morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Glen Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 14.2

Last week I was having thoughts about getting off the trail for a while. Today, I wouldn¢t mind if I could hike the AT forever! What a difference a week can make.Yesterday was another hot and humid one, the kind that just takes the energy right out of me. I got up early to beat some of the heat, packed up quicker that I¢ve ever packed up to get away from the mosquito masses, then got breakfast at a restaurant about a mile down the trail. There were some cabins out back, and a hiker who stayed there that night let me in to take a much needed shower. I think the heat and humidity made my body create a new odor, and I had to get it off me. By early afternoon I made Salisbury, where I intended just to go in, grab a bite to eat, re-supply, and then head out. But then Timber, Loadrunner, Apricot and I all got to sitting around and being lazy in the heat, and we kicked around the idea of getting a room for the night. Shortly afterwards a thunderstorm came through and sealed it for us. I managed to get three meals and two showers yesterday.Today, I think was one of my favorite days on the trail so far. Some of the heat and humidity went away, making for a great summer hiking day. The trail went above 2,000 ft. for the first time since southern PA, and there were many great views. It seems the mountains are once again actually mountains, not just bumps on a ridge. There was some steep and challenging terrain, but I enjoyed it. Probably my favorite section of trail today was through Sages Ravine, just after crossing into Massachusetts. It had a gorgeous stream and a lush hemlock forest. The sights, the smell, and the overall feel of the place just made me happy to be alive.It¢s even cooling off nicely for me this evening. As long as the mosquitoes stay at bay tonight this will be just about a perfect day.
Date: 2003-06-29
From: Glen Brook Lean-to

To: Mt. Wilcox Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0

It was another good day, though not a whole lot notable happened. I was wakened this morning my mosquitoes buzzing around, so I got an early start on the day. There were some good views, but generally pretty hazy. About 5 miles into the day the trail went through a swampy area where the mosquitoes would swarm me if I stopped. Lunch was a fruit stand just off the trail on a road, consisting of fresh strawberries, peaches, a banana, juice, and a pint of ice cream. Toward the end of the day the trail went by a pond where I did some skinny-dipping. I¢ve done shorts on swimming before, but that was my 1st skinny-dip of the hike. Mosquitoes are bad in the shelter tonight, so I¢m in my hammock. Timber and Cliffdweller are also here, Cliff says he¢s feeling terrible and is thinking maybe it¢s Lyme disease. He also told us that Chameleon got hit by lightning in the storm 2 days ago but is okay, just a little shocked. (Oops, didn¢t intend that pun.)
Date: 2003-06-30
From: Mt. Wilcox Lean-to

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Another enjoyable but mostly uneventful day. My legs right now seem to have a lot of energy, so if I want to make miles fast, I can. My feet are hurting a bit, and the mosquitoes are bad, but those are really the only two things I can complain about (and hikers are always looking for something to complain about). It¢s been eight days since I¢ve been rained on while hiking, though today was a close call. At one point this afternoon a thunderstorm came really close. I was sure I was about to get soaked, but it passed to the south of me. I got to this cabin about five o¢clock and have been chatting with the caretakers and other hikers all evening.
Date: 2003-07-01
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: "The Birdcage" Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

It seems that my attitude for this hike has really turned around in the last week. I was having hard day after hard day. Now the good days just keep getting better. After a solid week of good weather I¢m back on my feet running. Today was just a marvelous day from the beginning. I started off with a full belly from a pancake breakfast at the cabin. The morning was cool with crystal blue skies. A few miles into the hike I came upon a pond that was a gorgeous pure blue. The day just continued like that. Easy hiking, not many views, but beautiful forest. The forest is now filled with birches and lots of hemlock and occasionally some firs and spruce. I even got to see my third bear today¢¦ or at least its hindquarters as it ran away. Now I¢m in town, full belly again, at a guy¢s house who¢s friendly to hikers. I¢m the only hiker here tonight, but talking to Bob has kept me in good company. Many more days like this and I¢m not going to be able to quit when I get to Katahdin.
Date: 2003-07-02
From: The "Birdcage", Dalton, MA

