morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-31
From: Hanover, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The three of us got up and stumbled into the house for some coffee, all of us curious about what the day would hold. Over breakfast we discussed what work needed to be done and Dan let us choose what we wanted to do. We decided to tackle the flower beds first, so we all went to town weeding...Wheelbarrow full after wheelbarrow full until not a weed could be found. After a huge lunch we then decided to clean out the basement. This is when we discovered that Dan loves recycling as much as we do, but that in Vermont you can recycle EVERYTHING. We sorted recyclables for a couple of hours and then helped replace the faucet in the basement sink. This completed the work day. Now it was time to swim. We all piled in the truck and headed up to the lake that was in the center of the little town north of the house. It was a little rainy but we managed to make it in and out of the lake between downpours. Then Doreen had us over for margaritas and chips and salsa. We whipped up some guacamole and had a great time sharing stories and laughing. Then Doreen showed us her new house. She was able to buy and restore a house built in the 1750's! What a wonderful, historical house with a two-story breeze-way and garage added onto the back. It is the perfect size house and as been very tastefully restored, or at least is in the process of being restored and we're very excited to see pictures of the house when it is finished. After another margarita we went back to Dan's for a steak dinner and a soak in the hot tub. Dan surprised us by asking us to stay in the house so we had the ultimate treat of line-dried sheets to put us to sleep. I'm pretty sure they smelled 5000 times better than my sleeping bag. What an awesome day, thanks to two awesome people! Thank you Dan and Doreen!!!
Date: 2004-08-01
From: Hanover, NH

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: light rain

None of us was in any hurry to leave Dan's. We slept in and then feasted on the most delicious homemade granola I have ever tasted. We then had sausage and pancakes. We then cleaned up the kitchen and headed for the lake. The sun was out and it was a gorgeous day. The lake was filled with swimmers. Doreen also joined us. Dan dropped us off in Hanover and we split a pizza and treated ourselves to a Ben and Jerry's Sampler Sundae. We hiked 1 mile out of town to the 1st shelter. I was still dazed by the wonderfulness of the weekend. There were so many things I loved about it--chatting and philosphyzing w/ Dan over coffee, riding in the truck with the windows down, singing to the Beatles, seeing Doreen's new hose in the works and sharing in her excitement, and working hard and seeing our accomplishments. It was all great!
Date: 2004-08-02
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

It was a great day for hiking. We climbed some pretty good mountains and saw lots of SOBO's. Took a delicious nap after lunch then ran out of water with 4 miles to go. I was so stoked to find that the shelter had a primo water source. So we cameled up once we got here. The mosquitoes have just started to come out so I am crawling in the bag.
Date: 2004-08-03
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: NH 25A
Miles today: 17.0

Today was a beautiful hike crowned with beautiful views from atop Smarts Mountain and Mount Cube. I had slept horribly due to the mosquitoes that came out after we had crawled into our bags. When I wiggled down in my bag to keep the mosquitoes from biting I sweat profusely until I couldn't stand it and threw the top off me, then the mosquitoes began to feast. This resulted in less than 3 hours of sleep. So we took a nap on the summit of Smarts Mountain as 12+ dragonflies dipped and dove over us snapping up the bugs. I really wish I had a pet dragonfly that would sit on my shoulder all day and take care of all the mosquitoes and gnats. We passed two Outward Bound groups. What patience those group leaders have. Mt. Cube was spectacular with lots of views. We made it down to NH 25A by 6:45 just as the storm was beginning. I took off my boots and put them in my pack under the cover to keep them dry. The storm raged, the trees swayed, thunder crashed. We were sopping wet when Mark picked us up.Mark and Trish are friends of Leki-less, who hooked us up. They were great--beds, burgers, showers, laundry, cake and bagels...lots of yummy bagels. They made us feel so at home. It was great!
Date: 2004-08-04
From: NH 25A

