morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-24
From: Smarts Mountain campsite

To: Warren, NH
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

It was chilly this morning and I'm finding it harder and harder to drag myself out from under my warm quilt to get an early start. It is also getting light noticeably later. The hike down Smarts Mountain was much easier than the hike up. That may sound silly, but if the trail is steep or rocky I have found that its easier to go up. This was a smooth trail with a comfortable slope. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike in the crisp morning air. I leapfrogged several time with Hipsy Gypsy, Oak, and Walking Stick. Walking Stick is an interesting guy and I enjoy being around him. He intentional limits himself to about 12 miles a day to reduce stress and to allow himself time to experience the many aspects of being on the trail. There is a quiet calm about him. As soon as I descended from Smarts Mountain I began my climb up Eastman Ledges and Mt Cube. At what I thought was the summit of Mt Cube I ran into Hipsy Gypsy, Oak, and Walking Stick. I joined them in admiring the view and decided to eat lunch there. While I was eating lunch a local hiker, Laura, came by. She is in the process of climbing all the mountains in NH over 4,000 ft and I think I understood her to say she only has one more to go. We had a delightful conversation but I was disappointed to find out I was still 30 min from the summit. I ran into a few more day hikers but spent a out 5 hours hiking into the evening without seeing or talking to anyone. I arrived at the road to Warren about 15 minutes before my sister Becca arrived. She came to support me tonight, tomorrow, and Monday morning. We went to eat at a restaurant that had karaoke shortly after we arrived. I have to admit my hiker brain was overwhelmed my the loud music, singing, and my sister who was giddy from getting everything organized and driving . . . it was sensory overload!My wonderful sister rented a cabin for us in a campground. I was so tired and overwhelmed I went to bed without showering even though I hadn't had one in days. I slept like a rock.
Date: 2013-08-25
From: Warren, NH

To: Warren, NH
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today will be a nero (near zero) day as I'm only going 4.6 miles and will spend the rest of the day doing laundry and re supplying. Rufus, Becca's dog, accompanied on my hike. It was an easy day with the largest climb being a gradual 950 ft climb. It was a short hike but significant in that I now have less than 400 miles to go. Becca was there when we finished and we took Walking Stick to a hostel where I ran into Bear Foot, Hipsy Gypsy, and Oak. After a shower and laundry I took Becca's car, picked up Bear Foot at the hostel and drove to Lincoln to an outfitter and to resupply. We took Argo and Smiley back to the trailhead on our way back. At the hostel I ran into Pressure D, Cathy (his wife), and Whirled Peas. I had been thinking about asking Whirled Peas if she wanted to hike together thru the White Mountains since they can be so treacherous but I also know she is very independent and I didn't want to intrude on her hike. I couldn't have been happier when she asked me if I wanted to hike the Whites with her. Becca, Pressure D, Cathy, Whirled Peas, and I had pizza and beer at our cabin before Becca ran them back to hostel. I'm going to slack pack Mt Moosilauke (over 4,800 ft) tomorrow and go to the hostel. I will meet Whirled Peas the next day. I will be hiking a lot of mountains over 4, 5, and 6,000 ft over the next few weeks. Many people say that we've hiked 80% of the trail but we have 80% of the work left to do. I know it's also a mind game and I'm trying to go into it with a positive attitude.
Date: 2013-08-26
From: Warren, NH

