morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 118:The plan was to hike out at 6:00 but it rained all night and right into the morning. When 6:00 came around "Scooby" sent me a text that his vote was to wait until 7:00 to decide what to do. My text back was that I was in full support. I had no problem rolling over and going back to sleep. Things did start clearing up by 7:00 so we started packing up and hit the trail at 8:00. Fifteen minutes into our hike we crossed the Kinsman Notch parking lot when a car pulled up. A three time AT hiker "Left Field" jumped out of his car and asked if we were thru-hikers. When we replied with an affirmative he pulled out a couple of cold beers for us. Sure, it was only 8:00 in the morning but beer provides lots of nutrients and is actually considered a breakfast beverage in some countries ( I don't know which countries but I heard this somewhere... I think). Anyway, it's my birthday today and I can do whatever I want. "Left Field" did offer us another but we passed because we did have mountains to conquer after all. We did accept the candy bars he offered. Candy bars are actually a breakfast food in some countries.   On to our hike... it was tough, real tough. The White Mountains are truly living up to their reputation. The boulder climbs are tough enough but throw in all the standing water, ankle high mud and raised creek levels that require cautious fording, your progress is slow... very slow. I had two slip and falls today with no physical harm but a lot of mud to clean up. The climbs require hand over hand at times and it really tests your physical and mental abilities. There were several times that if not for tree roots to grab onto I'm not sure how forward progress could be made. The low mileage day is evidence of this slow advance through the Whites. Our goal is to do our best and to stay healthy. The big mile days are just going to have to wait for when conditions are right. We are camped at the Kinsman Pond Shelter tonight. This is a AMC run camp with a caretaker and a $10 fee required for tenting. This is the first year that the AMC is experimenting with giving hikers a fifty percent off card with their first stay at one of their club run sites. It is also good for discounts at their huts for snacks and drinks. It sounds like a good deal so we'll see how it works for us. Our plan for tomorrow if all works as planned is to hike five miles to Franconia Notch and either hitch a ride or call for a shuttle to Lincoln where we can resupply then get back to the trail to add on some more miles. Unfortunately, it looks like rain again tomorrow. Whistler
Date: 2017-07-01
From: Kinsman Pond Campsite 

To: Liberty Springs Campsite 
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: light rain

