morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-26
From: Wilson Valley Lean-to

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 13.6

Today was very hot, very sunny and very humid with, except on mountain summits, not a breath of air. The trail started easy with five miles of moderate ups and downs with only one 300 foot climb and four rock hopping streams to cross. My tailbone is about the same but my feet are demanding more of my "pain attention" every step; constantly landing on roots or rocks is flat wearing my feet out. Mid morning I started a steep climb up 1400 feet to Barren Ledges; a half mile of rock slabs with a long drop to one side much like the ones I crossed so often in Virginia. After the ledges came another climb, this one 700 feet or so, to the summit of Barren Mountain. This mountain is well named because it is nothing more than exposed rock, a few stunted trees and the remnants, exposed anchor bolts and crumbling concrete foundations, of a long gone fire watch tower. The views were a nice relief from the "green tunnel" I have been walking and the winds a brief relief from the heat and humidity. Just a couple of hundred feet down was Cloud Pond Lean-to were I planned to spend the night. Here was the first time that I needed to use pond water (yuk) to cook with and drink. Since I use a Steri-pen (ultra violet water purification system) rather than a filter there remain all kinds of little things floating in the purified water (double yuk) but, what the heck, when you are thirsty you will drink almost anything. There were no empty tent spots when I got to the lean-to so I spent the night in with 2 others in the lean-to.
Date: 2016-07-27
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: West Branch Pleasant River
Miles today: 14.2

Today was as hot and humid here as it was in PA the week I flip-flopped. I can only wonder what it is like down there today. The trail today was another "roller coaster" of several smaller mountains with almost no level ground in between. First came a descent two thirds of the way down Barren Mountain (600 feet) then a climb up Fourth Mountain (550 feet) then up Mount Three and a Half ( I kid you not - 200 feet) then down to it's northern base (250 feet). Next the trail climbed up Third Mountain (400 feet) and down to West Chairback Pond (400 feet) before climbing Columbus Mountain (600 feet) where there were nice views and good cell phone reception (go figure-cell phone reception in the middle of nowhere). From Columbus Mountain there was a descent to Chairback Gap (400 feet) then a short climb up Chairback Mountain (200 feet) before a long descent to West Branch Pleasant River (1600 feet). Wow, exhaustion by many ups and downs. At West Branch Pleasant River, actually just before it, there was a nice unofficial tenting area (an unofficial tenting area does not have a privy) where I set up camp. After supper I snuck off to a secluded section of river and had myself a skinny dip; I had not done that since high school. I had a delightful half hour just laying in the cold, fast flowing water letting my body recover from the last several days of hiking. That night I slept well despite my sore tailbone.
Date: 2016-07-28
From: West Branch Pleasant River

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

Today was another hot one; probably in the upper 80's with humidity to match. I got all packed up early and headed down the trail to realize only 2 minutes later that I had a river to forge. So off came my trail runners, put on only minutes before, and on went my Crocks. I then proceeded to make what should have been a routine crossing anything but routine by slipping and nearly taking a bath three times en route to the other side; anyone watching would have thought I was auditioning for a high wire act. From this ford across West Bank Pleasant River it was a long, steady six mile climb up 1200 feet to the base of Gulf Hagas Mountain. At this point the real fun began; another roller coaster but this one up and down four tall, steep mountains (who says there aren't any difficult mountains in the 100 mile wilderness?). First was 700 feet up to the summit of Gulf Hagas Mountain then down 200 feet before climbing 750 feet up to the top of West Peak. From West Peak it was down 300 feet before starting up 400 feet to Hay Mountain's summit and then down another 200 feet. Finally it was steeply up 650 feet to the top of White Cap Mountain; the tallest mountain in the region at 3650 feet. Oh, I forgot to mention the thunder storm that dumped a torrent of rain and two minutes of pea size hail on me when I was between West Peak and Hay Mountain. Thank goodness I wasn't on a summit when it hit or I would have had to deal with howling winds as well. At the top of White Cap the clouds had moved away and the views were marvelous. I could look back over at least a weeks worth of mountain climbing. I also had cell service up there which allowed me to call and wish my youngest daughter a happy birthday. From the top of White Cap it was a steep descent one third of the way down, nearly 650 feet, to a 100 foot wide level area where they had built Logan Brook Lean-to. The steep climb down was made much easier by stone steps that encompassed half the distance. At the lean-to the tenting was poor to worse so I stayed in the lean-to with two other hikers. They were as tired as I was so, after eating and sharing a few stories, we all retired early for the night.
Date: 2016-07-29
From: Logan Brook Lean-to

