morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Gorham, NH

To: US 2, Gorham, NH to Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: fog

"There is one grand lie-that we are limited. The only limits we have are the limits we believe." ~Wayne Dyer I woke up this morning with the unusual attitude of "what in the hell are you doing out here." This was truly the first time in my trip where I was completely unhappy. It was raining. My body, like everybody else, is wearing down with aches and pains from the constant pounding, ascents and descents. I saw the news on the television of hurricane Frances approaching Florida and I am worried all over again, for the survival of Lady Kritter, family and friends. I feel I have placed undue burden on my wife to handle the home front in my absence, alone. I feel a need to be at her side to comfort and support her. I cannot do this from the mountains of New Hampshire. My dream doesn't seem important any more. What is important is my wife and family. So torn inside. Being so close to Katahdin, being so far away from home, the mental pain and anguish of not being there to help. What do I do? I called Lady Kritter on the telephone and explained how I felt, that I wanted to come home and be there for her, just like she has been there for me. Already preparing for the storm, Lady Kritter said there is nothing for me to do; I am so close to the end of my journey I should stay on the trail. Reluctantly I agreed to continue and would call as soon as I get into Andover, Maine. I knew I needed to push myself forward, to get out of town as quickly as possible, before I made a drastic decision to end this torment.I am on the side of the road hitchhiking when Diesel came up to me saying he and Maya Ques has a ride out to the trailhead do I want to go? 9:45 I am back on the trail. The rain stops, and the sun is trying to come out. The trail is wet from the rain of the last two nights. The trail is very muddy, and is more of a stream or brook than a trail. The sun comes out and Diesel, Maya Ques and I have lunch at Trident Col campsite. We lay out in the sun and take an afternoon nap. More walking in water and finally the Gentian Pond Shelter. The views of purple mountains in the late afternoon sun are awesome. A pond is located down from the shelter with a brook running down a small rock gorge. Too top it off, in the pond I see my first moose, a female with two calves. The moose is standing in the water, sticking her head underwater. When her head comes up, water is dripping from the facial hairs. The calves are hiding in the tree line of the woods until the mother is finished. The last golden rays of daylight are hitting the mountains as I finish my dinner and think, I just might salvage this day from one that was within seconds of swirling counter clockwise with the water and going down the toilet.
Date: 2004-09-01
From: US 2, Gorham, NH to Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

"Strange the faithless fuss made about taking a walk in the safest and pleasantest of all places, a wilderness." John Muir I woke up this morning thinking of Lady Kritter and what she must be going through with the hurricane approaching. Two hurricanes within 3 weeks apart is asking a lot for one person to endure alone. The decision was made and now I am deep in the woods with no contact and all I can do is worry.Left the shelter at 7:00 and started a steep climb up Mt. Success (3536 ft.) On the summit you could actually see the weather front coming in. On one side of the summit a white misty cloud shrouds the small trees, and the other a clear view of the valley below. A cold wind was blowing, chilling me if I stayed still to long. The trail is crossing more and more steep rock faces where there are three possible ways to go down. One, by carefully walking down the slippery face, finding small ledges in the rock to get a foothold. Two, walk the edge of the rock face grabbing trees, roots, solid rocks, anything to grab a hold. Three, crab walk down the face and when the steepness is too great, slide down the rock face on the seat of your pants. I prefer walking the rock face or doing the crabwalk. It is less stressful on the fragile ecosystem. Either way, a slip or a mistake could possibly cause an uncontrollable slide. 11:15 Quest, Catdog and I crossed into our last state, Maine.Most of the afternoon was climbing the chutes of West and East peak of Goose Eye Mt. (3854 ft. and 3795 ft.) and going down the rock face chutes and ladders. Each summit greeted me with a strong, cool wind that at times would blow me off balance. In between the peaks the terrain consisted of an alpine zone with deep muddy areas. Walking up and over the North Peak of the Goose Eye Mt. (3675 ft.) brought me into the Full Goose Shelter. Many hikers are here using the shelter and campsite as a staging area for the "worst mile of AT" The Mahoosuc Notch. Thru-hikers Diesel, Quest, Catdog, Maya Ques, Satori, Spiceman, Joker, Lorax, SweatyPig, Christin, and others whose names I can't recall, are here waiting with anticipation for the Notch, squirming over, under and around house-size boulders.
Date: 2004-09-02
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Campsite
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: clear sky

