morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-08-03
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter 1,350

To: Eliza Brook Shelter 1,350
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in a bit this morning - I got up at 7:00 and the guys got up at 8:00. We were on the trail around 9:00 and entered the White Mountains we have heard so much about. Sleeping in was a mistake. We had our work cut out for us today. It was a long, hard 16 miles.First we climbed Mt. Moosilauke. We started at 1,350 feet at the shelter and climbed all morning to 4,802. We were in the clouds but no rain. When we got to the summit, the fog was so bad it condensed on our hair and in the guys' beards. We had no view, which was disappointing, but it was still amazing to stand up there. The climb consisted of a lot rocks, water, and mud - one of the most difficult on the AT so far. The decent was even worse. We decended down to 1,815 feet in 1.5 miles. This took me well over an hour. In the last 7 or so miles we climbed Mt. Wolf which was a lot shorter climb but still challenging. I got to the shelter around 8:00 and it was dark and looked like rain. The shelter was full, New Zealander, Booble, and Sweet Ass already had their tents up. I got water, set up my tent, and briefly talked to the group in the shelter. They are from Quebec and are here for the week. Then I cooked dinner and as I am eating it starts to rain, so I ate in my tent and didn't even get to brush my teeth. It didn't rain much, though, so there were no puddles in my tent.This was one of my top five most physically challenging days on the AT. Sixteen miles is a lot in the White Mountains and I believe I have underestimated the difficulty of this leg of the AT. I got my butt kicked today and the hiking here is not going to get easier. We had hoped to finish the Whites in a week. I am not sure now if I can do that. I can finish them but maybe not in that time. We'll see.Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-04
From: Eliza Brook Shelter 2,495

To: North Woodstock NH 1,450
Miles today: 8.8

It rained a bit last night but the trees dripped on me all night so my tent is pretty wet. My stuff is mostly dry, though. I was up at 6:00, knowing I had a hard day ahead of me. We got started around 7:30 and it was raining. It took me three hours to do the first four miles today. Frustrating. We climbed South and North Kinsman today, starting at 2,494 feet and summiting at 4,293 within 3.2 miles. More rocks, mud, water, and rain this time. I began to feel like a novice hiker, yet I have hiked almost 1,800 miles on this trip. I stopped at one of the huts to take a break. The guys were there and we got free food. The huts have bunks, tables, and a full kitchen that serves two meals a day to anyone staying there. Guests pay $68 dollars a night and there is not even a shower! Thru hikers can stay there and do work-for-stay most of the time, but no gaurantees. I had the best pancake ever, a bowl of turkey soup, and a bunch of ginger snap cookies when I stopped today. That caretaker can cook! They give away any extras at lunch for free. The last 3 miles to the road were fairly easy compared to what we had just been through. We forded two streams which I was not expecting. Both came up above mid-thigh on me. The guys know I can't swim and they know I am a bit nervous about some of the crossings in Maine. They waited for me at both crossings today, probably just so they could watch and laugh, but I would like to think they stayed to help me. They showed me the best way to go across. These were easy crossings I thought, once they showed me the best way to go. My shoes got really clean too!At the road, we hitched a ride into North Woodstock with Mighty Mouse who is currently thru hiking but taking a few days off. She dropped us at the post office, we got our stuff (Shev, I got the package. Thanks!), and went to the Cascade B&B to get a room. Holy Cow, what a dive! We paid $19.50 each and the room wasn't even vacuumed. Neither owner can go upstairs because they are handicapped. The bathrooms are disgusting as well but I still took a shower. I waited until I got to the laundramat to pee. Don't know what I'll do tonight...North Woodstock is a ski town but seems to attract a fair amount of tourists in the summer. Nice town, lots of places to stay, and lots of places to eat and drink and buy junk, I mean collectable stuff. I could really spend some time and money here if I didn't have to be somewhere by Aug. 30th...We are off to McDonald's for dinner later then I have lots to do - organize my food drop, dry my tent, get my bounce box ready to mail, make a phone call, and try to recharge my camera. It got wet two days ago and won't come on. I hope I haven't ruined it and that he battery just shorted out when it got wet from walking in the rain ALL DAY. Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-05
From: North Woodstock NH 1,450

