morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-09-04
From: Hexacuba shelter

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 15.0

Last night was interesting. After Dos Equis scared the Dartmouth kids with a story about a missing guy we've been seeing fliers for for several states, one of the girls scared the rest of us when she woke us all up with an episode of night terrors. That was jarring. Dos Equis woke up at 5 am and starting packing up so he could make it to the post office before it closed and Sideways and I decided to get up as well. I wasn't sleeping well anyway as I never do in shelters and I figured the earlier we got going the earlier we would get to town and be able to relax a little. I waited until it was light enough to not need a headlamp and started up Mount Cube. The temperature has dropped substantially which makes hiking so much more enjoyable. Mount Cube wasn't too bad and I made it over in decent time, though I slowed down because a large portion of the trail consisted of large wet slabs of rock. After the climb I was walking through the woods and noticed someone stealth camped close to the trail. It was Ripple! I was glad to see her and happy we all met back up before tackling the Whites. The rest of the day flew by. I discovered a new tactic to take my mind off of hiking; listening to stand up comedy. I listened to Patton Oswalt stand up for pretty much the entire day and it was a fantastic diversion. To the unknowing eye I'm sure I looked like a nut case laughing to myself, but whatever- I had a great time. We made it to Glencliff by 2 and walked up to the Hikers Welcome Hostel. As Sideways and I were walking up Dos Equis met us and suggested we get a ride to North Woodstock to share a hotel room. The hostel seemed fine but we needed to resupply, eat, etc and for a few extra dollars a person, we could get a hotel room instead of sleeping in bunks under a tent outside at the hostel. Once Ripple got there we agreed to split a room and headed to town. We checked into the Carriage Motel by the River, which ended up being a very fun, unique spot. We ran into Spoon, Zamboni, Joker, Watermelon, and Gypsy Girl and hung out for the rest of the day/evening with them, drinking beers and listening to music. As it turns out, Watermelon and I went to the same high school and college so it was fun talking to him. The change in temperature is remarkable and though it appears the hurricane shouldn't effect the weather too much in the Whites, I expect it's going to be extremely cold which will be a new challenge to face. Bring it.
Date: 2010-09-05
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Beaver Brook shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

I am officially in love with the White Mountains. Technically I won't really enter the Whites until tomorrow, but I got my first taste today and it is everything I imagined and more. We didn't rush out of town this morning because we knew we were only going to go eight miles up and over Mt. Mousilauke. We started hiking mid afternoon and I will admit, I was nervous about the climb. I have been looking forward to the Whites for some time but the climbing is unlike anything we've tackled thus far and I was scared it would wreck my body. Our bodies are strong but they're breaking down and I'm already having a lot of pain in my feet and knees from overuse. So I started the four mile climb with trepidation and excitement. The first part of the climb wasn't tough but I struggled a little getting started. However, as I climbed higher, the temperature continued to drop and I hit a good stride. The higher I got the more excited I became about getting to the top and being above treeline for the first time on the whole trip. Finally I started seeing the trees disappear and I popped out of the woods into the most beautiful scene I have ever laid eyes on. It was cold and windy so I threw on my rain jacket and kept moving. The view was absolutely spectacular. I climbed to the very top and stood in awe at the panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Dos Equis made it up right after me and after a few quick photos with the marker, we retreated behind a three walled rock structure to get out of the wind. We threw on some additional clothing layers and once Sideways got there we made coffee and tried to stay warm while waiting for Ripple. After about half an hour we noticed a storm moving in on the horizon so we decided to get moving and get off of the mountain. Right as we were gathering our gear Ripple made it up and we all rushed to get back below treeline. I hiked with Dos Equis to the shelter and we talked the entire way which made the hike fly by. There's a good group at the shelter tonight and I enjoyed sitting around the fire for dinner but I had to get in my tent early. It's cold and all I wanted to do was bury myself in my sleeping bag. I have to say; I am really excited about the rest of New Hampshire. Getting the climb today under my belt made me confident about getting through the rest of the Whites and I can't wait to see what else this area has in store for us. I've never seen anything like this and though the weather, temperature and terrain will present new challenges, I'm feeling good about my ability to conquer them and I know my efforts will be awarded with beauty I've never experienced before.
Date: 2010-09-06
From: Beaver Brook shelter

