morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-15
From: Rough Camp, Baldplate Mountain (West Peak)

To: Andover, Maine
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light rain

The remains of the hurricane that hit Florida never came. There was no rain today, it was great to see the first sunshine in Maine. I had hoped for a nero day in Andover, that never really came as we got there at 3.00pm and hiked a slow 7 miles in to town. Of course, Chigger and I immediately hit the store getting in to the Ben and Jerry's. I also had burger and fries, which I didn't really need as it transpired. As we were eating we bumped in to a couple of Southbounders, Professor and his friend who had already arranged a shuttle to The Cabin, a local hostel.The Cabin turned out to be a really friendly place run by two hikers, Bear and Honey. From the moment I arrived there seemed to be mountains of food available. Honey held a kind of afternoon tea upstairs where the leftovers from breakfast were consumed. Later, an enormous dinner was prepared that was really fantastic. There were lots of people hanging out at the hostel and it was a bit of a a wait for the washing machine and solitary shower. Luckily, the day continued to be warm and sunny and all my stuff that has remained wet for the past few days got put out on the line or draped over this and that and eventually dried out. However, it was a big mistake to put the data book through the washing machine.
Date: 2004-08-16
From: Andover, Maine

To: South Arm Rd, Maine
Miles today: 10.1

I had never slackpacked before. I don't take a moral position on it, I don't consider myself as ultra-purist, or anything like that, it's just never really appealed and not been especially convenient at any given time. But today I slacked the 10.1 miles between South Arm Rd and East Bee Hill Rd, courtesy of the nice people at The Cabin, Andover. It was raining first thing and the idea of coming back to the hostel in the late afternoon, having another shower, pigging out, dressing up in the pink laundry shorts again all appealed.It was a good hike. I don't feel the 'freedom assisted backpacking' really improved my pace, but it was great not to lug 35 pounds around. The big highlight of the day was seeing my first moose. A big female a little way off to the side of the trail. Another trail animal I can cross off my list. I've seen them all now save for the rattlesnakes and I think I'm out of their range now.
Date: 2004-08-17
From: South Arm Rd, Maine

To: Sabbath Day Pond Shelter, ME
Miles today: 17.0

I've had a great time staying at the Cabin, Andover for the past 2 nights and really do feel kind of refreshed despite the fact I slacked 10 miles yesterday and the day before hardly counted as a nero either. I think the vast quantities of good food helped a lot. By the way, it was none other than the legendary Aswah, a frequent contributor to this site, who's responsible for the cooking at the Cabin these days.But, Christ! do they get going early at that place. Bear is up at 3.00 AM and breakfast is served at 6.00 AM sharp, you really gotta make it to the table before 7.00 to be sure of making the most of the AYCE deal. I ended up feeling a little rushed being ready for the shuttle back to the trail which left about 8.00. The consolation was that I was on the AT at 9.15, when usually I'm hard-pressed to get out of a town before 2.00 in the afternoon. I admit it, I'm lazy, you don't have to tell me. Well, it might not be a 28 miler, but 17 miles seems to count as a big day in rocky, rooty Maine. In fact, it's by far the longest day I've hiked since the first day in the Whites and that nearly killed me. It felt good. I was hiking with Walk Softly and Chigger, we finally pulled into Sabbath Day Pond at 8.30.So nice to see some sunshine in Maine, today was a beautiful day. This state somewhat remeniscent of Sweden with silver birch trees all over, the rocky landscape punctuated by dozens of small, clear lakes.
Date: 2004-08-18
From: Sabbath Day Pond Shelter, ME

