morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-09-09
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Moose Mt shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear and cool, 47 deg start. After some nice views along the Eastman ledges, got to climb an old fire tower on Smart Mt. The lookout cabin at the top was open and offered great, full panoramic views. At the Dorchester Rd crossing, a trail angel (Bill McKenzie, 70-ish) invited us into his home for ice cream and spring water. Nice! He asked several philosophical questions about our trail experiences and described the history of the trail in that area.I hiked on to the Moose Mt shelter with 'Druid' and 'Pup' and met another old trail friend 'Titus', who was camping there.
Date: 2013-09-10
From: Moose Mt shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: few clouds

Overcast and warm, 58 deg.I bade farewell and good luck to 'Titus', then headed toward town. It soon started sprinkling, then turned to a steady rain. I had been expecting (big mistake) a leisurely downhill hike, but it turned into a slippery, soggy ordeal. When I finally came into town, I headed for the local food co-op to pick up some lunch and nearly froze to death in there - so many refrigerators! I'm now in the nice, warm, Hanover public library where I found a list of 15 trail angels who offer overnight stays in their homes. This is even better than Waynesboro, VA!I ended up staying at a condo in Norwich VT courtesy of trail angel Sally Bellew.
Date: 2013-09-11
From: Hanover, NH

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Clear and warm, 68 deg start. Hanover is the best trail town yet with a wonderful & free public transportation system. I rode the green line bus back into Hanover first thing and left my pack at the Dartmouth Outing Club while I toured around campus. This place is incredible with quick internet everywhere and artwork galore - my favorite was an original Jose Orosco multi-wall mural in the Baker library. The temperature climbed to 90 deg by noontime and Cricket arrived back on trail soon afterwards thanks to our friend/trail angel, Linda Sentner.
Date: 2013-09-12
From: Hanover, NH

To: Norwich, VT
Miles today: 3.2

Overcast and warm, 68 deg. There was a huge thunderstorm last night with hundreds of lightening strikes. Power was knocked out for several hours at the Sunset Inn where we were staying. We were very glad to be inside!The weather forecast calls for heavier thunderstorms this afternoon so we're taking a 'near-O' day, just crossing over into VT today.We stayed overnight in a trail angel's (Betsy Maislen) house right along the AT. Another big thunderstorm blew through late in the afternoon and knocked out the power again. We all went out for a great dinner & conversation at Yamas. The power was still out when we returned so we retired early to their comfortable, refinished basement.
Date: 2013-09-13
From: Norwich, VT

To: Thistle Hill shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

Overcast and warm, 65 deg. Betsy made us a great breakfast and gave us treats for the trail. We headed out early and made it back to the woods before it started raining. The trail was flooded in some areas but overall was in fair condition. We slogged through to W Hartland, where we had lunch at the Full Belly Deli. We hung out/ate for 2 hours until the rain stopped. We then continued on to the shelter. The number of thru-hikers is petering out - only saw one NOBO today.
Date: 2013-09-14
From: Thistle Hill shelter

To: Lookout cabin
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Overcast & cool, 50 deg. We headed for the Cloudland Farmers market first thing, hoping for a farm fresh breakfast but were disappointed to find that it was closed. Oakmeal again!It stayed in the 50s all day today, fall was definitely in the air. We had a hot lunch on Dana hill and continued on to the Winturra shelter to re-supply our water. We then hiked on to the 'Lookout', which is a cabin with a viewing platform on the roof. It is privately owned but open to hikers. We ended up staying in the cabin overnight with a couple of NOBOs, 'Hoops' and 'Outback', who had started on the trail in mid March.
Date: 2013-09-15
From: Lookout cabin

