morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Silver Hill Campsite

To: Limestone Springs Lean-to
Miles today: 19.1

Left Silver Hill Campsite at 7:00 just as the kids from the summer camp were starting to stir. They were a bit noisy last night but settled down by 10:00.This was a very good hiking day...not too humid with an occasional breeze. It helped to keep me going at a good pace. There were a few good views today of the Housatonic River and valley but mostly it was a day for pounding out the miles.The falls on the Housatonic, near Falls Village, must have been spectacular before the hydroplant was built. One nice thing about the hydroplant, however, was that they provided an outdoor, cold-water shower for hikers.I met Tenderfeet today at an overlook where we were able to watch cars racing around a track in the valley below. The noise and screeching tires made a lie of the peaceful setting we had been hiking through. In one direction roaring race cars and in another a pastoral scene of a pleasant farm and pastures. Meanwhile, Tenderfeet wrapped her toes with duct tape.
Date: 2003-07-18
From: Limestone Springs Lean-to

To: Glen Brook Camping Area
Miles today: 17.6

Limestone Spring is a lovely place...large hemlocks, lots of good places to tent and relatively free of biting insects. The spring was gushing water from under a large ledge and although I filtered it, the water was refreshing and good tasting. The cold spring was soothing to my feet and was a lovely place to wash the salt and dirt off my body. I could stay here for a week...however, I have miles to go.Tenderfeet and I were the only ones at Limestone Springs probably because it is .5 miles off the AT and requires a 300' climb down a steep hill. Since there was plenty of room, we set our tents up inside the shelter. The bugs were not bad but it only takes one mosquito to make sleeping difficult.Today's hike led to some great vistas of the Berkshires and Housatonic Valley. The trail passed through a lovely old forest of huge hemlock trees...probably the largest I have seen on this journey. In the hemlock forest, I came to a geological formation called The Giant's Thumb. It is a large vertical stone that looks like a place where druids may gather for celebrations.Later in the day near the peak of Bear Mountain (highest mountain in Connecticut) I caught up with Grizzly. He had hiked almost 30 miles yesterday, got several miles past me and tented at a campsite near a highway. Today he seemed tired and was hiking at a considerably slower pace. We had lunch together and hiked along Sages Brook until we passed into Massachusetts. At the state line, I took a photo of Grizzly standing next to a sign welcoming us to MA. Frankly, I was disappointed that Governor Romney was not there to greet us. But perhaps he had something more important to do today.Walking into MA was exciting for me. It left only four more states to pass through but, in a sense, it was like finishing a major project. A goal had been reached...I had come back to Massachusetts.The distance to Katahdin is now 675 miles. My next short-term goal is Mt. Greylock, 73 miles from here.It feels good to be back in MA. I'm happy and will sleep well tonight.
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Glen Brook Camping Area

To: Mt Wilcox North Lean to
Miles today: 21.4

The trail out of Glen Brook led to some spectacular views of the Berkshire Mtns. In fact the trail came precariously close to the edge of cliffs along the ridgeline of Mt. Bushnell and the area called the Jug End. Not very high mountains but the countryside is lovely with gently rolling wooded hills and fields. This must be a nice place to live.From the summit of Mt. Bushnell, the trail took me to several miles through cornfields until it reached Route 7. Crossing Route 7, I saw a farmstand and made a beeline for it and spent the next half hour eating fruit and ice cream.Then off to East Mtn. and a steep climb to Benedict Pond. When I reached the pond, I took a side trail to the swimming area in order to call Judy and perhaps replenish my snack supply. No luck with the snacks although some cyclists gave me some granola bars. Did I "Yogi"? I did contact Judy to make final plans for meeting in Dalton. I interrupted a lobster dinner she was having with Debbie and family. Yummmmm!When I reached Mt. Wilcox South Lean to, I found the water supply was questionable so I decided to go on to Mt. Wilcox North Lean to. The water there was a puddle in a drying stream bed. So I filtered about two quarts then treated it with iodine. Ugh! But it got me through the night and into the next morning.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Mt Wilcox North Lean to

