morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-09-16
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Kennebec River
Miles today: 21.0

Daily mileage: 21Start: Little Bigelow Lean-toFinish: Kennebec RiverI awoke today thinking it was raining but much to my delighted surprise it was just the wind. Sweeeeeet. I was ready to go by 730am so on my way back to the trail from the lean-to I stopped to filter some water. I started pumping but it was not working. What the heck? I couldn't figure out why I was pumping just air. After some investigation I found out why. A darn chipmunk had chewed a hole in the tube. I don't approve of this chipmunk's actions. Anyways, I patched her up with some good old duct tape and it was working fine. I finally hit the trail at 8am but when I hit it, I hit it running. I was back up to my old 3 mile an hour pace for a little while. The terrain was primarily flat....my favorite. I did have to contend with tons of roots, rocks and mud but I'll take those over steep, unsafe mountain climbing any day. I did get some sweet trail magic at West Carry Pond Lean-to. A trail angel left rice krispy with fruit loop treats. Awesome!I spent most of the day thinking of my dog, Charlie. I miss my little man. I also gave extensive thought as to where I'm going to live when I get back to TX. It hadn't really occurred to me I need an actual place to stay until now. Before I just kept saying I'll go back to TX without a specific place. Guess I gotta find one now. I ended up hiking 21 miles and I'm camped right next to the Kennebec River. Here's the deal: the only way to get across the river is by ferry. The ferry is run by the Northern Outdoor Center. It only runs from 9-11am and 2-4pm. Well I showed up at 530pm so I've got to wait until 9am tomorrow to get canoed across the Kennebec. It'll be tough to hit another 20 mile day with such a late start. Remember I said it was a nice surprise to wake up with no rain? The rain held off the entire day until dinner time. Now, as I write this it is raining pretty steadily outside. What the heck, man? That makes it 9 out of 10 days with some kind of precipitation. I have no idea if its supposed to rain tomorrow. I hope not. That's all from Rainville, USA. I only have a few days left. Cast your worries to Him.
Date: 2010-09-17
From: Kennebec River

To: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Daily Mileage: 15Start: Kennebec RiverFinish: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-toSomething weird happened to me this morning. I had the most vivid and real dream I can remember. I dreamt that my coworker and good friend, Patricia Walker, and I were at the office (where I used to work). She asked me how I felt about hiking the AT. I immediately had this overwhelming sense of sadness that it was over. I began to cry. I actually felt the feeling of crying. I just felt a great sense of lost now that this part of my life is over. Yeah, I know...weird. The funny part is that I don't feel a great sense of loss as this trip is coming to an end. I spend my entire day thinking of all of the things I'm going to do and eat when this is all over. However, I do know that I will be really sad its over.....eventually. Since I camped at the Kennebec River I had to wait until 9am to be ferried over. At 9am I went to the bank of the river and signaled the guy. I was canoed to the other side by Dave. That was after having to sign a waiver and being forced to wear a life vest. I love the MATC. They want you to experience the wild "as it should be" until it comes to legal matters. The day went by pretty good until Pleasant Pond Mtn. This smaller mountain was a tough ascent but still beautiful nonetheless. It was the way down that was the killer. Since it was a downpour last night everything was wet. I came to one of those rocky descents where I had no other alternative but to chance it. I lost the battle. Once again I found myself rolling end over end like Charlie Brown attempting a field goal. When I reached the bottom I was all disoriented but unhurt. I realized I had snapped one of my Leki hiking poles. My right one to be exact. Grrrrrrrr. That bothers me. Now, I must summit Katahdin with only one pole. Not cool. The rest of the day I spent in an agitated state. I replayed the slipping over and over again in my head. What if I got seriously injured? What would I do then? It took me 3 hours to go 4.9 miles down hill because it was slippery and I was being cautious. I eventually ended the 15 mile day at Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to camped next to a beautifully sounding stream. I plan on waking up at 5am so that I can hike the 21 miles to Monson. I am in need of a shower, laundry, and a huge meal! Let's see if I can do it. Always look to Him
Date: 2010-09-18
From: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to

