morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-02
From: Caratunk

To: Monson
Miles today: 37.0
Weather: scattered clouds

With luck I should get to Monson on Monday the Fourth of July. I will be leaving the Sterling Inn at 4:30am on Sunday to start that segment. They won't shuttle me that early so I have allocated a half hour before sunrise to walk the 1.3 miles to the trailhead. I tested that today, just for fun, and to work out a soreness in my right instep. Seems better. Hope it walks out. I need a plan for the 100 mile wilderness. I have contemplated shuttles and food drops but have heard stories from Sobos that cause me concern. Evidently someone is stealing food drops. Leaves the hiker in a bad way out in the middle of nowhere. I think I will just carry a lot of food. My legs can do it. Of course it also goes down as you eat it. If my pack can hold it. And the Bears don't get what doesn't fit in my UR sack. I did find out there is a store at the north end of the wilderness. This should cut out one day of food to pack. Planning a six day hike should mean 5 meals on the mountain. About 10 lbs of food not counting trail snacks. If it takes me six days that will be at least two days more than my longest stretch between towns so far. Can't remember where the current longest was but I'm guessing western Virginia. I will think about this for the next two days. On Tuesday I will have to decide on a plan and by food. I hope I can find something tasty and good for me. Probably not Ramen.
Date: 2016-07-03
From: Caratunk

To: Monson
Miles today: 20.0

Oh those poor Sobos; some of them anyway. The tall girl with the pack large enough to hold a small refrigerator. A big pack for a big girl she said. She wasn't big; just tall. I told her it was ok because she would develop better trail legs than the rest. Her partner laughed at me but it's partly true. The old man resting while climbing Bigelow. He also had a large pack, with lots of stuff added above and below. He looked beat but of course he was attacking the first of many 4000 ft mountains to come. They come too fast for the Sobos. Maybe he'll get his trail legs soon. The young man bragging in a Caratunk bunkhouse about how he is just out here for the fun, not to make sure he hits every blaze. Bragging about blue blazing. I wonder how happy his partners will be if they find him standing on Springer mountain in the fall having his picture taken with them as a thru hiker. It sounds like he has already cheated and may continue to do do so at will while still telling people he is walking the AT. And finally, the most ridiculous or maybe the most tenacious Sobo of all, there is Marbles. I met Marbles the afternoon after leaving Caratunk, while I was filtering water. He told me Monson was a great town. He should know because he spent 10 days there. Before that? He spent 17 days in the 100 mile wilderness. Why? He got hurt; multiple times; knee and ankle injuries. Only two twisted ankles the day I met him though. I told him he was only going to see trail condition get worse as he went south. His injuries were happening in the smoothest section of the AT. I wish him well. At 27 days for 120 miles he over a year to finish. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts as he hits harder terrain.
Date: 2016-07-05
From: Shaws

To: Abol Campground
Miles today: 85.0
Weather: clear sky

No, I am not done hiking the AT. But I do feel a tremendous satisfaction. I have just come out of the 100 mile wilderness alive. Ok, it was only 85 miles because I did a section at Shaw's. Ok, I got a food drop at Jo Mary road. Sue me. It was hard work. The 85 miles took me 4.5 days. I just realized I am not on the wifi so I will stop here and recount each day in separate posts. I am very happy!
Date: 2016-07-08
From: otter pond

To: monson
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The situation with my feet is becoming serious. I did a 15 mile hike today from Otter Pond back to Shaw's hostel. This is an up/down section of the 100 mile wilderness just before the first of two mountains start. I squeezed this trip in between rain days. It had rained on Wednesday and Thursday and was supposed to again on Saturday and Sunday.The hike was hard because my feet hurt almost immediately on the trail. The pain comes from twisting them on roots or rocks which is unavoidable. I had expected some problem from the right foot but was disappointed that both were tender. Other than the periodic stabbing pains the major problem is they do not have strength at times when u need them for balance. No margin. This is important because things don't always work as planned. One slip or slide and the feet must instantly adjust to regain balance. This is normal and happens even when simply standing. The foot muscles make continuous adjustments to keep us standing. At the moment these lateral muscles are not working properly for me. The hike started late, just because that's how they do shuttles at Shaw's. I didn't hit the trail until 9am. It was not raining but everything was very slick from the previous night. I fell several times in the first hour and then periodically all day long. Other hikers were having similar problems; one had to be helped from the trail due to a spill. It wasn't until late afternoon that my feet loosened up enough to generate what I consider a good pace but at least it showed the feet can work themselves into a mode that supports hiking. This is important since I need them to work to finish this hike. Back in the hostel I now have 99.2 miles left of my AT, 85 of them being in the 100 mile wilderness. It's apparent I will have foot problems the rest of the way. On Monday I intend to tackle the remaining mountains with a three day hike to Jo Mary road. There I will either get a good drop from Shaw's and continue towards the end or shuttle back with them for a few more zeros and some rest. At this point I don't which is more likely. Jo Mary road is at the 56 mile point. I didn't expect the end to creep so slowly but that is the reality. Right now it is one day at a time.
Date: 2016-07-10
From: monson

