morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-16
From: Hanover, MP 1739.2, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today is a zero day. Zero miles. No hiking.We did laundry yesterday evening and what a luxury it is to sleep in clean clothes in a bed. Since we carry so little clothing, when we do laundry, we wash everything and wear our rain pants and jacket till our clothes dry. This morning we said goodbye to Seamstress. She's hiking 5 miles today and then staying at Tiggers Tree House. It is a private residence which runs on a donation basis. She felt staying another day here at the Sunset would make her too comfortable and she needs to meet a friend in 10 days. After eating the continental breakfast here at the Sunset, we unpacked our mail drop boxes and re-packed our backpacks.   The trick is not carrying too much food (weight) or equipment, but having enough to get you through to the next resupply mail drop. Some extra items get trashed (left over tortillas), placed in a hiker box (fruit leathers), or sent home (used guide book pages, a full bottle of hand Sanitizer and rain pants).Rain Pants Side Note: Over the last two weeks I had my poor wife running up and down the stairs from the basement to the main floor to the upstairs bedrooms numerous times to find my rain pants. Before I left, she asked if I was taking them and I said no. Of course, anything I wanted her to eventually send me was to be laid out so she wouldn't have to search all over creation for them. She finally found a pair (I have two) in a stuff sack hidden in a pair of gaitors in the basement. She sent it in the mail drop I just received. Yesterday, I found the other pair in the very bottom of my backpack so now I have to send back the one she sent me! I fretted all day because I knew I had to tell her that night when we talked. She laughed. I was relieved, but confused. Then I realized, this incident cost me "uber" angel points and I don't even know what that means!This afternoon we caught the bus (free) into Hanover, went to the Post Office, had a nice lunch (firehouse burger & fries) and a few brews at the Salt Hill Irish Pub. Then we strolled around town and Dartmouth's campus visiting the Commons Green and the Dartmouth Outing Club. Scattered around town were 50 pianos, each unique for anyone to play. They have been placed there in celebration of 50 years for the Hop Center for the Performing Arts. After returning to the Sunset Motel, I have been catching up emailing, journaling and talking to my niece Deb and sons David and Kekoa. Tomorrow is an early start (7 am) with breakfast in Hanover before we hit the trail.
Date: 2012-07-17
From: Hanover, MP 1739.2, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

For the past few days, the weather in Hanover has been hot (high 90's°) and humid and more of the same is predicted for today. We make the decision to stay one more night. Another zero day. This decision didn't come easily. Seamstress called last night and said she struggled in the heat to do 5 miles yesterday. Tomorrow is supposed to be 10 degrees cooler or in the low to mid 80's. So we decided late last night not to hike out with full backpacks (5 days of food) into a "sweat fest". Never set sail in foul weather.   No 65 year old macho man here! So Minutia and I slept in this morning and took the bus into Hanover this afternoon for lunch and some minor supplies. Again, quite the scorcher.After we got back to the Sunset Motel, a severe thunderstorm moved through the area. Hopefully this will cool things down a bit. Everything is packed and ready for a quick getaway in the morning.
Date: 2012-07-18
From: Hanover, MP 1739.2, NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter, MP 1750.2, NH
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Finally, we're hiking again. I woke up with a back ache. Guess I've been in this motel bed far too long. We caught the bus into Hanover and started hiking. We were both too anxious to stop and eat breakfast. The weather was at least 10 degrees cooler this morning, but still very humid. However, as the day progressed, the sun came out and dried things off. Heck, we even had a breeze once in awhile!   The trail was slick at first, but was otherwise very nice. Not much in the way of views today. We climbed steadily all day till we crossed over Moose Mountain, El 2,290. Tonight we are tenting near Moose Mountain Shelter MP 1750.2. That's 11.0 miles for the day. The bugs are a pain at this tent site. So, I'm wearing my wind shirt with the hood up over my ballcap, as well as my long pants. Don't want to use the deet insect repellent because it makes me feel sticky. Otherwise, this is an okay campsite. There's no picnic table and the water source is very poor. Had to dip a puddle to get water. Of course, we treated all of this water.A woman hiker stop by to talk to us. Her trail name is "Princess Doah". She is the hiker Hard Charger told us about who was leaving bread crumbs in the shelter logs. She lives in Dayton, Ohio and has been section hiking the AT for the last 4 years. She started at the Delaware Water Gap and plans to finish at Katahdin this year.
Date: 2012-07-19
From: Moose Mountain Shelter, MP 1750.2, NH

