morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-09-01
From: Rt. 27 Stratton

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After a well-earned zero day to wait out Hurricane Katrina, I left early this AM to tackle the Bigalows - a few more 4,000 footers. Within the first mile, I had to ford a swollen stream rendered a torrent from the last two days' rains. Didn't get my feet too wet.At Horn Pond Leanto, I talked to the caretaker a while, lamenting that again, I had managed to lose a water bottle this morning so if anyone (e.g. Critter who was behind me) brought it along, it was mine. She offered me a bottle someone had left and I gratefully accepted. It needs a thorough washing of course.The 3 ascents of the Bigalows - South Horn, West Bigalow, and Avery Peak were all steep but all featured rewarding views on this perfect-weather day. Could see Saddleback and Sugarloaf looking south and Flagstaff Artificial Lake (yes, there are phony lakes in Maine) to the west.The descent from Avery was more than brutal - it was the second coming of Mahoosuc Notch. Took me 2 hours to cover 2 miles. It wasn't just the steepness but also the huge moss-draped boulders and roots which slowed me down. Of course being at the end of the day didn't help.With the nice weather, I did a first at Safford Notch for all my years of AT hiking - slept under the stars without benefit of tent or shelter. Stretching my groundcloth, air mattress, and sleeping bag over the tent platform, I zonked out. AFter my bear bag fell twice during the night, I kept it by my side on the platform. No problems.
Date: 2005-09-02
From: Safford Notch Campsite

To: West Carry Pond Leanto
Miles today: 12.2

Slept OK under my roofless abode. Today features Little Bigalow - not as formidable as the "regular" Bigalows but reportedly replete with false summits.Actually, most of the morning hike was a ridge walk along the long crest of Little Bigalow. Of course, "ridge walking" in New England means nothing but a series of sharp ups and downs but it was still enjoyable - both the views out either side including looking back at Avery Peak and the woods setting itself - flat rocks, balsam firs (and their aroma), and various colored mosses. While enjoyable, I found I was tiring easily and feeling hungry already. Have I developed a thruhiker appetite?As I started the descent, Critter finally caught up with me, sans my water bottle. Maybe it fell out in Don's truck. She had gotten a later start from Stratton and camped last night at Safford - unbeknownst to each other, we were within a few hundred feet.Enjoyable descent - much flat rock but manageable unlike Bemis. Constant views of Flagstaff Phony Lake. The last mile to the lake road was easy but then came a dispiriting ascent and descent through what was relatively unscenic for Maine with two exceptions: on the ground, I spotted dolls eyes growing. I had no idea they grew in Maine - last I saw them was in the Blue Ridge Mts. south of Shenandoah NP. Also, I passed the road crossing where "2000 Miles" is painted across the center. Another milestone, one which means more to thruhikers than me. Arrival at West Carry Pond meant I still had 3/4 mile to the shelter which I made before 4. Not bad timing on this, my longest day mileage-wise in Maine thus far. Felt good to soak my feet in the pond. For the first time on this hike, I have the shelter to myself tonight. While I was sitting at the pond writing the journal, a guy came by in a motorboat offering me a ride. Nice, but I declined; it was almost bedtime.
Date: 2005-09-03
From: West Carry Pond Leanto

