morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-30
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Green Mountain House
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: light rain

Today was a near perfect day for hiking. It was cool, breezy, and sunny with big, puffy, white clouds. This morning when I woke I put my long sleeve fleece and jacket on while I ate breakfast. After about 45 minutes of hiking I was down to just a shirt and shorts. The air was so much dryer it almost had a fall feel. I felt much better hiking today, I¢m not sure if it was the weather or the fact that I was only doing 10 miles into town. The miles were quickly going by today, so quick that as I was going down a gravel road humming to myself I didn¢t notice a bear alongside the road until he bolted to the opposite side and down into the woods. I¢m glad he didn¢t wait 5 seconds longer or we might have touched as he bolted past. This certainly would have changed my mood, as how close he had been was near enough. I certainly hope bears are scared of getting their pictures taken, because if one ever charges me, that seems to be my first instinct, reach for the camera and maybe I can get a good shot. This incident happened so fast I couldn¢t do anything. This does bring my bear sighting totals to 1 in VA, 1 in NJ, 1 in NY, none in CT, 1 in MA, and now 1 in VT. Still as of yet, no Moose, but I¢m confident I will see one. I got a quick hitch into town from a delivery guy in a cube truck, which was a relief because it is 5.5 miles into town. After a quick lunch at Friendly's I came out to see Enzed and Snifur walking toward me with Ben and Jerry¢s in their hands. Apparently they caught a bus from Bennington into town. After catching up we hit the outfitters and the grocery store together and then they decided they would stay at the hostel also. When we arrived at the hostel we realized what a great decision we had made. The hostel is an entire house with a complete kitchen, dining room, living room and sleeping accommodations for 14. It is immaculate, and well decorated with AT symbols, pictures, maps, and info on other long distance trails. Jeff¢s place has free internet, real beds with clean linens, laundry, Ben & Jerry¢s and a nice big lawn to relax on. Definitely one of the top 3 hostels on the trail, if not the best, at least so far. This is a do not miss if you come into Manchester Center, Vermont. A great place for my nero, and I¢m looking forward to getting back on the trail tomorrow, but I think I¢ll just take it easy. Oh yeah, regarding the trail, it goes from some of the best trail I¢ve hiked to some of the worst, all within seven hundred feet.
Date: 2011-07-01
From: Green Mountain House

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: light rain

Today I had raisin bread, Fruit Loops, and a banana for breakfast; this was topped off with a peach and the rest of my Ben & Jerry¢s Ice Cream. This was a great way to start the day after a nice night¢s rest in the hostel. Jeff dropped us off at the trail head at about 7:45, and we started the climb up Bromley Mountain. It wasn¢t too bad, but there were still some clouds and fog around so the views from the lookout tower weren¢t the best. We also went up and over both Styles Peak and Peru Peak today and the weather had improved to a beautiful day, so the views were better. My thought was to do just under 20 today, but I saw in the registers that I am just 2 days behind Mammoth, and also he mis-figured his bounce box to Hanover, so he was slowing down some to time it right. Of course this made me decide to push a little further and ended up with closer to 25 miles. So much for a kinder and gentler hike. It did take its toll though as I was very tired when I made it to the shelter. Enzed & Snifur just decided to continue from Manchester Center and are also here at the shelter tonight. I¢m trying out my new head net tonight to ward off the mosquitos, will have to see how this works out.AlanJuly 15, 2011 ¢ I was able to meet up with Alan at Pinkham Notch yesterday, and we drove to Gorham to spend the night at the Town & Country Inn. We had a nice dinner, and today we drove around getting his re-supply and laundry done. Also picked up a couple items at the post office and he was able to get new tips for his hiking poles. He was back on the trail today a little after noon time. Kathy, Alan is using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 camera on the trail. ¢ Mary
Date: 2011-07-03
From: Cooper Lodge

