morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-20
To: Rt 9 - Bennington, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

by RightyOur plan for today was to get an early start and hike the 4.2 miles to get to Route 9 in order to get a shuttle into Bennington, Vt at the trailhead at 9:30am. It was still raining when we got up and the trail was very muddy. There was no way you could avoid the water and mud. You just had to trudge right through it. The rocks and roots were unbelievably slippery. It was a constant battle to stay upright. The last mile was 800' downhill and it was literatly a STEEP DOWNHILL over rocks and boulders. It was like greased glass. I "picked" my way down slowly and I still slipped and slid all over. I did my usual when the trail is steep and slippery, I tensed up. That made it even more difficult. I get myself so worked up because I'm afraid I'm going to take a bad fall, that it's all I can do to put one foot in front of the other. Of course, the pressure is on to get down by 9:30am so we don't miss the shuttle. The guys were way ahead of me by the time I got to the bottom. We stood around in the pouring rain till 10 am waiting for the shuttle.....which never showed up. We decided to try hitching even though I couldn't see ANYONE stopping to pick up 3 hikers who were soaking wet and filthy. While we were waiting, I told the guys that once we got into town, I was going to find a motel and stay. I'd had all I could take of the wet, cold rain. I WAS DONE. Usually we vote on these things. Today, I didn't care if they stayed or not, I just knew I was going to. It took almost an hour to get a ride. A guy with a SUV stopped and loaded us all in, water, mud and all. THANK YOU, JERRY! Jerry dropped us off at the first motel we came to. It was a dump, but it was warm and dry and had hot running water. Usually I want to eat first, before anything else; but this time getting clean and dry first won out. Once we were all clean and dry we went out to find food. OH, those wonderful CREATURE COMFORTS we all tend to take for granted. Tomorrow is another day.
Date: 2006-08-21
To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

by RightyWe were up at 7am and found cloudy skies. The weatherman had said it would be sunny, so I was disappointed. At least it wasn't raining! We went to the gas station for breakfast and to try to get a hitch back to the trail head. A local, Joe, overheard us talking and offered us a ride in his truck. We didn't even have time to eat. We were hiking by 8 am. The first 2 miles had a 1800 foot elevation gain ..... had to get BACK UP.....then we went up and over three other peaks. There was still lots of water and mud on the trail from all the rain. It was yucky, to say the least, and we didn't stay clean and dry long. The shelter was an old one, built for four. It actually had a nice view.
Date: 2006-08-22
To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

by RightyWe saw a beautiful sunrise this morning right from our shelter. We left about 8am for more hiking up trails that were really full fledged streams and through mud and muck. In the afternoon, we had a 2800' climb up to the top of Stratton Mountain. There is a fire tower on top that offered great views. Stratton is one of my favorite Vermont ski resorts. It seemed strange to be hiking it instead of skiing it. I had one good slip (not really a fall) today when balancing on a log across some mud when I slipped off it and into the mud pile. I wasn't hurt; but got even more dirty and muddy than I already was. The Stratton Mountain Pond Shelter is a nice, new, big shelter that sleeps 20.
Date: 2006-08-23
To: Lefty's Heading to Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hi everyone!It's my birthday! Birthday's didn't used to be a big deal to me, but they're growing on me. I'm not to crazy about the alternative to growing old. Last night friends of the family, Cristen and Brent picked us up near Rutland, VT and brought us back to their place. It was heaven. Brent had made an incredible guacamole dip; Cristen prepared a potroast meal for us; and we ended the evening with a birthday cake. How in the world she knew it was my bday, I'll never know. We had so much fun hanging out with you two. Thank you so much for everything! I will be dreaming about that comfortable futon and amazingly soft sheets and blankets tonight while I sleep in a cold shelter with smelly hikers.After breakfast in Rochester, VT this am, Cristen and Brent dropped me off at the trail head and took Buoy into Rutland. He'll meet me in a couple of days in Hanover. On my hike today I found a great lodge on Kent Lake in Killington. the draw of their sign saying "hiker friendly" had me fast. I came in for a quick lunch, but then found their computer. Thought I'd do a quick update to say hi and let you all know where I am. Thanks to everyone signing our guest book. It still makes our day when we read that you are following along and leaving us messages. Ok, I better get going. I have a few more miles before dark. I have a good feeling that mom and Skywalker may be catching up to me since they'll be doing some serious slackpacking. That would be awesome! Hope to see you soon mom, love you!Lefty
Date: 2006-08-23
To: Bromley Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