To: Galehead Hut 3,820
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

We woke up at 7:15. Pretty good for us considering we were in a B&B in a real bed. We were at the post office when they opened at 8:00, then went to breakfast since the Cascade B&B no longer has breakfast. I think the second "B" might stand for "bugs." The owner took us back to the trailhead and we were on our way by 10:15 - late start for the Whites.Tough going today, just like the last two days. Our first mission was to climb Little Haystack Mtn. starting at 1,450 feet and going to 4,760 feet in 4.6 miles. There were some flat stretches and I actually got there by 1:00 I think. The guys were eating lunch and there were all kinds of people up there. The clouds cleared for a bit and we could see the mountains around us. One word came to mind - magnificent! Then the clouds came back and I admired the guy with his shirt off who was day hiking.We didn't stick around long because we knew we had a hard day ahead. Next we climbed Mt. Lafayette at 5,249 feet which was another 1.5 miles north. We were above tree line and just walked across rocks on a roller coaster like trail that was harder than it looked. I didn't stop here but got a good picture of the guys doing their thing - taking a break. The hiking was a bit easier after those climbs. The trail flattened out but there were endless rocks, root, mud, muck, and water holes to go around. I arrived at the hut around 7:00, last as usual. I think I already explained the huts are $70 a night for guests. They have bunk rooms, bathrooms but no showers, a dining hall, and a huge kitchen. Galehead is really nice and the "croo" was awesome! They allowed Booble, Sweet Ass, Bank Robber, and myself to eat any food left over and do a work-for-stay so we didn't have to pay. We had spinach soup, salad, ham, mashed potatoes, and cous cous. It was all good! I asked if we could do our chores at night so we could get an early start and they put us to work cleaning the industrial size six burner gas stove and two ovens. Not as bad as it sounds when there are four of us cleaning it. It didn't take long. Then they gave us mattresses to put down on the dining room floor where we slept. I was exhausted. We made plans for tomorrow and I went to bed around 10:00. I slept pretty good on that mattress with a few windows open in my winter sleeping bag. The hut got its name because of the winds in that particular spot but the noise seemed to die down before we went to sleep. I was grateful to be indoors.Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-08
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut 5,050

To: Pinkham Notch Campsite 2,040
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Again we woke up at 6:00 at the hut with every intention of being on the trail at 7:00. We got packed up and ready and realized the croo at the hut was going to do a skit for the guests so we stayed to watch. It was pretty cute but we didn't leave until 7:40 for our hike up to Mt. Washington.When we stepped outside the temperature was probably about 60 but we had no view because the fog was so thick. The hike to Mt. Washington wasn't that difficult and was only 1.5 miles. It was all up and all rocky but we got there pretty quickly. There was so much fog we couldn't even tell where the visitor's center was. We got sodas, made phone calls, and left again at 10:00 to hike the northern presidentials. We were hiking on these boulders and nothing else it seemed. They were just all piled on top of each other and they were jagged. I was very intimidated by this terrain. I didn't anticipate the Whites being this difficult. It took me over two hours to hike 3 miles but then the terrain was much better and below tree line. I met the guys at Pinkham Notch Visitor's Center around 7:00. We were going to stealth camp. I asked inside about where to go and it was a very convenient site. We hiked about .25 miles after we got water and set up camp, ate dinner, and went to bed exhausted.I underestimated the Whites. I hear western Maine is more difficult. Joy. I like to think about something other than hiking when I am hiking and I can't do that in the Whites or in Maine either, I suppose. Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-09
From: Pinkham Notch Campsite 2,040

To: The Barn, Gorham NH 760
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: fog

