morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-02
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Rte 2 at Gorham, NH
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

16.2 mi. in 10.5 hrs (plus 2 mi. road walking into Gorham) Whew!Long day but a great one. Got up at first light as usual, said good morningto General and Pete, the Alaskan section hiker, and hiked out solo at 7 AM. First task: a vertical scramble up out of Carter Notch, then over all fourCarter Peaks. I met two college outing groups, one from Amherst, the other fromBrown. All seemed in good spirits. They were curious about the thruhiker's lifeand routine. A crystal clear day, little or no breeze, and barely over 70degrees. The "Prezzies", miles to the west across Pinkham Notch, looked closeenough to touch. Four days off the trail gave me new legs, vital for thebig miles I intended to do.Carter Dome The trail remained slow and rough until the lastfew miles toward Rattle River. Then it became a walk in the park. Someone hadleft an ice chest with bananas, yogurt, orange juice, Snickers bars and soda atthe trailhead, for tired and thirsty thruhikers. Yay, magic! It was a tough hitch into town. I'd walked almost two miles before a local person pulled over. He's a physician's assistant on his way to work at the hospital in Conway, and thruhiked in 1996 ("Maine Rune"). He dropped me off at the Colonial Comfort Motel, popular with hikers for its hostel and its low rates. The owner is Polish, and his brusque manner and ironic commens puts off some hikers. But he's like other eastern Europeans I've known, with blunt, direct humor and we got along well. Within two hours I'd ordered out for an Italian dinner, done my laundry, and showered up. You get efficient when in town. I hope to hike out late tomorrow morning. More miles to knock off, and maybe they'll comeeasier with the Whites behind me. I have under 300 miles to go, as of today!Called home. Now time to crash. G'nite! Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Rte 2 at Gorham, NH

To: Trident Col Tentsite
Miles today: 6.9

6.9 mi. in 4.0 hrs.Awoke to a foggy morning, but the sun was beatingdown by 8 AM. Spent the morning touring Gorham on a bike the motel provided.First to another hostel, the Barn, then to the Post Office to pick up a maildropof provisions, then to a diner where I remet Sanguine and Sunset, a congenialsoutherner my age who hikes fast and far with a huge, old external framepack. The General stayed at my motel, and the owner shuttled both of us tothe trailhead at noon, on a hot cloudless day. The trail led us up Hayes thenCascade Mts., each of which gave great views off their ledges. Stick Man andTennessee Jack passed me early on, though I caught up at rest stops. Washoping for easy miles after an easy stretch at the start, but then the trailturned to boulders, roots and mud wallows. I pulled up here at 4:30 PM ratherthan press on into uncertain trail conditions. Sunset came in around 6 PM,joining me and the General at this tentsite/privy complex. The General once again regaled us with his experiences with the Coldstream Guards in the British military: Combat in the Falklands and the firstGulf War, "special ops" all over Asia Middle East and Africa, duty at BuckinghamPalace, etc. He was interested in learning about Tennessee Jack's and myVietnam experience, and was overwhelmed, to tears, during his tour of theGettysburg battlefield at the enormity of the slaughter an both sides. Being aSNCO, he identified more with the the ordinary "troop" than with officer-types. I'm writing this sittingon a rock outside my tent in a fading pink dusk which is now almost complete.Time to turn in. Bigger miles tomorrow. G'nite! Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-04
From: Trident Col Tentsite

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

14.5 mi. in 10.5 hrs.A warm, comfortable night. Up and out by 6:30 AM. First stop was a beaver bog a mile up where Stick Man and Tennesee Jack spent the night. They had been visited by a moose at close range, as he strolled around the pond. A few minutes earlier I came upon a large porcupine just ahead on the trail. He waddled off after a brief inspection.The trail was as rugged as ever, taking me over Mt. Success and past several lovely ponds. Stickman and Tennessee Jack soon caught up and we met at breaks along the way, usually sunning on top of any bald peak.Around noon I came upon the sign at the Maine border. Home at last!Shortly afterwards I came upon a fellow sitting at the junction of the AT with a spur trail from below. He wandered off the trail and was lost for quite a while, bushwhacking for over a mile. He was covered with scratches and still looked shaken up. He said the trail became almost invisible just a short way off it.Then came Mts. Carlo and Gooseye later in the day. It made for a long tough day, but with beautiful views at every peak in clear sunny weather. At the shelter tonight are the General, Sunset, Stickman, Tennessee Jack, and two young trail maintainers out of Mass., volunteering for the AMC.Tomorrow comes the Mahoosuc Notch and South Arm Mountain. We'll see how many miles the legs care to do.G'nite!
Date: 2004-09-05
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

