morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-24
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Old Speck Mountain
Miles today: 6.2

Again we got a decent start, but due to the terrain, the miles came slowly. Although, we did know that Mahoosuc Notch, which is about a one mile stretch, would be slow-going. Mahoosuc Notch is where the trail goes between two cliffs that must have had some rock slides since the trail goes over and under huge boulders for the entire mile. There was a lot of pulling ourselves up and over boulders using our arms. There were also several places that we had to take our packs off and crawl through holes between several boulders.After the Notch, we had a long climb up Mahoosuc Arm. We came out to Speck Pond, which is a beautiful pond nestled between a few 3000+ foot peaks. It is beautiful. We had a late lunch at the shore of the pond near the shelter. After lunch, we only did another mile up to Old Speck Mountain, where we camped for the night. Old Speck Mountain isn't above treeline, but there is an observation tower that gave us a great 360 degree view for sunset and sunrise.**********This entry posted on 10/12/2004**********
Date: 2004-09-25
From: Old Speck Mountain

To: Maine Rt. 26 (Andover, ME)
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

So we are getting a little bit behind schedule...Our mileage has gone down a bit and morale is a bit low. Which is kind of weird since we are getting so close to actually finishing. Today's low mileage was more due to the fact that we were all getting low on food and Mallory had a maildrop to get and the post office would be closed tomorrow. So we decided to hitch into town from this road instead of the next one 10 miles further up the trail. The hitch into town was memorable, though.We had decided that if we didn't get a hitch by 11:30 there wasn't a point in going today since the P.O. would be closed. Well, around 11:20 a guy pulled up with an SUV pulling a trailer without sides. He didn't have room in the truck, but the 6 of us piled onto the trailer and held on. Halfway there he pulled over at a roadside pie stand because he thought we might like to get a pie to eat for the ride. So the 6 of us split 3 pies. At a crossroad he dropped us off and said Andover was 10 minutes up this road and that we should be able to get a hitch pretty easily from here.We immediately stuck out our thumbs at the first truck going by as we were still getting our packs off the trailer. The guy didn't stop until our first ride guy yelled "stop!" and asked the guy if he didn't mind giving us a ride. He said alright and we jumped right into the bed of his truck, and like that, we were in Andover.**********This entry posted on 10/13/2004**********
Date: 2004-09-26
From: Grafton Notch

To: East B Hill Road
Miles today: 10.3

Had a great evening last night at the Cabin Hostel run by Honey & Bear. We hadn't planned on slackpacking today, but decided we couldn't pass up a 10 mile slackpack then watching football and spending another night with these great people. I keep saying this at each hostel I go to, but this one really is the best. For starters, it is the cleanest hostel I've been in. There are all the necessary services (laundry, shower, stove fuel) and there is cable TV, full service kitchen, and fridge. To top it all off, there is an AYCE breakfast for $5 and dinner for $7.We had a great spaghetti dinner last night with salad and garlic bread, then brownies and ice cream for dessert. For breakfast they put out eggs and all the fixins for making your own omelette and there are blueberry pancakes, homefries, biscuits, homemade jam, and orange juice. I'm getting hungry again just writing about it.Our slackpack today was great. Mickey, Mallory, and I were the only ones to do this section, everyone else skipped ahead 20 miles. There were some great views off of the summit of Baldpate mountain. The foliage is getting near peak and is really beautiful. The valleys are just popping with color. Luckily we've been having some great sunny weather lately. Although the wind at the peak made us leave quicker than we wanted to.There is a big group of hikers here tonight and there is much talk of finishing. But there is a lot of fear on not finishing on or by October 15, which is when camping is no longer allowed in Baxter State Park. That means staying outside the park and hiking in...**********This entry posted on 10/13/2004**********
Date: 2004-09-27
From: East B Hill Road

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

Well there was another great breakfast this morning, and we had to say a lot of goodbyes today, since just about everyone else is skipping ahead at least 20 miles. It's sad to think, but with such little time left now, there is a good change that I won't be seeing some of these people again. Terrapin, Goofy, Hamish, Flannel Breeze, Bam Bam, and Kiwi are all 20 miles ahead of us now.Butterfingers and Wideload slackpacked again today while Mickey, Mallory, Magnet, and I hiked out with full packs. Burnie & Flavor Flave also hiked out with us. They are 2 other thru-hikers that we just recently met. The hiking was nice again today with blue skies and more nice views of valleys with great foliage.We camped near the road crossing and were sitting around a campfire when a truck pulled up on the road. Butterfingers and Wideload came over to see us with the truck from the hostel! They even brought a few beers and some burgers from dinner!! What great friends!!**********This entry posted on 10/14/2004**********
Date: 2004-09-28
From: South Arm Road

