morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-09-03
From: Route 17

To: Route 4
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

This morning I had my final super breakfast at the Cabin before reluctantly saying goodbye to Honey and Bear. At this hostel, more than any other place I¢ve stayed on the trail, I felt so welcomed and cared for that it was hard to leave. I was hiking with all of my gear again today although I was only carrying two days food so my pack wasn¢t very heavy. I had originally planned to take a day and a half to hike the next 13 miles but since there weren¢t any big hills and the trail was reasonably smooth I decided to try and see if I could make it to Rangely in one day. By the time I ate breakfast, packed up, and got a ride with Honey out to the trail it was 9:30 am - a late start if I¢m going to make 13 miles. By the way, listening to Honey¢s stories and her easy going manner combined with her laugh are a great way to start the day. It¢s amazing that she¢s still hiking from time to time at age 84!Last night I was dead tired and my leg was really bothering me. So I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I felt good - and that¢s all of me including my leg and foot. I tried to walk purposefully without rushing. If I do this right then I can make better time than if I hurry too fast which wears me out so that I then end up slowing down. I made sure to limit any stops that I made. If I sat down for a snack I looked at my watch and tried to get going again within 5 to 10 minutes. I skipped the several views I went by and even walked right by the shelter that was ¢100 yards¢ off the trail. I knew that if I stopped at the shelter for lunch I¢d probably meet another hiker and end up talking for an extra 20 minutes, time that I didn¢t have today. I did say ¢Hi¢ to everyone I met but it was more like ¢Hi, beautiful day isn¢t it?.. have a nice hike.¢ all while I kept moving.When I think back to how things were when I first started - stopping off at every viewpoint and signing the log books in every shelter I realize that I have one focus right now and that is to finish. I am still enjoying my adventure however I also can't wait to get back home. The trail was mostly decent today with some minor ups and downs compared to yesterday¢s hike. I arrived at Route 4 by 6 pm so that I could be waiting for Stacy at the Farmhouse Inn who showed up on time right at 6:10. I had a good meal of chili, chips, corn and ginger ale before sitting by the campfire and listening to a gal play her guitar and sing some cool songs including one about a town that was flooded when a nearby resivour was put in and filled up. The hostel was full so I¢m in my tent out back tonight. I¢m glad I decided to walk further back in the field because there¢s a group from a wedding that rented out the bunkhouse that is talking loudly out on the back porch. Tomorrow I¢m going to get up early and go walk in the pool at the physical therapy center which is just a few miles from here.
Date: 2016-09-04
From: Route 4

To: Mt Saddleback
Miles today: 5.9

The climb up Mt Saddleback was long yet decent for the most part. In today's photo I've shared one of the more challenging sections of the trail I passed over. I used to react to tough sections of the trail with a "What the heck?" attitude - surprise at the various challenges that the Appalachian Trail puts in the path of Thru Hikers. Now that I've seen so many challenges I just look for a way up and over whats in front of me and I focus on getting past without slipping or falling. The top of Saddleback was open, above tree line with mostly flat ledge type rock to walk on. The sky was clear and I had amazing views all around me. I sat down by the summit sign to eat my dinner of tortillas, pepperoni, and cheese. I noticed a family walking by with a young girl who looked to be about 8 years old. "Hmm... kind of late to be up here, it's almost 6:30 - there's only about one more hour of daylight" I thought to myself. I was still there 30 minutes later, enjoying the view and unable to decide if I wanted to hike further tonight or not, when two southbound gals came by looking for the trail down the ski slope. "I think it's on that next peak to the south" I suggested. "Do you have a headlamp?" I asked."Oh, yes, we have headlamps. Our parents are waiting for us." came the reply. I thought that perhaps their parents would be worried until they made it down the hill in the dark. After finding a spot where the wind was blocked from the West I decided to sleep out cowboy style on the mountain top. The stars are out, thousands of them, AND this time I have my glasses with me.I just saw a falling star and made a wish that I could soon be home in my wife Joanna's arms.
Date: 2016-09-05
From: Mt Saddleback

