morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-11
From: Rutland, VT.

To: Rutland, VT.
Miles today: 0.0

We resupplied at the Price Chopper then picked up some lunch. We lounged around for a while and began to wonder why we were taking a zero day. I was bored so I asked if I could help out in the bakery. I thought I would roll some bread or something. Nope. I got to wash dishes. Its ok though. As long as I was doing something I was ok. I didn't mind at all. We went to the movies later and watched Superman. The theater didn't have subtitles available so they cut Hiker-cyclist a deal. The ironic thing about it was that the audio didn't work right so we missed half the words in the movie anyway. Its Superman, who needs audio to understand that movie. We had dinner at an italian restaurant next door and it was awesome. Later we sat outside and talked with Sprocket, a SOBO. We discussed what each of us had ahead of us.
Date: 2006-07-12
From: Rutland, VT.

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

I had to sleep on the floor last night to make room for some of the new hikers coming in. Hiker-Cyclist wasn't feeling good so he wanted to stay another day. Redbeard and I wanted to hike on. We took the bus back to the trail and started our hike in the rain. At Gifford Woods State park we found a sheltered picnic table just big enough so the two of us could get out of the rain. To entertain ourselves I pulled out a card that Hiker-Cyclist gave me. It had pictures of the alphabet in sign language. We memorized the alphabet and tried to communicate just using our hands. We spent the rest of the day hiking in the rain and signing to each other laughing at our clumbsy attempt at sign language. We finally got to the shelter and dried off. After a quick dinner I was fast asleep.
Date: 2006-07-13
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: West Hartford
Miles today: 26.3

We awoke to a pouring rain. Our clothes were still wet from the day before. Once we started hiking we warmed up a bit. We took a snickers berak at a lookout cabin where there was no lookout. We were in a cloud basically. It stopped raining a little while later then it was like a sauna filled with mosquitos. We stopped by a country store at the road and split a strawberry crisp Pie and then had some ice cream. I also had a quart of milk to was it down. We dried our things out on the lawn then prepared to go. I had a mail drop in West Hartford but it was too late to make it to the PO now. We went into town anyway and were delighted to hear a man ask us if we needed a place to stay. His name was Randy and he offered us a bunk in his garage. He lets hikers stay there frequently and we were glad for it. We cooked our dinner in his kitchen and enjoyed talking with him and his family.
Date: 2006-07-14
From: West Hartford

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: haze

I picked up my package at the PO then we took off down the road. Unfortunately we went the wrong way. A mile the wrong way. We discovered our error and backtracked to find where we went wrong. As we hiked, Redbeard and I took turns hiking in front asking each other questions in sign language. We practiced all the way to Norwich, VT. When we got there we called Sarah's Aunt Gail. We met Sarah back at Pen-Mar park and she told us her Aunt and Uncle lived near the trail. She invited us over and it turned out to be only a block of the trail. We took a shower and did some laundry. She then cooked us some lunch. Her Uncle Frank came home and we sat and discussed the trail and told some stories. Thank you so much for everything. Redbeard had to get to the PO in Hanover to get his shoes so we had to leave. We were cutting it close so we had to run down the road to get there in time. I took a picture of myself at the VT-NH border and in my hurry cut my head out of the picture. After the PO we got some coffee and resupplied. We ran into Hiker-Cyclist and were anxious to use our new sign language skills. He was surprised at what we had learned. We were thirsty to learn whole words now and we constantly asked how to say something. He hike 35 miles to catch up with us so we didn't go much farther. It was hot at the shelter and very buggy. I had my bug net but Redbeard only had his bag. It was too hot to get in so he suffered. But only for so long...
Date: 2006-07-15
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Firewarden's Cabin
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: light rain

Sometime around midnight Redbeard woke me up to tell me he was hiking on to get away from the bugs. He thought he would just hike up to the top of the next mountain where it might be breezy. No luck. He hiked all night and just continued in the morning to the cabin. At Lyme Rd. there was a man that offered hikers a free ice cream bar. I signed his journal and enjoyed an ice cream bar on a hot day. We climbed up Smarts Mountain in the afternoon heat. It was a long strenuous hike but worth the views at the top. I found Redbeard asleep in the firetower where there was a nice cool breeze blowing through.
Date: 2006-07-16
From: Firewarden's Cabin

