morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-01
From: IMP Campsite

To: Osgood Campsite
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: fog

Mountains, mountains, mountains - that was the story today. Initially, we climbed the Carter¢s which were rather steep. Then we continued down a slick rocky trail to the Carter¢s Notch hut for lunch. The JHP was excited to see its 1st AMC hut as we¢ve heard so much about them. It had picnic tables in the den and a commercial type stove and sink in its kitchen, a weather forecast was posted on the front wall and there were candy bars, oatmeal, and coffee for sale on an honor system.As we ate our lunches we chatted with some day hikers who arrived. We all discussed how bad the fog was and how it was prohibiting views! After our short exchange, we headed out since we had to tackle the Wildcats A-E before we made our way to Pinkham Notch. No views were afforded just a lot of ups and downs.Once we got to Pinkham Notch we were overwhelmed by the amount of people we encountered. I guess with the 4th coming up a lot of people are going to be in the Whites. Fine with me - I just didn¢t expect this amount of people today since the weather was so blah.While we were at the Pinkham Notch visitor center Samoa and I got a Coke and some nachos. It was super delicious and just what we needed since we decided to press on to the Osgood campsite. We signed the Visitor Center's register and moved on.
Date: 2005-07-03
From: Lakes of the Clouds

To: Crawford Notch General Store and Campground
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

After the Croo, AMC Hut workers, finished serving breakfast, they gave us permission to eat the leftovers. The JHP devoured what remained and thanked the CROO tremendously! We¢re so thankful they let us work for stay in exchange for a bed on the picnic tables and free food! What a difference a day makes in the weather up here! Today¢s hike was simply amazing. There wasn't any haze which meant the air seemed transparent. In fact, one of the croo members said that the visibility only gets this good about three times a summer - aren't we lucky?! It was like we were viewing the Presidentials through high definition TV! Our hike from Lakes of the Clouds to Mizpah Hut was a peice of cake. We were above treeline almost all the way there. When reached Mizpah, we decided to have lunch. Afterwards, we made our way over to Mt. Jackson where we were able to feed Canadian Jay¢s out of our hands. Later we summited Mt. Webster before we made our steep and long descent into Crawford Notch.Upon reaching US 302/Crawford Notch, we decided we hitch to the General Store and Campground for resupply and a night¢s rest. We got a quick ride and checked in. After we got settled, we went for a swim in the Saco River. It was cold but refreshing. For supper, we cooked hotdogs over a raging fire. We enjoyed them with a few bruskies that Don King and I bought. But getting the beer, is rather crazy story. Since the campground is dry, Don and had to hitch down the road in order to find a place that wasn't. However, we didn't take our backpacks which made hitching back with a few beers nearly impossible. Finally, a Spanish couple picked us up and we made it back. It's funny how things just seem to work out up here.It¢s hard to believe today makes one month we¢ve been on this journey. It¢s been awesome thus far and we are so thankful to be given this opportunity! Well, we're about to cash out since we are all tired from a day in the Whites! Goodnight!
Date: 2005-07-04
From: Crawford Notch General Store and Campground

To: Stealthed before Galehead Hut
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Happy 4th of July! While we missed the Peachtree Road Race and hanging out on the lake, the weather and views certainly masked our homesickness. The day began with flat terrain which was a welcomed change from the up and down rocky landscape we¢ve grown accustomed to! At mile 8 we stopped by the AMC Zealand Falls Hut for a snack and social interaction. There were various Croo Members from different huts who were celebrating the 4th by grilling burgers and dogs! We met one Croo member from Galehead hut who we asked if we could work for stay since that¢s where we were planning on going. She thought we could so we pressed on with that in mind. When we arrived at Galehead Hut, there were 4 NOBO¢s that had already taken our spots. So, we backtracked 100 yards to find a stealth site.At the moment, the JHP is all in their respective shelters chatting back and forth. There is also a flip-flopper here tonight by the name of Rambler. He is going SOBO to Massachusetts where he will finish up. But get this - Samoa and I met this guy back in GA at the Blue Mountain Shelter earlier this year! In fact, we saw him going NOBO over Mt. Washington just the other day...this guy is all over the place:-)Tomorrow we are going to Franconia Notch. Should be in Hanover by this time next week!
Date: 2005-07-05
From: Stealthed before Galehead Hut

