morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-01
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Manchester, Vermont
Miles today: 21.1

Happy August! And hello heat wave!   There was no escaping it. Even in nice cool wonderful Vermont! No moose either....lots of tracks though. And do you know why we see those tracks so easily? Because there is so much freakin mud in Vermont! Pudding may be the more appropriate term for it. Shoe clinging sludge. Sticks to the inside of your legs like leaches mess. That is what it is.But a great trade off for mud is a lunchtime swim in Stratton Pond. Especially when it's 90 degrees outside. Awesome. Swansons and I took a nice long swim and lunch and still somehow did the 18 miles to the shelter by 3:00pm. And when we got there we didn't know what to do with ourselves.   We were hot and thirsty but definitely had a few miles left in us so we decided to press on the 3 miles extra to town. Have a real dinner and sleep in air conditioning...very good plan.However, those harmless 3 extra miles sucked. On our way out of the shelter we asked two southbounders how the trail was into town. And they said, "Oh, you guys have it all down hill from here" and our sorry selves believed them.Rule #1, never, ever believe someone when they say it is all down hill----it is NEVER all down hill!Rule #2 There is always one more hill....always.. especially when it's the end of the day and you are beat, because you will curse even the slightest bump of terrain.But, we made it...got a hitch on our third car from a lovely lady with questionable driving skills...and now we are showered, well fed and in bed staring at the TV like two thru-hiking zombies.
Date: 2006-08-04
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchy
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning at about 3:00 AM to the sound of heavy rain on the roof of the shelter. And this rain kept on until about 8:00 AM. We all woke up about 6:00 but were slow moving, content to peer out at the rainy mess from our dry little home.By the time we got moving, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. But, the once muddy Vermont trail became "Oh man, I'm knee deep in mud every step" trail. I fell 3 times this morning and caught myself about a hundred. Trail crews build these little bridges over very swampy areas that usually just consist of a plank and some logs. Well, these things are great when it is dry...but watch out when they are soaking wet. It's like ice, and I proved it. Now I have purple knees as trophies.But, that's all right because we got to go swimming again at lunch today. Little Rock Pond is a great little place, nice and deep and clear. Complete with salamanders and crawfish.Tomorrow morning, we get to go to a nice restaurant for breakfast. It's about 27 miles on the trail from here, then 1/2 mile down the road. Very good incentive to get up early and run. Also, we are climbing Killington tomorrow, which apparently you get a view of Maine!! Big tease!!
Date: 2006-08-07
From: Gifford Woods State Park

To: Barnard Gulf Road
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was saved by ice cream!! Who would have thought? We started extremely early and right away the terrain was up, up, up and instantly I was zapped of all energy. It was just one of those days. So, by lunch I was spent, but in a zone...We had planned to hike 27 miles today...and I was damned determined to make it.But, then we were horribly distracted. We were hiking down the mountain with Stix and Blackfoot who we just met today, when a southbound hiker warned us of an ice cream shop down the next road we were crossing. It ws 3:00 o'clock and we had just busted out 20 miles. It was time for ice cream.So we side tracked off the trail once we got to the road and ended up at the greatest little farm stand/ice cream shop. And we stuffed ourselves. Then proceeded to sit on the porch of the place until 5:30 PM. We still had six miles of our original plan to hike. So we started out, but about .7 miles into it we all collapsed and just set up our tents. It was too late and too much ice cream. It's so time for bed.
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Barnard Gulf Road

To: Hanover, New Hampshire
Miles today: 22.4

Thank God we are in New Hampshire! I can't imagine how I'm going to feel about Maine! I felt like stopping people on the road and kissing them. But, I once again controlled myself!The hike today was a blur. We hiked fast and long and only thought about one thing...getting to New Hampshire. Although we did see alot of moose poop.When we got into the great town of Hanover, we instantly hit the pizza place who gives us lazy thru-hikers free slices! Then it was off to the hotel for a major shower with mud covered floors, post shower...chinese food and lots of TV!
Date: 2006-08-10
From: Hanover, New Hampshire

