morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-08-08
From: Sherburne-Killington Motel; Killington, VT

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 16.6

Hiked 7:00-6:15. A really hard day. I knew it would be, judging by the vertical profile, but it was even worse than I thought it would be. No threat of rain, despite the forecast, but it was one rocky, steep up-and-down after another -- dark forest hiking with no views (one exception). Many of the mountains are relatively flat on top and covered with trees, so no views whatsoever. Southern Vermont is full of those. Needless to say, Vermont won¢t go down as one of my favorite states -- bad weather or no bad weather. Fortunately, I¢m only 25.7 miles from New Hampshire!I passed the 1700-mile mark today. Most of the southbounders are eager to remind me that the toughest part lies ahead of me (and behind them). I think they¢re a bit arrogant because they¢ve already done Maine and New Hampshire.Tonight¢s shelter count -- one section hiker (Sparkling Brook -- Dartmouth grad; headed for Cambridge, England for graduate school after this hike) and me. One southbound hiker tenting nearby.
Date: 2003-08-09
From: Wintturi Shelter

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

Hiked 7:15-4:00. What a discouraging day! If you checked out the M.P.H. for today, you¢d find it to be the slowest day of the entire trip (with yesterday probably the second slowest). Again, lots of steep ascents just totally wore me out. Very humid and sunny until a light rain started at 3:00. Unlike yesterday¢s hike, though, today¢s had some redeeming features -- lots of good views, some meadow hiking, pretty evergreen woods, not very rocky.Maybe this terrain will help get me ready for New Hampshire. I¢m pretty sure, though, that the 13.0 miles per day (including zero days) pace that I¢ve been able to maintain up until now is going by the wayside in the last two states -- unless I¢m able to do a lot of slack packing.It¢s odd that I haven¢t seen a deer since New York. Who knows why? The wildlife in Vermont has been chipmunks, toads, newts, and lots of grouse. Lots of moose ¢signs,¢ but no moose sightings yet.The New Hampshire border is only 14.1 miles away. Of course, at the rate I¢m going, it could take until October to get that far...I need a pepper upper.
Date: 2003-08-10
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Sunset Motor Inn; Hanover, NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked 6:30-3:00. This is the home of Dartmouth College.Only two states to go! This is another big psychological boost, finishing Vermont. I¢m just going to enjoy a zero day at this lovely, inexpensive motel room overlooking a small lake -- and not think about what lies ahead.Today¢s hike was quite a turnaround from yesterday¢s debacle. It rained all night and part of the morning, making it tolerably cool, though humid. The trail was not so steep and not so rocky. Lots of evergreen forest and walking on lovely, soft duff. Wonderful!I hit three trail towns today -- West Hartford, VT (where I had a big breakfast of bacon and eggs); Norwich, VT (where I bought lemonade and cookies from a kid¢s stand), and Hanover, NH (lovely college town).Rainy, humid weather is to continue for another couple of days. I¢ve been reading (in the registers) and listening to comments from hikers to this effect: I¢d rather be hiking in the rain than working or living at home. One hiker put it this way: ¢I¢d rather be doing this on the worst days than be stuck in a rectangle (cubicle) at work, then another rectangle (house) at home.¢ My answer to that would be, ¢The people I love and care about are in those rectangles, and that¢s why I¢d rather be there.¢It¢s a generalization, of course, but I¢d say most of the people out here are in transition (e.g. just out of college, between jobs, just divorced, etc.) or just aren¢t too happy at home. I¢m, by far, not the only exception to that (although you might say that I¢m in transition, too, having just retired).
Date: 2003-08-11
From: Sunset Motor Inn; Hanover, NH

