morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-07-30
From: South Arm Rd

To: ME 17, Fieldstone Cottages 
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Longest hiking day yet in terms of miles, but not hours.  It took us 10.5 hours.  This is nothing like hiking in other states with the possible exception of New Hampshire which I¢ll be experiencing next year. I had popped two Aleve at the start and took another at 11:00 in anticipation of the climb down Bemis Mountain. The knee pain never came, at least not enough to slow me down. This and the fact that we came across countless blueberry bushes on top of the mountain. You can bet we stopped to pluck the best blueberries I¢ve ever eaten; a refreshing reward after a strenuous climb. Rainbow and I refer to easy sections of the trail where you can stretch out your stride and quicken your pace as superhighways. There were almost none of them today. Instead the trail was chock full of mud, roots and rocks. Water sources were scarce. I had to collect water from a ¢seasonal spring¢ which in late July meant a 3 foot by 2 foot stagnant pool about 4 inches deep. I zapped it with my UV light and hoped for the best. Thank God for little packets of lemonade powder I was able to add. It¢s refreshing and masks any off tastes that might have been there. We¢ve been blessed by good weather this entire trip which has now spanned a full week of hiking. My brother Nate met us in Rangeley after Gary and Cathy picked us up at the ME 17 crossing. The five of us had dinner at the Red Onion. For me, meatballs appetizer, fish & chips, and a wedge salad that I split with Nate. The salad was far from wedge-like in that it was built on Romaine lettuce, but nevertheless tasty. We then walked to the ice cream shop where I ordered a wildberry parfait.
Date: 2020-07-31
From: ME 17, Fieldstone Cottages 

To: ME 4, Fieldstone Cottages
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today¢s hike was lots of fun. I got to hike with my brother Nate and while it tied with yesterday¢s hike in length as our longest days thus far, it presented few challenges. No tough climbs or descents and little in the way of rock scrambles. Our marching order was Nate, then me, then Rainbow who got to listen in on the brothers catching up on current family events and recollections of Hagelin lore. Of course, as usual in these strange times, talk turned to politics, secure in knowing we¢re all firmly on the same side of the political divide. We arrived at ME4 at 3:00 where Nate¢s car was parked. After showers and town clothes applied, we headed off to town for some small gear purchases and an early dinner. The platter of fully loaded nachos left even us long-distant hikers stunned. I ordered a burger with onion rings and downed at least five lemonades. Back to the ice cream shop we went for a much unneeded dessert. Nate and I both feared losing it all, but we persevered and kept it all down. We sat in Adirondack chairs by the pond and watched a bunch of ducks compete for the ice cream cone a boy had given to one of them. Back at the Cottages Gayle and I reviewed our plan going forward to see if it made sense now that we¢d experienced eight days hiking Maine. There are two 17 mile days coming up, but the elevation profile looks easy enough to handle. I called Joan who was at Dotty and Steve¢s and we four chatted. Today¢s hike was the last of our streak of slackpacking. Thus far it¢s been 3 days of full packs and camping followed by four days of slackpacking and sleeping indoors. After tomorrow¢s zero it will be back to full packs and sleeping in our hammocks.
Date: 2020-08-01
From: ME 4, Fieldstone Cottages

To: Fieldstone Cottages
Miles today: 0.0

Our first zero. The morning was spent getting a really nice breakfast where I had a bowl of fresh fruit among other things on the back deck of Moosely Bagels. Then Nate took a bike ride around Rangeley Lake while Gayle and I did hike related chores. I did a pack shakedown and filled a bag with items I thought I wouldn¢t need for sending back home with Nate. I replaced a bottle holder cord and came up with what I hope will be a solution for my right shoe. It¢s a bit large to give my feet plenty of room, so when I cinch it up tight, the inside tongue fabric bunches a bit and a fold in the fabric irritates the top of my foot. After a while it becomes quite annoying. Best I could come up with was to adhere a patch of moleskin to that spot on my foot. We shall see. We did laundry at a laundromat, did some food shopping at the IGA and stopped in at the local outfitter for hydration tabs. The three of us had lunch which featured a really tasty BLT. Then back to the Cottages where Nate and I called brother Dan to catch up with him. Nate left for home to prepare a lobster feast for his sons and their girlfriends. Down we went for an afternoon nap.Hours later we walked into town for our last civilized dinner in a while. It will be back to full backpacks and trail food as we hike over Saddleback.
Date: 2020-08-02
From: Fieldstone Cottages

