morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 20.1

An incredible hike today. Loose Bruce and I worked to make Rutland so we could do Long Trail Ales and laundry. Peach decided to not do anything to pressure us, simply following our lead all day. Long miles, a 2300' climb, and breakfast at the Whistle Stop Carfe (an extra mile of hiking not included in the daily miles because it was off-trail) plus a mile walk into Rutland from the trailhead - it all worked. At 2:30 we had 10.6 miles to go. At 5, Bruce predicted we would be at our destination at 7:30 Peach and I got there at 7:28 and Bruce arrived at 7:30:04. His prognostication record remains perfect.Earlier I had mentioned that the trail itself had decreased as a leading motivator. No longer true. Vermont is fascinating - pine forests vs. deciduous, hills are pleasant to climb, , it just feels good again unlike the mid Atlantic states. I'd like to figure out why - vistas? brooks? views from under the canopy? weather?Not many bird sounds anymore. A local said it is seasonal - songbirds seem to have left.Rex decided not to hike into town with us. I think it has to do with his wife arriving in Rutland not tomorrow but a little later. So, we got beer, shepherd's pie and mattresses while he got Mountain House, a thermarest and a tent. Less than 500 miles to go! There was trail magic set up there, but had run out.We met Cobweb and Mayo at the Long Trail Inn. A hilarious story was uncovered. On 7/25 in this journal I mentioned action I took in response to an incident at the Joe-to-Go, but would not elaborate. I can now tell the full story, but will start with the conversation with Cobweb and Mayo. It turns out that they had had a similarly unpleasant experience there, and as a prank had set up a message on small note paper at the trailhead - "Need H2O? Try Joe-to-Go!" I must not have been far behind them at that point because I saw the sign still in good shape and assumed it was an advertisement by the proprietor. In fact, Cobweb and Mayo put the memo up for that very purpose - to make sure as many hikers as possible stopped in, to irritate the shop owner, who really doesn't want or like us. Anyway, after I left the shop, I went and defaced the sign as a prank, by adding the words "Only $2 per liter!" under their words. So in effect, my prank cancelled out their prank. At the Long Trail Inn, we laughed uproariously about the whole incident.I had to drink 2 beers at the Long Trail Inn - A Long Trail Ale for Socrosse, and then a Guiness for myself. You are welcome!
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Rutland, VT

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 0.0

The hostel I am staying at is a hippie commune. Everyone knows how well I must fit into this situation. Actually, you would be surprised. My physical appearance is more consistent with theirs than it would have been during my working life, and they know hikers well. And, they are very accepting of others, while I am absolutely spellbound by this alternate lifestyle. They are a particularly fascinating group because they are theology-based. In fact they believe strict adherence to all Old Testament rules of living are still God's (Yashua's, they call Him) will for his people. However, they do not believe you have to be of Jewish descent to be asked to live like this. They believe the teachings of the New Testament do not contradict the requirements of the Old Testament. Their community is called the twelve tribes, after the 12 tribes of Israel, and they are fairly widespread. I asked why, after the hippie movement seemed to peter out, they keep on growing. They feel this is because their underlying principles are faith based. They are an amazing group of people living a life style that seems a little against human nature due to the amount of sharing that must be done (everything!), but appealing to all of us on a certain level.Peach, Loose Bruce and I are at the Hostel. Rex has lagged behind, waiting for family to arrive in the area to visit him, then he will go to the Hostel the day after we leave, and will catch up afterward.   My major accomplishment of the day, besides learning about living in a commune, is acquiring new gear. I received 3 mail packages - winter gear (sleeping bag, gloves, hat), food, and replacement gear (backpack was unraveling). I also bought some replacement gear include a final pair of shoes to get me to the end. Hopefully breaking them in on the trail will not break my feet. I also replaced the rope and tent stakes I left behind wherever (whew!)
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Rutland, VT

