morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-09-03
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to

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

We were all going to get up early so we could catch Puff Puff and Snappy and give back their handbook, but we didn¢t. It¢s so hard to get up early in a shelter. We caught Puff Puff and Snappy at Bald Mt. Brook just before lunch. The brrok was the first clear water we¢d passed. We were all headed for Moxie Bald for lunch. Flo showed up as we were leaving, but he¢d hurt his ankle and needed a break. Moxie Bald yielded great views of Bigelow Mt and even a piece of Katahdin. We ate down in a bowl, out of the wind. It was great to have eleven out of thirteen miles done before lunch. We took a nice long break and enjoyed the beautiful day. On our way down the mountain, we could see a beautiful north peak. It was 0.7 miles off the AT, but I really wanted to go to the north peak. I threw my pack in the woods and took off, unusually, by myself. The rest of the others headed down to the shelter. Chicken, as usual, was antsy to fish. I really enjoyed the north peak even though it wasn¢t much like the southern Moxie. I took the camera, which also had Chicken¢s mini-tackle box. When I showed up, she¢d lost her lure and was sitting idle waiting for me to bring the tackle box.        A guy was sleeping in the shelter. He was very out of place, didn¢t know much about hiking. He had a dog who looked hungry and sad. The guy was from Kentucky. He had no flashlight, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, or tent. He slept in coveralls, his boots, and a pair of gloves. He¢d started in Monson, and he was telling us the terrain was tough, but we didn¢t really believe him.                                                        Flanders
Date: 2003-09-04
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Doughty Pond
Miles today: 16.5

We were planning to get up for the sunrise over the pond, but it was pouring rain, so we didn't. When we finally did get up, Fremont was long gone (we think he got wet) and everyone else (Flo, Puff, Snappy) was in the shelter getting packer. The strange beagle owner hiking to Kentucky was still "asleep" (both Puff and I saw him open his eyes and then pretend to sleep again). He had left his poor starving, shivering beagle-hound mutt out in the rain tied to a tree on a 4 foot rope! Snappy had found him out there and brought him into the shelter. It was a very sad scene. We all fed him bread, cheese, pieces of pap tart, and soon he stopped shivering. We debated taking him with us, but his owner was right there so we left, hoping for the best.         It stopped raining and our hike was pretty easy. We bordered the Piscataquis River for a long while and had at least on ford. We just plowed through with our shoes and socks on shocking our companions who changed to sandals.         Near Lake Hebron we passed a sign that read, "Fellow Hikers, want to get sick? Eat at Spring Creek BBQ." Not sure whether or not this was advertising or some sort of slander, we kept hiking. Soon we passed a woman carrying another sign, same message. We directed her to the one we had passed - she was an employee at the BBQ, had just heard about the signs, and was taking them down. "Why?" we asked... She said the neighbors were upset with them.        Finally, we climbed Buck Hill (coincidentally Buck was the name of the beagle) and camped in very poor campsites by Doughty Pong. I fished unsuccessfully, losing my last sinkers shortly after I started. We cooked dinner, made a fire (Puff of course) and stayed up late since we were only a mile and a half from town. As we went to sleep we could hear moose talking on the pond, but it was too misty to see them.   -Chickenfeet
Date: 2003-09-05
From: Doughty Pond

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 1.4
Weather: scattered clouds

