morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-21
From: Dalton, MA

To: Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: broken clouds

The weather forecast wasn't looking good for this morning and we didn't want to put many miles on, so we planned on waiting to check out till 11:00 this morning. After a long lazy morning spent looking over the trail guide and deciding how and when is the best way to resupply during the white mountains, Happy, MacGyver, and I finally went out to a local cafe for a long lazy breakfast. We met Ukulele at the cafe and offered her and Toad, who were camping inside of town, the use of our hotel shower.I did a short term resupply at a convenience store before checking out of the hotel and heading for the trail. As our little group was heading out we met Toad and now we were four. Today is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year, and the day when it is tradition that hikers hike naked. Once we got out of town we started talking this hike naked thing up, until some of us started getting rid of some clothes as we went down the soggy trail. What happens in the woods, stays in the woods...unless of course, it gets captured by a camera.We got to a church hostel in Cheshire, MA in the late afternoon and had a great dinner at a small pizzaria and ice cream at a small shop. There is about a dozen hikers staying in the church with us. Toad beat me pretty good in a best-of-three ping pong match at the church.
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: scattered clouds

There was a lot of people stirring around early at the church thus morning so it just made sense to get out early as well. I was on the trail by 6:30.I left town and started climbing, and caught up to Happy around 8:30. After spending a few hours by myself on the trail then walking with Happy for a little bit, put me in a good mood. Happy seems to look at everything and everybody in a positive way, and having him around really improves the mood.We got to the summit of Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts, but the observation tower was closed and we were not able to go up. The lodge was also closed, but we sat in the front, on benches, and ate an early lunch. By this time Toad and MacGyver had joined us.When I got to the MA 2 I walked half a mile to the Price Shopper and did a resupply for three days. After my shopping was all done I joined Toad and MacGyver at an Oriental Buffet, where we laid waste to their food.I stopped at a beer distributer on my way out of town, and tried to buy just one Long Trail Ale for the trail to celebrate the start of the Long Trail. However, they didn't seem to be understanding enough to let me break a six pack.I met up with MacGyver again outside of town and we powered up the 3 1/2 mile hill to the ridge where the Vermont Long Trail started at the state line. Three more states to go!We stopped at the Seth Warner Shelter where there must be about twenty people camping. There was a few empty spots in the shelter, but I opted to camp outside. The Arkansas twins, Link and Folklore, are here. I did not see them since Duncannon, PA. This should be a good time.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: few clouds

This morning there was a few section hikers in the shelter that were getting their stuff together before 5:00 AM. With all the racket they made, the rest of the people in the shelter could no longer sleep, so they got up and hit the trail. When I got out of my tent at 6:00 AM, the shelter was already almost all cleared out. I got my stuff together and got on the trail without eating breakfast.I didn't have to go far till I hid another milestone dollar bill. 1600 miles!I got to the next shelter at around 10:30 but the rain came down in sheets before I made it. Most of the crew from last night was already there and beat the rain to the shelter. I took off my shoes and tried to dry them out as I ate an early lunch. I was tired so I stretched out on a sleep platform and slept for about 30 minutes after most of the crowd left.Once I got back on the trail again it was really muddy. So far, the Vermont Long Trail seems like it should be called the Vermont Mud Trail. The hiking really sucks. Actually, it is the trail that sucks, it sucks at your shoes, and your poles, trying to wrestle them from your grasp. It also tends to sucks out a lot of the fun out of walking the trail. It is impossible to keep your feet dry, or clean. My toes look like prunes, and will need to be taped up again.We all got a little bit of trail magic when we crossed over VT 9. A future thru hiker was parked there and was giving out cold Dr. Peppers. It was just what I needed to do the 1300' climb from the road.I got to the Goddard Shelter this evening, just before it started pouring again. The Arkansas twins, MacGyver, and Happy came in a little later and were completely soaked. The shelter is full of section hikers, or Long Trail hikers, so we all camped outside.
Date: 2015-06-24
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: few clouds

