morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-14
From: About 80 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 90 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

This is one of the ceiling tiles at the Appalachian Trail Caf© in Millinocket, Maine. Thru-hikers who have summited Mt. Katahdin come back to the caf© to sign their names. I know many of the people on this tile, which I will be signing in a couple of days.The Iceman and I went out of sequence today to hike a shorter stretch today in the rain, and then hike a longer stretch tomorrow when the weather will be dry. I'm kind of glad that we had a slippery, sloppy, slog through the mud and rain today as a little farewell gift from the trail, as if it were saying, "Don't forget me!"I had two streams to ford today and after last night's hard rain they were really gushing. They wouldn't have been too bad to rock hop across under normal conditions, but with the extra deep and fast water, many typically exposed rocks were underwater. One of the streams in particular required a few extra-long leg stretches over rushing water to reach available rocks, which is nerve wracking. To add to the excitement, the rain was coming down hardest right at that stream, making every rock wet, slippery, and dangerous. At one point I had my legs spread wide between two angled rocks with my trekking poles precariously jabbed onto underwater rocks. I froze. It took me some time to work up my nerve to push off for another long stretch to reach another rock. I finally did and was lucky enough to gain traction. I just started almost running across the rocks from that point forward and somehow miraculously made it to the other side. It was a real adrenaline rush.One more day of hiking until I hike up Mount Katahdin on Wednesday. Exciting! I just learned that one of my old hiking buddies, Easy Strider, that I haven't seen in months will be summiting on Wednesday as well.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-15
From: About 90 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Here is but one of the thousands of remarkable and varied mushrooms that sprout along the AT... especially in Maine with its many ponds, streams, mud, and bogs.Wow, what do I say on the eve of my final summit of Mt. Katahdin? First off, I'm super stoked about getting up there and completing this long hike. Really excited.I'm also really excited about getting back home. And I'm deeply appreciative of my wife who has sincerely supported her semi-insane husband on this six month sojourn. In addition, she was so helpful to me by editing my blogs. I am also so appreciative of the encouragement and support of my family, my friends, all who have written in my guestbook, and the AT community of hikers and trail angels. Thank you all.I know that when I was preparing for this hike it was almost overwhelming as to what to purchase to take with me on the hike. At some point in the next month I will post something to describe all of the gear I ended up with. I say it that way because it seems like every month out here I have shed some other small item and ended up with less than I started with. I will maybe take pictures, provide a spreadsheet, or do a YouTube video or something to provide that information. So check back on this site if you are interested. Hopefully, it will be of some use to someone.My daughter mentioned that she will miss reading my blog every day. I guess for her it'll be kind of like a TV series ending. Well, I will certainly post tomorrow evening's blog about reaching the peak, but other than the gear posting, that will be about it. Thanks to everyone who has come along on this adventure with me. I'm ready to start climbing tomorrow at dawn.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-16
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2

DONE!(See March 25th blog entry for suit reference.)If there is one thing I have learned on this hike it is what the philosopher Steven Wright once said:"Anywhere is within walking distance if you have the time."Now I'll make arrangements to get back...Home.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-25
To: Quick post trail note
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hey folks,A quick note to say that I will post a YouTube video link of my gear but just haven't done it yet. Hopefully next week but definitely by Oct. 5th. Some post re-entry notes:I'm enjoying doing errands by driving around after having to walk everywhere in the trail towns. So easy now. My knees and feet are still achey after sleeping or sitting a while. And my feet are also still pretty numb in the toes and ball of the foot. I recall others saying that it can take a few months to get all of the feeling back. My one-size-larger feet have returned to their former size so I don't have to buy all new shoes. The hunger demons have been clawing for lots of sugar and carbs, like I ate on the trail, but I've mostly been able to control them so far. Hmmm, not so much last night. I'm absolutely glad I thru-hiked, I've got a mess of fantastic memories, and I'm really glad to be back home.
Date: 2015-10-07
To: Gear summary (and weird beard video)
Miles today: 0.0

