morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-29
From: Dalton

To: Sherman Campsite - Mile 1594.2
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is my 3 month anniversary on the trail! Have I really been living in the woods for (only) 3 months?? Pre-AT life seems so far in the past!The first partial mile went through a residential street before entering the woods.It had rained again during the night so everything was still pretty wet but it was nice and cool. it was a pleasant first 7 miles. We stopped at the Cobbles, a marble rock outcropping with a view of the Housatonic River and had a snack and shared the German beverage Andreas had purchased the night before. It was only 1.6 miles to Cheshire and we saw there was a general store just off the trail so we flew down the mountain and walked to Reynolds General Store. It was a rocky and very muddy climb to Mt Greylock. The trail was a mud pit and running stream at the same time. However once we got higher up, the fresh smell of pine was so amazing!! It was also nice to be at higher elevation again. Mt Greylock is 3,491 ft and MA's highest peak. Several thousand feet shorter than the Rocky Mountains but it's a mountain on the East Coast. The final climb to the summit wasn't as tough as I thought it might be. The descent is another story. As soon as I reached the summit it started to rain and fog shrouded the monument. I went to Bascom Lodge where Andreas was waiting. We ordered food and ate. Soon the fog lifted so I got my stuff together only to have it fog over again. Obsolete, Caboose and Ox arrived at the lodge. I went out to look at the monument and see if there were any views. Andreas had rushed off because he was cold but I kept seeing his yellow poncho hunchback (from his pack) pop in and out of bushes looking for the trail. I looked at the map and followed the signs to the trail thinking he had finally found it. 10 minutes later I heard him behind me. There had not been hardly any blazes and he had gotten lost again. He quickly moved ahead of me. The wet steep descent took awhile and I did not hike very fast. I paused at Mt Williams to sign the register and check messages. The weather was considerably better at lower elevation. However it took me longer than expected to hike the 6 miles to Williamstown. It's been amazing how many large fallen trees blocked the trail the past few days. Some were easy walk overs or walk around a but a few requires significant detours around them or through them to continue on the trail. Tons of leaves and branches littered the trail as well. I passed by a section hiking couple Goose Grabber and Meals On Wheels looking for a tenting spot. I finally made it to town after sliding through a lot of mud around 8 pm. Andreas wanted to stay inside but the weather forecast looked nice for the night and I actually wanted to camp alone. So he had gone to a hotel and I kept hiking 1.4 miles up the mountain to Sherman Brook Campsite. It was about 8:40 when I arrived and even though the terrain was very rocky, the tent sites were nice and flat. I saw a couple other tents. It was an easy setup under a full moon and a nice cool temperature.
Date: 2015-07-01
From: Bennington, VT

To: Bennjngton, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Unplanned zero day due to rain and thunderstorms. Changed hotels. Hikers - avoid the Autumn Inn. It's conveniently the first hotel closest to AT but it is dirty. People are nice but it's expensive for what it is and everyone complains about it. We didn't know since we weren't originally planning to stay in town. Trail Angel Steve LaBombard is awesome! Saw his name in a Catamount Motel review and they gave me his # even though we were moving to Knotty Pines Hotel so we could walk to the movie theater and Walmart. He gave us a ride. He still works but helps out hikers on his days off. Walmart is small and near Knotty Pines but Price Chopper next door has a great deli. There is a $0.50 bus around town that stops at Walmart and the green line drops you off at the trailhead for free a couple times a day.
Date: 2015-07-03
From: Stratton - Arlington Road Campsite - 1133.6

To: Bromley Mountain
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: moderate rain

