morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-09-11
From: 1 mile shy of Carlo Col Shelter 

To: About 1 mile short of Gorham, NH 
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

(In which I walk out of Maine)-Currently sitting next to the trail and my tent, watching the sun go down-Today was a big day. It started a little cold - last night was extremely cold, but I didn't know how cold until I met asouthbound flipflopper who stayed at the shelter (Carlo Col) that I didn't make it to last night. He has a thermometer and he told me it was 35 degrees at 4 am. That seems about right considering I had every layer on, slept in my sleeping bag liner and I was just barely comfortable in the 40 degree bag. Montbell is true to their word. That was an unusually cold night, but I'm already scheming about winter shelters and future sleepwear.What really moved me along today were two things: the sun came out, and I knew I was going to pass the ME-NH border. I walked out of Maine! 281.8 miles of walking.Southern Maine has been terrible - especially since the AMC section started. The trail is just poorly maintained. About 3 or 4 times I've had to look around for a rare white blaze to make sure I was walking on the trail and not down a random stream. The last 5 miles today were actually enjoyable however, and reminded me of smooth trails in Virginia.Tomorrow I'll get up whenever I feel like it and march the short distance to the hostel along the trail. I'll take a nero day, do all my town chores and hopefully set up that slack-pack section for Thursday. I'm re-energized with anticipation of the White Mountains...I suppose I'm also excited about a hot cup of coffee. Towntomorrow!Today's post was brought to you by New Hampshire, because it's not southern Maine.
Date: 2012-09-12
From: About 1 mile short of Gorham, NH 

To: White Mountains Lodge and Hostel
Miles today: 1.3

(In which a milkshake gets the best of me and I decide to zero another day) -Currently sitting in my bunk and it's the morning of Sept 13th-I'm writing this post a day late for reasons you'll read about in a few lines. I woke up early yesterday and made the short 1.3 mile walk to the hostel and made it here by about 8 am. My plan was to resupply on this nero day, do a large slack pack section of the Whites today, and head out for a 6 day section tomorrow. Unfortunately, plans often change. I stopped at McDonald's in town to use the Internet, and it seemed like a great idea at the time to order the biggest milkshake they have - along with a few other items which I'm too ashamed to admit to ordering. About an hour after sucking down the milkshake, the problems started. I'm not necessarily lactose intolerant, but it's becoming apparent that the older I get, the less tolerant of lactose I've become... I spent the next two hours un-eating everything I ate yesterday and feeling very much poisoned. I laid down at about 7 pm and didn't move until 7 am. Needless to say, I was not ready for a 20 mile slack pack this morning and I decided I needed to zero today because there are a number of chores online that I need to complete sooner rather than later.I'm feeling much better this morning. Ultimately this extra zero day may be a good thing. The body definitely needs a break after southern Maine, and I needed to make some important phone calls to hear some friendly voices. Yesterday's post was brought to you by vanilla milkshakes. Delicious, but dangerous.
Date: 2012-09-14
From: Pinkham Notch

To: White Mountains Lodge and Hostel 
Miles today: 21.1

(In which I slack 21 miles)-Currently sitting in my bunk, too tired to socialize-The section I hiked today was from Pinkham Notch to RT2. I essentially walked back to the hostel after they dropped me off at Pinkham. I used my pack, but instead of its usual load I just carried what I needed for the day. There were 6 of us doing the section - a combination of northbouners, flip-floppers and southbounders. All went well, with the greatest excitement being my first bar of cell phone service since the beginning of the trip on top of one of the Wildcat peaks. Over the next two weeks this should get better.At the finish line I came in third. I managed to keep pace with the hikers in front of my for most of the day, but the last 6 miles were a smooth downhill and they decided to run it to avoid night hiking. I like my knees far too much to run with anything on my back, and considering I don't mind night hiking, I watched them jog away as I plodded along. I made it back the hostel at 8 pm almost exactly. We started at 8:15 am, so that makes this one of the fastest day-long paces I've done yet. I don't expect to see that kind of pace again in the Whites with a full pack, but when I make it to Vermont the trail levels off and I should be able to roll out the miles.Today's post was brought to you by a single bar of cell phone coverage, because it means that managing my life will get a whole lot easier in the next few weeks.
Date: 2012-09-15
From: White Mountains Lodge and Hostel 

