morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-09
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5

Great day! It was sunny and cool, and the terrain was relatively easy going as I hiked over Wolf Mountain. I started the day by having a mountain man¢s breakfast at Peg¢s Restaurant in North Woodstock.*What does a mountain men¢s breakfast consist of?I then took the shuttle to Kinsman Notch. ¢Teddy Bear¢ (whom I met at Hexacuba) was just starting off when I arrived; we hiked together on and off all day long. ¢Teddy Bear¢ is from Smyrna, Georgia (near Atlanta). He is a retired civil engineer. He and I were joined for lunch by ¢Monkey Socks¢ (a 20-something, who hiked the AT in 2002 and again 2004 and is now doing the section from Delaware Water Gap to Katahdin). The day went quickly, and ¢Teddy Bear¢ and I arrived at Eliza Brook Shelter around 3:30pm. The brook runs alongside the shelter and is probably the clearest water I have ever seen - it is beyond transparent. As the evening progressed other AT hikers joined us at the shelter . Up until a few minutes ago, everyone here tonight is of the ¢older set¢ ¢ ¢Teddy Bear¢, The Four-Pack (from Hexacuba), ¢GooGoo¢, ¢Castanette¢, ¢Aussie¢, and ¢Wingheart,¢ who is now without his two kids. ¢Dirty Ernie¢(who was in the room next to me last night at the Carriage Motel - Ernie is doing a ¢flip-flop,¢ having started at Springer and walked to Harper¢s Ferry before jumping to Katahdin and heading south back to Harper¢s Ferry, which is only 30 miles from his home). ¢Lone Wolf¢(whom I met yesterday in the rain on Moosilauke) is also here, and now ¢Ernie¢s¢ hiking buddy, ¢Dr. Doom¢ (who is the non-geriatric representative of the crowd) has arrived. ¢Lucky¢ and his brother, ¢Pack Rat¢, just arrived, as did ¢Radar¢ and ¢Alpine Strider¢ Good folks, all. It is not yet 7:00 pm, and I am ready for bed. The sound of the brook about 15 feet below the small prominence where I pitched my tent under some very tall trees is mesmerizing - excellent ¢white noise.¢ It was so pleasant to be in the sunshine and to be treated to several views of the ¢road ahead¢ this afternoon - views of Kinsman Mountain (north and south peaks), Lincoln, Lafayette, and the great White Mountains beyond. Now time for sleep.
Date: 2007-08-12
From: The Green Leaf Hut

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 6.7

One thing should be known about the AMC huts here in the White Mountains - they sure do feed you well! Breakfast was excellent and big (oatmeal, eggs, coffee, fresh-baked coffee cake, juice - all the ingredients for which are carried on the backs of the crew up the trail twice per week). I left the Green Leaf Hut in the sunshine at 8:00 am and reconnected with the AT in the clouds covering Lafayette at 9:00 am. As I started down the trail on my next day¢s journey, I looked back and saw that the clouds on the summit had cleared. But, the idea of climbing back up to enjoy the view from the summit of Lafayette never crossed my mind. Once I was on my way toward my sixth 4,000 footer (Mount Garfield), there was no going back. I arrived at the summit of Mount Garfield at noon and was treated (for the first time!) with sunshine and a wonderful view of where I had been and where I was going. After two spam and cheese wraps (you will not find those in very many delis in New York City!), I fell sound asleep stretched out on the rocks in the sunshine before enjoying the leisurely two-hour hike to Gale Head Hut, where I cleaned up, enjoyed another excellent dinner, and held my own in a fun game of Scrabble with Vick, Lisa, and Rona. Vick teaches Russian, and Lisa teaches German at Phillips Andover Academy. They are bunking in the same room with me tonight in the Hut (very, very nice couple). Rona is here as part of her New England vacation with her husband, Joshua, who chose not to participate in our game.As per the policy of the huts, lights go out at 9:30 pm, which is none too soon for this weary cowboy. I have to admit, I am enjoying this section of the trail immensely, but I am feeling somewhat anxious about the distances I have to cover in the next few days. Tomorrow will be the last of my ¢short days¢ before I really have to start to humping it to get in the miles I need to.But ¢let¢s not borrow tomorrow¢s problems today.¢
Date: 2007-08-13
From: Galehead Hut

