morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-05
From: Kay Wood Lean-To

To: Cheshire, MA P.O.
Miles today: 11.8

Miles: 11.8Total: 1562.6Woke up really late and really lethargic, due to last night's late-night hike. I felt like butt, yet managed to pack up and drag myself down the mountain, into Dalton. Stopped at the post office, then onto eat. The Dalton Restaurant served mammoth-sized portions. I got it all down though, and the waitress was impressed. We got out of town around two, and it was about then that I checked the Wingfoot book and realized that I had a thousand foot climb ahead, and then a seventeen-hundred footer. I would be climbing most of Greylock tonight.I stopped for water four miles out, where Lady caught up. She'd decided to stop up in Cheshire for the night, and try to take a few zeros, to heal her left hip. Said that it didn't always hurt, but that it was all that she could think about. And what was the point of taking zeros later, if she was hurting now?Sat there by the water until four, at which time I realized I had ten more miles, and that it would take me almost until dark. So I took off and flew.I might not see Lady again, and so I would push my own miles, and hope they would bring me up to catch the guys again. But by the time I got to Cheshire, still running on six hours of sleep, I was beat. Thought, to hell with it, this is my hike, and I'm staying here. I was feeling pretty down. Hotfoot dropped, Tapeworm is off, and now Lady is talking about not finishing. And, as my day was going, the church hostel was locked, and there was no sign of anyone. Tried to call the priest, and no answer. Checked my messages, and there was one from Mike of BobMikeBob. They'd taken an extra zero, and then gotten sick, so instead of being two days behind, now they were up to a week back. I probably won't see them until Katahdin, if then. Please, somebody, kick me. I felt very lost and sad. Couldn't decide if I should push on four more miles (and 1700 feet), or wait for Lady. So I walked back to the park, where the trail turned. And what sat there but Bean and Nathan's packs. They should have been at least a half day ahead, so I waited there to hear what was up.About fifteen minutes later, I was in a van on our way back to Dalton. Bean and Nathan had stayed the previous night with this trail angel. They had been sick, but hiked out regardless and had the most miserable nine miles of the trail yet for them.So they got to Cheshire and called Rob, who came to get them. I hopped in, leaving a note for Lady on the message board to call.I feel kinda bad. She's the one who needed the break, and I'm the one sleeping in a bed tonight, watching tv and eating blueberry sorbet. Hopefully I will catch her tomorrow and give her Rob's number.
Date: 2003-07-05
From: zealand Falls Hut

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: moderate rain

Miles: 14.1Total:Woke up early as people began to move in and out of the bathrooms below us. Looked outside and: BLUE SKIES!!! Packed, wrote some journals, chowed on some breakfast and did some cleaning before heading out.The first five miles were a cakewalk. I guess the trail followed an old railroad track for a while. Saw Cliffdweller at the road, and from there on out, we were climbing and scrambling. Up into the Presidentials, over Mt. Webster and Mt. Jackson. Down to the hut.I've done my chores (set tables, leared tables, cleaned the fridge, etc.) and had my dinner. Not a particularly eventful day, but it was beautiful all the way through. And I am feeling very uninhibited, unconstrained, unstressed. Very free. I feel like I could stand on one of those cliffs I crossed today, spread my arms out and fall forward, and I feel like someone would catch me.I still miss my friends, though, and I suppose this will be a daily struggle.
Date: 2003-07-06
From: Cheshire, MA P.O.

To: Mt. Greylock
Miles today: 7.7

Miles: 7.7Total: 1570.3Started the day lazy, lazy. I guess you could argue that I ended it that way too.Grabbed breakfast, again at the Dalton Restaurant, with Bean and Nathan. Returned to the house, layed around, sent some email, took a nap on the floor with Tinker, Rob's dog.Talked to Rob a lot, looked through his album of last year's hikers, heard a lot of stories and a few songs. The guy is really amazing. He's been through a lot of tough times, is out of them now, and spends a lot of his time and energy helping others out of their tough times. We got shoulder rubs (Rob also used to bea massage therapist), and about the time I was feeling regenerated, Nathan started running a fever again.So when Rob dropped me back to Cheshire, I was alone. Bean stayed back with Nathan, and I was going to bust ahead to tel folks that they weren't catching up anytime soon. There was no busting to be done. At least, not today. I climbed Greylock, and before I had summited, I was infamiliar company again. What with our low miles and zeros, Orb, Kitty and Goldberry, as well as Bearly, had all caught up. So the hike ended in a hostel/garage on top of Greylock. I caught my first sunset of the trail tonight, and found Lady again. She is healing.
Date: 2003-07-09
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: moderate rain

