morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-07-11
From: Kennebec River, ME (2046.6)

To: Pleasant Pond Mtn parking, ME (2052.4)
Miles today: 5.8

We had scheduled a Nero for today as a buffer for anticipated heavy rainfall overnight and through the morning hours. The rain ended up not being as bad as we thought (1.3¢ instead of 2¢), but we stuck with the short day anyway to give the trails a chance to dry out before we make the last push to Monson. Around 11:30, we ambled out of the hostel and completed a short 5.5 mile section going south from Pleasant Pond Mtn back to the northern side of the Kennebec River. Streams are still full and the trail was oh-so-muddy. In a familiar refrain from previous days we did the over/under for when our feet would be soaked in muddy water. I believe it was 10 minutes. But the trail was all downhill today and the sun peeked out after an hour or so. We finished up at the river (which looked very different from the day before) and had a chat with the ATC Ferry operator. It turns out that he is one of 4 guides, all heavily certified in white water operations, who rotate the duty. The ferry operates 9-2 because at 2 the major dam release from 17 miles upstream hits the crossing, causing the water level to rise abruptly. This year¢s closures for high water were the first in 10 years, he reported. I also got a shot of the official canoe. Note the AT white blaze painted down the center. It was a relaxing day. Back at it tomorrow - Monson or bust in 2 days.
Date: 2023-07-12
From: Pleasant Pond Mtn parking, ME (2052.4)

To: Bald Mountain Pond shelter, ME (2065.8)
Miles today: 13.4

Well, finally. Finally got a hiking day in Maine that was carefree and everything I had been looking forward to. The sun shone for most of the day, the trails were not (too) muddy, there were views in the tops of the mountains and a sweet pond-side camping spot at the end of the day.  And the trail didn¢t try to kill me. The trail went up and over Pleasant Pond Mountain and Moxie Bald Mountain, both above treeline. I was happy to see clusters of the Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen again - those little puffballs make me happy. The views of Maine mountains and lakes were sweeping. By the time we had reached the top of Moxie Bald, we were able to look back to see the route we had just hiked over Pleasant Pond Mountain. There was one slightly sketchy river crossing (mid thigh level plus current) across Baker Stream, but we crossed carefully with no issues. Tomorrow has a more problematic crossing across the West and East branches of the Piscataqui, which SOBO hikers are warning us about. There is a 7 mile road walk as an alternative - we will assess tomorrow morning to see if the water level has dropped. By 3pm we had arrived at Bald Mountain Pond Lean-to, situated on a beautiful pond with the calls of loons carrying on the wind. We could have gone further. Probably should have gone further. But decided to stop here for the night and soak in the view.
Date: 2023-07-13
From: Bald Mountain Pond shelter, ME (2065.8)

To: ME 15, Monson, ME (2083.7)
Miles today: 17.9

After being serenaded all night by loons and croaking frogs, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise over Bald Mountain Pond. Sunrise was at 5:03am - I find that I am consistently waking up at 5am-ish as my body clock has aligned to the sun. This gives me a great jump start in the morning, but after a hard day of hiking makes me pretty poor company by 8pm!Today was all about stream crossings -at least 10 of them without bridges, 4 at thigh level or higher, and one, the West Piscataquis, pretty sketchy with fast, hip level water. The water volume 2 days ago, after a heavy rain the night before, was 800-1000 cubic ft per sec, making this crossing impassable (one intrepid hiker got swept 30 yards downstream). Hikers were using a 7 mile road walk to bypass it. But fortunately, I was able to ¢phone a friend¢. Daughter #2 was able to check the water levels this morning and send a satellite message back - down to 456 cfs at 5:30 am. Still high but possible.After checking it out carefully, we went for it and made it across successfully. Nice to check that box. While today¢s elevation was relatively flat, the second half of the hike was muddy and, apparently, home to a mosquito convention. It was great to get that behind us too. We¢ve made it to Monson! Gateway to the 100 Mile Wilderness. Currently chilling at Shaw¢s hostel for a zero tomorrow to organize food and gear for this last push. Most people here look focused and determined- they¢ve either just come out of the 100 MW southbound, or are about to go in northbound to finish their hike. I am trying to look focused and determined, but mostly am just thrilled I have made it this far after imagining it for so long.
Date: 2023-07-14
From: ME 15, Monson, ME (2083.7)

