morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-20
From: Stony Brook Shelter, VT

To: Clouland Shelter, VT
Miles today: 19.4

Cell good.Today¢s hike was full of hills to climb. I was either climbing a hill or going back down the other side. The going was slow, as I'm still slow climbing hills. I would have thought I would be better at them by now, but I'm not.I stopped for lunch at a private cabin with an observation deck on the roof. There is a sign telling all visitors that the owner is not responsible for you. The Handbook states we're allowed to go on the deck unless a sign is posted telling us to stay off. The view from the deck was fantastic; the mountains surrounding it were spectacular. After lunch, I continued on to the next shelter, where I stopped for water. ¢Tree Frog¢ and ¢Show me¢ were there eating lunch when I arrived. I've camped with them before so we discussed our destination for today and what type of terrain to expect.I set off alone and was soon passed by Tree Frog while going uphill. When I reached the top, he was talking to a couple of locals. I joined in the discussion, and they informed us there was a store not far off the trail at the next road. I decided to see what the store had and Tree Frog went on. I had an ice cream cone, a soda, and a Gatorade. They all tasted good, and they gave me a boost to finish the day. I then hit the trail again, and after a while I came up on Show me. We then hiked and talked, and were enjoying the hiking. A while later we reached Tree Frog, who was waiting for Show me. We were close to reaching the shelter at this point, and he didn't want to separate from Shoe me.We went on to the place where our Handbook said the side trail to this shelter was supposed to be. Well, the book was wrong, and we backtracked to find it. I went down a side road thinking it might be there, they waited. When I got back, they were gone, and I looked around, and couldn't find them.I decided to start hiking towards the next shelter, figuring it was better than nothing. I started up the trail, and as I got going, I found the side trail to this shelter. The Handbook had the turn off before some power lines, but it is really after it. I headed toward the shelter following the signs. I figured they would be here when I got here, they were not. I set up my tent and got myself ready to stay here. No one else is here, but at least I'm in for the night. I'll probably see them tomorrow, and we'll have a laugh over the bad directions. Old Goat
Date: 2006-07-22
From: Hanover, NH

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: 0

Cell good.Today has been a very rewarding and relaxing day. We [Sue and I] slept in until about 7:30 am, which is late for old folks like us. We then went down to the lobby for the continental breakfast. After breakfast we left the hotel and headed out to do our chores. The one thing that had to get done in a timely manner was to pick up my mail drop at the Post Office due to the Saturday hours. With that done, we walked the in town portion of the AT, about a half mile, so that I don't have to hike through town tomorrow.I've had some incredible good luck when it comes to the weather. We returned to the car just before the rain started. It rained almost all day after that, and I escaped it by being inside today. We spent the rest of the day resting, watching TV, and using the computer. I read a lot of friend¢s Trail Journals to see how far ahead or behind they are. All in all, the day was restful for both of us.The thing we accomplished the most was solidifying our friendship. I know most people don't read Trail Journals to learn about hikers¢ personal relationships, but I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if it weren't for Sue. I've said many times that she is my better half. I couldn't do the things I do without her support. I'm not alone in the woods when I'm hiking. I feel the presence of Sue and my brother Al. I may be the visible out there, but I wouldn't have made it this far if it were not for their support.Well tomorrow I start my assault of New Hampshire. Many say this is the most scenic state on the AT, I hope they are right. Only two states to go, and I'm looking forward to hiking them. I don't know whether I'll be happy or sad when I'm done. I do look forward to going home with Sue.Old Goat
Date: 2006-07-23
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter, NH
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: 0

Cell good.I completed my first day of hiking New Hampshire. I'm estimating it will take about 10 days to reach Maine. I then expect to take about 25 days of hiking in Maine to reach Katahdin. My final prediction of a completion date will be made after I reach Maine. I'm thinking it will roughly be between the 25th to the 28th. The date will be coordinated with when Sue can leave her job and be there with me. I'll lay over in one of the towns if necessary to get it in sync.I ran into two couples who were out day hiking as I left town today. It is pretty cool to explain the AT and telling them how far I've hiked. They had a bunch of questions which I was able to answer for them. I enjoy seeing their reactions as I speak.Yogi Berra was once quoted as saying "This game is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical". The remainder of this hike is becoming more mental each day. The hiking is the same, but what my mind is thinking is becoming more difficult. I long to go home and be with Sue. I'm getting weary of the hiking, the rain, and the sleeping on the ground in a tent. The journey still counts, and there are so many great things out here, but the destination is starting to come into sight, and it is taunting me to Get'r done.A fellow hiker, "Posey Picker," always says "It's about the smiles and not about the miles." He is a happy and pleasant person to be around. I try to keep his words of wisdom in mind and enjoy each day. The singer/songwriter Mack Davis wrote the song "You've got to stop and smell the roses...You've got to count your every blessing every day...You know the road to heaven is a rough and rugged road...You've got to stop and smell the roses along the way."I try to use the wisdom of those people to guide me through my journey. I try to stay cheerful and grateful for having this opportunity. God has given me the talent, the time, the good health, and the supporting family to do it, and I am grateful.PS 7/24/06 5:45 am... I'm laying in my sleeping bag delaying getting up. As I lay here, I keep thinking of a conversation I had with former thru-hikers back at the Kincora Hostel in Tennesee. They told me that when they were in New Hampshire they found getting up in the morning was difficult, and now I'm doing the same. They mentioned they would hear another hiker say "That's the saddest sound I know" as she released the air from her air mattress. I now get it! I get it! Laying here is so comfortable.I reviewed the profile of the elevation for the next few days. I'm going to be climbing a lot from now on. On one climb I'll go from 1500 feet to over 4000 feet in a few miles. My daily mileage will not sound like much, but the work output will still be a lot.Old Goat
Date: 2006-07-24
From: Moose Mountain Shelter, NH

