morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 17.0

Today the rain turned the whole trail into one long puddle connected by streams. We started out picking our way around them, but wound up splashing our way through them in the end. It was a chilly, wet day.Tonight is very windy, I hope it brings a clearer tomorrow. We are stealth camped along a fire road by eddy pond, a beautiful mountain lake. The conifers are bending from the strong winds up here in the pass the lake sits in.Jason continues to be an entertaining addition. We made 17 today, and tomorrow we have some tougher mountains but we'd like to make more than 15. We drop him off in 20, then 8 more to stratton, our next town. We hope to make it by 4 on friday so we can get our bounce boxes.
Date: 2007-08-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.0

Today we made 15 miles to spaulding shelter. Unfortunately that leaves 13 for Jocelyn and I to get to town by 4 when the PO closes and jason couldn't get through to the shuttle from the shelter, so tomorrow may be hectic. We set an alarm for 5 am, but a bunch of teenagers just rolled up so it could be a long night.
Date: 2007-08-11
From: Stratton, ME

To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.0

Tonight we're going to party like it's 1999. Actually it's around 1997, but tomorrow morning it'll be two thousand-zero-zero regardless. We made a measly 10 miles today but we had really heavy packs and had to haul them up bigelow mountain. Tomorrow we have little bigelow then begin a boggy, remote, and fairly flat run all the way to Katahdin.Did I mention I saw a weasel the other day? He was leaping across the trail.I ordered my new laptop from the hotel this morning, slickdeals had a nice coupon on an hp. I wanted it to be ready for me when I got off the trail.Which will be really really soon now. We anticipate this was our hardest day before the big day. Four more days times three... Monson, white house landing, baxter.
Date: 2007-08-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 20.0

Very tired tonight. The terrain flattened out so we did 20. Hoping to make the morning kennebec ferry. Rainier rice for dinner with a special packet of tabasco.We swam in a nice lake today, and saw several more. I posed for pictures at the 2000 miles sign painted nondescriptly in the road. The 174 used to feel like a rounding error, now it's what remains.
Date: 2007-08-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 21.0

We did another 21 today, putting us right on the cusp of monson, our last trail town.it's weird to think I will be finishing right as I am getting used to it. I don't notice being dirty. I could take or leave staying in town. I don't look at the mapdana much - I don't know what our average speed is, how far the next milestone is - this drives orderly Jocelyn crazy; but I can always guess what time it is pretty darn well and I have a knack for distances. Walking 12 hours a day is a mildly unfortunate reality, like rain. I don't have to force myself to do it anymore, it's just what I do every day. I actually enjoy it most of the time. it's pretty here and the weather has been mild. Jocelyn is fun to talk to for hours about every detail of the perfect sandwich. I am reading a very good book by thomas pynchon. My meal rotation is great, all enertia trail foods: spaghetti, stroganoff, goulash, bean-rice, mac n cheese. The tent is cramped sometimes but we take sides and that helps. My sleeping pad smells very funny, so I flipped it over. All my socks smell ok, so my day 5 rerun is no problem. We have the rainfly on inside out to dry from the rain 3 nights ago. we've been low so I haven't had any cell service all section. The weather has been perfect. The grouse seem normal, not like the crazy alpine ones. Like little chickens... Delicious chickens. Still no moose from the trail. We have mostly given up. We have an ongoing feud with some of the squirrels. I kind of started it, but they were asking for it. My shirt smells different in different spots. Most people would find it totally foul I realize, but smelling my shirt in different places is a fun activity while waiting for Jocelyn to catch up.If you count the nero tomorrow and summit day there are 9 days remaining, but really 7.
Date: 2007-08-15
To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: broken clouds

We made it into monson this morning and enjoyed our last trail town. We split a pizza, then I ate a "collosal burger" and fries, a pint of cherry garcia... Then for dinner I had potato skins, a fried fish dinner, half a lobster roll, a "bomb" steak and cheese, a pumpkin cheesecake, fries, two salads, and a hawaiian chicken sandwich. A good blowout, though I am hurting now. Once we get to millinocket I will have to start watching what I eat again.Tomorrow we'll start the 100 mile wilderness. When you read this I will (hopefully) be in millinocket.
Date: 2007-08-16
From: Monson, ME

