morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-19
From: WarSpur Shelter

To: VA 42
Miles today: 8.2

Today was a fairly short day to get into town. No one else came to the shelter last night. I was up by 6 but not out till 8! I like taking my time in the morning as it is one of the things I disliked in my earlier hikes. Taking time to sit and enjoy my tea with a small breakfast is very enjoyable ...and it makes privy time MUCH better :-). However, I want to try to be more efficient and enjoy the early hiking hours. The trail was slippery and I slid on a rock and landed on my "best asset" to quote my sister from another mister (i.e. BonBon)! No foul, no harm to my tush. However the trail was narrow with ginormous Queen Anne's Lace plants on either side. I rubbed my arms against them as I fell. I had forgotten how itchy they make you! Fortunately the itch goes away pretty quickly. Alan from the MacArthur Inn picked me up at Rte 42, bought me some Vitamin Water and fresh peaches, and drove me back to the Inn. I ate a few slices of pizza (free samples) when I arrived, had a fantastic shower, and headed to the laundromat. From there I went to the AYCE buffet and BEER at Anna's restaurant. Back at the Inn I had more pizza and a grape soda It was a great day. Tomorrow is supposed to be stormy, so I will take a nero and go to the first shelter. Thank you all for your notes in my guest book. They inspire and humble me. I am so pleased that BonBon and I have a shared readership. Can you tell that I miss her?"The goal of climbing big, dangerous mountains should be to attain some sort of spiritual and personal growth, but this won't happen if you compromise away the entire process." Yvon Chouinard.
Date: 2015-06-20
From: VA 42

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a short day for hiking. But I got to see the amazing Keffer Oak. Because of the short day (i.e. one more day before town), I need to conserve battery life. Someone had left trail magic at the trailhead. It was gone by the time I arrived; with just trash remaining. Thank you, however, for your kindness to us. The storm this afternoon came and went with huge ferocity each time. So glad that I am safe and dry in a shelter, albeit one reported to be haunted, especially as I had thought of doing an additional 6 to Niday Shelter. However,this shelter is .4 miles from the trail and the water another .1. I need more water in this heat, and there were no other water sources till Niday, and the previous source was 3 miles back.It was so dark at times that I used my headlamp to read the shelter notebook. Another hiker, Arnery, got in about 7 last night totally drenched from the storm. She looked super scary as she was wearing a bug net over her poncho. She is a federal retired law enforcement officer. The hike from here to Niday might be my favorite - a walk in the woods along a ridge line.   So much fun in good weather, but super scary with thunder crashing around you! Of course it also could be rocky ledges that are scary all the time This was a great shelter. Super clean with skylights and a picnic table on a covered porch. I thought that there was no privy based on AWOL, but as I am eating breakfast this morning, I saw a sign reading "privy" with an arrow pointing the way. I guess we see what we expect to see. The fire pit was raised and had a grill on top. I thought of how great it would have been to have dry wood and summer sausage to grill. Mmmmm... Making me hungry for the summer sausage our friend Gary smokes. Tomorrow is Father's Day. I wish all the dads out there an epic day. I especially wish for St. James to have a fabulous day. He is a wonderful father and grandpa in every way that matters. I also know my dad will be in my thoughts. Tomorrow is also the summer solstice and naked hiker day. I will not hike naked, and anyone nearby is free to thank me with a beer. Lastly, tomorrow is The Longest Day; a day used by the Alzheimer's Foundation to bring awareness to what life is like for those with ALZ. For Alzheimer's patients, every day is unending. I recently lost a friend to this horrible disease. His wife has been raising money for the Alzheimer's Foundation since he was diagnosed. If you would like to help, please Google The Longest Day. Her team is named Luv U Moe. You can also search my her name, Anita Krakower. "Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Date: 2015-06-21
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