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

Clear & cold. 43 deg. Beautiful sunrise this morning from the Lookout!We got an early start and were immediately confused when we got to the spur trail/AT junction. The sign appeared to be incorrect - it directed us Northward (morning sun was on right) to destinations that were South along the AT. We knew the trail twisted and turned a lot, but something didn't feel right. We decided to follow the sign but our minds kept questioning. We had been tired while hiking in the night before and now thought we saw several familiar trail features along the way, but weren't sure. We continued on about 3 miles before reaching a landmark that proved we were actually going in the right direction afterall. Whew! We had a hot lunch at Stony Brook shelter and refilled our water bottles. We later ran into our old hiking friend, Harry Rost (87 yr old German adventurer), near Kent pond. He looked well but unfortunately his Passport requires him to return to Germany before 10/21/13 so he will not be able to complete the AT this year. He plans to come back in 2015 to complete it and also hike the PCT. God bless him!
Date: 2013-09-16
From: Rutland, VT

To:  Governor Clement shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We spent the night at the Yellow Deli hostel - a caring, spiritual place run by a group associated with the 12 tribes of Israel. After a great breakfast at the hostel, we took the 10:15 bus back to the Killington trail head.We started in a light rain and climbed up into the clouds on Killington. We had a hot lunch near the summit at the Cooper Lodge shelter but had a hard time keeping warm. It was damp and raw until mid afternoon when it finally started to clear. The trail down had been re-routed after hurricane Irene and was very rough, rocky, and wet. We continued on to the Governor Clement shelter.
Date: 2013-09-17
From:  Governor Clement shelter

To: Greenwall shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear & cold, 40 deg. Great hiking conditions today - dry air, blue sky, with a light breeze. We were looking forward to having lunch at a restaurant near the trail head at Rt 103 today. After walking a half mile downhill on this busy road we found out it had closed for the season. Disappointed, we continued on down trail and soon came to Clarendon gorge, where we had a great picnic. The gorge was quite impressive - could still see the effects from hurricane Irene a few years ago.We hiked on to Greenwall shelter, which we had all to ourselves. We heard owls hooting in the trees until late in the night.
Date: 2013-09-18
From: Greenwall shelter

To: Peru Peak shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Clear & cool, 46 deg. Great hiking weather today - dry & cool. We stopped at a really neat pond (Little Rock) early on to enjoy the peace and tranquility there. Unfortunately the trail was also very rocky today and hard on our feet. We found some amazing rock art at White Rock cliff and great views from the cliff and Baker Peak. We had a hot lunch at Big Branch shelter and continued on to Peru Peak, where we camped with 'Mayo' - a young SOBO from GA heading home.
Date: 2013-09-19
From: Peru Peak shelte

To: Manchester Ctr, VT
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

Clear & cool, 48 deg. Much better trail conditions today and another excellent hiking day with a beautiful blue sky and no clouds. We had great views from the top of Bromley Mt. The AT actually followed one of the ski trails part way down from the summit before turning into the woods. We hiked on to the Rt 11 trail head and the hitched a ride into Manchester to re-supply. We found out that the much acclaimed Green Mt hostel has closed for the season. We stayed at Suttons Place, a nice home about a block from downtown.
Date: 2013-09-20
From: Manchester Ctr, VT

To: Strafford Mt camp site
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

Clear & cool, 50 deg. We had breakfast at Mrs Murphy's donut shop and hitched a ride back to the trail head. Great view of Manchester from Prospect rock.We had a relaxing hot dog lunch at Prospect pond and then hiked up Strafford Mt (3936'), where there was a large lockout tower. The sky was clear and the panoramic view amazing. Excellent hiking conditions, temp reached 75 deg today. We found our last cache of blackberries on the way down the South side and camped in the woods.
Date: 2013-09-21
From: Strafford Mt camp site

To: Stoddard shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Overcast & warm, 58 deg. The sky cleared and it became breezy by 9:00 AM - great hiking conditions. We had a hot lunch at Story Spring shelter and noticed a front starting to move in. We pushed on to the next shelter and arrived before the rain started later that night. A cold wind was blowing directly into the 3 wall shelter by the time we got there. It was difficult to stay warm during dinner.
Date: 2013-09-22
From: Stoddard shelter

To: Congdon shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: light rain

It rained heavily during the night and there was a swirling mist blowing into the shelter this morning.Windy, damp, and wet - 50 deg. We quickly packed up and headed over Porcupine ridge. The trail was very wet and mucky today. We had a hot lunch at the Melville-Nauheim shelter and then hiked on to the next shelter. The skies cleared by mid afternoon but it continued to be breezy.
Date: 2013-09-23
From: Congdon shelter

