morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-07-16
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: VT Rte 11 (Manchester Center, VT)
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Anxious to get to town today ... and to relieve my starvation!! Couldn't sleep due to some dizziness I began to experience in the middle of the night. Kind of like vertigo, I would say. Woke up at 4:30am and hit the trail by 5:30 to knock out our 10 miles to town.Arrived at McDonald's (after a fairly hard hitch, given the number of cars that drove by) by 10:27am. I was craving a burger but saw that they were still serving breakfast and assumed they would be until 11am. Ordered my breakfast value meal, paid the cashier and watched the employees flip over all of the lunch menus. Feeling the desire for the burger, I ate my breakfast and returned to the counter to order my second round of lunch. Yes, Mr. Right and I put back four value meals in about 30 minutes. Man, what a thru-hiker does to her body ....Went to EMS and bought a new pair of shoes as my old ones had totally died on me. Torn seams and rubbed-off padding. I went even one step lower in the chain of heavy-dutiness and purchased a pair of trail runners by Vasque. We'll see how they hold up.Spent the rest of the day with Wags and Gangsta resupplying, going to the local outfitter and bookstore. They invited us to join them on some spectacular trail magic they had received through their trail journal. A woman who's son is hiking the trail wrote to them and invited them to stay at her home in Dorset, VT. Rosalie Fox picked us up at 4:30 to shuttle us back to her house about 10 minutes from Manchester Center. She and her husband, Lee, cooked up an amazing dinner for us and allowed us all of the amenities a home has to offer.The Fox's are truly wonderful people and I am so grateful we got to be a part of this magic.
Date: 2009-07-18
From: VT Rte 11 (Manchester, VT)

To: campsite past Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

Leisure start this morning after a big breakfast whipped up by Rosalie. Daughter, Hilary, drove us back to the trailhead and insisted we come back to their house for the X-travaganza on July 22 & 23 to be held at their home. She offered to pick us up wherever we would be that day. We'll see if it works out. It would be great to see hikers who are behind us and to see the Fox family again but you never can tell what will happen on the trail and planning can get pretty tricky sometimes.Hiked over Bromley Mountain and Peru Peak today. A couple of good climbs with nice views. Our day was made even better when we arrived at a road crossing to find trail magic (beer, bananas and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups). While we were enjoying the goodness with Wags, G, Loon, Dom and Cricket, the trail angel appeared from out of the woods. Fire, who thru-hiked in 2006, sat down with us and gave us even more goodies (sandwiches, chips, Oreos). We had a great time chatting with her and filling our bellies. (I'm definitely not going to be hungry for the next few days.)Mr. Right, Wags, G and I pushed on to Big Branch Shelter to find a number of LT and day hikers already set up for the night and to the smell of shit, literally. The privy up the hill was, for some reason, releasing its stench all over the area. As you can suspect, we decided to push on a bit further and find a stealth campsite nearby. Which we did, not too much further down the trail.I realized today that I am becoming a hiking machine, as other thru-hikers have said I might. Don't get me wrong, I still hurt all over, especially my feet, but I feel like I can move over any mountain pretty solidly. Plus, my legs have never been this ripped before in my life! (Nor as hairy ...)
Date: 2009-07-19
From: campsite past Big Branch Shelter

