morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-09-16
From: Oquossoc, ME

To: Little Swift River Pond campsite
Miles today: 8.4

Walking Stick paid Whirled Peas and me the biggest compliment one hiker can give another. He said that we had "saved his hike". He was ready to quit the trail when we started hiking together. Because of our friendship and encouragement he has decided to continue. I am honored! Anita took us into Rangley so Walking Stick could get new boots and we could resupply. By the time we got everything done and got back to the trailhead it was after 11:00. I don't think it will ever get easy walking away from her and I was teary eyed as we started up the mountain. The hike was pretty and we are now passing ponds on a regular basis. We continued to see lots of moose tracks and droppings but no moose. We stopped for the day a little earlier than normal because its supposed to drop into the mid 20's and we wanted to be sure we had camp set up and dinner eaten before it got too cold. When we had camp set up the Flying J's arrived and Joseph built a nice fire. We sat around the fire and talked, ate, and dried out our shoes and socks. I mistakenly got one sock too close to the fire and burnt it. Thankfully my sister is coming this weekend so I can get another pair. I went to bed wearing my long johns and down coat.
Date: 2013-09-17
From: Little Swift River Pond campsite

To: Eddy Pond campsite
Miles today: 8.4

I had the best night's sleep that I've had in a long time. Usually I wake up several times during the night and check the time. This morning I woke up when it started getting light. The only time I remember waking up was once when my foot touched the the water bottle in the bottom of my sleeping bag (to keep it from freezing). I had a brief moment of panic because I thought I had put my water bladder in my sleeping bag and that is was now frozen solid. Once my sleepy mind could figure out that it was my water bottle I was able to quickly go back to sleep. The profile of today's hike didn't look bad but much of it was stepping on and around rocks and roots which slows me down way more than most people. I hiked last and felt bad because Whirled Peas and Walking Stick had to wait on me. We came to a road crossing where the Flying J's had hitched into to town. I laughed when I saw that they had scratched into the pavement "Happy Trails Hobo and Family". Sadly, we are now seeing signs about Geraldine Largay (trail name: Inchworm) who went missing in this area on 7/22/13. About two miles later we came to Piazza Rock Lean-to and campsite. Hat Trick and I had hiked this section on a training hike in the winter. It certainly looks different without snow! One of the most interesting features is the privy that is called "Your Move". Inside the privy there are two toilet seats with a cribbage board between them. Of course a whirled Peas and I had to pose for some pics. When we arrived at Eddy Pond we had a dilemma. Walking Stick wanted to stop and Whirled Peas wanted to push on. If we pushed on it would mean we may get caught having to camp above 4,000 ft in windy conditions on a cold night. It was earlier than we would have liked but we decided it was safest to stay here. Whirled Peas tried to go for a swim but it was too cold. We made dinner by the pond and then Walking Stick built a great fire. My tent is set up in a beautiful spot right on the edge of the pond. It should be another good night for sleeping!
Date: 2013-09-18
From: Eddy Pond campsite

To: Campsite in the woods
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn't sleep well last night - tossing and turning. One advantage of being awake frequently was the beautiful moon that rose on one side of the pond and set on the other. We began our 2 mile climb up Saddleback Mountain (4,120 ft) and Whirled Peas seemed like she was on fire as she lead the way. She will see her husband on Oct 1st and I think she was hiking with that in mind. As we climbed closer to the summit we stayed together as the climbs were steeper and the wind was so strong I often had to take a step sideways to maintain my balance. We were above tree line for about 2 miles. I don't know what the windchill was but we were all bundled up and we still had to keep moving to stay warm. Stick Walker lead the descent. I could tell Whirled Peas was struggling - she hates descents. After a particularly steep part she looked like she was going to cry so I offered a hug and she burst into tears. The amazing thing about Whirled Peas is that once that release valve has been activated and she has regained her composure, then she is in a great mood. We laughed after she cried and finished the descent. She was chipper for the rest of the day. Next we climbed and descended The Horn (4,032 ft) which looked bad on the profile but was not nearly as bad as Saddleback. Along the trail some spelled out with rocks "almost . . . " in reference to being almost to Katahdin. It's a great thought! On the way up Saddleback Junior (3,655 ft) we ducked behind some trees for lunch. The sun was so warm that I stretched out and briefly fell asleep. About a mile and a half past Saddleback Junior summit we came to the Poplar Ridge Lean-to. This is the last place that Inchworm was seen alive - sobering. Most of the rest of the day consisted of descents. I fell on one of them and have abrasions on my left arm - nothing serious. We're camped on an old roadbed near a waterfall. We are at 1,626 ft so it should be much warmer tonight. Once again Sticker Walker made a great fire that we all enjoyed until the very late hour of 7:30 when we all retired to our tents. After tomorrow we will have less than 200 miles to go - yeah!
Date: 2013-09-19
From: Campsite in the woods

