morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-07-07
From: Stealth site on Harmon Hill, VT

To: IP Road stealth site, VT
Miles today: 25.8
Weather: light rain

7/6/17, Stealth site, IP Road, VTMiles hiked: 1316.6, Miles to go: 863.2A long day hiking today - 25.8 miles. I am heading into Manchester Center, VT tomorrow and wanted to get extra miles in today to make tomorrow's hike shorter, thus maximizing the time in town for resupply, etc. The mud continues unabated. I got up close and personal with it today when I was crossing a particularly wet and mucky patch. Both feet slipped as I stepped between two rocks in the middle of the mud patch and I plopped my butt right down into it. All you can do at that point is jump up (sinking both feet up to the ankles), look around to see if anyone saw, and brush yourself off the best you can. Luckily, I will get to do laundry today. The trail continues to be pretty crowded. I stopped for lunch at a shelter and there were 15 of us eating lunch. I hiked briefly with a young Scotsman from Edinburgh. He thought my kilt was pretty cool. His parents are coming to visit in a few days and bringing his kilt for him to wear as he summits Mt Katahdin. Although he didn't mean anything by it, he did point out that he would be wearing a "proper" kilt. I assured him that I realized my kilt wasn't "proper" since it wasn't wool and it wasn't a true tartan; but, it was durable, comfortable, lightweight, and quick drying. I actually saw a familiar face today. I ran into Grace Note. We had hiked with her a couple days in CT. She is moving a bit slower, so I caught back up. I'm still looking forward to catching back up with my people. In fact, Pluck texted me yesterday wanting to know where 1st Sgt and I were because she missed her trail family. She and Wizard are still a day and a half ahead of me; but, I'm gaining in them. I start off tomorrow with a 2000 ft climb up and over Mt Stratton, then cruise another 13 miles into town. Hopefully, the predicted rain holds off. Rain will only make the mud that much worse...
Date: 2017-07-20
From: Crawford Notch campground, NH

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut, NH
Miles today: 11.1

7/20/17, Lakes of the Clouds Hut, NHMiles hiked: 1547.5, Miles to Katahdin: 334.4, Miles to go: 652.3Jailbird and I awoke around 5:00 AM and started packing up to head back to the trail. We were ready to leave around 6:00 AM. The problem was that we were 3.3 miles from the trailhead and on a country road. We tried to hitch; but, cars were only passing about once every 5 or 10 minutes and no one was stopping. Finally, the owner of the campground came out and said he'd run us up to the trailhead. Yay!We were on the trail by 7:00 AM and started climbing immediately. It was a typical White Mts climb - long and steep, with several portions of hand over hand climbing. At least, the weather was beautiful and the views were incredible. I reached the Mitzpah Spring Hut around 11:00 AM and bought a lunch of cheesy chili, bread and baked goods. Immediately after the Hut, the trail went straight up. A difficult climb was even harder with a full belly! Shortly after the Hut, I summited Mt Pierce and was into the Presidential Range proper. The trees dropped away before the summit and I was in the alpine environment the Whites are famous for. The mountains above treeline have a stark beauty that is just incredible. I was surprised to find that I pretty much had the mountains to myself. We appear to be running out of the SOBO bubble somewhat and, for some reason, there did not appear to be many NOBOs around. I arrived at the Lakes of the Clouds Hut around 2:00 PM. It is located about 1.5 miles and 1200 ft below the summit of Mt Washington. It was another 7 miles to Madison Hut and there was nowhere to camp in between. Also, there was a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. So, I decided to stay here. I inquired about work for stay; but, they couldn't accept any until 4:00 PM. The woman at the desk said that I could pay $10 and sleep on the floor of the dining room. So, that's what I did. The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out and staying out of the way of the paying guests. It's fun to compare the raggedy hiker trash to the LL Bean hikers who are staying here. They are all so clean and dapper. We aren't. Thru hikers filtered in all afternoon. We now have me, Terminator, Jailbird, Hops, Grapenut, Yogi, Bearslayer, Aslan, Wonder Woman, and Birdperson hanging out and staying out of the way of the paying guests. After the paying guests ate, the thru hikers were invited in to finish off the leftovers. We really are doing them a service because they have to carry out the leftovers to be composted. So, the hut croos are happy for us to finish off the leftovers. I think the paying guests just think we are a quaint oddity. At 9:30 PM, at lights out, we will be able to bed down in the dining room until 6:30 AM, when they wake up the guests. It's funny - this is the most like a homeless person I have felt on the trail. But it's also kind of fun to hang out with the rest of the hiker trash on the margins. Tomorrow - the summit of Mt Washington. Woo hoo!
Date: 2017-07-24
From: White Mountain Lodge and Hostel, Gorham, NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter, ME
Miles today: 16.9

