morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-12
From: West Branch of Pleasant River mile 84.1

To: Cloud Pond Lean To mile 95.4
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Slept long and hard last night and woke up feeling well. I purchased an air mattress to replace my sleeping pad before heading to Maine. The time it takes to blow it up deflate and pack it is a hassle, but it really is more comfortable to sleep on. One of the pieces of hiking wisdom is to monitor the color of your urine to make sure you are not becoming dehydrated. It should be clear. The pee bottle that I use to keep me from having to get out of the tent three to four time each night makes the monitoring process easy for me. This morning's inspection shows a bright orange indicating that although I drank a lot of water yesterday after being sick, I have not taken in enough liquid yet. Reached Nathan on the phone from the top of Chairback Mountain. His illness progressed like mine, just a little more slowly. He got sick at Millnocket. He is now recovering and made it to Bangor OK where he will fly home tomorrow. At the Appalachian Trail Lodge he met Little Trickel who is over half finished and has flipped flopped. The last time I saw her was when she fell and broke her glasses coming down from Clingman's Dome in the Smokies. I am glad to hear she is still on the trail and will look forward to seeing her again when she passes me. Today's trail proved to be extremely difficult. It is a good thing I recovered from my illness. It took me 11 hours of steady hiking to traverse the 11 miles. I arrived at the Cloud Pond Shelter at dark out of water and completely exhausted. The trail included some dangerous rock climbs that thoroughly tested my balance, strength, and endurance. I got water from the lake, nibbled some jerky, and crawled into my bag skipping supper disturbing Lauren and her partner, a couple of southbound girls from Michigan.
Date: 2014-07-13
From: Cloud Pond Lean To mile 95.4

To: Wilson Valley Lean To mile 104.1
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Awakened in the night by Lauren asking me to roll over and stop snoring.Awoke refreshed and cooked last night's supper. Another piece of Nathan's advise proved prescient. He had warned me that my practice of hanging things I want quick access to on the back of my pack left me vulnerable to having them snagged and lost. This morning I found to my dismay that the water sandals I use for camp shoes and fording streams were gone. The Velcro strap on my pack that held them was not as secure as I thought it was. The loss is serious. In addition to the fact that they were expensive and I liked them, The guidebook says I have four streams to ford between here and Monson and I will have to choose between trying the fords with my tender bare feet and wearing my boots and getting them soaked. I hope I can buy replacements somewhere in Monson. After a long stretch of wonderful weather I am likely to get rained on today. Tested my bare feet at the Long Pond Stream ford. Most of the rocks were smooth, so it was not too painful. Most of the water was below the knee deep level that the trail guide says is normal, but even at that level the strong current made the crossing feel treacherous. Nathan's training at Pleasant River to move only one pole or foot at a time and to step down into small rocks instead of standing on larger ones that tnend to be slippery proved useful. Dropped my pack and took a short side trail to see Barren Slide, an imposing jumble of huge boulders going straight down forever. Met a northbound hiker who remembered me from an earlier meeting. He had stayed at campsite by Little Wilson Stream and recommended it. Since distance to Wilson Valley Lean To was less than 10 miles I considered going the extra 3 mile so I could get to Monson earlier tomorrow. However it started raining shortly before I reached the shelter and I seized the opportunity to claim a space and stay relatively dry. The seven of us in the shelter included a northbound hiker who had gotten dunked at Big Wilson Stream ford. As I listened to the rain all night I dreamed of my bare feet slipping in the ford, losing my pack and being stranded barefoot 10 miles from civilization.
Date: 2014-07-14
From: Wilson Valley Lean To mile 104.1

