morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-02
From: Pinkham Notch 

To: Carter Notch Hut 
Miles today: 5.9

Had a great stay at Rattle River and slept really well. Caught a later morning shuttle back to Pinkham to start my hike across the Wildcat and down to Carter Notch Hut.As expected the trail was steep and difficult, but also had some fantastic views. I took my time, enjoying the views knowing that I had plenty of time to get to the Hut and relax at the end of the day. One of the most enjoyable days I¢ve had in the Whites! I¢m looking forward to tomorrow¢s hike which should be similar except I will be heading to a shelter area and hope to set up my hammock.
Date: 2019-07-03
From: Carter Notch Hut 

To: Imp Shelter 
Miles today: 7.4

Nice stay at Carter Notch Hut.  While I was there I met two SOBO hikers, caveman and Bean Pot, and Dusty, a Nobo.  They were doing a work for stay.Another nice day taking my time hiking the ridge line.  There was a fantastic view of the Presidential range when I got to mount Hight.  Got to camp around 3, set up my hammock and relaxed the rest of the afternoon.
Date: 2019-07-04
From: Imp Shelter 

To: Rattle River Hostel 
Miles today: 8.4

Slept great in my hammock last night and was on the trail around 7.  Beautiful sunny morning with fantastic views of the Presidential Range on my way up Mt Moriah.  Prior to getting to route 2 the trail crossed and the followed the Rattle River which is crystal clear and beautiful as it tumbled down the rocks.  Stopped for lunch at the Rattle River Shelter and was visited by a flock of butterflies, some of which decided to land on me as the were going about their business.  The shelter offered a respite from the mosquitoes and black flies that were out in force!Made it to Rattle River Hostel a little after one and got cleaned up and laundry done.  The hostel was not running shuttles to town as the road was closed for the forth of July parade and activities.  Fortunately for me, Slo-Go¢en, who I hiked with in Pennsylvania, came to pick me up and we had dinner in Gorham.    He lives close by and does trail maintenance for the Randolph Mt Club.  It was nice seeing him again and BS-ing about our adventures!
Date: 2019-07-06
From: Rattle River Hostel 

To: Gentian Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 11.8

Left Rattle River Hostel this morning after taking a nice zero yesterday. The morning was warm and humid. Thunderstorms rolled in around one and I got a good drenching before making it to the shelter just before three.The shelter soon filled up and their were 11 of us in for the night with a couple of people tenting. Three of the people staying at the shelter were caught in a thunderstorm while crossing the Franconia ridge and survived a near lightning strike. The strike was close enough to vaporize the water around them and left them tingling.An AMC plant researcher was at the shelter and I asked her about the white lady slippers I had photographed. She said they were a subspecies of the typical pink ones.
Date: 2019-07-07
From: Gentian Pond Shelter 

To: Full Goose Shelter 
Miles today: 9.7

A nice cool, sunny day with a breeze that kept the black flys away! Meeting more and more South boulders. I was crossing an open slab of rock between the Goose Eye peaks when I ran into Jan who is from the Netherlands. I asked how he trained for the trail and he said he and his father had just completed a bicycle trip to Spain, and that he did a lot of running. We could see someone cresting and coming down Goose Eye North as the trail is essentially a steep, open slab of rock.When I got to Full Goose Shelter I was the only one there. I found a nice place to hang my hammock about 30¢ from a large tenting platform. I had gotten water and was thinking about making dinner when Over-it, a SOBO came in. He also set a hammock over one of the tent platforms.  Over-it had passed a group of kids on the trail and we could hear them for about 45 minutes before they arrived. They were from a nearby summer camp and looked to be 12-13 year olds. They set up a couple of tents on the large platform near my hammock where the boys in the group stayed. The two councilors and the girls used a platform behind the shelter. They were a little quieter around camp but still loud when the only other noise is the wind in the trees. At about 9:15 when everyone in camp but them was trying to sleep, I turned into a grumpy old man and told them in no uncertain terms that it was quite time! The voices immediately stopped, but the clunking of feet and clinking of dishes continued till around 9:45.  Crossed into Maine today.
Date: 2019-07-08
From: Full Goose Shelter 

