morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-05
From: Baldpate Lean-to

To: Full Goose Lean-to
Miles today: 12.0

The Lord provided a great day today. I woke up early and was hiking by 7. I slept great last night and was full of energy this morning. The first two miles were easy which brought me to Grafton Notch where I found some trail magic (cheese pizza) left by a former hiker. I ate about 3 slices of the pizza and then started hiking up the steep terrain which led me up the Mahoosuc Range. I reached the first summit where I sat down on a rock and watched a big patch of fog roll in. Sticking out above the cloud off in the distance was the lonely peak of Mt. Washington which I'll have to summit in a few days. Before I moved on, I stood on the rock and let out a howl which echoed through the valleys below. It was the first time I did that where I actually heard the reverberating echo for several seconds. So I had more fun with it and yelled more crazy things. I then moved on to the Speck Pond Shelter where I ate lunch. Speck Pond is the first shelter I came to where you have to pay to stay. From here on through the White Mountain Range the trail is maintained by the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club --although thru-hikers call it the Appalachian Money Club because they call themselves a non-profit org. but charge guests 60-80 bucks to stay in the huts and 8 bucks to stay at campsites and shelters). I finally made it to the Mahoosuc Arm which I had to descend. It was tough. I fell 2 or three times because it was so slick. The falls weren't bad though. One time I fell and it was so funny I couldn't stop laughing as I laid in a tangled mess at the foot of a rock. I looked like I had tied myself in a knot with the small pine trees, two trekking poles and my other four limbs. Luckily nobody saw it happen. When I neared the bottom of the Arm I met up with the Librarian who I was glad to see again (we had met at WhiteHouse Landing) and Chou Chou who was hiking with her. I reached the bottom of the Arm and then had to hike through the Mahoosuc Notch which is considered "the toughest mile of the A.T." It takes up to 3 hours to make it 1 mile through the Notch which is basically a huge boulderfield in a very very narrow ravine. It was fun climbing over, under and around the house-sized mossy boulders. I put the trekking poles away because they proved useless and made it through with Dancing Goat and Walking on Sunshine in 1 hour. Now I'm finally at the Full Goose Shelter where a group of Harvard Freshmen just arrived and are making a bunch of noise. Only 4.9 miles til I enter New Hampshire!Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-06
From: Full Goose Lean-to

To: Trident Col Tentsite
Miles today: 14.5

Around 11:30 today I walked from Maine to New Hampshire. Maine's state motto was: "The Way Life Should Be." New Hampshire's is "LIVE FREE OR DIE!" Yesterday's and today's hike was the most difficult terrain I've encountered thus far in my trek. If you want to know what I'm experiencing, spend about 3 hours stepping from your kitchen floor to the kitchen counter. Going uphill is physically draining and stomping downhill is simply painful. Five miles felt like 10 and after 15 I felt like I had run a marathon. Gorham tomorrow.Ramblin On,Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-12
From: Gorham

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I finally managed to get out of Gorham. On Thursday I began to feel sick w/ fever. I woke up the next day and it was worse. So on Saturday I got back on the trail and did a 21 mile section from Pinkham Notch to Gorham Rt. 2. This only worsened the cold that I had so I went back to Gorham and rested. The good part of all this is that Social and Dandelion, who I had met months before at Trail Days in Damascus, VA, appeared at the hostel. I was hoping I would be able to see and fellowship with them for a while during my hike. So today I hiked from Pinkham Notch up to Madison Spring Hut. It was an absolutely beautiful day in the Presidentials. Not a cloud in the sky. Once I got above treeline I could see for miles and miles. In fact, now that I've climbed above treeline, it will be another 15 miles before I descend again! But the temperatures have dropped and are in the twenties this evening. Thankfully I'm staying at the Hut doing "work for stay," a program offered to thru-hikers by the AMC.Gazing up at the Milky Way,Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-13
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Lake of the Clouds
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

