morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-26
From: Rest Day/Zero Day in Whitefield, NH - Day 160

To: Eliza Brook Shelter, NH - Day 161
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

I chose the shelter space while the others preferred to tent. Hiker midnight is 8:15. THANK YOU MEREDITH FOR THE TRANSPORTATION, HOT SHOWERS,LAUNDRY DONE,DAY OF REST AND A REAL ROOF OVER OUR HEADS!Trail Talker, Meredith and IWOXSaying Goodbye to MeredithLandcruiser's photo of Eliza Brook Shelter
Date: 2016-08-27
From: Eliza Brook Shelter, NH - Day 161

To: Franconia Notch, NH - Day 162
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

A 2000 foot climb was the morning hike. I am happy with my progress in being able to make these climbs. My legs feel much stronger, I just can't make them go faster. We had a nice break at South Kinsman with Fremont. Then it was down and up to North Kinsman. The climb down was SLOW! Since it was Saturday, the trail was like Grand Central Station with Weekend Warriors and day hikers. Someone had told us that the AMC Hut would have hot soup so we held lunch until 3:00, when we arrived. Pumpkin Curry was the soup of the day and it was great! After an hour and a half, we headed for Franconia Notch and a cottage at the Profile Motel. Meredith was bringing our food for the next three days. We got the cottage then headed to The Common Man steakhouse. We had a great meal with Meredith. Hiker midnight was 10 pm. Fremont
Date: 2016-08-28
From: Franconia Notch, NH - Day 162

To: Stealth Camping, 9mi - Day 163
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

"I trex like an Ibex."We had a great breakfast right across the street from our motel. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, OJ, water and coffee! With that making our stomachs big, we faced a 3500 foot climb, after a mile road walk back to the trail. The first mile was deceptively easy. Then two miles of steep ups. At 4.5 miles we went above tree line for two miles. The views were great when we could see them. Fog rolled in and out. About 5:00pm the wind was fierce! It was good to descend into the trees again. I took an electrolyte pill and some energy chews. I bounced down the mountain like a goat! With thunder rumbling in the distance we stealth camped at dusk. Hiker midnight is 9:00pm
Date: 2016-08-29
From: Stealth Camping, 9mi - Day 163

To: Zeacliff Pond Stealth Site - Day 164
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: broken clouds

I had no water for breakfast. I had used almost every bit at supper, saving enough for a drink in the morning. Water was a mile away, so I packed up and hiked to breakfast. Of course, it was a very long mile. I ate my breakfast at a spring and waited for the others to catch up. They were not as low on water as I was. A major climb up Mt. Garfield faced us first. The wind was fierce! We spent a few minutes on the summit, then hurried down. We wanted to get to Galehead Hut around lunchtime to get soup. At our current hiking speed it took 5 hours to hike the 5 miles. The soup was potato and dill, was very good. We spent an hour there. We had one more mountain to climb, South Twin. Some of the trail was easy today, but the steep parts really slowed me down. Hiker midnight is 8:00pm.This is NOT Photo Shopped, was on Trail Talkers Camera, ha ha!Old foundation on top of Mt GarfieldLunch at Galehead HutClimbing up South Twin, Frankenstein photoCairn on top of South Twin
Date: 2016-08-30
From: Zeacliff Pond Stealth Site - Day 164

To: Highland Center in a Bunk Room - Day 165
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

A fun day! We got an early start because we had reservations at the AMC Lodge. We needed to get the 9.5 miles in before 6:00pm and at the White Mountain rate of 1 mph, that would be tough. We hiked out by 7:00am and even with stopping at the great views, we arrived at the Zealand Hut before 9:00am for coffee and brownies. Then the fun began! Finally a long stretch of flat trail with few rocks. We began to believe we could make Crawford Notch by 3:00pm. In fact, we arrived around 2:45. Trail Talker yogied a ride and we were at the AMC Lodge by 3:00. We spent the next 3 hours cleaning up and relaxing before supper. I ate too much at the buffet and was miserable. I suggested we go for a walk. Ha! No takers! Now we are settled down for the night at an 8:30 hiker midnight.View One Mile South of Zealand HutBadger's Photo of Zealand Hut Where we Took a BreakLipstick (Cathy) 2008 photo of Racoon at the Highland CenterCaptain Patagonia's photo of The Highland Center BunkhouseLipstick's photo of the Highland Center: Loved this place, althowe enjoyed a private room instead of a bunk room, great family styleeating while we were there (offered on certain days). We dined with acouple of families that had children with them, hiking from hut tohut and had planned this for several years, made reservations.
Date: 2016-08-31
From: Highland Center in a Bunk Room - Day 165