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 13.0

I awoke this morning to find that my sleeping bag had gotten wet overnight from the condensation. There's probably a way to know the humidity or dew point to be able to predict when and where I can sleep under the stars without getting wet but I haven't figured it out yet. I packed up everything except my semi wet sleeping bag and then folded it in half before strapping it to the top of my pack so that it could dry out as I hiked this morning. The trail dropped down steeply into a saddle as I made my way over to the next peak which is called "The Horn. There were a number of places that I had to be very careful not to fall and I also saw the metal ladder that a southbounder had mentioned yesterday. "I saw my first ladder" he had said.. "Hmm.. " I thought, "That means I'm going to go up my LAST ladder on the trail - I hope!"I made my way up The Horn, and then Saddleback Junior, before coming to Poplar Ridge Shelter. This is the last place that anyone saw Gerry Largay in 2013, the 66 year old hiker who tragically got lost along the Appalachian Trail. She got off the trail to go to the bathroom and couldn't find her way back to the trail. I've read quite a few of the reports online about her and have noticed that many of them contain information that contradicts some of the other reports. The sad part is that she died even though she was a part of the AT hiking community who tend to look out for and care for each other. When initially lost she may have been too flustered to think clearly, however I wish she had simply stayed put rather than moving to higher ground. What if she had made some arrows out of rocks or sticks indicating her path of travel? Would it have made a difference? So I looked around at the rugged terrain and thought about "Inchworm" (that was her trail name) today as I walked down to Oberton Steam and up to the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to which is where I'm spending the night tonight with three other day hikers and a late starting Southbounder.
Date: 2016-09-06
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

I was up early today to get a good start over a number of mountains so that I could make it to Stratton in time for my 6 pm shuttle pickup. The trail headed right up Spaulding Mountain from the shelter and I felt good even though I'd done 13 miles yesterday. I continued to skip all the views and looked at my watch to count the minutes each time I stopped for water or to eat my lunch so that I'd have a chance of making it by 6 o'clock. I managed to "camel up" or drink a decent amount of water prior to each of my climbs today so that I could get by with either very little or no water as I went uphill. I quizzed the SOBOs that I met asking them about water ahead on the trail so that I could know for sure if the stream in the guidebook was really there or if it had dried up. This enabled me to refill my water right when I needed it - after I'd made it up most of the next mountain. I felt good going uphill today, not super strong but pretty consistent. My leg muscles started to hurt at one point so I backed off the pace just a bit. I knew that I'd have to keep my speed up, or at least avoid slowing down to a crawl in order to make my miles today. It was about 12:30 pm and I was making the 2,000 foot climb up South Crocker (followed by North Crocker) and I was rewarded with a mostly decent trail. It was steep and rocky in places but most of it was just uphill rock and dirt combo. Despite the cooler temps, in the 60s, my shirt was soaked all the way through. I stopped once to wring out the sweat thinking of the few extra ounces that I was leaving behind. The trail towards the end of the day went from steep to not-so-steep to a slight downhill. This was a welcome sight and helped to keep me on time even though I was getting tired. I looked down and was surprised to see the "2000 Miles" sign that another hiker had created on the trail. I stopped, made this video, and enjoyed the moment.
Date: 2016-09-07
From: Stratton, ME

To: Sterling Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night I got a ride back South from Stratton to spend another night at the Farmhouse Inn and retrieve my car where I'd left it in Rangeley.I was going to hike North from Stratton today but decided to give my body an extra day to recover. When I hiked up Mt Saddleback a few days ago I tried out the "No shirt" method that I've seen some of the 20 something (male) hikers use. The idea was to avoid sweating on it and keep my shirt dry since I'd left my extra shirt behind in my never-ending effort to reduce the weight I'm carrying. Well, I ended up keeping my shirt dry but the slight rubbing from my pack caused me to have a number of rashy, raw spots, the worst one on my shoulder and several around my middle section where my pack belt sits. So I'm letting them heal today and will get something from the store to treat them - maybe something like diaper rash cream?"Just another part of the adventure" I'm telling myself. I do want to be careful at this point to make sure that some minor issue like this doesn't expand to make it difficult to finish the last 189! miles. I'm resupplying today, moving the car up to Caratunk, and I also went and walked in the really nice therapy pool they have here.
Date: 2016-09-08
From: Route 27 - Stratton

