morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Sherman Brook campsite
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

It felt great to climb a real mountain again. The hike up Greylock was beautiful and the weather was perfect- cool with clear blue skies the entire day. I enjoyed the climb, which wasn't nearly as difficult as I was afraid it would be, and made it to the top by lunch time. There were a ton of people at the summit which made me a little anxious so I retreated down to the lodge and ate lunch there. Sideways made it up before too long and we headed down the mountain together. I made it to town first and walked to the grocery store to resupply. I believe this is the first successful trip in and out of a town without getting sidetracked or staying. It's a bit sad that it's taken nearly 1600 miles for us to become efficient. The three of us made it to the campsite right after dark, ate dinner quickly and got in our tents. Tomorrow we finish yet another state and head into Vermont!
Date: 2010-08-18
From: Sherman Brook campsite

To: Melville Nauheim shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We hit two milestones today- we made it to Vermont and hit 1600 miles. I stayed at the border for some time, talking with Food Network and a few other thru hikers. I can't believe that I only have three states left. It felt like it took forever to get out of the south but all of a sudden I'm way north. The last seven states flew by and now Katahdin seems like a feasible goal. Today was good but long. Eighteen miles feels a lot different now that the terrain is getting tougher. By mile 12 I was really tired but I took a break, had a snack and got my second wind to finish the day. It feels great to be back in a rhythm of doing decent mile days every day. Our goal is to not take another zero day for the rest of the trip. We'll nearo a few times, but we just can't afford to take entire days off anymore, not only for the sake of time, but it's always really difficult for your body to get its stride back after a day off. We're tenting close to the privy tonight, which is kind of gross, but pickins are slim these days due to all of the southbounders and long trailers added to the mix. Wingin It hasn't made it here yet and I'm starting to think he may not have been able to put in such a big day as he's been having knee problems. Hopefully he'll catch up. I also hope I can sleep without privy smells wafting into my tent.
Date: 2010-08-19
From: Melville Nauheim shelter

To: Story Spring shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I love Vermont so far. It's extremely green and lush. We did some climbing today but it felt good and the miles came easily. We had lunch on top of Glastenbury Mountain with Cerveza and Power Nap then continued on. It is very muddy in Vermont, however. Yesterday I was hiking with Sideways for a little while and he derived great pleasure in watching me dunk my entire foot into a mud pit. I've been having to take wet wipe baths at night when we get to camp because I'm so filthy. The water situation has greatly improved however, which I am very happy to report. I don't believe we'll have to worry about water anymore for the rest of the trip and we probably won't have to carry as much either, which will be nice- anything I can do to lessen my pack weight is fantastic. Still no sign of Wingin It. One more day of hiking and then we'll take a nearo in Manchester Center for Sidways' birthday, which is Saturday. We have big plans to hit up a movie theater.
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Story Spring shelter

