morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-06
From: Arlington, Vermont

To: Arlington, Vermont
Miles today: 0.0

This was our last zero day before heading back to the trail. We decided to drive over to Bennington and see the sights. First stop was the Bennington Museum where we saw many exhibits that explained the history of Bennington and Vermont. This museum, for some reason, had a large exhibit on major league baseball. They had jerseys from many of the greatest baseball players; their actual bats and gloves; seats from some of the long-gone stadiums. After this museum, we headed over to another museum that had a number of paintings by local artists. Also, a museum that explained and showed info on the many covered bridges that are a trademark of this part of the country.Finally, we headed over to the Bennington Memorial Tower. Not as tall as the Washington Monument, but still something like 20-stories high. It only costs $2 to ride the elevator up, so we did. Some nice views. You can look west and look into New York State. To the east you can see Stratton Mountain.It was time to head to tonight's dinner. We chose an Italian Restaurant, Garlic Johns. The food was pretty good but we have become pretty jaded about good restaurants since we live in the Washington, DC area. While we were at the restaurant we noticed a couple of hikers stop by. We said hello and asked if they needed a ride back to the trail. But they are heading to a nearby motel for the night.So tomorrow morning I'll be back on the trail and Trail Boss will head back home. Time to get back into the hike and move on down the line.
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Arlington, Vermont

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Trail Boss and I went out for breakfast and then checked out of the motel. It was 11:30am when she dropped me off at the Trail on Stratton-Arlington (Kelley Stand) Road.Began the climb up Stratton Mountain about 1,600 in elevation gain. But the climb did not seem that bad. Guess I was well rested and fed at this point.There were about six local hikers on top. Moved on to Stratton Pond where I met about eight GMC Maintainers. I took a break at the pond and took some pictures. Thought about taking a break at the William B. Douglas Shelter but it was one-half a mile off the trail, so I passed.Then the trail went for about a mile on a old road (Rootville) before climbing back into the woods.Go to the Spruce Peak Shelter around 5:45pm. Made excellent time today and had completed 15 miles in less than 6.5 hours. See what a zero day can do for you?The shelter is pretty neat. Has a large, sliding door that can be closed in bad weather. Also a table, benches and bunk beds are inside. No one else was here as of 7:15pm. I opted to tent on one of the wooden tenting platforms behind the shelter. There the sun shone brightly and I could dry out some of my damp clothes.
Date: 2008-07-08
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

On the trail at 7:30am. Sunny outside but possible rain later. Crossed the Manchester Center road and met two local hikers.Made good time climbing Bromley Mountain - not that difficult. Checked out their "warming hut" on top. It is a unlocked building where hikers can crash for the night. Pretty basic but at least a place to call it a night. They had electrical outlets but I imagine the juice is turned off during the summer. Going down Bromley was a breeze. Met two hikers who were struggling up the mountain.Stopped at Mad Tom Notch to get water out of the hand pump. Others may diagree, but I'd treat any water coming out of these pumps. If nothing else, to get the rust taste out of the water. Shortly thereafter some rain began to fall and the pack cover I'm now carrying was put in place.Cleared Peru Peak (+900 feet) and took about 20-30 minutes break for a snack and update of my journal. Layed out my sweat-soaked shirt but it didn't help all that much.Remainder of the day was mostly small "ups & downs". Hiked by Griffith Lake and up the street rocks of Butler Mountain. This location also has a "bad weather" alternate route.Crossed the Big Branch River on a suspension bridge. A sign at the bridge sad only one hiker at a time (weight limit). Arrived at Big Branch Shelter around 5:30pm. One other hiker staying for the night. Two female hikers stopped by shortly. They saw us with our shirts off and seemed to opt for a tenting night instead of the shelter - can't say as I blame them.
Date: 2008-07-09
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

40% chance of rain today. Left at 8:30am and climbed several small hills. Good, steady rain started around 11:30am and lasted for an hour. Then a mix of sun and clouds - but no more rain.Very himid hiking through the valleys. Passed over the White Rocks Mountain where all the white rock statues had been created by previous hikers. Going down towards the VT103 road passed over the Mill River, Clarendon Gorge on a pretty neat suspension bridge. You could truly make the bridge sway by leaning back and forth.There was a really very steep rock climb on the other side of the road (VT103). I'd forgotten how bad this climb/descent can be. When I went southbound in the past it was a real challenge going down these rocks - definitely requiring hands and feet. At the top I had to take a 20-minute break at a rock vista. Nice breeze and actually dried out some of the perspiration on my shirt.Got to the Clarendon Shelter around 6pm. One hiker already there along with another guy who had ridden up on a 4-wheeler. Not sure if he was supposed to be the shelter maintainer, homeless, mental, or what. Could have fit any of those categories (although no disrespect intended). He hung around for a couple of hours talking to the other hiker and finally left.
Date: 2008-07-11
From: Cooper Lodge

