morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-24
From: Maine 4, Rangeley, Maine

To: Reddington Stream Campsite
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Oh, what a day! Well, first the good news. Bob, our dogs Max & Zip, & I arrived in Maine yesterday. I began hiking a section of trail that I skipped other years from Highway 4 outside of Rangeley up to Caribou Valley Road outside of Stratton. Once this 24 mile piece is done, I will have no other isolated sections hanging out there & will have completed all of the trail except for Hanover, NH to Grafton Notch State Park. My hiking partner, Judy (known on TJ as Lucky Dog) is unable to be with me, but--as luck would have it--my niece & family just moved to Maine, & nephew Raymond is hiking with me.Now, the day: We had the option of hiking either northbound, or southbound. We chose northbound. By the time Raymond arrived & Bob got us to the trail, it was 11:00 am. This is a late start for me, but we ONLY had an 8 mile day. The trail was ruggedly "Maine-ish", but not bad. We took a short break at 2:00 at lovely Eddy Pond. At this point, we have already covered 3.7 miles, so we wouldn't have even considered the very nice campsite at the edge of this pond. Even if we only hiked one mile per hour, we'd still reach our destination for the night by 6:00. Then, the climb up Saddleback Mountain began! It was long & it was hard. Lots of needing hands to pull up & over boulders. Every time we thought we were almost to the summit, we weren't. We reached the summit at 4120 feet exhausted. It's now about 4:00 & we are not done. But, it was gorgeous with panoramic views of mountains & lakes all around. There was a steep & rocky descent. We can make no time. Then, we began the climb up to the Horn at 4040 feet. Oh, my! Another gorgeous view (not sure I care anymore!) & another steep & decidedly treacherous descent. The sun is just about down behind the mountain & the light is not so great at this point. I was being very cautious, but still managed to take a fall backwards when my feet flew out from under me when I stepped on a slick rock. Fortunately, my pack provided a soft landing & i only scraped my hand. We reached the camping area at 6:45--after almost 7 hours of hiking to cover 8 miles. This is not a very nice camping area. It is very boggy & Raymond & I have our 2 tents crammed together on one little lumpy site because almost everything else is taken. The water source is about 4 football fields away down a very rough trail. By the time we get our water, & get tents up, it is dark at 7:30. We cooked dinner by headlamp, although I was too tired to eat much. I had some tea & snacks, then got into bed where I cleaned some of the dirt off my body with wet wipes. I am just beat & feeling pretty discouraged knowing that tomorrow is an 11 mile day.
Date: 2012-08-25
From: Reddington Stream Campsite

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

I forgot to mention yesterday that the weather yesterday was perfect, & today provided more of the same. No bugs, either! You would think that, as exhausted as I was last night, I would have slept well, but I didn't. I was comfortable in my tent, but mostly sleepless all the same. I had my usual breakfast of oatmeal, coffee, an energy bar, but felt very queasy & had a nagging headache that Aleve didn't seem to touch. After yesterday, I was concerned about our almost 11 mile day today. Raymond & I agreed that if the day was as hard as yesterday, we would try to stealth camp near one of the streams we could see on the map. We were on the trail right around 7:30 am. I actually left camp a few minutes ahead of Raymond, but expected him to catch me on the long climb up Saddleback Junior. It was another doozy of a climb, but I reached the summit at 3655 feet around 8:30. I quickly put on my long sleeved shirt & pulled my buff up over my head for warmth. There was some fog, but still panoramic views all around. I was starting to feel a little better. Raymond arrived in about 5 minutes, & after the obligatory summit photos, we began a slow, arduous, steep, treacherous, & never-ending climb down. At this point, I was remembering something I had read in the journal of a hiker traversing the Whites. She had written, "I am so tired of being afraid of getting hurt!". My sentiments exactly! But, we made it down safely, stopped for a quick break at Poplar Ridge Shelter, then scrambled up onto Poplar Ridge, which I really enjoyed. It consisted of a big flat rock out-cropping very much like what Judy & I spent a day scrambling up & over in NY. Only, this time there was only one, & it had a nice view & breeze. I was wishing we hadn't already taken our break!Yesterday, Raymond had to wait for me. Today was my day to wait for him because both of his boots failed. First one sole, & then the other peeled off. What a disaster! He had to stop several different times to duct tape them on, but it always wore through from the rocks. He tried walking in his water shoes, but they quickly hurt his feet. Poor guy! I have to say that he coped amazingly well--much better than I would have done. Fortunately, trail conditions improved & became more normal. We had one more long climb up Lone Mountain--3260 feet--right at the end of the day, then nice trail to the shelter. We reached the shelter at 5:00 & set up our tents in a nice area behind the shelter. A better day all the way around--except for Raymond's boots! Some other hikers in the shelter donated more duct tape to the cause of keeping those darn boots together!
Date: 2012-08-26
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Caribou Valley Road
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

