morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-09-03
From: South Arm Road

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I hiked out early but Wally Gator and Odyssey caught me pretty quick. I¢m a little sore from hiking the Wildcats and I don¢t need to push it. Woods also caught up to me and we hike together for awhile. At the first shelter, all four of us ate lunch. There wasn¢t any decent water at the shelter and I had been dry for 4 miles. I had to hike another 8 miles to a stream before I could drink. When I got to the shelter, there were a bunch of hikers there. They are the same hikers I¢ve been with for awhile. I decided to go another 5 miles to a campsite. When I got there, it was dark. There were hotdogs on the fire and Cokes on a stump. I thought there must be campers in tents that I couldn¢t see in the dark. I set up just before the rain started.HIKERS IN THE MISTLike all aspects of life, there is acceptable and unacceptable social behavior with packs of wild hikers. That is why when a hiker approaches a group, it should be alone with extreme caution. You may look like them and smell like them, but they all just walked 1,900 miles together and you¢re new. Before you even get close to the shelter, fluff out your beard to its maximum density. Keep your distance at first, letting them get accustomed to your presence. Curiosity will build up inside them until one will ask if you¢re a south bounder. Just introduce yourself and tell them you¢re heading north. This will take some time to sink in, so try to figure out everyone¢s rank. There is an Alpha male who is the dominant male and will probably have the longest beard. The rest of the males are called workers. One worker is the low hiker on the totem pole. He is known as the engineer. He is quickly identified since he probably is an engineer, hence the name, and by his inability to grow facial hair. Never make eye contact with any of the females or you risk angering the Alpha male. After they have become comfortable with you, walk confidently up to the Alpha in a non-threatening manner. You must offer him a token of peace to show his dominance. A warm sausage egg McMuffin works really well, but red Swedish fish can be substituted in a pinch. As he eats it, move back but stay in his sight. Let him relate the taste of the McMuffin to you. Just before he is done, walk over to the engineer¢s bedding. Ask him if this is where he is going to sleep. Before he gets a chance to answer, hurl his sleeping bag and pad out of the shelter and say, ¢Not anymore!¢ This will be followed by laughter and hooting by the rest of the workers who are just glad they aren¢t the engineer. After all this is done, you should spray your scent around the outside of the shelter.One more note: In some cases, the Alpha is actually female. In such cases, it is wise to just move on.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-04
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-To
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

It turned out that the hotdogs and Cokes were trail magic. It rained hard all night, and I waited until 8 am when it slowed down enough. I packed all my wet gear and headed out. When I came to a road crossing, I decided to get more food. I hitched a ride to an IGA. I got about a day¢s worth of food and lunch. For lunch, I ate a whole chicken and drank a half gallon of milk. I hitched back to the trail and headed up Saddleback Mountain. This is actually a series of three mountains that are above the tree line. I made it to the shelter after dark. Everyone kindly made room for me. There were seven people in the shelter that really only holds six. I¢m beat and took advantage of their generosity.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-05
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-To

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Odyssey and I decided we would hit town. If we didn¢t, we would have to wait 2 days to get our mail drops on Monday. It was hard hiking all day with two big ranges to climb. At 6:15, we made it to the road. A section hiker gave us a ride to a cheap hotel. We are tired and showers, meals, then bed are all that is on the schedule. I did almost 60 miles in the last three days. It is really amazing now that I have time to check where I¢m at. I¢m 187.8 miles from Katahdin. It is like the life of Dutch is ending in less than 2 weeks. Mixed emotions are hitting me every day. Sometimes I want to push it and get done. Next minute, I think about slowing down to make it last. Wow, I¢m really going to do this.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-06
From: Stratton, ME

