morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-12
From: Caribou Valley Road 

To: ME 27, Stratton ME
Miles today: 8.3

I was shuttled back to Caribou Valley Road with a very nice older couple who have been section hiking the AT more than 30 years. I was concerned about them. They looked like they should have been going to a farmers market rather than tackling a rugged section of the AT. But they were not my responsibility, so I kept my mouth shut.I headed down the road 1/2 mile, then turned north on the AT. The older couple was heading south on the AT. They would be climbing up the steep treacherous rocks I encountered yesterday. I tried not to think about it.The climb was long and steady, but only occassionally steep. I stopped briefly at the Crocker Cirque campsite to take a break and to filter some water. The weather was cool and clear, a perfect day for hiking.I soon reached the side trail to the summit of South Crocker Mtn., 4040 feet above sealevel. There was a rock outcropping at the summit which made a nice place to enjoy the view and a snack.Now that school is back in session and it is football season, there seems to be a lot less day hikers on the AT on the weekends. At the summit I met 2 nice young men, and we were soon joined by a nice couple, all day hikers. While we were chatting we discovered that just about all of us were trail maintainers! Unfortunately few hikers, including AT thru hikers, realize or appreciate how much work is involved in maintaining our hiking trails. In NH and in parts of Maine there is a nominal charge to stay at shelters and campsites. The fee has not been raised in years and does not fully cover the expenses associated with maintaining those sites and the AT. During the hiking season caretakers live at most of the sites to maintain the shelters & campsites, including the privies; work on the trail; make sure everyone follows LNT and the rules; and to collect the nominal fee.I gladly pay the fee, and I enjoy talking with the caretakers, who I have consistently found to be very friendly and hardworking. I could never do their job. They actually have to dig out the contents of the privies and process the material through a multi-stage process.I was concerned about the steep descent down South Crocker and the steep climb up North Crocker. Fortunately both were steep but not treacherous. The descent from North Crocker was long (over 5 miles) but gradual. I called along the way to schedule a shuttle to the Motel and discovered that the older couple I met this morning had a medical issue and was getting helped off the trail. I said I would figure out how to get to the Motel so they could focus on helping the couple with their medical emergency.When I reached the trailhead I was greeted with wonderful trail magic. A church in Strong ME provided hotdogs, hamburgers, and lots of other food to hungry hikers. One nice lady gave me a lift to the Motel. I am absolutely amazed by the kindness and generosity I have experienced, literally from one end of the AT to the other.The AT is calling. Rain is coming again. So I will be taking a zero tomorrow.
Date: 2015-09-13
From: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME

To: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME
Miles today: 0.0

The weather forecast called for rain, so I decided it was time to take a break today. When I realized that the rain was going to continue into Monday, with heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted for Sunday night, I decided to take both days off. My pack and I would both stay dry. The time off would also let my back rest and give the antibiotics a chance to work before I tackled the Bigalows - the last really high mountains until Katahdin. And I did not want to climb over steep and potentially treacherous rocks in the rain. Been there, done that!I walked up the road to the Looney Moose for breakfast and checked out some of the shops. I also visited with Bonbon and Katwalk, who I met way back in Georgia at Nells Gap, and who were also staying at the motel. Katwalk got off the AT somewhere around the Smokies, but Bonbon has soldiered on and will finish her AT hike at Katahdin. Katwalk decided to rejoin Bonbon for this last stretch of the AT.I also took a nap, wrote out some postcards, got things ready to mail home, and worked on my trail journal entries. The zero days seem to go by incredibly fast.The AT is calling. Rain, rain, go away!
Date: 2015-09-14
From: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME

To: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Early in the morning, while there was a lull in the rain, I washed my clothes while I ate breakfast sandwiches I picked up at a gas station across the street - thru hiker multi-tasking!! I hung the wet clothes to dry in my room and worked on my trail journal entries. I also took a box to the post office. Again, the day just flew by.Via text, I heard from a thru hiker out on the trail that the storm last night was pretty bad. I was once again very glad I was safe, warm, and dry. Plus I now had clean clothes.It rained off and on all day, but was expected to clear by morning. Good! I am tackling the Bigalows tomorrow.The AT is calling. I will be glad when I have the Bigalows behind me.
Date: 2015-09-16
From: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME

To: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

When I woke up my back was already spasming. I obviously over did it yesterday.I did not want to head into a very remote area with a full pack and limited medical care without trying to do something for my back first.I was able to schedule an appointment with a massage therapist for the afternoon. In the morning I rested and started to get my pack ready to go.The massage felt great, and the massage therapist gave me tips for stretches to both avoid and deal with further muscle spasms.The AT is calling. The weather for the next few days should be great. Time to make miles!I have about 57 miles to hike to get to Monson. Then I will enter the 100 mile wilderness, which ends at the base of Katahdin. It is unlikely I will have time or wifi to update my trail journal until after I summit Katahdin. So please do not get concerned if I do not post for a while. I promise I will update my journal posts just as soon as I can.
Date: 2015-09-21
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: Stealth Camping Just Before Horseshoe Canyon Lean-
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

I had breakfast with Spark and Sparky, then began the long 2 mile steady climb up Moxie Bald Mountain. Again, the elevation at the summit is only 2629 ft., but the Maine mud, rocks, and roots make for a tedious climb. The AT guide mentioned a summit bypass trail to the west, so I was a little concerned that the trail may be steep and treacherous. But the climb up was actually easier than I expected and well worth the effort.The views were spectacular and I had the place all to myself. Once at the summit I took pictures, then I took a break and enjoyed a snack. I found large anchor eyes still embedded in the boulders. Apparently a tower or some other structure was located at the summit at one time.Near the side trail to Moxie Bald north peak I took another break. The trail followed long exposed rock veins with wonderful views and I needed to pee. I went off trail and found a rocky spot to use to protect the fragile plants which struggle to survive in that environment.   I also found some late season blueberries. What a treat!The descent was easy and I soon found myself at Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to, with its beautiful pond in front of the shelter. I had lunch on the rocks beside the pond. I met Spark & Sparky there. Because of injuries they took the summit bypass. I later showed them pictures of what they missed.The fording at Bald Mtn stream was just a rock hop thanks to the low water levels. Likewise crossing the West Branch of the Piscataquis River was essentially a rock hop although my feet did get a little wet in the process.The profile in the AT guide was almost flat from Moxie Bald Mtn Lean-to to Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to, but the trail was not flat and seemed to be particularly rooty and rocky - requiring much more time and effort than I had anticipated. Spark and Sparky found a stealth camping site just short of the shelter and just off the AT. They invited me to join them and I quickly agreed.   Again we made our dinners together, had a nice conversation, and then went to sleep.The AT is calling. While it is nice to have solitude while hiking alone during the day, it is very nice to see friendly faces and have interesting conversation at the end of the day.
Date: 2015-09-23
From: Monson, ME