To: Sunset Motor Inn; Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Very nice zero day! Because of the handy (typical New England) bus service, I didn¢t have the long walk into downtown. No laundromat (that I know of) in Hanover, but the motel owner let me use his washer and dryer. Plenty of time to relax, for a change. Hanover is a delightful college town.When I crossed the Connecticut River bridge yesterday, I not only went from Vermont to New Hampshire, but from a solid liberal, Democratic state to a conservative Republican (or maybe a ¢swing¢) state. Knowing that, I would have expected the A.T. in Vermont to have been paved, level, and dotted with free restaurants, lodging, and medical care every few miles. It was really quite the opposite, and I¢m thrilled to have it behind me.Here¢s the plan for New Hampshire. I¢ll hike four days in the normal manner (full pack). Then Rosie will be here for six days, so I can slack pack through much of the unbelievably rugged, beautiful White Mountains. This means she¢ll drop me at a road crossing and pick me up at another road crossing each day. We¢ll stay in a motel in centrally located Lincoln. This way, all I need to carry is water, snack food, and emergency cold weather/rain gear. This isn¢t as easy as it sounds because in a couple of cases, the road crossings are more than a day¢s hike apart, which means I¢ll have to take one of the many side trails to get to a road -- or stay in one of the ¢huts.¢ We¢ll work out the logistics when she gets here.The White Mountain ¢huts¢ cost 60 dollars per night, and it¢s difficult to get a bunk because they¢re booked months in advance, obviously not by thru-hikers. A thru-hiker can often (not always) stay there free under the ¢work and stay¢ plan. This means helping with the chores. Other shelters and campsites are infrequent on the A.T. in the White Mountains, requiring hikes down side trails.Very hot and humid today, with a little rain. I¢m glad I¢m not hiking.
Date: 2003-08-12
From: Sunset Motor Inn; Hanover, NH

To: Trapper John Shelter (NH)
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: light rain

Hiked 7:30-6:00. Looked like Vermont today -- rainy, humid, up-and-down, up-and-down, up-and-down -- so, again, I slipped, slid, and sloshed through 16.7 miles. Fell twice, once on my hands and once on my posterior.As I was climbing Moose Mountain in a pouring rain, I heard, ¢Hi, Chimpy!¢ about five feet behind me. You can imagine me jumping out of my shorts -- these guys need to give some sort of warning! I think they rather enjoy scaring us slow hikers. I think the next one who does that to me is gonna have to be admitted to the Dartmouth Medical Center for a trekking-polectomy...(just kidding -- ha-ha!).If I¢ve already explained the wet clothes dilemma, just attribute it to the many blows to the head I¢ve suffered on this trip. On humid days with or without rain, my shorts and shirt are gonna be wet when I get into camp. The best way to get them dry is to wear them, assuming that it¢s not too cold. When it¢s as humid as it¢s been lately, though, they aren¢t going to dry out, regardless, so I put on my ¢town shorts¢ and ¢town shirt¢ -- and hang the wet items on a line. The next morning I¢ll put on the wet clothes (yuck!) because whatever I wear is soon gonna be wet anyway. (I do have a second hiking shirt to put on after three or four days when the first one stinks so badly that I can¢t even stand it myself -- is this too much information?) If the weather is cold, of course, that plan isn¢t gonna work, which is why two wet days in a row can be problematic.Shelter count tonight: Four northbound thru-hikers; two southbound thru-hikers. The southbounders are married to each other. He¢s a graduate of the University of Findlay (Ohio) and she of Ohio Northern. Both recently graduated from the Ohio State University Veterinary School.
Date: 2003-08-13
From: Trapper John Shelter (NH)

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Hiked 6:45-4:30. Today¢s result doesn¢t bode well for the successful completion of the trek. You can see from the time and mileage how hard the hike was for me. Same old story -- rainy day, muddy, rocky -- but today there was one long, long ascent (Smart¢s Mountain), which just about killed me. I just don¢t seem to have the strength anymore -- and there are much worse ascents to come!I can¢t tell you how weak, physically and mentally, I felt during the hike. I was ready to book the next flight home. Amazingly, though, I always perk up upon reaching camp. This was especially true tonight because the water in the stream is deep enough (though cold) for a dip, which I took full advantage of.Rosie will be here Friday (day after tomorrow), so, hopefully, her presence and the slack packing will get me through the next few days. It¢ll be interesting, though, to see how it goes tomorrow and the next day, with some really tough terrain and having to still carry a full pack. Hopefully, I¢ll get stronger; if not, big trouble.Another concern: Knees are getting worse, especially the right one. Not a problem yet, but the trend isn¢t good.The sun came out late this afternoon, and I¢m told that the long string of rainy days is over. Sure hope so! Not to mention the morale factor, the trail today was as bad as I¢ve ever seen it. Mud in places was a foot deep! Even if the rain stops, it¢ll take a while for the trail to dry out. I¢m pretty bummed tonight, as you can tell.Shelter count: Three northbounders (¢NOBO¢s¢), three section hikers (all from Germany), two ¢SOBO¢s¢ (both flip-floppers), and about 15 tenters whose status I don¢t know.The ¢flip-floppers¢ hiked northbound from Springer Mountain (GA) to Front Royal, Virginia -- then somehow travelled to Katahdin and hiked southward -- not a bad plan -- all of the toughest states are behind them.
Date: 2003-08-14
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel; Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: few clouds

