr. W¢s Pancake house and had a great breakfast. On the TV, the Olympics were being broadcast and it was some kind of game I had never seen before. I went back and looked it up and it turned out to be Team Handball or Field handball. It was cool. France was beating up on Angola but it was more the fact that I was trying to figure out the rules of the game by watching it that was so intriguing. We hit a couple of outfitters. I busted a shoelace and needed to get a new pair. They have like six Lahout¢s stores her and each one has a different slant on it. One is a ski shop, one is a Columbia clothing outlet, one is a true outfitter and I don¢t know about the other ones; but, I think they carry a lot of the same gear. We made it back to the hostel around 11 and I figured I would just take a zero day. The weather is intermittent and I¢d like to be able to see something interesting if I¢m going to punish myself with the climb.David AKA ¢Mister F. Gentle Spirit¢ Website http://www.wbafinc.org Photos: http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproofVideos: http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
Date: 2008-08-12
From: Crawford Notch General Store

To: Mitzpah hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

Friends in High placesCrawford Notch to Mitzpah Hut: 7 milesIt didn¢t rain last night and I was so happy I got up early. The pad worked well and I had a great rest. It turned out that Shawn and Sage were in the campsite across from me and they invited me to coffee. We talked for a good while until I felt the tug of the trail and I had to get out of there and pack up all my stuff. The two of them were very cool. It was refreshing to see Dad and daughter having that kind of report and getting along so well. I got up to the store and one of the guys gave me a ride out to the trailhead. The climb was tough up Webster Cliffs to Mt. Webster. It was ping-ponging back and forth from sun to rain and I kept changing my wardrobe to match, finally I resigned to just keep all my raingear on and to hell with it. I am glad I did. Last night when I was taking a shower I was checking out my hernia and it looks like it¢s getting worse. The climb up this mountain was not helping things. There were many time I had to just climb up rock faces or throw my poles down and scramble over wet boulders. Knowing I have the hernia was making me climb cautiously and that was dropping my progress to about one mile an hour. I ran into some cool people and took the opportunity to rest and talk. Eventually I got to the Mitzpah Hut, I was intending to go another 5 miles to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut just before Mt. Washngton but I was beat up and dripping when I got there. They let me do a WFS even though I was an hour early and I took the chance. At the rate I was traveling, it would take me 5 hours to get the 5 miles to Lakes of the Clouds and that would be almost dark and I would have to stay in a dank basement there. Mitzpah was the Mitzvah for me! The ¢Croo¢ there was very cool. I washed dishes again and the Lasagne was really good. They do everything vegetarian her because you can¢t put meat in the compost. They really take their conservation seriously up here. Everything is considered and all green technologies are used. It¢s very interesting to see how easy it is once you get it going to be ¢low impact.¢ The weather is rumored to improve but I¢ll believe that when I see it. I did get glimpse of the half-moon as I fell asleep on one of the dining room tables. The clouds were moving very fast; however, and soon it was gone; appearing occasionally in the night through the mist and rain.David AKA "Mister F. Gentle Spirit"Websitehttp://www.wbafinc.org/Photos:http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproofVideos:http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
Date: 2008-06-02
To: so is that good news, or bad?
Miles today: 0.0

My MRI came back. It's not the meniscus. Great on that. However, apparently, apart from my cartilage being old and creaky, which I knew, and there isn't much I can do about right now except keep taking the Glucosamine, I have some additional issues. A fracture, a "bone island" (doesn't that sound like somewhere you'd find skeletons and buried treasure?), a sprain, and a small tear on the ACL. The small tear and the old cranky cartilage I've known about for a long time. The tear has always been described as "small" and doesn't appear any bigger than before, so I know it alone won't stop me hiking. The cartilage thing, as descibed above, is just wear and tear, and possibly a little bit of genetics. I have my Dad's knees, and his have been replaced when he was in his late 60s. I hope mine last that long. The bone island is apparently a patch of non growing bone or catrilage in the midst of normal bone. It is basically benign, and shows up as a light spot on xrays and MRI's and as long as it's small and stays that way and exhibits no other symptoms it can just be left alone. So the additional issues are the fracture and the sprain. The recent injury happened while taking a gentle evening run, there was no impact or sudden onset of pain, just a "not quite right" feeling, so I can't imagine that the fracture occurred then. I did make a quite dramatic fall several months earlier, in February, in an airport on my way to Jamaica for a week off from hiking. It was very sore and painful for a couple of days, but I didn't feel like wasting my week of Jamaica vacation in an emergency room, and despite the acrobatic nature of the fall, the knee was sore (both actually, the left was sporting a nice graze) but I could still walk. Luckily for me, the week in Jamaica consisted consisted of almost entirley nothing except lazing on the beach with maybe a daily walk up the beach to a nearby food establishment. Even with bad knees I managed. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I didn't get the knee looked at, but went back to hiking a week later with no ill effects, though I now believe that was most likely when the fracture occurred. So, the only recent injury seems to be the sprain and associated bruising, fluid, etc. The pain from this appears to have eased off as a sprain should, with rest, icing, etc.. This is definitely a different knee than the one I flew home with a couple of weeks ago. The result of all this is that I'm even more determined to hike in real life conditions to test if I can really hike. The backpack for a week plan still stands. We're heading for the hills of NC next week. If I can hike pain free with a fully loaded pack for 10 or so miles a day, then I'm going on up to Maine to start hiking SOBO. If I can't, well, I'll have to return to Florida and cash in my Rx for an orthopedic consult. Lets hope it doesn't come to that.
Date: 2008-06-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Change of plans again. We spent the weekend in Hot Springs NC, with some hammocking friends and had intended to hike Hot Springs to Erwin this week to test out my knee. Temperatures in the high 90s and oppressive humidity put paid to that idea though. Instead of the high hot exposed ridge of the AT we decided that a couple of days of loop hikes, preferably in shade and/or near water would be just as suitable for a shakedown hike. Friends Ed and Karen suggested Harper Creek and offered their house for the night on the way. They set us up with a great meal, laundry, maps, and beds. What great trail angels! Still concerned about heat, we waited until late afternoon before heading out to Harper Creek. We arrived around 6pm, hiked a mile or so before making camp. We were very lucky to see first a single blue firefly and then several of them, glowing long and low to the ground., then settled in for the night fairly early when dark came accompanied by a thunderstorm.
Date: 2008-06-10
To: Good to get out of here.
Miles today: 0.0