To: Maine 15, Monson mile 114.5
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Inspired by the night's dream I put on swim shorts for the ford that was a short distance from the lean to and transferred my wallet from my pack to its pocket so I would have identification on me.Happily it stopped raining before I started out and like most things we fear the ford was not as difficult as I had anticipated, The trail guide showed four fords to cross today, but fortunately the next two streams were small enough to cross by rock hopping. I was glad I did not try to go the extra three miles to the Little Wilson Stream campsite. The three miles were much more difficult than the looked on the map. I would not have been able to hike them last night even if it had not started raining. For the second time I had the pleasure of having a northbound hiker call out my trail name in greeting. This time it was Sandra or Little Trickel who had decided to do the 100 mile wilderness before climbing Katahdin. On the recommendation of the hiker I met yesterday I called the Lakeshore House Lodging and Pub from top of a mountain and reserved a room for two nights. Owner Rebekah Anderson asked for my anticipated arrival time. Seeing that the trail showed few steep sections compared to the last few days I guessed 3:00. I seriously underestimated the difficulty of the Maine trail and was short by three hours. The only easy trail section was the last mile. Either I was getting tired and inattentive or today's section of the trail was not as well marked as others. I lost the white blaze and had to backtrack to locate the trail three times. Andrew, a hefty young fellow from Long Island and I passed each other several times during the day. He decided to do a Southbound hike after graduating from High School. He got caught in the rain last night and spent a wet miserable night in his tent but remains determined to keep hiking. Talked with several hikers who had through hiked in the past and were repeating the 100 Mile Wilderness as a commemoration. My attitude may change in the future, but I do not anticipate any future inclination to do it again. Normally traffic noise is a nuisance, but when hiking out of the woods hot, filthy, and exhausted looking forward to the comforts of civilization the first roar of vehicles on a highway ahead sounds like a sweet symphony. The trail ended with two nice surprises   There was a new bridge across the last stream ford and Coleen who owns a coffee shop next to the Lakeshore House was dropping a couple of hikers off on the trail as I stepped out of the woods and gave Andrew and me a ride to Monson with no wait Arrived in town to find that all the restaurants in Monson close on Monday. Happily Coleen kept her shop open past her normal closing time and had a beer brat, carrot and potato special still on the stove. Shower was hot. Room is great. Room includes a view of the beautiful lake behind the house and a "Christmas Story" leg lamp for decoration.   Only glitch is AT&T does not work in Monson and Lakeshore House wifi does not readily connect with newer Apple phones.
Date: 2014-07-15
From: Maine 15, Monson mile 114.5

To: Maine 15, Monson mile 114.5
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Had breakfast with Doc & Hangry. Hangry is a computer science major who developed a computer game app with a friend while in school and tried to market it with limited success. He anticipates getting a job with an IT firm when the get back to Germany. Doc has completed her physical therapist degree but has to work for a medical business for a while before she can get a license required to serve insured patients. Buddy, a wonderfully bearded local transportation provider hauled us to grocery and outfitter in Greenville where I replaced my lost creek shoes and purchased a pair of pants with a smaller waist. Doc, Hangry, and Andrew rode with me and split the transit cost.I stepped on a scale here and it registered my weight down to 145-150 which is too low. I think I am carrying and eating a reasonable amount of food on the trail and I stuff myself when I am in town. I did not the weight loss to continue and am concerned about it. Although AT&T still refuses to work I managed to reach May Louise through WiFi and Skype. She is in Memphis between two family reunions, but learned that prospects for our Kingsport friend with cancer are so poor that the are tentatively planning a memorial service for next weekend. I sent a few items of heavier clothing home to May Louise. I hope I don't regret the decision when I reach the White Mountains. Sky looks like a big storm is coming and rain is predicted today and tomorrow, so I extended my room reservation here for a third night. I asked Buddy about slack packing tomorrow. He explained that the route includes fording a major stream. If the rains come as heavily as predicted, the crossing will be dangerous. He promised to check stream conditions in the morning and advise me.The next 38 mile section ends at Caratunk and the Kennebec River where the AT canoe river crossing service operates. When I get there I will be over half way through Maine. Lakeshore House Lodging's services include use of their canoes and kayaks. I have not had time to take advantage of them and paddle out on the pretty lake the town overlooks, but I will be disappointed if the weather keeps me from doing so before I leave. Had a pleasant evening visit with the young people in the Lodge: Andrew, Victoria and ? From Canada, Young Gun and Sagacious from Massachusetts, and two girls doing a work stay here for a while who plan to move to Asheville after the trail. Fitting the Asheville stereotype one of the girls has been attending a school to learn to do aura readings and plans to work selling her reading and healing services in North Carolina. The Canadian fellow had hiked across Scotland during the couple of years he waited for Victoria to graduate from High School so they could hike the AT together.
Date: 2014-07-16
From: Maine 15, Monson mile 114.5

To: Maine 15, Monson mile 114.5
Miles today: 0.0

Rain came down heavy last night and it continued to drizzle through most of today. Lodge owner Rebekah Anderson explained that she will check in the morning to see if water in the next two streams is still too high to be safe to ford. If so she can provide a ride to bypass them and the section of trail between them.Ate breakfast again at Pete's Place, the bakery, restaurant and store next door to the Lodge. Sat with Max Heap, the fellow Nathan took pictures of helping me cross a stream filled wit post hurricane rains in Baxter State Park. He is a 50 year old IT professional who has taken a year off work to hike the trail for his mid life crisis. He explained that his wife considered the alternatives and was very supportive of his adventure. Stayed after breakfast to talk with a couple of local retired loggers and listen to them swap lies about life in the logging camps. Most of the stories were about loggers and alcohol. To my disappointment neither of them stirred his coffee with his thumb. My Salomon boots lasted over 800 miles before a seam separated and started letting water in. I got new Lowa boots at REI while I was home to wear for hiking in Maine. I was delighted with how comfortable they were, but disappointed to see that the waterproofing rubber had started separating from the leather toe after only 150 miles. I got some Shoe Goop while I was at the outfitters yesterday and made repairs that will probably prove to be useless today. I sent notes with pictures of the failure to REI and Lowa. Met Rebekah's stepfather this afternoon, an electronics engineer who emigrated from Denmark. To my delight he confirmed the story of Physicist Neil's Bohr bring recruited to return home from the US after WWII by the enticement of a house next door to a brewery with direct-connection beer taps in the wall of the house provided for the Professor.The drizzle slowed late this afternoon and I took a brief paddle on the lake in a loaner kayak. The sky and lake were beautiful and the water was clear, but I would have preferred a canoe for paddling on a still lake.Getting packed tonight so I can get one more good breakfast in the morning and be ready to leave for the trail at 8:00 am. Trail will be muddy, but weather should be good for the next couple of days. Next stop is Caratunk which is 37 miles away and should take three days with two mountains to climb over between here and there.
Date: 2014-07-18
From: Moxie Bald Lean To mile 132.4