Yesterday was really good. Today was fantastic! It actually got pretty chilly during the night and I was mummied in my sleeping bag. It's been awhile!The hike started with a pleasant climb up to Stratton Mountain where the AT was conceived. There was a lookout tower with amazing 360 views. Obsolete and Caboose arrived while we were there. On my way down, I met my first southbound thru hiker Audrey. I heard there have been others who had passed, but it's hard to tell lately because the trail has been congested with section hikers, weekend hikers and Long Trail hikers. While I was getting water I met Robert, the German with whom Andreas hiked in the beginning who was 4 days ahead of us last we could tell in Harpers Ferry but he got sick for 10 days. He wasn't sure what it was but it sounded like Lyme's Disease. In the past 24 hours, we heard two other thru hikers got Lyme Disease. A little unsettling! The trail was still muddy in a lot of places and I did get wet feet but it wasn't as bad as yesterday. I made it to Stratton Pond which was serenely beautiful and took a short break before moving on. The trail was underwater along the pond but somehow I was able to move over it without getting wet. I then saw a sign about an alternative trail you were supposed to take. Oops! Phillip whom I had not seen since NJ passed me. So did Uphill. I passed Andreas taking a break by a stream. My planned break was on Prospect Rock where I cooked lunch since I never cooked dinner last night. The sun was warm and I dried out my feet and tried to dry out my socks a little. Kiwi stopped for a quick peek at the view. After an hour I started hiking again. I took a side trail at Spruce Peak to see if there was a view. It was just okay. I finally made it to the road that takes you to Manchester. I crossed and walked through the Trailhead parking lot where I said hello to someone at his car. Evan gave me some water. Turns out he is a friend of Sugar Magnolia and was planning to meet up with her and hike a bit. He Lao grew up with Typo. Small world! I had 3 miles to go and started up the next section which was very muddy and we with springs and streams everywhere. I stopped to stock up on water and began the last mile climb to the top of Bromley Mountain. The last third of a mile was actually a ski slope! They let you sleep in the ski hut at the top of the mountain. Andreas was already there. I feared we would have to sleep on the floor but there were built in benches which we could sleep on. We heard voices and Kiwi and August arrived. I enjoyed my dinner sitting on a rock watching the sunset which on top of a mountain, the sun fades into the clouds vs setting behind a Mountain. I chatted with Kiwi who spent three months in New Zealand and attends the University of NH. We could also see Jupiter and Venus.Someone who works at the ski resort came up with another guy and three young girls. Apparently they came to see fireworks! So we sat on the gondola platform and watched the fireworks in Londonderry. The perfect end to an awesome day!!
Date: 2015-07-04
From: Bromley Mountain

To: VT 140 - mile 1677.2
Miles today: 23.1

We left at 6 am this morning because we had plans to meet Andreas' friends Liz and Leo whom he met 30 years ago when he played soccer in the US. It was a steep and muddy descent. I hiked slow all day because I had discovered a blister on my toe last night from hiking in wet socks and shoes from all the mud and water puddles the past couple of days. I made it up Skyles Peak and paused for the view and saw my first snake in a few days. Then onto Peru Peak. Trail was still muddy a lot and I passed several Green Mountain Club volunteers heading up to try to fix some of the muddy sections I just hiked through. Very nice of them to do on the Fourth of Juky. Ironically there is a long boardwalk along Griffith Lake. Of course there was no mud underneath. As soon as I stepped off the boards, I stepped into mud! I was excited to climb Baxter Peak which was a sheer rock climb the last 0.1 miles to the top. Unfortunately it started to rain as I started climbing so I had to hurry up before the rocks got too slippery. So I was unable to enjoy the view as planned. There was a nice pine forest at the top but I wasn't sure how long it would rain so I kept moving. Of course it stopped raining after I descended. I was a little tired and my blister was hurting but I kept moving because I knew my pace was slow and I was behind schedule so I didn't really have time to stop for a break. I passed a few day hikers on my way to Little Rock Pond which was very serene and beautiful. After several more climbs, I arrived at a beautiful pine forest that smelled wonderful. It was like walking through a Christmas Tree forest. At the end, there were many carins. I was short on time to meet Liz and Leo but decided to take the 0.2 mile White Rocks Cliff trail to see the view. Liz told me later there are caves underneath and the temperature stays the same year round. I met two local women who were section hiking the long trail. One had section hiked the AT.I finally finished the last 2.1 miles and met Andreas, Liz and Leo on VT 140. They drove 90 minutes from home to pick us up and take us to their daughter's home in Rutland so we could shower, do laundry, and resupply. Thank you Liz and Leo for the great pizza recommendation and taking care of us!
Date: 2015-07-08
From: Podunk Brook