To: US Rt 201 Caratunk
Miles today: 14.0

Fourth straight day of increased mileage. Wanted to make the ferry before it shut down at 4. The first mile was tough-going, not just because it was the first mile but because of the rocks and roots. But the footing got better and I was striding making good time over pine needle-covered dirt instead of roots.The highlight at East Carry Pond was not the sandy beach which tempted me to stop and wade (I resisted) but the 3 loons at the end no more than 30 feet offshore. Hope my photos came out. On the subject of wildlife, saw red squirrels again and chipmunk but no frogs for the first time in days.Most of the way to the next pond - Pierce Pond - was easy but there were some rough spots. Pierce Pond Shelter - what a setting! Unlike many pond shelters which are set back some ways, this shelter faces the pond's edge a mere 20 feet away. Wish I had arranged to stay here - this has to be one of the best shelter settings on the entire AT.From Pierce Pond, the map looked like easy gradual downhill to the Kennebec. But with all the up and down, I felt like I had climbed 1,000' on this "descent." While I knew I'd make the ferry OK, I was to tired to contemplate going any further.At the Kennebec: Steve Longley was on the other side, saw me, and paddled over. In response to my question, yes, he is the son of the former Maine governor who was elected as an independent in 1974. With the swift current, I helped paddle as we hugged our shore upstream for a few hundred feet then made our way across. No mishaps until...Steve was lifting my pack out of the canoe and dropped it in the Kennebec. Only 6 inches of water but sufficient to drench my journal and guidebook. Obviously he felt bad so I didn't harp on it.So I decided to stay at Steve's place a mile up the road where he has a bunkhouse and small store. Ordered a pizza from Caratunk which he kindly drove up and delivered for me. We spent some time talking politics.Again I'm weary after today's hike but feeling good in that I'm nearly at the halfway point, mileage-wise.
Date: 2005-09-04
From: US Rt 201 Caratunk

To: Bald Mountain Brook Leanto
Miles today: 14.7

Slept well but this was one of those days where I felt weak and nauseous in the morning such that the slight uphill at the beginning was a chore. Why do I have days like this? But I knew it would pass - it had better or I'd never make it up Pleasant Pond Mountain.Fortunately the morning hiking was easy and yes, the weak feelings did pass. After lunch at Pleasant Pond Leanto, I felt as good as ever. That's good because with 1,200' in a mile, foot-for-foot, the Pleasant Pond Mt. ascent was as difficult as any I'd done on this trip. And I kept saying: I'm so grateful for not going down this stretch of verticle rock. In fact, I strained my left ribcage muscle not from falling but from stretching to step up some large rocks. What do these 5'3" women do?Of course the top was glorious like all the Maine mountains. The man and his 2 children whose voices I had heard througout the ascent caught up and there was a Canadian SOBOer. I now faced a gentler descent down to Moxie Pond (yes, there are 2 Moxie Ponds in Maine).Well, gentle it was but like yesterday's descent to the Kennebec, it seemed like I was mostly going uphill. What came to mind was a play on Mark Twain's comment "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Well, the toughest ascent I ever faced was a descent in Maine!But it was very scenic with the mosses, evergreens, flat rocks, and views down below to Moxie Pond and ahead to Moxie Bald, tommorow's summit. 4 miles of descent punctuated with the ascents led me to the pond and the outlet stream - Baker Stream - which presented me with my first ford. I managed to cross leaving my boots on without getting too wet.Another tiring day as I reached the shelter at 5 - no one there. But within 20 minutes, 5 guys on a weeklong SOBO trip came by - Ron, Ray, John, Sean, and Ed. All were good guys although Ed was having problems - this was his first backpacking trip and he spoke of his struggles ascending Moxie Bald. He reminds me a lot of one of my relatives. Shortly afterwards, we were joined by Firefly, another SOBOer.Hike is halfway home now and looks like I'll make it to Monson on schedule. And then only the 100-mile wilderness stands between me and Katahdin. I think this is going to happen!
Date: 2005-09-05
From: Bald Mountain Brook Leanto

To: Horseshoe Canyon Leanto
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

