morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-08-07
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

Day #116 On The Trail!(25 days remain)Last night, shortly after dark set in, it began to sprinkle a little bit. But the sound of it hitting the tin roof of the shelter was quite soothing, especially in comparison to the occasional barking let out by a section hiker's german shepherd. So, with the rain continuing into the morning, our party opted for a bit of a later start. The rain was mostly of the Northwestern variety I am used to, drizzly and pervasive.The whole day pretty much centered around climbing Mt. Moosilauke, a 3500 foot climb over 4 miles. It proved to be steep, challening and rewarding. Thankfully, the weather was cool and, although the clouds blocked any potential view we might have, the summit was a beautiful alpine meadow just above the tree line.The descent down the backside proved much more difficult than the climb up, being much more steep and very slippery. But at the bottom, someone had hung a bag of candy bars. We were able to get a quick hitch into Lincoln, where we resupplied, had dinner, and made our way over to Chet's house. Chet runs an unofficial, donations-only hostel out of his garage, and there was an unexpectedly large number of people there, all of whom were new faces to us.Tomorrow, we begin our journey through the AMC run huts in the White Mountains. Up, up and away.CheersP.s. my phone has stopped allowing me to take photos. Hopefully, I can remedy this soon.
Date: 2011-08-08
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Lonesome Lake
Miles today: 13.5

Day #117 On The Trail!(24 days to go)Phew. In the world of river rafting, they rank the rapids from class 1-4. So far on this trip, there have been a few 'class 3' sections of hiking. The Whites are definitely class 4, with steep ascents and descents, rocky sections, cavernous mud puddles, and generally tricky terrain. They're also extremely beautiful.Today we left Chet's house, had breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, and got an easy hitch out of town. The weather forecast had called for scattered storms/showers and we were preparing for the worst, but it actually turned out to be a pleasant day.We took a break at the Eliza Brook Shelter, .5 miles before we hit the 1800 mile mark. Yeehaw.And then we were up and over the Kinsmans, which offered spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.Tonight finds us cozy and warm in the Lonesome Lake Hut, earning our keep here by doing a few simple chores. Tomorrow, we traverse the Franconia Ridge.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-09
From: Lonesome Lake

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day #118 On The Trail!These huts here in the Whites are pretty cool. We got dinner last night and breakfast this morning, on top of a warm dry place to sleep, and all in exchange for some sweeping and other tasks.Today proved to be a tough 16 miles, but again very beatiful. The climb up to Franconia Ridge was steep, but once on top, the trail followed the alpine ridgeline for several miles. Definitely the most scenic ridge trail I've ever been on. Despite another questionable forecast, the weather held out wonderfully, as we made it to the Galehead Hut just before it began to rain. Excellent.Tomorrow, we have a much shorter day planned, headed to Zealand falls.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-10
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Hut
Miles today: 7.5

Day #119 On The Trail!We took a shorter day here in the middle of the Whites, which was nice. The Galehead Hut crew was very accomodating, and served us a very nutritious meal before sending us on our way. South Twin proved to be a steep, but shortlived climb. Once on top, we found ourselves in the clouds for the rest of the day.But, with the shorter day, we soon found ourselves at the lovely Zealand Falls Hut, with much time to relax, sit by the falls and mingle with the crew.There were plenty of left-overs after dinner and I feasted on ham, rice and peas. Thanks crew. Then we hosted a Q&A session for the hut guests, all of whom were very intrigued by the thru-hiker lifestyle.Tomorrow, we head to Mizpah.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-11
From: Zealand Hut

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: fog

Day #120 On The Trail!Today we hit the easiest section of trail here in the Whites, and it was glorious. The Zealand crew sent us on our way in the morning with some leftover ribs and macaroni. Plus we scored some Pro-Bars from some section hikers. Thanks everyone.When we hiked down to Rte. 302, we ran into our good friend 3 Hats. So we took a long break and caught up for awhile. She is doing very well, despite having a stress fracture in her foot. Again, she is raising money for a few scholastic non-profits and you can donate on her website www.averyforbes.comThen we climbed up Webster Mountain, and got our first good view of Mt. Washinton. We arrived at Mizpah with plenty of time before dinner, and savored a good moment to relax.Tomorrow, we traverse the Presidential Range.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-12
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 10.1