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 19.6

It was a very nice day today with temperatures in the mid 70's and lots of sunshine. It was a perfect day for a hike. The trail today started halfway down White Cap Mountain so it was steeply downhill for most of the first three and a half hours until I reached the bottom. Once down I rock hopped across the East Branch of Pleasant River without incident (it is always much easier to rock hop across a river when there is nobody around to watch) then climbed up 400 feet to a nice ridge. After about 3 miles on the ridge the trail climbed steeply to the summit of Little Boardman Mountain. From here the trail gradually descends nearly 800 feet to a nice sandy beach on Crawford Pond where I rested and had lunch. From Crawford Pond to Antlers Campsite on Jo-Mary Lakeway was eleven miles of easy walking as the trail was mostly flat and nearly free of roots and rocks (I suspect it followed the long abandoned remains of a logging road). It was, by far, the best terrain for hiking so far in Maine. During one 60 minute stretch I covered more than 4 miles! I reached Antlers Campsite about 3:00, grabbed a nice tent site (in a wonderful grove of tall pines) and took a quick dip in Jo-Mary Lake. By supper time there were probably 25 hikers in the campsite and many of us cooked and ate together around a large fire ring at the edge of the lake. It really was a pretty place. At dusk everyone retreated for their tents or hammocks where we were lulled to sleep by the distant crying of loons on the lake.
Date: 2016-07-30
From: Antlers Campsite

To: Mara Tote Trail
Miles today: 6.1

Today was a NERO (near zero day) in that I only hiked 6.1 miles. The weather was wonderful and the trail mostly flat with only one smallish hill to cross. Once at the Mahar Tote Trail I took a blue blazed trail (a blue blaze trail is a side trail from the white blazed AT) two tenths of a mile to a boat dock on Pemadumcook Lake where I called for a boat to pick me up and take me to White House Landing. White House Landing is a hunting/fishing/recreational camp that is AT hiker friendly. I had reservations for two nights in their bunkhouse. I needed a day off from hiking to rest up, give my tail bone a chance to heal and do some journaling. After showering and having a good supper in the main house I selected a bunk at the bunkhouse (it has 16 bunks but I was the only one staying there tonight) and was asleep by 7:30.
Date: 2016-08-01
From: Mara Tote Trail

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather today was ideal for hiking with lots of sun, low humidity and temps only reaching the mid 70's. The trail looked very flat in the guide book (my guidebook gives elevation profiles along the trail) with only one mountain, Nesuntabunt Mountain, a 750 foot climb, to get over. But, as it turns out, the trail had many ups and down of 50 to 75 feet that do not show up on the profile; some of these were quite steep and each was a surprise. On the positive side,I did get to hike along the shore of one large lake, Nahmakanta Lake, and three very picturesque ponds, Wadleigh Pond, Crescent Pond and Murphy Pond. The trail also crossed four streams, Dick Stream (a ford), Nahmakanta Stream, Prentiss Brook and Pollywog Stream as well as board walks over several very boggy bogs. At Rainbow Stream Lean-to I pitched my tent in a large forest clearing which, by dark, had 20 or more tents spread across it. After supper a couple of us hikers checked out Rainbow Stream and were happy to find a perfect 3 foot deep pool of water with huge flat rocks at the bottom; ideal for soaking our tired and stinky bodies. The water was surprisingly warm due to being fed from an upstream pond. One fellow there called it a perfect hot tub for eight. After soaking for a while I went back to my tent, got into my sleeping clothes (also my town clothes) and went to bed.
Date: 2016-08-02
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 15.0

Today, again. was a nice day for hiking. There was lots of sun, bearable temperatures (in the mid 80's) and OK humidity. All day the trail was "bumpy" with many small, 25 to 75 foot high, ups and downs and only one climb of more than 500 feet; to the top of Rainbow Ledges. I lunched at Rainbow Ledges which was a band of rock slabs with just enough sandy topsoil to support an acre or two of blueberry bushes. After lunch I could not resist harvesting a few of the berries and ended up having a couple of handfuls of sweet Maine blueberries for desert (yum!). When I got to Abol Bridge it was a rare event that I had beat Kathy there so I snuck into the snack bar and had a frosty cold root beer while I waited for her. When she arrived we parked the van in the campground across the street and went over to the restaurant for supper. Not the best meal on the AT but filling. After supper we had ice cream at the ice cream stand and headed for our Vanagon for the night. I was done with the famed 100 mile wilderness and had a nice bourbon and water to celebrate before hitting the sack.
Date: 2016-08-03
From: Abol Bridge