To: Spruce Peak shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day in Vermont. I'm really loving this state so far. We climbed Stratton mountain today, which was a fairly large climb but we flew up the mountain and I enjoyed the hike. Vermont reminds me a bit of the Smokies- dense pine forest that is reminiscent of a storybook scene. We had lunch at the top of the mountain and climbed the fire tower which had great views of the mountains we've climbed recently and the mountains to come. I hiked all afternoon by myself and soaked it all in. The weather has been incredible. It's chilly when you stop hiking but it's perfect when you're moving. The sun was out, the skies were blue and I couldn't have asked for anything more today. I met up with Sideways with just a few miles left to hike and we took a long break talking to some southbound long trail hikers. We're the only ones at the shelter tonight, which is a first. The shelter is an enclosed log cabin type structure and while it's definitely a unique and cool shelter, we opted to tent. It was a little too creepy and dark to sleep in. Tomorrow we have a very short day, only three miles, into town where we'll celebrate Sideways' birthday. My body is asking for some rest so I'm looking forward to it.
Date: 2010-08-21
From: Spruce Peak shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It got cold last night! I have no idea what the actual temperature was but I was extremely glad I had my sleeping bag back. We had an easy three miles to the road and got a hitch to town within minutes. After a quick breakfast, we got to work trying to complete all of our chores as soon as possible so we could relax and celebrate. We ran into Wingin It at the outfitter, but I think we're staying in different places for the night. By the time we finished our errands, it was 3:00. We got to the hotel, showered and sat outside with a drink and finally started to relax. I got Sideways a book and a new z-rest for his birthday, but the best present was when Low Rider and Ripple showed up! Ripple was feeling pressed for time and decided to jump up and hike with us for the rest of the trip and Low Rider offered to bring her to meet us. I haven't seen Ripple for a long time and it was great to catch up- and as always, great to see Low Rider. We had a nice evening and some good food. Low Rider is also planning to try to hike the last two or three weeks with us and summit with us, which would be perfect and I'm extremely excited that I'll get to summit with Ripple.
Date: 2010-08-22
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So much for not taking another zero day for the rest of the trail. We woke up and all grabbed breakfast at an awesome place, Up for Breakfast, which was apparently frequented by Norman Rockwell. By the time we finished breakfast it was raining and the forecast did not look good. We decided to stay and I was feeling really guilty until it was still raining five hours later. It was cold, rainy and windy and while I know we'll have to deal with similar weather on the trail for the rest of the trip, it would have been miserable to hike today and it was great to be dry and warm. We took it easy and watched movies but to make ourselves feel a little better about taking the day off, we made a plan for the upcoming week and did some calculations to figure out a tentative timeline from now until the end. According to our loose plan, we should summit by October 4th. We built in some cushion to account for the difficulty we expect in the Whites and parts of Maine so we may be able to finish a little earlier, but I feel good knowing we'll make it without having to rush. I can't believe we're planning the end; that we're to that point, but here we are.
Date: 2010-08-23
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Big Branch shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

How much of a difference a few weeks and a few hundred miles north can make... We got on the trail at a reasonable hour this morning and while I was ready to be back, I was not psyched about the weather. It was freezing and drizzly and according to the forecast, we are looking at three days of similar weather. The only advantage to the cold and rain is that I hike faster and I didn't feel sluggish like I usually do after a day off. We made it to the top of the first mountain in good time but when we got to the top, the wind, cold and rain were awful. Sideways kept going but Ripple and I took a break in a ski lodge warming hut. It was a great little place to get out of the elements but we got back out after a short break and I ran over the mountain to get back into the woods. I hiked fast to stay warm and made it to Peru Peak shelter for lunch. It was too cold to stay too long so we headed back out. The only time I was warm was when I was moving, so I just had to keep going. By the top of the second mountain the rain had subsided so Ripple and I took a break on top and enjoyed the first views we'd been able to see all day. We hiked together for the rest of the afternoon so we could ford the river together right before the shelter. The bridge is out and there were signs telling hikers to take a three mile detour just to get over the river but there was no way we were going to do that. We found a good spot and just rock hopped over. We made it to the shelter and met up with Sideways. I set up quickly and made dinner and though it's early, everyone is in their tents because it's so cold. I'm excited about curling up in my sleeping bag and listening to the river. Yep, going to do that right about now.
Date: 2010-08-25
From: Minerva Hinchey shelter