by RightyWe were able to sleep a little late today (till 7am) since it's only 10 miles to Manchester, VT. It was clear and cool and a picture perfect day. In fact, today was like the book "A Walk in the Woods" portrays the AT. The first 6-7 miles were gradual ups and downs that were easy and beautiful. Then we had two climbs, the first to Prospect Rocks where we hiked on the ridge for a while and had wonderful views; then the second up to Spruce Peak at 2180'. We were at the trail head by 1:30 pm and picked up a hitch right from the parking lot with a guy named Daniel (aka Dr. Brains), a real character. He took us right into town to the local outfitter for Jericho to pick up his mail drop. I bought a pair of sock liners and a long john top. We went to the Giant Panda for a late lunch and the food was delicious. When we were done, Daniel appeared and took us back to the trail head. In payment, Jericho (who is a barber in real life) gave him a haircut right there in the parking lot and with paper scissors. Strangely enough, Daniel actually looked better when he was done. We hiked another 2 miles to get to the shelter part way up Bromley. The shelter was actually full, so we tented nearby. In the morning, we're meeting Anne, Skywalker's wife, on a road that crosses the trail and she's going to slack pack us for a few days.Today is Lefty's birthday and I don't even know where she is. Jericho let me use his cell phone so I could leave her a message and let her know we were thinking of her. Hopefully, she did something FUN!
Date: 2006-08-24
To: sharing the trail
Miles today: 0.0

By BuoyHi to all of you. I am currently in Rutland VT staying at a wonderfull hiker hostel right downtown. The Home again Cafe has been opening their doors to hikers for the last 4 years. Everybody is so wonderfull and friendly. Everything is so beautifully and lovingly designed in this house. Old beautifull wood, old leather everywhere, amazing organic foods, very very clean. And all this just for a smile and a small donation. This is part of hiking has been one of my favoured ones. I meet people I never would otherwise meet and I stay at places I would never usually get a chance to stay at. I would probably end up in an expensive boring holiday Inn. I am so happy to be back with Lefty. I really missed her and the trail. Well I missed her way more than the trail :-)The trail actually is way harder up here than further south. Lefty never has a bad word for the trail though. It drives me crazy :-) Whenever I complain about this torture track (it really is one by now)she just tells me that this is nothing against what she had seen before. I am so proud of her and Righty for winning the fight against this trail.I am actually surprised about me. I am able to keep up with Lefties 20 mile days. But after a while of doing that I just needed a break. Thats why I am currently in Rutland. I will join Lefty again in Hanover and than hike the Whites with her. 2 Days ago we saw the Whites the first time far in the distance. How exciting. Thank you all for making our days with your guestbook entries.Righty and Skywalker. I miss you guys.cheers
Date: 2006-08-24
To: NFSR 10 - Danby, VT
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyIt rained all night. We've been getting alot of that in Vermont! We were up at 7am and out by 8am. We hiked 3.7 miles to NFSR 20 (a dirt road crossing) where we were to meet Anne. It always amazes me that she is actually able to find us when we're in such an obscure location. Sometimes the locals don't even know where the AT crosses a Forest Service road. She brought us donuts and sodas for breakfast. What a gal!!! We had 16 miles total to do today. So after our repast, we hiked another 12.2 miles to Route 10 where Anne was to pick us up. We went up and over Baker Mountain, which was all rocks on top. A great pay off with fantastic views. At the end of the day, the trail ran next to the Big Branch River. We were done about 6pm.Since we were getting close to Killington, VT and I have an adoptive daughter who lives near there, I decided to call Cristen and let her know where we were. Her boyfriend, Brent, answered and told us she was expecting us and to come on to their house. It was about an hour's drive.....if you know exactly where you're going. We stopped at a McDonalds in Rutland for a quick bite, then went on to Rochester. Cris had made some spaghetti for us, so we ate again at 9pm and then got to bed by 10pm because even though we were visiting family, we still had to get up and hike the next morning.
Date: 2006-08-25
To: Soon in GlenCliff
Miles today: 0.0

