morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-01
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter, VT

To: US 4, Rutland, VT
Miles today: 6.3

Day 696.3 miles in 4 hoursCooper Lodge Shelter (1694.6) to US 4/Rutland (1700.9)Weather: Partly cloudy, 70s-80s, rain in the late afternoonDinner: Chicken kabobs, grilled zucchini, rice, saladHikers: England, three LT northbounders, two day hikers, two trail runnersWildlife: Awoke to coyote calls, one scared grouseI am living between two worlds. Or¢what a difference a day makes. Last night I was sticky and staying in a deplorable rat trap. Tonight I¢m sleeping in a bed with fine linens after soaking in a scented bath. Last weekend, Dan and Michelle kindly offered to again host me up at their Select Registry inn in Middlebury as I continued up the trail and closer to their fair village. After several days of what I later learned was hiking in 90 degree temps, that offer was looking really good. The deal was sealed after yesterday's thunderstorm, the predicted rain for the next day and a restless night spent avoiding rolling off a deteriorating platform onto broken glass at the Cooper Lodge Graffiti Heap.The reason for staying in the shelter in the first place never materialized over night. The additional storms held off. I had strung up a clothesline but none of my clothes felt any drier despite the light breeze that blew in through the windowless windows all night. The breeze did seem to keep the bugs at bay. Even the resident flies living in the corner trash bag were quiet.But it's all about location, location, location. And that shelter was in one of the best to date. The tent areas were carpeted by pine needles under tall pines or on the new platforms. And again, that view. Waking up to coyotes was a nice bonus. Still, I was happy to be heading to a parking lot where I'd be whisked away to a bed. And running water that was not pouring forth from the sky. Oh! And towels!The trail was drying out as I headed off Killington. Looking at a map tonight, I see that the trail skirted the ski runs, but I never noticed. The six miles down to the parking lot were pleasant, from what I can recall. I was really fixated on meeting Dan on time. While I sat waiting for my trail angel to arrive, one of the day hikers I had passed finished his hike and walked over with a tall cold magical bottle of Snapple ice tea for me. And now I am clean, fed (they made me dinner too) and in a bed. I could get used to this pretty fast.
Date: 2016-07-02
From: US 4, Rutland, VT

To: Middlebury, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

So, yeah. Turns out it IS easy to get used to sleeping in sheets with a very high thread count. There is a 90% chance of rain all day today. I have writing and emails to catch up on and the Swift House Inn has room. My arm didn't need to be twisted too hard to stay. I gratefully accepted another zero.
Date: 2016-07-03
From: Middlebury, VT

To: Stony Brook Shelter, VT
Miles today: 10.0

10 miles in 7.5 hoursUS 4/Rutland (1700.9) to Stony Brook Shelter (1710.9)Weather: Showers, high 60s/low 70sDinner: One pot taco dinnerHikers: Ten hikers header to Katahdin, nine of which are at the shelter tonight, passed two SOBOs and a few day hikersDan and I left the Swift House Inn at 9 a.m. in light showers. The clouds hung low in the mountains nearing Killington and Pico. By the time we arrive at the trailhead it was raining harder. By the time I started hiking, it was more or less pouring. I had my umbrella out but had forgotten to put on the pack cover. What was I thinking? Oh right. I wasn't. Stopped to put it on and, what the heck, let's put the rain kilt on as well. So I ended up staying dry. The rain fell on and off all day. As I only had ten miles with a stop at a trail side lodge to pick up a food drop, I took my time walking along the slick, and at times, flooded trail. In spite of the rain, or maybe because of it, it was beautiful and once again proved that the bright glowing green color of my rain jacket is actually one found in nature. First there was the drop into Gifford Woods State Park. We walked right through the very nice campground. Then the trail crossed over the first little cascade and around Kent Pond. The rain had ceased by the time I stopped at the adjacent lodge to pick up my food. I see that the drop includes the One Pot Taco Dinner I really liked back in Shenandoah. I know what I'm eating tonight. Continued on passing by the thunderously tall Thundering Falls. All this weekend rain likely made it even more spectacular. With the exception of meeting NOBO ¢Ralphie¢ (and yes, do think A Christmas Story), who hails from Minnesota, and the SOBOs heading in the opposite direction, I hiked alone all day. It's always a surprise to arrive at a shelter to find it populated and full of conversations. Finally, Stony Brook, another cascading thing of beauty, wins best looking shelter water source to date. Musings: Back in the 90s I either bought or was given the Simple Abundance gratitude journal. It was a popular book for a while. Maybe it still is, I don't know. I did attempt to follow the plan and list daily gratitudes for a year. That lasted all of a few months. But this trip has given me plenty of time to reflect¢and more than a few instances to experience gratitude. After the past two weekends, I am feeling extremely grateful for the extraordinary hospitality Dan and Michelle extended to Sam and I last weekend and again to me this weekend. The power of good conversations, great food and a lovely inn setting is incredibly rejuvenating.
Date: 2016-07-04
From: Stony Brook Shelter, VT

