morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-23
From: US Route 302

To: Lake Of The Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.0

We checked the horizon for rain clouds and then we checked the weather forecast from the weather observatory on top of Mt Washington. The forecast was rain and high winds of 35-50mph with gusts of up to 65 mph. These are not ideal conditions for a summit of Mt Washington. In fact, they were borderline at best. However, we took a weather delay yesterday so we made our way back to the mountain to resume our journey. The first part of the climb wasn¢t bad but it was cold and rainy so we actually put on our rain jackets.  Usually we hike without them and put them on when we stop. As we progressed, the climb got steeper and steeper and the rocks and roots became very slippery. As we approached the top we passed a group of young girls from a summer camp in Maine. After a while we realized they were off the trail and we had followed them off trail without realizing. Oops!  It was raining hard and getting much colder. Several of them were getting chilled so Irish decided we needed to help them to safety. We had to blaze up hill, off trail but I found a secondary trail that came up under the AMC Hut (Appalachian Mountain Club). Soon we were all safe and warm again. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at the Hut. The Huts are generally used by day hikers and short get away weekends because they are very expensive. It is costly to run a facility in such a remote location. Supplies are packed in or airlifted in once a year. We decided to pay for a bunk even though the Huts won¢t turn thru-hikers away in bad weather. If we didn¢t rent a bunk we would have pay $10 to stay in the dungeon under the Hut. It is apply named.
Date: 2018-07-25
From: Rattle River Hostel

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 22.0

Thankfully the terrain was a bit easier today. The climbs were still steep at times but the duration was generally shorter. However, the rocks were still wet and slippery which meant that we needed to go slower over those sections. We are very close to Maine now and it just feels much more remote even though we saw a good number of hikers. Everyone who hiked through the end of the Presidential's yesterday stated that the fell multiple time and that they were exhausted and beat up. Several took the day off to recovered and the rest were hiking shorter miles. That made me feel better about my decision to move forward out of the dangerous sections and keep heading north away from the weather. It rained all afternoon again. I am wet again but at least I am staying in a hotel where I can dry out tonight. I like the feeling of This section of the trail is more rugged and remote feeling. I like this aspect of it.Everyone is starting to target competition dates and mine is agreed on for sure.
Date: 2018-07-27
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 10.0

The trail was awesome today! It was beautiful in every way imaginable. The ponds, pine forest, and mountains far off in the distance were all spectacular and close to what I had imagined. We stayed in a hostel the past few nights to get some relief from the rain. The shuttle dropped us of on a forest service road and we had to hike two miles up a blue blaze, Thursday reach the trail. Those miles don¢t count. Ugh! The trail was wet from all the recent rain. That makes it especially dangerous especially on the down hills. We traversed over four mountain peaks. I think only one was a 4,000 ft. climb but they were all steep and hard. We had to use rebar ladders or wooden ladders to get over some of the steep rock faces. A SOBO warned us to not trust the wooden planks around the bogs. He said that he had sunk in up to his knee. Guess who followed suit despite the warning? Fortunately, I only went ankle deep. Downeasy hadn¢t covered the section we slack packed two days ago so he hiked 21 miles from the hostel. A very impressive feat. I¢m beat after only half that distance so it¢s time to hit the rack. Here comes the rain again. At least I am warm and dry in my tent. Oh, I¢m so tired I almost forgot to mention that I made it into Maine today! To walk from Georgia to Maine was always my vision even when I first thought of doing this hike years ago. So my dream is fulfilled. Everything else is just gravy for me.
Date: 2018-07-28
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 22.0