To: Avery Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: few clouds

I¢m not sure why but I woke up early. I sewed a hole that ripped in my long johns from one of my many falls. There are lots of hikers coming into town. I got some breakfast at the local diner and went to the post office. My mail drop was there right on schedule (thanks Jess). I really like this town and it is hard not to take a zero here. I mailed some gear home like my broken pocketmail, deet, and an extra shirt. I resupplied and got some lunch at the diner. Around 2, Odyssey and I hitched back to the trail. Having her with me really improves my chances of getting rides. We hiked to the top of Mt. Bigelow. This mountain has two peaks and we are camped between them. It was a hard climb at first until I got my second wind. This is my last big mountain for a while so it is time to take in the tremendous views. The peaks are above the treeline and you get to see the vast forests and lakes of Maine. It is really starting to set in that the end is near. Tomorrow there is supposed to be trail magic waiting for us at the bottom of the mountain.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-07
From: Avery Memorial Campsite

To: West Carry Pond
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was so windy last night I had to remove my rain fly.   It was flapping so hard I thought it was going to shred to pieces not to mention all the noise. In the morning, I got ready as quickly as possible before I froze. The two peaks of Mt. Bigelow act as a wind tunnel and the altitude insures cold mornings. A bunch of us hiked 9 miles to a road crossing with some trail magic. Steak and rice was quite a treat after 3 months of bagels. More importantly, we crossed the 2,000 mile marker. Wow, 2,000 miles. Disco, Glide, Odyssey, Giggles, Wanderer, Snotrocket, Dingleberry and Wild Flower are all at the shelter. I¢m able to hang my hammock in the shelter. Life is good.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-08
From: West Carry Pond

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

Just a great night of sleep in my hammock inside the shelter. Last night, the local radio station played a Dead set followed by two Strangefolk songs followed by an hour of Phish. I woke up early, but no one else would get up. I hate to be the first one to start making noise. I got up and took a walk down to the lake. I haven¢t seen a moose yet. I haven¢t seen a lobster, for that matter.   The whole bunch of us hiked 5 miles to a fantastic lake with a sandy beach. Odyssey, Wild Flower, and I all went for a swim. The lakes in Maine are incredible. Clear, shallow and warm. We all then hiked to a shelter and had lunch. It sat on yet another lake. The miles are getting easy. We finally ran the ATC out of mountains. We all hiked to the Kennebeck River at 3 pm. A hiker drowned crossing this river in 1985, so now we get a ferry. The ferry is really a woman in a canoe who paddles across. The poor woman had to paddle across for 9 of us. We then hitched to a lodge to get a room. There are eight of us in a room. Boy, does that smell bad. This place is fantastic. They have a heated pool, a bar, a hot tub, a game room and a restaurant. They also have an exercise room with a treadmill so we can work out. We all gorged ourselves and hit the hot tub. It turns out the Eagles are on Monday night football. Wild Flower and I played some very competitive games of air hockey. Everyone went to bed by 8 pm except for me. I¢m at the bar watching the game with a bunch of yuppies. It¢s 10 pm ¢ last call. Damn it, now I won¢t get to see the end of the game. There are only 151.2 miles to go. I really like the people I¢m hiking with. I hope I summit with them. I can¢t believe how close we are to being done. I don¢t think I¢m ready to finish.Peace, Dutch
Date: 2003-09-09
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Bald Moxie Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

I had a good time last night. Unfortunately, everyone else went to bed at 7:30. At 10 pm, they closed the bar, so I couldn¢t watch the last half of the Eagles game. Odyssey was the first one up, and we went for breakfast. She headed right out and I went to pack up. Everyone was still in bed. How much sleep do these people really need? I walked a mile to a local store. It was still closed, but the guy saw me and opened up just for me. He then gave me a ride to the trail. The hiking was great with smooth trails. Journey strolled along slack packing south. She skipped some sections so she can finish by the first. Next, Fizz came up from behind. We hike together and had lunch on the first big mountain. He stopped at the next shelter and I pressed on another 4 miles. D=RT (means distance = rate * time, but pronounced ¢dirt¢), Superstar, and Odyssey are all at the shelter. The harvest moon is tonight, and I got a good picture of it rising over the lake.   It is a cold night and loons could be heard in the distance. Tomorrow we hike into the last trail town. 132.4 miles to go.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-10
From: Bald Moxie Shelter