To: Inn at the Long Trail
Miles today: 6.0

Okay, I admit I shouldn't have stopped for the night at the Inn at the Long Trail. I'd already taken quite a few breaks in the recent past. But I had heard some great things about this place and did decide to hike the almost one mile off the trail (on US4) to stay for the night.The Inn at the Long Trail has a pretty strong hiker-support reputation. I think this is mainly because the Inn gets its primary income from skiers during winter months. During summer months it is the number of hikers that lets them stay open.To make this point, they charge $52 per night for any thru-hikers who show up. This includes (at least for me) a really nice room and a full breakfast in the morning. They can also help arrange shuttles to nearby areas (or you can pay $2 for the local bus that goes to Rutland).Another benefit is McGrath's Irish bar, located within the Inn. The have some great pub grub and some very tasty Guinness Stout on tap.I had enough time to check in, catch the bus to Rutland, walk around the downtown section (still a bit seamy) for a bit and head back to the Inn. I had a maildrop that needed to be picked up in nearby Killington and was wondering how I would get it before the Post Office closed at noon on Saturday. Not to worry! A gentleman at the Inn offered a ride to the Post Office tomorrow morning (after breakfast) and then back to the trail. Very nice.
Date: 2008-07-12
From: Inn at the Long Trail

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The breakfast was great at the Inn at the Long Trail. Had a choice of French Toast, pancakes, or omelette. The French Toast was four, large pieces of bread with plenty of syrup. Still makes me hungry just thinking about it.I got my free ride to Killington and picked up my food supply. It's only for three days to get me to Hanover. I think I did the math properly - we shall see.Reached Maine Junction (at Tucker-Johnson Shelter). This is the point where the AT and Long Trail split from each other. Prior to this point both trails ran together. Now the Long Trail hikers are off on their own.Elevation change today was pretty routine until after VT100 (the road going into Killington). Then you drop about 400 feet down to a bridge that crosses the Ottauquechee River (if you can pronounce that name you are far better than I am). Then you start a climb of over 1,400 feet until you are on top of Quimby Mountain. It's funny - while I was sweating my way up that mountain I was wondering where they got the name "Quimby" from.It was about 5pm when I arrived at the Stony Brook Shelter. Yes - I should have put in more miles today. But after the post office trip I didn't get started back on the trail until about noon. Still, I probably should have hiked another 2-3 miles and tented somewhere. Only have two more days food to get me to Hanover.
Date: 2008-07-13
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I think I redeemed myself with my mileage today - 21 miles. This puts me in a far better position to reach Hanover (about 15 more miles) by tomorrow evening.Weather-wise - there was some pretty good rain and a lot of clouds during most of the day. But it wasn't much cooler and the humidity felt pretty high. My weather radio says the next several days are supposed to be sunny and rain-free.In all honesty, I probably did the 21 miles today because the elevation change was pretty easy. A little bit of a change getting to VT12 (which goes into Woodstock, VT), but not much else.I met two hikers who say they are some more of the early southbounders. So I guess those guys/gals are indeed getting south quicker than I expected. At least they are a lot quicker than I was back in 2006.There are two interesting buildings to see during today's hike. First was "The Lookout" - a wooden building with an observation platform on top. Some pretty nice views. I've heard you can stay overnight, but not sure. It was too early in the day for me, anyway.The other building is called the Cloudland Shelter. My understanding is that the shelter was once on the Trail but isn't any longer (why not?). Some other hikers who were there when I arrived said it was okay to camp for the night. I thought about it but decided I wanted to get in a 20-mile day (Cloudland was only 19 miles for the day). So I moved two miles down the trail to the Thistle Hill Shelter.Okay, so now I only have to cover 15 miles tomorrow to reach Hanover. That will be Monday evening and I can figure out where to stay for the night. Tuesday morning I'll get my next mail drop at the Hanover Post Office and maybe a quick stop for a pizza before moving on.
Date: 2008-07-14
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, New Hampshire
Miles today: 15.0

