morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-09-13
From: East Flagstaff Road

To: Route 27, Stratton
Miles today: 16.7

Today was a flip-flop day, north to south. Because of the food poisoning, I am trying to make up miles the best I can.  Susan does shuttle service and had a couple going out to Flagstaff Road. They were going to hike south back to Stratton, route 27. To make the schedule work, we were going to leave at 5:30 am.  It was really early and very dark when we left the motel.  By the time we arrived at the trailhead, it was just getting light. I wasn't sure how the hiking would be. It was a bit scary entering such dark woods. I wanted to head out first so that Peach and Fuzz would be behind me to cover my back.   Our first mountain was Little Bigelow, starting at 1250 feet and rising up to a little over 3000 feet. It was apparent at the beginning the treadway was in much better shape than during the last week of hiking. There were a lot more view points, unfortunately it was very foggy so no views. The real peaks were Avery and West Peak that were so steep up and down they looked like camel humps.  The summit was above tree line with lots of signs warning people about the fragile alpine vegetation and to please stay on the trail. No problem.  Even with the heavy fog I could tell it was a sharp drop off all around.  On Avery summit there was a very small cabin, a fire wardens hut. Didn't look to be anyone there, but a wild place it would be, especially in the winter. The descent changed to a boulder stumble and a lot more erosion among the roots with yet more mud puddles. It was a long hike of 16.7 miles, but it felt good to be able to hike more than a small distance. I am seeing more changing of leaves.  The locals say the change is early, about two weeks.  Saw a lot of my hiker friends because I was going south. A big surprise was when I saw Jeremy coming up the trail. He was someone I started with down in Springer.  He was heading north to Mt Katahdin. A long day, but a good one. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-14
From: Route 27, Stratton

To: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Had planned to do a relatively short day over the Crocker Mountains. Sue needed to leave at 5:15 to be back for other shuttles. When I awoke, my body did not feel well.   I'm guessing that I¢ve pushed it too hard yesterday.  Decided the best thing was to take a zero day.  Was I glad to have made the decision to stay put.  It Rained a good part of the day. It gave me the chance to fill in missing days on my journals. Also I was able to do laundry and go through my gear. The big event today was for two of my fellow hikers. It was Brushstroke's 60th birthday and Serene was turning 60 on the 19th. We celebrated with a very good dinner at the White Wolf Inn. Sandy, our waitress, was also the cook.   She was a treat for us hungry hikers. Amazingly, she found a candle to go on top of Brushstroke's lemon meringue pie.  With the help of Hoot, Sundance and Burrack, we sang Happy Birthday. Like me, they are making this journey as a celebration of life and a key birthday year. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-15
From: Stratton, Maine

To: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

From: StrattonTo: StrattonMiles: 0A very interesting day all around. It seemed that the economy was reflecting the weather outside. There were large bellowing dark clouds that continue to loom up over the motel The trees were shaking with strong winds just as the winds are shaking the foundation of our financial world. To be out here hiking, it takes you away from the everyday problems others are having, I still hear the news. I decided to relax and stay put doing something I've wanted to do for months....read a book. When Sand Bagger was hiking with me through the White Mountain, he had a book...The Good Guy by Dean Koontz. It is a good read and I found it interesting that he wrote some words for me about this hike I'm on. I'm probably not allowed to quote him, but I feel I must share his words: "Where he (I) stood now was at that point in any dangerous enterprise when the mind either sharpens to meet the escalating challenge or proves too dull for the duel, when the heart either becomes a guiding compass or shrinks from the journey, when success becomes a possibility or not." You never know where your inspiration is going to come. I am now two weeks from reaching the goal I set out to accomplish over six months ago. Let's get 'er done!Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-16
From: Long Falls Dam Road

