morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-13
To: Pinkham Notch, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

by RightyI was up very early as I could not sleep. The hike today was mostly downhill. We had a great view of Mt Madison as we hiked down. The temperature in the morning was about 44 degrees. It was fairly clear out with some clouds. We expected another good day with rain expected late in the day. It was very rocky and steep (but dry) at first then tapered off to flat. We got a hitch into Pinkham Notch a couple of miles from where the trail crossed the road and went to Joe Dodge Lodge which is a glorified hostel...but on a nicer level. John and I had a bunkroom for 2. The bathroom and showers were down the hall but very clean and functional. Dinner and breakfast are included in the price of the room and were served family style. As usual, the food was plentiful and good. We hiked in with Craig (Trail Bosses' dad) and he was hoping that Trail Boss would catch him there. The word from the other hikers was she was only about a half day behind.
Date: 2006-09-14
To: Carter Notch Hut, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

by RightyUp early and had breakfast at the lodge at 6am. Woke up to very cloudy skies but only light rain. By the time we left to start hiking, it was only light mist. We had a hard hike today even though it was only 6 miles to Carter Notch Hut. We had to climb over Wildcat Mountain which had 5 peaks. The highest elevation was 4380'. The rocks were slippery and I was a nervous wreck going over them, especially the down hills, but I managed OK and without misshap. Tomorrow we have a "boulder scramble" at Carter Dome that I'm not looking forward to. We got to Carter Hut about 4pm. This hut has the bunkhouses as separate buildings and does not serve you food even though they will let you use their kitchen facilities at the Hut. Somehow, our same old trail food tasted better cooked in a real pot and over a real gas range. Go figure! The caretaker, Chris, was very nice and allowed 3 southbound thru-hikers to use one of the bunkrooms since there were only 4 "pay for stay" guests.
Date: 2006-09-15
To: Zero at the Cabin in Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

By Lefty- Buoy and I have been staying at 'The Cabin' in Andover in Maine and we may never leave! Our hosts Bear and Honey and their friends/trailangels Bunny and Aqua have made it impossible for us to leave. Tonight will be my fourth night, and Buoy's fifth. The cabin is a beautifully renovated log cabin home with amazing woodwork inside and out. The entire first floor of the cabin is the hiker hostel. It features a large and comfy living room with couches and recliners; a big kitchen with all the ammenities; a hiker dorm room; a private room with a double bed; a great bathroom, shower and tub; washer and dryer; access to a computer with internet; the best homemade breakfasts and dinners you can imagine with fresh foods from their garden; and shuttles to local grochers and trailheads for easy slackpacking options. Last night after dinner Buoy and I packed up our packs so that we would be ready for our 7:30am shuttle to the trail this morning. By the time breakfast was over we'd made up our mind that we had to zero here. We just can't leave! It's hard to believe that I only have 233 miles left. In the last 5 months I have come 1941, amazing! I plan to summit Katadin in the next two weeks, so I am right on schedule. Since we're zero'ing today I will try to go back and do more journal entries about some of our adventures over the past few weeks.Buoy and I plan to arrive in Stratton, ME on the 18th. Take good care,Lefty
Date: 2006-09-15
To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