To: Beaver Brook campsite
Miles today: 9.1

I changed my mind about what to do today and decided I'd rather stay with my hiking buddies than to slack pack. Becca took me to the hostel where we picked up Whirled Peas, Pressure D, and Cathy. Becca provided other hikers with trail magic and when we where about to leave the hostel owner called out to Whirled Peas that she had a phone call. It turned out to be her husband calling from Afghanistan. Whirled Peas was crying and we were all relieved to find out they were tears of joy. Becca dropped us off at the trailhead and we began our climb into the White Mountains. THANK YOU Trail Angel Becca. It had rained all night so the rocks were pretty slippery. The climb up Mt Moosilauke (4,802 ft) was definitely strenuous but my ability to do it boosted my confidence in conquering the Whites. I've got great hiking partners and that also helped calm any anxiety I had about hiking the Whites. Whirled Peas spent most of the day talking and getting to know each other better. I am so glad we decided to hike together!The summit was cold, windy, and we were in the clouds with low visibility. Some SOBO's warned us not attempt the treacherous descent and other said it was fine as long as you went slow. Sweet Pea and Oak said they were going down and had adopted the New Hampshire motto for the theme of the day, "live free or die". We had a big chuckle out of that and each time we came to a particularly difficult section we would say "what's it going to be, are we going to live free or die?"In the end we are all living free. I took a fall and so did Whirled Peas. Her's was comical once I found out she was ok. Her feet went out from under her on a rock slab and she slide down it on her butt with her arms outstretched to each side. I t almost looked like a cartoon and I was relieved that she wasn't injured. We are camped by a brook and beaver pond. Pressure D make a nice fire and there are now 8 of us camped here. I look forward to tackling the rest of the Whites!
Date: 2013-08-27
From: Beaver Brook campsite

To: Eliza Brook campsite
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

Our plan is to hike about 12 miles to the top of Mt Kinsman but we will make the final decision at Eliza Brook. Hiking in the Whites is so different than what I've done before. I'm enjoying it but the steepness of the climbs and the difficult trail makes the hiking so much slower. I often have to pull myself up by grabbing trees or climbing hand over foot. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a Christmas Tree farm with the sweet smell of Balsam trees. Other times all the trees are shorter than I am and soon I will be above tree line.   Our group is finding it difficult to do much more than one mile per hour. Our focus was of the day to come and we totally overlooked the steep climb out of Beaver Brook. After a little moaning and groaning we got our heads on straight and finished the climb. It was Pressure D's turn to take falls today. Fortunately he wasn't injured. We had a nice lunch on a big rock and the sky partially cleared so we could see some of the magnificent mountains we are in. Walking Stick came by and hiked with us for the rest of the day. We didn't reach the Eliza Brook until around 3:00. The SOBO's we've met have said that Mt Kinsman is the hardest of all the White Mountains so we decided to call it a day rather than risk night hiking or getting in just as it gets dark. The shelter is really nice. Pressure D, Cathy, Walkhard, and Badger are staying in the shelter. Whirled Peas and I are tenting. There is also a group of about 10 to 12 students from Brown University who are here on a leadership training trip for 5 days. I enjoyed talking to them and they offered us some candy. I used the extra time to dry out some of my things. I also bathed and soaked my feet in the creek. It's a nice change to go to bed with the caked mud wiped off my legs and my body mostly free of sweat!We will try to get an early start tomorrow so we can get up and over Mt Kinsman and get into town in time to resupply and do laundry.
Date: 2013-08-28
From: Eliza Brook campsite

To: Lincoln, NH, Chet's shed
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

We were successful in getting an early start and began our climb up Kinsman Mountain. The climb was definitely steep and I was glad we didn't try it yesterday. The south peak is 4,358 ft followed by a dip and then a climb to the north peak at 4,293 ft. The sky partially cleared so we had the best views that we've had in the Whites thus far. Sometimes it seems surreal that I've actually made it this far and I'm hiking in the Whites. On the descent we met Joe, the caretaker for the Kinsman Pond Shelter. It was interesting to hear about his job and his background. We were appreciative of his valuable pointers for the remainder of today's hike. We also had our first experience with the hut system at Lonesome Lake Hut. We stopped for a bowl of lentil soup, cornbread, left over quiche, and lemonade. The hut seemed like luxury compared to our normal accommodations and a regular room is more than $100 per night. However, they often have work for stay available for thru hikers. The descent was much easier past the hut but it began to rain. It didn't rain hard until the evening. Unfortunately Kathy slipped off a rock and turtled on her back - no serious injuries. When we arrived at the trailhead we called Miss Janet to pick us up and take us to Chet's house. I have not seen Miss Janet since Damascus but we had heard she was in the area. Chet is not in the guidebook but has an unofficial hostel that is well known on the trail. His place is full so Whirled Peas and I are sleeping in a shed behind the house. Not the greatest place but its dry. We had a nice dinner with friends of Whirled Peas who picked us up and drove us to a nice restaurant. Tomorrow's start will not be early as we have to wait for the post office to open.
Date: 2013-08-29
From: Lincoln, NH, Chet's shed

