morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-30
From: Minerva Hinchy Shelter

To: The Secret Shelter
Miles today: 9.4

I wake and pack up again. It's like this everyday. I get to move all day towards another different place to call home. Today I go up to the shelter to sign the register and talk to the others for awhile. A vehicle can be heard driving up a dirt road towards us. It's an SUV and it stops close to the shelter. A woman I instantly recognize as Mrs Gorp comes up with her cleaning supplies. She is here to maintain and freshen up the shelter. We talk about her great adventure riding her bike across country and then up the west coast then across again via the northern route. She is very nice and wishes us all well on our adventure. I hike out with Jew Dog and we press towards a road which leads to a restaurant. The trail keeps putting more and more hills in our path. We finally reach a gorge with a suspension bridge over it. It's exciting walking across as it bounces and rolls under your feet. We reach the road and talk to a nice family who offers to drive us to the Whistle Stop Restaurant. I am with Jew Dog and Jazzy Nuts eating outside when Mrs Gorp drives up and offers us a ride back to the trailhead. Reentering the forest the trail climbs steeply and after awhile I rest. Jew Dog and Jazzy Nuts go on. I walk at a comfortable pace and hike up the mountain, finally reaching a section along a beautiful creek. As I'm walking I come across a real nice swimming hole. I can't resist and off comes everything and I go in up to my waist. I get good and clean and cool. I take my time drying off and wringing out my clothes as I have washed them out in the creek. I am rejuvenated and hike on later reaching the 500 mile to go point where there is magic in the form of coke and peanut butter crackers compliments of the Mad Hatter. I take a moment to celebrate this milestone by myself. Only 500 more miles to hike to finish the trail. I have many miles and challenges ahead. I will learn many new skills to help me reach Baxter Peak. But first I must hike some more. I have hiked over many hills and mountains and I feel the effects. I reach a point where I can either go to the next shelter which is supposed to be nasty, frequently used by the locals to party. I can go to the Secret Shelter or I can try to tackle Killington Peak and hike another 5 miles. It's 6:30 and I am tired so it's the Secret Shelter. I turn up the dirt road and look for a cairn of stacked rocks by the side of the road about 5 minutes later and turn up the otherwise unmarked trail and come upon the Secret Shelter, where I find a beautifully crafted four person shelter with a picnic table and a dome tent. I move into the dome tent and look around. There's a nicely constructed privy with a screen door and a dome skylight. It's built round. There's a nice bridge with a creative railing and a nice firepit. After dinner I create a perfect campfire and nurture it until it's time for bed. Pooch and Tom Dooley with their dog Gandolf are staying here also. Jazzy Nuts stopped by for a long rest then moved on. I enjoy the extra room in the big dome and sleep well.
Date: 2007-07-31
From: The Secret Shelter

To: Inn at the Long Trail
Miles today: 10.7

It's cool in the morning and I bravely put on my damp stinky hiking clothes. After a little breakfast I hike on up the road towards the trailhead and run into Magnolia and the Dude Machine who have missed the trail. We all get on the trail and hike. I end up hiking by myself soon after as I set a good pace this morning. The trail gains over 2000 feet in a few miles so it is mainly up. It's a nice up and I am warmed up quickly. I pass the Governor Clement shelter and the rumors are correct. I am glad I did not stay here. I pass several creeks and reach the Cooper Lodge with tent platforms. The Lodge has seen better days but it does have a nice view. I move on hiking through more nice high forest which is definitely characteristic of a northern forest. I decide to go to the Inn at the Long Trail and arrive in the late afternoon, get a room, take a much needed shower, do my laundry and head for the pub after plugging in all my gadgets for recharging. I see Jazzy Nuts, Magnolia, the Dude Machine, Fire Marshall, Toodles and some sobos. This is a nice place to stop and I head back up for another shower, then make my phone calls.
Date: 2007-08-01
From: Inn at the Long Trail

