morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-16
From: Garfield Pond Stealth Campsite

To: Zeacliff Pond Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 9.1

Red Wing:   Yesterday was tough, today was the pay off. We're still with Nate & Al, and we experienced awesome, cool, clear weather. After the intense climb up to Franconia Ridge yesterday, we began our day today with only a 700 foot climb up Mt. Garfield to get our first view of the day. There was a 360 degree and the remains of an old firetower. From there we hiked down and back up to Galehead Hut where we ate lunch and had fresh brownies from the hut kitchen for dessert. The view from the porch of the hut gave us a great look at the ridge we had just crossed. And we also saw our next mountain, South Twin, to the left. After the nice break, we headed up to the summit. This 360 degree view included our first clear shot at seeing the Presidential Range, including Mt. Washington, without a cloud in the sky. Down and back up, we went from there to the top of Mt. Guyot. Compared to the past few days, today's terrain was a little easier, and the views were even more enjoyable since we weren't completely spent upon arrival. We ran into Clockwork Orange hiking south. He's attempting a 52 mile hut traverse, in one day. He was going strong when we saw him, with only two more huts to go!   As we coasted down the ridge, we came to Zeacliff Pond. The pond is surrounded by rock ledges that are hundreds of feet high and mud filled with moose tracks. Water wasn't easy to access, since much of the shore is mud bog, but we managed to find a rock to step out on where we could scoop. As the sun was setting, the nearly full moon was rising. The reflection of moonlight on the waters invited us to sit still for a long while and just "be".
Date: 2005-08-17
From: Zeacliff Pond Stealth Campsite

To: Crawford Notch Campground
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: fog

Hopeful:   I lost Red Wing's entry for today, so I'm going to do a quick summary. It rained during the night, even after such a clear moonlight/starry sky when we went to bed. We all got a little chilled, but warmed up fast once we started to hike. Once more we took a midday break at a hut, this time Zealand Hut. The rest of the day was relatively flat (for real this time!). I think it followed an old railway grade for a time. Nate and Al are fast on the flat stretches. We had lunch on the rocks by Ethan Pond Campsite. It felt good to finish the same amount of miles as prior days so much earlier (due to terrain). We found Nate's truck safe and sound and shuttled ourselves in two trips to the campground for the our last night together. We found a swimming hole in the river, which sufficed for a shower. We are getting lazy! The campground has showers, but the 1/2 mile walk to them didn't appeal to us this evening. We enjoyed hotdogs and hamburgers over the fire. We wanted to share comments from Nate and Al that we've heard during their 3 days of hiking in the Whites.    Al says, "I'm doing it!" (referring to a thru hike someday)   Nate says, "How many miles is it to our car?" If we find the "real" journal entry, I'll edit this later!
Date: 2005-08-18
From: Crawford Notch Campground

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

Red Wing:   People have been asking us recently, if we're ready to get back to the real world and finish up hiking. The answer is, no, not really. This summer has been full of good things, and we're not looking forward to the hike coming to an end. We know that good things await at home, too, yet the transition will be a big one. I feel bad for those who know us from home... they will be hearing stories for years to come!   Al drove us from the campground to the trail this AM and our 3.3 mile, 2,700 foot climb began. In all, there was a 3,900 foot summit, over three 4,000 feet mountains, and two over 5,000 feet. We are approaching Mt. Washington, the granddaddy of them all. I feel like all we did today was climb. The last three miles have been above treeline with visibility today of more than 100 miles. We could even glimpse the ocean in the distance.    Tonight we're doing "work for stay" in a hut run by the AMC. Often they allow thru hikers to do this. I did a pile of dishes in return for dinner, breakfast and a night's stay in the hut. It is above treeline and only 1.5 miles from the Mt. Washington summit. The "croo" is very friendly, and they let us sleep on the tables after the 90 + guests headed off to their bunk rooms for the night. It's unusual for us to be around such a large crowd of people, some of whom forget to use indoor voices! Since they pay a good deal for their stay, we definately can't complain.
Date: 2005-08-20
From: USFS Osgood Tent Sites

To: Pinkham Notch, then Gorham at The Libby House
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: moderate rain

Red Wing:   We never intended to go into town this early, but after being here for a few hours, I know that it was the right decision. We had a mail drop sent to Gorham and our intention was to hike another day and a half before coming to town (Gorham is accessible from the trail at two different road crossings). Due to rain and tiredness, we snuck in a little early and are busy not doing much of anything. We're staying in a B & B called "The Libby House", which has a hiker hostel called "The Barn", attached. On the 25th, Hopeful turns 30 so we figured that this would be a good place to celebrate, and to do it in style, we opted for the B & B. Despite the beauty of this section of trail, we've been more worn out than by any other section and have already taken an afternoon nap. Along with our maildrop, we received a care package from friends in Michigan, a few letters, new shoes for me, and a good book that my sister and brother in law included in our box. Altogether, they made for a great morale boost at a much needed time. It also encouraged us to see other hikers in town who are now a couple days ahead... Princess, Pogo, Scared of the Dark and Song Line are around tonight, as well as Zen and Red Beard, fellow Michiganders, who we haven't seen since the Smokies!
Date: 2005-08-21
From: Pinkham Notch, then Gorham at The Libby House

