morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-08-26
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: Little Swift River Pond campsite
Miles today: 12.9

12.9 miles2811 ft up3199 ft downLate start. Only Lost and Found at camp.The day started with a descent down to a road, then an ascent up to highway 17. I had been assured by multiple folks that the stretch north of the 17 into Rangeley, the next town, would be a comparatively easy stretch, and it was.At the highway was a bucket of drinks and bags of goodies. I grabbed a beer at first, but the soda water won out. Decided not to grab any snacks, though they were tempting. Was happy to leave it for other hikers.Made it to a peaceful campsite pretty near town. Because of that it seemed to be deserted the whole night. There was a great pond nearby with some leaky kayaks. And a tiny water source with a pipe!
Date: 2019-08-27
From: Little Swift River Pond campsite

To: Fieldstone Cottages Rangeley
Miles today: 4.8

4.8 miles351 ft up1148 ft downWoke up and heard the owners of the kayaks preparing to go out onto the water. They tried to be quiet and I thanked them later for that.Hiked on and was looking forward to a rest day in town. Made it to Route 4 and hiked a bit to The Hiker Hut, where I had a package delivered. I was originally planning to spend the night there, but changed my mind and splurged for a private room in town instead.I called the place and arranged for a pickup at the Hiker Hut around 11:30am. But almost a half hour later and it didn't arrive... something must be wrong?In one of the strangest coincidences ever, Gomer Pyle and Sawbones pulled up in a car and picked me up. They were staying at the same place and borrowing the owners' car. We went all around to a bunch of sporting goods shops, lunch, and the grocery store.Came back to my room and retired way early. Enjoyed a super comfy bed and relaxing night. Again ended up watching episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation on BBC America. It's been a constant companion to me these last few months staying in hotel rooms.
Date: 2019-08-29
From: Fieldstone Cottages Rangeley

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

10.7 miles3984 ft up2662 ft downThe big focus of today was on a strenuous ascent of Saddleback Mountain and its neighbors. Great views today, surely some of the best I've had on this trail, and definitely helped by the fantastic clouds in the sky.The whole area reminded me of Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains, except with way less people. All day I saw only three or four people, which was unusual. I haven't been seeing so many folks recently... I think I am thankfully past these north and southbound bubbles.
Date: 2019-08-30
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 7.9

7.9 miles2254 ft up2077 ft downI must've been snoring last night. Every now and then during the night the lady section hiker would pound on the shelter floor and wake me up. Despite that I seemed to get a reasonable amount of sleep. Every now and then I would wake up in a haze and stare out at the blackness. Soon this blackness came to life in growing brightness...Got way too late of a start, but somehow still managed to get up before the other hiker. I probably kept her awake... (she also had a damaged air mattress that was slowly leaking air, forcing her to inflate it a few times through the night).Shoes and socks didn't dry completely the night before, so I sunned them out a bit and also switched out to my dry socks.Today would be an easy day I was assured. But easy in Maine still means some minor rock and root challenges along the way.Incidentally, this is the area where the thru hiker Inchworm disappeared years back. She stayed at the same shelter, then wandered off trail for a pit stop, and never found her way back. I find it amazing, since she was obviously experienced to get this far through the worst of the technical trails, only to end up simply lost. No injury, no fall, just disorientation...I started seeing them yesterday, but today I saw way more tiny tiny frogs jumping to get out of my way on the trail. I was reminded of the little red newts which I haven't seen for quite a while now. I saw a few of them when I resumed my hike back in Massachusetts, but now they are gone. I think they change colors when they mature, and they must end up somewhere else other than standing right in the middle of the trail. Good, safer that way.Strange to see many large groups of young folks around here. They always yield to me for some reason, and are sometimes eager to learn about my hike. I passed one group, then soon up ahead at Orbeton Stream I saw an even larger group enjoying the stream and jumping in (note to self: get water upstream from these waders!).Tried to keep on the rocks to cross, doubtless under someone's watchful eye (pressure!), but it was too tricky on one rock, and I slipped and dunked my entire shoe in. Heck with it! I purposefully dunked the other shoe and just resigned myself to getting wet as I waded across the rest of the way. It was probably good for my shoes anyhow, since they were still caked with mud from yesterday.Made it to the shelter early and didn't feel like going to the campground 6 miles away, so I setup my tent and retired early!
Date: 2019-08-31
To: Hostel of Maine
Miles today: 13.6

