morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Rt. 4

To: Chateauguay Road
Miles today: 14.7

It was really good to hike with Bad Influence again! He and Katie set up a shuttle for all of us, dropping an extra truck off at the road so that B.I. could join us. It was a fairly short day on the trail (one which we thought was going to be even shorter but we got a late start).   We had a difficult time getting our act together in the morning and Splendora referred to us as a "herd of turtles"! We hit up the Sugar House for breakfast on our way to Rt. 4. The Sugar House is an old maple sugaring house which has been converted into a restaurant, and gift shop serving hiker portions and offering Vermont kitsch such as the Vermomter, a VT thermometer that tells you when it's too cold to start a Japanese manufactured car. It was a great way to start my belly's day... The hiking was pretty. And hilly. And, I guess, pretty hilly. We passed Maine Junction early in the day. This is the place where the AT and the Long Trail diverge, the AT heading on to Maine and the LT towards Canada. It's impressive to stand at the junction of these two trails and ponder where each path leads to, the distances that they cover, and the people who walk them year after year. I was partially tempted to take a left and head up to the Canadian border just to see what was there... The day ended late and we got to see a bunch of hikers who were camping near the pick-up point. I got to see Hungus, who I've been behind by a matter of days several times (he started 4 days or so before I did). I hadn't seen him since Trail Days so it was a great (but much too brief) reunion. Popeye, Lightweight, Ice Man, and Buffalo Bobby were also there.
Date: 2007-08-18
From: Chateauguay Road

To: Bad Influence's House
Miles today: 0.0

Last night brought the arrival of Steps Small and Mistah Cheeks to B.I. and Katie's house. Initially, we were planning on doing another slack pack but opted to stay and hang out for another zero day. What results from a houseful of restless hikers who are staying on a farm? Lots of volunteer help Paris Hilton/Simple Life style. I worked on farms from age 11 (yes, they start young where I come from) through college doing chores such as mucking barns and bailing hay. I love the simplicity of farm work and the sense of accomplishment it gives me. It's good, honest labor -- much like hiking. Today I mucked out the goat shed while the others worked out in the pasture trimming trees, picking up rocks, and moving fences. It's been a LONG time since I did any farm work, and I was a little overzealous about my pitchfork handling. I ended up straining my back pretty badly...the horror of horrors. It's a recurrence of an old injury, and I plan on resting it for as long as I need to. It's strange to be unable to even tie my shoes or sit in a chair when only yesterday I was tramping around the mountains with ease. Despite the minor physical set-back, I'm really enjoying myself. I'm falling more in love with Vermont every day. Sure, it's pretty and its inhabitants have great lifestyles, but the big appeal is the overall vibe of the place. It just feels right to be here. It's a liberal ex-hippy state -- so using the word "vibe" in this context is okay, right?In other news: Katie has generously offered for me to come back to the farm and stay on as a working student for a bit after my hike is done. She's a fabulous horsewoman with whom I share similar riding philosophies, and I know that there's a lot I could learn from her. So I'm considering swinging by here on my way to Toledo, if even for a day or three. It's one more indicator that the trail is a place rich with opportunities. Who would've thought that I'd encounter the chance to polish my riding skills with a professional equestrian?
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Bad Influence's House

