morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-08-06
From: Gentian Pond

To: Full Goose Shelter 
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

The Trail was better maintained today. There were a few puncheons (logs or planks that help cross water or mud) where one end sank into the muddy water when I stepped on it. Surprise! Muddy feet. I walked around one giant mud bog and another hiker reported that he slipped off a log and went in half way from his knee to his hip in the mud. There were quite a few steep climbs up and down rocks and on slabs both up and down to challenge us. A few spots had rebar steps and there was a rebar ladder that went straight up a 20 foot climb. There were a few wooden ladders built out of logs. There was limited water today, I dumped my remaining pond water and refilled at a stream about 2 miles into my day, but there was nothing but bogs the rest of the day. I got to the shelter completely empty and immediately dumped my pack on a tent platform to claim my spot, and then went down a hill to the water source. It was a spring that was pushing out cold water but it was brown. Not a problem to drink, just unappealing to the eye.  I suffered mightily today with chafing. The sweat was really stinging and painful.  Since I haven¢t had this issue the entire time I¢ve been out here, I have to assume that it¢s related to the laundry I did the other day. I¢m hoping the Gold Bond lotion I¢m using cures me quickly.I entered Maine today. The final of fourteen states I¢ve walked through to get here.  I¢m set up on my tent platform, I ate dinner and drank a lot of fluids. I had to go back to get another two liter bag as I drained the first one plus a one and a half liter bag. It¢s clear and warm with a slight breeze.  I¢m sure I¢ll sleep well tonight.
Date: 2018-08-07
From: Full Goose Shelter 

To: Baldpate Shelter 
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We got up anticipating Mahoosuc Notch. We enjoyed our coffee to a bright red ball of a sunrise and then took off. Mahoosuc Notch is known as the most fun or most difficult mile on The AT. That¢s because the trail takes you over or under giant boulders and through caves and slots through a giant notch with cliffs in both sides. There was cool air flowing through the notch like we had entered an air conditioned room. It was very challenging and I was forced to take risks that I wouldn¢t normally take- like hanging onto a dead pine tree while rotating around a rock with my back to a huge rock 20 feet below. Thankfully the tree held me. It took us 2 hours to get through the notch.We stopped and had a break for water and a snack as the next challenge was The Mahoosuc Arm and Old Speck. The Arm was a long battle up about 1900 feet and then Old Speck was another 600 very steep slabs. I wouldn¢t want to come down those slabs if they were wet. After a rock climb to the top, there was a long downhill to a parking area that is near Bethel, Maine. Maverick was there and had a beer for me from a driver that was picking up another hiker. What a welcome beer. We got a Gatorade, pringles and granola bars from a dad supporting his daughter¢s thru-hike; much appreciated!We were headed just under 3 miles to Baldpate Shelter and as soon as we left the parking lot it started to spit rain. We stopped, put our rain covers on our packs and trudged on uphill. We walked for an hour in the rain and got to the shelter at about 5:30.  We waited until the rain stopped and got our tents set up, fetched water and made dinner before heading to bed near dusk in the damp. I hung my clothes up on a line, but wasn¢t really expecting them to dry since it was so humid, but at least they weren¢t festering in my tent.
Date: 2018-08-08
From: Baldpate Shelter 

To: Andover
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

I left the camp at 6:45. It was humid from last night¢s rain and there was a steep stair climb up Baldpate; someone built a lot of stone steps; amazing. The mountain leveled a bit and then there was a big climb up a steep rock cliff with diagonal slopes that acted as stairs. I got to the top and sat down and watched Maverick come across the bottom and then up to the top. There was a nice breeze up there. We hiked over the bald and then to a long sketchy slope down the other side of the mountain. We stopped at a shelter to get water and had a discussion about our hike and decided to Nero into Andover and slack pack tomorrow; that would get us to the same place at the same time as our original plan, just with dry clothes and a shower a day earlier.  We called and got a spot to sleep and arranged a ride for 1:30 and hiked the mostly easier ( a dirt trail!) to the road. Our ride was there at 1:00.  We got oriented, showered and walked a short couple of blocks to the general store for lunch. We went back and did laundry and planned for the next few days.  Atlas, my hiking friend that I started with in Georgia, who is a south bounder now, as he flipped at Harpers Ferry, was at the hostel tonight. Maverick hiked with Atlas too so it was a hoot of a reunion. We all went to dinner and told each other what to expect on The Trail coming up.  It was nice to see Atlas again.  Being clean and well fed is comforting and I¢m looking forward to a good sleep tonight.
Date: 2018-08-09
From: Andover

