morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-15
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

It was an overcast morning but at least it wasn't raining. It sure was slick though. I was slip-sliding all over the place. At one point, on a steep down, if it hadn't been for a tree right in my path I'd have gone tumbling head over heels. Shortly after this incident I came upon Che, Mule, and Peanuts' camp. They were just getting up so I stopped and had second breakfast with them. Che and Mule were going the gourmet route today. They were going to make pancakes, which is an ambitious task for a thru hiker. We usually don't like to spend that much time on a meal. I moved on as they were getting the bugs ironed out. I went over the Clarendon Gorge on a suspension bridge. I'm glad I don't get vertigo easily! It is a pretty cool place. The terrain has been pretty rough. Not the actual trail but what we are hiking in. The ups and downs are pretty constant and they can get pretty steep. The actual terrain is beautiful. Very, very hard to put into words. NH and Maine are supposed to be even better. If that is the case there will be a lot of "Oh wow" moments based on what I have seen the last couple of days. Late in the day I climbed Killington Peak and made my way to the shelter. I was pretty tired when I got there, exhausted as a matter of fact! I ate and listened to the radio. I actually found a station broadcasting the Yankees game. A station based in VT. Figured they would all be Red Sox fans up here. Not sure if I will catch Gypsy and crew tomorrow but I am getting closer!
Date: 2005-08-16
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 21.8

Another early start. For the fist time in quite awhile I woke to chilly morning. Chilly enough that I put on the old Frogg Togg top to warm up. Thank goodness I have my winter gear coming to Hanover. I must have been tired last night. When I got up there were two more bodies in the shelter and I didn't hear them come in at all. Highly unusual, since it is tough to keep the noise of packing and unpacking down. Also unusual because I don't sleep that well in a shelter anyway. After the first three miles the AT and the Long Trail seperated. The AT takes a more easterly direction while the LT heads north. From this point on all I will see are NOBO's and any remaining SOBO's. I have a feeling there may be long stretches where I don't see anyone. The ranks have thinned considerably! I made my way to Kent Pond where I took some time to relax. I really like these ponds up here but, I still want to know why it is a pond instead of a lake. Kent Pond is big enough to be a lake in my book! The sun had broken through the mist and it was a nice morning. From there I made it to Stony Brook Shelter where I had lunch. I ran into Thrifty there. He had stayed near the pond and I must have missed him when I passed by. I had not seen him in awhile. He was going to head to a place called "The Barn" but I didn't think I would make it that far so I told him I would catch him tomorrow sometime. Food, I have noticed that food is becoming a constant thought. Not dinners or breakfasts, but snacks, things to munch on while I walk. I pack snacks out when I leave town but they just don't seem to last. Either that, or I don't have the willpower to not eat them. Just can't seem to get by with my stomache chewing on my backbone! I made it to the shelter around 5:30 where I ran into Longhaul. I kinda figured he might be there. He told me that Gypsy and crew were just ahead, at "The Barn". With that news I knew I would catch them bright and early tomorrow. We had dinner and, once again, I hit the sack early. Listened to another damn Yankee ballgame for awhile..they were losing so that was good. Getting closer and closer to NH!
Date: 2005-08-17
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

Both Longhaul and I are early risers so we up and out close to the same time. I did leave first and I told him I would see him later. It is definitely getting cooler at night. Kinda refreshing and it makes sleeping much nicer. I made it to the road crossing where the Barn was and I headed toward it. I knew most of the crew would still be there. Sure enough, they were. We laughed and talked as everyone got ready to leave. This is one of those situations where you leave when ready. We don't all hike in a row. Everyone has a different pace. Mouth and I were the last to leave and he pulled ahead son thereafter. I had been informed through one of my guest book entries that this section was a series of PUD's. Jan, you are absolutely correct! Up one, down one, then up and down again. All morning long. As she put it, it is a rite of passage for what is to come. I came upon the group taking a break so I joined them. Time for PopTart pack number two. I didn't stay to long because I am moving slower. Confession time. On Monday, the day after the rain, when I was coming into the Gorge I did some slipping and sliding as I stated in a previous entry. What I didn't say was I tweaked my knee in the process. One of those cases where it bugs the hell out of you but isn't something you can't deal with. At least, for the time being. I am taking it easier and slower. Thrifty has a brace, in Hanover, he is going to give me when we get there. The next stop for the day was the shelter, for lunch. It was a lot of fun. I told Gypsy that this was one of the few times that I have actually hiked with them during the middle of the day. She looked at me and said, "Well, if someone didn't get up so early". I had no response. The PUD's continued through the afternoon but eventually we hit West Hartford, VT. To get to town you cross a bridge. There was a group of people on the bridge, actually, jumping off the bridge. Mouth and LB had already made the jump and some other kids were being egged on to do it. I had no intention of doing it so I went down to the riverbank to watch the show. Soon, the entire crew was there and only a couple of us did it. We did egg on the kids that were there and most of the made the jump. The water did look inviting but not from that height! We stayed there for awhile, enjoying the afternoon sun but we did have three miles left so we had to head out. By this time my knee was reaching the "I've had enough" point so I decided not to push to the shelter. I passed the word to the group and told them I would see them in town tomorrow. I set up near a stream, had dinner and crawled into the bag. It was going to be a cool night according to the weather report. Again, I am glad I have my winter stuff coming tomorrow! All in all a fun day especially knowing we hit New Hampshire early in the morning.
Date: 2005-08-18
From: Campsite

