morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-30
From: lincoln,nh

To: franconia notch
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

So I decided to do my first slack pack today. I left the hostel and had a big breakfast . Then hitch hiked to the base of mooseilakie. I carried a small day pack. The hike was beautiful. It was cloudy this morning and as the sun broke through the low hanging clouds it left heavy moisture on all of he spider webs in the woods. The moisture reflected the sun and the woods looked like they had strings of christmas lights everywhere. The trail was made up of dark soupy mud, roots, and rocks. It was also very steep. Now all the trees are evergreens all the time. It makes he woods have a muffled feel kind of like the quietness after a big snow. Caught a good swim going up kinsman in a freezing stream. Going over kinsman mountain I had great weather and got some cell service on top. As I checked out the great views I caught up with brian d. Then hiked down past the first Amc hut. This place was basically a full service hotel and resurant in the middle of the wilderness. I was by a huge pond that reflected the ridge I am going to do tommrow. Caught a hitch back to the hostel from a nice couple who showed me some secrete mountains to check out in the next few days. the driver played in an orchestra. Now back at Chets backpack full of food and belly full of pizza. Great day. Oh p.s- readers -please sign my guest book!
Date: 2012-07-31
From: franconia notch

To: galehead hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we hiked over the franconia ridge. The trail was above tree line for over 2 miles. It was beautiful. I acually got some pretty bad sunburn on my left arm only because we are hiking north and the sun was in the western part of the sky. The trail had tons of day hikers on it. There were also several large summer camp groups out. It kind of took away from the secluded wilderness feel of things. I ran out of water here as well. Got kind of dehydraed and then drank some pond water that made my stomach hurt for the rest of the night. We hiked down to the campsite we planed to stay at and it was full. Then on to the next amc hut and it was full. I opted for a stealth camping site in some pines just beyond the hut.
Date: 2012-08-01
From: galehead hut

To: craford notch
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The hike today was not as view filled as yesterday but there was a 5 mile section of trail that was the flattest thing i have hiked since harpers ferry. It was refreshing. Latly the trail has been straight up and down. Sometimes i have to throw my treking poles up and ahead and use my hands to climb. We ate lunch at zeland falls hut where the hut master had hot shot and i clean out the fridge for an all you can eat corn chowder soup, brownies, coffee cake and some beers. The down hill to craford knotch where hot shot and the flash hitched into town for a hotel. I met some new hikers, banjo and conan. We hitched up the road to a state park and tore up their hot dog stand hiker trash style. Then hung out by the pond near by commenting on how delicious the passing ducks looked.   Hitchedback to the trail head to find another sealth spot. The guy who gave us a ride back was just out driving his brand new f 150 for the first time. His wife excitedly said we were the first "cargo" in the truck and snapped a photo of us.
Date: 2012-08-02
From: craford notch

To: lake of the clouds hut
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

The climb out of crawford noch was hard! One of the hardest climbs so far. I feel like i say that every day now but onward... It was wet rocky and steep. When we got to the top we could see where we had camped and the state park from yeserday. Today i hiked with banjo, meat, conan, and pedestrian. We got free lunch at the first hut we passed. Pancakes and black bean soup. The hiking past this point was all alpine. The trail was exposed but the weather was pretty good. Not to mention spectacular views. There were some thunder storms looming in the distance which made us nervous. The nearest cover was miles away. We reached the lakes of the cloud hut and scored a work for stay. Hot shot and the flash showed up fresh from their hotel stay a few hours later. We set tables and then meat and i did a question and anwser wih the huts 75 occupants about our trip so far. That was really fun. Meat also inflated his air matress and floated on one of the high lakes there. (About 5000 ft) very entertaining to watch because this lake was COLD! Another great day. Oh yeah my feet hurt.
Date: 2012-08-03
From: lake of the clouds hut

