morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-23
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Caughnawga Shelter
Miles today: 18.7

The talk of the trail as of late has been of finish dates. Yes, we have already reached that point. Apparently, it is said that one should expect it to take between 4 and 5 weeks from Hanover, NH to reach Katahdin. Java and I are hoping to hit Hanover by June 30th and to summit Katahdin between August 1st and 5th. It seems premature to be settling on such a date, but in reality, we have only 563.2 miles remaining; still quite a bit, I know, but small potatoes when you consider that we¢ve already walked 1,609.4 miles.So I¢ve been thinking lately that this adventure has been going by all too quickly. Although I¢m eager to start grad school and a new life in Ithaca, NY, I¢m not quite ready to leave all this behind yet. My body protests that for certain, but I¢m still enjoying the lifestyle and the people immensely.
Date: 2003-06-24
From: Caughnawga Shelter

To: William B. Douglas Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: clear sky

The following is a brief progression of the insect infiltration along the A.T.: gnats -> ticks ¢> mosquitoes ->black flies. The gnats are merely a nuisance as they swarm in ridiculous numbers around your head; the ticks pop out of nowhere, attaching themselves to the skin while possibly carrying the feared Lyme disease; the mosquitoes are blood sucking beasts; and the black flies are deadly as they not only swarm but they also suck blood and are utterly relentless. Somebody better formulate a deterrent stronger than 100% DEET because the black flies appear to enjoy wallowing in it on one¢s body.
Date: 2003-06-25
From: William B. Douglas Shelter

To: Bromley Mtn.
Miles today: 8.5

An early morning hike into Manchester Center, VT for resupply followed by a late afternoon departure with ten miles left on the horizon and the Bromley Mt. warming hut and lookout tower only 2.8 miles into the remaining ten prompted the question: Do we REALLY need to hike ten, reaching the shelter after dark? Answer: Of course not, especially when the shelter is completely enclosed and we are surrounded with 360 degree views of the mountains. So here we stay.
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Bromley Mtn.

To: Little Rock Pond Tenting Area
Miles today: 16.8

Last night was tremendous! I ended up sleeping out in the open on top of the observation tower with a starlit sky above me and a strong wind rolling across the mountaintop. I saw a fantastic shooting star and an amazing view of the Milky Way. I was awakened by the sunrise and slowly climbed down the stairs to prepare myself to hike in 90 + degree weather. Well, the forecast for the lower elevations was 99 degrees and I estimate it was about ten degrees cooler up in the mountains, but still way too hot to be hiking. Thank goodness we ran into several good swimming holes today, two of which we made good use of and the last of which we are currently tenting beside.Tenting equals bug-free night, save for one intruder that somehow snuck into my tent. I will get it, oh yes, I will. I¢m on a mission now.
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Little Rock Pond Tenting Area

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

I¢m writing by the light of a campfire tonight. Java and I spent a leisurely day hiking, making various stops to enjoy a brook, a gorge, and eventually a restaurant in East Clarendon. On the walk back to the trail we kept glancing behind us to see the fantastic sunset.The temp has cooled considerably, which I readily welcome, and it looks as though we may be treated to a summer thunderstorm soon.
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Killington, VT
Miles today: 16.4

A rough climb up to Killington Peak was well worth it for the views, although the black flies drove us back down quite quickly.Staying at The Inn at Long Trail in Killington tonight. It¢s the first ski lodge in Vermont and has turned into a hiker friendly establishment, so Java and I decided to treat ourselves since we haven¢t showered in 7 days or washed our clothes in 10 days and we¢ve been hiking through 90+ degree temps for a few days now.
Date: 2003-06-29
From: Killington, VT

