morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-28
From: Black Brook

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a climb!!! I believe that this trail is measured in nautical miles instead of linear (1.9 to 1). After washing the mud out of everything and trying to get as much water out as possible, we packed our soggy gear and were back on the trail around 10am. We only had 4 miles to get to the summit but it would be our steepest climb to date. It was a cold & dreary day which made the hike even less enjoyable and the moisture made our packs extra heavy.We made the summit at 2pm in a cloud of cold mist and gusty winds that kept us from stopping for lunch or climbing the fire tower at the top. A brief visit with the care-taker on the summit and we were on our way down to the shelter; 3 more muddy miles. We were warned of in-coming thunder storms so we wanted to get to the shelter and grab a spot before it filled up. Wet gear is getting old. We made it with only 'Gator' there before us. Walky-Talky & Outside got there shortly after us then a couple of guys who had hiked every trail in this country at least twice including Mount Ranier! Tofu-hammer was the last one for the night.We shared the usual shelter conversation; swapping gear ideas a hiking stories. This shelter was large and had a spacious loft which Hobo & I claimed. We strung a rope when we got there and were able to hang all the wet gear up in the loft. We pitched the tent up there too so the skeeters wouldn't eat us while we slept. Everyone was in bed by dark (9-ish) and snoring soon after.Another night in paradise...Happy trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-06-29
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester, VT
Miles today: 8.6

We wanted to make it all the way to town today because we only have 2 freeze dried dinners left. Gator was getting off the trail in Machester & Walky-Talky/Outside were resupplying there so we had a lot of food swapping going on for breakfast. We were able to get a couple of envelopes of instant oatmeal so we got to eat before starting out. We are only carrying 1 liter of water with us today because we have been passing springs/streams every mile or more and we are tired of the extra weight.A quick breakfast & we were headed out for our earliest start-about 8am. The hike was pretty easy today with minimal elevation changes but still a lot of mud. We stopped at good water sources when needed but kept moving forward toward town. We stopped at the Spruce Peak shelter around 2pm to eat our last meals for lunch. Hiking is tough when you get hungry! Even hiking slowly we are probably burning around 5000 calories per day and today we just hiked on oatmeal until 2.Another fantastic spring for cold, clear water! We visited with a hiker who was just out for 2 weeks "wandering" in the wilderness for his vacation while we ate our lunch. The trail seemed to go on forever just knowing we were heading for town which means a shower, bed and good food. (I don't know how I'm losing any weight as much as we seem to eat). We finally got to the highway. A through-hiker just in front of us crossed the road, stuck out his thumb and had a ride. We couldn't even get across the highway. It was a blind corner on a hill! We started walking into town hoping for the kind soul that would stop and offer us a ride. Not this time. The highway was winding & hilly the entire way and there wasn't a good place for anyone to stop. We made the 2.5 mile trek to the closest motel and called it a night.Right as we were getting to the motel, the phone rang. It was our daughter calling to let us know that our grandson Benjamin had arrived. Michael, our eldest son, had tried to call but we didn't have service at that time. I'm so thankful that our kids are still close as adults and keep in touch with each other.Dinner at Bob's Diner next door was good but the hotel was not. Oh well, another night in paradise....Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-06-30
From: Manchester, VT

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today will be a zero for us. We are both tired and so are our feet.We ate a good breakfast at Bob's Diner and returned to hiking the highway toward Manchester. We are starting about 3 miles outside of the heart of town. We tried the number we had for a Hiker Hostel hoping to catch a ride but unfortunately we had copied the number down wrong. After about a mile or so we did get a ride from a great lady who was also a hike. She took us to the post office where we got our maildrop and continued the saga of the missing book. It's strange that we can hike in the mountains faster than the US mail can deliver a small book. Hiking guide is still not with us.We proceed in to the very cute town of Manchester Center. We took care of laundry first and then wandered across the street to the outfitter where I got some good insoles for my boots. Hopefully this will help with the pain I have been having (old surgery sight). We got some lighter weight shirts and a couple of other little things then went in searchof a salad bar.All you can eat salad bar...this is heaven! We ate our fill and then some and continued our tour of the town. It was tough looking through all the cute shops and not buying anything. If we couldn't eat it, we couldn't buy it.Our last stop would be the grocery store where we would get plenty of food this time for our next 50 miles.We got the correct number for the hostel and were picked up by Jeff, a super host with a really neat place to stay. Several other hikers were already there so we pitched our tent in the yard, visited with everyone, ate (again!) and called it a night. It was really cool, almost cold, but we staye warm in our little home-away-from-home.Another night in paradise...Happy trails,ATeamPS. We will be heading out again in the morning so the journal will not get updated again for a week or more. And I beg forgiveness from my English teacher friends and mother for any grammatical/spelling errors. It is hard to complete these entries as if they were happening 'today' when we really only type them once a week or so with time limits on the computers we are having to use.
Date: 2010-07-01
From: Manchester, VT