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

As I write today¢s journal entry there¢s one word that can best describe how I¢m feeling right now, though it will be meaningless to anyone but a Hagelin boy:  wadoo. Suffice it to say I¢m discombobulated, damp and wishing I could start the evening over without the rain. After four days slackpacking, my full pack felt heavy and took some getting used to. Especially with a heavy load of food. But it felt normal soon enough. My hip belt no longer slips as long as I remember to tie the strap ends together with a square knot. Today¢s 10.7 consisted of hiking up and over three peaks, two of which were 4000 footers. Saddleback, The Horn, and Saddleback Junior. The climb up to the peak of Saddleback was long but gradual with plenty of breathtaking views. I¢d done that very hike in 2002 during a family reunion. Being above tree line, we had 360 degree views of mountains and lakes. With blueberries in abundance, clear skies and a cool breeze, it was one of those happy AT experiences one doesn¢t forget. We then hiked down a dip and up to The Horn; another spectacular view. But the fun more or less stopped there because the climb down was a very steep rock scramble, as was both the climb up and down Saddleback Junior. It was a very slow slog with few redeeming features. By the time we arrived, we were done. Gayle and I scrambled to get our tarps and hammocks hung as rain and wind quickened our pace. Many of my camp chores were rushed, cramped, and some were skipped altogether as we struggled in a dank and crowded shelter occupied by Groovy and a woman I had met while hiking the Smokies last year. I¢m hoping it won¢t be raining tomorrow morning when we break camp. Today was definitely a two-faced day.
Date: 2020-08-03
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: few clouds

It rained lightly most of the night and was still drizzling at 5:00 when I started to break camp. We started hiking just before 7:00. We encountered what we¢ve come to expect: some steep rocky descents. The Orbeton stream crossing was a challenge. It was hop from rock to rock. It went well till there was a longer gap and the rock we needed to land on required balancing on it¢s pointy ridge. I slipped off and fell backwards with both feet fully submerged. Wet feet for the rest of the day.There was a long climb up Lone Mountain, but nothing too challenging. Then 2.2 to the shelter. We pulled in early for the first time this trip so considered moving on. But two southbound hikers showed up and convinced us that the next miles are very difficult. I hope we don¢t regret this decision as the forecast is for two days of rain starting tomorrow.
Date: 2020-08-04
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: ME 27, Stratton 
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

According to our plan, this was to be a short day. But with a storm coming tonight, we decided to combine two day¢s hiking into one by getting to the ME 27 road crossing. Our planned stop was a campground with no shelter and hammocking in high winds and rain appealed to us not at all. So it was 13.5 miles which took us 11.5 hours. There were some very steep ups and downs, but for the most part it was the rocks that slowed us down. We¢re beginning to learn to expect every day to be difficult. Maine has few level stretches and lots of rocks. The kind of rocks that slow you way down. South Crocker Mountain and it¢s cleverly named neighbor, North Crocker Mountain were particularly steep and rocky. The descent from North Crocker to ME 27 took a grueling six hours. Thankfully my knees and feet held up throughout the day. By the time we got to ME 27, the clouds, setting sun, and the thick forest canopy made for very dark hiking. We had wanted to stay at the Stratton Motel, but each time I called I got a recorded message saying they were open. I tried calling again at the trailhead but no answer. So I tried the Hiker Hostel of Maine and got a recorded message. Stratton is 5.2 miles from the trailhead. A past thruhiker named Tree Hugger had his number posted on some trail magic at the trailhead, so we called him. He turned out to be most helpful, driving us into town and suggesting places to say. Much of the town, it turns out, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so the pickings were slim. We checked out the Stratton Motel. The office door was open. We rang the little bell and hollered for help. Nobody was there. This is a tiny town, not to be confused with its famous namesake in Vermont. But this is supposed to be a hiker friendly town. We checked the motel next door. All locked up and again, nobody. There was a sign on the door, ¢Need a room?¢, with three phone numbers. I tried all three and got voicemail. Thankfully the third number called back and said she¢d be there in five minutes. We got a room with two beds, showered and put on dry clothes and went across the street and down two establishments to the only restaurant open on Tuesdays which turned out to be a good one. We didn¢t think to wear our wet rain jackets and by the time we left the restaurant it was pouring rain. We got soaked. We¢ll be zeroing here in Stratton so we can  resupply and do laundry. The original plan had us arriving here earlier in the day when we could have just spent one night here. More alterations to the plan are being hatched. We¢ll try to stay on schedule.
Date: 2020-08-05
From: ME 27, Stratton 