To: Lonesome Lake hut
Miles today: 15.0

I see now why most people's mileage decreases in the Whites; fifteen miles was a bit much today. I'm happy we did it and it will allow us to take a shorter day some other time, but when we got to the hut, my legs were finished in a major way. We woke up early and finished the descent down Mousilauke, which was incredibly steep. Then it was up and over Wolf Mountain. Dos Equis, Sideways and I took a lunch break at Eliza Brook then started the ascent up Kinsman, which was extremely steep and involved a great deal of rock scrambling. I really enjoy rock scrambling- it takes my mind off of the actual climb and the technical aspect of it makes it more interesting than simply trudging up a mountain. Rock scrambling down is not as pleasant due to the impact on my knees so they were quite sore when we stopped for the day. We had to go a bit fast today so we could make it to the hut in time to get a work for stay slot which didn't help the physical strain, but the views are absolutely incredible and well worth the work. We got to the hut a little after 5 pm and the croo agreed to let the three of us stay (Ripple was going to hike a shorter day but we will hopefully see her in the next few days). They gave us a ton of great food for dinner then we helped out with chores. Sideways had to wash the stove, Dos Equis had to clean out the fridge and I had to clean the sink and scrub a couple of pots. They let us sleep inside the dining room which was nice and warm and the croo warmed up to us and hung out for awhile. The view from the hut is beautiful; there is a lake at the base of the hut and we can see the mountain range we'll climb tomorrow. I was nervous about the hut system, as I've heard some of the croos will make thru hikers feel like third class citizens, but our first experience was great- good food and really nice people.
Date: 2010-09-07
From: Lonesome Lake hut

To: Greenleaf hut
Miles today: 11.0

We had a great morning with the croo. They made a fantastic breakfast and we all sat around talking until it was time for us to hike out. We had a shorter day today so we were able to take our time which was refreshing. The climb up to the Franconia range was long; over 3500 ft, but once we made it to the top of the ridgeline, it was breathtaking. The weather was perfect- cool but sunny and though technically we climbed three mountains (Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette), once you're up Haystack, it's just a beautiful ridge walk in between with only a bit more climbing. I will say it again- I absolutely love the Whites. I've never seen mountains like this and I've definitely never climbed anything like this and it is incredible. I'm so happy I hiked north and saved this for the end. It has rejuvenated my excitement for hiking and finishing this journey. I'm having a great time hiking with Dos Equis and Sideways and I'm hoping we can keep Dos Equis around for at least the remainder of the Whites. We hiked a mile off the trail to the Greenleaf Hut to try to work for stay because we heard most hikers don't come here so the croo is really friendly. So far we have not experienced a warm welcome but we have a place to stay for the night and food so I guess that will have to do. Perhaps they will warm up to us. Tomorrow may bring bad weather so I'm unsure of what our plans are, but we may try to hike 14 miles as the terrain looks like it eases up a bit before Mount Washington.
Date: 2010-09-08
From: Greenleaf hut

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 0.0

We had to execute an emergency evacuation today for Dos. I woke up this morning and Dos was not in the dining room where we were sleeping. His pack was still there but he was missing. Turns out he was in the bathroom camped out by the privy toilet puking all night. We have no idea what made him so sick- it came on quickly and violently which would suggest food poisoning, but we've all been eating pretty much the same things because we've been at the huts so who knows? He needed to get to a bed and liquids fast and didn't feel like he could hike, so Sideways and I split his things so Dos wouldn't have to carry a pack and we all took a three mile side trail down to the road. The croo let us leave a lot of our gear at the hut which was really nice, so we only brought what we needed for town. The hike was extremely steep and Dos was still feeling really nasty so it took us awhile to get off the mountain. We hitched to North Woodstock and checked into the hotel we stayed in the last time we were here. We grabbed Dos a variety of liquids and some soup and we've just been taking it easy and watching TV in the room. He thinks he'll be able to hike tomorrow but we'll see.
Date: 2010-09-09
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Dos still needed a day to get back on his feet and refuel and Sideways wanted to take the day off as well so here we are. I was really grateful for the extra day when I was sick so I understood. We're eating so much now and need so much energy to hike this terrain and Dos threw up everything he had and wasn't really able to eat at all yesterday, so today's object was to relax and get Dos stocked up. He started with breakfast with a side of burger and moved on to lunch where he tried to tackle the local brewery's "death by burger" which was a burger the size of my head. It was unreal and he was only able to get through half of it, but he has the rest of the day to finish it. We went and saw a movie; Scott Pilgrim vs the World, which was kind of silly but entertaining. The weather is supposed to be nasty tomorrow and we have four steep miles to make up before we even get back to the AT, so we're going to get a shuttle out of here early and get as far as we can.
Date: 2010-09-10
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: Galehead hut
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We actually hiked close to 11 miles today but only 6.6 were AT miles. Today was pretty awful- one of the worst weather days I've had the whole trip. It rained all day, it was freezing and the wind was vicious. We hiked the 3,000 ft back up to Greenleaf hut and stopped to dry off a little and grab our gear. The croo gave us some breakfast, which was incredible and much needed, then we had another 1,000 ft back up to the top of Lafayette. The top of the mountain was miserable. The wind whipped us around and it was rainy and so cold. We rushed to get back below treeline. Once we were back in the trees it was better, but the descent was extremely steep and the trail was really wet so we had to hike very slowly and watch every step. We were going to try to get past Galehead hut to a campsite but it took forever to get to the hut and it was so misreable we called it a day when we got here. We also wanted to sleep inside so we could dry everything out. There are a ton of guests and thru hikers here tonight so everything is really chaotic. I'm exhausted and really want to just go to sleep but we have to wait for the guests to eat, then do our work and wait for the guests to go to sleep before we can go to bed. It's nice to get good, free food and sleep inside but I'll be glad to get out of the hut system. I always feel like a bum when we have to wait outside or in the hallway while the guests eat and the guests and croo often treat you like you're hiker trash. I guess we are like bums, so oh well. I sincerely hope the weather is better tomorrow; otherwise I may lose it.
Date: 2010-09-11
From: Galehead hut

