morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-28
From: Greenleaf Hut

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 18.4

After a great night¢s sleep and a morning spent with The Croo, Birdman and I paid dearly for our side trip as we marched 1.1 miles straight up back to Mt. Lafayette. It was another day of sunshine and glorious views from Franconia Ridge, but before we had ticked off a single foot on the actual trail we were already sweaty and panting. Thankfully, our stay with the Greenleaf Croo made our pain totally worth it.After a short time finishing the Franconia Ridge (my God, the view!), we slowly dropped back below the tree line. The Whites are well known for the following trail design: climb to the highest nearby peak taking the steepest route possible, descend to the nearest notch/gap taking the steepest route possible, rinse and repeat. The trail often seems more like a boulder scramble or rock climbing, forcing us to ascend sheer rock walls hand over foot or balance delicately as we tiptoe on sharp rocks straight down a mountain. It¢s extremely strenuous and time consuming, as one misplaced step or foothold could mean a twenty foot drop straight down. It¢s also extremely fun and rewarding, giving me an excellent sense of accomplishment at every peak.Our two biggest climbs today were Mt. Garfield (4,500 ft.) and South Twin (4,902 ft.), with the latter being the most vertical, sweat inducing climb so far. Thankfully, we also had two hut stops today ¢ Galehead and Zealand Falls Huts ¢ where we were given snacks and lemonade for hiking fuel. The last five miles of our day were also surprisingly smooth, allowing us to zip to our stopping point before sundown.Ethan Pond Shelter and Campsite is located next to the titular glacial pond, and it beautifully reflected the sunset as the evening drew to a close. The camp is packed tonight, but I was able to share a tent pad with section hiker ¢Hazey¢ (Birdman has a non-freestanding tent and had to find a patch of dirt to tent on). Hazey was thrilled when I told her I was thru-hiking, and she said she would bring a bottle of champagne for Birdman and I at Katahdin¢s summit if she was free. I won¢t get my hopes up, but I also won¢t turn it down if she¢s waiting on Katahdin with a bottle of bubbly.
Date: 2014-06-29
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

To: Lakes Of The Clouds Hut
Miles today: 14.1

Today was a lower mileage day due to one major reason: we REALLY wanted to stay at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. This iconic hut is not only the largest and has a good chance for a work-for-stay, but it also rests in the shadow of the tallest mountain in the Whites, Mt. Washington. Thus, we would be in a good position for an early morning summit and great views of the surrounding Presidential Mountain Range.But first we had to get there. After leaving the campsite, we slowly descended almost 1,500 feet into Crawford Notch, and then climbed 3,000 feet back up onto the ridge. By this point we were popping in and out of tree line, giving us excellent views of Washington rising above us. We stopped briefly at Mizpah Hut, where we snacked on pumpkin bread and other goodies the Croo kept bringing us. We¢ve quickly figured out that thru-hikers are essentially the Croo¢s garbage disposals ¢ any leftovers that go bad have to be carried down the mountain, so they give it to us as free snacks. I sure as heck don¢t mind, as extra food I don¢t have to carry is always a blessing.After our snack, we climbed above tree line and stayed there for the rest of the day. We slowly ascended toward Washington, passing over or near Mt. Pierce (4,312 ft.), Mt. Eisenhower (4,582 ft.), Mt. Franklin (5,004 ft.), and Mt. Monroe (5,163 ft.). Unblocked by the trees, these mountains seemed absolutely gigantic, and it seemed impossible to take a bad picture in any direction. Finally we reached Lakes of the Clouds Hut, situated by two beautiful glacial ponds and offering views both into a nearby valley and up at Washington less than two miles away. We were the first thru-hikers there and were gladly given work-for-stay positions. At only 3:00 PM, our hiking day was over and very successful. It also gave me time to baby my feet a bit, which had gotten a bit torn up after being completely soaked on our Moosilauke summit.While we waited for dinner and our work assignments, two south bounders showed up and also secured work-for-stay spots. They are two brothers, ¢Squeaks¢ and ¢Pants on Fire¢, who are great conversationalists and all too eager to share their insights about the trail in Maine. We also shared some tips about the rest of the trail down south ¢ particularly places to eat ¢ but left out enough to where they could still have the joy of discovering the trail on their own. Close to dinner time Cool Breeze also showed up, adding his distinct, laid-back personality to our already eclectic group of hikers.At around 6:00 PM dinner was served, and by 7:00 PM we hikers were feasting on stuffed shells, green peas, and brownies. After watching the sun set over the valley, I was once again given the job of scrubbing the stove eyes ¢ perhaps my reputation preceded me. Now I am tucked in on the dining room floor, thinking about climbing the tallest mountain in New England.
Date: 2014-07-01
From: White Birches Camping Park

