morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-16
From: Madison Hut, NH

To: Mizpah Hut, NH
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

This was a day for spectacular scenery and some very unpleasant behavior from other hikers. One thru-hiker jerk (Steve) left Madison after eating and sleeping; he completely skipped out on the ¢working¢ part of his obligation. At Mizpah, a mother and son duo (DragonBreath) masqueraded as thru-hikers and got themselves work/stay then sat around while the real thru-hikers worked. Not good. Apparently, they had done this at several huts. And then there was a whole platoon of thru-hikers at Lakes of the Clouds Hut, who were so engrossed in their game of Fish, that they couldn¢t even spare a ¢hi¢.The day¢s hike, on the other hand, was wondrous, miles along an open ridge where I could see in every direction. The trail was rocky, but not difficult. (I figure if I can go up the Madison Gulf Trail, I can do anything.) I loved the wind and the starkness of the ridge and the crispness of the air. And I¢m really enjoying the Whites as an athletic accomplishment.As I pulled into Lakes of the Clouds, I met a family who begged me to stay and tell stories. But I needed to push on to Mizpah. So, I left them in the capable hands of Ishmael and headed back out. Soon, the sky was rumbling and threatening. I RAN the last 3 miles down to Mizpah. There was no where to shelter except in the vicinity of the hut. And thankfully I found work. Anton (aka ¢Jew Dog¢, but I refuse to call him by that name) and I spent the evening cleaning every possible dish and pan (we volunteered to do this), so that the Croo wouldn¢t have to wake up to dirty dishes. This gave us a chance, too, to catch up. In return, the Croo invited us to sleep in the library. Nice spot.For the 5 women readers who, I was told, were looking for me as they (and I) hiked the Presidentials, I¢m sorry I missed you. I¢m sure we would have had a great conversation . . .Trail toward MizpahLakes of the Clouds HutMizpah Hut
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Mizpah Hut, NH

To: SOBO to Crawford Notch, NH
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: mist

My goal today was to make it down to the Notch so I could hitch into Conway and pick up my car from the mechanic. Since today is a Friday, I couldn¢t dawdle and pick it up, say, tomorrow.This was not a lot of miles, but it wasn¢t fun, and I¢m very sore. It rained heavily in the night, making the rock slabs very slick, and they aren¢t kidding when they call this part of the trail ¢The Webster Cliffs.¢ One false move, and I¢d have been taking the real shortcut down to Crawford.I must admit, though, I got better at down-climbing the more I did it. I found that I had to ditch my poles because they were making me hunch and throwing me off balance. So, I¢d toss them off the cliffs down the trail a bit, go hand over hand, grabbing whatever I could, and made pretty decent time. I bumped into Owl, whom I very much enjoy, and caught up on the trail news.Once down, I got a hitch all the way to my car, waited around for the mechanics to finish with it (leaving it idle for 6 months has evidently completely destroyed the poor baby, and I¢ll have to get rid of it as soon as I finish the AT), and headed to my folks¢ place in Vermont.Steep trail from Webster CliffsCrawford Notch from Webster Cliffs
Date: 2007-08-18
From: SOBO to Crawford Notch, NH

To: Safety!
Miles today: 0.0

Transcriber comment: I read the following from Uncle Tom's journal on this date in the Whites:. . . "the weather had taken a dramatic turn for the worse up high, with a cold front hitting hard. The Auto Road up to the top of Mt. Washington was closed for 2 days, and a big bicycle race that also was to go up the road was cancelled. The temperature on top was in the 30's, with a steady wind of 65 MPH and gusts up to 94 MPH. These figures are correct."To quote from the High Summits forecast: "This will keep the summits mostly in the fog all day long and after the front passes, enough residual moisture will remain to keep fog well into the night. As temperatures drop below freezing by the end of the day, rime or glaze ice will begin forming in areas in the fog. High winds will accompany the cold air, and wind chills will be quite cool for August. Saturday's wind chills will be 10-25 degrees above 0, Saturday night 0-15 degrees above 0, and Sunday will be 10-25 degrees above 0."Keep all the hikers in your prayers, may they be safe and use good judgement!Rime Ice
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Franconia Notch