To: Bascom Lodge
Miles today: 17.0

I¢m still in shock over how this hike went from seeming mediocre to fantastic so quickly. And things continue to be fantastic. I had a great night¢s rest at the ¢Birdcage¢ last night and took my time getting out of town this morning. I added Dalton to my list of under-rated trail towns, right up there next to Palmerton. It had everything I needed, what I had to buy was cheap enough, and the people were happy to help me out. The hike today took me through Cheshire, where I had a Ben and Jerry¢s Ice Cream lunch, then up Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts¢ highest mountain. It was the biggest climb I¢ve had since I think Three Ridges in central Virginia. It was challenging, but my legs felt strong and I talked it pretty easily. The forest is a spruce fir forest like I haven¢t seen since Mt. Rogers. It¢s absolutely gorgeous and has a wonderful smell reminiscent of a Christmas tree. I¢m staying on top of the mountain tonight where by chance I get to be the 1st hiker ever in Bascom Lodge¢s ¢Hostel.¢ It¢s still a work in progress, but good enough for me.
Date: 2003-07-03
From: Bascom Lodge

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

State lines are always a big deal, but to me crossing into Vermont is especially big. It signifies getting back out of the populated areas along the trail and into the more remote mountains. And it just seems like such a long way from Georgia. Even though I¢ve been walking for four months now, it¢s hard to fathom that I could have come this far.Despite crossing into ¢more remote mountains,¢ though, I¢ve seen more distance hikers today that I¢ve have in a long time. Timber left shortly after breakfast this morning to meet her family in North Adams for a week off the trail. I hiked with Aloha for a good part of the day. I saw GI Jane, Truck and Patch slackpacking southward, and I haven¢t seen any of them since Trail Days. At the shelter tonight are several section hikers, thru-hikers, and two folks just starting the Long Trail today. Among the thru-hikers are Aloha, Dumpy (no longer with El Dude), and Ben (who I¢d met briefly at Delaware Water Gap). So it¢s a packed house tonight. Most everyone is tenting out, including me (hammocking), to avoid bugs. Actually, right now the bugs aren¢t bad, but when I crossed the border I got eaten up. 11 states down, 3 to go.
Date: 2003-07-04
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter 
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: haze

The trail does feel like it¢s more remote since I crossed over into Vermont, but I¢ve seen more people out here than I have in a long time. Must be the holiday weekend. I¢m not complaining about that, though. Actually, I¢m enjoying talking to everybody. And it seems my ¢Pile Up¢ joke works better in the North that the South, but maybe it¢s just because I¢ve had 4 months to practice my delivery.The weather is getting hot and humid again, but not as bad as that stretch last week. I was still able to do a long day over difficult terrain despite the heat. A lot of the day I was hiking with Ben, and we set the goal of getting to this shelter so we could go up on a nearby fire tower and watch fireworks. We went up there but could only see some far off in the distance. Plus, it was really hazy, so the show wasn¢t that spectacular. I hope the haze clears off a little in the morning because that spot would have an awesome view.
Date: 2003-07-05
From: Goddard Shelter 

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: light rain

I¢m kind of getting bored with writing in a journal every night. I feel like I¢m writing the same thing every time. I get up, I hike, I get to a shelter, I go to bed. Not very exciting. It¢s a great simple life for six months, like boring in a good way. I don¢t remember the last time something gave me an adrenaline rush. Actually, often when I¢m hiking I make up a scenario in my head that would be exciting¢¦Anyway, today I hiked. It was hot and very humid. Ben and I got to this shelter and debated for a while the merits of going on since the next place to stay charges a fee, and we decided to stay here. There¢s another big crowd here tonight. Been chillin¢ and talking all afternoon. Good for resting hurting feet.
Date: 2003-07-07
From: Manchester, VT