I took 2 Aleve & a Benadryl last night & I SLEPT! I still felt tired this morning & am now very sore in spite of the drugs. Raymond (with freshly taped boots) & I were on the trail by 7:30. It was a gorgeous cool morning. We immediately began the very long & challenging climb up Spaulding Mountain (4000 feet). After a break to catch our breath, we headed on up the trail towards Sugarloaf, but not over it. Thank goodness! The trail sort of undulated along--not bad at all. Two thru-hikers from the Netherlands, that I had given fuel to back at the campsite this morning,stopped & gave Raymond more duct tape for his boots. But, with about 3 miles to go, he was--once again--sole less. He did amazingly well, but eventually bruised his heel & decided to try his water shoes again for the last mile & a half. That last part was another unbelievably steep & scary descent. I did not fall, but had 3 very close calls. We finally reached the beautiful Carrabassett River, where we crossed by jumping from boulder to boulder. We were trudging up the last little hill when I heard Bob's voice from above say, "There you are!". We were exactly 4 minutes later than our planned arrival at Noon. Pretty darn good, I'd say! Raymond was a real trooper & a great hiking partner! The trip was hard, but successful. I now have completed 2009.2 miles--92% of the trail. Bob & I will be moving the RV down to Gorham, NH for the next section in a day, or 2. Stay posted!
Date: 2012-08-31
From: Mahoosuc Notch W End & Notch Trail

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: few clouds

This was an interesting day! First of all, I certainly had hoped to go further than 5.9 miles! Well, actually, I hiked 7.9 miles if you count the Notch Trail that took me from Success Pond Road & the Jeep. But, I don't get to count those 2 miles, even if that is where the day began to go bad. Before ever reaching the AT, I was crossing a stream & took a hard fall into the stream, banging my left thigh on the rocks & getting one side of my pack all wet!I did reach the trail & began the long & strenuous climb up Fulling Mill Mountain (3395 ft.). Somewhere in there I injured my left knee which continued to bother me all day. The going was hard & progress slow as I continued on to Full Goose Shelter, where I took a short break. As I left there, I met a hiker who mentioned how bad the wind was up on Goose Eye. Then, I met a young lady wearing a fleece stocking cap & fleece jacket. Hmmm... Then, I noticed how gray the skies were getting. It was not looking like a great day to be above treeline for an extended period of time. As I topped the North Peak of Goose Eye, I could look ahead & see the trail ahead as it headed up the East Peak. The wind was blowing so hard that it was hard to keep myself on the board bridges they have in place to keep you from walking on the fragile alpine plants. I was debating what to do when it began to rain. I quickly followed the trail as it dropped down below treeline between the two mountains. I sat down under a spruce tree for shelter, but as the rain got hard & the wind stronger, I soon realized I needed more shelter than this tree & my rain jacket. I looked around & could see a spot among the trees big enough for my tent & I quickly set it up, & got in. I was quite chilled by then, so I put on my fleece shirt, fleece socks, & got in my silk liner that I use inside of my sleeping bag for extra warmth. I buried my head under my cover & was so comfortable that I must have dozed off! All of a sudden, I realized that the wind wasn't blowing so hard & I peeked out to see just a little blue sky! I quickly packed up & continued on up the East Peak (3790 ft.). Of course, that open rock face that I could see from the other mountain is now wet & slippery, so it was slow going. I had hoped to make it to Gentian Pond Shelter--an 11.1 mile day. No way!The weather was much improved for awhile, but by the time I was climbing Carlo Mountain, the skies had darkened & rain had begun again. Just before the summit, it was lightening & thundering. I knew I would only be exposed above treeline for a few minutes, so I made the dash. By the time I reached the sidetrail to the shelter, there was a full-blown thunderstorm. It was very dark under the trees as I hurried down the unbelievably rocky trail. I made it to the shelter, which is very nice & closed in except for an open doorway. I have the companionship of a sobo hiker named Rocket from Texas. It is a good night to be in a shelter!
Date: 2012-09-02
From: Trident Col Tentsite

