morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Arlington Road
Miles today: 12.6

Had a lot of time to get in 12 miles. Couldn't have asked for a prettier day. We climbed the tower at Glastenbury. It was a different tower. Had trees all around - hidden in a heavy forest. Climbed aobve the treeline and had an amazing view. Love being back in the mountains. We made it to the road by 4:00 and set up Oopu's tarp to keep out of the sun. The blackflies were out in full force. We were in for a treat. Not only did we have the small ones, but flies 5 times their size. They would leave big welts all over. Soon Mrs. Robin came up - getting a laugh out of our fashionable green camouflage head nets. We chose to camp 100 yards from the road. Good to have the 2 guys back. So, now it is just me and the 3 guys. Slick and Speck continued on. Weird with them not with us but maybe everyone will be happy.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Arlington Road

To: Stratton Mtn Summit
Miles today: 0.0

BLESSINGS UPON BLESSINGSFirst blessing of the day was that it was beautiful! The climb up Stratton Mtn wasn't hard, but it seemed like it'd never end. More mud to slosh through. We made it up to the top where there was a firetower. This mountain is one of the highest in southern Vermont and is where Benton McKay was inspired to make a long trail to join all the beautiful ridges. I can see why. Climbing the firetower the temperature dropped so much. We could barely see Mt Washington - which is 1/2 way between Stratton and Katahdin. We saw all the ski slopes of Bromley, Stratton Pond, and even good old Mt. Graylock. We decided to take the Gondola into Stratton Village. It was free for thru-hikers. Weird walking through the slopes - seeing the sighs without the snow. A black diamond trail ran parallel to the gondola. Views all the way down to the village. There this guy let us leave our packs in one of the storage rooms. We rode into the village and found a deli - not the cheapest sandwiches, but they were good. This guy played guitar and sang. Felt like we were on vacation.Well, as we were packing up, we talked Cire into going to see the first aid people. He had some type of bite that got infected. It was causing a lot of pain. They thought it might be a brown recluse bite. So they drove Cire and me to the hospital in Grace Cottage, VT. This saying on the wall said, "A small hospital with a big heart." Totally agree with that. They were so nice. Didn't really know exactly what it was. He is pretty worn out now but he's a tough guy. We ended up getting a hitch back to the ski lodge by a guy from Jamaica, VT. People here are so great! Got to eat another real meal and rest for our day off tomorrow.
Date: 2003-07-23
From: Manchester

To: Past Style's Peak
Miles today: 7.3

SUNSETS OR THUNDERSTORMSGot on the trail around 3:00. Hot day. We got to climb up Bromley. Neat how we climbed up one of the ski slopes. There was a tower that had great views. Also, the warming hut was open. It would've been a cool place to stay the night. We had several more 1000 ft climbs up and down. At Mad Tom's Notch we were surprised to see a nice water pump. We decided to climb Style's Peak, camp near the top, and get a sunset. On the way up, thunder put a damper on those thoughts. There was a nice view from the rocks but the sun soon went down right afterwards. We were trying to find flat ground through the thick spruce forest. Finally, we found a place, and the rain started to fall right as we pulled out our tents. The ground was really soft, making it harder to quickly put up my tent. Got it up anyway, not the best, but it worked. So tired that I quickly fell asleep. Today was our original finish date. I'm glad we're still out here.
Date: 2003-07-24
From: Past Style's Peak

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: moderate rain

CRAZY WEATHERThe rain still fell as the water drip dripped on my sleeping bag. Shows that a poor job of setting up your tent can lead to leaks. We started later today. The weather played tricks on us all throughout the day. After leaving the first shelter, the rain stopped and the sun came out. We passed Griffin Lake which was nice. Had to walk over a lot of puncheons (boards). It seemed like the boards covered all the dry ground and we had to walk through the mud. Right before we started climbing Baker Peak the rain came down again. Climbed up wet rocks to see only clouds and fog. For lunch the sun came back out, which allowed us to dry out our wet tents. I thought that the rest of the day was going to be clear. We passed 4 shelters within 5.5 miles. We decided to push and do 17 miles because up here in the New England states they think hikers are rich. Most of the shelters and tenting areas have a fee of $6. I was looking forward to seeing the upcoming Little Rock Lake. The trail leading to the lake was a trail that probably makes picture books of the AT. It was flat and smooth. With my luck today, right before I got to the lake, thunder sounded and the rain poured. Cire and I ran as much as possible because there was a shelter .5 miles away. But we were trapped into going slower because of the puncheons. They were wet and slippery. Now, I'm all wet again. Tired of the inconsistency of the weather. Did make it to the shelter. The rain came down on and off for most of the night. Ran into Clover today. Snort is off the trail for 7 to 10 days due to health reasons.
Date: 2003-07-25
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: .4 from Keifer Rd
Miles today: 11.4

