morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-31
From: Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 22.4

Had a great pancake breakfast at Harrison's. Just wish I had some toothpaste. Early in the day I reached the Kennebec River, where a guy in a canoe paddles you across. He's got a pretty unique job. He said it's probably the only man-powered ferry in the country. The ferry used to cost money, but lots of people would swim across to save money and someone drowned, so now its free for hikers. Went over two small mountains today--Pleasant Pond and Moxie Bald. Luckily the rain held off and it was beautiful. Been seeing a lot of grouse in the woods. I think I heard a moose but couldn't catch a glimpse. Something big was moving through a bog. There's a bunch of college students here for orientation from Colby College. Saw some at the Kennebec too. Ran into Salesman today, who flip flopped. Last saw him at Fontana Dam in North Carolina. Apparently he finally went to a dentist in Hot Springs. I have a loose toenail. This hasn't happened before. I think I might be getting allergies too.
Date: 2012-09-01
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: Shaw's Lodging (Monson, ME) via Pleasant Street
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

Got a quick start today on easy terrain. Got to a point where the trail split two ways and both had white blazes. Soon I found out why when I picked one and it led through a very muddy, recently drained beaver pond. The trail followed the Piscataquis River for a long time, through Horseshoe Canyon. Had to ford two branches of it. I decided to just walk across and get my shoes soaked. They dried after about a half hour of walking anyway. At the second ford, there was a cooler full of sodas. The most unexpected trail magic of this trip. It was pretty remote, but there turned out to be a quiet road a quarter mile up the trail. Went through a maze of snowmobile trails in the last bit. Pretty flat the whole way, but lots of small ups and downs. Decided to walk 2 miles down Pleasant Street, instead of hiking another 3 miles on the AT and then hitching into town on Maine Route 15. While walking into town, I met a guy starting a hostel near the trail. He was very excited about his plans and gave me a tour. There were a bunch of guys clearing the land. Seemed like it'll be an awesome spot. I got a bunk at Shaw's, which is a nice place. The General Store is closed so resupply is hard, but I went to the gas station and another hostel had supplies as well. Ate a half gallon of ice cream, then went to the Lakeshore House Pub for pizza and a burger. Glad to finally do laundry. Dad changed his mind, and wants to join a day earlier, on Tuesday morning. When I came back from dinner, college football was on--Auburn vs. Clemson. I was shocked, realizing that summer has flown by. Goat and Thumper are here with their brother.
Date: 2012-09-02
From: Shaw's Lodging (Monson, ME) via Pleasant Street

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

Got a great sleep in a bed last night, then a big breakfast in the morning. Got a ride back to the trail. Hiked 3 miles before crossing ME-15 and entering the 100 mile wilderness. Part of the trail before there was flooded by beavers, and a new trail went around. There have been lots of ponds today. It seems pretty remote, but the trail crossed a railroad track and I could hear a train later. Also, I heard some heavy gunfire. Not sure if its the military, a shooting range, or rednecks. There was a beautiful waterfall at Little Wilson (one of the tallest on the trail). Met a guy who went in a big circle. Somehow he got turned around and climbed up a hill he had just descended. I decided to continue on to this shelter and not stop at the last one, meaning I only have to hike 10 miles tomorrow. Goat and Thumper are here, along with a guy who caught a bunch of fish and cooked them up for dinner. He works in the film industry, as a set dresser.
Date: 2012-09-03
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: broken clouds

