morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-21
From: Monson (Lakeshore House Lodging and Pub)

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

Breakfast at Shaw's in Monson is yet another one of those AT legends so Dragonstick and I felt that it was something we should check out. We made a reservation along with Chicory and Taxi for 7 a.m. so we left Lakeshore House at 6:45 to walk over. Shaw's also has a hiker hostel and I was surprised to see a lot of northbound thru hikers there, especially a few who I hadn't seen in a long time. Patch was there with his dog Sophie, and I also saw Hurry. Breakfast is AYCE and you order by number, which means the quantity of each item. I ordered a 2, which meant 2 each of eggs, blueberry pancakes, and bacon, and it also came with home fries and sausage. It was plenty.By the time we walked back to the hostel, finished packing up, and got a ride to the trailhead from Morgan's dad, it was 8:45 by the time I started hiking. I immediately entered the 100 Mile Wilderness, which has a certain mystique about it. I've heard lots about this stretch of trail from all the SOBO's, but it's hard to sort out their take on the wilderness since it's their very first bit of the AT. With no offense to the SOBO's, their perspective is limited. I can't imagine starting my hike by climbing Katahdin and then entering the wilderness... starting in Georgia offers many more "bailout" options if a hiker needs more food or help of any kind.The terrain I encountered today wasn't particularly difficult, but it was tough to move quickly due to the rocks and roots on the trail. I think I passed at least 4 ponds, and I gave up counting the number of streams I crossed. I was able to "rock hop" most of the stream crossings, but there was one I had to ford. The weather today was gorgeous, with blue skies and lower humidity, so the bugs weren't so much of a problem. Along the way Eagle Runner and Hurry passed me, and I hadn't seen them since Delaware Water Gap. They're planning to summit a day or two before me, so I won't see them again.I arrived at the Long Pond Stream Lean-to at 5:15 and set my tent up. I'm actually not putting my rain fly on tonight because the weather looks clear. Tarzan and Norseman were already here, and the hikers kept rolling in. Here tonight are Moose, Wide Load, Kestral, Sharp Shin, Longspoon, Jack, Giuseppe, Barbarosa, Rooster, Dragonstick, and a couple of others whose names escape me. Some are planning a Friday Katahdin summit, some are looking at Saturday, and a few of us are talking about Sunday, so my guess is we'll head to different shelters tomorrow.I'm in the wilderness but had a truck pass me on a gravel road and I have cell reception. What's up with that?Today's highlight: 99.4 miles to go so I'm under the 100 mile mark!
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 10.9

The temperature really dropped overnight and when I woke up I had to dig out my down jacket. It was refreshing to finally have a cool enough night that I needed my sleeping bag.I was on the trail by 7:15 and started ascending immediately. It was another blue sky day and the views from the summit of Barren Mountain were gorgeous. From there it was another one of those up and down Maine hiking days that involved lots of rocks and roots. Since the humidity and temperature were lower the bugs weren't around and it was pleasant weather for hiking. That said, however, I realized today that I'm plain old tired of hiking! I'm ready to be done, and my body's telling me it's time for a break. My understanding is that the last part of the 100 Mile Wilderness will be gentler, so only a couple more days of the tough climbs and descents.Dragonstick and I had planned to stop for the day at Chairback Gap Lean-to, although we'd thought we might push on to a campsite a few miles further up the trail. Once we arrived at the lean-to we decided to stay put since the next few miles look challenging and we'd rather tackle them in the morning.Much quieter than last night... Karma is tenting in a spot above the shelter and El Flaco arrived not too long ago. El Flaco has already thruhiked twice and has started a SOBO journey this year. He has been regaling us with lots of AT stories.Six more days and counting...Today's highlight: the nice views in the wilderness.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Carl Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

