morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-09-08
From: AMC Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

1811.7 done, 362.4 to go.I'm lying here tracing with my fingers over the perfect flatness of a countour map of this region. The climb up to the Franconia Ridge Trail, up Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Lafayette and Mt. Garfield was much more dificult and dangerous than the smooth and easy way their names slide beneath my fingers as I retrace the days hike on the map. The map gives no sense of the days grueling demands and somehow I want it to.I started out a little before 6:00 a.m., my earliest day since starting the hike. The days are clearly getting shorter and New Hampshire absolutely demands the best of everything that is witin me. Early in the day I finally realized that there are some areas where hiking poles are to no advantage and I strapped them to my pack, thus freeing my fingers to seek out the cracks and crevices in the huge boulders, and my hands to grab at the various spruce and birch with which to propel myself up and down these incredible mountains. The young still blaze by me as they have since this all began 6 months and 3 days ago (I seem to recall telling some people at home that I would likely be finished by late July), but their pace too has slowed and concern shows dully in their eyes as they gaze searchingly for a safe route through some of the granite faces. No more skipping nimbly from boulder to boulder; they have slowed appreciably, but still they move much faster than I. I'm not writing this to provide drama for its own sake, but I'd like those who read to have some sense of what it is like. For this 60 year old male it is frankly damn hard, even after 1800 miles. I'm honestly not sure whether I can do it or not - there's more than 120 miles of real ruggedness before it begins to level off. Rest assured, though, I'm not quitting today.
Date: 2005-09-08
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

Very rugged. Lots to write about, but no energy. Because the days are getting shorter and the physical challenge of the Whites, I am starting out at 6:00AM, quitting between 6:00 and 7:15 or so. 1826.2 done, 347.9 to go. After 1800-plus miles my legs are beginning to spasm at night. The difference between hiking and climbing, I guess.
Date: 2005-09-08
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite

To: Unnamed destination
Miles today: 0.0

1811.7 done, 364.2 to goI'm lying here tracing my fingers over the perfect flatness of a contour map of this region. The climb up to the Franconia Ridge Trail, up Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Lafayette and Mt. Garfield was much more difficult and dangerous than the smooth and easy way their names slide beneath my fingers as I retrace the day's hike on the map. The map gives no sense of the day's grueling demands and somehow I want it to.I started out a little before 6:00AM, my earliest day since starting the hike. The days are clearly getting shorter and New Hampshire absolutely demands everything that is in me, and then some. Early in the day I finally realized that there are some areas where hiking poles are to no advantage and I strapped them to my pack, thus freeing my fingers and hands for seeking out the cracks in rock and various spruces and birch with which to propel myself safely up and down these incredible mountains.The young still blaze by me as they have since this all began 6 months and 3 days ago. (I seem to recall telling some people in Spooner, WI that I would likely be home and finished by late July), but their pace too has slowed and concern shows in their eyes as they gaze searchingly for a route through some of these granite faces. No more skipping nimbly from boulder to boulder; they have slowed appreciably, but still faster than I.I'm not writing this to provide drama for its own sake, but I'd like those who read to have some sense of what it is like. For this 60-year-old male it is frankly damn hard, even after 1800 miles. I'm not sure whether I can do it or not -- there's more than 120 miles of real ruggedness before it somewhat levels off -- but I'm not quitting today.
Date: 2005-09-11
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Rattle River Footbridge
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Done 1872.8 to go 301.3It's not quite 7:00PM, dayight is rapidly waning and it's getting cold. All of me that is not in the sleeping bag is chilled; all within is too warm. Weird.Today was a gloriously beautiful day. I felt really good, strong at the start and seemed to get stronger during the day. Though I'm now tired, the mountains never wore me down. I went up and down 6 4000 ft. mountains and another at 3950 and the last at 3620. I camped when I did because a flat patch of ground was finally located. My feet hurt, as they always do, but all else is fine. It seems I've toughened to the rigors of the White Mountains.I'm camped 3.4 miles from the road leading to Gorham, NH, my last resupply before Maine. I plan to do my business in town and quickly return to the trail. It's a lot of fun again and I don't want to stop my momentum. Early tomorrow I will also be at the point where I will have less than 300 miles to go. Hardly seems possible, I've been here forever. I love the Northern climate and the Northern people. It's where I belong, somewhere -- anywhere that the seasons change dramatically and you can mark the distinct passage of time. If I didn't love so many people where I live, I'd stay in these mountains -- or Maine.
Date: 2005-09-11
From: Carter Notch hut

