morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-04
From: Hall Mountain Lean-to

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: broken clouds

What a butt kicking day! Our first thing out of the box was the climb down and up Sawyer Notch. Pretty steep with steel in the rocks to help you climb. From there we had a down hill to South Arm Rd.     We have caught up with Talks a Lot, our friend from Sarasota. She belongs to the Appalachian Trail Club of Florida as we do. It was fun spending some time with her.     It was at this point I needed to pick up our mail drop of food we had sent from Gorham N.H. Suzie stayed at the roadside and I headed out hoping for a ride to the campground three and a half miles away. About half a mile in a couple guys stopped. Turns out they were headed for the campground too. The boxes were there and as I was carrying them out I started thinking that maybe we weren't the geniuses we thought we were when we shipped them. Man, what were we thinking! Seven days of food weighs a ton. I packed it in my backpack that I had emptied back with Suzie.    The guys who had delivered me to the campground were about to leave again so I was able to load the overburdened pack right into the car. A short time later I was dropped off right next to Suzie. As I began to unload the pack Suzie began to agree with me about the genius part. We divided up the weight and loaded up the packs.    Next up was the climb up Old Blue Mountain. Man did we pay for our stupidity! 3 miles later we were exhausted. The problem was we weren't done we still had more to. We made our way struggling over every rock on the trail. We did come across several grouse that were kind enough to let us get some pictures. As the daylight began to fade we made it to the shelter. We managed to eat and crawl into the shelter to tired to set up the tent.
Date: 2012-08-05
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: Rangeley, Me
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: broken clouds

We woke late after the beating yesterday and were in no hurry to start again. It was 8:45 by the time we got started. We had hopes the trail would be better or so it looked on the map. We started slow but the miles came easier by the time we had reached highway 17 we were starting to think we might be able to make it all the way to Rangeley.   At that point we started hammering on it and by mid afternoon we had 6 miles to go. At 6:30 we were standing by the road into town with our thumbs out. A few cars blew past but soon we were picked up and headed to the Town and Lake Motel. We got checked in and took a quick shower. We were skeptical of the barbeque joint across the street but we were running out of time for dinner. Who knew Maniacs could cook such great barbeque. Man it was good.   Our plan is to take tomorrow here in town and work out some logistics for our final push through the mountains and get our butts on some flat Maine dirt for the run to the end.
Date: 2012-08-06
From: Rangeley, Me

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

We laid in until 8 enjoying the fact that it rained quite a bit last night. We needed to get some breakfast so we headed down the street and had breakfast at Moosley Bagels. Good stuff!   Our plan was to lighten our packs for the next three days over the Saddlebacks and the Crockers. I made a call to Sue at the Stratton Motel to see if we had some stuff shuttled to her would she hold it for us. Turns out she was close and would be going right by in 20 minutes. We quickly shredded the packs and unloaded as much as we could. Sue was soon here and we handed off our bag of goodies. We also made reservations for a room for 2 nights when we get to Stratton. She will slack pack us over the Bigelows so we are set to put the last of the mountains behind us in 4 days.   After that we did some laundry and stopped by the outfitter here in town. We picked up some aqua mira and a pair of socks for Suzie. We also set up a shuttle to the trail head tomorrow morning at 5:30.   Some more barbeque and relaxing the rest of the day. Tomorrow starts the final push!
Date: 2012-08-07
From: Rangeley, Me

To: Spalding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 18.7

We were up at 4 to make sure we would be at the outfitters by 5:30 for our shuttle to the trail. As we walked through town the thermometer read 53 degrees. We were a few minutes ahead but our ride showed up right on time. By quarter to 6 we were hiking.     Our first climb was up to the summit of Saddleback Mountain. A 2600 foot climb that lasted 6 miles. The views of the Maine landscape was beautiful. From there we headed to climb the horn of the saddle. More views were enjoyed on a spectacular day. There was one more climb up Saddleback Junior. Even though we were climbing up and down we seemed to be making good headway on the miles.     We soon began to realize we might be able to get this section done in 2 days instead of 3. We kept pushing and made it to the second shelter which made for an 18.7 mile day. Not bad for the mountains we climbed. Tomorrow afternoon we will be in Stratton and pass under 200 miles to go! We are excited to be almost done with the mountains
Date: 2012-08-08
From: Spalding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 13.5

