morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-26
From: Laiberty Spring Tentsite

To: Garfield Ridge Camsite, NH
Miles today: 7.7

I purposefully cut my day short. Hopefully I can make up the miles tomorrow since it was going to be a short 9 mile day anyway. The storm clouds just didn't look good at 2 pm, but it waited until 5 pm to hit. I would have gotten wet, but worse, I would have had to hike these rocks in the wet. I'll call them rocks rather than trails, because most of them have eroded down to bare rock.Franconia Ridge was spectacular this morning and there was good clear weather for that part. Red Hoya* and I stayed at Liberty Springs and hiked up to Mt Lincoln & Mt Lafayette together. Yes, once you get up on the ridge above treeline, the Whites are really nice.The going will be slow as I cross these wicked mountains. The climbs and decents are very steep and it takes me more time than I am used to, to go a mile. I'll have to get an early start tomorrow to do 15 miles but at least the last 4.5 miles is supposed to be easy. Only 81 miles to Maine, but its a tough 81 miles. I'll be glad to put the Whites behind.
Date: 2006-07-27
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite, NH

To: Ethan Pond Campsite, NH
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: haze

I got off to an early 6 am start today, the last 4.5 miles were relatively easy so I was able to make it into camp by 4 pm. I stopped at Garfield Hut and topped off my water. The huts are kinda cool. They have potable water and sometimes food. When I arrived at Zealand Falls Hut around 1 pm, they had soup and blueberry cheese cake! Yahoo! I had 2 pieces I had some soup too.I guess I'm about half way through the White Mountains. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather holds. So far so good. It rained yesterday evening, but not the Big T-storm we were expecting. So far I've been over four ridges with none of the freak storms and essentially clear except for the shroud of clouds on Moosilauke.I chastized myself today for grumbling too much. I've decided to just accept that there are mountains to climb and decend. To accept that, I can't keep up the 15 mile days while the terrain is so difficult and to accept that bugs need to eat too....Well, OK the bugs must die! The blackflies have lingered past normal season this year because of all the rain.
Date: 2006-07-28
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: fog

Now...you just haven't lived until you cross the Presidentials in a driving rain with the possibility of T-storms later in the afternoon By 0800 I was at the bottom of Crawford Notch and up walks Boogyman*, Bison*, Red Hoya* and Swiss Miss*. They had stayed at the campground in the Notch. We all climbed up to the webster cliffs, a sometimes vertical hand over hand scramble, but the view at the top was breathtaking from 3400'. We continued to Mizpah Hut and had some soup and chocolate cake. Mud Diver* and Eagle Eye* were also there. The weather report wasn't good, but Lakes of the Clouds Hut was only 4.8 miles away and some south bounders said it was an easy hike. Well we made the trip to L.O.C. in two hours and the rain caught us about 30 minutes into the hike. At times the trail was about 6 inches deep with water. I had on my rain jacket basically to keep some heat in. It doesn't keep me dry anymore Mud Diver* and I came in last, but the crew member introduced herself and announced that she had 2 more work-for-stay slots available! Yahoo! So tomorrow morning I'll probably do dishes or something, but I was hoping to get a work-for-stay here. Awesome !
Date: 2006-07-29
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch Stealth
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: fog

My work for stay at Lakes of the Clouds involved sweeping the dining room after breakfast and straightening up the library. I was headed to the summit of Mt Washington by 9:30 in 50' visibility and 20-40 mph wind. The clouds parted a few minutes later just long enough to get a shot of the hut. The weather report was for high winds, showers and possibly T-storms. As I climbed to the summit, I was thinking of how to continue the day. I had a mail drop at the summit PO and luckily, it was there and a ranger was able to open the PO and get it for me. All my southern Maine maps were in that box, but I had failed to read the guide book warning that the PO had limited hours and space. I got lucky I met Mud Diver* and Eagle Eye* at the visitors center and we all agreed to excercise some good judgement and take the bad weather route down the Pinkham Notch. We took the Lion's Head Trail down to Tuckerman's Ravine and just got off the mountain. I'm happy with that At the Pinkham Notch Visitor's Center while I was talking to Beth on the phone, my friend Greg, who lives just a short distance away in the town of Conway, came in. It was just blind luck that he found me (I'm very lucky) because I had only given him an approximate time of arrival from the summit. Greg is a fellow internet pilot that I have known for 10 years online. It was really cool to meet him and he took me to dinner at a nice restaurant two towns over. We had a nice time chatting about our mutual connection and about my AT experience. Nice to meet friends like that while just passin thru So when Greg dropped me back off at Pinkham Notch, I found Bison* and Boogeyman* who, by the way, are both from Canton, MI and we all came out to this Little Steath Camp. Tomorrow we will enjoy the 6 am AYCE Buffet at Pinkham Notch Visitors Center and tackle the Wildcat Ridge. I anticipate a long tough day, but soon enough I will have put New Hampshire behind me. Only 3-4 more days.
Date: 2006-07-30
From: Pinkham Notch, NH