A short but still rough day. Guess I'm just worn out. Got a slow start, knowing I only needed to do 10 miles. It was very cold when I woke up. Hung out with the other guys in the shelter, then climbed up Barren Mountain. The views were amazing, above the clouds. It was an endless sea of clouds to the horizon, with mountains sticking up like islands. I took it real slow, knowing that it was a short day. Climbed a fire tower with no platform on Barren Mountain. Later, I stopped for an hour and a half for lunch and made 2 packets of potatoes. I heard water was poor, so I tried to get some at a small stream. Ate lunch for dinner, since I had dinner for lunch. Got in the sleeping bag by 6:20 pm. Been seeing Chucky the Fish on and off all day. He stopped at this shelter too. Tomorrow won't be easy, but I'm meeting up with dad in the morning. I need to go 4.4 miles by 9 am, but I'm not sure if I can make it if it's a treacherous downhill. Tomorrow will be tough going over White Cap, but hopefully we don't get to camp too late. And have good weather. It was so cold last night, I'll see how cold it gets tonight.
Date: 2012-09-04
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

Got a quick start this morning, and was on the trail by 6:50. Thought the trail might be treacherous on the way down and I might not make it to the road by 9 am. But the trail was easy and dad was a half hour late, so I chilled by the road for an hour and saw two logging trucks come by. Met up with dad, who was dropped off by a shuttle. It was great to catch up. The rest of the hike consisted of a long, steady uphill until lunch, followed by 4 steep peaks. Dad brought lots of food, which is great. The pace has been much more relaxing too. Not a lot of views today unfortunately. It was cool above treeline on White Cap though. It was extremely windy, foggy, and intense. Saw a dead snake on the trail early this morning. This shelter is packed full, but we're all in here dry. Not really raining yet, but it's supposed to rain tonight and all tomorrow. I had salmon and peas for dinner. And a brownie. Hopefully the mice aren't bad here. Hopefully tomorrow isn't a drencher.
Date: 2012-09-05
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: campsite on Cooper Brook near Jo-Mary Road
Miles today: 15.2

Started out a wet day, but it's a nice evening. We were packed into the shelter last night. It was pouring rain this morning. Started hiking reluctantly in the rain. Dad wouldn't get the full experience without spending a day trudging through the rain. The trail was pretty flooded. It was mostly clear by noon though. Climbed over Little Boardman Mountain today--a small one. The trail has been really easy going today. There's no huge mountains left until Katahdin. It's mostly flat with an occasional 500 foot climb (like once a day). Ate lunch on the sandy beach at Crawford Pond. Got to Cooper Brook Lean-to, intending to spend the night, but it was packed. So we walked another 4 miles to another campsite by the river here, nearer to Jo-Mary Road. It's a real nice spot. Plus, now we only have 11 miles to White House Landing, and we need to be there by 5 to get dinner. Should have no problem getting there. Rusty showed up here too. Apparently Lobster's pack broke again. He had taken it to a auto mechanic to get it welded in Stratton. It's surprising how the shelters have been crowded. Hikers were very sparse south of Monson. I guess I've caught up with a small bubble, plus there's a bunch of section hikers.
Date: 2012-09-06
From: campsite on Cooper Brook near Jo-Mary Road

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 10.5

Today was a short day. Got into White House Landing a bit before 3. The trail was very easy. Got my first view of Katahdin from Pemadumcook Lake, where we had lunch. Had to walk 1 mile off the trail to get to a boat dock. There we rang an air horn, and a guy drove a motorboat across the lake to pick us up. A guy called Tipsy is here too. Been seeing him off and on for a couple days now. Had a great burger and pizza for dinner after showering. Tired and ready for bed. Only a few more days on the trail.
Date: 2012-09-07
From: White House Landing

