morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-03
From: Gorham, NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter, MAINE!
Miles today: 17.0

Got up at 5:30 and waited for Patty's call before leaving for the trail. Then to McDonald's for a high-calorie trail breakfast and then to the trail. I got started at the trailhead about 7:00, and made the first summit by 9:00. Then things went bad. I got crossed up on the trail and effectively backtracked all that I had just done, costing me about three hours of valuable hiking time and putting me off my schedule to meet Patty in Rangely in three days. This means I've got to play catch up in the next couple of days, getting up earlier and hiking later into the day to make up the miles. The rest of the day went OK, although I was fuming at my stupidity and carelessness. I met the local trail maintainer for the AMC on the trail, who had been a Ridgerunner in the smokies at a shelter I stayed at there. Small world. Crossed into Maine about 6:30 in the evening, and made the first shelter about 7:30, about 5 miles shy of my goal. Shared it with Peanut & Grinder, the young couple I met at Carter Notch Hut along with Free Spirit. Free Spirit was supposed to meet them here tonight, but may have gone on further to try and catch up with Pacer. I'll be up early and try to get through the Mahoosuc Notch and Arm by mid-day, which will be a long, tough day of hiking.
Date: 2005-07-04
From: Carlo Col Shelter, MAINE!

To: Frye Notch Shelter, ME
Miles today: 19.9

Didn't really feel like getting up when the alarm went off at 4:30 (sound familiar?), but I had to press to make up lost miles from yesterday on the slowest, and perhaps toughest section of the entire trail - the Mahoosucs. The weather was perfect, sunny, cool and breezy. The bugs were manageable. Made good time to Full Goose Shelter (yesterday's goal), then went through the boulder maze of the Mahoosuc Notch, a ravine FILLED with boulders of all sizes and shapes to scramble over and under. Slow going, but a different hiking experience. Still snow & ice under many boulders, even in July. Then, one of the steepest, toughest, longest, hardest climbs yet, up Mahoosuc Arm. Made it to the top by early afternoon and got some of the nicest views of the trip, right there with the Whites (in good weather). Met several more southbounde thruhikers along the way, and they were encouraging about what's ahead. As the day wound on and I got closer to the Frye shelter, my spirits were buoyed, as I knew I could make it by dark. For the first time, I'm feeling confident that I can make it through Maine in the target time frame, barring any unforeseen problems. It won't be easy, but I think I can get it done, and I feel prety good about that. Pulled into the shelter just as it began to get dark, quickly had dinner and filtered some water for an early start in the morning and set up my bedroll just as the light faded. Good thing, because the my headlamp quit on me suddenly and I had no light for the night. The lithium batteries, while long-lasting, quit with no warning. There were heavy mosquitos in the shelter, so my headnet was called for to sleep in. Lots of mouse activity also, and they were very bold. Tomorrow will be another very tough day, as I want to push on further than planned to be sure to get into Rangely on time to meet Patty on Wednesday.
Date: 2005-07-05
From: Frye Notch Shelter, ME

To: Just beyond RT17 Road Crossing, ME
Miles today: 26.3

Got a good, early start, since I didn't have anyone to disturb in the shelter and could move around quickly and noisily. I hope I woke the mice up, since they kept me up half the night. Seemed a bit warmer than prior days, and it got even more so as the day wore on. I made some good progress in the morning and got through some tough ups & downs. Got over the unexpectedly-tough Moody Mtn. just as some tough thunderstorms came through and rained on me. I met Seven Sisters, a section-hiker who was finishing his last section from Gorham NH to Katahdin, but I delayed some getting water at the crossing and we didn't see each other again. I was glad for the rain, as it cooled things down some, but it made it a little more challenging in some places. I'd rather the wet than the heat for hiking, though. The remaining climbs weren't as bad as I though they'd be, but they were still long. The maps often don't give a good representation of the elevation changes, even though they should. Had another bout of showers late afternoon, but seems OK for the evening. Got in late to camp and set up in darkness, bypassing the intended shelter completely. I've now got a pretty easy day tomorrow to get into Rangely, which I'm glad for.
Date: 2005-07-06
From: Just beyond RT17 Road Crossing, ME