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Clear & cold start, 40 deg. The trail was still wet and soggy today. Hiking in VT must be really tough during the spring. The weather was great - cool with a light breeze all day. We had a hot lunch at Seth Warner shelter and soon crossed the VT-MA border. The trail followed a beautiful stream from the ridge down to the Williamstown trail head. The Williamstown motel shuttle picked us up there and whisked us off for hot showers and pizza.
Date: 2013-09-24
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Clear and cold, 40 deg start.At breakfast we met a family from Jerusalem Israel who offered us a ride back to the trail head. We got there about 9:00 and headed out. It was a long, steep climb up over Prospect and Williams mountains to Mt Greylock. Hiking conditions were excellent - a stellar day! We had some excellent burgers at the Bascom lodge on top of Greylock. On the way down the south side we met 'Drifter' a NOBO hiker who had started from Springer Mt on the same day that we did (4/11). We continued into Cheshire and stayed at St Mary's parish center. Fr Dave was very hospitable and helpful with providing directions around town.
Date: 2013-09-25
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Warner Hill camp site
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Clear and cool, 51 deg. We attended morning Mass and were warmly welcomed by the parisheners. We then packed up and headed for the laundromat in Dalton, MA. It was such a nice day when we got there that we decided to skip the laundry, pick up some sandwiches, and head down the trail. we camped near a stream just south of Warner hill.
Date: 2013-09-26
From: Warner Hill camp site

To: Upper Goose pond cabin
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Overcast and cool start, 50 deg. Passed several beaver dams in the morning, one had 5 tiers about 50 feet apart. Beaver must be protected in MA!We had a relaxing hot lunch at Finerty pond. It was so peaceful there and located only 3 miles from the MA pike. We later crossed the turnpike. The contrast of the AT bridge over the turnpike had always struck me when driving by and I remembered telling myself that some day I would cross it. Today was the day! We continued on a few more miles to the cabin on Upper Goose pond. We got to go canoeing and had a wonderful dinner provided by the caretakers.
Date: 2013-09-27
From: Upper Goose pond cabin

To: Mt Wilcox South shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear and cool, 53 deg. We witnessed an amazing sunrise over the pond and saw three flocks of Canadian geese flying south. Back at the cabin we were treated to a wonderful pancake breakfast with real maple syrup. The caretakers took great care of us!We hated to leave this place but eventually were back on the trail by mid morning. The trail initially wrapped around the south end of the pond, which was calm and reflective + hard to believe we were within a few miles of the MA pike.We hiked on to the shelter and noticed how short the days were getting. It was dark by 7:30 and we were fast asleep soon afterwards - made for a long night!
Date: 2013-09-28
From: Mt Wilcox South shelter

To: Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Clear and cool, 51 deg. Another beautiful hiking day today. MA has had the best weather so far!Nice smooth trail through rolling, wooded hills made for a relatively easy day. We met my brother & his wife at the Rt 41 trail head near South Egremont and went into town for a great dinner at the Barrington Brewery restaurant.
Date: 2013-09-29
From: Great Barrington, MA

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 17.7

Foggy and cold, 43 deg. We climbed up to the ridge on Mt Bushnell and were above the fog and the clouds. We had great views from Mt Everett and then descended to Race brook.We then crossed the CT border and climbed over Bear Mt. My brother & his wife picked us up in the late afternoon at the Rt 41 trail head in Salisbury. We later drove home to Kennebunk ME to prepare for our son's wedding. Stay tuned, we'll be back on the trail in about 2 weeks
Date: 2013-10-18
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Belters campsite
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: few clouds

Returning to trail after attending our son's wedding in Portland ME. We're now using a light weight, two person quilt in place of sleeping bags. We just completed making it from a Ray Jardine quilt kit. Hope it keeps us warm!11:30 start in Salisbury, partly cloudy 55 deg.Great hiking conditions today with beautiful foliage. About half the leaves have fallen so the rocks & roots along the trail are pretty well hidden. We crossed the Housatonic river near Falls Village and saw huge carp swimming beneath the bridge. We hiked on to the Belters campsites for the night and had the whole place to ourselves. It was very quiet and peaceful except for the hooting owls nearby.
Date: 2013-10-19
From: Belters campsite

