morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-17
From: Stealth Site near Mt Hight

To: US2: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 13.1

8/17Just before sunset last night there was a hint of rain to the north. S-Rocket was thinking of cowboy camping on the summit but those clouds changed her mind. Good thing too. Just after retiring to our tents the rains came. I was just hoping this didn't mean wet rocks for today's descents. The start of the day's hiking was typical Whites rugged, but there were brief sections where one could walk. "Just walking" has been so rare in the past ten days. I had great views of The Presidentials during the day. Mt Washington just kept slowly getting smaller, just as it slowly had slowly gotten larger a week ago. Just as yesterday was a big climbing day, today was a big descending day. Over 6000' of gross descent just beat the heck out my legs. The early, steep descent off of North Carter Mountain seemed down right dangerous to me. In other parts of The Whites they would place wooden steps or rebar to assist the hiker, not here. A mistake on that section could ruin your day, or season. Towards the end of the day the trail got milder and milder. By the time I got to the last shelter the trail was a cruise. I am staying at The Barn in Gorham. A flip-flopper named Rooster is here with me. I had supper at Saladino's. I only mention that as the Italian food was amazing. On the way back to The Barn someone yells at me from across the street. It was Techie. I hadn't seen him since New Jersey. I hope we can stay together on the trail for awhile. 8:59 duration 2218 ascent 6099 descent
Date: 2013-08-18
From: US2: Gorham, NH

To: US2: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0

8/18Time for a zero to recover a bit from The Whites. I dislike taking zeros in perfect weather but felt my body needed a day off. I did some town chores, watched the Little League WS, and then a classic Yankess/Red Sox game. The Whites were as tough as advertised. I am thankful to get through that stretch uninjured. Techie and I went out to dinner last night at Mr Pizza. And there they were, Doc and Boon. After some hugs we chatted about what has passed over the month since I had seen then last.
Date: 2013-08-19
From: US2: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Campsite
Miles today: 11.8

8/19I always seem to get a late start out of town. I didn't step foot on the trail til almost noon. I did get up early enough to hit McDonalds before they quit serving breakfast. The following pic is something you won't see in most towns. In Gorham quads are street legal. The trail today was pretty nondescript. I didn't take a picture all day. After The Whites it's hard to get excited about "ordinary" views. I'll try to make a better effort to shoot other stuff on days like this. The climb out of US2 really wore me out. After a zero day yesterday I had expected my energy level to be higher. The warmer temps at the lower elevations didn't help. Fortunately, once above 2000' the temps felt cooler. The weather really couldn't have been any better, just perfect. As the day went on I felt stronger. I was pleased with that.Tonight I am camped less than a mile away from the 1900 mark and a little over four miles from Maine. Those two milestones should fall in the morning. I've never been to Maine and tomorrow I will walk into it. A lone dragonfly circles over my tent as if on patrol. They are such athletic fliers. It occasionally makes a violent move, presumably scoring a meal. We have a symbiotic relationship going on. I attract in the mosquitoes and he intercepts them. They have a similar relationship going on over at the shelter. Theirs involves a giant spider. I prefer mine. 7:38 duration 4117 ascent 2779 descent
Date: 2013-08-20
From: Gentian Pond Campsite

To: Full Goose Campsite
Miles today: 9.6

8/20My energy level was much improved today. Good thing too, as the hiking was pretty hard. It was hard to do much over 1mph in this terrain. I hiked into Maine early in the afternoon. Maine was just some mythical place back in March. Now I'm here. Southern Maine has a reputation of being tough. If the first five miles are any indication the rep is well deserved. Rebar was in place to assist some straight-up places. Looking north from Goose Eye Mountain. Tomorrow I will be hiking Mahoosuc Notch, considered the slowest mile on the AT and Mahoosuc Arm, considered to be one of the toughest climbs on the AT. Hope I get some good sleep. 8:52 duration 4232 ascent 3481 descent
Date: 2013-08-21
From: Full Goose Campsite

