morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-01
From: Gordon Pond

To: Mt. Kinsman Trail
Miles today: 10.9

Started:Gordon PondFinished:Mt. Kinsman TrialSleeping:TentMiles:10.9Total Miles:1796.5Miles till Katahdin:377.7Brutal hike up and over Kinsman. This would be a hard hike without a pack, but carry my house I must!I actually enjoy this kind of hiking...without a pack it would be down right fun!If you are reading other journals you have probably caught wind of falls being taken by some hikers climbing on these big moutains. I personally am not the least bit suprised, especially if they are hiking in rain or on days when the trail is wet. I continue to take it as slow as I can and try to be careful(which requires staying very fcused on what you are doing, each step taken) It's hard to hold yourself back with a deadline looming over your head, but one wrong step, even this late in the game could mean the end of a dream.Johnny K and I talk about this a lot, which is good. It keeps it at the front of your mind. The Whites, so far have offered me the most phenominal views I've yet to feast my eyes upon, but every view has required hard work, sweat, sore muscles and aching joints. Right now, my right shoulder is so sore I can bearly lift it...but lift it I do, over and over again. My transciber says I'll start to smell Maine. We are all so tired and wish for the end of our trek...but the aroma from the north pulls us to it. We hear our names called one by one on the wind. "Bluebird, Bluebird, I am Katahdin...I am waiting for you. I am anxious to feel your tired feet upon my back...I have been waiting since you were born...since I was created!"
Date: 2006-09-02
From: Mt. Kinsman Trail

To: Liberty Spring Campsite
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Started:Mt. Kinsman TrailFinished:Liberty Spring CampsiteSleeping:TentMiles:4.7Total Miles:1804.5Miles till Katahdin:370.1Did a Nero today and headed into Lincoln, NH for supplies and a big eight oz Black Agnes burger. I finally bought a pair of pants that fit. I looked like Bozo the Clown in the pants from my Georgia days.(sooooo long ago, 20 pounds ago!)We, Johnny K & I got a ride back to the trail head from a lovely family with two children and a black lab. Just want to say to them that "Dreams Come True" and remember to sign my journal with name and address, so I can send you the Katahdin Christmas Card!I can hardly believe this, but I'm sleeping in my winter gear tonight(scarf, mittens, hat & all). One week you're sticking to your sleeping bag because your covered in sweat... couple weeks later it's 30 degrees and you're using hand and feet warmer packs to ward off hypothermia. The wind is gusting and I swear I hear, "On Dasher, on Dancer!" as I bury myself deep into my Marmont sleeping bag. I go to sleep tonight realizing that tomorow I will continue to climb the second highest mountain in The Whites. They are not calling for the greatest weather and the itinerary is TBD.Now, to bed before my hands freeze to this Pocketmail Device.   I MISS EVERYONE, SO MUCH!!LOVE YOU ALL!!Bluebird
Date: 2006-09-03
From: Liberty Spring Campsite

To: Green Leaf Hut
Miles today: 3.8

Started:Liberty Spring CampsiteFinished:Green Leaf HutSleeping:AMC HutMiles:3.8Total Miles:1808.6Miles till Katahdin:366.3Today was an experience to write home about...Up we went, and over Little Haystack Mtn., Mtn. Lincoln, & Mt. Layfayette in a blinding wind storm, pelted by horizonal rain. I felt as though at any moment, I might go para-sailing...without a para-sail!!At one point I was blown forward on my knees by a back gust of wind and could not get up under the weight of my pack. I called to Johnny K (in front of me) who could not hear me over the wind, so, in Bluebird form I started laughing, which made it even more impossible to get up. I did after gaining control of myself, manage to get to a standing position.Upon summiting Mt. Layfayette the cold and wet had taken its toll. Once again, weather called a halt to our hike and we took shelter at a New Hampshire Mtn. Hut (one mile DOWN from the summit. Which means we have to hike back up to the summit tomorrow to get back on the AT) Here, thru hikers can do "Work for Stay" Johnny K and I spent couple hours washing dishes and talking to people hiking by and/or staying at the hut...trying to escape the raw weather. Everyone warmed up on $2.00 bottomless bowls of soup, coffee, tea, and cocoa. Luke (cabin master) said there may be some work in the morning...we are just so grateful to be out of the weather.Tonight, after the regular guests are served dinner, we will eat with the staff, likewise in the morning, then it's Os-ta-la-vista Baby!
Date: 2006-09-04
From: Green Leaf Hut