Today's hike up Mt. Washington was not that difficult. I'm sure one reason is that the whole hike was above treeline, and when I'm not trapped in the "green tunnel" I can look around, enjoy the views and travel becomes much more enjoyable. It was overcast most of the day but the cloud base was higher than the peaks so I was never walking through fog. The mountain itself was full of tourists and the cog railroad continued to bring more and more while blowing its thick black smoke into the horizon. At the top of the mountain you could buy chilidogs, t-shirts and bumper stickers that said: "My car made it up Mt. Washington." It was a weird scene. As I descended I met a fella from NC who works at Lakes of the Clouds. He was carrying food from Washington to the hut which was only about a mile and a half downhill. I walked it with him and am staying here tonight doing the work for stay. Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-15
From: Lake of the Clouds

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: fog

I woke up to fog this morning with rain in the forcast. I was really hoping for clear weather in the White Mountains, but I see that is quite rare. So today I only moved a few miles to the next hut. The "croo" at Lakes of the Clouds was great. (Thanks Erica, Eliza, Julia, Bajo & John)Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-16
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 14.1

Today I woke up to a Bob Dylan song being played on the acoustic guitar by R.D., a worker at Mizpah hut. Each hut has their own way of waking up their guests about 30 min. before breakfast.Hikers doing work for stay must wait for the guests to eat, then we eat, then work. Usually its in that order. Sometimes the huts will let you do the work the evening prior so you can start hiking earlier than 9:30. Such was the case this morning. So after I had eaten 5 amazing blueberry muffins and an omelette I got on the trail. It was foggy early on, but by 10 it began to clear up and the views I had from Webster Cliffs down into Crawford Notch were stunning. But the most beautiful part of the day was spent in the presence of a girl named Jen whom I met as I arrived at Zealand Falls Hut. Too bad that moment was cut short as the group she was hiking with was leaving just then...But I'm walking South...Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-17
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Greenleaf Hut
Miles today: 14.7

Last night I slept on the floor of the Zealand Falls Hut. About 5am the "Croo" started cooking so I packed up my gear, skipped breakfast and started hiking early. I made it to Mt. Guyot where I found a warm rock, ate breakfast and then actually fell asleep on the rock. I got up when I heard someone say: "Hey look! A dead person!" "I'm really not dead." I said, and then got moving again. Today has been one of the warmest days lately, and I took full advantage of that. The scenery is top notch as well. I climbed Guyot, Garfield, Twin Peak and Mt. Lafayette. And let me say that I was very tired by Mt. Lafayette, but that mountain is beautiful. I also met a trail angel / A.T. alumni up top who gave me a bag of candy bars. I then took a 1 mile side trail leading down to the Greenleaf Hut where I arrived just before dusk. Tomorrow's weather is forcasted to be nice which is really great because I'll be going over the Franconia Range, which Mt. Lafayette is a member. Now I'm just waiting for the guests to go to sleep so I can sprawl out on the floor of this Hut.Peace,Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-18
From: Greenleaf Hut

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 10.3

It was another early morning as the hut croo came down from their loft to start cooking at 5:15am. For work they had me sweep the bunkrooms and dining room which meant that I had to stick around until the guests had left (9:30). But I had no problem with that since I only needed to hike about 10 miles to the next and last hut. And as a little side note, these huts have fed me quite well. I really haven't needed to dive into my own supply of food for the past week. This is saving me $$, but is not reducing my pack weight. I continue to carry the same 35 lbs. I left Gorham with.Nevertheless I'm carrying all that weight over the most beautiful place I've ever seen...The Franconia Range.Peace,Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-19
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