To: Big Branch Shelter 
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday started out super early, like I was on the trail before 7:00, possibly my earliest start yet. It took me a while to wake up, but once I did the hiking was incredible. The climb to the top of Stratton Mountain was one of my favorite climbs this entire hike. The sky was crystal blue, a cool, constant breeze was blowing, the sound of the wind in the trees hypnotic, and the smell of the spruce-fir forest intoxicating. Everything just felt perfect. For a grand finale to the climb, there was a fire tower on top of the mountain. And the view was amazing. I could see all the mountains around me, from Greylock in Mass. To Killington in central Vermont, and even the White Mountains were there, barely visible on the horizon. I probably spent a good 12 hour on top taking it all in. There was a plaque on top that said this was the mountain that inspired the creation of the Long Trail, and then later Benton MacKaye saw the view and came up with the idea of the AT. From where I stood, it was easy to see how it happened. After a few more miles I came to Stratton Pond, which in my opinion is the single best swimming hole yet on the AT. The rest of the day was mainly just a haul to get to Manchester for the night, but there were several other good views and I was in high spirits the whole way. I spent the night in town with Lucky. Nothing much remarkable about the town, except that there¢s obviously a lot of money there.Today I got a late start after a big breakfast. The day didn¢t quite live up to yesterday, but how could it? There were a lot of good views, though. The view from the top of Bromley Mountain nearly matched the view from Stratton in beauty. It wasn¢t as clear, but the clouds in the north over the mountains were amazing. There was another good swimming whole today as well, but it wasn¢t as good a Stratton Pond. I did get rained on while hiking for the 1st time in two weeks this afternoon. It wasn¢t a hard rain, so I didn¢t mind. There are supposed to be showers all night tonight and then some in the morning, but after two weeks of dryness I can deal with it.
Date: 2003-07-09
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: light rain

My family is taking vacation up in Maine in mid-August, so my goal is not to finish by August 15th. I figure I need to average 13.4 miles a day here on out to make that date. If the weather holds and I continue to feel like I¢m feeling that should be no problem. The miles have been coming sol easily lately. The only reason I didn¢t do more today is because I ran out of daylight since I had to wait for a mail drop package to come in this morning. Even the climb up Killington Mountain today, which looks beastly on the map, was difficult but fun. Yesterday I got in 17 miles even with taking long breaks at two separate swimming holes and eating a big dinner at a restaurant a 12 mile off the trail. Also the swimming hole in Clarendon Gorge gives Stratton Pond a run for being my favorite spot to swim on the trail so far. I¢m just loving Vermont right now and even thinking it might be fun to try to live here some day. The weather up here on top of Killington is nice and cool, and the night sky is crystal clear despite rain this morning. I was a gorgeous sunset tonight. Life is good.
Date: 2003-07-11
From: The Inn at Long Trail

