morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-10-01
From: RPH Shelter

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

It's time to return to the trail and finish New York.  I called Dave the shuttle guy who helped me get to the NY/NJ border in the early summer and arranged a shuttle from Hoyt Rd. on the NY/CT border to RPH shelter where I'd ended my earlier hike with MrsJoy.  Still, the drive to Hoyt road was nearly 3 hours so I was up at 5 and out the door by 6.  It was a nice morning drive on a clear day and a good shuttle ride to RPH.  I was hiking by 10:15.   This trail is so pretty.  Relatively easy on the body, it swung through the woods with occasional views.  It's odd, but I can't say I was super eager to get back to the trail.  Maybe it's the lure of the grandson, maybe it's just inherent laziness, but I was feeling rather "take it or leave it" about hiking.  But within a half hour I was completely absorbed and planning what hike to do either later this month or next spring/summer.  Go figure.  I thought it might be possible to knock off the rest of the Presidential Mtns this fall then pick off some of Maine starting in June 2018.  Those dreams kept me occupied for the rest of the morning, then I realized it was Sunday and if I could find a good radio app I might get the Patriots game on my phone.  Good idea.  Except I couldn't find a decent app.  I tried about 4 of them without luck.  Oh well.  I watched the score change until I saw the bad news.  In between sports obsessions I stopped to chat with some hikers.  Met Dolittle going solo SOBO from Kahtadin, then PawPaw in the midst of a flip flop where he was perfecting the slack pack technique.  Very interesting.  He was a granddad from Tennessee and we had a nice long talk.  He told me I'd meet up with 84 year old GreyBeard the next day.  Imagine being 84 and thru hiking the AT!  Later met a few guys having an annual 100 mile section and asking me about the trail in MA.  I rolled into Stewart Morgan shelter around 5:00 pm.  It had a hand pump a short distance that pulled good cold water up and into my platypus.  There were several nice, flat tent sites as well as the burly dove-tailed log shelter.  I chose a nice tent site and set up camp. When supper was underway I bet there would be nobody pulling in to the shelter that night so packed up the tent and moved into the shelter.  Let's hope there are no mice.  The plan for tomorrow is to get to Telephone Pioneers Shelter, but it's only about 8 miles and I was wondering what to do if I got into the shelter early.  Well, cross that bridge when I get there.  The moon is full, the owls are active, and nobody is knocking on the door. It's so lovely!
Date: 2017-06-16
To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It hasn't really hit me yet that this is actually happening.My brother needed to be able to drive our car today after we left, and there was a moment of concern (panic) as we realized that the keys were in Greg's pocket. Thankfully, Greg was able to give Will directions to the spare keys in a box in the barn. We found a Mexican restaurant for lunch, and we had bread, goat cheese, and sundries tomato pesto pasta for dinner.It's grey, cool, and occasionally drizzly, but tomorrow should just be cloudy, and there will be thunderstorms on Monday!I am hiking the Appalachian Trail because:- I have wanted to since I knew about it.- I love hiking and the satisfaction from walking somewhere.- I want to prove that I can finish what I start. To prove that to myself.- I want to be more at ease with my social life, either by getting to be more social or being more at peace with being alone.- I want to spend time with Greg- I need a break from the normal course- I want to think about a lot of things to do with my place in the world and what I want it to be.
Date: 2017-06-17
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: light rain

We did it! it was cloudy and foggy down here, but absolutely stunning and sunny above tree line. We made much better time than four years ago, and I feel better about it. Lots of people.I am completely exhausted now, but that's at least in part because I haven't slept well or much for several nights. The other part is because I climbed a giant mountain today.
Date: 2017-06-18
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Woo! One full hiking day done. I was really tired toward the end, but I pushed through. We passed 3 little side trails early on that only increased in awesomeness. The last two were Little and Big Niagara Falls- no, not that one.I am sore all over, and I am happy.
Date: 2017-06-19
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

