morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-22
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: few clouds

The mosquitos last night were the absolute worst I have ever experienced. Usually the bugs have their hour or two of twilight attacking but these mosquitos actually got more violent after dark. That coupled with warmer temperatures led to an inescapable miserable experience. At about 10 pm I furiously set up my tent and escaped the attack. No one was getting any sleep in the shelter so Pink Leprechaun, who didn't have a bug-proof tent [!?!?], joined me. Tasha said that it was a tight fit in the Contrail with two but it ended up being quite roomy and the tarp roof was completely condensation-free in the morning.We hiked an easy 9 miles to the next shelter hoping the bugs would be a little more forgiving there (which they were). However this mean that leaving at 6:30 to hike 9 miles at a leisurely pace got us to the shelter at about 11 am - a whole 10 hours until sundown. In that time I learned how to play cribbage, took a short nap and read a few chapters from Matthew (it involved a lot of Jesus healing the masses and feeding thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread). [What about the part where he delivers his followers from the mosquitos?]Two NOBO section hikers, Dave and Dead Phish Head, are staying in the shelter with us tonight and they have a happy yellow lab named Bodhi. He is currently exhausted after a 12-mile up-and-down day and is passed out in the middle of the shelter. So cute!A few day hikers told me that it is supposed to thunderstorm on and off these next few days, so it looks like our sunny streak is over.We have been taking it easy this past week and are planning on keeping a nice light pace until the Whites and then cranking it out once Vermont rolls around.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: Hall Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

In attempts to make it into Andover tomorrow I hiked a 12-mile day to allow enough time in town tomorrow to do everything I need to do (i.e. get food, get more food, and drink plenty of beer).The climbs were definitely steep and the descents treacherous. I was feeling really good all day except that I was sweating profusely, even on the downhill.It is currently pouring outside making it impossible to hear anything inside the shelter because of the tin roof.E.D.: It is horizontal raining into the shelter!Noelle: AVPM was all that got me through the tough climbs today!
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Hall Mountain Lean-to

To: Pine Ellis Lodge in Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0

I rolled out of the shelter this morning and hiked with Dave (the pirate?) and RJ to East B Hill Rd. The chances for a hitch into town looked slim so RJ started walking on the road, hoping he would get cell reception and could call a shuttle. No more than 10-15 minutes and 2 cars later, Pat from New Mexico picked us up in her camper van and took us to town. Thanks Pat, I hope your friends finish their section hike and thanks extra for the Capri Suns you left at the TH.Andover is an adorable little town with not much actually in town but with a very respectable gazebo right in the middle.I was hoping to stay at The Cabin based on Tinkerbell's high recommendation but this spot ended up being more convenient and just a little easier. I will have to stop by on my next trip through.My eyes were a lot bigger than my stomach at lunch today. I ordered a 16" pizza and mozzarella sticks [!!! damn]. While I certainly couldn't eat it all in one sitting I do have a few meals waiting for me in the fridge.It was a really hot day so we all spent a lot of time sitting on the front porch drinking beer, but hey, I'm not complaining! Drifter finally caught up with us again and I got to meet some folks I have been chasing for a while including Spits, Stinky Jesus, and Nectar, another SOBO solo female! Meg from Vashon Island, WA came in too! It was so good to have other ladies around and to be able to talk to someone about the great PNW.I watched my first ever Stanley Cup game tonight, Rick Schwartz you would be so proud of me.I am now starting to fully appreciate the beauty of earplugs. Some people snore so much it is borderline unbearable. Once you snore so loudly that earplugs serve no purpose I just want to banish you from the lean-to/hostel bunk room. There should be separate rooms for snorers and non-snorers. Please and thank you.[End of mail drop 3.]
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Pine Ellis Lodge in Andover, ME

To: Frye Notch Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

After a tasty breakfast at the Red Hen and a slim pickings resupply at the general store I hit the trail heading for the first shelter after East B Rd. Dave, Smitty and I stopped at the waterfall just off the trail. I found a perfect heart rock and took my time at a great swim spot and ate two pieces of left-over pizza! After getting to the shelter we found a whole group of SOBOs there. It's a full shelter and at least 6 more are camping at the site. Spits, Stinky Jesus, Mooselegs, and Nectar are hilarious and we had a great night telling jokes and playing games. I'm starting to get a little sick of waking up to mosquitos buzzing in my ears!
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Frye Notch Lean-to

