morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-03
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

A fun hiking day...rolling terrain and new company. Janet and Yonder were atthe shelter last night when we arrived and hiked out with us this morning...thenwe flip-flopped with them up until sharing the lunch break at a shelter. Whilethere, Chuck Norris and Tigger showed up, slacking! And they said they wereslacking with Bum Bum and Be (Phil)...yippee, this means that when we get to thehostel we've caught up with them! They had been half a day ahead of us, but gota lift to the hostel early yesterday and made up the unhiked miles today. Theyall had also decided to slack south over Mt. Moosilauke (4802') tomorrow. Thumper, what do you think? I don't mind slacking, but I can't go south. ButPhat Chap says it's easier to hike it south...and there's breakfast at a diner. Oh, if there's breakfast, I guess I can hike south...right now I don't carewhich way we hike it as long as we get this darn hike over with! So we aredoing a southbound slack tomorrow over a big m! ountain, our first one in The Whites! There will be 6 of us going, but I doubtwe'll stay together since we all hike different speeds.I have to tell you about Chuck Norris & Tigger. They met section hiking on theAT last May, Tigger was out for only 4 days and Chuck was doing a longersection. Tigger was riding in a shuttle to or from a trailhead and Chuck washitching and the shuttler picked him up. They were married 6 months later anddoing an AT thru-hike 10 months later. Isn't that a great story?!Time for beddy-bye... Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-04
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: broken clouds

We took a shuttle today up to Kinsman Notch and slacked back over MoosilackeMountain. There is a steep rocky climb for the first mile and a half right nextto the most beautiful long waterfall, and when I stopped to turn around and lookout I could see many of the White Mountains...whose names I'll learn as I hikethrough them. It was a 3.8 mile climb up to the summit. And boy was the windwhipping around making it quite chilly up above treeline. This was our firstmountain above treeline on the whole hike. There is a rocky trail up o thesummit to keep hikers off the alpine vegetation which is so fragile...there alsowere large rock cairns along the way. At the very peak was a large collectionof rocks, many of them forming wind breaks so we could sit down behind them andbe protected by the wind. Other piles held up posts with arrows pointing to thevarious paths off the summit. We had gotten subs at a deli in town and hadlunch at the top behind one of the rock walls. We is Bum Bum, Be, Tigger, Chuck Norris, Thumper, and me. Janet and Yonder are not into slacking so they hiked on directly from the hostel today and we passed them just off the summit. Hopefully we'll see them again soon!The trip down was 5.7 miles and rough on the knees. I think I'm going to beback to using my bandannas for knee support starting tomorrow. They were nothappy today and I didn't have any weight on my back....what will they be liketomorrow?Looks like the 6 of us have worked out a plan to hike through the Whitestogether staying at as many huts as we can. Chuck Norris and Tigger need to get"work for stays" while the rest of us are willing to pay for our stays...wejust hope it works out.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-05
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: clear sky

This was one of the best days on the trail: late start from the hostel becausewe went out for breakfast and stopped at an outfitters, rough climb up overrocks but beautiful woods, great company hiking with Chuck Norris and Tigger,short miles due to the terrain, and cool but sunny weather. I never felt sogood! The pack was heavy due to slacking yesterday, but the endorphins musthave kicked in climbing and even though there were many rock climbs, the legsfelt strong and capable...I loved today! I'm so excited to see what the rest ofNew Hampshire has to offer!!!I forgot to mention yesterday that I met another guy from Rochester...Big Foot. He was at the hostel and so excited to meet me...he told everyone that I am acelebrity back home! I forgot to get his real name and a contact phone number,so if anyone reading this knows him, please have him email me atthebaglady07@gmail.com with this information. There are so many of us fromRochester out here, that I want to have a get together when we all get backhome...that would be such fun sharing stories and catching up.We are having some challenges planning this trip through the Whites because thehut we want to stay at Saturday night has limited availability and we are agroup of 6 (4 paying, 2 work for stay) customers...and there's a weather frontexpected. The alternate options are few if any and we could get there and theycould say move on, but there's nowhere nearby to move on to...not sure what wedo then. We don't want to call ahead for a reservation because we may find theterrain difficult and not get that far on any particular day, and we'd be outthe $90. What to do? We'll think about it tomorrow.The nights are getting quite chilly. We were tenting at the hosel last nightand it got down into the 30s. Tonight we're up in the mountains, so we'll justhave to see. Bum Bum's in a bit of a bind as he sent his winter bag on aheadassuming that he would be in a hut every night, so today he bought a fleeceliner for his 40 degree bag and we all hope he stays warm enough. Well, myfingers are getting chilled so I'm signing off and hoping for another beautifulhike tomorrow.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-06
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Carriage Motel, N. Woodstock NH
Miles today: 8.9

