morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-19
From: Churchill Scott shelter

To: Stony Brook shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

I was the only human in the shelter last night. Twice during the night I was awakened by a grinding noise. I think it was a porcupine knawing on the wood of the shelter, though I couldn't find where the knawing occurred. I got a particularly early start this morning, since it was supposed to rain again in the afternoon. I got to Killington and passed by the entrance to the famous ski resort. I went to the general store near there to get a few things, then got back on the trail. I climbed the next mountain and, sure enough, it started to rain again. As I got to the top it got harder. By the time I got to the next shelter, I was ready to quit. For the second day in a row I didn't get as far as I had hoped. But the next shelter is almost ten miles away and I don't want to tent in this deluge. Coming down the hill I passed a fellow who said he was a section hiker. He got to the shelter a few minutes after me. His name is Bob and he was planning to do a thru-hike last year. However he broke a bone in his foot in southern Virginia and had to quit. He is completing the AT with section hikes now. Bob is a gastroenterologist from Saginaw, Mich. This year he is out for a month and planning to make it to southern Maine.I hope to get a full day in tomorrow, since the weather is supposed to be better.
Date: 2007-07-20
From: Stony Brook shelter

To: camping south of Pomfret Rd.
Miles today: 17.4

I am a very lucky guy. Among other blessings, I have a wonderful wife, great family and excellent health. But none of those is the particular reason I consider myself lucky today. I started out today and within the first half mile I came upon a rock ledge on the trail. There is a log ladder to make it easy to climb down. The ladder stands straight up and down, so I didn't see that one of the lower rungs was missing. I slipped off the ladder after I reached down with my foot for the missing rung. I fell straight down about five feet and landed square on my tail bone. It hurt plenty, but didn't really damage anything but my pride. As I continued on the trail I reflected on how easy it would have been to fall the wrong way and break a leg, arm, ankle, wrist, etc. The fall was quite literally a pain in the butt, but it could have been so much worse. I am indeed a very lucky guy. At the next shelter I wrote a note to the trail maintainers suggesting that they fix the ladder as soon as possible.I made good time in the morning, reaching the Wintturi shelter at noon for lunch. The weather was much better today after two days of rain. It did rain a little just after I started again after lunch. Late in the day there was a seies of moderate climbs. Since the weather is better, I am stealth camping just past a road crossing. I've seen several southbound thru-hikers in the last few days. One of them got to the shelter last night about 9:30 last night. From what they say the White Mountains in New Hampshire will be challenging.
Date: 2007-07-21
From: camping south of Pomfret Rd.

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: few clouds

I woke up feeling pretty good, but with just a little pain in the "butt" from yesterday. I met a bunch of southbound thru-hikers today. Two that I talked to at length were Teapot and Snowbird. Teapot told me that the general store in West Hanover had just reopened and has a deli, which is music to any thru-hiker's ears. I arrived at there a little after noon and had a great turkey sub and a soda. It set me up well for the afternoon and I decided to try to hike all the way into Hanover. The day had a lot of ups and downs but the footpath was pretty smooth. I came out of the woods just outside of Norwich, VT and saw trail magic in front of a house. It was courtesy of the parents of "The Brain", a 2007 nobo thru who is just about to finish. I talked to his Mom and Dad for a bit before moving on. I arrived in Hanover about 6 p.m. To my surprise, the Dartmouth Outing Club is open late with computers, restrooms, etc. I am doing this entry on one of teir computers. Along side me at the next computer is John Knee Mud, another nobo thru who is also on trailjournals. I plan to get some dinner and then camp by the soccer fields. Tomorrow I hope to do some chores and then move on.
Date: 2007-07-22
From: Hanover, NH

