morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-26
From: Anyone Need a Spoon?

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Katahdin- "Greatest Mountain". Yep. I'll second that, it pretty much totally rocks, and pretty much totally kicked my ass. Teej was outside Java and Jep's house at 5am just as he'd promised. I'd posted on Whiteblaze.net that I was looking for a lift up to Baxter State Park and Teej was the one who'd answered. He's a funny guy and I liked him immediately- which didn't suck considering it's a 4 hour drive up to Baxter from Saco, ME. I had called a week earlier to see if there was anywhere to stay on the 26th within the park but was told that they were booked up. I wasn't sure where we'd end up staying but I figured it'd work itself out. Of course it did. The very friendly Ranger Paul allowed us to stay at the Birches- the leantos set up for NOBO distance hikers. Since there aren't many NOBO's finishing up this early there was plenty of space for us. Katahdin was just as I remembered it being. Rugged but beautiful. I got nervous in the same exact spots going up- I swear they don't think of us 5'4" women when they plan the trails out here. We made it up in about 4 hours and the weather on top was Class 1 on a Class 2 day. They'd been concerned about T-storms but we got totally lucky and instead got to see the huge billowy white thunderheads build against the bright blue sky. The hike down was uneventful though my muscles were shaking by about half way down. I'm gonna be one sore, sorry puppy come tomorrow morning. No way around that! It's been a ridiculously long day and so I must turn in. Much, much thanks to Teej for getting us here!
Date: 2006-07-27
From: Katahdin

To: Random spot below Rainbow Ledges
Miles today: 15.0

Despite being utterly exhausted from getting up at 5am and climbing up and down Katahdin I had difficulty sleeping last night. Oh well...guess there's an adjustment period. Got up and moving around 9:30 after saying goodbye to Ranger Paul and finding my lost Data book in the day pack I borrowed to summit Katahdin. Took a short snack break at Big Niagara- very pretty falls- and pushed on to Abol Bridge for lunch only after being swarmed by mosquitoes just before the break spot. There was a bridge out on the way to Abol which meant for a slippery ford- but actually it felt really good to rinse off and cool down in the cold water. There was actually another spot that had a simple plank bridge to cross the stream that I chose to instead to ford (Teatree no likey...)but again I didn't mind...sure is humid in these parts! At Abol I was welcomed by a familiar face- PopTart (AT02') happens to be the Ridge Runner in Baxter. I use the term ridge runner loosely because he was able to sit at the picnic table and catch up for about 2 and a half hours. It was great to chat and laugh and honestly since there's no agenda i thought about getting a tent site at Abol, staying put and taking a hot shower...but instead I drank 2 cups of coffee and was good to push on. Made it to Hurd Brook and was pretty much ready to stay but it seemed too early and I still had coffee surging through me. As I got near the top of the first climb of Rainbow Ledges I hit the wall and had to stop to eat a Bumble Bar and some Tings (Mmmmm...Tings). I was able to get my blood sugar back up and was ready to hike some more but rounded the corner and saw Chance waiting, saying that he was done for the day. We continued upward to the crest of the hill and found some soft, green, mossy spots for tenting. The radio says there is a good chance for showers and T-storms tonight- sure hope my Tarptent stays up- the ground is so soft my stakes may not stay in!
Date: 2006-07-28
From: Random spot below Rainbow Ledges

To: Campsite .5 before Crescent Pond
Miles today: 13.2

7/28/06Campsite .5 before Crescent Pond13.2All I gotta say is thanks to 94.9 The Mountain for the lunch time Bon Jovi Rock Block ¢ just when my morale was pretty low ¢ whew!Pushed out of camp ahead of Chance hoping for a decent water source at the east end of Rainbow Lake. Moving at all is tough right now, but down hills make me cringe with every step. Made it down from ledges and took a nice long break (about an hour) at Rainbow Lake. It was after this point that the trail got frustrating. I guess the point of having the trail follow along Rainbow Lake is because it¢s so beautiful. But because of its proximity to the lake, it is perhaps the muddiest, most root infested (yet flat) seven miles IN THE WORLD. I was trying really hard to keep high spirits but it really, really sucked ¢ especially when I slid off a bog bridge right into a deep, mud bog. [transcriber note: I did that in MA on my hike. I learned very quickly not to slip off of bog bridges.] Good times. I think the thing that pissed me off the most was that I had no control over how fast I could go. I see flatness on a map and I want to hike 3mph but there was no way to get any sort of pace on this terrain. And my friends, that¢s on me ¢ so either get over it or go home. Got to Rainbow Stream lean to ¢ which was a gorgeous spot ¢ and IMMEDIATELY went for a swim. Ahhh! Took my time drying out my Tarptent and eating handfuls of mixed nuts. A NOBO thru-hiker, River (something or other ¢ Guide maybe?) showed up and we chatted for about an hour. Nice Guy whose energy for the trail was contagious. The four miles after the shelter were just what the doctor ordered (so lame that I just wrote that). Very enjoyable afternoon in a little rain stormy. Stopped early next to the river. Chance built a great fire and I HOPE to finally sleep well. Last night I was kept awake by an AWESOME lightning storm. Very cool. Just noticed my socks smell like sausage after trying to dry them by the fire¢¦ Mmmmm sausage socks.
Date: 2006-07-29
From: Campsite .5 before Crescent Pond

