morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-09-16
From: Andover, ME

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0

Zeros are hard when you don't want to be taking them! I switched over to the other hostel in town, The Cabin, because Bootsy and No Name were going to be slacking back to that hostel in the evening. The hostel ended up being an awesome place and Tiny Tim, Indigo, and I sat around and watched Jurassic Park and other movies. Then I got really bored and just wandered around the hostel looking for something to do and never really had much luck entertaining myself. Finally, Bootsy and NoName made it back and we cooked a lovely family dinner. The evening ended up being so much fun and it's so great to be back with everyone. It really sucks not to be on the trail right now, but I know it's for the best. Hopefully tomorrow we make it to Rangeley and at least get to experience a different town.
Date: 2013-09-17
From: Andover, ME

To: Rangeley,ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a strange day. I started the day being bored out of my mind while we waited for Limping Eagle to come pick Tiny Tim and I up to take us to Rangeley. He got to the hostel around 1, though, and the drive to Rangeley was gorgeous! We stopped off at a couple of views and the entire drive was just beautiful with the trees changing color and rivers and ponds everywhere. Rangeley is also an adorable town with multiple ponds in the town. I stayed at the hostel in town and after dropping off my stuff, I headed over to the store across the street where I ran into Rambles and Ripper. They were on their way to go feed the ducks so I went with them and had the best time feeding and just watching the ducks. While we were feeding the ducks, a guy walked toward us and yelled toward us. I thought we were about to get in trouble, but instead he asked us if we wanted ice cream and then brought out three huge cups of ice cream for us. An awesome cat, Spanky, also hung out with us and loved the duck watching. Then, the bread bag blew into the water so Rambles went and asked the guy at the store if we could borrow a canoe to go get the trash out of the water. The guy let the three of us take the canoe out for an hour and we even brought Spanky along with us. It was so much fun and surreal that we wondered if we were actually dreaming. The day ended up being such an amazing day and it reminded me that this journey has nothing to do with the miles or even hiking, it's all the amazing experiences along the way.
Date: 2013-09-18
From: Rangeley,ME

To: Rangeley,ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I have officially lost my mind. I really need to get back into the woods. This town is just to good to be true and it has been reminding me if all the amazing things that happen on the trail. I started to think that it's not possible for something to be so consistently amazing and that maybe I'm actually dreaming the whole thing and none of it has actually happened. Despite all that, it was a great day. I fed the ducks again today and just thought about how amazing ducks are and wondered why I've never taken the time before to really watch ducks interact with each other. It's absolutely fascinating! I also hung out with Spanky the cat some more when he wandered into the hostel. I really love this town, and despite feeling like I'm losing my mind (I'm convinced we're in a wormhole and Rangeley is the epicenter), I've really enjoyed my time here. Hopefully tomorrow I'm back on the trail. My shoulder is feeling pretty good, but it is definitely still not anywhere near 100 percent. I can use it for most things but it is still pretty painful and feels like it wants to slide out of socket occasionally. The terrain is suppose to be getting much better though so hopefully it does ok.
Date: 2013-09-19
From: Rangeley,ME

To: Stratton Brook Pond Rd
Miles today: 1.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today didn't go as planned at all, but I'm very happy with how things worked out. We planned to get out to the trail early, but as usual, we didn't get out to the trail until about 10:30. Then we didn't get hiking until about 11. Tiny Tim's leg had been really hurting, but she thought she was ready to hike again. After about a mile on the trail she realized she wasn't going to be able to hike over the mountain. We took a long break to try and figure some stuff out. After figuring out mileage for the rest of the trail, we decided to hike back into Rangeley and Bootsy and I would jump up to Stratton and Tiny Tim would take a few more days off and hopefully hike with us again in a few days. It took me a little bit to make this decision because I didn't want to skip anymore miles, but then it really hit me that I only have about 2 weeks left of this amazing journey and I might as well enjoy them instead of being concerned and stressed out everyday about getting miles. This way I can enjoy the last couple weeks as much as I've enjoyed the entire trip, and I can come back and do this section when I can actually have fun doing it. We hitched back into town and bought a resupply that Tiny Tim will bring to us when we met back up. Then, when we were walking to the road to hitch, Bootsy and I started talking to a couple who offered to drive us to Stratton. They were so amazing and kind and the woman gave us each $5 to help us out. We insisted that she keep it, but she really wanted us to have it. They keep saying they felt like they were on an adventure because they had never picked up hikers before, and we greatly appreciated their generosity. We made it to the trailhead around 5:30 and hiked about a mile to set up camp. It feels so great to be back in the woods and I'm actually excited to sleep in my tent tonight. My time off from hiking has been a great reminder of how much I love it out here and I plan to have a great last couple weeks.
Date: 2013-09-20
From: Stratton Brook Pond Rd

