morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-08-27
From: East Flagstaff Road

To: Pierce Pond 
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We are starting a new section of trail and with 16 miles to the shelter to put us in position for making the ferry across the Kennebec River the next day we started early: up at 4:30 with a shuttle with our marine driver "Trout", also motel manager, such that our hike would be in daylight.  Bear Snack didn't sleep well thinking about having his pack stolen and wanted some solitude: fine with me, I wanted to get an idea of how my pace would work out on the new flatter sections of Maine.  Trail was still rocky and rooty with occasional mud bogs but overall a wonderful change and even with rest stops and an hour for lunch I made Pierce Pond by three o'clock.  On the way I met "Grinch", another section hiker who was through hiking last year and fell on Wildcat, where I slipped and almost fell but managed to grasp a crack at the last minute.  He wasn't so lucky and cracked his ribs sufficiently to take him off the trail. It was a wonderful day and with the warmer dry air a very pleasant walk.  Going past East Carry Pond (they are called carry ponds because they used to carry people and supplies by boat across the ponds) where we originally had planned to tent the beach is naturally sandy and the water crystal clear.  At the shelter I met Violet, a 12 year old young lady with her mother and grandmother out for a hike. I went to the pond for water and to wash my legs and immediately noticed it was very warm, in the 80's! so unlike the extremely cold crisp waters we had been hiking through in the mountains.  So, I went swimming with Violet with enough time to totally dry out in the sun. Calamine (so named from sitting on poison ivy roots) also camping near the shelter took some great photos. A couple hours later Bear Snack showed up, again making decent time that was much better than we had anticipated. A short time later while cooking dinner we were joined by a delightful southbound couple flip floppers: Chumbawamba and Amazonian. He posts on instagram his sketches of the trail: Effelar and has a similar hearing issue as mine but reversed, hears from the right rather than left. Forecast was for intermittent rain in the morning so I elected to not tent.  Bear Snack has no tent as it was stolen with his pack.  Really looking forward to tomorrow to the ferry experience and to see Robin!
Date: 2018-08-28
From: Pierce Pond

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

Rain woke us up after a lovely cool night.  So cozy in the sack we all slept in an extra hour.  No need to rush since the ferry was 3.8 miles away and only runs 9a to 2p.  Cooked breakfast at 7:30 and a half hour later the rain abated and the clouds broke up with sunshine and the neatest rainbow over the pond.  I headed down the trail a bit after 8 and it again was lovely with gradual ups and downs along the river and falls from Pierce Pond almost the whole way to Kennebec River.  At the river I was met by "Greg" the AMC canoe ferry, signed the release and together we paddled across.  On the other side I had phone signal and connected with Robin who wouldn't arrive until nearly 4p.  We needed to meet at the Caratunk Hostel to loan Bear Snack a tent for the rest of the trip.  I tried to get a ride up the trail but was unsuccessful so I headed to the hostel, had one of Paul's famous pulled pork sandwiches and a strawberry shake.  He indicated he could shuttle me up the trail and for no charge!  I was able to then slack pack another 6 miles and get in ten for the day returning just before Robin pulled into the drive.  We got Bear Snack squared away with a tent then zipped over to the Inn by the River and checked in for two nights.  I'm going to take a zero tomorrow so Robin can share in the ambiance of Maine in the summer.  We are going to climb the Moxie Falls and swim in the river.  Next stop Monson, the southern end of the hundred mile wilderness. Really looking forward to the hike yet also sad that it is coming to the end.  There are a lot of details to still sort through but one lesson I've learned is to not overplan.  There are so many variables and those that have to meet deadline dates because they made non-refundable reservations are stressed when the weather or some other disruption occurs and miss out on some of the most precious moments of this most awesome experience.  Who knows when I will ever again be able to hike through an incredible wilderness like this.  I intend to savor each moment and if the weather stinks, take a break until it passes.
Date: 2018-08-29
From: Caratunk

