morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-13
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Stealth Camp South of Goose Pond Rd.
Miles today: 12.6

The three of us, Wild Poodle, Cahoda and I were all up and moving within minutes of each other at 6:15 AM and were packed and on the trail at 7:00 AM, sans breakfast because of lack of water.I found a spring-filled cistern about 1.5 miles up the trail, removed the two dead mouse carcasses and filled my water bottles. Made and ate breakfast and were on our way again in about 45 minutes.Full of energy (and coffee), we did a blistering 2-3 miles before taking a break and having a snack, then another blistering 2 miles as I had eaten a Snickers bar and really got into the hiking zone.Stopped for a boots-off 45 minute lunch, then "killed" another mountain. It was about a 1,000' climb which we took slow and steady with only a brief break at Moose Mountain South Peak, then North Peak was ours.At one point the trail went steeply uphill about 40 feet - too steep to climb but here was a rope with knots tied every two feet to assist and it worked out great (see photos). Love it when the trail throws something new at you.Water sources were scarce and looked sketchy, but the water tasted fine. We filled our water bottles and decided to do a few more miles and stealth camp. Found a level spot that would accommodate all three tents, set up, hung our food and are in for the night.Over the course of the day, each of us took at least one turn at leading, usually the person with the highest energy level. Their energy seemed to pull the other two of us along. It was nice.
Date: 2010-08-14
From: Stealth Camp South of Goose Pond Rd.

To: Smarts Mountain Tent Site
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: overcast clouds

After a 1,000 foot climb this morning, we came to a falcon rookery and found a good vantage point to watch them for awhile.Dropped down 1,300 feet and found a sign for 50 cent Cokes only 200 feet off the trail. This house had a cooler on their front porch filled with Cokes. Mmmm - tasted sooo good!After lunch we started climbing Smarts Mountain with a 2,300 foot elevation gain over 4 miles, some of it quite steep with re-bar handholds in the smooth slabs of rocks. I ran out of energy halfway up and had to eat a third lunch to fuel me for the rest of the climb. This was a tough climb. Finally made it to the top at about 6:00 PM.We were all running low on water so walked down to a spring that wasn't much more than a big mud hole with a couple of pools of not very good water. But you take what you can get. I ran it through a clean bandanna to get the bigger sediment and "shmutz" out and then sterilized it with my ultra violet Steripen. It thankfully didn't taste bad.Set up our tents at the summit. It's windy up here but the view is spectacular!
Date: 2010-08-15
From: Smarts Mountain Tent Site

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.7

Early start, chilly morning. Climbed the fire tower and could see Moosilauke, especially how big it is. We'll get there tomorrow and climb it the day after. Could also see Mt. Lafeyette and in the distance, Mount Washington.Came down Smarts Mountain and started up Cube Mountain after a long downhill. Climbed 1,100 feet to a great overlook on the Eastman Ledges where we and a half dozen other hikers stopped for lunch. Our view was of where we had hiked the last couple of days and it was amazing how far away the fire tower was that we had climbed just this morning.We were heading for the One Hill Shelter. A south-bounder told us the water source there was poor so at the next brook we came to, we loaded up on water. I carried 3 liters which is 6 pounds, which is heavy, especially with a 900 foot climb to the shelter.Got to the shelter about 6:30 PM. Cahoda and Wild Poodle got the last two spots in the shelter. I tented along with 9 other people. The water source was poor so I was then happy we had carried the water in. Made dinner and climbed into my bag a little after dark and it started raining a half hour later but I was cozy and dry and the sound of the rain gently lulled me to sleep.
Date: 2010-08-16
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: NH 25
Miles today: 7.3