Up at 5 and moving by 6. We had a climb right off up Spaulding Mountain. A climb of 600 feet had us all warmed up in the chill of the morning air. Down the other side we came to a bronze plaque commemorating the completion of the A.T. by the Maine CCC back on August 14th in 1937. This was the last piece that tied the whole trail together. Who would have thought almost exactly 75 years later 2 mules would be hiking by enjoying the fruits of their labor. Thanks guys!    Next up was a down. The 1500 foot drop of Sugerloaf Mountain. We made it down to the Carrabasdett river where we got water and took a break. Next was the day's big climb up South Crocker Mountain. Quite the workout but we knew most of the day's work was over. One more down and up to North Crocker and then a 5 mile down into town. On the way down we walked up behind Stats! He had been sick and dropped back in just ahead of us. We finished up the down talking and catching up on things. When we reached the bottom I called Sue from the Stratton and she came and picked us up. She dropped Stats off in town and then took us to her other hostel, the Maine Roadhouse. She told us to get settled in and if we needed to get to town to just take the Jeep Cherokee. Nice to have a vehicle at your disposal. We picked out our room and then headed to town to get a pizza and some beer. On the way we saw our first moose on the side of the road. A young one but still a moose!    Tomorrow Sue will take us 20 miles north of town and we will slack pack over the Bigelows and back into town. This will be our first slack pack and it comes at a good time. Our knees are just about toast so hiking with a day pack on will take alot of pressure off them as we hike up and down. It also allows us to get the miles we need in a timely manner. Not to mention another night of town food. Well, time to hit the hay. We have a 5:30 shuttle to catch!
Date: 2012-08-09
From: Stratton, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: broken clouds

Up at 4:30 to catch our 5:30 shuttle for our slack pack day. We were dropped off at 6:20 and we headed south. It felt so strange to just have a day pack on. We moved along well with no weight on our backs. We headed up Little Bigelow as a stray shower dropped water from above.    From there we started up Avery Peak. Alot of rock climbing brought us to some gorgeous views of the Maine wilderness. We had our lunch at the summit. The sky was looking ominous as we headed toward the Bigelow peak. Sure enough the rain arrived as we made it to the top. It rained for about a half an hour. Soon we were walking in 3 inches of water on the trail. This of course slowed our progress but we kept going toward the Horn so we could finally start heading down.    As we slowly found flatter trail we knew we had put the last mountain range behind us for now. We will have a few more but nothing big.    Tomorrow we head toward Caratunk. We will have to hike quickly as we need to make it to the Kennebec River before 4. This is the one river you can't ford. You have to be ferried across in a canoe. The canoe runs from 9 to 11 and from 2 to 4. We will be hiking by 6:30 and we have 17 miles to do. The blessing is flat ground to hike on. We're so excited!
Date: 2012-08-10
From: Stratton, ME

