morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-07-06
From: Tyringham B&B

To: Camping at the Cookie Lady's
Miles today: 17.8

Crossing the PikeWe have crossed over or under many Interstate highways by now, but none had any emotional resonance for me--until today, when we took the pedestrian overpass across the Mass Pike. In the 40+ years I have been living in Boston, I have had a number of occasions to take the Mass Pike out to (or past) western Mass. Every time I did, I looked at the overpass with the "Appalachian Trail" sign on it and thought--someday it will be me up there. And today, I was that hiker, crossing over and going north. It was a absolutely a thrill to be up there. Today was a good day for us both. We left the B&B clean and refreshed--always a good way to start the day. There were a couple of longer climbs in the morning, but neither were especially steep or onerous. We took a break by Upper Goose Pond. The timing didn't work for us to stay at the cabin on the pond, but we enjoyed the setting and the view. After lunch, the trail was relatively flat, going through forest and past the several beaver ponds along the way. We had a goal we were both interested in making--getting to the cookie lady's house. We had read in our guidebook that you could camp on the property and that she would often have homemade cookies to offer. That alone was a strong incentive to get here. But then we read in a shelter register that you could buy a soda there--and we were committed. It was, after all, a very hot day. As we were eating dinner at the picnic table on the property (having eaten the cookies as an appetizer), we could watch the thunder clouds coming in. We quickly finished up and were safely in our tents when the skies opened up and the thunder and lightening started. The storm seems to be almost over, and tomorrow is supposed to be another warm and sunny day. I don't expect to find another cookie lady, but it looks like another good day of hiking.
Date: 2011-07-07
From: Camping at the Cookie Lady's

To: Cheshire/Church Hostel
Miles today: 18.7

Mud, Mountains and MilesMUD: Massachusetts can be very muddy--certainly along this section of the AT. The rain last night only increased the amount of mud. In many places, the trail volunteers had put down plank bridges over the especially mucky sections. However some of them are quite old and unstable and, when one of them tilted to the side when I stepped on it, my foot slipped off and I had the full foot mud immersion experience. Nonetheless, I continued to hop from rock to root to the side of the trail in a rather useless attempt to avoid more mud and muck. All part of the hiking experience. MOUNTAINS: Massachusetts has a very loose approach to what is and is not a mountain. Between yesterday and today, we went over several named mountains--and only once did we actually have a sense we had climbed to the top of something. We seemed to have summited the other mountains without any noticeable change in elevation. However today, when we did our biggest climb of the day and got to our highest elevation, it was just an unnamed and anonymous lump. MILES: We have agreed to do less miles per day. But yet again, because of the limitations of places to stay--and our desire to get to North Adams on Friday-- we have still been hiking bigger miles. Fortunately, the terrain the last two days has allowed us to do this and still end the day by 5:30. As we approach Vermont, though, we are planning to hike 15 miles or less each day. And we will see if that allows both of us to delight in our continuing Appalachian Trail experience.
Date: 2011-07-08
From: Cheshire/Church Hostel

To: Williamstown
Miles today: 14.0

Up and Over GreylockWe had a quite comfortable night at the hostel in the church in Cheshire. We had called the contact person earlier in the day and got our instructions--go to the back of the church. He would leave the door to the hall unlocked and we could stay in one of their two hiker rooms. So we slept on the floor in the room off the hall, with close access to the bathroom. We left this morning, never having seen anyone from the church. This kind of convenience and accessibility--and trust--is a wonderful gift to thruhikers.We got up early this morning for our climb over Mt. Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts and, at 3491 feet, the highest mountain since Virginia. It must have been a combination of the trail and our hiker legs, because we got to the top both feeling that it was a much easier climb than we anticipated. We lingered awhile at the lodge on top of the mountain, having an early lunch and drinking black cherry soda. The descent was steep but, fortunately, not slippery, and in a couple of hours we were down and getting picked up by Clutch's partner, Mary Ann.  She greeted us with soda, chocolate milk and cookies, so we couldn't have been happier. We are taking a zero here tomorrow--our first zero since Front Royal. Tomorrow our biggest challenge will be making sure we get a chance to get ice cream at Likety Split and pastry at the coffee shop. But we are thruhikers, so we should be able to manage it.
Date: 2011-07-09
From: Williamstown

To: Williamstown
Miles today: 0.0

Rest and RelaxationA zero day is a wonderful thing. A very relaxing day with Mary Ann (Clutch's partner) and my friend Lisa. Lots of time to sit around and talk, but still resupply and go to the outfitters for fuel and water purification tablets. They got to see our thruhiker ritual of shopping for the next few days and then dividing up the food. We were able to fit in lots of good town eating--especially the Death by Chocolate Clutch had for dessert tonight and my Mud Pie. And tomorrow--some more town food and then off to Vermont!
Date: 2011-07-10
From: Williamstown

