morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pon Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Will you look at that mileage? And with the trip down to the pond here beforecoming into the shelter, just to see the sun setting over it makes a 20 mileday! My feet sure know we did it...oh do they get to aching...vitamin I(ibuprophen) taken in large doses seems to numb them pretty well and helped meget in here.I was the first one to leave camp this morning at a little after 7 and the lastto get into camp tonight at 7:30...that makes for a long day! I climbed 2observation towers and one mountain (Stratton Mtn,3936'). The views from upthere were breathtaking with green mountains on all sides. It's hard toidentify the ones we have climbed over and the ones we will climb...they alllook pretty high, so it doesn't matter. I wish I could figure out how to hike faster. I hate being the last one in allthe time. But my little legs and big feet just won't move any faster. I'm gladeveryone is so patient, especially Thumper.I got to see the prettiest sunset over Stratton Pond tonight, bright orange andred reflecting on the water. Because most shelters are down deep in the forest,the sunset was a rare treat!Well, it's 9:00, hiker midnight, and everyone is settling into their bunks so Ishould sign off...good night.Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Stratton Pon Shelter

To: Sutton's Place, Manchester Center,VT
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Oh my goodness it was a cold night! I only have a very light bag (50 degree)and I had a hard time keeping warm especially near dawn. Others were having thesame challenge. Bum Bum put his tent over his bag thinking that would provideextra warmth and it did just the opposite, it crushed the loft of the down andhe was even colder, poor guy.On the way in to town, I passed by Spruce Peak Shelter. Having heard it had awood stove, I decided to take a quick look. (I was the first one out before 7and the others still hadn't caught up.) It was the coolest shelter on the trail,I thought. It was a log shelter cabin with a sliding barn door front to closeit up. It had windows, the wood stove, and an inside picnic table, along withthe two level platforms for sleeping. It wasn't new, just well designed. We got a quick lift in to town with a local girl that says she always picks uphikers. This town is quaint and healthy looking, but all sprawled out which isso difficult when one is walking. Sutton's Place is a beautiful old house ringtin the center of town on a quiet back street. Four bedrooms and a bathupstairs, and a living room and porch downstairs are for public use. The ownerslive in the back of the house. Great arrangement. It's sort of a B&B withoutbreakfast!The only thing that's not close is the library where I needed to go to downloadmy photos...it's 1.5 to 2 miles away. Up here in the north computer access isjust not as freely available as it was in the south. I can't decide if I'lljust stop worrying about sending pictures home and take care of it when I finishor send my photo card home and let Dennis or Dana pull the pictures off. Itcould get lost in the mail and they wouldn't have the notes I put with eachpicture identifying it...then I'd have to work hard when I get home to remembereverything, too! What to do? I may try again in Rutland and Hanover before Idecide that one.Yesterday was Thumper's turn to do laundry...we alternate, that way one of usgets the day off. The difficulty when doing laundry is what to wear. I wasshipping town clothes in my bounce box so if we were in a town where my box hadbeen shipped to, no problem...otherwise most often I would wear my "nightclothes" (shorts and tank top) and they wouldn't get washed...or lately I wearmy rain pants and jacket. You can always tell hikers are doing laundry when yousee them parading around town in rain gear on a dry sunny day! We also washeverything together in one load, there's no sorting colors, simplicity is therule! Everthing looks pretty grey and dingy by now anyways!There's a restaurant that serves strawberry pancakes and that's where we'reheaded for breakfast! They better have real maple syrup...we're in Vermont forheavens sake!Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Sutton's Place, Manchester Center,VT

