morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-13
From: Frye Notch Lean-To

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Happy Birthday, Melanie, my food mail drop provider! Today, Peach, Don and I nearoed into town to do town stuff, including the latest food drop. It turned into a bit of a reunion day: Most exciting: Peach and I had gotten ahead of Loose Bruce at Carlo Col Shelter. Today we got a call from him that he is hiking with Rex and Radar again, and is only 10-15 miles behind us, having done the Mahoosuc Notch and Arm yesterday. Not a reunion exactly, but great news that he is so close, and it looks like Peach's Posse will be reunited soon. Bruce reminded me that we had promised we would summit together no matter what, and I am very glad that we are still on for that. Hardest thing to believe I remembered: A hiker named Amoeba was at the hostel. She looked familiar but I didn't know why. Dismissed it at first, then had to ask where I might have seen her. Turns out she was leading a youth group at Bear's Den Hostel just south of Harper's Ferry when I was there. Hardest to get them to admit it: A section hiking couple arrived around dinnertime, Tortoise and Just A Few Steps. They looked familiar, and the names were very familiar. I thought I might have run into them in North Carolina. I asked if they were retirees who were section hiking the AT, PCT and CDT, and they said yes. However, they denied hiking in NC at all. At dinner, I insisted it was an amazing coincidence that their names and stories jogged my memory so strongly yet they were a different couple. Then they realized that they had done a day hike in NC as a "shakedown" for their section hikes for this year. AHA! Coolest reunions: Well, not reunions exactly. Peach got emails from 2 hikers I had been with earlier in the year that they had summited Katahdin! Cheeseburger, who I hiked with quite a few days with Peach and Corker in Georgia (Last seen by me in Erwin NC); and Wolf Taffy, who I met coming out of Erwin and last saw a few weeks later at Hurricane Shelter. Both are young men who kicked it into high gear at some point, and I watched their progress via trail registers for most of the trip. Anyway, I had hoped to contact both of them at some point. In fact, it was gratifying that Cheeseburger, in his announcement email actually asked if anyone knew my email address, so the interest in contact was very mutual. So I did send emails to both congratulating them and wishing them well. Again, congratulations, guys, and thanks for the exciting inspiration to keep me going. Wolf Taffy, I will eat a Wolf Taffy sandwich in your honor upon my summiting! Thanks to our hosts at our hostel, The Cabin, Honey and Bear, for a great day off. It was great to hang out with dedicated hikers who offered so much hospitality.
Date: 2007-09-14
From: Andover, ME

To: South Arm Rd. Crossing
Miles today: 10.1

Don, Peach and I decided to hike out, but have the hostel shuttle us back for the night, because the morning weather report called for overnight rain and because there was a chance that Rex, Loose Bruce and Radar would be arriving in the evening. So we hiked our hike, which went well and included a lot of philosophical and personal discussions, then got the shuttle back, and found out the weather report had changed - now the rain was not due until tomorrow afternoon. So theoretically one of our original reasons for staying did not pan out. Fortunately the other one did - Rex, Radar and Loose Bruce arrived around 8 pm. We all took advantage of the situation, I stayed up until 11 (even though I was getting up at 5am to get PC access to work on this journal). It was great to have the posse back together again, if only for a short while.Quick note: Actually, the rain DID start overnight, so we were doubly glad on the morning of the 15th that we had stayed.
Date: 2007-09-15
From: South Arm Rd. Crossing

To: Bemis Mtn Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: moderate rain

