morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Stratton, ME

To: Avery Memorial Campsite, Bigelow
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The next few days will seem like we are hiking backward, and in a way we are because we are hiking south. We got a shuttle to drop us about 17 miles north on the trail at a road crossing, so we can hike the Bigelow Mountains with lighter packs and go back into Stratton again. We still have most of the essential gear with us because we will spend the night on the mountain, but we didn¢t have much food or extra clothing as we would have if we would hike north all the way to Caratunk.The shuttle dropped us off about 10:30 because we had to go to the post office to pick up a drop box. Wicomico is with us too because he is heading north from the same place where we are starting south. He is slack packing because his hand is broken. Charlie, the shuttle driver, will pick him up at the end of his hike tonight.The day is cloudy, but gets better off and on. We know that there is another thunderstorm predicted for tonight. We had a good one last night, but we were in town thinking about how lucky we were not to be on the trail.The hike isn¢t so difficult until we start the climb from Stafford Notch to Avery Peak. We considered staying at the campsite because the weather isn¢t looking very good but decided to go up anyway. About half way up we can hear thunder in the distance and then it starts to drizzle. We put on rain coats and it quit, a few more rumbles of distant thunder and then things seemed to clear up. We dot to the tent site and the only other people there are two guys who have made a makeshift shelter on one of the tent platforms from branches and a spice of plastic tarp. They already got wet from the little drizzle we had earlier. We cooked our supper and made camp, then crawled in the tent for the night. About 9pm the thunder and lightning started up again. This time it just keeps coming closer until the rain is drumming on out tent fly and the thunder claps vibrate the ground under us as they echo from the mountains around us. It is really a neat light and sound show. I feel bad for the boys without a tent. They have to be getting drenched, but there is nothing we can do since our tent barely holds the two of us. The thunder and lightning doesn¢t last too long, but the rain continues most of the night.
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Avery Memorial Campsite, Bigelow

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When we woke up, the boys who were camped in their makeshift shelter were gone. Everything was pretty we storm last night and it was chilly and a bit foggy, but we could still see the rocky face of Avery Peak above us.We took time for oatmeal and coffee and then started down the trail. It was a little on the slick side, so we took our time scrambling over the rocks. The view was really near from the west peak and south horn. We could see the lake down below but it almost blended in with the foggy patches around it. The wind was blowing pretty good and it started a sight drizzle.As we started sown toward town, the sun came out and it warmed up the trail got easier and we really fount the last two miles to the road easy. We got some trail magic when we got to the road, a soda and cookies and a ride to town from a day hiker with a nice dog. She had hiked the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Katahdin.The first thing we did after dropping off our Packs in our room at the White Wolf Inn was eat. Then we watched the Republican convention and ate some more. It was nice to be back in Stratton.
Date: 2004-09-01
From: Stratton, ME

To: Campsite north of Logging Rd.
Miles today: 12.0

We got our shuttle to the trail and on the way there stopped for breakfast at Mainely Yours. Charlie, our shuttle driver, was telling us about a cool place to go deep sea fishing.The day was perfect, cool and sunny, and the trail was sweet, all flat or gently rolling. We went past several lovely lakes and ponds, stopping at West Carry Pond lean-to for lunch. We picked up a sub at the local deli before we got to the shuttle, so that was a really nice treat to eat about 1:00Maine is beautiful! I love being back in mostly hardwood forest. Lots of Maples, Birch, and Beech. There are a few more birds here too, and lots of Squirrels. Fall is in the air and an occasional red or yellow leaf falls from the trees as we hike along. We saw a few hikers today, Grandpa Jim and a couple who were fli flopping. We also passed the 2000 mile mark today. It was painted on the road so I took some pictures of us with the mark. For the first time I truly believe that we will make it to Katahdin.We are camped on an old logging road, about a mile past the main logging road. It is a good spot , pretty level and protected by trees. Tomorrow we will cross the river in a canoe. The Kennebec River is too deep and wide to ford, so the ATC provides a ferry to take hikers across.
Date: 2004-09-02
From: Campsite north of Logging Rd.