To: Rangely,ME
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Didn't have to get up so early today, since I had a pretty short and easy run into town. It was a pretty scenic section of trail, with some beautiful lake views and no severe climbs or descents. Some pretty mucky spots on the trail though, perhaps portending what lies ahead in the 100 Mile Wilderness beyond Monson. I made excellent time and actually slowed the pace down to enjoy more and not get in too early. Met a nice group of dayhikers on the way and talked to them for a few minutes before getting to the crossing about 2:15, for a 3:00 meeting with Patty. Of course, she was there and actually in the middle of changing to hike in and surprise me by meeting me along the trail. I felt bad about spoiling her plan, but was overwhelmed with joy at seeing her and glad to be reunited again. TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY I'LL BE SUMMITING KATAHDIN WITH HER! And this epic adventure will come to a close. I'm really ready to return to my old life, which I miss terribly. Good to go, even better to get back. We found a perfectly fine motel near town and settled in for a nap, some wine and then out to dinner at the local preferred eatery. Patty pampered my tired, sore feet with a massage and an epsom salt soaking, which made them feel so much better. Early to bed, since we were both tired (Patty was up at 4:00 to leave for ME) and then a leisurely day off tomorrow to do chores and relax. The final push to the end begins...
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Rangely,ME

To: Rangely, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My last Zero Day before the end... Began with our usual breakfast meeting in bed to discuss world politics (meaning catch-up on all the news from home...). Then out to town for a full luxurious, relaxing breakfast and then to chores (laundry, internet, shopping, etc.). We may even have some time to lounge by the lake this afternoon, as so far it is a beautiful day and a beautiful spot to be. Met Pacer outside the laundromat (Free Spirit's friend) and saw Free Spirit at the library later on. Several scruffy-looking thruhikers in town also that I haven't met. I'm getting excited about this being the final stretch and feeling confident that it will all fall into place. The only unknown/ unpredictable variable is the weather on Katahdin on the 20th, which can't be controlled, only wished for. And I wish for a sunny, clear day to finish my AT hike on my birthday. That would be a great present for my 50th. We're going to get up stupid-early in the morning so that Patty can drive back to NY/NJ for a wedding and I can get started on the Saddleback Mtn. range, which will be a tough undertaking. Two more tough mountain groupings to conquer, and then it eases up some for the finish. Almost there...
Date: 2005-07-08
From: Rangely, ME

To: Sugarloaf Mtn. Summit House, ME
Miles today: 21.6

The alarm went off at 4AM and neither one of us were very happy about having to get up at that hour. We had breakfast together in the motel room and Patty dropped me at the trail head about 5:30. It wasn't such a hard goodbye as the past ones, since it will be our last one until we are together again at Katahdin for the end. And then we'll be going home TOGETHER! It was a perfect hiking day with a light breeze and comfortable temps. The climbs weren't as bad as they looked to be on the maps and as people had warned they would be, so I made good progress without killing myself. Moe "One Day" at lunch time along with several other SOBO's. I filtered water from a spring on the approach trail to the Sugarloaf peak, and met several other hikers there, including Vince Canuck, Joel Funghi and some SOBO's. It clouded up soon after I arrived and killed any visibility entirely. Rain is possible overnight, but I'm hoping for another good day tomorrow to get through the remaining tough peaks in Maine. Then it's a much easier time through the end, except for the wet and muck of the 100 Mile wilderness. Still looking good for the 20th on Katahdin!
Date: 2005-07-09
From: Sugarloaf Mtn. Summit House, ME

