morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-08-07
From: Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Stream lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

8/7 This morning Top O & I went to Peat's for breakfast and then caught the 7:05 shuttle. We into the 100 mile wilderness at 7:30. We didn't get rain yesterday so the footing was pretty good except on the slate. There is a lot of slate here. In a few hours we were at Little Wilson Falls. Nice falls with interesting rock fracture lines due to the slate. Shortly after, we forded Little Wilson stream. The sky was clear but the Thunder was getting louder. Next, we forded Big Wilson Stream. We decided to try to rock hop instead of wading this one and Top O almost slipped in. This slate is really slippery in and around the stream. The Thunder kept getting louder and we mad it to the Long Pond Stream lean-to. We got water and then watched it rain from the shelter. Fin came hiking up. He had finished and decided to do it again. South. He hung around an hour or so and headed South. Mosey came into the shelter about 6. He has been in our circle for 6 or 7 weeks now. We all sat and chatted while I ate my Knorr pasta sides and tuna. Later a section hiker came in and joined the three of us in the shelter. Light rain continued for a couple of hours. We hiked 15.1 today and are now less than 100 miles from Katadin.
Date: 2014-08-08
From: Long Pond Stream lean-to

To: Stealth camp
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

 8/8 17.4 mi Last night's rain left the trail wet, muddy and slippery. Top O and I left the shelter a little after 6 and started the 1,000 ft climb to the Barren Ledges where we took our first break. We then climbed another 650 ft to Barren Mountain. There is the remains of an old fire tower there, but we didn't mess with it. The trail was tougher than the past week, mostly because of the rain, but partly because there was a lot of up and down today. This part of the AT has lots of rocky area where hands are required to negotiate. After 5 more named mountains, we made it to Chairback Gap lean-to where we had lunch. The sky was a little threatening looking, but we wanted to go 3.3 more miles to camp along a river so we left after lunch. We continued our discussion from yesterday about how the trail was taking longer here than in most places. We struggled to make 2 miles/hr. The distant thunder kept getting louder and closer. The sky opened up and it began to pour rain. Then it mixed with hail. The trail quickly became a river. I had put my pack cover on and my phone in a zip lock bag earlier, but everything else was soaked. I kept on hiking to the camp sites and talked to Too O. He wanted to go ahead and ford the river and camp on the other side. I agreed. There were no good sites so I suggested we continue on just past Gulf Hagas trails and maybe the rain will have quit by then. We walked another hour and the rain let up just as we came to a nice camping spot on large stream. After we set our camp up, We filtered water, cooked, ate and went to bed to warm up. We talked about the day and tomorrow from our tents while we each looked at our guide books. Tomorrow morning we will add 6 miles to our day by hiking the Gulf Hagas loop before heading up White Cap Mt Today was a hard day on my feet and I am pretty tired. I am grateful to have this warm, dry tent to rest in tonight.
Date: 2014-08-09
From: Stealth camp

To: Logan Brook lean-to
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

8/9 10.6 +6 Today we got up and left our camp set up and headed South and then down the Gulf Hagas trail. We checked out all the falls and canyons on the loop. We got back to camp around 10 or so and took down camp. We spent the next few miles following the creek we camped next to. The rest of the day was spent climbing Gulf Hagas, West Peak, Hay and White Cap Mountains. We also got our first look at Katadin. I think I saw a million mushrooms today. We had a perfect day without rain today. We ended our hike at Logan brook lean-to and there was a full house. Mostly flip-floppers. Tomorrow we pick up our food bucket. Today I am grateful for sunshine.
Date: 2014-08-10
From: Logan Brook lean-to

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 23.1
Weather: overcast clouds

8/10 23.1 mi. Potaywadjo. Spring lean-to Top O and I were on the trail shortly after 6 on our 4th day in the 100 mile wilderness. We descend the remaining elevation of White Cap Mountain over the next 3.5 miles and crossed the East Branch of the Pleasant Rivver. It was much warmer down around 1200 ft. The mosquitos were loving the warm moist air today. We spent the next 3 miles climbing an 800 ft mountain named Little Boardman. The rest of the day was almost all downhill. We stopped at Cooper Brook Falls lean-to for lunch and then on to Jo- Mary Road for our resupply bucket we prepared last week. I think I may have a little too much food. Today the trail was gentle and kind to us with some really nice terrain. Around 3 we were at Jo-Mary Lake at a sandy beach. It was near 80 degrees and we were at a beach. Exactly. We spent 30 minutes or so swimming and washing 4 days worth of sweat, deet and mosquito guts from our arms and legs and then on to Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to. I think it is possibly the prettiest spring on the AT. Top O made a fire and I made my usual rice and tuna dinner. Ufda and Mosey showed up and a little while later Swallow came in. I Broke out the bottle of Makers Mark I had carried for 4 days and shared til it was gone. It was a great day! Today I am grateful for sunshine and a beach to swim at.
Date: 2014-08-11
From: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to

