morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-09
From: Bromley Mountain

To: Little Rock Pond
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

Up before the sun came up to try to catch the sunrise on top of Bromley Mountain. No such luck because the cloud cover was blocking the sun but other then that it was clear day with awesome views of the surrounding hills. The observation platform offered a 360 degree view.    I met a SOBO section hiker by the name of Jack Rabbit. We started talking about all the areas in Vermont that charges a fee for staying in the camping areas. He also said he was on the Board of Trusties at the Vermont Trail Conference. I told him that I normally did not stay at the fee area, but I had no problem in doing so. That also I often stayed alone along the trail. I also told him that a lot of thru hikers, and there was a lot, did not stay at a pay site because there was no incentive to do so. There were plenty of sites that did not cost anything elsewhere. I would and probably other thru-hikers as well, if they offered some pancakes for breakfast like the Upper Goose Pond does. He said he will bring the idea up at the next trail conference (food does motivate a hiker to spend money and by this time on the trail money was getting tight for a lot of folks).   I took a lot of quick short breaks today as well as few longer ones as well. I realized that I would not make it to the Post Office in Hanover, NH like I wanted to by the coming Saturday. Saturday was five days away. I was a little more then 90 miles away and I decided once again, not to push it so hard (yesterday mornings hike with Stilts was easy, I think he slowed down a bit). Hanover was the Post Office where I sent my winter gear to. The box of stuff I packed when I was home. The plan was to take out of the box what I thought I would need and send the rest home. If I made it early Sunday then perhaps I would take a trail Zero, it all depended on the timing of it all. The last Zero I took on the trail was in Harpers Ferry WV with Dandylion.      I caught up to Jason sometime that afternoon and we wound up sharing a fee site that evening at the "Little Rock Pond". It cost five dollars and I did not mind spending the money. We were right on the lake and had a great camping site. I went for an evening swim and enjoyed the views. There was a group of rather loud boy scouts there with a troop leader that had a bull horn for a voice. Other then that it was peaceful. I discovered rather late that there was a special fee that includes a discount on the price for staying at a group of pay sites. One price let you stay at all six or seven fee sites. I guess it pays to pay more attention to the information kiosks that periodically show up along the trail. I wound up reading them all but the information was so repetitive, I got it down to a quick glance as I walked by. Primarily the only thing I was looking for were notes left behind by hikers ahead of me and sometimes you would also find out about some trail magic that was up ahead. Other then that there was nothing else that interested me.
Date: 2005-08-10
From: Little Rock Pond

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: clear sky

Up and gone by 7:10 this morning. My plan was to go into a town and buy more fuel. An unexpected stop but that is what I get for not making sure the bottle was sealed properly.    I hiked on and off with Socks today. We kept on bouncing in to each other at either shelters or vistas. That was how it was once you settled in with someone of the same hiking speed. When I told her that I had to go to town for fuel, she offered up hers. She was meeting her husband for a few zero days off of the trail that day and said she could pick some up while she was in town. She saved me time lost (thanks again Socks).   Jason and I were hiking on and off with each other as well. We were getting close to where the LT and the AT separated. We made tentative plans to meet in Rutland to have a beer. The walk went well but I was beginning to feel the collective miles (especially on the Up Hill portions). What I needed was right ahead of me. A place where I could take a break along a stream and swim. The Mill River at the Clarendon Gorge (860 feet) had a great area for swimming. The water was about 7 feet deep and it was comfortably cool. A lot of locals were there as well as both NOBO and SOBO AT, LT hikers. Socks, Apple Pie, String Bean and Jason were there also. I stayed for about an hour when Jason mentioned a place existed down the road that served good food. We dried our "rinsed out clothing" while we swam and got dressed once it was dry. We all then crossed the suspension bridge and railroad tracks, hung a left on VT-103 and walked to a place called "The Whistle Stop" (less then 1/2 a mile). A small place that resembled a railway car. The food was great, I had the meatloaf, and the price was affordable. After Ice Cream for desert it took a crow bar to pry me out of the place.    Jason and I walked to the Caredon Shelter (1390 feet) and set up for the night. Socks showed up as well. While we were talking Jason mentioned that there was a place he went to last year called "The Inn at the Long Trail", he said they had a great beer on tap called "The Long Trail Ale". We decided that this was the place we were going to have that beer we talked about. The two trails separated about a mile north of the "Sherburne Pass" and the Inn sounded outstanding, a great place to say our good bye's.personal note: While making this entry, months after completing my hike, I received an e-mail from Blue Angel. She is fine and back where she wants to be in life, I wished her well.
Date: 2005-08-12
From: Inn at the Long Trail

