morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-08-10
From: Franconia Notch, NH

To: Galehead Hut, NH
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Despite all indications that I was setting up residence in North Woodstock, I headed out today. I still do not feel 100%, but the weather today was too nice to pass up. The climb out of Franconia Notch was not nearly as bad as either of the climbs out of Kinsman. At the top was Franconia Ridge, which went above tree line as I climbed over Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette. Lafayette was the higher of the two at 5,249 ft. This entire section was one of my favorite parts of my hike so far and I am thankful that I had such good weather for it. It was windy and would get chilly whenever I stopped moving, but otherwise it was sunny. I also had my first views of Mt. Washington in the distance today from the ridge. The summit of Washington was actually cloud free for about half an hour. The rest of the day was more difficult. I climbed down from the ridge and up and over Mt. Garfield. I was moving slower and felt wiped out. The terrain was definitely more similar to Kinsman at this point. Coming down from Garfield I somehow ended up on a side trail where I did a round trip of .5 miles before getting back on the AT. Some day hikers in their fanny packs pointed out to me that the AT is marked with white blazes. Thanks. Then about half a mile from the hut it began to rain. The irony of this was not lost on me. Tonight I am staying in my first hut, and third on the AT. The hut 'croo' here does not allow hikers to pay to stay here, but do allow hikers to do work for stay. So it was either work for stay or move on and stay out in the cold rain tonight. I opted for the work for stay and will be allowed to sleep on the dining room floor. It has gotten a lot colder and windier outside since I got here. Also as part of my work for stay I am allowed to eat dinner and breakfast leftovers. Still not sure how I feel about the hut system.
Date: 2008-08-11
From: Galehead Hut, NH

To: Crawford Notch, NH
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: fog

Last night I had to sit out on the porch while the paying tourists staying in the hut ate dinner. It was raining and windy, driving the rain onto the porch. It was cold and I ended up putting on all my layers and stood looking through the window with the other hikers staying there watching the tourists eat. After about an hour or so I was allowed in to eat leftovers and then was assigned my work for stay. I had to clean out the hut freezer. It took about half an hour. After standing out in the rain and wind, and then cleaning out the freezer, I did not get warm until I climbed into my sleeping bag on the floor. Creek Diver and Whisper (the girl from Israel I first met in the Smokies) showed up last night too. I had not seen Whisper since Daleville, VA. This morning I got leftover pancakes for breakfast. Overall I guess the hut experience was not too bad. I got two meals out of it and a dry place to stay. The down side is being bound to the hut croo's schedule. After breakfast I headed out and did a steep climb up the Twins. Toward the top it began to rain again and continued for most of the day. The trail turned into a creek and I stopped caring about keeping my feet out of the puddles. There wasn't anything to see most of the day, just fog and clouds and water. For lunch I stopped in at Zealand Falls Hut for a $3 bottomless bowl of soup. As I was checking for cell phone reception I somehow dropped my cell phone into my bowl of soup. It was the low point of the day. After Zealand the trail grade became easier and more flat and I was able to move much more quickly for a change. A little sun even broke through but did not last long. It then began to rain again. I made it down to Crawford Notch where Creek Diver, Whisper and myself hitched a ride to a hotel to dry out for the night. We also briefly toyed with the idea of taking the cog railway up Mt. Washington tomorrow. It would be 'rail blazing.'
Date: 2008-08-12
From: Crawford Notch, NH

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut, NH
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

