morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-09-13
From: Speck Pond Shelter 

To: Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 4.6

A delightfully short hiking day up, up, up Old Speck Mt. then down, down, down into Grafton Notch for a pre-arranged ride to the Pine Ellis Hostel in the tiny town of Andover.This hostel has been serving hikers for decades and the elderly ladies who call it home keep it going as a tribute to a husband who loved hikers and passed away some years ago. The place is a bit worn but ok by hostel standards. The 4 Amigos are in the main house sharing a semi-private room, I'm out back in a storage shed/bunk room for 5 but no one else is in here. As I was getting settled in I heard lots of voices on the porch and went to see what was up. It was thru hiker "Pappy" and a crowd of people from all over town had come to see him. Pappy is a trail celebrity: he's 87 and is hiking the AT for the 3rd time. He was last here in 1996 and stopped in to say hello to the the owners who he hadn't seen since then. There's a 78 year old thru hiker staying here tonight who was also very glad to finally meet Pappy because everybody asks him if HE'S Pappy. On his way out Pappy gave me a fist bump, now I KNOW I'll make it!I'll be joining The Amigos for a few days as we share transportation expenses for slack packing the next 50 miles or so. They don't call themselves The Amigos but the two couples have been hiking together for months. Bear and Sassy are currently from Tennessee and NOBO since March. Easily Forgotten and Bunny Steps don't have a hometown right now as they've spent the past few years traveling on road and trail. They've been NOBO on the AT since February. All five of us are equally dinged up from months of toil. So tomorrow we will toil together....
Date: 2018-09-14
From: Grafton Notch 

To: East B Hill Road
Miles today: 10.3

Oh my goodness what a perfect day. Blue skies, cool air, dry trail, and no heavy pack!After a hearty breakfast in beautiful downtown Andover our shuttle driver Gloria drove us back to Grafton Notch where we headed NOBO with supplies just for the day. What a difference 30lbs off your back makes. It took a little while for my legs to accept the reality of an easy day but once they did I absolutely flew up and down hill after hill, stopping only for snacks and a sub sandwich for lunch. The terrain was actually pretty tough; with a full pack I probably could have only gone 7 miles or so and would have finished spent and discouraged. Instead Gloria picked us up right on time to take us back to the hostel and after a prime rib dinner downtown I'm all cleaned up and ready to do it again tomorrow. I could get used to this, in fact we are formulating a plan to slack pack as much as possible through these mountains to get to somewhat easier terrain further north. If we can gain just a few days we might be able to get to Katahdin before Snow Miser. So yes, I'm a slacker...https://youtu.be/-fh0ZQRa-n8
Date: 2018-09-15
From: East B Hill Road

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

A bit warmer and more humid today but overall an excellent day slack packing over some steep and rocky terrain. This is a very pretty piece of America for sure, the only part of the trail that I'd really like to do again someday at a more leasurely pace. The leaves are beginning to change - birch to yellow, maple to red - and in a few weeks the mountains will be a riot of colors. It's gonna be really cool. Even with light packs tomorrow will be a challenge as there are some tough mountains to get through. Our shuttle leaves at 8am and we need to get to the pick up spot by 6pm. Bear is feeling a bit under the weather, hopefully he'll be well enough by morning to hike. Not sure what we'll do if he's not well. Time is definitely at a premium now. Onward...
Date: 2018-09-16
To: Andover
Miles today: 0.0

We had an issue this morning: Sassy could not find a bag containing some important medication. All hands mobilized and turned the hostel upside down searching for it to no avail. She can't continue her hike without the medicine so without hesitation we canceled our ride back to the trail and our driver took her 30 miles to a pharmacy in Rangeley instead. Even though it's Sunday she was able to get a refill and we'll resume slack packing tomorrow. Activities in Andover: Go out for breakfastWash hatGlue left shoe back together (again)CoffeeGo out for lunch and iced creamListen to the Browns collapse (again)ChatPour over trail maps (again)NapGo out for dinner Compose journal entryTomorrow we continue...
Date: 2018-09-17
From: South Arm Road

