morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-09
From: Winturri shelter

To: VT 14 
Miles today: 16.4

I love the sound of rain pelting on the roof. The reason is that it means that I am probably dry. Unfortunately, I¢m not dry, especially today.There were four of us in the shelter last night, and four others tenting nearby. I got up with the rest of them and had a quick breakfast but got a late start on the trail. Four miles into my hike, I crossed a road with a farm store .1 miles down. I headed down for a soda and ended up having two, a sweet roll, a pint of ice cream, and shared a strawberry-rhubarb pie with No Promises and her brother, Big Bunny. Yum! Besides, it¢s my birthday today! I spent an hour and a half goofing off at the farm store.I finally got back on the trail, which consisted of a series of short climbs and descents. Once I got to a cleared peak, I made some telephone calls. I started off again, only to stop again to pick a quart of ripe black raspberries, which I ate right on the spot.The forecast was for a 40% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, which means that there is a 60% chance that I would not get wet. Well, it didn¢t quite work out that way today. As I was talking on the cell phone, the skies started rumbling. The next shelter was some distance away, so I started to hotfoot it there. Well, I didn¢t make it in time. Not even close. Typically, hiking in the rain is not too bad. The leaves tend to intercept and disburse most of the rain. Today¢s rain, however, was different. It was a torrent!! And I got soaked!! At least once you¢re soaked, you can¢t get more soaked!Steve the sign makerOnce the rain let up, I headed out again, headed for West Hartford. And, the rain started again in earnest!! I was soaked again, for sure. I stopped in at the library, since my trail guide suggested checking in there for places to stay in town overnight. They didn't have any suggestions of where I might spend the night, but they suggested I check in at the General Store right next door. Well, that was my next stop anyway, so...I headed over to the General Store and struck up a conversation with Steve while I was out on the front porch taking off my pack. It turned out that Steve lived several houses down from the store. We chatted for several minutes, and he invited me to stay in his back yard for the night. I decided to get some supper before I headed down, and had a great sandwich and bought a pint of ice cream for later.The rain had started absolutely pouring again as I left the store and walked down to Steve's house. He came out and let me into a nice clean shed in his backyard where he stored antique auto parts.d It was immaculate, and I had it all to myself. Right now, I've exploded my pack and have all my wet gear hanging from the rafters. And, I'm high and dry.Tomorrow I'm on my way to Norwich, VT, where I'll stay for a few days with friends at their house, and with Joann, who is flying in to spend some time with me. Should be great to sleep in a bed again.
Date: 2010-08-11
From: Elk and Main streets, Norwich, VT

To: NH 120
Miles today: 2.2

Today was supposed to be a zero day. Joann and I ran around town looking for a map of the AT from Hanover to Franconia Notch. Both outfitters in town were out of that particular map. Then we went looking for some Mountain House meals at Walmart. We picked up a few items, but the shelves of Mountain House meals were bare. Humph! I had some extra time at the end of the day, so I figured I'd do the small section of the trail between Norwich, VT, and Hanover, NH. Along the route I encountered Dodger and Shagman who had just walked into town from the trail. Later this evening, Jim & Sally are going to join us at a Thai restaurant for dinner. I'm looking forward to a curry dish!
Date: 2010-08-12
From: NH 120

To: Lyme-Dorchester Road
Miles today: 18.9

Joann slack packed me back to Hanover, NH, today. We had a quick breakfast at Jim & Sally's house before heading out to my drop off point. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn and we wasted quite a bit of time looking for the AT crossing on the wrong road. We finally realized our error and found the road crossing. But, I got a fairly late start due to the mix up. And, I had a long day planned so I had to hustle. One thing about slack packing is that it becomes a social occasion when you meet north bounders you know. I stop and talk to all of them; sometimes briefly, sometimes for 10 minutes or more. So, that has a tendency to slow me down. The trail tread way slowed me down today, too. Most of it was rocky and had tree roots growing across it. I honestly must have tripped over rocks or roots 20 times today. Three trips almost sent me to the ground, and one did. I placed my foot on a wet root and I went down. I finally made it back to Hanover where Joann was waiting to pick me up. While we were there, I ran into Able, whom I haven't seen in awhile. Then it was back to our host's house for another outstanding dinner prepared by Sally. We topped off the meal with ice cream. What a way to finish the day!
Date: 2010-08-13
From: Lyme-Dorchester Road