To: Glencliff NH25
Miles today: 20.0

I woke up early and had breakfast, but when nobody would get up I just went back to sleep. We finally got up around 8:00 and took off. We climbed Mt. Cube and sat atop the mountain and traced the path all the way back to Smarts Mtn. We hitched to the hostel, but we didn't know how far it was. For some reason we thought it was miles down the road. It turned out to be just around the corner. I know the driver must have thought we were nuts. The owner took us into town for dinner and resupply. We decided to stay the night at the hostel.
Date: 2006-07-17
From: Glencliff NH25

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

We had a long climb right off the bat. Mt Moosilauke had some great views but the black flies at the top were horrendous. Despite the strong wind, they still managed to make us bleed. We had a snack and moved on. On the way down the trail followed the creek. Hiker-cyclist stopped and sat in a pool while the water crashed over him. I don't know how he can take the cold water like that. As we crossed the road we found a cooler with some Heinekens in it. Trail Magic! We each had one and continued up the next mountain. At Eliza Brook Shelter I was surprised to see a bunch of girls from a girls camp. One of the leaders was Amy, Hamburglar's friend that I met way back in Daleville Va. We talked for a bit and I updated her on how things were going on the trail. We were bombarded with questions from all the girls. I answered as best I could but I don't think they were listening after I told them we hadn't showered in several days.
Date: 2006-07-18
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Skookumchuck Trail (stealth Camp)
Miles today: 16.9

Finally, an early start. Redbeard was up and making noise at 5:30. Shortly after we started up the trail I spotted something in front of us. A moose charged into the thick forest and dissappeared breaking every branch along the way and leaving a new trail in his path. We stopped at our first hut in the Whites and couldn't believe it when they offered us some leftover breakfast. The food was great and filling. It hit the spot. Three of the workers were heading down the Mountain to go to town. We asked for a ride in but they said they were taking a different path and they would get down quicker. They said they would have to wait on us so they couldn't do it. They had to hike a mile and we had to hike 3 1/2. We felt challenged so when they left we took off down the trail. Fast! We ran and I don't know how but we managed not to fall and break anything. We arrived at the road and set our packs out. I told Redbeard this was rediculous and I went down to the water to clean up. I then heard him yell to me that they were here. 10 minutes after we showed up they drove up and asked us how we got there so fast. We just told them we hiked. They offered us a ride but we declined. We waited for Hiker-cyclist and hitched a ride with some locals named Davin and Beth. Not only did they give us a ride into town, but they also waited for us to resupply and then gave us a ride back. We were in and out in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The climb up to Franconia Ridge was much harder now with full packs. Halfway up to the ridge it started raining. I saw lightening in the distance so we ducked off into the woods and hunkered down to get out of the weather. After it passed we climbed up to high winds and fast moving clouds. The ridge trail was above the tree line and the views were awesome. I took a picture of my shadow on the clouds as they passed down below. We headed towards Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette and had the most fun we've had yet. The winds howled and the clouds raced up the mountainside and passed through us. I took picture after picture and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. We reluctantly hiked down off the trail to find a campsite. Redbeard and I found a spot just inside the treeline. Hiker-cyclist never showed up though. We looked for him but couldn't find him anywhere. We assumed he passed us and didn't notice or just camped back up on the ridge.
Date: 2006-07-19
From: Skookumchuck Trail (stealth Camp)

To: Webster Cliffs
Miles today: 21.5

We looked for him again this morning, but still no sign. We made it to the top of Mt. Garfield where there was a great 360 degree view. I used the zoom on my camera to try to find him on the ridge across the valley. No such luck. We hiked on to the next hut and met some other hikers. There was a lot of ridge hiking today and it was a bit easier. At the end of the day we had a steep drop then a steep climb back up to the next ridge. We slept atop Webster Cliffs and enjoyed a beautiful sunset in the mountains.
Date: 2006-07-20
From: Webster Cliffs