Don, Peach and I thought hard about our alternatives (Stay or go, given inclement weather and the fact that Loose Bruce, Radar and Rex were in town), then we talked about it alot, and still we came to a very wrong conclusion - GO! This was the most miserable hiking and camping experience of my life. Cold, windy, muddy, foggy, puddles you had to walk into, and streams of water coming down the trail. As soon as we stopped hiking we were immediately cold while changing into dry things and wringing out the wet clothing that would not be dry when we put it back on tomorrow morning. By then the dry clothing we put on would likely be wet as well. The only consolation was that we were far from alone. Seuss, Walking Will, C-shot, Serial, Boognish, and General Tso were there in addition to Don, Peach and myself. Another positive of the day was that it "only" took 5 hrs to hike the 8.7 miles in spite of the weather - obviously hiking in the Whites has lowered my standards as to what constitutes a good day's hike. The minimal hand over hand climbing and presence of soil to walk on helped alot.Some people chose to extend the day by playing Cosmic Wimpout. I chose to take the opportunity to go to sleep at 8 pm in anticipation of 10 hours sleep. As it turned out, the only interruption was a 3 am pee break where I discovered the rain had stopped, and it was not as uncomfortably cold as I had expected - perhaps a harbinger that better weather was on the way.
Date: 2007-09-16
From: Bemis Mtn Lean-to

To: Rangely, ME
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: few clouds

2 interesting stats: Don has now hiked 3% of our hike with us, hence his new trail name, 3 percent. Also, we hiked 8% of our remaining miles for the trip today, a new record. On my first day of hiking, I hiked just over 1/2 of 1% of the remaining trip.   This day's hike was huge mileage for us, again showing how my standards of a good day's hike have dropped. The last time we recorded this many miles was August 23.   The day started by promising a repeat of the horrors of yesterday. My hands and feet were cold as soon as I got out of the sleeping bag. The fog was keeping everything moist. I put cold clammy wet socks back on so I would have dry ones when I got to camp at the end of the day. Incredibly, though, as the day went on it went from horrific to idyllic. Temperatures were comfortable, views were incredible, it was just a joy to be in Maine. The terrain cooperated as well - climbs were gradual and less frequent; very little boulder hopping. Still, I fell once and bent a trekking pole again. This happened because I was searching the woods for moose, since we had just seen a particularly fresh pile of scat.   Fall is setting in. Don pointed out that the maples are turning first (red leaves), and that maples near water are the first to go. The birches turn a muted yellow at some point, and some have actually started to turn already. Colors continue to become more distinct and intense every day, and sometimes the leaves form a red carpet on the trail. As if Maine tested us on the first day, and then when that didn't scare us away, it welcomed us because we passed the test. A beautiful place to be!   Don decided to stay one last night with us before going home, and we stayed at the Gull Pond Lodge, a hostel that was very homey and pleasant. Thanks to Bob O'Brien, who created the hostel in his home when his sons moved out.
Date: 2007-09-17
From: Rangely, ME

To: Abandoned woods road past Orbeton Stream
Miles today: 15.0

In the morning Peach and I bid a fond adieu to Don. I had invited him to join us in the 100 mile wilderness, but he had to decline due to a prior obligation. He has been fun to have along, especially due to his knowledge of the trail, and of course some excellent trail magic. Don is a retiree from a hospital in New Hampshire, and has hiked all 48 peaks over 4000' in NH, in addition to hiking all of the AT in VT and NH, and parts of ME. I am now considering doing the 48 peaks myself as a future "project". It is a good excuse to enjoy some terrific country.   As Peach and I headed out I first noticed that fall is becoming more apparent every day. It adds an element of interest to the trail hikes, much as it was in Georgia when we watched Spring unfold each day. A highlight of the day was a 3 mile hike above treeline when we hiked across Saddleback Mountain, The Horn, and Saddleback Junior, allowing us to hike and gawk at the same time. Another highlight had occurred earlier in the day when we came across Fuzzy Monkey on the trail. He had been ahead, but was stopped for a few days by a stomach problem. All better now, and good to go. A final highlight was another statistic - we are over 90% complete on our trail hike!   We hiked so quickly that we reached our original destination too early to stop, so we kept going. The 3 of us (FM, Peach, myself) camped together on an abandoned road. There was a worn path indicating that animals still used it, so we were hopeful we might see some wildlife.
Date: 2007-09-18
From: Abandoned woods road past Orbeton Stream

