morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-09-08
From: Stratton Pond Road

To: Saffford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

SOS WENT OVER THE 2000 MILE MARK TODAY!!!SOS and Nice Lady packed up their big packs in preparation for spending 3 days and 2 nightS in the woods. I drove them to their start spot and got them on their way. Back to the room and then to run a few errands. The wonderful Rangeley Library was open from 10-2 so decided to go there to finish reading my book...which I did. On the way back to Stratton, I stopped at the Logging Museum which is very nicely done...nice building and informative displays. They have a huge collection of chain saws which would have made SOS smile. I enjoyed my time there. I stopped at a roadside stand and bought some heirloom tomatoes and some new carrots. Lots of hikers coming in when I got back to the room but I don't know most of them. However, my next door neighbors are Medicine Man and Father Man. I relaxed the rest of the day while watching the sky out my window. There are severe storms with high winds predicted for this evening. SOS called to say that he and Nice Lady were at their campsite and had a tent platform to put their tents on so maybe the bottom of their tents won't get muddy tonight. The wind was very strong according to SOS who worried that his tent would blow away while he was cooking dinner! I suggested he put his pack inside the tent to hold it down. He also has to put his food up high because they are in bear country. All for now.
Date: 2012-09-09
From: Saffford Notch Campsite

To: West Carry Pond Lean To
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Not much happened today. The weather was beautiful...cool but sunny. It feels like fall has arrived in Maine....and I love it! I found out I would have to drive to Rangeley for church so decided not to go today since I didn't want to do the extra driving. Great Lakes and her son Tall Grass came out of the woods while I was at the trailhead dropping off White Wolf and 4 other hikers that I hadn't met before. The 5 were trying to get a ride when I saw them and offered to take them...they were grateful. Great Lakes and Tall Grass wanted to come into town for resupply so I brought them back with me. We all ended up eating breakfast/lunch together and enjoying talking again. I had met them back in Andover so it was nice to see them again. The local history museum was open for a few hours today so went to check it out. I must say that I have never seen so much stuff crammed into a building as there was in this one. It would be very interesting to local people I am sure but not so much for strangers like me. Peach and Overdrive were in town and wanted to go back to the trail so I took all 4 back to the trailhead. Back at the room to start another knitting project, start a new book, and wait to see Peyton play tonight against Pittsburgh. (Watched the whole game last night and Peyton looked GREAT!! 401 TD's!!) My picture transfer to the computer is not working right now for some reason..I only got one picture transferred before it quit so until that gets figured out there won't be new pictures. I haven't heard from SOS so can't update the mileage until I do...or where their destination is (It is morning now and I heard from SOS with a very bad conection but he texted his info for yesterday) Road Name of the Day: OLD DEAD RIVER ROAD Not a very pretty sounding name...who ever named a river the Dead River?? Well, the picture thing is working again so I put a few more on from today.
Date: 2012-09-10
From: West Carry Pond Lean To

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 14.0

Another interesting day....it was moving on day after 7 days in one place in Stratton. You get to know where everything is and then off you go to new territory. I was heading for Caratunk and had called the inn owner where we are staying. He told me I would run into a detour on the way. So I started out on the long drive with the intention of taking my time and having some adventures on the way...I got more than I bargained for. First stop was the Carrabassett Library which is closed on Monday. I didn't know that until I was out of the car and at the door. The cleaning lady was working in the entry and very kindly let me in and gave me a tour! It is an 11 ... again...well designed with a fireplace and chairs for comfy reading and a big boat in the kids section. This building houses the community center and a daycare...what a good use of space in a small town. On to the Dam Diner (yes, really) for a sandwich and then I spotted a "scenic view" ahead sign. I thought it would be like most...right beside the road but it wasn't. I drove for 2 miles UP a mountain to the very top...and the view was spectacular! On the way up there was an amazing rock formation which you would have to see to appreciate. The trouble began on the drive down. I saw a rock beside the road that I wanted to take home with me so I pulled over and parked. When I tried to pick up the rock, I dropped it and pain shot through my pointer finger on my left hand. When I looked down at it, there was blood flowing and the side of my finger was in shreds!!! Literally! There were 3 strips of my finger hanging down...yikes!...I got back in the car and found a tissue to hold things together until I could drive down the mountain and find my medical stuff. Both hands were bloody but I made it down the mountain and found a bandaid...but not my first aid cream which SOS had used and had with him. So on to a small town that had a grocery where I purchased Neosporin and rebandaged the finger which had soaked thru already. Enough of that story... I got to the town with the detour which wasn't marked at all except for the original sign. I went into a store where the lady wrote out detailed directions on how to get around the detour. She was spot on in her directions and I got to Caratunk and to the Sterling Inn where I will be for 2 or maybe 3 days. I had only been here a few minutes when SOS called to say they were at the post office. At the post office, I asked where the trail came in and drove to meet them. We all came back and settled in, showered (them..not me), and went to dinner at a great place with comfy couches. After a good meal , we returned to our room for the night. What I Learned About my Pointer Finger on my Left Hand: I use it an awful lot when I knit..but I have already adjusted to NOT using it when I knit. I also use it alot when I type but I have already adjusted to NOT uaing it when I type! The good news is: it is my left hand...not my right. God is Good...all the time!
Date: 2012-09-11
From: Caratunk

