morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-03
From: Chambersburg, PA

To: Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We got our showers and then had some yummy cinnamon rolls with Stephen before saying our good-byes to our friend/Trail Angel. Then we headed north to Carlisle Church of Christ for worship. We attended church there back in 2006-2007 when Next Step was a student at the Army War College. The Coyles, a sweet family we had met back then invited us to come over after services today and to spend the night at their place. The congregation was having a Pot Luck today and honoring two high school graduates, one of which just happened to be the Coyles' older son. Of course the last time we had seen him, he was only 6 years old. It¢s crazy how time just flies by! We got to visit with several members that we had known from before and made plans to join another family for lunch on Wednesday since we¢ll be hiking pretty close to their house then. It was so great catching up with everyone! That¢s just another perk of our military life - we have friends all over the U.S. and we just usually seem to pick up right where we left off. Before heading over to the Coyles' house, we ran by Walmart for a bit of resupply. I have my last physical therapy appointment in the morning and am planning to meet Next Step for lunch, so we didn¢t need much. We had a wonderful afternoon hanging out, eating pizza and playing games. Melody even made homemade chocolate chip cookies! More friends/Trail Angels who are making this adventure even more incredible because of their love and hospitality! I¢m just afraid I¢ve had too many days of R&R trying to heal my back. Next Step is going to have to pull me up the hills after so much time off, especially with all the amazing meals we¢ve been having instead of eating hiker food! Oh well, what are you going to do?!?! Lol Thanks to everyone for all your words of encouragement and especially your prayers. It really means so much to know so many people really care! Just another lesson learned on the trail, don¢t wait for things to get bad before you get them checked out. It¢s not always a good idea to try to tough it out and hope that your pain will just go away. Hoping the spasms are gone tomorrow and I get the green light to get back out there. I am mentally rejuvenated and ready to knock out the last half of the trail! Let¢s do this!HugsWhich WayOver the Horizon: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Date: 2018-06-06
From: Boiling Springs

To: Bernheisel Bridge Road
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

If you were hoping to read about a big mileage day with lots of rocks and a huge change in elevation, this may be a good day for you to take a break from reading our journal. From Boiling Springs the trail crosses the Cumberland Valley, passing through and along the woodlands of several pastures and farms. It is the longest stretch of flat topography along the entire AT. When I was in the Army War College I loved trail running along this part of the trail. I wasn¢t running today, but I did finish the 9 mile hike in just over 2.5 hours. The cool air and pleasant aroma of honeysuckle made the short hike even more enjoyable. A thru hiker from Australia named Reboot walked the entire distance with me. WW met me at one of many road crossings. This particular road was very close to the motel we stayed at last night. She brought several snacks with her for Reboot. He gladly accepted the offer.After a quick shower, we hustled to downtown Carlisle where I got a haircut and picked up some new shoes at the Appalachian Running Company (5 stars). This makes my third pair of trail runners since Hot Springs. My last pair were pretty beaten up and I didn¢t feel confident that they would get me through the rocky conditions that lie ahead.  From the shoe store, we walked about a half mile to a Mediterranean restaurant, Grazery.  A fellow Army officer, who is finishing up his studies at the War College, reached out to me yesterday and said he wanted to try to get together. Steven joined us for lunch and we had a nice chat. I think he definitely has the A.T. bug! There is only one cure that I am aware of...start walking!After lunch we headed over to Carlisle Barracks where we got our Retiree ID cards. The process was pretty painless. Afterwords we swung by the Commissary to pick up some re-supply items and went back to the room to finishing packing me for the hike, WW for her flight out tomorrow and some boxes for shipping.An older couple that we went to church with when we lived here before took us out to dinner at an excellent Italian Restaurant. Dick and Pauline¢s generosity did not stop at dinner. When Dick heard that I was hiking into Duncannon tomorrow, he suggested that I let him pick me up and bring me back to their place tomorrow night. I told him that I try my best not to deny someone the opportunity to do good. So, my answer was ¢Yes!¢. I am looking forward to spending a little more time with this amazing couple who are such great examples of what it means to live in Christ.Please continue to keep WW in your prayers as she travels tomorrow.Elevation Data:Ascent - 580Descent - 630Grade - 2.6Weather:Day - 68 / CloudyNight - 49 / Partly CloudyOver The Horizon: Duncannon, PA
Date: 2018-06-15
From: Stealth Site Above Wind Gap

