morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-21
From: Long Trail Inn

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I am using this Journal page to represent my time off for back recovery and fall soccer match scheduling. I was up at 7:15 am Wednesday the 21st and went downstairs for the Long Trail Inn hiker¢s breakfast that was included in the price of the room. I had the two eggs over easy, bacon, home fries, toast, OJ, and coffee. My back still hurt and I decided to leave the Trail, going home earlier than planned to rest my back and schedule soccer matches. The soccer scheduling begins on August 1st and when complete I am hopeful that the combined 2 12 weeks of rest and progressive back exercises will have me ready to return to the Trail and complete my AT thru hike. My goal is to continue my AT thru hike when my fall soccer scheduling commitment is satisfied. Hopefully this will be sometime in the second week of August. At 10:00 am today I witnessed the long awaited foot race between Mimi and Shorts. We set up a course of approximately 50 yds long in the front parking lot of the Long Trail Inn. Nobody was the starter and in the end we saw Mimi edge out Shorts by about a foot. We handed Shorts the box of Kleenex to soak up his disappointment. My friend, Stan, picked me up at 12:30 at the Long Trail Inn and took me to my home in MA where I arrived at 3:00 pm. Thank you Stan.   Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-16
From: Home

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

I returned to the Trail today and passed the 1700-mile mark. I have taken 27 zero days to let my back recover and to schedule fall soccer matches for nearly 350 teams. I have been doing back exercises and gradually increasing my daily hiking distance and backpack weight until I was able to do 9 miles with a full pack again. I also did finish my soccer scheduling. I was up at 6 am and Mrs. Trog took me to the Manchester, NH bus station where I caught a bus to White River Junction, VT. My friend Stan met me there and drove me to the Long Trail Inn where we had lunch. Then it was back to the AT via the Sherburn Pass Trail where I got off on July 19th. I started hiking at 12:45 pm. There had been thunderstorms and the Trail was wet. There was thunder during the afternoon but no more rain. The trail was mostly smooth with ups and downs and one 1400 ft climb. There was a total of 2200 ft ascent & 2600 ft descent with 3 laps. I reached the Stony Brook Shelter at 5:30 pm for a hiking duration of 4:45 for the 8.1-mile hike. The zipper on my belly-pack broke so I repaired it when I got to the shelter using Yankee ingenuity (dental floss and a needle). I am hopeful that it will last the rest of the hike. Then I cooked dinner ¢ spaghetti with meat sauce. Moped, (a thru-hiker), Stillwater (started in Harpers Ferry), and Tom (a section hiker) are here also. It is 8:40 pm and dark, well past hiker midnight which keeps getting earlier. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

I was up at 6:30 am ¢ I just couldn¢t sleep any longer. I packed up, ate breakfast of a bear claw and a cheese Danish (approximately 1000 calories) and was hiking at 7:30 am. The sky was blue with a bright sun and a 63 °F temperature. The wind was light but developed into a moderate breeze as the day progressed. The trail was smooth for the most part with a lot of ups and downs. I took a 30 min snack break at 9:30 am and a 30 min lunch break at noon. I arrived at the Wintturi Shelter at 1:45 pm for a hiking duration of 5:15 and a distance of 9.9 miles. I am limiting my miles on the first days of my return to the Trail until I find out how my back responds. I got water first because I was running low. There was a spring on one side of the shelter and a stream on the other side. Both were good sources. I set up my tent (it is buggy here), ate my afternoon snack (almond M&Ms), and repaired the pouch that I carry my thru-hiker guide in. Dental floss as thread saves the day again. It is 4:45 pm, 72 °F, and the mosquitoes are very bothersome. I am still alone at the shelter. I will cook my dinner now and retire to the tent to get away from the bugs. Wandigo (a NOBO like me) and Deep Dish (a SOBO) showed up later and stayed at the shelter. Deep Dish brought some hot dogs and buns and we cooked them over the fire that Wandigo built. He also shared some of his red wine with me ¢ a fitting conclusion to Day 2 AR (after return). Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-18
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up at 6:45 am and hiking by 7:35 am under overcast skies and a 65 °F temperature. There was not even a whisper of wind. The whole day the Trail was very hiker-friendly with only a few places with rocks and roots. It was also a day of continuous ups and downs of relatively short duration. The total ascent for the day was 3560 ft and the descent was 3730 ft. There were 7 laps over the 11.6 miles, underscoring the frequency of ups and downs. I walked through several fields full of goldenrod. In one section they were taller than me and honeybees and bumblebees were buzzing about having a pollen-gathering picnic. I just brushed through the golden rod overgrowing the Trail and the bees did not bother me. I was glad to reach the Thistle Hill Shelter at 5 pm, approximately 9.5 h since I started. Today¢s hike did include a 1-hour mid-morning side hike to the On The Edge Farm where I got my morning snack, a just-out-of-the-oven mini strawberry-rhubarb pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I washed it down with a 12-oz Coke. Delicious. At 1 pm I also spent a leisurely 40 min eating my lunch of baloney & cheese on hamburger buns. At the shelter, Wandigo and Girl With Dog cooked dinner and hiked on. I cooked dinner and pitched my tent where I am writing this journal entry. It is 8:30 pm and time to shut off my headlamp and call it a night. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-19
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