To: Upper Goose Pond Tentsite
Miles today: 14.0

The trail today led past several very quiet but buggy beaver ponds. There were many standing dead trees in the ponds and some of the beaver dams were quite large. I was surprised at the large number of bogs that were at higher elevations and many of them did not have very good "bog bridges" through them. Early in the day, I fell off a rotten log I was using to cross a bog, landed on my side and flounder in the muck trying to get up. This was what is called a "full turtle" - on my back with flailing arms and legs. Other than banging my left knee and getting mud all over my side and butt, I was unhurt. A close call really and I was fortunate in a way to fall into a bog and soft mud rather than a pile of rocks. Soon after this an insect flew into my ear canal. I could hear it moving around but could not get it out. After a while it was quiet...either escaped or died in there...or did it crawl into my eustacian tube?I arrived at Goose Pond at 2:30 and decided to stay there for the night. The next tenting area was too far and the caretaker at Goose Pond prepares an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. How could I pass that up?Tomorrow will be a long day but with only one obviously tough climb. In the evening I should be in Dalton, MA and reunited with my one true love.
Date: 2003-07-21
From: Upper Goose Pond Tentsite

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: haze

I got up early and packed quickly today because I knew I had a lot of miles to cover in order to reach Dalton. However, the caretaker got up late and the pancakes were not ready before 7:30. This got me on the trail at 8:00...a late start. Soon I was moving along at a good rate, crossed the Mass Turnpike on a footbridge and walked past some peaceful little beaver ponds. In about two hours Patience and Grizzly caught up with me and for the rest of the day, I hiked with them. Patience set a good pace but the terrain was easy hiking a I was able to keep up. We chatted most of the day about many different topics and the miles rolled by pleasantly.From Patience:What do you call a person who speaks two languages?What do yu call a person who speaks three languages?What do you call a person who speaks only one language?Answer: An American
Date: 2003-07-22
From: Dalton, MA

To: Route 8, Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 9.3

An easy day of slack packing. Checked into the Shamrock Village Inn in Dalton yesterday and connected successfully with Judy. Nice to take it easy for a while but can't pass up the chance to slack pack. The hike from Dalton to Cheshire was easy where I passed several very nice beaver ponds. Saw some blue orchids near one of these ponds today.Changed to a new pair of boots today and they seems fine but they seem to slip more on the rocks. Is that the boots or the rocks?Am starting to meet more SOBOs.
Date: 2003-07-23
From: Route 8, Cheshire, MA

To: Rt. 2, North Adams, MA
Miles today: 14.0

The hike up Greylock was not as difficult as I expected. The trail was steep in places, some of the rocks were slick and slippery, there were many bog bridges but the ascent was fairly easy. The trail was well maintained. The day started out with a heavy overcast and some light rain but, by noontime, the clouds were breaking up and there were periods of bright sunshine. I am often amazed at how dark the forest can be when there is a heavy overcast and how my spirits are lifted when the sun shines, speckling the forest floor with splashes of bright sunlight.I met Rustling Leaves and Cloud Watcher walking south as I climbed Greylock. I had not seen them for about two weeks. They had moved their mobile home to a place in Vermont and were section hiking western Massachusetts. They had met Judy (now called Ma Finch) earlier in the day and she had given them Trail Magic of strawberry shortcake.The higher altitude of Greylock and the abundance of fir trees reminded me that boreal forests are waiting further north. Only four more miles to the VT/MA border.Although today's hike involved a 2500' ascent and 2500' descent, it was an easy day and I finished earlier than expected. Tonight we will have dinner at the Bascom Lodge on Greylock and spend the night there.Poem for the day:I sat in a diner one dayand the waitress to me did say."I knew that you were a hikerand not just a common bumWhen I saw you stir your coffeewith your finger and not your thumb.""Madam, it's true. I am what you sayand I've walked from Georgia all this wayInto this grand old townand your diner so elegant and fineTo drink your hot strong coffeeand on hanburgers with fries to dine.
Date: 2003-07-25
From: Route 9 - Bennington

