morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-15
From: Full Goose Shelter 

To: Baldplate Lean-to 
Miles today: 12.0

Today I conquered the infamous Mahoosuc Notch - the most difficult mile on the AT.  Some hikers love it because of how technical it is, others absolutely despise it because it¢s too hard.  As for me, I rather enjoyed the challenge.The Notch is made up of boulders, most are as big as automobiles and some as large as a cabin, which fell in a canyon no more than fifty to seventy foot wide.  The walls of the Notch are over a thousand foot tall and shoot up vertically from the floor of the Notch.  The boulders are jagged and moss covered which makes the trek a little more interesting.  There are spaces between many of the boulders that are more than ten to fifteen feet deep, so if you slip and fall between the huge rocks, you may not be found for days.  Most of the time I could either jump or climb from one boulder to the next.  Several times I had to take off my pack and craw under a slab to get past it.  I could see ice blocks at the bottom of Notch under some of the bottom boulders.  The ice provided a cooling affect as you make your way up and around the obstacles.  It took me an hour and forty minutes to get through the Notch.  I ended up with a few scraps and scratched but managed to not break any bones.  The pic above gives you a small taste of the challenges of the Notch.  The rest of the day¢s hike to near the top of Old Speck Mountain - elev 4170, was long due to all the energy I expended getting through the Mahoosuc Notch.  I finished my hike at the Baldplate Lean-to where I ended up going to bed early again.
Date: 2019-07-16
From: Baldplate Lean-to 

To: East B Hill Road - NOBO Mile Marker 1935.1
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I had one of those magical AT moments you can only get hiking the trail.  Shade Hunter and I planned a short hiking day because we were going into Andover ME for his food package at the post office and I needed to resupply.  I got packed up and moving by 6:30 am, which is rare for me.  The morning was cool and bright.  The trail from the lean-to shot straight up one thousand feet to the top of the west Baldplate peak - elev 3662.  From there it dipped down a few hundred feet and then climbed up to the top of east Baldplate peak - elev 3810.  This is when the magic occurred.  I was all alone, sitting on the top of a mountain in southern Maine at 7:30 am, the sun was shining, a slight breeze blew from the west and the southern views back over the White Mountains where breathtaking.  I sat there for more than forty minutes just taking in the quiet moment.  The words here cannot describe how beautiful those few moments were.  Wow - what a feeling..For the rest of the day, I kept that mountain high feeling.
Date: 2019-07-17
From: East B Hill Road - NOBO Mile Marker 1935.1

To: Stealth Camp At NOBO Mile Marker 1949.2
Miles today: 14.1

Today I passed the half way point on my journey of 2190 miles!!!After a wonderful pizza dinner at the Andover General Store & Restaurant and a very restful night at the Pine Ellis Hiker Hostel, I took the 7:00 am shuttle back to the trail where I left off yesterday.  The morning was shaping up to be a great day. I checked the weather forecast, like I always do, and the chance of rain was in the thirties with the possibility of a late afternoon thunderstorm.  With those odds, I didn¢t give the weather a second thought.Well wouldn¢t you know it, an hour into my hike it starts raining.  It was a sprinkle at first, but then it changed to an all out downpour.  I of course put on my rain gear and kept walking.  The shower kept up for the better part of ninety minutes.  By that time I was soaked.  No matter how good your rain coat is, you eventually get wet - either by the driving rain or basting in your own sweat from hiking.  I finally reached the Hall Mountain Lean-to where I sat for a few minutes with several other hiker trash.  We all commiserated about the wet weather, but knew there was nothing we could do except keep on moving.  By the time I left the lean-to it was 11:15 am, and the rain had stopped.  The trail past the lean-to took me up and over Moody Mountain - elev 2440, not a very tall mountain, but very steep going up to the peak and then steep down the other side.  There was a very nice view looking south from a small cliff near the top where I ate my lunch and took the pic above.I planned on stopping for the night on the north side of Old Blue Mountain - elev 3600, which was just past Moody Mountain.  The climb up to the summit was going very well when all of a sudden,  when I was three tenths of a mile from the top of the mountain, I heard a clap of thunder.  Two things ran through my head - I really didn¢t want to get hit by lightning and it¢s going to rain again.  Well the rain came shortly after the thunder, and it rained hard.  I put my rain coat and skirt back on and just stood there.  The lightning and thunder continued so I could not summit the peak where I may be the tallest thing up there, and in a lightning storm that may not end well for me.  For the next forty minutes I just waited out the storm and got soaked - again.  The rain came down so hard, the trail turned into a river flowing past my feet.  Finally as the lightning portion of the storm passed, I moved on over the top of Old Blue.  Past the summit and on the way down, the rain continued and the trail was a mess. I finally found a stealth spot to hang my hammock and dry out for the night.
Date: 2019-07-18
From: Stealth Camp At NOBO Mile Marker 1949.2

