morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Sugarloaf Summit House, ME

To: Horns Pond Lean-To, ME
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

Everybody likes a horse race. Folks we've got one. Sea Biscuit vs. War Admiral Will Call left early January for his northbound thru-hike. It looked like, because of his early start, he would be the first to summit Katahdin. At Harpers Ferry his dates showed that he went remarkably fast through the South. It turns out, according to the rumour mill on the AT, that he skipped the Smokies and Roan Mtn, probably because the weather was too bad. If he summits Katahdin and goes back and does the parts that he skipped his hike will still be a 'thru-hike' however it will be a flip-flop. All of this opened the door for Trek who was number two. This is Trek's forth season in a row thru-hiking the AT. Since retiring from the Army, Trek thru-hikes the AT and Vermont's Long Trail every Spring - Fall. Upon hearing that Will Call is not a true Northbound Thru-hike Trek purportedly said, "this is my year to summit first." He has gone 'stealth' which means that he no longer signs any of the shelter registers so that no one knows where he is. He has been stealth since about Pennsylvania. I registered at Harpers as number 7. Since that time I have passed 2 and attrition got 2. Only Trek is ahead of me for the Northbound Thru. Trek still no longer signs the shelter registers but as a courtesy he has been signing the hostel registers. Through the registers and through the recent word-of-mouth of Southbounders I have learned he is 2 days ahead. Being the non-competitive guy that I am I can't let an opportunity like this pass. It will sure make the last weeks of my thru very fun as I try to track Trek down. Who knows, maybe there will be a sprint up Katahdin. A thru-hike is not to be a race. Pa-shaw! I intend to make it one.
Date: 2006-06-17
From: Horns Pond Lean-To, ME

To: Kennebec River, ME
Miles today: 31.1

I stayed at the Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort Summit House two nights ago. The resort allows hikers to sleep in their summit house since nothing is really going on on Sugarloaf Mountain with no snow on the ground. A beautiful place to hang out for the evening with a gorgeous sunset. I slept on a picnic table inside. There is a price to stay at the Summit House and that is I had to climb a half mile up off the trail to get to the building. Very steep and rocky. Hanging my food bag is a routine every night to keep the critters out of my food but at the empty Summit House no problem, right? I woke up after midnight to find a pile of food debris next to my food bag. I climbed quickly out of my sleeping bag and saw the culprit as he ran along the banister over my equipment. I swatted him with my Handbook but that did little good. He took off leaving me with a quarter sized hole in the bottom of my food bag and holes through some Ziplocks. You can't let your guard down for a second. Scavengers abound!
Date: 2006-06-18
From: Kennebec River, ME

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 33.8
Weather: haze

The cat and mouse game has become an obsession and it has added an unexpected level of excitement to my hike. I love SOBO's (Southbounders). They are full of information as I track down Trek and they are great motivators. I have pulled in late to shelters and each time, through our talking, I have been pushed forward to do more miles. Do they not want to share their shelter or do they want me to catch this guy? I've cut off over a half day. Only 1.5 days behind.
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Stream, ME
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: scattered clouds

"Max, we have a beautiful day for a race. Our front runner Trek is an experienced driver who has completed this course three times before, but following closely is a new-comer to the field, a driver by the name of Bone Pac." "Yes, Bob, I really like this kid. He entered the pits today here in Monson and stripped his weight way down for the final push to the end." "Does Bone Pac know if anyone is coming behind him?" "Well, Bob, he tore out his rear view mirrors to save weight so he has no idea but his crew chief says Bone Pac is focused only on the other driver Trek and the Katahdin Summit." "I hear that Trek took an extra long pit in Monson. What are you hearing?" "That's right and not only that but rumour has it that Trek left with only provisions to get him halfway through the 100 Mile Wilderness. Looks like he plans to pit again at White House Landing." "What? White House Landing takes him way off the track and pits him for nearly a half day!" "This could be a unexpected break for Bone Pac. The kid is leaving with full fuel and other than some worn tires I think he's good to the end." "Should be exciting no matter what the outcome." "Yep. Stay Tuned."
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Long Pond Stream, ME