To: View Entry
Miles today: 18.0

Today we began the 100 mile wilderness, making it atop big bald where we stealth camped in a really tight space between two fir trees. It keeps acting like it is going to rain hard, then just drizzles. That seems common in maine. We didn't sleep well at all last night at shaws, and today's miles were PUDs on PAMs (p*ss ant mountains), so our nerves were pretty frayed. But we got along and made some good miles, 18 on the day. Another couple of 18-20s and we'll make white house landing in time for lunch three days hence.
Date: 2007-08-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 16.0

Today was a slow day, lots of medium sized mountains one after another held us to a long 16. We made camp just as the rain started, a couple of miles before gulf hagas mountain. Tomorrow has bigger mountains still, but it appears once we get on the ridge we can take them all and then come down again, and stay mostly down after that.Today was the last day of my twenties; tomorrow is my thirtieth birthday. It will also be the last wake up and go to sleep in the woods day of the whole trail. Jocelyn brought freeze dried cheesecake for the occasion, and promised to share her bag of mom's brownies (I already ate my share).We need big miles tomorrow. I have a lame food bag for white house landing day, and I am dreaming of 1 lb. Burgers.
Date: 2007-08-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 21.0

I awoke this morning to a squirrel gnawing on my food bag. He managed to eat two granola bars before the sticks I sleepily flung at him ran him off.As we were getting ready an enormous snowshoe hare came right up to the tent, white foot and all. It had rained hard in the night, and we had a little water in the corners.So we climbed up onto our last major ridge of the trail, bagging 4 peaks before plummeting back to the valley. It was cold and windy up high. Finally this afternoon the trail opened up like we've heard it would... Mostly flat. We accelerated noticeably, doing 21 on the day even with the tough first 10.
Date: 2007-08-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.0

Last night we had freeze dried cheesecake and a birthday miracle - one little bar of service, just enough to get my birthday emails. Thanks to all.Today we busted out and made it to white house landing. Sure enough, I blew the boat horn and they came in a boat across the lake to get me. Their 1 lb. Burger was delish, and we ate until it hurt on a large pizza and 2 pints of ice cream. We attempted another pizza for dinner, and the owners surprised me with a brownies sundae and a birthday song. Jocelyn and I did our laundry on an old timey basin and washboard. We did a good job. Then I saw a moose! He was all the way across the lake, but I could just make out his enormous horns. We jumped in a canoe and paddled over toward him. Keeping a safe distance we got some pictures. His horns were just losing their velvet and looked extremely sharp. 13 on the day.
Date: 2007-08-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 20.0

We left white house landing after breakfast this morning, back on the trail for our final two days before the mountain itself. We did 20 miles easily on the flat terrain. I talked until my throat hurt about the future, one of my favorite topics.We are camped at rainbow springs for our last night on the trail, watching the loons being silly across a big lake. In addition to all the weird noises they like to splash and run around on the surface of the lake without taking off. The water is crystal clear, and you can see Katahdin just poking over the trees.Big k isn't affecting me as much as I expected... It feels more like a task on my todo list than a great spiritual catharsis manifested. I will feel differently when I see the sign at the top. That's the real symbol for me. And also it truly is the journey... It has been so long it is hard to connect with all those hot afternoons in virginia when I was dreaming of this mountain, this night. And I am tired, and ready for something new. Not sick of it, just ready. Zero apprehension, and no desire in the slightest to not have it end. I guess I have a few days with which to sort out how I feel about seeing this particular pile of rocks.
Date: 2007-08-21
To: Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: broken clouds

drama... My parents had a problem with their flight and aren't going to be able to make it. We are summitting tomorrow! We made it the 21 today into k-stream, then got a ride to millinocket. we'll be here again tomorrow night, hopefully with a smile and a well-earned cold beer.
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Millinocket, ME

