morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-03
From: CT Route 4

To: Limestone Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: few clouds

Woke up this morning in a nice bed in an air conditioned room but had to pack up and leave. Atlantis was gone already when I left my room at 6 am. He's already done the PCT and the CDT, so when he finishes the AT, he will be a Triple Crowner!By the time I ate breakfast and hiked the mile road-walk back to the trail, it was after 7. I started hiking and I was moving slow, but eventually I got used to the heat and needed fewer breaks.I was taking a break at 1:30 when Chris caught up. He camped 4 miles behind me last night after spending several hours in Kent. He was pushing to get to a restaurant that closed at 3 pm. He hiked ahead and said he would order me something if I didn't make it in time. We had 3 miles to go, but I hurried and got to the restaurant at 2:30-- maybe my fastest 3 miles of this hike. The owner was awesome. I asked about outdoor seating, explaining that we were sweaty and stinky. He said we should be inside to cool off. So we ate, cooled off, and they filled our water bottles for us when we left. The food was great, also. After that, the highlight was hiking by Great Falls-- a popular hang out for locals. I sat at the top and soaked my feet in the river (still the Housatonic). I loaded up with water at a piped spring with the intention of stealth camping somewhere. I took a break at an overlook when Pixie showed up. She said she'd heard my name several times today with people wondering where Twofer was.I hiked on and didn't find a good campsite, so I came down the 0.4 mile, 300 foot drop to this shelter. There are great tent sites here, but the climb back out tomorrow will be a wake-up! Chris is here and so are two women hiking south. Tomorrow I head north and should finish Connecticut!Fitbit steps 49401   floors 47
Date: 2018-07-04
From: Limestone Spring Shelter

To: Race Creek Campsite
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Happy 4th of July everyone!I had another hot day to hike but hit a couple more milestones. Early this morning I reached the 1500 mile mark of the hike. It's kind of crazy to think I've hiked 1500 miles and still have about 700 to go! The second milestone was getting to the Massachusetts state line, done with Connecticut!Before I left CT, I hiked into Salisbury for breakfast and a small resupply. Chris and Swimmer joined me there and we were there about 2 hours.When I got back to hiking CT didn't let me go easy. The mountains are starting to get bigger again. We had some climbs up over 2000 feet. Bear Mt was 2300 ft and it was hot climbing. The views were great from the top and water sources were plentiful throughout the day. The climb down Bear Mt was rocky and steep. The hike through Sages Ravine was beautiful. A stream runs down the ravine with many small waterfalls and then deep pools of water. The major vegetation is hemlock trees. At the end of the ravine was the MA state line sign.The original plan for today was a shelter a couple miles further than this campsite but there was another big climb in between. I was tired so I stopped here. Chris made it to the shelter, I don't know where Swimmer is as he was behind me. I made a small fire to chase mosquitos away and ate dinner. I was hoping to see fireworks but there are too many trees. I did hear fireworks though!Tomorrow I'll start my day with a climb!Fitbit steps 44851   floors 386
Date: 2018-07-05
From: Race Creek Campsite

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: mist

It was another hot day. I was hiking by 6:30 and had the climb up Mt Everett first thing. The mountains are getting bigger again. The hike down was rocky and slow. Part way down I met a guy running up the trail. He told me his RV was parked at the next road crossing and to go inside it and help myself to a beverage and ice cream sandwich!After that the trail flattened out and I hiked through some fields and marshy areas. I stopped at Hwy 7 to look at options and saw that a store close by sold sodas so I headed that direction and ran into Swimmer. He wanted to hitch to town for lunch, so we did. We went into Great Barrington and had Mexican food. Hitchhiking back we were picked up by Joe, who had a cooler of Gatorade! He was on his way to pick up two hikers who called him. He had shuttled over 200 hikers this year. He took our picture and put it on his Instagram account: jwsnma. The break was good and we missed some of the heat of the day. We were in town from 1 to 3. Nothing too exciting on the hike today. Several smaller climbs this afternoon and some good views. Also more blueberries to graze on! I got to this shelter a little after 6 and set up my tent. Swimmer is here along with Pixie and 2 section hikers. I talked to Julie and Ben this evening. Julie is in Boston, and they will come get me Saturday morning wherever I'm at.  I'll take a few days off in Boston!Fitbit steps 45478    floors 320
Date: 2018-07-06
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: clear sky

