morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-10
From: Stealth Camping Spot near beach of Sabbath Day 

To: Rangeley, ME / Hiker Hut
Miles today: 9.7

Aug 10, 2016 - When Peach and I woke up this morning and pulled our sweat soaked clothes on for the 7th day in a row, neither of us could handle it. We decided then and there to hike a short day to Rangeley, ME and snag bunks at the Hiker Hut, which was just 0.3 miles off trail. The actual hiking today was very easy and I listened to Sherlock Holmes' adventures to help pass the time. The only problem with Holmes is that every time I come across another hiker, the standard exchange of pleasantries causes me to miss several crucial details to the mystery. Then, I try to rewind the audiobook, but my fingers are so wet with sweat that my touch screen doesn't even work. It's frustrating.I completed the 9.7 miles to the Hiker Hut before 11 am and spoke to Katherine, the owner's wife, about securing a bunk. Unfortunately, the bunk room was full, but Peach and I could split the couple's suite next to the river (it's basically just a lean-to) for the same price. Done deal. I gave Peach the bed and I took the floor. I essentially begged Katherine to do our laundry and she obliged for only $1. She put vinegar in with the detergent and, for the first time all trip, was unable to tell which socks were my hiking pair and which were my sleeping pair. This hostel was very unique because there was no electricity or running water. The outdoor shower was simply a pump, propane heater, and a supply bin of manually filled with stream water. It was incredibly refreshing. Peach and I were shuttled to town with Cookie and ate some lunch at the Red Onion - I crushed yet another entire pizza pie (176,Tim). The next stop was the ice cream place in town followed by Sarge's, the local pub. Since we weren't being picked back up until 7 pm, we had a solid 5 hours to watch the Olympics. Cookie and Longcloud soon joined us along with a Sobo that was Councilman Jam's doppelg¤nger. While watching the Olympics, I noticed a bumper sticker on the bar that read "Pond Hockey Tournament 2010, Rangeley, ME". Anybody that knows me can vouch for how excited I was by this 6 year old sticker. This town was my kind of place. On the way back to the Hut, Steve, the owner, dropped all of us at the grocery store for a resupply. Since I didn't need a resupply thanks to Mama Goat's last package, I just stocked up on Whoopie Pies, which are apparently, very popular in Maine. I can't get enough of them - each pie is 800 calories with each macronutrient nicely represented and their freaking delicious. We all sat around the fire for an hour or so eating popcorn that Steve made and talking about the trail until I called it quits pretty early to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day as Saddleback Mountain stood in our way. Rangeley, ME / Hiker Hut
Date: 2016-08-11
From: Rangeley, ME / Hiker Hut

To: Stealth Camping Spot near Perham Stream
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Aug 11, 2016 - I left the Hiker Hut about 7:30 am after some coffee and a Whoopie Pie for breakfast. My hike today was a nice mixture of easy and difficult terrain. It started with a rejuvenating 3 mile walk to the base of Saddleback Mountain (4,120 feet), which is a pretty big ski resort up here. Next, of course, was a 2 mile climb up Saddleback, but the last mile was completely above tree line. It's amazing how that can change the perspective of a hike - the first mile was a hot, sweaty ascent through the pines with no wind while the second mile was simply stunning. Slope and distance doesn't matter when you're in that other world above the trees. The wind gusts and thankfully dries the sweat on your body while you gaze around at the stunning landscapes (and ski slopes in this instance). After Saddleback, I had another 3 miles of up and down hiking in the alpine environment where I summited The Horn (4,021 feet) and Saddleback Junior (3,655 feet). Then, came the downhill for another 3 miles and finally a gradual 2 mile uphill where I hoped to find a nice stealth spot near Perham Stream. Peach and I kind of have a reputation for finding the best stealth spots on trail. Our priorities are water (preferably swimming holes), fire pits, and good, rainproof tenting in that order. As I arrived at Perham Stream a good 2 hours before Peach, I outdid myself yet again. The stream was raging and large enough to fully clean off. I also watched a group of river otters play around for a while which may have been the cutest thing I've ever seen. I found a great, hidden tent site, too, but it didn't have a fire pit. It did, however, have a piece of scorched earth from a previous fire so I hauled rocks in from the stream and made my own. Cookie joined us and Peach and I grilled up some Taylor Ham. It was supposed to rain 1-2 inches tonight and this would be my first rain since I was flooded a few weeks ago. I was a little stressed and paranoid to be honest with you. I was almost positive that my rent was in a safe spot, but the disaster sprouted some doubts. I rolled sticks into the edges of my newly acquired ground sheet and put small rocks on top to create a barrier on the uphill side of my tent. This way, if rain started to accumulate, it should flow under the ground sheet rather than the bathtub floor. We'll see if it works. 15.3 Stealth Camping Spot near Perham Stream
Date: 2016-08-13
From: Stratton, ME / Spillover Motel

