morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-09-08
From: Bald Mt. Pond LT 2058.5

To: US 201, Caratunk 2039.7
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Sorry for yesterday¢s ¢downer¢ of a posting - but I guess if I report the highs I should also report the lows. Today however was a much better, I guess my legs just needed a tongue lashing. Today¢s climb took me over two peaks: Moxie Bald Mt. and Pleasant Pond Mt. Great views from both: the southern Maine mountains where I¢m headed and Katahdin to the north. I could have made it to 20 miles today if I had to, but a little thing called the Kennebec River blocked my forward progress. However I am well positioned to catch the 9 AM ferry tomorrow as I am staying at the Caratunk B&B Hiker Hostel, which is maybe 200 yds. from the ferry. This was kind of an unplanned stop, but hey, sometimes you just have to be a little spontaneous. There were no river fords today as water levels continue to remain low, rock hops got me across. However the Kennebec is a different story, and fording of that river is strongly discouraged. I have read that there have been some instances of folks being swept away and drowned, after having foolishly attempted a ford. It¢s just not worth the risk. Weather wise it was another spectacular day. It started out cool, I could see my breath this morning when breaking camp, but the cooler temps were just fine for hiking. I started the day with my fleece on, but was in a tee shirt by mid-morning. This afternoon around 15:00 I was the recipient of trail magic complements of trail angel Pineapple, right near where the AT crosses Boise Rd. Pineapple lives in Augusta, which apparently is almost 2 hours away. That takes commitment! Pineapple fixed me a made to order quesadilla with all the fixins, it was delicious. I was so full from the plate of food she made me, that I didn¢t want any dinner tonite. Thank you Pineapple for your thoughtfulness!I did pass the 1,500 mile mark today, so I guess I¢m making progress! I expect my daily mileage totals to drop significantly once I hit the high peaks of southern Maine, but that¢s OK. I figure if I can get through Maine and the Whites by end of September that I¢ll be in good shape. Now if Mother Nature can just hold off with the snow for awhile, I¢ll be a happy hiker.I am safe, warm and dry in the hostel tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-09
From: US 201, Caratunk 2039.7

To: Stealth Campsite 2022.6
Miles today: 17.1

Had a nice stay at the Caratunk House Hostel last nite. Only one other hiker was there, Bearbo, and I had a room all to myself. This is a unique place for sure, it is owned by Paul, an antique dealer. I am not into antiques, but even an untrained observer like me can tell that the home is filled with some rare and unique items. I had a great breakfast here, setting me up for another great day on the trail. It was 37 deg. this AM at Caratunk, needed my fleece for sure. I also wore my Buff to start the day - oops, excuse me Four Horsemen, I meant my Dew Rag, HaHa. It was a short walk from the hostel to the Kennebec Ferry, which started service at 09:00. I got there early just enjoying the morning sunshine and admiring the view. There¢s a sign up at the crossing, warning hikers not to cross as dam discharges can cause a sudden increase in river level by as much as 4 feet. Greg the operator arrived promptly at 09:00 and I was soon being ferried across in the canoe, which has a white blaze painted on the bottom. I was the only passenger, so I got to sit in front and help paddle. I tipped Greg a couple bucks and thanked him fir his service. On the other side there were 4 northbound hikers waiting to be ferried across. I was hiking by 09:20, several hours later than my customary start but that was ok. Everything is still green, but the locals tell me that leaves will start turning color soon. Today¢s hike was pretty uneventful, no peaks on today¢s hike. Just the usual spectacular Maine forests and ponds. The trail in sections was rough (lots of roots and rocks) and in other sections was relatively obstruction free. I thought about camping at West Carry Pond LT about 3.5 miles back, but wanted to press on to set myself up for tomorrow¢s big climb up the Bigelows. The climbing elevation for tomorrow will be about 4,600¢ according to Guthook, this will be a big challenge for me - I¢ll be curious to see how my legs hold up. The last weather forecast I saw was calling for rain on Tuesday, so I¢d really like to summit tomorrow to enjoy the views. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-10
From: Stealth Campsite 2022.6