To: Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: few clouds

We slack packed today. That meant we were lighter and didn¢t carry much except the bare necessities. Our first hour we walked over 3 miles; it¢s been a while since we made that kind of time. We were only going 10 miles so we took the 9:00 AM shuttle. First we went for breakfast where I ate a three egg and sausage and cheddar omelet with toast and coffee. I can eat whatever I want now; I¢ve lost 60 pounds. Crazy. We got dropped off back where we got picked up yesterday and it started raining just a little and then quit. We had a gentle climb up 1800 feet and stopped for a break before we went down into Sawyer Notch. I slipped and ate it going down a rounded rock stair but no big deal. No injury or even bruises.  After Sawyer Notch we climbed up and over Moody Mountain.  We called Pine Ellis and told them our location and of course David was waiting for us when we got across the last stream of the day at the road.  David dropped us off at the general store so we could get lunch and drinks and we walked back to the hostel to shower and get our stinking, sweat drenched and disgusting clothes washed again. I¢m not sure why we bother since tomorrow morning, within an hour, they¢ll be nasty again. We¢re off to carrying full weight again tomorrow.
Date: 2018-08-10
From: Pine Ellis Hostel

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

David from Pine Ellis Hostel drove us to The Trail. On he way I spotted a moose ahead on the side of the road and David slowed down so we got to see her. He said it was a young cow, but she looked pretty big. David dropped us off at 7:10 and we started up Old Blue. It took me 2 hours to climb up to the top. It was a 2,000 foot climb with lots of steps and rock climbs and rebar. I took a break at the top and dried off a bit before moving on.Next up was Bemis Mountain. It was so beautiful today. Cool temps and a breeze with bright sunshine; a jewel. The forest was so green and I just had a blast up there walking through the silent woods with the sun shinning through the evergreens.I made decent but not fast time, and eventually got a view of Rangeley lake. The Trail took me over a long set of slabs that was like walking on a paved road. The thing was, all along the edges were blueberry bushes that were full of ripe juicy berries. Usually I think of wild blueberries as little things, but there were big ones. I ate handfuls and had to stop myself from picking more so I could move on. Maverick and I caught up with each other and hiked the last part of the day together. Our original planned stop had no tent sites, so we went on a couple extra miles to the lean to and carried in our water from a stream to avoid drinking pond water. We didn¢t stop hiking until 6:30, so it was a later dinner and bed was after dark. We hiked the farthest in a day since mid-July in Vermont.
Date: 2018-08-11
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To

To: Rangeley 
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

Today was a pretty easy day. We had short mileage to Rangeley and a lot of down hill. We still had to climb a bit, and there were lots of rocks and mud and roots.  We hit the trailhead parking lot at about 12:15 and there was trail magic. Yay! 2 hot dogs, a Gatorade, a bag of chips and a Diet Pepsi- thank you!We walked about a quarter mile to The Hiker Hut- a totally off grid hostel. We got oriented by the owner Steve and shown our huts. We then got to take a hot shower that used stream water and an on-demand heat by propane system. Pretty cool.  We got dropped off at the laundromat in town, did our clothes and charged our batteries and then went down the street for a meal and a beer.  We got picked up later and stopped at the IGA and then back to the hostel where there was a campfire and Steve made popcorn. We had some laughs and then just after dark, everyone turned in for the night.
Date: 2018-08-12
From: Rangeley 

