morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Welcome Hikers Hostel, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

What a difference a good night's sleep makes in the whole scheme of things. Sleeping in my tent inside the shelter was great prevention against the mosquitos. I woke up early feeling ready to go, in spite of the cloudy and humid day. I quickly climbed to the summit of Mt. Cube (2,911 feet), since Hexacuba Shelter is perched halfway up the mountain. I could see the clouds rolling in and knew that rain was bound to start at some point during the day. We seem to be stuck in a nasty weather pattern that shows no sign of moving out anytime soon. The rest of the miles today flew by. The trail was wet and muddy, the trees were dripping from all the recent rain, the bugs were out, and there were no appealing places to stop, so I just kept going. This turned out to be a good move on my part since by 1 p.m. the rain started. I had my pack cover on but it was so warm that I didn't bother with my rain jacket.By 1:30 I'd reached Rte. 25, my destination for the day. I turned right and walked the short distance to the Welcome Hikers Hostel. By this time I was so ready for a hot shower and the chance to do my laundry... 3 days of ups and downs in the heat, rain, and humidity left me looking and feeling downright disgusting!I'm here tonight with Sandgroper 1 and 2 and Birdman. Birdman hiked from Springer to this point last year before getting off the trail, so he's resuming his trek north tomorrow. This hostel is managed by Phatt Chapp and Legion, who have provided us all with incredibly helpful strategic information for getting through the White Mountains. We all loaded into Legion's car for a deli stop in Warren where we picked up our dinners.Tomorrow morning I'll tackle Mt. Moosilauke, which is known as the first "butt kicker" up this way. I believe it has the reputation of letting hikers know that yes, this is the big leagues. White Mountains, here I come, even in the rain!Today's highlight: the opportunity to sort out the next piece of my hike.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Welcome Hikers Hostel, Glencliff, NH

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

Well, no rain this morning. We packed up and left early, heading for the climb up Mt. Moosilauke. Basically the trail just climbed for close to 4 miles to reach the summit at 4,802 feet. It was rocky, but I was able to move at a slow and steady pace. Once on top the views were outstanding. Sandgroper 1 and 2 were there as well, and the only annoyance was those blood thirsty little black flies. They were a smaller size than the ones I'm used to... maybe they're a miniature summit species?As I headed down I was feeling empowered since getting to the summit didn't seem that bad. I reached Beaver Brook Shelter by 11:30 and decided to keep going to the next shelter, 9 miles further on.The descent from Moosilauke was extremely steep, with wooden "steps" bolted into the rocks at some points. Due to all the recent rain and humidity the rocks were damp, so I moved slowly.I took a lunchbreak at Kinsman Notch and then started my afternoon piece of the hike. This climb was steep but what was harder were the ups and downs that followed the initial ascent. It was a long and tedious hike... wet and slippery rocks and roots, and lots of mud. I couldn't risk moving very fast because I didn't want to slip. To add to my frustration, one of the mud pits sucked up the bottom section of my trekking pole, and I ultimately had to fish it out with my hand. Yuch.I'd anticipated reaching Eliza Brook Shelter by 5, but it was 6:30 by the time I finally rolled in. I'm here tonight with Cardinal, a section hiker from Virginia, and Chef and Maz, 2 sisters from Paris (also known as the French girls). I'm anticipating rain tomorrow, so my plan is a short 8.5 mile day to Franconia Notch and then into Lincoln.Today's highlight: the summit of Mt. Moosilauke - much better than digging the end of my trekking pole out of that mud pit...
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Franconia Notch