To: Bald Mountain Lean-To mile 136.5 
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: overcast clouds

My tent site was at the edge of Bald Mountain Pond with a beautiful view out over the water. In the middle of the nigh the strangest midnight lake symphony I have ever heard began. It started with a deep frog bass. Then birds with a high warble and a squeak at the end of their call took up the lead. Other critters joined in to a crescendo then everything went silent for an extended period util the frogs started the next movement. The whole effect was eerie and wonderful. I packed slowly to give the morning sun time to dry my things out. My boots are damp but OK. My iPad shows no signs of life. As a result of the delay I did not get on the trail until noon. I felt short of energy and even my balance seemed off. I was still kicking myself for yesterday's stupid mistake. I was depressed by the death of our Kingsport friend with cancer and with our son's family matters, adn the climb up Moxie Bald Mountain was steep and hard. When I reached the first shelter I decide to call it a day even though I had only gone 4.1 miles. I unpacked, cooked a quick supper, and went to bed early in the shelter with two young couples: Calum & Victoria from Canada and Craig (Sagacious) and Kerry (Young Gun) from Danvers, Mass.
Date: 2014-07-19
From:  Bald Mountain Brook Lean-To mile 136.5 

To:  US 201, Caratunk, ME mile 151.2 
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

I got on the trail early feeling much better and hoping I would make it all the way to civilization.   I forded Baxter Stream alone. Current was not bad, but big rocks in the stream bed were very slippery and it was difficult to find places to step where my feet were on the gravel bed of the stream. As I was putting my shoes back on I met two local couples taking their kids on their first camping adventure. I talked with one of their young sons about choosing a trail name. Day was cool and beautiful and even a steep climb and descent did not seem too bad. I called Taylor Overton to express my love and sympathy for Ann's death and caught him as he was working on the portion of his comments for her memorial service dealing with her League of Women Voters work and friends. When I finally reached Highway 201 my phone still did not work and I did not have any luck hitch hiking; so I had to walk and additional 1.3 miles to the Sterling Inn where I had reserved a room. Inn Keeper Eric's son Zack shuttled me to the Kennebec River Pub and Brewery for supper wih another hiker, "Elgixin" or Jim Wells, a psychiatrist from Chapel Hill, NC who is close to having section hiked the whole trail with a friend, but who is doing this section alone before meeting his friend to finish. He was a delightful North Carolina liberal disturbed with the damage the takeover of the legislature was doing to the state and its institutions and to the long range prospects for tis economy. Jim listed in his Inn Journal entry a website www.peacetalking.org where he blogs experiences from his life and practice. After scanning it I like him even more.
Date: 2014-07-20
From:  US 201, Caratunk, ME mile 151.2 

To: US 201, Caratunk, ME, The Sterling Inn mile 151.2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Wonderful night's rest. The Sterling Inn has been an Inn on the road from Quebec City to lower New England for about 200 years. It is quaint and Eric is proud of its history and the business he is building expanding from his AT hikers base to rafters, kayakers, fishermen, hunters, snowmobile riders and wedding parties. I laid out a tentative stop schedule:    Mile 151.2 Caratunk, then 37 miles to    Mile 188.2 Stratton, then 32 miles to    Mile 220.4 Rangeley, then 37 miles to    Andover I addressed my boot problem Chris Springler from Timonium, MD REI will send a replacement air of Lowa Renegade GTX Boots size 10.5 mid wide to Pine Ellis Lodging, 207-392-4161, 20 Pine Street, Andover, ME 04216. I will stay there and send the damaged boots back to REI. I really appreciated his cooperative assistance when I called REI. I checked into getting to Best Buy to replace my iPad, but I could not access a car for the two hour drive to Bangor on a Sunday; so I shipped the broken devise back home and will do without until May Louise can confirm that it cannot be repaired and help me replace it. I will use a handwritten journal and look for an opportunity to catch up on line posting later. I tried writing and posting with my iPhone, but it took forever to correct repeated fat finger errors. Another constraint will be having to limit the number of pictures I can store to the size of my camera's card.Doc and Hangry were doing yard work at the Sterling Inn for a work-stay to conserve their funds; so I invited them to supper. A third German, North Bound "Matterhorn" showed up today and joined us. Pleasant visit and good hamburgers. Ann Overton's memorial service was today. I am anxious to talk with May Louise about it, but have not been able to get through to her via WiFi and Skype.   I bought and packed food for four days which should get me to Stratton, 37 miles further along and past the 1000 mile mark.
Date: 2014-07-21
From:  US 201, Caratunk, ME mile 151.2 