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: moderate rain

Yesterday I ended up stopping for the day and The Inn at the Long Trail. It was quite a cozy place with good food and beer, and I enjoyed the day thoroughly with the company of Teriyaki, Princess Buttercup, and Popocat. Then, today I only did ten miles due to a late start because of early morning rain. I was too comfortable indoors to get motivated to go hiking. By the time I got out the rain had slowed to a drizzle, so I didn¢t get uncomfortably wet. There¢s a pretty big crowd here at the shelter tonight. I¢m starting to run into SOBO¢s who started at Katahdin. I¢m planning a big day tomorrow to make up for my short miles the past several days. We¢ll see how that goes.
Date: 2003-07-14
From: Hanover, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I just wanted to put up a quick entry while I had some computer time. I'm in Hanover, New Hampshire, at the moment and trying to get out of town this afternoon. This is the first time in a while that I have been able to check out the Trailjournals site, and I was delighted to see the new messages in the guestbook. I love hearing from you, so thank you for taking the time to sign. The trail in Vermont was absolutely stunning. Definitely my favorite state so far. Lots of ponds for swimming, beautiful northern forests, great views everywhere, and good company the whole way through. Now its time for the Whites which, after listening to all the southbounders I'm running into talk about, I'm really excited about seeing. Only two more states to go, and lots to look forward to. Katahdin is finally feeling like it could become a reality.
Date: 2003-07-14
To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Two days ago I pulled my longest mileage yet, 26.3 miles. I was totally exhausted by the end of the day, as well as a little wet from a short cloudburst during the afternoon. The terrain wasn¢t particularly easy, adding to the difficulty of the day. I¢d say it was probably the most physically demanding day of my hike. Still, it was an overall enjoyable hike with good views and the company of GI Barbie, Truck and Sci for a lot of the day. (Barbie requested me to give a shout-out to her mom, so hello Mommy Barbie.) That night I camped out in someone¢s backyard in West Hartford.The next day was about 10 miles into Hanover, NH. Barbie, Truck and I got a late start after a big breakfast. The hike was pretty uneventful until right before the state line where we found a cooler of beer on the trail. Beer magic, the best kind of trail magic. Shortly after we crossed the Connecticut River (the border) and took a dip. Then into town for food and more beer. Really, as far as trail town go, Hanover wasn¢t my favorite. We had a free place to stay in the basement of a fraternity house, which was a dump but still adequate. The town just seemed too rich and snooty. I still had a good time at night drinking beers at the frat house and talking to the southbounders there, who actually outnumber the northbounders.Today I got out late in the afternoon after doing my town chores. I got to spend some time on a computer for the 1st time in a while. I say where server people had signed my guest book, which I really appreciate. When I finally got out of town I made great time getting to this shelter. There wasn¢t a lot to stop and look at and the terrain was pretty easy. The mosquitoes are kind of nasty tonight, so I¢m in my hammock to get away from them. Only a 1/5 of the trail left, and the Whites are right around the corner. Lots to bee excited about.
Date: 2003-07-15
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Hexacube Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

The terrain is gradually getting more and more rugged. There was very little flat trail, but for the most part it wasn¢t extremely steep. There was one climb, up to the top of Smarts Mountain, which was very steep and tiring. I rested on top for a while this afternoon to get my energy back up for the remainder of the day. The heat today didn¢t help out things. It wasn¢t the unbearable heat I had in Connecticut, but it got close.I got my first good view of Mt. Moosilauke, today. That¢s supposed to be the first real tough climb of the Whites for northbounders, and it¢s also our first time above tree line. I¢ll probably be doing it the day after tomorrow.I was thinking this evening, as I ate dinner by myself in the shelter, about all the people I had hiked with and haven¢t seen in a long time. I see a lot of them in the shelter registers a week or two or three ahead. I miss them and would like to know how they are doing right now. Flick, A-train, Dimples, Java, Sqirts, Redstread, Subman, Journeyman, Poptart, Grunt, Red (I know she got off a while back), Hot Poles (him too), the Yellow Submarine guys, Chaos¢¦ there are more, I¢m sure. If any of you ever read this, know that I think about you often.
Date: 2003-07-16
From: Hexacube Shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: moderate rain

It¢s late, and everyone else here at the hostel has gone to bed a while ago. I¢m still up listening to Packrat¢s (the hostel owner) extensive music collection and looking through photo albums of his thru-hike. It¢s causing me to reminisce about my experiences so far. Funny how just this morning when the rain was pouring down I was thinking, ¢man, I¢ve got 400 more miles of this crap.¢ Now I¢m thinking, ¢man, I¢ve only got 400 miles left.¢ In a way I envy the southbounders I¢m meeting who have really only just begun their hike. I need to remember that Katahdin only marks the end of this journey, and that there will be may more adventures to have in my life if I look for them.So, like I said, the morning began with rain. It started when I was still in my hammock around 6:30 to 7:00. I got up and tore everything down really quick and moved to the shelter. I started to go through my morning routine and pack up, but then it started to rain harder. I figured only 15 miles today, no need to start right away. So I unpacked my sleeping bag again and slept till 10:30. By that time the rain had eased off, and I packed back up and left. It was a pretty easy hike, the climbs and descents all gradual. No views, unfortunately, due to the clouds that lingered all day, but that also kept the temperature down. At times the mosquitoes really sucked, but those stretches were luckily few and far between. Thank God for Deet.Tomorrow, the real mountains begin.
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

