morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-31
From: East Claredon,VT Country Squire Inn

To: Rutland Inn At The Long Trail
Miles today: 17.4

An exhausting day and still no Moose. I am trying to decide whether to finish the whole trail as a thru hike or to skip the two sections (White Mountains and 100 Mile Wilderness) that I have already done. That would make it a section hike but I would be done at least three weeks sooner and this 100 degree heat is making it difficult to get through. The terrain keeps getting harder too. Killington Peak was 3900 feet and the last (blue blaze extra to the snack bar and gondola ride).2 was straight up rock climbing, not hiking. The carrot was that I got to go to the snack bar for an ice cold 32 oz Gator Aid that took me all of thirty seconds to scarf down. I then found out that as a 'thru hiker', hikers could get a free Gondola ride down to the Ski Lodge parking lot and back which is normally a $9 lift ticket. Great views despite the cloudy mists below. Unfortunately the Inn At The Long Trail had no AC (a frequent problem in these northern motels when you are trying to get your gear dried out and it is still raining), but the bed was clean and the shower hot. For $31 per hiker (sharing rooms as always), it includes a Hiker Breakfast in the morning too. I was able to get coin laundry done again as clothes get very stinky in these temperatures with mud everyday. I have the clothes I hike in and a "town" set I wear after my shower while the other set is being washed. The availability of motels is getting scarcer and more expensive the further north we go. I hear that there are some cheaper nice hostels up in Maine and I need that money savings. Places I stayed at in the past are closed now, but new ones open or old ones open with new owners so you have to always be checking ahead with the southbound hikers being the best advice. Hitching into towns is harder also as hikers are finding themselves hiking extra miles back in and out. For me, I am about done with trying and will try to carry more food (weight) and stay on the trail rather than take so much time and effort to get into a town and back to the trail. People in the north just don't pick up hitch hikers much I guess.
Date: 2006-08-01
From: Rutland Inn At The Long Trail

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 0.0

I hated to zero again, but it is supposed to be 100 degrees F or higher for the next two days and it rained all last night. How it can rain and still be so hot is beyond me! I have caught the $2 bus ride into Rutland to save money by staying in the local hiker hostel. It will really be nice next year when it is finished, but right now it is under construction, in the works, loud,dirty, and no AC. The bank sign at noon already read 95F with 105F predicted. For $10 I will save $21 less than the Inn though. I am going to ask for "work for stay" too.
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Rutland, VT

To: Rutland,VT Comfort Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Due to the 113 degree heat index, I elected to do a second "zero" day rather than fight the heat and severe thunderstorms in the area. I went to the Comfort Inn to take advantage of the Air Conditioning and quiet compared to the hostel last night. The indoor pool was a treat as well. After a shower I soaked in the pool and swam laps to help my upper body. It is amazing how much muscle mass I have lost from my upper body on this trek. Of course my legs are like iron. A $2 bus ride got me to the Wilson Castle which is really just an old house of decaying bricks with turrets like a castle. There were many varied antiques of furniture and furnishings, objects de art, etc. I should have taken a nap instead. I was able to catch a ride back to the hotel via Louise, who was vacationing in Rutland with her son. Very nice folks.
Date: 2006-08-03
From: Rutland,VT Comfort Inn

To: Lookout Cabin (Continental Divide)
Miles today: 17.5

Thanks to a hotel employee, "Em" gave me a ride to the AT Trailhead saving me a long bus ride plus transfers. After a 10:30a.m. start, I was still keeping a close eye on rolling thunderheads above, but the day proved to be relatively dry and remained unseasonably hot and humid. The terrain was very up and down with several distinct mountains (Deer Leap, Sherborne Pass, Quimby, the Continental Divide, Lakota Lake) to climb so I was pleased to still hike nearly 18 miles today. A potbellied pig came up to beg from me at the Gifford Woods State Park, obviously someone's pet from a nearby camp lodge. At "The Lookout Cabin" which has a rooftop observation deck, I was able to see North past the end of the Long Trail into Canada, and over to The Whites of New Hampshire where I will be next week. The 'cabin' has a lot of holes in the roof allowing the rain in, they look suspiciously like bullet holes to me. As of tonight I have only 470 miles to go. wow.....By the way it is raining all night again................I end up putting my tent up inside the cabin to shut out the rain and bugs.
Date: 2006-08-04
From: Lookout Cabin