Here's a link to a YouTube video of my summary of the gear I took with me on my thru-hike, as well as the gear that I shed along the way:https://youtu.be/21fY5hZYPLs(Copy and paste this into the address line of your browser).And here's a link to a video of my beard growing out during the six-month trek. My son asked me to take a selfie everyday and he put together this video (kind of bizarre and cool):https://youtu.be/z7FSH445A90So long and thanks for following along with me on my adventure.
Date: 2015-03-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well . . . it¢s has been a rollercoaster of a winter. Last September while backpacking thru the Whites with thru-hiking son, ¢No Pants¢ I really screwed up my right knee (my one remaining good joint!). Shredded the medial meniscus, two stress fractures (femur and tibia) and lost a large chunk of articular cartilage. To say it wasn¢t an injury that I bounced back from quickly is an understatement and despite some great physical theory folks, an outstanding orthopedic doctor, and a lot of motivated rehab my plans for my own thru hike in 2015 have been on again/ off again all winter. A couple of weeks ago I hit bottom when, after taking 5 days off, BOTH knees felt worse than ever. Now, however, after 10 days of hiking, my knees are actually feeling pretty good ¢ not great and not like ¢in the old days¢ but I seem to be able to manage the situation better. It¢s the new normal I guess. Anyway, the hike is back on or, at least, some version of the hike is back on. Instead of the traditional Georgia start, I¢m going to start at one of the many trailheads near our house ¢ probably Ashby Gap, 20+ miles south of Harpers Ferry. That way if I give out earlier on, Rebecca won¢t have so far to go to bring me home (with tail tucked between legs). I really have no idea how far I'll get but if things go well the plan is to head to Springer, shuttle back to Ashby Gap and head north. Hopefully I¢ll be seeing the AT Rollercoaster early this summer!
Date: 2015-03-30
From: Ashby Gap

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

First day excitement and apprehension - and yet familiarity too since I'm starting so close to home. Rebecca dropped me off at Ashby Gap on her way to work and after some customary pictures and heart tugging hugs I was off! Actually I ended up taking a bunch more photos and some video but by 8 am I was off. Plan was to do 9.3 miles to Manassas Gap shelter but I knew from the early start time and the relatively easy trail that I was going to have to do some serious lollygagging. The weather however was cloudy and brisk - not conducive for long spells of inactivity - and despite many photo breaks, several snack breaks, and lunch I ended up arriving at the shelter at 1:15 PM. Too early even for my standards! I talked with a nice flip-flopper ( she heading north) for a while at the shelter and then with the weather improving - sunny and blue skies - I decided to hike 5.5 miles further to the Jim and Molly Denton shelter. This is the "Lexus" of shelters around here. Beautiful structure, covered picnic area, composting toilet, and great spring plus some very relaxing benches. Got in around 4:30 PM and after filtering some water I'm soaking up the sun and feeling pretty good.Weather was great for hiking today. Still winter around here but I did see my first wildflowers of the year, a few hepatica and some wood anemone in Thompson Wildlife Management area - a botanical Mecca around here. This is my favorite time of year in the Appalachians and I am excited to see some fantastic old "friends" as well as gain some new and memorable experiences.
Date: 2015-03-31
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: few clouds

Surprisingly no one else showed up at the shelter last night - quite a contrast to the Georgia shelters this time of year. I had the whole palace to myself! I'm not the quickest morning camper and doubt, with all my joints to stretch out, that I ever will be so I felt pretty good being packed and ready by 8:30 am. Today's weather was the opposite of yesterday's. Beautiful and sunny in the morning and turning cloudy and cool this afternoon. The 50% chance of showers only produced a few drops.   Still winter in the woods for the most part but did see a great small hillside full of flowering bloodroots coming down by the Smithsonian land. 1200 foot climb up into Shenandoah National Park but well built with nice switchbacks so it was no problem. Thanks PATC for your good work! Got to the Tom Floyd shelter around 12:15 and decided to try for the next shelter 10.5 more miles. More miles than I wanted to go but you are limited in your camping options within the national park. The trail was great though - well graded and few rocks - so I made good time and arrived around 5 pm. Unlike last night there is a crowd here, mostly folks on spring break- full shelter and several tents - including mine. I'm fed, watered, and the teeth are brushed. Almost time to hit the hay and rest my body for another day on the AT!
Date: 2015-04-01
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Well, it was a tough, tough day. Too much to go into now but my body and mind are broken. I've decided to abandon the hike. Have arranged for a ride to pick me up at Thronton Gap in the morning. I'll go into more details tomorrow if I feel up to it.
Date: 2015-04-02
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