To: Bog Brook Road
Miles today: 11.6

It was one of the best days of hiking that I can remember for some time. The temperature was in the 70's with almost no wind and the sun was shining with just a few clouds. Great for photography.Sue was going to shuttle us to where we left off yesterday.  She has a standard poodle who goes with her everywhere.  There were five of us this morning putting Knucklehead on someone¢s lap. We'd asked if we could take a photo of her and the dog. She said sure, but we have to get dressed.  That meant Kucklehead had to put on a bandanna and his sunglasses. At the Long Falls Dam road, the number 2000 was painted on the pavement. This is the mileage from Springer Mountain, Georgia  Interestingly, I didn't really feel that excited about that number. I am more impressed that I have 168.7 miles to go to Mt. Katahdin, but I guess walking 2000 miles does represent a significant milestone.  I think part of it was to my dismay I had forgotten my hiking poles and my camera didn't have a charged battery.From West Carry to Middle Carry pond, we were walking on the historic Arnold Trail. Yes, this is the Benedict Arnold who was labeled a traitor to his country, but he was also a soldier. In 1775, he took an army of 1150 men this way trying to get to Quebec where they were hoping to surprise the British.  During this winter passage, they, like us hikers, got bogged down in the swamps and streams in this area. He lost most of his men and the 650 who survived were so weak that the attack failed. Before this the Abenaki Indians used this route to get around rapids. For me, the highlight of the day was marked on the map...sand beach. Serene, Brushstrokes, and I could not believe our eyes. Now, you are probably thinking of a wide expanse of white sand along a lakefront. Well, not exactly. You could probably put the sand on this beach in one dump truck. It was a sight for eyes that have only seen dirt for six months.  Brushstrokes stretched out on the sand thoroughly enjoying the feel of sun and sand. We all took 45 minutes and sat looking out on the East Carry Pond just being peaceful.  I could see cabins along the edge and wondered how nice it would be to have such a place.  In the winter, the only way to get to your cabin would be by snowmobile. It would be a long winter if you had to stay in one place.  Susan met us at the Main logging road.  It is evident that logging is the main industry in this area. It was a beautiful day and one that I was able to walk, and not feel in a hurry. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-17
From: Main Logging Road

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 8.2

From the profile on my map, this promised to be another easy day of hiking. It wasn't quite as easy as yesterday, but I enjoyed it. The trail was mostly through pine forests. It did parallel the Otter Pond Stream. This was a fast moving stream with enough water to make for some dramatic waterfalls. We met a couple who were birding and they had bags of potato chips for us. They had rowed a canoe on Pierce pond then hiked to where we saw them. I am thinking this looks a lot more fun than lugging a thirty-five pound pack.  Pierce Pond had a lean-to, but no views. I don't understand why some of these shelters could not be arranged in a more view-friendly way. It would have been a nice place to stay. The big event today was crossing the Kennebec River. From almost the very beginning of the trail, you are aware of this most famous crossing. In 1985, a doctor and his wife tried to ford the river. She was drowned. Since then the ATC has put a canoe and oarsman to ferry hikers across the river. It is a very wide and shallow river, but upstream there is an hydroelectric plant.  It releases water often with no warning. When this happens, the water rises two to four feet and the current picks up dramatically. There are sign posted, Do Not Attempt to Ford.  At first, I thought there was a fishing boat with an engine doing the shuttling.  No, it is a red canoe with one guy paddling. As he gets closer, he is wearing a uniform with a Robin Hood type hat. "I'm Hillbilly Dave and you need to fill out this release form and wear a life preserver. Stardust and I were the first to cross. He made five trips while I was there. After the first trip, the water did come up and the current was very strong. It definitely would have been out of the question to try and cross.  Most of us were heading to the Northern Outdoors Resort which required a two mile road walk.  It was a very nice place...a few notches above my recent accommodations. They had a restaurant serving very good food.  What I loved were the black and white photos of locals taken at the beginning of the nineteen century hung on the walls. They had a hot tub, but too many people around for the black underwear bathing suit. Opted for reading a book in bed.  Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-18
From: Caratunk

