morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-28
From: Rt 2 - Rattle River Hostel

To: Gentian Shelter 
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

I was up past hiker midnight last night playing games and talking hiker trash. Yes, I chalked up another Catan victory. After the late night, I slept in a little longer than usual. The shelter spacing north of Gorham dictated that I would only hike about 12 miles today, so I was not in a hurry to get to hiking. The stay at the Rattle River Hostel includes all-you-eat (fix em yourself) pancakes and full use of the kitchen. Grumpy picked up some blueberries to throw in the pancakes and I grabbed a dozen eggs and a package of sausage. Some of the other hikers helped finish off the sausage and eggs.  It was 0845 when I walked out of the hostel and picked up the trail following a side road off Rt 2. After crossing below the Androscoggin River just below a dam the trail turned onto a gravel road. About a mile into the hike the trail became a trail again. The nice soft path quickly gave way to one that was covered with roots, rocks and mud. The humidity kicked in as the trail worked its way 1,800¢ up Mt. Hayes. This brought the gnats out in force and I took multiple hits in my eyes. Not fun! There were several false summits on the way to the top of Mt. Hayes. The open rocky spaces provided excellent views back to the Moriah and Carter Ranges, as well as cloud obscured views of Mount Washington and Madison. It is still hard for me to fathom that I hiked over those prominent peaks. The larger rocks were mostly dry today taking the slip factor way from some of the steeper parts of the hike. The air also seemed drier coming down the north slopes of the mountains than it did during the climbs up. An easy ascent of Mount Cascade followed Mt. Hayes. More nice views for me. Unfortunately the haze in the air limited what could be seen through my I-phone camera. About halfway into the hike I stopped at a spring for water and decided to go ahead and eat lunch. Anything to reduce my pack weight! A bit after lunch I crossed another stream and came upon some sticks spelling out 1900. A quick check of Guthook confirmed that I had sure enough hit another 100 mile milestone. The next one may just be a big deal. Another climb over Wocket Ledge and some more root stumbling and mud evading and I was approaching Gentian Pond where I would shelter for the night. I really felt sluggish for most of the hike today. Hopefully I will get some pep in my step tomorrow. After all, I will be crossing into Maine!Since this is my last full day in New Hampshire I want to thank every agency, club and person who help to maintain the trail through this challenging, but remarkable, section of the AT.Peace and BlessingsNext StepElevation Data:Ascent - 4,130Descent - 2,740Grade - 11.0Weather:Day - 76 / SunnyNight - 58 / Scattered ShowersOver The Horizon: Mahoosuc Notch, ME
Date: 2018-08-04
From: ME 4 - Hiker Hut

To: Popular Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

It rained all night and was still coming down hard when my alarm went off. I decided to take full advantage of my little bungalow and sleep in a little later. Catherine had some coffee and an egg sandwich for me when I strolled over to the kitchen area at around 0730. Only one other hiker was stirring. I asked Catherine if they had a hiker stamp for my AT Passport and she just smiled and asked me to bring it to her. She then proceeded to draw me a stamp by hand. How unique. Steve offered me a ride back to the trail. It was 0845 when he dropped me off and it was still raining.The hike up Saddleback Mountain was a 2,000¢ ascent spread over 4 miles. It rained hard at times, but had tapered to a drizzle by the time I reached the top. The mile leading up to and after the summit were above tree line. Unfortunately the views today were limited. Just before reaching the summit I ran into a SOBO hiker. It was Atlas, who Which Way and I met while hiking out of the NOC. He was hiking with his son-in-law then. Atlas had hiked NOBO to Harpers Ferry and then took an extended family vacation. Now he was flipping and finishing his hike SOBO. He said that he and his wife follow our Journal. I reminded Atlas that he commented the day we saw him that everyday was a leg day. So true!I stopped for lunch at the summit using my ground cloth to shield my food from the rain. Next came The Horn and Saddleback Junior. The rain stopped as I hiked off of Saddleback, but the trail remained wet for the duration of the hike. Large puddles and running water in the trail made it impossible for my shoes to dry out. My gas tank emptied quickly and I struggled to get up and especially down the last two mountains. It seemed as if every rock and root was positioned in a way that thwarted forward progress. After several wipeouts, near misses, and steps in the mud I found myself getting angry at the AT. Why can¢t I just finish this thing strong with time to reflect on the entire journey? Shouldn¢t the excitement build inside of me as I draw closer to Katahdin? Instead, I can¢t even think past the next mile, or next step for that matter.I stumbled into the Popular Ridge Lean-to a little past 5PM. As much as I wanted to go on, I knew my day was over. Two female hikers were already at the shelter and I immediately started venting about the trail. I caught myself spewing negativity after a minute and excused myself to go get water and rinse the mud off my shoes and body.Now I¢m venting with you guys. Sorry about that. I just really want these last two weeks to be an awesome end to an amazing journey. I also want to make it to Baxter by the 19th in time to link up with Which Way. I know she will be expecting me then, as she should. I just hope I¢m in one piece. Still clinging to the hope that I will get a Zero day at Monson. Until then, I need to just take what the trail gives me. Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 3,980Descent - 2,670Grade - 11.7Weather:Day - 71 / AM RainNight - 72 / ShowersOver The Horizon: The Bigelows
Date: 2018-08-13
From: Wilson Valley Lean-To