To: Northern Outdoors 
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

By the time we got to bed it was midnight. We were up at 4:45 to catch our shuttle at 5:30. We had a nice conversation with Sue on the way to the trail head. She dropped us off at 6:30 and the race was on. We had 17 miles to cover before 4 or we would miss the canoe ferry across the Kennebec River.    It didn't take long for the rain to arrive. Just light rain on and off for the first few hours. We were on flat ground but the first few miles had a lot of rocks and roots. We were making our way points on time but it was a struggle. Eventually we hit a stretch with good tread way and we moved along nicely. It felt so good to stretch the legs. It has been so long since we could. We still had to be careful as the rocks and roots were slick and we both went down several times during the day.    We were making our way around East Carry Pond when we spotted a moose swimming across the pond. We stopped and watched as she got closer and closer. She swam right to us. Once it was shallow enough for her to stand she walked within 20 feet of us. She kept looking at us trying to figure out what we were. We were taking pictures and video as she made her way past us and into the woods. So we finally saw a moose on the trail!    We met Stats and his brother Douglas hiking south. He will be at the same spot we will be in the morning heading north. Maybe there is a chance we could summit together!    We then came to Pierce Pond Lean-to. This is the spot where Parkside drowned earlier this year. We stopped in to pay our respects. 20 years old... you never know.     From there we had 3.7 miles to the river and of course the terrain changed to rolling hills with roots and rocks. We hammered it out and were standing on the south shore at 2:20. We waved the orange flag and Hillbilly Dave paddled over and got us. Once on the other side we made it to the road. We were pretty wet and exhausted from our push to the river. We tried to hitch but no one stopped so we started walking to the Northern Outdoors about half way on the 2 mile walk a guy stopped and picked us up. We got the last cabin they had and went to dry out. We got a hot shower and passed out on the bed. About then the rain really came down. We sure hope the rivers don't flood. We have to ford some up the trail.    The rain slowed long enough for us to go to the lodge and eat. We were able to throw our wet clothes in the dryer so at least we will start tomorrow dry.
Date: 2012-08-11
From: Northern Outdoors 

To: Moxie Bald Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

Even though we had a decent nights sleep we didn't leave the cabin until 7. We started walking towards the trail head with our thumbs out. About a mile into our 2 mile trek a lady stopped and picked us up. We were finally hiking at 7:45.    The forecast was for showers on and off all day. All we got was a little mist now and then. What a blessing! Without a time crunch we fell back into our 2 mile an hour speed.    We were cruising along when I spotted the bones of a moose just off the trail. The skeleton was in tact. What a cool find! What do you know, 2 moose in 2 days!     We had 2 smaller mountains to climb. We first climbed Pleasant Mountain which wasn't very pleasant followed by Moxie Bald. By the time we were done with those we had arrived at the shelter for the night. We must be just ahead of a hiker bubble because we are being passed by folks we don't know. That Katahdin magnet is starting to pull from over a hundred miles away! Tomorrow we will make it to Monson, the last town before the 100 mile wilderness and Katahdin. It is getting close now.
Date: 2012-08-12
From: Moxie Bald Shelter

To: Leaman Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: scattered clouds

5 o'clock and on the move. We needed to get to Monson to pick up our resupply box at Shaw's and send our bounce box home. It always takes awhile to get up to speed but we were soon putting miles behind us.    Soon the young bucks had all passed us who were also at the shelter even though they probably didn't leave until 7. We're just a couple of old mules not thoroughbreds. We met Olympus heading south. We had met him back before Duncannon Pa. He was doing a photo project on hikers. As we were talking to him along came Pink Bearded John! We had hiked with him all the way back in Georgia and had last seen him at Standing Bear Hostel in Tennessee with bad knees. He had just flipped and was now heading south. We don't envy him! Very cool to see them both.    We made it to the road at 3:30 but had no luck hitching a ride. We gave Shaw's a call and Dawn came and picked us up. We packed up our resupply and went through the bounce box one last time before sealing it up for the trip home. Dawn was kind enough to let us use the computer to check on a car rental and see what the weather forecast was. We then walked down to the gas station and picked up some Deet and had a couple of cheese steak subs for dinner.    With that done we had Dawn drop us back at the trail head. Turns out Dawn and her husband winter in the town right next to us in Florida.     We headed down the trail needing 3 more miles to make it to the shelter. The last 2 miles we were in the dark with our headlamps on. We made it to the shelter at 9:30. There were only 3 in the shelter but it was obvious they weren't interested in making room for us so we set up the tent and called it a night. We are officially in the 100 mile wilderness!
Date: 2012-08-13
From: Leaman Brook Shelter 