To: NH 25C
Miles today: 18.8

Well, after breakfast this morning, we said goodbye to Jim & Sally, our hosts for the last three days. I got my best night¢s sleep last night since I started the trail in mid-March. Thanks, Jim & Sally! Hope to return the hospitality back in Virginia! Joann dropped me off back at the trail and I started an immediate climb up Smarts Mountain, which took me awhile. At one point, I thought I was at the summit but I came to an overlook and realized the summit was still some distance away. Once I got to the true summit, I climbed the abandoned fire tower and had a great view and a snack. I then walked over to the old Fire Warden's Cabin, which now serves as a shelter. I checked the shelter register to see who signed in ahead of me while I had another snack. Then, I started my descent off the mountain. I don't know whether it¢s my imagination, but it seems like the southbound hikers always have more moderate climbs than the north bounders. I think all the other north bounders would agree with me! Ha! Anyway, at least I was able to fly down the trail. There was a trail crew building a bridge over South Jacobs Brook in the gap, or notch as they say in New England. It is amazing to see them move huge rocks, boulders and logs with no power tools. It's hard work with winches and pry bars. We really appreciate what these crews do!I started my climb up Mt Cube right after the brook. Another steep climb from the south! Those south bounders have all the luck! The descent down Mt Cube was again only moderately steep, and I really flew down to where Joann was waiting for me. I got there at about 4pm, and decided I had enough time to knock out another 5 miles. I put my headphones in and turned up the 70's rock and finished it in exactly 2 hours. Joann had just arrived, so I jumped in the car and we drove into Warren, NH, for dinner. Tonight, we're staying at the Moosilauk Ravine Lodge, owned by Dartmouth College and staffed by students. We're looking forward to breakfast tomorrow before I climb Mt Moosilauke.
Date: 2010-08-15
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