Today was designed to be a spectacular day and it didn¢t disappoint. For as long as I have been researching the AT I have been focused on some of the iconic spots. In terms of challenge few surpassed the Mahoosuc Notch and the Mahoosuc Arm. We intentionally camped just short of them so we would be fresh and rested when we approached them. The Mahoosuc Notch is often described as the most difficult and challenging mile of the AT. It is a mile long scramble of boulders with multiple options to follow depending on your preference and skills. The Notch is cold and still has snow in some of the low spots. It lived up to its reputation. I had a blast climbing over the rocks and through the rock tunnels. In many spots you have no choice but to sit down and slide down the rock face. It was a blast! Although, it was closer to a rock climb than it is to a hike. Unfortunately, the bar that holds the belt onto my backpack broke half way through the Notch. This was my first major gear failure. After we finished the Notch we stopped by a nice brook for lunch. It was very relaxing. Then it was on to Mahoosuc Arm. It is a very steep climb up a mountain that is mostly rock faces. They were wet from the recent rains which made it exciting. We made our way to Speck Pond and decided to call it a day. It was only 4:00 pm so we had more time than usual to enjoy the day. It was a hard day. I am tired but what a great wilderness experience. This is what I always envisioned Maine would be like.
Date: 2018-07-29
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Grafton Notch
Miles today: 22.0

It was a steep climb out of camp. After the hard day before I felt fatigued. My shoulders were sore because my pack frame had broken two days earlier and all of the weight was setting directly on my shoulders. I decided I needed to get off the trail to fix it, especially since the 100 mile wilderness is coming up soon. A day hiker saw me trying to call a hostel for a ride and suggested I go to Bethel even though is was 20 miles off the trail because I would have a better chance of getting the pack fixed. Instead of continuing down the mountain I sat down figuring that I would have better cell service. Along came Rick a day hiker. After I explained my situation he graciously offered us a ride to Bethel. He dropped us at a small hotel named Ruthies Hotel. It was an excellent solution for us and the owners Kevin and Ruthie treated us wonderfully and Ruthie even volunteered to do our laundry. We had time to complete our town chores because the hardware store was closed on Sunday. We had a couple of nice meals at the local eateries. This is a very friendly town. Thanks to Rick Kevin and Ruthie for making a bad day great.
Date: 2018-07-30
From: Kennebec River Crossing

To: Pleasent Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 18.3

I went downstairs at Ruthies Hotel and had some coffee with the owners husband, Kevin, while I waited on the hardware store to open. I walked across the street to Brooks Brothers. No not the clothier, here it is the local hardware store. One of the guys was a backpacker and he was very helpful in helping me MacGyver a fix for my pack frame. We fabricated a threaded rod and covered the threads with electrical tape to keep them from cutting the fabric. Then we ran down to the local bakery for a fantastic breakfast and to catch our ride to Caratunk. Joe and Kathy own the bakery and he is a very experienced hiker. He gave us a ride even though it was a sizable distance. He wouldn¢t accept any money for the ride. So we gave him a donation for the local food bank because I read a sign when we were in the bakery stating that they raised money for the charity.  After Ed dropped us off we crossed the Kennebec River by canoe. That is officially part of the AT and it even has a white blaze painted inside the canoe. From there we had a short six mile hike to camp. After we set up our tents we walked to the nearby pond and cooked dinner on the dock while we soaked our feet in the cold water. It was a wonderful evening. The entire day was a blessing and it was largely due to the fine people in Bethel that were so kind to us.
Date: 2018-07-31
From: Pleasent Pond Lean-to

To: W Branch Piscatacuis River
Miles today: 19.0

I¢m getting trail fever. In the morning I really want to get going so I can put some miles behind me. By around 3 pm I start to get tired but I¢m not willing to quit until I make my daily mileage target. Today we started with a 1.5 mile climb. It looked hard on the profile but in comparison to the mountains we have been traversing it wasn¢t bad. The scenery from the top made it all worth while. We stopped at a Brook for lunch. My feet are getting pretty sore so I soaked them for a while. It was very refreshing and helped me get through the afternoon. We had a similar climb to the earlier one just after lunch. Again it was not too bad. After that the terrain mellowed out somewhat. But we still only managed to travel 19 miles before calling it a day. I haven¢t had phone service for two days and I really miss talking to my wife. The scenery here is spectacular and I really wish I could share it with her. We are camped next to the river with Duke. I saw him a lot in the Smokies but just ran into him again. I hardly recognized him as he has lost over 100 lbs. It was nice to catch up with him. The river is relaxing. I will sleep well tonight.
Date: 2018-08-01
From: W Branch Piscatacuis River