To: Stewart Hollow Brook shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear & cool, 45 deg. We were slow getting going this morning, didn't get on the trail until 8:30. I could feel the strain in my legs after the two and a half week break.It was tricky hiking over the fallen leaves, particularly coming down thru the opening in 'split rock' - like walking down a metal slide! With little ground cover in the forest it was also hard to see the trail - seems there's never enough of those white blazes.We saw several day & section hikers today. We hiked to the Stewart Hollow Brook shelter, which is close to the Housatonic, and spent the night. We camped with an interesting NOBO couple from Brooklyn, who had taken a commuter train out of the city. They started their hike at a rail stop 15 miles south along the AT.
Date: 2013-10-20
From: Stewart Hollow Brook shelter

To: Schaghticoke Mt campsite
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Clear and cool, 50 deg. It had rained moderately during the night. The trail was very peaceful following along the banks of the Housatonic river. When it headed up St John's ledges, trail conditions became very slippery with all the wet fallen leaves. We hiked to the CT 341 trail head, where a section hiked gave us a ride into Kent CT for a hot meal and ice cream.We walked back to the trail and climbed Mt Algo, then continued on to the campsite.
Date: 2013-10-21
From: Schaghticoke Mt campsite

To: Telephone Pioneers shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: few clouds

Clear and cool, 44 deg start.Today was a beautiful hiking day with smooth & easy trail conditions. The highlight was the area where the Ten Mile river enters the Housatonic - absolutely beautiful! We rested along the river bank and then headed on to the Wiley shelter for lunch. We later pushed on to the Rt 22 trail head and walked to Toni's deli with 'Rooster' for a hot dinner and chocolate milk. We passed a commuter train station right next to the AT, where hikers from NYC can be dropped off directly at the trail. We got back to the trail around 5:00 and ended up having to hike an hour in the dark with our head lamps before reaching the shelter.
Date: 2013-10-22
From: Telephone Pioneers shelter

To: RPH shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear and cool, 48 deg. Got an early start this morning and soon crossed the state line into NY. By the time we crossed over I-84 it had clouded over and began to sprinkle around 2:00. We decided to pull into a deli in Stormville NY for a hot lunch. The skies cleared again. As we approached the Taconic Pkwy crossing the trail became difficult due to fallen leaves covering numerous loose rocks. We trekked on to the Ralph's Peak Hiker (RPH) cabin. This is a unique cement block structure which had been converted from a small house after the AT Conservancy bought the property. It had a conventional front door and windows but no rear wall. The back was totally open to a porch with picnic tables. We met 'Stateman' an interesting section hiker who hikes one state per year. He mentioned that a local pizza house would deliver to this shelter, so we all shared a large meat-combo special!
Date: 2013-10-23
From: RPH shelter

To: Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear and cold, 35 deg. We were running low on breakfast supplies this morning, so we ended up having left over (cold) pizza and hot Chai tea. We then bade farewell to 'Stateman' and headed out around 7:30. The sky soon became overcast and the temperature stayed below 50 all day. We hiked to the Rt 301 trail head next to the S.P. and met our trail angel friend, Frank Mase, from our home town Kennebunk. He was in transit to see his folks down in PA and brought us a wonderful lunch - sandwiches, apple cider, fresh fruit & vegetables. We had a nice picnic on Canopus lake and then he shuttled us back to Salisbury CT, where we picked up our car so we could re-spot it further down along the trail.
Date: 2013-10-24
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park

