morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-27
From: prospect mtn?

To: glen brook shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

Got a late start out of Salisbury. I walked 14mi over three mountains today. In Salisbury I stayed at Maria's house. She was a very nice older lady with a German accent. She told me that another hiker was going to buy her a new car. After he won the lottert of course. I told her I'd give her the same deal. If she keeps getting hikers to make the same promise I told her her odds would get better and better. Just as it makes me happy to be dry under my hammock when it is raining I'm equaly as happy to watch the mosquitos bouncing off the netting. I also enjoy watching the mosquitos trying to find a DEET free are to land on and the only thing they find is the side of my cup of tea. I hope it hurts when they try to penetrate the titanium with there syringe like noses. I'm glad there were no thunder storms as I crossed the tops of two of the mouintans. The only thing on top are scrub oaks and you are the tallest thing around for miles. Another state down. There wasn't much to CT.! The trail just shoots across the NW corner. Mass shouldn't take too long but the last three will each take a little time. One of the hikers I talked to(Montana) said he wants to do alot of big days just to get it done. I don't want to dragg it out, but big days are just no fun. I would rather do more days than a shorter # of hard days
Date: 2005-06-28
From: glen brook shelter

To: tom shelter
Miles today: 14.0

Today was a miserable day. It was raining when I got up, so I decided to try and wait it out, No dice. I packed up in a lull and it started to poor again. The mesquitos were everywhere today. I'm currently in my hammock and it sounds like there are a thousand mesquitos are buzzing around me. My pack is just hanging from a nail, and I can hear several mice scurying around. There is no way I'm getting out of this hammock. I figure it's better to let the mice eat some of my food than to be drained by the horde of blood suckers waiting for me. I did a pitiful 14mi again today.Some sections of the trail were unnavigable. I had to find other ways down becuse the rock was to slippery. I almost ended my trip when I slipped on small ledge. I wish someone could have seen the acrobatics I pulled of to save myself. I was almost shaking after that because I know how close I came to some serious pain. My feet were getting chewed up from being so wet. I'm glad today is done. From the weat! her I heard today, I'll probably get to do it again tommorow.
Date: 2005-06-30
From: tom shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I am horribly tired. It's preobaly because I have been doing the mesquitos dance all day. Or because of the big black flys that are genetically designed to only land on the same place on the back of head. This state should be renamed Massquito. This is the ugliest, muddy, bug ridden state I have ever been to. Yes it is above Florida. If you are from Massquito and you are affende, I appologize. I'm really only talking about yhe mountains, if you want to call them that. I would call them elevated marshlands. I have seen almost no wildlife, I have seen a few squirls and chipmunks, thats it. Before I got to my present campsite I thought that every time you killed a mosquitos, it was immediatly replaced by three more. I disproved that thery after going on a killing spee in the hundreds, the amount of mesquitos was seriously reduced. The Tibetans belaive that you should treat all living creatures as though they may have been your mother in a different life. Mom I hope you can appr! eciate how annoying you were and understand the need for your death. I did feel bad when a harmless bug would land on me and I would swat it indiscrimenantly. That about covers that. I also stayed in a B&B last night. Breakfast was a 07:00 so I didn't write. There was a tornado in the town I went buy so you can imagine how much it rained and to use a norhtern term since I'm up north. I was wicked tired
Date: 2005-07-01
From: tom shelter

To: Dalton, ma
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I've been in Dalton MA for three days. I foolishly mixed some medications and it messed me up a little. Plus I was realy sick of dealing with the elements. Usually when I take a day off it's not much of a day off because their is so much busy work to get done. All I've done for the past three days is sit in bed and watch TV. I think I may have some bed sores. I did do some laundry and bought food until Manchester VT. In the North, the towns don't offer to much but Manchester has it all. Busses, Movies, an outfitter and cheap motels. It's only about 5 days from here, but I may stay there more than a day as well. I don't want to waste money, but I have plenty of time and as much motivation to try to go very fast. All the laying around has been nice, but now I'm sick of it, and ready to get moving again. The rain gods knew I was in the hotel, because they didn't do squat while I have been here. As soon as I get back to the woods they will hit me again I'm sure. I think they may! be angry because I used to pray to them regularly when I was in the 82nd and Golden Knights, and now they gets none.
Date: 2005-07-04
From: Dalton, ma