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: few clouds

I had my first thought of quitting the trail today. It wasn't a serious thought really, but after yesterday's miserable hike, a chaotic night in the hut and the intense cold I started hiking in this morning, I started to wonder why I'm still doing this. It's not fun anymore. But I've said all along, no matter how bad it gets; even if I end up hating it- I'm finishing this thing. So I put on some Neil Young and kept hiking and it eventually warmed up and all was well again. We made it to Zealand hut for lunch and the croo member there was super nice. He gave us some free soup, bread and brownies and we spent some time drying our clothes and gear in the sun and enjoying the waterfall next to the hut. The terrain after the hut was great and I finally felt like I was actually hiking again instead of fumbling around like a toddler learning how to walk. I made good time and made it to a stealth campsite by the river first and staked out a few sites. Dos, Burl, Sideways and I are all camping here tonight. Dos and Burl hitched into town from the road and got us some dinner and beers and Sideways started a nice fire. This is what I love about the AT...the day can start horribly but a few hours later the tides shift and all is right with the world.
Date: 2010-09-12
From: Crawford Notch

To: Lakes of the Clouds hut
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: fog

Another terrible weather day. It was cold, rainy and foggy all day which was especially disheartening because we started the Presidentials today. It started raining as soon as I started hiking and while I could tell there were probably incredible views everywhere, I couldn't see anything at all. The trail goes over several mountains in the presidential range but the trail is ultimately leading you to the top of Mt. Washington. All in all it's about a 5,000 ft ascent so all we did all day was climb. We stopped at Mizpah hut for lunch and a weather update. The forecast is not looking good and there are likely going to be thunderstorms tomorrow. This wouldn't be the worst news except the trail is above treeline for over 12 miles after Mt. Washington and hiking in a thunder/lightening storm is not safe. We discussed a game plan and decided to keep hiking to the next hut, which is only a mile and a half from Mt. Washington and try to summit in the morning. If the weather is good, we'll just keep hiking but if they're still predicting storms, we'll have to get off of the mountain and try again the next day. We set out in the cold rain again and made good time to the Lakes of the Clouds hut. The hut is closed for the season but the croo is letting us do work for stay anyway as they have a lot to do before shutting down. We cleaned for awhile and they fed us dinner and sent us to what they call the dungeon. The dungeon earned its name for a very good reason. It's basically an emergency shelter underneath the hut that they've put a few bunks in. It's freezing in here but I can't complain- at least we have a dry place to sleep.
Date: 2010-09-13
From: Lakes of the Clouds hut

To: Mt. Washington
Miles today: 1.5

The croo told us they had to put us in the dungeon last night because they'd already cleaned the floors in the dining room but the real reason was they wanted to party. I woke up to the ceiling shaking and the croo blasting Miley Cyrus. Thanks guys. We set out into terrible weather yet again this morning and made it to the top of Mt. Washington. Again, no views. We spent some time talking with the staff at the summit building and the forecast was still looking grim so we decided to hitch off the mountain to be safe. A couple of extremely nice guys offered to take us down with them, saving us a good bit of money as it would have been at least $30 per person to take the shuttle. They brought us into Gorham and we all had lunch together. We wanted to buy them beers to thank them for their generosity but they snuck the check without us knowing and paid for all of us, which was incredibly nice. We checked into the Hikers Paradise hotel and met up with Ripple, who is also here but about a day ahead of us on the trail. We spent the rest of the day drinking a few beers and hanging around the hotel room. Tomorrow we go for round two on Washington. Here's hoping for decent weather.
Date: 2010-09-14
From: Mt. Washington