It was hard for me to leave the Hikers Welcome Hostel this morning. Well, actually I didn¢t leave till the afternoon. I really enjoyed the company there. Packrat, Fledge, Becka, Teriyaki, the Englishmen¢¦all very cool people. This morning I was packed up and ready to go, but I had to mail my old shoes (I bought new Nike trainers from Packrat for $20) home first. So I walk up to the Glencliff post office around 10:15, and I find the place is closed from 10:00 till 2:00. Teriyaki and the two Brits were getting a ride from Becka to the next town for some groceries and lunch, so I went with them figuring I could hit up that P.O. and be back before 2:00. Lunch took longer than we thought it would, though, and we didn¢t get back till after 2:00. I was having such a good time with everyone though that I still had to force myself to leave. I only met Becka this morning, the Brits a few days ago, and Teriyaki a few weeks ago, but this afternoon I felt like they were lifelong friends.I finally left a bit before 3:00 and started my way up Moosilauke with a heavy pack from resupplying. Moosilauke is the first big mountain in the Whites and the first time above treeline for NOBO¢s. The climb was long and steep, but worth it. The view from on top was amazing. There hasn¢t really been a good view of the Whites yet. It seems Moosilauke was always blocking a view of the whole range, but from the top I could see everything. Definitely the most rugged terrain I¢ve seen in the east. From the shelter tonight there is a good view of Fraconia Ridge, and even Mt. Washington off in the distance. I¢ve heard about the Whites for so long, and now I¢m finally here. Seems like the beginning of the end of the hike.
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Ezra Brook Shelter

To: Garfield Pond
Miles today: 18.0

Yesterday was just rainy and nasty. Several hours straight of thunderstorm downpour. The trail was really rocky and steep, which combined with the wet to make the hiking pretty treacherous. Where the trail wasn¢t steep the water collected on the treadway to form a stream I had to walk through. I was not having a good time and decided to pull up short after about 9 miles at Eliza Brook Shelter. I wasn¢t having the negative thoughts I was having way back in New York after those several days of downpour, so I think the decent weather since then has improved my tolerance for rain.Today, on the other hand, was awesome. There were tourists everywhere for the weekend, and I scored some brownies from one woman fond of thru-hikers. The absolute highlight of the day, though, was Fraconia Ridge. I¢ve heard a number of former thru-hikers say that was their favorite stretch of the whole AT, and now I see why. The trail followed a ridge above treeline for several miles, and the views were astounding. They rival any views I¢ve seen out in the Colorado Rockies. I¢d say it¢s quite possibly my favorite stretch of the trail as well.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Garfield Pond

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 10.8

The good thing about the Whites having so many tourists around is that I get to blaze past them on a steep uphill on my thru-hiker legs. It gives me a bit of an ego rush I guess. I rather enjoy being a sort of tourist attraction. People come out here from cities like Boston and find out I¢ve been hiking since March and are amazed. Answering the same questions over and over (how many miles a day, how¢d you deal with the rain, where do you sleep) can get tedious, but the ego trip is still there. It¢s shallow, I know, but I love it.The hiking compared to yesterday was a bit unspectacular. Lot¢s of good views, but nothing close to Fraconia Ridge. Mt. Washington is getting closer and closer. It¢s the only mountain above 6,000ft, so it dominates the view north. Tonight is my first experience doing a ¢work-for-stay¢ at one of the AMC huts. I get a place to stay and AYCE dinner and breakfast just for doing a 12 hour¢s work cleaning the stove here. It¢s hard to swallow the AMC¢s not-for-profit babble after seeing a hut, though. Lot¢s of stuff for tourists to buy, and it seems like the money could do more than just furnish the place with a few educational wilderness posters.