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 13.3

I made a new friend last night! I¢m calling him Fatso because well, he was a very robust mouse. Apparently the campsite we chose must be popular because it has a resident mouse. I am totally NOT bothered by mice ¢ I mean you can¢t really be if you¢re an AT hiker or if you¢ve worked in the huts. But there¢s something creepy about having a round, furry, frightened mouse in your space. Fortunately he found his way out and I had the best night¢s sleep I¢ve had yet.Today was pretty uneventful, but the trail sure was nice ¢ even the climb up Nesuntabunt was quite nice. Ran into Barefoot ¢ a NOBO thru-hiker ¢ up on top and took a nice long break with him. Saw some young section hikers today and when I asked if they were enjoying themselves they said, ¢It seems like such a great idea to be out here hiking 15 miles a day when you¢re at home ¢ but when you¢re actually out here doing it¢¦!¢ Yeah, it¢s not easy. If I¢ve said it once, I¢ll say it again. You really have to want to be out here, more than anywhere else on earth, to be a thru-hiker. I myself am starting to enjoy the hiking more as my muscles loosen up and I feel stronger.The side trail into White House Landing is a mess. You have to wade through a bog that¢s about ankle high. That said, I¢d do it again in a second. I love it here ¢ so pretty ¢ sun gleaming off the lake, cute picturesque cabins. Oh, and the food doesn¢t suck, either. Linda and Bill do such a great job making hikers feel welcome. And the novelty of blowing an air horn and having a boat come get you makes it worth slogging through a bog.
Date: 2006-07-30
From: White House Landing

To: Jo Mary Road
Miles today: 10.7

Spent a VERY pleasant day hanging out at White House Landing soaking in the sun, doing laundry on the old washboard and enjoying good conversation with Bill & Linda. After a GIANT Boca Burger and some fresh cucumber, Bill boated us back across to the trail. Our shoes had dried out nicely & because of this we got the brilliant idea to go barefoot through the ankle deep bog. The cool mud felt quite therapeutic on our clean tootsies. It worked out really well as we were able to wash our feet off and put on DRY shoes to hike in, which never sucks.The grade and trail both were prefect for stretching out and making miles. I finally felt strong and like myself which made me feel great about being out here. We were going to stop at Antlers Campsite, but instead pushed on to Jo-Mary Road where a nice man stopped and gave us an orange & cherries. He offered us a lift into town but since we weren¢t positive we could camp at the Junction General, we declined. In the morning, we¢ll road sit for an hour or so to see if we can yogi a ride there for breakfast. Always, always take breaks at the roads ¢ good things come to those who road sit.Hey ¢ not bad mileage considering we didn¢t hike until after 2pm. I love me some hikin¢.
Date: 2006-07-31
From: Jo Mary Road

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

So, apparently there are child ghosts in the woods near Jo-Mary Road. Yes, I heart chattering children in the night ¢ all night. Needless to say, it wasn¢t the best night¢s sleep. Packed up and went to road sit for an hour or so before giving up and hiking. Had hoped to go in for a big ole¢ plate of eggs, potatoes and toast but obviously I¢ll be waiting for Monson for that.Great hiking today ¢ mostly well graded and somewhat root-free. Saw a big groups of NOBO thru¢s that¢ll finish upon the 4th. Great group ¢ super friendly ¢ which, unfortunately, isn¢t always the case. Took a very long lunch at East Branch of Pleasant River. Met Bugs who is the first thru-hiker headed North that I¢ve met this year who seems to feel the same way about distance hiking as I do. She said if she had the time and/or money she¢d turn around at Katahdin and head south, back to Springer. Yep, that¢s exactly how I felt when I finished up at Katahdin.I am definitely getting stronger and my hunger is somewhat setting in. May have to push for Monson sometime Thurs instead of Friday cause I am low on food. We¢ll see.Took a 15 minute break at the crest of a hill because I hit the wall and needed some energy ¢ only to find the shelter was about .1 down the other side of the hill . . . of course. We finally caught up to Jaws & Wes who are also headed south.The weather has been perfect the past two days ¢ feels like a crisp, sunny, fall day! Will hate to see the clouds come in tomorrow but¢¦ what can you do?
Date: 2006-08-01
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: East Chairback Pond Side Trail
Miles today: 14.6

