morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-09-08
From: Perhaps Stream stealth site

To: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Boy, it was tough getting going today. First waking up was of no interest to me at 5:30am. Chilly morning outside the bag (low 40s) and so I laid around eyes closed until 6:15... then rushed to pack up and hit the trail by 7:00. Felt discombobulated throughout the morning walk. First up Lone Mtn then around Mt Abrams and over Spaulding Mountain. Kept taking breaks in the sunshine to warm up as the breeze at elevation was like an icy knife. Hiked around Sugarloaf (Maine¢s largest ski area) and then endured a tough descent to the river. laid on the rocks in the sun for too long and had to take on the Crocker Mountains with a deadline looming. Both peaks are over 4,000 ft and not an easy climb ...but the views were spectacular and Katahdin was clearly visible today. (Other hikers all talking about it at the hostel this evening). Sat on summit of South Crocker, enjoying second lunch, staring at the Bigelow Range across the valley. Nice to ¢scout them¢ from this vantage point on a clear day. (Very impressive peaks and will be crossing them tomorrow.)The rest of the afternoon I moved slow as the legs were a bit heavy but it was an enjoyable hike. Crossed the 2,000 mile mark during the last descent which seems a little hard to believe. In the words of Jeremiah Johnson, ¢Feels far¢.Arrived at the Route 27 trailhead to find a church hiker feed finishing up. Gobbled down a few cheese burgers, cookies, pasta salad and hard boiled eggs before El Vago and his wife Diane arrived at 5pm. They took me to the Hostel of Maine in Stratton (forecast is below freezing temps tonight so I¢m going to enjoy a warm bed!) and had brought a big resupply box. Got checked in and cleaned up then we all walked to dinner at a wonderful little Italian restaurant just down the street. (Pasta is good and I could tell my body is needing fuel given the recent mileage.) After dinner we said our goodbyes and I so look forward to seeing them again soon. As mentioned before, the support of friends makes all the difference in a journey like this. Am ahead of schedule because of their kindness ¢ also has too much fun and finding myself typing this up past ¢hiker midnight¢ so cutting it short here. Song of the Day: this is pretty much the AT theme song but it hit me as I was rolling thru the forest on Sugarloaf and found myself singing at top of my lungs. ¢Home¢ - Edward Sharpe & magnetic zeroesLife is Amazing. Keep walking
Date: 2018-09-09
From: Stratton, Maine

To: Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3

Woke in a cozy bunk and knew I had all morning to get going. Treehugger was slackpacking the Bigelow Range and heading for the trail at 7:30 but I decided to return to the trail (normal fashion) at 9:30. Drank several mugs of Carabassett Valley coffee and ate a couple of breakfasts. Went through my resupply box and gave Gandalf a week of coffee, emergen-C powders, some stinger waffles and tea. Left a few dinners in the hiker box too. Despite these efforts, I¢m rolling with a giant bag with 4-5 days of food. (No need to resupply until Monson and the 100 Mile wilderness.)By the time I finished saying goodbyes at the trail head it was almost 10am as I headed towards the Bigelows. The trail was easy for a few miles and provided a good warm up before the first ascent up to The Horns. Despite climbing for a few miles the trail was a dreamscape. Emerald green moss draped everywhere, the roots and rocks defining the pine needle path, dark black mud dried just enough to yield footprints without swallowing the boots. THIS is the path one imagines runs through the big mountains in the great northern forest. Like some elvish glen In a Tolkien novel. Nonstop grinning as I huffed and puffed to the first summit. The world stretched out 100 miles in every direction. The massive spires of Bigelow West and Avery Peak loomed above and even the rocky walls of Little Bigelow Mtn several miles away beckoned me to traverse the Range. My plan called for a 10 mile today over the highest summits and then camping in Safford Notch below Little Bigelow. But the trail was so inviting, and the views so spectacular, that I decided to keep walking. Though I started late, and sat for too long on the peaks (staring off at Mt Katahdin laying visible 85 miles north), I targeted the backside of Little Bigelow as my stopping point. The last hours of the day found my weary legs working hard to reach camp. Finally stopped at 6:30 and hurriedly set up as Old Growth cooked his dinner by the fire pit. By headlamp; Cooked, cleaned, hung smelly stuff, and was in bed typing this in the dark woods by 8:00pm. (Consequently this is getting cut here...)Going for a long hike tomorrow that will take me close to the Kennebec River. The ferry has to take you across so I may have to wait another day for that. More on that tomorrow...Songs of the Day: Dear Prudence - JGBI hate the TV - Violent Femmes(Think the shuffle setting may be repeating itself. It this quirk two-fer got the feet moving before I put the headphones away mid-morning)Life is Amazing. The Bigelows are perhaps the crown jewel of the Appalachian Trail...Wow!
Date: 2018-09-12
From: Pleasant Pond

