morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Lee, MA
Miles today: 1.6

We zeroed yesterday at the pond. Rocks had warned us that it was a tempting zero, and I'm happy we took it. It was a beautiful spot and a beautiful day--far too nice to hike. They had a canoe at the lake and as all the other hikers took off we decided to take it out. The water is beautiful, placid, green, with fish and clams and dragonflies. The sky was perfectly blue, the trees perfectly green. I read Annie Dillard while County rowed, until we found a rocky beach to rest on for a while and County risked breaking his legs climbing out on dead pine trees. We filled up water jugs for the cabin, too, from this gushing spring across the lake. It's the best spring I've seen so far. The cabin caretakers have to row across every day to fill up water for the thru-hikers. We ate leftover pancakes with peanut butter for lunch. Aloha, the current caretaker, who did the trail in two sections in 2001 and 2003, was driving out to take her support person, Char, to the Albany airport, so she said we could get a ride to town if we wanted. Not that we needed to go to town, Dalton being less than twenty miles away, but we heard from some day hikers along the lake that Romeo & Juliet was playing at a Shakespeare festival in Lenox. We were inspired to try to make it but unfortunately got into town too late.We've been thinking for some time, though, of taking time off with County's family in southeastern Massachusetts, and Lee's only three hours away from them. We spent the day in Lee, and I agonized about whether or not to get off the trail, if only temporarily. We had some cool experiences, though--we went into this hole-in-the-wall diner called Joe's. I had read that Norman Rockwell lived for twenty-five years in this area and I knew his museum was nearby, but we discovered that the diner was the one in his painting "The Runaway." The walls were covered with memorabilia, including shots of Joe posing with people in the Rockwell painting. There was one of the cop as an old man and the little boy grown up with an aged Joe behind them. The place didn't seem to have changed since the fifties--even the menu. Coffee was forty-eight cents a cup, and had been a quarter until a couple of years ago. I ordered mac and cheese and a chocolate milkshake. Yet another experience we would have missed without taking our time.
Date: 2004-08-31
From: Marion, MA

To: Marion, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm in Marion, Massachusetts, at County's family's house. We got off the trail two days ago, in Lee, Mass., but only temporarily--have no fear. We're taking a little time here with County's family, mainly to enjoy some of the nice end-of-summer weather by the beach at the Cape. We may even go sailing. Or, at the very least, stop at EMS and have County's trekking poles fixed. But we'll be getting back on the trail shortly--Katahdin awaits, as always! I'm aware, now, that we're really pushing our time limit. But we've decided to ignore the time constraint. I hate time constraints. And it drives me crazy, as anyone who has been following this journal can attest to, that a thru-hike has to be limited by some crazy deadline. People summit all the way into November, winter thru-hikes are possible, some dude summited on January 1 this year, and mountaineers climb in way worse conditions anyway. I'm not concerned about making it to Katahdin: I am concerned about letting an arbitrary deadline affect my experience. We were in Lee the other day, hanging out with some locals, telling them about our experience hiking and how we like to thoroughly experience each place on the trail, and one guy said, "You two aren't thru-hikers. You're TRUE-hikers." Amen.
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Marion, MA

To: Marion, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Yes, still in Marion. We're getting back on the trail tomorrow, after taking almost two weeks off, at at time when most would say taking two weeks off is extremely unwise. We're debating a number of options, including slackpacking for a couple of days while County's mom hangs out in the Berkshires, or having her drive us up to Bennington or Killington in Vermont, skipping more than 150 miles and heading on to Katahdin from there. If we do that, K might still be doable by October 15. That would actually put us exactly where we should be, if we had hiked the last two weeks, within 500 miles of the end. Then we could do a little flip, and hike the last two weeks or so in October, doing the relatively simple southern Vermont and northern Mass section. Sounds like a good idea to me. But who knows. We'll see what works out. It's been a very good break for me--we went swimming a couple of times in County's brother's pool, watched the sunset at the beach, watched sailboats fly by in the Cape Cod canal, went kayaking--the first time for me, and ate lobster bisque, shrimp, seafood scampi, clam cakes, mussels, quahogs, hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese steaks, vegetables, sushi, Chinese buffets, eggs--almost, but not quite, more food than I could take. Seafood, so much seafood. I think I love life by the ocean. Maybe our next trip should be on a sailboat. But I'm excited about getting back on the trail, though. As County says, "we're going home tomorrow." I'm still angsty about a couple of things, mainly finishing, as always, flipping, skipping a section, cold, being out of shape, but it'll all work out, I'm sure. The trail awaits.
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Marion, MA