To: East Flagstaff Road Crossing, ME
Miles today: 27.3

Got up at 4:30 and was hiking by 5:30. It was overcast and a little damp, but cool. It was mostly downhill for the first couple of hours, then up and over the Crockers, which weren't as bad as they appeared on the maps (there's a pattern here...). It started raining about halfway down Spaulding Mtn. and rained pretty steadily through the day. I stopped into Stratton at the Rt. 27 crossing to call Patty and make sure she got home OK from the late NJ wedding after a long day driving. Got ride from Susan at the Stratton Motel Hiker Hostel out to the trail crossing past the Bigelows to slackpack back, rather than be out for the night in the rain. The climbs today weren't too bad, even in the rain. I think the worst is behind me and I'm excited to think I'll make it on my target date, July 20. Saw Vince Canuck and Joel again, and they were out misbehaving until late. Tomorrow, pushing on through an easy section and hoping for better weather, although the forecast isn't so good...
Date: 2005-07-10
From: East Flagstaff Road Crossing

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

Got a somewhat late start by my standards, shuttled out to the trail about 9:00. Had a big diner breakfast with Jen (SOBO) before leaving. It was rainy and overcast early and the trails were pretty messy, but as the morning unfolded it became nice out and a good hiking day. The terrain was pretty level, so I made reasonably good time despite the mess. Met Biscuits & Boomerang, Scrubs & Graham on the trail, then ended up with them at the shelter later, along with X-Cave, a finishing section hiker. They are talking of going into Caratunk tomorrow for a 4 MILE DAY to stay at Northern Outdoors, a microbrewery/rafting center with a hostel at it, and they are also planning to summit around the 20th, so I may hang with them for fun. I'm conflicted, as I want to keep pushing, but they are confident we can get it done and still have some fun along the way. Less than 10 days now and I can't WAIT! Lumberjack breakfast at the Harrison Camp tomorrow AM.
Date: 2005-07-11
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to, ME

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 4.0

YIKES! A 4 mile day...this breaks my previous low of 6 miles...a true Nero Day (near zero). My watch broke so I had to wake up on my own and be ready for breakfast at 7:30 sharp at the camp, 3/10 miles away. We all walked over a little after 7:00 and patiently waited to be invited into the dining room. A true feast was there for us, with mixed fruit pancakes (peach, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry), sausage, eggs, juice, coffee. We all pigged out, said our thanks and high-tailed it for the Kennebec River crossing, as the ferry service only ran until 11:00. We got across and then I had to quickly decide if I was going to hike on or succumb to the lure of the fun and go into town with them. You already know the answer by now, as I decided what the hell, enjoy your last few days on the trail with these guys! We got a ride to the Northern Outdoors facility from Steve, the FerryMan and got settled into a bit tent that we would share, along with the pool, hot tub, microbrewery and other entertainment. A real fun day, but this means we're going to have to take care of business in the next week to make it in to Katahdin by next Tuesday. It can be done, but no fooling around. So today, we play, tomorrow we hike!
Date: 2005-07-12
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: light rain

Got up about 6:00 and had a BIG breakfast (AYCE BUFFET! Boy, did we do damage...) at Northern Outdoors before we shuttled back to the trail and got hiking about 8:00. We started out at a strong pace and kept it up most of the morning. We seemed to motivate each other to hike fast and so we all kept up a good pace together. Had lunch by the side of Moxie Pond and then climbed Moxie Bald. We got out first, ever-so-faint view of Katahdin in the haze from the summit and were all buzzing about how close we're getting. Got down to the lean-to about 5:30 and washed my shoes and socks in the pond, since we encountered a lot of mud and bogs today. The others are going to tent, since the bugs seem to be pretty active here, but I'm going to try and tough it out (with a little help from DEET). We're all going to try and get up early tomorrow so that we can get into Monson ASAP, since Biscuits & Boomerang have a mail drop to get at the PO. A few newbie SOBOs are here at the shelter along with J-Bird, who just finished his NOBO thruhike 6/26 and is doing a yo-yo, going back down to Georgia SOBO (I think he IS a yo-yo for doing it myself...). I gave him some help setting up his new Hennessy Hammock, since he hasn't tried it yet and I've been using one since the beginning. He was very appreciative and seemed to like it a lot. Looking forward to staying at the legendary Shaw's Boarding House in Monson tomorrow night, and then only the 100-mile Wilderness stretch will be left into Baxter State Park where Mt. Katahdin is. Biscuits & Boomerang asked if Patty could get them champagne also for the summit day, so we will be bringing lots of bubbly for the summit and birthday celebrations on the 20th.
Date: 2005-07-13
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to, ME