To: East Flagstaff Rd
Miles today: 15.9

Almost a perfect day. I woke up with a sore throat and was just not feeling well, but we managed to get a slackpack from Limping Eagle, so the day was turning around. I felt horrible while hiking and thought I was going to throw up on all the climbs, but it was so beautiful that even being sick couldn't ruin my day. I might have been a little delirious because I spent about 20 minutes talking to a grouse that really seemed to want to hang out, but at this point, that is actually pretty normal for me. The Bigelow Mountains were gorgeous as were all of the ponds throughout the day. Bootsy and I made it to the road where Fat Man Walking and Limping Eagle were waiting with our packs and they asked if we would want to go into town to pick up some dinner. Of course we said yes, and then we all set up our tents and headed towards food. We found this awesome restaurant/bar in the middle of nowhere, and even the bar tender hesitated and looked confused when we asked where we were. We had a few appetizers and drinks and ordered pizzas to go. After hanging out for a few hours, we headed back to our campsite and had a huge bon fire while eating pizza. It ended up being such a great day and it was totally unexpected. I really love trail life! As much as I'm ready to be done hiking, I'm still not ready for this to end.
Date: 2013-09-21
From: East Flagstaff Rd

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3

Today was a little rough but still beautiful. My cold just seems to keep getting worse and I had absolutely no energy today and felt like I was going to throw up for most of the day. At one point I almost laid down in the trail, but I managed to keep it together and keep walking. There was one 800 foot climb over about 1.8 miles that was one of the hardest climbs for me on the trail. Normally that sort of a climb would be extremely easy but I had to stop every couple of minutes because I felt so bad. The rest of the day went a little smoother because the terrain was so flat, but I was very ready to make it to the shelter and go to sleep by the end of the day. The night ended up not going well because I was so stuffed up that I couldn't sleep and just sat up most the night with my eyes watering and listening to people snore. I'm so ready to be over this cold. It really sucks being sick in the woods. Also, my shoulder is a little sore after carrying a full pack all day, but I've just been using one trekking pole and taking it easy with my arm. It's definitely doing better but I still don't trust it.
Date: 2013-09-22
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning it was pouring, but we knew that we needed to get going because we had to make it to the river in time to catch the ferry, which ran from 9-11 am. Bootsy and I packed up our stuff and headed out into the rain. It sucked hiking in the rain, but we only had 3.7 miles to make it to the ferry and then .3 more to town. The ferry (a canoe) was fun and a nice change, but we were quickly across the river and headed to town. When we got to the road, we walked up to the post office and through the town of Caratunk which felt very surreal because the town looked like it hadn't been updated since the late 1800's. After walking through the town, we caught a ride with the ferry man to Northern Outdoor Center, where we got a room for the night and met back up with Tiny Tim. I was still feeling terrible so I went to sleep as soon as we got into our room and pretty much slept most of the evening. It's nice to be in a bed but I really just want to be done with this cold.
Date: 2013-09-23
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Moxie Pond
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: few clouds

I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but we were trying to get on the trail around 10 30, so eventually I got up. We went to breakfast at the restaurant downstairs and then I had to finish packing up my food bag and my pack. I was ready just at 10 30 and we caught a shuttle back to the trail. The weather was cold and misted on and off, but it never rained so I couldn't complain too much. My cold has progressed into me being really stuffed up and coughing a lot. It really sucks hiking like this, but hopefully I'll feel better soon and can enjoy the remaining days even more. Despite my cold, there is still no place I would rather be. Tiny Tim's leg is doing better too so she was able to hike with us again. We ended up camping near a pond instead of trying to make it to the next shelter because tonight it's suppose to be really cold so we all wanted the added warmth of our tents anyway. The weather is suppose to get nicer again and I'm excited for the hike ahead. We should be in Monson in a couple days, which seems really strange because it's the last trail town before Katahdin. It's crazy that this is really almost over.
Date: 2013-09-24
From: Moxie Pond

To:  Bald Mountain Stream
Miles today: 8.9

So much for gorgeous weather. I woke up to the sound of rain hitting my tent but figured it would pass quickly. It did, so I packed up my stuff and then it started raining again. I thought it would again pass quickly so I packed up my tent to keep it fairly dry, but the rain kept on coming. Bootsy and Tiny Tim let me sit in their tent with them so I didn't have to be in the rain. I thought about hiking in it, but it was already so cold that being wet would just be dangerous. I'm not trying to get hypothermia at this stage to add to the fun of already being sick. The rain didn't stop until almost noon, so we got a much later start than planned. The hiking was muddy and slippery but overall, not bad. The one climb we had today was again challenging for me because of my cold and I had to stop every few minutes to hack up a lung. My body is really sore from all the coughing and I really just want this cold to go away. At the end of the day, we had to ford a river and then decided to camp near it to avoid any possibility of night hiking. Tomorrow we should make it to Monson without much problem, but I no longer assume things will go as planned. A sunny day would be greatly appreciated tomorrow, but I really just need it to not rain.
Date: 2013-09-25
From:  Bald Mountain Stream