The trail was rough today- lots of roots, rocks, and very recent blowdowns. And mud! But we stuck it out, and I never got quite too negative. Even with cramps, lady issues, and high humidity, I could still smile.The last two miles were lovely, too- we stayed next to the lake, but where that had previously meant mud and dirt it changed to huge old cedar trees that clearly drank enough water to make the ground a bit drier. It was like walking in a fairytale, and with little blue dragonflies everywhere.The two couples from the lean-to last night are here. Delaney is here, too, and it looks like we'll be staying at the same places for a few days, which is nice.It's raining now, and there's some thunder, too, so we're staying in the lean-to. Two other guys just showed up who are doing the 100 miles, and they're staying in the lean-to, too. Plus there's one other older southbounder here with his dog, Magnolia.The heavy rain should help with the snoring that I'm sure is about to happen.
Date: 2017-06-20
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Holy shit I did 18 miles today. Ouch.We intended to go to the Nahmakanta Stream campsite, but it was just completely swarmed with mosquitos. It was so bad that even though I was tired, we decided to hike on until we were out of the mosquitos. We are still not out of them here, but the other people have made a fire that helped keep them at bay while we socialized and had dinner.It was a funky day for weather- showers off and on, sometimes sunny... but it seems to have worked out to tonight being cool, not humid, and with wind high in the trees.I've got blisters on my heels even though I have never had that problem before. I will wear dry socks and take it easy tomorrow.
Date: 2017-06-21
From: Potaywadjo Stream Lean-to

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I saw a moose! It was running away already and so Greg missed it, but it was really great. I forgot to write yesterday about how at one point a huge chunk of tree fell down about 3 feet from Greg. There was much alarm and loud swearing. We'll have to be extra careful about widowmakers while walking in addition to while camping? There are so, so many blowdowns that are still green from recent storms. It can be hard to navigate them without losing the trail.My blisters are a little bit better. I'm treating them with neosporin.We have the same batch at this shelter- Bill, Stewart, Skeeter Beater, Julia, and the two southbound section hikers. Two northbound section hikers rolled in late, too.It was sunny this morning, but I took a rough fall in a brook and scraped up my elbow. We got to a beach then, and checked the weather and found out it was going to storm... and it did. The rainwater was almost as cold as Potaywadjo Spring. It cleared up after that, and we escaped from the mosquitoes up here. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, too!
Date: 2017-06-22
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Logan Brook Falls Lean-to
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: moderate rain

We got some good uphills today, but we did it just fine. Stewart let us get rid of our trash with his food drop, so that was really nice. My socks dried out on top of my pack so I was able to change into dry socks after a ford, and it felt amazing. I think my blisters are getting better.The trail went through some lovely fir groves today. We're halfway up Whitecap Mountain!At one point today, Greg called out to me to say that he loves me and he's glad we're out here. It was such a relief to know that I haven't just dragged him miserably out here.We're sleeping in the shelter tonight since there aren't really any good tent sites. Maybe if we're up early we could do a longer day tomorrow, too- we're only planning less than 8 miles, but if we can do more, it could give us a near-0 into Monson, which would be nice.It's chilly up here, and that's great!Fewer people than last night, but we'll see if any more show up.The photo is of a lovely pond we walked past today. There was such a wind coming off of it I was worried I'd lose my hat!
Date: 2017-06-23
From: Logan Brook Falls Lean-to

To: East Chairback Pond
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

We got some lovely views off of Whitecap, but couldn't take any pictures because it was just so windy! It was steadily blowing hard enough that it was hard to keep my footing and I had to almost pretend like it was a ford.We got to Carl Newhall shelter pretty early, so we decided to push on so that our day going into Monson would be shorter. I'm glad we did- not only do we get more time in town, we also get to stay in this beautiful place and be serenaded by frogs.No one else is here, but I'm sure we'll run into others again tomorrow.
Date: 2017-06-25
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Shaw's, Shuttle from Otter Pond
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: few clouds

