morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-09-09
From: Rt 27, Stratton

To: Little Bigelow Lean To
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 171:We are up at 6:30 this morning. Last night, it rained quite hard for awhile, so we were glad to be warm and dry inside the Stratton Motel. This morning, I cook up some French Toast for SilverGirl, Passionflower, Sparky, and myself along with fresh bananas and orange juice. At 7:30, Sue, from the Stratton Motel, gives us all a ride back up to the trailhead and we're on our way again. About 5 minutes into our hike, we come across a stream that is running very high from last nights rains. There is a log going across the stream a little ways downstream, but as we precariously step onto the log, stripped of all its bark, we quickly realize that it is not a good idea to try to cross this way. Instead, we all remove our boots, put on our crocs, and ford the stream. Today is a very cool and breezy day. The sun is in and out as we walk along, but rain never becomes a threat. Autumn is really settling in fast up here. Flashes of color are beginning to appear on the leaves. During the morning, we make the the long climb up to the 3800 ft summit of South Horn, where we stop for a break. The visibility is incredible this morning and we can still see all the way back to the White Mountains in NH, now 125 trail miles to our south. Moving on from South Horn, we descend into a col, then make another climb up to the bare summit of West Bigelow Mt. From here we have a sweeping view of Flagstaff Lake below and a seemingly unlimited view northeast towards Mt Katahdin. The big K is still just out view however. Moving on, we cross, Avery Peak, where we pass the sign that marks 2000 miles on the trail. Coming down from Avery Peak is very steep and slow, and we don't reach Safford Notch Campsite until 4:00. Our destination for today is Little Bigelow Lean To, still another 5 miles up the trail, and we decide to go for it. The race is now on to get there before it gets dark. The terrain continues to hamper our forward progress, as we encounter mud, rocks, and roots at every footfall. As the sun begins to fade behind the higher mountain peaks, we reach the top of Little Bigelow Mt and begin the descent towrds the Lean To. Finally, after 10 hours of very tough hiking, we arrive at the Lean To. The shelter is full, but there is a nice flat spot in front of the shelter, about 15 feet from the fire pit. We set up our tent there. For dinner, we join Slingshot, Frenchy, Gribley, Daystar, Passionflower, and Sparky around the campfire. As darkness settles in, we all share our feelings about coming this far on the trail, things that have happened to us along the way, and our general sense of awe at how cool this this whole adventure has been. We can't believe that in less than 2 weeks, we will be on our way back home. We are very tired after a grueling day today, and tomorrow we are shooting for another 17+ miles. The terrain is supposed to be flat though, so we hope to cover rhe miles a bit quicker. It's off ro bed now for some rest.
Date: 2012-09-11
From: Pierce Pond Lean To

To: Rt 201, Caratunk
Miles today: 4.0

Day 173: The stiff breeze off the pond is still blowing as we rise this morning. The sky is clear, but the air is cold. We put on all of our warm clothes to begin the day. SilverGirl and I leave a few minutes before Sparky and Passionflower, and we arrive at the Kennebec River at 9:20. Hillbilly, the canoe ferryman is on the other side of the river. He sees us and within a minute he is on his way across to pick us up. He tells us that we are the first hikers to be ferried across today. As we cross the river, Hillbilly tells us about hikers who have tried to ford this river. During the 1970s, one hiker drowned while trying to ford the river. As we reach the other side, we look back and see that Sparky and Passionflower are now waiting by the rivers edge. Hillbilly drops us off and then goes back over to pick them up. After crossing the Kennebec, the four of us walk 5 minutes out to Rt 201 and then 0.3 miles down Main Street, Caratunk to the Post Office, where Sparky and Passionflower need to pick up mail drops. Sparky calls Northern Outdoors for a ride, but they can't pick us up until 11:00, so we hang out by the post office. Several other hikers arrive while we wait - Flatlander, Toothhurty (a dentist), Gribley, Daystar, Gerber, Uncles, Easy, Gravity, Lobster, and Chickadee. The shuttle finally arrives at 11:30, and brings us to Northern Outdoors. We get checked into our very nice, rustic room above the dining area, have a filling lunch, and then get into the outdoor hot tub. Oh my God, does this feel good as the water jets in the tub massage all of our sore joints and muscles. We spend about 45 minutes in there. These are the moments we will never forget. Feeling very sleepy afterwards, I go up to our room and take a nap. Later, for dinner, SilverGirl and I join Sparky, Passionflower, Flatlander, and Toothhurty for dinner. We have a wonderful time with great food as we share trail stories. Tomorrow, we hike back out, with a 14+ mile day planned. We hope to be in Monson Friday afternoon.
Date: 2012-09-12
From: Rt 201, Caratunk

