morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-06-29
To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up this morning to steady rainfall. The original plan was to eat breakfast and then hit the trail, but this has changed. Trekking is different in the Whites as opposed to parts south as you¢re often above the tree line and exposed. The weather is frequently unpredictable and can become severe without warning. With predictions of periodic rain and potential lightning and hail, taking a zero and sitting out today is the most prudent option. Additionally, if I did hike, there would be no view as the ceiling is extremely low. With time remaining to accomplish my August 1st summit date, there is no rush as the mileage remaining is very doable. The weather broke during early afternoon. I took the opportunity to swim at the campsite pool and managed to Yogi a chicken tender from a family in exchange for a trail story. Although sunny at the pool, the peaks of Mount Lincoln and Lafayette remained obscured by cloud cover. There is more rain forecast for the evening and tonight.Today was a day of rest, calorie building and continued reflection on my accomplishments thus far as well as the many experiences on this great adventure.
Date: 2019-06-30
From: Mount Liberty Lodging, Lincoln, NH

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 10.3

Hit the trail this morning at 6:00 after a good night¢s sleep, fresh legs and a heavy pack as I planned to be on the trail for four days. There was quite a bit of rain last night and into the early morning hours, but for now it was dry. RALI, Ben and I began the day at Franconia Notch with an elevation of 1432 and ascended sharply up Little Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, Mount Lafayette, and eventually Mount Garfield with a maximum elevation of 5254 feet. We remained in the clouds the entire time, preventing any outward views. At about 11:00am it began to rain, and rain hard, making for extremely slow and treacherous trekking. There was plenty of thunder behind us, but fortunately never any flashes of lightning. We eventually made it to the Garfield Shelter where we took refuge, grateful that we had gotten off of the ridge before the thunderstorm. I quickly shedded my wet clothing, as the temperature was in the 50¢s. Although I have rain gear, there¢s not much hiking gear that¢s impervious to this type of driving rain. Once changed, I set up my bedding and got inside my down sleeping bag to raise my body temperature and regain some dexterity in my fingers. The rain continued into the night, however the weather is forecasted to improve tomorrow. I finished the day with 10.3 miles and at mile 1829.2. The Whites are definitely living up to their reputation.
Date: 2019-07-01
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter 

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 19.3

Got up this morning at 4:30 after a restless night¢s sleep. Although it was good to be in the shelter and out of the rain, noises such as snoring and people moving about in their bedding make a lot of noise and earplugs will only help so much. I dressed in my wet clothing from the day before, with the exception of putting on dry socks, and packed up my pack. There were 10 people crammed in the shelter also taking refuge, so I¢m as quiet as possible. I then ate part of my breakfast while waiting on RALI and Ben. Soon we were headed out and back on the trail and my once dry socks were now wet from my soaked shoes. The weather was overcast and once again we remained in the clouds leaving no chance for our packs to dry out. The Whites are challenging and today was no different. The heavy rains yesterday and last night made for slow ascends and descends as water flowed down the rocks that make up the trail.At about noon the clouds broke and filtered sunshine began to shine through the canopy. By then we had already summited Twin and Guyot Mountains as we hiked through heavy clouds.We ended the day trekking 19.3 miles and are stealth camping at mile 1848.5 at an elevation of 3288 feet. I cooked and ate supper on an outcropping of rocks overlooking the mountain range. I also took the opportunity to hang clothing in the trees to dry and laid my shoes open on the warm rocks. Dry socks and almost dry shoes tomorrow morning are going to feel awesome!
Date: 2019-07-02
From: Stealth Site at Mile 1848.5