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Last night was the best night of sleep I¢ve had so far. There wasn¢t a particular reason, just a restful night that was much needed. We started today¢s hike at 7:30 a.m. and by 10 we were snacking on Mt. Garfield. From Mt. Garfield we could see Mt. Lafeyette and Franconia Ridge which looked enormous. After our snacks, we made our way towards the ridgeline. The first peak we summited was Mt. Lafayette. It was above tree line as was the rest of the mountain range that held Lincoln and Mt. Haystack. There were clouds that slowly started to roll in so we sped our hike up to get back down to tree line. At Liberty Springs campsite, 2.4 miles South of Franconia Notch, the JHP regrouped and decided we would go into North Woodstock for a nights stay since rain was inevitable. Now we are sitting in our room at the Carriage Motel watching the rain from our window. This pattern of hiking is fine by me! We¢re clean as are our clothes and looking forward to sleeping in a bed!P.S. Oh I almost forgot, we received another round of trail magic today! As we were walking under I-93, Samoa spotted Gatorades floating in between some rocks along the river bank, we shared a lemonade flavored one and it was so good!
Date: 2005-07-06
From: Franconia Notch

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

At 7:45 a.m. this morning, the Shuttle Connection picked us up from the Carriage Motel in North Woodstock, NH. We were dropped off on I-93 at Franconia Notch where we shimmied down the bank to get back down on our beloved AT. We passed Traction and Daytripper, two NOBO¢s we were familiar with through trailjournals, just before Lonesome Lake hut. They informed us the Jersey Boy's, a group of 3 SOBO¢s we met back in Caratunk, were at the hut. So, the JHP hurried to catch them before they left. At the Lonesome Lake Hut, Tugboat, Lil Debbie, Bewildered, and the JHP reunited. We all decided that Beaver Brook Shelter would be a good destination for the day. After the decision, we all went inside for one last glass of lemonade since this would be our last Hut. The AMC¢s Southern Management Boundary is just beyond this area. We must say that we enjoyed the AMC section since it was well maintained and the huts provide AYCE leftovers. It only cost us $20 to get through their section which is very cheap since a regular stay at a hut is usually $80. Samoa and I just finished our dinner and we are currently in our tent listening to the sounds of drizzle tapping our rain fly. The shelter was full, or we would be in there. We¢re pretty exhausted since we hiked over Kinsmen Mtn, Wolf Mtn, and straight up Mousilauke to this shelter.In other news , Samoa lost her first toenail today. This is a common happening for thru hikers, I just wish she wouldn¢t have told me over dinner. Yuck! Tomorrow, Glencliff!
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Glencliff - Hiker's Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 7.9

This morning the rain stopped around 5:30 a.m. and since we were in no big hurry to leave, we laid in our tent until 7:00 just relaxing and talking. The skies were semi clear by 8 a.m. which allowed us to see Franconia Ridge from the shelter as we ate our breakfast. Once again, another surreal moment was had by all! After a nice climb up to the summit of Mt. Moosilauke, we had a snack break and snapped a few pics of our last time above tree line in the Whites. I hate to sound like a broken record but the views here are incredible - I¢m in love with the mountains apparently... On our way down to Rte 25/Glencliff, we enjoyed crossing our first pasture before hitting Sanitarium Rd. The trail after this road was like a breath of fresh air since it was mostly flat and smooth. Upon reaching Rte 25, we walked .5 miles into the small town of Glencliff, NH. We stopped at the Hiker Welcome Hostel to wait on the P.O. to open. While we were waiting, we fell in love with the accommodations and decided to Nero. Once we got to the P.O., we picked up our packages - Thanks Dad for sending us our memory stick back. And we love your humorous captions you¢ve added to our pics. After the P.O., Fat Chap, the manager of this hostel, took us to Warren, NH to resupply. On our way we noted that the road signs of NH have the silhoutte of "Old Man of the Mtn" and even their liscence plates. Back at the Hikers Welcome Hostel, we took showers outside in a very interesting setup. There are hose-fed showers which are under a tent. It looks very temporary, but it worked fine...Samoa and I are about to watch an SNL classic - the early years. Glad to be here and looking forward to getting back on the trail tomorrow. Hard to believe we¢ll be in Vermont by next week!
Date: 2005-07-08
From: Glencliff - Hiker's Welcome Hostel

