morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: Piscataquis River
Miles today: 15.3

Hiked 6:45-4:30. Moxie Bald Mountain in the morning -- a pleasant ascent, pleasant descent, and fantastic view from the top.A walk along the Piscataquis in the afternoon. Very scenic. The problem was that the A.T. couldn¢t decide whether it liked to hug the bank of the river or go up to the ridges for a more distant and higher view -- so it alternated -- again and again and again -- up and down, up and down, up and down -- totally exhausting me in the process. Not at all the easy walking indicated by the vertical profile on the map.Very few hikers all of a sudden. I¢ve been hiking at about the same pace as another older guy, Mushroom. He actually hikes more slowly than I do, would you believe, but we end up the same place because he hikes longer. The last two nights, he¢s had the shelter to himself, while I camped out nearby. I expect the same will be true tonight.Oh, yeah, another sunny day, but warmer than it¢s been lately -- maybe because I¢m at lower elevation now.
Date: 2004-09-08
From: Piscataquis River

To: Shaw's Boarding House; Monson, ME
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: mist

Hiked 6:15-9:30. So here I am at the last vestige of civilization near the A.T. -- Monson. Next up: The 100-Mile Wilderness -- no public roads. I just hope nothing goes wrong. At the end of that 100 miles is the Abol Bridge Campground. How happy I¢ll be to see that! That would also be the next (and last) telephone. Then comes a ten-mile hike to the base of Katahdin (where I¢ll camp), then a five-mile climb to the end. My longtime dream!This boarding house is another part of A.T. legend. So many hikers stay here. Keith Shaw, the elderly owner, and his son, Keith Junior, treat every hiker like a personal friend. Actually, several of the trail hostel owners are part of the lore -- some good and some bad.It¢s odd how many hikers are here, despite the fact that I¢ve seen very few on the trail the past few days. A few years ago, I couldn¢t even get a bunk here, there were so many hikers.It rained a bit this morning. Supposed to rain a lot tomorrow (Hurricane Frances remnants). Too bad. I must push on -- rain or no rain. The sooner I can get home, the happier I¢ll be.
Date: 2004-09-09
From: Shaw's Boarding House; Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: moderate rain

Hiked 7:00-6:30. Undoubtedly the worst day I¢ve ever had backpacking. Rained all day (Hurricane Frances remnants). Terrain was awful -- up and down (short ones) all day long -- dark woods hiking. Rocks, mud, roots -- no way to ever get into a rhythm.The worst part, though, was the fords! All the streams were flooded big-time. On a couple of them, the water was nearly waist deep, and the current was almost overpowering. Not only that, but the bottom was composed of huge, slippery rocks. One guy lost both of his poles to the current -- they quickly disappeared over a waterfall. It was really scary. We tried to help each other find the best was to cross.Then when I got to the shelter, it was full, so I had to put up my tarp in the rain (which continues as we speak) and have no chance to cook. Lots of my stuff is wet. I have no idea what I¢ll do tomorrow if the rain continues -- probably stay here.Rosie told me that a mysterious virus has attacked the brain of my nephew, Nick (age 39 or 40), and he¢s in a coma. I guess there are things more important than hiking the A.T. I prayed for Nick all day long.One other thing -- today I got hit with an ailment that hasn¢t bothered me in 20 years. I won¢t tell you what it is, but it starts with an ¢h,¢ is hard to spell, and takes the fun out of walking. I know that¢s more than you wanted to know about my day...I¢m really down tonight. If we don¢t get sunshine tomorrow, I¢m in trouble.P.S. I got some new gaiters at Shaw¢s Boarding House store. Much needed.
Date: 2004-09-10
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked 7:30-5:15. It rained all night, but I decided that staying under my tarp and feeling sorry for myself wasn¢t going to get me any closer to home, so I packed up and trudged off in a downpour.The rain stopped midmorning, but it was cold, windy, and cloudy all day. Better than yesterday. Some long ups and downs, but there would¢ve been some good views if weather had permitted. I stopped for an hour at noon to try to let the wind dry out my stuff. Partially successful. The problem today was trying to keep warm.At least I have a spot in the shelter tonight -- for better or for worse. I feel much better than I did last night. I¢m exactly where I wanted to be, bad weather and all. Two more days of climbing and descending -- then no more until ¢K-day¢!
Date: 2004-09-11
From: Chairback Gap Shelter