To: Zealand Halls Hut
Miles today: 7.0

The rain stopped part of the way up the 1,000-foot climb to the top of South Swing today. The big cloud that covered the Trail persisted. South Swing was my seventh peak about 4,000 feet in New Hampshire and the sixth without any view whatsoever. Rather than the White Mountains these should be called the ¢White Out Mountains,¢ as far as I am concerned. After that first climb, the rest of the day was mostly ¢downhill.¢ The rain had made the footing slick and the going slow. I slipped and fell three times as a result, and I heard something go ¢pop¢ in the left lower leg during one of my tumbles. It does not hurt so much when I walk, but it does ache pretty good now that I am off of it, even though I soaked it a couple of times in the brook next to the hut. Bummer! (Double bummer especially with some long, difficult days in front of me - the real ¢test match¢ of the trip is about to begin). In spite of the bumps and bangs and depressing start to the day, however, it was far from a waste of time. The sun came out for a while, and I was treated to a glorious vista of Zealand Notch and the first eight miles I will be covering tomorrow, which are quite benign. As quickly as it appeared, the sun then disappeared, and I almost beat a thunderstorm to the hut - but not quite. (That means I got wet but not drenched). I ate tuna and cheese wraps on the porch, and before I was finished the sun was back out, and so were six fat garter snakes that, like me, were eager to dry off in the sun in front of the hut. Not that they are necessarily bad company, but I decided to move away and through the area which the Zealand Brook courses and tumbles and splits and races. After soaking my foot, I promptly fell asleep on the warm rock (just like the garter family) for nearly an hour. That nap was so inspiring, I went into the bunkroom and curled up for another hour before dinner. Once again (as at the other huts) the food was excellent and the company very engaging. With coffee cup in hand, at the zenith of Zealand Falls, I marveled at the beauty of this countryside in the fading light. One hundred feet below where I am sitting is a beaver pond surrounded by silver birches and evergreens, and beyond that is a ridge of Boreal Forest with peaks topped in white granite. The clouds to the west are pink. Rain, clouds, sun, aches, pains, and unequaled beauty - it is all just part of a day on the AT. I am planning on an early start tomorrow because I have 14 miles to go to reach Mispah Spring Hut and I want to get myself organized for a quick getaway (that¢ll be the day!).Good nite.
Date: 2007-08-18
From: Pinkham Notch Camp (Joe Dodge Lodge)

