morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Crawford Notch, US302 to Crawford Notch Campground
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: fog

The breakfast at the hut was good and the Croo very entertaining. Saw some people at this hut that I had seen at the previous huts, there was a young family of a mom, dad, daughter Anna and an older dad and his daughter, Jim and Kramer. Said goodbye to the young family from Boston and was on the trail at 8:35 a.m. Wearing my rain gear for warmth and it had rained hard before I left. I would rather be wet and warm than wet and cold. Again it is predicted to be in the 50's.It was the best trail I have seen so far in New Hampshire. For the first few miles it was flat and small gravel, then it was flat and a lot of bog bridges. Almost no climbing with just an easy down into Crawford Notch. Looked like rain but it never did rain. With about half a mile to go, I caught up to Jim and Kramer, they had a car parked at US 302 and offered me a ride for the three miles to the Crawford Notch Campground and General Store. That is such good trail magic, when you don't have to worry about having to thumb a ride. The brief time I spent with them I enjoyed very much.It was 12:45 p.m. when we got to the campground. I had just finished checking in and looking around the store when McRib and Riblet hiked in. They are spending the night here too. The hiker cabin is great with a lot of room in it. The people at the general store are really friendly to us hikers. They even called a family member that was coming to the campground and got them to pick up some pizza for us. We were able to take long, hot showers and wash and dry our clothes and re-supply for the next few days.Oh! Right after we checked in, the bottom dropped out of the sky. We had made it there just in time not to get soaked. Just relaxed some this afternoon. After supper a northbound couple showed up, they are Dirty Blond and Backbend. Another thunderstorm passed through, but we are in a nice, dry place.
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Crawford Notch, US302 from CrawfordNotchCampground

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 6.4

The campground provided McRib, Riblet and me a shuttle back to the trail head. It was included with our stay, what a good deal! We were climbing at 8:34 a.m. And what a climb - 2770 feet today. The views from Webster Cliff down into Crawford Notch were breathtaking. The sun was out and it was a lot warmer.The views got even better as we went across Mt. Webster, from there we had a great view of Mt. Washington and Crawford Notch. The trail was difficult and it was a little after 2:00 p.m. when we got to Mizpah Spring Hut but still in time to get some split pea soup and lemonade. Backbend and Dirty Blond arrived shortly after us. I am staying at the hut tonight but McRib, Riblet, Dirty Blond and Backbend left going to Lake of the Clouds Hut about 4.8 miles away.At about 3:15 p.m., the sky got really dark and we heard thunder overhead but it never rained here. At about 4:00 p.m., McRib, Riblet, Dirty Blond and Backbend were back at the shelter. They had gone about 1 1/2 miles and saw lightning from a storm in front of them striking the ground, they would have been out in the open on the ridge so they decided to come back. It as a safe and smart decision. They got lucky and were able to get work for stay. I went up to the bunkroom to take a nap and had a surprise a little later. Tom, the guy who found my fanny pack, came in. It was good to see him again. He is going to the same huts as me for the next two days.The hut is not as crowded as the other huts. There is a group of 11 women who are staying here tonight. They call themselves "The Hookers" because the leader of their group is trying to get them all hooked on hiking.At lunch, the bottom of my feet started itching, put some Cortaid on them but later that night the itching came back and got worse on my hands and arms and I also had a rash around my waist. It was so bad that I finally took some Benadryl so I could go to sleep.
Date: 2007-07-11
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: fog