To: Claredon Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

No rain yet again! We're starting to get spoiled. I think we've gone since NY without needing our pack covers. Now that's saying a lot since, as you may know, it's been kind of rainy this summer ....Debated whether or not to go into Wallingford, VT for a quick resupply or push on to a general store 1 mile off the trail. As Mr. Right and I were debating, a truck pulled over and offered us a ride to town. Probably the first time I sat in the bed of a pick-up truck since Virginia. Yankees seem to think it's illegal and don't like to do it very often. Met our first female SoBo today -- Little Dipper. Sweet gal whom everyone seems to like. I wish her the best. And, if anyone finds a camera two days south of Kathadin, it belongs to her.Enjoyed many laughs with Loon, Dom, Wags and G over dinner tonight. I really love the camaraderie we've developed with so many great people over the course of this hike. I look forward to the friendships that I will get to maintain once it's over.The last mile to the shelter totally kicked my ass! Straight climb up for 1 mile; felt like I was back in NY again. Still, we maintained a 2mph average over that bad boy. Just felt like I was going to die once I reached the top! We've also been dealing with a LOT of mud on the trails lately. Kind of like the rocks in PA, it's getting old and mentally fatiguing. I'm ready for a trail that I can walk along and not have to be so aware all the time. Oh well, if that's the biggest thing I have to complain about, I guess my life's not that bad.Funny story: was awakened last night around 12:30 by a bloodcurdling scream let out by Gangsta while in her tent. Mr. Right bolted up right and said, "Is that a bobcat?!" To which G replied, "Mr. Right? Plunger? There's a raccoon trying to attack me." Or something to that regard .... Mr. Right, valiantly, left the tent to search for the wild beast and to make sure it wouldn't harm any of us three ladies sleeping in our tents. All he could find was G's water Platypus at the bottom of a nearby hill, which the raccoon apparently stole from G's pack! For a more detailed and, most likely, entertaining version, read Wags or G's trail journal entry.
Date: 2009-07-20
From: Claredon Shelter

To: Pico Camp
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

Climbed to the peak of Killington Mountain today. A pretty intense climb for over 4 miles straight. Surprisingly, it wasn't as tough as I had expected. I find that the long climbs are easier than the continual ups and downs since I can establish a rhythm.Had a beer and some snacks at the summit's restaurant while we waited for Loon, Dom, Wags, Gangsta and Bono (a Long Trail Thur-Hiker). I'm pretty proud since we were the ones to name him and he kept it! Obviously, it's because he looks like Bono. Had some of the best views we've had yet on the trail. It's hard to say that since we have great views every other day out here but there is something about the northern New England mountains that are absolutely breath-taking.Bono told us today that he is hiking the LT in tribute of his girlfriend who passed away last December after battling Leukemia. He has a website dedicated to her and to his trips that he updates along the way. Check it out: www.ericatribute.com.Stayed at the shelter on top of Pico Camp which is .6 miles off the trail but worth the extra walk. Nice views and a fully enclosed shelter. Also, you have the company of a porcupine who has, apparently, made the old privy his home. Mr. Right got to see him on the summit; his first porcupine sighting on the trail.
Date: 2009-07-21
From: Pico Camp

To: Rte 4 (Inn at Long Trail)
Miles today: 3.8

Nice short nero today to the Inn, where we shared a "family" room with Loon and Dom. Wags and G pushed on ahead to get in a few more miles and resupply in Killington.The folks at the Inn were wonderful. Patrick, the chef and front desk dude, was tremendously helpful. The rooms were nice and the pub was even better. They serve Guinness at the proper temperature. Good ol' Irish Pub.Headed into Rutland, thanks to Dom and his chauffeuring us around in his car. This marks the end of his section hike with Loon and I am glad we got to hang out with him (and have the luxury of an automobile for the day). Went shopping and had lunch at Tapas Restaurant. Then, headed to the movie theatre where we saw "Bruno," a raunchy, hilarious movie that makes some good points.Went back to the Inn where we lounged around eating pints of Ben & Jerry's (what else in Vermont?) and watching "Cocktail," one of Tom Cruise's finer performances. I'm really enjoying slowing down and taking time to smell the roses. It's the pay off for pushing so hard for the first half of the trail. Also, this is the first time we've had to pay for lodging since Pennsylvania! That's pretty remarkable, given the number of times we've been in a real bed since then. My thanks goes to the trail angels and our friends, Loon, Wags & G, who have taken such good care of us this part of the trail. I only wish I could repay it somehow on the trail, unfortunately, I don't have connections in this part of the country....
Date: 2009-07-22
From: Rte 4 (Inn at Long Trail)