13.6 miles3710 ft up5428 ft downVery windy last night up in the trees, but not much below. Heard a branch fall, which freaked me out and kept me awake a bit during the night.Got up and packed, and finished up my morning routine at the shelter itself, only to find myself stumbling across Gomer Pyle, and Sawbones who would join him later. Got started just before 9:30am. Sounds like they were shooting for the campsite 6 miles away, or the access road. Sawbones had a bad ankle...Today I went up Spaulding Mountain, across the Sugarloaf trail (just short of Sugarloaf Mountain itself), and North and South Crocker Mountain. I was feeling pretty good, especially after a good breakfast (yes, it does matter a lot), so I was able to push through it. It was a pretty cold day though... found myself shivering every time I stopped for a break. Great day to knock out some peaks...The north side of the Crockers was disappointing water-wise. I had planned to stealth camp there, but there was no water source that looked decent. All puddles... and the cold air and rustling trees didn't help to persuade me to stay. After finding just the puddle of water at my first choice, I grew disheartened and booked a bunk at the Hostel of Maine. Glad they had a bunk available...I pressed further and saw Lost and Found (the Elder version) setting up a stealth spot. Chatted a while and pressed on. Was feeling pretty tired and sore by the time I got to the trailhead. I tried to hitchhike for 15 minutes unsuccessfully, but as it happens a car pulled by just as I gave up and was trying to call the hostel for a ride. I tried to give them money, but they wouldn't accept. They took me right to the majestic Hostel of Maine, a giant mansion of a place that apparently used to be a Bed and Breakfast.Changed into loaner clothes, took a shower, and headed to Hugs, a nearby Italian restaurant, for some delicious food. A little nicer than a stealth camp site! A couple I chatted with briefly by the door ended up buying my dinner for me. No one has ever done that for me. I thanked them and stumbled outside into the really dark night. The massive suspended sea of stars above slowly became more visible, along with the Milky Way. I was feeing immensely grateful for the love I received that day and on my trip as a whole, and also sad and lost, questioning my purpose in the whole scheme of things. Teared up a little, no doubt under the influence of a bit of alcohol. Wanted to spend more time out there enjoying the stars on a night that was not too cold, but I was tired and decided to head into the hostel to bed.
Date: 2019-09-03
From: Hostel of Maine

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4

10.4 miles4045 ft up 3207 ft downTook the 7am shuttle back to the trail, second one of the dayLight rain for a bit... then very cold, then the sun finally came out a bit. Put my puffy jacket onSaw a fisher cat. Thought it was a mink, but I ID'd it later.I'm filling in this section of my diary much later (Halloween 2019), but I remember this area being super memorable. Closer to the shelter is an amazing area with truly house-sized boulders plopped down amongst the landscape. There are even some small "cave" area which would probably be used as impromptu camps.The blue blazed trail to the campsite was an interesting jumble of even more boulders, including a really nice partial cave area that I'm sure some folks have used to setup camp.At the campsite I again ran into two folks who had passed me up earlier in the day. I wasn't too far behind, as it turns out.
Date: 2019-09-05
To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 12.6

