morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-19
From: Kid Gore Shelter, VT

To: Bromley Mtn, VT
Miles today: 28.7

I HIT THE 3/4 MARK TODAY! Just before coming into town (Manchester, VT) I passed the point. No marker. No Fanfare. But my heart jumped knowing that I'm on the home stretch now. Got up before 5AM to get going and so I could get some good miles in. I'd like to try and catch up with my plan so that I can be at ease, in case something unexpected causes a delay. I ran into "Shadow", "Traction" and "Day Tripper" mid-day. I met Day Tripper in PA and she is going SOBO with Traction right now just to mix things up. May see them again later on the trail. Shadow seems like a good guy, but on a more mellow schedule, so I likely won't run into him again. I decided to head into Manchester for a pizza, since I seem to hike well on days after I've had a Pepperoni pizza. Maybe that will give me a good day tomorrow, also. Had a little difficulty hitching in, even for a Sunday, but it was getting late in the day. The pizza REALLY hit the spot, then I had a scoop of Ben & Jerry's (Vermont's Best) walking out of town. Had just as much trouble getting a ride back to the trail and had to hustle to get up Bromley before dark. I skipped the shelter and went for the Ski Patrol warming hut on the top of the mountain, and it proved to be an excellent choice. I got to watch a fantastic sunset from the fire tower next to it, and then stay inside a clean, enclosed building for the night. I was all alone, and I really enjoyed the solitude. There was NO NOISE WHATSOEVER, perhaps as quiet as I ever remember having it ANYWHERE. It was pretty cool, but a little eerie. I need to keep pressing to catch up, but I should be back on schedule by Tuesday when I'm planning to stay at an Inn near Killington. Still inexcusably muddy, flooded trails, but I'm getting better at navigating the mess. A 14 hour hiking day.
Date: 2005-06-20
From: Bromley Mtn, VT

To: Minerva Hinchley Shelter, VT
Miles today: 26.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Today is Amy's Birthday, and one month from my planned thruhike completion. I was up by 5AM with the sun streaming in the warming hut, but I just couldn't get out of my sleeping bag. I felt very weary, almost like when a cold is coming on. Hope that's not what it is. Finally I rolled out about 7:00, ate, went outside to enjoy the view and finally started hiking about 8:00. It was pretty sloppy still on the trail down, a full three days after rain. There were incremental stopping points about every 5 miles, so I set my sights on each shelter/town/road crossing every two hours, and was able to make pretty good time through most of the day. I've seen several groups of high school kids hiking, so I gusee that's what I'm in for now that school is out. I felt pretty good most of the day, but started to run out of gas (not steam) late. I pushed as hard as I could manage and made it into the desired shelter by about 7:30, even though there were some tough climbs near the end. Two days in a row ending with tough climbs. Hope this doesn't start a pattern. I'm staying with a Long Trail hiker named Doug, who did a SOBO (southbound) thruhike several years ago. A nice guy, but I won't see him again, as after tomorrow the Long Trail splits from the AT. I'm going to try and start early so that I can arrive at the Inn at Long Trail early and relax a little.
Date: 2005-06-21
From: Minerva Hinchley Shelter, VT

To: Inn at Long Trail, VT
Miles today: 20.1

Had trouble sleeping last night with the warm temps and the mosquitos that were lurking in our shelter all night. I put my head netting on, sprayed myslef with Deet and switched to my fleece bag liner. The mosquitos did a job on me. I ended up back in my bag by daybreak, as it cooled some overnite. I was first up at 5:00, but Doug started moving shortly after, which surprised me as he seemed to be ona relaxed schedule. We chatted as I ate and packed, and I started hiking about 6:15. Better than yesterday, but with less energy and feeling of commitment. I was able to move along, but my heart wasn't in it and it showed in the pace I kept. Yesterday (AP-After Pizza), I averaged almost 2.5 MPH, but today it came out to about 2MPH even. Over 10-12 hours of hiking, that can make a difference of about 5-6 miles. I ran into Fal & Hercules southbound. They are 1999 thruhikers who hosted "Trail Magic" for hikers at their home near the trail in NC. They served chicken stew, Iced Tea and Ice Cream Cake to almost 250 thruhikers this Spring. Anyway, I may see them again as they are jumping around up north doing sections of the trail for fun. VERY nice and generous people. Made it to the Inn at Long Trail just after 4:00, showered, did laundry, hung my shoes and bag out to dry, then had some cold beers. They went down REAL smooth after several days out on the trail. I took the local shuttle bus and went shopping at the grocery nearby and then came back to have more beer and hors d'oeuvres in my room, before a late Guinness Beef Stew dinner. It was nice not to feel harried at the end of the day. Had Chamomile Tea in my room and a brownie for dessert before bed. Meeting Patty in Hanover, NH in TWO DAYS!
Date: 2005-06-22
From: Inn at Long Trail, VT