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 7:00-3:45. Saw Katahdin clearly today -- from the top of Gulf Hagas Mountain. Clearly distinguishable because so much of it is above tree line. It¢s a little less than 80 trail miles away, but much less as the crow flies.Good weather returned today. Not a cloud in the sky all day -- and almost no wind.Today¢s river fording (much dreaded) turned out to be no problem. The flood waters had abated. My boots got so wet in the rain the other day that I just wear them right into the rivers. Not a pleasant feeling, wet boots, but the fording doesn¢t make them any worse.I¢ve mentioned before how ¢trail people¢ (fanatics) are always saying how nice and how easy certain sections (every section, actually) are. Prog (the female hiker at The Cabins Hostel) was telling me that about the 100-Mile Wilderness. ¢You¢ll do 20-mile days -- I did,¢ she promised, ¢It¢s very pleasant walking.¢Well, the first half of the 100-Mile Wilderness is not pleasant walking, and Prog didn¢t do any 20-mile days here, I¢ll tell ya¢ (some of the younger hikers probably can). I think by tomorrow evening, I will be pretty much done with the mountains (until ¢K-day). I¢m sick of mountains, if you wanna know the truth.The six of us in the shelter last night were unanimous in the opinion that yesterday¢s hike was way more than the 10.9 miles allotted to it in the books.
Date: 2004-09-12
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 7:00-5:30. Big day! Hard day! Turning point day. I was determined to get out of the mountains -- about a 14-mile (tough) hike, no matter what. I did that (Kokakjo-B Pond Road) at 4:00, then did the remaining 3.1 miles to here. What a relief!So the first 51.6 miles of the 100-Mile Wilderness are really tough, but the last 47.8 appear much easier, at least by the profile shown on the maps.Partly cloudy and warm today. Another great view of Katahdin from Whitecap Mountain. I¢m now 59.7 miles from the end of the A.T. Passed the 2100-mile mark today. For the first time, I feel like I¢m really in the home stretch!I should explain something about the roads in the 100-Mile Wilderness. There are roads, but they¢re all privately owned -- mostly by wood products companies. Others can use them, with permission and/or a fee. Thus, I have heard several vehicles here, and I¢ve seen section hikers and day hikers who¢ve used those roads to access the trails. So, if something bad happened, I¢d be able to get out to civilization -- not easily, probably.
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Hiked 6:45-5:00. Another day like today would put me at Hurd Brook Lean-To (19.6 miles from here), only 3.5 miles from Abol Bridge (the end of the 100-Mile Wilderness), 13.4 miles from Katahdin Stream Campground (¢base camp¢), and 18.6 miles from the end. All this would mean summiting on Thursday, September 16th.However, the last few miles of today¢s hike got pretty ugly (rocky, rooty, muddy, more ups and downs than indicated on the vertical profile), so I¢m a little worried about going that far. If I don¢t make it that far, it would be a Friday summit.Another nice day. Rivers and lakes -- lovely! There¢s a hostel in the 100-Mile Wilderness. You take a side trail (which I passed today) 1.2 miles to a lake, ring a bell, and the proprietor comes over in his boat and takes you there. Sounds quaint, but the timing wasn¢t right for me.A fantastic view (and photo) of Katahdin today. It looked very close -- and scary. Sits there all by itself -- and is huge!
Date: 2004-09-14
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 6:45-5:45. I made it! Early tomorrow morning I¢ll see the famous Abol Bridge, a sight I¢ve long dreamed of. It tells the hiker, ¢You¢ve made it through the 100-Mile Wilderness, and you¢re very close to the end.¢ Sort of the last milestone on the A.T. Also a place to eat and call home for the first time in a week. I pray for good news about my nephew, Nick.I spent the morning staggering like a drunken sailor in rocks, roots, and mud. Very discouraging. Luckily, the trail became more civilized in the afternoon, allowing me to get here at a decent time.I have to say Maine has the worst trail maintenance on the A.T. regarding the mud. They do have a lot of it, and some has nice bridges, but lots more is just awful. You might ask, ¢Why not just walk right through it?¢ The answer is that some of the black ooze is really deep -- at least up to the knees, I know firsthand!The highlight of the day was the view from Rainbow Ledges -- another fine one of Katahdin. I also saw a coyote up there. Weather was great. Hope it holds out for two more days.I have to say those ¢trail people¢ who said the 100-Mile Wilderness would be easy and fun were wrong -- at least for me. I think the ¢trail people¢ are the informal marketing reps for the A.T. and will always tell you what you want to hear. Either that or they really do think it¢s all great. Maybe I¢m just a weak hiker -- a definite possibility.
Date: 2004-09-15
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: The Birches -- Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Hiked 6:30-3:00. So here I am -- facing the day I¢ve dreamed about for many years -- the end only 5.2 miles away. Those are 5.2 of the most intimidating miles on the A.T., though -- so steep -- and then I have to come back down the same way I went up. Seems so anti-climatic, that descent -- how I dread it!There are three good things about it, though:(1) No pack (only a day pack with the bare necessities).(2) Weather prediction is good. (3) It¢s the end!For years, I¢ve visualized reaching that sign at the end, and wondered how it¢d feel. Tomorrow I¢ll find out. Actually, I think a more exciting thing will be when I get back down, get into town (somehow), and call Rosie to share the joy. I¢ll report back to you tomorrow night.Today¢s hike was about as user-friendly as any on the A.T. Nice walking along the Penobscot River (favorite of Henry David Thoreau) and some other streams -- lots of waterfalls. No privacy at all here at The Birches. My stereotypical 50-plus-year-old man is dominating the conversation, pontificating on everything trail related, of which he¢s an expert on all things. (One of the nice things about being finished is that I¢ll never have to listen to trail talk ever again.)Got to talk to Rosie this morning. We were both pretty emotional about my being down to the last day -- hard to talk for a while there. Can¢t imagine how it¢ll be tomorrow night.No change in the condition of my nephew, Nick -- still in a coma.Saw two bears today -- dead -- at the Abol Bridge Campground Store, which is a game check-in station. I read that 73 percent of all bears killed in Maine are lured by ¢baiting¢ (with donuts). Egad! It¢ll be on the ballot in November whether or not to allow more bear beating.
Date: 2004-09-16
From: The Birches -- Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Four Points Hotel; Bangor, ME
Miles today: 5.2