To: Lakeshore Hostel
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I did it...I was on the trail by 630am and it was cold. However, I felt like a million bucks even though I had a mountain to climb right away. At 7am, as I was climbing up, you'll never guess what happened. Yup, I fell....for the 1,256,487th time. Instead of being on the angry side somehow I was able to shake it off and keep going with a smile on my face. How? I don't know. I spent the day hiking over flat ground that contained tons of mud, rocks, and roots. I was still able to do 3 miles an hour so I was making good time. At about 1pm I turned the corner to go up the hill to Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to and who was there but Power Pack and Miles. Deetz was just ahead of us. If you've been following my journal you know that I met Power Pack and Deetz on top of Springer. We walked through VA together and I even went to Deetz's family home for a weekend in June. It is really nice to catch up with some good friends. We agreed to all meet in Monson, ME for a zero day...our last zero day. We all met at the Lakeshore Hostel and Bar to eat and catch. I also got to see Rohrshack and a few others. We spent the night crying because we were laughing so hard. I'm really going to miss these times!We spent the zero day watching football and laughing. It was Xan, Neutron, P Flaps, Bob Ross, Cus Cus, Hot Wing and a few others. This was like a last hurrah with everyone because we all knew this was the last zero. We had a blast. My plan is as follows: I'm going to get up early all week and try to do 20 miles plus a day to get done by Saturday September 25. This is so sad...I can't believe its almost over. In one week Ill be I a car driving home...simply unthinkable! God has a plan for me.
Date: 2010-09-20
From: Lakeshore Hostel

To: Stealth Camping
Miles today: 14.5

I shared a room with Sand Bagger and Neutron and we awoke about 6am. I putzed around until about 7am when I went over to Shaw's Hostel and had an all you can eat breakfast. Totally awesome. I loved it. At about 9am I talked to Rebekah, owner of the Lakeshore Hostel and she agreed to let Xan take her car to drop me off at the trail. I must say this...I really enjoyed Rebekah and her 11 year old son Max. Him and I got to hang out and he was very helpful with a secret project that I can't divulge until I'm done. We also talked football as he plays Pop Warner. Great kid. If at all possible I'd like to go back there on my way out of Maine but I'm not sure if that will happen. So at 9:17am I entered the 100 Mile Wilderness....the last leg of the AT. It was kind of emotional for me. I was teary-eyed many times thinking about the end of this journey. I can't believe that in a week from right this second I will be done! I realize more and more with each passing hour that this was the best thing I have ever done. I'm really like a kid waiting for Christmas. I'm not joking but I look at my watch every hour to see if its this weekend yet (when I'll summit). Its going sooooooo slow. My original plan was for a 19 mile day but I was more tired than usual. I think its because I'm carrying 5-6 days of food instead of the token 4 due to being in the 100 Mile Wilderness. I had caught up with Guda so after 14.5 miles we decided to stealth camp near a large stream. Guda and I have camped together a few times. Instead of talking thru hiker topics like mileage, Katahdin, and how far we are going tomorrow, him and I talk of other more stimulating topics. Tonight, we talked about The Federalist Papers. Look it up if you don't know what it is. It was just nice to not talk about thru hiking for once. I would really like to finish Saturday but it might get pushed back to Sunday. Depends on where I am. I want to do 20 plus miles all week so we shall see. I give it to You.
Date: 2010-09-21
From: Stealth Camping

To: Stealth around Katahdin Ironworks logging road
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

