morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-24
From: Happy Hikers Hostel (Glencliff, NH)

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

After a night of tossing and turning, I finally got up around 6am. The post office in Glencliff, which is attached to someone¢s home, opens at 7am. This was a good thing because I had to sort through my things and then back up the things I would mail home. I finished with this process by around 9am and was on the A.T. by 9:30.The first few miles of the day were still in the section maintained by the DOC. Due to their lack of maintenance and the absence of blazes I lost the trail for over 30 minutes. Once I got back on track, I was climbing the biggest mountain I have seen in months. As I worked my way up Mt. Moosilauke, I was experiencing many different emotions. It was like the beginning of a rollercoaster ride as you sit there and slowly climb to the top your mind is full of fear, excitement, and other things. Only my climb up over 4,000 feet took over 2 hours giving me lots of time to think about everything in my pack and wonder how hard the White Mts. are going to be. It doesn't help when you pass SOBOs with knee braces and expressions of doubt when I mention when I want to finish.I made it to the top of Moosilauke and had gorgeous views. The wind was howling and it was chilly but I took a long break and took in the amazing sights. Being above tree line on a clear day is amazing. I still had over 11 miles to go so it was back to hiking. The trail going down the mountain was incredibly steep. It was slow going and painful on the knees and feet, although it was pretty as it followed a waterfall down the entire way. There was one large mountain to get up and over before getting to the shelter. This climb was not as difficult but the trail was extremely muddy. I didn't make it to the shelter until after 6:30 making it a long exhausting day. There are almost a dozen people at the shelter including several SOBOs. I can see that keeping my miles up through the White's is going to be very difficult, but I welcome the challenge.
Date: 2006-07-25
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: few clouds

On a typical day, I would hike 10 or 12 miles by lunch. Today I had finished 6 miles at noon. The first 4 miles of the day consisted of a rock scramble up and down Kinsman Mt. The hiking is more difficult than I would have ever imagined. I did make it to my first hut were I got a leftover piece of cake. I also bought several candy bars for $1 a piece. After stopping at the hut is was off to the Franconia Ridge.The Franconia Ridge is an 8 mile stretch of trail above tree line. It took me over the summit of several mountains my favorite being Mt. Lafayette at 5,250 feet. The wind was howling on the summit and a storm threatened on a hazy day. Eventually I made it to the shelter along with many others. I hiked with The Bunny, and Baltimorean for part of the day and they are also at the shelter. This 19 mile day in the Whites feels like a 30 mile day on any other part of the trail. I don't know how far I may hike tomorrow it depends how much my feet and knees hurt in the AM.
Date: 2006-07-26
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.8

I decided to do a big day through the rugged White's in hopes of staying at an AMC hut and I am glad that I did. The morning was challenging but not as bad as yesterday. I had 10 miles in by noon leaving me with 14 to the hut. Fortunately the next 8 miles were nice and fast setting me up for the final 6 miles which were straight up Mt. Jackson. The climb started well until the sound of a thunder storm drew closer. The storm never did hit with full force but it rained long enough to make all the rock ledges wet and very difficult to climb.I made it to the Mizpah Spring Hut about 6:30 and I was the only thru-hiker there. It costs $80 per person to stay at the huts and that includes dinner and breakfast. The AMC huts allow several thru-hikers to do what is called work for stay. A thru-hiker can stay and eat leftovers in exchange for approximately 2 hours of work. It is kind of a hit or miss thing, but I was lucky to be the first to show up and ask. When I arrived at the hut, there were about 60 guests eating dinner. The hut master gave me two options; clean the floors in the morning after breakfast or speak to the guests about my hike for about one hour. That was a pretty easy choice for me. After stuffing myself full with turkey, mashed potatoes, salad, homemade bread and desert I addressed the guests. It was fun to talk with them and answer their questions. Many of the guests asked similar questions that which my curious students would ask. I actually felt rather important and in reality I made $80 for an hour of my time. I could spend the rest of my working days speaking for $80 an hour. Another thru-hiker, Mercury, did arrive later and he will be sweeping floors while I am hiking up to Mt. Washington tomorrow.Life's good on the A.T.
Date: 2006-07-27
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Pinkham Notch (Tent)
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: haze

