morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-04
From: NH25

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

Definitely a full day of hiking - the first in the White Mountains. After a great sleep at the hostel in a hammock, I was up and hiking early. The day started with a 3,200 foot ascent up Mt. Mouselocki (sp?). It wasn't nearly as bad a climb as I feared. Taking it slow and steady, I was at the top before I knew it. This is the first mountain above tree line, and it was...brisk on top. OK, more than brisk. There was a 50 mph wind at least, making it tough to stay on the trail without being blown over. I don't know what the temperature was, but I soon lost feeling in my hands. At the top were amazing views all around, including a peek at Mt. Washington. There were a pile of rocks made into a wall and wind screen where Yellow Snowman, Bill the Pony and a few others found some temporary relief from the wind. We couldn't stay too long, though. It was just too cold.The hike down was extremely steep. There was a beautiful brook with waterfalls paralleling the trail. I couldn't divert my attention to admire the creek. I didn't want to slip and, well, die. Going down took longer than going up. Eventually I made it to Kinsman Notch just in time to see two very low-flying A-10 Warthogs fly along the road and bank to go through the gap I'd just hiked through. I haven't seen the news lately. Are we at war with Canada? Hitching in to Lincoln and staying at a hostel there was tempting, but I decided to move on. Another 2,000 foot climb took me over Wolf Mountain. It was getting dark, so I started to hustle to the shelter. By 7:30 I needed my headlamp and kept moving. I would have stopped and camped, but the water source I was counting on was dry. The final 3 miles were hiked with no water. When I was within 1/2 mile of the shelter, I managed to trip over a root or stick, slip off the trail and crash into some dead trees - hard. Luckily, I escaped with only some scratches on my leg and a deep bruise on my palm. Everyone was passed out at the shelter, so I set up my tent, made dinner and crashed for the night. It was a long, good day of hiking.
Date: 2007-09-05
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Franconia Notch, Interstate 93 / US 3
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

A nice, relaxing day. I knew it would be a low-mileage day, so I hung out at the shelter until 9:30 or so. Bigfoot, Bill the Pony and Big Blue headed out before me, as did a Dartmouth hiking group, but I caught up with them soon enough. It was cold in the morning, but warmed up quickly as I began climbing the 2,000 feet up Kinsman Mountain. Bill the Pony was racing ahead (as usual, ponies having way too much energy), so I continued on with Big Blue and Bigfoot. The views from Kinsman were spectacular - especially looking over the Franconia Range - a 12-mile section mostly above tree line that I'll be wandering over tomorrow. A few miles before a road crossing we came upon Lonesome Hut - a lodge run by the Appalachian Money, er, Mountain Club (AMC.) There are few opportunities to camp for free in the White Mountains. The AMC owns just about everything, and everything costs money. Don't even ask what it cost us to order sunrise. Anyway, most huts have lunch available - especially "bottomless bowls of soup." Well, Bill the Pony got to the hut first, and found the bottom of the bowl, leaving only two more bowls for everyone else. As I still had some food, I settled for pepperoni, cheese and red pepper on a bagel for lunch. An easy three miles later, we were at Franconia Notch, where we planned on hitching into Lincoln to stay at a hostel there. As I was chatting with Bill the Pony, a car pulled up and offered us a ride. They knew exactly where the hostel was (Chet's Place.) Didn't even have to stick out my thumb. Big Blue and Bigfoot had a different experience. While trying to hitch, two state trooper cars pulled up and told them in very clear terms that hitching on an interstate was illegal. Oops. The "hostel" is run out of Chet's house - an avid hiker who was seriously injured in 2001 when an MSR fuel canister he was using blew up. Doctors said they had never seen anyone burned as bad as he was - especially his lungs - and survive. Well, survive he did. Unable to do much hiking now, he opens his home up to thru-hikers. His garage is full of bunks, and he has plans to build outdoor showers and a small observation platform/firetower in the future. There's about a dozen thru-hikers here this evening. I'm definitely back in a "bubble" of hikers. It makes sense, as we're all heading to the same place, and we're all on the same deadline. After dinner (a 12-inch cheese pizza - there were no leftovers), we headed back to the hostel to drink a beer or two, relax, and get some sleep in preparation for tomorrow's hike up and over Franconia Ridge.
Date: 2007-09-06
From: Franconia Notch, Interstate 93 / US 3