To: Hexacuba Shelter, NY
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: 0

Cell none.New Hampshire has some pretty steep mountains. I haven't seen this much climbing in a long time. The highest mountain we climbed was Smarts Mtn, which is over 3000 feet. Coming from the south, the trail was steep and difficult. There was a fire tower at the top which had an excellent view of the mountains around us.It's funny, I saw the tower from another mountain as I climbed it. The tower seems so far away and well above where I was standing. I remember thinking I hope I don't have to climb up there, and then immediately started towards it. From then on it was a tough climb on some wet rocks. I was fortunate that the rocks were not slick, and I kept a pretty good footing all the way up.My legs were having a difficult time with the climing. They were slow to respond and ached as I climbed.I'm in a hexagon shaped shelter tonight, which makes up part of its name. I'm also partway up Mt. Cube, which makes up the other part of the name - Hexacuba.We have two southbounders here at the shelter. We're picking their brains for ideas in hiking the Whites. The White Mountains require some good strategy to get through them. There are manned Huts, camping platforms, and various other options. I've been apprehensive about hiking them, and the SOBOs have eased my mind some.I should be going through some of the prettiest scenery of the whole trail the next few days. I hope I do them justice in my descriptions. Old GoatSue's Note: We weren't able to talk today, but the next day Old Goat called me and told me about the shelter where he stayed. Interesting name....and they have an interesting name for the privy, too. It's called a Pentaprivy because it's in a pentagon shape.
Date: 2006-07-25
From: Hexacuba Shelter, NY

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.7

Cell none.I was the first one up in the shelter this morning. I tried to be as quiet as possible, but I probably wasn't that quiet.Well I'm in some pretty high and steep mountains now. The trail immediately headed uphill, and I found myself struggling. I kept going and made progress, and eventually met every goal I had for today.I'm staying in a Hostel tonight to have a good start tomorrow. I had a big town meal of a salad and huge burger this evening. I felt getting the protein in me was a must because of all the climbing I'll be doing. I also picked up a food drop at the Post Office, and it is across the street from here. I hope I get a good night¢s sleep, and a good start into the White Mountains. They¢re going to be a challenge. The Whites have some of the most challenging hiking on the AT. It should take about a week to negotiate them - longer if I have to slow down for the climbs. As always, I'll journal what's happening, and keep you informed. One nice thing that makes New Hampshire stand out over the last few states is that there seems to be more rock outcrops with really good views. It's nice to see some scenery. I'm told that starting tomorrow I'll be going above tree line, and the views should be more spectacular. The first thing I do tomorrow is climb Mt. Moosilauki to 4802 feet. I'll start at 1140 feet, and have 11 miles of all uphill hiking! This will be a test of my strength I'm sure.Old GoatSue's Note: Old Goat has 398.5 miles to go - he broke 400! He plans to take his time through the Whites (White Mountain National Forest). He has heard that the hikers who try to speed through the Whites hate them; whereas the hikers who take their time and take in their beauty love the Whites. Old Goat plans to enjoy them as best he can, and if it takes him longer to get through them, that's okay. To me, his safety and enjoying his adventure are the most important aspects of this whole endeavor.
Date: 2006-07-29
From: Liberty Springs Tent Site, NH