To: Rattle River Foot Bridge
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Carter Notch Hut To Rattle River Foot Bridge. 1872.8 done 301.3 to go.It's not quite 7 p.m., daylight is rapidly waning and it's getting cold. All of me that is not in the sleeping bag is chilled; all within is too warm. Weird.Today was a gloriously beautiful day. I felt really good, strong at the start and seemed to get stronger during the day. Though I'm no tired, the mountains never wore me down. I went up and down 6 4000 ft mountains, another at 3950 and the last at 3620. I camped when I did because a flat patch of ground was finally located. My feet hurt as they always do, but allelse is fine. It seems I've toughened to the rigors of the White Mountains. I'm camped 3.4 miles from the road leading to Gorham, N.H., my last resupply before Maine. I plan to do my business in town and quickly return to the trail. It's a lot of fun again and I don't want to stop my momentum. Early tomorrow I will also be at the point where I will have less than 300 miles to go. Hardly seems possible; I've been out here forever. I love the northern climates and the northern people. It's where I belong, somewhere - anywhere the seasons change dramatically and you can mark the distinct passage of time. If I didn't love so many people where I live, I'd stay in these mountains - or in Maine.Note: I'm typing this on 3 August, 2007, quite some time after returning from my hike. I guess I just haven't felt like finishing up the journal. Lately I've been thinking more and more of the hike and returning to the trail, but I bought 40 acres of beautiful Northwester Wisconsin land some months ago and am really loving the peace and solitude. Peace to all.Nimblefoot
Date: 2005-09-13
From: Gorham, NH

To: Page Pond
Miles today: 7.9

1884.1 down, 290 to go.I stopped 4 miles short of today's goal. The spot was just too perfect, a large pond created by a beaver dam; craggy mountains stretching to the sky. Trees beginning to turn and the promise of a glorious sunset reflecting on the mirror-like water. A beaver swims about unconcerned as to my presence. How could I walk away? It's in places like this that I am most truly at home and at peace. Something within me is healed. I am whole and yet part of something so much bigger. That I do not understand this with my critical mind is completely overruled by my heart. I simply belong.
Date: 2005-09-14
From: Page Pond

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Done 1893.2 to go: 280.9Thirteen down and one to go. I walked into Maine at 4:45 this afternoon. Too tired to celebrate, but a welcome relief nonetheless. New Hampshire was great, rugged climbs and hard miles. The people were friendly, down to earth, and hitching a ride was pretty easy. A great state.Maine's personality quickly emerged after crossing the border. The last day of New Hampshire was rough with a long climb up and down Mt. Success. Maine arrived with a rocky downhill that had me thinking hard about going down with the use of my poles or doing it hand over hand. Finally I threw the poles ahead and let myself down by hand. Must have worked, I'm still here.Tomorrow is Mahoosuc Notch, the toughest mile on the AT. Lots of scrambles, crawling on hands and knees and rock hopping. It will likely be a short mileage day because my focus is on getting through the "notch". Additional miles are just a plus.Part of me is excited about being in Maine, but too tired to show it. Mostly I'm ready to be finished and go home.
Date: 2005-09-15
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Just short of Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: mist

I left the shelter in a light and steady drizzle at 7:35. All others remaining behind were just beginning to stir or still nestled snug in the bags. Doubt as to the wisdom of leaving the shelter had been freely floating in my head since awakening and now came more to the fore. However, as I swung from the spur to the main trail I began to accept the challenge of the rainy, rocky day and leaned into the first climb of the day.It was quickly clear that today was not to be about encountering the Mahoosuc Notch, but rather to put myself in a favorable position to encounter it tomorrow. A wise choice because between the terrain and the downpour, today was easily the toughest section on the trail -- and we're still 1.5 miles from the Notch.Tomorrow's weather forecast is good, the rocks should be drier and footing better. I'm much more positive about the challenge tonight form 24 hours ago. With a little luck I'll be in Bethel, ME for resupply tomorrow night.
Date: 2005-09-15
From: Just short of Full Goose Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

It rained last night and I was up at 6:00 on this gray and dreary morning. The weatherman had predicted rain for this day and we all prayed he would either be wrong or we would get to the "Notch" before it started.It (the Mahoosuc Notch) has such a reputation that no one wants to encounter it under other than the best conditions. Hopping from boulder to boulder is bad enough, let alone when they're slick and wet. Crawling underneath is nearly so when your slither path is also that chosen by the rainwater draining off the mountain. The worst thing though is to remain in your sleeping bag and allow oneself to be paralyzed by the unknown lying ahead.In situations like this I ask myself "what's the least you can do to make some progress?" In this case it is to get my gear ready and carefully pick my way to the next shelter. Full Goose Shelter is only half a mile from the Notch and once there I'll be ready when it dries. My other consideration is running out of food. There's a day's worth left and the next town, Bethel, is 15 trail miles away, followed by a 17 miles hitch. Somehow this will all work out.
Date: 2005-09-16
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Campsite
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: broken clouds