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 20.0

The room is not air conditioned but with the window opened and the fan on the dresser I was perfectly comfortable. I wake, get things organized and take another shower. It will probably take many showers for me to feel clean. But I will put my pack on and after about 10 minutes I will be sweaty and will be able to smell that smell again. I am going down for breakfast before I check out, I have heard through the sobos that I will have a wicked climb today so I am ready for what's ahead. Breakfast was wonderful. I check out and reenter the forest, hiking through more beautiful northern forests. I put it in geat and covered much ground stopping for lunch at Stony Brook Shelter then drank from the Stony Brook. It was getting late and the next shelter is 10 miles away so I carried full water in case I needed to stop and camp. I didn't see any level campsites so I kept going arriving at Wintturi Shelter just as the lights went out. I quickly put up my tent and changed out of my hiking clothes and cooked dinner. After which I hung my food bag and came in the tent to write my journal again. I can hear things dropping from the trees again tonight. Otherwise it is quiet with the sound of crickets in the distance. Today was a beautiful day with very comfortable temperatures. I hiked hard today and arrived hiker wet at camp tonight. Today I noticed a red mark on my stomach that is a couple inches around. It looks like a donut. I am concerned it may be a sign of Lyme Disease. I am starting on doxycycline tonight. I hope I am alright. It would suck if I had to stop after all this and feeling so good with only 468 miles to go. That's a lot of miles but I am ready. Today is what hiking is all about.
Date: 2007-08-02
From: Winturri Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

It is a hot day. Right from the beginning I can tell it is going to be difficult to hike. The forest is wonderful, birds are singing and the trail rolls, then goes up. I meet a southbound day hiker named Tailwind who gives me a banana and we talk a few minutes, then I hike to VT 12 where I make a left turn and reach a fruit stand where I get rehydrated and eat a nectarine, some banana bread and a pint of strawberry ice cream. I push on up and over more hills and across some farm land. It's tough hiking today with the heat and humidity. I have to adjust my pace to keep going. Much later I reach another road and I am beat. I hide my pack and walk up the dirt road about .2 mile to get a bottle of root beer and another pint of ice cream. I am trying to cool off. I meet Fire Marshall and hike with him to the Thistle Hill Shelter where I set up my tent and go for water. After rinsing off and cooling down I cook dinner and hang my food bag in the shelter, then retire to my priate suite (tent) where I lay in my boxers trying to cool off in my bug free zone. I can hear the wind high in the trees and some stuff falling from the trees. The birds have stopped singing and are probably resting. I too will now rest. Tomorrow will have to wait -I cannot even plan I am so tired. I wonder if the doxycycline is wearing me out.
Date: 2007-08-03
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

Last night was warm, my clothes are on the line and actually dried. I am up and hiking at a respectable time. The trail is through tall pine or hemlock with mixed deciduous forest. Some parts go along high meadows and fields with wildflowers and raspberries and blackberries four feet tall. There are meadows filled with thistles and goldenrod and queen anne's lace and tall brown eyed susans. There are butterflies flirting with the open fields. The open areas are hot and I pass even the ones with ripe berries to get back into the shady forest. The trail rolls up and over many gently rolling hills and into West Hartford VT where I have an excellent french toast breakfast. Then it's a road walk out of town back into the forest, up a minor mountain then to the Happy Hill Shelter where I take a water break. Then it's flat out considering the heat into Norwich and over the CT river into New Hampshire and the town of Hanover, home of Dartmouth College. I go to the Dartmouth Outing Club and run into The Dude then Salaam. I walk to the place where the trail reenters the forest and pitch my tent. Close by in tent city I see the Dude Machine and Magnolia. Later after dinner I return to a dark camp and get into my hot tent and strip down so I don't sweat up my camp clothes. I washed my hiking clothes and myself in a bathroom. I couldn't find a shower or laundry so here I am and tomorrow I will go to the Coop and resupply to get to Glencliff. Tomorrow is a big day in town. They're going to have a big parade and a football game.
Date: 2007-08-04
From: Hanover NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke on the edge of the forest by the athletic fields of Dartmout College. I decide to mail my journal home, resupply and try to head out north again. I can see the co-op where I will get my food and will walk into town to find the post office. The journal is sent. I walk north and decide to wait for the Shriners parade. Every Shriner unit is New England was here, I never saw so many in one place. The whole parade was Shriner. I talked to some clowns and watched as units passed with all sorts of unlikely vehicles alldoing daring silly maneuvers, some figure eights, some just circling and barely missing each other in their mini autos. It was something special and the funny thing was it made me miss my dear ones. Most of the spectators were families and I wished to be with mine. It's funny how things can make you emotional. I walked back to the co-op grocery store which was excellent, and then went back to my camping area and listened to the football game with Quatro. We could hear the announcer from the game. It was hard to leave but I finally tore myself away at about 3:30pm, walking briskly through some more wonderful forests enjoying the ups and downs as I rolled through balsam and mixed woods. I made it to the Moose Mountain shelter just in time to set my tent up and then eat a Cuban sandwich from the co-op for my dinner, then in was dark. There is no water at this shelter and I was lucky a trail angel had just brought 5 gallons up. That's a heavy load and a very generous and caring gift. I returned to my tent to get settled in and write and I notice there is a nice breeze and the humidity seems to be more comfortable. I am hoping tomorrow will be a good hiking day.
Date: 2007-08-05
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: broken clouds