To: Liberty Springs campsite
Miles today: 2.7
Weather: broken clouds

After we packed up we walked into town to eat breakfast and do laundry. At breakfast I ran into Peanut and Northstar. I always think they are way ahead of me and then will suddenly run into them somewhere. It's fun to see them and Peanut gave me a big hug. We also talked to 2 thru hikers that we knew who had a bear get their food out of their tent with them in it. It occurred in a section we will hike today. They were back in town to buy a new tent and get more food. They said it was about 1:00 a.m. when they heard sniffing sounds outside their tent. Then they heard scratching on the rain fly and they thought a raccoon might be outside their tent. The bear clawed through the rain fly and then chewed through the tent. They were hollering at it and making all the noise they could but the bear ignored them and grabbed their food bag. He promptly sat down beside the tent and ate their food while they continued to try to scare him off. Fortunately no one was hurt. It didn't occur to me to ask them at the time but I wonder what you do at 1:00 a.m. with no tent and no food? You certainly wouldn't be able to go back to sleep! Maybe that's a time that calls for night hiking. By the time we got done with laundry, the post office, the outfitter, etc, it was almost noon before we got back to the trailhead. It would have been later had it not been for the wonderful Miss Janet who gave us a ride. . The climb out of Franconia Notch was steep but not as much rock climbing and pulling ourselves up with trees as previous sections. A light rain began about 30 minutes after we started hiking. About 2:00 we stopped at Liberty Springs campsite for lunch. We had only gone 2.7 miles but we had climbed from 1,443 ft to 3,910 ft. We were still 7 miles from our goal and needed to climb over Mt Lafayette (5,291 ft). The caretaker of this campsite said that the only place to camp between our current location and our goal was the area where the bear had destroyed the tent and he said there really weren't good trees in which to hang your food. We had been in soupy weather all afternoon and the section we were about to bike is supposed to be one with some of the prettiest views. Reluctantly we decided to call it quits for the day and hike to a safe place tomorrow when the weather is supposed to be better. I spent the rest of the evening taking in the fresh mountain air, talking, and enjoying the inner peace that comes from being out here. It's such a pleasure to take the time to notice little things like the droplets of water decorating the evergreens. The bands of rain continued all evening and I layed in my tent journaling, organizing, and talking to Whirled Peas who is tenting beside me. The caretaker advised us to throw rocks at the bears face if one ever tries to get in one of our tents so I have a nice pile of rocks within reach. Truthfully, I'm not worried. My food is in a bear box and there are a lot of people camped here.
Date: 2013-08-30
From: Liberty Springs campsite

