morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-08-31
From: Pinkham Notch Visitors Center

To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 13.1

8/31/2015 Day 152 - I started out with a good breakfast at the Pinkham visitors center and hit the trail. The climb up the first Wildcat peak was steep and tough, but the trail has been maintained well with stone steps in several spots. Grey Goat caught up with me and we pretty much hiked together for the rest of the day. Sometimes conversation passes the time quicker. The Wildcats are covered with small lines, moss, and ferns with dead falls pretty thick in spots. When we reached the top of the 1st peak we encountered a ski gondola that is still in operation in the summer for sightseers. We reached Carter Hut at about 1:15 or so and had a tasty bowl of what I think was potato soup. A thru hiker who just finished, Moose Head, was cooking in the kitchen. He said that he finished his home on the 21st of August and started work at the hostel on the 23rd. It was another rough climb up and over Carter Dome and Carter Mountain before we would get to Imp campground over 7 miles away. We made it there at just after 6 pm and shared the 10 person shelter with the caretaker and a local veteran hiker named Dale. There was also a college group at one of the tent sites who I felt a little sorry for because the wind was blowing fairly hard and they just had 1 big tarp for the 10 of them. The shelter blocked the wind completely so we had it good. Good day of hiking.
Date: 2015-09-01
From: Imp Shelter

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 8.0

9/1/2015 Day 153 - Grey Goat and I left the shelter at 7:05 am and climbed 2 smaller peaks before heading downhill and the. A nice easy trail to Hwy 2. Grey Goat called Paul at the Barn Hostel for a ride, but he was busy taking an injured hiker to the hospital. We decided to hitch and caught a ride with a local teacher to the hostel instead. A very nice man who seemed to know quite a few people in town. He said that he taught a lot of them in school. The hostel is pretty nice, but rustic. Paul took us to Walmart for supplies and then dropped us off at a Chinese Buffet to eat. I didn't need anything with he exception of fuel because I receive the package Eric sent me at the post office. A lady hiker by the name of Black Foot joined us for dinner as well. I'm going to head out in the morning. Next stop is Andover, ME. I hiked 8.0 miles today.
Date: 2015-09-02
From: Andover, ME

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

9/2/2015 Day 154 - Grey Goat decided to zero today because his legs were tired. I went down to Welsh's Diner and had the hungry man breakfast. The diner has a warm, comfortable atmosphere and the waitress was the best I've seen in years. She was there right when I needed to order or a coffee refill and was very pleasant. Paul gave me a ride to the trail head. I have to admit I'm pretty tired after the whites, but after that Nero a couple of days ago at Pinkham Notch, I don't think a zero so soon should be A good idea. After hiking just a couple of miles I started leap frogging other hikers I last saw at Pinkham, like Bilbo, Finch, and Raydon. I also met Amish who looks the part with his beard, no mustache and a flat straw hat. I don't thinks he's Amish though. I stopped and ate with this group at a stream around 12:30. They're going to push for Carlo Col campsite just across the border in Maine about 17 miles from Route 2, where I started this morning, but I was shooting for Gentian Pond Shelter, Just 11.8 from Rte. 2. I got to the shelter by 4 and met 2 section hikers, Tom and Jim, who are brothers who have been hiking the trail together since 2002. They are finishing up for the year tomorrow. I'm staying in the shelter with them and a few thru hikers are tenting on nearby platforms. There's a rumor that moose sometimes drink at the pond below near dawn, so I'll be looking for them when I get up.
Date: 2015-09-03
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6

9/3/2015 Day 155 - The terrain today was tough. I heard south-bounders say that southern main was harder than the Whites. I now believe them. I hiked 9.6 mile in about 8.5 hours. It's not the elevation so much, it's the terrain. Steep Granite slabs and challenging vertical rock structures are what slow you down. To add a little more challenge there was a thunderstorm and rain during some of the most difficult parts today. I like the challenging obstacles every once in a while, but I was glad to hit Full Goose Shelter this afternoon, even if it was only 3:30. I met 2 NoBos who I don't think I've met before; 612 and Dabs. Oh yeah, I'm in Maine! Last state.
Date: 2015-09-04
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Bald Pate Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

