morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-14
From: Greenwall Shelter, VT

To: Swan Song Shelter, VT
Miles today: 14.5

Another day with a perfect swimming hole!After a hike up Bear Mountain and past a cool view of Rutland Airport, we came to Clarendon Gorge which is perfect for swimming. We went in with Bobbie and Iceman and this stream was cold! It was a trecherous hike down the rocks, and then we saw other people walking down the grassy slope the other side!We hiked a half mile down the road and all ate at the Whistle Stop Restaurant where we were joined by Philmont and Brisk.The shelter where we all wanted to stay is right by a road and apparently attracts idiot party kids, so they recommend you not stay overight. Fortunately, a local resident built a shelter on their property nearby, and they invite hikers to stay. It was beautiful -- nice privy and all. We also hit two places with cold soda trail magic nearby. It helps make up for the idiot party gang!
Date: 2007-08-15
From: Swan Song Shelter, VT

To: The Inn at Long Trail, VT
Miles today: 12.6

Sleeping in a shelter is kind of a unique experience -- you are often shoulder-to-shoulder with other people and it's pich black at night; it can be a bit disorienting waking up (we almost always sleep in our tent in the tentsites by the shelter). Last night a boyfriend/girlfriend stayed at the shelter and she told the story about them in the Smokies. Apparently he rolled over in the middle of the night, put his arm around her and pulled her into him. He heard a male voice say "Dude (pause), what are you doing? "His girlfriend was on his other side.We hiked over Killington today. It was really cold and windy on top and a short distance later, we split off the Long Trail (it continues north, we go east toward NH) We ended at The Inn at Long Trail where we stayed a few years ago to go sking.   They told us we broke the record on packages waiting for a hiker -- we had 6! Thank you Bill, Becky, and Cathy and Craig. We are set for the hike into NH (and possibly enough to get us through Maine!).
Date: 2007-08-16
From: The Inn at Long Trail, VT

To: The Inn at Long Trail, VT
Miles today: 0.0

We had a very restful zero because of all the care packages and food drops we got here -- thanks again everyone! We never had to leave the Inn.We spent a lot of time planning our hiking through NH. We made reservations at 3 of the huts in the rugged Whites since we will be hitting them right around Labor Day. Now we just have to stay on schedule! Our mileage will drop to about 10 per day because of the terrain.We got hit by a huge thunderstorm last night (Bonnie called it "Biblical"). We were in the pub at the Inn and they lost power for about an hour. Fortunately, the taps still worked. We were glad to be off the trail.
Date: 2007-08-17
From: The Inn at Long Trail, VT

To: Trail to the Lookout, VT
Miles today: 15.6

The trail turned east today to head toward NH. We knew from driving up here that we would hit a lot of climbs. The Green Mountains basically head north-south.We passed another beautiful pond just outside Killington called Kent Pond. In addition, the streams we cross continue to be crystal clear.We ended with a climb to a private cabin just off the trail. The owners allow hikers to stay there and the views from the observation deck on top are unbelievable. For the first time since the south, we had those 360 views of mountains. The sunset was spectacular. Another hiker named Carl Ungus joined   us late.
Date: 2007-08-18
From: Trail top the Lookout, VT

To: Thistle Hill Shelter, VT
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up to cold wind and rain and were glad Bill sent us our rain pants ahead of our winter gear. We left the cabin in mostly fog and headed down the trail. I was craving coffee and we hit the first shelter where Buffolo Bobbie was taking a break. His first question was, "Would anyone like a cup of Coffee?" We shared some of the home-made cookies from the Simon's and had a wonderful break.A little later we crossed a road with a farm market and had some awesome fresh bread, peperoni, and smoked cheddar cheese that we shared with Moose, Bobbie and Iceman.We had a lot of ups and downs today and were pretty toasted by the end. We did hit a few day hikers including 3 girls that recently graduated from Middlebury College hiking with their poodle Wilson. It did cool down quickly late in the day -- our little thermometer read about 50 degrees when we got to the shelter.
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Thistle Hill Shelter, VT

