morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-08-07
From: Econolodge, Lincoln, New Hampshire

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

I woke-up around 8:00 AM after a very restful sleep at the Econolodge. It was an expensive rest, but probably worth the money. The hotel served a good breakfast with juice, milk, danishes, eggs, and sausage to name a few items. At breakfast, we happened to run into Lucky and Rocket. They were headed out to the trail to do some slack-packing with a friend of theirs who had driven up from Richmond and very generously offered us a ride to the Price Chopper across town. Of course, the offer of a ride was too good to pass up, even if it did cause us to miss out on lounging around the hotel until check-out time. The other downside was that I had to ride in a car with JMU plates -- something very disagreeable for a William & Mary graduate. Isn't it cute how graduates of I-AA schools pretend to care about football rivalries?We got our shopping done and hit the post office. With that, we were ready to head back onto the AT. We walked the Connector with no one responding to our thumbs for rides accompanied by our puppy-dog stares. We made it back to Rte. 3 and were picked-up by a nice woman from Maine who was shuttling her own through-hiking son (NOBO) as he slack-packed the section. She took us right to the spot where we had gotten our hitch into town, and, after another infraction-filled walk along I-93, we were back on the trail.Our first stop was at Lonesome Lake Hut, our final AMC hut. The site is very nice with the lake available for swimming and views of Franconia Ridge (of course, it was beautiful weather looking up at the ridge contrasted with the foul weather we had while hiking the ridge, but that's all part of the AT game). We had lunch in the dining hall then climbed to the Kinsman Mountains (North and South, with nice views from the South). The climb up was moderate, but the descent was harsh. For the last 0.8 miles, we hiked along the brook with several cascades. It made for an all-around pleasant scene. The new shelter here is very nice and well-done. It is situated within hearing distance of the stream. Silver Surfer and I are in the shelter, while Onward, who we came across again at Lonesome Lake, and two section hikers have tents out. Tomorrow, we face our last giant -- Moosilauke Mountain.
Date: 2012-08-08
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

The last of the White Mountains giants is dead. Silver Surfer and I made it over Moosilauke. The day started with a tiring jaunt to New Hampshire Rte. 112. The mountains crossed were small, but the ups and downs were substantial and the path was rocky, rooted, and boggy in many spots. I had to wait a long time for Silver Surfer at the Rte. 112 trail head -- I'm not sure how much longer our hiking partnership will last considering the difference in our hiking speeds. But, to Silver Surfer's credit, he always makes our destination, even if it takes him a bit longer to do it.The climb from the road to the ridge was intense. The trail followed Beaver Brook and went past a series of nice waterfalls as it climbed. Fortunately, the trail was walk-able the entire way, i.e. no rock climbing. Once on the ridge, the trail flattened to almost level and eventually looped around to the main Moosilauke ridge. The final push to the summit was incredible in terms of scenery with an open alpine meadow. I spent some time waiting for Silver Surfer, which gave me the chance to hang out with the mountain steward and another member of the Dartmouth Outing Club. The walk down Moosilauke was mostly gentle except for one short stretch, but also very long. I am not sure if the southbounders, who have a short, steep climb, or the northbounders, who have a long, tedious climb, have it worse. We eventually ended up in a farm area and on a paved road before reaching the shelter.It is much warmer here tonight due to our much lower elevation. Tomorrow we are scheduled to go into Glencliff for Silver Surfer's mail drop and perhaps some treats from the nearby hostel. We are here tonight with two NOBOs along with Lucky, Rocket, and Bear. We did not see Onward today -- he did mention something about going two miles off-trail to swim in a pond.
Date: 2012-08-09
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I am writing in the midst of a major thunderstorm. More and more northbounders keep showing up even as late as it is now, and there is really very little physical room left. It makes me wonder what they were thinking since the wet forecast was well known. I suppose it was a lack of planning on their part. You would think they would have this down by now. [Ed. note: I think I was just annoyed. It is a common part of trail life to have people show up at shelters extremely late and in all weather conditions. In fact, I later did the exact same thing I am here complaining about. While I can understand why I was less than thrilled with the situation, the truth to the matter is that hikers either need to accept that inconvenience or plan to tent every night.]The hike today was pleasant. It was a great relief to actually hike rather than be constantly climbing or bouldering. We stopped at Glencliff for Silver Surfer's mail drop and visited the hostel across the road from the post office for breakfast ice cream and Coke. For most of the day, the climbs and falls were moderate. At one of the road crossings, I encountered NOBO hiker Tank's mother -- the same nice lady from Maine who shuttled us out of Lincoln. She gave me an orange soda which I enjoyed with my lunch. The climb up Cube Mountain felt like business as usual for the Whites, although the climb was shorter. The view from the top of Cube Mountain was nice, although not spectacular. I had a pleasant conversation with a group of Dartmouth students who are working for DOC this summer. That brings me back to this human sardine can in which I now find myself. I had a good time chatting with the Pilgrim and a few other NOBOs who arrived before dark. It's Hanover in just two days!
Date: 2012-08-10
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: light rain

