morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-09
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 13.1

Up at 6:15, I slept really well for a change. We stopped in Gorham for our traditional coffee and sandwich before hitting the trail. Hustle and Flo got a ride with us back to the trail. We got a late start again, at 8:45 we entered the woods. We had an easy mile warm up before things got interesting. It was a rocky climb again to get up on Wildcat Mtn. Wildcat has 4 peaks and challenging downhills between each one. The last downhill 1000 feet took us to Carter Notch Hut built in 1914. Pete was working there, the hut has a capacity of 40 guests and the bunkrooms are seperate. We met Astroguy, a former astronaut and he flew on Shuttle missions in 1988 and 1990. There are two lakes around Carter and Pete said when we come back to bring our fishing poles. The state stocks the bigger one with Brown Trout. Hiked on about 2:00 it was 7.2 miles to the shelter. We had to climb Carter Mtn. and the downhill part was one of the worst I've climbed. No Rush almost took a dive off of one big slick rock and I fell once but not hard. The views are nice but we are going slow so we don't end our hike this close to the finish. The Imp Shelter was a ways off of the trail but worth it to get out of the cold wind. Astroguy, Fisherking, No Rush, and I were the only ones there. The caretaker had already left for the season so we didn't have to pay the $8 fee. The had a wooden chair in the shelter and a nice bench looking out over the mountain.   We were hoping for some astronaut stories from Astoguy but everyone was getting cold fixing dinner so we all headed for nice, warm sleeping bags.
Date: 2014-09-10
From: Imp Shelter

To: Kevin's Place
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 6:00 and started packing up. No Rush said he waits until he hears me let the air out of my sleeping pad before he gets up. I was sleeping on the floor while No Rush was above me in the loft. I sleep with my head towards the front of the shelter because mice run along the walls and I don't enjoy them going across my head. In the middle of the night his backpack fell from the loft and just missed my head. It woke me up but no harm done. We left around 7:00, we had to get moving and warm up. We hiked the 8 miles to the road in about 4 hours, stopping at the last shelter for a break. There are a lot of hikers signed in the shelter book the last couple of days. The last couple of miles from the shelter was a nice walk and we were out at the road by 11:00. We walked up to the White Mountain Hostel to get my package from Kenny West. He had shipped it to Hanover but I kept bouncing it forward. He had quite an assortment of goodies in the box, it felt like x-mas. The canned ham might have been overdoing it just a bit though. LOL Thanks Kenny, say hi to all of the people in Georgetown, Illinois for me. It would be a nice place to stay but Kevin is doing a great job of taking care of us. Kevin took us to an all you can eat Chinese Buffet in Gorham and then we went to WalMart. WE are going to buy lots of food and send packages to all of the towns in Maine that we can ressupply. We will have packages in Andover, Rangely, Stratton, and Caratunk to keep us moving north. The towns are so small we are afraid that we won't be able to get the food we want. I called and talked to most of the places where the packages are going. We picked up some empty boxes at the Post Office. I went back to the cabin and split up $160 worth of food for 16 days. I double checked the mileage for each section to make sure how many days it will take. I took a shower and worked on journals. We had another nice bonfire and later watched Hunger Games on TV. Some nasty clouds came through but no rain. Hiker midnight was actually 1:00 A.M. tonight.
Date: 2014-09-11
From: Kevin's Place

To: Kevin's Place
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up a little after 6:00, even though I didn't go to sleep before 1:00 A.M. I had a little bit of laundry so I got water out of the stream and washed them by hand. When we start hiking tomorrow I will have fresh clothes. Kevin fixed us breakfast, eggs, bacon, and banana bread. No Rush and I had 4 food drops to box up so we divided up our food into 17 days. Albert, the clerk at the Gorham, New Hampshire P.O. worked with us to save us some money. He figured out each box and sent them the cheapest rate, probably saving me $30. I have 17 days of meals shipped to Andover, Rangely, Stratton, and Caratunk. I got $165 of food from WalMart plus $50 for postage to keep me fed all the way to Monson, Maine. Kevin dropped me off at McDonald's where I spent about 4 hours working on journals. The manager joked about charging me rent if I didn't order something to eat. I did eat lunch there eventually even though I knew she was just kidding. Several hikers were in town today because of the weather, it rained a couple of times during the day. I figured up our average daily miles for New Hampshire, the best we could do was about 13.5 miles a day. The White Mountains have been my favorite part of the trail because of the views at the top of all the peaks. The hiking was tough because of climbing several summits each day wore me down. Fred came over for dinner and brought beef stroganoff and a salad. Kevin grilled bbq chicken so we had quite a feast. They both are great cooks and completely spoiled us in the last part of New Hampshire. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay them for everything they did. We finished up the evening by watching 3:10 to Yuma and then it was time for bed.
Date: 2014-09-12
From: Kevin's Place

