morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-20
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: ME26 (Grafton Notch)
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain we had most of the night was finished by early morning leaving everything cool and damp. After breakfast we all took off up Speck Mountain. As we approached the summit it began to drizzle. You could tell the views would be fantastic in clear weather. The rain didn't last long and it was really pleasant hiking along well marked and nicely graded trail. I did manage to take a big fall on one of the slippery rocks. I slid and tumbled about six feet - and then bounced back on my feet. After 1900 miles all you have is bone and muscle - neither of which is easily injured. My ego on the other hand... the fall was right in front of three other hikers. They were impressed how gracefully I made it look and how fast I bounced back to my feet. We do award points for style and I would rank that fall about an 8.25 on a scale of ten. Perfect entry with no splash, feet remaining together in the tuck position... Anyway, when we reached Grafton Notch Hammock Hanger got the idea to call "Bear" at the Cabin and arrange a shuttle. We are now at the Cabin and will be slacking the next few days. Bear picked us up, brought us to the grocery store for drinks and supplies, and then to the Cabin. It is a beautiful hostel and has all a thru-hiker needs and then some. We were well fed, did laundry, had showers, and did I mention all the fantastic food? What a nice place and nice people. Tomorrow we will head out early to hike what I had wanted to do today. Looks like we will be hiking in the rain. I'm looking forward to it (in spite of what Skunknocker thinks). You can read about Skunknocker (Stumpknocker) as he keeps a journal at trailjournals.com but be prepared to fall asleep. Reading his journal reminds me of reading that book written by Bill Bryson - "A walk in the woods". It is comical but anyone who knows anything about hiking knows its a bunch of baloney. He is doing some kind of thru-hike where he drives more than he walks. His 2 year old truck has almost 100,000 miles in spite of the fact that he supposedly has been on the trail these last two years. Its got to be an expensive way to hike. Yes, his first set of boots still look brand new, but he has gone through three sets of tires. There are a lot of such "2000 milers" out there and he is entitled to "hike his own hike". He wants me to change my name to Dewdrop. I will if he changes his to 4WD. Before I get the BIG guy mad at me I'd better say goodnight. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-08-21
From: ME26 (Grafton Notch)

To: East B Hill Road (Andover, Me.)
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: moderate rain

After a fantastic breakfast at the Cabin we were driven to Grafton Notch. The forecast for today called for heavy rain and it had already started. We started hiking in a downpour and we were wondering if we would be able to cross the streams we ford later in the day. We immediately started to climb up Baldpate Mountain. When we reached the top it was foggy and drizzling. The wind was blowing and we had trouble keeping our footing on the slick rock. Even though we had no long distance views it was still beautiful at the summit. I have always been fond of hiking in fog - it makes you focus on things close at hand. Rain softens the sounds of the forest. It has a different feel and smell. But it also makes hiking tough. On the decent from Baldpate we were either on very slippery rockface or sliding down the mountain on slick mud. We stopped at Frye Notch Lean-to for a quick lunch. We were wet and cold and didn't linger. We warmed up on the climb up Surplus Mountain. It was a fun slip and slide after that. I did manage to keep my feet under me but it wasn't easy. We forded the West Branch of the Ellis River. It was deep and moving fast. A few feet from where we crossed the water drops over a falls. We were very carefull to keep our footing. Another mile of mud and rain and we were at our destination. Waiting for us was hot chocolate, soda, fruit, and towels. Bear treats his guests like they are his family. It is a great feeling. We were running a bit late due to the weather and got in with just enough time to clean up for a great dinner. We are all happy campers. I had a long chat with Trailboss from the PATC (Blackburn Center in Virginia). He was interested in hearing about trail deficiencies. We are both involved in maintaining trail so have much in common. Tomorrow we will have another ten mile slack. With any luck we may get to hike with dry boots. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-08-22
From: East B Hill Road (Andover, Me.)