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

I had a cloudy and foggy day for my trek up and over Baldpate Mountain and Old Speck Mountain. Most of the rocks were wet which led to treacherous climbs and descents, but miraculously, I only fell twice with an uncountable number of slips. The mountains were very mysterious as they appeared and disappeared behind the clouds. I hiked most of the day with Drifter, I'm glad we finally caught up with him.The shelter here is a large 8 person with a caretaker, Dan, who is a super nice person and gave us a burrito the size of a baby and hot sauce for my macaroni and cheese. I didn't really like the Kraft [only kind she would eat as a kid!], so hopefully I can get some Annie's shells with while cheddar.Speck Pond is reputedly the highest pond in Maine. Others say it isn't, but it is definitely a beautiful spot.On to Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow!
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

Mahoosuc Notch was one of the most fun hikes of my life!The lead up to it was wet, slippery, and rocky, but most of the Notch was dry. The guidebook describes it as "the most difficult or fun hike of the AT. Make way through jumbled pit of boulders." It was certainly as described. Climbing, sliding, scooting, and crawling for a mile could have been brutal had it not been for the good company. Snowball fights, Golum jokes and a 2 hour break on a couch-shaped rock in the sun made it a blast. Thanks David.I was planning on doing a 10 mile day, but by the time I got to the first shelter I just lost my motivation to walk any further. So it turned into a 5.1 mile day which ended with me once again beating David at cribbage. This change in plans shouldn't mess up the schedule to Gorham providing we do a 14 miler tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

There isn't too much I love more than taking a slow morning at camp, just rolling around the shelter. This experience is particularly nice when 1)you only have 10 miles to hike that day, and 2) it is rainy and cold outside and your sleeping bag is toasty warm and dry.The short hike today was easy on the body but it seems like no matter how few miles a day I hike my knees are still stiff and sore once I've gotten to camp.There was a section on top of one of the mountains that lasted about 1/2 a mile where the wind was so strong that we were leaning into it to avoid being blown across the slippery rock faces. I've never been so happy to be below treeline again. I hiked in my raincoat all day because of the Seattle-like drizzle that persisted through-out the day. Lunch was cold and wet in the Carlos Col Shelter, but a friendly Drifter made us hot tea!The AMC shelters are such a step up from the regular MATC shelters! They have almost entirely 4 sides, a loft, and a bear box! Living in luxury!I crossed the border of Maine/New Hampshire today! It feels so good to have one entire state and over 280 miles under my belt. On to Gorham tomorrow for some good old American fast food.PS - I ate 3 1/2 dinners tonight and it was absolutely incredible!
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: The Barn Hostel
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: few clouds

I'm cursed by the lazy camp mornings! Knowing there are only 12 miles between myself and town make leaving early in the morning a difficult procedure. Most people in the shelter woke up at 4:30 and were gone by 5:30 or 6. We ended up rolling out of camp at an incredible 9:45. Thinking we had beaten the rain we took our sweet time, still cruising at about 2 mi/hr. We took a considerable lunch break which consisted of everything I had left in my food bag (a pita, 2 jam squares, peanut butter scrapings, hummus and ranch powders, and 1/3 of a block of white cheddar cheese),in addition to a half hour nap on a warm granite rock on top of a mountain. At about 2:30 the thunderheads started rolling in and made us pick up the pace. The monsoon-like rainstorm and simultaneous thunder and lightning also helped speed us along.When we got to The Barn we found Stinky Jesus, Moose Legs, Pink Leprechaun, Nectar, and Brightside, as well as 2 NOBOs already settled in. After a shower and beer we all set off to dinner where I had a tasty BBQ pork sandwich and guacamole topped burger (which I shared with Moose Legs), a Guinness, and Key lime cheesecake for dessert. So good and so full! I'm really excited for a zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: The Barn Hostel

To: The Barn Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

30 days on the trail! I celebrated this momentous day by going to an all you can eat joint for brunch with the gang, and buying 2 guylines for my tent which should make it a little more bomb-proof in rainstorms and prevent some sagging. Doc drove Nectar, Dave, Stinky Jesus, and myself to the Walmart for what turned out to be the best re-supply ever: Dove cookies'n cream chocolates, Annie's Mac&cheese, and a pair of bright orange town shorts were among the highlights. No one picked up up along the way so we walked the 5 miles back to our hostel. It was hot out and walking for that long on concrete in Crocs definitely did a number on my legs.I will call this day a nero (?) rather than a zero day even though the miles walked weren't on the AT. I had a super tasty fresh vegetable sandwich for lunch and once again destroyed Dave in cribbage. We all went out to the Boot Spur for dinner and drinks again. Nectar and I made the great choice to split a cranberry-lime margarita, and boy was it good! There are 2 NOBOs staying at The Barn tonight, Big Brother and Little Brother. They're from Georgia and are the friendliest NOBOs I have met so far. Stay cool, Brothers, and I promise I won't beat you up. I've heard a lot of different things about the Whites and I'm excited to get in there and see them for myself.
Date: 2013-07-05
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut,NH