So much for an early start this morning. I went out like a light to the patter of rain on the tent last night, but still slept until almost 8am.Fortunately we don't really have a set schedule: we'll walk until around noon then hopefully find a nice spot on the creek with some shade and a swimming hole where we can wile away the hot afternoon, then maybe hike some more in the evening. It turned out that our morning's walk put us directly above a large waterfall at noon. By the time we had picked our way down to the creek we were both ready for a cooling swim, lunch and a nap. Our plan to eat dinner and continue hiking this evening has been somewhat stymied by earlier storms today. We're not worried though, we've made camp here and we'll just take a shorter route out to the car tomorrow. My knee has proved itself: it's borne the weight of the pack, it's been jolted, twisted, jerked and put under strain under realistic backpacking conditions and it's acted just like a knee should. I have no pain or swelling. It's time to quit lollygagging around and get ourselves up to Katahdin to start hiking!
Date: 2008-06-16
To: somethings biting me!
Miles today: 0.0

Millinocket ME.We made it this far, and so did our packs. The bad part is the bugs were here waiting for us already! The first hiker we met was completely covered in bites on his face and body. So we spent this morning procuring bug shirts, pants and permethrin to treat or regular hiking clothes. Hopefully it will all help protect us a little. I already have my first monster bite on my forehead and a couple of others scattered around my body. I'm not going to come out of this unblemished!Tomorrow we will move to Baxter State Park and weather permitting will summit Mt Katahdin.
Date: 2008-06-17
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: light rain

Katahdin Stream campground to Baxter Peak and return. 10.4 miles (but only 5.2 count). Katahdin is an old native American word meaning "Greatest Mountain" but it is now quite obvious to me that the true meaning is "I'm gonna kick your ass." Adding the "Mt" prefix simply means you get butt kicked on the way up and then beat up on the way back down again.We started out in the pouring rain. It only lasted a couple of miles before we were able to ditch our rain gear, but it did turn the trail into somewhat more of a stream than were expecting, ruining any chance of dry feet! After a couple of miles of uphill upstream we came to the treeline, the big rocks, and the iron rungs that are necessary to get you up and over them. We were glad the rain had stopped, the rocks were still a little slippery. It was still foggy, and therefore misting on us and the visibility was very low, which we later discovered was a good thing. The trail turns to more of a technical boulder scramble at the treeline, a steep uphill boulder scramble. There were many places where we just couldn't believe that the trail went "up that", and due to the limited visibility were certain that every peak would be the last, until another even higher loomed out of the fog! But finally we reached the plateau, and a mile of (relatively) flat hiking before the final short uphill push for the summit. And suddenly there we were, at the famed but faded Katahdin sign. We took our starting point photographs in the fog and for a brief moment imagined that the sun may be about to break through, but then we started to get pelted with tiny droplets of ice, so gave up on that idea. Starting back down again we had a major treat when the fog suddenly parted revealing the landscape around and below us. A long way below us. We could now see the full extent of our "unending" uphill climb. It was beautiful to see from the plateau, but we were both grateful that our visibility had been limited during the climb up, and actually kind of hoping it would fog up again before we had to make the climb back down again! The descent was indeed harder than the ascent had been. Maybe not as physically exerting, but more strenuous, requiring more concentration, and definitely harder and more jolting on the body. The fog mainly shielded us from too brutal a view, but did lighten and drift a couple of times giving us brief glimpses of the landscape below and around us. As we scrambled down the final runged boulder the fog lifted, the sky cleared and we had sunshine, blue sky, and views for the remainder of the hike back to camp. Yes, we made it. Even with my cranky knee and Brian's screwed together back, we summitted Katahdin and we're on our way Me>Ga.
Date: 2008-06-18
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day at Katahdin Stream.0 miles.We assumed we would want a day off today to rest our weary bones. We were right. It felt good to lie in, catch up on some hydration, calories and sleep. Lots more SOBOs turned up to summit today, and most are not planning a rest day like we have so it looks like about a dozen or so of us are heading south tomorrow.
Date: 2008-06-19
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge campgroup
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

