morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-02
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Manchester Center VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

My roommate Handyman was up at 4 a.m. to get an early start going north. More power to him. I rolled over and went back to sleep in an incredibly wonderful place called a bed! With clean sheets!! What a novel idea...It was a day of errands. I did more laundry, bought fruit and vegetables for today's meals (got to pig out on them while I have a chance), went to the hiker's supply store for a couple of purchases, went for breakfast at a neat second floor hole-in-the-wall with a fellow hiker, and now I'm here at the book store to email, journal, and enjoy (naturally) a coffee. I figure to be up tomorrow around 5:30 or 6:00, eat a quick breakfast of donuts/bagels bought the night before, and hike out to a place where I'm told it's easy to catch a hitch from the locals up the file miles to where the trail resumes.Tomorrow will be a challenging day, being 13 miles to the shelter I'd like to reach and climbing two very long grades of Bromley and Peru Peak Mountains.I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a hiker at the hostel named Professor, a 68-year old retired Eastern Kentucky University professor. He's doing the entire trail over two years. We've chatted for hours. He's a part of a Southern Baptist church in Richmond KY, so we had a lot of things to talk about in regard to church. Yes, he prefers hymns, but yes he also likes the young people who are drawn to his church with a more contemporary style. Sound familiar?While at the Price Chopper store, who did I run into but Redwing and Hopeful yet again. They hadn't planned to come into town, but one of their water bags sprung a leak and had to be replaced.Rather hot weather predicted, but cooler again by weekend. Should be great!I expect maybe six days before updating this journal again. We'll see... Guess it'll depend on how my blistered foot holds up.
Date: 2005-08-03
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Sure enough I was able to get up at 6 a.m. and was out the door at 6:30. I walked the half-mile to what I was told was the best pickup point for hitchhikers going back up to the trail. It took about 35 minutes, but a single woman finally picked me up. She works for the U.S. Forest Service and was on her way to work, and though the five miles up to the trail was a bit out of her way, she took me anyway.At the point of getting out of the car, there was a young couple pair of NOBOs named Stats and Mud Pumpkin looking for a ride into town. It was just a quick trip for them as they needed some equipment. Since they've come all the way from Georgia, they're in great hiking shape and can do a dozen miles in about half the time it takes me.The first long climb was to the top of Bromley Mountain where it was cloudy and downright chilly due to a strong breeze. Felt wonderful! The blister on the foot is healing nicely, and life is good! The top of the mountain has no trees, so it was possible to see in all directions. A heavy rain shower is passing just to the north. Glad not to be in it! (Though I'm sure that a lot of my fellow hikers are not so blessed!)After down from Bromley came the second but not quite as long second climb up Styles Peak, followed by yet another up Peru Peak. The Peaks were delightfully cool, but it was a lot warmer down in the tunnels of trees.I only passed three hikers all day. At the shelter was a guy who's mission in life is to pick up the trash along the AT. He goes by Trail Trash. As you might expect, he's a bit of an odd duck. Just as it was turning dark, Stats and Mud Pumpkin came cruising into camp. These thru hikers are amazing!Discovered that Trail Trash has Sleep Apnea!!! Great! Fortunately he moved a good ways away from the others of us and slept on the ground. His snoring didn't keep me from a good night's sleep.
Date: 2005-08-04
From: Lost Pond Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Never did see the pond at Lost Pond Shelter. It must be truly lost.Up at 6 and gone at 7. Pleasant partly cloudy day though it's warmer than yesterday. The first half of the day was as easy as it gets in Vermont, but the second half had two serious climbs: White Rocks Mountain and Bear Mountain. Neither had a view, so it was a lot of hard work for nothing. Thru hikers have a name for such climbs: PUDs (pointless ups and downs).An interesting item on White Rocks Mountain. There's a place where several scores of rock piles have been artistically created, including several arches. Quite unexpected to come around the corner of the trail and see it. Goes to show you there's lots of rocks in Vermont.I sweated so hard today that it was dripping off my clothes. But I still did fine. All the conditioning work plus being several days into the hike plus a lighter pack (each day you eat some of the weight down) made it endurable. To compensate for the water loss, I drink around 5-6 liters of water including one liter of Gatorade per day.Met a new NOBO hiker today: Slow and Steady. Same name as the Canadian couple. She's a recently widowed woman, around 58 years old, who is hiking the entire trail this summer to do some sorting out of her life after her loss. Mosquitos are pretty bad, but because of my Sauve mosquito net shirt I'm able to handle sleeping in the shelter with its one open side. They buzz around my head, but -- hah!! -- they can't get me! Take that, you turkeys!!Went over the 100-mile mark today. Yeehah!
Date: 2005-08-05
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