To: Bald Mt Lean To
Miles today: 14.7

Day 174: I get up early this morning, hoping to get on-line so I can update this journal, but the WiFi connection at Norther Outdoors has been turned off for the night. At 7:00, Sparky, Passionflower, SilverGirl, and I go downstairs to get an early breakfast. It's raspberry filled French Toast for SilverGirl and a ham and cheese omlet with home fries for me. I have eaten 3 solid, protein packed meals while here at Northern Outdoors and I'm feeling much better this morning. My legs feel like they have some zip today. At 9:00, we catch the resort shuttle back to the trailhead and we are on the trail at 9:15. Morning fog quickly burns off, revealing a cloud-free sky that stays with us all day long. The temperature also quickly warms up into the lower 70s. We can't ask for better hiking weather. The trail is mostly flat and easy today, with only small stretches where rocks, roots, and mud slow us down. We are able to make fairly quick progress. By noon time, we have covered almost 7 miles and are on top of Pleasant Pond Mt, where we stop for lunch. Easy and Gravity are already here having their lunch, and right behind us comes Passionflower, Sparky, Flatlander, and Toothhurty. From the mountain top, we enjoy a wonderful view towards the northeast. I call our son, Patrick, to firm up plans for our summit day on 9/22. Both he and our daughter, Molly, will drive up to Millinocket on 9/21 and meet us at the Appalachian Trail Lodge in town. We will stay there that night and then on Saturday morning, 9/22, we will all drive into Katahdin Stream Campground and hike Mt Katahdin together. We are so excited to see them and to have them finish our hike with us. After descending from Pleasant Pond Mt, we come down to Moxie Pond. On the south end of the pond, we ford the stream feeding water into the pond. This time, we are able to keep our boots on as we carefully step from rock to rock all the way across. The rest of the afternoon is easy hiking. We arrive at Bald Mt Brook Lean To at about 4:45, set up our tent up near the empty shelter, and then cook up some chili mac for dinner. By 7:00, it is already getting quite dark, so we retire to the coziness of our tent. Tomorrow, we will begin our day with a climb over Moxie Bald. That will be our only climb and descent for the day, as we plan to hike about 13 miles to Horseshoe Canyon Lean To, just 9 miles south of Monson. We are into our final 10 days of hiking now and savoring every moment out here. What an adventure this has been!
Date: 2012-09-14
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean To

To: Rt 15, Monson
Miles today: 9.0

Day 176: Today is hike into Monson day, our very last trail town! We are all up early this morning and on the trail at 7:30. Once again, we are blessed with gorgeous weather. It does not take long before the temperature reaches the upper 70s. A little over 2 miles into our day, we make our second ford of rhe Piscataquis River. We take our boots off, don the crocs, and make the shallow ford across the 20 yard wide stretch of river. On the other side, we find a cooler full of cold sodas, so we all stop for a break there. The rest of the mornings hike is pretty easy, and we arrive at Rt 15, four miles north of Monson, at 12:15. I call Shaws, the hostel we will be staying at tonight, for a ride, and 10 minutes later we are on our way into town. SilverGirl and I check into our private room there, shower, and get our laundry done. I walk over to the Post Office and pick up our final mail drop (yeah!). The rest of the day is spent taking care of the many logistical chores that need to be completed before we enter the 100 mile wilderness tomorrow. Todays  entry will be our last journal entry until we finish our hike on the 22nd. We will then post all of our adventures in the 100 mile wilderness along with our summit hike shortly afterwards. Be back in a week or so....
Date: 2012-09-15
From: Rt 15, Monson

To: Long Pond Stream LT
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: moderate rain