To: Franconia Notch, Interstate 93 / US 3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

An unexpected zero day at Chet's Place. I know, I know. But I didn't get moving early enough, blah, blah, blah. Nice and relaxing day.
Date: 2007-09-07
From: Franconia Notch, Interstate 93 / US 3

To: AMC - Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

I was up early, eager to get on the trail. First thing first - I walked the 1 1/2 miles to North Woodstock and Peg's Restaurant for breakfast. While there, I ran into Chuck Norris, Tigger, Bum Bum and several others. They were getting a shuttle to the trailhead. Count me in!After a brief detour to pick up Bill the Pony (I tried to convince the driver to keep moving - he's all trouble), we hit the trail around 10. The initial climb was intense, but once you got above treeline, the views were spectacular. This was an area that actually lived up to the hype. Climbing over Libble Haystack (4,760 ft), Mt. Lincoln (5,089 ft) and Mt. Lafayette (5,249 ft), I took my time and plenty of breaks to enjoy the views. Clear, a bit of haze in the distance with temperatures in the 60's, it was perfect hiking weather. There were lots of French Canadians, college groups and various other day hikers about. There was also a traveling circus - well, at least 4 clowns - hanging out. (From a distance, I thought they were more French Canadians.) I managed to get a pony ride from them (wait for the picture.) I hope Bill the Pony won't be too angry that I climbed on top of what I assume is his sister...I could have spent all day on top of Franconia Ridge, but had to get going eventually. After a steep descent and an unexpectedly steep climb up Mt. Garfield (with a great stealth camping spot right on top), I finally reached Galehead Hut.Run by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), huts are essentially small lodges offering food and bunks for those willing to pay around $80 a night. Too steep for my hiker budget. They also offer work-for-stay to long-distance hikers. I arrived pretty late, but was told there was plenty to do by other thru-hikers. Unfortunately, the AMC staff didn't agree. I hung out for a bit, chatted with Just Jack, who had gotten off the trail in VA or PA to flip-flop (jumping north to Katahdin and hiking south.) Finally, I hiked on. Or so the AMC staff thought. I hiked all of 20 feet down a side trail, laid out my sleeping bag and cowboy camped. The weather was great, and the stars even better. Not a bad way to end the day.
Date: 2007-09-08
From: AMC - Galehead Hut

To: South Peak of Mt. Clinton
Miles today: 21.4

One benefit of cowboy camping is getting up nice and early. As the days got shorter - we're losing 3 minutes of light a day - getting started earlier is even more important. So by 5:30 I was awake, hiking by 6.The first climb was tough. Right off I had a 1,100 foot climb over less than a mile. I didn't sleep well and wasn't fully awake, and it took its toll. By 7am I was on the top of Mt. Guyot. It was foggy, so there were no views, but it was very peaceful. Taking shelter from the wind behind some rocks, I spent some time on the top before moving on.After a steep and slow climb down, I came to Zeeland Falls Hut and took advantage of their $2 bottomless bowl of soup. I also polished off their leftover breakfast pancakes and some delicious homemade bread. This hut is located near a beautiful stream with lots of waterfalls. Over an hour later I was hiking again. The trail was beautiful, mostly flat and free of rocks and roots, and I moved at a good clip. At the bottom of Crawford Notch I took some time to eat a late lunch and relax. I was there longer than was prudent. Finally, around 5:30 I started up the 2,100 foot climb to Webster Cliffs, my destination for the night. The top of the cliffs was beautiful - especially just before sundown. I saw storm clouds moving in, and I discovered I had less water than I thought - less than one liter. These two situations convinced me to keep going to Mizpah Spring Hut, 4.5 miles away.It quickly turned dark, and a thick, thick fog moved in. I also had two mountains to climb - Mt. Webster and Mt. Jackson. It would have been an easy hike in the day, but at night, with wet rocks and poor visability, it turned into an adventure. Climbing up steep rock faces (some verticle), trying to follow the trail across rocky ridges with visability around 15 feet, I had to take it slowly so I didn't accidentally walk over an unseen cliff or drop. It was a long, exhausting (yet fun) trek. Around 10pm, I finally pulled into the hut.Everyone was already passed out. Rather than disturb everyone, I filled up on water and set out again to find a place to stealth camp. I certainly wasn't going to pay to camp there.So off I went, into the dark and fog, and over the South Peak of Mt. Clinton, before finally spotting a spot just off the trail just big enough for me and my sleeping bag. Exhausted, I had a dinner of poptarts and hot chocolate, and went to sleep under the stars.
Date: 2007-09-09
From: South Peak of Mt. Clinton

