morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-05
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

My hosts took me to Lou's for breakfast (which was great, pancakes larger than the plate) and I sent a small package home, food to Monson, and everything I don't absolutely need in the Whites to Andover. When the smoke cleared it was 9:30 and sunny, hot, and humid on the trail.If there is no serious rain for a couple of days, it will probably be a trail again. Not fast in the heat, but there was the occasional view, and hiking was fine. Thunder from 2:30 on, but only a light shower, and after I was in the shelter on Moose Mountain. With a view, no less.The change in the weather seems to have been cancelled, other than Sunday (partly sunny, no chance of rain) the forecast is 30-50% chance of thunderstorms, pretty much forever. Still, if the really heavy rain stays away, hiking may get back to normal.Low 70 high 87
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Despite the slow rain that fell all through the night, it was a glorious morning. Views, even. There was little doubt, but a dozen of the little guys proved New Hampshire is another red eft state.I took a break at an AT institution, Bill Ackerly's house. He has been providing hikers with water and ice cream bars for years. He was out, but one of his sons attended to the formalities. I bought a couple of cans of Mountain Dew (everything but soda is gratis), it is remarkable how easily that stuff goes down after six or seven miles of trail.Lots of tedious climbing later in the day, despite fairly modest miles, it was 6:30 before I got to the two-thirds full shelter. Only a little light rain during day, and of course thunder while heading up Smarts Mountain.Low 70 High 82
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Glencliff, Hiker's Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

The first five miles today were up and down Mt. Cube, the next five slogging through bottomless primordial ooze. The afternoon was a quick, uneventful run to Glencliff. Great views from the mountain, light rain, another AT day.I almost wish I went on to the shelter up the way instead of stopping. The change to drier weather forecast for the past week has definitely been cancelled, the "heavy rain" forecast simply overwrites whatever was predicted for the current day. Tomorrow over the first real mountain, after that we'll see.Low 62 High 82
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Glencliff, Hiker's Welcome Hostel

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

I was on the trail by sunrise and on my way up Mt. Moosilauke in light rain. A good climb and on the summit at nine, with just the barest trace of a view. The descent begins easily enough, but the trail gradually rolls from a moderate descent to a steep chute of slick, wet rock.It took two hours to make Beaver Brook Shelter, most of that to cover the last half mile.It did not seem reasonable to call it a day so soon (but it would have been). The next nine miles took nine hours, much of it in driving rain.No stormy day would be complete without lightning, thunder followed me along the climb from Kinsman Notch to the Kinsman Ridge. The poor trail (a ridgerunner assured me it was "like a four lane highway" once I reached the ridge - not) worried me a lot more than lightning.It was a somber crowd at the Eliza Brook Shelter. The pouring rain had drenched my boots (and everyone else's) and it was pretty clear little drying would happen that night. Oh joy, oh rapture.Low 67 High 82
Date: 2013-07-09
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Lincoln, NH Mt. Liberty Lodging
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Once again on the trail in light rain, but way after sunrise. With used but dry socks I got the worst of the water out of the lining of my boots, and got on my way.The Kinsman were challenging, but not a white knuckle trip - the rock here weathers to a very toothy surface. OK on the way up, when a pitch called for a human fly maneuver, you could tell if the rock would grip. Harder on the way down, I simply don't trust featureless expanses of slopped rock when descending.Lots of frankly bad trail on the way to Franconia Notch. In fact, on the occasional rare fifty yard stretch of walkable trail, I'd find myself lingering wistfully.After an "interesting" stream crossing ("Bridge out, seek alternate route after rain") I reached the Notch and walked the mile to trailhead parking. I called the hotel that offered the best shuttle deal, and called it a day. Actually, this was pre-destined, it is best to resupply here, and things are spaced to make it difficult to get back on the trail after town.Low 63 High 82
Date: 2013-07-10
From: Lincoln, NH Mt. Liberty Lodging

