morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-08-04
From: Nauman Tent Site

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Today's route took us over most of the Presidential Range, the vast majority of which is above treeline. Bad weather would have made the day quite difficult, but luckily it was perfect.The AT route bypasses the summits of many of the big peaks in this range, but we decided to hit some of those summits to cross them off the 4000 footer list. In the morning we took side trails to Mt. Eisenhower and Mt. Monroe, and anticpiated doing the same for Mt. Adams and Mt. Jefferson, but after climbing Mt. Washington in the middle of the day we were way too tired.We reached Lakes of the Clouds Hut late in the morning, just in time for a snack. I had a bowl of potato dill soup and two pieces of gingerbread cake with raspberry/chocolate icing. Mount Washington is known for having the most severe weather in the world, but today we were able to hang out on top and start working on our severe sun burns. There was barely any wind, not a cloud in the sky, and was probably 70 degrees or so. It was a bit odd working so hard to get to the top of Washington to find the summit filled with buildings, a parking lot, a train station, and lots of people who seemed puzzled about why we would chose to walk up and down this big mountain when we could have driven or taken the cog railway instead. The 6-mile stretch from Mt. Washington to Madison Spring Hut was rocky and rugged and seemed to take forever, but the ever-present views of the Presidentials were spectaclar. One great thing about these alpine ridges is being able to look back and see the trail stretching back for miles, showing you how far you've come and all the peaks you've climbed.Dom and I were the last thru-hikers to arrive at Madison Spring Hut and there were no more chores to hand out (they were already scrounging for chores for Gangsta and she ended up having to read 2 chapters of Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' to the croo as their bedtime story) but luckily we could each pay $10 and sleep on the tables in the dining room. Great news for us - after a day like today I'd rather pay than do work around the hut. The croo here is really nice - a welcoming sight after what happened at Galehead.Big news: Gangsta might be getting another puppy!!! She's told me this about 20 times so I thought it should make the trail journal.
Date: 2009-08-05
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: fog

The usual early morning hut routine had us out the door by 7, however we left with 2 pieces of carrot cake, compliments of the hut naturalist, Mayaan. The ominous fog and strong gusts of wind made our rocky scramble up and down the steep slopes of Mt. Madison trickier than anticipated and we were relieved to finally get back below treeline where the trail was more protected. The descent was a steep, straight shot to Osgood Tent Site and our wobbly knees were thankful that we only had 5 more relatively flat miles to hike for the day to Pinkham Notch where Dom's car awaited us. The trail took a sharp turn after Osgood Tent Site and I was immediately stung by a hornet on my left calf which made me scream really loud, startling Dom who was hiking in front of me. Upon reaching Pinkham around noon, we found out that Wags, Mr. Right, and Sir Richard had also been stung at that same spot on the trail. We all ate lunch at the visitor center and then everyone but Dom and I hiked out around 2. I said goodbye to Wags and Gangsta because I'm pretty sure I won't see them again before they summit Katahdin. I know I said this a week or so ago and ended up seeing them again a few days later, but they are on a tight schedule for the next 3 weeks and I'm still moseying along. Dom and I drove to North Conway where we were meeting our good friends Rachel and Steve for dinner. Steve's family has a house in North Conway and generously let us crash there for the night. We took well needed showers (it had been 5 days since my last), resupplied at the grocery store, and did laundry at the laundromat. We met Steve and Rachel at Moat Mountain for dinner (my favorite restaurant in the area), got icecream afterwards, and before we knew it, it was already 10pm. It's been a long day - I know I will sleep well tonight.
Date: 2009-08-06
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 13.1