by RightyIt rained heavy during the night but was only misty when we got up. We fixed breakfast in the hut and left at 8:30am to hike into Pinkham the easy way. We hitched to the Lodge and then got a shuttle to Gorham at 1PM. We saw IROC and Prana at the lodge and had just enough time to have lunch with them. We learned that Trail Boss had met up with her Dad (Craig) and were hiking Wildcat to Carter Notch today. We figured we'd see him again in Gorham since we were planning to take a zero day there. The shuttle dropped us off at Hikers Paradise which is a hotel/hostel. John wanted a room instead of the bunkhouse so it was just the two of us. He had to get a broken pole repaired, so he rented a car and we went to North Conway, NH where the outfitters are. We stopped along the way to see if I could find silk longjohns and boots. I found a pair of rock climbing shoes at Internations Mountaineering Outfitters. I was told they were the same type of shoes that mountain climbers use to get over the scrambles to get to the mountain face they are going to climb. Sounded just like what I needed. The soles have something called "sticky rubber" to aid in stability. I figured I had nothing to loose with all the slipping and sliding I do. We got back into Gorham at 7pm and went directly to dinner at a really nice place. When we got back to the room, Lefty had left a message to call her ASAP!I called her and found out she and Bouy were in Andover, ME just 3 days away. I thought she was over a week ahead of us but apparently she had taken 2 days off in Gorham after she got done with the "whites" because she was so beat. Then after hiking to Andover, she had been slack-packing there and they took another 2 days off. She wanted John and I to come there so we could all hike together through Maine. Sounded like a plan.
Date: 2006-09-16
To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

By RightyLefty called this morning at 7am to tell us that she and Buoy could come and get us in Gorham and take us to Andover. The people who owned the Hostel where they were staying let them use their truck. They got to Gorham at 9am right as we were finishing up our BIG hiker breakfast at Hiker's Paradise. We ran some errands: took the rental car back, went to the post office, went to the drug store to get some photos developed and then made the 1 hour drive to Andover to "the Cabin" hostel where Buoy had stayed for 5 days and Lefty for 2. The cabin is a beautiful, rustic log cabin where the whole downstairs is for the hikers. There is a bunkroom, two separate bedrooms, a bath, a living room and a kitchen. It's even bigger and better than home. The hosts, Bear and Honey, live upstairs and they serve breakfast and dinner upstairs and the food is to rave about. Bear is up at 3am getting breakfast ready for 6am for anywhere from 2 to 20 people. Honey cooks the dinner meal and there is always leftovers for lunch the next day. It's absolutely the BEST hostel on the whole trail. I can understand why Buoy and Lefty didn't want to leave.
Date: 2006-09-17
To: Route 4, ME
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyWe slack-packed 13.2 miles today from Rt 17 where Lefty had left off before her zero days. It was a beautiful day and a great hike. It was fun to all be together again. There were lots of ups and downs but nothing hard. We had to go through lots of "bogs" (which are low lying, swampy areas) but saw no moose. Going through these areas you walk across bog boards that can go on for quite a distance and you just hope you don't fall off because if you do you can be 2-3 feet deep in muck. We hiked with Lefty and Buoy until we reached Route 4 where we got picked up for a ride to Stratton. We stayed at the Stratton Motel (sort of a flea bag but the only place to stay) run by a really nice guy, Don, who also offers shuttle services. We ran into Fire, Jumbalaya and Peperonni, Old Reb, Blue and Gringo. We also saw the guy I bought my rock climbing shoes from in N. Conway and his wife, Cecelia. We were staying at the same place. It really is a small world sometimes. We had dinner with them at the local diner across the street and shared hiking stories. They were out for a week of hiking some of their favorite spots.
Date: 2006-09-18
To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

by RightyWe had breakfast at the diner this morning with Cecelia and her husband. We met some other thru-hikers too. We left at 8am to get dropped off at the trail head. We had 13.5 miles to do today. The day was clear, crisp and beautiful. The hike was the easiest in months. It was a perfect day. We went across Round Top Mountain; there was very little elevation deviation. We walked along the West Carry stream, went across swamps, then to another pond called the East Carry pond. It was beautiful. Maine's ponds are as big as lakes. The lean-to here is right on the lake, oops, the pond. I sat on rocks by the water just as the sun was setting and enjoyed a cool breeze and an awesome view. I'm still hoping to see some moose. We shared the shelter with Long Knife, Pedro, Junco, Balou and Gringo. Went to bed by about 8pm.
Date: 2006-09-19
From: New Hampshire News - Part 2

