morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-08
From: Etna-Hanover Center Road, NH

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 10.8

Day 118-July 8, Etna-Hanover Center Road to Trapper John Shelter, 10.8 miles. It was very hard to leave Crossroad Farm this morning, but we did, after a full breakfast that fueled us up the first mountain. Tim drove us back to the trail which included another short tour of the area-such a pretty part of Vermont. We climbed to the South Peak of Moose Mountain where we met up with some other hikers. There were our friends Survivor Man and Twizzler and two new guys, Bob and Figgy. The view was a bit hazy on top so after a quick snack we continued on. We lunched on top of the North Peak with some section hikers. After lunch the trail descended to a pond formed by a beaver dam. The trail was on planks which were partially submerged. Just before we got to the dam we met a man with an ATC hat who was surveying the trail and the dam because he was bringing a youth trail crew in to upgrade the planking. These youth trail crews provide wonderful opportunities for the kids and certainly we appreciate their work. Our steepest and longest climb of the day was to Holt Ledges, 1000 feet in 2 miles. It was hard work and we sweated gallons getting up that mountain. Our reward was a beautiful view. The photo to the left was taken there by Gary, one of the leaders of the Boy Scout Troop that is out here for a 50 mile hike. Tonight's shelter is a shelter maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club and is named after the M*A*S*H character, Trapper John who supposedly was a Dartmouth grad. We are here with Bob, Survivor Man and Chef, a thru-hiker we met for the first time today. Others may show up later. Once again we want to say a big "Thank you" to Tim and Janet. Your hospitality was awesome and we hope our paths cross again. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-10
From: NH-25A

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day 120-July 10, Mile 1776.8 (NH-25A) to Jeffers Brook Shelter, 10.7 miles. Last night was a busy night on the trail next to our tent site. Around 9:30 PM the troop of Boy Scouts we've seen for the last 2 days came past, wet and tired. And then around midnight a group of locals came by making quite a racket! Jim heard more of the conversations from these two groups than I did because I had my earplugs in. We didn't have far to go today so we didn't hurry out of camp but the sunshine encouraged us to keep moving. Our 2 climbs today were to the top of Ore Hill and Mt. Mist. The most memorable thing about these climbs and descents was the mud! We've seen more mud here in NH than we did in Vermont which has the muddy reputation. It was just before noon when we reached NH 25 we decided to walk the four-tenths of a mile to the Hiker's Welcome Hostel in Glencliff. We didn't plan to stay the night in the hostel but hoped to be able to charge our phones and get a cold drink to go with our peanut butter sandwiches. We were successful with both those hopes and enjoyed the company of Legend, the man who owns the hostel and the hikers who were passing through or staying for the night. It looked like a very nice place that was well-run. We moved on though, hiking just under a mile to this shelter. Shortly after leaving the hostel we came to Jeffers Brook which required a ford to get across. Jim changed into his Crocs for the crossing but I decided my boots were soaked and muddy anyway so I waded across in them. They got a bit cleaner! This same brook passes near this shelter so we enjoyed soaking our feet and washing off the mud and sweat for our stinky bodies! Tomorrow we have our first big climb in the Whites, Mt. Moosilauke. Lots of people plan to spend the night before this climb either at this shelter or the hostel so that the next day can be dedicated to making the climb. Of course there were 3 young guys at this shelter when we arrived at 2 PM who were finishing up lunch and heading out to make the climb this afternoon! Today we passed the mark where we have less than 400 miles to go! All is well.
Date: 2014-07-11
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: North Woodstock
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

Day 121-July 11,Jeffers Brook Shelter to Mile 1795.9 (N. Woodstock, NH), 8.4 miles. Today our goal was to climb up and down Mt. Moosilauke, the first challenge in the Whites. I have been very apprehensive about these mountains and more specifically the descent from Mt. Moosilauke. The climb up was steep but I was able to maintain a slow but steady pace. There was almost no mud on the trail up which was a very pleasant surprise and the rocky parts were dry, making for more secure footing. We arrived on the summit after 2 hours and 20 minutes of hiking and were thrilled with the 360 degree view, especially since it was a beautiful sunny morning. We had the top to ourselves for about 10 minutes and then others started arriving. Some of our thru-hiker friends had stayed at the hostel last night and took advantage of an opportunity to slack pack this mountain southbound. It was fun for us to see them as they were going the other direction. After 40 minutes on top we started the descent. Partway down we came to a sign suggesting that if it was wet or icy an alternate route should be considered-we charged on. For a good chunk of the descent the trail was along side a tumbling waterfall. As I worked my way down rocky steps and slopes I tried to remember to pause and enjoy the waterfall. It was spectacular! Again I went slow (slower) and steady and then we were down to the flats and heard the sounds of the road. So I know that the Whites will be some of the most difficult hiking on the AT, but I now have some confidence to face the challenges. Not knowing how long this mountain would take to cover, we planned this to be a short day. I stuck out my thumb when we got to NH 112 and after a half hour a guy who originally drove past us, turned around (while pulling a trailer behind his pick-up truck!) and came back to give us a ride! We are now comfortable in a local motel. North Woodstock is a quaint little town. We walked around a bit and had dinner at the Woodstock Inn Brewery. After dinner we walked to the local park where earlier in the day we heard lots of sounds of kids having fun in the river. We discovered lots of huge granite slabs in the middle of the river forming a natural slip and slide. Kids with inner tubes floated through natural rock slides and small rapids and were having a marvelous time! What a great community resource!The forecast is good for tomorrow but then rain moves in for parts of the next 5 days. We have made some reservations at two of the famous huts that dot the White Mountains. These huts provide a bunk for sleeping and dinner and breakfast. These huts have a long history in the Whites and we are happy that we could get short-notice reservations. Tomorrow we have 16 miles with lots of ups and downs but no big mountains like Mt. Moosilauke. We will hitch another ride back to this motel after we complete those miles. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-13
From: Franconia Notch