To: camping south of Goose Pond Rd.
Miles today: 14.7

I finished up my work on the computer at the Dartmouth Outdoor Club, then got a pizza at EBA's. By the time I got to the campsite it was almost dark. I quickly put my tent up. Hiking on the AT is full of contrasts. Friday night I stealth camped in the woods far from any of the trappings of civilization. Last night I camped next to an athletic field on the campus of an Ivy League university and a quarter mile from a large grocery store. Tonight I am stealth camping again by myself in a rather remote location. Last night I camped next to the Georgia twins. I had hiked near them several times in the southern sections and last saw them at Pine Grove Furnace in PA. They are identical twin brothers from Georgia full of southern mannerisms. They might initially seem to be just good ole boy yokels. In fact they have completed two years at Georgia Tech getting excellent grades in science and math courses. They became bored with school and decided to hike the AT to regain their focus. Their clothing and equipment doesn't look like that of most successful hikers, but they are doing very well. There was another guy tenting near us who is not a hiker and appears to have some mental difficulties. It is not uncommon to find such folks at free camping areas in or near towns.I broke camp and went back to the DOC to clean up and get online for a bit. I saw John Knee Mud there again doing the same thing. He is taking a zero in Hanover. I finished and went to the Co-op grocery store right after it opened. This is a full service grocery store, but it is particularly strong in organic and naturally grown foods. It's also a bit pricy compared to most chain grocery stores. I was done and hiking again before 10 a.m. After doing over 36 miles the last two days I decided to have an easier day. I got to the shelter on Moose Mtn., but decided to go a bit further. First the water supply there was poor. Second I wanted to make the hike tomorrow a bit shorter, since there will be a lot of climbs and descents. We're getting closer to the challenging Whites. I did the last stretch while conversing with a nice young fellow trail named Spartan. He is a flip flopper, having started northbound from northern Virginia. He will go back and start southbound from there after he gets to Katahdin. I found a nice spot to stealth camp and he decided to go to the next shelter.
Date: 2007-07-23
From: camping south of Goose Pond Rd.

To: camping near Hexacuba shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I camped last night near a stream. During the night I heard several small animals and one large one nearby. They were probably coming to the creek to drink. I wondered if the large one might have been a moose. I never found out because it hurried off as soon as I stirred. It was pitch dark so I probably wouldn't have seen it anyway. The day began with a strenuous climb up to Holts Ledge past a ski lift to the next shelter. I was glad I didn't try to make it to the shelter last night. After that there was another climb up to Lambert Ridge and another up to Smarts Mtn. I stopped for lunch with Spartan at the Fire Wardens Cabin on top of the mountain. After that was a long four mile downhill and a couple of short uphills to the shelter. I went less than 15 miles today but nevertheless today's hike was very stout. I noticed that the composition of the mountains has changed from ordinary rock to a lot of marble and granite. This state is after all called the Granite State and the range we are approaching is the White Mountains. It is becoming clear to me that this section will slow me down considerably. I haven't even gotten to the tall mountains yet, but today was a taste of things to come.The shelter here is called Hexacuba. That's because it is a six sided log structure and is located on the way up Mt. Cube. I decided to tent tonight to stay away from the bugs. After I got set up, a youth group came in and took up the rest of the shelter. I definitely made the right call by tenting.
Date: 2007-07-24
From: camping near Hexacuba shelter

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.5

All 14.7 mile days are not equal. Yesterday I didn't arrive at the shelter until after 5:30 and was pretty well wiped out. Today I was done before 4 p.m. and felt pretty good at the end. There were at least two reasons for the difference. One, the trail was clearly easier today compared to yesterday. Today there was only one significant climb, up Mt. Cube, and it was early in the day. Two, I was feeling better physically. Without getting too graphic, I've been dealing with a minor intestinal issue the last couple of days. I think that something I ate in Hanover didn't agree with me. Today I seem to be gradually recovering. I made it to the trailhead, hiked the half mile to Glencliff, picked up my maildrop at the mailbox, and went to the hostel across the street. The hostel is called Hikers Welcome. The hostel is packed with thru and section hikers tonight, including the legendary Baltimore Jack. He is hiking parts of the trail this year.Tomorrow I start the White Mountains. The first one is Mt. Moosilauke. I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic as to how much I'll be able to do in a day.
Date: 2007-07-25
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Informal campsite near Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: few clouds

Almost everything I experienced today requires an exclamation mark. It was truly a "!" day. I took my time leaving the hostel today, and was hiking by 8 a.m. It was great to finally get everything clean and sleep in a real bed. After a couple miles of rolling terrain, I began the strenuous climb up Mt. Moosilauke, the first big climb of the Whites. It is a very rocky and sometimes muddy climb up a mountain studded with evergreens. I finally made it to the summit around noon and had nice conversations with several day hikers along with the summer guide, a Dartmouth student. The view was simply breathtaking, since it is the first mountain above treeline on the trail. Mt. Moosilauke is over 4800 feet high, the highest peak on the trail since Mt. Rogers in southern VA. Much bigger ones are in the offing. In the distance we could see Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern U.S. Next was a very steep descent that was perhaps even tougher than the ascent. ! In the toughest sections Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) has installed ropes, rebar rods and wooden steps to aid the climb and descent. A group of DOC maintainers was installing steps as I passed. It took well over an hour to complete the steepest mile of the descent. I got to Kinsman Notch, where I hoped to camp and discovered trail magic. Mary and Calvin Batchelder of Alton Bay, NH were offering drinks, food and water to thru-hikers. They both thru-hiked in 1992 and have been doing this ever since. They are active in trail matters and we had a great discussion as I drank and ate. We made plans to meet at the ALDHA Gathering this fall at Gettysburg, PA. Calvin asked if he could give me a ride into town to get anything. I initially said I didn't need anything, but then I realized I could use some batteries. He took me into town and I got what I needed as well as some ice cream. What great folks they are. Later we met a nice French Canadian couple who had just climbed the mountain. All in all, an outstanding first day in the Whites, a nd the first day of my fifth month on the trail.
Date: 2007-07-26
From: Informal campsite near Kinsman Notch

