morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Home 230 Elm Street, Norwich, VT

To: Home 230 Elm Street, Norwich, VT again
Miles today: 20.8

I'm feeling so out of the groove of hiking right now. It's been over a week since I've stayed in a shelter or carried a real pack. I've almost forgotten what it's like. It's time to get back out there. Fortunately, tomorrow I'll be going back out for real. Although, I will admit it was nice to cover over 130 miles without carrying full weight. I could easily stay here and take another day off (or two), but Maine is calling to me, and Professor and I have made arrangements to stay in Woodstock, NH on Monday night, so we've got to leave tomorrow. It's probably a good thing.Today I slacked from Route 25C, almost from Glencliff, back to Lyme. My parents both came out, and although they were a little slower, they did quite well, considering it was over 20 miles of not-so-easy terrain. Despite living in the area my whole life, I'd never actually been up Smarts Mtn, and had only gone up Cube once, a long time ago. It was quite the climb to get up both of them, with several steep sections. Fortunately, we made it through with plenty of time, although by the time we'd gone back to Glencliff to get the car and driven home, it was getting late.We went out to eat Chinese in Hanover, all nine of us. I'd thought that Diablo, Renaissance Man, Biscuits and Many Names would head out of town today, but they ended up staying, so they all came with us to dinner. We laughed it up at the table farthest in the back, away from everything else. When we got home, I got most of my stuff together for tomorrow, so I just have to throw it in the pack. I also got out the guidebook and planned out the rest of the trip. It's still rough, but I was conservative, so it should work out pretty well. According to this plan, I should finish in the first few days of August, which is exactly when I want to. Professor, Scoops and Hornblower are all planning on finishing July 25th, so if I stay with them, I may end up finishing then as well. All I have to do now is keep walking!The BrainThe Professor, Tapper, The Brain on Mt Cube-2 - Click picture to see full sizeBetsy & Tapper - Click picture to see full sizeBill, Betsy, Tapper, & The Brain-Mt Cube, NH - Click picture to see full sizeThe Brain & The Professor-Smarts Mt Firetower - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Home 230 Elm Street, Norwich, VT again

To: Beaver Brook Shelter, NH
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

So much for summer weather. Today has been cold and largely unpleasant. It started alright, but we could see big, dark clouds circling around the summit of Moosilauke. By the time we got up there, it was cold, and starting to rain. It got heavy just before we got to the south peak, and I could see some hail falling. On the ridge, the wind was blowing, and once we got up above treeline, it was wicked. Above treeline, there¢s no shelter from the wind, and it was cold. I had been hoping for a nice view, but all that we could see was a giant hill of white. It was a little disappointing, but there¢ll be more chances.The shelter is nice and big, which is a good thing, because there are a lot of us here. Professor, Scoops, Hornblower and I are here, plus two sets of two section hikers. In addition, a group of ten showed up, on an AMC-run trip. There are nine of us in the shelter, and it¢s tight quarters. Looking out the front, there¢s a view to the East. Right now, all we can see is swirling clouds, but there was a DOC guy on top who said that there¢s a great view of Franconia Ridge, with a good sunrise. I¢m hoping to see it in the morning.The BrainSign on Mist Mt - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Beaver Brook Shelter, NH

To: Blister SisterÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs House, N. Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 17.9

It was starting to clear off last night, but it closed in again overnight. This morning, the view was just white, swirling mist, and it was cold. I was just barely warm enough. I wore my fleece and rain jacket for the first hour of hiking. That hour was down the mountain to Kinsman Notch, one of the steepest sections on the trail. There where places where rebar handles and wooden steps were bolted into sheer rock faces. I was worried it would be dangerously slippery from the mist and rain, but I took it slowly and got down without falling.The Whites are harder than I remembered. The trail up Mt. Kinsman was incredibly steep, and it took it out of me. I¢m sure the 30 pound pack has something to do with it. Tomorrow¢s not going to be much better: the day starts with a 3500 foot vertical climb, one of the longest climbs on the entire trail. Fortunately, we¢re only going to go 13 miles tomorrow, which should help ease the pain.Blister Sister was one of the chefs at Hardcore, and she ran into Professor at the Doyle right afterwards, and offered him a place to crash. Scoops had gone ahead into town, so Professor, Hornblower and I hitched in on I-93 in Franconia Notch. We got a ride with two guys who turned out to be a little less than sober. Fortunately, we made it into town safely, and found Blister at the bar she works at.After dinner, she lent us her car to go shopping, and then we came back to her apartment. We got a little lost trying to follow her directions, but eventually made it here. There are a bunch of couches and air mattresses, so we¢ve all crashed out. The sky had been clearing all day, and we got some nice views of Franconia Ridge from the tops of the Kinsmans. By the time we had gotten here, the sky had cleared almost completely. Hopefully that¢s a promise of a beautiful day tomorrow.The BrainDescent to Kinsman Notch-1 - Click picture to see full sizeDescent to Kinsman Notch-2 - Click picture to see full sizeWarning Sign-Kinsman Notch - Click picture to see full sizeMoosilauke in the clouds - Click picture to see full sizeBubbles in Eliza Brook-1 - Click picture to see full sizeBubbles in Eliza Brook-2 - Click picture to see full sizeGlider over Mt Kinsman - Click picture to see full sizeFranconia Ridge from Kinsman-1 - Click picture to see full sizeLonesome Lake Hut - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Galehead Hut, NH

