morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-30
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Stony Brook Trail from North
Miles today: 7.3

7/30, 7.3, Stony Brook TrailToday we hiked southbound, or backwards, and knocked out an easier section of trail to give our knees and legs a rest. From the hostel we hiked from US 2, south to a crossing access trail that lead back to Gorham crossing off another 7.3 of the AT. Tomorrow we will start from Pinkham Notch and hike north again to the crossing trail we stopped at today, at which point we will return to the hostel in Gorham for one last evening. It has been very restful to get a shower and good sleep each night but it is time to move on. The hike today was nothing special but a climb up for about four hours, then across and back down. We started around 9 am right from the hostel and hiked through to 4 pm taking our time so as not to injure ourselves. Back at e hostel tonight we have laid out a final plan, or I should say, Pete has laid out a final plan for our approval. We will hike nineteen more days and summit Kathadin on the 18th if all goes as planned. No zeros but a few restful short days and a couple more hostel stays to get us through. I will receive two more shipments of food from Kathy, the first of which will also contain replacement tips for my poles since I have worn the tips off so far I am close to not being able to use my camera mount Stik Pik. Other than that the gear is set and will not change from now to the end including no more warmer clothes and no need for my winter sleeping bag. Otter has covered the area we are hiking tomorrow and has not decided if he will hike on North in the morning. He could zero, since he hiked 12 hours today, and wait for us which would be nice. Nevertheless, I understand wanting to get finished. IB, JP and I were able to do so e resupply at the local Save a Lot, but there are a couple important items to have that we can only get at Walmart around here. As much as it pains him, IB is going to have to purchase a couple things from Walmart. As the end gets closer I know I will get reflective, and yet, maybe I will just be glad to be done. JP and I discussed an idea today about how he trail by now has revealed a "personality" to is as we hike which is generally an unforgiving partner that constantly reminds us he/she is in charge. My mantra has become I will take what the trail gives me, and today it gave me a nice walk in the woods that I was able to finish before the rain settled in. Silverback
Date: 2015-08-01
From: Stony Brook Trail,from South - Gorham

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

8/1, Gentian Pond Shelter, 11.8Given the wear and tear the Whites have provided for our legs and especially knees we decided to take the next section, leading to Mahoosuc Notch, in two shorter days to prepare ourselves for the notch. Mahoosuc Notch is considered one of the most difficult miles of the trail and will serve as our exit point from the difficult journey of the past several days. Todays hike, therefore, would be a shorter 11.8 miles to the Gentian Pond Shelter which has the added bonus of Moose sighting at the pond. We started hiking at 8:45 after a wonderful breakfast at White Mountain and carefully packing so as not to forget something. Our day started with a climb from 800 ft to 2500 ft over the first 3 miles. We stopped for lunch part way up and found we were only moving around 1 mph due to the climbing over rocks and up near vertical sections. After lunch the trail maintained its grip on our progress and we moved slowly through the day. Nearing he shelter at Gentian pond several southbound hikers keyed us in to the presence of the moose at the pond. As a result we hiked in as quietly as possible in hopes of catching the moose for a photo. When we arrived it was a beautiful beaver pond, but no moose. We headed into the shelter at 5 pm which means it took us roughly 8 hours to cover the 12 miles. The downside was we were really feeling all of the climbs and descents on rocky, root woven, muddy routes in our knees and feet. We were pretty sore. After settling in and eating dinner we decided to head to the pond, 100 yards away, and check for the moose. Fortunately he had returned to feed again and was making his way around the opposite end of the pond. As a bonus two beavers were swimming around the pond as we watched the moose as well. The moose is a yearling bull with a very small set of antlers and not vey large, but still unusual enough to warrant many photos. After the moose and beaver show it was time to head in and get some sleep. Tomorrow we have 11 more miles of the same kind of trail over five mountain peaks to cover and stage ourselves for the most difficult mile of the trail, Mahoosuc Notch. Silverback
Date: 2015-08-02
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6

