morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-08-10
From: Hexacube Shelter

To: Hiker's Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 14.4

Another hiker once told me "This trail has more false tops than an 8th grade dance." He was referring to the frequent situation that the trail tricks you into thinking you are at the top of a mountain and then slams you with more climb. Yesterday we had a long climb and came to a few ridges with beautiful views. Thinking we had completed the climb I looked forward to the down climb. Around the corner I came to another beautiful view of a much higher mountain which included a barely visible lookout tower. About then I realized that was the top of this mountain and I had still as much as I have gone already yet to go. This morning it happened again. At the first point I knew we weren't at the top, I wasn't falling for that again. But the next one was a sure thing, a full horizon visible, except for just a few trees to the north. Once I set through them I realized I'd been had again and there was another half hour of climbing before the real summit. This night I'm at a really basic hostel, sleeping in a tent garage, showering in a tarped off area in the back yard, and riding on a restock run in the back of a Subaru as part of 8 in a 5 seater car. This hiker world is fun.
Date: 2014-08-11
From: Hiker's Welcome Hostel

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 9.9

Today we did a slackpack getting dropped off up the trail and hiking SOBO back to the hostel. That way we only needed one ride and didn't have to meet any deadline. First thrill was that we saw 2 moose crossing the road just ahead of us. Second was climbing up from Kinsman Notch beside an endless waterfall. About 11:30 we summited Mt. Moosilauke. In a few steps we went from the green tunnel to an endless sky and amazing views in all directions. The hike down was long and much less thrilling but we have definitely had a great intro to the Whites.
Date: 2014-08-12
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Chet's Hostel
Miles today: 16.7

To avoid a big day of forecasted rain we arranged a modified slackpack to basically cover 2 days of the Whites in 1. We reduced our packs to the minimum, but carried food and sleeping bags in case we got stuck on the mountain and couldn't get to town. My pack was down to 21#. The 1st 4 miles were ok but once we started up Kinsman Mt. it turned hard. The 2nd mile up was probably the hardest of the trail to date, just crazy, much pulling up by hand and slow. But, as we got to the top I turned around to say something I was blown away by the view. We only stopped for a short time at the 2 main views but they were amazing. We had a long hike down and finally got to Franconia after nearly 11 hours hike.We are staying at Chets, a stealth hostel at the home of a real trail supporter. There were 20 people there anticipating the storm and I spent the night sleeping on the floor under the lower bunk of a bunk bed (and grateful).
Date: 2014-08-13
From: Chet's Hostel

To: Comfort Inn
Miles today: 0.0

As usual I woke earlier than most so I headed off by borrowed bike to drugstore to get replacement glasses for the broken ones I lost last night. Rite Aid didn't open til 8 so I went to Dunkin Donuts and got donuts for the hostel gang as my own trail magic offering. I also went to Comfort Inn and got a room for the 3 of us (a few days back Gear Dog joined in with TBird & me) to reduce crowding at Chet's. The rest of the day I made some calls, went into town to see Guardians of the Galaxy, and moved to the motel. I saw the weather reports from around the east & was glad we stayed in town, it rained all day long.
Date: 2014-08-14
From: Comfort Inn

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.3

Okay now; the gloves are off.This is where the rubber meets the road.We're getting down and dirty.'Pain fades, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever' - Shane Falco (this one doesn't really apply but it is my favorite quote).After 2 intro hikes to the Whites we are really into them now. Today was a strange 3 phase hike. First we climbed to 4200 ft on Mt. Liberty in a light rain shower. 2nd we came out above the treeline into clouds but shortly after they cleared off and we got some great views. For the next few hours we walked the ridgeline from Little Haystack, to Mt. Lincoln to Mt. Lafayette at 5260 ft. As we did, clouds came and went, wind picked up, and it went down into the 40s. 3rd, as we left there and went below the tree line the sun came out but we entered a climb up and down, scramble over boulders and avoid water phase. A conversation:Me: Did you come out dry and unscathed?Gear Dog: I came out dry.So you got scathed?Elbow.We finally got to the shelter after 5 to find a big crowd; we expect it to be a cold night.
Date: 2014-08-15
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter

To: Ethan Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.5

The day started briskly with a long drop down a waterfall (aka the Appalachian Trail) easing down hand by hand taking about 1/2 hr. We had a few good views but most of the day seemed to be a slog. After 9 1/2 miles we had hoped for a work for stay at Zeeland Falls Hut but were told no, you have to move on to the shelter 5 miles away. Luckily that turned out to be the easiest 5 miles of trail in the state. Still we were pretty bushed when we got there.
Date: 2014-08-16
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Nauman Tentsite
Miles today: 9.3

Today was a satisfying day, but it still had its challenges. It started out with a 3 mile hike down to the Wiley House for a 2nd breakfast of chili, turkey sandwich, and coffee, very good start. From there we had to climb from 1200 feet to over 4000 and do 6 miles of ridge walk, with many great views of the valley we just left. At Mt Jackson a lady offered us some fresh cherry tomatoes for a treat. At 4:30 we arrived at the tentsite and were happy to find a tent site. Since it is next to the Mizpah Hut I was able to get a hot bowl of corn chowder and some carrot cake.
Date: 2014-08-17
From: Nauman Tentsite

To: Lakes of the Clouds
Miles today: 4.8

It rained overnight so I had to pack a wet tent. Up at Mizpah Hut I was able to abscond with 2 dozen hockey puck sized pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes while the kitchen staff was away. We set out in a cool mist. By the time we went 1/4 mile it had gone to up to 40 mph wind driving rain/sleet and 40 some degrees. At the first shielded spot we put on rain pants. For 3 hours we did a wet cold slog. When we got to the hut I snagged the last bunk, figuring the thru hikers dungeon would be overcrowded. For the afternoon we set up a thru hikers table and had a great time talking, mending packs, playing cards, and eating soup. Dinner was great, it's fun eating twice as much as anyone else at the table.
Date: 2014-08-18
From: Lakes of the Clouds

To: Osgood Tentsite
Miles today: 10.0

Why would you feel good about hiking through the best views of the trail, in 40+ mph wind & 40 something degree wx without seeing any views but clouds? Because it wasn't raining also.We woke to the same terrible wx as yesterday, wind chill temp 17. Things were grim. The other guys had work for stay so we didn't get to leave until after 10. We suited up with just about all the clothes we had and started out into the weather. Within 15 minutes it stopped raining and the wind lessened. We stopped at the Mt. Washington visitors center for chili and hot dogs and it was of course very windy and cold. As we moved on through the day it slowly got better. At the Madison Hut we had to choose between staying there warm & getting fed or moving on to a late arrival at a tentsite. We chose moving on with the hope of a shorter day tomorrow and a full service hostel in 2 days.
Date: 2014-08-19
From: Osgood Tentsite

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 11.0

We got out early on a beautiful clear day (that we wished we had yesterday). Our goal was to stealth camp somewhere north of Carter Notch Hut to set up for a reasonable hike out tomorrow to Gorham. I picked up my resupply at the Pinkham Notch AMC Visitors Center. While there a 2007 thru hiker "Ketchup" (Catch-up?) saw us and asked if we were doing the AT (how do these people recognize us?). After talking for a while she offered us trail magic by taking some of our food and extra items ahead to tomorrow's hostel. My resupplied pack weighed 38# so I was happy to do it, about 10 lbs worth. The climb out of Pinkham was very steep and took a lot of time and effort. At 5:45 we finally got to the hut and prudently decided that we had nothing left in the tank to take on another steep rocky 1500 foot climb out of the notch to get to a stealth site. At dinner we had 9 at a table for 10 & 2 vegans so Gear Dog & I each had 3-4 servings each of black bean soup, salad, lasagna, lots of homemade bread & 4 brownies! Tomorrow will be our furthest hike in the Whites but we'll be rested and well fed to start.
Date: 2014-08-20
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: White Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 15.0

After another great Hut Breakfast we started the climb. It didn't end up as bad as we thought it would but none of us second guessed the choice the night before. It was one of our longest mileage days in the Whites but the trail was with us. (Mom and Tina skip to "About 5:45..")I may have mentioned some steep climbs... through the Whites we have done general technical climbs every day. Ascending is exhausting, but descending is worse. Finding a grab in a crevasse or a tree root, easing down and not knowing when your foot will reach something is really unnerving, especially with a 30 something # pack on your back. We've all also had a fair amount of slips on the sloping rocks, but nothing of consequence...yet. About 5:45 I got to the Hostel and got my first shower in 7 days and we have an order in for pizza. I feel great!
Date: 2014-08-21
From: White Mountain Hostel