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0

After breakfast in the Visitor¢s center with ¢Teddybear,¢ I took the AMC shuttle into Gorham and checked into the Royalty Inn for a ¢Zero Day.¢ ¢Teddybear¢ and ¢BooBoo¢ are both staying on at Pinkham Notch because of the weather. While it is gray and rainy down here in the valley, but it is 33 degrees with a 90 mph wind blowing up on top of Mt. Washington, which has caused the cancellation of a major bicycle event much to the disappointment of a lot of people who came from all over to participate. The AMC provides nice accommodations for anyone who wants to ¢work-for-stay¢ (I call it the ¢work-release¢ program), so ¢Teddybear¢, ¢BooBoo¢, and others will be doing trail maintenance or kitchen cleanup work instead of ¢chillin¢ out¢ like me on their zero day. My ¢chillin¢ out¢ included doing laundry, menu planning, collecting and sorting the drop boxes I sent here, shopping for replacement items, napping, eating, and that is about it. The napping was the best part. So, now for more napping - big napping - I am off to bed for the evening.
Date: 2007-11-16
To: Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Bumpo¢s Turkey Trot is going to happen!I don¢t really believe it, but I am heading back to the Trail. When I realized that my kids already had other family commitments, I said, ¢What the heck?¢ (or a reasonable facsimile of that old expression) and started to look at what I might be able to do to close the gap I have between Trout Creek, Virginia (southwest of Catawba in the Roanoke area) and Davenport Gap, which is at the northern end of the Smokies. I soon settled on the Trout Creek toward Pearisburg piece of the Trail, or as much of it as I can accomplish with six days off I have over the Thanksgiving holiday week. The reason I chose this section was because I could drive to it more easily, and by doing so I could visit my sister both coming and going (or more accurately, while going and coming home). Today I am en route to my sister¢s house via Cove Gap, PA, where I stored my gear at my business partner¢s mother¢s house. My plan is to pick up my three plastic storage bins of loot (gear, food, replacement parts, clothing, sundries, and maybe even some artificial limbs, etc.,) and take them on my drive to New Market, Virginia, where my sister lives, to where I can go through them and sort out what I need. When there I hope to catch up with my two nephews, Tom (who was with me at Springer in 2004 when I started all of this hiking business) and John. Tom¢s younger son, Luke (age 15 months) will also be there. I look forward to seeing them all. But most of all, I look forward to having some solo time in the woods.
Date: 2007-11-17
To: Huffman House B&B, Huffman, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Most of today was spent on my sister¢s porch sorting through gear ¢ ¢go or stay; go or stay?¢ ¢Besides deciding what to bring for meals, snacks, etc¢¦ Her husband, sons, and grandson all left around 9:00 am this morning, so she and I spent several hours together, which was very nice. We did not have any deep brother/sister conversations, but we did have a very pleasant and peaceful time together. It has been a long, long time since the two of us have had that much time with each other without others being surrounded by others and the commotion that goes along with so many in one place at one time. Before leaving for the Huffman House around 4 o¢clock this afternoon I placed a call to ¢Grasshopper¢ with whom I hiked for a while in the Whites this past summer. I was happy to hear that he, ¢M&M¢ and ¢Two Dogs¢ had finished their Thru Hikes on Sept 15th under perfect conditions. Hooray! The Huffman House is a B&B owned by Carol and Ron Baker that I read about in the Appalachian Trail Companion. Ron and Carol did a Thru Hike in 1999 (before they bought this farm in VA!) and have been very accommodating in making my arrangements to stay and hiking plans. On my way to the Huffman House, I stopped at an outfitter, a Kroger (grocery store), and a Wal-Mart for the necessary sundries, and then at a Mexican restaurant in Daleville. I had, had dinner there one night the summer before last while I was hiking through this region. It is now 10:00 pm, and I am about to shut the lights out, hoping I got everything packed that I need. It is in the low 30s outside, and that is really cold! I wonder what tomorrow will hold...?
Date: 2007-11-21
From: John's Creek Valley (VA 156)

To: Stony Creek (VA 635)
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

After another of Carol's wonderful breakfasts, Ron drove me around the mountain to the intersection of the AT and VA 156. In case you're looking for it on a map, it's about a half a mile beyond where the pavement gives out, across the road from several empty hunting tents and trailers and more than a half dozen pick-up trucks... the owners of which were all in the woods looking for something to shoot at (hopefully it wouldn't be me) .The day was warm again (I really lucked out with the weather!) and mostly sunny. And I made good time to Wind Rock where I perched on its edge and enjoyed my lunch overlooking the valley to the west. While the first half of the day was quite uneventful and afforded quality time for more conversations with ¢HP,¢ (my higher power) the afternoon's Trail was more like being back in PA than in VA with many pointy (and slippery) rocks hidden beneath a blanket of leaves. These conditions (plus the fact that I had spotted a snake earlier in the day which meant that I wasn't the only one enjoying the warm weather!) forced me to pay more attention to what I was doing and where I placed my feet. Additionally, other than my lunch spot, there were no views or vistas to behold and so most of the day's hike was just that -- a hike. Without company (at least of the human type that usually acknowledges, and occasionally answers, the questions I pose) the hike started to become a bit tedious. By the time I stopped at the Bailey Gap Shelter to sign-in and enjoy a snack, I was getting eager to call it a day. I arrived at the appointed spot on VA 635 about 15 minutes before Ron showed up in my rental car to drive me back to the Huffman House where I showered, changed and headed out to the 6:00 pm massage I had scheduled for myself with a massage therapist named Janna; whose brochure I had found in the foyer of the B&B. Two hours later and feeling very relaxed I stumbled back in the door of the Huffman House to be treated to two bowls of Ron's home-made venison chili -- dee-lish! While en route to my massage, I heard that tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, is supposed to be colder with showers which means the Trail will not only be empty of ALL human forms (hikers and hunters, both!), but it could be very treacherous, particularly if the wet leaves are covering rocks like those encountered this afternoon. A little while later (I think it was somewhere between Janna's work on my aching calves and my screaming quads), the notion that possibly the smartest thing I could do tomorrow would be to pack up my car and head up to my sister's house to pay a surprise visit on them in time for Turkey dinner, rather than press on with any further AT hiking for now. Right now, being snuggled in under a handmade quilt with a belly full of venison chili and unknotted muscles from my massage, listening to the pitter-pat of light rain on the farmhouse bedroom window outside, that sure sounds like a pretty darn good idea to me!
Date: 2008-07-01
To: Headin' Out on the Fly
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Imagine, if you can, what three months of exam week would be like... literally 15 to 17 hour days, seven days a week since the end of March. The purpose of such craziness has been to finish the manuscript of "The Right Leader: Selecting Leaders Who Fit" -- a business trade book to be published this fall-winter by John Wiley and Sons (Release Date: January 5, 2009.) We signed a contract before last I had left on last fall¢s Section Hike in VA, and with it my life changed although unknowingly at the time.Yesterday at noon I turned in the manuscript to the publisher... all 95,016 words, 14 chapters, 24 figures, 4 tables, 3 appendixes and one big partridge in a pear tree! To celebrate the event I took the Crenshaw Team (my work cohorts) my co-author, Claire Wyckoff and the Wiley publisher and his wife out for dinner on the World Yacht. We celebrated as it steamed us around the New York Harbor. We all donned black tee-shirts and tan baseball caps with imprints of The Right Leader jacket cover on them and made merry!Not being one to ever let the moss grow on a resting stone, today I've got out my Appalachian Trail books and am looking to see what I can do to get my butt up to Maine for a stolen week of rejuvenation in the woods. I wasn't sure I'd really get all that much time in to hike this year (if any!) so I'm inclined to grab what I can.Stay posted!! More to come. Bumpo's back (well, almost!)
Date: 2008-07-03
From: NYC at Home

