morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-09-15
From: Gentian Pond

To: Full Goose 
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We stayed the night at the Top Notch Inn in Gorham and caught up on the weather and news. We also went out to a local restaurant named J¢s Restaurant for early dinner. The food and service were excellent. Afterward, we stopped by the hot tub where sapphire soaked her aching feet and I soaked mine in the nearby pool - Later, I was able to set up my lineup for the family fantasy football league using the inns wifi. I was forced to auto draft because we were hiking. Not a team I would have picked but I won the first match up so I'm not complaining. This morning we caught a shuttle from Bruce ¢Golden Waldo¢ back to the trailhead. We crossed over US2 and are no longer in the White¢s. It was another strenuous hike, mostly uphill as most are leaving town, and hot. Upper 70¢s and no breezes causing sapphire and me to stop repeatedly to wipe the sweat from our faces. The scenery was OK, but not as good as in the White Mountains. Worse is that the eye-bombing gnats are back :( Good news though is we're only 4 miles from the Maine border, hurray!! Bad news is we're really close to the AT¢s most difficult mile at Mahoosuc Notch. Update.. stayed at Gentian Pond Shelter, good to see Mowgli again and Papa Bean as well. Will cross into Maine soon. Staying at Full Goose tonight. Very happy to hear my brother Grouper will be meeting us at Mt Katahdin! Looking forward to seeing him again and the road trip down to Quantico. It's getting close to the end!!
Date: 2017-09-16
From: Gentian Pond

To: Full Goose Shelter 
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: fog

Wow, I mistakenly thought today would be a tad easier then yesterday but I was wrong. We crossed into Maine at noon and ate lunch at the border with Mowgli who caught up to us minutes earlier. He ate a ton of food exclaiming ¢now that I'm in Maine this is my main meal, haha¢. Southern Maine is living up to its reputation as some of the toughest hiking; and I use that term very loosely because there is seriously more rock climbing than trail. Funny thing tho, a NOBO walked past as we were eating dinner near our tent and greeted us with ¢Isn¢t Maine Beautiful?¢ Frankly and truthfully I had been too busy going up and down to notice. But I stopped and thought,  ¢sure is¢ was my reply. I guess you have to look past your own troubles to see the beauty. I don't think we'll be noticing it again tomorrow as it looks to be an even tougher day. We are a tad apprehensive about tomorrow's "hike". We should be in for our most difficult day. Good news is we're planning to stay in town tomorrow so we'll get a good meal and a good nights sleep.
Date: 2017-09-17
From: Full Goose Shelter 

To: Bethel Maine 
Miles today: 9.8

I was too tired to write yesterday. Without a doubt the most difficult, strenuous, and at times rewarding day of the six months we've been hiking the Appalachian Trail. In fact the last three days have been especially tough. I guess Maine wants to make an impression early. The views, when we have a moment to catch our breath and slow our heart rates down, are some of the nicest yet. We can still see Mt's Washington and Madison way off in the distance. We did Mahoosuc Notch in two hours, not bad for a couple older folks. Sapphire wasn't loving it so much but I surprisingly kind of enjoyed the challenge. We crossed paths with a group of SOBO's half way through and we overheard one of them obviously not enjoying her experience exclaim "this is a cluster f..k!!"This explanation of Mahoosuc Notch is taken from Wikipedia: The boulders on this mile-long section of trail present obstacles that must be climbed over and sometimes under, creating a unique hiking experience. There are occasional 10-foot (3.0 m) drops, and places where packs must be removed to squeeze beneath a boulder.Many hikers call this stretch one of the slowest on the 2,179-mile (3,507 km) trail. This so-called "killer mile" or the "Toughest Mile"[1] is a very tough section that can cause even the most experienced hikers to slow down.Immediately after getting through the notch we had to climb Mahoosuc Arm, a very steep and tall ascent, followed by climbs up a couple other peaks and finally up Old Speck, Maine's third highest peak. The highlight of the day was visiting Speck Pond, an alpine lake full of native trout, where a local family was up for the day fishing and enjoying the day. (They accessed it from a different location). The kind ladies graciously offered us one of their husbands' sandwich, chips and cookies. He yelled over good naturedly from the other bank "are you giving away all our food?" Needless to say we enjoyed the food and were soon back on the trail. At the bottom, an area called Grafton Notch, we enjoyed more trail magic of Duncan Donuts and Gatoraid while waiting for our shuttle ride. Thank you Doug and lovely wife! We're taking the day off to let our old bones (speaking for aquamann only) rest and recuperate. PS I added more photos.
Date: 2017-09-21
To: Monson
Miles today: 46.9
Weather: few clouds