To: Bigelow Col Campsite
Miles today: 8.0

I stayed at the Sterling Inn in Caratunk last night so that I would be near the trailhead where I¢m parking my car today. At dinnertime I wasn¢t too hungry so I grabbed a can of baked beans from my car trunk and a rootbeer from the fridge to have along with a slice of pizza that Outback offered me. I know that may not sound like much of a meal but compared to the pepperoni and cheese on tortillas that I¢ve been eating on the trail it was actually pretty good. In the morning the Sterling Inn shuttled me down to Stratton to continue my Northward hike. It was almost 10:30 am by the time I started up the trail, warming up with a few flat miles before heading up South Horn Mountain. My leg felt good after walking in the therapy pool yesterday and the trail was decent - not too steep or rocky, just steadily up. I¢d been looking forward to getting this ¢last before Katahdin¢ day of 4,000 foot mountains out of the way for the past few weeks. Yet I found myself feeling like I was spending my last day with an old friend. ¢What¢¦ ? No more big mountains to climb?¢ I made my way up and over South Horn as I enjoyed the views and then found myself buffeted by wind and fog as I reached the summit of Bigelow West Peak. The summit pokes up into the sky like the back of a brontosaurus. Going over this in the wind and the fog had me a bit worried and thinking ¢What the heck am I doing up here?¢I found that once I made it over the other side and back below treeline I was able to take a deep breath and relax a bit. Within another 20 minutes I found the campsite that I was hoping to reach today. The caretaker had posted a map of the campsite showing where the tent pads, the privy, and two different water sources were. I hiked around looking for the first water source but the trails I found didn¢t seem to match the map I¢d looked at. (I took a photo of the map so I could refer back to it) So I turned my headlamp on and went back to where I started and then down another trail to find the other water source. It was a dripping spring with a puddle below it that I was able to get a few liters of water from. I had to push the bugs and some pine needles out of the way before using the bottom of a soda bottle I use as a water scoop to get the water I needed. I decided to skip the wooden tent platforms and instead found a place on the ground to set up my tent. I haven¢t used a platform yet and didn¢t want to try and figure it out in the dark as it started to rain after a long day. It¢s nice to be in my tent with the sound of the rain coming down. I¢m happy to have made it 8 miles up a decent sized mountain after getting a late start.
Date: 2016-09-09
From: Bigelow Col Campsite

To: Flagstaff Lake
Miles today: 9.1

Ok, I don¢t think I¢ve shared this with you yet, but I¢ve felt this way almost every morning for the past month or two. So I guess what I¢m saying is that I¢ve meant to tell you about this but I didn¢t know how you might take it¢¦ So here goes.Right when I wake up in the morning - like today for instance - when I realize that I¢m in my tent out on the Appalachian Trail, I¢m overcome with a sense of overwhelm. It¢s a combination of sadness combined with feelings of ¢what the heck am I doing out here¢, and ¢I can¢t do this¢. Having been through this before I know that I¢ll feel better in a few minutes but it¢s weird. I¢ve made it this far hiking the Appalachian Trail. I can certainly continue and most likely even successfully finish my hike. It¢s almost like my fears sneak in during that moment of conciseness when I haven¢t quite fired up the ¢I¢m doing this no matter what¢ part of my brain. So I¢m fine, really I am. I just want you to know exactly what it¢s like to be on this journey even though it feels a little strange or embarrassing to tell you about something like this. I knocked out one last 4,000 foot peak first thing this morning and then enjoyed a decent trail that guided me gradually downhill through the afternoon. I had heard about ¢trail magic ahead¢ and was pleased to arrive at East Flagstaff Road where a handful of Maine Appalachian Trail Club members were doing their annual 4 day trail magic fest.I had two rootbeers, some potato chips, chocolate cake and a couple of hamburgers. Delicious!I enjoyed talking with the hiking club members and the other hikers who came by. I even got to meet ¢Guthook¢ the guy who created the GPS app that I use everyday to show me where I am on the trail. I was tempted to tent nearby so that I could sample their breakfast offerings but instead decided to get a few more miles in toward Katahdin. About a mile before reaching my target - a campsite on a hill above the lake - I stepped out on the sandy beach of Flagstaff Lake. It was gorgeous AND there was a perfect flat spot with no rocks on it where I could set up my tent. So I¢m now listening to the sound of the waves lapping against the shore and also just heard some loons making their haunting calls for me to enjoy. This is so cool and so beautiful. Yet there¢s a part of me that is so tired of hiking that I just want it to be over. At some point I¢ll wish I was back on this sandy shore, looking up at the stars and listening to the calls of the loons.
Date: 2016-09-10
From: Flagstaff Lake