Tonight I am at the last shelter in Vermont. The last 45 mi in Vermont have been great for hiking. I will miss them as I move further north. Since I am on a hiking diet of approximately 10 miles / day average (or less), I am trying to get to bed early and sleep later in the morning. It is extremely boring sitting around in a shelter waiting for hiker midnight. This morning I was up at 7 am and hiking at 7:50 am. The sky was a hazy blue, the temperature was 64 °F, and the air was still. The Trail today was a smooth surface most of the way but again there were continuous ups and downs of short duration. My ascent today was 2250 ft and descent was 2750 ft with 4 laps covering 8.8 miles. Today¢s hike included a very pleasant stop at the West Hartford Deli/Grocery Store where I had brunch with Doc, a NOBO who retire from the Army after 30 years of service. I enjoyed 2 eggs over easy, hash browns, sausage, toast, OJ and coffee. For dessert I had a pint of black raspberry ice cream and a 20 oz Coke. Since I did not expect the Happy Hill Shelter to have any water, I had the Deli make up a large sub along with a 20 oz orange soda to pack for dinner later. I spent 2.5 h there, just relaxing. I reached the Happy Hill Shelter at 3:30 pm. Overall my hiking duration today was approximately 5 h. It is now 5:30 pm and several hikers including SOBOs Reset and Dreg stopped by but moved on when they found there was no water here. I also met another SOBO, Full Value, on the Trail and picked his brain about water on the Trail going north. He was very helpful. It is 7:00 pm and SOBOs Camel and Euroboy just showed up. They are staying in the loft of the shelter. As usual, I will be sleeping in my tent and am ready to head there. I have been writing this journal page sitting up in the shelter instead of lying down on my back in the tent. Hopefully my Faithful Transcriber will have an easier time reading it.   Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: few clouds

Note from Transcriber: Trog is back!! Trog: Goodbye Vermont; hello New Hampshire. I made it to Hanover, NH today where I met Stan on the Trail coming into Norwich, VT. He escorted me through the town of Norwich to the CT River. You might say I was safely escorted by a Norwich town official (he serves on the DRB in town) through that town. I then hiked to the Hanover Co-op Grocery store and got supplies. Stan picked me up and we had a Chinese buffet lunch. Then we went to the laundromat and started my laundry, after which he took me to the Phi Delta Alpha Frat house where I got a free shower. Stan went back and finished my laundry while I got a shower and he then came back and picked me up. We went to his cabin in the VT mountains of Norwich where I am staying for the night. He then gave me a 2.5 mi tour on the roads he has laid out on his property. It was very interesting. His cabin has electricity, running water from a spring, and an outhouse. I will be sleeping in a camper tonight which is much nicer than my tent. Stan has been a great host. Thank you Stan. I will be hiking out tomorrow again hoping that my back continues to hold up. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-21
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