To: Campsite at Kent Pond
Miles today: 1.0

Back on the trail. We did as planned and drove up this morning to Killington, Vermont, where County used to live and we were dropped off by the road. Almost two weeks off, total. And we've skipped one hundred and fifty-three point nine miles, which we will return to complete of course. But in the meantime, Katahdin is a doable twelve point eight miles a day for the next thirty-eight days. We got to the trail at about six after packing and driving all day. A lovely Chinese buffet for lunch, our last real food for a while, thanks to County's mom. It's thrilling to be back on the trail again, to see the white blazes, to be in the woods, in Vermont. We hiked a mile into the pond area and found a beautiful campsite by the water. We left off at Upper Goose Pond--it feels good to be restarting at a pond. Lends continuity. I don't feel bad though. This way we can get the Whites and Maine out of the way before winter hits and still only have one hundred and fifty miles left to go. We came to a waterfall the minute we stepped into the woods--a lovely welcome back to the trail and to Vermont. As is the lake.We watched the sunset above the mountains tonight--I was reading, and everytime I looked down, thinking the fireworks were over, I would look back up and the sky would be flamed in pink, the rimmed light reflecting in the placid water. The sky is clear tonight, even though rain is predicted, and the water perfectly still. So far we've seen a beaver, ducks, bats, jumping fish, and geese landing in the water. We've built a fire, and County is stoking it and cooking ramen. I missed this. I can't believe it's so close to being over.
Date: 2004-09-08
From: Campsite at Kent Pond

To: The Lookout
Miles today: 13.2

And a very long thirteen point two they were. I suppose that's what happens when you take two weeks off. It was a lovely walk, really, and Vermont is beautiful, and the terrain wasn't bad at all, but I still felt sore and out of shape. My back still hurts, one thing the two weeks off didn't help, along with assorted foot and leg pains that are par for the course after two weeks. We had two big climbs today--over one thousand feet each--so the terrain has gotten more difficult in Vermont, but we handled them well and I feel fairly well equipped and ready for climbing. It's fun, really. I don't know if I'll still feel that way in the Whites. Things didn't start getting bad until after the second climb--with about four miles left to go, it started raining. It had been threatening to rain all day, the remnants of an alleged hurricane, but when it came it was just cold. I was still hiking in my tank top and shorts, and I put on my rain gear in a hurry, but I was still cold. Those last four miles were a race against the cold, and against the fog on my glasses. I'll get used to the cold again, I suppose. I did fine with it before. But I miss my running tights and my hiking hat and gloves. I had the foresight to add long underwear to my pack before leaving County's moms, but neglected my fleece and running tights. Pretty foolish, especially heading into the Whites. My warm sleeping bag is also still on it's way. But we got here at last--the Lookout is a private cabin with a rooftop observation deck. The owners let hikers stay here, crazy enough. There's no water, but we stocked up at the bottom of the hill. When I got here County had already collected a ton of wet wood, and after changing out of my wet clothes I helped him build a beautiful fire. So now we're cozied up in front of it, hoping we avoid the cabin's leaky roof, and life, on the whole, looks better.
Date: 2004-09-09
From: The Lookout

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

We woke up late again this morning, as usual, despite all my resolutions to the contrary. Actually I woke up early but noted the wind and rain beating the windows of the Lookout and resigned to stay inside. Eventually, however, we had to get up and did, and it was much better outside than I had thought. The best part of the morning was when, trudging along in our rain gear, who should pass but Goofy, NoPain, and Terrapin! It was wonderful to see familiar faces--made me feel back at home on the trail. They're supposed to make it to the shelter tonight with us but it doesn't look like they will. We got a very late start--noonish--and it's starting to get dark now at seven-thirty so we really had to book it. We walked past one shelter just as it was getting dark. Cloudland Shelter is one that used to be an official AT shelter but is now privately owned. The owners still let hikers stay there. We decided to press on to the next shelter two miles on so we'd have less to do into Hanover. So it was night hiking again. It was pretty muddy and rooty too, and I was doing well, but finally fell half a mile from the shelter, slipping on a root. I bashed my right knee against another root and hurt it fairly badly--probably the worst fall I've had. We got into the shelter at about eight and it was already dark and the other two occupants were asleep. That's always a weird situation--you would have to be so early. But it still feels great to be home for the night and only fourteen miles into Hanover.
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Hanover, NH