To: Inn by the River
Miles today: 0.0

Robin managed to book two nights at the Inn by the Falls on the Kennebec river with an awesome view of the river.  We went through my pack and knocked about 6 lbs off! Mailed a bounce box to Monson then, hiked up Moxie Falls.  They are the highest falls in Maine.  Maine is experiencing a two day heat wave and that really cooked up an afternoon storm that knocked power out at the Inn.  We drove around and found a delightful brewery restaurant that had a generator and had a great dinner.  Tomorrow it's back to the trail and Monson!
Date: 2018-08-30
From: Pleasant Pond

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 12.9

This is the finale of resupply by Robin and we left the inn after a great breakfast. We drove to Pleasant pond where I previously slack packed back to Caratunk.  The previous day¢s 86 was now 68 with a cool breeze. The air warmed slightly then as I climbed then steadily dropped to the high 50¢s by dinner time. I climbed two mountains: Pleasant Pond and Moxie Bald, which has a bad weather bypass.  Fortunately the weather was good. I met Flash from Greensboro who  is a tad faster than I but we seemed to end at the same places each day.  The rock formations were neat and the views of Moxie lake awesome.   It is an 8 mile seaplane lake. It looked like rain so I ducked into Moxie Bald Shelter. The front passed and I woke up to 45 degrees.  The only warm weather I've had has been during Robin's visits.
Date: 2018-08-31
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: Monson
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

it was a cold night! At least down to 45 degrees. It was incredibly quiet. When there is no wind in this part of Maine the ponds are dead quiet with perhaps an occasional loon's  mournful cal.  I was questioning my pack reduction of 5 lbs of clothes but was ok. The 10 degree sleeping bag is awesome. Flash said he was cold in his summer bag. We all had on everything.  The baklava on the head gives a lot of warmth for the weight. I had to decide whether to go to the next shelter as planned or go for 18 miles to Monson and save a day. The trail was the nicest yet and when I hit the shelter at lunch and was halfway I decided to go for it and pushed hard. I was making 2 1/2 mph average w/ two fords.  Forded the West Branch of Piscataquis River and later the East branch.  While fording Piscataquis I met Snow Angel from Holland.  She got her name because while hiking in the snow the trail was obscured and the couple behind her were able to follow the trail by following her tracks.  She told me she had just been bounced out of a hostel: they were all full and she had to go to an expensive hotel.  By luck in the land of no signal I was able to contact Shaw¢s, "the most famous hostel on the AT" per Bryson, and got the last bunk in Monson. Then, I lost signal for several hours. Bunks are $25 and for a drop halfway through the wilderness, $80.  That cuts at least five lbs off my pack.  Hiker hunger has set in and I'm always hungry and can't resist going through those heavy food bars!  I made the pickup at ME15 at 5.  The seasons are changing fast up here. I started the month with 8p sunsets and 5:30  sunrise now the day is about an hour and a half shorter: dark at 7:15 and sunrise at 6:15a.  Tomorrow is a new adventure and I probably won¢t update until the end! I lightened my pack almost ten pounds which included my extra phone battery!  Bearsnack was there but had gone with a friend into town to get a bite and I left without seeing him.  I received a message from Trout that they sighted Just Mike leaving north from Caratunk so the ridge runner may intercept him.
Date: 2018-09-01
From: Monson

To: Wilson Valley Lean to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Great weather and breakfast at Shaw's.  Made the customary and recommended visit to the visitor's center where they have a detailed relief map of Katahdin and followed their recommendation to reserve a campsite at the Katahdin Stream Campground before the summit so I made the non-refundable reservation for September 9th with a Summit on September 10th.  The 8th was already booked up.  Shaw's did shuttle to the trailhead with a scheduled drop at Jo Mary road on the 5th day for $80, which includes a cold beer!  I started out with Happy Feet and Bob Narley.  We again passed Half Slow, slack packing the other way!  He is from Saigon and was 15 when I served there.  Ms. Janet was doing his shuttle.  I decided to hike slowly during the Wilderness: take time and edit my photos and savor the atmosphere of this unique place.  Met Pidgeon and Splash, two Maine ladies doing the 100 Mile wilderness for a vacation. Splash fell in the water fording the Big Wilson Stream, which is on video.  Arrived at the Wilson Valley campsite to find Bearsnap at the shelter!  He is apparently following my example and slowing down! I have already made up the zero I took with Robin!  I pitched the tent and even though the altitude was low there were no bugs.  I did a nice 10.4 miles and am feeling a bit sad that the end is approaching.
Date: 2018-09-02
From: Wilson Valley Lean To