About yesterday's post . . . . . . APRIL FOOLS!!!!!   I know I shouldn't joke about such stuff given the condition of my joints, but it was too good to pass up. The 1st was actually a very nice day. Frosty in the morning but warming into the 50's in the afternoon. Literally and figuratively, a walk in the park. The trails in Shenandoah are very nice. There are hills but the elevation gain is reasonable, the grades are great and the tread is - dare I say - springy Something a New Hampshirite can only dream about! Definitely strolled with a 30 minute nap on a sunny hillside north of Pass Mountain. Campsites very spacious and nice. I again tented. Nice mix of folks at Pass Mountain hut last night. A couple father and son teams, five section hikers, and Smile, a flipflopper heading south with July 1 plane ticket from Atlanta to Maine. Now that is confidence! The barred owl set the alarm for 6:45am today. What a great alarm clock! Today was another great weather day. A little warmer, a few more clouds - I don't think there were any yesterday. I am not too proud of it but I hiked the 10.9 miles to Skyland lodge like a man on a mission. Up the 1200 foot climb from Thornton Gap to St Mary's Rock, up to the Pinnacles, up Stoney Man. Oh, I stopped a couple of times - beautiful views and nice conversation at Stoney Man cliffs, dedicated trail workers near Skyland but I wished I'd stopped more to just enjoy the day. But, I was on a mission. The mission? To get to the Skyland dining room in time for lunch. Mission accomplished and although the fried chicken and mash potatoes were good I ended up thinking I shouldn't have been in such a rush on such a beautiful day along the AT. I will store that thought when faced with similar choices in the future. Napped on the Skyland lawn after lunch and then strolled 4+ miles to this shelter (can't walk at any other pace after a fried chicken meal). A nice family from Ellicott City, Md with dog Stewie is here as well. The sun is setting and the sleeping bag is calling.
Date: 2015-04-03
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: South River Picnic area
Miles today: 17.4

It was a howling night - the wind that is. Blew pretty good most of the night. Then around 6:30 it started to sprinkle. Amazingly had cell service so checked the radar (still can't get over this technology) and saw that the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon - looked to be getting worse - so I as quickly as I can ( ie not all that fast) packed everything up and,after wishing Stewie and his family a happy hike, headed 4.4 miles to the Big Meadows wayside. Got there with the wind blowing, rain picking up, and visibility about 50 feet. One Mountain Breakfast later ( huge pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and sausage) the rain had stopped and the clouds starting to lift. The rest of the day just got better. Never saw the sun but high clouds and temperature just right for hiking without sweating. Original plan was to hike to Lewis Mountain campground where my favorite trail angel in the whole world - Rebecca - will pick me up and we'll go back to Skyland for the night. Fueled however by those pancakes and the great hiking weather and that springy trail ( a shoutout to the CCC - they don't build trails like that anymore) I sailed pass Lewis Mtn and now am at the South River picnic area awaiting my ride. Starting to sprinkle again so I'm looking forward to a shower, a nice dinner and a warm bed.
Date: 2015-04-04
From: South River Picnic area

To: Hightop Mountain parking area
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: scattered clouds

