morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-08-28
From: Gorham NH

To: Gorham NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was one of those zero days that you do more work than you planned on. To get all my chores done, I had to walk about 6 miles. There supposedly was a bus running out here but I never saw it. The first thing I did was have the tip replaced on my pole for seven dollars. Well somewhere in the 6 miles I walked, it fell off with another piece! So the last thing I did was have another one of the stupid things put on there with the piece to the tune of $17! As luck would have it, Juice and Mamalama were in the gear store when I came back in. "How's your day, Sailor J?", grumble,grumble,grumble...      All gear calamity aside, the story of the day is the weather. Boy, are we in for it. Tropical systems, pressure gradients, ice, hail, flash flood warnings, I couldn't make this stuff up. I'm in the same situation I was in last Friday: the hardest part of the trail so far directly in front of me with the worst weather situation of the last 6 months directly over me. this time, however, there's no emotional reaction. No frustration, no anxiety. I know my plan(it may not be the most prudent one). If I stopped hiking every time there was a flash flood warning on this trip, I wouldn't be past Virginia. Now that's a screwed up statement. Not far from the truth. Tomorrow I'm leaving right into the teeth of this next meteorological phenomenon. I have to adapt to the situation. If it's going to storm like this once or twice a week, I will have to learn to deal with the Maine hardships while wet or icy or whatever else. Stay tuned everybody, it could get awful interesting in the next few days! Until then...
Date: 2009-08-29
From: Gorham NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

Miserable, miserable, miserable, miserable! I knew that I shouldn't have left town today but I wanted to avoid the crowd who I thought were ducking the weather. Well, there's 25 people at the campsite / shelter tonight and they're all miserable! There is a group of college freshmen doing their orientation from Tufts. As if they're not wet enough, one girl just tried to heat up water and put it in her water bottle to heat her sleeping bag and it leaked out and soaked another gir's bag. Imagine "Oh my god, like, Christa, like I am like sooo totally sorry, like" in a college-girl accent. They're all miserable because it is miserable out here. Imagine if Vermont and Massachussetts had a child--thats what today was like. Constant downpour, screaming wind, knee-deep mud, at one point during the day a few rain drops bounced off my poles and I swore they were either ice or hail. Stranger things have happened. Miserable.Drastic times call for drastic measures and I am cooking in my tent tonight. If I burn it down, you will read about that tomorrow. How much more miserable can we be? Have a great night everyone--hope you're dry!
Date: 2009-08-30
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

Nature, Juice, Mamalama, and I all crossed into Maine and passed the 1900-mile mark but there is little time for celebration (by the way there is something wrong with the mileage counter on the site I will be looking into that). It took me 8 hours to do 9 miles today and tomorrow is supposed to be worse. As a matter of fact, tomorrow is supposed to be the most challenging day of the entire trail. And this is okay. I knew it was going to be rough this leg so I have lots of food and can stay out almost a week if need be. Trying for 12 miles tomorrow with an early start.The weather settled out nicely today and hopefully it will dry out a bit for Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow, which is the part everyone talks about. I had some trouble coming down a 50-foot wet rock this afternoon. I knew it was going to be ugly and decided the only way I could get down it was with a controlled fall (usually if I slip I can land on my back and my sleeping bag absorbs the impact). Then I lost control of the controlled fall and ended up scaping my knee all up. Graceful as usual...There is yet another college orientation group here tonight. I spotted them from on top of Goose Mountain and immediately got moving to pass them. They can take over entire sites and I wasn't willing to let them do that. It makes me angry that they're out here anyway. I've walked 1900 miles to share a shelter with 25 people two nights in a row. Its getting annoying. Oh well, its a good way to motivate me to move faster. Mahoosuc Notch, here I come!
Date: 2009-08-31
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Bald Plate Shelter
Miles today: 12.0