To: VT103
Miles today: 2.7

Just as I thought, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't swallow. I popped a few aleve so I could sleep but I knew I had to go to the doctor. I'm usually quite stubborn about being sick, but I can't risk dragging out an illness out here or being sick farther north where I won't have access to get help. We happened to be extremely close to Rutland, which is one of the biggest towns in Vermont, so I decided to hitch in and find a clinic. I talked it over with Ripple and Sideways when we all woke up and suggested that they continue hiking so they wouldn't get behind, but they decided to stick with me and come into town. They also made me agree that I would take the rest of today and tomorrow off to rest and get better. With another stroke of luck, there was the number to a trail angel, Plans Too Much, in the shelter offering rides around town, so I called him and he agreed to pick us all up at the road. So I re-hiked the three miles I'd hiked at the end of the day yesterday and we all went into Rutland. I went to a clinic and saw a doctor, who didn't really tell me what I have (he said it looked like mono, but likely wasn't since I've had it before), but he wrote me a few prescriptions and sent me on my way. Plans Too Much took me to get them filled, to the grocery store and then dropped us off at a hotel. I am going to drink juice and lay in bed all day so hopefully this will go away quickly. I hate feeling like I'm causing us to get behind, but I can't hike sick. I'm lucky to have such awesome hiking partners- they've been really supportive and great company. I would have completely understood and supported their decision to continue hiking, but I am really glad they're here.
Date: 2010-08-26
From: VT103

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 0.0

I feel a little better today but I'm extremely glad we're still in town. I didn't do anything yesterday. We watched a Top Chef marathon and I layed in bed drinking OJ. I was planning on resting all day today as well, but we had to get our town chores completed and having to rely on public transportation to get around town caused major delays. We didn't get back to the hotel until around 5 pm, leaving me little time to rest. I'm going to try to get to sleep early and shake this off because the plan is to hike out tomorrow. I hate being sick...
Date: 2010-08-27
From: Rutland, VT

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up this morning feeling better. Not great, but better. I didn't end up sleeping well last night, which didn't help, but I was hoping I'd bounce back when we started hiking. We packed up and headed out toward the bus station to catch a bus back to the trailhead. Once we started walking I realized I was dragging and didn't feel quite up to par yet. Ripple noticed I wasn't feeling great and we discussed staying another day but I didn't want to feel responsible for us feeling like we're getting behind when there's already such a feeling of pressure to finish the hike before the weather gets too terrible, so we decided to hike. We got to the bus station only to find out that the next bus that goes back to where we need to go wasn't going to leave until 3:15 this afternoon. We sat there for awhile trying to figure out what to do and finally Sideways, who is feeling more pressure than the rest of us because he has to go back and hike PA after Katahdin, said that he knew we'd stayed in town in the past because of his injuries and he was willing to stay in town another day so I could get one more day of rest. So here we are, still in Rutland. I hate that all of our work to stay on a consistent routine feels worthless now with all of this time off, but I'm grateful to have another recovery day. I know that once I feel better I'll be 100% dedicated to getting back on track and that we'll make up the time somehow. For now, however, I'm going to crawl in bed and sleep. I'm hiking tomorrow no matter what.
Date: 2010-08-28
From: VT103

To: Churchill Scott shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

We were on the trail this morning by 7:15, which is one of the earliest I've ever gotten started and by far the earliest I've ever gotten started out of town. In true Bill Bryson style we arrived to the trail head in a cab. The day started off with a short but brutal uphill to the first shelter where we stopped for breakfast. Then it was on to climb Killington, which is the first summit above 4,000 ft we've had for hundreds of miles. I felt much better today and the climb wasn't too bad. We all climbed to the top of the mountain (the AT doesn't take you all the way to the top) and had lunch. The view was one of the best we've had in some time and the weather was great. On the descent down the mountain I started getting tired- I'm still getting over this bug and it's always hard to get recharged after several days off. Ripple and Sideways were tired as well so we stopped at Churchill Scott. I'm glad to be back out on the trail but I am absolutely beat.
Date: 2010-08-29
From: Churchill Scott shelter