To: Stony Brook Rd. 
Miles today: 10.6

Started the day at the hostel, doing work-for-stay at 6:30 am - wiping down tables, cleaning windows, after which they fed us breakfast. Probably would have been easier to make a donation, but they needed labor more than money. I tried packing my pack with all the new winter gear, and was relieved to find a way to make it all fit. I moved my tent outside my pack, a move I wish I had done months ago since that is usually the first thing I want to get to when I get to camp anyway - it is now more accessible. Peach, Loose Bruce and I hit the trail at 1 pm, disappointed we didn't get to see Rex come in before we headed out. Strangely, once on the trail we saw a message from him taped to a tree. How did it get there? We don't know (yet!) A little further there was a sign-in sheet that Fuzzy Monkey, Sweetwater and Iceman had signed, so they are ahead of us again.   Rain threatened all day, but we only got a brief amount of spitting. The overcast kept the temperatures cool and the bugs to a minimum. I understand that back home the heat is bad. Sorry to hear that, guys! (BYTM). Shoes and pack worked fine.   Found a few web sites to study about the 12 tribes when I get back - hippiecrit.com, anything about Yerba Mate'(a drink that is a big part of their culture), and Commonsense products.   Stealth camped by a beautiful brook.
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Stony Brook Rd. 

To: Vicinity of Cloudland Shelter
Miles today: 18.9

Hiking with Loose Bruce and Peach now. Spent much of the day wondering where all the familiar hikers were that supposedly were near us - Iceman, Sweetwater, Fuzzy Monkey, even Rex. The SOBOs we talked to saw Iceman but no one else.   Coolest hiker of the day: A very proper, polite hiker with a British accent who got his 4 kids to bet $5K each on his 65th birthday that he couldn't hike the trail before he turned 70. He has until 10/7/08 to finish NH and ME (he is hiking Vermont through NJ this month). He says his kids know the grandchildren will get the money anyway, so they don't really care. But his bragging rights will be very cool. Of course I think his kids will be bragging about him too.
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Vicinity of Cloudland Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

12 states down, 2 to go. Of course they are the most grueling 2 of the trip. In fact, I am pleased with the celebratory mood of many of the guest register entries in my journal, however, I must admit that this trip is not a certainty yet, so I am tempering my mood with the reality that in some ways it is far from over. Many in the hiking community are telling me not to rush the trip, because I will miss this when it is over. I'm already starting to see this. The team I am hiking with has become very special to me, and I don't miss many of the things I thought I would about civilized life, while life in the woods has become just so much fun. But I must admit the town stops have become a highlight of the trip too, with the comforts and indulgences that go with this. But I still feel like a tourist in town, and part of me can't wait to go home.... into the woods.
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: haze