To: Firewarden's Cabin
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

This morning we left the Hiker¢s Welcome Hostel around 7:30 a.m. after another good nights rest. The trail was extremely tame which was extremely welcomed. In fact, Samoa and I agreed that while our legs enjoyed the smooth trail today, our feet may have been in shock since they weren¢t being contorted in odd positions. Throughout today¢s hike we stopped at Ore Hill and Hexacuba shelters for snacks and breaks. After Hexacuba, we pushed through a light rain to the fire warden¢s cabin. This place is great since it has four walls and a roof to keep the cold rain out. Later on in the evening, Sheera and Ranger Danger, two female NOBO¢s came in from Hanover. We (Samoa, The Jersey Boy¢s, Rambler, and me) made room for them and enjoyed each others company. Super T and Don King aren't here as of 8:30 p.m. so they are more than likely not coming. They probably stopped at Hexacuba¢¦. Tomorrow, I think we are going to hike the 24-25 miles into Hanover tomorrow since the terrain seems fairly easy. We¢ll see...
Date: 2005-07-09
From: Firewarden's Cabin

To: Hanover - Sunset Motor Inn
Miles today: 24.0

This morning we woke up to a steady rain. The good news; it wasn¢t as cold as we had anticipated. We ate a quick breakfast and headed out around 7:30 a.m. By 8:30, Tropical Storm Cindy unleashed her fury on us. She pounded us with torrential rain. It was actually fun hiking in the downpour once we gave up trying to be dry. We stopped at Moose Mtn. Shelter for lunch and cooked instant mashed potatoes since we wanted something warm to eat. Btw my taste buds have developed an amazing desire to venture out, not that they havn't before, its just that now their at an all new level. I put the following into my potatoes: chicken, hot sauce, peanuts and m&m¢s, stove top stuffing, and peanut butter. Now I know this sounds bizarre, however, each bite provided an indescribable explosion of flavor! Caudell, I know you are disgusted¢¦. After lunch, we only had 10 miles to Hanover. So, we took our time and talked with Snow Dog, The B¢s, Dad¢s Grin, and a few other NOBO¢s we met along the way. The closer we got to town, it seemed like we were walking through peoples back yards. We crossed several pastures and even saw a sign that read, ¢No unicycles-or else.¢ Weird, but funny! At Velvet Rocks Shelter, there was a sign that told us we were .7 miles from Hanover. We were so pumped we basically ran the rest of the way. While we were running we smelled food and began to hear the sounds of town which made our pace even faster. The trail dumped us out onto a soccer field right behind the Hanover CO-OP which was convenient since both of us were craving a coke. The AT runs right through town and about 12 way through we stopped for some grub and called Chuck w/ Sunset Motor Inn. He came and picked us up and now we are clean and about to doze off. What a day!
Date: 2005-07-10
From: Hanover - Sunset Motor Inn

To: Sunset Motor Inn, Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We are taking today off to rest our bodies; Andover, Maine was the last place we zeroed. After southern Maine and the Whites of NH, we feel our day off is well deserved¢¦. Later we plan on going into town for resupply and touring the campus of Dartmouth College. We had a brief peek last night which has prompted us to view more of it this afternoon. We¢re also going to meet back up with the Jersey Boy's, Super T, Don King, Stumbles, Leroy and Tarkous - all SOBO¢s who are zeroing, too. It should be a lot of fun hanging out with everyone today! After venturing downtown, we plan on returning where we will ¢veg¢ out by the river behind our motel. I hope everyone is having a restful Sunday as well! Cheers!
Date: 2005-07-11
From: Sunset Motor Inn, Hanover, NH