To: Thistlehill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Today was special for me, as it is my darling daughter's 27th Birthday and the first one I was not with her for. Paula said it is OK due to this AT Quest of mine, but the dad in me is still a little sad. The hike today was wet due to an all night rain but just regular climbs and descents, nothing radically different. I caught up to old Trail pal 'Chardoney' who was just leaving Wintari Shelter and we hiked for a few hours together chatting about who had gotten off the trail, and who was ahead of or behind us, etc. It was nice seeing her again. She hurried ahead after signing my hiker hanky, as I stopped to stuff my face with sun sweet blackberries. She is meeting friends and family today as tomorrow is her birthday!
Date: 2006-08-05
From: Thistlehill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

Finally a great day. The weather broke and it was partly cloudy and breezy, but the humidity was much improved. The temperature was in the low 80's which was also a welcome change. The terrain finishing out Vermont was mostly rolling with only a few hundred feet of ups and downs. All in all a terrific boost to morale for hikers who had endured horrible temperatures, rain, and bugs for weeks. Another major milestone was crossing the bridge over the Connecticut River into New Hampshire. Only two states to go. With 1733.0 official miles of Appalachian Trail completed and only 441.9 left to do, I am getting very excited to go home and see loved ones. Since I have already hiked the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the Hundred Mile Wilderness of Maine, my journal will reflect insights and rememberances from those hikes as well as current ones. For today I have gone by Dartmouth College (home of the Dartmouth Outing Club, a historic AT support group), saw the Budweiser Clydesdales in town for a wedding parade in honor of one of the Anhauser Busch's children, and resuplied at an excellent food coop that is right on the road (and AT path) just before going out of town. Tonight it looks like a night in the woods stealth camping just off the soccer fields, buggy but free. Tomorrow I plan on taking a zero day at the Sunset Motel, as I go through my pack one more time trying to cut weight and mail home non-essentials before the last big month of work yet to do.
Date: 2006-08-06
From: Hanover, NH

To: Sunrise Motel, Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

A great day for hiking, but about 20 hikers have bunched up to enjoy this college town. At the motel it is funny to see the endless sets of dirty hiker boots outside all of the rooms. Pizza, movies and today the start of NFL preseason football! Everyone is just hanging out eating, goofing off near the college, taking care of photo cards, re-supply, etc. The motel is about full of hikers! This is a real bonus to the town I think as I see hikers everywhere spending money. I am surprised there is no hiker hostle here in Hanover. I have tried to find Baltimore Jack to say hi but just missed him at a bar in town.
Date: 2006-08-07
From: Sunrise Motel, Hanover

To: Lyme Road
Miles today: 17.6

I try to remember back twenty-two years ago when I hiked this route as a 34 year old and believe it was easier then. They must have raised the hills up some as everything is harder now. More beaver dams and ponds with little streams to cross, usually on rocks. Still no Moose sightings despite Moose Mountain. There is a protected peregrine falcon rookery (Holts Ledges) where the sky is full of the majestic hunters soaring about.Todays Thought: "Perseverance on the AT is not a struggle of the body but of the mind".
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Lyme Road

To: Cape Moonshine Rd. Eco-village
Miles today: 17.8

Real mountains again, the first really hard climbs since GA and NC, but after 1700 miles of AT, hikers are as ready as they will ever be. The vistas from the Firewardens Cabin firetower at Smarts Mountain are stunning. Lots more ponds every few miles now. Still no moose sighting! Is this the bear jinx again? Dancing Bones Ecovillage is an alternative community retro 60's commune. Very dedicated, laidback eco aware folks living a lifestyle of sustainability that tries to not hurt the earth. I appreciate their efforts but I was always told to avoid "wacky" and "zany" in my life.
Date: 2006-08-09
From: Cape Moonshine Rd. Eco-village