To: Dana Hill, VT
Miles today: 24.7

Gently awakened to the shrill scream of a circular saw at 6:40. I guess the carpenters hired to add a storage room out back don't care that I'm paying for a room to sleep there QUIETLY! It was getting to be time to get up anyway. Had blueberry pancakes, but they were heavy and, believe it or not, I couldn't finish them. ANd I didn't even have eggs to go with them! Left the Inn about 8:30 and had an easy downhill walk back to the trail. Even though it had rained overnight, it didn't seem to be in as bad shape as it had been south of Killington. Maybe the Green Mountain Club only maintains the Long Trail overlapping section, which means they are the ones who are doing such a terrible job of trail maintenance/engineering. Anyway, it was cool and breezy most of the day, and the hiking seemed to go quickly, unlike some days that seem to drag on step after step. At lunch, I filled my water bottle from the spring at the shelter and added Lime Juice from the little squeeze bottle to give it a tang. It was a nice change of flavor in the water, without being too overpowering. The miles seemed to roll off and I decided to push beyond my planned stopping point, actually putting me AHEAD of plan for the first time. Had dinner at a shelter about 6:30, then washed up and moved on until darkness was near. Just after VT 12 saw a sign for a "home hostel", but the people weren't home and I didn't want to wait and chance they were away. So I moved on another mile and stealth camped in the woods near a clearing. Tomorrow, into Hanover and out of Vermont!
Date: 2005-06-23
From: Dana Hill, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

Got up about 5AM and packed up camp, had breakfast and left about 6:15. Trail has been in much better shape since Killington area, but occasionally there are still some very muddy, swampy parts. I made pretty good time through the day, but at times had difficulty following the trail. Sometimes they "overmark" it, so that you'd have to deliberately lose it, and other times they suddenly become very stingy with the white paint. It's frustrating, because in addition to having to watch every step you take, you are constantly having to scan the trees, rocks and who-knows-what-else for marks. Other times, you take a chance on a way and have to go back if it's wrong. I went through the town of West Hartford late-morning and was able to get some water from a local couple washing their car. One more climb, a couple more slips and falls (almost hurt my shoulder seriously on one...), two more lost trail episodes and I was in Hanover by about 4:00. I was a little early for meeting Patty, but turns out she was early too (what a surprise!) so we met in the Dartmouth Outdoor Club hall. I was able to use their internet to update my journal and then we headed over to the summer home of Dave & Sue Taylor in nearby Plainfield. They just had their first grandchild yesterday, so are likely to be understandably preoccupied, as their daughter lives nearby and they will be back and forth. But will be fun to see them anyway and they have been more than generous to have us stay with them at this chaotic time in their lives. We arrived there early evening and had time to clean up, relax and have wine before they came home. We all had a delicious steak BBQ dinner together when they arrived home after their long exciting day with their new grandson Judson. Tomorrow we will start slowly and have an easy day of slackpacking together just a few miles up the trail from town. Probably will do the same on Saturday, and then go our separate ways on Sunday morning. But not for much longer.
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Hanover, NH

