morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-03
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Moxie Pond (which really is a huge lake)
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

Maine is famous for its roots, rocks, and mud. Here is the Iceman coming down off of Pleasant Pond Mountain negotiating the roots and rocks. We ran into some mud later, but for the most part we've been able to avoid any deep mud. I'm extremely grateful for a dry spell of weather and the dry trail at this point.This morning we had a fairly rigorous hike up 2,000 feet to get over a small mountain, and a little tough going on the downhill on the other side. But this afternoon we had about five miles of a relatively flat smooth dirt trail that brought back memories of hiking in Virginia. I was delighted.More final thoughts as I move toward the end of this journey...Patience. (I believe I've talked about this before.) I have really had to hone my sense of patience on this trip. For instance, yesterday we arrived at the river and had to wait about an hour and a half before the canoe guy showed up. I decided there was no benefit in my becoming impatient, so I just laid myself down with my head on my pack and took a nice little nap.A more common example -- I often have aching feet or am fatigued, and can't wait to arrive at my end-of-day destination that just doesn't ever seem to arrive. To achieve the patience I need at these times, it may simply be about my accepting reality and readjusting my expectations. It helps for me to tell myself that it will just be a longer walk than I thought. Another technique is to distract myself with other thoughts or with the visual imagery of the woods. If I am successful, sometimes my destination suddenly appears. I know I have gotten way better at being patient since the start of my hike, but it will be interesting to see if this carries over into "real" life. I'm not sure on this one.It's interesting how these double trailer logging trucks filled to the brim go flying up and down these highways getting their logs to a mill. Logging, paper mills, and recreational tourism seem to be about the only industries in this area. There are beautiful forests, but very few people live here, I suppose due to the limited job opportunities and bitterly cold and long winters.I'm so grateful that we've had beautiful weather in Maine so far. Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-04
From: Moxie Pond (which really is a huge lake)

To: Bald Mountain Road near Greenville, Maine
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: few clouds

This is a view from the top of Moxie Bald Mountain. The weather was perfect and the scene was stunning. I mean...blow it up, print it out, and frame it for the wall kind of stunning.The day started off with a pretty good climb to the top of Moxie Bald. I know I said a few days ago that I had climbed the last peak until the final summit of Mt. Katahdin. But that last peak (Avery Peak) was the last seriously tall one. Any of these mountains I'm now climbing are relative pipsqueaks in comparison. However, these smaller mountains still provide amazing views of the lakes and the beauty of Maine.After climbing down Moxie Bald the elevation really leveled off. Although it was still rocky and rooty, the hike became not as demanding as it has been. I can tell that many of Maine's famous muddy areas could be much much worse in wetter weather. In fact, much of the mud is like pizza dough -- nice and soft and easy to walk on and doesn't stick to my shoes. Thank you, sunny dry days.More thoughts about what I've learned during this adventure...Acceptance. I have spent much of my career going to the office, coming home, and doing things with my friends and family. Most of those people are a relative homogeneous group, so I haven't really dealt too much with people who may look quite different. But out here I have walked, talked, and even slept in shelters with all sorts of different people from all walks of life and corners of the world. I have thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of this hike. I no longer am surprised or uncomfortable with first appearances, including all manner of tattoos or hairstyles, or unshaved men and women, or natural body odor. I've enjoyed the company of and learned something from pretty much everyone. I believe I will return a more tolerant person, less wary of people I might have been reluctant to interact with before.I'm glad to be clicking off these final miles to Katahdin in this beautiful remote part of our country.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-05
From: Bald Mountain Road near Greenville, Maine