Exhilarating is a good word for today. I woke up at 6:45AM and Creek Diver, Whisper and I hitched a ride back to the trail. The same kid who picked us up yesterday happened to be heading back in the same direction and saw us and gave us a ride back to the trail head. The first part of the day was more work and the second part of the day was the exhilarating part. The first mile and a half was a very steep climb up to Webster Cliffs. This was the start of the Presidential Range in the White Mts. All of today's hike was building upwards towards Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. I went up Mt. Webster and Mt. Jackson and then stopped for lunch at Mizpah Spring Hut. The sun came out on the way up but gave way to some rain later in the day. After lunch I went above treeline and went over Mt. Clinton (no not that one, or that one), skirted Mt. Eisenhower, and went over Mt. Franklin before arriving at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. I am just under 2 miles short of the Mt. Washington summit. From Mizpah Hut to Lakes of the Clouds the trail was above treeline and was a pretty amazing hike. The rain stopped and the clouds cleared up enough that I had good views all around, including the summit of Mt. Washington for a bit. It was windy above treeline with gusts around 30-35 mph according to the Hut, but really this is nothing for this area. Mt. Washington has the highest recorded land wind speed of 231 mph. It is not unusual for hikers to encounter 60-70 mph winds up here. This above the treeline hike ranks right up there with Franconia Ridge for me. When I stopped for the day at Lakes of the Clouds Hut (elevation 5,050 ft.) I just decided to pay $10 to sleep on the dining room floor rather than do work for stay. There is actually a 'dungeon' room for hikers below the hut but I took one look at that dank, dark, cold room and decided to sleep on the Hut floor. I will not get any food leftovers from the Hut tonight but that is ok as I need to eat out of my food bag to lighten my load. Shortly after arriving here the weather turned ugly again and it has been raining pretty hard for a few hours now. Hopefully it will clear up tomorrow when I go over Mt. Washington.
Date: 2008-08-13
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut, NH

To: Pinkham Notch, NH
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Wow, what an amazing day. I had the best weather that I've had in weeks today. The great weather made me appreciate today's sights that much more. I slept on one of the dining room tables in the Hut last night. I kept worrying that I would roll off one side or the other onto the floor. I left the Hut at about 7AM and climbed the 1.4 miles up to the summit of Mt. Washington. It took a little less than an hour. It was all above treeline and a little rocky. The weather was foggy, chilly and winds of about 25mph according to the Hut when I left. A few times on the way up I could see flashes of blue and the sun behind the fog. When I got to the summit a little after 8AM the winds were noticeably stronger and I went inside one of the touristy buildings. There is also a lot of weather station equipment at the summit as well. Inside I looked at all the information about the history and weather of Mt. Washington and then ate at the concession stand there. People can drive an auto road to the summit or take a cog rail there. I left the summit about 9AM and got my picture at the summit and got a few views through the clouds before beginning to descend. It was still windy and I had to put on my gloves. Shortly after starting my descent the weather cleared up altogether and I had bright blue skies for the rest of the day. As I descended along the ridge line the trail ran along the cog rail line and I passed the cog on its way up. The tourists inside waved at me and took pictures of me so I waved back and took their picture as well. Hiker tradition used to be to moon the cog, but in the last year or so rangers began handing out tickets to hikers who mooned the cog riders. So I chose not to moon the cog. Then next 4 or 5 miles were all above treeline as I skirted Mt. Clay, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Adams, and went up and over the summit of Mt. Madison. Coming down from Madison I went below treeline again for the first time in 24 hours. The entire time I had great panoramic views. I really do not think any of the pictures I took could really capture the openness and vastness of the landscape. Once I went below treeline again everything seemed dull and boring in comparison and the rest of the day felt like it dragged. I pushed on to Pinkham Notch with Creek Diver and Whisper because the weather was still so nice. Have to take advantage of good weather out here now, never know when it will rain again. The good weather makes such a difference on my morale. The three of us got a ride into town from a couple leaving the Pinkham Notch Hut area and I was able to do laundry for the first time in a week. I really needed it. Also in town tonight are Shelter Monkey and Snake Whisperer and Lotus (I did not actually see her in town though - haven't seen her since 501 Shelter in PA). I also received word that Bearbait and Bearpack jumped ahead again from the summit of Mt. Washington to the Mahoosucs in Southern Maine. I should finally be to Maine myself by Sunday.
Date: 2008-08-14
From: Pinkham Notch, NH

