morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-02
From: Mark Neopal Lean-to

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

I awoke to a flattened out ground pad. During the night, a small leak appeared and slowly let all the air out of my sleeping pad. I was lucky enough that the air stayed in long enough to get some rest. I packed up as quiety as I could so I would not disturb the two Southbound hikers sleeping in the shelter. Flying Dutchman had already left in an attempt to see the sun rising from the top of Mt. Greylock. I left the shelter at six thirty and started for the top of Greylock. About an hour and half later I was on top with the sun fully up. I had some great views of the valley and I enjoyed taking sometime to read about the mountains history and some quotes by Thoreau that had been engraved on the rocks. After hiking for five hours, I took a long break in Williamstown to resupply and eat lunch. The temp. was pushing high 90's so I relaxed for awhile in the shade hoping it would cool down some. I called Carissa around three o'clock and she said it was 98 degrees at her mother's house! I didn't have much of a choice except to keep moving, so I packed up and headed for the coolness of the woods. I came across a great stream that had a bunch of small swimming holes. Although I still had seven miles to cover I had to take a quick dip, and it was well worth it. I took my time completing the climb to the shelter and made my way into the state of Vermont! This is my 12th state with less than six hundred miles to go. When I reached the shelter there were four or five Southbound hikers already there. We talked for awhile about how our trips have been and what each of us have to look forward to. The terrain in NH and ME sounds difficult but I'm excited none-the-less. Tomorrow will be a long day with twenty plus miles if I have enough steam. I need to get to Manchester, VT to meet my friend Harry who wants to do some hiking with me. He is an exceptional athlete and has done a lot of backpacking so I'm not worried too much about him. As long as we don't hike for more than five days he should be okay. For some reason after five days everyone that has hiked with me is done. The constant pounding on the feet usually does a lot of damage.
Date: 2007-08-03
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up to some humid weather and the reality of some long miles ahead of me. There were a lot of ups and downs until noon and then one big descent to Rte. 9. As the saying goes, "what goes up must come down". Well, with hiking it works both ways. When you descend you usually have to climb back up.... and so I did! I was looking at a twenty one mile day so I just kept going until five o'clock when the skies opened up on me. I had just enough time to set up my tarp and avoid a horrible hail storm. Some of the hail was bouncing under the tarp and they were the size of grapes! I was happy I wasn't hiking in that mess. I waited for about forty-five minutes unil the worst of the storm was over and then high tailed it to the nearest shelter five miles away, up hill! By the time I reached the shelter it had rained again but not as hard, and it was dark. I hung all my wet gear out, set up my sleeping pad, ate a few bagels and some pepperoni and went to sleep with my leaky ground pad. Overall, I would have to say my hike to the Seth Warner Shelter was one of my hardest days yet. I love you and I won't quit!
Date: 2007-08-04
To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

After yesterday's tough miles I wasn't looking forward for another twenty miles but I really needed to make it to Manchester to meet my friend Harry and to resupply, so I marched on. The first half of the day was tough but I made sure I stayed hydrated and I took my time and took less breaks. By noon, I had covered almost ten miles which helped keep me motivated. I kept crossing paths with Snow Plow and another section hiker throughout the day which also kept me going. As the day progressed I had one big climb left up to Stratton Mt. (3,936 ft.). I went into total sherpa mode and just kicked steps all the way up. Once I was on top I felt great and went up the firetower for a birdseye view. The skies had cleared and I could almost see Mt. Moosilauke in the distance. The caretakers were a nice older couple that took the time out of their day to welcome any hikers passing thru and to offer any advice needed. One of the best pieces of advice they gave me was to stay at the Stratton Pond Shelter. With advice in hand, I made a B-line for the Shelter and was not disappointed. A short way from the newly built shelter was Stratton Pond, a pristine pond with no houses in sight. A big group of hikers were sitting by the shore watching the sun set, while others had arrived earlier and gone for a dip. Back at the shelter everyone was in good spirits and the stories started to fly! After I had eaten and was turning in the rest of the crew started to fire up their stoves for round two on the dinners and desserts. The big hit was some Jiffy Pop popcorn. There was lots of laughter which was good to hear and I fell asleep listening to popping corn and directions on the proper way to pop Jiffy Pop on your camp stove???We'll have to try some when I get home!
Date: 2007-08-06
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Griffith Lake Tenting Area
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Harry, Shirley and the kids came a knocking on my door around eight. I was hoping "late" meant around nine or ten but it was time to get moving so I grabbed some stuff and we drove into town for breakfast. I found a great breakfast place but it was very pricey. This was just not right. There are two rules that apply to breakfast, one it should not be costly and two the food should come quickly. This place didnt' qualify.   There was also a long line of people waiting outside the door which gave one a feeling of urgency while eating (not good for the digestive system). After eating, I packed up and we did some last minute supply purchases before heading out for the next five days. Our goal would be to reach Hanover, NH but was 98 miles away. Although Harry was in very good shape and was carrying a lite pack I wasn't sure how far he could go each day. Besides, my intentions were to have fun and not drive my friend into the ground. Whatever ground we covered would be alright with me. Shirley dropped us off and we hiked ten miles in a light rain. Towards five o'clock we decided to stop for the night and we camped next to a nice lake (Lake Griffith). The rain tapered off and by 8pm it had stopped. Hi, tell the kids I love them.   I'll kiss that belly when I see you!!!!!!!
Date: 2007-08-07
From: Griffith Lake Tenting Area

