morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-08-22
From: Dalton, MA

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: haze

Well, the zero day yesterday was nice, but today I needed to get the show on the road . . . or on the trail, as it were.I was packed up and ready to go by 7:30 but I had to wait for a ride back out to the trail. Rob showed up at 9 AM and we hit the road. I was hiking by 10:15.The initial segment of the trail was downhill. There was still a lot of mud on the trail and the footing was poor at times. I was listening to the weather report and heard that thunder showers had been forecasted for the afternoon. There was a little sunshine when I started hiking but after the first couple hours the sky went gray. I made great time and hiked the first 6.6 miles down to Rt. 2 in just over 2 hours. I read in the handbook and saw that there was a Friendly's restaurant and grocery store less than a mile up the road. I had all the groceries I need but it WAS lunchtime and a good sandwich would go down a lot better than p-nut butter crackers and Gatorade. so up the road I went. Got a big tuna and cheese melt and a Sprite.While I was in the restaurant things really got dark outside. The storm was just about to start. By the time i finished my lunch it was raining cats and dogs -- kinda glad I decided to get that sandwich. After an hour or so the rain tapered off to a drizzle. I grabbed my pack and ran across the parking lot to a payphone and made a few calls.By 3 PM the rain seemed to have stopped. Naturally, the trail would be a mud puddle but at least I would stay mostly dry. As it turned out that was pretty much the case. I did end up in mud over my ankles though so my shoes and socks were a different story.I had about 7 miles to hike after lunch and at the 4 mile point I reached a sign on the trail welcoming me to Vermont. Can you dig it . . . I had entered my 12th (of 14) state on the AT. Had to pause for a moment and think back over all the miles I had hiked so far.I resumed hiking and reached the shelter around 6:30 PM. There were a few other hikers at the shelter. I made dinner and got acquainted before crawling in my sleeping bag.Tomorrow I'll probably hike into a town called Bennington, Vermont for a little re-supply.All for the day. The dream lives and I am walking it!
Date: 2003-08-23
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

Wow, the temperature really dropped over night. Sure glad I bought a hat and long sleeve shirt in the last town.It was so cool when I started hiking that I word a long sleeve shirt. I hadn't worn one of those to hike in since early April. I guess this is an indication that we are in the north and the seasons are about to change.One thing for sure, the amount of mud on the trail is incredible. Now and then you can rock hop through it or walk off trail and around it. But most often I just had to trudge right through it. At one point I looked down at my feet and it looked like they were covered in thick chocolate. the interesting part was that as I hiked on the sun came up and my shoes started to dry and turned into bricks.I made it to the first shelter and took a nice break. My next stop would be Rt. 5 which would take me into the town of Bennington.I was hiking at a pretty high elevation so the drop down to Rt. 9 was a very steep downhill. There were rough steps but they were damp and tough to negotiate so the going was pretty slow. Plus, the downhills are kind of rough on these old knees. Little by little I made my way downward and broke out onto Rt. 9. There were several southbound thru-hikers sitting on the roadside so I stopped to get acquainted. One of those people was a former thru-hiker named Bluejay. when I told him my trail name he immediately recognized it and said he had been following my progress at trailjournals.com. It sure is a small world.Anyway, he offered me and another hiker a ride into town. That saved us a 5-mile hitch.first thing we did was grab some lunch. Then we located a motel. Fortunately they had on-site laundry so we were able to wash our clothes. I made a run over to the grocery store and brought back some fried chicken for dinner -- Yum!!That left enough time for some TV and a little journalling. All in all it was a good day. Back on the trail bright and early in the morning.
Date: 2003-08-24
From: Bennington, VT