To: Bromley Shelter
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: light rain

The sun rises way too early here! We were awakened by the birds shortly before 5am but stayed in our tent until we heard other people stirring. We enjoyed morning coffee & conversation with other hikers as they prepared to hit the trail again. After the hostel cleared out, we took care of laundry, showers and other final preparations before leaving town.It was mid-afternoon before we were finally ready to go. A shuttle to the trailhead from Jeff, the Hostel owner, and we were off into the wilderness for our longest stretch yet; 5 days.Since our starting time was so late, we chose to make the short hike to the first shelter. It will be a long day tomorrow climbing Mnt. Bromley. We had the shelter to ourselves so we pitched the tent inside. We spent the evening in 40 degree temperatures, snuggled in our sleeping bags and catching up on phone calls with parents & kids. We crawled in the tent before 9.Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-02
From: Bromley Shelter

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: few clouds

Today would prove to be a real challenge. We climbed Bromely Mountain, a popular ski mountain, and Peru Peak in one day. It was a LOT of climbing in one day. The view from the top of Bromley was spectacular! We were able to look back at Stratton Mountain and see the ski trails that we couldn't see the day we had climbed it. From the top of the fire tower we could see the mountains in all 5 surrounding states.Again we had the shelter to ourselves and pitched our tent to keep away from the bugs & shelter mice. A nice stream flowed in front of the shelter so we were lulled to sleep again. I would love to share pictures but we are having a hard time with computer access & the correct ports for our camera card.Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-03
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was a pretty easy hike on the trail but a few challenges presented themselves along the way. The first challenge was Baker's Peak. This is an exposed rock face of a mountain with the rock being lifted on its side. We had to climb (carefully) across this uplifted rock to the peak. My journey was made more difficult by another hiker's dog trotting around me. I stopped and let them pass. The view was beautiful and we rested for a few minutes before heading down the trail.The next challenge was a river crossing. There was a detour provided but the river was low and all the people we had talked to said it was an easy boulder hop. It was about 75 ft. across the river and the boulders/rocks were plentiful. Unfortunately, I (Variable) missed the last rock and face-planted on the river's bank. I was fortunate enough to hit rounded rocks so no skin was broken. I was shaken with a few bruises & what appears to be a sprained right wrist. After gathering my poles that were floating down the river and getting the wet boots off, we crawled back into the river for an enjoyable soak. A shelter was just a few hundred yards past our swimming hole so we stopped for the night to assess the damages and make a new plan.Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-04
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

Hobo carried ALL the gear today, all I carried was water. I was still pretty sore and not sure how much strain I could put on my wrist. We started the day with a long climb up towards White Rock Mountain. It wasn't terribly steep but it seemed to go on forever.At the trailhead we ran into a trail angel named Paddy-O he was helping some of the gang we met at the Hostel slack-pack. He offered us drinks, snacks or whatever we wanted but we were still content from breakfast and just headed up the mountain.Once at the shelter we ran into a group of kids that were with a summer camp group. One boy was exceptionally friendly and very curious about all our gear. We talked to him every time he walked by and showed him how the water purifier worked. He was too cute!We also got a little trail-magic from this shelter. Another hike had left a baggie full of small tea bags so we are now drinking tea everyday! Hobo cooked the first batch before we went to bed and then placed the bottle in the very cold spring that ran in front of the campsite. It sure was good in the morning.Pitched the tent in the shelter and another section hiker pitched his in the grass. Happy July 4th!ATeam
Date: 2010-07-05
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Claredon Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

We were up early this morning because we knew it would be a long day. We were hiking by 7:15 (that's a first for us).We hiked up Bear Mountain frist. It seemed like we climbed forever; it was a BEAR!!! We came down in Claredon Gorge and soaked in the river for a few minutes before making the 1/2 mile walk to The Whistle Stop. All the hikers had been talking about this place as a great place to eat that was very close to the trail. We got there only to discover that it was closed on Mondays. We walked an additional 1/2 mile to a small general store and settled on sandwiches, chips, coke & a Snickers bar. It is actually starting to get hot here (by their standards) and the 90 degree sun was blazing down on us during our walk to/from the store and then for a short section back on the trail. After we got out of the sun we were greeted by a vertical rock climb!!! Hand-over-hand, poles in our packs. It was a challenge but Hobo guided me every step of the way and I did it!!!We got to the shelter, got some water from the stream, found a good place to pitch the tent near the water and just relaxed. A few minutes later, "Oak" strolled in. He had been in the trail resting before we hit the rock climb. The heat is really tough on the local people. We got him some water and shared our dinner with him. We talked for a while and then all went to bed.Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-06
From: Claredon Shelter