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 123-July 13, Franconia Notch (1812.2) to Galehead Hut, 13 miles.Today is our 4 month Trail Anniversary! Time flies when you're having fun! We both slept very well last night after our long day yesterday. The alarm went off at 5 AM and we packed up and got breakfast sandwiches and yogurt from the convenience store and were out hitching a ride before 6. We were concerned about getting a ride because it was so early on a Sunday morning but a guy drove by us and then came back to get us! So we had our first ride in a Mini-Cooper with a guy who was a proud Greek and had very little use for speed limits! We were hiking by 6:15 and had 13 miles to the Galehead Hut. Right from the start we were climbing up to the Franconia Ridge. We then did some ridge walking until we made the final climb to Little Haystack Mountain and the Mt. ? The skies today were mostly cloudy but when we were on the summits the wind was whipping the clouds through the gaps and views would blow open and close up again. It was all very dramatic! We met some SOBO's early in the day and it is fun to chat with them. The trail took us up and down all day with a climb to Mt. Garfield and then a final climb to this hut. With all the climbing there were descents and that is my least favorite part of hiking. I was glad to notice that my knees were no worse after yesterday, but they were screaming by the time we did our last descent today. One of the more memorable descents was coming down off of Mt. Garfield. The trail went right down a waterfall that was clogged with huge, sharp-edged boulders. Tears filled my eyes when I saw that the trail went straight down for awhile over wet rocks. Jim led the way and we got safely down. I sat down on some of the boulders so my legs could stretch and reach the next boulder. Today I also used a technique where I grabbed onto a tree on the edge of the trail and would swing myself down doing a 180 degree turn. It worked really well and my knees liked the softer landing! So we are at the Galehead Hut and because it has started raining, all the bunk space has now been claimed! Glad we had a reservation! This hut sits at 3800 feet so it will be cool tonight but our bunk includes 3 wool blankets and a pillow to keep us comfortable. Dinner and breakfast are included in our fee and I think Stuffed Shells are on the menu. There will be 38 guests tonight and we all eat together at long picnic tables in the common room. This hut also has bathrooms with toilets and sinks. These huts are very popular and it is nearly impossible to get a reservation on a Friday or Saturday but we've gotten lucky with our weekday requests. We should have some interesting conversations around the community tables tonight but once again we are tired and will not be up late. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-14
From: Galehead Hut

To: NH 302, AMC Highland Center
Miles today: 14.7

Day 124-July 14, Galehead Hut to NH 302 (AMC Highland Center), 14.7 miles. Today has been a real roller coaster of emotions but we have a good plan for the next 6 days which makes us happy. From previous journal entries you may have gathered that I am not loving the Whites as so many people do. I love the views that we get when we are above tree line and I am rising up to meet the challenge that the uphill climbs demand but the downhills take all the fun out if the day. Shortly after leaving the Galehead Hut (which was fabulous) we had a short, but steep downhill section on a slab of slick, wet granite. It deflated my usual morning enthusiasm for hiking, but I made it down uneventfully and a proceeded to make the steep .8 mile climb to the top of South Twin Mountain. By this time the skies had cleared and we had beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The forecast was for a cloudy day with rain/thunderstorms moving in. We hiked on next heading for Zealand Hut where we planned to eat our lunch. The croo member on site there confirmed that we had a reservation for tonight at the AMC Highland Center. I also enjoyed one of the cinnamon rolls she had just made this morning! From Zealand Hut we had a 5 mile walk to the Ethan Pond Campsite. Our guide indicated that this should be a very flat section of walking, but we are always suspicious about what the trail conditions might be like. But we were pleasantly surprised to find a mostly smooth trail that was mostly flat! I was cruising along at 3+ mph! After the campsite we had 3 miles of downhill but they were manageable and the trail was mostly dirt with small rocks. This has to be some of the easiest walking in the Whites! Once we got to NH302 it was time for me to stick out my thumb and the first car that came by pulled over and gave us a ride 3 miles to this Highland Center! We have changed our plans for the next few days for a variety of reasons, the first one being the weather. We were supposed to spend the next 2 days hiking up and over Mt. Washington. The forecast for the next two days is for rain and thunderstorms-not what you want for Mt. Washington. So after much discussion and talking about options we are now going to take 2 zero days, rent a car and drive back to our camp in the Adirondacks. Our oldest son, Tucker, and his wife, Alison, will be there from Colorado at that time and we would love the chance to see them. We are both excited about this "trailcation" (I learned that term from another hiker) and know that it is the right decision. My knees will appreciate the time off and it will be a couple of mental health days for us too. We have been doing lots of hard miles in the past couple of weeks. A highlight on the trail today was meeting up with 3X5, a hiker we met in PA who got off the trail to travel to Maine and continue his hike southbound! It was great to see him again! He will finish his thru-hike in Port Clinton, PA, near his hometown. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-15
From: NH 302, AMC Highland Center

