morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-27
From: South Arm Road

To: East B Hill Road
Miles today: 10.1

South Arm Road to East B Hill Rd10.1 milesToday was supposed to be an easier day. We allowed 8 hours to do the 10 miles between the two roads. Unfortunately, we didn't account for the landslide or the steep terrain. So we ended up the day rushing for our shuttle again.The landslide is a very recent adjustment to the landscape. We assume it must have occurred in the heavy rains earlier this week. It is on the south side of Moody mountain, and involved about 80 feet of trees, dirt, and car sized boulders that have slipped down the steep side of the mountain leaving only the slick bedrock where there used to be forest. The terrain was so steep here that the trail was switchbacked, and the slide has taken out two sections of trail, and left a third section balanced precariously over thin air at the top of the slide. We had been hearing about the slide for the past couple of days from the northbounders, all of whom had obviously made their way up it. However, when we reached the top it seemed far too dangerous to attempt to get down into the breach, and foolhardy to attempt to cross or descend it even if we could find a safe way in. We took a short snack break and discussed our options, and ultimately decided to bypass the slide by bushwacking our own trail, switchbacking as we went down the steep hillside, and hope to meet up with the trail somewhere below. Fortunately that worked: the bushwack was a little scratchier than the trail, but other than that and a few loose boulders and trees, rally wasn't much worse than the usual trail. Our own route dropped us back on the trail on the downhill side of the slide, just before the trail switchbacked again to cross unde the slide.The remaining major ascent of the day was up Hall mountain. It was quite scenic as it had a small brook with pretty waterfalls running parallel to the trail, but the trail itself was steep and had lots of deep steps. That's very tiring for my short legs. In addition, these days without rain have their own tortures: heat and humidity. All the way up I could hear a breeze in the treetops, but it rarely made it down to cool me. It made for a long hot and sweaty hour or so of hiking. At the top was Hall mountain leanto where we stopped for lunch having only complete 4 miles but used up 4 hours already. Fortunately the terrain was easier for the remaining 6 miles, but we still had to hurry to get to the end point without being too late to meet our shuttle. It seems ridiculous that we cannot even maintain 2 mph on fairly easy terrain, but the mud is still thick on most of the trail, which slows us down considerably. Tomorrow we will plan for even more time to complete the 10 miles.
Date: 2008-07-28
From: East B Hill Road

To: Grafton Notch
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

East B Hill Rd to Grafton Notch10.3 milesA great day for hiking. This morning was a little humid, but soon turned breezy, and partly cloudy. We started off the hike with a very short walk to Dunn River falls where we stopped for second breakfast of leftover pizza. After that it was up! Actually, for the most part it was not as steep as I was expecting, at least until the last half mile or so when the trail turned to almost vertical slickrock. I finished off the climb up to the peak of Little Baldpate mountain practically on all fours.The summits of Little Baldpate and East Baldpate both had awesome 360 degree views. We sat up on East Baldpate for a while, but it turned breezy and cool when a large black cloud moved overhead, so we hastened on (as much as you can on slickrock) to West Baldpate and some tree cover to break the wind. The top third of the descent was quite steep and washed out from the recent rains in many places, but the remainder of the trail was again not as steep as anticipated. Even better, the entire day's hike was relatively mud free. We're hoping the rain will hold off for a while to dry the trails ahead out some too.
Date: 2008-07-29
To: Pine Ellis Lodge
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day at Pine Ellis. No excuse really. Brian has a hast looking cut on the top of his foot that isn't healing because our feet are always wet. We decided that a day here to dry it out could also be used to rewash all our clothes and gear again, it doesn't seem to get the stink out, but at least we know they're clean, even if they don't smell it! The rest of the day wa spent relaxing and repacking packs and bounce boxes.Tomorrow we head out. Gorham, NH is only 3 or 4 days away. It will be good to get out of Maine.
Date: 2008-07-30
From: Grafton Notch

To: Speck Pond campsite
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: broken clouds

Grafton Notch to Speck Pond campsite4.6 milesA short and mainly uphill day. Our food bags were once again heavy with food and that makes the uphills seem steeper still. We were slow coming up Speck mountain, but it was a gorgeous day, and we couldn't resist adding an additional half mile or so onto the hike to visit the actual summit of the mountain and our first fire tower. It was sturdy and didn't look too high (from the bottom) so we both decided to go for it and climb up. What hadn't seemed too high from the safety of the ground sure got taller about halfway up the narrow ladder! The final couple of steps up, transitioning my hands from the rungs of the ladder to vertical metal handrails and then reaching over a wooden gate to unlatch it were a little daunting, but it was well worth it. The view from the top was great. After lounging around on a big sloping warm rock in the sunshine for a while we had the tackle the steep rock descent to the campsite. We had not originally intended to stay here, but we know there are a couple more miles of very steep and rocky descent down Mahoosuc arm next. So we opted to stay here tonight to eat a couple of pounds of our heaviest food to lighten the backpacks before tackling the Arm and the Notch tomorrow. This is our first pay campsite. It's nice and clean and has tent platforms so at least we're up off the dirt. Not that it's too muddy now, we hardly had any mud on our boots and legs today, but the forecast is for storms tonight and tomorrow.
Date: 2008-08-01
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: few clouds

