morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-28
From: Just north of the road the Kent

To: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0

Day 106: SOBO SeasonSlept in until 8-something, after a glorious night of sleep. Just the right temperature for me and my sleeping attire. Since Scatters and I didn't get much sleep the night before, we really enjoyed the 10+ hours of rest. Apparently Xan and Itinerary had trouble sleeping because of the cold. I am definitely going to get my real sleeping bag sent back asap... (thanks in advance, Dad!!)And then on to hiking! We saw Tripper and Wizard from OZ early on. They had stayed in Kent for a zero yesterday, but Tripper had fallen ill with food poisoning after we saw her at the laundromat. She was feeling better this morning, but still weak. Such a trooper, that Tripper. Scatters and I hiked on as the day got warm. Took a break with Tattoo and Itinerary on Caleb's Peak, and then finished a mountainy few miles with a dramatic descent to river level. Quite a steep, rocky section going down. There was a summer camp group with a few kids rock climbing and repelling at the bottom. THEN was what we had all been waiting for.... The five miles of FLAT trail along the river. It was really nice, and we walked most of it as a group. The river looked good enough to swim in, but we'd heard to avoid it. Instead we got to the shelter and had lunch. I managed to break one of my Crocs, but was able to kinda fix it. We ate a lot. Neutron took a nap. Tripper caught up and came over for a chat. Then we left to hike the next 10 miles to the next shelter. (I guess they'll be called "Lean-to's" from here on out, but "shelter" is quicker to type...) We ran into a trio of south-bounders on the way up a hill and stopped to chat. I had seen only three SOBOs so far, and only one had begin at Katahdin. These guys (Mazunga, Jangle and Paps) began at Katahdin around June 1st. Two brothers Toothpick and Chill Billy showed up 20 mins later, began only on June 13th, and had already done 30 miles today!!?! Tattoo, Scatters and I picked their brains about what's to come, and we gave them back advice about what they'll soon see. It was a really nice chat! Hoping to see more SOBOs in the next month or so...Back to hiking. We had 5ish miles to go, and they weren't flat. Tattoo stopped to eat. Xan and Neutron hadn't caught up yet from lunch/naps. Scatters and I conquered the hills and made it to the shelter, with Neutron, during the last 15 minutes of light. We got water and were setting up camp when Xan appeared. We ate dinner and slapped at MANY feisty bugs, and then Tattoo freaked us all out by sneaking into camp and screaming. Good times.The moon is coming up, and I shall lay my head down.
Date: 2010-07-29
From: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to

To: 1.8 miles north of Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 107: Showerless1.8 miles north of Salisbury, CTLightning and thunder woke us all up around 3:30 in the morning. I did a quick check to make sure everything was covered and dry, listened to the storm a bit (it went right over us), then went back to sleep. Rain is the hiker snooze button, so when 7am rolled around and it was still raining, we were all quiet in our tents (and Tattoo in his hammock). Slowly around 8, the rain was pretty much gone, so we slowly packed up and ate breakfast as the trees drizzled. Off we were for 6.8 miles to a cafe we'd heard about. When we got to the road, though, there was a detour sign. We had to road walk for a few miles because the bridge was being worked on - only vehicular traffic. Ugh. Xan, Neutron, Scatters and I walked the road. It wasn't too bad in the shade, but it didn't seem all that safe with semi-busy, sometimes curvy roads. Xan and Neutron got ahead and went into the town of Falls Village. Scatters and I parked at a picnic table across the river from the hydroelectric plant. We laid our tents in the grass to dry and ate lunch in the shade. It was quite nice. We thought Tattoo would show up, but only an old brown Labrador did. His collar said his name was "Bear," and it seemed as though he was a bit blind - bumping into the table and walking into twigs. He hung around while we ate, rested and packed up, and then he followed us as we went looking for a public shower that the book said was close. Well, it turns out that the dog is a town dog that likes to wander (and somehow avoids getting hit by the cars of Falls Village), and the shower was merely a shower head sticking outside the side of a building (within plain view of the cars of Falls Village). We had been SO excited about a shower!! But this wasn't exactly what we were hoping for... A nice man working at the plant said we could charge our phones for a few minutes, and Scatters and I did our best to take public sponge-baths. It was satisfyingly refreshing, though far from ideal. It was better than nothing. This may end up being both of our longest stretches without a proper shower. The last one was Sunday morning at the hotel, and the next one will be Saturday afternoon, so it should be almost a full week. Ha!! (gross)We sat in the grass a bit and talked about the next few states. The nice man brought our phones over when he closed up shop, and we headed out of town. The guys decided to stay in Falls Village to recharge their legs, and we hadn't heard from Tattoo. We walked by the falls, which were pretty cool, and hiked through a very pleasant, pine-needled path for 8 ish miles to Salisbury. We skirted the town and headed back up a hill to find a place to camp. We found a stream and a flat spot, and we were set. Tents up. Water filtered. Dinner made (and spilled - Scatters) and eaten. We came to find out that Tattoo is camped less than half a mile behind us, so we should see him bright and early in the morning. Massachusetts, here we come!!!
Date: 2010-07-30
From: 1.8 miles north of Salisbury, CT

