morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-05
From: Garfield Ridge campsite 

To: Ethan Pond 
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: mist

Date: 9/5/04 Day 8 Start: Garfield Ridge @ 8:00. Stop: Ethan Pond @ 5:15Mileage on trail: 14.5; cum. 94.5. Off trail: 0.2; Cum.: 4.9Weather: Cool, cloudyMajor Landmarks: South Twin Mountain   Sleeping on a tent platform in the middle of 3 platforms and between 2 other tents isn¢t my idea of the ideal campsite, but at least now I¢ve experienced it. Tent walls keep no secrets. One couple next to me played 20 questions until about 10:00; the three French Canadian guys returned to their tents on the next platform singing and talking and continued singing for some time. They finally went to sleep so I was able to also.        In the morning I headed down off Garfield ridge and, after numerous ups and downs, began the climb up to Galehead Hut. This was the first hut I stopped to visit and it was pretty plush with a large dining area, several bunkrooms with 3-tier bunks and his/her bathrooms. I filled up with water and was soon on my way up South Turn Mt. This was a pretty good climb and when I got to the top, there was nothing to see as it was all socked in. Once down off South Twin, there was some easy walking and then the climb up Guyet Mt. When I saw the top of this mountain, it reminded me of some of the southern balds, all covered with grass except for the trail.        Once down off Guyet, it was back up to Zealand Ridge, with one nice viewpoint at Zeacliffs. Then the steep down to Zealand Falls Hut. This place was awash with people, some hanging out at the hut, others by the water, and others inside. There were tons of kids, some whining for candy and others running around. I got a bottomless bowl of soup, cream of mushroom, and refilled it twice. It sure tasted good and kept me going the rest of the day.        From Zealand it was an easy flat walk for several miles. I had intended to find a campsite around Thoreau Falls, but couldn¢t find anything suitable on the AT so I kept walking and kept looking, eventually reaching Ethan Pond where I decided to stop for the night. So I¢m in the shelter with one other hiker and there are a few other people on tent platforms, but nothing like last night.        I met one guy on the trail today who is my age and was interested in hiking the AT in a few years. We chatted for some time about the experience and he seemed very keen on doing it.        I¢m tire tonight after a big day. Tomorrow it¢s 3 miles to Crawford Notch, then the big ascent up to Mount Washington begins. It would be another 11 miles to Lake of the Clouds Hut, all up hill. We¢ll have to see how far I can go, because there is no camping above tree line.
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Ethan Pond 

To: Lakes of the Clouds 
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: broken clouds

9/6/04 Day 9 Labor DayStart: Ethan Pond @ 7:15. Stop: Lakes of the Clouds @ 5:15Mileage on trail: 14.1; cum. 108.6. Off trail: 0.1; cum. 5.0Weather: cool, cloudy, becoming clearMajor Landmarks: Mountains Webster, Jackson, Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin, Lakes of the CloudsMajor Milestones: Completed 1st 100 miles of section hike        I made it to Lakes of the Clouds! It was a tough day, but I¢m glad I¢m here.        I got an early start and made the easy hike from Ethan Pond to Rte 302 in a little over an hour. From there it was tough work up to Mt. Webster. After stopping for water, I trudged slowly ever upward to what I thought was the top on several occasions. After many knobs and false summits, I reached the top of Webster. From there the hike to Mt. Jackson was relatively easy. I laid down for a short nap until a couple came along and began talking. From there I could see Mizpah Springs Hut, so I set off to get there for another bottomless bowl of soup. Another relatively easy hike, and I took a nice long break there, downing three bowls of corn chowder with beans. It was now decision time. Do I go or do I stay? My left quad was hurting and it would be nice to rest up for tomorrow¢s hike. On the other hand, if I didn¢t make it to Lakes, it would be tough to get through the above tree line Presidentials, so I¢d probably have to stop on Lakes tomorrow, a short 5-mile day. Then Blue came in, an energetic young woman from NYC who is thru-hiking. She was getting ready to leave about the same time I was, so I decided to go. She set a good pace and with some good conversation, she helped pull me up Mt. Pierce: it was an enjoyable above tree line hike up to Lakes. At one point, we stopped for a break and remarked about the calm, warm conditions standing in tee shirts at 5,000¢! Soon the clouds began moving up the side of the mountain, but then would recede again. But, it stayed clear all the way to Lakes.        We met Jack along the way. I had met him and his wife on Smarts Mtn. Where we celebrated her birthday with a chocolate cake Jack baked. Jack had traded in his wife for his friend Stephen from Grad school who will hike with him toGorham. Then Jack goes on to Katahdin alone.        There was still room in the dungeon, so down I went. It was a little 10 x 10 room with 6 bunks and a dank smell like a dungeon. The bunks look like something less than 6¢ and there are four of us in there tonight, so it will be interesting. Hopefully I¢ll be able to get a good rest for tomorrow¢s hike over Washington and Madison.
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Lakes of the Clouds 

