morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-26
From: Spruce Peak Shelter 

To: VT 11/30
Miles today: 2.8

Today I woke up and walked the hour to the road to Manchester Center. Moon Pie says "I just want a VW bus to pull up so we can all just climb in." Sure enough, a VW bus pulls up and takes us to town. Even the outlets here are super ritzy: Versace, Burberry, and Escada, with of course the required Polo and J Crew. There were older women all in white pants going from store to store. Most of the people in the town however, do not appear anywhere near upper class.It started off really well with a trip to McDonalds for McFlurries. We all read the new Us Weekly courtesy of Momma Toes. Even those who mock it end up reading it. Then to the local outfitter who had nothing that I needed but asked me 15 times if I needed help. No, stop trying to just sell me stuff! I have to carry it! Sell it to the family where the 4 little blond kids are all wearing nothing but tevas on their feet and polo on their bodies. The saleswoman thought I was a southbounder. Sorry, I've actually walked a THOUSAND more miles than that. The big bad chain store EMS actually had new tips for my poles and treated me like a knowledgeable hiker. (I got new tips at about half way but one has since fallen off.) I wish that I had bought extra tips for my poles at the very beginning and thrown them in my bounce box. Next to Price Chopper to buy food. I like the "less effort and no pot to carry" with going dry (not cooking) but I'm getting really tired of pb and tuna. Sometimes I lose it when buying food, this time I'm carrying mini chocolate chip muffins mostly just because they were half off. By then we were all hungry again so off to the pizza place. Minnie, Moon Pie, and Peace Pipe went to check email and we were going to head back to the trail to get some miles in. I was still in a grumpy mood and annoyed by all things around me... except for the movie theater next door showing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 40 minutes. It means that we didn't get back to the trail till later and no more miles got walked, but it was worth it. But if these trucks are just as loud at 3 am I reserve the right to change my mind. Oh, and everywhere you were in town, you could see big mountains all around, very amazing to look at.
Date: 2005-08-27
From: VT 11/30

To: Bromley Mtn Warming Hut
Miles today: 3.0

The trucks did not wake me up last night, Rawhide's throat starting to swell did. Back to Manchester Center to visit the doctor. Luckily he was able to get an appointment right away and we got a ride with a southbounder's dad. One diagnosis of a sinus infection later, we were at Rite Aid where we ran into Grenade Boy who I thought was leaving last night. Chinese for lunch and we were off again. At the trail head a car pulls in and Brownie and Soulman get out. They had hiked with Rawhide in Georgia and I had met them in Maryland before they got off trail. I knew that they had been up to her cabin a few weeks ago and had invited back all of my friends that are ahead. It is crazy that all of our original group, known as M-Company, is still on trail (or back, way to go Break a Leg!) and within a few weeks of each other.Anyways, while chatting with Brownie and Soulman as we were getting ready to hike out, Rawhide noticed that his pole wouldn't tighten. Back to EMS one more time. After this third and final trip to town, we said our goodbyes and actually made it to the trail. To get up the top part of Bromley Mtn you climb up a ski slope. This is the first time I've climbed up one not in search of a lost ski or pole. There was a big debate whether to stay or not. There is no water up here and it puts us behind mileage-wise (no surprise there) but the great view and enclosed building won out. The plan is to get up for the sunrise since we have a tower with a 360 view. I'm thinking it¢s going to be a cold and windy sunrise. What time does the sun come up anyways?PS - I think I left my banana in the doctor's waiting room. This does not help me up here on the ski slopes if my eye twitch comes back. Along with the last 20 pages of my book!
Date: 2005-08-28
From: Bromley Mtn Warming Hut

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: moderate rain

No sunrise because it was cold and rainy. Left Bromley in a cloud. The rain slowed us down but luckily we were in a shelter every time it rained really hard. I was very cold and wet--first time since the spring. It was harder than I can say to know that that is what I'll be dealing with from now on. Okay, so I cried and said I wanted to go home. But the sun came out (just a tiny bit) and the hiking was easy. I'm very okay again. We would have hiked on farther today but the next two shelters you have to pay to sleep in or even at. 5 dollars a person is a little too much. I thought it was only in the Whites that you have to pay, but there are tons of places in the Green Mountains too!!
Date: 2005-08-29
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter 
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

