morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-31
From: Frye Notch Lean-to

To: the Cabin (Andover, ME)
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

We arrived at the road crossing to Andover this morning to discover that it is a small, not-heavily-traveled back road; bad news for potential hitchhiking. Neither of us had cell phone service, so we couldn¢t call the hostel to come pick us up. OD got really frustrated and started walking down the road toward the hostel, which we thought at the time was only 3 mi away (it was actually more like 12). I stayed at the trailhead, hoping someone would come along. Just then, a big group of college students came out of the woods behind me and headed toward a 15-passenger van sitting in the parking lot. Someone who was obviously the group leader came up and asked me, ¢Do you need a ride into town?¢ So I yelled at OD to come back and the guy left his group sitting in the parking lot and took us to town ¢ the booming metropolis of Andover. We had lunch at the Little Red Hen diner and then resupplied at the general store, which were not hard to find b/c they were pretty much the only 2 buildings in town. Hungus & Pace, Roller & Sunkist, Me and OD got pickedup by the owner of The Cabin, the hostel where we are all staying. There are a ton of people here tonight, including Trail Mama and SoS. Trail Mama and SoS took us back into town tonight to have dinner at the Little Red Hen. It was prime rib night, so the place was packed, and we stood in line for a long time before we got a table. Normally I would be excited for a town day and eating real food, but my stomach is still causing me problems, so food has become my enemy. That is a very tragic situation for a thru-hiker. I only had a piece of raspberry pie for dinner, but it made me happy.
Date: 2012-09-01
From: the Cabin (Andover, ME)

To: Black Brook campsite
Miles today: 10.1

We had breakfast at the hostel this morning: pancakes and sausage, fruit and OJ. I want to eat things that don¢t make my stomach feel bad, but it¢s hard when there¢s delicious food in front of me. We caught a late morning shuttle back to the trail, with Hungus & Pace, Roller & Sunkist. The terrain in the morning was nice and easy. We stopped at Hall Mtn Lean-to for an afternoon snack, where I lingered and OD went on ahead. I got to Sawyer Brook to find OD indecisive about whether to stay or go; the other 4 had decided to camp there. I convinced him to keep going, and we climbed Moody Mtn, which was pretty steep, and ended the day at Black Brook, next to South Arm Rd. There are a lot of tent sites, all of which are full of hikers tonight. It¢s a big NoBo party down by the brook on a Saturday night! (Actually there¢s one SoBo here as well, but we decided to let her stay too.)
Date: 2012-09-02
From: Black Brook campsite

To: Bemis Mtn lean-to
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was not a happy day for my stomach. I had to stop and sit down about a million times going up Old Blue Mtn. I would never have made it without my personal coach/cheerleader Overdrive pushing me along today. I felt really weak b/c I haven¢t been eating much; all the food I have makes my stomach feel bad. I made some Ramen for lunch and that gave me some energy.7 mi today it not very many, but it took forever. Actually it was more than 7, b/c the mileage in the guidebook for the shelter is wrong, so I think today was more like 8.3We decided to go into Rangely tomorrow so I can go to the doctor. They might not be open since it will be Labor Day, but we¢ll stay in a hotel and rest. Hopefully I¢ll feel better soon; this is not how I wanted my last few weeks on the trail to go.
Date: 2012-09-03
From: Bemis Mtn lean-to

To: Saddleback Motor Inn (Rangeley, ME)
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: few clouds

I felt a little better this morning as we hiked down to the road. The trail cme out next to a scenic viewpoint overlooking Lake Mooselookmeguntic (no joke, that¢s the real name). We took our places by the side of the road and it wan¢t long before a couple in a red convertible pulled into the overlook and waved us over. It turned out the guy (Sherpa) was a thru-hiker in ¢03 and OD actually recognized him from an AT video! They drove us in their (one-month-old) convertible to Rangeley, as we sat with our packs on our laps in the backseat. It was a little windy back there, but awesome to be riding in style.They took us to the Saddleback Inn, after we drove by the health center and ascertained that it was closed. The Inn is a little expensive, but probably the nicest one we¢ve stayed in yet. After we got settled, there followed the saddest trip to the grocery store ever. OD (who is a pharmacist BTW so does know what he¢s talking about) is convinced the food I¢ve been eating has been irritating my intestines, so he¢s putting me on the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast. (He also let me get chicken broth, pudding, Wheat Thins, and watermelon.) So here we were in the IGA, with nearly infinite choices of junk food, and I could only get bland, healthy things. As we walked through the store, our conversation went like this: ¢Can I get that?¢ ¢No.¢ ¢Can I get that?¢ ¢No.¢ He really does have my best interests at heart, and has hated seeing me so miserable the past few days. Left to my own devices, I would not have the self-control to avoid the junk food I¢m craving.
Date: 2012-09-04
From: Saddleback Motor Inn (Rangeley, ME)