To: Osgood Tentsite 
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

9/7/04 Day 10Start: Lakes of the Clouds @ 7:15. Stop: Osgood Tentsite @ 3:30Mileage on trail: 10.0; cum 118.6. Off trail: 0.1; cum. 5.1Weather: Clear, warm, breezy, perfect!Major Landmarks: Mt. Washington, Mt. Clay, Jeffeson, Adams, Quincy, Adams, Sam Adams, MadisonMajor Milestones: Over 14 of this section is done, including the Presidential Range.        Last night we watched an incredible sunset from Lakes of the Clouds and this morning we awoke to another beautiful day. When I got up and saw that the summit of Mt. Washington was clear, I wanted to get up there right away. So, I said goodbye to Blue, Jack and Stephen and headed up the trail. It was a tough climb and it got windier as I approached the summit, so I had to take off my hat so I wouldn¢t lose it.        Once on top, I went into the visitor¢s center and was the only one there¢one advantage of an early start. I had a cold Coke from the vending machine and tried to call home but only got the answering machine. So after about a 30 minute break, I decided to move on. The trail crossed over the Cog Railway rails and headed to Mt. Clay. The main means of navigation through this section is the cairns and signs of trail intersections. White blazes are virtually absent, but there are occasional yellow blobs. Also, there are different trail names. Most of the day I was on the Gulfside Trail with no mention of the AT. So it was important to pay attention. Many thru-hikers have taken wrong turns through here.        The trail also bypasses most of the summits of these peaks, although there are side trails or loops to the summits. It was really nice hiking, but I know why New Hampshire is called the granite state. I was walking on granite all day, large rocks to small. By the end of the day, I was actually glad to get back in the woods to some soft ground.        After hiking past Mt. Clay, Jefferson and the Adams, the trail descended to Madison Spring Hut. I stopped for a nice long break. Their soup wasn¢t ready, but a nice young couple I had met several times along way bought me a cinnamon bun. Did that ever taste good. They certainly do prepare good food at the huts.        After the break, it was straight up to the summit of Mt. Madison, then a long and often steep downhill along the ridge to the tent site. By the time I got there, my legs and knees were spent and it was time to call it a day. So, I¢m back on a tent platform only so far I¢m the only one. Blue, Jack and Stephen all said they were headed here tonight, so we¢ll see who shows.        Today¢s hike was only 10 miles, but a tough ten. The trail did a big arc along the ridge-line surrounding the Great Gulf Wilderness. Tomorrow we complete that arc to Pinkham Notch. There is a bad weather route from Lakes down through Tuckerman¢s Ravine to Pinkham Notch which is probably about 1/3 the distance, but certainly no where near as beautiful as today¢s hike was.
Date: 2004-09-08
From: Osgood Tentsite 

