morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-03
From: Crescent Pond

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 11.7

Jay:So today was a change of pace for us. We took a detour in the afternoon to an awesome spot called White House Landing. It is a little off the trail where a couple runs a hostel/camp store/restaurant. It was a great break for us with the shorter day and being able to take showers! They cooked us up 1 pound burgers and pizza which Mary and I polished off with little effort. Then a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream to top it off!! I guess we were hungry.Tomorrow after an all-you-can-eat breakfast, it will be back to the grind. We are planning on six days to Monson from here. Trail conditions: muddy, humid, some off and on rain.Word of the day: RigidityP.S. Leen, I checked Maine off the skinny-dip column today! Ahoy!
Date: 2008-07-05
From: Mountain View Pond

To: Carl A. Newall Lean-to
Miles today: 12.7

From Jay & Mary: We did not write last night because we were smoked from our longest day yet. We had a great day after our "All You CAN EAT" breakfast at White House Landing. We were also able to enjoy a dip in the stream in front of Cooper Brook Falls lean-to. Today definitely contained tougher miles over the first real mountain(s) since Katahdin. Our campsite last night was infested with the mosquito version of Woodstock (bad acid and all), which made us reluctant to leave our tent safe haven until after our normal departure time. Once we got going, White Top Mountain and its fellow minions extracted gallons of sweat. The downhills especially were tough due to the rocky terrain and steep slopes. However, at least we seemed more upbeat than the Outward Bound kids going the opposite direction.On a side note, Jay has downed everything Mary has produced from our food bag, including several items he would not have touched last week. We have had one casualty. Mary's camelbak exploded yesterday and gave her a good soaking. We will have to pick up another at the end of the 100-mile wilderness.Tomorrow brings us another set of mountains to climb, but civilization is just a few days away!
Date: 2008-07-06
From: Carl A. Newall Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: few clouds

Jay: Hot and tough, long day for us. Pushed to reach the lean-to we are staying at over some little buggers of mountains. We summitted four: Chairback, Columbus, Third & Fourth and are camped near the top of Barren Mountain. We got some great views from some of the peaks, from others...just trees. Oh well, as we've started to say, "All the miles count." The end of the 100 mile wilderness is somewhat in sight, planning on another big day tomorrow!
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: Leeman Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

Jay: Wow, totally smoked! Today was much tougher than we expected as we came out of the bigger mountains. Turns out though, ten little steep climbs are as bad as one big one. However, we are now just three miles from the road to Monson (we'll hitch in the final few miles on the road.)We have now spent the last three nights with Wes and Stacey a couple from Tampa, Florida. They're doing a SOBO hike as well and are keeping the same pace. We have been sharing what different things we are craving from town:Jay: Mountain Dew and GatoradeMary: CheetosWes: PizzaStacey: SaladWell off to bed so I can wake up and indulge!
Date: 2008-07-08
From: Leeman Brook Lean-to

To: Monson
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: few clouds

Jay & Mary: Finally. We are out of the 100-mile wilderness and in a bed. After an easy hike, we reached the road for a quick hitch to Monson. Cars go really fast! After a mountain dew we headed to Shaw's Boarding House which is the thru-hikers headquarters of the area. We met up with some hikers we encountered so far along the way, as well as some new faces. Today was spent with errands: food, showers, laundry, food, post office, gear, food, internet & food. Definitely good times all around now that we have completed the first big step of our journey. Tomorrow it is back to the woods, but with the confidence that we will be able to conquer what this trail can throw at us. We have learned some lessons in the last week, and are looking forward to applying them. Woohoo!!!
Date: 2008-07-09
From: Monson