Day #121 On The Trail!(20 days to go)After a lush breakfast of oats and baked goods, we performed our hut chores and hit the trail. The weather forecast for the whole week had said that this would be the nicest day.But, the whole range appeared to be socked in. We made our way past a few presidents, popped into the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, and then Ventured up into the bizarro land that is Mt. Wasington. The weather was cold, visibility was 20 feet, and upon reaching the top it seemed as if a large 'people bomb' had gone off. There were tourists everywhere. We lingered long enough to get some hot food at the visitor center, and the plodded on into the fog. Right around Mt. Adams we endured some 30-40 mph wind gusts, but made it to Madison Hut with no othe hitches.We played some Apples to Apples with a father and daughter from MA, and apparently I am horrible at that game.Tomorrow, we work our way to the edge of the Whites.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-13
From: Madison Hut

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day #122 On The Trail!(19 dias mas)Overnight, the clouds lifted and revealed the Presidential Range we had traversed the day before. Right out of the hut, we climbed up Mt. Madison which offered a view of everything we coudln't see the day before. It was quite stunning.Then we rambled slowly down to Pinkham Notch, where I was able to order some hot food and take a long break. Blackfoot and Smiley decided to split ways for the day, and head into Gorham and the hostel there. So, A-Game and myself went back up into the mountains, scaling one of our steepest climbs yet: Wildcat Mountain.We arrived at Carter Hut just after dinner time, but were able to wrangle yet another work-for-stay arrangement. In the meantime, we befriended some southbound hikers who showed us some great video footage of 'the knife's edge,' the alternate route up or down from Mt. Katahdin. Tomorrow, we head into Gorham, completely finished with the White Mountains.hooray
Date: 2011-08-14
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: fog

Day #123 On The Trail!(18 days until the end)When we left Carter Hut, it was drizzling a little bit, and one of the hut guests gave us an updated weather report that indicated rain for the days to come. But not for today.The climb up Carter Dome proved challenging, but short lived. The best part of the day today was that once we got up and past our second climb, Mt. Moriah, it was 6 miles of gradual downhill all the way to town.At the last shelter before town, we ran into some hikers I hadn't seen since Virginia. They had flip-flopped up to Katahdin and are now hiking south back to Harper's Ferry. Good luck friends.A-Game's brother, Matt, met us in town, and we soon learned that C-Spike had made it in just behind us along with Blackfoot and Smiley, so we all went out to dinner at Mr. Pizza. Fantastic. Matt confirmed the foul weather report, saying he had driven through the storm on his way up from New York.Tomorrow, I set off on my own to race towards my September 1st finish date.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-15
From: Gorham, NH

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: moderate rain

Day #124 On The Trail!(17 days left)Last night and this morning, I bade farewell to my friends as I had decided to forge ahead, chasing after an early finish date. They all look to finish 4-5 days after me, and don't see the need to keep up. Which is fine. Finishing the trail by myself will give me time to reflect on everything that's happened so far.Much like the forecast predicted, it began to rain early on in the morning, slowly increasing but never becoming a full fledged downpour. Still, after a few hours, I was soaked, more from brushing up against the trees and bushes.Then I had the good fortune to climb over a few mountains, above the treeline where the wind was stronger and visibility was poor. Good times. Shortly after a trail junction, I noticed that I hadn't seen any white blazes for awhile, and thought I may have taken a wrong turn. But I kept moving onward, and after a short while reached the Maine-New Hampshire border sign. I was still on track. 1 state to go. Woohoo.I popped into a shelter 4 miles from my intended destination to leave a note for my friends who would end up there later that evening. I found an apple, and it was delicious. Three southbound hikers were holed up in the shelter also, taking a break from the rain. I asked them what the terrain was like for the next 4 miles. 'Ups and Downs' was all they said.Hoo boy, they were some ups and downs, with improvised ladders, exposed ridges, and slick slabs of granite. But somehow I made it to the next shelter, squeezing in next to Chaco and Sketcher, who I hadn't seen since Pennsylvania. I dried off the best I could, munched dinner, and curled up in my sleeping bag at the early hour of 7:30.Tomorrow, I attempt to conquer three of the toughest parts of Maine before reaching Andover. Cheers
Date: 2011-08-16
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