GORGES & FOODSun came out this morning. All smiles from me. Stopped by the Minerva Hinchey Shelter, which had a table and chairs along with checkers and chess. Why didn't we stay here last night? We made it to Clarendon Gorge. There, we bathed in the water, enjoying the sunshine. The suspension bridge was cool. Scary for those who don't like heights. We went .5 mile down to the Whistle Stop Restaurant. They had great shakes! Had to pick up our mail drops in North Clarendon. Got 2 hitches. The post office was a little further than Wingfoot said. Met Roman, a southbounder, at the Clarendon Shelter. He was about the 4th southbounder I saw who told the 4 of us to go slowly through the Whites (New Hampshire) because it is so beautiful. Liked the fact that we didn't know exactly where we were going to stay. We ended up going about 2 more miles to a stream where Hiking Gnome left sodas. They were kept cold by the stream. Cire and Diesel picked an area that was littered in good firewood. They cleaned it up by making a fire. I washed my clothes in the river. Reflected on the day. Remembered the look of excitement in the southbounder's eyes. Excitement that has rubbed off of me at times. My back is giving me a little bit of a problem. It is so tight and extremely sore due to what I think is a heavy pack. It's amazing how I started off with close to 50 pounds, then dropped down to 32 at Neel's Gap. Where, I wonder, does all the weight come from. Cire is going to help me get it down a lot. I'm becoming an ultralighter! I found a blaze that was on the ground on a piece of bark. The guys wanted to burn it but I kept it as a souvenier.
Date: 2003-07-26
From: .4 from Keifer Rd

To: US4
Miles today: 14.2

FAMOUS & FAMILIAR PEOPLESo glad we stayed where we did last night. We met Hiking Gnome on his way to deliver the drinks for the day. Also, we ran into Crow and the famous Tuba Man who is out hiking the Long Trail. I've heard a lot about him. He hiked the entire trail carrying a tuba. At Governor Clement Shelter I met Stringer who is from Alabaster, Alabama. I could tell he was from the South by his country slow talking accent. He'd recently graduated from Auburn. The next 4.5 miles were a climb up Killington with my back hurting and the fact that I don't really dig the uphills. I took my sweet little time. Stopped at little brooks with waterfalls. I stuck my head under one of them and took a couple of drinks of the ice cold water. I hope it was okay water.Then, I started to reach the top of the mountain and I thought it was Killington - getting there faster than I expected - until I looked to the side and saw a mountain towering over this one. Deep breath in, then out, then kept on going. It seemed like forever before I reached the cottage. There you could leave your pack and hike up 400 feet in .2 miles to the summit. The climb was steep. Good that we didn't have to carry our packs. The views were worth it! A gondola was running, so there were a lot of people touring and biking. Got some food and hung out. It was pretty cold at our first mountain over 4000 feet. The climb down was a killer for my feet. We made it to the inn and ate at the Irish Pub. Loved the music there. Had a Long Trail Burger with white cheddar cheese.While I was there in the bathroom, I found air freshener that said on the bottle it kills 98% of all bacteria. So I put it to the test and sprayed my horrid smelling socks. The guys said I smelled like bathroom. Hopefully, it killed something. We decided to stay the night in Rutledge and do laundry because the motel prices in Hanover (our next mail drop) are high. I got a picture with the Tuba Man and his mouthpiece. We got a ride from the commuter bus. The second song that came on the radio was "I Can Only Imagine." Perfect song going through the huge mountains thinking I can only imagine what Heaven is like after seeing so much out here. This guy on the bus told us about his wife being a travel nurse. The more I hear about it, the more I'm interested. I think it is my calling.Made it to the Royal Inn. They put us in the back in the smoking lively section of the motel; meaning not the greatest room but it was double. I got to see parts of the Braves game, and they put a whooping on Montreal. GO BRAVES 15-4!!! Tried taking a very warm bath for my back. I'm sending a lot of stuff back (little stuff that adds up). Hopefully, that'll help my back. We passed 500 miles left. I think we are down to 488 to go. Woohoo!! A thanks to David and Susan Johnson for the letter, encouragement, and contribution.!
Date: 2003-07-27
From: US4