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I slept well in my little private room at the hostel. I got up early and washed my clothes, then hung them all around my room to dry.Next I took everything out of the Blue Beast. I carefully and judiciously scrutinized every item to see if anything else could be sent home to lighten the load - even if just temporarily. Then I went through my food and resupply boxes to determine what I would carry with me and what would go into the resupply bucket. For breakfast I ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream while I worked. I put together a box to mail home and a box for my resupply bucket, then headed to the post office and Lakeshore House. After mailing the box home and arranging for my food drop, I decided to try Pete's Place for lunch and ran into Spark & Sparky. We all had lunch together - burgers, pie, and Moxie soda. They also made me an offer I could not refuse - they would give me a ride to VT after we all reached Katahdin if I could figure out how to get us from Millinocket back to Monson where they were leaving their vehicle.After lunch I stopped by the little town museum. It was closed for the day but a volunteer who was painting inside let me in to look around. I learned that slate mining was the reason for the town's existence, not logging as I had assumed. I also got to see a large wooden horse drawn contraption that looked sort of like 2 giant wooden steam rollers which was used before the existence of snow plows to essentially flatten snow on the roads to make them passable.   And I was shown an antique horse drawn fire pumper. I think the man was surprised I immediately knew what it was and basically how it worked. All those plant tours of fire truck factories my husband has taken me on for our wedding anniversaries over the years had finally paid off! (My husband works for Pierce, one of the major fire truck manufacturers in the world.)I went back to the hostel and finished putting my pack together, then headed to the Lakeshore House for dinner. I again ate with Spark & Sparky, and I again had French onion soup & potroast. Then I headed back to the hostel and to bed.The AT is calling. I am hoping for good weather, good health, and good luck to get me safely thru the 100 mile wilderness. Unfortunately we rarely get everything we hope for.
Date: 2015-09-24
From: Monson, ME

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.4

I had the breakfast at Shaws - eggs, bacon, homefries, and blueberry pancakes. Then I was shuttled back out to the trailhead. Unfortunately the breakfast was apparently greasy and did not sit well in my stomach. Before I left civilization I checked the weather report - no rain expected for at least the next 7 days. As I was being dropped off I ran into Spark & Sparky. We took pictures of the ominous warning sign at the start of the 100 mile wilderness then headed in.The AT guide shows the trail profile to be relatively flat in this area, but it wasn't. Instead, like in southern NY, the AT seemed to meander up and down hillsides for no apparent reason other than to go from one rock outcropping to another - PUDs- pointless ups and downs. In addition, the trail was full of roots and rocks. Fortunately, due to the lack of rain, the trail was not also muddy.Spark, Sparky, and I met up again when we all stopped at the Leeman Brook Lean-to for lunch. We almost lost our appetites. "Mushroom Man", a 40 something partying thru hiker, had tied one on in Monson, then hiked to the shelter, where he apparently vomited around the fire pit directly in front of the shelter. Nice!A few young pothead hikers stopped briefly, but then decided to move on and hold their "safety meeting" further up the trail. (The potheads call their pot smoking sessions "safety meetings.")The afternoon was more of the same - roots, rocks, some mud, lots of exposed rock veins. The forest was very dense, and it was becoming clear that we were heading into a remote area.I stopped at Little Wilson Falls, which is a beautiful stair stepped waterfall. A wooden box and sign nearby encouraged hikers to register. When I opened the box to fill out a registration form I was surprised with a little bag of trail magic. I took the chocolate out of the bag and left the other goodies for the next hiker.I try to sign in along the AT whenever registration forms or trail journals, such as in shelters, are available. If I come up missing I know the searchers will check the forms and journals to determine my progress and last known location. (I also wear a Road ID, I have a Road ID on my pack, and I carry a SPOT from which I send my husband my GPS coordinates every night to let him know I am OK and my location.)The water levels were down, so most fordings were nothing more than a rock hop. However, Big Wilson Stream was a true ford. Spark, Sparky, and I all crossed together. It was nice having company in case something went wrong.It was getting late, and we were less than 1 mile from the Wilson Valley Lean-to, so I left my Keens on and hiked up the hill. I could feel a big difference between my hiking boots and the sandals. It was dark by the time we reached the shelter. Rather than set up my tent in the dark, I stayed in the shelter with Spark and Sparky. We crossed railroad tracks on our way to the shelter. As we were getting ready to go to sleep we heard a train go by. I had a snack for dinner and then went to sleep.The AT is calling. 10 miles down, only 90 miles of the wilderness left.
Date: 2015-09-25
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7