To: Mount Washington, Mass.
Miles today: 11.2

Day 108: Walking to Paradise...?Anita's House in Mount Washington, Mass. Chilly morning and [almost too] cold last night. If it weren't for the bed of leaves, it might have been. Scatters and I packed up, and while we were eating breakfast, Tattoo wandered up and joined us. Then we three walked in the glorious morning. Such a pleasant hiking day! Poofy clouds, bright sun, excellent cool breeze. We climbed uphill. We descended. We crossed into Massachusetts!!! Wow. Ten states down... Only four to go - FOUR LEFT?!?We took lots of short breaks and we took it easy today since Scatters' friend, Anita, has a house out here. She was lovely enough to invite us over for the evening! We weren't supposed to get there until tomorrow, but looks like showers tonight!! We were quite excited, and the house was only about ten miles from where we camped. We only had to climb over a few mountains to get there...The first mountain was Lions Head, and it was a nice gradual incline. Once we got to the top, it opened out to an amazing ridge line with views of what must've been Connecticut and Massachusetts. It was so grand and so worth the climb. Scatters, Tattoo and I enjoyed it very much. It was beautiful. Big smiles. We walked along the ridge, then started downhill. Stopped for lunch before climbing up Mount Everett. It was an intense grade up a rocky path, but the cool breeze made it great climb. This marked 1500 miles that we've walked from Georgia. Almost only a quarter left. Hard to believe. We made it down the other side and to the Guilder Pond picnic area. This is where Anita's directions had us turn left and follow a non-AT road down to her street. Our paces quickened as the shower and laundry called our names, and we were very lucky to get a ride the last mile from a few friendly guys. And then we got to the house... The glorious, beautiful, wonderful house!! What an oasis! We were designated to the guest house, which is awesome, but we did laundry in the main house. Such a gorgeous property!! A long driveway, huge trees, two houses, sculpture art, a pond, a flowering garden, and a perfect afternoon. Anita and Steve weren't even there yet, but they told Scatters how to "break in." She also told us to help ourselves to whatever was in the fridge, SO we made I've cream sundaes!! We were so freakishly happy and giddy. We did laundry. I scrubbed my pack down. We took long showers. We were clean. (I FINALLY got to upload a few blogs - sorry! My phone battery and service have been problematic the last few days) Then Tattoo made us a delicious pasta dinner. Life is good. Anita and Steve probably won't get in until after 11pm, so we're not sure if we'll see then until the morning. We watched a movie and now it's all bed.  This bed is so comfy. I'm going to sleep so well tonight.
Date: 2010-07-31
From: Mount Washington, Mass.