To: Bad Influence's House
Miles today: 0.0

My back is hurting so badly that I had to take the day off to rest and recover. But what a great day it was, despite the pain. Katie took me to Denny Emerson's farm. Emerson is an Olympic rider and has been nominated "horseman of the year" by a number of equestrian organizations. I got to sit in on one of his lessons and hear his down to earth horse wisdom. I liked his training style because he focused heavily on safety and the value of hard work -- two of the most important but overlooked aspects of horsemanship. While I took the day off, the rest of the crew slack packed another 15 miles. They're about 30 miles in front of me right now despite that fact that we're all staying in the same place at nights! We cooked up a big dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs and watched the AT documentary, "Appalachian Impressions". The whole way through the video we gave our own rowdy running commentary, making for a funny hiker style mystery science theatre scene. The video highlighted the Whites and Maine and got me so excited to hike that I was ready to put my pack on my sore back and walk out the front door. The rash on my bum has FINALLY cleared up. It's been there for 1226.5 miles and has run the gamut of rashy manifestations including open festering sores, itchy scabs, and a crazed stinging mass which prohibited comfortable walking. I tried every treatment out there but the real cure proved to be repeated showering and Vermont's low humidity. The RASH has been a constant trail companion for many miles..I almost miss it. Vermont is chilly. I managed to coax the locals into admitting that the weather is unusually cold for this time of the year. It should be in the low 40s or high 30s tonight. But it makes for amazing hiking weather. Hopefully, my back will be up for it in the morning...
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Chateauguay Road

To: Woodstock Stage Rd.
Miles today: 10.5

My back feels so much better today. I was in a tremendous amount of pain -- I had difficulty even walking but, oddly, I felt calm in the knowledge that my body would heal itself and that I could continue my hike. I decided to do a short slack pack today and B.I. drove me to the trail head late in the morning. I love to sit still in the woods -- which I did for a while today. The longer you sit, the more distinctive the forest sounds become and, if you're very quiet, the creatures will come out and resume their regular activities in close proximity to you. It's pleasant to hear the leaves rustling and watch the sun making patterns across the forest floor. When you sit still for a bit, you become aware of the frenzied activity all around. The act of walking must truly have curative powers because my body felt much better at the end of the day. The phrase "walk it off" is becoming a part of my repertoire. This approach has worked for me in so many situations... Snug in bed under many blankets, I'm beginning to realize that fall is not too far away. It's going to be down in the 30s tonight again. I do love this time of year.
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Woodstock Stage Rd.

To: Podunk Rd.
Miles today: 12.5

I've been in Vermont for a long time by now and I'm beginning to appreciate the subtle nuances of the state and those who inhabit it. For one thing, Vermonters' houses seem to be in a state of continual construction/destruction. Everywhere you go, houses have siding torn off, exposing layers of anything from Tyvec to studs or particle board. Vermonters are also big on waving to one another (except for one guy who pulled up to the Hartford Village Store on his tractor today -- I couldn't even coax a smile out of him). Most importantly, Vermonters are big on waving to thru-hikers. While walking the other day, my arm nearly fell of with all of the beauty pageant shoulder, elbow, and wrist action. Another thing about Vermont is the sick amount of plastic tubing running all over there trees. It's the "new" way of collecting sap from the maples but it looks like a backwoods Beakman's World. It was a gorgeous day of easy hiking. My back is well on its way to feeling a hundred percent and, for the first time in two weeks or so, I have a really good energy level. I think that B.I. and Katie should advertise their place as a thru-hiker rehab clinic. The bed, the food, and the friendship has gone a long way towards making me feel like a whole new person. I met a ton of people on the trail today -- north bounders, south bounders, sections hikers, folks I knew, and some who I didn't. Among my favorites were D.C. Turtle, Second Chance, and Grey Hair, who I met on top of the first climb out. I had the chance to sit at the village store and eat ice cream with El Presidante, who has to be one of the most relaxed hikers I've ever talked to. Spending 10 minutes with him was like taking a really potent sedative. He helped to soothe my nerves after an out of shape section hiker warned me to hike faster because I was going to get bombed with winter weather in Maine (to which I replied that I assumed Maine would be there next year if I don't make it this one). Anyways, El Pres said that the north was fine as long as I was smart and careful... The day ended with me getting spaced out in the sunshine and walking straight past a turn on Podunk Road. I ended up hiking over a random mountain road, discovering I was lost, and hiking partially back. I ended up calling B.I. and he ended up driving up the hill to collect me. I was supposed to walk on Podunk Road but I took a wrong turn and ended up on a small, steep dirt track which should have rightfully been named Podunk Road. The moral is: never, ever blue blaze without a map -- even if it is less than a mile! B.I. and I got in touch with Moon Goat who is about 10 miles ahead of me in Hanover, NH. We drove in to meet up with him and Brisk, Philmont, Sideshow, and Big Shanty at EBA Pizza ("Everything But Anchovies"). We destroyed EBA's all-you-can-eat buffet -- the BLT pizza covered in mayonnaise was a big hit...
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Podunk Rd.