To: Madison Spring Hut (on the floor)
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: fog

(In which I summit my first mountain in the Presidentials and do my first work-for-stay) -Currently sitting in the hut with the wind howling outside-This morning one of the hostel employees (mostly local high school kids) gave me a ride to Pinkham Notch. I took my time at the visitors center prepping my food bag and reorganizing the pack after removing most everything for yesterday's slack pack. I didn't get started until about 9:30, but I needed the long morning with the 21 miles from yesterday still in the legs. The hike up Mt. Madison was also the most intense hike since Avery - at least according to the elevation profile, and I was planning a short day because of it. Today's destination was this hut - one of the profit generating hubs for the AMC. I wanted to get work for stay for a number of reasons: free food (more importantly food that I don't have to carry into the Whites) and a free place to sleep out of the weather. The concern with expecting work for stay is that most of the huts only take two thru-hikers for the position - first come, first serve. I needn't have worried though, I'm the only thru-hiker here tonight. I helped set tables and did some dishes and ate as much pasta as I could stomach. Mission accomplished. Free food is great, but tongiht I'm happier to be inside a building than I am to have the extra calories. Going over Mt Madison, the weather conditions deteriorated quickly. There were 60 mph gusts that had me on my hands and knees at points, and ice crystals forming on my gloves and socks. By the time I made it to the hut my hands were chilly to the point of pain-upon-reanimation. The low around here tonight is supposed to be in the mid-to-low 20s and I'm not quite prepared for that. Luckily this should be the highest elevation that I plan to sleep in in the Whites. The next few days I have some strategic low-elevation camping plans and hopefully another hut stay. If I had to do this again I would have brought a bivy sack instead of my tent. I bought one online at the hostel two days ago and had it sent to Hanover. A bivy instead of a tent would easily get me through these conditions and be even lighter than my tarp tent.Tomorrow it's up and over Mt. Washington. The weather is supposed to be cold and windy but clear. I'm sure I'll be wearing all my layers and moving quickly...Today's post was brought to you by September weather in the White Mountains - surprise! Brrrrrrrrr.
Date: 2012-09-16
From: Madison Spring Hut (on the floor)

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I summit Mt. Washington and pull 18 miles to get out of elevation) -Currently lying in my tent near the Saco River-The night in the hut was comfortable. Inside it was close to 55 degrees and while falling asleep I wondered how the two southbounders who got turned away because of their dog were doing outside. If it were me and my 40 degree bag I probably would have offered quite a bit of money to sleep on the hut floor even if they didn't have room for work-for-stay. I like dogs... but I'm glad I don't have one in the Whites.This morning I got started early because I knew it would be a rough day. I was hiking by 6:30 and I think the temperature was just below 30 degrees. The 40 mph wind was the real trouble though, and I decided that of all weather conditions you can hike in, high winds is my least favorite. I can handle cold, I can handle wet, I can handle cloudy. When there are 30-40 mph gusts it's like having someone walk behind you at all times and intermittently nudge you with variable force and in a random direction every other step. Combine this with rock hopping for miles and it becomes incredibly frustrating. At times I wanted to turn around and be angry at the person pushing me around.It was only about 6 miles from the hut to Mt. Washington but it seemed like 15. The visitor's center had food and I proceeded to eat all the pizza they had available. It was expensive, but they were calories I didn't have to carry over Madison or Washington, so it was very worth it. The decent off Washington was relatively quick due to a less rocky trail and a smooth gradient, but it was a looong descent. Ultimately I made it down to 1200 ft (Washington is 6288 ft) at 8 pm. The temperature here tonight shouldn't test my sleeping bag. Tomorrow I'm planning a short day and another work for stay. After that, it looks like my 4 day supply of food will last me all the way to Glencliff. Today's post was brought to you by Mt. Washington, because the worst weather in the World is only 13 miles away.
Date: 2012-09-17
From: Crawford Notch

