morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-23
From: Back Home Again Hostel

To: Happy Hills Shelter
Miles today: 25.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Mr. Ed was headed out of town by 7:15. He was on the trail by 7:30. Today was great hiking weather - 60s, chilly, and clear skies. He saw lots of pretty scenery. Here the woods are open. There are many pines, oaks, and maples. Also, there are many rock walls built in the 1700-1800s. The woods reminded him of the forests in West Virginia. The trail had no rocks or roots. Unusual for a Saturday, he only met 5 people all day. He met a mom,dad, daughter team out for a walk. He talked to 2 southbound section hikers. He is at mile marker 1,726.3. He traveled 25.8 miles today. Phone service may get sporadic while in the White Mountains. Mr. Ed says he will call when he can.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: Happy Hills Shelter

To: Mile Marker1,746.3
Miles today: 20.0

Mr. Ed was up at 5:00 and moving by 5:20. The trail was just a nice walk into New Hampshire. As usual, the trail town of Hanover drew him in for a visit. He made it there by 9:00, but did not leave until 12:00. He stopped at Lou's for breakfast and then checked out the outfitters for a fleece. The selection was limited and the prices high. However, he felt he did not have much of a choice since he is headed into the White Mountains. He stopped at a grocery store for a few items. He met Boy in Hanover. He was fully clothed today. Boy said he met Invisible Man yesterday, and he was not feeling well. Later, Boy met him at a shelter leaving town and found that he was going to take a zero day to rest. Mr. Ed said that he will probably need to find a new group unless DRE, Youngndum, Invisible Man, or Plod can catch up with him. He hopes they are all hiking fast and doing well.Leaving Hanover, Mr. Ed said the trail was very pretty and easy climbing. There were still enough mosquitoes for everyone. The weather was sunny and in the 60s. He met 9 people out hiking for the day. He has noticed that people are not as laid back as down south. Here, people say hi and keep on going. Down south, people stopped and talked wanting to know your family history. Mr. Ed hopes it has nothing to do with the fact that he has spent 3 months on the trail. He has not used deodorant(just an exercise in futility) or brushed his teeth very regularly. This comes from a man who has always been religious about hygiene. He stopped at Moose Shelter for an early dinner and moved on to mile marker 1,746.3. He hiked 20 miles today.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Mile Marker1,746.3

To: Mile Marker 1,770.5
Miles today: 24.2

Mr. Ed did not sleep well last night. Even though he awoke at 5:00, he did not stir until 5:45. He was hiking by 6:30. He started out with a small climb from 920 feet to 2,100 feet. Next, came a big climb up Smart Mountain from 850 feet to 3,200 feet. Then he had a really big climb up Cube Mountain. Mr. Ed viewed this as a good workout for the White Mountains coming up soon. He said the views were great. There were few people on the trail. He plans on making it to Glencliff Hostel and take a nero day tomorrow to prepare for the challenge ahead. He hiked 24.2 miles today, and he is at mile marker 1,770.5.
Date: 2007-06-26
From: Mile Marker 1,770.5

To: Glencliff Hostel
Miles today: 5.0

Today Mr. Ed was up at 6:00 and on the trail by 6:30. He had one small climb up MT. Mist from 1500 feet to 2200 feet. Then he traveled on to Glencliff. He found the Hikers Welcome Hostel where he took a shower, washed his clothes, and caught a ride to Warren for dinner. He planned on resting before entering the White Mountains. The next 100 miles is supposed to be the most rewarding, but most challenging section of the AT. The trees get shorter and the views longer. Here Mr. Ed will find the krummholz zone. The trees are stunted due to wind and cold. Boreal bogs are habitat to carnivorous plants like the sundew and pitcher plants. Alpine flowers bloom: labrador tea, bunchberry, mountain sandwort, and cloudberry. Much of the Trail is above timberline. This means that temperatures can change rapidly and drastically. Fog and high winds are common. Snow can fall on Mt. Washington during any month of the year. I sure hope Mr. Ed is up to the challenge.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: Glencliff Hostel

