morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-22
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: Mt. Lafayette
Miles today: 9.0

We returned to where we had left the trail two days ago, a place called Franconia Notch. We resumed our hike by immediately climbing to the top of Little Haystack Mountain, followed by Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette. These mountains are all located along the Franconia Ridge. Off in the distance I could see the Green Leaf Hut. Mount Lafayette was 5,259 feet in elevation. Because the Franconia Ridge was two miles of hiking above tree line, there were 360 degree views each step of the way. The sky was mostly cloudless and we could see clearly in all directions. The view was very rewarding and the weather was perfect. There were many people along the trail, most had stopped for the day. Trail maintainers were busy working to protect the fragile Alpine vegetation that grows above tree line. They were very intent on their work. We hiked down a long steep trail to below tree line. The first trees below tree line are short and unhappy. They look like they¢re struggling to survive. Then the trees become more robust as you progress downward. The trail itself is basically many small or giant steps down from boulder to boulder. If there is a tree, or tree root to hold onto, that¢s good. One fall here could be serious trouble. Finally we found a good camp site and called it a day. I was very tired.
Date: 2012-08-23
From: Mt. Lafayette

To: Mt. Guyot
Miles today: 10.5

Today was my longest hiking day yet in terms of hours. I did almost 13 hours. It was starting to get dark before I caught up to Gipcgirl and pitched my tent. I had gotten lost in a relatively treeless area. Actually I wasn¢t lost, just on the wrong trail because the AT in the area near Mount Guyot is poorly marked. That added a couple of hours to my day.The day started with a steep, long climb to Mount Garfield. The descent was also steep and full of large rocks. I again had a few scrapes and bumps because I fell. My legs and arms are covered with bruises and scabs from where I have fallen. When I find good water, I clean the dried blood off as best I can.I caught up with Gipcgirl at The Galehead Hut around noon. There were about ten people there. The Hut had some leftover soup for sale at $2.00 per bowl, some coffee and some brownies. It felt good to have cooked food for a change. The worker there, whose name is Becka, was very nice. I met a Southbound hiker called ¢Laughing Dog.¢ He was from Holland, MI.There was a long, steep climb after the hut to the top of South Twin Mountain. This took about two hours of what seemed like hiking straight up. I met four groups of people who were descending and I stopped for a while to talk about my hike. The hike continued to Mount Guyot and along Zeacliff Ridge. It was in this area I took the wrong trail. Actually I was on the AT but thought I wasn¢t, so turned around and went back. For a very long section, there were no AT blazes at all. Finally, I saw some people who were familiar with the area and they got me back going in the right direction. I met a lady and her sons soon on the AT who confirmed I was back going in the right direction. They told me of a white-haired lady up ahead who had just broken her ankle and was being removed from the mountain by approximately 30 guys carrying stretchers down the mountain. My spirits were smashed as I imagined it was Gipcgirl, but they said that Gipc was OK and indeed was with the injured lady and comforting her. The lady was being cared for by the many people and the staff. Gipcgirl had broken her ankle two years ago as she was hiking in the Appalachian Trail. It took about 30 men, as I mentioned, taking turns carrying her on a stretcher to get her down to a road where she could be removed by vehicle. Finally, after nearly 13 hours, I could pitch my tent and get water and meet up with Gipcgirl. She moves up and down these trails seemingly effortlessly and I plod along, collecting scabs.I had met Yukon,¢ ¢Boomer,¢ ¢Squatch,¢ ¢Hobo,¢ and ¢Ragweed¢ again as they passed me today.
Date: 2012-08-24
From: Mt. Guyot

To: North of Crawford Notch
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was ¢Gipcgirl¢s¢ birthday so I gave her a frosted roll with a lit match in it, as I sang to her. The roll was good but the singing sucked. We went past Zealand Falls Hut, but did not go in as they were still having breakfast. A couple of our friends, ¢Slingshot¢ and ¢Frenchy,¢ were waiting outside so they could clean up after the paying guests were done. In turn for cleaning up, they got something to eat.Today¢s hike was pretty much the easiest one in New Hampshire so far. There was even a smooth flat section that ran along the side of a mountain. It did this for several miles. I fell again, and thought I had cracked some ribs, but no, I just had the wind knocked out of me. Also, I twisted my knee so we decided to cut the day short and found a flat area on the side of Mount Webster to tent.At Crawford Notch was trail magic. Two people, named ¢Rock Dancer¢ and ¢Stitches¢ were there with sodas, cold hot dogs, chips, and conversation. This was about the eleventh time for ¢Rock Dancer¢ to have been in that location providing trail magic over the years. He stays for a week or so. It¢s very generous of him. ¢Gipcgirl¢ and ¢Stitches¢ had lots to talk about, as ¢Stitches¢ has visited Australia several times.
Date: 2012-08-25
From: North of Crawford Notch