To: Horns Pond LTs 2007.8
Miles today: 14.8

I got an early start today, and it¢s a good thing - because it took me all day to get over the Bigelows. Little Bigelow, Bigelow Avery, Bigelow West and North Horn were peaks on the route today, 5300¢ of climbing. Whew! But I am in southern Maine now, less than 100 miles to get to New Hampshire. Up on the Bigelows it was windy, but not too crazy. Views were absolutely awesome, my second time on the Bigelows - you could see all the way to Katahdin to the north and of course the southern Maine high peaks to the south. Wilderness, peaks and lakes/ponds for as far as the eye can see. I think my trail legs are back, but as fate would have it my plantar fasciitis has reared its ugly head once again. My left heel is starting to become inflamed, but so far it is not impeding my progress. As fate would also have it I sent my compression socks home, because wearing them at nite my right foot in the area of my stress fracture hurt like crazy. Kayanne is forwarding me my compression socks, so I will at least wear one sock on my left foot. In the meantime I can keep the inflammation in my left heel under control via anti-inflammatories. There¢s always something, but I¢ll keep plugging along. The weather forecast for tonite and tomorrow looks pretty lousy- heavy rain in the forecast. Instead of pitching my tent I elected to sleep in one of the two lean-tos tonite to stay out of the rain. There are several other hikers here with the same idea, a couple section hikers and three NOBOs. Tomorrow morning could be interesting- we are all talking about just staying put to ride out the rainstorm. I ran into NOBOs Buttercup and D.P. Roberts today, they are from Germany hiking the AT. I recognized them by virtue of their accent, and had been following their train journal entries. We spoke in German briefly, but then they reverted to English when it became apparent that their English was better than my German, HaHa. Small world. I am safe, warm and dry in the lean-to tonite, looking to ride out this rainstorm. Goodnite!
Date: 2018-09-11
From: Horns Pond LTs 2007.8

To: ME 27, Stratton 2002.7
Miles today: 5.1

The rain came down pretty hard last nite, and the wind was blowing. The LTs (there are two of them here at Horns Pond) are pretty high up at Elev. 3200¢. However the shelters are very well made with generous overhangs, so we all stayed nice and dry. Much better than being in a tent when conditions are like this. There were 5 of us staying in the shelter that I was in, but no one was stirring in the morning - everyone was staying put for awhile at least to ride out this rain. I finally got going around 09:30, the rain was just coming down lightly by then. However,I could not find my pack cover. Went thru all my gear, but it was nowhere to be found. I store this in the back carrying pouch of my pack, and all I can come up with is that somewhere along the way it fell out as I was rummaging thru gear. Ah well, I have noone to blame but myself, it¢s not the end of the world. While I was still at the lean-to I jumped online with Amazon and ordered a replacement, it will be there in Rangeley which is my next scheduled stay/resupply destination. I tell ya, these modern little portable phone machines are really something - I¢m able to order from Amazon while in the Maine wilderness. I¢m an old guy as you know, and I can still remember back in the day where we had a black rotary phone on a party line.I do like my Salomon X Ultra hiking boots, they seem to grip the wet rock pretty well. I still proceed cautiously however, especially on the downhills, as one slip and nasty fall on the rocks could be the end of my hike. One must also be cautious on the log bridges that span the boggy areas of the trail, as these can sometimes be very slick when wet. Yep, you guessed it - my feet went out from under me and into the bog I went. Came out of it uninjured, but a little muddier - and with a bent hiking pole. Oh well, what are you gonna do! I had purchased a new pair of Dirty Girl gaiters back in Monson to replace my old torn pair, and they looked so shiny and new that other hikers probably thought here comes a rookie. Well, my little tumble into the bog solved that problem. I was able to bend my hiking pole back into some semblance of straightness, so the only real damage was to my ego. Overall I can¢t complain about the rain. I¢ve been on the trail 12 days now into my second leg, and have had only two partial days with rain. Mother Nature, I¢m good with those percentages, thank you!I decided to take an unplanned NERO in Stratton, in part to give my left heel a little relief with a short mileage day, and in part to get cleaned up and dry out my gear. Am staying in a bunk room at the Stratton Motel and Hostel. Stratton is a small town, but has everything I need within a short walk of the hostel. Laundromat, grocery store and a place to get pizza. Ahhhh, pizza! Guess what I had for dinner!My plantar fasciitis and the inflammation in my left heel remains a concern, but as long as it doesn¢t get much worse it is tolerable. My spirits remain high and I am as determined as ever to finish this thing!I am safe, warm and dry in the hostel tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-13
From: Spaulding Mt. LT 1989.2

