morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-09-24
From: Bascom Lodge

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 14.4

September 24,2016Peach and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner last night with our new friends, Rich and Nicole, and Rick and Tammy. They all live in CT. We retired to the lobby area and sat before the fire for awhile.We awoke to a cool, breezy morning, spectacularly clear and crisp. We ate a continental breakfast.We hit the trail at 8:40. We descended 2,500 feet over 6.3 miles into N. Adams/Williamstown, MA. We happened to stop by an AT kiosk where we learned the Price Chopper store was closed. We referred to the trail guide again and found that Williamstown was closer with a large Stop and Shop. Much to our delight there was a Papa John's Pizza next to the store.The owner, Melanie, was an incredible lady and friendly as can be. She offers hikers a 50% discount. There was no eat-in area but there was a bench and a makeshift table that she uses to serve hikers. So Peach and I enjoyed our pizza in the store. Melanie also offered water, allowed us to use the restroom and had a charging station. You just can't beat service like that!!After lunch we resupplied at the Stop and Shop. It was 2:00 p.m. by this time. There was a campsite that was 1.8 miles from town, but we felt we could make it to the first shelter in Vermont which was 7 miles.Shortly after we passed the first campsite, the trail ascended sharply up a boulder-strewn talus slope. The remaining miles were roller coaster like, but generally level. We bit off a big chunk, but we got to Seth Warner shelter by 5:30. This shelter was the first one in Vermont.After having such a large lunch, we skipped dinner, set up our tent and crawled in. The weather is supposed to be close to freezing by morning. Today we hiked 14.4 miles.
Date: 2016-09-25
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 13.9

September 25, 2016Peach and I awoke around 7:00 this morning. It was quite cold, around 34 degrees, so I fixed coffee under the tent vestibule to stay warm. It was breezy too, and slow to warm up. We took our time getting ready, so we didn't leave camp until 9:15. We ascended steadily to around 3,000 feet, and the trail was pretty good.We passed a lovely spot in the sun by a pond and stopped for a snack. The sun felt good and warmed us up. In fact, we saw several ponds along the way today, which broke up the otherwise monotonous view of forest. The cold snap over the last couple of days seems to have triggered some colors, as we had hoped for during this trek. We are seeing the maples start to blaze red and yellow at higher elevation.When we came to a beautiful stream near one shelter, we decided to have our orange (Peach) and grapefruit (me). That was a real treat, and took some weight out of our packs!We hiked on, for we had nearly 6 more miles to go to the Melville Nauheim shelter, and it was already 2:00.As is often the case when we really want to try and make good time, the trail turned wet, muddy, rocky and root-filled. But all was good until we began descending to VT 9, and then it shot straight down over a boulder scramble; 1,000 feet in 1/2 mile to the gap and road. And of course, we had 1.5 miles to the shelter that went straight back up. Mercifully, it spread the 1,000 feet climb over better trail and switchbacks. We arrived at the Melville Nauheim shelter at 5:15 and met Old Bull, a pleasant gentleman from NJ. We pitched our tent (it is still expected to be near freezing tonight, and a tent provides more warmth than open shelters) and ate dinner while we chatted with Old Bull.We climbed in to the tent around 7:00 (already dark) and read for a few minutes before retiring. We walked 13.9 miles today.
Date: 2016-09-26
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 12.8

September 26, 2016Quicksilver and I woke up around 7:00. It got down to 34 degrees so it was rather chilly this morning. We ate breakfast, packed up, and hit the trail at 8:20. The trail was a roller coaster at the start.We were hiking up an incline and saw a porcupine. He just mosied on off. At the top of the summit we discovered that the mountain is called Porcupine Ridge. There was a really nice overlook called Porcupine Lookout. The view was awesome!!From here the trail ascended 1,000 feet and we felt every foot! There was a nice descent to Goddard Shelter. The view here was incredible!! The forest was primarily fir trees, and it smelled like Christmas. QS and I stopped for a snack and break. Just three tenths further was Glastenbury Mountain fire tower. We climbed up and saw the beautiful 360 degree view. The colors are beginning to pop out.Four miles later we arrived at Kid Gore Shelter.A side note: as we were leaving the Goddard Shelter, we saw a family coming up behind us with little kids, too. About 20 minutes later, as we were climbing very slowly uphill, a young man with a backpack on came RUNNING by us.When we got to the Kid Gore Shelter, there was the young man. He had run to the shelter to save it for his family - 4 children and a mom and dad. Very busy and noisy!Today we hiked 12.8 miles.
Date: 2016-09-27
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

