morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-27
From: Wilbur Clearing Shelter

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: broken clouds

The day began dry and comfortable. That would change.   With birds chirping and the day getting hot and muggy, Deadline, Bird , and I began our daily ritual of waking. We were also happy to be getting away from that sick hiker from the shelter.The trail climbed back up into the dense, green forest. The trail's edges were brimming with plants ranging from raspberry bushes to trillium to poison ivy. The air was heavy and the humidity was downright oppressive.We diligently made progress until we hit a snag....there was a diner 1/4 of a mile away. So........we got the Super Hungry Man special. It was too perfect for us.Shortly after, we hiked on. It is amazing that one can feel the difference with the amount of energy available. Deadline spotted an awesome bird--a piliated woodpecker .The humidity was so high that the dew point caused many of the rocks on the trail caused the moisture in the air to condense on the rocks. This made the rocks very slippery as well.After a solid morning of hiking, Deadline, Bird, and I saw a large sigh.   It was for the Vermont border!! It also was the southern terminus of the Long Trail. We sat and soaked it all in until the nasty bugs ran us out of tgere.The trail had several climbs that caused me to sweat absolute buckets of water. That changed after hearing the rumble of thunder for an hour or two. A quick sprinkle came down. That sprinkle only lasted 5 minutes before sheets of rain came out of nowhere. Thunder and lightning complimented the deluge. This rain continued for several hours. As I hiked, there was a drone of what I thought was a chain saw... At least, at first. Then, I could tell it was coming near. I caught a glimpse of something headed towards us.   I turned around and said. "Don't move. Stand your ground!"It was because I immediately recognized what "it" was. Dirt bikes. Screaming down the footpath, tearing up the train something fierce. They had to quickly decelerate to not hit us.The quick deceleration caused one of the dirtbikers to slowly fall over sideways. The first biker went by just yelling, "Lost!", as if this was a normal route for him. I went by the second, third, and fourth bikers.       I yelled at them, "Footpath only!!!"I realized than they probably couldn't hear him and they definitely didn't care. As the one guy righted his bike, I so wanted to push it back over.... But I didn't.After passing these a-holes, we had to walk through an absolute muddy disaster for a trail. Thanks dirt bikers!!After a short while, I had mostly forgotten about the dirt bikes and was enjoying myself once again.Deadline, Bird, and I made it up to the shelter for the night. I ended up setting up my tent in the rain, but did so without too much wetness! Much of my stuff is soaked. My clothes was going to be awful to put on tomorrow.I got to meet RedFeather from Banff. She told me about how awesome New Foundland and Quebec are. We had a great night sharing stories and chatting late into the night!
Date: 2015-05-28
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 28.0
Weather: moderate rain

I was sitting in my tent this morning and heard, "Sycamore."Before I could reply, the voice called out again, "Sycamore, I got it."It was Deadline's voice.       "Got what??" I inquired.      "That sickness that the other hiker had. I have been up all night puking." Deadline expanded on his first statement.That was terrible. Poor Deadline was sick and it probably stemmed from that previous sick hiker a day ago. Bird and I asked what he wanted to do. Deadline said that he felt like shit and was going back to the nearby town. We asked if there was anything we could do like walking back to the road. He said he was ok and for us to go ahead.We planned on seeing Deadline onSunday in Killington, Vt.It was difficult to leave Deadline, but there was little Bird or I could do. Luckily, the road was only 1.6 miles of downhill.Bird and I continued north. The trail deteriorated and became choked with deadfall trees. I was surprised because this was hands-down one of the worst maintained areas on the whole trail.Initially, the humidity returned for today. Looking at the horizon, one could barely see though the dense haze that was synonymous with high humidity. Fortunately, the temperature was a little cooler than yesterday.We walked until our lunch break at 2pm. We got water and I dried out my gear from last night's rain. It was relaxing, but not long-lived. After some soup and tuna, we were back underway. We decided to climb over Stratton Mountain today. If this plan worked, we would do 28 miles today. This mountain carried a lot of significance as it is where Benton McKaye became inspired to create the AT. At the top, stood a 1930's fire lookout tower. Hikers were allowed to climb up to the top of the tower.The day was getting late, so Bird and I had to move quickly. We cruised down the mountain at our fastest pace. The forest was getting darker and more foreboding. In the end, we found the shelter. There was no caretaker so hopefully I won't have to pay to stay here. It was cool that RedFeather had also made it to the shelter!!
Date: 2015-05-29
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Before Little Rock Pond
Miles today: 28.0

