morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-16
From: Pinkham Notch NH (Royalty Inn in Gorham

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 13.2

Three falls today...new record! And so many near misses that I was almost crawling. The first fall was just so ridiculous. We had climbed up Wild Cat mtn to the top of the chairlift and stepped over an orange netting to sit on benches in the sun. I put my pack on and walked over to the netting to leave, but while stepping over it, my big foot got caught in the toe and I did a full body plant onto the rocks on the other side...I felt so ridiculous that I couldn't stop laughing. Later my right foot got caught between to rocks as } was stepping down and I went forward twisting my foot and my calf and slamming my kneecap into a rock...that one bled quite a bit. I also slipped while scooching down some large slippery rocks and went down much faster than desired, but was able to plant a heel in and stop myself from going further than about 5 feet. Today's rocky descent was the toughest and scariest 2 miles of trail we've been on...unanimous agreement of the 6 hikers here tonight (Bum Bum, B, Janet & Yonder, Thumper, and me). So treacherous with large wet rocks with noobvious way to get down it. Many times we had to turn around and back down it carefully finding small ledges upon which to catch a toe and grab with your hands. My heart was often in my throat as I came up to a new section of rock to climb down...VERY SCARY! I can see why they call it The Death Slide. It's going to be a cold night in the shelter tonight, but we didn't get in until just at dark so there was no time to set up tents. It took us 12.5 hours (7am to 7:30 pm) to hike 13 miles today. Pretty pooped, that's for sure.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-17
From: Imp Campsite

To: US2, Rattle River
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: few clouds

I'm tired of hiking up mountains.I'm tired of hiking down mountains.I'm tired of eating trail food.I'm tired of eating restaurant food.I'm tired of sleeping in the woods.I'm tired of sleeping in motels.I'm tired of not seeing my family.I'm tired of living out of a backpack.I'm tired of figuring out resupply.I'm tired.I'm tired.I'm just plain tired. But I will hike on...'cause it's less than 300 miles to Katahdin!Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-18
From: US2, Rattle River

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Oh, what an early start! We planned a 12 mile day and in NH that can be quite along one...perhaps 12 hours...so Thumper and I headed out at 6:30 am from themotel this morning. Bum Bum and B needed to go to the Post Office, so theyoffered to take our boxes and ship them out for us. They are faster hikers, sothey can make up the time more easily.What a treat the trail was! Easy, good views, not too high the climbs...we madegood time and got in before 4...time to relax...a rare opportunity.Today we did have some new challenges of flooded bogs with boards that sink andfinding a fairly dry way to get through. This is what I expect Maine to belike...and speaking of Maine...we're less than 5 miles from the state line.While hiking today, I thoughtof new lines to add to the "I'm Tired" poem:I'm tired of rocks and roots and mud.I'm tired of falling.I'm tired of smelling like BO.I'm tired of hair gone wild.I'm tired of sore, swollen feet.I'm tired of aching all over all the time.I'm tired of carrying a heavy pack.I'm tired of wearing the same clothes every day.I'm tired of wearing polyester (B's contribution).Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-19
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