By Buoy Hi to everybody. Still yellowblazing and letting Lefty run. I hitch hiked from Hanover to Glencliff. Glencliff is the last sign of civilization before we will hit the Whites. Lefty and me stayed in Hanover for one night. We really loved our first Indian food since we started this adventure. We also caught a movie, another one of Lefy's favorite things. It was hilarious. We highly recommend Little Miss Sunshine. We haven't laughed that steady in a while.Now I am staying at the "Hikers Welcome Hostel" in Glencliff waiting for Lefty to make it here. Its raining hard and I feel so bad for Lefty. I must say I have the time of my life. Hiking as much as I want and than taking a break talking to other Hikers. Tommorow we will start the Whites with a 3500 foot climb. It will be fun :-)cheers Buoy
Date: 2006-08-25
To: FSR 20 -Upper Cold Creek Road
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyWe were up at 6am and left Cristen's at 7:30am to get to the trailhead. We stopped at McDonalds for breakfast because it's fast. We started hiking about 9:30am. We had 20 miles to do today, so we really needed to move it. There were lots of ups and downs but none were too difficult. We did the 20 by 6:30pm and ended up at the base of Killington; which is where I thought we were the day before when I called Cris and said we were close.We headed back to Cristen and Brent's where they had a cookout planned. First, we were able to suck down a couple of cold ones. The beer of choice in VT is called Long Trail, which was quite appropriate since we were hiking on the LT/AT. Next, Brent cooked hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill. He had a fire going in the fire pit so even though it was chilly out, we were warm and toasty. It was a great dinner and a relaxing end to the day. Got to bed about 11pm, which was a bit late for us, but it was great to be able to visit and catch up.
Date: 2006-08-26
To: Vermont Route 100
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyAgain, we were up at 6am and out the door and to breakfast in town at 7am. Today is a BIG DAY. Brent is going to hike with us and climb Killington. He's a little nervous; but I have no doubt he will be fine. After all, he is a surfer so his legs are strong....and he's young. Well, relatively young!The weather is good, temps in the low 60's and a little cloudy; but supposed to clear off. We have to climp Killington and Pico today so even though it's only a 16 mile day, it's still a big day. It was a long grind up Killington and at places, it seemed like it would never end. It was one of those mountains where you would think you were at the top, or at least NEAR the top, and when you got there, you'd see you had another climb. We all decided we'd do the extra .2 mile up to the summitt. When you see 2/10 of a mile, it looks like it should be easy, doesn't it. Another deception. This 2/10 mile was literally straight up rocks and boulders and then rock face ridges. It was exhilarating, challenging and fun. Brent had absolutely NO problems. Oh, yes. Once we reached the peak, we told Brent he was now an "honorary" member of Team Senile. We got down the mountain and to Route 100, our destination about 6:00pm.We went back to Chris's for the night. She made my absolute favorite dinner, pot roast. It was delicious. After dinner, we went up Rebel Mountain to where her grandmother's house had been that had burned down. It brought back alot of fond memories from many years ago when Cris and Shana were kids. It was very beautiful with the hill sides in full color and the sun starting to set. Got to bed about 9pm.
Date: 2006-08-27
To: The Green Mountains of Vermont by Righty
Miles today: 149.8

