morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-03
From: Mahoosuc campsite

To: Dunn Notch and Falls
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Another great night in the tent. I was the first on the trail at 6:45 so that means I get to clear all the cobwebs...until I meet someone coming from the other direction. I start the day with a 1900 ft climb and have a 2300 ft climb to look forward to later in the day. The terrain isn't bad to start out but gets a little tougher the higher I go. I feel like I'm learning to trust my footing more but maybe getting too confident. I can climb pretty steep with my trekking poles and just a little abnormality for traction. I meet a couple of college students out for a few days. One has joined the Peace Corp and is going to be spending the next 2.5 years in Africa. I press on hoping to get over 15 miles in today. Coming down the second mountain the terrain is steep but a quarter of the way down it starts leveling out and is the best I've seen in a while. I hope this continues tomorrow. Somewhere during the day I lost my water bladder. I went through a narrow passage between two rocks and thinking that's where it got hung up. I've still got two water bottles and one works with my filter so no biggie other than I can't back flush my filter for now. It was another gorgeous day. The gnats were back in full force after we have had a nice break from them. No new injuries to speak of so all in all it was a wonderful day to be hiking in Maine.
Date: 2016-08-04
From: Dunn Notch and Falls

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: moderate rain

I had my first night camping by myself. It really wasnt a camp site but my tent fit in the space nicely and I left no trace I was there. I did get on the trail by 6:30 to ensure no one important came along. Today was a day of familiar faces. The trail was nice in the morning but the afternoon had two climbs that went up at a steep incline. During the morning I ran into Old Fox. We hiked together and talked football, he is a Steelers fan and I a Browns fan. I had met him earlier in the hike. He lives in NY city and works in journalism and translates English to Chinese. He lived in Pittsburgh at one time and that's how he became a fan. While we were hiking we ran into a lady. I asked her what day she started and it was Feb 26 the same day as I started. We both stayed in the Hiker Hostel in GA. I don't remember her face but think I did talk to her and her husband there. Old Fox and I had hiked about 11 miles and was going to stop at a stream for lunch. We get there and Subman and Suds were sitting on a log. It is good to see friends you met on the trail. They left soon after we got there. We had gotten one of the steep climbs out of the way before lunch and had another 2200 ft climb ahead of us. I pushed on before Old Fox and figured he would catch up but that was the last I seen of him. Subman and Suds found a stealth tent site to stop at after heading down the mountain. They stopped me to ensure I had water because a hiker told them there was no water at the shelter I was heading to. Rabbit was with them, all of these people started Feb 15 and I followed their journals before I started my hike. Rabbit had gotten far ahead of me but got Lyme disease and was off trail recovering for a while. Even after he made it back be wasn't 100%. They invited me to camp with them but I wanted to make it to town on Friday and that would have slowed me down too much. I would have enjoyed the company though. I made it into camp a little after 6:00. I was surprised I had made it that far so soon. 19.5 miles in for the day....the longest in a while. The afternoon thunderstorms never developed and the gnats weren't bad. All in all it was a great day for a hike. I am tired.
Date: 2016-08-06
From: Little Swift River Campsite

To: Rangeley (Farmhouse Inn)
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: broken clouds

