morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I think the miles have made me crazy.I have been really messing with the SOBO's, trying to freak them out. The great thing about being foreign is that i can get away with it. We got onto the topic of rowing and i said 'the British are great rowers', Tugboat then started telling me he was a top rower and met the Queen on one trip. I thought he was messing with me but his persistence won me over. We went for some breakfast and he told me more details about his trip to the UK. I went into the libary to update my journal but they had a 1 hour limit on the computers. I was nearing the end of my time and midway through an entry so i went to the desk and asked if they could give me some more time. The old lady replied 'darling, with that accent you can have what you want'. I wonder if its an asset or a curse that i can only charm women over the age of 50. Alot of people came in later on and it turned out to be mouth, gypsies and songline. Rob had alot of hikers here which made for a good atmosphere this night. We went out for dinner again and i polished off a large pizza with pepperoni and broccoli toppings. Rob was performing for a group of us in the kitchen but i had to pull myself away to bed if i was going to arise in the morning. It be so easy to take another day here but i can hear Vermont taunting me. Being stationary for so long is a wierd feeling but the rest has been awesome.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-01
From: October Lean to

To: Wilbur clearing lean to
Miles today: 20.3

I didnt get out as early as planned as i wanted to say goodbye to rob when he got back from work. He told me to ring him if i needed help. We also made a deal that if i come visit him after the trail i can have that jacket that i have become so fond of. The time came to fly the birdcage. I saw Gordon and Sue on the way out and they said the trolls were just ahead of me. When i caught them up, they were confused to how i got behind them. The 10 miles to Chesire were easy and i decided that i could make it a 20 mile day. There was a pretty little ice cream shack in Chesire which i indulged in for a while. I felt some chapping coming on but since i was sitting across from 3 little kids i decided this was not the place to apply vaseline. I would hate to be responsible for wrecking those kids childhoods. Once again into the breach of Mt. Greylock which is our first 3000ft climb since Virgina i believe. The climb up was not too bad. I passed the crew that rob had slackpacked from the top of the mountain. Not only do they have tiny packs but they dont actually have to climb the thing because they start at the top!I was pleasantly suprised when i saw the observation tower on top.As i pondered at the design i realised its resemblence to a giant chess piece - a bishop.I used the privy on the way up and was going to take some to top up my supply but lets say it was the sort of TP you would use to smooth down a rough surface. I sat outside the Bascom lodge watching the world go by. It was really beautiful up here, i could of sat and watched the grass sway al day but i still had a few miles to kill before dark. As the night drew in i came to the turning for the shelter and simply camped in the woods. I got rid of my pillow at robs and just use my fleece now to rest my head on. It seems to work well.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-02
From: Wilbur clearing lean to

To: Congdon shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: few clouds

I had a short walk to MA2 and deicided to walk 0.5miles to the stop and shop. There was a price chopper in the other direction but im trying to boycott them when possible. Yesterday i pulled out my buns to find they had a mould party going on inside. I looked at the date and figured that the day i bought them was already pass the the expiry date. The price chopper in Lee was a nasty store in my opinion. I had a good feed, making my own subs. After a climb out of the gap i found myself at hte MASS/VT border. I took my lunch on the Mass side before crossing over. This is also where the Long trail begins and shares the next 100 miles with the A.T. The Long trail also known at the L.T, was the first official long distance footpath in the U.S stretching from the VT/Mass border to the Canadian border. Just in front of the Vermont sign was a huge mud puddle, this set the trend for the day. I dont mind mud as we have it in reasonable quantities back home, last year when i hiked the White Peak way with my dad the mud was far worse. That trail passed through alot of livestock fields that the cows had destroyed. Heavy animals on wet ground really chew up a trail. I am hoping for a change in scenery as we travel up the Greens but today i noticed how big the white blazes are. They are like the size of my head. I was tired when i got to my destination so i set up my tent in the shelter which turned out to be more time consuming than just throwing the whole thing up outside. I met Jax and Florida here for the first time. They started in March. Jax said he's been hiking the last 300 miles with that cloud of doubt in his mind but after coming this far i think alot of people are tired of walking and just want to finish. I just want to get to the whites and see it for myself, i ve heard so much about it. Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-03
From: Congdon shelter