Dom drove me to Pinkham Notch where we had left the trail yesterday. We said our goodbyes and then I hiked north, immediately climbing Wildcat. The ascent wasn't too rugged, just a lot of ups and downs as I went up and over Wildcat Peaks E, D, C, B, and A. I was tempted to take the gondola down the first peak for a quick detour but knew I still had a lot of trail to cover today, including Mt. Hight and all the Carters (which I have hiked before). Mt. Hight had amazing views of Mt. Washington, and South, Middle, and North Carter weren't too bad except for the descent down North Carter which consisted of steep, slick rock faces. I was extra careful going down because I don't think any hikers were behind me and it was getting late in the afternoon.I made it to Imp Campsite around 6pm and claimed a tent platform for the night. I've been to Imp a few times before and it was nice to be at a familiar spot. The caretaker here is super nice, and it is definitely going to be a quiet night. There are only 3 people in the shelter who are just out for a night, and one other person (Springer) tenting. Springer hiked from Georgia to Franconia last year and is finishing up this year - his lady friend, Patti, is following along in an RV and meets him every 2 days or so. Nice deal!Into Gorham tomorrow, where I'll hopefully meet up with Plunger and Mr. Right. I also heard from Hot Sauce tonight and she is only 2 days behind.
Date: 2009-08-07
From: Imp Campsite

To: US2 - Gorham, NH
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: fog

I slept like a rock last night - the night was so still, I didn't hear a sound all night or morning and could have probably slept in pretty late. Instead I woke up around 7:15 and was hiking an hour later. I'm getting a little frustrated with the different trail names and lack of blazing in the Whites. In this area, the AT has different names - Great Gulf Trail, Carter Moriah Trail, and Kenduskeag Trail, to name just a few. Sometimes the signs will have "(AT)" inscribed next to the other trail name, but sometimes they don't, making it very confusing as to which way to go. How are we supposed to know that the Great Gulf Trail is the same as the AT if it's not denoted on the sign? Anyways, I took the wrong trail this morning...I guess I didn't realize that the AT switched from the Carter Moriah Trail to the Kenduskeag Trail near Mt. Moriah. I went about a quarter mile before I realized my mistake, so the whole detour took about 30 minutes. I guess it could have been worse.I caught up with Springer at Rattle River Shelter, 2 miles before the road into Gorham. Almost all the entries from northbounders in the trail register mentioned their excitement to be done with the Whites. Those who think that the Whites are over and that Maine is easy in comparison are in for a nice treat since they don't officially end until Grafton Notch, more than 30 miles north of here. The trail out of Gorham is known to be the most rugged on the whole AT.      Patti was meeting Springer in the RV at the road and he generously offered me a ride into town, which I gladly acepted. We went to McDonalds, Walmart, and Rite Aid where I was able to resupply for this next stretch. I was planning all along on staying at The Barn at Libby House - a hiker hostel that is connected to a bed and breakfast - although I tried calling a couple times with no answer. Instead, I went to White Birches (where Springer and Patti were staying the night) and reserved a bunk in the hiker hostel. Lots of hikers showed up at the hostel tonight, most of whom I had never met before (Hardcore, Flyby, Sea Monster, Disney, and several more). I watched Raising Helen on TV with a bunch of folks then called it a night around 10:30.
Date: 2009-08-08
From: US2 - Gorham, NH

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

We slept in a little bit and then the campground owner gave me, Plunger, Mr. Right, and Oblivious a ride back to the trail around 9:30. I was a bit nervous for this section of trail since I knew what was in store for us - I had done these next 30 miles last summer with Dom as my AT shakedown hike and it kicked our butts in a serious way. At least this time around we were starting out in gorgeous weather - last year it had rained on and off for the entire 4 days.The hiking was quite nice today and we took a snack break on the summit of Mt. Hayes with Mt. Washington as the backdrop. The weather couldn't have been nicer - the air was crisp and felt very fall-like. We stopped for a late lunch at Trident Col Campsite and I realized I probably should have packed out more food for these next 4 days. Whoops.The next stretch to Gentian Pond Shelter went quick and we were there by 5. Unfortunately all the tent platforms had been claimed already (I guess they fill up quick on the weekends but I didn't think by 5pm) and there was a NOBO in the shelter smoking cigarettes and listening to awful music on a radio. I found a ridiculous spot to set my tent up amongst moss and dead trees but it would work for the night.Mr. Right, Plunger, and I cooked dinner on some ledges overlooking Gentian Pond. We were hoping to see a moose since a lot of the register entries mentioned moose sightings but we weren't so lucky. When we got back to the shelter I was glad to see that the NOBO had decided to move on and that all the cigarette smoke had dissipated. It looked like it would just be Mr. Right, Plunger, and Oblivious in the shelter tonight so I decided to move my tent in there just in case it rained and since my tentsite was on a slope.I love this shelter - it's definitely one of my favorites on the trail. Structurally, it's not a particularly amazing shelter, but it overlooks the valleys and mountains in the distance and I can watch the sunset from the comforts of my sleeping bag. Not too shabby!
Date: 2009-08-09
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