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 7.8

It was a chilly night, but with our 20 degree sleeping bags and tent, not a problem. Getting out of the tent in the morning was another matter. We watched a couple of other hikers go by before we got packed up. The trail was great and the miles went by quickly. We stopped for lunch at Pierce Pond Leon-to because we were too late for the 9-11 ferry and would be too early for the 2-4 ferry. We saw Toga Monkey and Mello Yello there and they were waiting on the ferry when we got there along with King Alabar. We enjoyed sitting by the river in the sunshine and chatting. About 2:00, the ferry man came with his canoe to take us two at a time across the Kennebec River. It was a fun ride. Gary and the ferry man did the paddling and I just sat in the middle and enjoyed the ride being really glad we didn¢t have to try to ford this river. We only had a brief walk and we were at the tiny town of Caratunk. There really isn¢t much there, a few houses, a forest service office, a post office, and a Caratunk House, a hiker hostel and B and B run by Paul, a thru hiker.There were hikers and packs sitting on Paul¢s lawn when we arrived and he and his friend Mary were cooking cheeseburgers and making mikshakes when we got there. Of course we put in our order for some. I picked up our mail drop from the post office down the streeet and when I got back, my lunch was ready. The cheeseburgers were giant size and the milkshake was thick and creamy. When I was done eating I was totally stuffed! We got a room for the night at the Caratunk house and enjoyed all the comforts of home, shower, laundry, snacks and good company. Mello Yello stayed there too.
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Campsite before the Powerline
Miles today: 11.3

We enjoyed a super breakfast this morning, French toast, muffins, eggs, potatoes, fruit, and O.J. This will be the last year Paul will run Caratunk House. We feel lucky to have gotten to stay here. We finally got going about 8:45 and enjoyed an easy trail with sunshine and just enough of a chill to make hiking comfortable. We stopped for a long break at Pleasant Pond lean-to. There we talked with some South Bound flip floppers from Minnesota. The trail got harder after lunch with some climbs up Pleasant Pond Mountain. It was worth it though for the great view from the top. We could see distant mountains and the Piscataquis River that we will have to ford before we get to Monson. We talked with four South bound section hikers on top of the mountain, and they said the water was chest deep and swiftly moving. Later another south bounder said he saw 3 north bounders fall while carrying their packs across and everything got soaked. We are not looking forward to this crossing. About 6:15 we decided to call it quits for the night and found a tent site just off the trail. We made supper and turned in. I sure hope it doesn¢t rain tonight. We don¢t need more rain before we have to try to cross the river.
Date: 2004-09-04
From: Campsite before the Powerline

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It drizzled a little early in the morning. I thought it might be a rainy day, but it turned out to be beautiful. We climbed up Moxie Bald and the view was great. We could see the Bigalow Peaks in the distance. It was hard to believe we had hiked that far since the night we spent camped between them during the thunderstorm. On the other side, we could see Katahdin far in the distance, but it won¢t be that long until we reach it. We only have 136.5 miles to go. It is hard to believe this venture will be over in two weeks or less. We got to the shelter about 3:00 and decided to stop early. There is a river we need to ford coming up and it might go down more as long as we don¢t have more rain. It is also Labor Day Weekend, so we can¢t pick up our mail drop in Monson until Tues. We may as well enjoy this lovely lake. We set up our tent by the lake. Another hiker, Flip Flop was snoozing in the shelter. He had also decided to call it quits early. Later we were joined by Pipe Smoker and King Alabar. There were loons on the lake, a family. It was fun watching them dive deep in the water then pop up. Later we heard their calls and went to sleep listening to them.Flip Flop built a nice fire with the wood that had been stacked by the lean-to. I dried my boot which had gotten totally soaked when I steeped into a stream over my boot tops. It was cool evening and the fire felt great. The company was good too. I know I will miss this when I go home. During the night, we heard splashing in the lake. It was a moose feeding on the water grosses right by camp. We both got to see her dark form in the moonlight and watched her for a while. I was so close to her, I could hear her munching the gross.
Date: 2004-09-05
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Campsite before Hebron Lake
Miles today: 12.5

Another beautiful and fun day! The lons were sounding off as we packed up after breakfast. We could see them swimming over by the island. The trail was easy and we made good time getting to the first ford, and old dam. It was about knee deep. Relentless used his hiking sandals to take each of our packs across. When he took my pack over we put our bear bag rope on the pack so I could pull the sandals back across the stream and use them to get across. They were a bit big, but it worked! The next ford across the West Branch of Piscataquis River was harder and wider. Again, Relentless carried each of our packs across. This time the rope wasn¢t long enough so I put my socks over my cheap pain of Dollar store sandals so they would stay on while I crossed the river. It worked! I was happy that I didn¢t have to get my boots wet today. After fording the east branch of the Piscataquis, we started looking for a campsite. We were climbing up from Shirley ¢Blanchard Rd., tired and thirsty but saving our water to cook, when we spotted a blue cooler. Trail magic! It was full of soda and fruit from strider ¢03. What a treat! Thanks, Strider! We hiked a bit further and it was beginning to get dark. Finally we found a place to camp in a pine forest by a logging road. We set up our tent and I cooked supper. By the time we ate it was dark. It is getting dark much earlier now. I saw quite a few red male leaves on the trail today. Fall is here.
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Campsite before Hebron Lake