To: Saddleback Motor Inn (Rangeley, ME)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I called the health center this morning and they were able to get me in at 10:15. Saw a very nice nurse practitioner, who told me I most likely have something akin to giardia, and gave me a prescription. They filled it right there, and we were on our way.Went back to the IGA on the way back from the health center, to resupply for our next leg of the trip and get some food to send ahead to Caratunk. Then we went to the P.O. downtown to mail it, and stopped at an outfitter where I bought new socks, which I¢m ridiculously excited about.Went back to the hotel; more bland-food-eating and TV. Got to watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, which was a treat.
Date: 2012-09-05
From: Saddleback Motor Inn (Rangeley, ME)

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Checked out of the hotel this morning, went to the outfitter to see about a ride back to the trail and the owner said her brother could take us in the afternoon. While waiting for him, we walked around town and got lunch at the Red Onion. OD allowed me to get real food; a cup of soup, some pizza and apple pie with ice cream. I may have overdone it a little because I felt kinda sick later, but it was worth it. There were a bunch of other hikers at the Red Onion: Owf, Flies, White Wolf, Pants and Tater. Most of them were staying at a hostel near the trail which I wish we¢d known about before we got the hotel room.The outfitter owner¢s brother came by around 1:30 and picked us up and drove us back to the trail. We had really nice terrain all the way to Sabbath Day Pond. After dinner we sat by the water just enjoying the beautiful scenery and lamenting the fact that this will soon be coming to an end.
Date: 2012-09-06
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: ski patrol cabin on Saddleback mtn.
Miles today: 14.8

We had very nice, almost flat terrain for the first 10+ mi of the day. Lots of nice ponds and streams. Our original plan had been to stay at Piazza Rock Lean-to (which has a 2-seat privy with a cribbage board inside), but I met OD there at 2:30 and we decided to aim for Saddleback mtn. It was a long, but beautiful climb above treeline with incredible views all around. We hadn¢t quite gotten all the way to the top with OD noticed a side trail to the west. Thinking it might lead to a good campsite, we followed it past a pond, back below treeline to¢¦a ski lift and ski patrol cabin! The cabin was locked, but there was plenty of room for us to sleep on the porch. There was a working electrical outlet on the outside of the ski lift booth where we could charge our phones, and we had an unobstructed view of the sunset right from the porch. What a perfect spot!
Date: 2012-09-07
From: ski patrol cabin on Saddleback mtn.

To: Spaulding Mtn Lean-to
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke up in a cloud this morning ¢ literally ¢ the mtn was covered in fog. So we didn¢t get any views from the summit of Saddleback. At least we got some yesterday. There were a few clear patches of sky by the time we climbed The Horn: on the way down, I saw my first spruce grouse ¢ actually there were 4 of them, hanging out on the trail. The only ones I¢d seen before were flying away, so I hadn¢t gotten a good glimpse. These had brown spots and were about the size of chickens. So now there are only 2 animals left on my list of ¢must-see¢: moose and porcupines.Climbed Saddleback Jr, which was pretty tough; I had flashbacks to the tough climbs in the Whites b/c the terrain was similar. Stopped at Poplar ridge shelter for lunch, which had the 1st ¢baseball bat¢ floor I¢ve seen ¢ instead of normal boards, the floor is made of small round logs, which would not be very comfortable to sleep on. Apparently in the old days, when these type of shelters were built, they spread pine boughs down to make it more comfy.We crossed Orbeton Stream, which is listed in the guide as one you have to ford, but there were rocks to walk across on. In Maine, they don¢t build bridges over most of the streams b/c the water levels rise so much with storms that the bridges get washed out. Still waiting for my first Maine stream fording; I think there¢s one tomorrow. We walked along sluice Brook for a while; I was hot and decided to go for a swim. OD went on ahead. The water was freezing but worth it.Climbed up to Lone Mtn, where I met up with OD; Great Lakes and Tallgrass were there as well. We had 2 easy miles to the lean-to.We¢re planning on camping close to the road tomorrow and then heading into Stratton the next morning. I¢m already dreaming about cheeseburgers. I finally get to eat town food with confidence that my stomach won¢t hurt afterwards. (It¢s been feeling great the past 2 days.)
Date: 2012-09-08
From: Spaulding Mtn Lean-to