To: Rt 12/Woodstock, VT
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: light rain

Day 7113.3 miles in 8.5 hoursStony Brook Shelter (1710.9) to Route 12/Woodstock, VT (1724.2)Weather: Sunny, high 60s/low 70sDinner: Crabcakes at The Prince and the PauperHikers: Almost a dozen SOBOs, the south bubble has begunWildlife: Unknown raptorThe day was sunny and really pleasant for hiking. The trail was nice with only two or three road crossings all day. I had one close encounter with wildlife this morning and I'm not sure with what¢except that it had wings. I heard a keeweewee or kawkawkaw type call coming through the pine trees and paused to look. Whoosh! And a shadow. Well, that was bizarre. And by bizarre, I mean sort of spooky. Then I got buzzed again. I could hear wings. I didn't wait to confirm just what species I was attempting to identify, it obviously was attempting to move me along. One more dive bomb and I skedaddled holding my trekking poles aloft over my head. Could have been a hawk. Could have been a owl. Could have been a banshee.I stopped for lunch at The Lookout, a private cabin open to hiker use with a rooftop deck. Face-timed the husband from my perch and showed him some Green Mountain porn.One of the things I had arranged during my zero day over the past weekend was when to meet up with my friend Laurie from Maine. Laurie had hiked with me for a day way back in the Shenandoahs, during my first week. We had planned to meet up again in the Whites, but one of us didn't quite make it to New Hampshire just yet. Instead, Laurie met me at the parking area just outside Woodstock, Vermont. Scored a bed and shower in a shared motel room and tomorrow she is joining me for a few days of hiking. Woodstock, by the way, is a very cute and apparently celebrity-driven town, but most hikers likely don't get to see it due to distance from the trail and the somewhat high prices, also likely attributed to the presence of said celebrities.
Date: 2016-07-05
From: Rt 12/Woodstock, VT