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: few clouds

When I woke up, I walked down to the lake to see if there were any moose. No such luck, but the sunrise was fantastic. Again, I was the first one packed up and then I hiked out. Most of the hikers are well behind me and I am getting plenty of solitude. I am finally getting a chance to plan on how I¢m going to make my fortune and get back at all of my enemies. I will first start to bet on the ponies and use my winnings to buy a big catapult. The trail and the weather have been very kind lately. By 2 pm, I got to the hostel. Sidetrack is here waiting to hike with Odyssey. This is my last trail town, and it is tiny. They don¢t even have a restaurant. We ate a huge dinner at the hostel with meatloaf, corn, and fiddlehead ferns. Odyssey, Sidetrack and I planned out the remaining days. If all goes as planned, I will be done in eight days. At this point, I know I made it but it saddens me to let it come to an end. At the same time, I can¢t wait to go home and see Jess. I already miss the people I hiked with since they are behind with no chance of catching up. Odyssey is the only one who has kept up and we will probably finish together. This is the last time I can mail back home, so the rest of my journal entries will have to wait until I get home. I¢m going next into the 100-mile wilderness. It is the center of Maine where there is nothing but trees and lakes. I got my stove back because it is too far to carry fresh food. Only 117.8 miles to go.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-11
From: Monson, ME

To: Wilson Valley Lean-To
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up to Mr. Shaw yelling, ¢Breakfast!¢ at the top of his lungs. I ate a very hearty breakfast. I got groceries at the local store at 10:30. Then I got a ride back to the trail. My pack weighs 40 pounds with 6 days of food, my stove, pots, and fuel. At the road crossing, a sign warns hikers that they are entering the 100 mile wilderness and that you need 10 days of food. In 10 days, I plan on being home. There was one tough river crossing that I had to wade across. I got to the shelter where Odyssey, Sidetrack, D=RT, and Superstar were waiting. Everyone took turns reading out loud chapters from the book ¢Little Tree¢. 104.1 miles to go.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-12
From: Wilson Valley Lean-To

To: Chairback Gap Lean-To
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

The five of us, Odyssey, Sidetrack, D=RT, Superstar and I, all hiked out early. We had to hike up Chairback Mountain today. After this mountain, there is only one more before Mt. Katahdin. At the top, we all stopped for lunch. It has become clear that if I want to finish with these people, either I will have to slow down or they will have to push harder. I don¢t want to slow down and I can¢t ask anyone to change the way they are hiking. When everyone went 0.3 miles off the trail for water, I didn¢t stop or say goodbye. I then hike faster and further than they would. I¢m now two miles past them and tomorrow I will get up early and do it again. I really liked that group, but I¢m getting done. I hiked the last 180 miles with Odyssey and will really miss her. I have met so many great people out here. It is sad to keep hiking away from them. I miss Loser, Reason, Woods Dragon, Cruiser, Laffy Taffy, Martha Graham, Bug Bite, Monster Button, Billy Boy, Psycho Pat, and now Odyssey. That¢s too many friends to lose in 5 months. I don¢t know anyone ahead of me, and all I want to do is finish. Only 88.5 miles to go. Very sad. Johnny Cash died today.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-13
From: Chairback Gap Lean-To

To: East Branch Lean-To
Miles today: 20.7

I woke up and headed out at dawn. I went over Chairback Mountain, and there was a tricky rock slide on the other side that was hard to tell where the trail went. I came to Pleasant River, which I had to ford across. There were day hikers galore since it is Saturday. I watched one fall in the river on the slippery rocks. I next went to the Gulf Hagas trail. I checked it out to see a neat waterfall in a gorge. I then climbed White Cap Mountain. From the top, I could see Mt. Katahdin for the first time. It looks really impressive. Around 6:30, I got to the shelter. There are two thru hikers here. I cooked dinner and hit the hammock. 67.8 miles to go.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-14
From: East Branch Lean-To