Day 119While researching and planning my thru-hike, I had set some personal goals and had hoped I might enjoy some of those fun and iconic memories that I had read so much about. One of those experiences was realized this morning. The Appalachian Mountain Club or AMC has full jurisdiction over the "Huts" and campsites. The "Huts" are elaborate structures with a full dining room, bathrooms and bunk rooms for paying guests. When I say paying I mean paying. The rate for a bunk is about $140.00 per night, per person. This could be costly for a thru-hiker so we tend to not stay at the "Huts".  But, they are very popular and with reservations required, they tend to fill up. Their are eight of these in the Whites and they can accommodate anywhere from 40 and some up to 100 people. Your fee also includes breakfast and dinner. So, back to my goal. The "Croo" (sounds and means crew but spelled Croo) will allow thru-hikers to finish off the leftovers if you arrive after guests and "Croo" have eaten. "Scooby", "Grizzly", "Lobo" and yours truly did just that. We arrived at Lonesome Lake Hut at the perfect time. We had cold cinnamon raisin oatmeal, cold scrambled eggs, blueberry coffee cake and apple juice for breakfast. The "Croo" couldn't have been nicer or more welcoming. Leftovers never tasted so good!!!   After breakfast, "Scooby" and I got back on the trail with a visit to the town of Lincoln for a food resupply on our agenda. We hiked to Franconia Notch, took a side trail .9 miles to the visitors center and looked for someone who would drive us the 3.5 miles to Lincoln. We were there for about 32 seconds when I asked a gentleman if he would take us to town. "Why of course, hop in I'd be happy to". He got us to the Price Chopper grocery store, but first we wanted to get laundry done. The coin laundry was right next door. As soon as we walked in a man walks in after us and asks if we are thru-hikers. We tell him we are and he offers to take us back to the visitors center after we complete our business. We explained that we still have a couple of hours before we would be ready. No problem he says... trail angel "Limping Eagle" was awesome to wait and give us that lift.  Finally back on the trail with full stomachs, clean clothes and full food bags, we started up Mt. Lafayette. We were getting a late start so we set a reasonable goal of getting to Liberty Spring Campsite. This would be a good time to mention that this is a 2.9 mile very steep climb up Mt. Lafayette and that we were trying to beat an oncoming severe thunderstorm. We did our best, but we failed... All I can say is that setting up a tent in rain and high winds was never on my wishlist. Tomorrow? We climb the rest of Mt. Lafayette which peaks at 5,260 feet. I'm hoping for a clear morning for some spectacular views. Journaling from inside my tent, almost dry, almost warm, but most definitely happy to be on the AT...Whistler
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Nauman Campsite
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 121:The work for stay last night also allows for the hiker/worker to sleep on the dining room floor. A pretty good deal since your not having to pitch your tent or sleep in a shelter with a bunch of people snoring. All guests know and are reminded that lights out and quiet time is at 9:30. The fact that "Scooby" and I were laying on the floor on our mats and quilts didn't stop a group of four from using headlamps to continue their card game a couple of feet where we lay. When I accepted the fact that they had very little regard for anyone but themselves, I moved out to the covered porch. It was a beautiful night with a sky filled with stars and a bright moon. This was my first "cowboy" camping and it couldn't have been better. Thank you rude, obnoxious, card playing people for making me move outside. It was awesome!!!We were up early, packed and out of the Hut by 6:10 this morning. Our first eight miles were fast and easy...the rest of the day was a challenge. Mt. Webster was probably the most difficult climb on the entire trail thus far. We would get to a section where you would stand at the bottom, not be able to see to the top, and ask how in the world are you supposed to climb it. The answer is slowly and one step at a time. It was a put your trekking poles away and start a hand over hand climb; challenging, slow, but fun and rewarding. This was also the first time we had site of Mt. Washington with its summit hidden well above the clouds. Mt. Jackson (another 4K climb) was just as challenging and with equally beautiful views. We achieved what we set out to do today and are camping at Nauman Campsite which sets us up for an early approach to Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington is a 6,288 summit and the granddaddy of the "Whites". More on that adventure tomorrow. In the meantime, I wanted to journal a bit on the spectacular views I've seen while on this adventure. It's difficult to begin to describe in words what I have seen from some of the highest peaks along the Appalachian Trail. It's equally as difficult to get an accurate and true perspective from photos I've taken as they simply serve as nothing more than an injustice to their enormity and awe inspiring beauty. Some days I hike for hours, get to the summit and see nothing more than my feet on the trail and fog. Other times I'll hike mile upon mile, hour after hour, and summit and all I can say, all I can come up with is Wow! What else can you say? The photos are great, but the burning impressions on my brain will always be their and I'll never forget them. And, every time I think of them I'll simply say to myself... Wow!!!Whistler
Date: 2017-07-04
From: Nauman Campsite

