morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-09-14
From: Old Woods Rd Campsite, ME

To: Campsite, ME
Miles today: 15.5

The day turned out to be easier than we thought. We had Lone Mtn, Spaulding Mtn, Sugarloaf Mtn, South Crocker and North Crocker Mtn to summit. So we were a little fearful that the day would put a hurting on us.We woke up this morning a little later than usual, it was just too cozy in our sleeping bags! We headed out around 7:30 and started going up. In fact, I don't think we started going down until after noon. Around 10am we arrived at Spaulding Mtn Lean-to. Goose and Chewy were still there from last night. They were moving on to Stratton today for resupply. We talked with them for a little bit before they started their day. We didn't see them again all day. Actually, we didn't see any Northbounders today after Goose and Chewy.By noon we had made it over Spaulding and Sugarloaf and began a long, painful descent down the north side of Sugarloaf. Even though it was downhill, this was one of the most difficult portions of our day. About 3/4 of the way down we stopped for a lunch break and watched the weather. There was the chance of rain in the afternoon but we never got rained on. So far there has been no rain for us in Maine- thats good!After lunch we made it to the bottom and then began our toughest climbs for the day- the Crockers. South Crocker was much harder and longer of a climb, pretty steep and a lot of rocks, a long climb. Both Berry and I felt great going up both of them and we couldn't believe it was only 3:30pm when we reached the summit of North Crocker. After a short break and we headed down. It is 5+ miles of gradual downhill to ME27 which takes you into Stratton. We planned to camp somewhere short of the hwy so we could get up early and resupply in the morning. Finding a camp spot was tricky. Finally, after a snack break and taking it easy for 2 hours we found a good spot. The bear count is now 11! Coming down the north side of N Crocker we startled a black bear in a tree. He tore off through the woods. I was talking to Berry loudly and we came around the corner and it scared him. I wish we wouldn't have been talking so we could've had a closer look. We are camped out all snug and happy as usual. It's one of my favorite times of the day. We are keeping in touch with our good friends Otter and Stewball. Otter is currently ahead of most everyone, I think he might be in Monson today. He plans to be finished and meet up with us in Monson. We hope that works out. Stewball is 4-6 days behind us (we think) and is planning to speed up. Either way we will see him soon. If not before the finish then after on the trail, as he plans to hike southbound for 600 miles to GA.
Date: 2009-09-15
From: Campsite, ME

To: Horns Pond Lean-tos
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: scattered clouds

After a few passing showers in the wee hours of the morning, Bark and I found it easy to sleep in. It was around 8am before we hit the trail but we knew we only had about 3 miles until we would make it to the road crossing for Stratton, ME. Once at the road the hitch was much more difficult than it ever has been. It was almost 45 minutes before a dump truck pulled over to pick us up. The driver, named Jr., used to live in Monson, ME and would shuttle hikers to and from the trailhead in the area. Jr. dropped us off at Fotter's Market, the local grocery store. We decided to pack out 5 days worth of food to get ourselves to Monson. 5 days of food equals a very heavy food bag for a few more very big climbs. Nevertheless the store had everything we needed so we loaded up. On the way out of the general store we looked over at the Stratton Motel and StickCakes had just walked out to run some errands. They had decided to take a zero today and get some things done. We walked over and talked to them for a little while. They are headed to Monson next as well so we are expecting to see them either on the trail soon or in town before the 100 mile wilderness. StickCakes recomended the Stratton Diner so we headed over to grab some breakfast before heading back to the trailhead. It was close to noon so I guess it was a pretty late breakfast, but pancakes and eggs still tasted really good! Bark and I headed back and grabbed our packs to walk down to the post office and stick out our thumbs. The weather has been increasingly cloudy and much cooler. The rain was holding off which was nice, but the temps were dropping. As we watched the cars fly by us we slowly pulled out our jackets and beanies and soon our gloves. It was over an hour before a very friendly lady named Sammy came out of the bank parking lot and asked if we needed a ride. Yes! We jumped at the offer since it was getting close to 2 o'clock and we needed to get some miles in for the day. She was very fun and when we left from the trailhead parking area she gave us the name and number of her friend in Monson who does massages. We might just have to give her a call! It had been a full morning in town and Bark and I were feeling very sluggish for some reason...maybe the pancakes were a little much. We decided not long after we started that we would only go the 4ish miles to the next shelter. What a crazy climb the next 4ish miles turned out to be. It was tough with freshly filled food bags and big boulders to climb. About three hours later Bark and I finally made it to the shelter. The wind was blowing and pretty chilly so it didn't take us long to throw on some layers and pitch our tent. The pond below the shelters was our water source. The scenery was, and is, beautiful up here. The shelter area is right below our 3 big climbs for tomorrow. We are currently at around 3,000 ft and it is expected to get a little frosty tonight- brrr!Tomorrow morning we will cross the 2,000 mile point!!! Hard to believe...
Date: 2009-09-16
From: Horns Pond Lean-tos

