morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-01
To: New Hampshire News
Miles today: 0.0

Today is actually September 2 even though I dated this entry as September 1. I am sitting in a hostel in Glencliff, NH waiting for Skywalker's wife, Anne to arrive. It is 7am and way too early for me if I am not hiking. She's coming from New Boston, NH to slack-pack us again for the weekend. We have been in New Hampshire for 3 days already and have done about 50 miles. The miles we have done here in NH are much tougher than those of CT, MA or VT. We are going to do a 10 mile section over Moosalauke today that is really difficult and we are in the process of getting the winds and rain from the hurricane that just hit NC. More later, Anne is here.
Date: 2006-09-01
To: Glenncliff, NH
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyIt was a fairly easy 11.6 mile hike today. We climbed up and over Mt. Mist and it was appropriately named as it was misty and raining. We hiked right into the town of Glencliff and expected to find a fair size town. Instead, it was very small. Not even a traffic light. We got to the hostel at 2:30pm. Some hostels are very nice and well cared for and some are not so nice. This one was a real dump. You could tell immediately that this hostel was set up for money making purposes only. Above a room which used to be a garage was a bunk room with about 12 beds. The matresses on the bunks were filthy, torn, horrible. It only took a second to decide that we would tent outside. That cost the same thing as a bunk, go figure. The bathroom was outside and should have been horrible; but, actually the shower (one) was pretty good and the toilet (one) flushed. Also outside were three large tents that had bunks set up in them. They could easily put up 50 people. As soon as we got our tents set up we took off to "town" which was down the road and consisted of a small gas/grocery store, a post office, and one restraurant. We all ordered cheeseburgers and frys and they were GREAT. Back at the hostel, I immediately got on the computer (Yes, they had internet service so it was worth my $10) and did some journal entries. I was in my tent and in bed by 8PM.
Date: 2006-09-02
To: Kinsman Notch, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

by Righty-We were up at 7am. I actually got to sleep in a little this morning. Anne (Mrs Skywalker) arrived this morning at 8am to slack-pack us across Mt. Moosalauke. It was very overcast, but no rain as we started but it was supposed to get worse later in the day. We had decided to hike this 9.4 mile section North to South because the downside is very steep and especially dangerous in bad weather. Anne hiked up with us for the first mile or so. We had beautiful cascading waterfalls along side of us on the right for over 2 miles. It was beautiful if you cared to look. It was pretty steep and slippery so I tended to just keep looking up hill. It was a long haul up. It took us about 3 hours to do the 3.8 miles but we all managed OK. The top of the mountain is above tree line and the 360 degree views were magnificent. It was very windy (about 40-50 mph winds) and cold on top. We had rain gear and hats and gloves with us; but the cold was still bitter with the wind chill. You had to sit in stone bunkers on the top of the mountain to stay out of the wind. There were lots of people on top because of the Holiday weekend. It was a long 6 mile trek down the mountain; but it wasn't too steep, unlike the other side. We encountered no problems other than it was just LONG and your knees start to ache. Today, everyone's knees hurt, not just mine. We hiked right back into the hostel. We went out for cheeseburgers AGAIN....why? Because it really was the only place to eat. Anne decided to tent with Skywalker. I went to bed about 8pm again. That's about when it starts to get dark. Everyone else stayed up and sat around a bonfire. There were bad winds during the night that almost blew our tents down.
Date: 2006-09-03
To: Zero Day in NH
Miles today: 0.99

by RightyThe weather Saturday night was really bad with gale type wind and heavy rain which was supposed to continue through Sunday. So, we decided that we would probably take a zero day. Plus, it was Anne's birthday and we thought it would be nice to help her celebrate by NOT hiking. We were going to one of their friend's summer house in Bethlehem, NH for the night. We ran errans in the morning. Had breakfast in North Woodstock, NH. Then we hiked up to Lonesome Lake Hut to meet Skywalker's foster brother, Bill, who had hiked up to there to meet us. This was a surprize for Skywalker. This was our first time in one of New Hampshires famous Hut's. It was really nice. You could get all the soup you could eat for $2. Also, they gave you all the cookies/cake/sweets (whatever they had that day) you wanted for $1. Naturally we pigged out! After visiting with Bill, we drove to Bethlehem to the cabin. It was really a house and quite nice. We each had our own bedroom. Another surprize for Skywalker. His son Stefan, and his girlfriend were there to help us celebrate. Of course, Anne brought all sorts of food. We had a great meal of chicken and lasagna and, of course, beer and wine. We visited after dinner; but no one lasted very long. It was to bed by 9PM.
Date: 2006-09-04
To: Kinsman Pond
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