To: ME Route 17
Miles today: 13.3

Another stellar day of slack packing. The trail wound through the tangled north woods and occasionally popped out onto a rocky hilltop for views of the surrounding area. The last mile was pretty tough so I played Johnny Cash on my phone to up the energy a bit, some thru hikers camped trail side sang along to Ring of Fire as we passed...very cool. We arrived at our pickup spot just in time for a spectacular sunset. Also there for the view was section hiker River Birch from Ocean City, NJ (he has spent time in Bay Head). Soon Gloria arrived with her usual jug of lemonade to take us back to the hostel. Before piling into the van we toasted Bear and Sassy's wedding anniversary, yay for them! Andover has been very good to us and Ilene, Naome, Gloria, and David have been incredibly kind hosts. When we arrived and signed in the three ladies were visibly shaken when I told them my name. Apparently someone named Chip did something very bad here. Yesterday I saw that their bed assignment chart had me listed as "Good Chip" - doin what I can to restore the name!Tomorrow Gloria will drop us off with our day-packs then she'll take the rest of our gear to a hostel in Rangeley where we'll be tomorrow night. It gets a bit complicated after that as we alternate between spending nights on the trail and more slack packing for the next week or so. This strategy will get us through the tough mountains ahead in fewer days. Still holding out hope of going NOBO all the way to Katahdin. On we go...
Date: 2018-09-18
From: ME Route 17

To: ME Rt 4
Miles today: 13.1

We slacked a ridiculously easy 13.1 miles today through a very pretty area filled with ponds and swamps. Easily Forgotten (Easy for short) heard a moose in the thick brush but none were spotted. There are signs of moose everywhere, we're bound to see one soon. We got picked up at Rt 4 and, as promised, our gear was waiting for us at the hostel in Rangeley. After consulting with the owner we decided to stay here for three nights and slack pack each day into Stratton. These days of lightweight hiking have lifted our spirits and humor ruled the day: several times we filled the woods with laughter (probably why we saw no moose).Onward...
Date: 2018-09-19
From: ME Rt 4

To: Saddleback Mountain
Miles today: 5.7

Slack packed again today after host Stacy dropped us at Rt 4. The weather was drizzly and terrain covered everything from wet and slimy roots to boulders and open ridge line. Our pick up was at Saddleback Ski Resort after a long walk off the AT down a ski trail (The resort closed a few years ago, a blow to the local economy). Tomorrow Stacy will take us further north and drop us at a very remote location where we'll head SOBO for the day and end up back at the resort. Some words on all the slack packing of late: The five of us probably wouldn't be as far as Rangeley tonight if not for "slacking". In hindsight; considering the short distance covered, the extra miles on the ski slope, and the cost of shuttles, we might have been better off spending tonight on the trail. The goal is to cover as many miles as possible while saving our aching bodies for the final push to Katahdin. We might not always get it exactly right but I'm "all in" with the overall strategy. Easy was not entirely on board with heading SOBO tomorrow, he had hoped to do everything NOBO. There are days ahead, I'm sure, that will require me to leave my comfort zone and I hope to be as graceful as he. I like these people and know we stand a better chance of success together.Six months ago Class Act told me that to finish this extraordinarily difficult path I'd have to be creative and take advantage of opportunities to ease my progress. For most of the time since then I've gutted it out, traveling solo and pushing as hard as my body would allow. That got me this far but it's time to heed the wise advice I was given...Thanks Alan, we've got this!
Date: 2018-09-20
From: SOBO from mile 1985.3

To: SOBO to Saddleback Mountain Ski Lodge
Miles today: 9.1

Stacy picked us up at the bunk house at 5.30 for a long ride into the wilds, the trail was about a mile further into the woods than she could drive adding to our mileage load today. The main reason we hiked SOBO was communication: there's no cell service in the area where she dropped us off, had we hiked NOBO to there it would have been very difficult to coordinate our pick up. This section of trail is where thru hiker "Inchworm" got lost and perished in 2013. The incident made national headlines then and in 2016 when her remains were found a few thousand feet from the trail. The shelter there has a photo of her as a memorial and warning of how things can go wrong. It was a cloudy, damp day and overnight rains made the trail slippery. I fell twice reinjuring my shoulder again. My knees are also beginning to give out, one is swollen and the other creaks like a rusty hinge. On the flip side my mood is better than it's been in months: a result of fine company and humorous trail banter. That will make it so much easier to tough out the physical issues. Tomorrow Stacy will drop us off in the wilds again and we'll slack NOBO to Stratton to meet our gear for another leg. Onward...
Date: 2018-09-21
From: Mile 1985.3