To: 3 Mile Rd. Crossing, Etna, NH
Miles today: 8.4

Got a slow, leisurly start this morning, with some eggs for breakfast, then a trip to EMS for some bug spray. It's heating up again and is supposed to be hot for the next few days, so it won't be much fun hiking. Luckily, we're doing low mile days so it won't be too impossible. We got a couple of take-out sandwiches to have before we started hiking and made our way to the selected road crossing, with help from the EMS guys who know the local roads and had access to an atlas. Patty dropped me off about 1:40 to start hiking and then drove back to town to walk towards me. It wasn't difficult hiking, as the terrain was pretty easy, but STILL a little muddy in places. We met on the trail about 3:15 and walked the rest of the way back to town together, arriving about 4:30. Did a few errands, then headed to dinner in West Lebanon, then back to the Taylors' for the night. They had planned to stay at their daughter's house, but she was allowed home a day early, so they came in late with pictures and all the good news. Tomorrow, a BIG 11+ mile day planned...
Date: 2005-06-25
From: 3 Mile Rd. Crossing, Etna, NH

To: Lyme-Dorchester Rd., Lyme, NH
Miles today: 11.2

Original plan was to get up early and get the hiking out of the way before it got hot, but we ended up having a lovely blueberry pancake breakfast on the front porch and visiting with Sue & Dave. Their cottage is built on a scenic piece of property with beautiful mountain views and plenty of land buffering it. We finally got going and made our way to the trail crossing shortly after noon. It was the hottest day in a while and it was hard to stay comfortable when climbing. We covered a few more miles today than yesterday, including a couple of stiff uphill climbs that left us both pretty well pooped. I'm hoping it will be cooler when I get into the White Mtns. in the next few days, as it will be next to impossible to climb there in this kind of heat. I'll end up with single-digit mileage days. Tonight we are going to do laundry, then have italian dinner at a local restaurant ( I need to do further research on my pepperoni pizza hiking theory..) and the try to get to bed early so that we can get an early start tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-26
From: Lyme-Dorchester Rd., Lyme, NH

To: Glencliff Hostel, NH
Miles today: 23.8

Patty and I got up about 5:30 and were packed and out the door by 6:30. Dave & Sue were up to say goodbye, but we really wanted them to have an easy morning with all the chaos going on in their lives. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our stay with them immensely. Stopped at McDonalds for a "trail breakfast" on the way and Patty got me to our dropoff point about 8:00, a bit on the late side for the long mile day I had planned. The goodbye wasn't too bad. I've learned that it has to be like tearing off a bandaid, I just have to do it quickly and determinedly. I always ache for her when I'm walking away into the woods, but I have to keep going. Her final beep of the car horn, although muffled by the woods, always makes me smile. A VERY hot day right from the beginning and the bugs were as bad as they've ever been. The gnats (?) fly into your eyes, the mosquitos try to bite you, even through layers of Deet bug spray, and it was a constant battle. The initial climb up Smarts Mtn. was hard, but doable, and I was able to pick up the pace a little as the terrain eased. At times, I was almost running to stay ahead of the bugs. At the very end, there was a section going into Glencliff that had HORRIBLY aggressive mosquitos and I was swatting all the time, on top of applying layer upon layer of bug spray. Got into the hostel about 7:00 PM. Kind of a creepy, dumpy place. ALmost expecting bodies in the back yard. The toilet and shower are under canopies in the yard, and the caretaker is a little scary looking. "Trek", a multiple-thruhiker was there. But the place is dry and (relatively) bug-free, so I'll take it. Tried to low-profile it, as everyone seemed to want to get into long, pointless conversations and I wasn't in the mood.
Date: 2005-06-27
From: Glencliff Hostel, NH

To: Eliza Brook Shelter, NH
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