We all woke up complaining of being cold during the night, which was really surprising given the fact that we had a broad range of sleeping bags - 20, 15, and 0 degrees. Of course the bag ratings only mean that the bag will probably keep you alive at that temperature, not that you will be toasty, warm, or even comfortable. I suspect we all got fairly chilled fording just before going to bed, and we never completely warmed up again. I also went to bed without eatting a hot meal, which would have both warmed me and provided fuel for my body to burn throughout the night. I knew better, but I was cold and tired when we reached the shelter.We packed and began to hike, which started out with a relatively easy first climb. There were several streams and a brook to cross - all easy rock hops. We were invited to a party by one of our young fellow thru hikers - Magician. He arranged to have 3 cases of beer dropped off near Crawford Pond, with the party taking place 9/27 and/or 9/28. A middle aged hiker, Beer Man, was supposedly supplying hotdogs, the only food for the party. Baxter S.P. has had so many problems with hikers disregarding rules, especially in respect to drugs and alcohol, that they want the AT moved out of the park and away from Katahdin. I was not sure whether the party at Crawford Pond was supposed to be an alternative to partying on Katahdin or just a warm up.We knew we are not fast enough hikers to make it to the party in time. I began to wonder whether my food drop would be safe. Once the partying started, the available food would be limited. I was afraid that some of the potheads may help themselves to some of the food drop buckets. I was not sure what I would do if my food bucket was empty.I stopped for lunch at Long Pond Stream Lean-to. Then the tougher climbs started. I met up with Spark and Sparky again on the Barren Ledges after about a 1300 foot climb. They let me know that they decided to get off the AT at Katahdin Ironworks Road. Sparky's foot was just too painful for him to do the whole 100 mile wilderness. It was hard for me to hear. I really enjoyed their company, and I felt safer fording with them. But I understood and respected their decision to discontinue their hike.The final climb for the day was up Barren Mountain, another 650 feet. Although the elevation change was less, the climb was much tougher. We made plans to meet up again at Cloud Pond Lean-to for the night. Although the lean-to is .4 miles off the AT, everything we read assured us that the extra non-AT mileage would be worth the effort. The blue blazed trail to the lean-to was a little rough, but we were rewarded with a beautiful site overlooking a pond. We looked for moose while we made and ate our dinners. We did not see a moose, but we did enjoy a beautiful sunset.Everyone slept much better tonight. When we turned in we were warm, dry, and had full tummies.The AT is calling. I am going to miss my trail buddies and times like this.
Date: 2015-09-26
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

This was a tough day. It was the last full day with Spark and Sparky. In addition, the trail was more than a little challenging, with lots of rocks and roots, and plenty of climbs and descents. I hated to leave the beautiful pond side campsite, but I suspected there would be more beautiful spots to camp coming up - I just had to hike to them. After hiking the rough blue blazed trail .4 miles back to the AT, I began the slow, rather gradual descent to Fourth Mountain Bog. The area was beautiful but errily silent. A sign posted at the beginning of the bog and the bog boards stated that the bog contained rare protected species and hikers were required to stay on the bog boards. (Bog boards are a form of a simple board walk - usually 1 or 2 planks- through a wet, muddy, or protected area.) The sign made me laugh. Who would want to intentionally step off the boards and risk sinking into stinky quicksand like mud and muck up to their knees, waist, or even deeper where who knows what was lerking???I stopped a few times just to look around. In many respects the bog was like a Florida swamp, but without the gators and water mocossins. Although I found no bugs or critters, I did see strange bubbles on the surface of the muck. I also found beautiful pitcher plants, one of my favorite plants, right next to the bog boards. I carefully took a few pictures and then moved on. I was afraid I would either drop my phone or hiking sticks in the muck, or lose my balance and fall in.Then the roller coaster of ups and down started. First there was a steep and rocky climb up and over Fourth Mountain, followed by Mt. Three and a Half, Third Mountain, and finally Columbus Mountain. (I did not make up the names.)We had planned to meet up and camp at East Chairback Pond, but we all ran out of energy and daylight. The ups and downs all day long were tough. So we set up our tents near Chairback Gap Lean-to. Spark, Sparky, and I had dinner together one last time, then went to sleep.The AT is calling. Just a few more days and I will be out of the 100 mile wilderness.
Date: 2015-09-29
From: East Branch Lean-to 

