morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-17
From: Caratunk

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 14.0

We slept in until 7am since the ferry service did not begin taking people across the Kennebec until 9. The ferry service is an official part of the AT since it is incredibly dangerous to ford the Kennebec, especially with a pack. We arrived at the riverbank early and made ourselves a cup of instant coffee. We met Aaron, a fellow SoBo from upstate New York. It turns out the ferry service was a single canoe run by "Hillbilly Dave" whose maximum capacity per trip was two people and a dog. Lucky for us! We piled into the canoe, Roland up front helping paddle to the other shore, and Sasha held steady in the middle. Once across, we enjoyed amazing weather and a mildly caffeinated hike. We spent much of the morning scheming and dreaming of what is to come once we finish the AT. Since it is a ways off, all we will say is it might include buying a school bus.A bit later, we crossed over a precarious dam that ran along the edge of a lake where it feeds a river. Around 11:30, we stopped to sign the log book at Pierce Pond lean-to and ran into Aaron. We asked if he wanted to join us for the rest of the day and he accepted the offer. Along the way, we met two other dogs hiking with their owners. Sasha romped with them; one happy pup. We made it to the lean-to around 4:30 and realized we had caught up to the crowd we had been following in the log books hiking ahead of us since the start. We met the Vagabonds, whose trail names are Bam (ex-military father, 43yrs), traveling with his two sons Powder (11), and Badger (9). The others we met there were Multi, Sky Chicken, Many Homes, Deadhead, Kirby, and Ranger. Fishflakes stayed the night at the lean-to as well.Once acquainted, we went down to the pond for a swim. Everyone made dinner around the same time and talked by the fire before returning in for the night. We stayed up a bit later than everyone and hung by the fire with Aaron for awhile. We woke up during the middle of the night to Sasha cuddling with our new friend Badger. When we tried to quietly call Sasha back to sleep in her spot, the 9 year old sleepily awoke saying, "Awh, please let her stay here!"Such an eclectic group of hikers! We have found the AT community draws all sorts. Totally different lives drawn together by overlapping goals and common passion. Pretty cool.
Date: 2014-06-18
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 12.6

Most everyone took a slow morning on account of the rain. We talked more extensively with Bam, Kirby, and Ranger in the morning over breakfast. Began hiking around 8:30 am. Soggy trails to begin but by late-afternoon the sun was shining. Stopped at the Little Bigelow lean-to for a snack and to change into dry socks. Met John, "the French Priest," who was exactly that. Hiked up little Bigelow Mountain and stayed at Safford Notch campsite. Pitched tents very quickly to race the impending rainstorm. Aaron, Fish Flake, Deadhead, and Many Homes were also at the campsite and Roland hung with Deadhead and Many Homes after dinner. Found common interests and discussed adventures and future permaculture aspirations.
Date: 2014-06-19
From: Safford Notch Campsite

To: Stratton
Miles today: 11.4

Woke up early to enjoy breakfast and coffee before the big ascent up Avery Peak and Bigelow West Peak. Gave Aaron his trail name, "Yankee," and asked if he wanted to join us again. We hiked with Yankee for the day and learned more of his interests and about people who were important to him. He told us of the Northeast 111, which includes all of the peaks on the Northeast about 4000 feet of elevation. Not surprisingly, many peaks are along the AT and we climbed two this very day. Avery Peak is 4090 ft and Bigelow West Peak is 4145. We hung around at the top of the peaks for a while before descending down to Horn Pond lean-to to take a break for lunch. After lunch, we made it into Stratton and hitched a ride into town from and older woman named Sue, who dropped all three of us off at the post office. (THANKS TO BECKY AND ROB FOR MAILING OUR PACKAGE!!) Afterwards, we restocked on food at Fotter's Market. Quite the fantastic selection of peanut butter, if I do say so myself. Happy with our haul, we set up camp behind Northland General Store with the permission of owner Mark, who enjoys hosting hikers. We ate dinner and enjoyed a cold Cider and box of expired (and thus half-price) Newman O's (the organic version of Oreo's). Deadhead and Many Homes showed up shortly after and we hung with them until calling it a night.
Date: 2014-06-20
From: Stratton