To: Griffith Lake Tenting area
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Who put bricks in my pack? I couldn't believe how heavy it felt today! Weweighed our packs at the house:Thumper's 40, mine 31, Bam Bam's 30, and Phil's2...but Phil himself weighs 220, so he would need to have a pack weight of 55lbs to correlate to my pack weight to body weight...no wonder he's hiking sofast, I could too if my pack weighed only 15 lbs! We short, light weight womanare at a distinct disadvantage because we need to carry everything everbody elsedoes.But 31 pounds is not bad, and it shouldn't have felt like 60 lbs...and it did. I couldn't lift my feet. Poor Thumper thought I was in trouble. We never saweach other except at the start, and he waited 3 different times up to 20minutes, but I never caught up with him until the shelter just before thecamping area. He was really worried that I was in trouble, but actually I hadjust stopped to rest or read shelter registers and never got up to where hewas...and I was travelling VERY slowly...all day....plodding along. I know I'llalways arrive at the destination because my feet keep moving me forward, but Inever know when because I can go pretty slowly. Slow and steady! Hopefullytomorrow will be better, I've been eating stuff so my food weight will go down.According to the latest scale, it looks like I've lost 14 lbs. When I get toMaine, all the candy and junk food is going to cease gradually, as I prepare toreturn to civilization. Without preparation, the weight will come right back onas soon as the activity of exercising 10 or more hours a day stops. I'm goingto see if I can ease back into normal eating before the hike ends.It's so hard to imagine that next week I'll be in New Hampshire, 2nd to laststate. I can really feel the end nearing. I have just about the same number ofmiles left as miles I hike before leaving for Avery's wedding back in May - 540to go to Katahdin and it was 523 hiked before the wedding. It was a lot ofmiles then, it seems like nothing now!Breakfast (in Manchester at "Up for Breakfast" cafe) - Hiker Special:2 eggs, 2pancakes, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, and 2 slices of whole wheat toastLunch - PB&J on whole wheat english muffin, plum, TwizzlersDinner - split with Thumper Tortellini package with olive oil, onion and garlicflakes, Nutella and marshmellows on whole wheat pita (our version of S'mores!)I'm snuggled into my tent right now. It's about 8 pm and raining lightly. Ifeel so safe and secure, happy to be back in my tent after several shelters anda bed...I sleep best here! I put my pack, my clothes bag, and my pillow allunder my head to get it up off the ground comfortably. My stinky shoes, socks,and hiking clothes are down at the foot area. Various other gear are scatteredabout 'cause this tent is very spacious. No cramped feeling that's for sure.Well, that's all for now...my good book awaits!Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Campsite at Bully Brook

To: VT 103
Miles today: 7.8

After my mouse fiasco last night, I had a hard time getting to sleep...took acouple of hours, so needless to say I was quiet tired this morning. Thumper was having a down morning, the one where you ponder why you're doingthis...why you're continuing to torture yourself...what do you need to prove? So we talked while we hiked and decided we're going to be sure to "enjoy thehike"...take more breaks, hit more restaurants, go into more towns, etc....stopbeing so focused on the end and continue to enjoy the journey. We had plannedto go .5m down a road today to a restaurant for lunch. Luck was with us and wegot a ride from the trailhead parking lot. The key to getting rides is findingsomeone to ask, and there was a father and son there so I asked. While enjoyingmy pork dinner, I checked my messages...and there was one from this morning fromMr. Talker Man offering Mrs. Talker Man's services if we wanted to slack fromthe road the restaurant was on, over Killington Mtn. into Rutland. Yes, are youkidding?! The humidity is way up there today and the temp around 90...it was ahard hike this morning and this after! noon would only get worse. We decided to have her pick us up and take us to thehostel in town, then tomorrow we will slack from back at the restaurant backhere. Yippee, a lighter load on my back over the big mountain!This hostel is the best so far! Clean, beds with mattresses and sheets,separate dorms for men and women, and an organic natural restaurant downstairs. They recognize the sabbath so the cafe is closed on Sat., but they fed us hikersdinner of salad, mashed potatoes, couscous, and veggie medley...and a smoothiefor dessert! My kind of eating!!! Haven't had food like this since Elmer'sSunnybank Inn in Hot Springs, NC...and that was months ago. I may have to stayhere an extra day just to get the good food.Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-26
From: VT 103