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

This morning started out cool and breezy, perfect for hiking. However, by 8:30 rumbles of thunder could be heard and it started to sprinkle. I put my pack cover and rain jacket on just in time as the sky opened up and a good old morning thunder storm rolled on in. With dry weather for the last couple of days the trail had been getting much better; the rain quickly changed it back to very slick. Up high on Killington the mud wasn¢t very deep, but the whole trail eventually became a layer of slippery mud. Thus on the decent I slipped and slid all over the place. Snifur never showed up last night and Enzed didn¢t hear from him, so we figured he must have gotten off trail to fix his shoe problem. Enzed left early this morning and I was about 45 minutes behind. She had talked about going into Killington about 9 miles out today for re-supply. After walking in the rain for an hour I ducked into a shelter for 20 minutes to let the worst of the storm pass, and then I started out again. When I got to the Killington Road crossing I decided to do the .6 to the Deli for lunch. Me being so smart, and recognizing some of the names of the restaurants (we came here February vacation to ski) I walked up the road then turned up the Killington Resort road toward the restaurants. After I walked about a mile I remembered everything was quite a ways up, so I turned around and started walking down the hill. I stopped at a realtors that was open and asked about the deli. He was a firefighter for Killington and told me it was just a little further beyond the road I had turned on to head to the resort. He then offered to give me a ride. I gladly accepted and was quickly at the deli. When I arrived I found Enzed at the picnic table with her shoes off drinking chocolate milk and updating her blog. She was also charging her new camera that was dead because it had taken about 300 pictures in her pocket. It is one of the new cameras that will take a picture by touching the screen. Apparently it was on and kept taking pictures through the mesh pocket as she walked, she said some were quite interesting. I quickly ordered lunch, charged my phone, and relaxed a little now that the rain had stopped. We hiked the last 7 miles together up and over 2 tough, steep, climbs. I was huffing and puffing pretty hard, but didn¢t stop. Well we did stop once early on to get some trail magic someone had left in the stream. Yum, cold sodas and Oreo cookies. Actually the climbs were so steep that I was glad I passed on the Ben + Jerry¢s, even though they did have my new favorite, Brownie Cheesecake. When we arrived at the shelter Dream Walker was already asleep at 5:30. Looks like it will just be us 3 tonight. I almost set up my tent in the shelter as there was plenty of room, but opted to tent off to the side so I wouldn¢t bother anyone when I got up. Going to bed early tonight because I think I¢ll try for 21.5 miles tomorrow and the terrain looks like a lot of steep up and downs. I did go over the 1,700 mile mark today, and now have only 1 1/2 days left in Vermont.
Date: 2011-07-04
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: few clouds

I was up early today in hopes of getting a good start on a big day. I left about 6:45 and immediately descended steeply to the road and then just as steeply we headed back up. That¢s pretty much how today went, short steep ups and downs. The nice thing is the trail is beautiful, dry and mostly covered with pine needles or leaves with very few rocks and roots. Plus the area we walked through today was very scenic - fields, old logging roads lined with stone walls, and Pine, Spruce, and Hemlock forests. The only glitches in the day were it was hot and humid and Enzed¢s knee was acting up after about 13 miles, and she decided she would catch a ride to Hanover to rest it. I met two different trail crews out working on the trails near the first shelter, and I complimented them on how well taken care of this section of trail was.At the first shelter I had gone in for a rest and snack when I realized at the road crossing in 3.5 miles there was a farm stand that sold pie, ice cream and soda. I told Enzed I was going there for lunch and she decided she could make it that far and would try for a ride there. When I arrived I immediately had a banana, coke and some mini brownies. When Enzed showed up we decided to split a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was delicious but it sat kind of heavy for the next 3 or 4 hills. Enzed caught a ride and I hiked the nine more miles to the next shelter. The shelter had a southbounder with no trail name yet, and two other northbound couples. One couple was finishing a hike they had to stop last year, and the other was doing a flip flop hike. Dream Walker also came in and he and I are tenting out back. It looks like someone else came in late and pitched a tent also. The plan tomorrow is to hike the 15 miles to Hanover as quickly as possible and then my wife is picking me up so I can zero at home. Hopefully I will finally plan how I¢m going through NH and the Whites. I¢m going to try to leave early tomorrow as it is supposed to be hot again. Of course I hear that only 4 miles down the trail there is a place that serves breakfast and lunch, it will be hard to pass that by.
Date: 2011-07-05
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover (and Home)
Miles today: 14.6