There I was ready to hike at 647am this morning. It was pretty chilly so I had a long sleeve shirt, jacket, winter hat, and wind pants on. I was dressed for success in beating this cold. About a half mile in I came to a river (I'd tell ya which one but I washed that page of data in the washing machine). I refused to take the ole shoes off to ford. I spotted a few rocks that looked close enough for me to jump on to get across without getting wet. I got to the edge of the river and got on the first rock no sweat. I tested the next rock with my only functioning pole...yup, it was a good rock. I planted my foot on it....Ladies and gentlemen, at 701am on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, I plunged into the river. I slipped so fast I didn't know what had happened until I was already in. I had stepped on the world's most slipperiest rock (its in the record book if you choose to look it up) with my left foot. As it came down it forced my right leg to fly off and get stuck between two rocks under water. I thought my leg was broken but I had other things to contend with at the moment. The force threw my upper body forward which I save my balance with my hands under water. In case you're unable to picture my predicament just imagine a twister board and you've got your feet touching the mat behind you and your hands are touching the mat in front of you. However, there's a gushing river that you find yourself in. That's how I was plus I had a pack on and I was trying to catch my pole before it floated downstream. Since the current was pushing me down it took a few extra seconds to gather myself. I got upright and quickly did a wiggly check with my right leg to see if it was broken. Nope, I'm fine. I then got myself out of the river and on to the otherside. I should have known this but falling in the river really set the tone for the rest of the day. And with my luck this was the day the 100 Mile Wilderness became all mountainous and irritating to me. Honestly, I'm sick of climbing mountains so I spent the day in an agitated state of mind. I never could quite get it together today. I yelled at a mountain pretty loud and when I turned the corner there was Guda eating lunch laughing at me. Poor him because he had to sit through my 20 minute rant about how these pointless ups and downs have ruined the 100 Mile Wilderness (hey, I was mad at the time). Due to losing my data I can't tell you what mountains I climbed except for the last one: Chairback Mtn. I was so tired from constant ups and downs in wet socks that Guda and I called it quits after the Katahdin Ironworks Road which was a 17 mile day. I have yet to do a 20 mile day. Tomorrow we climb our last significant mtn until Katahdin. That is Whitecap Mtn which you can supposedly see Katahdin from on a clear day. If I see Katahdin tomorrow I will cry...no joke. I get all weapy eyed whenever I think of the finish. Speaking of crying, I think its time to cry myself to sleep now. Gnite. What should we do? Luke 18:22When you're told you can't do something: Luke 18:25
Date: 2010-09-22
From: Stealth around Katahdin Ironworks logging road

To: Stealthing at Pond
Miles today: 22.5

6:15am sharp and I was on the trail. It was surprising quite mild outside. That helped when in 10 minutes I had to ford a river again. I did spot rocks for a possible rock hop across but I learned my lesson from yesterday's debacle. I threw on the crocs and waded across. Cold is all I'm going to say. The first 6 miles were flat and easy: just the way I like it. Then it was mountain time. I climbed over West Peak, then some others, and finally ending with Whitecap Mtn. Long climbs all day. You bet that frustrated me. I have grown to dislike pointless mountain climbing. It especially irks me when you get the same view as the mountain before or, worse yet, no view at all. Its like watching an episode of The Office over and over again. The first time it is awesome. The second is ok but you'll still watch it. The third time you're bored and the other times after you want to watch something else. Same goes with hiking these mountains. You can tell that I'm ready to be done. No more crazy mountains...just get me to Katahdin. I love hiking and all of that jazz but my body is saying "let's find something else to do for awhile." I did 22.5 miles today and I feel good but I'm ready to be done. I've got about 64 miles left. I can't believe that. I'm thinking I will be summiting Sunday but who knows. I will say this though: walking with Fall is so beautiful. The leaves are starting to change colors and its awesome. Its awesome walking at this time of year. He knows best.
Date: 2010-09-23
From: Crawford Pond

To: Nahmankanta Lake
Miles today: 22.5

Daily mileage: 22.5Start: Crawford PondFinish: Nahmakanta LakeAfter camping with Power Pack, Deetz, Miles, and Guda, I was on the trail at 618am. Absolutely awesome morning to walk in as the sun came up. I love walking at this time of day. The terrain was really flat and I was cruisin'. By 1130am, I had knocked out 14 miles. That, my friends, was my best mileage before noon. Totally awesome. I ate lunch with Roadhouse and Guda and then we took off together. We came to a lake that had a view of Katahdin. I have finally seen Katahdin for myself and its real. I think we all had a little spring in our step after that. We were headed to Wadleigh Stream Lean-to and when we were about 2 miles from there we came across awesomeness. At Nahmankata Lake, Jeopardy and Java (2001 thru hikers) were setting up shop for some weekend trail magic. Awesome! We helped them set up and were fed hot dogs, corn on the cob, cookies, Little Debbie cakes, and chips. Delicious. It is probably our last trail magic which really makes me sad. We are now camped next to Jeopardy and Java. Only 40 miles left in the entire journey!He is the way.
Date: 2010-09-24
From: Nahmakanta Lake