Up at 6 and gone by 7. Seems like a familiar pattern. It starts getting light around 5 a.m., so when I see that I turn over and get one more round of sleep.It was very humid the first part of the day and made for rough hiking. There were also three pretty tough shorter climbs during that stretch, so I was working hard. This is the day to go over Mount Killington, so I had that still to come and was not looking forward to it. But for some reason the day grew less humid, and as I started up the 1700' altitude gain of Killington the air grew gradually cooler. Guess that's the advantage of a 3900' mountain!Any rate, the Killington climb wasn't as tough as I had feared. I arrived at this interesting shelter on the top of the mountain which has a beautiful view to the west of the mountains stretching all the way to the Adirondacks in New York. Single woman Slow and Steady showed up, and one of the two Pokie Puppies. Turns out the woman half of the team turned her ankle pretty badly and has dropped out, so her husband is continuing on. She's going to meet her husband at a couple of spots on down the trail since they have a lot of reorganizing to do and maildrop boxes to get.It was chilly enough that I put on extra clothes to sleep. WONDERFUL! Last night I was nearly dying with just my feet inside the bag. We all watched an incredible sunset from the window of the shelter as the sun went behind one of the Adirondack mountains.The air was so cool the last part of the day that I felt like I could go further. What a huge difference cooler and drier air makes.
Date: 2005-08-06
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 8.1

With a shorter day planned, and the delightful cool air, I made like royalty and slept in to 6:45. I began the hike feeling quite chilly in my hiking clothes, but that only last ten minutes or so until I was thoroughly warmed up coming down Killington. At about the seven mile point I reached a place called Maine Junction where the Long Trail continues north to the Canadian border, and the AT branches to the east for ultimately Maine. There will be fewer hikers from here since only one trail uses the pathway.Mt Killington is a major ski resort in south central Vermont with ski trails and ski lifts off the east side of the mountain. The trail goes around the west side, so we avoid the summer tourists coming up the lift for a day's outing to the snack bar at the top of the mountain. I made the 8 miles plus another mile off the side trail in around 4 hours, and arrived at Inn at Long Trail. This inn is primarily here to support the winter skiers on Killington and Pico Peak, but they have a special summer arrangement with hikers on the AT and the Long Trail. The Inn is located on U.S. 4 at Sherburne Pass. A delightful place full of character and with an Irish pub. Because I arrived by noon, I got a half day's rest on the weary feet. Also got to do my laundry and take a shower which I'm sure the Inn's staff much appreciated.I wasn't here long before Pokie Puppies and the Canadian couple Slow and Steady showed up. We ate supper together. Had to say goodbye to Slow and Steady since they're heading up the LT. But Mr. Pokie Puppy will be continuing east, though he's taking a day off here tomorrow. Mrs. Pokie Puppy will be taking the bus from near here on farther to meet Mr. Pokie Puppy in Hanover NH.Curious. I've always seen and driven through "gaps" and "passes" in the mountains, and they were always so high up to get to. But as an AT hiker, anytime you're coming to a gap or pass you gag because you have to go way DOWN to get to them! There's inevitably a very steep descent to it followed by an equally steep ascent out of it, rather than just getting to stay along the mountain ridge. I'll never view gaps and passes the same again.
Date: 2005-08-07
From: Inn at Long Trail