12.0 mi. in 10 hrs. Another grueling day, but a fascinating one. Another noisy shelter night. The trail-maintaining couple cooked dinner atthe shelter and talked well past our hiker bedtime. Also, snorers on each side ofme. But the night still passed. I rarely get a truly good night's sleep, butI've managed to hike this far anyway, so who needs it? The morning was chilly so no one wantedto leave early. We (Stickman, Tennessee Jack, the General, Sunset and I) got outaround 8:30 AM. We soon found ourselves in Mahoosuc Notch,scrambling over,around, and under boulders piled up in a narrow gorge for over a mile. We expectedhard work, but also found it fun. We took Lots ofphotos of us popping out of tunnels or clinging to boulder faces. The whole event lasted just over an hour and a half. Glad the weather was fair and I had company. Then camea long (endless?) climb up South Arm Mountain, with some good views. We lunched at SpeckPond, a lovely high mountain pond with a shelter close by. Then came a furtherclimb up and over Speck Mountain, where clouds at times obscured the views. Then a long downhill to Grafton Notch, which we reached by 4:30. The last mile or so ran along a beautiful mountainstream. Tennessee Jack and Stickman in Mahoosuc Notch At that point the gang decided on getting into town for a good meal.I decided to hike on to this shelter while there was still daylight, rather thanwait and risk an unsuccessful hitch. But I'll be glad to see the lights of towntwo days hence. Arrived here after 6 PM in a gray chilly evening. Got water,rinsed off in the stream, and cooked dinner. Geez, do I hate my food! SometimesI struggle to keep it down. The others never showed up, so they must havegotten lucky after all. It'll be a quiet night. Sleep at last. An easier day ontap tomorrow, so less tension and anticipation tonight. G'nite! Now orNever
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: Andover, ME (Andover Guest House)
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

8.0 mi. in 5 hrs.Awoke to the birds at 5:15 but didn't leave camp until 6:45 AM. No one else had come in during the night. Lots of LaborDay material on the radio. A grey, still, cool day. First job was to climb both peaks of Baldpate. The second, higher one was inthe clouds, almost above them because I could see and feel the sun through the dense mist. The peak wasa huge bald rock dome. I had to make my way from cairn to cairn to stay on thetrail. No views, unfortunately. Then came a big downhill to Frye NotchShelter, where I met three other thruhikers who were slackpacking out ofAndover (Buckeye, Nitro, and ??). Not a bad idea, the way I'm feeling under full pack lately.Then I was overtaken by Sunset and the General. They managed to get a ride toAndover last night and were also slackpacking.By now the sun came out, makingit a fine day. Then over Surplus Mountain, a long downhill to Dunn Notch with itsfine little river, then up to East B Hill Road where my shuttle to the Andover GuestHouse was waiting. This place is a huge three-story B&B with a clean, airy bunkroom on the third floor. It's run by Sandra, a widow who does all the cleaning and shuttling since her husband died recently. Don't see how she can manage all that. It's smack in the center of tiny Andover, with a diner/restaurant almost next door and two markets, one with a grill, across the street, plus a P. O. and a library. Lots of hikers were piled up here awaiting a mail drop over the long Labor Day Weekend. Amongthem are Badger and Papa Bear, Li'l Bit, and Castro. There's a big outdoorlanding on the fire escape where we congregate while unpacking food boxes,fixing gear, and shooting the breeze. Hiker chat consists at least 90% oftrail talk: about hikers and their (our) experiences. No one knows anyone's truefull name, but we do talk on occasion about what we do back home, kids, hobbies,etc. Maybe superficial but sustaining just the same. Had dinner at therestaurant next door with Badger and Papa Bear, like old times in PA and VT.They, like everyone else, are thinking about how best to wind their tripup at Katahdin, and working family into the picture. Many will meander on theirway home, hitting Acadia, returning to the Whites, etc. with spouses and family. Looks like I'll be slack-packing ten miles tomorrow, including pesky Mt.Moody. Then Gloria might come over for a visit, with rainy weather on its wayfrom the hurricane. End of a good day on the trail, complete with a rosy pinksunset. Sunset in Andover G'nite!AT from Andover, ME to Mt. Katahdin Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Andover, ME (Andover Guest House)

