morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-08-12
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: clear sky

Kevin, our shuttle driver, picked us up at 9:00 this morning and drove us to the Carlo Col Trailhead.  We started hiking at 9:50.  We had to hike up the Carlo Col Trail to connect with the AT.  These 3 miles don't count in our mileage for the day.We got to the AT at 11:45 after filtering water.  We hiked up Mt. Carlo which was a tough climb.  The sun wasn't shining but the humidity made it a very hot climb. Then we also had to climb Goose Eye Mt. West peak, Goose Eye Mt. East peak and Goose Eye Mt. North peak.  Lots of ups and downs and lots of rocks.  On North peak we had rebar and ladders.  We did some booty scooting.  We didn't have any views at the summits today because there was lots of fog.  It was a tough day for Rosie Red because she fell a couple of times.  The rocks were wet and you didn't know which ones were slick until you actually stepped on them.Goose Eye Mt. North peak was .9 mile to the shelter.  It took us 1.5 hours to get here.  We pitched our tent on a platform, made some dinner and got ready for bed.  We're tired but glad that we did the section from Carlo Col Shelter to Full Goose Shelter today.  The original plan was to just do the 3 miles to Carlo Col Shelter and start back on the AT tomorrow.  But we were at that shelter before noon so we pushed on.  Our bodies are feeling it tonight so we are ready to sleep.
Date: 2018-08-13
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Bull Branch Campsite
Miles today: 2.7

Last night it rained for a few minutes but by the time we got up the outside of our tent was dry but it was very wet on the underside of the fly due to condensation.  We got packed up and on the trail by 8:45.The first 1.7 miles were tough as usual.  Then we hit Mahoosuc Notch.  This has the reputation of being the most difficult mile on the entire trail.  It is just a ravine with jumbles of rocks.  We started at 10:45 and finished at 4:30.  We took a .5 hr break to filter water and eat some GORP but we were moving the rest of the time (5.25 hrs.).  We did lots of booty scooting...I'm surprised either of us still have fabric on the back of our shorts.  We also went through 2 rock tunnels where we had to pass our packs out in order to get thru.  We had to take our packs off 5 times in order to get through the crevices in the rocks.  One time we had to take our packs off and take one step and pull our packs behind us.  It was a long, tiring day! Tonight we're camped in a small campground just beyond the north end of Mahoosuc Notch.  A thru hiker walked in as we were fixing dinner and said he remembered meeting me earlier this year.  His name is Greasy, but we didn't figure out where we had met before.  Must have been in VA.
Date: 2018-08-14
From: Bull Branch Campsite

To: Bull Branch Campsite
Miles today: 0.0

It started raining last night and rained until 2:00pm.  We were supposed to hike up Mahoosuc Arm today but decided to wait until tomorrow...we didn't want to deal with wet, slick rocks.  Glad we made that decision since it rained most of the day.We spent our time sleeping, reading and trying to dry out our tent and clothes (unsuccessfully).  We were the only ones at this campsite today but another hiker just got in.  We don't know the forecast, but hope for no rain the next couple of days.
Date: 2018-08-15
From: Bull Branch Campsite

To: Stealth @ 1921.1
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: broken clouds

Last night 2 thru hikers came in around 7pm and were all excited because they'd just finished the Notch and said "it was so much fun. Best mile of the AT."  They are young and crazy!We were on the trail by 8:30 on our way to Mahoosuc Arm.  Rosie Red had a big problem with her hiking pole.  It came apart...the bottom 1/3 of the pole fell off right after we got started.  She was able to duct taped it and we were on our way.The Arm wasn't as bad as we expected...basically more uphill rock scrambles.  We met Yellow from GA who is a SOBO.  She asked for advice about doing the Notch.  We gave her a couple of pointers about her poles.  Back to the Arm ... The Wildcats that we did last week were more difficult.Then we stopped at Speck Pond Shelter for lunch.  The pond was beautiful.  Everyone seemed to be stopping for lunch so the 2 hikers from last night, a hiker we leapfrogged with all morning, two SOBOs and 3 women NOBO hikers all stopped to eat.  It started raining and thundering so we all took a longer break and chatted while we waited for the rain to stop.  We had planned to camp at the shelter but it was only 1:00 and the sun came out and everyone else had left so we decided to hike on.We had to climb Old Speck Mountain next.  It was a fine climb until we hit the baldface.  The wind was very strong and we had to climb using our hands and feet...Not Rosie Red's favorite thing to do.  I was concerned about her fear of heights and her dislike of straight up bald rocks with nothing to grab onto (trees or any vegetation).  It took her a while but she perservered and made it to the top.We started the descent and it seemed to go on forever.  We finally found a stealth campsite and pitched our tent for the night.  A hiker stopped by and asked if we had a cell phone he could use.  His had broken so we let him use our phone to text his wife so she wouldn't worry because he was very late getting out of the woods.  Glad we could help him out.
Date: 2018-08-16
From: Stealth @ 1921.1