To: Stealth Camp by a stream at MM 2095.7
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Left camp at 8:15 planning to camp at Chairback Lean to where there was no water.  Hike up Barren Mountain was fairly hard and when I saw a beautiful stealth site with a nice pine needle floor I took it.  Bear snack and Pidgeon were heading to Cloud Pond behind me so even going slow it looks like I'm again pushing ahead.  We all seem to have a certain natural pace that increases as we accumulate miles then settles down.  Although older and slower I start earlier and hike later than most of the hiker's I hike with so mostly I hike alone during the day.  On this wilderness I additionally am taking all the side trails for views and ponds, which are really lakes!.
Date: 2018-09-03
From: MM 2095.7

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean to
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

This was an awesome quiet night.  Passed in the morning by Snow Angel while eating breakfast.  Climbed Columbus mountain, Fourth, Third and Chairback Mountains.  Met Gin Gin MATC on the trail who had through hiked I believe in 2017 and rushed through the wilderness.  She encouraged me to take the scenic side trails and specifically the Gulf Hagas after fording the West Branch of the Peasant River.  So I did after swimming in Chairback pond.  I was feeling hot and stinky and there is the most cool inviting swimming pool at the base of Screw Auger falls.  I climbed down swam and washed my clothes as the weather began to turn and it looked like a nice rain storm was heading my way.  I decided to keep my pack dry and joined Compass at the Carl Newhall Lean to.  Two other hikers joined us.  Chipmunks attacked my pack for a Snicker's wrapper.  They woke us up constantly and it was a lousy nights sleep!
Date: 2018-09-04
From: Carl Newhall Lean to

To: Mountain View Pond
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The cold front blew out the storm and temps dropped nicely after 11p the night before. It was a lousy nights sleep and I was anxious to be alone.  At 7:15a I climbed White Cap and found Gizmo and Bearcan.  I confirmed reservations at the White House.  Forecast for Monday was not looking good for a summit but I decided to stay on schedule and take the time off at the White House. On the back side of White I got the first clear shot of Katahdin.  It was a nice easy descent from White with stone stairs!  Descending with awesome views of the whole valley became emotional and tears began to flow.  I think it was finally sinking in that I could see the end!  It was cold so I stopped for lunch in the shelter of Logan Brook Lean to and put on everything I had.  When I crossed Logan Road someone had left a drop.  I had still 10 miles to my drop for tomorrow and Compass has the same drop but at 4p and mine was at 2p.  I wanted to be sure to make an early pickup at the White House.  I stopped for the night off trail at Mountain View Pond with one other hiker, SOLO from Memphis in a hammock.  This place was incredibly quiet and absolutely still.  I got up early to relieve myself and there was a moose in the pond at first light.  I was fast running out of food and anxious to make the pickup.  I rationed out the remaining Snickers and food bars accordingly.
Date: 2018-09-05
From: MM 2123.9