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 12.1

Despite the late evening I slept fairly well and was on trail before 7. I had planned a short mileage day as the next section of trail goes through the Mahoosuc Notch followed by an ascent of the Mahoosuc Arm. The Notch is claimed to be one of the most fun or hardest part of the trail depending on your view of rock climbing and boulder hopping. The Arm ascends 1500¢ in a mile, essentially a 30% grade. I got to the Notch around 9 and found myself laughing out loud at the pile of boulders ahead of me! I promptly collapsed my trekking poles and attach them to my pack as it was obvious that this was going to require my hands. It took me about an hour and a half to make it through the Notch, and I had to remove my pack three times to squeeze through some boulder caves. There was still some ice and snow in the Notch.  I made fairly good time going up the Arm but definitely working up a sweat!  Made it to Speck Pond Shelter around 1 and had lunch. Originally planned to stay here but it was too early in the day so I moved on. Made it to Baldpate Lean-to just before 7. Ewock, who I met at Full Goose was at the shelter and we were both exhausted after a long day on a hard trail.
Date: 2019-07-09
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: East B Hill road 
Miles today: 8.1

Got a late start today, around 8 before I was heading out. Felt good to hang in the hammock a little longer this morning. I set up without a tarp last night as no rain expected and I was under tree cover so didn¢t expect any dew.The first climb of the day was Baldpate mountain, and as the name implies, it¢s a little thin on vegetation! Glad it was not raining as the ascent included a long section of steep rock slab.While walking a very nice section of trail with grass overhanging the sides a rabbit came running around a turn in the trail and did an abrupt 180 when it saw me. Seemed strange that it was running down the trail before it got to me. About another 200¢ up the trail I saw why the bunny was running - a fisher had caught it! Didn¢t have time to grab my phone to take a picture before it was gone.Saw moose prints in the mud on the trail in several spots.Just after noon I heard a strange squawking sound just off the trail and caught movement to my right. I think it was a spruce grouse but it was really hard to make out in the pictures I took. Decided to stop there for lunch and the bird came back and I was able to get some nice video.
Date: 2019-07-11
From: South Arm Road 

To: Stealth camp 
Miles today: 12.4

Left the Human Nature Hostel this morning after a nice breakfast of pancakes with Maine blueberries and maple syrup!My plan called for a relatively short day but the forecast was calling for rain this afternoon and most of Friday. I was a little concerned about going down from Bemis Mtn Second Peak as the decent is steep and Yukon (owner of Human Nature) told me there were some rock slabs on the decent. I didn¢t want to do the decent on wet rocks so I tried to move as fast as I could to the Bemis Mtn Lean-to, had a quick lunch and moved on as the rain seemed to be holding off.I finished the decent just after 4 and was surprised to find Snowball and Teddy doing trail magic on the Bemis Mtn Road!! Had a soda and a hot dog with home made relish. So good! Thanks so much Snowball and Teddy!!!Must have met at least 20 SOBO hikers today. I started keeping the conversations short as I wanted to beat the rain. Lucky day for me as the rain didn¢t start till around 7. By that point I had found a spot to spend the night and had my tarp set up and hammock slung.
Date: 2019-07-12
From: Stealth camp 

To: Hiker Hut Hostel 
Miles today: 14.0

Rained pretty heavy last night but was just overcast and foggy when I left camp. Decided I would try to get to Rangeley today so that I could get to the post office Saturday morning before they closed. It has been relatively warm and I wanted to ship my cold weather gear back home.  At around 10 I stopped at the Sabbath Pond Lean-to for a break. While I was there I heard loons on the pond - really loud and like nothing I have ever heard.  I stopped at the Little Swift River Pond for lunch. This is a camping area and has canoes if you want to take a paddle!When I got to the Hiker Hut Hostel the only space available was a Cabin so I took it for the night. Turns out that the hostel had postal boxes and could take care of mailing my stuff home so I did not have to go to the post office. I did catch a shuttle into town and bought a fleece sleeping bag liner to replace my quilt. Also bought some water shoes that I could use to ford streams and as camp shoes.
Date: 2019-07-13
From: Hiker Hut Hostel 

