morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-08
From: I 93 Franconia Notch

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0

It happened again! We were expecting a tough time getting up Mt Lincoln and then Mt Lafayette. We climbed early in the morning up to Lincoln and then had the amazing views as we walked the ridge to Lafayette. We ate a leisurely lunch on Lafayette thinking we had plenty of time to get to Galehead Hut. We started out after lunch and headed up Mt Garfield. What a climb! Straight up, rock over rock! Then back down with the same stuff! We finally got to the hut at 5:00. We had averaged about a mile an hour. We were whipped !The hut was an interesting stay. The building was quite amazing with 10 bunks each in three different rooms. Some bunks were four high. There is no bathing, electricity( battery and propane only), or trash disposal. The hut is owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club and managed by college students who stay at the hut for the summer. Dinner and breakfast are included in the stay, and the food was good. I'm thankful we were there for the night, because the options were tenting at a site off the AT or a 27 mile day. We had a violent thunder storm in the night, and that made us even that much more thankful to be at the hut. The White Mountains are all they are said to be, tough and beautiful. Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-09
From: Galehead Hut

To: US 302 Crawford Notch
Miles today: 14.0

We left the Galehead Hut this morning at just before 8:00. Our first step out the door was up. We climbed South Twin Mountain which was an 1100 ft climb in less than a mile. What a way to warm up legs still tired from the day before. Thankfully, that was the hardest climb of the day. We were rewarded again with some amazing 360 degree views. We continued for a few miles of moderately rocky up and down trail and then the last 4 miles of the day were smooth sailing. Much of the last part of today's hike was on a flat, gravel trail. Wonderful! When we got to the road, the girls picked us up and brought us back to a fabulous hotel, the Mt Washington Omni, where they had stayed the night before. Tonight we had our final dinner as a foursome, as Bean will be heading back to TN tomorrow. As always, it will be hard to see her go, but Lord willing the next time she comes I will be leaving with her!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-10
From: US 302 Crawford Notch

To: Mt Washington
Miles today: 13.0

The tears rolled down my cheeks as Bob and I walked into the woods at Crawford Notch this morning. After a kiss and a hug, I left Bean for the hike today and she headed to the Manchester Airport to fly back to TN. It has been beyond wonderful to have her here this past week, and she and Debbie have made a great team supporting Bob and me as we hiked. I'm sure the girls have had some fun times as well! Lord willing Bean will be back up here in 3-4 weeks to help celebrate my summitting Katahdin and then escort me home. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I'm getting closer. Today was just about as perfect a day as you can get in the White Mountains. The skies were clear and you could see forever! After a tough 2200 ft climb up Mt Webster to start the day, the trail got somewhat easier. There were several up and downs as we would summit different mountains in the Presidential Range. Today we summitted Mounts Webster,Jackson, Franklin, and Washington. Mt Washington is the highest peak in the Whites, and second highest on the AT at 6288'. We were above the treeline most of the day which made for some wind burnt and sunburnt hikers. It was a very special day, and I was so thankful to have Bob here to share it with me. All through my hike, The Lord has been blessing me by causing details to fall into place. For the past two days we've been concerned about getting down Mt Washington at the end of the hike today. There is a shuttle service offered but it ends early in the afternoon and is quite expensive. It also does not start until 8:00 in the morning which makes for a late start hiking. When we got to the top today, there were a lot of tourists there taking pictures and it was a little disheartening. I saw a guy in a construction pick up getting ready to head down the mountain and asked him if we could get a ride. He said no, but that his boss was leaving shortly and we could ask him. We saw his truck, and he agreed to give us a ride. After crawling in, we had a great conversation on the way down, and he agreed to meet us in the morning on his way up at 6:30 and let us ride with him. He goes up early before the shuttles begin to start his work, and we will be with him! How amazing that God blesses in so many ways that we can't explain. Thanks Lord! I will praise you from the mountains!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-11
From: Mt Washington