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 19.4

Headed out this morning at 4:45 with an aggressive hiking agenda. We completed the climb up Mt. Webster. It wasn¢t long before it started to drizzle slightly. This caused me quite a bit of concern because our ultimate goal was to summit Mt. Washington, and any weather could result in a very dangerous situation. Eventually the skies cleared and at about 10:30 we reached The Lakes of the Clouds Hut. There we at leftover breakfast food. There are several huts in the Whites which are owned and managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club. These are nice facilities and a stay, although costly, comes with breakfast and dinner. Most are booked, so the only way a thru-hiker could stay is to do what¢s called a ¢work for stay.¢ This would entitle you to wash dishes or perform some other task in exchange for eating leftovers and sleeping on the dining room floor. I considered this, but the timing didn¢t work out.We then set out for the trek up to 6288 feet to the summit of Mt. Washington. It¢s only clear up there approximately 40 days a year, and today wasn¢t one of those days. We remained in the clouds and the wind blew 25-35mph, with gust to 50mph. The weather there can become very volatile without warning and the highest wind speeds recorded of 200mph have been there. Although disappointed about the lack of visibility, I was glad to put this mountain behind me.We also summited Mt. Jackson, Mt. Pierce and Mt. Franklin while skirting several others including Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Monroe, Mt. Clay, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Madison. The weather remained partly cloudy and extremely windy which required me to compensate when stepping from rock to rock or boulder to boulder. Often times during the day, ascends or descends required rock scrambling. This is when you put away your trekking poles and climb using your hands and feet. This made for an incredibly slow moving and a long day. RALI, Ben and I ended our day trekking 19.4 miles and tenting at the Osgood Tent Site. There was no cooking tonight as I was just too tired both physically and mentally. Tonight¢s meal is pepperoni on a tortilla and Pringle¢s.
Date: 2019-07-03
From: Osgood Campsite 

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 4.7

Got up and moving this morning at about 4:30 and in contrast to other mornings took my time getting packed up. I actually ate breakfast in my tent as I was in no hurry with only a few miles to trek. After a few climbs the trail began a rocky, but forgiving descent into Pinkham Notch. This completed our day with 4.7 miles  Once there we went into a visitor center run by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and ate a $13.00 all you can eat breakfast. The enjoyment of eating a real breakfast after being on the trail for three days is indescribable. We then waited around for, and tipped an AMC employee on a supply run to bring us into the town of Gorham, NH. There we spent the night at the Rattle River Lodge & Hostel. I was reflecting back on our trek across Mt. Washington and although disappointed that there was little visibility, I was thankful that it was in the rear view mirror. I was also thankful to have RALI and Ben because had it been worse, we could have spread out so that the last person remained near a cairn when the lead person found and approached another. This prevents wondering off trail and getting lost. When above tree-line, the trail is marked with vertical piles of rocks called cairns.
Date: 2019-07-04
From: Pinkham Notch 

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 21.1

Got up this morning and made as many pancakes as I could eat along with a half gallon of chocolate milk and coffee. Afterwards, RALI, Ben and I shuttled back to Pinkham Notch where we set out. Today we opted to slack pack, which means we still used our packs, but instead of the 30+ pounds, we had about 15lbs. This included water, food, snacks and some emergency gear. Our goal was to conquer the 4 peaks of Wildcat Mountain, Carter Mountain and Mount Moriah and make it back to the Rattle River Hostel where we would spend a second night. The trek was strenuous and difficult, complicated by 87 degree temperatures and little water on the trail. We successfully completed the 21.1 miles and ended our day at mile 1893.8. This means that I am now under the 300 mile mark. On our last 5 miles, we debated what to eat for dinner. The discussion ranged from ice cream, to ordering something to I¢m tired and just going to bed. When we walked up the driveway to the hostel, the owner met us with a beer. ¢Han Slolo¢ another hiker informed us that they had just finished eating, but he would grill us each a few bratwurst and all the fixings were on the outdoor table. We all showered and the food was delicious along with another couple of beers. We each enjoyed a pint of ice cream for dessert. This was a blessing beyond belief, especially after a hard day of hiking. Hostels are run in a variety of ways and the Rattle River Hostel was one of my favorites. There are strict rules such as no one walks out of the intake room and into the house without showering first. This is where all the packs are hung as they are not allowed in the house and all hiking shoes remain outside. This helps to keep the house clean and all the hiking odors at bay. I¢ve been at hostels before when people have walked in after days on the trail, and sat on the sofa. But like I¢ve always said, common sense isn¢t common anymore.
Date: 2019-07-05
From: Gorham, NH -Mile 1893.8