To: Arlington - Stratton Rd
Miles today: 22.6

Today was a leap frog day. I skipped a section from North Adams to Bennington to leave a section with a bailout point in case I have company on the trail tomorrow.The hike today led over mountains that had considerably higher elevation and were covered by very dense forests of conifers, ferns and moss. The ground was thick with sorrel and carpeted with a dense layer of greens of many shades. Juncos were abundant and the area had the feel of a forest in northern Maine. There were many beaver ponds and I stopped many times to admire the construction of the beaver dams and lodges. The light today shined through the trees, dappling the forest floor reminding me of an impressionist painting.
Date: 2003-07-26
From: Rt. 2 - No. Adams, MA

To: Rt. 9 - Bennington, VT
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today, I walked from Massachusetts to Vermont. The day was cool and partly cloudy...excellent hiking weather. The terrain was rather uninteresting (beeches, maples and a few hemlocks) with very few interesting views. I met only two day hikers walking south but they were disinclined to stop and talk so I walked all morning without a stop. Around 11:00, I reached the road crossing where Judy was waiting to create trail magic. She was accompanied by Freemont (whom she had given a ride to the local 7-11 back in Harpers Ferry) and Dick (a southbounder from Lewiston, Maine). At the end of the day, she met Amble, Burn, Bag and Boat descending the mile-long staircase to VT Route 9 as she was climbing to meet me. I continue to be amazed at how people keep reappearing during this journey north.
Date: 2003-07-27
From: Arlington - Stratton Rd

To: William Douglas Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

After four days of slack packing, one day of museum/tourist type activity and a visit from our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, Judy left me off at the trailhead on Stratton Road. Slack packing is fun and easy on my knees but too much of this will start to make me lazy.Today's hike was mostly up and down Stratton Mountain. The higher altitudes were a subalpine-type forest and most of the time I was walking in a light rain and fog. The summit of Stratton was completely engulfed by fog so I did not bother climbing the fire tower. At the summit, I met two trail maintainers and chatted with them for a while. When I reached Stratton Pond, it was only 3 p.m. and the rain had stopped so I decided to push on to the Douglas Shelter which was 5.5 miles further. I reached the shelter at 5:10 and found it to be a dark, dank and creepy place but I decided to stay. I set my tent up inside the shelter since by 7:00 no one else had arrived and it seemed certain that I would be here alone.The clouds are heavy tonight and I expect it will get dark early. This shelter and the immediate area around it remind me of a Stephen King setting. Sometimes when the wind blows, there is scratching on the shelter's metal roof...branches I guess... or is it? Ya, just branches! This is definately a spooky place. That scream must have been a great horned owl. There is definitely something out there. I noticed that boot prints in the mud led towards the shelter... none away. But then there is a blue-blazed trail past the shelter. But then again that trail looks seldom used and I'm half mile off the AT. This is definitely a spooky place! Gotta stop this or its going to be a long night.
Date: 2003-07-28
From: William Douglas Shelter

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: scattered clouds

A perfect day for hiking...cool breezes and partly cloudy skys. I met five day hikers today, three section hikers and five SOBOs. The hike up Bromley Mtn. was excellent. The summit gave a grand, panaramic view of southern Vermont. The breezes were refreshing and it was hard to pull myself away. I had lunch at the summit and was overjoyed to find a trash can in the warming hut.I hiked on to Peru Peak and had another vista that was worth taking the time to eat a Snickers bar. When I reached Peru Peak Shelter, I found it full of Girl Scouts so I decided to hike on to Lost Pond Shelter about 4.5 miles further. Reached the shelter at 6:00 and decided to stay for the night. While cooking, I spilled some boiling water on my left foot. Hurts a lot now, hope it will be okay in the morning.
Date: 2003-07-29
From: Lost Pond Shelter