Hiked 7:00-5:30. Weather turned great today -- sunny, warm, not humid. Hope it lasts.Lovely views from Mount Cube (2909 feet), but after that, not much to talk about. I¢m still so slow, even slower than usual. I wonder why that is. Could be some sort of health problem. Could be my body is just worn out. Could be psychosomatic; i.e. my body knows that I really want to go home.The good news is that Rosie will be here tomorrow night. The bad news is that I have to climb Mount Moosilauke (with a full pack) tomorrow. That¢s a climb from 1140 feet to 4802 feet -- steep ascent and steep descent -- by far the toughest climb I¢ve had since North Carolina -- and there are plenty more to come. It¢ll be really interesting to see how I handle that! The altitude profile for tomorrow¢s hike looks positively scary!This hostel is overflowing with hikers tonight -- SOBO¢s, NOBO¢s, and section hikers. Reminds me of why I try to avoid hostels -- nothing but hiker talk all evening long.There were more than 20 people in and around the shelter last night, too, so I presume things are going to get crowded in the White Mountains. Luckily, I¢ll be staying in a motel with my lovely wife. I¢m a fortunate man!
Date: 2003-08-15
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel; Glencliff, NH

To: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked 6:15-4:00. One mile per hour sounds pretty pathetic, eh? Actually, it was a very good day -- basically one humongous climb up Mount Moosilauke and one long, treacherous, steep descent. I felt good, weather was great, and views from the mountain top were just fantastic.The descent was a success, just because I didn¢t break any bones! It¢d be really interesting to know how many people have been injured on that descent, because it was the scariest one I¢ve ever done. In bad weather, it would¢ve been impossible for me. As it was, I took it very slowly and cautiously.The top of Mount Moosilauke is above tree line and is simply gorgeous! Tree line is a matter of more than elevation. For example, Clingman¢s Dome (North Carolina) is the highest point on the A.T., but isn¢t above tree line. Many of the White Mountain peaks are above tree line, which is what makes them spectacular.I¢m a happy guy today. Weather is great, scenery is wonderful, I felt much stronger, and Rosie will be here shortly!
Date: 2003-08-16
From: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH

To: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

Hiked 7:15-7:45 -- Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch. My first day of slack packing, and it really felt great, especially on the uphills. That was about the only good thing about the day, though. This was as rugged a section as I¢ve ever encountered in my life! So many difficult-to-negotiate descents and so many ascents requiring the use of my hands to pull myself up. Just awful!As I was scrambling up a long, steep grade to get to the top of Mount Kinsman in a thunderstorm, I was one scared fella, but when I finally reached the top, the sky suddenly cleared, presenting a great view. I just thanked God for his wonderful creation -- and for getting me up there safely so I could see it.I was walking on rocks virtually all day, and my toes, feet, and knees are all in pain now. I may have to take tomorrow off. My heart certainly isn¢t in this thing after today¢s torture. I know the White Mountains aren¢t all this bad, so perhaps I¢ll get a chance to recover.
Date: 2003-08-17
From: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH

To: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Took the day off to let my feet and knees recover. Fun day.I learned from yesterday¢s experience that my average daily mileage will go down significantly the next few days, with or without full pack. The A.T. is so tough here, and without pack I have to put in extra miles on side trails to get to a road from the A.T. -- or vice versa. So what do I gain by slack packing? Valuable time with Rosie and a motel room every night.Let me explain the A.T. sections in New Hampshire and how I¢ll handle them:(1) VT/NH border to Glencliff (43.9 miles) -- done already.(2) Glencliff to Kinsman Notch (9.5 miles) -- done already.(3) Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch (super-hard 16.3 miles) -- done (slack packed).(4) Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch (27.7 miles) -- to do after Rosie leaves -- logistics don¢t lend themselves to slack packing in this section.(5) Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch (26.0 miles) -- will slack pack in three days while Rosie is here, starting tomorrow.(6) Pinkham Notch to Route 2 near Gorham (21.1 miles) -- will do after (4) above. Full pack.(7) Route 2 near Gorham to Maine border (16.5 miles) -- will do after (6) above. Full pack. I¢ll be really excited if I make it through all of that! There are some really scary looking (and gorgeous) mountains in there.
Date: 2003-08-18
From: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH

To: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: moderate rain

Hiked 8:00-2:45. Also hiked an additional 2.9 miles down to the road to meet Rosie.Interesting day. The section from Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch, which I started today, is called the Presidential Range, with mountains named after Presidents and other famous statesmen. For example, there¢s Webster, Jackson, Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin, Monroe, Washington, Clay, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. (Mountains Lincoln, Cleveland, and Lafayette are in other parts of the White Mountains.)Most of them are above tree line, with fantastic views. The weather in the Mount Washington area is the worst in America, though, and can be extremely dangerous.I did Webster, Jackson, Pierce, and Eisenhower today -- and all four were just awesome!Note: Some maps have changed the name of Mount Pierce to Mount Clinton. I don¢t know the story behind this. I can¢t imagine a mountain in the Presidential Range being named for Bill Clinton so soon after his term in office. I expect that it¢s named after another Clinton.Some rain today, but, fortunately, not much. I don¢t want to be in the Presidentials in bad weather. I¢ll still be in the Presidentials tomorrow and the next day. Weather forecast is good.I¢ve now hiked more than 1800 A.T. miles.
Date: 2003-08-19
From: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH

To: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: few clouds

Hiked 8:15-4:45. Also hiked an additional 2.9-mile trail to the A.T. and a 3.7-mile trail from the A.T. for a total of 15.6 miles, with actual hiking time 6:30-7:30. So you can see it was a very tough day. Not just typical White Mountains brutality, but an unbelievable two-mile stretch of rockslide walking that just about killed me (not literally, but you get the idea). My right knee is at its worst tonight.On the bright side, the views were the most spectacular yet. This isn¢t true of Mount Washington, which was covered by fog, but is true of Clay, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison.Mount Washington (6288 feet) is a phenomenal place, advertised as having the ¢worst weather in the world.¢ It has recorded the highest land windspeed ever (231 M.P.H.). To illustrate, while I was up there today, the wind was blowing so hard, it was difficult to stand up. It was also foggy and cold (40 degrees), although down here it was 80 degrees and sunny. There¢s an exhibit in the visitors center listing all 136 people who have died up there -- hikers, skiers, etc. A trip to the top (by hiking, driving, or cog railway) is well worth it if you¢re ever in the area.My body and mind continue to take a beating from these mountains, and I¢m worried. My objective now is just to make it to Maine and reevaluate at that point. This will take about another week -- much longer than I ever anticipated. Although slack packing here is not gaining any A.T. miles for me (due to the roads being so far from the trail), it has allowed me the luxury of motel, restaurants, and much-needed time with my lovely wife. It¢s also made the ascents easier and probably made the descents a little less painful for knees and toes. It¢ll be interesting to see how I feel in full pack after tomorrow.
Date: 2003-08-20
From: Drummer Boy Motel; Lincoln, NH

To: Marriot Courtyard; Waltham, MA
Miles today: 7.8

Hiked 9:30-4:45 (in addition to a 3.7-mile hike from the road to the A.T.). I¢m sure you hoped for a happier ending than this. I certainly did. The long, steep, rockslide descent from Mount Madison finished off my knees, especially the right one. Sharp pain in both (as opposed to the dull ache I¢m accustomed to) told me for sure that Pinkham Notch would have to be the end of the line. The descents were becoming just too painful to tolerate for the remaining 343 miles.I¢m sure some will say, ¢You¢ve gone 1826 miles; surely, you could find a way to go that additional 343.¢ Think about that -- climbing and descending 343 miles, with all of the descents in pain at a snail¢s pace. I¢m not that tough.So how do I feel having to give up this longtime dream, only 84 percent completed? Truth to tell, not bad at all! After 144 days, I¢m so happy to be going home! I wanted to learn what an A.T. thru-hike was like. That was my main goal all along, and I¢ve done that. Still, I¢m sad that the A.T. was too much for me in the end.Will I complete the hike at some point in the future? Maybe so, but today I have no strong desire to do that. It¢d be somewhat anticlimactic, of course, and not really a part of the true ¢thru-hiking experience.¢I feel bad, most of all, for you who have supported me through this experience -- by notes and other ¢mail magic,¢ by your comments to Rosie, and by just showing up as another log-in count on the website. Thanks so much for your encouragement -- I wouldn¢t have come nearly this far without it. It¢s been quite an adventure. I hope you enjoyed riding along.Note: For an excellent fast read about a similar thru-hike attempt, read Jean Deeds¢s book There are Mountains to Climb. Jean¢s way of hiking was much more typical and will provide a good contrast to my way of doing it. For a truly fun read about a thru-hike attempt, try Bill Bryson¢s A Walk in the Woods.Note: The reason we¢re in Waltham is that Rosie¢s employer (my former employer) has an office there, and Rosie needed to be there for business reasons.Note: Jim did indeed go back and finish the trail in 2004. The following pages are taken from his 2004 journal.*************************************************
Date: 2004-08-16
From: Marriot Courtyard; Waltham, MA