To:  Kinsman Pond campsite
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: few clouds

Today I got a real taste of what the Whites will be like - hard!! I only did 11.5 mi. today and it took me almost 10 hours to do it. It is a combination of very steep ups and downs and a footpath largely comprised of rocks, some of them large boulders. The day started with a climb out of Kinsman Notch up to Mt. Wolf. I met John Knee Mud and Blowout again in the morning whil doing the climb. Unfortunately they came by too late to get yesterday's wonderful trail magic. This was followed by a downhill to Eliza Brook and then an extremely tough climb up to Kinsman Mtn. At times this was an almost vertical rock scramble. I then went gradually downhill to the campsite. This was also tough because I had to jump down over some large boulders. This campsite is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and has a caretaker. It took the caretaker and m a bit to realize that we knew each other. He is Big Stick, a 2004 thru that I talked to at the PA Ruck in January. He's go! ing back to school in the fall and then plans to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It was nice to see him again. I also had a nice conversation with Hedgehog, a southbound thru.
Date: 2007-07-27
From:  Kinsman Pond campsite

To: Liberty Spring Tentsite
Miles today: 7.2

I checked my cellphone lat last night and got a pleasant surprise. My cousins John & Myrna are coming up to Franconia to rent a cabin. We agreed to meet at Franconia Notch. I hiked the mostly downhill stretch, stopping for a break at the Lonesome Lake Hut. I met John & Myrna, along with their son John and his wife, at the Flume Visitors Center. Before they arrived I saw Spartan and met his family. John & Myrna and their son & daughter in law were very kind and patient to take me around to a few stores in Lincoln to get a few things before we met to eat. It was great to see them since we hadn't seen each other in a long time. They dropped me off about 3 p.m. I began the 3 1/2 mile uphill to the tentsite. The first two miles weren't bad, since the footpath was reasonably smooth. On the way up I saw Pythagoras and Stalin coming down. John had mentioned to me that he knew Pythagoras since he is from Clarks Summit, PA. I mentioned John and Myrna to Pythagoras. He sa! id he sure did know them. Myrna was his third grade teacher and Johnwas one of his hight school wrestling coaches. It really is a small world.The last mile and a half was another typical White Mountain uphill rock scramble. It had also gotten hotter after the rain, though it got coler as I climbed up the 2400 feet from the Notch. I met Baltimore Jack again on the way up. By the time I got to the tentsite I was definately ready to quit.
Date: 2007-07-28
From: Liberty Spring Tentsite

To: Galehead hut
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: light rain

I started the day with a day hiker from Boston. He comes up to the Whites a lot and shared lots of information with me. Today I started the beautiful Franconia Range. Early in the day we climbed Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette and had spectacular views of the whole vicinity, including Mt. Washington. Next was a long downhill followed by a very steep ascent and descent over Mt. Garfield, probably the hardest stretch of the day. I decided to treat myself to a stay at one of the AMC huts, the Galeland. AMC runs eight huts in the Whites and vicinity. Each has a bunkhouse, running water and an excellent dinner and breakfast. Most of the folks who stay in them are out for a few days to a week or more. They make some accomodations for thru-hikers, such as offering them a chance to work at the hostel for a few hours in return for a night's lodging.I was somewhat surprised to find that there were still vacancies on a Saturday night. They offered me work for stay, but I decided to leave that for the more financially challenged hikers. I met Tintin there, who was doing work for stay. John Knee Mud came in later and is also doing work for stay. John's son is hiking with him for a bit. For most of their work for stay obligation they put on a very entertaining presentation on thru-hiking for the group staying at the hut. At the end John sang a song. He has a great voice. I'm having a great time here at the hut. Tomorrow it's back to the real world of thru-hiking.
Date: 2007-07-29
From: Galehead hut