This morning, after breakfast in our motel room, Joann drove me to the trailhead at Kinsman Notch and I got a fairly early start. It was chilly when I got out of the car, but with an immediate climb up Mt Wolf, I knew I would warm up quickly. I summited fairly easily and there would have been a nice view at the top, but all I was able to see was clouds below me. I could see the wind whipping the clouds through a notch just below the peak., It was a neat sight! I then worked my way down to the Eliza Brooks Shelter where I left a note to Dodger and Shagman that thunderstorms were predicted for tomorrow, since they asked me yesterday if I knew the weather forecast. As a matter of fact, I have decided to take a zero with Joann tomorrow based on the forecast. No sense in walking in thunderstorms, especially on all these slippery granite faces, when there are dry motel rooms available in nearby North Woodstock! The weather is supposed to clear the following day, so I'll head out then. Then, it was back up for the steepest, longest climbs of the day to South Kinsman and North Kinsman Mountains. By the time I summited them, the weather had improved, however, I still had no views. Then, it seemed to take me forever to descend the 2.5 miles to Lonesome Lake Hut, the first in line of several Appalachian Mountain Club-owned huts in the White Mountains. The descent was steep and pretty tricky. Even though it was relatively dry, some of the descents over rock faces were slippery. Some descents were so steep, I had to throw my hiking poles down the slopes and then worked myself down while holding onto trees and rocks. I stopped into the Lonesome Lake Hut to refill my water bottles. Built in 2007, the Hut was very impressive. It's a hike-in/hike-out hut about 2 miles from the closest road. Just past the Hut, the trail leveled out nicely and I was able to make good time to the trailhead where Joann was waiting to pick me up. All in all, the 16.4 mile day took me 10 hours to complete - much longer than a "normal" 16.4 mile day generally would. The White Mountains will slow me down, and you'll notice that my daily mileage will decrease significantly from this point on into Maine. Some north bounders dwell on the Whites; I say, bring them on!! Milepost of the Day: Today is my 5 month anniversary on the trail I started on Springer Mountain, GA, on March 15. Also, I surpassed the 1800 mile mark. As of today's hike, I've walked 1806.5 miles!
Date: 2010-08-16
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day today. Due to the forecast thunderstorms for today, I decided to take a zero here in North Woodstock. It also gives me one more day to spend with Joann before she heads home to Virginia! We walked down the street for breakfast this morning, after which we got into "Zero Day Mode". That is, we hit the Laundromat, the post office, and the grocery store to resupply my food bag. Then, we went by the outfitter where I bought two new baskets for my hiking poles., One broke yesterday, and the other one is probably not far behind. The baskets help keep my hiking poles from sinking 2 feet into the muck on the trail. Then, I started getting my gear organized for tomorrow's departure. I've got a new pair of New Balance trail runners I'll be using for the rest of the trip, so I tossed my old Vasque Breeze low top hiking shoes into the trash. Later this afternoon (and after our room was cleaned and the trash removed), I realized that I forgot to remove my SuperFeet insoles from the old shoes for my new ones. We ran back the outfitter in Lincoln, who carried SuperFeet, but not my size. Dang! We decided to try the local ski shop, and luckily, they had them, and in my size! Great, new SuperFeet!! Well, tomorrow I'll be back in the woods, or more exactly, back in the White Mountains. I have no specific destinations for the next several days, I'll just see how I feel doing these tougher miles. I've got my winter gear back, including my stove and cook kit, which I haven't used since Central Virginia. No more cold sandwiches for dinner now - it'll be hot dinners and breakfasts! And coffee, too. Yum!
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Franconia Notch

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

Well, I never imagined today would turn out like it did. Joann dropped me off back at the trailhead this morning at about 8:30am. She set out the remaining soft drinks from her trail magic behind a tree on the side trail to the AT. I had to take the side trail .8 mile back to the AT. Hate those long side trails because they don't count as trail miles! I hated to see her leave but we said our goodbyes and I turned into the woods and she turned back towards the car and home. My first order of business when I reached the AT was a long climb to Little Haystack Mountain, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette. So, I climbed from a starting elevation of 1450 feet to Mt Lafayette at 5249 feet. That's a big up, as Veto used to say! Needless to say, it took me awhile. The weather was beautiful, and the view endless. By the time I submitted Mt Lafayette, it was time for lunch. After lunch, I really didn't know how many more miles I wanted to do, so I decided to hike to the Garfield Ridge Shelter and Campsite and see whether I wanted to continue further. On my way down from Mt Lafayette I met Beth and her two sons, Connor and Casey. Former thru hiker John (GA-ME 1987) was hiking with them for the day. John told me he was hiking with them because they had reservations at the Galehead Hut and he was concerned that they might not make it to the Hut by nightfall. I decided to continue up and over Mt Garfield, descend to the Garfield Ridge Shelter, stash my backpack, hike back up Mt Garfield and help Beth out by taking her backpack at least down to the shelter. Once there, they would have only 2.7 miles to the Hut.Once I got to Garfield Shelter I dropped my pack and found Eli, the shelter caretaker. I told him the situation and he said he'd meet us when we got back there. They had just summitted Mt Garfield by the time I climbed back up there. I told Beth I was going to carry her backpack down to the shelter where the caretaker would explain her options to her. We got back down to the shelter at about 5:30pm, and Eli explained to us that the trail from there to the Hut was not easy. The decision was made to continue to the Hut, so John, another thru hiker named Tabasco, and I stuffed some of their gear into our packs, and set off for the Hut. I figured the Hut croo, as they call themselves, would let us stay there for free, under the circumstances. En route I decided to hike ahead to the Hut, drop my pack, let the Hut crew know that we were coming, and head back down the trail to carry Beth's pack the final mile or so. We finally arrived at the Hut just before 10pm. The Hut crew was great, and made us all dinner. Mike, the Croo Master, was really generous and gave me a cold beer! They fed us dinner and offered to cook us anything we wanted for breakfast in the morning. He said they were full for the night; otherwise he would give us all bunks. We ended up setting our sleeping bags out on the dining room tables where we spent the night. Part of exposed trail going up Mt. Lafayette
Date: 2010-08-18
From: Galehead Hut