To: Mt. Eisenhower
Miles today: 9.0

Today was a short day, which was good for me as I got much rest and time to journal. We started out at our usual time which is around 7:00 or a little before, and had a steep up for the first couple of hours, to Webster Cliffs. The trail went near the cliffs, with great views on and off for a half a mile or so, popping in and out of the tree line. Continuing the steep up, we summited Webster Mountain, then Mount Jackson. It was a very difficult day, with rain arriving in the early afternoon. We continued over Mount Pierce and passed The Mizpah Hut. I rested inside the hut and ate a little of my lunch as they would not sell me any food, but did give me some hot water so I could make myself some coffee. After I was warmed up, I hiked on, summiting Mount Eisenhower. It had been a long and difficult day so we pitched our tents and called it a day relatively early.
Date: 2012-08-26
From: Mt. Eisenhower

To: Mt. Washington
Miles today: 7.5

Today is my five-month anniversary of being on the trail. It seems like it has been much longer than that since I started back on Springer Mountain, Georgia, but it¢s five months today. It is also my youngest granddaughter Lizzie¢s birthday so I was able to find a spot where I had reception and could call and sing to her. She is the eighth grandchild whose birthday I have missed since I¢ve been on the trail. We left early, as usual, so as to get a start on the day. We climbed Mount Franklin and kept on going to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. There were many people there, most of whom were getting ready to hike up Mount Washington, which was easily within sight. Mount Washington is the second highest peak on the entire Appalachian Trail. I noticed that it being Sunday, there was a church service going on outside of the hut and probably twelve or fifteen people were attending this service, seated on rocks, etc. around the person who was leading the service. I thought that was very interesting. It was a beautiful, sunny, nearly cloudless day. The hike to the summit of Mount Washington is difficult, but not nearly the worst we¢ve done yet. The views were spectacular in all directions. I was able to buy some cooked food in a snack bar at the top, as well as other kinds of snacks. ¢Squatch,¢ a former thru hiker, was there with ¢Phoenix,¢ interviewing hikers and interviewed both ¢Gipcgirl¢ and myself. We may be in a documentary he¢s putting together. The rest and the food on Mount Washington were just what I needed. It was getting crowded, as this is a popular spot for folks to visit. People can get here by hiking, but most people get here by driving a long, winding road, and some even get here by train which goes back and forth frequently throughout the day, hauling people up and back, for the views and for the spectacular scenery. Since it was such a nice day, many people had come to enjoy the views. Mount Washington is known as a dangerous weather location with highly changeable weather and extreme conditions, but climbing it on a beautiful weather day is awesome. We finally headed down the mountain. I have been falling a lot and fell four times today, so we decided to cut our day short so I could rest and clean up my many scrapes and bruises.
Date: 2012-08-27
From: Mt. Washington

To: Mt. Madison
Miles today: 10.0

We had a great camping spot lsat night, tucked in between some trees. There were large rocks on two sides. At about 2:00 in the morning I woke ¢Gipcgirl¢ up to see the sky with me. It was perfectly cloudless and filled with so many stars that you cannot see in town. There was also no moon to obscure the view. It is so quiet on top of the mountains that the feeling of isolation and being surrounded by beauty is magnificent. Today was a very difficult day. We hiked in the morning to the Madison Spring Hut where we ate some food, which was delicious. I had three of their raisin bars, which were very tasty. The young lady working in the kitchen, whose name was Isabel, learned that I was a thru-hiker and had been on the trail for five months, gave me some leftover eggs, which were great. Thank you Isabel. Mount Madison was very steep, with many rock scrambles. I had to use my hands, as well as my feet, to get to the top, where ¢Gipcgirl¢ was waiting for me. She was lying in the sun, relaxing, enjoying the perfect weather and the beautiful views. The descent was over two and one-half miles, and at times was very steep. On the way down, I met again ¢Papillon,¢ who has now changed her trail name to ¢Log,¢ and her dog Yoyo, as well as ¢Pain,¢ ¢Socks,¢ and ¢Seminole.¢ These are all people that I have seen previously on the trail. As we were descending, we went back into the tree line, as for the last several days we have mostly been above tree line. While today¢s hike did not cover many miles, it felt like it did! It was a hard hike and it was good to be in our tents once we pitched them. Now it is raining quite hard.
Date: 2012-08-28
From: Mt. Madison