To: IMP Campsite, NH
Miles today: 13.1

This rather amazing day began with an AYCE Buffet at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. I began climbing the steep Wildcat Ridge at 7 am. There were times that the trail was so steep that it was more like rock climbing. I stowed my hiking poles on my pack and used my hands. The weather was perfect! Clear blue sky, low humidity, temps in the 60's, bugs...absent sweat...minimal even though I was climbing nearly 2300 ft. Red Hoya*, Boogeyman*, Bison* and Swiss Miss* caught up with me by Carter Notch. Oh yeah, we dropped almost as much as we climbed today. 4000' down to 5200' up ± 250. In short, it was a rough day.Oh yeah! me and a moose went round and round today. Yup, I saw a moose trotting down the trail...at me! Narrow trail, dense woods, and no where to go! Three times I ran into this moose on the peak of Height Mtn. The moose turned and trotted back the other way each time. So I decided to move off the trail. What does the moose do? She moves off the trail and we end up scaring the wits out of each other at 20 paces. Sheesh! Almost goosed by a moose Might have a picture. We'll see.
Date: 2006-07-31
From: IMP Campsite, NH

To: The Barn Hostel, Gorham,NH
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was wonderfully chilly when I heard my 5 am alarm go off. I rolled over and slept in til 6:30. On the trail by 7, in town by 11:15. It took me about 5 minutes to get a ride from two ladies in a van with about a hundred questions about the trail. The three mile trip into town got about 20 of their questions answered Gorham is kind of spread out. The grocery store is way out the opposite side of town from the Barn, but I got everything done and I'm ready to head back out tomorrow. It's supposed to get hot this week....rats. It's been wonderfully chilly Although I am only 16.5 miles from Maine, I'm not going to try the whole 16 tomorrow. It just looks too rough. Maybe if I get into the Gentian Pond Campsite early, I will move on. We'll see.
Date: 2006-08-01
From: The Barn Hostel, Gorham,NH

To: Gentian Pond Campsite, NH
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

Walked out the Barn door at 7 am, stuck out my thumb and by 7:15 I was adjusting my pack and heading into the woods. A heavy rain last evening had left the trail saturated with water. The slippery rocks made traveling slow and difficult. One misplaced step and an injury could end the journey prematurely. I know it's silly to worry about that, but if you could see the slippery trail, you would understand.It probably hit 90 deg today and the humidity was very high. Thankfully there was cloud cover. Needless to say, it was a tough day to hike. Towards the end of the day, there were submerged bog logs. In between there were simply bogs. OK, I exagerate, there were mud puddles everywhere.About 30 minutes before reachig Gentian Pond, I ran into Dolphin* who I had met 2 days before at IMP Campsite. Later on Eagle Eye* showed up. Looks like I will have some company through Mahoosuc Notch. Fine by me.Hopefully the weather report will be accurate and the hot weather will be short lived
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Gentian Pond Campsite, NH

To: Full Goose Shelter, ME
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

It was on a cold rainy day in Tennessee that I passed Marco Solo* as he was doing a Southbound slackpack. He uttered a phraise that I would carry with me for months. "No rain, no pain, no Maine." Well, I've endured the rain. I've suffered the pain and by the grace of God, dear reader, I AM IN MAINE!It's been raining again. The 12 person shelter is full with 10 people in it. Hopefully we won't have to squeeze in 2 more. It would be tight. At least three groups of kids (teenagers) are camped at the tent sites and this is really a small city tonight.Eagle Eye* and I have agreed to do Maine together. We compared notes and had selected the same camps thru Caratunk and it's good to have someone to travel with. The hike today was rough & tough and it took 8 hours for us to do 9 miles and we weren't just daudling, we were pushing forward and at a good pace, but there were many wet slippery hand and foot climbs. The down clims are the most difficult. Tomorrow....Mahoosuc Notch!
Date: 2006-08-03
From: Full Goose Shelter, ME