To: AMC - Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: fog

Up again around 5:30, I snoozed a bit longer until I could see without my headlamp. As I was packing up and waiting for my breakfast of oatmeal to cool off, the drizzle started. Donning my raingear, I ate while getting wet, then started out.It was raining on and off, and the trail was covered in fog. Above treeline for the next 12 miles, I was literally walking into the clouds. While I've heard the views are great from this area, the fog created its own beauty. I felt completely isolated and at peace. It was a great hike.As I continued over rocks, ledges, Mt. Clinton and Mt. Franklin, it turned colder, the wind picked up, and it started raining harder. If I stopped, I'd get cold, and this is perfect hypothermia weather. It was enjoyable, but very slow going. After only a few miles I came to Lake of the Clouds hut, just 1.5 miles from the peak of Mt. Washington. This is the largest hut in the White Mountains, able to accomodate 96 guests. Warm and dry, I once again tackled the bottomless bowl of soup, finishing up 9 bowls in my first sitting. With the rain getting stronger and stronger, I had no desire to continue on. So I agreed to a work-for-stay arrangement. For an hour or two of work, I could sleep inside and eat dinner and breakfast for free. The rain continued, and soon every nearby thru-hiker was here: Tennis, Bigfoot, Stroker, Bill the Pony, and several others. Had a great dinner (eating all the leftovers after all the paying guests finished) and crashed on top of one of the dining room tables as rain beat down. I'm not expecting it to be clear tomorrow, but I'll be extremely happy if the rain ends.
Date: 2007-09-12
From: Pinkham Notch, NH 16

To: Pinkham Notch, NH 16
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Zero day... I got "stuck" in town - again. Good thing for hiker rates at hotels. Shared a room with Bigfoot and Stroker. Back to the trail tomorrow. Oh, anyone looking to spend time in Gorham, NH for its great nightlife, don't bother. The sidewalks roll up around 8pm. Not what I'd call an exciting place, but the people in town are very nice and friendly.
Date: 2007-09-13
From: Pinkham Notch, NH 16

To: Carter Dome
Miles today: 7.1

Looking forward to a big day, that idea was quickly dashed by not getting out of town and hiking until 2pm. (I had to clear up a banking/credit card issue - can't escape the "real world" completely.) It was a tough hike, going over Wildcat Peak E, Peak D, Peak C, B and A. On Peak E there is a gondola/ski lift taking tourists up to the top. It was tempting to take that up, avoiding a 2,000 foot climb, but I resisted.Near sunset - around 7pm - I came to Carter Notch Hut, the final hut in the Whites. I've heard from other hikers and croos at the other huts that this is not the most thru-hiker friendly place. Something about a hiker sleeping with the hut master, but that's trail rumor. Anyway, I filled up on water and moved on, despite the growing darkness. I planned on doing some night hiking to get some miles behind me. Well, the 1,500 foot climb up Carter Dome - after all the other peaks I've climbed, took its toll. I was exhausted! Plus, there was a perfect place to camp right on top. On the summit, at 4,832 feet, it was getting cold. But it was a beautiful, beautiful night. With a clear view of the sky, no visible moon or lights from town, the milky way and the stars just jumped out. It was the best star watching I've ever seen. So wearing nearly all my clothes (long underwear with shorts over them, tee-shirt, fleece jacket and rain jacket, fleece gloves and hat) I made diner and decided to sleep under the stars. My sleeping bag is supposed to keep me warm to 25 degrees, so this was a good chance to test it. Spotting shooting stars, satellites and millions of stars, I fell asleep
Date: 2007-09-14
From: Carter Dome