To: HarrisonÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Pierce Pond Sporting Camp
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

My alarm went off at 5 am this morning so that I could get an early start on getting close enough to make the Kennebeck River canoe ferry by 2 pm tomorrow. It was still quite dark so I turned the alarm off and went to sleep for another hour. At 6:15 I put it in gear and hustled to get ready. The trail had just a few small hills today along with a combination of smooth dirt and the more usual rocks & roots combo. I felt pretty good deciding mid-afternoon to try and make it to Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Sporting Camp. I felt like this would help give my moral a much needed boost. Besides, they offer a 12 pancake breakfast. The trail takes you right over the Pierce Pond dam which appeared to be made out of spare lumber. Really - it was a combination of various boards, logs, and rocks, all held together by old wagon spikes. It¢s been there for a long time so it must be built well enough to hold back the pond. When I got to Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Sporting Camp I was treated to another assortment of old boards, logs, branches, and fork lift pallets that were used to make the various parts of the bridge over to the camp. The camp itself was nice enough, run by a guy named Tim who¢d run it for the last 30 years. I tried out the piano but it was badly out of tune which made it hard for me to play and enjoy. I was shown to a good sized cabin with 2 queen beds but no blankets or electricity. I pulled out my sleeping bag for covers and lit the oil lamp so that I could read a People magazine from 17 years ago that was on the bookcase. It¢s all part of the adventure. Actually it feels really nice to be able to stretch out across a bigger bed. My sleeping pad is only about 20 inches wide. By the way - Today was my longest day ever on the AT - 16.2 miles and I feel good!
Date: 2016-09-11
From: HarrisonÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Pierce Pond Sporting Camp

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: few clouds

Tim rang the breakfast bell to hurry me along at 7:10 this morning as I was scurrying about trying to get my pack ready to go before breakfast. I enjoyed talking with five other hikers and eating about half of Tim¢s famous 12 pancake breakfast. He was super friendly and made a wonderful host. I had less than 4 miles to get to the Kennebeck river crossing and was halfway there when I heard thunder at about the same time the sky got dark. Really dark. It was so dark that I considered getting my headlamp out. Then it poured. I knew that I¢d be in my car within an hour or so, otherwise I would have stopped to put up my tent. Once the rain slowed a bit I did stop to wring out my shirt just so that it wasn¢t sopping wet. As long as I was moving and hiking I was able to stay warm even without my raincoat which I¢d left behind in the car. I enjoyed the canoe ride across the Kennebeck provided by Greg, explaining how my father had grown up in nearby Waterville and built canoes for most of his life as his hobby. I wanted to get a photo with me in the canoe but it was raining and the other hikers in front of me had already crossed by the time I was in the boat. I was chilled from sitting still so I hurried up to the road. The two hikers in front of me were hitching so I gave them a ride down to a nearby restaurant before heading North to my next parking spot - Shaw¢s Hostel in Monson, Maine. I had hoped to get more done today. Despite being tired I did find time to play the piano (this one is in tune), visit the AT center, resupply and pack my food for the next 4 days, write this journal entry, eat dinner, and take a shower & shave. Tomorrow I shuttle back down to Caratunk to hike the next 4 days to get back here to Monson where I¢ll head off into the 100 mile wilderness. I¢m tired and ready to be done.
Date: 2016-09-12
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Camp at mile 2048
Miles today: 10.4