To: Lyme Dorchester Road, MP 1756.7, NH
Miles today: 6.5

What a wonderful night's sleep! Weather was cool and breezy.   Hike off Moose Mountain was uneventful and the weather was perfect for hiking. Finally!After decending over a 1,000 ft, we started climbing up Holt Ridge. This was another 1,000 foot climb up and it was one of those which Bill Bryson so vividly described in "Walk in the Woods": "nearly there now, but that is a pitiless deception as the elusive summit retreats by what ever distance you advance." This was what the climb up Holt Ridge was like this morning. By the time we again decend 1,000+ feet to Lyme Dorchester Road, MP 1756.7, it was 1:30 pm and my knees and feet were screaming. We had come 6.5 miles in 4 hours and with the prospect of another 2,000 foot climb in the next 6 miles, I told Minutia I'd had enough. Minutia checked his Hikers Companion and found a B&B in Lyme which was reasonably priced and included breakfast and shuttle from and to the trail. Since we didn't have cellphone coverage at the trail head, we stopped at a Trail Angel's house located nearby.   They generously provide water, phone, and a free ice cream popsicle to every hiker. As we waited for our B&B shuttle, we again noticed what looked like a purple kite in the trees.   We've seen these from time to time since we started in Bennington, VT and figuired they were for some kind of study. This time there was a tag on the low vegetation which explained they were traps for the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Beetle.The Dowd's Country Inn (B&B) sent a car to pick us up and in nothing flat, we were registered, changed, and eating Buffalo chicken pizza, ice tea, and cold PBR's for lunch.I know some folks reading this will think what kind of hikers are we? After only two days and one night, we're back in a town. Well, it's rough being out 6 days straight and the next four days are going to be more challenging. This way, we'll be well rested and fed and back hiking the trail tomorrow, making this a nero vs zero day.
Date: 2012-07-20
From: Lyme Dorchester Road, MP 1756.7, NH

To: Campsite, MP 1762.6, NH
Miles today: 5.9

Slept like a log. Nothing like a hot shower, food, and a bed. Breakfast at Dowds B&B: eggs, home fries, bacon, grapefruit juice, and loads of coffee.   We bought ham sandwiches to take on the trail for lunch and got shuttled back to the trail by 9:30 am. This was the best hiking day so far! It was cool and we felt energized!   Good thing cause the hike up Smarts Mountain was long. We scaled the first 1,000 ft with little effort and ate lunch on Lambert's Ridge with an excellent view of the rest of Smarts Mountain. Those ham sandwiches sure were great and a welcomed change from our normal trail lunch! We spent an hour eating and talking to love ones. You never know when you can get a cell signal.The next 1,000 foot climb was a lot steeper! We got to the Smarts Mountain fire tower around 3 pm. After climbing to the top to get pictures, we decided to look around. Boy, am I glad we did! Minutia found this camp site overlooking a lake and mountains, as far as the eyes can see. We decided to camp early and enjoy this beauty! We started at MP 1756.7 and ended at MP 1762.6. 5.9 miles for the day.
Date: 2012-07-21
From: Campsite, MP 1762.6, NH

