morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-25
From: Reservoir Road Campsite

To: Hog Camp Gap (Three Springs Hostel)
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

At Three Springs Hostel, I'm sitting beside a trout pond watching the afternoon breeze carve ripples across the surface. I've done my laundry, emptied my pack to let its contents air-dry, hung out my tent, and slipped in a second lunch of a barbecued pork sandwich. I've also picked up my food resupply box from Alison and repacked it in my waterproof food bag, found waiting for me the new hiking shoes that I ordered, and exchanged their factory shoe laces and insoles with my indestructible Lawson shoe laces and my blue SuperFeet insoles. All of that within a matter of two hours. My first pair of hiking shoes, North Face Ultra Fastpacks, had on them the 812 miles of the AT that I have thus far hiked, plus another hundred, possibly two hundred, miles that I walked in preparation for the trek. It's sad to see something go that has treated me so well, but it's time. I purchased the same shoes to replace them. Today's hike was a strenuous one, despite its relatively short 13.1 mile length. After a nice, flat, three-mile warm-up, I tackled Bald Knob. The AT gained 3,000 feet in elevation to achieve its summit, then immediately dropped 600 feet, only to reclaim that same 600 feet on its way up and over Cole Mountain. There was no rain today, just a lot of perspiration as I worked hard. There was absolutely a grand pay-off, though, as the summit of Cole Mountain was maintained as meadow, and the grasses were long and luscious (photo). Before fog rolled in to consume my perch, I sat on a mountaintop rock and had lunch, talking with four students I had just met from the University of Virginia out for a day hike. My regards to Paxton, now forever Pink, and her fellow Wahoos. Once I hiked down from the summit, I was met at Hog Camp Gap by Marsha of Three Springs Hostel. She and Oma quickly made me feel right at home, and I'm so glad that I included an overnight stay here in my plan to get to Wayesboro.
Date: 2016-06-26
From: Hog Camp Gap (Three Springs Hostel)

To: Cripple Creek
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

At the excellent suggestion of Oma, the proprietor of Three Springs Hostel, I decided to alter my plan for a somewhat short fourteen-mile hike today. When I originally laid out my schedule to get to Waynesboro, on Monday I was going to descend 3,000 feet from the summit of The Priest and then immediately ascend the same 3,000 feet to the summit of Three Ridges Mountain, making for a very tough day. Instead, Oma thought it would be a better idea if I descended down from The Priest today, making it a longer, 18.9 mile day, but saving myself from a hellacious Monday.The day was long, but worth it. I ended up camping beside Cripple Creek, in a less-than-ideal pitch, but was happy to have made it almost to the bottom of the descent off of The Priest.Tomorrow, I begin my day with the last major climb in Virginia, that of Three Ridges Mountain.
Date: 2016-06-28
From: Dripping Rock

To: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro)
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

I have arrived in Waynesboro, VA, after the terrific thunderstorm that I described yesterday drenched my phone. (I used a Waynesboro Public Library computer to post that, and this, update.) I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm fine and will be back on the trail tomorrow. Today, during my zero, I am trying to get my phone restarted, but it is not yet responding. If my phone remains unresponsive, then I will be without a way to communicate until I have access on July 6th to a library computer in Front Royal, and then again on July 11th, when I've landed in Rhode Island.
Date: 2016-07-13
From: Rhode Island

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

After one more day of too much running around and not enough relaxing, Alison and I spent the evening hours driving up to Maine, arriving in the western mountains near Rangeley after midnight. In the morning, we'll drive the three and a half hours over to Millinocket, just south of Baxter State Park, and pick up the permit I need to climb Katahdin on Friday.
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 13.4

