morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-09
From: Garfield Shelter

To: Ethan Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: fog

Fire and RainIt rained hard last night, and the winds were whipping about Mt. Garfield. The hike down the mountain was treacherous on the slick rocks. The trail was a waterfall near the top. For the first few miles, I would have been happy with a one mile per hour pace. I arrived at the Galehead Hut after a few hours and purchased a couple pieces of carrot cake.The crawl up South Twin Mountain was arduous, but I was rewarded with sweeping views that included the Franconia Ridge, Mt. Garfield, Galehead Mountain, and Mt. Guyot.The next stop was the summit of Mt Guyot which is above treeline and offered commanding views. The clouds were stacking up, and it rained intermittently as I retreated down the east side.Just after Zealand Mountain summit, I ran into Stambler whom I had not seen since Manchester Center, VT. She had gone ahead of Kentucky and Pacer as they were slowed by Kentucky's knee injury.We hiked down the steep Zealand Mountain and arrived at Zealand Falls Hut where the caretaker was indifferent to our request to work for stay. The bunks in the AMC huts are reserved well in advance, so paying to stay as a guest for a thru-hiker is not an option.Now my only option was to speed hike the five miles to the next tent site. I finally pulled in at 7 PM, soaked from several thunderstorms, tired, and hungry. I set up my tent, filtered water, and made supper. It is now past 10 PM, and I am ready to get some shut eye.Tomorrow, I cross Crawford Notch and begin my assault on the Presidential Range. Wish me luck!Congratulations to Seminole who just completed her thru!You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.-Abraham Lincoln
Date: 2010-08-10
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Nauman Tent Site
Miles today: 9.3

Webster CliffsI was not cheered by the heavy rains last night as my tent, shoes, and socks were already wet and I didn't relish hiking with sodden feet for a second day. I awoke to blue cloudless skies. I took my time breaking camp with the hope of getting some of my clothes to dry out a bit on the line. I finally got underway at 9:40 AM and started the three mile descent to Crawford Notch. About a half mile from the bottom, I recognized someone chugging up the steep trail. It was the friendly caretaker from the Garfield Shelter where I had been two nights ago. He told me of potential trail magic in the parking lot. At the lot, I met ALDHA members Rock Dancer and Stitches who are former thru-hikers. They had a great spread of sandwich fixins, soda, chips, and cookies. I spent quite a while chatting and eating. Rock Dancer had great advice for what lay ahead. Stambler arrived after a bit. She had stayed at the Zealand Hut and was gushing about the food there. I was surprised to see Cory whom I met in the Shenandoahs when he was hiking with The Boat People. He did a flip to Katahdin, met Rambler, a pretty south-bounder, and now was on a SOBO thru-hike with her. He had already hiked from Rockfish Gap to Harpers Ferry NOBO, but has decided to do a complete SOBO thru (in addition). Oh, to be young and in love. Cory noted that he had seen Sherlock and Saguaro four days ago at the Madison Hut and that they appeared to be doing well.I had feared the legendary climb up Webster Cliffs for some time. It wasn't as bad as I had feared. The views at the top were spectacular, the sun was out, and the wind was strong, so I took off my wet boots and socks and lay them on the rocks to dry. I met a couple of ALDHA members hiking from the Whites to Katahdin and enjoyed chatting with them for an hour or so. They had set up their tents just above the cliffs.My socks were just a bit damp when I tied on my boots and started the final assault on Mt. Webster. There were some great vertical rock climbs required to achieve the summit. I found the climb to be fun rather than difficult. It is amazing what some sunshine and nearly dry feet will do. I could see Mitzpah Hut from the summit of Webster and realized that my final destination was still three miles away and it was 5 PM. I got busy and powered over Mt Jackson and the remaining trail to arrive at the tentsite by 6:30 PM. Mt Washington is looming closer. I had great views from both Mt Jackson and Mt Webster. I hope to cross the summit tomorrow--clear skies are in the forecast. Life is good...It is the dull man who is always sure, and the sure man who is always dull.-H.L. Mencken
Date: 2010-08-11
From: Nauman Tent Site