First, trail stuff yesterday: 3rd Mountain had the best views, but the pitcher plants in fourth mountain bog were amazing- there were surprisingly few mosquitoes there for the amount of water.I was a wreck at the end of the day, though- we pushed a little too hard for me between yesterday and the day before.Today was short and beautiful. The views off of Barren Ledges were absolutely the best since Katahdin. We passed a trail crew doing great work.Yesterday we met two super fast SOBOs, Nature Boy and Grandpa. They might make it here today by trail, whereas we had to get a shuttle in to make sure Greg is available for a Skype interview tomorrow.We took lovely hot showers, ate fries and pizza, and relaxed. We got a new titanium spoon and some more aqua mira. I was having a late snack of tortilla chips and cheese dip and listening to my favorite music.And then Greg got an email offering him the position he'd interviewed for at UC Davis. I am so happy for him. It is so perfect for his career. He will start well before we could possibly finish the trail, maybe as early as August 1st. This is so good for him, and relieves so much stress. I am incredibly conflicted emotionally, and trying so hard to hang on. I really want to do this, and I am so scared that I can't on my own. It's easy to have the thought that I can, but I need more of a conviction than that to not be just completely heartbroken at the end of my dream.I know that I can reach my greatest strengths when I am alone and have nothing to fall back on. One of the reasons that I wrote that I want to do this is to be more socially comfortable alone.There is a good batch of slow-speed people around me this time.Greg can still come with me for a while. I've been just listening to really loud music for a while now. It makes me feel better. It's like I need to think, but not so much to think as to FEEL. Tomorrow I will go back out and get eaten alive by mosquitoes again, and ford streams, and be always damp. I will see incredible sights and meet a wide variety of people. I will write quotes from the 1983 Philosopher's Guide to the AT in registers.Line from Japandroids:"And it's an all-out war for the soul betweenDreams that are hungry and the fears that feed"I will be supportive of Greg. I just hope he can figure out what support I need- which is he reassurance and confidence that I can do this crazy thing on my own.
Date: 2017-06-26
To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I relaxed all morning at Shaw's, are donuts and French fries and onion rings, and then we got back to the trail this afternoon. We went over a hill with no name that we decided we should call Road Wart, due to its being near a road, having an elevation profile that looks like a wart, and being generally unpleasant.I'm feeling good to do 13.7 miles tomorrow.
Date: 2017-06-28
From: Shaw's 

To: West branch of the Piscataquis River
Miles today: 12.0

Breakfast at Shaw's this morning was AMAZING. Really good home fries.We got back to the trail around 9:30, and hiked for a little while with a guy named Ryan. He'd originally been hiking with his cousin who had to leave because he got hurt. They'd already done 500 miles down south before flipping up here.The first 9 miles today were pretty smooth and easy. There was a group of campers at Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to, as well as a pair of northbounders.The three miles after the lean-to were relatively flat looking in the guidebook and on the map. They were next to the river, except every few minutes when the trail would shoot 50-70 feet straight up the side of the hill, stay up there for a couple dozen steps, then shoot straight back down to the river... then do it again. None of the hills were big, but they were very steep and constant. It took a lot out of me.I got really discouraged, too. A part of me feels like little hills like that shouldn't be a problem for me anymore, and that I'm not good enough to do this, not strong enough. I'm working on that, though. 12 miles is perfectly fine. We are camped in a lovely spot. And tomorrow we go over a beautiful mountain!We had a chipotle cheddar pasta side for dinner and it was really tasty.
Date: 2017-06-29
From: West branch of the Piscataquis River

To: Somewhere close to the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

I played a trick on my brain today and it worked! I got so discouraged yesterday about little hills. The ascent up Moxie Bald Mountain was rough. We planned on getting water at the Stream after the road (mile 139.7) and then finding a spot somewhere on the mountain to pitch the tent. I was feeling good, and passed up a few tent sites because I wanted to get just a little further... then a little further... and because I was focused on looking for sites and trying to remember the words to all the Christmas songs stuck in my head I just kept walking and didn't mind the uphill so much.And now we're almost at the top!I don't know my own strength. If I had tried to hike this far on purpose, I may have struggled.But I am secretly a badass.Also, Greg got some pictures of a massive bullfrog tadpole at Moxie Bald Lean-to.I have now hiked past the endpoint of my first attempt four years ago. I am mighty.
Date: 2017-06-30
From: Somewhere close to the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain

To: Sterling Inn, Caratunk
Miles today: 7.2

I hurt this morning, but that was okay! Today was a short mostly downhill day to showers and laundry!It rained a lot last night, but our tent kept us wonderfully dry. We woke up in a cloud. There was a better tentsite than where we had pitched about five minutes later, but whatever, it worked. We passed some pretty chill NOBOs today- it's always nice when they're friendly and helpful and encouraging rather than the ones who are just grumpy and ready to be done.The day was all downhill, but it was tricky and muddy and very slippery. I wiped out pretty hard once. Eventually we got to Caratunk, got delicious milkshakes at Caratunk House, then got a ride here to the Sterling Inn. The guy who runs it is super nice, with great hospitality. He sells pasta sides at a reasonable price, too. (As far as I can tell with a limited sample size so far.)I am finding that due to my overall soreness it is now difficult to sit cross-legged. Or with my legs straight. I have yet to find a way to position my legs that doesn't hurt other than standing. Hopefully a shorter day today and sleeping in a bed will help.Greg and I talked a lot today about our pace. It's tricky, because while I am clearly capable of some long days, I also hike poorly and miserably if I'm under pressure or discouraged about something... So we're going to mostly aim for low mileage days (so we have plenty of food so Greg doesn't stress about it- that's his big worry) but be capable of pushing farther if the opportunity comes up. There are some pretty big mountains coming up, so that will certainly slow us down regardless.Most of my toes have skipped blistering and now just have small calluses on the sides. That's okay with me.Tomorrow is supposed to be another grey day with occasional rain, but hey, it's not raining all the time!
Date: 2017-07-02
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 10.0

A short day today, considering the terrain... Although it was substantially rougher than it would have been if it was dry. We had two fords today, one of which is not considered a ford on the map or in the guidebook, and the other of which does not even make an appearance at all on the map or in the guidebook. It was maybe 2 inches of rain that fell last night, so everything was a flood. We passed a particularly nice northbounder in a kilt who, unprovoked, apologized for all negative northbounders. It is always really sad when there are grumpy northbounders, but the positive ones are totally awesome people.It turns out that the things around here named "Arnold" are after Benedict Arnold, who did some sort of daring military journey through the area in 1775.We stopped early today because I just couldn't get my head with it. Today marked the 4th time I had to ask Greg not to step on bog bridges while I am on them because it shakes them. He just gets momentum going and doesn't notice. I also fell really hard on my butt today on a slippery bridge- thank you, external frame backpack, for making me fall backwards rather than forward onto rocks or sideways into a deep swamp!Stopping early worked out well, though- I washed the sweat out of my hiking clothes, Greg went for a swim in the pond, and we got a lovely fire going with Jon and Eric when they showed up.I should be able to do more miles tomorrow, with an early start, even with more uphill. More uphill means more views!
Date: 2017-07-03
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was rough! I pushed really hard early on and hurt for it later. It's like now that I'm in a bit better shape I forget that it can still be nice to go slowly up mountains rather than exhausting myself maintaining speed.The views off of Little Bigelow were stunning- we could see the rest of the Bigelows rising up ahead of us. That's tomorrow!To get to this campsite we went through a really cool boulder cave.
Date: 2017-07-05
From: Stratton Motel, Stratton

To: Near the South Branch of the Carrabasset River
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: overcast clouds