To: Jobildunc Ravine
Miles today: 15.0

Mt. Mist was an appropriate name as the 2200 foot tall mountain vista was shrouded in the mists of the valleys below. The White Mountains are the peak views of the whole AT and hikers get vistas everyday once the climbs are done. Oliverian Brook is fordable, wet but passable in spite of all the recent heavy rains.Mt. Moosilauke at 4523 feet is one of the highest points but then you have to go up again to 4802 feet where it gets extremely breezy! Shorter miles now but the effort expended is the same as 20 miles in easier climbs.
Date: 2006-08-10
From: Jobildunc Ravine

To: Cascade Brook
Miles today: 17.2

A perfect hiking day with 80F temperatures, low humidity and crystal clear vistas. WOW. This is what hikers yearn for, that perfection of a hiking day that makes you forget about the bad days. Kinsman Notch, Mt. Wolf, and the first AMC hut (big fees if you stop there $88 per night). No wonder people call it the 'Appalachian Money Club'. Many high lakes visible and vistas often enough to make the hard climbs worthwhile. Stealth camping will save you many dollars and add many extra miles as the free shelters are off the Trail, sometimes a mile or more. And yes that would be downhill so you have to start the next day climbing a mile just to get back up to the Trail. And by the way, the extra 'blue blaze' miles going to and from shelters do not count as miles made toward Katahdin. I would guess that the average thru hiker goes at least two miles a day more than the "Official Miles" due to water trips, hiking in and out of towns with no rides, etc. I have found that it is a lot easier and cheaper to just stealth camp your way thru the Whites, avoiding the huts and their silly prices for the use of your public lands! It can be done legally but you have to just very carefully follow the rules.
Date: 2006-08-11
From: Cascade Brook

To: Garfield Ridge campsite
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Did I mention that the climbs got really hard in the White Mountains? Franconia Ridge, Little Haystack Mt., Mt. Lincoln, Mr. Layfayette, and Mr. Garfield today! All in just eleven miles of trail !! From 1500 feet up to as high as 5249 feet, then down, then up again. I want a helicopter. Or ski lift, yeah a ski lift to the tops would be nice.Just kidding.................I think.
Date: 2006-08-13
From: Kendron Flume campsite

To: Mt. Washington 
Miles today: 14.2

There is no feeling quite like busting your butt climbing up mountains only to reach the top and find Timmy Tourist who drove up and now is complaining about the "smelly hikers" who got there the hard way. Mt. Washington is known for having the worlds worst weather. It has snowed on Mt. Washington every day of the year, and once recorded a wind speed record of over 200 miles per hours. Of course due to the easy access for the day trippers it is covered with tourists who have not worked to get there. OK I am done whining in your face now. The railroad is kind of neat. Hikers traditionally 'moon' the train as it passes. I just have to wonder what the tourists do with all of those butt shots? I've heard rumors but not seen it yet that some of the train guys are packing paintball guns to get back at the mooning hikers. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
Date: 2006-08-14
From: Mt. Washington 

To: Pinkham Notch camp
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Avoiding the AMC Huts saves money but sacrifices comfort. AMC likes to give the impression that YOU NUST STAY IN HUTS or DESIGNATED SHELTERS, but that is not true, nor do you have to stay in any particular place. It is harder to get to the USFS shelters as they are generally off the trail a mile or more, and involve long uphill-downhill climbs back to the trail. It is LEGAL to stay near the trail, as long as you obey the distance regulations that seem to be designed to protect the AMC money interest more than to assist thru hikers. That is just my opinion and I could be wrong. It always seems there is 'work for stay' if you are a young good looking girl. I guess my experiences have not been good the two prior White Mountain section hikes I have done. There are a lot of stream crossings along this section and the unusually heavier rains have made even the smaller mountain streams wider and stronger than usual. Lots of shoe changing from boots to crocs and back unless you choose to just walk through them as I have seen some hikers do. Since my boots were Gore Tex (not by choice, it was just all the outfitter had unless I was willing to wait three weeks) I always don the crocs, get thru the water then switch back. It takes extra time but walking in wet shoes will certainly lead to disasterous blisters.
Date: 2006-08-15
From: Pinkham Notch camp