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 21.8

I woke up and left before the other two hikers stirred. The hiking was great today. After a couple of initial uphills, it was nothing but flat. Actually, it is flat until Katahdin. I soon came to a great lake. There was a sandy beach, and I couldn¢t resist taking a swim. After my swim, I hiked another 5 miles to round out my 21.8 mile day. There is a dirt road with ¢WHL¢ scratched in it. It stands for White House Landing. I then followed the road for 0.2 miles to another trail. Then I followed that trail 1 mile to a dock and an air horn. I blew the air horn across the lake. Then a boat came from a mile across the lake. After the short boat ride, it is hiker heaven. Jan Liteshoe is here, along with Hungry. Hungry is summiting on the 17th like me. That is good because someone will be there to take my picture. I ordered two 34 pound cheeseburgers. Jess had shipped me two liters of wine. One for here and one for when I summit. My plan is two more 20-mile days, then a day of summiting, and I am done. Only 46 miles to go. I caught the Eagles / Patriots game on the radio. Eagles lost again.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-15
From: White House Landing

To: Rainbow Springs Campsite
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Breakfast is served at 8:00, so I had time to go through my gear. I sewed the seat of my pants where the seam is coming apart. Breakfast was good and AYCE. I paid my bill and got a ferry back to the trail. The hiking in the 100-mile wilderness is pretty easy. The leaves are turning red and yellow. Squirrels are busy gathering and burying nuts. When the wind blows, brown needles rain from the pine trees. My third straight 20-mile day has my feet hurting. I was joined at the campsite by Ponyboy and Hungry. We all got here at dusk and cooked supper in the dark. Only 26 miles to go.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-16
From: Rainbow Springs Campsite

To: Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: broken clouds

Big Brother, Ponyboy, Hungry and I all hiked to a camp store. I ate two cheeseburgers and a rib sandwich. Then Ponyboy, Hungry, and I headed out. It really started to rain hard but not much could bother me now. There is a large waterslide in the stream that runs next to the trail. The three of us spent 20 minutes acting like 10-year olds at an amusement park. We finally got to the foot of Mt. Katahdin. I saw Tater for the first time since the Shenandoahs. Big Brother drove us to Millinocket and we got a hotel. We all went to a Chinese restaurant and I ate some wicked General Tso chicken. Field and Ben were there and had yellow-blazed from God only knows where. I got a chance to call Jess. Big Brother, who is the brother of Hungry, will be giving us a ride to Bangor tomorrow. Only 5.2 miles to go.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-09-17
From: Millinocket, ME

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

Ponyboy and I woke up early, but the brothers were a little late. We went to a diner and had a fantastic breakfast. I am going to miss being able to eat whatever I want. We drove 12 hour to the trail head. I was the 20th person that day to head up the mountain. On the way, there was a great pool of water that was really clear followed by a fantastic waterfall. Hungry was in front and he was flying up the trail. It took everything I had to keep up. The trail got really steep and we had to climb over house-sized rocks. Some places have rebar ladders mounted on them. We passed almost everyone on the way up. We took a ton of pictures of each other at the sign. There is a very sheer cliff following the sign called Knife¢s Edge. We all had a snack and I got to drink my liter of wine. On the way back down the mountain, I saw Awol and Tater. Since I was at such a high altitude, I was able to listen to some good radio stations. Hungry decided to go for a swim in that great pool of water. Big Brother and Ponyboy attempted to join him but said it was way too cold. We disturbed a nest of ground bees and made a hasty retreat back to the trail. We hung out at the bottom in the parking lot, realizing that we¢re finally done. Ponyboy said, ¢There¢s nothing but zeroes for as far as the eye can see.¢The EndPeace,Dutch
Date: 2003-10-05
To: I'm done
Miles today: 0.0

