morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-08
From: Clarendon Shelter

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

I overate yesterday; I also overwrote.Adam and I slept on the upper left platform in the Clarendon Shelter. Three of the Maggots took to the upper right, and the platform underneath us has been taken by two southbounders (Miracle Man and Chocobo Knight). The forth Maggot (one of the sons) is tenting, as are Hoplite, Packrat, the Mad German, and Wings & Feather. We've been expecting those last five to catch up after they took a couple days off at Manchester Center.An overnight drizzle has soaked everything outside the shelter. I'm glad for the dry bunk; Adam complains about bad sleep and has sworn off shelters. He has really taken to the tent....I hiked off in a foul mood this morning. Various logistical difficulties fuled a depressed angry that fueled my hiking. By lunch at an in-progress shelter on private property near the Governor Clarendon Shelter (known to be a local hot spot, evidenced by the presence of broken glass and the absence of a shelter register), by lunch I was out of my funk. Drinks, chilled in streams at two different locations, hydrated us for the steamy charge up Killington. We beat rain by several lucky minutes and met the Maggots (I keep calling that family the Maggots, but I don't know who they are, really).We are out of food--I have a bag of goldfish crackers and some spice drops to share with Adam for the six miles into the Inn tomorrow. I hope to get some of those logistics worked out, I already salivate at the thought of breakfast, and the light at the end of the tunnel is shining through a beer glass, golden and gleaming. It's off to the Inn at Long Trail for us.
Date: 2004-07-10
From: US4 (The Inn at Long Trail)

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

Today was typical of my days out here--wake for breakfast, head into town for resupply, internet at the public library, mail at the post office (but we missed the post office and used a more expensive Mailboxes, Etc.), and then hike out. That hiking today was rough. In the morning we saw Hawk and in the afternoon we saw Pete; each missed the other yesterday and each missed the other's note today. Rain fell in buckets after we arrived and soaked Pete, ten minutes behind us.
Date: 2004-07-11
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

We are camped out--and Adam is already down for the night--behind Wintturi Shelter after a green ten miles. I left Adam asleep this morning half past nine and took my time. At The Lookout (a privately owned cabin and observation deck) I met a day hiking couple and Adam caught up with me. We stopped, ate, and napped before the last 2.6 miles to Wintturi. These short days are hard mentally; long days are hard physically--I need a book.In modern civilized America, a closed door means an occupied bathroom; on the trail, a closed door generally indicates an unoccupied privy--nobody wants to be locked into that kind of small dark box. The corellary: don't build a privy with a door that opens out over a lovely view of the shelter!I haven't taken many pictures in the last few days--the possible loss of the Nuclear Lake card still has me down.
Date: 2004-07-12
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 16.4

How remarkable has July 12th been? The local patois would put is this: Crazy. Ass. Day.The funny thing is--it all went according to plan. Adam and I were hiking by 8:30 AM--usually a bit early for Adam to be up--in anticipation of long miles up and down Vermont's mountains. Up. And down. And up again. And down again. Five miles out--halfway to our planned lunch at Thistle Hill Shelter--and it was clear the day would be long and hard. Eight miles out and we had exhausted ourselves. After the 11.6 to Thistle Hill my right shin was in "quite a lot" of pain and Adam was finished. Also: we were out of food (at 2:30 PM, mind you, 4.8 miles from Rick and Tina's general store in West Hartford). Thistle Hill Shelter was roomily constructed from large shorn logs--"Bigfoot sized" as Adam put it--and faced east off Thistle Hill so that in clear weather if probably has excellent sunrises. That natural beauty was nice and all, but I was still ill-temered after reluctantly agreeing to stop short of West Hartford and stay the night to avoid (a) more hiking and (b) rain. With rumors that the store opened at eight in the morning, I now planned on a 16 hour fast, with no book and only me resolution to last through the looming bored hunger. I pulled out my thermarest and donned most of my warm clothes; lying down and not moving would keep me from burning the calories I wasn't eating; I would be hungry enough come morning.An hour later I woke up, and was engaged in light conversation with Adam and Hawk as a sobo pulled up (notably: he was called Gnome Sherpa and hiked with a well-travelled garden gnome). Then Pete arrived. Then Waldo. Then Deja. Then Walk On. Then Seeker.Somewhere between Waldo and Deja's arrival Adam made the call--hunger (growing on both of us) and a crowded shelter night (including a known "chainsaw" snorer) now outweighted threat of rain (which had not materialized and never did) and our exhaustion (lessened by the napping). It was 6:17 PM. Some 4.8 miles away, the store closes at 8 PM.The desperate run down in the overcast sunset was less painful that I feared (I think my shin had given up complaining); the presence of a goal and completion of our original plans for the day lifted my spirits. And finding myself outside the door of the store ten minutes to eight put me in endorphin-induced euphoria. Adam was seven minutes behind me, but I ordered food for the both of us in case he had been more: two turkey sandwiches (with everything), two pints of Ben & Jerry's (Half Baked and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough), two pop-tarts (forsted blueberry and frosted strawberry). Behind the counter, Rick directed us "five houses down" to Steve's place where we found spacious lawns and an invitation to camp.Adam, after the 4.8 miles to town: "My stomach is eating itself."Adam, after food: "The process of eating for me is more like inhalation."To reiterate: our spirits were high--now especially after the ice-cream and sandwiches.
Date: 2004-07-14
From: Hanover, NH

