morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-08-04
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Osgood Tentsites
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Idyllic day for Mt. Washington! We couldn't have asked for better weather. And, best of all, the climb to get to the top wasn't even that bad. (Definitely better than paying $42 for a one-way ticket to ride the Cog Rail!!)Had lunch at the summit with Gangsta, Wags, Loon and Dom after a quick stop at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Only took 45 minutes to reach the summit from Lakes of the Clouds ... not too shabby.Now, the remainder of the hike was much more difficult. From the summit to Osgood Tentsites was extremely rocky and rough (and a bit on the treacherous side at times). I had planned on stopping at Madison Hut until we arrived and found out that we would have to pay $10pp to sleep in the hut. Not that we had a problem with the cost, we just didn't have any cash on us and decided that 3 more miles wouldn't be too bad .... Unfortunately, those 3 miles were some of the toughest, most technical miles we'd had in awhile. However, the croo at Madison were truly lovely people. The Hut Manager sent us off with a fresh loaf of bread, which we enjoyed with our dinner.In addition to the beautiful weather today, we spent almost the entire day (over 12 miles) above treeline. Spectacular!
Date: 2009-08-05
From: Osgood Tentsites

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: light intensity shower rain

Started off the day with Mr. Right getting stung by a hornet. At least now I can empathize having already been stung by one myself this trip. Later we found out that Mr. Right was not the only one to have the privilege of getting stung. He was followed by Sir Richard, then Wags, then Loon. Obviously a nest on the trail waiting to attack unsuspecting hikers (and only one if hiking in a pair!).Had lunch at Pinkham Notch while watching the only rain of the day pour down outside. Perfect timing, I guess.Wildcat Mountain was a bit of a shock to me (and its half-dozen peaks or so!) but not as bad as it could've been. However, I did take a spill right before arriving at the hut. One of those falls where I went over the edge a bit since the trail was located on a sharp slope. Just glad that my pole and some small, bending trees caught me. Walked away with only a scrape or two.Had a great time with the croo, Dave and Marc, and our thru-hiker friends, Sir Richard, Gangsta and Wags. Quite a way to end our hut experience. For my work-for-stay, I got to be the "diver" (fancy term for dishwasher) during dinner and breakfast. And, to top it off, Mr. Right and I auditioned to do the hut's BFD (Blanket Folding Demonstration) in the morning for all of the guests. For those who are unaware of what this means, it is a skit performed each morning to guests to help remind them to fold their blankets, pack out their trash and leave a tip for the croo. Mr. Right wrote a hilarious skit based on "Braveheart" for the two of us to perform. Boy, were we a sight! (Apparently, it was so clever the croo wants to steal it and use it for themselves!)* We later learned that our BFD is still being talked about at the hut weeks later.
Date: 2009-08-06
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: US Rte 2 (Gorham, NH)
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: fog

Performed our "Braveheart" BFD spot on (except for having forgotten one of our props and having to do a little improvisation).Hiked over Carter Mountains and Mt. Moriah. The ups weren't so bad but the down coming off of North Carter Mountain into Imp Campsite was terrifying! Due to the technical parts of the trail and intense elevation, our average is definitely slowing down. Used to be a steady 2mph average; now it's no more than 1.5mph.Realized that thanks to the huts, we made it from Glencliff, NH through the huts on less than 3 days worth of food. (I guess there are some pros to the hut system ...)Got a hitch by a lady named Nancy Bell to the hotel. She gave us a beer for the ride and was incredibly kind. Arrived at the hotel by 6pm where we were sharing a room with Gangsta, Wags and Sir Richard. Then, headed over to Crabby Jack's for dinner and a couple of delicious, blue margaritas.
Date: 2009-08-07
From: Royalty Inn (Gorham, NH)

To: White Birches Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Wavered back and forth about hiking out today or staying .... we decided to zero in order to help me de-stress and to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks. Plus, Loon showed up in town today and thought it would be fun to hang out with her for the night.Got new tips for my poles. A much-needed replacement and probably should've happened BEFORE the Whites, not after. Oh, well.Spent the afternoon relaxing at the White Mountain Cafe, drinking tea and reading a book. I miss sitting in cafes like this. Of course, it took me awhile to relax and enjoy it since I spent the first part of our time there debating whether or not I needed to get back to the trail today. It's hard being so anxious to finish but also wanting to enjoy the last moments of it.
Date: 2009-08-08
From: US Rte 2 (Gorham, NH)

