morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-09-13
From: Andover, ME - Day 178

To: 10 Miles Closer to Katahdin! - Day 179
Miles today: 10.0

We had a great breakfast at the General Store then hit the Trail by 8:00am. Four miles to climb 1500 feet is a nice gentle climb. I remember the AT used to be this easy. Descending the same 1500 feet over two miles is tough and slow. After lunch we faced another 1500 over .8mi that really looked hard. After an hour of climbing, AWOL showed us only .4 miles ahead AWOL is wrong! Crusher hiked up and showed us his Guthook app which showed we had hiked 1.2 miles. Whew! It was great to hike with Crusher again. He had been sick and recuperating for five days and still caught up with us. Over the next hour, he and I compared our travels thru the Whites. He will hike on so we said our goodbyes. I hope to see him at Trail Days! Our shuttle took us back to Andover. Chatterbox greeted us at the Hostel. We last saw him at Silver Fox's house in Manchester Center in August. We missed him by a day in Hanover. It was great to catch up. Boy did he chatter! The chicken pesto pizza from the General Store is fantastic. I can't believe I ate the whole thing! We are back at the cabin for the last night. Hiker midnight is 10:00pm. Our CabinGeneral Store photo by BearwalkerSurplus Pond near HanoverHandicapped Accessible WITH a RegisterTrail Talker, White Owl, IWOX & ChatterboxCrusher
Date: 2016-09-14
From: 10 Miles Closer to Katahdin! - Day 179

To: Beamis Mt Lean-to - Day 180
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: scattered clouds

The Red Hen in Andover serves a great breakfast. I had a Greek omelet with homemade wheat toast. We all needed to go to the post office and waited until it opened at 9:15. That made a late start for hiking: 10:15 on the Trail. The day became a "do the miles day" with rain or drizzle until dark. We only made 8.7 miles. Tomorrow will be a long day into Rangely. Goodnight at 8:15!Marmalade's photo og The Little Red HenLittle Red Hen Cafe and Bakery photo by Trip The LightMap of Andover to Maine, thanks Racoon!
Date: 2016-09-15
From: Beamis Mt Lean-to = Day 180

To: Route 17, Height of Land - Day 181
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: scattered clouds

We were able to get an early start, planning to do 17.7 to Rangeley, then take a zero to resupply. It would be tough. However, my friend AT Gracie wanted to meet us. We rescheduled the day. We would meet Gracie at the first road crossing in the morning, go to Rangeley, resupply and hike the final 13 miles on Friday. This eliminates the zero but we would get all the chores done. Gracie met us at 11:30. I had met Gracie at Trail Days in 2015 and we have been friends ever since. She lives in Maine and loves to do trail magic. She drove 3 hours to reach us! Thanks Gracie!!! We had a restful afternoon after a restaurant lunch and shopping. Gracie had to leave after supper because she has to work Friday. Hiker midnight is 7:45, goodnight! Gracie
Date: 2016-09-16
From: Route 17, Height of Land - Day 181

To: Rangeley, Farmhouse Inn - Day 182
Miles today: 13.0

Thanks to AT Gracie, we got a good night's rest in Rangeley. We got a shuttle back to Height of Land. We slack packed the 13 miles to get back to Rangeley. Finally, there is a break in the terrain. With only a few climbs and descents the hiking was great! At the first shelter, some grey jays were eyeing our snacks. White Owl got the jays to eat out of his hand. I got two great pictures of the birds in flight. Trail Talker was eating a granola bar and a jay swooped down and bit off a piece! Another jay then ate off of my hand! At the campsite, 4 miles later, I took a canoe ride. Later, I came to a group of young men from the Maine Conservation Corps fixing the trail. I complimented them: it is the best trail section I have seen. They dug a huge ditch, built up the trail and then made a rock wall on the side of the ditch. It looks great! The highlight of my day was hiking the last two miles with Peril. He is a thirty year old psychologist from Massachusetts. We had a nice long conversation getting acquainted and sharing our hiking stories. We dined again in Rangeley and Peril joined us. Fremont also joined us. The day ended with a great conversation at dinner.Goodnight at 9:00pm.Today's fog covered view of Rangeley LakeThis Privy is on the Trail!CanoeingFantastic Trail Work!Full MoonJourney's photo of the Farmhouse InnAtlas photo of the Farmhouse Inn
Date: 2016-09-17
From: Rangeley, Farmhouse Inn - Day 182