After eating some leftover pancakes and oatmeal at the hut, it was time to hike up above tree line where I would be spending most of my day. The Presidential Range has provided some of the most amazing mountain views I have ever seen. It is hard to describe. It is so different than being in the "green tunnel" which much of the rest of the A.T. is commonly described as. You can see for miles and watch as you get closer and closer to your next summit.By lunch time I had reached the summit of Mt. Washington. This rugged mountain sits at 6,288 feet above sea level and is said to be the sight of the most severe weather in America. The highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth, 231 mph, was at the peak of this giant. The climb to the top of Washington was not the toughest in the White's but it was a challenging task. The weather was not bad; it was in the 60's with moderate to high winds. Once at the summit, it felt as if I was in a mall. There were gift shops, snack bars, and lots of people. Most of the people came up the mountain on the Cog railway at $50 a person. I had a chili covered hot dog and chatted with Gumby and Coyote Beck. They are northbound thru-hikers that were actually paying guests last night at the hut. They are really a neat couple and you may want to check out their trail journal. Mercury joined up with us later and I took a much longer break than planned.I spent the rest of my afternoon negotiating my way over some rugged rocky terrain in the sun. I am not used to being in the sun and wind all day and it was draining my energy. I stopped at the Madison Spring Hut for some soup and a candy bar. While resting here Mercury showed up and we hiked together the rest of the evening. Shortly after the hut we descended down below tree line leaving the Presidential¢s behind us. We got to Pinkham Notch just before dark and found some stealth tent sites on a side trail. I believe my tent is set up under a ski lift, but I am not sure. The plan is to get up early and go to the lodge nearby for AYCE breakfast. I looked forward to this day of hiking for a long time. It was no let down in fact it was better than imagined, but it is sad to think it is now behind me.
Date: 2006-07-28
From: Pinkham Notch (Tent)

To: Hikers Paradise Hostel (Gorham, NH)
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: fog

When the sun came up, I realized that I was under a power line and not a ski lift. After packing up my tent and the rest of my belongings Mercury and I went to the Pinkham Notch Lodge for the AYCE breakfast. I was extra hungry since I didn't cook dinner the night before due to complete exhaustion. On a normal basis, I usually don't feel like I eat enough to make all you can eat deals a good value to me, but on this morning I think I got my moneys worth.Mercury and I hit the trail together by 8am and had a long day ahead of us. It started with a 2000 ft climb up Wildcat Mt. This mountain had 5 peaks named Wildcat Peak A - E. Scrambling up and down these rocky peaks was followed by a big down and then a huge climb up Carter Mt. At the summit of Carter Mt. the rain started to come down. Before long it was pouring and the trail turned into the all too familiar stream (although on this steep terrain it is more like a waterfall). The rest of the day was spent maneuvering over wet rocks that were as slick as ice. I slipped around and grabbed trees to keep me on my feet, but one time I wasn't so lucky and I had a big fall. Luckily, I landed square on my back and my pack offered padding to ease the fall. There were also several swollen rapid moving streams to cross which had me fording through thigh deep water.We made it to US2 by about 7pm. After ten minutes of unsuccessful hitching, I called the hostel and we had a ride. The hostel is part of a motel and is pretty nice. I got my laundry done made some phone calls and ate about 3000 calories of McDonalds food before calling it a day.
Date: 2006-07-29
From: Hikers Paradise Hostel (Gorham, NH)

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Well today marks 3 months that I have been on the trail and it would have to be close to the bottom as far as days I want to remember. I had a nice breakfast in town and got my mail drop (thanks for the picture Jesse), talked to Danielle for a while and before I knew it was after 12pm. It took me about 20 minutes to get a hitch back to the trail so by 1pm I was ready to head north.The hiking was somewhat easy compared to what I had been doing for the last several days. My mind was just all over the place. I am definitely starting to look forward to the day I will not wake up and hike. The smell of my backpack is getting out of control, the loneliness is starting to get to me and my body is just simply tired. This part of the country is beautiful and this opportunity is a once in a lifetime chance but today I wanted to be in York, PA with my wife and family.To make this day even more of a challenge I decided to hike south for a bit. The trail was not blazed well and after stopping at a pond for a few pictures and a short break I had trouble finding the trail. Eventually I thought I was back on track and I started cranking out miles. The trail seemed awful familiar and then I came to a sign and realized I had spent an hour hiking back in the wrong direction. I wanted to quit, I wanted to be at home, but I turned around and walked back over the same trail for the third time. Due to my error I decided to stop short of the shelter I was headed for and call it a day. I am looking forward to a good night sleep and a new day tomorrow.
Date: 2006-07-30
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