To: Sluice Brook Logging Road 
Miles today: 13.5

Left the Hikers Hut Hostel this morning and hit the trail heading for Saddleback mountain. Clear, beautiful day with a nice breeze on the exposed 2.5 mile ridge connecting the Saddlebacks. The views were incredible, with enormous valleys to the east and west!When I reached the Poplar Ridge Lean-to Big Bear and Seed were there taking a break. They were moving on to Sluice Brook Logging Road and encouraged me to do the same. I took a break and decided to continue. It was a good choice! Great camping area and a nice pool to soak in. The water was cold but it was nice to get the days dirt and sweat washed off.I think I first met Big Bear at the Rattle River Hostel. I met Seed the day I was slack packing from the Human Nature Hostel. We were hiking in opposite directions, but both stayed at the hostel that night.
Date: 2019-07-14
From: Sluice Brook Logging Road 

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite 
Miles today: 11.5

Had some unexpected rain last night. Started around 11 and continued throughout the night. Stayed in my hammock later than usual as I didn¢t feel like putting on my wet clothes and packing up a wet tarp.  I finally got on trail around 8 and the sun was starting to break through the clouds. The first three miles of trail today reminded me why I like to walk! It was a nice path through the Maine woods. The trail was relatively nice all day with the exception of the last couple of miles which were steep with many difficult sections. The Crocker Cirque Campsite was nice with an icy cold stream for water. We were fortunate to have made it to camp early enough to set up before the rain started again. Corkey, who I first met at Rattle River and saw at the start of the Saddlebacks, also pulled in and was set up before the soaking.
Date: 2019-07-15
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite 

To: Hostel of Maine 
Miles today: 7.5

Turns out we didn¢t get much rain last night so everything was dry in the morning. It did get pretty cold overnight and I wore all my clothes to stay warm with just the sleeping bag liner.Everyone was up early as we had plans to either get to town (Stratton) or catch the 1:00 shuttle to The Hostel of Maine. I was walking at 6:30 and had summited both Crocker mountain peaks just after 9. There were great views of the Bigelow¢s which had clouds rolling over them.  Made it to the road around 11:30 and was able to get a ride to the hostel from a hiker in the parking lot so I didn¢t have to wait for the shuttle. Gandolf was just pulling into the parking lot when I got there. He was hiking with Corkey but hurt his knee and is off trail. He is now supporting Corkey with resupply and shuttles. Seed and Big Bear caught a ride with him into Stratton to get lunch and resupply. I said goodbye to Big Bear as she was going back to the trail after visiting Stratton. Seed planned to stay at The Hostel of Maine that night and decided to zero the next day to let her knees recover.I was lucky the weather looked good for crossing the Bigelow¢s tomorrow.
Date: 2019-07-16
From: Hostel of Maine 

To: Stafford Notch Campsite 
Miles today: 10.6

Got to the trail at 7:50 and started my hike over the Bigelow¢s.  The weather was good and the views were fantastic!  The day was tiring but the rock scrambles were short and relatively easy.Made it to the Stafford Notch Campsite around 4:30 and found a place to set up.  Glacier, who is SOBO, was there when I arrived.  Small world, he knew about Norwich Connecticut as he did some teaching at the Coast Guard Academy. Hardy, Matador, Jem and Leo also made their way to this camp.At about 8 the place was pretty full and Stretchman, a Nobo hiking from GA came in and asked to share the tentsite and set up next to me as there were no other suitable places left.
Date: 2019-07-17
From: Safford Notch Campsite 

To: West Carry Pond
Miles today: 12.8

Slept in till 6:30 this morning. It was cloudy and just not motivating! When I climbed the Little Bigelow Ledges I could see clouds blowing over Avery peak and was glad I did the high parts of the ridge yesterday. The humidity was high and rain started while I was crossing the Little Bigelow Ridge.I stopped in to the Little Bigelow Lean-to to have get out of the rain and have some lunch. The shelter was full of hikers doing the same! Jem and Leo were there. Just before noon the rain seemed to be over and I continued on.  When I got to the West Carry Pond Lean-to I was the only one there and I quickly found a good spot to hang the hammock. After setting up and getting water I went for a refreshing swim and rinsed out my clothes (in a vain attempt to wash out some of the days sweat and dirt).  I am writing the entry from a small dock on the edge of the pond. As I am looking across the pond to distant mountains all I hear is the splashing of small waves against the shore, and twice, the lone cry of a loon. Maine is beautiful!
Date: 2019-07-18
From: West Carry Pond

