morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-08-09
From: Great Barrington, Massachusetts

To: Mt Wilcox North Shelter
Miles today: 13.5

After my rest in Great Barrington I was ready to get back on the trail to complete another adventure day. Before heading out I indulged in the hotel's free breakfast and ate six slices of raison bread with cream cheese, jam and peanut butter. While there I ran into the hiker known as 'The Chemist'. I last seen him the day before I left the Shanendoahs. That's nearly six weeks ago. It was good to catch-up on his hike. He had to hike through a foot issue and seems good now.I wasn't as fortunate in my departure of town as I was on my entrance. I had to walk the three miles back to the trailhead. No passerby stopped to offer a ride like Joelle did when I arrived. I really didn't mind as the weather was nice and much cooler than the previous three days.Hiking today went well except for the wet areas on the trail. It seems there has been plenty of rain lately and the trails were overcome with water. In these soggy areas there were large rocks and sometimes small logs thrown into the trail to assist with getting through without taking on too much mud. I did my best and really can't complain.But there is an area where I'd like to file a complaint. I was hoping for a day of hiking around 20 miles. Need to keep the daily average around 20 to keep the adventure on schedule for a mid-late September finish. Well, at a shelter where I was taking a break I came across three south bounders who overheard I was targeting a particular campsite for the evening. Apparently, this campsite is currently being ransacked on a regular basis by a female bear and her three cubs. I certainly wasn't willing to risk camping there and the Massachusetts parks staff wants hikers to avoid camping there anyhow. I re-analyzed the guide and determined the shelter past the campsite was too much of a stretch given my late departure from the hotel. Wasting an hour walking back to the trailhead didn't help either. The only thing I could do was have a short mileage day and go big tomorrow. The shelter I stayed at was wide open so I setup my small tent inside to act as a safety net from any pesky bugs. It worked and I slept well. Yo bears, leave our food bags alone! For book followers, mile 1,535.2 page 157.
Date: 2018-08-10
From: Mt Wilcox North Shelter

To: October Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: clear sky

Thanks to the aggressive bear family in the area I had plenty of work to do today. My goal was to hike 22.8 miles at a minimum. I was hoping to go a few more to get closer to the town of Dalton. Doing so would help ensure I was able to get to the post office by the noon closing time the following day. The x-factor here would mean I'd have to find a suitable tenting location that wasn't already established if I hiked past the shelter at 22.8 miles.Hiking today was relatively easy except for two medium climbs and navigating the muddy portions of trail. My estimate is that about 25% of today's trail was muddy and required extra care. My shoes are virtually bald having worn them since Pearisburg, Virginia. Just a little over 30 miles to go and these shoes will be pitched as new ones are waiting for my arrival in Dalton. Until then, avoiding slipping is a primary concern. At one point I was hiking just ahead of The Chemist and my right food slid down the side of the hiking path. I escaped a complete fall, but my leg that retained its grip on the trail was totally stretched as I went to a squatting position with the right leg fully extended downward off trail. My trekking poles undoubtedly saved me from an injury.I came across trail magic two times today. The first was a cooler with large Gatorades and some sharp cheddar cheese. That was a nice score since I was headed up a climb right afterwards. The second time was also a cooler, two coolers in fact, and two individuals were rifling through them as I approached. In talking with them, they work for the Massachusetts park department and were in the process of removing the coolers. They are not in favor of unattended food being left for hikers since it attracts bears. They did offer me any of the food or drink so I guzzled a large Gatorade, leaving the empty bottle in the cooler.At about 4:30 PM I approached a bush alongside the trail that started moving. Based on the noise and movement and being at the base of a tree, I pegged it for being a squirrel. The trail is loaded with squirrels and chipmunks. When I passed the bush I looked back and was surprised to see a porcupine walking away into the woods. I've heard of them from other hikers but this was my first experience of seeing a porcupine in the wild. Thankfully, he was not bothered by my presence and went about his business as I did mine.When I arrived at the shelter I did an assessment and decided to call it a day, leaving 12 miles to hike the next day to get to the post office. For book followers, mile 1,558 page 160.
Date: 2018-08-13
From: Dalton, Massachusetts

To: Wilbur Clearing Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: overcast clouds