Since this will be a fairly short day and Arnery is still sleeping, I am enjoying a leisurely breakfast.   I thought about going further and camping, but more storms are expected this evening and I would prefer to be in a shelter given the high winds and extreme rain. So nice to not have to meet a deadline! Once we got started I was SO glad that I didn't push on yesterday. The ridge line was all exposed rock at 45 degree angles. It would have been extra fun in the rain. I pictured myself scooting along on my derri re and needing new pants in Daleville. The only plus was the availability of blackberries on the ledges. Most weren't ripe (to quote St James "blackberries are green when they're red").I regretted not getting an earlier start as the thunder was rumbling in the distance. I got to Niday just in time to drop my pack and get water before the rain. I would love to camp higher up, the ferocity of the storms is pushing me into shelters. Yesterday's had really cleared the air, but this one brought back all the humidity. I set up my tent inside the shelter again. The tiny no see-ums were everywhere. Right now only Arnery and I are in here. A hammocker named "Just Lucas" had a Mophie that cod charge a iPhone 10 times and he graciously charged mine for me. Thanks Lucas!!!!PS this shelter is a run down Motel Six in comparison to the Ritz Carlton of shelters yesterday! I heard roaches roaming last night so tried to keep the quote below in mind   "Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive, I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts toward others. I am not going to think badly or get angry at others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can." The Dalai Lama via Crusty Goat (in the Sarver Hollow shelter log book)
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Niday Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

Today we went up up up for a long time. I was off by 8 but wondering if I should have gotten up earlier. However, while it got hot during the day, it was uber humid this morning. As we reached one level area and the trail made a sharp left, there was a bench! Wowzers!!! In fact there were two. Great place for a quick rest break. I then headed up some more and took the short blue blaze to the Audie Murphy memorial. I was in high school when his place crashed in these mountains and I remember the shock it was to my parents, especially my dad who was also a WWII infantryman. The Greatest Generation!The trail then went down down down to a lovely creek. Up to this point the day flew by. Then it was up again for another mile which was steep, hot and rocky. I stopped every few feet to feast on wild blueberries. They always make me think of my Maine man, St. James. The man makes the west wild Maine blueberry pie!!!!!Then it felt like miles to the Pickle Branch shelter. It is another way off shelter, but not nearly as nice as Sarver (my gold standard of shelters). The water is about a quarter mile down a steep hill, but it was a great stream to soak in. A few young hikers came for an early dinner and were off again. They were very sweet. There were two friends from the area plus a young woman that they met on trail. She was amazingly beautiful, but covered in angry-looking bug bites. She is considering buying some of the "old geezer" Bugs Away clothing I am wearing. So, for right now it is just me. I will listen a bit to an Audible book and turn in. For the third night I have my tent setup in a shelter because of the bugs. My feet were hurting a bit yesterday, so I tried the diabetic inserts the podiatrist recommended and that Rob at Outdoor 76 did not. They seem to work! The only challenges are that I may need to go up a half size in my next pair of boots and they looked to be separating a little after just one day on the AT. Another day - one week back on the trail. I miss Grandbob and am VERY grateful for the Nalgene Cantene he gave me. With water so scarce, it is a godsend. I am doing well! Tomorrow is Dragon's Tooth and I am hoping I can get a ride to the Four Pines Hostel from Catawba. It will make tomorrow a bit shorter and get me set up for the next few days. Plus a cheeseburger and shower. Especially a cheeseburger and shower!!! Unfortunately I didn't time it right for the Homeplace Restaurant. PS. Last night another hiker rolled in around 11. Thankfully I didn't need to take down the Tent Mahal to make room for him. " The mosquitoes here are big enough to rape a chicken. " Elizabeth Gilbert Eat, Pray, Love
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