To: Brackett Brook MP 1771.0, NH
Miles today: 9.4

Page 1 of 2 Oh, what a night! This had to be one of the BEST camp sites. The view is just spectacular! We went to bed just before dark and I fell asleep right away. At 11 pm, I was awakened by the first of 4 groups of night hikers. The last group passed by at 3 am.Now, I'm not a fan of night hiking, but everyone should be tolerated to "hike their own hike."   However, these folks had no consideration for those who were asleep. They were loud and boisterous. Noise travels far in the woods and especially after dark, you're in tune to all the noises of the night.   These folks were just plain rude and obnoxious.We meet a NOBO section Hiker named "T" (a school teacher from Kentucky) just as we were leaving Smarts Mountain and she told us the night hikers were from Hanover College. They were attempting to hike the 50+ miles from Hanover to Glencliff in one day. Amazing! Just wished they were a little more quiet about doing it.After walking 4 miles and descending almost 1,500 feet in elevation, we turned right around and climbed Mt Cube. This was another 1,500 foot ascent over 3 miles. Doesn't sound like much, but the treadway is rooty and rocky with some giant steps. At places, we climb up solid granite slabs!By the time we descended from Mt Cube, our feet and knees told us we did not have another 1,000 foot climb in us. So we are stealth camping by Brackett Brook, MP 1771.0. That's 9.4 miles for today. Not bad considering we didn't get on the trail till 9:40 am.
Date: 2012-07-22
From: Brackett Brook MP 1771.0, NH

To: NH 25 MP 1782.6
Miles today: 11.6

Page 1 of 2Had a great campsite by Brackett Brook. We came up short yesterday on mileage so today we get up at 5:30 am. It's almost 12 miles to the hostel in Glencliff and we want to get there before it fills up.As we work our way back to the trail from our campsite, we run into 3 folks who had camped where the trail crosses Beckett Creek, Instigator & Expediator (both 62 years old) and Trog (72 years old). We talk for a bit before Minutia and I head down the trail at 7:30 am...one of our earliest trail starts.No big climbs today. Mt Mist was only a 600 foot climb. The weather was humid and our clothes were heavily soaked with sweat. However, we made great progress and made NH 25, MP 1782.6 by 2 pm. What spurred us on was that Trog, Instigator and Expediator kept passing us every time we stopped for water or a snack and were headed for the same hostel. Minutia was also having a meltdown and wanted to get out of the "green tunnel"...all the mindless hiking without scenery. Minutia is ready for the Whites and for that matter, so am I!We were greeted at the Hikers Welcome Hostel by Seamstress and T! Seamstress met her friend, Momma Lama and they're planning to hike the Whites together.The hostel has bunk rooms upstairs ($15/night) or outside in a big tent ($10/night). Minutia and I opted to pitch our own tents in the yard because we believe it will be cooler and more private.After a quick outdoor shower, we caught the shuttle into Warren for food along with T, Trog and a few other hikers. We also meet another young lady named "Dos" who is also on trail journals. She helped me figure out how to connect my cell phone to the wifi. Since there is no cell signal, I can at least email my journals and pictures to Haunani.   Some of the hikers had friends meet them here, one with a guitar and another with a bass fiddle. They entertained the whole hostel with bluegrass music til after 9 pm. Nothing like laying in your tent listening to bluegrass while journaling.
Date: 2012-07-23
From: NH 25 MP 1782.6

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Page 1 of 2Lots of hikers at the hostel last night. Some are inside and others tent outside on the lawn like us. Although we are relatively close to the road, the vehicle traffic didn't hurt my sleep. Woke up about 6:30 am after hearing others moving about. They were getting ready to slack pack Mt Moosilauke. The hostel caretaker, "Phatt Chapp" will shuttle them to Kinsman Notch and they will hike south bound, back to the hostel. We are considering this option tomorrow after taking a zero today.After morning coffee, we go through our mail drop boxes. I've had my winter gear sent to me. All the historical information I've gathered from Whiteblaze.com and Trailjournals.com tells me to have my winter gear before entering the White Mountains and the Presidentials. However, I'm having a hard time justifying carrying the extra weight since NH is having unseasonably warm temperatures.   Not sure what to do...might mail some of it forward?Minutia and I decide to move to the Carriage Motel in downtown North Woodstock for the night. We can enjoy the rest of our zero day in air conditioning and there's a 40% chance of heavy thunderstorms tonight. The Post Office is across the street, we'll have cell phone service and there are many eating establishments within walking distance. The hostel was adequate, but you can't beat an indoor bathroom, shower and bed! Tomorrow, we'll get a shuttle to Kinsman Notch, slack pack Mt Moosilauke southbound, and have Phatt Chapp shuttle us back to the motel.   Phatt Chapp shuttled us to North Woodstock and gave us the grand tour doing it. We stopped at a rock formation known as "The Old Man of Mountain Illegitimate Son" in Warren and at a bazaar site with an old Redstone Missile next to a church with a steeple. Phatt Chapp Guy was also kind enough to stop in Lincoln at an outfitter store so Minutia could get a new basket for the bottom of his trekking pole. I bought a pair of fresh socks. I'm sending my primary pair back home. No matter how many times I wash them, they can almost stand up on their own.We are fed, rested, and ready to tackle the big mountains tomorrow.
Date: 2012-07-24
From: NH 25 MP 1782.6