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to - Day 183
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The Moose Loop in Rangeley serves a great breakfast. I had a veggie omolet with feta cheese, Yum. We stayed late for White Owl to get his new shoes at the Post Office. They did not arrive. That made a late start at 10:15. In two miles we came to Piazza Rock. It looks like a ship slid down the mountain and lodged between rocks. Saddleback Mountain was the first of three mountains to climb. Each had a 360 view. Today we night hiked to get to the shelter, trying to make up for the late start. Dark was at 7:00pm and we arrived at the shelter at 7:30. We are planning to increase our daily miles to over 12. I hope Maine is kind to us, to help us reach our goal. Goodnight at 9:00pm. Town ClothesTrail Talker, Peril, and IWOXIWOX and Trail Talker with Cribbage Board in Privy at Piazza Rock Lean-ToPiazza RockOn SaddlebackSaddleback Mountain, Marmalade PhotoView from Saddleback by ForrestPoplar Ridge Lean-to photo by Arius
Date: 2016-09-18
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to - Day 183

To: Camp passed Sugarloaf Mtn - Day 184
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: overcast clouds

8:15 was hiking time. Our goal is to utilize all daylight but we missed today. We need to start sooner. The day began with an easy descent and we made great time. The next mountain, Lone Mountain, was not a hard climb. We were gaining confidence that we could make 14 miles before dark. The Trail struck back. The descent of Sugarloaf Mountain was treacherous!! The last miles of the day was not as difficult as it looked in AWOL, so we arrived at camp just after dark. I broke one of my poles today when I fell. I will have to contact Leki for a replacement. Today's milestone was passing a plaque with 200 miles to go! Goodnight at 8:54.More photos coming soon, battery too low!
Date: 2016-09-19
From: Camp passed Sugarloaf Mtn - Day 184

To: Cranberry Stream Campsite - Day 185
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Beginning of my 7th month on the Trail. South Crocker and North Crocker Mountains were our first obstacles of the day. We conquered both 4000 foot peaks by 9:30am. A gentle descent of 5 miles got us to Stratton by 1:00pm, with a big hamburger and loads of fries waiting for us at The White Wolf. We were able to resupply quickly and get back on the Trail by 4:00pm and to our campsite by 5:00. A 9.5 mile day seemed as restful as a zero. White Owl has stayed back to solve his shoe problem. He also needs some zero days to regain his strength. Trail Talker and I need to push on because we are both facing the issue of returning home. My Leki pole problem will not be resolved easily. I found a stick I am using. I borrow Trail Talker's pole to use in my tent. We will be making use of all available sunlight to make bigger miles now. Goodnight at 7:30 for a 5:30 wake up call.
Date: 2016-09-20
From: Cranberry Stream Campsite - Day 185

To: Little Bigelow Lean-To -Day 186
Miles today: 13.1

Today was tough. The good news is that this should be the last really tough day before Katahdin. We were hiking by 7:00am. It's a good thing, because we did not finish until after dark, around 7:30pm. The Bigelows were fabulous! Two peaks exceeded 4000 feet. Both were rock climbs with little vegetation. The 360 views were great. The winds were gusting at 35 mph. We are not seeing many hikers. There are 5 in the shelter tonight and the tone is that of being tired. I am tired and my feet hurt more than they have in a long time. We got a text from White Owl and he is safely in Stratton. He is taking a zero so he will be 1-2days behind us. Hiker midnight is 8:44. Flagstaff Lake view from BigelowNot Yet's photo of the BigelowsJochen's: The view of Avery Peak, West Peak, and South Hornfrom the summit of Little Bigelow Mountain. Another view on Avery Peak by Lucky DogLittle Bigelow Lean-to, Maryland Edge's photo
Date: 2016-09-21
From: Little Bigelow Lean-To - Day 186

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To - Day 187
Miles today: 17.7