To: East Branch, ME
Miles today: 31.4

The AT has amazed me with its complexity and challenges at every turn. I knew the thru-hike was difficult and the terrain varied but I had no idea that the potential for life-ending injury would be so high. River fords are one example of a serious challenge on the trail. Maine has many and if they are as swift and high every year as they seem to me this year it is a wonder more hikers aren't swept down stream. I would rather climb (or worse yet -descend) a slippery rock wall than ford some of these creeks, streams, and rivers. I lost 4 miles to Trek as I had to pull into Long Pond Shelter rather than Cloud Pond Shelter because of a t-storm and coming night. Hope to make it up tomorrow. More river fords tomorrow.
Date: 2006-06-21
From: East Branch, ME

To: Rainbow Stream, ME 
Miles today: 37.7

I had to go long today over some tough, muddy trail with a few mountains thrown in. I love the big days and I love talking to all the SOBOs. It is amazing to look at them, many of them within their first weeks of trail life, and their gear is in good shape, spirits are relatively high (not all, though) and they look fresh. One look at me and you know I've been out here a while. My gear is failing (with tears, seam stretches, dirty), my shoes are completely ragged (huge blowouts on the lateral and medial sides of both shoes, smooth tread, and torn sole), and I am a scruffy, dirty, bug bitten, smelly man. I wonder if it clicks with them that in a few short months they are going to look like me. I received a lot of conflicting information about Trek's whereabouts and I'm not really sure if I'm moving up in the game. To force long days I have given myself the summit date of Friday, June 23 as a goal. I finally got some great, reliable info! Trek stayed the night at Cooper Brook. I am only 8 miles behind! With the new info I am going for the enchilada today - going long, passing, and then fending him off for a day. The 100 Mile Wilderness has been wonderful hiking but the bugs are deadly. I grow weary of the incessant buzzing in my ears. 24 hours a day buzzing - can you imagine? I pondered the question posed by a SOBO, "How many bugs does it take to eat a man?" I have concluded that there are more than enough out here to do the job. I think DEET is the only reason I am even hanging on to life now.
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Rainbow Stream, ME 

To: Baxter Peak, Katahdin, ME
Miles today: 30.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I went ahead and summitted today. The weather is to turn real bad so I went for it. I will talk more about it in an updated post but Jennel doesn't even know yet. Yes, I beat Trek. He is at the Birches tonight for a summit tomorrow.
Date: 2006-06-23
To: The Day After
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday, reaching Baxter Peak on Katahdin and seeing the ¢Terminus Sign¢ was not near as emotional as I had expected it to be. The time away, the pain, the loneliness, the personal triumph, daily grind, experiences, hiker interaction, and weather was all to end for me on that summit. I reached the summit in the fog and light drizzle and gave a smile as I approached the sign, but there was not the intensity that I would expect after investing nearly four months into this thru. Numb really. Actually, I was more concerned with trying to take my own picture at the sign and preparing for the 4.5 mile descent than pondering the magnitude of this personal accomplishment. It was today that all the power of the completion would affect me. The last time Jennel heard from me was from Monson, ME and for all she knew I was to summit on Friday, June 23 so that is when she planned on meeting me. The rangers at Baxter informed her of my day early summit and redirected her to the town of Millinocket where I was staying. I went about my chores per usual as I awaited her arrival ¢ laundry, discarding broken gear, cleaning gear, getting breakfast.Then I saw her. That woman. The girl that gave me a note that began a cascade of events that set me off on this long adventure. A short note that, I believe for the better, changed me, a practice, a clinic, and a community. I saw her and all the emotion that I had expected to feel on the summit of Katahdin welled up inside me. I was done. The hike was complete. I saw her and I wept. Tears and everything.I hadn¢t cried like that in a long time.It felt good.
Date: 2006-07-12
To: Marvel
Miles today: 0.0

