morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-19
From: Maine Border

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: overcast clouds

So exited to be in my 14th state, but some of the hardest climbs are yet to come, including the toughest mile on the entire AT, Mahoosuc Notch!I had a very hard time getting out of the tent this morning as yesterday was a big day and I didn't get to pitch my tent till real late. I arrived at Carlo Col Shelter around 8:30 and a group of boys were still lingering around getting ready to hike out along with Handsome Dan, and 2-forks. I made my breakfast there along with my coffee and headed into the depths of Maine and the climb up to Goose Eye Mountain with several peaks and views. I stopped in at Full Goose Shelter for a break and ran into Handsome Dan, and the young couple of Cool Hand and Stumbles, who just got married in January. I usually like to hike by myself for the most part but after-the-fact it was nice to not be alone through Mahoosuc Notch. Hard to explain Mahoosuc Notch. There isn't anything like it on the whole AT. It is known to be the hardest/most fun mile on the entire trail.....all on how you look at it. The notch is a rock scramble of high difficulty. I have heard hikers take anywhere from an hour and a half to 3 and a half hours to traverse this terrain. It is not only physically straining but mentally challenging. Every place you put your foot has to be carefully thought out. A small misstep could be disastrous, not to mention we are carrying a 35 lb pack as well. A knock or 2 on the knees or elbows is going to happen regardless if not more. Handsome Dan and I went through it together taking turns on who leads. There is not a definite trail to follow, so you have to sometimes scale the boulders the best you know how. At one point Dan slipped on his back and slid down about 6 feet to his pack. Minimal damage. I had a couple of heart pounding close calls myself. Ice in July! Some of these deep crevasses probably never see sunlight at all and snow is still prevalent. Temperatures quickly drop 15-20 degrees within a few steps, which was nice as it kept you cool. One of the last obstacles is a tunnel where you have to take your pack off and either push or pull it with you as you belly slide through the rocks. The notch was fun to be honest, I wouldn't attempt this at the end of the day alone as you might not see anyone till the next day if something happens, and I'm surprised more people don't get hurt.If that wasn't hard enough you have to climb the Mahoosuc Arm which is a 1500' climb straight up at slick rock immediately after. The 4 of us stopped at Speck Pond Shelter where we decided that enough was enough. Only 9.7 miles, but it sure took it's toll....my legs were just shot. Another group of boys were at this campsite cooking away some rice and chicken, I actually slept in a shelter for the first time in who knows how long with my mattress that still leaks. This place has a $8 fee which is pretty irritating, but what can you do? SOTD, California Dreamin, -Mammas and the Pappas.
Date: 2014-07-20
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