To: Zealand Falls Hut (on the floor)
Miles today: 8.0

(In which I take a short day and scrub pots for food) -Currently sitting in the hut after light out-The way the huts and shelters were dispersed over the 10 to 15 miles south of Crawford Notch, it was either going to be a really short day or a really long day. The previous 3 days have been exhausting - either long or with big climbs, so it was an easy decision to keep it short today and try for my second work for stay. The 5 miles leading to this shelter were so incredibly flat and smooth that by the time I stopped here, I felt like it could count as a zero day as far as my legs are concerned. I made it to the hut by about 2:30, bought some soup and bread and then asked if there were any opportunities for work for stay. The hut crew gave me the thumbs up and told me there were pots with black crust that they needed to have cleaned. It turned out that this black crust is the same kind of crud that builds up on the base of your oven. The steel wool and mild (environmentally friendly) chemical abrasive were no match for this caked-on-char. I spent about 3.5 hours with my multi-tool chipping away at these pots until my hands looked like a chimney sweep's. The pots looked good. One of the paying guests who had been there all day came over to me afterwards and said "I hope they give you tons of food for that... I saw you cleaning those pots all day". There was so much leftover food and I had my way with it. I happily did the post dinner dishes...The weather forecast for tomorrow turned south. The hut radio crackled to life earlier with a man's voice and an announcement about a storm. It was funny to see everyone in the room stop what they were doing and strain to hear the ominous weather report. It sounds like extreme winds tomorrow afternoon (my favorite) along with rain showers early and strong thunderstorms later. My plan to do a long day over the Franconia Ridge tomorrow is foiled I think. Everyone here tells me it's worse in bad weather than the ridge between Madison and Mt. Washington... such is life in the White Mountains.Today's post was brought to you by heterocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - which I'll happily remove from any pots and pans for 2,500 delicious calories.
Date: 2012-09-18
From: Zealand Falls Hut (on the floor)

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

(In which I decide to get as close to Franconia Notch as I can before the weather turns ugly) -Currently sitting in the shelter in my sleeping bag with the wind shaking the structure-I knew I wasn't going to be able to cross Franconia today because of the weather, but I can afford another short day and still make it to my Glencliff/Warren stop by Friday night. I took off early from the hut rather than clean dishes for breakfast - I have sufficient food, but I knew the clock was ticking with the weather. I took a short break at the Galehead Hut for soup and tea around 10:30 and the wind was already picking up. It's only 2.7 miles from the hut to this shelter, but in that time the wind picked up and the rain came. I was hoping to get here before getting soaked, but you can't always get what you want. At least this shelter is well-built and brand new. It has 3.5 walls and the wind is coming from the back. There isn't much to do now but catch up on my French lessons and relax in my sleeping bag the rest of the afternoon. The forecast is for winds to increase throughout the night and thunderstorms to happen... it should be an interesting night. Tomorrow I'm hoping the weather clears and I can make a mad dash across the Franconia Ridge. Crossing my fingers!Today's post was brought to you by Velveeta Shells with Cheese, because that dinner for a family of four was a great second lunch.
Date: 2012-09-19
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter 