I'm very glad that last night I actually slept in the shelter for the first time since Partnership in Va. It poured all night. There was, however, around 50 of the orange salamanders today!! Hurricane Katrina is looming in the distance. Everyone is saying different things about when it will dump all that rain on us. I'm in Vermont, isn't that far enough from the south for the storms to not bother me? I bet they don't worry about hurricanes in Canada. Killington Mtn tomorrow. It looks really big on the profile. Really big. Sleepy....long day sliding on wet rocks and accidentally stepping on salamander heads.
Date: 2005-08-30
From: Clarendon Shelter 

To: Rutland, VT/12 Tribes Back Home Again Hostel
Miles today: 16.4

Sadly Killington Mtn was in a cloud so no view whatsoever. Climbing up was fun but it was raining at the top. We met the Singing Sisters who thru hiked last year - they sang Happy Trails. Made it to Rutland!!! Funny how that 'no shower for over a week' thing snuck up on me this time. I just realized a few days ago that I felt gross and my clothes smelled something like a wet dog. The shower here at the hostel made me feel human again. Okay, so the whole Christian commune thing is a little odd and all of the boys look the same, but everyone is really nice and my bed feels awesome. The food at their cafe is just as good.
Date: 2005-09-01
From: Back Home Again Hostel

To: Stony Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was so hard to leave the Back Home Again hostel but the sun was shinning so I had no excuse to stay. The mileage was off in Wingfoot so I didn't know where I was most of the day. Plus a sobo misinformed me as to which road was which. It was clearly marked on his end. The highlight of the day was the first hot chocolate of the fall for me!!!
Date: 2005-09-02
From: Stony Brook Shelter 

To: Random Campsite 
Miles today: 15.8

At the road crossing there is a barn that you can stay at for free but I passed it up in favor of miles. I did get a cold soda from a day hiker. But what she said made me mad. When she found out we were northbound she asked when we were going to flipflop. Not if but when. I saw my first moose today! Well, my first part of a moose anyway. While looking for a tent spot I scared him away and got to see his legs as he ran away. Minnie is currently in the lead having seen a momma moose with a baby at one of the many beaver ponds.
Date: 2005-09-03
From: Random Campsite 

To: Happy Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: light rain

Yet another sobo who gets that sour face and looks at his watch when we say that we are nobos. Everyone needs to stop, I have plenty of time and yes I know it¢s going to get cold!The other bad thing that happened was we kicked up a nest of bees and I got stung, again. That night we met our first Dartmouth group. The leader actually seemed to know about backpacking. The kids asked great questions and offered us food. Sadly it was tortillas and mac and cheese.
Date: 2005-09-04
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Moose Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: few clouds

I am very proud of myself, almost 17 miles before dark (barely) with a town lunch and resupply. Oh yeah, I managed to make it to NEW HAMPSHIRE!!!! Oddly enough you cross the Connecticut River as the state border. I was sad there was no "welcome to NH" sign or even a state line sign. But it was part of a very long road walk so I guess that is expecting too much. I also just figured out why all of the signs have DOC on them - Dartmouth Outdoor Club. Some days I am very slow. Hanover was a nice town and Dartmouth had some beautiful buildings. I ate lunch at a pizza place called "Everything But Anchovies". But since today was Sunday they had a fabulous lunch buffet. I'm talking breakfast foods, salmon, ham, prime rib, shrimp, and chocolate covered strawberries. I know that I ate my money¢s worth. At the grocery store I took a stupid long time trying to figure out what to buy just for the next two days. Dinner was an apple and good VT cheese. Somehow I managed to be hungry again! I met Cruise Control this morning. See there are still hikers behind me!
Date: 2005-09-05
From: Moose Mtn Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter 
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

