morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-11
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: light rain

I cannot believe how well I slept last night! I was asleep before 10, woke up several times briefly during the night, but always went right back to sleep, & didn't wake up for good until 5. It was a beautiful, sunny day--very cool in the morning (59), but got fairly warm in the afternoon. I walked with Vicki some today, which was nice. We had lunch at the Kid Gore Shelter 4.3 miles up the trail, & then continued on for another 4.6 to this rather old & decrepit shelter. So far, my body is working fairly well. Feet feel as good as they ever do. I went back to my old Vasque Breeze high-tops, which I bought for the 2nd part of my 2005 hike. Shortly after leaving the shelter at 7:30, we reached the Glastenbury Fire Tower. It was very high & had terrific views of the surrounding mountains. Shortly before reaching this shelter, the trail passed a beautiful pond with a beaver dam. Signs of moose all around, but, so far, no moose. We are doing short hiking days, but it works for me. The trail has been easier than I expected, so all-in-all, a leisurely hike & quite enjoyable.
Date: 2010-07-12
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I am sitting on the shore of Stratton Pond. It is beautiful! I'm waiting for sunset & the sound of loons, then the scene will be complete. Our hike today was tough, but was really fun & beautiful! We climbed Stratton Mountain (3936') & then climbed up the very tall fire tower (yikes!). I made some tearful calls home from the tower to check on our dog, Trek, who is dying of cancer. There were a lot of high school aged kids from a math camp on the trail who were having a great time. It's so good to see kids outside having fun with no cell phones against their ears! Then, it was a pleasant downhill to the shelter & pond. The shelter is really nice, but a very long way to the water source. The pond is fabulous & the water temperature perfect for swimming. I went in clothes & all. I feel pretty clean, which is nice for a backpacker! We are 10.7 miles from Manchester, but no town visits for this crew. Vicki is adamant that we will resupply from the car day after tomorrow, & keep hiking. It seems odd to me, but I am not in charge & am enjoying the trip, so I intend to go with the flow.
Date: 2010-07-13
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester, NH
Miles today: 10.7

We left Stratton Pond at 8:00 (late!), but Audrey & I arrived at Spruce Peak Shelter right at Noon. This was our intended destination for today, but when Kim & Vicki arrived, we convinced them that we should hike on another 2.8 miles & go into town for the night. Once in Manchester, I went to the Mountain Goat & purchased a new pair of shorts. Good thing, since it seems that my overnight bag, which was in Vicki's car, is missing. I have no extra clothes, no toiletries, no hair dryer, no chargers for my phone & brand new camera, & who knows what else that I can't remember right this minute. Oh! A 4-pack of cabernet that I had purchased to share with everyone & then decided that my pack was already too heavy for that big climb out of Bennington. Hopefully, it will turn up tomorrow in Kim's car. Kim has decided to leave the trail & will be driving Vicki's car up to the trailhead near Rutland tomorrow & picking up his car. I can't imagine why my suitcase would have been moved, but I spoke with Julie, & she said they were moving things from car to car when placing the cars at the trailheads on Friday. We checked into Sutton House, which is pretty nice accomodations. We have one big room with a queen bed & 2 singles, & a private bath for $25 each. We ate at a pizza place downtown--yum! I had been resigned to resupplying from the car, but it sure is nice to hit town, get a shower, do laundry & have clean clothes to wear. Since my suitcase is missing, I would have had to keep wearing my same dirty clothes--yuck! I still am loving the trail in Vermont!
Date: 2010-07-14
From: Manchester, NH

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

We all got up promptly at 5:30, packed up, & headed to McDonald's for breakfast. I did have a leisurely cup of coffee while watching the news & waiting for the others to get ready. We said good-bye to Kim at the trailhead. I got a text message from him a little later telling me that my suitcase was not in his car. I was very upset & angry for awhile, but the trail helped me come to terms with what happened & work it out in my head. There was a lot of uphill, & the trail was much more arduous than past days. We arrived at the shelter at 3:00. We would have gone on, but it's not a good night for tenting, & it is too far to the next shelter. It poured rain rain all day until shortly before we got here. Vermont is looking more & more like Maine--lovely! We have Boston with us again tonight. He was at the Sutton House last night. He's a thru-hiker & former trucker from California & has lost 80 pounds. Super nice guy! We have a shelter-full, as we have every night. We're definitely in thru-hiker season & it's fun to meet so many different & interesting people.
Date: 2010-07-15
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: VT140, Rutland
Miles today: 16.0