So while the winds howled and the rains came I was nice and cozy in our warm, comfortable room at Skyland. Today had another breakfast at the Big Meadows wayside ( I could get used to that!) on our way back to the South River picnic area. Rebecca dropped me off and on a brisk morning ( we saw snow flurries while eating breakfast) I had a nice but uneventful 4.6 mile hike to the Hightop Mountain parking area. My original plans have changed. While I was prepared to hike through the Easter weekend and, ahem, the Final Four, after Duke beat Gonzaga last weekend I began to get thoughts - and calls from family members - about my Final Four plans. So now the revised plan is to go back home watch Duke - Michigan State. If disaster should strike and Duke loses I'll get back on the trail Sunday late. If Duke wins I'll take off a couple days and return to the trail Tuesday. Mixed emotions about leaving the trail for potentially a couple of days especially with the forecast of great weather but in the end the Devils (blue) won out. GO DUKE !!!!!
Date: 2015-04-07
From: Hightop Mtn parking area

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

With threatening skies and the forecast of showers and possible thunderstorms I put on my pack cover after waving it intimidatingly at the sky gods. (Like all Dookies, feeling very confident today -Rebecca says arrogant!). My favorite trail angel dropped me back at Hightop Mountain parking area about 3:30 pm. After climbing Hightop Mountain I arrived at the shelter around 4:15 pm. Decided to head for the next shelter 8.2 miles south. The trail crisscrossed Skyline Drive today at every gap crossing - heading west in Smith Roach Gap and Simmons Gap, and to the east at Powell Gap and Pinefield Gap. Trail was pretty easy and spongy. Spent most of the time below 3000 ft and spring is definitely starting to peek out. Quite a lot of bloodroots in bloom and toothwort just starting to flower. Lots of spice bush also flowering in the lower gaps. Got to the shelter a little after 7 pm. Group from Kentucky here. Louisville fans so they're quite friendly ( I'm kidding you UK fans!!!). The rain has yet to materialize and even had a hazy sun last couple of miles so I guess breaking out the pack cover worked. Actually, for flowering sake, hope we get a little rain tonight. Forecast calls for showers the next 3 days so I guess I should be careful what I wish for! I'm tenting on hill above shelter with a nice view of a nearby ridge. Bed/sleeping pad is calling.
Date: 2015-04-08
From: Pinefield Hut

To: 1 1/2 miles north of Wildcat Ridge trail
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Awoke I guess around 4 am to the pitter patter of raindrops on my tent. A steady rain followed until about 8 am. I took advantage of the stoppage to pack up - some dry, some damp, and a couple items pretty wet. Talked to the Kentuckians for awhile and was off by 9 am. Pretty ordinary day - for most of it. Some bloodroot and toothwort blooming but less than yesterday. Up on Loft Mountain I got above the clouds. Had lunch in warm sun and blue skies as I looked at the nearby peaks poking their heads above the cloud filled valleys. It was so nice that I took my pack cover off and put on shorts - only then to descend into those cloud filled lower lands. Quickly ran into some chilly drizzle and on the pack cover went. Got to the shelter about 4:30 pm and after filtering some water and talking with the three folks already there decided to put in a few more miles and "disperse" camp. It was getting pretty dark as I left which should have been an omen but I ignored it. Got about 10 minutes away and the heavens opened up - good rain for the next hour with some initial thunder and lightning. Didn't mind the rain, it actually was pretty nice but didn't like the lightning - but it did make me hike faster. I'll pay better attention to these omens in the future. Now I'm at a great campsite off the trail with a view! The skies lightened enough that the sun almost came out toward dusk. Another good day on the trail. I'm battened down in the tent now hoping to be a little drier tomorrow morning no matter what the weather brings tonight.
Date: 2015-04-09
From: 1 1/2 miles north of Wildcat Ridge trail