Wow it feels good to say that Mahoosuc Notch is out of the way. Actually, the Notch itself wasn't as terrifying as everyone made it out to be but the climb out up Mahoosuc Arm was crazy. I am not usually in the business of glorifying Southbounders but it must have been crazy trying to come down that terrible 3000 feet of straight up and down wet rock. I was ecstatic to have made 1.5 miles an hour over the first hour of operation today and then ran right into the Notch. In a couple spots I found myself with my heart in my throat wondering what I was going to do next. There were a lot of sections where I relied totally on my upper body to either lower myself down or pull myself up. My poor arms haven't been used in so long but still it made me feel like a cool guy. I was in the Notch with Juice, Mamalama, and Nature and, although the book suggests that this mile may be 'fun', I think not everyone in the group thought it was fun. I thought it was fun when it was over!Once we got up to altitude again, the focus changed to serious wind. Totally exposed above the treeline on Mahoosuc Arm and climbing straight up, it was easy to be intimidated by the screaming wind that threatened to blow you off like a hat. The pack is so not areodynamic and adds considerable windage to a person in this situation. Not to mention that it was freezing up there and continues to be tonight. Its long underwear, hats, gloves, and in the bag by eight with the sun. The most notable phenomenon today is the fact that my brain actually hurts (yes, I will find the right time to complain about everything...) Every time your eye scans the trail ahead, your brain runs this 'scan' of the area and develops a plan of the best way to place your feet, poles, arms, etc. There has been so much input and non-routine situations that I think my poor brain nearly crashed this afternoon. I found dinner conversation difficult and felt like a babbling child. Hope to get this problem fixed tonight! Tomorrow is into Andover for the night. Until then!Oh my god I almost forgot to mention that a real highlight of today was running into my old buddy Trampoline Sean! As you may remember, we started at Springer together and were in the same area for nearly a month into Damascus. He flip flopped a while ago and has been southboud from Katahdin and we ran into each other today at Lunch. It was so great to see him, hear his stories, and wish him well to his finish which will be somewhere in New York.
Date: 2009-09-01
From: Bald Plate Shelter

To: Andover Maine
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Greetings to everyone from Andover Maine!! Since I had the use of the computer today I thought I would do the journals. Have no fear, Mom is working on the White Mountain entries and they will be up real soon. You won't want to miss the torture!!!A short and uncharacteristically easy 8 miles took Mamalama, Juice, Nature and myself into Andover early this afternoon. My brain still hurts so I have elected to stay at a hostel tonight and eat some real food to try to fix that. Its just so much stimulus out there right now its hard to handle. Great great news is that the weather report is finally a dream come true and I am excited to be in the beauty of Maine for this beautiful week. The views today were like the views from Washington and I spent the day having a soulful experience. Every time I think that I will be seeing the Presidentials for the last time, I see them one more time and today was no exception seeing that unmistakable dark profile way off south of me. I am so thankful to be looking back on all of that stuff and feel great to be in Maine. I lived in this state for a winter and feel really connected to the place and its beauty.Its back on the Trail again tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to a great week of Maine. Have a great week everybody!
Date: 2009-09-02
From: Andover Maine

To: South Arm Rd.
Miles today: 10.1

Not a whole lot to report today. The weather is great and the terrain has settled out a bit to make for a relatively easy 10 miles. I stopped because I didn't sleep well last night in the hostel and am really tired.      The most unique feature of the hike today was a detour around a huge area of the mountain that had washed away in a landslide recently. Anyone who thinks I'm exaggerating about the severity of the weather on this trip should look at this picture. I'm just surprised I wasn't standing on it when it went!      Tomorrow is 17 miles to a shelter on a lake with a sandy shore. Perhaps some swimming if time permits. Until then...
Date: 2009-09-03
From: South Arm Rd.

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

How could a place be so shockingly beautiful and so shockingly difficult at the same time? Maine is the name of the game everyone. I struggled all day to make less than 2mph. Maybe I'm getting a cold or something but I felt really disconnected all day. The first thing I did today after leaving camp was fall into the river. Right out of camp 1 minute and I slipped down the embankment and splashed my day to a start. Priceless.      The big news today is that I bought a plane ticket for the return trip home. It is a sickening feeling committing to a date to go home, not like committing to a start date. I haven't been able to estimate my mileage very well in the rough terrain lately. Also, I'm making a big assumption that I will be able to hike the 100 mile wilderness in 5 days. The summit date is the 16th and I gave myself 3 days cushion as the plane leaves the 20th.      Honestly, I don't foresee any issues with this schedule but it just feels weird having this obligation suddenly existing in my world which has been free of such obligations for many months now. Also, it feels strange because it has made me think of finally finishing this trip.      It's very funny because I don't know what you all are thinking but so many people keep making references like "light at the end of tunnel" or "you're almost there". But none of us are thinking this way. I thought this time would be like that but it's definitely not. Things are way, way too tough for lights in tunnels or almost there. Just like on the first day, it is a daily struggle to make it through the day without screwing things up. I fell 4 times today. Four! And let me tell you, every time you're on the ground sorting out the mess of yourself and your pack, poles, knees and a mouth full of dirt, that big mountain at the end gets further out of your mind. It makes me sick to think I fell that many times today and I sure don't feel like telling everyone about it. And I know I just had an off day. But I guess what I'm saying is that a plane ticket is no guarantee that I will be standing by that sign in 2 weeks. It's got to remain business as usual, day by day.      Tomorrow is an in-and-out in Rangely. My current hiking buddies Nature, Mama Lama and Juice probably will stay in town but I am trying to keep my trail rhythm. I have been doing 6 day legs and these short ones, although the food weight is nice, doesn't let me get into the rhythm of the hike like I enjoy. So it will be 10 in and 2 out tomorrow. Until then...
Date: 2009-09-04
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: Eddy Pond
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

