morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-10
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 14.8

We all woke early in the dungeon. It might be because I was anticipating summitting the famous Mt. Washington. We decided to leave extra early, at 6am, since we had a very challenging hike and the forecast called for rain in the afternoon. Aurora and Conundrum left 20 minutes before me and hiked up into the clouds where the summit was hidden. While I was climbing I looked back at the hut. It was a beautiful sight! What a great setting for the hut. I got to the summit in an hour and it was so foggy that I had a hard time finding the actual summit. I found the sign and took some pictures but it was hard to keep steady with the strong winds. I was all alone which made it a little eerie. It was cold and I needed to get moving but, it took me about 15 minutes to find the AT trail!! I have to say that I was a little worried until I finally found the way. Although Mt Washington is one of my milestones it was a little anti climatic since there weren't any views to behold. I headed down and was greeted with the expected tough hike. There was nothing but rocks, no trees and hardly any vegetation but plenty of rocks! I took a fall and hit my knee and a little later, noticed blood coming through my pants. I stopped to clean the wound and, fortunately, it wasn't too bad a cut. I had many slips today. The views all the way to Madison Hut where I planned on eating lunch, were very faint because of the clouds. It was a slow and tough hike to get to the hut but, I got there and had some potato dill soup and a cinnamon roll. Leaving the hut I was climbing Mt Madison. It was only half a mile but it was a very steep half mile. After the summit it was mostly downhill with a few small ups and, thanks to the rocks, I had to move so slowly that I did 4 miles in 3 hrs!!!! I needed to be at Pinkham Notch by 5pm to get picked up to go to the hostel that I made reservations for. This terrain is making it hard to reach that goal! Earlier I went by Mt Clay and Mt Jefferson but did not summit because the trail not go in that direction. After almost 11 hrs of hiking, I made it at 4:40pm to the pickup point. Talking about cutting it close! Aurora and Conundrum were there and so was Chicken Feet. I have not seen him since the Delaware Gap. It was good to reunite with him. He is staying somewhere else but I will see him again. I also saw McGoober who I haven't seen in a couple of weeks.We were picked up promptly at 5 and when we reached our destination, White Mtn Hostel, we settled in. It was as I was told, clean and efficient. I put on loaner clothes and put all of my clothes in the bin for washing. I took a shower and got shuttled to Walmart for resupplying. My shopping list included wine and deli food to relax with...I needed that! The next two days I plan to hike a total of 21 miles then head back to this hostel which is further north than where I hiked to on the trail today. The last two days have been grueling...my feet need a break but I am not sure when they will get a real break.
Date: 2016-08-11
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Imp Campground Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Today is my 5 month anniversary on the trail. That's a long time to be away from my family and home. As much as I am enjoying this hike I miss home and I am ready to finish and go home. There are still some milestones that I am looking forward to like entering Maine, the last state, hiking the Mahoosuc mile, the hardest 1 mile stretch on the AT which takes hikers about 2 hours to complete, reaching 2000 miles, doing the 100 mile wilderness where you have to take enough food to get through that section then, of course, climbing Mt Katahdin for the finish. The hostel had a fantastic breakfast which got me energized for my hike today then I was shuttled back to Pinkham Notch to pick up where I left off. Today's hike started by my having to climb Wildcat Peak at 2060 ft in less than 2 miles. It was a climb! I put my poles in my backpack a couple of times to use my hands instead. I ran into Chicken feet and Papa Monkey on the way up, a couple of hikers I've hiked with in the past. Wildcat is also a ski mountain so we passed a Gondola which some day hikers take up and hike a little. The views on Wildcat were spectacular, I could see Mt Washington and Mt Madison where I hiked yesterday. They look so far away. Now to go down, it was just as steep and again sloooooow. Most hikers are amazed at how slowly they are going. I got warned about the Whites but I didn't fully understand until I experienced it! There were several mountains on the hike today besides Wildcat. I climbed Carter Dome, Mt Hight, Middle Carter Mtn and North Carter Mtn, then I hiked down to Imp Campsite. In between I had lunch at Carter Notch Hut which was in a beautiful location with a couple of ponds surrounding it. I arrived at the campsite at 7pm after 10.5 hrs of hiking and covering 13.1 miles...I was dead tired! More hikers came in, some in the dark, and we all felt the same, beaten down! It was a warm day and I'm sure that had some effect on us but it was still hard hiking. I am looking forward to a short day tomorrow, 8 miles and back to White Mtn Hostel.
Date: 2016-08-12
From: Imp Campground Shelter