To: Mount Washington, Mass. 
Miles today: 0.0

Day 109: A Lovely DayAnita's House in Mount Washington, Mass. Woke up with a smile in a comfy bed. Did a full stretch and read my AT book a bit. Tattoo and Scatters woke up and soon we were in the kitchen with Steve and Anita as they made us a wonderful breakfast. So good!After breakfast, we headed into the town of Great Barrington to pick up packages at the post office and to resupply at the grocery store. Scatters got her new pack delivered, and I got my sleeping bag. Then we wandered around the cute downtown area for a half hour before going to the grocery store. Then we hit up an awesome roadside restaurant for lunch. Our plan was to buy Steve and Anita lunch as a thank you, but instead they bought US lunch. Too generous! And lunch was very good. (I always talk about food on this blog, don't I...)After lunch on this beautiful day, we drove along the lovely country roads back to the house. We all needed a nap! I got my food bag in order and then we turned on a movie, and I fell asleep. What a great zero day!We mucked around a bit, then Anita and Steve left for a dinner party. Tattoo fixed up a few steaks on the grill, and we tossed on asparagus and corn, too. We had another GREAT meal!!! Tattoo - what a great cook!We bummed around and made a few calls. Scatters and Tattoo played a game of chess. We ate raspberry/peach tart/pie with ice cream for dessert, and now it's time to sleep again. It will be very hard to leave this wonderful place tomorrow morning. Hoping this gorgeous weather trend continues.
Date: 2010-08-01
From: Mount Washington, Mass. 

To: Tom Leonard shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 110: A Full Fuel TankWoke up with a bittersweet feeling. I've enjoyed my time here in this magical Mount Washington oasis, but the weather has been so nice that I feel bad for not hiking. Time to get back to it!But first... another phenomenal breakfast. Waffles, fruit, bacon, toast, cereal, juice, leftover pie - the works. So good!! We ate until we could not fit anymore in our stomachs and then we packed up. Like us, our packs were swollen with food, and looked much larger than when we rolled in. I said goodbye to my fleece sleeping sack at the post office yesterday, and my thicker sleeping bag is a bit more bulky. My bag has been mini since Waynesboro. Now it's back to maxi, and it will only get bigger once I get my winter gear sent back up. It's all part of it. It came time for us to say goodbye to Anita and Steve. Their final generous act was driving us back up to the trail head, and we got in a few hugs before watching them drive away. Tattoo, Scatters and I had such a splendid zero day with them at their gorgeous home, and we just couldn't express how much their generosity meant to us. You really made us feel at home! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!We ran into Dr Rock and Kit Kat at the trail head and had a quick chat before hiking. Another BEAUTIFUL day! We were lucky to have a few bumpy hills and then a few miles of flat. We ran into a few week hikers and a SOBO named Yah. We also ran into Boss, a NOBO whom Tattoo had hiked with before, but Scatters and I had only heard his name. We chatted with everyone and hiked on. Ran into Itinerary, too, down the road. We weren't sure we'd be seeing him again!Eventually, after passing hundreds of blueberry bushes and climbing a few hundred feet, we got to the Tom Leonard shelter at 5:30 - very early for us. It was nice to get in early. We got water (down a steeeep hill), made dinner, chatted it up, and we're all now in bed even though there's still a pinch of light out. We're hoping for an early morning to start a solid 20+ day. I hope it's nice and chilly tonight so I can enjoy my sleeping bag...
Date: 2010-08-02
From: Tom Leonard shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 111: Ten Before NoonIt's nice to get up early and get a chunk of miles done before lunchtime. Scatters and I (and Tattoo?) had planned just that. So, we were up and out earlier than what has become normal. If I'm out before 8am, it's a good day. Scatters left by 7:30, and I was behind her at 7:45. Tattoo was still in his hammock, with little movement, but said he'd meet us at the end. It was a lovely morning and the first ten miles flew by. Scatters and I stopped for lunch on a ridge, and then we were on our way to conquer the second half of the day. Boss caught up with us and said Tattoo still hadn't left when we walked out at 9am. Lots of pine tree forest and also fern valleys. A couple cow pastures and a bunch of blackberry bushes. Scatters and I ate a bunch or ripe berries and had seeds stuck in our teeth for a while. When we'd made it to within 7 miles of our destination, we took a break with Boss, who was heading to the same cabin. We had all heard magical things about Upper Goose Pond cabin. Right on the water...? A caretaker...? Blueberry pancakes on the morning...?!?! We were sold. As we hiked on, we ran into Kit Kat at a road three miles out, and she was offering sodas again. Just what we needed for that final push! She said Dr Rock was probably an hour or so behind us, but we hadn't seen him all day. I also discovered that she and I have the same birthday! Another October 15thian. Cheers!Soooo, Scatters, Boss and I marched the last few miles and made it to the cabin (a half mile off the trail, so we were all counting on a few perks), and they were all eating a communal dinner - and there was some left! We got salad and spaghetti. Delicious and so unexpected!! Definitely NOT going to help the weight if my food bag, though... Oh well. We finally caught up to Deetz and Power Pack - yay! And also Ugly Tuna, Miles, Homebrew, 151 (hadn't seen him since Trail Days), Timon (hadn't seen him since Waynesboro), and Beaver Chief. Met Black Packer and the care taker and a few others. It was a full house, and I was almost positive I'd run back into Xan and Neutron here, but apparently they kept going towards Dalton - where their sleeping bags were being sent. (I think they've been chilly at night recently) And guess who road walked and got here a half an hour before us.... Tattoo. Oh, road walker...As we ate (there were extra hot dogs, too!), we caught up with what everyone had been up to, and laughed a lot. The cabin was cool and had a bunk room, but we all tented. We walked down to the dock and washed our feet. (Tomorrow maybe a morning swim out to the little island after pancakes...?) After setting up camp, we hung out a bit, but soon after it got dark and the mosquitos came out in full force, most of us went to bed. Looking forward to pancakes and a swim AND [the other] Tattoo (from way back in the Shennys) is swinging by with trail magic!! It should be another great day... (with a heavy food bag)
Date: 2010-08-04
From: Kay Wood Shelter