Once you crossed over from Mass into VT you are on the Long Trail. The Long Trail goes from Mass in the south to Canada in the north. The AT follows the first 107 miles of the trail before it vears off to the east at Maine Junction. The AT through Vermont is 149.8 miles long. Vermont appears to be hiker friendsly. The morning we went into Bennington for groceries, we were a bad looking group. We were all wet and muddy, and yet a local who was also a hiker stopped to pick us up. Thank you Jerry. We really appreciated it. The next day when we left town, we went over to the gas station/mini mart to get breakfast and another local asked if we needed a ride to the trailhead. We all piled in his truck. He was actually going the other way and went out of his way todrop us off. Thanks again, Joe. It's people like you and Jerry that make our day. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Ann again. Skywalker's wife came and slack packed us for several days. Of course, the best part of being in Vermont was being able to spend some time with Cristen and Brent. Cristen is like a daughter to me and I hadn't seen her for over 2 years. It was a great reunion. She and Brent made me and my hiking buddies feel right at home. Cris had wonderful dinners all ready for us when we got back from our hiking. Brent even hiked with us the day we hiked over Killington. I declare him an honorary member of Team Senile. We also spent one night at Skywalker's foster sister and husband's house while we were slack packing. They prepared us a great dinner and breakfast and were so wonderful to us. Thank you Sal and Dean for your hospitality. When we hiked into Hanover, Skywalkers sister Trudy, her son and his wife and a couple of kids all came to see him. AND, they brought a wonderful picnic lunch. Homemade german potato salad and a green salad and sub sandwiches and cookies and brownies. Enough food to feed an army. After we ate all we could, they then fed all the other hikers that came by. That,too, was a great reunion. Thank you all for making OUR day.
Date: 2006-08-27
To: Route 12 - Woodstock, Vt
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyWe had to say Good-Bye to Cristen and Brent today. It was very sad. We had 20 miles to do again today. The day started off cloudy and overcast and then it rained within an hour. It didn't take long to get soaking wet. The temps were in the low 50's but it felt much colder. The first 4 and the last 4 miles were pretty easy. There were lots of ups and downs in the 12 miles in between. It was a challenge to stay upright. The rocks and roots were slippery. Even the mud was slippery. It was a miserable day and I was glad to have the 20 miles DONE.We got a room at a motel at White River Junction for the night. Ran into Redcoat, Cud and Cat.
Date: 2006-08-28
From: GlenCliff

To: The Whites
Miles today: 0.0

Hi Everyone,Buoy and I are at the Hikers Welcome Hostel in GlenCliff. We leave bright and early tommorrow for the White Mountains. Just about every single hiker we have seen says that it will be our favorite part of our AT hike. We are looking so forward to the great views ahead. I think that we'll hit another town in 100 miles, so we most likely won't be able to update before them. By the looks of Skywalkers trail journals site mom and he are quickly catching up with us. I think we'll be seeing them before we finish the white mountains. Thanks for the bday wishes and for following along. I have less than 400 miles to go. It's amazing. I am starting to get a little paranoid that I'll fall and it will all be over. Then I remind myself how many times mom has falled and she keeps getting back up. Keep us in your thoughts! We have almost reached our goal.Take good care!-Lefty & Buoy
Date: 2006-08-28
To: Podunk Road
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyWe woke up to fog and more drizzle and started hiking at 8:30am. We decided to do 14 miles today. Again, there were lots of ups and downs. It was very interesting terraine. We went from decidious woods to connifers. I loved hiking through the the pines and firs. You felt like you were in a dark forest and the fragrance was so refreshing. We also hiked through fields of wild flowers and in one spot hundreds of butterflys flew around us. It was surreal. We saw Railroad and Critter, and Kids Meal today.We stayed at Skywalker's foster sister's house tonight. Sally and Dean were so welcoming and gracious. We all had our own bedroom. They preparred a wonderful chilli dinner with homemade corn bread, salad and chocolate cake for desert. It was a wonderful, pleasant evening.
Date: 2006-08-29
To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

by RightyWe woke up this morning at 6:30 to the smell of coffee brewing and sausage cooking. Dean cooked sausage and eggs and Sally made scones. What a wonderful breakfast. We certainly have been spoiled and enjoyed their hospitality so much.The day was overcasty and light drizzle but we never got too wet. Everyone has been saying for days that the weather is going to get nice again. The question is ... BUT WHEN??It was a fairly easy 10 mile day that took us into and through the town of Windsor, Vt and then right into Hanover, NH. We crossed the Connecticul River which separates Vermont and New Hampshire. YES, this means that another state is DONE and now there are only 2 left! Skywalker's sister, Trudy and her son, Arne and daughter-in-law Chris came to Hanover with a picinic lunch for us. We met them in the square right in front of Dartmouth College. Trudy had made german style potatoe salad, garden salad, sub sandwiches, brownies, cookies and soda. We were in heaven. WHAT A TREAT! And what wonderful people they are. It was so nice to get to meet them and spend a little time visiting,We had to say Good Bye to Anne, our trail angel as she had to get home to go to work the next day. We slack-packed for 4 days which was wonderful. Now, we have to put those heavy packs back on. Darn It!! We hiked out of Hanover at 3pm and went to the first shelter. We had left overs from the picnic for dinner and went to bed fairly early.
Date: 2006-08-30
To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