To: Monson, ME (2083.7)
Miles today: 0.0

Errands, errands, errands. Today is a zero day before entering the 100 Mile Wilderness, the stretch between Monson and Abol Bridge that is generally considered the wildest part of the Appalachian Trail, although not the most difficult. The biggest challenges will be its ruggedness, lack of access to any resupply points, and high stream crossings.A brief rundown of today¢s ¢to do¢ list::Repair gear (specifically reglue my shoe treads)Visit the Monson AT Welcome center to get the latest on stream crossings and Katahdin summit procedures (Wendy was unbelievably helpful)Plan route so the number of days can be estimated¢¦¢¦So that the amount of food can be planned. The hostel will do a food drop for us in the middle so we won¢t have to carry 8 days of food. Resupply food and toiletriesWash clothesStock up on insect repellent Cover off any personal items by email that are pending for the next week as I will be out of communication Shaw¢s hostel is well set up to support all this - it has been a real pleasure to work with Poet and Hippie Chick, the owners. I will not be able to upload journal entries for the next week (no data connectivity in the wilderness¢¦), but will post as soon as I am able. Crossing my fingers and toes.
Date: 2023-07-15
From: Monson, ME (2083.7)

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to, ME (2098.8)
Miles today: 15.1

Into the 100 Mile Wilderness!  First, though, this delightful warning before beginning. A nice warm and fuzzy message to kick off the day. Fortunately, we had been well- braced by some inspirational words from Poet, the hostel owner (¢remember that, for the rest of your life, you will compare everything to this thru-hike¢), and an even more inspirational breakfast of blueberry pancakes, hash browns, bacon and eggs. The plan is to do the 100 MW in 7 days, with lots of caveats about weather and stream crossings. Of note: the Fastest Known Time (FKT) is approximately 25 hours. We won¢t be trying to replicate that! The trick is that the nature of the challenge remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, almost like a final hazing ritual before Katahdin and completion. Today, however, the trail was just trail. Lots of roots, multiple water crossings (including a somewhat sketchy high velocity crossing of Long Pond Stream), and ups and downs.  It drizzled in the morning, but shifted to just cloudy by midday. It is clear, though, that our shoes and feet will stay wet from stream crossings and muddy trail for the next week. I am putting cream on my feet each night to help them deprune and prevent development of some unpleasant foot conditions. The shelter we are staying at tonight is snug, with white noise from the stream in the background.  It¢s now an 85 mile wilderness.
Date: 2023-07-16
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to, ME (2098.8)

To: Pleasant River Tentsites, ME (2114.5)
Miles today: 15.7

It has been clear for several days that today would be our toughest day in this section. The trail goes up and over the Chairback range, starting with a 1700¢ climb up Barren Mountain followed by a rollercoaster over Chairback Third and Fourth Mountains, Columbus Mountain, and Chairback Mountain. There was a tricky rockslide of large boulders that needed to be navigated. There was a 100¢ river crossing of the Pleasant River.But most particularly, we knew that up to 2¢ of rain was forecast, starting in the morning and running through the night, making all of the above that much more difficult. And rain it did. The trail flooded out in short order, and we were soaked to the skin by 11am. Rocks got slick and we sloshed through mud all day. We finally arrived at our tent site at 4:30, threw up our tents, and dived in to get warm. It is now 6:30 and I am dry and snuggled into my sleeping bag. The legions of mosquitoes outside (totally unintimidated by DEET) are screaming their frustration and plotting revenge for tomorrow morning. A brief note on water crossings. In our first 2 days we had 4 major water crossings that could have triggered significant road walks. We accelerated our mileage to position ourselves to cross these before we were hammered by today¢s rainstorm, which pumped the stream levels back up. We got lucky and made it through. While the 100 mile wilderness has not presented extraordinary challenges in terms of trail, planning around rain and water really ratchets up the difficulty. Unlike the rest of the AT, there is not an option to bail out tomorrow to a hostel to dry our gear and clothing, or to wait while the water levels go down. It¢s a real test of resilience.We are determined to pass.
Date: 2023-07-17
From: Pleasant River Tentsites, ME (2114.5)