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

Peak ExperienceFew things in life can compare with hiking the Crawford Path through the Presidential Range on a clear day. I got an early start and was on the trail by 7:10AM as the sky was clear blue and I was heading for the second highest peak on the A.T.: Mount Washington. But first I had to get over the double humped Mount Clinton (formerly Mount Pierce). I'm not up to date on our national policy on renaming mountains on the Presidential Range, but I would guess that Mount Sam Adams is at risk for re-naming. However, given the popularity of his beer, I could be wrong. Once at the summit of Mount Clinton (formerly Mount Pierce: I guess none of his decendents complained very much) I was above tree line-- an expansive view of the presidential range leading to Mount Washington lay before me. The trail continued to climb and meander, first around stately Mt. Eisenhower, then Mt. Franklin (You can correct me on this one, but I don't think he was a U.S. president) and finally around jaggedly peaked Mt. Monroe. With each hill crest and turn came astonishing sweeping vistas of the treeless rugged peaks above verdant steep valleys. The trail was visible for miles as if on a life-sized map. For a brief moment in my life, I could see where I had been and what lay ahead. The beauty of the world above treeline was almost too much to bear.I saw Lakes of the Clouds Hut below me. I stopped in for lemonade and cake before the final assault on Mt. Washington. By this time, there were some clouds reflected by the ponds near the hut.The climb up Mt. Washington was a boulder scramble. The winds at the top were strong and the temperatures were in the 50's. Flocks of tourists who had arrived by auto road or the Cog Railway were mobbing the summit sign to pose for pictures.I headed indoors out of the wind and hit the snack bar, where I regret to say I consumed two lunches as I lingered there over a span of two hours. I did check out the gift shop and mailed a few postcards as well, which is probably why I needed second lunch. I reined in my soda consumption for health reasons and settled for 40 ounces.I headed out much later than I should have, once again underestimating how the beauty and difficulty of the trail would hinder my forward progress. The trail ran alongside of the railway, and I felt obligated to take pictures each time the train passed. I had noted earlier from a greater distance how strikingly steep is the track.I arrived at the Madison Springs Hut at about 6:30PM, hat in hand, and arranged to do my first work for stay at an AMC hut. The huts are fully booked weeks in advance. Hikers can eat leftovers and sleep on the floor at night if they agree to do the Croo's bidding. I sat outside with other hikers in the cold and wind as the guests were served and entertained by the hut's young Croo.Tomorrow, I will hike over Mt. Madison and leave the Presidentials behind.Thanks for joining me... Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.-H.L. Mencken
Date: 2010-08-12
From: Madison Springs Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: light rain

The Longest Three Miles (So Far)All this beauty comes at a price. Today, that price was an endless boulder scramble up and over Mt. Madison at a pace of less than a mile per hour for three miles.The sky was clear blue and the air: cold and crisp. I started hiking with my parka, but had to strip it off after climbing 300 feet or so. Islands of clouds sat over Gorham and the valleys far below. The summit was eerily windless. I stood at the conical pinnacle and had my picture taken with Mt. Washington and Mt. Adams on either side. The way I felt, it could have been Mt. Everest.My knees and quadraceps got quite sore on the interminable descent. I caught up with Stambler on the way down. She had left an hour before me, but was not feeling well, suffering from dizziness. She slid to the ground at one point. We finally made it to the Osgood tent site and stopped for an early lunch.The remainder of the trail was easier and I made it to the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center in about two hours. I picked up my maildrop and incorporated the contents into my pack. I later saw Stambler who had made it out of the wilderness intact. She was heading into Gorham to do laundry as she had been offered a ride. I tagged along and ended up staying in a motel room rather than a bunk at the Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham.Tomorrow, I hike over the five peaks of Wildcat. Wish me luck! I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.-Groucho Marx
Date: 2010-08-14
From: Imp Shelter

