morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-14
From: Holiday Inn -- North Adams, MA

To: Kid Gore Shelter 
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After three days of slackpacking we were out in purist form again today: full packs, hiking south to north. Good intentions to be on the trail by 8 a.m. deteriorated to an 11 a.m. am start. Delayed by a hotel breakfast for Blue, Ursa and Kathie, a post office search and stop for a communal bounce box, and a Dunkin' Donut detour to satisfy their sweet tooth cravings, the day's hike didn't end until 7:15 this evening. In spite of the rainy forecast I've set up my tent. Supper was a protein bar, trail mix, granola, and a cranberry-orange muffin Ursa bought for me without my knowledge. I had said "no thank you" this morning but it certainly was a treat just now!Today's hike gave us one spectacular 360-degree view of the surrounding Vermont Green Mountains. In the far distance we could see a range of even higher peaks which I'm sure we'll be crossing in the near future. I have no trepidation about the Vermont mountains: I'm saving all my fears and doubts for the Whites of New Hampshire and Maine. Aside from climbing the rickety firetower for this surprising vista, nothing about today's hike was incredibly marvelous. We had more mud, more rocks, a couple more climbs ~~ a lot of the same old, same old. Except the forest has changed from deciduous to primarily evergreen and the smell of the woods is that of Christmas trees. The streams appear to be cleaner and more pristine, the atmosphere is less heavy and humid, and there's a feeling of autumn permeating the air already. Everyone we've met, whether native New Englanders or southbounders, has told us we are in for a treat: entering the most amazingly beautiful section of the entire AT. And we've been promised fall colors that will fill our visual senses with never-ending beauty and awe. In other words, I think the best is yet to come.
Date: 2004-08-16
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Avalanche Motel -- Manchester Center, VT 
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Fungi have me fascinated. There are a multitude of varieties, all very strange. Our vista photo ops have been fogged in lately so I've decided to capture the beauty of the forest floor within my view instead. Many of the pictures I am taking are to jog my memory when I get home and find time to research and learn about all I've been seeing. However, should Jeff choose to post some of these on this site, you might find the uniqueness of fungi fascinating also.Coming out onto the road leading to Manchester Center I spotted a pickup just leaving the parking area. So I dashed across the road with my thumb up, getting us a hitch immediately. Good job Swan! Magic Rat, an '03 thru-hiker, periodically finds his way to a trailhead and offers rides to grungy hikers like us. Bearbait was with him already. In town he proceeded to drive us all around: post office, outfitters, grocery store, laundromat, and motel. We¢ve seen Paradox, Rooney Tunes, Ski Bum, Rooster, and Gordy all hanging out. Here at the Avalanche we've found Stickman.Once we scraped off another day's worth of mud, we felt ourselves presentable enough for dinner. Veggie sushi was my choice of cuisine, complimented by wine, dessert and Bailey's. The companionship of Rooney, Stickman, Blue and Ursa is extraordinary. I am grateful for the good fortune of knowing and spending this time with these phenomenal individuals.Breakfast is planned at the diner next door with promise of a lift back to the trailhead between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. We're getting closer!
Date: 2004-08-17
From: Avalanche Motel -- Manchester Center, VT 