To: Pierce Pond
Miles today: 10.0

It cooled off quite a bit overnight and I woke up at 3 and needed to add some clothes to get warm.  Took my time getting out this morning as I was only going 10 miles with no major climbs or decent. I was happy to find that my clothes had dried overnight, with the exception of my socks.As expected the trail was nice today! Found some wild raspberries, walked by another beautiful lake, and hiked on a section of trail that Benedict Arnold and his army used when crossing from the Kennebec River to the Dead River on his way to Quebec.When I got to the Pierce Pond Lean-to I had lunch and found a spot to set up. I then made my way to Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Camp, an old hunting and fishing lodge that you can get breakfast at if you make reservations. When I got there I was greeted by Tim and his pup Charlie. Tim invited me in and asked for my trail name. When I told him he asked me where Seed was. I told him she had taken a zero and was somewhere behind me. I asked how he knew us and he told me that Big Bear had been in that morning for breakfast and that Gandolf and Flicker had also stopped by. He asked if I wanted breakfast tomorrow (hell ya!) then told me that my breakfast was paid for, as Gandolf had paid for my breakfast as well as Seeds if she wanted! Thanks Gandolf!!I talked with Tim for a while and he told me about the lodge which was built in the 1930¢s and is the only one still in operation. It is a beautiful log cabin, and Tim lives there year round. For him the people staying at the lodge are family, and he enjoys talking with the hikers passing through.  When I returned to the Lean-to area I was surprised by the number of people there. After setting up I went for a swim which was fantastic! Shortly after, Seed came into camp! She had made it over the Bigelow¢s even though the weather was not optimal. The lean-to area was very crowded by then and she had a hard time finding a spot for her tent. I told her about Tim, and she went to see him after having some dinner.  I was hoping to get in contact with the Caratunk House Hostel to make reservations fo Matt and I for tomorrow night, but have not had service since leaving Safford Notch.
Date: 2019-07-19
From: Pierce Pond

To: Caratunk House Hostel 
Miles today: 3.5

What a fantastic day it¢s been! Packed up early this morning and made my way to Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Camp for a great trail magic breakfast of pancakes, eggs and sausage. I left some trail magic of my own to surprise some hikers at Tim¢s discretion.I left Harrison¢s before 8 and was at the ferry crossing of the Kennebec River a little after 9. I was in the fifth group, two at a time, to be taken across. After crossing I made my way to the Caratunk House hostel and was able to get the last two spaces available for myself and Matt, who is coming up to finish the last 150 miles of Maine.I took a shuttle to a restaurant and Matt joined me there for a brew before we returned to the hostel and completed our plans to start our hike to Monson, then through the 100 mile wilderness and ending at Katahdin. Really great to see Matt and looking forward to having his company on the trail!!!
Date: 2019-07-20
From: Caratunk House Hostel 

To: Bald Mountain Brook 
Miles today: 14.7

Matt and I left the Caratunk House Hostel just before 8 and hit the trail. It was a very warm, sunny, and humid day. We did get some good views as the trail went over Pleasant Pond Mtn. Our original destination was the Moxie Pond Road but we arrived there around 3 and decided to move on to the Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to. A pretty long day for Matt¢s first day out backpacking!After we set we both took a dip in the nearby stream to cool off and scrub off some mud. We made dinner at the shelter and spent some time talking with the other hikers who had come in for the night. Burgers and Beer were there and were planning to get an early start and do the 21 miles into Monson tomorrow.
Date: 2019-07-21
From: Bald Mountain Brook 