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Heavy thunderstorms moved through last night and knocked out the power for quite awhile to the motel (no A/C). I personally slept through it all, but it woke Minutia several times.We said goodbye this morning to Midwest Momma and her hiking partner. They had been staying here while they slack packed from NH 25 to Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch.The shuttle connection took us from the motel to the trail head at Kinsman Notch. Looking up at Mt Moosilauke, dark rain clouds obscured the summit. Minutia's experience out west in the Sierras tells him it will not clear. While discussing whether to hike or go back to town, Dos and her friend pulled up to the traihead parking lot. After greetings and hugs we talked about the probability of the summit clearing. Dos's friend, who has extensive hiking experience in the area, agrees it probably will not clear.   So we hitch a ride with her back to North Woodstock. Lucky break to get a ride, but so disappointed!Bummed...hate the idea of a another zero in town. Intellectually, I know it was a wise, safe decision. The ascent and descent would've been slippery and treacherous. Plus, the 4,000+ foot climb up the mountain to get soaked and not witness the beautiful views?! I hiked through the Roan Highlands (NC/TN) with Purple Haze last year in the mist and rain and missed experiencing one of the prettiest sections of the AT. I regretted that so I hope not to miss out on these views.The rest of the afternoon was taken up watching TV, napping, talking and planning the next couple of weeks.   For example, the section from Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch is 54 miles long and we schedule it for 6 days. However, looking at the profile (up & down elevations) and based on our past performance, we decide to break it up in to two, 27 mile sections, each 3-1/2 days, with a "nero" at Crawford Notch. That way, we're not hiking out with 6 days of food on our backs. It's smart to have a pre-planned schedule to follow, but even smarter to adjust as needed. The weather looks better for tomorrow, but there are no guarantees! The mountains have their own ways.
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Kinsman's Notch, NH 112, MP, 1791.9, NH

To: NH 25 MP 1782.6, NH
Miles today: 9.3

Minutia and I are anxious to hike again so we hurriedly eat breakfast and pack our backpacks for the day. We scrapped our slack pack attempt yesterday due to weather, hoping today would be better. However, once again there are dark rain clouds hanging low in the sky around Mt. Moosilauke. Can't wait any longer. Must get hiking.The trail up the north side is very steep, with rebar hand holds and wooden steps fastened into the rock. Many times on the ascent I could have leaned forward and kissed the rock.   The trail follows a cascading brook with many waterfalls. It was quite beautiful. Bad news is the mist from the waterfalls makes all the rocks slick. The weather is cool and breezy...just perfect for hiking. We started out with wind shirts on, but soon changed out of them because we were sweating heavily from the climb.The new wind shirt I'm using has a light lining and it holds moisture from my sweat soaked T-shirt. I'm not liking it because it does not dry quickly. I will probably send it home with my 35° sleeping bag. I will stick with my unlined wind shirt cause it drys very quickly. We stopped at the Beaver Brook Shelter just for a look see.   We talked to a few hikers. We didn't linger long because even with the wind shirts, it was cold. As we climbed higher up the mountain into the clouds, the pine trees got smaller. The trail wasn't as steep, but was more boulder strewn. Everything was wet from the mist, but every once in awhile, the sun would peek through and this gave us hope of clear views on the top. Finally we broke tree line and could see the cairins lining the path to the barren top. Above tree line the wind was quite strong (gusting 20 to 30 MPH), but the mountain gods had blessed us with clearing skies and spectacular views! We took pictures, ate lunch, phoned love ones, and reveled in the spectacular 360° beauty before us! We lingered for as long as we could and then started the 6 mile trek down the mountain. We arrived at the Hikers Welcome Hostel at 4:30 pm and found that Phatt Chapp, the caretaker, would not return till after 6 pm to shuttle us to the motel. We got back to the motel after 6:30 pm. It's a short evening as we need to rest up for tomorrow. Since we slack packed today, we need to re-pack our backpacks. Tomorrow we get shuttled back to Kinsman Notch and hike north.It was a long, but satisfying day.   This had to be one of the absolute best hiking days of the whole trip! We started at Kinsman Notch, NH 112, MP 1791.9 and slack packed SoBo to NH 25, MP 1782.6, a distance of 9.3 miles.
Date: 2012-07-26
From: NH 25 MP 1782.6, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