To: Stony Brook Campground
Miles today: 1.6
Weather: broken clouds

Last night before we went to sleep we saw a light outside our tent.  At first we both thought it might be lightning but it seemed to move and not flash. So then we thought it was a hiker using a headlamp on the trail but it still just moved around.  Finally after 20 minutes it flashed and we realized it was lightning and we started to hear thunder.  Then the downpour started.  It rained until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.  The tent fly was soaked this morning and Rosie Red's sleeping pad got wet on one side. So we just packed everyWe only had to walk down the mountain this morning.  The rocks and roots were wet and slick in places.  We met several day hikers going up the mountain and we stopped and chatted with all of them.  We got to ME 26 at 10:45 and our shuttle wasn't due until 11:30.  We sat and enjoyed the view and talked with other AT hikers.  Everyone was pulling wet gear out of their packs to dry on the asphalt parking lot while they ate lunch.  One of the hiker's was eating dry Ramen noodles with peanut butter on them.  We'd never seen that before.  Hikers use Ramen for everything!Rodney showed up and he took us and another hiker to Bethel.  He dropped us at Stony Brook campground and took the other hiker to town.  We got a lean-to instead of a campsite because it's supposed to rain tomorrow.  We did laundry and took showers and actully feel human again.  We ate lunch and dinner at the camp store and are ready for a good night's rest.  The animals are making a lot of rukus outside our lean-to.  Hope they stop!
Date: 2018-08-17
From: Stony Brook Campground

To: Stony Brook Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was a noisy one.  Sounded like the animals were dropping sticks and acorns on the lean-to roof and on the ground.  They waited just until it was dark and the party began.  They didn't pay any attention to quiet hours.  We inventoried our food bags and made our shopping list.  Then we went to the camp store and bought food and coffee cake and Diet Pepsi.  We sat outside at the picnic table and talked to the lady who took care of the landscaping.  She had beautiful beds of flowers all over the camp.  While we were sitting there an egret flew to the pond behind us.  Another employee came over and told us to turn around and look.  About that time it flew up and over the treetop.  Very cool!!We came back to the lean-to and put our sleeping bags out to air dry in the sun.  We did other chores and relaxed.  We're getting spoiled by having our own lean-to and porta-potty.  It's so relaxing to have our own private, quiet space.  Got all our electronics charged and made a couple of phone calls.  Had a late lunch at the camp store (fish & chips and pizza).  When we got back to the lean-to we had a note with a rock on it.  Barbara from the camp store had brought us something to drink and we had missed her.  Darn!We ate our leftover pizza and got ready for bed.  It just got dark and the animals are at it again.  Hope they stop soon.
Date: 2018-08-18
From: Stony Brook Campground

To: Stony Brook Campground
Miles today: 0.0

It poured rain last night from about 11:30 to 2:00. Then it continuously rained until 10:00. We woke up at 6:30 and both of us agreed that we shouldn't hike.  Everything would be very wet and slippery.  As much as we want to finish this section we know we have to be cautious.We contacted Rodney, our shuttle driver, to reschedule our ride for tomorrow.  We had a late breakfast at the campstore...homemade donuts.  Then we sat at the store and played with trivia cards.  Then we went back to the lean-to and read and did Suduko.Went back to the campstore for a hamburger, meatball sub and peanut butter cookies for dinner and watched TV and charged our phones.  It's been gray and cool all day.  The weather forecast for the next 3 days is no rain.  We sure hope it is correct.
Date: 2018-08-19
From: ME 26 Grafton Notch

