morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-28
From: Lakeshore House Lodging and Pub (In a bed!)

To: Lakeshore House Hostel (bed)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

(In which I take my first zero day)-Currently lying in a bed in thehostel-The goal today was to eat, sleep, and take Ibuprofen. I was verysuccessful. I put down all I could at an AYCE breakfast (All You CanEat), an entire large pizza and the biggest cheese steak I've everseen. The 4 hour nap felt great and I iced the leg when I wasn'tsleeping or eating. Extremely relaxing. I am sporting a fancy new kneebrace that I picked up from the drug store - fashionable andfunctional. I need to square away a few resupply items in the morningbut that's the only thing on my mind right now.Today's post wasbrought to you by a large double-mushroom pizza, because eating one this afternoon was as good as I dreamed about in the 100 MileWilderness.
Date: 2012-08-29
From: Lakeshore House Hostel (bed)

To: Horseshore Canyon Leanto
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

(In which I make a few short miles south of Monson and the leg feelsgood)-Currently sitting in the shelter as the sun goes down-I pickedup a few more supplies this morning but really spent most of themorning eating breakfast burritos in between trips to the post office.Bull Moose and I got a ride to the trailhead from Rebeka (the hostelowner) at about 10:15 am and I was on the trail by 10:30.I walkedslow to ease my leg into it and while I was plodding along I resolvedto take at least a 5 minute break every hour on the hour. I've learnedthat a short break every hour seems to help the leg and it also seemsto reveal what parts of your body are getting sore. When you hike formany hours straight you get into a trance and parts of you that shouldbe saying "owch owch owch" fade into the background.I had thought thefirst shelter south of Monson was only 6 miles away. With my slow pace Iwasn't surprised to arrive at the leanto at 4:30. When I double-checkedthe guide though, I found out it was a 9 mile hike. Not bad! The legfelt strong and I'm hoping to slowly build mileage over the next fewdays. The goal is 13 miles tomorrow.Most memorable part of theday: I met a northbound thru hiker in his 50s at a stream crossingjust south of Monson. He had a knee brace, wraps on his ankles andsomething like a bandage tied around his head. He was particularlyexcited by the prospect of Mountain Dew which was in a cooler on theother bank (trail magic). He grabbed two Mountain Dews with one hand,lit a cigarette with the other and proceeded to lie back into thestream in a section about 4 inches deep. With all bodyparts submerged except for his nose, mouth and his left and righthand, he took a long drag from the cigarette and said in a loud voice: "You know, Inever smoked before the trail... good luck."Today was brought to youby mileage moderation, because I'm giving it a try.
Date: 2012-08-30
From: Horseshore Canyon Leanto

To: 3 miles past Bald Mountain Brook Leanto 
Miles today: 15.8

(In which I summit Moxie Bald and push a few extra miles to make it past the Kennebec tomorrow afternoon)-Currently lying in my tent in the dark at a random stealth spot-The hike today was relatively easy with one little mountain in the way - Moxie Bald. I went slow today since I knew 13miles was the goal and I had plenty of time. The only rough spot was the ascent of Moxie - I'm fascinated by the complete lack of switchbacks in this state. It's brute force uphill without exception. With this leg I'd kill for just one switchback.On the way off Moxie I took extra time, noting that I'd make it to the shelter early in the afternoon. I checked the data book while I was taking a break and realized that I could get past the Kennebec River tomorrow if I made a few more miles than I was planning. The Kennebec River is one of the biggest river crossings in Maine and the water level in the river changes rapidly due to an upstream dam that regulates the flow rate of water as necessary. Instead of fording, the official AT route is a ferry via canoe. The ferryman has specific hours and this time of year it runs from 9-11 am and 2-4 pm. It's a good idea to plan your mileage around this if you don't want to blow time waiting for the ferry service to start. By pulling 2 or 3 extra miles this afternoon that puts me within striking distance of the Kennebec by tomorrow at 3:30. The only trouble is that finding a place to camp is never a sure thing. As luck would have it, two other fellas are camped right aboutwhere I wanted to be and there was just enough space for me to add my tent.Tomorrow it's up early to get over Pleasant Pond Mountain and try to catch the Kennebec ferry.Today's post was brought to you by myright leg. Because I feel it deserves some recognition for pulling itsown weight today.
Date: 2012-08-31
From: 3 miles past Bald Mountain Brook Leanto 