To: Carter Notch Hut 
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: fog

9/8/04   Day 11Start: Osgood Tent site @ 7:30. Stop: Carter Notch Hut @ 4:15Mileage on trail: 10.7; cum. 129.3. Off trail: 0.2; cum. 5.3Weather: cool, cloudy, misty, showersMajor Landmarks: Pinkham Notch, the Wildcats, Peaks E-A        I had a good night¢s sleep last night, which helped prepare me for another tough day. There was no rain during the night, just a few occasional drops, so thankfully I didn¢t have to pack up a wet tent.I left the campsite hoping to make it to Pinkham Notch, 5 miles away, for their AYCE breakfast. But it wasn¢t a completely downhill walk, In fact, the first 3 miles were mostly uphill. I just love it when they bring you way down the mountain, just so you can go back up. Anyway, when I got to Pinkham Notch, it was too late for the breakfast and too early for the lunch. So I had a big sub with everything and a cold Coke. I stopped a the little sport shop and asked for Skip. Rob, the manager at Smuggs Sport Shop where I work, had asked me to say ¢hi¢ to him, but he was at another store. I left a message for him, so hope it gets through.I also met Slimer and Stitches. Slimer is Gather¢s brother, whom I first met at Smarts Mountain and last saw in Glencliff. Slimer had left a message for him at one of the trailheads to pickup the pace. Stitches is from Boston and thru-hiked a few years ago. She is up here hiking and helping hikers. She gave me a bag of M&M¢s someone had left with her and offered to give me a ride into town if I needed. She was also handing out pieces of Cadbury chocolate to everyone. Blue arrived, and later Pepi and Stephen. Pepi got another big food drop, after getting on in North Woodstock and expecting another in Gorham. They should eat well.After an hour, I decided to leave rather than get sucked into a longer stay here. So it was off to tackle the Wildcats. Several friends had told me how tough they were, and they lived up to their reputation. There are five peaks, E-A, heading North. Getting up to E was the hard part, another trail straight up the mountain, much of it hand over hand. There was little certainty when you reached a summit as there would be a dip and another climb. I knew I was on D when I saw the gondola for Wildcat Mt. Ski area. Then it was up and down until I reached A and began the dreaded downhill into Carter Notch. I was expecting the down to be like the up, but thankfully it was much easier, and I got to Carter Notch Hut very quickly.This hut is self-service, thus much cheaper than the others. It has separate bunk houses and bath rooms, with a community area in the main hut. It¢s in a beautiful spot between two ponds with views of Carter¢s Dome tomorrow¢s first climb. Hopefully, tomorrow night I¢ll be in Gorham.
Date: 2004-09-09
From: Carter Notch Hut 

To: Gorham, NH 
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: fog

9/9/-4   Day 12Start: Carter Notch Hut @ 7:45. Stop: Gorham, NH @ 5:00Mileage on trail: 15.2; cum. 144.5. Off trail: 1.0; cum. 6.3Weather: cool, rainy, windyMajor Landmarks: Carter Dome        The weather report at the hut this morning at 7:00 a.m. said, ¢Rain, heavy at times, winds gusting to 50 mph, wind chill on summits 34 degrees¢. It was all of that and more.        I had a good night¢s sleep and got up about 6:45, went to the hut and had breakfast and then packed up to leave. For some reason, I decided to put on my last pair of dry socks, not that it did any good. It had rained all night and it was raining as I left, so within the first 12 mile I was wet from head to toe. Having spent the night in a notch, the first order of business was to climb out, in this case 1.2 miles up Carter¢s Dome. From the top there was a fairly easy downhill until the trail took a right and climbed steeply up Mt. Hight. When I finally got to the top, I found myself in the middle of a like, the wind whipping, the rain stinging into my face, my glasses now useless. And I couldn¢t find the trail down. After several attempts, I finally found the trail and immediately met Slimer hiking up. As it turned out, I had missed a turn on the AT and hiked up the steep way southbound. So, turn around and back down the steep trail.        For the rest of the day, it was slogging along the Appalachian River. There was no way to try and keep your feet dry as the trail was either a deep pond, a running river, or on the steeper sections, a waterfall.        After the last climb up Mt. Moraiah, it was pretty much downhill to Rt. 2, but an interesting downhill. Many of the bog logs were under water, some more than a foot. There were 4 stream crossings which were basically wading through swift currents that ranged from calf high to thigh high. Fortunately, I made it across each one without getting dunked.        I leapfrogged with Bramble and A2 most of the afternoon. They would often wait for me at the stream crossings to be sure I got across, then speed on ahead. I fought with one of my poles all day. The end piece would pull out whenever I got stuck in some mud or root, so I¢d have to go back and retrieve it. I tried using some duct tape, but it was too old and I tried some first aid wrap, but that didn¢t work either. Will have to deal with it in Gorham.        When I finally reached the road, I started hitching. After about a mile, a car stopped with an ATC sticker on the back. The driver is following his wife¢s hike to Danby, VT. I had met her heading south several days ago.
Date: 2004-09-10
From: Gorham, NH 