To: Stratton, ME / Stratton Motel
Miles today: 0.0

Aug 13, 2016 - Moonshine left the motel early because he had to get to a wedding this afternoon. The rain showed no signs of slowing down this morning so Peach and I decided to take our last zero in Stratton. One of the weddings was actually at the Spillover Motel so we caught a ride back to the center of town to the Stratton Motel where I secured us couch spots for $10. The reunion in Stratton continued with the arrival of Sherpa, Jellydog, Whiplash, Mumbles and Panda. Even 188 miles from the end of this trip, I continue to meet new people like Solo, Romani, Jester (finally, a hockey fan from Minnesota), and Bombadil (this is Legs and Verge's Dad who I was hoping to run into - unfortunately, the knee problems he had been having since mile 1200 has finally forced him off trail). I was hoping Legs and Verge themselves would catch up today, but I never heard back. Today was a true zero - I had a frozen pizza at 10 in the morning (188, Tim), resupplied on Whoopie Pies, and just sat around drinking, playing board games and watching the Olympics all day. Peach and I played some cribbage at the White Wolf Inn and I played Weebles in some ping pong and pool at the Stratton Plaza later that night. I know this all sounds very well and good, but zeros are really hard. Sitting around all day is actually a very tough thing to do, certainly tougher than hiking 17 miles in the rain. Still, the all star cast at the motel practically demanded it. 0 Stratton Motel / Stratton, ME
Date: 2016-08-14
From: Stratton, ME / Stratton Motel

To: East Flagstaff Lake Campsite
Miles today: 17.9

Aug 14, 2016 - So, I definitely drank a bit too much last night - it was those damn Not Your Father's Root Beers that are just so easy to drink. It didn't help that Peach put on a pop punk playlist from the 2000s halfway through the six pack...While most hikers are some of the friendlier people I've met, there are a few assholes. I got up from the couch to pee in the middle of the night as usual, but when I came back a Sobo had thrown all of my stuff on the floor and said to me, "I paid for this couch". Thankfully, I was pretty out of it and just went to sleep on the floor, because the only other option was to roll him onto the floor and take the couch back. Peach even woke up and feebly told him to get lost, but whatever.I definitely couldn't believe it, though. Hiking up the Bigelows is as good a hangover cure as any, I suppose, though I definitely struggled up Bigelow Mountain (4,145 feet). I refueled with some food and water at the top, which definitely made me feel a bit better. I moved on to Avery Peak (4,090 feet) and then Little Bigelow Mountain. Apparently, you can see Katahdin and Mt. Washington from the summit of Bigelow Mountain on a clear day, but today was too cloudy. I fell a few times today and managed to bend both of my trekking poles. I thought they were beyond repair, but managed to fix them at camp. Hopefully, they can last through the 100 mile wilderness because I need them for my tent. After tackling those 3 peaks like a zombie, I made the long descent down to Flagstaff Lake where I set up camp in a ridiculous spot right next to the lake. A short walk brought me down to a pebble beach where I took a short swim to clean myself off. An equally short walk brought me into a large rock overlooking the lake where I cast out with my fishing pole for about an hour and a half. Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten even a nibble. I had to settle for another Taylor Ham and cheese wrap for dinner around the fire. I was still exhausted from the night before and a 17.9 mile day isn't exactly rest. I went to bed pretty early and read the Chronicles of Narnia. I'm definitely too old for these books, but I've never read them and always wanted to. I fell asleep to a few loons singing me a messed up lullaby. They might be the coolest birds ever - they just play around in the water and make hysterical noises all the time.17.9 East Flagstaff Lake Campsite
Date: 2016-08-16
From: Stealth Camping Spot / Caratunk, ME

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 18.8

Aug 16, 2016 - After our leisure activities at Northern Outdoors yesterday afternoon, it was back to work this morning with an 18.8 mile hike to Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to. Again, it was fairly easy terrain today with only 2 small mountains to clamber over: Pleasant Pond Mountain and Moxie Bald Mountain. Both of these were almost relaxing climbs considering what I'm used to now and both provided nice views at the top. I took a really nice lunch break at Moxie Pond - halfway through my ford, I set up on a large rock and had the breeze cool me down while I listened to water trickle past me. I was hoping to see a moose, but still no luck on that front. Once I reached the lean-to, I was very careful to set up my tent in a safe place as it was supposed to rain pretty heavily that evening. My paranoia was still strong since the flood and I checked and rechecked my setup to ensure that flowing water would no build up around me. A beautiful lake was situated right next to my camping spot - I had intended to fish, but the water was very shallow. I settled for a fire and a nice warm dinner instead.I was forced into my tent pretty early because the No-See-Ums were relentless.These tiny bugs are worse than mosquitos because you don't see them until you've been bitten and sometime not even then. I caught up on some journaling and read my children's book. When the rain started, I sat in my tent with my headlamp on just staring at the ground for almost 20 minutes until I was satisfied that my setup was sufficient. That was a nerve racking 20 minutes, though so sleep came easily.18.8 Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to
Date: 2016-08-18
From: Monson, ME / Shaw's Lodging 