To: Lafayette Shoulder
Miles today: 8.3

Today dawned sunny, the perfect time to be hiking over the Franconia and Garfield Ridges. I hustled from my folks¢ house over to Crawford Notch, caught the AMC shuttle back around to Franconia Notch, and set off up the Liberty Spring trail. It was alarmingly easy. I had anticipated that it would be straight up, since the Franconia Ridge towers upwards and is particularly intimidating. But no, I found myself up near Liberty Peak barely having broken a sweat. At the top, I turned northward and headed onto the treeless ridge. Day hikers were coming up from other trails, out of breath, exhausted. That could be me . . . . on another day. I stopped several times to talk to other hikers, people from Boston and Hanover and Canada. But there were no other thru-hikers around. In the process of visiting, I met most of the guests and half the croo who would be at the Greenleaf Hut for the night, and I thought seriously about staying there, but opted to continue. It was a little early in the day. I came off Lafayette with my legs still strong and headed downwards. It was a lot of work. On the saddle to Garfield, I spotted a stealth campsite that is legal and well protected in case of storm and all of a sudden felt VERY tired. It is not yet dark, but I have stopped, set up my tarp, and am almost asleep. It is 6:30 pm.Mt. Liberty (Lincoln in the back) Looking back on Liberty MountainView of Franconia Ridge and Lonesome Lake
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Lafayette Shoulder

To: Zeacliff Mountain, New Hampshire
Miles today: 11.0

I had hoped to get down to Crawford Notch today, but this was a lot of work, up and down, up and down. The ups are easy for me, but the downs are taking an exceptional amount of care. My boots are not right, so my ankles and knees are constantly being twisted. These boots are brand new; the Merrells I got just 153 miles ago are already split at the seams and half worn through the soles. I¢m getting quite irritated with the boot thing, since this all causes sore knees and inordinate delays.Quite the most spectacular corner of this section is a piece of trail that runs close to Mt. Guyot. This reminds me of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. The hump of moorland on the saddle of Mt Guyot is so windswept that the mini trees grow sideways. The view is spectacular: back over to the Franconia and Garfield Ridges and all around in every direction. The light was soft, and the colors muted. You could see for miles and miles. I felt privileged: getting a view from here is a rare event, since fog and weather close in most days.I had to keep going, although I would have loved to stay at the Guyot Campsite. I¢ll have to save that for another day.As dark came on, I was in a desperate search for water. I figured I¢d have to stealth, but without resupplying my water, I would have a difficult night. So, I took several side trips in search of H20, including one to a very mucky pond. No go: I couldn¢t even get to the water. Finally, at dark, I came across a spring right on the trail (and not on the map) and spent half an hour filtering and drinking water. I¢d have to find a camp spot soon.By chance, I spotted a faint trail into the bushes, followed it, and got myself a wonderful, secluded, level, space. Yeah! I got my tarp set up in no time, and it¢s time to go sleep. Oh, you¢re wondering why I¢m not cooking dinner? In the Whites, I didn¢t bring a stove. I am only out for three days at a time and I can get goodies and coffee at the Huts. This has really helped me with weight management. My pack weighs less than 20 pounds, including food, water, and full overnight gear.View from Mt. Guyot View from Zeacliff
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Zeacliff Mountain, New Hampshire

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Sunrise at ZeacliffI guess you¢ve realized by now that I spend a lot of time talking to people on the trail, not just because I get asked a lot of questions, but because I like to find out what other people are about. They have stories too.Two of my favorites were a man and his son from Massachusetts, whom I met at Zealand Falls Hut. We were in there snacking. These were a lovely twosome: so good with each other. A pack had been rented for the son, who was maybe 10, and it didn¢t fit correctly and was hampering their progress. It was the child¢s first backpack trip and his dad was fairly new to it as well.Since I worked at REI and did a lot of pack-fitting (I also trained my colleagues in this art), I suggested the child put on his pack and I would see if I could adjust it. The pack was big, but luckily not too long in the torso (his Dad had done a good job of getting this right). I had them create some ¢hips¢ for the child out of spare socks, so the hip belt would support the load properly, then I had them cinch the pack so that it had less volume and empty the lid to make the pack shorter. Finally, I had them repack it (it was mostly food) so that the weight was above the hips and against the back. The look on the child¢s face when he tried on his ¢new¢ pack made my day. He was completely transformed! I knew they were going to have an even better trip together than they were having already.After that, I cruised down the mountain. The AT here is an old railroad grade: fast and easy.This was my last ridge in the Whites.
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Crawford Notch