To: seth warner, shl
Miles today: 18.0

I stayed at the Bascom Lodge yesterday night. It's at the same place as The war mammorial. It had a great 360 veiw. I could see about 4 different fireworks shows. I also finally ran into Geronimo. We talked about the people we both new from the platoon and what they were doing. We walked together today, we did 13mi. We beat the rain and it's supposed to rain all night. I feel alot better now, but I think it may be lyme didease instead of from a drug interaction. It's supposed to be real crappy tommorow. But I'm in Vermont now, only three more states to go.
Date: 2005-07-06
To: goddard shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

I have only been in this state for a day and a half, but it already needs to be renamed Vermud. It didn't rain as bad as they were calling for. Only two cells rolled through, not too bad. I was very lucky to run into Geronimo. He realy lifted my spirits. At one point as I came into a town, if I would have seen a cheep scooter or motorcycle I was going to buy it and go home. I found out that even if you get lyme disease it's no big deal as long as you catch it within six maonths it can be treated. I feel like my old self again so, we'll see. I walked 21.6mi today to make up for the 13mi I did yesterday. It supposed to be in the 70's and only a 30% chance of rain tommorow(yeahh).
Date: 2005-07-07
From: goddard shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 22.0

i had two bird attacks today. Well, not realy attacks as much as birds scaring the shit out of me. The first was what looked like a young robin. I never saw it until it tried to take of striking me in the leg with its wing as it tried to fly away. I thought I had stepped on it at first. The second encounter a grouse was a foot of the trail as I passed it jumped up about waist lever then started hissing and cackling. It then walked on the trail in front of me fluttering its wings. I had to shew it off the trail so I could keep going. i'm close enough to Manchester Center VT to be there by lunch. A nero and a zero.
Date: 2005-07-08
From: goddard shelter

To: manchester
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: moderate rain

I got a quick hitch into town. In the Range Rover no less. Some folks heading to a wedding. They dropped me at the post office and the owner of the hostel was at the PO. I cleaned up went to the outfitter, washed my clothes and had just enough time to catch a movie. I watched War of the Worlds. It was interesting at best. No story and there are more holes in the plot than on a dart board. Great book store and cafe and it's very close to the hostel(Suttons Place). Great town!
Date: 2005-07-10
From: manchester

To: big branch shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a buetifull day, finealy. The rest of the week should be nice as well. I saw skeeter feeder at the hostel. I hadn't seen him since Gatlinburg, TN. I only did 16mi today but it's exhausting trying to stay out of the mudd holes. I spent all of PA trying to not walk on rocks, now I spend all day trying to find rocks to step on. Another baby turkey flew away from me just off the trail. It's funny to watch them fly because they go about 2mph, not very gracefully. Some nice veiws today as well. The shelter I'm at is just in front of a decent sized creek(Big Branch). You could probably get a kyack down it. Unfortunatly I dont have one with me.------------------------------
Date: 2005-07-11
From: big branch shelter

To: claradon shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Another perfect day. The trail wasn't very muddy today, and their were more great veiws. I met my first south bounders today. I'm at the shelter with one now. I have the temtation to gloat but it's not going to do either of us any good. Had a great dinner at at a dinner a few miles down VT103. I got quick hitches both ways. I forgot to mention that I got a ride out of Manchester in a Porsche Cayene. The people in Vermont are a thousand times more friendly. Nobody in a Porsche is going to pick you up in CT.
Date: 2005-07-12
From: claradon shelter