May 29th. Started at Stratton pond shelter to before little rock pond   28 milesI started our today with refreshingly chilly temperatures. This coupled with the darkness of the forest delayed me from emerging from my sleeping bag.Bird and I agreed to do 27-28 miles today, thus setting us up for Killington on Sunday. We weren't exactly sure as to the details of the climbs today, but we were motivated.The trail often times was soft with a fine bed of pine needles (as you know by now, my favorite!), other times it was a rocky and rooted affair. Another aspect of the terrain were the boggy areas. The trail intermittently used board and stones to aid hikers through these extremely wet areas. The mosquitoes were wicked, but I am sure they get much worse late in the year.I enjoyed passing by two gorgeous "ponds" today. Actually, they looked like lakes to me. Anyways, really beautiful with their tree-lined shores and rocky accents. If only I had passed these fine bodies of water during those muggy days. After 12 miles, it was time for a lunch break and a water fill-up. Happily, there was a shelter just off trail that would be perfect for such a break. I got water and relaxed. Bird walked up and was ready for a good break.We hung out until we couldn't tolerate the bugs anymore. It was then that we pushed on to our next goal.The path worked its way through the forests and came out on an exposed slope. As I looked around, I realized that it was a ski run.I hollered back at Bird about the ski slope. Bird quickly replied with, "Woohooo!!   Which he followed up with, "Oooh nooo...."It was the classic realization. First, you are super excited since a ski hill is a novelty. Then, you quickly realize that ski hills are steep and treeless, exposed climbs.At the top, we saw the idle ski lifts and backcountry ski patrol shelter. It is cool that they leave the shelter unlocked for hikers to use.It was good to see consistent, increased water availability compared to the last section. One can save so much weight if there is regular water sources along the way.Bird and I got our miles in for today. We had been looking for a camp spot for about 20 minutes when we crossed a road.At a parking lot, a few hikers were setting out to hike since it was Friday. Bird asked a girl about any camping opportunities. Her name was Amanta and she worked locally at a kids camp. She asked if we needed a ride and Bird looked to me. Food!!She took us into town and bought us beer and pizza. Too cool!! We bought a couple of snacks so that we had enough to get into Killington. Back at camp, Bird and I chowed down wood fire pizza and drank Long Trail Ale. It was a great night!!
Date: 2015-05-31
From: Cooper Lodge

To: Killington, Vt
Miles today: 11.0

Bird as I stirred to life at our ghetto shelter. We were not sad to leave it. Sadder yet, it must had been awesome back in the day.What was not awesome was today's forecast... 100% chance of rain. There was a silver lining to this. Today, we would get into town!!! Being wet today would not be so bad...or so I thought.The trail was soggy and slippery. The rain channeled down the trail and turned it into a creek. This would add a lot of challenge as we were descending for the majority of today. The wetness coupled with the wind and the dropping temperatures to create a dangerous situation. One must be extra vigilant in watching for hypothermia in conditions like these.A bright spot for today was the departure of the Long Trail. The AT and the Long Trail finally split apart today after over 100 miles of sharing the same tread. This felt like a real success.The terrain was so slippery. The mud, rocks, and water seemed to conspire in making the worst possible scenario. Both of us fell several times on the way down. This meant that we were not only soaked to the bone, but also covered in mud.As the day went on, the temperature dropped. I started getting cold. My first real indicators were my stiff wrists and inability to use my fingers.After tons of water and mud, we finally made it to the road that went into Killington. It was a high speed road that was a bit intimidating to walk. I was sort of surprised that no one offered us a ride.We walked into town and found refuge at a nice convience store. Here, we could warm up and call Deadline. I actually had three cups of coffee and it was wondeful.The best part of the day was when our once-sick friend, Deadline, showed up! He was in good spirits and feeling much better! Very cool! Tomorrow, LittleDebbie is supposed to catch up too!! It makes me think of the movie "Blues Brothers".... "We're getting the band back together!"
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Killington, Vt