We heard a couple of moose last night. It was cloudy, so we didn't even bother getting up to try and find it. We slept in late because we didn't have far to go - less than 1.5 miles, a true "nero." We slept rather well on all the roots. We were at the road in no time. We all hopped in the back of the truck, and the woman dropped us off at the P.O. We got our couple of packages and found out Shaw's was full. Then we reserved our spot with Puff Puff & Snappy in the trailer at the Pie Lady's. On our way across town, Skywalker walked by with Buck, the beagle we'd seen earlier on the trail. Apparently, Buck's owner left him tied up in the shelter. Snappy has always wanted a beagle, so they volunteered to adopt him. Then it was time for TOWN FOOD. We had an easy choice of Spring Creek Cookhouse & BBQ. We all had chopped pork, fatty, but tasty. It was BYOB, so that's when we started drinking for the day. Then the four of us went back to the trailer to watch TV. We were visited by various members of the crew, who were all at Shaw's. We ate gas station dinner in the trailer, and then it was over to Shaw's to hang out. It was slightly awkward walking into Shaw's because of the huge rivalry between them and the Pie Lady's. They were fairly hospitable regardless. Then it was back to the trailer to sleep "on" the sheets to avoid an extra $5 to sleep "in" them. -Flanders
Date: 2003-09-06
From: Monson, ME

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up around 7 am, when Buck woke up. Breakfast was at 7:30 anyway, and we were worried Buck might pee in the trailer, since we didn't know him so well. The Pie Lady cooked a tremendous family-style breakfast. AYCE (all you can eat) eggs, pancakes, home fries, and more, all for $4. She told us all the Monson gossip while we ate. The she used her old-lady charm to snooker us into cleaning up the trailer, including vacuuming. I decided to send back my broken pump and get cash-back at the P.O. so we could pay the Pie Lady. Chicken got into quite a quarrel with the postmaster yesterday because she tried to get cash back. The lady wouldn't let her use her card because it said, "please check ID" on the back, and USPS policy says it has to be signed even though Chicken had her ID. There are no banks in Monson, so I gave in and signed my name over my current "please check ID," which was perfectly acceptable to the postmaster. I went back and paid the Pie Lady, and we went through our maildrop. We had some stale stuff, but we didn't have to buy much. I called my family to arrange meeting at Baxter State Park. All we had left was a little grocery shopping and lunch and then we could hit the trail. Nope. Tim Anderson, the owner of the general store, offered Puff Puff & Snappy to stay in his backyard for free. Slowly but surely, everybody decided to zero. We ate lunch and had a few more beers and convinced Fremont that everyone else was doing it, so he should zero too, and he did. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in the back of Tim's yard. We played a couple games of euchre, but the big spectacle was Matt, Tim's 13 year-old son, and his best friend Paul, who put on the best amateur WWE match I've ever seen. It was great entertainment. We bought burgers and dogs and grilled out after the match. Tim showed up when he got off work, and his wife and daughter arrived soon thereafter. Tim got out his 12 string guitar, and he and Monkey put on a little show. We all sat around and sang and talked. Tim was a damn good guitar player and a genuine host. It was truly one of the best nights in town, and the last.   -Flanders
Date: 2003-09-07
From: Monson, ME

To: Vaughn Stream
Miles today: 13.7

It was a chilly night. Fall is definitely here to stay. The days are noticeably shorter, and temps cooler. Most of Maine's trees are evergreens, but the deciduous trees have begun to change. We're starting to see lots of yellow and some oranges and reds. Chicken was away from camp at 5:45 am. That's how devoted she is to fishing. It was one of only a few times we packed up by headlamp. We passed the shelter quietly and climbed one big Barren Mtn. - over 2000 foot climb. We passed up the opportunity to climb the rickety fire tower. A bit later, we found out Cloud Pond was 0.4 miles off the AT, but we decided to go for it since we were ahead of schedule and Chicken wanted to fish. After 20 minutes of fixing Snoopy, and after 30 minutes of trying to fish, we were freezing. Chicken's fish count: the 'one' that got away....days ago. Since then, not so much as a nibble. Chicken claimed the register for Bree, and we talked to Gluttonous Monk who flip-flopped at Front Royal. Our first climb in the Chairback Range was Fourth Mtn. The two of us sat there and studied the mountains to come. Just as we were about to leave, Flo stumbled upon us with a shocked look on his face. He didn't understand how we were in front of him until we explained that we got up early and passed him while he was sleeping at the shelter. He was looking for an ideal vista at which to lunch. We all decided to eat lunch there together. Flo ran off after lunch, as usual. We hiked the remaining mountains, Third, Columbus, and Chairback, respectively. It was a beautiful range. The only bad part was that while we were headed up Chairback we could see East Chairback Pond, our destination for the evening, behind us. Tomorrow, we had to backtrack slightly thru the valley back to the beginning on the White Cap Range. It was a bit of a tough climb down Chairback, and we had several small ups and downs before we got to the pond. Flo was there, as was a canoe, and an unlocked one at that, complete with two paddles. If we'd known that, we would have tried to get there earlier. We setup the tarp and tried to cook as fast as our little alcohol stove would go - damn alcohol stoves, wish we had white gas. We finished about 30 minutes before sunset, which we couldn't see because we were down on a pond. It was still great to spend an evening "on" a pond. Chicken tried fishing. Guess what....she didn't catch anything. Poor Chicken. As we pulled in we could barely make out (it was getting dark!) two people on shore. It was Fremont and Llama, but they still had to cook and such. We talked for a bit and crashed.   -Flanders
Date: 2003-09-08
From: Vaughn Stream

