morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-23
To: North Conway
Miles today: 0.0

It was another rainy day with some heavy showers. It was a good day for sleeping in, eating a lot, cleaning gear and taking a nap. I will be getting a shuttle in the morning with the hikers I hitched into town with. Tomorrow's hike will be hard as I climb to the Presidential range starting with a 2700 ft climb over the first three miles. Its looks like a one day break in the weather with more rain and wind forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. I'm not looking forward to slippery trails.
Date: 2018-07-24
To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.0

I woke up to a partly cloudy day. This is supposed to be the only half decent day for a while. We caught a shuttle back to the trail and started the three mile climb. It started raining part way up. At the top of the first climb the views were obscured by clouds. Near the end of the hike we were above the tree line and in a strong wind. I am staying at one the AMC huts which has a emergency shelter called the dungeon. It is quite dark and dank but it's cheap and will allow us an early start to get over Mt Washington in the morning before thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon.
Date: 2018-07-25
To: The Barn Hostel Gorham NH
Miles today: 15.0

I woke up in the dungeon in the middle of the night to high winds. We hit the trail on a windy overcast morning around 6:30. We were not far from Mt Washington and as we got closer the wind picked up. At the trail to the summit we had wind gusts over 50mph. We decided the short steep trail to the top was too dangerous so we bypassed it. As we made our way through the Presidential range the winds almost knocked me over a few times. Normally the trail is difficult but with the strong winds and rain It was testing my comfort zone. After we stopped at the Madison hut for a much needed break we climbed Mt Madison and the wind increased and it started to rain and hail. The gusts were over 60mph and with the extremely rocky trail the conditions are outside my comfort zone. After an very slow pace we finally made it down to the tree line. It was pretty lucky we didn't fall or get blown over. We ended up hiking 15 miles over 13 hours with less than a hour of breaks. I'm at a hostel in Gorham NH and with tomorrow's rainy forecast will most likely take another zero. The White Mts are beautiful but must be hiked with respect for the weather conditions.
Date: 2018-07-26
To: The Barn Hostel Gorham NH
Miles today: 0.0

After the long hard hike yesterday, I decided to take another zero. Given the weather forecast it was an easy decision. It rained on and off today with some heavy showers. I heard reports of very wet trails. Its supposed rain again tomorrow but hopefully clear up in the next few days. The next segment of trail has some challenging sections but has great views. After that ME is not far away. I have a little over 300 miles until I summit Mt Katahdin.
Date: 2018-07-27
To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 13.7

We got a ride back to the trail from the hostel owner. We had a full house last night but the owner of the Barn Hostel is very organized and runs a right ship. We started hiking around 8am and headed up a steep long hill. We were rewarded with great views on a partly cloudy morning. After a few more steep descents and climbs we came to our last AMC hit and had soup and brownies. We got back on the trail and had more rugged terrain in the Wildcat Mts during some thunderstorms. We had to wait about 20 for some lightning to pass. We finally arrived at camp around 7pm after a long tiring day. Tomorrow we can get back to the Barn Hostel via a different road. I need to resupply before heading for ME.
Date: 2018-07-28
To: The Barn Hostel Gorham NH
Miles today: 8.0

I slept in the morning since I was so tired from the long day yesterday. It was a little rainy in the morning but cleared up some as we got on the trail. The first five miles were challenging but the views were worth the work. The last few miles were easier and we called the same hostel from a few nights ago for a ride. The Barn is located were you can get to it from two different roads. We resupplied for four nights on the trail and will be starting anothe very challenging section in the morning. We've been hearing from sobo hikers that the trail in S ME is very hard. We are not quite done with NH and it sounds like more of the sane as the past week. We will hit the NH-ME border in about 16 miles.
Date: 2018-07-29
To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

I'm catching up on journal entries after not having a cell signal for a few days. We left Gorham NH after another night at the Barn. It was a steep climb to start but we were again rewarded with great views. We were able to see a number of lake's which reminded me of MN. The trail was very challenging and the miles hard earned. We ended up at a shelter with very few people.
Date: 2018-07-30
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 12.6