September 27, 2016Peach and I began to stir around sunup. The family slept as we packed up quietly. We were on the trail at 7:45.It rained for quite awhile last night, but fortunately it had stopped by the time we started our hike. But as we started out, it was humid and uphill. Everything was slippery. The worst part of today was the mud. And it was plentiful along some of the lower elevations.We stopped at Story Spring shelter for a snack. The Family caught up, so we let them pass and put a little distance between us. We passed over Black Brook footbridge, then proceeded to make the climb from 2,217 feet to 3,936 feet over 4.7 miles to Stratton Mtn.; a gradual climb, but steep and seemingly unending as we anticipated getting to the top. Once there, we climbed the lookout tower for a panoramic view that was just spectacular.The trail down was a breeze, and we made it to Stratton Shelter. The shelter was packed to the walls with hikers. Peach and I had to sleep apart from each other, as we got the last (legitimate) spots. And hikers kept pouring in. And no tenting allowed (legitimately) around the shelter. So we ate, got ready for bed and crawled in to our bags. It is a little noisy in the shelter!We hiked 15 miles today.
Date: 2016-09-28
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 8.0

September 28, 2016I began to stir and pack up right at sunup. Quicksilver was doing the same in the loft. Soon most of the hikers were moving around. We had coffee and the little bit of food we have left. We hit the trail at 8:00.It rained during the night, but fortunately, it stopped before we headed out. The trail was slippery and muddy and it was mostly downhill, which is always good. The trail joined a dirt road, Old Rootville Road, for about 2 miles. This road was a steep decline. Thankfully, there were no boulders!!This road spilled out on Highway 11 in Manchester Center, VT. From here our motel was only one quarter of a mile. The Red Sled is our home for the next two nights. We plan to take a zero day tomorrow - just rest and relaxation.We got cleaned up and arranged for our laundry to be done.QS called a taxi to take us to Cilantro Taco for lunch. It was okay. We walked a few blocks to the Price Chopper where we resupplied.At the motel we watched television and plan to call a pizza delivery for dinner.Today we hiked 8 miles.
Date: 2016-09-30
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Griffith Lake tenting area
Miles today: 10.6

September 30, 2016QS and I got up at 6:15 and began packing. We walked down to Bob's Diner and had a delicious breakfast. Back at the Red Sled, we loaded our backpacks in John's (the motel owner) car. He dropped us off at the trailhead and we hit the trail at 8:50. It was a cool, breezy and overcast day.The trail ascended steadily butpleasantly ffor three miles to Bromley Mountain. The trail spilled out onto a ski slope and we hiked 0.3 miles to the top. As we approached the summit, the wind increased to 25-30 mph gusts. Clouds were blowing in across the mountain. So, we hurriedly hiked down the hill to escape the strong wind.The colors at the higher elevations are beautiful, but as we hiked down we noticed the colors weren't as brilliant.The ascent to Styles Mountain was steeper over a shorter distance so it was a little tougher climb.The sun finally came out and warmed us up a bit. Throughout the day we were constantly putting our fleece jackets on and then pulling them off.From Styles to Peru Peak we walked through a Christmas tree paradise. The scent of firs was wonderful. I am sure this Christmas at our house, we will be reminded of this area.The shelter was 1.3 miles from Peru Peak and the trail was very nice. We stopped at the Peru Peak shelter, then decided to go a little further to a tenting area around Griffith Lake. We are the only ones here so far at 4:30.We set up the tent and walked down to the lake to get water. We found a nice camping area at the lake edge. We took our dinner materials and cooked and ate overlooking the lake. It was nice.Today we hiked 10.6 miles.
Date: 2016-10-01
From: Griffith Lake tenting area