To: Rainbow Brook lean-to
Miles today: 18.1

8/11 18.1 Rainbow Brook lean-to Today was the third day without rain and an awesome summer day. There were a few up and downs but only one big climb of 800 ft. Nesuntabunt mountain at 1520 ft offered an excellent view of Katadin only 16 straight line miles away. Unfortunately, it is nearly 40 miles by trail. The trail was a mixed bag today . There was a lot of roots and rocks, but there were some nice miles as well. We passed several lakes and followed a stream much of the day. We are now 30 miles from Katadin and only have 15 miles of the 100 mile wilderness left. We will finish the wilderness tomorrow and be at Abol Bridge camp tomorrow night if all goes as planned. There is a nice swimming hole at our camp and I was the first one in as usual. Later we gathered wood and built a fire to help keep the mosquitos away. There was a southbound thru hiker at the shelter who just started a few days earlier. I thought of how I felt when I just started. I am glad to have most of it behind me. Today I am grateful that me body has not failed me and I will be heading south next week.
Date: 2014-08-12
From: Rainbow Brook lean-to

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: moderate rain

8/12 15.0 Abol bridge Campground Today we planned to do the remaining 15 miles of the 100 mile wilderness and camp at Abol Bridge camp ground. Top O and I were on the trail a little after 6. The trail was pretty gentle today with only a couple mild ups and downs. We passed several lakes and the mosquitos were waiting for us so we did the morning deet ritual. Mid morning, we made our way to Rainbow Ledges where we feasted on blueberries. There was the biggest blueberry patch there and it was full of large, ripe blueberries. We also had minimal phone service there so we made a call home. Mosey and Ufda joined us and we hiked the rest of the way to the camp together. Ufda said he was going the rest of the 10 more miles to the base of Katadin after lunch. We all went to the camp restaurant and had a couple beers and lunch. The weather forecast was grim for the next two days so we had some decisions to make. Ufda bought a 6 pack and we all sat down by the river and made plans. Top O and I had a couple days built into our schedule for weather. So we decided to zero the next day and hike out on Thursday. It is still supposed to rain that day but less chance on Friday when we will be on Katadin. Ufda has time restraints so he has to go in the morning. Mosey will hang with us. We later went back to the restaurant and ate again and made arrangements to go whitewater rafting the next day on the Penobscot river since it will be raining and we have nowhere else to go. The camp at the base of Katadin has a 1 night limit so we had to zero here or rent a car and get a room if we hiked out in the morning. Or, climb Katadin in the rain. Rafting it is! Looks like we will see more of Maines wilderness.
Date: 2014-08-14
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Appalachian Trail Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

On the 13th Top O really wanted to hike to the Birches. Mosey and I wanted to use one of the bad weather days we had been saving. The Birches has a one night limit and the forecast called for more heavy rain the next day. We decided to use 2 bad weather days and get back on the AT on the 15th. So we went rafting on the West Branch of the Penobscot River upper section. I really enjoyed it. It is amazing how warm the water is here. All the streams flow into ponds here and warms up before flowing out and joining other streams to make the warm rivers. After the river, we went back to the outfitter and had a couple of beers and looked at the photos. Mosey almost fell out 2 seconds into the first rapid and then 3 seconds into it Top O fell in. FUN. The next morning we woke to serious rain. I was told we got 7 inches in 2 days. We got a shuttle into Millinocket and the Appalachian trail Lodge. I spent much of the morning drying out my gear and doing laundry. We ate plenty and had a few beers. We decided to summit on the 15th and because the forecast included a chance of afternoon showers, we decided to do Katadin in the morning and set up a 6:30 shuttle. I thought we had a perfect plan. Today I am grateful for allowing ourselves a couple extra bad weather days when we bought our airline tickets 3 weeks ago.
Date: 2014-08-15
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Mt. Katadin
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