It was another nice weather day with mostly sunny skies and temps in the 70s. The trail was again rough and we had some steep climbs early. After about five miles we left NH and entered ME. This is the last state in my nobo portion of my trip. After more rugged trail we rested before the Mahoosuc Notch - described as the most difficult or fun mile of the trail. We climbed over and around house and car sized boulders. It took us over an hour and a half to cover one mile. We found a great stealth camp after an exhausting day.
Date: 2018-07-31
To: Frye Notch Shelter
Miles today: 12.4

The day started with a very steep climb up Mahoosuc Arm and again we had views of far away lake's. It was another day of long climbs and descents. We timed our afternoon break right to be able to sit out a brief rain shower. We climbed Bald Plate Mt which matched it's name with lots of exposed smooth rock. We took pictures and ate blue berries before descending to the shelter we stayed at. I met more people from MN today - Brainerd and Hutchinson.
Date: 2018-08-01
To: Human Nature Hostel
Miles today: 4.5

We were up early to hike the short distance to meet our 9am pickup to a new hostel in the Andover ME area. We stopped at the post office and I picked up a small resupply box and new insoles for my shoes. The hostel recently opened and is a geodesic dome that is very well designed to accommodate hikers. The owner is a reality tv celebrity and a former thru hiker. After a shower we made a trip to Wal-Mart for resupply. We are planning to slack pack (hike with only day packs) about ten miles tomorrow and stay here another night. Its been a good day to rest and catch up on this journal. Cell signal will be infrequent for most of ME and I may go for up to a week without a signal. I will provide updates when possible.
Date: 2018-08-02
To: Human Nature Hostel
Miles today: 10.1

The day started overcast but the sun was out by the time we got dropped off at the trailhead. We decided to hike south and started with some big hills. After lunch the trail was much easier and I made it to the pickup point in plenty of time. I'm staying one more night in the hostel and will be getting back on trail with my pack in the morning. The next two days are supposed to be rainy and shelter spacing is not ideal. I will most likely be tenting in the rain.
Date: 2018-08-03
To: Bemis River Tent Site
Miles today: 12.4

The day started with a pancake breakfast at the hostel. We then shutled to the trail in a small bus that had a large monitor showing 1980s MTV videos. All the hikers were laughing and telling stories from the 80s. The Human Nature hostel was a great experience. The trail was steep to start and had a number of rough sections. We got to Bemis River around 5:30pm and had to put our camp shoes on to get across the high water. Rain started while We were cooking dinner and continued throughout the night.
Date: 2018-08-04
To: Fieldstone Cottages Rangely ME
Miles today: 14.0

It rained all night and we packed up wet in the rain. The trail was flooded and we slowly hiked while hoping the rain would let up. My pack felt quite heavy with the extra water weight. The rain finally stopped in the afternoon. We were lucky that this section of trail was relatively easy. We got to the highway around 4pm and hitched into Rangely. We got a room and walked to the outfitter and out for dinner. We are drying hear and will resupply food and get back on trail by mid morning.
Date: 2018-08-05
To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

We did our resupply in the morning at the grocery store. According to southbounders (sobos) this is the last grocery store we will see in ME. From here north we will be reapplying in small stores and hostels. We got a 10am shuttle back to the trail and had a nice couple mile warm-up before climbing a couple thousand feet. There were three or four false summit's where I thought I was finally at the summit only see I had more climbing. The view was worth the long climb and I had lunch on top. There were two more rough climbs that afternoon. The miles were hard earned and sleep came easily that night.
Date: 2018-08-06
To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 14.2

I was on the trail by 6:30am and started with a steep descent. At the bottom was a large river that I had to ford. To keep my shoes dry I had to put my crocs on. This is common in ME especially during high water. There were a couple more climbs that got me to the top of Spaulding Mt. After that it was a very steep descent on an exposed ridge with thunder in the background. I luckily got down and the rain missed me. A little more climbing brought the long day to an end at a nice campsite.
Date: 2018-08-07
To: Hostel of Maine
Miles today: 7.3