Holy Thunderstorms Batman! Better batten down the hatches tonight ¢cause we¢s gonna have us a storm!Great day of hiking. Glad we saved climbing White Cap for the morning when I felt strong. Otherwise it would have been rough. Got an actual view from the top ¢cause the front we¢ve been hearing about is holding off.Ran into some PCT section hikers today ¢ Just a Few Steps and Tortoise. Funny, I looked at them for two seconds and knew they¢d hiked on the PCT. It was the Gossamer pack and his button down shirt that gave it away. Those trends haven¢t quite caught on out here yet. Nice, nice people ¢ I was glad to have met and chatted with them.Had a relatively easy hike for about 5 miles after lunch ¢ complete with yogiing opportunities near the parking lot, but I totally blew it ¢ out of practice, I guess. Who knew there¢d be a parking lot in the 100 Mile Wilderness? [Transcriber note: Um, I remember that from my hike. It¢s just before (if you¢re heading North) or just after (southbound) the Nature Conservancy part that supposedly has really big, old trees. The AT doesn¢t past by any of those, however. How could you forget that? Did you even hike this trail before? Come on, Teatree, tell us the truth!] Cooked my dinner near the parking lot in order to re-fuel for a 1000-foot climb and the last 1.4 miles of the day. Finally in the Chairback Range 0 one of my favorites. The ground is so soft here!Climbed down to the pond to camp ¢ wow! Beautiful spot! And to think I wouldn¢t have hiked down here if I had tried to make it to the next shelter. Chance and I discovered a rowboat with 1 oar and took it out for a spin. The water was so nice looking that I simply had to take a dip. Ahhh! I feel like I¢ve showered now! Okay, maybe that¢s a bit much. Soooo ready for Monson and to be done with the ¢Wilderness.¢
Date: 2006-08-02
From: East Chairback Pond Side Trail

To: Random Spot 1 Mile Before Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 12.8

Mother Nature put on quite a show with the lightning and thunder last night! Impressive. Planned on a slow moving, low mileage day today heading over the Chairback Range. As tough as this section is, I¢ve enjoyed it very much both times I¢ve been through. Things were slow moving at first as the rocks were quite wet from the storm the night before. Uphills felt great to me today ¢ as though my trail legs are finally getting super strong. Took a nice break up on 3rd Mountain ¢ great views ¢ got to dry out all wet gear. 4th Mountain was a push ¢ so steep both up and down. And of course, a front moved in by the time we hit Barren Mountain and the rain started to fall. Hoped to make it to Long Pond Shelter, but I felt my butt muscle twinge as I took too big of a step down. I thought I heard a stream nearby & therefore declared us done for the day at a random spot above the shelter. Turns out it wasn¢t the stream I was hearing, it was the pouring rain hitting the leaves.Oh, and the spot wasn¢t so much flat ¢ it was slanted downhill. . . so much for sleeping well after a super tough hike today. Maybe the rain will soothe me to sleep??!
Date: 2006-08-05
From: Monson, ME

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

What is there to say? High on coffee, food, music ¢ on Monson. We hauled ass outta there back into the woods. Came across two stream crossings ¢ one of which I actually did fall into. It was at my waist and I finally gave in to the current. It took me in, but fortunately Chance had my pack¢¦and it was a crystal clear bright blue sunny day so¢¦I dried off quickly. We enjoyed some hiker TV tonight (a fire) and I am drifting off to sleep as we speak. Oh ¢ and one more thing, we named Wes today. His name is 8. As in 8 beers deep ¢ ¢cause that¢s one of the 1st things we heard him say back at White House Landing.
Date: 2006-08-06
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Holly Brook
Miles today: 16.1

