morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-10
From: ME 17

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The remnants of Hurricane Francis blew us around today, but at least we were dry.   After waiting out the worst of the storm yesterday in Stratton, we hit the trail again late this morning.   The rain appeared to be over and the clouds were racing overhead.   Although in the valley the winds seemed nearly a stiff breeze, on top of the peaks it was howling. The top of West Peak is above tree line and is a steep rock climb that is completely exposed to the wind.   The wind picked me up and pushed me over several times as I carefully picked my way up the rock face. There was no view, but it did not matter because it was too cold and windy to spend anytime at the summit. I wore my rain suit all day and didn¢t get hot.   It was a cold walk with a lot of wind, but with all the great weather we have had, I am not complaining.   Special note: The cookies were great Virginia!   We ate them as soon as we opened the box!                        --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-11
From: Stafford Notch Campsite

To: Campsite by East Carry Pond
Miles today: 15.3

It was a banner day!   First, while we were packing up this morning, a moose walked into our camp. It was a huge cow and it just walked right up the AT and into our view. When it saw us, it stopped and then slowly trotted away.   Next, we climbed our first mountain of the day and when we reached the top we found an incredible sight awaiting us. We were standing on an island in an ocean of clouds.   As far as you could see the mountains rose above a fluffy sea of clouds.   What a sight to start your day.   A few steps later we became 2,000 milers.   We have now walked over 2,000 miles in our quest to climb Katahdin. It is an amazing feat and one I will always remember fondly. When we reached the bottom of the hill, we found what we were hoping for.   TRAIL MAGIC!   It was some of the best ever. Erin, Mad Mike and Walking Home fed us Cheeseburgers, sodas, Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, and everything else you can think of.   It was a banner day!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-12
From: East Carry Pond

To: Caratunk, Maine
Miles today: 10.9

Today was not a banner day.   We had easy trail and a beautiful day, as well as an important goal, the Kennebec River, but I had a difficult time.   The trail was flat; however, I felt exhausted and had no strength for what little hills there were.   I asked to take more breaks than normal and my stomach never felt right. Still, we slowly made our way to the banks of the Kennebec River.   There is a dam upstream that opens without warning, so this is a very dangerous river to ford and there is a ferry canoe that takes hikers across.   We rode the ferry to the other side and ran into Hawk and his wife. They gave us a ride to the hostel.   After taking a shower and eating some snacks, we were driven to a local restaurant.   This is when I knew something was really wrong.   I ate my salad and felt thoroughly stuffed.   A thru-hiker does not feel full after eating a salad.   I am afraid that I have Don¢t Mind¢s stomach bug.   I will let you know tomorrow.                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Caratunk, Maine

To: Caratunk, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Yep, I am sick!   I was up all night running to the bathroom and had terrible chills and sweats.   When I tried to get out of bed this morning, I was so dizzy that I could barely stand.   I felt washed out and weak. I thought if I went back to sleep I might wake up at lunch time and feel up to hiking, but it was no use.   I slowly began to feel less weak as the day went on, so maybe I will feel stronger by tomorrow. This stuff only lasted 24 hours for Don¢t Mind, so there is hope.   All I could keep down all day was a few saltines and a cup of soup.   Not my idea of a fun day on the trail.   Oh well, we have been blessed with great health the entire trip, so I guess one day a piece won¢t kill the joy.   I¢ll let you know what tomorrow brings.   The bad thing is that we are now two days behind the plan with only eleven days to go. It may be hopeless.                                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-14
From: Caratunk, Maine

To: Moxie Bald Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

Hopeless, smopeless!   I woke up this morning a new man with a new plan. We are going to walk to Monson in two days instead of the previously planned four days.   This means that today we had to walk over two mountains and cove almost 19 miles of difficult Maine terrain. The amazing thing about feeling normal is how good that feels after you have been sick.   I felt great today and we flew over the climbs and arrived at our destination, Moxie Bald Shelter, by 5:30.   The days are getting shorter, so this was none too early.   Tomorrow we will get up early and hit the trail with another 18 miles to cover before Monson.   If we can pull this off, we will be back on plan.   Just in time for the 100 mile wilderness. We saw Katahdin from the peak of Moxie Mountain.   It still looks along way away, but we are sneaking up on it. Maine was so beautiful today and I felt great!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-15
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