To: Trescott Road
Miles today: 4.5

Yesterday, by accident, we took a zero day. But it was a complete accident. 100% unintentional.   The first part of the day was all town errands and public transportation wich totally whooped us. Then it was burritos with Blackfoot. This was the beginning of the end.We headed over to Dartmouth green and sat around people watching. Blackfoot has been documenting his trip on video camera, so we hung out while he taped and interviewed two southbound thru-hikers (who still have their whole trip ahead of them). Blaine and Drew joined us on the green as well.The Hanover Inn was having a band playing outside for their dinner guests so before we hiked out the 5 of us decided to go watch for a few minutes. Well, a few minutes turned into an hour quickly. Blackfoot began dancing and a bunch of girls invited us in to hang with them.Long story short, two of the girls invited all 5 of us back to their house a couple of miles away in Vermont, so back to Vermont we went, happily.We each had our own beds, got to swim in her private pond and sat in the hot tub for hours. Plus woke up to them making us breakfast in the morning. If that wasn't wonderful enough, they gave us veggies out of their garden. We were in heaven and very sad to have to leave them to hike. But it was a great time and really the kind of experience that makes this such an amazing adventure. It reminds me how lucky we are out here. Expecially with all that is going on in the world.Hannah and Amy brought us back to town this morning where we returned to the Green for some more procrastinating and frisbee. It is so hard when you just absolutely fall in love with the people you meet and the towns you run through, because, inevitably you have to move on. Always to bigger adventures, but it is still hard to detach.Which is a big reason Swansons and I only did 4 miles today. We both just weren't feeling the hiking today and took it slow and easy. We are anxious for the end of our great adventure, but nervous at the same time to lose this life that we have been leading. It will be hard to readjust to the real world I imagine....
Date: 2006-08-11
From: Trescott Road

To: Fire Warden's Cabin
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: broken clouds

Had a bout of homesickness yesterday that became quite difficult to shake. But, today was a great day to fight it off. It was in the 60's all day. Our first actual cool hiking day in a a long while.We had 4 peaks to climb today, which made for alot of climbing. But all proved to be very pretty once on top. It sucks if you bust your butt climbing a mountain only to go right back down it with no view to be seen.Our last mountain of the day was the difficult one. Well, not completely difficult but damn long and sometimes very steep. It was an over 2000 feet climb with a shelter on top that was to be our home for the night. The worst part about this mountain was the way it was spread out. Even after you've climbed for 2 miles and about 1000 feet you get to a vista and out to the side you see the top of your mountain still lingering there. It is hovering above you, mocking you. We looked at it, willing it to come closer or at least shirnk but it stayed put. So we kept on trekking and finally made it to the top.Tonight we are staying in an old fire warden's cabin and it is actually cold! For the first time in months I put my long underwear on and actually found myself shivering at times. Weather report calls for 45 degrees tonight and we are on the very top of a mountain so that could mean even colder forus.418.5 miles to go....and..we will be in the Whites on Sunday..
Date: 2006-08-12
From: Fire Warden's Cabin

To: Glencliff, New Hampshire
Miles today: 20.0

Last night was the coldest night we've had in a very very long time. At most it was high 30's on top of the mountain where we slept. It made it very hard to get out of bed this morning. And even more difficult to put on a cold, wet, with sweat from the day before, tank top. Brought me back to our March days. Funny how we have been out here long enough that I can say that.Once we warmed up today the hike literally went by in a blur. I think I saw some trees, and some mud, but we were really pushing. All we wanted to do was get to the hostel and resupply so that we could get ready for the Whites. For as long as we've been hiking people have been warning us about the Whites, making sure we fear them just as much as we anticipate them. And I remember thinking about how far off they were, and now they are here.We are so excited we can't think clearly. This is what we've been waiting for. Other than the big "K" itself. Now we are on the door step, with no real clue what's in store for us.
Date: 2006-08-13
From: Glencliff, New Hampshire

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

Nothing is better than waking up in the morning, walking into a room full of hikers watching an awesome movie, and eating a microwavable pizza or two for breakfast plus coffee of course. Now what could be better?We hung out at the Hikers Welcome Hostel all morning watching movies and packing our food bags up for the Whites. We were so excited to get out and up there that we didn't even stay to finish the movie. And we usually like procrastinating. But, Mt. Moosilauke awaited. Our first mountain above tree line.   It's a good climb, about 3500 feet of climbing from the road.The 5.7 miles of climbing made for a long morning (since we already had a late start). But it was an awesome climb, straight up for long amounts of time. But once your body got used to it it was easy. For a while my feet did all the work and my mind would just zone out.The summit was incredible. Bare of anything but rocks and tourists and cold as cold can be...coldest I've ever been in August, ever. We had to hide behind the rocks so that we could get out of the whipping wind, but still enjoy the endless views. I can't even begin to explain how beautiful it was up there, out on the top of the world. And this is only the first mountain of many like it.When we finally decided to begin our descent the wind really picked up...Ithought I was going to freeze to death in my shorts and midweight long sleeve. But, as soon as we got back in the trees, it was an instant 10 degrees warmer and the wind had died down. the last time I felt that cold on a mountain was on Max Patch in North Carolina in 2 feet of snow drifts. But they say it's going to warm up again. Let's hope so!We only went the next 2 miles to the shelter and when we got there another guy had a fire started and the view outside was spectacular. So we decided to take a short day here and rest up for the Whites.I still can't believe the view I am looking at right now from my sleeping bag. Giant mountains with rocky tops underneath fluffy white clouds. Amazing to know we will be trekking over them. (Kate: the mountain I am looking at right now looks like a scene from LOTR) We are in for some hard but amazing terrain coming up...I can barely contain my excitement at the moment. But the cold is helping me stay calm.....
Date: 2006-08-14
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Lonesome Lake Hut
Miles today: 15.0

