morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-24
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

Slept in again this morning and took our time getting on the trail which felt great. Swing and I took a nice swim near Big Niagara Fallss in Baxter State Park. This will be a daily recreation habit for us. I took a nap on pine needles mid-day. This will also be a daily habit. We made it to Abol Bridge to camp right on the river with Katahdin as our backdrop. Drank nector and bonded with the 7 other southbound hikers who left when we did. My tent stake broke. Mosquitos attacked my feet and ankles during dinner after I took my shoes off. They are now swollen and look deformed. I've never seen so many mosquitos in my life. I need to remember to deet those suckers up after the shoes come off.
Date: 2008-06-25
From: Abol Bridge 

To: Rainbow Lake Campground
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

left Abol Bridge this morning and started the "100 mile wilderness". Nice stop on Rainbow ledges for a long nap in the sun. Had a great swim in Rainbow Lake which is the cleanest lake I've ever swam in. Swing and I made a boat race course in a random stream. Another great sunset and I am sleeping under the stars tonight. The weather has been good so far but rain is in the forecast.
Date: 2008-06-26
From: Rainbow Lake Campground

To: Nahmakanta Lake
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

Woke up early when it started raining. Wasn't under a roof so we started hiking right away. I think we were out of there by 7am which is extremely early for me. Something bit my lip in my sleep last night and it swelled up. Stopped at Rainbow Stream lean-to to nap and dry off. Took another nap at Crescent Pond while watching Swing try to fish. His fishing line consisted of nylon rope, a safety pin, and a leech as bait. It was interesting to watch. We hiked past the next shelter so we could sleep on the sand beach of Lake Nahmankanta. It is now pouring outside. I am looking forward to a swim first thing in the morning. My feet got bit up again by mosquitos. I've never seen so many in my life. I must have over 100 bites on just my feet and ankles. There are juices oozing out of my feet in several places from the bites. But overall I feel extremely good.
Date: 2008-06-27
From: Nahmakanta Lake

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 7.6

Swing has been talking about this heavenly oasis in the 100 mile wilderness called the White House Landing. We followed a trail a couple miles off the AT to an airhorn where we summoned a boat to pick us up. It was quite an experience. We spent the afternoon canoeing around the lake, washing our clothes on an old-fashioned washboard, showering, eating, and reading Far Side comics. The WHL makes a killer 1 pound burger. Possibly the best burger I have ever had in my life. We hung out with John and Carl who were from Connecticut and are hiking the 100 mile wilderness northbound. Swing and I liked John and Carl because they laughed at all our stories. We are looking forward to an all-you-can-eat breakfast in the morning.
Date: 2008-06-28
From: White House Landing

To: Jo-Mary Road
Miles today: 10.1

Great breakfast this morning compliments of Bill and Linda. Thanks for a great stay you two! Back on the trail by 10. Light rain all day long. Finally saw a moose. Camping tonight in a stealth camp on a brook with Bear Walker, Cheezewhiz (a fellow PSU alumni), and Swing. Bought a bunch of Kool-Aid at WHL so the juice is finally loose. My socks and shoes have been damp for a couple days now but no blisters yet. The mosquitos are ridiculous and are biting through clothes now. Hope I have enough deet till Monson. It's still raining.
Date: 2008-06-29
From: Jo-Mary Road

To: Logan Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Decided we needed to get to Monson by July 3rd to celebrate the 4th of July in style. Picked up the pace a little today. The mosquitos are awful again today and the trail is nothing but mud and swamp and the rain keeps coming. Caught up to Von Frick and Warraghiyagey at Logan Brook Lean-To with Cheesewhiz and Swing. This is my first night in a shelter. Good bonding times with our SOBO friends. Hey dude, are you cold?
Date: 2008-06-30
From: Logan Brook Lean-To

