morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-18
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I can't believe it has been 150 days since I left Springer Mt. I am just now starting to see the Whites. Was hoping to do more miles today but the terrain has been tricky. 1 1/2 miles an hour is considered a great pace. Followed the Beaver Brook Falls all the way to the bottom to Kinsman Notch where, to my suprise, was a sign saying trail magic. John, a guy wanting to thru-hike with his son Mike next year, was passing out Dunkin Donuts, candy bars, Whoopee Pies, coffee cake, bananas, soda and beer. He really knows what hikers want. He also said he has been reading my journal. I look forward to reading his next year. I then climbed Mt. Wolf and took the short side trail to the summit. It was a great view of our summits in 2 more days. Here with Solo, Pheonix Rising, Longstride and Silver girl. Another short mileage day tomorrow to resupply.
Date: 2012-08-19
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Got a good start at 6:30. It got into the 40's this morning. First order of the day was to climb 1,900 feet to the summit of South Kinsman Mt. and North Kinsman Mt. It was a beautiful day making the view just that much greater. These White Mts. are gorgeous. I keep seeing Franconia Ridge and hear how much better the view is there and I can't wait. I then made the long descent when I came to the first of the huts, the Lonesome Lake Hut. These huts are geared more for the tourist than the hikers with rates of $85 to $120 a night. They do take a couple of hikers for work for stay but otherwise you pay. The shelters and named campsites are also $8 a night so most of us try to stealth camp. I got into town here in Lincoln by hitch hiking. I got a ride straight to Chet's house. Chet was a big hiker until he had an oven explode in his face putting him in a wheelchair. He has opened his home to thru hikers since 2007 for donations. He also offers work for stays. When I got there Sipsy was there. It was great to see him again. Got my resupply and shower so it's time for sleep.
Date: 2012-08-20
From: Franconia Notch

To: Garfield Pond
Miles today: 9.2

I am truly blessed here in the Whites with another great day. Sipsy dropped me off at the interstate which saved me 1/2 a mile of backtracking. I climbed up to Franconia Ridge which consists of Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette Mountains. It is almost all above tree line. Another clear day so I took a ton of pics. I spent a lot of time up on Franconia Ridge. I am just amazed by the views. There are tons of day hikers and people out camping for a couple of days. I finally left the top of the ridge at about 3:00 pm and headed to Garfield Pond. I am all set up and have had dinner. Here comes Sparky and Passionflower. See you later.
Date: 2012-08-21
From: Garfield Pond

To: Stealth Camp (Zealand Hut)
Miles today: 11.0

Hit the trail at 7:00 am. Sparky and Passionflower were still in their tents. Made the steep climb up Mt. Garfield when I ran into a couple that said they had snow flurries up there last night. Couldn't see much as it was cloudy this morning so I dropped down just to start an even steeper climb up South Twin Mt. Had a great view from there but forgot to take pics. That's OK because it is pretty much the same mountains I already got. The rest of the day was pretty much downhill. I did get a pic of Mt Gayot though as I came toward it. I took a side trail to the summit of Zealand Mt. but when I got there all it was was a small clearing with no view. I had lunch there and continued toward the Zealand Falls Hut as I am camped just north of it. This is a nice spot with good water nearby. Another 10 miles tomorrow then Mt Washington on Thursday. Praying for good weather.
Date: 2012-08-22
From: Stealth Camp (Zealand Hut)

To: Mt Monroe Loop Trail
Miles today: 18.0

Another early start at 6:45. Had the huge campsite all to myself. Entered the Presidential Mountain Range. The morning went fast with the level terrain. Then came the climb. I gained 3,900 ft of elevation. I was on the Webster Cliffs then I hit the Summits of Mt. Webster, Mt. Jackson and Mt. Pierce (Mt. Clinton). I then skirted Mt. Eisenhower, summited Mt. Franklin and finally tented on the trail itself at the base of Mt. Monroe. Not supposed to be camped out in the Alpine Zone but it was dark and I thought it better to be safe than to hike at night in this rugged terrain. That's it for tonight except I want to thank Solo for buying me a bowl of soup and some cake which gave me the energy to get this far.
Date: 2012-08-23
From: Mt Monroe Loop Trail