To: Deleware Water Gap
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a fun hike today. It was another gorgeous day and the terrain was actually somewhat diverse. Admittedly, knowing that Pennsylvania would soon be behind me helped put a little extra pep in my step. The first six miles or so were dominated by the annoying Pennsylvania Sharpies. Like an iceberg, most of the rock actually lies below the surface. This means when one of these pointy, sharp-edged rocks is kicked, stepped on, or brushed against, the rock is going nowhere. The sharpies did not totally rule the morning, as I saw a deer and hit some larger slabs of rocks and a bit of technical hiking at Wolf Rocks. The Kindridge Shelter is the last one in Pennsylvania for NOBO¢s. I stopped there to take my shoes off, stretch, and eat lunch. Soon after leaving the shelter I started hitting stretches of softer trail. It was a welcome relief. The A.T. crossed a roadbed at mile 1290.8. A tenth of a mile further north, I hit the 900-to-go mark, for those of you who prefer counting down. As the trail approached Mt Minsi, the terrain improved greatly and views opened up in all directions. It must be a popular area for locals and tourists, as traffic coming from the north picked up. The trail passed by the east shore of Lake Lenape just before hitting a paved road taking me into the tourist town of Delaware Water Gap (DWG). The DWG is a water gap on the border of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. The first building I came to in the small town was the Deer Heads Inn. It is evidently the home to the oldest Jazz Club in America. If Which Way was with me, we probably would have stayed there. I probably also would have taken a Zero Day tomorrow. Instead, I opted to stay at the Church of the Mountain Hiker Hostel and will move on in the morning. Zero Days are just not the same without my WW to share them with, so I guess I¢ll just keep moving until my feet can¢t stand it anymore. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest state on the trail. It provided some of the easiest hiking, as well as the toughest (at least on the feet and shoes). It is a right of passage that A.T. hikers must go through before moving on to what lay ahead. All good training! For me (and WW) it was also a place to rekindle old friendships and develop new ones.A big thank you to all of the clubs and other organizations that helped to maintain the trail in the Keystone State. I think you missed a few!Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 1,110Descent - 2,290Grade - 4.6Weather:Day - 75 / SunnyNight - 54 / ClearOver The Horizon: Bear Mountain, NY
Date: 2018-06-27
From: Caesar Brook Campsite