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

Hiked out with Loon and Oblivious around 9:45am. Had a snack on top of Mt. Hayes -- still having views of Mt. Washington.Lunch at Trident Col Tentsite. Arrived at the shelter by 5pm to find a large number of people already there and all of the tentpads taken. I guess we'll be in the shelter tonight.Had dinner on a large rock overlooking the pond. Hoping to see a moose, as this is apparently a good spot to see one, but no such luck.So close to Maine but was ready to stop for the day just short of the state line crossing.Another day with perfect weather.
Date: 2009-08-09
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

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

Headed out by 8:45am since we have only 9ish miles to hike today. And, though fewer than 10 miles, some really challenging hiking. Physically, mentally and emotionally gruelling. Put me in a bit of a bad mood today. Just ready for easier, less intense hiking.Started off the day climbing Mt. Success -- whew! Then, crossed into Maine -- our last state! Had lunch on top of Mt. Carlo, then hiked over two more peaks, Goose Eye East & North.Arrived at the shelter by 4pm ready to call it a day. Not able to push on -- Mahoosuc tomorrow! I must admit, I'm a little scared.
Date: 2009-08-10
From: Full Goose Shelter

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

Okay, I had a right to be scared ... my hardest day on the trail, to date.Started out at 6:45am knowing we had a lot of tough terrain to cover. For those of you who don't know, the Mahoosuc Notch is a 1-mile stretch of trail that is all boulders. In order to get through, one must go over, around, and sometimes under these huge rocks, while carrying a 25-pound pack. It's just as tough as it sounds. (At least it was for me.) After my first slip down a rock, ending in a bruised ankle and knee, I had lost my confidence and was terrified for the remaining 1 1/2 hours. Tears were shed more than once on this stretch.It took me over 2 hours to get through the 1-mile Notch and over 5 hours to reach the first shelter, only 5.1 miles from where I started. After the Notch, I climbed up Mahoosuc Arm, which would have probably been quite difficult any other day but the relief I felt leaving the Notch made the Arm seem fairly easy, especially for climbing straight up for another mile.Had lunch at Speck Pond Shelter before tackling two more tough climbs and descents over Old Speck Mountain and Baldpate Mountain.Threatened to rain all day but never did, thankfully. Had planned on stopping at Baldpate Shelter but pushed on another 3 miles to Frye Notch since we were down to only 2 poptarts each for the next day. Figured we didn't want to try to hike 8 miles on just 2 poptarts so made a longer day out of today. While tough, I'm happy with our decision to do so.Baldpate Mountain, while tough and gruelling, made top 3 views of entire AT. Absolutely breathtaking alpine.
Date: 2009-08-12
From: South Arm Road

To: East B Hill Rd (Andover, ME)
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Decided to do a little slack-packing today ... probably for the last time this trip, so why not?Started out around 10am after a nice big breakfast at the local General Store & Diner ... yes, everything in this town is located at the General Store.Enjoyed hiking south over this part of the trail. That way, I got Moody Mountain (the big climb for the day) out of the way first thing and got to end the day with a nice, steady descent back into town. Also, by slack-packing this section, we split up having to hike both Moody and Old Blue in one day.We were back at the road by 3:45pm and shuttled back to the hostel by our chauffeur, David.My cheap MP3 player finally died on me. I guess there was a reason I only paid about $20 for it. It almost made it the whole way. I guess I'll just have to endure the rest of the trail in silent thought and retrospection.Had more cake, spaghetti and ice cream for dinner (after our small pizza and broccoli bites at the diner). Watched sappy movies with Loon while taking in calories.Once again, missed the afternoon thundershowers. I can get used to weather working out this way for the remainder of the hike.
Date: 2009-08-13
From: South Arm Road

To: stealth campsite by Bemis Stream
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