To: madison hut
Miles today: 7.0

We summited mt washington this morning after eating a large brekfastt at the hut and lingering afterwards with the staff for good conversation over doing dishes. The summit was engulfed in clouds at 6288 feet. The wind was howling at around 30 mph and itt was moist. We ae lunch at the visitors center and the clouds broke long enough to get a few photos on the way down. We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking over peaks around the rim of a huge valley. The trail was made up of all rocks large and flat but loosly strewn about. The kind that teeter when you step on them. I was stopping every 100 feet to gaze at the beautiful alpine wilderness around. This was the first day thay we hiked all day in the alpine zone. Also the first day all on rocks since PA. After taking a wrong turn about 1/2 mile from the hut we made it and scored another work for stay. We ate dinner and then hot shot and i cleaned out the huge refridgerators. Then we helped do dishes. This hut was smaller but doing dishes for 40 people was still a task. The sunset was sandwedged in between dark lingering storm clouds and the horizon, something beauiful i had never seen before. After that we turned the dining area into our sleep area. It feels like a strange sleep over dinner party combination. Today we could see gorham, nh from the mountain top. Monica comes in 3 days! Oh yeah.......my feet hurt.
Date: 2012-08-04
From: madison hut

To: pinkham notch
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Whew. Days are getting tough and all this hut food is making me sluggish in the mornings. At least the views are great! we got out late and hiked downhill all day. This was a knee crushing downhill. About 6 miles of it. The first 4 were above tree line. We got down to pinkham notch and I fell asleep on the bench in front of the trading post instantly. Hot shot got us a ride down to a local hostal. There is no place to camp in pinkham notch without a 500 dollar fine. Pizza beer and Olympics. Go USA!
Date: 2012-08-06
From: gorham nh

To: gorham nh
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: fog

Today hot shot and I took a light pack over the last 21 miles of the whites. It was kind of chilly and over cast. This section was mostly in the woods. We ran the last 4 miles just because. I got to the road first and the first car I put my thumb up for stopped. This guy had just come from baxter state park.   This is where mt. katadin is in Maine. Cool! Then went to mr pizza for dinner and met Monica around 9 after her 15 hours of travel.
Date: 2012-08-08
From: gorham nh

To: gorham nh
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We got picked up by our shuttle this morning and we were off to the trail head north of Gorham. The plan is to hike from Grafton notch back to gorham so Monica can catch the bus home. When we got to the trail head we realized that we were at the wrong trail head and we had gone an hour out if the way. Due to time lost and me starting to feel sick we decided to stay at the campground again. We will try again tommrow.
Date: 2012-08-09
From: east b hill road

To: baldplate lean to
Miles today: 8.0

Today our drop off was successful. Monica and I were off on our hike. We saw a few hikers I had not seen in awhile since we were now hiking south. We saw banjo, juggles, danish, meat, and pedestrian. Just before we got to frye notch lean to we got rained on. We ate lunch at the shelter and moved on. It had stopped raining but the trail going up baldplate mountain was wet. Most of the trail up this mountain looked like pavement but was straight up. This made the rest of the day pretty dangerous. We got to the shelter and it stormed almost non stop all night.
Date: 2012-08-10
From: baldplate lean to

To: speck pond shelter and campsite
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today it started raining 10 minutes after we left the shelter. Monica had caught my cold and mine was gating worse. The trail was wet and very difficult all day. It was flatout dangerous too because it was so slick and any falls could be bad due to steep dropoffs.   This was not the nice hike I was expecting to do with Monica. We arrived at speck only to find the shelter full. Hot shot was here though. After a long day in the rain we were tired,wet, and hungry. We set up our 2 person tent on one of the provided platforms. It held the rain out for a few hours. By the time we were ready for bed we were soaking up water with our pack towels from the inside of the tent. Oh well figure it out tommrow.
Date: 2012-08-11
From: speck pond shelter and campsite

To: gorham, nh
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we decided continuing on with 2 more days of rain forcasted would be too dangerous for the next bit of trail. We hiked back down to Grafton notch ME, 26. Then back to gorham via hitch. Riding in the back of a pickup was fun. Haven't done that in awhile. We dried out in town after eating pizza and stayed in town for the night.
Date: 2012-08-13
From: gentian pond shelter

