morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-30
From: ME 15 - NOBO Mile Marker 2077.5

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to 
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: few clouds

Leaving Shaw¢s was very hard.  After a huge bacon, egg, hash brown, coffee, orange juice and AYCE blueberry pancakes breakfast, all I wanted to do was go lay down somewhere and take a nap.Shaw¢s shuttle took me back to the trail where ME 15 crosses the AT. Yesterday I did a short three mile slack pack from this spot southward to where I got off to walk into Monson on Saturday afternoon.  The trail north is the official start of the one hundred mile wilderness. On the other end is Abol Bridge which is right before you enter Baxter State Park.  The one hundred miles wilderness is a very mystical place for most hikers.  The fact that there is literally nothing for one hundred miles is very intimidating for most.  You either have to carry six to seven days of food or arrange a food drop half way.  I decided to carry six days of food which requires me to put in fifteen miles a day so I don¢t run out.  As a bonus there is little to no cell reception, so if you get injured it may be a while until you get out.Today¢s hike was mostly small ups and downs.  The best sight all day was Little Wilson Falls which are the highest falls on the AT in Maine.  This area of Maine has a great deal of slate rocks.  The Little Wilson Falls flows over a slate cliff and down into a slate catch basin.  The contrast of the white bubbles from the water cascading over the black slate is very beautiful.  The pic above is of the top one third of the falls.My long day ended at the Long Pond Stream Lean-to which is positioned above a small waterfall on the Long Pond Stream.
Date: 2019-07-31
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to 

To: Stealth Camp At The West Branch Of The Pleasant River - NOBO Mile Marker 2107.8
Miles today: 15.2

The first two miles of this mornings hike started out with a two thousand foot climb to the top of Barron Mountain - elev 2660.  From there I climbed up and over four additional mountains: Fourth Mountain - elev 2380, Third Mountain - elev 2100, Columbus Mountain - elev 2325, and Chairback Mountain - elev 2180.  Needless to say, by the time I settled at my stealth camping spot next to the West Branch of the Pleasant River, I was beat.  The views from these mountains were fantastic but because of the summer haze  I couldn¢t see as far as on a very clear day.  The pic above is facing north from Chairback Mountain looking at White Cap Mountain - elev 3650 where I will be summiting tomorrow.
Date: 2019-08-01
From: Stealth Camp At The West Branch Of The Pleasant River - NOBO Mile Marker 2107.8

To: East Branch Lean-to 
Miles today: 16.4

Two exciting things happened on my hike today. The first occurred when I summited White Cap Mountain - elev 3650.  The afternoon was very sunny and clear with a little breeze to cool things off.  As I came out of the thick pine forest near the top of the mountain, I looked to the north and I got my first full view of Katahdin.  Katahdin is a little over thirty miles away as the crow flies and about seventy mile away via the wandering AT.  It was a beautiful sight.  I must admit I got a little choked up.  After hiking 1260 miles over the last 115 days, I felt like my goal of summiting Katahdin as part of my journey may actually happen.  I stood and gazed at the majestic peak for quite some time just taking in the moment.  If all goes as planned, I should be standing on top of Katahdin in five days smiling from ear to ear.  The pic above is the view of Katahdin from White Cap Mountain.  I also took a video from the summit of White Cap Mountain looking north towards Katahdin.The second exciting thing that happened today, and I might add, equally important, I SAW MY FIRST MOOSE IN MAINE!  It happened just as I came over Gulf Hagas Mountain - elev 2681.  As I was strolling down the trail and right in front of me, out of the thick woods, walks a huge moose.  She was no more than forty feet in front of me.  I stopped and just looked at her and she stopped and just looked right back at me, most likely just as surprised.  I reached for my phone to take a picture but she just kept walking across the trail and back into the woods.  I did manage to get a picture of her side , but it is a little dark because of the woods.  Maybe next time I can get a selfie with one of these grand animals.
Date: 2019-08-02
From: East Branch Lean-to 