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: few clouds

Mr. Ed and I are having lots of trouble communicating due to limited phone service in the Whites. Here is a partial account of June 27. He was up at 5:00 and on the trail by 5:30. He had a hard, but beautiful climb up Mt. Moosilauke. The elevation changed from 1,140 feet in Glencliff to 4,802 feet on the summit of the mountain. Most of the mountain going up was covered with very dense pines, none taller than 10-15 feet. Everything was moss covered. The trail was a slippery rock bed. His hiking boots from Cabelas are still serving him well. He stopped at Beaver Brook Shelter to rest a minute and look around because it was very pretty. The descent from Mt. Moosilauke was dangerous due to the steep and wet trail. From 4802 feet to 1,812 feet at Kinsman Notch, a small stream at the top became a waterfall at the bottom. The stream followed the trail all the way down making for a wonderful sight. Only 0.3 miles off the trail, was Lost River Gorge. Since it had a snack bar, Mr. Ed (always hungry) decided to go there. He bought a hamburger and a hotdog (both the microwaved kind). When Mr. Ed called, he was on Mt. Wolf and planned on hiking to Eliza Brook Shelter for the night. If he made it that far, he traveled 17.1 miles. For anyone out there reading journals, keep all of the hikers in your thoughts and prayers. They are facing some very difficult terrain. May all of their footsteps be safe and secure ones. Thanks for your continued support. It really does help. This journey is not exactly a walk in the park.
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

If you read yesterday's entry, you know that Mr. Ed had stopped at Lost River Gorge to purchase food at the snack bar. Don't you know that his stomach got him into some pretty serious trouble. He purchased a microwave hamburger and hot dog. As he started his ascent of Mt. Wolf, he started feeling bad. Before he reached the crest, he knew he was in trouble. He first felt a loss of all energy, then sick to his stomach, then diarrhea, and then he started to hurl. Yes, he had a first class case of food poisoning. It took him 5 hours to get to Eliza Brook Shelter, a distance of only 3 miles. He arrived there totally exhausted, sick, and alone. He managed to set his tent up inside the shelter. No one else was there. He said that was a blessing for him and anyone else. He had a very restless night. The next morning, he still had no energy. The shelter was at elevation 2,500 feet, and the next steps meant a climb up Kinsman Mountain to 4,358 feet. He decided to take a zero day in the shelter because he had no energy to walk, let alone climb a mountain. He drank small amounts of water and ate very small amouonts of food. He felt totally dehydrated. He stated that lying around in a shelter was no fun, but it was better than climbing a mountain with a 40 pound pack on his back in his present condition. He was surprised that no one came to the shelter all day. He is still at mile marker 1,792.5.
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Mile Marker 1,801.3
Miles today: 8.8

Mr. Ed slept very little last night. At 6:00 he managed to get up and move a little. By 7:00 he was on the trail. He did not want anything to eat, but he made himself eat an energy bar. It made him feel nauseous all day. He stopped at Kinsman Pond Shelter to lie down. He took a short nap which helped him feel a little better. It had taken him 5 hours to walk 4 miles. He decided to go on to Lonesome Lake Hut. They have a staff that does some cooking. He heard that they sometimes have left over soup for hikers. He arrived at 2:00. They did have some soup, but he did not think it was very good. (It could have been the best gormet soup in the world, and he would have thought this due to the condition of his stomach). He managed to eat a bowl of it. His total intake of food for the day had been an energy bar, soup, and water. He decided to descent to US 3 and find a place to camp near there. He still has a hard time keeping food down, and he has very low energy level. He found a place off the trail to set up his tent. He hopes tomorrow brings a better day. Mr. Ed walked 8.8 miles today. He is at mile marker 1,801.3.
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Mile Marker 1,801.3

