morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-20
From: Speck Pond Shelter 

To: B-Hill Road 
Miles today: 14.9

View from Speck MountainStart: Speck Pond Shelter @ 0847Finish: B-Hill Road @ 1768 Miles: 14.9Weather: Sunny and clear skies, cool temps, strong winds at elevation.Breakfast: Granola w/ strawberries and peaches.Lunch: Peanut butter power bar, Snickers, 3 Musketeers. Dinner: 4 cheese Chicken Helper, Granola Bars, Twix.Trail Conditions: Hard. Tough climb out of Grafton Notch and over West Baldplate Mountain. Rugged descent, hard on knees.Animals: Hawks, Birds, Squirrels, Chipmunks, Slugs.People:Braden & Evan, Dayhikers, several SOBO¢s.Today was one of the hardest days I have had mentally in quite some time. The trail seemed to be winning, so to speak. I was hoping to cruise thru Maine, but it just won¢t happen I don¢t think. The trail is almost as hard as the Whites and I am struggling to walk even two miles per hour. It just got to me today and I was in an angry and frustrated mood.I said my farewells to Braden and Evan and headed up Speck Mountain. It was a cold morning in the low 40¢s with strong winds at elevation. The views from atop Speck were wonderful and autumn has definitely arrived in Maine as the valleys were a patchwork of colors from changing leaves. Appalachian Trail cut through the WoodsMy knees have been bothering me ever since Franconia Ridge and are really throbbing on descents. The drop into Grafton Notch wasn¢t too bad, but already I was achy only four miles into the day. The climb out of Grafton was a real chore. The first 1,000 feet up wasn¢t too bad but the last 1,200 feet was nearly vertical. As I neared the summit of Baldplate I totally bonked, I could barely muster the energy to get my pack off. I chugged a liter of water, ate a power bar, and rested about 10 minutes. I pushed the final climb and made the summit of East Baldplate. It was nice up top but West Baldplate was intense. The climb to the summit was above tree line and straight up huge slabs of granite. It was so steep I was literally moving hand over foot. Coupled with 30 mile per hour winds and I was exhausted when I hit the top. The views were wonderful though and rivaled the Whites. I am definitely in the most remote part of the Country yet. Climb up East Baldplate MountainThe rest of the day just sucked. It was steep downs with steep ups and my knees felt like they were on fire. All I wanted to do was be done for the day and the miles just seemed to drag on forever. After lots of cursing and various grunting noises I made it to the B-Hill Road that leads to Andover. I wanted to stay in town tonight, but after 20 minutes not even one car passed. I said screw it and walked down to the stream 50 yards from the road, cursed some more, cooked dinner and found a place to camp. Summit of East Baldplate MountainSo here I am, cowboy camping along a nice stream. My nerves have settled a lot but I am still irritable. It¢s a good thing I¢m tired because it will take a lot of sleep to shake the funk I¢m in.
Date: 2004-09-22
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to 

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to 
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

View from Bemis MountainStart: Bemis Mountain Lean-to @ 0755Finish: Piazza Rock Lean-to @ 1952 Miles: 19.5Weather: Indian Summer.Breakfast: Strawberry CIB, Chocolate Poptarts.Lunch: Vanilla & Chocolate Powerbar. Dinner: 6 Kit-Kat bars, 8oz Hamburger & FriesTrail Conditions: Relatively flat and easy.Animals: Birds, Chipmunks, SquirrelsPeople:Ranger Jan, Blues Brothers, Statler-Waldorf, Joanna, Tim.I didn¢t sleep half as well as I thought I would have last night. I tossed and turned frequently and just slept lightly. We all got up about 0645 and took our time getting ready. The terrain today was going to be easy, compared to what I¢ve been hiking, and it was shaping up to be a stellar day weather wise.After my visit to the privy I started putting on the miles. The second peak of Bemis mountain was alpine like and had great views of Maine. This is a truly beautiful and undeveloped state. After a sharp down and a climb up to Highway 17 I took a rest break. I was covering ground at nearly 2.5 miles per hour, something I haven¢t done in ages.The day's hike was really quite uneventful. The trail skirted several glacier lakes that were really pretty. It was nice to hear the sound of water lapping against the shoreline, it reminded me of home. The water was also very clean and had great visibility. The Bemis Range from ME17I zipped along and made it to ME 4, the road into Rangeley. I needed to stop in town for a days worth of chow. Everyone has been finding it difficult to get hitches in this state as everything is so remote. There were periods when not one car passed by in 10-15 minutes, and this road was a main drag. After nearly 45 minutes I finally lucked out and scored a ride. A teacher named Joanna picked me up. She and her husband raise bobsled dogs. Pretty cool. I got dropped off at the P.O. The town has only one street and reminds me a lot of the town of Sicily from the TV show Northern Exposure.I dropped my pack off at the Rangeley Inn, a historic and upscale motel and pub, as I was planning to have dinner there. I bought some grub at the IGA and devoured some Kit-Kat bars. I was so hungry. I made my way back to the pub at the Inn and ordered up a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a turkey club sandwich for the trail.After demolishing the burger I packed away my groceries and began the process of trying to get a ride out of town. I was concerned about my chances of getting a ride as it was nearly dark out. Fortunately a van pulled over after about 20 minutes. Tim, a local plumber, had just wrapped up a project and was going home and dropped me off at the trailhead, which was enroute. Thanks.With a full belly I set out in the dark and night hiked into the shelter. It was an easy walk with no worries. Statler-Waldorf is the only other hiker here tonight. Off to bed now, for a big day lies ahead.
Date: 2004-09-23
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to 