Over the 1800 mile mark! Still loving the Whites: hard,steep, rocky climbswith spectacular views. We've lowered our mileage expectations to under 10miles a day for the next 10 days so that we're not pushing too hard and so thatwe can stop and enjoy this most scenic section on the whole AT.We also stopped at ourfirst hut for lunch. We were at the Lonesome Lake Hutearly this afternoon and got All You Can Eat soup, lemonade, and bakedgoods...that's all you can eat until iot's all gone, and it was all gone prettyquickly! We are a group of three couples: Bum Bum and Be, Chuck Norris and Tigger, andThumper and me...and the couples all hike at different paces with Bum Bum and Be being the fastest and Chuck and Tigger the slowest right now due toknee issues with both of them. But our planning is for where we'll spend thenight and everyone seems to want to go the same distance right now, but Isuspect we won't be able to stay together all the way to Katahdin...but I'd loveto summit with all of them. Yup, the thought of actually summiting Katahdin has begun and planning how we'llget home. Home for Halloween! But we hear Maine's hard too, so I try not tothink that far ahead and just take each day as it comes...but I have to say thatlooking at the AT map and seeing that I'm at the top now is just amazing! Time for sleep, we have an early departure time tomorrow with a steep climb upthe Franconia Ridge for the first 3 miles, then we'll be above treeline most ofthe day. The weather forecast has us a bit concerned with scatteredthunderstorms both Sat and Sun. Saturday night we're going to the Zealand Hutwhich is booked and hope they don't turn us away into bad weather...there's justno other options except stealth camping somewhere. We're just playing it byear...Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-07
From: Carriage Motel, N. Woodstock NH

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: clear sky

The best day yet!!!!! Oh, how I'm lovin' New Hampshire! Today we started outin N. Woodstock eating at Peg's Breakfast place for the 3rd time thisweek...mmmm! We didn't get out to the trailhead til 10 am. The day startedwith a long, steep climb to get up onto Franconia Ridge. In total we climb over4000 feet. But once up on the ridgeline, above treeline, it was magestic! Howdoes one describe the Grand Canyon? This was the same thing...majesticmountains in every direction with rock faces on some, deep valleys...just thegrandest of views that takes your breath away. Anyone who lives in the east and likes the outdoors, should definitely come and see this area...it's so special.It took me 9.5 hours to hike 10 miles today, does that give you an idea of howdifficult the hiking is? I started out with that feeling that my pack weighs60lbs and my feet won't pick up...I was dragging. By the end of the day, I wasclimbing strong, and light on my feet, hiking in the dark to get to the agreedupon campsite. But I got to watch the sun set from the top of Garfield Mtn allalone and feel the drama of the grey skies in all directions, the wind blowingwhipping my hair and pushing me over...I felt like I was on top of the world upthere! Then I had to come down about a half a mile in the dark to the campsitewhere there's a large group of French Canadians in the shelter...feels likewe're in the Alps! And to end this fabulous day, I'm cowboy camping...sleepingout under the stars with quite a brisk wind blowing, but it's ratherwarm...should be a great night out here! How do you top a day like today?Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-09
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Campground Bunkhouse, Crawford Notch NH
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: fog