To: Moxie Pond Road
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

I did not sleep well last night. I think the anxiety of ending the journey had begun to affect my system. Another thought is all the cokes I'm drinking.  Almost everyone I've asked said they never drink sodas before they started the AT, but now they crave the sugar. Diet is a concern.  It was another gorgeous day weather wise. I feel very fortunate to be able to experience her good side. I am seeing more leaves changing. At times, the path is covered with fallen maple leaves in shades of red to green and the yellow birch leaves. For the first five miles it was a gentle walk with good footing. After passing the sign to Pleasant Pond Lean-to, the trail became tough again. Just to remind us that we are still on the Appalachian Trail, it went straight up Pleasant Mountain. There were rock ledges and climbs through a wooded rocky stretch of 1.1 miles.  When we did get to the top of a rounded rock, there was a beautiful view. Brushstrokes thought we should be able to see Mt. Katahdin, but I thought it wasn't until somewhere in the 100 mile wilderness that you get your first glimpse. I had lunch up on top and would have enjoyed staying longer, but there was a cold wind blowing. There are definite freeze warnings for tonight. The back side of Pleasant Pond Mountain was a five mile descent through a rocky and sometimes steep pine forest. What made this mountain easier for me going up and especially down was the deep layer of pine needles. I could plant my poles and jump down many of the large rocks.  Today's hike ended at Moxie Pond. Dawn from Shaw's in Monson was picking us up. She had driven to Caratunk, got our extra gear and found us on a backwoods dirt road. Even though we our walking only thirty-six miles from Caratunk to Monson, it took us over an hour to drive about half that distance.  Monson is another very small town with no traffic lights, no chain eateries, no bank or ATM and only a small general store/gas station. It's going to be interesting to see how to resupply for the next 100 miles. Fly right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-19
From: Marble Brook Road

To: Moxie Pond Road
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day for hiking. It did get down to freezing last night making for a chilly beginning to the day. Breakfast at Shaw's was the best... starting with coffee being available at 6:00. I am still waking up at around 5:00, but lying in a comfy bed feels good. There were some twenty-eight who were here this morning including people from the other rooming house. They have a set menu and you order by 1x, 2x or 3x. So this morning it was french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs and home fries. Depending on what you order 1, 2 or 3, you get the number you want and how you want your eggs cooked. If you don't want an item that's okay too. I only ordered 1, but wished I'd ordered more. Sue gave us a ride out to Marble Brook and we were light packing going south.  The first five miles were a gentle climb and with pretty good footing.  Whenever you go south, it gives you a chance to see lots of your friends. Too many to remember except for Santa. I'd had dinner with him the other dinner at Northern Outdoor. Yes, he does wear a Santa Claus hat and sometimes a coat. Got my picture taken with him. Did not sit on his lap. From the Moxie Bald Lean-to, the trail began a serious climb up Moxie Bald Mountain. It shows a very steep peak, but it really was an easy climb.  There was an optional by-pass for foul weather.  Today could not have been clearer so we went all the way up to the top. It was Serene's sixtieth birthday. Took more photos and had our lunch looking out in all directions. You could probably see a hundred miles. Again we speculated as to whether you could see Mt Katahdin. As we came down the spine of the peak marked with cairns, I could see Moxie Pond.  It would have been much scarier if it had been wet. Today it was fun. We discovered large slab rocks arranged like fins so you could crawl around them.  We were having fun taking pictures. We were making great time. I was able to get a cell signal out on the way down enabling us to get picked up earlier. Dawn, one of the owners of Shaws, came to get us. She and her deceased husband Keith started a tradition of helping hikers. Now, it seems the whole family and friends are running the house. You could not find nicer people. They insist that you shower (They have better shampoo, body gel and other personal items. than most motels) and provide clothes while you do your laundry. Sodas are available on an honor system.  I mentioned that Serene's birthday was today.  Sue one of the owners made a chocolate cake for him and another hiker, Southpaw, who turned fifty-nine today. The hiker community is a close group of people. Tonight being Friday, it was bluegrass night at the General Store.  What a hoot. Mando does a similar session back in Aspen, Colorado.  It is a group of musicians who get together to jam. It looked like a van of seniors also came to enjoy the music.  More of this should be happening across this country.Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-20
From: West Branch Piscataquis Branch