To: Norwich, VT
Miles today: 13.1

Our last day of hiking in VT!The terrain was fairly easy. It reminded us of the movie "Groundhog Day" where the same day kept repeating. The trail went into a little gully and then climbed the side of the hill on the other side. It happened about 15 times, all th way to Norwich. Either that or we've just been in the woods too long.We had a great "second breakfast" in the town of West Hartford at a little general store. We topped itoff with some fresh doughnuts.We're staying at the Norwich Inn in Norwich, VT tonight. We will pick up some supplies tomorrow and get our winter gear at the post office in Hanover, NH, which is just across the CT river. Then we start the most challenging and one of the most beautiful parts of the AT.
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Norwich, VT

To: Moose Mtn Shelter, NH
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

We've now been on the trail for 5 months!We hiked into Hanover, NH, after a quick food re-supply stop in Norwich and had breakfast at Lou's diner, which is famous for its fresh pasteries. We had a full breakfast topped off with a fresh doughnut.It's cool to be in Hanover. I spent 3 weeks here at a seminar at Dartmouth about 5 years ago and everthing is so familiar. Bonnie came up and met me one weekend, and we day hiked a piece of the trail that we will cover today.Our winter gear was waiting for us at the post office -- thanks Bill! There were other hikers getting their gear there as well. We were cursing the extra weight all day, but were really happy to crawl into our winter bags at night. It's perfect hiking weather -- cool at night and warm during the day.
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Moose Mtn Shelter, NH

To: Hexacuba Shelter, NH
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Bees!!!!I was hiking about 25 yards ahead of Bonnie and suddenly heard her screaming! I turned and saw her throw her trekking poles, run toward me, throw her arms around and yelling, "Bees!" She got stung 4 times - once on the hand, twice on the back, and once on the head. She either stepped on or dug her trekking pole into a hive. Fortunately, a little cortisone cream and some tavist got her through the night. It scared the crap out of me!We did a long, fairly hard 17.7 miles today because we wanted to set ourselves up to do a 15 to a hostel on Wednesday. The biggest climb was up to the Firewarden's Cabin, where there's a tower with incredible views. The climb was tough at the end and ended at about 3,200 feet. We started the day at about 900 feet.We spent some time hiking with Clearwater, who thru hiked in 2005 and is out section hiking. He told us about the tough transition people go through when finishing the trail and going back to normal life. A lot of them end up back out here, at least for sections.We also passed a house the offers ice cream to hikers. A retired psychiatrist from Boston lives there with his wife, and he seems to be on a mission to find out why people hike the trail. He's collecting data on every hiker. We tell all for a little ice cream!The shelter was pretty cool; it's shaped like a hexagon. There were 3 southbounders there, and they told us the other northbounders told them the rest of the trail in BRUTAL! Okay, so we all lie a bit.
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Hexacuba Shelter, NH

To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 14.7

We headed out a little early and climbed about 800 ft to the top of Mt. Cube. The views were awesome ¢ another 360 degree view of just mountains. The fog was covering the valleys and the mountains were poking through ¢ what a beautiful way to start the day!Buffalo Bobbie caught up to us on the top, and I led the hiking and promptly led us right off onto the wrong trail. At least we got the view to the opposite side of the mountain! Half a mile later, we were back on track. In my defense, the trail marking is a little lax up here.The afternoon was fairly easy with one 500-foot climb. We stayed at the Glencliff Hostel which was just as the south bounders told us ¢ ¢rustic¢ (rustic has a different meaning when you¢re talking trail standards). Iceman caught us later in the day and we all had dinner in Glencliff with Moose. We borrowed a car to drive to the restaurant, which didn¢t make noise when you were making a left turn.
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Glencliff, NH