To: Moxie Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

TITLE: Today's Special: RainFrom Mary: After a peaceful night's rest at Shaws in Monson and with full bellies from breakfast we headed back to the trail. We traveled today with a fellow southbounder named Joel, from Orange County, California. He is a very likeable person, keeps good pace, and is a good sounding board for Jay's South Park quotes. Although we traveled a good distance today, a considerable amount of time was spent on some of the nicest, flattest trail we have seen yet. That was until the rain started. As we completed our second river ford of the day the thunder began and a short rain followed. This complicated matters on the trail slightly with more slippery rocks and roots. Then the rain stopped for awhile. The thunder started up again and the monsoon started. We were less than two miles from our destination lean-to, but we were soaked through by the time we reached it. Six people had already made the lean-to so we were forced to find some sitting space and wait out the storm which lasted another hour. We ate dinner in the lean-to and at the first slight let-up of the rain ventured out and set up our tent where I sit now listening to rain drops pitter-patter of the trees onto our cozy little home. On a gear note, things in our packs remained mostly dry through the rain. The Bora Pack is living up to its expectations. No pack covers necessary for us just yet! I was also given a trail name today of "Fjord." Story goes I was trying to ask about our next "ford" and it came out fjord, and there you have it a trail name was born. There is so much more I would like to write about, but it will have to wait for next time.
Date: 2008-07-10
From: Moxie Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 18.8

From Jay: Lots of happenings today. We did two separate mountains today: Moxie Bald & Pleasant Pond Mountain. The former was pretty easy and had some great views, the latter was a pain without much redeeming value. However, I did spot a black bear for all of three seconds as it tore through the woods away from us. We ended up doing a longer day than expected as when we reached our original goal for the day we still had it in us to go further to Caratunk. We are now staying at a cool lodge/resort that we hitched a few miles up the road to. I think we'll "zero" here tomorrow as we are both in need of some rest and our feet could use some healing after the wet trail conditions.
Date: 2008-07-12
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Jay & Mary:Felt much better this morning after our rest day. We started with the canoe ferry over the Kennebec River which was definitely a new trail experience. The trail was quite pleasant today; pretty flat, nice scenery, and less than average rocks/rotts/mud. Waterfalls and picturesque ponds were the order of the day as we took it easy on the miles to prepare for tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a booger with some tough climbs into the Bigelow Mountains. Tonight the lean-to area is filled to capacity with familiar faces. We have a group of southbounders who seem to be traveling at the same rate and it is great to feel the sense of community. We are keeping our spirits (and caloric intake) high to face the callenges close ahead!Meal of the day: Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches on english muffinsCraving of the day: chocolate malts
Date: 2008-07-13
From: Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Avery Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Jay & Mary: Well, that was interesting. So that storm that everyone has been talking about hit while we were climbing Bigelow Mountain today. But we'll come back to that. The day started off smoothly enough. We covered the initial miles of the day with little difficulty and made it up Little Bigelow Mountain for lunch. We actually had cell phone service so Jay called his sister to catch up. About 20 minutes after leaving that summit, the proverbial $SX!t hit the fan. First, we found our friends, Gash & Stacy, huddled over Gash's leg trying to determine whether he had just broken it in a fall. While we applied first aid and developed a plan the heavens opened. Gash's leg seemed to be OK for movement, so we made our way down in the storm. We left them as they headed down the mountain and off the AT to head to Stratton. We headed up Bigelow. It was definitely windy & rainy on the way up, but when we reached the summit things really got cooking. Jay, with some hurricane experience, estimated gusts up around 100 mph. Mary was nearly airborne on more than one occasion. We were able to reach the campsite below the summit and decided to hunker down. Jay actually laid in the tent to keep it on the mountain while Mary battened down the hatches. So now we are laying here listening to the wind huff and puff and try to blow our tent down. Things are looking good though, especially after dinner and changing into dry clothes. Stratton Tomorrow!Song of the Day: "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
Date: 2008-07-14
From: Avery Memorial Campsite

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Title: Stratton We survived last night's tempest with few difficulties, our tent worked great! Today was a short hike into Stratton, made a bit slower due to the wet rocks and roots. We met up with Gash (who's leg will be okay thankfully) & Stacey (who will be known as "Dank" from now on). We are all staying at the White Wolf Inn tonight. The day was filled with typical town-day fare. Mary and I filled up our food bags for our next stretch, showered, did laundry, dried wet gear, and ate & drank at every opportunity. Tomorrow it is back to the trail!
Date: 2008-07-15
From: Stratton, ME