To: Frye Notch Lean-To
Miles today: 5.8

Woke up at our usual 6:30 to sunshine and blue sky!  Packed up and went to the camp store for a breakfast sandwich and milk.  Rodney, our shuttle driver, picked us up at 10:00 and we were back on the trail by 10:30.This section of the trail was easier than we've had on any part of the section we've done this year.  We were ascending all morning but we didn't have to climb rocks or boulders.  The plan was to hike 2.3 miles to Baldpate Lean-to and spend the night then hike over the 2 Baldpate Mountains tomorrow.  We hiked up until 1:30 and couldn't figure out why we hadn't found the shelter yet.  A few minutes later we were on a bald looking across at another bald mountain.  As we kept hiking we entered a boggy area and knew something was wrong.  We pulled up Guthook and found we were in the saddle between the two peaks.  Nothing to do now but continue up and over East Baldpate and on to the next shelter.  We couldn't believe we'd missed the shelter, however we were glad we'd already summitted West Baldpate.The climb up East Baldpate wasn't too steep and we had to walk on exposed rock up to the top.  As we started the descent we met Bluegrass and she wanted to stay with us so she'd have company thru the "scary part".  So, we walked most of the way down the mountain together.  There were a few places that were difficult but it really wasn't a bad descent.Today we had to climb down 3 ladders and Rosie Red fell on a slick root but she is fine.  We ate fresh blueberries on West Baldpate.  We met a lot of day hikers since it was the weekend and spent some time talking with them.  We got to the shelter around 5:00 and set up, filtered water and ate dinner.  It was a good day and since we did more miles today than planned we'll be able to finish this section hike tomorrow rather than Tuesday hopefully.
Date: 2018-08-20
From: Frye Notch Lean-To

To: Andover
Miles today: 4.5

It was a beautiful day today.  The sun was shining and it was cool.  We started hiking at 8:15...we first had to climb Surplus Mountain.  Luckily it was a short climb but got the juices flowing.  We called Pine Ellis Hostel in Andover from the top of the mountain to make a reservation and shuttle arrangements.The rest of the day was fairly easy hiking for a change.  We stopped for lunch and up walked a hiker I had met last year at Partnership Shelter.  Amazing how hikers pop up on different sections of the trail.  We made it to the road at 2:30 in plenty of time for our 3:00 shuttle.  Gloria picked us up and took us to Pine Ellis.  We checked in, showered and went to the General Store for dinner.  Then did laundry and relaxed in our private room.  It was nice to see Ilene and Naomi, who run the hostel, again.  We stayed at Pine Ellis last year and met all 3 of them then.So glad to have finished this section in Maine.  We were able to complete the whole section we had planned this year.  It was a slow journey but we did it!!! Unfortunately Rosie Red has to go back to work in a few days so this is our last day hiking together this year.  I NEVER would have made it thru VT, NH and all but the last 125 miles in ME without her encouragement and company.  She will hike the 100 Mile Wilderness and Katahdin next summer with me.  We leave for her home in Rhode Island tomorrow for a few days and then I will go to VA to do the Shenandoahs. Will continue this journal when I get back on the trail.
Date: 2018-08-28
From: Calf Mtn Shelter