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: few clouds

Got out of White House Landing after a beautiful morning on the lake and a good breakfast. Could hear lots of new birds last night. The owner dropped us off with his boat closer to the A.T., and we got hiking. Today was the longest day for dad. Ate lunch at the last lean-to, then climbed Nesuntabunt Mountain. Therre were great views of Katahdin from the mountain. Also good views of Nahmakanta Lake, which the trail followed for a long time. Parts of the trail afterwards were pretty rooty. There is room in this shelter for once, and its by a good stream. I decided to hang a bear bag because mice are everywhere. I heard Lobster is about 10+ miles ahead.
Date: 2012-09-08
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Kind of ominous and misty today, but got to this shelter early and dry. We were the first ones here around 2 pm. Less than 20 miles to the end! Plus another 5 miles to get back down from Katahdin. A pretty uneventful hike today. We walked along Rainbow Ledges, but couldn't see anything because of the fog. Walked along the large Rainbow Lake before that. It was cool because you couldn't even see the other side in the fog. THis is the last regular shelter on the AT. We're going to stay at a Lean-to at Katahdin Stream Campground tomorrow, where we made a reservation and paid to stay. Its supposed to rain hard tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be nice on Monday. Lots of guys here. Got a nice big fire. It's still dry so far.
Date: 2012-09-09
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: Katahdin Stream Campground Lean-to #12
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Entered Baxter State Park today. There wasn't a ton of rain last night, and none today. Stopped at Abol bridge for more food, before entering the park. There was a ranger sitting near the boundary at the trail, and he wrote us down to keep track of thru hikers. Today was mostly walking along rivers. Very scenic areas, with lots of birches. Some of the leaves are already starting to turn red and yellow. Had probably the most difficult stream ford today. THe water was knee deep, with waist deep holes, and very swift. Made it across alright though, after several attempts at finding a good route. When we got to Katahdin Stream Campground, we caught up with Fishman again, headed into Millinocket. Signed up with the ranger as the 373rd thru hiker to get there this year. Got to the lean-to we reserved (#12) and ate several courses of dinner, followed by lemon pie. Decided to hang a bear bag, because the ranger said a bear was taking food. I'm more worried about the chipmunks though. One was hanging around the lean-to until I wacked it with my stick and flipped it through the air. Also met another hiker's parents today (Uncle Spider's) and talked with them for a bit by their fire. In for bed now. Its a bit cooler, but supposed to be good weather on Katahdin tomorrow. Hopefully we can get an early start.
Date: 2012-09-10
From: Katahdin Stream Campground Lean-to #12

To: Baxter Peak (Mount Katahdin, ME)
Miles today: 5.1

Done... I don't even know. Well, got up after a cold night. Dad carried a day pack, but I decided to carry my full pack. I'd carried it the whole way already anyway. The trail was easy, then hard, then easy. Followed Katahdin Stream for about a mile, with beautiful waterfalls and exceptionally clear water. Eventually, it just got steeper and rockier until we were above treeline. It was the most difficult trail above treeline on the A.T. for sure. Not as bad as I expected though--there was only rebar in 2 places. After a very strenuous couple of miles, we arrived at the tableland. At this point, the last mile and a half were either flat or relatively relaxed uphill. The fog was heavy at that point, and we couldn't see far. Eventually, the trail terminus sign emerged from the fog, along with maybe a dozen people on the peak. Took pictures and ate a commemorative cinnamon bun. Felt like I was done, until we began the very treacherous 5 mile descent. It took us 3 1/2 hours (7:30 - 11 am) to reach the peak, and about the same amount of time to descend. On the descent though, the fog cleared a bit, and there were spectacular views of the Tableland, ragged mountains to the west, and an endless expanse of forest and lakes to the east. As we arrived back at Katahdin Stream campground, it briefly drizzled. Talked with some other hikers before getting a ride to the AT Lodge in Millinocket. Took the best shower of my life and changed into clean clothes. Probably the one advantage of hiking alone is not having to wait to eat. Went to dinner at the AT Cafe. There I got a Summit Sundae (3 quarts of ice cream, a banana, king sized snickers, and donuts). I managed to finish it and earned a t-shirt, a bowl, and my name on the wall. It was delicious, but I could only eat a chicken caesar salad for dinner afterwards. This is the second time I haven't slept in my sleeping bag in over a month.
Date: 2012-04-22
To: This makes it official
Miles today: 0.0