It was one of those days when you could just feel the rain in the air. We knew that rain was inevitable; the only question was when.We hit the trail a bit before 7 and in less than half an hour the rain started. The trail went up awhile and we were relieved to cross the rocks before they were totally soaked. From there it was down, and aside from one steep rock scramble it was relatively straightforward.Let's see... nothing too memorable about the trail other than the fact that we walked on a couple miles of the best trail we'd encountered in Maine. The trail followed what appeared to be an old overgrown logging road, and it was a treat to stretch my legs out with big strides for a change.The trail followed a stream for quite a ways, and the rain continued steadily. By 12:15 we'd reached Carl Newhall Lean-to, our goal for the day. Although only 9.9 miles we'd thought it would make sense to stop here and tackle Whitecap Mountain in the morning. Given our early arrival, however, we would have gone further if not for the rain. We decided that we should stay at the lean-to and hope the weather would clear by tomorrow.Wise move on our part since the rain continued all afternoon. Dragonstick and I had a great visit with a father and daughter who stopped on for a break in mid-afternoon. The father is 72 and he and his daughter are hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness and having a grand time. Another hiker came in later in the day and is tenting nearby.The mosquitos are out and at 7 p.m. I decided it was safe to set my tent up in the shelter. Shortly after it was up we heard voices, and it was a group of 11 teens and two counselors from a camp in Rhode Island. They looked all over for tent sites and ended up camping with their 5 tents right near the lean-to. This is their first day on the trail and they'll be on the trail for 14 days total. It's almost 8:30 and they're just now cooking dinner so it might be a busy and noisy night...Today's highlight: hiking almost 10 miles in the rain and reaching the lean-to by midday. Not bad for Maine.
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Carl Newhall Lean-to

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

Big mile day today, so Dragonstick and I were on the trail not long after 6 a.m. The rain had stopped and it looked as though it might be a nice day.The first order of business (hiking business, that is) was a series of climbs over 4 mountains: Gulf Hagas, West Peak, Hay, and finally White Cap. Rumor has it that White Cap is the last sizable mountain until Katahdin, and I really liked the sound of that.The climbs weren't bad and we were on the summit of White Cap Mountain (3,650 ft.) by 9:30 a.m. Unfortunately clouds and fog rolled in, so we couldn't see much from the summit. Apparently there's a first view of Katahdin as you descend on the north side of the mountain, but no luck with that, either. It's probably just as well that I wasn't able to get a glimpse of Katahdin, because I might have started bawling on the trail, which would have been rather embarrassing. Don't get me wrong, I am sooo ready to be done with this trek, but just thinking about this whole amazing journey brings me to tears. In fact there would be tears on my IPhone as I type this if I wasn't laying on my back on my sleeping pad. To my good friend and school colleague Caroline Camara, I now feel your pain when it comes to tears!The north side of White Cap was one very long descent. A lot of work had been done on the trail, and there were lots of stone steps. I can't imagine the labor that went into constructing those stairs, and I wondered how long ago they were built.We stopped at East Branch Lean-to for lunch, almost 11 miles into the day. The grey clouds rolled in and it showered briefly, but then the sun returned for good. After lunch there were a couple of smaller climbs, and then the terrain leveled out. I walked through a section of woods that felt as though I was walking in some far off fantasy land... everything was lush, green, and mossy. Simply beautiful. Shortly after the enchanted forest I passed a marshy area and heard a crashing through the grasses. I looked over and saw a moose - very exciting. The trail for the remainder of the day was relatively flat. Hard to believe, I know. I walked by Crawford Pond, and took the short side trail to the water's edge. I sat in the sun and munched on a bag of peanut m&m's while I gazed out over the water. Just another one of Maine's huge "ponds", with no development around the shoreline. Gorgeous.Made it to the lean-to by 5 p.m. This shelter is in a pretty spot, with Cooper Brook and Falls right in front. There are 3 SOBO's here tonight and I'm tenting near the shelter. I soaked my feet in the brook but made the mistake of resting them on a rock that had leeches. I had to pull a few off my feet - gross! Leeches are high on my list of most disliked critters.Only 3 more hiking days until the Big K...Today's highlight: just a beautiful walk. It felt good to put in a long day.
Date: 2013-07-25
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