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: few clouds

I'm in New Hampshire. But, as you may have guessed, I'm still staying in Vermont at B.I. and Katie's place. I believe that we're about ready to claim B.I. and Katie's house as our permanent address! They've been so unbelievably generous to give us a warm place to stay, slack pack us, show us the local sights such as Lou's, The Sugar House, and Dan and Whit's. Today was an easy and short hike into Hanover (which I mistakenly referred to as "Hangover"). I took a short day so that I could help clean up the house and cook tonight's dinner for the hikers. It's nice to be domestic again and do a little sweeping and baking. I ran into Nice E' Nuff, Hang On, and Ox at the Happy Hill shelter a few miles out of Hanover. I walked into the shelter and they offered me a beer. It was 10:00 AM at this point so I figured that it was late enough to start in on a cold one. I met Nice E' Nuff early on in my trip when he was hiking with Torpedo and I haven't seen him since Damascus at Trail Days. I was glad to finally meet Ox. I had heard about him from Ice Man who hiked with him in the South. With the photographic help of Hang On, Ox is making a calendar of himself buck naked in a variety of AT landscapes. At EBA's, they showed me a few photos of Ox chasing longhorn cows in the buff and holding his fist to the sky while perched naked on top of Mcaffee's Knob. Upon meeting him, I asked where I could buy a copy of this fabled calendar. Apparently it hasn't officially hit the stands yet, but I'm going to keep in touch with him so I can have one to hang on my office wall to make the other librarians jealous. I ended up walking into town with Nice E' Nuff, Ox, and Hang On. We were all in a state of permanent exhaustion at the state line and didn't do too much celebrating though we did take the obligatory photos -- Ox hopped over the guardrail, almost getting hit by bikes to snap a pic of me in front of the bridge marker. Everybody on the trail seems to be so tired at this point -- even us slackers are beat! We hit up EBAs for pizza and Long Trail Ale then I took off to the grocery store to do some shopping and meet up with B.I.. The grocery store was complex beyond belief. The Hanover Co-op is a place full -- too full -- of food options. It is the most politically correct, healthy food store I've ever seen. If it's free trade, locally grown, organic, gluten-free, you name it -- they have it. It took forever to find things and decide on what to buy and the experience felt like taking the GRE or SAT. Horrible! After five months on the trail, I've become really slow at finding things in stores, having conversations with non-hikers, and generally navigating in the real world. While the AT has done great things for my mind in terms of making me calm and happy, it has rendered me an imbecile unfit for indoor life!
Date: 2007-08-23
From: NH Route 25C

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The rest of the crew is two days ahead of me, and B.I. offered to slack them southbound over Mt. Moosilake. I liked the idea of slacking over Moosilake, the first climb above treeline, so I decided to join in. I'll be going back and walking parts of New Hampshire south of here starting tomorrow.It was a cool drizzly day, and the rocks on the north face of Moosilake was slick. I re-discovered a little hiking trick I used on Killington, dropping on all fours and walking up the mountain like a bear. This "four wheel drive" mode actually works really well since it gives me a low center of gravity and four points of contact with the rock. And, yes, it makes me look like an idiot too....   The hike to the summit was fun and boulder-strewn. It made me really excited to see the rest of the Whites!The top of Moosilake was like a lunar landscape. It was completely boulder-strewn and a thick fog was blowing over the top of the mountain. The visibility was really low, but and AMC worker told us that, on a clear day, you can see peaks in NY, Canada, and Maine.B.I. and I met up with Mojo on top of the mountain and he said goodbye to us. He and Rebel had hiked North while we hiked south and mid-way, we exchanged car keys in order to shuttle ourselves with one vehicle. Mojo left his gear in the truck at Kinsman Notch and hiked north from there, forgoing the additional night of showers and other domestic luxuries. We'll miss him!Near Jeffers Brook Shelter, we ran into Lightweight, Popeye, and J.B. They had just spent five hours at the hostel in Glencliff, eating and watching T.V., and were getting ready to go over Moosilake. They said that a ton of hikers were in town including Ice Man, Buffalo Bobby, and Hungus.Less than a mile before our pick-up point, B.I. checked his phone messages. Apparently, Mojo got lost on the way down the mountain and ended up in the middle of nowhere. He threw himself in front of a tourist's truck and coerced him into driving him to the parking lot at the notch. He left a message about his saga on B.I.'s voicemail, and we sat on a log, playing the message on speaker phone and laughing like fools.Rebel was waiting at the truck with frosty Long Trail Ales. We hopped in and went to the Third Rail Fairlee for a final dinner. Snack Break, Splendora, Chach, and Rebel are getting dropped off at the notch in the morning and will be continuing on through the Whites. I'll be back at the notch after I've completed the mileage between Hanover and Route 25C.
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Hanover, NH