To: gorham, nh
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: fog

Today we got a ride up to a side trail that was 2 miles up to genain pond. We hiked the rest of the sunny daywith light packs across marshy mountain tops. We crossed bogs and by high elevation ponds hoping to see a moose. We didn't... the trail was tough but dry rocks made it easier. We even had time to nap on the slabby rocks on top of mt hayes. Then down to Gorham where our ride picked us up and took us back to the camp ground. We made a hiker trash spegetti for dinner. Pasta, cheese hunks, pizza sauce, bacon bits, and summer sausage chunks. Tommrow another slack pack. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!   Love you!
Date: 2012-08-14
From: gorham, nh

To: gorham, nh
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Today monica and i hiked the mahusic notch. The most difficult mile on the AT was here. We had been waiting for a dry day for this section. The trail was made up of boulders the size of cars. We had to crawl over under and around. It was like caving! After that we climbed up to speck pnd campsite where we left because of bad weather a few days before. On the way back down monica and i saw ur first moose ever!! It was a younger female. What a great day!
Date: 2012-08-15
From: gorham, nh

To: gorham, nh
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: fog

Monica left this morning. We said our goodbyes in the rain at the gas station and i set off to finish the last of the maahosic range. It was just south of mt sucess into mahosic notch. It rained for most of the day and i hiked alone for the first time in awhile. I forgot my headphones too.. i just hiked this section as fast as i could. I also fell into a bog today too because of a poorly placed foot. That was kind of scary. I was finished by 3pm. The shuttle, driven by golden waldo a 71 year old past thru hiker, picked me up soaking wet and covered in bog mud. Back to the white birches campground for my final night in gorham, nh. It feels good to be on the move again but i do miss monica.
Date: 2012-08-16
From: gorham, nh

To: bemis mountain shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Golden waldo picked me up outside of the main office at 11am. I slept in! Then we went to walmart for resupply then to the trail head. It was raining by the time we got there. My hike started with a 2500 ft climb in the pouring rain. the trail was full of rocks and roots. Most of the day the trail was like a stream. Sometimes it got up to shin deep. My feet were freezing! A baby rabbit walked right up to me on the trail when i was taking a break. That was neat. the shelter was packed when i got here and we now have 10 people in an 8 person shelter. Hippity hop is here though! I have not seen her since new York. Have a hiking partner now. Hoping for sunshine tommrow!
Date: 2012-08-17
From: bemis mountain shelter

To: rangley, me
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was the first 20 mile day i had done since vermont. I hiked with hippty hop for the first time since new york. We decided to push to rangley to stay with jeff and jills parents. We met them back in vermont. We hiked through mud the entire day. It was sunny though for the first time in almost a week. The trail was also flat, there were almost no mountains to climb. Strange. We got picked up by glen, jills dad, at the trail head. They took us to their cabin beside a lake. The cabin was beautiful! It was right on the lake and was made of lightly colored wood. It was the kind of cabin you would expect to be in maine with deer head and old aniques on the walls. Glen acually built this cabin himself and his wife designed it! They were very nice people, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and good conversation. Then off to bed in the cozy loft. Maine is awesome.
Date: 2012-08-18
From: rangley, me

To: rangley, me
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we got dropped off at the local grocery store for resupply. We decided we were going to hitch hike back to the trail. When we got finished shopping we were packing our food when a passing stranger said to us "you hike all the way here? Need a shower and a meal?" We thought it over and decided to take him up on it. He turned out to be a fella named Phelps. He is an er doctor.   He took us back to his family property, also on a lake, and allowed us to stay in his guest cabin. We swam and enjoyed the lake as well as a few cold beers. We relaxed all day. That evening we watched the sunset with phelps and his family then had steak and potatoes for dinner. Best 0 ever.
Date: 2012-08-19
From: rangley, me