This morning the itching and rash was back along with my hands swelling. I have become allergic to something, either something in the food or the wool blankets. Took more Benadryl and it went away, hoping for good.It rained all night long and was real foggy this morning but the temperature is in the 60's. It is a short hike today to the next hut, so I left a little later hoping it would clear up, but it never did.Saw the Hookers and Tom on the trail and got to the hut at 12:10 p.m. McRib and Riblet were there and were staying in the Dungeon, a very small room in the basement of the hut where thru-hikers can stay. Had some soup, bread and lemonade for lunch and laid down for a nap. Tom came in right after me and The Hookers made it to the hut before the rain came later in the afternoon. The Hookers did some trail magic. Two of the women that are in their group could not come and their reservations could not be cancelled so they gave them to McRib and Riblet. They were able to move up from The Dungeon to the bunkroom and eat with us at supper. These ladies are wonderful and are true trail angels.Rained all afternoon. The itching came back so I took some more Benadryl. The Croo gave me some more so I will have enough to get to Pickman Notch where I can buy some more, or I might be able to get some on top of Mt. Washington. This itching and rash is starting to worry me, hoping it won't slow me down or cause me to leave the trail. Tapper is at the hut too, she got work for stay. She took a week off and has caught up with me again.
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It rained all night. The weather forecast was not too good, cloudy with rain in the afternoon and with a wind chill factor of 31o F. Took my time packing and left about 8:45 a.m. It was real foggy and I had 1.6 miles, with a 1000 foot climb, to get to the top of Mt. Washington. Near the top I could smell the smoke from the cog train that goes to the top of the mountain. With only about 100 feet to climb, I hiked out of a cloud and it was clear blue sky. By the time I reached the top, it has cleared up a lot more. Topper, McRib and Riblet were still there and we were all excited about the incredible views we had. At 6,280 feet, Mt. Washington is the highest peak in New England and has the worst weather in the world.I called my wife Nadine so she could see me on the WebCam. She liked that. She called our daughter Kelley so she could see me too. There is a Summit House where you can get something to eat. I decided to stay a little longer on top and got a hot dog, chili, chips and tea for lunch. The weather had changed a lot, it was now warm and clear. Took off my fleece pants and jacket, and rain pants and jacket.I was hiking again at 12:15 p.m. Saw a couple of cog trains go by but did not "moon" them, which is the tradition for hikers. It stayed clear and I could see the trail at least half a mile away. The views were breathtaking all afternoon. This has been the best day for the views in the White Mountains so far. But the trail was not easy, it was rock hopping all day long, and it really worked on my ankles and knees.It was 5:00 p.m. when I reached Madison Spring Hut, for the first quarter mile you looked down at the hut below. McRib and Riblet got there in time to get work for stay. Tapper was going to Pinkham Notch and will probably stay with The Hookers at Joe Dodge Lodge tonight. Tom is at the hut also. He and I sat together for supper tonight, this is the last night we will see each other. I have enjoyed talking to him. Itching came back but the Benadryl is making it go away. Beautiful sunset tonight.
Date: 2007-07-13
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Pinkham Notch, NH16 to Joe Dodge Lodge
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: moderate rain

The weather forecast for today is clear but at 8:35 a.m. when I left the hut, it was very cool and cloudy. It got colder and windy as I got close to the top of Mt. Madison. The trail went right over the top of the mountain. Had my rain jacket on for warmth. The trail followed Osgood Ridge and I could see Tom about 1/8th of a mile in front of me. The sky cleared up and the sun made it a lot warmer.Lost sight of Tom as he went into the woods. A little later, I ran into him on the trail, he was sitting there taking a break and waiting for me. We hiked together for about a mile before he had to take a side trail that would take him to Carter Notch Hut tonight. I will miss hiking with to him.It has been another day of rock hopping and it was working on my ankles and knees. Finally for the last three miles, the trail became a real hiking trail but by this time I was worn out.Near the bottom of the mountain, a young couple coming my way had just seen a moose. I looked for it on the way down but never saw it.Reached the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center to pick up my mail drops. Kelley and Shanna have sent me some brownies. Ate one for an afternoon snack. Got a hot shower but could not wash my clothes, that is okay because I will be in Gorham in three days. At the Visitors Center they gave me some more Benadryl from their first aid box. I think I have enough to get me to Gorham, NH.I talked to soubounders and learned that McRib and Riblet are ahead of me by half a day. I think Halfway and Bluebird are a full day ahead. A rain shower came through while eating supper. A buffet supper and breakfast are included with the room.
Date: 2007-07-14
From: Pinkham Notch, NH16 from Joe Dodge Lodge