To: ME Route 15
Miles today: 11.0

Today¢s objective was to reach Monson for our last resupply for the trip to Mt Katahdin. We were only 11 miles away so I hoped we would be there by noon for lunch. We arrived at the road and a section hiker offered us a ride to town. We checked in at Shaw¢s Hostel and it lived up to its reputation as one of the nicest on the trail. The owners Poet and Hippie Chick are thru-hikers and seem to really enjoy their business. Poet helped me switch the middle bar on my pack with the belt bar that I made. It helped the feel and ride so I feel better prepared to head into the 100 mile wilderness tomorrow. We did the normal town chores and arranged for a food drop in the 100 mile wilderness so we would not have to carry seven days of food. We went to the local pub for lunch. It was good but took a long time. So we didn¢t really want to go back for dinner but everything else was closed. Irish stuck his head in the door it was closed but the trail provides. The owners invited us in and made us a custom dinner complete with crembrlea for desert topped with fresh picked blueberries. It was an awesome experience and something you would never expect in a town this small. At the Hostel I met the Crawford family. They have gained notarity on the trail because they are a family of eight hiking the trail. The youngest is only two years old I believe. I learned that they are from the same hometown as I am.
Date: 2018-08-02
From: ME Route 15

To: Stealth Site At Wilber Brook
Miles today: 17.0

I have waited an awfully long time for today when I first heard of the Appalachian Trail one of the things that fascinated me most was the 100 mile wilderness. A stretch of American's most beautiful land in an untouched state. Well except for the logging they used to do here. I knew I had finally arrived when I saw the sign that warns you not to enter unless you have at least 10 days of supplies. It didn¢t disappoint. The hiking varied between challenging and easy. We saw beavers building a dam, waterfalls and several overlooks that revealed the mountains ahead. We forded several brooks and rivers which were a blast. Irish is an expert kayaker and he is trying to teach me how to read the currents and find the safest passages. I find it fascinating. We stayed at Shaw¢s Hostel last night and we left fueled for the day with a large breakfast of eggs, bacon potatoes and a final course of all you can eat pancakes with fresh blueberries. It really helped me enjoy the hike. Today¢s irony was that I am in the most remote place I have ever been and I got chemical burns around my waist from laundry detergent that didn¢t get properly rinsed out. Yes, chemical irratation where there are no chemicals and more importantly I don¢t have anything to treat it with. I have seen this happen to two other hikers and they were told to use benedryl but I won¢t have access to any for 5-6 more days. A hiker in front of us saw a moose but accidentally scared it away trying to alert us. Too bad, it would really cap off my trip to see one. For now I am content to be camped by a beautiful waterfall. The Crawford¢s just came by night hiking. I invited them to camp with us but they decided to hike to the next brook before stopping.
Date: 2018-08-03
From: Wilbur Brook

To: West Branch Pleasant River
Miles today: 20.0

I had a really pleasant day again. Some great views and nice terrain although challenging. Stopped at an Overlook on the recommendation of Poet at Shaw¢s Hostel. I think it was the best of the entire trip. We sat there for a while and took it in. Awesome. We had lunch at one of the four summits and I made some coffee. It sure made the afternoon go better. We met a trail angel at Shaw¢s Hostel. He is helping the Crawford¢s through the 100 mile wilderness. He put on a great dinner of chicken primavera. Not something you would expect to find on the trail. The Crawford¢s came in shortly after we ate. It¢s amazing how far those young kids can hike in a day.
Date: 2018-08-04
From: West Branch Pleasant River