Its funny how light you sleep out here. It started to rain and immediately you wake up and close up your tent. It was too hot earlier to close it up. It didn't rain long and it was kind of on again off again type of rain. I got a picture of a great sun rise and was on the trail around 6:30. I stuck with Subman, Suds and Rabbit. We had five miles to do and then were going to be picked up by the people from the hostel. We made it to the road after two hours and were picked up soon after. We went to the hostel to check in and went to Moosley Beagles and Ice Cream for breakfast. We sat outside lake front and watched planes takeoff and land on the lake. There was a pretty good crosswind and they were going sideways as soon as they were airborne. I had two eggs and a beagle with cream cheese and a stacknof two pancakes. The pancakes were huge and it took everything I had to get them down. We went back to the hostel to shower and get laundrh done. Rabbits wife(Beth) met us there. She was great and took us to IGA for resupply and to the outfitter to get a few things. She made several trips because there were five hikers and only room in the car for three. She also brought fresh fruit and shared with all of us. After the outfitters I was done early so I went around the corner and got a hotdog and a shake. The girl asked if I wanted the shake now or with the hotdog and I elected to get it now...how long can a hotdog take? Well they are made to order and they cook them and it took a good 10 minutes after I got my shake. I went back to the outfitter and Rabbit and Beth decided to go get a hotdog too. They were also amazed at the time it took to cook a hotdog. Subman was the last to show up and order a hotdog. After a short wait he told them to put it in the microwave. It must have worked because he got his quicker. We went back to the hostel and I got my much delayed journal entry's posted. Subman, Hoosier, Forest and I played a game of horse shoes. The pits were not the best and the game lasted a good while. Everyone decided to get food at IGA and eat at the hostel so a few of us went back for food. I got hamburger, buns, chips, salsa and cookies. Hoosier, Forest and I grilled hamburgers while the others got a chicken from the deli. I made a few phone calls and headed to bed. This is a great group of people I enjoy hanging out with. Everyone does their own thing and not sure where or who I will be with tomorrow. I hiked early in the day and it was a warm but great day to be a hiker.
Date: 2016-08-07
From: Rangeley (Farmhouse Inn)

To: Orbeton stream (stealth)
Miles today: 13.5

I slept in the basement of this hostel. It had big rock walls and there was a dehumidifier and a fan. The fan was loud and kind of kept you from hearing other noises in the house. I set my alarm for the first time on this trip because it was very dark with the lights out and I didn't want to miss the 7:30 shuttle back to the trail. The rest of the hiking crew was leaving at 6:30 but I am in no hurry to get out of a hostel. I didn't end up on the trail until 8:00 but that was no problem. A front had moved through and it was nice a cool with low humidity...it really felt great. I was heading up Saddleback Mountain. It was a 2500 ft climb and it is above treeline. It seemed I stopped and talked to quite a few hikers, thru/section/day. I stopped at the top and talked to a couple who had a cabin in the area. They were interested in my journey. It got very chilly between the temperature and the wind while I was standing there talking. I was hoping the sun would come out. Not long after it did and it made it very warm. I seen a few hikers and it reminded me their is suppose to be a guy out trying to beat the fastest time to complete the AT. Two runners ran by and at the topnof the mountain I asked a few people if they knew anything about it and they didn't. I ran into a young section hiker that was in the Air Force. He noticed my hat and we chatted for a while. Going down the mountain I ran into another runner...I asked if he knew anything someone trying to beat the record. He raised his hand and said it was him. Last year a guy did it in under 48 days beating the woman that had held the record by three hours. He asked my trail name and he continued on. I made it to a shelter by 2:30 and stopped for lunch and ended up taking a 10 min nap. I pressed on and was at the campsite by 4:30. I stopped sort to fill up with water and it started to rain. It was light but got a little heavier before stopping after 10 or 15 minutes. Subman, Suds and Rabbit were already there. I did my chores and ate and was in bed by 7:00. I didn't get a ton of miles in...but that's okay. I believe the terrain gets a little easier in the next couple of days. It was great hiking weather and had beautiful scenic views numerous times through out the day. I have a little over 200 miles left and I will be ready to be done but I will miss it all then same. Maine's been great, I've enjoyed all the lakes and ponds with the crystal clear water.
Date: 2016-08-08
From: Orbeton stream (stealth)

To: Cranberry Stream Campsite
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: broken clouds