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Well, I've been out here for quite a while now and I have to say that today is probably the nicest day for hiking I've had. For starters, the temperatures have definitely dropped. I think it almost went below 40 degrees. Secondly, the trail quality was excellent. Third and maybe most significant, I felt good. Not that I don't feel good most of the time . . . it's just that today I felt especially good.I had hiked 10 miles by lunchtime and at the Goddard shelter, which has this fantastic view looking back toward Mt. Greylock.After lunch the trail got a bit more difficult. But I was able to cover an additional 5 miles before dinner.I would up at the Kid Gore shelter, that has a spectacular northeast view. I'm guessing we'll have an awesome sunrise tomorrow.As soon as the sun dipped the temperature started to drop. I put on every single item of clothing I have on myself and crawled into my sleeping bag. Have to get some heat going to keep me warm tonight.Oh, yeah, I didn't say it earlier but I did eat dinner at some point in the evening. All for today. Just want to add that a hiker saw a moose today. sure hope I get to see one.
Date: 2003-08-25
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

It was another gorgeous hiking day. Temperature in the morning was about 50 degrees, and there was a steady breeze. The first shelter was 5 miles up the trail so i decided to make that my lunch spot. I started the day with a bit of a stomach ache. That made hiking a little unpleasant at first. When I stopped for lunch I took some antacids and drank a lot of water. That seemed to make a big difference because the afternoon hiking was much better. We had our first big climb today in quite a while -- Stratton Mountain (3,936 feet). It was quite a pull up the hill but the reward came at the sunset. It just so happens that Stratton Mtn is the site of a huge ski resort. Now naturally the ski resort wasn't open. BUT they were operating the gondolas from Stratton Mountain down to the village of Stratton. Normally the gondolas would only be running on weekends but there was an art festival going on so they had it going on a Monday.There was a caretaker at the top of Stratton Mtn who explained that the gondolas ran constantly and that we had to take a side trail (7/10 mile long) that would lead to the other side of the summit where the gondolas were located. Sounded like a great opportunity to take a break from the trail and grab a sandwich (Hey, did anyone notice that thru-hikers talk about food a lot?). So off I went for my gondola ride. It was a long way down to the village, say 15 minutes. Once I hit the village I went straight for a restaurant. Bought a huge tuna salad wrap sandwich with fresh lettuce and tomatoes. Oh, yeah, and I also had a cold ginger ale.Then I had to hurry back to the gondola station for my ride back to the top of the mountain. The ride back up was as fascinating as the ride down. It was a clear day and I felt like I could see forever. Just imagine being at a ski resort on the lift -- but there's no snow on the ground.Once back on top and on the AT I banged out the final 3.5 miles to the next shelter, where I was planning to stay overnight. I pulled in to the shelter at around 5:30. I had a full day. I gathered water for dinner and the morning and then ate. Right after dinner it was "lights out" for old Footslogger.
Date: 2003-08-26
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: VT 11/30 (Manchester)
Miles today: 10.6

Knew I was headed into town today so getting up and going was no problem. The trail from the shelter to the road was pretty much downhill so I made excellent time getting to the road. The third car to approach was a pick up truck and I scored a tide to town. I had him drop me at the post office where I picked up a box from BA Turtle. It was an insulated pullover. With the evening temps really starting to drop I had asked her to send it out. From there I walked into town. As I walked past the McDonald's, a hiker named Grey Matter came running out and told me to come in. His girlfriend "Lady Bug" was in town. I sat and chatted for a while and then headed over to the outfitter. They told me that 2 other hiker friends were waiting for me at the Friendly's Restaurant. I shot over there and had lunch. After lunch we walked over to the laundromat and got a few loads going. We have to make the most of our time in towns so while the laundry was going I went over to the grocery store and got the food I needed for the next few days. On the way back over to the laundromat a former thru-hiker in a pick up truck pulled over and he (Mala) asked if I had a place to stay. Since I didn't, he offered me a place at another hiker's house near Manchester. I said sure and this offer included my 2 friends. So we all jumped in the back of his truck and off we went. It was great. There were about 20 other hikers there already. We sat around all night doing "trail talk" and then finally all crashed on the floor. It was fun being around a lot of other hikers.
Date: 2003-08-27
From: VT 11/30 (Manchester)