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Piazza Rock Lean-toFinish: Piazza Rock Lean-toMiles: Zero DayWeather: Perfect all day.Breakfast: Frosted Donettes.Lunch: Granola bars, couple bites of turkey club sandwich. Dinner: Granola bars.Trail Conditions: N/A.Animals: Birds, squirrels, chipmunks.People: Day hikers, Tarzan.Damn the bacon-cheese burger from the Rangeley Inn Pub. Damn it to hell! That rotten piece of cow gave me food poisoning! Around 9:00pm my stomach started churning real funny like, by midnight I was having cramping and uncontrollable diarrhea. I felt so miserable. Some how I didn¢t puke, but instead my runs were so bad and violent I poo¢d all over myself in my sleep. It friggin¢ sucked!Finally, by about 0900 everything had worked through my system. I had popped two Imodium in the middle of the night and two more in the morning. I didn¢t have much of an appetite and felt pretty dang lousy this morning. I felt like I was coming around enough to perhaps hike out for the day so I packed up and left around 1030. I didn¢t make it much more than 10 minutes down the trail before I knew I would have to turn back and rest for the day. I stumbled back into the shelter and laid down feeling miserable.Meanwhile, today was one of the most perfect days for hiking. High 60¢s with a steady fall breeze, sun out and no clouds. And here I lay hoping I don¢t crap myself again instead of being atop Saddleback Mountain, which offers the first view of Mt. Kathadin when conditions are as good as today! Grrrr.I made the most of the day though with the little energy that I had. First I set about cleaning myself off and washed down in the stream. Then I cleaned my soiled shorts and the clothes I¢ve been hiking in. I let everything dry out in the sun and breeze. I also aired out my sleeping bag that reeked something awful. Aside from that I have just laid around all day listening to the squirrels chatter at each other and to my stomach curdle. I also read some passages from a copy of the New Testament that was in the shelter.I¢ll see how I feel tomorrow to determine if I press on or go back into Rangeley. I have fuel for only one-day left and not near enough toilet paper to get me through anymore massive asshole eruptions. As it stands I should be able to make Stratton in two days. Who knows.
Date: 2004-09-24
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to 
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

View from SaddlebackStart: Piazza Rock Lean-to @ 0808Finish: Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to @ 1746Miles: 16.9Weather: Sunny and Warm. Indian SummerBreakfast: Donettes, Granola BarsLunch: Granola bars, Hershey bar w/ almonds.Dinner: Lipton Butter Noodles, M&M¢sTrail Conditions: Rocky climb up Saddleback, The Horn, and Saddleback Jr. Long and easy climb up to Lone Mtn. Rocky and muddy in places.Animals: Birds, Squirrels, heard a moose but didn¢t see it.People:Eric & Jessica, Squatter, Momma¢s Boy, Father Ounce & Sampson, Weekenders. The day started with the excitement of having a moose meander into camp. Unfortunately our conversation spooked it and it went crashing back into the woods making loud grunting noises. By the time I was able to get out of the shelter it had already disappeared into the woods and I didn¢t get to see it. I have yet to see a moose in the woods as I walk, I am really hoping I see one soon. They are all over these woods.The day started with a big haul up Saddleback Mtn. that took me above treeline. The climb, although long, was surprisingly easy. I also felt remarkably good today considering my debilitating state only 24 hours earlier. Saddleback MountainToday was a great day to be above treeline. Clear skies, warm temperatures, and no wind. The views were splendid and the entire Maine woods are a mix of vibrant reds, yellows, browns and greens of the changing trees. Peak color change is just around the corner. Just beautiful. I spent about an hour on the summit resting with Eric & Jess, Squatter, and Momma¢s Boy. Stream before Spaulding MountainI really took my time hiking today and rested nearly two and a half hours. I found the terrain to be much easier than expected and far more gentle than the past several days. This allowed me to make much better time walking too.I had wanted to be in Stratton today to get my mail drop, but I¢ll end up in town tomorrow after the Post Office closes. I don¢t want to zero waiting for Monday to get my drop. So I may simply re-supply, push out Sunday, and bounce the droop up to Monson or back home. I¢ll decide tomorrow.There is a group of middle age dudes here tonight out for the weekend. They are nice folks and have been fun to banter with. One of the guys has battery powered Christmas lights he found online at a lightweight backpacking site. They hanged them on their tent. It¢s just hysterical. I will definitely have to buy some.Off to bed now and into Stratton tomorrow. The end to this fantastic voyage keeps getting closer and closer. Amazing to think that five months of walking has now boiled down to about 14 days.
Date: 2004-09-26
From: White Wolf Inn Rm. 10