by RightyWe started hiking at 7:30 am with overcast skies ... but no rain. We had 15.2 miles to do today. We had to hike .2 miles off the trail to get water at a spring. When we got there we found a dead rat in the bottom of the spring. There was no way I was drinking that water, even if it was treated. We hiked over velvet rocks and then up Moose Mountain, both the south peak and the north peak. We crossed Holts Ledge where a peregrine falcon rookery was. It was awesome. You could see the falcons flying overhead and you could hear baby falcons below us on the ledges where they nest. We took a break on the rocks to soak up the sun which finally came out and to just enjoy the serenity of the moment. We got to the shelter about 5pm. It held 8, but was over full, so we tented nearby. It was a long day and we noticed that New Hampshire was already harder than the last few states had been. We'd been told it would be; but didn't expect the first day to be difficult.
Date: 2006-08-31
To: Brackett Brook Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyThis morning was cool but clear. Temps were about 60 degrees and it was sunny! We're off to a good start. It was a perfect day and a great hike.We climbed two mountains: First was Smart Mountain and second was Mt Cube, which was pretty tough. It was all rocks and ledges. Don't have any idea where the name came from. I thought maybe there would be huge rock formations at the top that looked like cubes; but if there were, I missed them. We had beautiful views from the top so it was all worth while. We saw eagles from the top of Mt Cube. We decided to camp at a brook a couple of miles short of town and the shelter because we knew the shelter would be too crowded. We'll hike into the town of Glen Cliff tomorrow for Jericho to get his mail drop. We saw lots of other hikers today: Contageous, Breeze, Tripp, Oragatang, Stinky, Railroad, Critter, Cat, Redcoat and Cud.
Date: 2006-09-01
To: Update on Righty - by Righty
Miles today: 0.0

by Righty Hello Everyone. In case you've been wondering what happened to me, I'm still kicking.....or perhaps I should say I'm still hiking. Right now I'm in Glencliff, NH in a hostel. This is the first time I've been on a computer in weeks so thought I'd bring everyone up to date. As you know, Lefty is way ahead of me. We did get together at her Dad's farm in CT for a party on Aughst 13th. Lefty had been hiking on her own for a little over two weeks then and I had been hiking with another (older, like me) hiker named Skywalker. We decided that this arrangement was working out well for both of us. This way Lefty can do her big miles and try to make Katadyn before the end of September, and I'm hiking at a bit slower pace that is safer for me. Hopefully, we'll get back together towards the end so we can do the big K together. While Skywalker and I were in Vernon, NY at a hostel, we met another hiker, Jericho, who was there recouperating from some foot problems. He decided he needed to slow down his pace if he was going to make it all the way. So, the three of us have been hiking together for the last month. We make a pretty good team. Another hiker, named Fireman, jokingly dubbed us "Team Senile" one evening and it seems that nick name has stuck. At first I was a little insulted; but have since learned that when he tells others about us he does so with respect. I have been keeping a daily journal and sometime (probably after the hike) I'll get this journal updated online. However, in the meantime, I've been highlighting what has happend in each state and the total miles for that state. I believe the last one I did was New York; so if you are reading this, please go back and read about the rest of the states since then. I will be updating Conn, Mass, Vermont and a little of NH this evening. Also, if you want a daily update of our daily adventures or to see photos from our hiking this last month or so; please sign on to either Skywalker or Jericho's website on trailjournals. Skywalker's wife, Anne, has been updating his journal and photos. Jericho sends his journal entries via email every evening, so his journal is always updated. Lefty and Buoy, I really do miss you guys. Hope all is well. We think about you all the time. Much love. MOM