morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-02
From: speck pond

To: andover, me
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I took a 0day in Andover, at the Pine Ellis B&B. It's realy more of a hostil. At most places the hikers are in one place and the owners live in another section, but here it's like your part of the faimily. The kitchen, bathroom, and everything else is shared by everyone. My first impression of ME is that everyone is very friendly. They run shuttles so you can slack pack if you want, but I would feel guilty not having my pack. I'm glad I kept it because it is pouring. It wasn't forcasted to rain, but I finally called it right. I set up my tarp before it started and am so happy I'm not getting soaked. Me and Raisin have made plans to meet in Milonocket on the 21st to climb Mt Katahdin. I only have to average 13mi a day with two 0's to meet her. I will enjoy my lazy days of walking. I can get up as late as I want, walk 7mi take a long lunch walk a little more, maybee go for a swim, just go slow and enjoy my remaining days before reality(?) slaps me in the face. I saw my fi! rst Moose today on the way to the trail. It didn't look like the ones I have seen on TV. This bull was very dark, pretty much black and was not gangly at all, it looked like it was eating well. It has just about stopped raining, I guess I'll finish walking for the day. I'm currently in the hammock dinner was great,long grain wild rice w/vegies and for desert cheese cake w/blueberry and crumb topping. It was worth the extra money to eat freezdried food. It is so good.
Date: 2005-08-03
From: andover, me

To: moxi pond
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

This morning I was finaly caught taking a dump. I have tempted fate many times before going just off the trail, but have gotten away with it. The funny thing was the guy just prented like nothing was going on and asked me how it was going. I didn't say anything , since it would have sounded funny saying any of the normal responses. He should have asked me if everything was coming out ok. The moose in ME seem to use the trail more than hikers. There was a section today were it seemed like there was moose crap evry 3ft. It's not to nasty though, it just looks like giant rabit turds. I have unfrotunatly come upon human deposits on the trail. The worst kind of person out there, is what I call a surface shitter. Someone who cares about knowone but themselves. That's all the crap I have to talk about today.
Date: 2005-08-04
From: moxi pond

To: piazza rock
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

The trail was very easy today. I did 11mi by 13:30 and hitched into Rangeley. I went straight to a Pub, ate some food while I watched a baseball game. I gather everyone north of Boston is a RedSox fan. I sat in my boxers at the laundry matt until my clothes were clean, then went to the grocerie store for food. I've said this before, but just two days worth of groceries weighs as much as 4days of freezdried. I hitched out and walked another two to finish my easy 13mi day. My main reason for coming on the trail is a complete failure. I thought I would see the world with new eyes once I got done, but no luck, I dislike people even more than I did when I started. I feel like I keep meeting the same person over and over out here. Old guys with huge egos that think they know everything. I'm no longer going to placate(?) them anymore. I already started today. It felt great. I'm not mean, I just don't let it slide anymore. I'm pretty sure I heard a moose snorting at me last night li! ke the white tail used to. The heavy hoove steps woke me up then it was snorting. I went back to sleep. I figure, what's it going to do. Maybee speer the hammock, cutt it open and I'll fall out like a salty human surprise. Naah.
Date: 2005-08-05
From: piazza rock

To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.0

Trail magic is often refered to as when someone leaves food or drinks in a cooler. I think it's more about, when lucky coincedences occour. Today after I got camp set up, I was trying to cook dinner, but I can't get my matches to light. I try and think of some other way I can start the stove, but all I can think of is rubbing sticks together, just then someone I haven't seen since VA(bedhead) walks by and lets me get a light(and a smoke). Stuff like this happens all the time when you need it the most. That's one of the crazy things that makes this fun. It was a short but hard day. I climed a few mountains today, the largest being Saddle Back. It was sopposed to rain but not a drop all day. It's should to be perfect tommorow. I have to take 1 of my two remaining zero days on sunday because I have to wait for my new pack to get in. Ohh well.note from raisin: I've put a few more pictures up, check out the rattlesnake(buckwheat messed with it so he could get a good picture) and spider
Date: 2005-08-08
To: cmp site
Miles today: 11.0

