morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-24
From: Carlo Col Lean-To

To: Speck Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

I can sum up today's hike in two words: holy hell! I hit the trail around 7:15; I find I start more slowly when it's raining outside. I've never grown accustomed to pulling on cold and wet clothing and shoes!The day was hard from the outset, given the long climb from Carlo Col back up to the AT over slick rocks. I paused for a quick break at Full Goose Lean-To after a wet slog over Goose Eye Mountain that took far longer than it should, then made the descent into the one and only Mahoosuc Notch.For those unfamiliar with the notch, it's a one mile stretch of trail that runs over, under, and between massive boulders that have calved off the surrounding cliffs. The terrain doesn't get much sunlight and feels almost air conditioned due to remaining ice! It was fun but super challenging! It took me about 1:15:00 to navigate the mile, keeping my pack on for the duration (which got interesting when squeezing through some exceptionally tight tunnels). My pack cover took a beating, but my pack was no worse for wear.After the notch came Mahoosuc Arm, which has a reputation as being the toughest climb in the super tough Mahoosucs. Among other things it featured several hundred feet of climbing up steep rock slab, made all the more slippery by the previous day's rain. In the end I found it challenging, but not as difficult as everyone claimed it would be (a benefit of hyperbole).By the time I reached Speck Pond, well short of my day's goal, the clock had struck 4 PM and I had 6 miles to go. Under normal circumstances that would be easily doable, but the hiking is so challenging in the Mahoosucs I doubted my ability to make it before nightfall. I chatted with Trip (The Light) while I dithered, before deciding to call it a day.Today was the first time since beginning the trail that I failed to make a mileage goal, which I guess is appropriate considering it was the day I hiked Mahoosuc Notch. Still, my short day and slow progress was a blow to my morale and I'll drift off to sleep feeling thorough dispirited.
Date: 2014-07-25
From: Speck Pond Lean-To

To: Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

I awoke early and feeling stronger after yesterday's butt kicking, and hit the trail by 6:30. Given my failure to meet yesterday's mileage goal, I now needed to head into Andover to lay on enough supplies to reach Rangeley. I wasn't sure what to expect from the trail, but while tough it was noticeably "easier" than the Mahoosuc Notch/Arm combination. It was a bit of a confidence builder given the prior day's shellacking.The day's hiking took me over the Baldpates, two peaks distinguished by large swatches of exposed granite. The mountains are beautiful but challenging to climb, and require a lot of smearing in lieu of a "normal" footpath. Thankfully I reached my road crossing at East B Hill Road around 3:40, five minutes ahead of my projected arrival!My ride from Pine Ellis Hostel pulled up right on time and offered me a glass of Sunny D lemonade the moment I clambered into the car. It tasted divine! She also gave me a short tour of Andover, which is essentially one main street. That main street just so happened to feature a great diner called the Red Hen, where I later shared a meal with Long Haul Trucker and his wife Trail Bunny, and a great creamery called Katy's Kones where I enjoyed an amazing ice cream sundae! The folks at Pine Ellis took great care of me, and I enjoyed catching up with some familiar faces including Mosey, Grasshopper, and Trip.
Date: 2014-07-26
From: Pine Ellis Hostel

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-To
Miles today: 18.8

I was out of bed by 5:30 and down in the kitchen at Pine Ellis drinking coffee with Grasshopper, Trip, Cabo, Flossie, and Gray Squirrel. The plan was to meet Long Haul Trucker and Trail Bunny for breakfast at the Red Hen, then catch a ride out to East B Hill Road to jump back on the trail for a three-day push to Rangeley. Breakfast was great and we were at the trailhead by 9:30, a bit late but with time enough for the ten miles I planned to hike.The day's hiking took me over Wyman and Moody Mountain. Moody looked really tough on the elevation profile, but when the time came to climb it proved "easier" than expected. Thank goodness for that! I found myself at my destination for the day at 2:30, which was way too early to stop, so I decided to press on eight miles to Bemis Mountain Shelter. This made for a long day as it took me over Old Blue Mountain, but the weather held and reaching my destination would position me to reach Rangeley in two days. An early arrival was appealing given forecasted thunderstorms for tomorrow. I finally rolled into Bemis at 7 PM, ate dinner, chatted with Outback, Big Mac, and Tiger Lilly, and turned in for the night.
Date: 2014-07-27
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-To