To: Osgood Tent Site
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: fog

Broke camp before daylight. I thought it best seeing I was in the Alpine Zone and tenting is prohibited due to the fragile eco system. That is why I tented right on the trail itself. I got to the Lakes of the Clouds hut and got water. Sat there for a while and watched this cloud move over Mt Washington. I thought it would be gone in a couple of minutes but it just kept rolling. It was forming at the top of the mountain continuously. I decided to get up and wait at the top seeing there is a snack bar and I could get something to eat while I waited for the weather to clear. I got there at 9:00 am and the cloud started to break at 11:30. I then went outside and got a couple of pics before going on with my journey. As I was descending I tripped and almost fell down the mountain. It was a close one. Once I got started on Mt Clay it became one long boulder hop at ridgeline for 4 miles followed by a steep descent for 3 more miles. This has been the hardest 7 miles of my trip thus far. It has also been some of the most rewarding as the views have been unending. I am here at the Osgood tent site with F.M., Medicine Man, White Wolf, Tater Tot, and her father Dakota Dan, Pants on Fire, Sunkist, and Roller. Going to call it a night.
Date: 2012-08-24
From: Osgood Tent Site

To: Wildcat Pass
Miles today: 10.6

Great nights sleep. Took off about 8 am for an easier morning into Pinkham Notch and then to tackle the Wildcats. Another great weather day. The locals say that this great weather rarely lasts this long. Lots of water sources this morning so no sweat there. When I got to Pinkham Notch I went into the visitors center to get a shower. I also did my laundry in the shower. Felt good to be clean again even though it lasted less than an hour. After the shower I went back upstairs to order lunch and as I was walking into the dining area this woman called out "Voltron, it's great to see you" It was Wing Wing who I had hiked with early on along with her husband Zig Zag. I was supposed to stay at their house with Passionflower but decided to stay in the woods as much as possible. I am hoping for a raincheck when I come back for my section hike though. After lunch I headed up Wildcat E which was very challenging with plenty of hand over hand climbing. I even took a side trail into a couple of crevasses. Wildcat D wasn't too bad but then came Wildcat C with more hand over hand. After I got through that B & A weren't bad but then the descent from A was very steep with, at times, slide on my butt down the rock descents. I had a bunch of fun doing these. I have a great campsite here and am looking forward to see how far I get tomorrow.
Date: 2012-08-25
From: Wildcat Pass

To: Rattle River Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

Still another very challenging day. Had a steep climb out of the pass and up to Carter Dome. Weather again is ideal for hiking. After Carter Dome I went to the summit of Mt. Hight and then down another steep descent into Zeta Pass. Then it was up and over South, Middle, and North Carter Mts. where I ran into Chameleon and J Dub. I hiked with them to the Imp Shelter where they stayed and I moved on to here. I met a section hiker named Daniel who gave me a bunch of food as he was done with his hike. I will eat like a king on my zero day here at the shelter tomorrow. There is a nice river. I plan on swimming and doing my laundry in, with no soap of course, so as not to spoil the water with chemicals. I finally met Peach and Overdrive who I have been following in the shelter journals. It has been a very peaceful evening and should be a great place to zero.
Date: 2012-08-26
From: Rattle River Shelter

To: Rattle River Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Zero day. Slept in until 8 am then had breakfast of Lucky Charms, Trix, and Strawberry Carnation Instant Breakfast. I then had a Spam and string cheese sandwich followed by a Snickers bar then a peanut butter and honey tortilla and then a tuna and string cheese tortilla with peanut M & M's in between. That was just up to 2 pm. I washed my back pack this morning to give it a good chance to dry. At 12:30 I went back down to the river to wash my clothes and myself. I am going to have my beef stroganoff pasta side with Spam for dinner then continue to eat until bed. Everyone I last seen at Pinkham Notch came by. I also have seen Ginger Snap who told me that her uncle died so she had to leave for a week. She also told me that Oliver Twist was heading back to the U.K. as his grandmother isn't doing well. Best of luck to you Oliver Twist. Chameleon and J Dub are charging my phone in town and will pick me up in the morning to do my errands as they have a rental car. That will make it easy for me to get in and out of town.
Date: 2012-08-27
From: Rattle River Shelter