To: Locust Creek
Miles today: 14.7

The Long Trail & Appalachian Trail veered away from one another during today¢s hike, with the L.T. heading to Canada and the A.T. heading to Maine. This departure of L.T. hikers has led me to write a list of standard questions section hikers and the like commonly ask, as I was bombarded by them throughout L.T. territory.1) Where are you hiking to?2) When did you start?3) When do you expect to finish?4) How many miles do you average per day?5) Did you two meet on the trail? (Referring to Java & I)6) What has been your favorite part of the trail so far?7) Why did you decide to hike the trail?8) How much does you pack weigh?Of course, I have a set of standard answers, none of which I care to enumerate here as my previous journal entries contain them. I¢m seriously considering the creation of a handout that contains all the questions and answers and whipping it out whenever I come across an inquiring hiker.Nah, I¢m just kidding. I enjoy answering the questions. It reminds me how sweet of an adventure this really is and how fortunate I am to have the opportunity. After all, when the question/answer session ends, I almost always hear, ¢I wish I had the time to do that.¢
Date: 2003-06-30
From: Locust Creek

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Wicked climbing today. It¢s all about the straight up and down in New England. I feel as though the trail up to this point has been mere conditioning for the hellacious end. And I haven¢t even hit the White Mountains yet, said to be the toughest section of the trail! I better suck it up and kick some mountains¢ arse. But first it¢s into Hanover, NH tomorrow for a day¢s rest. I am incredibly excited to get there ¢ it¢s New Hampshire for crying out loud!
Date: 2003-07-01
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Running into 2003 south bounders is a great way to be introduced to Hanover, NH and the White Mountains. I met Wheel and Bo Jangles today and Mountain Goat yesterday. They¢re the first SOBOs on the trail, having started at the end of May, and are an indication of how little of the trail remains. It¢s interesting to meet people in the first quarter of their hike when we¢re already past the three quarter mark. One simple way of differentiating a relative newbie from a seasoned hiker is lack of hair. Now this can work for both males and females, depending on how surly either allows themselves to become. Wheel and Bo Jangles, for example, were sporting modest beards, if any at all as my memory is lacking at the moment, while Java displays a full, woolly beard and my legs resemble an apes¢ (it¢s an experiment of sorts, not to mention a descriptive exaggeration). Hikers bodies and appearances are sweet. It¢s great for looking like a vagrant, a social outcast shall I say harshly, especially in a town like Hanover.
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Hanover, NH

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ah yes, a day of rest. Stayed at the Panarchy house on the Dartmouth campus last night with Crumbsnatcher, Lion Cub, Pathfinder, and Java and am staying again tonight. Spent the day relaxing by scooping out the town/campus, seeing the New Disney flick, and getting a few errands out of the way. Hikers just poured into town, which surprises me as I thought there were few directly behind us, but people have been bopping back and forth and now Panarchy is packed. It¢s great to see old and new faces, but it doesn¢t bode well for our hike through the Whites, which has few shelter or tenting options with the pricey AMC huts. Work-for-stay is an option, but only for the first couple hikers that arrive. I¢m sure we¢ll figure it all out. Now is the time to hang out with my fellow hikers and celebrate our arrival in Hanover. Shifty and I jumped on Panarchy¢s trampoline a bit and I think another jump is in order ¢¦
Date: 2003-07-03
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

After a bit of prompting, Java went to the Dartmouth health clinic this morning to get an abdominal rash checked out that has been bothering him for the past couple weeks. It¢s a good thing he did because the doctor diagnosed him with Lyme disease and prescribed an oral antibiotic. As the disease was caught in an early stage, Java should have no lasting side effects, which is a good thing since it can cause severe joint pain like arthritis, neurological damage, and much more. Definitely not something you want to mess around with. He¢s feeling fine, though, just a bit fatigued. That¢s the tricky thing about recognizing Lyme disease as a hiker ¢ all the symptoms we already experience out on the trail
Date: 2003-07-04
From: Moose Mtn. Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

Happy 4th of July! Unfortunately, I didn¢t get to see any fireworks, I only heard them. But, I did see my seventh bear on the trail. About a mile and a half past Moose Mtn. Shelter I saw it strolling through the trees and bushes stopping every now and then to munch on something. At first I thought it was a moose, or was hoping it to be, but upon closer inspection, as the fearless furry guy was only 150 ft. from me and oblivious to my presence, I realized the time for my moose sighting still eluded me. C¢est la vie. One of these days all the moose poop I¢ve been hopping over along the trail will lead me to one of the gangly beasts. For now, I¢ll have to make due with the bears, as if they aren¢t amazing enough, and the ravenous mosquitoes that are driving us crazy tonight in this hexagonal shaped shelter. I hope they die down overnight because I need to be out of the shelter and on the trail by 5 a.m. at the latest tomorrow in order to make it into Glencliff¢s post office before it closes at 1 p.m Be gone ye pesky muskweetoes!
Date: 2003-07-05
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.7