I got going by 6:30am and started with a long climb. The views this morning were very hazy because of high temps and humidity. It felt cooler up high but got warmer as I went down. I passed a trail marker signifying 2000 miles for those starting at Springer Mt GA. It brings the end into focus for many of the people I've been hiking with. I've seen varied reactions ranging from some hikers slowing down to others who can't wait to be done. A number of hikers I've talked to are not sure what life may hold for them post hike. I may try to slack pack a long section of trail tomorrow. A guest at the hostel has kindly offered to drive me to an access point to the north and I will hike south and stay at the hostel another night.
Date: 2018-08-08
To: Hostel of Maine
Miles today: 16.7

I decided to stay another night at the hostel because another hostel guest offered to give me a ride to slackpack a long section of trail. I hiked south back toward the hostel after a 30 plus mile ride. This section of the Bigelow Mts is one of the last hard sections of ME. The views were 360 degrees and were spectacular. I could see all of flagstaff lake and many other distant lakes. The clouds were still hanging in the valleys which made for some good photos. I made the long hike in under 10 hrs. It would have taken me about 15 hrs with my full pack on. I'm still amazed at the kindness of strangers toward thru hikers. The trail community is so supportive and there are so many stories I hear and experience every day. Tomorrow I will receive more kindness with a ride back to where I started today.
Date: 2018-08-09
To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3

The kind family from OH and FL dropped me at the place where I started my slack pack yesterday. It was a beautiful day and the trail was much easier I'm this area. I hiked past a few lake's, some with sand beaches. It was a longer mile day even with a late start. I camped at a shelter near a lake and was able to get in a swim before dinner. I watched a beautiful sunset and went to bed shortly after.
Date: 2018-08-10
To: Stealth Camp near Moxie Pond
Miles today: 16.2

I woke up a few times overnight to the call of loons. It reminded me of MN-Ontario canoe country. It was another beautiful morning as I slowly hiked toward the Kennebec River canoe ferry. This river is to wide and deep to ford and has power companies up river that do unannounced releases of water. The canoe ride was short and easy and it felt good to paddle a canoe even for a few minutes. Shortly after the ferry crossing I came to Caratunk ME where I stopped at a hostel for a pulled pork sandwich, milkshake and a small resupply. That afternoon had a climb up a smaller mt that had a great view and lots of blueberries. Late in the day, I saw two moose, cow and a calf in a swamp. It was another easier trail day.
Date: 2018-08-11
To: Stealth Camp near Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 15.4

The morning hike started with a hike up Moxie Bald Mt. I met Pappy an 87 yr old hiker attempting to be the oldest to thru hike the AT. I chatted with him for a few minutes and told him that he is an inspiration to many hikers. There were more blueberries to eat. I ran into my friends from OH and FL. It was good to see them again. I arrived at camp early enough for a river swim and was very tired and in bed by 7:30pm.
Date: 2018-08-12
To: Shaws Hostel Monson ME
Miles today: 9.0

I was up early and headed in to Monson to get some much needed rest. I hitched to town and got a ride wthin five minutes. I plan to zero tomorrow and get my big resupply before heading in to the 100 mile wilderness. I need 6-7 days of food to get there. This is the home stretch which will be followed by summitting Mt Katahdin. I wandered around town eating a lot and listening to some live music in the afternoon. I checked my resupply options and will do that tomorrow.
Date: 2018-08-13
To: Shaws Hostel Monson ME
Miles today: 0.0

This will be my last entry until I after I summit Mt Katahdin. I've not had any cell signal in the last week and only WiFi at hostels. I won't have a signal until I get to a town in a week or more. Today I'm resupplying and getting some much needed rest. There is a buzz of excitement among the thru hikers about to end their journeys. There is also some apprehension. I'm looking forward to my last week or so in ME as it's such a beautiful area. I'm also excited to flip down to the southern part of the AT for my final third of the trail. I will update this journal when I get a cell signal again.
Date: 2018-08-14
To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1

