morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-22
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Monson
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Spider entry: Was an easy nearo for us. A short hike to town followed by much debauchery. Drinks, ice cream, internet. Chupecabra was kind enough to drive me to the ER to get my spider bite looked at. It was a quick and encouraging visit. We also got to resupply in Greenville, which was great.It rained hard in the evening, and made our rest day all the more relaxing. Monson is nice, and we're happy to be here.
Date: 2013-08-24
From: Monson

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: clear sky

A really wonderful day. Breakfast at Shaw's was excellent and we ate a ton. Chupecabra gave us and Steady a ride back to the trail. We started hiking at 9am into the Hundred Mile Wilderness.It was perfect hiking weather--all sun, no clouds, not the slightest sign of bad weather. The temperature was warm but we were only sweating when we climbed a hill. There was a slight breeze, even. I feel like the weather in Maine is making up for the rough spring and summer, really the whole hiking season up to August. I guess I'll take it.For the first ten miles, the trail ran by scenic ponds, up and down little hills littered with exposed tree roots, and next to some clear, strong streams. We passed Little Wilson Falls early in the day, too early to stop and linger. We did take a snack break after fording Big Wilson Stream, soaking our feet in the cool water while basking in the sun. We hiked steadily up to Long Pond Stream Lean-to. Many hikers were headed there, and it would be fun, but Spider and I both wanted to keep hiking. So we did. It was slow going for me up to Barren Ledges (partly because I got my boots wet when fording Wilber Brook, partly because I was tired)--so Spider went ahead to start dinner at the campsite. I took a moment at the Ledges to enjoy the stunning view, the sun just starting to dip toward the horizon, the warm air. I felt energetic for the next few miles to the campsite.Cloud Pond Lean-to seems to be rarely visited, I'm sure because it's 0.4mi off the trail. We aimed for it because it has the only water source for a few miles. The side trail wasn't that bad, anyway. And our tent site is awesome. We had dinner right next to the pond, watching the sky darken and whispering so as not to disturb the one other person here. I really appreciate the quiet and sweetness of tonight. It's sinking in that we only have a few nights left out here; we want to savor them.
Date: 2013-08-25
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 18.6

Another beautiful day. We took a while to break down camp, maybe we were captivated by the sweet campsite. Anyway, we didn't go much faster on the trail this morning. The climbs and descents took longer than we anticipated, and we found ourselves needing frequent snack breaks. It's hard at this point to get interested in camp food, so we are constantly running on empty. It's important for us to eat whenever we are hungry.Raider caught up to us as we took a break at Third Mountain Monment Cliff. We hiked together to Chairback Gap Lean-to, catching up a bit. We were surprised to have seen him in Monson, since we last saw him in northern VA, but learned that he had gotten off for a long time, too, to heal a broken leg. Spider and I hiked on, enjoying the easy trail in this afternoon. We forded West Branch Pleasant River, taking a long break again and talking with day hikers who drove in to do the Gulf Hagas Loop. We went past the next shelter and over Gulf Hagas Mountain, aiming for this campsite. If we had another hour or two of daylight, we would have tried to get over White Cap Mountain today, but I guess it will happen tomorrow. We're really noticing the shorter days and chillier nights. It's nice to spend tonight at almost 3000ft, probably our last night at elevation.
Date: 2013-08-26
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Antlers Campground
Miles today: 25.0