The temperature dipped down to 50 degrees overnight (there was a thermometer in the lean-to), and between the cool temperature and the sound of Cooper Brook in the background I slept really well. Let's face it, at this point in my journey sleep isn't an issue. I was packed up and on the trail by 6. It was cool enough to keep my fleece on and too cool for the bugs, so it was great hiking weather. The first 3.5 miles flew by and before I knew it I was at Jo-Mary Rd. and it was only 7:30. A few miles later I reached Jo-Mary Lake and took a break for awhile on the shore near Antlers Campsite, where I'd heard there was cell service. It's funny to hear hikers talk about places to get cell service in the 100 Mile Wilderness... "there should be some at Antlers Campsite, near the water", and "you might be able to get service on top of White Cap Mountain", etc. It's quite an interesting network of hiker info out there, believe me.The rest of the day turned buggier, but the terrain was pretty good. Dragonstick and I met up at Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to at about 11 a.m. And we'd already covered 11.4 miles by then. At the lean-to we met Jungle Juice, who was also stopping in for a break. The last time I'd seen him was in NJ when I hiked with Hannah. He's thinner and sporting a fuller beard than when I last saw him. Not long after leaving the lean-to we had a chance to get a view of Katahdin, from the southwest shore of Pemadumcook Lake. And no, I didn't shed a tear!By about 1 we'd hiked the 14 miles to the Mahar Tote Rd. and followed the blue blazes .9 miles to the White House Landing boat launch. Whoever blazed the side trail did a bang up job, and I felt as though we were on a runway through the woods. At the boat launch there were instructions to blow the airhorn once and be patient, which we did. Within 10 minutes a boat approached to take us over the water to White House Landing. Once on the other side Bill, the owner, showed us to the bunkhouse. This place is great... it's a series of cabins and a main lodge right on the shore of Penadumcook Lake, which we learned is the 5th largest lake in the state of Maine. There's no electricity, just generators. After showers we walked down to the shore and spent a pleasant couple of hours hanging out with Barbarosa, who's also here for the night. It really felt like a summer vacation day.Bill includes dinner and breakfast if you stay the night, and dinner starts at 5. There are two dinner options; a one pound burger or a 14 inch pizza. I opted for the pizza and now have some left over that I'll bring with me for lunch or dinner tomorrow. Food was great and so was the company, with 2 other men from CT here as well.After dinner Dragonstick and I took a canoe out on the lake hoping to spot a moose. No such luck but a beautiful paddle on a calm night. Nice end to a good hiking day and relaxing afternoon. When I have better service I'll post some White House Landing photos.Today's highlight: staying here at White House Landing. Good decision.
Date: 2013-07-26
From: White House Landing