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

I didn't wake up until 6:30, I might be getting lazy from spending so many nights in town. We left Kevin's place about 7:00, and made a quick stop in town for coffee and something to eat. I grabbed a ham, egg, and cheese muffin and a sausage, egg, and cheese muffin. I shouldn't be hungry after all of the food that I ate last night but hikers have a different metabolism than non-hikers. Lately was looking for a ride from town back to the trail so Kevin picked her up. We had some tough trail to do so she left Early(her dog) at a kennel for a few days. We stopped at the White Mountain Hostel for a quick visit, where we met Seabiscuit and some other hikers. We had a couple of short road walks that were part of the trail and met Giggles fixing breakfast by the woods. The first 10 miles of the day were easier then our days in the White's and I was beginning to feel like things were going to get better on the trail. There were nice views between Mt. Hayes and Cascade Mountain. We met Ajax up there. We came down from the mountain and came to a nice pond called Page Pond and I thought of my wife Paige as I took some more pictures. Then it got harder as we headed up Mt. Success. I guess success is not to be taken for granted and you must be willing to work for it. Ha Ha -The Mahoosuc Trail starts on top of Mt. Hayes and will be a hiking nightmare for the next 25 miles. Coming down Mt. Success was even worse we slid down on our butts a couple of times. At least we passed the 1900 mile mark up there. We also crossed the New Hampshire/ Maine border, we are finally in the last state on our journey. We hiked .3 miles to the Carlo Col Shelter hoping to get some shelter from the wind. It was tucked away in the trees and was worth the walk. We finished up dinner just before dark and everyone was glad to get in their sleeping bags for the night. Ronin, Ajax, Tabasco, Astroguy, and Giggles were in there with No Rush and I. We were glad to have a bear box for our food bags so we didn't have food in the shelter. These woods only have pine trees and it is impossible to hang a food bag because of all the limbs it will get tangled up.
Date: 2014-09-13
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.5

First one up again at 6:00, the wind is blowing again outside the shelter. The temperature feels like it is in the 30's this morning. I got dressed quickly and packed up, moving up the trail before 7:00. I got up several times last night hoping to see the Northern Lights, but all I saw were stars and the moon. They saw the light display vividly on the coast of Maine but I was surrounded by trees and that might have affected my view. Goose Eye Mt. had three different peaks and they were all tough climbs at the top. Tabasco stepped off of a partially submerged board walk and his right leg went in to his knee. He was having trouble getting out so I lifted up on his backpack to help out. It was 4.4 miles to the first shelter where we all took a much needed food break. The wind was strong and cold on the tops so we needed the time to get ready for our next challenge. We started the Mahoosic Notch at noon. I have been hearing about this part of the trail since Georgia and really wasn't looking forward to it. Some people have taken several hours to climb through this mile section of the trail. It looked intimidating with huge boulders to climb on or sometimes you have to crawl through an opening. The rocks were dry and it really was more fun than scary, it only took No Rush and I about an hour to get through it. Camo was down in the rocks taking down hikers names and handing out Snickers bars to everyone. We also caught up with Blueberry Bear, we haven't seen him since Pennsylvania. The long climb up the Mahoosuc Arm was much tougher. We finally got to the top and was trying to get out of the wind and the rain moving in. We got to the Speck Pond Shelter about 4:00 just before the rain. We ended up with 9 people in an 8 person shelter before dark. There was a couple of SOBO's that started the end of August, they are going to have cool weather all the way to Georgia. It was only a 9.5 mile day But we made it through the toughest part of the AT without getting hurt. The first part of Maine will be challenging but I have heard it gets easier as you go north.
Date: 2014-09-14
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Pine Ellis Lodging
Miles today: 14.9