I've eased my way toward this moment for years, but it's only since this past February that I was pretty sure I'd arrived at the point of actually announcing that I might just really do it this time. I started by purchasing a few books and that made it somehow more "real". I realized that there's been a lot of improvements in equipment since I'd purchased mine...shall we say more than a few years ago. I decided to buy a new tent "just in case" and it was a slippery slope from there. I've spent hundreds of hours reading and researching and finding the right balance between the best and what I can afford. Much of my stuff has come from Ebay but the overwhelming majority from Amazon. Now I'm down to the last few necessary purchases and I'll be off. OK, it's not quite that simple since transportation has still to be finalized. It looks like it'll be in the next week to ten days. Something I've pondered but until just a few minutes ago had not decided to do was this online journal. It seemed like such a formal commitment, as if putting it out there made it official and that there would be no turning back now. And so now it's done. I've made it official....I WILL be hiking the Appalachian Trail in just a few days!
Date: 2012-04-23
To: Yup, still more gear changes.
Miles today: 0.0

I've been trying to decide about rain gear. I already owned a Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Poncho and am happy with it but came across the ULA rain kilt and it's on it's way in the mail. At only 3.2 ounces and made of cuben fiber, it's versatile and super light. I have to cut corners somewhere to make up for the ounces I gained by adding the Kindle and Soladec charger. The Platypus Big Zip 3 Liter came today and it fits perfectly into the hydration sleeve in the pack. I'm very worried about my "new" sleeping bag. My old mummy bag would be much too heavy for this trip and with the cost of a new bag so prohibitive, I turned to Ebay to see if I couldn't solve the problem. I'd watched for weeks before deciding to take a chance on a nice looking down bag by Black Sheep, a company I've not heard of and couldn't find any info on. It comes in at 3 pounds, which is a pound more than I'd wanted but it seems to be a good find. I've ordered some waterproofing spray and hopefully it will all turn out ok. My plan is to head out to French Creek in Pennsylvania for a long day hike and a night out with all my gear and, of course, my best buddy and hiking partner, Bodhi. Initially I'd hoped to have all this done and be gone already except the flu has had ahold of me for over a week. It's Monday now and I think I should feel well enough to do the overnight trial by the end of this week. This would keep me on my new and revised schedule with a "leave out" date of either May 1st or 2nd.
Date: 2012-04-28
To: Why?
Miles today: 0.0

Now, The question I've most often been asked in recent discussions with people is WHY? Well, I can't say in all the years I've longed to do this that I've actually even given the question much consideration and certainly have not, until the last few days, had a clue as to WHY. But author Zach Davis suggests in his wonderful book Appalachian Trials: The Psychological and Emotional Guide to Successfully Thru-Hiking The Appalachian Trail that it is the psychological challenges that most often cause hikers to quit and go home early. He believes it is imperative to be able to articulate clearly what you hope to gain from the hike and to write it down in order to refer to it over and over again when the will to continue is faltering and inspiration is needed. So, with that in mind, I'm going to try to crystalize at least some of the things I hope will come of my hike.First, the obvious: I hope to (re)gain my physical health. I am a middle aged woman, 20 pounds overweight, kinda out of shape, with cholesterol that really must be addressed a.s.a.p. given my family history...so says my doctor. She is in favor of this hike and believes it may help reduce my cholesterol enough that I won't need to start medication. I'm to check in with her upon my return. Losing 20 pounds would help with joint pain and probably a few other complaints associated with inactivity. This is a very worthy goal and one that will never be far from my mind. No doubt the pain in my knee that persist even after the cortisone shot and Cho-pat brace will be a constant reminder.Secondly, I need to center myself emotionally and spiritually. To take stock of where I am at this juncture in my life and to consider various options going forward. This includes finances, relationships, career/vocation, finishing the post-graduate classes I need to become licensed...or not, location of residence....and whether (or not) I want to move to another state (again). I've been floundering on several fronts and feel the need for a perspective derived from time and distance away from what Eckhart Tolle calls my "LIFE SITUATION". Hopefully the repetition of putting one foot in front of the other day after day....wake, eat, walk, eat, walk, sleep and repeat again will become my daily meditation and might allow me to access a deeper level of clarity and wisdom than is currently at my disposal. This is not to say that I'm expecting any sort of spiritual divining or revelation, just hopin'.....Well, there is a Thirdly and a Fourthly and maybe even more. But I'm too tired at this point in the evening to continue. There's just been so much rushing around these last few days before I "leave out" for the trail that I'm afraid I'll be exhausted on the first day. Since my goal in all the hours of planning has been to do whatever I can to insure my success, I think I've got to slow it all down and begin with some deep breathing.....and sleep. I'm off to bed but I promise to pick up where I left off in the morning.
Date: 2012-04-29
To: Food Prep
Miles today: 0.0