To: Rainbow Lake Campsite
Miles today: 19.0

I woke up about 5 a.m. to the sound of steady rain. Sigh. Haven't I had enough wet weather on this hike?Bill served coffee and tea promptly at 7:15 and breakfast followed a few minutes later. Eggs, bacon, English muffins, orange juice, and blueberry pancakes. What's not to like about starting a hiking day like that? Barbarossa decided to take a zero day at White House Landing, but Katahdin is calling to Dragonstick and I so it was sadly time to leave. Bill shuttled us back across the water, this time dropping us right near the trailhead. We started our trek not long after 8:30. The first part of today's hike skirted the shore of Nahmakanta Lake, popping in and out of beaches along the way. If it hadn't been raining there would have been several lovely spots for a swim or a break. Although the trail was relatively flat, all day there were lots of exposed rocks and roots, which are especially tedious when wet and slick.We stopped briefly at Wadleigh Stream Shelter, where I met Tenderfoot, a hiker doing a flip flop from Vermont. I've met quite a few flip floppers recently; hikers who started at Springer or other points south, hiked north to a point, and then traveled to Katahdin and are hiking south.Following our break we had a 700 foot climb up Nesuntabunt Mountain. It turned out to be a steep climb although the many stone steps helped to soften the blow. The trail then went by a couple of smaller ponds before following a beautiful stream with numerous waterfalls for a long time. We met up again at Rainbow Stream Lean-to for a late lunch break.It rained intermittently all day. While we would have preferred the cover of a shelter, the spacing was such that we knew we'd have to head to a campsite. We arrived at Rainbow Lake Campsite around 5, and there was a short break in the rain that gave me a chance to set up my tent and Dragonstick his hammock without getting wet. We're camped with a group of girls and counselors from Camp Chewonki - great to see girls out here hiking ! We're right near the shore of Rainbow Lake, so I was able to wade in and clean the mud off my legs. Yet another great body of water for swimming if the conditions were better.Not long after it started to pour once again. I had delicious cold pizza from White House Landing so I dined in my tent. I laid down to read and dozed off for a bit. I guess this hiking stuff is tiring business...As I lay typing this in my tent it's a bittersweet moment. Our goal tomorrow is to hike to The Birches Lean-to, which is the final stop before Katahdin. That means this is the last night in my cozy tent that has served me so well since March 8. Oh no, I'm getting teary so better stop for tonight. One more hiking day before the Big K...Today's highlight: think I'll have to go with that great breakfast.
Date: 2013-02-14
To: Valentine's day wish
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, I'm now on the verge of starting the pursuit of a dream I've had since High School, to walk the Appalachian Trail. If all goes as planed, I will start my hike on Springer Mountain in Georgia and celebrate my 60th birthday during my first week out on the trail. My amazing wife of 34 years was the one who actually encouraged me to rekindle a dream that had long ago been reduced to a smolder. So this, my first journal entry, is dedicated to the love of my life who I will miss greatly and think of each day as I walk my way North back to her side. Love you babe!!!
Date: 2013-02-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have always dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail for as long as I can remember. For over 40 years I have been hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and have never lost my yearning to be out on the trail and sleeping under the stars. The AT crosses right over the high ridges and peaks of the Whites and I have always watched and hiked with thru hikers and listened with fascination to their stories of the trail. I've been waiting a long time for this trip and it is now only 40 days away!
Date: 2013-02-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I've never been a gear hound and have definitely not been an ounce weenie, but I must confess I've been dragged in that direction for this hike. I have always carried 40+ pounds "into battle" and took pride in the wide eyed looks my equipment got from younger hikers. Comments like "that stove belongs in a museum" and "where did you find that pack. It must be 20 years old", always made me chuckle a bit. Well, after 5 shakedown hikes and endless hours on the internet trying to make up for 25 years of no gear research, I have cut my pack weight before food and water to under 20 pounds, which I would have thought impossible a year ago. I also plan on dropping another 4 pounds once I get past the Roan Highlands in mid May. I realize ultralight fanatics would still see this as heavy, but mind you I'm not sacrificing anything. A nice 1 man tent (BA Copper Spur UL1), a 30 degree bag (Marmot Hydrogen), camp shoes, a fast JetBoil stove, a warm sleeping pad, and plenty of clothing and supplies for comfort, warmth, and gear and body maintenance. I am amazed at the new technologies that exist and plan on keeping my fully loaded pack in the 20-30 pound range throughout the hike, depending on food and water requirements. Wow!!
Date: 2013-02-18
To: Training for the hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Training for a thru hike is a process riddled with either pain, guilt, or fear. Usually a lot of all three! Will I ever be ready? Have I walked enough? Have I carried enough weight? Can I afford to sit here on a nice day and just relax? Well, I have gone up and down every one of these roads and with 37 days to go, it's time to put any negative thoughts behind you and just start believing in yourself. My biggest challenge wasn't getting into trail shape, but rather staying in trail shape. This past fall I did a series of five, four day hikes that covered the entire AT from Hanover NH to Grafton Notch, Maine. These served as shake down hikes as well as training. I felt good and was easily covering 15 - 20 miles a day and spent much of that time with North bound thru hikers picking their brain and just enjoying their company. I was also able to bestow some trail magic on them at a time in their hike when many needed it. I've been hiking and backpacking in the White Mountains pretty extensively for over 40 years and by mid summer, I'm flying along without a blister or sore muscle on my body. But my hike starts in late March. So due to lack of deep snow cove rand the forest roads staying open , I was able to hike the trails until early December. Then, through much of December, I switched to hiking on the snow pack with boots and micro spikes. This cut down on the milage and kept me off the high peaks, but it was better than nothing. Once January hit, my wife and I brought my father into our house for a health issue and helped build his strength back. This cut back my fitness training quite a bit, but life sometimes gets in the way of our little plans. No big deal. It did my heart good to see my Dad back up on his feet. Besides by then the temperatures were regularly well below zero on most days making outdoor training a bit uncomfortable.We are now spending the month of February in Costa Rica visiting my wife's family and I'm able to get back outdoors on a daily basis. Although mountain trail hiking is somewhat limited due to security issues, I have been getting out on my bicycle climbing up and down the local mountain roads for some great cardio and leg muscle work which I find to be great cross training for hiking. I fit in two or three long hikes a week just to keep my calluses hard and muscle memory active for hiking.I have also tried to maintain some core and upper body strength with weight and abs training a couple times a week. Does anyone in the world like doing abs?I'll get back to New Hampshire in early march and have about three weeks to acclimate to cold weather and get some more trail hiking in albeit on snow pack. Plus I plan on sleeping a few nights just before I leave out on my farmer's porch just to start getting used to that. That may the hardest training step of all with my nice warm bed about 30 feet away! Anyway, it is what it is. I know I can hike myself into trail shape. I do it every year. I feel ready and for me that's a good sign. For me now, the sooner I start hiking, the better.
Date: 2013-03-09
To: ready to go
Miles today: 0.0