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

Visions from Mount Moriah: A Farewell to the White MountainsToday was a typical "run to town" day fueled by the anticipation of food, shower, and a soft bed.The day dawned cool and crisp. A great day to hike once I got warmed up.The views from Mt. Moriah were spectacular--providing commanding views of Mount Washington and the mountains ringing the Great Gulf Wilderness where we hiked two days ago. Mt. Madison looked even more impressive and daunting from this distance. The summit converging to a sharp point upon which I stood while posing for a picture.Stamber and I arrived in town by 2 PM and commenced the town chore routine. We should be in Maine in a couple of days!Thanks for following along...I am not young enough to know everything.-Oscar Wilde
Date: 2010-08-15
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Bull Moose at Gentian PondToday was an easy day of hiking. Due to taxi availability, Stambler and I headed out late, about 8:15AM. During the climb up Mt. Hayes, I encountered Cheese whom I had not seen since Eliza Brook. I also met Dread who was doing a long section from Bear Mountain, NY to the northern terminus. She had hiked the section south of Bear Mountain last year. All enjoyed basking in the sun at the top of Mt. Hayes following the struggle to the top. Later in the afternoon, my water was running low. I paused for a while at a beautiful pond after filtering water. As I rested, Warren Doyle strode by. He has hiked about 30,000 miles on the A.T.Gentian Pond Shelter was perched on a high slope with great views of the mountains and valley below. A pond lies downhill, just out of view, and is accessed by a steep path through the woods. I headed there to soak my feet and saw a huge bull moose feeding on the far side of the pond where it blends into a marsh. I finally saw a moose!We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.-Oscar Wilde
Date: 2010-08-16
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

Maine: The Way Life Should BeToday, I walked, stumbled, and, at times, tumbled into Maine, the fourteenth and final state. I have walked over 1900 miles to date.I was glad to spend last night in the shelter as it rained through most of the night, and we had a good crowd including Little Brown, Cornpatch, Dread, Stambler, and Cheese. We were all slow in getting out of our sleeping bags in the morning due to the cold and rain. As usual, I was the last to leave the shelter. The trail went over several mountains and dropped into several deep gorges that required negotiating large boulders and steep rock slabs. In dry conditions, I would rate the trail as extremely dangerous in parts. Now, with wet rock, the conditions downgraded to "high probability of serious injury or death". The solitude of the woods was disrupted by a variety of loud expletives as I clawed my way through these notches. I moved slowly and deliberately, trying to avoid a hike-ending injury. Thankfully, I only accumulated an array of bruises and contusions today.I caught up to Stambler before crossing into Maine. We stopped to take pictures at the sign.The sky started to clear as I crested the first summit of Goose Eye Mountain. I sat on the second summit for an hour or so watching the clouds sweep past.I rolled into the Full Goose Campsite at 7 PM and set up my tent.Tomorrow, I cross Mahoosuc Notch, the most challenging mile of the entire A.T.!We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.-Oscar Wilde
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Grafton Notch
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: broken clouds

Battered, Bruised, But Not BrokenToday I attacked the hardest mile of the A.T. I survived, but just barely. I set my alarm for 5 AM and got up at 5:30 and got going by 7:10. Cheese and Dread had set out nearly an hour earlier. I caught up with them in the dreaded Mahoosuc Notch which is a narrow gorge filled with large boulders and is dubbed the hardest mile on the A.T. We decided to go through together. The highlight of my notch experence was just barely avoiding a long fall into a death pit. A foothold gave way as I attempted to scale a ledge and my legs dangled helplessly over a 20 foot chasm. With the weight of the pack coaxing me toward certain death (or at least significant injury), I mustered all the waning strength in my arms to pull myself up and over the ledge where I subsequently lay pinned under the weight of my pack. Mercifully, Dread got up the ledge through another route and pulled the pack off of me. She was laughing and told me how funny I looked dangling from the ledge. It was too soon for me to have a sense of humor about it. We got through the mile in about three hours and suffered some bruised shins, knees, and elbows, but otherwise emerged relatively intact.Then, we had the long pull up Mahoosuc Arm which appropriately incorporated some dicey vertical rock scrambles. We finally arrived at the Speck Pond Campsite at about 3 PM. I had covered 5.1 miles in just under 8 hours: Welcome to Maine!Dread and Cheese decided to stay at Speck Pond. I climbed over Old Speck and headed into Grafton Notch where a resupply box was waiting. I am hopeful to avoid any more near-death experiences for the remainder of this adventure.Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.-Oscar Wilde
Date: 2010-08-18
From: Grafton Notch

