morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-07
From: Baltimore Jacks

To: Mink Brook
Miles today: 8.6

Didn't get out of town until 4:00, hence, the short day. I think I need 24 hours in town to get everything done. Hit the post office, my boots, gaiters, and small hip belt were in. Thanks, sis! Went to the coffee shop to check in on Hitech. While there, I hear someone calling me, Pacer, Pacer! It's one of the employees. Hey, it's Jukebox from Manchester Center. He's got tendonitis so he had to stop his hike. Bummer. Hung around town a bit and had lunch with Bobcat, Walter, and Riceburner. Did some emailing and hit the grocery store on the way back to Jack's place. On the way to the store (fantastic Hanover co-op) my phone rang. It's Hitech. Guess who he's sending my way? Locomotive Joe. I thought he was way ahead. We met and chatted a bit. He had to go visit his sick grandmother, but she's much better now. I let him use my phone to call home and talk to her. Getting late, so I headed to Jacks. Was packing up and he invited me inside. Handed me some jerky, snickers, and a shot of Beam.What a way to kick start your hike. He even gave me a ride back to the trail head. Awesome. Hiked a bit and ran into Rabbit. A guy stopped for us at a road crossing and asked if we wanted a ride to the general store. Sure. Gatorade and cookies for me, please. Back to the trail and more hiking. Caught PC&J and Danger Zone at Mink Brook. Twilight was closing fast, so we made camp. Nice spot right next to the brook. I like sleeping by water, so peaceful. Earlier today, the trail went throught a field of wild blackberries. Seeing a lot of those lately. Of course, I stop every time. Blueberries should be plentiful going north into Maine. Mmmm. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-08
From: Mink Brook

To: Smart Mountain
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

The Whites are coming, the Whites are coming. STill practicing for the White Mountains. This morning as we broke camp, who shows? Beth (Toothfairy). We all caught up on our hikes. She flipped from the Water Gap with 46er and Storyteller. She told us all about what we were getting into. Got some very helpful ino. It was great to see her again. Should be running into 46er and Storyteller in just a few days. Today our mission was Smart Mountain and the fire tower. We'd been able to see the tower for a couple days. The day was clear and gorgeous. So some nice breaks were taken. Sat on some cliffs halfway up the climb. The mountains here are very beautiful. Some of the maples are starting to change. Autumn is in the air. Maine will be amazing. As I was starting the rest of the climb, I ran into Mr. Blister. Hadn't seen him since Hot Springs. He flipped from Duncannon. He'd heard I was still on the trail and had hoped to see me, how nice! It's been fun seeing to many familiar faces lately. The climb we made today was 2000 feet over four miles, most of it over the last half mile (500 feet of it!) What a beast! Mt. Moosilauke is only a couple days away. (4500 feet over 4.5 miles, eeek!) Beautiful views from the fire tower up top. Took some pictures at sunset. We had an almost full moon too. Great hiking day. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-09
From: Smart Mountain