To: The Farmhouse Inn
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I wanted to get an early start this morning to beat the rain, so I was up, packed, and on the trail by 6 AM. The crux of the day was a long descent into and out of a notch with Bemis Stream at the bottom, and while time consuming it wasn't as bad as some of the previous days' climbs. As it turned out, the water level in Bemis Stream was low and what should have been a ford was only a rock hop. I'm not complaining!I covered the eight miles to Sabbath Day Pond by 10 AM, took a quick break, then headed on my way as a brief shower blew through. The real rain wasn't expected to begin until after 2 PM, so I was sorely surprised when the skies opened up around 12:30. I am getting really, REALLY sick of getting soaked, and the next two hours were a blue as I tried to make it to Rangeley and solid roof over my head.When I finally reached ME 4 I was thoroughly soaked and dispirited. I headed over to the road to attempt a hitch, when someone sounded a horn from the parking lot. It was a trail angel named David, who stopped by the parking lot when the weather turned to see if any hikers needed a ride into town. He gladly allowed me to put my filthy pack in his car, and drove me directly to the lovely Farmhouse Inn where I was welcomed warmly. Thank you David!After showering and doing my laundry I joined Big Mac, Outback, Tiger Lilly, and Haiku for dinner in Rangeley, then enjoyed a bonus phone call with Britta (the best perk if arriving in town a day early). It was a great ending to an otherwise frustrating day.
Date: 2004-03-03
From: Appalachian Trail

To: Section Hike Versus Thru Hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

I've always imagined I be one of the fortunate few who start off at one end of the AT and emerge at the other terminus months later, a much more physically, mentally and spiritually (if not socially!) fit person. When I started to consider the possibility of actually doing some/all of the AT this year (about six months ago), I had originally hoped I could take a full 6 months to do it if I chose to complete the entire Trail.But, over time, reality sunk in. After two plus years of hard work, the business I acquired two years ago is starting to really perk along. My partner, in this endeavor, Barb Bridendolph, is fully able and prepared to step up and fill the leadership gap that my absence would create, but even so, there's just too much work to be done and not enough hands to do it all right now. We have commitments to clients that must be met and my absence at this time would compromise our ability to deliver the excellence that they expect from us and we expect from ourselves.So, at first I pared my time allotment back from six consecutive months to three months; then to three one-month increments. This will allow me to keep up with my commitments. With one month back in the office in between each month out.Now, my first overnight experience on the AT has been reduced to 10 days out then a "let's look at the work front reality, before planning another, hopefully longer, junket to the wilds.While it¢s not what I had hoped for, it is what works -- the "greatest good for the greatest number." And, it'll give me an opportunity to learn a lot and experience enough of "life on the trail" (weather, shelters, mail drops, hitchhiking to town, etc.) to be able to return to the Trail much better prepared for my future journeys.My excitement about going, is has high now looking at ten days out as it was looking at being gone a full 6 months. Can't wait!
Date: 2004-03-09
To: A 'Zen Master I am Not!
Miles today: 0.0

For thirty-five years whenever anyone asked me "What do you want to do when you get older?" I've always stated that "I want to hike the Appalachian Trail by the time I'm sixty." Well, last month I turned 59, so here I go.But, "by go" I don't mean, "Look out AT: here I come Springer Mountain to Katahdin, or bust!" While that's far too reflective of how I've lived much of my life to this point in time -- results-oriented, high-achiever, "take-no-prisoners", obsessive-compulsive -- a real "corporate guy," it¢s not how I¢m approaching this once-of-a lifetime experience. This is not about that. The hike is more about, ¢checking it out.¢ It's about finding out why I've felt that ¢Hiking the AT,¢ is something I've thought about and why I'd like to do it someday. It's not so much as ¢Getting it done,¢ (one more for the records book, eh?) as to seeing what it¢s all about. I have no interest in proving I can do it, but rather in finding out why ¢The Trail,¢ experience has resonated in my dreams for all these years.It may take just a few miles or, perhaps only, a few days to find the answer. It might take a lot of miles and a lot of days. It might even take all 2,180 miles. But one thing's for sure. I can't find the answer sitting at my laptop in my New York office. Ya gotta show up to get in the game. So, in a couple of weeks, here I go.
Date: 2004-03-11
To: What's This Hike Business All About?
Miles today: 0.0

