morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-27
From: Chet's Hostel - Lincoln, NH

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

Our decision to zero yesterday paid off. We did the best we could to time this ridge correctly without taking to much time off. I already knew that Franconia Ridge would be amazing and I was not disappointed. Spruce, YEP, Vortex, Bigfoot and I all got a shuttle ride from Phat Chap (Glencliff Hostel owner) back to the notch, where we immediately started the steep climb up (3500¢ gain) over Little Haystack, Lincoln & Lafayette. The ridge was mostly clouded in, but it cleared every once in a while for some impressive photo ops. (see my photos for June 27th). If anyone is planning a day hike in the Whites, I would highly recommend Franconia Ridge. From there, we followed the ridge over to Garfield, which was a steep up and a very steep down. To get a work-for-stay at one of the huts (rather than paying $87 a head), there is an unwritten rule that says hikers should wait until after 1500 or the staff will politely ask you to move on. There were two official work-for-stay slots and we had 5 thruhikers. We did our best to charm them, but the ¢croo¢ were only allowing 2 spots. Spruce, YEP, and Vortex kindly gave Bigfoot and I the WFS spots as they had a group of three. Pretty soon afterwards a storm rolled in, so Spruce, etc. decided to wait it out before heading 3 more miles to the next shelter. We played ¢speed Scrabble,¢ which was really fun. Vortex destroyed us all, but it is a great game. My work-for-stay job was an hour of ¢depainting¢ a chair, which was fun but hard. Bigfoot had to wash dishes. We ate leftover pasta, corn, and bread and had a good time talking with the croo (all college-aged kids). ¢Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth, follow only beauty, and obey only love.¢ ~ Kahlil Gibran
Date: 2008-06-28
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 7.0

Well, I¢ve been up since 0530, and I am wide awake at 2200. Since we are work-for-stay guests, we sleep in the dining area. So, the first ones up for morning coffee inevitably woke Bigfoot and me up. However, we chilled at the hut til 1100 planning Bigfoot¢s schedule up to Katahdin. I really enjoyed planning it. Every time we talk about that mountain, we both get excited. Bigfoot and I put in our 7 miles to Zealand Falls hut, where we got another work-for-stay. Duck and POZ (section hikers) also got work-for-stays, so the number available must vary by hut. Eventually, War Paint also showed up around 1800 and waited until 1900 to present himself and ask for work-for-stay. So, it was too late to ask him to leave. Pretty smart. We ate some leftovers, played some Asshole (it¢s a card game) and started to get ready for bed. However, that was not to be. I don¢t know many of the details right now, but soon we will be part of a carry-out (and down the mountain on a stretcher) crew for a woman who was injured falling down some stairs. As many volunteers that are available are needed. So, the croo, all the hikers, and a few overnighters will carry her out (in heavy rain) in a rotation 2.5 miles down to a road. We won¢t be back to the hut until 0100 or 0200, so I¢ll write more about my first night hiking adventure tomorrow.
Date: 2008-06-29
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Crawford Notch Rt 302 (General Store & Campground)
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: fog