To: Logan Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 16.0

It started to rain as we pitched our tents last night. It was just getting dark outside. It rained fairly hard all night. I didn¢t get much sleep until early in the morning. So we skipped the trail magic breakfast that Fresh Ground was putting on while we slept in until 7:30 hoping the rain would end. (No such luck.) We had a wide river to ford right away and the water was swift due to the rain. From there we puddle jumped and waded through water the rest of the day while it rained off and on. It was tough going. The first 10 miles were all uphill with four long steep climbs. We finally summited White Cap Mountain around 3:00 pm in the pouring rain. On a sunny day you can see Katahdin from here but visibility was minimal today. We worked our way down the backside of the mountain and made camp in the rain again. We knew Fresh Ground was doing more trail magic 2 miles further down the hill but we didn¢t want to risk not finding a camp site. I was fairly miserable; soaking wet, with chemical burns from laundry soap around my waist where my pack belt rides and chafing from the rain. Not to mention I am fighting a sore throat. Irish could tell I was suffering and made me stop to eat and refuel. It really helped. That was the most I have struggled since the trip began. Now I am warm and somewhat dry.
Date: 2018-08-05
From: Logan Brook Lean-To

To: Jo-Mary Road
Miles today: 16.0

We packed up with our gear totally wet again but at least it wasn¢t raining. We had to make 15 miles by 3:00 pm in order to meet our food resupply drop off. The morning had one climb but it wasn¢t too bad. We summited just before noon and had lunch on the beach at Crawford Lake. The Crawford family arrived for a swim just as we were departing. It was an easy trail all afternoon. I really needed that as my foot was sore. We arrived just in time to meet the food drop. After that we dried out our gear and lounged by the river. Fresh Ground made spaghetti for his trail magic dinner. I saw several thru-hikers that I have not seen since Virginia. Everyone is talking about when they are going to summit Katahdin. I am eager to finish. We plan to arrive at Baxter Park on Wednesday evening and summit of Friday. My wife is going to meet us there. I am very excited on both accounts.
Date: 2018-08-06
From: Jo-Mary Campsite

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 22.0

The rush to Katahdin is on. We started the day nearly 60 miles away. Several of the hikers went out early to make it to Baxter State Park on time to summit on Wednesday or Thursday. We are taking a more moderate approach but want to be in position to summit by Thursday or Friday. I strongly prefer Friday because my wife will be there then and after all her sacrifice in making this dream a reality, I really want to share the summit day with her. Only the threat of severe weather on Friday could alter my plans. On the trail today the conditions were still fairly forgiving but the rocks and roots continue to pop up. We passed several magnificent ponds that are completely undeveloped and in their natural state. The loons were out and singing in their spectacular voices. We planed to camp by a lake where we knew there was a stealth site but a girls camping group was already there. We went further down the shore and found another area that actually had two old picnic tables and room to camp. Bingo! Well not so fast, after a few minutes we noticed that the entire area was overrun with ants. We had to move a half mile down the trail to the nearest lean-to which is what Maine calls to it¢s shelters. There was a set of bronzed baby shoes on one of the picnic tables. I'm not sure what the story was behind those but it certainly made me curious. As we left the beach the girls gave us their left over dinner so not all was lost but I was really looking forward to seeing the sunrise over the lake. This time the ants won out. But after all it, is their territory and we are just visitors.
Date: 2018-08-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.0

Splat! We had just walked out to a viewpoint to see Mt Katadin in the distance. It was shrouded in clouds so we could barely see the profile in the distance. As we returned to the trail, I came to a 15 foot rock face. I knew to be careful but I rushed and went Splat!  My left side was the only side that wasn¢t already scraped or burned. Well at least I¢m well rounded now. We hiked to a lean-to for lunch. I heard thunder so we took a nap in the shelter and waited out the storm. That was a first for me on the trail. I might just be a thru-hiker after all. After the storm a nice group of people, including two individuals from Ireland arrived to our site. Of course, Irish wanted to stay and talk awhile. Who wouldn't want to chat with fellow countrymen when you are in a different country from your homeland. We hiked a few more miles to a nice camp by a lake. It had spring water and we thought it might rain again so we stopped for the day. We were a few miles short or our goal but we still have two relatively easy days left. Some trail maintainers and a small group are here too. They offered us leftover dinner again. Yes, it was another great day on the trail.
Date: 2018-08-10
From: The Birches Campsite