To: Monson, Shaw's Hostel
Miles today: 12.1

I was going to light pack one more day to finish up the section before Monson. Today my daughter Is meeting me to come hike the 100 mile wilderness. We had reservations at the Lakeside Lodge, but I was already set up at Shaw's so decided to stay there. I don't remember a lot about the day¢s hike. I must have had my mind on her arrival and details about the 100 mile Wilderness which is neither 100 miles, but 114.5 or a true wilderness. There are hikers who are light packing through the whole area and staying in towns at night, but Tasha and I want to carry our packs, camp in the woods and have the full experience. I can't express how wonderful it is to see my daughter. We worked on our schedule, went through all our gear and clothes and planned our food. Here is a list of what each of us is carrying for eight days:BREAKFAST & DRINKS8 - Instant Oatmeals1 1/2 cup granola1 small bag blueberries1 cup dried cranraisins4 - honey sticks8 - tea bags1/2 cup each instant and regular coffee2 - muscle milk1 cup tangLUNCH6 - mini whole wheat bagels1/4 cup peanut butter2 Tablespoons jelly2 - 3 oz tuna packets1 - 8 oz extra sharp Cabbot cheese1 cup wheat thin crackers9 Bars (Luna, power, snickers, cliff, Nature Valley, Pro, Almond Joy bar, Reese)8 - oz beef jerkyGorp - 2 cups mix nuts and peanut .M&Ms.   1 1/2 cup mix dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, cocktail nuts2 - cups rice cracker (crumbled)2 - cups sesame sticksDINNERS8 - Mary Jane Farm's Dehydrated dinners1 - chocolateADD AT WHITE HOUSE CAMPNutty BarWheat Cracker Cheddar cheese2 - bars1 - Snickers Bar1 - roll package Ritz crackers3 - hot ciders5 oz sharp cheese1 appleUnfortunately, we did not have a scale to weigh our packs. We are estimating our packs weighed 35 pounds including 1 1/2 liters of water and I carry 14 oz of tang.  We went to the Lakeside Pub for a great dinner of bruchetta and stuffed potato skins with a glass of wine. There was a lot of anticipation about the wilderness, but also the knowledge that I was on the last stage of this trek.  Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-21
From: Route 15 Monson

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is the first day of fall... the fall equinox, day and night are equal.  After another great breakfast at Shaw's, we were driven to the trailhead. From now on Tasha, my daughter, will be known as Ravonette.  The sign at the trail listed Katahdin at 112 miles, but the book says we are 114.5 miles out. The second sign was a big warning that there is no place to resupply and you should carry at least ten days of food. We are carrying eight days. I am keeping a list of our food and will show later. The day started with overcast and just a sprinkle of rain. It was an up and down day, but no major hills to climb. The treadway was better than many days with a soft pine needle footing. We went around several ponds, but saw no moose. There was some boggy spots, but not bad.  Wilson Falls turned out to be a narrow falls. Our first ford was the Big Wilson Stream. I'd heard about the fords in Maine and must say I was a little intimidated by the prospect of crossing rocky, icy Maine streams. We could see that it was at least knee deep. Serene who was SOBO had warned us of the crossing.  There was a climbers rope strung across the stream.  We dawned our crocs and unbuckled our packs. This is in case you do loose your footing, you are not swept under. The rope was high in the air so we decided to cross together....poles in one hand and the other hand literally hanging from the rope. The crossing went well until the end where I had to let go of the rope.  Ravonette almost went flying. We had a short, but steep climb up to the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railroad. The tracks looked clean so I thought it was still a working track. Found out at 3:30 am that yes it was a working railroad. It sounded like the train was headed right through our camp.  The Wilson Valley Lean-to shelter was very near the tracks. Decided to tent near the shelter for company. We had pasted one creepy guy after Bear Pond Ledge where we had lunch. It was the first time in months that my antenna went up. He was all dressed in a hooded sweat shirt and black jeans not moving well at all. So it was a relief to see South Paw, a thru hiker, Pokey Princess and her dog, a brother and sister, sectional hikers. He made a fire and we were feeling very good about the day. Ranonette was a champ on her first day. Although our packs were heavy, we were so glad to have made the decision to backpack the 100 Mile Wilderness. I'm so fortunate to have Ravonette hiking with the Ravon. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-22
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