To: Whitehouse Brook
Miles today: 10.8

(In which I cross a cloudy Franconia Ridge and muse about the AMC hut system)-Lying in my tent with about 30 minutes of daylight remaining-This morning the wind had slowed down and the rain stopped. I knew it would be lousy weather all day but I figured I'd get an early start since the weather always seems worse in the mountains later in the day. That was not the case today. I spent the morning and early afternoon hiking with every layer I had on and trying not to get blown off Franconia Ridge. It was windy, cloudy and cool, but thankfully not too cold. It's amazing how much bad weather takes out of you. By the time I reached treeline again (about 6 miles from the shelter) I was exhausted. As soon as I went to sit down in the cover of the trees, the cloud ceiling lifted, the sun poked through, and there was a view - a stunning view. The rest of the day the weather cleared and the sun shined.If I had made better time I would have pushed on a few more miles to the Lonesome Lake Hut and tried work for stay again. I decided not to push it since I don't need the food, shelter, or the miles today. I'll pass the hut tomorrow morning and get some day-old bread for lunch, but otherwise my food bag should get me to Glencliff Friday afternoon.While finishing up the day I refined my opinion about the AMC and it's hut system. It's not as bad as many make it out to be, but it clearly has drawbacks for the AT and those that hike long distances on it. The hut system was designed to get more ordinary people to experience the White Mountains. The White Mountains however, are an extremely delicate ecosystem with all of this alpine zone vegetation. In order to manage all the waste and overnight use from these hut users, you need more than just volunteers - you have to pay hut workers. To generate revenue you have to charge hut users, and as soon as you start charging, even if you're a non-profit organization, there's an expectation of quality that has to be met. Most of your manpower has to be used to maintain the huts and the trails around those huts. I suspect that's why AMC sections in southern Maine, where there are no huts, are so poorly maintained - and why the trails around the huts are exceptionally well blazed. The large number of visitors also means you have to compost lots of human waste - a cost you now have to pass on to backcountry campers ($8 to camp at many of the AMC lean-tos). It's a system that feeds on itself - entice lots of people into the mountains, charge fees in order to maintain the system and deal with their waste and environmental impact. In the end, there's really no provision for a thru-hiker who can't fork up the cash to stay and eat at these huts. The AMC has decided to compromise with this work for stay program, and from what I can tell it seems to work for both the AMC and most thru hikers. In the end, it's a pain for most long distance hikers and I'm glad that in a few days I'll be out of AMC maintained territory.Today's post was brought to you by clouds, because I spent the majority of the day walking through them.
Date: 2012-09-20
From: Whitehouse Brook

To: About 1 mile short of Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

(In which I see a moose and lose my left big-toe nail) -Currently sitting in my tent after dark-This morning I moved slow because it was cold again and I was going slightly uphill. There was a moment when I thought I was approaching a hiker coming at me from the north who was struggling to get a brownish jacket on while hiking - with both arms in the air, jacket suspended momentarily between the two. I quickly realized that I was actually looking at a pair of antlers. Whoa! As soon as I realized I was looking at a moose, it realized it was looking at a people, and it dashed off into the woods. It's hard to believe an animal that big can thrive in a place where I wouldn't be able to move 10 feet without a machete. I saw my moose after all.I made it to Lonesome Lake shelter early - around 8:30 am - and asked the two ladies working there if they had any day-old bread I could buy. They told me I could have some for free since they had so much of it. What a catch! While I was sitting there eating bread and planning to save some for tomorrow's breakfast, one of the girls asked if I wanted some left over pork... too good to be true! She said there was tons left over and they wouldn't be able to sell it, so they brought out a container filled with more pork than I could eat in a week. It was delicious and I ate until I couldn't move. I left the ladies a great tip and threw a few bucks into the AMC coffers. I ended up leaving the hut around 10 - a much longer stop than I had anticipated and it kept me from reaching Kinsman Notch today. On the other hand, it was the most worthwhile hut stop yet.On top of North Kinsman I took a lunch stop since it was the first summit in quite a while in which I had a great view and a shining sun. I took my socks off to inspect the feet and noticed my left big-toe nail was loose... a little more fidgeting with it and off it came. I had to use my pocket knife a little, but it was ready to go. Underneath was a bit of a grizzly sight, but there is no pain and no sign of infection. I still doused it in alcohol and bandaged it with antibiotic and athletic tape. I'll keep monitoring it, but I don't see it being a problem. What I do need to do is get another pair of shoes one size larger. My toe stubbing incidents are decreasing in number, but a little more space in the toe box might save the rest of my nails. As it is I've still got 50% of my big-toe nails, and that aint bad!Today's post was brought to you by the hut managers at Lonesome Lake, because bread and pork made my day so much brighter, and they deserve the recognition.Editor's Note: See Video section for related clip.
Date: 2012-09-21
From: About 1 mile short of Kinsman Notch