To: kid gore shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: broken clouds

I slept so good last night and felt so cosy this morning i didnt get up for a while. Finally i lifted myself up and hit the trail. I stopped to talk to Gordon and Sue at the Bennington road and as i left fido came along with his monster backpack. Not much to report so far, Vermont is holding out on me. The LT seems very popular, suddenly the trails full of people with A.T and L.T hikers out here. At Goddard shelter i came upon 3 LT hikers. I hate to be harsh but one of the kids had a distinct lisp and everytime he spoke i wanted to silence him. Florida came along and we hiked some of the few miles to Kid gore. I set up my tent 200ft from kid gore shelter and hit the tent.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-04
From: kid gore shelter

To: Spruce peak shelter
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Up early and made storey spring shelter by 9 am. I took a good break and filled up at a nice spring. After PA,NJ and NY, good water is something to get excited about. I continued towards the foot of Stratton mtn and a SOBO tipped me that there was some trailmagic at the next road crossing. I dont think my hiking speed has increased as dramatically as then. I got a soda and started my climb up Stratton. Stratton claims to be the birthplace of the A.T and the Long Trail. Mackaye sat up in a tree on the summit when a vision of a continious trail up the east coast came to him.At the top of the mtn there was a cabin where the caretaker stays. His job is to oversee the mountain. Halfway up i got a short heavy downpour. I forgot how cold it can be being high up when wet with a cold wind blowing. My knee started to hurt on the climb down the mtn but all i could do was deal with it till i got to the next town as i didnt have much food. I came to a logging road near the end of the day and thought how nice it would be to just walk along a road for the rest of the day. The trail answered my wishes and we stayed on that logging road for a good while. I saw a sign nailed to a tree that read 'caution' however someone had added with a marker pen underneath it 'tree of death'. It gave this hiker a chuckle.I ended up at Spruce peak shelter with Proteus, mr clean and some other folk. Mr Clean was still having his negative rants, they are amusing. There was a big group camping near by the shelter, they were very loud but seemed good kids. I set up my tent away from everyone and crashed.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-05
From: Spruce peak shelter

To: Bromley mtn
Miles today: 5.8

This morning i took a longer nap before starting my short journey down to the road to hitch into Manchester Centre. My knee was just aching which was an improvement from yesterday. I really was not feeling upbeat today but i enjoyed ringing home and calling terry and joanne. For the second time in my life had Macdonalds for breakfast. Breakfast at Macdonalds seems wrong to me but it was satisfactory. What can you expect when they serve it to you in a foam box! The first time i had breakfast there was when me and my friend Jack went to a town called King lynn. We were starting a two day hike and wanted a good breakfast to leave on. We looked around for 20 minutes and could not find anywhere decent so we reluctantly went to the big M. I saw Buttah and Leviathan and they advised i come along to the car wash. Buttah used the high pressure hose to wash off that Vermont mud. Leviathan shot him in the armpits a couple of time and his legs were all red. What really upset me today was that i had to shop at price choppers and guess what? they screwed me over again! not once but twice! The raisans i bought were already opened so i took them back and got a replacement and secondly my B&J's tasted aweful. The texture was all wrong, i believe that they left it out too long and it defrosted and they simply put them in the freezers anyway. How do these people sleep at night? i want answers to why Price choppers is such a nasty, ignorant, dirty, god forsaken store. I told my tales of woe to Mr clean and Buffalo bob. Buffalo bob was acting as crazy as he looks but then Mr clean informed me he had drunk a 6 pack since ive been away. As i was packing up a guy came over and offered me a ride back to the trail. I threw my gear in the back and talked with the guy. He recently finished his thru hike and he was passing by and wondered if he could help some hikers out. I chatted with him for a while at the trail head before he drove off. I was feeling good, my pictures had arrived home safe after 6 weeks and Gordon and sue were in the car park when i arrived. The n that horrible feeling filled my veins and it dawned on me that i had left something in my hitch. It turned out to be my water bottle and guidebook. I was feeling fragile today so this really didnt help my mood, i was so very fustrated. Gordon gave my a empty bottle to use and Songline came along and helped raise my spirits. I copied out some notes from songlines guidebook and hiked up to Bromley mtn with him. We talked about the trail, very much like the discussion i had with Ox back in PA. The day was finally starting to look up and then the trail delivered some inspiration. Camping on Bromley was sheer bliss. 360 views of the Green mountains, i was suddenly excited to be in Vermont. Even though there were about 25 people on the summit due to that group of kids, we could of been in disney world, that could not wreck the best sunset yet on the trail. In the night i woke around 2am and sat outside for a bit watching the stars looking down on me. I saw 3 shooting stars . This is waht the trails all about! Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-06
From: Bromley mtn

