morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-28
From: The Stratton Motel Hostel

To: The Stratton Motel Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I was up early and ate my first Mountain House meals I had found in the hikerbox. One was an omelet and the other was just scrambled eggs and sausage. They were pretty good although I couldn't afford to buy such expensive food. At around 9:00 I found the tools I needed to start my work for stay which consisted of trimming 3 crab apple trees that were touching the house and taking off a number of branches and evaluating a tree that was hanging over the motel. It was quite a challenge doing this basically one handed as I couldn't do much with my left arm. But I could do a little with it and so by noon I had completed my job and helped to load up the debris onto his pickup truck to haul off. I gave him the bad news that the tree had to be removed as it was almost completely dead and posed a danger to the motel and should be removed immediately. If I had been at 100% I could have done the job myself as that was an area of my expertise, but I couldn't due to my condition. I asked if that work would cover another day and he gladly let me stay another night. I went across the street to the grocery store and stocked up on supplies and bought something to eat. I always like to get cheese and yogurt whenever possible as these are some of the things that I crave when I come into town. I was thinking of my hiking experience and about the book I was going to write and came up with an introduction page that would summarize my adventure in a page. I showed it to several hikers and the owner of the motel and received positive feedback and many questions about my journey thus far. I made dinner and hung out by the river with a couple of beers given to me by a fellow hiker as we had a safety meeting on a bench by the peaceful river. Looking out across the river I saw that someone had forgotten a lighter on a rock in the middle. It was pretty random and I guessed that someone was wading and forgot it there. Seeing I was in Maine I called my older brother - Clay and let him know that I was in the state and asked how far he was from where I was and it was about a 5 hour drive away. We talked for awhile and caught up on what had been going on. He told me to give him a call when I got to Monson which was only about a 10 minute drive from where he lived so I made note of the location at the end of the call. I went inside and played some more chess, ate dinner and raided the hiker box again before turning in for the night.
Date: 2015-09-29
From: The Statton Motel Hostel

To: Horn Pond Lean To
Miles today: 5.1

I got off to a late start from the hostel as I ate breakfast drank lots of coffee and waited for a ride from the owner back to the trail. We had looked at the weather and a good storm was on the way but I wanted to get back on the trail well before it hit as I didn't want to delay Katahdin another day. It was quite a hike across numerous streams and views up Bigalo Mountain to the shelter and I arrived at around 3:00. I was confused when I reached the first shelter as there weren't a sleeping platform, only benches to sit on. Upon further searching I found signs with directions to the shelter and there turned out to be two shelters very close to each other. I ended my day early as I had learned my lesion after almost dying on Mt. Lafayette not to take chances with the weather. I choose the lower shelter that I found to be situated for best protected from the bitterly cold wind that was steadily picking up. Getting situated in the shelter picking a spot out of the wind I was soon settle in. I went to the privy, there were two to choose from in which I did my buisness and took a hooker bath with wipes. The view from the privy area was pretty awesome and there was plenty of room inside of them. It was just starting to rain when I got back from the water source which is the pond behind the first shelter on the trail. It wasn't long before I heard people coming and was pleased to see Bookworm roll in to my slelter. He had also been at the hostel and decided to take refuge from the storm. It wasn't long after the serious rain started that another hiker came into our shelter and we heard a group take up residence in the other. He was a southbound thru-hiker and after talking with him for awhile I offered him the trail name of Iceberg which he accepted. I cooked dinner we shared a safety meeting over coffee that I brewed. We discussed the storm outside, wondering how bad it was going to get that night. My eyes wouldn't stay open so I snuggled in my sleeping bag and went to sleep listening to the howling of the wind.
Date: 2015-09-30
From: Horn Pond Lean-to

To: Horn Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0

It had stormed all night and the forecast gave us no hope for reprieve. It was bitterly cold outside and between the rain, the cold and the wind it was extremely a dangerous hypothermic condition outside. Bookworm and I decided to zero but Iceberg decided that he was going to press on to Stratton. Bookworm and I urged him to reconsider because of the conditions of the trail down to the road would be very dangerous and slow going due to the rain. There were many bare rock faces to descend which would be extremely slippery and dangerous while the weather would leave him vulnerable to hypothermia. After sharing this with him he gave in and zeroed at the shelter with us. We had also convinced him of the necessity of having a cooking stove. It was the hot coffee that sold him on the idea. I checked in at the other shelter where a family had stayed and they were also weathering out the storm in place. They were doing fine and had proper gear to help keep them warm and they were keeping themselves entertained. I made breakfast and coffee for everyone which warmed us up somewhat. I came up with an idea to pass the time for the day. I put us in a row, side by side in our sleeping bags with me in the middle and we sat sitting up against the wall. I pulled out my iPod and we began watching season 1 of the Legend Of Korra, an anime series which is the sequel to the series Avatar: The Last Airbender. We watched the whole day taking periodic breaks for coffee, food, safety meetings and the call of nature. It was turning out to be the best zero that I had experienced on the trail so far and the day swiftly flew by as the storm raged outside. Finally late in the day the storm broke and the clouds parted bringing even colder temps. We spaced ourselves out again and soon went to sleep, each safely and warm in our respective sleeping spots.
Date: 2015-10-01
From: Horn's Pond Lean To