To: Sabbath Day Lean-to
Miles today: 13.0

After a wet evening like last night, I always dread the next morning.  All of my rain gear is still wet, my clothes that I hiked in are smelly from sweat and are wet, my socks and boots are soaked.  I keep my second set of clothes dry so I can sleep in them.  I hung my wet clothes over the hammock lines for the evening in an attempt to dry them, but it is usually futile.   After I had my breakfast and stowed away my sleeping bag, hammock, tarp and put everything in my pack, the last thing I did was put my wet clothes back on.  It¢s like when you were a kid at summer camp and you want to go swimming in the morning but your swim suit is still wet and cold from the day before but you have to put it on because it¢s the only one you brought.  It¢s like that times ten.  The cold wet underwear is tough enough, but the smelly, wet and ice cold tee shirt is the worst.  After I¢m all dressed in my wet gear, off I go.  The good  news is, that if it is half way warm in the morning, I can hike  my clothes dry in a matter of thirty minutes.  As for the wet socks and boots, over the last two weeks, my socks and boots have been wet most of the time.  They just don¢t dry out no matter how far I walk.  They also stink worst than my youngest daughter¢s feet when she took dance classes.  Only when I get to a hostel and wash and dry my clothes, my socks get  somewhat clean smelling.The rest of the day was mostly non eventful except for the delicious trail magic provided by Snowman and his wonderful wife. They were perfectly positioned just north of Bemis Mountain on a dirt road before the trail crosses Bemis Stream.  They grilled hamburgers/ hotdogs, and also had chips, bananas, sodas and some sweet treats.  What a great surprise to come off Bemis Mountain to this feast.  Thank you for the awesome eats.
Date: 2019-07-19
From: Sabbath Day Lean-to

To: ME 4 - NOBO Mile Marker 1971.6
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

Today one of my worst hiking nightmares came true.  I got up at 5:30 am because I was heading into The Hiker Hut Hostel (see pic of the hostel in the photo gallery) just outside Rangeley, ME for a hot shower, having my clothes washed and getting a resupply in Rangeley.  The morning was starting off so well.  I was able to break down my camp, have breakfast and get everything into my pack in record time.  The last thing I had to do was use the privy.  The backwoods privies are nothing more than a basic outhouse - with no frills.  I walked to the privy, turned the wooden latch to open the outside of the door (the latch keeps the door closed to keep the animals out when not in use), opened the door, entered the privy, closed and locked the door, and did my business. Half way through my business, I heard someone on the outside. In my ¢I¢m on the john voice¢ I said ¢I¢ll be finished in just a minute¢.  The person on the outside backed off and walked away.  No big deal.  I wrap up my paperwork, readjust my clothes, gave my hands a good coating of hand sanitizer, unlock the door and gave the door a push.  This is when I begin to panic.  Somehow the wooden latched on the outside got turned to the closed position not allowing me to open the door.  After a few well chosen expletives, I tried the door again but it was  still locked.  At that point, I said a new string of expletives, look out the four inch quarter moon cut out in the door that every privy has and all I see are trees.  I push on the door several more times but it doesn¢t budge.  Anyone who has used one of these privies knows the air inside is ninety percent methane and the rest is just stink.  Very little oxygen is available.  I started to thinking my whole day is going to be spent waiting for the next hiker to use the john.  I rattle the door again and start to yell out for someone to get me out.  Well wouldn¢t you know it, all of a sudden I hear the latch on the outside move to allow the door to open.  I push on the door open and there is Snow Cap (hiker with white hair) standing there looking at me with a surprised look on his face.  If looks could kill he wouldn¢t be here today.  I asked him why he locked the door while I was inside and he replied that he forgot to latch the door after he finished and he came back to latched it not knowing I was inside.  After he walked away from the privy, he realized that maybe someone slipped in before he locked the door.  After a good laugh by both of us, I finished up my packing and started my hiking day.  What a way to start the morning...
Date: 2019-07-20
From: ME 4 - NOBO Mile Marker 1971.6