To: Imp Campsite, NH
Miles today: 13.1

Another good weather day. 2 days in a row without rain. That is unheard of lately. I got a little later start than usual today and did not get on the trail until 9:30AM. We walked about a mile before getting a hitch out of town. The climb out of Pinkham Notch up Wildcat Mt. was very steep and rocky for about a mile. Another tough climb in the Whites. Wildcat Mt. has 5 peaks that the trail goes over which are imaginatively named A, B, C, D, and E. After Wildcat the trail drops down steeply 1,000 ft. over a mile to Carter Notch. It was 6 miles from Pinkham Notch to Carter Notch and it took me until 2PM to get there. There is a Hut in Carter Notch where I ate and then climbed about 1,500 ft. over a mile up out of Carter Notch. From there I went over Mt. Hight, and then South, Middle, and North Carter Mts. before dropping down to Imp Campsite. There is also a shelter here and the whole site is run by the AMC, which charges an $8 fee to stay here. So I'm paying $8 to stay in a shelter tonight. Not taking any chances with rain anymore. With the exception of one more place in Southern Maine I think this is the last pay site. I got here about 6:45PM, ate my dinner, and then was treated to the best sunset of my hike so far. It was a very tiring day but it was also very rewarding. Tomorrow I will finally get out of the Whites.
Date: 2008-08-15
From: Imp Campsite, NH

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

Less than 300 miles to go. And I'm finally out of the Whites today. They were exhausting but in the end worth it.I got up early and was on the trail by 7AM. I climbed up and over Mt. Moriah and got some good early morning views of the mountains. It turned out to be another sunner and clear day. 3 nice days in a row. Maybe this rainy weather cycle is finally broken? The last 4 miles today were relatively flat and rock free and I was finally able to go at a quick clip again. I did slip on a wet rock while crossing a creek, bang up my right arm pretty good, and almost tumbled into the creek, but I still managed to get to US 2 before 11AM. Creek Diver, Whisper and I got a ride into Gorham for the night. I got my mail drop here and did other town errands. We are going to meet up with Shelter Monkey and Snake Whisperer for dinner tonight to celebrate getting out of the White Mts.
Date: 2008-08-16
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Campsite, NH
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

I got an early start on the trail today, before 7AM. I climbed Mt. Hayes and Mt. Cascade. I had good weather in the morning, had an early lunch and watched a storm move in over Mt. Washington and Mt. Madison in the distance. I then realized that the storm was moving towards me, so I hurried 3 miles to Gentian Pond Shelter. There were two other ponds along the way that acted as 'false ponds' akin to false summits. I got to the shelter by 1PM, just as the rain and storms really started hitting this area so I decided to call it a day and stay dry in the shelter. The terrain was easier today and it was nice to be able to move at a faster pace again. There is also a nice view from this shelter if the rain clears up. I'm now only 4.5 miles from the Maine border.
Date: 2008-08-17
From: Gentian Pond Campsite, NH

To: Full Goose Shelter, ME
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

Well it took me 150 days, but. . .I MADE IT TO MAINE!!! I still cannot believe that I am actually here. It has seemed so far away for so long. When I came around a turn in the trail and saw the blue 'Welcome to Maine: the way life should be' sign, I let out a yell. The last state, no more to go, no more states to count down. Now it's just miles to Katahdin.Last night as I laid in the shelter and watched the sun set after the rain stopped, a full moon rose and was bright enough to light everything up like it was day again. It must have been because I knew I was so close to Maine that I began thinking of all the places and things I've seen along the trail that so few other people ever see and that I will most likely never see most of those places or things again. I guess I got a little nostalgic. As hard as the trail has been, being able to see and experience everything I have so far has been 100% worth it.The weather today was cool, partly sunny, and had some strong winds after lunch. The terrain became more difficult, indicating that Southern Maine will not be a stroll in the park. I hiked up and over Mt. Success, Mt. Carlo and the East and North peaks of Goose Eye Mt. On Mt. Success I checked my cell phone for reception and I had a message that Bearpack and Bearbait had jumped ahead again and summitted Katahdin. The hike today was only 9.6 miles but it took me from 7AM to 3PM to get to Full Goose Shelter with only a half hour break for lunch. I really felt like I was dragging, but I know it was also because the terrain was harder. I did have some good open views from Goose Eye Mt.It is getting pretty chilly right now and last night it also got quite chilly. Not cold, but enough to make crawling into my sleeping bag feel really good. Almost as good as it feels to be in Maine.
Date: 2008-08-18
From: Full Goose Shelter, ME

