morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-17
From: Gorham, NH US2

To: Gorham, NH US2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Woke up ready to tackle the day, but the Dutchman checked the weather and discovered we were in an area calling for severe storms.  We decided to eat breakfast and see what developed.  What developed was major rain, so after dealing with wet rocks yesterday, we decided to zero one more day.  A few friends up ahead have already sent warnings that southern Maine has some of the toughest terrain so far.  With the decision made to zero we took our time over coffee and enjoyed not having a schedule.  It was a quiet, restful day for me.  It rained on and off all morning, so there was no question I'd made the right choice to wait for better weather.....but it's harder taking zeros now.  I emailed friends on the trail and discovered Sit-a-Bit, Scout, Sid and Switchback were all a day behind but were at a hostel that ran a shuttle to our town for dinner.  We decided to meet at a Pizza place and also invited Sharky and Rummy along.  It was a great hiker dinner and fun to catch up with everyone.  Tomorrow we'll hit the trail early and hopefully make it into Maine.  We only have two days before the Dutchman has to get off the trail and we want to get as far along as we can.  Here's hoping for clear skies and dry rocks!I loved this picture of Dutchman and Kdoe....it's what most hikers immediately do when they get to town and realize they have cell service/internet.
Date: 2012-07-18
From: Gorham, NH US2

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

Well, today ended up being a clear day with not so dry rocks.  Bruno got us to the trail about about 6:45 and we climbed out of the notch.  It was a beautiful last day in NH, but I struggled to stay on my feet.  I fell more today than any day on the trail so far.  There were just a lot of slick spots and I just kept hitting them.  I'm worried I'm going to be really sore tomorrow.  The momentous moment today was crossing out of NH and into ME around mile 17.  Now we only have one state to go, but it's a big one.  I'm a bit worried about how tough the next few days are going to be.  We've only done 4and 1/2 miles of Maine and they were straight up or straight down.  Hiking to the top of Goose Eye Mt provided amazing views but I'm already wondering if the trail blazers in ME are somehow apposed to switchbacks.  We made it to the shelter around 5:30 and were in bed by 8:00.  It was a tough day, but tomorrow promises to be tougher!
Date: 2012-07-19
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

What a glorious first full day of hiking in ME.  The three of us were a bit worried about today because we had some tough sections to cover.  Just two miles into the day we faced 'the Mahoosuc Notch'; a mile long section of trail with boulders you have to climb over and sometimes under.  In some areas there are ten foot drops you jump over.  Some call it the toughest mile on the AT.  I'm not sure why we did as well as we did....maybe it's because there were three of us, but we had a ball finding our way and made it through pretty quickly.  The most impressive thing I was able to do ( or not do) was take off my pack.  Most people have to take their packs off to squeeze through tight places, but I'm so small I could get through with my pack in place.  The next challenge was the Mahoosuc Arm; a steep rock face climb that would be unbelievably hard in bad weather.  Again, we were thankful and blessed to have near perfect conditions.  I can't say it was 'fun', but I enjoyed the challenge.  The only negative thing that occurred today was getting to Grafton Notch and having to say good-bye to the Dutchman.  He'd made arrangements to be picked up, so he could travel to a family gathering in South Carolina.  I'm getting pretty use to saying hello/goodbye to other hikers but this one was really hard.  We would have loved to finish the trail together. The three of us were/are a good team.  But as I've said before "Que sera, sera".....what will be will be.  Kdoe and I pushed on and ME continued to be just beautiful!  We planned to do a 15 mile day but got to the shelter too early and decided to push on and find a campsite.  We ended up at a road leading into Andover and saw a note on a tree about a hostel called Pine Ellis hostel.  We looked at each other and said, " What would the Dutchman Do?". The answer was simple....call the hostel.  We did and a terrific guy named David picked us up, so we ended the day with a hot meal, hot shower and warm bed.  Another tough but terrific day!
Date: 2012-07-20
From: Pine Ellis Hostel