For the first time in a very long time I could see where I was headed all day. From Moose Mtn I could see the fire tower on Smarts Mtn. All day I could see it getting closer and closer. An amazing view from the tower. Complete with a screaming Dartmouth group. After coming down and of course going back up another mtn, I could look out and still see where I had been at the tower.Supposedly today was our first taste of what the Whites are going to be like. It really wasn't bad at all but I'm still nervous about those big mountains coming up.When I showed up at the shelter, to my absolute surprise I saw Not Guilty. The last time I saw him was the 501 shelter in PA!! After the vacation I never thought I would see anyone I knew again. The man does love town.
Date: 2005-09-06
From: Hexacuba Shelter 

To: Glencliff
Miles today: 14.7

I finally made it to Packrat's hostel!! Fat Chap does trail magic down south till it¢s time to help run the hostel. After seeing him many times, I could not wait to actually make it here. I think he was just as pleased to see that I had made it this far north. Baltimore Jack and Lion King were here too. I got to meet Blister Sister who is going for the last part of the Triple Crown next year. They have all convinced me to try to attend the Gathering in October. My winter gear was waiting at the tiny PO. The town is right off the trail but there really isn't anything in the town except a few houses, a church, and a nursing home.The hostel is a great place to stay but like any hostel I got no sleep. Cruise Control came up around 1:30 am and packed up his food bag. This woke up another guy who got hungry and found something to eat. Once Cruise Control stopped making noise he started snoring. At 2:30 I gave up and moved outside to a hammock. And therefore woke up when the first people came outside at 6:45.
Date: 2005-09-08
From: Beaver Brook Shelter 

To: Eliza Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

And so my speed grinds to a halt. I was warned about this but it is still a shock to hike for hours and only go a few miles. No more 2 miles per hour. Part of the slowness this morning was due to an amazing waterfall that graced the whole trip down the mountain. I stopped many times to take pictures. This side is much shorter and steeper.
Date: 2005-09-09
From: Eliza Brook Shelter 

To: North Woodstock 
Miles today: 8.8

I was only supposed to go into town to get food but trying to find somewhere to camp when I got back out just seemed too much of a problem. Besides, dinner in town was wonderful. And my cell phone worked in town so I got to call everyone, including a long lost friend who I was amazed to hear from. It was a great conversation filled with many stories to tell. Not the least being that I've walked 1802 miles!!   Somehow hiking the trail has made many things fall into place. It has been well worth every step, painful or not.
Date: 2005-09-10
From: North Woodstock 

To: Liberty Springs Campsite 
Miles today: 2.6
Weather: clear sky

Mmmmm... waffles for lunch. Out of town at 3:30 carrying about 5 days food. I bought ramen for dinner every night since it only weighs 3 oz each. I'm going to try for the huts but not rely on them for food.Caveman (MEGA 04) runs the campsite here and he has been great. He says that there is a chance we could see the Northern Lights tonight. As much as I want to gaze at the sky, it is cold cold cold tonight!! Much warmer in my tent with no view.
Date: 2005-09-11
From: Liberty Springs Campsite 

To: Galehead Hut 
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Today's climb was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Everyone should come here on vacation at least once in their life. From the top of one mountain we saw a glider plane released!! (Just like in the Thomas Crown Affair.) And an A-10 warthog plane playing over head. So much of it was above tree line and every view is unreal. I can't find the words to describe the views. The mountains are big, really big. And Balsam Fir grow everywhere. Some places they look more like shrubs but most are extremely dense. Actually they are so dense that it is hard to go off trail to go to the bathroom. The trail is hard but not impossible. I am tired at the end of only a 10 mile day. They were flying American flags on the peaks for 9/11.Just as exciting as the view is my first stay in a hut. Stuffed shells for dinner!! Everyone here is great and very interested in our trip. Four of the guys are from Maryland. But in many ways it is a lesson in humility (Cruise Control's thought). We eat last and don't really have a place to put our stuff. I'm so hungry and have to sit here and listen to everyone else eat.Rawhide's socks need to go in the contamination unit (a ziploc bag). Mine are so stiff they can stand on their own!Maybe the Northern Lights will be out again tonight. Caveman said they are amazing with the bonus of shooting stars.Staying at a hut has not been all that I dreamed. We had to sit and watch everyone else eat while we were starving. I don't think Cruise Control ever got enough food. Then we got to scrub out cabinets on our hands and knees till after 9 pm. The 'Croo' was only mildly friendly and not welcoming in the least. They had no interest in talking to us or really helping us out. I felt like I wasn't supposed to be here. But I can hear the wind blowing and I'm glad to be inside. The feeling of wanting to cry is starting to fade.
Date: 2005-09-12
From: Galehead Hut 