I left the shelter at 4:39 a.m.; my earliest morning yet. I had very little sleep last night with the unrelenting mosquitoes. We (Java, Dean, and I) all scrambled for our tents after listening to ourselves create a chorus of slaps and swaps intermingled with outbursts of profanity for an hour or so. It was utterly miserable. Getting out of the shelter so early was fine by me.A quick morning hike with a sunrise breakfast on top of Mt. Cube put me in Glencliff around 11:30 a.m., just in time to run into Poptart and three more SOBOs (southbounders). I made it to the P.O. with plenty of time to spare and hung out at the ¢Hikers Welcome¢ Hostel sorting through my maildrop, waiting for Java to arrive, and catching up with Beefstick, Rockhound, and Afterburner. Met Packrat, the guy that runs the hostel and a former A.T. and P.C.T. thru-hiker ¢ a great person. I decided to stay the night after realizing there was a hammock in the yard and cold pop in the fridge. Got a bit of trail magic from Old Fart who was in the area (Java and I met him way back in VA). Java arrived shortly thereafter and with hikers filing in throughout the day there is now a full house. This is the perfect stay before hitting the White Mountains tomorrow. I am extremely apprehensive about what lies ahead and after looking at the profile maps my concerns have only been magnified. But, heck! Hundreds of people have hiked them before me and I¢ve got freakin¢ 1700 some miles under my belt. I¢m ready to go!
Date: 2003-07-06
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Gordon Pond Trail
Miles today: 12.8

I am in the Whites! The climb up and over Mt. Moosilauke handed me an introduction. A tough ascent indeed, but my worrying can be set aside as it wasn¢t nearly as difficult as I had feared. I¢m not sure if I was thinking the equivalent of Everest or what. I think I¢ve just chalked the Whites up as being the most difficult section, which they are, and created a sort of feverish apprehension.How amazing the view was from the summit of Mt. Moosilauke¢¦ Being above treeline for the first time since some of the southern balds opens up crazy views. I feel as though I have begun a totally new hike, my motivation and drive have been renewed. I can¢t wait to see the rest of the Whites, even if it is through gallons of sweat pouring in streams done my face. It is the beginning of the end, folks, only 385.7 miles to go.
Date: 2003-07-07
From: Gordon Pond Trail

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 13.0

Today I was not only a hiker but a rock climber. Kind of, anyway. The climb up Mt. Kinsman involved some serious rock scrambling. The thing about the Whites is that they¢re wicked hard, but during the sweat and strain you¢re offered fantastic views so it¢s all worth it. In my opinion, this is how hiking should be. This area reminds me very much of hiking out West because of the expansive views.In North Woodstock for the night to resupply. Snagged a spot on the Cascade Lodge B&B porch for a snooze after hanging out at the Woodstock Brewery with Fern, Snake Charmer, Dean Machine, Java and two SOBOs, Little Moose and Ashley. A touristy little town with an interesting appeal. Hitting the Franconia Range tomorrow. Looking forward to it!
Date: 2003-07-08
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Climb, climb, climb, down, climb, climb, down¢¦ Mountains climbed today: 4 Name of mountains: Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette, and Garfield.The Franconia range is gorgeous and I am being rewarded with a night¢s stay at the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Galehead Hut. The AMC maintains the portion of the Whites from Kinsman Notch to Grafton Notch, providing a number of huts and tent sites for hikers. Unfortunately, the huts and tent sites are rather expensive so most thru-hikers keep an eye out for stealth sites, or non-sanctioned sites, like the one we stayed at last night. Thru-hikers pass down a list of these sites so we¢re in the know. Our only other option to hike through the Whites cheaply is to do work for stay at the huts. The hut ¢croo¢ members give thru-hikers a break by allowing us to do chores in exchange for a roof over our heads and good food. That¢s what we¢re doing at Galehead tonight. We even lucked out and snagged bunks.
Date: 2003-07-09
From: Galehead Hut