It was a cool night. Subman, Suds and Rabbit were up and gone before me but I caught them after about a hour. They were doing less mes than I so I took a break with them and then headed on. They were going to gonto town tomorrow and I'm going to keep hiking. I had some elevation to climb but the terrain wasn't too bad. That can make a big difference if you are doing one mile a hour or two. I made good time and stopped for lunch around 1:00. At that point I had two climbs in the next two miles and then it was all down hill after that. I hit two milestones...the first going under 200 miles left to go and the second was going over the 2000 mile mark. For some reason my stomach was a liite upset during the afternoon. I took a break and it seemed to help. I made it to the road to Sutton just after 5:00. I didn't plan to go in but being as early as it was I decided to celebrate the 2000 mark with a cheese burger. If I couldn't get a ride by 5:20 I was going to press on and eat my Romane noodles. Not a lot of traffic and the first few cars passed me by. Right at 5:20 a pickup pulled over and took me to the White Wolf restaurant. I charged my phone and got the biggest burger they had. It had bacon and a sausage patty on it to boot. I recognized another hiker as he was leaving. I didn't catch him but asked the guy who he was sitting with his name. His name was Slug and when my sisters picked me up in Great Barrington we met him getting trail magic. We tried to remember his name but couldn't. I finished eating and had strawberry/rhubarb crisp with ice cream for desert. I wanted to get back to the trail and get 1.8 miles to the next campsite. I walked down the road and put my thumb up and a guy going the other direction turned around and gave me a ride back to the trail. He said he was the chief of police in the next town up. I was back on trail and made it to camp by 7:30. I caught up with Slug and reminded him of when we met. He remembered... he was talking to an investor when I first met him. We took a quick photo and got tents set up and bear bags hung before dark. It was great hiking weather ...not too hot. Even with the stop in town I managed to get over 20 miles in. I messaged Marathon and Patch to see how they were doing. I hiked with both of them and they have both completed the trail and getting back to life after the trail. It has been a joy getting to hike with all the different people. I have met a lot of good folks out here and it has made this great adventure a lot more enjoyable.
Date: 2016-08-09
From: Cranberry Stream Campsite

To: East Flagstaff Lake Tentpad
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Those 20+ miles must have worn me out because I slept great. I woke up once for a short while and slept past when I have been getting up. I made it on the trail around 7:30. Today I was going to conquer the Bigelow Mountains. It started with a 2400 ft climb and then up and down for most of the day until the last 5 miles were down hill. In was above treeline several times for those breathtaking 360 degree views. I got my first look at Katahdin (the end of the AT). It is pretty amazing...I can be on a fire tower and 20 miles later I can barely make it out. Katahdin is still 170 miles away and I can see it. I hiked with Slug for a little while in the morning. He brought up Spirit of 76, seems they have the same birthday. I think he said it was the same as my ex wife's...lol Slug and Spirit met on that day and celebrated together. He hasn't seen her in a while but I think we are within a day of her. The last five miles were down hill and I made pretty good time. For some reason my stomach cramped up on me again this afternoon...I'm not sure if it is the water or what. I was getting close to the lean-to when I notice a bright colored shirt. A lady was sitting on the ground taking a break. She told me she fell and was okay but decided it was time for a break. She bumped her head and she asked me if it was bleeding. It wasn't but scraped up a little. I helped her to her feet and she asked if I would go first and get her to the lean-to. She said she would be nervous to lead and wanted me to. We talked and she seemed to be okay. She was older and I would bavento guess in her 60s. We got to the lean-to and and no one else was there. So I stayed and talked for a while and then a group of guys in their mid teens came in to camp. She went to set up her camp and I continued to the next campsite that was on a large lake. I met a guy heading southbound and he told me there was trail magic a mile up trail at the road. His name was Spotted Kiwi and he was from New Zealand. Be hiked from GA to NY a different year and got lyme disease. Be came back to finish up and was heading southbound this time. I got to the trail magic and had a fresh peach, trail mix and some power bars. The power bars were home made and had the ingredients on the container...they really bit the spot. I took a picture of the ingredients to hopefully someday find the recipe. I made it to a tent site at 6:30. Not exactly sure it is the one listed in the guide book but it is nice and just off the lake. Made dinner and enjoyed the sunset. Another hiker came in later. Tomorrow I am limited on miles. I have to cross the Kennebec river and they have a boat that ferry's hikers because it is too dangerous to ford. It only operates from 9-2 so you have to time it out right. In will hit it in two days. The morning was cool( cold until you started hiking). It warmed a little bit but was very nice. It was the ideal temperature for hiking and I'm going to miss this in a few weeks.
Date: 2016-08-10
From: East Flagstaff Lake Tentpad