To: Clements Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

No rush to get started today since we have such a short hike. Mnt. Killingotn looms and we are not sure how to tackle it; probably in one small bite. While we were eating breakfast and drinking coffee with Oak, another older hiker came up for a break. This guy is incredible! His trailname is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, he is 73 yrs. old, has hiked the AT 3 times (once through & twice sectioned) is planning on a 4th trip next year and was in the process of completing his 5th hike on the Long trail. The Long Trail is just under 300 miles and goes from the southern end of Vermont to Canada, taking in all the largest mountains in the state. He was a hoot to talk to and a real inspiration.Today's hike was mostly enjoyable. We did have a couple of sections of open, brushy areas where the heat was very noticable. I knew it would be a day for snakes to be on the prowl so I had my radar going. Sure enough, Hobo stepped on a board-walk then I followed him only to hear that all to familiar rattling sound. I just about knocked him down as I lept off the board-walk and started running. Even he started being more wary of the surrounding after that.A nice stroll through a fir forest calmed my nerves. We followed the Cold River or small tributaries a good part of the day once we left the open areas. We stopped around 2 for lunch by a brook. We stuck our feet in the water and starting thinking about the Zack Brown Band song "Toes" so we got the camera. We had 7 hikers pass by us as we enjoyed the cool water. Shortly after we started hiking again, we also saw a porcupine crawling up a tree. What an interesting creature. We continued on and found a cooler on the side of the trail with some "magic" in it. Cold Snapple Raspberry tea, YUM! We were getting pretty hot & thirsty so it tasted that much sweeter.At the shelter we met "Missing Person", another interesting character. He is about our age and section hiking part of the AT. He had 28 days to hike and today was day 27 for him. We visited for a few minutes while he got a drink. He moved on to tackle Mnt. Killington since his hiking time was up. Maybe we will run into him again.The shelter was rock on 3 sides and a little dark & depressing so we found a great spot to pitch the tent without the rain fly (so we could see the stars) by a fast running brook (cold too!). Hobo filled the 3 liter Platipus bag with water and placed it by the campfire. After it warmed, we took quick showers. It felt good to finally get clean with soap, not just river water. It has been a week since our last town stop and a real shower. Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeamAnother night in paradise, under the stars, by a brook!Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-08
From: Killington, VT

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a "0" in Killington. We made another trip into Rutland via the community shuttle and got our supplies for the next 5 days on the trail. Nothing terribly interesting to report other than the live Irish music in the pub. It was a fun & relaxing evening! Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2010-07-09
From: Killington, VT

To: Gifford Woods State Park
Miles today: 3.0

Change of plans. We had storms last night and rain forcast for most of today. With our packs already super heavy with the food bags resupplied, we really didn't want to add the weight of soaking wet packs. We made the short trip to the state park to save $$$ and stayed in a 3-sided shelter like the ones on the trail. We got a little wet getting there but not soaked. We pitched the tent inside to keep away from the bugs & took a nap. The forcasted rain turned out to be a non-event so the day was a waste other than getting really caught up on sleep.Tomorrow we will REALLY be back on the trail, rain or shine!Another night in paradise...ATeam
Date: 2010-07-10
From: Gifford Woods State Park

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: moderate rain

Why is it that leaving town always starts with a really steep climb? We were both miserably with our packs over-loaded and climbing a very steep grade for a couple of hours. The hike had good spots but over-all was a tough day.We got to the shelter in the early afternoon and planned to just take a break, eat & then move on to the next one. We layed down on the tarp and by the time we woke up it was too late to move on. We pitched the tent and proceeded with the evening ritualsWe met Cosmo & Sleepy at this shelter. Both were south-bounders & completing section hikes in their spare time. We swapped stories around the campfire and were very interested in Sleepy's meal he was preparing. A "personal lifestyle coach" in Brooklyn, NY, he helped people with dietary issues among other things. He had made his own dehydrated, veggitarian meals in addition to some dried veggies that he had bought at a store in Hanover, NH. It all looked & smelled great. We will have to buy some of those veggies when we get to Hanover. The little things you miss when you have to carry your food on your back and caloric intake is more important than food quality. We are searching for a happy medium. Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-11
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

