morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-24
From: Pinkham Notch Hut

To: IMP Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

Nobody says anything about the Wildcats of The Whites. No warning, no mention at all. The Wildcats have peaks A, B, C, D & E. Out of Pinkham Notch Camp, Peak E rises about 2100 feet in only two miles. It's hard and it's steep!After them I faced The Carter's, principally Carter Dome, yet another tremendously steep climb. But I got a surprise reason to rest on the ascent. Heading SOBO was Cliff Dancer, he'd flip-flopped a month ago. I hadn't seen him since Front Royal, Virginia where we went for Mexican food together. He was amazed to see me and a little shocked at my progress. It was nice to see a familiar face!Tonight, here at the shelter, there's the most incredible rustic bench that's been placed at the edge of a cliff-like drop off. At over 3000 feet up, this ¢Bench of Inspiration¢ I'm calling it, inspired me to have my hot chocolate and cookies from it. Later, over a dozen others around the campsite all sat, stood or kneeled silently for the sunset. Truly Beautiful! Some were retired and some were yet to complete high school. They were from the area while others were from far away. Some knew their mission in life while others were trying to find a life with a mission. Not everyone was hiking the Appalachian Trail, there are many other trails here too, but all were here to do as the plague back down on Springer Mountain in Georgia stated. To seek out and have a fellowship with nature. And that was our bond tonight, to share in the grandeur and beauty of the land and in the warm glow of God's spectacular show.Tomorrow it's a short 8-mile day down the mountain and into the town of Gorham, which will also officially mean I've finished The White's. Yahhoooooo!!But¢¦ but, the difficulty doesn't stop just because The Whites do. I now get to face a mountain range every bit as hard¢¦ they're called The Mahoosuc's. And The Mahoosuc Notch and Arm are said to be, without a doubt, the hardest miles on the AT.I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get a nice, lazy stroll through the woods again?
Date: 2004-08-25
From: IMP Shelter

To: Gorham, New Hampshire
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, I have a confession ¢ I¢ve been getting a bit tired of all the extremely strenuous up and downs and anxiety involved with The Whites!   It dipped fairly cold last night there on The Mountainside, at about 1 am I put on my silk long johns and gloves, then zipped back deep in the mummy.   As a result of the fatigue from all this terrain, I ignored my 6:05 am wrist alarm and snoozed to the irresponsible hour of 8 am!   Yep, I¢m a rebel! Completely irresponsible.When I did poke my head out of my cocoon, it was sunny again.   Wow, that¢s four days in a row.It was a surprisingly gentle smooth descent that brought a big smile to my face.   Finally¢¦ an easy trail in The Whites!                  I started singing The Do-Re-Me-Fa-So-La-Te-Do song from The Sound of Music¢¦ And right at the particularly loud section of my solo, another hiker from the other direction appeared to embarrass me.   Man ¢ o ¢ man; is there nowhere in this huge park where a person with no voice talent can sing?   Oh well, the lady hiker giggled and hiked on¢¦ most likely to get out of earshot before any ear damage could happen.   I continued to sing, happy to be on a smooth trail again!Now, I¢m here in Gorham, New Hampshire running all the necessary chores. Post Office, grocery store, outfitter. Yea, the outfitter.   The White¢s played heck with my hiking poles. Not only did one get bent like a banana, but both tips were bent at extreme angles as well as one also had its tungsten tip severed.   But all is back to normal and ready for duty tomorrow.I considered taking a zero until I saw the forecast¢¦ sunny tomorrow, followed by sunny and sunny.   Gotta love that!In all, I was able to traverse the whole of The Whites in seven days and four hours.   A feat due to good weather (only two bad days) and my willingness to push my legs and lungs to their full measure. I fell only five times; I¢d only fallen three times in the first 1700 miles.   And now as a reward, I get to edge ever closer to that last Stateline¢¦ Maine!!
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Gorham, New Hampshire

