morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Fire WardenÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Cabin 

To: HikerÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Welcome Hostel 
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Granite Slab on Mt. CubeStart: Fire Warden¢s Cabin @ 0809Finish: Hiker¢s Welcome Hostel (Glencliff) @ 1749Miles: 20Weather: Damp & cold morning. Sunny & cool afternoonBreakfast: Strawberry CIB, Chocolate PoptartsLunch: Trailmix, Snickers, Oreos, Moonpie, Sierra MistDinner: 2 mini frozen pizzas, Smores bar, popcornTrail Conditions: 3 long downhills, lots of flat, climb up Mt. Cube was easyAnimals: BirdsPeople: Reverend Yukon Jack, a lost DOC group, lots of weekenders, Blues Brothers, people at the HostelI suffered through the night and was quite chilled in the morning. Around 0200 I unpacked my tarp and wrapped myself in it for additional warmth. I had to talk to myself to stay focused and get ready for the day.I walked the first several miles in a damp cold cloud that produced occasional sprinkles. However, I was relieved to see the sun as I moved lower and away from Smarts Mountain. After about 45 minutes of moving I had warmed back up and was hiking at a steady pace. My left Achilles felt much better today although it was still a bit stiff and occasionally painful as I walked. I made sure to hike at a conservative pace and didn¢t have to many problems other than that.The climb up Mt. Cube was surprisingly easy and there were wonderful views of the New Hampshire mountains. There were several long slabby granite sections that I walked up backwards so as to avoid unnecessary stress on my Achilles. As I walked down Mt. Cube I crossed paths with another DOC group, however, after talking with them we found out they were going the wrong way on the AT! Oops. At NH 25A, the base of Mt. Cube, there was some great trail magic so I enjoyed some pop, a moonpie, and Oreo cookies before starting the last half of the day.Nothing to exciting actually happened. The weather was splendid ¢ cool temps, a gentle breeze, and clear skies. As I made my way down Mt. Mist I got my first dominate view of Mt. Moosilauke. It was a real monstrosity and lived up to my imagined expectations. It will definitely be an interesting climb, hopefully the weather is good for the occasion. Mt. Moosilauke Dominating the HorizonThere is a whole cluster of people at the hostel tonight including NOBO¢s I have never met and some that I haven¢t seen since Iron Masters Mansion. The Blues Brothers had last seen me when I was recovering and I had been about 2 days behind them for a month. It was fun to see them again.The indoor hostel is full so I¢ll be camped out in the overflow tent. There¢s a TV and DVD player and a great selection of movies ¢ which we are watching of course. Tomorrow several hikers are doing a SOBO slack pack from Franconia Notch to Kinsman Notch. I decided to get in on it and get an easy introduction (relatively) to the Whites.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Franconia Notch

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Steps up Mt. KinsmanStart: Franconia Notch @ 0844Finish: Kinsman Notch @ 1739Miles: 16.3Weather: Cool, Overcast ¢ Weird cloud movements & wind patternsBreakfast: 2 pancakes, 3 sausage links, scrambled eggs, homefriesLunch: 12¢ deli sub-sandwich, trailmixDinner: Lipton butter noodles, Ben & Jerry¢sTrail Conditions: Steep, steep climb/descent on Kinsman. PUD¢s all the way to Kinsman NotchAnimals: Moose, Snake, BirdsPeople: Flava Flav, Bernie, Gorbachev, Ranger Jan, Fat Chap (Gary), Momma¢s Boy, Swicks, Blues Brothers (Vinnie & Nick), Lion King, Chicago Rob, Brood X, Crazy Legs, Tall Tales, Tarzan, Traildawg, Reverend Yukon JackThe alarm clock buzzed off at 0550 and 20 minutes later (I was to groggy to recall what exactly I did) I was in Fat Chaps minivan with Ranger Jan, Blues Brothers, and Gorbachov and heading toward Franconia Notch.I originally wanted to zero today, but the chance of getting some "easy" slackpack miles was simply to good to pass up. We stopped in North Woodstock and had a great breakfast at Peg¢s Restaurant. I had real New Hampshire maple syrup and it was divine. In route to Franconia we passed the rock face that used to bear the ¢Old man of the Mountain¢ before it eroded and fell of.Fat Chap made today¢s hike seem as though it would be darn near impossible and would take until sundown. I thought otherwise when I had done 6 miles in two hours. The climb and descent from Kinsman were the steepest I have hiked so far. North Kinsman PeakThe climb up to North Kinsman was the steepest 2,800 feet I have ever hiked. Much of it was hand over hand on huge rock boulders and granite slab. As I neared the summit the trail was so vertical