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 14.3

October 1, 2016Peach and I had a blustery and rainy night. We camped at Griffith Lake tenting area, and we had a raised platform on which to set up our tent. At one point during the night - as I was answering nature's call - I realized it was snowing! Just flurries, but I was still surprised at the temperature drop.We broke camp and were on the trail at 8:50. It was still overcast, but no more rain. Baker Peak was our first good climb, and at its steepest point, the trail went along a sharp, rocky spine up to the summit, which is covered in firs and evergreens. We descended to Lost Pond shelter, where we had a snack.Next we came to Little Rock Pond and shelter. We decided to have lunch by the shore sitting on some fine rocks. Little Rock Pond is yet another gorgeous high pond, only now with colors exploding all along its shore. The trail began to climb steadily for the next few miles to White Rocks Mtn. The summit is like an alpine forest, as is just about everything now above 2,300 feet or so. We passed a couple of areas where hikers have made elaborate "cairn sculptures." Very fascinating!We got to Greenwall Shelter about 4:45, set up in the shelter and cooked dinner. We wasted little time getting in our packs for bed!We hiked 14.3 miles today.
Date: 2016-10-02
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 15.3

October 2, 2016We awoke around 6:30, ate a bite for breakfast, and chatted with our shelter mates, Whassup, Luke Skyf**ker (we don't name 'em, we just tell you their names!), and Nick. All nice guys from Boston.The trail descended immediately to 1,200 feet, and then began a sharp climb up Bear Mtn. Switchbacks have been added to this section, so the climb, while fairly aggressive, was still manageable. We droppeddown into Patch Hollow, likely an old homestead, and came to Minerva Hinchey shelter, where we had a snack.Just a side note here: we figure we burn somewhere between 8,000 to 12,000 calories a day (a little less for Peach, a little more for me), and we can only carry/eat around 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day. So we end up stopping roughly every two hours (four miles) to eat something. After the shelter, we came over a knob that afforded a nice view of the Rutland airport and the burg of Clarendon.I saw five turkeys on the trail.Now it gets hairy. We dropped steeply into Clarendon Gorge at 815 feet, then began the Rock and Boulder scramble right back up to 1,326 feet, all in 0.5 miles. It was brutal; the rocks often required the use of hands and feet to climb. And then it climbs more - without any switchbacks - to the top of Beacon Hill at 1,740 feet. Those were about the most hateful and challenging 2 - 3 miles we'd done all day, and it was starting to wear on me. And we had about 5 more miles to go to Governor Clement shelter!We finally got to the shelter, and were joined by a group of four section hikers and two other gentlemen, all going north on the AT/Long Trail. This shelter is another oldie, built of stone with a massive fireplace!I don't remember if we mentioned it before, but the Long Trail (LT) of Vermont and the AT share the same trail from MA to a point where it diverges near Rutland, VT, and continues north to the Canadian border. So not only have we nearly completed this section of the AT, but we've also knocked out about 100 miles of the LT at the same time.We ate dinner in the shelter, and even enjoyed a roaring fire with our fellow hikers. We turned in around 7:45 after having hiked 15.3 miles today.
Date: 2016-10-03
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 10.0

October 3, 2016QS and I awoke at 6:15 and began packing up. We hit the trail at 7:15. It was coolish, (not as cool as the last few days, probably only low fifties) cloudy morning. For the first four miles, we ascended Killington Mountain. We started at 1,800 feet and climbed to 4,000 feet. It was unforgiving!!! We finally made it and the sun actually came out, too, and the colors looked spectacular!!We got to the Pico Camp Trail seven miles in. This trail was actually the old AT trail. This trail was mostly downhill, but, of course, there was some uphill. We stopped at the Pico Camp Shelter for a brief break.We started seeing lots of people hiking towards Pico Peak. Tonight we plan to stay at the Inn at Long Trail. Turns out the trail spills out onto the parking lot for the Inn.We checked in and deposited our backpacks in our room and headed for McGrath's Irish pub for refreshments and lunch.After lunch we showered and did our laundry.We ate dinner at McGrath's and watched the NFL game.Today we hiked 10 miles.
Date: 2016-10-04
From: Inn at Long Trail