To: Little Bigelow Lean To
Miles today: 10.2

I was up & on the trail before light after taking the time for an extra cup of coffe to warm up as it was very cold! Before long West Bigelow Mountain Peak was behind me along with Avery Peak. There were good views on the way down to Stafford Notch. It took a good part of the day to reach Little Bigelow Mountain and the views were worth the hike. Before I got to the shelter I found a hiker registry box with a note written in sharpie on the outside that read "mouse family inside." Filled with curiosity I opened the bottom part of the box and saw nothing but slips of paper, so I slowly opened the top compartment and it was filled with leaves and shredded paper. Peeking out with curiosity, I spotted 4 tiny faces peering at me from out of the nesting material. I snapped a photograph and dropped a handful of trail mix into the connected compartment below. It was a very warm and snug way for them to spend the winter and as they were far from a shelter I didn't bother them and went on my way. I had to cross a stream to get to the shelter and so I filled up my containers, as to save myself a trip later. I was the only person at the shelter and I tried to get a fire going but to no effect as everything was too wet so the fire would smoulder for awhile and then go out. I soon gave up the fight and made dinner. I walked to the "Washtubs" in the stream and sat by the river for awhile, having a safety meeting before cooking dinner at the shelter and going to sleep.
Date: 2015-10-02
From: Little Bigelow Lean To

To: West Carry Pond Lean To
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: moderate rain

I was up and on the trail early to find that I was still the only one at the shelter. Going down the mountain there was a short road walk on East Flagstaff Road and a footbridge across the outlet of Flagstaff Lake to an area with tentpads and firepits on a beach. The trail had two intersections with the Hemlok trail and I wondered what kind of trail it was and if it had shelters like the AT or if it was a primitive trail. I crossed Jerome Brook where a hiker had built a very beautiful and well balanced rock carin about chest high. I liked the use of colored rocks and white quartz to the design to contrast the darker reds, browns and black. Then it was up and over a mountain and down to the West Carry Pond Lean To. There was a ridgerunner there and I talked to her as she finished raking around the firepit. She was soon off down the trail and I set up my spot in the shelter,cleaned up, changed into my camp clothes and went for water. I soon gatherd wood and had a nice fire going and had my evening safety meeting while I cooked my big meal for lunch and finished with a the whole 1 litre pot of coffee to warm up. It was about 2 so I lay in the shelter and continued listening to The Art of War by Sun Tzu. The book was written about 3,000 years but is such a good book that it is required reading for the Naval War College and other branches of the service for officers. It deals with the planning and winning of wars but can apply to anything activity and was even featured in the movie Wall Street. Then it was time for dinner and I decided to pull a double and cooked 2 spicy chicken ramens, uncured smoked bacon, sirricha seasoning and olive oil and another pot of coffee. Soon I lay down as the sun went down and was soon asleep.
Date: 2015-10-03
From: West Carry Pond Lean To

To: Pierce Pond Lean To
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

I was up early from the West Carry Pond Lean To and was soon on the trail after breakfast. The trail was easy today I ran into Joker at some point during the day and we hiked together to the shelter. The shelter was located right on the edge of a tranquil Pleasant Pond. At the shelter we ran into other thru-hikers at the pond and I picked a spot at the shelter. One of the thru-hiker's family had come out to do a section with them. We visited and the topic of the conversation was Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp where he served breakfast, and his trademark item was his patriotic pancakes. The patriotic pancakes consisted of 12 pancakes of blueberry, strawberry and I believe apple. One of the campers offered to pick up my breakfast for me which I didn't decline. I gave him a little safety material and sponsored a safety meeting at the shore of the pond where it meets the steam. There was a bow saw at the shelter and I took down a standing dead birch tree that was a bit to big to break and dragged it to the fire where Bookworm was trying to get a fire going. They cut if up as it was too difficult to me. I ate dinner and visited for awhile by the campfire before turning in for the night early. We wanted to have enough time to eat breakfast and make it to the Kennebec River in time to catch the morning ferry. I tuned in to my trusty iPod for an episode of Korra and listend to the Bible before drifting off to sleep to the sound of frogs and water spashing on the shore along with the occasional loon.
Date: 2015-10-05
From: Pleasant Pond Lean To