To: Jerome Brook- Campsite
Miles today: 14.1

It's been quite a day for us! We woke up very chilly and decided to sleep longer and wait for that sun to get a little higher. We were camped in a sub alpine zone. We were on trail by 7:30 and immediately started our ascent up north horn and south horn, then the west peak of the Bigelows, then Avery peak. The morning was unlike any other in terms of scenery. It felt as if we were on top of the sky- a solid blanket of clouds stretched as far as the eye could see. Only the mountains we were climbing and Sugarloaf Mtn in the distance broke through the clouds to reveal a spectacular view. It was wonderful! We were moving slow due to the terrain. By 10:00am we arrived on the peak Avery Mtn and took a good snack break. The clouds began to lift and scoot out of the way. Beneath us was a very large lake that we hadn't seen because of the clouds. Flagstaff lake was the name of it. Berry and I began walking down Avery to cross the 2000 mile point! It was a narly descent. Huge house-sized boulders were everywhere. We followed a mossy path winding through all the boulders- in between and around them- one time we went under one. We made it to the bottom and peeled off to a campsite for lunch. After lunch we walked a gradual 3 mile ascent up to Little Bigelow. We had great vista's looking back at what we had accomplished throughout the day. It took us a while to make it down Little Bigelow, a shelter was near the bottom. We stopped there for our last snack break. We had only gone 10 miles and it was 4pm. We deided to move on. The trail did a wonderful thing.... it flattened out! It did get little tricky after a while, but before that we were able to crunch in 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. Felt good! We are now camped in a very creative spot- kinda in a bowl- Berry and I are sinking toward eachother. Campsites are hard to find in Maine so far. Now for the bad news. We are hoping I won't have to go to the hospital again. The other day in Rangely I noticed a small blister-like thing on my lower shin/ankle. I showed it to Berry, then popped it and thought nothing more of it. By the time we got to Stratton it was looking a little swollen and starting to hurt. It became red around the area I had popped and cleaned. While in Stratton we purchased some peroxide and extra bandages to clean it up and keep it covered. Also, in Stratton I noticed 4 other marks that were similar on my other ankle. Fastfoward to today..... The original mark is VERY swollen and about a half dollar sized, dark red circle surrounds the scabbed over portion. The marks on my other ankle are not red yet, but the area has started to swell. At times it can be very painful, especially standing still. Walking downhill is the worst because all the blood rushes to my swollen ankles. Currently we are cleaning it with peroxide, putting neosporin and covering them with bandades. Tonight I have my feet elevated. Berry traced the red area with a marker and if it gets any bigger we will likely get off trail to have it looked at.Oooooohhhhh, this trail is really putting the smackdown on me! I sound like such a baby.
Date: 2009-09-18
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Skowhegan, ME
Miles today: 0.0