Hiked 6:15-10:30.The last few steps to the ¢finish line¢ were pretty emotional. I¢m one happy guy tonight. It couldn¢t have gone much better. Although Katahdin was one tough ascent and descent, weather, prayer, and adrenalin gave me a lot of energy, and I made it! I thanked God for getting me there.Not only that, but I met another hiker (section hiker) who offered me a ride all the way to Bangor. This hotel is connected to the airport, so I can easily catch a flight -- and, best of all, be home tomorrow night!So all of those questions I¢ve had about the Appalachian Trail have now been answered, like:(1) What does it do to you, mentally and physically?(2) What is the social life like on the A.T.?(3) What is the trail like, physically speaking -- and what is the scenery and wildlife like in the various states?(4) Particularly, what is it like to hike the Smokies, Shenandoah National Park, the White Mountains, the Mahoosucs, the 100-Mile Wilderness, and Katahdin?It¢s a dream of many, many years fulfilled today -- a nice reward for a 60-year-old hiker who¢s really not very strong at all.When I get home and have a chance to think about all of this, perhaps I¢ll do an ¢epilogue¢ -- one last journal entry. Right now I¢m just very tired -- looking forward to being home, eating normal food, sleeping in a nice comfortable bed, playing with the grandkids, and doing all of the things a normal guy does.Will I ever hike the A.T. again? Not on your life! It¢s a very rewarding thing to have done once, though. Thanks for going along!*****************************EPILOGUE -- 10/31/2012It¢s now almost ten years since I finished my A.T. hike. Things have changed a lot.Because of my knees I¢ve done almost no backpacking since 2004. I would love to do the A.T. again if my knees would allow it, but it¢s obvious that they won¢t.In lieu of backpacking, Rosie and I have done some serious ¢bike packing.¢ We rode across the United States on our bicycles from Washington to Maine in 2006. In 2008, I rode across the U.S. from south to north (Mobile, Alabama, to Owen Sound, Ontario). The journals -- and photos -- of both trips are on the Internet --http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/index.html?o=1&doc_id=1597&v=Zcandhttp://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/index.html?o=1&doc_id=3495&v=Mo Between the two of us, we now have 12 grandchildren, the oldest being 18, the youngest being three -- and they take up a lot of our time and interest.Note: Buffalo Bobby, the guy who was struggling mightily on the first day (March 30, 2003), not only completed the A.T., but he did it it least two more times in future years. Note: Swifty, whom I last mentioned on May 11, went far ahead of me, but eventually had to drop out in Vermont because of his bad knee. Note: Sadly, my nephew, Nick, never came out of his coma. He died on September 28, 2004, shortly after my return from my hike.
Date: 2003-02-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