To: Caribou Valley Road
Miles today: 9.1

I'm exhausted so this will be quick:9.1 miles through the wet mountains to a ride into Stratton. A hard rain started mid morning and continued until afternoon when a cold heavy wind took over. I can say with confidence that it blew at least 70mph while we were climbing down an exposed rock face. It was hard just to stand up. We managed by crouching low and jamming our hiking poles into the hillside to stay on our feet. Once I looked ahead with alarm as it seemed Sassy was almost lifted off the ground. We worked our way down through swaying trees, some literally pulling their roots out of the ground as we passed, until we got to lower elevation to call Stacy for our ride to Stratton. We were so glad to be out of the wind that we were laughing as I made the call, Stacy said she had been worried and wondered why we were so happy. Mustering my best Monty Python voice I said "We're not dead yet!" She got it.One more day of slack packing from here and then we head into some big mountains with our full packs. Zzzzzzzz....
Date: 2018-09-22
From: Caribou Valley Road

To: ME Rt 27
Miles today: 8.3

I got a HUGE mental boost today by passing the 2000 mile mark. Exactly when the GPS trail guide ticked past 1999.9 there it was: a small "2000" written with a sharpie on a white blaze painted on a birch tree. We celebrated by sitting on a log and eating lunch. The weather is clear and dry, fitting for the first day of fall. Brisk temperatures required mittens and extra layers. The leaves are quickly turning yellow, orange, and red and the ground is peppered with the first ones to fall. The changing weather tells me that the days I have left to spend with my trail friends are numbered and my thoughts are beginning to turn towards home. I can picture summer fading back at the Jersey Shore: traffic is gone, surfers and fishermen have replaced sun worshipers on the beach, boat slips are emptying, and Mrs. Taft's new class is all settled in (I hope). I badly want to be home but there's still work to be done.As of tonight: 188.1 miles to go..
Date: 2018-09-23
From: ME Rt 27

To: Stafford Notch Campsite 
Miles today: 10.4

Nice cool weather today for a very strenuous hike over some of the last mountains left to conquer. Views from the Bigelow peaks were among the best so far with Mt. Katahdin visible way off to the north. I took pictures but they won't come close to being here. The trail into the campsite went through a bunch of massive boulders, some leaning as if they could fall at any moment. Trees growing on and around them showed how slowly they move and I had little to fear walking through. It's gonna go down into the mid 20s tonight and I'm having trouble with my hammock insulation. The undequilt keps slipping out of position making my back cold. I'm exhausted and didn't get set up till after dark so it's difficult to figure out what's wrong, just another thing to deal with. Hiking on tomorrow regardless...Ah-ha! I figured it out, a chord came unclipped. It's back on now and I'm toasty warm. No chance of rain tonight so I'm tarpless and under the stars, very nice. G'nite!
Date: 2018-09-24
From: Stafford Notch Campsite 

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 12.6

Clear and cool today as we crossed over the last mountains of any significance for the next 70 miles or so. It will be nice to be in flatter terrain for a while but I'm guessing it'll be rugged and swampy...wouldn't want to make it too easy now, would we? And just to make it interesting rain is coming in tomorrow. Great. Last night, dispite a near textbook bag hang, woodland critters got into my food and ate half a pound of M&Ms and some pumpkin seeds. I patched the hole and tonight did another good job hanging it. If they get in again I hope they leave some for me. As I write this I can hear them rummaging through my mostly empty pack as it hangs from the hammock line. There's no food in there so I hope they don't chew any holes. Ahhh nature. Let's continue...
Date: 2018-09-25
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 10.0

