morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-15
From: The Farmhouse Hostel

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: few clouds

It rained last night and into this morning. That meant the trail would be very slick and slow-going. The good thing is I have my new shoes today! The old ones were missing parts of their soles and we're getting downright dangerous. They were baaaaaaaaad!I started hiking at 7:20am and it was just a bit rainy. It was sprinkling actually. But as I climbed from 1,600 feet to 4,100 feet the weather changed significantly. Up there it wasn't raining, thankfully. It was extremely windy, I guess blowing 40mph or so. It was extremely foggy and I was completely exposed to the wind in the alpine zones (trees less than 8 feet). The climb to 4,100 was up Saddleback Mountain, which is supposed to have amazing views. All I just saw lots of fog and had wind blowing hard from the west. When the trail eventually dropped in elevation the weather changed again. It turned warm and the sun even came out. What a crazy weather day. The climb up Saddleback, and other climbs today and I'm previous day's, are getting tougher on my body. It's really the descents that are the hardest. They seem to be on rock 90% of the time and my knees are taking a beating. They hurt from holding myself back as I climb down. I have to take it a bit slower on the downhills now. That's what hiking almost 2,000 miles will do though. The weather stayed nice for the remainder of the day. At the top of Lone Mountain I sat in the sun and called back home and talked to mom and dad. I hadn't talked to them in a few weeks, just exchanged texts periodically. It was good to catch up finally. I had two miles left and got to camp about 6:00pm. It's just dinner, relax, and head to bed. I'll be in Stratton, ME tomorrow.
Date: 2015-07-16
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton Motel & Hostel
Miles today: 13.5

Last night was cold. Not chilly, cold. The wind was whipping at camp at 3,000 feet of elevation. I got up as normal but I can tell I'm tired. My body is tired and the climbs are more difficult and descents hurt my knees. I am surely going to nero (take a short day) or zero before I get to the 100 Mile. Despite not being 100%, I had some solid climbs today; Spaulding Mountain, South and North Crocker Mountain. They made me work and I was surely sweating. Thru-hiking is a lot of work. It's not always fun but it is rewarding. I continued hiking and hit a wall at the last five mile mark. The final five were all downhill miles so I popped a Motrin, put in my earbuds and kept my feet moving. Eventually I made it to Route 27 where I hitched into Stratton. ME. All it took was one car and I had my ride into town. I swear, my bright orange shirt gets me a hitch every time. I swear it's lucky!I got into Stratton and am staying in the bunk room at the Stratton Motel. It's like a little cape house with bunks upstairs. It has a full kitchen, living room, TV, wifi, etc. What's also great is the grocery store (budget friendly!) is right across the street. I resupplied for 4.5 days to get me to Monson, ME. Also across the street is The Plaza bar and restaurant where I ordered up a large mushroom pizza and an order of garlic bread. Before he night ended I called Nikki. I always do that when I'm in town because service is spotty on the trail sometimes. It's odd, in a completely good way, that I'm planning details for my return home and not going away. It's pretty cool actually. I'll be home soon.
Date: 2015-07-17
From: Stratton Motel & Hostel

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3

I slept well last night and so I got up early. I needed to catch the $5 shuttle back to the trail at 7:00am or hitch out of town. I chose the shuttle. Before I left though, I made myself a real breakfast. I made some maple sausage links, two English muffins, a strawberry yogurt and an orange. It's nice to have a grocery store across the street and a full kitchen in a hostel. It sure beats Pop Tarts!Today I was going to, and did, climb The Bigelows. I've been hearing how beautiful the peaks on this mountain range are. I had to really work to get to the summits but the beautiful weather made it absolutely worth it! I could see forbmiles and miles from the tops of Bigelow Mountain, Little Bigelow, and Avery Mountain. I had 360° views at multiple points. From the east of where I was standing I could see a bunch of small ponds in the valley below. Up high, across the valley was a huge ski resort. To the west was a huge lake with a bunch of inlets. What's different is the lakes and ponds up here aren't cluttered with houses or cottages. It's remote and peaceful here. The woods are peaceful too. Sometimes as I walk I'll just stop...I'll just listen. Sometimes I hear birds talking to each other or chipmunks running around. Sometimes I'll hear the wind rustle the leaves of the trees. Sometimes I'll hear streams and rivers flowing. But sometimes when I stop, it's completely, 100%, silent. It's not that often that we get to have 100% silence in life. It's something magical the forest has to offer. At camp it's nice and quiet tonight too. It's just me in the shelter. I made it to camp at 6:00 and did all of my chores and had dinner by 7:30. It gives me the opportunity to go to bed early. When it comes to hiking, I need my sleep. Hopefully I'll feel good to go in the morning!
Date: 2015-07-19
From: Kennebec River