To: US 2 Gorham NH
Miles today: 8.0

I set off at 7am for my climb today to Mt Moriah. It was a bit deceiving in that when you though you were at the top, you saw another higher part, not real high but higher. That happened about five times then finally I started going downhill. The whole hike was only 8 miles and the last 3 miles were comparatively easier to hike. The last part also went next to Rattle River which was more of a large creek with rocks and boulders. We crossed it a couple of times by rock hopping and, believe me, you didn't want to slip off those rocks! I made it to the hostel at 11:30am, nice and early. I was happy that it was time for a shower and some rest. I still feel fatigued from the last 3 days and am toying with the idea of taking a day off but, I want to keep going. It started raining today at 1 pm and promises to continue into tomorrow so I guess I will make a decision tomorrow. We will see!
Date: 2016-08-13
From: US 2 Gorham NH

To: Mt Hayes, NH
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I did not sleep very well last night. Maybe because I was running through my head whether or not I should take a zero day or hike out. It rained most of the night and was raining in the morning with more rain in the forecast all through tomorrow. I decided to zero. The hostel had one spot left for tonight so I jumped on it! I had another good breakfast which is included with the stay then just I just hung out in the hostel and watched the Olympics. I ventured out to the town for lunch and had some really good chowder. A bottle of wine seemed like it would go well with my relaxing evening so I picked one up, returned to the hostel, and continued watching more of the Olympics while arranging my supplies for tomorrow. Over half of the hikers in the hostel zeroed because of the rain and the difficulty of the previous days. I was very happy to be able to catch some Olympic events. In a normal Olympic year I would be attached to the TV. This is a nice place to relax with a good group of hikers. The rest of the night was spent watching Olympics with other hikers. If all goes as planned for the next few days, I will cross Into Maine, hike the Mahoosuc mile and Mahoosuc Arm, 2.4 miles of very hard and slow hiking. I am excited about that. My next hostel stay will be on the third night in Andover ME.
Date: 2016-08-14
From: Mt Hayes, NH

To: Carlo Col Campsite
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

Marni is the owner of the White Mountain Lodge and Hostel and she lives in Minnesota but comes to New Hampshire during the hiking season for about three months to run the hostel. She was a wonderful hostess! Marni took Hong Kong Steve, 2 Pack and I to a trail that leads to the AT. The other hikers are slack packing back to the hostel and I am moving on north. The going was slow but not as slow as the past few days. There were some steep hikes but fortunately they were for a short distance. Mt Success had good views but it was overcast the whole day so what might have been magnificent views were mediocre because it was so hazy. When I got to the bottom of the mountain I hit the New Hampshire/Maine border and I met up on Cheetah, Mass, and Shaggy who were having lunch there. I joined them for lunch and stayed and relaxed a little while they hiked on. I came up on Cheetah and Mass again later in the hike at a very steep descent with big slick rocks. Cheetah was just sitting halfway down because she had fallen and was a little shaken up. When we fall with our packs on we have a lot of added momentum with the extra weight. It can be scary because we may want to control our fall more but it is difficult as the weight of the pack sometimes pulls us another way! Mass and I helped her down and we made our way to the nearest campground cutting our day a little short. It was early and I wasn't tired yet but it felt great to stop early. I had dinner with Mass and Cheetah who both had leg injuries but were doing well. Accidents will make you stop and think...We do not have to be in a hurry so we can take our time. I guess that because we are getting closer to the end we may want to hurry up and get done! We still have the hardest part of the trail coming up tomorrow and for that, we plan on leaving about 8am. We will most definitely take our time. I'm glad that Cheetah did not get physically hurt more than she did. I hope that she is mentally better tomorrow. She is such a nice person and a very good hiker. Tomorrow is another day.
Date: 2016-08-15
From: Carlo Col Campsite

