morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-14
To: Update
Miles today: 0.0

We have been living the nomad lifestyle since our last update. After a brief stay in Knoxville, TN and Savannah, GA, we are currently in Toccoa, GA visiting my (Keith's) family. We scheduled our Northeast GA visit around my brother's state track meet. He qualified for the one mile and two mile races (1st in his region in both events - had to throw that in). We are real proud of him since he came in 5th in the one mile at a time of 4:35, and 3rd in the two mile with a personal best time of 10:06. Needless to say, he could smoke Lisa and me...We are in the process of making our final reservations for Portland thru our hike to the summit of Katahdin. We've also been making "hiker boxes" for my Mom to send later down the trail. Basically, we're just tying up some loose ends so our provisions will be ready for mailing. Also, we have increased our workout regiment in an attempt to keep Katahdin from kicking our butts. We'll see...Cheers!
Date: 2005-05-31
To: We're Off Eve
Miles today: 0.0

The time is finally here. We leave tommorow from Hartsfield International and will be arriving in Portland, ME that afternoon. It seems that's where our AT Adventure will begin. Over the past month, we've really enjoyed hanging out with our families and friends and have gotten spoiled with all the warm hospitality. However, we are pumped about getting to rough it in the woods and finally start this trail. On another note - So far the trail to the summit of Katahdin is still closed related to snow, ice, and other weather conditions. Therefore, we may not be able to summit Katahdin at this time. We are a little bummed but we'll see; it may open by Friday. If not, we will have to make plans to pick up that five mile section later on. We'll keep you up to date, but keep your fingers crossed! Also, we added a few mail drops under our "Mail Drops" link on the left hand side of this page.It will probably be a couple of weeks before the next entries and pics get updated since we will be mailing our entries and memory sticks home from Monson, ME (Approx 115 miles South of Katahdin) to our families to update. Peace!
Date: 2005-06-01
To: Getting There
Miles today: 0.0

Today was one of travel- we left Smyrna, GA for Hartsfield at 6:00 AM and departed for Portland at 8:45 AM (our flight was delayed by 45 minutes because of bad weather). After connecting in Newark, we finally arrived in Portland around 1:00 PM. Fortunately, our backpacks were waiting on us at the baggage claim, the hotel shuttle picked us up; we settled in and made a few calls before heading to Portland's downtown. Portland's downtown waterfront district was very unique. It was quite different from the Southeastern waterfronts in that there were apartment complexes practically on the water and lobster traps as far as the eye could see. We had a great time enjoying some local brews and delicious Maine lobsters. Apparently, Maine was looking forward to having us- it has rained 24 days out of the last 31. When we arrived, Maine welcomed us with brilliant blue skies and a temp that was right on traget for this time of year.Tomorrow we head for Medway via Grayhound. Six hours of travel in a bus- can't wait...
Date: 2005-06-02
To: Still Getting There...
Miles today: 0.0

Last night we rested very well in a plush pillowtop bed (we won't be seeing anymore of these anytime soon). We grourged ourselves on a scrumptious breakfast buffett before heading back to the room to be lazy before checkout. After checkout, the shuttle service took us to the Portland shuttle station; where we waited patiently for a bus trip to Medway. We took a Greyhound to Bangor from Portland stopping at many more bus stations before we arrived. Since this was our first bus trip we had much to learn- like you stop250 times during your 200 mile trip. We picked up the CYR bus line in Bangor around 6:00 PM and arrived in Medway around 7:45 PM.We got a ride from the bus line in Medway t our hotel just down the street- the Katahdin Shadows Motel, we're off to bed early in preparation four our Big Day tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-03
From: Abol Campground