To: Monson,ME
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: moderate rain

It rained again last night but luckily it stopped by the morning so we were able to get an early start. The sun actually came out today, which was amazing. The hiking was pretty flat, and for the first time in a long time, I was able to hike at a reasonable pace. The trail was still muddy and rooty, but since it was a nice day, it was kind of like a fun obstacle course. I'm feeling a little better, but at one point I had about a ten minute coughing attack which made my whole body sore. At the end of the day, we ran into trail magic, which was amazing. We ate hot dogs, chips, cookies, and apples, and then got a ride into town. It feels weird to be in my last trail town before Katahdin, so I'm trying to enjoy everything as much as possible, especially with food. Definitely can't eat like this after the trail. Tomorrow I start the 100 mile wilderness and then on to Katahdin. Still can't believe it's almost over.
Date: 2013-09-26
From: Monson,ME

To: Wilber Brook
Miles today: 13.6

This morning we ran into Limping Eagle who offered to take some of our food to a campsite 30 miles into the wilderness so we wouldn't have to carry 7 days of food, so of course we jumped at the opportunity. We were late getting on the trail, as usual leaving a town, but it felt great to only carry 2 days of food. The hike was going well until Tiny Tim's leg started to really hurt. After hiking about 4 miles, she decided that she was in too much pain to enter a stretch without much help and decided to turn back. The plan is for her to catch a ride with Limping Eagle and hopefully hike with us again when we get the rest of our food. Bootsy and I continued hiking and the trail was muddy but we still made decent time. The trees are really starting to pop with color and the views overlooking the trees and ponds were absolutely beautiful. I took some time to take in the views because the pictures were not doing it any justice. We wanted to get 15 miles in today, but with our late start we ended up night hiking for a little bit to find a campsite near water. About 10 minutes before we found a site, Bootsy said, "I wish there would just be a old grassy roadbed so we could set up our tents on something flat" and what did we find in the most random spot but an old grassy roadbed. Tomorrow we need to do at least a 17 mile day to get our food, but I've really enjoyed that last few days of hiking so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The weather is suppose to be great for at least the next week and my cold is getting better every day. Day 1 of the 100 mile wilderness was definitely a good day.
Date: 2013-09-27
From: Wilber Brook

To: Katahdin Iron Works Rd
Miles today: 16.2

Today was a hard day of hiking but it was gorgeous. We had two river fords first thing in the morning and then a climb to one of the most beautiful views I've seen on the trail. Fat Man was already at the view and then Canada showed up as well. We all sat there for a while and talked about how surreal it is that we're almost done. We all forced ourselves to leave the view after about an hour and continued hiking. There were a lot of steep climbs and descents today, most of which were rocks and bolders. I was having a perfect day until my left shin started to hurt so I thought I would stop to stretch my calf to help with the shin splint. I found a perfect rock with a perfect angle, but when I leaned my weight forward to stretch, my foot slid and I bashed my shin on a sharp rock and almost fell over except I used my left arm and trekking pole to stop myself from falling and my shoulder slid slightly out of socket. I dropped my pole and grabbed my arm with my other hand, and although at first it felt off, it quickly went back into place and I could move my arm fine, although it still hurt. When Bootsy showed up minutes later, I had to describe how I hurt my shin and shoulder trying to stretch my calf. I got myself together and hiked on to more beautiful views and tough terrain. Then I came to a bog board that had a step off on to a bunch of muddy logs on top of a muddy bog. I knew it would be slippery so I carefully stepped down onto a log and before I knew it I was on my butt in the mud with my foot stuck in the mud up to my shin. Also, when I fell, my left arm twisted at a weird angle and my shoulder again shifted out of place. Once I got up, I made sure my arm could move properly and then took a few minutes to collect myself before hiking on. I was muddy, wet, in pain, and on the verge of tears, but it had been too great of a day with the most perfect weather to let this ruin my day, so I held it together and continued hiking once more. The end of the day had a lot of steep, rocky descents, which I am completely over, and we had to night hike the last 45 minutes, but we made it to our food that Limping Eagle brought and set up camp. Today was a long day and had some downfalls, but overall it was still a great day. Only one more day of climbing before we get to the flat section. I can't wait. We also crossed below 100 miles this morning and crossed the 2100 mile mark this evening. All in a days work.
Date: 2013-09-28
From: Katahdin Iron Works Rd