To: ME 4, Rangeley 1970.5
Miles today: 18.7

I woke up early, figured I might as well be hiking. Hiked from 04:30 till 16:45. 12 hours on the trail, but I made it all the way to Rangeley - a day earlier than I planned actually. Now I¢m whupped! Staying at the Fieldstone Cottages and Hostel. Since I arrived late I¢m relegated to a top bunk, oh well. Low ceilings, I sure hope I don¢t sit up suddenly during the nite! No laundry on site, but the owner was nice enough to drive 3 of us to the local laundromat 3 miles away. Getting in late to a hostel is never easy/relaxing, as there are just too many things to do (shower, laundry, open maildrops and organize food, resupply shopping, grab something to eat, start planning for the next maildrop, etc. ). Fortunately my two maildrops from Kayanne were here, including my compression socks; thank you Kayanne! Also my new pack rain cover from Amazon was here, replacing the cover that I lost somewhere. It was once again a beautiful day for a hike. The trail was a mix of mostly rough trail (rocks/roots) with some easy trail mixed in. Peaks climbed included Lone Mt, Saddleback Junior, The Horn and Saddleback. Over 2 miles of exposed ridgeline today from the Horn to Saddleback and beyond, offering beautiful views while climbing. Today¢s hike brought back memories of a backpacking trip I led across the same peaks, but in the opposite direction (i.e. northbound) back in 2007. There were 8 of us on that trip, including my friend Eric Oogjen. Anyway on the exposed ridgeline we got caught in a thunderstorm with lightning coming down. I gathered the troops, all experienced hikers, we spaced ourselves out 50¢ apart and hustled across to get off that ridge as quickly as possible. I brought up the rear, and Oogjen was in front of me. I was a nervous nellie of course, as I really didn¢t want anyone to get hurt or worse (truth be told a fatality creates a lot of paperwork). All of a sudden, with lightning all around, Oogjen holds up his arms and points his metal hiking poles straight up into the sky like lightning rods. Oogjen, I yell, gall darn it, what in the heck are you doing? (my words at the time I¢m sure contained some expletives, but I¢m trying to keep these journal entries ¢G¢ rated). ¢Oh, it¢s Ok¢ he yells back to me, ¢I¢m just checking to see if I¢m still in the good graces of the Lord¢. You can¢t make this stuff up. I fid manage to fall 3 times today, nos. 14, 15 & 16, but fortunately was not injured. The first fall was when I stepped on a slippery root, the second was on a slick piece of slab granite, and the third was when a small rock that I stepped on rolled over on me (came close to spraining my ankle, but fortunately no harm done). All 3 falls occurred on downhill sections. Am keeping a close eye on Hurricane Florence, to see where it tracks. My heart goes out to all those on the east coast that are in the hurricane¢s path. So far at least the forecast for southern Maine continues to look good. I am safe, warm and dry in the hostel tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-14
From: ME 4, Rangeley 1970.5

