morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-23
From: N. Woodstock, NH (Carriage Motel)

To: N. Woodstock, NH (Carriage Motel)
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Birthday Flounder! We are taking another zero day, waiting out some weather (it's raining) and to let Flounder recover from a cold. I slip out to do laundry and let Flounder get some extra rest. Also we have a maildrop in Glencliff and we would get there on Sunday (should we hike today)and have to wait anyway. I slip out early to do laundry and let Flounder get some extra rest. When I return she is up and says she feels much better. A good nites sleep will do wonders! The last 3 days from Pinkham Notch to Woodstock have been spectacular....weather and views. We put in a ton of miles and long days knowing that the weather could change at any time (and it has today). The hiking has not been too difficult thru the White Mtns so far. 2 days and we will be in Glencliff! I got my hair cut and we checked our e-mail at a little cafe. It rained on and off the entire day. We celebrate Flounders birthday at the Woodstock Inn & Brewery. A real nice place with live entertainment, great food and lots of it! Noth Woodstock is quite touristy for some reason but small. [well, duh, the way you described your day yesterday, everyone would want to go there!] Everyone has beautiful yards and huge flower gardens. We have been following Tasha Marie's journal (and others) since before we started and her mother is keeping us posted as to her position and what we might expect on the trail. Thanks both of you. We are gaining on her but I don't know if we will ever catch her. She is flying! We enjoy getting notes in the registers from her. Makes us feel kinda homey! We ask about her daily as NOBO's pass by. The consensus is: "nice girl, lights up the trail". Thanks also to my sisters, Rosebud and Moccasin, for getting our pictures and journal entries on-line. Thank you everyone for your love and support. This was a nice, restful day.
Date: 2004-07-24
From: N. Woodstock, NH (Carriage Motel)

To: Stealth site .4 miles from Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 18.2

No big hurry to get going today. We thought we would give the trail time to dry out a little. We get back on the AT at 9AM and stop at the Lonesome Lake Hut for brunch. Free pancakes. We see David had signed the register (stayed there last night) and is now hiking by himself. Too bad, it was his Birthday yesterday as well. His friend had to return to work. We decided to try and catch him. Our view on Mt. Kinsman was not the best but the hike was not a bad as we expected. Difficulty in hiking is so subjective that I will refrain from comenting a whole lot about it unless something really stands out. We caught up with David when we stopped for lunch at Eliza Brook Shelter. He was surprised! It was like a little reunion. We decided to go for Beaver Brook (15 miles for him and 17.9 for us). Nice hiking today but it didn't seem like the Whites! We got to Beaver Brook Shelter late (around 7:30) and there was room for David but now even a tent site left for us. A large group of SOBO's calling themselves the Dysfunctional Family took the place over! We learned of a stealth site another .4 miles up Moosilauke. We filter our water and head up agreeing to meet David tomorrow. The site is nice but does not offer a view. It is also cold (40s) when we get there! We ate quickly and got into our tent. Tomorrow we will be our last day in the Whites (until we return one day!). Oh, the most beautiful cascading falls accompanies all hikers up or down the N side of Moosilauke for miles...an unexpected treat!
Date: 2004-07-25
From: Stealth site .4 miles from Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Glencliff, NH (Hiker's Wecome Hostel)
Miles today: 7.6