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: fog

It rained hard all evening and night. The rain, however, had stopped before it was time to pack up. Everything was wet and muddy outside, and all my gear was wet. We had found a good stealth camping site near a noisy stream.A fellow hiker had walked into our camp as it was getting dark, asking if the trail was the actual Appalachian Trail. It is, in places, very poorly marked and he was confused, as was I occasionally. We reassured him it was and he left to find a place to camp.The next morning, as we were heading to breakfast at Pinkham Notch, we saw his tent. It was ¢GOMAN,¢ a fellow I had not seen since Pennsylvania. He was hiking well.We made it to Pinkham Notch and enjoyed an ¢all you can eat¢ breakfast with 20 minutes to spare. I shoved down as much bacon, and pancakes, and sausage as I could in 20 minutes time. It was great to have some cooked food, but rather disgusting to shove it down my mouth like that.We got water, used the facilities, and took off up Wildcat Mountain. The rain resumed, making everything very slippery. It was slow, dangerous work for me. ¢Gipc¢ loved it however. After going a ¢fast¢ mile in the next three hours, seeing the gondola running at the ski resort on top of Wildcat Mountain, it hit me that I had had enough.I said goodbye to ¢Gipcgirl,¢ wished her well as she continued her hike, and caught the gondola down.I was beat up, tired, skinny, and had had enough. It was very frustrating to me that I was going so slowly. It was also getting dangerous out there for me as I was falling a lot. I didn¢t want to go home in a cast or worse. I made the decision to get off the trail because I had, as I said, fallen many times lately and it was getting worse. My arms and legs were covered with scratches and scabs. I hitched into Gorham.
Date: 2012-08-29
From: Gorham, NH

To: Atlanta, IN
Miles today: 0.0

I shared a room last night with a lady that I had met on the trail just briefly, a very attractive lady, called ¢Phoenix Rising.¢ We had a nice long talk and she was debating whether to go back to the trail but almost certainly was and I was debating whether to go back to the trail and almost certainly was not. In the morning, I did catch a bus for a four and one-half hour bus ride, which only cost $40 from Gorham to Boston airport. My daughter had made reservations for me and I caught a plane to Charlotte, and eventually to Indianapolis. Twelve hours after leaving Gorham, I was welcomed home by my family ¢ my son and my daughter and her entire family.
Date: 2012-09-11
From: Atlanta, IN

To: Millinocket Lodge, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

After driving 22 hours from home, during which time I spent a night in a Budget Inn parking lot and slept in my van, then the next night in a Walmart parking lot, I arrived at Shaw¢s Hostel in Monson, ME. Dawn, the owner, gave me a shuttle to the Appalachian Trail Lodge in Millinocket, where I met owners Jamie and Paul. They¢re both very nice people. The drive was uneventful up to Monson. My old 1999 Chevy van, with 251,000 miles on it ran great. I was very impressed with how beautiful the state of New York was when I drove through it. The toll roads were frequent, but easy to pay, with no delays. You got many more miles for your money in New York than you did in Massachusetts or New Hampshire.I hit several McDonalds to get out of the car, read, rest and to walk around a little bit, and occasionally to get something to eat. The ones along the toll road were charging $3.00 for things that ordinarily are on the $1 menu. Needless to say, I only ate half as much. I was able to communicate with the many people who thought I was done with my hike as I was driving along. Some said I was nuts, but most were encouraging. Many flags were at half-mast today because of the remembrance of the sorrow of eleven years ago.I ran into some old trail friends at Millinocket, including ¢Sonic,¢ and ¢Santa¢s Helper.¢ It was a fairly sleepless night as I anticipated my trek up Mount Katahdin the next morning.
Date: 2012-09-12
From: Millinocket Lodge, ME

