morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-09-04
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Today would be a day of emotional and physical highs and lows. There was a nervous tension in the air as hikers considered what to do. The wind chill was 29 degrees, wind speeds of 35 to 50 mph, and visibility of 100 ft. A cold front is moving in with significantly colder temperatures tomorrow. Our group decided we should get up an over Mt Washington (6,288 ft) today. We left the Lake of the Clouds Hut and began our 1.3 mile climb up Mt Washington with great anticipation. About half way up the sky cleared and we had glorious views. The climb seemed to go quickly and before I knew it we had summited. We took turns taking pictures and congratulating each other before we ducked into the visitors center for warm drinks and a snack. We were still on an adrenaline high as we began our descent. The trail was rocky and we moved slowly. We began our climb up Mt Jefferson (5,315 ft) as the dark clouds began to form and eventually a light rain/sleet began to fall. We skirted around Jefferson and reached a gap know as Edmands Col. Our entire hike today was above tree line so there was little shelter from the elements. The wind was so strong it literally blew each of us off the trail at times. Honestly, this is the most scared I've been on the trail since I took a head dive off a a ridge in the Smoky Mountains. Sometimes we had to crouch low and use our hands to fight the wind. Once again, I'm so glad I'm not hiking alone. After we topped the ridge it was still windy but not as bad and we were able to hike standing up. When we reached Madison Hut we were exhausted and they agreed to let us work-for-stay. It's now poring down rain and I am thankful to be here. Other hikers that are here are Whirled Peas, Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Clark Kent, Wonder Woman, Clinker, Dr Who, Sweet Pea, Oakes, and Cat Lady. The crew here could not have been nicer. They made extra food to be sure we had enough to eat. I had the worst muscle cramps I've had since the beginning of the hike. They made up some Gatorade for me and asked if I needed anything else. Cat Lady played her ukulele and sang while Oakes played his mandolin. Cat Lady has a beautiful voice and Oakes is very talented. It was a great way to unwind the day.
Date: 2013-09-05
From: Madison Hut

To: Pinkham Notch campsite
Miles today: 7.8

I must have really been exhausted yesterday because I slept like a baby last night. Although I did have to get up and pee twice after all the Gatorade I drank before bedtime. The crew was up about 5:30 and all the hikers began to stir soon after. The staff wanted Cat Lady to sing and play her ukulele to wake up the guests. The funny thing was that Cat Lady was the last one to wake up so she went from being sound asleep to singing within a few minutes. She was a good sport about it and of course the guests loved it. She was a beautiful voice!After breakfast the Flying J's walked in and were looking pretty rough. They got lost yesterday evening and couldn't find a place to tent. They ended up sleeping on a rock and laid their tent over themselves in the pouring rain and freezing temperatures. Again, the crew were amazing. They wrapped Jamie in a blanket and turned on the stove for her to stand by to warm up. They began filling them with warm fluids and soon the Flying J's were feeling a little better. I'm glad they survived and made it here. Our work was to wipe down all the walls with bleach water to remove the mold, wipe down the tables, and sweep the floor. I can't say that wiping down walls is my favorite thing to do but it was fun working with Sweet Pea, Oaks, Whirled Peas, and Pressure D. It was chilly when we began our ascent of Mt Madison (5,366 ft) but it didn't seem as bad as the forecast of a wind chill of 19 degrees. The sun was out and it became a beautiful day. The climb was hard but it was easy compared to the long rocky climb down. It took us nearly 5 hours to cover the 3 miles. We stood for several minutes and watched a helicopter below us bringing supplies up to the hut we had just left. It's an odd sensation to watch a helicopter below you. We saw very few hikers today. Pressure D and Tough Cookie left earlier and thought we'd catch them but we didn't. Whirled Peas and I talked about everything from politics to religion and it helped take my mind off the difficult terrain. At Pinkham Notch we came out at an AMC center which I didn't notice in the guidebook. The size of it was a little overwhelming. We filled up all of our water bottles and are camping in the woods where we found Pressure D and Tough Cookie. It feels good to be in my tent again. The last time I saw Anita I debated whether or not I should swap to my 15 degree bag. Now I'm really glad that I did!
Date: 2013-09-06
From: Pinkham Notch campsite