To: Goose Pond Rd.
Miles today: 14.2

Today is my five month anniversary on the trail! I'm definately a member of the six month plus club... I'm in no hurry to be done with this adventure! Of course, I'm trying to be mindful of the upcoming season of winter storms in Maine.Snack Break is convinced that major trends in weather are controlled by what gear she carries. After she traded out her cold weather gear for a lightweight sleeping bag and shorts, an unseasonal snow storm hit. And, as she just picked up her winter sleeping bag, we've encountered tempatures in the 90's. She offered to "take one for the team" and wear her rain gear for the rest of the trip to ensure sunny skies.After dropping me off in Hanover, B.I. drove Splendora, Snack Break, Chach, and Rebel to Kinsman Notch so that they could continue their trek through the Whites. They're planning on a summit date of September 18th, so they'll be pulling some serious mileage through the remainder of the trip. It was great spending time with them, and I wish them the best of luck!Speaking of summit dates, I hadn't planned a particular date to end my journey. I don't have any pressing off-trail obligations, so I adopted an attitude of "I'll get there when I get there." However, I ran into Pike County today at the Velvet Rocks Shelter, and he told me that a HUGE summit party was planned for October 1st. Apparently, there are quite a few hikers behind me -- there were 15 or so people in Hanover last night. I really like the idea of summitting with a massive group of people, many of whom I've spent time with at various points along the trail. To make this party, I've got to slow down even more! I'm okay with stopping and smelling a lot more roses along the way though....
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Bad Influence's House

To: Bad Influence's House
Miles today: 0.0

I went to a horse show today with Bad Influence and Katie at Huntington Farm in Stafford. Lots of horses jumping over things, girls in black velvet hats, the whole nine. It was 90 degrees and then some, so it was good to sit and sweat rather than hike and sweat.When we got back to the house, I helped Katie bathe her horse, Cotton. Then we got hit by a pretty massive but short-lived storm. It was nice to be inside for that, though the electricity went out, meaning no lights, T.V., or running water. It was a good way to transition back into living in the woods. And, a gentle reminder for me to get back there...
Date: 2007-08-26
From: Goose Pond Rd.

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night's storm left utter mayhem and system breakdown in its wake. B.I.'s house was without electricity and running water all last night, and normalacy hadn't been restored when I left for the trail this morning. I went to the pond to wash up and carried a bucket of water back with me to flush the toilet. B.I.'s house had become the technogical equivalent of a really fancy four-sided AT shelter. It was comforting!Last night was my final night of luxury at the house. B.I. and Katie have been the most amazing trail hosts. I can't thank them enough! Their hospitality really revived me and made me ready for the Whites and Maine. B.I. dropped me off this morning and will be picking me up at Rt. 25c to shuttle me around Moosilake, which I slack packed a few days ago with the rest of the group.I was slightly apprehensive about hitting the trail with a pack full of winter gear today -- especially with the problems I've had with my back. But, I felt great and got up Smarts Mountain with minimal pain. In truth, it felt great to be carrying my pack and going up a good sized hill....honestly. I missed it! It was hazy, and a cloud was squatting over top of Smarts, but I managed to get some good views.I'm at Hexacuba Shelter -- it's a hexagon shaped shelter on Cube Mountain. I ran into a few other thru hikers who I haven't seen in a while -- The Breeze, Dr. Ninja, and Mattlanta. I also met another Iceman (not the one who I hiked with before). This place has a bizarro privy shaped like a pentagon. The whole place is an exercise in wacky Lincoln Log geometry.
Date: 2007-08-27
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: NH 25C
Miles today: 9.7