To: White Wolf Inn Rm. 10
Miles today: 0.0

River through StrattonStart: White Wolf Inn Rm. 10Finish: White Wolf Inn Rm. 10Miles: Zero Day Weather: Sunny and clear skies, cool temps.Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes, OJ.Lunch: Ben & Jerrys Phish Food.Dinner: Arroz con Queso.Trail Conditions: N/A.Animals: N/A.People: Townsfolk, Brood X, Eric & Jess, Momma¢s Boy, Paddy-O, Skinny, and Alon.I am taking my last planned zero day of this trip today. I have one scheduled in Monson but I will instead only stay overnight and push into the 100-mile Wilderness.Started the day off with some chow at Mainely Yours Restaurant. While there I ran into Paddy-O and Skinny. I was glad to finally meet Paddy-O as he has a notable reputation along the trail this season for delivering some awesome trail magic. Basically he has been driving around the A.T. from New York north to Maine hooking hikers up with grub. Outstanding for sure.After breakfast Paddy-O drove us back to the White Wolf Inn in his truck and Momma¢s Boy, Skinny, Alon, Paddy-O and myself all shot the breeze for quite some time and enjoyed Coca Cola, chocolate milk, cookies, apples, and hot dogs courtesy of Paddy-O. Thanks!Today was definitely a chill day and I relaxed as much as possible. I bummed around the motel for a bit, did laundry at the cleaners and took a leisurely stroll thru the town ¢ which is about a half mile long.Today was another gorgeous day with barely a cloud in the sky and cool temps great for hiking. I was a little frustrated that I couldn¢t be hiking ¢ as I need to wait until tomorrow to get my mail drop when the P.O. opens. Had I not gotten sick in Rangeley I would have gotten my drop in time and been up the trail today. Oh well, I am not concerned as I will easily make Katahdin by the 9th and it looks as though the weather will remain clear for the next week or so. Full Moon Over Stratton They Matrix is playing again on TV so Momma¢s Boy and I are watching it once again. After the flick it¢s off to bed.
Date: 2004-09-27
From: Stratton-White Wolf Inn Room 10

To: Little Bigelow Mtn
Miles today: 13.6

West Peak & Avery Peak of the Bigelow Mountain RangeStart: StrattonFinish: Summit Little Bigelow MountainMiles: 13.6Weather: Sunny and clear skies, cool temps, breeze at elevation.Breakfast: Bagel with pizza and cheese, applesauce, pudding cups.Lunch: Tortilla w/ Nutella.Dinner: Bagel w/ pizza and cheese.Trail Conditions: Fairly easy climb up to the horn, several PUD¢s along ridge to West & Avery Peak.Animals: Snakes, Squirrels, Chipmunks, Birds.People: Greg, Eric & Jess, Momma¢s Boy, Dayhikers.I finally got out of town, after my final zero day, in the middle of the afternoon. I bought some chow at the grocery store, made up snacks for the week, and hit the post office too. It took about 40 minutes to get a hitch out of town, but a truck driven by Greg finally pulled over. Thanks for the ride.The first two miles were nice and flat and then the climb up Bigelow Mountain began. It was actually very easy and a pretty climb with all the changing colors. I have been very fortunate to be hiking in such great weather conditions too. I took a brief snack break on a vista on South Horn and admired the beautiful Maine wilderness. Once again I could see every range I have walked for the past several days and the peaks I would be crossing today. View from West PeakThe summits of West Peak and Avery Peak were spectacular and I had 100 mile plus views. These were the last two peaks above tree line that I¢ll be on until Mt. Katahdin. I love being above tree line but find it to be thoroughly exhausting, even in good conditions, due to the exposure to wind, rain, and sun. Avery Peak and Little Bigelow MountainI made my descent back into tree line toward the base of Little Bigelow Mountain. I ran into Eric & Jess and Momma¢s Boy also caught up. I still had five miles to go and it was already nearing sunset, so night hiking was unavoidable.I began making my way to the shelter and dusk slowly transitioned to dark. The skies are perfectly clear tonight though and there is a brilliant full moon illuminating the valleys. The trail weaved between dense growths of firs and rock outcroppings. I needed my headlamp in the trees and the moonlight was powerful enough to guide me over the rocks. Twilight atop Little Bigelow MountainI changed my plans on going to the shelter and decided to bivy on a rock outcropping tonight. It is simply too good a night to pass up. The moon is extraordinarily bright and I can clearly see the massive silhouette of the Bigelow Range as well as Flagstaff Lake.Off to bed now.
Date: 2004-09-28
From: Little Bigelow Mtn.