To: Rutland, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Up and didn't do a single trail mile. We walked over to the Inn and had a great breakfast of Blue Berry Pancakes. We then took the shuttle bus in to Rutland. It was indeed time for a zero day. There was a fee for the ride but, it did not cost much. We stayed at the "Back Home Again Hostel". It was a nice place that had a hot shower and a comfortable bed.   We did our camp chores, re supplied our food and fuel, called home to talk to the family's and then went to see a movie. I watched the March of the Penguins, interesting a thru-hiker watching another animal walk a great distance, one way, turning around and go back (they were bouncing). Kind of made you think, these birds did it for survival of their species. We do it to get away from ours.   After a day of much needed rest and good food (plus fresh fruit), I was feeling much better. It would not be long before I was in the White Mountains. I have been there before and knew that rest was as important as were the miles. I planned on being in Hanover to pick up my winter gear this coming Monday (in three days). But for now it was sleep that I needed most, and this Hostel had one of the best beds I slept in yet.   There were a number of SOBO's here and a few NOBO's. Protieus was there and he was not feeling well. He believed he picked up some bad water somewhere. The plan for the next day was to leave early and get dropped back off at the Inn. Get another pile of pancakes and leave soon afterwards.
Date: 2005-08-13
From: Rutland, VA

To: Observation Deck
Miles today: 17.5

Up at 6 AM and Jason and I moved out towards the bus station soon after. At 7:20 we were riding towards the Inn anticipating those pancakes. Many NOBO's were there already, Professor Nutbag, Low Bridge, Ug, Crazy Legs and others. After eating our fill of food and drinking good coffee it was time to go. We had a local snap our picture before leaving and walked the .9 down hill to where we left off (I remember seeing Buttah there as well as all the others).   We walked the mile rather quickly and before you know it, it was time to go our separate ways. We exchanged e-mail addresses and talked a little while longer before we bid each other good bye. He gave me all the information I could need if I ever wanted to take a trek up Kilimanjaro. I told him, "ya never know"    Jason was a good strong hiker and someone I enjoyed talking to. Just before he left I told him this. When I was younger I asked a young girl to marry me, she said no. She did not like the Army life. She was the mother of a young boy, not mine, his name was Jason as well.    Ironically, He would have been the same age as the man I was hiking with, I guess I made some kind of connection with that (a father son thing). The things you think about on the trail. Damn I felt old.   I walked alone for the first time in I don't know how long. The day went by quick and comfortable. My body was well rested and it showed. I went all the way (16.5 miles) to the Observation Deck at mile 1704.4 (that meant I crossed the 1700 mile mark of course). I decided to spend the night on the deck itself. Hairball showed up in a little while and set her tent up near the cabin. I told her if it started to rain then I would come down and set up on the porch (the porch had a roof). It was nice lying under the stars and the radio was pulling in some good tunes. The deck was providing a 360 degree view and I saw an outstanding sunset. More stars were out that night then I seen in a long time. I noticed clouds were coming my way over the horizon and the radio weatherman did mention the chance of rain. I packed up all my little things in case I had to get down off the top. Around 3 AM it did start to sprinkle so it only took me one trip to carry everything to the porch. I was set up in a few minutes and back to sleep before I knew it. I do not think that Hairball even heard me at all.
Date: 2005-08-14
From: Observation Deck

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Up and gone this morning by 8:00. A little slow in starting. I had somewhat of an interrupted sleep with the rain and wind. As I wrote the rain started about 3 AM but the wind before hand was gusting, keeping me awake. On top of the Observation Deck put me in a heck of a spot for the views but at the price of a disturbed nights sleep. I would not have changed it in the least.   The rain looked like it was going to continue on and it did, in fact it got worse. Just six miles into the day and the trail snot (trail conditions that is) was like soup. Everything on me was wet. There was a hostel that was not noted in the Guide Book just up VT-12 (The Banard Gulf Road) go left about a half of a mile, the hostel was on the right. It was known through trail talk and a risk if it was even open. My goal was to get out of the rain so I took a chance. What I found was even better. Up a little further and on the left was a store called "On The Edge Farm". The Hostel was there as well but did not look open, in fact it didn't look all that inviting. The store however was indeed open. Opened not long ago it sold organic foods, some great coffee and some of the best Homemade Pie ever cooked (at least that is how I look at it). Served with a scoop of ice cream I bought and consumed a whole pie. It wasn't long before Socks joined me followed close behind by Crazy Legs.    Both of these hikers bought pies as well. We sat and ate till we could eat no more. Crazy Legs went down to the Hostel and said it was open when he returned (for more food). By the time I finished the pie the rain did not seem that bad at all. I decided to move on and try to do a few more miles.    The trail slowed the speed I was doing considerably but, who cared. Miles were miles and you could only get so wet. As long as there were dry socks in the back pack and it wasn't all that cold, for me it was tolerable. Earlier on this day it was just a matter of needing a quick break and then just "sucking it up" and doing it.   I ended up at the Thistle Hill Shelter (1640 feet) for the night. I went inside and found that being under a roof was a nice thing. I met a south bounder by the name of Wild Thing. The rain let up a little but of course the trail was still wet. I had 1718.4 miles done so far with only 456.5 miles to go. There was only 14.1 miles left to go in this state. Once again my mind thought of the finish. It was all going to end soon, the miles and days were flying on by.
Date: 2005-08-17
From: Mile 421.3