To: Antlers Campsite 
Miles today: 16.0

The trail past White Cap Mountain until I reach the Birches Lean-to in Baxter State Park, roughly the next sixty two miles, is relatively flat.  Today¢s hike proved that out in spades. My pace is usually around two miles per hour, including breaks, but today it was closer to two and three quarters to three miles per hour.  My trail legs that I have been grooming the last two months are in top shape.  I have increased my distance over the last few days to be consistently above fifteen miles per day.Midday I stopped at the Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to for lunch and a swim in Cooper Brook. The falls were right at the lean-to¢s doorstep with a nice big pool of cool water to enjoy.  I was able to convince a SOBO hiker to join me for a dip.  We both soaked our bones for fifteen minutes or so.  When we got out of the water, the other hiker looked at his feet and they were covered with small leechs with one or two medium sized ones.  I always wear my Crocs in the water, but I noticed I had a few on my feet also.  In my zest to get into the refreshing pool, I forgot that most of the ponds and streams in Maine have leechs.  Good news is - they don¢t eat much and they are easy to pull off...Shade Hunter had been telling me over the last few days that his lovely wife, Holly, was flying up from Asheville to be here as he summits Katahdin.  They planned on meeting today where Jo-Mary Road crosses the AT.  This is one of the few roads that enter the one hundred mile wilderness.  Luckily she found her way through the remote backcountry and we all met up in the early afternoon.  Being the kind soul that she is, she brought me a huge triple decker cheese burger and ice tea for some trail magic. What a great surprise.  Without much effort, I managed to eat the whole burger in no time flat.  Thank you Holly for the delicious meal.  It really hit the spot.
Date: 2019-08-03
From: Antlers Campsite 

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to 
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: few clouds

Today I broke the twenty mile mark by walking 21.7 miles. The trail was mostly flat except for one rise over Nesuntabunt Mountain - elev 1520.  I walked along the shoreline of several lakes and streams including Jo-Mary Lake, Pemadumcook Lake, Nahmakanta Lake, Crescent Pond, Pollywog Stream, and Rainbow Stream.  The day started with a beautiful sunrise over Jo-Mary Lake.  The Antlers Campsite where I hung my hammock last night is a peninsula jutting out into Jo-Mary Lake.  I was able to grab one of the sites near the end of the peninsula and position my hammock so I could look east.  I was woken at 5:00 am by the birds singing and a light breeze off the lake.  I watched the sun slowly make its way over the eastern tree line.  It was very inspiring and a wonderful way to start my morning.  The pic above is of the sunrise.Shade Hunter decided to spend the night with Holly in Millinocket and catch up on the last two months they have been apart.  We met up again at mid day near Nahmakanta Lake where an access road crosses the AT.  To my surprise, Mr Hunter brought me a huge salad, hard boiled eggs, banana and ice tea for lunch.  Thanks Shade for the delicious trail magic.  It sure beat the two Clif bars I was planning on eating.After lunch we both hiked hard to get to the Rainbow Stream Lean-to before dark.  We made it there just in time to set up camp before a passing thunderstorm poured rain for an hour.
Date: 2019-08-04
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to 

To: Abol Bridge Campsite - NOBO Mile Marker 2176.9
Miles today: 15.0

Call off the search dogs, I made it through the one hundred mile wilderness!  The wilderness is a very special and challenging place.  Even though most of the terrain is relatively easy, there were a few challenging technical sections.  What I enjoyed the most was the access to the many lakes and streams.  The toughest parts was walking over and around all the tree roots and rocks which cover the trail.  The storm which passed through the area last night made the trail slippery and treacherous.  The roots on the path were especially slick.  I had to watch almost every step so I wouldn¢t fall.  By early afternoon, the slight breeze and warm sunshine dried everything out nicely.  The last three miles of today¢s walk were the best of the day.  The trail pitched upwards slightly to the Rainbow Ledges - elev 1517, where there was a fantastic view of Katahdin, which was only twenty miles away.  The pic above is of Shade Hunter and me on the Rainbow Ledges with Katahdin in the distance.I came out of the woods onto Golden Road and then walked over Abol Bridge which crosses the West Branch of the Penobscot River.  I decided to stay at Abol Bridge Campground for the evening.  The campground is located right past the bridge.  It is a private campground with a nice restaurant and resupply store.  I hung my hammock, took a long overdue shower, did my laundry and settled in at the restaurant for a huge meal and a few beers as a reward for surviving the enchanted 100 mile wilderness.
Date: 2019-08-05
From: Abol Bridge Campsite - NOBO Mile Marker 2176.9

