morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-09-05
From: Carl Newhall Lean-to

To: Chairback Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

Started out at 7:45 am.. First few miles were relatively easy. Made it to West Branch of Pleasant and had to ford across. Cold water. As we past Woods Road, we found some trail magic left by the Pine family. (trail magic is a gift such as snacks, drinks for hikers). We had a snack (it was delicious), left a thank you note and moved on up the mountain. Steady climb up Chairback Mountain. took several pictures along the way. Last climb up Chairback Mountain was tough. It was like climbing and crawling over large rocks. Made it to the shelter and settled down for the evening. Not much water here so I have to ration what I have.
Date: 2009-09-06
From: Chairback Mountain Lean-to

To: Long Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

Tough day. I was sluggish most of the day. I think I rationed my water too much and got a little dehydrated. Made it to Cloud Pond Lean-to and loaded up on water and then headed on. Did the last 4 to 4.5 miles in about 2.5 hours. I was tired after the last portion. Steep decline was hurting my knee. Took pictures on top of Columbus Mountain, Third Mountain and Barren Ledges.
Date: 2009-09-07
From: Long Pond Lean-to

To: Shaw's in Monson, Maine
Miles today: 15.1

Sluggish again today. Not as many views today. Crossed several streams today. Slipped and fell into the first one. Rock hopped a couple and forded anouther. Kobi, Asner and I agreed to go ahead into Monson and stay at Shaw's ( a hostel). We got a shuttle into town and got setup in Shaw's withouth any problems. Took a shower and shaved. (I know one of my brothers will be disappointed that I shaved but I'm not into the Grizzly Adams look.) Ate a cheeseburger and a few slices of pizza and rested. This is a nice place and I have met many other hikers.
Date: 2009-09-08
From: Shaw's in Monson, Maine

To: Shaw's in Monson, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Taking a zero day (no hiking). Resting today and plan on slack packing a section tomorrow. Slack packing is like day hiking. Go out for a hike and come back to the hostel. Met a few more hikers this morning. Spoke with Magnolia for awhile. She is from Virginia and has hiked in Colorado, Europe, Morocco and a few other places.
Date: 2009-09-09
From: Shaw's in Monson, Maine

To: Marble Brook
Miles today: 12.5

Had a slack pack day. Today we ate breakfast at Shaw's and got a shuttle to Marble Brook and then hiked north back to Monson. Did a little blue blazing today also. (Not sure of the exact milage so I am estimating some and keeping things inline with the official milage so those reading the journal can keep up the my locationa a little easier.) The day was cool to start off with but warmed up. Not too warm though. Very nice day. You can tell the leaves are changing colors, slowly but surely. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the fall colors in the next few weeks. During the hike we walked along side a stream for most of the way. It reminded of a hike a few of my friends and I took this past April while in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I'm not sure what the plan is for tomorrow but it looks like we will go back to Marble Brook and head south. It was nice not having to carry a heavy pack today. Got in some good miles while not wearing ourselves down. We, especially Kobi and I, are still a few weeks away from getting really conditioned for hiking. Thanks to everyone keeping track of my journal. I have enjoyed reading the comments in the guest book.
Date: 2009-09-10
From: Marble Brook

To: Wood's Road
Miles today: 12.4

Before I say anything about today there is one thing I forgot to mention about yesterday. I SAW A MOOSE!!!! As we were being shuttled to our drop-off yesterday we drove by a moose less than 50 yards from the road. My camera was in the back and as I hastily tried to get it out and take a pic the moose slowly made it's way to the woods. As if it knew I was trying to take a picture and it was not going to let me. I took a picture quickly only to realize I got the leaves of a tree after the moose had walked into the woods. I was disappointed.So now about today. We decided we would slack pack one more day and then go back to regular hiking tomorrow. So this morning we ate breakfast, took our shuttle to our drop-off point at mile mark number 139.4. On the way, I SAW ANOTHER MOOSE!!! And this one was huge. Even Sue who owns/co-owns Shaw's said it was a really big one. We stopped. It was far enough away so it was safe for me to get out of the vehicle, go to the side of the road and I took about 3 pictures. We proceeded on to the drop-off and started our hike. Again we started further south and headed north to get picked up at Marble Brook. That's where we started yesterday. We hiked up Moxie Bald Mountain but took the bypass around the peak. Still had some nice views. Took a few more pictures. We continued on to Marble Brook. We got there earlier than we expected and a local resident drove by and gave us a ride back to Monson. Overall not a bad day. We started at 9:15 a.m. and finished around 3:10 p.m.. We really didn't hike that hard or fast and we did go over a nice sized mountain. Tomorrow we will be carrying our full packs and I'm sure we will miss slack packing very soon. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes. I'm looking forward to doing the regular hiking and camping routine again. We'll pack tonight and be ready to head off tomorrow. Hope to make it to Stratton in 4 days (maybe 5).
Date: 2009-09-11
From: Wood's Road