To: The Lodge at Bretton Woods, NH
Miles today: 14.7

The hiking today was much easier. This is, of course, a relative term when talking about the Whites. There were still steep climbs and descents, but there were also a couple of long, flatter sections. The bit of trail through Zealand Notch was wonderful. It was wide and flat, cutting across one wall of the notch-very beautiful. For a while after that, the trail followed a river. It was a picturesque mountain river: perfectly clear, cold, and flowing over wide, flat rocks.My parents were coming up to meet me today, and I came out of the woods only five minutes before they arrived. They¢d been hiking the past two days, doing day hikes in the region. They picked me up and took me to the hotel. We showered and went out for dinner. Over dinner, we counted up our tallies of 4,000-footers (we keep a spreadsheet of who climbed which peak when). I¢ve now done exactly half of the 48 in New Hampshire, and I still have a couple more than my dad, even though he got four in the last two days. For fun, we planned out a four-day trip that would bag 12 peaks (9 new ones for me). Maybe we¢ll get a chance to do it in the fall sometime.The BrainPresidentials in the clouds from Bretton Woods - Click picture to see full sizeTrailhead at Crawford Notch-345 miles to go! - Click picture to see full sizeThe Brain at Webster Cliff trailhead-Crawford Notch - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-07-05
From: The Lodge at Bretton Woods, NH

To: Madison Hut, NH
Miles today: 18.2

I've had my last breath of home. Now it's time to finish this thing off. After a quick continental breakfast, I climbed into the car and we drove back to the trailhead. I said goodbye to my parents for the last time on this trip. Next time I see them, I'll be done.The summits were still in clouds, but it was clearing up a little down in the valley. As I climbed Webster Cliffs, I climbed through fog, but it was lifting. From the cliffs, there was a great view back down into Crawford Notch. To one side, the notch was in sunlight, but to the other, it was filled with fog, swirling around. There were a few views into the valley from the tops of Webster and Jackson, but mostly the sky was filled with fog.I took a short snack break at Mizpah Hut, then continued on over Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin and Monroe. Just before I got to Lakes of the Clouds Hut, the wind picked up considerable. It was a fight to get into the hut. Inside, they had hot soup, so I sat down and ate a nice long lunch. After, I went down and checked out The Dungeon, their bunk space for thru-hikers. It was not somewhere I'd want to stay, though: small, cold and drafty.The climb to the summit of Washington wasn't too bad, but the wind on top was wicked. I had a day hiker take my picture, and hurried off the top. As I came over Jefferson it cleared up a little bit, and I could see Adams, and across Pinkham Notch to Wildcat and the Carters, but the top of Washington never came out of its cloud. I could also see thunderheads in all directions. There was a chance of storms this afternoon, so I got a little worried to see them. Fortunately, the rain held off, and it's now clearing off.There's something magical about hiking in the fog. As it swirls around, revealing and hiding different areas, it gives an unearthly feel. In a fog like that, you're all alone, totally cut off from the rest of the world. There's no good way to describe the feeling. You just have to experience it. I've always loved hiking in the Whites, and I'm glad that I had a chance for a totally different experience today.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Madison Hut, NH

To: Carter Notch Hut, NH
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: fog

There wasn't enough work to do last night, so Hornblower and I had to do our work in the morning. We just had to sweep the floors, but we couldn't start until after the guests cleared out, so we got out of the hut a little late. The climb down from Madison was extemely steep, so I moved a little more slowly than usual. Finally, we got down, and the trail crossed along the hill for a few miles. As I hiked, thunder closed in, and it started to pour. I got down to Pinkham Notch and went into the visitor center, out of the rain.I couldn't resist the hot lunch, so I got a meatball sub. It was overpriced, but tasty. Hornblower, Professor and I had all had rough mornings, mentally, so we sat around for a long time. Eventually, though, I couldn't take the tourists anymore, so I left. I got half a mile down the trail, and had to sit down for a few minutes. I'd overloaded and needed to chill out for a bit. Fortunately, I was able to get my head together, and got into a groove for the last few miles.Climbing out of Pinkham Notch was absurd. The trail climbed straight up for 2000 feet, then rolled up and down over the peaks of Wildcat (two of which count as 4000-footers; check those off the list!) I was worried that the descent into Carter Notch would be slippery from the rain, but it wasn't too bad. The hut guys said that they didn't have work-for-stay available for us, but we could unofficially stay in the bunkhouse and eat our own food. That's fine with us, because it means we can get an early start in the morning.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: The Barn at Libby House, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: fog