To: Undermountain Road - Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well, I definitely got an early start today. It was 0600 when I donned my pack and slipped out of camp. As is often the case, the trail gained elevation from the get go. Similar to yesterday¢s hike, I was on a mini-roller coaster for the first seven miles or so. After the initial climb, I descended about 400 feet, crossed Carse Brook on a footbridge, then crossed a country road. Then it was back up a steep and rocky climb. At the mid-point was a huge crevice called Split Rock. This one was a bit wider than the Lemon Squeezer, so I had no problems maneuvering through it. I passed through the crevice, finished the ascent, then descended to the Pine Swamp Brook Shelter. When I arrived I was immediately hit by a squadron of mosquitoes. The only signs of human life was a hiker who had set up her tent inside the shelter. I guess the blood suckers were deprived of their usual dose of hiker blood and they decided to take it out on me. Needless to say, I cut my stretching session short. I finished the climb up Sharon Mtn by 1100, then started working my way down to the little town of Falls Village. I planned to eat lunch at a restaurant, but was disappointed to find out that they were closed on Wednesdays. Bummer! I was able to grab a Yahoo to wash down a Cliff Bar.I departed Falls Village, once again crossing the Housatonic River over an Iron Bridge. Just above the bridge was a view of Great Falls. The water came crashing down hard over the Falls. By lunch, Which Way had departed in a rental car on a 12 hour journey of her own. I knew I wouldn¢t see her until tomorrow, but it didn¢t seem to slow me down any. I powered up the 3-mile climb to Mt. Prospect and then came crashing down the other side. The original rendezvous point with Which Way was Salisbury, CT. That is where I would finish the hike today. An elderly lady names Maria opens her home to hikers. She has been doing so for the last 19 years. Maria picked me up just outside of town and ran me by the post office before taking me to her place. Three other hikers were already there. You know the drill¢shower, eat, laundry and re-supply. I checked everything off the list. Now I need some rest, as I am planning to hike across four mountains over 20 miles tomorrow. Did I mention it was supposed to rain? Oh well, I¢d do it in a blizzard knowing that my gal will be waiting on the other end. Gotta go!Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 3,620Descent - 3,850Grade - 7.4Weather:Day - 75 / Mostly CloudyNight - 63 / RainOver The Horizon: Great Barrington, MA (Rendezvous With Which Way)
Date: 2018-07-01
From: MA 23

To: Main Road - Lee, MA
Miles today: 12.0

The party on the Community Center lawn went on well into the night. This meant very little sleep for the the tenters beyond the wood line. Nonetheless, Which Way and I were packed up and headed towards the trail before 0600. With the heat index forecasted to be above 100, we wanted to get an early start. It was a 2-minute drive to McDonalds, where we were to meet our ride to the trail. An AT 2,000 Miler named Iceman was our Trail Angel of the day. He has been following our journey and reached out to volunteer his services. There is an ultra-marathon runner who is trying to break a record for completing the entire AT. The current record is 45 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes. Iceman has been supporting the runner since Pennsylvania and landed in Great Barrington yesterday. After breakfast Iceman followed us up to drop our car and then shuttled us to the start point. Thanks Iceman!When we started hiking at 0700 the temperature was still bearable. It would heat up significantly as the day wore on. Which Way was hiking without a pack today. I carried enough water for both of us. Unfortunately, it didn¢t help her situation much. As soon as we started climbing, her back started hurting. It is very frustrating for her. The trail was much like the day before. However, today we hiked along a couple of ponds. There were also some neat ledges at the top of our first climb. We paused there to worship. Towards the middle of the hike we passed through a large swath of coniferous forest. Part of this section was down a ravine where cool air seeped out from under huge mossy rocks with ferns growing on top of them. The trail crossed a gravel road deep in the forest about 9 miles into the hike. We decided it was best for WW to wait there while I finished the last 3 miles. The trail descended a bit more before climbing up and over Tryingham Cobble. The hill looked over the very small town and a cemetery. The final mile consisted of walking through a cow pasture and some marsh lands. This was all in the open and the heat was on. I reached Main Road, where we had dropped the car, at 2PM. It was a short drive to pickup WW. From there we reached Lee, MA, in just a few minutes, where we would stay for the night. We took showers and put ice packs on Which Way¢s back and just took it easy the rest of the day. Which Way will rest tomorrow while I knock out some more miles. How many miles will depend on when I get started and how I hold up with the heat index well over 100 again.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 2,450Descent - 2,560Grade - 7.9Weather:Day - 95 / SunnyNight - 71 / Partly CloudyOver The Horizon: Mount Greylock, MA
Date: 2018-07-18
From: Hecacuba Shelter