To: Danby-Landgrove Road
Miles today: 17.5

Woke up early at the house and bummed a ride back into Manchester. I went to the diner and called my friend Grey Matter and told him where I was. About 10 minutes later, he and Lady Bug showed up and we all had breakfast together. They offered me an opportunity to do a 17 mile slackpack. It sounded great to me so we had a plan. I put together a small day-pack and 20 minutes later we were on our way up north in the car. We got dropped at the trail crossing about 17.5 miles north of Manchester and started our hike. It was already after 11 AM when we started hiking so we really had to boogie. Not carrying my full backpack but it still took us to 7 PM to cover the miles. Once back at Manchester we got a hotel room, grabbed some dinner and called it a day.
Date: 2003-08-28
From: Danby-Landgrove Road

To: Rt. 103 (N. Clarendon)
Miles today: 14.6

Got another opportunity to do a slack pack and jumped on it. This one would involve a 14.6 mile southbound hike, but there was a twist. Grey Matter's girlfriend wanted to hike along with him today so we came up with a plan. They dropped me and "Backdraft" up north to begin our hike. Then they drove back to the south end of the hike and started northbound. When we passed on the trail they gave us the car keys. Then we continued southbound. We got to the car about 6 PM and headed north to meet Grey Matter and Lady Bug. We got to the northern trail crossing just a few minutes after they had hiked out of the woods. I love it when a plan comes together!! Backdraft decided to hike on northbound. The rest of us drove into N. Clarendon and got a hotel room. Having a car was a blessing. We were able to drive to an adjacent town and get a good dinner. Then it was back to the motel for a good night's sleep. Lady Bug is headed back home in the morning so I will resume hiking northbound with my full pack. Only about 4-5 days to New Hampshire now!!
Date: 2003-08-29
From: Rt. 103 (N. Clarendon)

To: Cooper Lodge
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

I fell a tad short of my 12 mile/day goal today. However, I climbed one of the taller peaks in recent months (Mt. Killington) so I'm giving myself a little break. I also crossed a pretty significant mileage point as well. I now have less than 500 miles left to hike. That might not seem like cause for joy to those of you who have never hiked the AT . . . but trust me, it's significant. Of course those last 500 miles are some of the toughest on the trail so I can't exactly lay back on the oars just yet.Had a nice surprise as I crossed a brook. There was a sign on an adjacent tree that said "Cold sodas for thru-hikers." I looked around and sure enough . . . there were a couple dozen cans of assorted soft drinks -- pretty cool!! They were a gift from a former thru-hiker who lives in the area.Well, as I mentioned before, today I climbed Mt. Killington. Not the toughest climb I've made to date on the AT but it seemed to last forever. the trail ran alongside a ridge and led to the summit. It was cut in on a precarious angle and was loaded with exposed tree roots and huge rocks. Pretty slow going to say the least. The weather forecast was calling for late afternoon and evening thundershowers so I really wanted to make sure and reach a shelter for the night.I arrived at the Cooper Lodge (an old cabin) around 5 PM and decided this was home for the night. I got inside and settled and just as I started making my dinner the winds picked up and the rains began to fall. Timing is everything and with the temperature supposed to dip into the low 40s I was very glad to have a roof over my head. I finished off dinner with a nice hot cup of spiced cider and called it a night. There were other hikers in the shelter but conversation was minimal. I guess we were all pretty pooped. All for today.
Date: 2003-08-30
From: Cooper Lodge