To: Stratton
Miles today: 2.0

Took a zero day Stratton to catch up on some errands and enjoy a sit-down breakfast. (Zero day is hiker lingo for a day off). Fish Flake joined us for breakfast at the Stratton Diner where we ordered coffee, two blueberry pancakes, two banana pancakes, and split an omlette with spinach, mushrooms, swiss cheese, onions, and a piece of rye toast. Roland loved the pancakes so much he ordered two more. Thus far, Ive noticed in Maine that the restaurants are very keen about advertising and charging extra for "real maple syrup from Maine." We lingered in the diner for almost an hour after our meal, then headed to the library to catch everyone up on what we have been up to. Once we finished at the library, we hitched a ride back to the trail from a former 2013 Northbound thru-hiker who went by the name "Gigs." She was easy going and understood the hiker lifestyle, even sending us off with a few snacks she had left in her car. On our hike to find a place to pitch tents for the night, we met a NoBo named Tumbleweed who shared bits of knowledge about what was to come and a few places we should not miss, such as the Hiker Hut. How could we forget? Something we forgot to mention and explain earlier was the use of trail names. Trail names are often taken by backpackers to reflect their personality on the trail or simply just a nickname. Some people pick a name before heading out on the trail, while many wait for their trail name to find them, and still others reject taking a trail name. Our trail names are Blue Velvet & the Gardener. Sasha is simply Sasha (pup) so as not to confuse her. This is how we sign the log books in the lean-tos and what other hikers know as as.
Date: 2014-06-21
From: somewhere in the mountains

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 12.5

This morning was probably the coldest it has been yet. We packed up and took on the Crocker Peaks. On our descent down the south peak, we met a group of volunteers who help maintain the trails around Maine. There was about six people in the group and one guy in particular knew a thing or two about wild edibles. He shared a small bit of information about Chaga mushrooms, which grow on yellow and white dead birch trees and are traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory when prepared as a tea. This spurred Roland and I to seek out finding and identifying potential Chaga mushrooms for the rest of the afternoon. We of course did not attempt to eat anything we found, but instead enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. We were also able to successfully identify many Balsalm Fir trees and try their buds. The new buds on Balsalm firs are particularly desirable for their taste, which is slightly tangy and sweet. In the late afternoon, we took a slight diversion off the AT,.05 miles, to summit Sugarloaf Mountain. Unfortunately, the Appalachian Trail does not always take you over certain peaks but will have a side trail following a blue blaze for those who do wish to summit. We have decided that if the trails do not seem unreasonably long, which in most cases will only be about 0.3-0.8 miles further, it is definitely worth the extra mile to enjoy a beautiful view from the top. Afterall, we may not be back on the east coast to hike for some time after our trip. We met very resourceful fellow on top of Sugarloaf who gave us a tour of all the peaks around us and allowed us to view his map while we enjoyed our snack. Soon after we descended Sugarloaf, we came to Spaulding Mountain. The AT did not go up to the summit which was only an extra 150 ft up, so we decided to take off our packs and climb up. Hiking without our packs created a sense of weightlessness, where each step felt like floating. Sheer pleasure tickled our bodies. That evening we shared the lean-to with Multi, calling it a night after warming up by the fire.
Date: 2014-06-22
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

The morning air was cool on our fingertips. Roland read a few aphorisms from Nietzsche book, The Gay Science, and after a quick breakfast we hit the trail. Most of the morning we processed and discussed the aphorisms together and after awhile, fell silent. It seems like this is how most days on the trail go. You walk for awhile, slipping into periods where the mind wanders then coming back from this endless void to what is around you. Then there are moments when you share what is on your mind or remember something you have not thought about for some time. It seems that its easy to make odd connections when you have all the time in the world to physically process your life and what you experience on a day to day basis. We both feel we there is a lot of merit in spending time with ourselves for extended periods of time, but that it is irreplaceable to have someone to experience life with...Our big Mountains of the day were Junior Saddleback, The Horn (4032), and Saddleback Mountain (4120). This was one of our favorite hikes thus far as we caught the golden sunlight atop of Saddleback and were able to leisurely walk down to Eddy pond. At Eddy Pond we gave ourselves sponge baths and washed a few of our garments. The bugs were were so terrible it looked like drops of rain were falling on the surface of the pond. Despite the bugs, we were able to see a beautiful sunset over the pond as the pinks and purples refelcted off the water as we dined on beans and rice. We hurried to make it another 1.8 miles to the lean-to after the sun had set. Hiking in the dark ended up being fairly stressful as we pulled out our headlamps and tried to scramble over the terrain and make sure we were staying on the trail. Sahsa was also pretty spooked, staying close at our heals. It was a slow process, but we made it to the lean-to. The lean-to was full so we pitched tents and called it a night.
Date: 2014-06-23
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Hiker Hut
Miles today: 2.0