Rain! Rain! Rain! Slippery rocks...falling in the mud. The terrain was mucheasier today, almost level, but the rain added a slippery dimension. Every steptakes concentration about where you're putting it and if that rock or log haspotential to be slippery and yet keep stepping quickly, don't hesitate too long,there are miles to be hiked...then oops!...down I went...a "one bootslide"...nothing to catch...my knee and elbow hit a rock as I tumble to theground...I'm okay...pick myself up and rock hop on without losing a beat! Timeis miles...keep the feet moving. When we got to a visitor's center and cooled down, I was wet and chilled to thebone. Some tasty, hot chili and brownies helped, but I didn't really ewarm uptil we got a shuttle to the campground, got my bunk in the bunkhouse, and gotinto the hot shower. We were here by 2 pm so we've been able to rest thisafternoon. The forecast is for rain tomorrow, so we're opting for a zero torest our knees and wait for the rocks to dry...they're tough enough to scrambleand climb without adding wetness to the mix. Besides, we really want to have asunny day to summit Mt. Washington and that looks like Wednesday, so the delaywon't hurt us in that respect. There's only the 4 of us in the bunkroom (Bum Bum, B, Thumper and me) and weeach have a bottom bunk to ourselves with our gear on the top bunk. Then wehave our boots all lined up by the heater with a clothesline strung to dry ourpacks and jackets. What a sight! We're just so glad we're someplace warm anddry on a rainy day like today...the hiker gods are blessing us! There's ageneral store here for resupply so we have everything we need...except Ifinished my book last night and I'm going crazy with nothing...nothing...toread...ouch!Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-10
From: Campground Bunkhouse, Crawford Notch NH

To: Crawford Notch NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day...too tired, need rest...too rainy, need dry rocks. Janet and Yonderjoined us here in the bunkhouse from a motel in a nearby town to wait out therain. We're pretty scared about climbing Mt. Washington in bad weather so we'vedecided to wait another day here and then climb up to Lake of the Clouds (11miles) on Wednesday...hopefully it won't be too humid up higher. We've beenwarned that these mountains can be dangerous in bad weather and we don't want totake chances since the climb is pretty difficult from what we've heard...so wesit and wait for the sun...besides, we want VIEWS.The owner of the campground was going into nearby N. Conway, so he offered us aride there...we just had to figure out how we'd get back. So the 4 of us wentin to town. N. Conway is a quaint tourist town with gift shops and coffee shops. I got a new paperback to read (actually 2) and caught up on e-mail...also gotfood from a gourmet deli for dinner. Thumper called an old friend he knew intown, and this guy offered to give us a ride back! Trail magic, again! Thingsjust seem to take care of themselves, and I've stopped worrying about how theywill work out. "Trust in all that is", my mother used to say...oh, how rightshe was!When I was in the Atlanta airport returning to the trail after Avery's wedding,I noticed a women with a small backpack on. She said she was flying to Roanoke(as was I) to hike a section on the AT. Today I got an email from her as shehad linked together various people that I've met on the trail and foundreferences to The Bag Lady. Then reading my journal, she figured out she hadmet me in the airport...small world, isn't it, Whisper? Then she saw an articlein the San Diego paper yesterday about my daughter, Avery's, wedding at Lions,Tigers, and Bears animal rescue ranch in Alpine, CA. (Check it out on-line.)Thanks for letting me know so I was able to read it while I was at acomputer...could be a while before I get to one again. Avery and Kevin, you twoare to be commended for your generosity to the ranch and its efforts towardsrescuing animals! Make a mother proud, that's for sure!!!So now we are just hanging out, chatting, reading, and drying out our gear. That's a sight: we have teo bear lines strung criss-cross across the room overthe space heater so that we can suspend our packs above the space heater todry...our boots have been stuffed with newspaper to try and dry out theinsides...and the smell of "hiker funk" is in the air because we've got theplace closed up. We call opurselves the "grey blazers" as we're the over 40crowd...fewer of us than the young'uns, that's for sure.I want to let you know about Bum Bum's website: www.brianbuford.com He has afriend that's maintaining it for him and it's really well done..he also has somepics of me and the rest of our group there as well as other really goodphotos...enjoy! Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-11
From: Crawford Notch NH