To: The Lookout
Miles today: 17.5

Started off the day with a great breakfast, cooked by Patrick, which was included in our cost for our lodging. Of course, I had to order the french toast in order to enjoy the REAL maple syrup from Vermont. I made a good choice.Didn't hit the trail until after 10am, which is a little late for us. Headed out in the rain; only a drizzle but the first time to need a pack-cover in a while. Luckily, it didn't last more than an hour.Quite an ass-kicker of a day. Lots of those great ups and downs and a big climb over Quimby Mountain. Lunch with Loon at Kent Pond. And one of the sweatiest days on the trail. It's not even that hot out but the humidity mixed with the climbing made for a sweat-your-balls-off kind of day.Had to hike water up to the Lookout for 2.8 miles. Wouldn't seem like that much (only adding about 3 pounds to my overall weight) but it felt like a ton! Mentally, I think I added 15 lbs, I was moving so slowly for those last 2 miles. But, boy was it worth it. The views from the Lookout (a privately owned "shelter" which is often open to hikers to use) were spectacular. A lovely sunset and daunting mountains all around.We met two more SoBo's who happen to be identical twins. Nice to talk with them about what's to come and their experiences. I definitely miss sleeping in the tent because of all of the bugs. They are driving me crazy! It's amazing how mosquitoes know how to locate the ears and hover above them ... even when my head is buried in my sleeping bag!
Date: 2009-07-23
From: The Lookout

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

Woke up at 4:45 to catch the sunrise from the top of the Lookout. Took a ton of photos attempting to capture the moment. I guess we'll have to wait and see how they turn out.Took our sweet time going 14 miles today. Stopped off at Rte 12 for some ice cream, sodas and lunch (in that order). Spent about 30 minutes picking wild raspberries from the bushes on the top of the mountains. Felt like we were back on the Rollercoaster back in Virginia. These kind of days are killing me. Today was by far the second sweatiest day on the trail.Ended up tenting even with the threat of rain overnight. I prefer a wet tent to mosquitoes at this point. And, it definitely started to rain but not until after we were in bed.
Date: 2009-07-24
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Norwich, VT (home of Trail Angel)
Miles today: 13.1

Woke up and it was still raining. Rained all night. Hoping it would stop before we headed out but no such luck. First day of steady rain in quite some time, so I shouldn't complain.Hiked into Norwich to the home of Betsy, mother of former thru-hiker, and best friend of Loon's boyfriend's mother. Follow me?Once again, Mr. Right and I are getting taken care of by the kindness of strangers and by the openness of our friends, Loon and Wags, who were invited to stay and extended the invitation to us. I was glad to have another shower and home to eat and sleep in. Loon's boyfriend, Dom's, parents (Linda and Bernie) dropped by and cooked us a wonderful dinner. Linda even gave us all massages on her massage table! It was such a treat.Still enjoying life in the slow lane. And seeing Kathadin getting a little bit closer each and every day. Only 2 miles away from our second to last state!
Date: 2009-07-26
From: Norwich, VT (home of Trail Angel)

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Had a great breakfast with Betsy and Bill, our wonderful hosts and trail angels for two nights. Hit the trail by 11am and arrived at camp by 4pm. Not bad, and enjoying the short days and taking things easy.Nothing of much interest happened today. Just one of those days. Got to do a lot of thinking about my one-woman show today. I'll see what comes of it once I'm off the trail and have time to focus more on it.Sat around the fire with G, Wags and Loon. Learned that G pooped 3 times today -- pretty much the most interesting thing that has happened all day. Also, to kill time today, we've been coming up with hikers' phrases. Here's what we have so far:Loon: "Shit balls! This shirt STINKS!"Gangsta: "I've got some (insert random noun) for ya."And, to top off the day, Wags demonstrated for all of us how to properly use a "Wag Bag." And, yes, that's how she got her name.
Date: 2009-07-27
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Fire Warden's Cabin
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

Rained all through the night but stopped before we left. And, boy, is it still humid!! I know I keep commenting on it but I just can't quite get over it.Holt's Ledge = ass-kicker. Smarts Mountain = ass-kicker. I'm seeing a pattern here.Took a lengthy, 2+ hour lunch break with the gang at Bill, "The Ice Cream Guy's" house. Had free ice cream and played croquet. Mr. Right got first place, G came in second and I finished third. Wags and Loon brought up the back. Bill was very kind and even offered to let us stay for dinner and to camp in his backyard. We probably would have taken him up on the offer but we felt like we needed to keep going. While we were there, we heard lots of thunder and could see rain but it stayed away from us, thankfully.Said goodbye to G & Wags who had to push on to the next shelter. I hope to see them again before Kathadin but I'm unsure if that will happen. They were a blast to hike with and I will miss their crude humor and demonstrations ....
Date: 2009-07-28
From: Fire Warden's Cabin