To: Madison Spring Hut.
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

We woke up at 5:00 today to watch the sunrise, but it was just out of view. We took advantage of our early rise and hiked several miles to Mizpah hut. They had tons of leftover food from breakfast and we ate it all. Two other SOBOs named Stretch and Tent Pole helped us finish off all the food. Several guests got the wrong impression and thought we were out of food. They were offering us food that they didn't need from their hike out to the road. By the time we realized why they were giving us food they were already gone. We left some in the hiker box and took some with us. The huts compost everything and have to hike out the rest so they love it when thru-hikers come and eat leftover food. We hiked on with full bellies and a still full pack. We stopped briefly at the Lakes of the Clouds hut then pressed on to summit Mt Washington while there was still clear weather. The day was perfect to summit. At the top there were tons of people. There is a cog railway and a road that goes to the top. They even have a restaurant and a Post Office up there. I had lunch and took a picture of us at the famous Mt Washington. We met a family there that was really interested in our hike and asked all kinds of questions about it. I enjoyed talking with them and sharing the stories. They took a picture of us with there kids near the summit. After we left the summit we passed over the cog railway tracks. We were told that it was hiker tradition to moon the cog car when they passed. We didn't want to dissapoint anyone so when they passed we mooned them. The engineers usually throw pieces of coal at the hikers when we do this but we were out of throwing range. We hiked on to Madison Hut and asked about a work for stay. They agreed and we had a great dinner at the hut. I enjoyed meeting all the "Croo" that worked there.
Date: 2006-07-21
From: Madison Spring Hut.

To: Wildcat Peak E
Miles today: 10.5

After breakfast we helped clean up and sweep the floors. We the folded blankets and that was it. Our job was done so we said goodbye and hiked off into the cloud at the top of Mt Madison. The rain held off until we reached Pinkham Notch. We stopped at the visitors center and had lunch. After the rain we slowly moved on to climb the next mountain. We climbed a little over 2,000' to Wildcat Peak E. There is an old ski patrol shack up there that was left unlocked. Some SOBOs told us there were some couches in there and one was a hide-a-bed. Redbeard, Jaybird, Sparrowhawk, and I shared the shack. Shortly after We showed up we saw a red fox running around outside looking for a meal. We watched him hunt and catch a mouse then retreat to the security of the woods.
Date: 2006-07-22
From: Wildcat Peak E

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 10.5

We hiked down to Carter Notch Hut and filled up on coffee and cookies. We stuck around for a little while and just relaxed. At the top of Carter Dome it started raining and didn't stop till the next day. I was fine for a while until we hit South Carter Mountain. Redbeard and I got split up in the thunderstorm. I went to the first shelter and he went on to the next. I left my hiking stick out by the trail so he would know I stopped in but a section hiker brought it in and asked us if anyone left a hiking stick by the trail. Sometime after that he must've passed. After a while there I just decided to stay. It took me a while to warm up after I got in my bag. I was saturated and couldn't really dry out. I finally got comfortable and went to sleep.
Date: 2006-07-23
From: Imp Campsite

To: Gentain pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.7

Our plan was to hike to bethel to resupply, but when I got to the road to Gorham my stomach took over. I hitched in and resupplied and got lunch. I was done quickly but it took 2 1/2 hours to hitch a ride back to the trail. When I was finally there, I hiked fast to make up some miles and catch Redbeard. Every time I passed a SOBO they would ask me if I was Yoshi. They all told me he was looking for me. As I topped a small hill I noticed a pond on the other side. I caught a glimpse of something moving and I froze. I backed down the hill till I was out of sight. I quietly took off my pack and my bright red jacket and got my camera out. I crawled up to the waters edge to see a full sized moose walking across the pond with her calf swimming in front. I took a lot of pictures and watched them for a while. After they walked off into the woods I continued my hike. It made my heart beat fast to be that close to them. Now my imagination was racing and every dark spot in the woods became a moose. I arrived at Gentian Pond shelter to find out that I missed Redbeard by two hours. They told me he went on top the next shelter. I checked the time but didn't feel like fumbling through the dark to the shelter
Date: 2006-07-24
From: Gentain pond Shelter