To: Hostel, Rutland VT
Miles today: 17.4

We slacked today and it didn't seem to make a difference to my feet and legs. They still found it hard work climbing Killington Mtn...2000 ft climb overbroken trees and straight up rocks. It took us 9.5 hours. We came across Janet and Yonder today...we'd been wondering what happened tothem! Hadn't seen them for weeks. Turns out Yonder had Lyme disease and theygot off for 23 days. I suspected so. He was sick back in PA when I was sick. So glad to see them again today. They decided to start up on schedule so thatthey can finish in October, then go back and finish the miles they skipped. Janet also had a boot with a blown sole flopping in the breeze...so hard hikinglike that...she tried duck taping it, but it wasn't holding it, so today Yonderwas tying it up with a rope...good luck hiking over the rocks with that, Janet! Hope you make it safely to town tomorrow.I also want to mention Mountain Mike and his dog, Pumpkin. We've beenflip-flopping with them for over a week now. He's doing the hike the easy wayand rest often..that's when we catch up to them. Pumpkin is my favorite traildog and the cutest dog on the trail. She's this little thing with legs maybe 6inches long and the color of pumpkin pie...how she keeps up with him I do notknow...and they do 18 or more miles a day...she's hiked all the way from GA! Ijust adore her!Too pooped, need sleepOther news will have to keep.Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-27
From: Hostel, Rutland VT

To: Mountain Meadows Lodge, Kent Pond
Miles today: 4.2

Whew! We did some miles today! Our kind of day: sleep late, go get coffee, shopfor resupply, visit the library, repack, catch a bus to the trailhead aboutnoon, hike 4 miles, arrive at a lodge on a lake about 3, rest, do pictures onthe computer (yippee!), paddle a canoe around the lake, get loaned a car to goget dinner, and now off to bed at 10. But tomorrow we're back to our usualschedule...hiking by 8, we hope, after breakfast here.Other guests here, Paula and Peter, when they heard we were hikers and had noway to go out to eat, kindly offered us their Saab to go out...Trail Magic! Thanks so much Paula and Peter...it was very much appreciated! We went down tothe Back Behind BBQ restaurant ...mmmgood.This lodge is right on the trail. We have to cross their property down by thepond. They have wonderful services for hikers...lunch, computer access, dropboxes, etc...as well as rooms. I will definitely come back here during skiseason some year. Cozy place!I heard there's a hiker named Murphy out here that is a double leg amputee. Agoogle search might bring up news articles about him. Some how we passed himwithout meeting him, but I'm so impressed that he could be doing this trail. His register entries at the shelter show a guy that's having a ball...so upbeat. Tonight we took a look at the maps for NH...quite a hilly roller coaster! We'regoing to be doing some climbing and descending there...for sure. We've decidedwe're going to use the huts as much as we can...they are expensive, but servelunch and dinner, so we will carry lots less food and therefore lighter packs. I'm really excited to see these last 2 states...they will be rough, butbeautiful.Better get my rest:..Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-28
From: Mountain Meadows Lodge, Kent Pond

To: Whew! Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 15.7

Crossed the 1700 mark today and just realized it now...guess we've stoppedtaking notice now that we click off 100 miles at the drop of a hat. But if Ithink about it, it's mindboggling. Yesterday though, we did note when we turnedtowards Maine at the Maine Junction (where the AT and the Vermont Long Trailsplit off...previously since the beginning of Vermont the 2 trailsoverlap...after the split, the AT heads northeast and the Long Trail goes northto Canada.)I forgot to mention the bad storm that hit the Rutland area Saturday night.There were high winds then rain and lightening. Thumper and I were safe andwarm at the hostel (darn), but several of our friends were on mountaintops whenit hit. They said it was the most scared they've been as trees were leaning andtwisting in the wind causing the ground to heave as the roots tried to pull up. One guy thought it was an earthquake because he was going up and down. And treesand branches were breaking and falling. We're seeing the reults as there aremany trees blown down across the trail that we're having to climb over, around,or through. I just wish I had been out in it...I always miss all the excitement!The final thing I want to mention is you know you're a slow hiker when a guy inhis seventies with Lyme's disease passes you on a hill...thanks, Tennis, forshowing me up yesterday! I was favorably impressed!!! Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-29
From: Whew! Wintturi Shelter