To: Gorham NH
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up earlier than I wanted but that usually happens when I try to sleep late. I packed up and headed down the trail. When I got to the 300 miles to go mark I stopped to fix it and then took a picture, I then headed to the trail head where Chameleon and J Dub were to pick me up. I was there early so I did a little reading when J Dub pulled up. I threw my pack in the car and realized I left my poles on the trail. I jogged back up the trail but I left them further back than I thought. I went back to the trail head and left a note. I figured if no one brought them up I would walk the 1 1/2 to 2 miles back to get them. We went to the P.O. and then to WalMart. On the way back I decided to stay at the White Breeches Hostel with Chameleon and J Dub. I am glad I did becasue they will be slackpacking using the car and I can leave my food in it and carry only 2-3 days worth at a time instead of 5-6 days worth. I have also extended my finish date a couple of days to summit with Passionflower, Sparky, Longstride, and Silvergirl. Just got back from a Chinese Buffet and I am stuffed so I will say goodnight.
Date: 2012-08-28
From: Gorham NH

To: Genitian Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 11.8

It rained most of the night and was suppose to clear up by early afternoon. We waited until Chameleon got back with the shuttle after dropping the car off at Grafton Notch. It was about 9:45 when we hit the trail. The big bubble that was behind us has now caught up to us. We had an 1800 ft. climb up Mt. Hayes right off the bat. It was a challenging climb as all of New Hampshire has been. When we started up Cascade Mt. we got hit with a good rain cloud for about 15 minutes which made the roots and the rocks slick. There was a little slipping and sliding going on. We saw moose dung and moose tracks but no moose. We stopped at Page Pond and Dream Lake to look for moose but no luck. We got here to the shelter area near the Genitian Pond and set up our tents. As I was preparing my dinner Cheese Water headed to the pond to fish. A few minutes later he came back for his camera and said a moose was down at the pond so we dropped everything and grabbed our cameras. Sure enough there was a cow moose across the pond. It was what I was hoping to see and get a pic of. I am so happy to see a moose, I hope I get to see a bull moose soon also. It's getting dark so off to bed.
Date: 2012-08-29
From: Genitian Pond Shelter 

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to a cold morning so we didn't start as early as we liked. Had a couple of milestones today. First, as we climbed Mt. Success, we hit the 1900 mile mark. We have had many challenging and dangerous ascents and descents. I even had to get on my butt and slide down a rock face. Just before we hit the summit of Mt Success we took a side trail to an old plance wreck from I think the early 60's. I know 2 people died and it took 2 days to find the survivors. We were able to go into a part of the fuselage and I walked on one of the wings. After we descended down Mt Success we hit our 2nd milestone. We entered Maine, our final state. Maine greeted us with more challenging terrain which I am having a blast going up and down on. There are a bunch of people here tonight including a college group. I hope they aren't loud tonight. Supposed to get in the 40's tonight so I am buried deep in my sleeping bag. Goodnight everyone. Stay warm down in Florida.
Date: 2012-08-30
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Grafton Notch
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

What a fun filled day. We had a little climb first thing int eh morning then we dropped down tot eh Mahoosuc Notch. It is called the "Most difficult or funnest mile of the AT". It is a jumble pit of huge boulders which have been piling up for centuries. We had to go over them, under them and around them. Truly a very fun challenge for me. Then came the 1.4 mile climb of Mahoosuc Arm which was even more challenging as we had lots of hand over hand and toe hold climbing to do. The rest of the day we only had a couple of small climbs but they too were shallenging. Finally we had a long descent tot he Grafton Notch where the car was parked. They are calling for 60-80 mph winds ont he summits tomorrow, so we will see if we will have to wait or not. Stay tuned!!!!
Date: 2012-08-31
From: Grafton Notch