To: Osgood Campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: mist

Day 122:Could there be a better way to spend the Forth of July than with the father of our country? Well that's what "Scooby" and I did, well sort of. I was up at 4:15 this morning with a plan to enjoy my coffee that I'd missed out on the morning before. I had a tough day yesterday with a few stumbles, rolled ankles and slip and falls that I finally attributed to my lack of coffee. I was also hungry all day yesterday and committed to myself that I wasn't going to let that happen again. Two cups of java, one pack of Poptarts and two tortillas filled with pre-cooked bacon and mustard is how I started the day. We left the Nauman Campsite right at 6:00 and hiked the 6.2 miles to the summit of Mt. Washington. The high winds did their very best to knock us over and every measured step we took was placed with full caution for fear of getting blown off our feet. In the end it was a far easier ascent than we were lead to believe it was going to be so we took our time at the summit to take it all in. It was 28 degrees with the wind chill factor with sustained winds at 35 miles per hour and gusts over 50 miles per hour. Our winter gear came in handy as we were layered up as if it were the middle of winter. In other words, it was a very calm day on Mt. Washington. Unfortunately, it was also very foggy and clouds drifted in just to make sure we wouldn't happen to get a view. Disappointed? You could say I was some, but I still enjoyed the climb and made the best of it.  We hiked on after we grabbed lunch at the summit snack bar and made our way to the Madison Spring Hut six miles away for a snack before taking on Mt. Madison. Mt. Madison was an entirely different kettle of fish. At 5,357 feet, this mountain is almost completely above tree line and is a monster to both climb and descend. When we finally made it off Madison we made a mad dash (as best we could with our exhausted bodies) to Osgood tent site. We arrived at 8:30, tired and hungry. Tents pitched, water fetched and hunger satisfied, we crawled (literally) into our tents. It's now 10:30 and all I can say is Happy Forth of July and good night...Whistler
Date: 2017-07-06
To: White Mountains Hostel 
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Day 124:It's kind of funny how fast you can move/hike when you know there's real food and a real bed waiting at the other end. We only had the 8.1 miles to the White Mountains Hostel and we did them in under four hours. It sure helped knowing that there were no four, five or six thousand foot mountains in the way. While making our way along this easy portion of the trail we were reminded just how close to the finish we are. Someone had taken sticks and arranged them in the shape of the number 300 "Scooby" said that a SOBO must have arranged them to show they had successfully hiked three hundred miles. That's when it hit us...it could have been a NOBO that arranged them to show how many miles were left before Katahdin.  Speaking of SOBO's, we are seeing more of them every day. Most of the ones we spoke with started the first week of June making this week their first month anniversary. Lord, please don't let it take me another month to reach Katahdin. "Scooby" and I have an arbitrary date of July 23rd, but so much depends on the trail and especially the weather.  About the White Mountains Hostel... hikers, you want to stay here. When you first arrive you are required to change into loaner clothes in the dressing room in the garage. From there you are taken to the shower for a great hot shower. While you are doing this your clothes (all your dirty laundry is being washed. There is a freezer of ice cream, soda machine, hiker refrigerator, all you can eat homemade waffles in the morning and the house is spotless. Shuttles are provided for resupply and/or restaurants. It is right off the trail head, .2 miles and highly recommended.  Once "Scooby" and I arrived and showered, we ordered pizza and cheese bread to share. So since I've arrived at the Hostel I've eaten half of a large pizza, a half order of cheese bread, a pint of ice cream, a Coke, two Powerades,  a whole rotisserie chicken, a bag of corn chips, three beers, a box of ten chocolate Twinkies, four Ding Dongs, a box of Good & Plenty and a cup of coffee. All this in less than a ten hour period... hiker hunger is a crazy thing.Whistler
Date: 2017-07-07
From: White Mountains Hostel 