My good friend Angela decided to surprise me and drove up to Maine to do some trail magic for all my NOBO hikers and to hand deliver a care package for me. She's crazy. lol. She was parked at Grafton Notch with a cooler full of goodies that the NOBO's completely devoured. After supplying some trail magic, Angela and I drove to Gorham and back to the hostel to see if I can find my head lamp that I lost. It's not good to lose a head lamp let me tell you. I could not find it, but the owners gave me one that they said has been there for a while....oh well, better than nothing. We drove around eating a bunch of food, and showing her all the cool spots that I have been recently. She was only there for the day as she dropped me back off at the trail where we ran into 2-forks and his brother who was hiking with him for the weekend. His brothers legs was all scratched up from Mahoosuc and I could obviously see that he didn't fare to well with it, although it could have been worse. We all were gathered around a map of the northeast trying to help Angela go a different way back home and avoid the ridiculous toll fares. You know guys with maps, we all had an opinion. Angela drove off heading back home from her crazy road warrior trip. Almost 2000 miles! I headed back up around 6pm to continue my trek toward Katahdin. I ended my day at Baldpate Lean-to only a couple miles from Grafton to pitch my tent.SOTD, This is the Trail that Never Ends, -I made it up myself.
Date: 2014-07-21
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: Andover, ME, Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Now that us NOBOs are all in Maine, it seems like everyone has the same attitude. We want to be done, but we don't want to be done. An odd mentality to have. Personally I really miss life back home. I miss playing softball and hanging out at Ruckus Pizza after the game, I miss going to Spirits and having an IPA before the poker game, I miss having a constant roof over my head, a comfortable bed at night, electricity, my customers, choice of restaurants at any time, and church on Sundays. I really miss my daughter and being a dad. Going to her sporting events, and hanging out with her either at Starbucks, or watching a movie at home. I'm looking forward to all of this. Creature comforts that I would normally take for granted, now after 6 months can start to fully appreciate. But.... and a huge but, I'm going to miss the trail tremendously. Probably within a week, definitely by a month, but most likely at this time next year when I think about my journey of 2014 wishing I was still out on the AT.For now I still have about 200+ miles to go in the state of Maine. I'm trying to soak it all in knowing it's coming to an end. I want to take my time, yet I want to kiss the wooden sign on top of Katahdin now. I have big and tough mountains to climb till then. I feel my body giving out a little maybe due to not eating enough which is very hard to believe. My knees to my feet throb at night and make it hard to sleep, probably begging for a zero. Maybe one last zero for old time sake to get ready for the home stretch.Scaled Baldpate Peak which is super nice and my first real good look at Maine. I can still however still see Mt. Washington in the distance 80 miles later. I really needed to get some resupply and head into Andover, a really small sleepy town. I waited at East B Hill Rd for my ride to show up from Pine Ellis hostel and leaned back against a tree next to the road put on my sunglasses and closed my eyes till then. I might of fallen asleep to be honest, I was quite comfortable. A mini-van zoomed in and it already had Da Vinci, Lady Moose, Bean dip, and Thin Mint loaded up. A tight squeeze, but thru-hikers rarely care much about that, as long as there is a ride. An older house Pine Ellis is, but very comfortable and very convenient to the one-horse town. The place was already full of familiar faces like Happy, Tree, and Handsome Dan. Others that I haven't seen in a while like Gandolf, and the Fox sisters who have already flip-flopped and are now heading south. I was feeling real tired and not in the mood to do much. I made Velveeta shells and cheese with some hamburger meat that barely touched my hunger, but was damn good. Then laid on the hammock in the back yard and slept in the perfect, low humid temperature. (Above)Hikers were out in the yard having a good time, but by 8 I was in bed resting. I felt a good nights sleep coming on as it always feels good to lay on a real mattress. SOTD, Comfortably Numb, -Pink Floyd
Date: 2014-07-22
From: Andover, ME, Pine Ellis Hostel