To: Killington, Vt
Miles today: 0.0

It was a great day for a zero!! I needed to grab my resupply boxes from the post office, so I took today off. Luckily, the weather was dismal and I was indoors.First, I needed a fine coffee! So, I casually walked over to the deli and got a coffee and bagel sandwich! Mmmmm!!! Next, a trip to the neighboring building which was the post office. They were friendly and quickly found my packages.I picked up all kinds of good stuff. I got my Canadian permit from BearBelle. I also got shoes and food from my super-helpful folks.   Apparently, I mixed up my shoes before I left and now have a smaller pair than last time. I think they will work. Fingers crossed. We will see how that goes in the Whites.Either way, my old shoes are shredded. They are absolutely done. I am so excited about my new pair!! I spent some time going through my food and checking the upcoming maps. It is very exciting to be so close to New Hampshire. Only two days until we cross into it!Other time today was spent cleaning and drying gear. It is a surprising amount of things to do. As I worked, I often would look out the window and enjoy the dreary rain falling, knowing it was even colder outside.I am starting to think more about Canada and it is also very exciting. The IAT is such a different trail system. I wonder how difficult it will be adapt to.I feel good to leave town tomorrow. Unfortunately, the rains are supposed to continue through the early afternoon. That will make the start much more difficult.Later in the evening, a familiar face popped in the door... It was LittleDebbie!! Woohoo!! He had caught up! That was indeed impressive...We all sat around trading stories and getting caught up on what's been happening!! Good times!!
Date: 2015-06-02
From: Killington, Vt

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 17.0

Good morning from the Killington Motel!!It was a good morning. Deadline, LittleDebbie, and I were dry indoors. The rain continued for a bit in the morning and then tapered off.We were slow to pack up, waiting for the trail to dry out. Well, more like drain off!! The heavy amounts of water saturated the surrounding mountains.LittleDebbie headed back south to finish a 3 mile portion that he had to do. Deadline and I headed north and agreed to meet LittleDebbie at the Wintturi Shelter this evening.The trail was a soupy, muddy mess. It was scenic, but was pulverized by the storms. Water drained and ran everywhere...but mostly right down the trail. Massive ponds and streams replaced what was once trail tread. Adding to the wetness, the thick foliage held sprinkling after sprinkling of cold rain water.Water crossings were much, much higher than usual. Some of the streams had doubled and tripled in width. It was in these conditions that I took out my prized, new pair of shoes for the first hike.It was great to have them!! Great traction, good fit, and solid soles were the best part. It was sad, however, to take a brand new pair of shoes and immediately start trashing them. It is what they are for, but...The forests were thick and rich with mosses and pine needles. Mature birches stood tall and fat with their bright, white peeling bark. Pines gave up their needles to create a soft foot bed to walk on.Lots and lots of moose scat has been along the trail for the last 100 miles. I really am expecting to see one soon. Rabbits were plentiful today. It seems a bit odd, but there were three of them chewing on the shelter.The trail climbed over one ridge, descended, and climbed again. There were several waterfalls today. There was a low, white water rushing one contained in a vertical rock cut. There was a large, tall cascading one. The was even a nice, mid-size waterfall right at my camp tonight.Today, I just plowed through the water and mud. There was no saving your shoes from the wet and nasty. Even with this direct approach, many slippery rocks and roots made it hazardous.I slipped and slid my way over to tonight's shelter. I was planning on camping, but as the tent sites are flooded, I will sleep in the shelter. Deadline soon followed me into camp and LittleDebbie a little behind him.Now, we just needed Bird back!!
Date: 2015-06-03
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: Norwich, Vt
Miles today: 25.0