4/5 done!The heat all day was miserable. In fact, I felt like I was trudging all day, but it turned out I was doing the usual 2 mph. As I neared Mink Brook, it was noticeably cooler, apparently from the cold water in the creek evaporating (I could see a steam plume off the stream - very odd, but I could hardly complain). Iceman was there cooking dinner, I chatted with him until he left, then took a nap in cool temperatures. Nodded off for about 45 minutes until Peach and Loose Bruce caught up (I ducked out of town while they shopped and had breakfast).   For the last 1/2 mile of hiking there was a thunderstorm that was completely refreshing (I wished it had rained earlier), and once the rain ended my body heat promptly dried off my clothes. Sometimes it's good to have a hot bod. I had been told that the thunderstorm was due to a cool front coming in, so there was more good news.   Serial thought he was caught in a tornado. He heard the droning sound, and the sky turned a green color that is indicative. When I thought back to the time the thunderstorm happened, I remembered hearing a siren from a nearby town that I was told was a tornado warning. Fun activity of the day: There was a rope on the side of a particularly steep hill. It was so elastic it was like a bungee cord, so I invented a way to use it to help me up the hill - pulled on it, and as it sprang back I used the momentum to make huge steps up the hill. As I have said before, it is easy to make a through hiker happy. Later that night the thunderstorms returned, with a vengeance. I was glad not to be out in it. The most spectacular lightning I have every seen - more frequent strikes than I've ever seen, and several so bright that you could see that the tree's leaves were green for several seconds. It must have lasted an hour
Date: 2007-08-26
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Fire Warden's Cabin
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Bruce and Peach looked so cute this morning. I think they went into vacation hiker mode. See the attached picture. Quiz of the day(Free lunch for first correct response, within 50 miles of Baltimore, Ed's choice of restaurant): What movie did I get the following line from?: "The morning was moist" I was reminded of this line, which is a running joke between Fuzzy Monkey and myself, because we played with that line much as it was played with during the movie, using homonyms for moist and then migrating to even more creative. When we starting one morning in Vermont, he quietly came up behind me and said, Edge, The morning was muddy", which caused me great spasms of quiet laughter. I guess you had to be there. Today I thought of that conversation because it was another moist morning. Highlight of the day: Ran into Slocum, now Barbarossa. Talk about a jawdropper. He was one of my earliest friends on the trail, I remembered a conversation with him in Hiawassee, GA about the difference between an adiabatic and isothermal process, after which he immediately began trying to find out where we could buy beer in this dry county. I believe he had been working toward a graduate degree in Physical Chemistry at Johns Hopkins, but decided his true love was Ultimate Frisbee. Anyway, soon after Hiawassee he got hurt and was off the trail, then saw him in Damascus, VA at trail days where he said he was a week behind me, then no one knew what happened. Apparently he flip flopped at Front Royal, and as I was walking up to a trail magic (water and ice cream), there he was. He knew Peach as well, it was a real kick for us to see him. We talked a while, then I told him to call me if he needed anything near Harpers Ferry. (See picture on 8/28 journal)It was a short mileage day, due to a late start, big climbs, and heavy legs all around. But we had some gorgeous view, especially from the Fire Tower. Serial showed up. We decided a fire would be nice because it was cool and damp, but it took all 4 of us and a lot of birchbark to get it goin.
Date: 2007-08-27
From: Fire Warden's Cabin

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

Another case of "The morning was damp". Fog permeated the air and coated all surfaces with water. So everyones clothes were soaked (except mine - I dry my clothes by wearing them in my sleeping bag). Peach and I climbed up a nearby fire tower just to see the view, but we found out the reason for the wetness - we looked down in all directions and saw valleys cloaked in clouds. Gorgeous view. But we also saw clouds from the western valley being picked up by the wind and carried into our campsite. Very cool. And I was a bad influence on Peach again, luring her part way up the tower in spite of her acrophobia. I think she found it worthwhile. Water has become an issue again - fortunately yesterday a SOBO named Betsy (famous for cooking her dinner in a privy once) gave us a rundown of all the good and bad water sources for the next few miles, so we knew where to go. I shared the list with SOBOs about to go through that section as a way of returning Betsy's favor. Even with her information, I managed to put myself in the position of hiking 2 miles with no water - Oops. The short hike (we've been doing a lot of these for several reasons - letting people catch up, resting in prep for the White Mountains, hot weather, we are tired) gave us the luxury of spending a lot of time at the summit of Mt. Cube. The hike up to it was through what I consider the most beautiful forest I've ever seen, even better than the Io Valley in Hawaii. Pine forest, ground covered with ferns and other ground cover, sharp blue sky showing through the canopy, luxurious smell of pine everywhere, WOW! As we came down off of the mountain, we went to an overlook where a section hiker, Don, showed us where we would be walking for the next 20 miles. More on Don later. Bugs are again out in force - warm weather, swampy terrain. Too bad I sent my DEET back already. Another Oops. Highlight of the day: When we got to Ore Hill Shelter, there was Don again. With a bunch of Long Trail Ales and a gallon of water. Utterly and unbelievably cool. He had actually gone home after his hike, then to the liquor store, then carried the beers up the mountain just to have a few beers with us. We talked for about an hour, and he went home. What a great gesture, what a happy day. Thanks, Don! Weird sensation of the day: I still am primarily pain free, except sore feet in the morning, and occasional knee twinges, but this morning I also felt pinpricks all over my back, sort of like prickly heat, which I have felt on my derriere on hot days. It stopped after a few hours. Any free medical advice on this?Cool discovery of the day: Walking out to take a whiz after dark, I found a place to tinkle, and turned off my light to get some privacy. When I did I saw something glow in the dark. I turned my light back on and found mushrooms or some fungus on that spot, phosphorescing. No idea, but I will certainly consult a phospofungalist upon my return.Also in camp: Heinz (section hiker on his final segment; Streak, a high school grad SOBO through hiker, and 2 other SOBOs we didn't meet; Peach and Loose Bruce. Where is Rex?
Date: 2007-08-28
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Glencliff NH, Warren NH
Miles today: 7.4