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We slept on the porch of a house in Hanover--I think eight Dartmouth students live here. We hooked up with these kids at the Dartmouth Outdoor Club (DOC), just west of the big green.I took the bus to West Lebanon to buy "Reading and Writing Chinese" by W. McNaughton and Li Ying after research at the Baker memorial library. Before I left, Adam found a place to stay with Amy and her roomates on Wheelock Street. He showered and did laundry while I gallavanted about on various busses. After I returned (early afternoon) we spent too much time at the library and stopped by to touch base with Amy before heading to 5 Old Nugget for a couple of pitchers, conversation with Baltimore Jack (rather a legend on the trail, thru-hiked every year for the past ?8?), a run in with Deja (and Waldo, and Walk-On), and an expensive dinner. We paid the bill and left the locals with their $8 pitchers, buying a six-pack on the way home. I crashed on a futon and lay half asleep listening to the sounds of beer pong and drunken conversation in a foul mood; Adam stayed up and went out, wandering his way back around three as I was headed out for a walk.
Date: 2004-07-15
From: Hanover, NH

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up, took our breakfast at Lou's, spent a few minutes at the library, then caught to wrong bus to Lebanon. We worked out how we could get down to the route 12A plazas south of West Lebanon for a resupply at a Price Chopper. In Lebanon, Adam threw off plans with an impromtu visit to the Asolo offices (Asolo resently bought Lowe Alpine, the company what made his pack). Long story short--Adam has a new pack! We continued with the resupply and returned only an hour late. From the libary I made contact with Ibexwear and made arrangements to get my shirt replaced after the hike.Later, at the post office, we divied the food and cut maybe a pound off of Adam's new pack. We sent home his old pack, stopped by Ben & Jerry's for smoothies (I also picked up a footlong meatball sub from Subway next door to calm my nervous stomach), and hiked up to the bug-ridden Velvet Rocks Shelter.
Date: 2004-07-16
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

We took our time this morning; we left at half past nine. We arrived at Moose Mountain Shelter at two. Hawk arrived about when we did and told us Pete is off the trail.This shelter was built by the DOC last fall; it's brand new! We built and tended a fire using wood cut up from construction scrap. The fire lasted all day and into the evening (we kept it well-fed).
Date: 2004-07-17
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Firetower Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 12.4

A section hiker (one out of a group of three) is fiddling around with a b-flat harmonica. Three southbounders are staying with us here. And Hawkeye. And Lucky Star. Those of us who climbed Smarts mountain going north are wholly pooped--rough, rough terrain. Until the trail flattens out in Maine we won't go a mile more than we have to one any day (which will probably work out to 12-15).Lucky Star is a bright lady in her fifties; she's hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (2600 miles) and the Continental Divide Trail (3000 miles)--this year she is finishing the AT. She talks with a clear cheer somewhere between amazed and delighted.
Date: 2004-07-18
From: Firetower Cabin Shelter