I've enjoyed a lot of nice weather on this trip but today may be the best of all - not a cloud in the sky as I take on Moxie Bald. A 1,200' climb which I made in an hour. What a setting! Reportedly one can see Katahdin and as I strained to look north, I thought I could see it. But there's no doubt recognizing the Bigalows to the south and Sugarloaf behind them. Yes, I wanted to stay here all day but of course, time to move on. Shortly after leaving the highest point,I stepped into what I thought was hard mud and sank up to mid-calf in muck. So I decided to take another 20 minutes to dry out my boots and socks. The rest of the descent itself wasn't bad. Once at Moxie Bald Leanto where I ate lunch, I met Rabbit, a young NOBOer who quickly got ahead of me. For at least a mile following the shelter, the trail was muck, roots, and rocks such that I wasn't making the time I had hoped to move beyond the next shelter. Then there were the fords. First up - Bald Stream. Off came the boots, on went the Keens, I lengthened my poles, and strode across ever slowly digging in each step among the rocky bottom. No mishaps but of course, this approach took time. Time was also taken when I reached a dirt road by the stream and couldn't figure out where the Trail went. Ah there, off to the right. Now the footing's easier and then the next ford - West Branch of the Piscataquis where it merged with Bald Stream. I'd say the water was slightly shallower than the previous - it came up to the first inch of my shorts - but the current was much stronger so I was slower as I dug the poles in tightly.From the ford to Horsehoe Canyon Leanto, another "descent" which featured about 700' of ascent as the trail went up and down while following the river. Next mishap: I lost one of my Keens (hanging from my pack to facilitate their drying) so spent 20 minutes retracing my steps until I thankfully found it.Still made it to the shelter by 5:15 where my sheltermate for the evening was Diana, a native of Alaska. We had a lot to talk about. She just graduated from college and with no immediate job prospects, decided to section-hike the AT SOBO. In contrast to the vast majority of young hikers, she carries a heavy pack with a gas stove and cooks meals similar to mine. I thought of how today had its share of mishaps but how fortunate I was to hike the AT at a time when so many people are hurting - whether in Niger from starving or the Gulf Coast from the hurricane. I have no right to complain about anything; I feel so blessed!
Date: 2005-09-08
From: Long Pond Stream Shelter

To: Chairback Leanto
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

One of the SOBOers I had met previously had asserted that the Barren-Chairback range - though not as high or steep as others - was their most difficult section because of the footing. True to the point, today proved to be a tiring day, not from the initial ascent up Barren Ledges and Barren Mountain which occurred first off the bat, but from the subsequent up-and-down and mostly rugged footing. After cold snaps the prior 2 nights, the weather has reverted to a more summer-like pattern with some humidity and haze. I felt this atmosphere from the outset and it was confirmed when I reached the viewpoint at Barren Ledges. Seeing the haze in the sky across and the valleys below, I predicted to Buckeye that we¢d have thunderstorms later.I made the 3 miles up Barren Mountain in 2 hours - OK for 1,700' of ascent. Thereafter, the ups and downs over the next Barren Peaks were somewhat dreary, replete with rocks and roots. At least there were no time-consuming stream fords. This was a day when I overestimated my progress and consequently always had more to go than thought. The Fourth Mountain descent while long and difficult, I must admit paled in comparison to the previous descents in the hike - Carlo Col, Sawyer Notch, Bemis, Avery Peak to name a few. Among the hikers I met today was Swinging Jane who was completing a flip-flop by hiking south to North Adams. Pacman and Critter had left the shelter after me but of course they passed me. I passed them when they took their breaks but they still arrived at Chairback Leanto before me. At least the final descent to Chairback Leanto, while steep, wasn¢t as time-consuming as depicted in the map¢s elevation profile; I was surprised how soon the shelter¢s roof came into view. When I arrived at 4:25, Buckeye was also there as was Oly. Finally caught up to him. He remembered me from a few weeks ago but didn¢t recall Fry Notch Leanto specifically as the abode we shared. Buckeye and Oly enjoyed their reunion.Yes, we could see that rain was eminent. But that didn¢t deter Red Blaze, a SOBO flipflopper eating dinner at the shelter who was determined to push on all the way to Monson by hiking all night. Us older folks tried in vain to dissuade him.The day ended on a very positive note. Rabbit, who had stayed an extra half-day in Monson, arrived around 5:30. ¢Hi Rabbit - did you by any chance find a water bottle on the Trail?¢ Yes! And as I had expected, it was around an extensive multi-tree blowdown. I thanked him for being a Trail Angel and he thanked me for lightening his load. I joked that now my load was heavier, especially if I filled it. I suppose I¢m fortunate; if I had lost the bottle in most places on the AT (especially in Pennsylvania, NJ, or NY), I likely would have been forced off the Trail to secure one. One thing Maine doesn¢t lack in water.The rain came along with the requisite thunder and lightening. We were all dry and hopeful that tomorrow¢s atmosphere would be drier.
Date: 2005-09-15
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: moderate rain