To: Mt. Hight campsite
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

As usual, Pressure D and Tough Cookie headed out about and hour before me and Whirled Peas. It was another beautiful but chilly day. We weren't hiking long before Whirled Peas fell and twisted her ankle. She had a good cry while she wrapped it. I wasn't sure how to react so I offered help and sat on a rock near by so I was close enough to help but far enough away that she had some space. Before long she was back to her old self. I'm glad she wasn't seriously hurt. She's one tough gal. I feel like I say this every day, but the climb out of Pinkham Notch was one of the toughest on this entire journey. It was so steep we strapped our poles on our backpacks and climbed hand over foot. The first climb was up Wildcat Mountain peak E (4,065 ft). On top of peak D there is a ski gondola that looked like a spaceship. We caught up with Pressure D and Tough Cookie there and had lunch. Basking in the sun, I drifted off to sleep while Whirled Peas called her mom. I seemed to struggle more than usual today. I'm not sure if its all the climbing or if there's something else going on. The climbs are killing me. Next we climbed Wildcat Mountain peak C (4,374 ft) and then peak A (4,422 ft). After a steep descent we came to a pond and could hear beautiful music wafting across the water. On the other side Sweet Pea and Oaks were sitting on a rock and Oaks was playing the mandolin. It was one of those moments that's hard to capture in words. We hiked a little further and Whirled Peas went for a swim while the rest if us went into Carter Notch Hut. Once again the staff were very friendly and offered us pastries. We wanted to get in some more miles so we didn't stay long. Again, the climb up Carter Dome (4,832 ft) was steep but not as bad as Wildcat. When we reached Mt Hight (4,652 ft) the sun was beginning to set so we decided to set up camp on top of the mountain. This is the first time I've ever camped above tree line. The sunset was beautiful but it quickly turned cold. I'm now laying in my tent with the wind whipping my tent. The stars are amazing . . . it should be a good night for sleeping!
Date: 2013-09-07
From: Mt. Hight campsite

To: White Mountain Hostel, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

I have had almost no phone service so I'm uploading the text without pics. I'll try to go back and upload pics when I have reception. The wind kept my tent flapping all night but I slept surprisingly well. I got up shortly before sunrise, bundled up, and went out to watch the sunrise. I was surprised at the number of lights on the surrounding mountains and how many distant towns I could see. One large section of a mountain would glow red, then disappear, only to glow red again. I studied it for awhile before I realized it was a wind farm and all the wind turbines flashed red at the same time. The sunrise was nothing short of spectacular. I continue to learn new things and today I learned how to take down my tent in high wind situations. I could have easily lost my tent over the side of the mountain had I made a few wrong moves. As it was, my technique was not very graceful but it was successful. After the sunrise the sky became overcast and stayed that way most of the morning. The descent down Mt Hight was incredibly steep and our progress was slow. We went across Zeta Pass and them climbed Middle Carter Mountain (4,610 ft). Again, the descent was very steep. At Zeta Pass we passed Cat Lady's tent and then later in the day she passed us. We found a nice rock overlook for lunch. Sweet Pea and Oaks joined us. Our foursome (Pressure D, Tough Cookie, Whirled Peas, and I) hiked together all day. Our final climb of the day would be Mt Moriah (3,991 ft) followed by 6 miles of downhill. You might think that sounds easier than climbing but the previous steep descents followed by more steep descents and 6 miles of downhill had my muscles screaming for relief. That being said, I felt that my hiking this afternoon was better than yesterday. When we reached Pinkham Notch we walked a short distance up the road to the White Mountain Hostel where Becca met us. The other people here are Open, Flair, Hipsy Gypsy, Oak, Walking Stick, and the four of us. We talked about going out to eat but we were so tired we decided to have pizza delivered. Open and Flair have decided to leave the trail and return next year to finish it. It was good to see them and I look forward to seeing them next year. My very generous sister is taking them to her house tomorrow and they will fly home to Germany from Boston. Since we got in so late we will zero tomorrow to accomplish all our town chores and get our journals caught up.
Date: 2013-09-08
From: White Mountain Hostel, Gorham, NH