To: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Daily Mileage: 22.5Start: Nahmakanta LakeFinish: Hurd Brook Lean-toI woke up to the all too familiar sound of rain beating on my tent. Only this time, it wasn't going away. I realized that this was the first time I had to pack up in a pouring rain which means a whole different way of packing up. You pack everything inside your tent and then you pack your tent last. Your tent gets soaked that way. And mine got soaked that way. I was hiking by 640am in the rain. The day was very uneventful. Just walking and thinking....the usual. This time of year the rain is slightly cold since it is Maine. I made it to Rainbow Trout Lean-to which was 10.7 miles for lunch. There, I met Katdog who was from Dallas, TX so we shared all of that stuff with each other. The after lunch walk remained uneventful besides being cold and wet. I made it 22.5 miles to Hurd Brook Lean-to where I met up with Guda, Roadhouse, and Treadmore. After dinner I set up for bed where my sleeping pad promptly failed me. I just got it in Hanover, too! By 730pm the lights were out and we were sleeping. I didn't sleep well, especially with no air in my sleeping pad and when a mouse used my head as a treadmill. Gross man! See, I told you nothing of excitement happened. All for Him.
Date: 2010-09-25
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: The Birches
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

We awoke to find that our stuff had not miraculously dried overnight. At least it wasn't pouring rain though. We slowly got our act together and I was doing my last full day of hiking at 745am. Guda, Roadhouse, Treadmore and I made it to Abol Camp Store bt 9am where we bought some snacks and chatted for awhile. I talked to the nice ladies in the store. We left at 1130am. I finally made it to Baxter State Park...home of Mt Katahdin. I don't really know how I felt. You see, rigt now, I'm so emotionally worn out I have no idea what to feel. I'm really sad its about to end but at the same time I'm ready. I'll write more about my emotions after I summit. I got to the Birches campground where I met Guda's dad, gramps, and brother. So Roadhouse and I went with the to Millonocket, ME where I am now. They had reserved a room at a motel so they were enough to let me share with them on a cot. Tomorrow, Sunday, September 26, I plan to summit Mt Katahdin. We are leaving for Baxter State Park at 6am. So here's the deal. I am really worn out but when I finish I will definitely write about my emotions on everything. Right now, I'm kind of like in a must finish mode so it kind of clouds my overall thoughts. I can't wait to share with the world how and what I'm feeling. I'm nothing without Him.
Date: 2010-05-31
To: Gear List
Miles today: 0.0

Gear List 2010 Thru Hike ITEM BRAND OZBackpack ULA Circuit 37Pack Cover Sea to Summit 3Sleeping Bag WM Caribou MF 21Compression Dry Sack Sea to Summit Evac, 8 L 2Tent Hennessy Ultralite Backpacker Asym 30.5(Exchanged on 10-31-10 for Go-Lite Shangri-La 3 tent 43)Stove, Wind Screen, Primer White Box "Original" Alcohol Stove 2Fuel Bottle Empty 20 oz Soft Drink Bottle 1.5Pot Jetboil 1.5 L Pot 12.5Kitchen Matches in Med Bottle 4Food Dry Sack Sea to Summit Ultra Sil 13L 1.1Knife 2.5Headlamp Tactikka Plus 2.8Extra Batteries 3 AAA 1.2Hydration System 7.2Water Collection and Storage Platypus Water Tank 4 L 2.5Plastic 1 L Bottle 1.5Water Disinfectant Aquamira 3Spoon Mountain Hardwear Spork 0.5Cup Kleen Kanteen 12 oz 4.5Coozie UT Coozie 1Toilet Paper in Plastic Bag 4.7Toiletries and First Aidin Stow Sack 18.5Camera Sony H55 7Camera Case Tripod 1.7Maps, Guidebooks Insect Repellant Ben's 100 Deet 1.6Compass 0.7Glasses Prescription 0.5Sunglasses and Case Native 4.2S-biners 1.350 ft. Cord 6.5Total Weight: 192.4CLOTHES CARRIED Shoes OR Dry Bag 10 L 2.2Smart Wool Beanie, Bandana, Gaiter 4.4MH Tyhpoon Rain Shell 15GoLite Down Sweater 12Marmot Precip Fullzip Pants 12Smart Wool Long Sleeve 7.9MH Wicked Lite Short Sleeve 4Patagonia Baggies Shorts 6.7Columbia synthetic trekking pants 9.7Bison Belt 2.5Underwear 3Socks Smartwool Adrenaline Multi-Sport 2Smartwool Hiking Medium Crew Socks 3Smartwool PhD Crew Socks 3MISCELLANEOUS Cell phone and charger 5.5SPOT Sea to Summit 4 L 1.5Bug Mesh 1.25Emergency Blanket 1.7Sea to Summit 2 L 1.6Extra Batteries AA Total Weight oz.: 98.95
Date: 2010-06-30
To: SOBO to Springer Mountain, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So, you want to follow me, eh? Okay. If you want to follow my adventure, the best ways to do it will be:1)Trail Journals2)I use a public Facebook page for placement of journal entries and photos and to communicate with friends. The page is "Ben Royer's Appalachian Trail Adventure". http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-Royers-Appalachian-Trail-Adventure/363881098829?v=wall&story_fbid=4201471088293)Follow my GPS way points on SPOT Adventures.On the trail, I will be carrying a SPOT Personal Messenger for both safety and tracking. On the SPOT Adventures website, you will be able to see my way points on a map on my profile page. Just visit spotadventures.com and do a user search for "benjaminproyer." Or you can follow the link below.http://www.spotadventures.com/user/profile?user_id=56921I will turn on my SPOT once a day so you can see my most recent progress. Thanks.
Date: 2010-07-05
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge, ME
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: few clouds