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

Awoke to a beautiful day - cool and sunny. After the usual morning feast we headed to the trailhead for another slack hike. Hammock Hanger decided at the last minute to skip today's hike as she was suffering from the illness Wicomico Walker had. We started out with a gradual climb up Wyman Mountain. It was very muddy and slick from all the rain that fell yesterday but it was REAL trail. No holding our breath hoping not to slide off a cliff. There were rebar steps on the steeper rocks and lots of stone steps. And the trail was very well blazed - quite a contrast from the AMC maintained areas. WW and I took a nice lunch break at the Hall Mountain Lean-to. Yes, that is what they call shelters in this area. Lean-to. Lean-to what? Anyway, this one was very infested with mice. As I was reading the register a dropping fell from the ceiling and landed on the page I was reading. There were about five running rings around my feet. They had no fear. They must be able to tell that I've been well fed lately. Moustew is a popular dish amoung thru-hikers. WW and I continued our hike with a steep 1000 foot pull up Moody Mountain. From there we enjoyed a great view of Sawyer Notch and the mountains to the north. We took a short break at the vista before heading down to the road. When I got to South Arm Road Hippy Long Stockings was waiting with Trailboss for a ride to the Cabin. I hadn't seen her since somewhere near Damascus VA. She is hiking south and had the misfortune of summiting Katahdin with Skunknocker. But at least she was able to lose him along the way. We had a nice group here today and I spent alot of time chatting with Trailboss about trail maintaining. It is now late and I am tired. Tomorrow should be a bit tougher than today. Higher mountains and it will be 13 miles. I just hope HH is feeling better. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-08-23
From: South Arm Road

To: ME17
Miles today: 13.3

We were up early and on the trail about 8AM. The day started damp but sunny, but later became overcast. We did get a little drizzle but for the most part, it was near perfect hiking weather. Today was Bemis day. We summited the West Peak of Bemis Mtn, East Peak, Third Peak, Second Peak, and the First Peak of Bemis Mountain. Hey, I didn't name them. We also climbed Elephant Mountain and Blue Mountain. It has been nice staying at the Cabin but tomorrow we move on. We voted and I got my wish - we will take off with packs loaded for four or five days. I want to get some more time out in the beautiful Maine woods. The East and West Peaks were beautiful - above treeline, long range views, with nice level rock trail. Again we saw lots of moose droppings but no moose. I am beginning to think that there is only one moose in Maine and he just poops alot. Speaking of that, it seems that both Hammock Hanger and Wicomico Walker are feeling better. The trail is a tough place to be when you are not feeling well. I finished hiking at about 5PM today in spite of the many breaks I took. There were so many beautiful views I kept hanging out on the rocks enjoying them. But then again, that is what this hike is all about. When you stop having fun you should just go home. I am still having the time of my life - so much to see and explore. My body is getting a little tired but that is understandable. I weighed in at 184 pounds but size 36 pants are very baggy and won't stay up on my hips. I probably have zero body fat in spite of eating everything I can get my hands on. Most of my weight is in my legs. I am tough enough that when I take a bad fall, I usually just bounce back up and land on my feet. I slid on a root today and slammed full speed into a tree. I felt bad for the poor tree. Anyway, it is very late and I'm getting punchy. 233.1 miles remaining on this hike. Will I see a moose? Stay tuned. Goodnight, Lwop
Date: 2004-08-24
From: ME17

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to 
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

We packed our packs with food for five days and headed out to the trailhead. The weather forecast calls for sunny skies the next few days - perfect timing.Today's hike was over relatively level terrain. By level I mean there were no two thousand footers to climb. As is often the case with level trail in this area there was a lot of mud. Sometimes the mud was above the top of the boot - gators kept the mud from pouring into the boots. We passed many beautiful ponds today but with the cool breeze we didn't swim. At Little Swift River Pond Campsite I went for a canoe ride. The canoe was taking on water so I didn't linger. I'm not sure I can swim with my hiking boots on. We continued on along very nicely maintained trail and crossed ME4. After a short climb we reached Piazza Rock Lean-to. We had discussed cowboy camping and decided to give that a try. BearBag Hanger, Hammock Hanger, Wicomico Walker and I are sleeping on one platform under a sky filled with stars. I am thankful! we are not in the shelter because someone in our group is emitting a rather foul odor. But, I will not mention HER/his name. BBH and I did get to explore Piazza Rock. It is a rock the size of a battleship and is balanced on two other rocks. You can walk under it and on top where there are trees growing. I also spent some time at the shelter with a trail crew and a father out with his three kids. We sat by the fire and chatted about hiking and thru-hikes. His kids seem to have a great passion for the outdoors. Anyway, it is time to bury my nose in the sleeping bag. Temps may go down into the 30's tonight. Goodnight,LWOP
Date: 2004-08-25
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to 