In the morning we met Grace, the caretaker of Piazza Rock Lean-to. Our walk into Rangeley was downhill most the way and easy going. Our goal was to head into Rangeley to resupply on our breakfasts and snacks for the week and to visit the Hiker Hut to meet the folks that ran it since we had heard from numerous other hikers of their incredible hospitality. We walked down the gravel driveway up to the Hiker Hut and rang the bell hikers are supposed to ring to announce our arrival. Steve and Katherine were working in the garden and greeted us with a warm hello. We told them we were not planning on staying with them but that we had wished to meet them. They invited us to have tea with them on the porch of the hut and gave us each an oatmeal raisin cookie made by Katherine. It was later divulged to us that they give cookies to the guest they like so were were pleased to have made a great first impression. We sat on the porch talking with them for at least an hour or so before deciding we wanted to stay the night. The Hiker Hut was only 0.3 miles off the trail and an easy place to hitch into town so we could hit up the grocery store. We hitched a ride from a girl who went by the name Bagels and invited us to hang out at her house for a bit. We accepted the offer and then went into town.
Date: 2014-04-06
To: 2014's Section Hike Plans Set
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Since returning from our 2013 AT Section Hike, my tentative plan had always been that I would do the 2014 Section in May and take both Bandit and Jackson. However, after all the NAC agility training and then attending the 2014 AKC NAC, along with the hectic plumbing business, it just didn't seem possible that I could prepare to go on our 2014 AT Section Hike in only 7 weeks. It didn't seem fair to leave Dave home to deal with all the chaos, that I could make the schedule work. I felt so far behind after spending all of March doing so much Agility. How was I going to get all the yard work done, who was going to setup the labor intensive pool? Yada-yada-yada...... I began to consider going in August instead of May. I consulted with my on-line blogs about this change in timing and was encouraged to reconsider May. August was just awful to hike in Virginia, the heat, the bugs, the lightening storms, the hurricanes.But forethought back in February, had caused me to NOT schedule much Agility in that 7 week period. Thus, I spent the first week home from NAC doing nothing but work, no agility training was done during the week, no personal appointments were to be met, no evening hikes were done, just plumbing. That first weekend back, tons of housework and yard work got done. By Sunday I was feeling much more back to normal. Dave and I had a long talk about the scheduling of my AT Hike. I decided that we should still go in May per our original plan.Thus, Monday, we got totally serious about our hiking practice. We started with a 65 minute hike up to the Ice Age Trail's Shelter #1 with each of us carrying a 5 lb pack.Super excited now that the scheduling details are sewn up!!!
Date: 2014-04-12
To: Serious practice hikes continue
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