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This is the completed entry for June 30th. I know a few people who will be concerned about Mr. Ed's health. I have edited the contents of this entry. Last night, Mr. Ed finally had a good night's sleep. He was surprised because he crawled into his tent at 5:00 PM. His body must have needed the rest. He was up at 6:00 AM and walking by 6:30. He started the climb up Little Haystack which has an elevation of 4,800 feet. A blessed trail angel gave him a banana and an apple which he ate this morning. From Liberty Springs Campsite and for the next 5 miles, the area was totally exposed. There were no trees, just rocks. The views were great, but the wind was blowing very hard. While crossing Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette, he met about 100 hikers. They were not hiking the AT. There were many trails here for hiking. Mr. Ed stopped at Garfield Ridge Campsite to talk to the caretaker. In most huts, there are radios for communication. He asked the caretaker to call ahead to Galehead Hut to see if a hiker from Baltimore called Silent Paul and he could work for stay that night. If you work for stay, you can have a place on the floor to sleep and eat whatever is left over. Mr. Ed had an appetite, so he thought he must be getting over his food poisoning. They made it to the hut by 4:30. However, some group was having a reunion there. They sat around talking to a few people. They did not get to eat until 8:00. For the work, they had to replace shelf paper. It only took them about 30 minutes to complete the job. They were told that at 9:30 it was lights out and quiet time. That sounded good to two tired hikers. However, the group had other ideas. They stayed up and had a party going until 11:30. Then a couple of guys came with guitars and played for some time. Silent Paul and Mr. Ed were sleeping above them and could hear everything. Mr. Ed described it as his worse night's sleep on the trail. He traveled 13 miles today. He is staying at mile maker 1,814.9.
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Garfield Ridge Campground

To: Mile Marker 1829.0
Miles today: 14.7

Today Mr. Ed got up at 6:00. He was not feeling well at all. His appetite got him into trouble again. This time he had eaten too much at one sitting at Galehead Hut. He had hardly eaten in 4 days and thought he needed to eat all that he could. His appetite had returned. When he went to bed, he noticed that queasy feeling again. He left Galehead Hut at 7:00 without even a cup of coffee. As the morning wore on, he felt sicker and sicker. Finally, in desperation, he gagged himself and threw up all of the contents in his stomach. He started to feel better shortly after that.He was traveling with Silent Paul. They climbed South Twin Mountain, a change in elevation from 3800 feet to 4902 feet. The climb was easy compared to what it has been. Mr. Ed stopped at Zealand Falls Hut and found some apple sauce to eat. Silent Paul stopped at Ethan Pond Campsite. Mr. Ed traveled on to US 302. He wanted to sleep in his tent in the woods. He camped at mile marker 1829. He hiked 14.7 miles today.
Date: 2007-07-03
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Mile Marker 1,857.0
Miles today: 16.8

Mr. Ed slept on a table at Lake of the Clouds Hut last night. He had a fairly good night's rest. He was up by 5:30 and drank coffee while he waited for the heavy fog to clear. He ate some scrambled eggs and coffee cake for breakfast. He is feeling much better now. He still has not gained all of his strength and energy back from the food poisoning. By 7:00 AM, he was headed out to ascend Mt. Washington. It was a 1 1/2 mile hike and a change in elevation from 5,012 feet to 6,288 feet. His climbing conditions weren't bad. The temperatures were chilly and the winds were ranging from 30 - 40 mph. Despite the cloud cover, he was able to see some stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. From the top of Mt. Washington, he wound his way down Tuckerman Ravine to Pinkham Notch. The descent can be very dangerous especially in windy and icy conditions. He hiked all the way down to an elevation of 3900 feet just to have the opportunity to climb back up Mt. Madison at 5363 feet. This was a difficult trail to climb with many rocks to go over and around before reaching the crest. He continued on for about another 9 miles to camp about one mile up Wildcat Mountain. He hiked 16.8 miles today and is tenting alone at mile marker 1,857.
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Mile Marker 1,857.0

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Mr. Ed slept very well in his tent last night. He was up at 4:30 AM and hiking by 5:00 AM. He commented that it seems that he always starts the day with a climb and ends up at the bottom of another mountain by night. He finished climbing Wildcat Mountain which is 2050 feet at the bottom and 4380 feet at the summit. He met a few more south bounders. They seemed to be in good shape, but they have a very long way to go. Mr. Ed had a few more ascents and descents, but they were easy. The weather has been very changeable. Now he has sun with some overcast and temperatures in the 60s. Rain is expected tonight. He enjoyed the descent from Mt. Moriah down into Gorham, NH. The elevation changed from 4049 feet to 780 feet. Waterfalls followed the trail all the way down. He has seen very little wildlife. The dense pines give them good cover. After arriving in Gorham, Mr. Ed bought himself a steak dinner with all of the trimmings. For some reason, ice cream is not on the top of his list. Perhaps it is because of the chilly weather in the area. He is relieved to be over Mt. Washington. That was a very difficult part for him due to his illness. However, he still has what is considered to be the hardest mile to go when he gets to Maine. Tonight Mr. Ed is resting in a motel. He enjoyed a long, hot shower. Tomorrow he will resupply and head toward Maine. He should make it if nothing out of the ordinary happens. It is hard to believe that he has made it this far. He is at mile marker 1876.7, and he hiked 19.1 miles today.
Date: 2007-07-05
From: Gorham, NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter and Campsite
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