To: Moxie Pond South End
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: few clouds

Beautiful weather here..sunshine and temps in the 70's during the day. The drive to Moxie Pond so that my hikers could hike south back to Caratunk was long...about 30 miles with half of it being on a narrow, dirt, very pot holed road. The good news was that this same number 1 road ran beside a lake and between 2 bodies of water for most of the time...beautiful scenery so the constant jarring from the pot holes was worth it...of course, I had to do it twice. On the way back, I took several pictures and stopped in a little town at the country store where I found gloves for SOS. His last pair is in shreds so he needed new ones. I bought bright neon orange ones so that maybe they won't get lost...:-) We met Freckles at the start spot. She is from Germany and is hiking alone. She was very nice to talk to and said that she loves her freckles..just like granddaughter, Tessa, who also loves her freckles. Back at the room, I took a short nap, finished a small bag i am knitting, added to the hat I knitted the other day, read some and then decided to go early to the pick up point. Just as I pulled up, SOS came out of the woods. He had texted me to come early but reception is non existent most of the time here and I didn't get it(example: If I am sitting in my room, no reception at all. If I go directly beneath my room downstairs and sit in a certain chair, then I can get reception which is fine if you want to sit in that chair all day...which I didn't want to do) My hikers were hungry so we went off to the same pub as last night...very limited choices here...after they decided that they didn't think they smelled very bad! We saw lots of hiker friends at the pub which is also a place to stay. Then back to the room for packing up. Tomorrow they will be back in the woods for two days and I will move to Monson, the last town before the 100 mile wilderness. Update on the finger for those who have asked...Nice Lady is an EMT among other things so she is checking on it. She sees no infection. It is still bleeding through the bandage but hopefully that will stop soon. I am amazed that I can type fairly fast using only 3 fingers on my left hand...try it...it is kind of an interesting thing how the next finger just takes over and helps out. No road name today...I was too busy looking at the beauty around me to pay any attention to road names. A CUTE STORY: I was visiting my granddaughter Tessa's classroom last year. She showed me her art pad where the children draw pictures. I looked at her picture of a little girl crying with a tree and some dots with wings in the sky. I asked why the little girl was crying and she said, "That is me and I am crying because my freckles are flying away" I loved that story then and was reminded of it today when we met the hiker named Freckles.
Date: 2012-09-12
From: Moxie Pond South End

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean To
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Sorry, I couldn't write yesterday because SOS had no cell phone service so didn't know any details and had poor WIFI service here. SO it is really Thursday when I am writing .... We left the Sterling Inn and drove on the same narrow dirt road as yesterday to the Moxie Pond. It was foggy so I was glad that I had taken pictures yesterday! SOS and Nice Lady had to ford the Pond so took off their boots and started across. I watched them until they were both safely across and into the woods and then I drove on ....on the narrow dirt road the other way because it seemed to SOS to make more sense and was shorter than returning the way I had come. Well, once again, here I was all alone on a road with NO traffic and many potholes and lots of buried rocks in the road...trying hard not to "borrow trouble" by thinking about what could happen if something happened to the car. I consoled myself with the thought that I had lots of food, drink and warm clothes and sleeping bag, blankets, etc so could last a long time until someone came along. I tend to be an optimist so didn't dwell on these thoughts but just kept driving and trying to miss the worse things in the road. There were no houses, cars, people. I was doing fine until I came to a fork and didn't know which way to go...I picked the wrong way! (as usual, I might add) After going the wrong way for several miles, I came to and realized that I had a very detailed map that just maybe I should look at!!!!!!!!duh!! So I did and decided I needed to turn around (easier said than done) and go back to the fork and take the other road...I did and got to teh main road in about a mile! Boy, was I glad to see a number 5 road!! Wahoo!! On I went to Monson with one stop in Abbott at a huge store that carried furniture, kitchen items, gifts, etc...definitely NOT a general store...very upscale so wandered around there for awhile for a break. Then there was a bakery a little farther down so stopped again for coffee and had my picture taken with a moose head. (you see lots of them in Maine...this one was one of the biggest I have seen) On into Monson and found Shaw's Hostel where I will stay for several nights. I got a bunk in the bunk room and settled in. Dawn (the owner) told me that I should visit Greenville which was 14 miles down the road so I did....found a library, deli, bookstore and YARN...all my favorites in a small town! Back to Shaw's where I saw HeadnOut who told me about the Mexican Fiesta tonight at the Community Center. We ate there....really good food. They have a community dinner once a month and were celebrating being designated a Trail Town. Back at the hostel, I was in bed by 8 and asleep by 8:05.
Date: 2012-09-13
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean To