To: White Mountains Lodge & Hostel
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: broken clouds

After finally getting up and out of the hostel and back to the trailhead, today turned into a surprisingly productive day. We started the day with an extremely difficult climb, ascending 2,000 feet to the first peak of Wildcat Mountain (4,422 ft.). Supposedly Wildcat has the steepest uphill climb outside of Katahdin, but while it was long and strenuous, I truthfully thought it wasn¢t too bad. Wildcat has at least five separate peaks (we traversed four of them), and is a very popular spot for New Hampshire skiers. At the top of peak D, a ski gondola continually unloaded dozens of kids and tour guides escorting them on short hikes around the summit. It was extremely odd to go from virtual isolation to being surrounded by children, so after a brief snack break, Birdman and I escaped back into the woods.A few hours later we stopped at the last hut of our trip, Carter Notch Hut, and once again reaped a huge lunch. It will be sad tomorrow when I actually have to plan out my lunch. I helped alleviate my sadness by ingesting large amounts of potato soup and pumpkin bread.It was around this time that Birdman and I made a big decision: instead of having a medium-sized day of around 15 miles (nothing to sneeze at in the Whites), we made the potentially disastrous decision to push over twenty miles to another renowned hostel. This decision could have worked out in two ways: one, our remaining climbs would go by quickly and relatively easily, getting us to the hostel around 8:00 PM; or two, we would vastly underestimate the severity of the terrain and roll in well after dark. Thankfully, our hike was difficult (I hate you, North Carter Mountain) yet quick, passing over three large mountains in just a few hours. After that, it was a smooth, gently sloping riverside path all the way to the hostel.The White Mountains Lodge and Hostel is located in a large colonial style white home, and the owner, Marni Bumsted, definitely knows how to treat hikers well. The fridge is full of Coke, pizza, and Ben & Jerry¢s ice cream, and there are multiple showers to wash the daily grunge away. The hostel is absolutely packed with southbound thru-hikers, with Birdman and I being the only NoBo hikers here. It¢s fun to see them, actually, because they are still very early in their hikes. Many of them seem completely unprepared for the task at hand, which was probably what we all looked like in that stage of our journey. Either way, it was fun having a bit of comradery between us NoBo¢s and the SoBo¢s, and we all stayed up late eating ice cream and watching Beverly Hills Cop 2. We all miss you, 80¢s era Eddie Murphy.
Date: 2014-07-02
From: White Mountains Lodge & Hostel