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 15.6

My first full day in the 100-Mile Wilderness was amazing. To start, it was a nearly perfect weather day. By most standards, 75 degrees and sunny is perfect. But for hiking, it is a tad bit on the warm side. I¢ll take it though. Especially since the morning started out nice and cool. The first few hours of hiking took me across several pretty mountain streams and by two waterfalls. I stopped at the Long Pond Stream Lean-to for a quick snack and stretch. Next up was a hike across the Chairback Range. There were a total of four mountains to be conquered. As is usually the case, the first climb was the steepest. It was a 1,700¢ ascent up Barren Mountain. A little over halfway through the climb there was a short spur trail to Barren Ledges. The rocky outcropping afforded a spectacular view down to Boarstone Mountain and Lake Onawa. To the northeast I was able to see the main peak of Barren Mountain. I hiked to the top and ate lunch at the base of an old fire tower. Yes, I am continuing to eat my way to a lighter pack. Next up was Chairback Forth Mountain and then Chairback Third Mountain. At the top of Chairback Third Mountain a SOBO pointed out that there were some sticks on the ledge spelling out 2-1-0-0. Say what??? 2,100 miles! This marks the last century milestone. There will be a lot of ¢lasts¢ in the coming days. For instance, if all goes according to plan, tomorrow will be my last Tuesday on the trail. The last climb for today was up Columbus Mountain. Just before the ascent started I crossed a stream where I filled my Platypus ¢dirty bag¢ with 3L of water. I was getting reports that the water source at the next lean-to was iffy, so I decided to go ahead and get some. At 2.5 lbs per liter, it put my backpack on the heavy side for the final 1.8 miles up and over Columbus Mountain. I arrived at the Chairback Gap Lean-to at around 6PM. It is getting dark earlier with each passing day, so I had just enough time to take care of business while I still had daylight. A German Hiker named Trekmate is sharing the shelter with me. He is the first NOBO I have seen since entering the 100-Mile Wilderness. Tomorrow I hike up the last mountain of the Chairback Range and then hit the Whitecap Range. If the weather is good, there may be a special view atop Whitecap Mountain. Stay tuned!Peace and Blessings!Next Stepp.s. It is a challenge to find and maintain good signal reliable enough to upload pics. They will likely be uploaded at a later date. Keep checking.Elevation Data:Ascent - 4,465Descent - 3,430Grade - 9.6Weather:Day - 75 / Mostly SunnyNight - 63 / Mostly CloudyOver The Horizon: Baxter State Park, ME
Date: 2017-10-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Welcome to my journal!It¢s about six months before I start my flip-flop thru-hike. I thought I would use this time to introduce myself to you by answering the 20 most common questions I¢ve been asked as a hiker on the Appalachian Trail.  I'll include personal stories from past hikes along with the somewhat factual information.  There's always a story to tell!  Oh, yeah, please imagine in big bold capital letters before each entry, "IN MY OPINION ..."  Someone, even many, will disagree with everything I say, and I may even disagree with myself from time to time.  What is the Appalachian Trail?What¢s a thru-hike and thru-hiker?How long does it take to thru-hike?What does it cost to hike the Appalachian Trail? How do you stay in touch?Will you be hiking alone?What if you get hurt?How do you prepare for a hike? How do you find your way? Will you be carrying protection?Where will you sleep?Where do you use the bathroom?How do you stay clean?How much does your pack weigh and what do you carry?How much food do you carry and where do you get it? Aren¢t you afraid of hillbillies, hunters, and crazy people?Aren¢t you afraid of bear, snakes, and other creatures?Is there marijuana on the trail?What is trail magic?Why are you doing this?If there are other things you want to know about me or about my hike, please sign the guest book and ask it there.
Date: 2017-11-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The countdown proceeds, and in spite of myself and my years of experience the excitement is building. I find myself having thoughts like, ¢I can¢t wait until next Thanksgiving, when I¢ll still have my hiker appetite! There won¢t be any leftovers.¢ My flight to Washington National and train to Harpers Ferry are booked, and I¢ve reserved lodging in Harpers Ferry for the Flip-Flop Festival.  All reservations are non-refundable, which is as close to commitment as a retired CPA can get. The few pieces of replacement gear I ordered have come. I am most impressed with the fit of the ExOfficio Bugsaway clothing. I expected the usual baggy, shapeless trail clothes, but they actually look and fit quite nicely, almost too stylish for a lowly hiker. I received my FITS socks and sent them off to Insect Shield for permethrin treatment. They came back silkscreened with the Insect Shield logo and, in very small print, a list of the bugs they should repel. I just hope the ticks can read. The 2018 Appalachian Trail DataBook ought to be published soon, and the PDF download of the 2018 Thru-Hiker¢s Companion should soon be available as well from the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. One of the advantages of membership in ALDHA is a free download of The Companion.  