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Today, the trail nearly brought me to tears. Not from its difficulty, not from its emotional challenges. No, today it was from Jubilation!At 4:14 pm, I walked into the state of Maine! It was three months and twenty-six days ago I started heading north. It's really hard to comprehend the huge achievement, the vast distance involved, let alone the enormous demands along this journey! Although the adventure has plenty more to challenge me with, a sense of completeness and joy has found me. Like yesterday, I was singing during parts of the trail. Being surrounded by fir and spruce trees had me feeling I was once again in Christmas land, so I was singing ¢Oh Christmas Tree.¢ Since my memory was inherited from my mother, all I could remember was the first verse, so I actually do more humming than singing. But it's still just as joyful!So, to everyone who has followed this adventure thus far, I say Goodnight from Maine¢¦ the way life should be according to the Stateline sign!!
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: haze

One look at today's mileage could lead you to calling me a slacker. But another look at the total mileage and you get a whole other impression.So why only 9.5 miles? Well, because of a little thing called The Mahoosuc Notch and Arm! Imagine if you will, a canyon of sheer granite walls some 2000 feet. Then take about 100,000 rocks the size of refrigerators and drop them from up on high along a one mile section to the bottom of the 100-foot wide canyon. OK, got that pictured? Now, lets take about 50,000 boulders the size of Volkswagens and drop them on top of the first group. And then finally, lets take a few thousand granite chunks the size of houses and let them scatter on top for kicks!Cover with moss and throw some ice down in the deep caves for texture, and presto, you've got Mahoosuc Notch. Now, The Notch wouldn't be so bad if left alone, the problem is someone came along and painted AT white blazes here or there, in the most diabolical nasty places. To go into this labyrinth means slivering, squeezing, crawling, sliding, shuffling, jumping and everything that is best at covering you in filth! Sometimes you're in a cave and the temperature will drop 30 degrees from ice pockets that stay year round. Sometimes you're stripping off your pack so you can fit in and out of a rock hole. I found sliding on my ass off an angled rock to the edge of another particularly effective.I was told that 3 hours to wiggle through it, wasn't uncommon. How I emerged out the other end in an hour is anyone's guess?!Triumphant in my passage, I now got to face The Mahoosuc Arm, which is nothing less than about 1700 feet of ascent on about a 70-degree angle. What ever happened to a nice relaxing stroll in the woods? Jeez-louise¢¦ So, I rewarded myself with a short 9.5-mile day.A word about the trail in Maine. The land here is the most wild I've seen on the journey. It's dense, and everything goes steeply up or down with an occasional flattish rock walk on the summits. Everything is covered in spruce and fir evergreens¢¦ love it. There are some unusual birds - Spruce Grouse -- that will not run or fly from you when you come up on them. They just look at you as if you're from Mars. They have a red crescent above their eye, which looks pretty cool, other than that, they're a model of camouflage. The recent cold spell last week did a good number on the majority of the flying pests and the weather keeps cooperating by giving us pathetic hikers, sunny skies! Tomorrow it's Andover, Maine¢¦ and 14.5 miles.
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Andover, Maine
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

I really enjoyed stopping early yesterday at Speck Pond. A nice breeze freshened the air all evening, but the temps dipped no lower than the low 60's.I woke to thick fog¢¦ or low clouds¢¦ still haven't figured that one out. Today is Saturday which means the Post Office will close at 12:30 pm, which also means there's no way to pick up my mail drop box. So, I think a zero day is in my future here in Andover, then Monday morning I'll pick up the box and get what I truly need out of it¢¦ my maps!The last several days I've felt strong, but not powerful as I had the last several months. I'm wondering if calorie deficit is the reason¢¦ at some point my body fat is going to become so minimal that there won't be much to draw from. Some of the other hikers had made the same observations about themselves too.When I arrived here at The Andover Quest House, I found a bath scale to check out the situation. I now weigh 166 lbs! I started in Georgia at 207. Forty-one pounds have fallen on to the trail over these last 1900 miles. I think taking a zero day to eat myself silly sounds like a strategic idea now.The Maine terrain continues to be awkward, dense, steep and beautiful. I can now also add enchanted. For some reason, a chipmunk which usually high-tails it away from you as you approach, today actually ran over to me and sat looking at me, no more than 3 feet away. I mean, it saw me coming and left its tree and ran right to me! Magical!Still no moose today¢¦ Drats.Another hiker who's pacing similar to me, ¢Smack¢, woke up this morning to chewing sounds. She stuck her head out of her tent to find a huge bull moose, antlers and all, just feet away. It stared at her and went back to chewing. Wow! Maine and The Appalachian Trail are something new each day.Tomorrow (Sunday)¢¦ I'll sit and eat, eat, eat!!
Date: 2004-08-29
From: Andover, Maine