7/24/17, Carlo Col Shelter, MEMiles hiked: 1590.6, Miles to Katahdin: 281.3,  Miles to go: 599.2I awoke to overcast skies, but no rain. So, I decided to head out rather than take a zero day. I got on the trail by 7:30 AM. Sitting Bull and Hoops were still eating breakfast when I left. I passed Ramsey Bolton's stealth camp about a mile into the hike. He was still asleep when I passed. Around 8:30 AM, it started to sprinkle. Before long, it settled into a steady rain that lasted the rest of the day. We are out of the Whites; but, we are not out of the mountains. Today's hike proved to be pretty tough, with a couple decent climbs and scrambling over some big boulders. The rain just added to the fun, providing mud and slippery rocks. Before long, I was soaked to the skin. It was a cold, blustery day, so I wore my rain jacket to provide a little warmth. Anytime I would stop for more than a minute or two, I would start to get chilled. The whole day proved to be like this. Up, down, mud, rocks, rain. I'm not going to complain any more about the rain, though, because crossing the summit of Mt Success gave me just a little taste of what it would've been  like to traverse the Whites in rain. Not fun - bone chilling winds and blowing rain. I had lunch at Gentian Pond Shelter with Grapenut, Yogi, and Bearslayer. We all ate quickly and got moving again to warm back up. I managed to take several spills today. Nothing serious. Just enough to get me wet and muddy. I passed several high mountain ponds and bogs. If I was a moose, I would've thought they would be perfect places to hang out. Apparently, the moose didn't agree. I still haven't seen any moose - just piles of moose poop. The highlight of the day came just before reaching the shelter at the end of the day. I crossed the Maine-New Hampshire border! Woo hoo! This day seemed like an impossibility way back in February when I stood on Springer Mountain in Georgia. I finally reached Carlo Col Shelter just after 6:00 PM. It was definitely a long, slow day on the trail. I was looking forward to just rolling out my sleeping pad in the shelter and getting into warm, dry clothes. No such luck - the shelter was packed! No worries. I would just set up my tent on one of the tent pads. Wrong! All five wooden tent pads were occupied by what appears to be a French Canadian youth group.  At least I assume it's a French Canadian youth group because there are a bunch of pre-teens running around screaming in French. I am now set up on a sloping piece of ground near the shelter. It's going to be one of those nights where I slide downhill and pull myself back up all night long. The temperature is in the low 40s, the wind is rattling the tent, and the rain is pelting down. It feels more like March than July. It least I am safe, warm, and dry in my cozy tent. I can't wait to put on those wet hiking clothes in the morning...
Date: 2017-08-02
From: East Carry Pond Stealth Site, ME

To: Sterling Inn, Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 9.4

8/2/17, Sterling Inn, Caratunk, MEMiles hiked: 1720.7, Miles to Katahdin: 151.2, Miles to go: 469.1I got up and on the trail early this morning to be sure that I had time to make the ferry. It turns out the trail was quite easy this morning and I made it to the Kennebeck River by 10:30 AM. It was a beautiful morning and the trail was flat. As I passed Pierce Pond Lean-to, I came across Yogi and Bearslayer, who had hiked the ten miles from West Carry Pond Lean-to last night (I only made it an additional 3.6 miles past West Carry Pond Lean-to). They were planning to pass Caratunk today and do a 32 mile hike. As I passed Pierce Pond and stopped to take pictures of the loons, Feathers, who had started the day at West Carry Pond Lean-to, caught up to me. With my long legs, I had always considered myself to be a fairly fast hiker. I have learned out here that there are many, many faster hikers than me. Of course, most of them are 20-30 years younger. When I arrived at the Kennebeck River, there were about five people waiting to cross. The ferry, which is a canoe operated for the ATC by a local outfitter, takes two hikers across at a time. I crossed with Yogi. We waited on the north bank until Feathers, Wild Thing, Yogi, Grapenut, Bearslayer, and I all gathered. Then, we walked to the Caratunk B&B, where we all bought milkshakes. It's nearing the end of the hike and money is getting tight for some of the younger guys, so I may have bought an extra milkshake or two. After the milkshakes, I called the Sterling Inn and the shuttle came and picked me up. The Sterling Inn is a very nice place and it has been a very pleasant and restful day. My friends Misplaced, Giggles, Big Style, and Teabag also ended up here as the Caratunk B&B was full. We all went for pizza and have spent the evening watching movies. We first watched A Walk in the Woods and made fun of their equipment and clothes and the fact they have the trail all out of order. We are now watching Billy Elliot. Big Style and Teabag are British and really wanted us to watch it because it is set in the North of England at a turbulent time with a backdrop of labor unrest. Tomorrow, we will be back out there, most likely in the rain. Two more days will see us in Monson, then the 100 Mile Wilderness, followed by Mt Katahdin, most likely on or around August 12. It's amazing to realize how close we are to the end.
Date: 2017-08-03
From: Sterling Inn, Caratunk, ME