So, even though I am one of the furthest natural born "Zen Masters" on the face of the earth, my mental approach to the AT is probably one of the most "Zen-like" (Zen-esque?) things I've ever done... to explore it and "check it out" and not commit myself to do the entire thing simply because I said I wanted to do it repeatedly for many years (all the while realizing that I clearly had no idea of what I was speaking!)Nevertheless, there must be some reason (s) why the idea of doing the AT has had such longstanding, fundamental appeal to me. The best as I can figure is this...Ever since I was in college (good old Denison University class of '66!) I have envisioned that my life would be comprised of four basic 20-year chapters... kind of a "Spring -- Summer -- Fall -- Winter" thing of the body, mind and spirit. If that's the case (and, indeed, I can see how, in many ways, my life has progressed along such lines) then, at age 59, it's "late Autumn" for me with Winter right around the corner. While I don't have any more of a clue as to what the "Winter of my years" may entail than I did at the onset of any of the other chapters of my life, I do believe that preparation is a huge component to success in any endeavor. Life in general, and this chapter in particular, are no exceptions. Over the years I have come to look upon a long thru hike of the Trail as an incredible way to physically, mentally and spiritually "tune" myself up for whatever may lie ahead for me in living the "last chapter" of my life, regardless of whether this chapter is 2, 10, 20 (as originally envisioned) or 40 years in duration!I can't imagine how anyone can embark on such a "minimalist" undertaking, carrying all of life's requirements on his or her back (shelter, food, water, clothing, etc.) while spending any reasonable length of time in wooded wilderness and not come out different -- certainly different in terms of being in excellent physical shape, most likely with a different perspective on life's priorities and goals, and (hopefully) with a different/greater appreciation (if not understanding) of his/her inborn quest to seek union with one's Higher Power.So, for me, that's best I can figure out about why I even have an interest in hiking the AT. It has come to represent, in part, or maybe in its entirety, a portal through which I can choose to pass that will serve as preparation for whatever lies ahead. Right now, it is what lies ahead. So, I'm gonna begin to check it out.
Date: 2004-03-12
From: New York

To: My Trail Name ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂBumpo.ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

¢Who is Bumpo and Why is a nickname important on the trail?Who is Bumpo? It is a long standing tradition that hikers go by a trail name instead of their real name, when hiking the Appalachian Trail. In some ways, having a trail name lets you become one with the trail, leaving your old self behind. Just about everyone who seeks to hike the AT takes on a trail name which they use to identify themselves when meeting new people on the trail and when writing in the trails log books in shelters. Anyways, each name is unique to the person. Sometime people ¢like me,¢ show up at the Trail already in possession of their trail name. The vast majority, however, are given their trail monikers after they arrive by other hikers. These usually have their origins in something the hiker does, or sees or is an expression of how others experience them. Rather than wait until I get to the Trail, I have already decided on my trail name- Bumpo. The source of this name can be found in the James Fenimore Cooper¢s 1826 epic novel ¢The Last of the Mohicans.¢ Whose protagonist, Hawkeye was originally named Nathaniel Bumppo before he was found and raised by the Mohicans. He was also frequently referred to as ¢Natty Bumppo.¢ Being named Nathaniel, you can see where this is going. For years ski buddies and other close friends have taken the liberty of extending the name I go by ¢Nat,¢ to ¢Natty,¢ (a reference to my debonair style?) to adding the ¢Bumpo¢ to the end of it (Presumably, out of respect for my literary namesake). Ultimately, as is often the case with nicknames, the ¢Natty¢ part was dropped leaving me with my trail name, ¢Bumpo.¢
Date: 2004-03-17
From: New York