To: Maine 15, Monson ME
Miles today: 9.0

SOS here:Today was a short day. Nice Lady and I forded a river for the second day in a row. This is the third river that we have forded in the last two days, where we have had to take our boots off. Nice Lady put on Crocs and I put on sandals to protect our feet. I did not have my Crocs to wear because one of them floated down the raging Carrabassett river last week. I will hopefully be able to get new Crocs tomorrow.Why don't I just continue to wear the sandals to ford the rivers with so little of the trail left to hike you may ask? Well, Pitchit, Dave Michel, would resoundingly respond, "It is all about weight. When you backpack, you are always thinking what can I do to make the backpack lighter." The less weight the happier the backpacker.What is amazing about fording a river where you had to remove your boots to keep them dry is it was the first 2045.1 miles I had to do it.The second ford we did yesterday had a rope that stretched from one bank to the other to assist in the fording. You possibly could have forded the river without using the rope, but the river after a heavy rain can be much more dangerous. It is refreshing to ford a river because you get to soak your tired feet. The river we forded today had trail magic on the north bank. A thru hiker class of 2008 replentishes the trail magic at this spot daily. Wow!It took us from 7:30 AM to 1:45 PM to hike the nine miles today. It actually was a little bit longer because we had to take an emergency trail detour. The emergency was caused by a flooding of a portion of the trail which was three feet deep. The beavers in the area had built a dam causing the flood. The trail was easy to navigate with the biggest obstacles being roots and mud. I managed to only fall twice. It seems to be a daily occurence. The unusual occurence is Nice Lady fell once. The first time hiking with me on the slick black rock I had just successfully navigated. check back tomorrow when I will write more
Date: 2012-09-14
From: Maine 15, Monson ME

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

SOS and NL decided to zero today to get organized for the 100 mile Wilderness starting tomorrow. They spent the day doing prep work for their departure for 6 days and 5 nights out on the trail. We stopped at our favorite coffee shop in Monson, the Thymes and Seasons and had drinks before heading to Greenville to the outfitter store. We got to meet Linda's daughter who was working today. She is the artist who painted the Starry Night ceiling and she is also a chef...talented girl! On to Greenville...first stop the outfitter. They had no Crocs so SOS decided on toe shoes which he had a difficult time getting on. Once they were on he thought they were very comfortable. Nice Lady bought some pants since the washer ate the zipper on her zip off leg pants yesterday. SOS and Nice Lady bought and ate lobster rolls from a food truck in town. We stopped at the grocery on our way out of town to get some last minute items for their food supply for the next 6 days and for some items to eat for dinner tonight. We repackaged some food and repacked SOS's pack for the next leg of this journey. They plan to summit either the 25th or 26th depending on the weather. If you have hiked all these many miles, you want a clear day on the top of Katahdin! So if you are a praying person, put in a good word for sunshine on the 25th and 26th! Thanks for the help! It will be early to bed tonight so they can get a good start in the morning.
Date: 2012-09-15
From: Monson, Maine