1902.7 down/271.4 to goYesterday I stopped short at Full Goose Shelter to avoid having to encounter the Notch under rainy conditions. No dice, it rained again today. Maybe harder. The day started with a steep climb up the south peak of Fulling Mountain and then descended into the Mahoosuc Notch, a one-mile-long jumble of house-sized boulders, jagged rocks holes, slippery slopes, precarious descents and rugged climbs advertised as the toughest on the AT. It truly was.I had been hearing about it since Georgia, everyone figuratively talking about the test of the "Notch". Frankly, I was damn sick of it. I didn't realize how much pent-up emotion and anger I carried for all those subtle suggestions that this was going to do me in. It was difficult from the start, and essentially I looked at it for a moment, laughed, and just attacked. There were times when I removed my pack, threw it up ledges and followed. Once or twice I jumped up to grab a hand hold and pulled myself up -- I'm not a powerful guy; losing 31 pounds helped me a lot at this point. At other times, I slithered through caves, pushing and pulling my pack, and eventually throwing it (the pack) through the exit hole and up a small ledge, before getting myself out. Other times I had to climb hand-over-hand to get around seemingly impossible areas. My hiking poles were useless and generally I threw them ahead into areas I could not see, hoping they would not disappear down one of those deep holes.I have no idea how long it took, 3 plus hours I think. My legs are strong from hiking, but today (the day after) my arms are sore from the unusual effort.Once out of the Notch myself and another group took a lunch break by a large rock and then began the steep mile-long climb up Mahoosuc Arm. I quickly fell to the rear, my normal position, since I was pretty well spent from the morning. The climb up was interminable with the constant rain and a body ready for sleep at 3:00 in the afternoon. I made it to the top and then on to Speck Pond Campsite where I decided to stay.Evidently there is a God for hard-working hikers. My food bag was near empty, but three weekend hikers gave me venison sausage, jerky and a comfortable ration of some very warming peppermint (?) rum. A couple from Vermont and PA made some delicious cous-cous stir fry and fed me as much as I wanted. The miles had been short, accomplishment significant, and rewards great. I believe the toughest part is done (?) and I'm ready for the rest.
Date: 2005-09-18
From: Bethel, ME

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

1917.6 down, 256.5 to goI clearly spoke too soon about the trail getting easier after the Notch. Had yesterday been warm and dry it would have been a hard hike, but with the driving rain, whipping wind and colder temperature, the climb up and across the open granite of the east peak of Baldpate Mountain was purely a bitch. In places where the slope of the mountain may have permitted standing up for an easier climb, the gusting winds made it impossible. Thus, I spent a a good portion of my uphill climb on my hands and knees. I recall the rain creating havoc with my vision because the magnification created by the rain on the lens resulted in such a refractive error that I had no real depth perception. So, slowly I inched my way up and across, standing at one point only to have the following wind blow me into a staggering run which only terminated when I decided to sit down hard on my butt.The downhill trail was easier, but still no picnic, it being a rain-filled channel that made good footing extremely suspect. Somehow I made it down and slogged on through the wet and muddy afternoon, getting to the road at about 6:30 PM. Four kind people in a jeep picked me up, the first and likely only vehicle to traverse this gravel road going into Andover, ME. Darkness was only minutes away and the sun came peeking out on the very edge of it, perhaps promising a better hiking day tomorrow.
Date: 2005-09-22
From: ME17

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: broken clouds

1949.3 done 224.8 to goA thoughtful soul had left a canoe atthe small pond and after setting up camp and filtering water, I pushed the craft from the shore and by bracing the sides with my hands, hopped nimbly over the stern. Guiding the Old Town around the shore line, I was about 3/4 of the way when my senses picked up. I heard her before I saw her and I strained to discern exactly what animal was gently moving through the shore line brush (even now, half an our later, as I lay in my tent I can hear her movements and eating and drinking sounds). The moose appeared from the lengthening shadows and I was impressed by her size, and even more by her dignity and aloofness. My humble respect for her sizekept me from geting much closer as I snapped pictures while the canoe drifted in circles at the whim of the evening breeze. More than thrilled, I was honored. My first Maine moose.Maine, though with mountains, is much like Wisconsin and I'm falling in love. The lakes I have seen are largely devoid of McMansions and likely to remain that way for sometime. It seems the mountains make it very difficult to carve it up with roads. People seem a little more willing to do with a little less in order to maintain a certain lifestyle. I cannot describe the beauty and the smells of the forest. The fragrance seems to be a mix of spruce, cedar and something indescribable baking in the oven of a wood burning stove. Intoxicating. It's just not enough to walk through this beautiful state, to camp next to her beautiful trails. Wisconsin is my home, where my friends and family are. Tough choices.
Date: 2005-09-23
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: scattered clouds

