morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-30
From: Gentian Pond Campsite

To: Bull Branch Campsite
Miles today: 12.4

Day 161: We are on the trail this morning at 7:15. Today is a big day for us, as we will cross the 1900 mile mark and also enter into our 14th and final state, Maine. The day is another beautiful one, with almost clear skies and very cool temperatures all day. During the first part of our day, we climb up the very appropriately named Mt Success, where we are treated to distant views back towards the northern Presidentials. Coming down Mt Success, we notice that someone has carved "WOOOOO" into the dirt below our feet. This is the 1900 mile mark, we guess. Shortly after, we arrive at the NH/ME border sign. We stop here for a break with Sparky, Passionflower, and Solo. Many pictures are taken here by everyone. Following our entrance into Maine, we all begin the steep climb up to Goose Eye Mt. There are several spots where iron rebar is cemented into the rock or wooden ladders have been built to help hikers up. At the top of Goose Eye Mt, we all stop for lunch. In the distance to our north, we can see the Mahoosuc Notch and Old Speck. We cross over E. Goose Eye, N. Goose Eye, and then begin the long, steep descent down to the famous Mahoosuc Notch. We enter Mahoosuc Notch just before 4:00, and don't emerge from the northern end until 6:30 - 2-1/2 hours to travel 1.5 miles. Needless to say, the going is very slow and challenging through the notch. There are places where we are forced to take our packs off and crawl on our bellies through small cave passageways. When we finally reach the end of the notch, daylight is fading. We arrive at the Bull Branch Campsite at 6:45, quickly set up our tent, cook and eat dinner, and settle into our sleeping bags. It has been a long, tiring day, but a very enjoyable one. We are thrilled to be in Maine.
Date: 2012-08-31
From: Bull Branch Campsite

To: Frye Notch Lean To
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day 162: Today starts off cool and breezy, with a bit more humidity in the air. We sense a change in the weather coming as we ascend Mahoosuc Arm. The Arm is about 1.4 miles of fairly straight up climbing, but we are used to these types of climbs now so it's not too bad. As we reach the top of the Arm, we break out into an open view south back towards the Presidentials. They are beginning to look real far away now. Descending down a bit from there, we arrive at Speck Pond. We stop for a quick break and some water at the shelter there. The climb up to Old Speck is windy. We look to the south and can see an eerie glow on the horizon to the south, with increasing clouds above the glow. A change in the weather is coming, we fear. As we descend Old Speck, we run into a couple of college orientation groups out for a few days of hiking. Reaching Grafton Notch at noon, we stop for lunch at a picnic table there. It soon begins to rain lightly and we ponder the options ahead of us as we are about to ascend the open Baldpates. We hear there are 80 mph gusts on the peaks today. That would be an ugly recipe when combined with rain and slick rocks. Nevertheless, we begin the ascent of W. Baldpate. About half way up, the rain stops and the sun comes back out. Our guardian angels are surely watching over us! We pass some southbound thru-hikers on the way up who tell us that it was sleeting on top of E. Baldpate when they went over, with high winds to boot. As we pass the side trail to Baldpate Shelter, the weather is looking good, so we decide to continue on up and over the Baldpates and shoot for Frye Notch Shelter. The weather holds for us as we go over the summits. It is breezy and cool, with low clouds rolling over the summit as we hike, but we enjoy it immensely. The descent off of the north side of E. Baldpate starts off easy, but soon becomes steep and treacherous. Some of the rocks are still wet from the rain, so we are forced to go very slowly and deliberately as we descend. At 4:15, we arrive at Frye Notch Shelter. There is another college group here, but they are all tenting above the shelter. We have the shelter to ourselves for awhile. The sky begins to darken shortly after we arrive, so we set up in the shelter for the night and cook dinner before other hikers arrive. Soon, we hear thunder rolling in, and then the rain begins. Several other hikers arrive shortly thereafter, so now the shelter is full. The rain pours down for about 2 hours. The college kids come down to the roof overhang of the shelter to stay out of the rain form awhile. We are very glad to be staying inside the shelter tonight. We hear from another hiker that Sparky and Passionflower decided to stay at the Baldpate Lean To - a good decision given the weather. Tomorrow, we hike 4-1/2 miles into Andover, where we will take a "nero" day at the Pine Ellis Hostel.
Date: 2012-09-01
From: Frye Notch Lean To