We have been told by many southbounders (SOBO) that the rest of the trail to New Hampshire is pretty easy. Well, it may have been from their direction but the hills are still challenging on the north bound side. We spent the first 5 miles today mostly climbing. We did have one descent that stands out - an extension ladder! Seriously, part of the trail on a small cliff was erroded and an extension ladder was chained to a tree. We did get a few miles on an old mail road passing by remains of homesteads; rock walls & fences. We also had to 'overlooks' where we were able to get our first good look at the White Mountains. A HUGE mountain was seen in the background of the 'smaller' ones we are currently going through. Hobo thinks this may be Moosilauke, the first BIG one (4802 ft) we will climb after entering the White Mtns. Hobo got a second wind and we were back on the trail.We made it to the shelter only to find it really full. About 10 other hikers, north & south bound, had already taken the good tent sites around the shelter and a couple of rowdy guys were in the shelter. We found an acceptable spot down by the creek.Another night in paradise...Happy trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-13
From: Cloudland Shelter

To: Cloudland Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

We took another 0 today to get our gear dried out. It took close to an hour to start a fire since everything was wet from the rain last night. Hobo finally got it started and going good. We washed clothes and hung them up on a line by the fire. We planned for the next few days of our adventure while making sure the clothes & boots didn't get too hot.It was a pretty boring day but hiking in wet boots is miserable so it was a needed stop.Another night in paradise...Happy trails,ATeam
Date: 2010-07-15
From: Cloudland Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

(*some how I got off a day so the date is now correct)We didn't start today planning to go all the way to Hanover. We were just going to walk as far as we could and then camp in the woods. However, the closer we got to town, the more eager we were to just get there. It was an early start from the shelter, navigating the old AT trail and trying to find where it tied into the rerouted trail. It was over-grown & wet, so much for dry boots. The hike was pretty easy with switchbacks taking us up & down most of the hills. The high/low points for the day had to be going through the over grown fields. The weeds were as tall as us but we were able to find some yummy rasberries & blackberries among the weeds.We saw more syrup lines today and pondered the lives of the people whose homesites we continued to pass by.We stopped for lunch at the West Hartford General Store. We ate burgers, fries & washed them down with 2 bottle each of regular Dr. Pepper. Those who know us well know we drink diet drinks. These really tasted good!!! The walk out of town reminded us why we shouldn't eat such a heavy lunch when in town. We had couple of miles on the HOT pavement to get out of town & back into the woods. Once there...you guessed it...UP! We stopped by Podunk brook around 3pm for a break. The heat/humidity & heavy lunch had taken a toll on us. We drank our fill of water with Propel, layed down on the tarp and napped for a couple of hours.We packed up around 5pm when it had started to cool off. The trail was good too us with a lot of flat walking and we made good time.We crossed into New Hampsire about 9pm. This required a 2 mile walk on the roads/highway to get through Norwich, VT and into Hanover, VT. Probably the worst part of our hike so far. We stopped at a pizza place for dinner and then wandered back into the woods just behind the soccer field to camp. Setting up camp in the dark is always a challenge.Another night in paradise (with bulldozers working in the background)...Happy Trails,ATeamPS. Not sure when we will be in our next town.
Date: 2010-07-16
From: Hanover, NH

To: Center Trail Rd.
Miles today: 5.0

I forgot to mention in the last entry that we were greeted in Norwich, VT with trail magic all along the road we walked on. Several houses had stools set up in front of their houses with cookies, drinks & snacks. We enjoyed a couple of maple flavored cookies on our way through.We tried to get an early start today but nothing opened before 8am. We walked back into Hanover to the CVS pharmacy and got donuts for breakfast. New Hampshire is unique in that they do not have sales tax! We walked to the Dartmouth Outdoor Club (DOC)office to get information about town services. We found the local recreation/senior citizen center where they offered a cheap shower & laundry. We stopped by the food co-op for supplies and lunch then took our lunch back to the rec. center to eat while the clothes finished drying. After lunch we left our packs at the rec. center & went on to town to get the mail drop & look for a few other things we needed. We got caught in a brief shower while we were walking through town but nothing heavy.Business taken care of and packs picked up, we headed back on the trail around 5pm. The weather was really hot & sticky. The plan was to just hike to the first shelter about a mile out of town and call it a night. It was SO hot and the bugs were terrible when we got to the shelter so we just kept hiking. We had only packed 1 liter of water so we were looking for a good water source to fill the other bottle. We never found one so we called it a night just past Center Trail Rd. and went to bed without eating supper. We drank some of what we had and saved the rest to start tomorrow with. Lesson learned! Don't trust the book for water sources and always carry at least 2 liters of water.Another night in paradise...Happy Trails,ATeam