June 23This morning's hike started out wonderfully- excepting the long hike from the shelter. The sun was shining ...birds were singing....and there was a breeze. True bliss!!! As the long-time rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Branford, Hank Burdick would say, "This is one of the 10 best days. " Well, at any rate, it was one of the 10 best mornings. The hike up to Dragon's tooth was beautiful. I took some photos ate some lunch, and then started the descent. It was pretty brutal. There were ledges that were 4 - 6 inches wide. In some places the rock was so steep, that rebar was drilled into the sides to assist with your climb.   It was grueling, scary, and really tough on my feet. He had increased tremendously and is the day wore on I decided that it made sense to stop at Four Pines instead of pushing on to the next shelter. Eddy picked me up at the trailhead and I got there in time to run to the Catawba store and grab a burger and a beer and some Gatorade.   I set up my tent on the hill and back in hopes of catching a breeze, which really didn't help all that much.It was a good day of hiking, and I hit the 500 mile mark, but I would be kidding myself if I said that my feet were really doing well. At some point I'm going to need to decide whether it makes sense to continue on, knowing that I will have a certain amount of pain all the way to Maine. "We can go hiking on Tuesday, with you I'd walk anywhere." Jimmy Buffett. From
Date: 2015-06-24
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Lambert Meadow
Miles today: 10.7

Right now the hike seems to be all about water. There is so little on the trail, that extra needs to be carried and much of your planning involves making sure that there's an adequate supply. Today the goal was to get to McAfee knob as well as over the Tinker Cliffs to Lamberts Meadow. At times I really thought I wouldn't make it. There was no available water at the first two water sources, and I was carrying your weight 10 pounds of water to be sure I wouldn't run out. McAfee knob was really cool to see, but it was the Tinker clips that really blew me away. The views were incredible. As it was getting toward the end of the day they were just what I needed to lift my spirits and get my feet moving on toward Lamberts meadow. I got in just as it was dusk, and it whatever I had cold for dinner is I just didn't have the energy to cook a meal for the first time. It was also so hot, but nothing warm sounded good. I really struggled to get my bear bag hung. Any self-respecting bear could've helped himself quite easily, but at least it was hung high enough to prevent it from getting infiltrated by all of the creepy Crawley critters that might be around.   It was my first night of camping alone, and given the bareback situation, I admit to being a bit nervous.   My camp was in a beautiful location on the side of a stream. This is the last water between here in Daleville, that is potable, so I will fill up first thing in the morning to be sure I have enough. "Behind every beautiful thing, there is some kind of pain. ". Bob Dylan
Date: 2015-06-25
From: Lambert Meadow

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: few clouds

I woke up still feeling fairly tired this morning from getting in so late and being a bit restless last night. I made some breakfast and then got packed up and on my way. It seems that each morning I am beginning to check to see how far I'm along I have gotten, earlier and earlier. When I'm stopped in having a break, looking at the beautiful views, or enjoying the wildflowers I am at peace. However, it seems that I'm looking less and less forward to the actual hiking itself. I know some of this is due to the extreme heat and humidity that we've had this past week, and some is due to the rocks affecting my feet, but reality is that I just don't think I'm into this anymore. I returned to the trail because I really wanted to be the one that made the decision in terms of whether or not I could go on. I didn't want an injury to have the final say. I wanted to do everything I could to be sure that I could achieve my goals. I knew that the likelihood of my completing a 2015 through hike was very slim. Even if I shorten my days to below 10 miles, I would still have trouble getting the miles in because of the lack of water and having to carry larger amounts of food. There are so many things that I want to do in this life. I really want to do a coast to coast walk in the UK, and want to be sure that I don't do anything here that will permanently hurt my feet and prevent my being able to take that trip. I want to be able to spend more time with my granddaughters, who are already becoming little hikers if you look at the picture. I know that I have disappointed many of you, and many others are saying well why the heck did she even bother to go back? Inside, I needed to. I needed to be sure that the decision to get off the trail was the right one. I still have the option of doing section hikes, but right now I really don't think I will. I have completed over 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail at the age of 60.   It wasn't my original goal, but I'm happy with the results.   Thank you all for your kind notes and I'm sorry to disappoint you. Please continue to follow BonBon as she continues to make great progress through Pennsylvania. She needs all of our support both to keep her hike moving and to help with her big world project
Date: 2015-08-12
To: That's Life!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