¢It¢s not a foregone conclusion¢ ¢You¢re not a ¢lame duck¢¢ ¢Don¢t just go through the motions¢ ¢Enjoy the cherish this day as much as any other - this is the day you become a 2,000 miler¢ ¢Today¢s your chance to see another moose¢ ¢It ain¢t over until it¢s over.¢These were the thoughts running through my head today from the moment I arose at 5:30. No rain yet but an atmosphere of heavy humidity pervaded the campsite and my bones. One of those mornings where the sleeping bag remains clammy and you know you¢ll have to air it out later. Didn¢t sleep real well but that hardly matters today.I¢ve managed my food perfectly - cooked the last dinner last night and was almost out of gorp thanks to the mouse at Rainbow Stream.   One more tortilla shell and hunk of cheese left for today¢s lunch. I accepted more trail mix from Harrier who now lolled leisurely in his sleeping bag as I packed and ate the last of my oatmeal. We split the remaining Gatorade between us.After a month of hiking in Maine, I¢ve seen the compression of daylight hours; from my 6:28 start, the view of Katahdin was that of an opaque shadowy mass looming eerily in the fog/haze. The trail¢s first mile was on the Park gravel road towards the Daicy Pond area. Just as the Trail began to turn into the woods, steady rain ensued. Put on rain pants and hat for this final 8 miles. Rocks & roots kept progress slow for the few miles and what¢s a hike in these conditions without another fall? This one transpired over the cross log of a bog bridge; no damage done, not even to the ego.   Ate my lunch early. The only real challenge today came in the form of a bridge washout at the second crossing of a tributary to Nesowadnehunk Stream, a minor obstacle compared to the fords in the 100 Mile Wilderness.Shortly after the non-bridge, I met Julie & Jim with whom I had shared the cottage at White House Landing; I was embarrassed that I didn¢t recognize Julie from the outset. They will summit tomorrow.   A little while later, I met the 4 Brits. ¢Any more mouse problems?¢ ¢No, not last night.¢ Wished them well. I was hoping to meet Oly and Buckeye but apparently they were closer to me and are likely summitting today.Still no moose despite numerous areas of likely habitat. So that cow I saw near the first Moxie Pond is my only moose-sighting in Maine.Rain stopped, sun emerged for 10 seconds. Removed the rain pants and with the last 2 miles of easy footing amid large spacious evergreens, I strode more quickly until I met Northern Harrier. At this point, today¢s hike - and my hike of the Appalachian Trail - is almost over.The end came at 10:45 AM as we neared Abol Bridge and my car parked near the store. But I didn¢t race like yesterday¢s scramble to the Katahdin sign. Thoughts of home swept through me - I can make it home by Saturday for a church function I had hoped to attend. And thoughts of food also; a good lunch in Millinocket (at the Appalachian Trail Caf© no less) was the first post-hike celebration. Now I¢m a 2,000 miler! But it still hasn¢t sunk in.
Date: 2005-11-07
From: NY Rt 17 Harriman Park entrance