Heavy rain was falling as I awakened at Hexacuba Shelter. No one was in the mood for moving fast. I was the first one out of the shelter, and I didn't leave until the rain subsided at around 8:00 AM.The climb up Smart Mountain was easy to moderate in difficulty, but long. There are a number of confusing trail intersections on top of the mountain, so I never did see the fire warden's cabin or fire tower. That's OK, though -- there was no view as it was foggy and seemed to be building toward more rain. The initial descent from the mountain was rocky and steep, though it moderated. At Lambert Ridge, I was caught on an exposed ridge as another strong thunderstorm rolled over the mountain. There were at least two times when there was no separation between the sight of the lightning and the sound of the thunder. I very nearly became electric Stilts. It poured for about an hour.I had lunch at Bill Ackerly's house. [Note: I try not to use people's full names, but, in the case of trail legends like Bill Ackerly, I don't think there are any privacy concerns as he would be considered almost a celebrity.] He was not there as he was apparently vacationing in Colorado, but he had left signs telling hikers to make themselves at home, at least on the porch and yard. I filled out my information in his register so that his records would be accurate.   As luck would have it, it started pouring as I was getting ready to leave Mr. Ackerly's porch. I waited a few minutes, but there were no signs of the rain letting up, so off I went. It poured until the top of the next mountain [Holts Ledge]. Despite the rain, I did have a nice view from the ledge. The climb up Moose Mountain, while not especially hard, was an annoyance at the end of the day and not overly scenic.I am in another crowded shelter tonight. In addition to me and Silver Surfer, there are three GAME hikers and MEGA couple Pepper and Poncho in the shelter. Lucky, Rocket, and Bear are tenting out nearby. I went on a night hike tonight to complete the part of the AT I would miss if I take the southern leg of the shelter loop tomorrow morning. When did I become such a purist?
Date: 2012-08-11
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: House of Warren T.
Miles today: 13.4

[Ed. note: While my host is a well-known trail angel in the greater Hanover area, I am not using his full name here to somewhat protect his privacy. Many thanks to Warren, however, for hosting me and so many other hikers who pass through hostel-less Hanover.]We awakened very early this morning after a night filled with rain showering on the shelter's tin roof and heavy snoring. Silver Surfer had to get to the Hanover Post Office by noon. It is interesting to note that Silver Surfer becomes a regular speed hiker when motivated by a postal drop or avoiding rain. I can barely keep up with him on those days!We breezed into town as the trail was mostly downhill or level. Hanover is a nice town, though it seems to revolve entirely around Dartmouth College. We stopped right away at the Co-Op to grocery shop as we still had plenty of time before the post office closed. After that, we went to the post office, then to the pizza restaurant that gives a free slice to through-hikers. We also bought a piece each, so they probably still made a slight profit on our visit. It was still nice of them, though. Next, we hit the outfitter, partly to browse through their gear, but mainly because they give a free Snickers bar to through-hikers. We then hit the library to check e-mail and get the list of trail angels who let hikers stay in their homes when passing through town. We figured it was worth a shot, and, sure enough, after a couple of calls, Warren T. became our gracious host for the night. He asked us to wait until about 5:00 PM to show up at his house, which was fine with us. We went to Subway where we probably made them regret having limitless refills then sat on the Green on the campus of Dartmouth. The college has very fine, traditional architecture. By then the day was wearing on, so we headed across the Connecticut River, the border between New Hampshire and Vermont. We missed our goal of clearing New Hampshire in a month, but I don't think either of us was too upset by that. Our hosts are, in simple terms, awesome. They are essentially running a small, free hostel. They are just another example of how incredibly generous and trusting people have been on the trail. Even being a hiker myself, I am not sure that I would open my home up to hikers the way our hosts have. MEGA couple Pepper and Poncho are here with us tonight along with a generally northbound tour hiker. MEGA brothers Elvis and Squeaky were here, but, at about 7:00 PM, decided to head off into the woods. Tomorrow, it's back to the grind, and hopefully time for us to put on big miles as we push through Vermont.
Date: 2012-08-12
From: House of Warren T.