To: Ore Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

Adam thinks water makes rocks sticky; he slipped once filling his water bottle from a stream and again coming down Mount Cube. That two thousand foot descent was graded for comfort, but three climbs (perhaps 2000 feet in total) filled the day up with hiking. I'm looking forward to Glencliff tomorrow and hot showers; the damp smell of rotting sweat pervades everything. And we'll get hair cuts.Hawkeye and Lucky Star share the shelter with Adam and I. It's nice to have beaten the rain today, but the mosquitoes are a bother.Lucky Star is famous, and I didn't even know. She's the lade who went to sleep in her bivy sack and woke up to th esounds of a bear dragging her by the foot of the sack through the forest at breakneck speed (bears can outrun humans. They can also out-swim and out-climb us. With opposable digits our race would be in trouble). She retold the tale with some happy enthusiam and vivid gesturing.
Date: 2004-07-19
From: Ore Mountain Shelter

To: NH25 (Hiker's Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH)
Miles today: 7.4

Lucky Star and Hawkey left in the early morning drizzle; Adam and I waited until nine and left under an overcast sky with no rain (although the trail was wet). Adam put up his tent last night to get out of the bugs. The miles into NH25 were easy--the last easy miles until the northern half of the hundred mile wilderness in Maine.Lucky Star hiked out of the Hiker's Welcome hostel several hours later to avoid Bo, Chris & Anna's dog (he wasn't there at the time, Chris was waiting for Anna and Bo to arrive, but Lucky is very allergic). The rest of us spent the night. We ran into some sobo hikers on their way out.Chores: showers, laundry, into town for half an hour of internet access before the library closed at two, phone calls, buying steaks to grill out (I also bought a turkey sub with "hots"--a hot relish--and fruit: blueberries and bananas), and tracking down a missing bounce box (having mistakenly sent it home instead of here)Fun: cooking steaks, conversation with the hikers, conversation with the residents (including Gary who we met at the Doyle!), a viewing of Return of the King with Fedge and Chris, ice cream (thanks to Hawkeye) with Hawkeye and Chris & Anna (and Adam, who overheard "would you like some ice cream?" and was drawn downstairs).And now--The Whites! We climb Moosilauke tomorrow--all thirty seven hundred feet out of Glencliff. July is--we hear--the best weather in the Whites; we have warm clothes and fleece liners and may spend a night or two cold. I'm anxious to find out how much we will eat our way through the AMC hut system--we may have to walk out of North Woodstock with as much as four days of food. That's about as much as I ever want to carry. Sobo hikers and hostel residents have shared much good intelligence with us.Reading material: the first quarter of "Reading and Writing Chinese" and "Tracker" by Tom Brown. I hope Adam will get into the later; the former keeps me occupied.Blagh. Journalling sucks.
Date: 2004-07-20
From: NH25 (Hiker's Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH)

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: light rain

We had slots reserved for us at eleven at the public library (internet access)--this gave us all morning to piddle around Packrat's hostel. Gary shuttled us into town and we spent our time on the computers before a food run at the local general store and haircuts. We hitched back to wolf down a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie and cook up a potload of pasta for the climb up Moosilauke. The trail rose steadily up past the treeline to the summit. We inside a low circular stone wall slash windbreak under partly sunny skies and sixty degree weather.   Fifteen minutes later we stood up and hiked off into the strong, cold, constant wind. At the shelter we met Hawkeye and spent the night we her and Chris & Anna & Bo, along with two section hikers. Adam put up his tent; I slept in the communal space of the shelter.We ate a lot for dinner. This harder hiking stirs up a terrible appetite--I restrain myself from eating tomorrow's food.
Date: 2004-07-21
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Everyone in the shelter woke for the sunrise; we saw Homer's rosey-fingered dawn spread and we saw ridgelines silhouetted in blue mist. The sun rose bright and gentle into clear blue and lit the shelter orange.The trail fell down to Kinsman Notch, following a stream down a series of cascades. That 1.6 miles--which took an hour to hike (aka was very hard)--was fun. Later the hiking was just plain hard. Up, down, rocks, roots, or mud: Choose three. But good weather holds.Adam and I were here early with Chris & Anna & Bo, Hawkeye, the VT section hiking kids, two other nobo thru-hikers, several section hikers, and a group of 9 girls all between 11 and 14 years old. The shelter is full; most tentsites are taken.No bugs so far. Adacent to a talkative stream. North Woodstock tomorrow. Two trail dogs make friends. Fir. Eating all our food. Saving the gummy fruit slices in secret. Watercolor postcards from a RI artist. Did I mention hice weather. Getting dark.Lucky star is still ahead; we are out-hiked by a fiesty old lady! (Adam: "The horror!")
Date: 2004-07-22
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: North Woodstock
Miles today: 8.8