We were up and out at a reasonable 7:30 AM and compared to the last couple of days, had a pleasant 7 mile stroll to Glencliff with plentiful water sources along the way.Stopped at a beautiful clear stream with cascades dancing down the hillside. We ate first lunch and filled up our water bottles. Awhile later we met a day hiker who will be opening a hostel off of Cape Moonshine Road next year on land that has been in his family for years. He offered to let us tent on his land but we're looking for showers and to do laundry so hiked on.Arrived at NH 25 and did the half mile road walk to the Hiken's Welcome Hostel with a M*A*S*H like outside shower and toilet, a large hiker room with an impressive collection of DVDs, a large outside tarp tent with 8 beds and an indoor 2nd floor bunkroom with 6 beds and 2 couches. We got a shuttle into town to a convenience store for a mini-resupply and to pick up food for dinner, then watched DVDs until lights out at 10:00 PM.This is a rough looking hostel but is run well and was delightfully convivial.
Date: 2010-08-18
From: Kinsman Notch NH 112

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Fat Chapp shuttled us to North Woodstock where we had breakfast at Peg's, stopped at the deli to pick up sandwiches for lunch, pulled money out of the ATM, picked up mail drops and dropped them off at Chet's Hostel in Lincoln to hold for us as we'll be arriving there tomorrow night. Then Chapp dropped us off at the trailhead and we were hiking north again starting at 10:15 AM.We had an 1,800 foot climb over 4.5 miles to bag both the east and south peaks of Mt. Wolf. New Hampshire is rugged. Lots of ups and downs but not in the thousands of feet.Snack breaks are hilarious. The challenge is to find a spot where all three of us have a place to sit. I send a check-in message each night to my loved ones from my SPOT satellite tracker so they know I'm okay. Cahoda and Wild Poodle keep in touch with their cell phones. It always makes me laugh to see the incongruity of being deep in the woods and yet instantly connected to the outside world.So with our late start and the exertion of climbing over some big rocks, we all were tired and decided to stay at the Eliza Brook Shelter. We all got shelter spots. A.D. and Strider (the young one with the interesting wardrobe) and 8 others.
Date: 2010-08-19
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 5.9

My muscles and feet feel like I hiked 15 miles rather than a mere 6 - but that's because of the difficulty of the trail in the White Mountains. We had an 8:00 AM start out of camp and the fun began. The climb up Kinsman was a 3.5 mile serious rock scramble up 1,800 feet, about 70% done without poles and instead using your hands. The going was slow so you never got out of breath but the leg muscles were twitching and felt like jello pretty quickly. Took us 4 hours to go 3 miles and the 1,600 foot down on the other side was almost as difficult. From the top we had a clear, close-up view of the Franconia Ridge with its 5,000+ foot peaks and most of which is above treeline so an eye to the weather will be critical.We arrived at our first AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) hut in the Whites. As a lark we asked if we could do work for stay, not expecting to get it, and they said yes so we decided to stay. Bunk space in the huts run around $100 a night so work for stay is the only way I can afford to stay at any of them. The work for stay includes all you can eat dinner and breakfast. You just have to wait until after the paying guests have eaten and you can sleep on a dining room table or on the floor, or cowboy camp on the dock at the pond.Our "chore" was to wash all the dishes from dinner (they had 90 guests that night!!). The croo went canoeing on the lake. When they got back, we not only had done the dishes but also had cleaned all the counters and the stove top. The croo was impressed. Cahoda and Wild Poodle set up their sleeping bags in the dining room and I opted for the dock even though there was a chance of rain overnight.The dock overlooks the pond which overlooks the Franconia Ridge and this was the most beautiful campsite I've stayed at so far this trip. The three of us were sitting on the dock at dusk enjoying the view of the Ridge, which is about 10 miles away, when we see what appears to be vehicle headlights coming down the mountain. We asked one of the croo about it as we didn't think there were any roads up there and they told us it was the headlamps of hikers heading to the Greenleaf Hut which is about a mile down from the top.The clouds moved in but not before a spectacular view of the star studded sky. The breeze progressively picked up overnight but I just rolled over and put the wind at my back and my sleeping bag kept me plenty warm. Fortunately, it did not rain overnight and I fell asleep to a chorus of frogs.
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Franconia Notch I-93
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke up at first light and packed up. It was a cold windy morning and the three of us huddled outside the hut sipping hot coffee that the hut crew brought out to us while we waited for the guests to finish breakfast. After pancakes and oatmeal, and sweeping the dining room floor, we hit the trail at 9:15 AM.One of the crew members came out as we were leaving and told us she'd be at the Lake of the Clouds Hut for the next two weeks and she was so impressed by what a good job we did that she'd hook us up if we stopped there overnight. Sweet!After a short, rocky downhill, sharing the trail with running water, the trail became easier and we strolled to the I-93 bridges. The trail went under the bridges where we found a trail magic cooler with potato chips, peanuts and chocolate chip cookies in it. Though not planned, we immediately took a snack break.Then walked 1 mile off-trail to the Flume Visitor Center and called for a shuttle to take us to Chet's Hostel.Showers, laundry, food, grocery store chores ensued and we all settled in for a good night's sleep.
Date: 2010-08-21
From: Franconia Notch I-93

