morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-18
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Stealth campsite at mile 2028.0
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

After the Bigelows we had a break today. There was minimal climbing and we walked along 2 beautiful lakes. It was windy along the water and there were whitecaps lapping the shore. I saw my first loons on the trail. In the woods, there were soft pine needle-laden sections. So as not to forget I was walking on the AT, there were also the usual roots, rocks, boards over bogs, and rock hoping over mud.Geo hikes a little faster then I, but as his trail name implies he has an interest in geology. He stops often to pick up and study rocks and take pictures of plant life, especially mushrooms. I catch up to him when he stops. We have our breaks and lunch together on the the trail and dinner together in camp. We are good hiking partners and I am fortunate to have him these last few weeks. We are both flinching about fording streams, especially with it so cold. After the crowd at the lean-to last night, Geo and I were ready for some peace and quiet, so are stealthing in the woods. It's another cold night with temperatures in the 30's. Tomorrow, ever reliable trail angel Houdini, is meeting us in Caratunk, and we are going to my brother Rich and sister-in-law Doreen's home for a nero, resupply, a shower, and a bed. Then it's on to Monson, the LAST trail town.
Date: 2014-09-19
From: Stealth campsite at mile 2028.0

To: Caratunk ME
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: light rain

I was up at 5:30 because Geo and I wanted to get an early start so we could catch the ferry across the Kennebec which runs from 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning and again from 2:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon. I had to use my headlamp since it was still dark at that hour. We were on the trail at 6:45 and made good time. We were at the river at 9:25, caught the ferry (a canoe ride) and were on the opposite shore in 5 minutes. David, who shuttled us across, is a one man show, and is contracted by the ATC to provide the service to hikers. I sat in the middle of the canoe and Geo paddled at the bow, David at the stern. I took a photo of the white blaze at the bottom of the canoe. We beat Houdini to Caratunk, so sat on the grass under a warm sun with Rafiki, Nora V, and World Leader with his dog, Marley while we waited for Houdini. I am at my brother's, town chores done, and am ready to sleep in a bed in this warm, cozy house.
Date: 2014-09-22
From: Caratunk ME

To: Caratunk ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The day we hiked into Caratunk my stomach felt queasy on and off all day, and without telling anyone more then they want to hear, I am home with gastroenteritis, viral or bacterial I can't be sure. I have ALWAYS filtered my water, and Geo and I have been drinking from the same streams using his filter and he is fine, so I suspect it is bacterial. In any case, when I got up the next morning, I wasn't in any shape to hike. Geo graciously agreed to zero with me at my brother's. Unfortunately, the bug is hanging on. So as not to hold up Geo's hike, yesterday Houdini and I drove Geo back to the trailhead in Caratunk with the plan being I would skip the section (at least for now) and meet him in Monson and we would begin the 100 Mile Wilderness together. It made sense to come home, so Houdini and I drove back to Portland after dropping Geo off. Today I am barely tolerating a bland diet, just trying to stay hydrated, and the thought of eating trail food makes me want to gag. To strap my pack on my back and hike 15 mile days in The Wilderness seems overwhelming the way I am feeling right now. My body is worn down after 2,000 miles, and I have less than 48 hours for my body to tolerate a trail diet and feel strong enough to resume my hike. I have thought about every scenario for the end of my journey. Should I call it good and let my body rest and recover, and not finish the last 150 miles? When Geo, Sherpa, and I reached the 2,000 mile mark I said if I couldn't finish my hike for some reason, I'd be at peace with it. This trek after all has been about the journey, not the destination. Could I hike another 150 miles? Of course I could. There is not anything in the last 150 miles that I have not done already over the last 2,000, except the jubilation of summiting Katahdin and touching the elusive sign. Or I could start The 100 Mile Wilderness not feeling 100% and tell myself to "just suck it up," and be poorly nourished, dehydrated, exhausted and likely in tears. Isn't that what the AT is all about? It's supposed to be this hard. More hikers would finish if it weren't. I can take as long as I need to recover after I hike only 9 more days. Or I could summit with Geo the day he gets there, have climbed Katahdin, touched the sign, and legitimately be an official "2,000 Miler," deserving of my 2,000 certificate and patch. I don't know what my decision will be, but it will be the one that is right for me.
Date: 2014-09-26
From: Caratunk ME