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

Today was a hard day. We only had planned on less than 10 miles but didn't realize it would take 7 hours! I hiked alone all day and it sometimes took a while for me to figure out how I would manuever down slick rock faces without falling. Usually with another person you can work together to figure out the easiest way, but it took me a while as I would try different ways to get down. Usually I would just end up sliding down on my butt and hope for the best.I did have my first face plant today but luckily it was a fairly graceful fall. I was walking on a bog log and my right hiking pole got stuck on a root or something, making me lose my balance and fall forward. I landed basically face down on the bog log then rolled off it onto the mossy ground beneath it. LUCKILY it was moss and not the 4-foot deep mud we've been seeing underneath the bog logs lately. I don't know how, but I was left unscathed after this fall but realized it could have ended badly if I had not landed on the soft moss.   I took a long lunch break at the Maine border (the last state line I will cross on this trip!) before climbing Mt. Carlo and Goose Eye Mountain. There were more tricky rock scrambles but they were fun and challenging and I often found myself laughing at how ridiculous the trail was. The trail in Maine just cuts right to the chase - the AMC (or whoever first blazed this part of the trail) must have spent time finding the most rugged areas and then creating the trail to go through them.I caught up with Plunger, Mr. Right, and Oblivious just before the shelter and was relieved to hear that the day was just as hard for them as it was for me. I can't believe Dom and I did this in the rain last year - it was hard enough today with dry trail and rocks. There was talk this morning about possibly going through Mahoosuc Notch today but we all were beat and ready to call it a day. Instead, we'll tackle the notch first thing in the morning.We are sharing the shelter/campsite tonight with a couple boy scout troops. Even though there is a 60% chance of thunderstorms tonight, I decided to tent when I heard that one of the troop leaders staying in the shelter is a wicked snorer. Besides crossing into Maine today, we also hit the 1,900 mile mark!
Date: 2009-08-10
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Frye Notch Lean-to
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

I was prepared for it to rain all night and was surprised to wake up to an almost dry tent. I guess it had just drizzled early in the evening which was good news for us - the rocks in Mahoosuc Notch would most likely be dry.We tackled the notch first thing after leaving the shelter, and it was just as tricky as I had remembered. The temperature in the notch dropped at least 20 degrees and there were still patches of ice deep in the rock crevasses that never see sunlight. Amongst the ice within the crevasses (sometimes up to 10 feet deep) are also lost waterbottles and other miscellaneous items that hikers have dropped and were unable to retrieve. Only a few of the moose bones from the moose that had fallen into the notch back in 2007 (see my shakedown hike entry) were still there and the prayer flags have been taken down. We made it through the notch in about 2 hours, which is about par for this 1-mile stretch. The notch is known as the hardest mile on the entire AT, but I definitely found the climb up Kinsman in NH to be 100 times harder.Ever since my shakedown hike, I've been dreading Mahoosuc Arm, which is a monster climb right after the notch. However, since the trail was dry this time around, the climb up the arm actually wasn't too bad. The rocks were slick in certain places, but I was happy to be going up the arm than down it, which would have been more treacherous.Plunger, Mr. Right, Oblivious, and I had a quick lunch at Speck Pond Shelter with Snarl and Apache and then moved along, climbing Old Speck and then descending into Grafton Notch. It was only about 3pm but it felt like we had been hiking for much longer than that. I took a quick break in the parking lot before moving along - we still had a lot of difficult trail to cover before the day was over. The climb up Baldpate was awesome and was one of my favorite peaks on the trail so far. I couldn't help take a photo with each step - the views were incredible with the dark clouds and distant lakes and mountains. We had thought about staying at the shelter just past Baldpate but decided to push on to the next one to make tomorrow a shorter day into town. We were all pretty low on food and I was in serious need of a shower - it has just been a few days since my last one but my clothes are covered in a layer of dirt and I stink to high heaven. I got to the shelter around 6:45 and set my tent up right away because it looked like it could rain any second. I cooked up my last meal (besides breakfast tomorrow) and unfortunately didn't have any snacks or candy left for dessert. My stomach was growling as I fell asleep and I really wished I had packed more food out of Gorham. I can't wait to get into Andover tomorrow where I will PIG OUT!Today it took us 12 hrs to go 15.5 miles - I wonder when (or IF) the trail will get easier and I can go back to my 2 mph pace. But until then, I'll have to settle with 1.5 mph and these long, grueling (but fun) days.
Date: 2009-08-11
From: Frye Notch Lean-to