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a cool morning, in the 50's, last nite more hikers came in and they were all tired, it was funny cause all their butts were dirty like mine, everyone was scooting on the rocks! Cheetah, Mass and I did not get going until 8:20 am. We had climbs to Carlo Mtn and Goose Eye Mtn, no views cause we were in the clouds, it was a wet and humid morning, lots of rocks and steep ascents and descents. By the time we got to North Goose Eye Mtn some of the clouds had moved away and we were able to get some nice views. We arrived at Full Goose Shelter and had lunch, 4.4 miles in 4.5 hrs, 1 mile per hour, very slow but that's ok, we are trying to be safe given the wet rocks. We hiked 1.5 miles to the beginning of Mahoosuc Notch, the hardest mile on the AT. We arrived and believe me we knew we were there, huge boulders of all shapes and sizes, I put my poles away to use my hands instead. I usually hike alone but today Cheetah and Mass are my hiking partners, good thing too we can help each other especially when we take our packs off to squeeze between two slabs of rocks, we've lost weight but not that much! There were cave like spots that we explored in and actually found slabs of ice way at the bottom, now that was amazing. To be hiking an area I've heard about for 5 months is exhilarating, any fear I had of this stretch left me right away, this was FUN! We made through in 1 hour and 49 minutes, but could have done it closer to an hour, we were too busy exploring and enjoying it, not to make it sound easy, it wasn't but enjoying it made time fly by. We stopped for water when we finished and decided to hike on 2.4 more miles to Speck Pond Shelter before calling it a day, but that meant we had a 1.5 mile climb up a very steep and rocky Mahoosuc Arm. We made to the campsite at 7 pm, 9.5 miles in 10.5 hours, very slow and long day, our first full day in Maine and this is how we are treated ha ha. I was tired and my knees were aching, got ready for sleep in record time, got in shelter between Obie 1 and Merlot. Suppose to get into the 40's tonite, that's ok I should sleep really well.
Date: 2016-08-16
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Grafton Notch
Miles today: 4.6

Today was another cold morning that I did not want to get out of my sleeping bag. I was very comfortable. I finally got up and going at 8am and was happy to start the day by passing by the very pretty pond near the hostel. I had a short tough climb then a long downhill. This was enough to encourage me to have a short day because of my aching knees. I called the Cabin, a hostel run by Earl and his wife Honey, to see if they would pick me up at Grafton Notch. This very nice and accommodating couple has had the hostel in their private home for 22 years. Hopper, a former through hiker works there and picked me and 3 other hikers up. When we arrived they offered us lunch from yesterday's leftovers. It was great!!...Spaghetti and meatballs, corn on the cob, potatoes, beans, salad and fresh baked banana nut bread, yum yum. The hostel is in the country with plenty of space to relax. Dinner tonight was a surprise. I was really looking forward to it and I was not disappointed. We had lobster and steak and that was the best lobster I've ever had. Dinner was fantastic!! Afterwards we watched the Olympics until 11 pm then it was bedtime. The rain started coming down. It is perfect weather for sleeping but not for hiking. Hopefully it will stop by morning.
Date: 2016-08-17
From: Grafton Notch

To: East B Hill Road
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: broken clouds