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

Stopped a bit short of our original goal today. When PC&J, DZ and I got to the shelter at 3pm, it had begun a light rain. Skies were blue, with thunder. Hmm. What to do? We all decided to stay put if we put our time to good use. We put a couple of itineraries together for the Whites. Moosilauke is tomorrow. The serious shit starts now. Cleared up long enough to dry our gear in the sun, then the rain set in again. It was a good afternoon. Boots. I've switched back to my boots. My shoes went into the trash at Jack's. It's a definite adjustment. I've basically worn tennis shoes the whole way. The dynamics are much different. Boots are heavier, stiffer larger surface area, and grab my ankles. Last night, I had a golf ball sized fluid sac on the front of my left ankle. One half that size on the right. Must've been the pressure from the laces. I took Vitamin I and kept them elevated. The swelling was mostly down by morning. I laced them a bit different today, no swelling tonight. I have a feeling I'll be buying new trail runners on Tuesday, when I get to Lincoln, NH. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-10
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday's plan worked out well. We got a good plan of attack for the Whites. Got to eat all we wanted and plenty of rest. Left camp at 7:15, made it Jeffers Brook by 11:15 (8.5 miles) Took lunch and walked up. Moosilauke, our first White, was next. Three hours to go the 4.1 miles, lets of sttep climbs over scattered boulders. Plenty of mud bogs. However, once I broke treeline, it was breathtaking. We had a nice clear day, 48 degrees and 25 mph gusts. We took a break on top and just enjoyed the view. We met a local who gave us a rundown on the peaks we'll be visiting. She counted off the ridges and peaks for us. Very cool. The mountains here are incredibly rugged. On the sescent to tonight's shelter, there actually was a sign that said, "Trail very slippery when wet or dry. Use caution or consider alternates."This shelter has the best view I've ever had. The ridges are laid out before us. The sun had slowly faded from the sky. Mt. Washington is barely visible in the distance. A group of DOC kids crashed here tonight. (Dartmouth Outdoor Club). They're out on orientation, going to be a noisy night. Going to be cold too. It's 48 right now at 7:30pm. Getting a test of my winter gear tonight. Felt real good climbing and conquering Moosilauke today. I don't want to get over confident. Last night the sunset glowing over the ridge was incredible. Everything was a surreal black and white under the shining moon. I awoke to the sunrise against Mts. Lincoln and Lafayette. Stunning. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-11
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Kinsman Pond Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Holy Balls, Batman! I felt like Batman walking up walls today. The guide book admonishes, "Adjust your mileage expectations down in the Whites." No kidding. Sure is beautiful country though. When I got to Kinsman Notch, Porkchop was there with a big of magic. Personalized, with our names on it. How cool. Cathy, the lady from yeterday, brought out a pound of roast beef for Jackson, and half a dozen bagels and cream cheese for us, as well as a printed weather report. Thanks Cath! Climbed over South and North Kindman today, then down to the pond for the night. There were some crazy steep boulders we had to climb. A portion of today's trail was a streambed, straight up. My boots are feeling a bit better everyday. There's a new adjustment ache in my feet. I think I'll keep them though, we're in a lot of mud and water. It will only get worse. I might get a new sleeping bag, though.. Las night I wore a long top and bottom, socks, hat, used a liner, and was still chilly. Fall is coming. Brrrr
Date: 2006-09-12
From: Kinsman Pond Shelter

To: Comfort Inn, Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: clear sky

The magic continues. Short walk into town today. We passed our first AMC hut early in the morning, Lonesome Lake. Stopped in for all you can eat bread. Super nice facility. Down to Rt. 3 and time to put Pacer's golden thumb to work. Took about 10 minutes and a Cadillac STS pulls over. I'm like, guys, here's a Cadillar, here's your ride. It was a Dutch couple here on holiday. We piled in the back, PC&J, DZ, and me. The gal was real polite about it, but we knew she thought we were pretty stinkly. Porkchop broke the ice by apologizing for our funky odor. They dropped us off at the post office and DZ got his boots. We were sitting there, trying to find a base cam when a guy aproached us. Hey, is this Jackson? He was Steve, and had dropped off Cathy's magic package. We decided to stay at the Comfort Inn. Steve took us there and and when he dropped us off, offered us a ride back to the trail head int he morning. Wow. Super cool, dog friendly people. So was the staff and Comfrt. Good base camp. Nice room, internet, and laundry, close to all the shopping we needed. Guess who rolls into town? Hitech. We put him in our room, of course. The 40 and over gang's back together again! Peace.
Date: 2006-09-13
From: Comfort Inn, Lincoln, NH

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Stunning, awesome, incredible, mindblowing. beautiful, unbelievable, wow! Franconia Ridge today. First time above the tree line. Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette. It was a clear but windy day. Great views. Had a group of thru hikers gather on Lincoln, whooping and hollering. The climb up to the ridge trail was a steep three miles. From the top it looked very formidable. Hiking as life metaphor for the day. Obstacles, when dealt with in a positive, constructive manner, are always much smaller than the imagination makes them out to be. Stayed at the Garfield Ridge Shelter with some sectioners. Good guys. So was the AMC caretaker, Leaf. Wonderful day. Franconia was well worth the 1700 previous miles. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-14
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter

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

I'm glad it was clear yesterday. Today was soaked in most of the day. Stopped by a couple of more huts, Galehead and Zenland Falls. These facilities are really nice. Check www.outdoors.org. Had soup and bread at Galehead. All you can eat, 3 dollars! We were able to make good tmiles, the last 4.7 were flat and smooth. Don't forget though, the first ten were hell. You'd freak at some of this stuff we climb on. Sheltering with PC&J, DZ, Walter, Bobcat, Frankenfoot. Tenting are Hitech, Rabbit, Pockets, and Tonka. Thru hiker city. This morning, Storyteller and 46er turned up. We chatted with them a bit. It was great to see them. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-15
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 9.3

We hit the Presidential Range today. Steep, heinous rock climbing, slips and falls aren't uncommon. I had a classic wide world of sports fall, but no one was around to see it. Someone's usually there to see you do a silly slop, but they always miss the great ones. I was almost to the top of a 40 foot slick, smooth rock face. I'd been crawling up on my fingers and toes when my feet lost their purchase. Fell to my chest and slid almost all the way back to the bottom before my toes caught something. Whew. That gets the adrenaline flowing!the view from Webster Cliffs was awesome. Climbed Mts. Webster and Jackson. Staying tonight as a paying guest at the AMC's Mizpah Sporings Hut. This is a really cool lodge. On the way in, DZ asked what I wanted to smell cooking for dinner. Chicken pot pie. Guess what's for dinner? Yep, chicken pot pie. Hitech, DZ, and I are here. PC&J are staying down at the tent sites, as they don't allow dogs here....too bad. Peace.The hut is staffed by a crew of college kids. They cook and serve, act as anaturalist, provide weather info, trail info, et.c We had Heidi, Emily, RD, and Andrew--fun bunch of kids. Breakfast was oatmeal with all the toppings, mexican omelets, and blueberry muffins. It was a great experience. I understand why weekenders dig paying 80 dollars to stay at these place. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-16
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Madison Springs Hut
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Mount Washington today! Triumph. The highest peak in the Northeast, 6288 feet. On the way out of Mizpah, one my poles brok. Oops. We climbed over nothing but rocks today. Crazy. Was weird using only one pole. I'm glad it didn't happen yesterday while we were climbing Jackson. Actually, Mt. Washington was no biggie, it was more like Disneyland than a mountain top. Cars, motocycles, train, throngs of people everywhere. The trail here through the Presidentials is amazing. We had perfect weather for the day. It was a long hike. Made it to the Madison Springs Hut around 6pm. PC&J beat us there and had set up work for stay for him, DZ, and myself. The Madison crew allowed Jackson to stay in the hut's basement. What a difference. As work for stay, we had to sit outside in the cold until all the paying guests had finished dinner. We did get the leftovers! I wound up washing six cookie sheets, woo hoo. We slept on the tables and floor, and had to be packed up by 630am. I'm glad I got to see hut stay from both sides. Neat contrast. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-17
From: Madison Springs Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

What another gorgeous day. After breakfast (leftovers) we headed out. Stopped on Mt. Madison and took it in. Spent over an hour there. We were above the clouds, so cool. Was a long slow hike down to Pinkham with only one pole. The AMC HQ is at Pinkham. Our food drop was there. Took a shower and had some cokes. Bought new poles. I switched over to the Lehi Camp. Ran into Liz and Eliza, a couple of grils from the Madison Huts. They were cool enough to bring us a few beers from town. Thanks for the magic hut girls. We've been so fortunate to have good weather these last few days. PC checked at the AMC desk and found out about some secluded tent sites out behind the lodge. They were right near a stream and the Tuckerman Ravine trail. Another case of things working out. The only other option was another 80 dollar room or hiking. Three miles up the Wildcats. Not. Let it flow.
Date: 2006-09-18
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: broken clouds