To: long trail inn
Miles today: 17.0

I walked over Killinton Mtn yesterday. It was a long climb to the top. There was a .2mi super steep trail to the peak. I wouldn't have climed it but there was supposed to be a snack bar at the top for people who took the lift up, but it was closed. The veiw was great but I just wanted a hot dog. I ended up staying at The Long Trail Inn. They had graet food. Today I checked out hitched to Killington, picked up my drop box and took The Bus into Rutland. I watched a movie ate some Chinese buffet and caught another bus to an outfitter to have new tips put on my poles. I got a quick hitch back to the trail head and did a whopping 5mi. Mainly because my tips are put on with epoxy and need time to dry before I can use them. Plus there is a chance of thunderstorm, so no sense getting wet.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: long trail inn

To: waki shltr
Miles today: 14.0

I don't do wet anymore so I'm cowardly waiting under my tarp for the thunderstorms to pass. I'm not to cowardly since I'm about 100ft from the top of this mountain. The storm is moving pretty slow, I hope it doesn't last to long. I'm glad I have a book. The rain only lasted an hour and I was back at it. Unfortunatly the trail was overgrown so I my feet got soaked anyway. I had planned on walking to a shelter to get some water and take a break, but i wimped out and stayed, so I only did 14mi today. I have seen lots of moose shit but no moose. I haven't seen a deer in along time now either. I did see a couple snakes today and poor bird with a dammaged wing. It sucked because he kept trying to fly away from me going further down the trail and the closer I got the more frantic it's failed attempts at flight got. I just had to haul ass buy it. I hope it got away from the trail or it will be doing that all day.
Date: 2005-07-15
From: waki shltr

To: happy hill
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: few clouds

Today was a pretty good day. The weather was nice and so was the trail. Lots of steep ups and downs but I still managed to do 21mi, and I'm only a few mi out of Hannover NH. The trail goes right through the center of town. The home of Dartmouth College. I plan on eating breakfast, lunch and watching a movie before I get on my way. If it's raining before I get done there is a good chance I'll stay. I also got to jump of a bridge(40ft) into the White River. The water felt great. It had a good currunt as well. There was some class two rapids on the other side of the bridge. I have my hammock up without the rain fly. It's not supposed to rain, but it's rained before when it wasn't supposed to. I hope I don't regret it.
Date: 2005-07-16
From: ? brook shelter

To: hannover
Miles today: 9.0

I'm in the Hannover movie theater waiting for" Charlie and the Chocalate Factory" to start. This is by far the richy richest town I have ever been in. The Dartmouth College right at the edge of town and the town is only about a 1/2 mile long. The only hotel in town is $300. I went to the gym and took a shower. The guy at the front desk let me in for free. There wasn't anyone in the shower so I did a little shower laundry as well.(at camp 3mi out of town). The movie was OK. I had Thai food for dinner and stopped by Ben&Jerry's on the way out of town. The was a cold front over NH this morning but it's gone now. It feels like I'm in Florida.
Date: 2005-07-17
From: happy hill

To: smart mtn shelter
Miles today: 19.0

Since I dry camped last night and went to bed early I got an early start today(07:00). I had to climb two decscent sized mountains today, Moose mtn and Smart mtn, wer I'm currently located. I'm at 3200ft and it's so much cooler up here. That dam Dennis has brought all kinds of humidity up here. I'm glad to here that Elane is headed over towards Mexico. I mean it has to hit somewere and I'm just glad I won't get any more hurricane remenants. I was hoping Moose Mtn would have some moose but all I saw was a grouse that tryed to fly away, but it was a fowled( attempt(ha,ha), and it instead just ran down the trail in front of me. I wish it would rain so I could try out my new rain fly. I was lucky it didn't rain at all today, except when I was going up those mountains, I was so hot I woudn't have minded. I'm up here alone and at this point, I almost always prefer to be alone. I don't enjoy trying to make small talk with people. I just want to eat, write in my journal, read my boo! k and go to bed. If my English teachers ever read my journal they would be appauled at my sentence structure.
Date: 2005-07-18
To: 4 miles from glencliff
Miles today: 16.0