To: Baxter Peak- Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The Great Day finally arrived! We were up at 4:30 AM in preparation to catch our 5:30 AM taxi to Baxter State Park. We were so anxious to get started it seemed like forever to get to the gate...unfortunately, the Hunt Trail was still closed; however, another summit trail was open. While we weren't able to summit using the "AT" trail, we were still able to summit! And, oh what a summit it was, they should use the term "hiking" loosely here. It was more like bouldering! We started out at 1697 feet above sea level and finished at 5260 feet in less than 4 miles! No words can describe and no picture can do justice to Mt. Katahdin. It was a near vertical ascent with rocky boulders that took us to Thoureauh Spring where it intersects the AT 1 mile south of the Peak. While the climb was brutal, the rewards were well worth it. We had a panoramic view of mountains, cliffs, forests, and ponds leading to the summit. We celebrated at the top of Mt. Kathadin not fully realizing our work has just begun. The descent was brutal but we made it. We are now relaxing at Kathadin Stream Campground in our tent for fear that if we step out the bugs will eat us alive. Did we mention those were a little bad here, too? Thank God for deet and headnets. P.S. We actually walked around 10 miles- we went up and down Abol trail then back to Katahdin Stream Campground.
Date: 2005-06-04
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Rainbow Spring Campsite
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We failed to note in yesterday¢s journal that we met two fellow Southbounders from Connecticut. Their names are Mike and Blake. We actually summited Katahdin with them - they gave us a ride back to Katahdin Stream Campground, too. Anyway, they are keeping an online journal at www.maine2georgia.com - check it out; they are cool guys. Awoke this morning at 5:00 AM and were hiking by 6 AM. Started out with surreal hiking around Tracy Pond - even saw a couple of beavers that slapped their tails at us. Too cool! Afterwards, we passed more ponds, huge waterfalls, and spectacular views of Katahdin. About 2-3 miles before Abol store and Camping Area, we had to ford an intense river. The footbridge apparently just washed out. So, Lisa and I picked a safe route to ford and went for it. We made it across feeling pumped with adrenaline and refreshed since the water was ice cold. When we got to the Abol store, we ordered up a couple of burgers and downed them in seconds flat! After our feast, we made our way into the 100 miles of wilderness - the most remote part of the entire AT. We took a picture and proceeded on. Originally, we had planned on stopping at "Hurdbrook Lean To" (13 miles) but we got there early and decided to press on another 8 miles since the bugs were awful. As soon we got to our campsite on Rainbow Lake, we jumped in to wash off and to also seek refuge from the black flies and mosquitoes. BTW, there is also another SoBo here tonight. His name is Auggie. He's from Baltimore and says he wanted to thru hike the AT on his 40th Birthday. He is a nice guy! Well we're off to bed and praying for less bugs tomorrow and slightly cooler temps. All in all, we're having a blast. Goodnight!
Date: 2005-06-05
From: Rainbow Spring Campground

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-To
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Since yesterday was such a big day for us, we slept in till 6:30 AM. After cleaning up camp, we headed out around 7:45 AM. The trail parallels Rainbow Lake and we were pleasantly surprised to see our 1st moose of the hike. He was across the lake playing in the marsh. Pretty neat! After the sighting, we hiked through a low lying area until reaching Nesuntabunt Mountain - the last elevation before our shelter. Going up wasn't too bad, but Lisa has a few blisters on her pinky toes that hurt all the way down. Nonetheless, we made it in good spirits to camp. Auggie greeted us at the Wadleigh Stream Lean-Towith a great fire. The smoke seems to keep the mosquitoes and black flies at bay. After we bathed off in the stream, we began preparing dinner. Later, Blake and Mike wandered into camp. We really enjoyed the company and Lisa even earned her trail name - Samoa. A great night was had by all and we look forward to the White House Landing tomorrow!
Date: 2005-06-06
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean To