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Sleeping in after a long day of hiking feels like a million dollars, so Birdman and I passed on crossing the Maine border today in favor of grabbing some extra shut-eye. We also had to resupply today, which meant wandering around Walmart deciding what we were and were not willing to carry. By the time we got back to the hostel, packed our food bags, and ate lunch, it was 12:30 PM before we were on the trail again. Combine that with a mostly uphill climb, and that meant we weren't going far today.Another factor was the heat reaching temperatures above 90 degrees for the first time during this hike. Ninety degrees is hot just sitting still; it is suffocating when hiking uphill. We stopped at every stream we saw to guzzle water, trying to replace all the water we lost from pouring sweat.Shortly into our day today, we ran into a hiker I haven¢t seen since Georgia, named ¢Turtle¢ (or ¢Professor Turtle¢, though he just graduated from undergrad), this hiker has somehow stayed significantly ahead of us despite being a self-described ¢slow hiker¢. While I have heard he tends to cut corners in order to stay ahead of the pack (AKA ¢Blue/Yellow Blazing¢), he has a good personality and is an interesting conversationalist.Tomorrow Birdman and I will cross into Maine, our 14th and final state on the trail. After months of hard work, it seems surreal that the end is so near. Granted, Maine is still home to 280 miles of trail, so we will be here for a few weeks at least. Being able to actually pinpoint a proposed summit date ¢ July 21st! ¢ makes the trip¢s end seem even more final.As we got to the shelter, a rain shower slowly drifted over the mountains, making everything nice and slippery for tomorrow. Southern Maine is a notoriously difficult section, so we might as well start with a wet trail for the extra challenge.Gentian Pond's water source was apparently taken over by beavers in the past few years, so even after doubling the amount of time I usually allow for Aquamira to purify, my mind still couldn't stop picturing what was floating around in my water. Looks like I might not fully re-hydrate tonight...
Date: 2014-07-03
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was without a doubt, my most physically challenging day on the trail so far. While we officially left the White Mountains National Park today after summiting the appropriately named Mt. Success, we have been warned that southern Maine is essentially the Whites Part 2, plus mud. Whoever told us that was definitely on the money.That being said, Maine is absolutely gorgeous, filled with evergreens, ferns, and views of nearby lakes and ponds. I immediately understood why so many hikers fall in love with this beautiful place. In fact, I think its ruggedness is half of the beauty, for even though we are on the AT, so much of the surrounding country seems virtually untouched by man.That doesn¢t make the terrain any easier to traverse, though, and Birdman and I were huffing and puffing as we slowly conquered sheer cliff climbs, wicked descents, and mile long root tangles. At one point we climbed rebar and wooden ladders straight up a cliff face for at least 100 feet. It was unlike anything we had done before.And then came Mahoosuc Notch, the ¢most difficult mile of the Appalachian Trail.¢ Mahoosuc Notch is essentially a narrow canyon filled with huge boulders; likely drug there by a glacier as it carved through the mountains, these boulders must be climbed over, crawled under, skirted around and balanced on for over a mile. The Notch was extremely cool ¢ literally! Because of the depth of the canyon and the boulders blocking the sunlight, ice is present beneath the boulders year round. This actually helped out tremendously, making this the only section of the trail that was air conditioned. Traversing the Notch was hard, taking at least an hour, and requiring me to use all of my hiking skills to avoid slipping and falling into the crevices between the boulders. It was also one of the most entertaining and fun sections of the trail, providing a great diversion from my usual routine of ¢walk forward.¢Then Maine gave us our real welcome. After using up so much energy traversing the Notch, the trail led us straight up Mahoosuc Arm. This approximately 1,700 foot climb required hand-over-hand cliff scrambles, extremely steep hiking, and had almost no places to rest during the entire ascent. Again, it may have been primarily due to being tired from the Notch, but I absolutely hated going up Mahoosuc Arm.Thankfully, our campsite is helping to soothe my weary body. Located on Speck Pond, the water is practically begging to be used. I¢m currently dangling my feet in the cool water as I write this journal, and suddenly the day seems like it will be one of the most memorable ones. Mahoosuc Arm still sucks, though.Day one of Maine: complete.
Date: 2014-07-04
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Pine Ellis Hostel (Andover, ME)
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: moderate rain