To: Greenwall shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

Great thing about starting up on top was i didnt have a climb first thing. I was feeling really good and took a short break at Big Branch shelter. Songline caught me up and i met 49er for the first time. Me and Songline were told 'Mala' was at the next road doing some trail magic. This was the motivation we needed for pushing on another few miles in the heat. Saw Doc Narley knocking some beers back under Mala's gazebo. I had a pepsi and some hotdogs. Mala got me and Songline pumped up about the whites. I dont think the whites will be as hard as he made out but will certainly offer some challenges. 49er left without his bottle so i grabbed it and caught up with him to return it. I am trying to create some good Karma since i lost my bottle. I hiked some more miles and found myself stopped in my tracks by little rock pond. The water was rippling and sparkling, crying out to be jumped in. There was an island in the middle of the lake which if i had the energy, would of tried to swim to. Songline saw me getting ready to go in and he realised what a good idea it was.To my disbelief he pulled out some floaties armbands. He got alot of enjoyment out of them, floating around the lake on his back. The last 2 days have just been awesome, Vermonts really winning me over now. Doc came in for a dip and once again i found myself discussing the whites. I set off and had planned to camp at the white rock cliffs but i was not sure if there would be any campsites there. On top of white rocks mtn there was a field of carefully balanced rocks, it felt like something out of the blair witch project. I walked into Grenwall shelter but i could of been in entering heathrow it was that busy. Dozens of L.T hikers. They gave me a funny look as i ran in wearing just my underwear. All i was trying to do was dry them out after my swim. It actually felt good to hike like that. I guess i also enjoyed freaking out the L.T hikers. Because of them i had to take a campspot near the Privy,,,,,oh how lovely. I cant wait for the L.T and A.T to split so i can have my trail back!Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-07
From: Greenwall shelter

To: Governor Clement shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

I left Greenwall and soon met a whole bunch of NOBO's I've never seen before. Vision Quest,Giggles,box of fun, and train. As i talked with them Roamer (amy) came along. Its been a long time since ive seen her. I stopped in at Minerva Hinchey shelter and saw Songline. I told him that Roamer was right behind me and he was very excited. He is a very positive guy, one of the few northbounders still smiling.The word on the trail was there was a great swimming hole at Clarendon Gorge. I had a bite to eat then went for a swim. Songline loves water and it didnt take him long to start doing forward flips off a high rock into the Gorge. I am just a plain fellow and didnt try anything fancy. It took me a while but i eventually started hiking again. I got to Governor clement shelter and didnt feel a great urge to climb Killington tonight so i set up camp. Mr Clean, Greenpeace, Above cloud and Florida were all tenting out aswell. I admired Greenpeace for his dedication to learning Spanish. Every night he's reading and translating text. I communicate with the few words i know now and again for fun. Mr.Clean really wants to finish up but it told him not to rush or it be far harder. He was even planning the 100 mile wilderness out, alot of people cannot leave that desire to be in control and plan everything at home. You dont need to plan more than a week ahead out here, just keep hiking and it will work itself out. I would like to hang with these guys but tomorrow they plan a 20 mile day, so we'll see. Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-08
From: Governor Clement shelter