Day #125 On The Trail!(16 days remain)There's nothing quite like the feeling of putting a wet shirt and wet socks on first thing in the morning. Especially when it's still below 60, and hasn't stopped raining since yesterday morning.But, I had bigger concerns than wet clothes. From what most southbounder's had been saying, three of the toughest parts in Maine lay ahead of me today: Mahoosuc Notch, Mahoosuc Arm, and Bald Pate. Plus I had only packed enough food for 1 night, so I had to make it 20 miles to Andover no matter what.According to my guidebook, the notch is considered by most people to be 'the toughest mile on the trail.' And it was challenging, taking me 50 minutes to crawl under, over and around a crevice filled with boulders.Immediately after the notch, I found myself trudging up the arm, a near vertical continuous slab of granite with a river running down it. But, I quickly got back on track and got to the halfway point of my day within 5 hours.Bald Pate proved to be a hard task too, with close to a mile of trail above the treeline, again on the wet granite, up, over and down the mountain. Thankfully, the last 4 miles proved to be of a great downhill grade, and I finished my day around 4:30.And to top it all off, the hostel shuttle was waiting at the road for another hiker, so I didn't have to try to hitch to town on what proved to be a quiet, rural road.So, I've had a shower, dried out my stuff, did laundry, had a huge dinner, and feel ready to keep on chugging.Tomorrow, the sun shines again.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-17
From: Andover, ME

To: Bemis Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Day #126 On The Trail!(15 to go)Well, I had a bit of a hang-up this morning. In the scramble to be ready for the 7am shuttle back to the trail, I left my rain jacket in the bunk room. I realized this just after he pulled away after dropping the three of us off. So, I had to wait 2 hours for him to bring it with the 9am shuttle.But, as far as things go, it could have been worse. The rest of the day offered a mix of difficult and easy sections, with a few steep climbs. The weather was excellent, with blue skies and the forest seemed to be extra green, probably a result of the rain the past few days.And for the most part, I had the trail to myself, which is different than it has been for the past few weeks. I stopped just shy of the shelter to pick some blueberries, and then found myself camping with two southbound section hikers. One of the gentlemen was on faculty at the Air Force Academy during my brief stint there. Small world.I crawled in the sack a bit early, kinda pooped from the last few days.Tomorrow, I hope to get in and out of Rangeley for a quick resupply.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-18
From: Bemis Mt. Shelter

To: Piazza Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 19.5

Day #127 On The Trail!(2 weeks left)This morning as I left the shelter, I saw a moose. What a great way to start the day. It was a cow, so it didn't have the large antlers, but it was cool nonetheless.Today proved to be the easiest day in Maine so far, with relatively flat terrain. The trail took me past 5 different ponds, all of them serene and beautiful. I reached the road into Rangeley by 2pm, and got a hitch after about half an hour. I had only planned on stopping at the IGA, but quickly decided that I had plenty of time to get an early dinner in befoe heading back out to the trail. Great decision.With a full belly, I eased the remainin 1.8 miles up to the shelter, and was soon joined by a southbound flip-flopper.Tomorrow, I climb over Saddleback, the beginning of the last real mountain range here in Maine. Bring it on.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-19
From: Piazza Rocks Shelter

To: Spaulding Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 16.9

Day #128 On The Trail!(13 days remain)Last night, I crawled in bed early again and, having a shorter day planned, I decided to sleep in until 7:45. It was fantastic. Right off the bat today, I took a fall when I slipped on a small bog bridge. So far, I've fallen at least once every day here in ME. You'd think I would have figured this hiking thing out by now.Today, I climbed up Saddleback mountain, which offered great views, even though it was a bit on the hazy side. I took a midday break at the Poplar Ridge shelter, where there was a lovely fact book provided by the volunteer caretaker.Then, after a quick drop down to Orebeton stream, I climed back up into the hills, and into what will eventually be my last stint in 'real' mountains until Katahdin. Tomorrow, I get to see my buddy Zach from WSU as he will join me for part of the day.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-20
From: Spaulding Mt. Shelter