What a day! Woke up at 6:00, left at 7:00, went to the visitor's center again to get water and a Coke and use a flush toilet, then started hiking at 8:00 with sunny skies and warm temps. We climbed 2,000 feet to Wildcat Peak E in less than two miles. This took me almost three hours. There was a gondola up there and some sort of race was ending there. Runners had run up another trail to the peak. We took a break and watched the runners come in, then headed out to finish Wildcat Mtn. which has five peaks altogether but the rest of the mountain wasn't too bad. We stopped at Madison Hut for lunch around 1:00. By then, skies were gray and rain was coming. We left at 2:00 for the second leg of our day. We climbed 1,600 feet in 1.2 miles, in the rain. Fortunately, there were no real hand over fist rock climbs. I ran into the guys at the top of Carter Dome and hiked with them for a while when we realized we had taken a wrong turn and basically gone in a circle. We figured out where we went wrong, we went back to Zeta Pass to right our wrong and instead of hiking 4.7 to the campsite in the rain, we hiked a blue-blaze trail back to the road and hitched a ride to Gorham. I am glad we did because it is raining right now.These two guys from Philly picked us up in their truck. They took us to The Barn Hostel and New Zealander, Snort, and Clover are here! I am so glad to see them again. I changed clothes when I got there and went to eat with Snort and Clover at Mr. Pizza. We rode bikes to the restaurant. I haven't ridden a bike in years but the hostel has some for us to use. I was a bit unsteady and had only one break working but had great time riding a bike.When I got back to the hostel, I did a few chores and figured out what to do about a slack pack tomorrow to make up the miles we missed today. I am too tired to even meet the other people staying here but I did meet Crow, Longhorn, and two south bounders traveling with their dog, Bryson.I am glad to be inside, warm and dry. The rain really affects my mood and attitude. I tried to be more positive today and did fine until we got turned around and lost so much time. I almost don't want to do the slack pack. I want to just rest a bit and do some chores tomorrow while the guys hike but I don't want to regret it later. I am also afraid the guys would see me differently and I don't want them to think I am "slacking" off. I want to have no regrets when we summit Katahdin. Booble told me once that he would rather regret something he had done than to regret not doing something. I feel the same way. I don't know if Booble thought of that or if he heard it somewhere but I agree with it. Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-10
From: The Barn, Gorham NH 760

To: The Barn, Gorham NH 760
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

A trail angel arrived today just when I needed one the most. We were going to slack pack and I did NOT want to do it. I woke up around 6:00 and it was raining. I got up at 6:30, came downstairs and found Booble talking to a trail angel named Garcia (as in Jerry Garcia). He said if we took a zero he would buy us breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I couldn't believe it but the guys wanted to do it. I was thrilled! It is only noon and we have had breakfast, I showered and did laundry, organized my food drop and wrote two postcards. Garcia hiked in 1996 after some important people in his life died or left him. Since he hiked the trail, he continues to hike in sections and provide trail magic wherever he goes. I am really grateful to him because my feet need a rest. I was just told the rain is not going anywhere, though. This is unfortunate. Such is life. We just went to lunch with Garcia, then to the grocery store. Sweet Ass, Crow, and I got some ice cream and I made a phone call. Happy birthday, Butch! I am glad you are with friends and family today. After I came back to the hostel, we watched the movie Tommy Boy. Garcia rented it for us because Booble and Sweet Ass are always quoting it and I had not seen it. Now I have a better understanding of the two of them and how NOT original they are! I never realized how much of their humor is actually quotes from that movie. It is a funny movie but definitely just a rental.Spiderman and Hotspur (Just Dan) showed up at the hostel today. We were discussing our trip through the Whites and our visits to the huts. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is different from other clubs that maintain the trail. They charge for almost all the lodging along the section of trail they maintain and they don't make it easy to stealth camp. Sweet Ass pointed out that they have made the Whites a heavily populated place because of the visitor's center, etc., but they want everyone to pay for lodging, including thru hikers, section hikers, and avid backpackers who want a true outdoor experience, not just a hike from hut to hut. We disagree with this. I am not out here fighting their system. I am busy trying to accomplish a goal, so I won't complain about it anymore. Oh, I did forget to mention one thing; If you are caught stealth camping in an area not designated for that, park rangers will give you a ticket. This zero day is not helping us get any closer to Maine but I am glad to have it. I am a bit concerned about getting there by the 30th but I will cross that bridge when I get there. I plan to enjoy today. It is raining again. Imagine that.Dinner just arrived at the hostel. Pizza, courtesy of Garcia. Awesome. I am stuffed. I think I may go get more ice cream later, though.Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-11
From: The Barn, Gorham NH 760