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.3

My good friend and fellow high school counselor, Alan Kamman, showed up at 7:15 this morning to hike with me. Al used to work in the AMC huts in the White Mountains, so I was excited that he'd be able to hike for the day.After a great breakfast at Peg's in North Woodstock, we drove to the trailhead and started our hike. We climbed up a couple of thousand feet, ultimately summiting Little Haystack (4,800 ft.), Mt. Lincoln (5,089 ft.), and Mt. Lafayette (5,291 ft.). We dodged the rain and the clouds lifted on the ridge. Franconia Ridge is absolutely spectacular! Alan started heading down the ridge with me, but a storm looked imminent, so we parted ways and I went north and he went south. I only had a few miles to make it to the campsite but they were tough. Not long after I hiked below tree line the storm started... thunder, lightening, and heavy rain. I climbed steeply up Mt. Garfield in pouring rain. This whole deal with climbing up and down wet rocks is getting pretty old.I'm at Garfield Ridge Shelter, which is a beautiful 2 story shelter. There's a group of 5 section hikers, along with 2 southbound hikers,and a father and son out for an overnight. I warmed up the delicious homemade venison stew that Alan brought me (thanks, Al) and shortly after I ate in walked Just Dave. So good to see him since I last saw him in Erwin, TN. He puts in big mile days and had gotten way ahead of me. He'd just hiked from Eliza Brook Shelter through three thunderstorms and covered the miles in one day that I'd covered in two. I shared the other half of the stew with him.Still more rain in the forecast tomorrow but I'll be out there...Today's highlight: Having a friend join me to hike on the stunning Franconia Ridge.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 14.5

**Please note: cell coverage in the White Mountains is very spotty, so I'll post when I can.Just Dave always gets moving early, and everyone in the shelter started getting organized as well. It looked like a clear day for a change.My shoes and socks were thoroughly soaked and disgusting from yesterday. I headed down the trail, which was essentially a steep riverbed with water running down it. It was painstakingly slow business and I was discouraged to see a sign telling me I'd only come .5 miles in a half hour. The back flies were biting, my shoelace finally snapped, and I was missing my buff headband. All in all a tough start to my day. I considered calling Easy Rider and having a good whine but thought better of that idea.Once I made it to the bottom of Mt. Garfield the trail improved. I started to climb, but before long I reached Galehead Hut, the second White Mountain Hut I'd come to. By this time the sun was out and the mountain views were lovely. I've made it my goal to eat my way through the hut system so I stopped in to see what was for breakfast. The croo offered to warm up leftover chocolate chip pancakes, and over a plate of pancakes and a cup of tea the day seemed better. The pancakes were free and the tea was $1 so it was a bargain breakfast. I found the picture of my friend Alan and his wife, Ann, on their wedding day posted inside the hut. I then sat outside on the porch, chatted about hiking with a hike leader from Boston, and fixed my broken shoelace. Life was good again.The trail ascended South Twin Mountain (4,902 ft.) and I had great views back toward Franconia Ridge. One really has to work for the White Mountain views, but the payoff is huge. The trail then meandered down a bit, ultimately ending at Zealand Falls Hut. By this time it was 2 and time for lunch.Zealand Falls Hut was hopping with guests. The soup of the day was black bean, so I sat down with a bowl of soup and homemade bread, and polished off my lunch with a cream cheese brownie. The croo told me they love thru hikers and would feed me for free in exchange for some work, but I wanted to keep moving so paid my $4 for the meal (what a deal) and left. I don't know why I bothered to resupply in Lincoln since these hut visits are tasty business. From the hut, the last 4.8 miles of the day were the easiest I've encountered in NH. They were downright flat. I arrived at Ethan Pond Shelter at about 4:30 and met the caretaker, who gave me a tent site. This campsite costs $8 for the night, just like Garfield Ridge. I know a lot of thru hikers are philosophically opposed to having to pay to camp, but I'm okay with it. I set my tent up, laid down to look over maps, and promptly fell asleep. This terrain is wearing me out but it's gorgeous scenery. It rained briefly in the early evening, but I'm thankful to have had a blue sky day for hiking.Today's highlight: the views.
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tent Platforms
Miles today: 10.1