1954.1 done. 220 to go.It rained during the night and I barely noticed. With the cold it was one of my very best sleeping nights since the beginning of this adventure. Some young guys came in on the brink of darkness and like a proud landlord I showed them the canoes and my own personal moose. Two of them paddled out to get a closer look, not realizing there really is a front and back to that type of water craft. If they know the same is also true of moose, I can only hope.Once the tour was over I returned to my tent and dinner of cheese, honey buns, peanuts and candy. I heard the guys discussing "cowboy" camping, which is to sleep under the stars rather than put up a tent. One said "I always cowboy camp if it hasn't rained during the day and I've never been rained on." Thinking not more of it I finished my gourmet meal and drifted to sleep. It was 4:30 a.m. when I heard the rain, the cursing and the stumbling sounds of tents being erected in the dark. I guess that's probably the only dumb thing I haven't done on the trail. I was so cozy in my down bag, stretching, rolling over and back to sleep. This whole adventure is coming to a rapid finish, a race between me and the onset of winter. Only 220 miles, but it is getting easier. I've decided to continue north rather than skip ahead to Katahdin, summit and then finish. To flip flop would, for me, diminih the purity of that final climb. I'm headed north. Where I end up is where I end up.
Date: 2005-09-24
From: Rangeley, Me

To: Eddy Pond
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: clear sky

1957.8 done, 216.3 to go                     Whose woods are these?                     I really do not care                     He should be looking here for me                     Instead of over there.That being said, I'm camping illegally. One of my favorite past times.A beautiful hiking day cut short by an encounter with a beautiful campsite next to a beautiful pond. I could not continue on, choosing rather to spend the afternoon sitting by the rocky shore of Eddy Pond telling lies with two Maine locals, Joe and Nate. We talked for hours about everything and nothing until the sun began to set and the early autumn evening cold chased us to our respective tents. My goal of climbing Katahdin, the last mountain, seems remote and trite. I seem much more compelled to smell deeply of the musty forest and spend my time with the good people by the speckled pond. Likely I will get there in good time, but it no longer seems vital. I am no longer driven. My journey seems to be taking a new turn that seems consistent with the fall season; a time to reflect on what's taken place both on the hike and in my life. More opportunities to open myself to new experiences. It seems that my life is rich beyond all previous expectations. Note to self: Don't screw it up.
Date: 2005-09-25
From: Eddy Pond

To: Perham Stream
Miles today: 11.7

1969.5 done. 204.6 to goI picked up a small thermometer to clip on my pack of out the hiker box in Rangeley. Last night it was down to 30 degrees and today hovered around 40. Today was all about climbing another local terror, the "Saddlebacks". Like so many others in various states and towns, the mountains don't always live up to their reputations. A good climb, yes, and the blustering wind added an uncertain element whentrversing the ridge, but not that big a deal. Most local people climb only their own mountains and, therfore, have no perspective. They should get out more. I'm still tired, but then I'm tired at this time everyday.I'm anxious to be home, not enough to rush my hike, but my day is filled with thoughts of family and friends more than anything. I really am enjoying Maine, but at the same time I seem to be putting in the miles to get the job done and go home. God, I've been out here a long time. I wonder if I'll be able to sleep in my bed, or even in the house? My tent and sleeing bag are so warm and secure. Likely I'll camp on the floor in front of the fire place, ease myself to the couch over time, and finally to the bed. If someone wants to ease my transition to the bed, the could stick a blonde it in. That might help alleviate the pain, at least short term.
Date: 2005-09-26
From: Perham stream

To: South Crocker Mountain
Miles today: 10.6

1980.1 down. 194 to go.Yesterday I wrote about how each areas local mountains aren't really as tough as the locals think they are. Weather changes all that. A relatively easy climb in adverse conditions is unbelievably tough. It rained all day and the 10.7 that I hiked was the equivalent to a Pennsylvania 25, or so my body claims. It's still raining at 10:00 p.m. and the relentless wind buffets my tent. I remain dry on this mountain top, but unsure of how long. Tomorrow and it's 6 miles to Stratton, Me. - hot food, shower, laundry and on to Caratunk.From Caratunk to Monson is about 36 miles and then into the 100 mile wilderness. After the Wilderness it's climb Mt. Katahdin and head for home.My legs aches not so much when I walk, but late at night they spasm and twitch. Not too bad, really, just trying to tell me something, I guess.Tomorrow is another day and it holds a cup of coffeefor me, bacon and eggs and clothes that don't smell. Tomorrow night, however, those same clothes will be smelly again and so will I.