To: Hanover Co-op
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It never rained last night!! We got an early start this morning and left at 6 am. It was a nice morning hike into Norwich where several houses left Trail Magic boxes by their mailboxes. Most were empty but so got a piece of watermelon at one house. It started raining and we saw Kiwi, Hot Pants and Tropical in a garage so we darted in out of the rain. Apparently there are many trail angels in town that offer free stays. Short and Sweet the trail Angel came out just as we were ready to head out. We walked down the road and stopped 0.1 miles off trail and Dan & Whits general store. They let me use a sink to wash off my bloody arms from the mosquito bites and put some alcohol on the bites. I look like mosquito Swiss cheese with all of my bites on my arms and legs. Plus scratches and bruises from bushes and rocks.After a snack break we walked the remaining 1.5 miles on a side walk across the Connecticut River (VT - NH border!!) and into Hanover. It was strange walking into town and past the yuppie cafes and stores. We followed the trail to the Richard W. Black Recreation Center to shower and do laundry. Freebird and King Coleman were there. It turns out Ref Titan is Eva, whom I met at Warren Doyle's Institute!   Small hiking world! It had just started pouring again so good timing for a Nero.we met two Southbounders- A Town and Vanilla Thunder, who found some dehydrated received beans at the co-op. Sherpa Shel also came. We met another southbounder Nameless and Inspector Clouseau who is from Lyons France. We are catching the bus back to Rutland to attend Rip's last local concert tonight before they go on tour to Austria and then he moves to Cambridge.
Date: 2015-07-09
From: Hanover Co-op

To: Etna-Hanover Road - Mile 1752.9
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We returned to Hanover by bus after attending an amazing choral concert conducted by Rip last night. I also enjoyed spending time with Andreas' friends Tom and Meg and their daughters. Thank you for your hospitality and letting us stay at your home! We ran into Wild Thing, Light Horse, Mouse and Wrecker at a pizza place that gives thru hikers a free slice of cheese pizza. We chatted with them and then headed back to the trail for 5.1 miles. We passed Cliffhanger slackpacking southbound.My friend Lesley whom I have not seen in at least 10 years picked us up and we enjoyed another Nero with her and her husband Troy and their daughters Mia and Sophie. They recently moved to near Hanover. I used to work with Lesley and Troy 15 years ago. She saw I was hiking the trail several weeks ago and let me know she now lives near the AT. Once again, the trail has reunited me with friends.
Date: 2015-07-10
From: Etna-Hanover Road - Mile 1752.9

To: Lyme Dorchester Road
Miles today: 13.7

Today was another relaxed and social day. We set off and after an hour, climbed Moose Mountain and took a break at the South Peak. I chatted with a local day hiker Martin who was climbing up and down Moose Mountain a couple of times for exercise. He had hiked Springer to Harpers Ferry in 1975 and has done a lot of section and day hiking on the AT since. We then got moving again. The climb up to Holts Ledge was longer and tougher than expected. I knew it would be steep and a good climb but it seemed to never end after awhile. We finally came to the view which was beautiful and had quite the drop off over the ledge. We then hurried back down the hill where we met my friend Barbara who had traveled to Vermont from Florida to run a marathon. She picked us up from the trail, and we drove to Lyme for lunch. It was great to see her and catch up. We returned to the trail to find Sherpa Shel, Jingles and Cliffhanger. They told us a German couple, Andreas' friends Karl and Margaret, had been looking for us. A couple minutes later they pulled up. We were planning to meet them two miles later. It turned into an unexpected social scene at the intersection! We decided to slack pack the last two miles, and Cliffhanger asked if he could slack too. So we bid everyone farewell and set off. It was a relatively easier two miles since we didn't have a lot of climbing so we flew after being well fueled and rested from our lunch break. We passed 4 Southbounders near the end. Karl and Margaret were waiting for us. Andreas and I had already planned to go home with them and Karl invited Cliffhanger to join us. It was a little over an hour drive back to the house. Thank you Barbara, Karl and Margaret for real food and rest!!
Date: 2015-07-20
From: Gorham, NH 