To: Birches Lean-to 
Miles today: 9.9

Today I finally entered Baxter State Park, home of Katahdin.  Upon leaving the Abol Bridge Campsite, I had a short walk on Golden Road and the park entrance is just across Abol Stream.  Baxter State Park was a private gift to the people of Maine by Percival Baxter, a former governor of Maine.  He tried several times as governor to create a park around Katahdin.  When those efforts failed, he decided to create a park on his own.  For 32 years, starting in 1930, Baxter bought and donated land around Katahdin to the State of Maine until, bit by bit, he created a contiguous 201,018 acre park.  The park is visited by over 70,000 people a year.The AT in the park up to the Katahdin Stream Campsite is mostly flat as I walked along the West Branch of the Penobscot River and Nesowadnehunk Stream.  The Nesowadnehunk Stream has many waterfalls and interesting features which I stopped at a few.  Through hikers are required to register when we enter and leave the park.  The park set aside a specific lean-to for the hiker trash near the Katahdin Stream Campsite.  Once I found the lean-to and registered with the park ranger, I decided to take a long overdue afternoon nap before I made my dinner and got myself ready to summit Katahdin tomorrow.
Date: 2019-08-06
From: Birches Lean-to 

To: Summit Of Katahdin - NOBO Mile Marker 2192
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

The day I thought about for the last two months, since I got back on the trail in early June, is finally here.  Today I summited Katahdin - elev 5267.I woke up extra early this morning to stow my gear and meet Shade Hunter at the Katahdin Stream ranger station.  Each hiker who climbs Katahdin must register with the Baxter Park rangers so they know you safely return the same day.  I jumped back on the AT near the Katahdin Stream Campsite where I got off yesterday.  The total distance to the top of Katahdin, from the campsite, is a little over five miles.  The first mile or so is an easy uphill stroll and then it shoots abruptly upwards for the next three miles with an easier climb the last mile to the top.  The three mile middle section is a boulder scramble with a few very technical portions, all on a sixty degree angle.  The total elevation gain from the campsite to the peak is just over 4100 feet.  The tree line ends two miles from the summit, so the views of the surrounding wilderness were stunning as I got closer to the top.  Because I had so much adrenaline pumping for this climb, I was able to make it all the way up in two hours and forty five minutes.As I approached the summit, I had a huge feeling of accomplishment.  All the challenging days leading up to this moment just melted away as I saw the Katahdin sign declaring this point is the ¢Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail¢.After a few moments of quiet reflection, a small toast of the remaining Woodford Reserve my friend Mark brought me, I of course, like all the other hiker trash before me, climbed up on the Katahdin sign and had my picture taken smiling from ear to ear.  The summit of Katahdin is not where my hike ends. I will be taking the next few days off to visit family and friends, who I haven¢t seen for the last two months.  I will then flip down to New York near Pawling/Wingdale and head south to finish my hike in Bland, Virginia.  I plan to be back on the trail by August 15th.  I want to sincerely thank everyone again for all your encouraging telephone calls, texts, and notes in the guest book of this journal which I received over the last few months.  Without your help and positive thoughts, my journey would have been much more difficult.  So please keep those cards and letters coming...
Date: 2019-08-15
From: NOBO Mile Marker 1453.4 Near Wingdale NY