To: Antler Campsite
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail was now very flat and I didn't want to risk missing my food drop!  Solo was also making a pickup on the road before mine so we hit the trail early.  I knocked out 9.9 miles of roots and rocks in 4 hours and was actually quite early! and took a break to eat my last food bar when a SOBO passed saying there was awesome trail magic at Jo Mary Road. I really hustled not wanting to miss it and made the drop by 11a!  Now I had three hours to kill.  Patriot, the best trail magic ever, was still there! with all sorts of cold drinks, food bars, chips, peanut butter sandwiches and so much more! including chairs!  I was able to plug my phone and backup battery into his truck and bring both to 100 percent which should give me five more days of battery!  I ate so much it hurt!  I texted Shaw's from White mountain to make it 2 PBRs, not one.  They did and Gary showed up at 1:45 with my drop and a cold beer.  I was too full and gave the second one to him.  Compass also showed and was able to get her drop early also. This was a super break!  I pressed on to Antler Campsite meeting Sarge and his daughter, Lighthouse who were camping with Real Nice, a civil rights lawyer doing the wilderness NOBO.  We were all headed to the White House the next day for a break.  Antler campsite actually has a privy, Fort Relief, with side by side seats!  The Maine Hiking club gets five stars!  They have marked the entire trail beautifully and have plenty of composting privies in some of the most remote locations!  This is the club to join and support no matter where you are from.  Jo Mary Lake is really a lake and this is an awesome campsite: one of the prettiest!
Date: 2018-09-06
To: White House Landing
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Woke up to a 6:15 sunrise and had just finished breakfast and striking the tent when rain started! Some kind of sun shower!  We all hiked separately to Mahar Tote Road and the White House Landing pickup dock where you can call or text or, use a battery walkie at the dock to call for pickup.  There is great phone and LTE signal at the White House and on the pickup dock and almost nowhere else in the wilderness. Jo Mary Lake aka Pemadumcook? is fairly warm now and we could swim and wash clothes in it.  They have complementary canoes and are famous for their burgers and all you can eat breakfast.  The owners for the past 40 years, Bill and Linda run this camp year round.  You can come in by boat, seaplane, and snowmobile.  Bill picked us up in the outboard, Sarge, Lighthouse, Really Nice, Shaggy and Maggie and Cedric later.  Really nice is a civil rights attorney currently clerking for a Michigan Supreme court justice and is taking a couple months with her husband doing the last section.  We really got into a discussion on the spiritual side of the trail as she shared how she is feeling the need to reconnect with the Indian Sikhism of her family and of course I shared my Christian testimony and how my life has changed.  Afterwards I took the canoe out for some alone time then had a swim and a nice long nap before dinner.  The place is solar powered and uses propane for hot water and lights.  They have several cabins and a bunkhouse.  While getting to know each other, it turned out all the NOBOs of our group were from North Carolina! and, there are two more just ahead on the trail.  We all were planning to summit Katahdin Sunday or Monday but as the forecast for Monday was increasingly ominous, we decided to make a hard run the next day for Baxter with a Sunday Summit in three days.  Linda made a huge dinner with a garden salad of endless juicy tomatoes and cucumbers.  The dinner was topped with a huge Sundaes.
Date: 2018-09-07
From: White House Landing

