morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-05
From: Galehead Hut

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 21.1

Spider here: Holy shit! What a day in the Whites. We got up at 5:30 and cleaned up our tent, ate a bowl of oatmeal and left. We right away went up south Twin Mountain. I honestly don't remember well the hike in the morning. It seemed like very soon after we left we were at the Zealand hut. The hut workers were nice and offered us leftover pancakes from breakfast. Chupacabra came in hiking south, and he brought tidings from the world. Shameful drunken hiker drama at Chet's place. The trail ahead was smooth. The Red Sox were still in first. We finished the pancakes together and parted ways.. The trail from Zealand Hut down to Crawford Notch was indeed nicer than most of the trail we had traversed in the Whites. The final downhill to the road was steep, and harsh on our legs. We stopped for a snack in the parking lot and considered what to do with the rest of our day. Sweet Tooth was in the lot waiting for Molar Man. She brought us snacks and talked with us for awhile. . Eventually, after deciding Mizpah Hut was out of the question, too far to hike, we decided to hike to Mizpah Hut. The hike turned out to be glorious. It was mostly uphill, which at this point is preferable. There was a spectacular view from the ridge up to Mt. Webster and more views over to Mt. Jackson. The Whites are so grand and inhospitable. They feel cruel yet inviting. I'm loving the hiking.        We got to the hut at eight and still got a work for stay. It was sweet. Good day!From Stretch:        The croo at Mizpah Hut is awesome. After hearing how long a day we'd had, they allowed us to do a work-for-stay even though there were already two thru-hikers there. And since there weren't many leftovers, they heated up some soup for us. We ate and talked, and finally did our work chores. Spider scrubbed the tar off the bottom of their large pots and I cleared, cleaned, and reorganized their lower storage shelves. We were finished a little after 9, and had just enough time to brush teeth etc before lights out. We curled up in the corner of the dining room and fell asleep almost immediately.
Date: 2013-08-06
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.8

What an excellent day. We woke up at 5:30 as the croo started preparing breakfast. The four of us packed up and moved our stuff out of the way as the guests started to filter down to the dining room. Many folks were interested in our adventure, and we spent a while chatting. We also exchanged trail info with Pica and Junco. Then we took off.The tempo today was leisurely. We were blessed with gorgeous weather, clear skies that slowly became partly cloudy as the day progressed, and a slight breeze. The trail through the Presidentials is stunning, with dramatic vistas on either side of the ridge, all above tree line. We hiked slowly, stopping frequently to take pictures or just soak in the scenery. It was wonderful.We got to Lake of the Clouds hut mid-morning and inquired about breakfast leftovers. Emily, one of the croo, offered us full breakfast in exchange for dishes. We happily agreed. While doing dishes, we discovered that Emily and Spider grew up in the same town and, although a few years apart in age, had some mutual acquaintances (Spider knew all her babysitters). She was super hospitable and we were really grateful. Our breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, coffee cake, and soup was most excellent.From there, we cruised over the 1.5mi to the summit of Mt Washington. It was nearly cloudless and we had had a clear view of the observation tower all day. A cloud was stuck over it as we approached, but we still had clear views all around. It was an easy summit--a stark contrast to the 80mph gusts and cold, wet conditions of my summit in 2010. The summit house was crowded, so we grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the basement to regroup.We decided to head to Madison Spring Hut for the night instead of pushing further down Mt Madison to the tent site below. It was a smart decision, since it took us a while to navigate the rocky trail. We arrived at the hut at 6 and were allowed to do a work-for-stay. In fact, our friends Mr. Frodo and Beacon had told the hutmaster to look out for us. The croo was great and we joined a bunch of other NOBOs in hanging out before leftovers. A pleasant night.
Date: 2013-08-07
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Pinkham Notch (Gorham)
Miles today: 7.8