It was cool last night. During the night something large was stomping around the area. It went away after awhile. It is cool this morning and I quickly change into my hiking stuff. The tent comes down and the pack is ready to go except for the food bag back at the shelter where I left it last night. Breakfast is a scone from the co-op in Hanover. I set out and it is a wonderful day. I spend the day hiking up and down with a good up Smart Mountain where there's a firetower. This structure had 4 cables holding it steady at one time. Now there are two cables on one side. The view going up and at the top was spectacular. I could see forever or so it seemed. This section was dry and the next water was over four miles away from the tower. When I finally reached the stream I drank as much as I could and filled my water containers. The last push was up to Hexacuba Shelter where I found a crowded house. I barely had room to pitch my tent close to the firepit by the shelter, the only spot left. It was all there was. I can hear an owl in the distance and that ever present sound of caterpillar poop hitting the forest floor.
Date: 2007-08-06
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Glencliff NH
Miles today: 14.7

Last night the tenting sites were full at the shelter and I set up next to the firepit on a rocky drop off and could only use part of my tent, so I stretched out diagonally across. It worked and I was content to have a private place to rest. I woke to a cool morning and luckily got packed up early and hiked out just as the rain came. It rained hard, the trail became a creek and the rocks slippery. I knew I could be in Glencliff tonight if I hiked hard so I was motivated. I am soaked and it is turning cold so I have my foul weather jacket on. I reach the Ore Hill Shelter and have lunch. Other hikers come in and get into dry clothes. I know they are through for the day. I wring out my clothes and dry off with my pack towel. I change my socks and wring out my boots. I start back out with light rain falling for a few minutes and then it pours again. I am wet to the skin and determined to push on so I can shower and do laundry. I haven't done either since I don't know when. The day is dark and wet but my mood is good. I think the pain in my lef might have been caused by Lyme Disease and the antibiotics are helping because today I feel better. It's hard to describe the section, it's up and down with some good graded climbs. The trail is overwhelmed with water and is most of the time a moving creek. Here's another day when I am wet and tired but still having a good hike. I pass several youth groups and hope they have prepared and have dry, warm clothes for tonight. I finally reach NH 25 and walk the 1/2 mile to the Hikers Welcome Hostel, shower, do my laundry andn get a place to sleep in the temporary structure where the tools are kept. I call it the tool shed. It seems rough so I put some plywood down and spread my thermarest pad out. My winter gear has been sent here for me to pick up and I get into my nice down bag. It feels so luxurious and I am happy to be in it again. This bag is my favorite piece of equipment. The tool shed turns out to be a nice private place and I find my doxcycline dreams flowing freely and leaving no trace in the morning.
Date: 2007-08-07
From: Glencliff NH

