morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-24
From: Little Bigelow Lean-To (2006.6)

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To (2023.9)
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

What a day! They should all be like this. We had a couple of whimpy climbs early in the day and then it was essentially flat with small hills the rest of the day. I passed by one beautiful lake/pond after another all day. At East Carry Pond we stopped at a sandy beach for lunch with only about 6 miles to go. I ended up going for a swim then lying on the beach for an hour or so drying off. It was absolutely glorious. I arrived at the Lean-To just before 3. A beautiful spot right on the shoreline of Pierce Pond. I found a nice spot down near the water and set up my sleeping pad and bag. I will try cowboy camping again tonight as it is so nice and it doesn't look like rain. Next, we went over to Harrison's Camp to inquire about their "Lumberjack Breakfast". We met Tim, the owner, and got the lowdown on breakfast and made reservations for 7AM. We visited for about an hour or so, had a cup of really good coffee, then made our way back to the Lean-To to cook our dinners and hit the sack. In for the night are Jibitz, Ohibro, 3 young guys from Toronto out for a couple of weeks, and I. It's now 7:25 so hiker midnight is rapidly approaching. Tomorrow we will be crossing the Kennebec River and will be in Caratunk.Only 155.2 miles to go!
Date: 2010-08-25
From: Pierce Pond Lean-To (2023.9)

To: US201/Caratunk (2027.9)
Miles today: 3.0

What a delightful morning. I slept under the stars last night and although I didn't sleep all that well, I woke up feeling pretty good. During the night, I heard a coyote, a loon, and sometime in the morning, a moose. The dawn was beautiful on the pond. There was no rush to get up and out this morning because only 0.2 mi up the trail lay Harrison Camp where we had a 7AM date with breakfast. At 0650, six of us: Jibitz, the three Canadians, Ohibro and I sat down at the dining room table for a incredible cup of coffee and awaited our "Lumberjack Breakfast". A little after 7, Tim came in with plates full of pancakes (12 each) eggs, sausage, and juice. Finally after wolfing all that down and consuming multiple cups of coffee I gave Ohibro the sign signaling it was time for us to get a move on. We paid for breakfast and said our goodbyes. The others not far behind. We made our way to the Kennebec River only three miles away. The going was easy and we moved fast but I was experiencing some dizziness and was a bit unsteady. (What's this all about?0 nI attributed it to all the coffee I drank and was soon over it. In a little over an hour we were on the banks of the Kennebec. I signaled to the Ferryman on the other side and he paddled his canoe over to pick us up and ferry us across, two at a time. In no time, we were on the other side making our way to the PO to pick up our food boxes. I got mine, took out what I needed and bounced the rest on to Monson. We called the Northern Outdoors Resort and got a shuttle to come pick us up. We checked in then came down for a huge lunch after which we did some laundry and just plain relaxed. All the while, it was pouring outside. I'm so glad we weren't hiking in it. At dinnertime, I wasn't all that hungry so I had a cup of soup, a salad, and a big ice cream sundae. After that I spent a little time on the computer and at 9:15 called it a day.Only 151.2 miles to go!
Date: 2010-08-26
From: US201/Caratunk (2027.9)

To: Northern Outdoors Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Just a real lazy day. I spent it eating, watching TV and logging some computer time. In the morning we had a nice big buffet, no coffee, breakfast, said goodbye to Jibitz who left early. We tried to extend our stay in the room but it was previously booked so we ended up getting a tent cabin. That was fine. Throughout the day, hikers were coming and going. Some stayed, others left. Tequilla Sunrise and Tillerman came and left while Buckwheat and Piece of Cake stayed. Stagger Lee was already there and will stay until Mon! Not much more to report. Went to bed at sunset as usual.
Date: 2010-08-27
From: Northern Outdoors Center

To: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-To (2042.6)
Miles today: 14.5

First in line for the buffet breakfast again. Had a giant breakfast (tried decaf coffee today) then caught the 9AM shuttle back to the trail. The first several miles up to Pleasant Pond Lean-To were easy. We stopped at the Lean To for a short bresk then went on up Pleasant Mtn. and at the top broke for lunch. The first 4 miles after lunch were slow with rocks and roots and at times a steep descent the main elements that slowed us down. But, the last 3 miles to the lean to went by fast and we got there about 4:30. It's 6 now and I'm eating and it looks like Ohibro and I might be the only ones here tonight. Tomorrow will be a 13 mile day. Goodnight! Only 136.5 miles to go.
Date: 2010-08-28
From: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-To (2042.6)