Day 177: Today, we reached two big milestones. First, we entered the 100 mile wilderness, which will be a seven day trek through the wilds of Maine. Second, we surpassed the 100 miles to go mark near the end of the day. The great weather we've had for the past several days came to a temporary end this morning as we wake to cloudy, threatening skies. After a great breakfast at Shaws, SilverGirl, Passionflower, Sparky, and I get a ride back up to the trailhead. It is 8:35 when we finally get on the trail this morning. Today, we enter the 100 mile wilderness, and at the beginning of the wilderness there is a sign warning hikers to be prepared for difficult terrain for the next 10 days. We plan to cross this section in 7 days, so I guess we'll be cramming a bit more of the difficulty into each day. Two miles into our hike, Sparky takes a fall on a slick rock slab and cuts the palm of his hand. SilverGirl and Passionflower spend a few minutes cleaning and wrapping his wound before we are on our way again. After a bit of very light rain during the morning, the sky begins to break towards noontime. Soon, the sun comes out and we are treated to a partly cloudy sky for the rest of the day. The hike today is summarized by four words: rocks, roots, mud, and fords. About 80% of the terrain today is quite rugged and the going is very slow as we weave our way through tangled roots that stick up out of the ground like tentacles, slick rocks, and mucky bogs. To slow us down further, we are forced to remove our boots 3 times today to ford Little Wilson Creek, Big Wilson Creek, and Wilbur Brook. Fording the streams is kind of fun though even if it takes a bit longer. The cold water feels so good on our sore feet as we wade across. Most of our walking today is through fairly low country, so any views we get are very limited. The leaves are beginning to turn colors here now, and we expect to see a lot of color by the time we finish next Saturday. About 13 miles into our day, we come upon a sign at the junction of an old logging road inviting hikers to walk 1/4 mile down the road for some trail magic - lobster, steak tips, corn, beer, sodas, etc. Regretfully, we pass on the trail magic. It is already 4:45pm, and we still have over 2 miles to go with another river ford. We want to get into camp before darkness sets in. At 5:45, we arrive at the lean to and set up our tent. The air is brisk as we set up. It's going to be a very cool night. Tomorrow, we are planning for another 15+ mile day. The terrain will be more mountainous, so we plan to get an early start as the going is sure to be slow.We are  coming down the home stretch!
Date: 2012-09-16
From: Long Pond Stream LT

To: Pleasant River Camp Site
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 178: In anticipation of a long and difficult day today, we rise at 5:45 for a slightly earlier start. The morning is very cold and we are dressed in all of our warm weather clothing for breakfast. Last night, there were only 2 other hikers here who came in after dark. Everyone else stopped short for the trail magic that we skipped. Todays hike is marked by many steep ups and downs and a lot of rough, slow terrain. Rocks, roots and mud seem to be the norm here in Maine. Our first climb of the day takes us up to Barren Ledges, where there is a beautiful view of a large lake below that is flanked by picturesque mountains. Easy and Gravity are here when we arrive and we take the opportunity to get pictures of eachother. The temperature is in the low 40s up there and the wind makes it seem much colder. Moving on up higher to Barren Mt, the wind is whipping and the air is winter-like on the open summit. We try calling our son, Patrick, from here but can't get a signal. Descending back into the woods, the temperature begins to warm up a bit, but not enough to strip down to our tee shirts. We keep our long sleeve fleece shirts on for the entire day. At lunch time, we find a nice spot in the woods to relax and eat for about 1/2 hour. Our 2nd climb of the day takes us up Third Mt, where we get a nice view of Whitecap Mt. We climb Whitecap tomorrow, and at the summit, we hear we will have a great view of Mt Katahdin. Can't wait to see it. Our other major climbs today take us up and down Fourth Mt, Columbus Mt, and Chairback Mt. With each one comes sweeping views of the Maine wilderness. The visibility today is once again unbelieveable. We would be able to see Mt Katahdin easily today if other mountains weren't blocking its view from us. At 4:40, we arrive at the campsite down by the West Branch of the Pleasant River. There are many campsites here. We choose one that has room for several tents, and soon several others join us here: Easy and Gravity, Passionflower, No Sweat, and Sparky. It is a nice campsite, with the sound of the flowing river here to help us sleep tonight. Tomorrow, our plan is to hike about 13 miles up and over Whitecap Mt. It will be a surreal moment for us when Mt Katahdin comes into full view. We just can't believe we have walked all the way here from Georgia. Life is good.
Date: 2012-09-18
From: Stealth Site Near B Inlet Rd