To: Mizpah Hut, Work for Stay - Day 166
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

Another record tough day. I did not sleep well, the bunk squeaked every time I moved. We went to breakfast at 6:30am to try to get an early start. Not predicted rain came pouring down! By waiting awhile, the rain eased.Nadia, who had dined with us last evening, was willing to give us a shuttle. We squeezed into her Yaris, the smallest car she ever owned. The climb was 4000 feet over 3 miles, including many scrambles and crawls. Again, I feel strong and I keep going. At lunch, Arkansas Traveler came by, I got her picture Cheri! The terrain was rugged and hard. Realizing we would not make many miles, we decided to ask for "work for stay" at Mizpah Hut. Not only were we allowed to stay, but we were given Lasagna for a late lunch. Since we arrived before supper, we relaxed in the library while the paying guests ate.A reward for "Work for Stay" was a hot meal. Then we got to sleep in the library. It was warm and cozy. IWOX & Arkansas TravelerWork for Stay!Mizpah Dinning Room, photo by ZephyrView of the AMC's Highland Center from Webster CliffWatch Out Trail Talker!!Webster Cliff as seen from Crawford Notch; photo by the TrovertView of US302 as it winds thru Crawford NotchRacoon's photo of Mizpah Hut, 2008
Date: 2016-09-01
From: Mispah Hut, Work for Stay - Day 166

To: Lakes of the Clouds, NH - Day 167
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: light rain

Drawbacks to "Work for Stay": Noise wakes you up at 5:30am and you can't leave until after 9:00am. We had a nice breakfast, then swept the bunk rooms. We enjoyed meeting some of the Hut guests. Today's hike would be short because of the late start and the lack of options to camp between huts.However, the hike was still challenging. We arrived at Lakes of the Clouds Hut around 3:00pm. Knowing it was a risk to ask for Work for Stay, we asked anyway. We were turned down. That was fine, we knew the rules. My only complaint is that the hiker who arrived before us had been offered work for stay. I am considering contacting the AMC to inquire how they are managing this system, when there are inequities in the execution of the rules.Our only option at this point was to pay $10 to stay in "the dungeon". I will have to say that the AMC dungeon beats the Doyle as the worst place to stay on the Trail. Later that evening, over 15 hikers were granted work for stay. Hiker midnight was 8:00pm. Sunrise at Mizpah Hut, Magpie's photo!White Owl in the DungeonQuahog's photo of Lakes of the Clouds HutAnother great view, the door to the Dungeon is at the lower right corner of the Lake of the Clouds Hut. Photo by HersheyCathy here - I thought this was a great photo for perspective. Sled Dog took this picture taken from the top of Monroe, Mt. Washington at the top right and a view of the Lakes of the Clouds and Hut with same name.Sunset at the Lakes of the Clouds (Awesome!)
Date: 2016-09-02
From: Lakes of the Clouds, NH - Day 167

To: Mt.Washington-Madison Spring Stealth - Day 168
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We got an early start from "the Dungeon," around 7:45. The 1.5 mile climb up Mt. Washington was surprisingly easy. We had clear weather, then the clouds rolled in. There was no visibility from the summit. I wanted to call my Mom from the top, but there was no signal. My Mom and Dad had spent their honeymoon at Mt. Washington in 1950. The family story is that they hiked up the Mountain but were exhausted. With no money for the cog railroad trip down, my Dad sweet talked the engineer into taking them down. In order to avoid getting in trouble, the engineer dropped them off about two thirds of the way down, so they still had a rough time hiking down. My Dad, the Marine, even carried my Mom the final distance. They were both worn out, I think some tears were shed.The hike down Mt. Washington for us got tougher as we descended. Then the climb to Mt. Jefferson began. As we were eating lunch, Nora and Turnip appeared! I haven't mentioned how worried I have been about them. We had last seen them in New Jersey when Turnip was running a fever. I believed they passed us, but I was not seeing any entries in the registers and inquiries of south-bounders gave no sightings. I thought maybe they had gone home. When they walked up, I was ecstatic! I hugged Turnip first, then started crying when I hugged Nora. We were both sobbing and I said, "I'm SO HAPPY!" Then we laughed and cried together. I did not have their contact information,so I fixed that right away. I also told them that if I had not seen them, I would have gone to Harper's Ferry to get their email address and I would have written to them. We hiked together for a couple hours, then agreed to meet at the next hut. There was no work for stay, only stealth camping down a steep side trail. However, the Croo gave us some leftover food, enchiladas. We made the descent and hiker midnight was 8:00pm. This why Mt. Washington is one of the most anticipated part of the AT! Looking up to the top of Mt. WashingtonView from Mt. Washington photo by Rabbit. If we were not in the fog (clouds), this is one of the views we could have seen. Cathy drove up this road in 2008 to meet Racoon, cost $20, sign said to go up and down in first gear; a little scary.Another view from Mt. Washington by Rabbit:The Famous Cog TrainMy Winter Gear!REUNION! Turnip and Nora!Nora Making it thru the Boulders!
Date: 2016-09-03
From: Madison Spring stealth site - Day 168