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Five minutes spent de-icing the hut freezer and my work for stay was complete. Dean and Java were handed sweeping duties. Not a bad deal for a bunk, dinner, and breakfast. Lunched at the Zealand Falls Hut, drinking two liters of lemonade and sunning on the rocks next to the falls. Spent two hours there relaxing and then pushed on to Crawford Notch to meet up with Crumbsnatcher, Sticky Fingers, and Kool-Aid Luke to stealth camp along the Saco River. Snug as a bug in a rug in my tent tonight.
Date: 2003-07-10
From: Crawford Notch

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

The Presidential Range was my playground for the day, considered by many to be the most impressive range in the Whites. I climbed over Mt. Webster, Mt. Jackson, Mt. Clinton, and Mt. Franklin en rout to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut. The views were spectacular as the second half of the hike was completely above treeline.Java, Dean and I took our time getting to the hut, enjoying our several summits and talking to the myriad of day and section hikers along the way. By the time we reached our destination, the temps had dropped considerably and Mt. Washington, the beast that we had been ascending to all day, stood only 1.4 steep miles to our right. We¢re saving that fun climb for tomorrow. After a delicious dinner we are trying to keep ourselves warm. Believe it or not I¢m sporting my rain pants and fleece vest. Tomorrow¢s forecast calls for cooler temps and rain ¢ not a good forecast to summit the mountain with the world¢s worst recorded weather. Duh, duh, duh, duh¢¦
Date: 2003-07-11
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

The forecast was dead on. I awoke in the middle of the night to hear the hut shaking from the high winds and the rain pounding the windows. It didn¢t let up when I awoke at 6 a.m. this morning, and with 22 degree F temp with the wind chill, Java and I decided to wait out the worst of it before attempting a climb up and over Mt. Washington. It remained icky all day long and being in a cozy hut made it easy to stay another day. The hut croo have been kind enough to let us do another work for stay so here I sit yet again with a full belly.This is my first zero day not being in a town, meaning I have been able to really relax without having to worry about doing errands. I must admit though, I am going stir crazy. I just stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. The fog clouds are so thick that I could only see about 20 feet in front of me. It has warmed up a bit, however, and it looks at though it will only improve over night. It would be great to finish the Presidential Range with more fabulous vistas.
Date: 2003-07-12
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Woke up bright and early to hit the trail by 7:30 a.m. to ascend Mt. Washington. The summit was still shrouded in clouds and soon we (Java, Cloudwalker, and I) were walking through them and high winds. We covered the 1.4 miles and 1200 feet in elevation gain in a quick 40 minutes to find ourselves on the blustery summit.A bit of info. About the tallest peak in New England and the second tallest on the A.T. It holds the record for the highest recorded wind speed on Earth at 231 mph. And it is a total tourist trap. I was somewhat reluctant to reach the top as the view from below showed weather towers and numerous other structures. As you can imagine, people can reach the top not only by foot but by car or the massively polluting cog railway. Our response to this tourism and pollution was to moon the cog train on its descent of the mountain. Those tourists got way more than they expected for the $40 train ride. Good fun.We continued the rocky descent over the northern Presidentials down into Pinkham where we decided to hitch into Gorham a couple days early in order to keep up on our mileage. Java and I got an easy hitch into town from Medusa, a ¢95 thru-hiker, and her husband. They even gave us homemade chocolate chip cookies and tortellini and pasta sauce that they hadn¢t eaten. Oh were we grateful. They dropped us off at ¢The Barn,¢ a hiker hostel in a ban attached to the Libby House B&B. We¢ve once again met up with familiar faces such as Poptart, Crumbsnatcher, Lion Cub, Beekstick, and that whole crew. We¢ve had a fun night catching up and I even got some news about A-Train who had been in the night before. I hope to catch him before reaching Katahdin.
Date: 2003-07-13
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Yea, I¢m getting lazy. This is my second zero day within three days. Gorham is a cute trail town and with waffles with fresh bananas and whipped cream in my belly, I didn¢t get very far.¢The Barn¢ was a lovely stay last night and I¢m sure it will be again tonight. A word to future thru-hikers: ¢Hiker¢s Paradise¢ should be avoided at all costs. They no longer hold mail drop packages, in fact, they will not accept them despite the info given to the contrary in Wingfoot¢s guidebook. The Barn is the place to be in Gorham. Scavenger (¢95) is the caretaker for the owners, Paul & Maggie, and all three are very helpful and hiker friendly.
Date: 2003-07-14
From: Pinkham Notch 