In the past 5 days, I was able to get out and hike 3 of them.Tuesday - 1.25 hours, 11 lb pack, 53 degrees, drizzle, Scuppernog Ice Trail toward Shelter #1.Wednesday - no hike, agility practiceThursday - 95 minutes, 11 lb pack, clear skies, 61 degrees = sore ankles! - Ice Age Trail Hwy D northFriday - 85 min, 53 degrees, clear skies, 11 lb pack on one of the hard sections of the Ice Age Trail. Time to up the weight!!!Saturday - Volunteered at Agility Trial and put on a million miles on my feetDog Trail Manner pointers --- teach your dog (who is carrying a pack) that when they go from the rear to the front of you while hiking, that they pass you only on the left. It will prevent the dog from snagging you with his pack each time he passes. I have also found it helpful to teach the dog to watch for other hikers coming toward you. When they spot one, they return immediately to you. I do this by treating the dog each time they correctly spot a hiker and return to me. It is a game they learn to love and the other hiker's think your dogs have great manners!
Date: 2014-04-13
To: Adding more weight to our hikes
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Today, I pulled out the long-distance pack (left) and Bandit went nuts. He knows exactly where all of this is leading too and he is so excited. He was barking and bouncing around!I loaded the bigger pack with 18.5 lbs of gear and put 7 lbs in each of the dog's pack and put away the day pack (middle). We then went for an hour hike on the Emma Carltin bike trails in Southern Kettles w/ 18.5 lbs = good endurance practice.I should note that since Christmas, though we haven't practice hiked properly, every morning I do a regiment of sit-ups, jumping jacks, lunges, squats and ankle exercises. I follow this up with having the dogs do a serious of stair climbs by having them fetch their toys up and down the stairs.Pulled out all the boxes from storage that contain our hiking gear and dropped it into a pile in the guest room. Time to start finding all the missing pieces scattered about the house and re-testing all the technology aspects like the cell phone solar charger, Steripen, SPOT, and iPhone accessories. Might be wise to thoroughly check out that stove too!!!
Date: 2014-04-15
To: Ruffwear Bladders
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

While loading the dog's packs with more water, I discovered that the water bladders in Jackson brand new Ruffwear pack were leaking pretty bad. The bladders are made out of a stiff plastic. Though similar to a Platypus water bottle, these cracked and split.Now, I've had Bandit's Palisades Pack for 4 years now and I have been thrilled with the quality of everything about it. It has hundreds of miles on it and it just keeps on going, through storms, washings, swimming with the dog, and mud. Love, love, love it. So I was really surprised that Jackson's brand new Palisades bladders were performing so poorly. I made a call to Ruffwear and they noted that the bladders were under warranty and they'd send me two brand new ones!!!! These guys are simply just awesome!!!! Thanks Ruffwear!!!
Date: 2014-04-17
To: Beautiful evening hike
Miles today: 0.0

1-3/4 hour hike tonight on the Emma Carltin bike trails with an 18 lb pack = tired feet and sore calves. No more bike trails after today, muds is drying up and all the bikers are officially taking over!! It will be back to the Ice Age Trail starting tomorrow.Seriously need to start putting time in on our itinerary!!!
Date: 2014-04-25
To: Practice Hiking/Itinerary Planning All Going Well
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