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Short day today. Took shuttle to Wood's road/Baker's Place. Started hiking at 9:35 am. Tough time for all of us today. Some nice views on some of the mountains. Met Grommet. We finished hiking at 2:45pm and began to settle down. three other hikers showed up and we shared the shelter. They were from France.
Date: 2009-09-12
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: light rain

Started hiking at 7:30 this morning and had to have a steady pace in order to make it to the Kennebec River before 11. Thankfully we got there at 10:30am and were able to get a ferry ride across the river in the morning. HillBilly Dave ( I think) was the one that ferried us across. Nice day to day. Saw some water falls and nice scenery along some rivers and streams. We made it to Peirce Pond Lean-to. I had considered going further but I was feeling a sore spot on my heel so I stayed. I'm hoping to increase my milage a little sometime soon. Met Olive Oil (from New York) at the shelter. Uneventful but pleasant day.
Date: 2009-09-13
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Stared our hike this moring around 7:20am. Heel feels better. We took a break each hour (for about 5-10 minutes). Made it to the lean-to around 1pm. Terrain was not bad today. It sprinkled a little rain but not much. Once we were at the shelter it started to get really cloudy and windy. Looked like it was going to storm so I decided not to go further. A large group showed up. Total around 20. Met Topshelf, Gezza, Onestep and many others. Most were northbounders.
Date: 2009-09-14
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Got very cool last night but I was comfortable. Left shelter at 7:25am with Kobi and Asher. Nice day. We hiked to Little Bigelow Lean-to. Arrived around 12. We ate lunch and rested a little while. Kobi and Asher decided to stay. I decided I need to try a few more miles. I've really enjoyed their company over the past 2 weeks. They are really nice fellows. I hated to leave them but felt I need to further prepared myself for southern Maine and New Hampshire. . I left around 1 pm. Hike over Little Bigelow. Got some great pics. Made it to Safford Notch Campsite around 4:30 pm. Set up my tent, ate and settled down for the evening.
Date: 2009-09-15
From: Safford Notch Campsite

To: Stratton Motel and Hostel: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 10.4

It rained a little last night but nothing major. Everything was dry in the morning. lef campsite aroudn 7:30 am. Had a steep climbe up Bigelow Mountain to Avery Peak. Took some pictures along the way. As I was hiking the views went from nice to cloudy. I had hiked into a cloud by the time I made it to Avery Peak. And it was windy up there. Being above treeline made it even cooler. Continued the hike. Some steep inclines and declines today. I didn't eat enough today during the hike. I guess I was thinking I would make up for it in town. Anyways, I made it to Highway 27 around 4:15 pm, called and got a shuttle into the town of Stratton. Will stay here tonight and do some cleaning tomorrow.
Date: 2009-09-17
From: Stratton Motel and Hostel: Stratton, Maine

To: Rangely, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Unfortunately I am not back on the trail today. I got sick and had to be shuttled to Rangely, Maine to see a doctor. I've been prescribed some medications and was instructed to take a day or 2 off. Kobi and Asher caught up and have invited me to a Jewish New Year celebration (Rosa Asana). They will take me to Andover, Maine tomorrow. After that I will hopefully be feeling better and go back to Stratton and resume the hike over the weekend or early Monday. Sorry to report this boring news but it can't be helped.
Date: 2009-09-18
From: Rangely, Maine

To: Pine Ellis Hostel. Andover, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Came to Andover expecting to celebrate with Kobi and Asher. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication and the celebration is in Andover, Massachusetts and not Andover, Maine. So we will just hang out here and I will keep resting for a day or 2 more.
Date: 2009-09-20
From: Stratton Motel and Hostel: Stratton, Maine