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

I wake and enjoy breakfast and a restful morning. I mail my summer bag to Lynne from the Glencliff post office and enjoy meeting the postmaster who is very helpful and friendly. I purposely take my time leaving, hoping the rocks dry out and I can safely navigate the trail up Mt. Moosilauke. I leave and hike up the beginning of a long up hill day. This is the first major climb I have had in a long time. It is up through fir forest and as I climb the trees begin to get smaller. I am entering a small Trail World forest and eventually the trees are shorter than I. Then I am seeing the trees disappear, I am above treeline. The view is absolutely incredible. I am floored. I am shouting BEHOLD at the top of my lungs. I am emotional. I cry for joy at the beauty. I started hiking today with Hyde who has gone ahead and I see him again at the summit of Mt Moosilauke (elev 4802.) The walk down is also above tree line for awhile then re-enters the mini forest which grows as I descend. A couple of miles later I reach the Beaver Brook shelter. Hyde and I have the shelter to ourselves and begin gathering firewood. The forest is wet, dark and mossy, and firewood is not easily found, at least dry wood with no moss. After a good effort we have enough and start up the fire, with some help from birch bark. As the fire grows the bugs start to leave and the shelter is finally bug free. The view out from the shelter is long range of several large mountains. The water source is excellent and I am settled into my winter bag for the second night. It is surely going to rain soon. It begins around 11pm and it is pouring throughout the night.
Date: 2007-08-08
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

I wake several times and it is pouring so I stay in my warm bag. During the night I realize I am getting dripped on and find I am under a leaky spot. The rain must have blown under a seam in the metal roof. We sleep in. The descent down is supposed to be treacherous when wet. Late morning I organize and pack and change into my hiking clothes. Before I leave a group of through hikers coming south in a day hike arrive. We chat and it turns out to be Warren Doyle and two friends. As Hyde and I hike north we find a very steep challenging trail along a beautiful cascading series of waterfalls. It is a beautiful waterfall trail which has taken many hours of maintenance and countless hours to create. It is slow going because of the steepness and because of the photo opportunities. There are blocks of wood installed for foot steps, rebar for hand holds, ropes and many large rocks for steps. This is an incredible trail blazed by many volunteer hours. At the bottom I run into two volunteers redoing water bars. The trail bottoms out, crosses a road then immediately heads up again, steeply. The ascent is on and I walk with Hyde looking for the top, which does not come easily or quickly. This section is different and challenging. The weather is different also. It is windy,k it rains off and on and we go up. As it is turning dark we arrive at the Eliza Brook shelter and find Monkey and Cocoa with two section hikers. There's room and I spend another night in a shelter.
Date: 2007-08-09
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Chet's Secret Hostel Lincoln NH
Miles today: 9.0

 During the night it was very windy but it did not rain. In the middle of the night I got up and could see the stars out between the top of the forest. I love my winter bag and was glad to have it last night. This morning Hyde leaves early to meet his Dad and brother to go to a golf tournament in New York for a couple of days. I am cold and get back into my warm bag and work on my journal. I don't know where I'm going today but it will be north. I have about 381 miles to go. Monkey and Cocoa don't know where they are going but they get up and say Happy Trails and see ya later. Last night the soundscape was high wind with tree parts hitting the tin roof and the loud brook next to the shelter. Very nice to sleep next to a lively brook. I begin hiking on a cool morning with promise of a nice day. I hike beside beautiful streams full of water cascading and creating waterfalls one after another. The trail goes upward and becomes very steep. I have to use my hands to climb up and get safely over many long steep rock cliffs. The ascent requires scrambling and some high steps I would not have been able to do at the beginning of my hike in February. I reach a small tree forest then summit South Kinsman Mtn. The view is wonderful and I have the summit to myself. Timing is everything, as I descend I run into family after family climbing up from the other side. I continue over to the north summit then go down a long steep descent eventually reaching the AMC Lonesome Lake Hut which has many day hikers and families hanging out buying whatever souvenirs are available. I take advantage of the drinks and some pizza that Healer is cooking. The charge is one dollar for all you can eat and one dollar for drinks. I continue down the AT and watch families swimming in the pond then continue down the first easy walk of any distance to Franconia Notch and Interstate 93. I go into town via a hitch and arrive at Chet's Place where I am warmly greeted and made to feel at home. After a shower and laundry I resupply at the grocery store returning to eat an eight piece fried chicken dinner with some beer to wash it down. Later all the hikers form a circle around the firepit in the backyard and trade stories and songs. Someone brings out a ukelele and there is music to go with our campfire. This section of the AT is one of the most beautiful and also the most strenuous. I have planned to get through it at a slower pace. I will pick it up again somewhere in Maine when the terrain is more welcoming.
Date: 2007-08-10
From: Chet's Secret Hostel Lincoln NH

