morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-31
From: Pierce Pond Camps

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started off with a killer breakfast. Here is what I had:One dozen pancakes (blueberry/apple)EggsSausageA glass of milkWe told Tim, our host, that Lulu doesn¢t eat that much, but he still brought her a dozen pancakes. So, I ended up eating 20 because she only ate 4.We didn¢t hang around long after breakfast because we wanted to catch the canoe shuttle across the Kennenbec River and get to the post office at Caratunk before it closed at 11:15.When we got to the river, Steve, our canoe captain was bringing a southbound hiker across. Lulu and I both came across at the same time and were at the post office on plenty of time to get our mail.After our mail was put in our packs, we were off to a small food stand on route 201. I didn¢t eat much because I was still full from breakfast, so just an ice cream sundae for me.We hiked another 5.3 miles this afternoon to the Pleasant Pond lean-to. Along the way on this hot and humid day was a beautiful cold clear stream that I had to stop and soak my feet in. Lulu wasn¢t so inclined and decided to hike on. I took time and washed up, washed my shirt and then filtered some drinking water (upstream).I caught Lulu about a mile and half before the shelter. She wanted to tent and I¢m staying in the lean-to as it is supposed to rain tonight. I hate packing up a wet tent.Tomorrow we are going to try to get to the Moxie Bald lean-to, about 10 miles and 2 mountains from here. The weatherman says it may be a wet morning and afternoon.
Date: 2004-08-01
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

Other than a little rain around 9:00 this morning, the weather was good today.We started about 7:00 and the trail soon turned steep up Pleasant Pond Mountain. It was only a 1000¢ climb and it was soon over. It was quite humid today so I was soon soaked from the inside out. When the rain came, it didn¢t really matter.I found myself picking along the trail again. Picking blueberries that is. I wonder if I¢m doing it to slow down and enjoy the end of this journey.Today I would cover some ground that would bring back a lot of memories. I was headed today for the summit of Moxie Bald Mountain. I climbed this same mountain 33 years ago as a 19 year old in the Navy.I was stationed in Brunswick, Maine in the early 70s and in 1971, I took a road trip with a friend of mine, Marlin Eister. We drove to Bingham, Maine and then out a long logging road to Moxie Lake. As we approached the lake a I saw a sign that said ¢Appalachian Trail.¢ Marlin decided to come back the following week and climb Moxie Bald Mountain.The following week we did come back and upon reaching the summit we were greeted by the fire warden manning the tower.We climbed the tower upon his invitation and spent quite some time visiting with this interesting man. He invited us to stay on his cabin located just off the summit. We were young and stupid and declined. It got quite cold that night on the ledge that Marlin and I were sleeping on, and we had wished we had accepted his invitation.The fire warden had told us of several people he had met that were thru hiking the trail and I believe that this conversation was one of the early seeds that developed my interest in one day hiking that entire trail. So today, I was here again 33 years later, keeping a promise I had made to myself to one day hike the AT.The fire tower is no longer there but I spent about an hour there today thinking about Marlin and the fire warden and myself as that young 19 year old and how after all this time I made it back here.I wondered if that fire warden was still alive and where my old friend Marlin Eister was today. I think they would like to know that I made it back. I thought you might like to know that the climb as a 52 year old was easier than I remembered it was at 19, but then I have 2000 miles to get ready for it this time.Tomorrow I¢ll be on my way to Monson and picking more blueberries and maybe dragging my feet just a little.
Date: 2004-08-02
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

The loons on the lake where I camped last night put me to sleep. What a beautiful location. I slept like a baby.I got up with the sun this morning and was hungry (go figure) so I got my food bag and dug out my granola, added fresh blueberries that I¢d picked on the summit of Moxie Bald Mountain yesterday, and enjoyed it all from my tent.Lulu got up at 6:00 and also slept like a rock, she loves her tent.The sky was nothing but blue this morning and we had a fairly easy 14-mile hike in front of us. We had two stream fords today, something we haven¢t had to do to this point. We have always been able to rock hop except on the day coming off Kinsman which we had to bushwhack around because of high water. So, off come the shoes and on with my slippers and refreshing a trip across. Lulu doesn¢t like it and says she won¢t miss this part of her trip, while I quite enjoy it.It was a pretty easy trail, with only minor ups and downs. As we got closer to Monson, I crossed a stream and noticed some movement in the water. Sure enough, some Brook Trout. The first trout I¢d seen the entire trip.Tonight I¢m at Shaw¢s Boarding House in Monson. The Shaw¢s have been keeping hikers for years at their home. I understand that over 20,000 hikers have come through their establishment since Mr. Shaw brought home the first tired and hungry hiker.We¢re going to do a slack-pack tomorrow and come back here for a second night.
Date: 2004-08-03
From: Big Wilson Stream 