To: Monson, ME / Shaw's Lodging 
Miles today: 0.0

Aug 18, 2016 - Peach and I actually volunteered to help out with some trail maintenance this afternoon so the 100 mile wilderness would have to wait a few hours. All logistics aside, I only had 1 thing on my mind when my eyes opened this morning: breakfast. When I saw the kitchen at Shaw's yesterday, my expectations for breakfast unintentionally skyrocketed. It also turned out to be free since we had signed up to help out with the trail maintenance. I walked into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and caught Poet cooking up a storm. At least 50 strips of bacon graced the grill and his famous hash browns were sizzling in 3 giant cast iron pans. Three eggs were cooked to order and bottomless blueberry pancakes were piled in the center of the table. I was salivating. As a bonus, Cookie is a vegan so when she was served bacon, she slid her pieces discreetly onto my plate. Even though everything was delicious, the hash browns stole the show. Golden and crunchy potato cubes fully buttered up and seasoned are hard to do correctly, but Poet killed it. Anyway, the rest of the morning was spent catching up on my writing while I waited for the shuttle to bring us to the maintenance event. AJ shuttled about 7 of us to the Jo Mary road about 30 miles into the 100 mile wilderness where we would be unloading logs from a truck. The logs would eventually replace the bog bridges that we walk on for very wet sections of trail. The whole event was supposed to take about 4-5 hours, but since several people volunteered, we were completely done in less than 2. The trail has provided so much these past 5 months so it get good to give back a bit. I definitely want to get involved with this type of volunteer work when I get home. Peach and I had planned to get back on trail and hike a shorter day into the wilderness, but when we arrived back at the hostel, Sweets, Jingle, Training Wheels, Verge and Legs had arrived. They all wanted to summit on the 25th which was our plan as well. Therefore, we decided to zero again so we could all hike out together tomorrow.It was an excellent afternoon as we investigated the Spring Creek barbecue joint next door (it had been closed yesterday with a sign out front that actually read "Closed - Out of Food"). Spring Creek must be a lucky name because the pulled pork sandwich was so juicy it was difficult to eat. I picked up another pizza for dinner and we played some cornhole and Scattegories into the evening. I downed 4 of the pizza slices bringing me to 200 pizza slices since I started hiking on March 25. I still had 4 slices I would pack out with me tomorrow. As I lay down to go to bed, I realized everything was working out wonderfully and couldn't wait to start the 100 mile wilderness tomorrow.0, Monson, ME / Shaw's Lodging
Date: 2016-08-20
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: light rain

Aug 20, 2016 - I woke up to one of those mornings where it's cold enough to make your sleeping bag the most comfortable thing in the world. The prospect of Peach's coffee did the trick, though. I had another big day today - 18.6 miles to the Sidney Tappan Campsite. Today's hike had significantly more ups and downs today as I approached Whitecap Mountain where I would catch my first glimpse of Katahdin if the weather cooperated. A few hours into my hike, I took a break on a cliff overlooking the gorge south of Whitecap and had some lunch. I found myself thinking of all the things I'm going to miss about this hike. Eating lunch on a cliff, on a summit or on the banks of a river literally everyday is right there at the top of the list. I've even had lunch while sitting in a river - I mean, how can you beat that? Sleeping outside is far and away what I will miss most of all. Don't get me wrong, I miss sleeping in a bed sometimes, but now that I'm comfortable outside, I find that I sleep much better than I ever used to. I don't set alarms out here or worry about time - the sun and the moon govern my days. I'll miss the freedom and the simplicity of life out here. Water, food and shelter are my only concerns out here. I'll miss Hitchhiking and all the crazy stories associated with it. I'll miss being hiker trash. I'll miss having people look at me like I'm a zoo animal because deep down I know that it's the other way around. I'm honestly dreading reintegration back into society, but I know I'll figure it out. With 7 miles left in my hike, I stopped at a river crossing that required fording for another snack. I put my feet in the water and had a conversation with a ridge runner that policed the ford. The Gulf Hagis trail 2 miles north was apparently a tourist destination and the lady was making sure people forded the river safely. It was then that I realized the 100 mile wilderness isn't actually that wild seeing as there's a parking area less than a mile away. A gradual 7 mile climb brought me to the Sidney Tappan Campsite a few miles short of Whitecap. I built a fire and waited for everyone else to arrive. The usual crew was on their way, but we were also joined by Goat, Jetson, Curly, and Footage. Peach took out his guidebook and began reminiscing. For a while now, he's been looking back to where we were on the trail with the mileage we have left to hike. It's funny because all the "big" climbs we did - Blood Mountain, Trey Mountain, Albert Mountain, etc. - are just a joke compared to what we've been hiking since Vermont. I mean just today, we hiked the equivalent of about 4 Trey Mountains in elevation and considered it a relatively easy day. And I remember Trey Mountain as one of my most difficult climbs on trail.
Date: 2016-08-21
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 25.0