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: scattered clouds

After our late night we didn't get started until 7. The sun appeared today and helped dry the rocks and roots. Today was a lot of ups and downs with 2 streams we had to ford. We had 3 yesterday and man do they slow us down. By the time you take the boots off and get the crocs on, cross the stream, then get the boots back on you've lost 10 minutes.    We decided to eat our dinner around 4 and then hike on until dark. This seemed to help our energy level and we made it to the next shelter which was impressive considering we had to climb Barren Mountain to do it.    We only saw one other north bounder today. Everyone else must have taken a zero in Monson. The next 2 days will be tough then it should flatten again and stay that way to Katahdin. We'll see ...
Date: 2012-08-14
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Carl Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Right off we headed down off Barren Mountain which was pretty steep. We were then climbing Fourth Mountain with another steep up and down. None of the mountains here are big but the Maine Appalachian Trail Club finds the steepest assents and descents the mountains have and then run the trail that way. Really don't understand it.     The last one of the day was Chairback Mountain which also included a boulder scramble on the way down. The only good thing about it is tomorrow we should be done with any significant climbing until Katahdin.    We had one stream fording in the afternoon and then a nice 5 mile stretch to the lean-to. We hear there is a chance of thunderstorms tomorrow, hopefully in the afternoon so we can get over these last mountains.
Date: 2012-08-15
From: Carl Newhall Lean-to

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: moderate rain

5:45 had us moving up the trail to put the last of the mountains behind us. First up was Gulf Hagas mountain. It was steep but had stone stairs. Next was the West Peak which we made short order of. I could tell Suzie just wanted to get these mountains behind her by the way she was charging up the hills. We had 2 more to go, Hay Mountain and last but not least, White Cap Mountain where on a clear day you can see Katahdin. We did not see Katahdin but we did see April Showers and her boyfriend, Rob! We hadn't seen her since our stay with Chuck Norris and Tigger at the Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs N.C. We hung out for a while enjoying the view from the top.    As we made our way down from the mountain the rain began. Another prayer answered! We did the rock hop across the east branch of the Pleasant River without incident. We pressed on and finished of Boardman Mountain. From there all we had was flat ground to the shelter.    We now have 59.7 miles to go. Can you say happy days are here again? It is so nice to see a smile on Suzie's face again!
Date: 2012-08-16
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: heavy intensity rain

It sprinkled most of the night but had stopped by morning. We were moving at 6:15 headed for Jo-Mary Road where we had been told by Southbounders there was trail magic. You know, hot dogs, sodas, beer, and other assorted goodies. Of course the rain started at 7 and fell hard all day. There was no one there when we crossed the road, not that I blame them. What a nasty day!    Some of the other hikers were headed for White House Landing which is a hostel where you blow an air horn and the guy comes and picks you up by boat. A 1 pound burger waits on the other side. We hiked on by trying to get our miles in.     The rain had turned the trail into a pond and the boots were full of water. When you stepped in the mud you would sink in up to your ankles. Between the mud, the roots, and the rocks it made for some difficult hiking. We had 3 or 4 streams to ford and with the boots already full of water we just walked through with them on. Why bother putting on the crocs!    We made it to the shelter and set up camp in the rain because the shelter was full. We shed our wet clothes and put on some dry ones. A hot meal sure felt good going down. After 21.5 miles we were ready to crash. Tomorrow will be our last big mile day of the trip. After that its just staging ourselves for a Sunday climb of Katahdin weather permitting. Cross your fingers for good weather Sunday!
Date: 2012-08-17
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