We will get there folks! We will get there... So I'm going to be a little stir crazy laying down for 72 hours (till Sunday night). A local hotel gave us a super reduced rate because of our situation. We are actually staying in the basement of the hotel- very similar to my dorm room in college, but we have everything we need and it's perfect. So far my leg looks better. Still a good amount of swelling and discomfort, but the redness is going away and it looks to be healing up. I am following doctors orders and staying off my feet. Stickman and family have continued to be a major blessing. Today he brought by a guitar for me and he also arranged to have a laptop in our room. We just can't thank him enough! Berry has run herself all over this town getting me things I need...food, meds, supplies. I've said it before and I'll say it again- I'm a fortunate man to have her. This trail certainly has strengthened our marriage and I've grown to appreciate here more and more. Ahhhh! Almost finished. We figure once we're back on trail it will take 10-12 days to reach the summit of Katahdin. It wouldn't be any fun unless we gave all our viewers out there some drama anyway. Lastly, one good thing that may come from this is seeing those who are behind us. Stewball, Denali and Gorg, Honey do?????? You never know.
Date: 2009-09-19
From: Skowhegan, ME

To: Skowhegan, ME
Miles today: 0.0

My leg is looking a lot better. The swelling has reduced quite a bit. It seems like the infection is being drawn up around the wound- even oozing out of it. There is still a good degree of discomfort, but overall today is much improved.We haven't got our test results yet to confirm that it is MRSA. Provided that everything is a go, our plan is to stay through Sunday and head back out on trail on Monday. We will keep it covered and clean the area with alcohol on the trail. We're excited to be getting back out there. Crazy to think we have less than two weeks!The positives of staying through Sunday= going to church with Stickman and family... and watching some NFL! Today I only left the room to eat breakfast. I am taking it easy. Thanks everybody for the "Get Well's"!
Date: 2009-09-20
From: Skowhegan, ME

To: Skowhegan, ME
Miles today: 0.0

With Bark's leg still healing up we took one more day of rest in Skowhegan, ME. We have really enjoyed the hospitality of the folks in town- so friendly and helpful with lots of smiles. Stickman picked up Bark and I this morning about 10am and we headed to his local church. It was so refreshing to be in a church on Sunday morning with music and Bible reading/ teaching. After church, while headed to lunch with Stickman, Mrs. Stickman called from the N. Portland Fair she was working at. She had just met a man and his wife who, through conversation, figured out an A.T. connection. Baine (Sherpa from '03) and his wife Rita have just recently been following Bark and I on our journals. Through speaking with Mrs. Stickman, the connection was made that we were in town and headed towards the fair. It was so fun to meet Baine and Rita and make yet another connection with the A.T. family. Sherpa shared stories with us from his hike and we all talked about our experiences. It is a small world out there! We spent a couple more hours at the fair, enjoying the fresh air and giving Bark a chance to use his legs a little before hitting the trail again. The fair shut down around 5:00pm- we helped put some things away from Stickman's booth (www.scripturesticks.com) and then headed back toward the Motel for a pizza dinner.Bark and I spoke with the doctor today and expressed our desire to get back to the trail. They gave us the go ahead as long as we could keep his leg clean and monitored it for any changes. Mr. and Mrs. Stickman drove us to Wal-mart to pick up some extra bandages and alcohol wipes to pack up for our hike to Monson. As it stands tonight we are planning to leave tomorrow morning. With 150 miles to go and some beautiful sections of trail ahead, we are ready mentally, but will definitely keep an eye on Bark's legs to make sure the infection does not return. Before the Dallas Cowboys football game commenced we had a great time talking with our new friends in Maine. We could not be more thankful for all that Mr. and Mrs. Stickman have done for us- we would not be here and Bark would have had a hard time healing up without their kindness and care. Our time here has proven to be restful and made us ready for the next 10ish days on the trail. We're so close...
Date: 2009-09-21
From: Skowhegan, ME