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 17.0

Woke up early this morning and headed downstairs to make coffee and pancakes. I posted a couple of journal entries as I ate because I suspect that I¢ll continue to have connectivity while on the trail. Afterwards I packed my pack and walked outside to put my shoes on. At 6:30 RALI, Ben and I walked up the driveway and down the road where we accessed the trail. The weather was warm and still and it was going to be another hot day. While trekking along today, Ben spotted a moose in the forest some distance off of the trail. When he said moose, I heard it run off sounding like a horse. I was in a position with small pines and didn¢t get to see it, but I hope to have another opportunity. By afternoon we had conquered Mt. Hayes, Cascade Mountain, Wocket Ledge,  and Mt. Success. At 5:00pm, we reached the Maine border, thus completing the 160.9 miles of AT trail I started in New Hampshire back on June 22. Maine is the final state of this journey with 282 miles. The gnats, mosquitoes and black flies are really bad throughout the day. It seems as though repellent either attracts them are makes them meaner. My arms and legs are welted from insect bites. When I reached the campsite, I hurriedly pitched my tent and took refuge inside. While getting my dinner together to go back out and cook and collect water, the black flies were swarming. Dinner was completed as expeditiously as possible and I returned to my tent. I took a brief video clip as their buzzing about was loud and distracting as I journal. For my friends back home who think we have a mosquito problem, I¢ll take our dusk and dawn mosquitoes.We completed the day with 17 miles and tenting at the Carlo Colonel Campsite, 5 tenths of a mile into Maine.
Date: 2019-07-06
From: Carlo Colonel Campsite 

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 14.1

I got about 3 hours of accumulated sleep last night as I simply could not sleep with my insect bites itching. Benadryl and cortisone cream didn¢t seem to help. As a result of my restless night, I overslept and woke up at 4:45. We agreed to leave at 5:00 in an effort to beat a weather system. I was able to get packed up, but was on my heels having not eaten. We did leave at 5:00 and we had several challenges ahead.With the complexity and challenges that lie ahead today, I hiked in honor and in remembrance of a former professional classmate, a friend, leader and later in our careers a managerial ally. Steve succumbed to complications with Leukemia recently and will be laid to rest on Monday. Steve was the epitome of a public servant and dedicated his life to helping others. I¢m saddened that he did not get to enjoy retirement, but rather separated from the agency after his diagnosis.The day began with Goose Eye Mountain. Soon after the 1 mile long, famous and extremely difficult Mahoosuc Notch. I had to climb over, under and around boulders the size of full-size vans or larger. Underneath were large crevices with seemingly no bottoms as well as massive ice patches. I accomplished this by stowing my trekking poles on my pack and scrambling on my hands, feet, knees and butt. The notch took over an hour to navigate. Right after came the Mahoosuc Arm. This is over a 1600 foot elevation ascend in 1.5 miles. As we began our descent, the thunderstorm began and we did our best to get down the mountain as quickly as possible.We reached Grafton Notch at about 4:00pm. Soon our shuttle arrived and we¢re in Andover, Maine. We intended to remain on the trail for another day, but underestimated the toll that the last couple of days would take on our bodies. I¢ve studied the AT extensively and knew that southern Maine would be challenging. The complexity, difficulty and technical climbing experienced recently has exceeded my expectations. RALI, Ben and I trekked, climbed, crawled, jumped and swung from trees a total of 14.1 miles today, and will sleep at the Pine Ellis Hiker lodging in Andover, Maine.
Date: 2019-07-07
From: Grafton Notch 

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 10.3

RALI, Ben and I shuttled back to the trailhead this morning at 7:00. Together we opted to take advantage of a slack packing opportunity to trek approximately 10 miles from Grafton Notch to East B Hill road. This would afford the ability to achieve mileage, but still recover from the previous days by carrying less weight, trekking a shorter distance and sleeping out of the elements.The day went well as we set out at 8:00am, ascending from an elevation of 1500 to the peak of Baldpate at over 3800 feet. The weather was much improved with a low of 49 degrees, a high of 80 and a slight breeze. The view from Baldpate was great, overlooking the mountains I¢ve traversed, those I¢ll be introducing myself to in the coming days as well as the scenery and many ponds dotting the landscape.I¢m now seeing a fair number of south-bounders (SOBOs) who have either summited Mount Katahdin or left from the Katahdin Stream campground and are now headed south to Georgia. Seeing these hikers seems unreal and brings back memories of my starting out back in Georgia. They all look fresh and unweathered in contrast to those of us who have been on the trail for months. The SOBOs tell us that they know we¢re north-bounders (NOBOs) hiking thru because we look rough. We finished the day trekking 10.3 miles in 5.5 hours and will sleep again tonight at the Pine Ellis Hiker Lodge.
Date: 2019-07-08
From: East B Hill Road