To: Ethan Pond campsite
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

I got up, got my stuff together and had the hut's breakfast. I got a later than usual start because breakfast started at 7 a.m. I really enjoyed my stay at this hut. The folks staying there for the weekend were very nice and eager to learn about thru-hiking. The first seven miles to the Zealand Falls hut was fairly rugged. Tintin and I hiked near each other for much of the day. Tintin is a recent college graduate who is trying to decide whether to go to graduate school or go to winemaking school. He has been hiking with is brother Stalin and cousin Pythagoras, but the latter two stayed behind to pick up a maildrop. We both took a break at the hut. Tintin convinced me to try to make it to Crawford Notch and stay in the AMC hostel. Our plan went awry when we misread a sign and went at least a mile and a half down the wrong trail before realizing our mistake. By that time, I knew I couldn't make it and we wouldn't be in time for dinner even if I could. I went back t! o my original plan of going to the campsite about three miles short of the notch. I think Tintin is going to the notch and stealth camp there. This campsite is in a beautiful location near a pond. I met several southbounders there, including Cat, Tumbleweed and Timber. They had come from AMC's big hut at Lakes of the Clouds on Mt. Washington. I am going to try to make it there tomorrow. The forecast showers never came, though it looked ominous late in the afternoon.
Date: 2007-07-30
From: Ethan Pond campsite

To: Lakes of the Clouds hut
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I was packed up and hiking by 6:40 a.m. I wanted to get an early start to make sure I got to the hut in time for dinner. The first three miles to Crawford Notch were fairly easy. After the notch, at 1,280 ft., the trail begain the long climb to Mt. Washington. The hardest part was the climb from the notch to the Mizpah Spring hut. Along the way Tintin caught up with me. He had gone to the notch last night and stayed at a hostel. At the hut we saw Blowout again. The three of us hiked more or less together the rest of the day.After Mizpah Spring, we began the spectacular climb to Lakes of the Clouds. Soon we climbed past the treeline to breathtaking views of the Whites, passing Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Franklin and Mt. Monroe. Soon we got our first close up look at the big one, Mt. Washington. As I climbed to the hut, it seemed to me that the first 1,800 miles of the hike were to prepare me for this. Words can't really describe the stark beauty of this place. It took me a bit over 10 hours to do the 14 miles today.Lakes of the Clouds is the largest hut in the AMC system, with room for over 90. Tintin and I are staying in The Dungeon, a stone lined external basement reserved for thru-hikers. It is aptly named. When the door is shut, just a little light comes in from a small louvered window. It's pretty rustic, but it's fine for hikers used to tenting and lean-tos. We're at over 5,000 feet for the first time since Mt. Rogers in southern Virginia. Tomorrow we climb over the big one.
Date: 2007-07-31
From: Lakes of the Clouds hut

To: Osgood campsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: fog

I had a good night's sleep in The Dungeon. I woke up to discover that I was alone. Tintin slept upstairs in the dining area after the hut "croo" told him that he could. I don't think he was thrilled by the dank and dark atmosphere in The Dungeon. It didn't bother me.   That's because for several years while I was growing up I slept in the basement of my parent's house, since the upstairs was full with my parents and five sisters. It amazes me now that the eight of us got by with only one and a half baths. It didn't seem that bad at the time.I got a later than normal start because in the huts they serve thru-hikers last when they are not paying the full freight. After the regular breakfast one of the croo asked me if I was a thru-hiker. I said that I was and she asked me to sweep up the dining area. She obviously thought that I was doing a work for stay rather than paying to stay in The Dungeon and eat meals. I was happy to help out even though I was paying the thru-hikers rate. I had breakfast and left around 8:30.The first mile and a half was a strenuous uphill to Mt. Washington. At 6,288 ft., it's the second highest spot on the AT, a couple of hundred feet below Clingmans Dome. Since Mt. Washington is so far north it is a very desolate place. It is widely known as having the worst weather in North America. Today it was fairly benign, with a temperature about 50 degrees, around 20 mile per hour winds and clouds and fog swirling around. That's almost sumbathing weather for this place. I went to the visitors center and got a bit of food, then had Blowout take my picture. I found the next stretch to the Mt. Madison hut to be very tough. My body was pretty conflicted. My eyes said "What a stretch!!" (stunned amazememt at the breathtaking views along the Presidential Range). My feet said "What a stretch!!" (pain and weariness at the constant hopping over sharp rocks). It was just five and a half miles to the hut from Mt. Washington, but it took me four painful hours. I finally! made it to the hut and was revitalized by coffee and a snack. It was only three miles to the tentsite, but there was more hopping over sharp rocks with the first half mile straight up and the remainder a sharp drop of almost 3,000 feet in elevation. I only went ten miles today, but it was a very full day. I am sharing a large tent platform tonight with Tintin. The Georgia twins and Blowout are also at this campsite.