This morning, Alison dropped me off at Katahdin Stream Campground, where I finished my climb down from Mt. Katahdin the day before. We said our good-byes (again), and I headed south on the AT. I had about nine miles to hike before I would leave the confines of Baxter State Park. Shortly thereafter, I would cross the Abol Bridge that spans the Penobscot River and officially pass into the 100 Mile Wilderness. The 100 Mile Wilderness is the most remote part of the AT. As the name implies, there are no towns, roads or services for 100 miles (save for a logging road or two.) Since I don't expect to find a cell signal either, this may be my last post until I reach Monson, Maine, in six days. As I soon found, the Wilderness is beautiful in a very familiar way. Balsam hangs in the air, moss gently covers rocks and boulders, and the trail is cuddled by fallen pine needles. This is the Maine I so love. Alison and I have a camp on a lake in the western mountains of Maine near Rangelely, where the AT passes within ten miles. In a very real sense, then, I will be hiking "home" as I proceed from Baxter State Park, through the 100 Mile Wilderness and into the western mountains that stretch to the New Hampshire border. To make my time in Maine even more special, Alison will be staying here while I hike through, and we will see each other quite often. I also hope to have visits from our children, Sandy and Holly. Today, I covered a total of 13.4 miles over easy terrain, opting to stop at the Hurd Brook Lean-to. I started out feeling fine, but soon realized that yesterday's climb of Katahdin had taken quite a bit out of me. I had no problem ending my hiking day a bit early and relaxing in camp. To add to a pleasant day, I had to ford my first stream today, taking off my hiking shoes, putting on my Crocs and wading in. Water levels are still a bit high and I expect that I will be fording a number of times more before leaving the 100 Mile Wilderness. Over the past two days, I have met three other hikers who flip-flopped after reaching Harper's Ferry, and three folks who are SoBos new to the trail. In camp tonight, there are also four section hikers who are tackling the 100 Mile Wilderness. Thus, any fears I had about being alone as I proceed south are already unfounded. While my experience on Katahdin is still fresh, today's photo from the Abol Bridge captures the full expanse of the mountain without the cloud cover that often obscures its summit.
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: Nahmakanta Lake
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: few clouds

Tonight, I am camped on the shore of Nahmakanta Lake, being serenaded by a couple of bull frogs. I had planned to stop half a mile earlier to stay at a shelter, but heard of this fabulous campsite at lunchtime from two NoBos, and decided to give it a whirl. It was worth the extra half-mile!Leaving Baxter State Park, the AT heads south and then southwest, destined for the New Hampshire border 275 miles away. The trail stays south of both Moosehead and Flagstaff Lakes, but passes through an area of Maine that has many, many lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. For the first fifty miles of the 100 Mile Wilderness heading south, much of the land is low-lying, and the AT is inundated with roots, rocks and mud. As one gets a bit beyond the halfway point of the Wilderness, elevations rise as the trail begins to anticipate the western mountains of Maine.So, today, most of the terrain was quite gentle, closely following the courses of various streams and lakes. There was hardly any elevation change until the trail climbed 850 feet to the top of Nesuntabunt Mountain late in the day (photo). I took advantage of this relative flatness, and, when I added that last half-mile, it pushed my day's total to twenty miles. I'm guessing that that may be my last twenty for a long time to come. Because of the heavily-rooted trail conditions, today's hike took great concentration, as every step mattered. By the end of today's twenty, I was ready for a treat. That treat came in the form of a swim. After pitching my tent and doing my water chores, I took a dip in Nahmakanta Lake. With the lake on the shallow side, the water was warm and pleasurable, in fact, much warmer than anything I encountered in the south!
Date: 2016-07-19
From: Jo-Mary Road

