morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

Friday, July 6, 2007, Day 131Lazy morning, sleeping in, eating breakfast, watching Sports Center. Everyone is separating, and we're all not sure when or if we'll see each other again. Chips is waiting for a friend from England to hike with him. Chefs are zeroing. Patrick and Hellbender are only hiking to Velvet Rocks Shelter, Packhorse is unsure and I'm hiking 11 miles to Moose Mnt. Photos are taken just in case it's the lat time we're all together.The Rain and Thunder start up as soon as I hit the trail. I find hsleter under a tree and wait for the downpour to end. As it does, Caterpillar and Hike show up with Cat's brother Chris and his wife, Mary. I hike with them to Moose Mnt. Shelter and spend time catching up.I'm shooting for a short 12 mile day tomorrow so I'm sleeping in.
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Moose Mt. Shelter

To: Firewarden's Cabin
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: few clouds

Saturday, July 7, 2007, Day 132Despite the 12.4 mile easy mileage. Today was rough. Slept in and started the day at a good pace. The first climb was tough, but over quickly. At the Cliffs on the backside a couple gave Cat and I chocolate and cheese and crackers. Awesome. However, they were drinking wine and didn't offer any of that. Oh well.The second climb was big - Smarts Mountain. Hike and I quickly run it down in 2 hours - exhausted by the top. Chris and Mary roll in tired, but psyched to have summitted. The are from Florida and have never done anything like this before.The shelter is the old firewarden's cabin. A bare bone structure - but enclosed completely. It's cold, windy and it's in the clouds. Hike - the crazy old bastard - is spending the night in the firetower. Hope he's staying warm.It feels like the White Mountains, cold and unforgiving.
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Firewarden's Cabin

To: Jeffer's Brook Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

Sunday, July 8, 2007, Day 133Rain. Wet. Clouds everywhere, today was a long trudge through the hills.I met several Southbounders today. They are slowly popping up here and there, so early in the hikes, so late in ours.Small ford at the end of the day. Not more than 4 steps across and only about a foot deep.The weather forecast has rain for a while. I've been spoiled for months. My luck as apparently run out.
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Jeffer's Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Monday, July 9, 2007, Day 134Mount Moosilauke right off the bat. A 3,500 foot climb from where we are. I'm up fairly quickly. the summit, above treeline, is soaked in the clouds. No views. It's also cold and the weather looks dangerous.After a quick lunch we begin the descent. The rain starts softly - them all hell breaks loose. Lightning, thunder, cats and dogs. It's bad. The trail is rocks, roots and a strong stream inches deep as we try to rush the descent. I laugh all the way down as we cling to rebar ladders and dangerous rock scrambles. When we're down we huddle in the AT parking lot bathroom to get warm. It was an amusing scene.We decide after an hour to push on, only to find ourselves in a second wave of downpour, thunder and lightning. When we arrive at the shelter, we're miserable. Soaking wet.During the hike I discovered I had left my guidebook and map at the shelter. God bless Broadway who had come in afterwards and return it to me when we got into shelter. Just when I'm at my lowest, things happen to change my spirits.Still, I'm soaked, along with all my gear. Let's hope tomorrow holds better fortunes.
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Franconia Notch I93
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, Day 135Finally the sun. The day starts with a ford of Eliza Brook. A tough climb up Kinsman but rewarded with awesome views. We relax on top and try to dry out, but with little luck.As we trek off the mountain, The Chefs and myself watch the clouds roll in again in the afternoon. At a break spot it is quickly decided that we are in need of a hotel. We were all going to North Woodstock to resupply and then heading back into the woods. Now we can dry out a bit and take a shower.We stay at the Carriage House Motel for $20 apiece. I get to watch the MLB All-Star game and fall asleep. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love town.
Date: 2007-07-11
From: Franconia Notch I93

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, Day 136Out of town early and back on the trail. It starts raining almost immediately. No worries though as we're all in good moods from our night in town. It's a long hike up to Franconia ridge but once up we're in the clouds. Bumping into lots of Southbounders today as I summit Mt. Lafayette. I see blue skies for 5 minutes and it's gone.The day drags as the terrain is rough. Roots, rocks and mud. My miles per hour has dropped significantly.I hit Gale head Hut an AMC hut that costs $90 a night to stay in. But thru hikers are offered a "work for stay" an hour's worth of work for a warm, dry place to stay and the leftovers from dinner. I don't like the AMC huts because they have the monopoly on shelters in the whites. They are expensive and attract a weekend warrior crowd. However, the "Croo Kids" at Galehead were great. A Thanksgiving like dinner and I'm stuffed. It's pouring outside and I'm dry all in exchange for dishwashing and kitchen cleaning. So for tonight at least I'm fine with the AMC.
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Galehead Hut