To:  Andover, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm sure many of you get the impression that my journey with the frequent motel stays is taking away from the adventure. But a hike of the AT can be more than just rocks, trees and mountains. It's also a stroll down Americana Lane. Here at The Andover Guest House, the owner will not let us bring our backpacks in or our shoes. We can use the kitchen, but not the phone. If a call to our families is desired, we have to walk across the street to the payphone, which has a convenient folding chair. Nothing but the finest in accommodations! There's no plan B either if it's raining.Main Street here is 100 yards long, which includes a restaurant, two general stores and a post office. You can get breakfast as early as 4:30 am and you can pay for your groceries by simply having them ¢put on your tab.¢ There are also two gas pumps, an empty baseball field and a lot of maple trees that are starting to show some orange and red. There is a clock tower opposite the church; however, it's stuck at 9:19¢¦ I don't know if it being stuck keeps the bell in its tower from ringing? That's about it for Andover, other than the people are charming, treat us hikers with respect and all talk with that wonderful Maine accent. I'm seeing the U. S. A. the A.T. way!
Date: 2004-08-30
From:  Andover, Maine - East B Hill Rd.

To: South Arm Rd.
Miles today: 10.1

Hiking the AT presents you with many opportunities to be flexible. My plan was to get my mail drop box when the Post Office opened and then leave Andover. Another hiker, ¢Alleghany,¢ was doing a slack-pack for ten miles and then would return here to the guesthouse. Alleghany and I met in Vermont, and then again about every five days since then. Our pace is very similar, so we started kicking around the idea of hiking together the rest of the way to the Big K. So, I changed my plans and did the ten miles with him and a section-hiker named ¢Sufferin' Bastard.¢ Coming back to the guesthouse had advantages, since last night it rained all evening leaving the trail a muddy mess not to mention our clothes! It also has rained off and on throughout the day and all night again. We're doing the same thing tomorrow¢¦ yes, it will be raining and muddy again! This place lets us do the miles, but clean up at the end of the day. I'm still carrying my pack, as I mentioned I'd be doing early on. It's just too comfortable and I like having ¢my stuff,¢ in case I'm forced into one of those ¢flexibility¢ situations.You may have noticed how I've reduced my daily miles¢¦ finally! It sure is helping me to savor the final chapter in this grand adventure. And once again, I saw moose prints in the trail. Some really huge one's actually. But alas, still no Bullwinkle sighting! It's only a matter of being in the right place at the right time. This is Maine, and the moose may out number the two-legged residents of Andover.
Date: 2004-08-31
From: South Arm Rd.

To: ME 17
Miles today: 13.3

I called the folks tonight to ask them if they knew what today was¢¦ ¢It's your 4 month anniversary on the trail¢ my mom replied. Yep! Four months! That alone is hard to comprehend, let alone the miles I've covered on foot.Two hundred years ago - 1804, marks the bi-centennial of one of the most famous American adventures in history; The Lewis and Clark expedition with the Corp of Discovery. Ken Burns made a nice documentary on it. Anyway, I like that my journey falls on their two hundredth anniversary. The Post Office has some awesome stamps commemorating the event¢¦ That is, The Lewis & Clark adventure, not my Thru-hike!Something special presented itself today as a gift. A classic Maine vista! As the rain lifted and the sun broke through, I was given this vast 50 to 70 mile view of mountains and lakes like none I've seen. It simply looked like Maine, unspoiled, untouched and limitless. These last two hundred plus miles are going to be special indeed!
Date: 2004-09-01
From: ME 17