To: Stonybrook Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

HIKERS' TROUBLESWoke up with my back feeling a lot better. The motel's continental breakfast was limited, and the orange juice had gone bad. I had a bag of stuff to send home. I was happy that the weight would be gone, but I forgot that it was Sunday and the post office was closed. Whew! So, we started heading down the road and tried to hitch for about 1/2 an hour. No one stopped, so we decided to drown our sorrows in pizza at Pizza Hut. Tried hitching after lunch. The bus just waved and kept on going. Are there no angels in Rutland? As we were about to walk down to the bus station, this guy stopped (he wasn't from Rutland). We made it back to the Inn finally and Diesel realized he'd left his cell phone charger. So he had to go back. We sat in the lodge as the wind outside was blowing so hard. Rainstorm coming up.   I didn't want to hike on, just wanted to curl up in a cozy bed, one that I didn't have to pay for, and sleep. Feeling in a rut right now. Hopefully, if the weather gets better, it'll uplift my spirits. I left the Inn and hiked pretty fast. I stopped at Kent Pond. So glad I did. It's amazing how something as simple as a body of water can uplift my spirits.Water moving in both directionsThe wind strong at timesThe grass in the water dancing back and forthAs I watch its reflection mirrored in the water from the day's light.A small island sitting to the right, wishing I could be sitting on ahammock there.The sight ahead is a sight I've always tried to drawOne with a dip in the trees and the mountain filling up thebackground with its blue faded colorA row boat with the paddlers' smooth, slow, but constant strokesThe fishermen patient as they wait for a big catch.I love it here, wishing I could be in someone else's shoes.I want to be the paddler of the rowboatthe silent fisherman to dance with the grass....Left feeling better. Did a huge climb that wasn't in the book. The mountain laughed at me and all the other hikers. When we thought we were at the top, it would level out, go down, then there'd be another climb. Happened about 3 or 4 times. I didn't think it was very funny. Finally got to the shelter. It was still windy. Thankful that we didn't have any rain. Crow, 250, Red, Don Quixote were all there. We tented behind the shelter. It was very windy, which was good, because it poured rain for about 30 minutes, then stopped. Blew the stom away quicker.
Date: 2003-07-28
From: Stonybrook Shelter

To: .2 past Pomfret - S Pomfret Rd
Miles today: 17.6

Felt so much better this morning. It was colder. Reminded me of a fall day. Perfect football weather. The terrain didn't look too hard from the guidebook. It was probably one of the hardest days so far. We went up and down constantly all day long. Had some good views though and good weather. We pushed hard, trying to get to the South Pomfret post office by 4:30. That also made it tougher. We'd run down the mountains, which actually made my feet feel better, even though my body was tired. We made it with time to spare. Got us some food at the deli and hiked several more miles. Had a perfect evening. Found a flat spot near a stream, made a good fire, listened to some beautiful music. What could be better? Wish the rest of the group were here. Tired, sore, and enjoying lying down. My pack is lighter now, thanks to the weight I sent home. My back is happy about that. I'll sleep good tonight, hopefully.
Date: 2003-07-29
From: .2 past Pomfret - S Pomfret Rd