To: Horn's Pond Shelter
Miles today: 18.6

Day #129 On The Trail!(12 days of AT, then no more)I was feeling extra motivated to get up and go this morning, what with meeting up with my friend Zach and all, so I started hiking at 7am on the dot.Early in the day, I passed the '200 miles to go' milestone. Awesome.Just after I finished the long climb up Crocker Mt, I met Zach who had hiked up 6 miles from the road. So, we chatted and ambled our way down to the highway. Zach had his truck there, so we wandered into town for some supplies and I got myself a fancy burger for lunch and a sub sandwich to-go for dinner.We picked up three extra hikers and took them back to the trailhead, and all 5 of us slowly made our way up 5 miles into the Bigelow mountains, the last peaks above 4,000 feet until Katahdin. The Horn's pond camping area is a fairly pristine site with a caretaker and everything.Tomorrow, I join the 2,000 mile club!Cheers
Date: 2011-08-21
From: Horn's Pond Shelter

To: Pierce Pond Shelter
Miles today: 27.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day #130 On The Trail!(11 days left)I felt better today than I have in on any day in the last few weeks. My energy levels had been down since hiking those 2 days in the rain, but I've been pushing through and trying to get extra sleep and sustenance. It paid off.This morning, Zach saw me off at the top of the South Horn of the Bigelows. See you in a few weeks buddy. The Bigelows are actually a smaller range, in terms of duration, and I was through with them by noon. Today being a Sunday, I saw lots of day/weekend hikers, plus Sarge and Weaver who I hadn't seen since TN (they flip-flopped). The big topic of discussion between everyone was about a thunderstorm coming in towards the evening. Plus, somewhere early in the morning, I crossed the 2,000 mile mark. Woohoo.My original plan had me going 17 miles, but I learned last night that the shelter ten miles further was next to a camp/lodge and that the owner serves up a massive breakfast for $12. So, once I reached the 17 mile mark, and it was only 3:15pm and the weather looked like it would hold out, I decided to boogie on for that breakfast.I got to the shelter just minutes before it began to downpour. Awesome.Tomorrow begins with 12 pancakes, bacon and sausage.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-22
From: Pierce Pond Shelter

To: Moxie Bald Shelter
Miles today: 22.8

Day #131 On The Trail!(10 days left)Last night's weather proved to be a fairly substantial storm, with a few outbursts of rain into the early morning hours. But by sunrise it had started to break up, and I made my way over to Tim's camp/lodge for a massive plate of pancakes, 2 eggs and sausage. Then an hour later at the Kennebec River, me and Shuffle were ferried across in a canoe. It was nifty. Most of the major stream crossings in Maine don't have bridges and with this one being the largest river, the ATC hires a fella to paddle hikers across 7 days a week.I stopped in at the post office in Caratunk to pick up some food I had sent ahead to myself, and then the rest of the day was a blur of mud puddles, bogs, roots and rocks. At one point the trail went across a beaver dam.The highlight of the day was summitting Moxie Bald Mountain, which for some reason struck me as particularly glorious. It offered a 360 degree view, and all that could be seen in any direction was pure wilderness. Stunning.Tonight I find myself camping with many new faces, most of whom hope to finish around the same time I do, so I guess I shall be seeing more of them.Tomorrow, we dash off to Monson, the last town on the trail, which means cheeze-its and ice cream for me.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-23
From: Moxie Bald Shelter

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Day #132 On The Trail!(9 to go)Monson is the last bastion of civilization here on the AT. After that there are only 114 miles of trail remaining, mostly through the 'wilderness' where there are few roads, one lodge on a lake and a convenience store just before you enter Baxter Park.So, I swiftly knocked out the 18 miles into Monson, fording three streams in the process, so I could begin resting before my waltz toward the finish line. It took me almost 30 minutes to get a hitch into town, but once there I quickly found a place to hang my hat at the Lakeshore Lodge. I ran into an old friend named Towns, who I hadn't seen since Virginia or PA, and then got offered a ride into a larger town for a grocery run, since all they have here are a small general store and a gas station. I picked up a fair amount of food and upon returning to the lodge began to enter a vegetative state.Tomorrow, I will take a day off for the first time in over a month and more than 600 miles. Phew.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-25
From: Monson, ME