To: Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 14.5

I quit! I can't hike in this heat and humidity. The hills are just torture. Ican't lift my feet. Thumper's way ahead of me. I sat down and cried. If Ican't hike these small rolling hills, how will I ever climb the mountains in TheWhites? Ain't gonna happen. I'll just have Dennis pick me up in Hanover andcall it quits. What am I trying to prove anyways? Oh look, there's Thumper,waiting for me! I'll rest, then I'll feel better. I told him what I'd beenthinking. He's a good listener. He said he was having just as hard a time. Itold him hiking together just made it so much easier...I don't know why. Somehow he dragged my arse another 5 miles to our agreed upon mileage for theday. We wanted to be in a good position to get into Hanover early tomorrowafternoon. Now we have only 11 miles...yippee!We are celebraties again...got interviewed for the Vermont Standard, the oldestweekly newspaper in the country at 153 years old. Paul Bousquet, who writes abusiness column for the paper, just happened to stop at the same farmstand (Onthe Edge Farm) as we did this morning an hour before they opened...so to passthe time he figured he could interview us. It was fun sharing with him wherewe're from and how we got interested in the AT, etc. Tennis was with ustoo...he's the guy in his 70's that we can't keep up with. Turns out Tennis ishis given name...he thinks it was supposed to be Dennis, but his parentscouldn't spell.This place had the best apple turnovers...she makes them wrapping half an apple(cored and peeled) in dough...taste so good to bite into half a baked appleinside..mmmgood! She also had this small cantelopes, individual size so I ate the whole thing!John Solocum, I ran into your son, Steve (trailname Barbarosa), tonight...or Ishould say he found me! He's got your eyes, that's how I put the pieces of thepuzzle together...it's been a few years since we worked together, but I rememberthe night you changed a flat tire on my car after I had flattened it runningover a curb. What a nice young man and full of information of things tocome...I wish we would have had more time to pass together but it was gettingdark and he still had a couple of miles to go. We told him about a great siteup high in a meadow that we had had to pass up because we needed more miles. I'll bet he and his friend really enjoyed it. I'll also bet you are prettyproud of him...and you should be...good job, dad! I'm adding him to the longlist of Rochester folks who are out here on the AT this year. I'm going tothrow a get together sometime this winter so we can share our stories...shouldbe fun!I want to mention some good meals I've had lately: lunch of egg salad - gothardboiled eggs from the lodge and chopped them later that day with mayo andspread it on an english muffin...dinner tonight Thumper made using Idahoan"Loaded Baked" potatoe lakes and real bacon bits, he makes a potatoe soup byusung 2x the amount of water...wonderful dinner. Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-30
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Sunset Motor Lodge, Hanover, NH
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

12 states down! 2 to go!!! We crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshiretoday. But it was another difficult day for me today. I really don't know howI'm going to possibly climb mountains when I'm dragging up these little hills. I'm very scared...scared of how much pain I will have to endure tofinish...that's how hard it's been these last few days. I guess this is when Ireally find out what I'm made of. Thumper's having similar difficulty andsimilar concerns...so that makes me feel a bit better. So we've decided to takea zero tomorrow to rest up and see if it helps. We saw an interesting thing today, an adirondack chair up on a mountain topmeadow situated so that you could watch the sun rise...even had a log footstool. Thumper took a picture of me sitting in it resting my weary bones...wishI could have spent the morning just resting there. Another thing we've beenseeing up here are sap lines to collect the sap next spring...there were a lotof them up there to make all that delicious maple syrup I love! Here in VermontI've been getting maple syrup with the French toast I order...never could get itbefore Vermont.We're having to pick up our winter gear now before we enter The Whites and thecold weather we could experience...but oh the extra weight! Step lightly
Date: 2007-08-31
From: Sunset Motor Lodge, Hanover, NH

To: Hanover NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Aaaahhhh! A zero day...no backpacking today...but usually lots of walkingbecause there are so many errands to do. This area has a free bus system andit's great 'cause there's a stop right in front of our motel. We took the busto the mall to shop for some gear we need and then walked over to the grocerystore. Just as we're checking out I see the bus stopped outfront....hurry...the next one is another hour away...Thumper gets the driver towait, but the girl screws up the total and by the time things are corrected, thebus has left. Thumper, I'm not waiting an hour, we don't have time like that to wastetoday...let me see how we get to our motel...I don't even know what road it'son...Gentlemen, could you tell me which direction I'd have to hitch to get backto the Sunset Motor Inn? You'll give us a lift? You're wonderful! Thankyou somuch!!! Trail magic!After we dropped our purchases at the motel, we caught the bus north to downtownHanover and walked around the Dartmouth campus. Pretty place, reminds me a bitof UNC Chapel Hill where my daughter, Avery, went...only smaller. Look, says Thumper, that's Baltimore Jack sitting there...Let's go say Hi, saysI. (Jack is a legend on the AT, having hiked it 7 or more times and writtenlots of articles about how to do it.) He cheers us up and gives us words ofadvice on how to get to the end...thanks, Jack...we're feeling more confidentnow. I wished I could have gotten a photo, but I left my camera back in theroom thinking there wouldn't be anything to photo in town. We had to ship ourbounce boxes ahead and I was getting new boots and olive oil from home andneeded room in my fanny pack to put the oil. Yes, new boots. The ones I just got are too summery and get wet easily. I gota replacement of the model of Merrill that I hiked the first 1400 mileswith...they are all leather and I hope will stay a bit drier...this pair is asize larger and I keep tripping over the toes...like learning to walk all overagain! Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-01
From: Hanover NH