I've been walking the AT for 5 months now and I'm 2mi short of 2000mi. Today was the last of the hard mountains. There are some mountains left but there fairly moderate, except Katahdin of course. I shaved off the Beard today. I was just tired of it. It was looking pretty crazy. I took some pictures of different variations as I was shaving it off. I did the Menanite look and the Gotee. I'm a pretty atractive Menanite. Only walked 10mi today but I got a late start. I wanted to eat lunch in town before I headed out. I look like a day hiker now. I'm clean shaven, have a brand new pack, I even got my sunglasses out of my bounce box.
Date: 2005-08-09
From: cmp site

To: east cary pond 
Miles today: 16.0

I'm camped at a realy nice spot. Right next to East Curry Pond. It has a nice white sand beach so I decided to go for a swim, until I noticed something that looked like a leach. I had watched a show on TV that talked about leaches so I figured I was just paranoid. I tryed to pick it up thinking it was just a leaf, but it was sqishy and it tryed to get a hold of me. I let it go and it started to swim after my leg, so that was the end of the swim. Maybee if I put a couple on my ankle it might reduce the swelling. No thanks. Still no Moose sightings but I did see a grey squrill with gogles on it's head.
Date: 2005-08-10
From: east cary pond 

To: caratunk
Miles today: 10.0

I asked Raisin to send me a resuply a little to late, so I'll have to wait here(Caratunk) until tommorow. The Kennebunk River is the only river on the AT that you cannot walk across. The government has a contract to take hikers across by canoe, so I got my little boat ride today. The river isn't very rough but they release the water from a dam every once in a while and somebody drowned a few years back so now they boat you over. My package not showing up was a good thing. I drove around BS'n with the owner of the hostil while he ran a few errands and he gave me a book to read. I just finish my last book(A Walk Across America). I still find it strange when I touch my face and I don't have a beard. It seems like I have had one forever. I think the other reason it may seem strange is my face feels alot diferent than when I started, there is no fat on it. I'm going to do everything I can to not gain to much weight back, because my ass is now a normal size.
Date: 2005-08-11
From: caratunk

To: bald mtn brook lean to
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I have come to appreciate the Dragon Fly. They are fun to watch and wherever they are there are never any bugs. I figured they would catch a bug and stop to eat it somewhere, but they just catch'em, eat'em and keep on kill'en. I lost my slepping pad. I had it strapped to the side of my pack and it must have slipped out. I've been putting it there since I started but I guess today was the day it failed. At least I'll have a little less weight to carry. I don't think I'll notice, since I didn't notice when I lost it. I got my package this morning. Raisin packed me some tasty lunches. One mountain to climb first thing in the morning, then it nice and flat all the way to Monson. Trail magic has struck again. Loki who I haven't seen since VA, walked into camp with my air mattres. It was cool to talk to him and see what he has been up to. He said he took a side trip to the beach that lasted 12 days. I'm going to try and do some extra miles tommorow so I can have some beers with hi! m in Monson.
Date: 2005-08-12
From: bald mtn brook lean to

To: monson
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

I made it. 22mi into Monson, my last town and then into the 100mi wilderness. It wasn't to hard to do big miles again, but it sounded like a long way in the morning. I walked with Loki most of the day. We had a little trouble getting a hitch into town, but a very nice gentleman went into town with a full car, ordered his food and came back to pick us up. He was at the BBQ resteraunt in town, and that was just were I was looking to go. We went to the General store picked up some beers and drank them with our dinner. There are a few other people in town. Air Bus, neighbor and chicadee and Skeeter Feeder is around somewhere. I don't have anymore cash so I have to hitch to another town tommorow. They have a movie theater ther so it will be worth it. I pick up Six heavy days worth of food tommorow at the PO. There is a another place to resuply in the Wilderness. You have to blow a fog horn and the people that run the store will come over in a boat to pick you up and bring you to ! the store. I hope the fog horn is operational when I get there
Date: 2005-08-14
From: monson