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up at 3:30 this morning, worried I might sleep through the 4:30 alarm. We got to breakfast by 5 and then got a lift to the trail. We summitted Katahdin about 10 am on a gorgeous morning, barely a cloud in the sky, no significant breeze and temps in the high 60s. The georgia boys, breadless, mystery chicken and widowmaker all came up today also, so we had thru-hiker company among the tourists.It turns out the mystical sign at the summit was just a piece of wood after all. It wouldn't be quite true to say the journey was everything though... knowing that I stuck it out through the blood, sweat and tears without any shortcuts, excuses, or otherwise getting by is a great feeling. I have proven to myself that I'm truly the master of my own mind.I also know that I won't ever thru-hike again. If your goal is to "seek a fellowship with the wilderness" there are much better ways to do it than under the constraints necessary to thru-hike in an orthodox way. And for me, having proven I could thru-hike I see no reason to submit to those constraints again... don't listen to anyone who tells you different, it was *hard*... every single day was a gut check, month after month. There were big parts of this that frankly weren't any fun at all. The mountains are tall and steep and effectively never ending - by the time you're done you'll have forgotten what the beginning felt like. I don't look at old journals, but I remember eating my morning snickers carefully because they were frozen solid and I didn't want to chip a tooth. How to scoop snow from drifts and hold it in your mouth to conserve water. I remember that afternoon on three ridges virginia and the climb out of the hudson in new york, when it was so hot my clothes soaked through with sweat, the flies swarmed around me and the mountains disappeared in shimmering heat waves far above me. There were parts of this that could not reasonably be described as fun, and unless you deeply want to prove you can override your body and mind on a long term basis, you are better off being a section hiker with a pack full of sandwiches who can go back to the hotel when it quits being fun.But I am so glad I did it. I have never spent 5 months in a more worthwhile way. I think that the experience is fantastic and I recommend it to anyone who knows what they're in for.A deep, heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported me. Your encouragement made this possible.
Date: 2007-08-07
To: Bar Harbor, Me
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I shipped my bike and most of my gear to Bar harbor today and I guess it will be there by Monday and I'll be there on Wednesday evening. Here at home it was 99 degrees today and that cut short my run. The forecast for Bar Harbor next week in high 70's and high 50's. Thats going to seem very cool to this old southern guy. If any of yall see someone with saddle bags coming down the road with his tongue hanging out, come over and say "HI". I'll need the break.
Date: 2007-08-08
To: Bar Harbor
Miles today: 0.0

I'll be flying into Bangor from Atlanta with stops in DC and NYC. Just more to add to the adventure. Its been a while since I've flown into either of these airports so we'll see what I remember. As much as I do not like them, I'm doing 2 mail drops because I do not want to carry all the supplements (the medical profession wants me to take) for the entire trip. I'll let my wife (Jane, the most tolerant female I know) where and when to send them. I've broken them down into 16 day supplies and if it takes me 48 days to complete this trip, that will be WAY too long!
Date: 2007-08-09
To: Bar Harbour, Me
Miles today: 0.0

Almost time to head out and the next entry may come from Bar Harbor if I find the library or an alternative. Its going to be over 100 here on Wednesday and in Bar Harbor the range on Wednesday is supposed to be 73 and 53! I'll feel darned right cold I'm sure.Wish it would cool off down here some and rain for a week! Ready to go jitters have set in and it is now time to get on with this!See ya on the road. If you see an older biker tooling along the east coast, give me a shout! :-)Thanks to the HUB Bicycle Shop in Athens, GA for keeping my bike in such good order..WAY TO GO GUYS!
Date: 2007-08-15
To: Bar Harbor
Miles today: 0.0

Up early, 5am, for the trip to the Atlanta airport..there by 5:30 and through security in 10 minutes then out to the concourse. No questions about all the bike tools I had either. Lots of suits and ties on the leg between DC and NYC but that¢s to be expected I guess. Bangor is a small airport and easy to get around in. its mid 60¢s weather, cloudy and they have had showers. Took a cab to the bus station for my 1.5 hour ride to Bar Harbor. Walked around town for a while and it¢s a nice little town with a bar right next to the bus station¢¦a good old boys bar. There were 2 young folks with backpacks in the bus station and I talked to them and they were from Carrolton, GA¢¦up just out hiking and bumming around. Small world.
Date: 2007-08-16
To: Bar Harbor
Miles today: 0.0