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 7.7

Today was a pleasant day of hiking. We were on the trail by 7 AM and at the White House Landing by 11:30 AM. The morning was cool and cloudy which apparently convinced the bugs to take a day off - fine with us! Today's walk mainly consisted of walking on the Nahamakanta Lake shoreline and then paralleling the Nahamakanta Stream. We finished up by taking a .9 mile blue blaze trail down to a boat dock. As instructed, we blew the air horn to summon a pick up by boat from across the lake. Our destination - White House Landing. Bill and Linda, the proprietors of the White House Landing, stumbled upon this place while on a fishing trip several years ago. Their orignial intentions were to cater to ice fishermen and snowmobile enthusiasts. However, it wasn't until his Dad thru-hiked the AT in '99 that helped him realize that hikers were a potential market, too. Since then, he and his wife find that most of their revenue comes from hikers. Indeed, they have carved themselves out quite the niche. They have all the backpacker food you need to get you to your next drop, and even cook delicious meals to boot. Now on to the trail names: Last night as we were sitting around camp, Lisa said her sister wanted to caller her Scout since she was a girl scout growing up, plus led a troop while in college. She also bragged about her troop selling the most cookies; almost instantaneously Blake and I looked at each other and said "Samoa" - that's the birth of Lisa's trail name. Now on to mine... I love to drink water out of my platypus while I hike. In fact, I've been drinking three 70 ounce bladders during the course of the day. Some may say that excessive, or man, you drink like a fish, or at least that's what the group we¢re hiking with says. Also, I get in the water every chance I can. So, "Gills" it is... Well, I'm signing off. I can barely hold my eyes open after the huge dinner of pizza that Linda cooked. Tomorrow morning is all you can eat blueberry pancakes. Can't Wait!!
Date: 2005-06-07
From: White House Landing

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean To
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: scattered clouds

After a restful and much needed stay at White House Landing, we ate a schmorgisbord of delicious breakfast food. We then resupplied and headed back across Pemadumcook lake to start on today's journey. While the black flies have seemed to diminish, the mosquitoes have multiplied. The temperature was in the 70's and the terrain was fairly flat. We had a great hike, but the breaks were a bit buggie. Talking with Auggie this evening over the fire, we discussed how different our bodies are already. For hiking almost 14 miles today we really are not as tired as we have been. Maybe we are starting to get those "hiker legs" everyone keeps mentioning, or maybe yesterday's break at the WHL re-engergized us more than we thought...
Date: 2005-06-08
From: Cooper Brookfalls Lean To

To: Carl Newhall Lean To
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We hit the trail at 6:10 AM this morning and hiked the 8.1 miles to East Branch Lean To by 10:00 AM. When we got there, Blake (Super T) and Mike (Don King) were just about to leave for the day. Our plans were originally to hike to Logan Brook Lean To for the day, but Super T and Don King talked us (me, Samoa, and Auggie) into hiking the additional 10(+) miles to the Carl A Newhall Lean To for the night. BTW, those last few miles that took us over Whitecap and the Gulf Hagas Mountains were pretty tough! However, the views and terrain were awesome even though the weather was overcast and intermitanently rainy We had a big day and consequently super tired. So, off for now and hopefully we'll be in Monson, and out of this 100 mile wilderness, by Saturday! Southbound and Down!
Date: 2005-06-09
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean To

To: Chairback Gap Lean To
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in until 6:30 AM and were hiking around 8:30 AM. The trail was nice and smooth all the way to the ford at the West Branch of the Pleasant River. During that section we met a couple of trail "Maine"tainers who were clearing a few blow downs off the trail. We also passed up taking the Gulf Hagas Trail loop since the weather was slightly overcast. Oh well, we'll come back to do it some other day. When we got to the ford, we strapped on our camp shoes and waded across. The water was approximately knee deep and super cold, but it felt so good on our feet! After we forded, I went back out into the river and baked in the semi-sun on a nice rock I found. Auggie was there to just enjoying the day. Afterwards, we made our long and steep ascent up Chairback Mountain - this baby was a climb! When we finally reached the top, you could see forever! And just before we reached today's destination, Chairback Gap Lean To, we met this real nice hiker, Squirrel Meat. He SoBo'd in '03 and is up here with some friends section hiking through the 100 mile Wilderness. He's was a real nice guy, and even promised us trail magic when we got to Damascus, VA since that's where he lives. When we got to the shelter around 1:30 PM, there were several other section hikes that were stopped for lunch. We chatted for a bit and had a great time getting to know each other. The camaraderie out here is awesome. Everyone is so nice and respectful - at least that's the way it's been so far. Well, off to bed; we have a big day tomorrow. Going for 16 miles over some rough terrain. That will set us up for a NERO (near zero day of hiking in terms of mileage) into Monson on Saturday. Can't wait for a shower, hot meal, and cold beer!!! P.S. Our group of 5 is still together. It sure has made our trek through the wilderness much more enjoyable. Auggie, Super T, The King, and us all say hey and we miss you.
Date: 2005-06-10
From: Chairback Gap Lean To