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 9.9

Today was hot and humid and the trail was mostly a jumble of rock and roots which made for an unexpectedly hard day. My tail bone was also more tender than it had been for several days which forced me to slow down and take lots of short breaks. And, if the truth be known, the previous evening's meal (or maybe the rich ice cream) was causing me to take more potty breaks than usual (not a good thing in the woods; especially the woods of Maine where it is a chore to bushwhack 100 feet off of the trail). Anyway, it was a tougher day than I expected so I was glad it was only ten miles. When I finally reached Katahdin Stream Campground I was beat and happy I had hiked Katahdin three weeks earlier and didn't have to do it tomorrow. We headed for Millinocket with a couple of other hikers Kathy and I had become friendly with and we all had supper at the Appalachian Trail Cafe; a place famous to through hikers. I was starved by the time we got there and had completely forgotten my earlier potty problems. We ate well, hugged and said bye to our friends and headed off to Topsham where I will see a doctor about my tailbone and take a couple of days off before heading back to Grafton Notch and heading south.
Date: 2016-08-07
From: Grafton Notch

To: Mahoosic Notch North End campsite
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a nice day for hiking; overcast and cool with almost no humidity. My tail bone feels about the same; it hurts most when I sit, lay on my back or take a big step up or down. The hike started with a steep, 2500 foot climb up Old Spec Mountain. Old Spec is Maine's third highest mountain and the highest point on the Mahoosuc Mountain Range. It marks the northern end of the Mahoosuc Mountains which is regarded by almost every hiker I have talked to as the most difficult section of the entire AT (oh joy!). From the top of Old Spec the trail plunges down Mahoosuc Arm; a 1600 foot drop in less than a mile and a half. Much of this descent is on long sections of exposed granite bedrock usually sloping downwards at an angle of more than 45 degrees. With either steep drops or tangled scrub brush on each side there is often no choice but to trust the treads on your shoes and walk nearly straight down these slabs. It can be plenty scary because if your foot slips you'll end up sliding uncontrolled until the next boulder or drop off which can be 20 or more feet away. Fortunately my trail runners are nearly new (just started wearing my 4th pair) and held just fine. I cannot imagine trying this in wet conditions. At the bottom of the Arm is an unofficial tenting area where I joined several other hikers for the night; most heading north. We ate together and talked about the trail. I told about the Arm and they told me about the Mahoosuc Notch which I would face tomorrow. It started sprinkling at about 7:00 which forced us all to our tents and a good, long nights rest.
Date: 2016-08-09
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: US-2 Gorham
Miles today: 11.8

Today it was warm with a slight drizzle of rain when I started out and by mid morning the sun was poking through the clouds. The trail was pretty wet with lots of slippery roots, rocks and even leaves to make it fun to try and keep my footing. The first three miles on the trail were easy with a shallow 600 foot climb past Dream Lake to Wocket Ledge, a, slippery, narrow, rocky ledge with good views of the Presidential Range. From here the trail dropped a thousand feet to Page Pond and the Trident Col (what the heck is a Col?) Campsite where I had lunch. I had a short day so rested here longer than usual trying to get the lead out of my legs before attacking the two mountains, Cascade Mountain and Mount Hayes, lurking just ahead of me. The climb up Cascade Mountain was rocky and very steep but the descent was mostly pine needle trail. Mount Hayes was another story with lots of rock climbing both up to the summit and back down. At the top it was so windy my trekking poles almost blew away when I put them down to take a picture. Once down Mount Hayes I had to walk on roads for seven tenths of a mile to a trailhead parking lot where I met Kathy. We again stayed in friends' cottage in Bethel and ate Subway sandwiches before going to bed for the night. Sore feet, legs and backside kept me awake until well after I am normally asleep.
Date: 2016-08-10
From: US-2 Gorham

To: US-2 Gorham
Miles today: 0.0

Today I had trouble getting out of bed. My tailbone hurt badly but my legs and feet (my feet are very swollen form the pounding the rocks are giving them) are almost as bad. The Mahoosuc Mountains certainly lived up to their reputation on the trail and had done a number on my body. Kathy and I ate breakfast in Gotham and I was on the trail by 8:00. The weather was a non factor with cool temperatures and lots of clouds. The trail started, as it does from most trail towns, with a long, steep climb; this time up more than 3200 feet in just over six miles to the top of Mount Moriah. After two hours of climbing, with only 1200 feet accomplished, and my legs and backside aching, I took an extended break. I was already tired and dreaded forcing myself up another 2000 feet. I called Kathy, already half way home, and told he I was beat and asked if she could come back and get me. I had wimped out and decided I needed some time off the trail to recuperate. She turned around and pulled into the trailhead parking area just as I emerged from the woods. We headed for home. I wasn't sure how long a rest I needed but knew it needed to be more than a couple of days. I was also very sure that I would continue and eventually complete this adventure.
Date: 2016-08-11
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Off trail at home. I made a decision today to both make crossing the Presidential Range easier and helping set a schedule for doing it. I made reservations for four nights at Appalachian Mountain Club Huts (called pay for stay versus work for stay common among through hikers) starting on the night of August 20th and ending the night of August 23rd. The four huts are Zealand Falls, Gailhead, Greenleaf and Lonesome Lake. This is a little pricy but will make this difficult section of trail a bit easer as well as give me a definite set of dates to hit (there are no refunds). I figure that if I can ease my body through the Whites I will be in excellent shape to complete the whole hike.
Date: 2016-08-15
From: US-2 Gorham