Back on Plan!!   What a long two days of wonderful hiking.   We woke up this morning in time to watch a perfect dawn spread across Moxie Pond. We quickly packed up and had breakfast so we could sit on the bank and watch the sky¢s color reflected in the perfectly still surface of the pond. The only ripples in the mirror were created by a loon swimming and making its strange calls in the brisk morning air.   After a futile wait for a morning visit from a moose, we hit the trail. We later heard that Beagle and Moose Juice, who left just before us, jumped up a large Bull Moose and followed him down the trail. We were forced to ford several large streams today as we spend the whole day near or in the water. Maine is a truly special place that is blessed with an array of natural beauty. It was a long day, but it was an amazing hike.                                ---Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-16
From: ME 15

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

And now another word from our sponsors:   Our friends.   Don¢t Mind and I have had the time of our livers for the last five months and it has been much augmented by the gifts, actions, messages and visits from love ones and friends. I will detail the three latest cases.   Our thru-hiker friend E.L.F. sent us a gift with which to toast our hike to the top of Katahdin. It will be used, thank you.   Secondly, our friends Delores and Bob Bryant sent us some awesome cookies.   She said that she had sent enough to share, so I shared some with Don¢t Mind.   We ate them all in one sitting. By the way, the vacuum packing worked perfectly, but we had to eat them two at a time.   They could not be separated.   Lastly, Roger Scott returned the money that I had given him for postage before we left and instructed us to use it to buy something to celebrate.   As it turns out, Shaw¢s doesn¢t take credit cards and I didn¢t have enough cash. I opened the letter from Roger, then I did!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-17
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The hardest 15 miles in quite a while, that was our day in a nutshell.   The footpath was muddy, rocky, rooty and otherwise rough walking.   We climbed over the entire Barren Mountain range with 7 separate climbs and descents.   My feet and legs remember every step.   A adventure new to us but plentiful in Maine is the river ford.   IN all the other states, when you came to a river, there was a bridge or some other method for providing dry passage across.   In Maine, you can swim, wade, or crawl across, but you are on your own. We had two fords today and four yesterday.   The water is cold and swift, but it is actually quite refreshing to wade across these rivers.   I change out of my hiking shoes and into my ¢Crocs¢ to make the fords.   This keeps my hiking shoes and socks dry for the rest of the journey. Only one week to go!   Can you believe it?!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-18
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

Hello Java!! Our thru-hiker buddy from the spring came back into our lives today in the form of a trail angel.   Java, you may remember, provided us with our most powerful mantra;   ¢Too stubborn to quit!¢   When we came to our first major ford of the day, there was a sign on the post announcing a hiker feed in the middle of nowhere.   To our great joy and appetite relief, Java and Jeopardy had gone through the trouble of organizing a wonderful feast just off the trail.   We walked over to the site and there was our old friend looking even more in shape than when we left her in Damascus, VA. We hugged and said hello and then dove directly into smorgasbord.   There were cookies, drinks, hotdogs, candy bars, and anything else you can think of.   We all had a great time sitting around the fire and telling all about all.   It was great to see Java again and it is always great to have a full stomach.                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-19
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

It is freezing out here!!   A storm blew through overnight and the temperature dropped like a rock all day. It was still a beautiful hike over the last mountains we will climb until Katahdin.   It is weird to think that the next climb we have will be our last one.   We are less than60 miles from the finish line.   I am sorry to see the end, but I am ready to go home. What an amazing feeling of accomplishment is building inside of me. I really had no idea how hard this would be or how much dedication it would take to finish. Right now I am sitting around a camp fire with a bunch of my thru-hiking friends and the mood is very thoughtful. Everyone is feeling their own special way about finishing the hike, but I think everyone is happy in someway.   It is a good night!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-20
To: Roger
Miles today: 0.0