To: White Wolf Inn, Stratton
Miles today: 0.0

Today the weather is beautiful. I learned from Joan last night about the damaging winds, heavy rain, lightning, and power outages back home in New Jersey. Lots of tree limbs down in the yard, including some big ones. We had it easy up here by comparison. It¢s noon now and we¢ve done laundry and resupplied. Best of all I¢ve been able to post my journal entries. Gayle and I studied our plan and modified it to eliminate an upcoming 17 miler and still keep us on track. The consensus seems to be that the hiking here in Maine doesn¢t get much easier until the last 50 miles before Katahdin. Doing a little math, I see we¢ve hiked 111 miles of our 293-mile hike. We¢re about 38 percent done with 182 miles to go. We¢re on track to summit the Big K on the 22nd of August. We¢re staying at the White Wolf Inn. Nice enough, but we can¢t get the TV to work. Nor can the nice lady who let us in last night. A short day tomorrow. We¢ll call Tree Hugger this evening and arrange a shuttle back to the ME 27 trail head.
Date: 2020-08-06
From: ME 27, Stratton 

To: Avery Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 8.1

Treehugger came by the White Wolf Inn as promised at exactly 7:00 to take us back to the trailhead. This morning¢s hike featured a 2.5 mile climb up into the Bigelow range. It was for me a fun climb as my legs have become pretty strong. Still two faster hikers passed me by, one of whom was Sherpa Mike. He¢s from Lincoln, NH and offered to help us out next year as Gayle and I hike his state. Right now it¢s 10:30 and I¢ve stopped for a snack at a scenic view and waiting for Gayle to catch up. I hope she sees my dropped pack by the trail and doesn¢t blow right past. Well she did blow right past. I had been at the view spot dining and snapping photos for about half an hour. When I got back to my pack I could see how she could have missed it. We met up at the lean-to where we were to stop for the day. But it was only 11:30. Way too early to stop, though it was a lovely site. We decided to keep going even though Gayle¢s legs were aching from the long uphill. Our new target was a campsite three miles up into the Bigelows called Avery Memorial Campsite, named after Myron Avery, the man most responsible for building the Appalachian Trail. Benton McCay was the visionary who conceived of the AT; Avery organized and built it.Before we left we collected water as our new destination campsite is reported to have an unreliable water source. I was carrying three liters of water and a very full food bag. On the way to the campsite we climbed to the top of Bigelow Mountain west peak. It was another 4K peak and above tree line. The views were magnificent and the wind was pretty strong and cool. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip thus far. Big lakes all around and mountains everywhere. With just 0.3 more to get to the campsite, we pulled in just before 4:00, hung our hammocks and changed into dry camp clothes. Dinner was another boring Knorr pasta side finished off with lemon cream Orio cookies. Yum. Because we pushed today¢s planned miles by three, tomorrow¢s hike will be shorter. Unless...There¢s a chance we may push through tomorrow and hike two day¢s worth. About 15 miles. If we can make that happen we¢ll be a day ahead of schedule. After we get up and over Avery Peak, the last of the Bigelows, the elevation profile flattens out a bit. So much depends on what¢s under foot.Note to readers:  Some of you knew I was taking off to hike Maine and knowing how I¢ve journaled on past hikes, may have been concerned about me. The reason why I didn¢t post my journals until yesterday is mostly because I¢ve been too wiped out at the end of the day to go through the process of posting entries and photos. And it is a bit of a process. My wife Joan was getting calls from family and friends asking about me so she encouraged me to use yesterday¢s zero to catch up on the postings. I¢m glad she did.  I will be better about keeping up. If I get behind again it will be because I got into camp really late or internet service is unavailable.
Date: 2020-08-07
From: Avery Memorial Campsite