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Today started out clear and cool with almost no wind; a perfect day for hiking. This was my second attempt at this section of trail (thru hikers hate hiking extra miles and will do almost anything to avoid it but today I had no choice since I could not magically transport myself to where I had made it last Wednesday) but, after four and a half days rest, I was feeling much better and ready to tackle just about anything the trail could throw at me. Kathy and I had left our home in Topsham yesterday afternoon and spent the night in a National Forest campground so I was able to be on the trail by 8:30. The trail started with a six mile climb up nearly 3200 feet to the summit of Mount Moriah. The last 400 feet of elevation was particularly steep with a series of rock climbs. As I neared the top a cloud bank rolled in and which was so thick visibilty decreased to less than 100 feet. On the summit I sat on a large slab of stone where I had lunch and wondered what the view I was missing was like. After lunch I hike down a couple of miles to Imp Campsite. The shelter at Imp Campsite, like all shelters in New Hampshire, had a steel box to protect food from bears. This also seems to keep the numbers of mice down as they can't get into the boxes any more than the bears can. Less mice meant the shelters are more desirable so I was much happier sleeping in a shelter than i have been through most of my hike. I had an early supper, spent an hour or two chatting with the other three hikers in the shelter and turned in for the night.
Date: 2016-08-16
From: Imp Campsite

To: Wildcat Mountain peak D
Miles today: 10.1

Today was overcast and decidedly damp when I started hiking and was raining pretty steadily by 10:00. After leaving Imp Campsite the trail headed steadily uphill to the top of North Carter Mountain then, after a short downhill, continued steeply up to the summit of Middle Carter Mountain. Luckily I was past the steepest section of this when the rain started. From Middle Carter the trail dropped to Zeta Pass before before it began a very steep climb up Mount Height (another dumb name for a mountain); a very open and exposed summit. From Mount Height the trail continued to the top of Carter Dome; also very open and exposed summit with strong, gusty winds. From here the trail dove 1600 feet in just over a mile to Carter Notch where it was protected from the wind but still very rainy. I had a late lunch under a rock overhang that kept the rain off of the top half of my body. After lunch I climbed up 1000 feet in miserable conditions to the summit of Wildcat Mountain peak A and followed a semi exposed ridge line for 3 miles over Wildcat peaks B and C to Wildcat peak D. On peak D there is an observation tower and the top of a gondola that came up from the valley below. By now I was soaked, tired and had wobbly legs and was facing what looked like a very, very steep descent to Pinkham Notch. I decided to take the Gondola down for the evening and back up tomorrow. I knew this would mess up my schedule for reaching Zealand Falls Hut where I had reservations on Saturday night but figured I would deal with that later; right now I needed a place to sleep that was not on the top of a mountain. So I paid my $7.50 and rode the gondola down. Once at the bottom I disappeared into the woods adjacent to the gondola parking lot, ate supper while I waited for a break in the rain, set up my tent and stealth camped.
Date: 2016-08-17
From: Wildcat Mountain peak D

To: NH-16, Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 3.0

On my ride up Wildcat on the gondola it was cool and cloudy but not raining. About halfway up I saw my first moose of the hike grazing on grass 30 feet directly blow me. At the summit I got off the gondola in a cloud with a misty wind blowing. The trail down to Pinkham Notch, although short, was very, very steep with several places where I had to wedge my feet in nearly vertical cracks in the rocks and inch my way down. Half way down the skies opened up and it poured rain on me for the rest of the descent. This made the climb a nightmare with more rocky crevasses and a long series of slippery slabs of rock and the occasional uneven stone steps made for people with five foot long legs. In all it took me over five hours to cover the three mile descent; by far the slowest three miles I have hiked. Once I was down I met Kathy and she brought me to the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Center to shower before we headed for a National Forest campground for the night. When I was at the Highland Center one of the Rangers told me that the climb down from Wildcat was the steepest descent on the entire Appalachian Trail; I certainly could not argue with him about that.