To: Beamis Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

We got up early because we wanted to get a big breakfast before David transported us back to the trailhead. We got back on the trail around 7:30, and it ended up being a fairly uneventful day.  There were a few climbs and views but nothing on the scale of what we've seen the last few weeks.  The weather conditions were great.  We made it to the lean to around 4:30 and decided to stay.  There was a father/son doing a big section hike, before the son, Hoover, starts to college in a few weeks.  Southbounders, Poncho and Pepper, showed up, too, and it was a very nice relaxing night.  Hoover built a big fire and he and his dad shared marshmallows with us.  The only negative thing about this shelter was a very poor water source.  We'd been warned on the trail, by other Southbounders, that we'd need to carry water in, so we did, but I hated not having a source to ' take a birdbath' in.  One thing I loved about Pepper and Poncho;  they were so excited that they had completed over 10% of their hike.
Date: 2012-07-21
From: Beamis Shelter

To: Redington Spring campsite
Miles today: 25.7

It was another beautiful morning.  We  were on the trail by 5:30 just in time for the sunrise.  The trail surprised us today because for the first time since we entered New Hampshire the terrain and topography were easy.  We planned to do a 20 mile day, but got to the shelter at 2:00 so decided to push over Saddleback Mt. I'm so glad we did.  We summited at the perfect time of the afternoon, so it was breezy but not cold and the views were unbelievable.  Today, Maine looked more like I'd imagined it would.  We walked around lakes and through evergreen forests, and I felt like any minute we'd see a moose.  We didn't see one, but there were droppings everywhere, so I'll keep my eyes peeled in the morning.  We ended up tenting at a campsite at the base of The Horn.  I discovered Kdoe had never eaten a Mountain House meal, so I fixed him one, and he had to admit they're delicious.  I can't believe I haven't gotten sick of them yet.
Date: 2012-07-22
From: Redington Spring campsite

To: Stratton, ME. Stratton Hotel
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Up early again and decided since Stratton was only 25 miles away we'd push to get there for a true zero tomorrow.  It was the first morning, since entering New Hampshire, that the terrain allowed us to do 10 by 10;  10 miles by 10:00.  When we stopped for a snack and to get more water, around mid day, we met a guy named Philly Ben.  I've seen his name in the shelter log for months, so it was cool to finally catch him.  We ended up hanging out with him on Crocker Mt for a while because that's where we realized we'd crossed the less than 200 miles to go mark.  We also discovered he planned to go to Stratton to try the Wolf burger challenge.  The Wolf Lodge's restaurant fixes three massive burgers with fries and thru hikers attempt to eat them in a set period of time.  We certainly didn't want to miss seeing his attempt, so we descended the mountain together.  The trail ended at a road and parking lot, and as I attempted to contact the Stratton Hotel, where my resupply box was, a young couple offered us a ride into town.  When we got to the hotel, we discovered Dundee there; a kid from Australia. I haven't seen him in forever.  It seems like toward the end of a thru hike people do one of two things.  They either speed up because 'they can smell the barn' or slow down because they're close to their goal.  Obviously my tendency has been to rush toward the prize, but hopefully the zero tomorrow will allow me to regroup, take stock of things and savor the last part of this adventure.PS:  It was too late in the day for Philly Ben to do the challenge so he will attempt it tomorrow!
Date: 2012-07-23
From: Stratton, ME. Stratton Hotel

To: Stratton, ME. Stratton Hotel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