Whoo wee! This trail¢¦just when you think you know her¢¦she kicks your butt. I totally forgot that it¢s not really how many miles you do out here that¢s the achievement. It¢s how HARD the miles are. I certainly find myself feeling stronger day to day and I am doing as many miles per day as I did on my thru-hike in ¢01¢¦changing to lightweight gear makes such a HUGE difference.What a beautiful, crystal clear, crisp sunny day! Great day to climb Moxie Bald and then Pleasant Pond Mountain. Moxie was easy and we stopped at the top for a 2nd breakfast. When 8 showed up, his leg was muddy up to his mid thigh. He¢d accidentally fallen into one of the mud bogs, which apparently are thigh deep up here. I had to laugh though ¢ it looked pretty funny.Raced down the other side to the south end of Moxie Pond where we sat by the road for half an hour or so. Huh. Sure is a lot of traffic on that dirt road ¢ oh and it goes to Bingham??! Sunday Brunch anyone? How ¢bout a mimosa!? No¢¦We decided we¢d just come out of Monson so we could ¢handle¢ another day in the woods. We did decide though that we¢d cruise over Pleasant Pond Mountain & then take a long break at Pleasant Pond on the sand beach before moving on. On went my headphones ¢ oooh a retro weekend?! I heard A-HA, Phil Collins, Alphaville, lots of disco, lots of Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, C&C Music Factory (Everybody Dance Now!), Michael Jackson and any other 80¢s hair band. It was awesome ¢ especially since 8 & I spent part of yesterday screaming Phil Collins & Genesis songs back & forth while hiking.Eventually through all of the ups & downs & then a step down, we made Pleasant Pond. Ahh! A two hour nap on the dock (the pond is so full this year that there is no beach) was a necessity. After some food & rest Chance and I moved on to a nice rocky spot right on the elbow of Holly Brook. Tomorrow ¢ Caratunk & the Ferry!
Date: 2006-08-07
From: Holly Brook

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 2.7

Can you say NEARO Day? Can you say forecasted T-storms, at times severe, big ole¢ honkin' blisters on 8¢s heels & a kick-ass place to stay for $7.60? Um yeah ¢ it sure was fun. The Northern Outdoors Resort is a great spot with a restaurant for B/L/D, a pool, a hot tub, internet (FREE), showers (Free), tent cabins & their very own micro brewery. It doesn¢t suck & I¢m glad we stayed, despite the fact that the T-storms never actually amounted to anything¢¦though I still think I hear thunder in the distance¢¦A highly recommended spot!! THESE PILLOWS SOUND LIKE DIAPERS.
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Flagstaff Lake Area
Miles today: 17.6

Did you ever read those choose your own adventure books as a kid? I loved them! I had to decide the outcome of my journey along the way ¢ although it sucked when you¢d die because the earth blew up or something.Got to the trail ¢round about 9:40 & were next in line for Steve¢s ferry service¢¦although it wasn¢t Steve driving the canoe but his employee instead ¢ totally beside the point.Hiked easily & happily to Pierce Pond Lean-to for lunch. What a beautiful spot. Today was a gorgeous day ¢ great weather, bright blue skies, and big cottony clouds. Moved on. Chatted w/ Chance most of this morning since we¢d left 8 back in Caratunk due to some serious blisters. He¢s having his trail runners sent. Think he got tired of Chance & I plodding through stream crossings while he had to stop and change out of his boots every time. Anyway, got to a logging road. There were many sticks across the road suggesting that there was a relo due to excessive bogginess (I only got this idea in my head because of an entry in the register at Pierce Pond Lean-to). After consulting the map, I determined that we could road walk around this section of trail. I¢m pretty sure the trail actually was fine by now, but it sounded like a great adventure to me. Headed off and pretty quickly got to a fork. While I was pretty sure that we¢d come to a turn too quickly, the road to the left really appealed to me for some reason. We wouldn¢t figure out for about 3 hours that my intuition was spot one & this road took us exactly where we wanted to be. Enjoyed views a plenty of the Bigelows & Flagstaff Lake ¢ as well as fresh blackberries right off the plant. Eventually we met up with a paved road, walked a short half mile up that and met back up with the AT. Hiked a couple more miles to a very nice spot on Flagstaff Lake. Psyched for the Bigelows!! I see that there¢s a building coming up on my map¢¦Maybe it¢s a restaurant for breakfast?! Maybe not¢¦
Date: 2006-08-09
From: Flagstaff Lake Area