To: Bear Mt, NY
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear & cold, 35 deg. We had an excellent breakfast at a Pawling, NY deli and decided to slack pack today to Bear Mt, which is on the other side (west) of the Hudson. We first hiked to the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, a Franciscan complex near Peekskill NY, and walked around their beautiful grounds. It reminded me of the monastery back in Kennebunk ME. Next we stopped for lunch at the AT deli near the NY 403 trailhead for burgers. We continued on to the Hudson and crossed at the Rt 6 Bear Mt suspension bridge. As we crossed there was all kinds of river barge, commuter & freight rail activity below.We then hiked thru part of the Bear Mt zoo to the lowest point on the AT (257') and then on up the mountain, arriving just before dusk.
Date: 2013-10-25
From: Bear Mt, NY

To: Harriman Lake State Park
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear, cold & windy; 35 deg. I struggled with a head cold today - the weather conditions didn't help!Great views from Bear and West Mts, including the NYC skyline 40 miles to the south. We hiked to the state park and decided to go into Harriman for a warm night's sleep.
Date: 2013-10-26
From: Harriman Lake State Park

To: Wildcat shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

Clear & cold, 28 deg - first hard frost! We hiked thru the state park and had lunch near the NY State Thruway overpass. We later found trail magic (pudding, fruit, crackers, water etc) near the Orange Rd trail head and hiked on to the next shelter - arriving right at dusk. We camped with a section hiker who had recently been laid off from CSC in Delaware.
Date: 2013-10-27
From: Wildcat shelter

To: Wawayanda shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Clear and cold, 34 deg. We had another great view of the NYC skyline today from Prospect rock. After crossing the NY/NJ border, we stopped and had a hot lunch - hot dogs & powdered four cheese potatoes. We hiked on to Wawayanda State Park and re-filled our water bottles before heading on to the shelter.
Date: 2013-10-28
From: Wawayanda shelter

To: Pochuck shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Clear & cold, 36 deg. We hiked to Heaven Hill farm for breakfast and met our trail angel/friend Frank Mase from Kennebunk, who was returning from a trip to visit his parents in PA. He was kind enough to drive us back to Harriman NY and help us re-spot our car at a point further south in NJ. It was a beautiful day with temps in the 60s. We all had a great lunch at a Greek restaurant in Lafayette NJ. Frank later dropped us off back at Heaven Hill to re-supply and we were back on the trail around 3:30. We hiked 7 miles to the next shelter and got there a half hour after dark. We camped with two middle age section hikers (power plant electricians) from S Jersey - shared a great campfire & conversation on a cold night!
Date: 2013-10-29
From: Pochuck shelter

To: High Point State Park
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Overcast & cool, 41 deg. Hiked into Unionville for a hot breakfast and to pick up some sandwiches. The trail was less rocky today but the temperature stayed in the 40s and was a bit raw. We hiked on to High Point shelter for lunch and then headed up to the tower in High Point State Park. This is the highest point in NJ.One of the local motels offered free rides from this trail head so we decided to stay with them tonight and get in out of the cold.
Date: 2013-10-30
From: High Point State Park

To: Culver Gap
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Overcast & warmer, 48 deg. We had delicious deli egg sandwiches for breakfast and were dropped off by the Motel shuttle back at the S.P. at 8:30. We had lunch at the Mashipacong shelter, where it was still overcast at noon and the temperature had only risen to 52 deg. It later cleared nicely by mid afternoon and we had good views from the Culver fire tower. We then hiked down into Culver gap, where we had spotted the car a few days earlier. We headed out for dinner and decided to stay in a motel tonight so we could watch game 6 of the World Series.A half hour before game time we realized the motel's Dish service didn't include Fox Sports network. We could watch 3 NBA games but no WS, so we hopped in the car and headed to the nearest sport's bar in Branchville NJ. It was a pretty somber crowd there, we were the only Sox fans in the house. Great game, good to see the Sox finally win one at home!
Date: 2013-10-31
From: Culver Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Overcast & warm, 50 deg. We slack packed today and had a great view of Culver lake before climbing back up onto the ridge and into the clouds. Cloud mist turned to light rain going over Rattlesnake Mt making for wet/slippery conditions on the exposed rock ledges. Stopped for lunch at the Brinks Rd shelter, where we saw a Ford Explorer driving by. The road soon became impassable and the driver just couldn't understand it because he was only following his GPS!We arrived at the Outdoor Center around 5:00 - just before the heavy rain set in.