To: Monson, Maine
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: few clouds

Today we did a slack-pack North to South, back to Monson.Mr. Shaw dropped us off at the Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks where we had to walk the tracks for about 50 minutes where the AT crosses. We hiked south and the first thing we had to do was to ford Big Wilson Stream. I got across ok and then Lulu started across. She was not used to being in that much current and I had to go and help her across. I don¢t know how hikers cross this in high water, as it is a quite a stream.The highlight of the day was Little Wilson Falls. These are very picturesque.At about 3:00, we reached Maine route 15 and still had to hike 3.3 miles to the Monson cutoff trail. In the distance a thunderstorm was moving our way. We made it about a mile before the skies opened up. We made good time to the cutoff trail but were pretty wet when we got there. I had a good dinner at the Shaw¢s tonight and we plan on heading out in the morning.
Date: 2004-08-04
From: Big Wilson Stream 

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

We had to walk the railroad tracks again today to get back to the point where we started our slack-pack yesterday. The trail was a little rough and difficult this morning but improved as we went through the day.We passed three very beautiful mountain streams this morning. The second one was so nice I decided to have lunch there. The three streams were Willow Brook, Vaughn Stream and Long Pond Stream. The Long Pond Stream is a pretty significant stream and is listed as a ¢ford.¢ However, there was a log across it in one spot that looked like I might be able to cross on. I got on and started across. The water was deep there and I had to bend at the waist to get my hiking poles to reach the bottom. I got across ok, but there were a couple of nervous moments. I suggested to Lulu that she wade across and not do the log. She didn¢t need any convincing after seeing me cross. This was a gorgeous mountain stream with big pools. I wanted to jump in but we just didn¢t have time.We didn¢t get as far as I wanted today because a late start and tough trail.The location of this lean-to is pretty. I¢m staying in the shelter with Circuit Rider and Lulu is tenting.
Date: 2004-08-05
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to (tented)
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We finished the Chairback Range today and crossed the Pleasant River. The trail was pretty rough until I reached the river. By then the trail got mellow and the last 6 miles of the day were pretty easy.I¢m tenting tonight near the lean-to and it¢s not supposed to rain tonight but the forecast for the next couple of days isn¢t the best.When I started planning this hike and announced my intention to use mail drops, I got all kinds of advice. Most of it was not to plan to use mail drops. One former thru hiker suggested that I wouldn¢t stay with mail drops but would start shopping as I went for my main source of resupply. I have to tell you that the mail drops have worked great and I don¢t regret them at all. My wife deserves a lot of the credit for this as she made adjustments as my tastes changed. I did pick up a few things from time to time like cookies, cheese and various snacks. If you are planning a thru hike and are going to go with mail drops, then let me make a couple of suggestions. Don¢t buy for the entire trip ahead of schedule. If your tastes change then you don¢t have a bunch of things that you won¢t use. Try not to use the post offices as the pick up point because of the hours and weekend restrictions.
Date: 2004-08-06
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to (tented)

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to (tented)
Miles today: 18.9

This morning we started for Whitecap Mountain. It is a small mountain with several smaller summits along its flank that we needed to go over to get to Whitecap.There was a heavy overcast this morning and we were in and out of the clouds. The sun wanted to peek through and eventually did.When we reached the summit of Whitecap, we were hoping for a view of Mount Katahdin, but the cloud cover prevented us from seeing the summit. A short while later, on the descent, I got a partial view of Katahdin. We stopped at the Logan Brook Lean-to for lunch and then pushed on. The trail really improved and we knocked off the miles quickly.We reached Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to before 7:00 after an 18.9-mile day. This was a good day for us in this terrain.
Date: 2004-08-07
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to (tented)