I'm pretty sad tonight because I think I may have said goodbye to my friends Nature, Mama Lama, and Juice for the last time. They elected to stay in town tonight while I got back on the trail. I planned to only hike 2 miles to the first shelter so they would catch up tomorrow but there were a thousand people there and I didn't want to share the great stretch we have above the treeline tomorrow with a thousand people.      So I went a few miles further and found this utterly beautiful tent site on a big pond and I'm all by myself. Well, all except for this moose that is grazing in the bog. Instead of taking pictures of her I actually got some video of her eating and sent it home. The staff is going to try to post it under the "videos" section here so check it out!      I'm going to leave you to revel in my loneliness with only a moose and a full moon to keep me company. Good night.
Date: 2009-09-05
From: Eddy Pond

To: Stealth at mile 1978
Miles today: 17.9

Got to make this on quick because I'm freezing! It was above treeline ridge line walking most of the day. The sun was abundant and the sky clear but the wind was howling from the west around 30 knots. In a few gusts I worried about loosing my balance.      Spent the morning trying to get away from a big group of French Canadian section hikers. One woman actually passed me(I can't remember the last time I was passed). On the next uphill I went by her so fast she's probably still crying...      The shelter I planned to stay at had about 25 people at it when I arrived. This is the last weekend of summer and it is great weather so I wasn't surprised. I'm at a stealth spot where it is very windy at about 3500ft. Am lonely and missing the company I enjoyed the last week. Tomorrow is an in-and-out in Stratton. Until then...
Date: 2009-09-06
From: Stealth at mile 1978

To: Cranberry Stream campsite
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Last night was super cold and there is no doubt that autumn is coming to Maine. If you look real closely out across the seemingly endless acres of trees, you can see the green giving way to brown. For the first time today I noticed myself walking through newly fallen leaves. It's time to get out of here before it really gets cold!   Speaking of getting out of here, tomorrow is a big day on the hike. I know I went on the other day about no "lights at the end of the tunnel", but tomorrow supposedly we may get our first view of Katahdin. Also, tomorrow the mile marker will read over 2000 miles. These both are amazing realizations.      Tonight I've finally made it to a camp site with thru-hikers and no weekenders. School's back in session and it will be nice to have Maine to ourselves for the last 10 days. Just 10 more days. I can hardly fathom that this enormous story is only 10 days away from finishing. Have all the changes had time to happen? Have all the realizations been made? Have I learned everything I was supposed to learn? I'm not sure about these things and I will have to wait to see a little longer. But I am sure that I put everything I had into this and so thankful to have made it this far.      There is a lot of work left to do in the next 10 days and I can't afford to get sloppy now. Even though the altitude changes aren't as scary here as in the Whites, Maine still is not forgiving and there are plenty of places to get hurt everyday.
Date: 2009-09-07
From: Cranberry Stream campsite

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Ooh honey, I am not going to kid around. Today was hard! It may rank on the list of top 5 hardest days on the trail. There was so much elevation change and, although it was beautiful, the constant up and down beat me up.      The highlight of the day was looking way out to the north and seeing Katahdin. You won't be able to see it behind me in the picture today but I assure you, it's out there. It looked so far away and I can't believe I'm scheduled to be there in 9 days. The altitude profile flattens out considerably tomorrow so we'll see what kind of speed I can make over flat ground in Maine. This will determine how long it takes me to do the 100 mile wilderness next week which is also pretty flat. Tomorrow's 17 miles will be a little field test of things to come.      Tomorrow I will be staying at Pierce Pond shelter, set up to take the ferry across the Kennebec River Wednesday morning. Since the ferry only operates between 0900-1100hrs and 1400-1600hrs, it was important to get set up for it as not to waste any time. It's all about being prepared, ladies and gentlemen!      Today we passed 2000 miles and there is a book in the shelter that everyone wrote their favorite things in, like favorite trail town(for me, Palmerton),shelter(Overmountain, State(Maine), etc. It was so fun to read everyone's favorites and remember as this time draws to a close.      It is very important to be up on your A.T. terminology in this case. Even though we have passed 2000 miles, we are not considered "2000 milers" until we touch that sign and complete the hike. Now we are "thru-hikers" and will be until the Katahdin summit when we will officially be "2000 milers". Long distance hikers are very fussy about their terms but if you hiked all the way, you'd want a special title too!
Date: 2009-09-08
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Pierce Pond Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