To: US 2, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: fog

I could not believe it when I woke up this morning to rain! Oh, no! Didn't matter. I was ready to get going & was on the trail by 7 in a steady rain. Of course, now things are really slick, but there is something beautiful about a foggy morning in the mountains. I took more pictures this morning than any other day on the trail. There were some quite steep climbs & descents--lots of butt sliding--but they were all short. The worst was over by the time I reached the trail turn on Mt. Hayes. The AT had been called the Mahoosuc Trail, but at this point, it became the Centennial Trail. For the final 3 miles, the trail became easier--almost like a normal trail--& I made good time. I reached the road at Noon & began a short road walk to US 2, where Bob picked me up. Although a little battered & bruised, I'm none the worse for wear. I can tell that the tendonitis in my achilles tendons is beginning to kick in, so It's good that I will have a break for a day, or so. The Mahoosucs have definitely been my most challenging section of trail. Northbounders that I have met have assured me that if I can do this, I can do the Whites. We shall see!
Date: 2012-09-03
From: US 2, Gorham, NH

To: Maine coast!
Miles today: 0.0

I have only 143.9 miles of AT left, but it appears that I am done for now. It is brutal trail & Bob has been very worried about me being by myself. He feels strongly that I need to wait until Judy can do it with me. There has been lots of northbound trail traffic, so I am not in an isolated situation, but it is still not the same as having someone to share the challenges with. The other thing is that Bob--unlike other years--is really not enjoying hanging out waiting on me. He is ready to have a little vacation himself, & then head home so that he can get into his office & take care of things there that require his attention. He is not going to leave me up here, & truthfully, I am not confident that I have it in me to go the whole distance in one big bite. So, we are off to the coast for some lobster & LLBean shopping. I will be adding more pictures after I get back home. I forgot my camera cable this trip, so have only been able to post photos taken with my I-phone. See you next year!In the meantime, please support my hike by supporting the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches at www.youthranches.org.
Date: 2012-02-27
To: Michigan
Miles today: 0.0

This is my first trail journal entry. I'm currently in Austin Texas, where I've spent the winter. I plan to leave for Michigan on March 3rd to spend a few weeks tying up loose ends and finish preparing for my hike. I've been doing 15 mile hikes up and down the Barton Springs Greenbelt with a weighted pack to get in shape. I'm really doing this!!! It is going to be an awesome summer!
Date: 2012-03-28
From: Northern Michigan

To: Detroit
Miles today: 0.0

I'm really excited about heading south and getting on the trail. I believe I'm going to have just enough time to finish my taxes, get my house refinanced and finish up the rest of my to do list before flying out on Monday. I have a new easier to remember URL for this page it's www.trailjournals.com/late4dinner please update your bookmarks I got on the scale tonight and I've put on enough extra weight I feel I could lose 20lbs on the trail and still be healthy, skinny but healthy. I also got a great deal on a pair of zip off leg nylon trekking pants at Dunhams, only $23! That's way better than $60 for a pair of REI brand. I'll let you know how they hold up wearing them everyday for the next 5 months. Five more days and I'll be in Georgia!
Date: 2012-04-02
From: northern michigan