To: East B Hill Rd.
Miles today: 10.3

A quick day for a change. Was worried about strong winds going over the Baldpate Peaks as they are above tree line and exposed. Luckily I was able to get over them with only 40 mph winds. The sun was shining and the climbs were a blast. Caught up to Chameleon just before Frye Notch Lean-to and that is where we crossed paths with J-Dub, Slingshot and Frenchy heading sobo. It started to rain just after that and Chameleon and I hiked to here where it stopped raining 15 minutes before we arrived. We have a nice place to camp next to a stream where I did laundry and took a bath. The water is cold but I grit my teeth and dealt with it. I guess J Dub went over Baldpate in winds hitting 60-70 mph. He said he will never attempt something like that again. Here is a great reason not to slack pack. He would have stayed safe at the shelter if he had his gear but had to risk it to get back to his gear. Very dangerous situation. Not only were the winds bad but the rain makes the rocks slick and it was a tricky climb even when it was dry. I am just glad he is okay.
Date: 2012-09-01
From: East B Hill Rd.

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1

Had to put on damp clothes this morning as we got more rain last night and my clothes were on the line. Another quick day today. The morning was very relaxing as I had a slow ascent over 5 1/2 miles to the top of Wyman Mt. Shortly after that I had a steep descent of 1550 ft in 1 1/2 miles followed by an even steeper ascent of 1450 ft in .9 miles. At least the last 2 miles were graded as I climbed down to the road here. I have decided to keep all of my food with me as Chameleon took off to pick everyone up that hiked south without waiting for me. This was at 1:30. She had all of my extra food. If I hadn't packed an extra meal I wouldn't have had dinner until after 7:00 pm. I will never put myself in that position again. I have learned from that mistake. I think even though I might get a little ahead of her and J-Dub I will see them in Monson just before the 100 mile wilderness. It's late so I am off to bed.
Date: 2012-09-02
From: South Arm Road

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 13.7

Woke up a little after daybreak and started packing up when it started to sprinkle. What a way to start the day. Wet. Had a 2200 ft climb right off the bat and by the time I got to the top of Old Blue Mt. the rain had stopped but it was still overcast. Seen all kinds of moose sign today but no moose. By the time I hit Bemis Mt. the sun was coming out so when I got a chance to dry everything out I sat down for lunch and when I was done eating everything was dry. When I got to the stream before ME17 I almost stayed but seeing it was only 3:00 pm I decided to do a couple of extra miles. I am camped near the trail on an animal path which is used by moose. I hope they don't run me over while I am sleeping. Will try to get close to Rangeley, Maine tomorrow. They are calling for rain and lightning on Tuesday so that might delay me a day. We will see how it pans out.
Date: 2012-09-03
From: Stealth Camp

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

Happy Labor Day!! I didn't get run over by a moose last night nor did I see one today. Left camp at 7:00 am not sure what the day would bring. Weather was ideal and the terrain made for good time. I stopped at the Little Swift River Pond Campsite and wished I could have stayed there. There are a couple of canoes there for the hikers to use on the pond. Also there is a piped spring. After 1/2 an hour there I hiked the last 4.8 miles to ME4 and hitched into the outskirts of Rangeley, ME to the IGA grocery store. That was when I found out that it was Labor Day and the PO was closed so I will have to pack the added weight to Stratton. I then tried to hitch back to the trailhead and it took over an hour on a fairly busy road. On the way in the second vehicle picked me up. I made it back to the trail and hiked the 2 miles to here. Real nice place. There is a stream running though the camp area and the privy is a two-holer with a cribbage board in the middle. Nothing suprises me out here. All things are possible. Want to get another early start tomorrow so I can get over the 2 mountains above tree line before the bad weather hits.
Date: 2012-09-04
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