To: East Chairback Pond
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

It was a chilly night. Fall is definitely here to stay. The days are noticeably shorter, and temps cooler. Most of Maine's trees are evergreens, but the deciduous trees have begun to change. We're starting to see lots of yellow and some oranges and reds. Chicken was away from camp at 5:45 am. That's how devoted she is to fishing. It was one of only a few times we packed up by headlamp. We passed the shelter quietly and climbed one big Barren Mtn. - over 2000 foot climb. We passed up the opportunity to climb the rickety fire tower. A bit later, we found out Cloud Pond was 0.4 miles off the AT, but we decided to go for it since we were ahead of schedule and Chicken wanted to fish. After 20 minutes of fixing Snoopy, and after 30 minutes of trying to fish, we were freezing. Chicken's fish count: the 'one' that got away....days ago. Since then, not so much as a nibble. Chicken claimed the register for Bree, and we talked to Gluttonous Monk who flip-flopped at Front Royal. Our first climb in the Chairback Range was Fourth Mtn. The two of us sat there and studied the mountains to come. Just as we were about to leave, Flo stumbled upon us with a shocked look on his face. He didn't understand how we were in front of him until we explained that we got up early and passed him while he was sleeping at the shelter. He was looking for an ideal vista at which to lunch. We all decided to eat lunch there together. Flo ran off after lunch, as usual. We hiked the remaining mountains, Third, Columbus, and Chairback, respectively. It was a beautiful range. The only bad part was that while we were headed up Chairback we could see East Chairback Pond, our destination for the evening, behind us. Tomorrow, we had to backtrack slightly thru the valley back to the beginning on the White Cap Range. It was a bit of a tough climb down Chairback, and we had several small ups and downs before we got to the pond. Flo was there, as was a canoe, and an unlocked one at that, complete with two paddles. If we'd known that, we would have tried to get there earlier. We setup the tarp and tried to cook as fast as our little alcohol stove would go - damn alcohol stoves, wish we had white gas. We finished about 30 minutes before sunset, which we couldn't see because we were down on a pond. It was still great to spend an evening "on" a pond. Chicken tried fishing. Guess what....she didn't catch anything. Poor Chicken. As we pulled in we could barely make out (it was getting dark!) two people on shore. It was Fremont and Llama, but they still had to cook and such. We talked for a bit and crashed.   -Flanders
Date: 2003-09-10
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Crawford Pond
Miles today: 14.8