This has been one of the toughest days I've had. The weather forecast was calling for pm showers. They started around 2:45 and have remained steady. So yes, I am proud to announce to my readers that I have officially slipped off a bog bridge and into the murky depths of mud. It happened so quick I didn't really see it coming. All I had was the sudden realization that I was thigh-high in muck. When I pulled myself out, I thought the bog was going to take my shoe as a souvenier, but thankfully it had mercy on me. I did get a shoe-full of Bog Juice as my punishment, which probably added another 2,349,933 million strands of new bacteria to my shoes which already held at least a billion or so.I hopped in the next brook to wash off and then started my steep ascent from Kinsman Notch up Mt. Moosilauke. I arrived thoroughly drenched to the next shelter just before dark.This is the first night I've spent in a shelter alone. The Northbound traffic is about over.What a day!Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-21
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 0.0

I'm at a hostel in Glencliff, sitting here at the computer and the T.V. is tuned to The Weather Channel with its elevator music in the background. There are forest fires in the midwest, snow falling in the Rockies and both the temperatures and leaves are falling here in New Hampshire. Is winter coming too quick? I don't know, but peak leaf season is just about here. I had thought I would experience that somewhere in NY or even PA... Sorry it has been so long since the last update. I write in my journal nearly every night. Eventually I arrive at a town where I shower, do laundry and try to find somewhere to use the internet. Normally I have to go to the public library where I put my name on a list and wait for my turn. This usually comes in 30 min. increments. In Gorham it cost 2 dollars/30 min. If I have 7 or 8 journal entries to type, I don't have the time, money or patience to enter them all. Plus I check my own personal email accts. But thankfully I have found another way. I bought a new device called PocketMail. I will carry this device on the trail and type my journals every night. Then when I get to a town, all I need to do is find a phone and dial an 800 number to upload and download messages. A big thank you goes to my Mom for being my transcriber during this journey. I have really enjoyed reading the guestbook when I come into towns. Thank You EVERYONE! And now that I have this new toy/tool, I would love to receive any personal emails. . . My A.T. email address is: easyfeelin@pocketmail.comI will not be able to receive any attachments with the emails.Love you all,Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-09-22
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 7.4

Yesterday was spent updating my website at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. The hostel is very hiker-friendly and has everything a hiker could need except a phone. Since I was the only hiker there for the majority of the day, I had the computer to myself. Around 3, two other nobos showed up: Straw and Cowboy. The three of us did what hikers tend to do...we went to go eat. With a glazed look in our eyes and drool falling from our chins we placed our orders. "It all looks so good," "I'd like one of these and one of these... Oh, and one of those..." And so it goes... I wish I would've brought my camera to prove what large quantities of food thru hikers can eat. The hunger hits hard. I try to satisfy it, but it comes back way too quick. Anyway, this is just making me hungry writing about it. I left Glencliff today around noon and was a couple tenths of a mile into the woods when I spooked a cow moose. She ran up the hill a short ways and when I got closer I saw that her calf was following behind. But then I saw the huge bull moose that was with them both. He just stopped and stared at me for a while before trotting up the hill and out of sight. It was strange seeing all 3 together like that. Hopefully I'll have plenty more animal encounters. (No skunks & no bears at night please.) Hanover here I come,(MICE! GO FIND A SNAKE!!!),~~Easy Feelin~~{{irritated}}
Date: 2006-09-23
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I woke up to more rain. I laid around for another hour in hopes of the rain letting up--but it never did--so I finally started moving. I heated up water for oatmeal and coffee, then started my migration south. Thankfully the rain wasn't too bad today. I started out walking through old-growth forests and the canopy kept me from getting soaked. But the occasional gust of wind along the treetops would set in motion gob-sized drops of water which was enough to keep my hat and packcover soaked all day. The trail passed by an old firetower, but it would've been pointless to climb because of the fog. Instead I took a break at the old firewarden's cabin which is now used as an A.T. shelter. About 3:45 I left and pushed another 7 miles to the next shelter. Luckily the spring is excellent here. I ran out of water treatment and have been having to choose my water sources carefully. I will carry enough water from here in the morning to last me until I get to Hanover, NH (Home of Dartmouth College) 17 miles away. I've been thinking about all the wonderful restaurants an old college town is bound to have...God Bless,~~Easy Feelin~~
Date: 2006-10-04
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was actually warm today with clouds moving in and out. I never walked through rain though. Thankfully. When I got to the shelter I met Chris, who in 2005 was "Asbestos Man." I guess he still is Asbestos, but he introduced himself as Chris. He's an organic farmer from MA and here with his friend Scott. Just before dark, Storyteller and 46er came in. I had first met them in Stratton, but they caught up during my break in Hanover. It's nice to have some company here tonight. Today I did walk through some green pastures that were contrasted with the autumn foliage. I really wanted to lie down in one of them, but pushed on to the shelter to cook and dry out my tent. But I hear there's more pastures tomorrow, and I will definitely take time to lounge, possibly even take a nap in one. It's almost peak foliage here in Vermont,Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-10-05
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Lookout Cabin 
Miles today: 14.0