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

Well, we didn't see any critters in spite of our apparent strategic camping location the night before.    Fuzzy Monkey took off early, and we saw little of him through the day, so I was hiking with Peach for the day. I tried once again to hike her way - a few short breaks, with steady hiking in between. In my heart I know this is probably the smart way to hike, but it really feels like hard work - my mind and body like breaks. Call me lazy. Hey, it got me this far! But honestly, I would never have been able to hike so many miles (especially with 3500' of climb) with my normal style.   Less than 200 miles to go!   Careful reviewers of this journal may notice that I am beginning to obsess over 2 things: first, how close we are to being done, and second, getting into hostels. Yes, I am getting a little tired and sore. Waking up cold every morning is a drag. Because of the cold and exertion, I'm losing weight again. My muscles are reminding me I cannot do this forever, and are begging me to stop. They don't seem to realize how close the end is. But still I am having enough fun moments every day to keep me going, plus the knowledge that in 2-3 weeks this voyage is done. Just thinking about it, I miss it already. How confusing.The 5 mile hike downhill to Stratton was the toughest part of the day, perhaps due to the fatigue from the huge climbs. We stayed at the Stratton Motel, a hostel, with familiar faces Gnarly, Red Blaze, Fidel, Fuzzy Monkey, Sweetwater (his trial was postponed again, so he will be able to finish before testifying), Old Yeller, the Twins, and some new faces - Stone Age, Triple Deuce and Laredo.
Date: 2007-09-19
From: Stratton, ME

To: Little Bigelow Leanto
Miles today: 15.3

Part 1 of my mission to meet Melanie and Andy in Maine is completed - I reached the Little Bigelow Leanto tonight. Amazingly, Peach and I only hiked from 10 am-7 pm. The late start was due to a mail drop pickup from the PO that opened at 9 am. The mileage was all the more amazing because the day featured several huge climbs (The Horns, Bigelow Mtn[including Avery and West Peaks], and Little Bigelow Mtn. A real bummer for the day was that because I was so time constrained, I did not have the hours needed to sit and enjoy the view from the West Peak - a lake on one side, a valley of trees taking on their fall plumage on the other, and mountaintops all around us. I will have to return to this site to savor the views. The good news is that the maps Don gave me of the AT in Maine include info on all the day trips that can be done, so I should be able to pull this off someday.    Pain is becoming a constant companion, though still at "livable" levels (a phrase that reminds me of Candyman, who originated the concept of livable pain, and he is only a few days behind). Hips, knees, ankles, the spot where the pack rests on my pelvic bone, even one elbow, all experience occasional pain. But nothing seems to actually slow me down, as if my brain is telling them we just don't have time for that right now.   I attribute much of the day's success to Peach's disciplined approach - staying businesslike and focussed on getting to our destination while still being aware of the opportunities to appreciate what we are walking through.   Today we passed the 2000 mile mark. I pointed out that because I did the approach trail in Amicalola Falls the sign was actually 9 miles past MY 2000 mile mark. No one was impressed, even Peach, who also did the approach trail. I guess I did it for nothing.   Camped with Peach, Gnarly, and Old Yeller.
Date: 2007-09-21
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 4.0

My appetite was prodigious - 12 pancakes for breakfast at the Pierce Pond Cabins near the Leanto! I hiked to Caratunk via the Kennebec River taking a ferry enroute. The "ferry" was actually a canoe. Since I was considered to be too old and feeble, I was not allowed to paddle. I was to meet Melanie and Andy at the Caratunk trail-head. A problem was encountered when a car pulled up and parked just as Old Yeller was in the process of "passing water", and he therefore had to abort his activity in mid-stream, so to speak! Amazingly, they had stopped for me - it was Melanie and Andy! Talk about incredible timing. I whisked them away so Old Yeller could finish. A great visit. Another coincidence - I ran into Moss at the hostel, a hiker I hadn't seen since Damascus, Va. He was accompanied by Reckless, whom I had never met before. We had a few beers together for old times sake. I found out that Joker and Dog Man would be finishing late, not early so I won't be seeing them anymore. RatsAt Caratunk,spent the night at Northern Outdoors, in a room with Sweetwater, Fuzzy Monkey and Peach. A ton of other hikers were around, all of whom I knew from the last few weeks. Most interestingly, I was part of a large group in a hot tub, where General Tso and I discussed many things - I assured him that when I offended him with my joke about when I entered Maine I was only kidding, in fact the AT saved the best for last. We also talked about toughness. He served in the Marines and said hiking the AT was tougher than Boot Camp in some ways. For one thing, no one is pushing you to stay the course. I also bought Mala a beer to thank him for the trail magic he has provided. I later found out it was probably very appreciated - he is so generous with hikers, he sometimes feels used.
Date: 2007-09-22
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