To: long pond lean to
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I left Monson this morning at about 08:00. I haven't been able to send out my journal because at the hostil they wouldn't let anyone use the phone and the only other public phone in town was Verizon and those cheep bastards won't connect the call, even though it's a 800#. I rarely get cell reception anymore either. All I did on my zero was watch movies, eat and pack. I encountered a flock of nuckleheads today. One old guy didn't raelize I was about ten feet from him when he almost busted his ass, and he threw a temper tantrum because he scared the crap out of himself. I would think if you are doing something volountarilly you would be happy to be out here but everyone I met today seemed miserable. Skeeter and Loki both left town today. I was out front all day and no one ever caught up to me. Both were planning on more miles than me. I hope nothing unfortunate happened to anyone. I have to do alot of fording now. No more bridges like down south, but lots of big streams. Somet! imes I'll take the time to put on my camp shoes. Other time I just blast on through. I'm going to try and call raisin tommorow when I get to the top of the Mountain and see about getting stuff to repel down Katahdin. Once(if)I get to the top I would like to find repel down as much of the mountain as possible. No sense doing more work than is needed. Plus it would be fun. It doesn't nees to be very steep to Austrailian Repel. I figure I might only be able to find four or more places to do it, but even that would be worth it.
Date: 2005-08-15
From: long pond lean to

To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.0

First I forgot to mention I saw two white tail yesterday and one today. All does of course. The ones yesterday put on a display of just how fast a deer can run, but the one today started to run but stopped looked at me and decided to make that horrible snorting noise. The terrain is not to tough but very slow going. Lots of mud and roots. I'm in no hurry so I don't mind to much. It is so nice not worrying how long it's taking to break camp, or how fast I'm walking. There is a thing called Gulf Haggas tommorow. It's supposed to be like a little Grand Canyon. People keep saying I have to go see it. But it's goin to involve me walking further than I have to so I don't know. Also when people say you have to do something, alot of the time it means that just because they did something they say evryone else should do it to validate the fact that thay spent the time doing it. I have acomplished another goal today. I'm now in the double digits. 88.5mi to go.
Date: 2005-08-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.0

Today was fairly uneventfull. I quite a little early again today. I figure why cary food up a mountain when I can stop and eat some of the weight now. After the few peaks tommorow, I have about 55 generaly flat miles to cover. I am quite happy with the weather. It's supposed to continue to be nice for awhile. A mouse chewed his way into my lunch the other day, and it was no dumby, it went strait for the oatmeal cream pie.
Date: 2005-08-17
To: copper brk falls
Miles today: 17.0

It was raining when I woke up, but the rest of the day was perfect. The mountain was an easy climb and the rest of the day was some of the easiest walking I have done. I did have some anoying french guys that kept catching me. Well, the were realy from Quebec but they were still bothering me. No hiking ediquite. I found another great campsite. It's just above some falls. I had a ballsy little chipmunk that ran right up and stuck his head into my garbage bag when I was three feet from him. If it's going to be this easy the rest of the way I may just get to Milinocket early and do some side stuff, like go kayaking or something. I decided to not try repelling of Katadhin. I think it was a pipe dream anyway. I may have been able to find some places to do it, but it was going to cost to much. There are alot of ways to get down Katahdin so I'll just find the easiest way. Once I get to the top, it's a free for all. I wish I knew someone with a helicopter.
Date: 2005-08-18
From: copper brk falls