The storms that were supposed to start in the night held off a while. I got to pack everything up dry. I was hiking by 6:30 ,and today was about getting to a spot near a road crossing so that Ben and Julie can find me in the morning! At one road crossing I met the guy with the RV and had a ice cream sandwich and cola at 7:30am. Around 8 it started raining. I put my pack cover on my pack and kept hiking. The rain felt good and the front dropped the temperature as well. The orange salamanders liked the rain too. I saw over 50 of them along the trail. I heard thunder but never saw any lightning. After an hour of hiking in the rain I got to a shelter and sat under cover until the rain stopped, probably an hour. At 11:30 I hiked into another shelter for lunch. It was 0.3 miles off trail, but I'd already decided to do a shorter day. Swimmer was at that shelter too and Marcus, a section hiker, showed up also. A shelter does give you a dry place to sit on a rainy day. After lunch I texted Julie to confirm that I was doing the shorter day, so they'd know where to pick me up. Glad I did because I have no cell service at this campsite. One official campsite I walked by this afternoon is closed due to an aggressive momma bear with 3 cubs. She's been harassing hikers the last few days. I didn't see her.It cleared off this afternoon and the heat spell is broken. It is suppose to be in the 50's tonight.Fitbit steps 37486   floors 300
Date: 2018-07-07
From: Stealth Camp

To: Main Road
Miles today: 0.8
Weather: light rain

Almost a zero day! I packed up slowly since I only had 0.8 miles to hike to the road where Julie and Ben(youngest son) would pick me up. I got to the road before they arrived and wiped down with a bandana then changed into my least stinky clothes. They arrived at 8:15, yeah! It's been 6 weeks since I'd seen Julie and hadn't seen Ben since February. We had a 2 hour drive to Boston. Molly got home just as we arrived. They'll take me back to the trail on Tuesday.I did all the normal town chores today, shower, laundry, aired and dried my gear.We went out to lunch then walked to Boston Commons and then the Long Wharf area of Boston. It's great to be hanging out here for a few days!Fitbit steps 12355   floors 20
Date: 2018-07-08
From: Ben and Molly's

To: Ben and Molly's
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Fun day today! We took a ferry to Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod. Beautiful weather today. We walked the streets, shopped, ate, rented bikes to get to a beach, then had dinner and drinks. We got back to the kids house about 10:45 pm, way past hiker midnight. We also talked to Matt and Gaby today. Good luck to them as they start their hike of the Colorado Trail tomorrow. It goes from Denver to Durango, about 500 miles.That's all for today. It's time to sleep. Fitbit steps 12487   floors 22
Date: 2018-07-09
From: Ben and Molly's

To: Ben and Molly's
Miles today: 0.0

Lazy day today. Ben and Molly had to work and were gone before we got up.Julie and I sat in the backyard and had coffee. We took an Uber to Assembly Row and did a little shopping and had lunch. I bought a new hiking shirt as the old one was falling apart!The four of us went out to dinner. Ben has tomorrow off, so he and Julie will drive me back to the trail tomorrow afternoon.It's about time to get back to hiking.Fitbit steps 7350   floors 17
Date: 2018-07-10
From: Main Road