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Pressure D and Tough Cookie (Kathy) were up and out early. They thought we would catch them but we didn't until the campsite where they were staying. It was a tough but fun day. It took us nearly 12 hours to cover the 10 miles. First we climbed Little Haystack Mountain (4,800 ft). It was cloudy but we had occasional views as the clouds parted. The next 2 miles were above tree line as we climbed Mt Lincoln (5,089 ft) and walked across the Franconia Ridge. I wish it had been a clearer day, although the clouds rolling up the mountains and swirling over the ridges were a sight to behold. Both Whirled Peas and I had falls today. She mildly twisted her ankle and I mildly twisted my knee. The rocks were extremely steep and wet so we feel fortunate that there were no serious injuries. We also had a lot of laughs as we faced our fears and failures. I am so glad we are hiking together. Next we climbed Mt Lafayette (5,291 ft) and then descended to Garfield Pond. We topped the day off with a climb over Mt Garfield (4,500 ft). Pressure D and Tough Cookie decided to stay at the Garfield Ridge Shelter and Campsite. It was 5:00 and Whirled Peas and I wanted to keep hiking so we pushed on nearly 3 more miles to Galehead Hut. The Appalachian Mountain Club operates a series of huts that people can hike to. They are pretty expensive - I think about $110 per night. However, for thru hikers they offer a "work for stay" option. We were allowed to eat any leftovers plus they made some extra pasta for us. Then we did the dishes and we are allowed to sleep on the floor in the dinning room. Since its raining outside we are very appreciative for the dry place to sleep and warm food. The staff are very friendly and glad to have the help. I'm exhausted but satisfied.
Date: 2013-08-31
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: light rain

It wasn't a great night's sleep. Some of the paying customers stayed up until 10:00 talking. I drifted off to sleep about 10:30 but a major rain storm hit shortly after that and I had to get up and close the windows. About midnight 3 more hikers arrived and were stumbling around in the dark. About 4:30 Badgers alarm went off and he couldn't find it so it continued to alarm for awhile. At 5:30 Walkhard's alarm went off and at 6:00 the staff began fixing breakfast. We were given the breakfast leftovers . . . pancakes, oatmeal, bacon and bread with butter. In exchange Whirled Peas swept out the dinning room and I swept out the 4 bunk rooms. It was around 9:30 before we got on the trail. We immediately began our steep mile climb to the summit of South Twin Mountain (4,902 ft). About half way up we ran into Karma who had flip flopped and is now SOBO. We exchanged joyful hugs, swapped stories, and took pictures. She knows Whirled Peas so it was fun for everyone. Karma looks great and seemed to be in good spirits. It was terrific to see her and I'm delighted that she's doing well. At the top of South Twin Mountain we sat on the rocks for a few minutes enjoying the view. The forecast for today was for rain and thunderstorms but we actually had short periods of sun and some views. We stopped for lunch on top of Mt Guyot (4,597 ft) where we could see our previous day's hike over Mt Lafayette and Franconia Ridge. Slowly the clouds crept over the mountains and engulfed us. It began raining and continued as a steady rain for about an hour. The remaining hike had some steep downhills but was basically a pretty easy hike. We arrived at the Zealand Falls Hut and got the last two work-for-stays. Pressure D and Tough Cookie arrived a short time later but the hut staff would not allow them to stay there. I offered to give up our spots but they decided to hike on to a camping spot. After the paying customers ate, we had left overs of turkey, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Our work tonight was to take everything off the kitchen shelves and wipe them down. We also reorganized their spices into alphabetical order. Giver is a SOBO from Connecticut who is also doing work-for-stay. She cleaned out the freezer and reorganized it. The three of us had a big laugh out of our work-for-stay "uniform". We each had on a down jacket, leggings or long johns, and crocs. When we started working we took off our down jackets and all 3 of us had on long sleeve black tee shirts!
Date: 2013-09-01
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: light rain