To: Bald Mountain Pond
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Noisy forest last night. Only put in one ear plug as the call of the loons, owl hoots, and even the bellows of a moose were like a wacky symphony. Sometimes all the noise and critters can mess with me but last night it was ok. (Did wake up and throw in the other ear plug about midnight)Got up and started morning routine at 6. Down the trail by 7... first climb wasn¢t too bad however coming down the other side was tough. The damp forest I relish had become another beast all together with a little more drizzle. It was more like ¢Satan¢s slip-n-slide¢ disguised as the AT. Fell three times. These shoes have had their tread worn down by NewHampshire & Maine and could find no purchase on the wet slate. Slowed my pace to insure safety and headed to Moxie Mountain. This climb was was easier and the last mile to the summit was sublime. Went thru TheCaves and then up onto the granite approach. A flock of blackbirds came over the bald and the rush of wind they delivered was startling. From the summit, Maine did what she does and provided stellar long range views. Even the path along the ledges down offered postcard-esque scenery. A scant 1.8 miles later, the shore of Bald Mtn Pond beckoned so the tent came out and the hiking portion of the day ended at 3:15. More hikers stopped and soon half dozen tents were scattered amongst the pines. The clouds blew out and blue skies held sway from 4:30 on. Cooking and laughing, watching the frogs and loons, and then all silently soaking in the beautiful sunset from the rocky shore. One mighty fine evening. By 7:30 the darkness seemingly sent each to his nylon domain in turn.A strange feeling ebbs thru the hiking community now...as the idea of being less than 10 days from completion settles into the hearts and minds. Several people remarked on it today but none described if they were happy or sad in the realization, just awed at the impending finish line. Tomorrow we all make for Monson. That¢s storied ground for a NoBo. Only 18 miles north...the Gateway to the 100 Mile Wilderness. Plan to stop and stay at Shaw¢s Hostel. It¢s a legend and a place I¢ve wanted to visit for long time... in the meantime, the Loons are calling and I must lay back and soak it in. Good Night!SotD: ¢Might as Well¢ by The PersuasionLife is Amazing. Don¢t stop Walking. Always be moving forward chasing your dreams. Be relentless. It is AMAZING! Keep walking...
Date: 2018-09-13
From: Bald Mountain Pond