To: Stealth Tent Site
Miles today: 3.0

Last night becomes this morning in the blink of an eye. I eat breakfast and walk down town to the post office and send my journal home. I get some lunch and walk quickly to another store to get some new SD cards for my camera. When I get back I enjoy a nice conversation with Chet and then call for the shuttle to take me back close to the trailhead. I still have to walk about a half mile to the trail. I reenter the forest and walk uphill again. After about a mile and a half up the mountain I take a break to look at my guide. I can't find my journal and guidebooks. I have lost them - they hold all my plans and contact numbers. I decide to call Chet as his number is in my recent call list. He answers and says "you forgot your book!" I am relieved and happy but have to face the fact that I have to double back and walk 2 miles, then get back to town, then redo my steps out again. So my short day isn't really so short. I get my journal and books back and redo the hike then continue up a steep trail which seemed endless. Eventually I reach the Liberty Spring tentsites where I collected water and continued up more steep trail. I finally reached the top and threw in an extra .6 miles to Liberty Mountain summit where I enjoyed a wonderful view of the Whites, up close and spectacular. I then looked around and found a nice stealth site where my tent could sort of fit. I was careful to select a site which was not going to cause damage to the fragile zone. Tonight I can hear cars in the distance. The forest is still and very quiet - I hear no birds singing. I decided I should get more water as I won't walk by any until Garfield Ridge campsite. I walked back to the spring, .3 miles back down the steep trail. It was so steep I worked up a sweat when I had been cold. I'm excited about tomorrow's hike and hope I have good weather. It is unbelievable up here. I've walked over 1800 miles and feel the hike is beginning all over again.
Date: 2007-08-11
From: Stealth Tent Site

To: Stealthville
Miles today: 10.0

It is a beautiful morning. Blue sky above and through the small forest. The air is cool, crisp, just right. I reenter the traila nd begin a day like no other. Every step is wonderful. Even walking in the small forest is sweet. But then the challenges begin and the way is tough but the reward is priceless. The view from above the tree line is big. It is almost too much to take in. I have to look at pieces of the scene and then move to the next piece. It is too much for me to describe. There are mountains all over the place. There are so many! I wonder how many I will climb. That's a thought - wow! As I climb up one mountain it is connected to the next higher one with another ridge or a steep descent and a steep ascent many times over. The rewards keep on coming. I climb Little Haystack Mountain, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette, The north peak of Mt Lafayette, Mt Garfield and many minor ups and downs along the ridges. The clouds rolled in when I was on Mt Lafayette. The clouds streamed by in wisps and they looked like the smoke used in aerodynamic tests. I huddle behind a big boulder and watched the city slickers begin to shiver while they talked on their cell phones in loud voices. Oh how I miss this! Soon I am hiking away into the sounds of the wind in the fir trees. Along the way I gather water and begin looking for a home. About two miles later I find a spot almost big enough. I set up on roots and between two trees about 3 feet too close. I am in my tent ready to rest after I finish this entry. The only tree around my site with a branch big enough to use for hanging my foodbag puts it directly over my tent. So I guess I'll know if anything tries to get it! When I got back into my tent I noticed fir needles when I looked up. I must have knocked them off when I hung the food. They are randomly arranged on the tent roof and provide my evening entertainment.