To: Big Wilson Stream- South of ford
Miles today: 16.5

All of us were up at 5:15 and hiking by 6AM as we had a big day of hiking in front of us. Immediately Columbus Mountain greeted us followed by Third Mountain, Fourth Mountain, and Barren Mountain. These mountains had no switchbacks; therefore, we had no choice but to go straight up and straight down. Maine has been much like this so far¢¦ Our group met up on Barren Mountain for a break and also to take in the views its summit provided. There was also a fire tower on the summit which we climbed. It was neat looking back at the mountains we had just traversed and also looking forward to the ones we haven¢t. After Barren Mountain, everybody decided to meet up at Long Pond Stream Lean To to resupply on water. Upon reaching the stream, we found our first trail magic (trail magic is an act of kindness extended to thru-hikers from perfect strangers)- a cold Budweiser beer that someone had left. We shared it among the five of us and we all agreed that it was the best beer we¢ve ever tasted! We then proceeded down to Long Pond Stream where we all played, bathed, and ate our lunches. To finish up our day, we had a couple of real steep climbs up a mountain until we descended down into Wilson Valley¢s Lean To. After we arrived at this shelter, it looked like there might be a thunderstorm rolling in, so we decided to go ahead and ford the highly anticipated Big Wilson Stream. It was approximately waist deep in places accompanied by a moderate current. Samoa, Super T, and Don King made it across ok, however, I wasn¢t as lucky. Halfway across I got cocky and took a spill. I had to dive down stream to catch my flip flop that came off. I managed to keep my pack dry but I was soaked. It actually felt pretty good, so I wasn¢t too bummed. Tonight, we¢re about 12 mile south of the ford stealth camping along the river. We plan on getting up at 3:00 AM so we can be hiking by 4:00 AM in order to get to route 15 and hitch into Monson before the Post Office closes - need to pick up our mail drop. What a day!
Date: 2005-06-11
From: Big Wilson Stream- South of ford

To: Monson!!
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Our plan came together. We were all up by 3 AM and hiking by 4 AM (by the way, it gets light up here by 4:15 AM). There is nothing like starting out your hike for the day by climbing straight up a big mountain while the sun rises! We (Super T, The King, Samoa, and I) all took our first break at Leeman Brook Lean To where we were pleasantly surprised to find our 2nd round of trail magic- fun size chocolates. We ate a few, took a breather, and headed on. The scenery we encountered today was awesome! There were beautiful lakes, rivers, and mountains - apparantely this is Maine's common landscape. Once we arrived at route 15, we got our 1st hitch into town within about 10 minutes. This super nice girl picked us up (all four of us nasty hikers - Auggie stayed behind at the Big Wilson Lean To last night) and dropped us off at the Post Office in Monson. Lisa and I picked up our mail drop and sent home our water filter, knee brace, thermal underwear, bowls, salt and pepper shakers, gloves, skullies, gaitors, and our topo maps 1-3 of Maine. We¢re going to be using Aqua Mira (chemical treatment) as a means of treating our water. Not that our packs were too heavy, the above were items that weren¢t being utilized. And it¢s not fun carrying extra weight. Our packs are well under 30 pounds a piece now. After we checked in at the Lakeshore House, we took much needed showers. I (Keith) got our stinky laundry together and washed it as soon as I could. Our group plans on coming over for beers at our place this afternoon since we¢re right on Lake Hebron. Then we plan on going out for BBQ around supper time. Now it¢s time to call home and rest. Wow, we're so thankful to be in Monson!
Date: 2005-06-12
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