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Two days have pretty much destroyed my feet, so reluctantly, another zero is in order. The rain over the last month has taken all the buffer I had built up against the slow progress from Hanover to Andover Maine. If all goes well (NOAA says the wet tropical air mass is here to stay, so it might not) I think finishing the fifteenth or twentieth is more likely than the sixth.On a brighter note, our cat's twenty-first birthday went without a hitch, she can now drink whatever she likes.
Date: 2013-07-11
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Mt Garfield Shelter
Miles today: 11.3

Not an early start, shuttling from the motel to nearly a mile from the trailhead. Raining, of course, hard on the way to Crystal Spring. I was sorely tempted to nero there, thunder was frequent, visibility was bad, it was already 9:30, and a long eight miles to go.I just couldn't do it, so up Franconia Ridge we go. The trail to the high ridge was horrible, an AMC signature chute of wet, slick boulders.Once above the tree line, all was well. The rain stopped, the clouds lifted now and then, and the trail was fine. Haystack, Lincoln, and Lafayette were basically walkovers.Once off Lafayette, the trail decayed to a rocky gully. Three miles of simply nasty, slow going. I expected real problems with the steep pop over Garfield, but it wasn't bad, the worst going all day was the badly eroded mess below timberline.Eight bucks for Garfield Shelter, it is big, new, and dry, so not a horrible deal.Tomorrow will go however it goes, I'm afraid to guess what reasonable mileage might be.Low 63 High 82
Date: 2013-07-12
From: Mt Garfield Shelter

To: Ethan Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

Hey, apart from a bit of thunder in the afternoon, a good weather day, despite an alarmingly colorful sunrise. Views and everything.Again, the trails are generally so awful it feels bad just participating in this ruin. The trail builders/maintainers haven't done anything here that hasn't been done elsewhere on the trail, but the latitude, altitude, and geology (which contributes very steep landforms) make the Whites exceptionally vulnerable. Nothing effective is done to keep the often extremely steep trails from eroding. The trail centerline is usually at least a foot below the original ground surface, and sometimes five or six feet below. I come up with something like three to five hundred cubic yards of silt washing of the AT in the Whites every year. AMC might as well just open a strip mine.Anyway, here's hoping the weather stays dry so I can be done with this.Low 54 High 82
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I overslept a bit, and the trail is a ways from the shelter, so set off a bit later than I would have preferred for a long day.Not so much the miles as the elevation changes. Up to not quite three thousand, down to the highway below thirteen hundred, then Mt. Webster and Mt. Jackson at four thousand, then to Lake of the Clouds at fifty-one hundred.Mt. Webster was the lowest, just under four thousand, but was definitely not a walkover. The trails so far are usually pretty reasonable once you reach the alpine zone (which begins at roughly four thousand to forty five hundred), some of the very worst trails are just below that.Thankfully, yesterday's good weather continued, and views were outstanding. You could see rain in the far distance, but nothing close. Much the same is forecast tomorrow, we can only hope! I reached the Mizpah Spring Hut at about one, so had plenty of time for the five mile climb to the next hut.Lake of the Clouds is roughly an hour below the summit of Mt. Washington. There are few alternatives here, far above timberline, for thru hikers, so this hut has economy space for six hikers and takes more than the usual two work-for-stay hikers.My preference was to buy a space in the "dungeon," to allow flexibility in the morning. The staff really did not want to take my money, and agreed to arrange my stint for the evening. It seems like slave labor, but given that a bunk with meals in a hut runs up to a hundred and forty bucks, you are actually doing pretty well for a hour or two of chores.Low 54 High 81
Date: 2013-07-14
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tent Site
Miles today: 10.1