"That's life (that's life), that's what all the people sayYou're ridin' high in April, shot down in MayBut I know I'm gonna change that tuneWhen I'm back on top, back on top in June" {actually September!}"I've been up and down and over and out and I know one thingEach time I find myself layin' flat on my faceI just pick myself up and get back in the race."I think this song, though I'm far more of a rock n roll girl than a fan of "ole blue eyes," sums up my AT experience. The glorious BonBon has said that she would love for us to summit together and I plan to give it a try.I will fly to Maine and catch up with her somewhere in the Little Bigelow area. That is the last big mountain in Maine before the Mighty K. Wish me luck!
Date: 2015-09-10
From: Falmouth, Maine

To: Stratton Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Yesterday I left sunny Florida in the dark to start my journey back up north. I had a two hour layover in JFK and then landed in Portland Maine around noon time. My sister-in-law pick me up at the airport and brought me to their beautiful home in Falmouth. It was a sparkly sunny day and we enjoyed our lunch outdoors in their backyard with views of the Presumpscot River.   My brother-in-law cooked a wonderful haddock dinner and it was great just to be able to chill and relax with family. I also got a bit of a kitty cat fixed with your cat Angie as I know I won't be seeing my kitties for a few weeks. It was my youngest granddaughter's first birthday so we face time and really enjoyed talking to the kids. They were mystified as to why I couldn't show them Finley our dog because they didn't understand that I wasn't at home. When I showed them the kitty, they were upset that it wasn't our kitty, Mlle. Claude. After a wonderful breakfast at the Miss Portland diner - Eggs and LOBSTER Benedict - my shuttle to the Trail arrived. Shane, who now owns the Stratton Motel in addition to a farmhouse in Rangely drove me from Portland to the motel in Stratton. I'll hang out here until BonBon arrives in a day or two. In the meantime I'll just have to suffer eating 1/2 pound cheeseburgers at the White Wolf Cafe, as well as Giffords ice cream and whoopie pies. "True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful. " Paul Sweeney
Date: 2015-09-11
From: Stratton Maine

To: Stratton Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a pre-zero is I wait for BonBon to make her way to Stratton. It was a cold and wet day, so I never got to try out a kayak on the beautiful stream pictured.   However I kept busy much of the time. I went to my pack, check to be sure that I had everything I needed and made an important purchase of two blaze orange bandannas to put on our packs. One is for me and the other is for BonBon Shane, who owns the Stratton Motel as well as the Farmhouse Inn in Rangely, had said that it is bear season it would be a good idea to have something great on your pack. BonBon is not far away, we were able to find that she stayed at the farmhouse the other night with D-no and C-shell. It is hard to not think about where we were 11 years ago today. In some ways it was nice to have some spare time to reflect on that. I had another great lunch at the Whitewolf caf© today. See the picture as well as a picture of another of St. James favorite treats in Maine. Thank you for all of the notes about my getting back on the trail. I am really looking forward to this. BonBon   And I have a lot to catch up on. It should be fun! "Trees are always a relief, after people." David Mitchel. "Black Swan Green"
Date: 2015-09-12
From: Stratton Maine

To: Stratton Maine
Miles today: 0.0

St. James always tells me that I am an awesome planner. In many ways, I tend to over plan. However, I have made a HUGE oops here. I wanted to be sure that BB didn't have to wait on me and I got here a few days early. That meant eating lobster and burgers and whoopie pies - oh, darn!But, I thought we would meet up AFTER the Bigelows, the last 4000 footers until Kathadin. The area just north of the Bigelows is considered an easier part of the trail than most. Hello - we are still SOUTH of them! Oops. When BB gets here, we can decide if she hikes out without me to start and I join up later. I want to be sure that I don't slow her down.In the meantime, I am enjoying a lovely Maine morning with the sun breaking through the clouds. Life is good. "To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment."Jane Austen
Date: 2015-09-13
From: Stratton Maine

