morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-01
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9

Miles hiked today : 16.9I woke up this morning at 6:00 a.m., packed, ate breakfast, and hiked out at 7:00 a.m. Michael quickly caught up with me and shortly up the trail, I saw some boulder caves formed by rocks that had fallen from the nearby cliffs. My first obstacle was a 2,040 foot climb up Saddleback Mountain, which I was taking slowly. Michael was hiking faster than me, so I was soon alone again, though after a bit, I found him waiting for me and he led te way up to the summit of Saddleback Mountain. I arrived at 9:00 a.m. and on a clear day, Mount Katahdin is said to be visible from the summit, though all I could see was clouds.After a minor dip and climb, I was at the summit of The Horn, which was also clouded over. It was 9:30 a.m., which meant the Rangeley post office was open, so I called and had Michael and Sean's maildrop forwarded to Stratton. Pushing on, I descended a bit and began the climb to the summit of Saddleback Junior. At 10:30 a.m., during the climb, I stopped for a 15 minute rest, snack, and water break. At the summit, I was rewarded with nice views, as the clouds had cleared out a bit. Next was a descent to Poplar Ridge Lean-to, which I reached at 12:20 p.m. and stopped for a 55 minute lunch break.Moving on, I had a brief climb up to Poplar Ridge and shortly into the very steep descent to Orbeton Stream, at 1:50 p.m., I slipped on a flat wet rock and landed on my backside. Cha-ching, fall #35. This fall was somewhat unnerving, as my left eye came a few inches from being impaled upon a broken branch of a fallen tree. That most certainly would have ruined my day. Down at Orbeton Stream, I easily crossed another rock hop ford and on the far side, at 2:35 p.m., I stopped for 15 minutes to gather and treat water. Immediately following the ford was a steep 800 foot climb up to a logging road, followed by a relatively level mile, and another steep 1,100 foot climb to the summit of Lone Mountain, which I reached at 4:25 p.m.The climb up Lone Mountain combined with the climbs earlier in the day left me feeling exhausted. I thought about taking a break, though I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance, which prompted me to keep moving. Over the final 2.2 miles to the lean-to, the thunder grew closer and I increased my pace. My legs were tired and weren't exactly cooperating, so I kept kicking roots and rocks. I reached the lean-to at 5:15 p.m. and only 15 minutes earlier, light rain had begun falling, though I didn't get very wet. Soon after I reached Spaulding Mountain Lean-to, a heavier rain began to fall, though it soon dissipated. This pattern continued for most of the night.Shortly after my arrival, Michael went to get water for both of us, after which I cooked dinner. I was quite hungry and ate well, wrapping up my meal with hot chocolate and ginger snaps. After dinner, I journaled before crawling into my sleeping bag to read. Tomorrow, Sean, Michael, and I are headed into Stratton for town food and $5 tent sites.Bedtime at 9:15 p.m.
Date: 2005-08-08
To: Not quite finished, but...
Miles today: 0.0