The wind blew all night and it was going to be another cold start to the day. The temps were in the lower thirties partly because we were at 3400 feet. I got up at 6:00, threw on some warm clothes and got ready to walk about 7:00. We had to finish an uphill climb in some cold, strong winds that wanted to blow us off of the mountain. The tops of the trees had ice on them but fortunately the rocks did not. THe winds had to be blowing 50-60 mph on top. A long, slow downhill took us to the road and Tabasco said he was going to try and get a ride into town to rest his knees. Halfway up the next long uphill took us by Baldpate Lean- To. I don't know why they call them Lean-to's in Maine they look just like the shelters we have seen everywhere else. Big Gulp and Pretty Bird from Ohio stopped and Pine Cone from Texas. After lunch we had some of the coldest hiking so far as we went over Baldpate peak. The wind had gotten even stronger as we climbed over a large section of bare rock above treeline. The fog had surrounded the top so there was no view. All of a sudden the fog was gone and there was an excellent view from the top. It was almost too cold to take pictures but I got some before the fog closed us in once again. Now all we wanted to do was get back down in the trees to escape the freezing wind. We stopped at the Frye Notch Lean-to and decided that we had time to hike out to the road and spend a night out of this wind in a warm bed. The wind has blown for three days, where was this wind this summer when it was hot and humid. We made it 4.5 miles in 2 hours and got picked up by David to take us to Pine Ellis for the night. I got a nice hot shower and did laundry. No Rush and I walked up town for dinner, I had a huge cheeseburger and fries. Our packages hadn't arrived from the P.O. so we decided to slackpack tomorrow and come back to the hostel. It would give our legs a chance to recover from the last few days. Tabasco, Astroguy, and Other are also spending the night in town.
Date: 2014-09-15
From: Pine Ellis Lodging

To: Pine Ellis Lodging
Miles today: 10.1

We had signed up for an 8:00 shuttle so there was no need to get up too early. I woke up at 6:00 anyway. I got dressed and decided to walk up town to get a sandwich and Pepsi to pack for lunch. I have been eating tortillas with peanut butter and honey all summer and a deli sandwich sounded amazing for lunch. I took everything out of my pack but some water, food, and clothes. The pack felt light as a feather as I carried it downstairs. David made coffee so I had a quick cup to go with my sandwich from the General Store. He also gave us an apple to take with us. We were hiking by 8:30; Astroguy, No Rush and I. Hungry Horse was at the road getting ready to hike north and we met Ronin, Babs Bunny, and Alpine early on the trail. Babs Bunny and Alpine were camping close to a nice pond. Some other hikers had seen a large moose at the pond, I am still waiting for my first moose sighting. I would like to get a picture of one to send to my grand daughter Rhain before her birthday on Wednesday. The uphill this morning was a lot easier with the light pack. We stopped at the Hall Mountain Lean-to for a lunch break. I enjoyed the turkey and cheese sub with bbq chips and Pepsi. The sun is shining today and life is good on the trail. I saw two snakes today both were sunning themselves on a rock in the trail trying to warm up, they are the first snakes that I saw in Maine. Poncho is at the shelter getting ready to move on, he is having some issues with his leg and is having trouble getting his miles in. Hopefully he can make it all the way to Katahdin. I hiked up a blue blaze by the shelter for a view and took some pictures while everyone was still at the shelter. It was nice up on top. We had 4 more miles to go with a downhill, a nice uphill and then another downhill to finish our hiking day. The downhills were not bothering my knees because of the super light pack. We are thinking about slackpacking a couple more days to let our bodies recover before the push through Maine. Our packages are here so we have plenty of food to get to Rangely. Back at the hostel I got another shower before going to the General Store for Dinner. Lately, Dos Equis, Blueberry Bear, and Mad Max have hiked in today. THe rest of the evening was spent catching up on journals before calling it a day at 10:30.
Date: 2014-09-16
From: Pine Ellis Lodging

To: Pine Ellis Lodging
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 6:00, it is not as bright out as it was a few weeks ago. It had rained this morning and more rain is expected today. We were going to do two more days of slackpacking to give us a little break. Everyone is worn out from hiking up and down mountains and it will be easier with a light pack. We were on the trail by 7:30 and began our climb up Old Blue Mountain. It was a 2200 foot climb that started out steep, leveled off, and then became steep again to the top. It was easier than some of the rock scrambles we have had on the last few mountains. The downhills were a little slippery though and I fell once, becoming airborne before landing on my bum. After a lot of short ups and downs we started up Bemis Mountain. We were able to take a lunch break halfway up at Bemis Mountain Lean-to. Astroguy told us about his former occupation as an astronaut. Some of the interesting facts that I remember were that the Space Shuttle reached a speed of 17,500 mph and could go from San Diego to Florida in 10 minutes. It took only 90 minutes to circle the Earth and he saw a sunrise and sunset every 45 minutes. He also told us about all of the states he has lived in and it made for an interesting hike down. After the second peak of Bemis Mountain we had a long downhill. I fell once more on the way down. A short, steep uphill and we were done for the day. The best view was at an overlook out at the road. A nice view of a huge lake and the mountains behind it. The hostel had filled up during the day, Seabiscuit, Giggles, Cactus, Aroo, Hustle, One Step and Flo along with a few others. There were plenty of hikers at the diner also. We met One Step a couple of weeks ago and No Rush and I enjoy his company. We had an extra bed in our room so we are glad to share with him. He is trying to complete his AT hike that began in 2012 but is having some knee problems. I started in April with Lumberjack and he also had to stop hiking when he broke his foot. I texted him today and it doesn't sound like he will get back on the trail anytime soon. I feel badly for both of them, I know that finishing this hike meant a lot to them. The folks at Pine Ellis have been great. I would stop here again if I was hiking through the area. Another shower and laundry finished up my evening and I did one more journal to get caught up to date. We will do one more slackpack tomorrow to get us to Rangely, Maine. Then it is on to Stratton. We will be leaving at 6:00 so I better get to bed.
Date: 2014-09-17
From: Pine Ellis Lodging