Started out at 9am and the morning clouds burned off just in time for us to summit our first big mountain of the day, Old Blue. Now, David had informed us that Old Blue would be doing some ass-kicking today ... but he was wrong. In fact, I think we kicked Old Blue's!Not much of a view from the top but happy that it was clear and beautiful.Still having to adjust to slower mileage. I feel like I can hike further but I end up running out of time in the day (since I don't like to hike past 6 or 7pm). Even though the terrain seems to be getting easier, it is still rocky, rooty and muddy with many slips and near-falls, all of which slow me down.Still enjoying Loon's company and found a great stealth site near the stream. Maine is certainly turning out to be the beautiful state it is often talked up to be.It is dawning on me that we are so close to the end ... quite crazy.
Date: 2009-08-14
From: stealth campsite by Bemis Stream

To: Piazza Rock Lean-To
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

Started out early by 7am expecting it to be a fairly long, arduous day. Got to the shelter by 6pm. So, not too bad.Now, I am 27 years old and, yes, I pissed my pants today. Let me explain. I'm hiking along with knowledge of who is behind me at all times and even how far back I suspect them to be. I had the urge to urinate and knew that Loon was at least 10-15 minutes behind us, so I decided to drop trow right on the side of the trail. Now, if this had been week one, I would have taken off my pack and wandered into the woods a ways to find a tree to hide behind while I did my business. But this is Day 158 and since week one I have learned easier, more efficient ways to pee on the trail. One of which is to stand just off the trail and pull my shorts over in order to keep myself from having to pull down my pants. While I am in mid-stream, I hear men's voices coming from the other direction. I tell myself to stop and pull my shorts back over, however, the stream did not cease as expected and I proceeded to wet myself. To which I answer by moving to the other side of the trail (hopefully more out of view) to finish my business just as I see the father and his 3 sons walk up the trail. Let's just hope he didn't see anything ... Plus, I got to rinse out the shorts at Long Pond not much further down the trail.On a different note, had a snack at Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To and lunch at Little Swift River Pond Campsite. I must say, if Minnesota is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," Maine is the "Land of 10,000 Ponds."Also, I had a bit of an adventure hitching into Rangeley with Loon. Got picked up by a guy driving a sketchy, black matte painted, vintage truck. We noticed right away that he had a girl in the front with him, which made us feel safer. While sitting in the bed of the truck, which was lined with 1x4's, we had the bumpiest ride of our life. It felt like he was doing 80 down this road, even though I'm sure he wasn't. When we had almost reached our destination, he asked us if we wanted to take a short-cut which would cut off about 1 mile of the trail. Now, not being a purist, I said "sure." So, he proceeds to drive us down a logging road, where both Loon and I caught air over some of the bumps he hit! He finally dropped us off, unscathed, and we hiked up a cluttered logging trail until we reached the AT. Of course, not something I would have done had I been alone or had the guy been by himself. But sure makes for a good story!
Date: 2009-08-15
From: Piazza Rock Lean-To

To: stealth campsite past Orbeton Stream
Miles today: 11.8

So, I must vent a bit here. Last night we stayed at a wonderful shelter which is maintained by the MATC (Maine Appalachian Trail Club) who employs a caretaker to stay at the site to keep it clean and well-maintained ... and to top it all off, it was FREE! I want to know why MATC can have caretaker sites at no fee to hikers but AMC thinks they have to charge every soul $8 who decides to stay there. Plus, it was one of the nicer, cleaner shelters we've stayed at and the caretaker was far more friendly and knowledgable than those at the AMC sites. It just bothers me a bit that a non-profit organization like the AMC is run like a for-profit corporation when all of these other clubs are successful at doing their jobs just like a non-profit should do. Okay, there.In addition to a nice stay at the shelter last night, I learned about potassium deficiency and its effects on hikers. Now it's not only dehydration to watch out for while on the trail but also make sure to get your potassium chloride (which apparently is found in stuff like Gatorade or Propel or other electrolyte beverages). Good to know.We climbed the tri-fecta today: Saddleback, The Horn and Saddleback Junior. First two being over 4000 feet and all with great views. We're on a run with no rain lately and I'm loving it. The climbs are getting easier but still a few of the descents are a bit terrifyingly daunting -- I just can't seem to figure out how to get down a steep rock face without feeling the fear of death staring me in the face! Found another great stealth site about a quarter-mile past Orbeton Stream located on an old railbed. It's secluded in some trees and located near an ice-cold pool of water at the bottom of a small waterfall. Mr. Right dared to bare all and get in the water but just the sight of him made me so cold, I could only bare my feet.Started considering things that I will and will NOT miss about the trail today. I will miss the ultimate freedom in my schedule and decisions each and every day. Every choice I make out here is because of what I want, not what anyone else wants or expects of me. If I want to hike, I hike; if I don't, I don't. Things that I won't miss will be ... well, a lot, but mainly the stench I have acquired over the months; the bugs swarming me daily; and having to go to a grocery store with a very limited selection to choose from. There's just a few.
Date: 2009-08-16
From: stealth campsite past Orbeton Stream