9/4/2015 Day 156 - This morning I hiked Mahoosuc Notch, the hardest mile on the AT, or so they say. I got up at 5:30 and packed up as quietly as I could. The other 8 people in the shelter didn't appear to want get up that early. Mac Daddy and Dirty Peanut did get up before I left though. It was a couple of miles of hiking before the Notch, which served as a good warm up before I hit the hard stuff.Mahoosuc Notch is a narrow corridor with massive granite rocks along most of it. You have to find your way through, over, and in a couple of places, under them. I had a lot of fun with it. Right after the Notch I got to climb Mahoosuc ARM, a steep mountain that is pretty challenging itself, especially after the Notch.After reaching the top of the arm I stopped at the Speck Shelter and ate lunch. I was the only one there. I finished climbing Speck Mountain and started my descent on a nice easy trail where I saw a lot of day hikers. The trail continued to be very nice to hike the rest of the day and I made up a little time. I met a young man who had a lot of questions about the AT and hiked with him for a while.   I bumped into Mac Daddie and Dirty Peanut and found out that Mac Daddy lost a bet and hiked Mahoosuc Notch in the buff. A lady saw him and took his picture. She apparently was quite amused. I hiked into Bald Pate Shelter at a little after 7 pm where I was met by large, but nice, group of young weekend hikers. They're all tenting, so I thought I had the shelter to myself until Mac Daddy and Dirty Peanut showed up at around 8 pm. A long day of hiking. A total of 12.0 miles in 12 hours. Considering that included Mahoosuc Notch and ARM, not too bad.
Date: 2015-09-05
From: Bald Pate Shelter

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 8.0

9/5/2015 Day 157 - I made up my mind to hike to the first road that took me into Andover, ME. I was getting low on food and didn't want to stretch it out until the next road 10 miles away. Mac Daddy and Dirty Peanut passed me by and we're going to try to go 18 miles to the next road to go to Andover. I called the Pine Ellis Lodge right after the Frye Notch Lean-to and arranged for a ride. The lady said that a shuttle driver would be a little late, but would pick me up in 2 hours. It was only about 3.5 miles to the road, so I figured I had plenty of time. Even stepping it out though, I made it there right before the shuttle driver. She was a nice elderly lady who drove quite well, and fast, on the back road. The Pine Ellis Lodge is your standard fare and more than good enough for me. They have a hiker resupply pantry that had just about every thing I needed, even the elusive spam in a packet, which I love so much.Tiger Mike was already here, as well as a few other hikers. I went to the Red Hen restaurant for all you can eat pizza with Spike and Shredder, two flip-floppers I met a while back. A nice easy day to rest up.
Date: 2015-09-06
From: Andover, ME

To: Stealth Camping 1946.7
Miles today: 14.4

9/6/2015 Day 158 - I had some pretty good luck today. I started out by eating a really good breakfast in Andover at the market, then getting a ride to the trailhead with Tiger Mike and Winston. Tiger Mike is a nice guy, a police officer btw, and tries to help anyone who asks. I walked a little faster than both today and was walking solo before I knew it. I stop for breaks a couple of times but soon had Wyman and Moody mountains behind me. Moody was steep, and pretty tough. The trail was actually well maintained, but it was quite steep. I was a little tired when I got to South Arm Road, but was met by the first trail Angels I've seen in a couple of states. I was given plenty to eat and a beer to boot. One of the guys also volunteers to maintain the next section of trail I was going to hike. He thru hiked the trail in 2008. I wish I could remember his name. Real nice guy. He had a couple of friends with him, one of whom was his hockey coach from high school who he recently got in touch with again after at least 40 years. I hiked up Old Blue Mountain, which was quite the chore and was lucky to find an excellent stealth spot at 1946.7, right when it was getting dark. It's a great site with a flat spot for my tent and a fire ring already to go. After looking around a bit I found a small bottle of Canadian Mist behind an old rusted flat head shovel head. It was about a third full and written on its side was, " from MAGS with love". Another thru hikers I'm sure I've met in the past. I hiked a total of 14.4 miles today. Not too shabby considering.
Date: 2015-09-07
From: Stealth Camping 1946.7