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Started:Green Leaf HutFinished:Galehead HutSleeping:AMC HutMiles:6.3Total Mile:1814.9Miles till Katahdin:359.7The Whites are KICKING MY BUTT!!!! OH! was I wet and cold today. We lucked out on another "work for stay" at Galehead Hut. I entered the door exhausted and threw myself on the mercy of "Cricket," the hut master. She was merciful.Presently Johnny K is giviing a talk to the guests of the hut on thru hiker gear. He's actually doing a pretty good job. Tomorrow the idea is to get to town to clean up. It would mean a 15 mile day and I don't know if I can handle it. I am slower than Johnny K and I feel as though I hold him back. I am also beginning to be concerned about the time left to make Katahdin...time keeps tickin away, tick, tick, tickin away!
Date: 2006-09-05
From: Galehead Hut

To: Ethan Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Started:Galehead HutFinished:Ethan Pond ShelterSleeping:ShelterMiles:11.8Total Mile:1827.7Miles till Katahdin:347.9A break in the weather made today a thing of beauty, visually and mentally. Hiking was every bit as difficult, but more tolerable.The Whites have proven themselves to be the most physically challenging as far as terrain, on the AT. This is a shared opinion of many a thru hiker around me on the trail. A mile feels like three miles. Most hikers are ready for the end to be here now. So many of us are tired of living out of plastic bags, having dirty legs, fingernails, feet, clothing, etc.The vitas of NH are ever before us pulling us on as we complain bitterly of sore feet, knees, muscles, joints, etc. We ask ourseves WHY are we still doing this, but no answer comes. We just keep moving forward, one stepat a time to that magical, mystical place we call Katahdin.I still want to see a moose too!
Date: 2006-09-06
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Crawford Notch Campground 302
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: fog

Started:Ethan Pond ShelterFinished:Crawford Notch Campground 302Sleeping:HostelMiles:2.9Total Mile:1829.9Miles till Katahdin:345.0It was absolutely, positively, hands down, neccesary to get off the trail today and BATHE! We went to the Crawford Notch General and Campground and, for a very reasonable price, are sleeping in an incredibly nice bunk house. Our clothes are laundered our bodies smell like Irish Spring, our packs, sleeping bags, boots, etc. are DRY! I've purchased TP (white gold) & enough snacks to last me from here, over Mt. Washington and into Gorham.We have six NOBO's here tonight and we're all talking statagy on how to get to Katahdin before time runs out. STRESS ON THE TRAIL!!!! Who'd have guessed it.I have faith enough to believe I'll make it with God's help. Everyone I know is pulling for me and their prayers are many...for which I am deeply thankful.Another friend has left the trail. Chainsaw emailed to inform me his father had passed away. For obvious reasons he decided not to return to finish his 2006 thru hike. Our prayers go with him for his family. His presence with us here on the trail, will be missed.
Date: 2006-09-07
From: Crawford Notch Campground 302

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: mist

Started:Crawford Notch Campground 302Finished:Lakes of the Clouds HutSleeping:AMC HutMiles:11.2Total Mile:1840.8Miles till Katahdin:333.8Today was the best hiking we've had in a long, long time. The trail itself is still very wet and muddy in places, but rocks and roots have begun to dry and as a result, hiking seems less trecherous. I've been looking forward to hiking up Mt. Washington and have been praying for good weather. We hiked an almost constant upward climb today and after eleven plus miles, put in at The Lakes of the Clouds Hut (work for stay). The hut is at the base of the Mtn. Washinton and only 1.5 miles from the summit. It was quite impressive to see it looming over us as we walked toward the hut. The clouds first obsuring it from our sight then passing by to give us one more peek at tomorrows quest!I am going to sleep tonight with the aid of Exedrine PM. My sore body has been waking me up at night and the only way I have been able to get back to sleep is to get up and do stretches. Hey, It works!A good night all.Bluebird
Date: 2006-09-08
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tent Site
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Started:Lakes of the Cloud HutFinished:Osgood TentsiteSleeping:TentMiles:10Total Mile:1850.8Miles till Katahdin:323.8We hiked up to Mt. Washington early in the AM as skies cleared to visability of over 60 miles to the east and a little over one half mile to the west. The breeze was barely a whisper. They say that 60% of the year the summit is covered with clouds (fogged in) I felt blessed beyond my prayers. It was amazing. We had hikers dancing around like a bunch of kids, giddy that the day's view was a trophey moment.The rest of the hike was a feast for the eyes as we hiked down, up and over Clay, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison Mountains. The hike was grueling at times, especially the last three miles. It was a steep three mile down hill to Osgood Campsite. It was almost constant rock and bolders and all but one mile of this section of trail was above tree line. We stumbled into the campsite after sundown. You could barely see the trail as we searched for a tent platform. I was, and still am, exhausted by my hike through The Whites. This has been one of the most difficult things I've done, physically, in my life!Editor's Note: To donate to the Hershey Children's Miracle Network in baby   Aaron's memory or in honor of Bluebird, please contact:               Rick Gates or Mary Lynn Smith at 717-534-4209                                    OR                  Email Mary Lynn at: mlsmith@hersheys.com
Date: 2006-09-09
From: Osgood Tent Site