A very easy 10 miles today. The rain didn't really start until I was almost done setting up camp at 4:00. Immediately upon my arrival the squirrels and chipmunks chattered to spread the word that potential food was here. They scurried about, darting quickly onto and into my pack then, when I looked, ran and hid behind the nearest tree trunk. They're waiting for me to slip up. Last night I spent extra time hanging my food "just so" and they failed to solve the puzzle. I did the same tonight. If they get my stuff I'll survive as we're headed to a hostel tomorrow to stock up and spend the night. It seems I finally got a trail name. The Fantastic 4 have begun to introduce me to others as "Good Chip Norris". "Good Chip" came from the ladies at Pine Ellis Hostel and the "Norris", as in Chuck Norris, is in recognition of my snake bite (see July 32/Aug 1)..."Chip Norris is so tough he got snake bit and didn't know it, AND the snake died". They don't even know the broken collarbone story from back in Raleigh.While we're talking injuries here's the current report: I'm hiking with my arm in a "sling" again because of my shoulder re-re-injury. I had a minor fall on the other arm and now my right shoulder hurts too. My knees are screaming for time off (at least I'm not limping because they BOTH hurt). I'm also beginning to get a chest cold accompanied by a nasty cough. I have some antibiotics left over from my mid-hike root canal that I'm taking for that, it seems to be working.Lordy, Lordy, I'm gonna need all the Norris I can muster....just 155.1 miles to go...
Date: 2018-09-26
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: US Rt 201
Miles today: 4.0

An easy day into Caratunk, ME for provisions. Highlight of the day was crossing the Mighty Kennebec River. The ATC operates a free canoe ferry service here as the river is very dangerous, a hiker did not heed the many warnings not to swim across and drowned here earlier this year. We met a couple leaving camp this morning, Cub and Smurf, who have been section hiking the AT for years and the canoe ride was the last bit of trail they had yet to do. When we got to the river I crossed first and had the pleasure of watching them take their final step...out of the canoe and onto the shore. I took pictures for them and off they went, very happy but, I think, not quite believing it's over. Horray for them, well done!We're staying at a lodge/brewpub tonight and will start the leg into Monson in the morning. We have reservations at a hostel there so we can set up for a long push through the "100 mile wilderness" - the wildest and most remote part of the whole trail. So close and yet...151.1 miles to go, let's continue...
Date: 2018-09-27
To: Northern Outdoors Lodge & Brewpub
Miles today: 0.0

We're taking a zero today as one of our group woke very ill. All there is to do is sit around the lodge resisting the urge to overindulge the tasty brew offerings (successfully thus far but maybe just one more later).I'm glad we're sticking together, the payoff of being part of a group far outweighs the lost day. No news other than that.Thanks to everyone for the messages and words of encouragement, confidence is very high as a result. Cell service may be sporadic from here on out so don't be alarmed if I go dark, rest assured that my 4 companions have my back. I'll write every day and post when I can. We got this!Tomorrow...
Date: 2018-09-28
From: US Rt 201

To: Moxie Pond Road
Miles today: 12.0

Everyone is feeling better today so it's back to the trail again for 12 really nice miles. Clear weather, sweeping views, little ponds and streams, and colorful foliage made for a magical day.We've been very fortunate that there hasn't been heavy rain here in some time. The brooks and streams are running low allowing easy rock hopping to cross, I had expected to have to wade across most of them. There's some rain coming next week but the woods look like they can take a lot of water before the streams swell. We're camped in a beautiful spot tonight. It's a chilly evening, the sky is clear, and the sound of a nearby brook mingles with the voices of my companions as they talk quietly in their tents nearby. I'm hanging between the pines; warm, cozy, and just tired enough to soak it all in as I drift off under the stars. Life is good.
Date: 2018-09-29
From: Moxie Pond Road