To: Clarenden Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: clear sky

I met Mrs. Gorp and Jan LiteShoe walking south outside of Clarenden. Amazing how this association of hikers keeps dispersing and reforming. We had a great time catching up on how all of our hiking friends were doing. Some have disappeared but most are still in touch and still on the Trail. May they all meet with success!!Today, I had the pleasure of walking part way around Little Rook Pond...a lovely glacial pond surrounded by a dense sub-alpine forest. The caretaker of the camp site has a wonderful view of the pond and surrounding hillside. A great perk of his job.My new boots are not working out. By the end of the day, my feet were killing me!! Maybe they will get better in a few more days. Why can't I find boots that fit properly! So frustrating!!!Today at the Clarenden Campsite, some guy drove to the shelter with his SUV, two kids and their big dog. They took over a quarter of this large shelter with their stuff (gas lamp, propane-2 burner stove, ice chest, etc). But... he did give everyone hot dogs, sausage and some sort of orange drink. Trail magic (?) that I was almost too annoyed to accept but, of course, I did. Pass up hot dogs? No way!!
Date: 2003-07-30
From: Clarenden Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was a great hiking day. The climb up Killington Peak was not as bad as I thought it would be. In general, the trail is well maintained and there were no serious rock scrambles. The trail led through beautiful sub-alpine forest and an extensive forest of grey birches.When I reached Cooper Lodge, I hid my pack and climbed the rock scramble to the summit of Killington. From the summit, I had a panaramic view of much of Vermont. However, the clouds have obscured the White Mountains which I expect could be seen on a clear day. In any case, the climb was worth the extra effort. I even got to have a ham & cheese sandwich which I did not have to carry up this mountain.Today, I hiked with IttyBitty (from Quebec) for a while but she is slower so I did not stay with her very long. She starts early and walks late in order to do high mileage days.Today, I also caught up with Zapman, Chief, Sparky and Jan LiteShoe at the Scott Shelter. They were moving on, however, to the Inn on the Long Trail - a popular watering hole for thru hikers of both the AT and Long Trail.Trail magic again today. I came accross a large cache of sodas at a stream crossing. Wonderful! Thank you, Hiking Gnome!!Thank you, Lord, for this enjoyable day!!
Date: 2003-08-02
From: River Road, Killinton

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 14.2

At 8 a.m., Judy left Chief, Jan LiteShoe and me off on River Road to start our journey to Wintturi Shelter. I did not expect this to be a hard hike, however, there were many, many small ups and downs, several muddy and wet places, and few good vistas.For about one mile the trees were all birches of good size and very little undergrowth. The entire area had the look of a groomed park. As the elevation increased, the birches gave way to hemlocks and spruce. A few times the sun peeked out between the clouds but often the forest was dark and silent. Only a hermit thrush occasionally sang.The weather forecast for the next four days is overcast and occasional thunder showers. Time to start using the shelters again. There are nine people at this shelter today. However, I will need to get an early start in the morning. I expect that tomorrow will be a hard 20-mile day and possibly in heavy rain. A challenging day.I am impressed with how lush the countryside appears to be. The forest canopy is dense as is the undergrowth in many places. I am also struck by how many tree stumps there are. These stumps appear to be quite old (50 years?) and many are about two feet in diameter. This must have been a beautiful forest before it was cut down the last time. There is tremendous regenerative growth here -almost everything has something growing on it.I saw a deer today not more than fifty feet from the trail. It simply stood and cautiously watched me as I walked by. This was the first deer I have seen since reaching New England.There is life everywhere in this forest!
Date: 2003-08-03
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 16.4

Today was a hot muggy day crossing very hilly terrain. Since the sky was threatening and there were weather predictions of heavy thunderstorms, I decided to stay in the shelter at Wintturi. It was crowded with three NOBOs and three section hikers - so getting organized in the morning was a bit chaotic. On the trail by 7:15.It was soon obvious that today was not going to be the 20-mile day I had anticipated. My original plan was to reach Happy Hill Shelter but as the day wore on, I became more focused on reaching West Hartford and camping. There were many ups and downs and many smaller hills in between. Very tiring.Tonight I am tenting with Splash and Cobra in the backyard of a generous sign maker. He simply invites any thru hiker to camp here. A lovely spot with a waterfall and singing brook only a few feet from my tent. There is, however, an active railroad track about 50 yards away. Hmmm - may be a noisy night ... depends on how many trains go by.So many people have been so generous to me during this journey.Tomorrow: Hanover, NH and a visit with my good friends, Susan and Nat.
Date: 2003-08-04
From: West Hartford, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: moderate rain