I was up early at the hostel and decided to hitch back to the trail instead of waiting a couple hours for a shuttle. I was hiking by 6:30am on this overcast day. As I tried to get around a muddy spot, I ripped my rain cover for my pack on a branch. At the next river crossing I was trying to rock hop across when I hit a loose rock and fell getting my feet wet. Later that afternoon it started to rain quite hard and I noticed severe chafing as my shorts got wet. I was having a reaction to the laundry detergent from the hostel. I've seen it happen to two other hikers. When I got to the shelter the rash was pretty bad especially where my pack waist belt rubbed. I washed up and tried to rinse my shorts but the water source was really small. Not the best place for this to happen starting the 100 mile wilderness.
Date: 2018-08-15
To: Stealth Camp near W Branch Pleasant R
Miles today: 15.2

I didn't sleep much since it was hard to find a position that didn't irritate my rash. I didn't have much choice but to keep going. The terrain today was pretty challenging with lots of ascents and descents and some rough trail. It turned into a warm day and the heavy sweating didn't help matters. I got to camp and got in the river to wash up and rinse my clothes. The rash had gotten much worse and very painful.. I decided to try to get off trail tomorrow at the gravel road a half mile back.
Date: 2018-08-16
To: Shaws Hostel Monson ME
Miles today: 0.0

It was another night with little sleep. I packed up in the morning and headed back to the gravel road in hopes someone could give me a ride. Very few cars came by in the first three hours all but two going the wrong way. Just after 10am a couple hikers I know came by and said they were waiting for a delivery of prescription meds from Shaws hostel. I was in luck, a ride back to the hostel. So here I am back in Monson where I was a couple days ago. I picked up some ointment and will give it a few days to work and get back on the trail on Saturday. I've been really lucky so far healthwise and this is a pretty minor setback. I'm hoping to finish the rest of the 100 mile wilderness by the middle of next week and summit Mt Katahdin the next day of the weather cooperates.
Date: 2018-08-17
To: Shaws Hostel Monson ME
Miles today: 0.0

This is my first double zero of the trip. I'm well fed and rested and ready to hike. My rash is still present but healing. I'm going to hit the trail tomorrow and take on the last challenging section until Mt Katahdin. After tomorrow I'll have three days of easier hiking compared to what I've experienced so far in ME. I'll also be passing by a number of lake's with swimming opportunities. I'm really enjoying ME but with all the rules associated with Baxter State Park and summiting Mt. Katahdin, it brings a little anxiety. There are a lot of thru hikers headed that way and camping options in the park are limited. Hopefully this will be my last post until I finish the north part of the trail.
Date: 2018-08-18
To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9

I was really lucky in that five other people had signed up to shuttle to the same starting point as me. It could have costed as much as $70 but I only had to pay $15. It was a wet morning but it quit raining just after I started. I went up and over the last mts as the trail finally began to get easier. I made decent time and was able to get in some decent miles even with the later start. I'm looking forward to some easier hiking.
Date: 2018-08-19
To: Stealth Camp near Nahmakanta Stream
Miles today: 23.1

Woke to a foggy morning and was on trail by 6:30am. A few smaller hills to start but it was mostly smooth flat trail. I made 12 miles by noon and decided to keep going after checking out the lean-to at 19 miles. There was a great view of Katahdin a mile later. This was my biggest mile day by a lot. My feet really felt it and sleep came quickly on this night.
Date: 2018-08-20
To: Rainbow Springs Campsite
Miles today: 18.2

Slept soundly partly from exhaustion and the sound of the river 20 ft from my tent. I was on the trail by 6:30am. It was rougher than yesterday but by ME standards not too bad. I ran into a number of people I know going both north and south. Some had stayed at Shaws in Monson. I made good progress and decided to camp at a dam on a lake but when I got there it was packed with large tents and tarps. The groups had boated there. I moved on thinking they probably wouldn't go to bed at 8pm like me. I hiked another two miles to a quieter campsite.
Date: 2018-08-21
To: Abol Pines Campground
Miles today: 11.2