12.6 miles2353 ft up3242 ft downLittle Bigelow MountainStarted after 10am. Very windy all night and morning again. Maybe just this ridge??Pretty easy day today - just up the little mountain. Some small challenges, rock faces. Grateful some of them were dry. Still wet, muddy in lots of spotsChecked in on Hurricane Dorian while I had reception. It was just now hitting Charleston... and in Maine it was a nice clear sunny day.After Little Bigelow Lean-to, the trail became super easy. Hoping this is what 100 mile wilderness is like!!Just had a few more hills to get over, then I arrived at a nice shelter by the lake. Hung my bear bag (hopefully no falling branches today...) and setup my tent while water was boiling. Ate some cheap dinner tonight - two Knorr sides. Getting tired of them. I want to get more Idahoan potatoes, plus the packaging on the latter is way better for pouring water into.Added to some Propel to my water and gulped that down fast... my body has been craving that! Normally I try to avoid sugary drinks, but this stuff tastes amazing out here. Hit the spot!Tomorrow the the terrain looks very easy, but I need to leave camp early to make sure I do about 14 miles by 2pm, when the Kennebec River ferry shuts down for the day....
Date: 2019-09-06
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk House
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

14 miles970 ft up1783 ft downUnfortunately I didn't fill in anything for this day (writing this on Halloween 2019). The most memorable thing about this day was for sure the ferry ride across the Kennebec River.Beautiful skies full of really picturesque clouds, a nice place to take some photos at the riverbank.I arrived and could see an empty folding chair setup on the other side of the river, but couldn't see anyone. The ferry operator must've been taking a break - in just a minute or two he came out of the woods and started preparing his kayak. I was pretty sure he saw me already, but I waved him down just in case.It took just a minute or two to get across. That was easy!I was happy to have made it across in the hours of operation of the ferry. I actually started this day quite early and made sure to pick up my pace, and it paid off.Just at the other side of the river was the town of Caratunk, ME. Not much of a town - they have a post office, a fire department, and a hostel, the latter of which was my lodging for the night.Caratunk House, like the best hotels on the trail, is operated by a former thru hiker. Because of the lack of a store in town, the hostel is well-stocked with everything a thru hiker would need really. Convenient!Another nicety of this hostel was their milkshakes (with a few flavors! I tried plain vanilla) and pulled pork sandwiches, and of course I had to try both. I even ended up getting another milkshake the next morning for breakfast (coffee flavor).
Date: 2019-09-07
From: Caratunk House

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.6

14.6 miles3000 ft up2265 ft downLeft hostel late around 10:30am after having a coffee milkshakeAt night, thought about how much I appreciated my MH meal, the comfort of my tent and bed. Know I will miss this when I get done.
Date: 2019-09-08
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 8.9

8.9 miles475 ft up918 ft downRed squirrel aggressive"Flying" caterpillar at shelterWater crossing, tried to rock hop but got wetSaw a tiny mouse while settling down for the night. It ran towards the shelter, thankfully away from my tent!
Date: 2019-09-09
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Shaw's Of Maine Hostel
Miles today: 9.1

9.1 miles1517 ft up1076 ft downUnfortunately nothing written for this day as well! But it was nice to get picked up by and driven to Shaw's hostel, where I immediately received a complimentary beer!This is the last place before the 100 mile wilderness, so it was a useful place to recharge and work out logistics for a food drop in the middle of the 100 MW.Nice place to relax! First encountered Sketch from Osaka here, who would complete his AT hike and become a triple crowner. I'd see him again on my second to last day on the trail, at Birches campground.
Date: 2019-09-11
From: Shaw's Of Maine Hostel

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1

15.1 miles2816 ft up3146 ft downGarter snake sunning 2:40pmNewts again! At least 2Hiker going fast again... like they were trying to catch a trainLots of slick surfaces today. I almost slipped and fell, but somehow caught myself. Didn't fall at all today!!Two fords where I removed my shoes. One where I should have but I found a way to precariously rock hop insteadLots of folks tented by the river. Was running out of daylight, should have done the sameBic lighter didnt work... wet. Borrowed one from a man at shelter. Freaked me out... not a good start to the wildernessFound a good tree and hung my bear bag successfully after dinner! Had lasagna in the dark :(
Date: 2019-09-12
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Stealth Campsite at W Chairback Pond Stream 2101.8
Miles today: 9.2