To: Cranberry Stream Camp
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

BIGELOWS!! What a fantastic, awesome, gorgeous, rough, tough, absolutely ass kicking day. Struggled a bit this morning, a likely result of not enough breakfast ¢ but made it up Little Bigelow just in time for 2nd breakfast. I ate a lot at the overlook ¢cause I knew what Big Ole Bigelow (yes, that¢s what we¢ve renamed it) had in store. Up, up, up the steep ass, unforgiving terrain we went ¢ out came my radio. As much as I like the idea of having an I-Pod out here, I like having no choice besides the radio. It¢s funny to hear what they play and even funnier that you¢re kind of stuck listening to it. I had to chuckle out loud while I was climbing today because I actually heard ¢Mmm Bop¢ by Hansen ¢ talk about making you hike faster. GET ME AWAY FROM THIS AWFUL SONG!Anyway, took an hour and a half on Avery Peak with some friendly day hikers & then moved on. Ran into a very friendly NOBO ¢ Firefly just before the summit of West Peak. You could see forever today up high ¢ even as far as Katahdin! The rest of the day was a series of ups & downs, some challenging, some plain old annoying. Ended up at Horns Pond just a bit too early to stop for the day, so decided to head down closer to Stratton. Boom, Boom, Boom ¢ my knees were aching by the time we got here. Time to rest a bit more in Stratton before the terrain gets even tougher. Can¢t wait for breakfast in town!
Date: 2006-08-10
From: Cranberry Stream Camp

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Chance & I have determined that not only can we control the weather, we can control the trail now, too. With the simple act of either using a pack cover daily, we keep it sunny. Apparently, though, if we both dress for the trail to be a nice, gentle, downhill 1.9 mile hike to the road by wearing long sleeves and rain jackets, the trail will change into 8 little steep uphills¢¦Made it to the road regardless. Got picked up by a super cutie named Aaron who is working on the wind turbine project nearby. Went straight to Stratton diner for breakfast and got most of my town chores done up front. Laundry, PO, only thing left was resupply. Checked in at the White Wolf Inn despite the fact that most hikers seem to be staying at the hostel this year. Shared space was NOT what I was in the mood for today. Watched a small bit of TV, resupplied, had beers with Yeah but and Orca (Nobo section hikers) and had great pizza at Stratton Pizza. Also ran into the chef from a restaurant I worked at back in 1999. How weird is that? Here in Stratton, ME, I ran into someone of the non-hiker species that I knew. Small world. It rained for a bit this afternoon which definitely made me happy since I was in town¢¦dry, full and happy.
Date: 2006-08-11
From: Stratton, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: light rain

Oh, I know what you¢re thinking ¢ How did you hike 8.3 miles and get nowhere -- That is, back in Stratton? Well, it¢s like this¢¦I awoke at 6:45 & enjoyed breakfast at the diner. While standing outside the PO, a woman asked if we wanted a ride back to the trail. Score. Didn¢t even have to hitch! I duly noted when packing up that Chance did not use his pack cover today which said to me ¢ clearly it will rain now.As we hiked up South Crocker, clouds assembled. At the top, we needed a break and luckily the sun popped out, ¢cause it was actually cold enough to see our breath! Soon after stopping though, the clouds were back and it began to rain¢¦Um. What? It wasn¢t supposed to rain today!? We moved on to North Crocker and¢¦it began to¢¦ Hail!? Oh HAIL NO! We hiked down slowly on steep, wet rooty trail and discussed the weather we had caused and also talked about the demon man ¢ which we¢d seen on a Discovery program last night and is totally beside the point. We actually had only planned on about a 9 mile day assuming that the Crockers would kick our butts, but here we were, done with the entire day at 1pm.I soon realized that this road, Caribou Valley Road, was where I had walked in after being stung by a bee in 2001 (I¢m allergic). [Transcriber¢s note: In the book Cinnamon, she gets stung by a bee in NJ.] Huh, it connects to 27¢¦straight into Stratton. And as we simultaneously heard a loud clap of thunder and a man saying ¢Need a ride?¢ a decision was made. Stratton it was.As we pulled back into town, there was our long lost friend, 8. We checked back into room 6 of the White Wolf Inn and made new friends with Fred, Ginger, Pilot and Walking Stick (a family) in room 4. Down in the restaurant we enjoyed a fish fry. And when it came time to pay¢¦Fred & Ginger had already taken care of it. How nice is that??!!Almost forgot, when we got here, Chance realized he had never received his $20 cash back at the PO. We arrived just in time for him to stop in before they closed for the day and get his money. Talk about when ALL things fall into place. Now I¢m gonna head across the street to karaoke¢¦Life is too good.