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

As is so often the case we started out the day with a climb. Our first climb was Lone Mountain (3,260 ft). I am the weak link of our hiking trio when it comes to climbing. I thought at this point in my journey I would be a stronger climber but I think I'm as good as I'm going to get. We came to the campsite of some other hikers who were still packing up. They had camped on an old road bed and Outside Dog had set his tent up on an old wooden bridge so he literally slept over a stream. The only problem was that there was a hole in the bridge so he had to be careful when he got out of his tent to not fall through the bridge. I have neglected to mention the great weather we've been having for the last few days. Today was a nearly perfect day for hiking - clear blue sky, cool, and a light breeze. It's nice not having to deal with bugs The birch forrest is especially pretty in weather like this with the leafs fluttering in the wind and the sunshine filtering through the white trees. Our next climb was around the shoulder of Spaulding Mountain (4,000 ft). I like the descents because I don't feel like I'm holdingup the group. As we skirted around the top of Sugarloaf Mountain (3,727 ft) we stopped for lunch. Most of the rest of the day was level'ish or downhill. We had some steep descents but they were short. Eventually we came to a river that we had to ford. Someone had put some rickety boards across some of the rocks which allowed us to cross without having to walk in the water. We climbed a mile before we arrived at our campsite. All together there are 10 hikers camped here including the Flying J's. The major milestone for today is having less than 200 miles to go. To be exact we have 195.5 miles to go! The other good news is that no one in our group had any falls today.
Date: 2013-09-20
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 7.3

We were some of the first to leave camp, but later than we wanted. Walking Stick was pretty excited because he thought he heard a moose running past his tent last night. We began our climb up South Crocker Mountain (4,040 ft) on another beautiful hiking day. Everyday the leafs are changing to their Fall colors. The climb was steep but not as bad as other recent climbs. Whirled Peas was out of sight as we headed up North Crocker Mountain (4,228 ft). When we reached the top she was waiting on us but left immediately. She was anxious to get into town and get her journaling done. Walking Stick and I hiked the rest of the day together and I enjoyed our conversations. We had a descent of a little over 5 miles before we arrived at the road to Stratton. There were several places that clearly had received extensive trail maintenance. Before long we started running into the maintenance crews. The first was Savannah who lives in Gray - very close to where I live. We chatted for awhile and I learned that the Maine Appalachian Trail Club had contracted with the Maine Conservancy Corps to improve this section of the trail. There have been no substantial improvements since the 1970's. We came across several more work crews and I have to say the work they were doing was impressive. I had one fall on the descent and landed on my tail bone - no major injuries. We made good time and made it to the road around 12:30. I jokingly said to Walking Stick that the first car that passes our way will pick us up. My heart sank when I saw it was a pickup truck pulling a boat. Generally people pulling trailers don't stop. To my surprise he started slowing down and stopped. I asked how many people he was willing to take and he said as many as we can fit. We crammed 9 hikers in the truck for the 5 mile ride to town. The driver was great - he dropped some of the hikers off at the post office and drove the rest of us to the hotel. The hotel is pretty laid back. There was a confusing sign on the office door and no one was around. Whirled Peas arrived about 20 minutes before us and claimed room 2. The door to room one was unlocked so I put my pack in there and by 1:15 we were eating lunch in the White Wolf Cafe. The food was delicious and we ended up eating lunch and dinner there. Becca arrived to help out this weekend and we will spend tomorrow doing a much needed zero. We had a rowdy table of hikers at dinner and we had a waitress who could more than handle out rowdiness. I had been hearing about another Homeward Bound on the trail who doesn't abbreviate it Hobo. Tonight I finally met him and we hugged and had a pic together. It was really a fun evening. After dinner Becca and I took some hikers back to the trailhead. It's been a good day!
Date: 2013-09-21
From: Stratton, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 0.0

I joined Whirled Peas as she was finishing her breakfast. Her husband is home from Afghanistan and they are planning where to meet. For the last several days I have sensed her restlessness so I proposed that she hike on at her own pace. It's been a great partnership and I am so happy for her and Tom (her husband). Most of today was spent doing the usual laundry, resupply, etc. Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Hipsy Gypsy, and Oak came in today - it's so much fun to have everyone together. I arranged massages for me, Whirled Peas, and Becca. My leg muscles were really tight and my massage therapist did some great deep tissue work. Becca drove Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Walking Stick and me around looking for moose but we didn't see any.
Date: 2013-09-22
From: Stratton, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 0.0