Miles: 21.1Total: 1635.1Started this day at eight, as per usual, behind Orb, Kitty and GB. the plan was to hit town tonight, so despite the drizzly weather, I had incentive. So I didn't break. I have been doing this a lot lately- going all day, or until I absolutely have to stop to eat. But it works out well enough, especially since I hike alone. Breaks don't hold as much allure when all the do is allow the bugs to swarm around.So I went. And went. Finished eighteen by four, which was an hour and a half less time than it took me yesterday, but, alas, the threesome had still beat me by an hour and a half, and pushed ahead into town. I flew the last three miles, stoppig just short of the road to wash the mud off my legs, as I wanted to hit a restaurant early.Alright Burrito found me there, and we hitched in together, got to Sutton's Place, waited for Mr. Sutton a while before heading back to town to meet the crew for dinner. Ate at a kinda overpriced steak place, but the local beer was good. After realizing that the laundromat was closed, I retired to the inn and scavenged the leftovers from Kitty and Goldberrys' maildrops. Indulged in the current Us Weekly, then went to bed.
Date: 2003-07-10
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Miles: 16.2Total:1651.3Woke early to do laundry. Bagels and coffee on the way to the laundromat, resupplied at the grocery while the clothes washed. Met all the other hikers who had stayed at Sutton's Place ontheir way out, so I was quick to pack up and pay. Drank a five-dollar glass of orange juice at Up for Breakfast, with GB, LT and Orb, bought a spoon at the outfitter, since I melted mine, and then hit Mother Merrick's, as suggested by my cousin Beth, for ice cream.Picked up a package of cookies at the post office, which had come by way of Pennsylvania (I forgot to check the Port Clinton P.O.) but they were still good, and Really god, at that. Thank you, Shill.Orb and I hitched out of town, with everyone else ahead, and it was an immediate climb up Bromley Mountain. Well worth it, though, as I got cell reception at the top, and got to call my dad. Did some planning for Katahdin, and figured out the dates for the family vacation. I think I might have Dad drop me at the north end of the Long Trail after finishing the AT, so I can do the northern hundred-some miles that the LT does not have in common with the AT, before visiting family in New York and then finally making it back to Ohio in late September.Hiked through the afternoon and evening with Orb, which was really nice. It's been a long time since I hiked with someone who didn't know my life story already.Caught Cosmo and Wizard at the end of the day, and played two mean rounds of Uno before turning in to sleep.------------------------------
Date: 2003-07-11
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: moderate rain