This morning it was cold and windy, the perfect temps for sleeping in. It felt good to have my bag zipped up all the way, and hard to get out of it. However, nature usually calls at this hour and finally I had to get out. I actually took the time to heat some oatmeal and make some hot chocolate. When I headed out on the trail, I wore my rain jacket for a while to stay warm.Within 15 minutes I came to a firetower that I climbed. It was too foggy to see very far, but I did get internet up there and uploaded my journal. After I was all done I did get a bit of a view before I got down.I leapfrogged with the Arkansas twins, MacGyver, and Happy all day. We all stopped at Stratton Pond Shelter and stayed for the night.The trail was really nice today, there was a lot less mud and a lot more views. There was even a second firetower that gave me a nice view of Killington Mountain, which I will be getting to in a few days.
Date: 2015-06-25
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: VT 11 & 30
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Oh the power of a planned town stop! By the time I got out of my sleeping bag, Happy and the twins had already left the shelter. I got my stuff together and was on the trail before 6:00, the earliest start yet. MacGyver was right behind me and was with me as the trail went past Stratton Pond where we saw a beaver jump into the pond and swim away from the shore in the early morning light.The trail was fairly easy and not as muddy as yesterday, so we made good time. Happy, MacGyver, and I took a break on top of Prospect Rock which overlooked Manchester Center where we were going for lunch. We talked about how close it looked but how many miles we would still have to go before we got there.When I got to the road leading into town, MacGyver was already there and was talking to the driver of a pickup truck and motioned me over and asked if I want along to town. This was the easiest ride I ever got! We got to the Price Chopper where we had agreed to meet with the twins and Happy, but Happy wasn't there yet so I got my resupply items while we waited. After we were all there we ate at a pizza place before calling Jeff at the Green Mountain House to pick us up.When we got to the house we all got cleaned up and settled in. One of the twins found a boomerang on the trail so we went to the meadow behind the house and played with it for a while. When we went to make dinner we discovered that we were missing a few ingredients, so I jogged a mile and a half into town with one of the twins to pick it up. It may seem strange to run when you get an afternoon off from the trail, but it felt great. My feet are finally finally healing up again after a number of wet days on the trail that tore them up pretty bad.When I was in town today I met an older couple at the picnic table outside the Price Chopper and was chatting with them, they were from Florida and are doing the Long Trail here in Vermont. The husband went into the store and the wife stayed at the table and continued talking and told me how her husband thru hiked the AT but had to get off halfway through to have open heart surgery before he could finish it. I remarked about how the story sounded familiar and asked if he wrote a book about it, she said he did and it is called Three Hundred Zeroes. I have the book, and loved it, and now I got to have a great conversation with the author. The chance encounters on the trail are amazing!
Date: 2015-06-26
From: VT 11 & 30

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

Jeff, the owner of Green Mountain House, planned two shuttles to the trailhead this morning. One was at 6:30 and one was at 8:00. Since I knew how good a real bed was going to feel in the morning, I opted to go with the later one. It was a good choice. I got up, took my time getting my pack in order, then had a large bowl of cereal. Maverick was making pancakes in the kitchen for everyone, so I also had a few of them along with a Coke.MacGyver and I got on the trail around 8:30 then promptly ran into my author friend and his wife on the trail. We chatted for a short while then resumed our climb to the top of Bromley Mountain, which is a popular mountain for skiing. The trail went right by the chair lifts on the top of the mountain.Today the trail seemed like the kind of trail I envisioned Vermont to have, it has some great mountaintop views, some beaver ponds, a few beautiful lakes, and some great mountain streams. It was worlds better than the last few days. My feet had some time off to dry out and heal up a bit, and were much happier than they were for a while.I had two instances today where a grouse acted injured and in distress, trying to lure me away from possibly a nest or little ones. The one time, when I didn't fall for its little game, it changed tactics and decided to attack me. It flew at me and got within several feet of me and acted quite agressive for not bigger than it was. I never witnessed that behaviour before from a grouse.This evening I am tenting at a shelter by a lake with my trail friends. Happy, the Twins, MacGyver, Opie, AYCE, and a number of section hikers are here. It seems like we have a little group thing going on. The lake has a small leaky canoe docked close to the shelter, I think I may get up early and paddle around the lake in the morning. Good times in Vermont!
Date: 2015-06-27
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter 
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I got on the trail around the 7:00 and followed the quiet, beautiful pond shore for a short while then got a few of the short hills out of the way. The trail is much drier than it has been for the past few days. I am liking Vermont much better now that it is less muddy and more scenic.Our little group planned to go off trail for half a mile to a little diner for lunch. It is called Qu's Whistle Stop Diner, and is in an old train station. They welcome hikers and are very helpful, they fill your water bottles for you before you leave. Happy and the twins started early so that we would all meet up at approximately the same time. MacGyver and I arrived at the diner shortly after the twins and Happy and Beat came in shortly afterwards. We all had one of their amazing burgers and milkshakes and I got a club sandwich to go for later in the day. After we left we climbed partway up Killington Mountain to the Governor Clement Shelter where there is around a dozen people crammed into one shelter because the weather forecast is for rain the entire night and tomorrow.This is a Dr. Seuss type poem that the Arkansas Twins and MacGyver composed over lunch.Oh, the places you'll goThe people you'll meetThe things you will eatThe look of your feetThe uphills, the downhillsYou're covered in DeetThat stops the mosquitosThat bite in the heat
Date: 2015-06-28
From: Governor Clement Shelter 