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 17.4

Up and gone by 7;30 this morning. I decided to take it real slow this morning. The terrain is turning a bit rough but extremely scenic. Gone are the constant miles through tree tunnels. The views are worth slowing down for. I am about 35 miles away from the southern edge of the White Mountains. The elevation gains are beginning to slow down the hourly rate.    My pen finally gave out on ink. I have been using the same one since the beginning, a government pen. One I had since I left the service. Fitting it should run out of ink (that doesn't happen much, I normally loose them by now), I took it as a welcome sign to be rid of the past. A fellow NOBO, Chainsaw, was nice enough to let me borrow one. I did return it to him many miles up the trail. I snapped a photo of Chainsaw and also one of the same Falcon Rookery I was at the day before (this time facing south).   I stopped in at the Fire Wardens Cabin (mile 1756) and spent some time at the fire tower there (3240 feet). There I met two SOBO's who were taking an early lunch break. Their trail names were Bearded Weasel and Spider. A couple of local day hikers were there as well. An interesting mix of people. I told the SOBO's where to get a good pie and they told me of the water situation ahead. The locals told of how the two of them have been hiking these mountains for quite some time. They lived in the area and I told them I really liked their back yard. After taking two more photos from the tower, one facing up the trail and one down it, I moved on. The Fire tower was one of two bigger hills I had to climb this day and I wanted to take it slow but also, get it done.   Mount Cube (2911 feet) was the next big climb. The mountain did resemble a cube and offered some awesome views, as well as false hill after false hill. Just when you thought you were on top (mainly because of the false vistas making you think this was "it"), you would walk a little further and discover that there was more "up" to do. Not a bad thing though because of the reward, the rocks were easy to climb and the views got better as you went up. "No wonder the locals spent so much time up here"' I recall saying to myself. Truly magnificent.   I spent the night at the Ore Hill Shelter, as nice shelter as well as good water (a spring). It was a slow moving day but it was hard. I was beat to say the least. 1769 done and 405.9 to go. Tomorrow I will break the 400 mile mark, unbelievable.
Date: 2005-08-18
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Glencliff, NH (Hikers Welcome Hostel)
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and gone late today. I did not leave the shelter until 10 AM. There were two south bounders there who spent the night in the shelter (Justin and his brother Theo) There with them also was their Dog named Blue. They told me when I got to the Galehead Hut (one run by the AMC) to look up the head crew member (I cannot recall her name) and mention that I met the dog, that she would remember Blue (I did and she did). I think it helped me get work for stay.   Work for stay is where you can volunteer your time to help out at the Hut. Washing dishes, sweeping floors or whatever and you got to stay there and eat for free. Not a bad deal, I wound up doing this at three different huts while going through the whites. Two of these times I was asked to talk to the folks who paid to stay there and tell them of my experiences thus far on the trail. It was nice to talk to the children mostly. The distance covered so far and the length of time spent on the trail would just blow them away. More on that as I go along.    Today however, my plan was to walk down to the "Hikers Welcome Hostile" near Glencliff, NH (do a zero) and see if I could get a bunk. I needed to do laundry and wash the funk off myself as well. A gentleman by the name of Fat Chap was running the place for the owner. The place was set up just right. The costs were clearly known and you paid for whatever you needed. The place had the best hiker box yet.    I did get a bunk and after cleaning up I went to town for supplies and dinner. A number of folks were there, SOBO's named Motivator, Spaceman Spiff and Rolling Stone. The NOBO's there were Socks, Leviathan, Forever North and his dog Buddy. Forever North was an interesting character. Not an ounce of body fat on him, he was on his fourth thru hike I believe. He had the coolest dog I had seen on the trail, bar none. We bounced into each other all the way until the Abol Bridge (base of Mount Katahdin). He hitched a ride with Blister Sister (class of 04) and left the trail there. He said he was going to come back when the weather was better (you can bet that he did). There were other folks at the hostel as well however, I am sorry that I did not write their names in my log. I guess you cannot get them all.   We watched a Bruce Lee movie, drank some beer and just veg'd out. Mount Moosilauke at 4802 feet was the next big hill but that was tomorrow. For now it was trail talk and good company. Earlier I went to the Post Office (across the road) before it closed, and mailed home some odds and ends. What a great day this was. Not many hikers on the trail since we all separated from the LT (except for day hikers). I was ahead of the big group and behind a lot of friends. I don't think I ever got within 50 miles of Dandylion. My last long weekend home put me way behind him. I read his shelter log entries here and there. I also wondered how Jason was doing and how far he was along on the LT. I would not mind doing that trail one summer, to be determined I guess. note: I broke the 400 mile mark about 1.5 miles back, dang!
Date: 2005-08-23
From: Garfield Pond