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Maine continues to amaze me. The terrain is rugged and tough hiking, but the scenery is beautiful and helps you forget how much your legs and lungs are hurting. We (Magnet, Mickey & Mallory, and I) had planned on making it further, but decided to stop early and relax. So we gathered some firewood to have a fire for the evening. After a little bit, Flavor Flav and Burnie showed up also.**********This entry posted on 10/14/2004**********
Date: 2004-09-29
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I can't believe the amount of rock in Maine. For much of the morning I walked on rock, not loose or small rocks or boulders, but one continuous rock outcropping. There were also some great vistas down into the valleys. With the leaves close to peak foliage and the numerous lakes and ponds in the background, the views are spectacular.We had planned on going further (once again) but this campsite was right on a pond and there were 2 canoes for us to use. Although the canoes weren't in great shape and the paddles were also lacking, it was still nice to stop hiking early and just paddle around in the sun. However, I did have to head back to shore earlier than I wanted since the canoe was filling up with water due to leaks in the bottom.After a bit, Flavor Flav and Burnie showed up and so did Atlas a little later. Atlas even had a fly rod with him and caught 7 fish that evening, which we fried up over the campfire.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-09-30
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: few clouds

We had a short day today since we had to get into town to resupply. The towns in Maine are tiny. We went into Rangely, Maine, which was about 10 buildings. After getting lunch and hitting the post office, we spent some time waiting to get a hitch to the grocery store.The trail has been my only experience with hitching, and luckily most people who pick us up know about the trail and don't mind picking up the hikers, especially when they see the packs. It cracks me up, though, to see the reactions people have when they see someone hitch-hiking. There are some people who speed up when they see us. In fact, some floor it. The really concerned ones also swerve over to the other side as they speed up. Then some people will wave at us or give us back the thumbs up sign?? Do they think that helps us in some way or that we are just kidding? We even had one guy stop in the middle of the road and just laugh at us (he had a 2-seater and already had 1 passenger). We finally got a ride to the grocery store and the guy was even nice enough to wait for us to shop, then take us back to the trail. We only hiked 2 more miles, then stopped at the first lean-to. After a while, Flavor Flav and Burnie showed up.We still haven't caught up with Wideload and Butterfingers. I'm hoping we will soon.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-01
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

The Maine scenery continues to amaze. The foliage is awesome, and each mountain we climb gives great views. We tried doing a twenty mile day to make it to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain since we heard there is a warming hut at the top for the ski resort that hikers can stay in. It would have been nice to get there and see a nice sunrise and sunset, but the terrain made it tough to go any further. Burnie and Flavor Flav must have camped south of the shelter since they never made it in tonight.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-02
From: Spaulding Mountain Shelter

To: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It is getting chilly lately. It didn't help that it was overcast today, and the second mountain we climbed was in the clouds, which meant no view and damp and chilly. Once in town though, the four of us split a room and all of us were able to take hot showers! It was the best shower of my entire life. The other good thing about getting to town today was my immediate need for pepto bismal...I won't go into detail because it is not pretty.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-03
From: Stratton, Maine

To: Horns Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: clear sky

Not a big day, but a relaxing one. We didn't get out of town until 11 or so and it took a while to get a hitch. We also almost took a zero day because we were waiting so long for a hitch and started talking about watching football...But luckily we got a hitch and avoided a zero day. Although it was frigid, I even jumped in the pond, mostly to prove I was more of a man than Mickey (or maybe just dumber).**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-04
From: Horns Pond Lean-to

To: Sandy Beach
Miles today: 21.6

It was a cold day, but the views off of Bigelow Mountain were awesome. The leaves are great with all the different colors, and there are big ponds and small lakes everywhere. I can't even begin to describe how great it is.We were above treeline for a little bit on the two peaks, but then dropped below and were able to get out of the wind which helped a lot to warm us up.We decided to make a big push today because we have to make it to the Kennebec River tomorrow by noon to get a ferry (a guy with a canoe) across the river.We hiked into the dark with our head lamps to get about 10 miles away. We camped right near the trail. I actually pitched my hammock on the trail which worried me a little since we have seen so many moose prints on the trail. I think the trail ends up being a natural game path. But I also figured if a moose runs into me I'm bound to see it, right? Well, around 3 AM I heard the moose coming right at me. I woke up right away and was about to make some noise and get out of my hammock to see it when I heard it stop about 5 feet away. I waited a second then it went off into the woods. I never actually saw it, but he or she was really close.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-05
From: Sandy Beach