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night's storm rolled through about 1am. Brief but heavy rain, lightning, and thunder that roared. All dry inside the tent. Woke up this morning and the tent (outside) was still pretty soaked so decided to spread out my things and let them dry while I had breakfast and stretched. Of course, it started to drizzle. Had to pack the remainder of my stuff quickly so needless to say I hiked today with a damp pack. The morning drizzle didn't last long and for a little while it looked like it would be a bright day. Then I dropped into the clouds and never got above them the rest of the day. Cool drizzle. Saw some trailing arbutus today (yes, Charles J, I did get down and sniff them). Lots of toothwort coming down to Jarman Gap and bloodroot in several spots especially from McCormick to Rockfish Gaps. It's obvious that deer really don't like eating those last two plants - they are very plentiful in the park. Also obvious is how impacted Shenandoah's vegetation is by its huge deer population (yes it's early in the spring so that's based on many visits to Shenandoah over the years) Those deer have really wiped out a bunch of great wild flowers Wish they liked to eat privet because if they did you would have some hefty deer in the southern section of the park. Last six miles or so within the park passed through some really disturbed vegetation. Acres and acres of invasive shrubs. And the wonderful CCC trails disappeared - guess I getting spoiled. Overall though I enjoyed Shenandoah. I can see Benton McKaye's point in that crisscrossing Skyline Drive so much is not ideal (he was strongly against the building of the road) but the CCC trails were great and this time of year crowds pretty sparse. It never felt crowded. Now I'm at Rockfish Gap waiting for the world's greatest trail angel to pick me up to go into Waynesboro for the evening. Looking forward to that and looking forward to this next section of trail. br>
Date: 2015-04-10
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Paul Wolfe shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: light rain

Had good dinner and great time in Waynesboro. It's been fantastic to be so close to home and have such a great trail angel. Rebecca dropped me off at Rockfish Gap a little before 10 am. Weather forecast was not good. Rain with afternoon thunderstorms. I contemplated what to do for awhile and decided to just hike to the next shelter and chill - the alternate was to hike over Humpback Mountain and camp somewhere since it would be 20+ total miles to the next shelter and the idea of hiking at over 3000 feet and setting up camp in a thunderstorm didn't appeal to me. Got to this shelter at noon and it was tough to stop but I did. Next couple days supposed to be great so I'm hoping to get to Buena Visa area Monday. With the afternoon to kill I've been photographing wild flowers - definitely spring at this elevation with star chickweed, geranium, rue anemone, and several violets making their first appearances. One serviceberry flowering on the opposite hillside. This is a great shelter with beautiful cascading Mill Creek just in front. I've eaten lunch, explored the area, pulled some garlic mustard (invasive non native plant) talked with a couple NOBO hikers on their way to the AYCE buffet in Waynesboro and now sit on this huge rock beside the creek soaking in the sun. No the rain has not materialized yet. I'm still thinking it's coming - it's pretty warm and humid for early April - but even if it doesn't it's been a good relaxing day. Okay. The rain FINALLY came around 5 pm. Rained hard for maybe 20 minutes and that was it. No thunder, no lightning. Blue sky now. So Wednesday I hiked when I probably shouldn't have and today I didn't hike when I should have. Ah, such is life.
Date: 2015-04-11
From: Paul Wolfe shelter

To: Maupin Field shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a great day! The weather was perfect. Deep blue skies and temperatures warm enough for short sleeves but cool enough that sweating was minimal. Started with a 2000 ft climb from last night's shelter up Humpback Mtn. Great series of switchbacks and cool morning made the climb really enjoyable. Took the 1/4 mile side trail to Humpback Rocks. Glad I did. I've never been there before and on a day like today it was a great view. Ended up stopping at four other really nice viewpoints during the day. A good day to have such fantastic weather. The bloodroot for much of the afternoon were outstanding. Kept seeing the biggest, whitest one yet, the biggest clump, and the whitest speckled hillside over and over again. Also saw my first dutchman's britches blooming and some trillium almost blooming. Got to the shelter about 5:30 pm and nice mix of folks here. Big tenting area so that's where I am. It's turning cooler than the last few nights, the sun has sunk and the bag is calling. Have a feeling I'll be deep inside it tonight.