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

Day 125:I got a great night's sleep last night and woke up at my usual time. I made myself go back to sleep as 5:00 AM doesn't work well when you are at a hostel. When 6:30 came around I could smell the coffee and the all you can eat Snow waffles freshly out of the waffle iron. Four, four is all I could eat... they were huge, crisp and really good, but I could only eat four. We were packed and ready to hit the trail at 8:30... yep a late start for us. So, something I didn't mention yet is that I believe that I broke my little toe. I was walking through the kitchen in my hostel issued flip flops when I ran my right foot into a brick fireplace hearth. I wanted to scream out, but I managed to just limp away. A couple of hours later my small toe was puffed up and had turned black. The only thing I could do was tape it to his buddy next door, take ibuprofen and Tylenol and hike on. This made for some tough and slow hiking for me today. That was one reason why we decided to quit for the day after just 11.8 miles. The other reason being that we were trying to strategically plan our approach to Mahoosuc Notch which is thought to be the most difficult and/or "fun" mile of the entire AT. Mahoosuc Notch is a huge mile long pit of nothing but boulders in various sizes; some the size of cars, making boulder hopping the only way to get through. I have also read that because of its location and lack of sun exposure, snow and ice can sometimes be found in the Notch as well.  There's never a dull moment when hiking the trail... We are camping tonight at the Gentian Pond Shelter/Campsite. As indicated in the name, there is a pond and the pond has beavers, lots of beavers, as well, the pond happens to be our water source. Our obvious concern is proper treatment of the water. I chose to filter and boil. "Scooby" filtered, treated chemically and boiled. The good news? The privy is close by.Whistler
Date: 2017-07-08
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Bull Branch. Campsite 
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 126:We got off this morning at 6:15 not that we had an enormously exciting day ahead of us. For one thing, we would cross the border of New Hampshire and Maine just six miles into our day. As we arrived we were just getting ready to take a few pictures with the sign when a couple of SOBO'S arrived as well. Here we were all excited about Maine being our last state while this terrific couple were excited to have completed Maine and their first state. "Toad" and "Birdie" are newly married and hiking the AT is their Honeymoon. I took their picture at the border sign and they took "Scooby's" and mine.  The next exciting adventure for the day was the challenge of Mahoosuc Notch, known as the most difficult mile of the trail while at the same time as the most fun. It was certainly challenging that's for sure. But, we had to get there first. The climbs were average, but rain was imminent. We also knew we wanted to take our lunch break before getting to the "Notch" to get some rest before tackling it. Full Goose Shelter would be the ideal spot so off we marched. The clouds began to darken while you could just feel the rain in the air. Distant thunder rumbled and we just knew it was time to break out the rain gear. The sky split open and spilled a torrential rain upon us. It wasn't the fact that we were so wet, it was the fact that now the "Notch" was going to be. Difficult enough on a dry day, those boulders would now be wet and slippery. To top things off, I fell into a bog while attempting a jump across it. I ended up with one leg on a big board while the other was in the bog... past my knee. It took all I had to recover myself. I was stuck big time. The bog and I fought like crazy. We both wanted the shoe on my left foot and I wasn't leaving without it. I won in the end, but did I ever need a bath. Oh, and my buddy "Scooby", he had free entertainment for the day. I think I would have laughed just as hard had the "shoe" been on the other foot...his that is. Once at the shelter we ate, rested and talked to some SOBO's about the "Notch" since they had just come through it. It was time now to make our way the last 1.5 miles there. Once we arrived at the "Notch", trekking poles were folded up and stowed in our packs. This one mile stretch is a boulder field that requires concentration and extreme caution. You literally climb over, around and crawl under boulders the size of small cars. This Notch is so isolated that sun doesn't reach it. It's also really cold in spots... so cold that there is still snow and ice down there. "Scooby" tried to make a snowball, but it was too hard packed and more like ice. It took us right at two full hours to make it through that one mile. It was exhilarating and rewarding to complete this section to say the least. We are camped at a stealth site known as "Bull Branch" where we will get rest so as to prepare for a major climb in the morning. Mahoosuc Notch has a brother called Mahoosuc Arm. This is a 1,500 foot climb in just over one mile. Very steep... but fun!!!Whistler
Date: 2017-07-09
From: Bull Branch. Campsite 