Today gave new meaning to the word "up" in my dictionary of hiking lingo. I have gained a new sense of the word mountain and feel that we haven't really been backpacking for real until this point. Now, we truly know backpacking.Our first day in the Whites. What an awesome, cool, radical, grueling and difficult day. I have no words to better explain it. It took us an hour to go down a mile and a half this morning and two hours to go 2.5 miles this afternoon. A 15 mile day will no longer be called a short day in my book.There doesn't seem to be any such thing as flat here. Either you are going straight up or you are going straight down. Add in rocks and boulders and alot of roots. I used my hands more than my trekking poles as we climbed up South Kinsman. Beautiful, amazing. You are just on the edge of the mountain feeling around for something to grab hold of or plant your foot on so you don't slop.The views were spectacular once you finally reached the summits. The mountains and lakes just went on forever. The Whites have really brought us to a new level.Tonight we are staying at the Lonesome Lake Hut. The crappy thing about the Whites is that there are no shelters. Only huts which are $80 bucks a night or tentsites, which are $8.00. Luckily the huts allow us thru-hikers to do work for stay and they even feed us leftover dinner and breakfast. So it is an OK gig if they let you do it.The crew here tonight made us burgers and hot dogs. Blackfoot, Sticks, Swansons and I plus a south bounder devoured every ounce of food they put in front of us. We had one of our hardest hiking days so food was heaven, and I only had to do dishes afterwards, and Swansons had to reorganize the bookshelf. Blackfoot took care of his work for stay by telling the hut guests about his thru-hike. It was nice to see how interested everyone was.Now we have a heated room to sleep in or at least a room that is warmer than outside. I am quite grateful for this seeing as I haven't slept all that great in this cold spell with my summer bag. I will have to quit being stubborn and take the weight of my warmer bag.
Date: 2006-08-15
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: scattered clouds

There is no other way of describing today then: Insane...freakin insane, crazy out of this world. There, that's better. It was tough, and exhausting, but incredibly cool.After we were fed the leftover breakfast at the hut...which entailed the best coffee cake I have every had. (Side note: Last night I forgot to mention that I ate more food in one sitting than I think I ever have before. 4 cheeseburgers, 1 hot dog, side of rice, side of pasta salad, green beans, a bowl of tomato soup and a square of peanut butter fudge. There, I just didn't want to forget to mention that).We had a long climb up to Mt. Lafayette, first having to go up and over Little Haystack Mountain and Mt. Lincoln. All of which were above tree line. It was an entirely exposed ridge the entire way. the single prettiest day of this entire hike. It was breathtaking...We followed what looked like a dragon's spine the whole way.Getting to the ridgeline was the most difficult part. Straight up for miles. We did it all without stopping for a breath out of pure excitement. But it seemed to go on and on forever. The Whites are the most incredible thing I've seen so far, sometimes I have to remind myself that I am still in the U.S.Besides the grandness (is that a word?) it is exhausting, and every day our 15 miles feels like 30. But the physical strain is completely worth the feeling you get when you climb to the top of the world (so it seems). We have entered a different universe. Though, I can't walk another step at the end of each day, it is worth it.These mountains however, do leave their mark. When I walked into camp tonight the guys stared at me as if I was bleeding from my head. Turns out I was bleeding from my head-from a black fly bite! But there was so much blood running down my neck it looked like I had gotten into a fight with a jagged rock. I kill so many of those biting little jerks every day, I guess it was only a matter of time before they had their revenge. Flies:1   Kurly: 1,000,032.
Date: 2006-08-16
From: Galehead Hut

To: Crawford Notch-Highland Lodge
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: fog

So I woke up this morning feeling pretty feverish and worn out. This is a hard feeling to wake up to, but when you're out in the whites it is a miserable thing to wake up to...I chugged some Emer-gen-c and away we went. Right away my legs were screaming and my eyes were threatening to close. Luckily there were no major mountains to climb today. Someone was lookin' out for me there.By the time we got to the next hut, 7 miles away, I was spent. Swansons also seemed a bit exhausted. But good old Sticks was feeling great. We had some $2 dollar, all you can eat soup-Dill potato. Bad, Bad idea. My stomach hated me. But after sitting in the sun for a few minutes and being told by one of the workers there that the rest of the day's hike was relatively easy, I mustered up the strength and we were out again.It was an easy hike, but I don't remember most of it. In order to keep motivated and not lie dow and go to sleep I zoned out for the entire 8 miles. I played games in my head and somehow got off the mountain without tripping.Now, Blackfoot, Sticks, Swansons and I are all comfy cozy at the Highland Lodge all separated in different bunks and roms. Swansons and I are downing the powerade like it's going out of style. We've pinpointed our fatigue and my fever to dehydration. So, it is drink and drink and drink and drink. Too bad too because my nice roommate here offered my wine...the only time I will refuse wine.Tomorrow is apparently one of the hardest days so it will be drink and drink more blue powerade and a 6 o'clock bed time for me. Woohoo, a nice warm bed and peace and quiet.
Date: 2006-08-18
From: Crawford Notch-Highland Lodge