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to 
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

I really enjoyed sleeping under the stars last night. It would be even nicer if we were not surrounded by trees. There still were plenty of stars available for our viewing pleasure. We were up and preparing breakfast about 6AM. At about 8 WW and I set out with the hope of catching the others on top of Saddleback Mountain. We passed Ethel Pond, Mud Pond, and Eddy Pond. The one moose native to Maine was very busy last night as there were droppings and tracks all over. But no moose showed its face. I am beginning to think that there are no moose in Maine. There is a conspiracy set up by some eco-tourism group whereby they scatter scat along trails. They also use a pogo-stick with a moose hoof attached to the bottom. They bounce along the trails and along roads leaving prints from one end of the state to the other. Tourists come from all over the country and get very excited to see these things. Motels fill up. I hear they even sell moose dropping earrings. Don't laugh at that - ! its true. Buy your wife a pair for your next anniversary and see how funny it is... Anyway, we didn't see a moose today. We did climb Saddleback Mountain. The views were among the best I've seen on the AT. And today we actually could see Katahdin. Looking south you saw Mount Washington (easy to pick out with that stupid cog-trail spewing soot and black smoke). Looking north you could see Mount Katahdin way off in the distance. It is a strange feeling seeing the end of the trail after hiking it for almost six months. The big question now is whether I will see a moose before I finish or will my hike get cut short if I get hoof printed by a pogo-stick? How will Bonnie react when I give her those earrings I made this morning? The end of this journal is getting thick with all these sub plots. Then there is Stumpknockers black lace panties... Have we seen the last of them? Not to mention the three gays he has been hanging out with.Anyway, back to my hike. After a short break on Sad!dleback we climbed the Horn. Again we had spectacular vistas and took a nice long lunch break. We dropped about a thousand feet and climbed Saddleback Junior - and were starting to get tired of climbing. The views made it worth the effort. We arrived at the shelter and considered moving on. We chose instead to build a fire and call it a day. It is getting cold and tomorrow will be a long and tough day. I am ready for bed. Goodnight, LWOP
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to 

To: Caribou Valley Road 
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

I had a good sleep in the shelter last night. There was a big crowd as a college group arrived and set up camp. HH and I were cooking dinner when a naked male hiker came in. I tried to get her attention but she was so intent on cooking she missed the show. This morning he hiked out that way and gave those college girls an anatomy lesson. Today was another beautiful sunny day. The temp was a bit warmer and it is getting a little more humid. We had three 1000 foot climbs but stayed below the treeline. There weren't many views but the trail was very pleasant. Lots of moose scat again today - but no moose. At the end of our hike we decided to call a motel in Stratton and arranged a shuttle to pick us up. We then climbed down over a thousand feet in less than a half mile. It was brutal on the feet and knees. We were picked up and driven to Stratton. We got a room with two bunks and a bed for $96 for three nights. It ain't the Hilton but it beats staying in a shelter. We washed and! headed out for a nice steak dinner. Tomorrow we will head out early and will slack about ten miles. That will leave us time to get chores done in the afternoon. A big milestone today: We now have less than 200 miles to go. And I am now going to bed. Goodnight,LWOP
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Caribou Valley Road 