9.2 miles2997 ft up2139 ft down Didn't sleep too well last night, since my tent was setup on a slight incline. All the spots here seem to be like that.Headed up Barren Mountain, then started the Chairback Range. This is a bit of a roller coaster of a day, definitely not an easy day in the 100 mile wilderness. A little bit of rock scrambling up and down, but thankfully the rocks aren't too slick today.So much mud between peaks... I was about ready to stop skirting the edges of the mud piles and just wade in gleefully with abandonment. Thankfully for my feet I resisted and persisted.Was aiming for a shelter, but missed it by 1.7 miles and instead found a decent camp spot by a roaring stream, which should provide some good white noise for sleeping.Happy to get here early enough to have daylight to hang my bear bag, setup my tent and eat. Trees aren't super great for hanging here...The campsite is also right next to a big rock face. Was scared the camp directly beside it, as water would probably flow over like a waterfall in the event of rain. Reminded me of the area at the Shaker Campsite, which has similar terrain.
Date: 2019-09-13
From: Stealth Campsite at W Chairback Pond Stream 2101.8

To: Carl Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 11.6

11.6 miles2476 ft up2294 ft downLate start again around 10am. A few groups went by in each direction as I was eating breakfast and packing up. Not exactly crowds, but it does seem to get more traffic than other parts of the trail in Maine. There's some security in that.My fuel burned out this morning, so I'm down to one small canister. I am pretty sure this will last me. That last canister was purchased from the Hostel of Maine nearly 100 miles ago. And I have less than 90 now.... cutting it close. Will probably shut off the fuel as soon as the water starts to boil now. No worries about diseases since I filter all the water I pour in there...There was some unexpected serious downhill rock scrambling coming down Chairback Mountain, more technical than anything I've seen in days, maybe weeks. Was shaking a bit going down... I know how easy it would be to lose balance and snap my ankle or leg between two rocks, ending my hike instantly...
Date: 2019-09-14
From: Carl Newhall Lean-to

To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 10.8

10.8 miles2722 ft up3390 ft downWhat a crazy day. I know there would be rain showers today, but wasn't expecting too crazy weather...Woke up and made breakfast and could already feel it would be a very cold day. I ended up leaving on my puff jacket despite the fact I'd be hiking up four peaks today. That turned out to be a great choice. I actually ended up needing more than that at some point, when I should have put my wind breaker on, but stupidly I didn't.I saw some southbound hikers who warned me about breezy winds pushing them around on White Cap Mountain, and found that it wasn't an exaggeration. The brief exposed area at the top had some really strong winds that definitely wanted to push me down. I was thankful for my trekking poles, but still had to fight to keep balance.I also got to experience the weird phenomena of the ground "breathing" in high winds. These trees don't have much topsoil to work with, so when they sway in the wind they end of making all the topsoil sway with them. Weird!Made it to Logan Brook Lean-to but I was quite wet and cold. I ate some snacks for lunch and actually ended up getting colder and colder the more I sat there waiting for the rain to stop. I kept shivering... not a good sign. My puff jacket was damp, but I finally put my wind breaker over it, which didn't help much. I finally forced myself to pack up and keep going to the next shelter to get warm, and it helped a ton. Plus I think it helped to get down off that windy mountain...Now I am at a pretty calm campsite that has felt pretty warm. Maybe the weather is just getting better overall - I hope so. Hoping for a warmer night tonight.
Date: 2019-09-15
From: East Branch Lean-to