To: Baker Peak - Under a Star-Studded Sky 
Miles today: 12.8

Bah humbug! The diner is closed. So it was "hikers' fare" in our rooms. A call to the front desk informed us there would be no one available to give us our lift back to the trail until 11 a.m. It appears that out of the five of us, Stickman and I are early risers and like to be walking by 7:00 or 7:30. We could have been long gone by now. We're bummed.But wait -- there's a hotel guest with a pickup! When she asked how our hikes had been, Blue blurted out with no hesitation whatsoever, "Fine -- but we desperately need a ride four miles up to the trailhead". That's all it took! We got our lift 15 minutes later and we were back to business. Guess we can throw subtlety to the far winds! 1650 miles behind us, and we finally are learning the ropes. This was a day for climbing. First came Bromley Mountain, up to which a ski chairlift comes. There stand a spacious warming hut, the chairlift gondola, and an observation tower. We spent some time on the tower soaking in some warm sun rays. The surrounding mountain peaks were engulfed in clouds, creating a very lovely and ethereal view. Next on the day's tour came Peru Peak with vistas for our enjoyment. But the best was saved for last: Baker Peak. As usual, I was the first on the scene. I was grateful for my solo arrival as I actually burst into tears from the sudden unexpected beauty laid out before me. (Imagine that -- Swan breaking into tears!)Ursa and Blue were next in line, followed by Stickman and Rooney some 30 minutes later. We all dropped our packs and planted ourselves on the boulders, drinking in the glorious site. I was thinking it, Stickman suggested it ~~ everyone conceded: we weren't moving. Our day's hike just ended atop Baker Peak. The guys had enough surplus water to share so we could all enjoy a hot supper.And then we watched the sun set. Ever notice how quickly the reddened globe descends once it reaches the edge of the horizon? We watched it shrink away to a mere crescent and then suddenly it dipped and was gone.Blue has a slender freestanding tent. (Mine is large and needs staking.) She is the only one in a shelter tonight. The rest of us are wrapped in our bags admiring a night sky unblemished by artificial light, a sky we've all seen so many times but has never looked as flawlessly beautiful as from the summit of Baker Peak.Ah ~~ it's grand to be alive!
Date: 2004-08-19
From: Munson House B&B -- Wallingford, VT 

To:  New shelter 
Miles today: 12.3

Finally! I slept soundly through the entire night without awakening even once. The 4:15 start yesterday morning probably had a lot to do with it. I've had a recurring dream the past couple weeks. The people and locales are different but the theme the same. I'm back in the real world having a great time and suddenly realize I'm supposed to be on the trail! Somehow I've whittled away a full week and now have jeopardized my Katahdin summit.Nothing subtle about that, is there? One thing which never can be said regarding my thru-hike is that I lost my focus! I've hiked each day as though I'm simply out for a singular day hike but my goal sights always have been "Katahdin". Today we crossed Upper Cold River Road. At that point on the map we have exactly 500 miles remaining. I've come so far but still have so far to go. Each day is becoming more and more difficult, both physically and psychologically. I'm ready to be done, as bittersweet as the finale will be. I'm anxious to put aside the fear of injury. I'm very much wanting to let all the aches and pains heal, a healing that will occur only after I stop walking from eight to ten hours a day. I'm excited to attain my goal and can barely contain my emotions now as I think on the ecstasy and thrill of touching the sign atop Katahdin. The end is nearly visible. But I've still 500 miles remaining, a tough 500 miles ... 500 miles, 45-50 days, 2-1/2 more states, some huge, magnificent mountains and rough terrain ~~ can I do it?
Date: 2004-08-21
From: The Inn at Long Trail -- Killington, VT 

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I slept solid from 10:30 to 3:00, awoke, then dozed some more. We have two rooms with an adjoining bath. The girls gave me the single room; they are sharing the other. Neither of them cared to be awakened when I started stirring at 5: a.m. They were wise. At 5:00 I was up, writing some missed journal entries and categorizing my photos. At breakfast Ursa wanted to "plant a seed" in my head: a zero! Yippee!!! I was rushing my journalizing, not fully pleased with my writing, had some telephone business to do, and it had been pouring down rain since 3 a.m. She didn't need to plant the seed -- it was already there!We ate a delicious blueberry pancake breakfast, made our run into town, and returned, all at a marvelously leisurely pace. I bought some organic salad fixings which we then ate out of our titanic backpacking cookpots. I did beg some real forks from the kitchen though.I've retired to my room and am tending to paper and phone business. The weather forecast for the next five days is sunny and dry, highs in the mid-70's, lows in the upper 40's. The zero was a wise decision. Matter of fact, at 6 p.m. the rain has stopped, the clouds have dissipated and the sun is out!Ursa has just stopped up to say Rally has appeared on the scene. We knew she was close behind; we knew T had to leave the trail because of a serious insect bite allergy. I must close and go down to greet her.
Date: 2004-08-22
From: The Inn at Long Trail -- Killington, VT