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Got shuttle back to the AT to Highway 27 outside of Stratton. Started hiking at 10:30 am. Met Olive Oil again. She started back on the AT today. Tool some pictures on the North Peak of Crocker Mountain. Made it to the campsite around 4:30 pm. I could tell I hadn't hiked in a few days. I tired easily today. Wind is blowing strong right now. Nice views.
Date: 2009-09-21
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 6.2

Woke up in the middle of the night and looked at the stars. It was a clear night and the stars were bright. Very beautiful scene. Left camp a little after 8 am. Crossed Carrabasset River without any problems. Steep climb up Sugarloaf Mountain, especially the first half. Made it to Spaulding Mountain Lean-to around1:30 pm and decided that was enough for today.
Date: 2009-09-22
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stealth camp 
Miles today: 14.8

Started hiking at 7:40 am. Made good time the first half of the day but the going up Poplar Ridge was slow. Made it to Poplar Ridge Lean-to around 1 pm. Ate lunch and spoke with Firefly. Decided to go on to the next site (another 8 miles). The going was slow. There was rough footing, some climbing and general tough hiking. But the views above Saddleback Junior, The Horn and Saddleback Mountain were excellent. Took some pictures at each location. Unfortunately it was starting to get late and this hike made me tired. Made it to a logging road with a nearby spring. I set up my tent in the dark and settled down. I can hear some moose in the woods.
Date: 2009-09-23
From: Stealth camp 

To: Rangley, Maine
Miles today: 3.9

Didn't sleep well last night. I was so tired that I didn't even eat dinner. Heard what sounded like racoons during the night. Got up early to an overcast and humid day. I ate quickly and got water and was hiking by 7 am. During the hike I passed Ethel Pond and heard some noise. Looked into the pond and could see a moose eating. I took her picture and started back hiking. About 10 steps later I see another moose, a yearling, about 20 yards from me. I take its picture while keeping an eye on the moose in the pond. I start back hiking and then about 30 yards later, I see another moose. This one was a bull. It was about 10-15 yards off the trail. I took its picture and wait for it to move away. When it looks like it is going into the pond, I start hiking. As I start, it turns around in my direction and I rush to get past him. It stops and just looks at me as I hurry away. It was very exciting to see 3 moose so close together and so close to me. I hike on and make it to Maine Highway 4. Get there around 9:20 am. Hiked a mile or 2 on the road to Rangely when I finally get a ride into town. I get a room at the Rangely Inn and will do some cleaning and shopping later today. I have a followup apointment in the morning with the doctor and I plan on hiking a few miles in the afternoon.
Date: 2009-09-24
From: Stratton Motel and Hostel: Stratton, Maine

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Wnt to Doctor in Rangeley. Got checked out again and was given a good report. Did some grocery shopping, then ate breakfast. I was able to get a ride to the trail. I started hiking around 11:10 am. The terrain was not too bad today. Made it to Little Swift River Pond Campsite at 1:55 pm. Continued on to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to. Met Junglee (unsure of the spelling) and Tulley along the way. Arrived at shelter at 4:30 pm. The trail was a little slippery due to some rain last night. Met Bee-tosser at the shelter. He is a northbounder from Buffalo.
Date: 2009-09-25
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: broken clouds

Didn't sleep well last night. (22 degrees in the morning reported at lower elevation.) Started hiking at 7:55 mam. Took a few pictures during the day. Made it to Bemis Stream at 10:55 am and had an early lunch. I'm trying to eat more since I have lost about 17 pounds since I started in August. I know I'm going to lose weight but I think I'm losing it a little too quickly right now. After eating lunch I made it to First Peak in about an hour. Continued on to SEcond Peak and then to Bemis Mountain Lean-to. Arrived at 1:55 pm. Water is available here. The next water and campsite is about 8 miles away so I decided to stay here. I wanted to do more miles but I didn't want to hike in the dark in this area. Met another NOBO at the shelter. He told me the sections coming up for me could be dangerous if it is raining or if the ground is wet. Others have told me the same thing but now it is more relevant since I'm so close to the sections now. Rain is forecast for Sunday. I'll see how tomorrow goes and plan from there.
Date: 2009-09-26
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: South Arm Road: Andover, Maine
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