To: Stealth Camp At NOBO Mile Marker 1985.1
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

After a peaceful night at The Hiker Hut Hostel and a resupply In Rangeley, I got back on the trail by 7:30 am.  Today I climbed over three mountains which where within three and a half miles of each other: Saddleback Mountain - elev 4120, the Horn - elev 3985, and Saddleback Junior - elev 3655.  The sun was shining and the temperature was in the upper 80¢s so the going was slow and I drank lots of water.  The views from all three of the mountain tops were spectacular.  According to my PeakFinder App, the visibility was 150 miles.  The pic above is from the top of Saddleback Mountain.  I also made a video of the view from the Horn which is in the video gallery of this journal.  Just a great day to be in Maine...
Date: 2019-07-21
From: Stealth Camp At NOBO Mile Marker 1985.1

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite 
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

The hike today was all about getting over Spaulding Mountain - elev 3890.  From my stealth campsite next to the Sluice Brook, I walked uphill for the next six miles and a change in elevation of twenty two hundred feet.  On the way to Spaulding Mountain, I summited Lone Mountain - elev 3260.  Once I was past Spaulding Mountain, the trail went around Sugarloaf Mountain where the Sugarloaf Ski Resort is located and then straight down to south branch of the Carrabassett River - elev 2145.  The pic above is the Carrabassett River.  I ended my hike shortly past the river at the Crocker Cirque Campsite.
Date: 2019-07-22
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite 

To: ME 27 - NOBO Mile Marker 2003.8
Miles today: 7.3

I headed into Stratton, ME today for a stay at the Stratton Motel and a quick resupply from the local grocery/hardware store.  The pic above is of the beautiful Stratton Motel.  Shade Hunter and I split one of their deluxe suites on the concierge level that came with turn down service and a chocolate on my pillow.  What a treat...  The trail from the Crocker Cirque Campsite to ME 27 was up and over South Crocker Mountain - elev 4040 and North  Crocker Mountain - elev 4228.  Just like most of the mountains I have summited in southern Maine, the elevation gain from the Crocker Cirque Campsite to the top of South Crocker Mountain was fifteen hundred feet in just a mile.  There wasn¢t much of a view from the top of either mountain because it was overcast and hazy.  The trail down from North Crocker Mountain to ME 27 was a fairly easy grade  which wasn¢t too tough on my old knees.
Date: 2019-07-23
From: ME 27 - NOBO Mile Marker 2003.8

To: Safford Notch Campsite 
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: heavy intensity rain

The forecast for last night and early this morning was for rain.  Shade Hunter and I decided to hang around the Stratton Motel in the morning to see if the rain would pass. And by 9:00 am the sky had cleared up a bit.  We checked out and got the motel shuttle back to the trail.Bigelow Mountain - elev 4145 and Avery Peak - elev 4090 are the last of the four thousand foot mountains in Maine and were in front of us today. To get to Bigelow Mountain, the trail went over South Horn Peak - elev 3831 first, just as a warm up.  By the time I summited Bigelow Mountain, the sun was shining and there were only big fluffy clouds in the sky.  The air was very clear so I could see a long way from the treeless summit.  As a matter of fact, to the northeast I could make out Katahdin and to the south I saw Mt Washington.  The pic above is facing northeast towards Katahdin.  I also shot a short video of the view which is in the video gallery.After spending an hour on the top of Bigelow Mountain, the trail descended five hundred feet and then back up to Avery Peak, which was just seven tenth of a mile away from Bigelow.  Avery Peak is named for Myron Avery, the architect of the AT and the person responsible for bringing the trail through Maine.  My hike wrapped up by descending two thousand feet over two miles to where I stopped for the night at the Safford Notch Campsite.
Date: 2019-07-24
From: Safford Notch Campsite 