To: Thunndering Brook road
Miles today: 14.9

There was some activity last night around the shelter. Apparently some people drove in and asked the guy in the shelter if they could party? The reply was 'no, people are sleeping'. At least they asked i suppose.I was first out and started the climb up Killington straight away.It was steep in places but not a bad climb overall. I was glad i had left it for the monring. The trail didnt go to the summit so i dropped my pack and went up the side trail. It was a dead steep climb but worth it. The communications tower on top did distract from the beauty but nevertheless being able to see 5 states was marvellous. I set off again trying to get to road so i could hitch into Rutland. On the way down i ran into Clean,above cloud and Greenpeace pondering at a sign. There was a blue which in 1999 was the original A.T which brings you out at the Long inn pub. It was also 2 miles shorter. I went by saying 'i got to hike the white blazes, see ya later'.I was really suprised how quick i got a hitch into Rutland. This girl was awesome, she took me to two different outfitters and then the supermarket. It seems taht Rutland have 'run out' of A.T guide books. I felt bad being in her car because i could not escape my own smell. She put me at ease by saying 'im use to the hiker smell'.After i had done my shopping a man started talking to me. I thought he worked here because i noticed him bringing in trolleys/carts but it was simply a hobby for him. Whatever rocks your boat i guess. I plan to take up origami or golf when i retire, not hanging out at the supermarker but then maybe im just narrow minded. On the way out i was picked up by a 1999 thru hiker called Bree. He was looking for two friends that turned out to be giggles and box of fun. He was really worried that his he wouldnt find them but i managed to lead him right to them. He had come down here on the spur of the moment hoping to suprise them and indeed they were suprised. After seeing the happy reunion I hit the trail. I met L.B again and we hiked past Maine junction where the L.T and A.T split. L.B is having shin splints and was a little worried about being put out of action. I feel for him, injury sucks. At the Killington road, Bree and the girls were chilling and threw a nectarine and beet our way. I hiked on a few more miles before setting up camp just in sight of thundering brook road.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-09
From: Thunndering Brook road

To: VT12
Miles today: 19.4

The bugs were nasty as usual. As i was packing up there were some people walking their spoilt dogs by my campsite. I got my stuff together quickly as i thought i may be on private land. I was reluctant to hike this morning but the climb really was not too bad. I stopped in at Stony Brook shelter before the mosquitos moved in on me. As i went up to a lookout i saw Vapors. I dont think ive seen him since Harpers Ferry! He was really taking it easy, he said he wanted to really stop and smell the roses. We both went to the lookout which consisted of a rustic cabin with a observation deck on top of it. I went up to the top hoping for a nice cooling breeze but it turned out to be more of a baking tray.I carried on over to Wintturi shelter where i ran into Bear, Shags and Kaboos. Those guys are not happy bunnies and going home weighs heavily on their minds. I must admit myself that i need a more drastic change from this Green Tunnel. Rumour has it that there is a barn at VT12 where hikers can kip. When i got down to this road i got the best trail magic of the trip. Sitting there was a ziplock bag that contained my wingfoot guide, waterbottle and some gummy sweets. Only on the A.T does this happen.Unfortantly he didnt leave me a contact address so i could thankhim. We all headed down to the Barn where we met Thunder and Forever North. Thunder was a flip flopper aswell as a big guy. Forever North came across as a very unfriendly. Whenever you said something all his answers were aggressive and snappy, perhaps it was inner rage built up over the years. We were talking about how people hike and i said i am hiking a traditional thru hike. He snapped at me 'you wont remember the trail, just the towns'. Then bear later on said to him 'I've seen you in the registers', Forever north barked ' I dont sign them'. He made the grade of trail physco but i enjoyed watching him interact with people, it was certainly interesting. We were joined by SOBO's. They were nice but one of them didnt like my joke i directed his way about the fact he was still a baby on the trail. I talked with this kid called shaun. My school bag was bigger than his backpack. He had hiked in today and was waiting to midnight to hike 24 miles to Rutland. I tried to convince him to sleep for a few hours before doing it but he would not have it. The other SOBO was called toothfairy because she carried a electric toothbrush. I was too relaxed to move after a while and didnt grab a shower. The only good thing about this was it set me up in good shape to break my 9 day without showering record. Possibly a greater achievement than hiking the trail. Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-10
From: VT12