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I had an especially good night of sleep at Warren's, which also meant a late start. Sometimes, however, being lax is worth it. As we were preparing to leave, there was an incident between our hosts' very small dog and another much larger dog. Naturally, the incident created a great panic in the house as our hosts made for the emergency clinic. Fortunately, the smaller dog's injuries seemed slight, and I hope that the vet. on call confirmed that suspicion. Hiking today was on the easy side, but not a gimme. There were enough ups and downs to make it challenging. The scenery was pleasant with deep forests, farmland, and, as expected in Vermont, small, green mountains. We had lunch at a deli on Vermont Rte. 14 just north of the White River bridge. They had a great, though pricey, Through-Hiker's sandwich. It's easy to be Spartan when planning a hike, but harder when faced with the prospects of a delicious sandwich and cold soda. We hiked most of the day near MEGA couple Pepper and Poncho and met up with MEGA brothers Elvis and Squeaky at the deli. They had just pursued one of their favourite past times -- jumping from the bridge into the river. For me, the biggest highlight of the day was patches of ripe blackberries right along the trail. Vermont is great so far! We all ended up here tonight, along with some section hikers and a family tenting beside the shelter that brought us apples. All of the MEGAs are planning for bigger miles tomorrow, so I am hopeful that we can form a sort of alliance over the next few days, maybe longer.
Date: 2012-08-13
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: light rain

I didn't have the best night of sleep last night, mainly due to others' snoring. The good thing is that led to an early start -- Silver Surfer and I were on the trail by 7:10 AM. The weather was nice today with partly sunny skies. The clouds helped keep us cooler when climbing uphill through open farmland. We crossed a lot of farms early in the day, but the trail became more forested as the day progressed. The terrain featured a lot of moderate ups and downs, though also some thoroughly enjoyable flat sections. We covered 21.5 miles today, which is our highest total in quite some time [ed. note: actually, this day was, to that date, the longest mileage day of the trip]. The best highlight of the day was passing an old fire warden's cabin, which is apparently used as an informal, privately-owned shelter complete with a register. The cabin has an observation deck on its roof [the cabin is appropriately named the Lookout in guidebooks].The MEGA couple of Pepper and Poncho made it this evening, but, as of now (8:30 PM), the brothers (Elvis and Sqeaky) are not to be found.
Date: 2012-08-14
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

[Note: I believe the A.T. Guide by AWOL is off in regards to its listed mileage between US 4 and the Churchill Scott Shelter. The A.T. Guide states that it is 1.0 mile between the two points, but, after having hiked the section, I believe the true mileage to be closer to 1.9 or 2.0 miles.]We got off to a bit of a late start today. With the cool morning and everyone being tired from our big mileage day yesterday, everyone slept-in a bit.The hike today was another mix of ups and downs. There were no notable vistas, though I did find Kent Pond to be scenic. We crossed several roads of varying size. Today was a resupply day, so we departed from the AT using the Sherbourne Pass Trail, which was apparently the old AT before the reroute as part of the Pico / Killington Ski Resorts deal. Once at the Inn at Long Trail, Poncho and Pepper departed to see family members while Silver Surfer and I waited for the bus to Rutland that only costs $2.00 -- not bad for a 10-mile ride. The bus was slow getting there -- about an hour. Rutland is a surprisingly nice and large town, or small city, rather. We ate at the local Burger King as our first item of business. Then, I attempted to get my cell phone fixed or replaced at the Verizon store. I think the sales woman was less than thrilled to help a smelly through-hiker. She wouldn't help me at all other than saying I should buy a new phone for $200. No thanks! It was then off to WalMart for our groceries. As we were leaving WalMart -- apparently the only WalMart in North America that does not carry yellow HEET -- we must have looked lost because a man motioned us over to his truck. He asked what we were looking for, and we told him that we were looking for HEET or denatured alcohol. He politely directed us down the street toward a couple of auto parts stores. We made it about a block when the man circled back. I was a bit annoyed thinking that the man wanted to add more details to simple directions. Instead, he told us that he had some denatured alcohol at his house he would give us. We found out he was the Mad Hatter, a previous through-hiker. He took us back to his house and gave us Cokes while he searched for the alcohol. His wife came in while we were finishing refilling our fuel bottles and insisted that we have some macaroni salad, cheese, and fruit. The Mad Hatter then drove us back to the Inn at Long Trail. Just another example of the extreme generosity of the trail community.Once back on the trail, we had four miles to do, which seemed to be more like five. We arrived right at dusk, but fortunately we have the shelter to ourselves as the people who beat us here are tenting. Today's trip to Rutland was great, but we spent so much time in town that we only had time to make ten miles. Hoping for a big day tomorrow, though Killington might have something to say about that.
Date: 2012-08-15
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