We were up at 5:30 again to pack, eat, and hit the trail by 6:30. We headed for Mt Madison, up and over the rocky peak. The descent from there to Osgood tent site was at first exposed and difficult to navigate. The trail was a series of boulders and sharply angled rocks; it was impossible to hike quickly. Even when we got below treeline, the trail was still full of rocks and roots and it took us a long time to climb down. Then we had a series of confusing signs and an absence of white blazes to contend with. Happily, we stayed on trail and made it to Pinkham Notch just after noon. At least the weather was nice.We were both weary, but I was especially tired. We decided to hitch into Gorham and take a near-o. We got a ride to The Barn, settled up with Doc, and walked to town to grab some food. Spider was happy to start making up for his calorie deficit, but I was too tired to be very hungry. I walked back to The Barn and took a long nap, sleeping until the evening. When I woke up, we went back out for more food, then came back to the hostel to watch a bit of baseball and talk a while with EZ. Pretty solid day.
Date: 2013-08-08
From: Pinkham Notch (Gorham)

To: US 2 (Gorham)
Miles today: 21.1

Decided to slackpack today, leaving our stuff at The Barn and covering the considerable distance between the two roads to get into Gorham. We were packed at 6 and went to Welsh's Restaurant in town for a hearty breakfast, which we enjoyed. We quickly hitched to Pinkham Notch and set out on the trail.It was a foggy, misty, cloudy day. We had no idea what the weather would do. Fortunately, it was pretty decent for much of the day, just a bit of rain in the afternoon. The trail was erratic, though. After meandering along a picturesque pond, we started the steep climb up Wildcat. It wasn't too bad, and we didn't have any trouble covering its four peaks (except when the trail was poorly marked). It did take a while. I don't know what time we got to Carter Notch Hut, but we lingered there for a bit, even doing some work in exchange for lunch, and it was 1pm by the time we left. 1pm and 15mi to go. Yikes.We huffed out of Carter and over some other peaks. We weren't paying much attention to the map and the fog and clouds obscured most of the views. There was a fascinating moment when we were between the fog in the valley and the clouds above, but that was fleeting. The difficult trail kept us looking at our feet, anyway. Tons of sheer rock face and slippery stones. We hit a low point around Mt Moriah, tired but still hiking quickly, dismayed by how far we still had to go but determined to get to the road before dark. The only thing to do was hike on. Happily, the last section of the day was a very manageable downhill. We got to US 2 at 8pm. Phew.more at: adventureclaudia.wordpress.com
Date: 2013-08-09
From: US 2 (Gorham)

To: US 2 (Gorham)
Miles today: 0.0

Heavy rain + sore feet and knees + cheap hostel = zero dayWe slept a lot, had a delicious breakfast/lunch at Welsh's, resupplied, and lazed around The Barn all day. Great Legs and Hoops decided to zero, too, as did a southbounder who knew how to play euchre. Spider and those three played a few games at night, then we all mosied toward bed at the late late hour of 10 or so.
Date: 2013-08-10
From: US 2 (Gorham)

To: Carlo Col Campsite
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

We packed up early and went to the diner as soon as they opened at 6am for a hearty breakfast and some coffee. Then we grabbed our packs from The Barn and hitched to the trailhead. Rock Ocean picked us up in his awesome VW van--he has a sweet setup.We started with a 1700ft climb up Mt Hayes. The weather was perfect, sunny and clear with a strong breeze. We picked blueberries on the rocky ridges and had an altogether pleasant morning. We stopped around noon at Wocket Ledge for a long lunch and a quick nap in the sun. So great.The afternoon was still glorious but went by a little more slowly. The Reese accelerated to a strong wind and we faced a few steep uphill sections that wore me out. I must still be recovering from the Whites. We took another short break on top of Mt Success and took in the gorgeous silhouettes of the Whites in the distance, a few puffy clouds in the sky, the sun starting to drop low.Just over two miles later, we crossed into Maine. We took our picture by the sign and trudged another half mile to the campsite we're at tonight. It's cool and calm here, and we are looking forward to the Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow.
Date: 2013-08-11
From: Carlo Col Campsite

To: Bull Branch Campsite
Miles today: 7.1

Long, slow morning hiking over Goose Eye Mountain (east, west, and north peaks). Spider was hiking at a 1mph pace. It was that sort of day, I guess. At least the weather was gorgeous, just a tad windy.We hit Mahoosuc Notch next. The first part was fun, then it became wearisome. We were exhausted. I almost fell in a whole and Spider ripped his pack and lost his winter hat. We decided to pitch our tent at the campsite by the north end of the notch and call it a day. Feeling like slow pokes.
Date: 2013-08-12
From: Bull Branch Campsite