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-To (2055.6)
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

What a day! What a day. Awoke to a slight drizzle which stayed with us for a couple of miles. The trek up Moxie Bald was moderately difficult but really didn't take that much time. At the top, we were treated to a spectacular 360d panorama. The skies cleared above us and to the wewst. We could see the magnificent Bigelows as well as Sugarloaf and Saddleback to the south and beautiful Katahdin to the north all alone on the horizon! The descent was long but not very difficult. Once on the flatter section we could fly. We rested for about an hour at the lake at Moxie Bald Lean-To then moved on. We forded the Piscataquia River then stopped for lunch and let our shoes and socks drty out. After an hour or so we continued on for the last 3 miles to the Lean To. Henry (General Sherman), a SOBO was there. We got settled in, I went down for water, and now I'm cooking dinner. About that time, Buckwheat and Piece of Cake came in. Good night.Only 123.5 miles to go.Teach your Children about the Circle of Life.
Date: 2010-08-29
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-To (2055.6)

To: ME15/Monson,ME (2064.6)
Miles today: 9.0

Up and out early this morning with Monson and Shaw's the prise. We made it to the road beefore 10 and got a quick hitch right to the front door of Shaw's. Checked in, got the tour, then went to the Lakeshore Pub for a nice Broccoli and shrimp Quiche with a tossed salad to go with it. Returned to the hostel and socialized for the afternoon while I did some laundry. Dinner was pizza again at Lakeshore. Enjoyed the company of Sherlock, Saguaro, Ohibro, and Akido Joe. The pizza was good but the service was horrible. Stop complaining Trashman; life's too short.Tomorrow it's into The Wilderness!Only 114.5 miles to go!Teach your Children to seek the Truth.
Date: 2010-08-30
From: ME15/Monson,ME (2064.6)

To: Wilson Valley Lean-To (2075.0)
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Got up early and got the coffee going for everyone. At 7AM we were treated to an awesome pancake breakfast. Wolfed that down like I hadn't eaten in a week- pancakes, eggs, juice coffee-OMG! Went too the PO after that and picked up my last Bounce Box!!! Took what I needed to get throught the Wilderness and mailed the rest back home with clothes and gear I no longer needed. Dawn shuttled us back to the trailhead a llittle after 10 and we were wallking by 1030. The first several miles were easy but the heat and humidity became more and more difficult as the day wore on. We got to the shelter and found a real nice tent site. Set up and took a one hour nap!! Way to go Trashman.Only 104.1 miles to go!Teach your Children to be Peacemakers.
Date: 2010-08-31
From: Wilson Valley Lean-To (2075.0)

To: Chairback Gap Lean-To (2090.6)
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: few clouds

I was awakened by a bird chirping this morning. That was the first in a very long time. As we left, everyone was up, I guess to get an early start and beat the heat. Everyone; Buckwheat, Piece of Cake, Akido Joe, Sherlock, Saguaro, and Little Brown was intending to make it up to Chairback gap Lean- To. The climbs up the Barren Ledges weren't all that bad, but there were a lot of them and by the end of the day, I was bushed. Arrived at the Lean-To and looked for a tentsite but really couldn't find anything so I decided to sleep under the stars, cowboy style, tonight. I hope I sleep well. Ohyes, I scored some Trail magic today. On the way up Barren Mtn I met a day hiker coming down. We talked for a bit then she offered me some watermelon! "Take all you want", she said. Life is good when you have plenty of watermelon.Only 88.5 mile4s to go!Teach your Children the importance of Exercise.
Date: 2010-09-01
From: Chairback Gap Lean-To (2090.6)

To: Logan Brook Lean-To (2107.7)
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today waas a pretty good/interesting day. The original plan was to do a short 10 miles to Newhall lean-To. That would have taken us over Chairback Mtn. We arrived at the lean to and it was still before noon. What to do? We wanted to do more but we were concerned about the water situation up on the top of Whitecap Mtn. Some said that there was water up at Sidney Tappan Campsite while others said there wasn't. I recalled a Ridgerunners comment in the Chairback Lean-To register say that there was water there so we decided to go on. The plan was to go on to Sidney Tappan, if there was was watwr, we would eat and then decide what to do next. We got to the campsite and found a beautiful water source. We ate and then hiked another 5 miles over whitecap to Logan Brook Lean-To, We got there, set up in the lean-to with Little Brown. The place soon filled up with a lot of section hikers who were camping all around.Only 71.4 miles to go!Teach your Children healthy eating habits.
Date: 2010-09-02
From: Logan Brook Lean-To (2107.7)