To: NH 302, AMC Highland Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Day 125-July 15, NH 302, 0 miles. Our plan to take two zero days to allow the poor weather on and around Mt. Washington to move through fell into place this morning. Jim was able to get a rental car in the nearest town (20 miles away) and one of the volunteers at the AMC Highland Center offered to drive us there! We were able to change our hut reservations from tonight at Lake of the Clouds to Madison Spring Hut on Friday night. We had an uneventful drive to our camp in the Adirondacks. We went through Rutland and knew where to stop to buy groceries and a new watch battery for Jim because our friend, Mike B. took us into Rutland for a resupply when he visited us recently. During our drive we heard from our son, Tucker, saying that their flight from Denver to Newark had been cancelled due to the same storm systems that were forecasted for the Mt. Washington area. So they now won't get to camp until late tomorrow afternoon. But I'll be happy to see them, even if for just a few hours. It is great to be at camp again and we are already enjoying the rest. Time to get our laundry done and watch the All-Star game. We hope that our hiker friends who are currently in the Whites have found a safe place to be tonight. Good Luck. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-16
From: NH 302, AMC Highland Center

To: NH 302, AMC Highland Center
Miles today: 0.0

Day 126-July 16, 0 milesIt's been a nice, relaxing day at camp, just what a zero day should be. Tucker and Alison arrived in the middle of the afternoon and we made the most of our short time with them. We know look forward to our trip to Colorado in September to see them next. We said our goodbyes to them tonight because we plan to be on the road back to New Hampshire by 5:30 tomorrow morning. It is time for us to finish this hike!All is well.
Date: 2014-07-20
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 13.1

Day 130-July 20, Pinkham Notch to Imp Campsite, 13.1 miles. Today was a long hard day, but we made the miles and are now camped on a nice evening. We had a big climb fairly soon after we got a ride back to Pinkham Notch, to the top of Wildcat Mountain. Wildcat has many peaks and we went over E, D, C and A. The top of D is at the top of Wildcat Ski Area and we walked right by the gondola tower. We could have taken a ride to the bottom and then back up but the rain had started so we kept moving. We did not see rain in the forecast but we saw it falling from the sky. And rain makes rocks wet which makes them slippery. I was brave and climbed up and down the wet rocks without complaint or incident. I was feeling pretty good about our 13 mile trek until we came to the last mile then we hit a treacherous descent-steep and wet. I went slowly but on one particularly tricky section, while holding onto a small tree along the side of the slippery slope, my feet went out from under me and down I went. I landed on my side and elbow. My umbrella jammed into my ribcage. I laid there for a minute to make sure everything worked. Then I started to cry because even though I was OK, my body hurt. I do feel better now that we have had dinner and are getting ready for bed. Once again, I was lucky. One particular feature of the trail that I really like is when there are planks to walk on. Today we had a few stretches where 10- foot long 2X8's are nailed to cross-logs to provide a walking surface usually over a boggy or wet section. Sometimes if it has been particularly rainy these a is are under water but mostly they are great to walk on. Like a pirate, I like to "walk the plank!"When we got to this campsite the caretaker greeted us and asked about our day. I said we had a good day until the last mile. He the supplied the perfect word by saying that part of the trail "sucks!" I couldn't agree more! We've set up our tent on one of the wooden tent platforms at this site and cooked a good dinner of Pasta Sides with tuna. We didn't have our usual cookies for dessert because someone decided we should eat the whole tube at our last dinner but that we OK because we got free cookies from the croo at the Carter Notch Hut when we stopped there to eat our lunch. They were trying to get rid of the extra frosted spice cookies and they were yummy! Tomorrow we have 8 easier miles to get us back to the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel. This time we will need no shuttle ride because the trail now goes right past their front door! For the first time in the Whites I have full cell service at the campsite! We can see the cell tower on a far ridge line from this campsite! All is well.
Date: 2014-07-21
From: Imp Campsite