To: Long Pond Stream Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day #134 On The Trail!(One week remaining)It was with mixed emotions that I left Monson today and began the 100 mile wilderness. On one hand, I am very much ready for this trip to end, but at the same time the end brings that dreaded return to society. But at least I still have a good amount of time to enjoy the trail.Today was largely overcast and it rained a few times, but nothing heavy has come down yet. In all, the hiking went smooth today, and the woods seemed spectacularly quiet.I caught up with Shuffle and Dash around lunch time, and will be seeing them for the next few days pretty regularly. They plan on finishing a day earlierthan me, but hurricane Irene may be put a small kink in their plans. We shall see.Tomorrow may be the last day that I hike more than 20 miles. At least on this trip.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-26
From: Long Pond Stream Shelter

To: Carl A. Newhall Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day #135 On The Trail!(6 days to go)Just before I left the shelter today, a southbound hiker warned me that it would be a tough 20 miles. He was kinda right, as the terrain for the first 15 miles proved to be rugged, but not exceptionally strenuous.The forecast had called for it to be a nice day, but it looked like it could rain at any moment for most of the morning. Thankfully, by mid-afternoon, it had cleared up and there were sunny blue skies to be seen. I ran into Chaco and Sketcher as they were doing a two day southbound stint back into Monson in order to avoid the nasty weather coming in Sunday afternoon. A few miles later, someone had dropped some trail magic off in the form of soda and homemade whoopie pies. Thanks trail angels.After that, the trail became considerably easier as it followed a stream for about 6 miles up to the shelter. I had a moment to talk to the area ridge-runner, who gave me a few leads on campsites and whatnot.Tomorrow, we climb our last 3,000 footer until Katahdin. It's mostly flat after that.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-27
From: Carl A. Newhall Shelter

To: Jo-Mary Road
Miles today: 22.6

Day #136 On The Trail!(5 days left)It was a bit on the chilly side this morning when I reluctantly exited my sleeping bag around 6:30. Naturally, I warmed up nicely once I got hiking, rapidly making my way to the top of White Cap, the last significant climb until the big K. In fact, we could actually see Katahdin for the first time from the summit, with nothing but flatlands between us.Then the rest of the day glided along quickly, as I only saw two other hikers besides Shuffle and Dash. It was kinda nice to get that much alone time in the woods. We've set ourselves up to only have 10 miles to hike in the morning to get to the Whitehouse Landing lodge and escape the incoming storm. Plus I hear they cook up a mean 1lb burger.Cheers
Date: 2011-08-28
From: Jo-Mary Road

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 10.0

Day #137 On The Trail!(4 days to go)The rain started coming in at around 5 this morning, which was good motivation to get moving quickly and on to the only refuge to be found here in the wilderness: the White House Landing.Thankfully, Shuffle and Dash were of a similar mindset and we were hiking shortly after 6. And we were able to cover the 11 or so miles to the lake before 10. The Landing sits on the other side of the lake from their access trail, so we had to sound an air horn, signalling them to come and ferry us across. Our timing could not have been better, as we got in and showered just before they opened up their kitchen for lunch. Linda and Bil run a rustic site, with propane lighting in the bunkhouse and no electricity to be found. For lunch, I had one of their famous 1lb burgers and a large whoopie pie. Then I lay me down for a nice afternoon nap. There are 11 of us hikers here weathering out the effects of Irene. I would speculate there are very few others out on the trail today, since we've had adequate warning about the forecast. But, it's supposed to be nice for the rest of the week, and barring any extreme trail conditions, I should be able to easily saunter towards the finish line over the next three days.Tonight, I had a pizza for dinner, and Linda packed up my leftovers for me to take with me tomorrow.Cheers