To: Pinkham Notch US 16
Miles today: 13.0

As I shared in yesterday's journal, we were tremendously blessed by a "Construction Worker Trail Angel". (That might be a first!) Kevin met us at the base of Mt Washington this morning at 6:15 and we road to the top with him almost two hours before the public was allowed to drive up. We were on the trail before 7:00, and we remarked later it was a good thing we started early. Coming down Washington was quite a challenge. The rock scramble went on and on. We hiked at about one mile per hour. It was almost 11:00 when we got to Madison Spring Hut which was 6 miles from Washington. We ate lunch there and started on down. The rock scrambles continued so our pace was slow. One really neat thing about hiking above the treeline is that you can see where you are going. Up on the open ridge, they build rock cairns (inverted cone shaped piles of rock) that denotes the location of the trail. You can look down the mountain for what seems like miles and see the trail before you. As we were heading down one of the mountains I looked and saw another hiker heading up. As he got closer, I recognized him and shouted out, "Three by five!" He shouted back, " Walk Worthy." I have followed Three by Five's journal since before either of us started our hikes. It was a pleasure to finally meet him and he proved to be the kindred spirit that I thought he would be. I truly regret we were never able to hike together, but it was a joy to spend a few minutes talking, encourage each other, and bowing our heads as Bob led us in prayer. How amazing that there on a mountainside, standing in the middle of thousands of jumbled rocks, three of God's kids could enjoy talking to their Heavenly Father! Thanks Lord!Bob and I continued on down the mountain and arrived at Pinkham notch at about 4:15. Debbie once again was there to pick us up with cold drinks for parched throats and ice bags for sore knees! This is the last day Bob and Debbie will be here, and I will miss them in a big way. The sacrifice they have made and the spirit they have shown have been nothing short of mind boggling. Bob and I have meshed well on the trail both in hiking and in conversation, while Bean and Debbie have had fun and worked wonders at finding and picking us up each day. This past ten days has definitely been a highlight of the trip!As they leave in the morning, I will be tackling the White Mountains alone for a couple more days before entering Maine. I feel like I must "get my head right" and focus on getting this thing done. I pray that I will continue to rely on the Lord Jesus and allow Him to lead in these final weeks. Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-12
From: Pinkham Notch US 16

To: US 2 Gorham NH
Miles today: 22.0

Final chapter, first page! Today started the final chapter in my AT thru hike. This morning Bob, Debbie, and I left our hotel at 5:00. They took me to Pinkham notch where Bob led us in prayer before I headed up Wildcat Mountain and they headed to the coast of New Hampshire and Bob's parents home. Leaving them was like leaving family after the wonderful week we had together. Hiking today by myself brought back memories I haven't had for a while. I hiked with daughter Kady for 3 days. Hiked with fellow Nobo thru hiker Handsome Dan for 9 days. The I hiked with Bob for 9 days. I could get spoiled!Wildcat was all it was said to be! May have been the toughest climb yet! I took it slow on the uphills and picked up the pace on the level (there wasn't much) and the downhill. It was a tough day and I didn't finish until 6:15. Thirteen hours is a long day hiking on any trail, but in the Whites it's some kinda tough! I'm thankful to have that behind me and I'm thankful for a shower and bed tonight. Good night all!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-13
From: US 2 Gorham NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 17.0

Thanks to my little granddaughter, Chapel, for helping Papa celebrate 1900 miles hiked! For those of you who don't appreciate fine art, the purple paint on the side of Chapel's poster is the mountain that Papa is climbing! I'll tell you this,Papa would love to wrap his arms around that little girl right now!Well, the Main Thing about today is the "Maine Thing". It is almost too hard to believe, but today I stepped into Maine. I really did! This is the last of 14 states. When I finish Maine, I'm done. There are 281 miles in Maine, and I can tell you this, the first one is a pain! Today was one of those days that goes on forever. It was cloudy most of the day and them started raining around 4:00. The trail was not as tough as a few days ago, but it was still real slow. I hiked for a while the last two days with Problem Bear. It was good to see him again since I hadn't seen him in several weeks. I also hiked today with a group of younger thru hikers which included Leggs, Jewels,Texeco, and Farmer. They were much faster than me and they would pass me. However, they liked to stop and take breaks at which time I would pass them. This happened several times during the day. I finally got to the shelter around 7:30 and set up my tent. Everything is wet, and it just started raining again about 15 minutes ago. The sound of the rain on my tent is peaceful, but it will make for a messy morning and a heavy tent to pack. Oh well, I will take them as they come!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-14
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: US26 Grafton Notch
Miles today: 14.0