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

I woke up at 4:30 at the hostel, finally got up at 4:45 and got dressed. I took my light pack downstairs along with my garbage bag full of items I won't need today. David is going to drop us off on road and take our other bag to the Hiker Hut. I will hike 13.2 to the Hiker Hut and then get my mail drop of food along with my other stuff. We loaded everything in David's van and walked down to The General Store for coffee and a sandwich. I also grabbed a Pepsi for later. David picked us up at the store and we were on the trail by 6:30. David even slowed down in the areas where moose are spotted because he knew I was trying to get a moose picture to send to Rhain for her birthday. We were looking for moose all day but just saw lots of moose poop(milk duds). In 4 hours we were at the Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to but it was too early for a break. We hiked on to the Little Swift River Pond Campsite for a lunch break. A Red-tailed Squirrell was circling us looking for food and got some dropped food when we left. The pond had canoes you could take out on the water but we didn't have time for that. It was a perfect day for hiking the sun was bright and the skies were clear. It was an easy section of trail and the lighter packs made it fun. I hiked all day with No Rush and Astroguy, we went past several ponds. At the road we walked up to the Hiker Hut and got our stuff plus our maildrops. No Rush and I each had a package there but when No Rush opened his package it was my food for Stratton. He looked like a kid that had opened his xmas package and totally got something that he didn't want. We just split up the food and hiked on. Thank you Steve and Cathy for letting us pick up our stuff there. We only had 1.8 to the first shelter to make the next day shorter. The Piazza Rock Lean-to has a two seat privy with a cribbage board in between the seats, you can find a partner and play a quick game. It also has a side trail with a huge rock and some boulders and caves but we only went up and checked out the rock. We brought firewood back to the shelter and had a nice fire. I sliced up the canned ham that was a gift from Kenny West in a package he sent me with other goodies. Astroguy had a loaf of bread and we gave out Trail Magic at the shelter, ham sandwiches for hikers. Ravioli, Cheekie Chee, Triple P, and Puzzle were slackpacking and stopped by. Sockless,, Blazer, Worldstar(Bangor),and Chip were there for the night. We sat aroun dand enjoyed the fire and talked for a couple of hours and then went to bed. It was just a little after hiker midnight but it had been dark for a couple of hours. Shorter days and cold temps are here to stay.
Date: 2014-09-18
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at 6:00 and we were out of camp by 7:00. We had a big day ahead with some tough climbs with a heavy pack. A really long climb up Saddleback Mtn.(4120 ft.) to get our heart pumping. There was lots of bare rock above treeline and the cold, windy summit even had some sleet. Another tough climb up the Horn(4032 ft.) and then Saddleback Jr.(3655 ft.). I fell once going down the last one pretty hard and fell a couple times before that but no harm done. You have to concentrate on every step or down you go. We took a lunch break at Poplar Ridge Lean-to to get energized for one more climb. Lots of people were there so we had to sit on rocks or logs to fix lunch and filter water. We had 8 miles to go to get to the Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to for the night. We met some south bound hikers that said there was some Trail Magic left for Mailman by the road. This perked me up a little and my pace got a little faster. Puzzle had said last night that he would leave us something on the trail when he continued north. I am sad to report that somebody took our Trail Magic and it is one of the few times that I have been dissapointed with fellow hikers on the trail. Lone Mtn. was our last climb(3260 ft.). We reached the shelter as we started up Spaulding Mtn. it was getting colder all afternoon. City Slicka was there and said that he heard it was going to get down in the 20's tonight. No Rush and I set up in the shelter and Astroguy said he was going to set up his tent. Wi-Fi, Iron Cheeks, and Bama were set up behind the shelter. I drained my camelback and blew out the water line to keep it from freezing. I put my phone, camera, and water filter in seperate socks and put them in the bottom of my sleeping bag. The batteries don't like the cold and if the water filter freezes it is worthless. We quickly fixed dinner and everyone went to bed to get warm. There will be no campfire tonight. My sleeping bag is rated at 15 degrees so it will be tested tonight.