As time is quickly running out, I'm frantically wrapping up the loose ends as best I can. This is Sunday and that means I have only two more nights to finish things up. For the last two weeks the kitchen has served as planning headquarters and it's a mess to say the least. As I've purchased supplies I've added it to the appropriate pile and tried to keep it organized and the effort has paid off. I'm crossing things off my to-do list right and left and tonights chore was one I've dreaded. I've put into 14 large ziploc bags enough food rations for two weeks. The majority of the food came from the grocery store but it was well supplemented with offerings from packitgourmet.com. They allow you to order individual packets of such things as chocolate peanut butter and parmesan cheese as well as freeze dried everything. So I have all kinds of little goodies to add to the staples each day. I plan to carry 5 days worth and to hand the rest over to be mailed to me as needed. In each bag I put oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, individual servings of spam or tuna for lunch and for dinner I'll feast on such things as mashed potatoes and sausage. I included several jolly ranchers as well as several snacks in each bag. I also put in two packets of Emergen-C and Recharge to add to the day's water. Some days will include ziploc bags prefilled with sugar-free instant pudding and powdered milk....just add water, squish around for 2 minutes and enjoy! An easy desert that adds to my intake of protein and helps me not feel deprived.   Since that's all taken care of I can cross that off my list and get ready to call it a day. Tomorrow I'll fill my backpack (again) and make any last adjustments that might be needed.
Date: 2012-04-30
To: Final Preparations 
Miles today: 0.0

So today I cut my copy of the AT Guide in half. As someone who has always loved books it was a very hard thing to do, but there's no sense carrying the extra weight. Since I'm starting in the middle and going north I really only need to carry half at a time. After a recent visit with a friend to learn the art of hanging a bear bag PCT style, I left my old Thermarest Z Lite sleeping pad and since it's too far to drive at this point, I took the opportunity to order myself something updated and lightweight. I opted for the Thermarest RidgeRest SoLite and am looking forward to having something that can roll up instead of fold up like my old egg crate style. In order to have it reach me in time I had to have it sent using one day shipping from Amazon. I set up the tent and made sure everything is operational and that I hadn't overlooked anything. No matter how many times I think that I must finally be done with the plans and the purchases, something new pops up. I can't wait to be on the trail at last and to realize, as will no doubt be the case, that I spent way too much time, effort and money. After all, it's just a walk in the woods, right?In preparing my body for what's coming I got my very first massage today in hope that it would help loosen up and get rid of a little more "fuzz" that accumulates in our body. If you're interested in learning more about the fuzz, go to YouTube and watch "fuzz speech". It's really amazing and has made a big impact on the way I think about my need to keep moving as I age. Just be warned, it is graphic! If you've been a couch potato or know one who needs to get going, this little 5 minute video can make a difference. I'm feeling very relaxed, tooooo relaxed really. But I'm going to tear myself away from the computer and do another unload/reload drill with an eye for what I can leave home. I've got to drop a few more pounds from the contents of the pack but have no idea how that's going to happen.....