To: Grafton Notch: The Cabin
Miles today: 9.7

8/21This was a day I had been looking forward for awhile. Mahoosuc Notch and Arm are well-known to most AT thruhikers long before they get to Maine. The Notch looks unspectacular on a profile map. There is very little elevation change. What it is is a massive pile of boulders for about a mile. There is an underground river that collapsed the land leaving these rocks. At various places in the notch you can hear the river and even briefly see it. Even in August there are still patches of snow/ice deep in the crevices. Hiking through the Mahoosuc Notch is tedious. It took me about two hours to cover the single mile. You are constantly trying to figure out how to get by one obstacle after another. Do you go left or right, take the high route or crawl through holes? It was very fun. But by the time I got out my legs looked like I had lost a fight with a rooster. Then came the Mahoosuc Arm. This is a very steep 1600' climb. Now, we have done countless climbs similar to this on a profile map. The Arm requires walking up steep, bare granite and hoping your shoes are good enough not to slip. If you don't trust the rock you have to go to the sides of the trail and pull yourself up by grabbing onto trees. It is a very tiring climb and is right up there with the toughest on the trail. After those two beasts we got the beauty. Speck Pond is a jewel. I just wished the water had been calm. Today's stats don't show a day out of the ordinary, but stats don't tell the whole picture. I am 100% convinced that I could not have done today's hike had it been raining. I am just as sure that if I had tried that I would have been injured. I know others have done it in poor conditions. My hats off to them. Today was a hard, hard day. 10:08 duration 3094 ascent 4432 descent
Date: 2013-08-22
From: Grafton Notch: The Cabin

To: East B Hill Rd: The Cabin
Miles today: 10.3

8/22After a wonderful breakfast at The Cabin, Don dropped Techie and me off at Grafton Notch. The weather was again perfect. We were greeted with an immediate 2000'+ climb to Baldpate Mt. I had not heard of this climb until today. It was very exposed and fun to climb. After the initial descent off of Baldpate the trail became smooth. This has been such a rarity in recent weeks. It was so nice to easily walk at 3mph, if only for a few miles. Southern Maine had been very tough to this point. I'm told things lighten up a bit soon. I had to yield to a superior beard. 7:14 duration 3665 ascent 3570 descent
Date: 2013-08-23
From: East B Hill Rd: The Cabin

To: South Arm Rd: The Cabin
Miles today: 10.1

8/23B-Rocket update: She finished the AT today. When I got the text from her that she was at The Sign, I stopped on the trail and applauded. I'm so happy for her. Even with a 1400' climb in 0.8 miles included, today's hiking was the easiest in weeks. The 10 miles almost felt like a nero. Am I passed the nasty part of southern Maine? Or has the terrain of the past weeks strengthened me? One thing I've noticed lately, the bog bridges in Maine are almost like balance beams. After completing a long stretch I fully expected to see Olympic judges with scorecards. View from Wyman Mountain. View from Moody Mountain. 6:40 duration 3271 ascent 3406 descent
Date: 2013-08-24
From: South Arm Rd: The Cabin

To: ME 17: The Cabin
Miles today: 13.2

8/24I thought today was going to be an easier day after the initial climb. Nothing could be further from the truth. The 2000'+ climb was straight forward. The "easy" part afterwards about killed me. I honestly thought today was harder than the Mahoosuc Notch/Arm day. Poor tread is my worst enemy. What looked like flat ridge walking turned out to be my personal nightmare, loose rocks , sharp, angled rocks, root mazes, and constant 20-up-20-down stuff. To add insult there was one section with derelict bog bridges that were nothing more than obstacles to avoid, right in the middle of the trail. The 800' climb at the end of the day was something to look forward to. On one steep downhill I stepped on a rock only to have it flip. My other foot tried to save the day only to be defeated by another loose rock. Gravity took over. I got to hear that sound of my own head hitting a rock. Not a pleasant sound. My right knee and left hand suffered from their own rocks. There was nothing to do but get up and move on. There is no other choice as long as that is possible. I am back at The Cabin now and my right knee is really sore. Getting in and out of a chair takes a substantial effort. I am hoping it's just a bruise. I'd hate for my hike to end this close to the finish. 9:18 duration 4377 ascent 3573 descent
Date: 2013-08-26
From: ME 17: The Cabin