I left the shelter about 6:30 this morning & walked to Griffin Lake, where I waited for Audrey & Vicki. We took our first break, following a big climb, on the rocky summit of Baker Peak. The gorgeous panoramic views such as that are rare in Vermont & much appreciated! We took a VERY LONG break at Little Rock Pond. I, once again, had a swim in my clothes! We had already done our day's hike, but it was early & we decided to hike on another 5 miles to Greenwall Shelter. We saw some beautiful scenery & the most interesting display of cairns. So many--it was like a huge rock sculpture & one of the coolest things I've ever seen on the AT. We, of course, added our rocks to the thousands that had been placed before us. We were pretty tired by the time we reached the .3 mile side trail DOWN to the shelter. A fellow we had shared the shelter with at Peru Peak was there. Also in residence was another man, whose name I will not share. He was lying down in the shelter wearing very skimpy "bottoms." We had to avert our eyes in order not to see his testicles falling out, but, of course, we all saw this! So, it was not hard for us to decide to quickly leave & head for the car, which was only 1.5 miles on down the mountain. Before reaching the car, we passed a beautiful waterfall & then the stream above, which required a challenging rock hop to cross. It was not a place where you would want to fall in! We reached the car & headed for a motel, shower, & food. Yea!
Date: 2010-07-16
From: VT140, Rutland

To: VT103
Miles today: 6.3

This was a nice little slackpack. I hiked north, which mean't I ended at VT 103. I walked a half mile up the highway to the Whistlestop Cafe & had ice cream & coffee while waiting for Vicki & Audrey to pick me up. Along the way, I met "Archy" from New Zealand, who helped keep me heading in the right direction when a trail relocation had me totally confused as to direction of travel. It was the 2nd time in Vermont when I almost headed the wrong way. I also enjoyed red, rip raspberries on the trail just above Clarendon Gorge.We had dinner at the Inn on Long Trail. I had Shepherd's Pie & a couple of Long Trail Ales to wash it down. So good! Then, we checked into Vicki's timeshare in Killington, which is going to be our home base for the next week. We did laundry, had showers, & went to bed in soft beds for the 2nd night in a row. I'm nervous about tomorrow's planned long hike. The proposed itinerary for this trip did not include 17 mile days, or even anything close to that. But, I figured out early on that this is an ever evolving trip. I have never done a day as long as tomorrow's climb up Killington. But I will do what I need to do!
Date: 2010-07-17
From: VT103

To: U.S. Hwy. 4
Miles today: 17.4

This was a very long day! I was not in favor of the plan, but was out-voted, so we did a 17.4 mile slackpack over the 2nd highest peak in Vermont--Killington. It was a long, tough climb from the south. The terrain, as well as the elevation gain, was challenging. I had wanted to overnight & stay at the shelter on Killington--the highest shelter in Vermont, but after seeing it, I'm kind of glad we weren't staying there. It certainly has character, but was dirty & neglected. Going down the other side of the mountain was easier under the feet, but long, & I was tired. I took frequent short breaks in order to maintain my focus, knowing that fatigue increases my chance of injury. I arrived at the car at 6:20, having gotten on the trail at 8 a.m. I had passed Audrey & Vicki, who are hiking sobo, many hours earlier & they were already heading down the mountain, while I was still on the climb up. I drove the car back to Hwy. 103 & was surprised & concerned that they had not yet arrived at the trailhead. They finally arrived at 7:40 p.m.--happy as clams. I can't quite figure out what is taking them so long. When we hike together, Audrey is much faster than I am, & Vicki hikes at about the same speed as I. I am definitely not making fast time on the trail.   We had hoped to eat dinner at the Whistlestop, where we had a delicious breakfast this morning, but didn't make it before their 8:00 closing. We had to settle on the Inn at Long Trail again--not too shabby an alternative. I had the most delicious corned beef & cabbage ever!
Date: 2010-07-18
From: U.S. Hwy. 4