As is typical the night before getting back on the trail, I didn't sleep well. My mind is usually organizing what I need to accomplish in the morning. Last night it was even worse because the electricity went off and then came back on several hours later. I awoke several times listening for the rain that was supposed to be coming. Last night we decided we would meet for breakfast and then decide what time we would start hiking. The forecast was for rain in the morning with flash flood warnings. At breakfast Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Walking Stick, and I decided to zero for another day. Whirled Peas decided she would hike on. After breakfast I checked around the hotel to see if anyone wanted a ride to the trailhead but everyone was zeroing. I drove Whirled Peas to the trailhead and it was sad to see her hike off into the woods. My trail angel sister, Becca, left for home around 11:00. She could not be more supportive! THANK YOU Becca!!!The rain didn't seem as bad as forecast but more hikers arrived and some had stories of rivers being so swollen they were impossible to ford. I spent a great day relaxing and napping. The forecast for the next week is cold but no rain. I will definitely be back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2013-09-23
From: Stratton, ME

To: Stafford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 10.4

Once again, today I was reminded that you never know what the day holds or how it will turn out. The forecast was for sunny skies and cold. What we encountered was overcast or in the clouds, light mist, high winds, and ice. It was a brisk 38 degrees when we started hitching out of town. The first vehicle stopped and we piled in the back of a pickup truck. It was a guy who was going to help his brother harvest their marihuana crop. What an interesting adventure this journey has been! Tough Cookie, Walking Stick, and I were cuddled against the cab but poor Pressure D was in the wind. I honestly don't know how he made it the 5 miles without hypothermia. It felt good to be back on the trail, but after two days of diarrhea my stamina just wasn't there. After hiking 2.3 miles we came to the 2,000 mile mark. That's a long damn way to walk and my body feels it!About 5 miles into the hike we had an early lunch at Horns Pond Lean-to. We decided to eat early because we weren't sure if we'd find shelter out of the wind later. Homeward Bound was there and was struggling to stay warm. He wanted to wait for his friends and we encouraged him to get into his sleeping bag while he waited. After leaving the lean-to we began the climb up South Horn (3,831 ft). The wind was howling and the trees had ice on them. Next we climbed Bigelow Mountain west peak (4,145 ft) and then Avery Peak (4,090 ft). The wind was so strong that I fell several times from being knocked sideways. The windward side of the mountains and the peaks were brutal. The leeward side seemed like a different trail as it was calm and much warmer. Between the ice, wind, wet rocks, roots, and slippery leafs; our group had multiple falls today. By the time we reached Stafford Notch Campsite we were feeling pretty beat up. We all put our tents up, got water, and were snuggled into our sleeping bags by 6:00. If I'm not mistaken, these were the last mountains over 4,000 ft until we reach Mt Katahdin.
Date: 2013-09-24
From: Stafford Notch Campsite

To: West Carry Pond campsite
Miles today: 12.6

I awoke and could hear the wind howling outside my tent. I didn't want to get out of my nice warm bag but nature called so I had to get up. After relieving myself I snuggled back down in my bag to get warm again. As I was packing up I heard the loud crack of a tree falling and looked up in time to see a sizable tree come down. Thankfully it didn't hit anyone's tent. The forecast was for partly cloudy skies in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. However, the mountains make their own weather. It began to rain soon after we got on the trail. The rain became mixed with sleet and then changed back to rain. Finally in the early afternoon we saw a small amount of sunshine and then it was overcast for the rest of the day. It took us all morning to climb up and over Little Bigelow. The rain resulted in slippery rocks and we had to descend carefully. When we reached Little Bigelow Lean-to we stopped for lunch. I'm always hungry but I hate stopping in this weather because I get so cold. After lunch we hiked some of the most wonderful trail that I've hiked in a long time. It was smooth with a gentle grade and for awhile I thought I was flying. Alas, it didn't last and I was soon tromping through mud and stepping over and on rocks and roots. The trail followed the shore of Flagstaff Lake and it was nice to have the view of the lake as I hiked. Occasionally we could hear the call of Loons and that always brings a smile to my face. It's odd to think that I've hiked in all four seasons on this journey. It is definitely Fall here and the trail is often decorated with a collage of multicolored leaves. When we reached West Carry Pond we could again hear Loons. Similar to last night I quickly got my tent set up, retrieved some water, and snuggled down in my bag to warm up. I'm ready for some sunshine!
Date: 2013-09-25
From: West Carry Pond campsite