I was up and out of camp before anyone else today. I was ready to leave at 6:15 but didn¢t leave until 6:45 because I got talking with Too Late & Too Soon. Both they & Speedo & Peabody were planning on stopping at a restaurant at West Hartford for breakfast and wondered if I was too. I told them I had to be to Hanover by 1:00, but may find it hard to pass by. I hiked pretty fast, excited about seeing family and friends. I think Enzed may come home also to rest her knee and leg, but that may change. The terrain was great, rolling hills with nice dry, well graded path. I did have to go through 1 or 2 wet fields that got my shoes soaked, but it was still a nice walk. When I got to West Hartford I couldn¢t resist and went in and ordered a breakfast sandwich and homefries. I had an orange juice and a cup of tea while I waited. The meal was delicious, and just as I was finishing Speedo and Peabody came in and ordered also. We chatted for a few minutes and then I figured I better get going if I was to make it by 1:00. The good trail continued, plus I had a road walk through West Hartford, Norwich and into Hanover, so I made good time and arrived about 12:45. Enzed was with my wife already waiting as she had scored a stay at the Hanover Inn, right next door, last night. Mammoth had been in town last night also, but left this morning. So I have come within 2 or 3 hours of him, but will lose most of the gain when I zero. We headed the 2 hours back to Alton and spent the rest of the day relaxing, and eating of course.
Date: 2011-07-06
From: Hanover (and Home)

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I spent most the day relaxing, organizing, and eating again. We did however get an opportunity, thanks to my brother-in-law Ric, to take Enzed out for a boat ride on the lake. My son, a couple of my nieces, Enzed, and myself all took a turn getting towed in the tube. We had to cut the fun short as some dark clouds rolled in, but I¢m happy to report that there were no injuries, so we will head back to the trail tomorrow. It looks like my son Kyle, my wife, and Ric are going to try to meet up with me in a couple days to camp and hike for two days. This should give them a little taste of what it is like. They are going to take on a tough climb the second day going over Mt Moosilauke.
Date: 2011-07-07
From: Home

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

After a quick re-supply we dropped Enzed off at the Hiker¢s Welcome Hostel in Glencliff and I returned to Hanover to resume my hike. It wasn¢t quite as hard saying goodbye because I knew in 2 days¢ time my wife, son, and brother-in-law would be joining me for a couple of days on the trail.It was somewhat difficult to get back in the hiking groove. It¢s funny when you are on the trail it seems like you need a zero, but when you come back it seems like you lost some of your zip. Maybe it¢s just the fact that my pack is heavy with water & food. I made it to Moose Mountain Shelter about 6:15 after starting at 1:30, so it wasn¢t horrible, it just felt tough getting going. When I arrived I was greeted by Too Soon and Too Late who I had met just before getting into Hanover. They had also taken a zero day. There were also two southbound guys who don¢t have trail names yet, but their names are Sam + Adam, so are called Sam Adams currently. We all yakked for quite some time and then I pitched my tent off to the side of the shelter. There was also a group of 4 boys with 2 adults doing a program called C.O.R.E. They told me what that stood for, but I can¢t remember now. As I was coming into the woods from the Hanover fields I met a woman who came running up all excited to talk to a thru-hiker. Her name was ¢Moose¢ and she thru-hiked last year with a guy named ¢Tetherball¢. She was all excited to hear about my hike, and shared some stories about hers. When I mentioned the encounter to Too Soon and Too Late, they got all excited because last year they hiked with this same couple and had a good time. I guess ¢Moose¢s¢ appetite was legendary. It¢s funny how small the world is. Tomorrow I have two pretty good climbs from the looks of things, up and over both Holts Ledge and Smarts Mountain. The bumps on the profile map seem to be getting steeper and higher each day.AlanJuly 21, 2011 - I looked up C.O.R.E, it is the Cardigan Outdoor Recreation Expeditions and looks like a great program. Today, Thursday July 21, Alan should be somewhere near Rangeley, Maine. - Mary
Date: 2011-07-08
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