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to 
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Bivy on Little Bigelow Mtn.Start: Summit Little Bigelow Mountain @ 0746 Finish: Pierce Pond Lean-to @ 1642Weather: Overcast and cool temps.Miles: 19 Breakfast: Bagel with cheese and pepperoni, strawberry CIB, chocolate poptarts.Lunch: Snickers, tortilla with Nutella, Bagel with cheese and pepperoni.Dinner: Philly Cheesesteak Hamburger Helper, 2 fudge rounds, snickers.Trail Conditions: Flat and easy going, very rocky and rooty in places.Animals: Grouse, Loon, Squirrels, Birds.People: Eric & Jess, Momma¢s Boy, Brood X, Dayhikers.Last night was definitely one of the coolest of the trip. The full moon was so incredibly bright I could make out the details of the trees in the valley below and see the water glisten in distant ponds. It was more like dusk all night. Sunrise from Little Bigelow Mtn.The sunrise was just spectacular too. All the valleys were flooded in with clouds and only the mountain peaks showed. I could also see the steam rising from the ponds and rivers forming clouds over their surface. Definitely memorable.What made this even cooler was that my bivy spot was also the 2,000 mile mark according to Wingfoot's Guide Book, and the ¢2,000¢ made in pebbles across the trail. Awesome! 2,000 Miles DownI ate a quickie breakfast on the summit and then laid into some more chow and took a long break at little Bigelow Mountain Shelter. Me on Little Bigelow Mtn. Aside from the morning's cool sunrise today was really just an uneventful day. The skies clouded over early on and it remained overcast into the evening. The trail, however, really leveled out and was by far the longest and easiest stretch of hiking so far in Maine. The trail skirted several large inland lakes and passed through several marsh areas. I rested for 15 to 30 minutes at each of the lakes (Flagstaff Lake, West Carry Pond, and East Carry Pond) and scanned the shore and water for moose. All day I would periodically stop and scan the woods for moose. But no dice. I have yet to see a moose on the trail despite seeing their decomposing remains, poo, ruts, and hearing their various grunts and them clamoring around camp. I am keeping my hopes up that I¢ll see one before this trip ends.The shelter tonight is in a great location right along Pierce Pond. The skies are clearing some and the moon is very bright. In the distance Coyotes are howling, the first I have heard all trip. It is really cool. Tomorrow morning everyone is going for breakfast at Harrison Camps. I passed on the idea as they don¢t take credit cards and I have enough food of my own to eat. It shaping up to be another chilly night, perfect for sleeping.
Date: 2004-10-02
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Vaughn StreamStart: Wilson Valley Lean-to @ 0909 Finish: Chairback Gap Lean-to @ 1637Miles: 15.6Weather: Sunny morning, Mostly Cloudy Afternoon, Rain in eveningBreakfast: Granola w/ strawberries, Oreos.Lunch: Snickers, Oreos, Fig Newtons.Dinner: Cheesy Baked Potato HH, Starcrunch, 12 Hershey barTrail Conditions: Big climb up Barren Mtn., steep rock descent from Fourth Mtn., lots of PUDs in between.Animals: Snake, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Dog, Minnows.People: Dayhikers, SOBO section-hiker.I awoke around 0545 to the sounds of several coyotes yelping and growling several hundred yards from the shelter. It was definitely eerie to hear and I figure they were arguing over a recent kill?I had a totally lazy morning and took like 2 hours to get ready. Today started off as another beautiful day. I got to Vaughn¢s Stream, where there was a cascading waterfall, rested and ate the remaining half of my Oreos. Oreos are a serious vice for me. I bought the package as a treat to last the week, they made it not quite a day and a half. Awesome.I must admit that I have not been to impressed with the ¢Wilderness¢ factor of this leg of the trip. I vaguely recall in Bill Bryson¢s book his description of this rugged and totally isolated stretch of trail where you would die if you did not have enough food. Well, that¢s because Bill Bryson is a candy ass. Truth is this is hardly a ¢wilderness¢ at all, or any different for that matter than the rest of Maine. In my first two days I have seen day hikers that drove into the wilderness, heard a train, seen and heard cars, and crossed paths today with a foul mouth bunch of high schoolers causing a ruckus on Barren Cliffs. Tomorrow I¢ll be passing by a parking lot for people that are hiking into Gulf Hagas. This is still a very beautiful stretch of trail and I am enjoying every moment of it, however the title ¢100 Mile Wilderness¢ is a serious misnomer. FungusSo anywho I made my way up and over Barren Cliffs and Barren Mtn. Which had great views of Whitecap in the distance. The rest of the days walk was just climbing up and over rinky dink mountains, that weren¢t too difficult.As the afternoon progressed the winds changed direction and began blowing from the east and the sky clouded over. I was hesitant at first about the notion of rain, however, the temperatures noticeably increased so I knew it would come sooner or later. View from Barren MountainI rolled into the shelter and am alone again which is great. I cooked and cleaned up before it got dark and am just hanging out now. Occasional sprinkles are falling on the roof now, a nice sound, but one I don¢t mind not hearing. Time will tell if it gets worse or not. I¢ll see what tomorrow brings when it gets here.
Date: 2004-10-03
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Carl Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