To: Campsite by Bemis Stream 1956.5
Miles today: 14.0

I guess those falls I took yesterday did leave their mark, as I was pretty sore in a few spots and felt it during the nite. My right hip in particular is a bit tender, but not so bad that I can¢t hike. I guess I don¢t bounce as well as I used to!In looking out longer term of a few days, I have the Mahoosuc Notch looming on the horizon at Mile 1916. I¢ve never been through the Notch, and it is considered to be either the toughest or the most fun mile on the AT - all depends on your perspective. The Notch is 54 miles away as of this AM, and my preference is not to be hiking thru there in the rain. The latest forecast is showing decent weather thru Monday. If I can average 15 miles/day over the next 3 days, that would put me in decent position to hike thru the Notch around mid-day on Monday. I have a plan/goal, now we¢ll see how my body holds up for the execution. Hopefully the weather will also cooperate. Four of us were shuttled back to the trailhead this AM by Seth, the owner¢s son. The other 3 hikers were all slackpacking, two headed north and one south. I was on the trail hiking at 8; again this is later than my normal start, but when staying at a hostel one is at the mercy of the shuttle schedule. Seth the shuttle driver is a high school senior, a nice kid, we chatted on the drive to the trailhead. His school is in Rangeley. Total enrollment in the school, grades K thru 12, is 180; Seth¢s senior class numbers 12. Talk about a small school!I crossed paths with a northbound hiker who stopped me and asked if my name is Opa. Why yes I exclaimed, somewhat surprised. His name was Jamie, a Maine resident, and he has been following my trail journal. Jamie recognized me from my journal photos. We chatted briefly, and I thanked him for following my journal. Small world. I also crossed paths with many NOBOs, maybe 20 count, as the northbound bubble continues. These folks are all on the home stretch, they only have about 220 miles to finish, and should have no trouble reaching Katahdin before the rangers close the mountain. Congrats to all of them!Another beautiful weather day, the forecast for the high was 80. Today¢s hike was rather nondescript, no real views per say, although I did pass by two picturesque ponds. I stopped and had a leisurely lunch near one of them. The trail had many muddy stretches, it¢s simply impossible to either keep your feet out of the mud or to make good time. I also remain very slow/tentative on the steeper downhills, especially so after yesterday¢s 3 falls. I¢m camped tonite near Bemis Stream, with the next camping spot/LT being about 4 miles away after a climb of 2,100¢. Physically I felt OK and could have pushed on, but I would have arrived quite late - probably after nightfall. I don¢t mind breaking camp in the morning when it¢s dark, but prefer to set up camp in the evening when there¢s still some daylight. I¢ll give it heck tomorrow, starting first thing with that climb up Bemis Mt. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-15
From: Campsite by Bemis Stream 1956.5

To: Campsite near Sawyer Road 1941.5
Miles today: 15.0

A shout out to our Granddaughter Evelyn, who turned 3 today. Happy Birthday sweetheart, eat lots of cake and ice cream! I miss you and love you. Another beautiful day today weather wise, but man I tell ya, this trail in southern Maine is TOUGH and it is kicking my butt! The trail is rough and often steep, with lots of ascents/descents. Take today for instance, 15 miles with 4,500¢ of climbing elevation and 5,000¢ descending elevation. With the rough trail, the steep descents I think are more difficult and take more time than the ascents - at least for me anyway. I was hoping to pound out a couple more miles today, but man I was whupped when I reached this campsite. Another very tough day is in store for tomorrow starting with a very steep 2,000¢ climb up Wyman Mt, the goal being to get thru the Mahoosuc Notch on Monday before the rains arrive. I¢d like to get as far as Bald Mt LT tomorrow at 15.3 miles, but there¢s over 6,000¢ of climbing to get there. We¢ll see how she goes. Longer term, once I get past the Notch, I was planning on reduced mileage days thru NH and the Whites. 10 mile days are more realistic thru those mountains. I did pass the 1,600 mile mark today, a milestone. Also from the summit of Old Blue Mt. I got a great view of Mt. Washington off in the distance. That is one big mountain!The hardest part about being on the trail is that I miss Kayanne and my family. Love you guys, you are in my thoughts always and in my prayers at nite. Hope all is well with everyone. I feel out of touch, because cell phone coverage is very spotty here in Maine. Generally there¢s no coverage at all at my nightly camping spots. Four Horsemen and Young Guns, I think of the great times we had hiking together - I miss you guys. I hike alone all day, so it¢s kind of lonely out here. I do cross paths with NOBOs during the day, but it¢s not the same. At nite I¢m very often camped alone (like tonite), or with a few NOBOs that have been hiking together for awhile. In all honesty at nite I¢m so tired from the day¢s hike that all I¢m interested in is eating dinner, typing up this journal, and hitting the sack. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-16
From: Campsite near Sawyer Road 1941.5