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Mark and Trish fed us a breakfast of bagels and coffee and dropped us back on the trail. It was a pretty uneventful hike. The terrain was nice and rolling and we sped along on a carpet of squishy pine needles. We stopped for lunch on the top of Mt. Mist and chatted with another set of southbound brothers. We rolled in to Glencliff at 3 pm. A group of men had done a day hike and we had met them on the trail. They gave us a ride to the post office along with Bearbehind who was just coming off the trail. We sent home as much stuff as we thought we could possibly live without and repacked the packs with thick fleeces and full rain gear that had arrived in our mail drop. Lionking from the hostel came over to the post office to invite us to a birthday BBQ they were having for Gary. Being the true thru-hikers we are, passing up a BBQ was out of the question. Everyone was at the hostel and the dinner was delicious, complete with ice cream! Then we headed out to Jeffers Brook Shelter and stayed the night with Road Runner.
Date: 2004-08-05
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: Gordon Pond Trail
Miles today: 11.7

Today was our first experience hiking above treeline on the AT. It was beautiful and great to see the excitement in our friends' faces. We spent 4 miles climbing Moosilauke but were greatly rewarded with spectacular views. The day was clear and we could see several other ranges in the Whites. We headed down the north slope of Moosilauke which was very steep. Lots of slab walking and some re-bar handles to help with the descent. We climbed up the second ridge and made it to Gordon Pond to camp with Tailwind, Longshot and Roshambo. We were hoping to see moose in the pond but did not see any. Hiking in the Whites is definitely more time consuming. The terrain is much more rigorous. So at the end of the day 10 miles seems a great accomplishment. And who would want to hurry through this part, anyway? It's gorgeous!
Date: 2004-08-06
From: Gordon Pond Trail

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 10.1

We had another day of great weather! Some more steep ups and downs. The ascent up Kinsman was a rock scramble. We would walk gently up for a few hundred yards and then hit a wall of loose rocks to climb. This cycle repeated about 5 times until we walked out onto a beautiful open slab. Tailwind, Longshot, Rosham-bo, Walks softly, and Red were close behind, so it was fun hanging out and snacking and taking pictures on the south summit. After the north summit we headed back down, up and over large rocks and down slabs. It is almost daunting how long hiking in the Whites takes compared to everything south of here. We arrived at Lonesome Lake Hut just before dinner. They already had two work-for-stays but were kind and also let us work-for-stay. The food was delicious. We played Uno with some young guests and then found the floor in the dining room very comfortable. What a great day!
Date: 2004-08-07
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Greenleaf Hut
Miles today: 9.3

We picked up trash around the hut and swept the floor. We feasted on a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. The walk to the road was very enjoyable, a nice gentle descent. We spent a while in town trying to replace a platypus bladder but none of the outfitters carried them. It was a steep climb up Liberty Mtn., then we stopped off at Liberty Springs tentsite and chatted with the caretaker, Huff. Then we decided to push on to Greenleaf Hut. When we reached the Franconia ridge trail we dropped out packs and bounded up to the summit of Liberty then headed for Lafayette Mtn. The sky looked very neat as the clouds soared over us. We were above the tree line and could see for miles. The wind was fierce. When we summitted the north peak of Lafayette, we took the Greanleaf trail down to the hut. They took all of us for work-for-stay, so once again we ate really well--turkey, mashed potatoes, soup and bread. We even had a storage loft to sleep in. It was cute and cozy.
Date: 2004-08-08
From: Greenleaf Hut

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was so much more difficult than we had anticipated. We had hoped to make it to Zealand Falls but it took us 7 hours to hike less than 7 miles. Garfield had a beautiful view from the top and it was nice and sunny while we were eating lunch. Coming off Garfield was what really did us in. It was so steep. Fauna wished they would build a giant slide down the mountain and we would be able to slide down. I asked her how we would be able to stop once at the bottom and she said there would be a big pit of balls. It sounded like a good idea. "But what about the southbounders?" I inquired. "Well, the slide would go right above the trail so they would still be able to hike up," she said. If only Fauna had been the trail architect our day would have been so much easier, not to mention more fun. We hiked through a brief thunder shower and reached the hut a bit before 5 pm. We were exhausted. We stayed again with Pete and Claire and ate left-over stuffed shells. We chatted with other hikers on the porch and had fun playing Farkle with some teachers, Barb and Bev from Connecticut. The floor was nice and warm and dry.
Date: 2004-08-09
From: Galehead Hut