To: Stoney Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.0

October 4, 2016Quicksilver and I slept until 7:15. It was so nice to wake up in a bed instead of in a sleeping bag in a tent! QS went to the lobby for some coffee. We laid in bed and drank coffee and read for awhile. The Inn is a wonderfully rustic structure with a very cozy feel. Wish we could stay longer and enjoy, but there is little rest while on the AT. We had breakfast at 8:30. It was delicious! We had to resupply before we got back on the trail. There was a municipal bus that we caught at 10:30 right in front of the Inn. We were dropped off at Killington General Store and Deli. Here we were able to get the food we would need for the next 4 days. We even got a pastrami sub to have for dinner tonight in the shelter.From the general store we walked about a quarter of a mile to Bare Essentials Outfitters where we bought a can of propane gas for our stove. There was a side trail behind the store that lead to the AT. It was about .7 mile long. We met a young lady heading into town who greeted us with a "hi y'all!" We knew right away she was from the south; she was from Athens, GA, and even said "yes, sir" to QS!The beginning of the hike today was very nice and enjoyable. Then we started up Quimby Mountain. It took us an hour to go up 1.3 miles, but we weren't through with it. After another mile we started a sharp climb and stayed on summit for about a mile. Then we began to descend.We have still yet to see the sun since Friday of last week. We have discovered from locals that this overcast weather is typical for October in Vermont. The weatherman promises sunny weather tomorrow.We arrived at Stony Brook Shelter at 3:15.We met two guys on our way up Quimby. They are from the Burlington area and are at the shelter with us tonight.Today we hiked 7 miles.
Date: 2016-10-05
From: Stoney Brook Shelter

To: Wintturri Shelter
Miles today: 10.1

October 5, 2016Peach and I awoke at 7:00 to a beautiful, sunny morning, so welcome after five slate-gray, sometimes rainy days. We had our usual break-camp regimen, and were on the trail at 8:15.Our two new friends, Rick ("Moor Knorr, the 'K' is silent!) and Al ("Chilidog") and Peach and I had a roaring fire last night, which was so welcome and enjoyable because we rarely have one. They were up and stirring too, and we would all wind up at the Wintturi Shelter tonight.We had a series of "no name" mountains to cross over today, all of which were pretty good climbs. But the sun was out and it was warming everything up nicely, so we were feeling good.We met another Southern woman named Sunshine, who was from Durham, NC. She had been on the trail since April, but had to take several days off due to a stress fracture. At about 7 miles in, we came to a privately owned cabin at 2,320 feet called "The Lookout." It sits right atop a peak with a fine view, but it had another awesome feature: a "widow's walk" perch up a steep stair on top of the roof! So we climbed up and beheld the most stunning view of Vermont and New Hampshire we've seen yet. To the north, we could see the towering peaks of the remaining Green Mountains where the Long Trail continues to Canada. To the east, we saw the rising ridges of the White Mountains in NH as the AT continues on toward Maine. It was stunning, and we sat there for nearly an hour basking in the warm sun and enjoyed our lunch. As we were enjoying the view, a young couple walked up with their dog. The couple joined us on the widow's walk. They were from the Hanover, NH, area. As they were leaving, the young girl said, "We don't have anything to offer you except water. Do you need water?" They gave us the rest of their water. Trail magic comes in all varieties.We had one more peak to top before we descended to our shelter for the night. I prepared the evening's fire, we ate dinner, then sat around joking and laughing with Rick and Al. They are very entertaining guys, and we had fun getting to know them more.We climbed in our tent around 7:00 ("hiker midnight," which is what hikers refer to as the time when it gets dark and there's nothing else to do but go to bed!) and read for a while. We have a noisy five guys sharing the area with us for the second night, so we are waiting for them to settle down, too.We have only one more day/night to go, so we plan to fully enjoy tomorrow.We hiked 10.1 miles today
Date: 2016-10-06
From: Wintturri Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.0