To: Stoney Brook Trail 
Miles today: 13.8

Back on the trail! The climbing today was complete madness. We gained something like 5700 feet total in elevation within a few miles, which means nearly vertical ascents over rocky terrain. I think today by far has been the most difficult in the Whites.Mt. Washington looks to finally be at our backs after completing some wacky horseshoe-shaped traverse of the White Mountains. Our mission to shelter in the Whites without paying any money continues on its successful route. Tonight, Java and I are tenting at a stealth site on a little less than a mile north of the AMC Imp Campsite. Our stealth site is nestled in a forest of pine, making it an extremely quiet spot. A good night¢s sleep lays ahead.
Date: 2003-07-15
From: Stoney Brook Trail 

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: broken clouds

Back in Gorham. Ok, so the plan was to pop back into town and pick up our resupply at ¢The Barn,¢ eat, and then head back out on the trail for another 7 or 8 miles. That obviously didn¢t happen as one can tell from the daily mileage. It took Java and I nearly an hour to get a hitch 3.6 miles into town and by the time we got there, we were both a little frustrated, enough for the both of us. Plus, Crumbsnatcher was still there and ATV, Yetti, and Southern Yankee had showed up. A viewing of ¢Dead Poets Society¢ sealed the deal.News on the moose front: a bull and its calf walked by our camp early this morning, but I was half unconscious and didn¢t make it out of my tent in time. Hearing their clomping hooves was nearly just as good as an actual sighting, however.
Date: 2003-07-16
From: Gorham, NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter 
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: mist

Maine¢¦ I made it! The fourteenth and final state that I will hike through. It was thrilling to see the bright blue sign welcoming me, so thrilling that I decided to kiss it. Smooch! There will be no more border crossings for this thru-hiker. The end is near, my friends. August 4th is the big day, only eighteen days away.Java and I often talk of trail memories while we¢re hiking nowadays. You would think we have spent years out here with all our recollections. I think trail time is similar in measurement as dog years vs. human years that one month equates many years. Things move quickly on the trail in regards to relationships because we all spend such an incredible amount of time together. I can already foresee it being very difficult to leave my trail family behind. It¢s been hard enough separating from my original crew including A-Train, Grunt, Flick, Subman, Squirts, Red Streak, Heald, Red, Hot Poles, Poptart, and Space Monkey. It would be wonderful if all of us could summit Katahdin together, but five months is a long time to keep such a group bound. Most of us will keep in touch after this crazy adventure, and that is indeed a comforting thought.
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Carlo Col Shelter 

To: Speck Pond Campsite 
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: few clouds

Stats on the Mahoosuc Notch that I scrambled through today: Distance: 0.9 milesTime to traverse: Approx. 1 hour 30 minutesTerrain: Precarious piles of large rocks, some with remnants of ice, requiring the Hiker to climb over & through them.Trail Description: ¢The longest mile on the A.T.¢We had a great time hiking through this notorious section, taking pictures and stopping to munch on snacks. Then we had to climb up the Mahoosuc Arm, a nasty arse ascent over smooth, steep slabs of rock. I actually enjoyed the climb. Maybe because my tummy was happy from eating a bag of animal crackers before starting it¢¦ Speck Pond is our reward for the day. It¢s the highest pond in Maine at 3,440 feet and purportedly as cold as the North Atlantic. I¢m not so sure about that claim because after dipping in to rinse off, I was cooled but not uncomfortably so. It is a chilly night, however. I have my fleece hat on. In the middle of July!