To: The Barn in Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Red Wing:   We woke up this morning with the excitedment of the "breakfast" in the B & B on our mind. French toast, sausage, fresh fruit, orange juice and COFFEE! It beat the oatmeal and water that we're used to. We shared our meal with a fun couple that had a ton of questions about the trail. They later gave us a ride to the grocery store. After breakfast we went to a local church. It was the first Sunday that we've been in town, and therefore able to attend a service, in about 6 weeks. The morning was filled with rain and our bodies were feeling no better today than when they were so worn out yesterday. So, we decided to scale down the lodging from the B & B to the hostel, make it a true Sabbath, and stay another night. About an hour later, the day started to clear off, but our minds were made up and we were staying. Staying in the Hostel is Clockwork Orange, Esoteric Ninja, Red Beard & Zen. Red Beard and Zen are a couple from Grand Rapids, MI, just a few hours from our house. They're getting off the trail to get married, and then returning to finish up in a few weeks. Song Line and Scared of the Dark were here for much of the day and took off in the evening. We may not catch up with them again, and we'll miss them both.   Since we've been here, Hopeful found a book from the C.S. Lewis Narnia series that she's excited to re-read. I found a book written by Blaise Pascal. He was a mathematician in the 17th century and often wrote regarding the Christian faith. He had a unique blend of faith and reason that I respect and agree with.   "If we try to understand truth by reason alone, our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we ignore the principles of reason, our religion will be absurd and ridiculous." --Pascal
Date: 2005-08-23
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Gorham (US2)/The Barn Hostel (again!)
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

Red Wing:   Yup, that's right, we're back in Gorham once again. It's the town we can't get away from.    Last night, at Carter Hut, our bunk room had two snorers. I had to get up from bed and go sleep on a table in the dining room. The mice in the kitchen clunked pots and pans all night, but were much easier to sleep through.    Hopeful took pity on my sick body and covered my portion of the work at the hut (we stayed for free thanks to her labor). So, with our jobs done last night, we got out at a reasonable time. After going over Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range, it seemed like we'd seen all there was to see in the Whites. That is not at all the case. Coming over South, Middle and North Carters, and Mt. Moriah, was incredible. The weather was cool and comfortable. There is so much more to see here, I'm jealous of those who live near enough to come bak and hike more of the trails.    At the US 2 road crossing, we caught a ride back to town shortly before dinner. This time we came in off a different highway, so we have made two days progress since our first visit to Gorham. We picked up the food we'd left behind, ran other errands and went out to eat. Our appetites have been huge lately. We eat a lot anyway, but when we do a lot of steep climbing, we notice that we burn a significantly greater number of calories. At the restaurant, we ran into Chris and Melissa, the father and daugher who gave us a ride into town from the trail. We enjoyed their company during dinner (it was our second visit to Mr. Pizza, which actually has a great menu of much more than pizza). At this point we realized that it was getting dark, and we still had to make a few phone calls. Our best bet was to settle for going back to the hostel, instead of trying to stealth camp outside of town. And that's how we ended up right back where we were both two and three night ago!
Date: 2005-08-24
From: Gorham (US2)/The Barn Hostel (again!)