Got up at 5:00 with ambitions of getting my miles in early, but boy was I in for a rude awakening. The first hill was Mt. Moosilauke, which is close to 5000' high and a TOUGH climb. I did alright with it, but it was slow going and I didn't want to burn out all my energy early. The day pretty much unraveled from there though. It was still hot, for starters, but the trails were EXTREMELY slow to navigate, with pretty steep ups & downs constantly, and lots of rocks, roots, stumps, etc. I stopped at the Lost Pond Visitors Center to have lunch at the snack bar, but was disappointed by the microwave fare. At least the lemonade was cold. I continued plodding along and gave it my best effort, but my average speed was about HALF of what it's been. Knowing how slow I was going added to my demoralization, making me even less motivated, so it was a vicious circle. I had hoped to make it to the Kinsman Pond Campsite/ shelter, but I just didn't have it in me when I pulled into ELiza Brook at 5:30. It would have been a push to Kinsman before dark, and I doubt I could have made it. I may have to revise my schedule through the Whites, since it truly is tougher than I thought it would be. I have an extra cushion day built in, and I hope that is enough, as I don't want to go into Maine behind schedule. I guess the worst is that I'll miss summitting Katahdin on my birthday, which isn't the end of the world, but it would be a disappointment to come so close and miss it. No guarantees. One foot in front of the other, One day at a time.
Date: 2005-06-28
From: Eliza Brook Shelter, NH

To: Greenleaf Hut, NH
Miles today: 15.2

Woke up about 5:00 and got going about 5:45. The first section of the trail was downhill to Lonesome Lake Hut. I stopped in and met Holly, a "croo" member who was very nice and let me finish all the leftover pancakes from breakfast along with cake and lemonade for $2.00. The hut was very cool inside and it made me wish I could have stayed there. It wasn't as hot today, and there was an occasional breeze, but the terrain was JUST as tough and I had a hard time getting the miles in. By about 3:30-4:00, it was clear that I might not make the Galehead Hut (I wanted to be inside as well as having the cooked meals..), thunder began rumbling, clouds moved in, and showers started. So I made the decision to drop down from the peak of Mt. Lafayette to the Greenleaf Hut (a mile down, meaning a mile back up in the morning) and stay there. They had work-for-stay available (no charge, just work time for your room & board) so I had to sweep the dining room before I left in the AM. The lodge was pretty full, and I didn't have a bunk assigned, but could sleep in the dining room after lights out at 9:30. The food was good and I ate with the croo, so there was plenty to eat. A full belly is good on the trail. The croo was nice enough, but I felt like I was in limbo a little. Not a worker, not a guest. Just a hanger-on. I may just skip breakfast in the morning to get an early start (hard to believe) as I want to make it to the Zealand Falls Hut early enough to do WFS there. Then I'll only be one full day behind. And if it rains, that will be a tough hike.
Date: 2005-06-29
From: Greenleaf Hut, NH

To: Crawford Notch, Highland Center Lodge, NH
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: fog

Got up at 5:00 to sweep the dining room floor, then had my own breakfast, including a few cold leftovers from the night before to supplement it, then got going about 6:30. It took me 40 minutes to climb back up to the Mt. Lafayette peak to pick up where I left off. It was foggy and cool, so it was actually nice hiking weather. Mt. Garfield and Guyot were the tough climbs for the day and there occasionally some "easy" trail mixed in as a tease. I got to Galehead Hut about 11:00am and found they had three thruhikers doing WFS the night before, so perhaps it's just as well I stopped at Greenleaf. There are some southbound thruhikers starting to go through (Maine to Georgia, versus Georgia to Maine, as I'm doing), so they will be staying in the huts as well. I had a few snacks at Galehead and moved on, making better time in the afternoon. The terrain was refreshingly easier (not easy, easier) and it boosted my spirits to be able to make some good time finally. I got to the Zealand Falls Hut mid-afternoon and met Caitlin, who was doing the cooking. She gave me a leftover sticky bun from breakfast (it was DELICIOUS!) and was putting a pineapple-glazed ham in the oven for dinner. Yumm! Nice Hut. Nice Croo. GREAT food. But still no shower or phone, so I made the difficult decision to move on to Crawford Notch, about 7 more miles, to call home and shower. Two things I desperately wanted. Also to get in a few more miles, since I was having a pretty good hiking day. Got there just after 6:00. Had a full dinner in their main dining room, then showered and met some very nice section hikers who I shared meals and bunkroom with. Tomorrow, I'm hoping for an equally as productive day.
Date: 2005-06-30
From: Crawford Notch, Highland Center Lodge, NH

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut, Mt. Washington, NH
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: mist

