morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-11
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton Motel/Hostel
Miles today: 13.5

Yet another gorgeous day in Maine. Kirby & Cookie were up by 0530, so I was conscious by 0600 and up by 0630. Last night was cool and breezy, which made for excellent sleeping conditions. I woke up rested and ready for some more Maine mountains. It might be because of the reduced daily miles that I have been hiking, but I¢m finding these mountains to be quite manageable. There are still several 2000¢ climbs, but they never get too steep. Today I climbed Spaulding Mountain, skirted around Sugarloaf, climbed North & South Crocker, and dropped down into Stratton. Down at the road, I got a first car hitch! It was a pickup truck obviously. The driver brought me to the Stratton Motel/Hostel where I unloaded my gear and went exploring. I headed to the Post Office where I mailed home some journal entries and then ran into Cookie & Kirby heading to the grocery. Their hitch gave them two ham & cheese wraps, but neither one of them eat ham. I released them of their burden by accepting their wraps and devoured them quickly. I thought that I would save myself some dough by buying a few Celeste pizzas for dinner rather than dining out. So while I was resupplying, that¢s exactly what I did. I¢m hanging out watching movies with a few SOBOs. Speaking of SOBOs, it is really weird having them around. First, many feel compelled to tell us about the upcoming trail, places to hit up in future towns, etc. I¢m not sure I like it. Us NOBOs have adventured all the way up here and now SOBOs are giving me information that I would rather just experience firsthand. I also don¢t feel the same bond as I do with the NOBOs. I think part of is that I¢ve hiked 90% of the AT compared to their 10% and it feels somewhat foreign. Many of the SOBOs that I meet make sure to tell me that they are ¢taking it easy,¢ when they don¢t really need my approval to go slower. Oh well, HYOH. Speaking of that (Hike Your Own Hike), I went to bed thinking I would have to get up at 0545 because Sue could only shuttle me back to the trail at 0630. While lying in bed, I realized that I did not have to hike at all tomorrow. In fact, it would be better if I didn¢t. I¢ve been trying to push my Katahdin summit date back to July 25th for several reasons, and I have some time to kill. So, I went back downstairs and watched ¢Stealth¢ until 0100. Crappy movie. ¢Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.¢ E. M. Forster
Date: 2008-07-12
From: Stratton Motel/Hostel

To: Stratton Motel/Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Stretching my summit date out to July 25th will be a task in its own right. My zero today was quite boring. I won¢t know what to do with myself when I get home! However, part of the reason I was so bored today was the lack of people. There were a few SOBOs coming in and out, but it looks like my days of solo hiking will soon be over. I went to the Stratton Diner this morning for some crappy breakfast. While there, I ran into Fester from back in Virginia! He lives in Maine and was taking the weekend off with his parents. He informed me that he has been hiking with CJ for a while now and that CJ should roll into town tomorrow! That¢s great news. CJ was a lot closer than I thought. While I think that I will still head out tomorrow (gotta keep the legs moving), I¢m planning to nero a few days ahead. I am assuming that Fester and CJ will catch up to me. Also, I am getting tired of journal writing. Even on zero days, these journal entries take a lot of effort to write, type and compile. Often, I would rather be eating, sleeping, or socializing. But, like the AT, I will see this through to the finish because once I start something, I do my very best to see it through to the end. ¢Sometimes it¢s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times, it¢s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.¢ ~ Douglas Pagels
Date: 2008-07-13
From: Stratton Motel/Hostel