To: Andover (East B Hill Road)
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Baldplate and BeyondThe Mahoosuc Mountain Lodge was a nice place to stay. It was very clean and provided all the needed amenities. Kevin dropped Cornpatch and I at the trailhead at about 7:30AM.After two miles of gradual climbing, I reached the Baldplate Lean-to where I met Ewok, who was hiking SOBO (southbound) after a flip-flop (started as a NOBO thru-hike, then went to Katahdin to hike SOBO in order to complete the thru before the weather got too bad in the north). Ewok had just lived through one of my phobias. He had just extricated himself from a privy that inadvertently latched from the outside and locked him in. He did this with minimal damage to the privy. If it were me, I would have undoubtedly kicked off the door in a panic. Ewok strongly recommended Pine Ellis Lodge in Andover. This stop would reduce my mileage from a planned 16+ mile day. That settled it, I was stopping in Andover, ME.The hike up Baldplate Mountain was steep, but I was rewarded by 360 degree views from the above tree line summit.I called Pine Ellis from Surplus Mountain and arranged for a shuttle into town. David had a pitcher of lemonade waiting when I arrived at the road intersection-these folks understand hikers!I went to the General Store/Diner in downtown Andover (the store actually is downtown Andover) and celebrated my entry into Maine with a "lawbsta" roll special. I feel weaker than a puppy for some reason and intend to slack-pack the next ten miles of the A.T. northbound (NOBO) and return to Pine Ellis tomorrow night.Time eases all things.-Sophocles
Date: 2010-08-19
From: East B Hill Road 

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

SlackingSomething is very wrong! I feel weak and all my muscles ache. My balance is poor and I fell twice today in spite of rather tame trail conditions. I hope this will pass soon.I decided to slack-pack and return to Pine Ellis Lodge at the end of the day due to my infirmity. My pack-weight was cut to about a third as I left tent, most clothing, and food bag at the hostel.The first climb of the day was gradual. I came to a beautiful pond after a couple of miles. Stambler caught up with me here and we pressed on to the Hall Mountain Lean-to where we stopped for lunch. The big excitement for the afternoon was negotiating the recent trail relocation on Moody Mountain that was necessitated by a recent rock slide. Trail crews have been hard at work and the relocation already has some stone stairs in place as well as steel bars installed in rock on more vertical segments. It turned out to be better than expected.I was feeling pretty ill by the end of the hike and was grateful to be picked up by David, who arrived with a cold pitcher of lemonade as usual.Tomorrow, I will slack-pack about thirteen miles. I am hopeful that I will recover soon.Thanks for following along...catch you down the trail.No man loves life like him that's growing old.-Sophocles
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME

To: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Grounded!Fevers, chills, sweats, total body aches, twisted dreams, and delirium through the night. Unable to head out on the trail today. I hope this passes soon as it is killing me not to hike.I am just a bit over two weeks from my goal. Too late to quit now.I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.-William Shakespeare
Date: 2010-08-21
From: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME

To: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Rabbit RunI am recovering today and took another zero. I am reading John Updike.Tomorrow, I will attempt slacking 13 miles to Rt 17.Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.-William Shakespeare
Date: 2010-08-22
From: South Arm Road