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Two states down and 12 to go! This morning we crossed the threshold into Vermont. The NOBO¢s we¢ve been running into call it ¢Vermud¢ (We¢ll let you know if it lives up to its reputation). The border was only two miles past Hanover and happened to be the Connecticut River?! We actually hiked out of Hanover since it was all sidewalk. The 2x6 white blazes that mark the trail were on the telephone poles and road signs instead of trees¢¦. Another interesting change we noted was that there were many road crossings today. We even walked under two interstates today I-91 and I-89 before lunch. Then we strolled into the town of West Hartford. Not too much there, however, we did find an awesome rope swing under the bridge that spans the White River. We wound up swimming and sunning with locals who were taking refuge from the 90+ degree heat, too. After our nice afternoon break, we made our way up and over the beautiful countryside of Vermont. We crossed several pastures and saw many NOBO¢s. It was a very nice day even though the heat was present. At the Thistle Hill Shelter we met another round of NOBO¢s. One guy in particular was not doing so well. He had been ralphing and looked pretty flushed. He hopes whatever he has is viral and not giardia. We do too! The shelter was a little busy so we decided to pitch our tent. Super T and Don King haven¢t showed up yet - not sure where they are? Oh well, off to bed! P.S. We stopped by True Value on our way out of town this morning to purchase more denatured alcohol for our stoves. (Most places sell it by the ounce near the trail) The clerk went down in the basement to fill our bottles up. We paid for the fuel and thought nothing else about it. When we got to camp, we realized he had put lacquer thinner instead of denatured alcohol. Sonofagun! Fortunately, Cocoa Bean, a NOBO had some extra fuel she let us have. Thanks so much!
Date: 2005-07-12
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Stoney Brook Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Another B-E-A-UTIFUL but hot day of hiking. Today¢s hike consisted of lots of ups and downs and pasture crossings. There weren't any big mtns - just lots of rolling countryside. Just before lunch we had another episode of trail magic. This nice man, Tailwind, was out (as he calls it) feeding the monkeys. He had a daypack full of bananas, oranges, and peaches which he offered to us. We obliged and devoured our gifts! Thanks Tailwind! At VT 12, we hung a right to get some spigot water from a house we were told about by some NOBO¢s. The owner wasn¢t there but apparently he¢s very accommodating to hikers as we¢ve been told¢¦¢¦ wish we could have met him. After Winturi Shelter, we followed a short trail to a lookout on private property. It led to an unoccupied hunting cabin that is open for hikers. We contemplated staying as the views were spectacular, but decided to press on. On our way to the Stoney Brook Shelters we met 2 NOBO¢s we saw on our day hike up Blue Mtn. earlier this spring. We were all amazed how long it had been and congratulated each other before we went our separate ways. Heading to Rutland, VT tomorrow for resupply; before we get there we plan to swim in the Kent pond, can¢t wait! Still no sign of Super T and Don King, I guess there somewhere behind us - probably see them tomorrow.
Date: 2005-07-13
From: Stoney Brook Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: few clouds

Today was a magical day. The skies were clear, the terrain was easy and we had a smooth trip in and out of Rutland, VT. First we stopped by Kent Pond around mid morning for a nice dip. Then we walked through Gifford State Park and up a mountain to the Maine Junction. This is where the AT merges with the Long Trail. It continues South with the AT all the way to the VT border, however, the Long Trail veers NW of here and takes you into Canada. Maybe one day Samoa and I will tackle the northwestern section¢¦not today! At US 4 (mile 10 for the day), we got a hitch from a nice man, Otel Dertel, in a pickup into Rutland. On our way into town we saw an Applebee¢s, several outfitters, and a Sherwin Williams paint store. Otel dropped us off at the Grand Union Supermarket where we purchased enough provisions to get us to Manchester Center, VT. We then walked to Sherwin Williams paint store to refuel - remember Hanover¢¦. After our purchasing DENATURED ALCOHOL, we got a hitch to Applebees since we had gift certificates - THANKS MISS DOT!!! We ate like pigs and had a few Long Trail Ales. Later we headed to the outfitter for more Aqua Mira and deet. As we were walking out of town, we ran into Otel again who offered to shuttle us back to the trailhead. Otel through hiked the AT in 78 and 79 and knows what it¢s like to be in our position. He even offered to put us up for the night, but we decided to press on. But Otel¢s kindness didn¢t end, he even gave us a container of blueberries - what a nice guy. I took a picture of this trail Angel and Samoa before we pressed on. Currently we are at Churchill Scott Shelter and we¢ve been chatting with Mr. Magoo, a NOBO Long Trail hiker. He also is a 2003 AT alumni. He¢s a character and we¢ve sure enjoyed his company.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