To: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Not a bad start after taking three days off for my leg. Berry and I were slow moving today, it was a little hard finding our rhythm this morning. Her knee's and ankles were stiff and I was adjusting to my antibiotics on the trail. I had a slight headache until the afternoon and a good case of diarrhea. How wonderful Not bad! All in all we made out well today with no swelling or pain in my leg. It's looking better and better. Our test confirmed that it is MRSA so we have to take precautions and monitor it closely at this point. judging by today we are pleased and feel confident to move forward.Breakfast was 7:00am this morning at the motel. We packed up and had everything ready to go by then. By the time we ate and checked out our ride had already arrived. Cari, Stickman's wife, was joyously waiting in the parking lot. She graciously gave us a ride- about an hour away to the trailhead. The drive was beautiful and we enjoyed visiting with Cari. Stickman was right behind her and we all said our goodbyes at the hwy 201 crossing. The whole situation with my leg provided the opportunity to make new friends. Thanks for everything Stickman and Cari- we'll see you soon! Off we went into the woods. Back home again. I was tired because it's hard to sleep when I'm not in our tent. Being indoors will take some adjusting. We were happy to be back and the weather greeted us with a sunny clear day. We actually broke a sweat pretty early on. By 11am we started our climb up Pleasant Pond Mtn. It's a decent climb, 1 mile all the way up, but nothing we haven't experienced before. On the way up we ran into Fancy Pants. It was good to see him. We stopped and talked with him for a while and got info on where everyone was. He seemed down today and confessed he wasn't doing so well- just one of those days- the miles are a lot harder. We made it a point to encourage him. We ran into him 3 more times and then again at the shelter. We thought for certain he'd stay there, but Goser had pressed ahead to the other side of Moxie Bald and he needed to find her. I'll bet we see them in the morning. Sure hope so!The hike today was beautiful. Trees are turning left and right and we're walking right through it. The terrain was small ups and downs and rooty. Berry had a lot of stumbles today- about time! She usually floats across the trail while I look like a fawn taking it's first steps. We both feel a little sad to be 3-4 days behind some of our hiking friends. We may not see them again before the summit.While we were cooking dinner at the shelter a northbounder named Matt strolled up. It was great meeting him for the first time. We chatted with him while eating as he got set up. He's a cool guy and a fast mover. Back home! Sun is down, headlamps on, sleeping bags are prep'd and ready....it's good to be back!
Date: 2009-09-22
From: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to, ME

To: Hebron Lake Campsite, ME
Miles today: 18.7

Our morning started out pretty normal- woke up around 6ish and slowly began to pack things up. About 7am we heard a hiker in the shelter say hello to someone walking up early. I looked through the trees because I could not recognize the voice, at least not right away. As the hiker came closer to the shelter I could finally make out who it was- Stickman! He left home early this morning and came out to the trail to do a little hiking with Bark and me. He told us yesterday, as he and Mrs. Stickman dropped us off, that he may come out (his day off) today to find us and see how Bark's leg was doing. It was so fun to see him there and we were very excited. Bark and I finally got our tent and packs ready to go and the three of us headed out to get to the summit of Moxie Bald. We had a great time hiking and talking with Stickman. Every once in a while Bark and I run out of conversation topics (imagine that after 175 days), so it was pretty refreshing to have someone join us. About an hour after starting we made it to the summit and what a beautiful summit it turned out to be. The morning was cool and breezy with blue skies overhead which gave us great views all around- 360 degrees. Stickman had been to the summit before and was able to point out many of the ranges around us. Once at the top, Stickman revealed some great trail magic from his pack. He pulled out drinks and candy bars! We all tucked behind some rocks and talked a bit longer while enjoying the snack break.It wasn't too long before Bark and I had to get going. We knew it was going to be a long day of mileage, we just weren't sure how long. It was sad to say goodbye to Stickman again as we hiked north and he turned back south. He and his wife will never know the impact they have had on Bark and me. For the rest of the day we did not see any other hikers. The terrain was pretty accurate according to our elevation profile. A few more ups and downs than we expected, but I guess that is just Maine. We made some good time today along the flat stretches and really enjoyed the hike along the river banks. With some of the trees changing colors, the reds and yellows are really spectacular reflecting off the water. After our final river crossing for the day, Bark made it up on the shore and quickly announced that he saw a cooler. This can only mean one thing to a thru hiker- Trail Magic! Sure enough, we opened the lid to find cold drinks and even a couple of apples. We took some time to enjoy the break and a cold root beer before pressing on another couple of miles to our camp spot. Tomorrow we will wake up and hike just under 4 miles into our final trail town. Monson, ME is calling our name and so is the 100 mile Wilderness. We have a few business things to take care of and one last good meal in town, but we are hoping to head right out and back onto the trail. 9 days and counting...
Date: 2009-09-23
From: Hebron Lake Campsite, ME