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a great spot at camp last night. I really enjoyed being by the river and hearing the water move all night. It was a great way to fall asleep. I didn't have to get up early today. The first ferry across wasn't until 9:00am and I was at the river already. So I slept in a bit and didn't get out of my tent until 7:00am. However when I got out I could tell the mosquitos were up and ready to attack. I hustled to pack up and then headed down to the waters edge. It was breezy so there were no mosquitos there. It was the perfect spot to eat some breakfast. I actually made a hot breakfast today! Granted it was Mac & Cheese, but it was still a hot meal to start the day. Generally its some combination of English muffins, Pop Tarts or honey buns. But since I had the extra time and an extra meal since I'd be in town earlier, I figured a hot breakfast would be fitting. At 9:00 I boarded the "ferry" across the river. By ferry, I mean a canoe. Literally. Either way, it's the official River crossing for the AT. So I paddles across with the "captain" and then started my trek on foot. I've been told by many SOBO's (southbound hikers starting in Maine walking to Georgia) about all the mud in Maine. Today was the day when I found it to be true. It started raining at 10am and didn't stop all day. The mud became even more slick and deeper than before. There were numerous boardwalks and I took those slowly too. Between the wet boards and mud on my shoes, it's the recipe to slide off. I continued hiking through the the woods, filled with spruce and pine trees. I had one climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain but it was pretty short. I was up and down in an hour and a half or so. Then the trail passed a set of power lines and I had some rock-hopping at a pond. It was a very pretty hike. I rolled into the shelter at 5:00 tonight. It's just me and two SOBO's, Papa Smurf and Glacier. We're just relaxing, chatting and listening to the rain and thunder outside of these log-cabin style walls. It was a good day.
Date: 2015-07-20
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Theme of the day: I need a boat. Last night the sky unleashed something fierce. It POURED! It was rumbling thunder and then came flash-bulbs of lightening. It was a torrential storm. When I got up this morning, you'd think by looking at the sky that it never rained. It was bright and it stayed like that the entire day. However when I started down the trail I could see what bad of shape the trail was in. The trail was literally flowing. Run-off was making streams down to the trail. The trail was completely flooded in many sections. There was 6" or more of water in sections lasting multiple miles. All I could do was walk right through it all. The rocks alongside were way too slick to walk on. I just trudged through the water and focused on the miles. The AT guide I use shows many waypoints each day. Today it showed a couple fords I had to make. One was the Bald Mountain Stream and the other was the Piscatquis River. The Bald Mountain Stream was only shin deep. Unfortunately as I was entering, not even fully in, I slipped and fell on my butt right in the stream. I was soaked. I just had a laugh, ate a Snickers bar and kept on walking. The Piscataquis River was a ford on a completely different level. When I arrived I could already see the river moving swiftly. The ford had to be at least 50 feet across. There was a rope suspended a few feet above the water, anchored to a tree on both banks. The AT guide says "River normally knee-deep. During heavy rain periods, fording can be dangerous". With that evening of rain I just had, that river turned to "dangerous". I had no choice but to hold on to the rope and ease my way into the water. I slowly, carefully and cautiously made my way further from shore. The water was going past my knees and up my thighs. For a split second my brain thought "what if I fall?" but I blocked that out. I continued to focus planting my feet and getting across safely. The water in the middle is thee river ended up nearly being at my waist. The current was powerfully but eventually I was closer to the other bank and out of the danger zone (cue Top Gun music). It was complete sketchy because I was 100% on my own. I made it across safely but it was a bit nerve wracking. Soaked to the bone now, I continued hiking the remaining three miles to camp. I called it an early day so my feet can dry out. They've been completely soaked for a couple days now so I need them to dry. Tomorrow morning I'll be heading into Monson, ME. It's the last town for the next 100 miles. There are no roads in between either. I'll pick up my box of food I sent to Monson from Rangeley, ME. Then I will stay the night and surely eat in a restaurant. I could use calories and protein before the final leg of this trip. I can tell my body is fatigued but greasy town food always helps the next day.
Date: 2015-07-21
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Shaws Hostel
Miles today: 9.0

I wanted to get into town early today so I left shortly after 6:00am. Getting in early means busting out 9 miles as quickly and as safely as possible. They were easy miles actually. Just a small hill here or there but it was mainly mud I had to contend with. The trail was far improved from the river it was yesterday though. I had a ford today. This one was only mid-thigh deep and the current from the river was slow. It wasn't too bad but I still took it slowly and cautiously. I hope any more upcoming fords are like this one and not yesterday's ford. I caught a ride into town from Derek, from North Carolina. He was heading to the hostel and has been driving hikers back and forth today. He brought me in and it's the top priorities: laundry, shower, food. I headed over to The Lake Shore House for a late lunch/early dinner. I had a burger (ehh) and a steak and cheese sandwich (YUMM!). While sitting there I met another hiker, Drifter. There are actually two hikers named Drifter currently in the same section of trail. This Drifter (from Ohio) I had never met before. We chatted about the trail, the new people starting out, us who are wrapping up, the impact of the new AT movie coming out, etc. It was a good time. Not much else in the day. Just took it easy and didn't overdo it. My body needs to recover...as much as possible in half a day at least.Tomorrow I start the 100 Mile Wilderness. This may be my last post until I summit Katahdin. My goal is to stand on top of the mountain on Wednesday, July 29th. You will soon enough hear of the final miles of my 2,189.2 mile journey.
Date: 2015-07-22
From: Shaws Hostel