Work for stay was mixed. The good news, I and two others were assigned to entertain the hut guests with trail tales and wisdom. We were still answering questions at ten o'clock, but it beats working. The bad news, someone did a hand-wringing counseling session until after eleven, right where we were all trying to sleep. I didn't work out if it was an employee or a member of a group staying at the hut, but it went on and on. Then at midnight, the fire alarm went off. A false alarm, but since I routinely get up before five, seriously annoying.I woke at 4:30, and the hut was in serious clouds. Didn't go away, either. I considered staying for breakfast (eightish, for us) but ended up on the trail to Mt. Washington by six.The clouds thinned just enough to make for interesting photos (I hope). I raided the summit snack bar for everything with calories - broke their nacho cheese machine. Walked thru the museum, watched the cog train arrive. The weather folks said clearing was unlikely, so after two hours on top I headed out.Not far below the summit things broke up, and everything wanted to be photographed. I was in no hurry, and spent some time just taking in the scenery. I reached Madison Springs a bit before three, too soon (I thought) to stop. What followed was the slowest transit of Mt. Madison on record, followed by the precipitous drop to the Osgood tent site. I arrived a bit after eight, more than five hours for three miles. On the other hand, the (somewhat arduous) trek up and down a mile and a half of exposed ridgeline in perfect visibility will probably be the highlight of my hike. The very definition of "awesome." The site had platforms (like a cedar deck), but with judicious tapping stakes stayed in the right gaps between boards and I had a place to sleep. Low 58 High 78
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Osgood Tent Site

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 10.9

Last night was a story. Placards at the site warned of bears entering tents and raiding packs, so I was more careful about food than usual, and set the bear can well away from the tent.Sure enough, as soon as I was settled in there was the unmistakable sound of a large animal moving thru the brush. Goody. I made some noise, shined a light around, and all was quiet - momentarily. I could hear two critters, and in the direction of the closer, my light revealed two eyes set omnimously far apart. And not impressed by either lights or noise. Double goody. Now, habituated bears are not normally dangerous, but going to sleep with them near (10-15 yards) was not in the cards, and it looked like a long night. I got up and put everything remotely interesting to a bear (my whole pack, and the cannister) into the bear box a bit up the way.No dice. As time went on, they got nearer and bracketed the tent. The closer of them came clear of the brush, and my light revealed - a bull moose, looking back as if to say "turn off the damn light already." It all made sense now, unlike bears, there is nothing shy about moose. Of course, I turned out the light, made my apologies, and went to sleep. Moose may be cranky, but are very unlikely to bother a tent on a wood platform, no matter how annoying the occupant.This morning I retrieved my stuff and got going early. It was five miles to the Joe Dodge Lodge, and the breakfast buffet ends at nine. I made it with ten minutes to spare - a good thing, since they pack up the food promptly at nine. Still, I managed to eat myself stupid, fully fueled until Gorham.It was another of those gap days - stop short, or go long. By then I really wasn't ready for any more high rocky ridges, so hut it was. The hut was half empty, so I bought my way in. That gets me out in the morning on my schedule, not theirs, and gives me two hours to mend,rather than wash dishes or whatever (I think being the floor show was a one time deal).Low 69 High 93
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Gorham, Hiker's Paradise Hostel
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: few clouds

I left the hut an hour before reveille for the climb to Carter's Dome. Despite having five of the White's forty-eight four thousand foot peaks on this route, it was pretty mellow other than the descent from North Carter. This went so slowly that I looked at the drop from Moriah and wondered if I'd make Gorham or not.Moriah was rocky but not quite as bad, and eventually the trail became pleasantly smooth. I hit the highway at six, and booked into the first hostel that would shuttle me from the trailhead.It turned out I had the entire place to myself. It wasn't fancy but more than good enough. Just up the street from the AYCE Chinese buffet, too.Low 67 High 89
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Gorham, Hiker's Paradise Hostel

To: Gorham
Miles today: 0.0

My feet have been pounding down too many too steep mountains. I hate to take another hikeable day off, but the next hundred miles is much the same, just lower, so here I am.I really didn't want to walk anywhere, but found my way to the laundromat (clean, dry socks). Although a bus runs to real stores a few miles up the road, I went for the simplicity of a gas station resupply. Things have been very smooth (relative to what a little bad weather could have led to) since Franconia Notch and I left there with reserve food, so I'm only buying maybe three days of trail food here.I also reverted to old habits and picked up a frozen pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Who knew Chubby Hubby has 340 calories per serving? Chubby ain't gonna happen, I'm just trying to stay closer to "lean" than to "emaciated."
Date: 2013-07-18
From: Gorham