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

9/10/04 Day 13Miles on trail: 0.0. Off trail: 1.2; cum. 7.5?Major Landmarks: Gorham, NHMajor Milestones: less than 300 miles to Katahdin        This was an unplanned zero day in Gorham to dry out, rest up, and do town chores. When I got here last night, I found Doc Nasty, whom I¢d last seen in Glencliff when he left to hike Moosilauke at 4:00 in the afternoon. He also spent a night sleeping out on Mt. Lafayette. Slimer also got in ahead of me and Carp was here. Carp is an Aussie who travels about 4 months a year and works the rest of the time to finance his travels. He¢s been to 73 countries so far.        After a hardy breakfast, I walked to the P.O. to get my mail drop and went to Rite Aide to get a phone card (I apparently left mine at Pinkham Notch when I called home) and some duct tape to fix my pole.        Later I ¢bought¢ a bike from Bruno, the owner of Hikers Paradise, and pedaled down to the library to check my e-mail. Got several e-mails from Hammock Hanger that she had finished her quest and planned to summit Katahdin again on the 10th or 11th. Great going. Patches also sent me a note that he had flattened the Whites for me on his earlier hike. That really helped. And I got a nice guest entry from Slimer and Gauther¢s dad saying they had mentioned me. What great people hikers are!        This afternoon it was laundry, rest and organizing my food. Blue got in about 2:00. She had decided to stay at Imp Shelter last night rather than continue to fight the rain and water. Apparently the trail wasn¢t as bad today as yesterday.        Back out after breakfast tomorrow. Forecast is for sunny skies, then partly cloudy but cooler. Good hiking weather.
Date: 2004-09-11
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Campsite 
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

9/11/04 Day 14Start: Gorham @ 9:45. Stop: Gentian Pond Campsite @ 5:15Mileage on trail: 11.8; cum. 156.3. Off trail: 0.2; cum. 7.7Weather: sunny, warmMajor landmarks: Mt. Hayes, Cascade Mt., Page, Moss and Gentian PondsMajor milestones: two week on trail; over 150 miles        I was up at 6:30 and in the dining room by 7:00 for breakfast. Most of the hiker meals include all the pancakes you can eat, but I can never eat more than the huge plateful they serve you, and I have to eat that, otherwise they¢ll charge you an extra 50 cents. After breakfast, we waited for the shuttle which they said would leave once things calmed down in the dining room. This was Saturday morning, so the shuttle didn¢t leave until 9:30. Slimer got tired of waiting and decided to hitch.        While I was eating breakfast, I saw Beppe walk by, so I ran out to chat with him. Stephen had gotten off in Gorham as planned and Beppe (Swedish for hat) was heading up the Mahoosuc Trail which intersects the AT on top of Hayes Mt. I also had a nice chat with Frank form Winnipeg while we waited. He and his wife were hiking from Rangely to Kingman Notch where he would finish his AT hike, but she had to leave and go home. At 71, the trail was getting too tough for her.        We finally left in the shuttle for the trail---Frank, Doc Narly, Blue and me. We said goodbye to Frank as he headed south; Blue and I headed up the road as Doc stopped for a cigarette.        It was a great day to hike¢warm and sunny. On top of Hayes Mt. We had a nice view back to Mt. Washington and the Presidentials. The same was true from Cascade Mt. We also passed 3 beautiful ponds before finally reaching Gentian Pond Campsite, our destination for the day. It was only 12 miles, but there was a fair amount of ups and downs, so I was ready to stop.        We are now officially through the White Mountains and into the Mahoosucs, and tomorrow we leave New Hampshire and enter the 14th and final state, Maine. A SoBo who came into the campsite at dinner said we would love Maine, that the trail was great and that it became much more difficult as soon as he entered New Hampshire. We¢ll see.
Date: 2004-09-12
From: Gentian Pond Campsite 