A pretty easy hike today into Hanover. I left at 7:30am and that gave me enough time to get my mail drop at the Post Office before they closed. I had planned on just stopping at EBA (Everything But Anchovies) Pizza and then hiking on out of the town. But I noticed a really neat outdoor "sculpture" that was part of the Hood Museum of Art. I wanted to go into the Museum but there wasn't enough time today. So I needed a place to stay for the night.It used to be that hikers could spend the night in the DOC (Dartmouth Outdoor Club) building. But that practice was stopped several years ago. To the best of my knowledge hikers still can't stay for the night. I had also heard good things about a nearby hostel (Tiggers) but wasn't really sure how to get there. So I went with the time-tested alternative - tent just inside the treeline near the soccer field. My problem was that, when you are hiking northbound, you don't reach the tenting area until after you have gone through Hanover. But I wanted to see the museum tomorrow. There were a couple of hikers who said to just do some stealth camping inside the sports stadium building - even though it is illegal. I did think about it, though. But I decided to go ahead and hike over to the tenting area (inside the treeline) and set up for the night. As it turned out there were about five other tenters (most were some more southbounders who had made it here). Several said they were staying in town tomorrow and would be happy to watch my tent/pack if I wanted to leave them behind while I go back for my pizza and museum visit. We will see about that.
Date: 2008-07-15
From: Hanover, New Hampshire

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Well, today I am 53-years old. In past years I celebrated two birthdays during southbound thru-hikes. I had great cell phone reception in Hanover so I made a call to Trail Boss. I think I probably woke her up (I called around 7:30am) but she wished me a Happy Birthday and promised me a cake and candles when we next get together (probably Katahdin).I decided to take up the offer of my fellow tenters and leave my tent/pack in their good keeping while I ran my town errands. (They did a great job of watching everything when I later returned).It turns out to be a good thing I didn't try to view the Hope Museum yesterday because they are closed on Mondays. Today they didn't open until 10am. I wasn't hungry for breakfast since I had already eaten my daily ration of oatmeal and poptarts. So, I just walked around for an hour and looked at the sights. It was a bit foggy in the morning, but that burned off as the temp rose. Listening to the weather radio there is not supposed to be any rain in the next few days. That's good news. The bad news is that the high temps are supposed to be near 90 at the same time. Don't know about the humidity, but it looks like I'll be doing some serious sweating.Got to the museum and found it funny that Wingfoot's guide book says that hikers can get in free. Turns out that everyone gets in free - there is no charge. I don't know enough about art, paintings, & sculpture but I still enjoyed looking at their various collections. Of note, they had a display of art from Central America. This would have been of interest to Trail Boss, so I snapped some pictures to send her.I stayed at the museum for about an hour and a half. Then a trip over to the EBA (Everything But Anchovies) pizza place. It's kind of a hiker tradition to go there. I bought a 16-inch pepperoni pizza. There was no way I could eat it all in one sitting but I put the remaining slices in a small container and strapped it to the top of my pack. Made for a great snack later.Got out of town around 1pm. Decided I'd only put in 10 miles today and the guidebook said that would get me to the Moose Mountain Shelter. Leaving Hanover you have an immediate climb of 600 feet, although it is spread out over a mile. The really only other climb for the day was at the very end. Then you had to climb up Moose Mountain (I think it was the south peak - I know there are other peaks as well). This was over 900 feet in elevation spread out over about a mile of the trail. Climbing up Moose Mountain was a little challenging given the temperature. Up to that point I had managed to keep my shirt and shorts relative sweat-dry. By the time I got on top of Moose Mountain all my clothes were soaked. I could take off my shirt and wring it out - and there would be little streams of sweat that would pour out of it.The good news was that the shelter is actually about 300 feet lower than the peak - so you get a downhill jaunt for the remainder of the day. The bad news is that there was a nice breeze on top of the mountain but down at the shelter the breeze was pretty much gone.
Date: 2008-07-16
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Mt. Cube, New Hampshire
Miles today: 19.0

Up at 6am and on the trail at 7am. Somewhat surprised that no one else showed up to stay at the shelter last night.Again, the day began with fog - which burned off before too long. Looks like another hot (close to 90 degrees) day. One day I will get acclimated to the hot weather and maybe not sweat as much.Had another climb of Moose Mountain, this time over the North Peak. Somewhere around 600 feet in less than a mile. Then you have a very quick drop of over 1,000 feet down to a stream. I have always hated those deceptively simple downhill jaunts because I know there will always be associated uphill climb sooner (usually) or later.Next up was the Trapper John Shelter. I particulary remember this shelter from my 2006 hike. At that time I went to use their privy. I raised their toilet seat, lowered my shorts, and almost sat down. That's when I noticed that inside the "hole" there was "stuff" that had piled up almost to the opening. In other words, if I had sat down on the seat, certain parts of me would have made contact with the "stuff" inside. What really bothered me is that this shelter (and privy) is maintained by the Darmouth Outdoor Club (DOC). They normally do an excellent job maintaining their shelter sites. On top of Smarts Mountain is a pretty nifty firewatch tower. There is also a AT shelter, but I needed to put in more miles before the end of the day. The Hexacuba Shelter is about 5-6 miles further. It actually has six sides, two of which are open. They used large logs for the walls. There is supposed to be a five-sided privy nearby, but I never got the chance to look for or use it.I had planned on staying at the Hexacuba Shelter for the night. But there were a couple of "characters" inside that I just didn't feel comfortable about. So I went about a mile and a half further along the trail until I had climbed up to Mt. Cube. There I found a really nice, secluded tenting spot nearby. The view was really nice. There wasn't much of a breeze, but I could feel it when there was.
Date: 2008-07-17
From: Mt. Cube, New Hampshire