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 13.5

Title: SixToeFrom Mary: Jay got a trail name today! Drum roll please...Six Toe. Okay so I know this will take some explaining. Jay has an unusually odd growth on his right toe. (don't worry mome, it is getting better) It started as a small hangnail and after hiking 200 miles it has taken on a shape all it's own. We will send a picture to prove it. So besides a new trail name our day was relatively uneventful. We hiked some wooded summits with "limited views" and then down then up again. We enjoyed the company of our friends from Tampa, Dank and her boyfriend Gash. Gash' leg recovered from his accident a couple of days ago. We are sleeping on a bed fit for kings tonight at the lean-to. It will now be known as the Sapulding Mountain Hilton, because someone hauled an air mattress out to the lean-to and left it there. Talk about trail magic. :-)Speaking of trail magic we got a lift early this morning out of Stratton to the trailhead from a kind soul. She was running support for some oher hikers, and was kind enough to help us out. Life is good! Sincerely, Sixtoe and Fjord
Date: 2008-07-16
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

Title: SaddlebackTough, but exciting day today. We rocked out some serious climbs and were rewarded with some of the best views we've had thus far. We climbed up and over three peaks: Saddleback Junior, the Horn, and Saddleback, all of which were awesome. We had a solid three miles of above-the-tree line hiking, something that is tough to come by east of the Mississippi. I won't lie, we are pretty tuckered out tonight. Tomorrow we have a short walk to the road to Rangely, where we will resupply and get some normal eats. Then we are going to jump back on the trail to knock out some more miles!
Date: 2008-07-17
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 1.8
Weather: broken clouds

From Jay:Rough day & night for me. I woke up around 1:00 a.m. to the sound of thunder and decided that I needed to use the bathroom (privy). Once I was out of the tent I got very light headed and nauseous. To make a long story short, I ended up spending most of the night vomiting and hanging out in the privy. In the morning Mary and I realized that I wasn't in any shape to be hiking. Fortunately, the road to Rangeley was just a couple of miles away. We hitched in and spent the day at the Rangley Inn, which was a great place to recuperate. So I watched ESPN all day and Mary ran some errands. Come to think of it, we could have been at home!
Date: 2008-07-18
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

From Jay:It was another short day for us as we got a late start out of Rangeley and I was still having some stomach issues. We also had rain for basically the entire day. However, we did beat the solid thunderstorms that rolled in not long after we got to the lean-to. The lean-to actually provided the most entertainment for the day, as Mary and I got a great little wildlife show. There were several birds, snowshoe hares and chipmunks having a good time just feet from, and sometimes in, the shelter. The animals were quite ambivalent to us, so we have taken to calling the lean-to the "Tiki House." I am hoping I'm recovered tomorrow so we can make better time. Dinner is staying down so far, so maybe we're in luck.
Date: 2008-07-19
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: South Arm Road/Andover
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

From Jay: Today we left the shelter intent to get in some decent miles. After a full night of thunderstorms, the trail was sodden even by Maine standards. The day was filled with a couple of steep up's and down's, and a bunch of little ones. When we plopped down on the South Arm Road, we were more than happy to ride into Andover to stay at the Andover Guest House. We had some good views into new Hampshire as well today, which was really encouraging. Unfortunately, there has been a bit of a hitch in our plans. It has become clear that I have come down with Giardia, which is a major bummer. We're going to try to procure some antibiotics tomorrow to get me in working order and back on the trail.
Date: 2008-07-20
From: South Arm Road/Andover