To: East B Hill Road - Andover, ME
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: light rain

Once again I dodged another night of rain. It drizzled on and off for most of the night but my tent was almost completely dry in the morning. It was only a 4.5 mile hike to the road where we were getting picked up by the folks at Pine Ellis, a hostel in Andover, but I had eaten the last morsel of food from my food bag for breakfast and was worried I'd need some snacks along the way to tide me over until Andover. Plus, I woke up with a tight achilles on my right foot and could barely hobble up Surplus Mountain. Oblivious waited to ensure I would make it up alright, then we hiked more or less together to the road.My achilles eventually eased up and we ended up getting to the road an hour before we had arranged for the shuttle to pick us up. I found a package of M&Ms and some individually wrapped cookies at the road (trail magic remnants, perhaps?) that were covered in slugs but I ate them anyways because I was so hungry. Also, while we waited, a car pulled over and a really nice guy gave us a box of crackers. I wonder if we looked as hungry as we felt! We got picked up promptly at 10am and I beelined it to the diner once we arrived in Andover. My goal is to eat 5,000 calories while I'm in town...I wonder if that's possible. I ate a big breakfast and then walked back to the hostel with a half gallon of ice cream and a liter of Coke. That should at least be a good start!We are staying at the hostel tonight with a bunch of other hikers and Plunger, Mr. Right, and I are planning on slackpacking 10 miles tomorrow...a nice little treat after such a big day yesterday. We made spaghetti, watched 4 hours of an America's Next Top Model marathon, then hit the hay around 11. I know I will sleep well tonight.
Date: 2009-08-12
From: East B Hill Road - Andover, ME

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

Visited the diner once again for a large breakfast that I couldn't even finish and then went back to the hostel to watch some Saved By The Bell before heading to the trail.We decided to hike south today to get the big climb up Moody Mountain out of the way early on. I was sporting an awesome daypack that was bright pink and covered with brightly colored flowers - Oblivious wondered if it was a Barbie backpack, and it very well could have been. There was nothing too exciting about the hiking today except that the trail was ridiculously muddy in certain places and an entire steep section of trail had completely eroded away, probably because of all the rain this summer. There was a detour around the eroded section however the detour was probably just as treacherous. I didn't have a formal lunch on the trail today - just lots of snacks - so I was pretty hungry when we got picked up from the trail at 4. I once again beelined it (muddy legs and all) to the diner and scarfed down a medium pizza and some broccoli cheddar poppers.I got cleaned up back at the hostel then whipped up a second dinner (more spaghetti) with Plunger and Mr. Right. I'm hoping to polish off the half gallon of ice cream before going to bed, and then maybe I'll be close to that 5,000 calorie goal of mine, but I haven't been keeping track.Back to the trail tomorrow with a full (and super heavy) pack with enough food to get me to Statton, 4.5 days from here. I've heard rumors that the weather will be nice for the next several days...I'm hoping those rumors are true!
Date: 2009-08-13
From: South Arm Road