To: Claredon Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: light rain

The sun decided to make an appearance today and after we crested a gradual hill it came out to stay. Today we covered a lot of ground. Starting at the lake we made our way over several climbs including Baker Peak, White Rocks Mtn., Bear Mtn. and Clarendon Lookout. We also passed by a few beaver ponds and we even saw a loon (No Jeff, I didn't get a picture of it).   About halfway through the day we caught up with another thru hiker named Grits. We had a good time shooting the breeze and I think Harry enjoyed having the chance to talk to another thru hiker. We kept moving and made some good miles. At the top of White Rocks Mtn. we came across a shrine of rock sculptures. Many of the "Rock Art" pieces werebalancing in a variety of precarious looking angles. Unfortunately, a few "wannabe" artist got a little over zealous and were digging large stones out of the forest to complete their works of art. It's hard to meditate when your worried about falling in a hole! Harry and I both took a brief moment to center ourselves before continuing with our day.I think I was a little more centered than Harry (trail name Dirt) because he managed to accidently knock over a few stone structures. By seven o'clock we had made it to Clarendon Gorge and the road that lead to the Whistle Stop Restaurant- where a good meal was awaiting us. As we stepped onto the road to walk the mile to the restaurant a day hiker offered us a ride. We arrived just in time to order "The Special", a steak with mashed potatoes with gravy and corn on the cob. They were out of corn on the cob but we supplemented with another veggie and followed up with some ice cream. We were grateful for the good meal and walked back to the trail stuffed. Snow Plow and a Long Trail hiker were also at the restaurant eating as much as they possibly could. The hike to the shelter was very steep. This wasn't a good combination with all the food we had eaten so we decided to stop for the night on a small overlook and not tempt fate or our digestive systems!
Date: 2007-08-08
From: Claredon Shelter

To: Inn at Long Trail 
Miles today: 23.0

We woke up to rain but had enough time to pack before the skies really opened up. Our goal today was to make it to the Inn at the Long Trail which was 23 miles away! Standing between us was Killington Mt. and a few good ups and downs along the way. I was feeling good and despite all the miles we did yesterday, so was Dirt. We crossed paths with two Southbounders who told us about the cafe at the top of Mt. Killington. We decided the extra miles were worth it and climbed up. We walked over the other side of the Mt. where the ski lift was bringing people up to the cafe. Inside we ordered a couple of sandwiches and some coffee that really hit the spot. We went back out and while crossing back over the summit we came across a large family from New York that were enjoying the wind, weather and occasional views. Our day was only half done, and the Inn was waiting for us, so we pushed on. It started raining again but it ended quickly and before long we were on the road. As we were walking the mile or so to the Inn someone stopped and offered us a ride which we gratefully accepted. At the Inn we spoiled ourselves by getting a room and immediately heading to the bar for some good food and a pint. Not a bad way to end a twenty three mile day!      You can edit this if it sounds like we were having too much fun. Just remember we did hike 23 miles to get to the Inn. Love you!
Date: 2007-08-10
From: Hanover, NH