Finally, Maine has released us. We did 17.7 miles in 10 hours! This is our first day hiking over 15 miles in more than a month. There were two small hills over seven miles, then flat terrain for over ten miles. We arrived at the shelter by 5:30. First thing we heard was, "You're getting free breakfast tomorrow!" Pizza, who has been on our pace for a few days, had met Wanderer in New Hampshire and was given a card to give hikers breakfast at a nearby campground. Everyone at the shelter tonight is included! Yea! This is the first food we have received as Trail Magic in a long time. Hikers here tonight are Ghost Buster, Pizza, Tetris, Spark and Peril. Trail Talker and I are in the shelter again tonight. This gives us a little extra time in the morning for packing up. Hiker midnight is 7:30. We are anticipating a big breakfast. 40 feet from the shelter is the Pierce Pond. This photo was taken by Rash!
Date: 2016-09-22
From: Pierce Pond Lean-To - Day 187

To: Caratunk - Day 188
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

Everyone in the shelter got free breakfast compliments of Wannabe, a 2015 thru-hiker. It was great! Tim Harrison brought out a plate full of pancakes and I thought it would be in the center for everyone. No! It was one serving per person of 12 pancakes! Eggs and sausage was also served. I packed out seven pancakes. There is a keyboard in the dining room and I found some music I could play, including an easy version of Moonlight Sonata. Our hike today was short, only 3.6 to the Kennebec River then .4 to town. Hikers are required to ride in a canoe across the river because the water can rise rapidly causing dangerous conditions. Trail Talker helped paddle us across. We had reservations at the Sterling Inn and arrived before noon. I played the piano here for an hour. We watched a movie and rested up. After supper at a local restaurant, we organized our resupply to get an early start tomorrow. Hiker midnight is 9:00pm.The night sounds at the shelter were mostly Loons but I also heard a moose. Swamp Fox's photo of Sterling Inn
Date: 2016-09-23
From: Caratunk - Day 188

To: Bald Mt. Brook Lean-To - Day 189
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

We arrived at the trail by 8:00am to drizzling rain, which ended by noon. The morning was flat and fast. Pleasant Pond Mountain slowed us down. Then we were able to get our 14.7 miles done before 6:00pm. We met 3 new hikers at the shelter: Sandman, Red Beard and PBS. They sing a lot so we joined right in and then had them sing a Moose song that Peril taught us. Bad Penny joined in singing too. Red Beard said that singing ought to bring a moose right here! We want to do over 15 miles tomorrow to stage a short hike to Monson on Sunday. Good night at 8:00pm.News from the Home Front: Tim sent Jill a package containing a small plunger to put to her forehead, a Twinkie is tied on the end of the handle. Also, a small compass is in the Handle. This should speed up her pace! Trail Talker, Eric, and IWOXView atop Pleasant Pond MountainLynn Walters photo of Pleasant Pond Mountain
Date: 2016-09-24
From: Bald Mt. Brook Lean-To - Day 189

To: Stealth camp - Day 190
Miles today: 15.9

We enjoyed great conversation at breakfast. PBS is named because he is a fan of PBS, especially Mr. Rogers, Reading Rainbow and Bob Ross. Not your typical 30 something. He is a teacher. We hiked out at 7:00am to face Moxie Bald Mountain, the LAST mountain before Katahdin. We conquered it! The rest of the day was very easy, including two river fords. We got 15.9 miles by 6:00pm and found a flat spot. We have heard from White Owl that he has giardia. He is getting medication and rest. We are both sad that we have to hike on without him, since we thought for a long time we would summit together. We miss him! He should still be able to finish before Katahdin closes. Hiker midnight is 7:30. Tomorrow is a nero to Monson!More News from the Home Front!:Tim has informed Jill that when she gets to Katahdin, that since she was able to walk there, she should be able to just turn around and walk back!!!!!! Sandyman, Trail Talker, Red Beard, IWOX, PBS
Date: 2016-09-25
From: Stealth camp - Day 190

To: Monson, ME - Day 191
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: clear sky