I slept in until 5:40am given the easier day ahead. It was another nice day for a stroll through the woods. My feet were feeling sore from all of the roots, rocks and mud since I left Shaws the second time. At Abol bridge there is a store and restaurant. I had a burger and a beer and then bought a small resupply. I went across the road to camp at Abol Pines which is a really nice state run campsite. I stayed in a shelter there and shared in the goodies when a hikers mom showed up with doughnuts and beer. I went to bed early to get a early start in the morning. Rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Date: 2018-08-22
To: The Birches Lean-to
Miles today: 9.7

I was up early and headed for the kiosk where thru hikers sign up to stay at the Birches, a shelter and tenting area for thru hikers getting ready to summit Katahdin. There is room for only 12. I wanted to secure a spot and also get there before it started raining. I wanted to have dry feet on summit day. I accomplished both as I covered the easy 9 miles quickly. It started raining around 1pm and I spent the afternoon eating and napping in one of the two shelters. I also secured a permit to summit Katahdin and borrowed a small pack. Later that night ianother hikers mom showed up with a bunch of pizzas, cookies and build drinks. The group are all of them. Much thanks to the two moms who showed up the last couple nights with trail magic. I was in bed early in anticipation of the big day ahead.
Date: 2018-08-23
To: Millinocket ME
Miles today: 5.2

I woke up to a sound no one wants to hear on a day heading for high elevation - wind. I was the first one out of the Birches headed up the mt. The first part of the trail was easy. Then it became steep folowed by some rock scrambling and climbing. After that I got above tree line and the wind started to push me around. I crossed an exposed ridge that was nerve racking and I was glad I couldn't see far ahead. After finally getting up the long ridge I came to the tablelands which are an easier hike. Another climb up an even windier slope brought me to the summit. I had a day hiker take a traditional picture of me on the summit sign. I almost got blown off but held on for a few photos. I was able to get a few glimpses of views from the top. As I began my descent the clouds cleared and I could see the beautiful views. I can see how this mt creates powerful emotions in thru hikers- - It is a very symbolic northern end of the trail. There was a lot of hikers heading up as I descended including a number of thru hikers I know. Handshakes and hugs were exchanged knowing we probably wouldn't see each other again. I got back down by 2pm collected my pack and got a ride from a kind ME family on the second car. They dropped me at a hostel in Millinocket.
Date: 2018-08-24
To: Bus Transportation
Miles today: 0.0

The ME family that gave me a ride yesterday picked me up at the post office and gave me a ride to the Bangor ME bus station. They were camped nearby and on their way home. I'm still impressed by total strangers kindness. Our conversation about outdoor pursuits and family was great. I started my bus journey on a half full bus with a nice ride to Boston. It was downhill from there. The Boston bus station was packed, Greyhound staff was overwhelmed and chaos ensued. My bus for NYC left over an hour late with almost no information given to passengers. My connection in NYC was even worse with total chaos and a very angry crowd. After they overloaded a couple buses I finally boarded a bus at 3am, two hours late and bound for Richmond VA.
Date: 2018-08-25
To: Daleville VA Howard Johnson
Miles today: 0.0

I got a few hours of sleep on the bus ride from NYC to Washington DC. Over half the passengers got off there and I was able to get a sandwich and Gatorade before we left for Richmond VA. One more bus transfer and another four hour ride and I was in Roanoke. I got a shuttle to the HoJo in Daleville and it felt like I was just here. This is where I started my hike from four months ago. I had dinner at the Mexican restaurant across the road. I'm totally exhausted as bus transportation is harder than hiking. I may take tomorrow off to resupply, rest and wait for a package I have at the post office when it opens again on Monday. Sleep should come easy tonight.
Date: 2018-08-26
From: Daleville VA Howard Johnson

To: Daleville VA Howard Johnson
Miles today: 0.0

I am ready to get back on trail tomorrow. I need to stop at the post office to mail home warm clothes and then stop to get a fuel canister. After that I change teams from nobo to sobo and begin hiking south. I'm rested and resupplied and ready to enjoy the southern third of the trail. I hope I have as much fun as I did on the northern two thirds.