To: Secret Stealth Spot 
Miles today: 14.8

Cruise Control bailed at some point after I went to sleep. Oddly enough, with him gone the croo (why do they spell it that way anyways??) became much more friendly. Guess who got stuck doing his morning chores? He had the nerve to be hanging out at the next hut at lunch time. What unnecessary drama he created.The wind this morning was crazy. I was never knocked off my feet, but it blew me around a little. Mt Washington had an average wind speed of 80 mph!! How do you ever walk in that? The weather has been amazing and I hope that it continues to hold out for the rest of the Whites. Surprise, surprise, there is a flat part of the trail in the Whites. And I mean flat like a roller-skating rink. For the first time in days I can't figure out which mountains I am going over next, so everything big in the distance gets called Mt Washington.
Date: 2005-09-13
From: Secret Stealth Spot 

To: Lakes of the Clouds 
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: fog

I just don't get it; some people have had great experiences doing work for stay. And yet some people do nothing but go on and on about how bad they are. Yeah, it¢s hard to have to pay for something that has been free for 6 months. But for most people the huts are great. It allows people to see this beautiful place. People who don't know enough to go out on their own or people who physically can't carry a pack. It is $80 but hey, have you checked the prices for Disney World lately? Plus I've found that you get out of it what you put in. The friendlier you are to the Croo, the nicer they are to you. Here they took 8 hikers for work for stay. I'm very interested to see what past thru hikers have to say about this subject.There were two big surprises on the trail today:1 - there ARE switchbacks in NH 2- there are 2 mountains the AT does NOT go over, it goes around the easy way and a loop trail goes over.Just before I got to the hut the clouds parted and Mt Washington came into view. I threw down my poles and grabbed my camera. Very big and very odd with all of the odd things sticking out of the top. I was above tree line for miles again today making for more breathtaking hiking.   There are lots of people hiking in the Whites and all of them are slower than I. Now I know how all of the other thru hikers feel when they pass me.
Date: 2005-09-14
From: Lakes of the Clouds 

To: Osgood Tent site
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: haze

Happy 6 months to me! Well, kind of happy anniversary. It was an easy, easy walk up to Mt. Washington. I had done my work-for-stay the night before, so I could leave right after breakfast (about 8:15). The view I had wandering up to the top made me think of Oz. (Dorothy not HBO) The observatory sat up on a hill with odd towers sticking out of the top. By 9 I had zoomed past the real guests from the hut and was ready to wave to the web cam. Used the pay phone, bathroom, and ATM. Raided the snack bar for cookies, Diet Coke, and an egg salad sandwich to split. Then back for a second sandwich. Perused the gift shop and I was ready to go.And then the AT reminded me not to be so full of myself when it comes to hiking. It took 4 hours to go the 5.6 miles to Madison Hut. The rocks in PA were merely training for the other side of Mt. W. The rocks never ended and were rough, scratching up my legs and hands. Once I almost fell face first down them. The problem is, the more I stumble the more frustrated and upset I get. The worse I feel, the more likely I am to stumble. One makes the other worse. Stupid rocks, they made me tear up. (I blame the water works on frustration and lack of sleep. You see, the huts are warm and dry to sleep in but being in the main room you are the last to bed and the first up. You hear everyone going to the bathroom, Cruise Control snoring, and crazy old men in down booties pacing all night.)I did get to see Eric out on a day hike. He goes crazy fast and long miles. This year he did the PCT and was working on the Long Trail when I met him in Vermont. Next year he is going to yo-yo the PCT. (Of course that is after his South American Bike tour.) He heard us talking about the Whites with anticipation and thought he might wander up here to do some hiking. I never actually thought I¢d see him on the trail but he was my first guess when I saw a hiker approaching at warp speed.After Madison I had to stash my poles and use my hands to climb. At first I joked that I was like a monkey but soon my hatred of the rocks returned. The way the AT works over the mountains with nothing but rocks is every 20 ¢ 50 feet there will be a cairn or a blaze. You have to figure out the best/most traveled way to get there. It took an agonizing 3 hours to go the 3 miles to the tent site. My knees, ankles, and left foot where I smashed it into a rock scream with pain. But at least it is flat, quiet, and people free. Those 8.5 miles from Washington have put me to bed at 9 pm.
Date: 2005-09-15
From: Osgood Tent site