To: Hiker's Welcome Hostel on NH 25 
Miles today: 10.1

(In which I surmount Moosilauke)-Currently sitting at a picnic table behind Hiker's Welcome Hostel-Mt. Moosilauke is the last big obstacle in the White Mountains if you're headed South. All the northbounders have told me that they were pulling 20 miles days until Moosilauke. I can see why the 20 mile days stop with it - it was only a 10 mile day (planned that way), but it feels like a whole lot more. It's an extreme ascent where the trail seems designed to purposely intersect contour lines at right angles. I've entered the Dartmouth Outing Club's section of trail (hooray for leaving the AMC section) and they let you know with a sign at the bottom of Moosilauke that this trail will hurt you... attempt it only if you're "experienced". I've been walking for almost 400 miles, so I considered myself eligible. The descent was over 5 miles of continuous downhill and it was brutal. I fell a few times when I lost focus, and my knees hurt a little, but otherwise I'm okay.The really exciting news is that my lady Kelly will be coming by the hostel later tonight to bring me over to hang out with some friends. I'm excited to see her and I'm excited to see great friends. It's only a 2 day stretch from here to Hanover, so when I get back in action on Sunday I'll have a light pack and hopefully feel much stronger after a much needed zero day.For future thru-hikers, put this hostel on your list of places to stay. It's no-frills, and a little rough around the edges, but it's the epitomy of what I envision as a hiker hostel. I feel at home!Today's post was brought to you by Mt. Moosilauke, a biggin', and the last big climb for months.
Date: 2012-09-22
From: Hiker's Welcome Hostel on NH 25 

To: NH 25
Miles today: 0.0

(In which I take a zero with great people)Today I spent the day with friends at a gathering in Vermont. I ate continuously and spent most of the time lounging on the grass or sitting in a bag chair. It was a great time with good weather but we got hit with some hard rain in the late afternoon and instead of our planned bonfire we settled for hacky sack under a large porch and good conversation.Zero days are better with friends. I feel refueled and ready for the next stretch of trail. Tomorrow I'm planning a short day because I wont get back to NH 25 until about 3pm. After that the terrain is easy so I'll be booking it to Hanover and hopefully keep speeding past.Thanks go to my buddy Greg who put in some money and time to build me some new water filters. Thank you sir!Today's post was brought to you by good food and good friends, because that's how zero days should be spent.
Date: 2012-09-23
From: NH 25

To: Ore Hill Campsite 
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: few clouds

(In which I pull a short day after a great zero) -Currently sitting in front of a campfire after dark-My brother drove me back to the trail from Vermont and we made it by roughly 3:30. Had I known the campsite was 7.3 miles from the road I would have been a little concerned about getting there before dark. It turned out to be the fastest miles I've done yet - I pulled 2.5 mph roughly and made it well before dark. If the terrain keeps up like this I'll be moving right along. At the road, just as my brother was pulling away, I met another southbounder who just finished Moosilauke and didn't look like he had broken a sweat. He started on September 1 and has already covered the same ground I have. Impressive!! He ran distance in college and he packs light. I hiked with him most of the 7 miles to the campsite and we're of similar mindsets about the trail - we want to complete it. We'll have fun along the way, but we're out here to get it done rather than smell the roses. It's great to meet a like mind and I'm excited to have someone to chase - I'm sure he'll be moving a whole lot faster than me. He's already thinking about pulling a 25 or even 34 mile day tomorrow.Tonight is the first night in the Bivy that I picked up in Hanover two days ago. The heavier sleeping bag and the bivy will be a lot warmer, but changes to your gear mean you have to work out kinks. I'm just happy that I'll be warm - and that I can sleep anywhere I can lie down.Today's post was brought to you by smooth trails, because hiking is so much more pleasant when one foot can be placed directly in front of the other.