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0

A rare moment of mature judgment --While taking a break from frantically running around trying to get organized for another day on the Trail a friend asked me "Why?""Why what?""Why kill yourself trying to get there tomorrow? Why not go to bed, sleep in, organize leisurely tomorrow and drive to Maine the next day, rested and ready?"She was absolutely right, so I followed her suggestion and, 24 hours later after a good night's sleep, a nap, and a movie, I am now ready and organized to head to the Trail.
Date: 2008-07-04
From: New York City

To:  East Andover, Maine 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Up early and after a quick shower and breakfast I packed the car and headed north. The early start was prudent, as it afforded me a chance to get some miles in on I-95 and then north on I-91 to Hartford before the Fourth of July traffic began to build. I was in Maine by noontime and decided that I may as well stick to my ¢take it easy and relax¢ approach for yet another day. So I headed into town to begin this year¢s section where Jack and I left off last year ¢ on Long Warf in Portland eating a delicious lobster dinner. I took a nap in the front seat of the car, did a little shopping after my delightful afternoon lobster meal, and then headed north to East Andover and "Bear" and "Honey¢s" Cabin. I arrived at the cabin just in time to join them for dinner (my first ear of fresh corn on the cob could not be resisted!) and then to fiddle with my gear, pack my pack, run an errand to buy a water bottle, and prepare for whatever may lie ahead for me. I am sleeping in the bunk room with four others. As soon as it gets just a bit darker, I plan to have my head on the pillow and be sound asleep for the duration.
Date: 2008-07-06
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Spalding Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.2