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 13.0

Woke up early but lost all the extra time when I couldn't find my spoon. It is the only eating utensil that I carry so it was a big deal. Finally after looking for over half an hour I found it in my food bag where it is supposed to be.Wildlife is abundant in the Park. Today I woke two deer from their naps several miles apart. The second one was a buck with antlers. All I saw at first were the antlers and I thought it might be a moose. I forgot I was in VA now and not in ME. And the fact that moose and deer antlers don't look anything alike. I also heard heavy breathing from a bush. I'm sure it was a bear but I never saw it and didn't want to hang around to see if it would come out. I was much too close for comfort.This day seemed to go on forever. The last couple of miles were uphill and the last half mile was steep. Then the hut (shelter) was .2 off the trail going down steeply. When I got to the hut two section hikers (Guitarzan and Oreo) were relaxing because they'd been there since early afternoon. They encouraged me to stay in the shelter because there was a possibility of rain and we heard thunder. There weren't any good campsites so I finally got set up in the shelter. We were just sitting around talking at 8:15 and I decided to go around the side of the shelter to change clothes. I heard rustling in the leaves but couldn't see anything then 10 seconds later a snake slithered out and I yelled "we've got a snake". I wasn't alarmed and both Guitarzan and Oreo came over. They were alarmed because it was a copperhead. Both grabbed a hiking pole and herded it over to the ravine where the creek was and flipped it down into it.We went back to chatting and a few minutes later I saw another copperhead come out of a crack in the foundation on the left of the shelter. They again herded it over the side of the ravine. A few minutes later out comes another one. Guitarzan said he wasn't going to sleep in the shelter and was going to pitch his tent. So we all three give the campsites a look and came to the conclusion that they were all awful (rocky, rooty and unlevel). We walked back to the shelter and see another snake and Guitarzan said "I'm going to a hostel and we all agree. So 20 minutes later we're all walking up the hill with our headlamps on and taking the AT back to the road. We covered that .7 mile in 15 minutes. We were booking!Got to the closest parking lot and called Stanimal's (where I had stayed Sunday night) but they didn't have anyone to come get us which we understood because it was already after 9pm and we were a ways from the hostel. So we pitched our tents in the grass at the side of the parking lot...a no no in the Park. What a night!!
Date: 2018-08-29
From: Black Rock Hut

To: Loft Mtn Campground
Miles today: 7.3

I woke Guitarzan and Oreo at 6:10. I didn't want to have to explain to a ranger why we were camped at the parking lot. We quickly packed up and Guitarzan and Oreo headed southbound on the trail. I hadn't decided where I was going today. Guitarzan had had a scary encounter with a bear and her 2 cubs yesterday in the area I was headed into today. He suggested I take a spur trail to get around that section. The problem was we'd all dumped our extra water as we were leaving the shelter last night and I had to get water before I started today. I finally decided to go back to the shelter we were at last night and get water (my only choice). That meant climbing that hill again then going down to the shelter and back up to the trail. .9 mile that doesn't count and it was tiring. As I was leaving the shelter I decided to sign the logbook since I didn't have a chance to last night. I walked over to pick it up and glanced down and there was a copperhead right at my feet. I backed away and got out of there!All of this hiking to get water took an hour and the sun was already hot, but I finally got headed northbound. I still had to deal with the area with the bears that caused Guitarzan so much trouble. I think these bears also caused the 3 sisters trouble a couple of days ago. I was worried. I was super vigilant and moved quickly. Luckily I didn't encounter them. Whew!One of the neat things I saw today was Blackrock. This is just a huge jumble of rocks of all sizes. The best thing about them is I didn't have to climb over, under or through them. There was a nice flat gravel path to walk through them. ME could take a lesson from VA.I arrived at Loft Mtn. Campground around 1:00. Stopped at the campstore and got a cold Diet Coke and some chips. Then went to get a site and get set up. I'm in the tent section and there's no one else here, so it's very quiet. Did laundry and showered then went to the Wayside for dinner. All the campgrounds have these waysides which are gift stores and a lunch counter. I had a turkey, bacon and swiss sandwich. It tasted great!I had walked to the Wayside from the campstore area which was 1.1 mile mostly downhill. I knew I needed to find a ride back to my campsite because it was even a further distance and all uphill. I was concerned because the campground isn't on the way to anywhere. The road deadends there. When I had finished my sandwich, I went to the gift store checkout counter and asked the clerk if she knew if anyone headed toward the campground on their way home from work. She smiled and said yes and what did I need. She graciously offered me a ride. Wow...just what I needed. Thank you Susan.I had been gone from my campsite for several hours and still no one was camped close to me. As I was putting stuff in the tent, I saw a deer stroll by and behind it was the most gorgeous red sunset. What a way to end the day!
Date: 2018-08-30
From: Loft Mtn Campground