Yes, 5.9 is a respectable day, especially when it's scheduled that way. The Wildcats, were challenging enough coming on the heels of the Presidentials. Stopped at the top of the Wildcat Ski Resort for a few hours basking in the sun and enjoying the view of the ridge we had walked the preview two days. Was a popular tourist spot. The gondola runs during the summers months to take people up for the view. We did the normal thru hiker Q&A with lots of folks. At one point, I joked about taking the gondola down on an ice cream run. The guys jumped on it. The lift operator was stunned, he's like, it's um 12 dollars round trip. No problem dude - it's ice cream! It put smiles on all our faces and some of the civilians too.Earlier in the day, I had a bit of an emotional breakdown. My hiking buds had noticed. I was in a funk. We (Hitech, DZ, and I) took a break and talked about what's going on. I'm freaked by what's going to happen after my hike. I've had a goal, drive, and purpose for the last while. Soon it will be back to civilization. Money's tight. I need to start again. Move, relocate, begin anew. Wow. As it turns out, we all share the same fear/feeling. Funny how we keep it all bottled up. Peace.
Date: 2006-09-19
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Top Notch Motel
Miles today: 15.2

Dateline - Gorham, NH. Last night we stayed at the cozy Carter Notch shelter. Sally, the caretaker, let us work work for stay. We put away dishes, swept the kitchen, and swathed the dining room floor. I really liked the setting of the hut. I've had a great time at the AMC huts. Today's schedule called for either 8 or 13 miles, depending on terrain. At 8, we agreed to push into Rattle River shelter. Hitech and PC&J beat DZ and me. They were unpacked and starting to cook dinner when we arrived. This was 6pm. It had been raining for a couple hours. DZ and I sat down and started talking about pressing on for two more and getting to town. We debated for a while, when PC said, "Dudes, that makes tomorrow a full zero" I was ready to go. We hit the trail at 630 and were at the road by 7pm. Pacer's golden thumb had a ride ten minutes later. Dusk and soaking wet. Thanks Tom and Donna. They brought us to the Top Notch Motel. In an hour's time from leaving the shelter, we'd covered two miles, hitched 5 miles to town, checked into a motel, and were enjoying a cold beer. It just works out. Let it flow.
Date: 2006-09-20
From: Top Notch Motel

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Ah, my old friend, Mr. Zero. Where ya been? I won't bore you with chores, food, haircuts, laundry, filet mignon dinner, etc. I've got 300 miles to go and 23 days to do it. I'm very happy to be with the crew I'm with. My spirits are high. It's difficult to think of this coming to an end. Thru hiking isn't really hiking, it's more of a lifestyle. I'm very at peace here lving on the periphery. I take civilization on my terms and retreat to the sanctity and sanity of the woods. I've made some real solid friendships with some people out here, and have lived in peace and harmony with all out here, man, animal, and nature.I'm blessed to be having this experience at this point in my life. Things do work out. No more forcing stuff, I'm going to be better at going with the flow. This is probably the last online journal entry to be posed before I summit. I promise to update the remaining portion when I'm done. To come: Pacer's 44th birthday blowout, the last 300 miles. Maine. 100 miles wilderness. Katahdin! And how hiking the AT has (or has not) changed my life. A very special and heartfelt thanks to Adrienne for turning my sloppy writing to readable text (thanks :-)....and to Cari for her love, support, and help back home. What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding.
Date: 2006-09-21
From: Gorham, NH