To: Bald Mountain Lean To
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up at first light and after eating breakfast and taking my coffee down to the pond to visit with the tenting thru-hiking couple, enjoyed the sunrise. The hikers asked me what the crazy sounds were the night before and I told them that they were birds, namely the loon, and a variety of frogs. They told me that they were freaked out because they didn't know what animals were making the noises and so their imagination went crazy, keeping them from getting a good nights sleep. Soon I was on the trail which presented me with a bounty of berries along the way. Pleasant Mountain was a very challenging climb rewarding me with beautiful views and bountiful berries along the way. I faced my first, for real, fording today at the South end of Moxie Pond that I reached after a road walk. For awhile I was confused at the lack of blazes until I reached where you are supposed to cross. Then I couldn't see where you were supposed to aim at on the other side as there wasn't a trail visible from where I was standing, so I stood around in confusion, during which time another thru-hiker came along and we pondered how to proceed. The water looked well over knee deep and the rocks were slippery. I first took off my boots and socks and tied them to my pack and put on my sandals. I then undid the sternum strap and hip belt so that if I fell, I could easily get out of the pack. With him watching I slowly entered the frigid water, bracing myself with a wide stance and my hiking poles against the current and began my crossing. It was difficult with the current pushing me and the slippery footing. I stepped from rock to rock until I was on the other bank where after a minute or so, found the trail to the North. I had survived my first fording! My Magellan Fish gear convertible pants were rapidly drying even as I changed back into my socks and boots. I saw Joker and Sterling on the other side warming up around a campfire and having a safety meeting while they discussed the crossing. I joined them and warmed up by the fire and grabbed lunch before hitting the trail again. When I arrived at the shelter I collected water and got set up in the shelter and cleaned up in the brook. There was a gravel road very close to the shelter but unseen due to the thick foliage, but you could hear the traffic periodically passing by. I made dinner and got a fire started and visited with the other hikers gettint safe by the fire. Soon it was dark and then you could see the lights of the vehicles in the gravel road, but thankfully the traffic died down as the gravel road was pretty loud. I went to bed listening to Plumb and was soon, like Scarlet O'Hara, Gone with the Wind!
Date: 2015-10-07
From: Clay's House in Guilford Maine

To: Clay's House in Guilford Maine
Miles today: 0.0

I was up at dawn and waited for everyone else to wake up. I was going to take a zero and then get back on the trail first thing in the morning. Soon Clay and Mandy were up and we had coffee to get us started followed by a big breakfast. Felicity woke up soon after and Sampson had to do his thing of barking at the strange man for a much shorter time before coming up and asking for some attention. Clay had to head off for work soon and so I basically just relaxed for the day and visited. I took the opportunity to wash everything, including my sleeping bag while I had the chance. In the evening when Clay arrived he took me to the grocery store where I stocked up on supplies, figuring that I needed about 5 days worth, from talking to other hiker, to make it through the 100 mile wilderness. Clay surprised me by picking up my grocery tab, which included some Yogurt and Funny Bones snack cakes to take on the trail with me. I hadn't seen those peanut butter snack cakes since I had left home in '88! We got two boxes, one to eat then and one for the trail. We had dinner and watched some movies together before I was too tired to carry on and took the opportunity to pamper myself with a long, hot shower before going to bed. I would have to be up early so my brother could take me back to the trail so he could be on time for work.
Date: 2015-10-08
From: Monson Maine