To: Antlers Campground
Miles today: 16.1

16.1 miles1389 ft up 2123 ft downWriting this entry long after the fact (on Halloween 2019), and I have just a few notes to spark my memory.Saw another fisher cat today! I remember it ran away faster than the previous one. I thought I'd have time to get out my phone to film this apparently rate sighting, but no luck.Undoubtedly the best part of the day was a food drop from Shaw's. It came at a hefty delivery cost ($85) but was worth it. But I packed entirely too many Mountain House meals!By chance two other hikers who I saw at the previous shelter (when we were all freezing cold) came up to the road crossing just as my mail drop was getting delivered. The folks at Shaw's threw in 3 sodas, one for me and 2 others for any friends who may be traveling with me. Before we saw the two hikers, I let the driver drink one of them.The other hikers came by and stopped - I think they were expecting this to be some sort of trail magic. They started devouring my food bucket with their expectant eyes. I felt a little annoyed and a little sympathetic at the same time, but more annoyed to be honest. I don't like folks waiting around for handouts, and to my discredit I don't have a charitable bone in my body. Though I know Jesus would have had an entirely different attitude. It really is a hard challenge to love your neighbor... I am trying to get better.I gave the hikers the last soda, but nothing else. It was never really mine to begin with.The last note I have for the day mentions this was an easy day, and I made really good progress. This was finally the easy part of the 100 mile wilderness! The only hard and technical parts remaining would be Katahdin itself...
Date: 2019-09-16
From: Antlers Campground

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 13.5

13.5 miles1170 ft up997 ft downAntlers Campground was as beautiful as described, recommended by trail maintainer Jukebox and hostel owner Poet from Shaw's.Strangely the door of the privy has been torn off... wondering if there is bear activity here.Wasn't feeling too well today, I think I was letting my thoughts get carried away (worrying about where I would live and work after hiking).This may have been the worst day of roots in the whole trail. Tons of big roots to step over. The areas close to these ponds seems to be super rooty and annoying...Other than annoying roots, the easy trail continued...
Date: 2019-09-17
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 19.6

19.6 miles2860 ft up2831 ft downI had to go out of my comfort zone today to get in more miles to stick to my plan of going up Katahdin September 19. The easy terrain continued thankfully, so it was a good day to do it.The highlight of the day, other than the good progress, was unquestionably my first and only moose sighting! A female moose wandered onto the trail ahead of me and was stubbornly sticking around the trail ahead. I let it know I was nearby by making gentle noises from afar. It seemed to turn up its head at me now and then between grazing sessions, but eventually got bored of me. I inched closer very gradually while taking video. Finally it moved far enough off the trail for me to get by. I made it without getting trampled!My plan for the day was to get to Hurd Brook Lean-to today, then wake up early to sign up for Birches Campsite. There was only one other guy with me at Hurd (trail name Flip), and we had only sort of an obligatory chat. He told me that he had the same plan as me, and that we seemed to be luckily between bubbles. He had even called up the hostel in Millinocket, and they only had two hikers staying there that night. We were both speculating as to how crowded it would be.This night was uncomfortably cold, and I slept pretty poorly. Apparently at one point it got to freezing...
Date: 2019-09-18
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: Birches Campground
Miles today: 13.3

13.3 miles1223 ft up 859 ft downLeft Hurd at 6am, just after the other hiker. It was very very cold, and I didnt sleep well at all.I was super happy to see the backside of the other "entering 100 Mile Wilderness" sign, then a road with cars on it. Civilization!At Abol Bridge there was a store and restaurant with a breakfast buffet. I picked up a light resupply - just snacks for the day really, then went to town on the AYCE breakfast!Ate fast, left and got to the Birches signup at 8:20am. I was just the second person on the signup sheet, the other one being Flip, who had stayed at Hurd with me.Turns out we got lucky. There were only three of us on that signup sheet today. It was just him and I and one other hiker staying at Birches that night (Jellybean).Took it real slow, got to the ranger station, paid the campground fee, then made plans for tomorrow. Got a nice hiker registration card!I lazed around Birches campground all afternoon, eating early and then resting up. While cooking up my last Mountain House meal of my hike, Sketch came by to pick up the tent he left here. He summited today! He planned to head to Boston to meet a friend before returning to Osaka, then had no plans for after really. He is a freelance illustrator, and it sounds like he was talented enough that he wouldn't have an issue finding work....Spent the rest of the afternoon in my tent, taking a super long rest.Luckily this night wasn't as cold as the previous night, so I slept better.