Jill wrote this in her Guest Book on Sunday 9.25: Hi Everyone! We arrived in Monson this morning and I had a second breakfast. We will start the 100 mile wilderness tomorrow, so I probably won't have cell service for a week. Thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement. Silver Fox, yes the loons called and a moose cried out! Talk to you soon. The following was received Oct 3rd along with all the other great days to follow!Today is a short 6.1 miles to Monson, our last town. By hitting the trail at 7:00, we arrived at the road at 10:30. Two vehicles stopped when we stuck out our thumbs. The truck went past us, around a corner so we took the second. Laurie said it was her 80 year old father ahead and he goes to a safer spot. She then signaled him to continue to town. We hit Pete's Place for a second breakfast. Shaw's is a great hostel. First, I played the piano. Red Beard loves to sing and we went thru a book of children's and folk songs. He especially liked " The Ballad of Davy Crockett." Then Trail Talker and I got showers, laundry and resupply done. Supper was at the Lakeshore House. I ate a Reuben, even better than the last one I had. Hiker midnight is 8:30 after making phone calls. (Jill's pictures not received yet) Jill and Diane plans to hike the 100 miles in 6 days, 16.6 miles per day. "It's already turning very cold at night!" Shaws
Date: 2016-09-26
From: Monson, ME - Day 191

To: Vaughn Stream Stealth - Day 192
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Shaw's is a very nice hostel. Poet and Hippychick are 2008 hikers. Breakfast was bacon, eggs and hashbrowns followed by unlimited blueberry pancakes. My only problem is that the shuttle was scheduled for 8:00am and it didn't run until 9:15. This may not be a problem to the young hikers, but we lost critical daylight and were no able to make our miles. We are on a tight schedule thru the 100 mile wilderness, trying to get thru in 6 days. We were told the first 50 miles are rough and that is true. The roots, rocks and bogs slow the pace. We also had to ford a river, which took extra time changing shoes. We tried to gain some time by hiking after dark. At 7:30, we were so tired, we took the first available flat spot. Goodnight at 9:00pm.
Date: 2016-09-27
From: Vaughn Stream Stealth - Day 192

To:  Stealth - Day 193
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Today was NOT a good day! My right knee was throbbing when I woke up. I was worried it would give out, with only a week left. The terrain today was unforgiving. The pain eased up some, especially when I did several stretching moves Trail Talker recommended. We hustled to make miles, but it was a very hard day. All I could think about was I want this to be over. We were trying to reach a campsite, but again could not make the miles, stopping at a very small flat spot, again after dark. We crashed. Goodnight!
Date: 2016-09-28
From:  Stealth - Day 193

To: LOGAN Brook Lean-To - Day 194
Miles today: 14.7

Today is a new day! I woke up with no pain! Those stretches, plus vitamin I (ibuprofen) worked. We had no water, so we packed up and hiked. We were about a tenth of a mile from the campsite! However, it was a quarter mile off the trail, so we saved a half mile by stealth camping. The spring at .6 miles was nonexistent. After an hour, we came to a nice stream that wasn't in the book. Breakfast was great! The first 7 miles were flat and easy. What a nice change! We knocked out those miles by noon. Then we faced 3 mountains. They were easy too. White Cap is really our last mountain. We got a good view of Mt.Katahdin. It is still 65 miles away. We arrived at the shelter before dark and settled in. We are happy again!
Date: 2016-09-29
From: LOGAN Brook Lean-To - Day 194

To: Antlers Campground - Day 195
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: moderate rain

Another great day! Varina, a German Shepherd slept next to me in the shelter part of the night, then she slept outside in the cold. The morning was really cold! (Cathy wants to know if it was because of all the snoring) We faced 3 small climbs first, covering 7 miles by 11:30. Then we sped up on flat terrain. We made 19.6 by 5:40 pm. This is great, because it sets us up nicely for arriving at Abol bridge by Saturday. We will be able to buy food early and hopefully get to the base of Katahdin early Sunday afternoon. We are meeting fewer other hikers, but still enjoying their company. We met Brooklyn, who had lost his socks and was having foot problems, especially cold feet in his sandals. Trail Talker had an extra pair she gave him and boy was he happy! He has hiked on. We are settled in at Antlers Campground by the shore of Lake Jo Mary, a beautiful place to camp. It is getting very cold! Hiker midnight is 8:15.
Date: 2016-09-30
From: Antlers Campground - Day 195