I didn't sleep well last night and I am not sure why. I just kept waking up. It rained all night long and into the morning. I am so glad that I was not tenting in that weather. I felt a little tired in the morning but the breakfast made me feel better. My plan was to slack pack 10 miles and not feel worn out because of the lack of my backpack...or so I thought. I started my hike at 8:30am and fortunately the rain had stopped. It was a 4 mile hike up to Baldpste Mtn. My progress was slow because of the wet, rocky, and very slippery terrain. The higher I went, the more into the clouds I got. The top part was a bald that was above the tree line and had a lot of flat rock. The wind was blowing very hard and it was cold as well. I thought it was sleeting but it was the high wind blowing the rain sideways. I could tell there could have been some nice views but it was a whiteout. By the time I started going downhill, the trail was like a creek so I moved even slower. Cold, wet, and slippery...it was not fun!I arrived at a shelter and ate lunch. I can't believe that it took me 4 hrs to go 5.8 miles! The rest of the way was better though. Initially it was slow but I was able to pick up the pace with the nicer trail as the day went on. It was still overcast and this part of the trail was very still. There were no birds chirping, no squirrels or chipmunks. It was a little spooky. I finally got a view when the clouds rose. I arrived at Dunn Notch Falls which had a different type of crossing. I crossed over the falls at the top with the water falling beside me about 200 ft. It was very scary looking over. I called for a pickup from there and by the time I got to the road Honey was there waiting for me. I was very tired. It takes a lot of energy to fight your momentum going downhill especially when it is wet. The shower and wine was a welcome relief. I sat outside with Earl and had a drink. Dinner was Shepherds Pie, salad and dessert. That was a nice end to a tough day, now a little Olympics before bed.
Date: 2016-08-18
From: East B Hill Road

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept better last night and had another wonderful breakfast this morning. We were all being shuttled together so I had to wait for a couple of hikers to get ready. I was itching to get going but I got a little later start than I anticipated, 9am. The weather is pretty clear so hopefully I will get some good views. I was only hiking 10 miles today and I was hoping that the terrain wouldn't wear me out and make me very tired when I finished like it did yesterday. Well it didn't! For the start of my hiking day I climbed 1500 ft in 4.5 miles which wasn't too steep. The terrain was a mix of rocks, roots, and clear trail. The weather was mixed, overcast and sunny, but no rain and there were still a few places with standing water and mud left over from yesterday. A couple of miles into my hike I came upon Surplus Pond, another one of those picturesque spots in the middle of nowhere. There is supposed to be a moose that frequents the area but, it was not out when I was there. It would be nice to see a moose before I get off the trail. I arrived to the top of Wyman Mtn and had a clear view then I headed down to Hall Mtn Lean-to(shelter) where I had lunch. There were a couple of resident chipmunks who were not shy so I was able to take a couple of pictures. My next climb was a steep one to Moody Mtn where I stopped at a couple of viewing spots. During my hike I passed Disco and Mass who I will probably see in Rangeley in a couple of days since we are planning to stay at same hostel there. I made my way down the slope and crossed a couple of wide creeks that some hikers take their boots off to ford. I was able to move from rock to rock while using my poles for stabilization. Thanks to my excellent balancing skills I didn't fall in...that would not have been fun! When I got to the road, my ride, Hopper, was there waiting for me. I am glad I'm not as tired as I was in the past few days. A fellow hiker, Mary, whom I had met initially 3 months ago has been in contact with me. She and her husband are vacationing near here and came out to the hostel with some wine for a visit. It was nice to see her and catch up. I hope to stay in touch and visit in the future.Speaking of friends, Chris Nannie from Houston is coming in tomorrow night to hike with me on Saturday and Sunday. It is nice to have friends from back home on the trail with me. I am looking forward to seeing Chris.
Date: 2016-08-19
From: South Arm Road

To: Little Swift River Pond
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

