morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Upper Goose Pond

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

I did finally pull myself away from Upper Goose Pond but I really enjoyed my time there and would love to return some day.Every morning the caretaker makes pancakes for the hikers. Bonnie, our caretaker, was saying they usually get blueberries to add from the cookie lady but hadn't this year. To give some background, the cookie lady is a lady that has been giving homemade cookies to the hikers for years. You get exactly three - no more, no less. She also sells hard boiled eggs, ice cream, and coke or Dr. Pepper. This all takes place on their blueberry farm just .1 mile off the trail.So today we are hiking past the cookie lady's blueberry farm! I made great time and was there for lunch. I got my three cookies (oatmeal chocolate chip), two hard boiled eggs, ice cream and a coke. Then Honeybee and I picked a bucket each of blueberries. They were so good I just had to munch on a few while picking. We found a Southbounder and asked if he would take the blueberries to Upper Goose Pond. He agreed and we got word later that everyone loved the pancakes the next morning. Trail magic!I continued on to Dalton - a 20 mile day. I wanted to do laundry but the laundromat was closed. The only hotel in town was booked up but Tom Levardi lets hikers stay at his house. This is very nice of him however I must say that he is the most eccentric man I have ever met. He has strict instructions for everything you do. Firehazard took a shower without getting instructions and I thought he was going to flip! They are pretty innocuous such as making sure you don't get water on the floor, make sure the curtain is clear across etc. The man is just very particular and yet is letting strangers into his home every night.I never did make it to town for dinner. I was so tired, I had a pb sandwich and retired to my tent.Happy Birthday Don!
Date: 2013-07-25
From: Dalton, MA

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Forgot to mention the trail magic from yesterday from Seeker and BlueJay. Seeker hiked in 2010; BlueJay hiked this year up to Harper's Ferry. Thanks again ladies!The trail passes through Cheshire and I popped into the PO to pick up a mail drop. I was sitting on a park bench sorting it out and reading the nice long letter from my friend Arlene when who should hike up but Mother Teresa. I expected her to be well up the road - she's going home to Asheville, NC for her son's wedding ( thanks again Brian and Melissa for scheduling yours next year).She had some news to share. Jet lag has decided to leave the trail. They took a zero the day before since it was such a shock to her. Such a thing is always a personal decision but it leaves a void in the hiking community that is kinda sad.We decided to go to lunch since she was waiting for a shuttle to the airport that wasn't arriving until 4 The Catholic Church takes in hikers so we were able to leave our packs there. We went to the local pub and met Brick, a black lab as big as my Fritz. He was just as goofy as him too.I hiked on to the shelter which was halfway to Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in MA. It is above 3000 ft. I know it isn't even August yet but it's getting chilly!There are some hikers with demons in their lives and they are usually veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan with post traumatic stress disorder. We had one of them camping at the shelter. He was a nice guy but drinking. Not a good idea. He made a roaring fire and then got a little mouthy with other hikers later on. I never felt unsafe just a little sorry for his burden. We have so many vets with similar issues.The Funky Town ( hiking group of 20 somethings) had a party at the shelter so things were rocking. I just stopped by to talk to Honeybun and Stinkbug. I later enjoyed the guitar playing and singing as the evening wound down and I fell asleep in my snug little tent.
Date: 2013-07-26
From: Mark Noepel Shelter

To: Stealth Camp 1593.8
Miles today: 14.1

Everyone was still asleep when I left camp and I was out a little later than usual -7:30. The climb to Mt. Greylock was fine, even with a heavy food pack. I am getting stronger.There's a lodge at the top of the mountain with a cafe. They have the best made-from-scratch muffins so I had coffee and two muffins while the day warmed up. I also ran into Apple butter, Cruise and Corn dog while at the lodge. They said someone picked up their dinner tab last night - the restaurant isn't cheap, dinners start at $24. Powerful trail magic!We are seeing lots of Southbounders now. They all look so fresh and full of enthusiasm. I feel tired and a bit jaded. This is a long journey!The trail took us by Mt. Adams, MA and I made a quick detour to do some laundry. It would be nice to have a clean body as well but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I'll be doing a town stay to regroup.Stealth camping tonight in a secret camp sight that is pretty cool. My little tent is hidden back behind a big boulder. Two hikers just passed on their way to the shelter. It's late and two more miles for them to go. They'll be night hiking soon - hope they have their head lights at the ready.
Date: 2013-07-27
From: Stealth Camp 1593.8