New Page 1I just completed the last journal entries for DM2 and have to say, thank goodness ;-)  Actually, as I've always said, I've enjoyed following Kit and Lisa's progressimmensely.   My days and weeks on the AT bring back many fondmemories and I look forward to more of the same in the future.I'm sure that Kit will want to complete the last couple of weeks worth of entries upon his return. Here are some interesting statistics about their hike to date (just in case you missed the stats link): Trip Miles 1992.70 (by Sept 9)Total Number of Days 157 Total Number of Zero Mile Days 6 Total Number of Hiking Days 151 Average Miles per Day 12.69 Average Miles per Hiking Day 13.20 Average Miles per Week 88.85 Number of days in Trail Towns 6 Number of nights in a Shelter 35 Number of nights in a Tent 66 Number of nights in a Hotel 38 Number of nights in a Hostel 4 Number of nights in a House 14 Number of Day Hikes 0 Longest Day 20.50 Shortest Day 4.4 Number of Days over 20 miles 1 Number of Days between 15-20 53 Number of Days between 10-15 67 Number of Days between 5-10 29 Number of Days between .1-5 1 Longest section with no days off Miles: 1349.6 Days: 99 Most consecutive days off 1Their Journal (in Word): 234 Pages48,000 words4100 Paragraphs20,000 linesOver 100 MB pictures185 Pictures in journalOver 1000 pictures taken--Roger
Date: 2004-09-20
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 13.8

We were walking through an open Maine woodland forest when we came upon a small path to the lovely pond on our right. We walked down the path to see the pond and as I came out of the woods I glanced to my left and there it was¢¦KATAHDIN!   The pilgrimage now has its final destination in sight and it is a HUGE mountain.   Katahdin dominates the sky as we stare in awe at this majestic mountain. In 5 days, we will be standing on top of that mountain and staring at the sign that will signal the end of our journey. There are less than 50 miles and only one mountain left;   however, I think my mind will be digesting these memories for several weeks.   This is a wonderful period of the hike where we know we have doable trail behind us and the end is in sight. My body feels the best it has the entire hike. As a fellow hiker said recently, ¢My knees are stronger than they have ever been; unfortunately, I can¢t bend them!¢                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-21
From: White House Landing

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

After a relaxing morning with an AYCE blueberry pancake breakfast and a nappy early afternoon with a homemade pepperoni pizza, we finally left White House Landing around 2 PM.   We only had 7.7 miles to hike, so the laid back day by the lake was a great way to use the extra time.   White House Landing is an amazing place. You have to walk about a mile off the trail to a boat dock on the lake and blow an air horn.   Bill or Linda will come across the lake and take you back to their place. They are famous for their one pound cheeseburgers and the legend lives up to the hype. We both ordered the Cheeseburger deluxe and I at mine in about 5 minutes.   It was awesome. Don¢t Mind took a little longer to eat hers, but she did get it down. This is a great place and I highly recommend it to all hikers. The hike went quickly today and wound past many beautiful ponds.   This trip is so much fun, but it is almost over.                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-22
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

To: Rainbow Springs Campground
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

The thing that stands out about Maine is the water. There are all types of water bodies and they are everywhere. Beautiful rivers, streams, lakes and ponds dot the landscape and are often flowing right beside the trail for miles and hours at a time. The sound of running water is almost always present as we stroll through open forests of white birch. Sometimes you can stroll for miles and lose yourself in the beauty and noise of the stream flowing beside you. The color of Maine water is also a constant variable.   It can be black as coal, copper, green, brown or clear as the air above it.   We are often able to rock hop across it, but several times have been forced to ford a flowing torrent to continue our adventure. Drinking water is sometimes a challenge on the trail, most notably in Pennsylvania, but in Maine it is found in abundance. The gang is sitting around a fire tonight, next to a large pond that provides a view of the very top of Katahdin. What a life!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-23
From: Rainbow Springs Campground