To: ZERO day!
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m taking a zero today because I have a job interview tomorrow at Dartmouth. I thought I¢d provide a list, though, of the items in my ¢fast-pack¢, the pack I have been using to hike notch to notch in the Whites. This pack is a mere fraction of the size of the backpacks that most folks who overnight in the huts use.Pack: Osprey Aura 35Contents Inside:Western Mountaineering 10 degree bag in a Sea to Summit compressor bagGolite Lair 1Pacific Outdoor Equipment Thermo Mat Max InsulatedPatagonia Puff VestPatagonia Capilene 3 zip topPatagonia Capilene 2 leggingsMarmot Driclime jacketOR sun hatMountain Hardwear beanieREI glovesGranite Gear Air Space Small w/food and toothpaste and wipes2 liter CamelbakOutside and in pockets: Space blanketChopat knee bracesA pair of old bicycle gloves (for scrambling in the Whites) Sweetwater filter2 headlampsrain pantsMarmot Essence rain anorakThat¢s it!
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Whites

To: Hanover
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I have finished the Whites. In the next few days, I will hike the stretch from Hanover to Kinsman, then I'll do Maine. I'm going to do Vermont last. The weather up here feels like September already, and I want to be sure to make it to Katahdin. I can almost do Vermont on weekends in the winter if I have to. Clarendon GorgeView of Bromley Mountain - thanks 357 Magnum for great photos!
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter, NH
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: few clouds

Since I don¢t have a good boot solution right now, I went up to my folks¢ attic and grabbed a pair that seemed alright. Within 2 miles, I had reminded myself why I put them up there in the first place. They are Vasque Ions and they are USELESS. These are ¢Barbie goes hiking¢ boots: they only look like they might work and don¢t really do anything that you would expect a hiking boot to do.The problem is, those 2 miles were straight up in an area where the trail has seen some fatalities. Although I think the toughness of the trail here is overrated in the AT guides, it still was a haul: steps straight up Moosilauke. I haven¢t been up Moosilauke for about 40 years. Hahaha! It was up there that I first heard about the AT and put the idea in the back of my mind that I could one day hike from Georgia to Maine. As I headed down on the south side, a storm began to brew. My legs were killing me because of my boots; they feel as though they have gone through a laundry wringer.. This made me sloooooooow. And the trail got complicated. All I wanted to do was to get to the road, get a ride back to my car, and deal with my boot problem. Just as the heavens were about to open, aha, a sign for a shelter. Whew. I turned into it. Beautiful shelter. I¢m staying here for the night. Good thing, too. Since I got here there have been two bouts of very severe lightning and thunder RIGHT HERE.Jeffers Brook Shelter
Date: 2007-08-26
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter, NH

To: Glencliff
Miles today: 1.1

This morning my only goal was to get back to my car. I had planned to hike all the way down to Hanover over the next 3 days, but my legs require immediate attention.So, I headed for the Welcome Hikers Hostel. This is almost the only business in Glencliff, a very impoverished community tucked in the mountains. PackRat, the owner, wasn¢t home, but there were plenty of thru-hikers around. One, Bobcat, had a car and said she was headed over to Kinsman Notch if I could wait an hour. I could! That¢s where my car was.In no time, I was back at my car and headed off to find some boots in Lincoln and Littleton.***I have some updates on Paw Paw! The stress fracture in his lower leg fully healed, as expected. He is preparing for next year's thru hike. He is getting together a group of, yes, 80+ year olds, and they are going to hike from the east coast of Florida to the west coast of Florida. PawPaw is in charge. When I last talked to him, he was thrilled because he'd managed to find some cabins for them all to stay in, so they don't have to camp out every night. He's VERY resourceful. He's now 90. I've had so many people come up to me on the trail hoping they'd bump into me. Seems so bizarre!Two miles north of MoosilaukeWelcome Hikers HostelHummingbirds at the Welcome Hikers Hostel
Date: 2007-08-31
From: Gorham