Less than 300 miles to go to Katahdin! Today was fairly easy, as the Whites go, meaning that there were several steep climbs and descents, but nothing too long. I got to knock off another three 4000-footers today (North and South Carter, and Moriah), and we're almost done with New Hampshire. Tomorrow, we should cross into Maine, the last state.Professor, Hornblower and I, despite taking different breaks and hiking different speeds, all came out to the road at about the same time. We got a hitch in about 20 minutes, despite the rain, with a couple coming back from their vacation house. Their daughter hiked the AT a couple of years ago, and just a couple weeks ago, they gave FedEx a ride to town. They dropped us off at the pizza restaurant in town, where we discovered they had a special: a pizza advertized as a 392 square inches of goodness. We got one, and between the three of us, put it away. In the end, it worked out to be a pretty good deal.Professor and I walked back to the hostel, but Hornblower decided to go camp just outside town. At the hostel tonight are also Wirenut, Doctor John, and Boy. I hadn't seen any of them in a while, and I think the last time I saw Boy was at the Doyle, in Duncannon. We did some wash, took showers, and I'm ready to be back in the woods. The huts were nice, but I haven't felt like I've been hiking recently. The last time I was in a shelter was a week ago, and the last time before that was at best another week. I'm ready to get back to real hiking, and I think Maine has plenty of that to offer.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-08
From: The Barn at Libby House, Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

It was togh to leave town this morning. When we woke up, it was still grey and raining. None of us wanted to leave. We sat around and talked for a while, and came to the conclusion that we all want it to be over. We don't want to have to hike anymore. This trip has gotten to the point where we just want to go home. Fortunately we only have about 300 miles left. I think part of it is that the weather has been pretty miserable lately. It's not a lot of fun hiking in the rain. We sat around until check-out at 11:00, and then only Professor, Boy and I decided to leave. Wirenut had hurt his ankle and wanted to rest it, and Doctor John just didn't feel like leaving. We got a hitch right away, despite the rain, and set off. It rained and misted for a while, then slowly cleared off. there's a beautiful view from the shelter, out over the mountains. The water is a little sketchy here, though. It's the outlet stream from the pond, and it's warm and discolored. It's okay for cooking, but it's the first source in a while that I'm going to purify to drink. Because of our late start, we only made it to this shelter, instead of the one just over the border. So tomorrow we'll cross into our last state.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Gentian Pond Shelter, NH

To: Full Goose Shelter, ME
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

Ugh. More rain. It wasn't bad when we started out today, but it soon started sprinkling, then full-on rainfall, just as we reached the exposed summit of Mt. Success. We got soaked in the driving rain, but then it stopped and it looked like it might clear off a bit. The rocks were still tremendously slippery, and the trail frequently descended so steeply we had to slow way down in order to avoid treacherous falls. Even still, I slid several times, and fell a couple of times, but nothing serious. Professor fell also, and twisted his knee a little bit, although it seems okay now.However, the break didn't last long, and the rain came back, harder than before. We eventually stumbled into the shelter, soaking wet again, around 2:00. Hornblower was already here, having decided not to push on through the Mahoosuc Notch in this weather. We decided he had the right idea, and spread out through the shelter. Fortunately, nobody else was here, and it's a big shelter, so we've spread out our stuff all over the place to dry. Since we've been here, it's rained, rained hard, gotten a little lighter, poured, stopped for an hour or two, rained even harder, and is now just drizzling a little bit. Rather than walk down to get water, we all just put our pots out to catch the drips off the roof. I collected enough to fill my platypus in about half an hour.Aside from watching the rain, I read for a while. Scoops had left a copy of The Sirens of Titan at the last shelter, and I'd brought it along. I'd read it before, but it's still a wonderful book. When I'd finished, I gave it to Professor and cooked dinner. While it was cooking, I looked at my guidebook for a bit. Professor and Hornblower want to finish by the 25th, if they can. It's still possible, but it'll mean a lot of long days. I don't need to finish until August 15th or so, but I'd like to finish by the 3rd, and it would be really nice to finish with the guys I've been hiking with recently. I don't want to kill myself trying, though.There was one bright moment today. Just off the top of one of the mountains, right below the exposed part, I ran into a group from Merrowvista! I knew they do a trip through the Mahoosucs, and I'd been hoping the timing would work out right. Jean-Marie was one of the leaders, and we talked about camp for a while. She said that they missed me at camp, and some of the kids even recognized me from last year. Hopefully I'll get a chance to visit when I get home.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Baldpate Lean-To
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Today we crossed through the infamous Mahoosuc Notch, the "hardest mile on the A.T." The notch is just over a mile long, and is the narrow passage between two sheer rock walls. The bottom, where the trail goes, is littered with boulders, forming a maze of passageways. It took us over two hours to get through, but I enjoyed scrambling over, under and between the boulders. We got some great photos especially where the light filtered down through the mist.For days, people had been telling us that there was a moose stuck in the notch. Apparently, it had fallen from somewhere and broken its legs. Fish and Game refused to do anything about it, and it sat there for four or five days before someone finally slit its throat. It was still there, dead for a couple of days, but fortunately, it was down at the bottom of the notch, lying on some ice, so it didn't smell too bad. Its eyes were still open, and it was laying right in the middle of the trail, and it was a little creepy to have to walk past it.We stopped for a long break at the shelter just after the notch, and tried to make a game plan for the next few days. We'd originally thought about going 20 to Andover today, but it was almost 2:00 by the time we left that shelter, only five miles out, so it was obvious we wouldn't make it in time to hitch. We decided to go 15 today, then 15 again tomorrow, to the second Andover road, but we only made it as far as this shelter. Tomorrow, we're just going to go 8 to the first road, and have the afternoon in town.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-11
From: Baldpate Lean-To