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: broken clouds

Slept well last night except for some animal screaming before I fell asleep. It was very brief, so I tried to ignore the cicadas and went to sleep. This morning started off perfectly...I walked to the bathroom and on my way saw a deer about 5 feet from me and it just looked at me and kept on eating. When I got back to the campsite another camper stopped by and asked if I'd seen a 70-yr. old man...I hadn't and he told me he had given him a ride to/from the Wayside and he just wanted to say goodbye and take his picture. The camper was training for a section hike thru the Shenandoahs in a couple of weeks. I wished him good luck because he has infected blisters now from his training.Got packed up and went to the campstore for resupply, charged my phone and ate breakfast. It was 10:45 when I started hiking. The next hut is only 5.9 miles so this was a short day. I was so enjoying this day. Got to the hut around 3:30 after taking several breaks. Got my tent set up and it started raining. Threw all my gear in the tent and went to the shelter to wait it out. It was just a brief shower so I organized everything in my tent but then it started raining and has rained for hours now. There is a group from Washington University here on a freshman orientation trip. They've been out for 5 days and only have 2 miles to do in the morning. Nice bunch and so much energy.Rain is forecast for the next 3-4 days. Hope it doesn't last that long.
Date: 2018-08-31
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained a good portion of the night last night. When I woke up I was dry but my tent was soaked. The sun wasn't shining on my campsite so I packed up the tent wet. Got on the trail by 9:00. Had 3 ascents to do today but each was less than 1,000 ft. so it took some energy but wasn't really difficult.Met a few more hikers than the last few days. Of course, all of them are SOBOs since the NOBOs are long gone from this area. Talked to Burpee from Bristol, TN. She's hiking with 2 guys from Alaska. I also met a trail maintainer and told him there were 2 large trees down across the trail. He said all he's done since March is remove trees that have fallen across the trail. He comes up twice a week to check. Just doing that keeps him busy.Got to the hut at 2:30 even though I stopped for an hour for lunch. The next hut is over 12 miles so I stopped for the day. Did all my normal chores and had to dry out my tent so it's a good thing I stopped early while the sun was still shining. Had cold Ramen again for dinner. After I had eaten a father and son walked in. I was so glad to have some company. They only came in for a bite to eat and then were going to hike on and stealth camp. I'm sure they thought "doesn't she ever shut up?". I guess I'm missing having Rosie Red to talk to and I haven't seen that many other hikers this week.I checked the miles tonight and I just crossed the 1600 mile mark today!!!! Can't believe I've hiked that far. Only 600 left to go!
Date: 2018-09-02
From: Lewis Mtn Campground

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 9.1

Had a decent night's sleep even though I didn't fall asleep until after midnight. No rain and I woke up to clear skies. After packing up and thanking Keith for sharing his space, I went to the campstore. It was late opening at 9:15 and after looking around only bought a single serving of cheese. Niguel, who was running the store yesterday and this morning said that the town of Shenandoah got 7 inches of rain last night and the streets were flooded. I guess this time it paid to be in the mountains instead of the valley.Started hiking at 9:30 and it was a surprisingly easy day. Only had a couple of ascents and they were both short. This was the day to see deer. First I saw a doe right after I got on the trail. Then a little later I saw 2 fawns, then a doe and 2 fawns. There were quite a few day hikers and several SOBOs. Went through Milam Gap where the Milam apple was created. I've never heard of this variety but will start looking for it. The settlers in the Shenandoah area sold apples for a cash crop and so they created the Milam.I stopped for a snack and also stopped for cheese and crackers. Don't usually take that many breaks but it was such a nice day.  I arrived at the campstore in Big Meadows at 2:30 and it was pandemonium. There were people everywhere and long lines at the grocery, restaurant and carryout counters. I got a diet Coke and got out of there. Had planned to eat but too many people. Everyone was taking advantage of the nice weather for at least part if the Labor Day weekend.I walked up the hill to get a campsite (.9 mile). I was thankful that there were still a few available. Dried out my tent from last night and got set up. Looked at my hiking schedule and figured out what I needed to buy.   A few hours later I decided to try the store and wayside again. It was much better this time and I got a few items for resupply and some chicken fingers and fries. Then I walked back up to the campground and took a shower and did laundry. Ready for bed and a good night's sleep.