To: Kent Pond
Miles today: 4.0

Today was a recovery day. I did laundry this morning & hung out in the timeshare. Later, we went over to Gifford Woods State Park, where Vicki's friend, David, joined us for a short hike. Vicki met him while sectioning in VA last year. We had Suzanne from the Hiker's Inn as a mutual friend, as well as a shared taste for Gifford's ice cream! After our hike, David drove us to Rochester, VT for Gifford's. Yum! On the hike today, we passed Maine Junction. This is where the Long Trail & AT separate, with the Long Trail heading to Canada, & the AT continuing NE toward Maine.
Date: 2010-07-19
From: Kent Pond

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another recovery day for me! I hiked in to this shelter after dropping Audrey & Vicki off at VT 12. They had the long stretch today, but I'll have it tomorrow. I am still hiking north each day, & enjoying the continuity of hiking in one direction. I'm hiking alone much more than I expected when I signed on for a group outing, but I know that Audrey & Vicki are close friends & enjoy being together, & I'm used to hiking alone. I arrived at 1:15. It was a long uphill in the beginning, but otherwise, very easy trail. I've visited with several other hikers since arriving at the shelter, & am catching up my journal. As of 4:00, still no sign of Audrey & Vicki. They did arrive a little before 6--right before a quick, but violent little storm blew through. The wind was whipping through the trees & blowing rain right into the front of the shelter. Those of us inside quickly gathered up all the packs, sleeping bags, etc. & moved everything--including ourselves to the back. Then, it was over. A full shelter--as always!
Date: 2010-07-20
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: VT 12
Miles today: 13.7

I left the shelter just before 7 am this morning in order to have plenty of time to cover the distance & not keep Audrey & Vicki waiting, since they have only 6 mostly down hill miles to the car. Shortly after leaving the shelter, I came across the first blueberries of the trip. Because the bushes were right on the trail, there weren't a lot of berries, but I ate several & they were delicious! Then there was an aluminum step ladder, just like the one in anyone's garage, tied against some boulders to help one get down. I had lots of climbing during the morning, but got the chance to make time with intermittent easy trail in the afternoon. I took the time to follow a side trail to "The Look-Out" for a rooftop view of the mountains. You climb up a ladder to a platform on top of a structure. There were some day hikers there, including a fellow whose family owns the Inn at Long Trail. They had the most delicious looking sandwiches! Veggie, from the shelter, was also there. She passed me twice today--even once in a stretch where I thought I was moving at a pretty good clip! I stopped to pick red ripe raspberries shortly before reaching the trailhead at 2:35. I was sure that Audrey & Vicki would be waiting, but they weren't. It was hot & I didn't have a cell signal to call. There was some nice trail magic on the bridge, which I munched on while I worked on my journal & waited. Then, it started pouring rain & Archy & Veggie showed up & convinced me to go with them to the store up the road. I didn't stay long. As of 4:00, still no Audrey & Vicki. I figured out that I could get a signal up on the road above the trailhead & called, & they said they were on their way. When they arrived, they were freshly showered & in clean clothes, so that's what they were doing while I sat at the trailhead. Hard to believe, but true.
Date: 2010-07-21
From: VT 12

To: VT 14
Miles today: 12.6

This was such a fun & easy day. The terrain was smooth & almost no mud! Throughout the day, I would come out of the woods onto beautiful open hillsides with lots of flowers, berries, & views! The scenery reminded me of Central Virginia--around the Montebello area. There was also an area full of very impressive & tall trees. Audrey hiked in the same direction today, but I rarely saw her since she is a much stronger & faster hiker. Lots of ups & downs, but a great hike on a beautiful & sunny (maybe a little hot!) day!
Date: 2010-07-22
From: VT 14