To: VT 9, Bennington, VT
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

Up and at 'em this morning! No breakfast - that can wait until I get to the shelter. Oh! I forgot to tell you yesterday. I'm in Vermont! Eleven down; three to go. Crazy!So thru hikers call Vermont 'Vermud' because the trail is so muddy. I kid you not but soon after crossing the state line the mud began. Very black, loamy mud. So much for keeping my new trailrunners clean. It ain't gonna happen!But the other thing was the change in scenery. It looked like Vermont right away. Tall mountains, big conifers, breathtaking beauty.We are also sharing the trail with hikers doing the Long Trail. The Long Trail goes 273 miles from here to Canada, of which 105 miles follow the AT. It's going to be a busy trail for a while. Already today I've crossed at least a dozen section hikers.At the first shelter I ran into Honeybun and Stinkbug. They were the two hikers that passed me late last night. They did get to the shelter after dark which is why they were so late this morning packing up. We got to talk as I made my coffee. They are on a fast track to the Inn at the Long Trail, about 100 miles up the road. There are a lot of interesting places to stay in Vermont but this was probably Socks' and Hoop's favorite. I think they may have stayed a couple of days. Hurricane Irene hit the area hard so it will be interesting to see the lasting impact. We started seeing traces of Irene and Hurricane Sandy back in New York.My shuttle was meeting me at 4 so I hurried on, just stopping for lunch at Congdon shelter. I'm in Bennington, VT for the night - clean, fed and soon to be rested. Night all.
Date: 2013-07-28
From: VT 9, Bennington, VT

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: light rain

It started to drizzle when my shuttle returned me to the trail but let up soon after. I knew from the weather channel that the real rain would start about 2 so I made tracks for the shelter 10 miles away. I reached it in time and met Zip. He is hiking with a deer skull on his pack. Way to stand out in a crowd. He is a chef and lives in New York now but is originally from Cincinnati.We sat and listened to the rain on the metal roof. It wasn't a downpour; just a steady rain. Robin Hood came in later, soaked to the skin, followed by two section hikers. Getting pretty full in this little shelter.Some of the guys had cell coverage so they could see a window of a couple of hours when the rain would let up. Most hiked out in the rain but my plan was to hit that small window. I only had 4 more miles to make my mileage for the day. And so that is what Robin Hood and I did and it worked out perfectly. We made it to the shelter and the downpour started about a half hour later.Robin Hood is an older hiker about my age. He is a farmer from Iowa, started early February, went home mid March to put in his crops and came back out early June, starting in Harpers Ferry. He has skipped most of VA so will do that later. I actually met him briefly in NJ.
Date: 2013-07-29
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