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday, two lines of thunderstorms rolled through the 100 Mile Wilderness. The first landed a glancing blow and amounted to an hour of rain. The second wave missed me altogether but had more of an impact: it brought noticeably cooler, drier air. The result? Hiking conditions today were perfect. Temperatures held in the low to mid-sixties and blue sky was abundant. (Tonight, temperatures will dip into the forties, and will give me a great chance to check out the comfort range of the 35 degree sleeping bag that I bought for the rest of my trip.)As I had anticipated, the AT gained elevation throughout the day. Starting out at 625 feet, I hiked 15.4 miles to Logan Brook Lean-to, climbing to an elevation of 2,386 feet. With the perfect weather, it was an effortless day on the trail. The bugs I detailed at great length yesterday were nowhere to be found due to the cool temperatures and higher elevations, the trail gained altitude in moderate grades, and a cool Maine summer breeze blew all day. Tonight, I've met a great group of SoBos at the lean-to, adding to the number of people I now know heading south. We all seem to be hiking at different paces, so you never know who will be at the next lean-to. (The structures called shelters in Georgia and North Carolina, and huts in the Shenandoahs, are called lean-to's in Maine.)Today, I took advantage of a totally helpful service provided by a hostel in Millinocket. The AT Lodge makes a daily run to the halfway point of the 100 Mile Wilderness to drop food to hikers so interested, thus negating the need for those hikers to start out from Katahdin with seven or eight days of food. When I left Baxter State Park, I carried just four days of food, and today picked up my food drop of four more days' worth. And, because I plan to finish my trek through the 100 Mile Wilderness in seven days, I was able to help out Happy, a new hiker attempting a thru-hike SoBo, by giving her my extra day's worth of food. She was one happy camper. When I arrived in Harper's Ferry back on July 10th, I reached the "psychological" halfway point of the AT. Within the first mile of my hike tomorrow, I will pass 1,094.6 miles, the actual halfway point of my hike. Now, that will be cool.
Date: 2016-07-20
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Last night, the temperature dipped well into the forties at Logan Brook Lean-to. I tented fairly close to the mountain brook, and that made it feel even cooler. My new sleeping bag did admirably, but I learned that I need to retrieve my long underwear, which I had removed from my pack for Virginia. As the morning moved along, I was treated to another perfect hiking day. Cool, crisp, comfortable, cloudless and critter-less. I started the day off by summiting Whitecap Mountain, at 3,650 feet, the first significant peak since Mt. Katahdin. Views were outstanding and reinforced just how remote the 100 Mile Wilderness really is. Mountains and lakes, and more mountains and lakes. Purely, beautifully, Maine. I managed to put in 17.1 miles for the day, finishing by climbing Chairback Mountain, the first peak of the Chairback Range when one is heading south. Tonight, I am in my tent at Chairback Gap Lean-to, a spectacularly-sited shelter built into the side of a rather steep mountainside. My tent sits on a ledge that must be home to two red squirrels, given the racket they are making. I had to get creative in pitching my tent, for the ledge is barely wide enough to accommodate me. Since the cool front moved in Monday night, I have been treated to two of those quintessentially Maine days, days that make you realize just how lucky you are to be alive. The kicker? I get to hike all day. Incredible.
Date: 2016-07-21
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Big Wilson Stream
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

The Chairback Range comprises six peaks, and none exceeds 2,700 feet in elevation. It would be incredibly easy to underestimate the difficulty in crossing the range. In fact, I did. Leaving bright and early at 7:00 am, I was caught off-guard by the short, but incredibly steep climbs that I had to navigate. Particularly on Fourth Mountain, the trail seemed to turn nearly vertical. The Chairback Range is not unusual in this regard. Throughout Maine and New Hampshire, trail designers opted to employ switchbacks rather sparingly, instead choosing to run trails more directly up the mountains. This is the biggest difference that I've noted so far from the trails I experienced in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. There, trails had a more moderate grade due to extensive use of switchbacks. The good news is that I much prefer going uphill. I have developed a pacing technique combining rhythmic breathing and hiking pole placement that allows me to tackle the steep climbs in a very focused way. Employing this technique, I amnever out of breath and always under control. Now, if I could only transfer this learning to other aspects of my life....This past winter, much of Maine saw snowfalls well below average, and rains this spring and summer seem to be behind historical levels, too. While the rivers and bigger streams seem to have ample water, smaller streams and springs are already drying up. In fact, several lean-to's have been without water in recent days. And, I've had to remove my hiking shoes and wade across just two rivers so far, as all the others I have come across could be forded by rock hopping. I continue to meet more SoBos and those, like me, who flip-flopped. The crew of hikers that is now moving south with me is an excellent bunch. This is a very welcome development!
Date: 2016-07-22
From: Big Wilson Stream