hey this is just my first entry to get this journal goingname Andy Broneilloccupation post graduate bumage 22i know former thru-hikers and have been planning on joining their ranks for years. I have been planning to hike the AT after i graduated from UCONN for several years.t minus 5 weeks and i am starting to feel the bug, i am tired of society, i am tired of structure, i am tired of our moron president, i am tired of iraq and oil i have planned little but most of my gear is ready, i also have a major procrastination problem i will be getting ready soon though
Date: 2003-02-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well i've started menu planning. I've come to realize that most dry noodles need butter or milk. I wonder how it would taste without them. Probably not very good. Powerbar for breakfast. Snickers for lunch. Balance bar for dinner.   Ramen. Ramen. Ramen.Well i guess i'm not feeling very creative with the meals right now.I have done very little planning and am realizing i have a lot to do in the next month. One month from now i will be in Georgia. I can't wait
Date: 2003-03-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well I have progressed a bit regarding meal planning although i still have a long way to go. I found out that my father and uncle will be driving me to Springer mountain from CT so hurrah for them. My gear issues are rapidly being taken care of. 19 days from now...I keep running into thesame question when meal planning, to gorp or not?I always make some gorp and end up touching little of it, maybe it just isn't for me. I can always bring some ingredients seperately. Breakfast planning would be easier if I liked oatmeal. I think i probably am going to be too lazy to cook in the morning anyway. I may just bring cereal and instant milk. mmmmmmmm instant milk.
Date: 2003-04-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It has been quite a while since I did an entry. This is due to the fact that my status has been up in the air. Until today my journal has said that i left on March 21. Obviously here it is the first week of April and I am writing my final prep entry. Well...I've never been one to do anything on time anyway. I figure that if I can make up a day every two weeks i can make up lost time, not that I'm in a hurry anyway this is supposed to be relaxing.I kept pushing the start date back a week, then three days, then two... Who would have guessed that going away for six months would be so labor intensive. Last night i stayed up all night measuring mashed potato buds and gravy, coffee, bagging everything. You see today was the day I had to leave or else loose my ride from my parents whose patience was growing thin. If I didn't leave today I would have had another thing to do...look into plane reservations. Fortunately, it didn't come to that and i am at the midway point at my Aunt Carol's in Virginia ready to drive to Georgia. I even ran out of time planning so i brought two full boxes of stuff that i have to sort out into my first four months until I get to Connnecticut and do the rest. I slept most of the car ride so I have a small amount of energy to do that stuff.well i continue on to georgia tommorrow, i am a little nervous but excited still for the adventure ahead. Think of me when you drink your cold drinks, take your showers, enjoy your indoor plumbing, sleep in your beds, wear clean clothes, etc etci am unsure when this will be updated next but, I will be sure to have I updated at least once a week, until i see you all..happy walking.I'm out.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: dirt road

To: Springer Mt. shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Got dropped off on a us fire service road by my dad. There was a greeter from the atc and he advised me of severe weather. Since I had to backtrack .9 to get to the trail's starting point on the summit of Springer Mt. and was only planning on going 2.5 ahead I just decided to be lazy and hike up and stay. It was late in the day and i wanted to fool around with my tent and gear so I took a picture on top of the mt. Holy s--- I just freaking moved into the woods. I was hit with the enormity of what i was trying to do and felt my first real aprehension. I met a number of hikers and chit chatted for a while. There was a hiker there who had just completed his 9 month southbound winter hike. Balsy. I asked him how he felt and he said "there is an emptiness", "i almost envy you", although he couldn't envy us too much as he was leaving in a week to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. As people started turning in for the night a thick fog permeated the mountain top and I retreated to my tent as the first raindrops fell.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Springer Mt. shelter