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

The suspense is killing me. We are camped in the Abol Bridge Campground literally at the foot of Katahdin. The urge to walk over there and climb her is almost unbearable. The closer we get, the more impressive our destination appears.   The mountain majestically soars above the trees and into the clouds. We only have one more day before we climb to its summit and call an end to this hike.   That fact would be easier to face if we were walking in the rain or snow and not having any fun.   Unfortunately, we are blessed with perfect weather and perfect company. Tonight we had a large campfire and treated ourselves to hot dogs and smores.   There is nothing like a hotdog burned over an open fire followed by the perfect combination of marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker as dessert.   It will be nice to go home and see our friends, but the wilderness is making it awfully hard to say goodbye.                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-24
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Katahdin Steam Campground
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

One day to go!   I am sitting beside a sign that says 5.2 miles to Baxter Peak. I almost can¢t believe that we are here and we are preparing to climb Katahdin. We are greeting our friends with sodas and candy as they come down from the mountain as the newest thru-hikers on the block. It is exciting to see how happy they are, but scary to see how beat up and tired they look.   We are really excited, not scared, to climb Katahdin. It is funny, but the last several days have been so wonderful that I¢m almost sorry to be done; however, it is football season and I have a large screen TV waiting for me at home. If we are able to make it up and down Katahdin tomorrow it will cap a huge endeavor and accomplishment for Don¢t Mind and I. We are going to leave at 5 AM and climb with Moo Juice, Beagle, Skippy, Poppins, Enigma, Popeye, River Otter and every other thru-hiker to every climb that mountain.                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2004-09-25
From: The birches

To: KATAHDIN!!
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We are THRU-HIKERS!   Don¢t Mind celebrated here birthday by climbing to the very top of Baxter Peak on Katahdin on the day we had been shooting for since we left Georgia in April. We woke up at 4:15 AM like kids on Christmas Eve. I had been lying awake for several hours waiting for the alarm to sound and listening to Skippy giggling like an excited little girl as she tried to be patient as well. The summit gang, all nine of us, jumped up as one. We had a quick breakfast and hit the trail by 5:30 with our head lamps providing the only light. The sun began to rise around 6:15 and the views during the climb were amazing. The ascent was extremely difficult with rock scrambles for much of the way. We climbed straight up for about a quarter of a mile over a jumble of boulders to reach the table lands.   After a mile and a half stroll across the table lands, we climbed another small peak and then looked up to see in the distance, the sign we had been looking for since Georgia. We all stopped for a few seconds and just stand at the sign.   The first steps toward the sign were almost hesitant, but then we quickly covered the distance to the sign.   We all surrounded the sign; Skippy, Poppins, Beagle, Moo Juice, Enigma, Don¢t Mind and Don¢t Matter, but were careful not to touch it.   I counted down from 3 and we all touched it at once.   It was a wonderful moment and it felt like an electric current ran through all of us. There was a lot of sceaming, crying, picture taking, hugging, more crying and then a wonderful surprise.   Moo Juice had carried a birthday cake all the way up the mountain! We lit the candles and sang happy birthday to a smiling Don¢t Mind. This was a special moment in the special day made all the more special because we shared all those moments with our friends. We are thru-hikers!                                --Don¢t Matter
Date: 2003-08-02
To: Informal Introduction
Miles today: 0.0