Neroed in to town in prep for Whites. Another successful food pickup - Thanks, Mel. A number of hikers we have been with showed up today - Fuzzy Monkey, Tuna Bag, Fidel, but not Rex yet - probably another day behind us.We will all enter the whites tomorrow, and expect to take 5-7 days to go the 75 miles. Bobcat was also in town. She is off trail now, but was shuttling people in the area. She was kind enough to give us a lunchtime ride to the very small town near the hostel. For dinner, we hitchhiked to town, got a ride from the local campaign manager for presidential candidate Ron Paul (election, what election?).We were repeatedly advised to slack the next day's hike, in fact SOBO would be better than NOBO. It was claimed that this was a safety advisory, and everyone was doing it. The consensus of the group that I've been traveling with is to take the purist approach - NOBO with full packs. Boo-yah!
Date: 2007-08-29
From: Gorham, NH

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

What an exciting day! Hiked up & down Mt. Moosilauke. Up was a gradual slope, with an elevation gain of 3800 ft. Perhaps the biggest rise of the trip so far - I need to verify. However, it turns out that was the EASY part! Loose Bruce and I then went down an extremely sleep, slick slope with a total vertical of 3100'. There is a frequent quote that in hiking the AT you climb and descend the equivalent of 19 Mt. Everests. Today's hike felt like we knocked one out. At the Moosilauke summit there were spectacular views. One local hiker shared his map to help us look at the surroundings and figure out the route we took to get there. A few minutes later another local hiker shared her map and we figured out where we were going next. We could see 30 miles of AT in either direction. Just plain gorgeous. The downhill climb was a blast. It was wet because it was north facing, and alongside a cascade of waterfalls. The local AT maintainers provided a combination of handrails, ropes, steps, and blasted-out handholds & footholds to complement mother nature's roots and limbs. Loose Bruce and I hung together very close (the buddy system) and both of us slipped or fell enough times to understand why so many NOBOs slackpack SOBO for this portion of the trail. Bruce was appreciative that I "held back" since I am usually a faster downhill hiker than he, but I think it helped me be more careful than I might otherwise have been, plus it is always a pleasure to hike with him. We had been told that this is the portion of the trail that deserves the greatest amount of respect and precautions, but still I say, FUN FUN FUN. Loose Bruce, Peach, Fuzzy Monkey, Tuna Bag and I camped at a campsite near Kinsman Notch that the folks at the hostel told us about. Highlight of the evening: We had phone reception, and Loose Bruce told me he talked to his wife for the first time since I entered the picture of the twins. He tried to convince me that she was upset about the picture. But I know Bruce well enough to know that he must be married to a woman with a good sense of humor. As it turned out, she found it hilarious, though some of her friends may not have. Glad you enjoyed it, Marlene!
Date: 2007-08-30
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 13.4