To: Crawford Notch-Highland Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We are so close to the end now, more than halfwasy done with the Whites, just 50 miles short of Maine. And dammit here we sit at Crawford Notch, The HIghland Lodge. Me recovering from what seems to have been the flu and Swansons sick as a dog, unable to get out of bed. Our bad luck does not seem to sway. We are trapped in a current.At this point, we are so determined to finish that I literally feel trapped at this beautiful place. Reading can only still me so long before I am pacing the halls like a cooped up animal. It is a mental drain to be sitting here in a hole among the mountains that we are supposed to be traversing, every footstep bringing us closer to our goal, closer to home..and poor Swansons looks like her got hit by a truck, probably feels that way too.If we were sane, or normal human beings, maybe by now we would have thrown in the towel figuring that someone was trying to tell us something with these constant speed bumps or pot holes. If not for our rediculous stubborn streaks maybe we'd be relaxing at a local bar right now with our ride home a mere 100 yards away in the parking lot. No thumbing is required back in our real world.But, then we would not have the stories to tell and these adventures to live. I have new strength in me that I didn't realize I ever had, but I never had it until now. So it is all for the better, everything happens for a reason and I'll be damned if we aren't going to get to the big "K" some time in September.This kind of stuff happens to everyone....and either you let it get to you or you don't. It's just life....So...as soon as Swansons is back to his normal self we are going to try an slack pack the 25 miles of the presidential range and then go on from there. We don't want to miss a mile, but I don't think it would be good for either of us recovering from whatever bug is eating us to sleep up in the high elevations of the Whites. Too freakin' cold. But I know we can do those 25 miles in one day with lighter loads. Still counts in my book.I know everything will be ok....thanks to my mother. Today while I sat outside trying to contain my itchy feet (figuratively speaking) and reading, I had a monarch butterfly come and sit on my arm, then move to my foot...and even after I went inside for my camera and sat back down he came all the way back and sat with me again. He seemed perfectly at ease even when I moved a little and only flew away after I could no longer contain my feet and had to wander about. My Mom said that was my angel telling me all would be well. And I had to really dig deep inot what spiritually I have in me to understand that and believe it. But whether it was or not, it gave me comfort. And sometimes that is all it takes....I know now that everything will be cool.... Angel, butterfly...or whatever....It's all good.
Date: 2006-08-21
From: Crawford Notch-Highland Lodge

To: Crawford Notch-Highland Lodge
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: fog

Today was definitely my most disappointing day on the trail yet. We have been held up for four days now trying to feel better and I couldn't wait to get back out on the trail. We decided to do a 26 mile slack pack over the presidential range to make up for lost time, but apparently my body wasn't down with this. Although in my mind I was excited and bursting with energy.I was wobbly and lightheaded plus out of energy on the second step I took but I kept going figuring it was just from sitting around for a few too many days. But as we began to climb it got worse and by the time we were on the top of Mt. Madison I was spent. And angry about being tired. I had been so determined to kick this range's butt. So we skirted down a side trail and hitched back to Pinkham Notch, me arguing with myself the entire way. So it's to the doctor tomorrow for a quick checkup, then back on our way.
Date: 2006-08-23
From: Crawford Notch-Highland Lodge

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 6.4

Finally, "Hell Week" is over! No more being sick, no more stress. Finally back in the freakin woods. Five days of... nobody does it better than the two of us.   Hopefully by Christmas we'll be in Maine...But, for now we did a short day, still feeling a little under the weather, but we are back out in these crazy mountains. So that's a start......
Date: 2006-08-24
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

Finally, over Mt. Washington!   And we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. All above treeline, all day and barely any wind and lots of sunshine. It was cold, but it felt good. Climbing Mt. Washington was incredible. We could see everywhere for miles around. I couldn't hike steadily. I kept having to turn around and look at the scenery around me.The top was just as I thought minus all the horrible weather I imagined. But full of tourists, like it was Disney Freakin World. And a snack bar with hot dogs and nachos! Plus pay phones to call Mom and Dad and say "Hey, I'm on top of the world!"The climb down was amazing as well. Over all the presidential range, and the rocks were so great. Just a whole other world. I still couldn't hike without stopping constantly and gawking at the world around me. But the rocks were making it for a slow go. Two miles an hour at most for the whole day. But eventually we got to where we were going, still feeling great. The sickness is leaving us!!