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up and out by 0800. Sue (hostel owner) gave me a ride back to the trail. The first few miles were a piece of cake. Flat and pine needles all the way. I then proceeded to climb up 2000¢ to the Bigelows, where I was treated to my first real rain in quite a while. The climb wasn¢t too bad, but it was tough trying to keep everything dry with the sideways pelting rain. Were it not for the cloud cover, I think the Bigelows would have been absolutely stunning. I may have to come back here sometime for a redo. I still couldn¢t see Katahdin, and I still don¢t want to see it yet. It just doesn¢t feel right, not yet. I¢ve still got 172 miles left. I think I¢ll be ready to see it in the 100 mile wilderness. The rain really picked up during the descent, which I didn¢t mind. But, I did mind the ¢trail¢ I went through. The AT is supposedly on of the most well traveled footpaths in America. However, the overgrowth here was absurd. Even if it had stopped raining, I still would have been soaked due to the moisture on all the leaves. I saw tons of SOBOs today, some of them talkative and some of them not. I¢m here at the shelter with three older section hikers. Hopefully, the rain stops for tomorrow, but it really doesn¢t matter. Ain¢t no rain gonna stop me. Oh yeah, I hit 2000 miles today! ¢Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values ¢¦ God made life simple. It is man who complicates it.¢ ~ Charles Lindbergh
Date: 2008-07-14
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Pierce Pond lean-to
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

The two section hikers set their alarm for 0430 this morning. 0430. That is absurd. And, one of them has a hearing problem, so his alarm woke up everyone in the shelter except for him. Luckily, it was raining hard and everyone quickly went back to sleep. At 0630, I was awake and started to enjoy my daily two sleeves of Pop-tarts from the comfort of my sleeping bag when the audibly challenged sectioner (let¢s call him ¢Bob¢) asks me how I can eat such chemically processed sugar. I shrugged and continued munching. A few minutes later, Bob lights up a cigarette and comments again on the ¢absurdity¢ of eating Pop-tarts. I finally pulled out a sufficiently witty comment and retorted ¢I¢ll stop eating Pop-tarts the day you stop smoking.¢ He didn¢t say much after that. After a morning drizzle through some swampy terrain, the sun made its way through and I was treated to a 90 minute nap, followed by 10 flat, easy, sunny miles all the way into the Pierce Road lean-to. I dried out all my socks and shoes, cooked a big dinner, and enjoyed a spectacular sunset. However, the bugs came out in droves after the sun went down so I set up my tent right next to the pond for a bug free night. War Paint showed up as well after his 27-miler and it was great to see him again. He informed me that Hit, Miss, Fester & CJ are a day behind me, which should work out nicely if and when I nero into Caratunk tomorrow. For now, I will enjoy my pond-front property for the evening before I cross the famous Kennebec River tomorrow morning. ¢Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don¢t even notice it.¢ ~ Sakyong Mipham
Date: 2008-07-15
From: Pierce Pond lean-to

To: Rte 201 (Northern Outdoors campground/lodge)
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another chapter in ¢Operation Slowdown¢ commenced today. I pulled a whopping 4 mile day over flat (but tough) terrain. I crossed the Kennebec River today via ferry (canoe), which was interesting. I had to sign a waiver and wear a life jacket. After someone drowned there in the 80s trying to ford the river, officials implemented a ferry that is the official AT route. The canoe even has a white blaze painted on the deck. Once on the other side, I hitched 2.5 miles into a rafting campground/lodge called Northern Outdoors. As soon as I arrived, I sensed a familiarity about the place and deduced that I had actually stayed here before. Five years ago, my Berwick Academy senior class went on a two-day ropes course/whitewater rafting trip stationed at this lodge. That trip is still one of my most vivid memories of high school. It got me thinking how my Berwick senior year and hiking the AT have been the best years of my life. That got me thinking about why they have been so great. I came up with a few reasons. First, both times were filled with freedom and hard work. In both cases, I was basically free to slack off if I wanted to but I chose to work hard. It was work worth doing. I can¢t think of a better situation than being able to work hard at something you want to do. Second, both Berwick and the AT have small communities. I really enjoy knowing virtually everyone out here. I¢ve said it before but shared experiences, especially difficult ones, (whether it be AP classes or climbing mountains), build true long-lasting bonds. Lastly, I understood Berwick and I understand this trail. I know what it takes to hike it and I¢ve learned so much from both Berwick and the AT. As a senior, I felt like I owned Berwick. I feel the same way about the AT now. At the 93% complete mark, I feel great about where I am. All NOBOs are walking with a bit of swagger in their step, passing SOBOs who have such a long way to go. Detour over ¢¦. Anyway, I spent many hours chilling in/beside the pool/hot tub resisting the temptation of eating three restaurant meals in the lodge. I uploaded some photos, talked with SOBOs, guests and staff, took a nap, ate, and longed for the trail. I¢m in my own cabin tent tonight just 30 yards from the Kennebec River. Since I plan to meet up with Hit & Miss, Fester, and CJ tomorrow, my journal entries may get shorter and crappier from here on out. Who knows though. I¢ll do my best. ¢You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you keep taking one breath followed by another.¢ ~ Oprah
Date: 2008-07-16
From: Rte 201 (Northern Outdoors campground/lodge)