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

Hiked 8:45-6:00. I¢m back in the saddle again! Or -- more accurately -- carrying the saddle again. It feels good!Tough day, though. A little bit of everything -- long uphill to the top of Mount Lafayette (5249 feet), ridge walking up there, and then lots of downhill. Very hard -- especially for a guy not in backpacking condition.Also climbed Mount Lincoln and Mount Garfield. Much hiking above tree line, but not many great views -- mostly cloudy. I¢m glad I did some practice backpacking, because my legs feel pretty strong, amazingly.It spit rain off and on today, but nothing serious until just now. I¢m so glad to be in the shelter!At about 5:30, while I was staggering along, I met a young man and a young lady who were doing the ¢hut traverse.¢ This is hitting every White Mountain hut in one day! That¢s 52 miles (eight huts) -- and about the toughest miles you can imagine. They started out at 1:00 AM, and, when I saw them, had 12 or 13 miles to go. (I later found out that they made it -- in 20 1/2 hours!!! So much for my machismo...)
Date: 2004-08-17
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 9.7

Hiked 7:00-5:15. Eight guys in the shelter last night (no thru-hikers but me, although I¢m not sure that the definition of ¢thru-hiker¢ includes people who do it in two years). There were two big-time snorers, so I didn¢t sleep much, which was too bad, as we¢ll soon see...Three of the guys were young orthodox Jewish boys. This morning they were all praying and reading the scriptures, complete with prayer shawls; also those little boxes they wear on their foreheads (I can¢t think what those are called); and the strap they wrap around their arm.The weather turned great this afternoon, with splendid views. That was the only good thing about the day.It was a real tester. All rocky ups and downs. My body (knees, ankles, legs, back) stood up well to the test, but it just totally wore me out!I explained this before, but let me reiterate the story on the White Mountain ¢huts.¢ A hut is a very nice hostel. The guests sleep in dormitory-style bunk beds, and they get dinner and breakfast. No showers. The cost is about 80 dollars (not 60 dollars, as I said previously). Reservations are usually necessary well in advance because of the large number of hikers; this means that thru-hikers won¢t be staying in the huts, not that they¢d pay that much anyway.The exception is the ¢work and stay¢ plan -- especially for thru-hikers. You help with the chores -- you sleep and eat free! There are only a limited number of chores, so not all thru-hikers are accommodated. I¢m taking advantage of ¢work and stay¢ tonight. Zealand Falls Hut has a waterfall beside it, which many (including me) use in lieu of a shower. The hut also has a magnificent view of the Presidential Range. Very nice! I need it -- I¢m a whipped puppy.Much of yesterday¢s and today¢s route was familiar from a hike I took several years ago with Rosie. She should have charged me with spousal abuse for making her hike this stuff! I apologize, Hon.
Date: 2004-08-18
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Wills Inn; Bartlett, NH
Miles today: 7.7

Hiked 9:30-1:45. Late start because I had to do my chore -- shaking out blankets.(A couple of pages of the journal are missing here, so I¢ll tell you what little I remember from this day.)The last few miles down to Crawford Notch were pretty easy, as I recall. Having already completed the next section (Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch) last year, I needed to do some hitchhiking to get over to Pinkham Notch. A young female Presbyterian rector gave me a ride to here (Bartlett) where I¢m spending the night. She promised to pick me up in the morning and take me the rest of the way to Pinkham Notch.