To: Andover
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

From Mary: Our second zero day. Although we did not want to stop hiking, we decided that Giardia is nothing to ignore. I spent the day anxiously trying to procure some much needed antibiotics for Jay. The medicine is not yet in our hands, but it sounds like all the work of our friends Robert and Steph paid off and they should be delivered from a nearby town tonight. There is very little to do in the small town of Andover so wedid have a relaxing (and somewhat boring) day. The hostel was very nice and the diner across the street was the main attraction. Many SOuthbounders we have met along the way also showed up here for the night. We are really looking forward to getting back on the trail. And more importantly, I am looking forward to have a healthy Jay to hike with! Moody Mountain here we come!Movie of the day: The Fellowship of the Ring
Date: 2008-07-21
From: Andover

To: East B-Hill Road
Miles today: 10.1

From Mary: Today started with the most extreme ford we have encountered. The river just south of the South Arm Road is usually a rock hop, but due to the rain that fell through the night it became the definition of "flash flood." This is when I realized why I married Jay. He crossed the river first and it definitely went to above his waist, (for those of you who don't know, Jay is 6'3")so I know I knew I was in for some fun. I started out into the raging waters and with my pack being submerged I realized I wasn't going to be able to make it. That's when Jay came to my rescue. He came across the river and carried my pack over so I could concentrate solely on the water, and we suceeded in making it across mostly dry...mostly. The rest of the day wasn't nearly as exhilarating as those first moments in the river. Although the rain did make the trail some-what stream like. One of our friends said, "I thought we were supposed to be hiking hte Appalachian Trail, not the Appalachian River." We wrapped up our hiking as rain began to fall at a spot near the East B-Hill road. it was a difficult decision to stop there with the promise of Andover so near, and with Jay not feeling so well. Yet a call to the guest house where we had stayed the night before revealed a no-vacancy, so we hunkered down and headed to bed early. I am really looking forward to Jay getting his appetite back and helping me eat some of this food I have been hauling around. Quote of the day: Giardia needs gummies.
Date: 2008-07-22
From: East B-Hill Road

To: Bald Pate Lean-to
Miles today: 8.0

From Jay:Another short day as I'm still holding us back. However, this evening I was actually able to eat a full dinner and felt decent afterward. I think the antibiotics are really kicking in for me, so I think the next few days will be better for us. As for the trail itself, we had a great above the tree line section on Baldpate Mountain with some super views, including seeing the Whites in New Hampshire. It is great knowing we'll finally be done with Maine shortly! Tomorrow we will be doing the Mahoosuc Notch, which is considered the "toughest mile" on the trail due to the crazy mash of rocks that hikers have to climb over, around and through. song of the day: "Ghostriders in the Sky" Johnny Cash
Date: 2008-07-23
From: Bald Pate Lean-to

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

From Jay:This stretch we did today was just as tough as advertised and it wasn't only the "Notch" that was rough. We had solid descents & climbs right from the start, most notably Old Speck Mountain, which had beautiful falls and cascades right along the trail (and sometimes IN the trail). The weather has turned considerably colder and most of the day was spent in a soupy mist and drizzle. This wetness ramped up the degree of difficulty several notches as we struggled up and down the damp rocks. The Mahoosuc Notch took center stage during the afternoon, with the mile-long scramble taking us nearly two hours. The slickness of the boulders made things super-slow. Anyway, we are through and within a football toss of the New Hamshire border. Well, maybe for Uncle Rico. Oh, I'm feeling 100% better and eating like mad.
Date: 2008-07-24
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Trident Col Tentsite
Miles today: 14.5

From Jay: We are OUT OF MAINE!!! Woohoo!! We're also soaked and cold! Doh! Today was a bunch more up and down in the rain, which is beginning to become a pattern of some note. This morning we dashed for the border, if trudging aournd 1.5 mph in the rain can be considered a "dash." We were joking that Maine was trying everything to stop us from getting out... from rain, wind, slick rocks, deep mud, and the four mountain peaks in five miles. When Mary found some dead bugs on her jacket (obviously drowned), we figured the state had run out of live insects and was throwing some leftover bug corpses at us. I was half expecting a barbed-wire wall patrolled by East German guards at the border which we'd have to navigate by home-made hot air balloon. Nope, just a "Welcome to Maine" sign which we vehemently disrespected. Into New Hampshire. Apparently the New Hampshire Hospitality Committee didn't get our entrance memo as the rain just got heavier and the temps continued to drop. The next 10 miles were on a trail that was fully submerged and literally flowing with water up to and over a foot deep. We're hunkered down in a campsite by ourselves listening to the wind and rain. Tomorrow we're heading into Gorham to dry out and resupply. Song of the day: "Three Little Birds" Bob Marley
Date: 2008-07-25
From: Trident Col Tentsite