To: Monson, Me
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: few clouds

The squirrels were chattering at us when we awoke. I guess they weren¢t happy to have our tent in their pine forest. It was great to wake up here and watch them scurry around. I was surprised to see them carry big mushrooms and pine cones in their mouths. While we were walking into Monson we heard loons and looked up to see them flying across the lake. The walk into Monson was easy, and we soon came to Shaw¢s Boarding House. It is one of the oldest establishments on the AT having been in business for 29 years. This place has a lot of character, an old fashioned boarding house. There are quite a few hikers here right now because all of us are waiting for mail drops before going into the hundred mile wilderness. The labor day weekend caused a backup of hikers.We had a good lunch at the Spring Creek BBQ another place with North Woods character and great sandwiches. Tonight we ate a really good dinner with other hikers at Shaw¢s. It was a great home cooked ham dinner. Tomorrow we will pick up our mail drop after a big breakfast here then head off for the 100 mile wilderness. Rain is predicted for Wed, Thurs, and Fri of this week. Not good for fording a stream.
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Monson, Me

To: North Pond Outlet
Miles today: 7.1

After a super breakfast cooked by Keith Shaws Sr. and Jr., I went to pick up the drop at the post office. Two of my three drops were there. The one that didn't make it was the backpacker meals from Campmoor. Gary and I went to the general store and purchased the supplies we needed. Our packs are really heavy because we are going into the hundred mile wilderness. Mr. Shaw dropped us and Myst off at the end of the blue blaze on Pleasant St. Then we hiked the 3 miles to ME 15. There we stopped for a break and a snack. The trail today was not hard but a lot of little ups and downs. We stopped fairly early and put up the tent in a pine forest close to North Pond Outlet. It's a nice spot with soft pine needles to act as a cushion for our tent. We tried to eat up some of our food to lighten the load.110.7 miles to the end of our hike.
Date: 2004-09-08
From: North Pond Outlet

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

It drizzled a little as we were eating our breakfast. The air was muggy, a sure sign that rain was on its way. We just wanted to ford Big Wilson and Long Pond Stream before the three days of rain they predicted began in earnest. It wasn't an easy day, slippery mud and some rock climbing over bolders, but nothing too tough. When we got to Big Wilson, it came up to the bottom of our shorts as we waded across. Our footing was good, and we made it without gettting our packs wet. The second ford was not as wide but about as deep. We were glad to have them both done. We thought about camping by the river but decided that it would be good to go on to the shelter because if it rained, we would have a place to cook and eat. It was sprinkling a little as we came down the blue blaze to the shelter, so we put the tent up right away, just in time it turned out. We cooked and ate while the rain started up.    Now it is coming down pretty heavy. We are really glad that we managed to ford the two rivers today. The tent is comfy, warm and dry. I'm not looking forward to packing it up wet in the morning or hiking up Barren Mountain on the wet rocks.99.4 miles to go.
Date: 2004-09-09
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: moderate rain

It rained all night and all morning too. The tent was saturated but still kept us dry. The ground around it was a sea of mud. We ate a late breakfast in the shelter then set about packing up. The tent got even wetter as we packed it up and muddy too. We decided that since it was now 11 AM and still raining, we would make it a short day. It was a steep though not too difficult climb to the top of Barren Mt.. The trail was wet, muddy, windy and cold. In some cases we were walking in puddles of water. We got to the turn off for the shelter and trudged the .4 mile through more mud, water and fog.    No one else is here tonight, so we put the tent up in the shelter for warmth, to keep mice and mosquitoes out, and to dry out the tent. We ate a good supper that warmed us up. Gary saw a big rabbit outside the shelter and is hoping he comes back so that he can get a picture. I'm in my sleeping bag listening to the rain drumming on the roof of the shelter. We aren't making much progress. Hope the rain stops soon.95 miles to go.
Date: 2004-09-10
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up to fog, started eating breakfast then came the downpour! We decided at that point to stay here another day. This may or may not be the prudent thing to do. One the one hand, the temperature is dropping, our tent is still a bit damp, we have a river to ford in ten miles. If the next shelter is full and we have to tent, it will probably be in the mud and the tent will get all wet again. Few people come to this shelter because it is .4 off the trail and between two other shelters. We can leave the tent up in the shelter another night if we stay here, and it will be warmer and dry.   This will also give the river a chance to go down and the rain might stop. On the other hand, it is 50 miles to our next supply point, and we will be almost out of food before we get there. We opted for warm and dry over food. A dunk in the river would be a disaster at this point. The tent poles popped twice last night and are now 2 inches shorter on each side. A rainy night with wind might leave us wet too.   About 1 PM, we actually saw a glimpse of blue sky and sunshine, but it didn't last. We spent most of the afternoon in the tent with our two fleeces and hats on and in our sleeping bags. The tent has finally dried out. We are taking it easy on the food supply, hard to do when one is hungry and bored.   The wind has really picked up this evening and the fog covering the lake is really thick. It cccasionally drifts by the lean-to as puffs of clouds. It is 5 PM and no one else has come by today. I'm going to make hot noodles and coffee for supper then go back to bed to stay warm. Maybe I will play my flute or read a bit. Hope tomorrow is warmer and dryer.
Date: 2004-09-11
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: West Branch Pleasant River
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

