morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-09-09
From: Stratton, Maine

To: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today we are taking an unexpected zero. It's amazing what a little rain and a hotel room can do to your motivation. We recently caught back up with The Animal and Thoughtfoot so it has been good to see some old friends. The other day we hiked with out seeing another hiker. Speaking of old friends, we had been hiking with Troutbum for awhile but he had to get off the trail last week when his father passed away. He was supposed to start hiking from Gorham, NH yesterday. Good luck, Trouty... we miss you!So we have less than 200 miles left. We can taste Katahdin. Three out of the last four days of hiking we have hiked 19 miles or more... and they said Maine was hard... pshhhhh. We just want to be done. Oh, and we don't want to miss our wedding date either. Our next town stop should be Monson, ME and then the big K. We hope to be done by September 22nd, but if its any earlier we won't mind.
Date: 2008-09-14
From: Monson, Maine

To: 100 mile wilderness
Miles today: 0.0

Hello from the trail! We hiked from town today and entered what's called "the 100 mile wilderness". I have better cell reception out here than I do in town, weird. Basically we have 115 miles till Katahdin. We are hoping to summit on the 21st, next weekend! That is so amazing to say. We are all ready for this journey to end. Nothing can stop us now, even the rain today, we are all so motivated to reach Katahdin. I'll update after we summit and then once the dust settles expect to see some daily journals posted.Thanks to everyone that's helped along the way and to all those who read this thanks for the comments!
Date: 2008-06-15
To: End Planning, Start Hiking
Miles today: 0.0

We all have our reasons for hiking. Day hiking, overnight, weekend, sectional, or thru-hike attempts. Mine are the same as yours. Just the timing is different. My travel plans are in place, my initial lodging is all set up. Most of my startup gear is in hand. It's 6AM, Father's Day. I'm off for a visit and some final planning preparations...
Date: 2008-06-16
To: Background
Miles today: 0.0

Ok, so here I am taking care of some last minute preparations, and I want to establish my journal so I can record my progress as well as look back on this trip in years to come. After climbing the corporate ladder for 20 years, it's time to take a break and climb a few miles of trail. I'm starting with a big hill in Baxter State Park and then heading south...I've seen AT trail signs on a number of roads over the years. I've known about the trail for many years, and a year or two ago, the thru-hike idea took hold and grew roots. My boy's last day of high school was this past Friday, and a few months ago he asked to come along. So I've been gearing up for the both of us and our travel plans are now in place. He'll postpone University until January 2009, so we have a half year give or take to complete our walk in the woods. That's the plan, but we'll take it a day at a time and see where the trail leads. White blaze, blue blaze, flip flop, sectional, it's hard to say for sure since we haven't take a single official step on our journey. Stay tuned, time will tell.
Date: 2008-06-20
To: Lucky Number 24
Miles today: 0.0

"We grow old to quick and smart too slow."So said an old man to me the other day. I just got off the telephone with Jeannie at Baxter State Park. Wow, she is super nice. She sold me the last tent spot at Katahdin Stream. My lucky number too! I let her in on a little secret... I'm leaving my job and hiking south starting July 1st.
Date: 2008-06-30
From: Port Authority NYC