To: Stratton Maine
Miles today: 0.0

BonBon and I are enjoying another day in down while she makes a video for her Big Big World Charity. For any readers who are not also following her and would like to learn more, she provides some good background on why she is walking in her journal. I also blogged about her on Appalachian Trials.We are also eating some awesome food - blueberry pancake and scrambled eggs for breakfast (it was only 1 pancake since it was the size of a dinner plate), beer, cheeseburger and fries for lunch and popcorn, wine and chocolate ice cream for dinner.BonBon has me watching Naked and Afraid. She loves it and the jury is still out for me.Tomorrow's plan is a quick stop at the P.O. And then head up into the Bigelows. Depending on the weather, our goal is 5 or 9 miles. It is raining lightly now and is supposed to intensify overnight. Ready to get this show on the road!"Every step you take is a step away from where you used to be." Brian Chargualaf
Date: 2015-09-14
From: Stratton Maine

To: Stratton Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Just as we were ready to hike off into the Bigelows, down came the rain. Our plan had been to stop at the PO to bounce stuff up to Caratunk and send home to Saint James. We would then hike out to a shelter. Since I was concerned about re-starting a challenging section of the trail, we were having a short Day 1. BonBon really didn't want to hike in the rain. She and D-no & C-Shell had more than their fair share of wet, rocky climbs. As always, schedules and finances always seem to bump against trail conditions. BB has a tighter deadline than I, and my concern is that another zero coupled with providing me with a ramp-up time, will compromise her hike. So, we came up with A Plan. I will get a shuttle 17 miles ahead past the Bigelows. She will start from where she left off. That leaves us with two nights apart and them meeting up to cross the Kennebec. It mitigates today's zero and gives me a few shorter days. Let the games begin!!!!!"Backpacking: An extended form of hiking in which people carry double the amount of gear they need for half the distance they planned to go in twice the time it should take." Unknown
Date: 2015-09-15
From: Stratton Maine

To: West Carry Pond Lean To
Miles today: 6.3

Today was day one again for me - so I tried to be smart and keep the mileage low. I wasn't sore or tired after the 6+ miles, but I was a bit tired of hiking and ready for a break at the end.   It is a phenomenon I discovered on my first return to the trail: when you aren't feeling that you have to push bigger miles, it is easy to justify earlier stops. The downside is that, if you aren't part of a group, it is a long day. The hike was awesome. Just a couple of ups and downs, a bit of bogginess and rocks, and some FLAT terrain. I passed East Flagstaff Lake; see pic and video. Sadly, the loons were uncooperative and wouldn't pose. I stopped a couple of times for snacks and short breaks.I met a hiker around my age, I think, about 2 miles in (Red Pepper) who was parked in the East Flagstaff parking lot. This was the completion of his hike. Congrats!!!!   It was very exciting being able to congratulate you on your completion. It is beautiful here at this lean to. There are good-sized waves on the pond and they crashed against the rocks. We all got wet while getting water. I am living dangerously as one of my Aqua Mira bottles is trashed. I can resupply in Caratunk, but am trying to boil until then. Key Chain had extra filtered water and shared it with me. She was hiking with Woodchuck, who had a Vermont license plate with her trail name affixed to her pack. As I sit writing this, the tiredness is creeping in. Time for dinner and an early night. English Bob and Sidewinder are also staying here. I Think I will sleep in the shelter and avoid packing up my tent in the morning. Bob gave me some iodine tablets to treat my water. Thanks English Bob!!!!!!Prayer and Rosencrantz joined us in the shelter; Fox tented behind the shelter. Prayer player his harmonica for us and then brought out a crossword puzzle that we nearly finished before hiker midnight "Distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot. A mile becomes a long way. Two miles literally considerable ten miles whopping, fifty miles at the very limits of conception. The world, you realize, is enormous is a way only you and a small community of fellow hikers know." Bill Bryson. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.