I went to get water for breakfast, and the sun was coming up over the pond. What a joy to see the sun again! The pond was pretty with the trees reflected in its glassy surface. I almost hate to leave Cloud Pond, our refuge from the storm, our home away from home. It didn't take long to warm up while hiking. It was a pretty hike through moss covered pine forest, and the views from the peaks were great, lakes and ponds everywhere. It wasn't an easy day with four peaks to climb and two talus slopes to go down. The trail was still pretty muddy too.   When we stopped for lunch, we got a pleasant surprise. Serendipity (Post Card) and his friend, Allegany came hiking by and stopped to visit a bit. We had hiked with Serendipity last year before he had to leave the trail at NOC. He came back this year to start again from Springer and complete a thru-hike. He changed his trail name to Post Card. It was really good to see him.      Someone left trail magic by the logging road, carrots in a plastic bag. They were quite welcome considering our dwindling food supply. We are trying our best to conserve food. From entries in the registry, we aren't the only ones on short supply due to rain. We camped by the river and can hear it while we go to sleep tonight. Tomorrow we have to ford it.84.1 miles to go.
Date: 2004-09-12
From: West Branch Pleasant River

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

We didn't take time for breakfast. As soon as we got going, we came to the river ford. The cold water gave us a real wake up to start the day. It was a beautiful day and the first few miles were easy and very pretty. The trail goes through pine forest with lots of little red squirrels that chatter at us as we hike by. There are moss covered trees and rocks everywhere. Then the trail went up over four peaks. They weren't terrible rock scrambles, but lots of ups and downs. The last peak, White Cap gave us an incredible view. We got there right as the sun was going setting with its pink and yellow glow on the ponds and mountains. I took some pictures, sure hope they turn out. As we hiked north over the barren top of the mountain, we could see Katahdin in the distance. The 71 miles we need to travel to reach our destination were stretched out between us and its lofty top. It is a pretty impressive sight.   We got to the lean-to just as it got dark. Three are two other North Bounders here, Bear and Radio Flyer. A mouse was running around the floor under the shelter. That convinced me that tenting was a good idea even with the late hour and poor tent sites. We are both tired and hungry. We had breakfast on the trail but skipped supper and just had a candy bar.
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a chilly start to the day which made it hard to get out of the sleeping bag. Radio Flyer and Bear were still in their bags when I went up to the shelter to start some hot water on our stove for breakfast. Once we got going, it soon warmed up and turned out to be a beautiful fall day, crisp and bright with golden sunshine. The leaves are really changing color now. I noticed that when I was taking a picture of a mountain and saw it splashed with red, gold, and orange among the green fir trees. We had a bit of a climb to the top of Little Boardman MT. then ate our lunch up there while enjoying the view.   On the way down, we met, Andrew Skurka. He is hiking from Cape Gaspe, Quebec, to become the first person to ever complete the 7,700-mile Sea-to-Sea Route (C2C), a transcontinental network of existing long-distance hiking trails between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You can find out more about his hike on golite.com.He should be coming through OH on the Buckeye trail in Nov. or Dec. We hope we can see him when he comes through and give him some trail magic. I can't imagine hiking that far.   We got to the shelter fairly early and chatted a bit with Chafe who was taking a break and Jalan Jalan who was staying in the shelter for the night. We ate our supper in the shelter, but put our tent on the hill for warmth. It got cold early, so we made it to bed about 7:30 PM. It was already dark outside.
Date: 2004-09-14
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 14.2

Once again, a chilly morning. '81 passed us while we were packing up. He has been doing sections of the trail for 24 years and this is the year he will finish at Katahdin. We got a late start and weren't sure we could make it to White House Landing this evening. It would be 14 AT miles then another 1.2 to the boat dock where we would sound the fog horn and someone would come to pick us up in a boat. Fortunately, the trail was super flat, and our trail legs were the strongest they have ever been. The trail went through pine forest and past mirror like ponds. It was a great hiking day. We got a good view of Katahdin right before we left the AT to go to the landing. It is a pretty impressive mountain to be sure.We got to the landing about 5:15. AH! Real food!! One lb. hamburgers, salad and beer. This is a very interesting place. There is no electricity and access by car (only until winter) is on a logging road. They use snowmobiles in the winter. I'm writing this by kerosene light. There is no washer or dryer, but there is a wash tub and hand wringer. We really could use some clean socks and hiking shirts because it has been seven days now since they were washed. We did get a nice hot shower tonight before putting on our sleeping clothes. It is a shame to put that smelly shirt over my nice clean body tomorrow morning. Katahdin awaits, only 45.5 miles to go.