I shuttled down to Caratunk today along with a section hiker named Will. I hopped out, thanked the shuttle driver from Shaw's and headed up the trail. Today's route had plenty of rocks and roots but the uphills were mostly gradual so it made for a nice day hiking.I'm finding that I enjoy the afternoons the most. The sun brightens up the forest along with my mood. Also temperature is cooler today, it feels like it's in the low 60s... nice to not be sweating all day. I was passed by a number of other hikers including Will who is in his 60s. I say I'm not competitive but then I notice that I'm trying to stay in front of other hikers I see. In most cases everyone that I see ends up going by me at some point. I made my way up Pleasant Pond Mountain and finally made it to the top. I looked toward the Northeast to see if I could spot Kadahdin but I wasn't sure if it was one of the many mountains that I could see. The trail descended which made it easier to work my way downhill. I've been experimenting hiking without the knee brace on my right side. (this is my good side) I've worn it since my knee started hyper extending, or bending backwards, in Southern Virginia. While I can bend my knee and climb easier without the brace on, at this point I should probably just keep wearing it. I'm carrying it in my pack in case my knee acts up so I may as well have it on my leg. The Guthook app has comments from other hikers about where to find stealth camping sites. These are usually just a flat clear spot along the trail where other hikers have spend the night. My goal was to reach a stealth spot that was just past a power line. However I was feeling tired and it was getting close to 7 pm which is when it's starting to get dark now. I spied a flat clear spot that was about 75 off the trail and decided to stop for the night. Since I got rid of my stove I've been eating my dinner of tortillas, cheese, and pepperoni along the trail. I usually find a rock to sit on at 5 or 6 o'clock. This is much faster than cooking dinner and it simplifies camping for the night. I arrive, put up my tent, hang my food bag, and then go to sleep. It's dark and quiet outside so I know I'll sleep good tonight.Thanks so much for joining my adventure along the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2016-09-13
From: Camp at mile 2048

To: Camp at mile 2062
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I've discovered that since I told you how I was having that moment of overwhelm when first waking up, it's gone - at least for now. I wonder if sharing something like that helps to fix it somehow. That's one of the things that I enjoy about this journal. I can tell you about my challenges and the process of doing that allows me to handle them better. Interesting... It used to take me an hour to get going in the morning no matter how much I hurried. Now I'm packing up in just under 30 minutes. To be fair this doesn't include the stretches I do for my leg and foot while I'm in the process of waking up. I'm in a hurry to get to Katahdin so maybe that's why I'm able to get a faster start these days.After hiking a few miles I ran into Will who was staying at the stealth spot just past the power line that I was hoping to reach yesterday. I tend to compare the spot I camp at to other places that I could have camped. "I picked the right spot last night because I'd have to squeeze in this spot with Will" I thought to myself as I walked by and said good morning to Will. I stopped at the top of Moxie Bald mountain (It may be called just Bald Mountain) and looked out at the beautiful countryside. I had a thought come into my head.. "Alone - sadness" Hmm.. what's that about?I realized that being up here - way out in the wild of Maine - with these wonderful views - was sad in a way. It's not that I'm lonely, I'm fine - really. It's just that this is so beautiful it would be great to have my wife or kids here to enjoy this with me. I can take photos or videos but there's no way I can capture the essence of this experience. I looked to the Northeast for Katahdin again. I couldn't see anything that looked like the big mountain, however after I started down the mountain realized that Katahdin was straight ahead in front of me. "There it is... !"I found a nice campsite which was just before a stream that usually requires hikers to ford across the knee deep water. I made a nice campfire and thought how it just might be the last campfire I get to enjoy along the trail. One other hiker made his way North past my campsite but no one else stopped to spend the night here. It's dark out now and the fire is dying down into glowing red embers. I can't believe I made it over 14 miles today! It seems that when I don't have to go up and down big mountains I can go a little further : )