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

8/3/17, Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to, MEMiles hiked: 1739.6, Miles to Katahdin: 132.4, Miles to go: 450.3Today was a pretty easy day on the trail. 18.8 miles; however, the majority of the hike was flat. We did climb Pleasant Pond Mt and Moxie Bald; but, compared to what we've been doing, the climbs were pretty tame. The hardest part of both mountains was tearing myself away from the ripe blueberries. I was on the trail before any of the other people staying at the Sterling Inn. As I left to get the shuttle back to the trailhead, Misplaced, Giggles, Big Style, and Teabag were just coming down to breakfast. It poured the rain last night, so the trail was a bit soft. Otherwise, it was smooth and flat, so I made good time. The sun even poked out from behind the clouds after awhile. All in all, it was a very pleasant morning's hike. Around 10:00 AM, on top of Pleasant Pond Mt, Feathers, Odin, Wild Thing, and the others started catching me one by one. As I was descending the mountain, dark clouds moved in and the thunder started rumbling. I made for Bald Mt Brook Lean-to, intending to wait out the state rm while I ate my lunch. I had a little rumbling and wind during lunch; but, by the time I was ready to move on, the sun was back out.  Up and over a Moxie Bald. Eat more blueberries. A quick call to Marguerite - phone reception is getting pretty spotty. And reach camp for the evening. We are camped along Moxie Pond. I like camping along the ponds - they are always pleasant. We've all set up our tents under the trees next to the shoreline. We have about a dozen tents crammed onto any available flat spot. We all sat on flat rocks by the pond and ate dinner. It was a very pleasant evening. The lean-to is full of SOBOs. Since, at this point, they are just starting their hikes, they are hiking shorter days and reaching the shelters first. You can tell the difference between SOBOs and NOBOs at a glance. The SOBOs are, for the most part, thicker and fleshier, just like we were in March. At this point, any NOBOs left on the trail are thinner or even gaunt looking. Many of the NOBOs, especially the younger ones, look upon on the SOBOs with something akin to disdain. How quickly they forget what it was like for all of us at the beginning. For their part, just about every SOBO starts a conversation telling you how much more difficult a SOBO hike is than a NOBO hike. I guess it's a defense mechanism. They are still experiencing the doubt and insecurity we felt in Georgia and are wondering if they can do this. We have been through a long winnowing process and know that, short of catastrophic injury, we will be on Katahdin in a week. People are stupid. We are all out here doing the same thing (I think some people need to go back and read about Dr Seuss' Sneetches).  And it's not like it's some sort of noble pursuit, anyway. We are just walking, for God's sake! Anyway, I am now in my tent listening to coyotes and loons. It may not be noble, but it sure is cool!
Date: 2017-08-06
From: Shaw's Hostel, Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Brook Stealth Site, ME
Miles today: 14.8

8/5/17, Long Pond Stream Stealth Site, MEMiles hiked: 1771.8, Miles to Katahdin: 100.2, Miles to go: 418.1After a big breakfast at Shaw's, we entered the 100 Mile Wilderness. The name sounds very ominous and remote, like you're entering the deep, dark forest. There is even a warning sign as you enter telling you to carry a minimum of 10 days of supplies and to not underestimate the difficulty of his section. In actuality, it's the same old rocky, rooty, muddy AT we've been hiking all through Maine. Instead of 40 miles between towns, it's 100 miles. We hiked under overcast skies with the threat of rain all day. The whole group started out together after being dropped off by the shuttle; but, started to spread out a little as we walked. I hiked most of the morning with Odin and 4WD. We caught up with the rest of the group when we all stopped for lunch at Little Wilson Falls. I hiked mainly by myself the rest of the afternoon; however, I would catch back up every couple miles at the numerous stream fords. We crossed several streams that were too deep to rock hop. So, we'd all stop, remove our shoes, wade across, and put our shoes back on. This is a fairly time consuming process; but, I appeared to be faster at it than most of the group. I have actually had extensive stream fording experience with my years of hiking around WV. As a result, I would generally pass the group at the stream and they would all pass me again over the next couple of miles. We had planned to stop for the night at Long Pond Stream Lean-to; however, SOBOs who had passed through there said there was not good water at the shelter and that we'd have to carry it 0.8 miles from Long Pond Stream, along with enough extra water to get us through the next ten miles, which also didn't have any water. In addition, the guidebook said there were very few tent sites at this shelter. Since the guidebook mentioned several good tent sites next to Long Pond Stream, we decided to stop 0.8 miles short of the shelter and camp by the stream. It was a bit of a short day; however, since our packs are so heavy with extra food, no one minded stopping early. Misplaced really wanted a fire tonight, so she gathered wood and started a fire. Pretty soon everyone gathered around the fire. It wasn't long until the reminiscences started. Everyone is beginning to feel acutely the approaching end of the hike. Even though we are all ready to be done, there is a certain sadness at the thought off the hike ending. The rain that had been threatening all day finally arrived. So, we all retired to our tents. I am now all snug and dry in my tent listening to the rain. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-08-07
From: Long Pond Brook Stealth Site, ME