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Monday Morning, 4:44 AM train from Golden's Bridge to Grand Central Terminal. Shuttle train to Times Square. Walk to Port Authority. I think my pack is too heavy... but it fits well so it's bearable. Picked up my tickets from will call, waited for Jake aka Ayce. He showed up on time and after a Security Check, we boarded the first bus ride of the day. NYC -> Boston. Greyhound bus was nice and clean, and we had the front seat with a great view. Leaving NYC by bus during the morning rush was fun. Kudos to the bus driver. It can't be easy or unstressful to navigate the thoroughfares out of New York. Transferred in Boston to an old crappy Greyhound with screaming babies, vomiting ancient geezers, and a driver with a bad attitude and a feather foot on the pedal. I'll be happy to leave the drama behind for a while... Pull in to Bangor, transfer to Cyr lines to Medway, Ole Man picked us up and I got to meet some other great southbounders (RedHat, Abby Lane, D-Wreck. Dinner at the AT Cafe. I strongly recommend the walnut gorgonzola salad with grilled chicken and homemade dressing. Yum!Headed to the Lodge and met some other southbounders, Hawkeye & Pierce. These dudes and I see eye to eye. Spent an hour doing the gear p0rn thing. Good luck on your southbound quest guys!!Ayce and I decided to spent one extra day in Millinocket to fine tune our gear, bounce some crap ahead, mail some stuff home, and dump some extras in the hiker box. I went out for breakfast with RedHat, Abby Lane, Hawkeye, Pierce, DWreck, Grizzly & Ross at 5AM while Ayce slept in. I'm sure he's still snoozing... The rest of the breakfast club are all off now, so it's me an the townies here at 6AM. I'll catch up with Ole Man a little later this morning, fine tune our gear, and that should maximize our enjoyment. The plan is to try and get to Baxter in the late afternoon so I don't waste our tent site, stay there tonight and either summit K in the AM or simply pack up and head south, saving the Big K for another day.
Date: 2008-04-16
From: Neels gap

To: hogpen rd
Miles today: 6.4

got up this morning at 3:30 am. left out of huntington at 7:00 on flight and connected to flight in charlotte to atlanta. got to altlanta at 10:30 am. was suppose to have a ride for 125 to neels gap but he could not get there til 6 pm so i called a cab to ellajay and ride said he could pick me up at 3 this way. got to ellajay and was aiting at gas station for 50.00. 3 girls started talking t me about 1 pm and i offered them 50 to take me to where i needed to go and they agreed, it was a nice surprise but a crazy trip. got to the trailhead at 3:00 pm. Decided to get in a few miles ratherthen stay at the hostel right there. hiked most of the day without seeing anyone. didnt realize how bad of shape i was in,. know it takes a few days to get use to the hiking but man i was hurting already. got up to cowrock mt at 3,842 ft. Met my first thru hiker named hikeon. He has been hiking since he was about 5 and is now 61 very much in shape for this he has been doing 20 mile days already. i would hike the rest of the day with him and we would camp along the trail when it started getting dark right past hogpen rd. while we were setting up camp noticed alot of bear scat and bear digging all around. will definetly be hanging food tonight. by the time we set camp cooked talked it was 11:00 pm before i hit my tent. slept thru the night awaking every hour or so, in an attempt to lower pack weight i left some of my tent spikes at home so my rain tarp for my tent kept flapping some in the wind, and when it hit the leaves sounded like a mouse trying to chew thru my tent.
Date: 2008-04-18
From: blue mt shelter

To: tray mt
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: few clouds

after watching the sunrise i realize it is my birthday today! everyone starts waking up as we all slept in a little as we are just planing a 7 mile day. Bear makes me pancakes for my birthday, best pancakes ever. i also eat a granola bar and some dried fruit. i am the first to head out as i am the slowest walker of the group and know i need an earlier start, between the uphill killing my lungs and stopping to take in the views it takes a while to get going. today is suppose to be an easy day but there are 2 killer mt to climb. Both have elevation gains of 1000 ft. it is like we are walking uphill all day. to add to all my pain where there are no leaves on the trees yet the sun has burned my face, neck, and arms. i did not pack sunscreen as the AT is usually called the green tunnel for all the trees. so just a run down of what is hurting, neck, back, legs, knees, shins, ankles adn feet. get to the top of rocky mt and decide to take inthe view for a while and eat lunch, chip, jake and elwood are here also. great luch on top a mt with new friend they are all younger and are very funny. luch consist of a snickers bar and some gorp (gorp stands for good ole rasins and peanuts. hike the rest of the day feeling like i am going to die. get tot he shelter and it is amazing on top this mt and this is the highest we have been yet on the trail. the shelter is crowded but iam lucky enough to get a spot in it. there are about 20 people here tonight. and it is suppose to rain at 3:00 am....
Date: 2008-04-19
From: tray mt