The threat of afternoon thunderstorms helped us decide to summit Katadin first and then get the 10 miles back to where we stopped at Abol Bridge. We were on the 6:30 shuttle to Baxter State Park. The van was full with 11 hikers. The two days of heavy rain had a lot of people waiting for a break to do the 4,000 ft. Climb to the top of Katadin. I registered at the park office and was on the trail at 7:45. The day was clear and cool. After all the bad weather mountains, It was nice to have a perfect day to summit. The climb was a little tougher than I expected, but was over sooner than I expected also. There were 18 through hikers up there when we took a group photo. Lots of smiles, cheers and toasts. I spent 30 or 40 minutes on top and began my hike down. I took a 30 minute break for lunch in the park and headed South to Abol Bridge. This was maybe the easiest 10 miles of the whole AT. The trail went by a pond and then followed a swollen stream for the next couple of miles. The stream kept getting bigger as other streams merged with it til finally it became the West Branch of the Penobscot river. Following the river was a pleasant way to end our hike in Maine. I hitched a ride into Millinocket and saw Top O coming off the trail as we drove off. Top O and I celebrated with the other hikers later than we usually stay up. I think it was after 11 when we finally went back to the hostel. It was all over just like that. I will be flying to Knoxville on Monday. Today I am grateful for all the sights , sounds and smells I found along the trail in Maine.
Date: 2014-08-20
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

First, I want to thank everyone that followed along on my TJ and offered support, encouragement and congratulations. But, Grasshopper's excellent AT adventure is not over. I am guessing that many of you that read my journal have started reading sometime in the last couple months and never looked at my early posts.So, being from East TN, I have been hiking in and around the GSMNP most of my life and section hiked to Hot Springs before I decided to through - hike the AT. That is mainly why I started at Hot Springs this year on my hike. This means, in order to through hike, I need to go back and hike those miles again now.I left Millinocket, ME on a bus and went Bangor Sunday afternoon to catch my Monday flight back to Knoxville. I arrived home just after midnight and unpacked. Tuesday afternoon Tamara came to take me back to Hot Springs. We ended up getting a late start so we ate dinner and got a room 45 minutes outside of hot springs on the interstate. After breakfast we made our way to town where I began heading north almost 5 months ago. We ate at the diner I had breakfast the day I started and then went to the outfitter for a couple of things and then Tamara dropped me off where I started last time. Only this time, I will be heading south. My plan was to take it easy since I didn't get started till 11 and it's so much hotter here. I figured a 13 mile day would work and may even allow me to beat the Thunder storms. I had to walk up the road a ways and Tamara was a the trailhead for a goodbye and a photo . She drove off and I began my final portion south.It was already hotter than I had seen in months and I knew I had a day of uphill. After a nice uphill and back down to Garenflo Gap, it began to thunder. Until this point, I had been thinking how nice the trails are here and how good it felt to be back in familiar territory. Now, I had an impending thunderstorm to occupy my thoughts. I also had a 1700 ft climb between me and my destination. For the next 4 miles I climbed Bluff Mountain and listened to the thunder. Have I mentioned how much I dislike being on top of mountains during thunderstorms? I finally crossed the mountain without getting rained on and headed down to Kale Gap only to climb back up 500 more ft. To Walnut Mountain Shelter. There were 3 others there. One guy was heading north and was on his first overnight trip in 14 years and the other 2 were also southbound. They are longtime friends who backpack together often. One of them is a professional trail builder/maintainer who has worked on the AT for 14 years. I had just enough time to get water, cook, clean and get my bed ready before it started raining. And rain it did! I was told the thunderstorms and rain lasted for several hours after I was asleep. It was a wonderful, but hot first day back on my home turf. Today I am grateful for all the dirt on the trail here. I was getting tired of rocks.
Date: 2014-08-21
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