To: Rangeley, Maine
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

It was Moose-O-Plenty-Day. First, on the way to the trailhead we saw a momma and her calf. Then another moose, on the side of the road, as well. So three, and I wasn't even on the trail yet. The day held high hopes. On the trail, the hoof prints were just everywhere. Big, small, coming, going¢¦ I know they were watching me from deep stands of evergreens. Alleghany needed to go into Rangeley for his mail drop, so he and I each grabbed a room at the Rangeley Inn as well as Polar and Pilot (two other Thru-hikers we met this morning at the trail head). And there on a wall of the lobby, was moose #4. Only most of that moose was missing, unless of course its body was on the other side of the wall.Word has it that here at the Rangeley Inn, unexplained things happen; Unexplained things that go bump and send chills up your spine. Maybe I'll get to see a moose ghost? Would that count as #5?So Moose-O-Plenty-Day was fun, however, I still haven't seen one on the trail. Oh well, there's still time!
Date: 2004-09-02
From: Rangeley, Maine

To: Poplar Ridge lean-to
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

I planned a shorter day for Alleghany and I based on Saddleback Mountain, The Horn and Saddleback Jr. The morning was a brisk 43 degrees, clear blue cloudless sky and sun. Fall is in the air. Oh, and no ghost came to visit any of us. My guidebook says on a clear day you can see Mt. Katahdin to the north. It certainly was clear and indeed, I think I may have located the correct profile shape of Katahdin on the far distant horizon. But it was impossible to say for certain since I've never seen it other than photos. The first time I see it will be from the Appalachian Trail, that seems appropriate. As the crow flies, Katahdin may be 150 miles, but as the AT wiggles, about 210 miles. With the wind and air temperature, it was simply too cold to hang out on Saddleback Mountain since it was once again above tree line.As the sun climbed higher I reached Saddleback Junior, a mere mile from our planned nights stay, I lounged for 2 hours on the summit. It was glorious! I just laid down and soaked up the sunshine, I think I got a bit sunburned actually.It feels like a half day. The lower mileage is Ok when its tough going, but today it eased up. As a result I got here so quickly I felt guilty not pushing on. Hmm? I wonder if this desire to keep walking will be one of the adjustments after the Trail?
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Poplar Ridge lean-to

To: Tenting at Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

A couple of interesting things happened as a result of today's hike. First, we passed under the 200 miles remaining mark. Currently from tonight's tent site we're only 195.1 miles from the northern terminus and the end of the entire Appalachian Trail.Additionally, out of necessity, I did a plan to determine my finishing date. It all comes down to assumptions that the weather will be good and that the summit of Mt. Katahdin will be open. The Rangers close it down during bad weather if human life would be at risk climbing it¢¦ it is above tree line. Mt. Katahdin, being Maine's highest, is also the AT's highest continuous mountain ascent. But, I'll save more on that for later, back to my finishing date. I have Alleghany and I on an aggressive schedule, which has us summit on Thursday, September 16th. This could adjust longer to the 17th or 18th since the 16th means two weeks without a zero day! We both want to go for it! Alleghany wants to because it will bring him in one day shy of five months. Me, I just like the idea of saying four and a half months. Plus, I miss doing more miles. I feel I'm lollygaggin'. But tomorrow its Stratton, Maine for my mail drop, that is if I can do 7.3 miles and hitch in before the Post Office closes at 11:30 am. Then it will be more good town food¢¦ lunches, dinners and breakfast to load me up on calories and energy and fat. My pants are getting awfully droopy. I'm wavering on the edge of maintaining my power on the climbs. The town food will help me store up what I need to complete these last two weeks! Oh My God, did I just say TWO MORE WEEKS?
Date: 2004-09-04
From: Tenting at Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Stratton, Maine
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