To: White Mountain Hostel, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Not a whole lot to say. I used my zero day to resupply, journal, and rest. There is no wifi here and I don't get much cell reception. Becca took a group to the outfitters and I had her drop me off at McDonalds so I could us the wifi to upload my journal. Later one of the people from the hostel made a Walmart (only grocery store in town) run so I again got dropped off at McD's so I could upload photos. Becca headed home with Open and Flair. Once again, her generosity is boundless. This is one of the nicest hostels I've stayed in on this journey. It's clean, friendly, and reasonably priced. With wifi it would be perfect! The hostel is owned by Marni whose son Nimbles is thru hiking this year. Marni is so welcoming and has many of the little things that hikers need like nail clippers. Many hikers zero here for several days and I can see why.
Date: 2013-09-09
From: White Mountain Hostel, Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.7

It has hard to leave the White Mountain Hostel. Marni made us a delicious breakfast and then we waited for a shuttle to the post office. By the time we got back, had our pics taken for the hostel FB page and got on the trail it was 10:30. When we left Hipsy Gypsy, Oak, and Walking Stick were still at the hostel. There was a short road walk out of town. Gorham is at 780 ft and we were facing moderate climbs. Our first climb was Mt Hayes (2,555 ft). The trail was pleasant with fewer rocks and roots than we've been experiencing recently. Whirled Peas sprained her ankle again and took a hard fall. She says she is ok but she didn't hike as fast as she normally does for the rest of the day. The weather was nice and the forrest was intriguing. We saw frequent piles of moose poop and we were more quiet than normal in hopes of seeing a moose. We walked by four ponds today and at each one I stood quietly for awhile but still didn't see a moose. The final climb of the day was Cascade Mountain (2,631 ft) and it was a little more rocky and slippery but still not as bad as the White Mountains. We arrived at the shelter a out 6:45. To save time in the morning I decided to sleep in the shelter. In addition to our foursome, the other people here are Dr Who, Badger, and an Austrian couple I've not met before. I was surprised that Hipsy Gypsy, Oak, and Walking Stick never caught up with us. It was a good day and one of the easiest that we've had in a long time. From what we hear it will get strenuous again tomorrow. If all goes as planned we should be in Maine tomorrow - yeah!!!
Date: 2013-09-10
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

The best way to describe today was intense. It was a day of emotional swings, physical challenges, exhilaration, and exhaustion. It took us 11 hours to go 9.6 miles. Karma described this section the best. She said it was kind of like an amusement park but with more blood. We started out the day with a climb up Mt Success (3,565 ft). Shortly after we left we passed the 1,900 mile mark where we had a brief celebration. A SOBO said before we left New Hampshire it would have another surprise for us. I don't know why people have to say stuff like that. Today I found it irritating - we will do what the trail gives us to do. I can do without the hype. We came to an intense descent so I guess that what he was talking about. It began to rain around noon. Just what we needed to make our hike more challenging . . . wet rocks!When we arrived at the Maine border I was overcome with emotion and began to cry. We stopped for lunch on the Maine side. We caught up with Dr Who right before we got there but he didn't stop for lunch. As we were about to leave Dr Who came back. He had arrived at such a steep descent that he was afraid to do it alone. He waited for us and when we didn't show up he thought maybe he had taken a wrong turn so he hiked back to us. Unfortunately that meant he hiked and extra mile. We all stuck together and did the steep descent. At times we had to hand our packs down to each other because it was so steep and narrow. Dr Who decided to stop at the next campsite and we hiked on.Our next climb was Mt Carlo (3,565 ft) followed by Goose Eye Mountain west peak (3,804 ft), Goose Eye Mountain east peak (3,790 ft), and Goose Eye Mountain north peak (3,686 ft). We encountered numerous steep descents, steep climbs, and bogs with knee deep mud. Some of the descents and ascents were so steep they had rebar installed in the rock to pull yourself up or climb down. It was a rough day on me physically. I almost fell and in my effort to not fall I hyperextended my shoulder. It was worrisome because I didn't feel like I could trust it to bear weight and yet there were times when I had to pull myself up or lower myself down using my arms. Later in the day I did fall and broke my pole in half Now I'm hiking with one pole which really slows me down. I was exhausted when we reached the shelter. The other people here in addition to our foursome are Badger, Chuck Wagon, and the Austrian couple (Butterfly and Good Dog). We know from other hikers tomorrow will even more challenging so we have only planned a 5 mile day.
Date: 2013-09-12
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 6.9