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: clear sky

An old woods road is usually exactly what it says. A road that gets no use. I had contemplated cowboy camping right on the road last night but I found a nice little spot just off the road. A good thing I did! Around 11:00 I heard a noise from way above me, further up the mountain. I lay there trying to figure out what it was as it kept getting closer. It dawned on me that it was a vehicle, coming down the old woods road! It turned out to be a jeep with 4 kids in it. As it got near me I contemplated jumping out as it passed me, but I figured I would scare the driver so bad he would wreck it so I just lay there. The second thought that went through my head was that I was glad I had decided not to do the road. I would have woken in plenty of time to avoid being road kill but it would have been a pain in the butt! I was up and on the trail by 5:30, excited to get into Hanover but mainly, to get into New Hampshire. I crossed the state line around 8:00, 12 states down and 2 to go. Not to mention 1700+ miles down. Needless to say I was quite happy! Yesterday, we had all made plans to meet at Lou's Restaraunt for breakfast so I made my way there and waited for the rest of the group. Everyone must have gotten up early because it wasn't long before the crew showed up. We congratulated ourselves on our accomplishment, had breakfast and then split up. Everyone had different town chores they wanted to do but we all would meet at the motel later. This is the first motel I have stayed in since Erwin. That was a strange thing in and of itself. That evening we went to the AYCE fajita place. That was excellent! After dinner, much laughter, and a waitress who started mopping around us, Spider, a SOBO who had joined us, yogied a ride back to the motel. That was cool because we thought we were going to have to walk the 2 miles back. A great day and I was glad that Gypsy, Touk, Tink, Linux, Mouth, and Longhaul and I all crossed into NH on the same day. Tomorrow will be another nero. I'm planning on a monster, 1.5 miles, to the first shelter out. I think most everyone else is thinking of doing the same.
Date: 2005-08-19
From: Hanover, NH

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Since I didn't get my resupply done yesterday I had that to do this morning. Hanover has a nice little bus system that I used to get to the grocery store. I am still getting used to stcker shock here in the north. Way more expensive than back home! I got back to the motel in time to meet Clearwater's parents. Not only did we meet them but we were treated to an excellent homemade cheesecake! They gave most of the crew a ride back into town but I still had to pack up so I took the bus in when I was ready. The rest of the day was spent hanging out around town. The green on the Dartmouth campus, The Dartmouth Outdoor Center, the bookstore, and so on. I spent a lot of time in the bookstore. I could spend hours in bookstores, just browsing the titles, especially with a good cup of coffee in my hand. Around 4:00, Touk shouts across the street to me asking if I wanted to go to the movie. I shouted back OK and we booked it to the theater. We had talked about it earlier and, in true hiker fashion, didn't decide to go till the last minute. We saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I liked it. Johnny Depp is a good actor in my opinion. This was the first movie I have seen since Damascus, way back in the beginning of May. After the show it was time to think about leaving town. Gypsy, Touk, and I were the last to leave and by time we did the big mileage to the shelter it was almost dark. I set up the tent and joined the crew around the campfire. It was nice to have a fire! We haven't had one for quite awhile and I had forgotten how nice they were. The temps are getting cooler at night which is why we are probably thinking of campfires. As it stands right now the group consists of Gypsy, Touk, Tink, Mouth, Linux, and myself. LB and York were there but they would be pushing on tomorrow. Gypsy, Touk, Sunshine(who is a day back), and I have been pushing hard ever since Port Clinton to get here. Now that we are we are going to slip back into the mode of travel we know well, GLGE style! Hurray!
Date: 2005-08-20
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Moose Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: mist