To: Black Brook Campsite
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Slept great! Woke up early and walked to the Little Red Hen for breakfast and the Hiker Special. Seems like every restaurant in these towns have a breakfast called something with the word "Hiker" in it. It usually consist of everything under the sun, which is fine with me. I was about 10 minutes early before opening and sat on a rocking chair on the front porch waiting patiently for some grub. The nice lady who was the owner opened the door and said with a smile, "We are out of hash, so if you have your heart set on it then I'm sorry." The Hiker Special had hash in it, but instead of bacon or sausage, I had both! Lucky me. Being a pancake fool, I will say these are some of the best that I have had. 3 big ones! With coffee, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and toast. Sorry, Food is just an exciting topic out here.My ride back wasn't until 10am, so I had time to chill and relax. I got a ride back to where I left off with Stretch and Oopta, who were slack-packing today. I was not, so I left them go knowing they would be much faster and would never see them again. A steady simple climb up to Wyman Mountain with no views. It's really getting to be remote out here. Down to Sawyer Notch then up the steepest climb I have ever seen on my trail guide. 1400' in .8 miles! Basically climbing a ladder straight up. Moody Mountain is what it was called, this time with a couple of views. Back down the mountain to South Arm Rd, where a nice campsite sat. I debated weather to stay here or face the next big climb of Old Blue Mountain with only stealth camping possible. The campsite was too good to pass up and I actually started a fire in the pit which I haven't done in a very long time. Cooked a dinner of Knorr Pasta sides with a package of pink salmon for protein. Yummy! Just like on all the cooking shows on Food TV. Birdman, an older section hiker who is finishing up the whole trail this year came by and camped along with me. He put cheese crackers into his soup for dinner which looked gross, but not as bad as Mosey On's Peanut butter and tuna on a tortilla. Before long 2 other section hikers camped up for the night which made it quite comfortable for me for some reason. I don't like camping near roads and highly used sites. It attracts wildlife of all sorts, so I figured, safety in numbers. For the 1st time in a long time, I hung my bear bag. No sleeping with food tonight!SOTD, It's not for me to say, -Johnny Mathis
Date: 2014-07-25
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Can't really remember the last time I woke up in the morning with nowhere to go or anything to do. Weekday or weekend, holiday or not, I have hiked everyday since my infection back before Damascus, VA. So it felt good to sleep in, lounge around in my town clothes, and enjoy a cup of coffee on the porch of the hut I slept in last night.Steve did take me into town about 10am to the library, which seems to be my favorite hangout when I get into town, but not before I had another iced coffee at The Inner Eye. I went into the library and sat down at the computer for hours until they closed at 4:30 and the kicked me out. I did however go back to the ice cream joint for a root beer float with cake batter ice cream and sat next to the pond soaking up the rays and messing with the duckies who were begging for a morsel of food. Across the street is a sigh that says I am at the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole. Wonder which way I should go? 3107 miles to either. Steve picked me up right at the halfway sign and headed back the 8 miles west to the Hiker Hut for dinner. For some reason today is a special dinner day for them. They cooked up a huge Thanksgiving feast as the picture shows above. Keep in mind that they did all of this with just a propane stove and oven. Turkey, stuffing, green beans, cheddar mashed potatoes, the best corn bread I might have ever had, and a dessert that absolutely knocked my socks off. A cake which some type of chocolate mousse, and whipped cream. Goodness! I was the only thru-hiker there, but they invited other friends from town who are either a part of the trail community or have thru-hiked before. They even presented me with a Long Trail Brewery ornament for the tree this Christmas. Most likely my last zero for the trail. I feel rested and confident in the last couple hundred miles that are ahead. Some tough climbs to come, Saddleback and The Bigelows among others. I can't wait!SOTD, Freebird, -Lynard Skynard
Date: 2014-07-27
From: Woods Rd. Stealth

To: ~Mile Marker 1995
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

Some days you are just in a hiking fog and today was one of those days. I'm not going to say that a hiking fog is bad thing, it's just.....a thing. Your mind is often blank, you don't notice much around you, and the next thing you know you have drilled out 10 miles without even knowing it. I did see and eat a lot of Maine blueberries though.My 1st 6 miles, turns out to be now that I look at my map, was a 2500' incline to Spaulding Mountain. (Spaulding! Get your foot off the boat!) However....No view. A PUD! Pointless up and down. But a little wee bit of history descending down from the PUD, a bronze plaque. The spot where the last completed section of the AT was connected. A decline and a ridge run around Sugarloaf Mt, which is one of the most famous ski spots on the entire east coast, down 1800' to Carrabassett River and a ford. Not really a ford, as the water was kind of low ad rock hoping was evident. Only to go up another 2000' to Crocker Mountain, this time with a view, but I don't remember it. I was in a fog remember. Come to find out that I didn't even take one picture today. What was I doing? My mind just shut off I suppose. Hence the picture of my parents house on the day I left for the trail in February. Have to put some sort of picture in there. Ohhhhhhh, blueberries! My mind woke up when it saw wild blueberries!In all of the 200 and some pages in the AWOL AT guide book, none had a bigger gap of nothing, no views, no streams, no gravel roads, not even a powerline for the next 4.5 miles to guage where you were at. I was truly in Maine, la-la land. The next spot on the map was Maine 27 and the town of Stratton. It was getting late and from what I have seen in the last several miles that there was probably going to be a limited place to camp. Even for my antenna for a stealth. I did find one though but not much of one. Very convenient to a water source and sorta flat. My options were thin so I took it. My mind dead sleeping brain somehow made some terryaki rice with chicken wrapped in a tortilla. Fancy eating on the trail for sure. I hung my bear bag for the 1st time in who knows when. (Don't try this at home kids, ALWAYS hang you bear bag)Maybe my hiker fog will go away into the night, wherever I might be.SOTD, Blueberry Hill, -Fats Domino
Date: 2014-07-30
From: Safford Notch Campground