To: Stoney Brook
Miles today: 13.9

A cold windy day as a front passes through fast and furious at times. Above tree line the weather changes so fast, from warm and inviting to cold and hail in hours. It is strange that record heat has given way in the mountains to 40F nights with winds that threaten to blow you over at times. Some hikers have had zero rain and I have had rain and hail just fifteen minutes behind them. Such is the luck, you just hike on and do the day's miles. The vagarities of weather are there to amuse, amaze, or baffle, but if you keep a good attitude the altitude is much nicer.
Date: 2006-08-16
From: Stoney Brook

To: Gentian Pond campsite
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

With only 286 miles to Katahdin I am thinking only of home now. No longer do I even look at the miles completed, just the miles to go. No longer does the Trail itself bring me much joy or appeal despite the views. I just want to be home again. I see the same yearning in many of the hikers as we press on just to finish. Some have deadlines to make, to finish and go visit relatives in NY, or a flight home to wherever, even the 'Australians'. Some have to finish to go back to graduate school, or because the money is running out. I do not want to even think of my bills waiting at home. I know I have spent at least twice as much as I thought I would. Perhaps $20 per day. A lot of that was due to to personal choice to get through the record heat days when I fled to air conditioned motels. Some of it was just to get a break for my sore feet. I think of those who have done this hike before, like Earl Schaffer the first known thru hiker who did it in 1948. He carried a heavy canvas army duffle bag, no sil-nylon then. Amazing. Then he did it again in his eighties, and wrote a great book "Walking With Spring", that is a must read for AT fans.
Date: 2006-08-17
From: Gentian Pond campsite

To: Speck Pond Spring 
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: few clouds

Another day, more mountains, more miles, and no Tampa Bay Buccaneers to see on TV which is killing me. I have been a fan since the team's inception in 1976 and am determined to be home by the regular season home opener September 10th. Other hikers may crave foods like pizza or ice cream but I crave my beloved BUCS.
Date: 2006-08-18
From: Speck Pond Spring camped

To: Andover Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Even a 5 am start is not enough to make a very long day easier. Technically out of the White Mountains but having done this section before I know that some of the best views and hardest climbs are still north yet. It is always a good discussion what is the hardest part of the AT. I still vote for the beginning in GA and NC as there are lots of long hard climbs and you are not in shape yet, so they are harder. "Lehigh Gap" is a real booger as it goes straight up, but "Albert Mountain", and the three mountains lumped into "Roan Mountain", and others always get their share of votes too. Generally the White's are the hardest section because it is all mountains with just a few ridge walks at the tops. The final of fourteen states Maine has been reached. I still have not been able to glimpse Katahdin due to the poor weather this season, except in my mind but it calls me stronger everyday. I am glad that I did not go north of Abol Bridge in my prior section hikes as it leaves me not knowing that final climb or area. The "Cabin in Andover" Hostel is supposed to be a nicer hostel and has meals but it is full so I ended up at the Pine Ellis Hostel which is still good. The folks running it were kind and friendly. Since I am from Pinellas County Florida (Isle of Pines) it is appropriate I guess. I am looking forward to seeing the famous Maine Moose.
Date: 2006-08-19
From: Andover Maine Pine Ellis Hostel

To: Bemis Stream campsite
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After meeting two very nice older day hiking ladies at the road who tempt me with offers of a ride to town, showers, dinner, and rest in a bed again, I decide to camp by myself next to wild rushing Bemis Stream. Even though I am hiking solo these days, it is OK as I am savoring these last few days and quiet nights. I am beginning to fear that I will ascend alone though. There will be other people there but since I broke from the group I had been with it will not be the same as with strangers. Maybe I'll be surprized and meet some hikers that I have crossed paths with before. Crossing the mountain today, more great views just like the Whites in many ways but not quite above tree line. I have a beautiful campsite to myself and although it is lonely, it is very peaceful. At five a.m. I awake to a constant noise outside the thin walls of the tent, and look out to see a smaller black bear (2-3 years old?)a couple feet up a tree scratching for grubs under the bark. He turns to look at me 30 yards away then directs his attention back to the tree. I ducked back to grab my camera but when I re-emerge fromt he tent, the bear is fleeing into the woods and I see only a bear behind. Just like the beaver that passed only feet away, it is a picture I will retain in my mind forever. Maybe that is how it should be. I have made many new friends to last a lifetime, and have memories that no photo could ever compare to. These experiences can not be described nor understood by anyone who has not done this trek, walked the miles, experienced the smiles. The inside jokes, the yogi efforts, the heartache and footache, the joys of seeing eagles flying overhead just for you. Maybe that is why only a few hundred finish each year what only a few thousand even attempt. Only a few are willing to give up six months of their lives, to give so much physically, mentally, and emotionally to live this dream come true.
Date: 2006-08-20
From: Bemis Stream campsite