Hello All!Thank you so much to the people who have supported me during my hike. Be it my family at home, the random trail angels I've encountered along the way, or the folks that have signed my guest book and e-mailed me.Today I'm headed into the 100-Mile Wilderness with only 114.5 miles between me and that long dreamt of summit sign on Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin. Wow!I probably won't be able to post the final days of my trailjournal until I return to the west coast around August 23rd, though I will do so.From the beginning of my journey, I've intended this hike as a fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and have, to date, raised $180 out of my target goal of $1,000. I highly appreciate the donations made to date, though would love it if my fundraising goal is met. If you've enjoyed reading my trailjournal, please consider donating to this worthy cause. You can find more information on my personal webpage at:Daniel's Personal WebpageorDaniel's NMMS Donation PageThank you for your time and consideration!
Date: 2005-08-11
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles hiked today : 19.719.6 AT miles + 0.1 mile of side trailI woke up at 5:25 a.m. and took a couple minutes to register that it was time to get up. I packed, ate breakfast, and hiked out with Opa at 6:30 a.m. I'd seen the elevation profile for the upcoming section of trail and besides a pair of 400 foot climbs, the whole section had a downward sloping trend. At 7:10 a.m., I reached a woods road and found a cache of sodas, which Humpty Dumpty had told us he'd leave for us. I drank a can of root beer and packed out a small bottle of Mountain Dew to drink at lunch time.At 8:00 a.m., I passed East Branch Lean-to, though I didn't stop. 10 minutes later, I was at the East branch of the Pleasant River, which was listed as a ford in the data book. I sized up the situation and was fairly sure that I could rock hop across. A few of the rocks were slippery and I could see the water was deep as I scrambled across, though I reached the far side without incident.At 9:30 a.m., 200 feet below the summit of Little Boardman Mountain, I stopped for a 15 minute snack, water, and rest break. I crossed the summit of Little Boardman Mountain and descended 1,107 feet to Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to, arriving at 11:30 a.m. The falls was very long, though ran downhill at a shallow angle, so it appeared more like a series of rapids. At the bottom was a pool deep enough to cannonball into, though it wasn't quite warm enough to go swimming. The morning sky had been overcast, though was now beginning to clear up. I figured that it would be warm enough to go swimming by this afternoon. I continued up the trail at 1:00 p.m.The distance to the Antlers Campsite was 7.9 miles with an overall elevation drop of 390 feet. Such a gradual elevation change meant that the trail would probably appear the same, but if the terrain were decent, the miles would go by quickly. At 2:10 p.m., I had covered 3.7 miles and reached Jo-Mary Road. I was treated to a cup of chocolate milk and an orange, courtesy of a group section hikers being resupplied by their family. I didn't stay long and hiked on, covering another 4.2 miles to the Antlers Campsite, arriving at 3:30 p.m.The Antlers Campsite was in a pine forest with easy access to spacious Lower Jo-Mary Lake. I dropped my pack and changed into my capilenes and went wading for a bit to cool down. After returning to the shore, I snacked while journaling and spent time enjoying the beautiful campsite. The view of the lake was phenomenal and the breeze blowing through the pines made the temperature perfect. After journaling, I cooked dinner and read for a bit. Today was a great day and I was pleased to have covered nearly 20 miles by 3:30 p.m. I'd hiked all day in my cotton boxers, so the chafing from yesterday hadn't bothered me today, though there was new chafing on my left hip. I'm not sure what caused it, though I'll try to prevent it tomorrow. Other than this minor inconvenience, life is very good.Bedtime at 9:00 p.m.
Date: 2005-07-02
To: Prep 
Miles today: 0.0

Hello EveryoneWell what shall I say. This is my fourth trip out to the AT. The first trip in April of 2000 I set out to do a thru hike, and got as far as Shenandoah NP. 900 miles carrying 40 pounds and my body was beat up. I lost my will to go on and went home to heal. It was 18 months later when I started to think about finishing. I purchased all new gear and was able to get my pack weight down to 20 pounds. In May of 2002 I returned to the site of the crime to carry on. I proceeded from my stopping point in SNP north and the day I climbed out of Lehigh Gap in the final part of PA., while ridge walking on a very easy section something when haywire in my right knee. Two steps that felt like stepping on firm grapes and feeling them squish was all it took. The rest of that day and the next was all down hill for me. I limped into Delaware Water Gap and took up residence at the Hostel there. It was Memorial day weekend. Several days later and a trip to the ER and I was not getting any better. As luck would have it the Greyhound stops there so I was on my way home again. Now about 1270 miles into the AT.That summer was spent trying to get better, surgery, rehab, and things did improve a lot. Bottom line, torn Meniscus left me with an arthritic knee. I was able to walk some and did get stronger. I was able to walk up to 4 or 5 miles at a stretch with the aid of a large clumsy knee brace. So in spring of 2003 I prepared for a trip to the AT. This time I was only planning to go about 275 miles to get into the New England states. When I told my plans to my Dr. he suggested I modify my plan. So off I went with tongue in cheek to see how far I could go. Turns out that was 140 miles. After the first week, that went well, it was a slippery slope that left me in pain. I pulled up lame and came home, now having finished NJ and NY.This past Feb. I had total knee replacement that the Dr. promised would permit me to hike. I have spent the past 5 months doing intensive rehab, and exercise to prepare for a assault on the remaining 750 miles of AT. Next Wed. 7/6/05 I fly out to Hartford Ct and return to the trail head near Stormville NY to begin again. This time I have the Dr. blessing to undertake this adventure. He says I can hike on my new knee.I will be sending my trail journal pages home to be transcribed by my daughter Kelly, and she will post them here. There will be some time delay in updating the web page, since I will only be sending them home when I am in a town. So everyone sign in on the guest book and send a word of encouragement. I will see the comments when I am in town and can find a computer to use.SHORTCUT
Date: 2005-07-06
From: NT Rt 52 Road Crossing