To: stealth site before Chateauquay Rd.
Miles today: 16.2

The first six miles of the day flew by. The terrain wasn't terrible and we arrived quickly to Kent Pond, which was a beautiful spot. We took a very long lunch break there by the water and it was even warm enough for Sideways to go swimming. After buying some extremely overpriced sodas at the lodge there ($2 for a can of Coke...really?!) we walked another mile and took a quick break at Thundering Falls, which was the largest waterfall we've seen on the trail thus far. From there the day took a turn for the worse. The climbs are getting a lot tougher and while I know it's warming us up for the difficult terrain we'll encounter in New Hampshire and Maine, it's hard on the body. The heat is not helping. While it's not as bad as it was in PA or NJ, you're still soaked as soon as you start climbing. Ripple was having a tough mental day so I stuck close to her for the afternoon and waited for her at a shelter a few miles before where we were going to start looking for a stealth site. Sideways was somewhere in front of us and we were hoping he would find something around 16-17 miles. The mountains seemed endless and there were never any views at the top, which just makes climbing frustrating. I was so tired, it was starting to get dark and there was still no sign of Sideways. I got to the top of what I was hoping would be the last climb for the day and still didn't see him. I yelled his name more out of exasperation than anything else and plopped down on the ground to wait for Ripple to night hike. I was surprised when I heard someone yell my name back. I yelled back but didn't hear anything so I assumed I was hallucinating, but a few minutes later Sideways came up the trail. We waited for Ripple then we all headed the short distance to the spot he found for us to camp. We set up our tents and made dinner and it was all I could do to just crawl in my tent and pass out. We did hit 1700 miles today which I'm psyched about. I celebrated with the $2 ginger ale I carried up a few mountains.
Date: 2010-08-30
From: stealth site before Chateauquay Rd.

To: Cloudland Farms
Miles today: 15.1

Vermont is officially kicking my ass. Flat ground is just a memory as all we do all day now is climb and descend. The climbs are serious too- no more gradual ascents with nice switchbacks; I'm talking straight up a mountain. I dragged this morning but finally hit my stride in the last four miles before lunch. There was a farm stand with drinks, ice cream, produce, etc. only 0.2 off the trail so we had lunch there. I had a great peach and a cold drink which took my tuna sandwich to new levels. After lunch it was straight up Dana Hill, no view, then straight down. It took me an hour to go 1.5 miles so I was really discouraged when I made it to the bottom. I ran into Ripple and Sideways and we all agreed that we're getting our asses handed to us. But I guess we just have the get used to it. I was not excited about the last four miles before me but I put some music on and trudged up the next mountain. I listened to rap because rappers were even angrier than I was. I finally made it to the road after running down the downhills to make up time and take out some frustration. I sat and waited for Sideways and Ripple for nearly an hour and it was dark by the time they met up with me. We walked a few tenths of a mile up the road to Cloudland Farms where the family allows hikers to tent on the lawn by the barn. It's awesome here. One of the daughters was nice enough to open the small store they have and let us buy drinks. They allow hikers to use the bathroom in the barn which is always better than a tree or privy so we're set. This climbing has thrown my hiker appetite into full gear so I set up quickly and made dinner. It's clear tonight and the sky is full of stars so I'm sleeping without my rain fly. My body is pissed at me so I'm going to do it a solid and put it to bed.
Date: 2010-08-31
From: Cloudland Farms

To: Norwich, VT
Miles today: 15.4

The terrain let up on us a little today, though the heat most certainly did not. I really thought the worst of the heat was over with but the last few days have been close to unbearable. The heat also brings the bugs back which just adds another level to my discomfort. But such is the trail and you just deal with it like you deal with everything else. The morning went fairly quickly and I made it to West Hanover by lunch where there is a store and deli right on the trail. These establisments are wonderful but dangerous. Man is it great to get good food that isn't out of your food bag, but then you spend money and stay for way too long. I managed to make it out of there and made good time up the next mountain to the next shelter where I waited for Ripple and Sideways. Ripple has a connection with a trail angel that lives right on the trail in Norwich so she got in touch with her and we're all going to be able to stay at her house tonight. We hiked the last few miles and got to the house where we got to take showers and do some laundry. The woman, Betsy, and her husband had a dinner they had to go to so we walked to town and ate at a pub with an attached microbrewery. They're letting us stay in the basement on air mattresses which is so generous. Their son hiked the trail in 2007 so they know the impact of trail magic and have vowed to pay it forward. Tomorrow we get to New Hampshire! It's insane to think I've made it this far and I've been gone for nearly half a year. Sometimes it feels like I've been out here forever yet sometimes I feel like I've just gotten started.
Date: 2010-09-01
From: Norwich, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: clear sky