To: ME Rte 27 (Stratton, ME)
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Started off at 8:30am only expecting to hike about 11 miles today but by lunch, Loon and we decided to push all the way to Stratton, nearing almost 19 miles for the day.Climbed Lone, Spaulding and both Crocker Mountains today. And it felt good to do such a big day again. I was starting to think that I couldn't do big miles but I was reassured today after maintaining a 2mph average over 19 miles. I guess terrain really does make a difference.Got to town by 7:30pm and sat out on the curb eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk while waiting for our shuttle. This is the first place on the trail I have found this flavor (which is by far my favorite).Staying at Sue Smith's hostel, the Maine Roadhouse, which is absolutely lovely.
Date: 2009-08-17
From: Maine Roadhouse

To: Maine Roadhouse
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Yep, another zero day. Since we pushed to town early, we decided to take a zero day.Cooked blueberry pancakes, watched over 6 hours of television (yikes!), went to Loon's friend, Christy's camp in Rangeley and hung out by the lake. The camp reminds me a lot of my family's cabin in northern Minnesota. Unfortunately, I started feeling sick on the drive over, to the point of feeling really nauseaus, so I ended up just lying around on a towel while the others went for a swim. At least I felt good enough to play some Boggle.Got some Thai take-out for dinner, which is the first time I've had Thai since being on the trail and it was great!When we got back to the hostel, Hot Sauce was there. We haven't seen her since July 4 in Connecticut so it was really good to see her again. She'll be hiking with us for the next few days since her and Loon are going to a wedding together at the end of the week. We may even get to summit with her if everything works out.
Date: 2009-08-18
From: ME Rte 27 (Stratton, ME)

To: Horn's Pond Lean-Tos
Miles today: 5.1

Watched another 5 hours of television to start the day off. It's just so addicting! Cooked another big breakfast with Dom, Loon, Hot Sauce and Mr. Right.It's heating up and even hotter today than yesterday. So, we decided to leave late in the day to try and avoid the heat. Since we're only doing 5 miles, we decided to leave around 3pm.Got to the shelter around 6pm to find another great "No Fee" site. The pond was beautiful and actually quite warm. I would've gone for a swim had we arrived earlier but it was just too late in the day to cool off that much with no sun to dry off in afterwards. But I did dip my feet in and wash my legs.Tomorrow we climb the Bigelow's which will be our final "big" climb until we reach Katahdin. Woo-hoo!
Date: 2009-08-19
From: Horn's Pond Lean-Tos

To: Little Bigelow Lean-To
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept in fairly late (for us) ... 7:45am! Still no rain although it did look threatening.Had a nice climb up to the Horn and over West and Avery peaks of Bigelow Mountain. (Or, as Mr. Right likes to call them, the Deuce Bigelows!)Great views of Flagstaff Lake, a huge man-made lake with multiple fingers to admire. Took a dip in the ice-cold "tubs" at the shelter.Crossed the 2K mile marker today, as well as climbed our last 4K peak until the Big K!Here's a question for everyone: what is the purpose of a 2-seat privy? Is it for intimate friends or to MAKE intimate friends??2 weeks from our anticipated summit date!! Yippee!
Date: 2009-08-20
From: Little Bigelow Lean-To