To: Monson
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

This is a view from a road looking toward Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine. It seemed to me like an optical illusion of the lake floating above the trees. Does it look like that to you? Maybe it's just me. Today was a relatively easy day with a mostly dirt trail over a lot of small hundred-foot hills. In addition, it was yet another in a series of blue skies and DRY days, so there were minimal mud patches. Remarkable and lucky. I had two rivers to ford (which means walk through to the other side). With the lack of rainfall, neither river was deeper than my calves. No big deal.One cost saving tip I can offer for anyone who uses motels on this hike is that I always ask for a discount. I have an AAA card that I keep a PDF of on my phone. So when I make a reservation or check in, I always ask for a hiker's discount, an AAA discount, or a senior discount. They will usually give me whichever one is most favorable.Here's another one of my musings of how the trail has changed me a little...Having faith in the future. I've always been a bit of a worrier, which has led me to be a meticulous planner so that nothing is left to chance. This approach to life definitely has its advantages, but can be an exhausting and, I think, sort of a fearful way to live -- imagining what is the worst that can happen. Well, there have been many times out here on the trail when I could not plan for every contingency. And whenever I needed something, it would somehow appear. Like when I needed a ride to an REI to replace a broken trekking pole tip, the wonderful Trail Angel Vicki appeared and gave me that ride and my brother was able to get me from there. There were many instances when it was getting dark or a storm was coming and I needed to find a flat place to pitch my tent, and voil , one would suddenly appear. If I was running very low on water and a water source was still a long ways off on the map, I would often come across a little unmarked spring. These are just a few of the examples of how I didn't really need to worry as much as I did. I remember learning from my young friend Ukalady who took the attitude of, hey I'll figure it out when I get there and it'll work out. If I can take these lessons of having faith that things usually work out okay, within reason, then I think my life will be a heck of a lot more relaxed.Tomorrow I enter the Hundred Mile Wilderness. It actually has plenty of logging roads through it and the Iceman has arranged to be picked up at a certain road each night. I'm going to join him for the first three nights, and then I'm going to camp out in my trusty tent the remaining nights until just before the end of the trail, still meeting up with and hiking with the Iceman during the days. Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-06
From: Monson

To: Long Pond Rd. in Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Here I am fording one of the many streams in Maine.I've heard about the Hundred Mile Wilderness for so long and I finally got started into it today. And guess what? It's just like all of the other remote forest we've been traveling through. But it does have that cool name. Actually, I think the name is about difficult resupplies once someone on foot enters there.The Hundred Mile Wilderness has a reputation of the first third being rugged followed by it flattening out for the last part. Today did not disappoint in the rugged department. I've been through tougher terrain, but there were definitely some hard ups and downs today. Fortunately, the neverending rocks are still dry during this dry spell.Another thought as I have walked along...One step at a time. I continue to look up and see mountains ahead of me that seem impossibly high. Yet I just look down and take one step at a time and deal with this rock, and this root, and extending or shortening my trekking poles ... and before I know it, I'm at the top of that insurmountable height. It's the same with looking at mountains in the distance. They seem so far away, but then I just focus on my individual steps and get lost in the moment, and it seems that I suddenly arrive at those distant mountains. Of course this entire journey has been accomplished with one step at a time. I guess what I've learned from this aspect of the journey is that big goals need not be intimidating, because in most cases they can be achieved with nothing more than lots of attainable small steps.The Iceman and I are going to get an early start tomorrow to see if we can get through the Barren Mountain and Chairback Mountain chains all in one day before a rainy storm system arrives the next day.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-07
From: Long Pond Rd. in Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 30 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Here I am dealing with some of the tougher terrain I encountered today.The Iceman and I knew that today's terrain was going to be difficult. We had originally planned on breaking it into two days of hiking, but because a storm system is coming we decided to combine the two days into one to try to get the high elevation and dangerous rocky stuff behind us before it gets wet. But hoo-boy, it was a long and arduous day today...the steep descents are so tough on my knees. All the thru-hikers talk about their achy knees at this point in the journey. I know - waah, waah, waah. We still have one more day of steep wilderness hiking ahead, including a medium sized mountain and more fun boulders and rocks.I've noticed a couple of things up here in Maine recently. One is that I have started to see the leaves turn colors and drop off. There's no color evident in the trees yet, but I've seen the leaves on the ground occasionally, especially at the higher altitudes. The other thing I've noticed is that all of the houses are A-frames so that the huge amount of snow that falls during the winter will slide right off. I was told that the massive Moosehead Lake forms four feet of ice in it. Can you imagine how bitterly cold it must get here in the winter to do that? Whoa.Someone asked me if I'm still enjoying this hike. My reply was -- yes, I'm still enjoying it and I'm really glad I did it, but I am ready for it to be done and to be home again. I've been away from home and family and friends for so long now and the ol' body could use a long rest. That's not stopping me from ooing and ahhing over the panoramic views or the unusual mushrooms and all of the other fascinations of the forest. I do want to experience every last bit of the trail.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-08
From: About 30 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 30 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 0.0