To: white house landing
Miles today: 13.0

I decided to go to White House landing for dinner. I was hoping to go a little further but dinner is at 17:00 and they don't let you leave once your here. I can understand why, but they are obviously trying to get as much money out of you as they can. If you want to stay in the bunkhouse, $30. Want to try and save some money and camp, $30. The price isn't to bad it's a buetiful place, but I felt like my wallet was held hostage because he brings you over in a boat and once you can't leave he tells you what everything costs. There is even stuff in the register joking that he is supporting the Taliban. The worst part was I had to walk a mile to get here, so the first mile tommorow won't even count. I'm done bitch'n. I have a little 700ft mountain tommorow. Just a little bump, but I'm sure I'll have to listen to a day hiker crying about how tough it was. I kmow I'm crying again but I guess I'm just in the mood for it. I did get a nice pic of Katahdin today, it's getting bigger. ! A few days back, when I was camped by the water, a loon kept calling out. I answered it(the best I could)and it came over to me and kept calling and swimming back and forth in front of my camp.
Date: 2005-08-19
From: white house landing

To: rainbow stream lean to
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

I saw another moose today. It was a very large cow, she didn't seem very worried about us as we went by in the boat. The guy was nice enough to drop us off at the other end of the lake so we didn't have to walk the extra mile to get back to the trail. Its a good thing I'm almost finished, because my shoes are falling apart. Tommorow is my last full day of hiking. If I do 16mi, I'll only have 5 on the 21st, to give me time to get to Milonocket. As soon as raisin gets to the Hotel were going to drive to Monson to pick up my bounce box, which is at the hostel. Might as well have some BBQ again while were there. OK, I think I mispoke when I said tommorow will be my last full day. I'm sure the 22nd will be a full day as well, but only because I'll be dragg'n Raisen up there with me. No whiners on the trail today, just lots of nice folk
Date: 2005-08-20
From: rainbow stream lean to

To: woods
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It rained half the day, but it was never to bad. I stopped and ate lunch at the last shelter on the trail. Two guys that passed me earlier were there. I talked to them a bit and they told me they started on May either 5th or 15th, I'm not sure because when they said May I was already impressed. I think all the people that were going to summit on the 20th may be going up with me on the 22nd, because the weather is supposed to be bad tommorow as well. I'm glad that Raisin is going to get to climb Katahdin with me, because she has done alot of the work that helped me get here(except for all the walking). Someone asked me what have I learned from this walk. I learned I don't like walking very much. But I did learn a million little things that I couldn't sum up in a nut shell, but it's all up there somewere. I shure as hell didn't learn how to spell. 5mi tommorow, 5mi up, 5mi down.
Date: 2005-08-22
From: Katahdin Stream Camp Ground

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Well that's it. Mission accomplished. Raisin, I mean Jello-Legs and I, hiked to the top of Katahdin, and finished my journey. It only took Jello-Legs 9hours to do the 10mi round trip. The weather was not so good for our climb. Once we got near the top we had rain mixed with hail for a few hours. When your wairing shorts in the rain at 5600ft, it's a little cold. Going shopping for a scooter today. I'm not much for writing, so... it was fun, and now it's time to do other stuff. Peace Out!
Date: 2004-08-18
To: The Decision
Miles today: 0.0

The decision : Currently, I'm a 31 year old pharmacist at a very large hospital in Memphis. I started in my current position fresh from my residency with the intention of only staying a few years, then moving back to SC. Seven years later and I'm still in Memphis. Before continuing on with my professional career, I want to take some time off. What better way to take some time off than to take a little "walk in the woods." I know most of my colleagues & friends couldn't understand my desires to spend 4-6 months walking to Maine. Luckily for me, my wife understands completely and is looking forward to the trek also. I've always had the dream to thru-hike the AT, and at last I will now have the opportunity. I feel that the timing will be good for me to leave in the early spring and return to SC to be closer to family. Thinking back on the life experiences that have formed this dream, there have been many influences. I can remember camping & backpacking trips as a Boy Scout, and thinking how great it was. But even before scouts, I can remember walks in the woods with my grandfather. He, my brother, and I would walk for miles through the woods and across the pastures at my family's farm in South Carolina. I'm pretty sure that over the course of my childhood I covered every possible square inch of my family's land. The woods were alive with birds, deer, and squirrels....lots of squirrels. I'm sure we will see lots of these, plus many other types of "wild life" in the coming months. In a way, I'm looking forward to an encounter with a bear or moose. I just need to make a mental note not to say "Hey Bethany, watch this..." That's all for now.
Date: 2004-12-21
To: Appalachian Trail Institute
Miles today: 0.0