To: East B. Hill Rd, Andover
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: few clouds

Day 163:The rain stopped early during the night, but constant pattering of wind blown raindrops on the tin roof of the shelter kept us awake for much of the night. The morning dawns sunny, with the residual moisture from last nights rain still hanging in the air, reflecting shafts of sunlight through the trees. We are on the trail at about 7:15 this morning, with only 4-1/2 miles to East B. Hill Rd, where we will hitch a ride into Andover to pick up our next maildrop and spend the night at the Pine Ellis Hostel. We reach the road at 9:15, and promptly catch a ride from the second car that passes by - pretty good luck considering how few cars travel this country road. By 9:30, we are dropped off at the Andover Post Office, where we pick up our maildrop. We then walk back to the Hostel and get checked in to our room there. We hear that a few hikers have been sick around here lately, some kind of stomach virus, so we make an extra effoet to keep clean and avoid a lot of close contact with other hikers here. After settling in, we walk into town to the General Store, where we sit down for a couple of subs for lunch. The rest of the afternoon is spent just relaxing around the hostel. At dinnertime, we walk back into town to the Little Red Hen for their AYCE pizza special. Back at the hostel, we catch up with Sparky and Passionflower. They fell a bit behind us yesterday during the rain and didn't arrive at the hostel until later this afternoon. Tomorrow, we have a 10 mile day planned to a campsite at South Arm Rd. On to our next stop, which will be in Stratton.
Date: 2012-09-02
From: East B. Hill Rd, Andover

To: South Arm Rd Campsite
Miles today: 10.1

Day 164: Unable to sleep past 5:30 this morning, I walk downstairs at the Pine Ellis Hostel to take a shower. I'm not sure why I even bother to shower when I'll just be sweaty and stinky again in a couple of hours, but I do anyway, just because it feels so good. SilverGirl, Sparky, Passionflower, and I have breakfast in town this morning at the General Store. While we eat, the gray skies begin to rain lightly. We steel our minds for what looks to be a wet day on the trail. Back at the hostel after breakfast, all four of us take the 8:00 shuttle back to the trailhead. Sparky and Passionflower have decided to slack pack today, and stay one more night in the hostel tonight. They will be picked up at South Arm Rd. and brought back to the hostel at the end of the day. SilverGirl and I have decided to push on with our full packs and camp tonight when we reach South Arm Rd. By the time we get to the trailhead, the rain has stopped, but the skies are still threatening. We start off wearing our rain jackets, but soon pack them away when we realize that the weather is starting to improve. Our morning hike consists of a long, gradual climb up 1000 ft to Wyman Mt. Our packs are heavy today since we've added a full cache of food for the next several days. At 11:15, we reach Hall Mt Shelter, where we stop for an early lunch. The sun starts to poke through while we eat, bolstering our hopes for a nice afternoon. After lunch, the weather improves to partly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching the low 70s. We make the steep descent down into Sawyer Notch, followed by an even steeper ascent up Moody Mt on the other side of the notch. Iron rebar and wooden steps assist us at some of the steeper sections. Reaching a small, grassy spot at the top, we all stop for a break and enjoy the view. I call the Stratton Motel to make reservations for this coming Friday and Saturday nights. Friday will be SilverGirl's birthday, so we're planning a small hiker party for her in town. From Moody Mt, the hike down to South Arm Rd is fairly easy. We arrive at the road at 3:00 and find a campsite in the woods nearby, where we set up our tent. Sparky and Passionflower get picked up by the hostel shuttle driver. They will catch up with us tomorrow some time after they are dropped back off here at South Arm Rd in the morning. It's nice getting into camp early today, as it gives us some time for napping and general relaxation. Tomorrow, our plan is to hike another 11+ miles to a small campsite by a stream. Maine has been pretty and we are enjoying it.
Date: 2012-09-03
From: South Arm Rd Campsite