To: East Mombassa Rd
Miles today: 0.0

For the second consecutive November, I joined Scarf in her steady northbound quest to finish the AT. She started at Wind Gap, PA on November 1 and my plan was to join her at Bear Mountain, NY.But the plans almost went awry in mid-October because of a cycling accident which resulted in a torn groin muscle necessitating my walking (limping) with a cane. Needless to say, this was very frustrating but the healing did progress to the point where by Nov. 5, I didn¢t need the cane any more. Still, walking packless around home is a far cry from hauling 45 pounds up and down slopes with dry slippery leaves (more on that later).So it was with some hesitation that I loaded most of the pack and started hiking SOBO from the parking lot on Rt. 17 outside Harriman Park on Monday, November 7. There were 2 purposes at mind here: (1) to rendezvous with Scarf just to ensure we didn¢t miss each other and plan final logistics; and (2) to verify my recovery by hiking with a mostly-full pack up Arden Mountain and beyond.A 600' ascent in a mile is a far cry from the last hiking I did in Maine August-September but the thick beds of dry leaves combined with the occasional high-stepping made the going slow. Since Scarf would have spent last night at Wildcat Shelter, I figured we¢d meet at Orange Turnpike where I arrived by 9:30. A 50ish clear sunny day made conditions pleasant and my body felt up to continuing to the next road, East Mombassa. So I had hiked 3.4 miles with no ill effects from my injury. So far, so good.After waiting longer than I expected, I saw Scarf making her way down the Trail very gingerly because of the leaves. I hid behind a hollow and then surprised her when she removed her pack to fill water. Our reunion was joyful but we couldn¢t tarry - it was already 11:30 and she was less than half-way to Fingerboard Shelter, her destination for the night. She had been making big mileage through New Jersey (19, 20 mile days) but all of a sudden, the leaves were down. And these weren¢t wimpy leaves! Predominantly oaks, larger than our hands were piling up between rocks and in holes. As we learned last year in PA, dry leaves are usually more slippery than wet.We stopped briefly atop Arden Mountain to enjoy snacks while viewing Harriman Park and the NY Thruway ahead. Upon reaching my car, we parted. I drove to Pawling where tomorrow I¢ll take public transportation to Bear Mountain and meet her.
Date: 2005-11-08
From: Bear Mountain summit

To: Campsite east of Hudson River
Miles today: 0.0

all the morning logistics worked perfectly. Bus to Poughkeepsie, train to Peekskill, taxi to Bear Mountain, arriving by 10:30. Many families with children off for school holiday for Election Day abounded around Hessian Lake in the playgrounds and picnic areas. Of course, the nice weather helped.After eating at a concession stand, I thought: why not practice some more with my full pack and hike up Bear Mountain. An 1,100' ascent is more of a test than yesterday and views should be worthwhile. So I started up fully expecting to meet Scarf before reaching the summit. No, there I was sharing the top with hoards of day travelers (none of which hiked up) but no Scarf. For a moment, I worried that we somehow missed each other on the broad flat summit. Of course, I knew she faced a tough, slow steep descent of West Mountain rendered even more untenable by the dry leaves but as the time reached 1:30, I wondered some more.So I resumed hiking SOBO on the AT down the south side of Bear Mountain. The north side ascent hadn¢t been too bad leaf-wise, but the south side was another matter. After about 12 mile, I met Scarf; a sense of relief passed through both of us. She had been taking the descents very slowly but still fell several times going down West Mountain. She hadn¢t even stopped to eat but fortunately, I had most of a large pretzel in my pocket for her.Well one certainty: we won¢t make it to Graymoor tonight. Not when we only arrive back at the Bear Mountain Inn after 3:30. In fact, will we even make it to Hemlocks Campsite?   Time pressures notwithstanding, we tarried a bit in the zoo (seeing and photographing the bear exhibit) and the bridge where we enjoyed a splendid view of fall foliage; at this low elevation, the trees were still holding onto their mosaic of colors.Now we¢re across the bridge and making our first ascent at the clock pushes past 4:15. No, forget Hemlock Springs. I recalled from my June hike here that the junction of the blue-blazed trail up Anthony¢s Nose lay on a flat area suitable for tenting but we didn¢t even make it that far. Scarf¢s tired and sore from her long day and I don¢t want to push my luck with my groin muscle. About 3/10 of a mile from Rt. 9D, we found enough level ground to pitch our tents. We had stocked up on water at Bear Mountain so we¢re OK for meals.Not perfect conditions - we¢ll hear the railroad whistle all night and the bear bags are hung among very rocky footing, tough maneuvering in the darkness which comes by 5. And within minutes after we settled into our tents, we heard loud noises. Probably a deer. Anyway, we¢ll get an early start tomorrow although I doubt we¢ll make it to RPH Shelter.