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

Red Wing:   New Hampshire... check!   Today was cold and wet. It was the kind of day where branches full of wet pine needles would hit us and soak us and make our clothes wet and cold. It was the kind of day where every time we would bump a tree, we'd get a shower. Once we got warm and our packs were comfortable, we wouldn't move for fear that the wind might get between our pack our back and mess up the way that the heat was being blanketed. We grumbled a little under the weight of our packs today. We reloaded with food for five days. We're hoping to get to Rangeley, Maine before resupplying. So, they are weighted down by cold weather gear and food to appease our increased appetites.      We had a brief view from the Gentian Pond Shelter, which is in an incredible spot, before the skies opened up and rained on us for awhile. Eventually, late in the day, the clouds passed and we even saw blue skies briefly before the sun set. Now, as we look outside the shelter, we have the clearest night for stargazing that we've had yet.   The weather would not be would define this day, however. Todyw as the day for crossing into Maine. Typically, when people ask us where were headed, we reply, "To Maine". Now we have to be more specific. Hopeful says that we can go home now because we can still tell people we've made it to Maine. What a welcome it was. Some of our steepest climbs were in the past five miles. Our toughest two rock scrambles have been in the half mile since we've crossed the border (when we feeling really worn out and not the most agile), and tonight is the easily the coldest evening since the Smokies (early April). We're sharing the Carlo Col Shelter (3/10 mile downhill off the Trail) with Pappa Razzi. We met some other hikers during the day who were flip flopping. The sign marking the border promises that Maine is "The Way Life Should Be". We'll see, as we tackle tomorrow what is known to be the toughest section of the whole AT.
Date: 2005-08-25
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Red Wing:   Happy Birthday to Hopeful! She's 30 today, and to prove that she's still young, she outhiked me over the toughest miles of the Trail. We began the day completely socked in by clouds over the peaks (yes, plural, and very steep) of Goose Eye Mountain. This was only the warm-up. We took our lunch break at Full Goose Shelter, after only four miles. The four miles took us so long that it wasn't really that early, and we figured we could use the fuel for what was coming.   Mahoosuc Notch is one mile long and took us an hour and forty minutes. That's about the average for most people. The notch is a deep gorge filled with car and house sized boulders. Some you go over, some around, and some under. It's a full body exercise. At one point, Hopeful had to take her pack off, pass it through a hole, and then slide through herself. Coming out of Mahoosuc Notch is Mahoosuc Arm, which is very steep and difficult on its own, but in particular after crawling our way through the Notch. When this one-two punch is put together, it makes for the most difficult 3.5 miles I have ever hiked. At one point, I dropped my pack, sat down in the center of the trail, and started eating through my snack bag. In five minutes I ate a day's worth of snacks. I guess it's time to rework my ration for the next few days. In all, our 9.5 miles took us 9.5 hours.   To add to this already challenging day, my cold is still messing with my body. I can deal with the runny nose, it's the tired and weak body that is hard to overcome.   The Trail is full of colleges sending students out backpacking for orientation programs. There have been three groups in the last two nights. At approximately 8-10 students per group it makes for a busy campsite. It's the first campsite we've stayed at with an AMC caretaker. There's a fee that way, but the site is well cared for. If it weren't so cold, we might have taken a swim in the pond. After this point, however, we will be out of AMC territory and shelters will be kept up for the most part by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club.   Hopeful says that her birthday will be a memorable one. Breakfast in bed (even if it was the same old oats), sun in the afternoon (yes, the skies cleared before we got to the Notch), grey jays visiting us for lunch (swooping down for our crumbs), and of course, living the life that Christ allows us along this Trail.   It seems that every day is different out here and they're all special for their own reasons.
Date: 2005-08-27
From: East B Hill Road, campsite by stream

To: "The Cabin" in East Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Red Wing:   With out being in the midst of the toughest trail miles, not having many thru-hikers around (1 NOBO in 3 days), and my being sick, it was an easy decision for us to take a day off today. We hiked from our tentsite to a road crossing (about 100 yards), and caught a ride to "The Cabin", a hostel in East Andover. We   timed it well. We only waited about 20 minutes before the actual cabin vehicle drove up, with Phoenix Rising in the driver's seat. We met Phoenix near Irwin, TN. She stopped hiking early on and stuck around to do trail magic through Pennsylvania. Then she came up to Maine to work at the Cabin and wait for all the hikers she had gotton to know to come back through. This morning she was dropping off Pappa Razzi for a slack pack, and we happily hopped in for the return trip to The Cabin. Bear and Honey run the cabin and offer a bunk with all you can eat meals and snacks... perfect for hikers. Today, I gained 6 pounds in 10 hours.    The only other thru hiker staying here is Pappa Razzi, unless you count Wandering Bull who finished July 27 and came back here to help out for a month. We met him once back in North Carolina, but he obviously kept a faster pace. It's fun to hear about his hike a little. There are several section hikers too. In fact, two women (separately) are finishing the trail today. Amoeba has completed the AT after 3 years of hiking sections, and Ambler Rambler (age 71) did her last 10 miles after 11 years of piecing it together. Hats off to both of them! We celebrated at dinner with decorations, costumes from the cabin dress up closet for some, and champagne.   Tomorrow we're planning another zero day. Our hopes are to heal up a little, get over this cold, and pass some time in a comfortable place while we hope for other to catch up.   There's a poem on the wall, written by a past cabin guest, that seems appropriate:   "We've been to the cabin in Maine   The good is so good it's insane   If you're in need of care   Go to Honey and Bear   And you'll never feel hungry/tired/dirty/homeless again".
Date: 2005-08-28
From: "The Cabin" in East Andover, ME