Mr. Ed was up at the motel by 5:30 and decided to eat breakfast at McDonalds before hitting the trail. By 7:00, he was ready to face his first climb of the day up Mt. Hayes. He had to go very slowly all day. The trail was mostly rocks that must be climbed under, over, or around. The rain from last night had made everything slick. It would be very easy to take a fall here. He met several south bound hikers this morning. Two of them had already fallen, and one of them had a pretty nasty cut on her leg. After Mt. Hayes, he had lots of small ups and downs. There is no level land in this area. The pine forests are so thick that even a snake could not crawl through them. Pines, thickets, moss, and rocks pretty much describes what Mr. Ed has been seeing. There are many small ponds in the area. He heard a moose that he jumped near one of those ponds. He did not get a good look, but he was close. Finally, Mr. Ed crossed the state line into Maine. That is the last state on his journey. He said that now the trail became more dangerous and difficult. (How could it get much worse?). He climbed down some rock ledges so steep and so slick that he had to hold on to anything he could find. He made it to Carlo Col Shelter and Campsite where he is staying in the shelter tonight. He walked, climbed, slid 17 miles today.
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Carlo Col Shelter and Campsite

To: Speck Pond Shelter and Campsite
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: thunderstorm

Mr. Ed was up at 5:30 and hiking by 6:00. He started out with a climb up Mt. Carlo. He met a few south bound hikers. The trail was hard - climbing up and down rocks all morning. However, it became worse. He made it to Mahoosuc Notch by 11:30. This next mile has the reputation of being the hardest mile on the entire AT. It usually takes close to 2 hours for hikers to climb over, around, and through these rocks.Mr. Ed encountered a sad sight in these rocks. He had to step over a dead moose. Somehow, a moose had gotten into this area and fallen and broken its leg. There was no way for it to get out. Someone had slit its throat to relieve its misery. Mr. Ed said this was no place for a moose. (I wondered if it was any place for a human!) I guess wilderness rescue people are trained for such events. I give them all of the credit in the world. In the deep crevices between rocks, Mr. Ed said that he found anywhere from a couple of inches to a foot of snow. Snow that hangs around in the summer. What a place Maine must be! One good thing about Mr. Ed in this jungle gym of an area was his long legs. He was able to stretch over many rock crevices and formations where a person of shorter stature would have a problem. I guess each person has to solve the problems as they are presented to him. Half way through this maze, it started to thunder and rain. Mr. Ed sheltered under a rock and had his lunch from his pack. He made himself a tuna wrap and rested waiting for the storm to pass. After the storm, Mr. Ed found the area more challenging due to the wet and slick conditions. He spent more time on his hands and knees than on his feet. Finally, he made it to Mahoosuc Arm and faced a climb up slick terrain and a change in elevation from 2150 to 3770 feet. He commented that this climb was no cake walk. By far, this had been the hardest part of the trail.He made it to Speck Pond Shelter by 5:00. Since the next shelter was 7 miles away and his legs felt rubbery, he decided to stay here for the night. He would love to spend the night in his tent, but he cannot find a place to pitch his tent. He hiked 9.5 tough miles today. He is at mile marker 1903.2. When I record this mileage, I am amazed. This has been a journey of epic proportions. I wonder how all of this has changed the man I have known for 36 years.
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Speck Pond Shelter and Campsite