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

8/7/17, Logan Brook Lean-to, MEMiles hiked: 1800.5, Miles to Katahdin: 71.4, Miles to go: 389.3Today's hike turned out to be way easier than I expected, for once. I was up and on the trail by 7:15 AM under sunny skies. Wild Thing and Feathers headed out about the same time. I was able to keep up with them for the first mile and a half because it was a gentle downhill with smooth trail. We forded the Pleasant River and started climbing. That was the end of hiking with Wild Thing and Feathers. The rest of the crew passed me throughout the day. We were climbing over four peaks today, including 3650 ft Whitecap Mt, so I expected the day to be pretty tough. It turns out we were on probably the best trail we've seen in Maine. There were still roots and rocks; but, there was more smooth dirt trail. And there were rock steps over many of the steeper portions. And switchbacks! We haven't seen switchbacks for hundreds of miles. As a result, the climbs over Gulf Hagas, West Peak, and Hay Mts were actually pleasant. Going over Gulf Hagas Mt, I saw more moose poop than I've seen on the rest of the trail combined. Tons of moose poop! Of course, no moose. I'm beginning to think I'm going to finish this hike without seeing a moose. That makes me sad. The weather for hiking was absolutely perfect. It was cool, sunny, and breezy. Since we were only going 14.6 miles today and the trail turned out to be so pleasant, I sort of dawdled and enjoyed the hike. Even the climb up Whitecap Mt turned out to be pretty mellow. The other peaks were tree covered, so I didn't have any views until Whitecap Mt, where I finally got above treeline. As I came around to the north side of the mountain, the hum in the back of my mind that has been slowly growing swelled into a full chorus. There it was - Mt Katahdin!  I stood there for quite awhile looking at it. Even though it is still 70 trail miles away, it looked big! After hiking since February, it was reassuring to see that the mountain actually existed. Another quick 1.4 mile hike brought me to the Logan Brook Lean-to. It was nice to get into camp a little early and have some time to relax before I had to dive into my camp chores. The whole group sat around a fire cooking dinner and talking. It was a very pleasant evening. I am now in my tent and ready for a twenty mile, mostly flat hike tomorrow.
Date: 2017-08-08
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Antlers Campsite, ME
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: scattered clouds

8/8/17, Antlers Campsite, MEMiles hiked: 1820.1, Miles to Katahdin: 51.8, Miles to go: 369.7Today's hike was another easy one. 19.6 miles of mostly flat or downhill trail. It rained most of the night and I slept in a little waiting for it to stop. As a result, I wasn't on trail until 7:40 AM. Even the bough we had longer miles planned, I wasn't worried about the later start because I knew the miles would go pretty quickly. As usual, I was passed by most of the others in short order; but, I would catch up when they would stop for breaks. I hiked at various times with Giggles, Misplaced, and 4WD, who tend to hike closer to my pace. We did climb one small mountain, Little Boardman Mountain; but, the rest of the day was flat. For the most part, the trail conditions were good, too. We did have some rocky and rooty sections; but, the trail was generally smooth. The only bad thing today was the mosquitoes. I finally had to break down and pull out the DEET for the first time this entire trip. The only thing I hate worse than DEET is getting swarmed by mosquitoes. Generally, I don't have problems with mosquitoes. When everyone else is getting eaten alive, they usually leave me alone. I think it's because I have a reputation in the mosquito world. You see, when I was in college, I worked two summers as a Vector Control Technician. Basically, I drove around in a pick up truck spewing malathion into the air, leaving millions of dead mosquitoes in my wake. I imagine the mosquito parents use me to scare their children - "If you don't drink that blood and grow into a strong mosquito, then the Vector Control Technician will get you!" Not Maine mosquitoes though! They are mean little blood suckers. I got into camp around 4:00 PM. The skies had cleared during the afternoon and the Antlers Campsite is located on a peninsula jutting into Lower Jo-Mary Lake, so it was a beautiful setting. 4WD built a fire and the Fellowship gathered and cooked dinner together. We all went a little light on food since we had to carry six days' worth. So, we are all beginning to get a little hungry and are looking forward to getting to Abol Bridge on Thursday where we can get real food again. We have a big day planned tomorrow - 23.4 miles to Rainbow Lake Dam, where we should get excellent views of Mt Katahdin. I plan to be up and on the trail early tomorrow, so goodnight from the AT!