We were surprised to see David hike up to meet us so early in the morning. We finished our climb up Moosilauke. A beautiful grassy "bald" (not rock). Our last time above treeline. Great views abound. Just a short hike down to Glencliff. We came off the mountain into clover (hay) fields. It was a different terrain from what we have been used to but nice. No huge mountains loom in the distance anymore. We walk .5 miles into Glencliff and stay at the Hiker's Welcome Hostel. Just before we get in town, we see a group of NOBO's sitting by the side of the road resting. We can hear them betting whether we were dayhikers or thru-hikers. We tell them thru-hikers and they about died, saying your too clean! I'm not sure who lost money or made the money on that bet! (Incidentaly, we later find these hikers to be Tank, Bonespur, Ezdozit and Wildcat) This hostel is primitive to others we have stayed in thus far. Outside showers, toilet, and laundry. A small room up-stairs serves as the bunk room with mats provided to lay on. They also have tents set up to use or a carport to sleep under. Knowing the Dysfunctional Family was coming along with several NOBO's too we decide to go for the carport. King David goes for a tent. It is open air and the smell should be better. Yes, hikers stink (especially the NOBO's, sorry!) and when you are trapped in an enclosed place it will nearly make you gag (actually it does make Flounder gag!). The hostel surprisingly has a large selection of DVD's to watch or CD's to listen to as well as goodies/drinks and some food to eat.... AND high-speed internet. Go figure! Everything is done via the honor system. It's nice to see that hikers can be trusted. We shuttle to Warram for food and supplies. Loot, a member of the Dysfunctional Family joins me , Flounder and King David. Warram is not much bigger than Glencliff (which has only the hostel, a couple of houses and the post office) but the restaurant is run by a guy who has done start-ups for the Hard Rock Cafes around the world. He said he just got burnt out and needed something quieter. He found it! We took the food back to the hostel to eat. Delicious! We share experiences with other hikers while watching Blazing Saddle. After showering and laundry we sit around outside on the picnic tables talking with the other hikers. A NOBO named Flippy goes page by page thru our hiking book telling us where to stay and what to expect at certain points on the trail. We helped him out as well with the little ground we have covered thus far. All the NOBO's were very interested in how we got thru the Whites....miles, food, camping etc. We also meet NOBO's Bonespur, EZ Dozit, Tank, Wildcat and several others. SOBO's present are Song, Steady, Spork, Laz, Loot, Turtle, Sprout, Finn, Jack Straw and some other we don't meet. We'll get our mail drop in the morning and tentatively plan to get to Hanover in 2 long days (46 miles) [are you crazy?!] . This is subject to change of course!
Date: 2004-07-27
From: Smart's Mountain Fire Tower

To: Hanover, NH (Sunset Motor Inn)
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: light rain

 We were greeted in the tower with a nice sunrise. We packed up for a long day. 450 miles of hiking and nary a scratch on me through some of the most treacherous terrain, then... while hurringly scrambling through the woods this morning to find a place to make a "deposit", I hooked my ear on a stub sticking out of a tree. Ouch! When I got back to the trail and Flounder noticed I had blood running out of my ear and down my neck she freaked! There was very little damage but it bled like the dickens! Now Flounder says she is going to have to hold my hand and take me to the "bathroom" like a pre-schooler! We want to reach Hanover tonight and that means 23.4 miles. It would be a record day for all of us. Flounder and I separated early from King David and Jack Straw who were discussing the history of Christianity and Greek translations - all of which are "Greek" to us. Both are going into the ministry when they finish the AT. King David will be a youth min. at a large church in Chapel Hill, NC. It rained nearly the entire day. We seemed to to always have our umbrellas in our hands. The trail was nice though and we passed through and along some old stone walls and through pastures of wildflowers. It was quite nice and would have been much better if it wasn't so wet. Large spans of plastic tubing linked maple trees (we think)tapping them for syrup. All quite interesting. The AT actually dropped us off "in town" at 3:30. Wow, not a long day after all! We went straight to the PO to pick up our package and then called the hotel. The owners are so nice and even drive out to pick us up! This is the nicest place we have stayed yet. We were able to order some food, do laundry for free, make phone calls and get our shoes drying. I plan to replace my shoes in Killington, VT, just 50 miles south of here. They have only lasted about 500 miles. Flounder may get a couple hundred more miles out of hers. About 8PM, King David and Jack Straw pull in and we see Steady and her parents and also Laz! What a reunion! It will be fun seeing everyone in the morning for a continental breakfast.
Date: 2004-07-28
From: Hanover, NH (Sunset Motor Inn