8/2, 9.6, Full Goose Shelter, 276.9As i write this evening it is through somewhat blurred vision that I pen these words, we are in Maine. We crossed the border mid morning, took photos at the sign and a break, then hiked on like it was just kkk,ik state line. About a half hour later I was descending a boulder trail behind IB when I said, "We're in Maine!" It was actually an emotional moment for me after years of planning and many years of dreaming, this adventure is coming to an end. I realize I have a couple more weeks to hike and trust me thats plenty! But we are here. We started this morning out of he shelter at 7 feeling like we could take it a little easy only traveling 9 miles to our destination. At this point, 5:30 pm, we are all glad we were going no further. The trail today crossed several peaks and climbed up and down steep inclines each way. At times today we encountered reinforcement bar handholds anchored to the rock because there was no other way to get up or down. Additionally there were several sections spanned by ladders, and bog areas between peaks spanned by board walkways. The bog areas were particularly fun for IB and JP as they each, at separate locations, slipped off the board and knee deep into the muck. Yesterday I suggested how slow our progress was, but today was tougher still. We covered the 9.6 miles but it took every second of 9 hours until our 4 pm arrival at the shelter. For the evening we have eaten and are headed for bed asap to rest up for tomorrow's challenge. Mahoosuc Notch is a one mile valley between mountains that is spanned by a boulder scramble. All of our guides, and south bounders coming through there, tell us it is the hardest mile of the trail. Our biggest concern is the weather. We had a considerable amount of rain yesterday, and a beautiful day today. The forecast I saw three days ago suggested the afternoon storm chance was only 40%, but in the mountains we never know. I guess I will leave you with a quote from IB, "It will be an adventure!"Silverback
Date: 2015-08-05
From: East B Hill rd - Andover

To: Bemis Mountain Lean To
Miles today: 18.8

8/5, 18.8, Bemis Mountain Lean-to, 238.1 to goFrom 7 am to 8 pm we hiked. This may have been he hardest day yet and we arrived so late in the shelter I will have to fill you in tomorrow, cuz I need to sleep!Silverback
Date: 2015-08-08
From: Spaulding Mountain Shelter

To: Horns Pond Lean To
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: broken clouds

8/8, Horns Pond Lean To, 18.6, 183.1 to goIn spite of the short night we were up and hiking by 6:50 this morning. The skies were overcast but the temperature was moderate so hiking was pleasant. We had another lofty day planned with many climbs and over 18 miles in order to keep our pace. We discovered early that the trail was not going to be cooperative as it was strewn with large rocks, foot grabbing roots and a little mud just for good measure. The upside for me was that I was feeling very good again. Our hike today included five peaks, two over 4000 feet, and a low gap in between each. We climbed and descended the. Climbed and descended with the trail taking its toll along the way. It became clear very early that we were in for another long day of hiking. On an achievement note we did cross over the 2000 mile mark today leaving just 183 miles to go by the end of he day. We finally arrived at our destination, Horns Pond Lean To, at 8:30 and were greeted by the friendly face of Otter. He had hiked a couple days ahead and was so exhausted by hiking with faster hikers he took a zero in Stratton and hen hiked five miles today to get to Horns Pond. It was a good reunion and kind of fun to have caught him. i guess multiple 18 mile days will have that effect.The other effect of long days is the short nights and it is beginning to take its toll. We get a little rubber legged and stumbly in the later hours of hiking making us prone to falling at times. We have each taken a spill and fortunately the injuries are just cuts, scrapes, and bruises but that is just another way the trail reminds us who is really in charge. We settled into the shelter quickly, caught up with Otter over dinner and am falling asleep as I write. Silverback
Date: 2015-08-09
From: Horns Pond Lean To