To: Pierce Pond Leanto 
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I cross the Kennebec River and meet my firstfast-moving northbounder)-Currently lying in my tent behind theshelter-The plan last night was to get up relatively early and get tothe Kennebec Ferry before it closed at 4 pm. It was only 12 miles, butwith the gimpy leg and Pierce Pond Mountain in the way it wasn't agiven. The terrain over the 6 miles leading up the river was easy, but theleg was letting me know that it's not yet ready for prime time bysending up the occasional sharp pain. It's incredibly frustrating tohave smooth, flat terrain and not be able to move quickly. It's like Ihave a rev limiter and any time I get above 2 mph the leg lets meknow it. On the bright side, the leg feels better every day.After theKennebec I took my sweet time getting to the shelter. It's full up with an outing of college students so Iput my tent up behind it.While I'm writing this I'm chatting with anorthbounder across tents. His name is Lobster and it's almost eeriehow much he reminds me of my sister-in-law's brother. He's an ultra-distance runner who used to run for Boston College and he's absolutelyflying up the trail. He started in Georgia on May 19th, which isincredibly late, and he'll finish next week. Run the numbers on thatfor daily mileage... that's serious. It's really nice to meet someonemoving so quickly because I'd like to get this hike done in 4 monthsand everyone I've met thus far, when I tell them my 4 month plan, just shakes their head and sayssomething along the lines of "you can probably do it, if you don't wantto have any fun...". He seems to be enjoying himself just fine and the20-30 miles days seem to work just fine for him.Whelp, we just gotyelled at by the college outing to be quiet... thru-hikers gettingyelled at by the section hikers to quit making noise, that's gotta bea first...Today's post was brought to you by the Kennebec Ferryman,because a man who decides to shuttle an endless stream of hikersback-and-forth across a river for 4 hours a day deserves somerecognition. Thank you, Mr. Ferryman.
Date: 2012-09-01
From: Pierce Pond Leanto 

To: Little Bigelow Leanto 
Miles today: 17.7

(In which I pass the well known 2000 mile symbol and makegood mileage on an easy day)-Currently lying on my sleeping pad in theshelter in pure darkness-Today's terrain was the easiest I've had yet.Essentially flat except for two little bumps in the middle and a shortclimb to this leanto. I took my time, chatted with nobos, cooked asecond lunch and still made the 17 miles with my leg feeling strong.It's good that I made progress today becuase I have the Bigelostomorrow and it won't be easy. I'll be planning for a 10 mile daytomorrow with a chance for 13 if the leg behaves.Mid-way through theday I passed the 2000 mile marker (unofficial) written with stoneetching on Long Falls Dam Road. In reality it's more like 2015, butthe etching has become famous from being shown in a lot of moviesabout the AT. I should officially pass the 2000 to go marker eithertomorrow afternoon or Monday morning.Tonight I'm in a shelter withone other northbound section hiker and it's a beautiful night. Itfeels like it might get cool tonight, which is fantastic because I'mtired of sweating every night. Stratton on Monday so I can resupply fora short stint to Rangeley. Looking forward to town food...Today's postwas brought to you by the person who left brownies and wine in thelast shelter, because they made my day.
Date: 2012-09-02
From: Little Bigelow Leanto 

To: Horns Pond Leantos 
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: light rain