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 14.9

Our plan called for stopping at Little Bigelow Lean-to, but we were hoping to make it to tomorrow¢s shelter by putting in a 15 mile day. The morning hike was tough. Hiking over the last two Bigelow peaks was slow going. We encountered not a single superhighway until the last 0.3 miles before stopping at Little Bigelow Lean-to at 1:00 for lunch and water. If the 7.7 miles to the next day¢s shelter was anything like the 7.2 we¢d just hiked, we probably wouldn¢t have made it. As it turned out the afternoon hiking was much easier, even with the ups and downs so characteristic of Maine. And the mud. I haven¢t yet described how muddy the trail has been. It seems just about every little dip in the trail becomes a mud puddle that slows you way down as you figure out the best route through or around it. I¢ve been able to remain largely unscathed, though this afternoon, with less than a mile to go, I managed to plunge a shoe deep into the muck.This morning we summited the last two peaks of Bigelow Mountain. Avery Peak and Little Bigelow. Both offered spectacular views. Between the two we came upon a view spot where we witnessed what must have been a dragonfly convention. I¢d never seen so many in one place flying about. These were the big-bellied ones that look like miniature helicopters.We chose to cook and eat our dinners back by our hammocks rather than try to be sociable with the young hikers at the shelter who seemed to think we were there to spoil their fun. Tonight¢s was a Knorr rice side with a prune chaser.  No cell service at all here so I was not able to talk or text Joan. Tomorrow is a 14 mile hike to the Kennebec River, famous as the only water crossing with mandatory ferry service by canoe. Problem is, the ferry service is reported to run only until 2:00 and there ain¢t no way we¢re making it there by 2:00. Hmmm...
Date: 2020-08-09
From: Kennebec River

To: The Sterling Inn, Caratunk
Miles today: 0.4

A good night¢s sleep makes such a difference. I woke at 5:30, did my leg stretches, broke camp and hauled my gear down by the river and made coffee. We had a leisurely morning waiting for the ferryman to come at 9:00. He was right on time with his golden retriever in tow. After signing Covid forms he took us across one at a time. We had but 0.4 miles to get to the road crossing for Caratunk. Fred the ferryman offered to call the Sterling Inn for us so that one minute after reaching the road, the van showed up to take us the 1.4 to the Inn. It felt great to get laundry done, shower, and have frozen sandwiches and Ben & Jerry¢s for lunch. We were able to do our resupply right there at his well stocked shop. I needed two items from an outfitter: a hiking pole and camp shoes. My old Leki pole had lost its tip making it useless on rocks and my cloth camp shoes, once wet, became stinky, nasty things I hated being near, let alone wearing. After inquiring about a local outfitter and learning there is none, it turned out the Inn had Leki pole tips and there were a pair of plastic water shoes sitting in the hiker box. Hiker boxes are free stuff other hikers have left behind. I lucked out big time. The shoes are a bit big, but being plastic, they¢ll dry quickly. What about my leg that crippled our progress yesterday?  I¢m not feeling any pain there, but I¢ve yet to really hike on it. We¢ll hit the trail tomorrow morning and see what comes. Meanwhile I¢ll continue stretching it out throughout the day. A free ride into town took us to a brewpub. We sat outdoors near two small swimming pools kids were enjoying. Nachos and fish & chips with local root beer on tap. No dessert this time having consumed a pint of ice cream at lunch. Even I have my limits. Free breakfast tomorrow with a 6:30 ride back to the trail for a planned 14.7 day. First half of the day is a gentle uphill followed by a downhill afternoon. Let¢s see how the leg fares.
Date: 2020-08-10
From: The Sterling Inn, Caratunk