I think I was some how transported back to Mass. I had another descent sized mountain to clime today and then it was Mass like bugs and swampy areas.The only way I could keep my sanity was to put on my head net. I have 4mi until I'm in Glencliff. There is a Hostel just before town and I will be spending the entire day there tommorow. After I leave Glencliff its all the big mountains of the Whites.
Date: 2005-07-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hi this is raisin, talked to buckwheat on Sunday and seems to be doing okay, he's heading into the whites so not sure how fast the posts will be coming.(nothing new as of yet) By the way today is his Birthday!!! Oh and to Buckwheats Dad, I'm sure he wishes you a Happy Birthday too on the 18th. If he forgot, well maybe you can cut him some slack, he probably forgot his own unless we remind him. hee! Hope you doing well and I'll talk too you soon.RaisinTo gramma Carmen, hopefully soon he'll be there soon, he's got a little bit to go.
Date: 2005-07-20
From: 4 miles from glencliff

To: ? brook shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

Yesterday I stayed at Glencliffs hostil. It was super convienent. Only .2mi from the trail and right across the street from the PO. The PO is the only thing in town but the guy running the hostil will take you to a convienent store that has a deli(for a small fee) I didn't think I was going to walk 17mi today, but the major mountain I had to climb today (Moosilack) was alot easier than I thought it would be. No veiw since I was in the clouds. It was the first time I have been above treeline. In NH the tree line stops just above 4000ft. The shelter I'm at has a group from a summer camp. I cooked dinner at the shelter and I was answering questions for about an hour. The counselers told me it was a pretty well to do camp. The counselers and the kids were all very nice. My first day in the Whites went pretty well. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. A few of the guys from the hostil are camping here as well. One of the guys that is here is Rhino. He is from Germany and! has a great dog with him(Ronya). He is renound for his fires. He always makes a fire and he makes them REAL BIG. I hope he makes one for the kids, they will shurly love it. Peace out, it's reading time
Date: 2005-07-22
From: ? brook shelter

To: garfield campsite
Miles today: 19.0

Yesterday I figured I was going to be a little short of food and I felt like a break so I hitched into Lincoln. The guy who picked me up was from Vermont. I told him I was lucky someone from Vermont passed by, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten a ride. I didn't know what to expect when I got to town. He dropped me at the McDonalds and there was a hotel acros the street. Only problem was it was $129. I looked down the street of this touristy town and wished I could rent a moped so I wouldn't have to walk around to find a hotel. About 200ft on the other side of the street, there they were all lined up in front of a store, a small fleet of mopeds. I got one for 24hrs and I was off, scooting all over town. I found a moderatly priced hotel at the end of town and got tickets for "Wedding Crashers"(very funny). I stater back on the trail today at noon and started the long treck up to a string of mountain tops, all above the tree line. I knew from the start I needed to hury t! o get over the top before the thunderstorm hit, but I didn't quite make it. There were alot of peopel up there but I was flying buy them. The storm was getting closer and I was at the last hump when I was enveloped in the clouds. I couldn't see the lightning strikes anymore just the flash lighting up the clouds that had swollowed me. It only took me about 10min until I was back in the relative safty of the trees. I wasn't at the center of the storm but if I would have been any slower it would have been alot different. It was pretty exciting. I got lots of great pictures. Tommorow should be a much easier day and the weather will be nice as well.
Date: 2005-07-23
From: garfield campsite

To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.0

I kind of wussed out today. I only did 13mi and the terrain was fairly easy. Tommorow I start up Mt.Washington. My plan is to stop just short of the peak and stay in "the dungeon", it's the basement of the hut. The huts up here are pretty nice. They serve dinner and lunch but they are like $70. For two meals and a bunkbed I'll let the rich people stay there. I had three birds today that just came right up to me. I'm not sure what kind of birds they were but one of them hopped over to a branch just above my head. I got a few good pictures. I'll have to find out what they were when I get home. I think about getting home A LOT!
Date: 2005-07-25
To: cloud hut
Miles today: 32.0