Katahdin Stream cg to Abol Bridge cg9.9 milesWe were up very early this morning and on the trail by around 6:30. The hike started off pretty good and soon we were following along the bank of the River. We took short side trails to see the old Toll dam and Big Niagara falls. We missed Little Niagara because it wasn't signposted. The weather was misty again so we still haven't actually seen Katahdin even though there is apparently a good view of it from the dam site. Big Niagara was quite impressive and we spent a while there taking photographs. We commented several times as we walked that there were many places that would be great to stop for a swim if the weather had been warmer. Reaching a marked alternative high water route we decided we could probably cross the makeshift log jam bridge to cross a small stream. What we didn't realize until after we had crossed is that we were now on an island and the trickier crossing was actually at the other end a mile or so later. There were a couple of young hikers there at the ford when we arrived. One had already crossed with his pack which was on the opposite bank and had come back to help the other cross. After scouting upstream a little we decided that the best place for us to cross was actually a few feet downstream of where the boys had forded. It was shallower and not flowing quite so fast. We ultimately ended up getting wet only to around our knees, but the photographs are quite comical and probably not fit for public consumption!Around the time we crossed the rain began to come down harder and out came the bugs. I know we had been warned, but nothing prepares you for this except experiencing it: they are bad while you hike, but stop for even a moment and they literally swarm all around you. Brian was smart and put his bug shirt on. I however was still wearing my rain jacket and because my torso and arms were protected I resisted adding my other protective gear. An hour or so later, legs and ears and neck covered in bites I finally conceded That maybe I should have stopped to don my bug gear earlier. By then, of course, it was too late to do so as I would have been eaten alive in the time it would take to fish them out of my pack. I did finally manage to reapply my lemon eucalyptus spray, which seems to work well, but needs reapplication after fording rivers or being drenched with rain. I have learned my lesson though. Tomorrow I will wear my bug clothing and keep my spray handy in my hip pocket!We arrived at Abol Bridge early. It was not quite what I was expecting, but as wet, cold and bitten as we were, were easily lured in by the thought of a cheeseburger and a hot shower, After that the remainder of the afternoon eating up the surplus food from our bags so we don't have to carry it.
Date: 2008-06-20
From: Abol Bridge campgroup

To: Rainbow Spring campsite
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Abol Bridge to Rainbow Spring campsite11.2 milesToday was just grueling. It started out with a pack that seemed way heavier than yesterday (and probably was because I did add 8 candy bars at the store, but it shouldn't have added as much as it felt like), and then just got worse. Between the bugs, the bogs, the slippery log bog bridges, the steep uphills, the steep slippery downhill streams that were apparently supposed to be trail, and the copious rocks roots and blowdowns it was a very tough day. Every step required careful foot placement and there was absolutely no rhythm to the hike. That makes for long miles and an extremely long day. We had started out the day hoping to do about 14 miles into the rainbow stream shelter and ended it staggering into the campsite a couple of miles short but just grateful to be stopped for the night. I'm sure it's days like today that demoralize many hikers into quitting. Fortunately, not only is there no option to quit here, but we're experienced enough to know that one bad day shouldn't end a hike. At the end of such a rainy day and in an area pretty denuded of firewood we were probably foolish to try to get a fire started, but we at least managed enough hot embers to sit our cookpots in to get enough hot water for a quick makeshift shower before bed. Somehow that made the day seem not so bad after all!
Date: 2008-06-21
From: Rainbow Spring campsite

To: Nesuntabunt Mountain
Miles today: 10.0

Rainbow Spring campsite to North Summit Nesuntabunt Mountain10 milesThis morning we woke to actual sunshine on the the tent. Its a testament to how bad yesterday was that even with the sun shining it was very hard to get motivated to hike. Eventually though we managed to get out on the trail. The mileage shortage from yesterday meant that today we would probably not be near a campsite or shelter by the time we are ready to stop for the night. There was also the little issue of a 1500 ft mountain in the way at right about our 10 mile point, and whether we would be physically capable of climbing it late in the day. Brian and I had our first disagreement at this point, about carrying water up hills, but we got over it fairly quickly and concentrated our energy on getting up Nesuntabunt. From the summit we got our first really good view of Katahdin, it was so good we decided to   camp at the summit. It was an awesome night for it: cool, dry and clear. It was so quiet up there we could hear the slight breeze coming up the back side of the mountain and voices from the fishing camp below drifting over the lake. Later in the night we heard loons and coyotes calling. A perfect lullaby.