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 131-July 21, Imp Campsite to Gotham, NH, 8 miles. In spite of a few rain drops as we drifted off to sleep last night, we awoke to a cool, clear morning. Today was a shorter mileage day but the first five miles were tough, more really rocky climbs and descents. Our biggest climb was to Mt. Moriah at 3991 feet, just short of that 4000-footer category. From there it was mostly downhill, steep for the first part and manageable for the second part. Once we met up with the Rattle River the grade became more gentle and the last 3 miles were very pleasant walking. I actually was able to take my focus away from my feet and enjoy the tumbling water of the Rattle River. Our guide indicated that shortly before arriving in Gorham we crossed the "less than 300 miles left" mark! That sounds good to us! This time we didn't need a shuttle ride to the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel because the trail at this point goes right past the place! We arrived before noon and we knew the routine and settled back into the room we had two nights ago. We've spent a leisurely afternoon planning for the next week, opening our resupply box from our Trail Jeannie and resting. Please note that cell service becomes more limited as we head north from here. There may be multiple days with no updates. I will keep track of our progress and catch up when I can. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-22
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 132-July 22, Gorham, NH to Gentian Pond Shelter, 11.8 miles. Today was a much better day than yesterday-physically and mentally. Some good rest, a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast burrito helped me physically, and a phone call with a friend and a journal comment from a follower helped me mentally. We had almost 12 miles today and miles were generally on mostly dirt trails which was a real treat. That is not to say that we didn't do some ups and downs on rocks, but those sections were short and manageable. On top of Mt. Hayes we found our first ripe blueberries! We've seen lots of bushes with small white berries but today was our first day to indulge in the ripe fruit. I hope this is just the start of the blueberry season for us. The Bunchberries are in bloom and nicely decorate the edges of the trail. We are camped at Gentian Pond Shelter and were the first ones here. Now, 2.5 hours later the place is jumping! There seems to be a Boy Scout troop or boys camp group here and at least 8 others, including Sisyphus, who we haven't seen in months! When we arrived we claimed a tent platform and then made our way down to the pond where we went for a delightful swim! It felt so good to get the layer of sweat off! Of course, I was swimming in my underwear and another hiker showed up as I was drying off. He must not have been traumatized too much because he didn't run back down the trail and we've enjoyed an afternoon of conversation with him (with all of our clothes on!). Hikers are reporting moose sightings on the trail so we've kept our eyes peeled for these big beasts, especially around some of the ponds we've hiked. But the only moose we've seen was a dead one along side the road on the shuttle ride back to Pinkham Notch on Sunday. Hopefully that's not our only sighting! Tomorrow we reach two milestones. Stay tuned. All is well.
Date: 2014-07-23
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

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

Day 133-July 23, Gentian Pond Shelter to Full Goose Shelter, 9,6 miles. We got an early start, 5:50 AM, because the forecast called for afternoon thunderstorms and we didn't know how long these 9+ miles would take. There were 2 milestones reached today. First we crossed the 1900 miles mark! A hiker ahead of us had written "1900" in twigs on a flat rock right in the spot we thought was the mark so we didn't have to mark the occasion. We did document it with a photo, as we've done 18 times prior. The second milestone is that we crossed from New Hampshire into MAINE!!!!!!! Maine, I can hardly believe it-our last state! I know that we still have lots of miles (276.9) and that some of them will be very difficult, but we are in freakin' Maine! Our last mountain in NH was Mt. Success and it didn't go easy on us with some very steep and rocky sections. But we were rewarded with a great view (and cell service) when we got to the top. All of our mountains today were "balds" which allowed us to see the clouds building to the west. The views were not completely clear, rather quite hazy as the air is filled with humidity. Once in MAINE we climbed 3 different peaks of Goose Eye Mountain (west, east, north). In several places the trail went up/down steep rock cliffs and so trail crews had installed metal rebar steps and wooden ladders. That made these sections much easier to maneuver. However, there were a few other places on the trail today that could have used these climbing aids too! I am grateful for the ones we had though! The sun was out most of our hiking day but we now seem to be under complete cloud cover. If it is going to rain, I hope it comes sooner rather than later because tomorrow we have a long day, including the toughest or most fun mile on the trail, Mahoosuc Notch, which is a mile-long boulder scramble. I'd prefer to do that on dry rocks, but I guess I really have no say in the matter. I imagine this shelter and camping area will be quite busy tonight as this is the last camping area before the Notch for us NOBO's and the first one after the Notch for the SOBO's. There are over a dozen people here already, including a group of girls from a girls summer camp. All is well.