First, Lisa and I want to say how blessed we feel to have had the type of weather we experienced while hiking through the 100 mile wilderness. It rained 24 out of 31 days up here last month and its hardly rained on us at all since we've been here. The day it did, we were at White House Landing! So, thank all of you for your prayers - we can definitely feel them! Keep ¢em coming ¢ we got a long way to go! Also, it was so nice to get to talk to our families¢ yesterday - we miss all of you and can¢t thank you enough for your love and support. Well, yesterday and today (our first zero day) was just what the doctor ordered! We¢ve been eating, chilllin¢, eating, chillin¢, etc. and it has been great! Lisa and I got up this morning and walked up to the Shaw¢s to purchase some Aqua Mira and more deet. Then stopped by the General Store for biscuits, chocolate milk, and ice cream. We¢ve been eating like pigs! Hey, we figured we deserved it since we walked 120 miles in 7 days! Certainly not the fastest trek through, but pretty good for abunch of greenhorns... Super T¢s parents are driving up from Connecticut today, so hopefully we'll get to meet them later. We met Mr. Mannion (Super T's Dad) on Day 1 at the summit of Mt. Katahdin - it will be nice to see him again. Shouldn¢t be too hard relaxing out by the lake today¢¦ Hopefully, tomorrow we can get a quick hitch back to the trail so we can make our way South towards Caratunk. We shouldn¢t be more than 3-4 days between towns from now on. P.S. Maybe at the next town, we'll send our camera's 1st full memory stick home to my Dad for him to upload to this site. Stay tuned for those - there are some pretty awesome shots of our summit to Katahdin as well as Moose and our group of hikers we¢re currently hiking with!
Date: 2005-06-13
From: Monson

To: Moxie Bald Lean To
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

After two nights of well rest, we finally headed out of the great town of Monson and began to make our way to the AT. We stopped by the General Store one last time for biscuits and OJ on our way to the Shaw¢s. Keith Shaw Jr. told us yesterday he would give us a ride back to the trail head this AM to save us the trouble of having to hitch. We would have liked to have stayed with the Shaw¢s, but we found a cheaper stay at the Lakeshore House¢¦ The AT welcomed us back with hot temps, high humidity, and lots of bugs- ahhh, good to be back! Today¢s hike was extremely easy since it was mostly flat. We (our group) stopped for lunch at the Branch of Piscafaquis River where we swam to cool off a bit. Currently, Samoa and I are in our tent seeking refuge from these black flies and mosquitoes. They are really bad tonight! Oh well, guess they're as much a part of this adventure as we are! Goodnight.
Date: 2005-06-14
From: Moxie Bald Lean To

To: Pleasant Pond Lean To
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: moderate rain

This morning we woke up to cooler temps and a light drizzle. We ate a quick breakfast, packed up, and were hiking by 7 AM. Immediately, Moxie Bald Mountain greeted us with a sweat inducing climb. Once we reached her summit, we walked over to the sign and began our quick descent since the wind was whipping up a cold wet chill. On our way down, the rain really began to fall which made for some slippery walking. Thankfully the descent was < than a mile so it wasn¢t too bad. After the downhill walk, our group (Don King, Super T, Auggie, Samoa, and I) met at Bald Mountain Brook Lean To for a snack and discussed the rest of the days hike. Instead of camping somewhere in the rain, we decided to hike 9 more miles to the Pleasant Pond Lean To. *A Little Anecdote*Not long after leaving Bald Mtn Brook Lean To, Samoa and I approached a beaver pond AKA JOE'S HOLE, and the AT blazes visibly showed the trail going right through the middle. Samoa decided to take the alternate route, which I thought there was going to be a substantial amount of bushwacking involved, where it would meet back up with the AT again on the other side. I (Gills) was apparently looking for a defining moment and decided to try and ford while Samoa "bushwacked"... Obviously, this was a bad idea, but being the stubborn Man that I was, I had committed myself to this point and I wasn¢t going to be denied. At approx 20 feet into the ford, I was already at belly button depth and contemplating my next move; swimming. Thankfully, Super T and Don King arrived when I was in the midst of my stuper, and snapped me back into my senses. They said, ¢Hey, what in the hell are you doing?¢ I said, ¢Ah, Samoa decided to take the detour, but I chose the ford. They talked me into coming back to shore and hiking with them around the pond on the alternative route that Samoa took... Looking back, I realize how stupid of an idea it was, but at the time I couldn¢t. Tonight we're at the Pleasant Pond Lean To, and all of us are laughing hysterically right now about that story. I guess you would just have to have been there - too funny! Tomorrow, we got a short 6 miles into Caratunk where we¢re debating taking a NERO. It depends on the time we arrive since we have to use a ferry service (9 AM-11AM are the hours of service) to cross the Kennebec River. I don't think I will try to ford this one... Ahh, the joys of the trail.