To: Guyot Campsite, NH
Miles today: 11.2

Cell none.Last night was a wet windy night, the only dry spot was my sleeping bag. I did stay comfortable and warm all night, and that was a good thing.My day started with a half mile steep uphill climb to the Francona Ridge Trail. Once on the ridge, it was somewhat level for a while, and then I went above treeline. The first highlight was Little Haystack Mtn. The sun had just come out, and the fog lifted. I then had a nice view of the ridgeline and the mountains ahead.After I left Little Haystack, the fog rolled in, and the views disappeared once again. By the time I hiked Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette, I couldn't see a thing. In fact, the wind also picked up, and it was downright cold and miserable. The day improved again later, but I was past the high peaks by then.Something I've been meaning to mention is that my boots seem to have a good bite on the rocks, even the wet rocks. If you remember, I got these boots in the later part of New Jersey. Then as I hiked into New York, I fell a number of times because my feet were slipping. I've been thinking about this since I realized how good they were gripping. I've equated this to terms from NASCAR. The new boots were like sticker tires, and now they are like scuffed tires. What that means to non-race fans is that before the race, during a practice session, the teams will put new tires on and run a few laps with them to scuff the smoothness off. They then take them off and save them for race day. The reason they do that is because the car handles differently on scuffed tires than they do with new ones.I hope I didn't lose you there. So what I'm thinking is that the soles on the new boots were hard and smooth, and now they are soft and scuffed. I think this is the hardest part of the trail so far - the hills are long and steep. Also, there is a lot of rock climbing involved getting up those hills. In fact, at one point today I felt one climb was about as difficult as the rock climb at the Boy Scout camp, Sabattis, in the Adirondacks. The difference was that I had a pack on my back and no one was on a belay for safety. Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-01
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut, NH

To: Madison Springs Hut, NH
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: 0

Cell fair.I slept on the dining room floor last night under a table. When I sleep in a shelter, it is usually on a wood floor, too. We [the thru-hikers] had to wait for the paying guests to go to bed before we could set ourselves up for the night. Fortunately, the huts have a lights out at 9:30 pm, and everyone was quickly gone.I could hear the wind blowing and the rain falling all night long. I was so glad I was in a building warm and dry. I was 1.4 miles from Mt Washington, and about 1300 feet below. The wind at the summit was 40 to 50 mph this morning, and probably that all night.The reverse of lights out happens at 6:30 am, so we had to be up, and our gear stowed by then. The croo [that is not misspelled] then set the tables for breakfast, and at 7:00 am the guests sat down for breakfast.When breakfast was done, we helped clear the tables, wiped them down, and swept under them. This task wasn't easy, as the weather was still miserable, and the people were hanging around the dining area. Had it been a warm sunny day, they would have all scattered to go hiking. Eventually, they left the dining area, and then we got to eat our breakfast. We had pancakes, bacon, cream of wheat, and fruit. This was a lot better than a pop tart and a Slim Jim that I normally eat.We then left, and the weather was a windy cloud. It wasn't raining, but it was the wettest mist I've ever been in. The summit house was a refreshing safe place, and we ended staying there a long time. I arranged with Sue to be in front of the Web Camera at 11:45 am. Tinkerbell and I were leaning into the wind with our packs on at that time. It is doubtful that we were visable, but we were there. Sue was going to capture the picture at that hour. She told me she didn't see us there - oh well, we tried.We then started our hike to Madison Springs Hut in the fog. Most of our hiking today was with very limited visability. At times we had to stop at one cairn to look for the next one. We would be looking for the silouette in the fog. Some big rocks would make a similar silouette, so we had to be careful not to go toward false markers. Oh yes, I forgot to mention we were still on the presidential ridgeline. That meant we were still above treeline most of the time. About 20 minutes before we reached here, the clouds broke up and the afternoon improved. It's been sunny and nice since we've been here.A cairn is a pyramid shaped rock pile used to mark the trail in areas where there aren't any trees. The only other option would be white blazes on the rock, which would be very difficult to see.Tinkerbell and I are doing another "Work for Stay" tonight. This works well for us because we sleep inside a closed building, and we get to eat the same food that the guests are served. Actually we eat the left overs, it can be a lot or a little. Any free food is good food.Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Madison Springs Hut, NH

To: Pinkham Notch Camp, NH
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: 0