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter 
Miles today: 5.8

I¢m Back For The Third And Final Leg Of My Journey!!!It was very nice to have over a week off the trail to go home and relax. I spent most of the time with Lisa, my loving wife, as well as visiting with my family and a few friends.  In addition, I resupplied for the next few weeks and made a few small adjustments to my equipment.From my summit on Katahdin last Tuesday in Baxter State Park, Shade Hunter and Holly were very gracious to drop me off at the Grey Hound station in Banger ME.  From there I traveled to NYC where I left my pack at my youngest daughter¢s apartment and I flew back to Cincy.  Yesterday, I reversed my steps and flew from Cincy back to NYC.  Unfortunately my flight was delayed and I didn¢t get to my daughter¢s apartment until after midnight.  Because I got in so late last night, I decided to take the 10:00 am train from Grand Central Terminal back to Wingdale, NY where I started my northern trek back on June 4th, but this time I officially became as a SOBO hiker.For all those who are keeping the box score for my trip, let me recap.  On March 3rd, I started my NOBO hike at Springer Mountain, GA.  I hiked 591.7 miles to Bland, VA where I got off the trail on April 28th. After moving my youngest daughter to Manhattan at the end of May, I restarted my hike on June 4th near Wingdale, NY heading north.  On August 6th, after hiking 738.6 miles, I summited Katahdin to make my total trip mileage to date of 1330.3 (this does not include the Amicalola Falls Approach Trail).  With my restart yesterday heading south from Wingdale,  I have 861.7 miles left to get back to Bland VA.  With Maine finished, I have completed my hike in eight states: GA, NC, TN, CT, MA, VT, NH and ME.  I have the following states remaining NY = 88 miles, NJ = 72 miles, PA = 229, MD = 41, WV = 3, and VA = 428.After I got off the train in Wingdale, I had to hike back through the grounds of the now closed Harlem Valley State Psychiatric Hospital again.  Upon further investigation on the web, this hospital was on the leading edge of both electro-shock and lobotomy treatments in its day.  As I walked past the abandoned buildings on this sprawling 900 acre facility, I thought I could hear the faint crackle of electrical sparks and I could swear there was a smell of Thorazine wafting in the air.  I bet if you were here at night, you would see Chief, Mac and Nurse Ratchet roaming the grounds...I made my way to the back of the hospital grounds, past the old hospital cemetery (see pic above of the cemetery gate) and I bushwhacked to the trail where I started my flip-flop hike south.  Because I got such a late start on the day, I decided to stay at the Telephone Pioneers Shelter only a little under six miles for the day.
Date: 2019-08-16
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter 

To: RPH Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8

My hike today was fairly uneventful with only a few opportunities for a view over the New York countryside.  The pic above is from West Mountain - elev 1200, looking east over the Harlem Valley towards Pawling NY.  The trail heading south through New York stays at 1000 feet elevation and is relatively flat as it goes into NJ.  Because it goes through a somewhat populated area, access to restaurants and roadside delis are common.  I decided to stay at the RPH Shelter for the night because of the proximity to the town of Hopewell Junction and the bonus that the local pizza restaurant delivers to the shelter.  Of course I ordered a supreme and a cannoli.  A piping hot pizza sure beats anything I have in my food bag.  To bad they don¢t deliver a couple of beers - and you can bet I did ask...
Date: 2019-08-17
From: RPH Shelter 

To: Greymoor Spiritual Center - SOBO Mile Marker 780.0
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Since I flipped from being way up north in Maine, I¢m trying to adjust to the very warm and humid weather of southeast NY.  It doesn¢t really get unbearable until later in the afternoon.  I¢m trying to get started earlier in the morning but I can¢t seem to break camp before 7:30 am.  I¢m also trying to increase my mileage to above fifteen a day.  By taking lots of water breaks and rests, I usually get to my final stop after 6:00 pm.  Hopefully the weather cools down as we move into September.The hike today was again up and down hovering around the one thousand foot elevation.  The highest point was Shenandoah Mountain - elev 1282.  On top of the mountain, painted on the rock, is an American flag as a 911 Memorial (see pic above).  The view from this mountain was unobstructed and I could see quite far in all directions.  My day ended at the Greymoor Spiritual Center.  This monistary is ran by the Fransiscian Fathers as a retreat center.  The AT runs right through their expansive property.  Since the early seventies the center has let hikers camp at their ball field pavilion.  They have an outdoor shower and several porta johns for our use.  It¢s quite nice to have access to such a beautiful facility.  Needless to say I took full advantage of the outdoor shower after the hot and sticky weather we have been experiencing.  A cold shower does wonders for the blood circulation...
Date: 2019-08-19
From: Stealth Camp At Beechy Bottom Brook - SOBO Mile Marker 794.2

To: Stealth Camp At Little Dam Lake - SOBO Mile Marker 809.2
Miles today: 15.0

After all the excitement of yesterday, today was just another day in the trail.  It was very hot and the humidity was unbearable.  The pop up rain storms which occurred over the last few days visited me in the mid afternoon.  It rained very hard for forty minutes.  Lucky for me I found a rock overhang to duck under for the duration of the storm.  As part of my hike today I passed through the iconic ¢Lemon Squeezer¢.  This is a tight squeeze though two rock ledges.  I had to take off my pack and pull it behind me to get through.  The pic above  shows how tight the squeeze is.  Good news is that all of us hiker trash are fairly thin and almost never get stuck...
Date: 2019-08-20
From: Stealth Camp At Little Dam Lake - SOBO Mile Marker 809.2