To: Dalton, Mass
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: light rain

Day 113: Slight Change of PlansWoke up to sprinkling rain on the tent. Then it was a dash for me and Scatters to pack everything up before the real rain came down. We got everything back up, under the cover of the shelter, but it only sprinkled for a bit. We ate breakfast with the crew and then left after a few people and before a few others. It was only three miles (with a small spike) to Dalton where we'd do laundry, clean up, charge our phones and be on our way. Or so we thought...We caught up to Klarity and 151 walking through town, and walked right by Tom Levardi's house. Tom is a trail angel (heaven sent) who allows hikers to stay at his house, shower and do laundry for no charge! We were sold. We thought we'd just shower, do laundry and head out of town, but after a snack at the diner (where we saw Boss, Tattoo, Deetz, Power Pack, Sandbagger, 151, Klarity, Timon, Xan and Neutron) we were tempted to hang around. What a good group, too! Sandbagger, Xan and Neutron had stayed last night, so they hiked out, but we were sure to see them again soon. It's nice to be within a day of so many fun hikers!Tom was so great to us! After throwing the laundry in, he drove eight of us to Walmart and then to the mall. He went back home while we wandered around, I got new shoes (pair number three) at EMS, and then we all saw Inception at the theater. Scatters and I have been trying to see that movie for a WHILE. It was very good. We called Tom after the movie and he picked us up and took us home. Scatters and I decided to stay in Dalton. We'd missed out on staying at the Captain's house in Unionville, so we didn't want to pass up on another AT institution. And this one was a good one. Back at the house, we chatted a bit before heading over to the Tavern for a bite and a beer. Good times on a Wednesday night. We ate, we drank, we were merry. We returned to the house and continued to chat until almost midnight!!?! It's almost midnight (well, it's after midnight now), and I'm going to sleep in my tent in the yard. Boss, Timon, Klarity, 151, and Tattoo plan to slack-pack tomorrow 23 miles. They'll get dropped off in Williamstown and hike south back to Tom's with only day packs. As tempting as it sounds, I'm going to resist. Scatters and I are going to hike (regular style) north from here in the morning. I don't know what it is, but since I haven't slack-packed at all so far on this trip, I just don't want to break the streak...Greylock tomorrow. Haven't been above 3000 feet in a while....
Date: 2010-08-05
From: Dalton, Mass