To: Caratunk ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I want to thank all of you who have sent well wishes, and words of encouragement and advice. I want to give everyone an update. I am feeling much better. I have seen my physician and personal trainer, and Houdini and I have been supporting Geo's continuing hike. I will be getting back on the trail in the middle of The 100 Mile Wilderness Sunday morning which is where Geo will be. Geo had already made arrangements for a food drop in The Wilderness, and now Shaw's Lodging in Monson is going to shuttle me along with his food drop. Geo and I will hike together the rest of the way to the summit of Katahdin, and then I will go back and hike my remaining miles. I have renewed resolve to finish and with a little luck I'll be done before the first snow in the mountains!
Date: 2014-09-28
From: Jo-Mary Road

To: Tumbledown Dick Stream
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Houdini dropped me off at Shaw's in Monson this morning at 7:00. I wanted to make sure I caught my shuttle ride to Jo-Mary Rd in The 100 Mile Wilderness where I would meet up with Geo and he would get his food drop. It worked like a charm. Geo was at the road crossing when we pulled up just before 10:00. Shoes was there as well, and it was good to see him. Trail angel, Turtle Tracks, had set up a grill and was cooking sausages and toasting bagels. Who would have thought there would be trail magic in the middle of The 100 Mile Wilderness? There is greater access to the AT then the name would imply. Since I was just getting back on the trail, I didn't feel justified in eating Turtle Track's food. My food bag was heavier than I would have liked, so I needed to eat out of it instead anyway. Geo and I started hiking at 10:30. He'd already hiked 6 miles this morning to get to Jo-Mary road, so we figured another 10 miles would be a good number of miles for him, and about all I was going to be able to do after being off the trail for 9 days. It felt strange hiking again after such a long break. I didn't have my trail legs and my pack felt unusually heavy. We were both beat by the time we found our stealth campsite.The trail was mostly flat today, with welcome stretches of soft pine needles amidst sections of rocks and bogs. We were able to rock hop the two steams listed as fords in Awol, and I kept my balance crossing the many log boards to avoid the mud. It was unusually hot today, around 80 degrees, so we took frequent breaks, especially at the lakes we passed. The highlight of the day was seeing Katahdin in all it's glory for the first time. It was a special moment and almost surreal. After all this time and all these many miles, Katahdin is finally within our grasp.
Date: 2014-09-29
From: Tumbledown Dick Stream

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

I am exhausted. There was only one 700 ft climb today, but there were lots of little ups and downs with roots and rocks that needed my full attention. The temperature was about 20 degrees cooler than yesterday, and it was overcast all day. Katahdin was fogged in when we got to a viewpoint. I still am not feeling 100%, and the hiking is harder than it should be. Geo hung his hammock and I set up my tent. We got here just after 5:00 and barely got our camp chores and dinner done before dark. It is only 7:00, but I am ready to sleep. I don't have the energy to write any more. Tomorrow will be another long day.
Date: 2014-09-30
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 15.0