To: East Branch Lean-to, ME (2130.6)
Miles today: 16.1

¢¢¦I¢m a little more respectful of ants.¢ - Douglas HofstadterPerhaps it is my lizard brain. When I woke up this morning, I was unreasonably cheered by the fact that it had stopped raining overnight. Yes, it was cloudy. Yes, I needed to put on my soaked clothes from yesterday. Yes, the mosquitoes pummeled me the second I put my nose out of my tent (ever try eating oatmeal in a head net? Pro tip: don¢t). Yes, I needed to pack up a wet tent and wet gear, increasing my pack weight.  But it wasn¢t raining. The trail today, climbing 10 miles up to White Cap, was more effort than I expected, and I was pretty winded when I got to the top. White Cap is the last major climb in the 100 Mile Wilderness, and is known for sometimes providing the first glimpse of Katahdin for the NOBO hiker. Not today, but we were treated to a beautiful view of the valley and mountains approaching Mama K. I used the open summit of White Cap, where the wind was whipping, as an opportunity to dry my gear. In 20 minutes my tent and rain gear were dry, a big relief. I also traded tips with a group of SOBOs eating lunch at the summit on the status of water crossings, a topic on everyone¢s mind. It is not too much of an overstatement to say that the trail is all downhill from White Cap and, sure enough, we hiked 5 miles downhill to our shelter for the night. I did some much needed laundry at camp, but not successfully- I managed to lose a piece of clothing in the fast moving river (epic fail on Leave No Trace) and struggled to get the rest of the clothing to dry in the high humidity. Several pieces of my gear are beginning to self-destruct from the perpetual moisture (looking at you, shoes); it¢s a race to the finish.  Still keeping an eye on my feet, which are wet all day from the mud and the water crossings. Two hikers I know of have developed foot infections/fungal flare ups (Goretex boots appear to be a culprit), and I am hoping to avoid that. From here onwards the trail levels out and we expect to make better time. We have put in 3 strong days under difficult conditions, but I have not had much of an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this section of trail.  I am hoping that turns around soon.
Date: 2023-07-18
From: East Branch Lean-to, ME (2130.6)

To: Potaywadjo Lean-to, ME (2150.1)
Miles today: 19.5

A successful day. Up early to get a jump on the day¢s miles, as we were meeting our food drop at 1pm 12 miles away. Happily, the trail was relatively fast in this section, and we arrived by 11:30 at the logging road crossing (there are several logging roads in the 100MW and Shaw¢s hostel will meet hikers there with a resupply). Stepping out of the woods, we got - trail magic!  Captain Morgan is making another attempt to set the FKT for the entire AT and he left from Katahdin today heading south, aiming for 41 days. Ice Man, part of his support crew, was at the logging road waiting for him to come by later in the day. Seeing us, Ice Man offered some very welcome drinks and snacks. Check out his great license plate. Captain Morgan did come past our shelter later in the day but, as you can imagine, didn¢t stop to chat. At that point (5 pm), he would have climbed and descended Katahdin (10 miles), run to the start of the 100 mile wilderness (10 miles) and traversed 38 miles of the 100 mile wilderness. Wow. Good luck to him. Our food drop arrived and we handed over trash and received our resupply for the next couple of days. Plus a cold beer each. We hiked 4 more miles to a beautiful tent site on a lake, our original planned stopping point, but got there so early in the afternoon that we settled for a swim in the lake then pushed on to the next lean-to.This will allow us to complete the 100 Mile Wilderness a day early (which will get me a hot shower and laundry a day early: all good). Not quite an FKT, but 6 days is respectable. Since I am starting to get a handle on this section, I notice that I am able to appreciate more of its rugged beauty. Tonight¢s bird call: Hermit thrushFungus for today: Turbinellus floccosus (shaggy chanterelle)Wildlife for today: a company of minks? We think these were monks, frolicking near one of the river crossings.
Date: 2023-07-19
From: Potaywadjo Lean-to, ME (2150.1)