When I awoke the day after Joe's visit there was a light rain. It is always tough to leave town and head back to the trail when it is raining. To get the motor running I went next door for a coffee and a bagel. There I ran into a hiker named 'Ziplock' whom I haven't seen since McAfee's Knob in Virginia. She was with a young hiker named 'Re-run' and they were discussing splitting a room. I saw an opportunity to hide from the rain. I joined with them and we split a room at the Econolodge. I had to sleep on my air mattress on the floor, but it was dry!I spent the extra day relaxing around the room. I only left to go to Panera for lunch and to a Chinese buffet for dinner. Sad part is it only drizzled for the early morning and was fine after that. I can't speak for certain about what was going on up in the mountains weather wise. At first I felt bad for trying to dodge the rain, but an extra day of rest was good. I also got good intel from Ziplock since she has already hiked north to Mount Katahdin from Dalton and was now heading south to complete her journey. Ziplock is from Australia and it turns out Re-run is from Chagrin Falls, Ohio.When I returned to hiking I had new shoes and was happy to have them. I'd worn the second pair for about 900 miles and they were pretty much toast. I felt every bump on the trail and their grip was totally worthless. Combining the shoes with the new socks from Joe and hiking felt great again, not like a chore. The new shoes didn't stay clean long. Lately, since leaving Great Barrington, the trails have been loaded with mud. They don't need to look pretty, just feel good and hold their grip.I climbed Mount Greylock today, the highest peak in Massachusetts. The higher I climbed, the worse the fog became. There is a 30 to 40 feet tall stone monument atop the mountain. I didn't see it with a clear line of sight until I was about 40 feet away. That's how foggy it was. It was another three miles to the shelter and on this side of the mountain it was raining. When I arrived at the shelter there were a dozen individuals in the shelter sitting in a circle. Luckily, it was a group of young kids out doing trail maintenance. They were playing a card game before dinner. They were all tenting and this left me as the first hiker to claim a spot, which I needed to avoid the rain. Eventually another hiker arrived followed by a group of four that were just hiking for camp activity. Two in this group were young kids.The real highlight of the day was stopping in the small town of Cheshire, Massachusetts, for a coffee, bagel and donut at Dunkin Donuts. And, I did 20.5 miles in mud, fog and rain. That's another day of adventure in the books and another day closer to home. For book followers, mile 1,590.3 page 161.
Date: 2018-08-14
From: Wilbur Clearing Shelter

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: moderate rain

Today I crossed from Massachusetts into Vermont. Trail wise, it was nothing special. There was a simple, plain sign indicating the point of the states' borders. The weather wasn't great. There was no fantastic view at this location. It was just the next state on the adventure. Vermont is number 12 of 14 states on the trail.With Vermont came even more mud on the trail. This is not purely from rain, but from poorly designed trails. There are few water diversions built into the trail like those in the south. Therefore, the water follows the worn trails for extended periods. We call these Appalachian Trail Rivers. I've come across mud pits up to 12 feet in diameter. For these, I look for rocks in the mud to frog-hop or I walk the edge which is seldom level. Walking the edge eventually grows the mud pit. Not ideal, but with mud comes wet feet and no hiker wants that issue.Today I've crossed over the 1,600 adventure miles milestone. That is awesome! When I reached 100 miles I said I could do 100 more. Same with when I reached 200, 400 and 800. Now with reaching 1,600, I'm left with 590 miles. Mentally, that is easily doable. By doing 100 miles a week I can be home in six weeks, nice. There will be more mountains now, but nothing more intense than I've climbed in the south. Now it is simply a numbers game. Do my daily miles and six weeks should go by quick.Before crossing into Vermont, I passed through the small town of North Adams, Massachusetts. I took a small detour off the trail, about a half mile extra, to visit the supermarket. There I bought a hot coffee, a pistachio muffin, and a role of toilet paper. The trail provides privies to do your business, not the paper. To date, my timing has been good having to dig only four cat holes in the woods.I'm looking forward to northern Vermont. From southbound hikers I've heard the mud up north is not an issue. Until then you can just call me Mr. Muddy. For book followers, mile 1,607.4 page 164.
Date: 2018-08-15
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I was not looking forward to another day of dodging mud. It really makes for a long day of hiking. You constantly slow down on approaching mud to assess the best way to navigate it. Keeping a nice pace with this type of trail is nearly impossible. The feet get tired more quickly by being forced to pivot off rocks, roots, and being placed on slanted surfaces. Mentally it is tough as well. Each step must be precise to avoid rolling or twisting an ankle. I've found I need to take more frequent breaks while hiking these muddy trails.I've spoken of trail magic many times. And how the trail magic can brighten a dismal day. Today I found trail magic at road Vermont 9. A former hiker that goes by the name of 'Dark Cloud' was there providing some trail magic. He was also a mushroom enthusiast and we talked about all the mushrooms on the trail. Let me tell you, I've easily seen over 50 types of mushrooms or fungi. I've even seen one that was the most beautiful color of purple. I've seen hikers harvest and eat mushrooms. A popular one is called chicken of the woods. I avoid eating any of them. A mistake could be deadly. From Dark Cloud I enjoyed an apple cider, three snack size candies, a water, and four apple cider flavored mini donuts. He also took food trash off my hands saving me a few ounces. Thanks Dark Cloud! We hikers appreciate your kindness.I wish the trail magic made the rest of the hiking day a dream. But today it seamed as though I was always hiking uphill. And per the guide, I was. Most of the uphill was gradual but there were some steep climbs. Luckily, the steep sections weren't for long periods. I did get the satisfaction of a lookout tower on top of Glastenbury Mountain. The views were nice but it sure was windy in the tower above the tree line. The Vermont views (1-4) were taken from this tower. For book followers, mile 1,626.1 page 165.
Date: 2018-08-16
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: William B. Douglas Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: overcast clouds