To: Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 12.5

Day 165: We are on the trail at about 7:30 this morning. The sky overhead is clear, but we can see that low clouds are hanging in the valleys this morning. Our hike today starts off with a very steep climb up Old Blue Mt. Parts of the climb require the assistance of iron rebar and wooden ladders that have been built into the sides of the rock faces. On the way up, SilverGirl bangs her head into a low hanging tree branch that crosses the path. She is shaken up a bit, but OK. Nevertheless, we  stop for a break. The morning view is spectacular, with low clouds draped over the valley floors. Only the peaks of the mountains poke through above the clouds. Reaching the top of Old Blue, we are treated to sweeping views to the south. We can see all the way back to the northern Presidentials, which are now looking quite distant. Old Speck and the Baldpates are also visible. We had planned to have lunch today at Bemis Mountain Lean To, but AWOL's AT Guide is way off as to where the shelter is supposed to be, so we stop at a nice overlook with a bench to sit on instead. In front of us, we have a beautiful view of what we think is Saddleback Mt. We will hike over Saddleback in two days. The afternoon's hike takes us over many nice open ledges with views in many directions. For most of the day, the terrain is extemely rough. It seems as though we can't take a single step without rocks or roots obstructing our forward progress. The roots are like tentacles from some mythical monster, reaching out everywhere. By the end of the day, we are both spent. Reaching the campsite, we set up our tent and just crash for awhile. Sparky and Passionflower arrive about an hour after us, and then Solo comes shortly thereafter. We all enjoy a nice dinner together as we sit on a long log next to our tents. The forecast is calling for the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaac to arrive here sometime tomorrow, bringing with it rain. Hopefully, we can at least get off to a dry start tomorrow, as we are planning a 16+ mile day to Piazza Rock Lean To.
Date: 2012-09-04
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Piazza Rock Lean To
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 166: What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's terrain was extremely difficult for us, but today, the hiking becomes easier, with mostly flat and gently rolling terrain. We are able to move fairly quickly today. The day starts off sunny, which is a pleasant surprise. At least we can hike for part of the day before the predicted rains arrive. Early on in the morning, we reach ME 17. As we get up onto the raised road, we again are treated to beautiful distant vistas with low clouds hanging in the valleys below the mountain peaks. Later in the morning, we pass by Sabbath Pond and then stop at the nearby Lean To for a break. We read in the trail register that moose were spotted in the pond here last evening and that the call of loons could be heard. We haven't seen any moose yet in Maine, but we have been seeing many moose hoof prints and moose droppings on the trail. At lunch time, we stop at Little Swift River Pond Campsite. This is a pretty little campsite situated next to the pond, with a couple of canoes at waters edge for anyone who wants to take one out for a paddle. As we eat, we can see the clouds beginning to thicken a bit, so we don't tarry there for very long. We still have another 6.6 miles to hike before we reach Piazza Rock Shelter. The afternoon's hike is very easy, and we reach ME 4 by 3:30. At the road crossing, there is a sign inviting hikers to walk up the road for 0.3 miles to a small hostel. Weighing our options for the night, we decide to walk up the road and check it out. Unfortunately, they are full for the night. Many hikers have bailed out today in anticipation of the forecasted rain. We return to the trail and hike the remaining 1.8 miles to the shelter. Fortunately, there is still space in the shelter for all of us when we arrive, so we grab spots inside and set up for the night. We hear from others here that the forecasted rain may not be as bad as originally predicted. Hopefully, that will be the case tomorrow as we hike up and over Saddleback. We are making great progress through Maine, our spirits are high, and we only have another 2-1/2 weeks until we summit Mt Katahdin!
Date: 2012-09-05
From: Piazza Rock Lean To