To: East B Hill Road (hostel, southbound slack-pack)
Miles today: 10.1

10.1 mi. in 6.5 hrs (southbound slack-pack) A quiet night in the bunkroom, with minimalsnoring. Breakfasted at 6 AM with Papa Bear and Badger, then caught a ride tothe trailhead one notch to the north with the intention of hiking southward backhere. A southbound hike is a great way to run into other NOBO's a day or soapart on the trail. First item of business was Moody Mountain, a nasty, steeplittle bump, but fitted out with all sorts of handgrips and ladders. It wasnamed after a lumber baron who bought it in the early 1800's, then fell to hisdeath while looking it over. The damp morning fog lifted, making a sparklingsunny clear day, with sunlight through the trees dappling the forest floor. Sucha treat to be out on the trail in such conditions. Definitely a boost to thespirits. While I was taking a break at Hall Mt. Shelter, two red squirrelsthrew quite a show, mating while racing all around, quite oblivious to me. She'dget away then let him catch up. Get ready for more red squirrels, world. I met a good number of NOBO's and we exchangedgreetings and info. Also a dozen or so Harvard students out for a week beforestudies begin. To date, since the Whites, I've met Yale, Brown, Amherst, Batesand now Harvard. Good to see plenty of girls in the groups. Not just a guything. One fellow hiker remarked what a pleasure it was to catch the scent of anon-thruhiking woman!Then came Hall and Wyman Mountains, and a gentledownward path to the trailhead. The owner of another hostel in Andover wasparked there, waiting for anyone needing a lift. He was a retiree from stategovernment in MA and had been running his hostel up here for 15 years. Bothhe and Sandy, the owner of my place, commented how much fewer hikers were comingthrough this year. I heard the same from other places along the trail as well.Not a growth industry. Not that there's much money in it: If your operationcaptures 50% of all thruhikers, let's say 250, @ $15 per night, $4 for laundry, usually no charge for nearby shuttling or shower, that's hardly what a B&B would yield. It amounts to a ceaseless labor oflove over the brief hiking season. The latest hurricane, Frances, is bringingwet weather starting tomorrow. I'll willingly hike in rain if it hits while onthe trail, but I won't start out a long stretch into a hard rain. Where betterto hang out but home? Gloria's on her way over here after work. It postpones thefinish but it's worth it in morale improvement. It's been a hard grind,especially from the Whites to here. Hope to be back on in three days. It'sexciting to return to my old haunts from Rangeley north. G'nite!Nowor Never
Date: 2004-09-10
From: Andover, ME (Andover Guest House)

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Three zero days at home.Time out, well spent. My legs have lost that leaden feeling and my knees havestopped complaining so much on the stairs. I must be ready for action! It'sso easy to stretch out time at home, but there's still a good two weeks of traillying ahead, including stretches I'm eager to hike again. Only three massivebumps left: The Blue/Bemis range, the Saddlebacks/Crocker complex, and theBigelows. The first will be behind me by tomorrow evening. If further delaysoccur, such as yet another hurricane, I can always haul out for good at Monson.The rest of the trail (100 Mile Wilderness) I hiked last fall, so I'd be"legal."I've decided to do this last part in comfort, with town stays atRangeley and Stratton, then possibly another overnight at home when I reachCaratunk. Great weather tomorrow!G'nite! Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-11
From: home