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: fog

After getting to Galehead Hut so late last night, I'd have thought I would have slept well. Nope! People were up all night walking to and from the bathrooms. Since the huts have limited electricity, everyone had their headlamps on, so not only did I hear them thumping through, I got blinded by their lights every time one walked by.When dawn came, I went ahead and got up. Mike, the Hut Master, kept his word and fed us well. One dish was scrambled eggs with hash browns mixed in. Yum! And, what a great idea.Once I started walking, it was straight up South Twin Mountain. There were lots of day hikers out and the weather was absolutely beautiful again today. The rest of the day was actually quite easy, especially considering that I'm in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains. I stopped in for lunch at Zealand Falls Hut. From there, the trail actually became a real (mostly dirt, not rock) trail for about 5 miles. I made good time and got to Crawford Notch at around 6pm, where I caught up with So Far and 2 Rings. They were going to hitchhike to a campground a few miles away to resupply on food and snacks, and then return to the notch and find a stealth campsite.I moved on across the road and found a tent site just on the other side of the Saco River. I fixed my first hot meal I've cooked since back in Central Virginia: one of my favorites, Mountain House Chili Mac. Yummy. While I waited for my water to boil and the dinner to rehydrate, I set up my tent on the only level spot. I wasn't sure what So Far and 2 Rings were going to find when they returned from the campground, because there didn't seem to be anywhere else to set up tents.After dinner, I crawled into my tent and started working on my journal. At 7:30pm, I was so tired from my lack of sleep last night and a longer than normal day in the White's. I gave up and went right to sleep.
Date: 2010-08-19
From: Crawford Notch

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: few clouds

I slept really well last night, and didn't want to get out of my sleeping bag this morning. But, it was going to be another tough day in the Whites, so I finally got up and fixed a hot breakfast of, guess what? Oatmeal. I noticed that So Far and 2 Rings were nowhere to be seen.After breakfast, I packed up and headed up a long, steep climb up to Mt Webster and Mt Jackson. There were sections that I couldn't even figure where the trail actually went since it was all a rock scramble. I even got off trail once for about 30 feet before I realized I had missed a turn. On several occasions, I had to stow my hiking poles between my back and my pack, and climb hand over hand up the rock faces. The climb was worth it, though. When I got to the top of the two mountains, there were no clouds in the sky, and I could see forever. It was beautiful!I continued walking, and made it to Mizpah Spring Hut, where I stopped in and made a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. Afterwards, it was another climb up to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. I got there at about 4pm, and decided to spend the night there. I sat around outside the hut for awhile and saw Beth, Connor, and Casey; my new friends from two days ago. It was a nice surprise, and Beth introduced me to her cousin and her cousin's husband, Susan and Kenne. Kenne hikes barefooted. I've heard of barefoot hikers, but this is the first one I've met! We talked for awhile, and he said he had been hiking barefoot since he was a kid. It was nice to meet them, too.I'm only about 1.5 miles from Mt. Washington, which I will summit tomorrow. It is the highest peak in the Presidential Range, the second highest peak on the AT after Clingmans Dome in the Smokies, and home to the worst weather conditions in the United States. The weather forecast is calling for rain and foul weather to come in tonight, and more of the same for tomorrow. Let's hope I can find my way up the rocky slope!
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tent site
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day in the Whites! Last night, it rained and the wind howled. When I awoke, the hut was cloaked in fog. I hung around until about 10:30am, hoping the fog would lift. The temperature was 41 degrees, and the wind was whipping at about 40 mph outside. Thru hikers So Far, 2 Rings, Dodger and Shagman came into the hut drenched. They also decided to wait out the weather.I had no intention of staying another night at the hut, so I finally headed out with Spork at about 10:30am, and immediately took the wrong trail. We fixed that, and after walking about .2 miles, the fog lifted. I looked back at the hut, which was the only place in sight that was engulfed in fog. It was just whipping up through a notch over the hut. Everything else was in full sun!The climb up Mt Washington was not difficult. I took some pictures, and went into the snack bar to warm up and charge my cell phone battery. I inadvertently left the phone on overnight, without a signal, and it completely discharged. At about noon, I set out again. It took me awhile to get to Madison Spring Hut, where I stopped in and made one of my famous peanut butter sandwiches. Dodger came in shortly after I wolfed it down, and he decided to stay for the night. I wanted to get more miles in, so I started off again with a very steep climb up to Mt Madison. It didn't last long, and I summited fairly easily. From there, it was only 3 miles to the Osgood Tent Site, my destination for the night.Three miles? It was a steep descent in places, and seemed more like 6 miles! It went on forever, and on several occasions, I wondered whether I had passed it. I finally found it just as the sun was setting. There were several tent platforms, and I snagged the last space. Because its Friday, it seems like people hike in here, set up their tents for the weekend, and do day hikes. Thru hiker Bird came in about 30 minutes after I arrived, and had to find a clear spot on the ground to set up. There weren't many.I cooked dinner and set up my tent in the dark. By the time I was finished and ready to turn in, it was 9:30pm, a late night for a thru hiker! Hope the great weather continues into tomorrow.
Date: 2010-08-24
From: US 2, Gorham