They advertise it as the hardest mile on the AT. IT IS !! The thing they don't tell you is that as soon as you come out of Mahoosic notch, they send you up Mahoosic Arm. I think they just want to see if you're serious about this AT thing! Today was the hardest hiking day yet as far as the difficulty of the trail. I made today a really long day. I am trying to save my knees by slack packing. TheWhites have brought a lot of pain to my knees that I hadn't experienced before. It is due to all the rock-over-rock downhill hiking. So this morning I got up before 5:00, broke a sloppy wet camp, and hiked down a side trail where I left most of my heavy gear hidden in a trash bag. I then hiked back up to the AT and got started hiking about 7:15. I don't think there was half a mile of easy hiking today! It was hard and harder. The Mahoosic notch is a steep ravine filled with boulders. The hiker finds a way through, under, and over the rocks for over a mile. It took me over two hours to go one mile. Then up you go 2000 ft of rock-over-rock on Mahoosic Arm. It was 7:00 this evening when I got to the trailhead, so it took me 13 hours to hike 14 miles. I've hiked about twice that in that time before. When I got picked up, we then drove to get my gear where I had left it. It was 15 miles one way on a dirt road. It took almost 3 hours to drive in, me hike up the trail, retrieve my gear, walk back to the car, and drive out. So it was after 10:00 when I finally got here to the hostel. I'm too tired to eat, so I just showered and hit the sack. Hope this all makes sense. I'm pretty tired, and I'm signing off for the night. Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-15
From: US26 Grafton Notch

To: East B Hill Rd Andover
Miles today: 10.0

This morning I had a leisurely breakfast and then got my gear straightened out. Last night when I got in I was so tired I was only half thinking. This hostel I'm staying at is very laid back and hiker friendly. I left for the trail after 10:00 and got started hiking around 11:00. I was only planning to hike 10 miles today, and after a good night's sleep and a good breakfast, I was energized. After yesterday's tough hiking, it was nice to be hiking something a little less challenging. (By the way, with all my griping about the hard hiking yesterday, I forgot to mention the highlight of seeing two moose as we were driving to get my pack last evening.) The hike began with a 2000 foot climb up Baldplate mountain. The final 300-400 feet is up a smooth rock face that is angled just enough that you can walk up the face. I went over it about 1:30 and hiked on. Again, it has been such an encouragement to me to see God blessing this hike in the details. At about 3:00 this afternoon it started to sprinkle rain. Then the skies opened up, and for two hours it poured. If it had rained earlier, I'm not sure I could have gotten over Baldplate. How discouraging it would be to have to turn around and hike back 5 miles, which would have been a distinct possibility. I hiked on in the rain and got to the road where the shuttle was waiting to take us back to the hostel. A warm shower and dry clothes are wonderful things after hiking in the rain. A second blessing I received today was a hiking partner. This morning I met a section hiker, Slide i. e. (Ross Wright), who has hiked the AT from GA to this point. Each year he hikes about 10 days, and he only lacks from here to Katahdin. We struck up a conversation, and lo and behold, he was very familiar with my hometown of Murfreesboro. He had taken trombone lessons from and hiked with a professor from MTSU. Even better, it turned out we share the bond of Jesus Christ and he is a pastor of a church in Richmond, VA. Later in the day he decided to end his hike today at the hostel I was at, so we are sharing a room tonight. We had supper together tonight, and he is planning to return tomorrow night as am I. I am thankful for God things!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-16
From: East B Hill Rd Andover