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1

I really enjoyed staying at Shaws last night. This morning before I left I took a walk to the gas station to grab a couple things for breakfast. I already had two English muffins but I grabbed a bottle of chocolate milk and a small piece of chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. It was 1,100 calories of goodness!Hostel owner, Hippy Chick, drove me and seven other hikers back to the trail this morning. Unfortunately it wasn't until 8:30am or so. I like hiking by 7:00am so this put me behind. Regardless, I hit the trail at a steady pace as not to burn myself out. Shortly into the hike I came across the 100 Mile Wilderness sign. It basically warns hikers to take "a minimum of ten days worth of food" because there are no roads in between. As a seasoned hiker I can do it in five days. I'm going to take six just in case the weather forces me to shorten a day.My pack was loaded with six days of food but actually felt really good. It didn't feel heavy and the weight was riding perfectly on my hips and shoulders. This will be the last time I have to carry this much food again. My pack will get lighter and easier on my body. I hiked along as normal and found a new element to contend with: slate. The trail has lots of rocks, roots and mud but now slate has joined the obstacle course. Because of a brief rain shower last night, my shoes are muddy and walking on slate was like walking on ice. I hiked along passing a huge waterfall cutting right through the mountain. Eventually I paralleled a few ponds and a bit of marshland. I even had to ford a stream or two. Actually, it was three fords. Then I came across a sign telling hikers there was trail magic down a private dirt road. I took the detour and when I arrived I met an older gentleman named Terry. He had a small hunting cabin built back in the 40's. Terry was cooking up hotdogs and hamburgers for hikers and even had soda and beer. He was super nice and the cabin reminded me of my father-in-law's Deer Camp up in the Adirondacks. Terry was doing trail magic in memory of his son who used to hike on the AT. It was a really nice gesture and I appreciated the thought behind what he was doing. Camp was just a few miles past and I arrived in early evening. If I didn't spend 45 minutes at Terry's I would have pressed on another four miles. However spending time at the cabin, chatting, eating, looking at pictures from 50+ years ago was worth more than a couple extra miles. That's what the trail is really about. There are quite a few people at the shelter: SweetBlood, Big Ben, Smasher, Seeker, Mini Sticks, Heat Pack, Rolling Thunder, Brightside and a few more. I know a big group is shooting to summit on the 28th. I figure the 29th. We'll see what happens.
Date: 2015-07-23
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: scattered clouds

76.8 miles left. That's it. It's exciting and scary at the same time. The excitement comes from knowing how far I've made it to this point. I have walked for 143 days, 2112.4 miles. I'm excited to just see the mountain for the first time. I'm excited to put the exclamation point on this journey. I'm excited to complete something that 75% of people fail at. I'm excited to go home and see Nikki and my family. I'm excited for the unknown of journeys to come. It's scary too. I don't have a job to return to. That's huge. One income makes living much more difficult. It's scary because I don't know exactly how I'm going to feel when I'm done. Am I going to feel happy or empty? After all, I go from seeing familiar faces everyday on the trail or at camp and soon it will be no more. Am I going to be bored? I know I will never be outside like I have been these previous four and a half months. It's going to be bittersweet for sure. I'm enjoying each day and doing my best to take it all in. Today I had some fantastic views of lakes and ponds and saw quite a few people on trail. I must say the 100 Mile Wilderness is really busy at the moment. Right now many NOBO's, SOBO's and section hikers are all in this section. It actually makes this "wilderness" feel less remote. Actually there are gravel roads and apparently one leads to a resort. THAT I was not expecting to hear. I was not expecting to see any cars yet there was one I saw parked. So much for wilderness!Today had quite a few ups and downs requiring a lot of energy. I know my body is fatigued but I just keep on rolling. I actually stopped at the shelter 20.8 miles in today but it was only 4:30. It's too early to stop so I pushed on another 1.8 miles which will help me tomorrow. It's supposed to rain so doing a couple extra miles on dry rocks is really helpful. Plus I'm going up and over White Cap, the tallest mountain left until Katahdin. Let's hope for decent weather tomorrow.
Date: 2015-07-24
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 17.1