To: White Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a day to rest up from the Whites and prepare for the last legs. We discussed the trail ahead with a few SOBOs and planned the next 2 resupplies. It is clear hard stuff is ahead and hot soup at huts is behind us. Communications will be much harder so there will be delays in postings. I did update my photos so check them out. Tomorrow we enter Maine!
Date: 2014-08-22
From: White Mountain Hostel

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

We're back to regular trail with no huts to get soup from. The kids (teens thru early 30s) are amazing. We'll be plodding along and they will zip by jumping between rocks that we carefully cross. We'll see them a few times a day, or a few nights in a row...they take longer breaks and take extra days in town. It is a sort of Tortoise and the Hare thing (I think of friend Jean Boone dramatically reading that story to the kids in Wamunyu, Kenya each time I think of this). But the analogy ends there though; the AT is no race, and everyone that finishes wins.Ya know, we make almost as fast time as them. Come to think about it, let's hear it for the older hikers!
Date: 2014-08-23
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full GooseShelter
Miles today: 9.6

Busy day even if only short miles.1. We crossed into Maine; the way life should be, home of my true love and the LAST STATE ON THE TRAIL! Love it!2. I reached the Peak of Success. After all these years of trying all it took was leaving the shelter, hiking up 1484 ft in 2.8 miles and there I was on the Peak of Mt Success. But I have to remember that success does not mean the journey is over.3. The trail was an obstacle course. The low mileage was because you just couldn't make any time with the wide variety of things it threw at us (come back later when I can post pictures.)4. There were 3 groups of freshman orientation out here; 2 from Tuffs & 1 from Harvard. I don't know what the idea is to take them to the Peak of Success before they even have their first day of class.5. The three of us have been given a team name by one of our good friends, Sprinkleburst. We are the Three Wise Men now.
Date: 2014-08-24
From: Full GooseShelter

To: Stealth Site Maine Rt 26, Grafton Notch State Park
Miles today: 9.7

Today was fun! A lot of work but well worth it. We went through Mahoosuc Notch, aka the longest mile on the AT. It is a very narrow notch between 2 mountains, full of rocks and boulders. For over a mile you crawl and climb over and under those boulders, sometimes dragging or pulling your pack where you won't both fit. It took the 3 of us 2 hours even, a fairly respectable time from what I've heard. I only had minor scrapes and all limbs are intact. After that we climbed up Mahousic Arm, less entertaining and very vertical. We passed a beautiful Speck Pond and climbed Old Speck Mountain for some amazing views. We're ending the day at a stealth because after the 2500ft climb down from Old Speck we had nothing left in the tank for another 1500 ft climb to the next Lean-to.
Date: 2014-08-25
From: Stealth Site Maine Rt 26, Grafton Notch State Park

To: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover Maine
Miles today: 10.4

By adding a few more miles to the plan we were able to arrive in Andover a day ahead of schedule. Our reward, dinner was the meatloaf special at Mills Market.I spent a lot of time hiking alone trying to get to the shuttle pickup point early and I was thinking about my Dad. He was a boy scout and sea scout in the 30s and I wondered why he never did anything like this. I concluded that as a son of the depression and a WWII survivor his adult focus was to support his family and community. He worked long hours to do his job well and to support us for our needs.   He was a Postmaster, volunteer ambulance driver and auxiliary policeman. He didn't go to the Y on the way home to work out and he didn't take off for weeks in the summer to go for long hikes. He died of a heart attack at age 57, too young to see his grandchildren.I dedicate my hike in his, Ward Oliver Sharpe, memory, the hike he would have loved to see but didn't to provide a better world for us.
Date: 2014-08-26
From: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover Maine

To: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, Maine
Miles today: 10.1