To: Hanover, NH/Dartmouth
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: light rain

Another very easy, leisurely, & pleasant day of slackpacking. We were all hiking in the same direction, but because of a mix-up with the car, I ended up starting well before the others. I walked slow all day knowing they were somewhere behind me. The trail was mostly soft pine needles & the sun shining through from above was just beautiful. I took a number of pictures of just the trail itself. I reached the cute town of Norwich in the early afternoon, & waited for Audrey & Vicki. We then had a hot walk on sidewalks to the Connecticut River & the Vermont/New Hampshire line. We took pictures there & then continued on into busy Hanover--the northern end of our hike. I think this would be a great ending, but Audrey & Vicki are determined to go back down to Bennington & hike the 18 miles S down to North Adams, Massachusetts. I had wanted to start there in the first place & had made that suggestion, but nobody else wanted to do that. Now, rain is predicted & we will have to coordinate with Julie to pick us up in North Adams, & will probably head home with wet gear on Saturday. But, the more miles I do this trip, the less I will have later, so I'm OK with it.
Date: 2010-07-23
From: Hanover, NH/Dartmouth

To: HOME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Heading home! The weather channel this morning predicts severe weather for the area in which we would be hiking. The map of the area was all in the red, so Vicki, as trip leader, made the wise decision to head for home instead. We will be driving straight through.I absolutely loved the trail in Vermont. Because we did a lot of slackpacking that included driving between trailheads, we got to see a lot of the state off the trail. I really enjoyed driving between the quaint Vermont villages. I'm looking forward to getting home from Vermont & getting ready to hike Pennsylvania with Judy, AKA Lucky Dog in just over a month! That will be a much more organized & predictable trip--I think! Are hiking trips ever predictable? I don't think so!
Date: 2010-04-01
From: Hiker Hostel (Dahlonega, GA)

To: Starting in the morning
Miles today: 0.0

I'm at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, GA. There are at least 5 other people here who will start with me tomorrow morning after breakfast. We can either be dropped off at the peak of Springer Mountain (official start of the AT) or at Amicalola Falls State Park (8 mile approach trail to the peak, good warmup!) Yesterday I flew into Atlanta. I saw my first mullet within three minutes of leaving the plane (80s WWF style), and my first McDonalds/WaffleHouse intersection within one minute of leaving the airport. My Philadelphia layover included seeing a gigantic guy with long hair and a shirt which read "I HEART INTERCOURSE....PA" With the "PA" in tiny letters. Because if it were all the same size the joke wouldn't work. As I was leaving Atlanta this afternoon, I stopped at a barbershop for a trim. I asked the guy to cut it as short as possible without it looking ridiculous. Obviously we have different defintions of ridiculous, because now I have a microbuzzcut hairlength. I've been having trouble logging into Trailjournals from my phone. We'll see if it gets better. My pack weighs 28lbs without water, about 34 fully loaded and hydrated. I've packed ramen noodles, Lipton side pasta dishes, peanut butter, and lots of jerky. My sister brought back a giant thing of jerky from Phoenix featuring variopus animals, including alligator and kangaroo. Brian Berquist has been sending me philosophical fortune-cookie type things to think about. Lots of other people have been very supportive of this hike, so thank you!
Date: 2010-04-02
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Gooch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

LANDFILL has officially become my trail name (it was either that or BURNS EASILY so I had to make a decision). I know hardly anyone's real name. There was an old Australian guy who I tried to get called THE THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER, but I haven't seen him in a long time so I don't know if it has stuck. Uh chafing is an issue. The pack weighing a lot on my shoulders is a lesser one. We started with 11 people and I haven't seen most of them again since the beginning. This girl MAPLE (The only not-old female from the 11) and I skipped the first shelter where most of them went and hurried on to the next one. This first section is 30 miles or so but we've set a pace to do that in 2 days (Unrealistic)
Date: 2010-04-03
From: Gooch Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