To: Rhode Island
Miles today: 13.0

Since Harry needed to get back to Connecticut anyway, and since my family was visting in Rhode Island at our friend's Jeff and Heidi's house, Harry and I decided to hike 13 miles into Hanover to find a rental car. We arrived around 3pm, much to Carissa and the kids' surprise and spent a beautiful afternoon in the pool. Chris and Nancy, old college friends from Unity, were also there with their boys, Eli and Eben, and the kids all had a blast running around and jumping on the trampolene. And we were relieved of some of our parenting duties when Robyn and Emily (Jeff and Heidi's girls) jumped in as very capable teenage babysitters!   Shirley, Harry's wife, arrived around dinner time with their 3 children to collect him, but we all had a chance to sit around and swap trail stories for a few hours into the night. We made plans to meet up again in Sept. to climb Katahdin after I complete the hike. I crashed hard that night in a comfortable bed that Jeff and Heidi's son Jake gave up for us. The next day I decided to accompany Carissa and the kids as they continued their vacation in Narragansett, RI.   (I didn't have to return the rental car right away so I took full advantage). Her family was all there on their annual vacation week so I got to see her Grandmother (Gram), Joyce, my mother in law, and all the Youngs that night.Before long it was time for me to get going, but not before breakfast at the Bluebird Cafe and some play time with Matthew and Emelia. I will see them again in NH in about a week so it wasn't too bad saying goodbye.
Date: 2007-08-15
From: Holts Ledge

To: Mt. Cube
Miles today: 15.0

My intentions were to get up early and put in a good twenty miles but that didn't happen. I had problems sleeping during the night due to the friendly woodland creatures that scurried around my tent for half the night. When they finally quieted down so did the temp. and I had to get up to put some layers on. Around four o'clock I finally dozed off but had no motivation for an early start. I eventually found the energy to get moving and by 9AM I was walking. J. Beard and Mangrove caught up to me and while we were talking Backyard Boogie came strolling in. For the rest of the day we would see one another and take long, much needed breaks. By noon I felt exhausted and I still had two big climbs ahead of me. I stopped to eat and then slowly made my way up the first ridge to a fire tower. I climbed to the top and could see Mt Moosilauke and beyond what looked like the Presidentials. By five o'clock I was nearing my next climb so I took another quick break by a stream to fill up on water and then continued to Hexacuba Shelter. It was raining a little but I opted to continue past the shelter and tent out on top of Mt. Cube. I found a narrow ledge of rock that tent just fit on and settled in for the night. After eating dinner I relaxed and watched the sun set. I'm hoping for a more restful night and no rain. Tomorrow looks like it may be a little easier than today. I'll keep my fingers crossed.See you in North Conway. Love ya.
Date: 2007-08-16
From: Mt. Cube

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.0

I woke up with the sun and great views from the top of Mt. Cube. The hike to Glenville was much easier than the past couple of days, making the miles go quickly. By three thirty I was on the road heading for the hostel and post office to pick up my package containing my warmer gear. During the day the mosquitos were making a come back but weren't as bad as they were in MA. I saw more signs of Moose, tracks and skat, and a Barred Owl flew by and found a perch just above me. My attempt at standing very still and trying to get a picture of him didn't work but I was able to watch him for a good ten minutes before he silently took off. At the hostel I caught up with Socks and a few other hikers. I met one of the "regulars" that felt obligated to tell me I was hiking too fast. I kept my cool and explained why I wanted to finish in Sept. This guy must have weighed 300 lbs and just sat around smoking cigarettes and commenting on peoples hikes. He was part of "Bill's Ville" which he exlained was a group of hikers and hostel owners that hung out in tentville every year at trail days. I remembered stopping by "Billsville" during trail days and seeing a bunch of intoxicated college kids dancing around a big fire hootin' and hollering. This was definately not my scene. I was not impressed by the "Adults" trying to recapture their younger years.... but I guess to each his own.   After I cleaned up and sorted my gear I took the time to say hi to the hostel owner. I told him where I was from and he asked if I was the guy that had been in The New Haven Register. I thought it was weird that he knew I was in the paper until he told me he was from Hamden (small world)! I let him get back to work fixing up the place and I went with some other hikers to the local restaurant for a meal that would hopefully get us over Mt. Moosilauke. Later on we watched a movie to give our stomachs time to digest before geting some sleep.
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Glencliff, NH

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

Today, by far, was one of my best days on the trail! After getting a late start, I slowly climbed to the top of Mt. Moosilauke (4,402 ft). I was concerned that I would be wiped out with the extra weight of my warmer clothing and sleeping bag but I felt great. On top I meet a few rangers that were hauling equipment and at least twenty other people enjoying the view. There were some clouds but mostly the sky was clear blue for miles. I could see Mt. Washington in the distance and Mt. Lafeyette towered just ahead on the next ridge line. Being above treeline is what I love best and it looks like I'll have plenty of opportunties in the next few days! Coming down Moosilauke was tough, the trail hugged the edge of a fast moving stream that plummeted into waterfalls in steeper sections. I reached Rte.112 around 4pm and took a short break before I continued on. I climbed back up for a few thousand feet and realized that I had hiked this section of trail once (over twenty years ago, Carissa), with a friend from Somerset, Mark Louro and a college buddy. I remembered the trail being very steep with lots of granite steps. The trail hadn't changed a bit and after a long day I finally crashed after eating in the dark. See you soon honey! I'm working hard and enjoying the views!
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Liberty Spring Tentsite