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

EDUCATION ON THE TRAIL?Hard to get up this morning. Still pretty beat from yesterday. The guys built another fire before we left. Had some climbs today but they weren't as bad as yesterday. I really enjoyed today. I think it was my favorite day in VT. Good way to spend your last day in a state. There were a lot of meadows and farmlands that were both good and bad. The bad thing about them was that the flowers had hornets around them. One stung Oopu. That means all 3 guys have been stung...hopefully, I won't be next (knock on wood). The good thing is that they were beautiful.You could see mountains as far as the eye could see. Also, there were sunflowers, which made it even better. Another good thing about today was that my pack is SO MUCH LIGHTER. We went down to the White River in West Hartford. All day I was thinking of getting in but hesitated to say anything to the guys in case I chickened out. The river was big and pretty cold. I inched my way in and finally took off running to get in because Diesel came charging at me and tackled me. It was cold but felt so good! Got to wash my clothes and hair. Can't believe I got in a river in VT. This river must be a popular place because a lot of people were there. Several guys jumped off the bridge. Glad our guys didn't because it would've scared me. Hung out there in town to dry off. Met Gadget and Chris, who had hiked with Speck and Slick Rock.We decided to go to Happy Hill Shelter. Cire said that the name sounded like it was a place for insane people. It was a nice place. Cire found several pools of water which we were really exicted about.Learned some new things today. Slick Rock wrote in the trail register that the Hermit Thrush is VT's state bird. Pretty cool! Also, earlier today, Cire showed me what Jewel Weed looks like. Said that when it gets wet little beads form on it. It also is a cure for poison ivy and is usually found in wet or damp areas. There was this yellow flower that Cire picked and ate, so I did the same. Had no taste. Can't believe I ate a flower. I guess I am becoming a part of this nature. Crow wants to summit Katahdin with us. I think that would be so cool. Still not sure when we'll finish but we are inching closer and closer.
Date: 2003-07-30
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Hanover
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

A GREAT DAYGot going early this morning. I felt good, so I took lead with the guys following. It was mostly downhill, which was a plus. Our last steps in VT were down a road through a nice neighborhood in Norwich, VT. We entered NH as we crossed over the Connecticut River. Soon entered Hanover, home of Dartmouth College. Went to the Dartmouth Outing Club building, hung out, checked e-mail. I took a shower at the auditorium which was nice.Mrs. Pat, Cire's mom, met us and took us to Crescent Campground - about 30 miles outside of Hanover. We set up our tents, ate sandwiches, then headed back to Hanover. Close to 5:00 my mom, sisters, and Rosie (dog) came to visit. It was so good to see them. All 8 of us ordered a Vermonster at Ben & Jerry's. It is 20 scoops of ice cream (4.5 pounds), 4 bananas, 3 ladles of fudge, whatever toppings we wanted, whipped cream, peanuts, cookies, and brownies. It came in a big bucket. A lot of ice cream - thousands of calories. We ended up eating just about all of it. Diesel and Oopu chugged the last bit of it. You should've seen people's eyes widen when they walked by - seeing all that ice cream. It got all over our mouths, our hands. It was fun! My family got to come see our campsite.Close to 7:00 I found a trail that led to Crescent Lake. It was a big lake. I sat on a bench just in awe of the beauty. The sun was beginning to set. A good thing about New Hampshire is there is no sales tax. In VT it was 9%. Ouch! I bleached my straps on my pack to kill some of the mildew and let it dry by the heat of the fire.
Date: 2003-07-31
From: Hanover

To: Goose Pond Road
Miles today: 14.2

Decided to slackpack today, north to south. It was chilly to begin with. We had one huge climb at the beginning of the day. We met Crow, Red, and Don Quixote going the other direction. The mountain seemed like it was never going to end. The trail after that was nice, especially with no weight in our packs. Had some meadows we passed where horses grazed nearby. I walked closer to them to get a good picture. The closer I got, the taller the grass and flowers were. They, at one time, were up to my chest. We did over 10 miles before lunch. I had probably the best lunch I've ever had while on the trail. I had one-half a canteloupe, grapes, torango with salsa chips. Yum Yum! Fresh fruit is something I crave a lot out here.The afternoon was hot. I learned another plant today. The partridge berry. I ate its fruit, along with an orange flower. This lady who was out on the trail showed us Indian Pipe, which is a fungus and has a short lifespan. I'm learning so much.Cire and I ended up getting off on another trail that led to a big blueberry patch. I didn't mind. We ate some of them and then got back on track. We did 14.2 miles over rocks and roots by 2:00. The only thing I wanted when we reached Hanover wasn't Ben & Jerry's. It was a large glass of ice water, and I got it. Mrs. Pat, Cire's mother, met us there, and we came back to Crescent Campground. I spent the afternoon in a chair on the shore of the lake - reading and writing. Watched the sailboats and skiers go by. Saw another sunset as I ate a good meal of noodles, meatballs, and blueberry cobbler with whipped cream on top. So thankful for Mrs. Pat and all she has done for us.I've sent home so much stuff from my pack. I just left my pot with Mrs. Pat. I hate cooking, so why carry it? This campground is kicking tonight. I think that the different campsites are having a competition on who can play the loudest music. I hope my earplugs can block it out. My sister is opening a new e-mail address for me. To those of you who may have questions or comments about the trail, you can send me questions that I will try my best to answer. Keep in mind that we will summit Katahdin September 1st, so it may be awhile before I can answer them. The address is (ketchupat03@yahoo.com).
Date: 2003-08-01
From: Goose Pond Road