To: South Arm Rd Andover
Miles today: 10.0

Raindrops keep falling on my head . . . as BJ used to sing. It was raining when we started the trail this morning at 6:30. It was still raining when I ended my hike at noon. I was advised not to try Old Blue Mountain in the rain, so I didn't. I have tried to use the best judgement I can when it comes to weather and hiking. Today that meant hiking only 10 miles and calling it a day. The hike was rather uneventful with only one uphill climb at the end. The trail was somewhat slow due to the water and mud, but really not too bad. After hiking, I shuttled back to Andover, bought some lunch at the only restaurant in town, and then took a nap this afternoon. Tomorrow I plan to hike 26 miles, so these short days do have a price. The weather forecast for the next few days is great, so I'm looking forward to that. Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-17
From: South Arm Rd Andover

To: ME Hwy 17
Miles today: 13.0

Have you ever had an accident and then thanked God for it? This morning He got my attention in a big way! I left the hostel at 5:30 this morning because I wanted to get an early start on a big day. I was already sweating as I climbed up Old Blue Mountain when the clock hit six. I'd been told that Old Blue would be my hardest climb of the day. By 7:30 I was up and over Old Blue and thought to myself, "Okay, now I'll turn it on and make some miles." Not so! The trail was not conducive to fast hiking. There were lots of roots, lots of rock, and the trail was wet and sloppy from yesterday's rain. I kept pushing just thinking about the 26 miles I had to get today. About 10:00 I was moving down a slight grade, stepped on a root, and crash! My left shin slammed in a rock and my chest landed on a 12" stump. As I laid there stunned, I said, "Lord, you had something to do with this, didn't you?" I think it was His way of saying, "Why are you doing this hike Decker, and how wise are you acting?" There is a line out of my favorite movie, Jeremiah Johnson, "You can't cheat the mountain! The mountain has it's own ways." I was trying to hike the trail in a way that the trail was not willing to give! As I wiped the blood off my leg and got my senses back, I decided to call Bean, although I didn't expect to have phone reception. I did. I thank God for a wife who is often wiser than me! Bean advised me to slow down, don't push it, and not to make a dumb mistake that could ruin my whole hike this close to the end. I agreed! Immediately my whole demeanor changed. A peace came over me and the rest of my hike this morning was fabulous! I stopped my hike at Hwy 17 at 13 miles, got shuttled into the beautiful lake town of Rangeley, checked into a hiker motel, and shopped at a couple hiker stores. Slide met me later at the motel and we had a great dinner together at a restaurant overlooking the lake.What a wonderful ending to a day that began with my mind focused on me and what I thought I had to accomplish instead of what God had for me today. I'm so grateful that He continues to teach this thickheaded son of His!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-18
From: ME Hwy 17

To: ME Hwy 4 Rangeley
Miles today: 13.0

The perfect hiking day for this hiker looks like . . . TODAY!!! I had a red letter day today! I got up this morning and walked with Slide from the motel about 200 yards to a little breakfast diner where the two of us had a hearty New England breakfast. We were joined for coffee by Linda, the shuttle driver, who then drove me to the AT. I had been told by a couple of people that the hike today was not hard and could be hiked easily. They were right! It was a pleasant change after the last three weeks. After a short climb the trail was almost all level or slightly downhill. There were some roots, rocks, and mud, but not enough to cause you to often change your pace. The highlight of my hike today occurred at almost the halfway point. The trail guide mentioned Sabbath Day Pond and that there was a swimming hole. When I got there it was a beautiful little sand beach. I couldn't believe that here in this pine forest and rock mountains was a sand beach. I thought, "I bet that water is freezing." I pulled of my boots and waded in to knee deep water. It felt great. I considered a moment and just said, "Do it!" I waded back to the shore stripped down and jumped in! It was amazing! I'm sure glad I had my birthday suit! Tonight I'm staying in a tent at a hiker hostel that has no running water or electricity. Interesting but unique! I will not have service for a couple days so I'll be back in touch when I can. Later on . . ,
Date: 2014-07-19
From: ME Hwy 4 Rangeley