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 10.8

Up and gone by 7:24 this morning. It did not rain last night at all. I discovered then that I was at the pond and also that Apple Pie and Plumb Pirate did not stay there that evening. In fact I came upon their camp on top of Mount Garfield (4488 feet) when I was leaving. They indeed had the "room with a view" that morning. They also told me the sunrise there was outstanding, they were packing up at the time and I asked Apple Pie about the CDT (Continental Divide Trail). She told me that many portions of the trails were open and there were plenty of vistas (like the one where she spent that night). She mentioned that Mount Garfield reminded her of the CDT.   Around eleven that morning I stopped into the Galehead Hut (3820 feet) and found out that there were a number of people already there. Giggles, Box "O" Fun, Leviathan, Paul, Waste Deep, Tom "Many Names", Apple Pie and Plum Pirate. They were all waiting on the infamous "endless bowl of soup" the Crew at the Hut was making to be served. For a dollar you can eat your fill of soup and get free refills. Today it was Mushroom and Onion and I ate two bowls, it was O.K. and I figured food was food (I am not a fan of the onion). I stayed until about 1 PM and headed out alone.    I kept bouncing into hikers all day long (I remember seeing FIDO as well). It seemed the pace slowed down a bit. I was mesmerized by the vistas and the scenery of it all. I averaged about 12 miles a day all the way through the whites. I took my time and stopped early each day at the last hut I came upon that day. I had a few bad experiences with some of the AMC staff but all in all, they were a great group of folks.               I moved on and made an early stop for the night this evening at the Zealand Falls Hut. Tom "Many Names", Paul, Leviathan and I found "work for stay" there. Our job that night was to talk to the guests at the hut and tell them of our thru-hiking experiences thus far. For supper they fed us Lasagna, Peas, Salad and Cake (Coffee too) and everything tasted good. The Hut was in a beautiful location with views that compare to The Yellowstone National Forest (in my opinion). It was so peaceful, the falls were great and the Crew was the best.   We slept on the dinning room floor, warm and dry. This was my first experience doing the "Work for Stay" and it was not my last.
Date: 2005-08-29
From: The Barn in Gorham, NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Up by 6:30 with a few more tasks to do. One of which was to paint a porch. As I wrote earlier the weather would not permit it. I linked up with Peggy at the Legion Hall as we planned. She and Bud drove me around town to take care of the last few things I needed to do. We went and did a Post Office drop (I mailed my coffee cup home), then a fuel pick up and finally a trip to the local department store to look for a new chair (no luck). By 10:30 they dropped me off where I left the trail. I thanked Peg for her hospitality and told her I would call her in the fall. I also thanked Bud for being a friend to Peg and told him that if she needed anything all he had to do was call (I left my home phone number). I now also had phone numbers with me of two retired SF guys who were there if I needed anything while in Maine (Nuke and Squeak to be exact). Thru hikers are not the only ones with nick names, in fact one of mine was Bullet Bob.    The rain was falling slightly as I made my way up the trail. I ran into Sam-I-am and her husband who joined her there at the barn. He was going to hike with her for a while. I found out later he went till he hurt his knee and had to leave the trail. We were at about 750 feet above sea level and after a slow but steady climb ended at 2165 feet that night. It was slippery and tricky with a lot of tree cover (I missed the mountains). I moved on till the Gentian Pond Shelter and Campground and settled in for the night. There in the pond nearby I saw my fourth Moose, a female. She was feeding on the other side of the pond about 200 feet away, in the water up to about it's neck.    There was a lot of hikers there that evening (around 14 total I heard and Socks was one of them). I slept on a wooden tent platform near Protieus, the Hemlock Muppets and two north bound section hikers. Everyone else was in the shelter. It sounded like it was about to rain (distant thunder that was getting close). I set up, ate supper and laid down to sleep just before it started (another good day). The much talked about Mahoosuc Notch was ahead of me. I wanted to "get it done" before the tailings of Hurricane Katrina hit the area (I saw a weather reports while at the Barn this morning).note: my prayers went out to those down south.