Didn't sleep at all last night. It got down to about 28 degrees. I could not get warm. Had a slow start in the morning. Finally started hiking at 8:20 am. Had some wonderful views during the day. Made it to South Arm Road around 3:45 pm and got a ride into Andover. Right now I'm planning on washing clothes tomorrow and doing a few chores and start hiking again on Monday. It is suppose to rain tomorrow and I'm hesitant about doing the upcoming sections in wet conditions after several reports I've recieved. Especially since I am hiking alone now. Several hikers told me it was slippery for them when they went through and it was dry at that time. They all advised against doing this section in wet conditions. So for now I will stay at Pine Ellis Hostel and decide after some more planning.
Date: 2009-09-27
From: South Arm Road: Andover, Maine

To: Pine Ellis Hostel: Andover, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Cleaning clothes and gear today. Due to safety and weather concerns, as well as being behind schedule, I have decided to yellow-blaze to Grafton Notch tomorrow. Yellow-blazing is riding/driving between points on the trail. I will miss hiking about 20 miles on the trail. I was hoping not to yellow-blaze any but I am behind schedule and I don't want to get further behind and get caught in worse weather in the near future. Fall has just started but the weather can turn severe in Maine and New Hampshire. I think this is the safest thing for me since I am hiking alone at this time of the year and considering that I still have a few more states to make it through before I get out of the New England area. I have winter hiking experience in the south but severe weather in the northeast can be a different story. Maybe I'm being to cautious but this is the decision I'm going with.
Date: 2009-09-28
From: Grafton Notch

To: Stealth tent site near Mahoosuc Notch
Miles today: 7.1

Got a shuttle to Grafton Notch. Started hiking around 8:45 am. Took a wrong turn shortly after I started but was able to backtrack quickly. Lost about 10 minutes. Made it to Speck Pond Shelter around 12:50 pm. It had been overcast, windy and foggy but cleared up nicely. I was told to stay at the shelter but I decided to get closer to Mahoosuc Notch. I ate lunch and left at 1:30. Going down the Mahoosuc Arm was steep, tough and slippery. Made it to tentsite near the Mahoosuc Notch around 4:10. I set up camp, ate, got water and prepared for the night. It is forecasted to rain tonight. That is another reason I wanted to get the Mahoosuc Arm out of the way today. I'm glad i did. Hopefully it won't rain. Some say the Mahoosuc Notch is the toughest mile on the AT. I'll find out for myself tomorrow.
Date: 2009-09-29
From: Stealth tent site near Mahoosuc Notch

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Rained off and on last night. A lot of condensation inside the tent this morning. got started hiking at 7:40 am. Made it through the Mahoosuc Notch without any problems. There was some climbing over and under bolders. It was tough and slow but I think there are other sections that are tougher. Ate lunch at Full goose Shelter and resumed hiking around 12:15 pm. Last half of the day was slow. I was sluggish. The ground was wet and there were some steep sections with smooth rock surface. Made it to Carlo Col Shelter around 4:25. Started to rain shortly after I got there. Not a good day overall. There is another hiker and some trail maintenance workers staying here tonight. Nice group.
Date: 2009-09-30
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Another bad day. Started hiking around 8:10 am. Actually made it to the trail around 8:25. Between the rain, heavy mist and wet vegetation, my clothes were soaked early in the hike. I've had several falls the past few days due to the steepness of the trail and some smooth rock. Today I fell even more. (And this isn't even the worst part of New Hampshire.) Made it to Gentian Pond Shelter around 12:25 and quickly changed clothes. Weather is suppose to be worse tomorrow.
Date: 2009-10-01
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Gorham, New Hampshire
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: broken clouds

Cool night but I was okay for the most part. No snow. Small amount of frost on some of the smaller trees. I noticed a side trail from the shelter to a road. I was able to call and see if I could get a shuttle from the road to town. They said yes. So I ended up taking the side trail, Austin Brook Trail. It was a nice trail. The first half mile was kind of steep but the rest of it was not bad at all. Some of the trail was on a dirt road. It was a very colorful trail. Relaxing day. My knees and feet were very thankful for the easy terrain. I made it to the road in about 3 hours. Got a shuttle into town (after a slight delay). Picked up a maildrop at the Post Office. Cleaned clothes and ate. Forecast is for bad weather the next week to 10 days. I'll see what it is like tomorrow and decide after more forecast information is available.
Date: 2009-10-02
From: Gorham, New Hampshire