To: The Lookout Cabin
Miles today: 15.0

The Inn has a fantastic large breakfast included in the price, so I was at the restaurant as it opened at 7:30 to enjoy French toast, milk, orange juice, a large glass of ice water, fruit, maple syrup... awesome!! On the trail by 8:15.Yet another dry and very warm day, with each day warmer than the next. The one plus of being at 1500 to 2500 feet most of the time is the extra 5 degrees cooler air you get to enjoy. Today there was a pleasant breeze most of the time which was wonderful, God's gift to an old hiker. I thanked Him for it many a time as I hiked.Today was a day with some long uphill climbs: 1200', 1000', 500', and 400'. Very tiring! That adds the equivalent of six miles of normal hiking with 40 pounds on the back.I lunched at a brand new shelter -- Stony Brook. While there two NOBO thru hikers stopped in, Pogo and Princess. A young man and young woman doing the entire trail who met each other after several hundred miles and have been hiking more or less together since then. They arrived separately and left separately with about fifteen minutes between them.By evening I arrived at a wonderful place: The Lookout Cabin. This is a privately owned cabin on top of a mountain which the owners make available to hikers. Especially neat is the platform they've built on the roof of the cabin. It has a 360 degree view of the mountains around. I could seen back to Killington, Bromley, and Stratton Mountains -- more than a week's hiking! And I could see all the way to the Presidentials in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, more than a week's hiking the other way. And there was a nice breeze on the platform as you would expect which helped dry me out. And a beautiful sunset as you might expect.A hiker with his dog was there, and a SOBO couple Sidetrack and Slider. Sidetrack is a 48-year old woman hiking the trail this summer, and Slider is her 18-year old son. Slider carries most of the weight, so it's a good arrangement for Sidetrack. We're running into lots of SOBO thru hikers at present. They all started in June when you could climb Katahdin at the northern terminus for the first time following the snow melt, and this is just the right point for them heading south. Most of the NOBO thru hikers start in Georgia in March or early April. Many of them are also in this area at present.
Date: 2005-08-08
From: The Lookout Cabin

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

A good night's sleep in the cooler air at high altitude. Away at 7:10. Today had a nice variety of terrain: hardwood forest, sizeable pine sections, and several open meadows and fields. A lot of farming here as we get out of the higher mountains to lower "hills" of east central Vermont. And there were a couple of outstanding vistas, looking south all the way to Stratton.Along the way was a famous stopping point called The Barn, located just 50 yards from where the AT crosses VT 12. This is a local pair of former thru hikers who make the barn on their property available free of charge to hikers to sleep in. There's electricity, mattresses, and a radio in the barn. Also the house across the road has an outdoor hot shower arrangement with water faucet for refilling. I arrived at midday and was thus unable to take advantage of The Barn. But another 200 yards down the road was something I DID take advantage of: a farm produce store. I bought a 7" peach pie, a quart of whole milk, and a bag of baby carrots. I sat on the porch of the hot day and ate the pie and downed the milk with relish. My lunch! Pogo stopped in and bought a couple 12" pies, a huge cookie, some deli meat and bread, and some fruit to stuff in his pack for everyone's supper. Then he ate a giant ice cream cone and headed back down the trail.Today was SOBO thru hiker day! I met seven separate fellows in the afternoon, all headed to The Barn for the night. Now here at this shelter are four more. I also passed a dozen NYC kids with two women chaperons all dying on the trail as they made their way south. An experience utterly apart from what they know in the city. They were dying in the midst of their six mile hike. Heh heh! Take that, youth of the nation!!This is a nondescript shelter. Too many mosquitos as usual. Shared the shelter with two young women and a man. The fellow is a recently retired chief from the U.S. Navy, so we swapped a lot of navy stories.
Date: 2005-08-10
From: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover NH