To: Baldpate Lean-To, ME
Miles today: 12.0

Well, it rained all last night and was still raining this morning as Eagle Eye* and I set out from Full Goose. There was an agreement between us to take our time rather than race or rush through Mahoosuc Notch. The toughest mile on the trail....just add water. It was difficult and slippery and - Yes - I did see some ice in the crevases. The mile long "Notch" was a field of 10 ft-20 ft diameter boulders with smaller ones mixed in. On three occasions we had to remove our packs and pass them through, over, or forward. It was more like cave exploring at times, only there was light and the dark cloudy sky was the ceiling. Two hours after we entered the Notch, we were through it. The rain never let up until we reached the top of Mahoosuc Arm. Oh yes, after the Notch, you go vertical for 1600 feet up some shagnasty root pulling, water falling, steep climbing trail known as the Mahoosuc Arm. We pushed over the Arm and on to Speck Pond Camp where we got some water and lunch. Then onward over Old Speck, which I'm sure would ahve provided some excellent views if not for the cloud that enveloped us. The trail up Old Speck was a steep slab of granite. Probably the steepest trail I've seen where you depended on boot tread alone to walk up it. After the summit, the remaining 6 miles were actually fairly normal trail. Something we haven't seen for a while.
Date: 2006-08-04
From: Baldpate Lean-To, ME

To: Hall Mountain Lean-To, ME
Miles today: 14.0

The climb up Baldpate Mountain West and East peaks was better hiking than the last couple days. Mostly because the weather was nicer. East Peak was steep open rock face. I have some good pictures of it. There was more of the steep trail coming down from the alpine, but maybe not as much of it today as on other days.Officially we are 250.5 miles from the terminus sign today. So close, but passing thru country like this Eagle Eye* and I both express concern over the potential for injury. It's difficult to fully describe the nature of the North East Mountain Trails. Some call it straight up - or straight down, but that can lead to the reader thinking the writer is exaggerating. In many places along the trail the hiker must use whatever means available to climb or decend the wet rocky face of the trail. Roots, small trees, finger holds on rocks. Sometimes with a stream flowing down the trail itself. 14 miles becomes a full day for someone who can normally do 20+. One day, one mountain, one step at a time.
Date: 2006-08-05
From: Hall Mountain Lean-To, ME

To: Beamis Stream, ME
Miles today: 16.6

The south bounders who also spent the night at the Hall Mtn Lean-to said that the 13 miles from Beamis Mtn Lean-to was the hardest yet. Well, Eagle Eye* and I just looked at one another and said...we'll start early We rolled out of camp at 6:45 am climbed a couple mountains that had some really nice re-bar ladders and got to Beamis Mtn Lean-to at 4 pm. Way too early, so we decided to push on another 4 miles which puts us within range of Rangeley a day early. So tomorrow, we'll get an early start and get into town in the afternoon. We'll have to recalculate our logistics and decide how to approach the next few days. We know we have some more high mountains coming up, but mixed reports on how difficult they are. The map profiles are so exagerated that they are useless. Our best resource is south bounders because the trail conditions change. Mud can really make the trail difficult and the hiking slower, but we gained some ground today
Date: 2006-08-06
From: Beamis Stream, ME

To: Gull Pond Lodge, Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Eagle Eye* and I got up early for the 14 mile push to Rangeley with cheeseburgers on the agenda. For once the trail was somewhat easier to cruise, ie no steep climbs with rebar ladders. We made good time and found a quick hitch into Rangeley. I re-stocked my food at the IGA store, after eating two cheeseburgers of course and Bob O'Brien picked Eagle Eye* and I up and brought us out to the lodge. It's nice and peaceful out here.I took a kayak out onto the pond and just enjoyed the solitude for a bit, then we all went into town to pick up Quarters* and his dog Luna*. Only one other hiker is here tonight, Homebrew*, so it should be a quiet night.Once again I'm clean, my clothes are clean, my gear is dried out and tomorrow, the forcast is for rain Ah! The life of a thruhiker. Tomorrow we push onward towards Caratunk. We should be there by weeks end.
Date: 2006-08-07
From: Gull Pond Lodge, Rangeley, ME