To: West Carry Pond Lean To
Miles today: 17.9

8/9, 17.9, West Carry Pond Lean To, 165.2 to goWaking his morning I was tired and warm and did not want to get up. The sky was gray and low fog was creeping in over the ridges. We have had a couple nice days of weather in a row and wondered if it might end today. We packed and were on trail at 6:45 immediately starting our first climb. Today we planned another 18 miles but with only 3 major peaks and a couple of smaller hills we felt we could make that distance quicker than previous days. When we reached te summit of he first peak, South Horn it became apparent that photos were going to be fun to take today. We were able to see a great distance over the Maine mountains and the low level clouds made for some interesting views. Next we hiked over Little Bigelow, then Avary Peak. From there we hiked on over a smaller rise and another lower peak later in the day. The real plus today was the reduction in inclines over the past two weeks. Gradual up and downs are easier on knees and feet and we were glad to finally have them today.Water was plentiful along this stretch so we made regular breaks for snacks near streams and springs. Overall water has not really been an issue on the trail which is one side benefit of all the rain we have endured. Even the sources marked questionable in our guide have largely been flowing, and some of them profusely. We reached West Carry Pond Lean to at 7:00, much sooner than previous nights, so we had a more relaxed evening cooking and visiting. We are sharing the shelter with Walkie Talkie ........" She is a flip flopper on her last half southbound from Katahdin. That means she started at Harper's Ferry and hiked to Springer Mountain in Georgia, then restarted at Katahdin to finish her thru hike in Harper's Ferry South bound. Tomorrow we have 14 miles planned ending with the canoe ferry crossing of the Kennebec river and then a mile later on in to Caratunk for a night in a hostel. We will resupply there and hen in Monson to finish this adventure. Today it struck me that I was feeling like it was the last day of a five day hike. The end of any adventure like this leaves you dreaming of things you have not had for a while; a regular bed, refrigerator, different clothes to wear each day, and it puts a little leap in my step. Our plan from here is aggressive but we plan to summit Katahdin on August 19 so just 10 more days of hiking and we will be able to return to the real world. That should be a very interesting transition.Silverback
Date: 2015-08-10
From: West Carry Pond Lean To

To: Caratunk Maine
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

8/10, Caratunk Maine, 14, 151.2 to goToday was a very good day! The weather was perfect with sunshine and low humidity, temperatures in the low 70's. Late this morning I commented, and tempted murphy, that we had never gone four days between resupply without rain, but might make it today, and we did.We had a deadline to make today because the only way to cross the Kennebec River outside of Caratunk, our destination, is to catch the canoe ferry on schedule between 9-11 am or 2-4 pm. With 14 miles to hike we decided to head out early, at 6:30, just to be sure that if the trail slowed us we would have enough time to catch the ferry. The hiking was friendly to start with limited mud pits and pretty good trail. We took our first break 2 1/2 hours into the hike with nearly 6 miles completed and we were making good time. We headed for lunch at the next shelter 3 1/2 miles further but the trail was not as good, and we arrived around 11:30. At this point we decided we had some time to spare so Otter, IB and JP took a swim while Trudge and I took naps and ate more snacks as we took nearly a full hour break. After lunch break we headed north for the remaining 3 1/2 miles to the river ferry. Otter and Trudge pushed ahead and arrived at the Kennebec at 1:45, with the rest of us arriving at 2:15. Rock Boat, another NOBO, was also at the landing so he and Otter crossed first just as IB, JP and I arrived. Next Trudge and I crossed with Trudge in the middle of the canoe and me paddling from the front. It was a nice change to be back in a canoe and as we crossed the current picked up as the power plant let loose a couple dams upstream. This is the reason they do not let hikers ford this river anymore and the canoe ferry is actually considered the white blaze trail. After crossing we hiked .6 to he road where the ferry operators wife was set up with her pickup to sell sodas, chips and some resupply items. We sat and drank several sodas, ate chips and candy bars waiting for IB and JP. When they arrived we finished our snacks and headed to Caratunk to call the hostel. I will definitely miss the ability to eat whatever amount of junk calories I desire when I am done. We are staying at the Sterling Inn, a historic Inn built in the 1800's, where we could get rooms reasonable and comfortable beds. It was 3 pm when we arrived so we are looking forward to a nice evening off of our feet and preparing for a final nine days. We head out of here tomorrow morning hiking two days to Monson where we will resupply for a five day run through the 100 mile wilderness, after which we only have 15 miles to the end. We are all anxious to finish and hope to just stay reasonably fit until the end. The aches and pains with falls and scrapes over six months have taken their toll and we are very worn out, but we will finish. Silverback
Date: 2015-08-11
From: Caratunk Maine