LOTS OF GREAT FAMILY PHOTOS --- hiking with the family http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensonvisuals/sets/72157606078244282/Oh, today was just another day on the AT. It included carrying an injured person down the mountains at 0100, visiting my family, dining in a restaurant, hiking an additional mountain that was not on the AT, and sleeping in a bunkhouse. T.I.A.B. I guess I¢ll start in chronological order, which happened to start at midnight. A woman had fallen down some stairs last night at 2030. Since she had broken a vertebrae 2 weeks earlier, caution was necessary. An EMT expert guy ran up the mountain, got everything in order, stabilized her on a board (see photo), and got everyone ready to carry her out at midnight in the rain. There were 4 croo members, 5 thruhikers, and 2 hut guests who agreed to help. The first .2 miles were very difficult and steep. Even though there were 3 hikers on each side of the board, it felt like I was carrying my entire side. After we got tired, we would rotate with the others, allowing some to rest while walking along. It took us one hour to move 1 mile down the mountain. We were met there by 6 others who were hiking up from the road. The croo continued on down and helped out the new group, so the croo said the 2 guests and 5 thruhikers could climb back to the hut. It was 0200 before we got settled and I immediately crashed. However, we were awakened again at 0530 because guests started getting up and wandered into the dining room for coffee. The croo, who basically pulled an all-nighter themselves, awarded our help with a massive breakfast. The plan for the day was to meet my family at 1030 down in Crawford Notch (7.7 miles away), but I was busy eating breakfast and it was pouring during early morning. I didn¢t make it down to Rt. 302 in the notch until noon. The original plan was to hike with my family up to Mizpah Hut but that wasn¢t going to work. Instead, we all climbed Mt. Willard, which was much easier and shorter than continuing on the AT and provides a very scenic vista of Crawford Notch. Since I was off the AT, I actually hiked up a mountain without a pack for the first time in a long time. Even though it felt great, I still stand by my no slackpacking policy. The family (minus Ryan plus Evan) and I went to Fabyan's Station restaurant and I ordered a Turkey Bacon Club and clam chowder in a bread bowl. Dad, Mom, Julia, and Evan dropped me off at a campground, which has a $20 bunkhouse for hikers where I reconvened with POZ, Duck, and 2 section hiking 50 year old identical twins from Virginia named First Shadow and Whimsy. I was exhausted from only having 3.5 hours of sleep last night, so I took a shower, socialized for a bit, and hit the sack by 2030. ¢Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.¢ ~ Marie Curie
Date: 2008-06-30
From: Crawford Notch Rt 302 (General Store & Campground)

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: fog

After an excellent night¢s sleep, I awoke to a blue sky and a new day. The weather called for rain today, but I couldn¢t sit in a bunkhouse all day when I could be climbing up these amazing mountains that I¢ve been inching closer to this past week. This campground provides a free ride back to the trail so the twins (First Shadow & Whimsy), Duck and I all piled into the cab of a pickup (he wouldn¢t let us ride in the back) for the 3 mile ride back to the AT. The beginning of the day proved to be the hardest climbing, comprised of a non-stop steep uphill, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I hiked up over Webster, Jackson, stopped at the Mizpah Hut, where I learned that Lindsay (the injured woman who we carried out) was fine, and then hiked back up to Zealand today. I got over Pierce, around Eisenhower, and up Franklin in the clouds. Since I was trying to get a work-for-stay at Lakes of the Clouds Hut, I tried to get there at 1500, but I was hiking too fast. However, taking two half-hour long breaks and a bloody nose slowed me down enough to get there at 1515, where I met one of the croo from Zealand. He remembered me from the carry-out and instantly granted me WFS. So, I have been chilling here for a while, talking to Duck, catching up on some journal entries (I¢ve been slacking), eating leftover chicken & couscous, and taking in the best sunset that I¢ve ever seen. Lakes of the Clouds has a ladder up to the roof of the hut for anyone to use, so I got some spectacular photos. It could be chilly tonight as the high for tomorrow on Washington is only suppose to be 50 degrees. On another note, I¢m somewhat looking forward to getting out of this hut system. Although the roof and free food is nice, I¢ll take a quiet morning with poptarts and other thruhikers any day. There is too much commotion and noise all around in the huts that can¢t be escaped as well as scheduled dinners, scheduled bedtimes, and many, many people in a confined space. It¢s a tough transition after hiking in my own thoughts all day, free to do what I please. ¢Perfect freedom is reserved for the man who lives by his own work and in that work does what he wants to do.¢ ~ R. G. Collingwood
Date: 2008-07-01
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch (Gorham)
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: fog