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: fog

The weather was beautiful today, so clear. We swept out the hut and headed out, up Guyot Mtn. We had great views and the hiking didn't seem nearly as difficult as yesterday. There was a great view from the cliff right before Zeacliff trail. It was a nice descent to Zealand Falls. The falls were beautiful, slabs of rocks that the water ran down. We stopped at the hut and ate lunch. Then we laid down on the slabs next to the water and warmed ourselves in the sun. The trail then followed an old railroad bed so we flew down to Ethan Pond Campsite. We met Ballpark, the caretaker, and we were able to work-for-stay. We planted trees and then sat down by the pond and chatted with some past thru-hikers. Ballpark was out in the canoe trying his luck at fishing. We watched the sun set over the pond, not a cloud in the sky. We sat around the kitchen area cooking dinner and chatting about thru-hiking and the trail.
Date: 2004-08-10
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

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

Today was our biggest day in the Whites so far. Lots of ups and downs, but overall not too bad. We got a couple of photos of sections of the trail that went almost straight up a slab wall. We would get to a "wall" and stand there shaking our heads, in denial that this was really the trail. But it always was. When we reached Mizpah hut we gorged ouselved on chicken noodle soup and pumpkin bread. It was delicious. Sometimes the huts have all-you-can-eat left-overs for $3, so it is hard not to completely stuff yourself. We then climbed Mt. Clinton where the trail was above the tree line. It was a great day to be on top of the ridge. A bit windy but warm and sunny. We reached Lake of the Clouds Hut at 6 pm and found they still had room left for work-for-stay. So again we stuffed ourselves, this time with ham, soup, pasta salad, rice and cookies. Then we just waited until 9:30 (lights out) so we could throw our bags out on the dining room floor. Ahhh...yea...bedtime.
Date: 2004-08-11
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tentsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: fog

We hiked up Washington in a cloud. No view from the top. But we were fat and happy, having just stuffed ourselves at the Lakes of the Clouds hut with left-over chocolate chip coconut pancakes. In the seating area of the restaurant/gift shop/museum we found a plug in so we plugged in the cell phone and actually got a signal. So while we were listening to voicemail a woman came by and in a very mean tone told us we needed to pay $2 to the snack bar for using their electricity. $2!!!!!!! I don't think it could have cost more than 10 cents to charge a cell phone for 20 minutes, and we even bought stuff from their lousy snack bar. The hike was one long rock hop off of Washington to Madison hut. It was beginning to rain so we stopped in to inquire about work-for-stay. We were not feeling very welcome there and the sun sprang out, so we threw on our packs and headed out. When we crested Madison we heard the first rumblings of thunder and saw a dark gray wall in front of us, and open ridge of nothing but rocks and shrubs lay below. We set off as fast as we could rock-hop, hoping to reach the trees before the lightning reached us. Finally we reached the trees unscathed and descended to Osgood tentsite for the night. We only hiked 10 miles, but it felt like 20.
Date: 2004-08-12
From: Osgood Tentsite

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: fog

This morning Fauna popped out of her sleeping bag at 5:30 AM...what could cause such unusual behaviour? Two words--BREAKFAST BUFFET! We had been waiting for this since Galehead Hut. Filled with thoughts of waffles and eggs and bacon we sped through the mountains. Pete thought Fauna went fast after pancakes, be he hadn't seen her when pancakes are wating for her. We rushed in to Pinkham Notch Camp at 9:15 AM after 5 miles, then DISASTER! Tragedy of all tragedies---breakfast is over at 8:30! With our dreams crushed we bought some coffee and waited for lunch. How could we overcome such a tragedy? Luckily Flora discovered the coin operated showers--oh to be clean after 9 days. Nothing cures a bad morning like a hot shower! After stuffing ourselves silly at the AYCE lunch we headed into the rain and up a wall of a mountain. We scrambled and hunched and crawled and swung and somersaulted. (alright, maybe not somersaulted.) Anyway, we made it 6 rainy miles up and over the Wildcat Mountains to Carter Notch Hut. This would have been and awesome hike if we wouldn't have been in a cloud. There was a nice surprise at the end of the day...a hut full of thru-hikers and open bunks left. It was great to see Opie, Litefoot, Overunder, NRChi, Longshot, Tailwind, Roshambo and Pete again and meet C'est la Vie.
Date: 2004-08-13
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Rattle River
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: fog