The shelter was so crowded I don't think anyone slept well. I certainly didn't. The trail runner left before day break. Shortly after he left another thunderstorm unleashed a barrage of rain, wind, and lightening. I hope he made it. When most of the shelter was awake Tough Cookie and I sang happy birthday to Whirled Peas. I gave her some dark chocolate cover blueberries and Tough Cookie gave her a dark chocolate Milky Way. Pressure D and Tough Cookie were ready and headed out first. When we caught up with them Tough Cookie was crying. At first we thought she was injured. We were relieved and sad to learn that she had just found out that her sisters dog had to be put down. We were climbing Old Speck Mountain (4,033 ft) and could hear the thunderstorm approaching. The side of Old Speck that we were on was an exposed rock face and small trees. We were quickly engulfed in a torrential downpour and strong winds. The trail had become a waterfall. We crouched in the trees trying to decide if we should go across the summit or not. There was occasional lightening but we realized it would only take one bolt to ruin our day. Finally the rain seemed to let up so we continued our climb. About 100 yards from the summit the storms fury unleashed a second round of intense rain and wind. I began to worry about our decision to continue. I was relieved when we crossed the summit and descended into taller trees. Tough Cookie had enough and called her son's in-laws to pick us up in Grafton Notch. It was a 3.5 mile descent to Grafton Notch (1,495 ft) but the terrain was less steep than it had been in recent days. Nonetheless, my descending muscles were plenty tired when we reached the bottom.During most of the descent the rain had stopped and there was intermittent sunshine. Whirled Peas' husband is leaving Afghanistan tomorrow and is planning to meet us in a few weeks. I'm anxious to be back with Anita so we decided not go with Tough Cookie and Pressure D. It felt a little weird and sad to walk away from them but it is also likely we will see them again. They have been good hiking partners and friends. The forecast is for severe storms tonight so we decided on a modest goal of hiking another 2.3 miles up hill to the next shelter. We arrived about 3:40 and it was tempting to push on but we knew we'd have to cross another two exposed peaks. We decided to play it safe and call it a day. Walking Stick, Hipsy Gypsy, and Oak are here as well so we are together with some of our favorite people. Walking Stick is having a lot of hip pain and I was surprised to learn that he was seriously considering getting off the trail. For now he has decided to hike shorter miles. Our decision was a wise one as it wasn't long before the severe storms hit. The shelter has a metal roof and it rained so hard at times that we couldn't hear each other even though we were hollering. Its not the storms that are most bothersome at this point, it is the lack of communication with the outside world. Especially not being able to talk to Anita.
Date: 2013-09-13
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: The Cabin Hostel, Andover, ME
Miles today: 8.0

It rained hard most of the night. Since there were no snorers in the shelter I slept without earplugs and enjoyed the sound of the rain on the metal roof. A light rain was falling when we left the shelter and it continued to rain almost all day. Immediately after leaving the shelter we began our climb up Baldpate west peak (3,662 ft). Walking Stick hiked all day with us and we were glad to have his company. He is easy to be around and in the rainy conditions it was nice to have a third partner. The climb up Baldpate east peak (3,810 ft) was even more difficult and was on a rock face. Honestly, I will not miss feeling like I'm putting my life on the line. I sometimes wonder what perspective I will have on everyday stressors when I'm done with this journey. Will the difficult challenges I have faced make it easier to deal with non life threatening challenges?On the descent Whirled Peas had 3 hard falls. One was pretty dramatic as she fell and slide down the wet rocks. Fortunately she was not hurt except for bruises and abrasions. Walking Stick also had a hard fall but wasn't injured. The trail was often a river or waterfall and it wasn't pleasant hiking in soaking wet shoes all day. That being said, there is something freeing about just stomping through the water. As it turned out we were destined for wet feet anyhow.The trail crosses a river at the top of a waterfall at Dunn Notch. However, the river was so swollen the stepping stones were underwater. We decided the falls was too steep and the current too swift to safely cross there so we hiked up stream. We forded the river in a place where the water was about mid-calf. Later we would ford another river that was of a similar depth. We are staying at a place called The Cabin and there are 8 of us in a bunk room. It is so nice to finally be dry today. Some of the other people staying here are Walking Stick, Indigo, The Flying J's, Fifteen, Baltimore Jack, and others. Baltimore Jack fixed us a delicious spaghetti dinner. It's nice to eat something warm and non-trail food after a chilly wet day on the trail. Tomorrow Anita will come for a visit and I can't wait!!!
Date: 2013-09-14
From: The Cabin Hostel, Andover, ME