To: ME 4: Rangeley
Miles today: 13.2

8/26After sleeping five nights at The Cabin I finally had to leave. I only took the one zero for an injury so the time was productive. Honey, Bear, and Don run a nice hostel. They do everything they can to assist the hikers. The meals were awesome. There was TV and wifi, plenty of outlets for everyone to charge their stuff. Honey and Bear have long roots with the AT. Pictures of them with Earl Shaffer and the first SOBO are a testament to that. It was said today would be an easy day and for once it came to fruition. It was a good thing too as the rocks and roots were slippery after a bit of rain over night. Even with the easy terrain I fell several times. There just is not much margin for error when the trail in Maine is wet. None of the falls did anything more than scratch and bruise. I met a youngster named Glacier Freeze on the trail. He recognized me from Trail Journals. He started in late May and has been doing many days over 30 miles. I was just short of Harpers Ferry when he started and he has caught me. He also recognized my cap as he had been going to the University of Illinois. At one point I thought my ears were deceiving me. At about 2500' I thought I heard the sound of waves breaking on the shore. This is not a sound I have heard on the AT before. To top off the eeriness, the visibility was low and I didn't see the large pond until I was almost on it. Yep, waves breaking on the shore, a beach no less. One heck of a place for a dip had it been warmer. I saw something odd on the trail towards the end of today's hike, a privy right on the trail with a white blaze near the door. Does this mean the trail goes through the privy? As a purist am I compelled to use it? [/Bluefont] To top off the oddity there was a logbook IN the privy. Come on. That has to be the dumbest thing I have seen on the trail. Who in their right mind would touch that book? Since I didn't touch it I can't tell you who had. Techie scored a hitch and we got a ride into Rangeley. After a nice dinner at the Red Onion, pizza for me and a giant burger for Techie, we walked to a house that allows tenting in their backyard. I got bit by my first mosquito in Maine while setting up my tent. Only 999,999 more to tie New Jersey. 7:52 duration 2264 ascent 2733 descent
Date: 2013-08-27
From: ME 4: Rangeley

To: Redington Campsite
Miles today: 8.0

8/27I knew we would get a late start coming out of town. I didn't know we wouldn't hit the trail til 11. We got up at a normal time. Since we were in town it only made sense to have breakfast. Then there was the walk and resupply at the IGA. Finally the hitch back to the trail, which took forever. I still dislike hitching. Had I known what the trail entailed today I would have made sure we started before 11. Actually, and I'm being brutally honest here, had I known what the trail was like today I might have just gone home. The climb up Saddleback was long and steep. I'm fine with that. On difficult sections rebar was in place to aid the hiker. Once on the way down Saddleback these steep sections had no rebar. Now this is the north side on the mountain that is wet and mossy, and I was descending. Anyone that has read my journal knows that certain descents are my Achilles Heel. It is the weakest part of my game. I fell so many times today that I lost count. No matter what I did the trail seemed to bite me. It was truly dangerous for me. This was way worse than the worst of The Whites. I like hiking. This wasn't hiking. I didn't come out here to get hurt. At one point I was bleeding on all four limbs and my head. It's actually a wonder that I'm still able to hike. Any one of these falls could have been worse. What makes it truly frustrating is that it doesn't have to be this way. On some of these nasty sections, sections where rebar would solve it, 15 feet left or right would have been smooth sailing. I'm close to the end but I'm not going to risk my health much longer on stuff like this. It's just not worth it. Sorry to be so negative today. I try to stay positive. I do want to record my honest thoughts every day and not sugarcoat it. Hope that's OK. Pics from today: 6:29 duration 3071 ascent 1716 descent
Date: 2013-08-28
From: Redington Campsite

To: Random Campsite near Sugarloaf Mountain
Miles today: 13.8

8/28I was so sore from yesterday's falls that I had to take an Ambien to fall asleep. I did sleep well though. Techie and I got up earlier than usual to try and make up for the short day yesterday. Things were going well until Mother Nature had other ideas. The hiking today was MUCH easier than yesterday. Gone were the ridiculous descents of yesterday. Many times today one could actually walk. It was a night and day difference. Even the climb up and down Saddleback Junior seemed tame by comparison. Once we got near Lone Mountain thunderstorms rolled in. I chose to stay below the ridge until the lightning passed since I didn't know what the ridge was like. It turned out the ridge was OK for bad weather. We got to the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to by mid afternoon. The rain had stopped. Neither of us had a cell signal to check the radar. We decided to push on to South Branch Carrabassett River. We didn't make it. "Thunder in the distance." This time I had a cell signal. "Techie, we are gonna get smoked in about 45 minutes." We looked for a stealth site at a fevered pace. We finally found something and the sky cut loose. Neither of us got a good pitch but at least we got our tents somewhat up. If we had been five minutes faster all would have been well. You'd figure that after nearly 2000 miles we would have this down. Apparently not. I'm just glad that its not any colder. It's a bit wetter in my tent than I would like. The winds are fierce but the rains have lessened. I have a cell signal in my tent tonight, a rarity in Maine. I called a motel in Stratton and have reservations for tomorrow night. Whatever gets wet tonight will get dried out tomorrow. 10:03 duration 4005 ascent 3423 descent
Date: 2013-08-29
From: Random Campsite near Sugarloaf Mountain