I'm in Maine! I can't believe I've hiked from Georgia to Maine...I can go homenow, right?And Maine is tough...the steep, wet rocky climbs and descents continue...lifethreatening descents, where if I should slip I could fall 50 feet or more. Myheart is in my throat every time. There are many times when I have to drop mypole and grab on to roots or trees to be sure thast if I should slip, I won'tfall. My rock climbing experience is paying off, that's for sure.We metan interesting group of kids today. They're from an expeditionary schoolin Springfield, MA and they are on a weeklong backpacking trip led by OutwardBound. And even though they seemed to complain about how hard it is (and thesection they're doing is hard!), they were smiling and feeling pretty proud ofthemselves...and they should be! Their packs weighed much more than oursbecause lightweight gear is too expensive, and they don't have the conditioningthat we've gotten from hiking for the last 6 months, so those kids are workinghard on this trail...and our hats are off to them! We so enjoyed meeting youguys and talked about it all afternoon. I'd loved to hear from any of you, sosign my guest book if you read this. And I loved meeting your teacher; althoughwe talked about so much, I forgot to get her name...please drop me a note, too.(I'll post a picture of these kids on this page after I finish in a month...nonew photos will be posted until I get home because it's getting too hard to getto a computer these days.)I've been writing about all the things I'm tired of, but I thought I shouldwrite about all the things I love.I love the sunlight as it breaks through the trees in the early morning.I love the sunlight as it breaks through the trees late in the day.I love the smell of the falling leaves.I love the friends I've made over the last 6 months.I love looking out at all the mountains from the top of one I've just climbed.I love the feeling of accomplishment when I climb a mountain, especially a toughclimb.I love the feeling of climbing into my sleeping bag at night, finally able torest for a few hours.I love the feeling when I get enough to eat and my stomach feels full and happy.I'll continue to work on this while hiking tomorrow.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-20
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Cowboy camping at intersection of Eyebrow Trail
Miles today: 8.0

I did it...the dreaded Mahoosic Notch! It's a very narrow ravine a mile long and100 ft wide with manmouth boulders all toppled together...also the rocks arevery wet, moss-covered.   It was a lot of fun!!! Boulder, and I mean house sizeboulders, -hopping, crawling, duckin under, swinging through...you imagine itand we did it. Lowering myself down from one boulder to another just with thestrength of my arms. I had to take my pack off about 4-5 times because thespace I was crawling through was too small for us both.There was a sad site there too though...a couple of months ago a moose fell intothe notch and couldn't get out so someone had to slit its throat to euthanizeit. The carcass is still there, right on the AT. Someone has strung prayerflags over it.When we were at the end of the notch, giving each other high-fives forhavingdone it in 2 hours (remember it's a mile long), an Outward Bound instructor fromanother group of kids from that school in Springfield, MA came over (they werecamped further down the ravine) and shared with us that groups adventuresthrough the Notch. Because the kids daudled yesterday, they didn't get to theNotch until evening, and they took 8 hours to get through, finishing at 5:30this morning! Unbelievable! We were favorably impressed...they did it in thedark with headlamps! He said he'd share that with the kids. Their packs weighprobably twice what ours weigh, too. Pretty capable kids...they're learning whatthey're made of, that's for sure. The climb out of the Notch is known as the Mahoosic Arm, and of course it goesstraight up! I was having a real hard time at first trying to keep up, asusual. I finally told Thumper to go on because I needed to rest, then after mybreak I put on my iPod and the music brought wings to my feet! I could go at mypace, rest when I needed, and I was euphoric when I made the top! By the time Igot there, the boys had had time to plan...trouble in the making...the shelterwas only 45 minutes away and it was 1:30, too early to quit for the day. Theyhad decided to go on down to Grafton Notch and into the town of Bethel and stayat an inn for the night. Then possibly slack tomorrow from Grafton Notch toAndover. I wasn't up for going to town as I had only been in the woods 2 nightsand I had food for another day or so, besides I like the woods...so I told themto go ahead, I'd stealth camp somewhere and meet up with them in Andover. Now Ihave 12 miles to do tomorrow and they! only 10, but I'll start early, hopefully by 6 or 6:30 so we should meet upsomewhere on the trail.These woods are not conducive to camping and I found a place to sleep cowboystyle (just in my sleeping bag on the ground without a tent or tarp overme...it's such fun!). I'm sleeping on a side trail because it's the only flatspot } could find...and there wasn't room for my tent...sure hope it doesn'train tonight. Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-21
From: Cowboy camping at intersection of Eyebrow Trail