To: Magnificent Maine - Part 1
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyThis will be a very quick update as I'm in a restraurant in Caratunk, ME and our ride back to the Hostel will be in 5 minutes. But, I wanted to tell everyone that all is going well. I've only been in Maine for a week and I'm already in awe. Of course, it does help that the weather has been wonderful since I entered Maine. In fact, it's almost been too warm. Locals say that this is their Indian sumer and that it will end soon and when it does it will get cold! Maine is so vast and so beautiful. We were told early on that Maine is full of rocks and roots and bogs and it is; but it is still beautiful. The first few days were still quite tough as it was the same mountain range as NH; but after a few days the teraine eased off. Yes, there are still mountains like Sugarloaf (one of my favorite Maine ski mountains) and the Bigalow's; but there are also rolling hills and wonderful valleys. The low areas here in Maine are called bogs....much like marshes further south. They can be really muddy, mucky and wet. Usually you hike up on bog boards... but sometimes you are forced to just go through the stuff. Looks and smells pretty raunchy but I make myself remember that these areas are so important to the ecology. And, these are the areas that you will find the moose. Of course, I haven't run across any yet; but I'm sure I will. Lefty and Buoy saw one the other day and got some good photos. As I speak, I can see that it is pouring outside. Steve, the guy that ferries you across the Kenneback river told us this morning that it was going to rain tonight and I didn't believe him because it seemed so clear out at that time, Hopefully it won't last too long because you all know how I feel about rain and the trail. I'd best sign off on that note while I've been so positive.I just caught up on all the guest book entries for the last several weeks. Thank you all so much for writing in. It means so much to us to see notes from family and friends. Don't know when I'll be able to get on again as we get into more and more remote areas; but know that you are all in our thoughts as we HIKE ON.
Date: 2006-09-19
To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyWe left the shelter at 6:30 this morning to go to the Harrison Campsite (.3 off the trail) to get the hikers special 12 pancake breakfast. The campground boasts a beautiful log lodge and some cabins as well as campsites owned by Tim Harrison. It was an excellent breakfast, and no, I wasn't able to eat all 12 pancakes. After breakfast the trail followed Pierce Pond stream almost all the way. There were beautiful waterfalls beside the trail. The forest was of both soft and hard woods and the foliage was at peak color. We got to the Kennebec River by about 11am and caught the ferry (which is really a canoe) to cross the river. You are no longer allowed to try to ford the river yourself. Several years ago a hiker was killed when the river rose too fast for him to get across safely. This happens because of a hydro plant up river that lets water go at unspecified times. If you get caught in it, it's potentially dangerous. Now the ATC provides a ferry service. The guy, Dave, who runs the ferry also runs the hostel there. We decided to stay in the bunkhouse that night and head out again in the morning. Oh, yes, Dave, also runs the only store for resupply in the area. We needed food for the 3 days it would take to get to Monson. We met Tender Nookie and Iceman who were very young south bounders. We went out to dinner at a very nice restraurant up the street. They actually had internet service; which I found 10 minutes before we were being picked up, so I did a quick update.
Date: 2006-09-20
To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to 
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyIt rained hard all night long. We woke up to cloudy skies and fog but no rain. We had 14.7 miles to do today and wasn't sure of the terraine. It looked fairly easy; but we've learned you can't always tell by looking at the profile. The first 6 miles were very pleasant. It started to clear up about 11am and the sun came out. The temperature was in the low 60's, perfect hiking weather. We hiked around Pleasant Pond, very pleasant. We had a 1200 foot climb to the top of Mt Pleasant. the last half mile was all rocks and scramble. When we reached the top of the ridge, we had to hike over more rock to get to the next peak. The new shoes worked so much better than the old New Balance. Not so much slipping and sliding. There really MUST be something to "sticky rubber". The last 5 miles were also very nice. There was a slight elevation gain, but over the 5 miles it was barely noticeable. Trees are showing bold color now, especially the reds. The scrub maples are in full color with lots of oranges and yellows to join the reds. It's a very beautiful pathway with leaves covering the trail. Our destination was Bald Mountain Brook lean-to. There was no view but the brook was right in front of the shelter so water was easy. We're planning a long day (20+) tomorrow so we can get into Monson and enjoy a full zero day the next day. Our shelter mates were Fire and Lincoln and Jeanie. Lincoln and Jeanie are well known on the trail. They make their own bread every day. Hell, it's all I can do to boil water! Oh, yes, and they hike in sandals.
Date: 2006-09-21
To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