Full Goose shelter to Carlo Col shelter 4.4 miles We really did intend to get out of Maine, honest, but it turned into another really short day. We slept late and had a lazy start. We were almost packed up when the sun appeared. We unpacked everything again and spread it all out in the sun to dry. We finally got on the trail at 11am. It was a bright sunny day but the mountaintops seemed to just attract the clouds to us. Every time we stopped to enjoy the views the clouds would close in. At the top of the East Peak of Full Goose mountain we bumped into some hikers who had come from Gentian Pond shelter, where we intended to get to tonight. It had taken them 7 hours to come that far, as the trail is fairly tough ahead. We reassessed our plans and decided just to go to the next shelter instead. The ascents and descents today were a lit tougher than we expected. There were several places where the trail was just a shee vertical rock wall of varying heights. Some of these had ladders, and others you were just left to initiative to make your own way. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why some had the ladders and some not. There was one place where there was a ladder for the bottom half of a steep wall, but the top half there was nothing. I guess it's less dangerous to fall from the top! In fact the entire north side of North Peak had ladders and boardwalks with anti slip crosspieces, it made it ridiculously easy to get up to the summit, but the south side had multiple sheer rock walls with very limited descent options (except the butt slide, which has already worn a hole in the bottom of my pack). This shelter is a little way off the trail, and just as we stepped foot on the side trail it started to rain, putting and end to our hopes of a sixth dry hiking day. The rain came down heavy and by the time we reached the shelter we were soaked again. We decided to sleep inside tonight to keep everything relatively dry. This is a different shelter design from those we have seen so far, it is 4 aided with an open doorway, and a loft to give two tiers of sleeping bunks. We claimed a couple of spaces on the top platform. The shelter has filled up to capacity now, mainly with southbounders but there are a couple of NOBOs too. Some are racing for Gorham tomorrow, but others, like us have accepted that they won't make it before the post office closes, so will have to wait until Monday morning for maildrops, so will spend another night out and head into town on Sunday. We're half a mile from the New Hampshire line: we'll definitely make it out of Maine tomorrow!
Date: 2008-08-02
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Trident Col tentsite
Miles today: 10.1

Carlo Col shelter to Trident Col tentsite10.1 milesAt 9am this morning we crossed from Maine to New Hampshire! Finally. We really didn't expect the terrain to miraculously improve when we crossed the state line, and it didn't disappoint us. The first couple of miles in NH were as steep and wet and muddy as Maine. Once ove the first couple of mountains though, we did get some flatter, albeit boggier trail.It was nice to get in a double digit mile day again. Not only was the terrain a little less rugged for a change, but we also had very little choice: we set out with food for 3 days, and even with the long miles today, we'll be taking 5 days to get to town. We've been short rationing our food for the past couple of days, that's not really been a big deal for the evening meal, as we hadn't done a lot of miles anyway, but I'm running low on chocolate candy bars! That can't be good.Our rain today started threatening at lunchtime, with thunder rumbling all around us all afternoon, but the actual rain held off until we reached the tentsite. We set up camp in a very light rain which soon got heavier and just before dark turned to the deluge we've become used to. We're safe and warm in bed now though.
Date: 2008-08-03
From: Trident Col tentsite

To: US2 Gorham, NH
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: moderate rain

Trident Col tentsite to US2 Gorham NH6.9 milesWe had a plan to get is into town nice and early. The plan started with a 4:30am alarm. That part of the plan actually happened, but looking out into the dark and seeing only dripping water everywhere and our tent pad surrounded by a moat of water put a quick end to the rest of the plan. The alarm went off and we both went back to sleep.We finally did get out of camp around 9am. The trail was a mess of mud an running waterfalls. We plodded through and up and back down the first mountain of the day, and just as we started our ascent of Hayes mountain the rain started up again. We should be used to it by now, but it still disappoints us not to get our sixth rain free hiking day. After Hayes mountain we started the long descent down to the road. We saw some very recent bear scat, and an area where all the bushes had been completely stripped of their berries recently, and berries were scattered along the trail, but we didn't see the bear. The berries are very good by the way. We've been seeing blueberries on most of the above treeline mountaintops, but today we also found ripe red raspberries. I helped myself, and was picking seeds out of my teeth for the remainder of the hike down to the road. It was worth it though!
Date: 2008-08-04
From: US2 Gorham, NH