I¢ve said it before, but I¢ll say it again. The White Mountains are gorgeous. Since the croo graciously waived the work-for-stay requirement for Duck and I (because of the carryout on the 29th), I took full advantage of that by getting up early and heading the 1.4 miles up to the Mt. Washington summit. Except for one maintenance guy, I was the only one up there. Cloud cover was on and off, but beautiful nonetheless. In fact, I think clouds can really make a scenic view truly unique for that moment. If there wasn¢t a cloud in the sky, you could see far, but you would get essentially the same view every time. Clouds add a unique element that is much harder to emulate and can be really special. I waited until 0800 for the Summit House to open, but until then, I was busy trying to take pictures. By trying, I mean whenever I tried to take a summit photo, my camera would read ¢card error¢ which gave me a heart attack. I then concluded that my memory card didn¢t like the cold and wind. So, I took it out, warmed it in my hand, quickly put it back in the camera, and took a picture, which worked well. After a brief bathroom and water refill, I headed down the other side of Washington and over to Madison. It was slow going, but beautiful. It was like Pennsylvania but the ups & downs were over huge mountains. Madison was clouded in, but I feel very good about my weather and views that I encountered in the Whites. I finally made it down into Pinkham Notch, where I hitched 11 miles into Gorham and got picked up by the 3rd car that passed me, which was driven by a Dutch couple, who were visiting the States for a month. They were off to the ranger station (near Gorham) in order to identify some of the animals that they saw today. Nice couple. They dropped me off at he Hiker¢s Paradise Hostel, where I promptly proceeded 1 mile down the road to Subway for a Big Buffalo Chicken (footlong) and a Coldcut Combo (footlong). I ate one there, walked back to the hostel, and ate the other sub during the Sox-Rays game. There is a SOBO here named Not Mother from Utah, who literally skipped to here from Andover, Maine because of shin splints. I recommended some insoles (just as important as shoes in my opinion) and encouraged him to wait it out. By the way, the Sox lost 3-1. ¢He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper.¢ ~ Edmund Burke
Date: 2008-07-02
From: Pinkham Notch (Gorham)

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: light rain

I didn¢t regret trekking along through the South and Mid-Atlantic states, but I am very pleased with my decision to really live it up in the Whites. Today, I slept in until 1000 and waited an hour for my hometown friend Christian to meet me. Although he now lives in Georgia (and drove me to Springer on March 3rd), he was visiting New Hampshire for only a week and wanted to do some hiking with me. Today was the only viable option. So, Christian picked me up in Gorham and we drove to Pinkham Notch to hike 3 miles up Wildcat Mtn. For a 2000 foot climb, it felt really tough. I¢m not sure if it was because of the slightly different pace (different breathing pattern), all the talking we were doing while climbing, or the humidity, but it was hard. At the top, we enjoyed taking the gondola down as Wildcat is a ski resort. We bought lunch at an expensive cafeteria-style place in the lodge. While there, we noticed a huge zip-line passing right by the lodge, so I inquired about the cost. A chairlift takes you to the top and then you descend 2,100 feet over the trails on the ZipRider at speeds up to 45 mph all the way back down to the lodge for $20. Since I am obsessed with the sheer awesomeness of zip-lines and rope swings, I had to do it. Christian declined to waste $20 for a 20-second ride, so he volunteered to take my picture. I headed over to the chairlift line and there was a family in front of me. The mother soon turned to her teenage son and asked him why is clothes smelled so moldy. I chimed in and told the mom that I was in fact the one who smelled wretched. I know I smell badly but I don¢t think that mold is in the formula. Christian got a great picture of me on the way down the zip-line, which was pretty cool, but I wouldn¢t drop $20 again. (I would like to propose a zip-line down Katahdin for thruhikers though.) Christian and I parted ways ¢ him back to his car and I back up into the mountains via gondola. I arrived at Carter Notch Hut around 1700, where I met several other hikers. Duck (again), Kirby, and 5 SOBOs. The croo there generously granted all of us WFS, so it looks like I¢m scrubbing walls tonight. Another plus about making it to the hut was the fact that 30 minutes after I got there the skies unleashed while I just watched it fall beneath the comfy confines of a sturdy roof. Life is good. ¢Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.¢ ~ Josh Billings
Date: 2008-07-03
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Rte 2 (Gorham)
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