To: Whitehouse Landing
Miles today: 13.8

It rained last night and I discovered that my tent was no longer waterproof. I had a small leak but fortunately nothing important got wet. What I really dislike is packing up a wet tent. I was able to get it out at lunch and dry it off partially and again later in the day.Our mission today was to get to Whitehouse Landing. It is a wilderness camp that caters to hikers. The weather today was shaky at best, with a threat of showers most of the time. We got to Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to for lunch and it sprinkled briefly while we were there. After lunch we had another 3.4 miles before we would be standing on the dock across from Whitehouse Landing.Once there, I sounded and air horn and a boat came across the lake to pick up us. Linda, one of the proprietors picked us up and showed us around. We¢re staying in the bunkhouse, which is quite comfortable.Dinner was served from 4:00 to 6:00 and my choice was their deluxe one-pound hamburger. They are famous for this on the trail and it is easy to see why. It was excellent! Tomorrow the weather isn¢t supposed to be very good. If it still sounds bad in the morning, then we may ¢zero¢ here.
Date: 2004-08-08
To: Laura (aka Pilgrim's daughter)
Miles today: 0.0

08/13/2004Just a quick note to all of you faithful readers¢¦We are getting ready to head to Maine to meet up with Pilgrim and hike Katahdin. Thanks for all of your kind words in the guest book. I know my father is grateful for the support.I have also included a photo of our last trip to Katahdin. Who would have thought that 14 years later we would be heading back, celebrating such a wonderful accomplishment¢¦**************An update...Pilgrim reached the summit of Mount Katahdin Sunday, August 15 at 11:26 am!More journal entries and photos to follow.
Date: 2004-08-09
From: Whitehouse Landing

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to (tented)
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

Well, I finally pried myself away from Whitehouse Landing, and after breakfast, Bill took us back across the lake to the trail.About and hour after that we had our first moose sighting in Maine, and what a sight it was. We were hiking along Nahmakanta Stream when it happened. Lulu was behind me about 50 yards when I came to the section of the stream that was wide with a lot of flat water. I know that the grasses growing here made this a likely place to see a moose. I was watching as I walked the far bank and there he was, a bull moose. I stopped behind a cedar tree where he couldn¢t see me and I immediately signaled to Lulu that I had spotted a moose. She moved very carefully forward to my position. We both dropped our packs and got our cameras out. After moving to a position just short of the near bank of the stream we started to take pictures. The moose acted, a couple of times, as if he knew we were there. But after a short time he just kept feeding as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I finally had to make noises so he would lift his head so we could take pictures.After we shot all the pictures we wanted, I wanted him to come out of the water so Lulu could see just how big he was. So I made myself visible and made more noise. Up and out of the water he came and he was impressive. He stood at the edge of the stream and the woods. As we put our packs on to leave he came back into the water. This was a lot of fun, especially for Lulu, who had never seen a moose before.We stopped in an hour or so for lunch on a sandy beach on Nahmakanta Lake. What a beautiful location. We were being blessed with nice weather on these our last days in the 100-miles wilderness.We ended our day at Rainbow Stream lean-to where we camped nearby. There are a lot of people camping in the area tonight.
Date: 2004-08-10
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to (tented) 

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

The trail conditions today were from ¢soup to nuts¢. Along Rainbow Lake there were some very muddy areas, but these were some very pretty areas such as Rainbow Ledges where we had lunch. It was a very beautiful sunny day. A nice day to finish the 100-mile wilderness.I thought a lot about how this experience was coming to an end. It is strange. I¢ve been out here for so long that it seems like a separate lifetime.I am anxious to get back to those that I love the most and get busy doing other things, but this time of hiking the trail has been very special and I will miss it.I am grateful to have been given the physical and mental strength to be able to do this. There are so many people that are not able to attempt a hike like this and I guess during difficult days I would remember this and it would keep me going.There are many people that I need to thank, my family most of all. My wife who handled my mail drops and so many things at home so I could be here. My daughter Laura and son-in-law John who did a wonderful job with my journal. My son Tom who took care of so many things around the house that I would normally have done myself.I also want to thanks Leif and Zipdrive for providing this site and making it easy to use. Writing a journal is hard to do at the end of a long day of hiking, but the support I got from so many people because of the journal was great.I need to thank all of the people who provided that support, both by signing the guest book and their prayers. Thank you.There are so many others that I will thank privately. No one does this trail alone. There is so much support I received along the way that made my hike special.Fifteen miles left. Ten tomorrow and then I just need to climb Katahdin. I am waiting on weather and family before climbing the last five miles to the summit.
Date: 2004-08-11
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