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 180: Planning a long day today, we are up at 6:00 and on rhe trail at 7:30. Our goal today is Antlers Campsite or beyond, at least 18 miles. The first couple of miles of our hike this morning are easy, and we reach the East Branch of the Pleasant River, 2.3 miles out, in 45 minutes. Crossing the river on exposed rocks, we keep our feet dry and begin our only climb of the day up Boardman Mt. On the way up, I begin to feel my left thigh muscle, just above my knee, begin to tighten up a bit. By the time I reach the top, it has tightened up a lot. I begin to limp and favor that leg as we descend the mountain. The pain becomes quite intense, and now I'm worrying about how I'm going to finish the day.  The pain has not diminished as we reach Crawford Pond, where we stop for an early lunch. Passionflower is carrying some Vicodin with her and offers me one. Desperate for some pain relief, I gratefully take one, and it's the best thing I do all day. Within 1/2 hour after we resume walking, I am still in moderate pain, but the Vicodin has dulled the pain enough for me to walk normally again. For the rest of the day, we walk along very flat and easy terrain under pine trees. The trail is soft and gentle with a blanket of pine needles to cushion our feet as we walk. We reach Antlers Campsite, on the shore of Jo-Mary Lake at 4:30 and set up our tent on the pine needles. Rain is moving in, so we waste no time cooking and eating dinner. Just as we finish, the first sprinkles of rain are beginning to fall. It looks like we may be in for a wet night tonight and a wet day tomorrow as the rain is supposed to continue. Maine is not going to let us off the hook easily before we get to Mt Katahdin. Four more days to go!
Date: 2012-09-19
From: Antlers Campsite

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean To
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

Day 181: Last night, it rained steadily, starting at about 7:00pm and continuing until 8:00am. My watch alarm goes off at 6:00am, and I just shut it off and go back to sleep. Nobody is getting up early this morning with the rain falling. As the rain tapers off, we pack up and hit the trail by 9:00. The morning is cool and the sky is gray, but we can sense that the rain is over. Around mid morning, we come to a side trail that goes over to the shoreline of Lake Pemadumcook. Off to our left as we we look across the lake is Mt Katahdin, presenting its full glory to us. It looks so close now, almost close enough to get there in a day, but we know that it is still three hiking days away for us. For the next 10 minutes, we just stand there and stare in awe at the realization that we are now so close. Moving on, we stop for lunch on a flat section of pine needles near the Nahmakanta River. The sun has now come out and the sky is a pure shade of blue above us. The air is becoming very crisp and we don our fleece pullovers. During the afternoon, we walk alongside Nahmakanta River until eventually reaching Nahmakanta Lake. A stiff wind has whipped up the lake into whitecaps that crash onto the sandy beach there. From the lake, it is only 2.5 miles to Wadleigh Stream Lean To, but it seems like 5 miles to me. Once again, I feel like my body is feeding on itself as I trudge along. At 4:30, we reach the lean to. SilverGirl, Spark, Passionflower, and I are the only ones here tonight, so we set up inside the shelter. We are planning for an early start tomorrow as we hope to hike almost 20 miles to Hurd Brook Lean To. Tomorrow night will be our last night camping on the trail. Friday night, we will be driving into Millinocket with Sparky and Passionflower, where we will stay in a cabin. Our daughter, Molly, and our son, Patrick, will meet us there. Saturday morning, we will all rise very early and drive back to Katahdin Stream Campground for our victory hike up to Baxter Peak on Mt Katahdin.
Date: 2012-09-20
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean To