To: Monson, ME (Shaw's Boarding House)
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept fitfully last night due to bugs, heat and the loud snoring of one of the SOBOs. Got up early (about 5:00, but I didn't have a watch to be certain of the exact time...) and packed up to leave. We got a good rhythm going right away and made good headway, hitting the halfway point for the day by 9:00. Not a lot of conversation, but just no-nonsense hiking. It got hotter and more humid as the morning wore on and we all struggled a little with the last climb into Monson, plus the trailbed seemed to get even worse with rocks, mud and roots tripping us up at every turn and slowing us down. We still chugged into the road crossing at 12:30, where I saw a Hyde School bus unloading a group of kids preparing to hike the 100 mile wilderness to Katahdin. I introduced myself and the teachers, Henry and Fitz seemed please to be able to hold me up as an exampleto the kids, since I first hiked on the AT 35 years ago during MY Hyde Summer Challenge Program. We'll see them in the next day or two as we head north from Monson, as they aren't doing the daily miles we are. A little trouble getting a ride with five of us, so I got on my knees begging with Boomerang behind me grinning and thumbing and an "Anonymous" Snack Foods truck took pity and stopped for us. We got delivered to the door of Shaw's by 1:00 in a potato chip truck. Pretty cool. Did laundry, ate lunch, had a few beers and relaxed. All in all, a pretty good day, except that the resupply options were weak and we had to cobble together meals for the first half of the 100-Mile Wilderness, which will take about five days to get through. I called Patty, who was VERY excited that it's now UNDER a week until I'm done, as am I. I may not be able to update my online journal until the end, as we will be in THE most remote part of the trail for several days and I probably won't find even electricity, let alone internet access. We'll see...
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Monson, ME (Shaw's Boarding House)

To: Cloud Pond Shelter, ME
Miles today: 19.1

Breakfast at SHaw's started about 6:00 and we each ordered a 3-By, that is, 3 pancakes, 3 eggs, 3 bacon, 3 sausage, toast, homefries, donuts, juice and coffee Not a bad way to start your hiking day with a solid calorie load. We got a shuttle ride to the trail by 7:45, which was better than I expected, since we all had to settle up our bills after breakfast. In the haste to leave, I forgot some cheese I had bought for lunches in the fridge, which made me mad later when I sat down for lunch. I promised it to a southbounder I met later so it wouldn't go to waste at least. The weather was sun & overcast mixed, but as the morning wore on the overcast won out and it began to rain heavily. We ran into the Hyde group at the Little Wilson Stream waterfalls and had a break there and chatted with them. I got a nice pic of me with the whole group. We forded several streams and managed to stay dry, but the rains soaked us and our feet anyway. It rained on and off, and we got some nice views during some of the clear moments. When we got to the shelter about 7:00, there was a girl's camp there, filling it with about 15 early-teen girls and 3-4 counselors. They are supposed to not use the shelters, but their tents were not very good so they moved in anyway, much to our annoyance. They offered to make room for us and set up a couple of tents, but it made it very crowded, awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. Scrubs and I stayed in the shelter and the others tented, but got soaked in driving rains that came later in the evening. The pond was beautiful, but the rains and the crowd put a damper on the evening and we all did the best we could to get through it. Hopefully it will clear tomorrow so we can dry out some.
Date: 2005-07-15
From: Cloud Pond Shelter, ME