To: Big Wilson stream- Campsite, ME
Miles today: 13.0

I can't believe we're in Monson right now! For nearly 6 months we have always been walking toward another resupply, another town, toward somewhere that you have to plan to get to the next somewhere and so on. Now our bags our packed, perhaps the heaviest yet with 7 days of food, and we are walking to the end!We got up early this morning and got into Monson by 9:00am. First we hit up the gas station for some sinus medicine (must be the season change). While sitting outside the Mobile station we saw a thru-hiker coming toward us that looked familiar. It was "Dream Catcher!" The last place we saw her was in Atkins VA- a good bit down south. She was doing a flip flop because of the weather and timeline. We are excited to be possibly hiking north with her on this last stretch. She will then turn around and go from Monson sothbound through Maine to Gorham. Next stop.... post office and laundry. A really thanks to the parents for a lovely mail drop. Brownies are delicious! We picked up our food drops and then went to the laundry mat to sort everything out and pack up. Lucky for us, the Lake Shore House laundry mat has a coin shower too. Now Berry and I are as clean as a whistle and ready for the 100 mile wilderness. As we were getting things organized in walked "Big Fish" and "Firecracker." Alright! Looks like we'll be walking with them in the 100m. We were really excited to see them. Now things are ready to go and all we have left is a few phone calls and a hearty lunch before we head out. We're setting a goal of 13 miles today and I think that's pretty realistic, we may get farther. This could be the last post until we actually summit Katahdin. There may be a phone at the ranger stations there, in which case we'll send out our postings from the 100m up to the day before our summit. Either way, Berry and I each intend to write an entry about the summit day and the trail as a whole...this might take us a day or two in order to really put some thought into it. It's been a real thrill to have so many people tune in these past 6 months... really unbelievable and we love it. We figure now that we've got everyone hooked on our journals it would be really fun to just leave you hanging- not tell you about Katahdin, or better yet, we could set up a mail order service for our last entry. Nope! We love y'all too much for that. Everything is a go! Leg looks good. Oct 1st is still the date for Katahdin... if you're in the area and want to join us we'd love to see you....
Date: 2009-09-24
From: Big Wilson stream- Campsite, ME

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Maine has dished it out to us again! It was an early morning for us after drinking too much water before bed and the fact that Bark was eager to see the sunrise. It was quite beautiful to see the sun light up the colorful leaves of Fall. They say that the first week of October is the peak for the colors, but it is a totally different experience to walk through the season as it changes.Well the day began with a pretty fun ford. Up to the knees was about as deep as it got, but nice and chilly nonetheless. Bark and I hiked on and took a quick snack break before stopping a little while later for lunch. At the shelter where we stopped, we heard a loud "hey!" We looked up and saw Big Fish and Firecracker eating lunch as well. We also met two other hikers today- Natty Bumpo and Many Names, a lovely trail couple.The rest of the day was filled with ups and downs, beautiful forest and some very nice views. There were a few climbs today- Barren Mt., The Ledges and then the start of The Chairbacks. What a day! Our feet are slowly adjusting to the mass amounts of roots and sharp rocks we are hiking over. It's not like patches here and there, it is constant twisted and narled roots.We ran into Dream Catcher and Swift today as well. Before starting the Chairbacks and heading to the Lean-to, we all found ourselves gathered around the last stream filling up all our bottles. With the sun setting quickly, we all still faced another 1.7 miles to the shelter. We just put our heads down and went for it... about an hour later (and some good views of the setting sun) we made it. Bark set up the tent while I made dinner- good old Ramen with cheese and chicken, a great meal!Everyone gathered around the shelter and we had a good time listening to conversations and jokes as people tried to get sorted out for the night. If it weren't for the people, the trail would not be worth it.Tomorrow we will hopefully be headed up Whitecap Mt. for our first distant view of Katahdin...wow! Big day tomorrow, time for sleep.