To: Atlanta
Miles today: 0.0

I made it to Atlanta! I had a nice car ride to Detroit with Pat and Ray earlier today. I hadn't flown commercially in some time and I was a little nervous about dealing with TSA, but it was no big deal. I opted for the pat down rather than be bombarded with scanner radiation. I had x-rays at the dentist a week ago and I don't need anymore. While flying from Detroit to Chicago I had a nice conversation with a fellow named Joby from India. After stopping for dinner I took another flight from Chicago to Atlanta. I got in about midnight. I'm supposed to leave on a greyhound at 9:00am from the airport tomorrow morning but I'd like to do some shopping in Atlanta before I leave for the hills. I'm too cheap for a hotel so I'm tucked in behind some bushes near baggage claim till morning. Greyhound opens at 8:00am, I'm going to see if I can switch to the afternoon bus.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Atlanta

To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

After trying several shoe stores in Atlanta today I grew frustrated that no matter the cost I couldn't find the right ones for me, so I prayed about it. The next shoe store I went to I found a comfortable pair of new balance running shoes 70% off! My feet walked out of there happy for under $22! It was a miracle. The Greyhound didn't work out, I should have read the fine print : P so I ended up riding the Marta train as far north as I could, then I paid a taxi driver $100 to deliver me to the hills. I got a little teary eyed when I saw the mountains. I'm staying in the very first shelter tonight at the beginning of the approach trail. I'm going to sign in and shower in the morning before I start walking. I am here with "My Way" tonight. He's 56 years old and a serious hiker. He's going to leave me in the dust tomorrow.
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Amicalola falls state park

To: near stover creek shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The 8.8 mile approach trail was a killer just like Chris said it would be. It's REALLY good exercise for my heart. However, my bag is way heavier than it should be, it weighed out at 37 pounds at the ranger station when I signed in. What happened to ultralight?! I just tossed lots of crap in at the last minute and now my right hip is paying for it. I decided to make camp off the trail. I walked 12 miles today, the terrain here is much harder then where I walked in Texas or Michigan. If I'm going to succeed at this journey I need to shed the extra weight and nurse my hip. I'd love to get rid of 15 lbs., all heavy metal objects are getting sent back home ASAP. I'm stripping my pack down to BARE minimum.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: big stamp gap

To: hawk mountain shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Today was a great day! I back tracked to USFS 42 this morning and a fellow named "squid mountain" suggested I take the hiker hostel shuttle to Dahlonega to unload at the post office. The shuttle showed up around 10:00am it was cool driving down the forest service two tracks. The army rangers have war games in the mountains out here with blank ammunition and mortars. As we were driving down the road it sounded like something fell off the roof of the shuttle van and Willy (the driver) pulled over so we could see what it was. While we were looking around a whistling mortar went off a hundred yards away! It was surprising to say the least! Then a guy in full camo came out of the woods and asked what we were looking for, I hadn't even noticed him standing there till he spoke. We quit looking and got back in the truck. When we looked down the valley behind the ranger that we noticed movement and then it became clear the was about 30 rangers camped out down there. It was really cool to see them. I got into town and mailed 10lbs. of stuff I didn't need back home. I got "The home wrecker" burrito at a restaurant near the post office. I found out that burrito lives up to it's name by the gas it gave me, it's a good thing I'm outside! Then I stopped at Walmart and got some groceries. Afterward I called every shuttle service in the area without sucess to see if I could get a ride back to the trail. I went to the UPS store and got a piece of cardboard so I could make a sign and hitch a ride. I prayed to God that he would send someone to pick me up. I was writing the name of a town up the road on the cardboard when I heard a voice in my head say hurry up she's on her way. I got down to the road and was blessed to be picked up by Jenifer, Famous Fiona, Kye, and their dog Myah. Talk about trail angels, they drove me an hour down dirt roads to get back to "Big stamp gap" and gave me a container of peanuts. God bless you guys, your a part of my journey now. Thank you for your kindness.After they dropped me off I hiked out to the Hawk Mountain shelter. Cell phone service is good here.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: hawk mountain shelter