it seemed as thought I could just reach out and grab the sky. It was truly incredible. Atop North Kinsman half the peak was shrouded in clouds and half was sunny. There was literally a distinct edge to the cloud, when I stood at that point my left side was cold and my right side warm. Unfortunately, there were no views from South Kinsman. The trail going down was so steep and covered in clouds it looked like the trail fell right off the mountain.My knees ached as I made the descent but I made it without incident. I stopped for an hour lunch at Eliza Brook. I did feel lethargic for the rest of the hike and just walked at chill pace and admired my surroundings.I finished around 5:30 PM and our shuttle picked us up at 7:00 PM. In celebration of our hike Fat Chap bought us each a tub of Ben & Jerry¢s. Thanks dude. Back at the hostel a ton more hikers had shown up during the day and it was very crowded. There was a good campfire going and people were watching movies to. I took a shower, kicked my feet up, and had a relaxing night.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-09-08
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 9.5

Summit of Mt. MoosilaukeStart: Kinsman Notch @ 1014Finish: Glencliff, NH @ 1515Miles: 9.5Weather: Sunny in early morning, rain all afternoon & eveningBreakfast: Kit-Kat barLunch: TrailmixDinner: 2 ears of corn, deli sandwich, Snickers, microwave pizza, Cookies & CreamTrail Conditions: Steep from Kinsman to Beaver Brook. More gradient from Beaver Brook Shelter to summit. Long gradual descentAnimals: Chickadee, DogPeople: Blues Brothers, Fat Chap, Packrat, Swicks, Momma¢s Boy, Lion King, Ranger Jan, Traildawg, A-dogg, Dig Doug, Backdraft, Acorn, Riley, Squatter, Gorbachev, Dayhikers, DOC groupI wanted to do Mt. Moosilauke today, rain or shine to avoid falling behind schedule, but also to just get it out of the way. I was figuring on going south to north over the mountain and hitching back to the hostel, but was able to get a free ride to Kinsman, so I walked back to the hostel.The weather was good in the morning and I was hoping for good views from up top, but unfortunately it clouded in by the time I hit the top. For weeks I had been hearing nightmare stories about the treacherous descent into Kinsman Notch. Fortunately I was walking it up, however, it was still rather difficult and sketchy. Wet & Slippery Steps up Mt. MoosilaukeThe first one and a half miles to Beaver Brook Shelter are the worst of the entire mountain. The trail follows a pretty cascading stream, however is nothing more than steep and slippery moss coated rocks. In places the rock is so steep and slabby wooden steps have been added into the rock, supported by rebar. I was glad I was not walking down it.I rested briefly at Beaver Brook Shelter and ran into a SOBO who was headed to the hostel. The rest of the hike to the summit was nothing to scream about. Just your standard uphill climb. I ran into Freebird coming down and we shot the breeze. Beaver BrookIt was a great experience getting above tree line for my first time. It was clouded in on the summit so views were minimal but there was still a grand feeling being atop Moosilauke. I ran into Swix and Momma¢s Boy and the three of us had our picture taken at the summit sign. I will hereby refer to us as the Dutch Posse.On the way down it began raining and continued to pour all afternoon. The descent was really easy. Back at the hostel I cleaned up for the night and watched movies with everyone.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-09-09
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sign at Hikers Welcome HostelStart: Hikers Welcome HostelFinish: Hikers Welcome HostelMiles: Zero DayWeather: Rain all dayBreakfast: Grits, Blueberry Turnover, AppleLunch: Lipton sour cream & chive noodles & chicken noodles, 2 pudding cupsDinner: Cheesy Enchilada, StarcrunchTrail Conditions: N/AAnimals: Domesticated SortsPeople: Fat Chap, Lion King, Rhia, Gobachev, Hiking Bear, Ranger Jan, Dig Doug, Backdraft, Blues Brothers, Acorn, A-dogg, Packrat, RileyHurricane Frances had definitely made it¢s way to New Hampshire. No gusty winds but tons of rain and warm temperatures. It rained steadily all day long so no one left the hostel.I got my winter gear all sorted out and sent home my summer pack and fly swatter. I over planned too, the only time this whole trip that has happened. I¢ll end up going into the Whites with 8 days of food, but realistically need no more than 5 days. Such is life, but I am guaranteed to eat well.Pretty much I just loafed around all day. We all watched movies in the common area and checked the weather report about every 15 minutes. Tomorrow they are calling for partly cloudy skies and no rain. Hopefully I get some views on Franconia ridge.