To: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

What a warm night with a bright moon and beautiful stars. I love sleeping outcowboy style even though I had some nightcreature visitors last night. I thinkit was mice, but I never saw them, just heard them when I was awake aroundmidnight reading. I knew I had 12 miles to do today andthat the boys wqould bedoing a 10 mile slack, so I was up at 5:45 am and hiking by 6:30. But within 5minutes I stepped wrong and rolled my left ankle badly...ouch! So as I hobbledaround I tried to figure out where the trail went. I had stepped out on to abig wide rock and the southbound blaze gave me the impression that the trailwent straight, but it looked like a cliff. Please don't make me go down overthat! I inched my way out grabbing onto a tree branch trying to se if there wassome sign of the trail. I really started to panic that I was going to have togo down that way. I backed up and inched to the left, no sign of a trail. Istarted to cry because I was afraid that it di! d go over the cliff edge. It goes in so many dangerous places. So I went backto where I saw the blaze on the rock. Whew! There it is, over to the right!The rest of the day was spectacular! Baldpate is a rocky top mountain that Ihad to climb up and up and up large rocks...yup rock climbing with no ropes! The views were so moving that I just cried thinking that I had hiked all the wayhere from Georgia! So beautiful!Met up with Calm Water (one of the Water brothers! We have a Sweetwater and aClearwater out here too!) and GQ (a 2nd time thru-hiker from Australia) butcouldn't keep up with them. A while later Moon Pie showed up jogging in to theshelter we were resting at. He was slacking and he said "the boys" were behindhim. Turned out they met up with the Pine Ellis shuttle when they came out ofthe woods at Grafton Notch, so they came into Andover and didn't go to Bethel. He said it didn't look like I'd be staying at The Cabin like I wanted to sinethey were already at Pine Ellis. Oh well, I'll have to come back to The Cabinsometime.They are wanting to slack...lots. I may have to hike out on my own because Iwant to spend more time in the woods and camping and less time in town, "Hikeyour own hike." I keep saying that to myself, but sometimes it's hard to figureout "my hike" and what that means. Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-22
From: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME

To: South Arm Rd.
Miles today: 10.1

I slacked today...the boys talked me into it...but I don't really like it. Theywould slack all the way to Katahdin, if they could figure out a way...but I loveliving in the woods, traveling with all my worldly goods on my back, being ableto stop whenever I want, wherever I want for the night. Should be aninteresting last 250 miles on my own...I'm looking forward to it...not that Ihaven't enjoyed Thumper's and the boys company, 'cause I have, and I wouldn'thave gotten this far on my own, I don't think...but I'm looking forward totesting my wings so to speak.The colors up here are quite changed and so neon...neon red, neon yellow, neonorange! As many years as I've seen the change of seasons, I'm still surprisedand amazed at seeing it happen! I love the colors!!! And I'm glad to be able tosee all the seasons on this hike, from winter to spring to summer to autumn...afull year. Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-24
From: Campsite at Bemis Stream

To: Rt. 4 Rangeley, ME 
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

I'm writing this in the middle of the day, whereas usually I write just beforebed. Mentally and physically I'm so tired of hiking. I wake up in the morningdreading the day. During the day I plod along because the only way this torturewill end is when I climb Katahdin. The joy is gone.Writing now at bedtime and I'm too tired to write...need sleep. it's almost 9pm and I have to be up at 6...so goodnight.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-25
From: Rt. 4 Rangeley, ME 