To: Gorham, New Hampshire
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Kind of frustrated with the slow progress and now the bad weather. The forecast is for rain, sleet, snow and winds through the White Mountains and the Presidentials. A few sunny days are forecasted but even they have some rain forecasted. This section is a very difficult section and in bad weather could be dangerous. The weather in this section is notorious for how bad it can get and it can get bad quickly. People die in this area due to weather related problems (hypothermia, getting lost in cloudy or snowy conditions, etc.). Due to these safety concerns I am going to skip this section for now. I am no longer trying to do a thru-hike. Just trying to hike as much of the AT as I can. I'll go visit some friends in southern New Hampshire, reorganize my gear and plan from there. Also, it looks like I am beginning to have the same illness come back. I'll have to watch out for that too.
Date: 2009-10-03
From: Gorham, New Hampshire

To: Plainfield, New Hampshire
Miles today: 0.0

A friend of mine came to Gorham and picked me up and drove me to Plainfield. I will stay with Julie and Jim and their family for a day or so. During the trip Julie and I stopped and took a few pictures. It was a rainy day but we were able to get a few good pictures of the leaves.
Date: 2009-10-04
From: Plainfield, New Hampshire

To: Plainfield, New Hampshire
Miles today: 0.0

Didn't do much today. Kind of messy outside most of the day. Went to a nearby hospital emergency room to get checked out. Thankfully things aren't as bad as they initially appeared. Will get a few things tomorrow and plan on getting back on the trail this week. I have an Aunt and Uncle vacationing in Vermont. I will try to go and see them while they are up here.
Date: 2009-10-06
From: Plainfiled, New Hampshire

To: Plainfield, New Hampshire
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day. Still recovering. Got a few items from town. Played with Julie and Jim's dogs (Gus and Clara).Gus is about 13 or 14 years old. He is calm, relaxed and easy going. I remember seeing Gus when he was just a puppy in Georgia. Clara is about 3 years old and she is like a hyper kid with a sugar rush on Halloween or Christmas Eve. She bounces around, jumps and barks at any given moment. Both dogs are fun. Makes me think about getting a pet myself.
Date: 2009-10-07
From: Plainfield, New Hampshire

To: Ludlow, Vermont
Miles today: 0.0

I have relatives visiting the area for the leaf watching. I met them in Hanover, NH. We had lunch and then did some sight seeing, via vehicle. The colors were nice. We took a tour of Cabot Dairy. Then we went to Ludlow and relaxed. Today was the last day I spent at Julie and Jim's. It was good to see them again and Mrs. Anita. It was also good to met Kevin (Julie's borther). He is a really good cook.
Date: 2009-10-13
From: Ludlow, Vermont

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: light rain

Finally got back on the trail today. Kevin stopped by and gave me a ride to the AT. I started at VT-140 highway and headed south. I didn't get to the trail until approximately 1:30 PM. I could tell that I had not hiked in awhile and that my pack weighed a little more than before. I made it to the intersection of the Greenwal Shelter trail and the AT around 2:30. It was cloudy, foggy and kind of dark. the next shelter is about 4 miles away. I figured it would get dark early so I decided to go the the Greenwall Shelter. I took a few pictures. The colors on the leaves were excellent. They definitely look better in person than they do on camera. Light snow started shortly after I got to the shelter. It didn't last long. At 7 PM it is 39 degrees.
Date: 2009-10-14
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Didn't sleep much last night. There were 2 other hikers at the shelter last night and one of them practiced snoring as loud as they could. Cold morning but I was able to get to the trail around 9 AM. The trail was alittle slippery due the the wet leaves and mud. Had lunch at Little Rock Pond Shelter around 11:35. Had a quick a lunch and got back to hiking at 12:15. Saw a few day hikers and a few people fishing today. I made it to Lost Pond Shelter at 3 PM. Cool all day today. There were a few snow flakes earlier in the day but nothing too bad.