Date: 2004-09-15
From: North Carter Mountain 

To: Gorham NH. (the Barn)
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

Sunrise from North Carter MountainStart: North Carter Mountain @ 0755Finish: Gorham, NH (The Barn) @ 1240Miles: 9.7Weather: Warm, Clear Skies & Sun.Breakfast: Granola w/ strawberries & blueberries.Lunch: Don¢t remember. Dinner: Spaghetti.Trail Conditions: Steep downhill to Imp Campsite. Easy going rest of wayAnimals: Frog, Birds.People: Ruth, John, Turtle Don, Ranger Jan, Doc, Moonpie.I awoke to the most incredible sunrise of my entire trip. It was spectacular. All the valleys were filled in with clouds and only the mountain tops poked out. The sun was a bright orange ball and caused the cirrus clouds above me to change from green, to pink, orange, and red. It was fantastic. There was no noise, not even a breeze. I slowly ate breakfast and reluctantly packed for the day. It was too cool to want to leave. Valley of CloudsI can tell I am getting sick with something. A cold, but probably a sinus infection, I usually get them this time of year. My head was plugged, I was coughing slightly, and in general felt a bit groggy. Oh well though, hiking will cure anything. Another Stellar ShotThe walking today was much easier than the past week and the climbs and descents were much more gradual. I made good time walking and was at the road crossing for Gorham before 1pm. I had a fairly tough time getting a hitch, but after walking about a mile a run down pickup truck pulled over. The driver, a crusty old man named John, and I exchanged greetings and he advised he picks up about 200 ¢shitheads¢ like me every year. Throughout our conversation he referred to hikers as ¢shitheads¢. Interesting indeed. Anyways, he dropped me off at the barn and I was happy to be there in one piece.The rest of the day was total gravy. I took a nice long shower, washed my clothes¢¦.twice¢¦.and picked up my food drop. North Carter Mountain (Leftmost Peak) & Presidential Range (Background Ridgeline)In the evening Moonpie came by. We talked for several hours. She is a cool gal. It also turns out that all her relatives live in the Holland area. What a small world. Moonpie had a bunch of food left over from her hike so she kindly gave me some gorp and candy bars. Thanks Moonpie!There is a kid named Franz here tonight who is from Germany and is traveling around New England for several weeks to check out the area. He is doing a mix of backpacking and checking out some cities. Safe travels to you Franz.Anywho, its early but I am exhausted and definitely under the weather so off to bed I go.