To: Hurd Brook Lean To
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 182: Last night in the shelter, a mouse took a liking to Sparky's food bag. Sparky kept swatting the mouse away during the night, but it kept coming back to his bag over and over. Our food bags and Passionflower's food bag remained untouched. Finally, in desperation, Sparky got up and hung his food bag in a tree away from the shelter. When he woke in the morning and retrieved his food bag, it was evident that a chipmunk or squirrel had got into it there. Not a good night for Sparky. We are on the trail at 7:30, with 19.6 miles to cover today. It is in the mid 30s and clear as we set out. Our exhales produce white vapor clouds in front of us as we walk and our fingertips are cold, even with gloves on. We move quickly through the choppy terrain, and reach the summit of Nesuntebunt Mt, where we have a 16 mile straight line view of Mt Katahdin in front of us. It is truly a sight to behold. A little further down the mountain, we come ro another overlook with a similar view. While there, we hear a large pack of wolves in the woods far below barking and howling. By lunchtime, we reach Rainbow Stream LeanTo. Gumby, 30 Pack, and Tall Oaf are also here having lunch. 30 Pack offers us a Snickers bar, which I gratefully accept. After lunch, we walk through choppy terrain alongside Ranbow Lake. Rainbow Lake is huge, and it takes us about 3 hours to traverse along its. shores to the northern end. At this point, we begin the climb up to Rainbow Ledges. As has become customary for me at this time of day, my pace slows as I run out of energy, but I continue on. Reaching the top of Rainbow Ledges, we are treated to a spectacular view of Mt Katadhin. It looks so close now. The final  few miles down to Hurd Brook Lean To are easy, and we arrive around 5:00. Voltron is here when we arrive. It is good to see him again. The last time we saw him was at Lonesome Lake Hut in NH. We set up our tent for the final time off in the woods beside the shelter and then walk back to the shelter to cook dinner. Sparky and Passionflower have also arrived and are busy setting up their tents. We will all hike together tomorrow for the final 13.5 miles into Katahdin Stream Campground, before summiting on Saturday. As we lay in our tent after dark, the reality of where we are now begins to set in. This is our last night in the tent, and many of the daily routines we have gone through for the last six months are tonight being done for the last time. We struggle with our feelings of nostalgia about all the good times we have had on this trip, but at the same time we are so happy to be almost done. We are tired now and ready to get on with our post-trail life. Tomorrow, is our final day on the trail before we summit on Saturday.
Date: 2012-03-25
From: Springer mt

To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.0

Random thoughts from day one:Great people!Nothing is hurt and nothing hurts.The blister I got in Raleigh is acting up, but it will be fine.The guys talking about sleeping in the shelter, made me glad I have a tent (see the picture of Hawk shelter and imagine 10 guys sleeping in there)!Why isn't there a beer waiting at the end of the day?Couscous and black beans is good, but seriously, where is the chocolate cake?Can't wait until tomorrow!
Date: 2012-03-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.0

Wow, totally exhausted. Only 8 miles today, but there were a lot of ups and downs. Sassafras is tough, but Justus mt. is badly misnamed; there is no justice in that climb. Need to get my hiking legs under me. On a brighter note, I loved sleeping in the tent last night. Met more good people today.
Date: 2012-03-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 16.0

Trail MagicOkay, you've been eating couscous and black beans and oatmeal. You've been hiking many miles. you are sore. the day begins like any other; 5 miles into the day's hike you walk into a clearing, and there a trail angel (six trail angels actually) has brought apples, oranges, chips, sodas and hotdogs for any and all hikers. That is trail magic. It is magic! Thank you Indiana Jones and friends. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Date: 2012-03-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 7.0

Short day today, but it was really good for the feet. I feel only a fraction of the pain from yesterday. Still meeting great people. Today I met Plodder; we walked together most of the day. Saw Dave again, but he hikes too fast for me and my feet right now, so i mostly see him at the ahelter at the end of the day. Met Turtle, Darwin, Snowflake, Thai Dye and others today.
Date: 2012-03-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.0

Plodder, Dave and Turtle went into town this morning. Hope I see them again. Met up with Jose and Craig from the Raleigh Recreational Hikers group towards the end of the day. They are section hiking before we hike together next week. Good to see familiar faces. There are 6 of us thru hikers at the shelter (Tray Mtn) tonight - Smoke Hawk and Snake Runner, Red Wolf, two women, and me. There are also a man with his two sons from Athens, Ga. and another group of guys. This seems fairly typical, so I guess I won't be alone very often. Also, thanks to Red Truck / Green Truck (father/son thru hikers in '02) for the magic.
Date: 2012-03-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.0

Hiawasee! First trail town. My first Subway, chips, Gatorade, and beer in a week. My first shower in three or four days. Finally, I am somewhat human again! Came into town with three of the thru hikers from the shelter last night. Met up with Plodder and Turtle in town. Two more acts of magic today. Tater ('00 thru hiker) offered drinks, and BSA troop 605 from Baldwin, Ga. had a feast waiting for us at the end Of our hike.P.S. Sorry if the blister pictures grosses anyone out.