There is a weird thing happening here in Vermont. With the passing of each day hiking in the mud, I'm beginning to not be so bothered by the mud. It is not going to dry up and it does appear to be becoming less frequent. And, I'm making my mileage goals. I guess it is like learning a new skill. The more you hike in mud the better you become at it and the mind is freed-up to think other thoughts. Sooner or later the mud will cease.A good thing has happened since I've left Connecticut. The bugs are slowly becoming less of an issue. It could be the return of mountainous areas are working in my favor. It is cooler in the evenings and at night. Perhaps the mosquitos don't like these conditions. This has allowed me to return to sleeping in shelters rather than setting up a tent around the shelter. If my memory is correct, I think the last time I used my tent was August 9. I'm avoiding a wet tent and saving setup and teardown time. I'd like to say it has translated to more daily miles. But the truth is I'm getting to sleep sooner and sleeping longer.Today I climbed Stratton Mountain. It was a climb of approximately 2,000 feet over a distance of three miles. The peak was at 3,936 feet. There was a lookout tower atop the mountain. The views were nice but would have been better on a very clear day. The surrounding mountains appeared to be plagued with a haze which took away any vividness. After I hiked off the mountain I came upon a hiker named 'Twig'. He is from Marietta, Ohio. We spoke for a couple minutes then I moved onward to my destination shelter.The shelter I stayed at today was a half mile from the main trail. This would add a whole extra mile for the round trip. Not ideal, but I was stopping here for the night. Also, I decided to go to the town of Manchester Center tomorrow to resupply. I'll resupply to have enough food for a minimum of six days since the town of Hanover, New Hampshire, is 100 miles away. The trail goes straight into town at Hanover making for an easy resupply, laundry, etc. For book followers, mile 1,646 page 168.
Date: 2018-08-17
From: William B. Douglas Shelter

To: VT 11 & 30, Manchester Center
Miles today: 5.8

Today I was happy to be heading to town. I needed to resupply and do laundry. I'd setup myself with a short hike of only 5.8 miles. The plan was to spend overnight in town and return to the trail the next day. Plans don't always go smooth.The hike went well as the Vermont mud wasn't as prevalent in the short stretch to the road to town. And it was mostly level terrain with some occasional downhill sections. I passed a hiker along the way who said rain was pushed back a few hours, from 11 AM to 1 PM. I was happy to hear this news as I planned to walk the 2.5 miles to the hotel and be there by noon. When I arrived at the trailhead I had no cell signal to contact the hotel to confirm a room was available. There were rain clouds in the distance so I started walking to town. Clouds move fast around mountains and it started raining within minutes after I started walking. The news of rain holding off until 1 PM didn't hold up. I don't know the precise reason(s) why, but I don't hitchhike. Within three-quarters of a mile a car stopped and offered a ride, I accepted. His name was Pat and he had just dropped off his son at the trailhead I just left. In talking with Pat we are very similar. He turned 50 on March 1st, I the 9th. He decided to do something different, similar to me, and moved to Vermont from New Jersey. At least one of his kids thought this was nuts, that nobody just picks-up and moves. After living in a hotel for a couple of months, I'm happy to say he and his family are doing well. Thanks for the ride Pat and best wishes to you and your family.The part of my plan that didn't go well was rains came heavy this evening. There were flash flood warnings and it was still raining in the morning when I awoke. I made the decision to take a full day off and let the rains pass. The next three days had favorable forecasts. Since I spent $20 for a round trip to town the day before I just lounged in my room all day. I only left to walk to Bob's Diner for lunch which was about 100 yards from the hotel. For dinner I ate three packs of ramen noodles from my trail food. I used the coffee maker for the hot water. For book followers, mile 1,651.8 page 168.
Date: 2018-08-19
From: VT 11 & 30, Manchester Center