To: Wildcat Ski Patrol Hut
Miles today: 7.5

Started:Osgood TentsiteFinished:Wild Cat Ski Patrol Hut Sleeping:HutMiles:7.5Total Mile:1858.3Miles till Katahdin:316.3The Whites continue to kick my butt.They say the AT is a foot path???!!!I spent today crawling up the first peak of Wildcat Mt. after hiking into Pinkham Notch for a hot lunch. When I say crawl, I MEAN CRAWL!! It was hand over hand vertical climbing...then it started to rain! Now it's a slippery, no grip (boots almost worthless) hand over hand, vertical, hang on for dear life, hike! It just sucks the strength out of you. You start to ache inside and out from being so deeply focused on not slipping and falling. We got to the top of the first peak as the predicted thunderstorm for the day rolled in behind us. The Wild Cat chair lift was in service when Johnny K checked with the lift operator about the ski patrol hut being left open for thru hikers.We were in luck. No sooner had we gotten inside than it started to rain. Cheese Wiz and Keystone showed up and the storm hit full force. We had horzonal rain, hail and then the chair lift operator took shelter with us. He said they had to shut off the lift because of the lightning and wind and that they had two people in an enclosed chair stranded half way down. Seems the wind, at high speeds (if the lift is moving) can disconnect a chair. Seems the stranded people on the lift are safer riding out the mountain typhoon just hanging out there! IIIIIIIIIII wouldn't want to be the poor individual, out there in a chair lift, with virtical winds and lightning flashing around me. Give me the deserted ski patrol hut any day!The final suprise of the day was to see Lothar round the corner. He reported he'd weathered the storm on the exposed side of the mountain we'd just finished climbing...Dear Lord, I'm reeeeeeally glad I was in the ski patrol hut.
Date: 2006-09-10
From: Wildcat Ski Patrol Hut

To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: fog

Started:Wild Cat Ski Patrol Hut Finished: Imp ShelterSleeping:ShelterMiles:10.3Total Mile:1868.8Miles till Katahdin:305.9Tomorrow I hike into Gorham NH and mentally put The Whites behind me, turning my antenna toward Maine. I understand the greatest challenge lies ahead in Maine at the Mahoosic Notch, but tomorrow I won't be thinking about hiking I will be getting some rest, hopefully, in Gorham. We plan a Nero there and will be picking up our mail drops before heading out later in the day, on Monday. Bluebird Reports: I have finally found the cure for a thru hiker dilema. I don't need to be graphic, you will figure it out as soon as you hear the things that don't seem to have an effect for the problem. Forget Pepto Bismol, forget Imodium. Cooked rice gets things back in order faster. It's taken me FIVE MONTHS TO FIGURE THIS OUT!!! I have found relief. It is cold tonight...somewhere in the low 40's. I have my toe warmers in my socks. Thank you Rod!!! I am off to bury myself in my sleeping bag. Up at 5:30 am. Egad, it feels like Georgia!
Date: 2006-09-11
From: Imp Shelter

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

Started:Imp ShelterFinished:Gorham, NHSleeping:HotelMiles:7.9Total Mile:1876.7Miles till Katahdin:297.9Less than 15 miles to Maine! I understand there are more challenges to come. My present challenge is getting new hiking shoes. My Lowa's had a thread break on the outside of both boots and I found out that Lowa offers a one year guarentee, so I'm checking it out at a local outfitter.I am in town restocking, bathing, and doing laundry.When I get of the trail, I have decided to buy stock in Advil, Ziplock Bags and Ramen Noodles.Go figure!Right now, I just want to sleep, sleep, sleep! And I'm gonna.
Date: 2006-09-12
From: Gorham, NH