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

This was a day for humiliation, and I¢m not even in Maine yet. I left my car at the trailhead, but I was unable to find the trail! I was running late as it was, since it hade taken 2 12 hours to pack my pack. Some of this was because I am using a very small backpack, but some of it was delaying tactics.I finally found the trail, but I would lose it time and time again as the day wore on, because fog drifted in and I kept getting turned around on the rocky mountain tops, of which there were too, too many today. The trail was muddy and slick. I lost my footing and landed in the mucky mess on my butt several times. But the most humiliating catastrophe was getting my shoelace caught on a protruding root. I went flying.My knees hurt, my ankles are sore and my butt doesn¢t want to sit down unexpectedly again tomorrow. The fun thing about my day? Larry and Brew are here. Plus, Mr. Easy and Not Yet are nearby!Mr. Easy, No problem, and Not Yet at the visitor centerWaterfall Near Gentian Pond
Date: 2007-09-01
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

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

By my reckoning, my legs should have been sore today. They were, a little, when I woke up, so I lingered in bed an extra hour drinking coffee. I¢ve learned that even one extra hour of rest can make a difference. My legs were great all day.The trail was extremely challenging and exhausting, but I enjoyed it. The wind was wild all day, and it feels like fall is in the air. The day started misty and overcast, and at first, hiking was a chore. But when I reached the Goose Eyes in late afternoon, I was cruising. There were ladders to go up and down, crazy rocks to scamper up, roots everywhere. I made it to the shelter at dusk.Tomorrow, I¢m on to the infamous Mahoosuc Notch.Trail to Full GooseView from the Gentian Pond ShelterGentian Pond
Date: 2007-09-02
From: Full Goose Shelter

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

Today was the day for Mahoosuc Notch, reputedly the most difficult mile on the AT. I made 2 rules for myself:1. I would go solo, with no assistance2. I would keep my backpack onThis meant certain compromises. For instance, at one point I lay on my back and squirmed through a hole, under a huge rock, and out the other side, still on my back. That was the only way my pack and I would fit through the allotted space.I finished in 1 hour and 45 minutes. This includes the 10 minutes I spent suspended over a huge hole hanging by one arm from a root. My legs were too short to get across the hole, but I didn¢t find that out until I was hanging in mid-air! It took 10 minutes for me to evaluate the situation and get myself to a more viable position.There was also a dead moose in the Notch, and I was so anxious not to fall onto it that I almost did just that. I did a quick save by grabbing, yes another tree root.Mahoosuc NotchView from Mahoosuc Arm
Date: 2007-09-03
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Frye Notch Lean-To
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Never has 10 miles seemed like such a sweet victory.Ever since the Whites, my legs have felt chronically as though they were in mile 22 of a marathon: they cramp, they hurt, I groan.I dragged myself up from Grafton Notch to Baldpate Lean-To, a mere 7 miles. This is how the conversation went: ¢What kind of a thru-hiker are you? This is way too hard. My body is falling apart. Where is the shelter? My legs don¢t have another minute in them. Where is the shelter? This is ridiculous. I haven¢t even been 10 miles. Where is the shelter?!¢The trees got smaller and smaller. No way they¢d have built a shelter up here. Next thing I knew, I had popped out on a summit. I had evidently passed the shelter. A lovely couple whom I had seen earlier said that I was lucky to have done so . . . and, I was almost at the next shelter! I ¢only¢ had to get to the next peak where there was a sign that read 1.8 miles to shelter. My legs might have had wings, they got moving so fast. I simply ignored my aches and pains and zoomed along.Of all the treats, I am here by myself, and thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet. Woohoo!
Date: 2007-09-08
To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The following is taken from Backyardboogie's journal on this date:"We went into Rangeley to eat at the Red Onion and it was really good. We saw Silver there and she sat with us for awhile. It was getting dark as we travelled back to Stratton. Mary Ann slowed down quickly and there was a big moose walking in the field on the other side of the road. We watched it trot off to the woods. I noticed alot of traffic going slow and realized that they were there to watch for moose on this stretch of highway."The Red Onion
Date: 2007-09-09
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Vermont
Miles today: 0.0