I slept horribly last night. This wasn't due to the gusty wind or the pounding rain on the shelter roof (nor to the snoring) but to the fact that my mind was racing. I could not stop thinking. I did reach some conclusions, but even then I could not stop thinking about the conclusions. At some time during the course of the night I did doze off though...Today was another day that was so beautiful I only wish I had someone to share it with. I did receive trail magic first thing this morning. Chris, who stayed in the shelter last night, gave me his gloves and toboggan when he found out I lacked winter gear. His friend Scott also gave me a pack of tuna. (BIG Thanks to you guys) I had feared that the winds last night were so fierce that all the leaves would be off the trees, but thankfully I was wrong. The fall colors are everywhere! Vermont is bursting with them. It was crisp, cool and breezy with blue skies all day.   Whenever I'm walking--despite the fact that I can't sing--I usually get some tune stuck in my head. For some unknown reason, ever since Maine, I've had the Beatles song "Yellow Submarine" lodged in my brain. It's really stuck and won't go away! Do you know how annoying it is to keep singing "we all live in a yellow submarine..a yellow submarine..yellow submarine"???!So way back in Maine I decided to mix things up a bit and change the lyrics to "green submarine"--since I was constantly walking through the green tunnel...Well I cringe at the thought that now I'm forced to change the stupid lyrics back to "yellow" because its true! There's yellow on the ground, yellow straight ahead, yellow up high...Please, if there's any creative songwriters out there, please please pleeeeese email me the lyrics of a new version of yellow submarine.P.S. I would love for the song to be about *bombing* *submarines*. Whoever submits (via email) the most creative tune will receive mad props, a nintendo game cube, a 500 dollar gift spree, a partridge in a pear tree and the wonderful consolation of knowing you saved the sanity of a lonely A.T. thru hiker. We all live....,~Easy Feelin   easyfeelin@pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-06
From: Lookout Cabin 

To: Sherburne Pass/Rutland, VT
Miles today: 17.0

Today was just a cool day. But not this morning. No, this morning was {{cold}} and frosty. The gloves and toboggan were priceless.   But I got moving and it warmed up a bit. It's hard to get moving when it's cold--but once I do get going, the cool is much more pleasurable in comparison with the heat. When I got to the trailhead, I needed to hitch into Rutland for resupply, and to pick up a package at the post office. I stuck my thumb out, and about 5 minutes later Patrick pulled his pickup over to the side. I threw all my stuff in the back and asked if he minded if a dirty, smelly hiker sat in the front. (Thanks Patrick!)So I finally found the hiker hostel that accepts donations only. It's right in the middle of town and its ran by a Christian comunity called the Twelve Tribes. I went with Storytelller and 46er to their evening worship service and supper afterwards. I will write more on this later, but I will say that they are an extremely nice group of Christians who keep the Sabbath (from Friday's dusk to Saturday's dusk). I am so intrigued by these people and have so much to say that I'm having a hard time stopping right now.But I have to because it's late and I'm tired.Hasta Manana,~~Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-10-07
From: Sherburne Pass/Rutland, VT