To: Bethel Me
Miles today: 19.3

I left before anyone woke up. I put on my headphones and listened to some music while I hiked. I was surprised to see a sign on the trail that said welcome to Maine. When it hit me that I was at the Maine border I got a proud feeling of accomplishment. I took a picture, smiled from ear to ear and moved on. I came to Mahoosic Notch and thoroughly enjoyed "the hardest mile" of the AT. It was a gap filled with house sized boulders. The trail went over and under but not around them. In some places people had to take off their pack to squeeze through. At the trailhead, I hitched a ride into town with a couple of dayhikers. They were very nice and even stopped to ask for directions on how to get to the hostel. I thanked them and headed in to get settled down. I took a shower and met up with redbeard at the Suds Pub. I had a pizza and some ice cream. This is becoming a regular town meal for me.
Date: 2006-07-25
From: Bethel Me

To: Frye Notch Lean-to
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

We had a great breakfast this morning. I thought we were going to eat everything they had. It was a long ride back to the trailhead and we had to get three different hitches to get back. We stopped at the first shelter and started talking to a group of boys from a boys camp. We told stories about our trip and listened to theirs. We talked them into night-hiking to the next mountain south. There was a great spot to camp and an observation tower. I hope the trip went well guys. We finally moved on to the next shelter and just decided to stay there for the night. We were supposed to night hike too but hey, not every plan can be brilliant.
Date: 2006-07-26
From: Frye Notch Lean-to

To: Bemis Mtn. Lean-to
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: broken clouds

Redbeard was so excited to eat his cereal this morning that he got up at 5:30 and woke me up with the sound of crunchy cookie crisps. It was his birthday today so I let him hike first. Haha. We started out making great time but soon the sugar rush wore off. When we got to South Arm Rd. it started pouring. We had no cover so we hiked on as usual. Halfway up Old Blu Mtn. I found a rock overhang. We ducked under there and took cover from the rain till it stopped. I had just fallen asleep when it stopped. At the top of Old Blue the sun came out and we were able to dry our clothes. We made it to the shelter just before it started raining again.
Date: 2006-07-27
From: Bemis Mtn. Lean-to

To: Rangeley, Me. Gull Pond hostel
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: broken clouds

Another early morning wakeup from Redbeard. This cereal thing is getting out of hand! Although we got up early, we didn't leave camp till 7:45. Some section hikers that were finished with their hike gave us some leftover food. Thanks guys, that hit the spot. We hiked to long pond and took a dip in the cool waters. We hiked on and discussed going into Rangeley for resupply and a nights rest. On the way to the road, Redbeard found a four-leaf clover and gave it to me. I put it in my journal for safe keeping. He says he has a knack for finding them and he keeps one in his hat. At the trailhead we were hit with a downpour. This greatly reduced our chances of getting a hitch into town as we were now wet and muddy. A woman and her grandson came back to the trailhead after a short hike and took pity on us a gave us a ride to town. She dropped us off at the Red Onion restaurant and we walked in and sat down to order. The food was great and I ate plenty. We stayed at the Gull Pond Hostel and got some rest. We decided since we were ahead of schedule that we would take a near-o the next day.
Date: 2006-07-28
From: Rangeley, Me. Gull Pond hostel

To: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Miles today: 1.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I had 5 bowls of cereal this morning! Then some fruit, a mtn. dew, and another pint of ice cream. Cherry Garcia, Ummmmmm...   I mailed home some more items to drop weight and added more food. I spent all day updating my journal and they had to kick me out of the library. I had dinner again at the Red Onion. The waitress made a crack about there not being enough food to feed us hikers. We hitched a ride back to the trail and walked 1.8 miles in the rain to the first shelter. It rained all day so I was glad that our timing was just right. At the hostel I picked up a small book to read at night. It doesn't weigh much.
Date: 2006-07-29
From: Piazza Rock Lean-to