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: few clouds

Thursday, July 12, 2007, Day 137Up and out of the shelter at 6:45 am. We're in the clouds still as we hit more mountains and I'm bummed my friends aren't seeing the awesome sights the White Mountains give you. I see a patch of blue sky and optomistically call that "the front is breaking up". As we approach Crawford Notch it does. The mountains creep out from all around us and our spirits are lifted. On the down side we see the climb up the Presidential Range we have for the afternoon.The 2 mile ascent up to Webster Cliffs is brutal. We do it nonstop and hit the ridge in 1 hour 45 minutes and the views are breathtaking. Finally they see what I've been talking about.After out 21 mile epic run we roll into Mixpah Hut. Another AMC operated site. Only 2 work for stays are left. Shaggy and Broadway take them as Strider and I go to the Neuman campsite for $8.00 tentint. No big deal - the girl managing the site for the AMC gives us Old Crow Whiskey and a group of Boy Scouts feed us chili and tortillas. Strider and I give a talk to the scouts about thru-hiking and the life of backpacking. The boys love it and the leaders appreciate out talk. Thank you to all who trail magicked us on this stop.
Date: 2007-07-13
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 11.8

Friday, July 13, 2007, Day 138Friday the 13th and we're traversing the Prezzies. Great. the morning is clear and beautiful. We start out hike and gawk at the eye-popping sites. We're getting lucky. The morning flies by and before we know it we're on top of Mt. Washington. Unfortunately, but not that unusual, we're surrounded by clouds.After a 2 hour lunch on the summit at the snack bar we head across the ridge. Getting more amazing views. The clouds are building as we approach 2 miles from Madison Hut where we hope to stay. One mile from the hut it appears to be pouring to the west. We kick it up a notch and walk into the hut just as all hell breaks loose. Perfect timing.We all do a "work for stay" and eat well. We wash dishes and clean in the kitchen. Tomorrow we've been invited to stay for breakfast.
Date: 2007-07-14
From: Madison Hut

To: Carter Notch
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

Saturday, July 14, 2007, Day 139I leave before the Iron chefs to climb to the top of Mt. Madison to take in the Presidential Range one last few moments. We hike off the ridge and it takes forever. finally we arrive at Pinkham Notch and eat at the visitors center. It's very busy and there are day hikers everywhere.The wildcat climb is considered one of the toughest, but we're up and over it in no time and drop into Carter Notch where there's another AMC Hut. No "work for stay" available so we backtrack on the AT and stealth camp. Kinda sick of the huts anyway. I miss the shelters.So close to finishing. I haven't written about the enotions I'm going through much because there are so many of them. Anticipation. Nervousness. Excitement. Then there's the ever present idea to quit (whick I won't do). I'm just a little sick of walking at this point. It's all I've done for months. I'm just glad I'm in good company - it keeps me going.The Chefs have been great friends, and we're all still having fun every day. But I'm getting tired and need to stay focused. So close.
Date: 2007-02-10
To: Prep #1 - Uwharrie Forest
Miles today: 0.0

It is time to start my journal and announce my plan to hike the AT. I have been interested in taking this journey for several years and started to prepare in October 2006. I bought some gear and hiked the Uwharrie Trail in central North Carolina with my friends Jonathan and Dan. I showed up with a 45 lb pack for the 20 mile, 2 day hike. About 8 miles into the hike my legs were hurting and I was doubting my ability to finish a 20 mile hike. I slept well that night and finished the hike the next day. I was sore, but excited to have completed my first training event and thankful for the advice from my friends.
Date: 2007-02-11
To: Prep #2 - Raven Rock SP
Miles today: 0.0

Today I went out to Raven Rock State Park. The trails at Raven Rock are not strenuous, but it is only 20 minutes from home. I go to Raven Rock to get in some miles when I don't have time to drive out to Uwharrie. I bought a new pair of boots this week. I wore them to work a couple days and decided I needed to get some trail miles with a pack on the new boots. I could feel my heel moving around in the boots and started to feel a hot spot on the back of my heels after about 1.5 miles. I continued on for about another 1/2 mile before stopping to check out the my feet. I found a blister on the back of each hill about the size of a dime. One had already torn. I applied some mole skin and put my boots back on. About 1/4 mile back up the trail on upward slope I felt the mole skin pull off and my heels were worse than before. It was only a 1/2 mile back to my car, so I headed for the parking lont and a the end of a short hike today.I have been hiking in Merrell Pulse II boots and have hiked as far as 20 miles in a day with very few blisters. I bought Merrell Switchbacks thinking I wanted a heavier boot for the cold weather when I start the AT in March. After today I will be going back to the Pulse II boots. I can't risk injury to my feet this close to the start. I will stick with what has been working.I am concerned that my feet have not gotten tougher over the past months of hiking. I guess the frequency of hikes has not been sufficient. I am hoping to do another 20+ mile hike in the next two weeks. I was hoping to hit the trail doing 15 mile days, but think I will scale back at the start of the AT so that my feet will have time to toughen up.
Date: 2007-02-13
To: Prep #3
Miles today: 0.0