To: Chairback Gap Lean-To
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Huge thunderstorms last night. It was nice to be dry in a shelter. Sun was out this morning and we were late leaving again. I enjoy our habit of sleeping in. I'm on vacation so there is no reason to wake up early. We hiked four mountains during the day: White Cap, Hay, West Peak, Gulf Hagas. Decided to keep hiking after dinner even though our next shelter was 10 miles away. Got to ford our first river. Apparantly the correct way to ford rivers is to do it naked, just like the natives. Swing and I pushed on through some dangerous terrain in the dark up Chairback Mountain. Turns out hiking in the dark is a lot more fun then it sounds. Everything was swampy, rocky, and steep. We got in about midnight and we were completely soaked with mud. It was great. I have never seen so many stars in my life either. The sky was clear, bright, and basically awesome.
Date: 2008-07-01
From: Chairback Gap Lean-To

To: Long Pong Stream Lean-To
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Our big activity for the day was trying to catch snakes. We saw several of them but those little guys are quick. It looks a lot easier on Animal Planet. We got to our shelter where we were pleasantly surprised to see about 15 French Canadian girls camping. I don't know how to speak French but I'm pretty sure they were saying how manly we are and how they want to smooch on us. Swing and I ran down to the gorge for a quick swim to tidy up but by the time we got back the ladies had already retired to their tents for the evening. My guess is that they were intimidated by our good looks.
Date: 2008-07-03
From: Leeman Brook Lean-To

To: Monson
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

Monson - Where the beer flows like wine and women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. Finishing the "100 mile wilderness" and returning to civilization is a great feeling. We were 0 for 50 hitchhiking with our thumbs but 1-1 hitchhiking while dancing. We are staying at the famous Shaw's hostel. The best thing about Shaw's is that they provide street clothes for hikers for the day. I chose a matching women's pajama flower outfit that looks quite dapper. Ate a 16" pizza for lunch and had all you can eat tacos for dinner. We also had the pleasure of witnessing "Landfill" break the taco record by eating 22. The bar also had a nice bonfire on the lake. Swing and I were chosen for the distinguished responsibility of canoeing to the floating fire pit to light it.
Date: 2008-07-04
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We started Independence Day with an all you can eat breakfast at Shaw's then went right back to bed. We relaxed the entire day. The all you can eat fish fry at the Lakeshore House was a great way to end the evening. Watching fireworks on TV isn't the same as seeing them in person.
Date: 2008-07-05
From: Monson

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-To
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

Started the morning with another all you can eat breakfast, resupplied groceries, and got back on the trail. Monson certainly is a unique town in a good way. I later found out that the population of Monson is 666 but don't let that fool you. The saddest part of the day turning in my stylish pajamas.
Date: 2008-07-06
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-To

To: Bald Mtn. Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I was excited last night experiencing my first mouse attack in a shelter. One of these mornings I'll have mouse oatmeal once I figure out how to catch them. In the meantime, Kool Aid in oatmeal is good enough. We also meet a pretty cool dude tonight in the shelter named Footnote. He's got a book out called "The Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot" and will eventually be writing another about his current thru hike.
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Bald Mtn. Brook Lean-To

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Bald Mtn Lean-To had a refreshing shower under a waterfall we used in the morning. The end of the day landed us with a group of a dozen boyscouts from Canada. Swing was really excited to see them. Sicko. This shelter has a great sand beach down the hill where we took our evening swim.
Date: 2008-07-08
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-To

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 5.7

We made it to the small town of Caratunk this morning and rented a tent site at Northern Outdoors Resort. This place has everything including bar, restaurant, pool, kayaks, rafting, hot tub, game room, and hot female employees. I fell in love for my first time this trip with a special lady named Katie. I was so smitten I even let Katie beat me in air hockey. Northern Outdoors Resort has it's own brewery and I spent the evening sampling all their beers. My favorite was the Kennebec Logger, or as I call it, the Kenny Loggins.
Date: 2008-07-09
From: Caratunk