Today I met up once again, with the couple whom I met yesterday while having lunch at the top of North Crocker Mountain and with whom I leap-frogged hiked several times this morning. They were at Crocker Cirque Campsite last night and saved my tent site for me. This morning when my lighter quit (to light my stove), they gave me one of theirs. ¢G-Berry¢ and ¢Moose River¢ are very nice people. They are locals like many of the others on the Trail this long weekend, although Moose River did a Thru-Hike 14 years ago. Their Australian sheepdog, Katie, took a liking to me (or was it the pepperoni I gave her?), as she would tip her head back and howl a greeting whenever I approached them during today¢s hike.The morning was fairly typical ¢ mostly up (it¢s always that way it seems!), and concentrating on keeping moving ¢ one step at a time as they say. There was not was much sightseeing to be done. After my post-luncheon nap on the picnic table on the porch of the Summit House at Sugar Loaf Mountain, I cruised two of the prettiest miles of trail I have seen for a while. The Trail was recently maintained, and so there were no overlapping bushes along its sides. The footing was soft pine needles and very few rocks. Those that were there were covered in fluorescent green lichen or a deep Kelly Green moss. Ferns waved in the breezes, and the Silver Birches that interspersed the fragrant Spruces sparkled in the sun. I arrived at the lean-to around 4:15 pm, and it is now 8:00 pm. It looks like I will be the only one here tonight. To kill time, I did ALL of the little camp things ¢ I hung up my sweaty clothes on a line I had strung in the sunshine between trees; I heated water down by the stream and took a peppermint soak sponge bath, rinsing with cold mountain stream water (now that¢s ¢bracing¢ as they say!); I treated my water, set up my tent inside the shelter in case it rains and to avoid mosquitoes, and prepared my dinner ¢ freeze dried spaghetti with meatballs and a can of salmon salad. I read and signed the Shelter Journal and was delighted to find that it is the same one that was here last year at this time, complete with entries from ¢Two Dogs¢, ¢BooBoo¢, ¢Castanets¢, ¢Gandolph¢, and many other names I recognized. I am now enjoying my tea and cookies, listening to a song bird somewhere in the woods directly in front of the shelter. Being on the east side of Spalding Mountain, the sun has already retreated from the shelter, but it will remain light until close to 9. I hope to be long asleep by then, However, as I pen those last words, a NOBO, doing a flip-flop (hiking north, starting at the James River in Virginia, and then after reaching Katahdin will return to his starting point and head south to Springer) comes strolling into the shelter. His name is ¢Off-Season,¢ and I now have some company. More later.
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Spalding Mountain Shelter

To: 1 mile south of Poplar Ridge Lean-To 
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

So, here I am, about 300 feet from the summit of Jr. Saddleback Mountain and about 100 yards above a natural spring that crosses the Trail. My tent is set up, and I am organized for the evening, hoping that rumors of thunderstorms do not become reality. I decided to ¢stealth camp¢ (an AT term for staying in the woods rather than at developed campsites or shelters, which are called lean-to¢s here in Maine). The reason I am stealth camping is for a couple of reasons: One, it is adventuresome, and it has been a while since I went off into the woods for a night all by myself. It is also a challenge of sorts. Secondly, it knocks a mile off of tomorrow¢s hike, which should get me into town sooner to do laundry and shop for replenishments. Thirdly, I made really good time this morning coming over Lone Mountain. ¢Off Season¢ was pleasant company last night, and at my request he got us up early. I was on the trail by 7:30am and hiked pretty well (although I ran out of gas coming up the 2000 foot climb onto Poplar Ridge, which, incidentally, does not have a single Poplar tree on it whatsoever. Lastly, when I got to Poplar Ridge Lean-To, there was a very strange woman hiker ¢zeroing¢ there who would not (or could not) keep from talking. I made hot lunch for myself and rested a bit, but I had to leave to keep from having to listen to anymore of her prattle. She was nice enough, but I will take the solitude of the woods, thank you. The high point of today¢s hike was the mile or so coming down Lone Mountain where the trail parallels Sluice Creek. It was such a perfect mountain stream that towards the bottom boils down a 2 foot wide sluiceway that it cut for itself out of solid granite for several hundred yards. At the end of the sluice it throws itself off a crock precipice to become a surprise waterfall ¢ what a treat! Since I started writing this journal entry this evening, I have cooked and eaten a small portion of mac and cheese pilfered from my home cache of Nutri-System dinners. I hmade tea, washed my face with a bag, brushed my teeth, and picked 30 or more of my namesakes (the Gnatty really Natty!) out of my tea. Maybe I should leave them there for some extra protein? It is only 7:00 pm and will not be dark until 9:00 pm, but I will not be able to stay up that long tonight. I am pooped and need my rest. Tomorrow, I have three steep climbs to get over Saddleback Jr., The Horn, and Saddleback Mountain. That adds up to 1800 feet of rocky, steep faces all above tree line, after which I have five miles of descent to Route 4, where I will be picked up by Bob O¢Brien, who runs the Gull Pond Lodge. I was thinking about seeing if my cell phone works here in the woods and calling somebody, but that kind of defeats the stealth adventure somewhat, and I am not sure who to call anyway. Hmmm... Maybe that explains why I am out here in the woods by myself in the first place?!