To: Glencliff
Miles today: 0.0

August already. Our journey will end a month from today - 31 days. Wow! That's not that long. Had another good breakfast and quickly packed up because it was threatening rain. I felt so crappy this morning. I've been experiencing diarrhea for about a week now and my stomach was a lot worse this morning. By the time we made it to the trail, it was pouring down rain. I felt horrible. We dropped the guys off and went back to the campsite to pack up the rest of Mrs. Pat's stuff. It was pouring rain by now. Mrs. Pat took me to the Hanover Medical Center that had an ER. I didn't really think I needed to go but I did, just to rule out anything. The doctor said that it was an intestinal bug - probably Giardia. I would have had to stay at the ER for I don't know how long to get a stool sample and the results. They gave me an antibiotic for Giardia just in case. Mrs. Pat was so good to take care of me.On our way to Glencliff - a hostel that I was going to stay at until the boys caught up - we crossed the trail and ran into New Zealander and Crow. Slacked Crow. Mrs. Pat's car ended up breaking down about 5 miles outside of Glencliff. So we walked in the rain (no biggy for me) to find a house. We picked the right house to ask for help. Mr. and Mrs. Blifs. They took me to Glencliff and took care of Mrs. Pat. Trail angels helping other trail angels. I got a tour of the hiker hostel by Big E, then took a good nap to wake up finding Oopu, Diesel, and Cire all there. I was a bit confused at first. It was nice having them there. I was the only girl at the hostel - about 10 hikers there. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring sunshine and better health.
Date: 2003-08-02
From: Glencliff

To: Kinsman Notch Road
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept most of the morning. Feeling better as the day progressed. Fish and 2 Paw showed up, along with several more. Some guys went slackpacking. This hostel is a nice place. The guys that run it are great, but it is expensive. $25 to go slackpacking (split between whoever goes). Some of the guys figured it was $28 for 11 miles. The sun soon came out, and I wanted to get back on the trail for several reasons. I don't really like big crowds, and I'd like to hike over Mt. Moosilauke when the sun is out. So we left. The climb up was 4 miles and a good climb. I took a slow pace. After a lot of climbing, we finally made it near the summit. This is our first mountain above treeline. Reaching the top, we were mostly in a cloud. Every now and then the sun came out - allowing us to see the neighboring mountains.We made it to the Beaver Brook shelter to find a group of 30 or so people there - all a group of some sort. Not only did they take up the shelter, they took every possible place you could put a tent. There was a great view but tons of people. Had no choice but to go on. The climb down was a knee banger. It was very steep. The cool thing about it was it ran along a huge waterfall. The rocks were wet, so it took us awhile to get down. There were wooden steps built into the rocks along with rebar for a handle. Steepest down we've had, I believe. Made it down and found a small site before we hit the road.
Date: 2003-08-04
From: US3 Franconia Notch

To: North Woodstock
Miles today: 0.0

Had a free breakfast this morning. Had a waffle with ice cream and strawberries. Felt like today was a vacation. Got to go to the Alpine Club - deal came with the room. Had a jacuzzi, pool, sauna - nice. The lady at the front was extremely nice, saying that I looked like Little Orphan Annie. We enjoyed the hot tub while talking about those who climb Mt Everest. Then, I got pushed into the pool. Felt good after being so hot. Got to even check e-mail. Rain on and off all day. Will it ever quit? Great day off! Had a big pillow fight against Cire - he's pretty good.
Date: 2003-08-05
From: North Woodstock

To: Franconia Ridge Trail
Miles today: 2.9

Another good breakfast but a late start. Got a map in Lincoln of the Whites. Hard to get a hitch from tourists. But finally a couple in a truck picked us up. Sun was out for a good while. Felt good getting on the trail. Had a 4,000 ft climb up to Lafayette. Met a caretaker who was doing maintenance on the trail. She told us of a bootleg camp spot, and we took it up. The temperature dropped and rain began to fall.