To: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover NH
Miles today: 0.0

I enjoyed a continental breakfast and chitchat with several hikers at the motel. Then it was off to town for errands and loafing.On the way, an interesting moment. I was sitting in the front seat of the bus and saw the whole thing. The driver made a left-hand turn onto a road, and was totally oblivious to a PT cruiser coming in the other lane. He smashed into the car, totalling it and deploying the air bags of the car (the bus was untouched and we hardly felt a thing.) No one was injured since the car was on the brakes and no going too fast when it hit, and the bus was just a few miles an hour. I saw it coming and said "whoa whoa whoa" several times to the driver, but he didn't catch on. On the bus with me was Mrs. Pokie Puppy and Pogo and Princess. (Pogo and Princess had all their hiking gear as they were on their way. Mrs. Pokie Puppy is still awaiting the arrival of Mr. Pokie Puppy on the trail as he's a day behind me.) Any way, the four of us plus two Dartmouth students were the passengers. Mrs. Pokie Puppy and I hopped out and directed traffic around the accident now blocking half the highway. An ambulance and police soon showed up, then eventually another bus. So after 50 minutes or so, we were again on our way. Police got my name, address and phone number, so I'll be making a written statement once I get home. It's been suggested that Mrs. Pokie Puppy and I now need new trail names: Traffic Director.What is it with me and people who have brushes with The Law while I'm hiking the AT? Did we know something like this was bound to happen?Any rate, a great day to catch up on email, fresh coffee, developing photos, mailing journal pages and pictures home, and generally just loafing. Weather forecast for tomorrow is more of the same heat, but a bit of cooling over the next week until highs are in the 70s. Yes! At last!
Date: 2005-08-11
From: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover NH

To: Moose Mountain
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

The day started with a leisurely continental breakfast, then catching the 9:30 bus into Hanover. I resumed the hike where the trail goes through the middle of the town, passing a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Shop which unfortunately was not open until later. Rats!A sunny and very warm day, but I have low mileage plans so I could take it slow and easy. With the prolonged hot and dry spell, water is starting to become scarce again. There were only two places for water today from Hanover to the top of Moose Mountain, so that means carrying a lot more water on your back. I was at the full nine pounds of water twice.I found a camp spot on top of Moose Mountain and didn't see another soul this evening. My bag is hanging from a tree in the event any stray bears are wandering around. I took this precaution because I cooked supper at the tent site. A bear can smell supper cooking for miles. I usually cook 'supper' at midday along the trail, leaving me the option of tenting at night without having to cook and therefore attract bears. Of course, when you stay in a shelter, all bets are off.I started my third Agatha Christie novel today. I'll get through four on this trip when it's all said and done.Thank You Lord for an uneventful day!
Date: 2005-08-12
From: Moose Mountain

To: Smarts Mountain Firewarden Cabin
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

I got underway at 7:25. Must have gotten lazy in Hanover! Cloudiness gave way to sunshine and a lot of heat. I enjoyed my daily lunch of a Snickers Bar, Gorp, and a nutrition bar, adding to that a half liter of Gatorade (I keep it in powder form and add to water). Water is still very scarce.I met up with a neat trail angel today: Bill Ackerly. At his home along the trail he offers water from his faucet and an ice cream bar for all hikers who stop in. While I was there a NOBO named Pumpkin stopped. She got married five days ago, and is continuing on her hike to Maine. You meet all kinds... We were much in need of the water. In fact, Pumpkin was completely out when she arrived, and had gotten water from Stats and Mud Pumpkin on the mountain prior to this, or she would have really been hurting.This cabin is right on top of a 3000' mountain. Climbing the fire tower, there's an awesome view in all directions. Six of us ended up staying in the one-room cabin: D.A., Pumpkin, Stats, Mud Pumpkin, Thunder, and myself. I learned why Thunder was given his trail name: he snores at night. Twice I stuck a pillow in his face to get him to turn over. It worked fine.The climb up to this mountain top was very rugged and steep. I sweated a bucket load. But it's coolish up here with it threatening to rain, so we should have pleasant sleeping.
Date: 2005-08-13
From: Smarts Mountain Firewarden Cabin