Barking Spider here:We got up early and heard the rain falling on our tent fly. Perhaps on a different part of the trail we would've waited to see if it would let up, but not here. Not so close to Kathadin and so far from any resupply. We are focused, and we got up. The rain let up a few minutes later anyhow.We set off and hiked over White Cap mountain. The air was cool and thick with mist, so there were no sights to be seen. Still, I felt elated as I descended the north side. White Cap is the last real mountain until Kathadin.We took a break and made breakfast at Logan Brook Leanto. Our breakfast staple of instant oatmeal went down with less nausea and gagging than usual. I'm happy to eat whatever helps me crank out miles right now. As we ate, our friend Raider passed through and later Tobie and OB showed up. We took off and still had little ups and downs left to deal with. We stopped in at East Branch Lean-to before we climbed over the generously named Little Boardman Mountain. After 2,100 miles of hiking, I've learned to not trust the weather and the elevation profiles. When I looked at the mostly straight line that represented the rest of our hike until Kathadin, I was full of suspicion. Bracing for the worst, I assumed there were quick ups and down, too small to register on the elevation profile. Boulders, roots, mud, swamp. I didn't want to get my hopes up, though, as it turns out, they would've been duly rewarded. Not only was the trail well graded, it was relatively free of roots and rocks. There were board walks across all the muddy parts. This is a good point to mention that the M.A.T.C. do an awesome job taking care of the trail in Maine. It's been very impressive and a pleasure to hike.We got to the Antler's Campsite in good time and had plenty of time to feed the no-see-ems as we ate dinner. Felt great to cover a lot of ground, and I look forward to doing it again tomorrow.
Date: 2013-08-27
From: Antlers Campground

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.7

We were up at sunrise. The early morning scene over Jo Mary Lake, the sun orange and beaming, was gorgeous, really one of the best sunrises we've seen.The first 3mi to Potaywadjo Lean-to felt surprisingly tough given the flat elevation profile. I chalk it up to morning sluggishness, no breakfast, and major humidity. The rest of the morning was great, winding around lovely ponds and along rushing streams. The trail led to a few sandy beaches around Nahmakamta Lake. Such a beautiful day!We took lunch at Wadleigh Stream Lean-to. We haven't been eating enough and felt weary again. Seeing Katahdin from Nesuntabunt Mountain helped revive us for the last few miles. It looks so close...This afternoon, we talked about extending our hike another day to summit on the 30th. This would hopefully give us good weather for the final day on the AT and have the added benefit of saving us the cost of a room for the night before my dad gets to town. Either way, we're aiming for Abol's camp store early tomorrow for delicious treats!The end is near...
Date: 2013-08-28
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 15.0

We slept in until 7:30, not feeling any rush to move out of camp early. OB and Chupecabra passed through while we lingered. We ate the last meal in our food bags, an unappetizing cheese-and-rice dish, and started hiking.The morning was pretty easy. We hiked by steams and lakes, driven forward by bugs and humidity. We took a swim at Rainbow Lake while the sun was shining. Not long afterwards, the clouds rolled in. One awesome thing: we saw a huge, dark bull moose just before Rainbow Ledges. It emerged out of the woods behind us and followed us up the trail as we backed up slowly, taking pictures all the while. About a mile from Hurd Brook Lean-to, the sky opened up and we were instantly drenched. I ran to the shelter seeking temporary shelter and sat huddled on the ledge; Spider came in soon after, just as pathetic-looking. We waited through thunder and lightening for the storm to pass, then continued to Abol Bridge, out of the Hundred Mile Wilderness.We celebrated with burgers, soup, salad, popcorn chicken, fries, and a cheesesteak sub. Even our fellow thru-hikers were impressed with how much Spider could eat. Danno suggested he enter a contest. We filled up and found a sweet stealth spot for the night. I can see Katahdin from inside the tent.We confirmed that the weather forecast isn't good for tomorrow. We're aiming for the 30th, hoping for clear skies.
Date: 2013-08-29
From: stealth camp