To: Stealth camp site
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

8/12 13.5 stealth camp site I left after breakfast of coffee and an egg sandwich. I carried an apple  that I bought at IGA for later.  There was a major climb up Saddleback, then The Horn and then Saddleback Jr. Jr doesn¢t deserve the diminutive, it was really tough. Later I got to the Poplar Ridge Lean-To, after I slipped and did a face plant. I started going forward after I slid on a root and my pack weight just took me down. Nothing I could do except collapse.  The Poplar Ridge Lean-To is where Geraldine Largay, Inchworm, stayed the night before her ill fated side trip off trail in 2013. Unfortunately, she got lost and didn¢t find her way back to The Trail. She spent the next 26 days in the woods and ultimately passed away. There was a massive search and rescue effort but the terrain and density of the trees say, left her on her own. Dee Dauphinee, is writing a book, due out next spring, that will tell Gerry¢s story and honor her and the search and rescue effort and participants.  When You Find My Body is the title. I¢m really looking forward to reading the book as it will be filled with Trail information.  We were planning on staying at that lean-to,  but it was pretty early in the afternoon, so we kept going and ultimately found a place to camp near a good water source and on a flat old road bed. Maverick and I met Kilo, a section Hiker who has been doing sections of The Trail since 2003 and is on his last section to Mt Katahdin, and he camped with us.  We made plans to push a big mileage day tomorrow to Carrabassett Valley and The Hostel of Maine in order to slack pack the following day. That plan will gain us a day and let us slack pack The Bigelows.  With that in mind and a planned 6:30 AM start we all hunkered down by 8:00.
Date: 2018-08-13
From: Stealth camp site

To: Carrabassett Valley
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Because we made the decision to go for it today, we hit it early and hard. We hiked 18.8 difficult miles. That included Lone Mountain, Spaulding Mountain, then down to the Carrabassett River and then up The Crockers. The latter were incredibly steep and unforgiving. A relentless climb that had me panting, sweating and my heart pounding. Once to the top, it was a long slow 5 mile down hill.  At about 7 miles into the day we reached the spot where The Trail was actually completed.  We also crossed two big milestones; less tha 200 miles to go and over 2,000 miles hiked.  I called the hostel to give them Maverick and my eta and then when we got to the trailhead and within a few minutes we were whisked away to a beautiful big log hostel. A young couple just opened it this year and it was so clean and nice!  Maverick and I split a room and after we got showered, Justin the owner took our take out order and went to get everyone¢s food.  It was about 8:00 when we sat down to eat. As soon as dinner was done it was off to bed as we have a big day planned for tomorrow.
Date: 2018-08-14
From: Carrabassett Valley

To: Flagstaff Road
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

We slack packed today. It was cloudy and misty most of the day so we were wet all day. There were no views from any of the multiple peaks we labored over; North and South Horn, Avery Peak, South Bigelow and Little Bigelow.Conditions continued to be rough-damp Rocks, roots and lots of mud. Combine that with rain and things have to be slowed down for safety.  Gravity won again when I slipped on a smooth ramp like rock and went down hard on my butt and right elbow. I ended up sitting there for a few minutes waiting to see if I broke anything before moving. I ended up losing some skin on my elbow, and got a big scratch on the back of my right leg, and could move everything, so I got up and got back moving. There were more plump blueberries today and it eventually cleared up, which was nice. The last mile and a half to the parking lot where we were getting picked up was smooth sailing, so I got there in time to enjoy trail magic before our ride got there. Kilo was about 45 minutes behind, so we waited for him and then headed back for the night. It¢s to have clean clothes and be showered again after being damp from sweat and rain all day. Well fed and clean after a shower too means a good night¢s sleep.
Date: 2018-08-15
From: Flagstaff Road