No hiking today. Minutia and I both wake up wasted from hiking the day before. We could've slept another 2 hours. We're so tired and exhausted as like right after an intense CrossFit workout. But it was worth all the effort. Yesterday was a near perfect hiking day. There's nothing like tackling a hard, challenging climb to get to the top and then being sweetly rewarded by spectacular 360 degree views...views so breathtaking that photos don't do them justice. So today we went to the Flume Visitors Center and picked up our mail drops. This allows us to breakdown our 6 day food supplies into two, 3 day components to cover the sections from Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch and Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch. We also stopped by the Post Office to send some gear home: 35° sleeping bag, some food, and used guide pages, etc.We ate lunch at a restaurant called Peg's, which is were we also ate breakfast. After lunch, we stopped next door at Fadden's General Store. What caught our eye was the sign above the door "camping supplies and beer." The General Store carried an eclectic assortment of merchandise. What was most interesting was the historical maple syrup making photos and awards on the walls. Minutia struck up a conversation with the owner, Jim Fadden. Jim is a 5th generation maple syrup maker. He also owns Peg's restaurant and is a general contractor. His family settled in North Woodstock in the 1800's. Jim gave us the grand tour of his syrup making process. We spent over an hour talking and asking him questions. Check out his website www.nhmaplesyrup.com. If you ever get to North Woodstock, NH, stop in and visit his store. Ask Jim or one of his sons to explain the maple syrup business.   You will not regret the time spent. When we returned to the motel, we found Seamstress waiting. She and her hiking partner have hiked up to Franconia Notch. They got off the trail due to illness in her hiking partner's family. She's trying to decide if she goes home or hikes on alone. She's been section hiking the AT for the past 15 years and wants to finish it this year. We invite her to hike with us, but she'll have to wait a couple days until we catch-up. She said she'll think about it and let us know.
Date: 2012-07-27
From: NH 25 MP 1782.6, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Another zero day. 7:30 am and it's raining. TV weather report says severe thunderstorms late this afternoon and into Saturday. Apparently, there is a frontal system moving west to east which should clear out Sunday. What to do? We decide to sit tight for two days and hike on Sunday. We hate doing this, but the next sections will be difficult enough without hiking in the rain over wet slick rocks with wet bifocals. It's a safety thing. One bad slip and the journey will be over for good. Back to Peg's for breakfast, after which we visit the local park, ATM machine and Post Office. Seamstress has decided to take a zero day today and hike on tomorrow. We make arrangements to have dinner tonight together.By the way, I had to switch out the hip belt on my backpack to a smaller one. Thank goodness this MacHale pack is custom made. I've lost enough weight that the current hip belt was too big. I hiked with it over Mt Moosilauke. It fit just fine so I sent the larger hip belt back home. I just can't gain any weight while in town!We took a nice long nap and then I ate the ham sandwich I bought for the trail this morning. Tonight, Minutia, Seamstress and I ate at the Greek Restaurant in town. I had a large Greek salad and baklava for desert. Yummy!I must mention that the rain stopped mid morning and the rain clouds moved out by early afternoon.   As I write this at 8 pm, the sky is clear with a few light white clouds in the sky. Maybe we'll hike tomorrow?