To: campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

It was a foggy, windy day with few views, but still a good day for hiking. We went up Spaulding and Sugarloaf Mtns, and I felt really strong on the uphils and downhills. We crossed the Carrabassett river (no fording necessary), had an early lunch, then went up south and North Crocker. I¢m glad they weren¢t above treeline b/c the wind was howling, and the few exposed sections we did almost knocked me over. We came down North Crocker and found this nice little campsite about 3:30. I¢m almost finished reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, so hopefully I can find a new book in town. Should be an easy morning; maybe 3 mi to the road?Also, we crossed the 200 mi countdown mark today! Wow! It¢s starting to feel real that we¢ll actually be done soon!
Date: 2012-09-09
From: campsite

To: Horns Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It poured rain all night, starting just after dark. It¢s pretty amazing to me how my tent, this little contraption made of such thin material, nylon, mesh, some poles and stakes, can can keep me (mostly) dry in a torrential downpour.It was an easy couple miles to the road this morning, and after trying to hitch for a few minutes. Sue came to our rescue. She owns a hotel/hostel in town and was dropping off some hikers at the trailhead and was happy to tae us into town.Our first stop was the White Wolf Inn for 2nd breakfast. OD and I had just sat down when a guy in the corner booth invited us to join him. His name was Bigfoot and he is a section hiker going south, so he gave us lots of unsolicited advice about the trail ahead.We resupplied at the store, then went to the Laundromat and washed clothes to kill some time. Then a very unhealthy lunch with lots of fried foods at the White wolf Inn again. We watched part of a Titans/Patriots game on TV, and I got kinda homesick because the game was in Nashville, and the stadium is about a 12 mile from my house. As we were finishing our lunch, Rampage and his fianc©e Mango walked in! I haven¢t seen him since Erwin, TN I think. His hair and beard are much longer now. Trail Mama took me and OD, as well as Tallgrass and Great Lakes, back to the trail. I got to ford a stream, at Stratton Brook. There was a sketchy-looking log going across it, which OD was brave enough to cross over, but I was not. So I put on my Chacos and went across the fun way. We passed the 2000 mi mark on our way up a big climb, and arrived at Horns Pond around 7.
Date: 2012-09-10
From: Horns Pond Lean-to

To: East Flagstaff Lake
Miles today: 12.8

It was chilly this morning! The temperature gauge on Mad Hat¢s pack said 42 degrees. I started out wearing both my shirts, rainjacket, hat and gloves, but warmed up quickly as we had a lot of climbing to do. We went up South Horn, Bigelow and Avery. The latter 2 were above treeline, but the only thing we could see was fog. It was very cold and windy on the peaks, so we didn¢t spend much time there.Had lunch at Safford Notch campsite and then a gradual climb up Little Bigelow. That is our last big mtn for a while the terrain looks pretty easy from here on out. My knees are ready for a break.Towards the end of the day there was a sketchy log bridge over a pond that sunk when OD walked across it. I was glad to have my Chacos and walked the rest of the way to camp in them.East Flagstaff Lake is beautiful, and huge. We walked past a couple beaches on the way to the tent sites, and the sound of the waves made OD homesick for Florida. OD, Solo and Madhat got a nice fire going, and we have the sound of the wind and the waves to lull us to sleep.
Date: 2012-09-11
From: East Flagstaff Lake