To: Franconia Notch I-93
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The plan was to hike out today but all three of us woke up not feeling well. I had congestion and a scratchy throat; Cahoda and Wild Poodle both had headaches and nausea so the decision to take a zero was easy.Went to the post office to mail home about 8 oz of extraneous items, now that I've added cold weather gear, it was important to lighten my pack as much as possible and every ounce lighter helps. Went to the library and checked my e-mails and was glad to hear that my new SPOT satellite tracker is working fine.Lots of people coming into the hostel tonight and with rain forecast for tomorrow, there will probably be more so it will definitely be a full house.Chet is a gracious host and almost all the hikers are doing chores to clean up, fix up or improve the place.N.P. came in and Tattoo. Baby Face is here and many others whom I've met before but can't recall all their names.Cahoda and Wild Poodle seem to have improved so if the rain holds off, we will hopefully hike out tomorrow.
Date: 2010-08-22
From: Franconia Notch I-93

To: Franconia Notch I-93
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up to pouring rain from the residuals of a tropical storm system which looks to hang around for a few days. Also seems like I'm getting a full blown sinus infection and started running a fever in the afternoon, so we're taking another zero. Cahoda walked down to the pharmacy and bought some cough medicine for me. Hot tea, chicken soup and to bed was the order of the day.A few hikers hiked out, most stayed, and quite a few new ones cam in. Headcount tonight was 27. So every bit of floor space is taken, all the bunks, 6 tents and 3 hammocks are set up in the back yard and a few cowboy campers are under roof on the porch and gazebo.Chet, our host, has been in rehabilitation for years from a backpacking stove explosion and has been having some medical problems. I've had the jasper marble from the Thunder Hill hiker feed in Virginia and have been feeding positive energy into it since then. It simply seemed appropriate to give the marble to Chet, so I did, explaining to him its back story. Everywhere I to in this town people know Chet. There's a wonderful sense of small town closeness and love here that is SO lacking in big cities.Napped and sent to bed early. Will try to get a doctor appointment tomorrow to get some antibiotics.
Date: 2010-08-23
From: Franconia Notch I-93

To: Franconia Notch I-93
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Got a doctor appointment, mailed more extraneous items home, filled my prescription for antibiotics and sent back to the hostel and napped most of the afternoon.Assuming the medicine starts to work and relying on a good weather forecast, we'll head out tomorrow and do a near-o.
Date: 2010-08-24
From: Franconia Notch I-93