To: Crawford Notch, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Six month anniversay today! I've been out here, away from home for half ayear...and I have more than another month to go. Boy, I'll be ready to comehome by then, that's for sure!Another day of rain...and another day of trail magic. The weather report calledfor increasing rain and thunderstorms so we opted to stay put another day. Cabin fever is setting in...hikers tend to be physical people who don't sitstill easily. Bum Bum and I decided to try and go to N. Conway again. A coupleof other hikers had a visitor here with a car who was taking them to the trailand offered to give us a ride in. Ok...we'll worry about how we are gettingback later, trusting that someone would give is a ride. You do learn to trustout here that everything will work out just as it's suppose to. While in town,I had a voicemail from Thumper that they were coming in too, and had a ride backto the campground for us too! Gabby, an ALDHA guy who has hiked the trail andlikes to help hikers happened to stop by the campground checking data fortheCompanion guidebook and offered to shuttle us wherever we needed to go...andthat's how it happens.The other magical thing that happened is an earing I lost a couple of days agowas brought up to the bunkhouse door, having been found laying in the driveway! I love it when that happens!!! Dinty Moore Beef Stew for dinner, some reading,and then to bed. We have to be ready for the shuttle at 7 am...got 11 miles togo tomorrow up to Lake of the Clouds hut. Can't wait to see Mt. Washington!Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-12
From: Crawford Notch, NH

To: Mitzpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 6.4

The rain stopped, so off we went to climb up towards Mt. Washington. But wedidn't figure on the wind...50 mph with gusts over 70 mph...and we were on rockycliffs and exposed ridge lines! The only good thing was the wind was blowing usinto the bushes and not over the edge. Sometimes I had to plant my pole tobrace myself from being blown over! It was exciting and exhilarating...I lovedit!!! Some of the climbs were straight up...rock climbs, where I had to wedgemy foot in the crack and find a lip to grab onto to haul myself up...straightup. The wind blew away my pack cover and my pee rag. One fall I had today waswhile climbing down a large granite rock face, Thumper calls out "Hey Bag Lady,there's the hut!" And as I turned, the wind blew me smack into the rock...ouch! Another fall I took was into a bog...I slipped on a wet bog board (parallel 2x6splaced down to enable walking over very wet places)...my left foot went off theside and when it sank deep in the ! mud, with the weight of my pack pushing me, I went down on both knees into themud! I scrambled out somehow back onto the board. Thumper heard me swearing andasked if I was all right...depends on your definition! I was laughing bythen...I had boots covered in mud, mud splashed up completely covering both legsand all over the front of my shorts and fanny pack...so much for my shower anddoing laundry back at the campground.I convinced the rest of the gang (there's 6 of us together right now) to stophere at Mizpah rather than go onto Lake of the Clouds hut because of thewind...and Lake of the Clouds is above treeline and would be really bad forwind. Besides, now we get to find out how the other class lives...we got to eatall you can eat pumpkin soup, salad, roast turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy,roasted corn and peppers, freshly baked wholewheat bread, and maple walnut piefor dessert ....mmmgood! We have 7 people in a small bunkroom, and there'sactually bunks for 2 more. It is extremely cozy in here and we have to taketurns getting out of bed and going out the door. I've also got my freshly washedboots, socks, and shorts draped around the place drying.This is like being in a very small dorm..the bunks go three beds high...Bum Bumis organizing a panty raid for later, he says, since he never did it in college!Tomorrow we go over Mt. Washington!!! Yippee! I can't wait, and the weathershould be clear and sunny...perfect for it.Oh, yea, Handyman showed up here tonight...haven't seen him since GlasglowVA...it's really such a small world out here.Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-13
From: Mitzpah Spring Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Tough day...lots of rocks...memories of PA! Took another tumble, face firstdown a granite pathway...ouch! I'm so scared of falling now that I crawl andthat makes me even later getting in. It took me 10.5 hours to do the 11.8 milestoday.Mt. Washington was fogged in and crowded with tourists that come up on a trainfrom the Washington Hotel. It's hard to handle crowds on Mt. Washington orthose at the hut here tonight. Wall to wall people and the hut is small. Ididn't want to pay $80 to sleep on a 4 high top bunk, so I negotiated to justsleep on a table and not partake of the food. Trouble with that is I have towait for all the guests to go to bed around 9:30 (long past hiker midnight)before I can go to bed...and up at 6 am so they can have the dining room back. We're finding NH not very thru-hiker friendly, few options other than being a2nd class citizen andwaiting for the guests to finish eating and eating theleftovers, sleeping on the floor or tables, then doing chores. All we want is aplace to camp and some water source. Nothing here in NH like that in theWhites.But there's always a rose among all the thorns I was feeling here at thehuttonight...2 women graciously offered to pay for me to stay at the hut...trailmagic just keeps coming...but this time I was so emotional about the day and theway we were being treated at the hut that I broke in to tears (not in front ofthem, though). Such a kind gesture. I just didn't know what I wanted to do. Ijust wanted to put up my tent and climb in and go to sleep..but the terrain istoo rocky for that...just let me curl up some place. The head croo master saidwe could work something out for me to just sleep in the dining room.Only about 4 more days til Maine! That will be exciting!!!There's some sad news happening here in NH...their doing a search and rescue fora guy that didn't come home Sunday. Haven't found him yet.But on a funnier note, it's a thru-hiker tradition to moon the trains that go upto mt. Washington and the guys I'm with didn't want to let the tourists downso....down the pulled them! I got a picture of it, for sure! The tourists werebusy raking pictures of them!Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-14
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Pinkham Notch, NH (Hikers Paradise Motel in Gorham
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: fog