To: Dunn Notch and Falls
Miles today: 16.5

Some funny section hikers sort of loudly woke us up and peered into our tent last night--it felt very intrusive. Anyways, we were up at 5 and packed and moving around 6:45. It's dark when we wake up now, and it takes a while to get moving.The day started with a steep climb up Mahoosuc Arm. I'm grateful we did it on fresh legs. Beautiful views from up top. We passed the picturesque Speck Pond and were given some extra food by other section hikers when we stopped at the shelter to read the register. Sweet! We climbed up to Old Speck Mountain, which was exposed and sort of technical, but fun since the weather was accommodating and we were still energetic. The long descent to Grafton Notch wasn't too bad, either, though it did seem to take forever.Past the road, there was another climb toward Baldpate Mountain. We stopped for lunch just before Baldpate Lean-to, luxuriating in the dehydrated vegetables we received this morning. What a treat! Onwards up the east peak, which was certainly steep but helpfully featured some short rocks as stairs, and then west peak, which was exposed rock at a sharp angle. The west peak was fun to scramble up, but I can imagine it would be a nightmare in bad weather. More gorgeous views, all the mountain silhouettes on the horizon. So grateful for good weather.Though the rest of the day didn't look challenging on the elevation profile, I struggled with it. We were both tired. I fell many times, twice badly, and even ripped a whole in one pant leg at the back of my thigh. We found a stealth spot near Dunn Falls and called it a day. Pleased to have done some miles today, but hoping the trail mellows out a little.more at: adventureclaudia.wordpress.com
Date: 2013-08-13
From: Dunn Notch and Falls

To: Black Brook Campsite
Miles today: 10.9

Sneaky Spider set the alarm later than usual so we slept in. Still, it was hard to get going. We didn't start hiking until 8am.The first 5.5mi of the day were a gradual uphill, very moderate in comparison with the trail of the past few days. It still had its challenges, though: about a mile in, I twisted my bad ankle again and fell. Spider and I were afraid that that was the end of our hike, but I got up and was able to continue hiking, albeit slowly. Then it started to rain. We got to Hall Mountain Lean-to around noon and found half a dozen other hikers waiting out the rain. Though it was so early, I was ready to call it a day. We set out our sleeping pads and bags and spent all afternoon napping and lounging as some hikers left and other filtered in, ready to end their days, too.By 3:30, the rain had stopped. I pitched a crazy idea to Spider, who had wanted to keep hiking earlier, that had us packing up and hiking four more miles to a campground. Though it wasn't far, the terrain was rough, and I figured it would be good to do it today after a long rest. So we did--down 1600ft in 1.4mi to Sawyer Notch, then up 1400ft in 0.9mi to Moody Mountain, and finally 1000ft back down to Black Brook in 1.8mi. It was tough, but at least the rain held off and we were able to get a few more miles in. The no-see-ums are pretty bad here.
Date: 2013-08-14
From: Black Brook Campsite

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0

We packed up quickly to avoid more no-see-um bites. The first three miles were all uphill to Old Blue Mountain, nicknamed Ol' Bitch. We stopped halfway up to eat breakfast and use up the last of our fuel. Otherwise the climb wasn't too bad. The weather was finicky, but I enjoyed a few patches of brightness that illuminated the green moss covering the forest floor.The section between Old Blue and Bemis Mountain looked pretty tame on the elevation profile, but it wasn't. I guess a more detailed profile would look more like sawtooth than straight line. We stopped short of the shelter to dry out our tent in a patch of wind and sun. We both felt weary and glumly picked through our tiny food bags for our lunch ration.The mile after Bemis Mountain Lean-to was awesome, all exposed rock ridge covered in blueberries. We grazed as we walked and our spirits improved. We descended almost 1500ft then immediately climbed back up. We visited Sweet Tooth again just as Molar Man, Don's Brother, and Susquehanna Slim arrived. We saw rain coming toward us, though, so we hiked quickly to the shelter. There wasn't much rain, and the final few miles of the day were really pleasant. We passed Moxie Pond, so beautiful, and finally came upon Sabbath Day Pond and our destination. The wind is howling and there are many good folks here tonight. Our chores are done, our bellies are (sort of) full, and we are tucking in--and it's barely dark. Another rewarding day.
Date: 2013-08-15
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: ME 4 (Rangeley)
Miles today: 9.4