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

A buffet breakfast was included with the room. It was 9:15 a.m. before I could pack up and start hiking. It was a nice day with a clear blue sky and the temperature was not too warm. Hiking past Lost Pond was beautiful.The A.T. turned at Wildcat Ridge Trail and things turned from good to bad. The trail up Wildcat Ridge was not a hike but a 2,000-foot rock climb up a cliff. For the first time I thought of leaving the trail and going home. It was so steep that it was dangerous and not worth the risk of getting injured, but going back down this cliff would be even more dangerous. Whoever decided to put the A.T. on this ridge must not like hikers because this is not hiking.The Wildcat Mountain chair lift was at the top of Wildcat Peak E and for a moment I thought about taking it back down to NH 16. Got angry and decided that I was not going to let someone¢s poor decision drive me off this trail.The trail was better going over Wildcat Peaks D through A. The trail down into Carter Notch was real steep also but not dangerous. I still made it to Carter Notch Hut by 3:45 p.m. Just before getting to the hut, the trail goes right beside a pond and it was so clear you could see trout swimming around.The hut was a welcome sight. I was so worn out that I took a nap before supper. It is a weekend and the hut is full. This is the last hut I will be staying in, back to the shelters and cooking for myself. The Croos at all the huts have been great and they have given me enough Benadryl to get me to Gorham, NH. The itching and rash is not happening as often, I hope it is going away.People were playing card games and a man and a teenage boy were playing guitars, everyone was having a good time. I left the main hut and went to the bunkroom hut at about 9:00 p.m. Tomorrow is going to be another hard day.
Date: 2007-07-15
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: fog

It was 8:34 a.m. when I started hiking this morning and the sky was cloudy and the wind was blowing. It was a real steep climb of about 900 feet up Carter Dome but the rocks were like steps. At 10:00 a.m., I had to stop and put on my rain jacket, it had started to rain. Only rained about half an hour but with the wind it was cool so I left my jacket on the rest of the day.Had to go up and over South Carter Mountain, Middle Carter Mountain and North Carter Mountain. Slow going again today, just sat on a rock in the middle of the trail to each lunch and the sun came out for a few minutes but soon disappeared. The rocks and roots are all wet. Fell down one time but landed in the soft moss on the side of the trail.The climb down North Carter Mountain was like going down a cliff and I had to throw my hiking poles down the hill and turn around backwards to climb down. Several times I was afraid of falling. Still cannot understand why they would put the A.T. on such dangerous trails.Again it took a lot of my energy to hike today and I was really tired when I got to Imp Shelter at 3:15 p.m. Got water and unpacked my gear and was cooking supper when Tom, a southbounder, showed up. Sally is the caretaker for this shelter and she came by a little later to collect the fee for using the shelter. New Hampshire is the only state that charges a fee to stay in select shelters.It¢s 7:50 p.m. and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful sunset but I am going to miss it because I¢m climbing in my sleeping bag.
Date: 2007-07-16
From: Imp Shelter