To: Logging Road
Miles today: 15.0

Out of my tent early this morning at the Hiker Hut near Rangeley. Katherine, a partner in the hostel, cooked me a scrumptious breakfast with some of the best home fries I've ever eaten. I was on the trail at 6:00 with Saddleback Mountain on my mind. Steve,the hostel owner, had warned me that today's trail would be much more difficult than yesterday. He was right, but the climb up Saddleback was not as tough as I had anticipated. I was at the summit by 9:00, and moving on. There were a couple more peaks today with some rocky downhills. My knees have not recovered from the week Bob and I spent in the Whites. The downhill pounding has taken a toll, and at the end of each descent, I can feel the strain. I certainly look forward to the flatter terrain that should be coming next week. It is still amazing to me to think that the end is as close as it is. My actual Katahdin summit date will depend on my strength and the weather. I pray that I'll use wisdom in making those decisions in the days ahead. I know I've said it so many times, but I am so thankful to all of you who have read my journal, texted, called, emailed, and prayed for me. This adventure would not have happened to this point without you!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-20
From: Logging Road

To: ME Hwy 27 Stratton
Miles today: 17.0

This morning Steve drove me to the logging road I'd walked out on yesterday and I walked the two miles up to the AT. The dirt road was covered with moose and deer tracks. I've seen some interesting wildlife here in Maine. I've seen three moose, one cow and two young bulls, a fisher cat (kind of like a weasel), and heard a loon for the first time. As I continue through Maine in the wilderness areas, I hope to see more wildlife and experience the New England outdoors. This is my first time to be in New England besides a brief ski vacation years ago. The hike today was rather uneventful. The trail was at times easy, and at times very difficult. I finished up about 4:00 and got shuttled to a hiker hotel in Stratton where I'll be staying the next two nights. Oftentimes today I thought about how close I am to the end of this adventure. It's hard to believe that this could end next week. NEXT WEEK! After all this time, it could end next week. We'll see how it goes, but that is a real possibility. Wow!Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-21
From: ME Hwy 27 Stratton

To: East Flagstaff Rd
Miles today: 16.0

Today I officially became a 2000 miler. I can hardly believe I've walked that far. In some ways it feels like a long way, and then in other ways it's a blur that I can't remember well. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." By faith the Dray-Decker team celebrated 2000 miles a couple weeks ago. Today it came to fruition! That means I had 185 miles left when I walked past that sign. Today I hiked over the Bigelow mountains. The views from the top were some of the most beautiful that I've had on the entire hike. I sat on the top of West peak and ate my lunch and tried to take it all in. They were pretty tough, especially the last 300 feet of both the West and Avery peaks. Then there were a lot of rock steps coming down. I'm not sure if it's psychological or for real, but it seems I'm getting tired on these mountains quicker than I have in the past. Good thing is, I will not have a mountain like the Bigelows until Katahdin. I will have some smaller climbs, but nothing that high. I'm thankful! I also decided to cut today's hike a little short and add 3 miles to tomorrow's hike because tomorrow's hike isn't as hard as today's. I just gotta keep on keeping on, as my friend Jon Glock's mom, Melsie, used to say. Later on . . .
Date: 2014-07-22
From: East Flagstaff Rd

To: US 201 Caratunk
Miles today: 21.0

It was a delight to hike today! Thinking that I would need all day for the long mileage hike, I got started early. I was on the trail at 5:45. For the first time in weeks, there were long stretches of at least a 1/4 mile or more where the trail was relatively flat with nothing to break the rhythm of my walk. It was so nice to be able to just stretch out my legs and go. The trail led around several beautiful lakes and beside at least two major streams. I was able to hike the 21 miles in just a little over 8 hours, which is good for this old timer. Even better, there were almost no climbs which gave my knees a much needed break. Near the end of my hike today I came to the Kennebec River. This river used to be forded as the official way of crossing. A few years ago a hiker drowned while trying to ford the river, so now the state provides a canoe ferry. It only takes about 10 minutes to canoe across the river and the ferry operates for four hours a day, 9:00-11:00 AM and 2:00-4:00 PM. I arrived right at 2:00 and waited for about 30 minutes while other hikers were ferried across. After crossing, I walked into Caratunk (population less than 200), called for a shuttle, and rode to the hostel where I am tonight. Tomorrow I hope to be in Monson, the last town before the 100 mile wilderness and Baxter State Park. Katahdin here I come!Later on . . .