I will tell you right now I AM NOT HAVING FUN. Not because of the hike or the weather, but because I am feeling guilty having Lady Kritter fight another hurricane alone. Yes, she has friends and family to help her, but we are a team and I feel the need to be there to help and support the home front. It is hard to sit on a mountaintop looking at the beauty surrounding me knowing she is being battered by winds and flooded with rain.I left Full Goose Shelter at 7:45 with temperatures in the low 40's. The weather was perfect for entering the toughest mile on the entire AT. The first phase was the Mahoosuc Notch, a small canyon- like pass who¢s floor is covered with assorted size boulders from massive, house-size on down to pebbles with no uniformity to their placements. I had to crawl over, slide in between, jump from boulder to boulder, and squirm under this maze of a trail. In a couple of places I entered and crawled under huge boulders only to get stuck trying to exit out of a small opening. I had to back out, get un-stuck, take my pack off in closed quarters, exit the opening then pull the pack through. I was startled at one point when I was about to enter an opening between two boulders when a female day hiker came exploding out of the opening. Returning my heart rate and breathing to normal levels I learned the hiker was the caretaker from Speck's campsite on a day hike. She apologized for scaring the Be-Jesus out of me and if I was staying at Speck's would see me later. The handbook recommends going through with a partner. I felt, in a small way, if my partner, Lady Kritter, was facing the storm without me, I could do the Mahoosuc Notch alone. It is common for a hiker to donate blood to the Notch. I fell once and left my DNA on the rocks that broke my skin.The second phase seemed to take forever, climbing rock face after rock face, grabbing roots and anything else that I could grab or step on to make it the Mahoosuc Arm (3765 ft.).   The summit was reached and the views were great. Reached Speck Pond Campsite and shelter. The pond is a beautiful mountain pond with clear waters. Thru-hiker Christine let me use her cell phone to make contact with Lady Kritter. Hearing Lady Kritter's voice and positive attitude towards me to finish this hike lifted my spirits. Decided to make this a short day and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me at this location.
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Speck Pond Campsite

To: East B Hill Road Andover, Me
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

The temperatures during the night went into the 30's. I felt as if my hike was back in the Smokie Mountains. The trail, after a grueling couple days, was pleasant surprise. Trail magic of sodas and homemade chocolate chip cookies were found at Grafton Notch. The trail angels were Finch and Ma Finch. Thanks guys for the surprise. The afternoon was spent climbing the tough Baldplate Mountain range. Once on top of West Peak of Baldplate Mtn. (3662 ft.) the walk went through pre-alpine terrain. The views were spectacular. Looking north you could see East Peak (3812 ft.) and the terrain reminded me of Little Hump and Hump in Tennessee. That afternoon the trail followed a stream that entered a small gorge in Dunn Notch where a beautiful fall called Dunn Falls cascaded to the lower elevations. Arrived at East B Hill Road. Sweaty Pig's friend Ron loaded Quest, Catdog and I into his pickup and took us into Andover. Arrangements were made for us to stay at a place called The Cabin. Once we arrived we met the owners Bear and Honey who ushered us into the dining room where other hikers were already eating supper. The Cabin is a great place built by Bear to be a hostel for thru-hikers. The atmosphere Bear and Honey give is that of a family setting. The Cabin is another vortex of comfort and atmosphere that can trap the thru-hiker into staying. It is folks like this along the trail that makes this the most unique experience I have encountered.
Date: 2004-09-04
From: East B Hill Road Andover, Me