To: Caratunk, Maine
Miles today: 9.9

We were up bright and early today. Actually we were up before the sun. Burnie and Flavor Flav were up even earlier. They got up at 3 AM and were hiking by 4 AM, since they stopped a few miles back from us. They came through as we were getting up. Luckily we all made it to the Kennebec River by 11:30 and were taken across in a canoe by Steve Longely.The rest of the day was all about relaxation. We went to the Northern Outdoors Center, which is mainly a rafting place, but there is a restaurant and rooms there too. So the six of us all piled into one big townhouse-type room. We ate some lunch, then got in the huge outdoor hot tub. It was pretty cold outside, but in the hot tub, it felt great. We sat in there for several hours just relaxing and sipping on drinks. Finally we motivated to get some dinner, then we all fell asleep pretty quickly.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-06
From: Caratunk, Maine

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

After a late start out of town, we did pretty good and got in 15 miles. We once again had to use headlamps though. Fortunately the terrain has gotten easier and 15-20 mile days are possible once again. Although we all don't exactly want to rush through the last few days. It is getting very exciting to think about finishing, but at the same time, it will be sad since all the friends I've made are from all over the place, and I don't know how often I'll be seeing them.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-07
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: few clouds

Yet another great day! Even the smaller mountains in Maine give great views and provide large sections of rock outcroppings. We had to ford our first two rivers today. Although the rivers were not bad at all. The water didn't even come up to my knees. there was an approximate 3 miles section of trail today that was right next to a river which made for nice scenery.I was hiking in front at one point when I heard a moose in the river. I didn't see it but Magnet, Mickey, and Mallory did. Apparently there was a momma moose and her calf. Later we heard another off to our left but never saw it. I really hope to see a few moose soon.We made it into Monson just after dark. Butterfingers and Wideload were here!! They had waited a few days for us to catch up so we all could finish together. Tomorrow we plan to zero, then head out into the "100 mile wilderness". It's hard to believe there are only 115 miles to go!**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-08
From: Monson, Maine

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

My last Zero Day!! At least my last planned one. Hopefully I won't have to wait around to summit Katahdin. (They close the mountain if there is bad weather.) There were the usual chores to do...laundry, shower, groceries, etc. The people in Monson are so nice. We had to hitch 10 miles outside of Monson to get to a good grocery store and we didn't have to wait at all, practically, to get rides there and back. The owner of the Monson General Store even invited us to their Friday night music session that night. The music was a bunch of locals that got together and play music in the general store. We were literally standing in the canned food section watching them play.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-09
From: Monson, Maine

To: Unknown campsite
Miles today: 13.1

It was sad to leave Monson since my next town stop will be on the way home.... We packed up, then headed down to the General Store to see about some breakfast and say our goodbyes to Tim (the owner). The lady who runs the breakfast counter was late, so Tim let us go back and cook up our own breakfast. How small-town is that?!After breakfast we finished packing and went out to hitch a ride back to the trail. The first truck going by stopped and took four of us, then went back and got Mickey and Mallory. I'm still amazed at how nice people can be. The trail is only four miles from town, but with taking two trips, the guy must have taken 45 minutes to get us all there with loading and unloading us. That is one of the things I'll remember most about the trail.We stopped at Little Wilson Falls for lunch, which made for some nice scenery. We ended up night hiking some, then stopping short of the next lean-to when we found a good camping spot.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-10
From: Unknown campsite

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Once again, Maine provided stellar scenery. On the way up Barren Mountain we stopped at a rock slide that provided an amazing view of the valley below. The leaves are at peak foliage and there was a gorgeous lake with islands in the valley. It looked like a painting. The rock slide also made for some fun climbing in and around the rock crevices. There were some other nice views, however we kept it moving because the wind made for chilly hiking on the rock outcroppings.We made a fire at the shelter tonight to warm us up and cooked on it. Although, the wind wasn't cooperating and the shelter filled with smoke several times.A lot of people we know summitted the Big K today (at least based on the shelter log entries). It is sad to think that many of the people I've met I may never see again.**********This entry posted on 10/20/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-11
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