Rain last night, occasionally heavy, but my tent held up well and I stayed dry in my tiny shelter. It was a humid night and I slept more outside my down bag than in it. Up at 6:00 and ready to go by 6:30 but I decided to have a pancake breakfast at a local general store first. Very large pancakes fortified me for today's hike to Hanover. Today much of the forest was pine which appeared to have been planted about 50 years ago. The trail was covered with a layer of pine needles that made walking soft and easy. Around mid-morning a heavy shower started but the cooling rain was refreshing and I only stopped to put a rain cover on my pack. Off and on during the day, I hiked with Cobra and Splash. They were fun to be with and I enjoyed our periodic conversations.By the time I reached Norwich, VT, the rain had stopped and I arrived in Hanover in wet clothes around 2:30. Norwich and Hanover are lovely towns. Norwich is just oozing with New England charm.After visiting the Dartmouth Outing Club to try to get information about the Whites (a waste of time), I walked over the campus green and saw Nat in front of the Hanover Inn. It felt a bit strange to see someone from Phillips Academy after all these months of walking in the woods. We chatted for a while about PA and my hike before Susan arrived. Then off to Susan's house for some pleasant conversation and a wonderful, protein-rich dinner. What a great afternoon and evening! Thank you, Susan and Vic.
Date: 2003-08-05
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: moderate rain

After a wonderful visit with Susan McCaslin, Vic Henningsen, Nat Smith and Caitlin Henningsen, Susan drove me to the Hanover Inn where I had last stepped off the trail. It was great seeing my good friends and the feeling that I am getting closer to familiar territory is invigorating. It was also good to take some time off the Trail and to reflect on all that has happened in the last few months.This has been a hot humid day so I decided to stop early and secure a place in the shelter on Moose Mtn. Heavy thunder showers are predicted so a dry place will be welcome. Three section hikers, a father and son team from Manchester NH and a college professor from Reading, PA are here tonight. Finished cooking just in time because the rain is coming down hard and the shelter is a bit too crowded for cooking.The view from Moose Mtn was mostly obscured by the heavy haze that has made the air uncomfortable. This is a crowded and uncomfortable place and the rain is falling heavily but I'm happy and priviledged to be here. There are so few NOBO thru hikers now - at least it seems that way. I can feel Katahdin pulling me but I must remember that the journey is more important than the destination. The journey is the adventure. Every day is new. To my NOBO friends, some words from the Bard (W.S.):We few, we happy few. We band of brothers [and sisters].A Song from the 60's for Mr. BushLast night I had the strangest dream I ever had before.I dreamed the world had all agreed to put an end to war.I dreamed I saw a mighty room and the room was filled with men.And the paper they were signing said they'd never fight again.And when the paper was all signed and a thousand copies made,They all joined hands and circled round and greatful prayers were prayed.And the people in the streets below were dancing round and roundAnd guns and swords and uniforms were scattered on the groundLast night I had the strangest dream.
Date: 2003-08-06
From: Moose Mtn Shelter

To: Lyme-Dorchester Rd.
Miles today: 8.8

A hiker came into the shelter around 8:30 last night and we all had to move around a bit to make room for him. The section hikers had taken up a lot of space in the shelter because they were reluctant to hang their gear from the various nails and pegs scattered around the walls of the shelter. If they had hung their packs, there would have been more room. The late comer took about an hour unpacking and his "fussing about" kept us awake until he finally unrolled his sleeping bag. For some reason, it seemed to me he kept shining his headlamp into the area in which we were sleeping - very annoying but that's the price we pay for using the shelter.The trail uphill from the shelter had been badly ripped up by ATVs and had a lot of water running down it. A very muddy, wet start for the day. The air was thick and humid and the forest was dark and silent. As the day wore on, a hermit thrush started to sing. I love this bird. It seems to me that hermit thrushes sing all spring and summer in all kinds of weather. Its variable, flute-like call raised my spirits on this dimal day. I am grateful for its music in the otherwise dark, silent forest.A short day today because MaFinch met me at the road crossing and we decided to have some R and R. A happy day to enjoy her company, dry my damp gear, eat real food and sleep in a soft bed.