This past weekend I attended a two day Agility trial with both dogs. Each dog had 10 runs making for a total of 20 runs for me. It was great endurance practice for Mia as I was on my feet all day both days and came home with tired feet. Tons of miles put on each day!!!Monday we hit the Ice Age Trail 1-1/2 hour loop that wraps up on the Scuppernog cross-country ski trails. Still carrying the 18 lb pack. Tuesday was hunt class, no hiking. Wednesday was agility class, no hiking. It was good to have a two day rest. Then Thursday we did a 2 hour hike out at Emma Carltin, again with the 18 lb pack. Tonight we were running late so squeezed in a 45 minute hike returning in the dark.I was able to spend some good quality time on our Itinerary this past week as well. I mapped out the first 75 miles from Pearisburg to Daleville, VA. Plans are to do 4 days into a hostel followed by two days into a Howard Johnson Express Hotel in Daleville. It will be a fun stretch as it includes the MacAfee Knob, Tinker Cliff and the Dragon's Tooth formations. Always good to have fun things to do along the trail. The 2nd day of hiking will feature the 58th hardest climb on the AT. Hiking Day #11 should include the 43rd hardest climb on the AT, the most difficult one for me so far. Yikes!!!This weekend I hope to get a lot of hiking in, yard work done, and finish the framework of our Itinerary. More gear rounding up is also in the plans. Next week I plan to start doing all my dehydration. Things are moving along nicely which is good since time is drawing short before we leave.
Date: 2014-04-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Saturday, I rounded up all my gear and threw it into a big pile in the guest bedroom. I took a picture and posted it to Facebook which launched into a really nice series of posts. Thought I would repost it here as there is a lot of good information shared there.Mia: If I've never tortured you with my annual gear organization process, I promise to be better about it this year. First I round up all the gear and put it on a huge pile. Then I pull out my gear list and the process begins. Missing from this pic are our three backpacks and the gear they contain.Julie: Mia, are you taking both dogs with you?Mia: Yes, this crazy dog lady is taking both.Julie: Glad there are other crazy dog ladies out there. Are the dogs responsible for carrying their own food? Do they need a special diet for the trip?Mia: It's a given that there is no water or non-dehydrated food in the pile yet either.Mia: Yes, dogs carry all their own food and supplies. I have them carry some water but cut them off at about 10-12 lbs. I carry their bedding, coats, and most of their water.Julie: How heavy does your pack end up being?Mia: I used to think they would need a special diet but Bandit has shown me that's not necessary. They carry their normal ration of a high protein kibble and get ALL left overs and a lot of various people food throughout the day.Mia: My pack runs about 36 lb with four days of food and full water.Julie: Cool.Mia: Biggest diet issue with dogs AND people is staying hydrated. Have to keep track of who pees when and how much and what color.Julie: Are there watering stations on the trail at all?Mia: Not stations, just water sources and you have to keep careful track on your guide as to were the sources are and how far apart. Then you have to gauge how much you have to carry between them. Some sources are not good and you have to carry more water to supplement. Only use moving water, only allow dogs to drink from running sources. All human water is treated. All dog water I carry is treated.Mia: Dogs not allowed to stand or swim in water source unless it is downstream from access point.Julie: That must be fun to explain to a lab . Are there lots of other people with dogs on the trail?Connie: I see the must have ever important dog Frisbee!!Mia: There are a few dogs on the trail. Keeps increasing each year. The trail is hard on a dog and hard for the handler to take care of. Lots of work and can ruin your hike.
Date: 2014-04-28
To: Dehydrated Ice Cream - Really?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I wonder if dehydrated ice cream is any good? Hmmm... I doubt it but we are going to give it a shot this year! Will keep you posted on this year's #1 experiment.Sunday night I upped my pack weight to 25 lbs, dogs to 8 lbs, got out on the trail, turned the first corner and a bolt of lightening shot to the ground out in front of us. Wind was knocking branches out of trees. Big storm blowing in, so back to the van we went. Was happy to be dry and safe in the house as the sky unleashed a torrent of rain!!!!!Tonight, I managed to out-fox mother nature and sneak in a 50 minute hike with that 25 lb pack. Weight wasn't bad, wasn't loaded too balanced though. Thunderstorms rolled in as we were driving home!!!! Missed me Mother Nature!!!
Date: 2014-04-30
To: What would I do on the AT in a storm?
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday, I had upped my pack weight to 25 lbs, dogs to 8 lbs, got out on the trail, turned the first corner and a bolt of lightening shot to the ground out in front of us. Wind was knocking branches out of trees. So back to the van we went. I was happy to be dry and safe in the house as the sky unleashed a torrent of rain!!!!!My cousin Mary Pat asked me a great question!!! What would I do for real if I were caught in a storm out on the AT as I wouldn't be able to turn around and simply go home.... Here is my answer....When on the trail if this were to happen, it really depends on the situation as to what I've done. In cloud to cloud lightening, I've stayed hiking under the canopy.... very, very scary way to hike. In a cloud to ground lightening followed by hail situation, we threw our hiking poles far away from our group and cowered under some low hanging pine branches. Once when a strong storm front came through I had to toss Bandit tail first into a very small cave, dive in head first behind him and let my backpack plug the hole against the storm. Eventually I turned around and we watched the storm roll by praying that no trees would fall on our cover. During the April 2011 tornadoes that tore apart much of the south, we were one of the lucky ones to be in a hostel for the night. Dave was quit upset on the phone when he finally reached me. He wanted to know where I was. Many friends stayed out in tents that night and they didn't have a good time. One of the tornadoes touched down 3 miles from our hostel. In the Smokies, we hiked through down pours w/o lightening but there were 40 mph cross winds at 6000'. We did have to ride out a severe thunderstorm one evening in the Smokies in a 12 man shelter squeezing 22 people into it. That was an amazing experience of the human nature!!! Yes, you absolutely become very, very weather conscious.....