To: Grafton Notch, ME
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Crossed the 1,900 miles mark today, and did the hardest mile on the trail, Mahoosuc Notch, followed by the alleged steepest climb in the trail, the Mahoosuc Arm. Mahoosuc Notch is a narrow boulder strewn mile between two mountains. It required going around, over and under rocks and boulders. It often required jumping from rock to rock as well as hanging onto trees and just plain butt sliding down rocks. I had to take my pack off 6 times to go under rocks which were like going through mini-caves in some instances. It took me just over two hours to go 1 mile. The first 45 minutes or so were kind of fun, but after that it just became tedious. I went through the Notch with Hammer, Dust in the Wind and Shelter Monkey. It was good to go through with other hikers so we could help each other with our packs and point out the best way to go over or around something. Right in the beginning of the Notch was the skeleton of a dead moose that had wandered into the Notch last summer and fell and broke its leg. Unable to get out it died and its remains are pretty much right on the trail. It is always nice to know the trail is taking me through an area where even the local wildlife has trouble surviving.After the Notch I began the climb up Mahoosuc Arm. It was definitely a steep rock face climb for about half a mile, but I am not sure if it really is the steepest climb of the trail. Other parts have felt as steep. Anyways I did not think the Arm was as hard as all the hype. Once I got on top of the Arm, I checked my cell phone for messages and got a call from Bearbait and Bearpack. They wanted to meet all of us in Grafton Notch, 6 miles away, to hang out one last time before the flew back to Oklahoma and Texas. It provided great motivation and I felt like I flew the last 6 miles around Speck Pond, the highest body of water in Maine and up and over Old Speck Mt. I had great weather all day again so that really helped too. I met the Bear Boys in Grafton Notch at 3:30PM and they had cokes, brownies and beers for us. We hung out there for about an hour and then they took me, Whisper, Shelter Monkey and Creek Diver to a Lodge down the road where we went out to eat and spent the night. It was really good to hang out one last time.
Date: 2008-08-19
From: Grafton Notch, ME

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero Day. After a fun but late night with Bearpack and Bearbait we woke up to a cold rainy day. Soooo, since we still had access to the Bear Boys' shuttling services we came to Andover for a zero day. Otherwise we'd be forced to go over Baldpate Mt. which is above tree line in what looked like nasty weather. Yeah I'm a fair weather hiker whenever possible. But anyways the next 4 days look like good weather and some rest and recuperation from the Whites, Notch and Arm are in order. Had breakfast in Andover with the Bear Boys and then they took off for Boston. It was kind of weird to see the guys I'd been hiking with for so long (since Franklin, NC) take off for good. I spent the rest of the day at the Andover Guest House doing the usual town stuff (I use the word town here loosely). Anyways not much else to do here but that's ok, I don't feel like doing much.
Date: 2008-08-20
From: Andover, ME

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Today felt like a beautiful fall day in Pennsylvania. Except it is still August. Had a very cool night last night and the locals were saying they would not be surprised to see frost or a dusting of snow on the higher mountain tops. There were even a few trees, very few, showing signs of color. Must be the cool rainy summer they've had here. Anyways, I slackpacked SOBO today with Shelter Monkey, Snake Whisperer, Creek Diver and Whisper from Andover back to Grafton Notch. Had great weather all day. It was also very windy on the mountain tops. More windy than when I was on Mt. Washington. But that's ok, I've always liked the wind.Since I was going south today I went over Surplus Mt. first. This was a relatively easy climb and did not go above tree line. After this I went over the east and west peaks of Baldpate Mt. The summits were open rock faces above tree line where it was super windy. It was the kind of strong wind that you can lean into and not fall over. Since I was slackpacking these climbs were also not too bad. I got down to Grafton Notch by 1:30PM and there was a nice surprise waiting. Queen Diva, who used to run the Bear's Den Hostel in VA (still one of the best hostels I've stayed at), had trail magic in the Notch. I had fried chicken, potato salad and other snacks. It felt like forever since I had encountered trail magic like this. It was a really great treat. Later got picked up and am back at the Andover Guest House tonight. Another day of slackpacking tomorrow may be in order.
Date: 2008-08-21
From: Andover, ME