To: Stealth Camp At Easy Carry Pond - NOBO Mile Marker 2030.5
Miles today: 16.3

It was a fairly easy hike today.  From the Safford Notch Campsite and over Little Bigelow Mountain - elev 3010 the trek was an easy downhill walk to Flagstaff Lake.  The rest of the trail was mostly flat as it passed West Carry Pond and then East Carry Pond where I stealth camped for the night.Along the way I passed an interesting historical sign pictured above.  This area was visited by Colonel Benedict Arnold and his men on their way to Quebec back in 1775 as part of the American Revolutionary War. The AT follows the same path they took between the two carry ponds.  Over the last few weeks I¢ve passed many south bound (SOBO) hikers who started their hike at Katahdin.  It¢s refreshing to see so many new faces who are just starting their long journey.  It gives me renewed energy to chat with them and feel their excitement.  The line of SOBOs will continue for the next two weeks or so.
Date: 2019-07-25
From: Stealth Camp At Easy Carry Pond - NOBO Mile Marker 2030.5

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to 
Miles today: 16.0

Stealth camping next to East Carry Pond was a real luxury.  The pond is fairly large and has a beach near the campsite.  I took a swim in the lake before I had dinner to cool off and wash all the bug juice off me.  During the night I heard two loons calling to each other with their beautiful eerie call.  In the morning after I packed up my gear and started my hike around the pond, I saw the two loons who were no more than fifty feet from me on the calm water.  This was a real treat for me to see these allusive birds up so close.The walk from the East Carry Pond to the Kennebec River was mostly down hill following the Pierce Pond Stream.  The Pierce Pond Stream flowed rapidly creating several beautiful waterfalls with swimming holes at the bottom of each falls.  If it had been later in the day, I certainly would have stopped at one of these pools to take a refreshing dip.  By the time I got to the Kennebec River, it was only 11:00 am.To cross the Kennebec River, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) provides a canoe ferry for hikers to cross.  The Kennebec River is only four hundred feet across and relatively shallow, but the unpredictable undercurrents make it very dangerous to swim across.  Several hikers have died over the years trying to cross the river.  The AMC took it upon themselves to make the crossing safer by paying for a ferryman to paddle the hikers and their gear across.  The pic above is of the ferryman and his canoe crossing the river.On the north bank of the Kennebec River is the town of Caratunk ME, with a year round population of 37.  A few hundred yards from the AT, in Caratunk, is the Caratunk House B&B / Hiker Hostel.  Paul who runs the B&B has a great hiker resupply for all the NOBO¢s and SOBO¢s who pass by.  He also makes a delicious milkshake which is well know up and down the trail.  I took a quick shower and had my laundry cleaned while I enjoyed my milkshake and took care of my resupply duties.  My day ended at the Pleasant Pond Lean-to several miles from Caratunk.
Date: 2019-07-26
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to 

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to 
Miles today: 13.1

The trail from the Pleasant Pond Lean-to, where I stayed last night, immediately ascended to the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain - elev 2470, in a little over a mile with twelve hundred feet of elevation gain.  What a way to start the morning. From the north side of Pleasant Pond Mountain, the trail gradually descended five miles to Moxie Pond.  After a short walk on an old logging road and then over  Baker Stream it started back uphill again towards Moxie Bald Mountain - elev 2629.  The view from the Bald was fantastic.  To the north I saw Katahdin and back to the south Avery Peak and Bigelow Mountain were also clearly visible.  My biggest treat of the day was discovering ripe blueberries on top of Moxie Bald Mountain.  I sat and gazed at the view for over an hour and as I started down the north side, I noticed small purple berries on several of the low lying bushes close to the trail.  Once I got closer to investigate, I immediately knew they were wild blueberries.  I heard from several of the locals that the top of Moxie Bald Mountain was an excellent place to look for the fruit but they all said the blueberries wouldn¢t be ripe for a week or so.  Imagine my surprise when I found several ripe ones less than an arms length away.  I, of course, stopped walking and spent the next forty five minutes picking the delicious sweet treats.  If you have never had wild Maine blueberries, immediately stop what you are doing, get in your car, drive to Moxie Bald Mountain, climb the mountain, and pick a few for yourself.  I guarantee it will be worth the trip.  In a few days the mountain top will be covered with the ripe blueberries.  My hike continued down Moxie Bald Mountain until I made it to the Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to.  Bald Mountain Pond is right in front of the lean-to.  I hung my hammock right at the shoreline for the night.
Date: 2019-07-27
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to 