Sorry for the gap in posts but until we're in a town we don't have cell coverage. The hikes have been tough but are getting a bit less strenuous each day since Mahoosuc Notch, just a tiny bit. Maine doesn't want us thinking they've gotten soft; which is good because Sapphire and I have been trying to get over our colds. Fall is actively in progress, red, amber, and umber leaves cover the ground in an autumn colored carpet, in many areas obscuring the trail. We'll be hiking into Rangeley tomorrow to pick up our last resupply box before we tackle the 100 mile wilderness which begins in Monson. The 100 mile wilderness is an area in Maine far from civilization which ends at Baxter State Park where our ultimate goal Mt Katahdin resides. We're on track to climb Mt Katahdin on October 10th. We'll probably get there a day or so early but will wait for my brother to show up before we climb. We are getting anxious and are very ready for this very fine and very long adventure to come to a very rewarding completion soon. Update, we're in Rangeley now and we heard our first moose call during our hike today. It was pretty close but we couldn't see it through the bush. I wanted to call back but that idea was vetoed by Sapphire, afraid it might get too close. Next time you hear from us will probably be when we get into Monson on the 26th or so. Hopefully they have wifi at Shaw¢s Hiker Hostel.
Date: 2017-09-26
From: East Carry Pond stealth

To: Bald Mountain Lean to
Miles today: 69.2
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the pond we stealth camped at last night. That place, more than most, showed us how lucky we are to be out here. The days are growing shorter quickly and we've been graced with fantastic (if not a bit too hot) weather during our time in Maine. And it looks like it will last (and get cooler thank goodness) for the next week or so. Today we crossed the Kennebec river via the AT's canoe service. It's the only place on the AT where you officially travel by water. Pretty cool, and sapphire's first canoe ride! We're staying at the Caratunk House B&B tonight. We happily washed the trail off and enjoyed sodas, fruit cups and a slim jim. Later, Paul, the proprietor, gave us a ride to a local pub where we enjoyed beer and pub fare and I got to watch most of The Princess Bride. Life's simple pleasures and ones we are looking forward to enjoying more of soon. Most of the really difficult terrain is behind us so tomorrow shouldn't be too bad. We'll be in Monson in three days and then we'll begin the 100 mile wilderness. We're getting real close!!! PS we saw our first two moose two days ago! They crossed an old logging road so quickly I couldn't get a photo. (So you'll have to take my word :) )Looked like younger calves, no sign of mommy. We were very excited.
Date: 2017-09-29
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean to stealth 

To: Zero 
Miles today: 36.7

We woke up this morning to a glorious day. We camped near a stream and had the place completely to ourselves. It was an idyllic setting, one only received after hiking miles into the wilderness. It made us realize that while we are very ready to complete this adventure we will certainly miss aspects of being on the trail. And with only a few (11) days remaining, gives us the ability to appreciate the beauty, not just the hardships. We only had 9 miles to hike into Monson and the quality of the morning sunshine was perfect; no haze, crisp and clear. The temperature dropped overnight (thank god because the last two days were so hot!) and it brought perfect hiking weather which brought joy to my heart. We hitched a ride into town and had a delicious lunch at a very homey pub. We're now at the famous Shaw's Hostel, the gateway to the 100 mile wilderness. We're taking the day off tomorrow to rest up and resupply before tackling it. This may be our last post until we summit on the 10th. Wish us luck! PS I wrote this after having a few glasses of wine so I apologize if it doesn't make a ton of sense :) I'll correct it tomorrow.
Date: 2017-10-10
From: Katahdin Stream Campground 