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, Operation Find Other NOBOs was a complete failure. However, overall the day was quite successful. After one of my best night¢s sleep on the whole trail (real mattress), I woke up at 0830 to a sunny day. I packed quickly and headed up to the lodge to catch the free 0900 shuttle back to the trail. I was disciplined enough to eat Pop-tarts for breakfast rather than drop $10 on the AYCE breakfast buffet. The shuttle guy drove 5 SOBOs and me back to the trail at 0930 and I was off. Even though the majority of today¢s trail was flat, it had its fair share of mud, rocks, and roots. I checked the register at the first shelter I passed to find that Hit & Miss passed through yesterday and Fester & CJ were still behind me. Oh well. I know all of us are trying to summit on the 25th so I bet I¢ll see them all in Monson. One aspect of this hike that I certainly won¢t miss is the mosquitoes. Maine is brutal in this respect. I am especially fond of the ones that hover one inch from your eyeball as you climb mountains. Speaking of mountains, I climbed two today. The second, Moxie Bald Mountain (BTW, which came first: the soda or the mountain?) had 360 degree views from the summit. I was sure I could have seen Katahdin if I had tried, but being the weird guy that I am, I refuse to see it until after Monson. I¢m here in the shelter alone with my tent set up inside in order to avoid mosquitoes. I almost hope it rains so the sheer awesomeness of this technique can be fully appreciated. Please note that I would only do this when I¢m the only shelter inhabitant. It¢s rude otherwise. Bug free sleep tonight and Monson tomorrow!! ¢Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature¢s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like the autumn leaves.¢ ~ John Muir.
Date: 2008-07-17
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Monson (Shaw's Lodging)
Miles today: 17.9

For some reason, I couldn¢t get to sleep last night. I was thinking about how fast this trip is coming to a close. I thought about everything I¢ve learned out here, all the amazing people, and the finality that looms in the distance. However, one thing that I will not miss is the friggin mosquitoes. Once again, they ate me alive. My 18 miles today consisted of a very flat, but very muddy trail. I forded three rivers, which is a lot of fun. They were all only knee deep but still injected enough adventure into the day to keep it interesting. I finished my 18 miles before 1500 and got another 1st car hitch into town. I literally walked out into the road clearing, stuck out my thumb, and a pickup immediately picked me up. Maine is exceptional in this regard. I¢m staying at Shaw¢s Lodging where I met a bunch of people. Apparently, I just missed Time Traveler, Kirby, & Cookie, but Hit & Miss are here and Sinker showed up late. Still no sign of Fester & CJ but they have to show up tomorrow or else they are stuck in the mud somewhere or perhaps drowned in a ford. I spent the evening with Hit & Miss at the home of the owner of the Monson General Store, which was just down the street. Tim and Peggy had invited Hit & Miss earlier that day, and then I was invited to go along as well. We had a memorable evening, just eating burgers and chatting about the owner of Bert¢s Bees (evil), and visiting Tim¢s chicken coupe and pig pen. As it turned out, it was quite interesting and we all had a lot of fun. I¢m back at the hostel relaxing but heard that Sinker just broke the record at the pub downtown by eating 23 tacos. Thruhikers are amazing creatures. ¢Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.¢ ~ John Ruskin
Date: 2008-07-18
From: Monson (Shaw's Lodging)