A short hiking day. We woke at 6, packed and hit the trail. We hiked directly to route 4, motivated by empty stomachs and weary feet. It was gentle, beautiful trail and again, the weather was lovely. It didn't take us long. We saw Rock Ocean at the parking lot and he gave us a ride to the IGA. We got lunch and ate it immediately in the parking lot, then went back to resupply.The rest of the day was low-key, restful. We spent a while at the public library then walked to the White House, where we tented in exchange for some work moving and stacking firewood. We both showered and walked back to town for pizza. We were asleep before 10. Hiker life.
Date: 2013-08-16
From: ME 4 (Rangeley)

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

We're taking a new approach in planning lower mileage days for challenging terrain. It's taken us almost 2,000 miles but I think we're starting to get the hang of hiking.We woke up at The White House at 6. Everything was soaked in condensation. It was if it had rained. We packed up, unhappy to be carrying so much water weight, and then went to BMC Diner for a delicious breakfast. We had a hard time getting a hitch back to the trailhead until we walked up the hill to the IGA. A nice Mainer offered to give us a lift if we didn't mind squeezing into a small truck. We didn't mind.It was another day of perfect hiking weather, sunny but not hot. I love it. We knew we weren't going too far so we took our time. Dried everything out in no time once we got to the alpine region, and sat around in the sun snacking for a while. Saddleback Mountain was awesome; same with The Horn and Saddleback Junior--360 degree views, so stunning. It reminded me of the southern balds and the Whites. Really beautiful. I don't know what we were thinking, but we didn't take any photos--I guess it will remain only a wonderful memory.The three peaks were rewarding, but it was still a bit of a tough hike. I don't mind another short day. We'll crank out the miles when the terrain flattens out a bit.
Date: 2013-08-17
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: ME 27 (Stratton)
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started well enough. Up at 5:30 and hiking before 7. Don's Brother, Susqehana Slim, Molar Man, and Captain Planet all started out ahead of us. We passed a yawning Pumpkin Head, Torch, and Spacey a few miles later at their camp site. Chupecabra and OB caught up to us shorty afterwards when we stopped to get water. We all piled into Spaulding Mountain Shelter for lunch. It was then that I realized the past 8 miles had gone by in a breeze and that the conditions were perfect for hiking. Sunny, in the 70's, fairly easy terrain. We had originally planned on going just 5 more miles to the campsite just north of Sugarloaf mountain. After staring at the elevation profile in our AWOL guide for awhile, we decided we could get to Stratton today.We climbed up Sugarloaf, which felt easy, then down the long steep north side, which was not so easy. The river at the bottom was gorgeous and the campsite right next to it looked like a sweet place to pitch a tent and wile away the afternoon. Still, it was only 2pm. We weren't as gung-ho after the tough downhill, but we still felt good and pushed on. The climb up South Crocker Mountain would prove to be the toughest of the day. We summoned North Crocker Mountain, then hiked 5 miles downhill to the road. My knees felt a little sorry from the extra miles, but it turned out to be an overall rewarding hike.Just before the rod, we found a card that offered a place to stay as well as a ride to town. We took down the number, then went to hitch into Stratton, aiming for the motel. After a half dozen cars whizzed by us, we gave Tom, the owner of the card, a call. He said he'd be there in ten minutes. We had expected just a ride to the motel, but we got a lot more than we bargained for. Tom is exceedingly nice, and we found it impossible to refuse his offers of staying at his place, dinner and breakfast, laundry, a slack pack the next day, gin and tonics, and a shower. He is excellent company and a very generous host. We found ourselves we fed and clean, and in a soft bed, and so satisfied. It was a very good day.
Date: 2013-08-18
From: ME 27 (Stratton)

To: East Flagstaff Rd
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Tom, that generous man, offered to slackpack us over the Bigelows today. After a heart breakfast, he dropped us off at the ME 27 trailhead and we started north. We quickly ran into Captain Planet and shared our experience with him, talking him into meeting us at the end of the day to go to Tom's.The weather was pleasant, just a touch hazy. It was a flat first few miles, then the trail climbed up and up to South Horn at 3800ft. We descended a little and hiked along to Bigelow Mountain West Peak at 4100ft and then Avery Peak at 4000ft. Really beautiful views of the ragged mountains to the south, the surrounding lakes, and the tamer terrain ahead. This is the last major mountain until Katahdin. We descended almost 2000ft and still had about 6mi to the road. The trail wasn't bad, but we were tired and Spider's knees were sore from the downhill. The last section seemed to take a while. We took in the view at Little Bigelow Mountain with Captain Planet, then all hiked together the smooth last few miles to where Tom was waiting with sandwiches and Gatorade. We drove back to his house, where Chupecabra, OB, Pippin, and Torch had also found themselves. It was a great night.
Date: 2013-08-19
From: East Flagstaff Rd