Today was a tough one. The White Mountains terrain is without a doubt the most difficult I've encountered. I woke up several times during the night and heard the rain pelting the windows at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. When morning rolled around it was still raining, and the fog was thick. I decided that I might as well wait around for breakfast, which I ate with the croo after the paying guests had eaten.I started hiking at 8:45 and climbed the 1.4 miles to the summit of Mt. Washington. I climbed Mt. Washington with my dad when I was about 14, and I remember reaching the top and being disappointed that there were all kinds of people there who had gotten to the summit through easier means. Even my mom and my two younger brothers had ridden the cog railway up. A number of years ago I revisited the summit, this time on a motorcycle behind John, along with his brother and sister-in-law Dick and Lori.Today it crossed my mind that it would have been a heck of a lot easier to have arrived there by car or train. Even though it wasn't raining, the rocks were wet and slippery and I had to move cautiously. I made a stop in the snack bar for some hot chocolate and then headed back out into the fog.I'll spare you the details, but let's just say the rest of the day was really hard. From the Mt. Washington summit (6,288 ft.) the trail descended 1,000+ feet. I really wasn't following a trail as much as I was climbing up and down wet boulder fields. I'm sure that on a clear day the views in the Presidential Range are exquisite, but it was so foggy that I could simply aim for the next cairn.I finally reached Madison Spring Hut by mid-afternoon and stopped for soup and bread. I looked at my map and realized I still had some tough miles to travel. Madison Spring Hut (4,800 ft.) sits in the shadow of Mt. Madison (5,366 ft.). The trail climbed straight up and over Mt. Madison, and I had to carefully pick my way. Over the next 2.5 miles the trail made a steep descent to 2,554 ft. There were a few breaks in the clouds and I had a glimpse of the mountains' beauty. Once I was below tree line the trail became a narrow steep mess of wet rocks and roots with water running down. I'd planned to go all the way to Pinkham Notch and stay at Joe Dodge Lodge, an AMC facility. I'm in serious need of a shower and I had the fantasy of getting clean and sleeping on a bunk there. Given how slow I was able to move over this terrain, however, I stopped at Osgood Tent Sites. Yonder is also camping here and the last time we saw each other was in Pennsylvania. He said today was one of his toughest days as well; misery loves company.I plan to get an early start tomorrow and stop at the lodge for a shower before I tackle my next challenge, the Wildcats. Two southbounders are tenting here tonight and they warned Yonder and I that we've got a monster climb up the Wildcats (4 peaks) with lots of water and wet rocks. I'm beginning to think my feet will never be dry - when will this rain end?Today's highlight: summiting Mt. Washington, in spite of the weather.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Osgood Tent Platforms

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

After having been cheated of a hot shower, bunk, and real food yesterday, I was determined to make up for lost time today. I packed everything up and was on the trail by 5:45, thinking about the coin operated shower and breakfast buffet at Joe Dodge Lodge. It had rained overnight (no surprise there) so I had the joy of packing a wet tent into my backpack.The 4+ miles to Pinkham Notch were pretty straightforward and I made it to the lodge by 8:15. Five dollars bought me an 8 minute shower and a towel to use and it was worth every penny. This was my fifth day without a shower and I was beyond ready. I had to put my same old stinky hiking clothes back on, but I smelled a bit better.Once clean I headed to the breakfast buffet. Yonder was already attacking a plateful since he opted to eat before a shower. I went through 2 glorious plates of breakfast food; it was wonderful.By the time I left the lodge it was 10 and time to tackle the Wildcats. The trail up was super steep and a rocky jumble. Because of all the rain slugs were in abundance and I don't know how many times I grabbed hold of a tree or rock for support only to grab a disgusting slug. I was glad to be climbing up rather than down. The trail starts at about 2,000 ft. and ascends Wildcat Mountain peak E, followed by peaks D, C, and A. D has a gondola, so there were a few families scrambling around who'd ridden the gondola to the top. Peak A was the highest, at 4,400 ft., and I have no idea what ever happened to peak B.After peak A the trail descended steeply into Carter Notch. By this time it was 3 and of course I had to visit Carter Notch Hut for a bowl of their soup. Carter Hut has a different feel from the other huts because it's an old stone structure. The minestrone soup was delicious, as was the homemade bread. Sad to think that this ended my hut tour... back to my boring tortilla wraps for lunch.I decided to make a go for Imp Shelter, 7.2 miles away. The trail climbed up over Carter Dome, Mt. Hight, and then Middle Carter and North Carter Mountains. You'd think I might have known better, based on my White Mountain experience to date, that the miles wouldn't move as quickly as I'd hoped. The final miles before the shelter were wet and slabby, so it was slow going. I forgot to mention that it rained off and on several times today so everything was damp. I finally made it to the shelter right before dark, at 8:45. There was a beautiful sunset as I was ending my hike so I'm hoping for better weather tomorrow.Today's highlight: there were some decent views, but I have to go with the hot shower and breakfast. Decadent.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Imp Campsite