To: Gentian Pond shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

I got up fairly early this morning, packed my pack, and headed down to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Won't be able to do that when this hike is over!Then, I walked just outside town and stuck my thumb out at 8:30am looking for a ride 3.5 miles to the trailhead. By 8:50am, I was on the trail. Thanks, Danny! Now that I'm officially out of the White Mountains, the trail has actually improved somewhat. Instead of hopping from rock to rock or boulder to boulder, I'm now hopping over mud bogs. I'd rather do that. I hiked under mostly cloudy skies today, but I was really grateful when the sun came out. The forecast is for rain tomorrow and the next day which should make going through the Mahoosic Notch interesting. The Notch is considered the hardest mile on the trail. I'll be there the day after tomorrow. There are 7 of us in the shelter tonight, which has one of the most beautiful views out the front. It looks out over a valley backed by mountains. I'm now at a point that I have fewer than 300 miles left to walk! That's a good feeling. Also, tomorrow I'll finish up New Hampshire and enter Maine. My last state!!
Date: 2010-08-25
From: Gentian Pond shelter

To: Full Goose Pond shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: moderate rain

Rain, rain, go away. It rained on me all day, sometimes hard! I don't like cycling in the rain, and I don't like hiking in the rain, especially on boulders and above tree line, like I was today. I did cross the New Hampshire - Maine border today. I'm in my last state! I also crossed the 1900 mile mark!It was raining so hard that I was forced to walk .3 mile off the trail to get to a shelter just so I could eat my lunch out of the rain. Then it was .3 mile back to the trail. I finally hit the east and north peaks of Goose Eye Mountain, both above tree line. The wind was whipping, and the rain was pelting me so hard that I thought it was hail. Sometimes I had a hard time figuring out which way the trail went. Plus, I was walking on wet slabs of slippery granite. And yes, I fell; twice! I was not a happy hiker to say the least, but I wanted to get close enough to the Mahoosuc Notch, a maze of jumbled boulders, so I will face tomorrow morning. The Notch is known as the most difficult mile on the entire AT. When I got to the Full Goose Shelter, it was indeed full: with northbound thru hikers also staging for the Notch. Gratefully, they made room for one more. I'm not sure I'll even attempt the Notch if it¢s raining tomorrow.