To: ME 27: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

8/29I didn't mention it yesterday but I lost my Buff (listed in my gear section) somewhere between Saddleback Junior and Poplar Ridge Lean-to. I mentioned it in the shelter register. Sometimes items get picked up and moved forward. I'll see what happens. The hiking today was mostly in a cloud. Any views were lost. On the way up the big climb of the day I realized I didn't know the name of the mountain. It seemed odd climbing a 4000-footer without knowing the name. I made it to the top before looking it up. South and North Crocker were the names. They need to do some trimming up there. The conifers have grown across the trail in many places. It makes it hard to avoid the rocks when you can't see em.  After a long 3000' descent we got to ME 27 and caught a ride into Stratton. I think this is the closest we will come to Canada at about 25 miles. We had an excellent meal at The White Wolf and called it a day. I have a decision to make tomorrow regarding a 17-mile slack option for the Bigelows. I'm concerned that might be too tough for me. Techie won't have a problem with it. I may decide to zero. 7:50 duration 3123 ascent 5226 descent
Date: 2013-08-30
From: ME 27: Stratton, ME

To: East Flagstaff Rd
Miles today: 16.7

8/30 The weather window looked good so I decided to gamble on the 17-mile slackpack. Normally I wouldn't bat an eye on a 17-mile slack, but this is Maine. 17 miles here can be quite a load. I have to go with the best info I can get from my friends as to what the terrain is like. Everyone said it was doable. It was. To be safe we hit the trail by about 7am. As a bonus B-Rocket was going to pick us up at the end of the day. From the profile map and scouting reports it sounded like once I got passed Avery Peak it would be smooth sailing. That wasn't the case. The climb out of ME 27 was just a normal 2000' climb. The steep 700' climb up to South Horn was no biggie. The climb up Bigelow Mountain and Avery Peak went smoothly. We had climbed about 4000 feet total in that first nine miles and it was only 12:45. I felt like I had this thing licked. Even the long descent off Avery was uneventful. I only had the "easy part" left, Little Bigelow. Everything about Little Bigelow was the hardest part of the day. The dead-flat (profile map) ridge walk was certainly not flat. Much of it was that 20-up, 20-down stuff that drives me crazy. On top of that the trail was routed over slick, side-sloping granite. When I say "slick" it was as if someone had sprayed it with Pam.I fell several times when I didn't have much choice but to trust the rock. On the descent off of Little Bigelow the trail was again routed over the same side-slanting and now descending slick granite. That rock was totally off limits. You could see where others before me had taken to the woods to avoid this rock, with good reason. I fell several more times before the trail exited these slippery slabs. Techie fell several times too. Once the trail turned to dirt it was like the easiest trail since southern Pennsylvania. B-Rocket and her friends had traffic and GPS issues and didn't make it to the trailhead til after 8pm. Techie and I had been waiting for two hours and were getting worried. It was good to see her again. 11:22 duration 5499 ascent 5515 descent
Date: 2013-08-31
From: East Flagstaff Rd

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: haze

8/31B-Rocket and her friends dropped Techie and I off at the trailhead at about 11. She goes back to school next week. We were told this section of the trail was 3mph territory. That was not the case, at least not for me. While very flat there were enough rocks and roots to slow me down to 2mph. There were some smooth sections like the Shenandoahs but not enough. I set up my tent just as it was getting dark. Sunset is so much earlier now than it was in late June. Early in the hike we came to a road crossing labeled as the 2000-mile mark. It was years ago but that road was 2017 for us. It was still cool enough to get some pics. I saw my first moose at about midday. I was on a long, robust bog bridge and thought that this might be a good spot. I stopped and studied the water and spotted it. Below is the uncropped pic and one zoomed in of the moose. I am tented at Pierce Pond tonight. This is a beautiful yet somber place. 2012 thruhiker Parkside lost his life near here when he went for a swim last June and drown. Here is the view I have from my tent taken in the morning. 8:15 duration 1913 ascent 1804 descent
Date: 2013-09-01
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: US 201: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: light rain