To: Mount Katahdin, ME
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Paul drove me to Katahdin Stream Campground, where I registered with the park ranger, left my pack, put the things I thought I would definitely need into a smaller daypack and took off. The hike started fairly easy and up but gradually became more steep and rocky until it was very much a continuous rock scramble. I had to put my hiking poles away and use all fours the rest of the way til I came to what¢s called the table land. It is a relatively flat, treeless section on the top of the mountain. Once on the table land however, you still had a mile and a half to go over some very rocky terrain. When I finally did get to the summit, there were about fifteen people at the top; some through hikers that I did not know, some section hikers, and some day hikers who had come up on an easier trail from the other side of the mountain. The weather on Mount Katahdin can be extreme but today was sunny and beautiful. I enjoyed the hike because it contained about everything I have hiked through to get here; flat areas, many rocks, gradual ascents, very steep ascents, dangerous areas, more rocks, and finally beautiful views as my reward. I was so thankful to have decided to return to the trail. Now for the next 300 miles I will be heading Southbound. It took me about 4 12 hours to get up to the summit, an hour was spent on the top and about 4 12 more hours to get down. The descent was, at times, slow going with a lot of scooting on my butt from one ledge to another. While on the top I had my picture taken, I prayerfully spread some of my deceased wife¢s ashes, and read a list that I¢ve been keeping of the many trail angels that have helped me ever since the start of my hike. It only seemed fitting that I should honor them too. It was an emotional time on the summit for many reasons. Now it¢s off to Gorham, and Wildcat Mountain where I got off two weeks ago. I am taking full advantage of my second chance.
Date: 2012-09-13
From: Mount Katahdin, ME

To: Baxter State Park, ME
Miles today: 15.5

I was tired when I got down from the top of Mount Katahdin but was able to find an empty shelter at Katahdin Stream Campground and made myself at home. There was no ranger around to pay any money to so I was happy to take advantage of the freebie. In the morning I lingered over two cups of coffee before I resumed my hike. The hike to Baxter State Park was easy and relatively flat. Most of it was along rivers and streams. Some stream crossings involved ¢rock hopping¢ but I never fell in. Actually, I haven¢t fallen at all since I¢ve been back on the trail.I met ¢Johnsie,¢ a hiker I hadn¢t seen since the Southern part of Tennessee. He¢s about to finish his hike in another couple of days. I also heard that ¢Claudia,¢ and ¢Trekking Pole¢ were near me. It¢s good to see folks I haven¢t seen in a while. I expect to see more as we cross paths, with me going South and them going north. The weather has been perfect. I was able to hike 14 or so miles today, although I noticed I was a little sore from summiting Katahdin yesterday. It felt very good to be back on the trail and I feel much stronger, and much more focused, and I¢m enjoying the hike much more than I did the week before when I went home for my period of R and R.
Date: 2012-09-14
From: Baxter State Park, ME

To: 100 Mile Wilderness, ME
Miles today: 14.0

I was alone at the shelter that I came to after I had started through the 100 mile wilderness. Actually, in Maine, they call them ¢lean-tos.¢ The 100 mile wilderness is an area where there are very few roads, no houses, no stores, and no easy access to anything so you have to take extra care when hiking this to not get hurt, and also to make sure you have enough food to last you. I was still having excellent weather, which makes the hiking that much more enjoyable. Today¢s terrain was very rocky and had many tree roots to step over, around, and sometimes on. Most of the trail went along various sorts of water. There was a very large lake called Rainbow Lake, and smaller ponds and rivers and streams interconnecting them. I¢ve been looking for a moose but no luck yet. The lakes here are clear, filled with rocks, and probably fish. I had lunch on a large flat rock in the sun at the edge of one of the bigger lakes. Occasionally a loon calls out and it sounds so sad¢¦ that you just have to stop and listen to them. As the day was winding down I was looking for a tent site when I ran into ¢Turtle,¢ whom I had hiked with the first several days of my hike way back in Georgia. ¢Socks,¢ a lady from Germany was also with me and they had pitched their tents. I pitched my tent near them and it was good to reminisce with them as I had not seen ¢Turtle¢ as I said for a number of months and I had not seen ¢Socks¢ for a while. Interestingly, she was the last person I talked to when I quit my hike. She and I had a tearful party at that moment and here we are meeting again. I have hiked around ¢Socks¢ for many weeks . It was super to be reunited with two of my older friends on the trail. I look forward to meeting more of my Northbound friends as I am going Southbound. Today was a very good day in the 100 mile wilderness.
Date: 2012-09-15
From: 100 Mile Wilderness, ME