To: Mt Katahdin Summit
Miles today: 5.3

Begin. The Birches Campsite 2185.6. End Mt Katahdin 2190.943 Years of Dreaming, 2 years of planning, 5 months and 2 days of execution and it was finally complete. I had fulfilled my nearly lifelong aspersion of hiking the Appalachian Trail. I thought I would feel elation but it was more of a surreal feeling of calmness. As we approached the summit I told Irish to touch the sign first because he was the strongest hiker and would have beaten me there if not for the fact that he was exercising teamwork to complete the trail. We started working together on June 28. He declined and insisted that we touch it together. Despite the strong winds and overcast skies, there were a lot of people on top. They started to congratulate us but it still wasn't registering with me what we had just accomplished. We took the requisite pictures. I took one holding a token that No Filter had given me for helping him along the trail while Irish took one holding a picture of a friend who recently passed as a memorial. These were two important things for us. We tucked in behind some rocks and ate some food before heading back down the Abol Trail. There are many trail journals that have described the trails and they were spot on so I won¢t attempt it here. At the bottom Irish hitched a ride for us with a section hiker named Second Wind (who we had recently befriended) to the Ranger Station to reclaim the rest of our gear. To make the climb easier, we had taken light packs up the mountain. We started to drive toward the front gate to meet my wife since we got back down the mountain quicker than we had expected. We passed her on the road and Second Wind signaled her to put over. I eagerly hugged her. The journey was now complete. I¢ll fill in the gaps on my journal and perhaps offer so final thoughts and suggestions for future thru-hikers that have been following my journal but for now I will just spend a few days absorbing all that has transpired and focus on returning to my life at home. Thanks for following along.
Date: 2017-11-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hi friends and family!Thanks for taking the time to read up on what Josh and I are doing to get our mind, body, and gear ready for our AT attempt this summer. We are incredibly excited (obviously) and it's full steam ahead right now.This past Monday was Josh's 1st day back on the job at a local ski area after his year and half away from Durango. I am in London visiting family but will be returning promptly to secure my winter employment. Josh is required to work until the end of May so we will starting as soon as he finishes up on the mountain. In addition to working our hineys off this winter, we will be living at my mom's house rent-free (THANK YOU Mama Mac!), getting our gear dialed in, and spending many hours in the gym and in the mountains so that we are in tip top shape come April. More on that in future posts. What we are focused on right now is reuniting after 3+ months apart to start making some decisions about how we want to move forward in our AT prep.
Date: 2017-12-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Josh and I are pretty fortunate to have had extensive opportunities to backpack throughout our lives. One thing that this means for us is that we have a lot of gear/ clothing already that we have used and loved. The saying we would to describe this is that, ¢our systems are pretty dialed¢. The amount of gear planning for us will be minimal compared to some people who have to start from scratch. Yet this does not mean we have none to do! So far out from our tentative start date in early April, there is little more we can do than gear plan.  Our biggest question we have asked ourselves has been to 2-person quilt or not to 2-person quilt. We love the idea of quilts (even though neither of us have used them much) AND we love snuggling. The price tags are super steep but I am totally down to make one. Will the thruhiker stench be too much though? Will I want my own stink bubble? Are we risking losing flexibility within our systems if one of us needs to get off the trail unexpectedly? The people I reached out to gave me mixed reactions at best about 2-person quilts. Someone recommended Enlightened Equipment¢s Convert but at $330 a bag it¢s a no-no for us. I took advantage of a deal on a Marmot Angel Fire sleeping bag this summer. Josh and I ran upstairs to see if it would zip well with his Big Agnes bag. SUCCESS! With our respective, inflatable sleeping pads (NeoAir & Big Agnes), sleeping bags (Big Agnes & Marmot), and tent (Nemo Hornet 2P) already in our possession, we are very well on our way. I¢m hoping to get our gear list posted on here in the future closer to our start date  We lay on the floor for about 10 minutes in our zipped up sleeping bags discussing gear challenge numero dos: our backpacks. While we own waayyyy too many backpacks, this may be the one ultralight item we really invest in. Lots of great options out there to choose from J Will let you know when we have more!