(In which I have my most challenging day yet over the Bigelows)-Currently sitting in one of the two leantos (I have both to myself) with the sun setting behind the shelter and illuminating South Horn-I knew today would be difficult, but to give you an idea of the disparity between what I was thinking and how it went: I thought I'd make these shelters by 3:30 this afternoon, I made it here a little after 6 pm. Ten hours of hiking for 10 miles.On the bright side, what limited me wasn't humph, it was my leg. I took it slow and it did a geat job until after Bigelo mountain when it really started to remind me that's it's ailing. Knowing that the distance from the shelters to Stratton is only 5 miles, I didn't feel the need to push any farther and so took my sweet time getting here. Tomorrow morning I'll make theshort walk into town to get a few days worth of supplies to get to Rangeley.In preparation for tomorrow's town visit, and in celebration (for having cleared a few reasonably large mountains), I cooked almost everything I had in my food bag. 1200 calories gone in a flash, and I'm extremely satisfied... but could eat more. I left a snickers and a tortilla for breakfast.I had an interesting life revelation today on the way down from Bigelo. I'm gonna keep it to myself for now, but I'm writing about it because I'm normally the first to roll my eyes when young people on the trail say they're out here to figure their life out. Hiking the trail is a lot like any other aspect of life - sunny days, rainy day, either way you keep truckin' - but for whatever reason, I had this great thought about the future and it already makes this little walk in the woods worthwhile (no mind altering drugsinvolved folks).Today's post was brought to you by the Bigelo mountains, because they hurt me.
Date: 2012-09-03
From: Horns Pond Leantos 

To: South Branch of the Carrabassett River 
Miles today: 13.5

(In which I resupply in Stratton)-Currently lying in my tent with the river about 50 ft away-The goal today was to get in and out of Stratton with enough food to get me to Rangeley and still make a few miles. It was wildly sucessful. I had 5 downhill miles to ME 27 which leaves you 5 miles down the road from town. I'm not too keen on hitching but there aren't many other options considering I don't have cell phone coverage. When I got to the road though, there was a northbound thru-hiker trying to get to town andthe both of us decided to team up to get a ride - everyone seems tothink it's easier to get a ride when there are two people involved. We ended up waiting all of about 30 seconds before a couple, leaving the trail head, stopped their car and offered us a ride to town. The man had thru-hiked in '99, so we chatted about his experiences and of course he wouldn't take any gas money.First things first when you get to town: eat. My nobo buddy and I went to the diner and both ordered the "Hollow Leg". Chocolate milk and coffee to top it off. There's something about sitting a diner, drinking coffee, that's priceless. After breakfast we resupplied (i.e., grocery shopping) which took all of 20 minutes. Five minutes after that I was in the White Wolf Inn and ordered a 1/4 lb burger with fries. It was gone in a flash. They saythe hiker hunger kicks in a few weeks into a long hike...I think it'sofficially begun.After all of that, we tried to hitch out of town, but5 minutes into our somewhat pathetic effort, we decided to go over to the owner of the Stratton Motel and Hostel and ask if she could shuttle us there for a few bucks - problem solved. With a full stomach I marched over the Crocker mountains like they weren't even there. I think a well fed Reese is a happy Reese. I also got the feeling that my trail legs are coming along. They say it takes a few weeks but I felt strong - even the right leg felt good today (only 9 Ibuprofin today - all time low since Day 2).Today's post was brought to you by diner coffee, becuase it's always, always good.
Date: 2012-09-04
From: South Branch of the Carrabassett River 

To: Poplar Ridge Leanto 
Miles today: 13.1

(In which football season starts and my weather luck runs thin)-Currently lying in my tent in front of the shelter with light rain falling-The terrain for today looked more benign than it felt. Did I say yesterday that my trail legs are coming along? Forget about that nonsense. This morning my leg was very sore, but sore in a way that I associate with tighness in a muscle. Sure enough, after about an hour of hiking the leg loosened up and felt as good as it did yesterday. We'll see what happens but I expect it to be plenty sore tomorrow morning too.At my lunch break I chatted with Muck Fishigan, a northbounder (and avid Ohio State fan) who let me know that my Hokies beat Georgia Tech this weekend. What great news! It hadn't even occurred to me that football season is here. I suppose it goes along with the multi-colored leaves I'm starting to see on the ground...Muck Fishigan told me the weather is going south tonight and tomorrow. It's supposed to start raining tonight and rain all day tomorrow. I hustled the best I could to the shelter to try to get a spot, but the savvy northbounders who could afford a short day filled it up quick. There are about 7-8 tents scattered about the vicinity around the full shelter, including mine. I'm not looking forward to packing up a wet tent tomorrow, or being wet all day tomorrow.On the bright side, I make it to Rangeley tomorrow afternoon and I can make some importantand long overdue phone calls as well as update this journal. Pay as you go AT&T runs on a different network than the contract service and I haven't had service since the start of the trip. It's been far too long since I've heard voices of friends and family.Today's post is brought to you by the rain. Hopefully only a very small amount of it...
Date: 2012-09-06
From: Town and Lake Motel, Rangeley, ME