by Righty The day dawned cool and rainey as we left the cabin and it did not improve. We had an 11 mile hike up from Kinsman Notch...most of it uphill and steep with lots of rocks and boulders. This is what is known as a "scramble" and it was a duzzie. I had to get lots of help from Jericho. We went up Mt Wolf and up and over the south and north peak of Kinsman. It rained all day and we were in the clouds. We could see NOTHING. That may have been a blessing considering how steep it was. For me, the day was very difficult and a rude awakening to just how hard things could be in NH. We had been told that you would be lucky to do 10 miles a day; but I don't think we really believed it. We had started hiking at 8:30am and didn't stop until 7:30pm. We totally under estimated how long it would take to do the 11.5 miles. We got to the Kinsman Pond tentsite and found there was a shelter there which was a godsend. We literally got into the shelter, got on dry clothes, ate cold food and got into our sleeping bags to warm up and sleep. It was a LONG, HARD day!
Date: 2006-09-05
To: Liberty Spring tentsite
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyI woke up at 7am to find clouds were inside the shelter and my sleeping bag was totally wet on the outside. We had to put on wet clothes, pack up wet tents, and start hiking in mist and light rain. We had 7.4 miles to hike today; but only 2 miles to get to Lonesome Lake Hut (which was our original destination the day before). I did say ONLY 2 miles; however it took us 2 hours of all uphill over boulders. I'm really starting to understand the term "scramble" that is used in NH and realize that if anyone says that there is a scramble, I'm not going to like it. Needless to say, it was really tough and slippery. BUT, we did perservere and once we got to the Hut, we had hot cocco and cakes (all $1 each). What a treat. After that we had ONLY five and a half miles to go to get to the next tentsite. We knew we couldn't make it to the next Hut. We passed Cascade Brook which we have been told is a beautiful spot but we could see very little. Then we had 3 miles up to get to Franconia ridge. I had a hard time again today on the steep and slippery rocks because of a new, bad pain in my knee. I think that when Jericho was pulling me up a steep face, I had my right foot braced in a crevice and when he pulled, my shoe got caught in the crevice and I twisted my knee. Now, I can't support my own weight because there is so much pain. It's very discouraging and I'm getting a little paranoid about it because it's becoming a safety risk. God knows, I've fallen as much, if not more, than others; but so far I haven't done any real damage. Now I'm actually tensing up so much that I feel like an accident waiting to happen....and let me tell you, that's not good.The forcast is for rain tonight and tomorrow. SO WHAT'S NEW? Everything is already wet, so we'll just get wetter. We have a hard hike again tomorrow. Have to climb Haystack, Mt. Lincolm and then Mt Lafayette. I can't wait!!!
Date: 2006-09-06
To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