State number 13! Betsy made us amazing blueberry pancakes this morning which started the day off wonderfully, then we walked the short trip into Hanover. We weren't sure how far we'd get today given the heat and town chores but once we got into town, saw so many hikers and hung out for a while in this cool town, we decided to stay and camp. I picked up a great care package today from Gangsta, which really made my day (thanks Gangsta!) then tooled around town for a while. Slowly but surely I finished my chores then Ripple and I walked up the trail to where everyone is camping out. We set up camp and just hung around the site talking with other hikers. I spent a long time talking to Griz, who I met for the first time in Neel's Gap. It was a really pleasant evening. I'm constantly in awe of the people I'm meeting out here and the general positive attitude the hiker community exudes; it's really renewed my faith in humanity. I have no idea where Sideways is. He was going to try to go to Best Buy and the plan was to all meet back up at the campsite but it's 11:00 and he's a no show. I have a feeling he'll have a story to tell tomorrow if we see him. Tomorrow I look forward to the beginning of a long and beautiful ass kicking, compliments of northern Appalachia.
Date: 2010-09-02
From: Hanover, NH

To: Goose Pond Rd
Miles today: 14.0

It was extremely difficult to leave town today and we almost didn't make it out. Sideways showed up late last night and somehow found us in the dark. He'd gotten stuck running around trying to find an ipod battery. Ripple was ready to go first so she headed out and Sideways and I went to find coffee. Once we got back into town and sat in the heat for a while, we both lost all motivation to leave and hike. It was a good thing Ripple was already out on the trail; otherwise I'm positive we would have stayed. But we didn't. We were good thru hikers and we hiked out. Again, it was sweltering and as I climbed out of Hanover, the bath and laundry were soon all for naught. I stopped for lunch and Sideways caught up to me. He'd decided to take a blue blaze trail around the mountain and it was so hot I decided to join him. It was the most insane blue blaze trail of all times. It really should not exist. We ended up in an obstacle course of blow downs and ultimately had to blaze our own trail to get back to the road that met back up with the AT. The plan was for Ripple to find a stealth site close to Goose Pond Rd and we'd meet her there, but we made it to the road and haven't seen Ripple yet. I walked down the trail for awhile calling her but never found her, so we found a spot and set up, hoping she was close and would find us. It's dark now and we're guessing she may have stopped at the shelter a few miles back. Hopefully we'll all meet back up tomorrow. Word is that a hurricane is coming through right around when we should be getting to the Whites, which should be interesting.
Date: 2010-09-03
From: Goose Pond Rd

To: Hexacuba shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Smarts mountain nearly wrecked me today. I was already having a bit of a motivation issue and the mountain hit me hard. Climbing mountains, for me at least, is a lot like running; most of the time it's laborious and I hate it while I'm doing it, but it feels amazing when it's over. Once I actually finish the climb I feel great and I always forget all about how much I disliked the work I just put in until I have to do it again. I made it to the top of Smarts and climbed the firetower where Griz and Dos Equis were eating lunch. Sideways made it up and we all sat at the top of the (viewless) mountain for a while. Once I'd eaten and recovered I finished the day and made it to the shelter where a group of Dartmouth kids were camped out. It's supposed to rain tonight so all of us- the Dartmouth kids, Griz, Dos Equis, Burl, Sideways, and I are all sharing the shelter. It's completely packed but it's been a fun night. Tomorrow we head to Glencliff where I hope to catch some SEC football. Then it's on to the Whites!