Back in New Hampshire and counting down the days. Weather is nice and cool which will get me ready for the trail. Lots of snow on the ground and I'm tempted to do some skiing, but I need to keep hiking to keep those muscles ready. It's hard to fathom that once I leave in a couple of weeks, I won't see these mountains again until late July! My gear is finalized, at least for now. I am content to be sitting at just under 20 pounds for all but food and water knowing I'll drop another 3 - 4 pounds in May. Weather in the south looks good, some snow in the elevation, but nothing substantial. I've decided to check my pack in a duffel bag but carry my hiking poles on board now that you can. Then I'll mail the duffel bag back home from Atlanta. I've got a total of 9 mail drops planned. These will include food and other resupply items that will reduce my town time on those occasions. I've set up those mail drops for stops that I've scheduled a zero day (no hiking the day after arriving). This way I can change plans and hike out the first day if I feel like it. I'm scheduled to see Yolanda twice for 3 days each visit. Once in Damascus VA and once in Harpers Ferry, WV. Then I'll slack pack (day hike) through the White's and sleep at home for those 7 nights. Then we'll summit Mt Kathadin together to finish the hike. OK Mach 27, hurry up and get here.
Date: 2013-03-24
To: ready to go
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

2 days to go until the start of my hike. The weather looks to be on the chilly side, but fine for hiking. I'm staying with family and we celebrated my Dad's 90th birthday last night. It was a great way to spend my last couple of days before starting. I can hardly sleep with anticipation and thinking about every little detail. My next entry will be from the trail!
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Amicalola Visitor Center

To: Amicalola Falls Lodge
Miles today: 1.2

I arrived at the Amacalola Falls Lodge about 1:00, got settled in and decided to hike the first couple of miles of the approach trail for a little stretch and to get a slight jump on things tomorrow. The trail parallels magnificent falls and features a 720 step stairway! It was quite lovely and certainly more interesting than I had imagined it would be. The flight and the overland trip to the lodge, which is about 70 miles north of Atlanta, was smooth and without a hitch. The shuttle driver, Survivor Dave, proved to be quite the character and extremely helpful. His local knowledge and friendly mannerism made the trip a joy. The weather is quite a bit colder than I expected with temperatures in the low 30's and light snow. The start tomorrow will be on the chilly side, I'm sure! Dave says a number of people have gotten off he trail to wait for things to warm up. Boy, I'd hate to walk off the trail in the first 2 days!Well I guess we'll see how that goes tomorrow when the adventure truly starts.