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

I started right out this morning going up to finish off Moose Mountain, which had a lot of blow downs. It was down to 1,000 feet, then up steeply to about 2,200 feet at Holts ledges. Then a climb back down to 900 feet only to do a two part climb to 3,200 feet at Smarts Mountain. I finished the day off with a long decent to 1,400 feet then a climb to 2,100 feet half way up Mt cube to the Hexacuba shelter. The footing was pretty good but all the ups and downs took their toll. I¢m glad I started about 6:30 this morning, because even with all the breaks and lingering I did I managed to get to the shelter around 5:45. I¢m starting to meet more and more southbounders now which is fun because with 400 miles under their belts they are starting to get trail savvy, and their hiker hunger is coming on strong. Today I came across ¢Moose Mulch¢ and ¢Appalachian Man¢. They were both very energetic, and described how they had taken on 3 food challenges in 3 days. It¢s nice too, because I can find out information on those hikers who are in front of me. I also met¢ Ferntoe¢ today, another southbounder. After I finish Mt Cube tomorrow I¢ll meet up with Mary, Kyle & Ric after what I hope will be a fairly early day before they have to take on Mount Moosilauke. The shelter tonight is kind of neat. It is a Hexagon log cabin, hence its name. I¢m attempting the shelter tonight because it looks like rain. If the mosquitos get bad I will just set my tent up in the shelter because there is plenty of room. All the tent sites are taken by section hikers. Tonight it is just me, Speedo and Peabody in the shelter which is designed for 10. So far my new shoes have felt a little different, but I don¢t have any blisters, so hopefully in a couple days they will break in and be real comfortable. After tomorrow I should have less than 400 miles to go.
Date: 2011-07-09
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I thought I was being smart by staying in the shelter to stay dry. What I didn¢t know was that we would get such a big storm that it would blow into the shelter and get me wet anyway. I was able to slide back and stay mostly dry after I realized what was going on. I woke early stressing because I thought it was still raining, and today was the day I was meeting Mary, Kyle & Ric. Turns out it wasn¢t raining, it was just a rushing brook next to the shelter that was dry when I went to bed. Now it was running so much it sounded like rain. I got up and ate quickly and got moving because I had to do 5 miles up over Mt Cube before I would meet them. Of course beautiful Mt Cube was fogged in, and the rocks were wet and slick. I made pretty good time and was at the parking lot at 9:15. I watched 100¢s of bicyclists pass; they are doing a charity ride or race. I also got a picture of a group of hikers going by "MTFS" as well as Teen Bean & Green Mile. The "MTSF" group has been hiking together since starting back on March 1. I told them they were the largest group of thru-hikers I had seen in quite some time. Soon my family arrived and we sorted gear and were ready to leave. My wife had brought along some trail magic of soda, Gatorade, and snack cookies which she left at the trailhead. It was nice to be hiking with family and letting them experience a small part of what goes on during a thru-hike. The terrain was pretty easy going today, but if you are not used to carrying a pack, it can be quite tiring. Kyle was hiking fast for quite some time; in fact he would get ahead and then wait for us. We stopped and enjoyed lunch by a small stream and saw a note on a rock. The note was about trail magic, but it was dated the day before and there was no trail magic to be found. After crossing NH 25 we came to a washed out hill going down to a stream. You had to climb down through some tangled tree roots and then cross the stream on rocks. Ric & Mary took their hiking boots off and soaked their feet in the cold water. We made it the 10.8 miles to the Jeffers Brook Shelter and I think everyone was glad the hike was done for the day. Mary & Kyle are having second thoughts about tackling Mt Moosilauke tomorrow. I¢m wondering if it¢s such a good idea myself as I know it is a tough climb and a brutal decent, and they covered quite a few miles today, especially being their first day on the trail. I guess we will cross that bridge in the morning. We got camp set up and ate and everyone was ready for bed. Lots of hikers tenting tonight including Speedo & Peabody, Teen Bean, Green Mile and a couple others. There are also two southbounders in the shelter, Nate and (?). I also went under the 400 miles to go mark
Date: 2011-07-14
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I had a great night at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. At some point I looked out the window and saw a nearly full moon rising over Mt Munroe on a clear night. I slept like a rock and was well rested in the morning and up by 5:30. I was already up by the time the Fire Alarm sounded due to something burnt in the kitchen. This caused quite a stir in the hut, with thru-hikers leaping up off the floor, and quite a few blurry eyed guests coming out to see what was up. I think this upset the cooks plans as now the entire group at the hut was awake and milling around while they were getting ready for breakfast. Again, after the guests ate, the hikers were treated to plenty of pancakes, oatmeal, and bacon. This was a good start for Jeff and I as we started out across the presidentials on an absolutely perfect day. The Croo mentioned this was only one of about 12-15 days a year they get like this. Clear, warm, and dry. We hiked up the Mt Washington summit cone, took the obligatory summit photo, then started across. I¢m glad I had stayed at Lakes of Clouds as the day was perfect with clear, warm weather and light wind. We took our time and took many photos. It¢s rocky with tough footing, but the views make you forget about those things. We arrived at Madison Hut a little after lunch and took a look around the new hut and of course sampled some more of the fresh baked goodies and a bowl of hot soup. After about 45 minutes we headed on for the final climb up Madison then the long descent down and over to Pinkham Notch. We were meeting my wife around 5:00 so she could give Jeff a ride back to his truck, and we were going to spend the night in Gorham. We were a little late getting in, not arriving until around 5:15 or so. After dropping off Jeff, we headed to the Town an Country in Gorham and I got a shower. We went out to eat at the Town and Country and I was feeling much better. I forgot to mention that I have seen a couple of moose now. One was unfortunately dead on the side of the road (I smelled it before I saw it) the day I was trying to hitch a ride to the AMC Highland Center. Then later that night when the two women gave me a ride to the store we saw a moose eating beside the road. I hope I see a moose while actually hiking, but if I get shut out, I may have to count these two. Also, I¢ve seen several spruce grouse on the trail. They are quite tame and allow you to get very close. I got several pictures as well as video of them waddling up the trail. Tomorrow it is up Wildcat Ridge, which I know is steep.
Date: 2011-07-15
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: scattered clouds