To: US2 Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Today was officially a zero day in Gorham, but this small town is so spread out that we ended up walking as far as if we had been on the trail. We thought our usual pattern had held, and we'd have a dry day because we didn't hike, but I just looked out of the window and it has been raining. The mountains all around us were shrouded in clouds all day anyway, so I'm sure it would have been a wet day if we'd hiked up there today, and doubtless it will be that way when we hike tomorrow.
Date: 2008-08-05
From: US2 Gorham, NH

To: US2 Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Despite all our good intentions, we're still in Gorham. My bounce box never made it to the Post Office here, so I had to spend some time and energy, not to mention money, replacing things like vitamins, razors, etc. that I need frequent refills of, but don't carry whole packs of on the trail. By the time we had been to the post office again to send off newly repackaged boxes, and walked all the way back to the motel it was well after noon. I still had to fix the hole in my backpack, probably caused sliding down slickrock or a boulder in Mahoosuc Arm or Notch. We decided to take another zero and try to get out early tomorrow.
Date: 2008-08-06
From: US2 Gorham, NH

To: Rattle River shelter
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: fog

US2 Gorham to Rattle River shelter1.9 milesNot exactly a high mileage record breaking day! We left Gorham in the pouring rain and struggled into the shelter with too heavy packs. Both of us had slipped and slid several times. A Northbounder passing through mentioned that he had actually already been to Gorham already from Crawford Notch, which is about 20 miles ahead of us. Its a cold a d rainy day, all the stream crossings are swollen enough to need fording, and he mentioned high winds along with the rain as we climb higher.We looked at the maps and hatched a new plan to remain here tonight, eating as much extra food as we can today. Tomorrow, with lighter packs and hopefully less rain we hope to cover half the distance to Crawford Notch, then continue into there the next day. We'll somehow get back to Gorham from there, resupply, and head out again for Mount Washington.So we're here in the shelter, drying out, but not quite warmed up yet. I've eaten one days lunch already and had a couple cups of hot chocolate. I'll start on another lunch in a while. We read in the shelter register that another couple that we had been hiking with on and off since Monson have decided to get off the trail. Dan and Aileen, we'll miss you. Sorry we didn't bump into you in town. I don't have your contact info. If you happen to read this please sign the guest book so we can get in touch.
Date: 2008-08-07
From: Rattle River shelter

To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: fog

Rattle River shelter to Imp Shelter6.1 miles A slow day uphill in the rain. The Rattle River was a raging mountain torrent that we had to ford twice early this morning. It was cold and about mid thigh deep in a couple places. That'll wake you up!We were going to try to push on for 10 miles today and try to stealth camp off the trail somewhere near Zeta Pass, but I was already tired from the ascent up deep stone steps, and there was thunder rumbling in the distance from an unknown direction (all we could see in any direction all day was fog, cloud, and grey.)We reached the shelter mid afternoon and decided it was home for the night. It was dry and we could get warm. We're carrying way too much food anyway so we may as well eat it as carry it.
Date: 2008-08-08
From: Imp Shelter