Yesterday and today were tough. I came back to the trail because the clock is ticking and I wanted to hike with Geo as much as I still could until the end. I had been feeling better, but had a relapse before I even resumed my hike and was not at all feeling strong. Yesterday I started taking medication which my physician had prescribed in case I was not continuing to get better or got worse on the trail. Day two on the medication, I think I may have turned a corner, but two 15 mile days have been exhausting. Geo had a scratchy throat last night, and sure enough he had a full blown cold this morning. Needless to say, he is not feeling at the top of his game either, day seven for him in The 100 Mile Wilderness. The miles seemed to drag on forever for both of us. We did not lose sight, though, of the beauty that is Maine. The foliage has reached it's peak and new fallen leaves cover the trail. We watched two loons effortlessly gliding in a pond and are fairly sure we heard a moose clomping through the woods, but the underbrush was too thick to get a view. We stopped and sat on the rocks at the shore of a pond and just took in the beauty and solitude of nature. We shared a special moment together, like many there have been on this journey. Our plan had been to stay at Abol Bridge Campsite tonight, the Birches Lean-to tomorrow night, and summit on Thursday. Houdini was going to meet us when we came down off Katahdin late afternoon. This afternoon Geo asked if it might be possible for Houdini to pick us up at Katahdin Stream Campground tomorrow afternoon and take us to Millinocket for a night in a motel. The way I have been feeling, it sounded like a perfect plan. I was able to text Houdini, trail angel extraordinaire, and he will be there to meet us tomorrow at 1:00 after we hike the last 10 miles to the base of Katahdin. A night in a motel and some nourishing food to fuel these worn out bodies will help with the climb on Thursday. Tonight Geo and I appear to be the only ones staying here at Abol Bridge Campsite. We are luxuriating in the amenities. We have a picnic table, flush toilets, a sink with hot and cold running water, and a trash can. To boot, we have a magnificent view of Katahdin. As we crossed Abol Bridge shortly after exiting The Wilderness, I spotted Katahdin. It took my breath away and my eyes welled up with tears. It has been such a very long, hard road to get to this point. We're almost there
Date: 2014-10-01
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Geo and I were on the trail at 7:00, anxious to do the final miles to Katahdin and meet Houdini for a desperately needed respite before tomorrow's summiting. Geo was congested and feverish, and said today's 10 miles felt like 15. I too, though on the mend, am tired and my legs are weary. We got to Katahdin Stream Campground at 12:30, ahead of Houdini, and snacked from our food bags while we waited. It was cool and damp, and if I hadn't seen Katahdin looming in the background from this same spot a year ago, I never would have known it was there. For those thru-hikers summiting today, I'm sure there was exultation, but there was no view. I thought about my niece, First Gear, and her hiking buddies Greenlite, Limey, and Tennessee, whom we welcomed as they came off the mountain a year ago, jubilant to have triumphantly finished their thru-hikes. A year later, it is I looking to have that feeling. I will of course still have the miles to do that I skipped, but for tomorrow I will relish my victory. Geo, Houdini, and I had a late lunch at The Appalachian Trail Cafe in Millinocket before settling in our rooms at the Pamola Motor Lodge. Houdini and I took a trip to the laundromat with Geo's and my clothes. Geo was in no shape to be doing town chores. He says he'll be well enough to summit tomorrow. True grit, that's what he has. Geo and I slept poorly last night with logging trucks going by Abol Bridge Campground starting at 3:30 am this morning. Thru-hikers notoriously don't sleep well the night before summiting, but I'm hopeful I'll get a few hours of shut eye. We're leaving the hotel at 5:15 tomorrow morning, with a stop at MacDonald's for breakfast before heading back to Baxter State Park.Summiting tomorrow. It doesn't seem real.
Date: 2014-10-06
From: Summit of Katahdin

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

After summiting Katahdin on Oct 2nd, Houdini drove Geo and me to Rich and Doreen's for the night. It was a chance to celebrate with family and break up the road trip home. Doreen made a favorite fish stew of mine for dinner and I imbibed in a microbrew and a negroni. The next morning, we drove to Portland. Geo has been staying with us until his sisters, Esther and Ruth arrive by car later today from Louisiana. Houdini and I have been showing Geo the sites in and around Portland. Today the weather was perfect for a visit to Two Lights State Park and the lighthouse at Fort Williams. One night I boiled lobsters for dinner, another night Geo made jambalaya. It feels wonderful to be home, and I envy Geo for being done with the trail. The reality for me, however, is that I have 96 miles I skipped while I was sick, which I need to go back and hike if I want to truly be a thru-hiker. A year ago, Houdini and I made reservations for a five night stay in Bar Harbor over an extended Columbus Day weekend. We are keeping the reservations, so I am having to fit my hiking in around our mini vacation. Plans are set for hiking the 60 miles of The 100 Mile Wilderness I missed. My son, Toretto, who hiked 700 miles of the AT last year and who hiked The 100 Mile Wilderness a number of years ago, is taking a week off from work to hike the 60 miles with me later this month. It will be great to have his company. The days are getting shorter and colder, but it is not as if I haven't experienced both on the trail back in March, in Georgia. That will leave the 36 miles between Caratunk and Monson. One step at a time.
Date: 2014-10-16
From: Town Line Road