Just because it's flat doesn't mean it is easy. Actually it wasn't too bad today. I did the 17 miles in 7.5 hours and that was with breaks, so that was good. However I've run into another problem which is when planning my final summit day, I failed to take into account the fact that Baxter State Park(Mount Katahdin) is not considered part of the 100 mile wilderness. So the day I thought I'd be summiting, I will only be reaching the state park. Not wanting to use my reserve days yet, I have decided the best plan of action is to try to run a 22 mile day tomorrow with a super quick in-and-out in Caratunk. The problem is that there are seven hikers at this shelter all itching to get across the river on the ferry tomorrow first thing. I haven't mentioned that the ferry is a canoe that only carries one person at a time! Coming out on the wrong side of that equation could cost a couple hours. It will surely be a race to the ferry from here. There is a hunting lodge a small distance from here that we are all having breakfast, so I am thinking we will all surely begin at the same time.      In other news, the weather is great, the views wonderful and I had a great swim(bath) today. We're recently on the dark side of the moon so I can see a million stars over the pond from my tent.
Date: 2009-09-09
From: Pierce Pond Shelter

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a long, long day of getting through Maine wilderness. Can't remember the last time I did 23 miles. It's all big miles until the end now. The ferry ride was fun although it only lasted two minutes. It is set up so your don't have to ford the river, even though some people do it. A guy here tonight did it and said he had considerable trouble getting across. I'd rather stay dry!      Midway through the day I received two messages. One was from Bird and one from Scarecrow. Bird has decided to get off the trail in Vermont at Maine Junction and is taking the Long Trail to Canada and finishing her journey there. All day I have been really emotional about this news and still haven't written anything back to her as I don't know what to say. Part of me is sad that she is getting off. But I'm so happy for her and proud of her accomplishment of 1700 A.T. miles, and then all the many miles to Canada on the L.T. She is a serious woman and I am happy to have her been such a part of my story. It's not the destination, everyone, it's the journey.      Loud loons on Moxie Lake tonight don't threaten my sleep as I am plenty tired. 18 miles into Monson tomorrow and then Friday begins the final leg of the journey. Until then...
Date: 2009-09-10
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

After a long 18 miles, I have made it to Monson where I spent the afternoon up to my ears in details. Even though preparing for a 7 day leg is a routine event for me now. There were so many new things to deal with this time, that I got a bit frazzled trying to make sure all the kinks are ironed out for a smooth passage. My main concern was working out my pickup from Katahdin. It's tough to say "I'll meet you in the parking lot" when it's a week away, 110 miles, you've never been there before, there are several lots. And to make things worse there was not a single computer in the entire town of Munson! I'll need a little luck for that day to go as planned but I've been really lucky so far.      So let's get down to it- how exciting is this! Tomorrow, I'm leaving on the last leg of this epic journey. This will be section 38! It almost feels like the feeling I had before the beginning of the trip, all the planning done now it's just quiet anticipation. Everyone hypes this section up to be more serious than it is, I expect. "The Hundred Mile Wilderness" sounds so scary but really it's a week of walking. I guess some folks aren't as used to carrying for a week but I've done it so many times on this trip that I'm a veteran. I like the feeling of being able to run for a longer period of time without stopping and purposefully skipped resupply points to stay out longer. That being said, it was always a nice comfort to know they were there if I needed them. On this leg, they won't be. I am scheduled to have this one done in 6 days but made myself carry an extra day to be safe.      Tomorrow when I leave I am expecting to be out of communication range for most of, if not all of this leg. In the last three weeks, nearly all of the pictures and position reports I have sent you , have only been able to be done by being situated on the top of the mountain. This section will be generally flat, so for you guys it will be a lot like Houston loosing touch with the space shuttle for that agonizing period that it re-enters the earth's atmosphere. I'm sure there will be lots to talk about on the other side!      Have a great week everybody and thank you so much for your interest in my journey. It has made it so much more fulfilling knowing that so many people have been able to experience it this way.