To: Antlers Campsite (2127.3)
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a long day but it was an easy day. We travelled through some beautiful country, especially the great ponds (Crawford, in particular.) Our destination, Antlers Campsite, is probably the nicest campsite on the entire AT! We were the first to arrive so we got the best of the beest sites. Alittle while later, Little Brown came in, then the section hikers, Maggie, Emma Breanne and Scott follwed. After a while, Boo and Scout arrived too. In the evening I got to talking to them (Boo and Scout) and they are a fascinating couple whose conversation I thoroughly enjoyed. Oh yes, on the way to the campsite I surprised a youg Black Bear on the trail and he/she quickly scampered away.Only 51.8 miles to go!Teach your Children Gratitude.
Date: 2010-09-03
From: Antlers Campsite (2127.3)

To: Wadleigh Lean-To (2140.9)
Miles today: 13.6

We planned to do a short 12 miles today and camp at Rainbow Springs Campsite. We started off early but I stopped and chatted with Boo and Scout some more so I was actually pretty late getting out. I finally caught up to Ohibro about 6 miles later. he was waiting for me at the Mahar Tote Road. Since it was only 10AM, we decided to walk the .9mi to catch a boat ride to White House Landing for lunch. Three hours and $40 later we left. We left with very full bellies, I might add. At the hostel, we heard that it was supposed to rain hard tonight and we might get 2-5 inches between midnight and 2PM the next day. With that bit of news, we decided to make tracks for Wadleigh Lean-To so we could at least spend the rainy night under a roof. When we got there, we were surprised to find our section hiker friends, Maggie, Emma, Breanne and Scott already there. We ate, socialized for a while, then went to bed and awaited the rain.Only 38.2 miles to go!Teach your Children the importance of Education.
Date: 2010-09-04
From: Wadleigh Lean-To (2140.9)

To: Hurd Brook Lean-To (2160.5)
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: moderate rain

What a night it was last night! We've been keeping an eye on Hurricane Earl and we heard that it was supposed to start raining hard at midnight. In fact, it started to rain at 12:09 and it rained very hard until 0300 or so. I'm so happy that we were under roof. It stopped for an hour or so then started up again at about 5. It finally decreased to a sprinkle at about 9 so we packed up and got underway at about 9:30. All the streams were high and the trail was full of water (standing and running.) The going was slow and some of the stream crossings were a little dicey. We made it to Rainbow Stream Lean-To and stopped for a long hot lunch to power us all the way to our intended destination of Hurds Brook Lean-To, still 11 miles away. We knew it would be close and we might be hiking in the dark a bit, but we wanted to get there. We finally made while there was still plenty of light. The Lean-To was full and there weren't a lot of choices left for tenting, but we managed to find a decent place up near the privy and set up there. We set up in the dark, cooked up something to eat and got into the sack. The highlight of the day was at Rainbow Lake where we got an incredible view of Katahdin.Only 18.6 miles to go!Teach you children Honesty.
Date: 2010-09-05
From: Hurd Brook Lean-To (2160.5)