To: orbeton stream stealth site
Miles today: 13.0

We woke up and phelps made us blueberry pancakes. Mmmm. Then he drove us to the trail head in his convertible. we hiked over saddleback, the horn, and saddleback junior today. It was our first beautiful ridge in Maine. We could see he lake we had spent the previous 2 nights on. The ridge had such good views it reminded me of the whites. We also could see katadin for the first time! It is getting cooler now. Some of the trees are showing signs of the fall season coming. that is exciting.
Date: 2012-08-20
From: orbeton stream stealth site

To: crocker cirque campsite
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was fairly uneventful. The weather was good though. When I woke up I realized that I had left a candy bar wrapper in my waist band pocket in my pack and a rodent chewed though my pack. Darn. Noob move. There were almost now views today and a good bit of elevation change. One of those days. Its gonna be cold tonight.
Date: 2012-08-21
From: crocker cirque campsite

To: ME 21sratton
Miles today: 7.0

Hiking today uneventful, good weather. Stratton was very interesting. As soon as we got a hictch into town it began. We got dropped off at the post office and were immedatly approached by a short 70 year old man with a cigar in his mouth. He basically drug us over to the sidewalk by our packs and told us to watch what was going to walk out. Before we knew it a crossdresser walks out. The old man was very excited. She approached us and began talking to all 3 of us. We got lectured about not getting married and a few things i cannot mention. We narrowly made it out of the conversatin to the local deli. Then on to the hostel. It was another old finished barn. Very cool. The caretaker here is a gold dredger and a sucessful one. He showed me some of the gold he had recovered that day from his current claim.   He then took us in his truck to an awesome lookout and on the way there we saw 2 moose. Good day.
Date: 2012-08-22
From: ME 21sratton

To: little bigelow leanto
Miles today: 15.4

Today was the longest day in awhile and the hiking was great! It was our last big mountain until katadin. The 2 bigelow mountain peaks were beauiful! The best view since the white mountains. We hiked along high rocky ridges for 2 miles. While hiking today i ran across a group of backpackers from the harvard university outdoor program! Neat. The downhill on the back side of the ridge was long and nice. It feels good to be done with major mountains for now.
Date: 2012-08-23
From: little bigelow leanto

To: pierce pond shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Todays hiking was flat and still scenic.   Maine is beauiful! This morning i was the first one out of camp and i came across a beach by a lake. The lake still had low hanging fog and the beach was made of small stone pebbles. It was peaceful. I took half anhour here. Then just afer lunch came to another lake with a sandy beach. Took a swim here. The water was really clear! Then on to the shelter where earlier this season an AT through hiker drowned in the lake beside the shelter. He just cramped up while swimming. There was a small memorial for him here. I watched the most beautiful sunset of the trip over the lake this evening.
Date: 2012-08-24
From: pierce pond shelter

To: bald mountaain brook leanto
Miles today: 17.0

Last night caveman, hippity hop, mcguiver and i slept in the shelter and were attacked by mosquitos all night. Worst night of sleep ever. We hiked down to the river where we ferried across in a canoe. The man who ran the ferry said if you didnt ride in the canoe you didnt do the whole trail because he had a white blaze painted on the floor and the atc approved it as an offical blaze. We then went to caratunk, me for a few foods to get us to monson. We had a good 1700 foot climb today. On the top of the mountain some day hikers shared cheese crackers and carrots with us while they asked us questions about hiking. It feels good tobe doing some miles again. I also have my summit date for katadin almost set! Roger ~ i have been seeing talks alot signed in on the trail registers about 10 days ahead of me. Is that greg?
Date: 2012-08-25
From: bald mountaain brook leanto

To: monson ME
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we crossed moxie bald mountain. The climb was short but fun. The top was very slabby and covered in blueberry bushes but there were no blueberries. The season was not good for them and we have not had one yet booo. Hippity and i also walked up on another moose today. We didnt get a good look but it sure was loud crashing through the brush. After that i walked right up on a group of grouse. They let me get so close to them we almost had chicken for lunch. We made good time down to monson and dropped our bags at shaws hostel. It was another refurbished old farm house. We took off to the pub/resturant/laundry mat/ hostel called lake shore house. Hot shot was there eating dinner! Finally caught him. Back to shaws for laundry and showers. I opted to tent.
Date: 2012-08-26
From: monson ME