To: Pierce Pond Lean To
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Justin from Hostel of Maine dropped us off at the trailhead at 8:15. We had breakfast at the hostel before we left.  The Trail took us around Flagstaff Lake and onto about a mile of trail I had been on in 2016 on a family outing to The Maine Huts. That included a steep steamy uphill that got me all hot and bothered. After I crossed a road, I met Pappy, an 87 year old who is hiking The AT for the second time and trying to reclaim the oldest thru-Hiker moniker back from Greybeard who earned it last year. The story goes that Pappy didn¢t like losing it and wants it back. We chatted for a minute and got a selfie before he headed south and I headed north.  After I saw Pappy, I had to finish the last real climb of the day and then the rest of the day was downhill. There were of course lots of round rocks, mud, slippery roots and log and lumber puncheons to navigate.  A series of thunderstorms rolled through in the early afternoon and I got good and soaked.  The Trail follows The Great Carrying Place, which was marked with a sign, where Benedict Arnold, lead the continentals in carrying their boats from The Kennebec to The Dead in an assault on Quebec. I¢m not sure how they did it. Today the path was pretty tough. Maverick and I set a fast pace for about an hour and st 3:00, we had 3 miles to go to Pierce Pond Lean-To, so I backed off and took my time. I really didn¢t want to fall again, so just eased along and got to the camp at 4:30. Plenary of tone to set up, get settled and cook etc.  At about 8:00 there was a peal of distant thunder, so I got up and got gear situated so I could react quickly if the rain came. At 11:00, I got up and closed a beak on my tent and brought my clothes in off the line when I heard the rain start. It didn¢t rain much and I stayed quite dry and comfortable in the tent.
Date: 2018-08-16
From: Pierce Pond Lean To

To: Caratunk 
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: few clouds

Up 5:15 went to the privy by headlamp. I woke to Loons that were calling on the pond. It was a beautiful morning, nothing was very wet from the light rain overnight. I hiked out at 7:00, and only was going 3.7 miles to The Kennebec river ferry. The ferry is a canoe manned by an ATC employee. I sauntered along and was at the river at 8:40. There were two young hikers that decided they wanted to ford the river (very much discouraged) just as the guide was coming across with a south-bound hiker. They were up-river a ways and in up to their waists. The guide watched them get across safely, with a few words of disdain and then I got my ride across. I was the bowman and got to help paddle. The trip across took about 3 minutes. Apparently, there are periodic dam releases that will raise the water level rapidly and significantly without warning, so that¢s why the ferry is there. The guys were pretty proud of their accomplishment; ah youth!Shortly after I got over, Kilo got to the shore and then Maverick and each in turn got ferried across.  We walked .3 miles to a major highway and met a hiker¢s (Pocahontas) mother that offered to drive us the 3 miles to The Sterling Inn. We got checked in by 10:30! At 11:30, all showered, we got a ride to a local restaurant for lunch.  My kind of day!We spent the afternoon doing chores, and I went to the post office to send food ahead to Monson, and then back to the restaurant for wing night. 12 wings and a cheeseburger with fries did the trick for me!We talked through our plans for the next few days before it was time for bed.
Date: 2018-08-17
From: Caratunk 

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

After the last few days of steep, rocky track it was nice to see a gentle smooth only slightly uphill trail for the first few miles of the day.  Maverick took off like he was shot out of a cannon and I was a bit ahead of Kilo after a while.  It was a nice day with the forecast calling for late afternoon rain. Midday, we had views back to Avery Peak and The Bigelows; I always love looking back at what I¢ve hiked. The scale and distance are remarkable-all these little steps and climbs really do add up to great distances.  I ran into 3 southbound hikers, and exchanged trail names with the last one, Holcomb who said he reads my journal and also is a blogger on Trailjournals. Nice to see you Holcomb, best of luck on your journey to Hanover!I made easy time to the Lean to at 3:30. No sign of Maverick, so I set up my tent and cooked an early dinner.  The rain came at 5:15, gently at first and then steady.  Having made all the preparations for rain, I got in my tent and made some notes and dozed for a while, then woke up and journaled a bit before going to sleep at 8:00.  It rained buckets overnight. So hard for a really long time. It was loud and I laid there thinking about how muddy The Trail would be and worried about the rivers I had to ford tomorrow. Eventually it quit raining and there were just drips from the trees the rest of the night.
Date: 2018-08-18
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-To