To: US 2 / Gorham
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

Conversation of the week (from Tuesday)Politician: "So, any idea what you'll be doing when you finish up?"Stroker: "I'm thinking of going back to work at a restaurant in Iowa. They said I can study under their master baker."Politician: "So you want to become a professional master baker, huh? Guess that's why they call you Stroker."(if you don't get it, keep re-reading. it will come to you.)I slept well, not cold at all (it's amazing how warm a full beard will keep your face.) Not cold - until around 5am. A pre-dawn mist had moved in, soaking my sleeping bag. Down bags are great, but lose their insulation when wet. Well, it was wet now. Time to get moving.I quickly packed up in the damp and cold. The wind was picking up, and my hands quickly became stiff from the cold. I was hiking by 6am, with just enough light to see. Dawn was beautiful. Hiking over Mt. Hight, South Carter Mountain, Middlet Carter Mtn, and North Carter Mtn, there was some climbing, but very enjoyable. Towards the end of this section I saw a sign for a side trail that would take me directly into Gorham, eliminating the need to hitch. The trail went over an additional mountain (Mt. Moriah), but I decided to give it a shot. The mileage was about the same. The views from the mountain were the best of the day, and the trail down was nice and easy. Fall was in the air, and by mid-afternoon I was back in Gorham. Skip was in town, Bigfood wandered in, and we all split a room. The big milestone today - I have less than 300 miles to go, and less than 17 miles to the border of Maine. There's supposed to be rain tomorrow, but Maine is calling.
Date: 2007-09-15
From: US 2 / Gorham

To: Trident Col
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: moderate rain

Now before you look at the number of miles I did today and think "he's taking it easy again today," let me remind you that in this area, every mile is earned. Especially in the rain and cold.I woke up to a miserable day. A steady rain, accompanied by temperatures in the low-40's. So I did the smart thing for once - stayed the hell inside. After sorting through all my equipment and repacking, I ventured out for breakfast. During the 45 minute wait to finally get a table, I stepped across the street to a bookstore and picked up a $2 copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance and Other Essays." I'm almost finished with "Into the Wild" about a well-off, self-righteous 20-something kid who romanticized nature and Alaska and set out to live off the land and ended up getting himself killed. Look for the movie, coming soon (seriously.)Anyway, after a long, slow breakfast and reading the Boston Globe newspaper cover to cover, I set out into the rain which was starting to let up. Keeping with my goal of walking continuously from GA to ME - even if I do rarely step off the AT and take an alternate route - I walked 1 1/2 miles out of town in search of a side trail up Mt. Hayes that links up with the AT. Of course, I added another mile to my trip trying to find the trailhead, but with the assistance of a local couple out for a walk, I was finally on my way.The rain eventually turned into an occasional drizzle, accompanied by a strong, cold wind. While hiking up the mountain, I could either keep my rain jacket on and sweat, or wear my hiking tee-shirt and be cold. I alternated back and forth. (I stayed with the shorts, however. I've only hiked in long pants 3 or 4 days this whole trip.) The trail was soaked, with wet rocks and roots, mud and often 1-2 inches of standing water. I picked up new boots two weeks ago and the rubber toe guard is already separating and letting water in. Within an hour, my feet were soaked. These were my hiking conditions for nearly 5 hours.At a tenting site I stopped for a late lunch. While there, I realized that I only had 45 miles before I reach Andover, ME, where I have a package from Ally being delivered on Tuesday. So rather than continuing on another 5 miles to a shelter, probably arriving after dark, I decided to stay here for the night. Why continue hiking in horrible conditions, just to arrive in town a day before my package?So up went the tent, I got water from a nearby spring and purified it, set up my stove and made hot chocolate, changed into dry clothes, tossed in the gear I'd need into the tent, and crawled in. These are my typical "chores" every night when I stop. I still need to cook dinner, clean my pot, return everything to my food bag and hang it between two trees (preventing bears, raccoons, mice and other critters from chowing down), and then I can go to sleep. Hopefully I'll be warm enough tonight. I just realized my sleeping bag isn't completely dry. Only one way to find out....
Date: 2007-09-16
From: Trident Col

To: Full Goose Shelter & Campsite
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