Happy Independence Day! Today I celebrated by hiking in the beautiful southern Maine mountains ¢ not the worst way to spend America¢s birthday.After several days of threatening conditions, the rain finally found us sometime after sundown last night. Also after sundown, one of the nastiest south bounders (nay, hikers!) I¢ve ever met came into the shelter, shining his headlamp on us and talking as loudly as possible. As he shoveled handfuls of trail mix into his mouth, smacking loudly and blowing chunks of food out with every word, he happily informed us that he spent half of the day throwing up. Yet he couldn¢t be bothered to take any time off to heal, of course ¢ ¢Gotta keep making these miles!¢ He also scoffed when I told him we usually got up at 5:30 AM, saying that we needed to get up before sunrise: ¢That's how you get it done!¢ Gee, I wish I had known that when I started in Georgia 1,900 miles ago...At risk of being labeled the jerk of the shelter, I asked that he sleep away from the rest of us to avoid spreading whatever he has. He agreed, thankfully, but retaliated by waking us all up at 4:30 AM and stomping around the shelter for an hour. I was not sad to see him disappear south.Thankfully, he took the rain with him, and Birdman and I spent the first part of the day with dry clothes. Yet even that did not last, as the rain and heavy winds returned as we began our ascent of Baldpate Mountain (3,810 ft.). Much of Baldpate¢s two peaks are granite slabs above tree line, meaning we were lashed with freezing, wet gusts of up to 30 mph winds. It¢s not that often that I¢m chilly when climbing uphill, but this was definitely one of those times. The climb itself also became precarious due to the rain, as angled rock slabs coated with water are ¢ surprise! ¢ Not the best surfaces for boot traction. Thankfully, aside from one slip and slide that filled my pants with pine needles, our climb proceeded without incident.From conversations with other hikers, we discovered that Hurricane Arthur was going to visit us tonight, so we decided to evacuate the woods in favor of a solid roof. Thus, after a quick hitch, we found ourselves at Pine Ellis Hostel in tiny Andover, ME. This farmhouse is full of characters, particularly David, a Guatemalan who specializes in making jewelry from moose poop. ¢Your wife will love it!¢ he claims. I can¢t vouch for her, but I¢m not convinced that moose poop earrings will match her style.Around 7:00 PM, the rains finally started in earnest, making me immediately happy to be here. We may not have fireworks, but watching this grand natural display while not having to be in it is a great way to celebrate the 4th.
Date: 2014-07-05
From: Pine Ellis Hostel (Andover, ME)

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-To
Miles today: 18.8

After a huge breakfast at a local diner, we got back to the AT around 9:30 AM with clean clothes, full bellies and lifted spirits. Though everything was absolutely soaked and flooded from Arthur¢s visit, the rains had stopped entirely and left behind heavy winds. That made for an entirely different experience going uphill, with the breeze cooling us off as we pushed up several steep climbs.Today was our first of many upcoming river fords. In truth, had it not rained so heavily last night, we likely could have rock-hopped across. Yet thanks to Arthur, the river was roughly a foot higher than usual, submerging the usual path of stepping stones. Thankfully, the current was still gentle, so I was able to use the stepping stones barefoot without risking being swept down into the deeper parts of the river.We had two decent climbs today, Moody Mountain (2,440 ft.) and Old Blue (3,600 ft.). Yet both climbs were relatively quick and easy thanks to the trail being excellently maintained. Any particularly steep section had stone steps placed in the hillside, both preventing erosion and helping us maintain solid traction on the slopes. Whereas some sections of the Whites seemed like someone had simply drawn a line over the mountains and said ¢There¢s the trail,¢ the Maine trail seems lovingly crafted to maximize enjoyment and longevity.We¢re staying tonight at Bemis Mountain Lean-To, with winds howling overhead. ¢Lean-To¢ is just the Maine term for ¢shelter¢ as far as I can tell, as there seems to be little difference between this structure and those further south. I¢m currently listening to the far-off booms of fireworks, as people were unable to get their explosion fix yesterday due to the rain. I find it strangely relaxing, though, and I expect I will be in Dreamland soon.
Date: 2014-07-06
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-To