I am busy planning my hike, resupply points, taking care of bills, etc. I seem to think of two things I need to do for every one that I take care of. I haven't chosen a trail name yet. I thought I would found one by now, but I still have some time. I am planning to start on March 18th or 19th.
Date: 2007-02-23
To: Prep #4 - Uwharrie National Forest
Miles today: 0.0

I have 24 days until I start. I am rushing around to get things taken care of at home and work. I think I am doing pretty well and hope I am not forgetting anything.Last Saturday I did another training hike. 15.2 miles in the Uwharrie National Forest near Troy, NC. My pack weighed 37 lbs and I was wearing new Merrell Pulse II boots. I got a size 11 1/2 to replace the size 10.5s I had been wearing most of the past 6 months. I was very happy with these boots. I wore nylon sock liners under Wigwam ultimax silver socks. I am undecided on the liners. The larger boot size eliminated scrunching of my toes on the downhill slopes. I got one small blister on the inside of my heel, but it was not painful and I can easily control this area with tape. I am very happy with these boots. It was a cold day with the highs probably in the low 30s. I saw a bit of snow falling on top of the mountains. I got a late start around 10:30 and finished as it was getting dark around 6:30. I was tired at the end of the hike, but wasn't in pain like some of my past long hikes. I also was not sore the next morning. I hope this is a good sign that I am getting in condition and my body is adapting to the increased activity.I wish I had more time to get miles in before I leave, but there are too many other things to take care of. I hope to get in one more overnight hike with at least 20 miles of hiking before I start the AT.
Date: 2007-03-05
To: Prep #5 - Uwharrie National Forest
Miles today: 0.0

Well another 12 mile hike accomplished and another blister on my heel. I am a bit concerned about this. The blisters are on the inside of my heel and are not that painful, but I am going to have a deep hole in my heel if I get a blister everyday. I'll keep trying alternate solutions. Next time I will try taping before I start hiking.I went back to the Uwharrie Forest on Sunday. I wanted to hike the northern portion of this trail again. I hiked it in October and when I reached Hwy 109 at the 8 mile mark I was exhasuted, my knees and feet were blistered and hurting. I sat down, took 4 motrin, then hobbled a few more miles to a campsite. I wanted to hike this again to see how much my conditioning hikes have helped. My friend Rich joined me for the hike. A last chance to catch up prior to my departure in 2 weeks. We started at 9AM on a beautiful day with clear skies. The temperatures were in the 40 to 55 degree range. The initial climb up from Jumping Off Rock trail head didn't seem nearly as challenging as I remembered. This was a good sign. We cruised along at about 2.5 mph. I was wearing my pack in near trail configuration. It is currently at 40.6 lbs including 4 days food and 2 qts of water. (27.5 lbs w/o water or food). This is heavier than I had hoped for, but I am having difficulty eliminating anything else. My fear of getting cold and lack of thru-hiking experience are probably the biggest causes. I took my first trail tumble today and later almost stepped on a snake. the tumble was the result of stepping on a branch laying on the trail which kicked up and caught my other foot. It was a strange feeling when the weight of my pack went lunging forward using me to cushion its fall. It is not so easy to recover your balance with that extra weight on your back. Fortunately only my ego was hurt. A few miles later a snake slithered off a rock in the middle of the trail a few inches from my boot. He parked a few feet away from the trail and allowed me to get a picture. We reached the Hwy 109 crossing and I was in great condition. I had stopped after about 3 miles in to tape the insides of my heels, because I could feel the blister hot spot startin on my left heel. Unfortunately I think it was too late and I ended up with a dime sized blister at the end of the hike. There was no need to stop for a break at Hwy 109, no motrin was needed, no painfull knees or feet. This was a great feeling. We continued on to Yates Place campground and finished the hike around 4PM. I have made a lot of progress in my hiking ability and lost 25 lbs in the process over the past 6 months. I am excited about starting the AT in 2 weeks annd trying to finish up my remaining preparations.Thanks to those who have signed the guest book. I hope to see some of you out on the trail and appreciate the supporting words from everyone.
Date: 2007-03-18
To: Time to go
Miles today: 0.0