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 3.9
Weather: light rain

Well here I am again on the AT. Made it out here in one day with a 3 hour car shuttle from the Hartford CT airport. Funny thing about this trip. I really didn¢t have the anticipation or sense of excitement about the trip that I have experianced in the past. In fact I was a little apprehensive. Hard to figure out.        Today I met Uncle ED, a 70 yr old man doing his second thru hike and a young man named RAH. Rah has hiked with Dirty Harry and we talked about him a little. Dirty harry is a young man from Palatine who I met last winter when he was planning his hike. He is behind me and we should meet in a few days.        No rain today while I walked but it is wet here and more rain is in the forcast. The sign on this shelter says only 734 miles to Katahadin. Wahooo!!
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last nite turned cool and windy. A good nite for sleeping and a good day for hiking today. The weather was cloudy all day, and it stayed cool. When I made it to the first shelter by noon I decided to come on to this shelter.        Last nite I spent some time talking to Uncle Ed about his second thru hike. He has a friend who told him upon learning about his plan for this hike that he was nuts. He told Uncle Ed that retired people should put their feet up and watch TV. Now let me see. The choice is sitting around watching TV reruns or going on an adventure where you see new things and meet interesting people every day . Not too hard to decide as I see it.        Tonite we have six hikers at this shelter. Blue, a chap from Australia, Naked Son, Flordia and others I can¢t remember. Today I walked past Dover Oak the largest tree on the AT. Its girth is 20 feet 4 inches. A real old mamoth, that has been around more than 300 years.
Date: 2005-07-08
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Mt Algo Leanto
Miles today: 12.4

I am outside of Kent CT tonite. The forcast was for rain overnite and all day today. It didn¢t start till I left the shelter about 8:00 Am then it kept raining harder all day. I was soaked till I got here and changed into my dry town clothing. The shelter has a good metal roof, so I will stay here for the night. today¢s hike was slippery and I went down 3 times. There are many rocks and steep in places. The rocks are no fun when they are wet. Twice I kind of slid down on my butt on steep large rocks I could find no way around, the third time I just lost my footing and landed hard on my pack and one hiking pole. I was afraid to look at it when I got up, as I felt it bend under me. It is OK though. Those things are made of good stuff. They saved my today from numerous other falls.        All the fast hikers passed me today and were hurrying into Kent to find a room at one of the expensive places there. Looks like I will have the shelter to myself .
Date: 2005-07-09
From: Mt Algo Leanto

To: Stewart Hollow Brook
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: scattered clouds

The weather today was a big improvement from yesterday. Clearing all day and sunny now. Last nite the radio news reported another big storm ready to hit FL. We may get hit again.        Last nite after I finished my supper two more hikers showed up. A 57 year old man from Monson Maine and his about 44 year old nephew. The two of them go by the trail name ¢Odd Couple¢ they are named after that old TV show because at the start of the trail they were always squabbling. they have since come to common ground on their hike and now hike together all the time. I was glad to have their company last nite after that hard bad day in the rain they lifted my spirits. Everyone this far along the trail has long ago developed their trail legs and whizzes along at a fast pace. to quit hiking at 3:00pm for them is out of the question. I am glad I have a detailed schedule that I am going to stay on. No 20 mile days are in my plans. Having plans to meet friends along the way will help me hold back, so I don¢t overdo.         the last 3 shelters have been built exactly the same, and each had a bird nest inside in the same place. Each with baby birds. the look like Junco¢s to me. The babies are almost ready to fledge, and the parents get frantic when people are around the shelter.         Patches you were correct about the descent from St John¢s Ledges. It was a very steep climb down. Finished off with a level 3 mile walk along the Housatonic River to this shelter.
Date: 2005-07-10
From: Stewart Hollow Brook

To: Sharon Mtn Campsite
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Spent a pleasant evening at the last shelter with Odd Couple again. They came in late after spending most of the day in Kent doing town chores.         The walk today started easy with two miles flat along the river. The rest of the day was tough though. Many up and downs with some nice views. As the afternoon wore on the day got very warm. I had to stop twice to get more water. The second time I stopped at the shelter where I planned to spend the night. It was named Pine Swamp Brook, and lived up to its name. Lots of bugs. I decided to move on 2 more miles to this spot. Tonight I am using my tent for the first time. Gail if you are reading this, my tarptent! I have already run into one fellow using a Hennasy Hammock, but that is double the weight of my Tarp tent.
Date: 2005-07-12
From: Salisbury CT

To: Salisbury CT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I very much enjoyed my zero day with Maria McCabe in Salisbury. She grew up an orphan in Austria during W.W.II then at 17 when the war ended she married a GI and returned to the states with him. They had very little and raised 4 children till he suddenly died of a heart attack at age 41. She eventually remarried and outlived her second husband as well. She now supplements her income by taking in hikers. All her neighbors are horrified. They are sure we will carry away all her possessions. She say ¢hikers don¢t steal they leave things behind that are to heavy to carry, like pocket change.¢ She is a feisty, lovely, caring person. l Her son stops by each evening after work to check up on her. Her son told me many of her friends have passed on and she enjoys talking to and hearing the hiker stories. I sure enjoyed her company. She does not officially feed hikers, but I was welcome to fix my own breakfast in her kitchen.
Date: 2005-07-13
From: Salisbury CT