I slept very well in Stan¢s camper that he uses as a guesthouse. I was up at 6:30 am to 50 °F temperatures in the camper. I packed up and met Stan in his kitchen. He prepared egg, cheese, sausage and bacon on English muffins. We each ate 2 with OJ. Yum. He drove me back to where I left off of the Trail by the Co-op grocery and the Dartmouth soccer fields. I started hiking at 8:20 am in 55 °F temps and overcast skies. The Trail started going up immediately with some moderate rock climbing but mellowed out a short time later and was friendly for most of the remainder of the day. There were more ups than downs but the elevation stayed in a narrow range until afternoon when I hiked over Moose Mountain. Moose Mountain Shelter came shortly after ¢ I arrived there at 3:10 pm which gave me a lot of time to be bored. I am still holding to my 10 mi average daily limit, so 11.0 miles is it for today. It is 5:15 pm and Seat Tracker and UniCrock just arrived and are starting to cook dinner. I will do the same. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-22
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Fire Warden Cabin
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

It sprinkled off and on last night but the tent was dry when I got up at 6:30 am and started packing. At 7:15 am ¢ just as I was taking down the tent ¢ it started raining. I hurried and got all my things packed up before it really picked up. It rained off and on all day long, sometimes a downpour. The Trail varied in quality throughout the day. I stopped at the Trapper John Shelter for a lunch of peanut butter and butter (note from Transcriber: yes folks, that is what he wrote ¢ ugh!!) on hamburger buns out of the rain. Both Eric (a section-hiker) and Bodkins (a NOBO) were there also. I hiked on and stopped at Bill¢s house where he gives thru-hikers free ice cream and water and sells cans of soda for $0.50 each. What a nice person. I hiked up the 2200 ft climb to the Fire Warden¢s Cabin. The last half-mile seemed straight up. It is 8:15 pm and the cabin is packed with 15 hikers using every inch of floor space. It is raining now and we expect it to continue tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully it will clear by nighttime so tenting will be more attractive. Time to turn off the headlamp.   Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME Note from Transcriber (from the back of Trog¢s journal log): ¢Why can a bike not move under its own strength?¢ ¢Because it is two-tired.¢ (too tired) There is another joke, but I can¢t read it. Probably a good thing.
Date: 2010-08-23
From: Fire Warden Cabin

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

It rained lightly off and on during the night. There were 15 in the cabin last night and everyone slept in because of the gloomy, wet weather. I was up at 7:10 am and the first one out hiking at 8:10 am. The downhill was much less steep than the climb the previous afternoon for which I was glad. There were wet and slippery rocks and roots and the Trail was pockmarked with puddles of water and sections of mud. But¢¦ all thru-hikers have to deal with the same conditions. It rained hard at times during the morning and I hiked the 0.2 miles off the trail and up the hill for lunch at 11:30 at the Hexacube Shelter. I spent 40 min there ¢ it was nice to get out of the rain. I continued on to climb Mt. Cube, a 2000 ft climb on slippery rocks. At the summit I was able to get cell phone coverage to make arrangements to meet Greg at Glen Cliff tomorrow for resupply. After Mt. Cube, there was a 2000 ft downhill and another 800 ft climb up to reach Ore Hill Shelter. I arrived there at 4:55 pm, for a hiking time of 8 h and a distance of 12.6 miles. Total ascent today was 2930 ft, descent was 4390, with 3 laps ¢ long ups and downs. Moped, Radar and Peru are in the shelter with me. UniCrock, Seat Tracker and Serenatina are tenting. It is hiker midnight ¢ 8 pm. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-24
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: NH25/Glenn Cliff
Miles today: 7.3

Today I passed the 400-mile remaining mark. Less than 400 miles to go! I was up at 6 am and hiking at 6:45 in 55 °F temperatures. The sky was clear with a bright sun and puffy white clouds. The Trail was quite hikable. On Mist Mountain, Pam, Radar and Moped stopped where I was talking with Mrs. Trog on my cell phone. We compared notes on the posted elevation versus the elevation on our altimeters and then hiked on. There were places where the Trail sparkled like thousands of tiny diamonds as they reflected the sunlight ¢ pretty cool. I wondered what caused the reflection as I couldn¢t see how mica would do that but don¢t know what else would. I got a sample of ¢sparkly dirt¢ for potential analysis. (Note from Transcriber: a true scientist!!) I reached NH25/Glenn Cliff at 11:45 am. My friend Greg and his father-in-law picked me up there and took me to his cabin 2 miles down the road. I got organized, purchased supplies, went to lunch, did laundry, and came back for a shower. Greg cooked dinner ¢ BBQ chicken, corn, beans and tomatoes with beer to wash it down. It tasted great ¢ thanks, Greg. To top it all off, a full moon is rising just now over Owl¢s Head. It is 8:45 pm. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-25
From: NH25/Glenn Cliff