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: fog

Imp shelter to Carter Notch hut7.2 milesWet, cold, and physically draining. That was today.It rained in the night, but wasn't actually raining when we got up. That changed as soon as we were ready to hit the trail. The climb up Carter was steep and slick. There were times when there just didn't seem to be any way to get up the sheer rocks. I just would have sat and cried, if it would have done any good! In the process of climbing up these rock faces my poles are of little use at all. I have to either throw them up ahead of me, or drag them along by the straps. The foot and handholds, when they exist are spaced too far apart for me. Many times I have to cling to the roots and branches of the trees growing next to the trail. Today the trees fought back. I got hit in the eye by a wet pine branch and apparently there is some sort of chemical reaction in the water. My eyes started itching and running uncontrollably. The only way I knew they were running was that I could feel warm, not cold water running down my cheeks. Carter Dome is 4810 feet. There is a big physical toll on your body to get up that high on these trails, if you don't get the emotional payback of the views it makes it very tough to keep hiking. When it's as cold and wet as today, the first day we have really felt the cold on our hands and feet, the hiking becomes very discouraging.Right now we're dried out and warm. It's past hiker midnight, but we have paid $8 to sleep on the floor of the Carter Notch hut. We'll be sleeping on the dining room floor, and lights out is not until 9:30. The paying guests of the guy have use of the dining room until then, so we're sitting here trying to stay awake until we get room to spread out our bags.
Date: 2008-08-10
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day in Gorham. Spent the day hitting the local stores looking for some extra cold weather gear that would help keep me warm while wet at elevation, but not add too much weight to my pack.If I continue over the mountains from here I will need to lighten my pack somehow, to compensate for the additional clothing. I can reduce my food load by staying in the huts, but the Carter Notch experience has taught me that I'll probably still need to carry my own protein, which was very scarce in the leftovers.I also need to retrieve my tent, which I had sent ahead to try to save weight. I was going to try to traverse the Whites and Presidentials using only the huts and shelters, but I don't want to be in a position again where I have to hike a certain mileage to a dry location if conditions dictate that holding up in the tent somewhere would be a better option. The tent was sent on in the mail, so I'll be spending another day off tomorrow trying to get it sent back here, and then at least another day waiting for it to come back.Just for the record, we got rained on again today. We walked a couple of miles in gorgeous warm sunshine to Walmart. By the time we came out it was pouring. We started back walking and hitching, and were picked up by a nice guy in a pickup truck. He had no room for us in the cab, but made space in his covered bed for us and delivered is quickly and dryly back to the Hikers Paradise hostel.
Date: 2008-08-11
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Another wet zero day in Gorham. I made a decision today. I hate to do it, but I have decided to skip the remainder of the White and Presidential mountains and jump ahead to Glencliff, NH. There are several things motivating this, partly because I am unable to retrieve T bounce box from Glencliff without physically being there, the other being the weather, The cold and rain are physically very negatively affecting my hiking, and emotionally I'm getting very discouraged by putting all of this hard effort into hiking and climbing, but never getting to see thr beautiful scenery of these mountains.I know that if if skip the mountains now I will definitely come back sometime next year to hike them, but I fear that if I continue to try to hike them alone now, I will continue to risk my physical health (I greatly fear falling off these steep inclines and declines in the slick wet conditions and with numb and tired hands and feet) and continue to get discouraged by low mileage and lack of progress. Either of these, or a combination of both could jeopardize the remainder of my hike.So the decision has been almost completely made. I've made arrangements to be driven to Glencliff tomorrow morning. At the point when I have the box containing my tent back in my hand I will still have a final option to be driven back to Gorham again, but basically I'm pretty sure I will just get dropped off in Glencliff and continue hiking south from there the next day.
Date: 2008-08-12
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another zero day, but with a twist. I had decided to skip ahead to Glencliff, so we rented a car for the day with the intention of driving there and dropping me off, with Brian returning here to Gorham to continue hiking south from here. The twist is that we had to drive through North Conway to get to Glencliff. North Conway has several outfitter stores, which we stopped at, and where I managed to purchase some additional cold weather gear that would give me a decent chance of being able to get through the next cold wet section a little less miserable than I had been for the last one. The only thing still missing was my tent, which I had shipped to Glencliff. So we drove on to Glencliff and retrieved my maildrop. The hiker hostel is across the street from the Post Office, so we stopped by there to talk to a couple of other hikers to help me make a decision whether to stay there and head on south from there, or return back to Gorham with the rental car and continue my contiguous SOBO attempt with the warmer gear and my tent.Needless to say, I'm back in Gorham. The weather forecast for tomorrow actually has some sunshine mentionned, so I'm going to head up to the top of Mt Wagington and day hike down to test out the new gear. If I can stay reasonably warm in it tomorrow then I'll start backpacking again from Mt Washington again the next day.It's been a long day. I'm off to bed.
Date: 2008-08-13
From: Mt Washington

To: US 16 Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: light rain

Pinkham Notch to Mt Washington3.8 milesFirst off, Happy Birthday Mum. I summitted Mt Washington today and it was actually sunny! That makes this day 6 of sunshine. I also still had dry feet at the end of the hike. The irony of the day is that the weather has been so bad that I had already decided that I was going to hike the blue blaze bad weather trail rather than the full steep mountainous route. I also decided to slackpack this short trail so I wouldn't have to carry my pack, and could get one more night in town, and carry one less day of food when I do restart backpacking tomorrow. I also decided to try to be up on the summit as early in the day as possible, because several people had told me that early in the day was the best chance of a decent view. So I took the hiker shuttle up via the Auto Road. I was encouraged by the lower elevation views, but then at 5000 feet the clouds closed in and it was a whiteout. Arriving at the top, I could not even see the steps to the trail that the driver was pointing out to me. It was also cold and windy. I was comfortable in my new cold weather gear, but was surprised to see people with small children up there in the fog in only sleeveless tops and shorts. I waited in the crowd at the summit and imposed on someone to take a couple of summit shots for me. Immediately after I scrambled back down the rocks, the sun broke through the clouds: there was a view, I had a shadow. I quickly went back up to the summit and repeated the "swap cameras" process.The trail down was rocky and steep to start, but much better than anything we have hiked in a while, and for the most part it was dry. I got warm, then hot, and shed clothes as I descended, until I was down to my hiking skirt and sports bra. This is the way hiking should be! So today was short, backwards, and many would say cheating (because I took the shorter trail), but it restored my joy of being on the trail, and my resolve to hike. I have no regrets about my decision.