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

It rained hard most of the night but had stopped by morning. We broke camp and moved out by 7. We had a few climbs today starting with Nesuntabunt Mountain. There was supposed to be a view of Katahdin from there but it was foggy and no mountain in sight.    What a difference not hiking in the rain! We passed several ponds and hiked through a beautiful moss covered forest. We still had some mud to deal with but for the most part the hiking was much better.    We came to Pollywog Stream and took a break on the bridge overlooking the river. The sun felt so good we stayed and ate 2 Snicker's bars each.    We kept going and finally made it to Rainbow Ledges where we made a phone call to Suzie's folks to check the weather for Sunday on Katahdin. Mostly sunny! We'll take it! Tomorrow we hike to the Birches campsite at the base of Katahdin and only for hikers who have traveled over 100 miles to get there. We qualify! Before we get there we will cross Abol Bridge where there is a camp store. We will be stopping in for breakfast and other calorie filled food type items.    We only have 13.4 miles tomorrow so we should have plenty of time to relax and get ready to finish this journey we have been on for over 5 months. March 12th seems like a lifetime ago now.
Date: 2012-08-18
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: The Birches Campsite 
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We were up and moving by 6:30. We were headed for the camp store at Abol Bridge for breakfast. We made it and went in to place our order. A grilled chicken breast with a sausage patty topped with cheese and grilled onions. As we sat down to eat we were talking with the the guys we have been hiking with about the spaces at the Birches. All of us added up to just 8 hikers and the campsite holds 12 so we figured we would be fine. All of a sudden there were hikers coming out of the woodwork so we had a panic attack and took off in a trot towards the sign in kiosk to get our names on the list. Blue Skys took off running ahead and by the time we had arrived he had put all of our names on the list. Suzie and I were numbers 9 and 10 out of 12. Thanks Blue Skys! Without that spot at the Birches we would have had to hike an extra 9 miles tomorrow which just wouldn't work for us.    So after all the excitement we headed on the 9 miles and got our spot at the campsite and began to relax.     Soon a guy named Gary and his wife stopped by and we were talking about the trail and the thru hike experience. He offered us apples and oranges and promised to return with beer and sodas. Next Johnny Rocket's folks showed up looking for him. The boys weren't there yet so we visited with them. They went and purchased firewood for the evening. Next came Blue Sky's parents. They had a cooler of food so we sampled a few things.    The boys finally showed up after spending almost 5 hours back at the Abol Bridge Camp store grazing. Gary showed back up with some beer and sodas to finish off the buffet! We got a fire going and spent the rest of the evening telling stories from the trail. What a great night!     As we were sitting there just 5.1 miles from the top of Katahdin I began to think back on all the places and people we have come across. All the many miles that have traveled under our boots. It just doesn't seem possible we walked here from Georgia but we did! Tomorrow will end this journey and it will be the hiking community we will miss the most. The people have been so kind. So many good friends have been made. The funny thing is we don't even know their real names. Kinda bizarre huh?
Date: 2012-08-20
From: Katahdin

To: Sarasota Fl
Miles today: 0.0

It's been almost a week since we finished. We have been playing tourist since spending some time in Maine and also a few days in Boston. It's now Saturday and we are climbing on a plane headed for Florida and home, or what has been home. All of our belongings are in a 10x10 storage unit. We are looking forward to seeing all of our family and friends.      Because we haven't made it home yet it still seems like it's not over. We haven't had any of the welcome home events that are coming but we soon will. As for afterthoughts, just a few so far. Our bodies are so tired we are ready for a nap by noon most days. Going up and down stairs is painful at best. We look at each other and wonder how we were able to hike 20 miles a day! The other thing is restrooms. How annoying to have to find one to relieve yourself. After 5 months of going in the woods it's quite a pain being civilized. Not sure that's a step up! Also, having trouble remembering to take a shower every day. As a matter of fact the best we have done is every other day.    I am finding myself on edge in large crowds, frustrated by the need to navigate around them. Dealing with directions in the car so we make all the correct turns traveling at 70 miles an hour is something we are not used to. We like making decisions at 2 miles an hour better!     As for plugging back into regular life, we want to make the move to Tennessee as soon as possible. With everything already packed it makes sense to go now. The problem is we don't have jobs there yet and don't know if we can get some. Of course our old jobs are already calling to see if we want to come back. We will make the run to the Johnson City TN area in a week or two to see what we can find out. If anyone in the Johnson City area has a couple good jobs for a couple hard working mules drop us a line! We will let life lead us where we are supposed to be. We just want to keep our lives as simple as possible.