To: Rainbow Spring Lean-to, ME (2168.3)
Miles today: 18.2

There was a spectacular thunderstorm about midnight, with a couple of hours of heavy rain that hammered on my tent, making quite the racket. As I was awake anyway, I shined my headlamp outside the tent to check for water pooling, and was pleased to see that there was none. I had never given much thought to the arcane art of tent pad design - but to those that designed my carefully graded and well draining tent pad last night, my thanks. Our little group had committed last night to another big day to be able to exit the 100 MW quickly. While the elevation was fairly flat, the effort of navigating the stream crossings, mud, and rocks was still pretty tiring. Fortunately, after last night¢s rain the day gradually cleared and provided good hiking weather and beautiful trail sections to traverse,including a number of ponds that beckoned us for a swim. Unfortunately, today also had a number of bog board traverses. How many ways have I fallen on bog boards? I¢ve been upended by stepping on a floating board, skidded off a board made slick by rain and moss, and tripped on a board with nails sticking out. I have not yet had a rotten one collapse on me, but there are still a couple of days left. Do I hold a personal grudge? Possibly. Lunch was atop Nesuntabunt Mountain, which had both a beautiful climb up through a gorgeand our first (faint) sighting of Katahdin from the summit. The summit also had cell service, which allowed us to finalize our plans for staying in Millinocket while getting ready to climb Katahdin. We will be sitting out the weekend to avoid day tripper traffic, and hope to get a good weather forecast for Monday or Tuesday. I spotted ghost pipes for the first time today, a white plant that exists without chlorophyll by feeding on the mycelial network below ground. Weird but interesting.Also spotted this life size chia pet. A warthog? Hippo? Amazing the things that go through your mind while hiking.
Date: 2023-07-20
From: Rainbow Spring Lean-to, ME (2168.3)

To: Abol Bridge, ME (2183.3)
Miles today: 15.0

¢¢¦ and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Henry David ThoreauToday¢s hike out of the 100 Mile Wilderness was bittersweet. The day dawned with bright sunshine (I know because I was up before sunrise so that we could get an early jump on the day). It was the first bluebird day I have had since Mt Washington, almost 4 weeks ago. No rain in the forecast, blue skies, clear views. The trail was beautiful, sun dappled and lush.We passed several more lakes on our way, but did not stop for a swim as we had a shuttle we were trying to catch. It was a fairly level section of trail and, despite the normal roots, mud puddles, and river crossings, we made good time. I thought I would include a picture of a shelter (Hurd Lean-to) with a ¢baseball bat¢ floor.As far as I know, you can only find these in Maine in the older shelters. According to Dave Field, long-time shelter maintainer, the tradition was to cut white pine boughs and lay them on top of the flooring to provide cushioning and a sweet scent. The highlight of the day was a stop at Rainbow Ledges, about 6 miles before the end of the 100 MW. There were zillions of ripening blueberries here (spotted immediately by Splash), and we relaxed for a bit in the sun. Then we turned the corner, and boom! Our first real view of Katahdin. Amazing. Buoyed, we began the last 6 miles of the 100 Mile Wilderness. And then it began. The woods were stunning, the hike was golden, and I could almost feel the greedy fingers of the forest pulling me back. ¢Don¢t leave,¢ I imagined it saying. ¢It¢s about the journey, not the destination.¢  After 2175 miles of the trail, I was filled with emotion. It has been about the journey. I do enjoy hiking (camping in the rain, not so much). The people and communities I have met, getting closer to nature, having the opportunity to reflect for hours at a time, doing much more with much less have been so enriching for me. And yet, I have to believe there are other journeys, and adventures, still out there. Katahdin doesn¢t just signify the end of this journey, but the beginning of others. I stepped out of the 100 Mile Wilderness, and may have blinked back a tear or two. I waited for Splash and Surefoot and we walked together to Abol Bridge, for a stunning view of our destination, Katahdin. We will hike a short 10 mile stretch to the base of Katahdin the day after tomorrow (shower and laundry first) and then hopefully make the ascent on Monday. Fingers (and muddy toes) crossed.
Date: 2023-07-22
From: Abol Bridge, ME (2183.3)