To my face I have been described as looking like a civil war general, a college professor, and a mountain man. (Who knows how I¢ve been described behind my back.) Bone Pac has entered the life of Ken and his appearance has received mixed reviews. The beard, mustache, and huge hair, while the norm for the trail, hasn¢t quite been embraced by my non-hiking colleagues and patients. The ten pounds of head hair is about all that is left of Bone Pac. Sadly the trail legs have left, the weight is beginning to come back, food is able satiate the belly, grime and stench has been washed away, gear has been cleaned, organized, and packed away, foot pain has stopped, wounds are all healed, and the trail has left the forefront of the mind. While I have been holding onto Bone Pac, his departure is inevitable. He is bound to the trail and I am a long way from it. This weekend even the hair will be cast aside. I feel awkward behind my beard.I have now been back to work 3 days and I marvel at how it is the exact same as when I left. Just like stepping back into my role as a father and husband upon arriving home, I fell right back into my role at work as well. I thought that I would just ease back into it but I walked in on Monday morning and found a full patient schedule and add-ons aplenty. Patients¢ names have changed but it is amazing how an orthopedic office can constantly be full. How many ways can we bust ourselves up? As long as there is gravity I guess there will be a need to fix broken bones. I also marvel at how quickly I have just walked away from the trail ¢ neglected the thoughts of it. I seldom even think about it now ¢ unless someone asks about it. I guess I am occupied with other stuff now but it is funny to think that just six months ago I was occupied with the same kind of stuff but couldn¢t get the trail off my mind. I think, perhaps, it is delayed mourning. Right now my mind cannot attend to all the recent change and it will, at some later date, dwell upon the completion of the trail. Maybe that is what Spring Fever is all about.
Date: 2006-07-23
To: The End
Miles today: 0.0

It is time to close my trail journal. I have delayed my departing entry in hopes of having my Vermont to Maine pictures to share but unfortunately they are still trapped inside my Treo. (This week I will be sending the Treo off to a data salvage company.) I have wanted to share a valuable pearl or powerful proverb about my hike but everything seems trite. The experience was too vast for my pea brain to find the words. Nothing trail related is really going on in my life at this point. I must close my journal by recognizing the folks that enabled this thru-hike to be a success. As I have written before, there are multitudes of folks that sacrificed to allow me to hike. I greatly appreciate the many prayers that were thrown to Heaven for my safety and the safety of my family and am humbled by the Lord honoring those prayers. Thank you. Thanks to all of you that followed my progress and those who wrote words of encouragement to both Jennel and me. It was an unexpected joy to share this thru-hike with so many. Thank you to the Community Free Clinic donors who contributed nearly $20,000 for the health care needs of a sector of society in need.Thanks to the Community Free Clinic for their support, encouragement, and incentive to put one step in front of another for four months. I am proud to have helped contribute to the Free Clinic¢s longevity.Thank you to my colleagues, friends, family, and community.I must once again express my sincere gratitude to Robinwood Orthopedic Specialty Center for allowing me to take a leave of absence to pursue this dream of mine. Their trust and faith continues to amaze me. Thank you.And Babe¢¦                ¢¦well¢¦                           ¢¦hmmm¢¦                                        ¢¦well, Babe, what else can I say but¢¦Thank you.
Date: 2006-08-26
To: Our New Adventure
Miles today: 0.0

A new Appalachian Trail adventure is beginning.Upon arriving home after the thru-hike I quickly submerged myself into to routine goings-ons of my pre-hike life (which I have thoroughly enjoyed). The trail comes and gos in my thoughts and I was back on the trail for a day hike last week. But in a major move Jennel and I have decided to set off on another Appalachian Trail Adventure - the adventure of running a hostel on the AT here in Maryland! We submitted a contract on a house near the trail contingent on the sale of our current home. After a week on the market our home is now under contract and we are hoping to have a new, warm, friendly, convenient stop on the trail for fellow hikers up and running for the 2007 season.Details to follow.
Date: 2006-09-16
To: Early Hostel Development
Miles today: 0.0