Date: 2004-09-16
From: Gorham NH. (The Barn)

To: Gorham NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

"The Barn" HostelStart: Gorham, NH. (The Barn)Finish: Gorham, NH. (The Barn)Miles: Zero DayWeather: Sunny & Clear Skies.Breakfast: Chocolate CIB.Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup. Dinner: Tortellini, Twix, Apple Cider.Trail Conditions: N/AAnimals:Domesticated Sorts.People:Blues Brothers, Ranger Jan, Doc, Woods Dragon, Brood X, Crazy Legs, Dingle & Skirt.Today was one lazy day. First I slept in, then I pretty much did nothing.Franz headed out. He is planning on hitching his way over to Lake Champlain. It¢s pretty cool that he came from overseas to do this. He has also traveled down in South America.I called up my parents and they are well. They¢re on vacation down in North Carolina and getting dumped on with rain from Hurricane Ivan. I am hoping it doesn¢t continue north as that would be the fourth hurricane this season that has brought me the gift of rain.I also chatted briefly with Ben. I am really pumped for him to come out to Katahdin in the next couple of weeks. It¢s going to be totally chill back home swapping stories and sipping¢¦.sodas¢¦ SignageI then sat around the hostel and caught up on my journal for several hours.I paid a visit to the Rite Aid and bought some snackies and medicine for my cold. I can definitely feel that I am sick today. I don¢t really want to go to the doctor and do believe that over the counter goodies should kick it. If things don¢t improve by Andover, ME I¢ll visit a doctor.The Barn hostel is a cool place. It¢s at the corner of US2/NE16 and is basically in the oversized garage attached to the Libby House B&B, The owner "Doc" is a real nice fella and definitely will see that you¢re taken care of. The beds upstairs were very comfortable and I had two good nights of sleep there. Tomorrow I venture into Maine! Yahtzee!
Date: 2004-09-17
From: Gorham NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Gorham, NH @ 0955Finish: Gentian Pond Shelter @ 1628Miles: 11.8Weather: Overcast all day w/ rain in the evening.Breakfast: Granola w/ Blueberries & PeachesLunch: 2 granola bars, Oat n Honey, TrailmixDinner: 4 Cheese lasagna, Mini-TwixTrail Conditions: Much easier than the Whites, several PUD¢sAnimals: Squirrel, Chipmunk, Birds, URBAPeople:Jack, BroodX, Tarzan, Tall Tales, Crazy Legs, Dingle, weekenders.I wanted to leave town earlier than I did, but I was feeling a bit under the weather so I took my time. After about 20 minutes of thumbing I got a ride from a dude named Jack who dropped me off at the trailhead. It was overcast all day and unusually warm. I¢ve been out here long enough to know that means rain. The day started with a climb, but man was it easy relative to what I just went through. The day was really rather blah. The most notable difference was that the trail seemed much more rugged and overgrown than what I¢ve seen elsewhere.Once again I felt really lethargic and I think my cold was getting to me. My pack weight seems to be the biggest burden at the moment. I would guess it weighs about 40 pounds which is more than I¢d care to admit. I sent some stuff home and over the next week I imagine I might be able to send more home. At the moment I am just not sure what clothes I do and don¢t need to travel lightly in colder conditions.I am not sure if I saw a moose or bear today. I am calling the situation an URBA - Unidentified Really Big Animal. About 15 yards to my left I heard a large thumping and brush rustling as it ran away. As I tried to gain a good viewpoint I thought I saw a gangly brown leg, but it may have been a tree. Who knows?Anyways, I was just feeling tired and it was starting to drizzle when I rolled into Gentian Pond Shelter. I ran into Brood X and his crew, which was going to push on to Carlo Col. I also wasn¢t in the mood for dealing with lots of people and as it was there was going to be at least 8 thru-hikers there, which meant I would have had to tent. So long story short, I am here for the night.