It was so good to sleep in the woods again last night! I really missed "thru-camping". The 2,000 foot climb up Mt. Cube this morning was really great. The sky was perfect and the climbing was pretty fun. Mattlanta, Dr. Ninja, and the Breeze were all at the top, and we took in the sights for a while before I headed out to Rt. 25C to meet up with B.I. for my shuttle. Since I hiked 25C to Kinsman Notch, B.I. picked me up and shuttled me around to Kinsman at the end of the day.Before hitting Kinsman, B.I. and I ran into North Woodstock to do some last minute shopping. There, we saw a RV run into the store's roof, tearing part of it. As the R.V. pulled around, we saw the side of it which read "1-800-Rent-RVs". Whoops! I said to the shop keeper, "damn out-of-staters". She looked at me knowingly. Comments like these really endear you to Northern New Englanders.B.I. and I hung out in the parking lot at Kinsman Notch for a good bit drinking beers, saying goodbyes, and reliving our time on the trail. When he was about to pull out, Pike County, Just James, and Jungle Gym rolled in from Mt. Moosilake. They were meeting up with Bobcat who was giving them a ride into Lincoln for the night. A day hiker gave us some beers, and we hung out for a while as the moon rose. Bobcat showed up and offered me a ride too, which I declined. The weather is supposed to be awesome tomorrow, and I'd like to get hiking early to enjoy the day rather than get caught in the town vortex, so I'm sleeping in the lady's bathroom at the Kinsman Notch parking lot. I'm pretty sure this is against the rules, but whatever, it's a necessary evil.Thru hikers have a special force called "thru hiker immunity". We can drink beer in the streets of small towns, spill food at restaurants, etc. While we really do try to respect others and behave ourselves, our oversights are forgiven because we've lived in the woods for months and don't know any better... Hopefully, this immunity will see me through my evening in the bathroom stall!I'm so excited to see the Whites -- I'm like a little kid before holiday. I can't wait to be blown away by the vistas and high speed winds! Laying here in the parking lot under the stars and with a waning moon illuminating Moosilake, I realize that I wouldn't give up this moment for the world.
Date: 2007-08-28
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Kinsman Pond Campsite
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

I'm so tired. Last night's brilliant idea of sleeping in the restroom turned out to be not so brilliant. Some animal patrolled the perimeter of the toilets ALL night. At one point, it sounded like it was dragging a trash can across the parking lot. I kept kicking the door and yelling, hoping to scare it off. Also keeping me awake was a creeping paranoia that the park police would find me and hassle me. So, long story short, I slept for about an hour. Which is why I was a delerious beast all day.The hiking was pretty tough today. The Whites are kicking my ass. But, it's a beautiful sort of beating! The views are so stunning.... the hard climbs are well rewarded.I'm at Kinsman Pond Campsite with three college orientation groups. The buzz coming from all of the incoming freshman is really pleasant -- it's a lot like white noise. It's nice to have people around -- though there aren't any other thru hikers around tonight. I did run into Safari 26, Jungle Gym, Just James, and company at the north peak of Kinsman, but they moved on to the hut or Franconia Notch for the evening.A group of girls from Brown came by and offered me dessert. How sweet! I had to field a ton of questions about my hike which was sort of overwhelming but fun. I feel like a zoo animal! But, as long as they feed me......