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: scattered clouds

There are 2 very well known deaths of thru-hikers that have happened in the last couple years. These stories are sad and scary, but life happens out on the trail just like real life. Last year was the sad but odd circumstance of a 60 year old lady by the name of Inch Worm. It's odd cause of the mysterious disappearance and a death not solved. 1st off there is no body, no left over clothes or gear found, nothing. A complete unsolved mystery. It actually can't be considered a death just a missing person. This happened somewhere near Poplar Lean-to in Maine just north of Rangely. The second is very sad. In 2011 at Pierce Pond also in Maine, a 20 year old guy named Parkside went for a swim late in the day which was supposedly hot. He was 11 days away from finishing when he jumped in and suddenly his muscles cramped up severely. The always chilly water in Maine contracted his muscles where he couldn't use them. No one could get to him in time and he drowned. I have been thinking about both of these unfortunate circumstances lately, as I am now near these places. I camped at Pierce Pond Lean-to tonight. An eerie feeling as I stare at the peaceful, clean looking pond with a small wooden plank that someone placed near the river that has Parkside name on it in remembrance. I prayed for my continued safety and then prayed for the other hikers I know. Parkside and Inch Worm had hiking friends I'm sure, and I can't imagine how they felt.For the most part today was very enjoyable. Weather was great and I finally got a 20 in for the 1st time I a long while. The big huge climbs are over for the most part, perfect for a long day. I still see many SOBOs pass there way thru. I figured they would die down now, after all its getting late if you want to be home before Christmas. Gonna make for some Chilly Smoky Mountains when they get there. But what can I say, I DID leave in February.Got to Pierce Pond Lean-to about 6 and the whole place was full. For some reason this really irritated me. Why do these hikers come in so early? I ask myself. Most importantly, why am I frustrated over this? Seeing Parksides wooden memorial put my mind back in perspective. I searched around for a good spot for about 30 minutes, and even debated hiking onward to see if I could find a stealth. My spot was ok, but a little crooked and I situated my tent so the roots underneath would not be under my mattress. Very tired with little chance of rain and cool is going to make for a good night's sleep. Except for the fact my mattress deflates. SOTD, Drift Away, - Dobie Grey
Date: 2014-07-31
From: Pierce Pond Lean-To