After our routine hut sweeping we headed out into the mist. We were hiking like slugs. Everything was wet and slick. We made it to IMP campsite around 2:30 and decided to push on 6 more miles to Rattle River Shelter. As we left IMP Shelter it bagan to rain very hard, we kept hiking. The descent was not as steep as we had anticipated, but the trail was quickly becoming a stream. We ended up crossing Rattle River almost 3 times. Each time it was deeper and more forceful. The third time, we were certain the shelter was just on the other side and already being soaked to the bone, we tried to cross, but got about 5 ft out and couldn't get footing. So we turned back and found a place to pitch the tent. We stripped down, left our wet clothes outside and climbed in the tent. What a tough day! We were exhausted and decided to treat ourselves to a NERO in Gorham.
Date: 2004-08-14
From: Rattle River

To: Gorham
Miles today: 3.4
Weather: few clouds

We donned our wet clothes, socks and boots and squished our way to the road. The river was now at our ankles, last night it had been at our pack belts. It had been a good decision to wait. We got into town before 10 and found The Barn, actually the guy who picked us up in his truck dropped us off at the door. There was room for us so we claimed a bed and headed out for the greasy breakfast we had been craving for the last week. Longshot, Tailwind, Bearbag Hanger, and Red all joined us and it was delicious! The library was closed but we made it to the post office and grocery store. They have a trolley that drives around town. You can get on and off as much as you want for $1. So we sat back and took in the sights of Gorham all the way to the grocery store. The driver was even kind enough to drop us off at The Barn on the way back. The Barn was a decent hostel with an oven and refrigerator. There were about 10 random beds wtih matresses upstairs, very roomy and laid back. the community art center next door was having a contra dance (like square dancing) and no one had shown up, so they asked us to come over so the band would at least have an audience. So about 6 of us went, and before we knew it, we were do-si-doing with the best of them. (The other 4 people that showed up.) It was great to sample the local flavor.
Date: 2004-08-15
From: Gorham

To: Gentian POnd
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

We hiked out of town around 10 AM and the day actually turned out to be a surperb day for hiking. We enjoyed lunch in a beautiful spot on top of Cascade Mtn. with a great view. This afternoon we saw our first moose, actually our first 4 moose. In Dream Lake we watched a cow and her 2 calves feed for 1/2 an hour. She knew we were there but must not have felt too threatened by us. They were beautiful! Then when we got to the shelter we saw another one at the pond. Very cool. What a great feeling it is to hike in dry clothes. Today really reminded me of why hiking the AT was a good idea. Ther previous 3 days of hiking (before town) in the rain had caused me to forget that hiking is actually fun. Maine tomorrow! I can't believe we are this close.
Date: 2004-08-16
From: Gentian POnd

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

We awoke to rain, it cleared up for most of the day, but began raining again in the afternoon. We only hiked 9 miles but it felt like 20 miles. The trail was extremely hard. Flora slipped as we were going down a wet slab. No injuries. We had to take off our packs and hand them down. It was very steep. We were very happy to make it to the shelter. We cooked up chicken tortilla soup w/ramen. We are now in Maine. We crossed the border today. Wow, our last state. So glad to be dry in the shelter.
Date: 2004-08-17
From: Full Goose Shelter

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

We successfuly navigated the Mahoosuc Notch. It wasn't too bad. It did take us longer than we had anticipated so we decided to stop at Speck Pond. With a revised plan and less than a mile to go, once atop Mohoosuc Arm we sat down and took in the view. It was beautiful. It was great to sit and chat with Longshot and Roshambo about our lives and our plans for life after the trail. Since we entered Maine and today hit 1900 miles everyone seems to be thinking about life after the trail. It is great to soak up this last section, especially on a beautiful, sunny day, but we are also looking forward to heading home.
Date: 2004-08-18
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Grafton Notch
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: few clouds