To: Pinkham Notch, NH - Day 169
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Our reunion with Nora and Turnip ended. I forgot to add yesterday that Turnip had in fact had a tick related disease and they stayed in Dalton, MA for 10 days, with Turnip very ill. We passed them then. They now have to make up time in order to finish before their visa expires. I hope our friendship continues for a very long time! The hike over Mt. Madison was another very difficult mile, taking two hours. Following the descending rock piles was another steep 2 miles. The going was slow! We had reservations at the hostel and wanted to maximize our time in town. Fortunately, the terrain moderated and we started making better time. The last two miles followed an old road bed and were very easy. We made Pinkham Notch at 5:00pm. Problem: no cell service to call the hostel shuttle. Solution: Trail Talker used her amazing yoging skill and acquired a ride before I could get a call through on the visitor center phone. We traveled with a nice family in their van the ten miles to Gorham. The hostel is a barn renovated into a hostel. It is very nice, but only one bathroom for ten hikers. The owner assures us there will be three bathrooms, NEXT YEAR! (Should I hike again next year?).Mr. Pizza served us great steak dinners, then we crashed by 9:00pm. News from the Homefront:Since Jill left for the trail, I have not had to use the washing machine at all! I bought a bottle of Frebreeze and just spray my clothes. First bottle lasted a month, second bottle only lasted two weeks. One bottle per week now. Clothesa little brittle but wearable!Our Stealth Site last nightGoodbye Turnip & Nora. I love you both!Turnip & Nora waving goodbyeBridge after Pinkham NotchBarn Hostel photo by Rowboat
Date: 2016-09-04
From: Pinkham Notch, NH - Day 169

To: ZERO DAY - Day 170
Miles today: 0.0

5 Star was taking a zero day too. I asked him to go with me to the Congregational Church and he agreed. After a great breakfast buffet at Welshes, we headed over to the Church. We felt very welcome by the locals. After service, we had coffee and snacks and fellowshipped, making new friends. Miss Claire had been working at the hostel and remembered taking my reservation. Phyllis got many hugs from me.The remainder of the day was relaxing. While White Owl napped, Trail Talker and I attended a Bach Concert I had learned about from a Church member. We were amazed! There were five strings, a pipe organ and a harpsichord, in addition to twelve in the Choir. What talent! The director, who also played either the organ or harpsichord, was definitely having a great time. We enjoyed the concert immensely!Supper was at Mr. Pizza again because the food is good. Hiker midnight was 10:00pm, after I tried to catch up the journal. 5 StarBandana from Japan
Date: 2016-09-05
From: ZERO DAY - Day 170

To: Zeta Pass Stealth Site - Day 171
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

We got a shuttle to Pinkham Notch by Paul, the hostel owner. Wildcat Mountain is reputed to be tough. It is! It seems everything is tough in the Whites! A 2000 foot climb took us to four summits on Wildcat. We met section hiker Spunk who plans to thruhike in 2018. Then, three ladies passed us and White Owl recognized one. Curly had given him Trail Magic in Virginia and had told him she would be in New Hampshire later, look for her. What are the chances they would meet here? 100% ! We all had a nice break together. Curly is 76 and is a Triple Crowner: she hiked the AT in 1992; the PCT in 1996; and the CDT from 2000 to 2009. What an amazing lady! She and her friends then hiked past us again. Carter Notch was the next challenge. We got water at the spring and planned to get water again at the next spring. We did not go to Carter Hut. On the way up the next mountain, we learned that there is NO spring! (AWOL needs to correct the guide book.). There is no water for 7 miles and we did not have enough. A south-bounder was kind enough to give us some of his because he could get more at the hut. We have enough for supper but will have to hike 4 miles before breakfast. Hiker midnight is 8:30. We plan to be hiking by 6:15am. View of Mt. Washington from WildcatCurly, 76 years old, a Triple Crowner & still hiking!One of the Ponds of Carter NotchNO, this is not upside down! Pond was so still, it made a perfect mirrorreflection!View From Wildcat Peak A, Green Rectangle is the Carter Notch HutView of Pinkham Notch from WildcatSki Gondola on Wildcat Mtn 2
Date: 2016-09-06
From: Zeta Pass Stealth Site - Day 171