To: Rough Camp, Nr Eddy Pond Lake, ME
Miles today: 13.1

A fun day hiking with Walk Softly and Chigger; lots of little breaks, hence the low miles, but sunny, warm weather in which to wile away the day.Maine seems full of lakes, we must have passed at least 5 today. This contrasts with the rest of the trail, where the chance to walk by a body of water is very rare. The AT tends to cling to the mountaintops as if descending to the valleys would mean breaking an article of faith.At one of these lakes (since putting my data book through the washing machine I can't be sure which one) there were two beaten up old canoes, roughly sealed with bits of duck tape and looking none too sea-worthy. Naturally, we decided to take one out for a spin, me at the back as I'm the porkiest, so I had to do all the work steering the damn thing, none too easy with what looked like an old row boat paddle snapped just below the blade. It was really only a two-person canoe, but we all piled in and, mercifully, charted a safe circumnavigation of the lake. I had half expected a capsize, we'd emptied our pockets in readiness.Slainte is now composing rude songs about me AND Chigger in the registers. Will we ever catch that bastard?From Edie Pond we watched the sun sink pink and lonely behind the low mountains to the West.
Date: 2004-08-19
From: Rough Camp, Nr Eddy Pond Lake, ME

To: Spaulding Mountain Shelter, ME
Miles today: 15.0

What do I see in Maine?I see cold, cloud swept forests, mixed deciduous and coniferous. I see fragile, peeling silver birch and Aspen punctuating the mirk with chilling white bark. In the valleys the woods become almost generic AT, they are kinder, sunnier. No firs. On clear days the light plays games with the leaves, spattering sunlight playfully over the forest floor. More often, there is no sun, the trees high altitude spruce and alpine. It's dark, austere, not much light to spare. Lichens and fuzzy moss cling to wind bent boughs, looking aged, sad. The cold heart of Maine may never thaw out completely. I saw Trailboss from the PATC today, last spotted in sunny Virginia. He said in Maine you had to remember your three 'Rs' Rocks, Roots and Rain. The whole state seems choked with roots, they cover the trail creeping out of the earth like fingers of the dead. The AT up here is a study in erosion. It's impossible to get up any kind of hiking pace, and if the roots don't get you the rocks will.There are pretty lakes all over, a bit like Sweden. In fact, Maine is much like Sweden with cheaper beer and uglier locals. Yesterday, at sunset, the water turned pink reflecting the last of the sun. Everything so quiet as though the deep water sucks out all the noise from the land, but there are few roads. You can't get thea from hea, as they say in these parts.That's what I see in Maine.
Date: 2004-08-20
From: Spaulding Mountain Shelter, ME

To: White Wolf Motel, Stratton, ME
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a surprise when Bear Behind walked in to the shelter at 9.00 AM, just as I was read to leave. I can't remember if I mentioned before that I saw him in Andover on the 16th for the first time since we both left Springer together exactly 5 months earlier on March 16th. Of course, I knew he was around from the registers, but somehow we'd kept on just missing each other. He's slimmed down a lot and is a fast hiker now. He's with Aussie Bill, who I'd never met, apparently he gets mstaken for a Brit almost as much as I do an Aussie. He laughed that I was planning to get a T shirt made bearing the slogan: NO I'M NOT F***IN AUSTRALIAN! It was a sunny day, great after yesteray's late rain. The first five miles were slow over Spaulding and Sugarloaf Mountain but things got rapidly faster after lunch with a fast descent from North Crocker Mountain. Chigger and I were standing by the road at 4.55 and picked up a ride straight away from a couple of hikers who included Pop Tart, a thruhiker from last year witha a long journal on this site.Stratton turned out to be all that I hoped. Two cheap motels, a bar, a diner, a pizza joint, 2 grocery stores and a PO. What more do you want?
Date: 2004-08-21
From: White Wolf Motel, Stratton, ME