We had a great hike out of Speck Pond up Old Speck Mountain and then enjoyed a gentle walk down along a cascading brook. It was beautiful. There was a cooler with watermelon right before Grafton Notch parking lot. So we each enjhoyed a nice slice and split a Pepsi with Wizard. We walked out into the parking lot and there was Dharma sitting on a tailgate. We hadn't seen him since TrailDays. So after hugs we realized that Dharma was our shuttle back to the "Cabin". Our shuttle was one day and 10 miles too early.... Hmmm...... We thought we had been pretty clear about our shuttle.....possibly our friends already at the cabin wanted to apend more time with us. So we happily jumped in the cab and off we went. The afternoon was beautiful and after showers we attired ourselves in "cabin clothes" Flora found the craziest dress--bright pink with flowers. Fauna chose comfy pants, coordinating plaid shirt and a rainbow belt. We had a great dinner and dessert. We spent the evening playing Outburst and Trivial Pursuit. What a great night at The Cabin!
Date: 2004-08-19
From: Grafton Notch

To: East B Hill Road
Miles today: 10.3

Dharma dropped us back off at Grafton Notch and we had a great hike up and over the Baldpate. We were haulin' with just our daypacks! As soon as we hit the road, Bear from The Cabin pulled up and picked us up. We had plenty of time to shower and dress for dinner. There is a closet full of dresses to choose from and shelves of comfy clothes. We loved wearing something other than our hiking clothes. After dinner we kicked back and watched the Olympics.
Date: 2004-08-20
From: East B Hill Road

To: Saddle after Old Blue
Miles today: 14.4

We slacked another 10 miles, which was great because there were some steep sections with re-bar. Longshot and Reaushambeaux slacked with us. Dharma met us at South Arm road with our packs and we hiked up Old Blue Mountain and camped in the saddle before Elephant Mountain. We packed up s'mores and Longshot and Reaushambeaux helped us build a fire. We all went to bed fat and happy.
Date: 2004-08-21
From: Saddle after Old Blue

To: Bemis Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: light rain

"Damn it's raining again" we both exclaimed at the same time. It's so hard to get out of the tent when it is raining, but easier now that the bottom of the tent soaks through. So we crawled out of our puddle and packed up. A slow and soggy 4.3 miles later we arrived at the shelter. We were greeted by Hippie Long Stockings who exclaimed. "No chicks with dicks allowed!" The comment was for Dharma who enjoys hiking in a kilt. We ate a 2nd breakfast and after sitting around the shelter for a while as the rain got heavier, we decided to stay. So we put on our dry clothes and snuggled up in our bags to dry out as the rain poured and poured. Other hikers began to arrive and as of now we have 9 in the shelter. It most likley will be a very cozy night.
Date: 2004-08-22
From: Bemis Mountain Shelter

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

We had a full shelter and lots of bear line strung about drying clothes. It took us a long time to pack everything back up, but the day turned out to be gorgeous. We stopped on top of the last mountain before the road to pick blueberries and try to throw them to each other and catch them in our mouths. The views were spectacular and the sun had never felt better. Once we crossed the road and headed up, the miles flew past. We had trail magic twice! Once we came upon a stream with cokes and fruit in it. Nothing better than a fresh piece of fruit with lunch. Near Sabbath Day Pond a fisherman handed us each an apple. Little Swift River Pond was great and we took a canoe out on the pond. The canoe was fun, but it leaked. So before long the canoe was full of water, so we headed back to shore. The sky remained clear and we fell asleep under magnificent stars.
Date: 2004-08-23
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite

To: Eddy Pond
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: scattered clouds

The first 4.8 miles into Rangeley were quick and muddy. But once to the road we shortly caught a hitch. We were in the back of a truck with Dharma and our packs. I love riding in the back of trucks into town. After walking in the woods everyday it seems like a fantastic roller coaster ride. We re-supplied and ate burgers for lunch. The people of Rangeley were very friendly and stopped to chat as we were packing up our food. It was an easy hitch back to the trail. Two really nice ladies picked us up in their station wagon. The first part of the trail this afternoon was nice and we saw many day hikers heading back and forth to Piazza Rocks. When we reached Eddy Pond we decided to call it a day. We were unsure of camping opportunities up on Saddleback, so we enjoyed a liesurly evening at a nice pond--until it started raining. We are beginning to be a bit tired of being wet. The rain let up so we crawled into tents, so hopefully the wind will dry us out by morning.