by RightyUp very early today because we're going to try to get all the way into Monson today. Woke up to a chilly day. Temps in the low 30's. The warm spell is over. I started off with my longsleeve fleece and down vest on. The first part of the hike was up and over Moxie Bald. It was fairly clear out by 10am and we had pretty good views. We also saw a hugh thunderstorm rolling in from the west so we were anxious to get off the top of the mountain. The rest of the hike (about 10 miles) was fairly easy rolling hills and low bog areas. We met Compost and Goldfish for the first time. We also met Mountain Dew and Rainbow Brite, who we hadn't seen since Trail Days in Damascus. They had flipped and were now hiking south. They both looked great and it was nice to spend a couple minutes getting caught up. Couldn't hang out long because we still had some miles to go. We hitched into Monson and was picked up by a really nice lady (Rebekah) who asked where we were going. We told her "Shaw's" because thats just the place where everyone goes in Monson. She said she and her husband were the new owners of the Lakeshore House and she suggested we stay with her. She said the rate was a little more but she offered much more. We went there with her (it's all of 2 blocks from Shaw's) to check it out and loved it. It was like a B & B Inn. Had all been redone and it had a PUB! That was really the selling point. She had the only place in town to get a beer or a drink. John had stayed at Shaw's the last time he thru-hiked and he was happy to pay a little more for the nicer place. It was more like an Inn than a hostel. We had a nice room with two beds. The bathroom was down the hall; but that was OK. The Lakeshore House offered dinner and the food was exceptional. They also had a 24 hour laundry right in the front, very handy. Rebekah said that their place and Shaw's sort of worked together. She had the Pub, laundrymat and served dinner and Shaw's had breakfast and shuttle service. We met Popcorn and Timber, Balou and his girlfriend, Old Reb, Stretch, Goldfish, Pedro, Gringo, Junco, Compost and McGruff in the first couple of hours we were there. Monson is a very small town and it is very hiker friendly. It was nice to chill out in the Pub and have a cold beer and enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Hebron from the comfort of our bar stool. Rebekah was the bartender and it wasn't long before we felt like old friends.
Date: 2006-09-22
To: We're almost there...
Miles today: 226.8

by Lefty-Hi all,A quick update because I don't know if we will have internet access in Monson. Buoy, Righty, John and I plan to leave Monson around 9/23 and head into the 100 mile wilderness. This is the beginning of the end for us. It is exciting and sad. The past few days I have had lots of mixed emotions. I've had moments of feeling so high and happy about summiting Katahdin, followed by tears about how I will feel when I see the summit sign. I know that I will break down and cry. It will be a good cry. I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it. In case you don't hear from us for a while, don't worry about us. Our plan is to summit around 10/1 ish but that could change. If weather is bad on Katahdin the rangers have been known to make hikers wait until it clears up. We may not have internet access until we work our way back to Connecticut. None of us have had cell phone reception for a while now.If you haven't seen an entry by 10/5ish check the guestbook as we may have called someone and asked them to post a note. Wish us luck on our final days. thanks for following along.Lefty
Date: 2006-09-22
From: We're almost there...