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite 
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: scattered clouds

(In which I take my first nero and curse myself for buying too much food)-Currently sitting on a log in the dark at the campsite- This morning I spent most of my time at the library trying update the journal and contact everyone I need to contact while I can. I have AT&T's pay-as-you-go service, which runs on a completely different network than AT&T's contract-based network. That means I've had zero coverage since I lost it on the drive up to Katahdin. The contract AT&T network seems to work reasonably well - at least on top of certain mountains, but if you want service in Maine it looks like you need Verizon. Northbounders tell me I'll have to wait until the middle states before I get continuous coverage.Other tasks this morning were post office runs, laundry and food. I was planning to get food at the grocery store last, and to try to get a ride from there to the trail head. While reading a package of snack crackers and counting my fingers to figure calories per ounce numbers, Steve, the fella who gave me a ride into town, came over to me and asked if I needed a lift. That's some good luck! I suppose for all the things that go wrong on this trip there are just as many that go right. Not wanting to burden him, I started shopping much faster andbefore I knew it I had impulse bought wayyy too much. When you're buying 6 days worth of food at one time it requires much more thought and consideration than I like to admit.On the bright side, I planned to take a nero - or near zero day today. I was only planning to hike 4.8 miles, and they were easy, but it's very apparent that my pack weighs more than it ever has - more than when I strode in the 100 mile wilderness. Even with the easy trail I cursed myself for that package of Oreos and the pound of honey...My tent is still wet because I just didn't have space to air it out at the motel. I plan to wake up slow and get started late tomorrow morning so that I can let the tent airout and I can eat as much of the heavy food as possible before getting started. If the leg feels good in two days I might shoot for a 20 mile day on easy terrain. It would be a big boost to get into Gorham a day early and take a zero day without getting further behind.Today's post was brought to you by careful consideration of what and how much food to bring on the trail. Well, that's a lie, I wish it was brought to you by that...
Date: 2012-09-07
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite 

To: Bemis Mountain Leanto 
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

(In which I hear a moose while trying to sleep)-Currently lying in the shleter after dark- Last night, after writing my blog entry and trying to fall asleep I heard some splashing on the shore of the pond nearby (every body of water in Maine is called a pond even if it's a lake, as it was in this case). It was plenty loud enough to hear through the ear plugs so I pulled them out and liistened. Kerplunk, kerplunk, kurplunk... splash. Snort-huff.Kerplunk, kerplunk, kerplunk...splash. This went on for at least a half hour, and if I wasn't already warm and in bed I might have tried to see my first moose in Maine. Everyone is very excited to see moose in Maine, but I think I'm plenty happy to hear one.Other than that, the night and day was pleseantly uneventful. I ate a lot to drop pack weight and dried my tent at the shelter I stopped at for lunch. An easy day on the leg.Today's post was brought to you by moose in the night. I wish I had a good reason for that, but it's truly the only interesting story of the day.
Date: 2012-09-08
From: Bemis Mountain Leanto 