To: Poplar Ridge Lean To
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 167: We were very lucky, and very thankful to have spots in the shelter last night. At about 2:00am, the skies opened up. It poured cats and dogs for the rest of the night and into the morning until about 7:30am. All of the hikers who arrived here late and did not get a spot in the shelter were forced to tent, and most of them got very wet during the night long deluge. When we woke up this morning, none of us in the shelter even had to speak to eachother to know that we were going to just stay put until the weather improved. I cook a hot breakfast of oatmeal and tea for SilverGirl and me, and then retire back into the warm confines of my sleeping bag to read for awhile. At about 9:30, we decide that the weather has improved enough to pack everything up and head up the trail. Our revised destination for the day is now Poplar Ridge Shelter, which is only 8.9 miles north on the other side of Saddleback, The Horn, and Saddleback Jr. The hike starts off fine, and the sun even breaks through for a few minutes as we climb Saddleback. Soon however, we enter the clouds and things go downhill fast. It is now quite cold, and a wind whipped drizzle chills us quickly as we reach the open rocks up on Saddleback. The trail is no longer a trail, but instead a running river. The terrain becomes extremely dangerous to boot as we are required to ascend and descend a lot of very steep, slippery rock faces. Even the flat, lichen covered rock slabs at the tops of the mountains are very slippery. Our hike turns into an ordeal just to keep from getting hurt. SilverGirl takes a hard fall and scrapes up her forearm, but she is OK? Then, Sparky slips coming down a rock face and lands hard on his hip, scraping and bruising it badly. Eventually, we inch our way up and over Saddleback and The Horn. There are no views to be had from this otherwise scenic ridgeline. Descending The Horn, we finally reach a campsite at the bottom where we can stop for lunch. It is now almost 3:00pm, and we are all very tired from our ordeal up above the treeline. As we eat lunch, the sun pokes through and reveals a large patch of blue sky, as if to tease us after our harrowing day so far. After lunch, we move on for the final couple of miles and the sun once again gives way to fog and light rain as we go up and over Saddleback Jr. By 4:45, we reach Poplar Ridge Shelter. The shelter is full, so we set up our tent on a flat spot not too far from the shelter. The sky is clearing finally, and we keep our fingers crossed for a rain free night. We only covered 8.9 miles today, but it took us almost 7 hours to do so. The conditions and terrain were that difficult. We hope for a better day tomorrow as we will try to make it to the Crocker Cirque Campsite, about 14+ miles up the trail. Time for some much needed rest.
Date: 2012-09-06
From: Poplar Ridge Lean To

To: Carrabassett River Campsite
Miles today: 13.1

Day 168:Thankfully, we do not have any more rain overnight. We were camped in a rather muddy spot, and if it had rained, our tent would have been a mess. The morning is cool and dry as we peek out of the tent at sunrise. By 7:25, we are on the trail. Within a couple of miles we reach Orbeton Stream, our first ford here in Maine. We remove our boots, put on oir crocks, and carefully wade across the shin deep water. The cold water feels so good on our sore, tired feet as we wade across. Others who follow closely behind us don't even bother to remove their boots while crossing. After crossing Orbeton Stream, we climb steeply and steadily up to the summit of Lone Mt. The climb is very difficult for me this morning. My legs just don't seem to have the strength or energy as my calorie deprived body attempts to summon up enough energy to drag me up the mountain. When I reach the top, SilverGirl has already been there for about 5 minutes waiting for me. We have a quick drink of water together and move on. At lunchtime, we stop in at the Spaulding Mt Lean To. I eagerly suck in all of my lunch food and feel much better. There is a large group of hikers around us now, and 8 others are here at the shelter with us while we eat - Sunkist, Roller, Pace, Hungus, Day Star, Gribley, Towely, and Cheese Water. Everyone seems to be bunching up again now that we are all getting closer to Katahdin. After lunch, I move along with much more energy. We stop at a bronze plaque on a rock along the way. The plaque marks the spot where the last section of rhe Appalachian Trail was completed. It also marks the spot where SilverGirl and I only have another 200 miles to go. It is exciting to be getting so close. Skirting the side of Sugarloaf Mt, we stop at a lovely overlook, with views to east. Below us, we can see a number of logging roads that look like thin, brown ribbons amidst the logged forest. After passing around the back side of Sugarloaf, we begin the very steep descent down to the Carrabassett River. Parts of the descent are a bit scary as we drop almost straight down amongst rocky outcroppings. Reaching the river, we have an easy ford, thanks to a large plank that was placed across the widest section of water. Earier today, we heard from a couple of southbounders that the river was dangerous to cross yesterday due to the very heavy rains that we got the night before last. Just across the river, we run into a nice campsite at the base of South Crocker Mt. We stop for the day here and set up camp. Sparky and Passionflower show up about an hour later. Tomorrow we will go up and over South and North Crocker, then down to Rt 27, where we will hitch a ride into Stratton and take a zero day tomorrow. Tomorrow is SilverGirls birthday, so it's time for some rest and celebration.
Date: 2012-09-07
From: Carrabassett River Campsite