To: Route 2 - Day 172
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: mist

300 Miles to Go!We got up early to get the 6:15 departure time. We are slow, so the actual time was 6:50, after eating a quick breakfast and conserving water. We walked about 50 yards and I said, "I hear water!" Sure enough, the stream was running. I don't know why everyone was reporting it as dry. We tanked up and filled our bottles and continued. It took 4 hours to get to the next water, so we would have had a bad morning without the fillup. We climbed two mountains: Mt. Carter and Mt. Moriah. Fog covered us, drizzle started, then a rain shower. We had steep rocks during the rain and we all remembered all the times we said the rocks would be treacherous in rain. We were very careful and had no major falls, just slips and very wet shorts from sliding down the steepest places. After lunch, I met a nice local girl, Mattie, who walked with me for a while and described her hikes in Maine on the AT. She reinforced how hard the Mahoosic Notch will be, which we will face in a few days. Finally, we reached the bottom of the mountain and hiked the last 3.5 miles in under 2 hours. White Owl's wife Nancy was picking us up. Goodbye Whites! We had a great time, but glad to be done! Nancy drove us back to Gorham. After settling in the motel and eating a great supper, Trail Talker and I relaxed in the hot tub. Hiker midnight 9:30.From this point on Mt. Moriah, one can see almost the entire Presidential Range Grasshopper PhotoCloudy Mt. Moriah, by IsoTrail Talker and IWOX in the Hot TubToday's Stealth Site
Date: 2016-09-07
From: Route 2 - Day 172

To: Stealth Camp 4.4mi - Day 173
Miles today: 4.4

I bought new insoles today and my feet feel great. We enjoyed breakfast and lunch with Nancy and it was nice to have wheels for all the running around town we had to do. Hiking started at 3:30. We hiked around 4 miles and called it a day. The terrain was nothing like the Whites. We picked a stealth site and set up camp. Just after dark, a female hiker asked White Owl if there was room for one more. I thought the voice sounded familiar and I was right: it was Kaleidoscope! I had not seen her since Delaware Water Gap, and before that on her birthday June 6th. It was great to catch up on her hike. She had taken time off due to an arm injury. A nice surprise to see her! Hiker midnight is 8:30. Group picture with NancyLeoNice Surprise from Dawn
Date: 2016-09-08
From: Stealth Camp 4.4mi - Day 173

To: Gentian Pond Shelter, NH - Day 174
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: broken clouds

New Hampshire is still tough! We got an early start, but because White Owl did not sleep well, we did not make good time on the rough terrain. Mid afternoon we had to cut our mileage down. We would not make Maine today. We are now staging our hike around the Mahoosuc Notch. We will hike the hardest mile on the trail on Saturday. Tomorrow we will hike to Full Goose Shelter to reach the Notch early the next day. Gentian Shelter sleeps 14 so Trail Talker and I took spots. Other hikers began rolling in until there were 14 in and around the shelter. After dark some south-bounders arrived and were discussing their day thru the Mahoosuc. One girl said she was from Mississippi so I asked her trail name to see if she was "Ms. Sippi" who I met in 2012. She replied, "Kismet." I then asked, "Have you met any other hikers from Mississippi, specifically Crystal Stroud?" She replied, "I am Crystal Stroud!" Another reunion! I had given Crystal a ride in 2012, then had dinner with her at Trail Days in 2013. I knew she was hiking south, so I was thrilled to catch up. Oops, it's hiker midnight, 8:30. Awwww, Trail Talker PhotoTrail Talker catches IWOX Taking a BreakKaleidescopeCrystal StroudLandscape after the Whites, Snack Time photoGentian Pond ShelterView from the trail to Gentian Pond Shelter, photo by SpokesChicken Feet Finished Sept 8th !
Date: 2016-09-09
From: Gentian Pond Shelter, NH - Day 174