Yes!! I am less than a 100 miles left to the end of this amazing journey. The weather continues to hold.  Just a great temperature for hiking. We had several opportunities for spectacular views. At the top of the Barren Slide  Ravonette had a chance to see what a medium sized mountain with fairly steep rock ledges was like. Our lunch spot was on top of the Barren Ledges. It had a commanding view of the Onawa Lake, a good sized body of water far below.  Off in the distance I could see the Bigelow Peaks, which I had climbed last week.  The sun was shining and a hawk circled above.  Ravonette was even able to call home and talk to her family  It was a vacation day from school and Uri said he was doing his homework. Sophie had found turkey eggs.  We are so far apart, but still can share. No luck on my cell phone.  Earlier in the day we had another stream crossing. This was not as wide as the crossing yesterday, but the water was moving faster. Again they had rigged a climbing rope to aid in the cross over. As long as you can maintain your balance and hang onto the rope, these crossings are fun. It just take time to change out of your shoes and get across.   Some hikers just wade across in their hiking shoes, but I was never fond of hiking in wet boots. As a result of the mountain climb, views and stream crossings, we did not get as far as we had planned.  By 4:00, the temperature was dropping and we decided to take the blue blaze .4 of a mile to the Cloud Pond Lean-to.  It was a downhill trek, but we found a spot to tent overlooking a scenic small pond.  Not a lot of tenting spots available and the shelter was full. We ate our dinner next to a fire just in front of the shelter. There seems to be a lot of hikers and too few shelters, but it is the end of the season and a lot of thru-hikers are finishing their trek.  It is just a little over a week for the Ravon and Ravonettem until we reach Mt Katahdin. As we see the pond from our tent, it is almost dark and only 6:30 in the evening. Far fewer daylight hours for hiking.    Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-09-23
From: Cloud Pond Shelter

To: West Branch, Pleasant River
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

More hikers showed up at dark so we were tented very close together.  The shelters are small and there is little room to tent. If you get to a shelter late, you are out of luck. One of our neighbors was Pokey Princess and her dog Bailey. She lives in Maine and was out for a three day hike. Since she was leaving the trail, I asked if I could buy her small stove canister to use as a back-up. ¢No, but. I want you to have it.¢ Up to this point I had been using an alcohol stove and couldn't remember how long these cartridges lasted. Now we have a spare.   Today was a lot of ups and downs. We had to start the day with a steep climb .4 of a mile to get back on the. AT. Again, none of these miles count. The first peak was called Fourth Mountain. It was a very steep ascent and descent over a lot of rocks. The next in line was Third Mtn. You would think that the next two would be second and first. No, it was Columbus and Chairback. From the side view, the last mountain did look like a chair. Down the back side, the trail crew put in a lot of steps. We were tempted to go into East Chairback Pond, but pushed on to the West Branch of the Pleasant. On the top of Chairback Mtn we met a ridge runner who told us about a camp spot just before the Pleasant River. So we pushed on. When we arrived at the spot, there were two other tents.  They were the guys who had asked if they could tent near our spot the night before because there was no space. We didn't want to crowd so we went back a short distance across a stream. There were no signs not to camp. Just as we almost had our tent up, along came Ridge Runner Dave saying, ¢No, No, NO.¢ He made us move our tent even though there was a fire pit there and almost dark. I was not a happy camper. I know he was trying to protect the area, but this was ridiculous. It turned out that the guys were on our side and we laughed about the situation. Someone needs to look at the camping situation in this area.    Fly Right, Ravon