I was out the door by 7:30 today expecting my 15-miler to take a lot longer than it actually did. The trail still had substantial mountains today, but the climbs were easier and the descents were manageable. The views weren¢t spectacular (relative to the last few days), but I enjoyed the hike. One irritating part was rock-hopping over a heavy flowing brook, then hiking a few tenths of a mile, then going right back over it on another difficult crossing. Kind of dumb if you ask me. I got to Rte 2 at 1545 and hitched for 20 minutes. I always get my hopes up when pickup trucks drive by ¢¦ but no luck. Since I only had to go 2 miles to White Birches Campground Hostel, I started to hitch/walk. The very first car picked me up. Inside was Tinkerbell (we met in VT and early NH) and her Mom, who came to visit Tinkerbell in Gorham. Thanks! This hostel is a great place. The folks there shuttled me to Shaw¢s, let hikers use their internet briefly, and only charge $13. There are several SOBOs here, Kirby, Cookie and myself. We are watching the Sox crush the Yankees, while enjoying pizza, beer and cookies. I¢m off to bed in order to celebrate our nation¢s birthday by entering my 14th and final state. It should be super duper. Oh yeah, I got through the Whites without paying a cent for lodging. It¢s hard to do. ¢The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.¢ ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Date: 2008-07-04
From: Rte 2 (Gorham)

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Hiking this trail is an amazing experience, but some days just suck. Today was one of those days. Today was beautiful weatherwise and it¢s July 4th and I crossed into Maine. But, I¢m exhausted and dirty. I had my worst fall since PA and drew some good old-fashioned blood. I was wondering if I would get through the whole trail without a blood inducing injury. I can now truthfully say that this trail has taken my blood, sweat, and tears. (¢Tears¢ come from Collective Soul¢s ¢The World I Knew¢ WTC remix.) After walking 1.8 miles to the trail this morning, up and down several mountains, second guessing myself and backtracking due to crappy blazing, stepping in knee-deep mud, I was finally rewarded with the Maine border and the shelter just .5 miles later. It turned out to be one of the best shelters (peoplewise) in a long time. I met Topo, who is finishing her NOBO 07 hike because she had broken her ankle coming into Gorham before. Dan & Leah were SOBOs. Hit & Miss are NOBOs, who I haven¢t seen since Virginia. Garlic & Pickle are NOBOs, who started the AT in early April and have already completed the PCT & CDT as well. Everyone at the shelter was polite, respectful, in bed early, and great to talk to. Good night. I¢m wicked tired. ¢No pain, no palm; No thorns, no throne; No gall, no glory; No cross, no crown.¢ ~ William Penn
Date: 2008-07-05
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Baldplate Lean-to
Miles today: 16.4

It¢s not like I was expecting anything different but Maine is tough. I think those 7 mile days in the Whites softened me up a bit. Furthermore, today was Mahoosuc Notch day. Mahoosuc Notch is a steep descent, a mile worth of crawling over/under pickup-truck-sized boulders, then a steep 1600¢ climb back out. It has been recognized as the hardest mile on the AT. Personally, I thought it was fun. I found out that I am really good at that kind of stuff too. Since the notch still had ice in the bottom, the whole notch was significantly cooler. Another interesting event of the day was seeing my first moose ¢¦ Moose skeleton that is. Last year, a moose fell into the notch and slowly died. All that is left is a huge skull and some bones. (see PHOTOS) The sight is particularly ominous for NOBOs as they come upon it immediately after entering the notch. Maine is certainly tough, but it is also beautiful. However, it is more difficult to capture her beauty in photos. It seems wild here. The views may not have the raw power of the Whites that photograph well, but instead Maine surrounds you with a feeling of wilderness and isolation that the Whites lack. These past two days, I have felt like I could be completely alone in spite of ¢leapfrogging¢ with two other thrus (Hit & Miss, who are very cool.) That said, when I got down into Grafton Notch, I encountered the July 4th weekend crowd. I did get a high-five from a lady who found out that I was a thruhiker. That was a first. In health news, I need to eat more. This Maine terrain is rugged and every mile takes a lot of energy. On the last climb today, I could smell ammonia, which means that either the nastiness of my clothes is undergoing some sort of chemical reaction or, more likely, I am burning muscle. Muscle that I need. That calls for a feast in Andover tomorrow. ¢What does not kill me makes me stronger.¢ ~ Nietzsche
Date: 2008-07-06
From: Baldplate Lean-to

To: Andover, ME (Andover Guest House)
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Short day over some hazy Baldpate mountains into Andover today. I called the Andover Guest House (a hostel) and they came to pick me up in a late 80s station wagon. Awesome. I got into the heart of Andover (300 people maybe) and was able to scout out the town in about 20 seconds. I relaxed, got an overpriced resupply, did laundry, watched ¢Into Thin Air¢ and went to bed. Gotta love neros. ¢Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.¢ ~ Carl Sandburg
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Andover, ME (Andover Guest House)