To: ShawÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

just a quick entry and will elaborate later...Got up and started rolling. One of the easiest stretches of trail lay before me and, though a couple river fordings were called for, managed ¢12 x 12¢ today for the first time since last year (12 miles by 12:00). Had to remove shoes and roll up pants to cross the icy Piscaqaquis River at 9:30am and again after lunch. Not too bad and most of the day the trail followed the river. Felt like I was on the movie set ¢A river runs through it¢. The last few miles wore me down but managed to hit Maine Rt 15 about 2:45. The man who runs Shaw¢s hiker hostel came driving by the highway and picked me up. A pretty funny and fortuitous happenstance as I was going to call them.  Hodge Podge told me I¢d like meeting Poet and he was right - a good guy with a cool place (& he handed me a Pabst for the tour). Now I¢m moved in upstairs, had a shower, sporting loaner clothes, charging my electronics, getting ready to do laundry, and then hitting town for chow.   More later...Just a few bits to add:-The hot water here is HOT. Straight off the furnace and everyone gets a hot shower. That is a good thing in a large hostel.-the loaner clothes at hostels are hilarious. As if we didn¢t look like a band of misfit toys before, dress us all in soft cotton castaway duds from the free bin at Salvation Army, and it is high comedy.-Dinner at LakeShore House was very good. We sat at the bar and had a few cocktails, ate well, and enjoyed ¢open mic night¢ hosted by the local acoustic band, HalfWayHome. (They bought me a Guinness too) A Swedish gentleman got up and Performed magic. A thru hiker, Gusher, got up and song an Italian opera song. Absolutely awesome. Hung out with him the last few days and had no idea he had that talent. The people are you meet and experience are the true wealth of the AT experience.  {on that note, DaddyLonglegs almost ended up in a bar fight last night. Kind wacky situation: Basically a loud, foulmouthed, old local kept saying disrespectful things and I finally decided to be the guy that shut him up. A few threats of butt-kicking ended in his wife apologizing & taking him away and then him coming over to apologize. Ignorance is not bliss, folks. Don¢t be a dumbass ...or some scrawny hiker might take you to task}SotD:  Wagon Wheel. While I love the Old Crow Medicine Show version, the ¢sing along¢ at Lakeshore last night was one I won¢t soon forgetLife is Amazing. Keep Walking!
Date: 2018-09-14
From: ShawÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hiker Hostel

To: Nowhere
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept well and really appreciated a comfy bed. Went downstairs and Poet was cooking up a massive breakfast. Coffee was already there so I grabbed a cup and relaxed. (Zero Days Rule!) Soon three eggs over medium, bacon, home fries and AYCE blueberry pancakes materialized in front of me. We all inhaled the feast with gusto.   {**interjection- have received a few notes about last nights adventure. Those of you who know me, know that I¢m not a bar fighter. Far from it. And the last thing I¢m going to do is ¢go off half-cocked¢ and not finish this journey because of some moron in a backwoods bar. But right is right and sometimes you have to do the right thing. I did and it worked out. And, on the plus side, now I have decided to become a karaoke bar bouncer when I return home. Ha!} Zero Day in Monson allows for recharge and planning. The next section is known as the ¢100 Mile Wilderness¢. The most remote section of the trail with no resupply. At the end of this section lies Abol Bridge...and the base of Mt Katahdin (whose summit marks the Northern Terminus if the Appalachian Trail). Basically this is the homestretch and we all sit a week away from the finish line. Hard to believe...Had a yummy lunch at the general store and picked up a LOT of food for the foodbag. Hoped the full stomach would mitigate my food purchasing but alas, it¢s gonna be heavy pack tomorrow morning. No way around it. (Pic of resupply posted)Clothes cleaned. Water filter cleaned. New gas canister. Maps analyzed and course plotted.Will eat good tonight and enjoy the anticipation with all the hikers gathered here at Shaw¢s. Few notes: the next week will have very little cell service and the phone charge is too valuable to burn searching. Will run ¢airplane mode¢ so apologize now for the lack of entries. Should I get coverage on a few of the early Mtns, will update accordingly. Many thanks for all the well wishes and support. Family and friends have been a giant part of my ¢hiking fuel¢ when the going gets tough (& counter to the often rosy entries, suckiness is a daily occurrence in some form or fashion)Special thanks to the love of my life and our amazing kids. You guys are my rock and I love you more than words can express. WAMHASxoxoSotD: ¢Bring On the Night¢ - The PoliceLife is Amazing. Keep walking!
Date: 2018-09-15
To: 100
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept great with crazy dreams and once again a giant breakfast awaited. Fueled up, took a quick shower(!), and got packed for the 100 Mile Wilderness shuttle. The food bag is giant and the pack is heavy. 15 mile day in front of me so it¢ll be an all day affair today. So excited. Relentless...(More later if service presents itself)
Date: 2018-09-15
From: ShawÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hiker Hostel