Today was a nice slackpack over two mountains, a good break with reasonable trail and a light pack to carry. So tonight I'm back to the Pine Ellis Hostel. Hostels are interesting places, no two the same. They need to be cheap enough to pull in the average hiker but need to make enough profit to make them worth the effort to operate. Since the price can't be high they need to keep costs down and try to get enough volume of hikers. They do that sometimes by finding every little place to put a bunk. Here I got the penthouse in the bunk room. That was a space in the rafters that is smaller than the size of my one person tent, less than 2' high at the peak (the attached picture is an attempt to show it but really it was too small for the camera to be able to get a good picture). They offer do it yourself laundry, but it is usually a washer in it's last days; down south one had a scrub board and a clothes line (see the picture in the photo list).Tomorrow it is back to regular hiking, but before that a good nights sleep and another breakfast at the Little Red Hen with the Hiker's Special; pancakes or french toast, 2 eggs, bacon or sausage, coffee, toast, corned beef hash and hashbrowns. Life is good.
Date: 2014-08-27
From: Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, Maine

To: Bemis Stream Tent Site
Miles today: 12.5

After another excellent breakfast at the Red Hen we got shuttled back to the trail. Once again we felt better than our early predictions and we went past our original goal and have set ourselves up for Rangeley a day early or to near-0 into it on Friday.Today we came across the second half of a 2 family partnership doing the trail together. The Wolfpack and Swiss Family Robinson families (one 5 members the other 4) were each hiking the trail separately when they met early down south. They have set up a system to forward cars up the trail and hike in opposite directions to cover a section, and may camp at where the cars are located. It is truly a great effort, and the kids are pretty young. They also have journals so check them out searching for "sakgr" and "beanhook" or their family names. Another case of one of the best things about the trail is the people.
Date: 2014-08-28
From: Bemis Stream Tent Site

To: The Farmhouse Hostel, Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 14.0

What? Another hostel? Okay, here's why:1. The slack we did in Andover kept us there an extra day.2. In the past 2 days we did what we had planned for 3 days.3. With 3 guys planning months ago where we would get our food drops sometimes they don't match.4. Because we want to.Tomorrow there is a possibility of heavy wx related to the hurricane coming up the coast. Also, the day's hike is one of the last two big mountains remaining, Saddleback. So, we are going to slackpack it and hike back to here. Yes, that means another night in a hostel tomorrow!
Date: 2014-08-29
From: The Farmhouse Hostel, Rangeley, ME

To: The Farmhouse Hostel
Miles today: 16.0

Today's hike had some amazing views from the top of the 3 Saddleback Peaks.As a part of the never ending community of the trail, last night we were invited by Haelyn from the hostel owner's family to attend her 11th birthday party. The promise of BBQ chicken and hot dogs was all we needed, but it really was a nice occasion. We met some local neighbors, family, and some the other hiker support community. We had cake too! THANKS for inviting us, Haelyn!
Date: 2014-08-30
From: The Farmhouse Hostel

To: Farmhouse Hostel
Miles today: 11.0

We did a short section over Sugarloaf Mt. with "bonus" miles on each end to get to and from the trail. As usual some views were amazing.When we got back to Rangeley they were having their first Trail Town Festival. Of course it ended with a hiker feed which resulted in my being stuffed to the gills again. Free. There were a lot of hikers and hiker supporters there and we had a great timeLife is good.
Date: 2014-08-31
From: Farmhouse Hostel

To: Farmhouse Hostel
Miles today: 8.3

We had a short day, out at 5:30, we climbed Crocker Mt. and were finished by 12. It was nice to have the rest of the day to prepare our packs to leave the hostel and hit the trail for 6 days hike to Monson. Because of the recent free meals while here we each had to leave some good food in the hiker box, not just Ramen noodles and oatmeal, which made some other hikers very happy. The visit here ended with our hosts providing a free pasta dinner for all the guests. Thanks Shane and Stacy!
Date: 2014-09-01
From: Farmhouse Hostel

To: Avery Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 8.0

Early today we passed the 2000 mile mark. I haven't done them all this year like the thru hikers, but I've done them all. Tonight we have 180.2 miles to go. We're back on the trail doing full load miles and camping, its almost a relief. The miles we did were a lot of climbing but we are past most of the difficult White Mts. type climbing (i think).Here's one for the guys back in the office:If a 142# hiker carrying a 38# full pack climbs 7 miles up Mt. Bigelow from 1250 ft to 4145 ft in 6 hours how many foot tons of work does he do and what is his horizontal speed over ground in furlongs per fortnight? Assume a straight climb (bad assumption). If it is 50 degrees out and it rains most of the way up (assume 70%) what is the body heat loss in kcal/hr?
Date: 2014-09-02
From: Avery Memorial Campsite