We climbed Kinsman and descended to Lonesome Lake and our first AMC hut. For three dollars we had all-you-can-eat leftovers (pumkin pie and honey wheat bread). Half of that pumpkin pie later, we waddled down to the lake for a sit and a swim. The morning miles: tough. The afternoom miles to Franconia Notch: not tough. Adam and I hitched in with Hawkeye (we saw Lucky Star on her way out of town); we checked in to the Woodstock Inn and proceeded to work the usual town-stop activities. The library was something of a hassle: closed from six to seven for dinner. We ate ourselves silly previously (half-priced appetizers during happy hour). Before bed we went for ice-cream.Encountered: Chris & Anna & Bo, more nobo hikers, more sobo hikers, a few locals.The Whites scare me. Scary is a strong word, but I'm nervous about food and weather. A slow moving storm front will be slowly moving through this weekend.
Date: 2004-07-23
From: North Woodstock

To: AMC Greenleaf Hut
Miles today: 6.4

Ate breakfast. Resuplied. Hiked out. Hiked up, very up. Talked with the Liberty Spring caretaker and caught our breath before the final climb to Franconia Ridge. It had been raining a little all morning, and during our "interesting experience" (Adam's words) getting back to the AT from town. We donned rain jackets--more for warmth against the wind, less for dry against the rain (being already soaked). We donned our rain jackets and cleared the tree line. We were hiking on the moon.The terrain and environment was exactly that alien; rain hit sideways and clouds whipped aroud us. From each rock cairn I spotted the next or extrapolated the path of the trail along the line of rocks delineating trail from the fragile alpine tundra. Up Mount Lincoln and Lafayette and we were ready for the steep stumble down a mile off Lafayette's summit to the Greenleaf hut. We got in on work-for-stay with Hawkeye; instead of paying $75 for a bunk and two meals we paid nothing, slept on the dining room floor, and ate with the hut croo (staff).The crowd of tourists had all three of us on edge. There talked loud and excited and stayed up till lights out at half past nine--way past our bedtimes. We were up before six to make way for coffee and breakfast.
Date: 2004-07-24
From: AMC Greenleaf Hut

To: AMC Galehead Hut
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up to get out of the way for breakfasters, and to set their tables and to wash their dishes. Hawkeye left at seven thirty before all that; Adam and I remained for breakfast and were back up Lafayette two hours later.Ten minutes of spectacular clear sky on Lafayette: the clouds went from light to bright to glowing and then to gone as we hiked up from Greenleaf. A dozen pictures later and new clouds rolled in, but we had an amazing view of the Franconia ridge we hiked yesterday. Off into those clouds we walked; the didn't lift for any views until we hit the Galehead hut shortly before two.At Galehead we met Eliza (the day's cook) and heard that Lucky Star (beloved by the croo) had spent last night there. A few day-hikers came and went. Hawkeye pulled in. Lucky came back seeking her contact/databook; Hawkeye was glad to see her (as were we), but Lucky had left her pack a mile out (a mile up, it was a steep climb) to keep herself from returning for the nig.We are all excited about the sun--it has dried everything soaked yesterday. Dry shoes!Work-for-stay: Hawkeye did dishes; Adam and I washed windows and cleaned the oven. Well, we would have cleaned the oven. Instead, we talked about thru-hiking and ran a question and answer session for the guests. It was fun, but we talked through the best part of a golden sunset.
Date: 2004-07-25
From: AMC Galehead Hut

To: Saco River
Miles today: 14.7

Hut guests were up earlier today (an older crowd); were were awake and out of the dining room by 6:15. Adam and I made good time to the Zealand Falls hut (just beating Hawkeye), but in a moment of hesitation, another north-bound thru-hiker (?Mailman?) sized one of two work-for-stay slots. We hiked on the in quiet silence of us kicking ourselved (turns out three hikers slept worked there that night). Now we are camped near the base of Mt. Webster with Haweye and Lucky Star. It's nice here, but buggy.This morning I dropped my camera on the rocks! It still works!!A toast: to clear skies and friendly hut stays.
Date: 2004-07-26
From: Saco River