To: just past Oberton Stream
Miles today: 13.4

Slept well in my tent last night outside the hostel. moon Pie, Google &Sunshine, and GQ also camped out...some of us prefer our tents! It was late whenwe got back here after dinner, so I was pretty tired. I've been carrying mypack the last few days while "the boys" have been slacking...but I've beenpretty tired and worn out. Last night when the slacking between Rangeley andStratton (32 miles) went from 2 days of 16 miles each (which I could not andwould not do) to 3 days, a 13 mile, an 11, and a±d 8...I decided to join in andgive my body some rest by not carrying a full pack. Today the trail went overSaddleback Mtn and one of the books said it was the hardest section of AT inMaine, having me quite worried...hence the slacking. It was not as bad asanticipated, but then I did have a light load. I was worried that I would be inlate at the pickup point because I walk so much slower than the rest of thegroup, so I often start out first and take shorter and fewer breaks. I managedtoday to actually beat 3 of the 5 guys in at days end!The partnership with Thumper is definitely over...we make no decisionstogether...he's teamed up with Bum Bum and B exclusively. I can't begrudge him:they hike the same pace and have more common interests. It's just hard to feel"dumped" this close to the end after 3 months of hiking together...and I knowthat that is having an emotional toll on me. Tomorrow I'm slacking witheveryone, but I'm going to have Bum Bum's dad drop off my pack when everyonegets picked up so that I can hike on to a campsite for the night. Janet andYonder are on a similar pace (although they hike faster) and will be at the samecasmpsite tomorrow night, so I'm going to team up with them and see if thathelps alleviate some of this emotional garbage. Emotions are so raw out here forall of us, because we are all TIRED! I'll just have to see how it goes. I wantto take advantage of the fact that Bum Bum's folks are up here in Maine beingtrail angels to all of us for the next couple of weeks til he summits...they areterrific people and it's nice to have friends with a truck! I just have to seehow I can juggle having more time in the woods with keeping the weight down inmy pack.I do have to say, as I've said before, the colors this fall up here aremagical...reds so bright and so widespread...I love this time of year. Thetrail in the woods is getting covered with dired leaves. Today they weredropping like rain in the forest! No moose sighting yet...Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-26
From: just past Oberton Stream

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

Bum Bum's folks are here giving us support and transportation until Katahdin. His dad is having a ball meeting all the hikers, giving them beer and rides tothe trailhead or nearby towns. He's got a BIG pickup truck that seats 6inside...love it!I slacked again today over Sugarloaf, but had Glen (his dad) bring my gear withhim tonight and drop it by the trail for me so that I could hike on to thiscampsite for the night instead of going with the boys back to the hostel. Itfeels good to be back in the woods again...have I told you how much I lovecamping? And many friends are here: Moon Pie, Janet and Yonder, Lifesaver (whomI haven't seen since NY) and Bigby (a young guy that I've seen off and on overthe last few months...his dad hiked the Whites with him). So I'm not alone.Under 200 miles to go!!!And the fall is soooo beautiful up here. The leaves smell so good as they dryand fall. The further north we get the brighter the color and the more intofall we get. We're at or past peak color. The leaves on the ground arereminding me of Georgia when all there was was dried leaves on the ground and noleaves on the trees. I've seen all the seasons on the trip...pretty amazing. Ilove the woods even more...I just hate the hiking! Up, over, around, and throughrocks, roots, mud, and fallen trees. Yesterday I was comparing the feeling ofhiking every day over this stuff to riding in a car for 6 months over the worstpossible bumpy road day in and day out for 6 months. Every joint and my headhave been jarred endlessly, bumpity, bumpity, bumpity, bump...it's gotten veryold and tiring. Jumping up onto rocks and down off of rocks, stepping leftaround rocks then right around rocks, your ankle twisting this way and that way,over and over and over again for 10 hours a d! ay sometimes 7 days a week for going on 7 months. Do ya get the picture??? And do it quickly because you're behind and everyone is ahead and ya have tohike 14 miles today before dark...and it's getting darker earlier now. So canyou imagine the enthusiasm I have when I wake up in the morning (early, around6) and know that again today I'll be walking over this rough trail up and downsteep mountainsides for hours and hours? I lay there for a bit dreading the dayahead. And remember my plantar fasiitis? Well it's back...and quite painful. Sometimes I walk for miles on my tiptoes because my heels hurt too much...butthen I stretch them, pop 5 ibuprophen and keep walking. I've learned to ignorea lot of pain out here. Gotta keep walking, walking, walking...it's the onlyway I get to finish...and it's less than 200 miles. I'd like to spend thjeselast miles with people that are still enjoying the trail, the woods, and don'twant it to end...I think that could rub off ! on me. That would be a nice change.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-27
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Rt 27, Stratton (Stratton Motel)
Miles today: 7.3