To: Monson (Shaw's Lodging)
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a momentous day. A day of lasts. Last town day. Last zero day. Last resupply. Last internet access. Last town meal. While all those things have their benefit, I'll be glad to get back into the woods for one last 100 mile stroll. I think I subconsciously keep my zero days on the bland side to contrast it with hiking and today was no different. I watched TV, watched it downpour outside and listened to many SOBOs talk about their ailments and various gear issues. One guy said he lost 35 pounds since Katahdin. I didn't tell him so but that is physically impossible. That means he burned 122,500 more calories than he consumed in a span of 10ish days. I don't think so. He was just an average-sized guy. My chore for the day was to get shuttled into Greenville for a resupply, which included my last fuel canister, cheap sunglasses for Katahdin and the biggest cigar I could find. I also treated myself to many of my favorite foods, including Nutella, EasyMac, fudge-dipped Sunbelt granola bars and apple cinnamon pop-tarts. I found it quite amusing that I had to pay for my food at the grocery check out, my cigars at the tobacco counter, and my sunglasses at the gift shop counter despite the fact that all stores were not separated by any doors or walls and all were under the same ownership. CJ and Fester finally showed up this afternoon with 2 more NOBOs named LT and Dirty Harry. It looks like the 100 mile wilderness is gonna be packed with NOBOs. I hope I don't feel overcrowded. I know that may sound strange but after essentially hiking alone for several hundred miles, hiking the same schedule as 4 other guys might feel weird. Could be lots of fun though. We'll see. "You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by." ~ James Matthew Barrie
Date: 2008-07-19
From: Monson (Shaw's Lodging)