To: Moxie Pond Rd
Miles today: 11.9

I had hoped a day of rest and stretching would have cured the pain in my leg. And for a while I remained optimistic as the morning¢s hike went pretty well. But the morning featured a fairly rigorous climb up  Pleasant Pond Mountain. When we reached the summit I felt the muscle somewhat, but remained hopeful that it was mostly recovered. In fact, because we finally had cell service up there, I called Joan and reported that I was doing OK. But then came the descent off the mountain. It wasn¢t long before the pain came back as fierce as two days before hiking down to the Kennebec. Once again I was hiking at a snail¢s pace. By the time we stopped for lunch at 12:30, I knew I couldn¢t go on. Especially with the 100 Mile Wilderness facing us in three days. The day of rest simply wasn¢t enough. I¢m reminded of my 2018 thru hike attempt when shin splints forced me off the trail for so long that I decided to become a section hiker and give up my dream of being a thru hiker. At the lunch stop we still had cell service so I called the Sterling Inn and arranged for a pickup at the next road crossing about four miles further on. I told him where I was and we agreed to a 7:30 pickup. Understandably he didn¢t want to have to wait around for me. It took me five hours to hike the four miles, arriving at Moxie Pond Rd at 5:30. With two hours to kill, I said my sad good-byes to Gayle, my erstwhile hiking partner. I told her I¢d be there at Baxter State Park for her summit of Katahdin. Gayle is going on to finish her section hike of the AT. Maine is her last state. She wants to hike with me next summer to hike New Hampshire and the northern half of Maine as I finish my AT hike. That¢s the kind of hiking partner and person she is. I can¢t imagine a better hiking partner for me.
Date: 2020-08-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I met with a sports medicine doctor shortly after arriving back home.  A series of x-rays of my two knees and hips showed very healthy bones with no indication of arthritis.  A few days later I had an MRI on my left thigh and right knee.  That was yesterday.  The MRI showed no issue with the muscle tissue on the left leg, the one that hurt so much on the downhills.  However the right knee showed a torn meniscus.  This explains why I had been favoring my right knee and taking most of the weight bearing, both on the steep rocky ascents and the steep descents, with my left leg, causing the stress in my left thigh.  I'm now scheduled for knee surgery on the 11th of September to repair the torn meniscus.  The doctor tells me I should be in great shape to complete my AT section hike next year.It is a big relief to know why I got myself in such trouble those last two days of hiking.  Till next year, this is Farfar signing off.
Date: 2020-08-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I¢m happy to report that my hiking partner, Gayle (Rainbow), completed her Appalachian Trail section hike yesterday, August 21, by summiting Mt Katahdin. The weather was less than optimal for such a momentous event: cold, windy, rainy, foggy, zero visibility. And to make matters worse, she hiked alone. When she got to the summit, instead of joyous, celebratory hikers around the famous Baxter Peak sign, there was nobody there to share her accomplishment. So no photo of her standing proudly atop the sign. It was so cold and miserable that she had to turn right around and head back down.My wife Joan and I wanted to be there for her so we had driven up to Maine on Wednesday and rented a spot at a campground in Millinocket. On Thursday we drove into Baxter State Park and surprised her by showing up at The Birches, a camping area for long-distance hikers staging for their summits. She had just settled down for an afternoon nap in her hammock when we showed up calling her name. She was totally surprised. We drove her out of the park back to Millinocket for a take-out Mexican lunch at the AT Cafe. It was fun giving trail magic for a change rather than receiving it.On Friday, the day of her summit, her partner Kathy and her sister Margaret arrived at the campground mid-afternoon in their RV. We all hopped into our car and headed back to Baxter State Park. By the time we showed up for Gayle, she had been off the mountain for many hours. After hugs and cheers we all piled back into our car and headed back to the campground. We finished the day by taking dinner at the Scootic In (sic) in Millinocket.For some reason, Rainbow wants to hike with me again next year as I hike New Hampshire and the second half of Maine to complete my AT hike. I¢m so glad she wants to do this with me and am so very lucky to have such a terrific hiking partner.