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up to some animal working hard...kind of sounded like a woodpecker hitting some soft wood. I can't hike too much today because I won't make in time to take the ferry at 2:00 so I will have to wait until morning. I went and waided for a few minutes before hitting the trail at 7:00. The lean-to in five miles says swimming so I will stop there for a nice long break. All day the terrain is nice and then it gets some root and rock areas then goes back smooth. I would make somd good distance today if it wasn't for the ferry stopping so early. Just small rises and descents. It was warm and humid this early in the morning. I get to one area and the gnats are horrible...swarming me. So for the second time on this trip I put on my bug head net. It works great and the little suckers leave me alone after that. I make to the first shelter a little after 9:00 and take my shoes off, eat and head down to the water. There is a couple there with a dog that doesn't like to share his space. I stick my hand out for him to sniff and the lady says maybe you should do that...lol. So I head out to the water where it is rocky. I go slow because some of the rocks are very slick. Another young couple come down to get water, they were out swimming yesterday. The water temperature was very comfortable. Not long after that a leach hits my leg...I swat it off immediately and head back to shore and sit on a rock. Eventually I put my feet back in to soak for a bit. I get back on trail at 11:00 and eat much around noon. A few miles down the trail I am back hiking beside a lake and out of nowhere I hit a sandy beach. One girl is enjoying it and I stop and take a dip too. It is one of the warmer days we have had in a while and it is refreshing. The water refreshed me and I was feeling good hiking the rest of the day. I arrived at Pierce Pond Lean-to before 4:30. I could get water at the lake but they have signs to water so maybe there is a nice spring. I follow it and it leads me to a dried up brook, well at least no water is flowing. So back up to the lake I go, I'm going over some roots and my crock shoe catches a little root sticking outnof the main root. I keep lifting my leg but its not giving so down I go hard on my knee. It hurts pretty good and it is skinned up. I think thats about the hardest fall I've taken...usually it is backwards onto my pack. I get up and it is tender at first but I am able to walk it off. I had lifted my leg so hard I tore my crock. I don't think it is going to be an issue but it is amazing how fast things can change. I ate dinner and found Old Fox. We discussed our timelines for getting to Katahdin. We should be there and summit either the same day or a day apart. We both have people meeting us so we are trying get a good date to meet them. Well the ferry slowed me down but it gave me the opportunity to enjoy the water. The lean-to is on a lake again tonight...we are getting spoiled. It was back to hiking through the woods today and an enjoyable hike it was
Date: 2016-08-12
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to

To: Horseshoe Canon Lean-to
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: light rain