To: US2 to Gorham, NH
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: fog

On the trail at 8:04 a.m., it is cool so I am wearing a long sleeve shirt and my rain jacket for warmth. Earlier, southbound hikers had told me that a moose had wandered into the boulder fields at Mahoosuc Notch and fell. Sad news - Tom told me before I left that the moose that fell into the house-sized boulders in the Mahoosuc Notch had died. Unfortunately, there was no way to rescue it. I am several days from getting there.The sky is clear and it is a beautiful day. By the time I hiked about 800 feet to the top of Mt. Moriah, it had warmed up so I took off my rain jacket. Sally, the caretaker at Imp Camp, had told me that the Carter-Moriah Trail used to be the original A.T. and that it went right into Gorham. Southbounders had been telling how bad it was coming up the new A.T., it is like coming up a cliff. But I would have to hike down it.When I got to the Carter-Moriah Trail, I went about 100 feet passed it and had a ¢gut feeling¢ not to take the new A.T. down the cliff so I turned around and went back and took the original A.T. This was a good decision, the trail was a lot better and not dangerous like the other trail would have been.Coming down Mt. Surprise, I came across a father and his young teenage son sitting on the rocks eating and enjoying the view of Mt. Washington. They offered me a tangerine so I sat down and joined them. It was a welcomed break.The distance into town on the old A.T. is the same as the new A.T. to US 2. It was 12:45 p.m. when I walked through the town park and saw a Subway Restaurant. Yes, it was a good lunch. A few blocks up, I got a room at the Royalty Inn, where I was also able to wash my clothes. I was also able to look in a mirror and see how bad my shoulder looked. The shoulder straps on my pack had rubbed my skin raw. It looked like a bad sunburn. Went to Rite-Aid and the pharmacist recommended hydro-cortisone cream. I decided to take a day¢s rest tomorrow to let it heal.Bought some fuel for my stove from the hardware store and then ate supper at Crabby Jacks, a Mexican Steakhouse and Seafood Grill, beside the motel. I was asleep by 9:00 p.m.
Date: 2007-07-17
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept in until 8:00 a.m. Today is a special day, it was 34 years ago today that I first met my wife Nadine, so I will not forget to call her.I found out that the health clinic is only a half-mile away in the same direction as the grocery store, so on the way I stopped and made an appointment for this afternoon for them to look at my shoulders. Tried thumbing out and back from the grocery store that was a mile and a half away but without my pack no one would pick me up.At the clinic the doctor told me that the allergy and rash I had earlier could have made my skin more sensitive and that is why my shoulder straps irritated my shoulders. He gave me a prescription for a stronger hydro-cortisone cream. From Rite-Aid I went next door to the Post Office and mailed about two pounds of gear from my pack back home. The rest of the day was busy, busy, busy. Finally about 6:30 p.m., I walked down to the town park. I saw workers setting up tents and asked what was going on. They told me that starting at 4:30 p.m., they were selling food and at 6:30 p.m. a country-western singer, Jose Duddy, would be performing. While waiting in line for my food, I watched as all the locals were sitting in their lawn chairs listening to Jose Duddy¢s concert. Kids were playing in the park and there was free ice cream. It was nice to watch everyone relaxing and enjoying themselves. I could tell it is a small town, everyone seemed to know everyone.Back in my room, I washed out all my water bottles and my cooking pot and cups. It is almost 10:00 p.m., way past my bedtime. Hoping the cream will fix my shoulder problems.
Date: 2007-07-18
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

There was a steady rain when I got up this morning. Figured it wouldn¢t take long before my shirt would be wet and the rain would wash the cream off my shoulders, even with a rain jacket on I would be wet from sweat. So I decided to stay another day in town and give my shoulders a better chance to heal. It looks like the cream is working. Went back to bed for the rest.After lunch, I walked down to the salon to get my hair cut and beard trimmed. Now it doesn¢t look like I have been in the woods for two months, and it feels better too. That is all that happened today. Started raining really hard after supper. The weather forecast is for rain and more rain. Hope they are wrong.
Date: 2007-07-19
From: US2 from Gorham, NH