Today's weather was impeccable!! Very cool and crisp air offered hikers a rare opportunity to be comfortable while hiking. The morning was refreshingly cold, followed by a bright and breezy day.The trail was finally drying out. It still had large puddles and flooded low-laying areas, but many sections were drained of the recent rains.With the cooler temperatures, water wasn't a big issue nor did I consume much this day. Deadline, LittleDebbie, and I hiked along leap-frogging (taking turns leading on the trail) each other. Our ultimate goal for the day was Hanover, NH.There were many climbs followed by immediate descents today. This undulation will not only increase, it will become the standard routine for many days to come. Most of the sections today were open forest areas, but a number of smaller areas were thick, grassy areas. We even crossed a few pastures that seemed prime for ticks.It was a pleasure to be walking under such a thick canopy in the woods. I also really enjoyed the dense pine areas that blocked the sunlight and provided a mature forest. The roots of the pines were exceptionally slippery and required a decent amount of agility to negotiate.The taller climbs were of reasonable grade and were completed in relatively short order. There was a considerable amount of effort to gain these peaks. It was surprising that the trail became occasionally difficult to follow due to its downed trees and light tread.In the late afternoon, I had made it to the outlying roads of Norwich, VT. At the first driveway, there was a cooler and a Rubbermaid tote. It was trail magic!!! I had a soda and moved on.A few houses down was another trail magic box with treats in it, as well!!! This was incredible!! What a great neighborhood!! Much further down the road, a third trail magic cooler was on the shoulder! All of the folks walking by were friendly and waving. It was such a friendly surprise!! A nice lady walking a dog told me a story about how a local five year old girl started this street's trail magic a few years back.The day was getting late and we still needed a place to stay for the night. The local folks had even made a list of trail Angels in the area willing to host and/or shuttle hikers.We called a couple--Warren Thayer and his wife, HikerMom. They were wonderful and invited us to stay at their house. It was a great spread and we were ecstatic! We got hot dogs and chicken to BBQ. We couldn't have been more appreciative for the hospitality. We ate, had some beers, and kicked it. It was another great day on the trail.
Date: 2015-06-04
From: Norwich, Vt

To: Bill Ackerly
Miles today: 21.0

June 4th to Bill Ackerly house. 21 milesWhat a great evening. As I sit here at an incredible trail angel's house, the evening sun slowly sinks into the horizon. This is the home of Bill Ackerly, doctor and trail angel.What a tremendous gentleman. Originally from Cambridge, Mass, Bill used to have a practice in Harvard Square. When he retired and his wife passed away, Bill relocated to his cottage here in New Hampshire. Morning began in Norwich, VT. It was a leisurely start, to say the least. The trail actually followed the road through Norwich to Hanover, NH. Yup, I said New Hampshire!! At about 9:30am this morning, I officially made it to New Hampshire. Only two states to go.Both of the towns were exceptional in their hospitality! I passed by Dartmouth College along the walk. Many friendly folks said hi and inquired about our trek. A lady buying text books on the corner of the street gave us bottles of water and wished us well.After a quick breakfast (of amazing proportions), I was headed to a local outfitter to look for a new pack cover. The store was mostly clothes, but they did have a cover that nearly fit. It would do a much better job than my old one.Some of the interesting trails magic that was offered in town was a free pastry from one restaurant and a free slice of pizza at another place. This was a great, hiker-friendly town!!!Getting out of town required a bit more road walking. On the outskirts of town, the trail turned and went in-between some practice fields to return back into the woods.Immediately, the mosquitoes sensed the fresh blood and swarmed around. They would be in orbit around my head for the remainder of the day. Many areas of the route today were wet, muddy, bog areas. It took some skill and a lot of attention to avoid filling one's shoes with mud and water.The forest was shady and accented with mossy granite boulders. The forest floor was comprised of a thick leaf litter that tried to obscure the path. Some of the stately Maples were tapped with miles of plastic tubing to collect the precious sap.The weather stayed beautiful all day. Sunshine spilled through the forest canopy giving small areas of dotted light to the normally-dark woods. The humidity stayed reasonable which allowed for much less water consumption... That equated to carrying less water.As the day progressed into late afternoon, a number of climbs stood in-between me and camp. They weren't ridiculously steep, but they did require a decent bit of effort. Then, just as the uphill required effort, the descent almost demanded the same.Eventually, the trail bottomed out and suggested that we were close to camp. A short while (and a few ticks) later, we found our way to Bill's house. Outstanding!! He offered us ice cream and chatted us up. It was a pleasure to hear his stories and relax. Bill hosted over 1,300 hikers last year alone!! It was a nice end to the day.
Date: 2015-06-05
From: Bill Ackerly