Progress is slow and stressful but Jennel and I are moving forward with the plans. We have goals and design plans but as with any major move there are some substantial costs involved. Not only are we buying and selling homes (and that is no small headache in and of itself) but there is significant bureaucracy straddling necessary in order to meet zoning requirements - site plan application and review, survey, water testing, septic testing, business licensing, parking, blah, blah, blah all must be approved. Oh, and everyone has their hand out. As a hiker, though, you can look forward to indoor plumbing, potable water, cathedral ceilings, air conditioning, a bed and much more. Look for our info in your favorite thru-hike book: MD 17/Wolfsville RoadWest 0.3 miles on Wolfsville Road to The Free State Hiker Hostel, owned by ¢06 thru-hiker Ken (¢Bone Pac¢) and Jennel Berry. $30 includes climate controlled hiker room, all linens, shower, laundry, internet, phone, pancake breakfast. Credit Cards Accepted. Pizza/Chinese delivery available. Bikes available for shuttle into nearby Smithsburg for resupply. Open Mar 15 ¢ Nov 15. No Alcohol and No Pets. Two-night maximum. 11626 Wolfsville Road, Smithsburg, MD 21783.
Date: 2006-10-02
To: Red Tape - The Beginning
Miles today: 0.0

Jennel and I decided on the ¢The Free State Hiker¢ as the name of our establishment mainly because Maryland is the Free State ¢ or so they say. Let me tell you, Maryland is far from free. Taxes, regulations and ordinances run aplenty. Not to mention the cost of real estate, but hey, just like sucking it up and pushing on to complete a Thru, I will suck it up and push through the Red Tape.The home we are purchasing for the hostel is zoned ¢conservation.¢ Of course with that designation there are some tight restrictions for land use but a Bed & Breakfast is an acceptable ¢Accessory Use¢ as long as a Site Plan is approved. The county requires the Site Plan to be written by a licensed engineer, planner, and/or surveyor. Jennel has been collecting quotes and estimates. Ouch! The rates run form $2000 to $4500. That¢s just for a plan for the County to review with no guarantee that they¢ll accept the plan! Yehaw! And for all you Appalachian Trail Hikers that are wheelchair bound there is a good chance that I¢ll have to be ¢wheelchair accessible.¢ And for all you handicapped Appalachian Trail thru hikers it looks like I¢ll have to have a ¢paved designated handicapped parking spot.¢
Date: 2006-11-08
To: Lions Club Presentation
Miles today: 0.0

A couple of months ago Robert Mueller of the Funkstown Lions Club invited me to speak at their monthly meeting. Tonight was the night. I had a wonderful time meeting with the Lions (and some Lionesses). They fed me a great meal and had me talk on my thru-hike. I am sure my enthusiasm for the hike is obvious and it is sure a pleasure to share the experience with others.         At the end the Lions presented me with a check of $800 to give to the Community Free Clinic!
Date: 2006-11-10
To: Stumpknocker
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday I received an email from Stumpknocker stating that he was going to be passing through Maryland today and tomorrow and that, perhaps, I could run into him on trail. After work this afternoon I quickly changed clothes and hit trail in hopes of tracking him down. I last saw Stumpknocker outside the NOC, North Carolina. I was looking forward to seeing him again and I was hoping to recruit him as my first Free State Hiker visitor. I headed straight for Ensign Corwall Shelter to check the trail log entries. At the shelter I ran into three section hikers. ¢Did you meet a thru-hiker named Stumpknocker in your hike today?¢ I asked. I described him as a real tall lean guy that probably had a thick beard. They said they met a nice guy that had to get off the trail because he had a bad cut on his leg. The three guys told me they were ex-military medics and they helped the guy with some wound care and dressings but that from the looks of the wound the cut fella would need some further medical care. A lady picked him up at Md 491 and took him off the trail. The four of us chatted for a while and then I brought the conversation back around, ¢The last time I saw Stumpknocker the trail had given him a broken arm.¢ ¢THAT¢S HIM!¢ they shouted in unison. I left the three medics and headed home. On my trek back I couldn¢t help but feel a little guilty. Dude, right before I met Stumpknocker the first time he suffered a broken arm. Now right before I meet him he takes a big spill and suffers a laceration to his leg that takes him off trail. I was thinking that for his sake perhaps we should avoid one-another. Wait a minute ¢ he was named ¢Stumpknocker¢ long before I met him. I take solace in that fact.
Date: 2006-11-26
To: Dryer
Miles today: 0.0