To: Caratunk ME
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, today I got back on the trail. It has been 2 weeks since I summited Katahdin. In the interim, I enjoyed several days hosting Geo, a relaxing 5 days in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, and a mini thru hiker reunion with Limey, Pantry, and Toretto. I met Limey and Pantry last year when they thru hiked with my niece First Gear. Limey is visiting from the UK and Pantry drove down from Strong, ME. The four of them gave me invaluable advice in my preparation for my hike. All the while I was enjoying myself, I was also fretting over every nice day that I was not hiking and finishing my 96 miles. Toretto was able to take 8 days off from work to hike with me. With hardly any hikers still on the trail, I am not comfortable hiking alone nor is my family. Toretto and I spent yesterday getting organized and today hit the trail. We had planned on starting in The 100 Mile Wilderness, but with heavy rain forecasted for tonight and early tomorrow, Houdini slacked us today southbound into Caratunk. It was a section that was easily accessible for a day of slacking. We are at Rich and Doreen's for the night, so we can get an early start in The Wilderness tomorrow. More newly fallen leaves are covering the trail than 2 weeks ago. Roots and rocks are hidden, and the trail is harder to see and follow. Attending to white blazes is essential. There was a section that was not well blazed and we ended up backtracking a 10th of a mile to the last blaze we'd seen to make sure we were on the trail. Late in the day, my foot got caught under a hidden branch, and I landed hard on my right knee on a root. I sat on the ground for a couple of minutes contemplating the pain, before getting up and finding that I could weight bear okay on it. I've iced it and taken ibuprofen, which will have to do. There is no time to rest it. It felt good today to be ticking down miles again. Toretto and I paced well together, and he and I are so happy to be hiking together. To top off the day, I saw my first moose on the trail and crossed the 2,100 mile mark!
Date: 2014-06-11
To: Just a Week Away!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Just over a year ago, I was not in a good place. Depression haunted my life, stagnating my development and progression has a human. I had no real plans for college, which I saw as my one way to being successful and happy. Thankfully, there has been a turnaround.After spending 9 weeks in a wilderness therapy program, I rediscovered a love for the outdoors that had been within me ever since I was a kid, yet was drowned out by the cheap entertainment of electronics. I learned I was a capable person, and that success does not always come from a report card, but is a flexible entity that can be redefined as I choose.Now, after 10 months and 17 days in a transition program in Klamath Falls, Oregon, I will be leaving to attempt the hardest thing I have ever done in my life; hiking all 2181 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The equipment is purchased, the food dehydrated, and the mind prepared (or at least as much as it could be for such a trial!)With the continued support of my parents and friends, I will be summiting Katahdin on the 19th of June to start my SOBO thru-hike. I hope to be done by Christmas, so that afterwards college can be stared. With that in mind, I know that I will be a completely different person after finishing the AT. After all, it is a pretty life defining event.I have faith that if I am able to go the distance, to persevere through the hard times that will come, I will be able to be part of the 10% that reach Springer Mountain. I will be a independent man, capable, daring, and storied.I'll be updating this again once I arrive in Millinocket, and hope that you will follow along with me vicariously on this trek.-Kyle 'K2' Stone
Date: 2014-06-18
To: Delayed at O'Hare