I am starting this day in Caratunk, Maine, which is only about 160 miles from my final destination. The last few days have been a whirlwind of highlights, as if the trail were saving the best for last, including the best vista I have seen yet (West Peak of Bigelow Mtn) and the best animal encounter (15 minutes with a huge bull moose, and an incredible video of him crossing the AT just 50' from me). I even swam on the 20th. And I was surprised that the stars aligned so my sister Melanie and brother-in-law Andy were able to pull off a visit with me yesterday! With the promise of several more days of idyllic weather, but Maine winter rapidly approaching, I have decided to move while the weather is pleasant and enjoy the Maine wilderness rather than hold back and wait for Loose Bruce, Radar and Bump (who are actually getting further behind, not closer). A tough choice, but I'm hopeful that as we get closer to Katahdin opportunities will arise to reunite. Right now Peach, Sweetwater, and I are together and heading out later this morning. Fuzzy Monkey is staying 1 more day to go rafting. A 15-mile day is likely today, and it is becoming ever more clear that a very early October completion is the most likely course of events.Rain threatened all day and it stayed fairly cool. Although the trail was wet, indicating it had rained previously, it didn't rain on us at all. I stopped hiking at 4:30 PM, lit a fire, and had a relaxing evening. (I remenber when at this hour, I used to still have seven miles of hiking still left in me.) I went to sleep at 8:00 PM, reflecting on what a mixed blessing Thomas Edison's invention is. Before the electric light bulb, people used to get much more sleep because after it got dark, there wasn't much else that people could do but to go to bed. Thus, society has lost a lot of sleep due to the advent of artificial light!In camp: Peach, Gnarly, Sweetwater
Date: 2007-09-23
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: East Branch of the Piscataquis River
Miles today: 15.3

Stopped hiking at 3:30 pm - my earliest hike stop of the whole trip. Peach and I stopped for water, decided we'd had enough. My legs and feet were sore and drained. It also provided for a leisurely evening, taking my time setting up camp, enjoying the gorgeous view, and talking with passers by, including 2 SOBOs who stopped in camp for a while just to chat.For some reason I was thinking about my reputation as a fast hiker. I find this amusing because in high school I became a distance runner because I had "no speed". Years later I read a book that talked about fast-twitch muscles vs. slow-twitch muscles. I probably am endowed with many slow-twitch fibers. I've decided that hiking is a slow twitcher's game game. In fact, many of these hikers are probably extremely slow, even slower than me. Yet they have an advantage over me in this endeavor because they have more slow twitch muscles than I, resulting in a steadier approach. Perhaps that is why I need more breaks, resulting ultimately in fewer miles per day than those who cannot "sprint" 5 or 6 miles like I can. Highlight of the day: Part of the reason I liked the camping spot was that I thought the view would make a great jigsaw puzzle. I could not stare at it enough. And I couldn't smile enough when I was staring at it. In fact, I decided that this would be my future happy place. When life starts dragging me down, I can always remember sitting on a rock looking upstream at the Piscataquis river. Even if I can't pronounce it.
Date: 2007-09-24
From: East Branch of the Piscataquis River

To: Monson, Me.
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: few clouds