I got two miles from Rangeley yesterday, and my legs wouldn't bend. One knee, especially, is very damaged. Hideous! I believe I'll be able to get back on the trail, but for now, I headed back to my folks so I can rest for a couple of days. A good thing I headed back, too: someone threw a rock through my car window at the trailhead, and if I hadn't shown up a killer rainstorm would have made a big mess. Nothing was stolen.Maine is horribly difficult. Most of the trails were designed for 22 year old men, and those of us with short legs have to use an incredible amount of muscle just to step.Waterfall in Maine, taken by 357 MagnumMoose in Black Brook at South Arm Road (by 357 Magnum)Trail in the Bemis Mtn RangeView from Bemis Range
Date: 2007-06-24
To: Goin on a Day hike
Miles today: 0.0

We are one week from leaving as of today. All of the gear is bought, our food is rationed out and even boxed up to send ahead. In the process of laying all of the gear out on beds and dividing it up for weight distribution.To help break in our boots and our feet, Sister Act, Mommy and The Godfather are goin on a 6 mile day hike today with full packs...Stay tuned
Date: 2007-06-25
To: Still preparing
Miles today: 0.0

Learned a lot yesterday about how our packs are going to feel, how our shoes are going to rub and how our shoulders are going to be sore...I highly recommend taking your gear out on a test run before you actually leave, because we made a lot of changes in our gear yesterday... things like wanting to bring a front pack to store some handy essentials and wearing a wicking material shirt...I also didn't realize how great those trekking poles were going to be! T-6 days until we leave... look out AT!!!
Date: 2007-06-30
To: ummmmmmm... ok here we go!
Miles today: 0.0

Currently changing our voice mails on our cell phones to something ridiculous about walking in the woods for a month or something like that.yes, we're leaving tomorrow morning. bright and early we will be driven to Kent by our parents and left there!! Our packs each weight 29 lbs and feel heavy... i hope emily doesn't throw our food off the cliffs like that guy did in that book "a walk in the woods"...I guess the next journal entry will be in a couple of days or so, so stay tuned.
Date: 2007-07-03
From: Belter's Campsite

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 33.0
Weather: few clouds

Ok, well here is an entry that involves the last three days.Man are we walkin like Saskqatch!! (sp?) Day One:We left Mom and Dad and went into a cow field, everything looked grand! Then into the woods we went and uphill like idiots. I was breathing like I had asthma and Emily promptly got massive blisters on both her heels. Kept going 10 miles that day, we did! Ended up seeing a snake, some chipmunks and woodpeckers. Oh yeah, I fell. Going down some scary rocks in a decline, lost my footing and at the bottom both of our legs were shaking!Stayed the night in Silver Hill Campsite with "Just Me" from Long Island, "Bethel" and some couple with DINALI their husky dog. Oh and some cuuuuutttteee thru-hikers came in late and we made them laugh till around 10PM. GOODNIGHTDay Two:SUCKED! We were sore, we were tired and the landscape was torture. UPS and DOWNS all day through crazy rocks, rivers and mountains. Just Me and us were back and forth on the trail all day. I think he would stop and wait for us to catch up. Quiet man, but a real lover of the woods i guess. Oh yeah, he taught us the "correct" way to hang our food bag at night. I was laughing at Emily so hard while she tried to throw a rock tied to a rope over a 30 ft. branch, i almost peed. Just Me stayed quiet. Spent the night at Belter's Campsite. It was an open pine tree area, little sloped. We fell asleep at 7:30. I was almost crying on the last leg of the trail, it was HARD....Mashed potatoes were blazin tonight.Day Three (now):Woke up 6:12 and had breakfast in the tent. (spoon full of powdered milk in a zip lock back, dried fruit and granola.. shake and voila!)Today was pretty good! We walked along the road all morning through a hydro plant with a huge waterfall. Got some early morning AM beeps from cars. Then climbed the monster Prospect Mountain for 3.5 miles and went plummeting down the steepest terrain ever. Ladders made from trees were hard to maneuver with packs on. Then with the anticipation of a town ahead (we could hear the highway) we scrambled onto rt 44 where George stopped us in his Subaru. Hi George! He told us how to get to the hotel we are at tonight. Its beautiful and the people laughed at us when we Sasquatkched (sp?) our way into the place. HAAAA Had an amazing lunch that tasted so good I thought I was stoned.. haaa, now we are in the library and we will go back to the hotel to clean cuz EMILY smells reeeeeeeeeeallly bad. I'm fresh, like a flower.