To: North Carolina 
Miles today: 114.0
Weather: light rain

We did it! The 100 mile wilderness was tough yet gave us time to reflect on this grand adventure. I was happy that our thoughts weren't just about finishing and we were able to appreciate the trail and the beauty of Maine in October. For any of you reading this that haven't seen Maine in Autumn splendor you really owe it to yourselves to get up here. We summited today in fierce winds that thankfully relented and gave way to a beautiful sunny Maine day. It took us almost 4 hours to reach Baxter Peak and we quietly celebrated with other NOBO¢s - Atlas and Lotus, Mishap and Dirty Duck, Steelhead, and a few others. Our emotions ran the gamut: elation, relief, excitement, apprehension(building the new house), but mostly relief. Nearly 7 months on the trail have taken a toll on our bodies so we look forward to a little R&R with my brother Chris and sister Cher who flew all the way from Hawaii to greet us at the bottom. We'll be taking a road trip south to Portland for a celebratory Lobster dinner, Boston, to hoist a brew in honor of JJ who was a huge Red Sox fan, RI, NYC, and Washington DC before staying with daughter Bell until we move to North Carolina in November. Thank you all for following along and giving us your support, prayers, and well wishes, we very much appreciated all your notes; special mention to best pal Rick for a fantastic dinner in NYC, daughter Bell and family for letting us train for the cold in their backyard and picking us up and feeding us for 5 days for mid-point R&R in Shenandoah, sapphire's sister Steph for providing us with much needed R&R, Mark and Susan for the delicious goodies, sister Cher for the rooms at NOC and Fontana Lodge and for coming all this way to see us at the end, brother Tom and sis in law Cindy for visiting us in Massachusetts, dinner, and hooking us up with great friends, and brother Chris for flying out and helping us celebrate. Also our thanks and appreciation to all the trail angels and trail maintainers that make the trail so much more enjoyable. We've got a few miles to clean up and we'll get those wrapped up next month and then on with the next challenge. Aloha!PS we added more photos
Date: 2017-11-10
From: Lewis Mountain Campground

To: Warwick, NY
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

We've been busy since summiting so I'll fill in any of y'all who may see this post or subsequent ones as we fill in the gaps from our hike. After sister Cher and brother Chris drove us "home" on an epic road trip where we took in Mystic Seaport, a few of the largest eastern seafood distributors, Old Boston, and finally Washington D.C., we ended at daughter Bell's home in Quantico. We rested and recuperated and got our Ford Five Hundred road worthy. Then we were down to coastal North Carolina looking for our few acres to build on. We didn't find anything we had to have in the week we were down there so we headed north to finish what we started, namely the AT. Sapphire and I were both excited to get hiking again which was somewhat surprising as we were very ready to complete it earlier. We overnighted in Waynesboro and then drove up early in the morning and parked at the campground. It was very cold when we started our hike, 19 degrees, and it never really warmed up during the 4+ hours it took us to finish the section we missed months earlier. We were bundled up in a bunch of layers: merino wool NTS long john's, two shirts and Patagonia R1 fleece and wool caps that kept us warm. It felt great being out in the woods again, free from any concerns but our footing. We flew for the first four miles averaging well over three miles an hour... much quicker than we used to. Slackpacking and the cold helped with our speed and so did the month-long rest. The ground was frozen in quote a few spots so it would crunch under our shoes and the fallen leaves all but obscured the path. We didn't see much wildlife, a doe, a grouse and quite a few crows. I guess the rest of the animals were safely tucked away somewhere trying to stay warm. We saw quite a few day hikers out but no southbound AT hikers, I guess they're past here by now. We finished out hike just before 1:30pm and proceeded to hitch hike back to our car. We were picked up by the third car past, Dennis and his wife Julie. We rode in the back seat with their dog Hap, a young, sweet german shepherd who had just finished his first hike. We kept each other warm on the ride back. Dennis was apparently enjoying our conversation so much he forgot the speed limit. The ranger that pulled us over wanted to remind him of that but on noticing Dennis was a veteran on Veterans Day let us off with a warning. We all cheered.. We'll take a few days off in Quantico and then head up to NY to finish those few miles.
Date: 2017-11-23
To: NC
Miles today: 0.0