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 10.1

Shuttled back to the trailhead this morning after breakfast. The weather was clear and cool with the temperature at 46 degrees when beginning to trek at 6:30. We hiked a total of 10.1 miles and made it back to the hostel by 12:30 leaving time once again to eat, recover and relax. The last couple of days have allowed me achieve adequate mileage and to heal in preparation for higher mileage in the coming days. The goal is to conquer southern Maine and move north where the terrain will moderate some.After lunch, I walked over to the post office and mailed home 3 pounds. This consisted of thermal underwear I carried for the trek through the Whites as well as some other items I no longer consider essential. Every little bit of weight reduction helps and 3 pounds at this stage of the game, especially when I embark on the 100 mile wilderness will be helpful. When showering this afternoon I found a tick on my hip. I pinched it off and a small amount of blood leaked out. This indicates that it actually attached itself and I must of missed it on my nightly tick checks. I carry doxycycline and took a dose in an attempt to head off Lyme disease. I¢ll follow up with this medication regimen for a couple of more days as prescribed and keep my fingers crossed. I¢ve removed several ticks which were crawling on my legs prior to today, however this is the first one that has attached itself. I¢m currently at mile 1945.2 and will set out early in the morning to take advantage of cooler temperatures, thus bidding a final farewell to the Pine Ellis Hiker Lodge.
Date: 2019-07-09
From: South Arm Road

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 17.0

Woke up this morning and headed down stairs to make coffee and eat blueberry muffins. Last night was our last night at the Ellis Pond Hiker Hostel. Staying here was like spending time at my grandma¢s house, but it was time to move on.Each one of these towns has it¢s own personality. I believe I¢ve spent more time here than any other town, but I felt it necessary to reset and recover. We shuttled out to the trailhead at South Arm Road and were trekking again for 6:20am. It was another cool morning. Soon we summited Old Blue Mountain and later Bemis Mountain both with elevations over 3500 feet. The day remained cool with a fairly brisk breeze which made a remarkable difference in managing the mosquitoes, gnats and flies. When reaching Maine 17, More Miles, a former thru hiker was there with trail magic. This is the first trail magic I¢ve happened upon in quite some time. I had a roast beef sandwich, a cupcake and a can of lemonade. We trekked on another 4 miles and when we arrived at the campsite there was a guy who hiked in with a backpack of cold beer and soft drinks. He also had candy and sweet pickles. I know the combination sounds strange, but it was magical. RALI, Ben and I ended the day trekking 17 miles and are tenting at the Sabbath Day Pond Campsite at mile 1962.2. The campsite is beautiful and situated at the north end of a pond, which funnels the breeze into the campsite. There are several large ponds that we¢ve recently hiked past. I consider them to be lakes because of their size, but the people of Maine refer to them as ponds.
Date: 2019-07-10
From: Sabbath Day Pond

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 9.4

I laid down in my tent at about 6:30 last night and awakened at 8:00pm. I then spent time journaling. I eventually went back to sleep and woke up this morning at 3:45, sleeping better than I have in a while. While packing up, I listened to the loons ear the pond. We were on the trail for 5:00am and the 9.4 mile trek into Rangeley was not strenuous. The weather warmed up and it was still which invited the bugs back, but they were manageable. RALI, Ben and I are splitting a cabin at the Fieldstone Cottages in Rangeley.
Date: 2019-07-11
From: Barnjam Road