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A zero day. My first since I got back on the trail over a month ago and 500 miles back. I really needed it. it turned out to be a really good call as it rained through the night and most of today. Chigger and Walk Softly stayed too. Stratton is a great zero town as everything is so close together meaning you can access servives with the minimium of walking. Coffee and Ben and Jerrys within 1 minutes walk of my room - oh yes!I called Ross and Grace in the afternoon at their home in Augusta and spoke to Ross. Big congratulations to them on their marriage last week. What a journey they've had and one totally different from the one planned. It's possible that Ross might be stepping out in the 100 Mile Wilderness this year, I might even see him there.   The beers flowed freely in the evening. I bought a mixed pack of 6 localish microbrews so we could have an extended tasting session, then I went back to the store, bought a load more cheap Pabst and we got trashed.
Date: 2004-08-22
From: White Wolf Motel, Stratton, ME

To: Safford Notch Campsite, ME
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Chigger and I checked out of White Wolf Motel late and had a slow breakfast over the road at the Stratton Diner. Walk Softly had gone on ahead earlier. We got a ride back to the trail almost immediately.It was a beautiful day. Very clear. The perfect time to go over the tightly packed range of 4000 feet mountains known as the Bigelows. You could see for miles in all directions from the various summits. Apparently, it's possible to spot Katahdin 170 miles away on a clear day and we fancied we did. It was fantastic to see the extent of the wilderness around us, not a road nor a house visible for miles. So many lakes, most bearing tiny islands and many inter-connected my narrow channels. I could kayak for miles. And above it all, a big blue sky and white fluffy clouds.I had high hopes of catching up with Slainte today, but that bastard must have gone off like a bullet from a gun this morning, he wasn't at this campsite as Optimus and Kaloogi - who we did manage to catch - had anticipated. He's like one of those serial killers who taunts the police whilst always remaining one step ahead. But I'll get him.
Date: 2004-08-23
From: Safford Notch Campsite, ME

To: West Carry Pond Shelter, ME
Miles today: 12.2

2000 miles. Yes, today I passed that point. In some ways that distance is meaningless now, I'm not sure if anyone got that excited. Certainly, there was more anticiption in the air back in Harpers Ferry for the 1000 mile mark. I suppose it's because the actual FINISH is looming so large now, only 165.2 miles from this shelter. In thru-hiking terms that's a trot around the corner for the paper.I took it easy today. Not many miles, a late start and early finish. I still haven't caught up with Slainte, but only because he's staying one step ahead from pure bloody mindedness, just to irritate Chigger and I. The irony is that we are now hiking with Optimus and Kaloogi, his former companions and he's alone. But I expect to see him in the next day or so.Crazy scenes at the shelter when 15 thruhikers turned up, yes 15, count 'em. I hadn't seen so many since back in N. Carolina. I suppose it's inevitable on the kind of short miles we're doing.
Date: 2004-08-24
From: West Carry Pond Shelter, ME

To: Caratunk House Hostel, Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

Myself excepted, everyone got a really early start as the Kennebec River requires a ferry to cross and that stops running at 3.30. Luckily, the terrain proved the easiest we've encountered for many weeks and it was easy to make the miles.   The walk was mostly lowland with many rushing, clear streams and sparkling lakes, one even had a tiny sandy beach and was really inviting for a swim, but I resisted, wanting to catch that boat. It was warm, sunny and Maine had never looked better.The ferry crosing was a straightforward, slightly bizarre experience with Steve the Ferryman launching unexpectedly into a conversation concerning his experiences with Richard Branson. On the other side a bloke took my photo as the canoe pulled in to shore and I was shortly presented with a free polaroid, which I suppose was nice but unecessary.I caught up wih Slainte at the Caratunk House Hostel. Finally, the Gingerbread Man was run to ground. It was good to see him for the first time since Kent, CT. For a while there I didn't think I'd ever catch that group. If I'm honest, the fact I did owes more to their grinding to a halt in the Whites and taking lots of zeros than my fantastic power-hiking abilities. The Caratunk House proved a pretty funky place with a great loft dorm featuring a huge arched ceiling. Around the side were properly made up single beds and the walls were decorated by various well-chosen antiques, bric a brac and hiking memorabilia. It also contained a pretty substantial library. It was Taco Tuesday at the bar down the road and we all got a shuttle there to take advantage and experience the delights of the 1 dollar drafts. As odd as it sounds, they were also holding some kind of Hooters convention out here in the wilds of the Maine woods and later on about 20 girls turned up. Even though most were in 'civilian dress' and looked like distinctly second rate Hooters girls to me, you can just imagine the degree of excitement this engendered in the horny thruhikers. Later, Van Gogh, a hiking friend of Chigger's gave us a ride to the microbrewerey and rafting centre in the other direction, an establishent I have no clear recollection of save for a brief spell in the hot tub. I fear things probably got messy.
Date: 2004-08-25
From: Caratunk House Hostel, Caratunk, ME