To: Happy HIll Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

I got off before the gang this morning. I was feeling tired but i stilled enjoyed the walk over the rolling meadows and fields this morning. I popped in at Thistle Hill shelter for a bite to eat and water. Some days you feel the hike and other times you dont and its a simple matter of making the miles. Passed through the transparent village of West Hartford. The village store was closed down but i was suprised to see they had a libary. I would of been in there except for the small problem that it was closed on thursdays. the boys caught up with me and with their charm attracted an invitation for a beer. I would of taken a soda over a beer but i dont question charity. Me and bear power hiked the last few miles which seemed to take on an overwhelming upward trend. Happy Hill shelter didnt have any water, not so happy eh? I knew the name had to be ironic.Tomorrow im taking a lazy day into Hanover. Vertmont has been awesome in the main, many good times had. Cant believe i will finally be in NH tomorrow, i guess this way of life will come to an end soon.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-11
From: Happy HIll Shelter

To: Velvet Rocks
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: scattered clouds

The boys got a jumpstart on me this morning but we all rolled into Hanover together. On the way we passed Norwich,VT. It was a very rich village and Shags was making fun of their way of life.I was impressed that on a notice board near the trail it welcomed hikers to the Libary in town. Hanover is home to Dartmouth college and the trail takes you right to it. We stopped at the DOC building first. They let us use their internet and phone. It was a nice place to hang and leave your stuff while you go around town. Breakfast at Lou's was awesome. The town is expensive but i enjoyed the atmosphere of the place. I resupplied at the co-op store which was as trendy as everything else in this town. The boys moved out trying to make Glencliff for Sunday while i went for pizza at EBA's. It was good pizza but didnt fulfil my needs as a thru hiker.I left town about 6:30pm just to hike a mile to the next shelter. My pack was heavy from all the food i packed out. I made it to the shelter and thought i would have it to myself for the night. Just as dark fell an old man stumbled in. He was completely shattered and had a big cut on his head. I thought he was going to have a heart attack. The question 'what the hell am i gonna do if he dies on me?' passed through my mind. Would it be feasible to just go to sleep and deal with it in the morning? It rained in the night as i snuggled in my bag.Dandylion
Date: 2005-08-12
From: Velvet Rocks

To: Firewardens cabin
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: clear sky

The morning was damp and everytime i walked by tall vegetation, i got soaked. I passed Ms pris and bug as they were packing up their tent. Moose mtn was a piece of cak but the water source up there was dry. I descended into the gap and somehow missed the brook. I had to climb up over Holts ledge with no water in the heat of the day. It really sucked but i had heard from a southbounder that there was a blue house that let hikers fill up on water. I was tired,thirsty and distressed at the whole situation and started questioning if this mystical blue house was real - thank goodness it was!The gentleman came out and gave me a ice cream and we talked a little. I made sure i filled up on my water this time round. I enjoyed the climb out of the valley and was walking along the ridge think i was nearly done for the day. I then glanced over to the side and saw a firetower. I had to double take on it and soon realised that the tower which was still 2 miles away and maybe another 1000ft up was the one i was stopping at. The climb up Smart mtn kicked my ass. It was the hardest climb ive had since the three ridges. I think what made it hard was it was at the end of the day after 20 miles.The cabins water source was dry but i had enough to get by. The cabin was in good shape and Bug and ms Pris joined me for the night. The Dragon flies were abundant up here, flying around like little rockets. It seemed strange that there were so many up here when theres no water? Dandylion