To: "The Cabin" in East Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Red Wing:   Today was one of the more relaxing zeros we've taken. We ate a huge breakfast (including blueberry pancakes, bacon, biscuits with homemade jam, fruit and create your own omlets), attended a great little church with Bear and Honey's neighbors, napped, ate some more, and basically just let our bodies return to normal.   Late this afternoon, Stats and Mud Pumpkin arrived. We first met them in Georgia and hiked with them through part of North Carolina. We have seen them twice since then and haven't spent more than 5 minutes together in over 4 months. Needless to say, it's been good to see them again. We really are encouraged that we might get to hike, and pick up where we left off, with some familiar faces in the days to come.    We also got to talk to a few friends from home, including our neighbors, the Pippins, who came to visit yesterday while they were passing through the area. The tradegy/comedy of it all was that we never saw them, even though we were only 3 miles away from one another. Cell phone service is not very extensive in Maine, and they weren't able to recieve our message of the change in plans in time. Anyway, when we found out how near we had been and were finally able to get through on the phone today, it was disappointing. However, we enjoyed talking with them, and as always, were encouraged by their friendship. It was a relief to learn that while they waited at the trail head for us, they had a great time getting to know various hikers who passed by!   At dinner this evening, Bear mentioend to all of us at the table that, if it rains tomorrow, he considers it an "Act of God". As hikers, he says that in that case, it's not our fault and he would allow us free bunks for another night. We were definately planning on moving on, but we're left considering what to do if it's really bad weather, which it may be. I kind of feel like a student looking out the window at the snow falling and wondering whether there will be school the next day. In addition to the regular forecast, the hikers here tonight have been glued to the news flashes about hurricane Katrina. Besides the immediate shock of what could happen along the coast, we were also counting the days before the follow up rains will likely reach us here in Maine.
Date: 2005-08-29
To: South Arm Rd. / "The Cabin"
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Red Wing:   Well, it rained today and we decided to stay. We had another incredile breakfast, packed up a few snacks and some water into day packs, and drove off to the trail (our first time in three days). Slackpacking (hiking without all our gear) is a great way to do miles without burning the energy of a hike with 3 or 4 times as much weight. The rain did not end up being very heavy, just on and off all day. The most difficult part was getting soaked from the trees and bushes alongside the trail. Much of the hike was easier than what we've seen of Maine so far. Mt. Moody was the only real steep part, and there weren't many overlook spots so the mist and clouds didn't bother us much.   We were back at the Cabin by 1:30 pm. Papa Razzi and Phoenix Rising had just returned from a trip to Gorham where they had visited some trail friends. In all, they said they ran into 15 or more hiker, confirming our thoughts that there is a large crew behind us. Also, Pumpkin (who we hadn't seen since North Carolina) is staying here. She and Mayfly both jumped ahead to Andover so that they can hike the northern miles before it gets too cold, and will finish the inbetween miles after they summit Katahdin. Pumpkin reported to us who she's been hiking with: Hairball, Snowbunny, Train, Raindrop, Bug and Miss Priss are only a few miles back and are trying to catch up. That's exciting news to us and we would love to be able to reconnect with them for these final miles (just 246.4 to go!). To top off another good day, we ate bowls of chili and now are watching the Detroit Lions pre-seaon game.
Date: 2005-08-30
From: South Arm Rd. / 

To: Bemis Mtn Lean-to
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:   Following breakfast this morning, Bear dropped us off on the trail. Our next few days will be short ones, as we want to give the group behind us a chance to catch up. So today we took our time, hiking with Pappa Razzi and thinking of all the time we would have at the shelter in the afternoon. Since the Cabin serves breakfast at 6 AM, we were full and packed and on the trail at an early hour. The initial climb up to "Old Blue" Mtn. was a little steep, but then we seemed to stay up and among the Bemis peaks. Pappa Razzi is notorious for finding wild blueberries in such areas, although we didn't stop for much picking today.   Back in Gorham, Hopeful picked up the book, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. When we arrived at the shelter just before 3 PM, we all decided to have extended story time and read the book aloud, taking turns at each chapter. Mayfly arrived shortly after we did and joined our reading group. So, for several hours, the four of us have been enjoying this amazing allegory. Pappa Razzi is very gifted at adding voices (especially Mr. Beaver's) while he reads.    Anyway, the premise of the book is that four siblings find their way to another world. One follows the witch and falls under a spell of hers. Aslan, a mighty lion, allows himself to be sacrificied to break the spell. After Aslan (not only mighty, but also one who has done no wrong) dies, the spell is broken. Then, just as with Christ, Aslan rises again. I find myself thinking of the passage in Romans chapter 6 that I was reading this morning.   vs. 16 "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"   vs. 18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."   It has been really neat to have our little storytime, and very hard to put the book down once we started. One last thought... today was our five month hiking anniversary! We've been walking since March 30.