To: Rough Camp, Woods Rd, ME
Miles today: 11.8

I may never drink again!I felt terrible this morning after the 'big night out' in Caratunk. As I lay in bed waiting forlornly for the headache and nausea to subside, I contemplated this was definitely the 2nd worst hangover on the trail after that awful night at the Doyle Hotel in Pennsylvania. But, when I finally made it out of bed and started movng around the truth dawned: Oh my God, this one was worse.... I was cold in the loft room and went outside searchig for a patch of sunshine. My walk around the block turned into a mini puke-tour with me darting from bush to bush. I'm just lucky Caratunk is such a sleepy place. I went back to bed.At around 4.00 PM I felt much better and strong enough to leave. My (seriously) empty stomach had left me with an appetite, I had one of Paul's (the owner's) legendary burgers and milkshakes before I left and felt much restored.I left town with Chigger with the intention of just hitting the first shelter. It was a flat and easy walk so I decided to go a little further and maybe camp with Slainte or find the next water source. However, I ended up going at least another 5 miles, by which time a little night hiking was necessary - not what I'd planned at all, though it was a starry sky, a nearly full moon, so perfect conditions for it. There's something about the Maine Woods that's creepier than other places, perhaps it's the moss on the trees, the quiet, I don't know. I fancied I saw some glowing red eyes a couple of times and there was definitely something big moving around in the swamps, probably moose. It took me a long time to find water and find a suitable flat spot to camp. I was really hungry.
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Rough Camp, Woods Rd, ME

To: Moxie Bald Shelter, ME 
Miles today: 7.0

I had a really nice morning spent peacefully in and around the tent. I didn't leave camp 'til just before 12.00. Aahh! hiking as it should be. I was trying to compensate for yesterday's unplanned night hike, just take it easy, catch up on some journalling and ensure an easy day. It was warm, sunny and all felt well with the world.I came across Slainte at the next shelter and we hiked together to Moxie Pond. We discussed a possible trip together to Costa Rica after the hike and the possibility he might buy a round the world ticket in London. So many possibilities.I cut the day short at 7 miles of easy hiking. No point rushing to Monson!
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Moxie Bald Shelter, ME 

To: Monson, Shaws Guest House
Miles today: 17.9

NR Chi, Litefoot, Over Under and Opie, amongst others, were at the shelter last night and they're not the fastest to get going in the morning. In fact, their hiking style is very similar to my own, so there were still people hanging around at 10.00 AM when I finally got going. I usually take my cue to leave by the fact I'm the only one left, but I can't rely on that with these slow coaches. It was a fast and flatish hike in to town, still the normal rocks and roots, but very good going by Maine standards, no real mountains at all. However, 17.9 miles is what it is and it was nearly 7.00 PM when I arrived at the highway surrounded by a big group of people, not ideal for hitching, but luckily Snail had a cell phone and called Shaws Boarding House, who immediately came to pick us up and run us to Monson.Shaws is something of an AT legend. It's very much an old fashioned boarding house rather than a hostel or B&B. Most of the furniture looks about 40 years old and the kind of thing your granny used to have. I decided to splurge on a single room just for me rather than do the dorm thing. It turned out to be better than I imagined with cosy lamps. It was a really hot, sticky night - yes, in Maine - and I had the fan blasting all night.Monson turned out to be a sleepy, one street kind of a place, more spread out than Stratton and not exactly jumping. I went to the pizza place at the gas stationa and had a B&Js followed by a good pizza. It was strangely relaxing tucking in to this all on my own, in the dark, round the corner by the museumn. That is, until a family of skunks appeared and ended up a little too close for comfort, so I moved on.
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Monson, Shaws Guest House