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Back to the trail day. I slept in to a little after 7 this morning, showered, had coffee, and ate breakfast like a normal person! We decided we'd leave around noon to head back to the trail, that should get them home before rush hour. I loaded up my pack, then changed into my hiking clothes. It was a little over 2 hour drive back to the trail. We stopped at McDonald's for lunch.They got me to the trailhead a little after 2. I put on my hiking boots and we said our goodbyes which are always tough. It was 7 miles to this cabin with the first 2 being a 900 foot climb. I took that slow with several breaks, no sense sweating too much as I wasn't in a hurry. After the climb it was small ups and downs to the cabin. I got here about 6. One of the caretakers greeted me and gave me the rundown. There was one upper bunk left but many tentsites. I'm tenting!There are hikers here whoI know -- which surprised me. Gizmo, Mrs T and Chris are here. Really surprised to see Chris but he is 44 miles ahead. He has a swollen ankle, so he rented a car and is doing trail magic for a few days. I may slackpack tomorrow! He also told me that he has permission from his job to take 2 more months off, so he's hiking to Mt Katahdin. He also told me that Sparrow is here, but asleep. It sounds like the same Sparrow I met, probably, 1200 miles ago.It is tough to say goodbye but it is nice to be back on Trail.Fitbit steps 21107    floors 183
Date: 2018-07-11
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Another good day on the AT. Woke up, broke down camp, and loaded my pack. Then I walked to the cabin for pancakes and coffee. Chris was helping Mrs T and me slackpack today. I carried my full pack 2.1 miles to Rt 20. Chris hiked out a different way and drove around to meet me. I unloaded most of my gear and stashed it in his rental. There was a good climb after I left Rt 20, but then the trail leveled out. Chris left trail magic for us about halfway through the hike. Then 4 miles after that there was more trail magic.  I got to Dalton about 6:30 and had a text from Chris that it would be 7 when he got there. Mrs T arrived just before 7. I'm camped at Tom Lavardi's house. He's right on the trail as it goes through Dalton. I stayed here 11 years ago also.I set up my tent, then we went to eat. Had a chance to chat with Mrs T while we all had dinner. She told me that I'm a fast hiker. I said "You left off 'For an old guy!'" Tomorrow I'll hike north, and that's the extent of my plan for now!Fitbit steps 55909   floors 35
Date: 2018-07-12
From: Dalton, MA

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

It seems weird to say a almost 14 mile day is a short day, but it is now. Just 4 months ago it was a big day.This was my destination from the start, so I wasn't in a hurry. As I was filling my water bottle, Tom came out of his house and offered me coffee. Then he brought out some pound cake and bananas. He put some food in his bird feeder and immediately a red breasted grosbeak came in about 10 feet from us. I left his house about 7:30 and walked to a gas station for my next breakfast! I had a chocolate milk and a couple doughnuts! I really started hiking about 8 with the normal climb out of a town. Actually a lot of today was uphill. There were some good views, and I hiked by a couple of cool ponds. A little after noon, I hiked into Chesshire and right by an ice cream store! I sat in the shade and ate a couple hotdogs and a hot fudge sundae. I was sitting by a bike trail and Jackie rode up to eat her lunch. She has hiked the Long Trail and knew a lot about the AT. She asked my trail name and how I got it-- which led into my career change. She had worked on Wall Street for 32 years, quit a year ago, and is trying to figure out what she wants to do next. She and her partner left NYC for North Adams.The afternoon hike went through some pastures then climbed back into the woods. I got to this shelter about 5. There was a group from Poland, 6 adults and 5 or 6 kids. I set my tent up on a wooden platform which is a bit tricky with a non-freestanding tent. I needed to figure that out before I get to the White Mountains since that's the only option there.This place really filled up. A group of 12 showed up, along with 5 more thru-hikers. I hope to get an early start tomorrow before this mob gets on the trail!Fitbit steps 37513   floors 373
Date: 2018-07-13
From: Mark Noepel Shelter