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 12.6

Matt and I were up early and on hiking at 7. We were told last night by Scavenger, a SOBO hiker that it was going to rain today, possibly starting around 8. We were lucky the rain held off until after we summited Moxie Bald Mountain, where we could see the dark clouds coming in the distance. The rain held off till around 11 when a thunderstorm came blowing over with a heavy, drenching rain. This slowed our progress as the trail turned into a river and the roots and rock became even more slippery and treacherous. Fortunately the rain over around noon time.We lost the trail while crossing a road. It appeared that there was a trail marker on a bridge abutment but this turned out to be a white rectangular reflector. Fortunately, soon after crossing the bridge we met another hiker who had also made the same mistake and was coming back after hiking a half mile down the road without seeing any sign of the trail. Consulting Guthook, the trail just crossed the road, and going back we were able to find it.We did our first river ford today, but we didn¢t bother changing into our water shoes as our shoes were already soaked from the rain. Matt lead the way and found that the part of the river that looked deep from the shore was was still less than knee deep.We got to camp early at around 2:30, but decided to stay the night rather than taking a chance on finding suitable sites further down the trail. It was a good choice as the sun was out and the lean-to is next to the West Branch Piscataquis River. We went down for a swim and spent some time sitting on the rocks basking in the sun.Unfortunately the sun didn¢t stay out for long and the rain started again around 7. Our wet clothes and shoes will not be drying tonight!
Date: 2019-07-22
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Shaws Hostel, Monson Maine 
Miles today: 9.0

Matt and I were up early this morning and started hiking at 6:30. We were going to Maine route 15 to catch a shuttle to Shaw¢s hostel in Monson. The trail was relatively easy and were were at the road before 11.Once at Shaw¢s, we showered then went to get some lunch at the nearby deli and make our plans for crossing the 100 mile wilderness. With a plan in hand we went to Shaw¢s resupply store and purchased an initial 4 days worth of food, and arranged for an additional 3 days food to be dropped off at Jo-Mary road, about 60 miles in. We did our laundry, and went to a nearby convenience store to buy dinner (pizza, grinder, wings, wine).Matt and I shared a room with two beds which was nice.
Date: 2019-07-23
From: Shaws Hostel, Monson Maine 

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1

After a great breakfast at Shaw¢s we were shuttled back to the trail and off into the 100 mile wilderness!! The day started cloudy with very light rain but was nice and sunny by noon time.We stopped at the Big Wilson Cliffs for lunch and found some ripe wild blueberries, a nice little treat!! Our goal for the day was the Long Pond Lean-to, however we had heard the the water source was dry, and that the tenting sites were not all that good. We passed by some nice tenting areas along the Long Pond Stream but passed them by expecting to find other sites closer to the Lean-to area. We came to the Lean-to without finding another site by the river. We decided to stay at the Lean-to area for the night rather than backtracking a half mile to the sites we had seen on the way.After setting up we took the trail back to the river to get water and clean up. Ended up in a great swimming hole!! By the time we got back it was around 7:30 so we made dinner and called it a day. The Chair Backs tomorrow!
Date: 2019-07-24
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: West Branch Pleasant River 
Miles today: 15.3

Perfect hiking day, cool, dry and sunny! Today Matt and I went over the Chair Backs, a series of peaks along a common ridge. The views were fantastic, and the air seemed much clearer than it has been in terms of haze. We found some wild blueberries when we stopped for lunch - delicious! I have been seeing a lot of blueberries but these were the first ripe ones I found.We pushed on beyond our original plans so that we could summit White Cap tomorrow and hopefully get our first glimpse of Katahdin. As we were hiking down Matt went ahead to secure a campsite. Even after more than a 1000 miles of hiking I still can¢t keep up to him! He came to the parking lot on the Katahdin Ironworks Road and ran into two hikers that I had met (maybe in Pennsylvania), Blawsome and Tick Slayer who told him about a good camp spot on the Pleasant River. They were with a group of hikers partaking in some trail magic. Sadly I did not arrive in time to meet anyone or partake in the magic! We camped along the Pleasant River and were able to get a dip in before making dinner. The sound of the water is a pleasant background music to fall asleep too.
Date: 2019-07-25
From: West Branch Pleasant River 

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 12.7

Another beautiful day for hiking! A cool morning and it was a little unpleasant putting on our clothes which did not dry out overnight.The day started out with fording the Pleasant River then the long 11mile ascent of Whitecap mountain. Their were not many views along the way, but that was made up for by our first view of Katahdin when we reached the top of Whitecap. While on Whitecap we were able to contact Shaw¢s and advance our food drop to tomorrow afternoon as we have been moving faster than expected.