To: Rt. 17, Maine
Miles today: 13.3

Moose TracksIt's good to be back on the trail again. There was fog, and, at times, a light rain, but this just seemed right as I walked through the arboreal forest. Moose tracks were fresh and many in number. I seemed to be right behind a big bull for a while. Then I noticed small and large hoof prints side by side. Must be a cow and this year's offspring. I got caught in the middle of a covey of ruffled grouse who seemed more curious than frightened. I got out the camera and could get within a yard or two of one. It would ruffle its neck feathers, if I made too much of a commotion, but never ran away. They would fill in behind me as I moved forward. They were a fun group to hang out with.The wet rocks made the steep descent of Bemis Mountain very hazardous, but it gave me plenty of time to curse and bless the many generations of trail designers and maintainers who were responsible for the current rendition. At times, the silence of the forest was broken with ever more creative combinations of expletives. A NOBO thru-hiker passed cradling a badly bruised elbow. The Maine A.T. continues to batter the insolent.I arrive at the road 20 minutes behind schedule. David is waiting with a cold pitcher of lemonade. Take me home.Tomorrow, I will reluctantly leave Pine Ellis hostel and its hosts Ilene and David, and head back out on the trail alone.Thanks for being there...Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end.-William Shakespeare
Date: 2010-08-23
From: Rt. 17

To: Piazza Rock Shelter 
Miles today: 14.9

A Walk in the RainI'm back to having the entire monkey on my back again. Slacking the last two sections made the going bearable. After five nights, Pine Ellis seemed like my home. David dropped me off on Rt 17 at 6:20 and handed me a fresh apple--nice touch!The trail meandered through the forest and skirted some picturesque ponds. I could hear the call of a loon in the distance. I stopped at Sabbath Day Pond Shelter which was occupied by an orientation group from Harvard College. They seemed to be having a good time, although clearly out of their element. The rain increased in intensity in the afternoon and my feet became quite saturated. I had planned a stop in Rangely for supermarket resupply, but found that I had plenty of food left in my pack due to my illness. I decided to press on after crossing Route 4. After a long slog, I arrived at Piazza Rock Shelter by 4:30 PM and met Pistol Pete, a NOBO thru-hiker from Maine. We were later joined by a couple of SOBO's who did not paint an encouraging picture for what tomorrow would hold in getting through the Saddlebacks. The caretaker Gantz came around later and was very entertaining, indeed. He works at the outfitter in State College, PA where I got some of my gear. He was a great source of information for local resources and the trail.Tomorrow, I will attempt a long day over treacherous terrain. I hope that I survive the ordeal.Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.-William Shakespeare
Date: 2010-08-24
From: Piazza Rock Shelter

To: Spaulding Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

Back on Schedule Laying in bed for two days with fever and delirium put me behind schedule by one day. I had been a day ahead since leaving Gorham, NH. I know that having a schedule seems counterintuitive to the freewheeling lifestyle of the trail, but I needed to establish one for resupply mail drops, and more importantly, the big reunion at Katahdin Stream Campground in Baxter State Park where Ground Control has a site reserved for three days. Number One Son is flying in from the West coast to be there at the final sign as well. So, there is good reason to be on schedule. Today, I pulled out all the stops and covered nearly 17 A.T. miles, traversing the Saddleback Mountains and Lonesome Mountain in the process to catch up. I hiked from 6:40 AM to 7:15 PM to achieve this feat, and I now sleep just a bit over 200 A.T. miles from the northern trail terminus on Baxter Peak, Mt. Katahdin.The sky cleared as I ambled above treeline on the Saddleback Range. There were great views of the mountains to the north, and on the distant horizon, I could make out the distinctive profile of Mt. Katahdin. At this point, it appears tiny and so far away, but it is sobering to see the final destination.While going up The Horn of the Saddlebacks, I passed a freshman orientation group from Harvard College. I told them that it was great that they were having this unique outdoor experience before their spirits were crushed. They laughed, and I bid them farewell and best wishes for the upcoming academic year. They seemed to be good kids.Well, I better get some sleep as it is crunch time as my A.T. semester winds down and I hope to graduate. Unfortunately, the graduation rate for this trail is not as high as it is for Harvard. Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance.-William Shakespeare