To: Hawk Mt. shelter
Miles today: 7.6

I woke up real late 1:00 and started hiking later 3:00. Oops. I walked on till dusk to find many of the same faces from the night before, only they had been there for hours. It rained all night and all day. Hard to motivate. The fog was still present although i was in decent spirits most of the day. Near the end of the day I heard machine gun fire. Did the iraqis invade? Apparently army rangers train near there and i actually saw them practicing mountain warfare. We wished each other mutual luck. Set my tent up in the rain though i managed to stay mostly dry inside althought a wet tent is a heavy tent. Rained all night.
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Hawk Mt. shelter

To: Gooch Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 7.1

Woke up slightly earlier although i didn't start walking till 1:00. Oh well getting better. Of course everyone else starts in the early morning, but I'm on vacation. Still I don't know what the hurry is to get up in the rain. Once again i broke down a wet tent in the rain and thick fog. Walked all day in the rain and thick fog. Set up a tent in the rain and thick fog. Did i mention it was foggy. Got in to the shelter late again. This one was real nice with an overhang for cooking. Met a guy named flatlander who apparently got up at 1 am to start walking the last night. "i was the first person here" he said. Same faces again as we started to get to know each other, surprisingly everyone seems to have pretty decent morale still considering the freakin fog has lifted since I got in the woods.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Gooch Mt. Shelter

To: Woods Hole shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

I managed to get walking by 12ish today. Getting better. Like i said the sound of raindrops on my tent does nothing to make me want to get out of it. Same drill, although water seems to be encroaching farther into my life every day. One glimpse of sun would do wonders right now although i still seem to be in a pretty decent mood considering. In addition to wetter my tent gets heavier and dirtier every day. Still I plod on through the rain with some random song in my head. Its funny how some rediculous song will find its way into your brain. Lots of time to think also...about being wet. Today I actually arrived at the shelter at the same time as someone else. No break in the fog or rain all day although we hear we are supposed to get sun soon. Meeting new people every day as well as many of the same faces. It is nice to see some of the same people all the time even though i have no longing for a partner.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Woods Hole shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I managed to get up at a reasonable time. Most everyone I know is going the four miles into neels gap and staying there. The hostel at the gap itself was full although I rented a small cabin at Goose creek about 4 miles down the road. The four miles included a climb over blood mountain the highest point on the AT in Georgia. The climb was easy although the rain and fog turned into snow and fog on top. How miserable. Its one thing to climb a mountain and be rewarded with a nice view, quite another to be rewarded with seeing the same 10 feet of fog that you see when you look in any direction. This pea soup has still not let up. The cabin was great, 3 showers later i felt better. What a mess my friend Quentin and I left in that place when we pulled out all our dirty wet stuff in front of the heater on full blast. What a relief to dry some stuff out and be in a place that rain could not penetrate. We saw some espn and cnn. That sure was a long war! They even shuttled us to dinner at pappy's marketplace where i had ribs w/pappy's taters. Ha. i love the south. A night in a dry bed will be amazing.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Neels Gap

To: low gap shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I had a new outlook on life. I was dry, my stuff was dry and when i looked out the window i even saw a tiny patch of the sky, the weather was turning! We got a ride back to neels gap and resumed the hike. So much for the sky, the fog rolled in just as i got back out on the trail, argh. This fog did not mean rain and that was a major difference, i kind of liked this it made the woods very surreal. I even got a teaser of a view. The hiking was good today and i am already feeling stronger. Met back up with all the same faces again plus a few new ones. As we made supper and set up our newly dried tents patches of blue began to break through again. Could it be? the sun finally made its first appearance of the trip as a couple of us walked back up a short way to a ridge to see it set. Spirits are at an all time high and that was one of the best sunsets i had ever seen.