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: light rain

I was up at 6 am and finished packing up. Greg cooked a great breakfast for the 3 of us: coffee, OJ, eggs over easy, bacon and English muffins. We helped Greg pack, he closed up his cabin, and dropped me off at the AT and headed back to work. It started misting as I headed up the climb to Mount Moosilauke ¢ 3800 ft up ¢ and by the time I reached the summit it was raining in earnest. During the 1000 ft descent over slippery rocks, I broke my left hiking pole. Fortunately it broke my fall. I will need to get a replacement pole. I am in the shelter with a total of 14 hikers (it is supposed to hold 10). It is 7:40 pm and we are rearranging the sleeping bag organization to better use the space. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-26
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

I finished the first mountain in the White, Mount Moosilauke, and did it in the rain. There were 14 hikers in the shelter last night. I took a picture of the sketch someone put in the register of our sleeping arrangement. It was cozy but everyone was in good humor since we were all dry. I was up at 6:05 am and hiking by 7:10 am in heavy overcast skies but no rain. We were probably in low clouds at the 4000 ft elevation. The hike down was steep with wet rocks and very difficult to navigate. One section, ¢the Cascades¢ (where Beaver Brook cascades down the mountain side right next to the Trail), was very smooth rock ledge with some built-in wood steps with iron handholds of rebar driven into the rock and other steps cut out of the rocks. I made it down without incident but it was very gnarly (note from Transcriber: yes, Trog¢s word choice!). On the other side of Kinsman Notch was a steep climb followed by some ups and downs. I reached the Eliza Brook Shelter at 4:10 pm. It took me 9 h to go the 9.1 miles thanks to the difficult trail exaggerated by the wet conditions making for slippery rocks and pools of mud. It is 7:30 pm. I am in my tent and don¢t have to share the space with anyone else. It is getting dark now in the green tunnel ¢ hiker midnight keeps coming earlier and earlier. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-27
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 5.9

I hiked over Kinsman Mountain and passed the 1800-mile mark today. I got up at 6:50 am and packed up, ate a Pop-Tart breakfast and was hiking at 8 am with overcast skies and 50 °F temperatures. The 2000 ft hike up Kinsman was a challenging scramble over wet and slippery rocks, still wet from the previous day¢s rain. The mountain was enveloped in the clouds and I was glad to reach the summit at the Kinsman Pond campsite at noon. I took a leisurely 40 min lunch, eating my PB&B sandwiches, and hiked on to the Lonesome Lake Hut, arriving at 2:30 pm. It took me 5:50 to go the 5.9 miles. It was becoming evident that the going in the Whites will be very slow for me. I decided to stay at the Hut for work so they will feed me dinner and breakfast and give me a spot on the dining floor to lay down my sleeping bag and pad. It is 4:40 pm and I am in for the night. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-28
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Liberty Spring Tent Site
Miles today: 5.5

I slept on the dining room floor of the Hut and was up at 6 am when the crew started breakfast (served at 7 am). I went down to the Lonesome Caf© (?) and took a bunch of pictures of Mt. Lafayette as the sun rose. Unfortunately the photos are a poor reproduction of the real thing. At 7:45 am ¢ after the guests ate and the crew cleaned up ¢ I ate breakfast with the crew, packed up, and made some phone calls to Highlander II to let him know what time I started hiking (8:25 am). The 2.9-mile hike to Franconia Notch on Rt 3 was smooth. I arrived there at 10:05 am and left a message on H2¢s cell phone. At Rt 3, I realized that the Visitor Center was not where I thought it was and decided to take a ¢short cut¢ that turned out to be a lot of tough brush-whacking. To make a long story short¢¦ we finally connected about 2.5 hours later and had lunch. H2 helped with my laundry while I took a shower. After resupplying, Highlander II dropped me off on the AT where I had left off and he headed home. I was hiking at 4:45 pm. It was great to have him here, not to mention that he brought me a hiking pole to replace the one I snapped coming down Moosilauke on Wednesday. Thank you very much Highlander II. I reached the Liberty Springs Tent Site 2 h 15 min later where I set up my tent on a tent platform. It is 8:40 pm, getting colder, and time for bed. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-29
From: Liberty Spring Tent Site