To: South Branch of Carabassett River
Miles today: 22.0

Just after we left the shelter this morning we visited a section called "The Caves". Its a boulder field with a trail that leads over and under big boulders. We climbed saddleback mtn. in some clouds. As we got to the top the views were kind of on again off again. Suddenly a clearing opened up and we could see all around. The view was amazing. I'm glad we got a chance to see it. On the way up to Lone Mtn. I noticed some fresh moose tracks. They led up the trail so I kept an eye open for them but after a mile or so I forgot. As I topped a little ridge in the forest I saw a calf. The mother came crashing through the woods and ran across the trail in front of me. The calf soon followed. I couldn't believe how fast they dissappeared into the woods. I didn't even get a chance to pull my camera out. We were going to push on to a campsite but after we crossed the river we just set up there. It was nice to hear the water rushing by all night. The night air was nice and cool and perfect for the sleeping bag.
Date: 2006-07-30
From: South Branch of Carabassett River

To: Safford Notch Campsite
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

I felt so great outside that neither one of us wanted to get out of our sleeping bags. I did manage to get up and make some breakfast, but then I crawled back in my bag and went back to sleep. This was not a good start for the day we planned. The views at the top of the next mountain were unbelievable. The air was so dry and cool that we could see unusually long distances. Oncewe got up in the Bigelow range we were able to get our first view of Katahdin. WooHoo! We're still 180 miles away but it was confirmed by a local hiker that it was Katahdin. We decided to stop at Safford Notch Campsite and met some really interesting guys. They were just out of the military and hiking for returning vets. Their website is Trailtorecovery.org. People from the military are joining in their hike all up and down the trail. Two guys helicoptered in at a mountain top and were being extracted two days from then. Sounds like fun.
Date: 2006-07-31
From: Safford Notch Campsite

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We had a couple of small climbs to get out of the Bigelows and then on to the flatlands. Even though the hiking was much harder I'll miss the mountains. The weather was great up high but when we hit the swamps the breeze stopped and the bugs came out. We walked through many bogs and crossed many streams. Sorry I missed you Traction and Poppy. We made it to Pierce Pond lean-to by 4:30. 22 miles for the day and we had all afternoon to relax. We made dinner and sat by the lake and watched the loons and a deer feeding in the grass. Tim Harrison from Harrison camps came up to the shelter and talked with us for a while. He runs the B&B and offered us breakfast in the morning. 12 pancakes, 3 eggs, 3 sausages, and milk and coffee. Not bad for $8.00. I couldn't sllep at night because I was thinking about breakfast.
Date: 2006-08-01
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Moxie Bald Lean-to
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: light rain

When I woke up, Redbeard was sitting up asleep with his bag packed and ready to go. He was ready for breakfast so I packed quickly. While I was getting ready he went down to the waters edge and noticed a moose and two calves. I zoomed in with my camera and took some nice photos from across the lake. After breakfast we hiked to the Kennebec river where we crossed in a canoe. They run a ferry service there because the water rises to quickly for us to cross. At the top of Moxie Bald we found bluberry patches on top of blueberry patches. We looked like a couple of bears sitting around munching on berries. After we had our fill of berries we hiked down to the lean-to. It was full with camp kids. There were two sperate groups there along with some other hikers. All total, about 30 people there. I set up my tarp on the ground and kept fairly dry, although my clothes were still wet from hiking. I can handle one night of being wet while I sleep.
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Monson, Me. Shaw hostel
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: haze

I was ready to leave this morning so I packed up quick. We had 18 miles to go to town so we hiked fast. At first we hiked to make good time, then it was to get away from the bugs. The gnats were so bad I couldn't breathe without sucking one in. We stopped at the next shelter and finished off all our groceries. We had to ford a couple of rivers so we didn't mind getting muddy in the bogs. After we forded the Piscataquis river we found a cooler with some sodas and fruit in it. We dropped our packs and grabbed a soda and hit the creek. We spent the better part of an hour sitting in the water swatting horse flies and enjoying our soda. We had to be at the Post Office before 4:00 so we hit the trail. The Shaw hostel was next on our list. We settled in and cleaned up for dinner. Umm, cheese steak at the Pub. Resupply was slim pickings but we got the job done. I bought extra food and sent home some more things to make room. I hope I didn't need that tarp!