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 7213 miles in 9.5 hoursRoute 12/Woodstock, VT (1724.2) to West Hartford, VT (1737.2)Weather: Sunny, 70s, more humid as the day wore onDinner: Pineapple curry chickenHikers: Four NOBOs here at the trail angel shelter, four SOBOsWildlife: 14 tweens and four adults released from a summer camp program First of all, Laurie is a champ. She is sleeping soundly in the cot next to me in this garage space after hiking thirteen miles. I was fully prepared to make it a shorter day and hike just about eight miles to the first shelter, but we arrived there around 2 p.m. and decided to go for the additional 4.7 miles to town. We are staying with four others at a word-of-mouth-only hostel. Actually a room above a garage-like building with all sorts of cast-off couches and mattresses of undetermined age. Or use. Just like best practices in shelters, I have my protective tent ground cloth between my sleeping bag and the sleeping surface¢in this instance foam couch cushions instead of slivery wooden planks. Laurie is a strong paddler and just returned from Honduras where she had done some hiking, but still. I do hope she wakes up all refreshed and not crippled. Thirteen miles is awesome¢and a long day. My first day hiking on the AT with a fully loaded pack was in the single digits. We'll see what tomorrow brings.Today wasn't exactly easy. We hiked many elevation changes throughout the morning. By afternoon, it was getting warmer, but most of the trail was downhill at the point we decided to continue. We hiked through more lovely pine forests and across several open meadows¢some associated with ski runs including a charming one named Suicide Six. The open meadows also had loads of ripe raspberries in which we found the wild tweens grazing. One of the carrots that lured us to this little garage was the rumor of a bridge¢a bridge where one might wish to jump. To the river below. While Laurie and I opted not to take our chances dying this way, we did opt to take a swim beneath the bridge. We both agree that if we knew we had a river or lake to jump into at the end of the day, hiking might not be so bad. Which is why we both think paddling a canoe trail is a wee bit nicer.
Date: 2016-07-07
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter, NH

To: Moose Moutain Shelter, NH
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

Day 749.5 miles in 5.5 hours Velvet Rocks Shelter, NH (1748.5) to Moose Mountain Shelter (1758.0)Weather: Overcast, 80s, really humid, again; thunderstorms late afternoonDinner: Parmesan Salmon (still as yucky as the first time I made this)Hikers: Tuna Roll, Janel, Soft G, three waterlogged SOBOs in the shelter, half a dozen+ SOBOs in passing, two day hikersAnd today I slept in¢by hiker standards¢until 7 a.m. Laurie, by contrast, had been up since 5:30, up with the sun, drinking coffee and writing. Laurie is a superb writer and chronicles her many travels under her own blog at LauriesAdventures.wordpress.com. Today, we only had less than five miles to hike to her shuttle, so getting up late worked out. I also had the choice of a shelter destination at either 9.5 miles away or 15.2, the second located after a mountain summit and an area the guidebook described as a precipitous ledge. As thunderstorms were predicted to arrive between 2 and 3 p.m., and having already experienced the thrill of being caught in a thunderstorm near the summit of Killington, I opted for a shorter day. It was really humid, again, today. The trail was fairly benign¢at least until Laurie¢s rendezvous with the shuttle. We hiked the 4.4 miles in two hours and had another hour to kill. Janel, Soft G and Tuna Roll found us lounging by the stream. I¢ve been leapfrogging and/or staying with them at shelters since the Bromely ski hut. Laurie and I said our goodbyes and I headed up. It's been great having her on the trail with me. 30ish miles and three days flew by. Not so much the afternoon. Am glad I only had another five miles. There was a brook 2.5 miles away from tonight¢s shelter, which was the most reliable water source¢at least until the storms came. I contemplated jumping in, and so I did. Even though the remaining miles were mostly uphill, that dip washed away at least one layer of sweat and bug repellent. Arrived at the shelter at the thoroughly unhiker stopping time of 2:30. Tuna Roll, Janel and Soft G were already there. No storm yet. Decided to set up the tent just in case the small shelter would get full of snoring and potentially wet hikers later in the day. Made a fire. Made dinner. Waited for the rain to show up. Waited some more for the rain to show up. And at 6 p.m. the first thunder pealed and rain fell. And then it really fell. Watched the rain pour down in buckets from the shelter and was starting to rethink why I thought it had been a good idea to have pitched the tent. At about the peak of the storm and just after a big crack, three SOBOs did come bolting into the shelter out of the rain. We all hung out waiting for the storm to pass. By 7:30 p.m. it was over. And my tent is still dry. Wish I could say the same about all my sweaty clothes.
Date: 2016-07-08
From: Moose Moutain Shelter, NH

To: Smart Mountain, NH
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: clear sky