To: Abol Bridge (2164.0)
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Oh we are so close now. So close, in fact, that I can see Katahdin from my tent here on the banks of the Penobscot River at Abol Bridge Campground. The excitement is palpable. We (Ohibro and I) shortly after 7AM, tried to get a tent site, but they were all full at the time. We were put on a unwritten "waiting list". A little while later, I took a walk down into the Campground itself and noticed that the campsite that I had used four years ago was empty so I returned to the Camp Store and pointed that out to the lady and in 15 min we were setting up our tents. Sweet. Right on the river and the wind was really whipping. It was cold all morning with threatening rain much of the day, but finally the sun prevailed and it turned out to be a pretty decent day. As I prepare to go to bed, the sky is mostly clear and there is no wind. I look forward to another full night sleep in this cool air. (Last night I went to sleep when my head hit the "pillow" and didn't awake until 5:15!) That, my friends, is a first! Lots of good things happened today. At the Campground, we met tons of people who were interested in our hike and our stories. They treated us to "tons" of food. In fact, I stuffed myself on baked beans (a craving I've had), Ben and Jerry's, chips, and cookies all throughout the afternoon so I didn't even bother to fix dinner. A SOBO by the name of John came into the site late in the afternoon so we spent a lot of time chatting with him. Then he and Ohibro cooked up some spaghetti which they shared for dinner. Along about mid day a NOBO by the name of Barley came by. I first met him at Blue Mtn Shelter in GA less than 50 miles into the hike. We then hiked off and on all the way up to Pawling, NY where he suddenly disappeared. I haven't seen him since, but I heard recently that he was not far behind us. Anyway, here he was. We talked for quite a while, then he and his traveling partner Sixth Course went on their way to Baxter Park to summit tomorrow the 6th.Can you believe, only 15.1 miles to go!Teach your Children Discipline.
Date: 2010-09-06
From: Abol Bridge (2164.0)

To: Katahdin Stream Campsite (2173.9)
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

I knew that two nights in a row of good sleep was too good to be true and so it was. I slept in spurts all night and had wild dreams. Much of the time I was awake I was thinking about tomorrow's climb up Katahdin. (all very exciting.) During the night, I noticed that I was getting a lot of condensation inside my tent so I wiped it off and went out and opened up my vestibule to get some better ventilation. Not long thereafter, however, it started to sprinkle so I had to get up again and close things up. Also during the night, I could hear a marauding bear raising havoc down the other end of the campground. When morning came, we were in no real hurry to get going because we had already signed in for the Birches (where thru hikers can stay. Anyway, we were up and packed and ready to go by 0700. We went up to the camp store and got a cup of coffee and finally got going about 0715. En route to Baxter Park, we met a hiker walking back to the campground. I thought I recognized him. It was Wookie, who I had first met in GA and hadn't seen since PA. The hike to the Park was pretty cool in that it involved two pretty intense fords. On both, we took off our shoes and crossed in our crocs. The first was the hardest with water up to my crotch. That done, we finally got to the campground at just before noon. We checked in (I was the 243rd NOBO-recall that I was #343 in Harpers Ferry) then went over to the shelter and set up there. Now, we're just waiting around to see who else will show up. We're expecting Buckwheat, Piece of Cake, and hopefully Akido Joe, Sherlock, and Saguaro. Our gear is all dried out now so we're catching up on our journalling and waiting for suppertime to arrive. We'll eat pretty much what's left in our food bags. Just to think that tomorrow I'll be eating fresh fruits and vegetables instead of high Sodium dehydrated stuff excites me. But for now, Katahdin is calling and tomorrow I will answer that call.Only 5.2 miles to go!Teach your Children Respect.
Date: 2010-09-07
From: Katahdin Stream Campsite (2173.9)