To: Hanover, NH (Sunset Motor Inn)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Yes, another zero! [You would think they are on vacation or something!] Don't know how we will ever get to GA like this! It was supposed to rain all day but it ended up just being overcast with a few sprinkles. We could have hiked but the break was nice! Breakfast was fun reconnecting with so many friends. We gave Steady's mom her trail name "Mommy Hugs" and received another hug. Then, everyone else lined up for theirs too. It was so cool. She has such a great attitude. After breakfast, we caught the bus to town and went to the library, grocery, and PO - the usual chores! Dartsmouth is beautiful as is all of Hanover. Later, back at the motel, we spent the evening outside talking with the Dysfunctional Family and Steady's parents (Richard- Peregrine '73 and Patsy-Mommy Hugs). Present were Finn, Spork, Loot, Laz, Steady and Song. ***** If you buy fuel by the ounce...You might be a thru- hiker!
Date: 2004-07-29
From: Hanover, NH (Sunset Motor Inn)

To: Winturi Shelter (Vermont)
Miles today: 26.2

We got up in time to catch the first bus to town at 6:35. King David said they will wait util after breakfast to leave. He is trying to time things right to meet his wife Emily in Killington on Saturday afternoon. We would love to meet her but feel we need to make a little more progress. We have approximately a 3 mile road walk through town over the river into VT before we hit trail. The homes along the way look as they belong in a picture book. Vermont seems to be quite different from New Hampshire and all we did was cross the river. There are beautiful forests (actual opportunities for real stealth camping), meadows of wildflowers, many varieties of ferns and dozens of bright orange salamanders. In one beautiful meadow, filled with wild raspberries, we meet the Garland Family of Five. They were thru-hiking from GA but illness hit and now they are skipping around a bit. They plan to fill in the gaps and finish early next summer after a witer break. Good luck! The three children are very polite and well mannered. The oldest girl shared some berries she had pick with us. Thanks. They plan to camp at Winturi with us tonite. Still, we miss our friends and hope that each time we cross a road, we are met by Mommy Hugs. We passed by more stone walls and tapped maple trees along the trail. We had our first set of stiles to go over (steps over a fence). We stopped at Rick and Tina's General Store and Grill about 3 hours in and had a small early lunch. We see, from the register, that Little Chicken made it to this point and quit because she had a job offer she could not pass up. Nice place right on the trail. (roadwalk over river). We see in a register entry that Captain Salty and Moxie Cotton plan to be here tonite too. They had to go into Woodstock for food because Capt. eats too much! We have never met them either but did follow there journal when they started. We ended the day with a nice climb to Winturi Shelter. Some of the best trail yet and thus the miles. 2 NOBO's arrived late (St. Rick (trailjournals) and White Lightning. Both super nice with inspirational attitudes. White Lightning says he maybe in the Smokies in October so we may see him again. **** IF strangers take 3 steps backward when they meet you.... you might be a tru-hiker!
Date: 2004-07-30
From: Winturi Shelter (Vermont)

To: Killington, VT
Miles today: 16.6

Late start today. We spent time talking with St. Rick and White Lightning. It looks as though we will have rougher trail today...more rocks, roots, mud and longer climbs. Also there will be fewer views to make it all worthwhile. The Garland Family nor Capt. Salty and Moxie Cotton (David and Jill) made it into camp last nite :-( We're sad that we missed them. We saw several NOBOrs but no SOBO's. 10 miles less today but with the terrain it felt like the same. We got off the trail at Kent Pond and decided to try a new method to get a hitch into town (Killington). A NOBO told us we needed to be really enthusiastic. So, we practically put on a dance with the crazy moves we were doing! Wouldn't you know, not more than 30 seconds passed by and we had a ride! Surprisingly, it was an unmarked highway patrol officer but he gave us a ride anyway. [He probably thought they were crazies who escaped from a mental hospital somewhere!] It was trail magic nonetheless. We picked up our bounce package at the PO and got a room across the street. We opted not to do the Long Trail Inn, prefering somthing more quiet. We'll hit it next time! We went to a deli next door then relaxed for the evening. **** IF someone asks you where you are from and you tell them the name of your last campsite...you might be a thru hiker!
Date: 2004-07-31
From: Killington, VT