To: Historical AT Route To Monson ME - NOBO Mile Marker 2074.2
Miles today: 14.6

Moxie Bald Lean-to is located right next to Bald Mountain Pond.  The pond is a fairly large body of water with a shallow shoreline and a few islands scattered around the center.  Last night I decided to hang my hammock close to the shore so I could wake up early and enjoy the sunrise.  The campsite faced the southeast  so I expected a left to right sunrise.  I set my alarms for 5:00 am but woke up at 4:45 am.  I laid in my hammock looking out until I saw the break of dawn brightening the morning sky.  After I put on my fleece pullover, I walked down to the shore and found a comfortable seat.  Moments later the sun started to peek over the eastern horizon and eventually over the treetops.  Wow - what a beautiful moment.  The colors in the sky were pinkish purple with a little yellow mixed in.  The water was as still as could be and there was virtually no air moving.  Those few minutes are ones that I wish I could bottle up and save for a rainy day.  The pic above is my attempt of trying to capture the moment.  I also shot a short video which is in the video gallery.  I stayed and watched the sunrise for the next hour as I ate my breakfast and chatted with the other hiker trash.  Most of them made their way to the shoreline to either get water for the day or just enjoy the morning.The rest of the day was fairly uneventful as I made my way to Monson ME. I eventually ended up at Shaw¢s Hiker Hostel for the evening.
Date: 2019-07-28
From: Historical AT Route To Monson ME - NOBO Mile Marker 2074.2

To: Historical AT Route To Monson ME - NOBO Mile Marker 2074.2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I took a well deserved zero in Monson ME at Shaw¢s Hiker Hostel.  It¢s been fifteen days since my last zero at the Rattle River Hostel all the way back in Gorham NH.  I¢ve taken a few neros but not a full zero.  My afternoon was spent with Mark Ozimek, my across the street neighbor and good friend from my home in Cincinnati. Mark recently moved to Portland ME a couple of weeks ago. He spent two and a halfway hours driving to Monson.  He came bearing gifts - a nice IPA from Freeport ME, a few trail snacks and the biggest treat was a bottle of Woodford Reserve.  What a great surprise.  We spent the afternoon enjoying lunch at the Lakeshore House restaurant.  They have a patio which is right on Lake Hebron in downtown Monson.  I really enjoyed spending time with Mark talking about the old neighborhood and learning about his new life in Portland.  Thank you again Mark for traveling up to see me and bringing me all the wonderful gifts.  The pic above is from the patio at The Lakeshore House.
Date: 2019-07-29
From: ME 15. - NOBO Mile Marker 2077.5

To: Historical AT Route To Monson ME - NOBO Mile Marker 2074.2
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: clear sky

The 100 mile wilderness is next in my journey, so today I retrieved my resupply package, that I sent myself to the Monson Post Office, and planned out my next six days.  The package I sent contained freeze dried dinner packets.  I purchased additional breakfast and lunch foods from Shaw¢s Hostel resupply store and I also went to the Monson General Store for a few items.  By the end of the day I was fully stocked and ready to get back on the trail first thing tomorrow morning.  It will be very hard to leave Shaw¢s wonderful hostel.  Poet and Hippie Chick who purchased the hostel a couple years ago, really know how to make everyone feel at home.  They hiked the trail a few years back and understand the needs of the hiker trash who stop for a night or two.  I¢ll miss Poet¢s delicious full breakfast the most.  He cooks up a mean plate of eggs, bacon and hash browns not to mention the AYCE (all you can eat) blueberry pancakes.  What an awesome place.  Thanks Poet and Hippie Chick for your gracious hospitality.