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

Climbed up Mt. Cube today, and, I'm sure you can guess my impression of such a climb. (Yep, you guessed it, ass-kicker.) I'm starting to sound like a wimp but it's shocking how hard climbing can still be after 1750 miles.However, the views from the summit were gorgeous and we hung out on top for over an hour laying around and receiving free food from day hikers. It was lovely.Got to camp around 4:30 to find the mosquitoes even more vicious than usual. Ended up setting up our tent inside the shelter just to keep the bugs out. I was surprised to see a few more NoBo's arrive as we have been spoiled by moving in a very select, intimate group for quite some time, not seeing any other NoBos around. I'm a little nervous to begin moving through the Whites in a big group so hopefully, we'll spread out some to avoid clumping up in the huts. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Date: 2009-07-29
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Started off the day on a bad note: got stung by a hornet first thing on the trail. It's my first time to get stung by one of those bugger's and, wow, did it hurt! I was near tears and felt the burning/stinging/throbbing sensation for the remainder of my hike.I felt like today would be a good day to let readers in on some of the less-than-wonderful things that are a part of the trail experience. I am not one to wear rose-colored glasses as it is, and while there have been some amazing parts of this trip, there are also some downsides. Let's begin with the bugs. There are mosquitoes, vicious black flies and the most annoying of them all, deer flies, which will follow you for miles and miles buzzing directly behind your head, where you can't find them, while walking down the trail. The black flies are the most vicious of them all, drawing blood and taking chunks out of your skin and leaving a swollen area on your body where it attacked that itches for days and days. And, of course, the mosquito, who buzzes around your ears, especially while you're trying to sleep.I assumed after hiking almost 1800 miles, things would get easier for the hiker. But, at least for me, I'm discovering that this is not the case. I suppose things start to add up and get harder and more irritating the longer I'm out here. It could also be the fact that I'm ready for this adventure to come to an end. I'm sure I'll have a very different feeling once I'm on the train heading home but at this moment, I'm looking forward to Kathadin with much anticipation.On a happier note, we arrived at Hiker's Welcome Hostel around 10am for a shower, laundry and to get some food. It's a great place for hikers to hang out, watch TV, use the internet and get some chores done.Mt. Moosilauke ... here I come!
Date: 2009-07-30
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 15.0

Woke up after torrential rain last night. Uh-oh ... a flash-back to the Smokies. I do not want to spend my time going through the ever-awaited Whites in clouds and rain. Luckily, it's not currently raining and I have all the time in the world to wait out any bad weather, if I have to.Unfortunately, even though it's not currently raining, we're dealing with the aftermath of rain -- streams instead of trails and soaked feet after fording streams that are flowing above all of the stepping stones.Just so everyone knows: the northern side of Moosilauke is TREACHEROUS when wet. Well, it was wet as we slowly made our way down. Took over one hour to hike the 1 mile to the bottom. And then, the true butt-kicker of the day ... Kinsman Mountain! By far, one of the toughest climbs of the trip. Total hike today took us 11 hours to hike 15 miles ... hello Whites.Mr. Right and I were beyond happy to arrive at our first hut, Lonesome Lake, and to be met by a wonderful croo who helped us to feel at home. Great dinner and great conversation (after some tough work scraping out a freezer) with croo, Johannes, Jeff, Hillary, Peter and Hannah. Let's hope all of the hut experiences are this positive.
Date: 2009-07-31
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Franconia Notch (Comfort Inn, Lincoln, NH)
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up to rain ... and got to take advantage of having no schedule by waiting out the rain in town with friends.After a breakfast feast of left-over pancakes and oatmeal, Wags, Gangsta, Loon, Mr. Right and I all decided that the Franconia Ridge (the creme-de-la-creme of the Whites)was not something to hike along in rain and potential thunderstorms. So, we hiked less than 3 miles to the nearest road and got shuttled into Lincoln, NH where our suite at the Comfort Inn awaited us. By far, the best $60 spent on the trail.Watched True Hollywood Story: Full House, munched on chips and candy, drank some beer and enjoyed dinner at Gypsy Cafe with a friend of Gangsta's.Came up with a few more hiker phrases ...Mr. Right: "I'll just wait here." (dripping in sarcasm as Plunger, leisurely, decides which way to get down a mountain)Plunger: "Oh my God, I smell!" (said since the first day on the trail, and still being said on day 143)Wags: "It makes me nervous ..." (used in a variety of situations)
Date: 2009-08-01
From: Franconia Notch (Comfort Inn, Lincoln, NH)