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The rains passed as forecasted and it was time to return to hiking. I ate breakfast at the hotel, packed up, and once again was walking to the trailhead. This time I walked almost two miles before I was offered a ride. A guy by the name of John, my middle name, stopped and I hopped in for a ride the test of the way, a mile or so. It was uphill so I was thankful.The trails were muddy today and I expected them to be with all the rain. The sun was out and I was staying dry and doing my best to avoid the mud. There were four climbs today, each with its own peak. Only one of the four peaks lead to great scenery. I'd been hoping for more having put in hard work on each climb.For the first time since the adventure began, I spent a night all alone in the woods. The shelter I stayed in was located alongside a large, noisy river. I do not believe this was the reason no one else chose to stay the night. There were close options before and after this shelter which I think was the main reason. Whatever the reason, it was weird to be alone in the woods. I setup my tent inside the shelter to screen out the bugs even though they haven't been too big a problem since early Massachusetts. With the noise, being inside the tent, and in total darkness, I did feel vulnerable. There would be no advance notice of an approaching bear or someone up to no good. All went well and the following morning came just like any other. Before I left camp a hiker arrived and stopped to use the privy. Soon after I was back hiking on my adventure. For book followers, mile 1,668.3 page 169.
Date: 2018-08-20
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: overcast clouds

About shortly after midnight I awoke and exited the shelter to tinkle in the woods. It was a perfectly clear night and it allowed a gaze upwards at the night sky. There was a small clear patch in the trees around the shelter. Even with being half asleep the view was great. It was one of my intents to witness a clear night sky while on the adventure. Sadly I've not done this. It seems once I get to camp the focus is to setup for the night and I'm usually in bed by the time its dark enough to enjoy a clear sky. Hiker midnight is about 9 PM. I'm hoping to observe a clear sky in the mountains of New Hampshire.I think about many things while hiking and today I was thinking of how I miss going into a garden and picking fresh vegetables. I'm hoping when I return home my neighbor has some vegetables left in his garden. Before I left I asked he plant a little extra for my return. Well today on the trail after thinking about this I came upon a road to cross. Under the guardrail next to the trail was a cardboard box. I looked in the box and it contained fresh home grown cucumbers. Amazing, the trail provides once again! I took the biggest one, wiped it off, and enjoyed it. The only thing missing was some salt.I climbed Bear Mountain today which was just over a 1,000 feet climb. It seems every state I've been through has a Bear Mountain. If you're ever unsure about a mountain's name, go with Bear Mountain. You've a good chance to be correct.After I crossed the Claredon Gorge I came to the trailhead at VT 103. There was a small parking lot there and some trail magic was taking place. A father and son were providing grilled food and some sides. I enjoyed a turkey cheeseburger, two brownies and an ice cold seltzer water. The son hiked the Appalachain Trail a few years ago. It is common for those that have hiked to return and do trail magic. I know how thankful I am of the trail magic and hope to someday return as the provider of said magic. For book followers, mile 1,685.2 page 172
Date: 2018-08-21
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Gifford Woods State Park
Miles today: 19.8

I needed to do a big day to avoid having to tent randomly on the side of the trail. Gifford Woods State Park was about 20 miles away and that became my target destination. They have a special section for AT through-hikers but the details were sketchy.The trails have been getting less and less muddy the farther north I go in Vermont. My feet are thankful for this! The hiking is back to a more comfortable activity. I climbed Mount Killington today to a peak elevation of just over 4,000 feet. The climb on the trail in elevation was over 2,000 feet. To do so, I needed to take the side trail to the summit which was .2 miles. This was optional, but I'm certainly glad I did the work. I left my backpack at the shelter as the climb was quite vertical. The views at the top were spectacular. The best I've seen in Vermont. Coming back down to the shelter was tough too as the side trail was mostly rocks. If I had my pack with me it would have been tougher.Once I started down off Mount Killington it was going to be mostly downhill to the state park about 10 miles away. When I was two hours from the park, clouds rolled in and a breeze swept through the woods. It looked as though rain wasn't too far away. When I finally arrived at the start park, I made my way to the park office to see the options available to hikers. They had a special section for hikers to tent at a cost of $6 overnight. I asked the park employee if she knew the weather forecast. She said rain was expected at about 3:00 AM. The cost of a shelter was $27. I hate rain so I opted to pay the extra money to ensure I'd wake up with everything dry. I added two ice creams to my purchase as well.I walked to the shelter named Oak and setup both my tent and hung a clothesline inside the shelter. It would have easily housed up to eight hikers and it was all mine. After making dinner I went back to the park office to use the Wi-Fi and electricity to charge my phone. Good thing I chose the shelter as the rains came at 2:55 AM and continued through late morning. I really didn't want to hike in the rain so upon packing up camp I went back to the park office to go over my options. The guide listed a motel only .7 miles away. I called, a room was available, and off I went to dodge the rain by taking a rest day. For book followers, mile 1,705.0 page 173.