To: Left Branch of Peabody Brook
Miles today: 9.6

Started:Gorham, NHFinished:Left Branch of Peabody BrookSleeping:TentMiles:9.6Total Mile:1886.2Miles till Katahdin:288.7I am exhausted. The terrain continues to pull all the strength out of me. I eat constantly in an effort to give my body more energy to burn. It burns it up and screams for more. I've started to eat this STUFF called GU. It has got to be the most disgusting substance I have ever put in my mouth. However it give me a huge boost and keeps me going when I find I can't lift a booted foot another time.Today I stumbled over a root and jammed my (already) sore right shoulder with my treking pole. It felt like I got hit with spear! Pain does not adaquately discribe what shot through my shoulder. Presently, I can bearly move my right arm and I'm concerned it may impair my progress on the trail. I have it packed with 12 hour hand warmers from Rod. I'm using them like portable hot pads.It's hard to journal, so I'm calling it a wrap.
Date: 2006-09-13
From: Left Branch of Peabody Brook

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

Started:Left Branch of Peabody BrookFinished:Full Goose ShelterSleeping:ShelterMiles:11.9Total Mile:1898.1Miles till Katahdin:276.5I am officially in Maine. The 14th and final state on my way to Katahdin. It's hard to believe, really, that I've come this far. There have been a number of times I thought I could not possibly go on, but here I am. My arm still hurts, but seems better than yesterday. I wonder what keeps me going against the odds. I can't seem to connect with why I am still out here, but I am, just like the others in this shelter with me tonight.I think we're all just a little bit crazy...
Date: 2006-09-14
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Started:Full Goose ShelterFinished:Speck Pond CampsiteSleeping:ShelterMiles:5.1Total Mile:1903.2Miles till Katahdin:271.4Let me tell you something...if I told you before it needs repeating. "The AT is no foot path!!!!!!!"The Mahoosuc Notch is one mile long. It took four seasoned thru hikers THREE HOURS to get through this one mile section. Granted, we had a blast crawling over, under and though this boulder field, but I struggled with the use of only one good arm. (right arm is worthless and continues to pain me) The situation improved greatly when Nattty Boh and Wolf Paw came back, after completing the Notch, and took my pack and poles for me. I moved much faster after that. Our short day proved exhausting with the added 1000 plus foot climb up The Mahoosuc Arm. Steep, steep, steep, with solid rock sliding boards that kept going & going & going!! I have decided that the trail can only get easier from this point on. It has thrown just about everything it can at us. We stand battered and bruised...but we still stand...to hike another day. We're over 1900 miles...the very thought of it tells me to put the headlamp out and get my rest.So, Nightooooo!
Date: 2006-09-16
To: Journey (AT 2003)
Miles today: 0.0

As I write, Rod is on his way to Maine to collect Bluebird. After spending an agonizing night in pain on the 14th, Bluebird sought medical help in Andover, ME. The clinic encouraged her to rest her injured shoulder for 2 weeks and get an MRI to rule out torn ligaments around her rotator cuff.Needless to say, this is a heartbreaking time for Bluebird and I ask that anyone that has read her journals and appreciated the positive attitide, the shining personality, and the humor that Terry has brought to the trail and to us.......please send a word of encouragment through her guest book or to her pocketmail (bluebird@pocketmail.com)In true thru-hiker fashion, she intends to return to the trail in several weeks........but I'll let her tell you all about that when she gets home. Thank you to all who have supported Bluebird through your prayers and messages~J.
Date: 2006-09-23
From: Grafton Notch

To: Dillsburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Started:Grafton NotchFinished:Dilsburg PASleeping:HomeMiles:0Total Mile:1907.8Miles till Katahdin:266.8The final verdict is in. My thru hike is at an end. I do have a small tear in my rotator cuff and after all options were reviewed the most sensable and responsible decision was to let my body heal and finish my hike in 2007. I feel at peace with my decision and I look forward to resting my body and planning for next year.
Date: 2006-09-25
To: Journey (AT 2003)
Miles today: 0.0