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3

Everyone was up by about 6:30, cooking breakfast and setting the table and getting ready for the day. We ate a delicious breakfast replete with sausage, biscuits, eggs, pancakes, blueberries, real Maine maple syrup, pineapple, and coffee and orange juice. Tom even took Spider to his neighbor, a nurse, to have his bite/boil looked at. Then he shuttled the first group to the ME 27 trailhead, dropping Spider and I in town to resupply. We saw a bunch of other hikers in town, including Dutch, who we haven't seen since Georgia. The next group went to East Flagstaff Rd--Spider and I and Captain Planet, who were all heading north with full packs, and to, who is slacking south. OB came with us on his way to Bangor. We thanked Tom and headed off.The trail today was a dream, though it was buggy and I do miss big mountains. It was pretty flat and skirted around beautiful ponds. We saw Flagstaff Lake right away and were tempted to call it, but it was so early, just 0.2mi into the day. The next three miles to West Carry Pond Lean-to passed quickly and so we took a long break on the rocks by the pond. Another really wonderful day, weather-wise. We've been so lucky.We cruised along toward East Carry Pond, stopping once to play Pooh Sticks at an agreeable stream. At the pond, Spider went swimming and I soaked my feet in the cool water. Later, we found a fat leech swimming near us. We put our shoes back and and kept going.We're at Pierce Pond Lean-to tonight. It's a gorgeous place I remember fondly from 2010. We found a small tent spot, ate dinner by the pond, and are now listening to the sad call of loons across the water. What a good day.
Date: 2013-08-20
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 15.9

We had a surprise last night when it started raining--and we didn't have our rainfly on the tent. So, in the early, early morning, we scrambled to arrange the rainfly before things got too wet. It ended up only drizzling a few times throughout the night.We slept in a bit, knowing we couldn't cross the Kennebec River until at least 9am. Didn't actually get there until 10am. I love the canoe ferry service. "The only free ride on the AT." We picked up a package in Caratunk and wound up sitting around the P.O. with Captain Planet a while. It was almost noon before we started hiking in earnest, and I was pretty weary from the get-go. The terrain is so flat, it feels ridiculous to be so tired. We took a break at Pleasant Pond, soaking our feet and basking in the sunshine. We had a climb ahead of us, up 1000ft to Pleasant Pond Mountain. I was looking forward to being above 2000ft, as the bugs were on us all morning and afternoon. I remember this mountain, coming from the north, as being full of false summits. It wasn't nearly as bad coming from the south. At the end of the long descent, we found a stealth spot between some powerlines and Moxie Pond. We ate dinner by the pond as it grew dark, the rich full moon coming up over the horizon, finally beaming out as the one bright light in the dark and murky woods.
Date: 2013-08-21
From: stealth camp

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 15.8

Spider entry: We were alive to wake up and then hit snooze at 6am thanks to having not been eaten by bears during the night. I consider myself pretty fearless of bears, but I thought I had heard something big crashing through the woods before bed. I was on high alert, psyching myself up to chase a ravenous pack of bears away if I had to. It was an uneventful night, through, in spite of my imagination. Stretch slept peacefully through my paranoia.It took us a lot of snoozes to finally get up. When we finally got hiking it was 9am. Luckily for us, the trail is pretty easy in that part of Maine. We quickly got to Moxie Bald Mountain, and started cruising up it. The peak was rocky and clear with a nice breeze. We took a long break on it, bathing in the sun.Coming down from the mountain, we took another break by Moxie Pond, which was very nice. It wasn't until after that, that we finally started cranking out miles. The elevation profile from Moxie Bald Leanto to Horseshoe Canyon Leanto is one of the sweetest lines I've ever seen. It was a quick hike, but in practice, it wasn't as easy as it looked. Still, we got to the Leanto early enough to eat two dinners and feed a million no-see-ems and mosquitoes.Was a sweet day.