To: Stealth
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 126:I was well rested when I woke at 4:00 AM. I made a few edits to my journal first and then grabbed our food bags from the tree we hung them on the night before. The first business at hand was to make my cup of Joe. I absolutely love my early morning coffee while sitting in my tent. There is something about it that just seems normal when compared to the rest of my crazy day. "Scooby" and I were ready and on the trail at 6:15 knowing that our early morning hike was going to start with the Mahoosuc Arm climb. I set a pace that got us through it in good time, but it honestly was not as bad as we had heard or read. It might have been that it didn't seem so bad because of our "fresh" legs or perhaps it was that cup of coffee or those cherry frosted Poptarts that made it feel easy.  While coming down Old Speck toward Grafton Notch, some Sunday morning day hikers told us of someone doing trail magic at the parking lot. That got our attention, especially once they mentioned doughnuts and coffee. We started to run down the mountain with high hopes of getting in on that action. When we arrived we met "NOBO Joe" at his car that was loaded with beautiful, scrumptious trail magic. "NOBO Joe" just finished his thru-hike on July 2nd and wanted to pay forward all the trail magic he had received. It was a real special treat that means so much to us thru-hikers... thank you "NOBO Joe"!!! So far Maine has been a beautiful state with really good trail conditions. We made the mileage we did today because of those conditions and fairly reasonable elevations. You never know what to expect from the trail. What I do know is that tonight I'm camping next to a brook with the cleanest, clearest, and coolest water you could ever imagine. Plus, who doesn't sleep better when next to the sounds of a babbling brook? So far so good in Maine. Whistler
Date: 2017-07-10
From: Stealth

To: Stealth camp
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 127:We had such grand plans for the day, but as it turned out, Maine had other plans. I guess our entry into the final State of our journey yesterday was a facade. Look, I'm kidding OK?... thru- hiking is supposed to be difficult, otherwise you can just go for a walk down the sidewalk. But we really did have a couple difficult climbs that just plain wore us out. Our grand plan was to hike 18 miles, but quit when we found a tent site at 14.6 miles. We found what might be considered a "campsite" and made camp at 5:30. The site was so small that we just barely fit both tents. That's OK though because all we wanted to do was sleep.  So what did today look like? We climbed up big mountains and then we climbed down big mountains. Pretty uneventful to be honest. We didn't see a single NOBO, but did see 7-8 SOBO's.  That's alright, tomorrow is another day, and another day of hiking gets us closer to Katahdin and most importantly, closer to home. Whistler
Date: 2017-07-11
From: Stealth camp

To: Little Swift River Pond
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 128:Wow, did I ever get a good night's sleep. I slept from 7:00 PM till 4:30 AM and was energized for the day. I had actually gotten up to the sound of rain at 3:00 AM and was concerned that it might have been a soaker coming our way. It ended up being a light rain which ended quickly and I went right back to sleep. Here's a story for you...When "Scooby" and I left Gorham and the White Mountains Hostel four days ago our plan was to hitch a ride yesterday into the town of Andover to do another short resupply that would take us the additional two days into Rangeley. But, we discussed changing our plan to go directly to Rangeley which meant we would have to stretch our current food supplies an additional two days. It could be done, but it would be close and to be honest we would be hungry...real hungry. However, we both signed up for the plan and hiked toward this common goal. My food bag was so low and light that I could give you the exact inventory of what was in it. It was hardly enough for the average person and certainly not enough for a hungry hiker. I was going to have a half lunch and half dinner to make it work. Well, don't you know that as we are hiking north three NOBO's that we know are slack packing south for the day and they tell me that "Snowman" is at the bottom of Bemis Mountain waiting for me and "Scooby" with trail magic. It turns out that "Snowman" follows Trail Journals and has been following my journal. We ran down that mountain and when we got to the bottom there he was with a grill fired up and ready to go. Hamburgers, hotdogs, soda, chips and bananas. Here we were thinking how hungry we were and how little food we had left and along comes "Snowman". What a blessing!!! "Snowman" has been providing trail magic for some time now and tries to get to the trail head once or twice each week during hiking season. He will keep up with Trail Journals to see who to expect on those days. Well today was our lucky day. Thank you "Snowman"!!!  It's kind of crazy but this happens to hikers all the time. In a time of need the Lord (through his Trail Angels ) does provide. AMEN!!!And now a poem:Trail AngelI made my choice, it's all on me,you followed along, I did not see. I hike each day and do my best,while you work before me and never rest. It's always when I least expect,You show yourself and earn respect. You do not owe me a single thing,but, here you are with the joy you bring. I know not how to ever thank you,for how you give and for what you do. You give me hope, faith and love,for you're the Trail Angel sent from above. Whistler