A few weeks ago I mentioned how good it felt to be back in the mountains, with good climbs. If I ever say something like that again, someone please hit me upside the head.It was brisk when I woke up - and by brisk I mean freezing. Once I got my blood flowing and was able to convince myself to step into wet boots, I was off. A few miles later, 2,000 feet higher and several hours later, I finally reached the top of Mt. Success. This climb never seemed to end. Up 1,000 feet, down 500 feet, up 800 feet, down 400 feet, etc... Not to worry. I definitely got a boost when I hit the Maine border. My last state!!! 281.4 miles left in this journey. But first, five miles to the next shelter. Usually when I see mountains with similar names - such as West Peak of Goose Eye Mtn, East Peak of Goose Eye Mtn, and North Peak of Goose Eye Mtn, I expect them to be all along a ridge, with moderate descents and ascents between peaks. Well, not this time!! Oh no! Some of the steepest climbs I've experienced so far, and just as steep descents. Once you're on the top, you go all the way down 1,500 feet before climbing all the way up again to the next peak. It was a tough, tough day. I went over the final peak at night with the cold coming in quickly, and hit the shelter around 9pm. Skip was there, as was Talker Man, Big Blue and Bill the Pony - all of whom were passed out when I arrived. Exhausted, I had two packages of pop tarts for dinner and quickly found my sleeping bag.
Date: 2007-09-17
From: Full Goose Shelter & Campsite

To: Speck Pond Campsite
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: clear sky

This is my 5-month anniversary of hiking. I can't believe I've been out here this long, or that I'll be finished in just a couple of weeks. It was extremely cold in the morning. We all hung around the shelter for quite awhile, huddled in our sleeping bags until 10am or so, when we finally got moving. After an easy, quick climb up Falling Mountain and a quick, steep 1,000 foot descent, we all met up again at Mahoosuc Notch.I've been hearing about this notch since Virginia, for two reasons. First, there's a dead moose right on the trail. And second, this is supposedly the single most difficult mile of the trail. Well, a badly decomposed moose was at the beginning of the notch. Apparently, it had broken its leg and couldn't get out of the rocky area. As to the difficulty? It isn't the hardest portion of the trail, but it is the slowest. There are house-sized boulders you have to go over, around and under. Every step needs to be carefully planned. Between boulders could be 30-foot drops. In some places, I had to take my pack off and push it in front of me to get through tight squeezes. It took over two hours to get through this section.After a bit of a break, there was another 2,000 foot climb before a descent to the next shelter. It was a real pleasure to get into a shelter before dark, cook and get myself settled. Tonight it's supposed to dip into the 20's. Time to see just how good my sleeping bag is...
Date: 2007-09-18
From: Speck Pond Campsite

To: East B Hill Road - Andover
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

As I opened my eyes, I heard Big Blue ask if something bit me during the night. Before I could reply, he commented, "Oh, never mind, It's just your face." Man, it's too early for this...I was up and hiking by 8am. It was a beautiful day, but nothing too exciting to report. Lots of ups and downs. Five mountains climbed. I wanted to make it into Andover, so I hustled. I made it to the road crossing around 6pm, completely exhausted. After trying to hitch for 1/2 hour, with only one car passing, I started walking the 8 miles into town, looking for cell phone service. Finally I got a signal, called the hostel and Dave (the owner) came to pick me up. Food, a shower and laundry. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Just me and Critters Dad here. Time for a few beers and a good night sleep.
Date: 2007-09-19
From: East B Hill Road - Andover

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

As usual I didn't get out of town and on the trail until noon. It wasn't that difficult of a trail, but it was slow. Constant ups and downs, which I've almost gotten used to. At the Hall Mountain Lean-to, I ran into DogMan, Crocket and Root Down. I had passed Team Ninja when they went into Bethel, ME to resupply and catch Monday night football, and they passed me when I went into Andover. They were shooting for Old Blue Mountain for the night, and I decided to join them. Well, we weren't moving as fast planned, and by the time we got to South Arm Road, we decided to camp there, along a creek. That was the plan, until Moss showed up in his car. He's been jumping on and off the trail, leaving his car a bit north and hitching south to meet Ninja and hike with them. He surprised everyone at the road crossing, bringing beer. We loaded into his car for a drive into Andover for dinner. After cleaning out all the food at the general store, we headed back. Moss had scoped out a place on a nearby lake, and gotten permission from the owner of some property for us to hang out and sleep there. By the time we arrived, Doc and Joker had a huge fire going. We pulled out more beer and food from the store, and had a great evening. On the dock on the lake, the stars were beautiful. I"m not sure if there was a meteor shower, but I saw at least a dozen shooting stars. We all slept under the stars, warmed by the fire we kept going. The only downside to the evening was when a spark from the fire landed on my sleeping bag, burning a small hole in it. Duct tape patched that up, and I had a great sleep.