To: Farmhouse Inn (Rangely, ME)
Miles today: 17.7

The winds have finally settled somewhat, but we awoke to trails that were still completely saturated from Arthur¢s downpour. I have my assumption that this is the normal state of being in this section of Maine, though, as there are bog boards everywhere. I may just have to get used to wet feet from this point out.Last night we shared the shelter with two NoBo section hikers, ¢Socks¢ and ¢Spider-Man.¢ We have been crossing paths with these two for several days, so it was nice to actually talk to them for more than five minutes. They are doing a long section hike from Massachusetts to Katahdin, so it is very likely that we will bump into them a time or two more before the end.Birdman and I left the shelter before them, so we spent the majority of the day hiking by ourselves. Terrain-wise, today was extremely uneventful, making for a seemingly slow slog through the Maine mud pits. We dropped into a notch briefly to cross over a large brook (we just shimmied across a fallen tree), but soon enough we were back up on the ridge dodging mud puddles. It was surprisingly tiring work, as there were also several short-but-steep climbs thrown into the mix. My shoes were also nearly swallowed by the mud on more than one occasion, as I sunk nearly to my knee. I¢m sure part of my exhaustion has simply been due to the extremity of the terrain since New Hampshire. The rest is likely just because I have been hiking for a long, long time. We were planning on staying somewhere in Rangely, ME today, and after several south bounders¢ recommendations we decided to try out a newly-opened hostel not in our guidebooks, the Farmhouse Inn. Luckily it turned out to be a good choice, with clean bunks and a full kitchen for our use. After showers and a run to the grocery store for resupply, they also fired up the grill and provided us with a huge amount of hot dogs. We all contributed to the meal, with fresh green beans being my donation. It was a tasty dinner that actually filled me up for once.With 220 miles to go, I have set my proposed arrival date for the base of Katahdin: July 20th. While I¢m sure we could get there even sooner, setting this date will give us some leeway in the event of bad weather or, more likely, allow our hike to be more leisurely. It will be over before I know it, so I plan to enjoy these last two weeks as much as possible.
Date: 2014-07-07
From: Farmhouse Inn (Rangely, ME)

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-To
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Pressing the snooze button on my watch felt glorious this morning. Birdman had a package waiting at the post office, and since the doors didn¢t open until 9:30 AM, that meant we had the perfect excuse to sleep in. At 7:00 AM we finally arose and made ourselves breakfast: eggs, pancakes, hash browns, English muffins, and coffee. I felt much more satisfied than after my typical Pop Tart breakfast.When the shuttle left for town, Birdman and I split duties: I went to the laundromat and washed our nasty hiking clothes, while Birdman went to the post office to collect his package and mail home a few things for both of us. By the time he arrived the clothes were ready to go, and we walked to a nearby deli for a quick lunch.During our stay at the Farmhouse Inn, we bunked with an older southbound thru-hiker named ¢Tiger.¢ Tiger had reconstructive surgery on his spine after an old war injury led to extreme scoliosis. Now he has two titanium rods in his back and is hiking the AT before his condition degenerates any further. He is a genuinely interesting man and always had a story to tell, from working with the government as a plane crash investigator to briefly being Jimmy Buffet¢s neighbor. He is moving slowly because of his condition ¢ approximately one mile an hour! ¢ And hopes he can make it all the way south before winter hits in earnest. Good luck, Tiger!After lunch, we were shuttled back to the trailhead by the hostel owners, who asked us for advice on how to improve the hostel for hikers. We were all too happy to give a few tips, even though we genuinely enjoyed our stay.Due to our late start, we didn¢t plan a very long day today. This turned out to be a very good thing indeed, as the mountains we crossed were the closest to the terrain of the Whites we have seen since New Hampshire. It was a series of three mountains ¢ Saddleback (4,120 ft.), The Horn (4,032 ft.), and Saddleback Junior (3,655 ft.) ¢ and all of them were above tree line. This section offered the best views so far in Maine, with Rangely Lake and several large ponds resting between the mountain ranges. Much like the Whites, the terrain was very steep and full of small boulders, forcing us to move slowly. The summits were sheer granite and though it started to sprinkle when we were climbing Saddleback Junior, it never got wet enough to where we had to worry about slipping.We stopped for the night at Poplar Ridge Lean-To, situated next to a small brook that creates the perfect water-trickle sound for sleeping. I have seen at least two huge snowshoe hares in the area, which are even bigger than I imagined.Today marked the end of month four on the trail for me, and tomorrow I will have less than 200 miles left to go to the summit of Katahdin. Things are moving quickly now that it¢s hard to believe my trek has almost reached its end. We still have some hard miles to do, though, so I can¢t start celebrating yet.