To: Mooselauke
Miles today: 9.0

June 6th.   Moosilauke Mt.   9 milesThe plan: To do a near-o day and just climb over Mt Moosilauke.I started out this morning after last night's rain. Forecast for today was for clear weather, but the skies didn't look like they were going to cooperate. Clouds hung low below the mountain, obscuring any possible views.The area was quite wet. This would make the mountain climb somewhat more difficult. The slippery granite was quick to let go of my trailrunner's soles at any given chance.It was a pretty steep climb that had wood 4x4's staked into the rock slabs often times to keep you from sliding off.The mountain had an incredible waterfall cascading down the north side!!! It was so picturesque and enjoyable to view.The climb for the remainder of the way was quite moderate. It was great to reach the summit. The exposed top was an alpine, treeless area with several small rock walls built to give a wind break to hikers. Many folks were up there. The winds were kicking at 30-40 mph. As the gusts peaked, I was nearly forced off of the trail at times. The wind chill kept us walking without stopping, except for taking a quick snapshot of ourselves on the summit.Going down was extremely slippery and necessitated extra caution. The tree roots especially were slick and caused many a fall.We got down off of the mountain as the sky cleared up into a beautiful day. It was still a little chilly, but it was so great to have the sun out.Denzi picked us all up and took us to Deadline's fire captain's cottage. On the way, we stopped at a raging creek with a waterfall. We did some cliff jumping, which was really fun. The water temp was not so fun. It was frigid!! The jump that Deadline did was called the Leap of Faith. It was crazy!We drove into the local outfitters to replace my water bladder which had just started leaking. I did use it for the whole CDT, so I was not too surprised at the failure. I also bought a proper fitting pack cover as mine has "given up the ghost" and now leaks like a sieve. This is a great replacement as I head deeper into the Whites.After a few errands, it was time for dinner.... Then, to relax.... Then, to eat again!!
Date: 2015-06-06
From: Mooselauke

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 9.0

The plan: To do a near-o day and just climb over Mt Moosilauke.I started out this morning after last night's rain. Forecast for today was for clear weather, but the skies didn't look like they were going to cooperate. Clouds hung low below the mountain, obscuring any possible views.The area was quite wet. This would make the mountain climb somewhat more difficult. The slippery granite was quick to let go of my trailrunner's soles at any given chance.It was a pretty steep climb that had wood 4x4's staked into the rock slabs often times to keep you from sliding off.The mountain had an incredible waterfall cascading down the north side!!! It was so picturesque and enjoyable to view.The climb for the remainder of the way was quite moderate. It was great to reach the summit. The exposed top was an alpine, treeless area with several small rock walls built to give a wind break to hikers. Many folks were up there. The winds were kicking at 30-40 mph. As the gusts peaked, I was nearly forced off of the trail at times. The wind chill kept us walking without stopping, except for taking a quick snapshot of ourselves on the summit.Going down was extremely slippery and necessitated extra caution. The tree roots especially were slick and caused many a fall.We got down off of the mountain as the sky cleared up into a beautiful day. It was still a little chilly, but it was so great to have the sun out.Denzi picked us all up and took us to Deadline's fire captain's cottage. On the way, we stopped at a raging creek with a waterfall. We did some cliff jumping, which was really fun. The water temp was not so fun. It was frigid!! The jump that Deadline did was called the Leap of Faith. It was crazy!We drove into the local outfitters to replace my water bladder which had just started leaking. I did use it for the whole CDT, so I was not too surprised at the failure. I also bought a proper fitting pack cover as mine has "given up the ghost" and now leaks like a sieve. This is a great replacement as I head deeper into the Whites.After a few errands, it was time for dinner.... Then, to relax.... Then, to eat again!!