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

Amazing lightning storm last night, a third of an inch of rain, nearly two inches on Washington.Breakfast at the hostel doesn't start until 7:30, but is reportedly the best in the North Woods. The day is a naturally short one, so I stayed to eat, and wasn't on the trail until 8:30.The mountains are lower but the trail is still slow, nearly ten hours for eleven miles. It gets much worse tomorrow, then a bit better, then a lot better beyond the western Maine mountains.Lots of Southbounders in the shelter. Everyone seems to have taken a full month to get here - I hope it goes a little faster than that. They are also mostly bruised and bleeding, and half ran afoul of an infamous group of slick bog boards set in waist deep muck. I'd prefer to avoid all that, too.Low 73 High 86
Date: 2013-07-19
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: scattered clouds

The good news is, I'm in Maine. Last night's rain wet everything down, it was a careful six and one half hours to get here. There was more than enough daylight to make the next shelter, but the forecast is for severe thunderstorms, so I stopped and did chores.Carter's Knob, nearly forty-nine hundred feet, was forested at the summit but Mt. Success today, under thirty-six hundred, was fully alpine. There are four higher peaks in the four and a half miles between here and Full Goose Shelter, and violent lightning storms above timberline are not my favorite thing.Low 69
Date: 2013-07-20
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: broken clouds

The short day yesterday doomed today to be very short. There is a tentsite less than three miles up the trail, but it is on the other side of "the slowest mile on the AT," Mahoosuc Notch. Severe thunderstorms are forecast, the sky is dark and the wind lively, so 4.4 miles it is.The thunderstorms rumbled at six-thirty but didn't really roll in until dusk. Only fair for lightning, but lots of wind and rain.The trail was only dampish today, which helped. Mid-morning it rained just enough to slick everything down. Very timely, I was just off the north peak of Goose Mountain, and the whole descent is on boards. Now wet, slippery boards.On the plus side, patches of bedrock and low alpine vegetation mean lots of nice views. It is slow going, though, just over six hours today. I am doing nothing in a hurry, there are bits of serious rock climbing,and the rest of the trail is, for the most part, headed sharply up or down.Low 68 High 78
Date: 2013-07-21
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: broken clouds

Ok, only five miles, but arguably the hardest of the trail. Several tough grades, but the highlight is Mahoosuc Notch, a mile long jumble of house sized boulders. Its a bit of a puzzle, you have to figure out how to go over, around or under them. There is ice and snow year-round in the deeper holes where the sun doesn't shine. Tedious, but great fun. It helps to be at ease leaping tall buildings with a single bound. The fastest way through is generally to stay as high on the rock as possible, leaping from apex to apex, the slowest to stay low picking between the stones.I split the difference. With my vague sense of balance I am excruciatingly careful, but some of the rock tops are too much fun to miss. After seemingly forever, the rocks get smaller, the intervals longer, and the infamous Notch is behind me.There are still mountains and tough climbs to go, but with any luck there won't be too many more super low mileage days.The next shelter is not far, but it is past an alpine peak and storms continue to be forecast. This time the rain began abruptly, an hour after I arrived. In no time, we had quite the lake in front of the shelter.Low 62 High 77
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Andover, Pine Ellis Lodging
Miles today: 14.9