To: new shelter south of Gov. Clement shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in a bit this morning. We were able to do some shopping and complete some journal entries. We got on the trail at 11AM. The trail was beautifully groomed with very little mud. Open forest with large leafy ground cover going up the sides of the mountains. We got to Cooper Lodge just below Killington Summit. While signing the register, we read that there is FOOD at the peak just .2 miles straight up. It was 3:30 and according to Wingfoot the place closed at 4PM. So we dropped our packs and ran/climbed up only to find they had closed early. The view made our efforts almost worth it! Back on the trail we hear thunder in the distance. Weather has never passed us by yet! Just before Gov. Clements Shelter (overnight stay not recommended in Wingfoot's guide), it began to pour. We ran inside. It didn't look bad but it was located right on a gravel road. We didn't want to stay but it was late (7pm) before the rain let up. It is a very dark shelter made of stone so we began making dinner preparations when I smelled a foul odor. We looked down and Flounder had been dancin around on a dead rat in her flip flops! She may have even popped it! Yuk! (Note from Flounder: That was the last straw!) Needless to say, we were not going to be staying here tonight. We moved out to the next shelter even though we knew it was 6 miles away. We thought we might make it by 9:30 PM but the thunder and lightning were getting worse. We spotted a small sign on a tree a mile down the trail that told of a new shelter on private land .2 miles away so we headed for it. Real nice! Just as we got there the heavens let loose with the most rain we have seen thus far. In the pitch black pouring rain 2 people come walking up. They are the owners of the shelter and they brought us hot blueberry muffins. Sweet! That's Trail Magic! We talked with them awhile with them and a NOBO who was staying at the shelter too. 65 and Alive is 65 years old (obviously) and has averaged over 15 miles per day since leaving GA. Wow! What an inspiration. When we checked in Hanover we were only averaging 13 miles per day. We think we will start doing much better now. During the night (approx. 1AM) we discover why our guidebook discourages overnight use of the dead rat shelter. It's a redneck playground. We can hear truck's reving, shooting and glass being broken in the distance. Apparently, some of the locals get a kick out of harassing hikers. We are so thankful that we didn't stay there. I guess the dead rat turned out to be a blessing after all! **** IF you smell like a goat even after a shower and doing laundry....you might be a thru hiker!
Date: 2004-08-01
From: new shelter south of Gov. Clement shelter

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We were on the trail by 6:30AM. It took us a little while to pack up and talk with 65 and Alive. We thought if we hustled we could make it to the Whistle Stop Cafe for breakfast (6 miles away). We were surprised to find good trail conditions after all the rain the night before. At the cafe we each ordered a 3 egg omlet and french toast. All I can say is the eggs used must have been from dinosaurs. The omlets were huge and we couldn't even eat them all...along with the french toast, a whole loaf! We really needed a nap after that but kept going anyway to Big Branch Shelter. This section of the AT coincides with the Long Trail. I understand them to be combined from Killington to Mass. VT has so many pay shelters so, to avoid them, we put in some extra miles. We had some muddy sections but rock hopping was going well... until I slipped off a rock and ended up on my back down in a small muddy depression with water in it. I couldn't get up or out. Flounder had to pull me out. She said I looked like a turtle on its back with its arms and legs flailing in the air! Luckily not much got wet and we were on our way again. Big Branch Shelter is great! It is located on a fast moving stream with huge boulders to climb or rest on. We washed up, ate and talked with a full shelter of NOBO's that were there for the night. We also met Tumbleweed (trailjournals.com) and Timber near the end of the day (both NOBO).**** if clean socks means worn less than a week...you might be a thru-hiker!You might be a thru hiker IF clean socks means you have had them on less than a week. 0
Date: 2004-08-02
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: few clouds