To: Stealth Camp, 18.7 Miles - Day 196
Miles today: 18.7

I woke up COLD! Then I looked over the lake at a BEAUTIFUL sunrise. We packed up and hit the trail by 7:30. We are tired and it takes us longer to get going. The trail continued to be mostly flat, but we were dragging. We enjoyed hiking with Faux McCoy, a section hiker from Cape Cod. He had passed us yesterday, and we passed him today. After lunch at noon, we came up to a couple sitting by a stream. Looking closely, I recognized Laurie from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper's Ferry. She and her husband, Dick, are sectioning in the Wilderness. I ran over and hugged both of them. I met them in 2008 at Trail Days and have seen them many times. Dick noticed my broken hiking pole and offered me his poles. I said I would be okay. We hiked on. At the next road, another section hiker, Old Moose, was packing up his car to leave. He offered us food. Although we had just finished lunch, we ate everything he offered us: bagels with peanut butter, candy bars, fruit bars. We are like we hadn't eaten in a week. Then he gave us his leftover dinners and a breakfast for later. Wow, what Trail Magic! Then Laurie and Dick hiked in. Dick said I had time to think about the poles and I should take his. Okay, I did. He was happy that his poles would go up Katahdin. He took my stick and both poles. We will swap back sometime in the future. I introduced Dick and Laurie to Old Moose, who is a trail maintainer. We left them as they were discussing The Trail. Energized by the Magic food, Trail Talker conquered the next obstacle: an 800 foot climb. We finished the day at dark, not quite as far as we planned, but anticipating reaching Abol Bridge tomorrow. Old Moose's split soup made a great supper. Goodnight at 8:30. Reading the Shelter LogShelter Log Posts by Nora, Turnip, and LimeyBlade and her dog ScoutLovely view of Katahdin
Date: 2016-10-01
From: Stealth Camp, 18.7 Miles - Day 196

To: Abol Bridge - Day 197
Miles today: 18.0

We finished the 100 mile wilderness today! 6 days averaging 16.3 miles per day! We got a good start at 7:30, but the terrain was not as easy as AWOL makes it look. There were several climbs not showing in the book and most of the trail today was rocky and rooty. Trail Talker had a nasty fall so we took a long break to let her rest up. Otherwise, it was a good day. Yesterday, we had a topic of conversation: name every live play you have attended. This took a couple of hours as we shared back and forth. Today, our conversation was aristocratic: everything was said in a stuffy manner. We laughed a lot as we sang and talked. We arrived at Abol Bridge at 5:45, expecting the restaurant to be closed for the season, as stated in AWOL. It was open due to the weekend tourist traffic. We got a nice meal, then rented bunks. Hikers had been warning us that the weather forecast for Katahdin did not look good for our summit. However, the forecast at the store now shows partly sunny and 61 degrees for Monday the 3rd. We expect 20 degrees colder on the mountain, but that is better than freezing rain and snow. We can do it! Goodnight at 8:30 from my bunk.
Date: 2016-10-02
From: Abol Bridge - Day 197

To: Shelter at The Birches Campground - Day 198
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

TWO DAYS LEFT! The rent at Abol Bridge includes breakfast, so we ate and ate and ate. Ghost Buster joined us at breakfast. The hike today would be easy: flat and under 10 miles, so we could take a little extra time in the morning. Rechecking the weather forecast showed good weather for summiting on the 3rd. We hiked out at 9:30. Right away we met Long John, the trail steward. We had lots of questions about the logistics of camping at the Birches and summiting. He was a wealth of information. We would be the first to sign in to the Birches, so that relieved our worries about where to stay. He also told us about taking the Abol Trail down instead of simply backtracking. We like that idea. We hiked on and registered for our shelter site. The hike was fun. We ate lunch by the river. We rock hopped two streams. We met Hot Wheels and Caboose from Indiana, who were very excited to meet us. They wanted our picture. Caboose is 70 and is hiking 70 miles of the AT this year, 5 miles in each state. Go ladies! We came to the ranger station at 3:15. I am thruhiker number 1040 (pretty cool since I am a tax preparer!) We are settled in the shelter, getting ready for tomorrow. Our day packs are set and we are excited. Over and out at 5:00pm, estimating hiker midnight by 7:30.Trail Talker, Caboose, IWOX and Hot Wheels