To: Gull Pond Lodge, Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a day promising severe thunderstorms when we would be traversing several miles of exposed ridgeline above 4000 ft, so Eagle Eye* and I decided to move the planned Caratunk zero up to today. Out here, sometimes you can avoid that nasty weather and it only makes sense.Eagle Eye* is fighting off a virus so an afternoon asleep isn't going to be a bad thing. Wanting to allow him some peace, I sat downstairs and had a 2 hour conversation with Bob O'Brien who has led a remarkable life. Bob is the proprietor here at Gull Pond Lodge and apparently has been here in Rangeley for several years. He is a retired Psychologist and prior Army so there were many things we were able to talk about. It's one of the bonuses of the trail to meet genuinely nice people and have a relaxing conversation about things unrelated to the trail. A nice respite.I move around today with creaks and groans. It's funny how I can punch out miles of trail step after step, around the mud holes, up the hills, rock hopping the creeks and then walk around the Hostel like a recovering hospital patient. I'm beginning to wonder how long it will take to feel normal again
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Gull Pond Lodge, Rangeley, ME

To: Spaulding Mtn Lean-to
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: broken clouds

We got an early 7 am start at the trailhead and topped three summits before noon. Saddleback, the Horn and Saddleback Junior. The Orbeton Stream ford was another rock hop So we are still waiting for a real river ford.The going is still tough, but maybe a bit less severe considering the distance Eagle Eye* and I were able to make today.Just over 200 miles to go. 201.3 actually. It's hard to keep my mind on the trail. I day dream all the time. After 5 months on the trail, day dreaming sorta comes natural, but today, it was more engrossing.When we summited Saddleback Mountain, the clouds were hovering around us and the wind was blowind fiercely. Both myself and Eagle Eye* pulled out our jackets to keep some body heat and I had to stow my glasses because the moist clouds would fog up the left lens and throw off my depth perception. It wasn't until we reached Saddleback Junior at 3655' that we had any clear views. But then they were awesome!
Date: 2006-08-09
From: Spaulding Mtn Lean-to

To: Horns Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: clear sky

We are a full day ahead of schedule, but not without a lot of effort. It has been a long, tiring day with a difficult climb towards the end. Eagle Eye* keeps a steady pace going, but he has been fighting a cold. I know it's hard on him, but it's not for me to tell him how to manage it.Although we crossed three peaks over 4000' today, the views were nothing special so we just passed them by for the most part. The decent from North Crocker Mtn was interesting as we skirted a large cirque right on the edge of a pretty steep drop off. A hedge lined the edge of the trail, but some washouts revealed how steep it really was From this high vantage point, one could see the Carrabasset River about 1500 feet below. The river had a board across it between two boulders so once again we didn't get our feet wet. I think the Piscataquis will be our first real ford. At 2 am I awoke, as is my routine. The composting privy here is one of only a couple that they actually want urine in, so I had to take a walk It's a full moon night, so the mountain named South Horn is visible under moonlight. Beautiful. Also visible are some stars; something I haven't seen a lot of on this journey. Most of the time the stars are obscured by the trees. In the distance a small town can be seen glowing in a valley surrounded by mountains. This place (Horn's Pond) is as beautiful by night as it is by day. But night is foreign to thru hikers. We sleep nearly every dark hour with dusk and dawn our boundaries. Once in a great while a night like this one comes along, so it is memorable.
Date: 2006-08-10
From: Horns Pond Lean-to

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Another long tough day. The Horn, West Peak and Avery Peak on Bigelow Mountain. The latter two above 4000'. We chugged up them and then over Little Bigelow Mtn, which was no slouch and then over a couple lesser hills. The pace was fast all day, but the rain caught us 30 minutes before the shelter. Eagle Eye* and I are currently the only ones here. It's 14 miles from the Kennebec Ferry, so we'll get an early start so that we can be sure to make the afternoon run. We'll make it into Caratunk tomorrow for a re-supply, but it will probably be too late to get back on the trail.Oh yeah! I almost forgot. Today we passed Long Falls Dam Road where a big 2000 miles is painted in the center. We are 165.2 miles away from the end of the trail. Katahdin was one of three mountains we saw in the distance today, but we can't be certain which one yet.
Date: 2006-08-11
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to, ME