A cold front passed through this morning, dropping about an inch of snow on Burlington. That¢s all it takes to make us feel like we are living in a snowglobe. Cold weather is still a novelty to us. I love bundling up before walking down to the YMCA. It¢s only right at freezing, but with the windchill of 21, it¢s scarf weather. I never even owned a scarf before moving here! A sure sign of winter is that hundreds of crows, a true murder of crows, fly into the city at twilight to roost in the trees below us. At sunrise, they fly out in mass to the composting plant about a mile from here, making for a very Hitchcockian dayspring.
Date: 2017-12-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My planning is complete and other than writing this journal, I¢ve entered a torpid state, waiting for spring. This is my second winter in Vermont and I am starting to understand why so many New Englanders escape to Florida for at least a brief respite. There¢s nearly a foot of snow on the ground. It¢s 2 degrees at the moment, which is some measure of comfort since tomorrow morning is forecast to be minus 5 degrees with a windchill of minus 24.  This is more than crisp or bracing. It is wicked cold.I force myself to get out of bed, bundle up and walk down to the Y, only because I know that if I don¢t go first thing in the morning before I¢m truly awake, I¢ll invent loads of excuses for not going at all. It¢s not unlike dealing with day-after-day of cold rain on the Appalachian Trail. You just do it because that¢s what you do, and once you¢ve pulled on your cold clammy clothes from the previous day, you have to get moving to avoid hypothermia. I feel great after I¢ve gotten home from the Y and take a long warm shower, and I feel great after a rainy day¢s hike when I¢ve changed into my trail jammies (long underwear) and am all snug in billowing down.  April can¢t come soon enough.
Date: 2018-01-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Back in October when I asked myself 20 common questions about the Appalachian Trail, I expected that answering them would take the entire six months until the start of my hike. Oops. I completed it in under three months. So what do I do now? I don¢t feel right just putting the journal in dormancy for three months, especially since someone seems to be reading what I write. Of course, I can¢t really know that. The page click meter has just passed 10,000, but that could be because thousands of people are stumbling into my journal and fleeing in panic, each leaving a single click in their wake. (By the way, I am intentionally trying to use inclusive language to see what it feels like. So far, I like it. Constructions like ¢his or her¢ are so awkward. I haven¢t moved to ¢They is¢ yet, but if I meet a non-binary hiker this year, I will.)  Writing this journal is like giving a speech when there¢s a bight light shining in your eyes, and you can¢t see the audience to gauge their reaction. Pacing becomes difficult when you can¢t see faces but can only hear occasional laughter or snoring. I offer my thanks to those of you who have signed my guestbook, and especially to those who have written nice things. The feedback is encouraging.  So I¢ll use the remaining time before my hike to share stories from past hikes or at least stories inspired by past hikes. They are more or less true, and I¢ll try to flag those that are cut from whole cloth. You see, I don¢t listen to music, ebooks, or podcasts as I hike. I certainly meditate more than I do when I¢m not hiking. I also talk to the trees and listen to the rocks, but sometimes the conversation seems one sided. Occasionally I¢ll meet a hiker going the other direction and for whatever reason be taken with them. Then I can spend days inventing their backstory. I also tend to have vivid dreams when I¢m out for more than a week, and pondering those can lead to stories. I haven¢t had any out-and-out hallucinations while hiking, but then, how would I know?My hope for this hike is for each day be a story. I don¢t know if that¢s possible, and certainly each story day won¢t have a neat beginning, middle, and end (and the hiker lived happily ever after). Typing on an iPhone will assure lots of errors from my fat fingers and auto-correction. I apologize in advance. I should also mention that Gertrude Stein is one of my favorite writers, but I¢ll try to avoid circular writing that takes a long time and goes nowhere. This will not be the Trail Journal of Every Hiker, in the mold of Gertrude¢s Everybody¢s Autobiography. I haven¢t the hubris, or with respect to Alice, the chutzpah.
Date: 2018-05-01
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: Pogo Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