To: Beaver Brook Shelter, NH
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Our first climb above tree line!We had breakfast at the diner in Warren and headed out to 3,600 feet of climbing to the top of Mt. Moosilauke (4,523 ft.). The climb wasn¢t that difficult, just long. On the way up we ran into Bird Legs, Splendora, Snack Break and Bad Influence who were slack packing the opposite direction. Unfortunately, the top of the mountain was completely covered in fog. It was cool to be above tree line. It¢s like being in a different world. It was cool and windy on top.Beaver Brook shelter where we stayed is just over 1,000 feet down the mountain. There was an Outward Bound Group there consisting of MIT freshman. The instructors kept coming over to chat with us because the kids kept figuring out their exercises too fast and they needed to kill time! We had a nice chat with Possum, a section hiker at the shelter who is a great guy. Popeye and Light Weight came in later.
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Beaver Brook Shelter, NH

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Contrary to the forecast, it rained during the night so it took us a while to get going in the morning. The descent down Moosilauke was STEEP. It was mostly wet rocks, but the trail design and maintenance is very good. We hit a few spots where you had to throw your trekking poles ahead and use your hands to crawl down. A stream runs along the trail with lots of waterfalls. It was really beautiful in the foggy morning air. The sign at the bottom of the descent read in part, ¢¢¦This trail is extremely tough. Take special care ¢¦ to avoid tragic results.¢We got a ride at the bottom of the descent from Bad Influence to the Lost River Reservation. He was dropping off the siren gang who were done with their week of slack packing. They didn¢t look too happy to be putting on fully loaded packs again! We had a quick lunch and headed back to the trail.There is no way to put a positive spin on the afternoon hiking! It was wet, muddy, slippery, rooty, rocky, foggy, steep, and had no views! We had other words for it, but I¢m trying to keep this journal G-Rated! We both fell on our butts a couple of times. Everyone we spoke to hated this section of the trail!We then got to the shelter, which was packed with people. Two large groups were there which left almost no room for section and thru hikers (large groups are very controversial on the trail). We got the last tent site which we shared with one of the guys from one of the groups.
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Today started with the climb up South and North Kinsman Mountain, which involved a long rock scramble toward the top. It was actually pretty cool, but was pretty demanding and slow. We hiked with Possum all the way up and had a snack on the foggy top which had no views again. We continued on to our first Hut in the Whites, Lonesome Lake, and had a good lunch of homemade soup and bread. We then descended down to Franconia Notch which was full of day hikers. Bill from the Red Sleigh B&B in Lincoln where we are stayed picked up at the trailhead.We had an absolute blast at a restaurant in Lincoln for dinner. It was packed, so we ate at the bar and spent the time talking and laughing with everyone. On one side of us we had a meteorologist and his wife who promised good weather for us the rest of the way through the Whites, and on the other side we had Kathleen and Dolores, and another guy with a vacation home in the area. During dinner, a huge thunderstorm hit and all the outside diners had to rush inside so the place was packed. By the end of dinner, we had multiple offers to drive us the half-mile back to the Inn. We went with Kathleen and Dolores, who would not let us stop for a bottle of wine because they insisted on giving us one from their house. The house was like a museum, with all kinds of arty-crafty stuff inside, some probably not appropriate for children. We enjoyed it!We ended the night with great conversation with our Inn Keepers Bill and Loretta (and their daughters dog Diggy). What a blast of a night!
Date: 2007-08-26
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We started our zero with a great breakfast of eggs and french toast at the B&B. We met a very nice couple named Abe and Kahy Leber that live in Belmont, VT, and they promised to keep their eye out for a winter rental for us in VT (our plans are to rent in VT for the winter -- at least as of now!). Lincoln is very convenient for hiker chores. We got our resupply done pretty quickly and found an internet cafe to update our journal.Tomorrow it's back into the Whites for more of the most strenuous and scenic hiking of the trip (The hiking is like a weight training program that just went from high reps with low weight to one with low reps and high weight!).
Date: 2007-08-27
From: Lincoln, NH