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today reminded me of just how important it is to keep packweight down. It wasn't miserable but it wasn't comfortable either. I'm just glad it was relatively flat. However, the trail was incredibly slippery. All the rocks and roots were wet from yesterday's rain and seemed to have been greased up by the slip and fall fairy. I fell a few times¢¦one of them in the middle of a ford. Luckily, I managed to keep my pack dry but dunked up to my belly button (which is fine with me) I'm at my first full shelter in a long time with CJ, two co-eds from the St. Lawrence Lacrosse team, a few SOBOs and a flip- flopper. It¢s been great catching up with CJ on the happenings of the last few months. Oh, by the way, Dirty Harry, LT, and Fester are not hiking with us right now. Dirty Harry and LT are planning to summit on the 24th (one day earlier) so they pulled an extra 4 miles today and I probably won¢t see them again. Fester has a friend meeting him to do the last 100 miles, so they will take it slow to start off and catch up to CJ and I after we detour into White House Landing. CJ and I were fielding questions from the two St. Lawrence girls about daily mileage etc. when the mid-60's female flip-flopper interjected and essentially scolded us for pulling 20 mile days. She didn't understand how that could possibly be fun or rewarding. She ended her rant with a dismissive "It must be a guy thing." CJ gave the excuse that he has to get back to work and I gave the money saving excuse to be polite but we both know that the true answer goes much deeper. This bothered me all night and it kept CJ up too. He went so far as to write a poetic rebuttal and record it in the register as a rebuttal. I copied it down because I liked it a lot. Will of Experience You ask me why I push so hardHeading for that goal. Saying I've all of life to work andGrey so oldPerhapsbut, should my morrow never comeany journey uncompleted is a race yet to be runNo prizes, fame or fortune lie over that horizonyou see; what I desirecan not be bought or wonIt is the searching & the seekingThat turn the proud to meekTo inherit what has been paidBefore the drying of the ink. ~ California JoeSince I am writing this entry several days after the 19th, I have had the pleasure of reading this flip flopper's (going south) register entries approaching Katahdin. Essentially all of them include some form of "I can't wait to get these 100 miles out of the way!" Sounds like you're having a blast out here lady. It just bothers me that the HYOH only seems to resonate in certain situations and hiking styles. "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." ~ Walter Bagehot
Date: 2008-07-20
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was my first 20+ day since Vermont. It included several bumps with some creative names such as Fourth Mountain and Third Mountain. The weather turned out to be fairly nice so it made for some enjoyable hiking. Still no view of Katahdin yet but I can wait another few days if I have to. CJ and I switched Ipods today in order to experience "Music Appreciation Day" as CJ put it. It was great to listen to different music, even though his Ipod freaks out sometimes and skips parts of songs. The last 10 miles included a pleasant ford over the Pleasant River. I immediately started seeing several hikers with day packs or no packs and wondered where they came from. I soon learned that there is a parking lot .2 miles from the ford and the Gulf Hagas scenic trail full of Gorges and waterfalls is a 5 mile loop that connects with the AT. The last 100 miles of the AT are certainly beautiful and more secluded than most sections of trail but it is still a stretch to call it "Wilderness". CJ posed this question at the shelter tonight ("Is this wilderness?") and heard various answers from yet another full shelter. The consensus was that wilderness is a relative term. For a nationally recognized trail on the east coast, Maine's 100 mile wilderness is about as wild as it gets. I'm sure most east-coast non-hikers would consider this wilderness but west-coast hikers wouldn't. It's all relative. While I would agree with the relativity of wilderness, I'm not sure it matters all that much. Labels are simply that: labels. They are words that humans attribute to characteristics. Let go of the labels and just accept it for what it is. "The reward of a thing well done is to have done it." ~ Emerson
Date: 2008-07-21
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was the last day I'll be above 1600 feet until Katahdin. 1600 feet! My pack is finally down to a more reasonable size, so the early morning ups and downs weren't too strenuous. However, since it rains quite consistently every night, the trail is perpetually wet. After my climb over Gulf Hagas mountain, the terrain plateaued out into more than a mile of overgrown brush. Although it wasn't actually raining, the overgrowth was still saturated with rain, which inevitably gets the shorts, legs, and feet soaked. On a side note, my "new" pair of Vasque Mantra trail shoes have performed very well. No blisters, breathable and still sufficiently lightweight. I then proceeded to ride a roller coaster over West Peak, Hay Mountain, and finally White Cap Mountain. There should have been a great view of Katahdin from White Cap¢¦but I didn't see it. I saw the base, but the top half was all clouded in. It was clear on White Cap though, so I spent a half hour on the summit taking it all in, drying my feet and socks in the sun and power napping. On the way down, I met some trail maintainers building a rock staircase that rivaled an Aztec temple. It was very elaborate and obviously took a ton of work. CJ met me at Logan Brook Lean-to for lunch where we thoroughly enjoyed reading all the register entries from Hit, Miss, Time Traveler, Sinker, Cookie, Kirby and all the rest. In the 100 mile wilderness I have been making special side trips to essentially all the shelters to read the registers. They are such a great addition to trail culture. The second half of the day flattened out and we cruised into Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to to find a 2/3 full shelter. We both decided to tent due to bugs and shelter space so we migrated over to the brook and set up camp. The falls here are beautiful. CJ has convinced me to stop at White House Landing tomorrow for a half day and 1 pound cheeseburgers for lunch. We learned from the others at the shelter that they only serve lunch from 1100 to 1300, so we have to get up early tomorrow and pull 14 miles before lunch. Shouldn't be a problem though; it¢s all flat. We also got to talking to an older section hiker about his travels in China which CJ and I both found fascinating. He talked about how the Chinese simply don't hold honesty as a chief virtue. The ability to deceive in business deals is considered a positive trait. I had no idea. I'm eating double dinner tonight because White House Landing has limited resupply, so I'm going all out with 4 packets of Hamburger Helper Cheesy Lasagna Microwavable Singles. "Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save." ~ Unknown