To: Powerlines ~2046
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I apologize for the delay. As I mentioned before my phone was destroyed (lack of a better term) and was useless the last 5 days of the trail. Just the fact that my Samsung GS3 lasted this long is a miracle in itself. I always took notes via paper journal along the way, so my thoughts, feelings, and actions are still documented. Hope you enjoy the last week of my adventure. One of the most famous spots on the trail is the crossing of the Kennebec River. The beauty and solidarity is one thing, but the mode of transport over the .1 mile makes it memorable. This is by far the biggest and most dangerous ford on the trail due to the depth, length, and strength of the current. Some hikers still ford this river, but it is highly discouraged. The ATC made available a free shuttle across via a 1-2 man canoe in 1985 after a drowning of a thru-hiker. Before that the canoe was available, but you had to call in advance for the service and it cost $10. So most hikers back in the day just decided to risk it and ford. After the death and due to the massive increase of thru-hikers the ATC decided to make it a free service. It's cool cause it is different, they even have a white blaze on the bottom of the canoe to make it official. Hillbilly Dave is his name (Seen above) and he has been taking hikers across for years. A very interesting individual with stories abound of hikers with near death experiences trying to ford. Unfortunately the canoe trip is just a few minutes long, but it would of been cool to hear some of his stories.The day was clear and crisp as I crossed US201 and up to Pleasant Pond Mountain. The next several miles was wild blueberry Disney World! I could never get into a rhythm hiking cause I would stop and pick these wonderful treats of nature. The further I hiked the bigger and more blue these berries became. Most of these berries are on top of the summits where the view on top of Pleasant Pond was spectacular. I could move and rush to get the miles in, but isn't sitting on top of a remote mountain looking around at the wilderness of the great state of Maine, eating blueberries, while basking in the sun is what the trail is all about? Well, I thought so. So I did just that.My goal was to get over the next peak which was Moxie Mountain and onto the lean-to that bears it's name, but it just wasn't happening today. In fact I was way short of that. Towards the end of the day I crossed some power lines laced with even some more blueberries and a cool little spot for a stealth camp. I decided to call it a day and plan to get some bigger mileage in the next day and into the town of Monson. My tent was positioned perfectly for a nice sunset to the west and after a dinner of Knorr rice sides and tuna, I climbed into my tent and did just that. A very cool and fun day, even though the mileage goal was not hit.
Date: 2014-08-02
From: Monson, ME Lakeshore House

To: Monson, ME Lakeshore House
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My last zero day. And I sure need it. I really didn't sleep very well last night, due to the warm and muggy night, they don't really believe in air conditioners up here. The white "pleather" couch in the common area was definitely a better choice, and I didn't have to climb down from a top bunk in the middle of the night to pee. They should really give the lower beds for the old guys like me, we have night time business to deal with you know.I was up and out by 7am, and walked 20 feet to the breakfast place next door called "Pete's Place" to test out the quality of the pancakes. Not the best but the rest of the food was a good portion and got me close to full. When I came outside on the street corner, I ran into Moaglee, and to my great surprise Trillium. There are 3 different places to stay in Monson. Lakeshore house is where I stayed, there is a missionary church who lets thru-hikers tent in the back yard for free, and then of course is the legendary Shaw's. All reasonable, and all great. This morning however, they all gathered around Lakeshore. Most of them trying to work up enough energy to hitch a ride back to the trail. Before they left we got this great picture. Left to right on top, Goat, Simba, Figgy, Kamikaze, Gandolf, (bottom) Raven, Napoleon, Trillium. I tried to find some Epsom salt to soak my feet in, but not one store in the whole town had any, but I did take a long hot bath. It felt good to soak, but I knew it really wasn't enough for my weary muscles. Most everyone left and the town seemed deserted. Raven stayed behind, and before too long Stretch and Fresh clawed their way in to town and bunked at Shaw's. The four of us went to the pub mid afternoon and I ate a large pepperoni, sausage, and green pepper pizza all by myself. The food at Lakeshore is very good and the pizza was no different. Nothing fancy, but good. Stretch talked me into a bartenders choice shot, knowing I owed him one, and we downed a Buttery Nipple. Yummy. We all headed to Shaw's as the 3 of them grilled some terryaki steaks. I stayed for a bit but the mosquitoes and the appearance of Angry Phil started to annoy me, and I headed back to Lakeshore. Angry Phil really isn't that bad, but he decided to not hike the last 114 miles of the AT and go home. Interesting.From a full room of occupied bunks the night before, to tonight a room to myself. I stuck the fan in the window, put it on full blast, and obviously took the bottom bunk. Tonight should be a better sleep. For tomorrow............. ** I just want everyone to know that I'm fine. I love your comments on my guest book, but somehow there is some misinformation that I got hurt and off the trail. Nothing has happened. I am alive and well. SOTD, My Way, -Frank Sinatra