To: Baldpate LT 1926.0
Miles today: 15.5

Thank you Lord for giving me the strength to make it to Baldpate LT! Only 15.5 miles, but 5,900¢ climbing and 4,500¢ descending. Once again I am whupped tonite, but happy to have made it as far as I did. This at least puts me in a position to have a fighting chance to get down the Mahoosuc Arm, and possibly even through the Mahoosuc Notch, before the rain gets here tomorrow. Of course I first have a 3,000¢ climb over Old Speck before I get to the Arm. The Arm is one of the steepest descents on the AT, dropping 1500¢ in a mile - and I¢ve been told it is down granite that has been worn smooth, so it will be slippery. I see a lot of crab-walking/butt-sliding in my future, and I¢m sure it will take me a couple hours at least to get down it. Hope my britches hold out! I hit the trail early today, I think it was around 05:00, and expect to be doing the same tomorrow. Another great day weather wise. I believe the forecast called for a high of 81, so I sweat like a pig and really pound down the water to keep hydrated. The climb today over Baldpate east and west peaks was spectacular. Lots of open slab granite to walk across, and the views were fantastic. My knees were shot the last couple miles, so I really had to take my time on the descents. As it was I did have a fall coming down, nothing major - just got a cut on my knee and it¢s a little sore. I¢ll be fine. I believe that¢s fall no. 16 for me so far on the AT, in case you¢re counting. It seems like in the past two days that I¢ve seen fewer NOBOs than before. Could it be that I¢m starting to see the tail end of the northbound bubble?At camp tonite I did make a little repair to my pack, there was a tear in one of the water bottle pouches. I knew I brought along a sewing needle for a reason. I used dental floss for the thread. It¢s not the prettiest looking repair job, but it¢s functional. No cell service again tonite at camp (naturally), so I¢m feeling out of touch with everybody. I did give a call to Kayanne when up on a ridge, at the very least we try to connect by phone once a day. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2018-09-17
From: Baldpate LT 1926.0

To: Full Goose Shelter and Campsite 1914.0
Miles today: 12.0

I had never been down the Mahoosuc Arm or through the Mahoosuc Notch before, but have heard how difficult those sections of the trail can be; the Arm especially so for southbound hikers, because of its steepness. To be honest, I was quite fearful about tackling these two sections. Well my fears have been put to rest. There¢s no question that the Arm is steep, but I found it to be no more steep than many other sections of the trail that I¢ve been on - it¢s just that the Arm is much longer, and you need to be in full concentration mode the whole time. I was very careful/slow coming down; took me 1:45 to make the 1,500¢ descent, but more importantly I made it down without any falls. The Notch was also a challenge. Imagine a deep ravine that over time has been filled with boulders. The boulders were the size of refrigerators, cars, and sometimes even as big as a small garage. Sometimes you have to work your way through very narrow passages, but most of the time you are scrambling up and over. In addition to my legs, my upper body got a workout. Hiking poles are useless, you need to be in scramble mode. I had to take my pack off no less than 5 times; sometimes so I could crawl through an opening, and sometimes to toss it up on a ledge to lighten the load so that I could get myself up. A fall in certain places could have very bad consequences. About halfway through I caught up to another SOBO (trail name Cold Brew) who seemed to be having a hard time of it, we hiked together the rest of the way through; it¢s good to be buddied up with someone through the Notch. Took me an even 2 hours to cover this one mile. Was it fun? Yes, in a certain sense it was - but I¢ve had enough fun for awhile and glad that both the Arm and Notch are behind me. The weather was beautiful once again today. Mts climbed included Old Speck, Mahoosuc Arm & Falling Mill. Only 12 miles today, but that is plenty. I setup my tent tonite on a wooden platform here at the shelter; since my tent is not fully freestanding I brought cup hooks along, and they worked like a charm. Night Train, if you are reading this journal, that Nemo Hornet Elite tent you sold me is fantastic - I couldn¢t be happier with it!Once again I am turning in quite tired, but happy with today¢s milestones. Looking ahead I expect to be in Gorham in a couple days - may even take a Zero day there to let my body recuperate a bit before tackling the Whites. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.