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

I slept well and woke early. After getting Adam up later, we tackled Mt. Webster--the first of the alpine presidentials. We passed Hawkeye on the climb, met Lucky at the top, and hung around till Hawkeye caught up. At one point in the climb: looked back (and way down) to see Hawkeye in the trees. At another point: looked forward (and way up) to see Lucky Star silhouetted.We met again at Mizpah Spring Hut and broke for a lunch of pancakes and soup (cream of mushroom or lentil). After the break we trudged off into the bright sun and clear sky to Lake of the Clouds and the rest of the presidential range. I was hopping with anticipation of the alpine (and above the treeline) hiking with long, clear views of all these northeastern mountains. And we got them.And we met a friendly croo at Lake of the Clouds. And they fed seven north-bound thru-hikers a fine dinner of baked ham and smashed potatoes and corn and chocolate cake. All of us: Adam & myself, Hawkeye & Lucky Star, Mailman, and Ruby & Cool Hand Luke (CHL had hiked with Adam down south, and got off the trail for a month. He walks up to us and asks, "so are you all thru-hikers?" before Adam recognizes him to mutual delight).We went to sleep after scrubbing dishracks.
Date: 2004-07-27
From: AMC Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch, NH16 (Gorham, really)
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Death: climb up Mt. Washington (putonghua, "hua shang dun"), acros the presidentials, and down Madison to Pinkham Notch. I also strolled up Monroe for a panoramic and overcast dawn. Adam and I left before breakfast, not before I could stuff three "breakfast brownies" (leftover chocolate cake) into my belly. Hawk and Lucky left even before us, and we met them on the summit of Washington in a light rain with a clear view of the presidential range that was clouding over as we left. Those mountains were too large for the lens of my Pentax Optio S4i (a fine digital camera built for thru-hikers!)--too impressive for easy description. And we hiked over them with clear view and clouds whipping up over the ridgeline. Into Madison Spring hut we were walking throught those whirling clouds. Summary: if you've only hiked in Florida and the Appalachian forests, the going up over the presidentials is as unearthly as going for a stoll on the moon.At Madison Spring we decided--wrongly, in immediate hindsight--to hike down to Pinkham Notch and hitch into Gorham for a stay at The Barn. That hiking was brutal: rocky, windswept, wet, and down exposed ridgeline for two throusand feet where the wind never lets and always leeches warmth. We left the whites the same way we entered--in windy, wet, white cloud.
Date: 2004-07-28
From: US2 (Gorham, NH)

To: Rattle River Shelter
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: fog

I ordered an excessively good plate full of raspberry stuffed french toast (promptly drenched in butter and syrup) at Welsh's Restaurant and sat down to journal over two cups of coffee. I picked up my bounce box from the post office and returned to find Adam awake at "The Barn" hostel, where we had spent the night. I left again after we agreed to meet at the library when it opened, but ran into Adam at Welsh's where I ate a short stack of french toast with strawberries and whipped cream (promptly drenched in butter and syrup) and an egg, cheese, and corned beef hash sandwhich. To top the meal off: a heart-stoppingly really big boston cream pastry. Adam ordered the rasberry french toast--more hastily prepared and less yummy. The food settled while we used the library's public internet terminals.Before second breakfast, I had inquired at the town information booth about a seamstress and was directed to the home of a french Canadian woman who took my shirt and effected repairs with great skill.After a long, frustrating battle with the slow library computers (no complaints!) we picked up shoe goo and hooks for Adam's gaitors from the hardware store slash outfitter and settled down at Burger King; I ate a jr. Whooper, ranch cheeseburger, 5 pc. chicken nugget, small side salad, and drank a small Dr. Pepper (all 99 cent items!). Before we left, I picked up another jr. Whopper and ranch cheeseburger "for later". While we ate, I prepared stuff for mailing and we planned out the next few days in preparation for resupply. Because I ate so little of the food I brought into the Whites, our grocery list was short: sliced cheese, foil pack tuna, crackers, and a few candy bars. We walked two miles to Shaw's for the food, then hitched out to the trail. Hitching here is a bitch.We are going to do the section from Pinkham Notch to Gorham in reverse, so we only hiked two miles today--south out of Gorham to Rattle River Shelter.On running a hostel: if you have a checkout time, don't call yourself a hostel. Both "hostels" in town have a checkout time.