By Buoy Check out the new pictures I just uploaded We did the Whites. Lefty should come into Gorham sometimes today. I hiked with her for almost the whole way but bailed out yesterday to get an extra day off for me beaten up old body :-) Also broke a good part of my equipment in these mountains and needed some time at the outfitter.Holy %^&*) the Whites are tough !!I will spare you guys the details for now. You would just give up thinking about taking up hiking in the nearer future. We had amazing moments up there. I loved to hike Frankonia Ridge with Lefty. It was a beautifull sunny, warm and windstill morning when we passed through this most beautifull section of the Whites. We saw the whole White Mountain Range in front and behind us. We turned in circles trying to soak up this moment. This was our desert and our payback for three days of going through the wringer. And what a payback it was. I am so gratefull that I was there with the person I love. Also thought alot about all the other people in my life that I would have loved to shared this moment with. Probably my favoured was Liberty Mountain. I sat on its summit for sunrise. High up in the sky on a little rocky summit. The mountains all around me peaked through the clouds. They casted shaddows on each other. There was no sound. The sky was red and orange. Just a perfect moment. I loved sitting in the huts after a long crueling day of hiking sharing the days adventures with fellow hikers. I will always remember the first sight of a hut through the dense green of the forest or the driving rain and fog of a summit storm. Sailors probably feel the same when they see the harbour after a long storm. You finally where safe and you will get a Coffee :-)In some areas it was so helpfull to see other people doing things I did not know I could do myself. Often I thought "when that guy can climb this waterfall I ought to be able to do the same thing as well"Often just the sight of another person was an unforgettable experience. Just imagine you are in 40 degree weather. You can only see 50 feet. You walked by a sign that says. "Stop. This area features the worst weather in America. Many people have died here from exposure. Turn back NOW when weather is bad" You have been on a ridgeline for the last 4 hours. The driving rain soaked your whole equipment. The 50 MPH wind just pushed you over and your backcover just flew away. You are cold and now you are all of the sudden lost. You can not see a trail or anything even close to a trail around you. And than that guy comes out of the fog cracks a joke and carries on. And than you can see the pittyfull little trailmarker that eluded you the whole time. I will never forget. Thanks you White Mountains for beeing there. And thank you Lefty for hiking them with me Cheers Buoy
Date: 2006-09-06
To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

by RightyYou must know by now how I'm going to start this. Rain again today. Had to pack up a really wet tent. Instead of 3 pounds, it weighs over 7 wet. Even my empty pack which is heavy enough at 6 pounds now weighs much more. Just what I need is a heavier pack. It was a tough, tough, tough day. I had much pain in my knee. I had to slow down to a crawl and I know the guys are fed up with having to wait for me. I was in tears most of the day. I felt like a baby, but I couldn't help myself. I was just so tired and depressed I could barely function. We crossed Franconia ridge which really wasn't so terrible except I took one good fall where my feet just slipped out from under me on a very big, very slick rock face. My pack absorbed most of the impact from the fall but I slid on my butt for about 20 feet and got a good rock burn on my hip and leg. Nothing to do but pick myself up and trod on though. We climbed Mt Haystack (I used to ski there...now I NEVER want to see it again), Mt Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette and got to the Galehead Hut at 5:30pm. It's still raining and the wind has picked up. There was no "Work for Stay" because there were only 2 paying guests. This Hut is so remote that not a lot of section hikers and no day hikers come to it. We were allowed to sleep on the floor in the dining room after dinner had been served. By the time we were ready for bed, there were 16 thru-hikers there and no one was turned away because there was no where else to go.I talked to Skywalker and Jericho about going to Crawford Notch the next day and taking a zero day because of my knee. I knew that I couldn't keep up with them anymore and I was just holding them back. Even though they had said nothing directly to me, I knew that I was becomming a burden; so I needed to let them go on without me. Aside from that, I just wanted off the DAMN mountain. Also, I was expecting my daughter, Shana, to come there by Friday to see me and I wanted to spend some time with her. I figured she could take me to the Doctor or hospital for xrays, if needed.It was very difficult and emotional to say goodbye to the guys. They had been such a big part of my life for the last month. It's hard to explain the bonds that you form with other hikers in such a short time. But, I know that Skywalker (and Mrs. Skywalker) and I will continue our friendship and always be close.
Date: 2006-09-07
To: Zealand Hut
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyThis morning the guys took off before me and I knew they wouldn't be waiting for me periodically as usual. It was sad; but also a releif in some ways because the pressure was off to try to keep up. Today I only had 7 miles to hike to get to the next Hut, and I figured even if it was difficult, I would still make it in 7 hours. I felt confident that I could do it. As it turned out, it was a fairly easy hike. I had some flat and not too tough downs. I was able to do them without too much pain or problem. When I got to the Hut, Skywalker and Jericho were there. They had waited for me to tell me that there had been a message for me from Lefty and that Shana wasn't going to be able to make it. After the emotional roller coaster of saying Good Bye to the guys AGAIN, it was all just too much and I just sat down and cried. I was such a wreck and now I didn't need to get to Crawford Norch that day so I decided to stay at the Hut for "work for stay" and hike into Crawford Notch to the hostel the next day and then decide what to do next.About 4pm, when it was too late to go on, two groups of teenagers (about 45 total) came into the Hut as paying guests. The Hut was full to capacity with the kids and 2 adults (the same two men from the Hut the night before). This Hut opperated a little differently from the one the night before. They wern't so nice and accommodating. Yes, they did let me do "work for stay" but they wouldn't alow me inside the building until dinner was over at 8pm. Plus, they wanted my work for stay to be the next day to clean and sweep the bunkhouses after all the paying guests left which meant I couldn't get an early start. I was allowed to eat something about 9pm and then get out my sleeping bag and sleep on the floor. Sometimes things just suck!
Date: 2006-09-08
To: Crawford Notch - Highland Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