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: broken clouds

This was a good day weather wise, plus I had several milestones.I was the first one to leave camp this morning at about 6:45 . It was 3 miles to Mt Greylock which is the highest point in Massachusetts. Bascum Lodge is there also, so I had breakfast and charged my electronics. There is a war memorial monument on Greylock, and I climbed to the top and had great views in all directions. When I was here in 2007 the road was closed for resurfacing, so the lodge and monument were locked up.Mt Greylock's elevation is 3491 feet, and over the next 6 miles, I dropped to about 670 feet in North Adams. Of course there were several small climbs on the way down!At North Adams, I walked to a grocery store. Just before I got to the store, a vehicle stopped and a young boy got out and handed me a baggie of treats. They were from a local church whose youth group had interviewed hikers and put together bags of the most requested treats. I bought lunch and a few more resupply items and ate at a picnic table nearby. It was a good break, and I sat out some of the warmest part of the day. Then it was back to the trail and uphill out of town. There were a few steep, rocky spots but mostly just a steady climb. About 4 miles into the climb I came to the Vermont border. 11 states done and 3 to go! The last milestone came just before the cutoff to this shelter when I hit the 1600 mile mark! Roughly 590 to go. Chris is here after doing a 5 mile day, testing out his ankle. It's not 100 percent yet, so he may need to baby it for a few more days. Fire Beast is here also. He's a young guy from Germany who I first met in Virginia and last saw in Pennsylvania. Ben and Molly plan to summit Mt Katahdin with me, and that may be Labor Day weekend. I figure I only need to average 11 miles per day to get there then. That should work well, but the hardest hiking yet to come!Fitbit steps 49730   floors 398
Date: 2018-07-14
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Rte 9 Bennington, VT
Miles today: 11.5

Shorter day today as I headed to town. It was time to shower, do laundry, and resupply for the next few days.It was cloudy, humid and sprinkled a couple times. Cell phone coverage seems to be a little spotty, but I was able to call the Catamount Motel. I made a reservation and arranged a shuttle to town. Chris showed up a little later, and we went to eat, then to Dollar General to resupply. When we got back to the motel some guys had grilled steaks, potatoes, etc. Mrs T was there eating, and I had a plate full.The rest of the evening was spent packing up. Shuttles back to the trail start at 8:15 in the morning. Highlights of the day were flushing a grouse off the trail and hiking by a couple large beaver ponds.Fitbit steps 34221   floors 21Check out Twofer's Fitbit chart.  https://docs.google.com/spread...He's over 4,400,000 steps (both on and off trail) since he started in March.
Date: 2018-07-15
From: Rte 9 Bennington, VT

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Chris and I walked to breakfast this morning. It took longer than I thought it would, but it was good. When I got back to my room, I finished loading my pack and then headed out to catch a ride back to the trail. Chris and Mrs T decided to zero today. As always there was a climb to begin the hike, and my pack was heavy with a full food bag. It wasn't that hot, but going uphill, it didn't take long to get a sweat going.I entered and exited the Glastenbury Wilderness area. I was only in it for 7 miles. In this area there aren't any roads, not all downed trees are cleared off the trail, and rescue may take longer! I managed to not need rescuing. About 2 I arrived at Goddard Shelter, and it had a piped spring. The water was super cold, so I filtered 2 liters and had lunch while drinking one of them. Ice cold water is a treat out here!After a long break, I had 4.3 miles to Kid Gore Shelter where I planned to camp. I actually hiked just a little past the cutoff to the shelter, but I could hear people at the shelter. Highlander is camped here also-- first time meeting him.It was a nice evening-- not many mosquitoes and the flies that had followed me all day disappeared.  Fitbit steps 39491   floors 422
Date: 2018-07-16
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Winhall River
Miles today: 17.1

I was hiking before 7, but Highlander was gone before I got out of my tent.The weather was good all day until 8pm when I heard some thunder and it started raining. The morning hike was mostly in the forest without many views. I stopped at Stony Spring Shelter for a mid-morning snack and water. I ate lunch by a creek before starting the climb up Stratton Mt. It's over 3900 feet with a fire tower on top. I climbed the fire tower and had great views. When I started down Stratton I was planning to camp at Stratton Shelter, but when I got there I heard the forecast for rain tonight and all day tomorrow. I decided to hike north a little further. The little further turned out to be about 2 miles to Winhall River. There's a couple camped here also. I had finished dinner and already had most of my stuff in the tent when it started raining. Not sure what I'll do tomorrow if it does rain all day, probably hike and get wet!Fitbit steps 44854   floors 316
Date: 2018-07-17
From: Winhall River