Today's my birthday and a great day to start my SOBO hike. My dad and I decided to stretch our legs on this easy A.T. section. Back to A.T. Lodge in Millinocket tonight. See my July 8th journal entry for more.
Date: 2010-07-06
From: Mount Katahdin, ME

To: Katahdin Spring Campground, ME
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: light rain

The day began at 4 AM in a downpour. The whole family hiked to Chimney Pond from Roaring Brook on a soggy trail. The ranger encouraged us to go for it, so my dad and I started up the steep Dudley Trail to Pamona Peak. From there we hiked across the Knife Edge and finally arrived at Katahdin about the same time that the clouds cleared. After photos, my REAL SOBO hike began as we hiked down the Hunt Trail, 5.3 miles south on the A.T.One more night eating at the A.T. Cafe and sleeping in a very hot A.T. Lodge in Millinocket. See my July 8th journal entry for more.
Date: 2010-07-09
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to, ME

To: Potawadjo Spring Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: scattered clouds

100 Mile Wilderness -- July 9thJuly 9, 2010 -- 18.1 miles I must be getting punished for something, or maybe not. All I was thinking about today was that I wanted someone to talk to. LIttle did I know that I would be camping with eleven French-Canadian girls. Too bad only two of them are above the age of sixteen. The counselors were nice, and they already seemed to know that my eyes were roaming a little. Not so secretly. I might have been staring, but you would too if you hadn't seen a girl in a while and then you're confronted with eleven good-looking girls in sports bras and spankies prancing around, chattering in French, and laughing at everything you do and say. It turned out that I was their entertainment for the night. Kind of annoying, but a little fun. I'm wondering if I'm even on the AT because I have NEVER seen anything like this before on the trail. Usually it's just a bunch of guys.
Date: 2010-07-10
From: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to, ME

To: East Branch Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 19.5

100 Mile Wilderness -- July 10th Pataywadjo to East Branch -- 19.5 miles Recap. I might been distracted yesterday, but I did do two other notable things yesterday. First, I saw a bear in the morning. They're much more skittish up here, but second, I also went swimming a lot, which funny after today. It was just so hot yesterday and I hiked by a bunch of lakes. After leaving camp this morning at 6:30 am, it rained as soon as I hit the trail, and it didn't stop until lunch. SO, I've had my first of many, many days of rain, which is good to go and get over with. Before stopping for lunch, I busted my butt on a bog bridge. Luckily, nothing was hurt or bruised. I just had one hand buried up to the wrist in mud. Great. I stopped for lunch at the shelter before East Branch, which I'm at now, in order to dry out. My gortex boots are doing me no favors. They're holding the water in like small buckets. I'm not sure I'm going to keep them around. I need some shoes that drain water. There's just too much of it around here. Anyway, I'm at East Branch Lean-To with five women celebrating turning 50 and an older NOBO named "Sweeper." As it turns out, Sweeper lived in Chile, speaks "castellano chileno," and has family living in Limache outside Vina del Mar, where I lived. Who would have thought?! Those odds are crazy, but we had a nice conversation in Spanish. Also, "Scout," one of the five women, invited me to stay at her place in New York as I'm passing through. She lives right by the trail, so I think I'll take her up on it.