To: The Birches
Miles today: 10.0

It rained all night but ceased by morning. We were up at 6 and hung out in the tent until 7, when the camp store opened. We might have gone back to sleep, but we saw clouds coming in and wanted to pack up a dry tent.We grabbed coffee and various baked goods at the camp store and hung around for hours until the restaurant opened. Hikers poured in all morning. It's going to be a crowd on Katahdin tomorrow. We ate a hearty meal and set out to hike the 9.5mi to the campground.It was a pleasant, unchallenging hike. The forest was saturated, the Penobscot was flowing, and the rivers were deep. The mosquitos were out, too. We took our time and still made it by late afternoon.The atmosphere is festive. We got trail magic beers from a guy from Wisconsin, a few extra snacks from OB and his wife Mona, and many congratulations from people we've never seen before. They can probably smell all the miles under our belts. The Birches are full and there are hikers at Katahdin Stream Campground and in Millinocket. Almost two dozen of us will summit tomorrow.I am excited and restless. I wanted to climb that last mountain the moment I saw her. It's hard to believe this adventure ends tomorrow, that this is our last night in the woods, that we won't be surrounded by this awesome community after we summit. I feel a little sad, already nostalgic--but I am so proud, so happy, overwhelmed by such a sense of accomplishment, and those positive emotions are at the forefront of my mind tonight.
Date: 2013-08-30
From: The Birches

To: Baxter Peak - Katahdin
Miles today: 5.1

We shared our lean-to with a cool older hiker named Rattler. He had captured our attention with stories of his AT and PCT thru hikes before we fell asleep. He got up at five, a half hour before our alarm was set, and we ended up getting up then with him. This was not a day to sleep in. This was summit day.The next hour and a half was a blur. It seemed like a moment later that we were signing the register, and headed up the mountain. After a level mile, the trail started to gradually incline. The Katahdin stream and falls were beautiful with their crystal clear water. We got to a point where we could see other peaks off to our left. They were aglow in the golden morning sun, and I felt pulled to go climb them. What a beautiful park! The climb grew steeper and a lot more rocky. The terrain was a little challenging, but on this day, with no more hiking days to follow, it was just fun. I almost got duped when I saw a sign on the false summit far ahead, but unlike some of my fellow hikers, I shed no tears for the "alpine vegetation" sign. I had Stretch to tell me we were not there yet. We got to the table top and had a quick smooth hike from there.The last tenth of a mile was exuberant. Skipping, whooping, dancing. We got to top. To the legendary sign. To the end. We were some of the first of a great deal of thru hikers who would be filing in in the next hour. Timex, Chaos, Whistler, Tobei, Red Knees, Spacey, Pumpkin Head, Chupecabra, Steady State, Dano, Susqehana Slim, and later OB, all finished their thru hike up on Katahdin with us. It was hilarious watching all of the final pictures being taken.We had perfect conditions up on the summit. We has seen an endless layer of clouds headed our way from far off. It was spectacular to watch them come in. They hit the western peaks first and poured over them like a monstrous slow motion wave. Then as they got closer, the wind being channeled up Baxter peak would send them flying high into the air above us, where they would collide with clouds from another system headed the other way. It looked like a huge wave crashing on rocks, and was stunning.However spectacularly, the clouds did roll in. Heading back down the mountain, we walked through the cold, think layer of fog for a good while. Eventually we got under the clouds and couldn't see much of the mountain behind us at all. Our window of sweet weather had closed. We were grateful to have had it. To have a perfect summit day.-Barking Spider
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Mt. Katahdin, ME

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 15.1

Today has been crazy. I was a little nervous this morning - so much anticipation and planning and dreaming for this adventure. Here it was finally about to begin. We ate a big breakfast at 5 AM and then shuttled from Millinocket to the Trailhead in Baxter State Park. Our driver was an experienced thru-hiker and shared some inspiring tales including an amazing bald eagle sighting. I hope my journey will be as fulfilling.The climb up Katahdin was a vertical, rocky and hellacious 5 mile scrambling endeavor. The peak rewarded us with incredible panoramic views of what lay ahead. My new hiking companion, Murphy, and I took some pictures at the top...a symbol of the beginning of the Southbound hike. We pushed on 10 more miles that night out of Baxter State Park to Abol bridge and stealth camped. Ill be sore tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Abol Bridge