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: fog

I'm taking back my previous comments about loving the Whites. While I'm sure they're incredible when it's not freezing, rainy and you can see more than a few feet in front of you, I'm ready to get the hell out of here. We woke up and it looked decent outside so we decided to try the mountain again. We split up so we could hitch easier and Sideways and I got a rider fairly quickly to the bottom of the auto road. We were going to try to hitch to the top of the mountain as well but the staff at the bottom told us we couldn't and made us buy shuttle passes. Though the weather in the valley was fine, the weather on top of Washington was absolutely terrible. It was freezing, raining and there were wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. Sideways and I went inside the summit building to look at the map and plan some escape routes in case the weather was too bad to keep going. We had a few back up plans in mind and geared up to start out with the intention of hiking the AT the entire way if possible, but when we stepped outside the weather had gotten even worse and Sideways said he did not want to hike. We went back in to look at the map again and agreed to walk the auto road down the mountain until it met back up with the AT below treeline, then finish hiking on the trail to Pinkham Notch. I understood that the conditions were fairly dangerous but I wanted to walk as much as possible and not skip the entire section so we agreed to blue blaze it but not accept any rides. When we started hiking down it was insane- we were nearly getting picked up by the wind and soon we were getting hailed on. Once we made it down a couple thousand feet, however, the weather cleared up and it ended up being a beautiful walk. We had views for the first time in days and we saw several rainbows. We got back to the AT, stopped for lunch and got back on the trail to finish the hike to the notch. We got to the visitor's center there and as I rounded the corner I ran into Indiana! It was so great to see him again. He and a group of hikers he was with made it up to Washington shortly after we left but the staff told them it wasn't safe to hike and they'd all taken the shuttle down. At this point I realized we'd definitely made the right decision in walking the road and I'm so happy to have that section behind me. We all went back to the hotel and ran into Dos and Burl, who never even made it up to the mountain. We spent the night talking with Indiana at the hotel. We may take the day off tomorrow if the weather is still bad as we have a tough section coming up and I'd like at least one nice day before we leave the Whites.
Date: 2010-09-15
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Imp campsite
Miles today: 13.1

We checked the weather forecast this morning and it doesn't look good for several days so we decided to hike through it. We started off with the climb up the Wildcat Mountains, which were extremely technical and rugged. It wasn't necessarily a tough climb but there were some very steep sections and it was slow going. We made it to Carter Notch hut by late afternoon and Burl decided to stay there (Dos did a 20 mile slack south today) but Sideways and I wanted to push on. The rest of the afternoon was extremely tough on me. I was dehydrated and didn't eat near enough so by the time we started climbing the carters my body was no longer cooperating with me. The terrain was difficult to begin with- lots of rock slabs and slick sections where you have to pay close attention to every single step or you could slip and seriously hurt yourself, but the difficulty was compounded by my lack of energy. I crept along the trail and with less than two miles to go, it started getting dark and I started to freak out. I was scared to night hike alone and I was so frustrated and tired. Luckily soon thereafter I found Sideways who was waiting on me. Thank the Lord he was because when I turned my headlamp on it was nearly dead and therefore absolutely useless. For a while Sideways had to hike in front of me and turn around every few feet to light my way. Finally we stopped and he found some extra batteries for my light so we could hike a little faster. After what felt like forever, we finally made it to the shelter. We were both starving and cold so we changed clothes and made dinner. I'm so happy today is over.
Date: 2010-09-16
From: Imp campsite

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

It was a short day into Gorham today and the terrain was really nice for most of it which was refreshing. It's so nice to get to a section now where you can walk normally without thinking about where you're putting your feet. It is extremely muddy however, and I dunked my foot into the mud all the way up to the ankle, which was really fun to hike in... I hiked for a while with Dancing Wind and then Indiana, then the four of us hitched into town together. Dancing Wind and Indiana found a motel to stay in while Sideways and I met up with Dos and Birch and got a room. We spent the rest of the day running around trying to finish errands and as it goes with all nearo days, here it is evening time and we haven't actually gotten a chance to rest. I know time is closing in and we have to get to Katahdin but I am so exhausted, I'm going to need a true zero day soon where I don't do anything except actually rest.
Date: 2010-09-17
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We didn't get on the trail until 11 today. It was cold and rainy which was not much of a motivation to get going. I was not at all in the mood to hike but we finally got out of town and on the trail and started hiking. The trail is pretty ridiculous at this point. It's so muddy and wet it's impossible to keep your feet dry- half the time the trail itself is a running stream bed. We made fairly good time for starting so late but Sideways and I still had to use our headlamps for the last half mile or so now that it's getting dark so much earlier. The shelter is really nice though and there is a beautiful view of the Carter Mountain range in the distance. It felt so good to take my shoes off and get into dry socks. My shoes are completely caked in mud and my socks were soaked. I'm sleeping in the shelter tonight so I can try to get an earlier start tomorrow. It's freezing though so I have to retire to my sleeping bag stat. Tomorrow we finally get to Maine.