To: Bemis Stream
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

David from Pine Ellis drove us back to South Arm Road around 9:30. As he pulled away I realized I had left my full waterbottle in the van, meaning I had no water until we came across a water source and the day was already a scorcher. David warned us that the immediate climb up Old Blue would be an "ass-kicker" and granted it was steep but I've definitely been up worse. I was able to get water shortly after the Old Blue summit which was a relief.      I must have passed almost 10 SOBOs today, probably the most I've seen in one day. The blueberries on top of Bemis were big, plump, and juicy and tasted different from the small, tart ones I've been seeing since New York. I had several slips today, with only one amounting to an actual fall off a bog log. Not much else to note about the hiking today.    Plunger, Mr. Right, and I are camping next to Bemis Stream tonight. There are a couple nice campsites just north of the stream - the 3 of us are at one and a couple SOBOs are at the other. There is a big moose print close to my tent, I wonder if I'll finally see one tonight or in the morning.Happy Birthday Dad!
Date: 2009-08-15
From: Piazza Rock Lean-tp

To: Stealth Site Past Orbeton Stream
Miles today: 11.7

I emerged from my tent to another beautiful day. We are so lucky to have had such a long stretch of nice weather with not even a chance of rain. The trail has still been muddy but at least it is starting to dry up a little.Today wasn't a long mileage day but we hiked up and over Saddleback, The Horn, and Junior Saddleback. There were lots of ups and downs today and my knees actually started hurting a bit for the first time on this trip. A lot of this stretch was above treeline and the vistas were amazing. Apparently Katahdin is visible from the summit of Saddleback but it was hazy and I didn't even really know where to look - there were countless mountains towards the north as far as the eye could see.We made it to Poplar Ridge Shelter around 3 or so and decided to hike another few miles to a stealth campsite just north of Orbeton Stream. It is tucked away off an old railroad bed right next to a steep cascading stream and swimming hole - the perfect spot to set up camp. In other news, today I saw a photo of myself from behind and realized that my light blue hiking skirt has got to go!! I can't believe I've been wearing it for this long without realizing just how gross it is. The back of it is BLACK, it looks like I sat in a pile of charcoal. Looks like I'll be switching to my black Patagonia skirt for the rest of the trip!
Date: 2009-08-16
From: Stealth Site Past Orbeton Stream

To: ME27 - Stratton, ME
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't get hiking until 8:30 since we had only planned on hiking just over 11 miles to the Crocker Cirque Campsite just south of Crocker Mountain. However, as I hiked along, all I could think about was how hungry I was, all the kinds of food I was going to eat in town tomorrow, and even worse, all the food I was going to eat when I go home for a wedding next weekend. I was also thinking in my mind about how I was going to ration the little food I had left for the next 1.5 days until we got into town. Do I eat my Snickers bar today or save it for tomorrow? Would I be able to tap into my poptarts for a snack today that I had saved for breakfast tomorrow? These thoughts were killing me and I thought about the possibility of pushing into town today so I could just eat the entire contents of my food bag today and stop worrying about saving anything for tomorrow.I met up with Plunger and Mr. Right at Spaulding Shelter where we all had lunch and proposed my idea about heading to town today instead of tomorrow. Mr. Right had actually been thinking the same thing, so it wasn't hard to make a decision.We had a lot of ground to cover today - Spaulding, Sugarloaf, and South and North Crocker Mountains, but we made it to ME27 (after the longest descent ever down North Crocker) around 7:15. We got picked up right away by a woman from CT whose husband and kids are camping up in the Bigelows tonight. She dropped us off by the market in Stratton where I easily downed a pint of Ben & Jerry's (Key Lime Pie, a limited batch flavor that is delicious!). Sue, the hostel owner, picked us up and drove us to the Maine Roadhouse, an amazing hostel (one of my favorites on the trail) between Stratton and Rangeley.At the hostel I showered right away and then cooked up 2 parmesan pasta sides, a whopping 1170 calories. If it wasn't for the pint of icecream I had just eaten, I probably would have been able to eat it all but I didn't even come close. I'll have some good leftovers to eat tomorrow.Since we made it into town today, we are taking tomorrow off. I think Hot Sauce will be hiking into town tomorrow which I'm looking forward to - I haven't seen her since CT! Also, Dom is planning on coming up to Stratton tomorrow to hang out and swim in Flagstaff Lake.LESS THAN 200 MILES TO GO!!!!!!