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 12.7

9/7/2015 Day 159 - I was feeling pretty tired most of the day today. I can't blame it on terrain or steep mountains, because the trail wasn't too bad. I think it's probably because I went fairly hard yesterday and woke up several times last night. I felt strong this morning and was hoping to reach Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to by mid afternoon. As it turns out I got here at around 5 pm after a 12.7 mile day. I'm sharing the shelter with Doodle Bug and Rachel who are doing a section hike from Rangley to Gorham. Nice young ladies. Doodle Bug flip flopped by going northbound up to West Virginia, then flipping up to Katahdin and going south from there. Rachel is doing an 80 mile section with her cousin, Doodle Bug.
Date: 2015-09-08
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

9/8/2015 Day 160 - It was a busy day today and it feels like I got a lot accomplished even though I only hiked 9.4 miles. I woke up, packed up my stuff and said goodbye to Doodle Bug and Rachel. It rained last night, good thing I was in the shelter, and the clouds were looking pretty ominous this morning. Fortunately, they cleared up after a couple of hours of hiking and I hiked in sunshine the rest of the way to ME route 4. Have I said that I like Maine? The trail was nice and the slopes were quite manageable, even though I was still wore out from the last 2 days. I got to the trailhead at about 1 pm and met a southbounder who said he was going to finish on January 28th. It seems like a late start, but it may be doable finishing in the Georgia. I called the Farmhouse Inn and Stacey, the owner, said she would meet me at the trailhead and take me to the hostel. She dropped off a few hikers when she picked me up, to include Detox, who I hadn't seen in a while. The Farmhouse is huge for a hostel. Stacey said they can comfortably fit 36 people and they're expanding for more. I have to remember to take pictures in the morning. Stacey gave me a ride to town and I had a huge burger at Sarge's bar and grill. I had an excellent waitress here as well, and not bad looking either. Raidon, Finch, Bilbo, Tiger Mike and Home Fry stopped in and we all sat down and ate dinner together. They all pitched in and got a cabin down the street. I called Stacey when I was done and she came back and gave me a ride to IGA groceries and told me to call her again when I was done. She is one amazing woman. She's running a hostel and raising 4 (or was it 5?) kids at the same time. Two of the kids are adopted and 1 is a foster child. Heart of gold.I'm tempted to zero tomorrow because I feel wore out, but I want to keep going. I'll make the call in the morning. I have enough food where I can just hike 3 short days to Stratton and try to take it easy. I broke down and ordered another hip belt for my pack. My current one won't stay tight because I've lost so much weight. ULA is sending another one to Monson, right before I hit the 100 mile wilderness. A small company with excellent customer service.
Date: 2015-09-10
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: moderate rain

9/10/2015 Day 162 - Got up early, around 5 am, and drank coffee in the hostel dining room until everyone got up. I caught the 8 am shuttle to the trailhead and started hiking with Bon Bon, Gray Goat, and Haulin' Oats. Haulin' Oat took off right away, she pretty fast. The rest of us bumped into to each other at breaks, as well as Mac Daddy and Dirty Peanut who stayed at the Piazzo Rock Lean-to last night. I ate lunch at the Horn Mountain Summit. We all ended up at the Poplar Ridge Lean-to with at least 6 more north bounders. It was good hiking today with just a little rain before hitting the shelter.
Date: 2015-09-11
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: scattered clouds

9/11/2015 Day 163 - It rained all night last night and continued to rain after I got up this morning. I stayed in the shelter with 4 others and we all stayed dry. I got packed up and waited to start hiking, hoping that the rain would stop. At a little after 8 I just went with it and hiked in the rain. It stopped a couple of hours later. There was a river this morning that was marked in the guide as having to ford. I got there and discovered that the water was low and I was able to rock hop to the other side without too much trouble. A young lady who crossed after me slipped on one of the rocks and fell right on top of it. Fortunately, she was ok and just got her feet wet. From there it was a fairly tough climb to the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to where I enjoyed my lunch with several other hikers. The rest of the day was mostly pretty easy hiking with a couple of tough patches going down hill. I hiked with Gray Goat for much of the afternoon and we talked about future plans, what was important after we finish the trail, and other stuff you think about while hiking. We got to another river that was pretty low so we rock hopped and used a board to cross. We got to the Crocker Cirque campsite at a little after 6 pm and set up our tents on one of the platforms. We had just enough light left to eat dinner with Bon Bon. I hiked a total of 14.2 miles today.
Date: 2015-09-12
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