To: Mt Cube Sugar House
Miles today: 10.4

We were all up with the light, which came a bit late because our cabin was in the midst of cloud. I was the first away at 7:30. It was an extremely easy four miles down the mountain, dropping 1500' feet in altitude, and totally unlike the steep haul up the other side.Then came the climb up Mt Cube which had a lot of very steep granite sections. I'm seeing why New Hampshire is called The Granite State. But there was a fabulous view from the top with a stiff breeze to cool and dry me out. From on top, I could see down to the ridge line below where Pumpkin, Stats and Mud Pumpkin all were hiking along. I waved and they saw me to wave back. Twenty minutes later they had made their way up to me.I went two miles off the trail by hitchhike to stay at this interesting place. Mt Cube Sugar House is a farm owned by a former governor of NH whose sons now run the place. Their retail store is run on an honor system: no one in the store, and a box you put your money in, or you can send a check later. Unreal!They treat hikers very well who stop in, and I was given the new sugar house to stay in. It's the building where they make maple syrup which is tapped on the mountain behind the farm and run down in long tube systems. The family was gone for the night, so I was the only person on the farm.It was 85 degrees according to the thermometer at the farm which is too hot for my tastes, carrying 35 pounds on the back while hiking up and down. Supposed to rain tomorrow and change cooler Monday. Let's hope so.
Date: 2005-08-14
From: Mt Cube Sugar House

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel Glencliff
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

Up and gone by 6:45. Warm but threatening rain. The grades are all gradual, and I zipped along better than ever before. Around 10:00 it started to rain and continued pretty hard for an hour. The trail became swamped, and I was soaked through. But I knew my destination was the hostel at Glencliff with laundry and a dry bed so it wasn't so bad. It helps to have no food in the backpack, to have lost a lot of weight on the personal frame, and to not need to carry much water. Makes the hiking a lot easier!I arrived at the hostel in a drizzle around 12:30, completing the 11.8 miles in under six hours. Stats and Mud Pumpkin and D.A. all have arrived now as well. A regular family reunion!I was thinking of everyone worshiping at church while I was walking in the rain. Maybe God was telling me something? :-)Tomorrow begins my five days of excursion into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The weather front is to be through by around noon, bringing cooler and dry weather. Sounds fine.
Date: 2005-08-15
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel Glencliff

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel Glencliff
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It rained all night last night and up to nearly noon today. Everything will be soaked in the woods and on the mountains, so I've opted to take a zero here at the hostel. We're told that the reason for all the rain is due to the remnants of Hurricane Irene sending moisture ashore over the frontal system located south of us.Mr. Pokie Puppy came in today. He's lost his wife again, this time for good. Yet another injury coming out of Hanover.There were around 20 hikers here last night, all escaping the rain. Most of them waited until midday today to set out, waiting to see what the weather would do. They're facing the big task of climbing Mt Moosilauke, a 3500' climb with very treacherous rock climbs, especially going down the other side. Nasty when wet. I'd prefer to wait for dryer conditions. We'll see. Mt Moosilauke is the first place above treeline, and marks the southern end of the White Mountains. By the by, the Whites are named that because of all the marble in the granite.Any rate, I've made arrangements for tomorrow with Fat Chap who works here at the hostel to drive me to Franconia Notch, 25 trail miles and 40 road miles north of here. I'll take the four days remaining to hike back to this hostel where D-Train is scheduled to pick me up this weekend. An interesting twist is that since I'll be hiking south, I'll pass all these northbound hikers in a couple of days, getting to say hi and goodbye to them all. Some of them have been my on again off again companions for a week or two.My last maildrop box was awaiting me this morning at the P.O. Nice to see my things and get resupplied. Above treeline in the Whites, it's possible to get winter conditions any month of the year, and it can set in within minutes of clear weather. Some of the freakiest weather in the world. So something I sent myself in this box (as most NOBO hikers do) is warmer clothing. Makes bigger weight and bulk in the pack, but it's worth it because of the significant risk of bad weather with very high winds.Hark! The sun has broken through! Maybe we'll get great weather this week yet!