We were on the trail by 6:15 and we decided to head for Manchester Center for food, laundry and to find a place to stay the night. Once again the mud on the trail was not too bad. We walked a huge bog bridge(log walk) along Griffith Lake (a beautiful pay area) ... maybe a half mile long! I'm not a big fan of all these pay camp sites. I understand they are "heavy-use" areas and require a paid caretaker to keep things under "control". From what I have seen, the only time these ares are "heavy-use" is weekends and holidays. As we come by these sites during the week they are empty. These sites, of course, are most beautiful and because we don't want to pay $12-$15 per head we end up staying in some real dives. I think these pay sites should be open to thru-hikers during the week. I'll be happy when we are clear of AMC's domain! Enough babbling!Styles Peak yields a beautiful view as does Bromley Mtn. with it's great observation platform. We enjoyed the view while we spoke with Meanderthal (NOBO trailjournals.com). He was very interesting and has a great sense of humor. We headed down toward town and got a hitch quickly (we think by using our new "energetic" method!). We were unable to make contact with the two places we had hoped to stay so we decided to eat, buy food, and hit the trail again. Wealso picked up some new, lighter weight sleeping bags at the outfitter. We were cooking in our 15 degree ones! We got a quick hitch back to the trail and head 2.8 miles to the nearest shelter. The side trail to the summit yielded little view but we had a wonderful sunset at the shelter. This shelter rocks and is our favorite so far (building wise). It's a little cabin with a wood burning stove, real windows, a sliding door, table inside, and a large porch. Only one NOBO here and she's (Hobbit) already in her bag when we arrive at 7:30PM. **** IF you know exactly how many miles you have on your boots/shoes...you might be a thru hiker!
Date: 2004-08-03
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: clear sky

We had fairly nice trail again today. Just small mud patches for the most part. [If you have been reading this journal all along, you might agree with me that the new obsession with LB and F is "mud". It seems to have replaced the old obsession "pack weight"!] The NOBO's are coming through in waves today - 19 counting the ones at camp. It was a pleasant day but we both dragged a bit. Maybe from the pizza we consumed yesterday evening. Prospect Rock gave us some good views as did the tower atop Stratton Mtn. We chatted with caretakers there before heading on and met Epiphinias,NOBO. Real nice people. We also chatted with Lonesome Dove (trailjournals.com NOBO). We heard thunder again as we get closer to camp so we picked up the pace. A family of 5 was already in the shelter (weekenders) but we squeezed in! Then 7 NOBO's arrive and they have to tent. Of course it starts to rain. Raven and Two-Cents take refuge in the shelter while it rains. We exchange stories and info. Nice people. The world definitely has more good people than the news/press would have people believe. All the people we have met have been "golden". Both on and off the trail, day hikers, section hikers, thru hikers and the cyber hikers following our journal. Nice spring at the shelter and we risk not treating/filtering our water. We are not all that sold that filtering is that effective. While the water in the bottle may be alright, it's impossible to not let the hoses touch/contaminate. The same goes with aqua mira - the untreated water all over the outside of the bottles negates the good water inside when you touch it. We'll just be more selective in our sources and take the chance when things look good. *** IF taking a shower ALWYAYS feels like you've died and gone to heaven...you might be a thru hiker!
Date: 2004-08-04
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Bennington, VT 
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We felt good this morning as we headed on to Bennington. Maybe because we were anticipating a shower and clean clothes. We have not done laundry for 136 miles. [PU] I hiked shirtless today. I just couldn't put my shirt on (gagging). We knew things were getting bad when we could barely smell the NOBO's. I think we were beginning to smell like NOBO's! Just joking...well, not really! The odor is somewhere between a dead animal and stale urine. [A little too much information, I think! YUK!] Our packs smelled as well. ALL will get washed in town today. We saw a record number of NOBOrs today (31)! The trail was not too bad today (just small patches of mud that were easily avoided). [What would a day on the trail be without a mud report?!] Vermont has a bad reputation for mud but we haven't seen it yet. We understand the last 18 miles will redeem its reputation. We'll find out tomorrow. [Yipee! I can hardly wait!] The forest was pretty today. Shadows danced across the trail as the wind blew the trees. It almost made me dizzy when I stopped to watch it. We saw more of the bright orange "AT newts" this morning sunning themselves on the trail. I believe they are bright orange so we don't step on them (a survival tactic!). [For the newt or the hiker!] They are obviously not concerned with camoflauge because they stick out like a sore thumb. We got to the P.O. before it closed and then went immediately to our motel room at the Kirkland for a shower and laundry. We ate at a nice Mexican restaurant. Just what we needed. Believe it or not, we are not taking a zero day tomorrow! *** IF you no longer gag/heave when entering a privy...you might be a thru hiker!