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

Bear suggested I could slack pack today, as I await word from Lady Kritter on how she survived the hurricane. I tried calling before going out but, I couldn't get through. Quest and Catdog are going with me, this way we are getting some miles under our feet, taking an easy day, keeping a track on the hurricane and staying in touch with home.(Note from Lady Kritter: We were STILL enduring the Hurricane Frances.. for 30 hours. We lost power and water for 9 days, not to mention all phones and cell towers, cable and internet. Trees 3, Roof 1. Living in the Twilight Zone ¢¦)Bear drove Quest, Catdog and I to the trailhead at East B Hill Road. The hike was pleasant both in terrain and weather. Ran into Party Girl, Joker and Spiceman who told us Hawk's wife Peggy was going to pick us up instead of Bear. That was a nice surprise. Moody Mt. (2380 ft.) was a short, steep climb with rebar fitted into the rock for hand and foot holds. A view at the summit overlooked a mountain valley with three small white radar domes in the distance. I took a double take when I first saw the domes, thinking I was looking at monster mushrooms. Met Peggy at South Arm Road who provided us with trail magic of cold cokes and candy. Peggy had to pickup Hawk so we (Quest, Catdog and I) decided to ride with her to surprise him. It was good to see Hawk and hear how his hike is going. Peggy drove us back to the Cabin. Bear and Honey had another great meal of Chili, corn bread, vegetables and salad prepared by thru-hikers. Diesel, Maya Ques, Mouse, Joker, Spiceman, Party Girl, Quest, Catdog, the Hobbits and Lorax were guests of the Cabin tonight.
Date: 2004-09-05
From: South Arm Road

To: ME 17
Miles today: 13.3

Another fantastic breakfast at the cabin fueled me for today's hike. I can't believe how accommodating Bear and Honey are to hikers. They were especially helpful in getting me information on Hurricane Frances and the use of the phone to call Lady Kritter. Bear drove Quest, Catdog and I to the trailhead at South Arms Road. The hike today involved hiking over several peaks of the Bemis Mountain range. I clambered over rock faces between the peaks that reminded me of New Jersey/New York ridgeline hikes.At 3:00 and I was on Highway 17 meeting Hawk and his wife Peggy. Soon Quest and Catdog followed. We piled into Hawk's vehicle for a 1.5 hour ride to their RV. Peggy cooked a Fried Chicken dinner for us and for Hawk's birthday. I have spent many a night in different types of shelters, lean-tos, and huts. However, this shelter with wheels, the RV, could spoil me quicker than a trail town vortex. We spent the night in luxury.I've notice during the last several days that Fall has begun. The leaves have lost the crisp green colors and slowly are turning varying colors. The plants most sensitive to temperature change, the ferns, are turning brown. Individual trees have already changed the color of their leaves. At one point I came to a carpet of red leaves covering the trail and scattered across the forest floor. I thanked Mother Nature for giving me the red carpet treatment - I've made it to Maine.
Date: 2004-09-06
From: ME 17

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

"Not knowing where the calling comes from, I came not knowing what the calling leads to. I follow between the stars and dust, the way goes and so I go." Pegasus-AT thru-hiker 2004 Everybody in the RV was up at 5:00 packed and on the road by 6:00. Hawk and his wife Peggy dropped Quest, Catdog and I off at ME highway 17 and by 7:45 back on trail that immediately went up Spruce Mtn (2530 ft.). The trail leveled off with minor ups and downs among the roots, occasional rock and the ever present mud holes. Ponds are becoming more frequent along the trail. All are beautiful, with clear water and surrounded by trees. The first pond was a large pond called Moxie. Two miles north was another pond called Sabbath Day, where I sat and watched the fast moving clouds go by. The sun behind the clouds looked like the moon. Every once in-a-while the clouds would break and the sunshine would break through and light up the lake. The strip of lit water would produce wisps of steam from the warmth of the sun hitting the cold water. All of sudden the silence of the pond and surrounding forest is broken by the mechanical sound of an outboard engine. Fly fishermen in a small boat. So much for my wilderness experience. I left the fishermen to their sport as I continued mine. Lunch was at another pond called Little Swift River Pond. Crossed ME highway 4 and set up for the night at Piazza Rock Lean-to. I met a trail maintenance crew from the Maine Conservation Group who invited me to dinner at their primitive campsite. Tom was the cook who made Clam Chowder fresh from the can. The team leader was Clare who thru-hiked the AT in 1999. Clare gave me information as to what lies ahead on Saddleback Mt. Javin, Will and Caleb were the other crew members. I finally learned the difference between a pond and a lake, and a brook, stream and river.   A pond is shallower than a lake-like some people I know. A brook volume and flow of water is slower than a stream, a stream slower than a river.Another mystery solved. I said good-night to everyone, gave my compliments to the chef and night-hiked back to the lean-to. I am the only one in the lean-to. Catdog and Quest are tenting nearby.
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mt. Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