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 9.3

After another great breakfast at the Inn, we headed back to the trail with Buffalo Bobbie and Iceman. Our innkeeper was nice enough to give us all a ride back to the trail head.We climbed from 1,450 feet to 4,250 feet to the Fraconia Ridge, which is considered the most scenic part of the A.T. It didn¢t disappoint! The entire ridge is above tree line and the views were spectacular. We had perfect weather as we crossed Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Lafayette. With no trees, the mountains seemed really close to each other, but they are a good distance apart. We could see Mt. Washington far off in the distance which is only in the clear an average of 60 days per year. The final climb of the day was up and over Mt. Garfield (4,488 ft.) which also had awesome views, but we were really beat by then. We hobbled to the Garfield Ridge campsite where there were 3 college groups (they hike for freshman orientation) that took all the campsites. We squeezed in the shelter, but other hikers had to move on. (The Appalachian Mountain Club really needs to do something about scheduling groups at campsites ¢ especially since they charge an $8 fee to everyone). Just as we were all finishing dinner, a male student ran up the trail naked. We all looked at each other and said, ¢That was a naked guy.¢ About 20 seconds later, about 10 more guys and girls ran past naked. All they had on was hiking boots! Apparently, streaking is still in! The caretaker ran after them shouting, ¢No more naked people.¢
Date: 2007-08-28
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite

To: Zealand Falls Hut, NH
Miles today: 9.7

The day started with a 1,500 foot climb to South Twin Mountain. The climb was rocky, hard and steep, but the views were spectacular again. We were above tree line and had great views back to the Fraconia Range. The hiking got a little easier in the afternoon. We stopped by our first hut in the Whites. There are 8 trailside and 2 along roads, and all consist of bunkrooms, kitchens, and dining halls. For $70 each, you get a bunk, breakfast, and dinner and an evening talk by a Naturalist. They also usually serve hot soup for lunch, and we stopped by Galehead Hut for a couple of bowls today before moving on to the Zealand Falls Hut for the night. We ended the day with a ¢cool¢ swim in the falls. We had a great time talking to a guy from the Boston area named Terry and enjoyed the evening talk by the Naturalist on the history of the Zealand Falls area.
Date: 2007-08-29
From: Zealand Falls Hut, NH

To: Crawford Notch, NH
Miles today: 7.7

We did a short easy hike to a private campground today that was on US 302 in the Crawford Notch. The campground was about 3 miles down the road and a very nice gentleman from Maine who was at the trailhead with his family gave us a ride, even though he wasn't ready to leave. We¢re still amazed at the kindness of strangers!It felt great to get a hot shower and the camp store was perfect for a quick food re-supply. We were at the camp by 2:00 and an afternoon nap was perfect after the hard hiking the last couple of days. We met He-Man and Sheba at the camp, a very nice couple doing a thru hike from Arkansas.
Date: 2007-08-30
From: Crawford Notch, NH

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut, NH
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

That doesn¢t look very good.Bonnie GeislerToday was our first taste of the brutal weather in the Whites. The forecast was for possible showers in the afternoon. We started with 2,000 feet of climbing to get above tree line and crossed the Webster Cliffs, Mt. Webster, Mt. Jackson, and Mt. Clinton. The views were spectacular again. Today¢s hiking put us a short distance from 6,288 ft. Mt. Washington, the highest point in New England. The first thunderstorm hit when we were at Mt. Eisenhower. We saw it coming and hiked back down the mountain a bit to a more protected area. We were only on the fringe of the storm, but got pelted a bit with hail. We had another 1.5 miles to go to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, our destination for the night, and we started to really book because we could hear thunder in the distance. After about a half hour, we could see dark, almost black clouds coming toward us over Mt. Franklin. That¢s when Bonnie turned to me and said, ¢That doesn¢t look very good.¢ We were almost running when we got enveloped by the black cloud. At first it was just a fine mist of rain, and then all hell broke loose. We were pelted by hail, rain, and wind and could barely stand up. We were IN the storm cloud. After about 50 yards of almost running, Bonnie bent down behind a rock to zip up her coat further. Just then, the cloud cleared slightly and we could see the hut only another 50 yards away. We were on the verge of being knocked down by the wind, but made it to the hut. Everyone was watching us from inside, and a reporter from the Boston Globe took our pictures for a possible story when we got inside. It was a pretty scary experience! And the forecast was ¢possible showers!¢We were actually pretty lucky. Two couples farther away when the storm hit came in about a half-hour later. One of the women had welts on her back from the hail.
Date: 2007-08-31
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut, NH