To: Gentain Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

The sky is overcast, not a good sign for the weather today. As I was hiking and trying to thumb a ride out of town, I saw a pickup truck make a U-turn to come back and give me a ride. The driver¢s name was easy to remember since his name is the same as the Governor of Virginia, Tim Kane. He is a local and took me right to the trailhead.It was another wet, difficult, rocky climb. Took a bad fall backwards down a big slick rock, landed on my pack which helped to break my fall. When I got up I was surprised I had not broken an arm or leg. All I had was a big scratch on my left arm and some bruises that would not show up until the next day.While eating lunch at the Trident Col Tentsite trail, an older couple that were hiking south stopped to tell me how difficult the trail was going to be for the next few days. Started raining steady at 1:30 p.m. I slipped and fell on my left butt, boy that hurt. It was still raining when I got to the shelter at 4:30 p.m., but thought I was in another country. There were five Russians there, they were doing a section hike. There were three men, two women and a 14-year-old boy. Most of them had been in the U.S. for 16 years. There were also two big dogs, both named ¢Ben,¢ they liked to bark when anyone was coming to the shelter. Coyote and Road Runner were soaking wet when they arrived at the shelter around 6:30 p.m.My shoulders look like they are healing but I am sore from the falls today.
Date: 2007-07-21
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Gentain Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.2

It is going to take me two days to get back to Gorham, NH. Dan has a bus schedule with him, so I will be able to catch a bus from Gorham to Manchester then fly home from there.It is a beautiful day. The sun is out. It was easier hiking back since we could help each other through the real hard sections. The hiking was good today, but I am still just a little sad.Got to the shelter early and was able to relax some. Half a dozen hikers, mostly southbounders, arrived later in the afternoon. I gave most of my food to them since I won¢t need it and this helped make my pack lighter.Going to sleep early tonight, because I want to get an early start tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-22
From: Gentain Pond Shelter

To: US2 to Gorham, NH
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

The sky was clear this morning, there is a great scenic view of the valley from this shelter. Dan and I got an early start, I am looking forward to getting back to town. Dan is a lot younger than me and I enjoyed hearing him talk about his wife and young daughters. He is a good storyteller and told some funny tales of his adventures on the trail. This helped me deal with the fact that I was hiking negative miles on the A.T., but I am not going to subtract them from my total A.T. miles hiked because once you have hiked them, I feel they have been earned with a lot of sweat and sore muscles and cannot be erased.We stopped on top of Mt. Hayes for lunch. A bunch of the young southbounders were there, lying on the flat rocks soaking up the sun. They had been there for about two hours, these guys are fast. It was at the top of this mountain that Dan and I decided to take the Mahoosic Trail since it goes right into Gorham. This trail was the A.T. before it was relocated to take the trail away from the town. It was an easier trail than the A.T. on the other side of the mountain, the one I came up a few days ago. We crossed an old railroad bridge over the river and into the other end of town.To save money, we got a room together at a motel across the street from the gas station where the bus stops. After getting cleaned up, we headed to a family restaurant on the river for a good meal. I like this end of town better because the Post Office and the Laundromat are next to each other and several restaurants and a drug store are close by. Dan and I are taking tomorrow off to clean gear and will catch the bus out the next day.
Date: 2007-07-23
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I got up early, there is a lot to do today. Dan and I ate breakfast then went back to work on our gear. Dan caught a bus to Wal-Mart to get some town clothes since he is going to Boston, NH to meet his family then up to Mystic, CT to stay with relatives for a few days. I packed up some of my gear that I wanted to mail home and headed to the Post Office, also washed some more clothes at the Laundromat. My boots looked really bad so I got some shoe polish from the drug store and some deodorant. When I am in the woods I start to smell fairly bad, but I really wanted to get rid of the smell now that I am back in civilization.After lunch I went back to the room to finish cleaning my gear. I had called my wife and daughter yesterday to tell them I was coming home. Kelley got online and got me a flight on Southwest out of Manchester, NH on July 24th in the afternoon. When Dan got back, we went across the street to get our bus tickets for tomorrow. Dan had not been to the other end of town so I gave him a walking tour of Gorham. We stopped by the local outfitter store, hardware store, bookstore and the hostel at the other end of town to see if anyone we knew was there. By now we had worked up an appetite so we stopped at the family restaurant for another great supper.It had been a busy day and I am excited about the trip home tomorrow. I may be off the trail but the adventure doesn¢t stop until I am home.