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

How quickly things can change! I learned last night that my daughter Teresa has a plane ticket to Hanover and is intending to hike with me for two weeks. She had no idea when I'd be there; simply went on faith and intuition, figuring she'd find me somehow. So it turns out she arrives Wednesday afternoon; we'll walk in Thursday noonish. Perfect!! However, it's a Godsend that I spoke with her: gearwise she¢s not sufficiently outfitted for the White Mountains. With a little bit of scrambling I think I've secured everything she'll need from my overstock at home. If not, there¢s an EMS outfitters four miles from Hanover. I'm hoping she'll find proper footwear before she arrives.Once I got past the "oh, my gosh!" stage I became very excited at the thought of sharing something of this journey with my daughter. To speak of it, to write about it, to photograph it is so lame and partial. Those exercises are attempts to capture the indescribable, to condense into two dimensions something that is larger than life, to recreate artificially the inconceivable. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to spend this time and to share the emotions and visual reality, which we'll be living the next two weeks.After pulling together all the loose ends last night, I finally slept from 11:30 to 5:00. Until 8:00 I was catching up on some belated thank-you's to be mailed out tomorrow. Breakfast was followed by some serious refocusing and packing for our return to the woods.Shelters on this part of the trail are spaced very closely. We could easily reach Hanover by Wednesday but that schedule would have us bypassing every shelter and camping in the woods every night. That really is no problem but we have very little to gain by doing so as our Hanover town stop will require some time and probably an overnighter regardless. So we're slowing our pace, taking advantage of the shelters, and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow hikers each night.We had a sweet little climb to start the day. Beginning elevation was 1900 feet, rose to 2400 feet, down to 1220 feet, back up to 2620 feet, and we ended the short 10-mile day here at 1380 feet. It was quite do-able but reminded us that we've got some great climbing in our future. It didn't help that we were bogged down with two days of eating town food. Hopefully, I worked it all off today and will regain my higher energy level tomorrow.Sharing the woods with us tonight are two SOBO's who gave us some heads-up on places and people along the trail in Hew Hampshire and Maine; one young couple out for one night; and two young men out for a few days. There was a toasty campfire ablaze when we arrived at 5:30. Tentsites were few; I'm up on the hill, rather isolated from everyone else. It's getting chilly, so it's time to submerge myself into my bag to stay warm.An owl is hooting in the distance; I can hear the rushing water of the nearby stream. Aside from those tranquil sounds, the woods are very quiet tonight. I should sleep well.
Date: 2004-08-23
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter 
Miles today: 9.9

At 5 p.m., after debating the likelihood of rain, I have set up my tent, and now am ready for an evening of conversation, food, and today's journalizing.Amazing! Swan was the last one up this morning. Actually, I was the first, but laid back down and dozed off for an hour or so. We were in no hurry to leave with such a short mileage day planned. So it wasn¢t until 9:00 that we pushed away from camp. Aside from the first climb, which took us across the Continental Divide, it was a pretty easy day. We leap-frogged with Mousebait, White Patch, and Keytone, but they have moved ahead to do four more miles. Except for the fact we have no desire to reach Hanover before our maildrops, we'd probably push forward too, but there's no rush. The lower mileage will help the aches and pains heal a little too.The trail to the Lookout led to a cabin on private property. It would have been a lovely place to spend the night, but we arrived mid-day. So we lunched atop the observation platform on the roof and then moved on.Two days of sunshine and warmth have made for fewer puddles on the trail, but there's still plenty of mud. With my constant skipping rocks and dancing around I succeeded in keeping my feet dry and am a happy camper.Joey and Ben, the two young college grads out for three days and with whom we camped last night, have just arrived and built a roaring fire. So we're sharing with them the nearly full jar of Nutella we just found in the shelter. We hikers take care of each other.
Date: 2004-08-25
From:  Thistle Hill Shelter 