To: Liberty Springs Tentsite
Miles today: 2.5

Took our time packing up. Although I had bouts of coughing during the night, I feel much better today.Wild Poodle and Cahoda's friend, Mr. Lucky, drove in last night to see them and then shuttled us to the trailhead this morning. He hiked with us for 2400' of elevation to the Liberty Springs Tentsite, made his farewells and hiked back down to his car. We chose a large tent platform and set up all three of our tents on it. The climb was steep and rocky but not too difficult. We just took it slow and steady.Found out the caretaker was Cup O' Joe who Wild Poodle and Cahoda met in 2006 in Kincora and Damascas, respectively. He gave us some good pointers on hiking the Whites and also a rather poor weather forecast for tomorrow--windy and rain--so hiking will probably not be pleasant. Temps at this elevation with wind chill will be around 40 degrees. After that, though, it should be gloriously clear and beautiful.It's 7 PM and we're all in our sleeping bags already just to keep warm.
Date: 2010-08-25
From: Liberty Springs Tentsite

To: Greenleaf Hut
Miles today: 3.8

We had so hoped for clear weather crossing the Franconia Ridge but the morning weather forecast wasn't too good. We were up and out at 7:30 to steep climbs and rock scrambles to the alpine zone at tree line. The wind was fierce at about 40 miles an hour with the rain stinging our faces and soaking us in minutes. The trail above tree line is on a scree path with rock cairns to mark the way. We were in the clouds and visibility was so poor that at times it was hard to see the next cairn. We climbed and climbed and finally made the summit of Mt. Lafayette at 5,249 feet. By this time we were cold but were okay as long as we kept moving. But I think New Hampshire may have taken offense at my mountain jokes (i.e., We killed Killington, slayed Moosilauke, kicked Kinsman, etc.) Within a quarter mile of coming down the north side of Lafayette, the wind increased to 60 mph. It was a struggle to even stay on the trail much less doing precarious climbs over the boulders. I could feel what little heat I was generating ripped right off of me, not to mention having a hard time not being blown off the mountain. So there was no laughing at Lafayette today.The three of us realized we had to go into survival mode as this was quickly turning into an adventure. We decided to backtrack the quarter mile back over Lafayette and take a side trail 1.1 miles straight down the mountain to below tree line and the Greenleaf Hut. That was the last logical thing out of my mouth. I struggled to snap the top button of my raincoat and couldn't do it (early sign of hypothermia). I suggested we just set up our tents (no way in this wind and another sign of hypothermia). Then I suggested we just hunker down behind a rock and wait it out (really bad idea--definitely hypothermia). Wild Poodle and Cahoda just kept me moving to the hut.The rain started to freeze which really stung when it hit out faces but we finally made it to the hut--three wet, cold, whipped puppies. A change into dry clothes and a bowl of hot soup which the croo fixed for us made a world of difference. The huts aren't heated but just being indoors out of the wet and wind was wonderful.It was early afternoon and as the day progressed, more and more hikers showed up, both paying guests hiking 2 1/2 miles up from the parking area and thru-hikers seeking work for stay to get off the ridge and out of the weather.After dinner, it only took the thru-hikers 15 minutes to set up our pads and sleeping bags and fall asleep.What a day!
Date: 2010-08-26
From: Greenleaf Hut