Well it is Midnight and I have to leave here at 3:30 AM so this will be short. I have been very busy the past couple of weeks. I didn't get everything done I wanted to, but I have run out of time now. I think I am reasonabley prepared to start the journey. My pack still weighs 39 lbs with 4 days of food and 2 liters of water. I made some reductions since my last entry, but also found some more things to put in. The weather forcast is looking pretty good for the next 10 days. It should be unseasonably warm with highs reaching the 70s and lows staying above 40. I am so tempted to drop some of my cold weather gear out of my pack, but I expect I will still see some nights in the 20s and some cold rainy days. For now, I will carry the extra weight. I have done 15 mile hikes with the pack at this weight, so I should be OK.Thanks to everyone who has called, signed the quest book, or sent emails. I have seen all of these and appreciate them. I have just been bouncing off the walls the past couple days trying to complete things. I am really looking forward to a different pace of life out on the trail. I hope to catch up on emails when I take a break in town to clean up and regroup. (Hopefully not to wait for blisters to heal). I will pay close attention to my feet at the start to ensure I have my boots, insoles, taping, etc figured out to prevent blisters.Tomorrow (actually today at this point) I will get dropped off at Amicalola Falls State Park and plan to hike the 8.8 miles up to the start of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mtn and camp there for the night.Now its time for a couple hours sleep.....
Date: 2007-03-19
From: Amicalola Falls Visitor Center 

To: Springer Mtn Shelter 
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: broken clouds

Hello everyone. Today got off to a rough start After staying up past 1AM last night, I went to bed and set the alarm for 3AM. I awoke at 5AM and realized while I set the alarm time, I forgot to turn it on. Ichecked the phone and there was a message from Jess asking where I was. I callled her and apologized, then through on my hiking clothes and ran out the door to find my car windows covered in frost...another delay. Ireached Jess's place a little before 7AM and we were quiickly on the road with 6 hours of time to catch up on everything. The time passed quickly and we arrived at Amicalola Falls State Park around 1:30. A quick taping of my feet, signing the register, a couple pictures and I was on the trail by 2:00. I saw a few day hikers coming down the trail then I caught up to Dave. Dave was carrying the largest pack I have seen and had a bag in each hand. We talked and walked a little way. He is converting an MGB to electric power. Very cool. Good luck Dave.A couple of miles later I ran into a group of 5 girls section hiking during spring break. They were taking a break after one of the steep ascents. I passed them and thought I wouldn't see them again, but a mile or two later I stopped to eat a power bar and they blew past me. Very nice people and impressive hikers. I caught up to them again as they were stopping to camp at Black Gap Shelter. I was feeling pretty good and the sun was still high in the sky, so I decided to push on to Springer Mtn Shelter and officially get on the trail.I made it! I feel great. No Blisters!!! I had lipton alfredo noodles and a ciliff bar for dinner. There are about 10 or so people up here tonight. The place was dead quiet with most people already in bed at 7PM. I met Danielle from Ohio at the water source. She is thru~hiking with Keith from Kentucky. Cool other thru~hikers.It was a beautiful day. Sunny and about 70 degrees. The sun didn't go down til after 8. The temps are dropping now. but I amin my tent and sleeping bag and very warm!I guess that about sums up the day. Life is good!   I updated miles to 0.2. It was a total of 9 miles but only 0.2 officially on the AT.
Date: 2007-03-20
From: Springer Mtn Shelter 

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up til 11PM last night and only slept about half the night. I kept waking up and didn't feel tired. I am guessing it is just the excitement of starting the trail. I stayed in the sleeping bag until about 8 AM waiting for the sun to come up and warm things up a bit.I debated putting on my thermal base layer clothing but the sky was clear. I just put on my standard nylon pants and long sleeve shirt. I was glad with this decision and by 9:30 I was down to a t-shirt and shorts for another beautiful day.I am at Gooch Mtn Shelter tonight. I covered 14.7 miles today that were a bit more difficult than I expected. I didn't see any other hikers all morning and then saw 7 when I stopped for lunch at Hawk Mtn Shelter. I had ramen with dehydrated peas and carrots - very good!Up and over Sassafras Mtn and a few others to arrive here. There are about 20 people here tonight and glad to be around a much more talkative group this evening. I met Andy and Paige from Raleigh! Barbara who biked across the US in 2004. Aussie from Austrailia. Stephanie from Indianna. Kevin from somewhere. All of these people are attempting to make it to Maine! There is Bob from TN doing a documentary on why people think it is a good idea to hike 2000 miles. I have to admit I couldn't come up with a good answer to that one.Bob claimed he could start a campfire with a single match and he actually did with two matches. He just didn't mention the 6 ounces of white gas he used.Anyway it was an enjoyable evening. I had planned to hike 16 miles to Neels Gap tomorrow, but after todays workout and the fact that the 4461 ft high Blood Mtn is between me and Neels Gap that probably won't happen. I will probably stop at Woods Hole Shelter after 12 miles.That's it for today. It's 9:30 and I don't expect to have any trouble sleeping tonight