To: cloud 9 hostel
Miles today: 11.0

woke up off and on all night tonight, ran started about 3 AM and did not let up,. started headed out about 7:30 after thinking that cold is not going let up or the rain. Started out the day feeling good, but slipped in the mud coming down tray mt and hurt my left hip, was scared i was not going to be aboe to keep going but poped 4 advil and decided that i should fight thru the pain and drive onward cause it had to be better then standing in the rain. After about a half hour of that the pain started to go away. made really good time even though it was raining all morning. hiked 4 hrs and covered about 6 miles not bad for the weather and my causing me all this pain. Then the rain stoped and had to get ready for kelly' knob about a 900 ft uphill. struggled up it as i could feel the tobacco in my lungs start to fill up. i ran out of smokes last night at tray mt. on the other side of kelly's knob i ran into a trail angel by the name of tater who thru hiked in 2000 he is now a volunteer who maintains about 2 miles of tail. he gave me a cold pepsi and i thanked him for all the hard work he has done to keep the trail in great shape, finished off the day with a long downhill about 2.2 miles. came out at dick's creek gap and waited about a half hour for the shuttle to cloud 9 hostel, a great place run by to very friendly people. Bunk shower laundry hot tub all for 20 a night plus a shuttle to town to pickup supplies, got pizza from a place and each pizza weighed 10 pds, i was starving and could only eat 2 pieces, have 10 hot wings left over for breakfast tomorrow. now i am ready to sleep, my plan tomorrow is to leave here late adn hike about 4 miles to the next shelter but the guys i have been hiking with are all staying here. jake, elwood, sampson, fire chief, and chip, i have spent the last 2 days with them so i not sure what to do i just hate to take a 0 day so early in the trip.. there are always miles to walk and they are not getting any shorter.....
Date: 2008-04-20
From: cloud 9 hostel

To: plumorchard gap shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: scattered clouds

got up at the cloud hostel and had a hge breakfast with everyone that consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuts, and toast with orange juice. About 10 of us sat around talking about the usual things like pack weight and blisteers. Wildfire has been at the hostel for three days now nursing a blown out knee. after breakfast i get my pack ready for the day and just lounge for a few chating with the other hikers. i am planning to leave about 3 to have a short day of 4.5 but at least i will get some miles in and not have a 0 day. Fran (the owner) takes a bumch of us out to his trout pound and teaches us how to fly fish where i catch a nice size trout. First every using a fly rod. I then go into the common area and eat 10 hot wings and two pieces of that huge pizza. Fran takes me to the trailhead and i start up the side of a mt right from the start. Not a good idea after eating all that food. while walking i meet walkabout who has thru hiked 3 times and is just out for a couple of days now. he gives me some advice about the smokies and moves on the down the trail with his dog scout. I finally get to the shelter as it is starting to get dark and Bear and Chandler now named spot are already there. chandler got the name spot as he is only 19 so his mom makes him carry the device that sends a signal to her and then locates him on google maps. we tease him that he will not be able to take 0 days laid up in a bar or his mom will come get him. Kernal Mustard is at the shelter also who thru hiked in 05 and is out for a coule of weeks just kinda hoboing. Calvin and Holly show up late and tent camp. the shleter was the nicest so far with three differnt 5ft wide platforms on it. i did not eat supper but ate a apple i had picked up while at the store..went to bed early but i am getting bruises on my hips from sleeping on the hard services. I wake about every 20 to 30 mins in pain and have to turn over. I go from side to back to other side to on my belly and do this all not long every night.
Date: 2008-04-21
From: plumorchard gap shelter