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: fog

Today was a tough one. I set the bar high and attempted to hike twenty plus miles through the Whites! If I didn't make it to Crawford Notch I knew I could stop for the night in a couple of places along the way. Well, I made it twenty miles but not to Crawford Notch. Twenty miles wasn't bad for this type of terrain.    The climb over Liberty, Little Haystack, Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette (5,089 ft) was clouded and very windy. With wind chill, I was told it was fifteen to twenty degrees. After crossing Franconia Ridge I scrambled over to Mt. Garfield and stopped at the AMC Galehead Hut. I took a long rest after hiking for almost six hours without a break. I ate as much as I could and continued on over South Twin Mt. and Mt. Guyot. Somewhere between six and seven I hiked into the Zealand Falls Hut. What a beautiful setting. As far as the eye could see there was forest and mountains. I could hear the roar of the Falls nearby and inside the Hut I could see weekend AMC hikers sitting at large tables eating dinner. Then I noticed in the next room three weary looking hikers sitting alone as if they had been ostricized from the group. I walked in, avoiding the dinner crowd, and realized I knew two of the lonesome group that were sitting in the bunkroom while others ate. Their trail names escape me but this couple had cooked up an incredible breakfast at Stratton Pond just before coming into Manchester, VT. As I mentioned in my previous journal entry that is was one of my more memoriable days on the trail. It was great bumping into these guys again. I made sure I told them how much fun I had that day and asked them how they were doing. They told me it was their last day on the trail and that they were doing a "work for stay" deal. This meant that they had to wait for all the "Appies" to eat and then the Croo (Hut caretakers that cook and maintain the huts) before they could eat. Something just isn't right about this system. It's great that thru hikers are allowed to work for stay but it struck a nerve in me to see them waiting off to the side for their turn to eat. That nerve is probably attached to the chip on my shoulder which acts up from time to time. I had more miles to hike before stopping for the night so I said my goodbyes and kept on until dark. I crossed a beautiful mountain stream and walked by a huge set of cliffs that reflected the colors of the sunset before dark. I found a spot to set my tent and fell asleep listening to the water passing by.Good day!
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

After eating a quick breakfast, I made tracks for Crawford Notch. still had about six miles to hike before reaching the road but it were fairly easy and mostly down hill. At about ten I reached the parking lot and a former thru hiker named Rock Dancer offered me a ride to the Wiley House information center. I was very grateful and, of course, accepted the ride. At the Wiley House in Crawford Notch I contacted Carissa and hung out while I waited for her to arrive. I ordered some food and found out that the owner of the gift and snack shop had also hiked the A.T. back in 1975! He actually recognized me from the day before when I was hiking Fraconia Ridge. He had been out for a day hike and we crossed paths right before I had reached the Galehead Hut. Once Carissa, Matthew and Emelia arrived we went back in to the store to say Hi to Rich, the owner, and to get something to eat for the kids and Carissa. Rock Dancer showed up again and we all talked awhile about the A.T, and our hikes, past and present. After Matthew and Emelia had a chance to run around and get some energy out, after sitting in the car for so long, we headed into North Conway to the cabin that we rented for the next couple of days.
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Crawford Notch

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Over the next 2 1/2 days I spent time with Carissa, Matthew and Emelia. We all had a wonderful time playing together, going to Storyland, riding the train in North Conway, playing in the park, roasting Marshmallows and going out for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Matthew and I had a great time flying airplanes together at the campground while Carissa finally got a chance to rest wth Emelia back at the cabin. Our time together flew by and before we knew it, it was time for me to get back to the trail to finish the last leg of my journey. It was very hard to leave them but with lots of hugs and kisses I finally brought myself to start hiking.    My legs were shocked back to trail life with the 2,000 ft elevation gain to the Mizpah Hut and tent site where I would stay for the night. By the time I reached the tentsite it was almost dark, so I set up quickly and ate. Once I had paid for my site I walked over to the Hut (building) to see if I knew anyone staying there. As I walked in out of the misty clouds I saw Tennessee Jed and two other thru hikers that I recognized sitting inside. They were all working for stay and were about to eat. I said a quick hello and headed back to my tent. If tomorrows weather holds off I will attempt to traverse the Presidentials and stay at the Mnt. Madison Hut. I'm not sure if I'll do the work for stay but we'll see.I miss you already. I will be home soon. Your Mikey!