To: Jo Mary Road
Miles today: 44.0
Weather: broken clouds

All set for my three day hike into the 100 mile wilderness, which I have already cut down to 85 miles. This hike should take me over one mountain each of the first two days and at the top of the second I should be able to see Katahdin. Foot is feeling a bit better than expected. Hope it holds up. A couple of things are in my favor. The weather looks to be improving for three days. Little or no rain expected. I also am getting an early start tomorrow that I didn't count on. That should give me a longer first day hike. I added a few cokes and a Gatorade to my food drop bag. Something to look forward to on Wednesday. I think I'll chug two of them and then have another with my Wednesday meal. Just a little treat. Should be on level terrain by then. The fords may be an issue. I picked waterproof boots on purpose but I now find out the goretex keeps them from drying out if they do get wet inside. And they will throughout the remainder of the trip. I will have to be careful to avoid having my feet continuously wet. I'll probably change socks each day and let the others dry out. At least one of the fords is reported to be waist deep. Although I'm getting to the end the challenges seem to be changing to keep this from being an easy ending. Luckily my schedule is not fixed and I will do what it takes to summit Katahdin in July.
Date: 2016-07-11
From: Otter Pond

To: Campsite before Pleasant River
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: few clouds

A hard day climbing Barren and Chairback mountains, made even tougher because I had to be very gentle with both feet. Luckily I avoided what I called a "regression event" which would have reinjured one or both. Chairback has a very steep rock slide. At first it is hard to believe the slide could possibly be the trail. It was. This happens regularly. At first glance a creek or climb looks impassible but, since there is no other option other than turning back, you find a way. Prior to the slide I had met a women going south. She tried to warn me about the slide but her English wasn't quite up to the task. All she said was "very hard; big rock; really big rock". I kept looking for the rock and finally had to accept she had meant the scramble.I was hoping to make it passed the Pleasant River ford, which was wide and sure to get my boots wet, but camping was prohibited for two miles on the north side so I decided to hold up at the campground to the south. It had been a beautiful day and I slept like a baby in my tent next to a gurgling creek. After my traumatic day hiking back to Monson I was elated that the feet had gotten no worse.
Date: 2016-07-12
From: Campsite before Pleasant River

To: stealth camp 
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

I started day 2 by fording the Pleasant River. Just walked actress knee deep wide River on slippery rocks. A trick is to undo your belt pad and chest strap if your pack so if you fall the pack doesn't drown you. Good idea. The day took me over the last of the big mountains with Whitecap being the tallest. The interesting thing about it is that it affords the first good look at Katahdin. A memorable event.I knew how far I had to get to make Jo Mary in time for my food drop and I was making good time. On top Whitecap I called and changed my time fro 4pm to noon but continued to make good time in the valley to where even that could be later than necessary. I hiked past my normal stopping hour for lack of a good tenting site. Finally I found a stretch of fairly level ground away from the trail and took it. It felt even more isolated being alone in the woods not near the trail. I did hear some larger animals that night but they didn't bother me or my food bag.
Date: 2016-07-13
From: stealth camp 