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I was originally planning to enter Maine. However Sugar Magnolia needed to hike the 18 miles she missed yesterday so Crafty and Uphill decided to take a zero. We all wanted to cross our last state border together and celebrate. So Wookie and I decided to have a relaxing morning and then just hike 11.8 miles and then wait just before the border for the others to catch up tomorrow instead of hike a lot of miles all tomorrow. Crafty made me and Wookie trail name bracelets so we all have one now. We took it easy in the morning and chatted with Ramrod and Highlander who are SOBOs.   A little after 12:30, Paul dropped us off at the trail head and we set off. Today's trail wasn't as difficult as yesterday's but we still had some steep rock face scrambling up Cascade Mountain which was fun with a fully loaded pack again and were rewarded with a nice view. Apparently the moose enjoy it too as one of them had left behind some droppings on the cliff. We passed Page Pond scanning for moose before climbing over another summit.   There were a lot of fallen trees and debris on the trail. 0.1 miles past a stream, we passed the 1900 mile point! We finally descended to Genetian Pond around 8 pm. We set up our tents and went down to the pond to catch the last few minutes before the light was gone. A mother and baby moose were drinking in the pond. We watched them for a few minutes until the light was gone and you couldn't see well. Then cooked dinner and settled in for the night.
Date: 2015-07-21
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

I walked down to the pond and sat for an hour and a half enjoying the silence, perfect reflection on the water and eating breakfast just in case a moose or beaver decided to join me. Wookie joined me but nobody else did. We set out at 8:30. We had plenty of time to hike the 5 miles to the border since we planned to wait for Crafty, Uphill, Sugar Magnolia and Sullivan to hike from Gorham to catch up with us so we could cross our last border together. We met Clip Hanger at a stream. He has hiked the trail three times and is now doing a section hike. We also We chilled our border beverages in a stream for a half hour and then chilled out on top of Mt Success in a nice breeze and some sun for almost two hours. We chatted with SOBOs Itis and Mountain Goat and a few others. GQ came by and talked to us for a bit before moving on. Walking Man arrived just as we were packing up and we chatted with him as we started hiking. He soon left us in the dust and we leisurely hiked the last two miles to the NH-ME border sign where we took GQ and Walking Man's photo, our photos and then we sat down and ate and waited. After an hour and a half, Blodge came by and told us he had eaten lunch at Gentian Pond with Uphill who should arrive soon but had passed Crafty and Sugar Magnolia and they would be longer. Then it started to rain so we gave up waiting and started hiking again. Maine quickly lived up to its reputation as we had a steep tricky Boulder descent where two SOBOs were coming up as I descended. They went one way and I went the other way and momentarily got stuck with my knee above my head and my pack wedged in a rock but I got loose. It stopped raining fortunately and sun and blue sky emerged as we ascended Goose Eye Mountain which had some fun monkey scrambling up the rock face. I took the 0.1 side trail and went to the summit of the west peak. We enjoyed views but also encountered muddy bogs on the ridges. Some of the boards were submerged in the thick mud and your pole sunk down pretty deep. After a lot of up and down, steep descents and muddy bogs we finally made it to the Full Goose Pond shelter by 8 pm. It was packed. The shelter and all tent sites were occupied. We saw GQ and Blodge. Bean Scout whom we met at The Barn Hostel was also there. I found a quasi spot to set up my tent behind the shelter and a Wookie had to set his up in front of the shelter. Another late dinner.
Date: 2015-07-23
From: Dunn Notch and Falls

To: Unnamed Gap at mile 1946.9
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