To: monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke up and had a huge brekfast at shaws. Then went to greenville, ME to get groceries. I had to get groceries for 8 days! It is alot of food. Then back to shaws to repack it all. I hung out at lake shore house all day. There was live bluegrass here today from 2 till 5. We swam on the lake and listened. After that a local named "pony tail paul" took a car load of us out to a local cliff jumping spot. I jumped off one around 30 feet high. Wohoo! My replacment pack from rei also came in today. The waist band was ripping in the old one. Pretty good 0 day.
Date: 2012-08-27
From: monson, ME

To: monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I decided to move from shaws to lake shore hostel today. Caveman and his brother mcguiver came in last night and are now staying at lake shore too. I was hoping my new shoes would come in today. The soles are falling off the ones i have now. I went over to the fire station today and got a tour from the fireman on duty. I got to sit in one of the firetrucks. Sweetness. Then we went tto lunch at a local bbq stand. The bbq was pretty darn good. It was made like we do it a home. More lake swiming followed. Hot shot and i helped the hostel owner run shuttles and pick up incoming hikers throughout the day. Then caveman mcguiver hotshot and I played spades until late. It stormed pretty much all night.
Date: 2012-08-28
From: monson, ME

To: wilson valley leanto
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

Woke up eager to sart the 100 mile wilderness. Hot shot and i caught a shuttle out of town and to the trail head. The trail was wet, muddy and hiking was slow going. We had a few river fords today. Hot shot fell on the river bank today and banged his knee. We cut our day short to give his knee some time. Hopefully tommrow it will be better. My shoes did not show up this morning. I will hike on in my ragged shoes. Ill just bring duct tape. Caveman and mcguiver showed up to the shelter later. We have a pretty good group to summit with.
Date: 2012-08-29
From: wilson valley leanto

To: chairback gap leanto
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It was cold last night and this morning. Hot shots knee was ok this morning. He got lucky. We stayed up late last night killing mice in the shelter. It was windy all day and the hiking was a lot of ups and downs. We also had a bunch of good views. Our first was from baron mountain where i climbed to the top of an old fire tower frame about 50 feet high. Sketchy. 360 views though! the second view was on 3rd mountain. It was so windy from this view point you could lean into it. Made it to the shelter early and the ridge runner is here. Shes pretty cool. Gonna be another cool night.
Date: 2012-08-30
From: chairback gap leanto

To: carl newhall leanto
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I took enough time to have tea in the morning. We hiked a short day today and hung out at the sheler all day after lunch. We got our food drop a the road today and resupplied. The last full food drop until katadin. We got a few of the logging trucks to honk at us as they rode by on the dusty logging road when getting resupplied. When we got to the shelter we met a group of old guys that had been section hiking the rail since the mid 70s! The chipmunks here are brave, must be because of the full moon. Tommrow we do our last small mountain.
Date: 2012-08-31
From: carl newhall leanto

To: beach campsite
Miles today: 16.0

With the mounain peaks done before lunch we bounded across flat trail to our campsite down by a lake beach. It feels good to have no major mounains beween us and katadin. Went for a swim/mid week bath when i first got here. Then watched the sun set and the full moon rise over the huge lake. A few of us fell asleep on the beach star gazing but were soon run up to tents up by a late night storm. Maine is awesome. Have i already said that? Oh well.
Date: 2012-09-01
From: beach campsite

To: antler campsite
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

More flat trail again today. The woods have changed again. The trees are much larger and the forest feels very open. There was at least a mile of bog bridges today too. We didnt see caveman or mcgiuver at all today. Just after lunch we hit a fresh water spring that was at least 10 feet in diameter. The water was ice cold delicious. I found a new walking stick too my last ones flew off somewhere. We took a boat ride over to whites landing to get a few supplies. Not the coolest place. We got to the campsite and met a couple of mainers and they have a retriver that is fun. They gave us a mountain house meal. Chilli mac with beef. People are awesome. Short sentances. Yeah.   Camping right by the stream tonight.