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 15.0

Today was going down the other side of what we went up yesterday, with a few good climbs to annoy us. My wife made a remark about the questions I posed yesterday. In response, see the photo of the profile for the day; it was all about UP.Happy Birthday, Susie!
Date: 2014-09-03
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: The Sterling Inn, Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.0

We used to live on Governors Island, NY and rushing to make the ferry was a frequent event.Today we slept in late intending to do a short day to line up for the Kennebec Ferry (canoe) at 9 tomorrow. Talking to some SOBOs we decided that we should try to make the ferry, but we were leaving late and had 14 miles to go before the ferry shut down at 4 pm. It was a challenge but we took it on. At each trail milestone we were making it but the last leg was a sort of Jr. Mahoosuc Notch with all sorts of obstacles. We made it by 2:24 and the reward was to stay at the Stering Inn hostel and dinner at a brew pub, the Kennebec River Brewery. That will shorten what was to be an 18 mile day with the ferry and resupply delays tomorrow.
Date: 2014-09-04
From: The Sterling Inn, Caratunk, ME

To: Bald Mt. Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

Today was basic. Hike up Pleasant Pond Mt., take in the great view, hike down the other side, see Moxie Pond and hike partway up the next mountain to the nights shelter. The high points were:1. Soaking my feet in Moxie Pond,2. Fording the inlet stream to the pond, and3. Having 2 mashed potato side dishes and tuna fish for dinner.Life is good.
Date: 2014-09-05
From: Balk Mt. Brook Lean-to

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 13.0

Another great day like yesterday. Hike up, great view, hike down, then long hike to shelter; but today we didn't have a climb at the end. The view from Moxie Bald was great and there were some fun boulders on the way up. Plus we had 2 fords. The first was short, but after i put on my crocks, as i started into the water I slipped on a mossy rock and fell in. I did a quick recovery so only my shorts got wet (every thing in my pack is in a garbage bag liner for this reason). The second was bigger and had a guide cable but we had no slips on it. We got into the shelter early and had a relaxing evening. Life is good.Around hiker midnight the 2 hiking families arrived and the area around became a bee hive of headlamps, busy with quick cooking and tent set-ups. Quite an endeavor.
Date: 2014-09-06
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Shaws Lodging Hostel
Miles today: 6.0

Today was a short easy hike into Monson for the WhiteBlaze.net hiker feed. We did have one significant ford but it was done with style and grace; no unplanned submerging. Once in Monson we had the free all you can eat (a.k.a.AYCE) lunch including hot dogs, chili, & moonpies and toured the town. Later we returned for a free AYCE dinner including burgers, baked spaghetti pie, and corn on the cob. Breakfast will be free AYCE pancakes, eggs, and biscuits & gravy. If Michigan didn't collapse against Notre Dame (I lost a Snickers bar bet) it would have been a perfect day. Still, life is good!
Date: 2014-09-07
From: Shaws Lodging Hostel

To: Shaws Lodging Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

As promised the hikers breakfast was great. We spent the rest of the morning doing laundry, making final arrangements to get picked by Tina in Baxter State Park and arranging a food drop in the 100 Mile Wilderness. After that it seemed a shame to stay in town, but leaving would require taking longer on the trail and carrying more food. So we went to lunch at the Pie Lady's, got an ice cream cone, and went out for dinner. We won't be doing those things this week.Tomorrow we enter the 100 Mile Wilderness. Each time I hear that I think of the 100 Acre Wood and Winnie the Pooh. The 100 Mile is the last stretch before summitting Katadhin, without direct access to the outside world. It will have great views, lakes and some definite challenges. We hope to see more moose. But, I don't expect to see any heffalumps.
Date: 2014-09-08
From: Shaws Lodging Hostel

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.1

If you think of hiking the AT as a course, I would think the 100 mile would be the final exam and Katahdin would be the big essay question at the end. If so, today was a whole bunch of questions covering all of the "course" content. The trail threw a little of every kind of treadway, rocks, roots, mud, and a few fords at us. But, no big climbs, we get some of that tomorrow. We got to the lean-to after 6 and it was already full with several tents around too. By the time I got my tent up and dinner cooked I had to eat in the dark. Tomorrow should be shorter.