To: U.S. 2/Gorham New Hamshire
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

From Jay:Mary and I basically ran to Gorham this morning arriving around 9:00 a.m. It was a tougher than expected hitch in, probably because most drivers could smell us well before visual range. Finally some older gentleman took mercy on us and actually turned around to drive us into town. Standard town day fare: eating, post office, laundry, library, and grocery. Gorham is huge compared to other trail towns we've visited. Too huge. We spent a good deal of our "rest" time walking from place to place to knock out our errands. Probably added at least 3 miles to what we did this morning. Hey, at least we're dry!Tomorrow it's into the Whites, which look beautiful from the views that we had hiking into town (it finally cleared). Looking forward to big climbs and big views!
Date: 2008-07-26
From: U.S. 2/Gorham New Hamshire

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

From Jay: Today was a real change from the hiking we've had lately. Although we had some pretty tough miles, the trail seemed to be in 100x better condition than what we've had lately. It was actually graded on the climbs with none of the hand-over-hand scrambling we grew so accustomed to in Maine. That meant we were able to knock out a 3000' climb up Mt. Moriah in a few hours, instead of the all day affair it would have been in Maine. So things are looking up!Tonight we are staying at a hut run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. The AMC is responsible for the AT and a whole network of other trails in the area. Unfortunately, the hut and shelter system are a real hassle for us thru-hikers as they are quite expensive and you are at the mercy of the college-age kids who make up the hut's "croo" as to whether you can stay or not and under what conditions. For instance at this hut the "croo" demanded $8 for each of us to sleep on their floor. With a mean sounding thunderstorm bearing down on us we grudgingly accepted. Besides all that, we had some great views from the host of peaks we climbed. Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range looked beautiful and formidable across the valley. Tomorrow we'll take our first chunk out of them.Tonight's dinner: Mary's trail fajitas (yum!)
Date: 2008-07-27
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: fog

From Mary: We had to be off the hut's dining room floor (which was serving as our bedroom) by 6:15 a.m. this morning so we got off to an early start. Some day old baked goods from the hut's kitchen helped supplement our breakfast and we were on our way up the Wildcat range. It was a relatively easy ascent and we enjoyed the walk between the 5 peaks. Our trek took us past the top of a ski lift apparently "Wildcat?" (although I've never heard of it) and again gave us many views of the Presidential Range. In an effort to learn all the state capitals, Jay quizzed me and I did pretty well. Coming down wildcat was a diffent matter. Let's just say it took us a long time to descend 1500 feet and our knees and ankles weren't happy with us. (Reminiscent of a Maine decent.) The rest of our day was also enjoyable. We stopped for a long lunch at Pinking Notch and even if an $8 cheeseburger and $2 coke was a bit steep, we splurged to supplement our Mountain House. Pinking Notch was an interesting spot for us if you can imagine coming out of the wilderness and coming to a road, parking lot, oodles of day hikers, and people picnicking. To say the least we felt out of place (and probably looked and smelled it too.) But of all little things to get enjoyment out of we flushed some toilets and emptied the trash we had been "packing out" of the wilderness.To put an end-cap on a long day we summited Mt. Madison (which is the highest we've been on the AT so far, taller even than the highest peak in Maine). We are looking forward to reaching an even higher summit tomorrow with Mount Washington. Tonight we are enjoying a free stay at the Madison Spring Hut, thanks to the kind jurisdiction ofthe college kids running the place. (Quite an experience all around.) The day old bread box was good to us again this evening.