On top of Senor' Washington! Got up at 6:30 and used the "volunteers" computer in the employee lounge to update my journal before leaving. Said goodbye to the local hikers I'd met and hitched to the trail easily from the parking lot of the AMC lodge. It was a little sloppy starting up towards Mt. Washington after last night's rain, but NOTHING like in Vermont-they know how to engineer trail drainage in NH. It was also steep right away, but leveled off some after a while. The views were great and I even considered hiking over Mt. Eisenhower on the way to see more, but stayed on the White Blaze main trail. There was quite a lot of trail traffic for mid-week, with a lot of daytrippers going up Washington from the west. I got to Lake of the Clouds Hut early in the afternoon and Beth said I could do Work-for-Stay (no charge to stay in return for doing chores). I considered moving on to the Madison Hut, but I would have gotten in late (maybe missing WFS opportunity) and there was possible severe weather forecast for late afternoon. Tom & Kendra (section hikers) had already signed on and Free Spirit came in later along with Adeeno, so we had a full crew of volunteer workers to do chores. I had time to burn, so I hiked to the sumit of Mt. Washington to tourist-watch and take pictures, so that I didn't have to waste time in the morning. Called Patty and left a message. By the time I hiked back, it started to rain and everything clouded over, so I'm glad I went when I did. They gave me a bunkroom with the other hikers, so I was able to take an afternoon nap before dinner, a real luxury ono the trail. Ate with the Croo and am hoping to get a reasonably early start in the AM so that I can get to at least Pinkham Notch, in case the weather is bad.
Date: 2005-07-01
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut, NH

To: Carter Notch Hut, NH
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: fog

Got going just after breakfast and it was a HORRIBLE day to be hiking in the Presidentials. There was ZERO visibility and ominous weather forecast, including possible hail. I made good time to Pinkham Notch (since there was nothing to see along the way) and saw Free Spirit there also. We both hiked up Wildcat Mtn. and were disappointed not to be able to look back at the dramatic views of Washington that it has. A lousy weather day. We made pretty good time and ended up at the Carter Notch Hut late in the afternoon. We both considered pushing on to Imp Shelter to get in the extra miles and be closer to Gorham for an early arrival Saturday, but chose the comfort of the hut for the lousy weather day and evening. Good thing, because it rained pretty hard later in the day. I met some very nice section hikers there and had an enjoyable stay there. Sally & Bryan were the caretakers and let us do WFS there, even though it is a self-service hut with no meals. I'm still a little anxious about my schedule, since there is no margin to be off and make it to Katahdin on my birthday. I'm going to have to push hard to meet Patty in Rangely Lake, ME next week and then continue the press the rest of the way. I need to resupply and do laundry tomorrow in Gorham, so I'm going to try and make it in early enough to get things done and still get a good nights rest. Then it's off towards the Maine border on Sunday for the final state on the list and the push to the finish!
Date: 2005-07-02
From: Carter Notch Hut, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: fog

Got out reasonably early and found the day to be perfect for hiking, cool, windy and clearing up nicely. I started up a stiff hill right away from the hut and had several before the morning was up. I was able to call Patty from the top of one mtn, so that was a nice surprise. The day warmed up nicely, but the breeze kept it cool and kept the bugs from their usual annoying tricks. I saw several southbound hikers who had started in Maine several weeks ago along with a shelter caretaker named Ballpark, all of whom gave me some good pointers on Maine. They say it's going to be beautiful, but difficult hiking, especially in the early days. The 100 Mile Wilderness, while sloppy, buggy and wet, is pretty level and just uncomfortable, but not difficult. If I can make good time in the first week through the Mahoosucs, Bemis'. Crockers and Bigelows, then I'll be in good shape to finish on time. I'm getting psyched to make this final push, even if it means some late-day hiking and long days. Anyway, I made it into Gorham late afternoon and with a little difficulty, hitched to a motel. Did laundry, resuplied for a 4-day hike to Rangely where I'll meet Patty, and am hoping I can get a ride back to the trail early enough to get a good start on the day. The weather is supposed to be good for the next couple of days, so that is hopeful for making the miles I'll need for everything to fall into place. Almost there!