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 14.8

Shuttled out from the hostel at 4:30am to Barnjam Road, which is an an overgrown grassy path, to access the trail. While walking down the path, I stopped and for several seconds as a moose and I stared at each other from about 100 yards. I¢ve seen several signs of tracks and poop, but this was my first encounter of seeing a real moose and it was exciting. Eventually the moose turned broadside and walked off into the woods. Today would be another slack packing opportunity in an attempt to tackle some difficult terrain and mountains. This is simply a strategy to reduce wear on our bodies by carrying lighter packs. I rarely mention future plans as the trail, weather and my body all dictate how things go, but I am looking to get to mile 2020 where the tray will moderate some. Today was somewhat hazy as smoke from wildfires in Canada are blowing into the area. This however caused no issues hiking and the views were beautiful, never getting old. We climbed the Saddleback Mountain and the Horn at over 4000 feet as well as Saddleback Jr. at 3655 feet. Rali, Ben and I finished the day with 14.8 miles, and will sleep once again at the Fieldstone Cottages.
Date: 2019-07-12
To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 0.0

Made the decision last night to zero here in Rangeley, Maine as rough weather was forecasted for the area. The first is a line of rain moving east followed by thunderstorms later in the afternoon. With several streams to cross that swell quickly with rainfall as well as 4000ft mountains to traverse in thunderstorms, this is a prudent decision.The day was spent resting and eating and readying some equipment to head out tomorrow.With the approach of tropical storm Barry back home in south Louisiana, I¢m prayerful that all remain safe and property damage due to flooding is minimal.
Date: 2019-07-13
From: Barnjam Road

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 17.4

Began hiking this morning at about 5:30. Soon my shoes and clothing were soaked from dew on the grass and on the small pine tree limbs that encroached onto the trail. The decision to zero yesterday was a good one as the terrain, ascents and descents were slick. Completing this leg of the trail during a rain storm would have really presented a challenge. Although a bit warm this afternoon, the weather was beautiful today. It was another special day on the trail as I summited the 4000+ southern and northern peaks of Crocker Mountain, crossing the 2000 mile mark in the process. Rali, Ben and I will sleep tonight at the Hostel of Maine after trekking 17.4 miles. At this point, I have 188 miles remaining to this journey, which includes the climb of Mount Katahdin. It¢s beginning to feel real!
Date: 2019-07-14
From: East Flagstaff Road

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 16.7

We shuttled back out to the trail this morning with partly cloudy skies, warm temperatures and high humidity. I was excited for two reasons. The first was that tropical storm Barry back home did not have much of an impact at home as anticipated and we didn¢t lose power. Secondly, today we would be conquering the Bigelow Mountain Range which hold 4000 foot elevations. This would be the last +4000 foot range until I reach Mount Katahdin at 5200 feet. By early afternoon we summited the West Peak of Bigelow Mountain and Avery Peak. The views were incredible and never get old. My hiking partners who I agreed to hike the Whites with seem to be the guys I¢ll be with when I reach Baxter State Park. We¢ve all made concessions to hike together and they¢re good company. There is still plenty of individualism in my hikes as often we¢ll go miles without speaking. We¢re either ascending or we¢re within our own thoughts. We finished the day trekking 16.7 miles reaching mile 2020.5 and returned to the Hostel of Maine for one more night.
Date: 2019-07-15
From: East Flagstaff Road - Mile 2020

To: Mount Katahdin, Maine 
Miles today: 16.3

We set out this morning at about 8:00 after shuttling back to the trailhead. Yesterday we reached the long anticipated 2020 mile where by all indications the trail will moderate somewhat in elevations. The morning was beautiful and cool and soon we were trekking along the banks of a large pond. The wind blown water made the pond choppy, but cooled the breeze. This also made it tough for the insects to be a nuisance. We reached several other ponds with the same cooling effect making for a delightful day of hiking. The elevations ranged from 1100 to 1300 feet, which is quite a contrast to previous days.I continue to meet a few southbounders. When we greet each other my standard line is ¢greetings from Georgia.¢ We¢ll then trade a bit of trail intel such as terrain challenges and hostel experiences. Normally the visit is only a couple of minutes as we¢re both looking to be on our way. Rali, Ben and I trekked a total of 16.3 miles and are tenting along the wooded shoreline of Pierce Pond at mile 2036.8. The breeze is blowing off of the pond through my open tent fly and as I write this, the sun is setting over the pond. With the full moon tomorrow night, I¢m hopeful that it will remain clear.