Easy bus ride over. Went out and had good halibut at a restaurant recommended by the motel. Did get real cool last night and I unpacked everything and it was ok and I¢ll do a test ride today. The harbor area here is very pretty and if the sun did not come up so early, I¢d go down and get a picture of the sunrise.There are some very nice houses here, some not all that large and they look like they have been here a long time. Got the bike bags pretty well packed and everything about ready to go. I went out and ran about 7 miles and sure was sluggish on the way out but picked it up pretty good on the way back. Called a place to eat close by to make a reservation and they said it would be 8:30 for a single. All the places around here seem to be that way and I guess I understand it but it¢s inconvenient for me. I went over there after my shower and sure enough, to the bar they sent me. I ordered a beer and started talking to a couple next to me and they said that had seen me running¢¦she was a runner too. The bartender lady heard us talking and said she used to do triathlons but her knees and hips gave out. The bar was too noisy to eat in so I left and went across the street to another restaurant and to the bar I went. This one was quiet and talked with another couple from California and they had a friend in Athens and that was why they new where Winterville is.Tomorrow is departure day.
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Bar Harbor

To: East of Stockton Springs, ME
Miles today: 58.0

Today I averaged 12.2mph, 108 average heart rate(AHR); MHR of 142; MSP 33mph; 4:45 cycle time(CT);Up at 6 for breakfast then over to the PO to mail my traveling clothes and post cards home. It was still cool when I started at 8:30. I knew Maine would be hilly and it is but the traffic is not too bad. Stopped at an old family cemetery in the middle of nowhere with some of the graves dating to the early 1800¢s. Since it is the weekend I decided to call ahead where I was planning to stop¢no rooms at the inn!!! So I called a place in the middle of nowhere and stayed there. It was right outside of a little town 2 miles up the road so I rode up there after unloading my bike and there nothing there but a gas station and nicely painted empty store buildings.
Date: 2007-08-18
From: East of Stockton Springs, ME

To: West of Bath, ME
Miles today: 73.0

Today: 10.9mph; 109 average heart rate(AHR); MHR of 142; MSP 33mph; 6:45 cycle time(CT);Not much to say about today unless you enjoy hills and more hills and a constant head wind. ;-) . When I awoke and looked out, everything was ok, and when I took the bike out a while later it was raining so I lay back down and slept until 7:30.It had slacked up so I left anyway. Stayed in a little motel behind an Indian restaurant but there was a seafood restaurant across the street and it was good and I ate a lot, as usual. From everything I¢ve seen, the south holds no monopoly on overweight people. But I guess for much of our population, life must consist of working, eating out a lot, and getting doughnuts and slurpies via a drive through window. I was in a Starbucks this am about 9 and thought about the folks I run with on Sundays and bet they were enjoying their coffee at Jittery Joe¢s. Going into Brunswick, there was a paddling regatta in the river and there were tons of boats out. Brunswick seems like a nice town with an alive downtown. It would be nice to spend a little more time in some of these towns but I don¢t feel like taking 5 months to do this trip. :-)
Date: 2007-08-19
From: West of Bath, ME

To: Biddeford, Me
Miles today: 68.0

averaged 11.4mph, 105(AHR); 136MHR; MSP 29mph; 5:58CT;Good weather today¢sunny and cool low 70¢s. There did not seem to be as many hills, but then maybe I am sort of used to them.Onward :-)
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Biddeford, Me

To: Derry, Me
Miles today: 83.0

averaged 11.8mph, 100(AHR); 154MHR; MSP 30mph; 7:02CT;When I stopped at a little restaurant this am, there was very heavyset older fellow (gee its nice seeing older than I ;-) ) who had been a biker some years ago and was keenly interested in my trip. He lived 7 months in Palm springs and 5 months in Maine¢¦rough life huh?There are still a lot of folks on the road and I¢ll be interested in the time after Labor Day. These roads I am on are certainly meandering with a lot of turns you have to watch for¢¦takes a lot of time checking the map and mileages since some of the turns are onto roads with no signage. I was looking at my map today and a fellow on a bike stopped and asked where I was headed and I told him and he said it was on the way to his house so I followed him. It was a nice chat and a nice ride along the coast with some gorgeous houses.I¢m in a little Mom & Pop motel tonight and sort of outside of much. I did pass the Robert Frost farm on the way here (about a mile before the motel). I walked across the street to the only restaurant option¢Chinese¢and I was the only 1 in there. The food was better than expected and they seem to be doing a good take out business. Kind of like Andy going over to Mt. Pilot to eat Chinese!
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Derry, Me