To: Long Pond Stream
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Well this section of Maine is beautiful and it wore my feet out on the first day. Planned to go to the shelter located 15 miles in but, came to Long Pond Stream at the 14.3 mile mark, and pulled up at a stealth site on the north bank. The site was too good ...and who doesn¢t love hearing the water tumbling over the rocks as they go to sleep? It was only 4:15 but my body told me to call it a day. The 100 mile wilderness is the most remote section of the entire AT and am rolling heavy as I have to carry more food than is typical. Didn¢t see any ¢big¢ wildlife today on the walk but did see lots of frogs, snakes, red squirrels, and a beaver. It is unusually warm (83) for this time of year and I think the amphibians and reptiles were digging it. (Forecast shows rain in two days and a return to cool afterwards with highs in the 50¢s but, for the moment, relishing a lil¢ Indian Summer.) The only drawback on my hiking was some chemical burn on my neck from the leftover detergent in my clothes. Washed it out at the creek so should be good tomorrow. (Apparently the last laundry stop wasn¢t good. Treehugger got bad burns from it...nothing to do but rinse out in the stream...dang it¢c¢est la vie)Good dinner and conversation as 5 others pulled over and made camp here as well. By 7:15 was in the tent reading And by 8pm sleep over took me. SotD: Conversation Piece by David Bowie (Today¢s playlist should be listed here as great tunes streamed into my earholes all day)Life is Amazing- Keep Walking.
Date: 2018-09-16
From: Long Pond Stream

To: East Chairback Pond
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: few clouds

Woke early and got on the trail by 7. The first climb was a doozie ...up over The Ledges and to the summit of Barren Mountain, the first of five peaks we would climb in the Chairback Range. The view was stellar and the sun was working to dispel the morning cloud cover. From their the AT followed a number of PUDs (pointless ups and downs) to the summit of Fourth Mtn and again the same over the Third Chairback. Was moving good and feeling light the first 6 or so miles untilon the way down the backside of Fourth, my Achilles got strained (not snapped but very painful) and I spent the rest of the day moving quite slow. Damn slow. Kept the iPod headphones on all day and kept focused on insuring every footstep wouldn¢t be injurious. Treehugger, Breezy, GeardO, Alpine and Ace all passed me as I limped along thru more PUDs, over Columbus Mountain, and down thru the rockslide toward the ponds. Did cross over the 2,100 mile mark today and that put a little pep in my step. Hard to believe the terminus is so close!At 4pm ran into Treehugger at a crossroads and told him I was done. He was too so we dropped a 1/4 mile down off trail to the shore of the lake and set up a stealth camp. Nice spot and by sundown we were settled into our tents.With rain coming tomorrow we plan to start early but not sure how big a day it will be. My ankle is aching and the trail still has a tough elevation profile for the next 25 miles. Need to cover about 15 of those to stay on target given supplies I¢m currently carrying. The forest is beautiful but the terrain demanding. SotD: so many good tunes today...Bad Fun- The Cult (Gave me enough pep to make the afternoon privy just in time)Feel Flows- Beach Boys (working up past giant mossy boulders on Columbus Mtn and this just fit the scene)Never Empty Table- Chris Robinson (on first ascent coming up from river this morning it struck a chord. The climb laid out afterwards)Motopsycho Nightmare- Bob Dylan. (One of my favorite Bob stories made the ankle feel a bit better for a moment)Of a Lifetime- Journey (this one powered the feet thru the last part of the day leaving The Chairbacks and dropping to the ponds. Rad)Life is Amazing- Slow and Steady wins the race
Date: 2018-09-18
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Antler campsite
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

won¢t have signal tonight in all likelihood but will update  9-18-18 eventually. This entry won¢t be a daily cliff notes synopsis like most. Will wax quixotic on a few of the small things I notice. Leaves, wind, trail thoughts ...seems each is something I could write pages about but never find time to do out here. Will give it a go shortly ......Owe that to all you readers, family and friends (and even friends I¢ve not met yet), that have supported this journey. Wish I could write like a great author so as to better relay the power and grandeur of not only these surroundings but also the emotions it evokes. Life is astounding. It¢s so easy to sleepwalk thru it but we¢ve been given an amazing gift to experience it. Don¢t stop walking!
Date: 2018-09-19
From: Antler Campsite