This morning provided a reminder of why I am out here. We woke to find our shelter faced East and the most beautiful sunrise was in progress. We couldn't tell our direction last night because of the rain. It was slick going and I fell on the wet rocks twice. I get so mad at myself when I do fall - I try to be careful but one misstep and there you go! It seems I am always coming down on my right knee - ouch! It is taking quite a beating but still holding up.I am low on fuel and still needed a lunch and dinner at the very least. I formulated a plan to make a fire at the first shelter to have coffee and cook a lunch. When I arrived 4 miles into my day, Zip was there. He had spent the night and wasn't quite ready to move on yet. I made my feeble attempts at a fire and then declared defeat. The wood was just too wet. Zip took over and actually built a fire out of the wet wood. Superlative fire starter! About the time it was going well, a Long Trail couple showed up. I made my lunch and some coffee; they had a little expresso maker and made some of that. Just the warmth felt good - exactly what was needed on this day. I packed my lunch to eat later in the day - it was pasta and was just fine eating cold.My hike took me up Stratton Mountain today. From the fire tower on the top you can see where you came from (Mt. Greylock) to where you are going (Mt. Bromley). It was surprising all the ski slopes in the area. But then again I guess not - this is ski country.There was a little cabin at the top of Mt. Stratton and I just walked right up and introduced myself to the man inside. He let me come in and see where he and his wife (Hugh and Jean) live from April to October. It was a tiny cabin - enough room for a double bed, bookshelves, kitchen area and desk/table. Maybe 20 by 20 feet. Jean is an artist and Hugh a teacher during the off season (substitutes). They have been on this mountain for 40 years! Back when it was used for fire watching, they were the fire watchers. They had some incredible stories and hope that they do write them down someday. I loved the one about the juvenile moose that claimed the tower for his own - charging anyone that would come near. Jean said that she couldn't even go out in the morning without checking for the whereabouts of that confused youngster. What a life!I stayed at the shelter at the bottom of the mountain. It is just above Stratton Pond so I was able to go down and wash the mud from my falls off me, plus soak my tired feet. Such a small thing makes you feel so much better. Terducken and Sprout were down there. They are Southbounding and are a very nice couple. Terducken was saying how he wished there were hiker feeds for the Southbounders so I gave him Hoop and Socks' phone number to call when they get near Sams Gap down in North Carolina. Hoop and Socks love to give the Southbounders a little Trail love.I heard my first loon this evening!
Date: 2013-07-30
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Green Mountain House is well known on the trail as one of the best hostels. Socks and Hoop loved their stay here and Flame also highly recommended it so it was a no brainer for me to stay here. It books up early during this season so I got my reservation in a couple of days ago. I had an easy 10 mile walk to the road crossing. Jeff said to just hitch into town, get my town chores done then give him a call and he would pick me up to bring me to the hostel. You may know that I'm not big on hitching - so I got to the road, looked around the parking lot to see if anyone was leaving for town. No luck. Then I thought 'okay, just go to the road and try it'. The very first car that came around the bend stopped for me! Manchester Center is a hiker friendly town.The kind gentleman took me to the Post Office for my maildrops and I sorted then sent some up the road to Maine. Before I came out here, I was doing 6 day resupplies but it really is too much weight and you can get away with less so I am trying 3-4 days now. We'll see how that works in Maine where theys are so remote but for now it's doable.I then went to Zoeys for a great wrap and ice tea and called Jeff from the hostel. He was there within 10 minutes. On the way, he told me that Flame paid for my stay! I was so surprised! Thank you so much Flame! You have been such a huge support just through your maildrops and words of encouragement and then you continue to give. (Flame knows just what I'm going through since she is my age and thru hiked in 2011.)The black flies are out. They leave big welts when they get a bite of you. I have some on my forehead and neck.The AT diet needs to slack off - 33 pounds lost - although it comes out to 2 pounds per week so I guess that's not too out of line. Carbon, Sambo, Stinkbug, Honeybun, Temp, her boyfriend and two other hikers are here (sorry, can't remember your names). This evening we watched Master and Commander (guy flick) then Bridesmaids (girl flick). I made chocolate chip cookies (I mailed all the ingredients from home anticipating this stay) and they were gone in a flash. Life is good.
Date: 2013-07-31
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm taking a zero at the Green Mountain House to rest up and enjoy the wonderful accommodations. My strategy when I was planning this journey was to get through the mid-Atlantic states and MA, CT in good time so I could relax a bit in VT, NH and Maine and enjoy the ride. Healthwise, I feel good but have a sore shoulder and knee from my stupid falls. They are getting better rather than worsening so should be okay in a couple of days. Stinkbug and Honeybun are also taking a zero. Kokopelli and DeeDee are due in this afternoon. We'll get some meat and vegetables to grill for dinner. Wonder which movie we'll watch tonight...I'd like to again thank everyone reading my journal for your interest in following my adventure and for your words of encouragement. I have now been out here four months! I started reading Trailjournals four years ago - selecting a couple of hikers to follow each year - when I first began planning my trip and found them to be so helpful in knowing what to expect out here. Even now I go back and reread Flames entries to see what's up ahead. I hope that future thru-hikers can take away something of value from my journal.Going to go relax and stretch my sore muscles - have a great day everyone!
Date: 2013-08-03
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: few clouds

It started raining about 3 in the morning - darn! Pack up the wet tent and go. It took me until 8 to get going. Pretty late by thru hiker standards.There was a nice breakfast place listed in our guidebooks .5 miles off the trail. I headed in that direction only to find it closed and in foreclosure. The auction is Aug. 8th if anyone wants to open a restaurant in Vermont.But, the walk wasn,'t wasted because it had a live outlet, water spigot and a big deck. I spread out all my wet stuff, plugged in my phone and made some breakfast. I was there too long but got everything ship shape. There was a lot of damage in this area from Hurricane Irene in 2011. It was after Socks and Hoop hiked through so they weren't affected. However, today there is a big detour for a section - a road walk. The old trail is still there with missing bridges and the 500 mile marker so most NOBOs hike the old trail. That's what I did. I took off my shoes for the first crossing and the second had a makeshift bridge out of roped logs.The final excitement to my day was climbing Mt. Killington. This was 3 miles uphill. There was hurricane damage here too so I thought the trail was tough. Could have been that it was late in the day. In any event, by the time I got to the top, it was too late to go any further. The shelter at the top was old and creepy so I set up my tent just below. I put on double layers of clothes because the wind was blowing cold and went to sleep - after eating my dehydrated meal of course. Tonights was chicken with broccoli on whole wheat noodles and pesto seasoning.
Date: 2013-08-04
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: Kent Pond - Mountain Meadow Lodge
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: moderate rain