To: Monson
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: light rain

I was pretty dry in the morning all things considered. I had some splash that made it into the tent and my ground sheet was pretty dirty, but otherwise things were in good shape. I was able to get my kit packed and eat breakfast and stayed mostly dry.  Kilo and I decided we¢d give it a go and push for Monson in one day, despite the muddy stream we were walking in. We also had to ford several real streams and two branches of the Piscataquis river. The second one was just over my knees. Both were about 50 feet wide and not flowing too terrible to cross. My boots and socks were soaked early in the day, so when it was time to ford, I just plowed through without changing to my crocs. I did unbuckle my pack, a recommended safety procedure in the event you go down you can get it off before it takes you under.  The terrain wasn¢t too bad for elevation and there were even some smooth sections, just not enough of them.  I got cell service and called Shaw¢s and added a night, and thankfully they had a room available. As it turns out, it was a separate ¢suite¢ in the owners home over their gear shop. I lucked out. I made it to the parking lot for pickup and there were two other hikers waiting for a ride and Kilo was close, so we waited for him.We got to Shaw¢s, at 6:15, got settled and caught up with Maverick. He hiked the entire way from Caratunk to Monson yesterday, arriving st 10:30 PM after 36 miles and camped in the parking lot. Shaw¢s fetched him this morning.  Check out Maverick¢s YouTube channel to see some more of The Trail.https://youtu.be/Cpz0nExi07w
Date: 2018-08-19
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Maverick, Kilo and I met for breakfast at Shaw¢s at 6:50.  After we ate, we checked out the gear shop and did various chores before heading to the ATC visitors center. We got lots of good information about the end of The Trail in Baxter State Park, which has some very specific rules. We stayed there for about a half hour and then walked to a gas station to buy a few items for the day.  We returned to Shaw¢s and I washed my ground sheet and tent and laid them out to dry, organized my food so I could create a list of supply needs and relaxed.  We went for barbecue and got offered a job clearing brush from the bartender¢s property, but politely declined. After lunch we walked back and I took a nap for a while before dinner at The Lakeshore House.  A nice day off with the decision to take one more tomorrow before hitting the 100 Mile Wilderness.
Date: 2018-08-20
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We had Poet¢s fine breakfast again this morning; eggs cooked to order, bacon, home fries, and all you can eat pancakes.  I ran my 100 Mile plan past Poet afterwards and he gave me some suggested tweaks and gave me the rundown on a food drop bucket. I resupplied in the shop there and then when Maverick and Kilo were ready, we got our bucket together and labeled.  The food drop would be at Jo Mary Road on the afternoon of Day 4 of the 100 Mile Wilderness, at about 60 miles in. That gave us a 3-4-3 to carry-3 breakfasts, 4 days of snacks and 3 dinners. We split the $80 cost of the drop, so it was a no brainer to not have to carry enough food to make it the whole 100 miles, especially since the first miles had some decent climbing.  We ate sandwiches for dinner from the general store and built a fire at dusk. About 15 hikers sat around the fire swapping stories and chatting for a couple of hours before bedtime.
Date: 2018-08-21
From: Monson

To: Stealth Site at 2090.8
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After breakfast, Poet drove 8 of us in his Suburban to the Trailhead where we entered the 100 Mile Wilderness. On the way he gave us more to think about in terms of really enjoying the last days of our hikes and true to his trail name recited some poems that he wrote that were really special.  The group naturally split up and separated, with a few people gone in minutes, never to be seen again, and others passing each other the rest of the day.I¢m not sure it was really any different than other parts of Maine, but it felt really adventurous to be the HMW. It was fairly gentle terrain with a lot of roots and rocks to negotiate and one ford, where I changed into my crocs. There were a few beautiful ponds that The Trail took us around. I¢ve been super cautious of late-getting so close to the end that I don¢t want to risk injury, so it took longer than I expected to reach a beautiful camp spot next to a stream. I got there at 4:30 and got set up. Maverick was already there and Kilo came in a little bit later.  It was great having the sound of the fast flowing stream as white noise to sleep to.