Date: 2004-09-18
From: Gentian Pond Shelter 

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Looking out Gentian Pond ShelterStart: Gentian Pond ShelterFinish: Gentian Pond ShelterMiles: Zero DayWeather: Mid-40¢s & rain all morning. Mostly cloudy afternoon and coldBreakfast: TrailmixLunch: Snickers, Mini-TwixDinner: Potato soup w/ Ham & Croutons, Mini-TwixTrail Conditions: N/AAnimals: Birdie, ChipmunkPeople:2 section hikersI awoke to a cold and steady rain falling outside. I didn¢t much feel like walking in it, and more importantly I wasn¢t going to go thru the Mahoosuc Notch in rain. The way I figured too was that the thrus just ahead of me wouldn¢t want to go through the notch in the rain either and would probably stay put. Therefore, even if I were to walk to the next shelter I would be cold, wet, and sleeping under my tarp.So the decision making process was short and I chose to zero. We¢ll se if I was right or not about people moving through the notch. I also think my decision to wait is beneficial because I will now be in between packs. I am one-half to one day behind a large group and one to two days ahead of a large group and that is where I want to be right now. I can hike by myself during the day and see few people at night. I have really been craving solitude over the past few weeks, especially so as my trip winds down. I am not sure why that is, but that¢s the way it is.I spent the majority of the day catching up on my journal as I was about six days behind. I think I wrote about 15 pages today. It was nice to be alone and able to reflect on previous days events.A small little bird about the size of a Chickadee would occasionally come into the shelter and hop around pecking crumbs and rustle its wet feathers. It didn¢t care that I was there and came close to me. It was relaxing to watch. Also, a brave little chipmunk kept me company. It would scurry all the way up to my knees and start gnawing at my bag of trail mix. It did this several times so I finally just feed it some raisins and peanuts.I was hoping to have the shelter to myself, but it was not to be. Two section hikers showed up. They are nice guys, but one has done nothing but gripe and whine about everything all night. It is very annoying. If you don¢t like the cold and the rain don¢t hike in it dork.They had a NOAA radio with them and tomorrow should just be cold and partly cloudy. So I do believe I will finally entering Maine and trekking the Mahoosuc Notch. Yippee!
Date: 2004-09-19
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Speck PondStart:Gentian Pond Shelter @ 0835Finish: Speck Pond Shelter @ 1847 Miles: 14.7Weather: Clouds and rain into the afternoon, Partly Sunny & Cold in the evening.Breakfast: Granola w/ Strawberries, Peaches and Blueberries.Lunch: Snickers, Oat n Honey, Trailmix. Dinner: Corn Chowder, Mini-Twix, Granola Bar, Vanilla Powerbar.Trail Conditions: Many short and steep climbs. Did the renowned Mahoosuc Notch and it was very bouldery. Steep climb up Mahoosuc Arm.Animals: Dog.People: Dayhikers, Section-Hikers, Braden Hunter, Evan Haford, Roadster.Well, nothing says welcome to Maine more than damp, cold, blustery conditions and the Mahoosuc Notch. The rain finally let up sometime early this morning and by the time I woke I was just in the middle of a cloud and cold.I set out and started off with a hefty climb up Mt. Success. Winds were blowing a good 30 to 40 miles per hour and visibility was limited to about 100 yards. As I worked up and around the mountain I went from warm and sweating on wind blocked areas, to freezing cold when I would hit open spaces. I made my descent down Mt. Success and in the gap saw the bright blue ¢Welcome to Maine¢ sign. My final state!!! The Final State!I spent several minutes at the sign and began the haul up Gooseye Mountain. It was a difficult but fun climb. There were some very long and steep rock scrambles that were compounded in difficulty by the rocks being wet and the high winds. The summit of West, East, and North Gooseye were at or above tree line and looked like barren wastelands as the clouds moved over. It was cool. Summit of Gooseye MountainI made the steep descent from Gooseye into the Mahoosuc Notch. Many say the Notch is the hardest mile of the trail. I didn¢t find it to be hard at all just very tedious. I have never seen such a gigantic mess of boulders. I took my time climbing over, crawling under, and squeezing through their odd formations. All in all it took me roughly 1-1/2 hours to do the mile through the Notch and a few curse words too. The Rock Jumble that was...What¢s funny is everyone gripes about the Notch but forgets to mention the 1,600 foot climb up the Mahoosuc Arm immediately afterwards. I was already pooped from the 3,500 feet of climbing I had already done, but I got myself to the top in fine fashion. There were wonderful views from the summit and I could see where the storm clouds from earlier in the day were breaking and sunlight was shining through. It gave the valley below an ethereal look. View from the Mahoosuc ArmI am spending the night tonight with two guys who work in the Merchant Marine. They are good company and have been fun to chat with. I have really been picking their brains about maritime work as I have always wondered just how you go about getting a job on a freighter.Anywho, it is going to be chilly tonight but looks like it will be clear for hiking tomorrow.