To: Westboro, MA
Miles today: 67.0

averaged 11.4mph, 95(AHR); 135MHR; MSP 30mph; 5:52CT;Still too many turns and too much time reading maps and directions. I like longer runs where you can get in a rhythm. When I stopped for lunch I stopped on a square in a little town and made my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, another ride pulled up and took another bench, then a couple pedaled up and took another bench and we were all eating. We were separated by a good distance so there was no communication other than a friendly wave. On que, we all got up and left.When I got settled in the motel, I walked up the road to get something at the store fro supper and they were having a car show at the bar next to the hotel. Not too many cars but a nice early model Corvette with the split rear window.Its still cool and I start out in my bike shirt, long sleeve shirt, fleece pullover, and my rain jacket¢¦.keeps me warm enough until it heats up.
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Westboro, MA

To: Dudley, Ma
Miles today: 50.0

averaged 10.7mph, 95(AHR); 138MHR; MSP 30mph; 4:39CT;Its interesting how there is really nothing out this way..no stores, just a few hardware/auto stores. They list Dudley as having a population of 10,000 and I¢ve not seen that many folks in days. No ¢city¢ center or anything like that.I¢m in a hostel outside of town. It¢s a home built in the 1830¢s and I¢m in the ¢milking parlor¢, but minus the cows and its all finished now. The owners, Chet and Ann are very nice and gave me a bowl of chicken soup, slaw and some bread. Chet was actually born her in the house. Ann has a relative in St. Simmons¢¦amazing how many folks I¢ve seen with Georgia connections. Will meet up with Brian and Deb tomorrow (they used to live in Athens and Deb ran with us and traveled to marathons with the group). I had to ride out of Dudley to get to the hostel and it turns out I went right by it on the way into town. I needed to double miles though!
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Dudley, Ma

To: Mystic, Ct
Miles today: 69.0

averaged 12.5mph, 109(AHR); n/a MHR; MSP 39mph; 5:25CT;I had told Brian I¢d be on the road by 6:15 & I awoke at 6:25.:-( I was to call them from a little town down the road & they¢s head my way & I had estimated it would be 10 or so before I got there. I was out by 6:50 & had gone about 2 miles when I realized I¢d left my maps at the hostel. Nothing like cycling 6 miles for a net of 2! I pushed harder than I would have and I was in the little town I was to call them from by 9, so I decided to wait to call them until 9:30. About 9:15 my phone rang and it was B&D and they were in a little town down the road and would be heading my way. It was nice tosee them a while later as I crested the top of a hill. Now both B&D are great bikers and I knew they¢d have to hold back just so I could keep up, so I pushed hard to try and make it not so slow for them. We were cycling done CT169 and if you get in the area, it¢s a nice road to bike or drive with very nice old houses on the roadway.We were in Mystic by 1:30-almost 70 miles. Mystic is a nice town with a great seaport with sailing boats and a truly New England feel. Made it to there house and the hardest hill was the hill up their driveway, plus I did not get in a good gear to ride up it. Nice to see their 2 girls, Aurial and Rachel¢¦they are almost grown folks now. Time does fly. I will say that both B&D have not changed much at all and look great.Tomorrow I¢ll ride into New London AMTRAK station to see about getting my bike on the train there. I¢m going to take AMTRAK to Philly to avoid all the congestion in and around NYC.
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Mystic, Ct

To: Mystic, Ct
Miles today: 0.0

Not good news from AMTRAK in New London. No baggage or bikes can get on the train there. So I asked if I could get the bike on the train at New Haven, 50 miles south. They said yes, but only on the train that left at 11pm! Problem ;-( So I asked if I could take my down to New Haven, get my ticket from New London, and check my bike early. They said yes, so after lunch at a great pizza place in Mystic (no, not Mystic Pizza from the movie) I borrowed one of their cars and got that done. B&D are having a small party for an intern leaving Brian¢s work and it was a nice evening with lots of good food, chatting, and liquids! ;-)