We started off a bit slow today after a damp morning. It didn't rain all night, but there were some heavy showers. The climb up Killington Mountain proved to be surprisingly easy and gradual. Killington Ski Resort allows through-hikers to ride their gondola near Cooper Lodge Shelter for free, and I had initially decided against riding it. But, when I got there, my mind was easily changed despite the extra mile of hiking (0.5 miles each direction from the shelter). The gondola ride was 6,100 ft. in length and had a 1,600 ft. elevation change. The views were quite nice. I think the workers got a bit annoyed that I rode down and immediately back up without stopping at the sandwich shop. The rest of our first day on the joint AT and Long Trail had mostly small mountains. There was a major detour south of the Governor Clement Shelter that involved a long road walk. The change of scenery was nice, but the road walk got old quick. At the Clarendon Shelter, I met a GAME hiker named Bucket who, as can be imagined from his trail name, carried a 5-gallon painter's bucket in addition to his pack. He got perturbed with me when I asked him what he carried in the bucket. Granted, he probably gets asked that by everyone, but I would think he should expect that question! The best view of the day came on the ridge just above the Clarendon Shelter and overlooked the Rutland airport. Another cool site was the Clarendon Gorge with a high suspension bridge over the river. People were swimming and drinking down by the river.The shelter here is a mix between a traditional shelter and a cabin. A local trail crew gave us some Chamomile tea, which was surprisingly good.
Date: 2012-08-16
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: few clouds

Despite a few rogue mosquitoes, last night was pleasant, especially since Silver Surfer and I had the shelter to ourselves. I rested rather well, or at least "trail well." The hike over Bear Mountain was moderate followed by a long descent to Vermont Rte. 140. Silver Surfer had a mail drop, so we had to go into Wallingford. Fortunately, we got an easy hitch into town from a nice lady who was on her way to work. While in town, we ate at Mom's Kitchen, a local hangout that I thought was a bit overpriced for the meal. In all fairness, though, New England prices tend to run high. We had equally good luck getting back out of town to the trail as we were picked-up by a retired Texan who had relocated to Vermont and had done the AT. Back on the trail, the climb to White Cliff was a bit arduous, but manageable. While I was waiting for Silver Surfer, I went to see the viewpoint, which was nice even if nothing to write home about [though, ironically, here I am writing about it]. At the intersection of the AT and the vista trail, people had built hundreds of cairns over the years. It was actually beautiful with the white rocks that had been used from the area. The hike from there down to Little Rock Lake was easy and well-graded. Light showers began to fall, but it never became a full-blown storm. I enjoyed a lunch on the shore of the lake. The climb along Big Branch, past Lost Pond, and eventually to Baker Peak was a model of a well-graded trail. The elevation gains were so steady and graded that it felt almost flat, at least to someone well on his way to having his hiker legs. At Lost Pond Shelter, I met a friendly local, John, and his dog, Sadie. We hiked most of the way to this shelter together. Views from Baker Peak were impressive, as was the scenery around Griffin Lake. The shelter is crowded tonight, half with dogs. Even with John, Sadie, and a NOBO (who is back on the trail after a substantial yellow-blaze) out in tents or hammocks, we are still pretty full with section hikers. Silver Surfer and I were very happy to secure reservations at Green Mountain House for tomorrow, so it's a town day tomorrow -- that is after we get over Bromley.
Date: 2012-08-17
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Green Mountain House
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Manchester Center, Vermont --Last night at Peru Peak Shelter was almost comical. In addition to the usual snoring that one should expect in a crowded shelter, one section hiker was extremely excited that a woman who was attempting to set a new Long Trail speed record would be passing by the shelter in the middle of the night. So, at 2 AM, I hear someone shouting, "Here she comes! Here she comes! Get up quick!" I looked up in time to see a solitary figure with a headlamp jogging past the shelter. The section hiker yelled out, "Way to go!" or something like that. The woman meekly said "thank you" and kept jogging. I think the common thought among the others there was, "Really? That's what you woke the entire shelter up at 2 AM to see?"The hike today had some notable climbs, but, in typical Long Trail fashion [Long Trail hikers have told me that the Long Trail north of the split with the AT is a whole different game], the trail was very well graded. There was a modest view at Styles Peak. The biggest highlight of the day, though, was climbing Bromley Mountain. There is a major ski terminal on top of the mountain, though, unfortunately, the fire tower that was there was torn down earlier this very year. Structurally unsound? I thought New Englanders would take that as a challenge, not as a reason to tear something down. It was a quick descent from the mountain to the highway.We got a hitch into Manchester Center from two locals who described to us some of the damage a year ago from Hurricane Irene. Manchester Center is a very yuppie, high-dollar sort of town. The McDonald's there tasted the same as anywhere else, though. God bless the Dollar Menu! After shopping at Price Chopper, Jeff, the owner of the Green Mountain House, came to pick us up. The hostel is an amazingly nice home that is fully furnished. I felt as if I was visiting my parents' house, not entering a hostel. Each hiker gets a pint of Ben & Jerry's and sodas as part of the rather modest nightly fee. Everything about the place is homey, has exactly what a hiker needs (it is clear that the hostel is owned by a long distance hiker), and is exceptionally clean. Silver Surfer and I ordered food from a local restaurant then our group watched "Stand By Me" -- what a classic. It will be hard to leave tomorrow. We have a good mix of GAMErs and MEGAs here tonight.