What a pleasant day of hiking. The first mountain we encountered today was Mt. Killington. We expected more of a challenge from this 3900+footer; however, the terrain wasn¢t difficult at all. The rest of the day continued to be mild and enjoyable. We experienced two rounds of trail magic today! Shortly after reaching the 500 mile marker we were able to celebrate with a cold coke - Thanks to Mad Hatter a 2004 (NOBO). Not more than two miles down the trail from this magic, we reached our second magic. The "Trail Gnome" left some cola in a stream - What luck! We were able to share two drinks in one day. Later in the afternoon we opted to take a 12 mile detour down VT 103 to the Whistle Stop Caf© for some ice cream. To our surprise Don King rolled up not too much later - followed by Super T. We were excited that the JHP was back together! We took a nice a long break and then headed towards the trail. Just South of the VT 103/AT trailhead, we took a much needed dip in Clarendon Gorge. It was an awesome place to swim. A great ending to a great day.
Date: 2005-07-15
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Peru Peak - Stealth
Miles today: 20.9

Last night we slept through a thunderstorm and woke up to a steady rain. It made getting out of the tent this morning unappealing... Once we finally got underway, our day seemed to brighten up as did the mosquitoes. These annoying insects harassed us through the better part of the morning! Samoa and I have discussed it and we¢re certain that mosquitoes have no purpose! On a better note we had an awesome time at Little Rock Pond. We swam and bathed in the Crystal clear waters for over an hour. Then we enjoyed a pleasant lunch gazing over the waters while enjoying a cool breeze. Apparently, the mosquitoes were on their lunch break, too! We were able to eat in peace! An update on Vermont: Recently, it has been living up to its reputation as ¢Vermud¢. While it wasn¢t as muddy as the 100 mile wilderness, it was a bit slippery for several miles today. During one of the "slippery" sections, we even met a Long Trail hiker hiking in her bare feet. After our short exchange of words, we found out she was sans shoes related to many blisters. (Not sure I would go to those extremes but whatever works.) Towards the end of today¢s hike we stopped by Griffith¢s Pond anticipating another dip; however, the waters weren¢t as nice as Little Rock so we opted not to swim. Instead we just enjoyed the view!Afterwards, we passed Peru Peak Shelter as we wanted to stealth camp above the bugs. While we were having dinner, Haiku, a 2004 NOBO, stopped to chat with us. He was full of good info and it was a pleasure meeting him. Tomorrow we head into Manchester Center, VT!
Date: 2005-07-16
From: Peru Peak - Stealth

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

It didn't rain last night, so all of our gear is dry again! That's a first for us in VT. However, the remnants of Hurricane Dennis seem to be blowing in clouds, heat, and humidity which made this mornings hike very muggy. So, the dryness didn't last very long... Not too long after we left Peru Peak, we hiked over Bromley Mtn. Here we found a warming hut, lookout tower, and a gondola. It was a perfect spot for a snack and we enjoyed chit-chatting with some NOBO¢s before our decent down to the road. Upon reaching VT 11/30, we encountered another ice chest full of trail magic! There were cokes and veggies that hit the spot! Vermont is showing us all kinds of love! We got a quick hitch from a very nice lady named Karen. She showed us around Manchester and dropped us off at Sutton¢s place where we are staying for the night. Shortly, we plan to do our normal town routine: Laundry, grocery store, and outfitter. Samoa needs a warm weather sleeping bag since her 20 degree bag seems to be too much for these hot summer nights. The JHP is meeting soon so I am signing off!
Date: 2005-07-17
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

This morning we stopped by the coffee shop for breakfast on our way out of town. After our delicious biscuits, we got a ride back to the trail head. A few miles into today¢s hike we stopped by Prospect Rock which afforded us views back to the beautiful city of Manchester. For lunch we breaked at Stratton Pond Shelter. Afterwards we summited Mt. Stratton; however, there were no views as we were in a cloud. Atop, we noticed a lookout tower and also a caretaker¢s cabin - (Stratton Mtn is also the probable birthplace of the AT since this is where Benton Mackaye had his first dream of an Eastern continental trail while on this summit). Once we descended Stratton, we met Magic Hat, a 2003 AT through hiker, who was restocking his cooler with trail magic. This makes 5 times we¢ve found trail magic in VT! This state rocks! And since we caught the "magician" in his act, he got our picture and we got his! We all talked for an hour before Samoa and I made our 3.6 mile hike to Story Spring shelter. It was a long day but what better of a way to end it than with some trail magic. Not sure if Super T and Don King will show up tonight as they may not have left town soon enough to get here. P.S. We¢re in good company tonight with Shawn and Mark - two Long Trail hikers. We¢ve been sharing trail experiences and having laughs. Ahhh-it¢s so good to be on the trail!