To: Baxter Peak (2179.1)
Miles today: 5.2

Well today's the day! We had a gentle rain during the night but it stopped and morning broke with a heavy cloud cover. I quickly packed and walked over to the Katahdin Stream campsite to have breakfast and wait for Karl. I fixed a huge bowl of cereal hoping it would be enough to fuel me up and down the mountain. Karl arrived and joined Ohibro, Jim (Ohibro's brother) and I. We stowed our excess gear in the car and at about 0715 we started our ascent. The first mile or so was pretty easy. Ohibro set a fairly rapid pace and was followed by Jim and Karl while I brought up the rear. Early on, Sherlock, Akido Joe and Saguaro passed us then a little while later Buckwheat and Piece of Cake did the same. As we climbed higher, we found ourselves in the clouds and the wind began to pick up. Before long, the climb got much steeper as well as harder. This part of the hike lasted much longer than I remembered from my last time up there. The wind was howling and the visibility was minimal. We continued up, hand over hand for over an hour or more until we finally came to the flatter, Table Lands area. At this point we were ahead of Ohibro and Jim and had no idea of how far behind us they were. We continued into the mist, moving from blaze to blaze or cairn to cairn when suddenly the summit w3ith that famous sign marking it came into view. What a beautiful sight. I made it!! 2,179.1 miles from Georgia to Maine and now it's done! What a feeling. We took some pics, had a couple peanut butter sandwiches then Ohibro came out of the mist followed a little while later by his completely wasted brother Jim. Handshakes, high fives and more pics followed. Jim had brought two bottles of Champagne so we popped the corks and passed them around. Each of us took tiny sips (1) because we knew that the descent would be difficult and (2) because the stuff was kinda nasty (in fact, Jim poured it out on the ground!)The descent was hairy but a took lot less time than the climb up. (3h30 min instead of 4h45min going up) In any case, we were at the parking lot at 3:30 and drove directly to Millinocket. Boo and Scout rode with us. We checked into the AT Lodge then went directly to the AT Cafe for lunch/dinner. The whole gang was there.Ohibro, Jim, Karl, Boo and scout, Buckwheat, Piece of Cake, Barley, and Corn Patch. It was really nice. We all joked and told our stories and generally had a good time. The food was good too. Spinach Lasagna for me. When I got back to the hostel I did some laundry, showered and went to bed. Karl was out like a light; lying on his bed with his clothes on and his computer lying on his chest. Everyone was pretty exhausted. The climb was an awesome ending to a great journey. The difficulty and adverse conditions seemed to underscore the difficulty of the whole undertaking. Perfect. Like a giant exclamation point saying "You're through.You did it." 0.0 miles to go!Teach your Children Perseverance.
Date: 2008-10-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have decided to hike the AT and as others before me have my reasons. the culmination of alot of hiking and camping trips has brung me to this choice as the ultimate hiking experience. I have outfited myself with gear for weight, warmth, multi-use and pratical use. most of my gear was mail order from campmor and some from Dick's sports, and some from walmart. I have researhed the AT with attention to terrain, entrance and exit to the AT, food and water resupply, shelters and tent sites, zero days (days I will not hike just rest), emergency plan, and travel to and from the begining and ending of the AT.Tho I have thought out this trip there is always an element of surprise and one must adjust. Thats the beauty of going on this trip it's an adventure.I will be making some test hikes on the AT for a weekend at a time to field test the gear and make sure everything works and is sufficient. By the time I am ready to hit the AT I will have the best backpack (I hope).
Date: 2009-08-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have field tested all my gear and it looks like a go for March 11 2010. I have been planning this hike since 2008 and feel very comfortable with my gear. I have a freind driving me to the Hostel (hikerhostel@yahoo.com) 7693 Hwy 19N Dahlonega, GA 30533. We will stay overnight at the hostel and get a good nights rest and have a good breakfast in the morning.My friend will Shuttle me to Amicalola Falls State Park to start the hike. I plan to hike between 12 to 16 miles a day depending on the terrain and weather. The entire hike will take approx. 185 days so my itinerary will be by days and then I will make a daily log and see how close my estimated distances are to my actuals.If you would like you can follow my progress along by going to the AT link (http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/googleat.php?lat=39.8&lon=-77.48&scale=6)and going to the map of the AT and find the places that I post daily. there will be places I will be staying weather they are Tenting, shelters, hostels, etc.I hope you have as much fun following and reading of my hike as I will hiking.Life is an adventure so get out and get some !
Date: 2009-12-09
To: getting close to start date
Miles today: 0.0

Well it is getting close to the start date and I have everything set. I have been following the weather patterns of some past hikes from other people's Journals.My Start date was going to be March 11, 2010 but I have run into schedule problem and will be leaving early April but can't say until close to April.I am looking forward to the day when I am on the trail.
Date: 2010-04-01
From: amicalola state park

To: springer shelter
Miles today: 8.0

Well left hostel at 10:00am after a big breakfast and arrived at the amocaloa state park by 10:30I weighed pack and it was a swapping 55lbs and l signed in as a through hike as number 421.I headed up the trail to the falls which are 700ft with spiraling wood stairs leading to the top 175 steps.I made it 3/4 to Springer mountain and camped for the night . It was a clear night and all the stars where visable plus it was a full moon. It the morning I decided to head back to the state park where I started and have the hostel pick me up so I canhave my pack repacked and lighted it willfeel good to loose some weightTraveler
Date: 2010-04-03
From: hiker hostel

To: neels gap outfitter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

At neels gap and spent most of the day repacking and got my pack from 55lbs to 28lbs wow what a differance I will fly down the trails LOLI'll spend the night at this hostel and inthe morning head south to blood mountain and eventually be at Springer mountain. The I will be shuttled back to beeps gap and start northTraveler