More big climbs and descents. Roots, stones, and boulders like yesterday. But a new wrinkle - a thunderstorm. Incredibly, the weathermen actually predicted it, which is why it took me by surprise. Before the storm started, I was talking to a local hiker who warned me there were few trees at the summit, so I needed to get there before the storm. He was hesitant to let me go even though the sky was darkening. There was thunder in the distance, and it was windy at the summit. After a while I could tell the thunder was getting louder, and eventually I could see light from the lightning, though not the lightning itself. At first, the change in weather was a relief from a lot of heat, but that changed when the hail started. Fotunately it didn't last long before it turned to rain. While dressing for the new cold wet weather, I checked my guidebook and realized there were 2 summits on Mt. Kinsman, and I was between the 2 of them. There were a reasonable amount of balsam trees, but not much taller than me since the summit is such a windblown area. I tried to hike next to the trees as much as possible, hunching down so they would be taller than me. By the time I reached the 2nd summit and started down the mountain, the storm was in full force. The trail down the mountain had become a waterfall over slick rocks. I was amazed at how waterproof my boots were. But that was the only good news. I was hiking with one bent trekking pole and a one wooden pole (to replace my broken one). Incredibly, I was enjoying even this misery, each slope being its own brain teaser as I had to figure out how I could get down it without breaking a leg. A lot of hand to hand swinging off of any tree limb or root I could use to support my weight as I moved my feet. The main concern I had was that I was going slowly, and would be missing an opportunity for work-for-stay at the upcoming hut. When I got there, Michelle, the hut manager immediately asked if I wanted work for stay. I was so confused I had trouble simply saying yes. Then she said she was busy serving dinner to the paying guest, but gave me a bowl of soup and invited me to get a hot drink. Is there a nicer way to say "Welcome"? She and the hut croo were all very cordial to all 10 hikers there than night, and asked only that we help out with the evening and morning dining room cleanup in return.    Our main concern at this point was that Loose Bruce never showed up. Presumably he got caught up in the weather and had to camp before the shelter. I left a message in the hut register letting him know we would be staying at the Greenleaf Hut the next night, so hurry up and catch up!
Date: 2007-09-01
From: Greenleaf Hut

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night I talked to Corey Williams, one of the croo members at Greenleaf Hut because of his unusual educational background - international policy and Environmental Science degrees. It turns out he wants a career in moving cellulosic ethanol forward as a vehicle fuel. Eerily similar to what I heard from Ethan Davis, a PCT thru hiker who provided us a place to stay in Hanover PA. I gave Corey Ethan's name. I'll be watching the industry to see if their names show up anywhere. I also put in a plug for water hyacinths as a source of cellulosic ethanol in addition to switchgrass, since it is a pest plant in Florida. Because it was cool (44F) and windy, the group talked about how to dress at some length before we left. We started our hike as a group. Fierce wind forced us off the the narrow trail at times, and fog limited visibility to 200' - enough to hike, but not enough to enjoy the scenery. Still because of our exertion we were more comfortable than expected, and it didn't take long for me to open up my rain jacket, then remove my rain hood, then take off my gloves and eventually take off the rain jacket itself. By 11 am, the promised clear warm weather arrived, and the rest of the day was beautiful hiking weather. Plus, it reveals the most majestic, wide views I've yet seen on the AT. Everything looks like a jigsaw puzzle quality landscape. The best view was at the top of Mt. Garfield, a clear view of the Presidentials, including the much anticipated Mt. Washington, obscured by its own crown of clouds.Loose Bruce and I hiked together all day. Our plans A & B fell apart because the hiking went so slowly, so we created a plan C. We fell behind the rest of the group, but will still try to get to Lake of the Clouds Hut in 2 days (we are pretty sure we can do it) since that was everyone else's (Peach, Fuzzy Monkey, Tuna Bag) plan. Actually, we might have been able to complete Plan B, but it would have been a late day, and with the cold night coming on we figured a hut was better than Plan B's campsite. While eating the hut's leftover ham, potatos, bread and salad, we congratulated ourselves on the wisdom of our choice.I really enjoy hiking above tree line - beautiful vistas. Also, we find lots of lichens on the rocks. Thus I put this together for a new catch phrase which I use for no one's amusement but my own.... I'm likin what I'm hikin cause I'm hikin on the lichen.At the hut, I enjoyed a pleasant evening, including a talk on the weather by the resident naturalist. Notes for Edge's benefit only: NH is the "tailpipe of the nation", meaning that all major storm patterns leave the country through NH. Squeezed Jar with water and a match demo; Troposphere puts pressure on stratosphere gases as they squeeze past mountains. Smoke provides nucleation sites. Rime causes trees to form on downwind side only - branches on upwind side get covered, weight breaks them.