CHECK OUT THE FINAL PICTURESI¢m finished and have been home for two weeks. It is harder than I thought it would be to just stop hiking. My whole world was hiking for six months and now my body isn¢t hiking, but my mind can¢t stop. I have spent hours combing other people¢s journals to hear about familiar people and places. I will soon have a job again and will start the old grind. Surely I will not slip completely into my old ways. I will remember (this is to you Dutch, Thom, Tom, or whatever you call yourself these days) materialistic wealth is really shallow. It is not worth spending your whole life for. Is anything sadder than someone working 80+ hours a week because their luxury SUV gets 12 MPG and they need a house keeper because their house is too big? Also what seems impossible becomes easy with practice. The most important thing though is to never ever sell out.I have a little request for my trail mates to e-mail me to say hi at axilla@ptd.net. The people I met was by far the best part of my trip. It really was the whole journey; the trail was just something to do while I was getting to know everyone. I hope to see many of you at The Gathering on 10/10. I couldn¢t possible mention everyone that I will miss dearly.   There wasn¢t a bad seed in the entire group, although there were a few strange ones.   I am glad that I went at exactly the pace I did. If I was a little slower I would have not met Odyssey or Ponyboy. If I had gone faster I wouldn¢t have been able to really get to know anyone. Ponyboy asked me if I thought he went too fast. I asked if he met Loser and he said he did. I said ¢no you didn¢t hike too fast then¢. The only problem is they made the trail too short.
Date: 2003-02-23
To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

On March 1st 2002. I decided to embark on the greatest challange of my lifetime. Hiking 2,100 miles along the Appalachian Trail. I put this site up to share this journey from the very beginning to the very end with my frineds and family. I'm hoping that this will help empower me to finish the whole trail. I've spent the last year waiting and wondering when the right time to go was going to be. I wanted to leave last June, but I caved into the work "Your to valuable to leave us right now". Only to be laid off 3 months later. However, more than now, I feel it was meant to be and this is the time to go. I plan on leaving sometime in April. No later than the 15th. I will be heading up to the Smokeys in Mid-March to do a long weekend before I hit the trail at Springer Mountain. Hope to see you all on the trail this year.More to come later...
Date: 2003-02-25
From: Springer Mountain

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Made reseservations for a long weekend hike in the Smokeys yesterday. I plan on hiking 4 days 3 nights along Anthony Creek Trail comming out of Cades Cove. Going to stay at Russell Field Shelter and Spence Shelter along the AT. Planning on doing at least 50 miles. I'm hoping it rains like hell. I feel this could be a good test for gear, and any pontential problems I may have over looked. I went out grocery shopping last night to start planning meals and potential mail drops. I'm looking very hard at a balanced diet during my Thru-hike. Allot of Carbs during breakfast, Protien during lunch and snacks, and then back to carbs at dinner. My plan is to cook once a day. (dinner) I'm also going to do the best I can, at drop boxes filled with food. I say that now, but....we'll see. This week I plan to make reservations at Amicalola Falls Lodge. My plan thus far is to leave March 29th and be on the Trail April 1st. One Day at a Time.Ficade
Date: 2003-02-26
To: 30 Days Away. "The Food Prep"
Miles today: 0.0

Wow! 30 Days until I leave for Springer MT.Today was spend planning food drops. It's amazing to me how good you can eat on the trail if you plan well. For example: (2) Tiny Hormel Chil w/bean cans, a little cheese, dried onion, and (2) small soft tortilla shells. I eat this stuff at home. Why not eat it on the trail. Total wieght is about 15 oz. Not to bad. I have decided to plan my first drop will be at Hiawassee GA. The plan is to stop at Suches or Helen GA. for my first two resupplies. I really plan on getting a good strong start. It really hit me this week that I am going to try a thru-hike. I have always been stubborn about things and, once I set my mind to something I go 110%. I'm hoping my stubborness helps when things are wet and I'm walking up hill. I have read, and read experiences on the trail, and trying to imagine worse case scenarios, and then plan for them. The fact is, I know to expect the unexpected. Oh, btw, worse case scenario is getting raped by a Bear in the Smokey's. At least that is what my friends are teasing me about. I'm hiking almost everyday now, but will go and do some remote backpacking this weekend. It's suppose be cold and wet. Excellent.One Day AT A Time