9/1"Now that the months start ending with "ber" expect it to start get colder." My Grandmother My tent site at Pierce Pond had the best view from any site I have camped on the trail. Just wonderful. The big event after Pierce Pond would be the crossing of the Kennebec River. The Kennebec is unique in that hikers take a ferry (read canoe) across the river instead of fording it. There is a power plant upstream that can release water in a moments notice. A hiker fording at that time could be swept away, or so I'm told. Hikers wait their turn as the ferryman takes them across. The canoe is actually the official trail and not the water. There is even a white blaze in the bottom of the canoe. The morning run for the ferry is 9-11. I'm glad I left camp fairly early as the trail was very slippery with rocks/roots. The profile map made it look like a walk in the park, and it was at the very end. After crossing the Kennebec it is a short distance to US 201. Techie and I caught a hitch to The Sterling Inn, where we are staying. We got a shuttle to Northern Outdoors where I had my first, not last, Maine lobster. 2:22 duration 222 ascent 851 descent
Date: 2013-09-03
From: Moxie Pond Rd

To: US 201: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 11.9

9/3Sa has joined me in Maine for the duration. She dropped Techie and I off and we hiked SOBO back to Caratunk. The hiking around Pleasant Pond Mountain was very slippery. The granite was so slick that it was pretty much off limits all day. You could see where the hikers before had walked around the sides of the trail, often creating their own, superior, trail. I took it slow and managed to stay upright. The last couple miles down to Caratunk were a dream. The weather did not allow for any views today. Tonight was the last of our three-night's stay at The Sterling Inn. I was very pleased with my stay here. Eric runs a good shop. As is common for me at great stays, I had a nero, a zero, and a slack. I love that trifecta. 6:56 duration 2556 ascent 2838 descent
Date: 2013-09-04
From: Moxie Pond Rd

To: Shirley-Blanchard Rd: Shaw's
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

9/4Sa dropped Techie and I off at Moxie Pond Rd. We had to ford a stream right off the bat which Sa found amusing. Techie and I switched over to Crocs for the crossing but the effort futile. The trail would be so wet and muddy that our shoes became soaked later anyway. The climb up Moxie Bald Mountain was one of the easier climbs in recent weeks. Unlike most other Maine mountains the granite wasn't slippery. Even wet you could walk right up the slope. The last time I could do that was Mahoosuc Arm. I was told that on a clear day one could see Katahdin from Moxie Bald. Today was as clear as it gets. I pulled my Topo Maps app and saw that Katahdin was NE. Looking directly NE I could see a large mountain way in the distance. I'm not sure if it is Katahdin but it was in the right spot according to my maps. The little tree in the middle is pointing to it. After Moxie Bald the rest of the day looked like a cruise on the profile map. There were some nice areas but for the most part it was rock/root hell. There were several river fords which I found fun. At that point I just waded across since my shoes were soaked anyway. Sa picked us up and we headed to Monson. 9:38 duration 2766 ascent 2710 descent
Date: 2013-09-05
From: Shirley-Blanchard Rd: Shaw's

To: ME 15: Shaw's
Miles today: 6.3

9/5Today was a scheduled nero. Sa dropped us off again and we hiked the short six miles to the Monson road crossing. If we went further we would be entering the 100-mile Wilderness, an area of limited road crossings. We would leave that for tomorrow. Other than the typical roots and rocks this stretch was easy. There were no river fords or serious climbs. The trail went by beautiful Lake Hebron. Sa picked us up and we headed to Greenville for lunch. We returned to Shaw's and I took a nice, coveted nap. Flaxseed showed up and asked if I could drive him to Greenville so he could resupply for the 100-mile Wilderness. Absolutely. Flaxseed was the one that returned my Buff. 2:53 duration 1030 ascent 663 descent