With the threat of afternoon storms I got an early start at 6:30 am. I first came across Ether Pond as I started my 2,000 ft climb up Saddleback Mt. my first of 3 summits I needed to make before the storms as they are above the treeline. What a great vista from the summit. I met Warrior for the first time up there also. I had seen her name in the registers but hadn't met her until today. I then climbed the Horn and then Saddleback Junior. Each had spectacular views but it was diminishing fast as I could see the storms moving in. I got to the shelter at 12:30 and called it a day. In the shelter we have myself, Dakota Dan, Warrior, Honest Abe, Slingshot and Frenchy. There are also about 10 people tenting. What a difference from last night. The rain started later than expected but that is okay. We are all going to sleep early.
Date: 2012-09-05
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Sugarloaf Mt
Miles today: 10.8

It rained most of the night and was still raining this morning. Slingshot killed 3 mice in the shelter last night. There are mice in all of the shelters but I sleep with my head towards the open end so they don't bother me much as they tend to stay near the walls. The stream out front came up quite a bit. No one started even stirring until 8 am. It stopped raining at 9 and I was out at 9:30. I managed to keep my feet dry even though the trail was part river and part lake. Then I came to the Oberton Stream that I had to ford. It was over my knees and rushing pretty good. I got across pretty easy though then walked to the falls to get a couple of pics. I then had a 1,700 ft climb up Lone Mt. Not much to see as the clouds were still thick. When I got to the Spaulding Mt. Lean-to I decided to push for one of the campsites after the Carrabasset River but found out from a couple of sobo's that the rains made it impassable so I am camped here to hopefully cross it tomorrow as there is very little rain in the forecast for tonight. Hopefully I can get an early start and get to Stratton before the PO closes. Wish me luck.
Date: 2012-09-06
From: Sugarloaf Mt

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

No rain last night thankfully. Got up at daybreak and checked out the sunrise. Great color with it today. I was a little nervous of what I would find at the Carrabasset River. Would it still be impassable? When I did arrive I was the first one there this morning. The water was moving fast and I could see that the plank that is used over the fastest part was in the water. One end of it is fastened to the south side with a cable so the water was up at least 3 ft higher yesterday. I ever so carefully started to wade across. To my suprise it was no deeper than the river I crossed yesterday. I reset the plank for everyone else to use. I then climbed 2,100 ft. over South Crocker Mt. What a great day. After I hit the summit of North Crocker I began my descent of 2,800 ft. to Stratton to get my mail drop. The hitch in only took 5 minutes to get a ride. After I got there I decided to get a bunk at the Stratton Motel and Hostel. I ate an 8 egg cheddar cheese omelette and half a loaf of French Bread for a late lunch. Did the rest of my shopping and read the newspaper and a couple of chapters of a book. I will stay here again when I come through on my section hike.
Date: 2012-09-07
From: Stratton, ME

To: Avery Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

Hit 2,000 miles today. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever walk this far. Got a ride to the trailhead at 8:00 am and headed up the South Horn. From there it was to tackle the west peak of Bigelow Mt. I got a great 360 degree view and took 3 panoramic shots to get it all. Making it easy short days seeing I don't have to be in Caratunk until Tuesday. There is a big hiker feed going on about 9 miles from here and will last the weekend. I should get there tomorrow and get stuffed. I might hang out and zero there the next day also. The water source here is .2 up the AT from here which is usually not a big deal but the terrain was a boulder hop most of the way. Glad I only have to get water this one time. If I need to I can get water as I head out in the morning. Wishing my trip wasn't ending soon.
Date: 2012-09-08
From: Avery Memorial Campsite

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light rain

Woke to a very cloudy and windy day. The fog was moving in. In other words I was in the clouds. I climbed to the top of Avery Peak. The wind was going at about 50 mph on the open top. Luckily I wasn't exposed to long on Avery or on Little Bigelow Mt. either. With the weather the way it is I didn't take but 1 picture. I tried to get a picture of the first porcupine I got to see but it didn't turn out. Made it a short day so that I could stay in the shelter as they are calling for rain tonight. Wish it was warmer so that I could go sit in what they call the Tubs. It's a stream with several "tubs" to sit in. Here with a section hiker going south, Avalanche Dan. Also here are Chameleon and Dakota Dan. Hope the rain stops by morning