A passing thunderstorm allowed me to sleep in this morning. I also got to pack up a wet tent, one of my most hated duties.It stopped raining and it was a short walk to enter Baxter State Park. The 10-mile hike had only short ups and downs past beautiful mountain streams and lakes. I did see a cow and calf moose on my walk but that was the only wildlife of the dayWe also met someone that we had wanted to meet since we first heard of him. His name is Easy One. He is an 81 year old (soon to be 82) that is hiking the trail this year. If he is successful he will be the oldest person to ever complete a thru hike. He still needs to complete a section in Maine and also in the Smokies. It was fun meeting him.It seemed like no time and I was at Katahdin Stream Campground. I stopped off at the ranger station and talked to him about my plans to summit and to insure that these plans wouldn¢t be doing anything against park rules.I met Lulu shortly after and we caught a ride to Millinocket and got rooms at the AT Lodge. Now we try to get a break in the weather.
Date: 2004-08-15
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Summit of Mount Katahdin 
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We actually didn't think we'd be climbing today. We thought it would be raining this morning. Last evening that forecast was for rain. I got up at 4:30am and looked out my motel window and I could see stars. So I turned on my weather radio and the national weather service said not to expect rain in this area until the afternoon. I called my daughter and son-in-law's room and woke them up.I felt a little funny not finishing with Lulu; after all, we were partners for 2000 miles. She summited with friends two days before me. The weather was terrible, but they made it. She had a tight schedule to keep, and couldn't wait any longer. I missed her today.We arrived at the Katahdin Stream Campground at 6:00am and started up the trail at 6:10am. It is 5.2 miles to the summit. The first mile is pretty mellow and then it's pretty much a climb. At about 2.5 miles, the three of us reached tree line, and the real rock climbing began. After about a mile of steep boulder climbing we reached the tableland, which is a pretty flat trail until the final moderate push up to the summit. Over all, 4000 vertical feet to the summit.As we approached the summit John and Laura went ahead to get some pictures of my final steps of the trip. At 11:26am I reached the summit and the end of this 2174-mile journey. I thought that this might be an emotional moment for me, but it really wasn't. Maybe the reality of it hasn't sunk in yet, I don't know. Toward the end, Lulu and I spoke often about how some of the early events that we experienced on the trail seemed like a lifetime ago. In fact, we said that this whole trail experience seemed like a 'lifetime' of it's own.I do know that the trail experience is like life in a way. It isn't the beginning or the end that is so important. Those are just dates on a calendar. When it's over what really matters is what we made of the time in between. Many hikers that have gone before me have said it this way: "It isn't the beginning or the end, but the journey that is important." How true.Well, it's over now. I've lived my dream, and I will cherish the memories for the rest of my life.To my 'true' friends, those who would never abandon me, for your support throughout this journey - THANK YOU!! To Lulu, my friend and partner, it hasn't always been easy, but we did it!Thanks for coming along with me.
Date: 2003-08-06
From: Pigeon River TN

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKE 2003Pigeon River, TN to Damascus, VABy Dave Hicks aka Poco Loco Wednesday August 6, 2003 I begin this year¢s AT hike at the Pigeon River, by I-40 and Davenport Gap near where I finished last year. Last August 30 to September 13 I hiked from Springer Mt, Georgia to Davenport Gap, Tn. Today I start hiking at 10:50AM. The elevation is about 1500¢. I hike north with a goal of Damascus, Virginia in about 10 days. The trail is immediately ascending, the air humid and the surroundings lush and beautiful and damp enuff to get legs and pants wet where the growth is thick and overgrowing onto the path. The trees act as a huge umbrella and shade the trail but also limit any distant views. I expect rain this year and hopefully am prepared for it. It is exhilarating to be back on the AT. After sleeping last night at a hostel in Damascus, Mike, from Mt Rogers Outfitters, drove me 135 miles from Damascus, Virginia to the Pigeon River. It cost $125, but it gets me on the trail sooner and I don¢t have to hitchhike to Davenport Gap. Hitchhiking was my original plan but I am anxious to step foot on the AT. My Honda awaits me now in Damascus.I pass two men at about 12:30.   At 2:50, after hiking to over 4,200¢, the trail descends to Ground Hog Shelter (2900¢). I think about hiking further but the drive yesterday from Indiana to Damascus and then the shuttle ride today has worn me down so I set up home at this small shelter. It¢s clean and a small trickle of a stream is within about 15 yards and there¢s a privy nearby, so it will work fine. The two men I passed arrive about 5PM. They are Tim and Walt from Florida and have never done this type of hiking. They are a little older than me and are good company. We are all in our sleeping bags by 8 Pm. The night is very dark within the trees and in the shelter. I wake up after a few hours of sleep and can¢t see my hand in front of my face.SUMMARY AUGUST 6: PIGEON RIVER, TN TO GROUNDHOG CREEK SHELTER, 8 MILES, CUMULATIVE 8 MILES.