Today I reached Monson, ME. To me this symbolized the beginning of the home stretch ¢ we enter the 100 Mile Wilderness next, and Katahdin is essentially right there when we leave the wilderness. I¢ve been looking forward to this segment of the trip since long before I started, so I¢m really looking forward to it. But for now I am enjoying a day off ¢ hanging out with the other hikers, the usual in-town chores (shopping, phone calls, mail drop packing, eating, journal updating) and as it turned out an interesting evening where the hikers hung out with a shop owner. The day began well, as Sue from Shaw¢s hostel just happened to be dropping off hikers when Peach and I came out on the road crossing. When we got there, Yogi, Pittsburgh and Pippy were getting ready to leave so I got to chat with them and share the Rice Krispie squares my mother included in the mail drop (Yum, Thanks!). Later in the day, Fidel, Redblaze, Gnarly, Sweetwater and Matlanta showed up too. Paul Henzey, a friend from my old job, had hoped to catch up with me in Monson while he was preparing for a hike of his own in the Whites. It turned out to be a much longer drive than either of us had anticipated, so we decided to catch up when I got back home instead. In the evening I got a look at life outside the trail as we spent a good part of the evening at the general store in Monson, owned by Tim. He talked about the stresses of starting a grocery business (He is a retired aerospace engineer, talk about a career change!). It was clear that being in a small town adds to the stresses, especially when so many of his clients commute to communities with supermarkets. I imagine all small town business people deal with this threat, plus the WalMart syndrome. He also showed us a movie based in Monson. He even appeared in the movie (titled ¢A Maine Story¢) ¢ very cool. No big stars, and only 12 hour long, but fun and exciting for the community. He related that the shot in his store was disrupted several times by thru hikers barging in at inopportune times. We are just not used to obeying signs that apply to everybody else, I guess. He also talked about the weekly amateur music event held in his store on Fridays - everyone who shows up gets a turn playing and/or singing. Another item affecting Monson is that the heiress to Burts Bees is trying to convert a large area around Mount Katahdin into a national park. A noble idea, but she is trying to make Monson the entry point for the park, buying large chunks of town property which is essentially idle until she makes progress, which is disrupting the business district and community.Finished the evening even further (mentally at least) from the trail by watching a movie for the first time since I started ¢ a terrifically insightful (I mean delightfully insipid) flick called Knocked Up. A great diversion.
Date: 2007-09-25
From: Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Stream Leanto
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I left Monson with the heaviest pack I have carried the whole trip because I was carrying 7 days of food. In fact I moved all my water and my fleece jacket outside my pack to make room for all the food. Toward the day I felt lightheaded and uncoordinated, and wondered why. Then I started feeling the sensation of complete exhaustion and realized that the extra weight, plus perhaps a touch of dehydration was the cause. So I ate a lot of food to lighten my load that evening. I hiked alone most of the day, and really enjoyed it. At the beginning I hiked & chatted with Gnarly but eventually lagged behind. The only other person I really talked to was Vlad the Impaler, a SOBO who had completed the PCT (2600 miles!) a few days earlier and felt the need to keep walking, so he started an AT hike. Really puts my little walk in the woods in perspective.At one point I found some foam squares laying on the ground and figured some hikers had left them. I carried them for a while, then came upon a steep uphill where I decided that carrying those 3 oz each was just too much, considering that I didn¢t even know if I would find the owners when I got to camp. Heck, they could have been Vlad¢s! So I dropped them. When I got into camp, Starvin Marvin asked if I had seen any seatpads. I was extremely apologetic, said I¢d seen them, carried them and dropped them. Ah, if only I¢d known. He ended up hiking 7/10 of a mile to go back and get them. So I saved him a little bit of hiking. Starvin Marvin and Pearls are a husband/wife team that Peach met during the day, friendly and interesting to talk with.At camp were Peach, Starvin Marvin, Pearls, Yogi, Pittsburgh, Pippy, and Dutchie. Gnarly had moved ahead. I crammed into the shelter because I was too tired to want to put up my tent. The 4 in it graciously accommodated me. It made for some interesting conversations because it was clear that some of us are struggling to hold on to our sanity. And it is contagious. I have begun what I hope will be a series of shelter register entries about how I am looking for a moose to ride up Katahdin, or any part of the trail for that matter. Sort of Bullwinkle-blazing.