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 99.4

The past week was spent hiking through the 100 Mile Wilderness. This section is a pristine, remote, resupply-less and uninhabited part of the Trail. The second day began with a sore hike on some very wet and muddy trail. My feet were soaked and the blisters began. Fortunately, my sock liners minimized some of the friction and prevented their complete demise. I soaked my legs that night in the freezing cold river at Rainbow Stream Lean-to. I met several more guys that night that I would end up hiking with through the rest of the Wilderness untill Monson.The next several days were much more physically demanding than I ever imagined. My knees became really sore and I resulted to some walking sticks to alleviate some of the load. The Wilderness was gorgeous though. I saw a black bear no more than 10 yards ahead one day on the Trail only to scamper off into the woods once he realized we were watching him. Wildlife seen so far: grouse, garter snakes, beavers, turtles, frogs, red squirrels, leeches, pitcher plants...and still no moose! There were countless untouched lakes, rivers, ponds and bogs. I never seemed to hesitate to take a dip in them either. Since water has been overly abundant, it has made hydrating very convenient. We have formed a pretty solid group of hikers to meet up for a cold beer in Monson. Chef, Up, Friar Bob, Smash, Yeah-Yeah, Dr Scholls, Pineapple, Polechar, Mulligan, Rooster, Houston, and Conner have been great company. They came up with my Trail name to be "Smooth". I like it.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Monson, ME

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0

I have been resting the knees in Monson since Friday. This has been an expensive recuperation. But, it is an extremely necessary break. I still feel some subtle pain in my knees when walking and I dont want to put them out of commission so early in the trip. I think they will be good to go in the next day or two and then I can finally get back on the Trail. However, in the meantime, Monson is a great town to hangout in. Lakeshore is a lot of fun for a canoe and a beer and Shaws is a nice quiet place to stay. Looking forward to getting back out there.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Monson, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 73.7

The hiking has gotten a lot smoother since Monson. I started off with the pace slow and the distance low to try and take it easy on the knee. Successful so far. It has rained a whole lot this past week. My boots, tent, socks...everything has been drenched. Fortunately, Caratunk had a place to air out everything and a great brewery to pass the time. Avery Peak was a highlight for me. It was well above the tree line and I summited it during late sunset. I was just above the cloudline as well to have some sort a view of the mountains ahead. The visibility was well deserved after several days of heavy rain and dense fog. I decided to stealth camp on the peak that night in hope to catch the sunrise. Being at that high elevation, I knew it would be risky with the volatile weather. I woke up rolled on the side wall of my tent with my stakes popped out. My body was the only thing keeping the tent grounded. The wind had picked up dramatically so I had to break camp and hike on at 3 AM without a sunrise. At least I tried. Tomorrow is the 4th of July and I have caught up to some old hiking buds. Go America!
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Stratton, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 0.0

Over a hearty breakfast, Rock Lobster and I came up with the genius idea for a Lobster Boil. The one grocery store in town had a special on fresh Maine lobster for $6.99/ lb. Our waitress offered us their crockpot and we got everyone at the hostel to pitch in for 10 lbs of lobster and a slew of butter, potatoes, watermelon and corn. Stratton had a mini firework display during our Lobster, 4th of July celebration. Great time. Getting ready now for more backpacking food.
Date: 2013-07-11
To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 68.7

Despite many consecutive days of rain...we had many more consecutive days of rain. Thankfully, the day we summitted The Horn and crossed Saddle Back, we had great weather. The elevation and rocky landscape enabled an unobstructed, 360 degree view for several miles of hiking. Probably my favorite day so far. We had a quick resupply in Rangeley and I pushed on to Stratton for my first shower in almost 7 days. Chef and I will head out in the morning for the infamous rock scramble at Mahoosuc Notch. Only a few more days untill we are finally out of our first state. Bring it on New Hampshire.
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Andover, ME