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean to
Miles today: 14.7

8/11, 14.7, Bald Mountain Brook Lean To, 136.5 to goIronman Bill observed this morning as we started hiking just after 8, that stops and places along the way have a very different feel now. When we began places like Neels Gap, smoky Mountains, the Roan Highlands, Shenandoah, the Long Trail and even as late in the journey as the White Mountains each one felt like an experience along the journey. As the journey comes to a close the places we reach now feel more like milestones such as Rangeley, Caratunk and especially Monson as the Gateway to the 100 Mile Wilderness. We hike on each day with our vision focused on the end, the goal, Katahdin.Our hike this morning was pleasant and we moved along pretty quickly in spite of root strewn trails. We took our first break at a shelter 5 mikes into the hike beig sur eto don our pack covers as we left because the forecast was for up to 1/4 inch of rain, starting at 11. The rain started at 12. We had reached the summit of Pleasant Pond Mountain just as it started to sprinkle, then steady rain started as we made our way down the mountain. By the time we reached the bottom the rain was persistent enough we began modifying our goals for he day. We had hoped to go up and over the next mountain, Moxie Bald, but the trail is rocky and the rocks have become very slippery in the rain. As we hiked to the next shelter where we would decide the rest of our day we reached the bottom of the mountain and the stream that we needed to cross. Stream crossings have become routine stepping from rock to rock but nothing is routine when the rocks have been rain soaked for hours. IB crossed, then Pete and I followed. As I crossed I placed my poles carefully for stability and stepped cautiously on each rock. Suddenly my right foot slipped off the rock it was on and into the water. As I tried to catch my balance my right pole slipped, my left foot dropped into the stream alongside a rock and my pack weight thrust me forward over the rock, and in to the stream on my right side. As I righted myself I could feel the pain in my left shin and lower back. I had used my left leg against the rock to catch my fall and the swelling started immediately and as it is with any sudden twist, my back likes to shift on my hips so it is sore as well. I hiked the three miles to the shelter soaking wet from rain and stream where we decided we needed to stop for the evening. The 5 of us have joined a couple from Canada and Kaleb has hiked in as well. We have cooked and eaten and are headed to sleep as soon as we can. I will treat my injuries with Advil and hope for the best in the morning but IB and JP have said they will tether me by rope and drag me to the end if they must. Fortunately there are only a couple of larger mountains to climb in these remaining miles so on I will hike no matter what it takes.
Date: 2015-08-13
From: Monson, Maine - Shaw's Hiker Hostel