Bethany's ATI experience:I had a great time at Warren Doyle's workshop. He is quite the character and of a different breed by his own admission. I felt that I learned a lot and it gave me a chance to meet up with other 2005 thru-hiker hopefuls face-to-face. In fact I met and befriended someone that my husband I will be starting the trail with come March. Warren was very engaging, a wonderful story-teller and was quite knowledgable about things that aren't neccesarily found in guidebooks or the companions. He was able to give us one on one advice on what we still need to do to prepare for our hikes. We spent four intense days discussing the trail, going through the data book, and hiking parts of the trail. We started at 8:30 each morning and most night did not finish until 10 pm. He was happy to answer any questions that we might have and was a wonderful teacher and host(as was his wife). One of the great things about Warren is that even though he would like to see you heed his advice, if you don't he won't be offended. He may sit back andchuckle as you struggle with heavy & expensive gear, some of which he sees as needless, but more than anything he wants to see people prepared to hit thetrail and realize their dreams. He admits that most of the hikes that he embarks on are a different experience however, no less difficult. Although notas physically challenging it requires a mental and emotional challenge to do the expedition, with the idea being that the group commits to start as one atSpringer and continues on to finish as one at Katahdin. My weekend spent at the ATI was well worth the money and time that was spent. I look forward to seeing many of my new ATI friends along the trail.Bethany
Date: 2005-01-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

TrainingOne thing Bethany and I have agreed on is that if we're going to tackle the AT, we don't want to get in shape once we start the trail. Another related concern of mine has been whether my knees will hold up on the downhills. I think my knee pain comes from 1) playing catcher in high school, and 2)being about 15 lbs overweight. I have a planned checkup with my physician next month, so if I'm still experiencing some pain while excercising I'll probably need to see an ortho doc. In the meantime, I've been taking glucosamine/chondroitin (note: As a pharmacist I've had mixed feelings about taking these products, since there have been conflicting results regarding their efficacy. But if it improves my chances of making it to Katahdin, I'm all for it). I'll be doing all that I can before we start to work on the 2nd issue above.   We've joined at our local fitness center and have been working with a trainer, Terry. Although we've explained our hike to him, I don't think he completely understands what we're planning to do. Maybe he thinks we're crazy? At any rate, he as been working with us to settle on a training regimen. We've been excercising 6 out of 7 days per week, alternating between cardio and strength training focusing on high-reps. So far it has been quite challenging, but then again that could be because I'm in the worst shape of my life. I've always been athletic, and in good shape, but since I graduated pharmacy school I haven't kept to a regular exercise regimen. I feel so much better since I've been excercising...more energy, fewer headaches, knee pain getting better, etc. Why did I ever let myself get so out of shape?? I'll have plenty of time to ponder that question out on the trail, and my goal is to make time for excercise in my life upon returning from the trail.
Date: 2005-01-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, only a few more months until we plan to hit the trail. Both Bethany & I are so excited at the prospects of our hike. We've been so encouraged by many of our friends and family. Although many would never admit it, I think several must think we've gone off the deep end...especially my mom! When we've told them of our plans to thru-hike the AT, most have had numerous questions, but a few people have been speechless. We've spent a considerable amount of time educating them on the trail. We've managed to take it all in stride. The funniest question we've had so far was if we were planning to buy/rent an RV for our hike...That's all for now.