To: Wilson Shelter in the 100 mile wilderness
Miles today: 10.4

100 MILE WILDERNESS!!!!!!!!!!!SOS and Nice Lady started on the 100 mile wilderness today. I took them to the trail head where 6 hikers started down the trail in front of them and then 4 more started behind them. There are lots of hikers in town right now...all ready to start the wilderness portion. SOS and NL will be out in the woods for 6 days and 5 nights so I have a long time to entertain myself...good thing I am already good at that! It was moving day for me BUT only across the hall into a very purple room (see photos). Daystar had texted and wanted a ride to Greenville for herself and Gribley...of course I said yes and off we went at about 10:30. It was sprinkling but not raining hard so I was hoping that things would be better in the woods. SOS called while we were at the grocery to say that it was raining in the woods but later the sun came out so they didn't get too wet. Back at the room, I put my things into the room and went out for a walk around town. Several things were open for the weekend that weren't open before so I got to see the Artisan Center. Many beautiful and many unusual things here...all made by local artists in the area. (see photos)I enjoyed talking to the lady working there. I asked her what the building with the open sign was across the road. It had no sign to tell what is was that was open! It turned out to be the history museum which is being restored and painted on the outside. Diane works there and walked around with me telling me lots of interesting things about what I was seeing. It was totally different from the last history museum I was in. This one has well marked displays and things were not crowded...you could actually see everything! Next was another trip to the coffee shop since I knew that Linda's daughter was baking today...:-) A pot of Roobios tea and a scone really hit the spot since it was late and I had no lunch. Diane came in while I was there so the 3 of us continued our discussions about lots of things. Another lady came in (that I had never seen before) and said...you must be Trail Mama...I have been hearing about you! I drove a little way out of town to check on the UCC church to see what time services were. It looked very abandoned with weeds growing everywhere. I found out from Diane that it was her church and it had closed earlier in the Spring. Overdrive was at the hostel when I walked back so we talked a little. I fixed myself some dinner and worked on the journal after listening to a message from SOS. I talked to 6 of my grandkids today which always makes me so anxious to see them. Gabe wanted to tell me that he scored 3 goals today in his soccer game...Chloe talked about school which she loves...I am not sure what Hannah and later Eli were saying (they are both 2)except Hi Oma and I love you. Nora and Tessa also told me about school and Nora mentioned the hat she knitted for Tessa. Tessa loved hearing about the hiker named Freckles.
Date: 2012-09-16
From: Wilson Shelter in the 100 mile wilderness

To: Fourth Mountain, Bog
Miles today: 10.2

Slow day for me. Joined lots and lots of hikers for breakfast...there are hikers everywhere!! 14 cars outside the hostel although most of them are section hikers, of course, who are just going into the wilderness and coming back out. I walked to the only church in town, the Monson Community Church. The pastor's wife was a lady I had met the day before in the coffee shop. We talked a bit before church started. The back 3 rows were full but the front 5 rows were empty except for me! Altogether there were 26 people and 1 poodle in attendance. The dog was very well behaved because I didn't know he was there until I was walking out and so was he/she! I immediately felt right at home because the organist was playing my "theme" song for this adventure as the prelude, "God Will Take Care of You". I don't know how many times I have sung that while driving on number 1 roads! And then one of the hymns was one of my grandpa's favorites, "Softly and Tenderly". The next hymn made me smile because I remember my Mom telling me that our church pianist, Francis Smith, didn't like it because it was too "fast". That was "Love Lifted Me"....which wasn't too fast in this church. The sermon was about Love...a good subject! After church, I walked back to my room and fixed a little lunch from my cooler..a cheese roll up with veggies and dip. I would have loved to go to the Thymes & Seasons Coffee and Tea Shop but it is closed on Sunday and Monday. DO NOT miss this shop if you are in Monson...you will not be disappointed! Tell Linda that Trail Mama sent you! Quiet afternoon of watching an old movie, A League of Their Own and updating my leather journal. I also reorganized the car...one more time. SOS called while I was talking to Great Lakes and Tall Grass. He is at his stop spot for the night and was ready to set up his tent and fix his dinner. He said the day's hiking was tough and they were both looking forward to being done with mountains..until Katahdin next Tuesday (the 25th) or Wednesday (the 26th). Our son, Courtney, is flying into Bangor on Monday (the 24th) and will meet our son in law, Jon, who is also flying in to Bangor. They will rent a car and drive to the campground where we will be. Unfortunately they won't be able to get into the campground at that hour so will have to sleep in the car after a very short night. Hopefully they will be up to a long climb on Tuesday if that turns out to be the summit day...they are young...we will see! All for now...I took NO pictures today...imagine that! and drove no where so no road names...