To: Warwick Turnpike - SOBO Mile Marker 827.8
Miles today: 18.6

So Long New York - Hello New Jersey!!!Another hot and humid day on the trail.  The last few miles in New York were very challenging.  The trail follows rock ridges which were not very tall but have a very steep approach and decent.  I must have gone over more than a dozen of these.  Some had views of Greenwood Lake but most did not.  The NY / NJ state line was painted on the top of one of the ridges (see pic above).  With NY behind me, I only have six more states to go - NJ, PA, WV, MD and VA.My hike ended near Warwick, NY where I will be getting a hotel for the night and a resupply for next week.
Date: 2019-08-21
From: Warwick Turnpike - SOBO Mile Marker 827.8

To: Stealth Campsite At SOBO Mile Marker - 837.5
Miles today: 9.7

After a very restful night at the Warwick Motel and a mid morning resupply at the Shop-Rite grocery, I was back on the trail by 1:00 pm.  It was very hard to leave my motel room this morning with the cool a/c knowing that it was going to very hot and humid again.Once I got my pace, I was able to move fairly quickly on the nearly level trail.  The highest point on the hike was atop Wawayanda Mountain - elev 1340.  The views to the west from the Pinwheels Vista were spectacular (see pic above).  After I came down the steep southwest side of the mountain, the trail flattened out again for the next several miles.  For a mile of this section, a boardwalk was constructed over a swampy area.  It was very peaceful to walk among the tall swamp grasses and flowers.  A pic of the boardwalk is in the photo gallery.My walk today concluded at a stealth campsite near a small stream half way up Pochuck Mountain - elev 1147.  I hung my hammock, ate a couple of cream cheese and tuna on pita bread sandwich¢s for dinner, filtered some water for tomorrow¢s hike, took a hobo bath in the small stream and crawled into my hammock for the night.
Date: 2019-08-22
From: Stealth Campsite At SOBO Mile Marker - 837.5

To: Stealth Campsite At SOBO Mile Marker - 856.5
Miles today: 19.0

I stealth camped last night half way up Pochuck Mountain  - elev 1147, which meant I had to climb up the other half of the mountain the first thing this morning. Once I got to the top there was a nice breeze to break up the morning heat.  Past Pochuck Mountain, the trail is flat for the next three plus miles.  A good portion of that walk was through the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was filled with wildflowers.  It was wonderful to stroll through the wet grass and listen to the symphony of birds singing and frogs croaking.A few miles from the refuge, the trail passed within a half of a mile of Unionville NJ.  Unionville is a very small town with one stop light, a small general store, and Annabel¢s Pizza restaurant.  Because the town and more specifically Annabel¢s is so close to the trail, I decided to stop and have a couple slices of pizza for lunch.  I sat on Annabel¢s porch and watched the hustle and bustle of this small town for a few minutes eating my delicious pizza.  On the way back to the trail, I passed the general store.  A couple of my fellow hiker trash were enjoying their lunch on the stores porch.  Of course I had to stop and catch up with the latest trail news.  These types of conversations always go better with a pint of ice cream, so I got a pint of vanilla caramel swirl and visited with the other hikers for the better part of thirty minutes. Back on the trail, I passed the highest point in NJ, Kittatinny Mountain - elev 1803.  On the top of the mountain is a 220 foot tall obelisk built in 1930 as a war memorial and observation tower.  The pic above is the memorial.As you might guess, it rain again in the afternoon. This time instead of trying to find a place to keep dry, I just hiked through the afternoon storm. The cool rain felt good against my overheated body.  The storm only lasted twenty minutes or so, just enough time to get me soaked.  I hiked into the early evening until I heard the distant thunder again. I decided to stop and put up my tarp and as well did it began to pour again.  I thought I had enough for one day so I hung my hammock and after a quick dinner, I called it a night.
Date: 2019-08-23
From: Stealth Campsite At SOBO Mile Marker - 856.5

To: Brink Shelter 
Miles today: 15.3

The rain last night kept up most of the night and finally stopped in the early morning.  Behind the rain was the cool front they forecasted. The morning temperature was a very nice mid sixties and low humidity. The overall hike today was fairly easy like the last few days.  The high point was on top of Sunrise Mountain - elev 1653 and climbing up the Culver Fire Tower - elev 1543.  Both of these points had great views of the New Jersey countryside.  The pic above is looking south from the Culver Fire Tower.