At 2:30 am, my alarm went off. It was time for our first real night hike. We were also looking forward to avoiding the crowds somewhat. We really didn't expect to be with so many thru hikers this close to the end. Our crew is much to blame, but there are still lots of other people, Butch, Big Red, Strappy, Cakalaki, Skywalker, Biscuit and Grasshopper to name a few. They are all cool people, but it's nice to have some time alone in the woods. Anyway, the watch alarm chimed and Chicken looked out of the tarp to see the moon hidden behind the trees. She didn't want to go if the moon wasn't going to be out, but I persuaded her into getting up. We packed up in the dark, along with Fremont. Llama came thru around 1 am, so he'd be at the top soon. We were headed for White Cap Mtn., our last until Katahdin. We were off at 3:15. We'd taken care of one hump last night, and we had three this morning. We put new batteries in Chicken's headlamp, so it was bright. The climbs weren't too tough at all. Before we knew it, we were on White Cap. The summit partially exposed, with clumps of short trees scattered about. The moon was a day away from full (I think) and was still out when we got to the top. The other side of the sky was already turning pink. We found Fremont and Llama and shared my sleeping bag on the northeast side, waiting for the sun. It was windy and cold. As the sky brightened, we could make out "the" lone mountain to the north. We finally realized we'd have to move to a new spot to see the sun, so we did. The clouds and colors were incredible. It was our last sunrise on a mountain.....at least on this trip. Katahdin seemed much, much closer than everybody expected, but it was still a spectacle. We headed down before catching hypothermia and snacked at the shelter. Our first big stop was at Mtn. View Pond, where we decided to take a nap. Of the seven canoes at the pond, not a single one was unlocked, unfortunately for us. Chicken tried to fish while I cooked one of our few cook-lunches, Lipton Thai Sesame. I gave Chicken a massage and we took a long nap, hoping Puff Puff & Snappy would catch up. We gave up around 3 pm and headed for Crawford Pond. After we spotted the pond, we took the first side trail and found a great camping spot. We left a note for Puff Puff & Snappy, which attracted every NOBO within miles. Strappy, Big Red, Butch, Skywalker, and Cakalaki were the first to show up. They setup on the beach, rather windy for our picky camping tastes. Puff & Snappy were soon to follow. We made a fire pit in the woods because the beach was so windy. Puff made a huge fire that we all sat around until we could barely stay awake....we were tired.   -Flanders
Date: 2003-09-12
From: Lower Jo-Mary Lake

To: Crescent Pond
Miles today: 15.9

Everyone agreed 11 am was a perfect time for a burger at Whitehouse Landing, our one resupply in the 100 mile wilderness. We wanted to see a good sunrise over the pond, but it was so foggy, we went back to sleep. Our tarp was soaked on the inside from condensation and on the outside from the fog. We packed lazily. Puff checked on how far her clams had scrambled thru the sand. We walked down to Mahar Tote Road, and then the mile long side trail, to the dock near Whitehouse Landing. We blew the air horn to signal the owner to pick us up. He brought a small speed boat and took six of us across in two trips. The landing was a beautiful piece of property on Pemadumcook Lake, with several buildings including a privy. We all ordered the 3/4 lb. burger, and, while they were being cooked, we picked out our resupplies for the next couple days. The prices weren't nearly as bad as we were expecting. The crew is planning to summit on the 15th, and we're pretty sure we want to join them. So, we had to push on because we had to keep a good pace to hit the 15th. On our boat ride back to the trail, we spotted a couple bald eagles just close enough to spot their white heads and tails. Five miles later, we all took a break at Nahmakanta Lake. There was a couple pulling their canoe out. We said hi and we all jumped in for more of a bath than a swim. We hadn't showered since Monson, so we were due. After a snack, we headed for the north end of the same lake that¢s much easier to write than say, much like other spots in Maine. We were kind of thinking of stopping at the north end, mostly because we were getting tire. My general aches and pains (ankle, achilles, and shins) have been getting worse lately. They particularly bother me after a break. Puff's knee has really been bothering her too. The four of us pushed on so we didn't have huge days to finish on the 15th. We climbed our last little climb, over 800 ft. Monkey and Llama were peacefully sitting on top, staring at some big mountain toward the north. We all joined them, almost in disbelief. It's hard to face the end of your journey when you can see that it's two days away. We hiked down to Crescent Pond, our stopping point for the day. Monkey gave Puff some Vioxx, which really helped her knee. Bree, Trailfrog, and Stoker were already eating when we got there. Chicken fished while she cooked ramen and I setup the tarp. We finished eating in the dark.   -Flanders
Date: 2003-09-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A few concluding words....hopefully, there will be more to follow in the future.First of all, thank you to everybody for your support. I'd like to send out an extra special thank you to my family for being "home base." Good luck to everyone who is still out there, and congratulations to all who finished.Adjusting to real life hasn't been too tough. We really miss the trail though. We've just been taking it easy on the farm, not too many commitments so far. I guess the hardest problem is fighting the hunger.I'm hoping to post a few comments about our gear. If you have any questions, please don't hesistate to email or sign our guestbook.Check here in the future for a web address where we'll have all of our pictures. That will most likely take place at the end of Jan. '04.Lastly, if you were a regular reader and would like to see this website continue (and you have a few bucks to spare), I know trailjournals would really appreciate a donation. These guys really deserve it.Thanks again - Flanders
Date: 2003-03-28
To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ahhh...my first journal entry. I'm in Hiawasee, GA. I'm hiking with Marc (flow), Ed (goat), and Drew (sprite). They'll prolly leave me behind because I have to slow down so that I can meet the folks in Wesser on the 5th of April. Stan, I know you may be the only one who reads this so I thought I'd say what's up. You might get a better account of my trip so far by looking at Flow's account on here. On to the good ol' North state tomorrow.That's it for now I guess.--FLASH
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Wesser, NC