To: NH 25
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Surprisingly, I slept well in the overfilled shelter. Wake up time was staggered among hikers, so there was plenty of room to maneuver in the morning. One hiker was up and at it at 0430 and hiking by 0500. Most of the other hikers were stirring when I hit the trail at 0600. My clothes and shoes were still damp when I faced the cool day. Fortunately, the first two miles was to the top of Mount Cube The first part of the hike to the top was in thick vegetation. The rocks under the canopy were still wet from the rain, making for slow going. Closer to the top the rock surface was exposed and much drier. This was a good thing since the slope was also much steeper. At Quartzite Ledges I paused to looked over my shoulder to catch a view to the southwest. The clouds were racing up the mountain though. By the time I hiked the last 3/4 of a mile to the summit, the mountain was covered in a shroud of fog. No views from Mount Cube today. I did my stretching and called WW from the top, but it had not cleared when I left.The hike down was long and easy. That didn¢t stop me from hitting a slick spot and going heels up. My pack provided a nice soft landing. About 10 minutes from the top the clouds evaporated leaving behind sunny skies. I stopped at Bracket Brook towards the bottom of the mountain to refill on water. Grumpy came by me while I was breaking. He was in a hurry to meet up with a friend. I caught up with the two of them at the next road crossing. His friend Bill had hiked south from NH 25 with a bag full of snacks and a sub sandwich for Grumpy. He was finishing off the sandwich when I arrived. I fixed my own lunch and ate some grapes that Bill packed in. The three off us then hiked over Misty Mountain. It was an easy climb on an absolutely beautiful day. A vista along the way offered a view of Mount Moosilaule, the introduction peak to the White Mountains. Bill¢s car was parked at NH 25. He gave Grumpy and I a lift down to the Hiker¢s Welcome Hostel. It has two large bunk houses and an outdoor shower and laundry. I hit them all. When we walked in another hiker said, ¢Next Step!¢ He introduced himself as Cbiscuit and said he had been following our journal. When I went to the bunk house to get situated, another hiker named Daymaker walked up asked if I was Next Step. He said he had been following the journal as well. Then he introduced me to a third hiker, Willow, who said the same thing. They all asked about Which Way. Our journey together and the way we interacted was their favorite part of the journey. They are all hoping that she will rejoin me for the final push through the 100-mile Wilderness. Me too! Daymaker is section hiking and has a car with him, so I joined him, Willow, and another hiker named Don¢t Care for dinner. It was a fun time.Excited about tomorrow¢s hike over Mount Moosilauke. It should be another great day on the AT.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 3,260Descent - 4,280Grade - 9.6Weather:Day - 69 / SunnyNight - 45 / ClearOver The Horizon: White Mountain National Forest
Date: 2018-07-25
From: Rattle River Hostel

To: Rattle River Hostel 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today I took a much needed zero day. It was the first time I can remember both of my knees still hurting the day after a hike. I did the usual hiker zero day stuff ¢eat, laundry, eat, shower, eat, resupply, eat, post office, eat, haircut, eat. I even managed to get another Catan victory between eating. There¢s not much else to talk about (unless you want to know what I ate). Instead I thought I would share some of the little things on our AT journey that are a big deal. I asked WW for her input. Not surprisingly, her list was pretty much the same as mine.1. A ray of sunshine on a cold and rainy day.2. A cool breeze on a sweltering day.3. Trail magic anytime on any day.4. An unexpected stealth site just when you need it most. 5. A view that comes out of nowhere.6. The kindness of strangers. And strangers who are now friends. 7. Encouraging words from people who sign the guestbook on our journal.8. Reaching a town, state line, 100 mike mark or other milestone.9. A dry pair of socks.10. A comfy place to sit during a break.11. A good flowing spring to water up at.12. A few Skittles to get you up a mountain.13. A cell signal to be able to call our kids.14.  A Nalgene Bottle of warm water to place at the foot of our sleeping bag on a frigid night.15. A white blaze in a snow storm.16. A cool stream to soak our tired feet. 17.  A ride from the trail to town/hostel.18. A shelter with no snoring.19. Someone special to share the tent with.20. Heart shaped rocks to remind us of God¢s love. Literally 100¢s of them! Elevation Data - n/aWeather:Day - 77 / RainNight - 63 / Heavy RainOver The Horizon: Mahoosuc Notch, ME
Date: 2018-07-26
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