To: Wilson Valley Lean To
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I had put my pack together the night before and was ready to head out. Mandy was up and already had a pot of coffee on which I had a cup to start my day off with as I waited for breakfast while eating the yogurt that I had picked up the night before. Breakfast was eggs, toast and venison sausage from a deer that my brother had bagged during hunting season. He's a pretty good hunter and a year or two earlier he had won the hunting lottery with a moose permit. Not only that he actually got a 700lb moose and when processing the meat he made moose jerky and sent me and my wife a package of it which was awesome! Soon breakfast was done and I loaded my pack into his truck and off we went. He dropped me off at the trailhead and since it was dark, it took me a few moments to figure out which way was North! The question was answered by using my Guthook's AT gps app and I marched my way into the 100 mile wilderness!First I hiked by Spectacle Pond on a footbridge and passed by the Leeman Brook Lean To. It was a tough day of hiking, in the rain for a good part of the day. I wasn't making the mileage that I thought I would due to the terrain and the rain which made the trail so much more slippery, especially whenever I had to walk on slate which is slippery enough when dry, but like sheer ice when wet. I passed the Leeman Brook Lean-to and then Mud Pond. I took a break at Bear Pond Ledge, checked out the Little Wilson Falls and then forded the Little Wilson Stream by rock hopping and barely got my sandals wet at the edges. There was a short road walk and I crossed Thompson and then actually forded Big Wilson Creek and crossing the RR tracks. I was sore and exhausted by the time I reached shelter. I was wet, cold, sore and exhausted when I arrived and set up my spot in the shelter. I quickly got water and drying off, changed into dry camp clothes which felt wonderful. I then ate dinner and listened withoug my headphones before going to sleep being the only person at the shelter area.
Date: 2015-10-09
From: Wilson Valley Lean To

To: Cloud Pond Lean To
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It was another day of on and off rain during my hike to the Cloud Pond Lean-to. The trail first crossed Woods Road and then two streams before arriving at Wilbur Brook where I had to ford again through frigid water. I kept moving to stay warm. Passing by Bodfish Farm I stopped briefly at the Long Pond Lean To. There were a few times of clear weather so I was able to get some good views, especially good was the view from the Barren Mountain and Ledges.Then I finished climbing up Barren Mountain. It was about 3:00 but I didn't have the energy or the will go push on to the next shelter so I called it a day and rested at the shelter and took a safety meeting and laid down to some audiobooks before taking a nap. My back and shoulder were really starting to act up as the temps went lower. The further I go the fewer people I am encountering as I'm running so late in the year. In the evening I made a fire and cooked dinner and ate by the fireside to warm up. I put on my earphones and got to bed right at dark to the sounds of a barn owl.
Date: 2015-10-10
From: Cloud Pond Lean To

To: Chairback Gap Lean To
Miles today: 6.9

I was up early and on the trail after breakfast. The views that morning were wonderful and the climb was very challenging. After that there followed the Forth Mountain Bog and Summit with the view of lakes in the distance, Third Mountain with it's Monument Cliff. Finally I arrived at Columbus Mountain where I ended up at the Chairback Gap lean-to at around 3:00. It had rained during part of the day and I was exhausted from all of the climbing. The weather at the shelter was clear and the shelter itself was pretty cool, being built on a ledge, about 30' wide with a stone cliff about 10' tall in the back and a slope going down steeply about 100' about 10' from the front of the shelter. I had stocked up on water before the shelter and as I sat down to rest. As I was resting a tiny red squirrel started nosing around the front of the shelter and so I took pictures, then grabbed my pack as it started getting to close for comfort. I set my spot up in the shelter and was soon cooking dinner and because of the cold I added extra water so I could have a cup of coffee to help warm me up while the food finished cooking in the Jetboil insulated Pot. About this time a southbounder came in and introduced himself. He pulled out a quart freezer bag stuffed full of safety material which he proceeded to avail himself of and I joined him in his endeavour. He pulled of and gave me a small bag for the trail which I gratefully received. I offered and boiled more water for him to have a cup of coffee as well and had another cup myself. Soon more hikers came into the shelter, but others only stopped shortly before moving on. As it got darker it got colder and stormed pretty good and I was a bit worried about water crossings ahead. I looked at my food supply and realized that there was no way possible that I was going to make it to Katahdin with the food I was carrying as I was already 3 days into the wilderness and had only made it about 10 miles per day due to my shoulder, back and the terrain! I would be out of food soon and called my brother from the hiker's phone, that I had given the trail name of OSHA due to all of the safety material he was carrying, and asked if he could pick me up the next morning at Gulf Hagas, one of the closest places to get off of the trail. I told him at what time I would be at the parking lot and then returned the phone and soon after went to sleep so I could get an early start.
Date: 2015-10-12
From: Katahdin Iron Works

To: Guilford and Clay's House
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up in the morning and went over to the office after packing my gear up. I left the portly rodent a handful of trail mix at the entrance of its hole as a thank you for not attacking my gear or trying to snuggle with me during the night. The couple was up and had coffee on and invited me in for breakfast which I gladly accepted. It wasn't long before my brother showed up and we were headed back to his house and then off to Church. I had come, after much thought, to the agonizing conclusion while I was there. I just couldn't carry on with my back and shoulder the way they were going, and that I was going to skip ahead the 70 miles to Katahdin and summit as I was just too worn out, out of time and exhausted.