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

A lazier hiking day I've not spent. An 8:30 departure brought us into West Hartford before the post office closed over the noon hour. Rick and Tina's Country Store served up a delicious veggie grinder followed by two candy bars (chocolate, of course) and an ice cream treat. I ordered up a second veggie grinder to-go for tonight's meal. We moseyed next door to the library for a short computer access session. Blue took the first half-hour, I used the second 30 minutes, and Ursa grabbed a final 30 minutes, during which I devoured my to-go evening meal!! A short, fairly easy four miles concluded our day and here we are at Happy Hill Shelter where life is beautiful and everyone is happy and smiley!At 3:50, I heard a low-flying jet, but only the one; none since. I'm guessing that was Teresa's flight and she presently sits in Hanover awaiting our arrival tomorrow. I would not be surprised if she headed south on the AT to meet us in the morning. On the other hand, Hanover is home to Dartmouth College. If there's some cultural facility, e.g. museums/art exhibits, she'll find them and have a pleasant wait for us.My tent is waiting, my meal of trail mix is ended, the sun is setting, mosquitoes are buzzing. The air temperature is much warmer tonight, meaning an earlier morning escape from the coziness of my bag will be much easier.In camp tonight, southbounders Just Jim, Target and Aussie Brian have been sharing their trail experiences thus far, giving us a glimpse of what lies ahead. We've garnished great advice on where to stay, where to eat, and where to find trail angels. Every little bit helps put to rest a few more of my apprehensions of our final 450 (!) miles. I've a few pains in my ankles and a sore spot on my right heel, all a part of the hike. Hang in there Body -- only 5-1/2 more weeks!Sleep helps, so ... 'nite all.
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Sunset Motor Lodge, Hanover, NH
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

A short 5.8 miles brought us across the Vermont/New Hampshire border and into the waiting arms of my daughter. I would not have been surprised had she started walking southward on the AT to meet me. When her smiling face didn't pop out of the woods I began searching for her as we crossed the bridge into New Hampshire. Nope, not there either. So I concentrated on hoofing it up the hill to Dartmouth College campus, our agreed-upon rendezvous point. I had approximated a noon arrival; it was 10:30. Hearing a bird call relatively close by I turned my head to see Teresa pop out from behind a bush. After the uncontrolled hugs and tears we proceeded to the DOC as she filled me in on the events of the night before. I haven't seen her for a year but we've got two weeks of hiking to catch up. One thing at a time. She spent a delightful evening in the company of my fellow thru-hikers, many of whom are her age. I believe I heard the tale of 10 people and packs in a Volvo, camping out anywhere and everywhere at a friend's abode, an early-morning swim in the river, and a bountiful breakfast. Enroute to breakfast they spotted me and beeped the horn (which I heard but ignored). Teresa then jumped out of the vehicle, hid in a bush, chirped like a bird, and the rest is history.Dartsmouth students had an organic veggie stand where we bought salad fixings for this evening's meal, and devoured veggie burgers and corn-on-the-cob for lunch. We took advantage of computer access, reunited with Loon and Baltimore Jack, and caught a bus to this hotel. Teresa has been named Cygnet (baby swan). Ursa and Blue ordered pizza; Cygnet and I prepared ourselves gourmet salad out back at a table while visiting and watching a beautiful sunset. For tomorrow we've arranged for a southbound slackpack through the generosity of Godiva, Class of 2002. Hanover to Glencliff should be a good test and warmup for Cygnet. The White mountains follow.
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Sunset Motor Lodge, Hanover, NH

To: Sunset Motor Lodge, Hanover, NH 
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

Cygnet is fully outfitted! We've ended the day with a whirlwind shopping spree at EMS. Wonder what I've forgotten! Slackpacking today was a pleasure, especially since we knocked off better than 14 miles. The hike started and ended in gorgeous weather and took us over 2250' Moose Mountain. The shelter featured a luxurious throne privy worthy of a picture. We were treated to a few lovely views and pretty much cruised back into Hanover. A food co-op provided us with a grocery opportunity after which Cygnet and I made fast tracks to catch the last bus to Lebanon and EMS. However, the driver told us his bus wasn't correct, we should catch the one behind him. But that driver told us we should be on the one ahead of him. So we let them both pass and ended up taking a taxi. Bummer! Mara from EMS was kind enough to give us a lift back to the hotel. We've finished the remainder of our salad and are calling it a day. I'll probably spend some time reviewing tonight's purchases and praying I've not forgotten anything that will jeopardize Cygnet's safety. It's good to have her in our company.
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Sunset Motor Lodge, Hanover, NH 