We forded our last river today. Although, since it is Fall, all the rivers are low and going across the rivers is no more than taking your shoes and socks off. The water doesn't even make it up to my knees. Earlier in the year I've heard that the water is up to your chest and you have to carry your pack above your head.After our ford we ate some lunch on the side of the river, then we climbed our last mountain until Katahdin. White Cap (or as I like to call it Snowwhite) is the last big climb until Katahdin. We have been told that there is a great view of Katahdin from the top of White Cap, however the weather began to change on us and White Cap was in the clouds for the rest of the day. We made it to the shelter on the other side of White Cap just around dark.**********This entry posted on 10/24/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-12
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I keep thinking i've taken my last zero day but I keep being wrong. We woke up to cold, cold rain. I was actually surprised that it wasn't snowing out. None of us wanted to move from the shelter. We could have hiked in the rain but we would have been completely miserable. So we decided to zero right in the shelter. Finally I got my zero day where my feet barely touched the ground. The bad thing about zeroing in the shelter was the possibility of eating all our food.... We are basically hungry most of the day but while your hiking it surpresses your appetite. In the shelter we didn't have much to do but eat. Normally this wouldn't be too big of a deal but we are in the 100 mile wilderness and we only brought in a certain amount of food to get through since our packs were sooooooo heavy going in. Butterfingers took charge though and wouldn't let us eat lunch until noon and dinner at 5. To help pass the time Butterfingers read "The Mist" by Stephen King. She did this off and on all day and into the night. It was a fitting story because we were still high on the mountain and in the clouds (foggy like the mist....) all day and night. All in all it was a very relaxing and memorable day.**********This entry posted on 10/25/2004**********
Date: 2004-10-13
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Sand Beach
Miles today: 21.3

It is getting hard to believe that my trip is almost over.   For the longest time it felt like i'd never be done. For a while i was kidding around with my hiking mates saying that there is no Katahdin and that the trail never ends... It was just a big lie and we will hike forever. But now it feels like just yesterday my parents dropped me off in Georgia. The hiking was pretty flat today. The leaves are thick on the trail and you hear crunching all day except when we get into pine forests. We had planned on going further today but we came across a nice sandy beach at the end of a lake and couldn't resist camping right on the beach and having a campfire. We all cooked on the campfire and sat around it for a while talking about the end of our trip and what we would do after. Then someone said a bad word (work) and we decided to talk about something else. It was a nice clear night so i decided to 'cowboy camp' (sleep out under the stars). This seemed like a good idea at first but just after dark water condensed on everything since we were right on the water. I should have set up my hammock a little inside the woods but thought it wouldn't be too bad, but i was wrong. I awoke to a soaking wet sleeping bag and thermarest. Oh well only a few more days anyways.*********This entry posted on 10/26/04*********
Date: 2004-10-14
From: Sand Beach

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Luckily the sun came out today and we all were able to dry out our wet sleeping bags, tents and thermarests. It was actually very warm in the sun but in the shade it was cold. I love fall days like this. This morning I got my first view of the Big K!!!! It does exist. At Pemadumcook Lake the shore line provided a great view of the end of the trail.... We were all very excited to finally see the mountain that we had been thinking about over 2000 miles and 13 States ago. We took many pictures and finally started hiking again. We were provided an even better view of Katahdin near the end of the day from Nesuntabunt Mountain. After seeing Katahdin I started to become very excited about finishing. We hiked into the dark and arrived at the lean-to only to find that it reaked of urine? I don't know if it was an animal or a person but there was no way any of us were sleeping in that lean-to. We all set up our tents and then made some dinner. Then i started looking at my data book (the data book contains all the mileages between lean-tos and water for the entire trail) and i realized i was on the last page....
Date: 2004-10-15
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We were up before the sun and were out of camp just after sunrise. I left a little bit before everyone else in hopes of seeing a moose. I had no luck though. We left early too because we were planning on doing a 25 mile day and getting to the base of Katahdin. However, the weather turned crappy around 11 am. We hiked until we got to the Abol Bridge Campground and decided that we would go into town for the night to get out of the cold and wet conditions. That means we would have 10 miles to get to the base of Katahdin and an additional 5 to summit. We heard that tomorrow was going to be miserable too but Sunday was supposed to be better. We didn't want to summit Katahdin on a bad day if we could get a better one by waiting. So we decided to head into town for the night and come back tomorrow to hike the ten miles without packs then summit on sunday (10/17). We waited at the campground store for a bit warming up and munching on some goodies then we decided to try hitching. It wasn't long before a nice elderly couple pulled over with a big pick up truck that had a cap on the bed and took all six of us into town. We got a few rooms at the AT Lodge and then got some food. It was too bad that we wouldn't be getting one more night in the woods but it was pretty cold out and with the rain it wouldn't have been all that much fun.