To: Hogan Road Campsite 780
Miles today: 14.1

Today we slackpacked. I didn't want to do it - make up the 12 miles we skipped on Saturday - but the guys didn't feel right about skipping it and I would never sit around on my butt while they hiked. I would feel terrible and I would never hear the end of it. We were up at 6:00 and started trying to hitch a ride by 7:20. It took half an hour to get a ride to the trailhead. An older man in a pickup gave us a ride. He said he does it all the time and we were very glad he does!We slackpacked south from Hwy2 near Gorham to Zeta Pass where we took a blue blaze trail down to NH16 near Pinkham Notch - the same blue blaze we took on Saturday when it was raining. The terrain today wasn't bad. The first 5.5 miles were gradually uphill most of the way, with some short rocky climbs, but we covered it fairly quickly. We did the first 2 miles in 35 minutes.We took a break at Imp shelter,then did the Carter peaks. Leaving Imp shelter we had a climb, but it was nothing compared to some of the other stuff we've done in the Whites. The sun was shining most of today and the temps were probably in the high 70's or low 80's all day. Great hiking weather and our only day in the Whites we did not get rained on. I was so grateful for that!We got to the road around 4:30 and, again, it took about 30 minutes to hitch a ride. A nice man in a pickup stopped and he also seemed to frequently pick up hikers. We rode the 16 miles into Gorham in the back of his truck, went to The Barn and unpacked our daypacks, then walked to Subway for dinner. After dinner we got ice cream at the local ice cream stand. It was outstanding and it was my third time in two days to get ice cream there. The chocolate chip with kahlua was amazing.We went back to the hostel, paid our bill, and Garcia took us back to the trailhead. He is truly a trail angel and seems to show up just when we need him. We hiked about a mile and are camping beside an old jeep road. Not a prime site, but we wanted to set up our tents before the rain came. Looks like we might not get any rain, though.We were discussing the fact that we are now way behind on mileage - 27 miles in fact. We hope to make it up in the 100 mile wilderness. Right now we are just hoping the terrain is not so difficult tomorrow that we can't make it to Maine by tomorrow night. At this point, it's not about the views, it's not about having fun, it's not about having a "nature experience" or enjoying the great outdoors in a state I've never been in. It is about getting there and kissing that sign on Katahdin. It is about "The End of a Journey." I saw that on a poster in the hostel. It was all I could think about while I hiked today.Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-12
From: Hogan Road Campsite 780

To: Carlo Col Shelter 2,945
Miles today: 15.5

I got up at 6:20 this morning. As usual, Booble was the first one up and once I hear him I know I have to get up or be left behind. I slept pretty good last night even though it rained. My tent stayed dry and I didn't even get condensation. I think it was because my pack and all my stuff was dry from being at the hostel two days.We were on the trail by 7:15 and woke Deysman up as we walked by his tent. He took two breaks with us today. He is a fast hiker and very cool to talk with. Nice guy. Today's hike was one of the easiest we've had since we entered the Whites. We did three major climbs, had some boulders and slick rocks to manuever around, but we made pretty good time. We got to the shelter around 6:00, which is way early for us lately. Our biggest climb was our last - Mt. Success. Two or three times I had to butt slide on the descent. Our biggest accomplishment today is that we are now in Maine! We crossed over the border and are .5 miles into Maine. I am so excited, but still a bit stressed over making up the miles. I guess I shouldn't worry about it and I've tried not to, but I do want to finish by Aug. 30th and I want to finish with Sweet Ass and Booble. They waited for me at the border sign today so we could make a picture. That was awesome. Thanks guys! Between the three of us, Booble was the only one who had a camera. My disposable one isn't working and Sweet Ass ran out of film. Figures. I think we got a good shot though. Tomorrow is the Mahoosuc Notch. One mile of boulders we have to go over, under, and around. Can't wait. Should be plenty to write about tomorrow, I'm just sorry I don't have a camera.Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-14
From: Speck Pond Shelter 3,440