by RightyWas rousted up at 6am by the Hut crew and sent to sit outside from 6 to 8 while the masses ate breakfast. It was a beautiful day. Finally after 5 days of rain, the sun was out and it was fairly warm. I took this opportunity to go through my pack and dry some things out. The one good thing that came out of my staying overnight at this Hut was I learned a friend that I had hiked with a couple of times earlier in the hike had reservations there that night. I was able to leave him a note and let him know where I would be and to contact me at the Highland Center. I got my chores done by 9am and left for my 11.4 mile hike into town. I still felt like a train wreck; but the better weather and the very easy terraine down to Crawford Notch was improving my mood. There was about 2 miles of boardwalk over a bog. One of the boards was loose and my foot slipped off and I was in mud/muck up to my knee. YUCKY! Next, I had a 3.7 mile hike along a railroad track that should have been easy but was anything but. Additionall, it was now HOT, something I hadn't felt for quite a while.Got to the Highland Center at about 2pm to find that there were no rooms in the bunkhouse for that night. Had plenty of rooms for big money. The next nearest town was 8 miles away and I really didn't want to hitch there and take a chance they had nothing. While I was standing there deciding what to do, a lady (Tara) came over to me out of the blue and asked if I was Righty. She had met Lefty and Buoy in Pinkham Notch and recognized me from Lefty's description (go figure)of me. She was an AMC volunteer. She said she had a message for me. She told me Shana wasn't coming. Even though I already knew this and thought I had dealt with it, I just started crying again. I explained that I had already gotten the message but it had been a bad week and I was just disappointed. We then had a nice visit and she brought me up to date on what was happening with Lefty and Buoy. While we were talking, the girl at the desk who had witnessed my meltdown asked if I was a thru-hiker. When I told her Yes, she said if I'd give her some time she's see what she could do for me. As it turned out, she worked miracles. She got me a room (for the bunkhouse rate) all by myself. It had a beautiful bathroom with a jacuzzzi tub and a phone. Of course, I had to move to the bunkhouse the next day; but that was OK. I had the chance to get really clean and to get my clothes clean and dry and I was able to make lots of phone calls to Lefty and to Shana and to talk to them about how I felt and what my options were. Dinner was included in the room rate and was served family style. The food was plentiful and excellent. Things were definitely looking up!! Thank you Maeve. You were a life saver.
Date: 2006-09-09
To: Zero Day at Crawford Notch
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

by RightyToday, I took a much needed rest and relaxation day. I slept late in my GREAT private room. I went down for the last sitting for breakfast at 9am. I ate enough for four people. I must have had a pound of bacon and fruit. I spent the rest of the morning checking out the area and reading. I met several thru hikers (Tripps, Contageous, Fireman) who came through the center for their mail drop.John Peterson had gotten my note at Zealand Hut and got in about 1pm. We went to lunch and discussed my situation and the possibility of hiking together. We both felt like we had a good match. John hikes at a slower/easier but steady pace and I was releived that I would be able to continue on and not miss the "whites", the most beautiful part of the trail. He had checked out the weather forcast and with good weather predicted for the next 5 days, he wanted us to leave and start right back where we left off so I wouldn't miss anything. We stayed at the bunkhouse that night and the first thing he had me do was to take everything out of my pack and go through it. He wanted me to reduce my pack weight by at least 10 pounds. I had to make some serious sacrifices but in the end I eliminated 8 pounds. My pack felt much more manageable now and I could tell it would be better on my knees. Our bunkmates that night were Linda and her brother, Martin from Maine. We had dinner together and shared thru-hiker stories. It was a good night and I was anxious to hike again the next day. What a difference a day makes. Thank you John for coming to my rescue!!
Date: 2006-09-10
To: Mizpah Hut, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