Greetings,This is the beginning of how I have come to where I am now. A brief history: I am Casey Burnett, the youngest of four brothers. I have few known passions which include seeking intimacy with the Creator of the Universe, enjoying the creation in improvisation music (especially jazz), and nature.I will graduate from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio Dec. 2003. I will receive a BA in Economics with a minor in math and another in music.I began considering thru-hiking the AT after the options of studying abroad in INDIA came to a close. I thought maybe I'd graduate early. So after some wrestling with the idea, I reached a conclusion. I was sitting on a hill / mtn behind the Univeristy of Utah at Salt Lake. I will hike the AT.And so began my preparation of hiking the AT.[note the task bar on side to skip to different entries in my journal]
Date: 2003-08-02
To: what I think I know now
Miles today: 0.0

greetings,some of what I knowI am heading Northbound.I have scheduled 183 days to complete the AT. This averages (using "wingfoo's" 1.2 converstion) to 13.9 miles a day. Not a big deal. I have found myself to be a quick-footed hiker anyway. [edit: this is wrong and is updated in a future post]I may take two days May 7 & 8 and travel to my spring commencement. Hopefully my loving parents will drive the ten hours.I'm finding those individuals that are excited about me hiking the trail want to hike some parts with me. I have several concerns. First, I don't know where I 'll be and when I'll be there. Second, after I reach trail weight / shape I'm guessing my average speed will exceed my family and friends who want to come hiking. I would certainly enjoy the company of family and friends, so I'm taking any ideas of how I might hike with them.My current fear of hiking the AT is mental destruction. i.e. "I can't make it," "it's too far" and etc. I have set a ground rule that if at any point I say "i want to quit" I must HIKE an additional three days and then reevaluate the my statement.I am currently using the 2003 DATABOOK and 1998 THRU HIKER'S HANDBOOK for planning. I will get updated 2004 copies when they are printed. I will take sections on the trail.I have begun the process of writing an rought itenary. Doing so has been helpful to me. It has clarified my mental picture of the marco trail (i.e. which town, when and where). I hope to post a copy when it is completed. The first copy will be based on night to night selections from the DATABOOK. The next itenary will be based on RESUPPLY to RESUPPLY (or MAILDROP).I have purchased much of the gear I plan to use on the AT. The purchase of a few items that I can borrow for prep / regular backpacking excursions are being suspended for birthday, Christmas, graduation ideas. Later this month I hope to begin posting my gear list.
Date: 2003-08-08
To: Why I'm planning to Hike the AT
Miles today: 0.0

The short answer that will save your time is: "I don't know."The following are my best guesses for now.(1)I recognized that some part of my person is feed when i'm in the outdoors and I had beening ignoring it from about 1999-2002. Summer of 2002 I was on tour with a band in CA. While stopped in Moab one night and another day + some time in South Lake Tahoe, I realized how much I missed being / experiencing the outdoors. So I jumped head first into backpacking again (fall 2002) and now I am planning a thru-hike.(2)I don't complete things very well. Espesically if agoal is a long-term goal, so I hope this hike will give me some kind of discipline.note: By planning the hike I will be having ideas / plans and need to follow and complete them. I have lots of ideas. Most/ Many of them are very good / rewarding ideas. Yet, I never set to do because I have so many. Planning to hike the AT is already an accomplishment.(3)Having had expectations in the past with trips and such, I try to not expect anything. I realize something will happen. Yet, it will (hopefully, because it would be dull and boring) not go as I planned. Also I'm sure by hiking there will be long term effects that I won't immediately appreciate.(4)Another issue I have is that I am an immediate, go, go, now, now person. By submitting myself to nature and God's Creation I hope to learn better understanding of his order verses mine. His priorities vs. mine own.(5)I'm not trying to find direction for my life. I have plenty. Well actually I don't think I need any until I'm thirty or so. Right now and the next several years are for refinement in God's plan and understanding him more. But, I sure that after such an experience as thru-hiking the direction I do take will be weighted against those experiences.(6)Maybe to find any lies (in my head) that are inconsistent with my fear, love and trust of Christ Jesus. e.g. that my value come from my accomplishments or that I am socially ackward. Then replace them with truths as I they are revealed.(7)TO ENJOY THE PROCESS and not be fixated with tomorrow or a goal. Be a being. To be defined as I am. Not doing to be. And not I am what I do.This is a short list that I hope to expand upon on the future.(8)It is something I want. I don't know why (refer to first line).