This is one of the Appalachian Trail survey markers I've seen periodically all along the trail. It's about 3 inches in diameter.The Iceman and I had planned to climb a medium-sized, rocky mountain today. It rained last night, so we knew it was going to be slippery. We also were physically beat having not had a day off in over a couple of weeks. So instead, we took a zero day. What I learned is what I will be doing my first couple of days when I get back home. I'll be sleeping a lot like I did today. I really conked out.More musings...You want to restore your faith in humanity? Just hike the AT. I have found such amazing gestures of kindness from strangers, and also a wonderful camaraderie among fellow thru-hikers.When I needed to go to a clinic in Massachusetts, I ran into a trail maintenance volunteer - Wanderer. He ended up driving me a good distance to the clinic, waited a couple of hours while I was treated, and invited me back to his and his wife's home for a wonderful dinner and a night in their spare bedroom. They fed me breakfast and then he drove me back to the trailhead the next day. Just like that they took me in.The Roundabouts in the Shenandoah National Park let me stay with them a few nights and helped me slack pack so that I was able to set my own personal mileage record. Such fine folks.A trail angel in Maryland, Vicki, offered and carried through with picking me up from the trail and driving me an hour to go listen to a presentation by the then record holder for hiking the AT. She also drove me a long way to an REI for an equipment repair.In Pennsylvania, Steve and Ann, who had been reading my blog, picked me up and drove me into town so I could get a hot meal. Another couple in the restaurant overheard me talking on the phone to my family on Father's Day, so offered to drive me back to the trailhead.Further up the trail in Pennsylvania a really nice guy, Rick, had been following my blog and offered to pick me up, let me stay in a spare room a couple of days, and helped me slack pack. He also provided my meals while I was with him. Amazing. And of course my friends now for life, the Iceman and Sherpa, have taken me in almost like family and schlepped me around these past several weeks. HUGE gesture of kindness. I've also received much appreciated help all along the way from my old friends and friends of friends. Not to mention the many dozens of instances of Trail Magic (free unexpected food!) along the trail.Witnessing the generosity and giving nature of so many kind people may be my favorite part of this entire experience. And all of my fellow hikers are so helpful and encouraging to each other that it's like one big clan. It's just been so inspiring and uplifting to experience. This world is full of really good people.
Date: 2015-09-09
From: About 30 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 45 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: moderate rain

Here's a deer skull I found along side of the trail this afternoon. I put it back as I found it.Today was my last set of steep changes in elevation. In the afternoon I hiked the trail down into much lower and flatter elevation and it will remain so until I reach Mount Katahdin. It's still roots, rocks, and mud (perhaps not as much), but no ups and downs to speak of. Whew.The local guy who drove Iceman and me to our trailhead this morning told us what he and his brother used to do as kids. They strapped on their skates and would go out to the frozen lake with a sheet. They would then each hold one end of the sheet and turn it vertical so the wind would catch it like a sail and off they'd go, sailing across the lake at what he said was frightening speeds. He called it skate sailing and he's not sure he's seen anyone else ever do that before or since. Maine.No musings today, but I will share how I plan to sign the register at the top of Katahdin. The Appalachian Trail is generally known to require 5 million steps. So, seeing as I have always been a numbers guy in my career I signed the register at Springer Mountain in Georgia (the start of trail) as follows:5000000, 4999999, 4999998...3DOn Katahdin, I plan to sign the register as:...3, 2, 1, 03DI'm getting excited to be so close! Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-10
From: About 45 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 60 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 13.8

Much of today's hike was through a boreal rainforest, such as in this picture. Everything is covered in moss and extraordinarily strange and beautiful. Back when the Iceman and I were hiking through Vermont, we would pass southbounders who would say that Vermont was "a walk in the park." At that time we thought Vermont was fairly challenging, but we knew the southbounders had just come through the White Mountains, so we figured the Whites must be pretty darned tough. We've used that phrase many times since the Whites, actually just hoping we would eventually discover some comfortable parts of the trail. Well today we finally found our "walk in the park." Much of the trail today was flat and smooth as in the picture. We were almost giddy with finally finding an easy soft path. A fine day of hiking, indeed.A simple thought from my journey...Along the trail a few months ago, I met a woman whose son is a PhD doing research into what truly makes people happy. I asked her what was his conclusion. She said it comes down to two things. Being grateful everyday and helping others. As I head into retirement, this sounds like a pretty good approach to live by.I'm grateful that she told me that and I hope that by sharing this I have helped you.No where I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-11
From: About 60 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 60 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 0.0