To: Shhh...not 200 ft from the trail 
Miles today: 6.8

I didn't leave camp until 12:30 to avoid the rain. Plus my book (Deception Point by Dan Brown) was starting to get good, so it was not a hardship to hide in the tent for the morning. Now I'm really glad I came down from Madison last night rather than this morning in the pouring rain. They were still calling for afternoon thunderstorms, just as I would go over the Wildcat peaks. (I'd been hearing for days about how hard they are.) So the plan was to eat lunch and maybe dinner at Pinkham Notch, camp not too far away, and do the Wildcats tomorrow. By now I really should know better than to plan anything. I have learned the lesson that there is little we can control and therefore it is just easier to plan to adapt to everything, but sometimes I forget. None of the plan happened. By the time I got to the visitors center (about 3:15) they were no longer calling for rain, and the deli that very clearly says it is open till 4 pm was closed. This really upset me since I was going to use this place as a meal. I won't run out of food but I will be tight. The gift store only had energy bars, candy, and tiny over priced bags of trail mix. Two Lunas bars and a snack size bag of combos came to $4.50! I asked the girl at the information desk why the deli closed early when their easily changeable, handwritten sign said 4 pm. She just gave me a confused look and said, "Oh, they are closed?" They did have a 3D model of the Presidential mountains and all of the AMC souvenirs you could want. The tent dried a tiny bit and we left about 5:15. There is supposedly a stealth site between peaks D and E. Seemingly a good goal since now the rain was gone and I didn't want to pay to stay in Gorham. It was the sun setting over the ridge behind us and the technical climbing stuff that were our undoing. We fell about a mile short of the first peak and are illegally camped on the rocks at a viewpoint. Being near the edge of a cliff freaks me out a little, but it was the only open, mostly flat spot to be found. And there is NO chance of the tent sliding off; I made sure we are far enough back. Off to climb up the first peak in the morning after staring at it all night.
Date: 2005-09-16
From: Shhh...not 200 ft from the trail 

To: Imp Shelter 
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: fog

Yes Virginia, it can still rain on you if you are in a cloud. This morning while eating breakfast I saw the fog start to cover the valley below. It snaked in from both sides until it covered the road. Then I watched a large cloud blow over the top of Wildcat peak E. And that was the last thing I saw all day. On the Wildcats I met a woman who was doing all 48 4,000-footers. The last peak on the ridge (A) was the last one she had to 'bag' and then she was done. She was just going to go up to the top and then back the same way to her car. We got there and I expected her to want a picture or at least let out a little yell. But nope, all she said was "Well, this is where I turn around. Nice meeting you."The caretaker at the Carter Hut was very laid back and friendly. So friendly that I didn't leave lunch till after 2 pm. I thought 7 miles and 5 hours till dark, no problem. Wrong, wrong, wrong. We didn't get to camp till after 7 pm. It is almost totally dark by then. Getting out of the Wildcats is just as hard as hiking up to them. We were slowed down by running into Grenade Boy, Minnie, and the Brits. They had all headed into Gorham from Pinkham Notch and spent the night. They had left town and picked up the trail further north and were now hiking the wrong direction for 2 days. (There are 2 roads that you can take in to town.)The rocks were very slick and very steep. Rawhide even bent one of his Lekis. Several times I had to toss down my poles and scoot down on my butt. To cap off this permanently wet day, Rawhide poured the extra fuel back into my drink bottle instead of the fuel bottle. And someone just killed a mouse with a flip-flop. Enough, enough, I'm going to bed.