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 15.7

Another beautiful fall day. Things are getting more remote feeling every day now: fewer roads to cross, fewer hikers on the trail, less cell reception. There are many stream and river crossings but because of the dry(ish) weather only one required fording and was only shin deep (the guide describes it as waist deep). It's warm enough that I didn't even take my shoes off to cross and they were mostly dry within a few miles of walking. We pushed hard to get to this camp and arrived after sunset. It was worth the extra effort as now there are only 9 miles to Monson, the last stop before the "100 mile wilderness". We have reservations at a hostel there and if we arrive early enough there will be time to shop for the long trek ahead without taking another zero. Let's continue to Katahdin, shall we? 123.4 miles to go!
Date: 2018-09-30
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Shaw's Lodging
Miles today: 9.0

Just another day on the trail. Forded one shallow river, took pictures, ate lunch, arrived at hostel, etc. But it's different this time - tomorrow we enter the 100 mile wilderness for the final leg of the adventure. When we emerge from the woods more than a week from now we'll be at the base of Mt. Katahdin. I can't believe I'm so close. There are lots of hikers here tonight, many are familiar. Someone is playing guitar outside by the fire while others share trail stories and recall when they first met. The sign in book is full of familiar trail names: people with whom I've shared joy and hardship but will likely never see again. The sense of community is hightened now as we realize it'll be over soon. I'm ready to be home but wish it were possible to keep one foot in this world. The coming days will be precious. Early tomorrow we'll have breakfast together, don our packs and walk into the forest one more time. We've made arrangements with the hostel for a "food drop" halfway through the wilderness so our loads won't be too heavy. The area north of here is truly remote. There will be no cell service or power to recharge and you might not hear from me until my journey is done, I'm not sure when that'll be but figure 10-15 days. I'll continue, see you on the other side...
Date: 2018-10-05
From: Logan Brook Shelter 

To: Jo-Mary Road
Miles today: 28.4

Thursday, October 4Start: mile 2106.5Finish :Logan Brook ShelterMiles: 13.0The day started off nice enough with an ankle deep ford across a wide stream then a long but easy climb up White Cap Mountain. We stopped for lunch at a shelter halfway up where I somehow managed to lock myself in the privy. Luckily I had my handy titanium trowel with me and was able to use it to jimmy the latch and escape. To complete the follies I walked into two more leaning trees before the day was out. By mid afternoon we had gained enough altitude to be in the clouds and a cold wind knocked moisture from the trees like rain. We were wet, chilly, and miserable when stopped for the night at a shelter tucked into a ravine on the way own. Luckily there are only two others here tonight: Rough Start and The General, both NOBO. As the weather is too nasty to set up outside the seven of us are squeezed into the six person shelter. I only have a very thin sleeping pad and will not sleep well. It will be a long night...precious days indeed. Friday, October 5Start: Logan Brook ShelterFinish: Jo-Mary RoadMiles: 15.4I didn't sleep well last night but today made up for it. It was a chilly but clear, foliage is peaking and it's a perfect time to be hiking here. Deep blue skies provide a backdrop for gazing up at the fall colors, look down and the black dirt contrasts bright yellow, orange, and red leaves. The path is sometimes hard to find under the growing carpet of color reminiscent of walking through fallen rhododendron flowers way back in the spring.At 2:00, at the pre arranged location, we met Poet from Shaw's Lodging for our food drop. A bucket of stuff purchased in Monson will be enough to get me to the base of Katahdin. We're running into SOBOs who presumably started October 1st, they look so fresh and I wonder how we look to them. There was one guy who I saw coming way before he saw me because he was looking down. I was going to stop him and start a conversation but before I spoke up he walked right into a leaning tree. Ha! I told him I'd lost count of how many times I've done that as he hurried embarrassedly by. Not to be outdorked: a short time later I got my feet tangled up while negotiating through some rocks and fell in slow motion downslope onto my back. The others heard me go down and came back to find me stuck there with my pack wedged in the rocks and my feet in the air. I unclipped my pack and Bear helped me up...but not before taking pictures. The follies continue. We're camped tonight under the stars and beside a babbling brook. Rain returns late tomorrow so we plan to spend the night 10 miles up the trail at a cool sounding lakefront lodge. I'm looking forward to getting there quickly and enjoying a few hours of down time tomorrow afternoon. Moving on...56 miles to go!