Miles: 13.2Total: 1664.5Well, last night sucked. I must have clipped my tent stake when I got up to go to the privy in the night, because I woke up at three and my tent was falling over on me. Which would be fine, if it hadn't started raining at ten and continued through the night. A stream of rainwater must have poured in. So the rest of the night, I slept in a cold puddle. Woke in the morning, and it was still raining. I moved to the shelter and resolved to take a zero in order to dry out.Which meant that I didn't break camp until noon. Wizard and Cosmo were long gone, Orb, Kitty, and Goldberry were an hour and a half ahead. I mosied on out.Kinda a wierd day. The rain held up, but the wind kept blowing through the day. It was overcast, and not exactly threatening, but very dark.Thirteen miles passed quickly enough, and happily I found that Kitty, Orb and Goldberry had stopped at thirteen as well. Nice to be in early to camp for once.Bean and Nathan caught up tonight too. Tomorrow, breakfast at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
Date: 2003-07-12
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Miles: 18.2Total: 1682.7Started the day with restaurant breakfast. Yummm... Stopped into the Whistle Stop Cafe not three miles out this morning with Nathan and Bean and wolfed down some good food to fuel us up the tallest mountain on the Vermont AT.The waitress let me charge my phone there, too.Headed up Killington alone, as Bean and Nathan went further up the road for resupply. Stopped into the first shelter, where someone had left a copy of Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende, one of my favorite authors. This was funny because just last night, I swore off reading on the trail, after having carred Huck Finn from Harper's Ferry and finishing only two chapters. But I picked it up anyway.A little further along, ran into the ridgerunner, and not long after that, I came across some soda left in a stream by the Hiking Gnome. First trailside magic for me in a long, long time. The ridgerunner, Adam, caught up to me there, and we ended up hiking the rest of Killington together. Very interesting, intelligent guy. He had a lot to say, and stories to tell. I'd like to know him better, but, alas, I would push on another four miles tonight.But not before summiting Killington, just before a rain rolled in. It was completely exposed up there, and the wind was going mad, so when it began to drizzle, I was getting lashed by the droplets. Returned down the blueblaze, and not long after, Bean and Nathan joined us. I downed a few spoonfuls of peanut butter and pushed on, saying ciao to Adam.And those last four miles were the prettiest of the day, perhaps in all of Vermont so far. First we skirted through some evergreen forest, but instead of a soft pineneedle forest floor, it was covered with clover and moss. There were so many downed trees that the ground was rippled, the moss and clover covering them like a sheet.And then we hit a grove of birch, and through the trees you could make out the beginning of sunset, the sky yellow and blue, with the white trunks glowing in the foreground. And I know that the pictures I took won't do it justice.In camp now, and eager to read my new book. Good-night.
Date: 2003-07-14
From: The Lookout

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 0.0

We were woken in the night when bunch of local kids decided to party on the observation platform, on the roof of the Lookout. We woke to yelling and raucous laughter, and the sound of one of them peing on the roof above us. Delightful, considering earlier in the evening, we discovered that it leaks. Mike, a hiker that just began his hike that day, went up to talk to them. A sleepless hour later, they left, making howling noises. Six hours later, we woke up and started the day. The weather was beautiful, sunny but not too hot. I'm not sure, though... perhaps it's all the miles we've been doing recently. Perhaps it's that we've been riding rollercoaster terrain recently: Up a thousand, down eight hundred; Up fifteen hundred; down fifteen hundred. But I was whipped. Stuffing granola bar after snickers after granola bar, but it was no good. My legs felt like lead all day.We saw Loderunner and Apricot, though, and now they are here with us. We're camped behind a family of Trail Angels here in West Hartford. They grilled burgers for us, gave us soda, chips, cheese. Great spirits. Tomorrow we head into Hanover early, and a group of seven of us are going to take on two Vermonsters at Ben&Jerry's: 20 scoops of ice cream, four bananas, three chocolate chip cookies, ten scoops of walnuts, two scoops of each of our four favorite toppings, and tons of whip cream. Mmm-hmm.
Date: 2003-07-15
From: West Hartford, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: clear sky

I was up early, early in order to make it to Hanover by noon, which was out meeting time at Ben&Jerry's. Flicked the slugs off my tent and packed it, thanked Linda and hit the convenience store for breakfast. The ten miles went by fast! Walked with Loderunner, mostly, while Apricot and Bean were just ahead. Met some SOBOs coming out of Hanover. Caught up to Kitty, Orb and Goldberry just before we crossed the bridge and left Vermont. Two states left to go.It was funny to look at us; seven is a very large group of hikers, and we were all moving en masse, gravitating towards the Ben&Jerry's, towards the Vermonsters awaiting us. We had four people on one and three on the other: one was easy as pie...er...ice cream. We cleaned the bucket. The other... I don't know. I think it had more fudge, more brownies. It was melted before a dent was even made. Reinforcements were called. Cosmo and Firefly, who had stayed in Hanover the night before, grabbed spoons. But it was no use. The bucket was full of this disgusting, chocolate goop. It was a lost cause. Got my warm sleeping bag back at the post office, and mailed the 55-degree back home (thanks, Dad!) And then I headed over to Panarchy to drop my stuff off. I was a bum the rest of the day. Did some laying around. We aspired to see a movie, until we hit the AYCE pizza buffet. After that, I only wanted to lay down.Sat with Goldberry a while on the trampoline in the back yard. Apricot, Firefly and I did henna tattoos in the evening.I played a round of Uno, and wrote more email. Good day.
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Moose Mountain Shelter 