To: Killington, VT
Miles today: 9.5

Oh baby . . . did we get rain last night. I counted at least 4 major squalls that passed through, each one lasting a good hour or so. Being in a shelter was a definite advantage; however, we did have one problem -- the roof of the shelter leaked and the leak was pretty much right above where I was sleeping. All the other places were occupied so I was stuck where I was. My only option was to wrap myself in the ground cloth for my tent. The rain was dripping in and then splashing on the wooden sleeping platform so until I covered myself up in the Tyvek I was actually getting pretty wet. As if that wasn't bad enough, the temperature dropped below 40 degrees. If I had not gotten that insulated pullover from BA Turtle back in Manchester I would really have been in trouble.I made it through the night and looked forward to moving on in the morning. But, when it's cold AND wet outside things tend to move a bit slower. I did finally get up and make a hot cup of coffee. That got my engine running. I ate some cold breakfast, packed up and got going around 8:30 AM. Because of the volume of rain overnight, the trail was muddy and very slippery so the drop down into Killington went pretty slowly.I finally hit VT 100 at around 1:45 PM. According to the handbook there was a deli and general store a little less than a mile up the road so I started walking in that direction. I had a great ham and cheese sandwich and washed it down with a coke. I then bought the groceries I would need to get me to the next town. Bow now it was going on 3 PM and the next shelter was over 7 miles up the trail. It was a "moment of truth." I was wet, cold and tired having gotten a rotten night's sleep the night before. I knew there was a motel a mile up the road. I ade a decision -- I would call the motel and if they had a room available I would come off the trail for the night. The reason this was an issue was that today was Saturday of the Labor Day weekend and most hotels in the area would be already booked. So, I made the call and to my surprise they had a room. I guess some things are just meant to be. I got out on the highway and the first truck coming up the road stopped to give me a ride -- YES!!I checked in to the hotel and the very first thing I did was to fill the bathtub with hot water and just sit there for a while -- AAAHHHH!I then went downstairs and found out that they had on-site laundry -- another major plus. I did a load of wash and then headed to the restaurant (which was actually an Irish pub) for a "restorative beverage" and some dinner. In the midst of my dinner I noticed some people walking in with various musical instruments. Looked like we were going to have a little live entertainment too -- SWEET!So, little by little my decision to get off the trail for the night was turning out to be a good one. There were several other hikers there too. We chatted for a while and then all headed off to sleep. After a good breakfast (included in the room charge) we'll all be hitting the trail in the morning. Just one more day in the life of a thru-hiker -- going with the flow!!
Date: 2003-08-31
From: Killington, VT

To: Lookout Cabin
Miles today: 14.2

Had a great night's sleep and started off the day with a super breakfast at the inn. I got out on the highway and caught a fast hitch down to the trail crossing at around 8:30. Started hiking about 9 AM and really enjoyed the first mile or so around Kent Pond. But then the trail started to really change. The elevation profiles on my map were practically worthless. There were dozens of 100-200 foot elevation changes that didn't even appear on the map. They apparently got smoothed over in the process of reducing the terrain to map scale. Anyway, what that meant was that rather than gradual up and downhills there were several annoying elevation changes. So, although the total mileage hiked was 14 it felt more like 18 or 20.My original goal was to hike to a shelter that was about 17 miles from my starting point. But by 5:30 I had only covered 14 miles and was exhausted. It just so happened that there was a cabin (private) just 1/10 of a mile off the trail at that point. There was no water available but I was carrying enough to get myself through dinner and on to the next water source in the morning. So, this became "home" for the night. There were a couple southbound hikers already there when I arrived. We exchanged some information about upcoming trail points. After that it was dinner and a little stargazing. This cabin had an observation platform on top with a great view of the surrounding mountains and valleys and needless to say, unlimited view of the sky. Glad I got to see Mars while it was still visible. Enough for one day. Living the Dream . . .
Date: 2003-09-01
From: Lookout Cabin