We¢ve finished our make up hikes in NY, CT, and Mass. and are now enjoying thanksgiving holiday with my daughters family in Quantico VA. The hikes were all relatively short and easy and the weather was nice, cold, but nice. It feels great to have them completed and now our sole focus is on finding a property in NC. Any of you planning your own through hike I highly recommend skipping a couple short, easy sections so you can come back a month or so later to finish. You¢ll be surprised how much more you¢ll appreciate the AT when you return. Our last hikes were so enjoyable, stress free, and peaceful. We focused on the hike, not chewing up miles. This will be our last post. We appreciate you all coming along with us on our journey. It was a blast!
Date: 2016-12-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have begun my journal. I have added some stock photos of my gear. I have done about three pre-hikes and have three more planned. I am at a crossroads right now trying to determine which trail running shoes to use once it gets warm. I have a pair of Merrel Boots that I will begin with due to the cold (snow and rain). I have tried Brooks Cascadia 11 (to small in the toe box). Solomon's have a too stiff instep. La Sportiva has a high arch support (I have flat feet). Hooka just feels funny.   I have been told the Brooks Cascadia 12 will be bigger in the toe box.
Date: 2017-01-03
From: Uwharrie Forest 

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

I have been doing some pre hikes varying in distances from 6 - 10 miles. I pushed one day to see if I can do the big miles but only did 12 miles. I have gotten my base weight down but nothing like some of the You Tube videos. I spent some days in the rain and some nights in 30 degree weather. I am planning one more pre hike of 5 days and 40 miles. I hope to be ready after that hike.
Date: 2017-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The weatherman predicted snow and cold temps. Well I got the bright idea to camp "in my backyard" and test my tent and sleep system in cold temps. Well the plan was to set up the tent before the bad weather but not to put my bag and pad in until later so it would not be cold when I climbed in later that night. Well fast forward to 9 p.m. (hikers midnight) I proceed to climb into my tent. Now arises the problem. It is dark, sleeting and temp is around 36 f. I have my bag (not in a stuff sack) and sleeping pad (blown up) and of course the fly is zipped close and the tent door. I realize I need to keep my bag and pad dry while opening the fly. Well I lost my balance fell over onto the tent broke one rod which proceed to go in two directions up through the fly and down through the mesh of the tent body. Well when I reflected back on my plan I determined it was not at all real world situation First mistake, I would not have set up my tent and NOT put my gear in it with bad weather coming. Second mistake, it was dark where was my headlight; in the house. Third mistake, it was sleeting I would have already been in my tent by this time. So lesson learned but it was expensive. I had to replace my Big Agnes Fly Creek tent. I replaced it with a Lightheart Gear SOLO. It is a trekking pole tent made in NC so I feel I am supporting the local economy. It weighs around 2 lbs and was $295.00 which included seam sealing by the factory (good idea). I have already set it up a half dozen times and spent the night in it once to see how roomy it is and it has enough room for me and my gear. It worked well, the night I spent in it we got a pretty good shower of rain and there were no leaks; temps were about 40 and I slept in shorts and t-shirt in my 20 deg bag and was never cold. Thermometer showed 45 f in the tent.I went to the NOC during the Appalachian Trail Long Distance Hikers Association Meeting last weekend. Judy Gross (owner of lighthearted gear) was there and I purchased my tent from her.
Date: 2017-01-21
To: REI Class / Shakedown
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I attended a countable discussion at REI for information about AT Thru Hiking. The class was presented by three AT Thru hikers (Hipbone in 01, Cosmo and Midnight Strider in 16). The class was geared for people planning a 2018 AT Thru Hike not someone leaving in three weeks. I learned some information such as I probably could drop my Z-lite pad since I am carrying a Neo X-Lite no real need for two if I don't sleep cold. I may make my z-lite into a z-pad (two folds). I will carry my rain pants since I am starting so early, it may be a good insulating layer on those rainy 30 degree days.My wife said as she took the photo she thought it looks like I am going off to camp. I guess she is right it is just 2200 miles to the cabin.
Date: 2017-01-22
To: My house
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