To: South Arm Road (Andover Guest House)
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

I wasn¢t planning on returning to Andover, but things just worked out that way. Early in the morning, I managed to trip over my own trekking pole, bend it, tweak my knee, and fall all in one fell swoop. My knee didn¢t exactly hurt, but it felt ¢off¢ the rest of the day. I was able to bend my trekking pole back into workable condition too. I decided to call it a day at 10 miles (just before the big climb up Old Blue Mountain) and hitched back into Andover. In honor of me going slow and living it up, I decided to book a one-hour message. I had never had one before and hiking the AT in Maine seemed like a good time to get one, especially after I tweaked my knee. It was awesome. I even got a ride back from Donna, the masseuse, and relaxed the rest of the night watching movies. ¢They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.¢ ~ Francis Bacon
Date: 2008-07-08
From: South Arm Road (Andover Guest House)

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

I¢m going to keep this short because journaling is quite time consuming sometimes, especially when I¢m hiking with others ¢¦.which started today. Climbing up Old Blue today, I met Time Traveler. And, I met Cookie and Kirby at the shelter. There was a beautiful pond right at the shelter, so I took a refreshing dip after a hot, humid day. That is all. ¢The years teach much which the days never know.¢ ~ Emerson
Date: 2008-07-09
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

Today, I gave into peer pressure. I didn¢t need to go into town at all, but the lure of the city lights and the prospect of a town meal, internet, and time with other NOBOs convinced me. Kirby and Cookie are the ¢get up at 0500¢ type, so Time Traveler and I were up early too. Speaking of last night, it sucked. The mosquitoes ate all of us alive, but we were too lazy to set up our tents. Anyway, we strolled an easy 9 miles into Route 4. Kirby and Cookie were ahead and got a hitch, but I thought I would wait 10 minutes for Time Traveler to arrive before I started hitching to avoid the whole solo young female hitching situation. Just as she got to the crossing, a SOBO couple was finishing their 2-day hike and heading to their car. We politely asked for a ride and they politely agreed. First stop was the grocery, where I had my first Moxie in a LONG time. For those of you who don¢t know, Moxie is a soft drink, which is only sold in Maine, and tastes like bad coke with a bitter aftertaste. We all headed to the crappy outfitter, where we saw Hit & Miss! They are taking a few days off with family, but hike fast so I honestly hope to see them again. They are a really cool couple and seem very happy together. We all walked across the street to the Red Onion for a Buffalo chicken salad and meatball sub. Hit & Miss gave me a ride back to the trail and I hiked the 1.8 miles before a massive thunderstorm rolled in. Kirby & Cookie just trudged in soaking wet and we don¢t know where Time Traveler is, but we think she will be here soon. ¢The years teach much which the days never know.¢ ~ Emerson
Date: 2008-07-10
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9

After it rained all night, the skies decided to stop just in time for me to hike. This morning, I immediately climbed 2000¢ up (Maine really likes 2000¢ climbs) to the Saddleback range, which consists of 3 peaks connected by Saddlebacks. I had the pleasure (that¢s no sarcasm) of 50 mph gusts over all of them. I actually got blown around, which really speaks to the power of these mountains. The first peak (Saddleback) was completely clouded in. The second and third (Horn & Saddleback Junior) had just cleared and I had awesome views. Supposedly, you can see Katahdin from here, but I don¢t want to see it yet. I did a quick scan, purposely not focusing north. Katahdin is still over 200 trail miles away and it doesn¢t feel like the end yet. I took a long lunch/nap break at Poplar Ridge Lean-to and let Kirby & Cookie catch up. I hiked with them for the remaining 8 miles, which included our first ford! (knee deep crossing of Orbeton Stream). Both Kirby & Cookie REALLY want to be done with the trail. They both disguise it with lots of sarcastic humor, but I can tell they are tired of this trail. As for me, I¢ll be ready to go home when I¢m at the top of Katahdin, but until then, I will enjoy the journey. I can truly say that I still love being out here, which I¢m happy about. ¢The important thing in life is not the victory but the contest; the essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well.¢ ~ Baron Pierre de Coubert