To: ME Route 15 (Monson)
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today, I arrived in Monson, ME, marking the end of my journey through the 100 Mile Wilderness. The first half of today's 9.7 miles was tougher than expected, again. Luckily, the second half proved to be a bit easier, and I made it to Route 15 just before noon. As has happened repeatedly on my trek, I limped to the finish line, drained from eight straight days of hiking, some of it quite strenuous. I am now convinced, however, that there is no magic number of hiking days or miles that I have in me between zeroes. Instead, there is most definitely some mind/body collusion going on. As long as I have additional days to hike, my mind and body react positively, and I keep moving through those days, feeling energetic and motivated. But as soon as that last day rolls around, and I know that I am entering a town or about to take a zero, my energy flags and I arrive worn out. It's as if will and determination are in control until the last day, when they yield to the reality of exhaustion. I just loved my time in the 100 Mile Wilderness, no doubt aided by the terrific weather we had. While it briefly rained this morning, the rest of the day was sun-filled, and by the time noon rolled around, it was actually pretty hot. During my seven days in the Wilderness, it probably rained a total of two hours, making my trek through more enjoyable. But I realize that Maine, and the AT's water sources, could use a big infusion of rain. Alison was at the trailhead to meet me, and we drove back to our camp in the Rangeley Lakes together, where I will zero tomorrow. I have a list of chores to complete before I return to the trail on Sunday, and hope that I find some time to rest and recharge in between.
Date: 2016-07-23
From: ME Route 15 (Monson)

To: Oquossoc
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Zeroing today with Alison at our camp near Rangeley, ME!After arriving in Maine and starting the southbound leg of my journey, I've had a chance to say hello to a number of NoBos that I've passed on their way to Katahdin to finish their thru-hikes. They've had one hundred miles or less to go. Thus far, the NoBos have fallen into two categories. The first grouping has their heads down, say hello, but are clearly focused elsewhere. They are at the stage where, after 2,100 miles of hiking, they need or want their journey to be finished, and aren't really in a place to start up a conversation. The second category of hikers is a bit more fun to pass. They are clearly ecstatic, very willing to share their happiness and often get misty-eyed just thinking about their soon-to-be realized accomplishment.After hiking 1,100 miles myself, I thoroughly get both attitudes. The AT is a long trek, physically, mentally and emotionally. It can be exhilarating and draining in the same day. I can only imagine how much harder it will get as I move into the Maine mountains and New Hampshire's Presidential Range, and then have to hike another 700 miles to finish.Still, I'd like to believe that I will find myself in the second of the two categories. Even now, I tear up contemplating my arrival in Harper's Ferry at the finish in October. If I am fortunate enough to stay healthy and complete my thru-hike, I will be prouder than a peacock.
Date: 2016-07-24
From: Oquossoc

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

After my zero with Alison, we had to leave bright and early this morning to return me to the trail. Getting up at 3:30 am, we were on the road by 4:00 to make the 2.5 hour drive back to Monson. We had discovered Pete's, a wonderful restaurant in Monson, the day Alison picked me up when we had lunch there. So, this morning, we visited again for breakfast before I hit the trail at 7:30 am. During my zero, it had rained a substantial part of the day, and I heard from fellow hikers after the fact that the AT south of Monson had seen the same. Thus, in a weird AT kind of way, I had picked a good day to be off the trail. (Rarely do you hope for bad weather on your day off!)Today, however, was another beautiful day to hike, and my string of good weather in Maine continued. The terrain immediately south of Monson was gentle, and the day's hike was relatively easy, except for the fact that I was running on very little sleep. I managed to get in 17.9 miles before I arrived at Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to. Once there, I unpacked and pitched my tent, jumped in the lake, made dinner, and was in my tent at 6:45 pm, ready for a nice, long session inside my sleeping bag.
Date: 2016-07-25
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: US 201 (Caratunk, ME)
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