I hated to leave The Cabin Hostel. They have great hospitality, great people, wonderful food and I got some much needed rest. Bear,Honey and Hopper are beautiful people and hosts. Today I hiked 13 miles with my backpack then I called the Farmhouse Inn Hostel in Rangely for a pickup. When Honey dropped me off at trailhead this morning, Chickenfeet was getting dropped off too along with two other hikers I had met last month. Chickenfeet will be hiking south for the day and he will be 1 day behind me. He told me he was going to slack pack as much as he could for the rest of the trip...he is tired. I got going at 7:40am and went uphill for 2.8 miles. Some parts were pretty steep and slow. Within the first mile I passed Mass who said he will only be doing 10 or 12 miles a day. Many hikers are slowing down, taking more zeros, and/or slack packing. They feel beat up from New Hampshire and the start of Maine. That is just how I feel. There are other hikers that keep hiking along not changing their routine and eating up those miles. I wish I could keep up with them, but my body will not let me. My plan is to pick up my daily mileage early next week...I'll see. I reached Old Blue Mtn then Bemis Mtn and saw some scenic views. The sky was a little cloudy but the sun shined all day with temperatures in the high 70's and low 80's. I took a break at a shelter and continued on hiking very slowly. Some parts of the trail were ok and others very steep with rocks and roots! The last .5 mile was very steep going up. That was not a good way to end the day!   I arrived at ME 17 and called for a pickup. I was going to have a 30 minute wait so I walked over to a lookout and met a family who offered me trail magic, soda, carrots, hummus, cheese and an apple. I stayed and talked to them for a while. They were on vacation from Massachusetts. The lady had climbed Mt Kilamanjaro so I had some questions for her. Good conversation. When my ride came he took my pack and I slack packed the rest of the way, I was told it was pretty flat and it was, made good time. When I arrived at the Inn, Merlot and Other Brother were there.   Chris arrived soon after and we drove to have dinner. I had a lobster roll. Hey, I'm in Maine...gotta have a lobster roll! Chris and I plan on doing 16 miles tomorrow. It is supposed to be hard but it promises to have some great views. I am laying down at 10pm and am very tired. I hope to sleep well.
Date: 2016-08-20
From: Little Swift River Pond

To: Lone Mountain
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Chris and I spoke to Stacey, the owner of the Inn, about our hiking plans for the day. She would drive us 16 miles down the trail and we would hike South back to the trail head. Chris parked his car at the trail head and we went with Stacey for an hour drive going over a series of dirt/gravel roads until we reached our destination. The AT was not exactly where we were dropped off so we had to hike a little over a mile to the AT and started our hike. We went a little downhill before heading up to Saddleback Junior mountain. We stopped at a Lean-to and visited with three hikers who were there taking a break. Hiking south gives Chris an opportunity to meet some of my hiking friends who are hiking north. I crossed paths with Coldpack and Diesel who I haven't seen in 3 months. It was good to catch up with them. Another hiker named Elle was with them as well. I hope to meet up with them on the trail. All the north bound hikers we were passing told us we were in for some great views on the the ridge and they were not wrong. We climbed Saddleback Junior and had some pretty views then we went back down into the woods and up to the Horn Mtn for more views. Chris chose a good time to come because we had a 3 mile ridge walk above the tree line with constant views of the surrounding Maine countryside. Mountains after mountains were there as far as I could see. Chris was surprised at the abundance of water in Maine in the form of lakes, ponds, and streams. We topped our hike off with a gradual climb to Saddleback Mtn which is also a ski area. It was windy and cool for the whole ridge walk. We headed down into the trees again and stopped at Eddy Pond for water...that was a nice place to rest. Our hike brought us to another shelter where we visited with a couple of hikers again. The breaks help to break the monotony and give us a chance to 'smell the roses', socialize and recharge. After the last break we were ready to tackle our 1.5 to hike back to the car. We passed a few streams on that last stretch which were beautiful. Water in the form of lakes or waterfalls really add beauty to the trail. We hiked 15.7 AT miles today plus more non-AT miles! It was a good day. Even though it was a lot of miles for Chris to start with, he handled it well. We picked up a couple of hikers on the way to town. One was one of my hiker friends, Disco. Chris and I had a nice dinner then showered and fell fast asleep...very fast!