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

. Hard to BelieveWe had another good town breakfast this morning and then sadly said goodbye to our visitors. However, Mary Ann and Denise are both coming to see us next weekend, so it wasn't the saddest goodbye. It is wonderful to be driving distance from home!We were back on the trail around 11:30. We soon started climbing, but it was one of those gentle climbs--until the very end. It seemed Massachusetts wanted to go out with a bang with a short but steep and rocky climb to the top of an unnamed bump with no view. In another 1.3 miles, we were in Vermont. The AT and the Long Trail are concurrent for 105 miles, which is pretty cool, as it gives us a chance to meet Long Trail hikers. But what is really cool is being in Vermont--being in northern New England. I can't quite take in the reality of it all--that we have actually made it to Vermont, that we have hiked almost 1600 miles, that we have been on the trail nearly four months. I'm not yet ready to start thinking in terms of what we have left--I know there are yet many miles and many mountains between us and Katahdin. Still, although believing we are this far is hard, every day it becomes more possible.
Date: 2011-07-11
From: Congon Shelter

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

Best Laid PlansBefore leaving North Adams, Clutch and I had put together a plan for the week that had no day over 15 miles. Yesterday, we anticipated a particularly short seven mile day, as we knew we would get a late start from town. But we got to the seven mile shelter around three, and it just seemed too early to stop. We checked to see what our options would be if we continued to the following shelter and saw that we could have a 15 mile day today, so we kept going. So far, the trail in Vermont, although very muddy, has been good to hike--a combination of shorter and longer ascents and descents of varying degrees of steepness alternating with flatter sections. It wasn't that hard to do 14 miles yesterday, even starting at 11:30. A fifteen mile day today seemed totally doable, even with terrain that looked a bit more challenging. However, although we had looked ahead to today, we had not looked any further. We were rather dismayed to learn that, if we hiked fifteen miles today, we would be confronted with the choice of hiking either 8.9 or 19.3 miles the following day--two very unappealing choices. We started the day not sure what we would do. We got to the fifteen mile shelter at about 3:30. It had been a demanding day with a lot of climbing. And the shelter was beautiful. Yet neither of us wanted to do either 8.9 or 19.3 miles tomorrow. We looked--this time to the end of the week--and decided to go on. So here we are, having done an 18.7 mile day. But we are not giving up--we know it must be possible to hike less! We have high hopes--for the rest of the week and the rest of the trail.
Date: 2011-07-12
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Mountains We are back in the mountains! Pretty much since we left Virginia, we have been in the low country. We have certainly had lots of ups and downs (especially since reaching New Jersey) and a number of little mountains to climb, but now we are finally in mountain country. Today we spent the afternoon going up--and then down--Stratton Mountain. It is just 65 feet shy of being a 4000 footer. There is a fire tower at the top, with a view of all the surrounding mountains. It was at the top of a mountain forty years ago that I first dreamed of hiking the AT. And although I have come to deeply appreciate the beauty and joy of being in all sorts of woods and countryside, mountains move me in a special way and I am so happy to be back in their midst. A couple of folks from back home have asked how we are surviving the hot and sultry weather. I guess summer has finally come to Boston and surrounding areas. The weather tells us it is summertime, but here in the Vermont mountains, spending most of our day in the shade under the leaves of the tree-lined trail, it is a delightful summer--at least so far. And coming to appreciate the pleasures of each individual day is yet another gift of the trail.
Date: 2011-07-13
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Bromley Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Town and CountryWe knew this would be a short mileage day. The trail crosses the road to Manchester Center, so we were thinking we would hitch into town for a meal, since we would have the time. But it turned out much better than that. The ten miles from the shelter to the road crossing were easy and lovely. We even had several miles in which there was minimal mud--a real Vermont rarity. We took a break at Prospect Rocks, with a great view of the valley and surrounding mountains. But the best was at the road to Manchester. Although the logistics of meeting someone on the trail can be hard, it worked today, and we were met by Kathryn (my friend Deb's sister-in-law, a good friend and a wonderful person). Kathryn drove us into Manchester for a great lunch, then to EMS where we got a couple of things we needed, and then to Ben & Jerry's for the essential ice cream. We were back on the trail about 4:15 for the two uphill miles to the shelter. About 4:30, the thunder started and the sky opened up. Soon it was drenching rain which turned the trail into one pretty continuous muddy stream. Then, as we walking in the storm, through the mud, muck and water, the hail starts and we were bombarded from above with tiny but powerful pellets. It turns out, though, that when all that weather is happening, we seem to forget we are going uphill and just charge up the mountain. We were at the shelter within an hour. It's a good sized shelter with a big overhang and plenty of pegs to use for hanging wet clothes. We are snug in our sleeping bags and the rain is supposed to stop tonight, giving us a clear day for the mountains we will climb tomorrow.
Date: 2011-07-14
From: Bromley Shelter