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We got started at 6 am for the 14 mile hike to the Kennebec River Crossing. The walk was relatively flat. Not without a few hills, but no mountains. We made excellent time and arrived at the crossing a full 2 hours before the 2 o'clock ferry. We took the time to rest. At 2 pm a gent showed up on the opposite bank, got the canoe in the water and by 2:15 we were across. I got to paddle Patches* and Red Dane* had also arrived so I got a picture of them crossing.Eagle Eye* had 4 days supply of food waiting at the Caratunk PO and since it's only 2 days to Monson, we divised a share plan so that I would not need to hitch down to the store. I called my wife from the phone at Caratunk PO, but the signal was weak. Still it was good to touch base. Yesterday was my daughters birthday and we had tried on Eagle Eyes* cell on the peaks, but no signal available.Eagle Eyes* food is a complex blend of sauces, grains, milk, mashed potatoes and meat. Very tasty, but as I said...complex. So for two days I'll have a varied diet Then I'll re-supply in Monson. The last re-supply of the trip.
Date: 2006-08-12
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-to

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Eagle Eye* was up at 5 am, but I was snug in my bag on a beautiful cold morning. We got started at 6:30 and after climbing Pleasant Pond Mtn and Moxie Bald, we rolled into our initial destination (Moxie Bald Shelter) at 1 pm. Well, stopping at 1 pm is sorta silly, so we decided to do another nine miles to Horseshoe Canyon and make tomorrow a shorter walk into Monson.We finally had to ford a river today. The West Branch of the Piscataqus was knee deep but running swift. It was not a difficult ford. Eagle Eye* showed me a technique for really difficult fords, so if we ever have to do one, I'll have that knowledge. A couple other places we had to rock hop or log walk. Everywhere there are massive mud holes with mud 2 ft deep, everywhere....The weather for the past three days has been quirky. Partly cloudy, but every cloud has rain in it. Today it rained 6 times with intermittent sunshine in between. The sky would be vivid blue one hour and dark grey the next.We had an owl in a tree near the shelter when we got here. Toothfairy* was here and she saw it too.
Date: 2006-08-13
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Shaw Boarding house, Monson, ME
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We got a lazy 7 am start into Monson. Monson.... I've thought a great deal about what it would feel like to be here. The last resupply, the jumpoff point for the 100 mile wilderness, the prelude to the finish of this incredible journey. It's a feeling of accomplishment tempered with a touch of caution. There are still obstacles. Mountains, rocks and roots.Shaw's has had a face lift by the new proprietors Dawn & Sue. The bunkroom is probably the nicest one I have stayed in on the trail. This being one of the famous stops on the trail, I'm glad to see that the late Keith Shaw's legacy is being well kept.We forded the East Branch of the Piscataquis River today. The ford was knee deep so Eagle Eye* and I put on our Croc's and avoided soggy boots. The trail was root ridden, muddy and full of downed trees but we trudged on toward Monson. We made it to the Blue Blaze cut off and hiked the last 2 miles into town on the road. Shaw's was a welcome sight the resupply selection in Monson is limited but at this point I'm willing to put up with noodles for one more week
Date: 2006-08-14
From: Shaw Boarding house, Monson, ME

To: Shaw's Boarding House, Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Patches* showed up yesterday afternoon and his dad (Abe*) came in last night to finish the hike with him. Very cool! Abe* is a tall lanky fellow who looks the spitting image of his trail name. They will head out today as will Quarters*, Brian* and Fire Fly* who were here last night.We had an excellent breakfast of eggs, french toast, home fries and bacon this morning. AYCE cooked by Keith Shaw JR. I had 4 of everything Today will be a truly restful zero. Sorting and tending gear, a short walk to the general store for resupply and otherwise just resting muscle and bone in preparation for the big push.The first few days of the 100 mile wilderness are expected to be difficult with lots of up and down along what I call "saw tooth" ridges. Something about continuously shifting from up hill to downhill really wears a body out. According to the maps, there are three such days of this at the beginning then it levels out.I'm ready to be finished. I've been ready for some time. Still, at least 7 days remain that I will wake up knowing that the day will be spent hiking.At this point, one can only get up, pack up, and start walking; much the same as with the last 5 months. The difference is that we will soon have views of Katahdin