October 6, 2016Quicksilver and i got up around 7, packed up and hit the trail at 8:15. Today was absolutely the most spectacular day we have had since we began our 2016 trip. The sun was out, it was in the 60's, and the colors were awesome!!The hike was great for the first 8 miles. The trail was not too challenging. There was just enough uphill to get our heart rate going then we cooled off on the rest of the trail.We passed an old stonework that we thought was a chimney.At 3.7 miles there was On the Edge Farms where there were pies, ice cream, and other goodies. QS and I stopped for pie. Al and Rick were just behind us and planned to stop also. We got an apple crisp pie and coffee. Oh my gosh, it was the best pie EVER! I didn't have any trouble eating a quarter of the pie.We started up a very, very steep climb that seemed as if it would never end. Once we made it to the top there was a period of very pleasant hiking.The forest was just magical. It was open with lots of pine, hemlock and firs. We could just imagine families living here long ago.Our last hill was a real tough one. It seems to always happen. Just before we finally get to the shelter for the night, there is always an uphill climb. We even saw a sign on which someone had sarcastically written: "when in doubt, the AT always goes uphill!"We finally made it to Thistle Hill shelter at 4:00. We were staying in the shelter tonight. We got water and settled in. Rick and Alan arrived at 5:00. We built a fire. It was an incredible day.For the last two nights there has been a group of five overweight, raucous guys who have come to the shelter late wanting to camp, but they needed a large enough space for a tarp big enough to accommodate the five large bodies. The first night they camped about a quarter of a mile down from us. We could still hear them even that far away. Last night they came in later and ended up camping behind the shelter and were noisy again. We all were hoping that they would give out of gas and stay at a previous shelter. We haven't seen them tonight.Today we hiked 12 miles.
Date: 2016-10-07
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: West Hartford, VT
Miles today: 4.7

October 7, 2016The moon was a crescent last night and beautiful. It's been so cloudy that we have hardly seen the moon.Quicksilver and I awoke at daylight around 6:15. The way the shelter was positioned, we could see the sun rising above the mountains. We packed up and said our goodbyes to Al and Rick. We have really enjoyed getting to know them. We hit the trail at 8:00.The hike today was very nice. It was rolling hills with very little challenge. We walked across several fields that were beautiful in the early morning sun.The trail spilled into West Hartford, VT. QS had arranged for Enterprise car rental to pick us up at the trailhead. We rode into White River Junction, VT, and got our car. We plan to stay here overnight. Tomorrow we will drive to Pittsfield, MA, and board a local transit that will take us to Egremont, MA, to get a car. We hiked 4.7 miles today.Today concludes our AT Hike 2016. We hiked 220.1 miles this year.Thanks to you all for prayers and thoughts during our trek this year.
Date: 2006-05-11
To: No more Indecision
Miles today: 0.0

I've finally decided, I'm not re-enlisting, and I'm doing my thru-hike in March/April of next year. I EAS on March 17, 2007, so it would be really cool to start the trail that day. I will have 30-45 days of leave so I should get off the island sometime in February, that is if I make it back to Hawaii from this shithole. Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Stacie Oaks, and I am a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. Right now I am stationed in the lovely Al Asad, Iraq. Been here for about 3 months now. It is not too bad actually. The food is good, the people are hilarious, and it really hasn't started to get hot yet. Actually till about 3 weeks ago it was downright fricken cold. I have been having an internal debate as to whether I should re-up for 4 more years, or get out and get my degree. And lately I have been leaning towards the later. I want to go back to UW Seattle, and finish up my Acctg degree, then go right into a Masters program so I can get my CPA. I know, it sounds way boring, but I'm good with numbers, so why fight it. UW doesn't start till October, and I should be out of the Marines by February, leaving me the perfect little window to do this hike. How sweet is that! TTFN,stacie
Date: 2006-10-04
To: Big Gear at the REI
Miles today: 0.0

I'm in Seattle for my 10 year reunion, so now is the perfect time to stop by and pick up my main pieces of gear. I love the REI here (it's HUGE!) and Feathered Friends is just across the street. I've been planning this in my head for some time now, so it is weird for me to actually getting my hands on some on the stuff I've been researching. I went with the MSR Hubba instead on the Big Agnes, the guy said he gets a lot of them back with fabric tears. Picked up an Osprey Ariel 65, and a Marmot Precip jacket, the bright orange one was on sale. So far I have a lot of orange stuff, maybe I should go with that theme. They could call me Orange Blaze, or Orange Crush. I headed across the street and got a sleeping bag from Feather Friends. The 20F Swallow in purple, so much for the color theme. I was a little weary about getting a down bag, but it stuffs so small and sleeps warm. I got a waterproof stuff sack to ease my fears. I'm heading back to Hawaii tomorrow, 6 more months in the Marine Corps, and then my hike.stacie