To: woody gap
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Left Hawk Mountain shelter with a small resentment this morning toward a 74 year old German woman who criticized me for not being totally prepared on the trail. I told her I was going to figure out the details along the way and she said that's not very smart. She proceeded to tell me I shouldn't stay in the shelters because I snore, then she said "have you ever camped before"? As I walked through the fog I new I couldn't feed that resentment and stay happy, especially out here. So I started praying for her. We later met on the trail and she asked to use my phone so she could get shuttle service to the hostel or hotel and get out of the rain. She said we could split the room and make it cheaper. I said are you sure? I snore : D anyway we made friends and met up with two other hikers with the same plan. Eznomad from san diego and John aka big orange from Australia. At woody gap we met a tall Texan named Oz who broke his foot on the trail. He was kind enough to offer left over trail food and candy bars, he also had cold soda, milk, water, and beer for the hikers. I chose the milk to make my bones tough, a couple candy bars, and apple cobbler. Thanks Oz! We went to town, I got mole foam for my blisters and had a nice shower.
Date: 2012-04-07
From: woody gap

To: swaim gap
Miles today: 13.4

We got an early start, the shuttle had us back around 8:30am. It was a climb up Blood Mountain and very pretty at the top. The trudge down blood mountain was steep, rocky, and hard on the knees. Down at Neel Gap the trail went right through an outfitter. I mailed some more stuff home and replaced it with lighter stuff. Pack weight was 30lbs with a weeks worth of food. I hiked out a little further to Swaim Gap and met John and Dave who were out camping for the weekend from the Atlanta area. They had a nice fire going and it was cool to hang out with them. It was a clear night and I slept under the stars.
Date: 2012-04-08
From: swaim gap

To: low gap shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

It was windy at swaim gap during the night but my bag kept me warm. I got up this morning and made breakfast with John and Dave. When I was packed up and ready to head out they were nice enough to give me an MRE and a freeze dried ham and egg breakfast. My left knee has bothered me since coming down blood mountain yesterday and it feels about the same today. The good news is that my hip feels MUCH better. Today, Yedda the 74 year old German woman passed me on the way to the shelter. I asked her to save me a spot. I had to employ the use of a walking stick to take some of the pressure off my left knee on the downhills. It really helped me hobble down to Low Gap Shelter. I met some really cool hikers there from all over. It's a beautiful spot with a nice stream running through. Yedda saved me a spot, I said are you sure you want want me snoring right next to you? She said "I have earplugs and you aren't the loudest". Yedda and I are friends now. She's hiked long distance trails in Europe and America. It was I interesting to hear about some of the places she's hiked, she's pretty tough for 74. I have a ride to Helen from Unicoi gap Tuesday at 9:00am, I want to go to the pharmacy and get a knee brace.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: low gap shelter

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

I did a very light day today to take it easy on my knee. I don't know what I was thinking trying to keep up with Eznomad and the Australian guy who's hiked up to base camp on Mount Everest. It's going to take my body some time to get mountain hardened. Pat was right, the best training for the AT would be to find the biggest hill around and walk up and down it all day with a heavy pack on. I'm with a good bunch of people on the mountain tonight, they are wisely doing short days to get adjusted to the stress. I think I will fall in with this group, I met most of them at the last shelter. It's cool how people look after each other out here. You can see the natural human instinct to form communities. I wonder how many little hiker groups have formed on the trail moving ahead of us? I'm going to take advantage of the ride to town in the morning and get a knee brace, but I should be able to get back on the trail and meet these guys at the next shelter. It's nice to be in a group, I broke my plastic spoon eating dinner tonight and just as I was commenting how I would have to eat my oatmeal in the morning with a stick, another hiker named "Moflow" gave me a really cool camping eating utensil that's both a knife, fork, and a spoon. Much better than what I had. Thanks Moflow. Life is good In the mountains of north Georgia.