At the Festival, each Flip-flopper was given a small Trail Karma necklace with instructions to pass it along to someone on the trail evidencing supreme Leave-No-Trace ethic.  I offloaded my 1/2 ounce trinket at lunch today, at the side trail to Annapolis Rocks. Josh and his son Hudson recently moved to Baltimore from Southern California. They are hiking from Harpers Ferry to Pen Mar Park just south of the Mason Dixon Line. Properly indoctrinated out West, they are carrying a bear canister. Very few do on the AT, and it¢s emblematic of a strong commitment to LNT values.  This earns them trail Karma. The trail Karma immediately returned to me in the form of an instant ice pack for Debbie¢s black eyes, kindly donated by one of the counselors of a Roads Scholar program being held at a local nature retreat center. The black eyes intensified over night and people were looking at me like I had taken a cast iron skillet to her.  I didn¢t. Can you imagine me carrying that weight, let alone doing such a thing? If I had I done so, I would look far worse than Debbie, I do believe. At the Festival, we were also offered LNT pins made by the 7th grade art class at Harmony Middle School. I proudly pinned mine to the front of my right shoulder strap. Their teacher encouraged us to email the class photos of the pin from places along the trail. I sent my first photo today from the Washington Monument, the stone creamery bottle looking thing, that was used as a signal station during the Civil War. It offers stunning views, including the Antietam battlefield to the south west. The treadway was mostly easy today, with just occasional rocky areas. It often followed old sunken roads or woods roads.  The temperature climbed to near 80 this afternoon. I rolled up my sleeves and zipped off my pants legs, forcing me to spray my legs with DEET. In spite of yesterday¢s shower, I am rapidly gaining my own signature hiker stench. My clothes may be anti-stink but I am not. I had no problem finishing my bag of snacks for today and wolfed down Starkist Tuna Salad on a tortilla for lunch. Tonight will be the rest of the spinach and cheese tortellini and a few Champlain dark chocolate squares. It¢s only 4:00. Still time for a bag of nuts, fruit and chocolate. The HUNGER is beginning!Pogo Memorial Campsite is named in memory of Pogo Rheinheimer, 1958-1972, who had hiked over half of the AT and drowned in the Potomac River.  How sad!Willow, Shiner, Sally Forth, and the Professor have come in for the night. Do we have the beginnings of a trail family?
Date: 2018-05-02
From: Pogo Memorial Campsite