To: Maildrops Away!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Not since D-day, has such a logical enterprise has been planned and executed with such care and precision! Four boxes of essentials have been picked up by our UPS person for delivery to four strategic locations that I hope to get to during my first two-week adventure exploring the AT. One box has been sent ahead to my nephew, Tom Rodger, in Atlanta; the second to Goose Creek Cabins at Neels Gap, GA; the third to the Hiawassee Inn in its namesake town, GA; and finally to the Rainbow Springs Campground in Franklin, NC.The purpose of Mail drops is so you don't have to carry everything from beginning to end (i.e. "lighten your load, son!") and because the ¢7/11¢ quickie mart doesn¢t have franchises along the trail, where one can just stop and get what they need compliments of the National Forest Service! By sending food ahead to places where the Trail crosses roads and nears towns big enough to have a post office, you know what's waiting for you, reducing your dependency on whatever you can find on the local economy. So, if I can manage to get there, I won't go hungry. Now I just gotta get there! For those curious to know, this is what¢s in those boxes. The first three boxes contain food for all occasions and the fourth one contains clean clothes for the plane ride back home. The provisions are considerable: individual snack-size zip-lock bags of homemade GORP -- "Good Ole Peanuts and Raisins" -- which should really be GORPP since I threw in Pecans too. Considering that I added Yogurt And Chocolate-covered Raisins as well, maybe it should be GOYACRPP, or for easy memory: GO-CRAPPY. Anyway, besides snacks there are commercially dehydrated meals, instant oatmeal breakfasts, assorted power gels/bars/bursts, powdered milk, coffee, hot chocolate, instant lemonade and tea, plus fuel cans for my ultra-light-weight stove, matches, clean socks and 13 ounces of cookies, 10 ounces of crackers and 12 ounces of peanut butter, not to mention my all-time-favorite -- one can of SPAM (which, in case you hadn't noticed it, is MAPS spelled backwards! Now just go figure!)
Date: 2004-03-23
From: New York

To: Anticipation
Miles today: 0.0

48 hours! Forty-eight hours until my nephew, Tom Rogers, and I begin my long awaited and anticipated journey of hiking on the AT. We will begin together at the southern terminus at Springer Mountain and head north. Tom is my sister¢s oldest son and (fortunately for me!) not only lives in Atlanta but is also an ex-Army Ranger. Tom has volunteered to accompany me for the first four days of the hike. His reason for joining me is ¢to at least make sure that Uncle Nat is pointed in the right direction.¢ Thanks in advance, Tom.One of the anticipated outcomes from hiking the Trail is a change in my perception. That process has already begun. Earlier today, I drove from Baltimore to Virginia to visit my Mother and while doing so I crossed under the footbridge that allows AT hikers to safely cross I-70. I¢ve driven this route many, many times and am sure that without exception each time I have wondered if¢¦ someday?This trip, however, I was aware of a lot more than just the footbridge across the road. Knowing that ¢someday¢ was becoming a reality; I couldn¢t help but notice the woods at either side of the bridge- dense, dark, with a little underbrush crowding the top of South Mountain.I was also aware that my perceptions of myself have changed, as I have come closer to the start of this trip. Unlike just a few weeks earlier, I find myself with a heightened degree of anticipation. Although it¢s easier for me to describe things than feelings, there is certainly a bunch of feelings that come collectively called heightened anticipation. Feelings like excitement, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Springer Mountain, GA