To: Monson, Lindy's House, Trail Magic
Miles today: 0.0

Aaah! another zero and so close on the heels of the last one. Luckily, I deserve it!Last night I discovered that Slainte, White Lightning, Tailwind (who has caught me up) and a few others stayed at Lindy's House, a massage therapist who lives over the road from the General Store and takes in hikers on a work-for-stay basis. She was away for the weekend. I moved over there as Shaws was a little pricey and serves its legendary breakfasts at some unearthly hour when decent folk are still soundly snoozing. It was a good day and really hot! I managed to get a lot done and called my parents for the first time in too long. Slainte, Chigger and I went to see the Pie Lady, who runs a hostel here. She shuttled us to a larger town, Greenville, where we resupplied and did the ATM thing. Many thanks to the Pie Lady for letting me use her computer to update this. She has been refusing most hikers recently as she's had trouble with viruses and doesn't want to clog her phone line. The late afternoon and evening passed lazily. You can depend there was lots more food and even some fair to moderate drinking later on. It was great hanging out at Lindy's as no more hikers showed up and most people left town. Slainte, Chigger, Kaloogi and myself had the place to ourselves.
Date: 2004-08-29
From: Monson, Lindy's House, Trail Magic

To: Rough Camp, Vaughn Stream, ME
Miles today: 13.7

Today I entered the 100 Mile Wilderness, the most isolated part of the AT and the last barrier before Katahdin itself, which rests less than 15 miles beyond. We really are almost there.There has been much debate about the best way to handle the wilderness. I decided to carry 5-6 days of food, call in at White House Landing, a far flung lodging, and hope to pick up enough provisons there to last the remaining day or so before arriving at that final destination. My pack weighed 36 pounds fully loaded with food and water.We got a late start only getting on the trail at 12ish, after overeating at the grill at the gas station on the way out of town. The going was easy enough through lowland forest with no real climbs. There was one very tricky river fording that Chigger and I tackled badly, splitting up when we should have stuck together as it turned out to be treacherous. But we made it to the other side, wet but safe. I had hoped to make 15 miles today but we didn't quite make it. We pitched camp, right on dark, next to a roaring stream, not so far from the shelter (I hope).
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Rough Camp, Vaughn Stream, ME

To: Rough Camp, West Branch Pleasant River, ME
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

A long day. So far the 100 Mile Wilderness doesn't seem to be going as hoped: night hiking 2 days in a row for not many miles and pouring rain and thunderstorms for much of today. I'd hoped for an easy walking victory lap, I guess it's not to be.There were mountains today! Nothing above 3000 feet but even so some steep climbs, tricky descents and some wet, slippy rocks. The weather has been strange. It was really humid this morning, I was sweating as much as any day on the trail though it wasn't really hot, the kind of weather you often find in England during the summer. Then it began to rain and pretty much carried on and off for the rest of the day. As I write this at 10.00 PM, it's still stormy out, the whole forest briefly iluminated by near constant lightning. I hope I selected a site that'll drain well, since that night I set up in an occasional stream I worry.I felt bad leaving Chigger back at the last shelter. She had problems with the 'no see ums' last night by the stream and wanted to camp higher up tonight. It was a smart move as another wave of rain developed as I moved on. I feel we should stick to the plan of doing 15 miles per day or risk running out of food in the wilderness. It would be nice if a few of us could finish together. I am camping alone tonight.