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: broken clouds

Didn't get much sleep last night due to all of the bugs. Actually had to get up after dark tonight to move from the shelter into our tent due to the bugs being pretty bad again.Started off at 8am and arrived at camp by 3:15pm -- not too shabby for a 17 mile day. Renewed my faith in my ability to hike 2.5mph on average again. By far the easiest 17 mile day I've done in a long time. I guess the Whites gave me selective amnesia -- I forgot what "normal" terrain looks like.Beautiful day to go swimming in Pierce Pond. Nice and warm, almost like bath water. Even saw a couple of loons out on the pond; my first of the trip. Looking forward to Caratunk tomorrow.
Date: 2009-08-21
From: Pierce Pond Lean-To

To: Rte 201 (Caratunk, ME)
Miles today: 4.0

Was debating whether or not to have a 12-pancake breakfast at Harrison's Camp, about .4-mile from the shelter this morning. But, the decision was made for us when the guy wasn't serving today. Instead, got up early and hiked straight for the Kennebec River.Now, this is something we've been hearing about and waiting for since we started -- ferrying the Kennebec. A river that once had to be forded but now has a ferryman in a canoe who shuttles hikers back and forth all day. We arrived just before the ferry started at 9am and were some of the first across. The ferryman sure is a character!Got to town by 9:45 and after picking up our maildrop (as there is nothing in the town of Caratunk to act as a resupplier), got picked up by Northern Outdoors and brought to their lodge.Northern Outdoors definitely recieves two thumbs up from me. While not necessarily "hiker friendly" (as they are mainly geared towards vacationers and rafting trips), they sure treat us well. They offer thru-hikers a 50% discount on all lodging. Our cabin tent would have cost us $23pp but we got it for the two of us at that price. Great lodge with good food, a game room, microbrews, and a hot tub. Unfortunately, we didn't take advantage of all they had to offer but it was still nice to sit around and enjoy the relaxation. Of course, I was reminded immediately just how much money one can spend when having to buy food all the time. We dropped $100 on 3 meals in the course of staying here. That is certainly where the money adds up -- the food!2 more days until Monson and then ... the 100-mile wilderness!
Date: 2009-08-22
From: Rte 201 (Caratunk, ME)

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-To
Miles today: 18.8

Hit the trail by 9:15 after a great breakfast buffet at Northern Outdoors, which included yogurt with fresh fruit and granola, a craving I've had for quite sometime now.Pleasant Pond, which apparently brought one SoBo to tears, was less than awe-inspiring. However, I must say it is a great place to own a cabin or something. And, we did see a flock of loons ... do you call it a flock? At any rate, there were at least 8 of them swimming together.Had some trail magic for the first time in quite awhile. A nice, cold soda in a cooler right next to the trail. It's amazing what a $.50 can of Coke can do to a hiker's spirit.Today totally beats out Vermont's "sweatiest day on the trail." I sweat so much today my shorts were literally soaked. (And, no, I didn't wet myself this time ...)We pushed on further than we had planned by about 4 miles for a few reasons. One, we were feeling pretty good and realized we could shorten the next day's miles if we wanted to, and second, to get away from someone whom I do not care for in the least. You could say I despise this person, whom shall remain nameless, which seems pretty harsh but he just rubs me quite the wrong way. And, I'm not the only one who feels this way. I haven't had to see since I last saw him in Virginia and, all of a sudden, he shows up a day ago out of the blue and we're trying to lose him before getting into the 100-mile wilderness. It just sucks that I now feel like I have to change my plans to avoid an asshole this late in the trail.We met Rick "AT Troll" Towle at one of the shelters today. He happens to be the co-author of "Appalachian Pages," the databook we carry on the trail. And, he also is the owner of WhiteBlaze.net ... such a small world out here on the trail.I realized today how the days are getting shorter, much like how they were when we started the trail. We arrived at the shelter by 7:15pm and it was already twilight as we approached. It was almost too dark to see on the trail without a light. I'm used to it being light out until almost 9pm or later. I guess we have been out here for quite sometime.We set up our tent by the pond (a lovely spot) and began to make dinner. The rain held off until we were getting ready to eat, so we stood outside eating our mac 'n cheese in the rain with spork in one hand and swatting at mosquitoes in the other. I have to say, there were more mossies at that site than all of the state of Massachusetts. Mr. Right and I look like we got chicken pox we have so many bites.