To: Stealth Campsite, Just past Goose Pond Rd.
Miles today: 14.3

It feels good to feel good. The old me is back! I don't know if it's thecooler weather or taking a zero day, but I felt good, strong, and capable againtoday, thank goodness.What a beautiful day in the woods: bright, cool, breezy, dappled sunlight...agreat day to be hiking! The trees are beginning to change color, too...just afew on the tips, but it's beginning. Should be a spectacular fall for colorthis year and I get to watch it change, a bit every day.There was one section we did today that was so steep it a had a knotted rope forus to use to pull ourselves up the rock face...I stopped and recorded a video ofme doing it (Thumper was way ahead of me when I got to it)...I hope it came outwell. We've heard we'll see more of that in the days to come...oh boy!Running through our campsite tonight (because we are camped on each side of thetrail) was "Trail Dog" Andrew Thompson and girlfriend or wife, Bethany. Turnsout he has done the AT 3 times, the last time setting the record for thefastest. And he was a nice guy, too...he didn't even tell us, Bethany did...shesaid he doesn't tell people. You can go to Inov-8's website and read more ofthe details..he did it in 2005. He covered about 50 miles per day and a buddyhelped with supplies and camping part meeting him at road crossings. He shouldwrite a book. Now he's into ultra-marathons and climbing all the 14's inColorado. They certainly aren't couch potatoes...they were out doing a 25 milerun this evening, and after they passed us, they had a steep climb (that weelected to postpone until the morning!).Thumper's trying out his new tarp and ground cloth arrangement tonight. He'sreplacing his heavy tent with a lighter system. When he got it this week, hespent time in town trying to find something that would work for a ground cloth. First he found in a hiker box and nice poncho tarp that he was going to use, buthe was still trying to find Tyvek. As we rode on the bus in to town, I noticeda new apartment building that had Tyvek on it. I suggested we go down and seeif he could get some. As we got there, they had a roll of it out and werecutting pieces off...he went over and they gave him a piece! Good job yogi-ing,Thumper!Since I slept so poorly last night tossing and turning for a couple of hours inthe middle of the night, I'm hoping for a good long night's sleep now that I'mback in the woods! Step lightly
Date: 2007-09-02
From: Stealth Campsite, Just past Goose Pond Rd.

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

What a pretty day! Crisp, cold night that was great for sleeping followed bysunshine and clear skies oe taking in the views. We climbed over a couple ofmountains today and they are getting steeper...getting us ready for The Whitesand real mountains, something we haven't seen since Virginia.Bethany and Andrew showed up with beer at the shelter tonight...what a reallysweet couple! They said they weren't running tonight...just hiking! But it's10 miles back to their road...sure hope they know a shortcut.The trees are beginning their change. We could see red and orange out acrossthe valley. I look forward to watching this daily.Slow news day. Met lots of day hikers today and it's always fun to sharestories about our journey. We've met so many people every day, but I never tiresharing my enthusiasm...perhaps it's really that they give me energy with theirexcitement over what we're doing, because for us it has become quite tedious. Today when Thumper and I were chatting at a break,and he said, "Maybe somedreams are better left unfulfilled". We feel like we have been hiking foreverand must continue until infinity! What did we do to deserve this? But wecontinue hiking knowing that we've got the best part ahead of us over the nextweek or so...and that we'll be home for Halloween!Step lightly