The Gulf Hagas...Cool, but way over ratedStart: Chairback Gap Lean-to @ 0832 Finish: Carl Newhall Lean-to @ 1537Miles: 9.9 (15.1 including Gulf Hagas Loop)Weather: Clear skies & sun, Cool tempsBreakfast: Granola w/ Strawberries & bBueberries, Fig NewtonsLunch: Snickers, Fig NewtonsDinner: Chicken Alfredo, fudgeround, 12 Hershey bar, Fruit LoopsTrail Conditions: Easy. Small climb up Chairback then gradual downhill to West Branch of Pleasant River. Knee-deep ford of river. Gradual climb up to shelterAnimals: Birds, Squirrels, Chipmunks, DogsPeople: Dayhikers, Lightweight JoeIt rained hardcore last night. I don¢t recall rains that heavy since Vermont. It rained steady from about 9pm to about 3am and it was actually very warm. Then the rain stopped and a Canadian front moved in clearing the skies and making it very cold. I went from sweating to shivering in my sleeping bag over the course of the night. The good news was when I woke up the skies were clear and the sun was shining bright. Score!I planned the days mileage to be short as I walked a blue blaze side trail loop around ¢The Gulf Hagas¢. All in all today¢s hike on the AT was super easy. I hiked alone once again except for passing the occasional dayhiker. The day started with a little climb over Chairback Mtn. and was all downhill to Pleasant River. Once more I donned my Waldies and forded some cold knee-deep water. Nothing too strenuous. After a quick rest I continued on to the junction with the Gulf Hagas trail, I hiked the loop, and went north once more. The final four miles of the day were great. The trail paralleled a cascading stream all the way to the shelter. Coupled with the vibrant colors of the forest and I was walking in one awesome setting. ...More of the Gulf HagasHere¢s the skinny on the Gulf Hagas 5.2 mile long side trail loop. My guidebook describes it has the ¢Grand Canyon of the east¢. That¢s a load of crap. For all the hype this loop gets it sure wasn¢t worth the walk, and I was pissed I wasted the time and energy doing it. The first 1-1/2 miles of the loop you see nothing but the trees your walking in. Then for about 2 miles you skirt the rim of the Gulf ¢ a 200-foot deep canyon at best. The remaining 2 miles you walk through trees again. All the ¢major view points¢ are crappy and trees obstruct clear lines of view of waterfalls and the canyon. For a day hiker this may qualify as neat, but if you¢ve walked the AT this far you will definitely have seen sites hundreds of times cooler. All in all, the Gulf Hagas was not what it was hyped up to be.That¢s my rant. I feel better now.Staying the night with Lightweight Joe who just showed up. I haven¢t seen him in well over a month. It¢s shaping up to be one cold night, time to fasten down the hatches.