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 41.4

I finally crossed my first state line and it felt so triumphant. The Mahoosuc Notch was a slow and tough mile. But, what a relief to set the hiking poles aside and rock scramble for awhile. The boulders were house sized and provided shelter for many pockets of snow and ice. Awesome. Now, the reputably hardest state and the hardest mile are behind us. Its been a sunny and hot past few days. I shouldn't complain about the heat immediately after complaining about the rain. However, it has been draining us and caused us to carry much larger amounts of water and therefore, carry much heavier loads. The White Mountain Inn in Gorham has been very accommodating and I got to go to my first Walmart since Katahdin. We owe the all you can eat Chinese buffet an apology for yesterdays destruction. Tomorrow...the beginning of The Whites.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Gorham, NH

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 75.0

This last leg might have been my favorite so far. We hiked through a subrange of the White Mountains called The Presidentials. The Trail was largely above treeline along rocky ridgelines that had some stunning views. The wind on top of some of the peaks was so powerful we had to crouch in order to prevent from falling over. Due to the volatile wind and weather, we were not allowed to stealth camp and were forced to sleep in some of the huts. The huts were actually great though because we could "work for stay". The work for stay meant that we could eat all dinner and breakfast food leftover from the paying overnight guests as well as sleep on the floor for free. In exchange, our payment was about 45 minutes of chores...which usually meant sweeping the bunk rooms or doing the dishes. Lake of the Clouds was a sight to behold. A group of us is now at Chets place in Lincoln, NH celebrating Rock Lobster's completion of his last section.
Date: 2013-07-30
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 68.8

The past week has been a blast. Skirks and I summited the steep ascent up Mt. Moosilauke which was the last summit above tree line for the rest of the Trail. I approached Jeffers Brook shelter the next morning ready to put in some serious miles on the flat terrain. However, instead of a productive day of hiking, Shutterbug, Patches, and Skirks convinced me to partake in a stomach busting pizza challenge. The 8.5 lb. Moosilauke Monster is free if two people can eat it within an hour and a half. Skirks and I forced down a painful 6 lbs of it and then laid around in a food induced coma the rest of the day. The four of us plus Up pushed on to a commune the next day. Dancing Bones Community was nice enough to host us on their property. We pushed two 20 mile days after that. The terrain has been drastically flatter and we have been able to crank out miles much, much easier. We made it to Hanover, NH...the home of Dartmouth College and a bunch of free stuff. We seem to be in our own hiker community that hears about handouts all over the place. Maybe similar to how homeless people just seem to know where the soup kitchens are. We have free donuts at Lous, free bagels at Metro, free pizza at Ramuntos, free bus rides around town, and the best of all...free places to stay (including laundry and showers). There is a list of TrailAngels in town that will host you for the night. Radley was a great host for three of us last night and Greg will host us tonight. Vermont is half a mile up trail. I will miss you New Hampshire and your Libertarian, lack of seatbelt and helmet laws.
Date: 2013-08-07
From: Hanover, NH

To: Manchester, VT
Miles today: 96.0

It was hard to leave Hanover. But, it has been another great section of the Trail and I moved onto a new state. It was an easy 10 mile hike out of town to a well known spot for a bridge jump. Our gang ended up spending the whole afternoon from lunch to dinner jumping and swimming and just having a good time. Skurks and I cowboy camped (tentless) for my first time that night in the woods. More wild blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries the next day. Mmmm. Rutland, VT was by far the biggest town I have hit so far. There was a famous hostel I had heard about called the Yellow Deli there owned by the Twelve Tribes. Their community was dancing in the street wearing traditional long clothes and appeared relatively cultish. They ended up being a very welcoming and genuinely friendly group of people (and great cooks). I finally crossed the 500 mile mark from the start of Mt. Katahdin. Admittedly, it felt very accomplishing. Then a nice hail storm and some more nice trail of Vermont including some pristine, remote ponds. Last night was maybe my favorite "shelter" so far. It was a cabin perched on top of Mt. Bromley that is used during the ski season for the lodge's gondola. Pineapple, Flip, Crockette and I made a fire, watched the sunset and the stargazed on the clear night sky. Superb. Catching up on some resupplying in Manchester, VT now. Cheers.