I slept on two picnic table benches pushed together last night...talk aboutfeeling like abag lady. The dining room didn't have lights out until 9:30 andit wasn't quit in there until 10:30 pm. Then at 5:30 this morning the kitchenstaff started working, although as quietly as possible. The hikers sleeping inthe dining room have to be packed up and moved out of the way so that the payingguests canhave their breakfast at 7 am and hikers get to eat the leftoversaround 8. Since I wasn't eating, I hiked out at 6:40 this morning...to abeautiful sunrise in the mountains...and to a sheer, rocky boulder field climbup and up and up. I've had to get over my fear of heights out here...there's noplace for it. Today our hike took us over some major rock piles they call mountains...over thepeaks and down the ridgeline hooping from one sharp granite rock pile to anotherfor miles...and me afraid of falling so I step slowly testing each footing. AndI fell...again! A one boot slide! Down onto my left arm, scrape! And I rolledan ankle. And I got a soaker. It was a rough day!   Now you see why I'm afraidof falling?Do you remeber Google & Sunshine? They were the couple that came to my rescuein PA when I was sick in my tent and needed water. They showed up at the hutyesterday morning (actually they came in after we were in bed)...I was glad tohave the opportunity to thank them again for sharing their precious water. Better was when they met Chuck Norris & Tigger in Lincoln and when theyintroduced themselves, Chuck and Tigger knew what they had done for me!We have some challenging mountains ahead...Wild Cats and Carter...and theforecast is for rain tomorrow...so it looks like another zero, because we arenot climbing any dangerous stuff in the rain. These climbs are treacherousenough without adding the slippery problem...so we'll wait. Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-15
From: Pinkham Notch, NH (Hikers Paradise Motel in Gorham

To: Pinkham Notch NH (Royalty Inn in Gorham
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Another zero day due to rain. There's a steep climb up Wild Cat Mtn and it would be too dangerous to do it in the rain, so all 6 of us opted to sit tight today...beautiful sunny weather is coming our way. The four of us (Bum Bum, B, Thumper, and me) decided to move to a motel more in the center of town so we could wander to all of the stores and get our shopping done. Janet and Yonder stayed put, but we all will be sharing the shuttle together in the morning. I'm off to bed early as we are being picked up about 6:30 am. Tomorrow we're planning on a 13 mile hike to Imp Campground and that will take me 12 - 13 hours, so I won't be in till possibly after dark. I'm a bit nervous about that knowing it's going to be a tiring day...but I'll get there, one way or the other.Step lightly