To: Boardwalk B&B, Rumford, ME
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

I didn't sleep well because the guy in the bunk beside me snored so loud. I had my ear plugs in and the pillow over my head and I still couldn't sleep. Walking Stick hollered at him in the middle of the night which temporarily stopped the chainsaw noise. When it resumed later I reached over and shook his bed. Again, he stopped for awhile. I was one of the first ones up since I couldn't sleep. I went upstairs and breakfast was ready. It was a scrumptious breakfast consisting of blueberry pancakes, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, bacon, and fresh fruit. Whirled Peas, Walking Stick, Indigo, and I are slack packing. It was a much easier day than we have been doing recently. Our climbs were Wyman Mountain (2,920 ft), followed by a descent into Sawyer Notch and then a steep climb up Moody Mountain (2,440 ft). There has been a lot of rain recently so the trail is very muddy. Most other states have bridges across streams, but in Maine there are many streams that you have to ford. The first stream we forded today was about mid-calf deep and the second one was just above my knees. The good news is that both of them came near the end of the hike. The bad news is you still have to hike in wet shoes. All day long we saw signs of moose - droppings and foot prints but we didn't see an actual moose. Don, from The Cabin, had perfect timing and pulled up just as we got off the trail. We hadn't gone far when we saw our first moose of the day, a bull moose in the middle of the road. He continued to run down the road in front of the van giving us a good look at him. When we arrived back at The Cabin Hipsy Gypsy and Oak were there. Best of all Anita arrived just before us! It's so good to see her. Honey, a very sweet co-owner of The Cabin, gave Anita a tour of The Cabin and one of the camper trailers we could stay in. Anita had made reservations at a nice B&B so we politely declined. Whirled Peas and Walking Stick are are going to stay at the B&B with us so Anita can slack pack us tomorrow. Before we headed to the B&B we went by an all-you-can eat pizza restaurant where everyone from The Cabin were eating. One of the Flying J's left her sleeping bag at The Cabin so we drove up to the trailhead in the dark. We knew they were camped near by but we didn't know where so we started hollering their name. After a few shouts we heard them answer and Joseph came stumbling down the trail. They were surprised and happy to have both sleeping bags. The B&B was just great! It was clean and was really comfortable. It's so good to be with Anita!!!
Date: 2013-09-15
From: Boardwalk B&B, Rumford, ME

To: Oquossoc, ME
Miles today: 13.2

Anita slack packed us today and we were both excited because where she will pick us up is the exact spot where we picked up some thru hikers last summer. The trail continues to be muddy and it was more difficult than yesterday. Once again, we saw plenty of evidence of moose but we didn't see one. Our first climb of the day was Old Blue Mountain (3,600 ft). Later in the day from Beamis Mountain (3,554 ft) we had great views of the surrounding Maine mountains and ponds. Even though it was more difficult, it was a pretty hike. About half way through the hike Walking Stick had a major blowout on his right shoe. The sole almost completely separated from the upper portion. I honestly don't know how he continued to hike in them. The hike took longer than we anticipated and it was almost completely dark by the time we arrived at the rendezvous spot. Thankfully Anita was there. As we were driving down the road Walking Stick suddenly shouts "moose!" from the back seat. Standing in the road was a cow moose. It's funny how we spend all day in the woods but for two days in a row we seen them on the road. Anita found a GREAT cabin for us to stay in on Rangley Lake. It had a wood burning stove, was very cozy, and we each had our own room. THANK YOU Anita!!!!!