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

As I sit does to my first stealth site, take off my shoes, and start thinking about supper, I realize that it's been a while since I've written. I guess writing letters to friends FELT like writing in my journal...oh well.   So after the second snow day and COLD night at Standing Indian shelter, I walked 7.6 miles after I warmed my almost-frozen feet. It was crazy prying open my shoes and laces to put them on over icy socks! The 7.6 miles put me at Carter Gap Shelter. There, I met Bag and Homer. I saw Matt again. He's going by snocone now. Morning Crow was also there. He sold me on the aluminum can alcy stove idea. 2/3, 3/3 (the smiths), Strider, Grey Ghost, Molasses, and Hazel (the adopted dog) were also there.    The next day, I walked out to Winding stair gap--about 16 miles and got a hitch about 30 seconds after Gazer stuck out his thumb. The three of us (also Last minute mark) got a ride, courtesy of Ronnie Haven, to the Haven Motel. Ronnie drove us ALL OVER the town since the motel was kind of away from the rest of the town. I made the WORST PURCHASE of my life at the outfitters there--a Nalgene fuel bottle. IT LEAKS!!! What a hoot. I got the address to the company from Stan from home and I'm planning to send it back and get something cooler and more functional.    We hiked south from Franklin to Siler's Bald shelter. I wish I'd have stayed on the bald itself with chrysalis but it's all gravy. There I met Echo (who's in Nimblewill Nomad's Book), Prince Albert, Mike, and Two Speeds. Two Speeds (slow n stop) is a fascinating character...he's hilarious. As I write this in Hot Springs, I join several others in hoping that he'll catch up.    On the 3rd, I started the morning by climbing up siler's bald and finishing reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I remember the Bald VIVIDLY from when I hiked the section when I was 13 or 14 on the High Adventure BSA trip. I set off around 10 and got to Wayah Bald around noon. When I got to Wayah Bald, in the distance, there was smoke pluming from behind Bald--what I later found out to be a forest fire. When I set off down off of the bald I ran into an NOC member and and older fellow who were deciding on a place to put a shelter in honor of the older fellow's wife who was killed in a biking accident two months before. It was interesting.   After that, I passed Cold Springs Shelter (which I also vividly remembered) and headed for Copper Ridge Bald. I must have missed the side trail so I pulled a stealth site up on the ridge. It was beautiful. A solo stealth site was a pleasant change of mood from the normal semi-crowded shelters and campsites. The positive social experiences are invaluable but a solo camp also has its high points. All for now,FLASH