To: standing indian shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

start off this morning with granola in powdered milk and water. then hike out early about 7:30 or so. hiked all day with out seeing anyone for a while. then ran into the tent campers calvin and holly. chated with them over lunch of peperoni and a snickers bar. talk about how the hills have been bad today. come to a gap and US forest service rd that had a sign posted that read. Careful. bear in area from deep gap to wayah bald has stolen hikers backpacks and shown no fear of humans. I travel on but a little uneasy of the sign as it had no date as to when it was posted but looked fairly new. Then i made the cross out of my first state into NC. 1 down 13 to go.. camped at indian shelter with calvin and holly who were tenting and 2 section hikers Ray and Jim who also tented. I was the only one in the shelter and it was very cold at night.
Date: 2008-04-22
From: standing indian shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

woke up early and decided to skip breakfast. got on the trail about 6:30 am as it was cold and wanted to get moving. My first couple of miles were up Indian Mt at 5498 ft. when i got to the top i took a short break and ate a pop tart. watched the sun come up over the mts and enjoyed how great life is when you slow down and enjoy it. I have a big day planed with 14.6 to go for. Meet up with Ray and Jim the section hikers and hike about 4 miles with them chating about al different things from relationships to crapping in the woods. Funny about how you meet people on the trail and it is like they have been your friends forever. i never even talked with Heather about crapping... lol...spend the rest of the day moving along as it was nice and level for about 4 miles and i amde some good time. then came albert mt. standing at 5250 i had heard people talking about the last couple hundred yards as it is a rock scramble and with 40 pds on my back and 13 miles already in today. It was unreal. i wasnt even sure if it was a trail or they just gave up and said find a way t the top. finally got to the top and there was a fire tower on top. climbed the 4 stories to that but the hatch was locked so could not get to the top. the view was the best yet as the sun was starting to go down and you could see for miles.. went to shelter and ate then set up my tent bc of how cold i had gotten last night. Tomorrow i will try to get to Franklin NC to resupply and have a nice night in a bed..
Date: 2008-04-23
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Franklin
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

started to today at big pring shelter. the hike this morning was the best as of yet for it was 6 miles of level walking which has yet to happen. The sun was just coming up and it was a perfect day. the last 3 miles had one climb but it still wasn't that bad. made it to the road to Franklin at 12:00. Came off the trail and there was a group of 6 older couples that had powerade, snack cakes and chips that they were giving to hikers. What great trail magic after 9 miles in about 5 hrs. i sat and chatted with them for a bit and they said the local churches in the area take turns sitting there to help the hikers on there way. They can never know how great it feels have people you don't even know giving you there support. And not just in the have a cold drink as you pass by way, they were giving all kinds of kind words about you can do it and how great they think it is that people take the time to enjoy life and slow down and experience something different. Calvin and Holly were a little bit behind me and they had arranged for the owner of a local motel to pick them up and said i could ride to town with them. the owner Ray Haven of a couple of motels came and picked us up. This is someone who is a true trail angel. He gives hikers a discounted rate at his motel for them to stay, plus he put in a washer and dryer, and a set of computers just for the hikers to use. He is one of those guys who you can tell grew up rough but has made it bc of his hard work ethic and how truely nice he is. He also bought a little bus and at 4 everyday he takes all the hikers on a trip around the town and takes them to post office, outfitters, and store to resupply. It is bc of people like this that we can actually do the trail. the whole time we are on the bus he is telling us stories of things that all the local hillbillies have done. The whole bus is cracking up about 11 of us on this trip. I hate to go into the stores bc i would rather just listen to his stories. we get back and i go to a place to get a bit to eat and for the first time i think ever i finish a whole meal at a place like the roadhouse, salad, rolls, steak and bake potatoe. Then i walk to an ice cream place and get a shake. I feel like i can not fill up. i go to bed early thinking i am getting back on the trail. i wake up at 6:00 to walk to get breakfast at this small diner. one the walk there and back my left knee is killing me and the blist on my toe is about the whole side of my toe next to my pinky. i had planed on taking a 0 day in about 4 days but decide that maybe today would be a good day to rest so i am taking my first 0 day in the town of franklin. it is famous for its gems and the largest ruby in the world is here on display so i am going to spend the day just walking around and resting in this small town. i will be riding the bus at 4 just to here the stories of ray haven. there are several other hikers taking a day off also and more coming in.. I will have to try to make up the ground in the next few days as i want to hit Virginia by the middle of may for trail days....
Date: 2008-05-06
From: Franklin