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

We took two zeroes in Hanover. It was great. I had been sadder than expected about missing my brother there, so it was wonderful to have his roommates be so hospitable.(Happy life, Matthew & Heather, sorry we didn't make it to Williamstown.) We had intended to hike out the next day but Erik and his girlfriend Vanessa talked us into staying and cooking us a vast meal. We went to a fair in Norwich, Vermont, and got a free lunch of delicious barbecue and wandered around in the sun through a book sale--they had bags for sale for three dollars that you could fill with as many books as you wanted. Between the four of us we bought two and filled them with eighty-four books. County and I tried to restrict our purchases, but we still ended up with a stack that Erik's going to mail home for us. Books are dangerous. We also went shopping and bought the ingredients for a vast feast--we had basically a five-course meal. County made homemade jalapeno poppers with cream cheese and cream cheese wontons, deep fried, as appetizers, I made a raspberry dipping sauce and salad with balsamic dressing, Erik made a pasta sauce with spicy Italian sausage from fresh tomatoes we picked that day, Vanessa made brownies that we ate with French vanilla ice cream and raspberry liquor--it was epic. Then we watched a German art film. A perfect zero day. The next day we were more suckered into. Not really, but Mike, another roommate, offered us a ride up the trail if we stayed another day and let him cook us dinner. A thru-hiker can't turn down a request like that. So we've yellow blazed a bit, if you're following along in your data book, we're still on track to make it to Katahdin by October fifteenth. And we're in the real Whites--we climbed Moosilauke from the Glencliff Hostel today. The climb, despite being thirty-four hundred feet wasn't nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be. Climbing down is supposed to be the really tricky part--we'll do that tomorrow. It was a gorgeous day for it, though, and the top of Moosilauke was exquisite. And windy--the need for our warm gear is beginning to show itself. It was just getting dusky as we summited, and we did the last mile or two in the dusk. We got to the shelter at about dark and I was shocked to find it nearly full. We knew two other thru-hikers, Kiwi from New Zealand and Magnet,were going to be there, but there were about four other section hikers and a large dog there too. I guess I've gotten spoiled having shelters to myself. The Whites are beautiful, but crowded. I'm going to really miss having the trail to myself, more or less. I'm not sure it's worth it. I'd rather be alone out here with other thru-hikers than out here with a bunch of week-enders who think this is the quintessential wilerness experience. Despite the news. I'm not out here for the views anyway.
Date: 2004-09-15
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Woodstock Inn,North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 8.8

Another short day, though it doesn't feel like it in the Whites. My sleeping bag was waiting for me in North Woodstock, so we had to hitch into town. We got a late start again climbed the Kinsmans in beautiful weather. It was a fun climb, too--rock scrambling the whole way. I don't mind rock scrambling at all, going up. It's down that's the problem, and coming down was very tough. I'm still crawling, pace wise. I feel bad about it, but I'm not sure how I can get faster. We also went past our first hut, Lonesome Lake. It was weird. Beautiful, but weird. Before I got here, I couldn't wrap my mind around what a hut would be like. Some people described them as hotels, other people described them as glorified shelters. They really are a little of both. But it's the most bizarre thing to come upon these full-fledged buildings in the middle of the alleged wilderness. We just stopped to get water, and kept going. The trail from the hut was beautiful, around the lake and down past a whole river of waterfalls.We got to the notch just about dusk and started hitching. It was a weird hitch, too--the trail intersected what seemed to be the interstate. We got a ride with relative ease, some guy who told us hitching on the interstate was illegal. I don't know how people expect us to get in and out of towns, really. But we made it, got dinner at the Woodstock Inn, and looked around for a place to stay. There used to be a B&B in town with an eighteen dollar per person rate for hikers, but they had a fire and now the only place to stay was the inn. They looked really posh, but they ended up having a really good rate for thru-hikers so we succumbed and got a room. I feel pretty wimpy--we were just in town, three days ago. But the room also included breakfast, so it seemed worth it. So tonight it's TV and showers.
Date: 2004-09-19
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 7.0

I swore again and again and again all day today that I would never stay in another hut, even if it killed me, and here I am again, miserable. Why? I'm such a wimp. I had to just walk on by these things. But it was a miserable day today. Breakfast was atrocious. I felt maybe the worst I've felt on the entire trail. Other times I've felt bad I've been responsible for them myself--today I am completely powerless. My fate is in the hands of other people who seem to think I am dung stuck to their collective shoes. After being woken up this morning, none of the croo, again, would look at us, none would answer us except in monosyllables. Breakfast was one bite of cold eggs per person and a muffin. The hike wasn't bad--it was still a brutally cold day and we had to clamber up and over rocks, but I think I'm getting the hang of this White Mountain thing. Getting up the rocks really isn't so hard. Getting down again is the tricky part. But that wasn't even so bad. No views, of course, even though we went over some places where the views would've been spectacular. And the terrain wasn't bad, which is really why we should've kept going. But I had made a semi-deal with myself--if they offered us soup for free, we should stay. And the minute I walked through the door, County said, "Want some soup?" They had given him a bowl right away and had said we could have as much as we wanted. Plus, they had AYCE leftover blueberry pancakes from breakfast. And the guests there were really nice. There were two couples who had section-hiked all the way through Duncannon, Pennsylvania, whick is impressive in my book. There was also a woman from New Zealand who met her husband at a youth hostel. He was from Alabama. Everyone was very nice and had lots of questions about thru-hiking. So things were grand until dinner, when yet again, we sat and waited while everyone else ate. We were on a par with the guests, and then, all of a sudden, we weren't. It weirded the guests out, too. A couple of them even asked us about it, one saying, "What are you two just not hungry?" and another who whispered, "When do you get to eat?" And again not a word was spoken about our presence during the introduction time. Later on, we talked to one of the croo about it, who had been a thru-hiker. She explained, which made sense, that there had been some flak from paying guests about thru-hikers getting the same services for free. Which is understandable, but it's not like we're getting the same services at all. And it is an AMC policy, so isn't it better that it be explained for the guests that are friendly and curious, than be left an uncomfortable mystery. It's just sad that the huts had to color our experience of the Whites so. The mountains are beautiful, but they're not what I'll remember. This hut did treat us well food-wise, though. There weren't many leftovers so they made us tortellini and had limitless amounts of soup for us to eat. So all things told, it was a good work-for-stay. It's good to head out on a pleasant note. We're really not planning on hitting any more huts, and two of them are closed.
Date: 2004-09-20
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: The Dungeon, Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 12.5