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't feel like going to bed last night so instead of staying at Northern Outdoors I packed up my things and moved on. I walked the 3 miles back to the trail and to the edge of the Kennebec River. Now the Kennebec River is about 70 yards across, at least 10 feet deep, and owns a swift current. The proper way to cross the river is by the ferry boat man who operates during the day. I'm a sucker for adventure though and with my pack in one hand, Clubber Lang in my other, and a flashlight in my mouth I forded (swam) to the other side. Some people may call me stupid (sorry mom and dad), But I prefer to use the word legend. The only thing the Kennebec River Gods demanded of me were my sandals which were promptly torn off my feet by the current. Upon reaching the other side, my pack was completely waterlogged and weighed about 80 pounds. Everything I owned was soaked including my sleeping bag, camera, and Kool-aid. It then took me about an hour and a half to find the trail again on the other side because it was dark, foggy, and I had been carried so far downstream. I noticed a couple slugs on my legs as the sun was coming up. I was at the next lean-to by 7am and began the drying process. Luckily it was a beautiful day and I was back to normal by dinner time. The rest of the group caught up and we spent the evening making up stories and telling them to a group of Northbounders staying there with us. Silly NOBOs.
Date: 2008-07-10
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

After an amazing pancake breakfast at Harrison's Camp on Pierce Pond, we moved onward. The big excitement of the day was a great stream that Swing and I set up another boat course on. The Paradise at Pierce Speedway consisted of a short drag race course and a longer skills course. Team JuiceBox's prized boat was Nigeria which went undefeated against Team Swing's boat Heavy Metal in the drag racing competition. The long course however favored Team Swing's Boat Bruce "The Spring" Springstein. The Baroness Von Frick and Red Heat also entered the competition. Overall, we're really good at wasting time.
Date: 2008-07-11
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

It was such a lovely evening and we had a sweet shelter and fire pit we decided to cut our day short. This shelter has these layers of "tubs" spilling from the waterfalls that are perfect to dip in. The water temperature is pretty intense though and numbs the body quickly. By the end of the night the SOBO Class of June 23 was reunited for the first time in weeks with me, Swing, CheeseWhiz, Von Frick, Warraghiyagey, Calamity Jane, and Finding Peace. The only animal we were missing was Bear Walker. It was nice for all of us to be together and to finish off my sippin whisky. Our fire pit was roaring again tonight.
Date: 2008-07-12
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Stratton Brook Pond Road
Miles today: 14.5

Awesome day conquering the Bigelow Mountain Range. These mountains were a lot of fun to climb. I've been watching Swing the past couple weeks with his walking stick he named Gandalf. He thinks it gives him magic powers. It's kind of like watching a six year old play with a plastic ninja sword. Every time he performs an action, he yells at Gandalf to make it work. For example when Swing wants to jump over a puddle of mud, he screams, "Gandalf JUMP!" and he jumps.
Date: 2008-07-15
From: Stratton, Maine

To: Carrabassett River
Miles today: 8.4

From Stratton we had a five mile climb up Crocker Mountain, one of the biggest mountains in Maine. Turns out the view on top Crocker Mtn is a crock of crap. No view at all. I've been hearing noises behind me all day like someone is following me. I've decided that it's a bobcat whose purpose in life is to protect me. I feel much safer. Swing, Ozzie, and I tented at the base of Sugarloaf mountain which we'll climb first thing tomorrow.
Date: 2008-07-16
From: Carrabassett River

To: Poplar Ridge lean-to
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

We started the day with a steep 1000 foot climb in 1/10 of a mile. I wouldn't wish that on a broke dick dog. We hiked a side trail an extra mile or two to the summit of Sugarloaf Mtn which was well worth it. Sugarloaf has the second highest peak in Maine next to Katahdin. I've had a good flow of boogers out of my nose today. Most of them have ended up on my shirt.
Date: 2008-07-17
From: Poplar Ridge lean-to

To: Rangeley, Maine
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Saddlebacks today. The best mountain since Katahdin. I spent about 4 hours above treeline and got sunburn. We caught up to Von Frick, Warraghiyagey, and CheeseWhiz by evening and hitched into the town of Rangeley. There is a new place to stay in Rangeley called Riff Raff. It's a house of young former thru-hikers who host current hikers for free. It's very similiar to the movie Animal House and reminds me of college. We played cards until 4am. Ozzie was the big winner and I was right behind him. Apparently it was the first time that a resident of the house hasn't won. I don't think they were happy.
Date: 2008-07-18
From: Rangeley, Maine