To: Rte. 2, Gorham
Miles today: 8.0

It seemed bright when I woke up at 5:30. Could it really be that the sun was shining? It's the 4th of July and in honor of the holiday I thought I'd take a hike...John had picked up on the fact that I'd taken a beating in the Whites and offered to pick me up and spend the day and night with me in Gorham. With that as a motivator, I packed up and was on the trail by 7. I had to cover only 8 miles and planned to meet him at Rte. 2 at noon.I started with a climb of about 800 feet up and over Mt. Moriah, which included a nice ridge walk with some views. From there it was down for about 7 miles. The trail was still wet and the rocks and roots were slippery, so it was fairly slow going once again. The final couple of miles, however, were nicely graded and easy walking and it felt good to stretch my legs out and walk quickly.I arrived at Rte. 2 a few minutes before John. I had just taken my shoes off and he was shocked to see the state of my poor feet. To me they looked the way they have everyday in this wet weather, but he hadn't seen this pitiful state of affairs until now. The bottoms of my feet are completely white and the skin's shriveled, and my toes are red and the toenails are turning colors. I assured him that they'd look better after a shower and a chance to dry out. We found a motel in Gorham, I took a shower, and then it was time for food. We had great pizza at Mountain Fire Pizza and happened to be there in time to watch the 2 p.m. 4th of July parade go by. The Gorham parade theme was "Christmas in July", and I have to admit it was a bit strange to see elves walking around in 80+ degree temperatures.Then it was laundry, ice cream, a nap, and a little bit of resupply. Easy Rider's thinking I'm looking gaunt (first time in my life that anyone's used that term to describe me) so his main objective today was to make sure I ate well. We had a great dinner at Mr. Pizza Crackerjack Lounge and I am now pleasantly full.Today was the perfect way to say "so long" to the Whites... on to the next leg of this journey.Today's highlight: this relaxing nearo day. Just what I needed.
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6

I slept really well and woke up feeling ready to hike. Well, maybe not totally ready, but definitely feeling better about hiking. Since the plan was for an under 10 mile day I took my time packing up and even made a cup of tea.The skies were overcast and the temperature was cooler than the last few days. The trail first climbed up to the summit of Mt. Success before dipping down to the Maine state line. The final state in this journey... I have to admit that seeing the NH/ME state line sign brought tears to my eyes.The terrain today was tough but the views were lovely. The trail ascended Goose Eye Mountain (who names these peaks?), summiting first the west peak, then the east peak, and finally the north peak. Much of the trail followed an open ridge line and I could see mountains in all directions.It was slow going once again. There was lots of mud, climbing up and down rock slabs, and even ladders and rebar. I had a mishap on one of the bog " bridges" along the ridge. There was mud everywhere and I made a big step to reach a plank, only to miss it and step down into thigh deep mud. That would have been okay, but I smacked my left thigh on the way down. I should have quite a colorful bruise and so much for the new trailrunners!I'm at Full Goose Shelter tonight and have my tent set up on one of the platforms. Dragonstick and I are the only 2 northbounders but we're here with 4 southbounders and 3 section hikers. It's always helpful to get news of what lies ahead on the trail. Onward to Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow...Thoughts and well wishes to my dad, who fell and broke his hip last night.Today's highlight: following the gorgeous ridge line on Goose Eye Mountain.
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-to
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