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

Long Trail LoveYes, Vermont does have a lot of mud and mosquitoes. But boots dry, mud flakes off and DEET works. So if one can get over the mud and the bugs, Vermont is pretty wonderful. As we followed the path of the AT/Long Trail today, we went over four mountains. The first was Bromley, a ski mountain. We had gone part way up yesterday in the rain. This morning we had another mile--steep at times, but completely manageable. We were greeted at the top by a futuristic-looking chair lift station and a lookout tower with incredible views. From there we went down 800 feet and back up 1000 feet to Styles Peak--another great view and some sunny rocks perfect for drying out some of our still-wet clothing. Peru Peak was unremarkable, but Baker Peak was great--a short, steep scramble over rocky, open ledges with more spectacular views. In between, we got a chance to get our feet wet when we took off our boots and put on our Crocs to wade through an area where the foot bridges had sunk into the water--thanks to the work of some very industrious beavers. Now we are in our tents listening to the sounds of the Big Branch River rushing by. We are the only ones at this shelter tonight, so it feels like this part of nature is here just for us. It is very, very sweet.
Date: 2011-07-15
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Vt. 140/Rutland
Miles today: 9.5

Another Kind of Trail MagicWe woke up with a special kind of excitement. Less than ten miles to hike and Karen would be seeing Mary Ann for the second weekend in a row and I would be seeing Denise (and our dogs) for the first time since Memorial Day. We hiked along yet another beautiful Vermont trail. In addition to mud, mosquitoes and mountains, the forests of Vermont are filled with ponds--sweet mountain ponds, sometimes created by beaver activity and sometimes not--that we unexpectedly find ourselves walking by. Even more unexpected, though, was turning a corner on the trail and coming upon a garden of rock sculptures. There piles of rocks, hanging rocks, bridges of rocks. The whole effect was simply magical. And then, perhaps a mile later, we came across a second garden, this time mostly towers of rocks. The woods are so filled with unanticipated wonder. But now I am in town, with Denise and our dogs, for a weekend of a different and still special wonder.
Date: 2011-07-16
From: Vt. 140/Rutland

To: Rutland VT
Miles today: 0.0

Zero DayRutland is a very sweet town. Denise and I started our day with a good cup of coffee at one of the cafes in town. We bought fresh organic raspberries and multigrain sour dough bread at the farmer's market. Clutch and I resupplied at one of the many supermarkets, and Denise and I walked our dogs along a beautiful dirt road someone at the outfitter store recommended. We had several opportunities to eat good food at cute local restaurants, and there was an ice cream stand right across from our motel. Yet another wonderful zero in town.
Date: 2011-07-17
From: Rutland VT

To: A Cabin in the Woods
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: overcast clouds

A Milestone Worth NotingBreakfast at the diner in Rutland, then good bye to Mary Ann and Denise and the dogs--and back on the trail. The hike started immediately with an 1100 foot climb to the top of Bear Mountain--the third or fourth Bear Mountain we have climbed in the Northeast. There were no views at the top, so we didn't linger and kept on going. The rest of the day, the trail was relatively gentle with some rolling ups and downs--except for two short, quite steep 500 foot climbs, each in four tenths of a mile. They definitely qualified as character-building. It is good, though, to be building character (and leg strength) as we prepare to enter the White Mountains. Today we passed a milestone we have been waiting for--less than 500 miles to go. As I have written before, up to now we have been only focused on what we have done, not what was left. And we have been quite successful at it. The far left column of our pages gives the miles to Katahdin, but up to now they have been shrouded in a cloak of invisibility. I really have not seen them as I study the pages. But now that cloak is lifted and we can start to anticipate the end of our AT hike. I am looking forward to the weeks ahead and the magnificent mountains of New Hampshire and Maine. And I am also looking forward to re-entering my life and all the magnificence I can find there.
Date: 2011-07-18
From: A Cabin in the Woods