To: Rangeley, Maine Gull Pond Hostel
Miles today: 10.7

My reward for doing hard days! After so many months who should come racing past me today but MUMMY TOES. I had first met this young 23 years old dynamo from Salt Lake City way back on the Trail but he is so fast I assummed I would never see him again. Today he passed me and I thought he would be gone again but then when I got to the road crossing found him trying to get a ride into Rangeley to resupply. He explained that he had foot problems (thus his early MUMMY TOES) and had taken a week off to heal, then had some more zero days. It was nice hiking with him again today although I struggled to keep his fast pace. I think he slowed down just to be nice and chat a while. Exhausted and needing a break from the continuing wet weather, I went on into Rangeley, Maine with him to Gull Pond Hostel. Run by Mr. O'brien we found him to be a true hikers friend. He gave fatherly advice in a kind way, and has an wacky dry sense of humor that keeps you attentive for the next line. He was constantly running hikers into town for laundry, meals, internet at the Library, etc. He is a great guy and works hard to keep the Hostel home he runs alive and it is a special place for hikers that I highly recommend. 'Mummy Toes' and I went into town to do our chores, laundry, Library Internet, resupply, then had a good pizza and salad dinner at a local restaurant. A great way to beat the bad showers predicted for later today, and sure enough heavy storms and fierce lightning pummelled the mountains around us all night. It was so nice to be laying in a soft warm bed under a real roof. There was only one thing missing from it being perfect.
Date: 2006-08-21
From: Rangeley, Maine Gull Pond Hostel

To: Popular Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7

A great clear morning for a change as the showers gave us a break for a few hours. Hard climbs over Saddleback Mountain, the Horn (where on Memorial Day 2002 it was reported that you could see both Katahdin and Mount Washington North and South respectively, but not today); and Little Saddleback which was a big fat lie as it was not much smaller than its big brother. Wonderful views though and still one of the prettiest sections of the Trail. Unfortunately it began to rain then hail on the downward slope which was a very steep rock climb. How is it possible to go from 90F to 35F in one week? It was very dangerous due to icy rocks, and several hikers around me fell amid much shouting. No one was seriously injured but those bruises are sure piling up! I reached the "Lean-to" (same as a "Shelter" just named differently in Maine) at 2 pm and decided to stay as the air temperature was already down to 55F by 2:30 pm. Due to being wet from the rain/hail it felt musch colder. This shelter is notable as it has the old baseball bat style floor. It really does look like bats in rows. That is because in the old days hikers would cut fresh cedar and spruce to pile atop the logs to make a soft fragrent bed. These days we try to be more ecologically aware and do not cut the vegatation. They could break tradition and cover the bats with some plywood as it is really hard and uncomfortable to sleep on. I was shocked to find the speedy 'Mummy Toes' asleep in his bag already! I laughed a lot over that one! He said he was not feeling well and had decided the rain and hail was enough reason to stop early. For a hiker like 'Mummy Toes' that routinely did 20-30 mile days I was understanding his pain in stopping but it was the smart move in bad weather. The shelter quickly filled up with other hikers not wanting to brave the cold windy weather. It rained nearly all night again. I got a fire going for a while but the rain made it too hard to keep going although everyone seemed to appreciate it and stood around for hours in the glow of heat. Even some southbounder section hikers stopped for a few minutes before pressing on. We warned them of the steep up they had coming, because once you start up there is no where legal or good to stop for many hard miles. It was fun talking to some of the thru hiker Southbounders (SOBO) but it quickly became apparent that they thought they had already done the hardest part. OK......I have less than 200 miles to go and they have about 2000 more to go.....but sure, they know best, HYOH.