To: Trident Col Tentsite
Miles today: 6.9

Didn't get out of Gorham until almost noon. Took about a half hour to get a hitch. Lots of "Leaf Peepers" driving by, no one stopping. PC& J and DZ headed out to call a cab while I left my thumb out. Bingo! Ride. Then I had to ask him if my buddies could ride along also, no problem. I just about took off on my own, but didn't want to deal with the b.s. those guys would have given me had I done so. We opted for todays fall back plan, 7 miles to the tent sites. That means 15 tomorrow, but that was factored into the master plan. So far we've been following the schedule we put together at Ore Hill. The day was crisp clear and breezy. The leaves are really starting to change now. Gorham was full of leaf peeping tourist, driving around marvelling at the countryside. I however have the priveledge of walking through these forests and over these mountains. I'm super grateful for the excellent weather we had going through the Whites. It could have been a whole lot worse this time of year. Into Maine tomorrow, temps are dropping and it will be time to test the cold weather layering. I was able to check emails today from Hitech's laptop, but didn't have any time to respond. I love getting emails! Cathy asked how I/we stay motivated day in, day out. No simple anwers to that, other than I can out here not to quit. Long distance hiking is a very mental activty. I've done good in my life, but went to shit a few years ago with depression and drinking. Consequently, I've felt like a big faliure for some time. Job problems, running my business (into the ground), unable to properly market and promote my business and myself. I came out here for time away, to think and reflect, to get away from all the crap that civilization gives us. Anyway, at this point in my life, I've happy and satisfied to be with friends, same age, similar life experiences. And strange as it may sound, we DO talk about our feelings (sometimes, ha ha). I know I'm not the only one out here who wants to finish something (positive) that I've started. PEACE
Date: 2006-09-22
From: Trident Col Tentsite

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

The sign says "Welcome to Maine - The Way Life Should Be", Katahdin 281.4 miles. Maine trail is as rugged as I've heard. Overgrown. Roots like nowhere else. Rocks. Mud, lots of it. Bogs. Boulders. And we only had walked a half mile in to find that out. Been hearing for months how tough southern Maine is, no shit. The northern bit of NH gave us a smackdown as we left. We were going to make up the four miles we missed yesterday, but a tumble and slide left PC pretty shook up. PC fell on a real nasty boulder section, precursor to Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow. In light of his tumble, we stopped short at Carlo. Met a couple of cool sectioners out on their own hikes, Phil and Walt. Phil was once a caretaker at Upper Goose Pond cabin. Walt is an artist from MA. I was feeling pretty good today, although I got a bit pissed off when I was starving and ran short of water. Such is as it is. RAMBLE ON
Date: 2006-09-23
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Mahoosuc (ma-who-sick) Notch. The toughest 1.1 miles of AT. It took two hours to cover the mile of jumbled boulders. You don't hike it as much as climb over, through, and around the rocks. It was actually a lot of fun. Lots of what the fucks and holy shits echo'd through the notch. There's a couple spots barely big enough to squeeze through. PC dropped his pack at one spot, pushed it through the gap then went through himself. I was about to follow suit when he dropped the gauntlet. You'll be the bad ass mo-fo of the day if you can get through there with your pack on. Sounds like a challenge to me! Cinched my pack tight, dropped to my belly and crawled through. Take that bad ass mo-fo! Oh, can't forget, light rain all day, nothing like raising the degree of difficulty. Huge climb up Speck Mountain, really beat us down by the time we arrived at the shelter. Found Stoker at the shelter, for whatever reason he remarked to me that I was in the best mood of us four. I guess it's true. Today was fun, challenging yet rewarding. AS THE FOOTSTEPS DWINDLE, EACH BECOMES MORE PRECIOUS.
Date: 2006-09-24
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Frye Notch Shelter
Miles today: 10.4

Nice hike. Bit of rain as we got up, supposed to be thunderstorms today. I could tell DZ's knee was killing him. He told me he was headed to Andover to rest it a bit, good call buddy. Got to Grafton Notch where we found PC&J. Hitech has pressed on. A couple of guys we met last night offered DZ a ride to town (and offered us some beer...)The skies were clearing after the morning rain. PC&J and I considered riding to town with DZ, then decided to press on. We'll hit Andover tomorrow. Then, as soon as we hit the woods, it began to rain again. Baldplate was our next climb. Then, the rain stopped in time for the climb, but the 40 mph gusts remained. Baldplate is a huge barren rock mountaintop. I almost got blown over a couple of times. It was a bit scary actually. Made it to Frye around 6:30. Found Walt there. Sparrowhawk, who I met earlier on the trail came in too. Walt and Sparrowhawk got into a politcal discussion about our current administration and their (corrupt) war and oil policies. Sparrowhawk took the conservative position (don't meet too many of them out here on the trail). It was a spirited debate, I think Walt won, not only because I agreed with him. PC got involved at the end and told us some of his special ops duties. That was cool as he generally keeps quiet about his background. He is, as I am for PEACE.