To: Hall Mountain Leanto 
Miles today: 12.8

(In which I wake up without leg pain/discomfort and I realize that I've completed over 10% of the trail)-Currently sitting in the shelter with 3 other hikers watching a rain storm-This morning when I got up there was absolutely no pain or discomfort in my right leg. What a great thing to feel - absolutely nothing! IT bands can be a finicky injury, here today, gone tomorrow, back the next, but today was a good thing. If the next two days go well I'll make Gorham a day early. In that case I'll plan to take a zero day and try to set up a 20 mile slack-pack section of the Whites.The AMC hut system begins tomorrow and many of the huts are closed this late in the season - meaning that without slack packing this section I'd be carrying a LOT of food through the Whites. This past few days of food overload has me uneasyabout that idea.As I was walking along today I realized that I officially passed the 10% complete mark a few days ago. Tomorrow is a full 3 weeks that I've been on the trail, so I need to pick up the pace, but 10% complete sounds good to me! The next 5% (the White Mountains) is the hardest stretch of the trail, but the other 85% I should be able to make up ground on. I'm excited for the Whites, excited to be done with them, and excited to see a few good friends in a few weeks.Today's post is brought to you by rain on the shelterroof, because rain sounds great when it's not hitting the roof of your tent.
Date: 2012-09-09
From: Hall Mountain Leanto 

To: Speck Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: few clouds

(In which I pull my first 20 mile day)-Currently lying in my tent in the dark, well after hiker midnight-It was so tempting to potentially get to Gorham a day early that I started today particularly early (hiking by 5:45 am) in the hopes of getting close to the Mahoosic Notch and close enough for a two day stretch into Gorham. It also seemed like a great piece of terrain to try the 20 mile day since there were campsites at 15 and 17 miles where I couldstop if the legs were feeling sub-par.It was difficult terrain, so in the end, my 20 mile day took 15 hours to complete. I don't plan on doing that often (or ever again for that matter), but it was a good test of the right leg and assuming it feels reasonably strong tomorrow morning, I think I'll be ready for that 20 mile slack in the Whites next week.Today's post was brought to you by 20 mile days in southern Maine, because it'll never happen again.
Date: 2012-09-10
From: Speck Pond Shelter 

To: 1 mile shy of Carlo Col Shelter 
Miles today: 8.5

(In which I have a 20-mile-day hangover, and make it through the Mahoosic Notch)-Lying in my tent in the dark with every piece of clothing on that I have-I got up this morning at 10 am. That's the equivalent of 2 pm in normal life. My plan was to wake up a little late since I got to bed so late, but I wasn't expecting it to be that late.Last night was also very cold so that at 4:30 am I woke briefly with cold feet and could feel the chill in the air. I put my socks on and was fine the rest of the night, but I'm guessing we were low 40s, maybe high 30s at one point. That shelter is at higher elevation, and right next to a windy pond, but it's evident things are cooling off. With my late wake up, I didn't get hiking until about 10:45. With the Mahoosic Notch in the way, my originally planned 14 mile day was out of the question. Instead, I was planning to make the 9.5 miles to Carlo Col Shelter. The Mahoosic Notch is notorious as the slowest mile on the trail. Some really enjoy it, others, like me, find it to be an enormous pain the a##. It's 1 mile of Volkswagen-sized boulders in a massive jumble. Hikers who have been pulling 20 mile days since Virginia have trouble doing 9 when they go through the notch. It's not really hiking - more like a series of class-four bouldering routes. On a dry day it would benefit you to wear climbing shoes. Today was not a dry day. The forecast was dry and sunny, it was wet, cloudy and cold. The Mahoosic Notch, combined with the damp day and some difficult climbs meant I only made 5 miles by 5 pm - well under a mile an hour. My grand plan of making Gorham a day early appeared to be slipping away. I decided to push on another 4.4 miles to Carlo Col, even though a few of the mud-covered northbounders at the last shelter told me it was a bad idea. The terrain was bad, the trail was very poorly maintained, and the bogs were waist deep withmud. Heeding the specific warnings of the northbounders I was able to avoid the worst of the bogs, but I just couldn't move fast enough to make the next shelter before dark. I decided to stealth camp here so I could get to sleep early and try to bang out 16 miles tomorrow.Today's post was brought to you by the Mahoosic Notch, the most frustrating mile on the Appalachian Trail.