One of the even earlier risers at camp last night agreed to wake Alleghany and I up at 5 am¢¦ so I could get a very early start. The Post Office on Saturdays has very short hours¢¦ 9:30 to 11:30 am only. But when the voice came to wake us up at five, I told Alleghany I was going back to sleep. Besides, who wants to hike in the dark? At six, Alleghany woke me and said ¢You can still make it if you want to.¢ Yep! My George Patton side kicked in! I had the tent packed and all gear loaded in 25 minutes. With me being out of food, Alleghany gave me a cookie, some peanut butter crackers and a cereal bar. I was off like the wind!I climbed both peaks of Crocker Mountain in an hour-five! In only two hours fifty I was opening up my ¢hiker to town¢ bandana on Maine road 27 and was in a car heading to Stratton in less than one minute. I walked into the Post Office at the amazing time of 9:40 am. My next stop was to be the Stratton Motel, only the owner of the motel appeared to pick-up his mail, Yep, got a ride and a room before 9:50! How's that for military precision! It's just amazing how all the logistics can fall so neatly into one effortless event. The trail continues to surprise!Its now only 10:30 am and I've already had 3 eggs, two orders of bacon and home fries, English muffins, coffee, the biggest OJ they serve and a slice of pecan pie just for the heck of it! And guess what, I'm still hungry. Good thing lunch is in an hour.
Date: 2004-09-05
From: Stratton, Maine

To: Little Bigalow Lean-To
Miles today: 15.3

TWO THOUSAND MILES!It happened at 4:35 pm on this, the 5th day of September. Isn't it amazing what the human spirit can accomplish? This painted milestone sits right in the middle of one of the last paved roads we'll see for some time. It actually sits at 2,006 miles because of how the AT grows slightly longer each year with relocations. The trail is 99% protected, but as more land is acquired, it is relocated onto that land till it reaches the full 100%. But the marker is still a great photo opportunity.As a reward, the terrain will be easing off a bit now. I've gotten past those first 100 miles of Maine, which are the second Whamy after leaving The Whites. In fact, tomorrow I face nothing higher than a 500 foot climb. The next ten days will see the daily mileage pushed back up a tad. A feat only made possible because Maine now wants to give us a big smile and offer its congrats on our hike with more gentle walks. The trail is taking us into more remote areas with each passing day. The evidence of this is found by simply looking up into the inky black of space and a field of stars so bright and numerous it leaves you speechless. The Milky Way is clearly visible tonight since moonrise is still hours away.One of today's big surprises was turning a corner and walking into another hiker named Baltimore Jack. We first met in Hot Springs, North Carolina and then later in Harpers Ferry. We chatted for a while and then One Leg Wonder appeared. I hadn't seen him since the Shenandoah's in Virginia. He flip-flopped and was now heading southbound to avoid the winter. His artificial leg was holding up although this was leg #3. Baltimore Jack and he were heading for The Whites. What surprises the AT brings you.Well, it's going to be cold tonight, so I'm going to visit the woods once more then zip down deep into the mummy and hope nature doesn't call till morning light.I've been thinking about my friends in Florida with Hurricane Francis pounding on them and others lurking out at sea, Hope you guys are alright. Goodnight all.
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Little Bigalow Lean-To

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Joy-Oh-Joy. The trail was smooth, flat and wonderful. We haven't had such a nice walk in the woods for about a month. Why I actually snapped my hiking poles together and carried them. The most amazing thing happened earlier today and right now at this very moment as I'm writing. I was granted one of my two wishes since entering Maine. Seeing a moose on the trail being one, but I've always wanted to hear a Loon in the wild. I've seen them, just haven't heard them. Today at ¢second breakfast,¢ the shelter was at West Carry Pond and that's where a Loon called out five or six times. But as special as it was, this shelter is positioned no more than forty feet from Pierce Pond. Loons have been coming in and out all afternoon and now that sunset has come, they're calling out to one another. It's such a haunting lonely call. Beautiful. Wonderful. What a serenade to fall asleep to. This is Maine. This is the AT.Here at the ponds edge with the crackle of a campfire and the last wisps of magenta hanging in the sky, to hear the Loons calling is as perfect a moment as one can have. Maine and this adventure are special.