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

Since the first week on the trail I've been talking about and quoting the Rambo movies. Rambo sickness has infected everyone I've been around and today we had the chance to ease our obsession. We've been calling ahead to every small town in Maine finding a video store that holds the Rambo sagas. Our dreams became reality today as we rented Rambo First Blood, Rambo First Blood Part Two, and Rambo, the fourth and newest installment. Rambo in Rangeley was the theme of the day. As the evening of Rambo progressed the audience of hikers grew larger and larger until tears and applause filled the room when John Rambo finally found his way home. "When you're pushed, killin is as easy as breathin."
Date: 2008-07-19
From: Rangeley, Maine

To: Rangeley, Maine
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Our good friends at the Riff Raff house offered to take us cliff jumping today and drop us off for a "slack pack." A slack pack is when you leave your heavy pack behind and just take water and a couple snacks for a day hike. At the end of the day you hitch back to your original location. Our slack pack crew was myself, Swing, and Ozzie. Cliff jumping was quite an experience. Similar to the rock quarry outside of Penn State but perhaps a little more dangerous. I estimate the largest jump at about 60 feet and named it the "crazy local jump" because the only people who do it are crazy locals. Needless to say out of our group Swing and I were the only ones to do it and without hesitation. I feel out trail credit is growing. We didn't leave for our slack pack until the afternoon but were able to move fast without our packs on. About three miles from our destination we ran into a couple of trail angels having a barbecue for hikers. They provided food and beer on a little sand beach which was hard to pass up. There was a good crowd of about 10 hikers. When the sun went down, we realized we only had one head lamp among the three of us and three miles to go in the dark. We also noticed that Swing forgot to wear a shirt that day for some reason. The last three miles took longer then expected in the dark and in the mud. I had some hard falls being in the back without a light. By the time we got to the road about 10:00 it was raining. I am proud to say we had set the record for the longest timed slack pack.
Date: 2008-07-20
From: Rangeley, Maine

To: Bemis Mountain Lean to
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We finally made it out of Rangeley, in the rain of course. We stopped at the first shelter because of bad rain and mud conditions. The big excitement for the day was that there was a treasure map in the shelter with directions to a hiker shed with many wonderful surprises inside. Swing and Ozzie went out looking for a few minutes but came back declaring it did not exist. I was not ready to give up. I made a bet with Swing that the hiker shed was real. The loser of the bet had to pay for the winners McDonald's meal in the town of Gorham. I disappeared in the woods for about an hour and a half following a rugged, soggy path in the rain soaking my shoes in every puddle walking through swampland up and down hills. Finally the rain got so bad I had to give up and turn around. It was my first defeating moment on the trail and the first bet I've lost even though I know the hiker shed is out there somewhere.
Date: 2008-07-21
From: Bemis Mountain Lean to

To: Andover 
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We weren't planning the stop in Andover but the rain doesn't stop. This has been the muddiest day yet. And Old Blue Mountain was no joke. It's nice to know that we are in the middle of the hardest section of the entire AT with nothing but rain showers every day creating waterfalls at your feet and swamps up to your waist. I'm loving every second of it.
Date: 2008-07-22
From: Andover 

To: Andover
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

We decided to do another slack pack today to make the mud conditions a little easier. We told Joel the owner of the Andover Guest House about our plan and apparently he had already heard about us from our last slack pack. "I was wondering when you guys would get here." Again we set another record of leaving the latest at about 1:00. The Andover Guest House is a great place and the town of Andover is a perfect hiker stop. At night Von Frick had a wonderful idea of having a toga party on the porch.
Date: 2008-07-23
From: Andover

To: Frye Notch
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: light rain

Late start out of town as usual. Heavy rains coming in the afternoon so we stopped early. I'm in my tent ready for bed at 5pm. Today I came up with my Top Five Movie List:5. Beerfest4. Three Amigos3. Boondock Saints2. Back to the Future1. Predator
Date: 2008-07-24
From: Frye Notch