9/12/2015 Day 164 - There is a group of 4 or 5 young thru hikers, to include Flame and Cindy Laupers, who usually get in late and like to drink whiskey. They're polite and are usually quiet, but this morning at about 6 am they were taking out loud quite early and excited about something. When I got up and asked them what all the excitement was about, they said they were going to go down to a pond to see a moose. They soon returned and said they didn't see one. Bon Bon came to the campfire area and had all of her stuff pack up. Apparently the group woke her up in their excitement. She was cool about it and didn't say anything though. I got on the trail and hiked with Gray Goat for the rest of the morning. It was only 7.3 miles to the trail head and everyone was talking about the trail magic that was suppose to happen there today. That put a spring in everyone's step. Many of the younger hikers were passing us up on their way down the trail, but we soon met up with Bon Bon again and all three of us hiked to the trail head for the last few miles. As promised, there was a huge spread of food on several tables and a gentleman manning a grill. They had a canopy with a lot of chairs set up and hikers were eating and kicking around a soccer ball. The local police chief was there, and at first I thought he was there to keep everyone in line, but he was giving hikers rides to town and being real friendly. On one of his return trips he brought back a pickup truck and we packed at least 8 hikers and their gear in it. Someone asked him if it was ok for people to ride in the back. He said something to the effect that he was the police chief so it must be alright.We got to town and checked out both the Stratton Inn and the White Wolf Inn. The bunkhouse looked great but I kind of wanted to get my own room for the night so I went with the White Wolf Inn. The Stratton Inn had private rooms, but they were all full. The housekeeper stopped me when I was entering my room and said she had some beer that previous guests left behind, and asked me if I wanted them. All she asked was that I leave my room like I got it.After cleaning up and doing a little shopping I went to the restaurant at the White Wolf Inn and had a Wolf Burger. It was huge and delicious with bacon, sausage and cheese on an 8 oz burger patty. The ladies working there were upbeat and made sure you had everything you needed. And last but not least, I hit the 2000 mile mark today!
Date: 2015-09-13
From: Stratton, ME

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4

9/13/2015 Day 165 - It was a tough day today even though I only went 10.4 miles. Had a pretty good breakfast at the White Wolf Inn with Bon Bon and Gray Goat before heading out. Bon Bon is going to zero with her friend Runway but I expect I'll see her again before we summit. I heard we could get a ride back to the trail with the folks at the Stratton Inn so Gray Goat and I went over and caught a shuttle for $5 a piece. Haulin' Oats rode with us as well.Haulin' Oats is a quick hiker and was out of site before I knew it. Starting out, the trail was nice and the rain was coming down lightly, keeping it a little cool but still ok to hike in. After about a mile, Mac Daddy and Dirty Peanut hiked past me in the opposite direction. I asked them what was up and they said a mouse chewed through their tent and crapped and urinated all over the place. They were going to go back to the road, 1.8 miles from their campsite, and hitch to town to get cleaned up. I felt bad for them, they're a really nice couple.Gray Goat and I climbed the Horn an Bigelow Mountains in cold rainy weather. They were in the clouds and the wind was blowing hard. We ran into a small group of young day hikers from Quebec before and on top of the Horn, and they were nice and polite.The terrain after Bigelow was beautiful. The moss and ground vegetation was lush under the mix of pine and deciduous trees. Gray Goat commented that this would be the place he wouldn't be surprised to see a unicorn in. We finished our day amongst huge granite boulder formations and set up at the Safford Notch campsite. It's a nice place but still raining a little and on the chilly side. Up Dog, Fire Ball and her boyfriend were also at the site.My tent is set up and all ready for a night of rain. Good day today.
Date: 2015-09-14
From: Safford Notch Campsite

To: West Carry Pond lean-to
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