I woke up to an amazing view. It's funny last night when I was grumpy and miserable I didn't really notice the awesome view from the shelter. But today was a new day, and a fine one at that.The weather could not have been any better. I am not sure it ever made it to 80 today and the sky was clear as could be. Shortly into my day I reached the final state line I will cross on this journey. I am now in Maine for the first time in my life and tonight I sit about 265 miles from Katahdin. I used to tell people I was hiking to Maine, but now I guess it's time to focus on Katahdin.Maine greeted me with some very difficult terrain. The climbs are steep and nasty. It took me 13 hours to hike about 22 miles. The most challenging part of the day was actually not a mountain, but rather a notch. The Mahoosuc Notch is a one mile stretch of the A.T. that is a jumble of house sized boulders. I jumped over rocks, crawled under rocks, and performed acrobatic moves I didn't think I was capable of doing. After an hour of this scrambling and several brushes with death, I made it through the notch in one piece. The rest of the day continued to challenge me to go up and over the beautiful mountains of Maine. It's late and I am tired so I'm calling it a day.
Date: 2006-07-31
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: South Arm Road (Tent)
Miles today: 18.1

Due to some older hikers in the shelter that got up at 4:45am I was up and hiking by 6:30. It was a cold morning only in the high 40's. It warmed up quickly and so did I with my day starting by climbing over the peaks of Baldpate Mt. The rest of the morning was actually not bad and I made it to East B Hill Road just before 11am. This road leads to Andover, a small town where I needed to go to re supply. When I got to the road, I found it to be a single lane road with no painted lines or markings. I had heard it was a difficult hitch but this town worked best with my schedule for getting food. So at this point I had no choice because all that was left in my pack was some trail mix. Walking 9 miles wasn't an option so I sat down and got comfortable. I figured I would try to make a sign, "Hiker to Town," to use if a car passed. Just then I heard a vehicle. Once I was sure it was traveling in the proper direction I leaped up and got my hitch-hiker thumb ready. The truck slowed and pulled to the side of the road before I even had the chance to get my thumb up. The wonderful man that picked me up travels this road often and always stops for hikers. He mentioned that many times they have been waiting over an hour and not even one car went past. My luck continued after eating lunch and buying my supplies. A young female school teacher recognized me as a thru-hiker and offered to drive me back where I was picked up, which was not even on her way. So thanks to the great people of Andover, Maine, I was able to get a good day of hiking in while getting in an out of one of the hardest to reach trail towns.
Date: 2006-08-01
From: South Arm Road (Tent)

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite (Tent)
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

It started pouring last night around midnight and continued raining into the morning. My tent kept things pretty dry, but packing up a wet tent is no fun. Carrying a wet tent, which is about double its normal weight, is even less fun. The rain continued on and off all morning and into the afternoon. A huge thunderstorm rolled in as I reached the rocky summit of Bemis Mt. The storm itself wasn't so bad but I definitely had my closest encounter with lighting. It struck about 30 feet away giving me a feeling like welders flash. The descent off this mountain was a steep slab of rock that was very slick from the rain. I slid my way down, many times sliding on my butt.Around 2pm the sun decided to come out and it got ridiculously humid. The rest of the day was easier hiking but the trail went through marshes and was very muddy. I had my first moose sighting this afternoon. It was off to the side of the trail and as I approached I must have startled it and spooked it away. I hadn't seen it before it started running so it gave me a heck of a scare as well. I didn't see it long but it was as tall as me and I would guess 500 or 600 pounds.It has been very lonely on the trail. I have only seen one north bounder, Homebrew, in 2 days. Jumpstart and Mercury are both about a day ahead of me and I have no idea what¢s going on behind me. It is unlikely that I will see anyone that I have hiked with the rest of the way to Katahdin. I usually pass about two southbounders each day and an occasional section hiker. Tonight I am tenting next to a pond and I am the only one around. I am hoping to get good nights sleep but some noisy chipmunks may make that difficult.
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite (Tent)

To: Spaulding Mt. Lean-to
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: broken clouds