Yesterday's "good morning mountain" was mellow, but the first climb of the day today, Old Speck Mountain, was short but brutal. The lower trail was a classic AMC boulder chute. Near the top was a long stretch of steep, featureless rock. Very rough textured, but too steep for my boots to stick, and absolutely nothing but friction holds (I avoid these whenever I can, and try to stay positively engaged to rock). At one point I was like a cartoon character, hands and feet scrabbling for anything that would stop the slide down.It took all morning to get four miles to Grafton Notch. With shelters at seven and ten miles, and the three exposed peaks of Bald Pate Mountain between them, it was shaping up to be another too-short day.But lo, Grafton Notch is the boundary between AMC and Maine AT Club. It was like a switch had been thrown, it only took forty minutes to make the first summit, and another forty to cover the mile to the next. Access to the second summit was via hundreds of feet of open rock, but there were always holds when you needed them (often cut by the trail builder) and the trail was routed to relieve the exposure to a fall. The climb was exhilirating, like a four wheel drift on a road-race course. Old Speck (like so many AMC climbs) was exhilirating like driving a highway with the shoulders jersey-walled for construction, and having a semi pull out to pass in your lane. Or driving a high mountain pass without guardrails at night and hitting a patch of black ice. Not fun. Even flat AMC trails are brutal, and generally this part of the AT has been a very draining trek. A good trail is uplifting, a magic carpet granting entre to the forest world. I can remember only three good stretches of trail in the Whites, all on the flat and none over three miles.Anyhow, the descent from the third and lowest summit was tough but a joy, and I was at the second shelter by four-thirty. I went for broke and was at the road access to Andover by seven. A car stopped and offered a ride before I even had my phone out, I was at the hostel (with all the stuff I mailed from Hanover) in plenty of time to catch dinner at the general store. Suddenly, life is good again.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Andover, Pine Ellis Lodging

To: Andover
Miles today: 0.0

Took the day off, to patch tears and organize everything after getting the kitchen back.A righteous zero too, I don't know where it came from (a cold air mass from somewhere replaced the wet tropical weather that has been stuck here) but the rain began at 5:15 in the morning and went all day. An excellent day not to be on the trail (the hostel is nearly full, nearly everyone agrees with me).Andover is a tiny place but the hostel was very genial and the general store and diner makes a mean one-pound hiker burger.
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Andover

To: Hall Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The overcast at five am was the first sign today's rosy forecast had holes, the next was the thunder fifteen minutes into hiking. When the thunderstorm arrived before seven, the day's fate was sealed. It wasn't all bad, there were magical moments as the light played through the trees after the storm, a photogenic pond, and any number of good overlooks.I got to a shelter six miles along just as the rain began again. Just beyond the shelter the trail drops fifteen hundred feet like a rock, then climbs steeply almost as far. Much of this is on wooden steps and ladders. Steep terrain in these parts in wet conditions is something I am trying hard to avoid, so here it is, another short day.My feet actually like these days, and I will eventually finish despite them, and hopefully in one piece.Tomorrow is a new day, with great weather predicted. I've left my poncho out just in case.Low 54 High 66
Date: 2013-07-25
From: Hall Mountain Lean-to

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: few clouds

Blue sky! Woo hoo! The first climb today was the steepest, and the opposite of a mountain. Fifteen hundred feet to Sawyer Notch, and back out of the ravine. Oddly, there were great views, despite climbing down.Next up were Old Blue and Bemis Mountains. The trails were still very soft, where it wasn't bog it was steep. Took all day to do not quite thirteen miles. At this rate, it will be a long slog to Katahdin.Low 48 High 74
Date: 2013-07-26
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

I arose to the predicted overcast, and to a forecast revised from dry to rain by two.The rain began at eleven, and fell off and on through the day. There is a shelter (with a beach, no less) just short of nine miles, leaving just under ten to Rangely and groceries. Way to cold for swimming, I press on to a campsite halfway to town, trading convenience tomorrow for a wet tent rather than a dry shelter.The camp has a rare commodity, a real spring rather than a bog draining through a short stretch of landslide rubble. It is great to have water-colored water, untinted by the tannin that seems to be in every stream.The campsite pretty much filled, probably twenty folks. Seven thirtish the rain began, off and on through the night.Low 55 High 72