To: katahan campsite
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I had made such good progress the day before so making it to Jo Mary road on time was not going to be an issue. The only question was would I get there early enough that it would make sense to call and reschedule the food drop again? I did. Got there by 7:30am and called Shaw's, knowing full well they were in the middle of making breakfast and wouldn't rush anything for me. They didn't sound like they would. I settled down on the road for a 4 hour wait by making a meal that I skipped the previous night and doing some other housekeeping chores to pass the time. When I got to the road there was a poor hiking soul sitting there in a parka. He was waiting for a ride home. Southbound, he was having no fun and was giving up. This is at mile 56. Why? He never gave himself a chance. He started his hike by going up Katahdin in the rain and getting hurt. He then had a hard time keeping up with other Sobos and couldn't stay in the group he liked. He said he had just walked 5 hours in the dark to get to the road and that he was wearing the parka because he had to sleep at the road and was still chilled. Walking at night in the roots would be torture. He either didn't have a tent or didn't know how to use it. Of course all this would be unpleasant. He gave me an Almond Mounds bar and got in his shuttle and drove away to the Bangor airport; an expensive trip. I was elated to see the Shaw's shuttle show up at 10am, 2 hours early. I then got another surprise; they brought along two cans of cold coke for me to chug, which I did. The coke was expected. I had requested it. But I had packed 4 cans in my food bag expecting them to chill two of them. No. The four cans were still there. My original plan had been to get a late afternoon food drop, chug two cans, and carry two cans a few miles at best to have with dinner. Now I had 4 cans to carry for almost a full day. Plus the food drop was heavier than expected because I had asked for an lock if cheese which turned out to be 8 oz, and I still had some food left in my pack. I was bogged down and couldn't adjust to the extra weight. It didn't help that, after a large breakfast meal while waiting, my stomach was competing with my legs for energy. It was not the best of feelings and took several hours to feel ok. The break between hikes did seem to increase my miles though. In total I made 19 miles to a very nice campsite that I had completely to myself. It's amazing the Sobos will jam themselves into the rodent infested trashy lean-tos and ignore the pristine campsites. Go figure. Got to mile 44 that night.
Date: 2016-07-14
From: katahan campsite

To: Rainbow Campsite
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

With an early 5am start from the campsite I set my sites on another campsite that would put me within reach of getting to the Katahdin Spring campsite a day later. That could let me then summit Katahdin the next day and be done. It sounds so simple. Cut and dry. It wasn't and hadn't been. The day was incredibly hot and humid. There were a few minor climbs that u normally would breeze up but could barely make without a rest break. At least four times I stopped at lakes and streams to cool down by soaking my shirt and towel over my head. I was getting weak, not only from the heat but also from camping for four straight days with questionable nutrition. Not one of my hiking strengths. I started worrying that I would be unable to climb Katahdin, the 5400 ft final summit. By the early afternoon I had given up any thoughts of exceeding my goal miles. The bogs were constant and the heat just wouldn't quit. I started seeing the trashy effect of all the Sobos who packed way more than they could carry and were leaving trash, gear, and food at shelters. It was pathetic; no excuse for the mess. The Rainbow lean-to was the worst. This was a shelter I had been advised to stay at because if it's swimming hole. It was a horrible mess with litter everywhere. I moved on to the Rainbow Campsite and convinced a Sobo I met to turn around and go back to it with me. We made the right decision. It had a piped spring feeding directly into a lake. This got me to mile 26. I had given up on making it to the mountain and had decided to stop at the abol campground and store at mile 15. I could go into Millinocket from there and regroup. It was a good plan and I felt better as I lay in my tent. Then it rained. And thundered. And rained. And branches fell around my tent. There were three tents set up when I went inside mine for the night. While it poured I heard various voices yelling in the dark. It poured for hours. My tent worked great. Wet floor but dry sleeping bag on top the pad. When I got up the next morning there were 7 or more tents. I was the first out. One other thing happened that night. I gave away over a pound of food, knowing I would no longer need it and not wanting to carry more than I had to. At first there were no takers when I offered meals. But when I offered kitkats and peanut m&ms they snatched it up. Win win.
Date: 2016-07-15
From: Rainbow Campsite

To: Abol Campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

It was a great feeling to know I was stopping at the end of the wilderness and going into town. I covered the 11 miles before noon and found myself eating an ice cream cone and a lobster roll waiting for a shuttle to take me to the AT Lodge in Millinocket. Mile 15. This would leave me with two day hikes; a 9 mile easy walk to the mountain and a much harder 5.4 mile up Katahdin. At the time I thought I would first take a zero to recover from the wilderness. Didn't really do that. What I did do was suddenly realize that I was through hiking with a full pack. Both day hikes would be slack packs. No more tent, sleeping bag, pad, food bag. Restaurant food from now on. Bed from now on. After taking a shower and eating a good dinner I decided I could do the easy hike the next day. No elevation. Walk in the park. Good weather. But then a bit of a hiccup.
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Katahdin Spring Campsite