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well I was hoping to make this entry in Millinocket, but it appears Mother Nature had other ideas. Right now I am sitting in Chicago, waiting for some thunderstorms to pass. The 1:15 flight has been pushed back to 4:25, meaning I'll essentially arriving in Millinocket about when I should be getting to sleep, what with my summit of Katahdin happening tomorrow.Neat fact; from Seattle to Chicago as the crow flies is 1,723 miles; 2,050 driving. That means if I instead walked on I-90 from its western-most point at the same pace I am hiking the AT, I would reach Chicago before I would complete the Trail. That fact kind of freaked me out since Chicago seems sooooo far away from anywhere on the west coast, but also drove home that I need to take each day as it's own. Instead of the ungodly 2000+ miles, I will be trying to see the small goals; get to the next shelter, get out of Pennsylvania, get to my next mail drop before I run out of food, etc. The mental game is the one that counts right now!Yesterday I did the final checks on gear. In total my pack weighed 46 pounds, about 6 pounds more than I had originally thought of to be my maximum weight. While unnerving, I eventually came to terms with it due to how that included 4 liters of water (2, and thus 4 pounds more than I'll need in the HMW), I am carrying an exorbitantly large amount of food (which while I eat I will chunk away at the weight), and I'm just starting, so it's to be expected I won't have everything optimized.For this who are unaware, by HMW I mean the Hundred Mile Wilderness, the section of the AT leading up to Katahdin. In reality it ranges from 126 to 108 miles, depending on where you start measuring it. It is rather infamous for being the most wild part of the trail, with no civilization throughout it's length. To quote Bill Bryson, you could die of an infected blood blister out there (it's a rather hyperbolic example, but still).With Katahdin, the HMW, and the rocks of southern Maine/New Hampshire, it seems pretty true that 80% of the effort goes into 20% of the trail. I'll see if that holds true myself!
Date: 2014-06-18
To: More Drama in Chicago
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Welp. The flight was cancelled. Now we are stranded in O'Hare, no idea where my backpack is, waiting in line to see what our options are to get to Maine.On the plus side, we're in front of an Auntie Anne's, so it smells pretty good.I Will update when a conclusion is reached, whether that is going back to Seattle briefly, staying awhile in Chicago, or finding a way to Bangor. EDIT: Looks like I'll make it to Maine tomorrow after all. After a few hours in line at O'Hare, right now it looks like we'll be flying out to Philadelphia tonight, then from Philly to Bangor. Although, as the gentleman who owns the AT lodge in Millinocket said, life is about the "Plan B's", I'm pretty excited to not have to deal with this again; at least not until December in Atlanta!
Date: 2014-06-19
To: Out of Chicago
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, after four cancelled flights and 26 hours in that god-forsaken airport, we finally made our way out of O'Hare. The lightning storms were grounding the smaller planes that would take us to Bangor, so we had to take a 737 to Providence, and are now on the 5-6 hour drive up to Millinocket.We also ended up spending the night on the chairs in the airport, as the hotel we tried booking with Expedia was 75 people overbooked; apparently there was some glitch in their system, leading to a large crowd of us from the 100+ cancellations hovering around the entrance. As the rain came sporadically and the heat lightning danced above us, I found myself feeling bitter towards Chicago, United, the situation in general, etc. I guess the adventure has already begun, in a way. Thanfully I pushed through the general helplessness/hopelessness of the day, and was able to enjoy the beauty of Providence and Rhode Island as a whole.We also experienced our first instance of trail magic. The proprietors of the AT Lodge have been absolutely spectacular, and picked up our luggage which arrived in Bangor without us. The Bangor airport is only open for 3 hours a day, so we would've had to wait until Saturday to hike Katahdin. We are still missing a bag, but at least I have should have all of the necessities for starting my hike. I've never experienced such amazing customer service, what with being ok with pushing back our reservation, picking up our bags, and all in all actively caring about our journey and seeing it complete. I'm excited to meet the people in charge and shake their hand.We'll be getting in today at 1:00, then it's off to Baxter State Park and the summit of Katahdin to begin my thru-hike. So crazy to think it's finally here!