To: West Carry Pond Lean-To mile 165.2
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

I had a wonderful deep and restoring sleep last night in the Inn with the window open to the cool Maine night. Before I left Matterhorn thanked me again for supper. He is an electrician in Germany. I mentioned that with his muscular buid, his tanned and deeply lined face, his full grey-streaked beard, and his long hair he looked like a real mountain man. He showed me a picture his son took just before he came to the US to hike the trail. In it he looked like an accountant. Beautiful morning. Shuttle arrived at 9:30 to take me back to trail. Canoe ferry across Kennebec River was fun. The canoe even has a white blaze painted on the bottom. I arrived at the bank with Sagacious & Young Gun and Calum & Victoria whom I had met on the trail to Caratunk and who had stayed at the other hostel there. Today's trail was extremely flat for Maine, but still had plenty of rocks and roots to tip on. Hike was beautiful along streams, beside lakes and across long bog bridges. I finished 14 miles two hours before dark even though I did not start hiking from the river until 10:30.   As I walked the Irish Blessing kept running through my head. I have always liked it, but after months of hiking its words are much more poignant: May the path rise to meet your step. May the wind be always at your back.      May the sun fall warm upon your face and the rain fall gently along your way. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. The words now bring tears to my eyes.                                    There was lots of traffic on the trail. Many north bound hikers approaching their last 150 miles and a fair number of day and section hikers. Three Boy Scouts from Eastern Pennsylvania are in the shelter with me supported by three leaders in tents. I passed and was passed by a father from Houston with two college age daughters doing a section. Dad and little sister were proud of big sister who had just graduated from Rice and gotten admitted to medical school, but the were frustrated with her. She was a strong hiker, but little sister was struggling with the pack load and trail. Throughout the day big sister showed off her skills by walking far ahead of them and eventually waiting for them to catch up leaving little sister, who is a Vanderbilt student feeling even more frustrated. Big sister is brilliant, but still has some maturing to grow into. The profile of the Bigelow Mountains that I have to climb over to get to Stratton looks intimidating on the map, but with the 14 miles today I only have to hike 11 miles each of the next two days to make it. I would like to get more than half done tomorrow so that I will not be climbing over slick boulders above the treeline Wednesday if the predicted rain starts then.
Date: 2014-07-24
From: Maine 27, Stratton ME mile 188.2

To:  Maine 27 Stratton, ME mile 188.2 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Wonderful long night's rest. Woke up to a beautiful day. Delicious fruit and yogurt, muffin, and egg breakfast at the diner across the street from the Stratton Motel. I laid out a schedule from here to Rangeley. Although only 32 miles, the trail is so tough that it may take four days. If I am going to complete half the trail, I will have to pay dearly for the last 90 miles. I did laundry at washateria, purchased supplies, and caught my journal up. I photographed journal pages and sent them to May Louise. May Louise confirmed that my iPad mini died from its dunking, but Best Buy Geek Squad think contents will download to new one she bought me. Delightful supper with Calum and Victoria, the young Canadians I have been playing tag with the last two days. She has just graduated from High School. He finished two years ago and has been waiting for her to finish so they can hike the trial together. Calum gets his spirit of adventure honestly. His folks saved up and took an around the world trip shortly after they were married. His dad tried an unsuccessful bike ride across Canada. Calum told a scary story of his dad's fall down a mountain in Scotland when the two of them were hiking together last year. Dad survived with just a broken wrist and plans to go back next year and climb the mountain successfully. It is scary to think of my Granddaughter Audra taking off for something like an Appalachian Trail through hike with a boyfriend in just six years..."For the times they are a changing". As I have watched the rural highway traffic pass by in Caratunk and Stratton it seems every third vehicle is pulling a travel trailer. This really is an outdoor vacation land. Although there are lots of trailers, unlike the Southeast, I have seen very few recreational vehicles. Many of the trailer rigs have canoes, kayaks, or bicycles mounted on them. I am packed for the next 32 miles section to Rangeley, Maine. I hope to do it in three days before the next rains come, but the guide says it is one of the most difficult sections in Maine; so I am packing food for four days.