To: Full Goose Shelter, ME - Day 175
Miles today: 9.6

We would hike to Maine today! First we would have Success. Mt.Success is the last mountain in New Hampshire. I made phone calls from the summit and wished Hippy Kippy Happy Birthday on Face Book. The next miles were tough and we had to stage the Mahoosuc Notch. We arrived to an empty shelter. Unfortunately, it did no stay empty. This was the worst night of rude hikers we've ever had on the trail. Not only did they make a big bonfire illegally, they talked loudly until after 10:00pm. I am thankful this has been a rare occurrence on the trail. I even asked them politely to keep their voices down. They didn't! I finally fell asleep in spite of the noise. Hiker midnight was 9:00pm, but I was awake until after 10 pm. Mt.SuccessMt.Success
Date: 2016-09-10
From: Full Goose Shelter, ME - Day 175

To: Old Spec Pond Shelter, ME - Day 176
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: few clouds

We were on the trail by 8:00am. The most difficult mile on the trail was 2 miles away. Our adventure thru the Mahoosuc Notch began at 10:00am. It was fun! Up over boulders, rock hopping and crawling thru tunnels was great! Halfway thru, I discovered I had lost one of my crocs. I could not go back for it. Three hours later it was over. We needed a long break !! While eating lunch, Kevin & Tanya hiked in. "Anyone lose a white croc?" Kevin asked. YES!!! He then retrieved my croc from his wife's pack. Thank you, Kevin and Tanya! Maybe I will see you next year at Trail Days. (They will be thru-hiking in 2017). A new challenge faced us: the Mahoosuc arm. It was a steep climb. We hiked on to Old Spec Pond Shelter, our third night in a row in a shelter. I could get used to that! Allison, the caretaker was very nice and she took our $10. There are only a few sites that charge and we managed to miss all the others. Hiker midnight was 7:30pm.Trail Talker and White Owl on Mahoosuc ArmThanks Kevin & Tanya for Retrieving my Croc!Blissful's photo of Speck Pond Shelter
Date: 2016-09-11
From: Old Spec Pond Shelter, ME - Day 176

To: Stealth Camp between Baldpate Peaks - Day 177
Miles today: 7.7

White Owl saw a storm moving in on his Noah Radar App. We hustled to get past Old Speck before the storm. We almost made it. Pelting rain and high winds hit us 50 yards from the top. I crawled up a solid rock face. We got over the peak and in a spot in the woods to let the worst pass. For the next two hours we hiked in rain with thunder and lightning. Then it stopped. At a parking lot, we dried out and got the gear less damp. My rain cover had blown off slightly and rain got into my pack. We still needed to hike. Baldpate was looming ahead. We summited the first peak. Realizing we could not pass the second summit before dark, we decided to stealth camp between peaks. I had cell service and was able to call my brother Jeff from Baldpate West. He was near Grand Island, Nebraska heading to Wyoming. He said I sounded like I had the sniffles. I did, from the high winds. The stealth spot was small, but we managed to squeeze in. The foot of my tent dropped over a bump, so I shifted to the headspace where I normally store gear. The gear was outside that night. The wind was still very strong. Since my feet were soaked and cold, I got to bed early to warm up. Hiker midnight was 7:00pm.
Date: 2016-09-12
From: Stealth Camp between Baldpate Peaks - Day 177

To: Andover, ME - Day 178
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to 40 degrees, with wind but not as strong as the night before. We climbed Baldpate East, a solid rock to the peak. The wind was stronger at the top. The view was outstanding! We could see Mt. Washington to the south and our first glimpse of Katahdin to the northeast. Our objective was Andover, Maine where we had a cabin booked for two nights. The last 4 miles was a gentle downhill. I seem to remember the AT previously had easy trail like this. Our shuttle arrived just as we hit the road. We are thankful to Gloria the RoadRunner for being 15 minutes early! Andover is a cute little town. We hustled to a late lunch at the General Store, got laundry done, resupplied and bought lobster roll sandwiches for supper by 7:00pm for our ride to the cabin. We are located right next to one of the few remaining covered bridges in Maine. This was a short mile day, giving us some rest. Hiker midnight is 9:00pm. White Owl and Trail Talker hiking up Baldpate EastView of Katahdin?White Owl at Baldpate East SignAt the top of BaldpateLoveJoy Covered BridgeBaldpate, from where Trail Talker is pointing to Mt. Washington in photo below!Bell and Clock Tower on Andover's Town HallCongregational Church