To: Stratton Brook Pond Road 
Miles today: 8.3

We were up at 5:30 getting our packs ready for the day. We slacked but used our regular pack as we had no daypacks. After breakfast we were shuttled to the trailhead. The morning was warm and muggy with some clouds. We began the hike with a long climb up Crocker Mountain. I was totally saturated with sweat within minutes. We passed over the summits of North and South Crocker Mountain but neither had much of a view. The trail then started a very gradual descent to ME27. At ME27 we were met someone who was taking a survey about placing windmills on the mountain tops throughout this area. I like the idea of windmills but not in this area. The views the last few days are among my favorite of the whole AT and they wouldn't be the same with those large towers all over the place. Anyway, we continued on the trail to Stratton Brook Pond Road where we were picked up by our shuttle. We were finished about 2PM and then set out to do our chores. Laundry, shopping, banking, and the Post! Office. All are centrally located so we were finished early. We had a nice dinner and are hitting the sack early. Tomorrow we have 16 very tough miles to hike and we are expecting hot temperatures. We will be heading out early (again) with no big breakfast. I have had a monstrous appetite lately - eating until I can't hold any more. Food is a BIG part of my budget lately. Well, I'm tired.Goodnight,
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Stratton Brook Pond Road 

To: East Flagstaff Road 
Miles today: 15.9

We hiked a very tough 16 miles today. Total climb for the day was over 5300 feet - and it was hot and humid. Ahh, but the views were fantastic. Bigelow Mountain and Little Bigelow Mountain have been added to my list of favorite hikes. The trail itself was very rocky and not as gently sloped as the map profile implies. I would imagine it would leave a lasting impression in the minds of SOBO's who are not as trail toughened at this point. As today we have passed the 2000 mile mark we should be used to such climbs. I would be more in the mood to celebrate the 2000 miles except for the fact that I may have lost another hiking partner. Wicomico Walker took a bad fall and right now is at a hospital having his handchecked out. We think he broke a broke near the wrist. He had to hike about ten miles without the use of his right arm. I don't know if I could get by without using two hiking poles in the terrain we hiked today. But he managed and claims he will be ready to hike out tomo!rrow morning. I don't know how that will be possible. It was frustrating for Hammock Hanger, BearBag Hanger and me as we could not do much to help him today.There were shorter trails off the mountain from Avery Peak but they looked very steep on the contour map. We opted to remain on the AT because it was more heavily traveled and we thought it would be less rugged. It turned out to be a very tough trail. We did get back to the trailhead by 6PM and called for our shuttle. All of us are spent from today's exertion and are feeling bummed about what happened. At least we are finished with most of the rugged section of trail. The hike from here to Monson looks easier. The question now is whether WW will be able to continue. I cannot afford to take more time off as I have already arranged my transportation home from Katahdin. I am going to sleep but will get up when WW gets back from the hospital. Goodnight
Date: 2004-08-29
From: East Flagstaff Road 

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to 
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Wicomico Walker got back from the hospital around midnight last night. His hand is in a cast. He was right about the bone being broken. While the doctor agreed he could continue to hike, he also advised that he not carry a backpack. After much debate we made the painful decision to hike on without him. He remained in Stratton and is working out a plan to slack to Monson beginning tomorrow. If the plan works out he will meet us in Monson in a few days. It is hoped that the few days will heal his hand enough that he could continue through the 100 mile wilderness with us. Hiking without him today was a bit depressing for all of us. Anyway, we got our shuttle at about 8am and drove for about an hour to the trailhead. The skies were dark grey and it started to pour when we arrived at the trail. We did as any good thru-hiker would do ¢ we put on our packs and got soaked. The trail had a few small ups today but was very easy compared to what we've seen the last few weeks. The rain quickly produced lots of slippery mud. The boots I bought in Kent CT don't have much tread left so I had to be especially careful on the! wet rocks. We passed many beautiful ponds including one with a nice sandy beach. Yesterday¢s weather would have been perfect for a dip but today was not.The rain ended early but it was still cool and damp all day. All the ponds showed signs of moose but they were still invisible to us. Even with the late start and numerous breaks, Hammock Hanger and I arrived at the shelter about 5:30. We immediately did our chores and ate dinner. We were then able to sit by the pond and enjoy the view. We listened to the eerie sound of Loons calling to one another and watched as bats skimmed the surface of the water searching for insects. When the lightning and thunder arrived we quickly headed back to the shelter to work on our journals. The mosquitoes are bad tonight but I am so tired it shouldn't matter. As I am typing this I am hearing the sound of thunder and am watching the lightning light up the pond. The opening of the shelter overlooksthe pond. It is one of the nicest shelters I v!isited this whole trip. Time to hide under my blanket. Goodnight
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to 