To: Rainbow Lake Campsite
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up to a very cold morning, about 40 degrees after an awesome sleep on new mattresses, showered, shaved.  Couldn't get coffee and breakfast until 07:15 so I got back in my sleeping bag to stay warm! I put on everything I had and without moving still was cold!  Weather report for Monday still was just not looking good calling for morning frost and rain after 3p.  Saturday report for Katahdin was high winds but sunny but Sunday looked perfect!  I decided to push for a Sunday summit.  It was a lot of miles and might be more than I could handle but I'll give it a try.  The others encouraged me.  Real Nice is not through hiking and wasn't going to join us.  We had the famous all you can eat breakfast...awesome!  Hiker hunger was the norm.  I ate 4 eggs, 8 bacon, 2 English muffins, 3 glasses O.J., 4 cups of coffee and 15 blueberry pancakes.  Half hour later I was hungry again!  Bill had our small group of five on the dock at 9am, which was generally a late start.  Our tramaly (trail family) was now Shaggie, Maggie, Huck, and Ray. (Asheville area and Wilkesboro) We began hearing rumors that many others were focusing on a Sunday summit so it will likely be a zoo and no one seemed to know if they would limit the number of hiking permits and no one has a reserved space in the park.  The trailhead and Birches campground is 10 miles into the park after the wilderness and we just soldiered on anyway.  We climbed Nesuntabunt Mountain and got a nice 16 mile view of Katahdin in the clear.  It was perfect hiking weather.  Trail was now just rocks and roots with little up and down to Rainbow Lake.  Here we caught up with Calves and Chaco from Cary and Pittsboro! and now we have a Carolina family of 7!  My feelings as with others are mixed.  When I left White Cap after seeing Katahdin 50 miles away I found myself crying with uncontrolled emotion.  Now I am feeling excited to climb Katahdin in cool clear weather! and, it looks like a monster crowd will converge on Sunday.  The extra hard miles actually gave me a small blister on one toe, just when I thought foot issues were history.  I otherwise feel fantastic; best I've felt in years.  To succeed we have to cover a lot tomorrow and I don't know how tough the terrain is.  There is one point we should have phone signal and then nothing until I'm on Katahdin!  Robin is on her way up and I have no idea when I will be where and when and, no way to communicate.  The others are in the same boat!  Plus, Flash from Greensboro is supposed to summit at the same time with his wife. Rainbow campsite actually has a piped spring next to the lake.  We watered up and to accommodate my slow pace, all agreed to be packed and on the trail by 6:30a the next morning!
Date: 2018-09-09
From: Birches

To: Baxter Peak, Northern Terminus of the AT then Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: light rain

Left the Birches with Compass from Georgia to KSC and the whole Carolina Crowd was waiting for me getting their hiker permits.  Kim with Chaco previously summited and through hiked in 2007.  This time she went halfway on the hard granite and turned around.  Flash and Bunnie made it up more than halfway and Bunnie had enough.  We started the ascent about 7:45a and hit the summit at 11:30a.  The tramily kept waiting for me!  The weather was perfect: cold, calm wind, and crystal clear sky!  Awesome views.  The Hunt trail is the AT trail and the most difficult but there are four others that are easier except for the knife edge.  I really wasn't excited about going down the Hunt trail and imposed upon Huck and Ray to join them on the Cathedral and Chimney Pond trail 2.2 miles to Roaring Brook trail 3.3 miles to the Roaring Brook campsite.  Huck's mom, Sherrie, was walking up that trail as we came down and gave me a ride all around the mountain to the KSC campground.  The others came down the Abol trail to the Abol campsite where they had Kim's car and, their packs.  Sherrie captured the best photo from the south of Katahdin with moose in the foreground.  I got back to KSC.  While on the mountain I was able to contact Robin and with Millinocket an hour and Bangor 2 hours we agreed she would come with her parents, Jim and Maria, to pick me up at KSC the next morning at 11a, then I promptly lost phone signal!  I had a hard time breathing on the steady climb up and would get dizzy and have to keep stopping or slowing down.  Gizmo was in front of me and did a U-tube interview while climbing! Apparently I didn't need to feel bad about the Birches.  The whole group paid $45 per person to camp at Abol and neither showered or got the all you can eat breakfast because they had to leave to shuttle up to KSC to summit by 7:30!  It was a very cold morning, about 36 degrees, with a frost advisory for the granite.  When I returned to KSC I walked up the trail to sign out Huck, Ray, and myself and walking back I met Doug and Churchill.  I was feeling bad I couldn't celebrate in Millinocket, but was also too tired to do much of anything and when they offered a couple nice Maine beers, bananas, strawberries, and brownie, I was very happy to stop!  I headed to the Ranger station to pickup my pack and get some nice water from the stream and met Yelp from England.  He with a small group couldn't get into Birches and had to get out of the park! 10 miles and dark in an hour!  My campsite that I bought is a six tent site so, I invited them to join me.  They comprised Yelp, Handstand, Luke and, eWolf.  Without asking they paid for the site and procured firewood! and we celebrated.  Handstand and Luke were getting married on Baxter the next day.  eWolf, a Michigan lawyer, is performing the ceremony and Yelp is the witness!  So, all turned out beautifully!