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 14.0

I woke up this morning truly in the clouds. This Huts' name is very telling and appropriate for its' location. My work for stay was fluffing pillows and straightening blankets - OK with me! I once again stuffed myself full of breakfast and headed out into the clouds. I walked about 1/2 mile in the thick of it with visibility at about 30'. I met a really nice NOBO solo lady hiker named Land Rover who was very encouraging and about 2 miles short of finishing her 8 year section hike. I can't imagine how good it must feel to be at that point, but I'm excited to find out! Just short of Mt. Eisenhower the trail finally dipped below treeline for the first time since halfway up Mt. Madison the day before. It was hot and buggy and there weren't any good views. Give me more views and ridges! I stopped by Mizpah Hut for a snack and to change into shorts: the sun had come out, the skies were blue, and it was warm. I passed about 12 NOBOs today, some nicer than others, and another solo lady thru-hiker named Inchworm who said my trail name should be "Smiles". That was strike 4 for Smiles being my trail name, and was followed by another NOBO who said it was a very fitting name. So it is! Scott Tucker you were absolutely correct in predicting my trail name before I even got on the trail. Everyone I've met has thought it is a good choice, so Smiles it is. I hiked up to the Ethan Pond Campground and ended up tenting instead of staying in the lean-to because the bugs were so bad. I did work for stay there which included picking up trash from the already mostly clean campground. The caretaker there, Kaleb, was really cool and plays a mean banjo tune. Off to another hut tomorrow.
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The first 5 miles of the day to Zealand Hut were as ideal as could be: Completely flat, sandy, dry, with a warm breeze and great valley views. I had lunch at the hut, $2 for a bowl of mushroom barley soup plus all the leftover pancakes and sausage I could eat. Plus, some day hikers gave me half a super tasty sandwich full of fresh veggies and avocado, an apple, and a bag of pepperoni! Needless to say, I was completely stuffed for the climb just after lunch. The walk to Galehead Hut was a pain and I got a little cranky, but the beautiful views the entire way made it all better. Galehead Hut was also in a great location and the crew was really nice. Dave and I got the last 2 work for stay spots but we had to sleep in the tent because there wasn't enough room in the dining room which meant that my tent got covered in slugs, ew! Dinner was a Thanksgiving feast complete with cranberry sauce - yummy!
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Galehead Hut

To: Liberty Springs Campsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Work for stay included the tastiest pumpkin chocolate chip bread ever, and I was a little sad to leave the Galehead group: they were so neat! The hike over Mt. Garfield was steep but well worth it for the views at the top, including Mt. Lafayette looming in the distance. The sun was out and the "possibly severe T-storms, high winds, and hail" system was nowhere in sight, so I made for Lafayette. This mountain should also be renamed the mountain of 10,000 false summits, each one quite steep and straight up rocks. At one point on the ridge line David and I looked down and saw something small and red among the rocks. It ended up being a single sour patch kid which we split in half and ate in no time. I have officially gotten to the level of barbarianism, where eating left-over food off the ground is normal and completely acceptable. Instead of hiking into Lincoln today as planned, I stopped at the Liberty Springs Campsite and met Radar and Chip, 2 other SOBOs. The caretaker there, Cam, had a Gumby costume which was so neat!
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Liberty Springs Campsite

To: Chet's Place, Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up this morning to a wet tent, wet down sleeping bag, and damp clothes and it was still raining outside. The walk to the TH(?) was only about 3 miles but it was slick and downhill the whole way. We got a hitch from a cool guy named Hugh who lived in Portland, OR for a while! He took us into town where we found our way to Chet's Place. Chet opened his home/garage/bunkhouse to hikers in 2007, running off word of mouth only. He's a pretty cool guy with a lot of wisdom and great stories. Every NOBO I passed in the Whites told me to stay at Chets'. He wasn't home when we got there so we headed into town to grab lunch. Along the way a man rolled up by us in his car and asked us if we needed a ride somewhere. We asked him where a good lunch spot was and he told us to hop in and he would take us there. He took us down the street to a pizza and sandwich shop where he bought us lunch and we chatted about the trail. He thru-hiked in '98, and his wife had done it in '89. Duster was his trail name, and he also had a lot of wisdom and some great stories. He dropped us at the out-fitter in town and gave us some good food advice. Thanks for everything, Duster! David got a new tent in town, so now I get my Tarptent palace all to myself again. We went back to Chets', met him, and moved in. The bunkhouse is covered in hikers' signatures, and there is a lot of happiness here, and puppies! We went to the movies, and saw Despicable Me 2, it was so good! I'm planning on going back tomorrow to see Monster's University during my zero day in town.
Date: 2013-07-10
From: Chet's Place, Lincoln, NH