To: Bemis Mt. Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

8.7 mi. in 6.5 hrs.Gloria dropped me off at 8:30 AM, then drove over to Rangeley to check out lodgings for our next possible get-together. Our son Rob, the 2000 thruhiker, might be on hand as well.It was a 2000 foot climb up Old Blue, in crisp cool dry weather. My legs felt great and I barely broke into a sweat over the two hours it took to reach the top.The recent rain left the trail totally soggy. Having to skirt mudbaths and wade up trails that have become streams really slows me down. Also, the trails are often a dense tangle of roots, further hindering progress.Passed several great vistas of Richardson and Mooselookmeguntic Lakes. Getting into friendly territory! Got into this shelter by 3:30 PM. Early perhaps, but I've had enough for one day. Who should I meet again but Pete, the Alaskan thruhiker from Eagle Pass. He's made steady progress since I last saw him at Carter Notch. When I asked if he knew Wally or Cecilia Upham from Eagle Pass, he said 35,000 people! live there.Tonight's company: Pete, myself, and a SOBO named Dude who announced he's a snorer. Might be a noisy night in the shelter. Cold too; it might drop into the 30's by tomorrow AM. Time to add another layer and crawl into the bag.G'nite!
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Little Swift River Pond Tentsite

To: Rte. 4 (Rangeley Inn)
Miles today: 4.8

4.8 mi. in 3 hrs. I missed a lot of action last evening. Just after I turned in, Pete was stayingup nearby when he heard a tremendous crashing all about in the woods and down bythe pond. Grunts, antlers banging on trees: a group of bull moose going nuts inthe mating season. I fell asleep in a matter of minutes, so missed it all. Goodthing we were in large, visible tents and not just cowboy camping on the ground.At least they could see us and avoid us. Hiked out at 7 AM, with Pete notfar behind. The trail remained slow and difficult in places, with countlessroots and boggy areas. Very nondescript unlovely woods in this section too.Wonderfully clear breezy weather and views to match from high points.Triedhitching into Rangeley from the trailhead without success, so started walkingthe eight miles in. Then a van pulled over: two nice older guys from Portland uphere fishing. They dropped me off close to town, and almost immediately an olderwoman pulled over, saying she didn't usually offer rides. She looked familiar: sure enough, a patient of mine manyyears back! She dropped me off at the supermarket just outside town for fourday's provisions. There I saw Pete, who'd had better luck hitching in. He wasgoing to hike on out to the first shelter north, Piazza Rock, after getting someprovisions.On checking in at the Rangeley Inn, the desk clerk was anotherpatient of mine! I'm really getting close to home.Early evening at Rangeley town landingSpent the afternoon doingthe usual hiker chores, as well as resting. Salt Lick and Pegasus walked by onthe street. I thought both had gone on far ahead. It's good to be in familiarcompany. I'll be likely seeing them, as well as Pete and Raven, on the trail inthe days to come. Best of all today, Gloria drove up to spend the night. Wesaw a blazing sunset at the town landing on Rangeley lake, then had a good mealat the Inn's dining room. These visits are realy sustaining me in this latephase of the trip, when I'm thinking beyond the end of it all, and the going remains tough. Life after the hike exists, and it's going to be sweet.Late evening at Rangeley town landingTomorrow sons Rob and James and Rob'sgirlfriend Heather will turn up early and we'll all walk up to Piazza RockShelter together, and perhaps beyond, before I continue on. The weather has beenperfect, so it should be a great outing. G'nite! Now orNever
Date: 2004-09-14
From: Rte. 4 (Rangeley Inn)

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

sp: Rte 4 (Rangeley)d: Poplar Ridge Lean-to10.7 mi. in 6.5 hrs.A quiet night together in Rangeley at the Inn.Rob, James and Heather showed up after breakfast and we drove to the trailheadfor a delightful short walk up to Piazza Rock Shelter and the pond beyond it.Before we started out, Rob, Heather and James met Baltimore Jack in the RangeleyInn parking lot, on his way into town off the trail. He was spending some timeon the trail with One-Leg, who had flip-flopped to Katahdin and was hikingsouth. Turns out One-Leg's complex prosthesis was down again for repairs, buthe decided to tackle Katahdin ON CRUTCHES. He actually made it up, but after 14hours he realized he couldn't make it down, so called for help. He was flown offthe mountain by helicopter. Not a good day. Bad luck, or bad judgement?As weclimbed up to Piazza Rock, we all caught up on each other's doings. Rob andHeather, both geologists, were picking up and inspecting all sorts of rocks andobviously loving it. Then we said farewells and I hiked on. A great ending to a great town stay. Thanks Gloria, Rob, James and Heather. A cool, clear morning. Made it to the top of Saddleback bynoon. A long climb up, but what a view! 360 degrees on a cloudless day, theWhites to the south and Sugarloaf and Bigelow ahead. Katahdin is said to bevisible from here but I didn't know just where to look. I had a great lunch stopthere.Saddleback peak Then over the Horn, and then Saddleback Jr. Those miles came slow andhard, and I was ready to stop when I hit this shelter. Turns out Pete, Raven,Southernman and Doc had gone on to Oberton Brook a few miles ahead, a few toomany for me. Hope I can catch them tomorrow, though once again I refuse to killmyself trying. I'm sharing the campsite with two women section hikers fromAugusta. The shelter's uninhabitable because of its "baseball bat" floor, thatis, round poles instead of flat boards. The old timers spread pine boughs acrossthe poles making a soft mattress, but of course we can't do that. It's getting dark and chilly. Time to hit the tent.G'Nite!Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-15
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Crocker Cirque Tentsite
Miles today: 14.2