To: Firewarden's Cabin
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Trisha, bless her, showed up as promised and delivered us to the trailhead at Goose Pond Road. At 10:30 we resumed our trek to Maine. Enroute she shared with us her journal of her 2002 thru-hike. What a piece of art! In my next lifetime I want to return as a talented and creative artist.Rooney Tunes is with us again! We were back to purist form: traveling north with full packs -- Cygnet too. He joined our little caravan from the start of the day and off we went. There is something very satisfying about leaving town and all its hassles behind, disappearing into the woods and inhaling the energy nature is creating for us.As we were running low on water we saw an old faded sign directing us across the road to a house with "a spigot alongside the porch". We took the detour. As we were filling up Bill walked around the corner. I expressed my gratitude for the water source as "we were running low". "Oh," he gleefully responded. "Were you running low on ice cream bars as well?" Oh yeah! We struck gold! An ice cream treat, fresh peaches, chocolate, water refill and warm conversation had us skipping up the trail an hour later. Bill and Frances ... you are gems! Thank you for your generosity of goodies and buoyant spirit. Blessings to you from three very happy hikers.The climbs today were a bit tedious but nothing we couldn't manage with moderate effort. I am shocked I bypassed the detour to Holts Lodge, home to several falcons. Something of that nature usually draws me like a magnet. The late start, the miles yet to go, the distance off the trail all contributed to my decision and I kept on trucking. Our final climb to Firewarden's Cabin and Tower was a doozie! After 1750 miles we were puffing just as much as Cygnet who was fresh on the trail. Ah, but it was so worth it. We arrived shortly after 6:00 but in time to view a colorful, almost otherworldly horizon and sunset. Rooney has chosen to camp out in the tower. Ursa and Cygnet have staked out their spots on the manor porch. I'm claiming a flat spot in front of the cabin, tentless, for a front-row seat under the stars ... hoping for no rain. One Way and Jewel and others are inside spread out on the floor. Cygnet has just called inside from her porch position "Goodnight Beautiful People!". How refreshing. I do believe everyone is smiling.
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: light rain

Rain, thunder, wind, and lightning ... we got it all. Once the headlamps were extinguished we enjoyed the light show as it was diffused through the walls of my tent. I knew I would stay dry centered in the two-man space, but I wasn't as confident with the space actually filled by two individuals. I'm pleased to say we did, and so did our bags! The strong wind blew some mist in through the front netting, but it was insignificant. Occupants of the shelter told me rain blew in the front of their lodging too.An 8:20 start, only 7.5 miles, and one smallish climb made for an easy day. All our maildrops have arrived. We¢ve sorted through the supplies, fed our hungry selves, and simply whittled away the remainder of the day. I'm actually quite pleased with myself; I do believe I've learned how to sit still for more than 10 minutes without becoming fretful and anxious. Part of the afternoon was spent viewing a video made by Lion King of his 2003 thru-hike. What fun it was to see pictures of the views and locations which have been etched into my memory these past five months. We forced Lion King to stop the video when it reached the Hikers Welcome Hostel. None of us want a visual preview of the remaining 400 miles. Pop-Up, Buckwild, Keytone, Regular Brian, Leff, Chef, Rooney, Puck Finn, White Patch, Mousebait - lots of hiking soulmates are in residence and I feel honored to be amongst them. T-Bot arrived!! We haven't seen him for a couple of months and are delighted he has caught up with us. One Way and Jewel moved on one mile to the next shelter but not before we had a most pleasurable conversation. I'm beginning to realize I may not see some of these amazing people ever again. The final days of this incredible journey definitely will be bittersweet.