by RightyWe had a leisurely breakfast at the center and said good-bye to Linda and Martin. We spent a couple of hours going over our maps and the handbook and getting a plan of action and ets's established. It looks like we will be able to be done and meet Shana at Mt. Katahdin by October 6th. We had a pleasant, short hike up to Mizpah Hut. It was all uphill but not difficult. The Hut was quite nice. Big with lots of bunks. Our bunkroom had 9 bunks and as usual, I was the only female among 8 stinky, snoring men. I'm not complaining though since I'm actually getting to sleep inside and on a bed. We got a good rest and were ready for our climb over Eisenhour and to Mt. Washington the next day.
Date: 2006-09-11
To: Lake in the Clouds Hut, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

by RightyWe were up this morning at 6am. Breakfast was served at 6:30am. We had oatmeal, pancakes, bacon and eggs. We left at 8am to start hiking up two peaks of Mt Clinton (elevations 4180 and 4310), then across Mt Eisenhour(4450'), Mt Frankalin (5004'), and Mt Monroe (5120'). We woke up to a cold but clear day. Temperature was about 40 at the hut and in high 20's on the peaks. The wind was calm so it didn't seem too cold. We got to the Lakes in the Clouds Hut in the early afternoon. We had spectacular views all day long. Tomorrow, we climb Mt. Washington. It's supposed to be clear again. We were served a great dinner tonight. This is a really busy Hut because people can take the Cog Railroad up and not have to hike very far. The bunk room held 12 and fortunately there we no real snorers. Again, I was the only female. We got a good night's sleep. We ran into TomatoGravy, Garden Gnome, Fourty Sixewr and Storyteller at the Hut. They all had "work for stay".
Date: 2006-09-12
To: Andover Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

By Buoy Today I am awaiting Lefty in Andover Maine. She actually was planing to get here yesterday. Somehow she got lost on the trail for 7 hours and lost a whole day of hiking. I do not know the details of that yet but can not wait to find out about it. I am staying at the Cabin. Must be one of the best hostels on the trail. After just a few hours of staying here I feel like the adopted son and and do not want to leave. Tommorow Lefty and I will resume hiking together.I talked to Righty 3 days ago. She should be around Madison Hut ( White Mountains) by now. So far I believe she had dry but very cold weather up there. Here in the valley the temp goes down to 32 at night. She is in 6000 feet.Thank you so much for all your great Guest Book entries. They always make our days. cheers Buoy
Date: 2006-09-12
To: Madison Springs Hut - NH
Miles today: 0.0

by Righty-We woke up to 39 degrees out and absolutely perfectly clear skies and sun. YEAH! We had a 7 mile hike taking us to Mt. Washington and then to Madison Hut which looked easy on the profile but was ALL over rocks so was very slow going. The fact that it was clear and dry made it a great day and not too scary. I wouldn't have wanted to do it in the rain. Another hiker, Trail Boss' dad, Craig, hiked with us. We stopped often to catch our breath and enjoy the spectacular vistas. It was a 1.7 mile uphill to the summitt of Mt. Washington. We spent a couple of hours on the summit and in the observation building enjoying the 360 degree views and eating again even though it had only been 2 hours since our big breakfast at the Hut. I got good photos of the cog railroad train and looking back at Mt. Washington. We skirted around Mt. Adams. At Madison Hut, there were 2 bunkrooms with 32 bunks in each and the place was full. I had a really bad night as I had a person with sleep aphnea (sp?) right above me and he rocked the entire bunk. I found myself waiting and listening to make sure he started breathing again, even though I wanted to strangle him he was so loud. We saw Spirit and 3 other south bounders at the Hut.