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: few clouds

The wind and the waves did not keep me from hearing scuffling and scratching noises throughout the night, and I woke this morning to find a hole in the mesh at the end of my tent and a hole in my food bag. I was not happy. The stupid mouse got into my just-opened bag of trail mix, so now I have almost no snacks. LOther than that, it was a great day. 2 small hills in the morning, and that was it for the day. We got to West Carry Pond Lean-to for our 10 AM snack break, having done 5 mi in 2 hrs. OD went on ahead of me, and I spent an hour sitting on a beautiful beach at East Carry Pond, catching up on my journal. Lots more flat, boring miles later and I arrived at pierce Pond around 4 PM. It is a gorgeous spot. There is a small memorial for Parkside, the 20-year-old thru-hiker who drowned here in June. I never met him but was sad to hear about it when it happened; the AT community is like a big family.¢Through many dangers, toils and snares We have already come¢Tis grace has brought me safe thus farAnd grace will lead me home.¢(This came on my iPod the other day, and I thought it was a perfect quote to write in the register here.)OD and Medicine Man walked up the trail to Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Camp, to reserve our spot for breakfast tomorrow ¢ I can¢t wait! OD put my food bag in his tent, where hopefully it will be safer, since he¢s never had a break-in.
Date: 2012-09-12
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Northern Outdoor Center (Caratunk, ME)
Miles today: 4.0

What a fantastic day! It began, of course, with an epic breakfast at Harrison¢s. It¢s a really neat lodge for hunters, fishers and hikers, with a bunch of deer and moose heads hanging in the dining room, and a beautiful view of the river and waterfall. OD, FatherMan, Medicine Man and I were there. Tim, the owner, made us each 12 pancakes with blueberries, raspberries, and apples, as well as sausage and eggs. One of the best breakfasts I¢ve had on the trail. We chatted with Tim for a while afterwards and got to hear his interesting theories on why you shouldn¢t vaccinate your children, and how the US government caused 9/11.Then we did 4 beautiful miles to the Kennebec River, past several waterfalls and streams. Then we got to take a canoe across the river! There is a hydroelectric dam upstream, which causes the water level to rise quickly, so there is a canoe you take across which is the official AT route; there¢s even a white blaze painted in the bottom of the canoe. OD was worried we wouldn¢t make it in time for the morning ferry, b/c it runs from 9-11 and 2-4, but we got there at 10:15. We signed the release forms, put on our lifejackets and got in. OD sat in front and helped the canoe guy paddle, and I sat in the middle and enjoyed the ride.After the river crossing, we got to the highway, walked about a mile, then got a hitch from Mango, Rampage¢s fianc©e. We arrived at Northern Outdoors to find a bunch of friends there: Daystar, Gribley, White Wolf, Pants, Tater Tot, FM, Medicine Man, Cheesewater, Towlie, Pace & Hungus. Some of them had arrived the day before and decided to zero. The place is awesome! They have a lounge area with TVs, a computer, bar and restaurant, arcade room, showers, laundry, pool and hot tub. We set up our tents across the road, took showers and did laundry after lunch, then later I sat by the pool and read my book (¢Catcher in the Rye¢) while everyone played pool volleyball, then we all sat in the hot tub for a while. Ate way too much food today, but I¢m sure I¢ll be hungry again in the morning.
Date: 2012-09-13
From: Northern Outdoor Center (Caratunk, ME)

To: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

The 14.7 mi we did today was actually 17.7, since we started the day with a 3 mi road walk. OD didn¢t want to wait for the 9 AM shuttle, so we left camp and tried to get a hitch. No luck. We dropped our packs at the trail and walked past it another mi to the Sterling Inn, to get fuel and batteries. Eric, one of the owners, drove us back to the trail.The hiking was fairly easy today, except for Pleasant Pond Mtn. It was pretty warm today, and OD and I both ran out of water for a while. I flew the last 3 mi, just ready to be done for the day.Only 11 more days on the trail; I can¢t even believe it. Right now I¢m ready to be done with walking all day, but I¢m sure I will miss it.
Date: 2012-09-14
From: Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to

To: east branch of Piscataquis River
Miles today: 15.3

We started off the day with Moxie Bald, which wasn¢t too bad of a climb, and beautiful views at the top. Stopped for a snack at Moxie Bald Mtn Lean-to, and listened to the loons on the pond. We got to ford Marble Brook and the west and east branches of the Piscataquis River ¢ lots of stopping to put on my sandals and take them back off. Really nice, pretty flat walking the majority of the way. Still lots of rocks, tree roots and mud pits, but no climbs or descents.We¢re camped here on the north side of the river with Medicine Man, FM, Owf, Pace, Hungus, Towlie and Cheesewater. There is an unnamed trail that runs parallel to the river which we¢ve all set up our tents on, since that¢s the only spot to camp.
Date: 2012-09-15
From: east branch of Piscataquis River