To: About 4 miles south of Mt. Moosilauke
Miles today: 15.0

A relatively easy and short hiking day. Elevation pretty much constant so not much in the way of climbs or descents. Ran across a relatively large number of hikers going south. Several said they were thru-hiking and others had just finished the climb over Mt. Moosilauke.One hiker told me that the Oliverian Brook up ahead (NH Highway 25 near Glencliff) required fording and I might want to take the alternative route (through Glencliff). I thought about doing that detour but would have had to go a couple of miles out of the way. I said to myself "screw it" and went ahead to the brook. When I got there it really wasn't that high. I did take off my boots and put on the crocs, though. But that was about all there was to that.Weather is still hot but no sign of any rain. I've also noticed that the flies and mosquitos are picking up, so my deet is going back on. Throughout my entire hike I've wondered how to best handle the insects at night. When I went south in the past they were long gone when I passed through. For the northbound hike I have been able to set up my tent inside shelters at night. But now there are too many hikers (both north and southbound) to get away with that. So, I either put on more repellant at night or tent somewhere.I had intended on hiking much further than 15 miles today, but then realized I was coming up fast upon the climb up Mt. Moosilauke. I opted to leave that for tomorrow morning when I'll be fresh and raring to go (I hope).The camping spot I selected is near a stream that is itself only three or four miles south of Moosilauke. I don't like the idea of camping within visual distance of the trail - I just feel more comfortable being out of sight. I was luck to find a decent spot in the area.I've just started reading a new book, the classic "Lord Jim." Just finished one of Dean Koontz novels. It was nice to kick back in the tent, without the rain fly, and without the flies and mosquitos. Just relax an read for a while until I was too tired to even do that.
Date: 2008-07-18
From: About 4 miles south of Mt. Moosilauke

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I kept at 15 miles for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted time to enjoy the sights at the top of the Moosilauke Mountain. Also, I remember that going down the other side of Moosilauke involved a steep climb (which will be a descent this year). There are a number of steep steps that have to be covered and I'm not sure how my fear of open spaces/heights (can you believe that?) will work on those steps.I've always been fascinated by the history of the Whites (Moosilauke is considered to be the first of the Whites when hiking north). I carry a small guidebook to the history of the area. Mt. Moosilauke's history is pretty interesting. Before the civil war there was a stone hotel on the summit (the Prospect House). It's name was later changed to the Tip-Top House. The hotel and some land on the summit was given to Dartmouth University in 1920 and DOC students operated the hotel during the summer months. It burned down in 1942, and the stone foundation remains. Just below the summit is a concrete foundation of a summit cabin/emergency shelter that had been used until closed in the late 1970's. An attempt was made later to remove the concrete foundation with a portable jack-hammer, but it proved too difficult a task. I'm not sure why they wanted to remove that foundation but I guess they had a good reason.The first part of the climb is up the South Peak and then via a ridge line to Moosilauke, itself. This ridge part of the trail in unusual in that you can see the sky while hiking it. There are no canopy trees over this portion of the trail. On the summit of the mountain is the first "above treeline" portion of the Whites. They say the view on top is often foggy (like Katahdin, also). But I could see somewhat off in the distance. Not as far as Mount Washington, though.There is also a nearby trail from NH Route 118 that leads to the crash site of a army B-18 bomber that crashed on the side of nearby Mt. Waternomee, part of Moosilauke's mountain range. In December, 1942, the bomber was returning from a patrol and got lost in bad weather. Their flight path led them into the side of Mt Waternomee. There are still pieces of the plane there. I would have liked to have visited the crash site, but don't think there is a route from the AT.Then it was time to start descending the summit. The north side can be treacherous. The trail follows Beaver Brook as it cascades and falls down the side of the mountain. There are tons of wooden and rock steps, and rebar on the really vertical sections. It actually took me a couple of hours to make my way down the steps and bars. I got to the bottom and wrongly thought that I would have a gradual section to Beaver Brook Shelter. The trail from Kinsman Notch to Mount Kinsman seems to be lightly traveled and not that well maintained. The trail was muddy, lots of rough trail, and a number of ups and downs. I finally reached Eliza Brook shelter just around dark, having only hiked fifteen miles, but feeling like I'd hiked a lot more.