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Slept fitfully last night due to the crowding and the wetness, and got up early to get going before the army of girls started moving around. Everything was damp from the rains during the night and it was 100% humidity. B&B and Scrubs slept in, so Graham and I set off alone a little before 6:00. I had little or no energy and was holding him back a lot, but I just couldn't muster the steam to get going. He was very patient waiting for me, as he is a strong hiker. I kept eating energy bars until I began to perk up after about the fourth one. Finally I rallied as we entered the Gulg Hagas area, which is a side-trip from the trail we took to see the unusual waterfalls and rock formations, almost like the Grand Canyon, but on a much smaller scale. It was very pretty, but I was a little disappointed after all the buildup it received. I don't think it warranted taking off from our thruhike to see, but it would be a nice day trip if you were in the area and had lots of time. My opinion. We rolled into the shelter about 6:00 and there were several SOBOs there, along with a couple of NOBO section hikers. The others pulled in about 15 minutes behind us and we were all glad to be reunited again, as we seem to hike better as a complete group. Tomorrow we will all stay together, or so we agreed. We are going to get up early to hike the last of our 3000+ foot climbs and try to get into our target shelter early, which has a swimming hole and waterfall. With only four days left we're all getting giddy with excitement at the idea of finishing and looking forward to having some more fun together.
Date: 2005-07-16
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to, ME

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: broken clouds

Finally got a good night's sleep and was up about 5:30. Ate two Pop Tarts and a protein energy bar to give me the oomph needed for the two climbs we had first thing. We all set off at 6:30 together and moved along at our usual good clip. We made it up both peaks in strong time and got our first good view of Katahdin in the distance. I felt bad for Graham, as he was having the day I had yesterday, with no energy for climbing. Today he was the one lagging behind, and he wasn't particularly happy about it. I started to fade mid-day, but by then the worst was behind us and I managed to take it easy at the end of the pack and get in to the shelter OK. We met several SOBOs at lunch time, including Laszlo, who I met in the Hurricane Shelter in VA. He was and is a character, but he has an amazing memory and even remembered my sleeping bag brand and color. We made it into the shelter by 3:30 and all went swimming in the falls. It was so refreshing and relaxing after a hot day of hiking. We pretty much have the lean-to to ourselves, so we really relaxed and had lots of fun swimming and cavorting in the water. We're planning on an early get-up tomorrow to get to WHitehouse Landing for their legendary burgers at lunch time, and do some more swimming in the afternoon. This was one of the most enjoyable, relaxing days I've had of the entire trip and I'm glad I joined up with Biscuits, Boomerang, Graham and Scrubs. And I think the relief of knowing the end is near helps me relax even more.
Date: 2005-07-17
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to, ME

To: Maher Tote Rd.-Whitehouse Landing, ME
Miles today: 13.8

EVERYONE was up at 5:00, including Scrubs, who is pushing for 30+ miles today to get into Katahdin stream a day before us. He'll miss WHitehouse Landing and we'll miss having him there. We were on the trail just past 6:00 and had our Mojo going, averaging over 3MPH on the flat terrain for the first couple of hours. Occasionally the Maine rocks, bogs and roots slowed us down, but it wasn't too bad today, and our "cheeseburger" mantra gave us the motivation to keep pushing. We made it to the access road just after 11:00, signaled the camp by air horn to pick us up by boat and were there by noon, in plenty of time for the fantasy one-pound cheeseburgers we had heard so much about and dreamed of. They were every bit as good as we imagined, chased with beers and followed by homemade brownies with milk. The only disappointment was that they were out of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, which would have taken our fantasy over the top. It was still an incredible lunch and we got over the ice cream disappointment in time (except maybe Graham, who had his heart set on it). It was a storybook setting and a beautiful day, and we had the entire afternoon to swim in the lake, canoe, bask in the sun, lay in the hammock and dry our clothes in the sun. A few brief showers sent us scurrying to bring the laundry in, but there was enough sun to make it a memorable and restful afternoon. The reward for getting up early and hiking hard. We gathered for sodas, chips & salsa and dinner about 5:00 and all had homemade pizzas that were every bit as good as the burgers. We retired early to the bunkhouse to chat, do some sewing and get to bed early. Linda & Bill moved breakfast up to 7:30 to help us get started a little earlier tomorrow, as we have a long day and perhaps our longest one as a group to hike together.