To: Katahdin Stream Campground, ME (2193.2)
Miles today: 9.9

Today¢s hike took me from the exit of the 100 Mile Wilderness at Abol Bridge to the base of Mt Katahdin, entering Baxter State Park. This park was donated to the state of Maine by former Governor Percival Baxter and comprises more than 200,000 acres, including its own mountain range. The park is managed as a protected, unspoiled wilderness. The trail itself was largely flat and fast, with a bit of mud and a couple of very manageable stream crossings.We were joined by part of Surefoot¢s family and made great time. Along the way I ran into Water Boy, a flip flopper I had last hiked with in Pennsylvania. It was great to see him again and to know he had made it. The only remaining portion of my thruhike is climbing Mt Katahdin, an elevation gain of more than 4100 ft in 5.2 miles (this is quite steep). There are significant sections that are vertical and technical, clambering over boulders and up rock faces. Once at the summit, the AT is complete. But then you have to descend¢¦Tomorrow is Sunday and a zero, to avoid the surge of day trippers climbing Katahdin. Monday the forecast is looking good and we are planning to summit. I am nervous and excited - I know it will be tough, but am confident that I am prepared. Here goes nothing.
Date: 2023-04-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In 10 days Kevin and I depart for Harper¢s Ferry, WV, where we will attend the Flip Flop Festival and then head north on the Appalachian Trail. Having looked at lots of journal entries, I can¢t help but wonder: are we starting way too late? My husband assures me the ATC schedules the FFF, which is a kick-off event, in late April for a good reason. The goal is to avoid the mud season and the black flies in New England, while still capitalizing on the favorable weather in the northern states. If all goes as planned, we¢ll reach Katahdin by early August. Meanwhile, we have been carefully training and planning. In my next post I¢ll share some images of our gear and some thoughts on food. By the way, no trail names yet, so I¢ll leave that part blank for now.Mary
Date: 2023-04-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have loaded lots of information about our gear, including weights, on the gear section of this site. Here you can see what some of my gear looks like when it is laid out. The pile on the left is my sleeping bag, liner, stuff sack, and pillow. Not shown is my air mattress. The pile on the right is my clothing and stuff sack, including the clothes I will be wearing.
Date: 2023-04-23
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter 
Miles today: 6.0

Arrived via Amtrak, a slow but pleasant roll, in Harpers Ferry WV yesterday before noon. Neither of us slept much the night before nor on the train. Checked into the hotel and then attended  a Q&A session with past flip flop hikers. One of them managed to bring her knitting with her! Maybe she knitted replacement socks. Then we rested at the hotel and returned for the dinner event, where we met a wide range of fellow flip floppers, Including a 50ish couple of recently retired civil engineers from Florida, who plan to live on their sailboat after the hike. We had a lot in common! It is definitely an older crowd, Although not entirely, with many people who have just retired. Check out is at 11 today, after which we will do a short day to the Ed Garvey shelter.  Our plan is to take it easy for the first couple of weeks. This was some thing yesterday¢s panel greatly encouraged to better avoid overuse injuries.
Date: 2023-05-07
From: Duncannon then PaulaÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs house

To: PeterÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 11.4

rocks so far have not been too bad
Date: 2023-10-03
From: Burkes Garden Hostel 

To: Tent site
Miles today: 15.9

Today we went through multiple cow pastures and had two standoffs with small groups of steers and one encounter with a mama cow that seemed quite upset with us approaching while she was waiting for her straggling second calf. She made distress or warning calls that were nothing like a typical ¢moo¢.
Date: 2023-01-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

After an emotional weekend, we are finally hitting the trail.At about 11 Parked car and had about a 1/2 mile walk to the base of Amicila falls, the the 700 or whatever steps UP to the top . Wilson hated the expanded metal stairs . Then the 9-10 mile approach trail. It was a brutal but somewhat fitting intro to the start of the adventure Met 2 more prior thru hiker- grand Entrance and another gal Trail magic : passed a ridge runner crew and experienced guy helped tighten my pack and just lift up our spirits 2.8 actual AT miles put us at Stover creek shelter. RT was already there and he¢s a soft spoken unassuming guy in his 60s from VT. Retired violin bow maker , got along great with Wilson, who I¢m starting to call Snoopy
Date: 2023-02-01
From:  Stover Creek

To: Gooch Mt 
Miles today: 14.0

2/1-More tm snacks near the cemetery! Willy and I slept ok. Left the shelter at about 10 after playing with the best way to pack all of this crap up! Wet in AM but the wx broke and was a decent late afternoon. Met Yo Lo (cool stickers in logbooks) Dan & ray at Gooch shelter. RTwas tenting nearbyStealth just S of Liss Gap approx AT mile 17.5. So about 14.7 mike day! Hammock under tent tarp. Started raining about midnight supposed to rain all day on the 2nd!