Yesterday I did 17mi to lake of the cloud hut. I did a work for stay, which consisted of giving a talk to the vacationers about a thru hike and answering questions. I caught up with stick and today we left the hut at 04:30 to walk the 1.5mi to the summit of Mt.Washington to catch the sunrise and get going befor the rain hit. We got some goog pictures at Mt.Washington but we didn't beet the weather for long. We did all of the presidentials today but on top of Madison we were in the most severe weather I have ever been in. It was crazy. The winds had to be over 70mph. We were hiding behind some rocks for a while but finaly decided to go for it. We were getting pushed all over the place. It took forever to get down. I had to put my back to the wind and brace with my poles just to move. I was knocked over countless times. It was a real adventure. I had joked when we were on top of Mt.Washington that I wished I could see what it was like when it was realy ripping. Well I got to f! ind out. We only did 15mi, but it felt like I walked 30mi. We hitched into Gorham and are staying in town tonight. I'll probably stay tommorow as well. My joints took a pounding and I need a break. Still have lots of big mountains left, but only 319mi to go.
Date: 2005-07-26
From: cloud hut

To: gorham
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Sat in the hot tub last night, I needed it. Been in the room all day except to get a pizza and a dozen donuts. I have enough food to get back here to pick up my drop box(21mi). Tommorow I'm going to cheat a little. The first mountains I'm climbing go by the chair lift, so I'm going to ride it to the top, drop off my pack ride down and pick it up on the way by. There are alot of peole in town but most of them came in after the 21mi I still have to do.
Date: 2005-07-27
From: gorham

To: carter notch hut
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: fog

I realy wussed out today. Only 6mi, but the guys running the hut said I could stay here if I wanted. Afetr I had been here 10min it started to rain, so that made me happy. There is only one other person stayong here so it's a little boring but the weather will be good tommorow and I should get an early start. My plan is to go back into Gorham tommorow and head back out and find a spot to camp. Probably in ME (yip-ee).
Date: 2005-07-28
From: carter notch hut

To: outside of gorham
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

I had to haul ass to make it to Gorham before the PO closed, but I made it. I do have a little self control so I didn't stay in town. I hitched back to the trail head and am camped near the road. I did go to a resturaunt and gorge myself first. Today was perfectly clear, with feathery clouds up high and little puffys down low. I think I have taken more pictures through the whites than I have the rest of the trip. I have looked at the maps for ME and it's going to be just as hard as NH. I'm under 300mi now and I'll be in ME tommorow. Still haven't seen any Meeses yet.
Date: 2005-07-29
From: outside of gorham

To: gentian pond shlter
Miles today: 12.0

I have to admit I still am not in ME. I only walked 12mi today and I needed to go 15mi to get to the border. Some people slow down as they start to get to the end because they don't want the trip to end, but that's not what I'm doing. I just dont want to walk anymore. I am quite moody when it comes to miles. Sometimes I give up easily and other times I feel motivated and don't want to stop. I ran into Bones today. He said he was going to be in ME today if it killed him. I just got off the phone with Osprey, the maker of the pack I've had since the NOC in NC. I had a few minor problems with the pack(atmos 50). Most of the problems were probably from the rough use the pack gets, but they were nice enough to replace my pack free of charge. If anyone is looking for a pack the Atmos is argueably the best pack out there and they had no quams in replacing it. Go Osprey. This is my third pack from Ospey and they have all been stelar.(I thought Osprey deserved a plug)
Date: 2005-07-30
From: gentian pond shlter

To: speck pond
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

I have thought or said this before, but that was the longest 15mi I have ever done. I started at 07:30 and finished my 15mi 12 hours later. All the south bounders kept saying "enjoy the notch" and I found out why. 2mi of huge boulders through a deep crevis. There were thick chunks of ice under the boulders. Every time I thought I saw a short cutt it turned out to be a impass. Then 2000ft up in a mile. The rest of the day was tuff as well. I gladly paid the $8 to stay at the AMC campsite, I wasn't going to go any further. The mountains don't get any easier for a long while. When I looked NE it was mountains as far as I could see, and I figure I'll be walking over most of them. But I'm in my last state and only about 270mi to go.