The Stratton Hotel ended up being a great  place to zero.  The woman in charge, Sue, was so laid back.  The hotel and hostel cater mainly to hikers and it seemed like almost everyone I wanted to see or meet, before my hike ends  arrived at some point in the day.  I got to see Stinger again and the group he's hiking with;  Motown, Red Man and Rat Bucket.  Dundee and Philly Ben decided to zero so they hung around.  Bat and Yappy didn't push on because Bat hadn't been feeling well.  We also met three southbounders who kept everyone entertained.  Their names were Smiley,  Party Animal and G.  Smiley and Party Animal are two young men from Ireland and G is a girl from Georgia.  Those three had planned to only stop for resupply , but when they were offered free beer, by Philly Ben, in true stereotypical (irish) fashion they couldn't say no.  Other northbounders  I met for the first time were Scuba Springsteen, Screw Loose and Flip. At one point in the evening, Rat Bucket pulled out the small guitar he's been carrying and played some music.  Then he had everyone sign the guitar with a sharpie.  There is a sense of anticipation and excitement everyone seems to feel, but also a sense of uncertainty about the events and emotions that are just around the corner....or should I say, just over the mountain.A  few side notes:  Philly Ben didn't do the burger challenge when he discovered if he failed to complete the challenge he would owe $35.  Rat Bucket got his name early on when he collected water in a collapsible 'bucket' at a shelter and the next morning offered to share with other hikers.  The first guy who was going to use some discovered a drowned mouse floating in it which resulted in the phrase, there's a rat in your bucket and as a result a new trail name was born.
Date: 2012-07-24
From: Stratton, ME. Stratton Hotel

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up to rain so we decided to eat breakfast before hitting the trail.  It was clear it was going to be a long day  because we faced our last major mountain range, in Maine, (the Bigelows)  and when the rocks are wet the hiking time slows way down.  It rained on and off during the  morning, but I was pleased that the trail wasn't too treacherous.  The first mountain climb was in a cloud, but by the time we made it to Avery Mt. the fog had burned off and we started getting some amazing views. It's funny but sometimes when your expectations are low, you end up having amazing days.  The temps were cooler and I really enjoyed the hiking.  A  surprising occurence was meeting a southbounder on the trail who looked familiar and discovering it was Laughing Dog; a guy I met on the second day of my hike who had leg issues and had to get off the trail.  Now he's doing a flip flop and is going south to test out the leg. Seeing him brought back a lot of memories.  I also met a group of four women from Maine doing a section hike and they were fun to talk to.I got to the shelter around 4:30 just as another pop up rain storm hit but I didn't get too wet.  It was a quiet group that trickled  in for the night; Veggie, Trotter,  Rat Bucket and a southbounder named Blue.  I was pleased when Rat Bucket pulled out his guitar and played a Wilco song.  I've missed listening to live music and  he's really good!
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Northern Outdoors resort. Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: broken clouds

Today was an amazing day!  Anticipation and excitement just continue to build.  Kdoe and I got an early start and continued to marvel at how beautiful Maine is.  After hiking 8 miles or so, we decided to have a snack beside a lake.  While we were sitting there a guy came from the nearby shelter to get water and as he got closer I realized it was Aaron Girata...a 28 year old  who grew up with my kids in TN.  He's hiking southbound and I was amazed that the timing was just right for us to meet.  We visited for a bit and then pushed on.  Our next stop was more poignant when we found ourselves at Pierce Pond shelter where other hikers have created a memorial, out of wood and rock, for Parkside;  the northbound hiker, that drowned in the pond there mid June.  It's a beautiful site, but made me very, very sad.  Just a few miles from the shelter we came to the Kennebec River.  It's too large to ford so a guy in a canoe ferries people back and forth at specified times during the day; (9:00-11:00 and 2:00-4:00) so they can continue on their hike. We arrived promptly at two and Hillbilly Dave ferried us across.  There is a white blaze in the bottom of his canoe to make his route across the water 'official'.  After crossing the river we came to a road and an adorable family offered to give us a ride to the Northern Outdoor center outside of Caratunk.  We had planned to tent there but the rooms were so reasonable we decided to split the cost and stay in style.  It didn't hurt that there was a restaurant/ bar because we were, of course, starving and needed to celebrate crossing over the 2000 miles hiked mark.  Veggie ended up appearing, right after we checked in, so we invited him to share our room.  We were the only northbounders there, and everyone was so nice to us.  It's an outdoor center that caters to white water rafting so we enjoyed talking to some of the guides.  It's a place I made note of that could be really cool to revisit.
Date: 2012-07-26
From: Northern Outdoors resort. Caratunk, ME