It was a good night but right before it was time to get up it started raining. So I changed clothes and gathered up my stuff so I could get my tent packed before it got too wet. The rain stopped at this point so it wasn't an issue...I was just up and ready to go early. I ended up chatting with the others and didn't get on the trail until 7:00. Old Fox and I planned a 22 mile hike. We had a 1000 ft climb and a 1300 ft climb and the rest of the day was a gradual down hill. I left out before him and ran into a SOBO early heading south so I didn't have to clear out too many spider webs. Rumor on the trail was there was no water at the next shelter so get some at the pond before heading on. When I got to the pond it started raining again. I headed to the shelter and had 9 miles in just after 11:00. As I ate lunch in the shelter the rain came down heavier but slowed down before I left and had stopped within the next 30 minutes. I headed up Moxie Bald and chatted with a coiplenof hikers at the top. There are also wild blueberries on the top so I stopped and enjoyed a bunch of those. The caren's(piles of rocks) led me to the summit but then I couldn't find anymore. The fog had moved in by this time. I looked all around for the trail but was unable to find it. Finally I went back a couple of carens and picked up the trail from there. I headed on and questioned if I was going the right way...things seemed to look familiar. I passed a guy heading southbound and after talking with him knew for sure I was on the right track. I was halfway done for the day and stopped at the shelter down the mountain for a quick snack. Old Fox joined me. We still had 9 miles to go and it was 3:00. They were suppose to be easy miles and off we went. At first we ran into wet rocks that slowed us down but they finally disappeared and we had a nice trail to make good miles. We did those 9 miles in about 3.5 hours and made it to camp by 6:30. Severe storms are in the forecast so it is in the lean-to for the night. Seven hikers are in the lean-to so it is full. One southbound hiker asked if I was ready for this trip to be over. I said not really and he said everyone else he asked this question to was, they were ready to be done. I have enjoyed just slowing down and the time with the other hikers during the last month. I am going to miss the comradary you only get when you are doing something incredibly challenging and share that experience with others. At the end of the day, I really enjoyed the hike
Date: 2016-08-13
From: Horseshoe Canon Lean-to

To: Monson ME (Shaws Hostel)
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: broken clouds

We got some rain overnight but the storms never came. One of my shelter mates was a pretty loud snorer but I didn't let it bother me too much and slept through it. Another shelter mate must have been more annoyed because he moved out and put up his tent at some point. It was raining when I got up but I got moving anyhow and was on the trail at 6:30. Old Fox was still sleeping when I left. One thing I hadn't done was wear these shoes in rain, and the back of my heels were tender from yesterday. I didn't notice until I started hiking and I thought about going back to the shelter to out moleskin on them but pressed on. The soreness seemed to get less painful as I hiked. About an hour in I crossed a stream that I was suppose to ford but with the lack of rain I was able to hop across the rocks. I ran into Slug who had stealth camped in his hammock and talked to him a few. Spirit of 76 and Iraqnia had passed him a half hour before me. I continued on, the trail was pretty easy other than some slippery rocks and roots here and there. I planned to do 9 miles but there was a shorter way into town at 5.7 miles so I took that. Monson is the last trail town so I planned to nearo and start the 100 mile wilderness on Sunday. I got to the hostel and it was crowded...lucky I didn't arrive an night earlier or I wouldn't have had a place to stay. I got checked in and a shower and was getting ready to go eat when Spirit and Iraqnia showed up...so we went out to eat. My employer had called a few days earlier to ask when I would be returning so I returned that call. Time off is dwindling down and I requested Sept 1 as my date to return. I will work a couple of days and have a weekend....that way I can ease my way back into things. I did notice a flyer on the hostels refrigerator door looking for trail maintainers here in Maine. But you have to have a good attitude.. .so that rules me out . So after lunch I went to the AT visitors center and registered and got some questions answered about Baxter State Park and Mt Katahdin. They are pretty strict about that area and try to protect it from over use. Then I came back to hostel to do laundry. I went and did some resupply and stopped by the hostel to talk to Spirit and was pleasantly surprised to find Rabbit and Beth there. It seems he pushed to get here and Subman and Suds are just a few hours behind. The four of them all started in GA on the same day and would like to finish together. The plan is to finish on Monday the 22, the same day as I planned to summit. We will see if it all holds together but that would be cool to summit on the same day as these folks. I brought my resupply back to the hostel and packed it up. All of us had dinner together to include Iraqunia and another hiker. It was an enjoyable evening. The locals are happy to see the rain, it has been really dry up here. I'm not sure how many miles I will get in tomorrow but I'm going to be hitting some big mile days after that. It was another great day to be a hiker