On Friday, our son, Sandy, arrives to spend some time with me on the trail. Thus, the rest of this week will be about making sure that I am in proper position to meet with him that day. Today, with its 18.8 miles hiked, was my last big mileage day for weeks to come. With good weather again, I made quick work of the morning climb up Bald Mountain, elevation 2,629 feet. The afternoon's ascent of Pleasant Pond Mountain, elevation 2,470, was a little less satisfying as my legs began to tire, but both summits yielded great views of the mountains to west and north. With the 37 miles I put in over the past two days, I will now begin to back down my daily mileage. Starting on Wednesday, the terrain will be getting tougher, as the trail crosses, in short order, the following mountains of western Maine: the Bigelow Range, the Crockers and Spaulding Mountain, the Saddleback Range, Bemis and Old Blue Mountains, the Baldpates and the Mahoosuc Range. This Thursday, I will summit the peaks of the Bigelow Range (photo, left side), climbing above 4,000 feet for the first time since Katahdin. From the Bigelows through the remainder of Maine and into New Hampshire, the terrain turns sharply more difficult, certainly the hardest stretch on the AT. Despite the fact that I have now hiked almost 1,200 miles, I am apprehensive about the next 250 miles. The climbs and descents are devishly steep, and, in poor weather, can be downright treacherous. I will have to manage my food well to reduce its impact on my pack weight, since a lighter pack will make all the difference in the world in battling this terrain. In a way, all that I have hiked thus far is just warm-up for western Maine and New Hampshire. This week, the AT begins in earnest. Tonight, I'm in Caratunk, ME, at the Caratunk House, a B&B catering to the hiking crowd. Paul, the proprietor, is just the best, and I highly recommend a stay here.
Date: 2016-07-26
From: US 201 (Caratunk, ME)

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

After enjoying a gourmet breakfast prepared by Paul at Caratunk B&B, I set off for another day on the trail. Only this day started out a bit differently. Just west of Caratunk, the Kennebec River flows south. One of Maine's major rivers, it is 400 feet wide where it meets the AT, and was six to eight feet deep when I arrived there. Upstream, there is a hydroelectric dam that releases water downstream once a day. When that daily water pulse occurs, the river rises very rapidly, and the force of its current increases dramatically.Not surprisingly, then, fording the Kennebec is very dangerous, and the Appalachian Trail Conservency and the Maine Appalachian Trail Club therefore cooperate to provide a free ferry service by canoe for hikers. The canoe crossing is the "official" way to ford the Kennebec, and white blazes are taped to the canoe's floor. AJ, a SoBo that Alison and I met before I summited Katahdin, also stayed at the Caratunk B&B. After breakfast, he and I made our way down the AT to the ferry landing and waited for the morning's first canoe crossing at 9:00 am. Greg, the ferry operator, promptly showed a minute or two after nine, and paddled AJ and me across the Kennebec. Today's photo shows Greg returning to the east bank, from where we came. AJ and I then resumed our hike from the west bank of the Kennebec under another gorgeous Maine day, ultimately putting in 14 miles to the West Carry Pond Lean-to. The trail, for one last day, rolled along with very little elevation gain, but again was dominated by roots and rocks, adding several degrees of difficulty to its navigation. I was happy to arrive at camp at 4:00 pm. The 37 miles I had covered in the previous two days, along with my 3:30 am wake-up call when we drove from our camp to Monson, had taken a bit out of me and I needed the downtime and sleep. Tomorrow, the western mountains of Maine begin. It's game time.