I was tenting last night so like clockwork it rained. It was the same story as the night before; I woke up around midnight and heard the wind howling through the trees and the thunder rumbling. I was worried my tent was going to blow away but it held its ground although I got pretty wet from the blowing rain. When I woke up around 6am the rain had taken a break. As I started to pack things up it started to rumble again. By the time I started to roll up my tent it was pouring again. It continued to rain all morning until about 10am.I was pretty happy the rain stopped while I climbed to the summit of Saddleback Mt. It was a rocky mountain which lead me up above tree line for several miles. On a clear day, it is said that you can see Katahdin from the summit. Today I was in the clouds and I could barely find my way down the trail. By 2pm the sun found its way to Maine and I dried out a bit. It was a long day of hiking and I was looking forward to getting to the shelter and being dry for the first time in several days. Just before reaching the shelter I heard the all too familiar rumble. Moments later the rain began to pour down soaking me and everything that had dried. The sun had brought me to life a bit and my spirit was improving but the soaking rain washed those feelings away. I was down and out. My body tired from hiking over 23 rugged miles, all that I have is wet, my food supply running thin. I questioned my desire to be out here and then like this magical trail seems to do things changed. There was a large group of young teenage boys at the shelter. After dropping my wet belongings in the shelter I was on my way to get water. Before leaving I asked the counselors with the group if they needed water. They asked if I would fill their large cooking pot. Upon my return, they asked if I would like macaroni and cheese with chicken. For the next hour this wonderful group fed me all kinds of wonderful food and deserts to make my day. So I will go to bed full and wake up knowing I am only 13 miles from the town of Stratton where I can dry my things.Life's soggy but good on the A.T.
Date: 2006-08-03
From: Spaulding Mt. Lean-to

To: White Wolf Inn (Stratton, ME)
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It was the same story last night. The huge rains came all through the night making the trail a muddy mess. I was happy to be in a shelter, although I did have to reposition myself so that the leak in the roof was not over my head. I was up by 6am but didn't start hiking until about 7. I just couldn't get myself to move real fast knowing I was headed out into the cool rainy morning.Once I started hiking, it was all business. I wanted to be in town drying out in a bad way. I had to go up and over the Croaker Mountains which had several peaks over 4,000 feet. I just kept my legs moving, splashing my way north. There were times when my shoe went over a foot deep into the soft muddy trail. Other times I slipped on wet roots and rocks but somehow avoided any major falls.I got to the road before 1pm and the town of Stratton stood only five miles away. I decided I would try hitching for 20 minuetes at the trail head before I would start walking to town. Only a few pedestrian cars passed in between the fleet of tractor trailers that rumbled by. My twenty minutes was up and I disappointedly started my 2 hour road walk. Just as I took my first steps, a car zoomed by I got my thumb out just as the car passed and when I saw the break lights come on I was as happy as could be. I got into town and got a room at a small little hotel for $25. I have a large room to myself with a balcony. Not a bad deal. The sun also decided to come out which is great from drying out my wet stuff. After hanging my gear everywhere, it was off to the P.O. and laundry mat. The library was across the street from the laundry mat so I was able to jump online in-between cycles. Thanks so much to all of you that have signed my guest book and contributed to my C.F. fund raising effort. I think I am at the peak of my loneliness on this journey and it means so much to me to hear from those that are following along.Well I am going to head down to the lounge for some serious calories and then lie in my room and watch some TV.
Date: 2006-08-04
From: White Wolf Inn (Stratton, ME)

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I had intended on going to the diner across the street for breakfast but when I woke up I had a craving for cereal. So I went to the market and got a box of Lucky Charms and a half gallon of milk. I didn't finish the entire box but I came very close. It was so awesome to sit in my hotel room and watch the Today Show while eating cereal (Except the Today Show just isn't the same without Katie Couric. It was close to 10am before I was packed up and waiting at the road for a hitch.I got a ride with two school teachers that were on vacation and heading to the trail for a day hike. The weather was perfect to start the day. I spent much of the day hiking over some beautiful mountains with amazing views. I was all set to eat my lunch on the summit of Avery Peak when a rain cloud came rolling in. I stood there in disbelief. I could see for miles in all directions and did not see anything but clear skies. But somehow the rain found me and followed me for about an hour. I eventually found a huge boulder to shelter me from the rain while I ate my lunch. It was a nice short day of hiking and I passed many section hikers and day hikers. It is often entertaining when chatting with day hikers and the topic, where are you coming from arises. The look on their faces when I reply, Georgia is great. The section hikers are more familiar with the trail and usually offer congratulations and good luck or toady a man with a French accent said "you¢re my idol."I did cross the 2,000 mile point today which seems almost unbelievable. It just seems impossible that I have come that far. I can remember the early struggles with my feet and learning the ways of the trail like it was yesterday and now here I sit less than 200 miles from reaching my goal.Another crazy thing happened tonight. Jumpstart showed up at the shelter just before dark. He was actually in Stratton last night at the hotel next door to where I was staying. He had apparently taken a zero day in Rangely and I passed him while he was in town. It was great to talk to him and see how his hike has been going. He will probably get ahead of me again tomorrow because he needs to be in Monson by Sunday night to meet a friend. But it was great talking with him and we may actually end up summiting Katahdin on the same day.