9/14/2015 Day 166 - It rained all night long last night and my tent was soaked this morning. My puffy jacket got a little wet too but everything else stayed relatively dry. I got up and found a spot under a massive granite Boulder to keep dry while I made my coffee and ate breakfast. I packed up and hit the trail with Gray Goat. We had a couple of small mountains this morning but it really flattened out later on. It's nice to have some relatively easy trails for a while. We hit the Little Bigelow Lean-to just before it started raining again, which is always a good feeling. We found out that the shelter there was packed last night and most were going for long miles today. The rest of the day was pretty nice with only a sprinkle or two to make it interesting. We got to the West Carry Pond Lean-to where Yeager, Wildcat, and Hollywood were already set up in the shelter. Shortly after we arrived, a couple who summer on the nearby pond pulled up on their bass boat with a cooler and a couple of large bags. They said that they had some trail magic for Young Guns and his group, they were suppose to be here tonight. They waited around for a while then said since their friends weren't there we should eat the food. They had chicken, ribs, cole slaw, baked beans, pasta salad, apples and beer. The food was excellent and I ate my fill and had a few beers to wash it down. We all thanked Susan and Brian profusely for the great meal. I was able to dry out everything before dark and was feeling good. The fire was nice and big and everyone was in a good mood. What a good day. I hiked 12.6 miles today.
Date: 2015-09-15
From: West Carry Pond lean-to

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

9/15/2015 Day 167 - We all got up early at the shelter because we wanted to get to the Kennebec River before 4 pm and its 14 miles into the day. This is the only river where the ferryman's boat is an official part of the trail.Gray Goat and I hit the trail at 6:40 am and were surprised by how nice it was. Sure there's patches of mud, big roots and quite a few rocks on it, but it's a lot easier going than what we've had to contend with since southern New Hampshire. We put in 10 miles by lunchtime and stopped at the Pierce Pond Lean-to to eat. Hollywood, Law and a couple of other hikers were there when we arrived.The 4 mile after lunch to the Kennebec River were absolutely beautiful. The vivid green moss on the rocks and ground cover made everything appeared lush and exotic. It reminded me of a storybook setting in fairytales.We got to the river at around two and filled out a waiver before getting in the boat to cross. There were four people ahead of us so we had to wait a short while. When our turn came the ferryman sat in the back, I in the front and Gray Goat in the middle. I took a paddle and helped him paddle upriver so we would end at the docking point right across river. The current was strong so we had to put a little work into it. The Ferryman said that it is too dangerous to try and ford it, some have gotten into serious trouble trying and almost drown. We got across safely and walked up to the road where the ferryman's wife was selling sodas and resupply items. Nice touch. Gray Goat thought he might catch a ride into Caratunk, but decided against it, even when a shuttle from town stopped by by and asked if we wanted a ride into town. We hiked the remaining 5.7 miles to the Pleasant Pond Lean-to. Three people were there, a couple of section hikers and a southbounder. The weathered looked good so I set up my tent, made dinner, than crawled into my bag. We hiked 19.7 miles today and it was a really good day.
Date: 2015-09-16
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

9/16/2015 Day 168 - I slept pretty well last night only waking up a couple of times for nature's call. I sleep better in my tent than in the shelters I think, and even most hotel rooms. I wonder how that's going to work when I get back home. I got up at around 5:30, broke down my tent and packed my gear, ate breakfast, and hit the trail by 7:00 am. I'm still hiking with Gray Goat and we have some interesting conversations while hiking. We have a lot of the same interests so it's easy to talk with him. We shot for Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to and made it by 4:00 pm, but it was a little more difficult than I anticipated. We climbed Pleasant Pond Mountain the morning and then Moxie Bald Mountain this afternoon. Even though it's not that tall, Moxie Bald kinda wore me out. I was tired when we made it to the campsite and I was glad to take a rest. We set up our tents and ate dinner. Right after I finished, I heard chewing sounds coming from the pond we were camped by. When I went over and looked there was a good size beaver chewing on a stick like corn on the cob. He (or she) wound chew a little then rotate the stick with his front paws. Gray Goat and I took its picture and were talking out loud not 10 feet from the beaver and it just ignored us. We're going to try for Monson, ME tomorrow, a 17.9 mile hike, but smoother terrain than what we had today. We hiked a total of 13.1 miles today.