We decided not to stay for breakfast so we could get an earlier start. The hut staff began fixing breakfast about 5:30. It was sad to leave Giver - the 3 of us had a good time. It was interesting listening to her stories. She was a competitive snow boarder who broke her back in a snow boarding accident 5 years ago. Now she is a dietician who owns her own business. It's been frustrating because I've had no way to contact Anita for days. I know she is meeting us today but I have no idea what time. This was complicated by the fact that today's hike was the easiest that I've done since entering the Whites. It was almost all downhill, some gentle climbs, and flat trail. We reached Crawford Notch at noon. Anita wasn't there but someone had left trail magic consisting of a cooler of ice cold beer and some snacks. There was no cell phone reception so I talked some day hikers into texting Anita when they got to town. The Flying J's (Jamie and Joseph) were waiting with us so they could get a ride into town. After 2 hours Whirled Peas and I decided to hitch hike the 3.5 miles to the AMC center where she had a box waiting and I could call Anita. The Flying J's decided to hitch the other direction and go into town. The problem with hitching in a high volume tourist location is that you generally don't get rides from tourists. It's the locals who are used to hikers and will pick you up. We waited about 15 minutes for a ride while lots of vehicles with out of state license plates passed us by. It seemed longer because we had an audience of hecklers (Pressure D, Tough Cookie, and the Flying J's) across the road who were hollering advice about our hitching technique. Believe it or not there are definite styles of hitching. There's the bedraggled hiker look, the smiling friendly look, the injured look, and the make them laugh style. Finally some locals in a nice SUV picked us up and the friendly look seemed to do the trick. The AMC center was overwhelming after being in the woods. Whirled Peas got her box and I found out Anita was still on her way. We ran into some people who had been at the hut with us and they agreed to give us a ride back to Crawford Notch. To my delight Hipsy Gypsy and Oak came hiking up. I knew Anita would be delighted to see them so I encouraged them to wait for her. Anita arrive about 4:00 and informed us that she had rented a house with 4 bedrooms so each couple and Whirled Peas could have their own room. The house is absolutely perfect - it has a huge porch, a washer and dryer, and is across the street from a grocery store and restaurant. It's so good to be with Anita!!!We had a great dinner and a lot of laughs at a local restaurant.
Date: 2013-09-02
From: Crawford Notch

To: Glen, NH,
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

We had a great day zeroing in our wonderful house. We had a great breakfast that Anita coordinated. Then had a wonderful lunch and dinner that Hipsy Gypsy and Oak coordinated. As with most zeros the rest of the day was consumed with resupply, laundry, gear maintenance, getting caught up on journaling, resting, and laughing. This is a GREAT group of people!THANK YOU to my wonderful and supportive wife for coordinating all this!!!
Date: 2013-09-03
From: Glen, NH,

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.2

By the time we got packed up and said goodbye to Anita it was nearly 10:00 before we got on the trail. It is always so hard to leave her and I was tearful as I hiked away. We knew it would be a tough day as most of the day would be climbing but we were excited to be entering the Presidential Range. To my surprise the group stayed together all day. We climbed a very steep climb out of Crawford Notch to Webster Cliffs (3,345 ft). The trail followed along the cliffs for about half a mile and then we climbed Mt Webster (3,910 ft). We stopped for lunch and enjoyed the views. Next we climbed Mt Jackson (4,052 ft), then Mt Clinton (4,312 ft) before stopping in briefly at the Mizpah Spring Hut to refill our water bottles and grab a quick snack. Leaving Mizpah Spring Hut, we skirted Mt Eisenhower at 4,582 ft. The views were nothing short of stunning and we stopped multiple times to look in every direction at the gorgeous views of mountains, clouds, and the setting sun. As we began our climb of Mt Franklin (5,004 ft) the clouds began to engulf us and the wind picked up. I am so glad I'm not hiking this section alone - it would have been a little scary out there. As it got darker, windier, and colder the group became more quiet and focused on the task at hand. We purposefully stuck closer together as it was getting difficult to see very far. Finally, we skirted Mt Monroe at 5,163 ft before reaching our destination - the Lake of the Clouds Hut (5,106 ft). The hut has a terrible basement where you can stay for $10 or you can do work-for-stay and sleep in the dinning room which is what the 6 of us decided to do. The staff were very kind and made sure we were well fed. Other hikers that are here are Walking Stick, Dr Who, Clinker, Clark Kent and Wonder Woman. It was a rough day on Pressure D as he had several hard falls. I was very tired when I reached the hut and was glad to be out of the cold and wind. The wind is howling outside and I have to admit this is one night I'm glad I'm not in my tent. It was an exhausting but exhilarating day!