Tonight we're at NEEL'S GAP which is officially mile 30.7 (Yes we've done another 15.6 today which is ridiculous unless you're going for the new land speed record). Most people do 8.8 their first two days. NEEL'S GAP has a hostel which was full so EMILY MAPLE and I split a cabin for 4 people and are looking for two more to help reduce costs. Our next town/Food purchasing opportunity is HAIWASSEE (37 miles away or so). We have been going way faster than recommended (Blowing past people who started a day earlier) and I'm not sure how long it can last. Today we hiked Ramrock Mtn, Big Cedar Mtn, Burnett Field Mtn, and finally Blood Mtn (Right after Slaughter Creek, really). Blood Mtn is so named because a long time ago the CREEK and Cherokee tribes had a gigantic battle up there and the streams all were red with blood. If we continue at this pace we are scheduled to finish waaay earlier than September. Chafing continues to be an issue, maybe bandaids will help.
Date: 2010-04-04
From: Neel's Gap

To: .1 M South of Blue Mt Shelter
Miles today: 17.0

Today I did 17 miles (48.2 total) and accidentally left my trailbuddy behind. Maybe she'll catch up tomorrow, I might take it easy and let the chafing calm itself down. Maybe bandaids would help. 2 nights ago a bear got everyone's food at the Blood mountain shelter. I was there yesterday but didn't spend the night, but one of my friends took a picture of the actual bear and it was pretty awesome. I don't expect to see him again (The friend, not the bear) because the hostel dropped him off 20 miles ahead and one day earlier than the rest of us, and I passed him about 12 miles ago. He isn't in a rush though, only doing about 135 miles to the town where he is moving to (Bryson City NC.) Today I hiked Levelland Mtn, Cowrock Mtn, Wildcat Mtn, and Poor Mtn. Right now I'm tenting with a younger guy, an old guy, and a Southern father/Son duo. All but the duo are thru-hiking. The Southerners gave us some pudding for dessert.
Date: 2010-04-05
From: Blue Mtn Shelter

To: Tray Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

My hiking buddy is back! We're resupplying in town tomorrow. It was like 87 degrees today and very slow going up! I only did 8.8 miles or so because I wanted her to catch up, but I'm not sure I would've done more anyway because it was soooo hard hiking with a pack in that heat and the full sun. The wind would blow but it'd just be hot dry air. Like the world's biggest elephant was farting in your face all day.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Tray Mtn Shelter

To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Hi all,The people I'm traveling with are now reading my trailjournal. Look for a guy whose journal is called SHOVELHEAD. He is a biker type guy from Bethlehem, NH and has been with us for 2 days. We hiked 11 miles today and then hitchhiked into HAIWASSEE, GA to resupply and take showers. It is mile 67.5 and about 9 from the GA/NC border. There's a Chinese food buffet that I might obliterate too. I'm still with my friend MAPLE but we might separate soon because she seems slower now, but it might just be the blisters.
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Hi All,Today (Day 6) I did 16.7 miles (Total 84.2), from Dick's Creek Gap to the Standing Indian shelter. It was in the mid 80s with a breeze (thunderstorms tomorrow.) Along the way I crossed the Georgia / North Carolina border. The first landmark after the border is the junction of the AT with the "Chunky Gal Trail", which is redundant, because calling a North Carolina gal chunky is like calling a West Virginian illiterate. We ended up going to the Mexican place in Hiawassee last night. I had the "Big Man's Meal", which was a mistake because my stomach has felt like the Alamo all day, and like the original, the Mexican Army has the superior numbers. Staying with me here at the shelter are all the same people from 2 nights ago. I've found a pretty speedy group and I might stick with them for a while. It is nice to see people more than once. If Maple and I do 19 miles tomorrow, it'll only be 4 more to Franklin (The next resupply point) We can split a room with Dave, and I want to get postcards and mail back some cold weather gear that I've been carrying unnecessarily. There are two other NHers in this group (Bethlehem and Exeter) so we'll really come into our element in a couple months.PS- there is a legitimate furniture/rug store in GA called "The Dump" which advertises on local TV.PPS- people are still pledging to the Hike For Haiti page! Yeah!PPPS- I've defeated chafing. I won't get into details but it requires the opposite of lubrication.