"Some are weather wise-some are otherwise." Benjamin Franklin I was listening to the weather report yesterday for central Maine. In two days the area will be hit with a cold front and the remnants of Hurricane Frances. Rainfall on Thursday is expected to be 2-4 inches. Quest, Catdog and I decided the game plan would be to hike 17 miles today, then hike into Stratton tomorrow, hopefully before the rains come in. This plan also has us climbing over South and North Crocker Mt. in dry conditions. It was great to wake up in the shelter by myself. I didn't have to be quiet getting ready. The three of us were on the trail by 6:00. The first several miles of hiking were in forests and past mountain ponds. Saddleback Mt. (4120 ft.) was our next mountain to climb. The climb was easier than expected due to the gradual walks on the rock face. Nearing the top the air got cooler and the wind picked up. In the alpine zone the wind blew hard. I had to take my time to balance before placing my footing. The early morning valley fog and low level clouds gave a different view of the mountains. The trail could be seen below winding through the alpine vegetation and rock face. Large boulders dotted the landscape, dropped by glacier action eons ago. In the background was The Horn (4041 ft.) of rock climbing above tree line. Once at The Horn, the wind seemed to pickup velocity making the climb difficult. The summit of The Horn was windy and cold. Looking for the next white blaze brought my attention to the next mountain to climb, Saddleback Junior (3655 ft.) Almost daily, the tallest mountain in front of you would be the next challenge on the AT. Seeing the profile of Saddleback Junior told me this was going to be a fun climb. I was not disappointed. The climb like most of the others was steep, had rock face scrambles, hand over hand action, chutes that are executed by looking for foot and hand holds and sometimes a level piece of mountain to catch your breath.We made Poplar Ridge Lean-to by 12:00 and had lunch. We decided after lunch to continue forward and hike to the next Lean-to. The trail in this section was kinder to my feet and legs. 5:30 and I was in the Spaulding Mt. Lean-to cooking supper and glad to have the Saddleback's behind me.
Date: 2004-09-08
From: Spaulding Mt. Lean-to

To: Stratton, Me
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

Around 3:00 in the morning the predicted rains came. The first wave only lasted for a half hour but, the weather forecast reported a cold front passing through with the remains of Hurricane Frances riding the front. The next three days are going to be wet. I am now glad Quest, Catdog and I picked up the pace the last two days to get into Stratton before the heavy rains begin. I have learned not to rely on the weatherperson (use to be weatherman, I do not want to offend sensitive people so I want to be politically correct). I now use what is called an Indian (sorry), Native American weather rock. It is a special rock that is placed outside. Look at it and it is 99.9% correct. For example, if it is wet, it's raining. If it is white, it's snowing. If it is dry, it's a good day. If the rock moves in Florida because of wind, you're in a hurricane. You get the picture? Left the Spaulding Shelter at 6:00 and began our ascent up Spaulding Mt. (3990 ft.) and Sugarloaf Mt. (3650 ft.). Less than an hour into the hike the rains started again. It made Sugarloaf a slippery and hairy challenge to climb down. The trail, as a whole, compared to the recent ascents was a gradual up or, it could be I am finally getting use to living mountain style. Talking to sobo's, the next mountain to go over, South Crocker (4010 ft.) and North Crocker (4228 ft.) was no stroll in the park. And, that was on a good day without rain. Just as I began my hike up South Crocker the rain stopped and even the sun tried to shed some warmth on me. The hike again was gradual so I felt the climb was not bad. By 2:15 I was at ME highway 27 hitching a ride into Stratton. Quest somehow worked magic and got us a room at White Wolf Inn. All three hotels are full of hikers. The word on the trail was out about the weather, or else they had an Indian Weather Rock.
Date: 2004-09-09
From: White Wolf Inn, Stratton, Me