To: Liberty Spring Tent Site
Miles today: 0.0

The day of my missing wallet. Mrs Trog saves the day! Today I discovered that my wallet was missing¢¦ and later found it. I thought it would be cold last night but it only got down to 60 °F in the tent ¢ very comfortable for sleeping. I was up at 6 am and while I was packing up discovered that my wallet was missing. I looked through all my equipment and around the tent site ¢ no wallet. I called Highlander II to ask him if I might have dropped it in his car yesterday but he had left for the day. Luckily, Mrs. Trog was home and graciously agreed to drive to H2¢s place to check in his car. In the meantime, I finished packing up and retraced my steps back down the mountain, finding nothing. I also investigated near the road where H2 dropped me off at the trailhead ¢ still no wallet. I hiked back to the Basin parking lot (another 1.5 mi) where we had stopped to get organized before H2 dropped me off. Nothing. I checked my phone and Mrs. T had left a voice mail ¢ she found my wallet in H2¢s car! I was elated ¢ the thought of trying to reconstitute all my IDs and other items in my wallet was frightening. Mrs. T agreed to drive the wallet to me (yes, she is a saint) at the hostel in Lincoln to where I would hitch a ride to meet her. Over the phone, I gave her instructions on how to use the Nuvi to navigate for her. She made it to the hostel at 12:15 pm. I repacked my things, we had lunch, and she dropped me off at the Franconia Notch Visitor Center and headed home. I walked the 1 mile back to the Trail and hiked the 2.6 mile, 2200 ft climb back to the Liberty Spring Tent Site where I am now set up ¢ again ¢ on a tent platform. Mrs. Trog, thank you for all your help today ¢ you are a lifesaver and I owe you!! Mrs. T says it was my lucky day (to have found the wallet) and I agree. My wallet is secure and will not be lost again. I look forward to resuming my trek through the dreaded White Mountains tomorrow morning. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-30
From: Liberty Spring Tent Site

To: Gale Head Hut
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

This morning I woke up at 6 am when my alarm went off. The night was clear with a large bright moon. Many stars were visible, as well as the planet Jupiter. The calm was punctuated by gusts of wind that I hoped would not persist during the day. I packed, filled my water bottles from the spring, and was hiking at 7 am. I crossed over Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette, and Garfield Mountains today. It was extremely windy on the ridge walks at times and a challenge just to stay upright. I was relieved to get through the windy spots. Both the ascents and descents were difficult and the going was slow overall ¢ 9.5 hours to complete the 10.4-mile section (just over 1 mile per hour). At 4:45 pm I arrived at the Galehead Hut where I am staying for the night. The views today were incredible as is the site of this Hut. Looking forward to a nice day tomorrow. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME
Date: 2010-08-31
From: Gale Head Hut

To: Stealth camp in Crawford Notch
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: fog

Today I finished the Franconia Range and made it past Crawford Notch. This morning I was up at 6:00 am, packed up, and was out helping set tables in the dining area at 6:15 am. Breakfast was served at 8 am and I was out hiking by 8:15 am in heavy fog. The hike started with a difficult 1400 ft climb to the summit of South Twin Mountain. It took me one h to go the 0.8 miles. After a while I caught up with Gin, a 65-year old retired computer programmer from IBM, and we hiked together. He recently completed an 84-hour ultra bike race where one day required a 275-mile ride. The hiking was not easy and although there were not long uphills, there were many short ones. I hiked into Zeeland Falls Hut at 1:20, stopping for a 30-minute lunch of PB & butter on hamburger buns with a bowl of minestrone soup, a glass of lemonade and a raspberry square. After a long downhill, I passed Crawford Notch and found a spot to stealth camp at 6:20 pm. The temperature was hot, up to 88 °F this afternoon. In the tent it is now 75 °F ¢ too hot for a sleeping bag. It is 8:40 pm and time to sleep. Just Trogging Along GA ---> ME