To: Glenn Brook Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Boy only 13.5 miles it sure seemed like a lot more to me. They were tough miles. I spent from 6:00 am till 4:30 walking. 10.5 hours for 13.5 miles a little over 1 mile per hour. I am now back in bigger mountains. I went over 4 peaks today and lots of rocks. Thru-hiker Steady-On says that this is the toughest section he can remember till here. He is here with me along with a woman Sally and her 11 year old daughter on their first overnight backpacking trip. Now the good news, one more state behind me. I crossed the CT/MA state line after Bear Mtn. this morning. Four to go, each tougher than the one before.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Glenn Brook Shelter

To: Lake Buel Road
Miles today: 15.4

I am at East Mountain Retreat Ctr tonight. This is a little past the intended stop at Tom Leonard Shelter, but that was really nasty. I got there nearly out of water, and found a poor water source and so many mosquitoes they about carried me away. I checked the guide book and saw this possibility, so pushed on. Now I am showered and fed and inside away from the bugs.This morning Steady-On was awake and packing up at 4:00AM. He left the shelter at 5:00 and made the shelter where I planned to stay tonight by noon. Everyone out here is driven to do really big miles every day. Never a day off. I am staying here tonight with Airbus, a chap from the U.K. He lives outside of London and is doing a thru hike. Believe it or not, he had to interrupt his hike when his 90 day visa expired. In order to renew it he was forced to fly back home to London, stay a week, then fly back to NYC and make his way back to the trail. A rather expensive time off. Airbus is flying down the trail. He has his ticket home and needs to finish on time.
Date: 2005-07-15
From: Lake Buel Road

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Well I found out that the Easy Mountain Retreat Center is a Buddhist place. It is kind of run down, and I didn¢t see anything going on there except the three hikers staying. They have some rules, so get bad comments from some hikers who hate all rules. Also it is a long way off the trail. I lucked out last night and got a hitch with the first car to come by, but this morning had to walk the 2.5 miles back. Not a good way to start the day. Yesterday and today the hiking was a little easier. The first time the trail has reminded me of Georgia. Still this is really taking a toll on me. Every day has been hot and humid. The heat just melts me on the climbs. You go through water like mad. Also the bugs are really out in this heat. Biting flies and mosquitoes plus little gnats that get into your eyes. Tonight at this campsite I set up my Tarp tent for the first time on a platform. In New England a lot of campsites have wooden tent platforms. They are great for self supporting tents, but a pain for me. There are 4 groups here tonight. Two leaders and 3 at risk teen girls, Krazy Kane and Radio, two long distance hikers, two young chaps out for 7 days and Florida just rolled in. I met him several days ago. He is from Ft Lauderdale and is getting off the trail at No. Adams Mass. for a paddling vacation north of Seattle, then returning to finish the trail. He said he needs a vacation from the trail.The mind set of most of the long distance hikers I have met so far seems to be that they just want to finish. They have been at this so long, and are getting so close that the only thing they think about is pushing every day. To most an ordinary days hike is 20 miles. A big day is 30. Push, push push, even when your body is sending signals to back off. It¢s a good thing I quit when I did in 2000 after 900 miles.
Date: 2005-07-16
From: Shaker Campsite

To: Upper Goose Pond Campsite
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I got inside my tent early last night due to the bugs. As the sun got low, they came out in force. Our small group of 4 long distance hikers stood by the fire and chatted for a time but the bugs just kept getting worse. I lay inside for a spell trying to find a weather forecast on my small radio, when there was a stirring in the forest. I first thought is was wind in the treetops but then saw rain drops on my tent. It was good to be nice and secure from the bugs and rain.This morning I had a wet walk from Shaker Campsite to here. The forest was still wet from last nights rain. It was a fairly easy walk to this cabin, and I got here by noon. Now I have a lovely spot on the bank above this lake to spend a lazy afternoon. Good thing as my body needed a little R&R.
Date: 2005-07-17
From: Upper Goose Pond Campsite

To: Kay Wood Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: moderate rain

A bunch more hikers showed up late yesterday, and Goose pond Cabin was mostly full last night. This morning the caretaker, Grampy, fixed everyone a pancake breakfast with fresh coffee. Boy his coffee sure tasted good. All services there are paid for by free will donations.This mornings hike started in the clouds again. A low hanging mist covered the forest. Everything in the forest here is permanently moist. The under story is lush and green in most areas. Soon drips started to fall, then a real rain.