Met a fip-flop hiker today, Totally Different Subject (TDS), who started in thesouth, then got off in Delaware Water Gap (DWG) and then got off and did a 700mile solo canoe trip from Old Forge, NY to Quebec, Canada ...55 days...then hesummited Katahdin and is hiking back to DWG...interesting. I'm staying at a motel/hostel right in town and I have my own motel room! For 2nights! Yup, I decided to zero tomorrow because there is rain in the forecastand it's been 12 days since my last zero so my body and feet could sure use arest. This is a good place to do that because the restaurant, store, PO are allright here. The hostel has a kitchen and internet and laundry...really nice."The boys" or as I like to call them, Bum Bum's Slack Pack, are at a moteloutside of town with Bum Bum's folks. Ties with them are being severed, butthat's okay.The guys here at the hostel decided to cook a supper for everyone: pot roast,veggies, potatoes, salad, homemade bread! It was wonderful. I love to see menin the kitchen! I volunteered to do the dishes. It was such fun. We had BigFoot, DQ, Lifesaver, Moon Pie, Google & Sunshine, Puddin' Head, and asouthbounder. Most of them are hiking out tomorrow so it should quiet downaround here.I hope to label my photos and send the disk off to Dana so there should be somepics up soon. Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-28
From: Rt 27, Stratton (Stratton Motel)

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A day off...what a delight! I rested, napped, did some of my photos so I couldsend them to Dana, and ate. A bunch of the guys staying here at the hostel weregoing to hike on today after the rain stopped, but they got wrapped up in apoker game and stayed another night. The Slack Pack got a ride north toCaratunk and are hiking south to Stratton with their packs. There's a ferry wehave to take over the Kennebunk River just south of Caratunk and it onlyoperates between a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in theafternoon, and if you get there any other time you just have to wait. AfterSunday it only operates in the morning, so I'm planning on staying at a shelter4 miles before the river and crossing the following morning.The other thing I did yesterday was get some neon orange ribbons to tie all overmy pack...it's hunting season now in these woods and I don't want to be shot! i certainly have been enjoying having a motel room to myself and resting mybody, but it's off to the woods today.Dana may come up to summit Katahdin with me...her and Dennis, what fun thatwould be! But it puts pressure onme to meet a deadline and that's hard outhere. I'm aiming to summit on October 14th...that's 16 days from now...I'dbetter get hiking!Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-29
From: Stratton, ME

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Got late start today because the post office didn't open until 9, but Big Footwas cooking breakfast again so it was worth the wait.I hit the trail at 9:40 with Bigby and Moon Pie, but since they're strongerhikers than me, that was the last I saw of them. I though I was going to bealone at the campsite when I pulled in at 6:30 tonight, but Bum Bum, B, andThumper were here...remember they are going south from Caratunk to Strattonright now. It was good to see them although only briefly because the sun wassetting quickly and I had chores to get done. I don't like getting into camp asthe sun is setting because it makes the evening so short, but as the days getshorter it seems that's going to happen more and more, darn it.As I lay here in my tent I can hear woods creatures, probably mice, enjoying mypack that haning on a tree outside...and there's niothing I can do aboutit...I'm not bring it into my tent again...I can still feel those mice feet onmy face from when they chewed into my tent..hope they don't do that again. This was probably the last time I'll see the Slack Pack which is a little sad,but I have to say goodbye to everyone out here sometime...and often I won't havethe chance to say it, I just won't see people again. That's the sad part aboutthis journey nearing it's end. Step lightly