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

I have been amazed by this long stretch of beautiful weather here in Vermont. There has not been a cloud in the sky recently. I hiked to the peak of Killington today where I encountered about 150 tourists that had ridden the gondola up. The whole peak was to capacity. Being surrounded by such a crowd seemed strange to me, yet I was the one wearing the gaitors and carrying the two metal rods. I left as soon as I saw the huge line of people winding through the cafeteria waiting for their nachos, hotdogs and double cheeseburgers. I got held up in a crowd of oversized middle-aged people that could hardly walk on anything other than a flat surface, and decided that it was time to get off that mountain. I don't want to grow old on the couch only to experience nature once a year when the leaves are changing.I descended the steep trail from the peak--steep enough to deter nearly all typical gondolanders--and two-tenths of a mile later I was free again, walking along the trail of white blazes, dodging mud and hopping over springs with no other soul in sight.Oh yes, my biggest quest of the day was the search for the "Secret Shelter." I had heard rumors...many rumors of this unofficial refuge~~~ And trust me--it does exist! I have seen pictures... (I also hear they have fed hikers lasagna)...So I gathered the facts.I was told to follow the signs. But as more miles were put in, there was no manifestation of signage anywhere! And so, for me, the shelter retains its essence... But I did pass the 500-mile mark today!~Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-10-09
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Lula Tye Shelter
Miles today: 14.0

Last night at the shelter I met Ramps, a nobo that started in Georgia and hiked north until he had to get off due to an injury. He's back on after a month of recovery, but only hiking to Hanover this year. It was fun talking about all the hikers we both knew.Another beautiful day! I took my first break only a couple of miles into my hike when I came upon a ledge overlooking the Rutland Airport. I sat there eating and watching planes land and take off. I was hoping that my friends 46er and Storyteller would come walking by, but I still haven't seen signs of them. I only have about 74 more miles to hike in Vermont. Then on to Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and then SPRINGER MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA BABY...Oh my!!! Only 1,656.3 miles to go... I doubt Robert Frost had that many... Easy Feelin'
Date: 2006-10-12
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Spruce Pine Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: light rain

Today I went to the outfitter store and bought a new pair of Merrell trailrunners, which were on sale for 60 bucks. They are exactly the same as the ones I'm wearing now. They seem to be working out just fine, and I don't want to gamble with blisters. I believe I can get another 100 miles out of the old pair, so I sent the new pair home to be re-sent at a later date. While I was at the hostel in Manchester, I met "Just a Lad," "The Professor," and both of their wives--who, by the way, are extremely compassionate, loving, and patient for allowing their husbands to roam around Appalachia from Georgia to Maine. They've spent 6 years section-hiking the A.T., and both have finished! "Just a Lad" and Barbara (trail angels) drove me back to the trail this morning where we snapped a pic together before I went trudging back into the woods in the rain, hesitating looking over my shoulder and seeing them speeding off in their car, with the heater on, heading back to Frank's hostel--where its warm (because there's a heater), and they can cuddle up on the couch while enjoying the sound of the pelting rain being blown against the window, sipping their coffee and watching the Weather Channel--completely at peace with God, nature and humanity. Meanwhile, their new thru hiker friend is stuck out in the elements. The sky is wailing and he is gnashing his teeth...Wait!..No, his teeth are chattering convulsively, and his fingers have gone numb. He's wondering what sin he had committed to have been treated so harshly by nature and by God and by the man that dropped him off in such a desolate wilderness. After hours upon hours and miles upon miles of trekking through the drenching rain, fording through nearly impassable rivers, and pleas upon pleas to God Almighty that He may forgive any cardinal sin that his ancestors may have committed, he came upon the Spruce Pine Shelter.Ok, so maybe it was only two miles in a light drizzle...But sitting back and watching the Weather Channel with a mug of hot chocolate sure does sound good! From the A.T.Easy Feelin