To: Rainbow Steam Lean-to
Miles today: 20.4

woke up to chilly temps (in the high 40s) and a slight drizzle. Took too long getting out of bed, but the Cocoa was warming and eventually the wet tent was packed away and the trail fell away beneath these worn out trail runners. Elevation profile didn¢t look bad but roots-n-rocks put the feet through the hell on this day. Quick List of ¢the hardest part of AT¢:1) any part in the rain2) tough terrain3) tough elevation4) that section between every hikers ears (this is actually #1)Tough terrain is a pain because though the trail is ¢flat¢, you can¢t make any time because every step is difficult. That¢s Maine. Even the easy ain¢t easy. In the late hours of the day as I shuffled along slowly, I see a couple ahead on the trail walking toward me and I hear the woman call out, ¢Is that Daddy Longlegs?¢ I didn¢t know who it could possibly be and stopped in front of her trying to figure out where I¢d met this hiker. ¢I¢m Butterfly... we met in Port Clinton last year¢. Whoa! What a small world. Last year I slack-packed into Port Clinton with Nemo and McGyver and, after a few cocktails at the Fire Station, we ended up at the end of town with Renegade, Antman, Giggles, Switchback, Butterfly, Trainwreck,etc and took over the pavilion park. A fine evening! What a small world. The trail is so long (but, as her husband Brandt remarked, it¢s only ¢this¢ wide -holding his hands arms length apart) and yet here we were. We chatted for a moment as my hiker zombie brain thought back to last summer and then they took off (she finished her thru hike and they were just out doing the 100Mile Wilderness) ... but it recharged my failing feet and I rolled on from Crescent pond a few more miles to the Rainbow Springs Lean-to. Had done 20 miles and rain was falling: decided to hit the Shelter. Another Georgia boy (Hop Along) was there so I chatted with Hop Along as more folks showed up. Soon we had a full shelter and tenters out back. It was a long night full of noise n mice. I am not a fan of shelters...No SotD as the iPod has been without power. (Nowhere to recharge out here!)Life is Amazing. You never know who you¢ll run into next! Keep walking.
Date: 2018-09-20
From: Rainbow Steam Lean-to

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: mist

Mice. Snoring. Scrunchy sleep pads. At 5:30am I laid in the shelter awake planning my day.  Didn¢t want to be the guy that wakes everyone but, by 6:00 I made a move, and at 6:48 I was headed north. I needed to move at 3mph today. All day. That doesn¢t sound like much but that¢s pretty strong out here in the big woods. The elevation profile seemed favorable and roots/rocks would have to be dealt with. Keep On Truckin¢! The Loons were all cheering me on and I passed ¢The Canadians¢ (cool section hikers from Nova Scotia nicknamed Fireball & Capt Morgan for the bottles of whiskey they carried) 2 hours in. They wished me well and I kept truckin¢ as had covered 6.2 miles. Ran into Prodigal on The Ledges, checked for cell service, called the hostel in Millinocket and inquired about the shuttle (Rats!- it leaves Katahdin at 4pm. Thirty minutes earlier than I expected but happy I checked), and checked progress: 3 hours = 8.9 miles. Time to haul ass...got out of the 100 mile wood (5 days!) and crossed the Penobscot River on Abol Bridge a few minutes before noon with over 15 miles behind me. Got a cheeseburger and a cup of coffee @ Abol Campground store and rested for 30 minutes before rolling hard down the road. Signed in at Baxter State Park Ranger station at 12:50. Told them my plan and,  since there were 9.8 miles to go, they said to ¢get after it¢. Now this stretch is as easy as it comes in Maine and I found myself, despite weary feet, enjoying walking along the river amongst huge pines and thousands of tiny blue flowers. Lots of waterfalls and a few stream crossings...I stopped to hug a few trees and take a few pictures but kept stretching those Longlegs out toward the mountain......& hit Katahdin Stream Campground, almost 26 miles north, in time to register, get my red card, and run for the shuttle. Finally clean...Yummy dinner in Millinocket... and a Zero tomorrow already paid for. The forecast says rain possible tomorrow so I hope to summit the last mountain on Saturday. (They are calling for a couple inches of snow & temp of 14 degrees on the mountain on Monday so my window looks just right!)SotD: Loons!! (Haunting and strong)Life is Amazing. I¢m so giddy I can barely hold a thought in my head. Keep doing it!