To: Full Goose Campsite 
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

9/12/04   Day 15Start: Gentian Pond Campsite @ 7:45. Stop: Full Goose Campsite @ 4:00Mileage on trail: 9.6; cum: 165.9. Off trail: 0.0; cum: 7.7Weather: sunny, warm breezyMajor Landmarks¢ Mt. Success, Mt. Carlo, Goose Eye Mt.Major Milestones: Entered Maine, state #14        We made it to Maine! We crossed the line into the last state on the AT before noon and paused at the sign, ¢Welcome to Maine, the way life should be¢. And it did feel like Maine, with a lot of bog logs, spruce forests and some steep ups and downs.        Blue and I left together and immediately began the climb up Mt. Success. There are many plateaus on the path to Success, and today was no exception. The mountain seemed to go on and on, but we finally made it to the top and took a well-deserved break. Popup soon arrived and we leapfrogged with him most of the day.        After some steep ups and downs, we came to the state line and we all stopped for pictures. Then came the climb up Mt. Carlo, then down deep again so we could climb up Goose Eye Mt., first the west peak, then the east peak and finally the north peak. It was a tough 9.6 miles with many very steep ups and downs, several necessitating ladders and many resulting in scrapes and bruises. We also had a taste of what tomorrow holds with some scrambles over large boulders. We finally caught up with One Things and K-Bear who had left ahead of us, as we were climbing up Goose Eye. They are tenting again on the platform next to us. We were all glad when we suddenly came upon the shelter after a long day.        Time to rest some weary muscles in preparation for the infamous Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow.
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Full Goose Campsite 

To: 1.5 mi. S. Grafton Notch 
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

9/13/04   Day 16Start: Full Goose Campsite @ 7:30. Stop: 1.5 mi. S. Grafton Notch @ 4:00Mileage on trail: 8.6; cum: 174.5. Off trail: 0; cum. 7l7Weather: sunny, cool, windyMajor Landmarks: Fulling Mill Mt., Mahoosuc Notch, Mahoosuc Arm, Old Speck Mt.Major Milestones: completed over 1,900 miles of the Appalachian Trail        Today was the day many of us have been waiting for¢the hike through Mahoosuc Notch. This is billed as the hardest mile on the AT and you are advised to allow about 3 hours to do it, but some have taken up to 5 hours. We made it in 1 hour 50 minutes.        But before the Mahoosuc Notch was a beautiful sunrise and after breakfast, the climb up Fulling Mill Mt. That climb got us all warmed up for the Notch.        There were 7 of us going through together¢Blue, Regular Brian, Popup, Boat, K-Bear, One Thing, and me. I wouldn¢t say it was the most difficult mile, but it was a challenge, scrambling over boulders, having to take off your pack to squeeze through a hole and trying to avoid the inevitable fall. At one tight squeeze, we formed a pack chain and passed all the packs through before everyone went through. In the end, we all stopped for a break and shared our battle scars.        After that, the real work began, the climb up Mahoosuc Arm. This is supposedly one of the steepest long climbs of the Trail and it was hard scampering up over steep rock ledges for 1 12 miles. Then it was down to Speck Pond Campsite, a mere 5 miles from our start, but already 1:30. One Thing and K-Bear stayed there as they had to go into Bethel tomorrow to pick up a tent. The rest of us pushed on, up over Old Speck Mt. Climbing up a steep rock face again, now there was a very strong wind to contend with, but we made it over and started down to Grafton Notch. By the time we got to the Eyebrow Trail, Blue and I were beat so we found a campsite by a brook and pitched camp for the night. Another rather short mileage day, but very exhausting.        At least my boots are finally starting to dry out after 4 days, and the pole I fixed with duct tape is still working fine. Just have to give the body a rest before another day.        Last night at the shelter, I was looking at a guidebook that is matched to the Maine map series. For Map 7, the one we are on now, there is a total elevation gain of 18,800 feet, and we¢re not even half through it yet. The next map goes down to 14,000 feet, then 11,000 feet, then 7,000 feet and on down, so eventually it will get easier. The total elevation gain in Maine, however, is 58,000 feet headed north. That¢s two climbs up Mt. Everest.