While Bluebird steeps in her aborted thru-hike aftermath, she has asked me to put a guest entry in her journal.While I spoke with her on the phone over the weekend, all my feelings of not completing 180 miles of my 2003 hike came rushing back to me. The difference in our two hikes was that I jumped ahead (so that I could return to work by Oct. 1st) from Mt. Washington to Stratton, Maine and continued to Katahdin from there. I had spent 6 months on the trail and wanted to experience "the prize" even if it were bittersweet. I had a class II summit day and will remember it for the rest of my life. We cried together over our shortened hikes, both understanding what the other was going through.Bluebird didn't get that chance. She poured a year of preparation into her hike, spent just shy of 6 months on the trail and got to go home in a sling. That hurts big-time, or as Terry says, "It sucks!". My favorite journal entry will always be from that day in August when she attempted to save the lives of every orange salamander within 14 miles and finally realized that it just wasn't her responsibility. What a wonderful a-ha moment for her.Bluebird wants you all to know that she completed what she set out to do on this adventure.So while our feathered friend works on finding the words to share with you all about what it feels like to go home 200 miles from the end.........be patient, she's working on it.PS I will be hiking from Mt. Washington to Stratton, Maine next summer. From there I'll jump to Monson, Maine, hike the 100 Mile Wilderness again (one of my most favorite places in the world)and climb Katahdin, finishing my 2003 thru-hike for real. I hope to share the summit of Katahdin that day with Bluebird and Rod~Journey
Date: 2006-09-26
To:  To Heal & To Learn
Miles today: 0.0

It has been a few days since I went to the orthopedic surgeon and was told the extent of my injury. I immediately added the verdict to my journal with a stiff upper lip and a "that's that" and a good old girl, 'a movin on' attitude.What a joke.This has been as horrible as it gets. Compared to the scheme of things, world conflict, etc., it's a smaller than the smallest a spec (as specs go) but for me...I feel, a times robbed, devastated. I think I'm over the crying...then the tears pool up in my eyes as pangs of 'something lost' swirl about in heart and head. I once compared this walk to baring a child. The plans...the preparations for...The physical pain (the labor) was tolerable, because there would be this wonderful prize at the end of the journey...a triumph, a type of birth. I would be known by another name, I would have a new title. A child makes one a mother...this half year of devotion to the trail would make me a thru hiker. I find the comparison ironic in relation to my decision to walk for CMN & my late son's memory. I was a young mother, with my first child, when destiny stripped me of my title. Days ago, I was a thru hiker...not so now. I have been honest while writing my journal. I can not pretend that this transition is easy, when it is not. I am mad, sad, miserable, depressed, envious, and bitter. I hurt all over, inside and out. I know there are a million reasons to be proud of what I have accomplished, thankful for the opportunity, blah, blah, blah, but I can not grasp that at this time. Going back next year will never give me what climbing Katahdin with my peers, this year, would have given me. I believe it is important to tell would be thru-hiker the realities of a long distance hike. The reality is...you may have a tremendous victory..the flip side...you may not.Am I sorry I for the sacrifices I made to take this journey or taking the journey...I am not. Will I complete the AT...with God's help, absolutely. Will I feel better about my loss...no doubt, in time, I will even laugh about it. For now, I will take one day at a time, as I took one step at a time this past year. I will embark upon a new path, a path of healing and I will learn from my loss...probably more than I would have learned if I had stood on Katahdin with my poles over my head in victory.I love all of you...all you wonderful people who walked with me this year as you read my journal, as you sent encouragement and shared your dreams with me. This has been the the greatest blessing of my walk, my journey with YOU, YOU, ALL OF YOU.
Date: 2006-10-06
To: Operation
Miles today: 0.0

Hi all...I'm back to report that my shoulder will be operated on October 19th. I am not in constant pain but if I move my shoulder the wrong way...it lets me know. Doctor Litton says I will eventually be back 100%, so I've already started to plan for next year. Lots of my friends that hiked this year have summited, are summiting, or are preparing to do so. I am celebrating with them. I know that they are as happy to be done as they are to stand on the mountain top. I appreciate their taking the time to call or write a messages on my journal. They have been the balm that has helped to heal my soul. Without the support of fellow hikers and journal readers I would not be feeling as good as I am today. Thank you Ramps, 48 Leaves, Handlebar, Lonestar, Dadgum, Monologe, Johnny K, the list goes on and on!!! I am starting to go through 100's of pictures I've taken to lable them before I forget where I was when I took them! I plan to put quite a few out on the site, that have special meaning to me. Hope you enjoy...Stay tuned!Bluebird