To: Pine Ellis Lodging, Andover, ME 
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Another short day for us, but this time at least we¢re in town. Today started off with a foggy climb up Baldpate Mountain, to an exposed summit. It would have offered great views but it was still socked in. However, the blowing fog and the sunlight just started to burn through created a really cool scene. From there, we descended into a misty, humid valley. It felt almost like being in the jungle, and the moisture in the air made is a little difficult to breath.Most of the south bounders we¢d seen said that Andover was a hard hitch, and we were disappointed when two cars drove by as we approached the road. We sat there for about five minutes, and the very next person who came along stopped and gave us a ride to town in the back of his pickup. He dropped us off at the general store/diner, and we had some good, cheap lunch. After lunch, we explored our lodging options. There are three places to stay here. The first one seemed a little weird and unfriendly, and the second place basically told us not to stay there, leaving here as the only option.It¢s a nice enough place, with showers and laundry, a second phone line, and we got a chance to check our emails. Mostly, though, we sat around all afternoon. Currently, it¢s 10:00, and we¢re making a no-bake cheesecake we found in the hiker box. Outside, it¢s pouring, and has been for several hours. The thunder got pretty close at one point, and the lightening lit up the sky, making us very glad to be here, with a roof over our heads.The Brain
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Pine Ellis Lodging, Andover, ME 

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-To, ME
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today started bright and early, for a change. We¢ve been lazing around most mornings, but we had a 7:30 shuttle back to the trail, so we went to the diner for a third time. While we were waiting for food, I shopped around for some snacks to supplement my maildrop. I had three days of food to get to Rangely, but we decided to go all the way to Stratton, so I needed two more days¢ worth. It turns out that I¢m horrible at resupplying in a store. My pack is ridiculously heavy right now, even after eating a day¢s supply.The past few days, the four of us (me, Professor, Hornblower and Boy) had hiked as a group, and it was throwing off my rhythm a little bit. They like to take long breaks, but I¢d rather take a short break and keep moving. Taking the longer breaks, I got antsy and just sat around eating. Today, we hiked separately, and I felt really good, back in my own routine.For once, we had a beautiful day. I wore my sunglasses for the first time since Franconia Ridge. The sky was blue, the air was dry, and it was warm, but with a cool breeze. The best part of today was=no rain! After yesterday¢s deluge, though, the trail was flooded, and in many places it had turned into a river, water just flowing right down the middle of the trail.Camped at the shelter tonight is a large group of French-Canadian boys, making a whole ton of noise. I had passes a group of girls earlier in the day, and they said they were from a camp in Maine. I figure these guys are from the same place. Also here are Rambler, a SOBO who I met in Georgia while he was doing a section this spring, and Wirenut, who passed us by not going into Andover, but we caught with our long day today.There were a couple of big stream crossings today, swollen from the rain. The first one, I could almost rock hop across, going slowly and using a couple rocks just under the surface. My boots even kept out the water until I had to step in all the way, and it came in over the tops. A couple miles later, there was another crossing, and no way to get across but to wade. I set my boots out to dry while I had lunch on the far side, but they were still wet for the rest of the hike. Hopefully they¢ll dry out overnight, although I think there¢s another stream to ford early tomorrow morning.The Brain