It started raining during the night and was still raining some in the morning. I packed up a soggy tent and went to sit by the shelter. No one was in a big hurry to get started because of the weather. Eventually it turned into "tree rain" and I headed out. It was a soggy morning and it wasn't long before I was soaked. The temps were not bad but there was a wind that cooled things down considerably. It still wasn't a bad hike and I was enjoying myself. After awhile Linux passed me. He sure can move when he wants to! I told him I would see him at Moose Mtn. I arrived at Moose Mtn. around 12:30 or so. Patch was there, just getting ready to head out. Linux and I tossed out the, staying here option, due to the weather. The rest of the group straggled in and others also expressed their desire to stay. Some wanted to walk but, being the democratic group we are, we took a vote and walking was defeated by a 4 to 2 vote. Of course the 2 could have moved on but it wasn't that big of a deal so we all stayed. It turned into a short mile day with everyone spending the afternoon in their sleeping bags, sleeping or reading. We figured we would make up the miles lost today by doing 17 tomorrow. It has been quite awhile since I neroed in a shelter and we did have a good time. Linux and Mouth can get into some verbal battles that leave the rest of us rolling on the floor laughing. I also managed to almost finish the first book of the Wheel Of Time series which is a good thing because I am also packing books 2 and 3, both of which are not light! As evening approached it seemed like it was warming up some. The weather forecast did call for the rain to end by Sunday morning and then be half way decent till next Thursday. Hope so! As night fell people drifted into sleep and another day was done. A day that truly falls into a GLGE kind of day.
Date: 2005-08-28
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: moderate rain

Tink wanted to get out of camp early because there was a possibility of meeting some family members at Crawford Notch. She didn't know if it was going to happen or not but she wanted to get there just in case. Being the early bird I am I accompanied her. We left at 6:30. The wind was blowing and it had clouded up during the night. The chance for rain looked pretty good. We moved along, marveling at how nice the trail was. We felt like we were back in PA it was so level and smooth. Nothing to climb up or scramble down! We arrived at Crawford Notch at 9:00. The plan for the day was to only go here anyway but we didn't think it would be that easy to get here. We hit the parking area where we say a guy sitting in chair next to his car. He asked if we were thru-hikers and when we responded he offered us some trail magic. Fresh fruit and vegetables along with a soda. Great breakfast! His name was Rock Dancer and he had hiked in '97. I laughed and told him I was packing some info from him about NH. He laughed and said he was glad to hear it was still out there. While we were talking it started a slow drizzle but not enough to make you want to run for cover. Rock Dancer offered to run us into town for supplies once the rest of the crew showed up. They did roll in around 11:00. By then it was starting to rain a little more and we all decided that we weren't going to push any further today. Rock Dancer showed us a great little stealth site where we quickly pitched our tents. He then took us to the general store where we picked up a few supplies. Note to future thru-hikers; double your grocery budget for the north! You will need it! He brought us back and we all piled into Gypsy and Touk's tent. Not all of us sat in the tent but they have an awning that kept us dry. Rock Dancer stayed and talked awhile longer but then it was time for him to go. He still had a long drive to make before he got home. Thnaks for everything Rock Dancer! Much appreciated! We broke to our individual tents where we either read or napped the afternoon away. It was nice to not be hiking in the rain and to be relatively dry. That evening we sat around and cooked up dinner while making a list of things we wanted to see or do before the end of the hike. It is coming to an end, only 340 miles to go, and there are a few things we want to accomplish before the end. The rain had stopped but we had herd that is was not going to be very nice for the next few days. Looks like our Franconia Ridge day may be the only views we get in the Whites. I guess we will have to wait and see.
Date: 2005-09-02
From: Imp Campsite Area