sp: Poplar Ridge Lean-tod: Crocker Cirque Tentsite14.2 mi. in 10 hrs.Once again, Last night I slept through a mooseshow. The two women hikers heard a loud galumphing, grunting, andantler-whacking against trees around 8 PM.Off solo by 7 AM after a soundnight's rest, into a clear sunny day with a bit of a haze: an indian summer day. First came a stiff descent to Orbeton Stream, crossed by rock-hopping, thenup a short ways to an old railway bed where Raven, Doc, Pete (now Alaska Pete)and Southernman had stayed. Then came the long climb out of the notch, madeenjoyable by a fine busy torrent rushing down alongside the trail: Sluice Brook.The first signs of fall are showing, and the trail was covered with yellow birchleaves. What a great day. Made the first shelter by noon and found AlaskaPete there. We hiked on for the rest of the day, over Spalding Peak then a longdownhill to and across a branch of the Carabassett River. Alaska Pete at stream crossingMade it into thisnice open tenting grounds by 5 PM. Everyone had stopped here as well, making it an enjoyable social evening. We cooked our dinners onthe main tenting platform and I caught up on Raven's and Southernman's doings.Good to see them both. A large woodpecker, not a pileated, flew up to a birchtree near us, gave a squawk then dove into a hole in the trunk. His roost forthe night? Tomorrow we'll struggle over Crocker Mountain, then hitch intoStratton for rest and resupply. I love town visits more and more. 7 PM andalready getting dark. Time to turn in. G'nite! Now or Never
Date: 2004-09-16
From: Crocker Cirque Tentsite

To: Rte 27 (White Wolf Inn, Stratton, ME)
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: broken clouds

7.3 mi. in 6.5 hrs. Had a restful night. All five of us hiked outat 7 AM, immediately scaling Crocker Mountain and its second peak. A hazy,golden late summer day, with slightly less visibility. Pete kept commentingon how much richer and diverse the AT is compared to Alaskan trails, both inplants and wildlife. Raven and Doc related their scariest moments of the tripcame when they hiked over the Baldpates the day after Frances dumped heavy rainon the state. They found themselves on all fours crawling over Baldpate dome ina howling gale, being blown sideways over slippery wet black lichen. Theycouldn't hear themselves think, and were chilling off before they finallyreached cover below the treeline. I had remained home that day to let the trailbegin to dry out. Look what I missed! The trail was kind to us, with goodsurfaces and mild grades for the most part. We made it to Rte. 27 by noon butthen had quite a wait hitching into town. Stratton is a rugged, simple village with pulp trucks rolling through and signs onbuildings saying "Hunters Welcome." The White Wolf Inn has a good bar/restaurantdown below and plain but adequate rooms upstairs. There's even a white wolf in apen out back. He howled convincingly until someone came to take him for awalk.Wolf/dog mix at White Wolf Inn, StrattonDid hiker chores all afternoon, then met the gang for dinner at the Inn.From what we made out of the weather forecasts, we'll barely feel HurricaneIvan.Tomorrow I hike out with a medical colleague now retired, Bill Yates.We'll head up to the first Bigelow shelter at Horns Pond, only a short distance.He's a strong hiker and won't need much of a pack. I'll give him a greatdemonstration of plodding! He'll head back or hike a loop over and aroundBigelow, and I'll head on north toward Caratunk tomorrow. And so to bed.G'nite Now or Never