To: White Cap Mountain
Miles today: 11.9

Today was a prefect day! The weather was perfect without a cloud in the sky, the hiking was beautiful, I had a perfect view of Katahdin, I camped on top of the last real mountain before Katahdin with an amazing fire, and I saw the most beautiful sun set on one side of the mountain and could run to the other side to see Katahdin at sunset. I really had nothing that I could possibly complain about today. Bootsy, Canada, and I originally planned to do about 15 miles but by 1 pm we decided that the day was too perfect to not fully enjoy it. I was having great thoughts about the trail and reminiscing about the last six months. Then, it was so surreal to see Katahdin and have a view of everything we will hike before the end. What a perfect way to spend one of the last few days on the trail. I love my life! Only 72.8 miles left of the trail.
Date: 2013-09-29
From: White Cap Mountain

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Another great day! When I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was go look at Katahdin to make sure she was still there. It still feels so surreal to be able to see the final mountain. I didn't want to leave White Cap, but we were all out of water, so we didn't have much choice. We started hiking around 9, and stopped at a spring 3 miles later. We drank a ton of water and stopped for breakfast before finally hiking again around noon. The weather has been absolutely prefect the past few days and today was no different. I keep going back and forth between wanting to make miles and wanting to take as much time as possible. There were a couple gorgeous views today, so taking my time won out. The terrine is also flat now and I'm loving hiking again. I couldn't ask for a better way to end this journey. Tomorrow, we plan to do a big day and then one more day until Abol brige. Then one more day to the base of Katahdin, and we will summit the following day if everything goes as planned. So 4 more days if we actually hike and 5 if we get caught up in the views. Tonight I'm sleeping in my tent, listening to a brook, and I couldn't be happier. I really am going to miss the trail.
Date: 2013-09-30
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Crescent Pond
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: broken clouds

was another gorgeous day and excellent hiking. I was on the trail by 7 am because I wanted to get in a big day, and getting on the trail early paid off because I got in the miles and I still had time to enjoy some great views. Although it was a great day, I still managed to fall on a bog board while I was day dreaming and cut my thigh and bashed my shin. Somehow I managed to avoid getting covered in mud and getting wet though, so I'll take it as a win. I got to the shelter 21.5 miles in around 4 pm and stopped to wait for Bootsy and Canada. Canada showed up around 5 and said Bootsy was right behind him, but when she still wasn't there at 6, I figured she had either already passed the shelter and was in front of me or she had stopped to eat dinner at the beach of the lake before night hiking. I decided to get going so that I would have a little bit of light left before having to use my head lamp. I ended up night hiking for about an hour and a half and then decided to set up camp. Tomorrow I plan to do about a 20 mile day to make it to Abol bridge and get real food from the restaurant there. Still can't believe it's almost over. 2 more days until I no longer have white blazes telling me where to go.
Date: 2013-10-01
From: Crescent Pond

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 19.3

More beautiful weather. It's starting to freak me out a little bit because it's been so nice out lately and I know it can't last forever, but it sounds like the next few days are suppose to be really nice too. I just want a beautiful day on Katahdin and it sounds like I might get it. The hiking today started extremely slow because I couldn't seem to get used to hiking on and around the roots, even though I've been doing it for a while now. Eventually my body got broken in and I could semi hike again. Today seemed more muddy and more rooty than it has been, but I'm pretty sure it was just because I was tired today and my body was feeling the 25 mile day from yesterday. Eventually though, I found a groove and was back to reminiscing about the previous six months and thinking about how life is about to change. It's been kind of nice hiking by myself for the last few days and reflecting on the hike. I still don't think it's quite sunk in that in 2 days I'll be done. I made it to Abol bridge around 3 30 and was so excited to eat at the restaurant, only to find out that it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. I had been thinking about a burger all day and it was my motivation to get to Abol Bridge early, but I had to suck it up and and get a couple pre-made subs instead. Luckily, the restaurant will be open tomorrow and I can get a burger before leaving. I devoured the subs, which were actually pretty good, and I could finally think clearly about what I wanted to do. I considered going into town, but decided that I didn't need to spend the money and in a few days I'll be in town everyday. I decided to charge up my camera and phone at the store and then head back into the woods to stealth camp. Tomorrow, Bootsy and I are meeting Tiny Tim at Abol Bridge to hike the last 10 miles to Katahdin. Tiny Tim wasn't able to join us in the 100 mile wilderness because it turned out that both of her IT bands were so inflamed that they were pinching the nerves in her legs and all the Advil she was taking because of the pain was giving her an ulcer. So, hopefully tomorrow she is feeling well enough to do an easy 10 miles and then Katahdin. Tonight I'm excited to go to sleep early and not have to get up early. I definitely feel like I need sleep. Another great day. Only 2 more to go.