To: Gorham,NH
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: fog

I was up with the sun this morning. Didn't see or hear the rest of the crew last night so I figure I will see them in town. Off I went, just a small up and then I hit something I hadn't seen in awhile. Trail, nice level, straight trail. It was great! I put it into 3 mile or better mode and off I went. It felt good to be able to stretch it out after so many days of ups and downs. It was an easy hitch into town and the couple that picked me up were very nice. They took me right to the post office, the town chore I wanted to get out of the way first. From there I headed toward The Barn but I ran into a detour. I spotted The Moonbeam Cafe on a side street. Someone had told me about this place many, many, miles back so I went up there. The cup of coffee turned into breakfast and a good one it was. I had something called a Smashie, a mashed potatoe pancake made with sour cream and spices. Very good! From there I went to The Barn, a hostel geared toward hikers. Nothing fancy, that is for sure, but the plan was to meet there when everyone got to town. LB, Squid Jerky, and York were already there and had been there for a few days, having been sucked into the Gorham vortex. Eventually the rest of the crew showed up and shortly after that Dingle swung by. He offered to put us up at his Gorham place, somewhere near Camp Dodge, so Gypsy, Touk, Tink, Thrifty, Snowman, and I piled into his car and off we went. That was quite the sight! Amazing how we manage to cram so many people, with gear, into a vehicle! After we got situated at camp, Gypsy and Dingle cooked up a dinner. It was a late dinner but it was excellent! After we ate we talked awhile but that didn't last long. It was time for bed. Sometime during the course of the evening Touk and Tink mentioned they would not be adverse to taking a zero tomorrow. I told them that if that was the decision I was game. The original plan had called for heading out in the AM. I guess we will see what happens.
Date: 2005-09-03
From: Gorham,NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Early AM, Gypsy and I seem to be the early risers amongst the whole group so we sat and talked while we watched the clouds drift over the mountain and the sun creep down the slope. The discussion revolved around whether to zero or not. I told her Touk and Tink were for it and that it wouldn't bother me if we did. She and Mouth, at least at that time, were thinking about going on. The decision would be put off till later because Dingle came over and asked if anyone wanted to go to breakfast. Dingle, Gypsy, and I headed for Pinkham Notch for breakfast. I went for coffee because I was to meet Skirt later, for breakfast. We got to the visitor center where I ran into Skirt. We left Dingle and Gypsy and went to town. Skirt brought me back to The Moonbean Cafe where we had an enjoyable breakfast. It was really good to talk with her on a one on one basis. Last year she and I had a couple of great talks, one of which went on till well after midnight. Thanks for breakfast Skirt! From there we went "shopping". I emphasize shopping because it seems so foreign to both of us. We joked about it as we drove toward the stores. I spotted Mouth walking toward the P.O. and we stopped. I got out of the car and asked if he knew the plan. He said we were zeroing, which caught me by surprise, but I was glad for it. Skirt and I "shopped" and then went back to the P.O. where a gathering was beginning to occur. Fancy Pants, Goosebump, Clearwater, Free Radical, Epic, and Dingle were there. Dingle looked at me and said that it looked like it was going to "party time in Dodge". I laughed and the shuttle service began to the camp. More and more people came in as the afternoon progressed. A lot of people that we had not seen in awhile. The reunion was great. Sunshine, Roamer, Camel, Clearwater, Goosebump, Free Radical, Epic, Mouth, Tink, Gypsy, Touk, Bearcan, Fancy Pants, Thrifty, Snowman, Jax, and myself were all there. We spent the afternoon playing 4 square, whiffle ball, and football. Gypsy and Dingle took charge of dinner and by 6:00 we were all chowing down. After dinner the party continued. Gypsy broke out the party ball, a small disco ball she has been carrying, and the kitchen turned into a dance room. We were spinnin' the CD's and having a blast. It was great fun! It was midnight before everyone finally went to bed. Thanks Dingle! A great time you provided us!
Date: 2005-09-04
From: Gorham, NH

To: Trident Col Campsite
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Time to get back on the trail. Two days of fun is too much, time to get back to work! The five of us plus Thrify and Snowman were the only ones physically in Gorham, based on trail miles. Everyone else was two days back, at Pinkham Notch. We said our goodbyes to all and made our way back to town. It was a tough hitch back to town! Of course, our group of 5 didn't help but it has never taken us this long before but we did make it back. Mouth, Tink, and Whatsit were going to head straight to the trail but I had some things to do yet. Gypsy and Touk were still making their way down from the campsite. I still had several calls to make so I didn't get out of town around noon. It was a nice day but the terrain was still tough. I ascended Mt. Hayes, the last of the mountains in the Presidentials. From there I went over Cascade Mtn. where I ran into Tink and Whatsit. Whatsit is hiking for a couple of days and he is definitely not used to the ups and downs. I told them I would see them at the campsite. Around four I ran into Mouth near the cutoff for the tentsite. He thought we were going to push on another 5 miles but I told him everyone was planning on stopping here. We turned into the camp area and and found places to set up. It was nice getting in early for a change. It seems like we have been going all day lately and now that it is getting dark around 7:30 it doesn't give much time to relax when you roll in late. I managed to get some reading in. When I say reading I mean more than a 3 pages like I usually do when I read just before bed. Tomorrow we enter Maine! The last state on our journey! We are excited but then we also realize the journey is nearing an end. You will probably hear a lot about this as the days progress.