Here I am with my good traveling companions the Iceman and Rita (Sherpa) toasting our near completion of this thru-hike.Seeing as how it rained heavily last night and most of today with a cold front moving in, the Iceman and I decided to take a zero day. We're hoping for decent weather the rest of the way because we are both eager to complete our hike.Here's something that has been interesting as I've hiked from Georgia to Maine. And that is listening to the various accents as I've moved up the East Coast. The day hikers and the people in the various towns have mostly had some degree of their state's unique accent. Some, along the way, have been strong and stereotypical. Fascinating to experience. Someone asked me what was the hardest part about preparing for my thru-hike. I thought about all of the reading and research that I did, the agonizing over what to purchase and take, the physical and mental preparation, but it was actually something else. For me, the hardest thing was to go from quietly planning my thru-hike to actually telling everyone that I was going to do it. I found it hard to put myself out there like that. But once I did, it seemed to provide an additional kick of motivation that has really helped me. I mean what the heck, embrace life, right? I also put myself out there by writing this blog. I've never been one to be so public like this. I don't even put bumper stickers on my car. But I'm really glad I did do this TrailJournals blog. Many wonderful people I've never met have said such kind and encouraging things in my guestbook, and many of them have become email penpals. The support and encouragement from my friends and family have been hugely helpful. And I've even been contacted by Trail angels that helped me substantially on the trail. So I suppose I've learned a little something about just going ahead and putting myself out there.I'm all packed up to spend the next three nights in the woods. I just want this last little bit of solitude and nighttime noises before I finish my hike. I'll still be hiking with the Iceman during the days, though. I'll be in remote lowlands and I may not have cell phone reception. I'll write my blog every night and post as soon as I get some reception but I may not be able to post for a while. Just not sure.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-12
From: About 60 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 70 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: moderate rain

There's Mt. Katahdin! I can finally actually see the end point of the AT.Today was another relatively flat and easy trail with much of the trail going through swampy lowlands. To allow hikers to get through, the local trail club has split logs and anchored them into the ground with the flat side facing up providing a narrow bridge-like log walk. After yesterday's rain they were wet and covered with a kind of slimy slippery moss and were really kind of treacherous. They require balance and baby steps (at least for me) to keep from slipping off. Maybe 1/5 of today's walk was on these bog logs. It can be slow going but certainly better than trudging through the swamp. The swamp also provided hungry mosquitoes. Their special-of-the-day was me.I was able to get across several streams by rock hopping. I did, however, witness one poor section hiker who slipped and fell backwards, backpack and butt splashing into the water. He struggled like an overturned turtle, but finally got up and out of the stream unhurt. His stuff got pretty wet, though, including his sleeping bag. All of my things are in dry bags in my backpack and I'm careful to put my phone in a ziplock prior to making any of those crossings. So even if I did get dunked, all of my stuff would stay dry.Here's something that may be of interest to future hikers. In Maine each shelter is called a lean-to. These are the same three sided structures with roofs that are called shelters in the other states. In New Hampshire, in addition to the shelters, there are huts that require reservations and are staffed and provide meals.My friend on the phone yesterday asked me what will I miss the most about the trail. What I told him was the energy of the forest. I know that sounds kind of "out there," but I do honestly feel energized (and at the same time calmed) by all the natural thriving life surrounding me. I just love it...always have.I'm happily in my tent tonight by one of the gazillion beautiful uninhabited lakes.Nowhere I'd rather be.
Date: 2015-09-13
From: About 70 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness

To: About 80 miles into the Hundred Mile Wilderness
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

The forest floor is covered with these tiny unopened pine cones. Oh, you may notice the callous in the middle of my palm from palming the end of my trekking pole when going downhill. Weird, eh?Here's a story about one of those little pine cones. The forest up here is filled with tiny red squirrels. I hear them chattering all day with a trill-like call that can last for several seconds. They have big eyes, they're quite fuzzy, and they're tremendously cute. One ran right in front of me with one of these pine cones in his mouth that was about half the size of his little head. He scampered up a tree out onto a branch about 10 feet up. I stopped and we locked eyes and he became perfectly still. Then the pine cone just dropped out of his mouth and he continued to stare at me with his mouth open as if he was in some kind of a trance. So funny. He then started chattering and doing all of his little herky jerky movements. It was really a very cute interaction.Another cute thing that happened recently was when I walked through a lobby of a motel and I saw a little boy look at me. He then turned to his mother and asked, "Is that beard real?"After sleeping on the trail last night, I met the Iceman this morning at his drop off point, and we hiked together as usual. After our hike I decided to come back with him to the motel tonight. The weather forecast for tomorrow is really iffy, and he wouldn't have been able to communicate with me about hiking if I had been out in the lowlands. Here in town I'm seeing lots of thru-hikers gathering and preparing for their final summit. Many of them have family members or friends meeting up here to hike with them or to pick them up to drive them home. There are lots of smiles and fist bumps.Two more days of hiking before climbing Mount Katahdin.Nowhere I'd rather be.