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

The challenge today is to hike 13.6 miles before 3:30. In order to cross the Kennebec River one must take a shuttle via canoe and the shuttle only operates from 9:00 to 11:00 and 2:00 to 4:00. If you're not there by 3:30 they won't guarantee that you'll get across. Pressure D and Tough Cookie are short on food so they left camp early to be sure they would make the ferry. Today is Walking Stick's birthday so Shady and I sung to him at the shelter. He lite a cigar and we headed down the trail. We maintained a fairly fast pace. The profile was flat or gentle hills. The trail alternated between gorgeous trail that was easy to hike and trail that was rocky, rooty, and muddy. For much of the day we were beside ponds or rivers. Most nerve racking for me were elevated stream crossing that were a single pole to walk on with nothing to hold on to. I don't have confidence in my balance so I had to cross them slowly. The day was warmer than previous days but I still needed a jacket at lunch. The sun broke through the clouds occasionally. We took a short lunch break and no rest breaks. We arrived at the canoe ferry in plenty of time: 2:45. That's the fastest I've hiked in a long time. When we arrived there were 7 hikers waiting to cross and the canoe could only take 2 at a time. Each crossing and return trip took about 20 minutes so we spread out on the grass and waited our turn. Walking Stick had a resupply package at the post office so some other hikers kindly let him go ahead so he could get there before it closed. After I crossed we met at the post office and called the Sterling Inn to come and pick us up. Other people who are staying here are Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Airborne, and Marathon John. According to the guest book Whirled Peas was here last night.
Date: 2013-09-26
From: Caratunk, ME

To: Bald Mountain Brook Campsite
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

We had a good continental breakfast at the Sterling Inn and then Eric, the owner, gave us a ride back to the trail. The forecast was for partly cloudy skies but it was overcast almost all day. I ready for some sunshine!The trail was not nearly as pleasant as yesterday - mainly rocky, rooty, and muddy. This was one of those tough days when I just wasn't feeling it and it seemed like hard work most of the day. About six miles after leaving Caratunk we started climbing Peasant Pond Mountain. It wasn't a particularly high mountain (2,470 ft) but it was a climb of over 1,100 ft and I struggled way more than I thought I would. Our hiking group today was Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Walking Stick, Airborne, and me. I was the last one up the mountain. With a little less than 3 miles to go we came to a stream that we had to ford. You could rock hop part way and then someone put a log across the middle. Th problem was that the log wobbled and was not very wide. All of our group made it but just behind us Nema fell off the log and got soaked. I felt so bad for her. The remaining 2.8 miles of the trail was some of the nicest trail we had hiked all day. I guess I must have lost some of my concentration because about a half mile from our destination I tripped on a root and came down hard on my left knee. It is very sore but even more worrisome is that my lower back has been tightening up all evening. I'm hopeful that a good nights rest will cure it all!
Date: 2013-09-27
From: Bald Mountain Brook Campsite

To: Monson, Me
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

I felt much better after a good night's sleep. My back was a little stiff and my knee was a little sore but not as bad as I had feared. Little did I know how magical this day would be. We started our 1,300 ft climb up Moxie Bald Mountain (2,629 ft). As usual I struggled with the climb but it was an interesting hike along rock walls, under rocks, and on bare rocks. Pressure D and Tough Cookie are so sweet - they often wait on me and encourage me up the mountains. At the top of Moxie Bald Mountain I got cell reception and had a textmessage from Becca saying she could meet us today in 6 miles and then slack pack us tomorrow 14 miles into Monson. This changed the entire day as we now had 5 hours to hike 6 miles. The sun had finally come out and it was a spectacular day. Since we knew we had so much time we basked in the sun for and hour and a half on top of the mountain. It was so different from our normal days and it was fun to sit and talk while we enjoyed the views. Two miles after leaving the summit of the mountain we came too Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to where we stopped for lunch. There were large rocks on the edge of Bald Mountain Pond were some of us ate lunch and enjoyed talking to Roland, a local (see pics). Roland had come 3 miles across the the pond while fishing and saw hikers sitting on the edge of the pond eating lunch so he came over and joined us. Two miles after the lean-to we came to Bald Mountain Stream that we had to ford. Actually the cold water felt good on my tired feet. Thank goodness no one fell in!The remaining trail to our rendezvous place with Becca was back to being rocky, rooty, and muddy. Becca had arrived shortly before us. As we headed down the dirt road the left front tire went flat. We had to unload the entire car to get the spare out. How many thru hikers does it take to change a flat tire? Apparently 5 because we all worked at it. It took us about and hour and a half before we were back on the road again. We are staying at Shaw's Hostel in Monson. We had a great dinner at the only pub in town. It was a fun and relaxing day - just what I needed!