To: South Arm Road, ME
Miles today: 10.1

5 month anniversary on the trail today. And another slackpack day. And another day of beautiful weather. A little warmer today too, back into the 70's. However, memories of rain have not yet become distant.I think today would have been a fairly easy day with or without a full pack. There was only one steep climb up Mt. Moody, but it was not a particularly long climb. But first I went by Surplus Pond, and made a gradual climb up Mt. Wyman. Took a lunch break at Hall Mt. Lean-to at the top of Wyman and then dropped down to Sawyer Brook in Sawyer Notch. After that was the steep climb up Moody Mt, which apparently had a mood swing earlier this summer and threw a small landslide across a part of the trail. The trail has not yet been repaired here so navigating the landslide was the trickiest part of the day. There was only one part that would be difficult though if it was raining. Otherwise there were not any views on Wyman or Moody so there was no reason to linger and I got down to Black Brook and South Arm Road by 2PM. Thanks to the recent good weather there was no need to ford the streams today and I was able to rock hop my way across. Got a ride back to Andover at the road for what will be my last night here. I've spent a lot of time in a town with surprisingly so little to do.
Date: 2008-08-22
From: South Arm Road, ME

To: Maine 17, ME
Miles today: 13.3

Back to a full pack today. For today at least. It felt extra heavy after a zero and two slackpack days. I got an early start and had a steep climb up Old Blue Mt. Actually only the first part was steep. From the summit of Old Blue I could see Mt. Washington and Madison. It was another clear day and a little warmer, probably in the low 80's. After Old Blue I went around Elephant Mt. and then up and over Beamis Mt. I came down Beamis Mt. and then up to Maine 17. Probably the best view of the day was from the road of Lake Mooselookmegunic (no idea how to pronounce it). From Maine 17 I came into Rangely to stay at Gull Pond Lodge Hostel. I can also do more slackpacking from here. I'm all about making these last weeks as easy and as fun as possible.
Date: 2008-08-23
From: Perham Stream, ME

To: Rangely, ME
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

I did a SOBO slackpack today. Started north of Rangely and came back to Gull Pond Lodge (which is just outside of Rangely). I decided to do this section today because of the nice warm clear weather is continuing. Tomorrow there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms so I'll do the shorter section south of Rangely tomorrow. After that I'll be all caught up and on to Stratton, ME. Part of the reason to do today's section was because it offers much better above tree line views from Saddleback Mt. than the section to the south. I was above tree line on Saddleback Mt. for a few miles today and had great views. Also got a little sunburned up there. It was a little too hazy to see Katahdin in the distance but I could see everything else within miles and miles of the mountain, including numerous ponds, Rangely, and a surprising number of trees changing color down in the valley. I started the day being dropped off on an old bumpy loggy road. From there I dropped down to Orbeton Creek before making a steep climb up Poplar Ridge. After Poplar Ridge I climbed up Saddleback Junior (3,655 ft). From here I could see the two peaks of Saddleback, the Horn and Saddleback itself. Together they really did look like a saddle from here. I then climbed the Horn (4,040 ft), went above tree line, and climbed Saddleback (4,120 ft). It got me wondering how many 4,000 ft+ peaks I've gone over on the trail, even though the trail doesn't always go over the summits of all of them. Anyways the rest of the day was a long drop down to the road with a few ponds thrown in for the trail to go around. Got to Maine 4 and hitched a ride back into Rangely for the night.
Date: 2008-08-24
From: Maine 17, ME

To: Rangely, ME
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day and another slackpack. This time from Maine 17, where I came into Rangely on Friday, north to Maine 4, where I hitched back into Rangely and the Gull Pond Lodge Hostel. Today's section was probably the easiest terrain I've done so far in Maine. No big climbs, just relatively flat ground and a few ponds to go around. Lots of signs of moose, including moose calf tracks, but still no moose sightings yet. Maybe tomorrow.