Family came in for Thanksgiving and a melding of minds took place enabling me to solve some electrical and plumbing problems affecting the Free State Hiker. I expect to provide washer and dryer service but last week I opened the electrical panel that I was expecting to use only to find the panel full. I feared I would have to hire an electrician ($$$) to bring in new service just for a hiker washer and dryer. Fortunately, after close inspection and calculation my dad was able to rewire a breaker panel so that a 220V, 30 Amp breaker could be added. This may not sound too exciting but for all the hikers that want to wash/dry clothes this is important stuff.Some of the family and I hiked up to Ensign Cornwall Shelter where we ate lunch and read the register. According to the register some SOBOs just passed through within the past week. It seems like the short days would make awful short hiking days. I sure liked the long hiking days of June.Of course, I¢m still waiting on my site plan from the engineers.
Date: 2006-12-09
To: With Santa
Miles today: 0.0

I can¢t believe it has been a year since I last sat on Santa¢s lap. Last year I was wishing for thru-hiking supplies in preparation for my February start. A year has passed, my thru-hike is over, and now I am fully engaged in this new undertaking. So, this year, when sitting on Santa¢s lap, I wished that the Washington County Planning Department would approve my site plan. Let me tell you ¢ that is no small wish. Last week my site plan (along with another 150 dollars) was turned over to the Washington County Engineering Department for their approval prior to being submitted to the Planning Department. The surveyors who put together my site plan assured me, ¢It¢s just a technicality. . . just a way to get $150 from you.¢ Well, this week I was informed that the plan was rejected. Yes, you guessed it! I have to have a traffic impact study. I know most of you hikers won¢t be bringing your cars along on your hike but just in case some of you do you can rest assured that you will be able to safely pull your car out of my driveway. (At least the Engineering Department is making sure you can.) This is how it works: Because the Free State Hiker (the name of our establishment) is located on a ¢mountain road¢ and because ¢mountain roads¢ tend to go ¢up and down and back and forth,¢ I have to have the surveyors measure the ¢line of sight¢ from my driveway. There is a magic distance that is acceptable and it is based on the speed limit of the road (35mph in my case). There must be sufficient ¢line of sight¢ so that if one of my hikers decides to pull his car out of my driveway a vehicle on Wolfsville road has sufficient time and distance to screech to a halt. I guess nobody cares about ¢line of sight¢ when you¢re residential but try and become a hiker B & B . . . suddenly a lot of people care. Oh, the traffic impact study - that¢ll be another 200 bucks. The surveyors are just lumping it onto my tab.
Date: 2006-12-26
To: Mudding
Miles today: 0.0

The business of the season is now over and although it is not quite the time to announce New Year¢s resolutions I have decided (or resolved) to be more diligent with my Trail Journal in an attempt to keep folks abreast as to the progress of the Free State Hiker.Although the county engineers have not yet stamped my site plan my surveyors have informed me that the ¢line of site¢ measurement appeared to be adequate. That is a relief. If nothing else I can feel safe when I pull out of my own driveway.Progress on the inside has been going very steadily. After tearing out a closet, repairing the hole that was subsequently left behind and then painting (it took 5 gallons of paint) the main hiker room is a beautiful shell.I am going to update, with pictures, the progress on the inside of the Free State. This pic was taken in November.
Date: 2006-12-26
To: Hiker Room
Miles today: 0.0

So the three entries entered today should bring you up to date. This pic was taken tonight and really demonstrates the amount of work that has been done over the past few weeks. This is the bunk room. There is a lot of wood purchasing, cutting, staining, and building represented in this picture. One can see that if hikers don¢t come ¢ well ¢ the wood makes good racetracks, bridges, and balance beams. The kids sure enjoy helping (in their own not quite so helpful ways).I am going to make a concerted effort to update every Tuesday and Friday. Much is going to happen between now and the time we meet our first 2007 hiker. We are excited. I have the nervousness of my pre-hike without the anxiety of leaving the family. I hope everyone¢s pre-hike is going well. It was about this time last year that I couldn¢t stand living with myself ¢ I just wanted to get started hiking!