To: White House Landing Hostel, ME
Miles today: 14.5

This morning was eventful as a moose walked right through our camp, almost stepping on ¢Socks¢¢ tent. I saw my first moose as it disappeared into the forest of the other side of a nearby stream. I knew it was going to be a good day.Today¢s hike was through some beautiful land with a few ups and downs but mostly roots, rocks, and pine needles. It rained most of the morning but not hard. The hike went by some large lakes, even walking along the beach for a couple of them. That was a pleasant change from the usual path that we have to walk. There were also some streams and large rivers nearby but I never had to cross them. The time is coming when I¢ll have to wade across some of these streams however.The best part of today¢s hike was all the Northbounders I ran into. I was hoping to see some old friends and today I saw 14. Some even gave me food as they wouldn¢t need it since they were approaching the end of their hike. All wanted to hear my reports about what Mount Katahdin was like and my story about coming back to the trail. It surprised me how many of them had heard that I quit. I told them I had to get my mind right and I did that when I was home for that week and a half period. Among those I met were ¢Meltdown,¢ ¢Pain,¢ ¢Badger,¢ ¢Tarzan and Jane,¢ ¢Peter Pan and Xango,¢ ¢Ginger Snap,¢ ¢Count Chocula,¢ ¢Lieutenant Dan,¢ ¢Neon,¢ ¢Yukon,¢ ¢Squatch,¢ ¢Boomer,¢ ¢Ragweed,¢ and ¢Hobo.¢I stayed at the White House Landing Hostel. It¢s a beautiful place run by a very nice couple who have been doing this for 22 years. I had a one-pound cheeseburger for supper and it just hit the spot. Tomorrow is an all-you-can-eat breakfast. When you arrive at the hostel it is located across the lake and they have an air horn that you press briefly. When they hear the horn, which is very loud, they will come across the lake and pick you up at their dock. It¢s a beautiful, large lake. The main fish to be caught in this lake however are trout and salmon, with a few small mouth bass.
Date: 2012-09-16
From: White House Landing Hostel, ME

To: 100 Mile Wilderness, ME
Miles today: 19.0

The breakfast at White House Landing was excellent. All the blueberry pancakes you can eat, plus some bacon and eggs and a muffin. Then the boat ride back across the lake to near the trail. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed the ride very much.Today was perfect; breezy and cooler. There was a definite chill in the air however. The trail was fairly flat, but still a lot of roots, rocks, and mud. I was able to do some good miles today after last night¢s rest and two good meals.Oddly, I did not run into many people at all and no Northbounders. There were a few day hikers out. The trail went along several lakes and ponds, even along the beach of a couple more today. Today was one of the best hiking days yet. I am looking forward to seeing Gipcgirl in a few days possibly.I met a lady and her teenage son who have been hiking since Virginia, which is about 1,500 miles. What a great adventure they¢re having together and what great memories this young man is going to have of his mother. They¢re both from Austin, Texas.
Date: 2012-09-17
From: 100 Mile Wilderness, ME

To: Big Rock Mountain, ME
Miles today: 16.0

Again the trail started relatively flat but soon became hilly, and even some mountains later. I had to ford a stream today for the first time. I just took off my shoes, put on my dirty wool socks, and walked across. The water was very cold and the rocks were slippery but I crossed with no problems. It was good to dry my feet off and put my shoes and socks back on. Some people wear sneakers or sandals to hike in and they just wade across the fords with them on. They say they dry in a couple of hours.Today I climbed Whitecap Mountain, the tallest one on the trail in the 100 mile wilderness. It was followed by Hay Mountain and Gulf Hagas Mountain. The Gulf Hagas Trail is a popular spot for locals to come hike. It is 5.2 miles, goes by ravines and waterfalls, and is a beautiful area. It¢s called Maine¢s ¢Grand Canyon.¢I pitched my tent on top of a mountain called Big Rock and had a beautiful view of the cloudless night sky. It was also an awesome sunset. Just before sunset a float plane flew by in the valley between the two mountains and indeed was below me as I looked down upon it. No moon was out tonight to hide the stars or the planets. The Milky Way looked just beautiful. It had been a very good day with perfect weather. However, I hear rain is coming. My food is getting low.