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

Got out of camp early enough. Got some magic from Bearly right off the bat: sandwiches, sodas, chips, snickers. I am going to like this a lot.Hiked all day. Saw Firefly, Chameleon, and Bean up at the firetower on top of Smarts Mountain, after a mean, steep uphill. My knees were knockin' from the climb. Hung out up there for an hour. Climbed up the tower for the view, and sat there a while with Cosmo. Did the next four miles in record time, and left Cosmo by a stream. Saw Mike, a section hiker that started in Vermont, at the shelter, and talked for him a while before sleeping. Today was a hike-all-day kind of day. I'm not complaining. There was good weather, rewarding climbs, a lovely stream to sit by. There just weren't big stories to tell.
Date: 2003-07-18
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.7

Only hiked five miles today before I found my name on a tree again. Yahoo, Bearly Bald! I sat there for an hour, drinking soda, eating grapes and downing six--count 'em-- six bags of chips. I dawdled because I wanted company, and eventually was joined by Mike and Cosmo. Hike two miles further and MORE MAGIC! I did not partake, however, since I was feeling slightly guilty about my greediness with Bearly's magic. Took a picture of an oil painting hanging in Ore Hill Shelter, and just as I got over the last mountain of the day, the heavens opened up and emptied themselves. I haven't been in a downpour like that in quite a while. Since Maryland, I think. At a certain point, you just resign yourself. You slosh through puddles, give up avoiding them. Rainwater was streaming down the trunks of trees, and I felt a river running down my back, between my shoulder blades. My pack cover is barely waterproof anymore; it works only well enough to shield out the dew on leaves when I brush by; a torrent like this, I know, would soak straight through and saturate all my belongings. My comfort, though, was that my brother had sent my running tights and fleece to the Glencliff post office, just ahead, so I knew that in an hour or so, I would have dry clothes.The rain let up before I got to the road, though. I went to the P.O., and then across the street to the Hikers Welcome Hostel.That night was a party. Bean, Firefly and Chameleon were already there. Mike and Cosmo were there. One SOBO, followed a few hours later by three more, showed up, two dogs between them. Kitty, Orb and Goldberry stopped in after their 26-mile slack-pack. And later, Loderunner and Apricot caught up, having pushed out two twenties since Hanover. We picked up pizza, beer, and watched SuperTroopers. The caretaker, Packrat, also had an awesome music collection, so I had a good dose of Wilco, James Taylor, G. Love, Bob Marley, Alice in Chains, Uncle Tupelo, Jayhawks... I was in heaven. The hostel is looking for a caretaker, too, for the 2004 hiking season. I am extremely interested. Talked to Packrat and his friend Ffej about it. I am very hopeful.
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Orb's House
Miles today: 9.5

Woke up early, early, since I had to be up and over Mt. Mooselauke by noon, in order to meet Orb's family for a pick-up. Orb is from New Hampshire, and invited a bunch of us to his parents' home for some fantastic italian cooking, a shower, a launder, and good rest. So I was up and around by seven, and on the trail before eight. Everyone, as per usual, was ahead of me, and it was a beautiful day: blue skies, and as we climbed higher there was more and more to see, layers upon layers of mountains. But I was down. I don't know why. Perhaps it had to do with Lady; the mountains are getting higher, too, and I am considering slowing down a lot, which would mean getting behind the crowd, and not summiting with my buds. And I think that a lot of it has to do with the endorphins: we're happy all the time out here, and sometimes, I think, you just have to come down. I think that Kitty, Goldberry and Orb sort of sensed this, though, when they caught up from behind on their slack pack. They were super nice, and gave me M&M's.Mooselauke was AWESOME! You could see a million miles in every direction. (well, not a million: that would be quite a few times around the earth: but you could see really far). I took lots and lots of pictures, and we headed on before too long. The downhill was mean, but a SOBO dayhiker told me that there was a note for Tang at the bottom of the hill. Yahoo! Bearly Bald has been leaving magic for me on his slack-packs. Every time I see my name on a tree, I walk fifty feet left. There have been sodas, sandwiches, fruit. Today there was focaccia, cider, twinkies, etc. So now we're here at Orb's, vegging, watching movies, and about to eat an obscene amount of pasta. I am a very happy camper.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Orb's House