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to 
Miles today: 8.1

The two guys left the shelter and Moxie cleaned up after them, picking bits of trash and cigarette butts out of the fire pit. Shortly after the shelter there was yet another river to cross - the East Branch of the Pleasant River. The water was low enough that I primarily rock hopped, getting my boots slightly wet. Then I had a long steady climb, but to just 1980 feet. Along the way I ran into a young thru hiker I had first met back in the Whites. At that time he was hiking with his girlfriend.   I ran into him again in Rangely and he was alone - they had just broken up and he took it very hard. Today he looked better, but he was still trying to work through the break up. It is too bad that they broke up when they were so close to finishing the AT together.I was very relieved when I arrived at the food drop location and found the 5 gallon bucket with my name on it still intact and full of food. However, as always, I hated the heaviness of my pack after adding the food. Moxie was aware of the party held nearby at Crawford Pond and checked to make sure the partiers did not leave a mess. To their credit, no trash was left. But Moxie deconstructed a fire ring in a prohibited area near the pond.Fortunately the trail after picking up my food was very easy - relatively level with few roots and rocks. It rained off and on, but otherwise the rest of the day was pleasant.When I reached Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to the 2 section hikers were already spread out in the shelter. One was already in his sleeping bag snoring. He had previously been coughing and sneezing, so I suspected he was sick. Although both men later denied he was sick, it was clear that he was sick. I did not want to catch whatever he had, so despite the rain I decided to tent.A brook with cascading water falls and a pool for swimming runs directly in front of the shelter. The setting was absolutely beautiful. Moxie stopped in briefly just to check on the shelter. She said, according to the last weather report she received, the rain was supposed to clear tomorrow.I set up my tent, made dinner, and went to bed listening to the babbling brook.The AT is calling. I am now a little more than half way through the 100 mile wilderness, I am spending the night beside a beautiful brook, and I have plenty of food. Life is good.
Date: 2015-10-02
From: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to 

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to 
Miles today: 10.1

I got up and got going as quickly as possible. Most of my gear dried, but my boots and socks were still cold and wet.The trail was a mess. It was still wet and it was very muddy. Now I understand why the AT in Maine is so rooty. The rain water takes the path of least resistance - the AT, and washes the dirt away from the trail exposing the roots. The AT was also littered with debris - tree limbs, leaves, mud. The streams and brooks receded, but were still high and rushing. Unfortunately I quickly realized that I now had a problem hearing and/or crossing rushing water. I managed to get across the water, but I was extremely hesitant and my heart was racing.People I came across told me that rain was expected again in 2 days. I was also told that a hurricane was coming up the coast and expected to hit Maine. Having lived in Florida for over 20 years, I know something about hurricanes. I knew I needed to get out of the 100 mile wilderness ASAP.I reluctantly stopped at the Wadleigh Stream Lean-to. I was just too tired to go on to the next shelter, and the ground was too wet and cold to stealth camp. As I was getting settled into the shelter 3 novice southbound section hikers arrived - a brother/sister pair and a gentleman originally from Pakistan.   They met at the trailhead and decided to hike together. They were all extremely nice, but it was clear that they were in over their heads and carrying way too much gear.For example, the Pakistani gentleman had a large bear canister, which he kept in his tent like a cookie jar so he could have a snack in his tent if he got hungry in the middle of the night.I tried to explain to them how dangerous the fordings were with the high water levels, and that more rain was expected in the next few days, but my warnings fell on deaf ears. The AT is calling. I am still hoping I can get out of the 100 mile wilderness before more rain hits.