First, more on yesterday:We stayed at the Stratton Motel hostel, which was nice and run by super chill people. We got a ton of snacks and had veggie burgers for dinner at the gas station and chatted with some locals there. It had a really lovely wooden table that really encouraged just talking and chatting with whoever else was around.Today may seem like a shorter day, but it was really pretty rough. I listened to podcasts for most of it, which was good because the trail coming up the mountain (for 5 miles...) wasn't even very nice. Then we got to the top! And there were just trees! North Crocker Mountain is the second highest peak on the AT in Maine (with Katahdin being the highest) and there was nothing. The southern peak had okay views from a side trail.I picked up some dehydrated refried beans from the hiker box in Stratton, and we had some for dinner with "Taco Rice" rice side and sharp cheddar cheese. It was delicious and filling and a complete protein and very tasty. It also helps us use up our cheddar cheese so we can start on the horseradish cheddar we bought in Stratton. I am very excited for more horseradish cheese.I'm becoming more and more worried about my left hip. Four years ago when I started backpacking, I would occasionally feel a sharp pain in the lower, outer part of my left hip. It's in the little area that would be called "violin hips" by people who case about that, but inside. Since then I have sometimes felt that same pain while hiking with my pack. Tightening my hipbelt differently doesn't affect it, although the only thing that makes it go away sometimes is taking my pack off and sitting down. Just stopping moving or just taking my pack off doesn't fix it.My right hip is completely fine pain-free, so I doubt it's a problem with my pack (although I'll check again that the weight in it is evenly distributed?) It has never happened that I recall while not wearing the pack, but there are several circumstances that correlate with the pack: walking over difficult, uneven terrain with elevation changes, walking more than 5-6 miles in a day, and walking long distances on consecutive days. Hiking in Raleigh was always flat and even, and never for long.I'll pay attention to how I use my left leg on funky terrain, and maybe take some ibuprofen. The only reason I'm worried now is that it's getting worse- I can still feel it now that I'm sitting in the tent with my pack off, and that is new.
Date: 2017-07-06
From: Near the South Branch of the Carrabasset River

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I paid a lot of attention to my hip today. It likes downhill better than uphill, and there is definitely a higher likelihood of my feeling it on rough terrain. The biggest thing I noticed is that when I'm going uphill, I sometimes get lazy with my left trekking pole and use my right hand with my right foot. This is a bad thing and it makes my hip hurt. I need to use my left arm more.Today had lots of really narrow trail with lots of brush closing in on either side. There was a beautiful couple of miles before Orbeton Stream, though, very open and then alongside a brook. Just some lovely forest.I've been listening to podcasts when hiking more recently. It keeps me a bit from worrying about whether I'm going fast enough, or wondering where I am now. I'm used to having podcasts or radio on in the background when playing games or whatever, so this really isn't so different.We haven't seen another SOBO on the trail in 4 days. Just two when we were headed out of Stratton. It's kind of lonely. There is a really nice NOBO flip-flop here, though, and a pair of section hikers. It's nice to have people around.Greg isn't feeling well this evening, but I think it's probably just his body telling him to chill out a bit. I'm not too worried.We're in the lean-to tonight, since the bugs aren't too bad... Let's hope they stay that way.
Date: 2017-07-07
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Hiker Hut in Rangeley
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: moderate rain

Today has been absolutely wonderful.Saddleback was completely stunning. I think it's my favorite so far because of how much hiking was above tree line. I took some pictures, but they completely fail to capture it. It's all about the way it feels to be walking and have sky all around.I had worried, early in the day, if the Hiker Hut would be a good place to stay. It turns out it is perfect for me right now. There is no electricity or running water or internet or phone signal. There is outstanding hospitality, an outdoor shower by a river, and a lovely private hut for me and Greg. Outstanding hospitality... like, once Greg and I had picked which Hut to stay in, and were putting down our stuff, Steve who runs this place brought over a table and chairs and salsa and chips and an apple and blueberries for us. And when he found out it would be cold tonight, he made sure we had an extra blanket and would be warm enough.This is such a wonderfully happy, caring place.This is exactly what I needed. It is peaceful and restful, and we can get a ride into Rangeley for internet and whatnot.