The shuttle driver returned five of us NOBOs to the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center at 0730. Of course, it was raining when we crossed NH Rt 16 to start our hike. It would rain on and off all day. Whether it was raining or not was irrelevant from an ease of hiking perspective. The trail was wet and muddy all day. A stream ran down the AT in many places. Bogs and ponds were filled to the brink with knee-high run off covering the trail in several spots. Rocks and boulders were wet and slick making steep climbs treacherous at times.The trail took me over seven mountains standing taller than 4,000 feet. First came the Wildcat Range. The most difficult ascent of the day was the 2,000¢ climb up Wildcat D Peak. The 2 mile ascent was rocky and extremely steep in places. Next came Wildcat Mountain, which was home to a ski resort. Partial clearing at times lured me into finding a spot to sit on a ledge or outcropping in hopes of catching a view of Mount Washington. It stood immediately to the west now, as the trail was about to turn north again, completing a giant ¢S¢ since departing Lake of the Clouds Hut. No such luck with the view of Washington, but I did enjoy watching the clouds in motion as they opened and closed the curtain on views. The Wildcat Range and Carter Range are separated by Carter Notch. At the bottom of the deep notch sits the easternmost huts in the White Mountains. It is also one of the smallest and most remote huts. The side trail to the hut took me between two ponds. Water from the swollen ponds stood 2-3 ft deep on the trail. Inside the hut I enjoyed a bowl of delicious lintel soup to go with my PBJ. For dessert I had a piece of scrumptious Ginger Bread Cake and a cup of coffee. It was 2PM when I hit the trail again. I had only hiked 6 miles and still had 7 remaining to Imp Camp.It was more slow going over the Carter Range¢Career Dome, Mount Height, South Carter Mountain, Middle Carter Mountain and North Carter Mountain. Alpine bogs meant more standing water on the trail. The final two miles was a steep descent down a ravine. I arrived at the wet and muddy campsite after 7:30PM. Way too late for my liking. Nonetheless, it was nice to get my wet shoes off my water logged feet. Wet, tired and no place I¢d rather be, than on the AT.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 5,680Descent - 4,380Grade - 14.7Weather:Day - 75 / RainNight - 62 / ShowersOver The Horizon: Mahoosuc Notch, ME
Date: 2018-07-27
To: Rt 2 - Rattle River Hostel
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

Something unusual happened today. The sun came out! Knowing that my things would dry soon made putting my wet clothes and shoes back on a little easier.Out of camp, the trail continued northeast over Mount Moriah. It would be the only notable climb of the day. The path was still muddy and the rocks were wet as I started hiking. However, as the trail gained elevation and turned to solid rock the sun and wind had dried the surface. Mount Moriah was not a cake walk, but it sure seemed easy in comparison to what I¢d been hiking through as of late. The real significance of the climb was that views were opening up along the summit ridge. I. could look back and see the Carter and Wildcat Ranges of yesterday. To the northwest were clear views of Madison, Adams and other Presidential Mountains. Following a line south from Adams was Mount Washington, with itssummit still obscured by clouds. What a sight!Over the the top the trail dropped back into the trees and started a steep descent towards the Rattle River. The rocks were wet again making the going slow. After crossing the river, the final two miles to NH Rt 2 was easy and mostly puddle- free terrain. It was a soft landing to an otherwise rough few days of hiking. The trail passed directly in front of the Rattle River Shelter. I arrived a little after 1130 and mostly chilled the rest of the day. Hard to believe I¢ll be in Maine tomorrow. Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 1,120Descent - 3,560Grade - 10.6Weather:Day - 84 / Partly SunnyNight - 62 / ShowersOver The Horizon: Mahoosuc Notch, ME