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Miles: 7.5Total: 1791.1In a nutshell: we layed around at Orb's house until the last possible minute. His mom was amazing. There were five different pasta dishes and I can't count how many pies: blackberry, peach, ricotta, chocolate cream,cheesecake, coconut cream... with homemade whipped cream.
Date: 2003-07-21
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 8.9

Miles: 8.9Total: 1800.0Slept in today a little, since Loderunner, Apricot and I were only going as far as the next town. Started the day with a climb up Kinsman, which was just a pure rock scramble. After two hours hiking, I had only moved two and a half miles. At one point, Lodrunner, Apricot and I were only a few horizontal feet apart, but Apricot's feet were at my eyelevel, and Loderunner's at hers. I lost them after the initial climb, and the rest of th dat, well, it was a day. I definitely missed my poles. My knees definitely missed my poles. There was a lot of grabbing onto a tree, or skittering down a rock face on my butt. Not particularly graceful, but ah, well. Passed right by the first hut of the Whites, and on to the road. Found Loderunner and Apricot there, and yipee! my poles! After a mile roadwalk to umm.. a road, we caught a hitch without too much trouble.And did we find a deal in town. There were several motels and B&Bs to choose from, but the nicest one was almost a hundred dollars! But at the last minute, we spotted Mike, a section hiker that started in Vermont, across the street. A fourth person made the Woodstock Inn affordable. We checked in, got complimentary drink tickets, robes in the rooms, cable tv, and quilts.Had dinner in the brewery attached to the Inn, and rolled back to our room. I passed out early, and woke up to a huge and fancy breakfast, included in my 23-dollar room.
Date: 2003-07-22
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Miles: 0Total: 1800.0Woke this morning to rain, and it continued to rain through our complimentary *kickass* breakfast in the Inn's restaurant. I swear I was not the first to suggest it. It was Apricot. But, yes, I decided to zero, for several reasons: 1) It puts me behind the crowd through the Whites 2) I want to hang out with Loderunner and Apricot more, since they are leaving soon 3) According to the four day forecast, this will put me on top of Mt. Washington on Saturday, one of two days that it is not supposed to storm this week, and 4) most significantly, I am in a major funk, and I don't want to hike.I have been debating how to write this journal entry. There have been a lot of people back home following this journey, and offering me their words of faith and encouragement along the way. And as much as I appreciate all of their good wishes, I was afraid that, were I to confess how shitty I've been feeling, it would only prompt a wave of emails, and quite honestly, right now they'd only serve to frustrate me more. I know I need to work through this alone. Which I will.So here it is:I feel crummy. I don't feel like I belong out here. The past few days, hiking has only been about the miles. I wake up, walk, sleep. I hike slower than everyone else around me, too, and while this doesn't bother me, exactly, I hate just catching up to people as they finish their break and move on. I am tired of rain, tired of missing the views. I want my right shoulder to regain feeling. I want to have more than two outfits in my wardrobe. I want to sleep in. Watch TV. Pet my cat. Go running (I know that sounds strange, but the thought of moving unburdened by forty extra pounds on my back is enthralling. I could move so fast!) I want my feet to return to normal size. I want to hang out with girls. Meet a guy without a beard and bandana. See a rock show. And I do NOT want to hike three hundred and sixty-odd miles or whatever it is from here to the Big K.All this said, today is not the day that I quit. I know this much. But perhaps it is the day I slam on the brakes.So I went back to our room and layed there all day watching TLC and VH1. Drank some beers at happy hour, and ate a pint of B&J's in the evening. Tomorrow I'll hike. Today I veg.