To: Rt 27, Stratton
Miles today: 8.4

Day 169:A smattering of rain wakes us up during the night, just enough to make us scramble to close the rain fly. We lay back down, praying that it is just a quick, passing shower. Thanfully, it is and we drift back to sleep. At dawn, the sky is clear and the day looks promising. We only have 8.4 miles to walk today before we go into Stratton for a zero day. We begin the day with a steep climb up South Crocker Mt. Reaching the top at mid morning, we take a short side trail to a beautiful overlook. In the distance, we see Sugarloaf Mt and the ski trails that drape the mountainside. Directly in front of us, about 20 feet away, there is a small birch tree. Someone has found a moose skull here and threaded the skull through its eye sockets on a small branch halfway up the tree. Moving on, we cross the saddle between South and North Crocker, reaching the summit of North Crocker in about 1/2 hour. There is no view for us at the summit of North Crocker. The rest of the morning and early afternoon is spent descending towards Rt 27. We stop at noon, about halfway down and have lunch. Sparky has given us an extra dinner he had, so we cook that up for our lunch. The rest of the days walk is easy, and we reach Rt 27 at 1:30. Coincidently, the owner of the Stratton Motel just happens to be pulling out of the parking lot there when we arrive and she offers us all a ride to her motel. What a lucky break. Ten minutes later, we are at the Stratton Motel checking into our rooms. We shower, then walk over to the laundromat. Everything we have goes into the wash after 6 days in the woods. Today is SilverGirl's birthday, so after our laundry is done, we go on a hunt for a birthday cake. The best we can find in town is a gigantic chocolate Steve's Whoopie Pie at the market across the street. Passionflower surprises us by also buying a blueberry pie. We are now ready for our party tonight. There are a lot of our fellow thru-hikers staying here and at another adjacent hotel, so we invite as many as we see to come over for some cake and pie at 6:30. We have a nice celebration with about 10 of our fellow hikers. After our little party, it's time for dinner. Sparky, Passionflower, SilverGirl, and I walk qcross the street to the Plaza Hotel, where we sit down to a nice cinner. At 9:00, they have kareoke going on there, so we stick around for awhile, listening to the various people there sing their songs. None of us can summon the courage to get up there and sing. Tomorrow, we will spend another day in town, relaxing and catching up on our caloric deficits. On Monday, we will head back out, climbing up and over Bigelow and Avery Peaks. We have heard that on a clear day, it might be possible to get a distant glimpse of Mt Katahdin, but the forecast calls for morning showers on Monday, with clearing skies later. We don't expect to see Katahdin, but it is coming up fast now. In 3 days we will cross the Kennebec River and go into Caratunk for a night. 3 days later, we get to Monson, with only another 100 miles to Mt Katahdin.