To: Madison Spring Hut, NH
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: fog

We left Lakes of the Clouds Hut for the final 1,300 feet of climbing to the summit of Mt. Washington. For the first time in days, everything was shrouded in clouds. We couldn¢t see anything from the summit, but we¢ve been very fortunate to have had great visibility for the last week. Mt. Washington is accessible by car and rail, so it¢s a bit ¢touristy¢ on top. We did enjoy a pastry and coffee in the cafeteria.It was slow hiking all day over wet rocks. For only about the second time in our entire hike we decided to pull up short of our intended destination. We got to the Madison Hut around 4:00 and decided to stay rather than press on for another 3 miles to a tent site.The huts are full of ¢Peak Baggers.¢ They are hikers that are trying to hike all 48 peaks in NH over 4,000 feet. In addition there are other peaks on New England that they try to hike. It¢s a pretty cool way to do weekend hikes.
Date: 2007-09-01
From: Madison Spring Hut, NH

To: Pinkham Notch, NH
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: fog

It¢s freakin¢ September! We can¢t believe how long we¢ve been hiking!Today started with a boulder scramble up Mt. Madison and it was the most spectacular view we have had yet! Mt. Madison is more of a hiker¢s mountain than Mt. Washington since it is only accessible through a pretty long, difficult hike. It was just breath taking on top and we crossed several other smaller peaks with awesome views as well along the way. This is the part of hiking the A.T. that we are going to miss!At the hut last night we were with two women from NJ ¢ Pat and Cha-Cha; Pat is from Parsippany and Cha-Cha is from Hackettstown. It¢s bizarre to run into people out here that lived so close to us. We ended the day at Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch Camp. The lodge is part of the hut system and is along a road, so it was packed. We were lucky to get a room-- they had a cancellation just before we got there. We ran into Bucket and Water for the second time who are thru hikers from Michigan. We also ran into a very nice couple from outside Harrisburg who are big volunteers for the trail in Boiling Springs, PA. And we had a great time with Dick and Ann from TN.
Date: 2007-09-02
From: Pinkham Notch, NH

To: Carter Notch Hut, NH
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: few clouds

We left Joe Dodge Lodge after Bonnie made half a dozen phone calls to arrange for new boots again. Her second pair is rapidly disintegrating! Rock climbing is brutal on boots.We headed up Wildcat Peak, and it was one of the toughest climbs we¢ve done on the trail so far. Most of the 2,000 feet of climbing is a bolder scramble. It was really difficult. From there, we went over 4 more peaks before a short flat section, and then a steep descent into Carter Notch.Carter Notch is our last hut and we had a great time. We ate with a very nice Finance Attorney from Boston, a couple training with AMC to lead hikes with young school kids, and the parents of one of the kids working at the hut who shared their wine with us at dinner. What a treat! This was the coolest wake up call we¢ve had in a hut ¢ the son playing some rousing music on the accordion!
Date: 2007-09-03
From: Carter Notch Hut, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We had about 1,500 feet of climbing out of Carter Notch, and then it got a little easier. It¢s great to be back into woods again and below the windy tree line, but the view back toward the presidentials was awesome all day.We were both beat today. The hard hiking in NH is brutal on the knees, feet, and ankles. We were both in ¢cranky tired mode¢ all day! However, a nice shower in a hotel and a big dinner made it all better! We¢re looking forward to a day off.Our last two mail drops are now added.
Date: 2007-09-04
From: Gorham, NH

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

We had a bit of a scavenger hunt for food in Gorham since we didn't want to go 2 miles outside town to the grocery stores. Between the Rite Aide, Health Food Store, and Cumberland Farms store, we got enough to get us through the week.I also got another haircut and must have chatted too much because I don't have a lot of hair left! The hairdresser is a former Vorizon Marketing Manager who gave up the "good corporate life" to move to NH and open a hair salon.We also did our journal updates at the town library. It is the first library we've been to that charges out-of-towners to use the internet -- $1 per half-hour. We tried to use a lot of abbreviations to keep the costs down.