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 3.0

After a nice filling breakfast at Mr W's diner in town and mailing some things home, I packed up and headed out of town. The nice sunny day we had yesterday was history, and it was rainy, foggy, and a little chilly. Luckily, Duster offered to drive us to the trailhead so we didn't have to hitch in the rain. We also got to meet his wife, White Glove, who has also thru-hiked. What a cool couple! We hiked the 3 miles up to Lonesome Lake Hut, the last hut in the Whites, where Liz works! We met her in Carter Notch Hut where she was spending one of her nights off. We walked in and there she was and she even remembered us. She gave us left-over ginger bread and we ate potato dill soup over a good game of scrabble. There were 2 other people stopping by the hut for lunch who had thru-hiked in 2007, Caveman and his wife whose name escapes me at the moment. They had also hiked the PCT and seemed like very accomplished people in their wilderness experiences. Two other hikers gave us a bag of the juciest cherries which were quickly devoured. We went for a foggy walk around Lonesome Lake which completely soaked our clothes, boots and socks. All was remedied when we got back to the hut and Liz handed us the brownie frosting mixing bowl and told us our first work for stay task was to clean this bowl, AKA lick it clean. Yum! We sat on a bench outside until it was time to eat with another hiker, Worn Heel, a NOBO section hiker who I didn't particularly like, and 2 ladies who work for the AMC in Pinkham Notch and dubbed themselves the Valley Girls. Very fun ladies who just finished their first years at Middlebury and Yale. Dinner was absolutely incredible: pulled pork BBQ, cole slaw, green beans, salad, corn bread, and Mac-n-cheese! I will never be able to eat plain mac-n-cheese ever again, it was so good mixed with the BBQ. The crew here is very nice and probably the most easy going and friendly to thru-hikers. We cleaned off some shelves after dinner and hung out until the guests had gone to bed, then fell right to sleep. I was surprisingly exhausted for having hiked such few miles. Up and over Kinsman tomorrow!
Date: 2013-07-11
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Eliza Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 5.0

I woke up this morning to pouring rain outside the hut. Talk about a motivation killer. The hike up and over Kinsman was a river. Streams that are usually just a trickle were full on fords and the bog bridges were 3-4 inches underwater. It was wet and slippery all day. I had my first face-down fall into a giant puddle after catching my toe on a submerged root. Good thing I was already soaked! The caretaker at Kinsman Pond Shelter was really nice and gave me some blueberries. Thanks Doc! By the time I got to Eliza Brook Shelter Dave had already set up his tent in the shelter so we just stayed there. Then the sun came out, bummer.
Date: 2013-07-12
From: Eliza Brook Lean-to

To: Beaver Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

A sunny day at last! I hung out in the shelter this morning with 2 NOBO ladies, Cricket and Pancakes, and their adorable dog Roscoe. I rolled out at about 8:30 and went up and over Mt. Wolf, a nice, easy mountain. The descent into Kinsman Notch was a little brutal but I was well rewarded upon reaching the bottom. A whole case of cold Coca-cola was stashed along the trail and boy did they taste good! I usually try to limit my trail magic plundering to one serving, but there was so much soda that I couldn't help myself and I was craving carbonation. I ran into Dave there and we put back 5 sodas between us and took a nice long lunch in the parking lot. By the time we made for the trail the afternoon clouds had rolled in and my chance of a clear summit of Mt. Moosilauke were shot for that day, so I made for the shelter halfway up the hill. I had been hearing about the ascent of this mountain for about the past 75+ miles, but it turned out to be not so bad. It was pretty much straight up with rebar holds and boards tacked into the bedrock faces to climb up, but it wasn't worse than anything else I've done so far. When I got to the camp the shelter was full of boys from a canoe camp, so I ended up tenting. I ate about 5 pounds worth of food and hit the hay.
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Beaver Brook Lean-to

To: Hikers' Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 8.0

I had a beautiful day for my summit of Mt. Moosilauke, sunny, clear, and great visibility! I was the only one at the top and I got a perfect 360 view all to myself. It was probably the best view yet of the whole trip, and a great way to end my time in the Whites. I was having the best day, feeling super positive, and then I met Beacon, a NOBO, and somehow my day got even better. He radiated this fabulous energy, probably how he got his trail name, and I picked it up! I was feeling so good I even jogged down part of the mountain. I stopped in at the Jeffers Brook Lean-to to use the privy. It's open-air without any screening and with a heart shaped seat cut-out. Needless to say, it was a great poop. I got to the road crossing and walked about 1/2 mile to the Hiker's Welcome Hostel where Legion gave us the run-down and took us into town for a resupply. There are about 12 NOBOs here and I'm not a huge fan of having so many people around. I think I made the right choice in going southbound. For dinner I had 4 hot dogs cooked over the grill while we all watched "Bull Durham". Legion and I had a really good chat about the trail and I feel revitalized and excited for the next 1800 or so miles!