To: ShawÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Lodging (Monson, ME)
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: broken clouds

We¢re finally here! The last town on the trail! It was a pretty easy walk into town this morning, although it did rain a bit before we got to the road. OD stopped to put on his rainjacket and I kept going. In the short amount of time he was stopped, 2 moose walked by right in front of him! I still haven¢t seen one!We called Shaw¢s to give us a ride into town, where we got settled in the bunkhouse next to the main building. For lunch, we walked down the street to Spring Creek BBQ, which was delicious.We took an afternoon shuttle to Greenville for our last resupply ever. Since there¢s no way to resupply in the upcoming 100 Mile Wilderness, we opted to pay for a food drop, rather than carry 8+ days of food. (I did 6 once, and it was miserable.) For $20, the Lakeshore House (the other hostel in town) will take the remainder of our food our 30 mi into the wilderness and leave it in a 5 gal bucket hanging from a tree. Definitely worth it.For dinner, we ate at the Lakeshore House Pub and hung out with our friends who are staying there. Hopefully we¢ll be able to summit with most of them.Went back to Shaw¢s and started reading ¢The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo¢. Hopefully that will get me through the wilderness; for me, running out of reading material is almost as bad as running out of food!
Date: 2012-09-16
From: ShawÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Lodging (Monson, ME)

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Had the famous Shaw¢s breakfast this morning: I ordered the ¢2¢ and then got 2nds. (You order by number 1, 2, 3, or 4 and then get that amount of French toast, eggs, sausage, bacon and home fries. Walked to the gas station to get snacks and money from the ATM, then we took a shuttle back to the trail.Lots of beautiful ponds and streams today - a great start to the 100 Mile wilderness. We forded big Wilson Stream, crossed some railroad tracks and arrived at the Wilson Valley Lean-to. I just heard a train go by, which was quite an unexpected sound in the ¢wilderness¢.On a sad note, I dropped my black bandanna somewhere on the trail today. It had been with me since the very beginning. RIP, black bandanna.
Date: 2012-09-17
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: West Chairback Pond
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

Long, tiring day. Just after our 10 AM snack break, we got to Long Pond Stream. We walked up and down the bank for a while, looking for a way to rock-hop across. I found a potential path, but about halfway across the slippery, rounded rocks, I thought, ¢This is a bad idea,¢ and about 2 sec later fell in. I leaned to the right as I fell, and the whole right side of my pack and body got wet, but thankfully my camera was in the mesh pocket on the left side and stayed dry. My phone and iPod stayed dry in their Ziploc baggie. I dropped one of my poles in the water and couldn¢t see it, but OD found it wedged under a rock. I was wet and cold, but in good spirits. Falling in a stream is just part of the full AT experience. JWe had lunch at a gorgeous spot called Barren Ledges. Nice rock cliffs with a view of Long Pond below. From there, we could see a road, a boat on the pond and a railroad bridge. So much for ¢wilderness. I was able to dry out my wet stuff on the rocks and all was well. Then we climbed up Barren Mtn, where OD scrambled up a rickety old fire tower, and I stayed on solid ground and took pictures.Then there was the 4th Mtn and 3rd Mtn (very creative naming) ¢ luckily there were no 2nd and 1st b/c we were getting tired. Took a side trail to West Chairback Pond, which is beautiful. There are canoes here, but by the time we set up and ate dinner, it was too dark for canoeing.
Date: 2012-09-18
From: West Chairback Pond

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

It was cold, windy and damp this morning as we ate breakfast and packed up, but it got warmer once we got away from the pond. We climbed Columbus Mtn, then Chairback, which was pretty rocky in a few spots.Got to Katahdin Ironworks Rd around lunchtime, picked up our food drop buckets and repacked our food bags. Now our packs will be super heavy, but for the last time. We arrived at the 2100 mi mark on the south bank of West Branch Pleasant River. OD made a ¢2100¢ out of red maple leaves, and I had just enough time to take a picture before the wind blew them away.There was a long gradual uphill the rest of the afternoon to Gulf Hagas Mtn, on which I definitely felt the weight of all the food I¢d just added to my pack. But we got to the top pretty quickly, then at the bottom was the campsite. We picked a spot in the grass that¢s slightly uphill, b/c it¢s supposed to rain tonight.