To: Hot Springs , NC 
Miles today: 167.0
Weather: clear sky

I went to the woods because i wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when i came to die, discovered that i had not lived. henry david thoreau..I started with that b/c lots of people are wondering why i am doing this. This is not for everybody but it is a way i feel that i can learn a little about myself with everything that i have had happened in my life and losing touch with who i truely was. Well enough about that.. sorry about no updates but the one place that i had a chance the internet was down. I spent my 0 day in franklin. The guys i was hiking with caught up and there was about 16 of us that started the trail the next day. now i am going to have to keep this short as there is a line for the computer so here are just some updates.. i have hiked 167 miles from franklin and am now in hot springs NC, there are three of us left of the seven i was hiking with , me, sampson and Mr Beard. we went through the smokkies and had all the weather you could imagine. the worst day yet being 6000 plus feet up with a snow rain mix and winds that felt like it was blowing you into space. i had not enough clothes for anything like that. altouhg i looked pretty funny with my tin pants on, my extra pair of shorts over top, 2 t shirts and a rain jacket on soaking wet. but all together the smokies were amazing.. stayed at one hostel outside of the smokies after a 24 mile day and met several new hikers one being zero zero, he is blind and hiking the trail, truely amazing, there was about 20 hikers there, most being of the partying sort so three of them got drunk and let the blind guy give them a mohawk, only on the trail...spent on night on a mt call max patch summit which is a bald ( no trees) about 4000 ft up, about 8 of us tented up there and watched the sunset over the smokies and i could try to describe it but there are no words and it made it more real to think i was just there a day ago.. My pains are getting better on legs and worse on my feet. as the smokies were very steep and the downhills cram your toes into the shoes with the weight of your pack. I had my first shower for 7 days yesterday that was a highlight. I will be in another town in about 5 days and will try to update more details then. i am leaving out so much but time is short and there are miles to hike before i sleep. thanks to all for the encouraging words on the feedback page.. words of advice before i go, never eat a chili cheese dog from a place and climb uphill right after for 7 miles in the heat, i left some back on the hill for the wildlife.. i have seen the back side of one bear by the way and there has been serval people in the last 20 miles who lost there food to a bear who lost it fear of humans one guy woke up to a bear 10 ft from him...
Date: 2008-05-08
From: Hot Springs , NC 

To: Spring mountian shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

as always we got to a late start. i had a great day of rest yesterday in hot spings but as always got a late start out of town. Jake got a cab from gatlinburg to catch back up to us, so me, sampson, jake, and beardman started out. got a mile out of town and as usual jake and beardman were already behnd, had some great views of the french broad river climbing out of town,. got to the shelter after a fairly easy day and not starting til about 12:00. got there and jake showed up about 2 hours later but no beardman, said he saw some railroad tracks right out of town and decided that he wanted to see where they went so he left the trail. as the saying goes "hike your own hike". the shelter was full but i was able to get one of the last spots. several people came in and had to sleep in the dirt as they did not have a tent and then it startd raining at night. fill sorry for them but chance you take not having a tent.
Date: 2008-05-09
From: Spring mountian shelter

To: jerry cabin shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

did 15 miles today but they were rough miles lots of ups and downs. lost jake today as he went back to hot springs and think he is leaving the trail. what started with 7 of us hiking together is now down to 2. sampson and i. walked along a huge ridgeline that was nothing but huge rocks, they actually had a bad weather trail that went around it. sometimes i actually had to throw my poles up and basically scale the rocks.. but the sights were unreal. i sat on a rock and had a snack and just watched the sun go down. lost track of time and had to hike the last 2 miles to shelter in the dark with my headlamp. It is amazing how everything that i have been living with i have on my back and i really am not wanting nothing else...