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 3.9
Weather: light rain

A word about the ¢huts¢ in the White Mountains. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) operates most of the huts in the Whites. These huts are remote and guests arrive on foot. Bunk fees are expensive ($97-$116) per night; however, for thru-hikers, most huts offer ¢work for stay¢ for the first two thru-hikers who request it. The ¢work¢ is one to two hours of light chores (sweeping, cleaning the freezer, washing dishes, etc.). The downsides are that you don¢t get dinner until about 7:30, you sleep in the dining room so have to wait until lights out at 9:30 to go to bed, and you don¢t get breakfast until 8:30 in the morning. This is quite different than most hikers¢ eating and sleeping schedules and gets you out on the trail in the morning later, too. The upsides are that you¢re indoors, the food is plentiful and delicious, and you don¢t have to hike off-trail miles to get below tree line to camp.Since Greenleaf Hut is 1.1 miles off-trail, they don¢t get many thru-hikers but there were 11 of us seeking refuge from the storm and they gave all of us work for stay. I heard there were 17 thru-hikers overnight at the next hut. Wise of the hut croo to let us all in as the croo also serves as first responders if search and rescue is needed, and a missing hiker above tree line would definitely scramble a search.We had an ¢iffy¢ forecast but it was better than what we experienced yesterday, so after our chores, we headed out and finally laughed at Lafayette. It¢s an extremely difficult trail up here. There are rock scrambles, and boulder fields where a misstep could mean a broken leg or ankle. Very slow going. We put in long hours without the satisfaction of long miles, but everyone told us that would happen in the Whites.The terrain above tree line is otherworldly. Scree paths, rock cairns, like being on the moon or an end of the world scenario. The unobstructed views, however, are breathtaking.Wild Poodle wasn¢t feeling well, so after goosing Mount Garfield, we stopped a little early and tented at an established campsite.
Date: 2010-08-27
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite

To: Stealth Camp N of Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 10.1

Woke in heavy fog in the morning, packed up and hit the trail at a reasonable time. Stopped at the Galehead Hut which provided us with bowls of hot soup and cups of hot tea for lunch. This fortified us for a 1,000 foot thigh burning climb to sever South Twin Mountain. The fog finally lifted and we could see the true monster, Mount Washington, getting ever closer although it¢s still about 25 miles away. This is the highest peak in New England at 6,288¢ and was originally proposed to be the terminus of the Appalachian Trail.In the afternoon, we had an almost vertical descent for 1500 feet down which we carefully picked our way. Adding to the challenge was the running water sluicing right down the rocks making it slippery as well. We all fell at least once but no injuries, mostly just butt plops where our packs took most of the impact. Finally arrived at Zealand Falls Hut (below tree line) at dinner, but they already had their contingent of work for stay hikers. We bought dinner then hiked on by headlamp. It was the first time Cahoda and Wild Poodle hiked after dark. They were a bit nervous but did fine. We had about a quarter mile of steep descent over rocks after which the trail leveled out on an old rail bed. About a quarter mile further, we found a large enough level spot and stealth camped in our tents for the night.
Date: 2010-08-29
From: Crawford Notch, US 302

To: Nauman Tent Site
Miles today: 6.4

After a rather late start, we broke camp and finally got a hitch from Butterfly Lady who offered to take us about 7 miles up the road to a convenience store (we can never get enough trail food) and then back to the trailhead. The road wound through these huge mountains and we could clearly see the steep climb out of the notch ahead of us. We finally started a steep 1,000 foot rock climb over 112 miles to the Webster Cliffs and the view was spectacular. The road we had started from was a tiny ribbon WAY down below us. Then we did another 600' foot climb to throw the book at Mt. Webster scaling huge, challenging rock walls. Beautiful hiking weather in the 70's and sunny but 30 mph winds kept it a bit chilly at altitude. Our snack and lunch break places all had breathtaking views and we chose them carefully to stay out of the wind. We then went down about 200' and up 400' to highjack Mt. Jackson and negotiating high bogs across mostly well-placed puncheons.Although it's not without effort, it still amazes me how quickly we had gained the elevation, how competently we climbed the rocks and walls, and how confidently we hiked along the edge of the precipice. Today was the first time I felt like a true mountaineer and realized I was really going to be able to finish this trek. Looking back at the chunky, out of shape lady that started on Springer to the hard-muscled, now thin, competent thru-hiker that I've become, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that I've stuck with this trek. Although we have some big mountains to climb ahead of us, I'm no longer intimidated but rather relish the challenge they present. I was very conscious of this radical mind shift and it was a good feeling.It was such a beautiful day when we got to the Mitzpah Hut, we decided to tent at the adjacent Nauman Tent Site and although tired, managed to stay up and enjoy the crystal clear night and star filled sky before falling soundly asleep.