To: Long Pond Stream
Miles today: 17.6

8/13, stealth camp - Long Pond Stream, 17.6We arose to the smell of fresh coffee and frying potatoes in the hostel today. I retrieved my clothes from the laundry, dressed and tried to pack before breakfast. Unfortunately I needed some resupply, and we had decided late last night to have a supply drop made in the 100 mile wilderness. The 100 mile wilderness is just that, 100 miles with no resupply options. The sign at the beginning is a warning to not enter the area without 10 days supplies. We will go through in 6 days or less, depending on trail conditions and by having a drop we will hike out today with three days provisions and on Saturday evening we will meet a driver who is bringing us our next three days supplies, which we must box up this morning. Breakfast was ready at 7 so we all sat at two tables and were served eggs to order, bacon and home fries with juice and coffee. As everyone finished their plates, they set out plates full of fresh blueberry pancakes. Shaw's really knows how to make a thru hiker happy and has worked their way near the top of the hostel list! We were finally settled and ready to shuttle to the trail at 9 am. Not a good start for a day we planned to hike 18 miles but the weather was 68 degrees and the sky was partly cloudy, perfect hiking weather. Our trail was up and down some shorter climbs today bit did have 3 stream fords in its path. Unlike crossing small streams on rocks a full on ford requires changing out of boots and into, in my case Crocs, to wade across the stream. Fords are always a bit interesting because carrying our pack through slippery rocks and rushing water is always a challenge. We hiked well today bit with the late start, and even limiting rest stop length, we soon found ourselves with 3 miles to go and daylight fading quickly. Then, to delay us even further we met Giuseppe heading southbound. We first met Giuseppe in Georgia, then I shared the Earl Schaffer room with him at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn in Hot Springs. He had been to Katahdin and is headed back hiking south for a while so it was a good reunion but the twenty minutes to talk were hard on our remaining daylight. At 8 pm we could not discern the trail any longer so we donned headlamps and hiked on. We keep headlamps handy for this reason but this is the first time I have needed it at night. We hiked cautiously to our 3rd and final ford picking our way through mud, rocks and roots that are difficult to navigate during daylight. Eventually the daylight was gone and we made our way to the ford. Crossing was ok except headlamp light glares off the water surface so there was no seeing the rocks below. Picking our way across we each made it carefully and headed up the hill above. Once on top we were amidst a perfect trailside campsite .8 from the shelter and decided at 9:15 to make camp. I have finished dinner now and will sleep nicely with the water rushing by in the stream below camp and the cool night air.
Date: 2015-08-14
From: Long Pond Stream

To: Carl A Newhall Lean To
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

8/14, 21.6, Carl A Newhall Lean To, 78.6 to goThat was a learning experience. When I entered the 100 mile wilderness I was encouraged by various individuals, family, friends, hostel owners, to enjoy the last few days, not to hurry and to savor the experience. The only response I can honestly generate is hogwash! I'm ready to be done and off the trail. I'm ready for a privy where I don't use TP out of a plastic bag. I'm ready for a bed I don't have to roll up and carry on my back. I'm ready for a meal I can eat off of a plate rather than out of a ziplock bag. But mostly I'm ready to rejoin family and friends and for life to resume again. Oh yeah, and now to the learning experience. Entering the 100 mile wilderness is an admonition to know what you are doing in this remote area, and we did. Nevertheless we underestimated the difficulty of a lower profile and took on a very difficult three days to reach our mid wilderness resupply. His lead to two days of hiking very late. Yesterday we stealth camped after fording a stream with headlamps. Today we started our hike with a mile to make up from yesterday, and over 20 planned for today. Completing the 20 today is absolutely necessary so we can hike to our resupply and meet the delivery on time tomorrow. Our hike started quickly but our pace faded just as fast due to inclines, mud, roots and difficult trails. In addition we had several steep downhills, the hardest and slowest to navigate. It became clear we were in for a long day of hiking to make the 21.6 miles, in order to be in position to reach our resupply on time. Up and down, on and on we hiked. Stops were made for water and a few for rest, but all were kept short. We had one stream ford later in the day and made it to the edge at 7 pm, 5.5 miles yet to the shelter. We forded and set our pace to be safe, but quick. We lost light around 8:15 and started using headlamps. The trail takes on a whole different look and it is somewhat like learning to hike again. Pete pushed on ahead to get to the shelter and check the situation. Arriving at any shelter after dark there will always be someone sleeping and since it looked like we would be close to 10 when we arrived, we were not sure what we would find. Shelter spaces are first come first served until full, but can be easily overfilled if raining. IB and I made the shelter at 10:15 and were met by JP who explained there were two spaces in the shelter and very little level tent space left. It was Friday night and shelters will often be crowded with section and weekend hikers but what made sense was for IB and JP to take the shelter spots and I would set my tent. JP had found a level spot in front of the shelter big enough for my tent so I set up there, crawled inside and quietly cooked and ate my dinner. It is now 11:30 and we plan to wake at 5 tomorrow and be on trail by 6. Time to get some rest.Silverback