To: Wilbur Clearing Lean-to
Miles today: 20.1

Day 114: Mount Greylock in the RainWoke up to rain drops. Rolled back over. Woke up later to more rain drops and scrambled again to break down my tent, but this time it was already soaked from the night rain. Most of the crew had walked over to breakfast at the diner, but Timon and I ate out of our bags at the house. I packed up as the other kids came back and did the same. The slack-pack crew crammed into Tom's car and away they went. We'd see them in a few hours on the trail. Scatters and I finished packing and headed out, saying goodbye to Herbert (Abear), a sobo who wore bright green pants. We got out of town and headed over the hills to Cheshire. The rocks were a bit slick after the rain, but it wasn't raining anymore. (What a day to break in the new shoes!?) Along the way, we ran into HD Mama. We three ladies hiked into Cheshire and stopped to get an ice cream cone at Diane's. After a great treat (and cookies from the Boy Scout / Adventurers group), and a visit from Mad Mike (who knew HD Mama and Scatters and looked very familiar), we started putting our packs back on. I checked the Doppler, and it looked like a storm was about to blow through. HD Mama and Scatters thought we could make it to the first shelter (4miles) before the rain came down, but I wasn't sure. We ended up hiking on, and it did rain, but it never down-poured! No problem. After a few miles I saw Timon coming the other way and stopped to chat. Then later, I came across Klarity, Boss and 152. I stopped for a break with them before Scatters caught up. We successfully scared her as she came around the bend. Brilliant! Later, we saw Tattoo, who wasn't feeling well. And finally we made it up to Mount Greylock as the rain stopped. The sun even came out a bit. It was nice. Scats and I took a few photos then headed into the lodge to cook dinner. It was only 3 miles to the next shelter, so making dinner here would just be easier. Plus, we were starving since we really didn't have a good lunch (a six-year-old's dream: ice cream and cookies). HD Mama was there and so was Sandbagger. We hung out a bit and ate and were amazed at the post-rain view. It had cleared up nicely. Apparently, Xan and Neutron had befriended a local guy yesterday in Cheshire, and he was going to put them up at his house tonight. Sandbagger wasn't sure if he'd make it to the road (3 miles past the shelter), but Scatters and I were sold on the closer option. We were tired from a short night's sleep last night and a big hiking day today. So, we all left the lodge, and only the ladies are at the shelter. My tent is still soaked from this morning (and it smells a bit), but it should dry out overnight. The photo from the lodge is a bit off since the trail has grown in length, but we've got fewer than 600 miles left!Hope the group in North Adams is having a ball!
Date: 2010-08-08
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Campsite near the Winhall river
Miles today: 17.1

Day 117: 3/4 DoneWoke up early and had hot oatmeal and a pop tart. Everyone was up and ready to get going, and the view of the sunrise from the shelter area was gorgeous. Stratton Mountain was on the agenda for today, and it's just under 4000 feet. We left and hiked. Another beautiful, crisp morning with low humidity and bright sunshine. I REALLY hope this weather trend continues. Scatters and I hiked with Boss for a while until we caught the rest of the gang at a beaver pond. Short snack break then we hiked until we came to a stream a few miles away. Another [longer] snack break. Then we were off to conquer Stratton. Nice, smooth climb, and since it was Sunday, there were quite a few people out. We saw a few sobo's, too. After an hour and a half of climbing, we summited and relaxed in the grass. There must've been 30 people up there waiting to climb the fire tower - it was bizarre to see them all! Eventually, our whole group had made it to the top, and we snacked and chatted with a sobo named Triple P. He told us good things about what's north, and we told him all the good things to come down south. It was a nice exchange. He's seen TEN moose so far!! So hopefully, I'll have a few moose stories soon. Once the line went down, we went up in the fire tower and enjoyed the beautiful view. Tree tops, ponds, mountains, clouds. Nature appreciation at its finest. It was nice. And the tower was enclosed, so the wind wasn't bad. After a bit more relaxing in the grass, it was time to descend the mountain and look for a campsite.Somehow we were able to find a stealth site big enough for the eight of us. Scatters, Boss, Deetz, Power Pack, Tripper, Wizard from Oz, Miles and me. Good find! And it's right by the river. We were at camp by 6pm, and set up and done eating dinner by 8pm. We talked around the fire a bit before it was time for an early bed - we've got work tomorrow! ((Oh and some of you have asked who these hiker pals of mine are. A few of them have their own blogs at www.trailjournals.com. You can search for them by trail name.))I am currently 546 miles from Katahdin. This means I'm 3/4 done. Only one quarter left?! It's really starting to sink in how soon this trip will be over. It's going by too fast - could be as little as only six weeks! As much as I miss a few of the comforts of home, I'm really going to miss this lifestyle. It's completely liberating and, with my luck in finding such awesome hiking friends, it's a heck of a lot of fun. I plan to enjoy every last minute.