We left at 6 am and hiked the 0.8 miles to the stream before East B Hill Road where we filtered water and ate breakfast. We then set out and enjoyed a surprising pleasant 2 miles of trail to Surplus Pond. We met Gonzo, a flip flopped from the CT-MA border who was camping nearby. We then continued on up the mountain. We were both dragging from not getting enough rest. We climbed up Wyman Mountain which I renamed Moose Poop mountain as we saw a lot of moose droppings everywhere. We stopped at Hall Mountain Lean To for a snack and chatted with a Vermont couple. The next few miles were supposed to be tough because we had a steep descent into Sawyer Notch, crossed the Brook which fortunately we did not have to ford, and then a long steep climb up Moody Mountain. There were robar in a couple spots. But again so much erosion that it was hard to see the trail. Near the top, I saw an opening where there was a view. A couple were standing there and turned out to be Blodge's parents. We took each other's photos. A few minutes later, I stopped to see if I had cell service. I rarely do now in Maine. Wookie caught up and we sat for a few minutes. Gonzo passed by. On our descent down, Wolverine passed us and chatted until he was too far ahead. At the bottom we reached South Arm Road where we planned to hitch into Andover because Wookie needed more food. There was not a lot of traffic on the road and it took almost an hour but Leo stopped and picked us up. He is retired and has a home on the road. He dropped us off at the General Store where there was a cafe. We ordered food and Wookie shopped for his resupply. There are only two stores in town. When we were ready, I asked a gentleman exiting the store for a ride back to the Trailhead. John and Helen and their German Shepherd Willow drove us the 9 miles back and dropped us off. We felt like new people after our three hour break and meal. We started climbing up Old Blue Mountain which is a 3 mile ascent. Lost of false summits as the climb continued on. At the top we had a windy view. We descended a couple miles until we each found a flat spot. Mine was right off the trail and required some creative staking since I had some logs in my way. But I made it work, cooked dinner and went to bed.
Date: 2014-10-29
To: excited, and a little obsessed
Miles today: 0.0

I'm already a little intimidated by all the other activity on this site. All the communication possibilities with hikers past and present are another world I hadn't known about when I decided to try a thru-hike; I fit the typical AT thru-hiker profile of an introvert! And yet, it is kind of neat to know that so many others are in a similar situation in terms of anticipating and planning--lots of reading, thinking through details, imagining, dreams about the trail, etc. We have alot of similar concerns--and alot of great trail names!Overall, I'm excited and looking forward to the adventure and challenge. I do want to get some advice and learn more about what to expect. On the other hand, I don't want to be so saturated with info, advice, and plans that I can't just experience what the trail has to offer next April with open eyes and a clear head.
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Len Foote Inn

To: Stover Creek
Miles today: 5.5

Christina called at 12:30 today having arrived at Springer Mountain and the start of the AT. Weather is rainy with no let up until later in the week. She was tempted to stay another night at the Len Foote Inn which she hiked to yesterday but thought better of it. She only had 3 miles to go to reach her camp site for tonight and decided to get acclimated to the rain.Her goal is to memorize a poem by a poet from each state along the trail. Georgia's poem is "Springer Mountain" by James Dickey. The first part is as follows:Four sweaters are woven upon me,All black, all sweating and waiting,And a sheepherder's coat's wool hood,Buttoned strainingly, holds my eyesWith their sight deepfrozen outside themFrom their gaze toward a single tree.I an here where I never have been,In the limbs of my warmest clothes,Waiting for light to crawl, weaklyFrom leaf to dead leaf onto leafDown the western side of the mountain.Deer sleeping in the light far above me
Date: 2015-04-14
From: Stover Creek

To: Gooch Gap and Suches, GA
Miles today: 14.0

Feeling great physically but a little overwhelmed by all the rain and damp.There are about 24 people camped each evening - 12 in the shelters and 12 in tents nearby. Last night, Heather from Texas called to C from the trail where she had found a pleasant uninhabited camp site near a stream on Gooch Mountain.Had a great hiking day today because of the promise of a hostel in Suches, GA, a few miles off the trail. The AT Hiker hostel has cots in windowless rooms, large stuffed bears, boars, and deer (the bears and boars are posed in fierce positions)-- and happily, a clothes dryer.Lots of wildflowers- see picture of Trillium nearby. More than one person has been impressed with Christina's pace and called out "You're no box turtle", however one of these caller-outers was smoking a joint and drinking whisky so everything may have seemed to be going by quickly for him. Believe it or not, but about a quarter of the people on the trail have been observed smoking cigarettes. Might take a zero day tomorrow in a Motel 6 a few miles away or hike 14 miles to Neel Gap.