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Got an early start by 8am but added an extra mile to our day by getting dropped off at the wrong trail-head. Oh, well. At least it was a flat bike path that we had to follow.A great day of hiking, helping to restore my faith in the Whites and my ability to hike them. So grateful to have sat out the rain in a hotel as the weather today was picture-perfect.The Franconia Ridge is everything it was built up to be. Magnificent views and TONS of people! I'm just glad that so many people got to enjoy such a gorgeous place on such a gorgeous day.Ate lunch on top of Mt. Lafayette and also tackled Mt. Liberty, Mt. Lincoln, and Garfield, in addition.Arrived at our second hut of the Whites by 4:30 and were the first two thru-hikers to get work-for-stay. Definitely not the same vibe we got from the Lonesome Lake croo. Still, they let 6 of us stay and we got some pretty good food out of it. For our work-for-stay, Mr. Right and I gave a talk to guests about what it's like to thru-hike. It would have gone over even better had everyone in the dining hall been paying attention but for those who were, I think they really enjoyed it.
Date: 2009-08-02
From: Galehead Hut

To: Ethan Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

Well, the hut experience is dropping ... woke up at 5:30, sat around for 3 hours waiting for guests to eat and clear out before being served cold oatmeal and some Kashi cereal (which looked like dog kibble). Not to complain but the least the croo could have done was let us know earlier that there wouldn't be any left-overs so that we could get an earlier start.Windy and cloudy and quite a bit cooler today. Beautiful views from South Twin Mountain. Able to see Mount Washington today, looming in the distance.Easy hiking today (yeah!) and arrived at Zealand Falls Hut in time for lunch. Unfortunately, Mr. Right started feeling sick today just before. I helped him to the hut where he laid down on a bench and took a bit of a nap before deciding to hike on. If there is a day to be sick and still have to hike, today's the day. For the next 4.8 miles from the hut to our destination, we walked along an old rail bed and made it in under 2 hours. By far, the easiest 5 miles we've hiked in a long time.Sadly, we had to pay at the shelter tonight; $8pp. Not really something that I'm happy about but I won't bore you with the details right now. Let's just say, there's a note in the privy that explains that part of our fee offsets the cost of flying in duff for the privy at $950/hour!! Now, we've been using privys since Georgia that use duff that is lying around the forest all around them. Not quite sure why that's not good enough for the Whites ....
Date: 2009-08-03
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: fog

Well, we still haven't seen one, but Loon woke up in the middle of the night to the SOUND of a moose! Apparently, one walked right in front of the shelter. We would've waited to see one down at the pond last night but it started to rain and thought it better to just sit in the shelter.Again, fairly easy hiking into Crawford Notch where Mr. Right and I hitched to the AMC's Highland Center for lunch. Got an unlikely hitch back to the trail by a soccer-mom-type in a mini-van with her three tween daughters. Not the typical person to pick up a couple of scary-looking thru-hikers. But, very grateful, nonetheless.Loon's beau, Dom, joined the group again hiking out of Crawford Notch, which was not nearly as difficult as I expected it to be. Killed some time on top of Webster Cliffs in order to not arrive at the hut too early and risk getting turned away. A beautiful day to hike with great views to boot.Another great croo who helped us feel at home and not like the vagabonds we may otherwise feel like. Five of us stayed that night -- Wags, G, Sir Richard, Mr. Right and myself. More great food and good conversation. But, I will be glad when the stress of the hut system is behind us. We've gone over 1800 miles with these fellow hikers as friends and, bam, overnight they become our competition for getting a spot in the huts (since they're only supposed to accept 2 per night).