July 29, 2011 ¢ Since Earl Grey is nearing Katahdin, I will be adding 3 journal entries today, and for the next few days. Today¢s entries are for June 15, 16, & 17 (so make sure you read all three)-Mary Yesterday I got to enjoy and share some tyropitas (cheese turnovers) ¢ Thank you Nick & Maureen. I didn¢t get a very early start, but that is alright. I had a nice breakfast with Mary, we did laundry, and I got a couple of mail drops from family members with some goodies. Thanks April & Phil, and thanks Mom (in-law). As we were going into the post office we saw One Grey Wolf, and I chatted with him and introduced him to Mary. I also was able to repair the tip to my pole that finally broke two days ago. I was just bragging that the carbide tips had lasted over 1,800 miles on my black diamond poles when I finally snapped off the tip in a crack in the rocks. Unfortunately once the carbide tip is gone the plastic is slippery and wears quickly. I didn¢t want to wear down to the actual metal pole, so I was glad to get new tips at the outfitters, even though they were for Leki¢s. They work for now, and I can replace them with the correct ones later. By the time I did my re-supply and got back to the trail it was 12:30. The climb up Wildcat ridge is very steep and rugged. By the time I went up, ate lunch on the overlook, then went over the multiples summits and made it to Carter Notch, it was 4:30 and I was tired. I decided to ask for a work for stay and ended up getting one. A couple hours later Silver Fox came in after pulling a long day from Madison Hut, and he decided to stay also. Again we had a great dinner of chicken over pasta with green beans and chocolate cake. Scooter, a southbounder, and Silver Fox wanted to get out early so they did the evening chores and I volunteered to do the morning chores, so I won¢t leave until later. I feel a little embarrassed about my mileage today, but with a late start and the tough terrain today and in the past few days, I feel sore and am glad to get to bed early.