To: Hawk Mountain, GA
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It¢s 6:00P.M. The temperature is 70 degrees and the sun is low on the horizon.This has been an absolutely perfect first day. It could not have been better. After breakfast at Amicalola Lodge State Park, where Tom and I spent the night, we drove to within 1 mile of the summit of Springer Mountain.   This is the southern terminus of the AT and for me, my starting point. We left our gear in the car and hiked south to the Summit of Springer Mountain, where we took some pictures, shook hands, introduced ourselves to a few other hikers who were also to set about on their own AT odysseys and breathed in the moment. This was it. What lies ahead?At 10:15 we turned back to the North, stepped squarely on the first ¢2 x 6¢ white blaze painted on the rock atop Springer Mountain (that marks the Trail beginning or end, depending on the direction you are hiking), and headed out in the direction of Katadin Mountain in Maine. The day was warm and sunny so we were very comfortable hiking in shorts and tee shirts. The trees are still bare, treating us to beautiful scenic views in this section of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. As we hiked along each view was more spectacular than the previous. The only green to be seen in this portion of the Chattahoochee Forest besides the fir trees, are the huge rhododendrons that often form giant tunnels through which we walked.Most of this morning was downhill (fortunately), and it was highlighted by a long section through a stand of original-growth hemlocks, one of the few virgin hemlock forests remaining in the US. Some of these trees were 15¢ in circumference, and towered well over 100'. Most had no boughs for the first 50' allowed light to filter through to the forest floor, providing an arched ceiling way overhead -- giving us a feeling akin to standing in some vast medieval cathedral.After eating pb & j bagels shared with a fellow Section Hiker, "Blue," long the streams at "Three Forks,¢ we headed uphill for the next two hours. Along the way we were treated to a welcome break at a waterfall aptly called Long Falls (Click on "PHOTOS" for pictures.) We passed a huge dead tree with a hole big enough for a bear to fit into (no, we didn¢t check to see if one was in there), and completed our 9 mile day at the Hawk Mountain Shelter. There we decided to set up camp a little bit away from the shelter, which was already full of hikers by the time we arrived at 3:30. Both Tom and I were more than ready for dinner of dehydrated pea soup, Pad Thai and Ramen Noodles by the time we had finished the last of our setting up. Our spirits are high, and neither of us is suffering from any ailments or dreaded blisters. It was great first day on the Trail from every perspective- great weather, great sights, and great camaraderie. I am glad Tom is with me to share this day and experience. We will definitely sleep well tonight.
Date: 2004-03-26
From: Hawk Mountain

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 9.0

March 26, Friday, 9 pm Northside of Gooch Gap.Sitting in front of our second camp fire in as many days, we are under clear, star studded skies. The lights of the farms stretch out in the valley to the east of us. It¢s truly lovely. Our tents are up, the food bag, which I have named "Miss Piggy," is hung in a tree, and we are reveling in the afterglow of a delicious dinner: dehydrated beef stew with rice added to it. Yummy! Desert was a Cliff bar and hot cocoa, also yummy! (But of course, after nine miles of hiking, anything would be yummy at this point!)Today was another unbelievable day. Weather-wise it was perfect: clear skies, temperature in the 70s, and light breezes. The weather made the more challenging pitch of Sassafras Mountain a lot more bearable, for sure.We had lunch on Phyllis Spur: crackers, cheese wraps and cookies, which marked the end of the tougher part of the day. We then cruised through the Devil¢s Kitchen in pretty good shape. It was there we saw ridges, marked with huge Rhododendrons and hardwoods. We were so captivated by the beauty we hadn¢t realized that we went two more miles further today than we originally planned to. Both of us feel ¢strong,¢ but I must admit to being keenly aware of some muscles I didn¢t know I had. We met some very interesting characters as we hiked today. Don, is a 69 year old from California whose wife is shadowing him in a camper. Don did not look too well at the base of Sassafras Mountain and not much better when we saw him the summit. We also met another fellow, "Pack Rat," who¢s making his ninth attempt at completing a Thru Hike-his ninth! Tom is wonderful company and we work together easily. He¢s taught me a lot, such as what to do and what not to do in a thunderstorm, how to start a fire when it¢s wet (which it hasn¢t been at all), and how to do the ¢rucksack flop¢: to sit down and relax without taking your pack off. Tom also taught me that the sun is named "BOB" for Big Orange Ball¢ ¢Today, BOB.¢ You get the picture. I will miss Tom when he leaves me on Sunday.Now to sleep!