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

Mr. Ed slept pretty well in the shelter last night. The wind blew very hard, but at least there were no mosquitoes to deal with. He was up at 5:00 AM and on the trail by 5:30. He started with a small climb up Old Spice Trail. Next came several ups and downs. He had a good descent going from 3985 to 1495 feet, just to start right back up Baldpate Mountain at 3662 feet. The trail today has been much easier than the past few days. It has been very pretty and less demanding due to lack of the need to rock climb.As he left Frye Notch Lean-to, he made a small climb. At the top, he jumped a moose. He did not see it at first, but heard him. When it came into view, he was a small moose. He started going in a northern direction following the AT. Mr. Ed followed behind for close to 1/2 mile. He saw brush moving to his left, and then he saw the head of a very large moose eating leaves. While he fumbled to get his camera, the moose moved away. Mr. Ed thought he could get a look at him if he cut him off since the trail went around the mountain. When he got a look, he saw a large moose with its baby. The baby was much lighter in color than the mother. He was within 40 yards of them. That was almost too close. He took several pictures and then got out of their personal space. The mother stood her ground and stared at Mr. Ed. The baby tried to hide behind her. Mr. Ed realized the mother could and would charge if he tried to get closer or stay longer. Later on in the day, some large black bee with antennae stung him in the back of the leg. It still hurts tonight. But weatherwise, it has been a good day. The temperatures were cool and the skies overcast. Around 5:00, rain started to fall for an hour. Since he still felt tired from the demands of the last few days, he decided to go to Andover for the night. He felt like he would like to have something good to eat. In Andover, he found a steak and cheese sub, a pint of ice cream(he is back), and a Coke. He went to his room, took a shower, and went back for blueberry pie and more ice cream. It tasted really good. I think the food poisoning is now in the past. What an ordeal he had with that! Tonight Mr. Ed is staying at the Andover Roadhouse. He hiked 14.9 miles today and is at mile marker 1917.5.
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Andover, ME

To: Mile Marker 1936.0
Miles today: 18.5

Mr. Ed was up at 5:00 AM. He decided to go to the General Store Diner for breakfast. While there, he polished off a 6 ounce steak, eggs, toast, and coffee. By 6:30, he was hiking on the trail. At first, the trail was easy. However, from Sawyer Notch to Moody Mountain it became much harder. The fact that it was steadily raining did not help either. Finally, by 10:00 AM, the rain stopped. That helped when he started his ascent of Old Blue. This was a fairly difficult climb with a change in elevation of 1410 feet to 3600 feet. The rest of the day consisted with small ups and downs. The views in the distance were very pretty - lakes surrounded by pines.Mr. Ed made it to mile marker 1936 and he walked 18.5 miles today. He has adopted a new mantra: Just Keep Walking
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Mile Marker 1936.0

To: Eddy Pond
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Mr. Ed had a good night's sleep in his tent. He was up by 5:00 AM and hiking by 5:30. His legs felt rubbery at first, but they gained strength and energy as the day progressed. It started raining again and continued on for most of the day. The trail was in lower elevations, so he walked through swamps, mud holes, wet rocks, and slippery tree roots. He slid on one of these roots enough to hurt his hip. Thankfully, he was ok. Today, he did not have any climbs to mention. The hardest part was dealing with heavy, water-soaked boots and feet. He hopes for some sunshine to dry the trail and his belongings. He met lots of south bounders who are so excited to be almost through their first state. It reminded him of when he felt the same way back in March and crossed the Georgia state line. That seemed like a long time ago. Soon, Mr. Ed will be coming up on his 2000th mile. That seems so impossible. I wonder how he will handle life off the trail. Mr. Ed is tenting at Eddy Pond, and he is at mile marker 1957.7.
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Eddy Pond

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: broken clouds

Mr. Ed was up very early this morning, knowing he had a big climb up Saddleback Mountain. His day started at 4:30 AM, and he was walking by 5:00 AM. From Eddy Pond to Saddleback the elevation changed from 2616 to 4120 feet. The day was cloudy, windy, and temperatures in the 70s. That made it a good day to climb Saddleback because of the spectacular 360 degrees views available on a good day. You can look over and see the ski resort that surrounds the base. Saddleback is high enough that it is exposed for several miles. After Saddleback, he descended to Orbeton Stream, elevation 1550 feet, just to ascent Lone Mountain, elevation 3260 feet. From there, he hiked on to Sugarloaf Mountain. There is a large summit house of Sugarloaf Ski Resort. On clear days, hikers can see Mt. Katahdin and Mt. Washington. This area is very popular due to the resort. Mr. Ed saw few hikers, but he did see his third moose going toward Sugarloaf. His knees are hurting this evening because of the descents. They are so much harder on the body than ascents. He made it to Crocker Cirque where he is tenting tonight. He is at mile marker 1978.9 and traveled 21.2 miles.