To: Katahdin Summit
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I did the short hike south from the mountain today back to the store. It only took the morning. Now there is only the mountain to climb. Other people climbed today. Many others. But the weather tomorrow has rain in it. I won't test my luck. So I will sit here in Millinocket waiting for a nice day to finish this trip. Today is Saturday. It looks like Tuesday might be good. My body is ready and my wife is anxious for me to come home as well. But I will read a good book for two days or so and tackle the mountain on a non-rain day. Stay tuned for when that happens. This wait will not hurt my body but may try my patience, especially since I know others will tackle the mountain tomorrow and Monday regardless of the weather. Won't do it.
Date: 2014-05-23
From: Chesapeake, VA

To: Florida
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woohoo! Today was my last day at work! I am a free woman, at least until I get back from the trail and have to start worrying about that pesky money thing again. I'm not sure where my future will lead professionally, but I know that I needed a break from the rat race and was way beyond burned out. Time to hit the reset button and get focused on what's really important, like living! Now I'm taking a small vacation before I hit the trail. I'm heading down to sunny Florida for some much needed rest and relaxation. My oldest nephew is graduating high school (ahh!!!! I feel so old just saying that) on Thursday, and I wouldn't miss that for the world. I'm using the opportunity to spend time with some of my favorite people. I've spent months planning for this new adventure and am feeling pretty confident about everything coming together before I leave. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and flown by. A few my loose ends need to be tied up when I get back to Virginia but it will all get done.
Date: 2014-06-05
From: Chesapeake, VA

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

I fly this morning to Bangor, ME to start my new adventure. I ran around like a crazy person yesterday from 8:30am until 4:00am this morning getting things done. I only had a few freak out moments (like when I realized I had a hole in my sleeping bag!) but it has all worked out okay. The only break I took yesterday was to have my last family dinner for a long time, which of course ended with me bawling in my mother's arms as Bill carried Trey out the door. I crashed out for a few hours and then started the craziness all over again this morning with my last real shower and shave for a very long time. Now on the way to the airport, which will again result in me bawling in my mother's arms!I am nervous, scared, excited, eager. All at the same time. I'm not sure exactly where this journey will lead but I am excited to find out! Happy Trails everyone. I'll see you on the flip side.
Date: 2014-07-06
From: Andover, ME

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 51.4
Weather: clear sky

The Mahoosuc Notch is legendary on the trail. It is either considered the hardest or funnest mile of the trail, depending on your perspective. Depending on what direction you are coming from it is either the first or last big hiking experience in Maine. It leaves a lasting impression for SOBOs and is an impressive welcome for NOBOs.I decided that I wanted it to be fun and decided to make a game out of it. I wanted to see how fast I could make it through and wanted to do it without taking my pack off. That small 1.2 mile section took me 2 hours and 20 minutes, but I did manage to keep my pack on the whole time! I was very proud. The Mahoosuc Notch is this crazy section of trail that is basically a giant field of boulders, some bigger than a car and bordering on a small house. The boulders trap the air so it is quite chilly down there (I wore a coat and hat the whole time) and even in summer there is ice and snow on the ground. In some places you need to go over the boulders but other places you need to go through tunnels and caves in the boulder field to make it through. I felt like it was a giant strategy game. You need to plan your steps three and four moves ahead to make sure you end up where you want to be. Otherwise you have to climb back down and take another approach. After getting through it I had a huge smile on my face and felt like I was walking on water. I had such a great time and wish there were more sections like this later on. I was a little sad to be leaving Maine but at the same time I was super excited to scratch a state off my list. I want to pause to give a big shout out to the state of Maine. Maine is extremely beautiful everywhere. Additionally, the people are so friendly, kind, and generous. It really made me understand why they say Maine is the way life should be! Thanks to all the MAINEiacs who helped me along the way with rides, food, and most importantly encouragement. Crossing the state line into New Hampshire was momentous. I was proud to have made it so far. I ran into a very sweet couple of section hikers, The Planner and Pilgrim, and hiked for a bit with them. Although they were hiking slower than my normal pace I stuck with them. We shared a bit about our lives, our struggles, and our hopes. Before we parted ways they prayed for me. It left me feeling very restored and hopeful, despite the fact that we were hiking in the rain. It made for a great entry into a new state. I am now 1/7 of the way done!