Day 7512.4 miles in 11.5 hours (with 3 hour stop at Bill Ackley¢s house)Moose Mountain Shelter (1758.0) to Fire Wardens Cabin (1770.4)Weather: Sunny, 70s-80s, humid, but cooling breezes later in the dayDinner: Green Noodle Ramen Bowl (still love this easy recipe)Hikers: Stripe, Ribbit and Goose at the shelter, lots of SOBOs, a couple on a shakedown hike, some day hikers and a trail runnerWildlife: Barred owl heard in the morning, two spruce grouse at the end of the dayI woke up feeling like I was ready to put on some bigger miles today. And the morning did go well. Then I stopped at Bill ¢The Ice Cream Man¢ Ackerly¢s house near Lyme, NH. Bill was famous for handing out ice cream bars to hikers, cold drinks, a game of croquet and letting hikers camp in his yard. He passed away this past May, but his family is still keeping the tradition of free ice cream alive. His house also has wifi and you can charge your phone on his front porch. I spent three hours there. That changed my plans. It was 2:45 when I finally departed the porch chair. I headed only to the next shelter, a cabin by a fire tower, at the top of Smart Mountain. The only problem, besides a steep trail, was the lack of water. It wasn't much fun to carry three liters of extra weight up the mountain for almost four miles. The next water source is another four miles beyond the cabin. What is this? The PCT?I was still feeling that early morning energy even as the sun was beginning to set. The trail led over an open area known as Lamberts Ridge and I seriously considered stealth camping there. It was gorgeous¢open vistas within a pine forest made even more beautiful by the setting sun. But I thought my shelter mates from last night were headed here, plus I already was hiking less than I had originally planned, so I kept on hiking. About 20 minutes from the summit, NOBO ¢Stripes¢ caught up to me. He also was expecting to find people settled in the cabin but when we arrived, it was empty. It's not great, but this is no Cooper Crackhouse. It was now 7:30 and rumor has it there are bears in the area and the cabin has a door and I'm staying. So are two other NOBOs who arrived about a half hour later.
Date: 2016-07-10
From: Ore Hill Campsitre, NH

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 777.3 miles in 5.25 hours Ore Hill Tentsites (1783.2) to Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH (1790.5)Weather: Showers in the morning changing to sunny, 70sDinner: Gas station lobster roll and friesHikers: 25 here at Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff, NHWhile hanging out on the communal log last night, sitting where the shelter used to be before it burned down in 2011, making dinner, Solar told us rain was predicted to start around 10 a.m. today. Sometime last night a t-storm moved in. Love listening to the rain hit the tent wall. Woke up this morning in the dark light still hearing it, thinking I'm snug and dry (for now) and might read for a bit. I turned on my iPad and discovered it was almost 7 a.m. I guess all that white noise really did help me sleep despite going to bed feeling a whole new level of grossness. Retrieved my sodden food bag protecting protein bar wrappers, discarded oil packets, empty Ziplock freezer bags and few actual food items, then started packing up for the first time on this trip in the rain. But as I like to say: ¢It was lightening up.¢ Then the rain stopped altogether by the time I hit the trail. My goal today was the hostel where not only a bed and a shower awaited me, but a food drop. There have been a ton of hikers passing me in both directions lately and this is a popular hostel. I really wanted to get there and didn't pay a whole lot attention to my surroundings except to know the trail is now entering the Whites.The Hiker Yearbook short bus was at the trailhead when I emerged and had cookies and soda trial magic. The mint chocolate cookies were not unlike Girl Scout Thin Mints. Like Thin Mints, I ate half a sleeve or more of them at a go. Then I had my photo taken for the yearbook. Here¢s hoping I don't have a chocolate blacked out tooth in the shot. Got my shower, got my food drop, got my laundry done, got everything else dried out from last night's surprise rain. In general, I got caught up.The hostel is extremely welcoming and shall I say, rather bohemian? I wore a vintage tie-die sundress while doing my laundry if that is any indication. Also sleeping on a mattress with clean linens which is a very good thing now that I¢ve seen the mattress. My worldly education continues.
Date: 2016-07-11
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Kinsman Notch, NH
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: moderate rain