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: broken clouds

Stayed up pretty late so we decided to eat breakfast at 7:00 then catch the shuttle back to the trail head at 9:00.  When I walked down for breakfast I couldn't believe who I saw with a huge plate of food;  Bear Boots....a kid I really liked and met in Georgia who decided after finishing VA to flip flop and hike the trail in the other direction.  That way he can take his time without worrying about Baxter Park closing in Maine.  I had  breakfast with him, then caught the shuttle and started walking north again.  It was overcast all day, but perfect temps for hiking.  I'm really enjoying each and every moment right now.  It's hard to describe the emotions I'm experiencing but there is such a sense of gratitude that I've had the opportunity to experience this adventure, and an appreciation for each new experience.  I love my life!
Date: 2012-07-27
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: ME 15 Monson, ME
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Earliest start time ever.....4:45.  Kdoe and I had to use our headlamps when we started.  We left early because we wanted to get to the last trail town before Kahtahdin; Monson, ME.  We plan to zero there to resupply and gear up for the last big push through the 100 mile Wilderness.  We seemed to be fueled by adrenalin because in no time at all we reached the road.  We'd done 18 miles, and it wasn't even 11:00 yet.  A nice gentleman in the parking lot by the road gave us a ride to Lakeside Lodge, and we were so glad we'd made reservations because the place was full.  Only later did we discover that Parkside's parents were in town to talk to hikers who might have met him and to try to reach some sort of closure about his death. It makes me very sad to think of their loss.  It is such an emotional roller coaster for most of us right now.  Excitement to be so close to the finish but also a sadness that the adventure is coming to a close.  One really cool thing I discovered, when I checked in to the lodge, was that I'd finally caught Steve-O.  I hadn't seen him since I got off the trail in May with my ankle issue.  I didn't recognize him at first because his beard was so long.  That's a funny thing about the trail towns we stop in now.  They are full of northbounders and southbounders, but you can instantly tell the two apart by the length of their beards.The Lakeside Lodge, ironically enough, is right on a lake so I had dinner in another beautiful setting.
Date: 2012-07-28
From: ME 15 Monson, ME

To: ME 15 Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today was my last zero and it started off on a high note.  We'd heard that the other hostel had a great breakfast, so we walked over to Shaws and couldn't believe the great food we got for $8.  They have a system where you give them a number and they bring you that number of food items.  If your number is two you receive two pieces of French toast, two eggs, two sausage links and two pieces of bacon....also some hash browns.  If you want more you just give them another number.  The other cool thing was sharing a table with Ray and Rob; two section hikers from Oklahoma who had just finished the trail from Katahdin through the 100 mile wilderness to Monson.  It was great to talk to them and to ask questions about what to expect for the upcoming week.  They also had a great sense of humor and kept us laughing.  After breakfast I went through my last supply box and prepared my backpack for it's last week of hiking.  I still can't really comprehend that I'm only a week from finishing.  It was a great afternoon, swimming in the lake, eating BBQ and listening to Rat Bucket play guitar accompanied by Steve-O,  Jack Rabbit, Veggie and Grumpy.  Beacon, Bat and Yappy showed up and after dinner we walked to the Monson Community center to hear Bill Erwin speak.  Monson is celebrating becoming an official trail town and Mr Erwin was their keynote speaker because he is the first blind person to complete a thru hike.  He and his dog Orient finished their hike in 1990.  He is a deeply religious man and gave God the credit for his success on and off the trail.  He finished his talk with the phrase, "Most people say seeing is believing.  I say believing is seeing"
Date: 2012-07-29
From: ME 15 Monson, ME

To: Cloud Pond shelter
Miles today: 19.1

We wanted to get on the trail early, because we were anxious to begin our journey into the wilderness, but  couldn't pass up another breakfast at Shaws.  Kdoe, Rat Bucket and I walked over and then caught the 8:00 shuttle back to the trail.  It was a good hiking day even though all of us grumbled about how heavy our packs were with the extra food we have to carry in the wilderness.  We smirked a bit when we started our hike after seeing a sign that said we would need ten days of food for the journey.  Northbounders really only need five days because at this point we should all be able to average 20 mile days.  It was a fairly easy day with one mountain climb to the top of Barren Mt.  We had a great view and surprisingly had cell service at the top.  I really didn't expect to have any coverage for the next 100 miles.  After sending a few texts I ended up at Cloud Pond shelter which is in a great setting right on the pond.  We ended up with a great group of section hikers and celebrated going under the 100 miles to go mark.  We also had a large group of girls camping near by who were French Canadian.  I keep forgetting how close we are getting to Canada!
Date: 2012-07-30
From: Cloud Pond shelter