I'm not generally prone to self-pity, so 2 days was enough of my lousy mood. I woke up this morning with a "just do it" (sorry, Nike) attitude. I packed up and was on the trail before 7.The first order of business for the day was tackling Mahoosuc Notch. The mile of trail through the notch is billed as the toughest mile on the AT, although southbounders reported that it was actually kind of fun.I enjoyed the notch, taking my time to pick my way through the jumble of huge boulders. There was still some ice and snow in the bottom of the crevasses, so occasionally I got a blast of natural air conditioning. I had to remove my pack 3 times to squeeze through tight spots, and I collapsed my hiking poles and strapped them to my pack since I needed 2 hands. It was time consuming, but quite doable.Following my assault on the notch, it was time to contend with Mahoosuc Arm. I knew Southbounders really hated the Arm, and the map showed it as a steep stretch of trail, but I didn't know what to expect.It was all rather anticlimactic... I started ascending steeply but didn't know if there was crazy steepness ahead. I passed Bible, a SOBO, and asked him if we were on the Arm and he hadn't a clue either. I guess the Arm is the steep slab I walked up. Fortunately the rock was dry and I walked up easily. I think the descent might be rather terrifying.By this time I was feeling empowered to have made it through Mahoosuc Notch and Arm. Bring it on, AT. From there it was down to Speck Pond, a gorgeous clear pond that I learned is the largest body of water at the highest elevation (3,438 ft.) in Maine. There were great campsites there but it was too early in the day to stop, so I sat by the pond for a lunch break.The trail then took me to the top of Speck Mountain, and the climb up was beautiful. Although I haven't been in Maine long, I think the AT in this state packs more "bang for your buck" than any other state. The alpine boggy meadow ridge walks are magical, as are the ponds, lakes, and mountain views. The trail makes me work for all of this, but the payback is big. Had a nice conversation along the way with Hobbit and his girlfriend, who are from Maine. Hobbit has thru hiked in 1985 and 2010 and plans to hike the trail again.I then had a painfully long descent into Grafton Notch. At the bottom someone had kindly left a still cold case of root beer for AT hikers, which I thoroughly appreciated at that point in my day. The root beer and a pack of peanut m&m's fueled my final 2.3 mile hike to Baldpate Lean-to. I'm here alone in the shelter tonight, which is a first for me. The black flies and mosquitos are bloodthirsty, so I set my tent up in the shelter. It started raining awhile ago so I'm feeling very smug.On to Andover tomorrow...Today's highlight: Mahoosuc Notch.
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: Andover, ME (Pine Ellis Hostel)
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

When I woke up at 2a.m. to use the facilities (the weeds) it started to rain. I'd made it three days without rain, so I guess it was time once again. A heavy rain continued for the rest of the night. I lay in my tent in the shelter feeling thankful that I'd had a dry day to hike Mahoosuc Notch and Arm.I left the shelter by 7 and everything was wet and slippery. Every time I grabbed a tree for support I was doused with water. Soon I was totally soaked... my already rank clothes were extra disgusting as they became wet.The trail ascended 1,000 feet to Baldpate west peak and I climbed up lots of exposed, wet rock. I'm sure there are absolutely spectacular views, but the fog and mist rolled in and I was simply following the rock cairns and blazes.After reaching the west peak, the trail dipped down before ascending again to the east peak. I tried not to think about the fact that whatever goes up will go down, because for me going down slippery rock is unnerving. Well, ultimately I did have to go down Baldpate and it was slow going. There's no way I'm going to rush those downhills. As a hiker commented yesterday, you don't hear about bad falls on the uphills...I didn't see anyone until 10, when I passed Ups, a SOBO (southbounder). He was slackpacking and staying at Pine Ellis Hostel in Andover, my destination for the evening. He gave me some helpful info about calling for a ride because I wasn't sure how easy it would be to hitch into Andover on a drizzly Monday.I found a spot with cell coverage (a coup in Maine) and called Pine Ellis and arranged for David to pick me up at East B Rd. at 1 p.m. He drove me to the hostel and gave me the full tour. I'm in a room with 5 beds, and there's a bunkhouse out back and some private rooms as well. After a shower and a load of laundry in the washer I walked into town, which is only a few blocks away. There's a great General Store and Diner, and I polished off a cheeseburger, fries, and piece of strawberry rhubarb pie. When I returned to the hostel it was hopping with hikers. It's a full house tonight, with Tarzan, Zippy, and Diddo (NOBO), Ups, Up, and Patches (SOBO), and Barbarosa, Scary Hair, and Whetherman, (section hikers). I walked back to the store to grab a sandwich for later and ended up sitting at the lunch counter chatting with the other hikers for awhile. It's great to have the chance to compare notes about our journeys.I'm going to stay here tomorrow night as well and am looking forward to slackpacking a section tomorrow. My shoulders will welcome the break from the full backpack!Today's highlight: being at Pine Ellis Hostel. Nice people.