To: Baldpate Lean to
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: light rain

I slept 16 hours last night and woke up in a puddle. Nice sleep though. Today on top of Baldpate Mountain was the craziest weather I've ever seen. We got above treeline for a mile or so ridge walk. We were completely exposed to the elements. The rain was coming down hard and the wind was out of control blowing us over. We were literally being blown over. The rain was stinging every part of exposed skin. We had to yell to hear one another. We couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of us. Every inch of our body was soaked. We were sliding down the huge rockface of the mountain. I fell about 20 times. It was absolutely awesome. Something you only see in movies. Swing and I wanted to spend more time above treeline but it was definitely a safety hazard not to mention the hypothermia possibility. Best day yet!
Date: 2008-07-25
From: Baldpate Lean to

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a tough day on the AT. Everything is deep mud. The sun finally came out though. We climbed the magnificent Speck Mountain and up an extra side trail to the fire tower. We got our first great look at the White Mountains and Mount Washington which we'll be doing in a few more more days. We also climbed through the famous Mahoosuc Notch which some say is the hardest mile on the entire AT. The notch is a non-stop boulder scramble with rocks as big as houses requiring climbing over, under, and through the boulders. It was awesome fun because there were a lot of places to get hurt. Typically the more dangerous something is, the more fun it is. We found ice caverns in some crevices and made snowballs. There was even the skeleton of a dead moose who had fallen in the Notch.Over the past few weeks, Swing and I have heard stories of four young NOBO girls hiking the trail calling themselves "The 4 Sisters." Since trail tail is hard to find out here, I've been working on my charm for the day our paths cross. Unfortunately that day was today and somehow we missed each other. We got to the shelter this evening and saw that they signed it in the morning meaning that at some point today we passed each other. I have concluded that the short time Swing and I were on the side trail on the Speck Mountain fire tower is when the 4 Sisters walked by heading North. I almost cried.
Date: 2008-07-26
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Trident Col Tentsite
Miles today: 14.5

Southern Maine is full of amazing mountains. We took our time napping and hanging out above the trees for quite a while today. And guess what... we finally reached New Hampshire!!!Some other interesting news revealed itself to me today. The mystery of the hiker shed from 7-20 is no longer a mystery. Turns out a few Sobos we've been hiking with made up the treasure map as a joke. I'm not very happy with them. It's the first time I've ever been wrong in my life and it doesn't feel good.
Date: 2008-07-27
From: Trident Col Tentsite

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: fog

We entered the bustling town of Gorham this morning with one thing on our minds... MCDONALDS! This is the first fast food place we've crossed. Keeping good on my bet, I treated Swing to a meal. We took on the McDonald's Dollar Menu Challenge which had 11 items on it. We each had a double cheese burger, a chicken McChicken, 4 chicken nuggets, sundae, parfait, milkshake, 2 pies, apple dippers, small fries, small coke, and a salad. Just under 3000 calories. For dinner we split a KFC summer family feast. Not much else going on in Gorham although it is the biggest town we've seen in weeks.
Date: 2008-07-28
From: Gorham, NH

To: Rattle River Shelter
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: fog

This morning we received our first mail drop! I would like to thank Dr. Paul Minor and the lovely Pauline Minor (I love you mom) for the care package. We left Gorham in the late afternoon and hitched a ride with a private detective back to the trailhead. There were nice swimming tubs in the river for a nice evening swim. We shared the shelter with Warragayagey, Von Frick, Wyrm, and Pounce.
Date: 2008-07-29
From: Rattle River Shelter

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: fog

Today we began hiking the famous White Mountains. Since the White Mountains are in a National park, they charge hikers and campers to use the shelters and tentsites. They also have huts along the way for families on vacation. The good thing about the huts is that they will usually offer a work-for-stay for thru hikers and feed you. We ended up at the Carter Notch Hut where they fed us left over lasagna, salad, soup, corn, and bread. I had three plates. We slept on the picnic tables inside the hut.