There are only a few pages left in my AT guide. It's pretty weird. It's also weird to see the remaining miles now: 59.7It was only a 17.1 mile day but I had the last significant climb until Katahdin. The mountain was White Cap and there is a view of Katahdin from the north side of the mountain. However today was rainy and foggy and the summit was all fogged in. Mid-day tomorrow I should have my first view though. It sounds like I have good weather tomorrow so there should (hopefully) be a view. The hike was challenging today. Even the small climbs are now difficult when I'm tired. But knowing how close I am to my goal gives me motivation and fuel for the day. The good news is the next 50 or so miles are relatively flat. It's Maine so there will be roots, rocks and mud but the lack of elevation change will be helpful. I hiked along as normal, taking in the scenery and saying hi to hikers as they walked by. I eventually arrived at the shelter at 4:00pm. I hate stopping this early but I'm tired. The great part about this was the shelter has a small set of waterfalls and a swimming spot the natural falls pour into. I always have been told I "have to" go in to a lake or pond in the 100 Mile Wilderness. So today I went! I took a swim in the cool, crisp water by the falls at the shelter. It had a bit of current but I could touch the bottom from where I was. I enjoyed standing on my toes, just watching the falls cascade down to the pool I was in. With waterfalls, lakes, ponds and streams comes rainfall and a wet trail. My feet have been soaked for days. There seems to be no escape from it. The only thing I can do is dry my feet and wear flip-flops as soon as I get to camp. Tomorrow is going to be a long day but the terrain is relatively flat. I hope the trail drys up a bit. I'd like to make good time tomorrow.
Date: 2015-07-25
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: broken clouds

What a fantastic day on the trail! Today I was rewarded with a trail free of climbs. At multiple points the trail was flat and pretty much rock-free. It was pretty much a highway...for Maine, that is. I was cruising along almost the entire day. The only thing that slowed me up was the mud, but even then I was still making good time. Even the streams to ford were purely just rock-hops. Life is good. About 13 miles in I received some important news from a SOBO: Trail Magic ahead! That was extra motivation for the next six miles or so. I hiked along at a steady pace, being oh so cautious about not falling. When I arrived there were a couple people set up with a grill, coolers and tents for the weekend. Before I could take my pack of I was greeted and offered a beer and a huge, homemade chocolate chip cookie. It was like celebrating the 4th of July. I had a can of Bud, a hotdog, hamburger, cookie and a slice of apple pie...APPLE PIE! Can you believe that!? This whole 100 Mile Wilderness thing is not so wilderness but it is amazing! I hiked the remaining few miles to camp with a stomach full of happiness. I did some calculations and it looks like summit day may be Tuesday the 28th. I've been hiking at a solid pace so the 29th (which I've been shooting for) may be overshot. Tomorrows mileage will determine the date I summit.
Date: 2015-07-26
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather in the 100 Mile Wilderness can't make up its mind. It says it's going to rain, then it doesn't. Then it starts to rain and the sun comes out. Then it's supposed to be a fine day and it pours. There is no understanding this weather pattern. Yesterday I was told (by a local, mind you) that it was going to pour all day. Today...it slightly sprinkled in the afternoon. Who knows. Although it didn't really rain, the trail was a mud bog. I don't think it will dry out. It would have to be dry for weeks in order to not be slick. The good part was there was no climbing involved today. Because it is Maine it is rocky but I had fantastic views of lakes and ponds. The only thing I didn't have a view of, like multiple times before, was Katahdin. Am I ever going to see it before I start climbing?Along the way, about 8 miles in, I stopped at a shelter for a snack. I ended up talking with a SOBO and he saw the snacks I had. He remarked how he'd love to have a Snickers. I had two so I told him I'd gladly make a trade for any meat product. He went into his backpack and pulled out some homemade chicken jerky. He cooked it on a rotisserie and then dehydrated it. I scored a bag of it and bullion cube. So, I sat there and snacked on the jerky for a while and saved the rest and the bullion for some chicken soup later. That was a quality trade!I continued hiking another 11 miles and stopped at the next shelter. Everyone from the previous night (Seeker, DB, Gandalf, Heat Pack, Mini Sticks & Drifter) have pressed on another 4 miles. Tomorrow they plan to do 10 flat miles, then 5 intense miles up Katahdin, then 5 intense miles down. The climb sounds absolutely brutal. I want no part of that, just to summit tomorrow. This is my hike and I have no intention on busting my butt just to summit tomorrow. I know the climb is going to be extremely tough and the descent is going to be tougher on my knees. I don't want to rush this final part of the journey. I want to enjoy this final day as the journeys I've been working so hard for comes to an end. My plan was, and still is, to stay the night and just do 13 miles tomorrow. I'll be fresh for THE climb on Tuesday. All I need is the weather to cooperate. At the shelter its me, Big Ben, SweetBlood and Smasher. We made a nice fire, hung out and just jokes around. It was a great way to spend one of the last few nights on the trail. I'm truly going to miss this.