To: Magnificent Maine - Part 2
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyIt's only been two days since we were in Carratunk and I can't beleive that John and I made it to Monson in two days. Doing 36 miles in 2 days is a bit of a stretch for us; but the trail was pretty easy and the weather was perfect for hiking. I really wanted to be able to take a full zero day here in Monson before we started hiking the 100 mile wilderness. Our plan was to go to Shaw's, which is a tradition for thru-hikers. However, when we were hitching into town we got a ride from the new owner (Rebecca) of the Lakeshore House which is a little more upscale hotel/hostel than Shaws. She suggested we give her place a try. When we learned that they had a PUB and restraurant (the only one in town) it was an easy decision. The place is beautiful and comfortable and the pub and dining area look out on Lake Hebron. Apparently the two hostels work "hand in hand" as Shaw's provides a hiker breakfast and shuttles and Lakeshore provides a laundrymat and dinners. Of course, the first thing we did when we got here was have a beer. Next we tracked down Buoy who had just gotten into town himself. Then we all gathered in the pub and had dinner. It was a large croud...I know I will forget someone, but here goes: Popcorn and Timber, Baloo and his girlfriend, Stretch, Pedro, Big Red, Junco and several others. Most of the hikers are headed out this morning for the wilderness but John, Bouy and myself are taking a zero day today and heading out tomorrow. Lefty left Carratunk this morning and will be only a day and a half behind us once we start hiking. She'll catch up with us within a day or so and then we will all hike the rest of the way to Katahdin together. It's hard to believe that we really are that close. I'm hoping that Lefty will be able to write a few words when she is in Munson, but she may be here on Sunday and the library won't be open. As she said, if you don't hear from us for a week or so, don't worry. If possible, we'll try to have family or friends put something out as a guest book entry until we can get online again.
Date: 2006-09-22
To: Zero Day in Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

by RightyToday we're taking a zero day in Monson and I opted to NOT get up and go to Shaw's for breakfast at 6am. It was great to be able to sleep in. I did get up at 8am and went to the local gas station/minimart for a breakfast sandwich and chocolate milk. It was a busy day for a zero day. I had to look over my food and decide what I needed to buy for the next 4 days. Then I had to peruse the shelves at the minimart and the general store to see who had what. Next, I had to do my laundry so I could start off with clean clothes. I also went to the library and got in a journal entry so everyone would know where we are. This place is so beautiful and it's so relaxing here that John, Buoy and I pretty much decided to stay here one more day. We're hoping that if we stay tomorrow night also, that we will surprise Lefty by being here when she gets into town. She is expecting us to move on tomorrow and then she will play "catch-up" which she likes to do because then she can hike fast. Late afternoon, the three of us are sitting on the couch upstairs with maps spread out trying to come up with a game plan if we took another day off. You won't believe what happened! Lefty walks in and surprises us. She still had 20+ miles to go to get to Monson but she ran into another hiker who had a car and was coming into Monson and decided she'd jump ahead and surprise us so that we could all start hiking the 100 mile wilderness together the next day. So, we had a great reunion. We enjoyed another great dinner downstairs and got to bed fairly early since we had to be at Shaw's by 6am for breakfast and for a shuttle to the trailhead.
Date: 2006-09-23
To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

by RightyDay 1 of the 100 Mile Wilderness. We were up early for an early breakfast call at Shaw's. After breakfast, John, Buoy and I left Monson to start hiking 19.1 miles to the Cloud Pond lean-to. Lefty still had to do laundry and resupply and would catch up with us either later that day or sometime the next day. It was raining lightly as we left and the weather went downhill from there as we climbed 4 miles uphill. There were lots or rocks and scrambles; but it wsn't too bad for me because I was able to find footholds in the roots or rocks. My new climbing shoes made a big difference and I was starting to relax somewhat. By the time we got to the lean-to (which was .4 mile off the trail) we were all soaking wet. First, we stripped off the wet clothes and put on dry fleece. Next we heated up water to get something hot in us fast because our fingers were already going num. The temperature was in the 40's but felt much colder in the wind. It's supposed to be beautiful at this pond, but all we can see is the clouds. Our lean-to mate this evening was Fire.