To: Surplus Pond Campsite 2,050
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: few clouds

Today had to have been the most beautiful hiking weather so far. Clear blue skies, temps in the 70's, and a breeze blowing all day. Perfect. I was up at 6:00 and on the trail by 7:00, as usual it seems. I slept okay in the shelter. There were six of us, but only one other thru hiker named CeeBee. Today's hike was certainly easier than any we've had lately, but still had some challenges and some great surprises. One thing I noticed today was I didn't feel rushed since I knew the guys weren't waiting for me anywhere. I still tried to hike as fast as I could go just because I wanted to get to camp as early as possible. It felt good to be on my own today.My biggest challenge today yielded my greatest reward. After lunch I climbed Baldpate Mtn. I went from 2,600 feet to 3,800 feet. The climb wasn't bad, but since there were no clouds I could see what I was about to climb. Baldpate is appropriately named because the top is a big rock! The rock was dry and not slippery at all though so I walked right up it. When I got to the top I had an amazing view of Maine. The wind was gusty and cool up there and I took a little break so I could eat some wild blueberries! We have been eating them since New York, but Maine has the best! It felt awesome to be on top of that huge rock in the sun with the wind blowing. Awesome place.I hiked until 6:30 where I finally reached my campsite near Surplus Pond which is really beautiful. I thought I would be alone but there are two southbounders here. Nice guys from Dallas. They started July 4th and have been going really slow. I am exhausted tonight after a long day of hiking with too few breaks. Great day to hike and I am grateful for it. The rain was getting me down again. Goodnight Oscar.
Date: 2003-08-15
From: Surplus Pond Campsite 2,050

To: Bemis Mtn. Lean-to 2,790
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

Woke up at 5:30, got up at 6:00, on the trail by 7:15. No surprises here. I slept well last night on my bed of pine needles not three feet from the trail. The SOBO's were just waking up as I was leaving. The first thing I did was climb. Imagine that. I climbed 900 feet up Wyman Mountain, but it was easy and I could actually think of something besides where to put my feet. I hiked four miles to the first shelter and met El Dude and his dad. El Dude has thru hiked all the way from GA like me and is leaving the trail tomorrow. He has had enough. I tried to talk him out of it. I had debated all the way to the shelter how I was going to get more food for tomorrow. I was running out. When they said they were leaving tomorrow I asked if they had any food they didn't want and the loaded me up with snacks. Awesome. I was a bit concerned because I am hungry all the time now and have lost more weight since entering NH. My hip belt no longer fits and my shorts fall down as I hike because they are now too big. I got them in Port Clinton, PA. Anyway, I hope El Dude changes his mind, but the snacks they gave me helped a lot. Crow also came by on a slackpack and gave me a Snickers.I climbed Moody Mtn. after I met those guys. I went from 1,100 feet to 2,380 feet in .9 miles. Steep, rocky, and rooty. No time to daydream going up that thing. Coming down the other side wasn't bad and I had lunch at the road, then climbed 900 feet in .6 miles. I think I was in shock after that. The whole day today was a climb but the Bemis Mtns. weren't too bad and they were the last on my list today. I finish them in the morning.I am in the shelter tonight with Hooter, who is a southbounder, and Widgeon and Elizabeth, a father and daughter from VA who are section hiking. Tomorrow is their last day but they planned well and have no extra food. They did give me some Gatorade though and I feel a lot better. I think my electrolytes were off. Trail magic abounds today! Oh yeah, someone left a garbage bag by the road for hikers to dump their trash in, too! Awesome.I am enjoying my hiking more now that I don't have to worry about keeping up with anyone. It was a hard decision to leave Sweet Ass and Booble, but I think in the last few days together our strategies changed. Widgeon told me he saw them and they said they were going to try to summit Katahdin by the 28th. Our original plan was the 30th. I don't know what spurred this but as of tonight they are 8 miles ahead of me and I am not trying to catch them. I am enjoying being on my own. I plan to be at the base of Katahdin on the 30th and summit on the 31st. Seventeen mile days will get me there. I better get busy planning. Goodnight Oscar.