To: Pleasant Pod Lean-to 
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: broken clouds

I didn't get much sleep last night. It was hot and muggy and I could not get out of the sleeping bag or the no-see-ums and mosquitoes would have a feast. At least I was entertained by the beautiful sound of the Loons calling to one another. The lightning display was also impressive. Because of the rain we had last night the trail was very slippery and muddy today. I took two minor falls and fought through the thick, hot, and humid air all day. It was a tough day for hiking. We arrived at the Kennebec River about 9:30 and were ferried across by canoe. The canoe is the official way to cross the river and it even has a white blazepainted on it. The Kennebec can be forded but because of water released from a nearby dam at unscheduled intervals it is a very dangerous crossing. Quite safe and even fun when crossed inside a canoe I must admit. After the crossing we stopped in Caratunk and devoured a good sized cheeseburger and thick shake. The climb from there in today's heat and !humidity was tough. I arrived at Pleasant Pond about 3PM. HH, BBH and I took a nice swim and cooled off in the pond. The water was a bit shocking at first but really felt great on my burning feet. We headed back to the shelter just before the skies opened up. It has been raining cats and dogs for the last few hours. And the roof leaks. The trail leading past the shelter looks like a stream - with rapids and white water. But somehow through all this rain the no-see-ums are still able to take wing. They are little more than a mouth with wings ¢ and I have lots of welts to prove that. I will be climbing into my bag soon to get away from them. Tomorrow should be interesting. We have a long day with two climbs and the trail will be one large mud puddle. I hope we have no rivers to ford. Should be fun.Goodnight
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Pleasant Pod Lean-to 

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to 
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night it rained like I¢ve never seen rain before. There was actually a stream flowing under the shelter. Laying in my sleeping bag you could hear the roar of flowing water. We did what we could to plug up the roof leaks and we did remain relatively dry. My wet clothes from yesterday didn't dry at all. In fact they felt even wetter than when I hung them. It was not a pleasant task getting dressed this morning. I could have put on dry clothes, but from the look of things everything was going to be wet as soon as I started to hike. There was water flowing everywhere. The trail was a fast flowing stream. We started hiking about 8AM and immediately started to climb Pleasant Pond Mountain in a light drizzle. While climbing up and over a wet rock my feet slipped from under me and I slid backwards down the rock on my stomach. It looks like I have rug burns on my thigh and I lost some skin on my knee. The rocks and mud were very slippery and it was a chore to remain upright. We d!idn't get to see the vistas on Pleasant Pond Mountain as we were in the clouds. The weather was improving on the descent. We got to ford Baker Stream while it was near flood stage. All the rocks were under water and the current was strong. We made it across without incident but it was very exciting. We stopped at Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to for a long break. I checked the register and noticed a ten word journal entry by Skunknocker. Wow! He used his whole vocabulary in that one entry. "Hot day today. No Rain. Good day for a hike". Yes, he has a way with words. Make that a way to put you to sleep with his words. Slugs are more enthusiastic... Anyway, we climbed Moxie Bald Mountain and had fantastic views. There were patches of blue in the sky and a stiff breeze was blowing. I took off most of my wet clothes and hung them to dry. Looking toward the NE we could see Katahdin towering above its surroundings. From a hundred miles away it already looks impressive. After a nice break! we headed on to the shelter. The trail was still underwater but things were improving. It looks like we will have a cold night as temps are dropping quickly. I am heading for the sleeping bag right now. Goodnight