The first thing I noticed this morning was how much later daylight begins here than Maine. The second thing I noticed was that the guy on his first backpacking trip had moved his hammock to the entryway of the shelter. I had to crawl under him to get out. Last night's rain had cooled things off considerably and there was a nice breeze. Perfect day for hiking. My plan was to avoid rain and take another easy day. I plan on entering the GSMNP on Sunday morning so no reason to get in a hurry. I figure if I go in on Sunday, it will be less crowded and the park gives through hikers least priority while insisting they stay at shelters.Back to today. My day started downhill and then an easy 5.5 mile uphill to Max Patch. It was a perfect day on the Patch and there were plenty of people there but it was not crowded. I had lunch with Ted and Larry from the shelter last night. Ted and I talked trail building while we hiked down to Brown Gap. We took a short break and I moved on while Ted waited for Larry. I hadn't decided where I would stay but the threat of Storms made the shelter appealing. My choices were a 13.1 mile day or a 21 mile day and stay at the Standing Bear Hostel where I left my food for the GSMNP. I decided to stay at the Groundhog Creek Shelter. I will be entertained by Larry and Ted again tonight. These guys go by mixed drink and micro brew. Hmmm. The are on each other about something constantly, but it's just some fun banter. We had a relaxing day and enjoyed some quiet time around the shelter. The shelter log went all the way to January and was great reading. I saw lots of names there of people I know but hadn't met when they signed it months ago. We cooked and talked of bears. Mixed drink insisted there were no bears anywhere near and micro brew said your crazy, there lots in the area. They started that bantering they do. This is the most humorous couple I have met on the trail so far. They jumped out of the muggle category quickly in my book. It was a great day on the trail. Today I am grateful for all the surprises the trail provides.
Date: 2014-08-22
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: I-40, Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I am still adjusting to this late morning daylight. I hardly used my headlamp for 1900 miles and now it doesn't get daylight until I have finished my coffee and breakfast. We packed up and headed towards I-40. I planned on going to Standing Bear Hostel and get my resupply and then hitch to Hartford to hang out and see an old friend and generally spend a couple days being a river bum while waiting on Sunday to enter the GSMNP. Mixed drink and Micro brew were planning on going to Davenport Gap, the first shelter in the park. The day started with a climb, as usual, up Snowbird Mountain and 1,100 ft. Mixed drink left first and I followed 10 minutes later. I caught up to him just as a small bear cub crossed the trail in front of us. I made short work of the rest of the clumb and spent some time on Snowbird Mountain eating blackberries. I missed them earlier this year. Micro brew caught up to me and we hiked down to the road near standing bear together. They decided to go to the hostel for a soda and some snacks. I wanted to do the 0.9 miles to I-40 first and then back to Standing Bear in case I caught a ride from there so I wouldn't have to do it Sunday. After all, it was only an 8.1 mile day. When i got to the hostel, Micro brew and Mixed drink were still there talking about their plans. Rocket, the guy that runs Standing Bear Hostel, told me the river was not running and my friend was not operating her restaurant today. Easy. I would stay at the hostel. Rocket gave me the tour and said they had a license to sell beer. Micro brew heard this and ask for a round. Mixed drink protested saying they had hiking to do but agreed to one. 4 hours and a lot of beers later we all had chosen bunks, had a hot pizza, a cold beer and were sitting around a fire having a good time in Cocke Co., TN another great day on the trail. Today I am grateful for a camp fire and all the time I spent around them with my fellow hikers this year.
Date: 2014-08-23
From: I-40, Standing Bear Hostel

To: Pigeon River
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was pouring rain when I woke this morning. Mixed drink and micro brew were already up and making coffee. Rocket was not around but had already made his rounds, I'm sure. My plan was to zero,and hang out on the river all day. Simple right? Mixed drink and Micro brew called their shuttle driver and told him of the change in plans. He came around 9:15 and we said our goodbyes for the third time. Rocket said he had to deliver something to the very place I was going and offered me a ride. Good thing I did the 0.9 miles to to the interstate yesterday. I washed some clothes on a washboard and ringer and was ready when he left at 11. We went to the Bean Tree and had lunch and he went back to the hostel. I found a safe place to leave my pack (everything I have) and went to work trying to yogi a free river trip. It took a while, but I got a free ducky and tagged along with a rafting trip. It was nice to soak my feet in Tennessee water again. I tipped the guides. I bought some spicy boiled peanuts and a Lagunitas ipa and sat at a table by the river for a while. The end of the trail is so near, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. Tonight, I get some good food from the Bean Tree and I'll camp with rowdy raft guides. Tomorrow, it's back to work with one of the biggest climbs in TN. Today I am grateful for new shoes. Ahhh! They feel so good.
Date: 2014-08-24
From: I-40, Standing Bear Hostel

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today didn't exactly turn out as planned. The plan was to get up early hitch a ride and be on the trail early enough to get to the shelter before it rains. I had a short day planned because I have so much food and a climb of 3600 ft.What happened was, I woke early and had my camp packed by 7. I went to the road to hitch the 5 miles back to the trail. I stood there with my thumb out for 2 and a half hours before I finally got a ride. I wasn't too worried because I only had a 10 mile day, but the cooler morning air was gone and it was hot and humid. It was pretty much all uphill, but not as steep as much of the trail up north. I stopped after 3 miles at Davenport Gap for a break and water. I was sweating a lot so I was drinking a lot. I continued uphill to Mt. Cammerer where after 3600 ft of elevation gain, I got a little down hill and some fairly level trail for a bit. Then it was down to 4,250 ft and then back up to 4,800 and the Cosby Knob Shelter. This was where I planned to relax the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the park service had closed the shelter a couple of days earlier do to aggressive bears. Booo. I took a break there anyway and got more water. I was not excited about adding 7.7 miles and another 1,300 ft of climbing. Not to mention it was already 2:30 and it looked like rain. I continued up the trail for another 3 hours when I met a trail maintenance guy who I chatted with a few minutes and I moved on. I made it to Tri Corner Knob Shelter without getting rained on and found a woman and her son there and no one else. I made my bed and dinner. All in all, it was a pretty good day. I now have to decide how to do the next two days. Today I am grateful that the rain showers were around me but never rained a drop on me.