To: Bromley Peak
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Darn it, the weatherman got today's forecast right. I woke up at 5:30 and my tent wasn't too wet, but it soon started pouring. I stayed in my tent until 8 when it finally let up. So it wasn't raining as I packed up, but soon after starting to hike, it started to pour along with thunder and lightning. There was nothing to do but hike, and after an hour it let up and eventually stopped for awhile. I stopped for lunch at a shelter which provided a dry place to sit. Hiking was slow as tree roots and rocks are slick and the trail was muddy and waterlogged. Are we having fun yet?!I thought about heading to town but decided to keep hiking as the rain was suppose end this evening. I stopped at Bromley Shelter to get water, enough to stealth camp. Savage and Poe were there and planned to spend the night after a 2 mile day. It was good to see them again.I hiked another 1.2 miles to the summit of Bromley Mt and stopped at the ski hut which is open to hikers. I hung out my tent to dry and decided to stay here as one more shower was expected. So I'm in an enclosed building, warm and dry. Other hikers who showed up are Translator, Dehat (it's French the t is silent), Belu, Sam, Snark and 2 south bounders.After the evening storm passed, we had a beautiful sunset and from this summit. We should have a good sunrise, too. We are having fun now!The weather is suppose to be good the next 4 days, so it should be conducive to bigger miles!Fitbit steps 30099   floors 263
Date: 2018-07-18
From: Bromley Peak

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This was a great day to hike. It started off cool; I wore my rain jacket to start the day. It never got hot. I'm guessing the high was around 70.There was a downhill to Mad Tom Notch, then a good climb, then the trail was really good the rest of the morning. I hiked by two really nice lakes and had some good views on the climb up Baker Mt. Mid afternoon, I came to USFS 10 and met a couple walking on the road. They were looking for Belu, Sam and Snark. I had seen those three at a shelter where I had lunch. They got there as I was leaving. The couple asked me if I wanted some food. Yes I did! They are Spock's parents, and she has read some of my journal. Spock and I have leap frogged each other a few times the last couple days. They had a great spread, sloppy joes, potato salad, chips and grapes. Thanks a lot. It was nice to meet you!The last few miles of the day are the longest-- I swear the last mile is 3 times further than the first mile. I got to this shelter about 7, setup camp, ate, and hit the sack. It's supposed to get down to 39 degrees tonight.Fitbit steps 55808      floors 344
Date: 2018-07-19
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Another beautiful day. It was chilly last night. The low was suppose to be 39, and it had to be about that. It felt good to have the sleeping bag zipped all the way up.I was slower getting going this morning after yesterday, but I was also planning a shorter day so I didn't need to hurry. I had a 1100 ft climb in the morning and a 900 ft one in the afternoon, but mostly the trail was pretty nice. Twice I had good views of the valley with the Rutland-South Vermont Regional Airport. In between those two, was a road crossing with a deli. I had a Ruben for lunch instead of peanut butter and tortillas. I got to this shelter about six. The only other hiker here is Booker, an older woman who does 3-4 day section hikes several times a year. The younger kids I'd been seeing the last few days hiked further. Highlights for today were the views, a suspension bridge over the Mill River/Claredon Gorge, and a sign on a tree that said 500 miles to Katahdin-- the finish of my hike!Fitbit steps 46207   floors 401
Date: 2018-07-20
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: US Rt 4
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

This was another cool morning that warmed up nicely. I had the almost 2000 foot climb up Killington Mt to start the day. The AT didn't take me to the summit, and I didn't take the side trail to get there. I was headed for a shower! I passed the 1700 mile mark today. Have to celebrate these little milestones!I got to this Inn about 2, checked in, got my package (new boots), and showered. There is a bus that takes people to Rutland. I had only a half hour until it came, so I went into McGrath's Irish Pub, instead, and had a cup of beef stew.Later, I took the bus to Rutland, went to the post office to mail old boots home, and resupplied for 2.5 days which should get me to Hanover, NH. My new boots should be the last pair I need. I was due for them-- the tread was worn down and my feet have been sorer at the end of the day so not much cushion left.I did laundry when I got back from town, then had dinner and beers at McGrath's Irish Pub. There was a band playing Irish music, so that was fun.Back to the trail tomorrow, but I don't think I'll get too early of a start. Fitbit steps 33814    floors 292