Our longest day so far in the Whites! And it really wasn't that bad. The terrain was nice--just one long climb coming up to the Presidential Ridge. We had heard that it was an easy day, the one day that big miles were possible. It was a beautiful day out, too, as opposed to yesterdays' clouds. Not a cloud in the sky, perect blue. A great day for hiking above tree line. When we came up to the ridge, though, the wind started whipping, even though the sun was still shining. Bad weather up here must be merciless. It was exquisite, though, today. We could see for miles from the ridge, could see Mount Washington, with its towers on top, like a futuristic city. We took tons of pictures. The trail doesn't go over any of the Presidentials, though, it goes around almost all of them. The only presidential I've truly hiked this trip is Mount Garfield. Not impressive. I bet most thru-hikers aren't very motivated to take the blue blazed loop trails, especially just to get beaten down by the wind when you're trying to get somewhere. That'll have to be another trip. So we ended up on top of the ridge and headed to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. We knew the hut had closed for the season, but the Dungeon a legendary thru-hiker haunt, is suppoosed to stay open year-round. It is, literally, a dungeon--a damp stonewalled enclosure in the basement of the hut, about half the size of your average bathroom, with six bunks crammed inside. We could hear the wind whistling from the mountain. And the Dungeon is supposedly haunted--a little girl drowned in one of the lakes and her body was put in the Dungeon. Who knows if it's true. Probably another thru-hikers legend. But we were on the lookout for her. It was warmer in there than outside, though, and very nice to be out of the wind. Almost cozy, once we got in our longs and ate. The croo, up at the hut still doing repairs, let us get water and use the bathroom, so that was nice. Some semblance of civilization. Despite their gruffness.
Date: 2004-09-21
From: The Dungeon, Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Hikers Paradise Hostel, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up this morning unable to see out of the window of the Dungeon. We were in the middle of a cloud. I suppose that's why they call it Lakes of the Clouds. We wanted to stay until it cleared, but the croo kicked us out because they were doing construction around the hut. So we decided to take the bad weather route and cut out the presidentials. Sad, but what's the point, in weather like this? I'm no longer a purist. I'll hike the mountains when I can enjoy them. So tonight we're in town, yet again.
Date: 2004-09-26
From: Stealth campsite, Gorham, NH

To: Trident Col Tentsite
Miles today: 6.9

We ended up taking four zeroes in Gorham. Not exactly good for the mileage. I'm trying to decide why we keep doing this. Maybe I don't really want to finish? We're so close to Katahdin--we could really push this thing out in three weeks. But the further I go, the less I want to put pressure on myself. Maybe the less I want to be done. We spent two nights at the hostel in Gorham and then another couple of nights with one of County's friends who had called him from New Hampshire. It was really nice to, yet again, take some time off. My knee is still bothering me, so I suppose that's a valid excuse, but there's really no reason to excuse myself. But we finally got on the trail today and had a nice little hike up Mount Hayes (another presidential!) and decided to stay at the first campsite.Some section hiker or someone getting off the trail had left a ton of food in the bearbox, so we did the only reasonable Leave No Trace-approved thing, threw it all in the pot, and had a nice little feast for dinner--Annie's garlic rice, mashed potatoes, and a whole slew of spices. Plus we have new gorp to carry out. I tried to convince County that we needed to carry a full tub of peanutbutter out, too, but he was unswayed. He did, however, take the olive oil, hot sauce, and soy sauce. Yay!We're sleeping out tonight under the stars and full moon. It's been a while since it's been unbuggy enough to do that. And it'll probably be too cold to do it in a very short while. But it feels great tonight.