Day 789.3 miles in 7.5 hours Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff, NH (1790.5) to Kinsman Notch (1799.8)Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy to afternoon t-stormDinner: Ben and Jerry¢s Caramel Sutra and Shock Top Belgian White AleHikers: Passing lots of hikers on trail, another 15 or so here at Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff, NHWildlife: A minute too late to see a moose on Mt. MoosilaukeDecided to stay here one more night and slackpack Mt. Moosilauke southbound. The north ascent was reported to be a killer descent¢and that would be a correct assessment. Four of us took a shuttle to Kinsman Notch and hiked back to the hostel. The sun was out and the ascent was indeed steep for 1.5 miles following a cascade that occasionally would dampen the trail¢meaning rocks¢that we were scaling. There were rebar handholds in places¢quite a reassuring touch. It was a really pretty climb which eventually got above tree line. I don't have problems hiking over rocks with views like the ones seen today. At least up. Just before reaching the summit, two people told me there was a moose ahead. Of course, the second person added that she had startled it after it startled her¢so yeah, no moose sightings just yet. The 4802¢ summit was as windy and misty as the photos I've seen posted. Cloud tendrils blew across the open alpine meadows and cairns dotted the landscape indicating the route. Even though it was blustery, I took a break and ate lunch with Solar who had hiked up from the hostel to the summit in the opposite direction northbound. The longer and theoretically less severe descent was another matter. Seemed to take forever to make 3.5 miles, but in actuality it was faster¢I was just more tired. Nice to know I had the hostel to head back to at the end of the day. Made it back before the predicted 50% chance of an afternoon thunderstorm hit¢and hit hard for a good fifteen minutes. The only problem with this hostel is that it isn't close to anything else. Soft G had just left to pick up sandwiches at the convenience store and her mom, Janel, was able to get a text out to her with an order for a beer and ice cream pick-up on my behalf. And that's what¢s for dinner. The only thing missing from this square meal was something from a bakery.
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Crawford Notch, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Storms again today--and Mt. Washington is up next. So a zero it is. Thunderstorms arrived this afternoon and stayed around for a few hours.Replaced my shoes, went grocery shopping, washed my pack and picked blueberries on Ray and Hildy's garden near Gorham. Exactly what I needed to do.
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Crawford Notch, NH

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut, NH
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 8311.5 miles in 10 hours Route 302/Crawford Notch, NH (1843.5) to Lake of the Clouds Hut (1855)Weather: Sunny, 70sDinner: Stuffed manicotti shells, cheese bread, carrot cakeHikers: Six of us here at the hut, three SOBOs (Hawk Woman, Teaberry and Kremlin) and two other NOBOs, Checks and Monkey King, in addition to me; lots of hikers out on the trails all day todayRay and Hildy returned me to Crawford Notch in the morning with two raspberry muffins tucked into my pack. I ate them both once I reached the first ledge along Webster Cliffs. It was another beautiful day to be hiking above tree line and along high cliffs. The sun shone all day, all the way down to the highway far below. My goal today was to reach Lake of the Clouds Hut, which is situated near the base of Mt. Washington, the highest and most unpredictable mountain on the trail. Snow has fallen in July and it has recorded wind speeds of over 200 mph at its summit. The forecast for tomorrow is sunny with a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Mt. Washington will be the first thing I tackle in the morning¢after I perform my work-for-stay duties here at the hut. I am one of six thru-hikers that arrived in time for a work-for-stay, meaning we get free dinner and breakfast in exchange for working 1-2 hours. We also get the privilege of sleeping on the dining room floor. I'm writing while waiting for the paying guests to go to bed so we can unpack our sleeping bags. Looks like it will be a while. Meanwhile I am making friends with three guys from Virginia who are hiking hut to hut over the next three days. We all started out together from Crawford Notch this morning¢and they are hurting. Nothing that a little medicinal whiskey won't cure. Nice guys. They wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting either.