Cell none.I awoke to the wind blowing and rattling on the roof. The huts are energy self-sufficient. Each one has a wind turbine on the roof, as well as solar panels. One of the croo told us they either have sunshine or wind all of the time, so they are able to generate electricity most of the time. Well anyway, when the turbine gets hit with 65 mph winds, with gusts much higher, they make a heck of a racket. The noise not only came from the turbine, but also the windows rattling, and the rain hitting the building. Needless to say, we awoke a little on edge due to the weather.I was glad to be in a building last night as the wind would have torn my tent up and blown me away.Everone in the hut was concerned about getting out of there today. Most of the guests were able to take a trail straight down to the road. Unfortunatly, that trail was not the AT, so it wasn't an option for us. We were contemplating spending the whole day at the hut, and the croo told us we could if we wanted to. When we completed our work for stay chores, we decided to hike on. The first thing we had to do was climb Mt. Madison, 280 feet in a half mile. I forgot to mention the wind was blowing 65 mph, with gusts much higher. We were being blown all over the place, and had to hold on to the rocks to stay stable. The wind blew all the time we were up on the mountain. It was a real adventure having to plan every step and anticipate where I would land if the wind blew me off course, and I landed somewhere else. It took us 4 hours to hike one mile along the Howker Ridge Trail, due to the wind. At one point I was leaning into the wind so hard, that when I walked behind a big rock I almost fell over. I hiked with Tinkerbell, Brian [no trailname], and Tater. We all had to work together looking for cairns and planning which rocks to walk on. We felt like we were in danger the whole time. One wrong step, and we would have slid and bounced on the rocks. Needless to say, we all made it safely through there.I didn't see much of the view, due to being inside a cloud most of the time, but I had one heck of a story from it. We made it all the way down to the valley, or notch as they call it here, and we're at the AMC center in Pinkham Notch. The four of us are sharing a bunk room with individual beds and real sheets. The place is very nice, and I'm very comfortable here. We also paid for an all you can eat dinner and breakfast with the room, so life is good.Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-03
From: Pinkham Notch Camp, NH

To: Imp Campsite, NH
Miles today: 13.2

Cell good.Today we finished the Wildcat Mountains. There are four of them: E 4041 ft, D 4063 ft, C 4270 ft, B 4270 ft, and A 4380 ft. Although the elevations are similar, we would go into a valley between them, and then have to climb back up. We also hiked Carter Dome (4238 ft), Mt. Hight (4675 ft), So. Carter (4458 ft), Middle Carter (4600 ft), and No. Carter (4530 ft). Hey, that's 10 peaks over 4000 ft. If I were in the Adirondacks, I'd be well on my way to being a 46er.I'm awarding "The Old Goat Integrity Award" to Tater. Tater is a fellow originally from Georgia, but now lives in Manhattan. He decided to hike the AT as a mid-life change. Prior to his setting out at Springer Mountain Georgia, he had never camped before. Today he has hiked 1875 miles on the AT, and he's still going strong. The integrity part comes from something he did today. He discovered he took the wrong trail, but ended back on the AT by accident. He then turned around and went back to where he took the wrong trail. He added an additional 1.2 miles to his day in order to have an honest hike. No one would have known of his mistake, but he wouldn't have been able to live with himself had he not done it. I meet some remarkable people out here, and he is certainly one of them.The hiking was slow and the progress was, too. I arrived at the shelter around 8:00 pm, which was fairly late for me. Tink (Tinkerbell) heated some water for me, as he was here before me, and his stove was already out. That saved me about 5 minutes in preparing my dinner. I honestly can see Maine when there is a view. I've been walking to Maine for almost 5 months, and I'm almost there.Due to the late arrival I'm leaving this entry brief. Old Goat
Date: 2006-08-04
From: Imp Campsite, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: 0

Cell good.After all the mountains climbed and the long day yesterday, I slept very well last night. I was in a shelter with four other people. It rained during the night, and the temperature was cool, maybe cold. I have my 15 deg sleeping bag, so I was very comfortable in it. The rain on the roof sounded so soft that it was easy to sleep to.We took our time getting going as we only had seven miles to do. We had a tough start as we climbed Mt. Moriah to the summit. It was steep all the way up. We were rewarded with a wonderful view of the Presidential Ridge and all the mountains we didn't see when we were on them due to heavy fog. From there, we went down to the Rattle River where we had to cross the river twice. This was no easy task, as the water level was high from all the rain we've been having, and many of the stones were under water. Fortunately, I did make it across without getting my boots wetter then they were. Actually that was an exercise in futility, as they were soaked already. When I got into town, I immediately took my boots off and set them in the sun. That, too, was another exercise in futility, as they are still wet and probably will get wetter once I start hiking again tomorrow.I'm in town once again to resupply and take another breather. I'll be heading into Maine on Sunday, and there will be a big push to Katahdin. I'll use every opportunity to get a town meal and a decent nights sleep in town to keep my strength up from here on. I'm hoping that will only be a little over three weeks. I sometimes think some of the hiking I'm doing should be easier than it feels. I'm probably doing better than I think I am. I am hiking with younger people, and this is probably skewing my view. The saying goes, "Hike your own hike." That means don't try hike longer days than you feel comfortable doing just because you see others hiking that far. Now that brings me to another hiker, a fellow with the trailname "10 Speed." I met him when I was hiking with Sue in southern Virginia at about the 500 mile location. He passed us that day, and I never saw him again until yesterday. Someone saw him in Hanover, NH, riding his 10 speed. He finished his thru-hike on July 19th, and is now riding from Bangor, ME, to Seattle, WA. He hiked his own hike, and there was no keeping up with him. Well, back on the trail tomorrow after I mail a box home. Onward to Maine.Old Goat