I set up my tent in the front yard and tried out my new REI Igneo sleeping bag. It was 26 F with a lot of moisture in the air last night. I slept warm and good. I did use my cocoon liner and had on my medium weight thermals, whatever the reason.... I slept good. I woke about 6 and got ready to start packing up for a quick 6 miles until I heard the rain/sleet falling. Dang. I just laid there for about thirty minutes and then decided well you want some real world situation, here you go. So I slid out of my bag, got dressed and packed all I could in my tent. Just as I started unzipping the tent I realized I didn't hear the rain. Woo hoo better lucky than good. So I got the tent down and packed up. Skipped coffee and pop tart went right to hiking. Oh well not exactly I did go into the bathroom. Even though I am in the middle of my farm and 1/4 mile off the road "peeing" in the front yard just doesn't seem right. I walked three miles to the first stop light near my house and came back. I enjoyed it no real problems. I did get a little nervous I have to cross a bridge and a car was coming and didn't seem to be moving over. I thought dang two weeks and I am going to have to jump in the creek and probably break a leg but good news didn't happen. I covered the 6 miles in about two hours. I have my base weight down to about 17lbs. I threw in my food bag with 7lbs of odds and ends for food and had two Liters of water. Getting excited and nervous, like your first real date and you have to knock on the door and pray she answers not her Dad.
Date: 2017-02-17
From: Three Forks

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Reporting in for "Chuck" - this is his wife aka.. "The Better 3/4" (Better 1/2 just don't seem like enough credit)Well the first 2 full days are complete he has reported that he is tired but doing very good. I am just letting everyone know that over the next week he will be changing his trail name to "Chunky Monkey" This name change is due to his oversized food bag. LOL Most people have Taco Tuesday, he has "Five Guys Friday" Today he sent me a pic replacing his hamburger from "Five Guys" with a Tortilla Wrap, Spam & Cheezits - maybe in 2200 miles he will go from "Chunky Monkey" to "Slim Jim"....He will be posting more as he is able to get internet service. Happy Trails to all ....
Date: 2017-02-18
From: Gooch Gap

To: Woods Hole
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

First day in the rain --- ALL DAY in the rain! Made it to Woods Hole Shelter - going to start the Blood Mountain climb tomorrow - looking forward to a little down time at the Blood Mountain Cabins (thanks to my better 3/4)Sending a shout out to "Giggles" - keep that knee moving, and to "Sparky" and "Hugs" for keeping me motivated. I actually had seafood for dinner (tuna packet and sardines)---Chunky Monkey
Date: 2017-02-19
From: Woods Hole

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Nice easy day - a short 3.5 miles to Neal's Gap from Woods Hole. Taking a nero at Blood Mountain Cabins. Hiked in the cold, wind and drizzle both up and down Blood Mountain. The clouds meant no views but enjoyed it anyway.Lessons learned so far: Don't trust the guide book for water even if it is indicated reliable.
Date: 2017-02-20
From: Neel's Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well had to take a zero day at Neels Gap today. Stomach bug hit hard!! Luckily the cabin was still available so I was able to spend the day getting my body healthy and ready to hit the trail early in the morning."Giggles" made it to Neel's Gap - time to give his knee a rest. "Hugs" & "Sparky" moved on this morning and I hope to get back on track and catch up with them soon. Other than fighting a bug - it's been a good journey so far!
Date: 2017-02-21
From: Blairsville, GA

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Reporting in for Chunky Monkey - this is "Better 3/4" - sorry to say a trail virus got him on Sunday night, he stayed in Blood Mountain on Monday hoping to recover, by Tuesday he was in need of medical attention, thanks to "Sam Don't Give A Damn" trail shuttle - he got to the Hillcrest Medical Clinic in Blairsville, GADoc said he needed a week to let his body recover and replenish. I made the trek to Blairsville (that's why I am the Better 3/4 and not 1/2) and brought him home today - he will see his doctor tomorrow and hopefully he will be back on the trail next week.Sending a shout out to "Giggles" sorry you knee took you out - hopefully some section hiking will be in your future..Also, to Sparky, Hugs and Danny - check in soon and maybe Chunky Monkey can catch up with you next week.I promise we will report in soon....
Date: 2017-02-24
From: Home

To: Back to the trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Chunky Monkey checking in.... After a second trip to the doctor some meds - and a trip to REI to switch out my water filter - all I have left to do is make arrangements for a ride back to the trail - hopefully I am back out no later than Wednesday. "Sparky", "Hugs" & Danny - keep pushing I doubt I catch up but hope to see you on down the trail.A note to everyone - with the drought as bad as it has been be extra careful when filtering your water - additionally, the warm weather has made it impossible for the germs to die so according to the doctor he is seeing these type viruses a lot earlier this year. Just be careful when handling your food and water.