To: White Wolf Inn, Stratton, Me
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness." Bertrand RussellThe rain continued through the night into the morning and the rest of the day. Spent the morning writing in the journal, post office visits, laundry and re-suppling meals.The small community is overflowing with thru-hikers. Good for the local economy. It was good to rest the body and mind after a stressful week.The time off has given many hikers a chance to go over their final itinerary of the thru-hike. The talk among the hikers during this zero is different than the other Zero (plus) days. We talk about how close we are to finishing, what date we are planning to summit Katahdin, what we will do after the hike is over, and favorite parts of the hike, just to name a few topics. It is hard to believe the journey is almost over, and yet for most of us the journey has just begun.
Date: 2004-09-11
From: East Flagstaff Road

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

>> > The trail magic continued. The trail angels made breakfast of coffee, eggs, sausage and toast. Quest and Catdog arrived in time for breakfast. 8:30 we left the trail magic. Throughout the morning I skirted several beautiful lakes and ponds, some with sandy beaches for swimming. The morning and afternoon was spent in some of the worst mud conditions I have encountered since the snow melt of the Smokies Mtns.> Reached Pierce Pond Lean-to at 4:15. This gave me plenty of time to explore and find a large waterfall. I made an early supper of spaghetti and sat out on the rocks of the lake. The late afternoon sun in a cloudless blue sky was still warm. The quiteness of the lake was broken by the call of a Loon. The spare time gave me an oppurtunity to reflect on where I've been the last six months. My reflections were clear like the lake's water, my journey's hardships like the minor ripples of the water, and beauty that exceeded my expectations. I truly found paradise in each day of my journey.
Date: 2004-09-12
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: few clouds

"The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lessons of worship."Ralph Waldo EmersonThroughout the night the Loons would sing to the audience of stars in the night sky. Dawn broke to reveal one of the most beautiful sunrises over Pierce Pond that I have seen on this hike. Sunlight would hit the pond's water creating swirls of vapor clouds above the water's surface. And, the song of the Loons continued to echo over the pondQuest, Catdog and I left the lean-to at 7:00 and followed the white blazes along Pierce Pond Stream then, Otter Pond Stream until reaching the Kennebec River. Shortly after arriving, Steve "The Ferryman" came from the north shore of the river to ferry us across in a canoe. It sounds funny, but for us thru-hikers this was a major milestone. It was a river crossing we have been talking about since the first days on the AT. It meant another step, one of few steps left to Katahdin.Once everyone was across we hitched a ride to the Northern Outdoor Center. A great lodge for mountain outdoor activities. The hamburger and micro-brew beer were one of the best on the trail. Stayed until early afternoon. Back on the trail I was greeted once again by the mud. It has gotten to the point I have quit trying to circumvent the mud. Instead, I walk right through it. I have found by not dancing from one rock to another, I use less energy. 4:15 I came to the Pleasant Lean-to. Catdog and Quest are tenting nearby. I am at the shelter with Diesel, Maya Ques, Ace (a section hiker) and a sobo. In all, it was another great dayin paradise.
Date: 2004-09-15
From: Monson, Me

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Thank you Lady Kritter for taking the time to update my journals. The two hurricanes and being with no electric and cable have certainly caused a delay with my journal. To be so prompt in getting it out, high fives![Note from Lady Kritter: That's okay honey. I'm saving the roof for you to fix when you return home ... and a 'round-to-it list as well. The homefront is ... different than when you last saw it.] I would like to thank all my readers for walking this journey with me. The hike is not over. I will be entering the 100 mile Wilderness that will take about 8 days to complete. Hopefully, the next time there are entries I will have summited Katahdin with, I am sure, alot of emotion. Until then make everyday a day in paradise. KrispyKritter