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I think this was our last challenging day, as far as climbing goes, but it was worth it for the amazing view we got from the top of White Cap Mt.  It was so clear when I got to the top, I got my first glimpse of Katahdin.  It was an amazing feeling knowing we're so close.   A new kid I've gotten to know the last few days is 20 year old Mercury.  He started the trail on May 3 and plans to summit Aug. 3 completing the trail in exactly three months....that's the fastest of anyone I've met!
Date: 2012-07-31
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Wadleigh Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 33.2

Are there really moose in Maine?  I decided to diligently  look for one today because the trail was by lakes and streams most of the hike...I saw moose droppings and moose tracks, but no moose.  If they're as big as everyone says they are, how can they be so good at hiding?  Oh well! It was an amazing day even without any moose.  Me, Kdoe, Rat Bucket and Mercury decided to do one last big mileage day.  We knew the terrain would be easy and even though we would have liked to slow down and savor each moment, we can feel the pull of Katahdin.  The miles just flew by and I  felt a sense of gratitude all day that I've had the opportunity to have this adventure.  The shelter we got to, at the end of the day, was a nice one and female dominated....still a rarity out here...by three women who met Glasses a few days ago.  He summited yesterday, so I hope he hangs around Millenockett for a few days, so I'll get to see him again.
Date: 2012-08-01
From: Wadleigh Spring Lean-to

To: Abol Bridge campground
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We can all feel the countdown to Katahdin.  It felt great yesterday doing our last 30+ mile. Today we plan to do 20, tomorrow 10 and finally 5 to summit.  Today was another good hiking day, but we did get a bit of rain in the afternoon which caused my first bog board fall. In Maine there are board bridges over some boggy areas and some times they move unexpectedly.  You can't get seriously hurt, falling from one, but you can get seriously dirty.  It was comforting knowing at the end of today's hike a hot shower awaited.  We had one last mt. climb at the end of the day, and saw a great view of 'the mountain' from Rainbow Ledges.  The campground we ended up staying at, by Abol bridge, was perfect.  It had a store where we got burgers for lunch and pizza for dinner.  When I got there, mid afternoon, I was surprised to see Mamie and Fidget; a couple I met at Woodshole hostel who have decided to do a flip flop and finish up their hike in the opposite direction.  It was great to see them and get info about other hikers I've lost track of  on the trail.  We also had lunch with two local section hikers, Blaze and Tin-pot who were very interested in the thru hiker experience.  I eventually got my hot shower and then Uno, Trotter and Spice showed up and those three plus me, Kdoe, Mercury and Rat Bucket watched the sun go down then sat up until way after dark sharing stories from the trail.  Spice orchestrated the conversation by asking everyone's best and worst experiences out here.  It ended up being a great night of sharing and reminiscing.
Date: 2012-08-02
From: Abol Bridge campground

To: The Birches
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Since we only had 10 miles to do, we hung around for breakfast and then made our way to the base of Katahdin.  We planned to stay at the Birches; a camping area set up specifically for long distance hikers.  It was cool entering Baxter State Park and almost inconceivable, when we got to the campground, that we only have five miles to go to reach Baxter Peak.  Of course, Spice pointed out that we would have to do another five miles to get back down.  Everyone trickled in, and we registered at the ranger station.  I ended up being # 119 for the year.  My number at Harper's Ferry was 288 so a lot of people must have gotten off the trail, or I've passed them.  We had a pretty relaxing night. Rat Bucket entertained us playing guitar and singing, but it still hasn't really hit that I'm finished tomorrow. The northbounders summiting tomorrow are me, Rat Bucket, Kdoe, Uno, Spice, Trotter, J-Bone and Tutti.  I'm getting really, really excited.  I hope I can sleep!