To: Gifford Woods State Park
Miles today: 14.5

Killington in the RainWe spent last night in a friend's cabin--very rustic and very great. It was just yards from the trail, on a small unpaved road. No electricity or running water, but a screened in porch, couches and chairs in the living room and an indoor privy. We were thrilled to be there, especially when the thunder and lightening and rain started in the middle of the night. The rain had stopped by the time we got up and on to the trail to climb Killington--the last big Vermont mountain we go over. It wasn't long, though, before it started again. Happily, although there was some distant thunder, we were just hiking in the rain--not in a lightening storm. The trail goes almost, but not quite, to the summit of Killington. The night before, we had been talking about whether we would go up the steep two tenths of a mile trail to the top, where we were told the view was spectacular. But the rain answered that question for us--no view so no extra hiking. We are tenting tonight at Gifford Woods State Park. The trail goes right through the park, making it a most convenient place to stay. Best, though, is the unexpected bonus we discovered--the office sells sodas and Ben & Jerry's ice cream bars. We had one of each (along with dinner, of course) and are now in our tents, content and happy.
Date: 2011-07-19
From: Gifford Woods State Park

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 16.6

ExpectationsWe left this morning and almost immediately we were walking by a small cascading waterfall. The stream flowed into a pond and, as we walked around it, we could hear the calls of the loons somewhere across the pond. Soon, we were at Thundering Falls--large, impressive waterfalls. This was all within a mile of starting out. Yet again I was reminded of how lucky I am to be out here every day. All our miles are not quite as spectacular, but each mile has something special to offer. Someone asked how my hike so far compares to my pre-hike expectations. I had to think back to what expectations I had. There were not a lot--it all seemed a bit unknowable--but i did remember a couple of things. Prior to the hike, in large part to prepare myself mentally, I would tell my friends--and myself--I knew I would often be some combination of cold, hungry, tired, wet and bug bitten (I forgot hot and sweaty). I have certainly been all of those things, but not nearly as much as I expected. Nor do they generally bother me more than in the moment I am experiencing them. I did expect, with all the time I would be spending alone with my thoughts, that I would think--on some kind of regular basis--deep, introspective and/or insightful thoughts. That has turned out not to be so true. Sometimes I'm daydreaming, sometimes I'm focused on each footstep, and often I am thinking about the hike--where we have been, where we are going, what I am seeing as I walk. Nothing, though, particularly deep. I also expected that, at some point, I would desperately want to leave the trail and would have to tolerate those feelings, hoping they would pass. That has not happened yet. Of course it still could--I have many more miles to hike--but I am hoping the thrill of being in New Hampshire and Maine, combined with the delight I still experience each day, will carry me through to Katahdin.
Date: 2011-07-20
From: Winturri Shelter

To: West Hartford VT/The Signmaker's 
Miles today: 16.5

Unexpected ParadiseThe last two days have been particularly challenging--no big mountains, but a constant series of ascents and descents, with many being quite steep. So far, we have both found climbing the big mountains much easier than this sawtooth-type terrain. But we did have special motivation today, as the trail goes right through a small town with a general store/deli. Our guide book said, somewhat mysteriously, ask at the store about where to stay. When we walked into the store, after a long, very hot day, we thought we were in paradise. It was air conditioned and cool, and sold everything we could want--deli sandwiches and other prepared food, sodas, chocolate milk and, of course, ice cream. We bought cold drinks, promised to return, and went, as instructed, four houses down to the Signmaker's house. There we saw what paradise really looks like--a soft, green lawn for pitching tents, cold water from the spigot, lawn chairs and tables, pink flamingoes and a brook in the back, dammed up to make a little swimming hole. A number of thruhikers we know already had set up there. More kept coming--there are at least twelve here now. We are all well fed, well hydrated and in our tents, listening to the brook and looking forward to tomorrow.
Date: 2011-07-21
From: West Hartford VT/The Signmaker's 

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: haze

New Hampshire!After a good night on the Signmaker's lawn, we each had a huge, homemade muffin from the general store and were off. Our goal was to get to Hanover by lunchtime and eat our way through town. There was some climbing the first few miles, but mostly it was a pretty easy cruise into Norwich, VT--right on the VT/NH border. From Norwich, we walk on the road just over two miles until we cross the Connecticut River into New Hampshire. The AT continues on the road right through the heart of Hanover. That made it easy to have lunch, gelato and cold drinks as we walked through town. At the far end of town is a community center where you can use their shower--and get a towel!--for three dollars and do a laundry for two. That's where we spent our afternoon. Then it was into the food coop next door for resupply and prepared food and special snacks for dinner. We finally left town at six and walked the eight tenths of a mile up the trail to the shelter. Now we are spending our first night in New Hampshire--our thirteenth state!  There was a time when it felt like we would never be here--not because we couldn't do it, but because it was so impossibly far away. Yet we are here, indicating, perhaps, that the impossible is often within reach.