Aug 21, 2016 - Even though I hung a bear bag last night, mice, squirrels and / or chipmunks managed to chew yet another hole in my food bag. Luckily, they must have gotten tired after actually creating the hole and didn't get to any of the food. Footage and Curly were not as fortunate. They're ruthless out here. Whitecap was the first and only mountain on the agenda today. I was supposed to get my first view of Katahdin from the north side of the mountain. However, my hopes were not high seeing as clouds were billowing across the summit of Whitecap. The wind was strong enough to blow me off course and make rock hopping much more difficult. As expected, Katahdin was shrouded in cloud - the only piece I could see was the top left corner. Oh well, I would get another shot at the 'Greatest Mountain' ('Katahdin' actually means 'Greatest Mountain' in the local Native American tongue) in another 30 miles or so. The rest of the day was a 21 mile stretch of flat terrain devoid of excessive rocks and roots. It was very pleasurable hiking and I made great time throughout the day. I stopped at the Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to to do some fishing. The brook right in front of the shelter had a small waterfall that created a deep swimming hole. I could actually see the brook trout swimming around at the bottom. I was at it for almost 2 hours, but the fish wouldn't catch on the hook! Every time I cast out, I watched the fish attack my lure, but I didn't catch anything. I changed lures and even tried a piece of pepperoni, but still no luck. It was extremely frustrating - apparently, I am not a very good angler. Since I still had 8 miles to go to the Antlers Campsite, I gave up the fishing and got moving again. The Antlers Campsite was freaking beautiful - a sprawling bed of pine needles with 2 fire pits on a peninsula in the Jo Mary Lake. There was a huge rock beach so of course I rinsed off as best I could. Jellydog, Whiplash, Mumbles and Panda were already there. They had pushed big miles the past 2 and a half days so Jellydog's friend could be picked up from Joe Mary lake via C-plane. The pilot had promised to bring them a case of cold beer. So, for almost 3 days, this case of beer was the only thing driving them to do 25+ mile days...and the pilot forgot it! Even worse, as he revealed the bad news, he cracked open a soda and started drinking it right in front of Jellydog and co. Needless to say, none of them were in a good mood. I got a fire going and made a ground shattering food bag trade with Peach - I gave him 2 tuna packets and he gave me a jar of peanut butter. That's easily the craziest trade I've made all trail. Goat, Curly, and Jetson caught up and joined us by the fire. Talk of our summit dates and the logistics surrounding Baxter State Park consumed our conversation. We were close. 25 Antlers Campsite
Date: 2016-08-22
From: Antlers Campsite

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.7

Aug 22, 2016 - It poured all night and continued into the morning. Rain in the morning is kind of nice because everyone sleeps in a bit hoping the rain will stop and allow us to safely pack up camp. Unfortunately, I had to shit and that drove me from my tent into the rain very quickly. Of course, by the time I'm done with that, I'm already wet so I just went ahead and packed up my things. Everyone else followed suit with the exception of Peach, who refused to get out of his tent until the rain stopped. He made coffee in his vestibule and slid out my steaming cup, which I drank leaning against a tree in the pouring rain. The rain cleared up around mid morning and I was cruising. Rather than stop and take a break, I just pushed 21.7 miles to the Rainbow Stream Lean-to and set up early. I had another chance to see Katahdin this afternoon, but even though it was clear near me, the top half of the mountain was enveloped in clouds. It may continue to hide, but I'm still closing in with only 30 miles left on my thru hike.Luckily, Bigfoot, Toasty and Fire had already gotten an impressive fire going with wet wood. That saved me a ton of work for a hot dinner and allowed me to relax and bathe briefly in the stream. I was joined by the usual crew (except Training Wheels who had stopped 3 miles back on our first day in the wilderness) and Panda and Whiplash. It was a beautiful night and everyone was starting to get palpably excited. I walked back up to my tent and threw a rock to hang a bear bag. The rock got caught on the branch and when I pulled it loose, the rock flew right past my head and went completely through the tarp in my tent. My tent made it literally 2,159 miles in damn near perfect condition and I stupidly destroy it hanging a bear bag. As I've said before, hanging bear bags is always an interesting affair.