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up in the middle of the night and went outside to "water the lillies" -- Holy Jamole, you should have seen all the stars. In fact, there were SO many stars it was hard at times to make out any of the major constellations. On the other hand though I could see the Milky Way clearly. But the big treat these days is Mars and it was one of the first things I noticed.I went back to sleep and unfortunately the clouds moved in. When I woke up to start my day I was greeted by the sound of rain drops on the roof of the cabin -- just what I needed with the temperatures in the low 40s. Oh, well, we've had so much rain this year -- what's another day of it.I guess one option would have been to just crawl back in my sleeping bag and write the day off BUT . . . I was out of food and really didn't want to lose the hiking day. So I grabbed a quick breakfast, threw on my pack cover and off I went.Came to a road about noon that led to a small town called South Pomfret. It was only 1 mile off the trail and they had a little general store/deli where I could get a good lunch sandwich and re-supply. That whole maneuver took about 45 minutes and I was back on the trail again.One thing about today's hiking is that it involved a significant number of "ups" and "downs" . . . and boy oh boy they really take the wind out of my sails. It makes a 14 mile day seem (and feel) like a 20-miler. Anyway, I got through it and settled into the Thistle Hill Shelter around 6 PM. The shelter itself was only .3 of a mile off the trail but the water supply was a good half mile (downhill) beyond that. So, the first order of business was to fetch water for dinner and breakfast in the morning. With that chore out of the way I cooked up some dinner and topped it off with a cup of hot coffee. Until recently the evening temperature was so warm and humid that I would never have thought to make a hot beverage. In the last 4 or 5 days though I have really seen the temps starting to fall. Sure am looking forward to getting my warmer sleeping bag and clothing in Hanover. Speaking of which, I'll cross into New Hampshire the day after tomorrow. Only one more state to go after that!!I think I'll call it a night on that note. Living the Dream . . .
Date: 2003-09-02
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Norwich VT
Miles today: 13.1

This probably isn't even worth mentioning, BUT, I woke up this morning to the sound of rain -- cold rain. Temp was near 40 and it took a lot of energy to crawl out of my sleeping bag. I eventually did though and was hiking by 8 AM. The trail went right through the town of West Hartford about 5 miles into the hike. There was a little general store that also made fresh deli sandwiches so naturally the old Footslogger had to check it out. It was too early for lunch but I really didn't have much of a breakfast so I ordered up an omelette and toast -- YUM! I had them make me a ham and cheese sandwich and stuck it in my pack for later in the day.According to the elevation profile on my map, the trail was supposed to be all downhill the rest of the day . . . NOT! There were more PUDs than the law allows. The air temp was cool though so fortunately it wasn't one of those afternoons where you sweat to death.Another funny thing happened today that is worth mentioning. It seems like whenever you get close to a town on a road you can hear it but the trail just doesn't seem to go there. Today was no exception. I knew, based on the elapsed time, that I was close to the town of Norwich. I could hear traffic on the road but I couldn't see it. The woods were too dense and the trail just kept weaving back and forth. It was a little like "over the river and through the woods." Finally I broke out on a road called Elm Street. The handbook failed to mention that the last mile and a half was a road walk into town. I eventually reached what appeared to be the main downtown area of Norwich. I stopped a local and got directions to the Inn. Turns out it was only 2 blocks away and the post office was right on the way. So, I mailed off my latest journal pages and then moved on to the Inn.Bt now it was around 4PM and I was ready for a hot bath and then some dinner. Had a super cheese burger and a pint of micro-brew. It just so happened that the Inn was also the home of an area micro-brewery so I was in luck. Dinner was great and then it was time to spin down and get ready for tomorrow.In the morning I hike one mile to the neighboring town of Hanover (which also happens to be in the next state -- New Hampshire). And so begins the next phase of my adventures -- the White Mountains. They will no doubt prove to be formidable. I think I'll quit for now and think about the challenges that lie ahead.Living the Dream . . .
Date: 2003-09-03
From: Norwich VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: broken clouds

Not exactly a zero day but pretty darn close. Had every intention of hiking out today. that was before I started trying to get all my errands done. Things are really spread out in Hanover. By the time I hit the outfitter, got my laundry done and bought groceries the day was practically over. The final straw though was when the rain started to fall. Staying in town just seemed like the right thing to do. And that's exactly what I did. Had dinner, got my pack ready to go, and called it a night.