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

There were no great views today to distract me from the trail itself. There were very short pieces of lovely trail, soft underfoot, shaded and level. Then there was the rest of the day. A long stretch of ¢rock garden,¢ called the Devil¢s Raceway, was particularly annoying with just a jumble of rocks to walk on. The trail switched back across the rock field for far too long. It¢s a foretaste of NE Pennsylvania. There were many steep ups and downs today, with a total of 1,900¢ of elevation gain.  The final climb of the day up to Raven Rock Shelter was 600 vertical feet in 0.9 miles. Anything over 500¢ in a mile is steep. Adding to the misery was a temperature of about 85 degrees. The trees are still just leafing out and the rocks radiated heat. It made for an exhausting day. Willow joined Debbie and me for today¢s hike and is planning to join us in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania tomorrow.Today I met Trail Blazer who has been following my journal. He passed 500 miles today so I rewarded him with my remaining package of Manzanilla olives, a true trail treat. He¢s hiking with Grumpy Old Man, who actually seems quite kindly, and Now. Debbie has embraced her trail name of Rocky Raccoon. Trail Blazer is a doctor and reassured her about her black eyes. They are quite spectacular. Raven Rock Shelter is nearly new and immaculate. The pine floor is even well varnished. The spring here is excellent, but unfortunately about 1/2 mile steeply downhill. How spoiled I had become back home, having running water, indoor plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and a free shuttle bus running up and down steep College Street. What luxuries! But I wouldn¢t trade them all for the sunset tonight. Mine is the tent in the foreground.
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelters
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night we met the shelter maintainers at Tumbling Run Shelter and today two trail maintainers and the chief maintainer at Quarry Gap Shelter, Jim Stauch, and his designated successor and intern, Bill. It¢s impossible to say thank you too often to the maintainers. I even shared my Orange Milano cookies with Jim. The Appalachian Trail is unusual perhaps unique in being conceived, constructed and maintained by volunteers. Over 6,000 volunteers contribute over 250,000 hours annually to the Trail. Jim Stauch is unusually zealous about ¢his¢ Shelter, and justifiably so. He designed the shelter, built the shelter, and has maintained it for 42 years. Today is his wife¢s birthday, but where is Jim? At his shelter remortaring the fire place. There are hanging baskets of pansies, a swinging porch glider, and a ceramic frog on the short path leading to the spring. There were solar lights lining the paths to the spring and the privy when I was last here, but ATC insisted on their removal as not in keeping with the primitive experience. Spoil sports!  This was Rocky Raccoon¢s first 12 mile day ever, and she flew! For the most part the trail was gentle after a very steep up to start the day, but there was a section where the trail follows a razor back ridge with lots of almost bouldering, good practice for New Hampshire. At Caladonia State Park, we met a group of six ladies also coming to Quarry Gap. Then they passed us while we were having lunch. Rocky determined that we would beat them to the shelter and we practically sprinted up the steep stairs and trail from the park, chasing them down one by one. It wasn¢t very nice of us, but I¢m so proud of Debbie. The improvement in her hiking strength in one week has been staggering. I have no doubt that she could thru-hike if she wanted to, especially if she invested in lighter weight gear. Rocky and I are staying in the shelter tonight. It has started to rain now and an inch is expected through tomorrow, but for tonight we are warm and dry, surrounded by friends. Willow is here and a charming recent college graduate named Sam. The six ladies are keeping their own company. A few section hikers, including one from Germany, are visiting with us. After the hike today, I¢m looking forward to dinner and sleep.  Day 7 on the AT has been good to us.