I survived the mountain but it was a chilly morning and I had to remember the sage words of Socks from our first morning in Georgia (which was freezing), "Get up and get going. You're a thru hiker now'. She could run a boot camp for thru hikers.So I got up and started the descent to VT 4 - location of The Inn at Long Trail. The walk was a bit steep at first but then was quite pleasant. I passed some trail maintainers along the way. I've noticed these nicely manicured sections of the trail receive a lot of attention. Wish the backwoods sections could get a portion of that.The Inn at the Long Trail is one of those places that have been there forever - rustic Vermont at it's finest. I stopped for lunch and had a Reuben. It was very good. Then I ordered a coffee and Baileys to top it off. The coffee and Baileys cost as much as the sandwich!I knew from reading Flame's journal (2011) that she stayed a couple of miles up the trail at the Mountain Meadows Lodge. It sounded like a nice place right on the trail so I decided to stay there tonight. They offer the option to camp so I was planning on doing that However, I met two guys I've been just a day behind for a while - Cash and Boo Boo. They had an extra bed and offered it to me. How nice! Especially so since it rained all day and it is cold tonight. We had the option to order dinner and so I did. Also did laundry and took a shower. Life is good today!I'm also here with Stinkbug, Honeybun, Pony Bear and Indy. Plus Sky Pilot! I haven't seen him since Virginia. He has slowed down because he's lost too much weight and he wants to be healthier going through the Whites. I think we are seeing more of this thinking now.
Date: 2013-08-06
From: Winturri Shelter

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

Still caught on the Vermont roller coaster. I had zero energy this morning. I think I'm not eating enough for breakfast. I only have one oatmeal and a cup of coffee. That's maybe 130 calories which I can burn in the first 20 minutes of hiking. So today I really struggled going up and down. I ate what little I had left in the way of snacks (breakfast bar and seeds/fruit mix) but still had no energy. The hills were straight up and it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other.There was a listing for a farm market 9 miles into my day and I planned to go there for lunch. However, when I arrived, the sign said closed. No! That can't be so! I went up to the porch to rest my weary body. Just a short while later, a lady walks up and said that while the store was closed today, she would sell me some things. I love you lady! There really wasn't much in the way of selections - this is a market that sells their home raised beef - but there was a pint container of cooked meatballs. I purchased that and a rhubarb raspberry soda. The lady said I could cook on the porch so I whipped up pasta with meatballs. While that was cooking, two more hikers showed up. The lady was gone so they couldn't get anything. I offered my meal but they declined. They did take me up on the soda. There is something gratifying about a cold soda after a long hike.I topped off this delicious lunch with a Starbucks Via iced coffee. I was so full, I couldn't even tighten my pack belt for a good half hour. But how the energy kicked in! The remaining 7 miles were knocked off in no time and I reached the little town of West Hartford where I was to meet up with Kokopelli for dinner. He stayed here at a private home during his hike last year and we were hoping the man still let hikers tent in his yard. Well, he does and we are a little tent city in Steve's backyard. Thank you for letting us stay here.West Hartford was hit hard by Irene. It is right on the river and the homes were 5 ft under water. Many are still being repaired, including the library. It has a really nice General Store/Post Office/Restaurant. Dinner was pizza (vegetable and very good) plus hand dipped ice cream. They also serve breakfast so I'll return tomorrow morning. This town is on my list of favorite trail towns.
Date: 2013-08-07
From: West Hartford, VT

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: moderate rain

Our little encampment was up and at the Full Belly Deli at 7 for breakfast.Barbarosa, Kokopelli and I planned to stop in Hanover. Wilson is meeting his wife in Woodstock this weekend so he is pushing on. I had a huge breakfast - two sausage patties with egg on a full size bun and hash browns and a donut. This set the scene for what would be a day of nothing but food. There are a couple of places in Hanover that gives freebies to thru hikers and we visited them all. PLUS we had two trail magics and chicken and salad for dinner and ice cream. Your diet is so limited on the trail and many have lost so much weight that you start to obsess about food. When I am coming into a town I start to crave certain things. It usually starts with a cold drink. I appreciate ice cubes like never before!The hike today and for the past two days has been so enjoyable. The trail has been a good path - not too many roots or rocks. Some wet, muddy spots but of short duration. Some good views and a few open fields to add variety. Vermont - you are a lovely, gracious lady but we must say goodbye.......because we are in New Hampshire!!!!! The second to last state. Crazy, huh? I remember back in the early days when we would locate where we were on the trail map and it seemed as if we would never be towards the end. Suddenly the end is in sight and there are mixed emotions. I miss my home and family so much and yet I know that I will never have another experience like this again and I don't want it to end. I have been so fortunate to be able to do this adventure.I am staying at Tigger's Treehouse Hostel. This is a private home that opens its doors to thru hikers during the season. Ralph and Karen are very special people to give so generously of themselves. My good friend Kokopelli is also here.We are going to take a zero tomorrow and see a movie (first one in 4 months). Like many of the otber hikers, we are trying to rest up before the Whites. I will be there this Sunday. Yikes!