To: VT 100
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

Last night the shelter was completely full. I had planned to set up my tent on the dirt floor and let everyone else stay on the platform, but too many people showed up and I didn't feel right setting up my tent so I laid out my sleeping pad on the dirt floor. When the rain and the wind hit us the floor got wet and I ended up under with a puddle of dirty water under my pad this morning. My sleeping bag didn't get really wet but my pad was a dirty mess.I clean up a little bit, put on my rain gear, and headed out into the rain. I was the first one out of the shelter and started my climb to the top of Killington Mountain. At first I tried to keep my feet dry but it was a hopeless case, the trail was a mountain stream. I simply gave up and waded right through the water. It took me two hours to go the four miles to the top of the mountain. When I arrived at the stone shelter at the top I went inside to get out of the rain and wind. A few miserable Long Trail section hikers were getting ready to leave and didn't seem to appreciate my upbeat greeting about how wonderful this weather was. It was incredibly cold, I warmed up a cup of hot chocolate and tried to stop shivering. The hot beverage helped, but I had to keep moving to stay warm. As I moved down the mountain it became warmer but it was still really windy. I came to a section of trail where about six maple trees had blown over during the night and had to bushwhack my way through the tangled trees.Soon after the AT and the Long Trail separated I got to Gifford State Park and checked in with the office, and they showed me where I can use their showers. The hot showers were heavenly! I cleaned up my dirty clothes a bit and also got my sleep pad cleaned up. It was 3:00 in the afternoon and I was pretty well prepared to make it to the next shelter. I was going to go to the snack shop and wait for the rest of the crew before moving on, when I got a text from MacGyver and asked if I'm into sharing a room at a motel with him and Happy. I didn't have to think long about that, I jumped at the chance and we arranged to meet at the Killington deli.When I got there the twins were also there and decided to get off the trail for the rest of the day as well. We met a Long Trail section hiker at the motel who had been tenting in last night's storm when a tree blew over and completely crushed his tent. He wasn't seriously hurt but he had to cut his way out of his mangled shelter. He threw the mess into the motel dumpster and said he doesn't plan to ever spend a night in the woods again.Now I have all of my stuff cleaned up, dried out, and ready to get back on trail in the morning. Onward to Maine!
Date: 2015-06-29
From: VT 100

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

The Killington Motel offered breakfast at 7:00, and like any thru hiker worth their salt, we waited to leave till after we ate as much as we could. The owner of the motel was making breakfast by himself and he said he would take us to the trail in his pickup if we waited a little bit. The twins wanted to send some items home and the post office didn't open till 8:30, so we decided to wait till 8:30 to head out.We all just kind of hiked our own hike, but we all planned to go to the Wintturi Shelter. There was loads of moose poop on the trail today, but I have yet to actually see one on this trip. There was a series of short ups and downs most of the day. The streams were running strong after all the rain we got from the storm, it made it hard to keep the feet dry during creek crossings. Except for the occasional shower, it was a pretty nice day for hiking. It was cold, and there was still a fair number of puddles on the trail, but at least the mosquitos weren't too bad.There was a private cabin with a lookout tower built on top of the roof that we took a bit of a break on. The owners allow hikers to stay in the cabin if they are not using it. I wished it would have worked out to stay there overnight, because it was at a beautiful location on top of the mountain.Tonight I am tenting at the shelter area and the shelter is full. There is our little group plus some other hikers that I hadn't met before. It seems like there are a lot less hikers on the trail and at the shelters, now that the AT and the Vermud Long Trail no longer run together.
Date: 2015-06-30
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started out beautiful this morning. Everything was was wet but the temperature was cool with no wind. Everyone in the shelter must have wanted to get an early start because most of them were gone by the time I got out of my tent at 6:00. The spiderwebs were plentiful and dripping with dew, the flowers looked bright in the early morning light, and the wet leaves on the trail kept things quiet and peaceful for while.There was a small market that was listed in AWOL, but it didn't open till 10:00, and I knew that wasn't going to work for me. But, there was another little store that was 10 miles out that I intended to stop for a snack. However when I got there, it turned out to be closed because they changed their days of operation. I didn't need the food to get by, but it really irritated me, because I was looking forward to a cold coke and some snacks. However the trail was nice and the sights were interesting so I tried to get into a better mood.The trail went through a series of open fields with tall grass and beautiful flowers, along with some stands of towering stands of pine trees with incredibly straight and uniform trunks. It was beautiful.As I got into West Hartford, VT in the late afternoon it started raining. I covered my pack but didn't put any rain gear on, it was too warm for that. When I went over the river on the bridge, a man on a porch waved me over. He had a number of chairs on his porch and a few coolers. He told me to sit down and asked what kind of soda I want. He and his wife sit on their porch and try to catch all the hikers that come through town. It wasn't long till the twins, Happy, MacGyver, and I were all relaxing on the porch.We met the 2nd southbound thru hiker that started from Katahdin this year. We traded information on the upcoming trail and the places coming up. The one hiker said the trail is like a wedding, and the White Mountains are the cake. You have to sit through the entire ceremony first before you get some of the wedding cake. However, he is doing it in reverse and had his cake first. I am looking forward to the Whites.After a while we headed on to Happy Hill Shelter where we had made tentative plans to stay for the night. The shelter was small and pretty well filled up. I made dinner and was eating when MacGyver suggested just moving ahead into town for the night. It was late, but Hanover, NH was only six easy miles away. My clothes were wet, and it seemed as if my feet weren't dry for a few days, so I jumped at the idea of getting dried out. The trail into town was mostly downhill and didn't take us long. As we got into this beautiful New England town in the dark we kept finding plastic hiker boxes with food, out along the street beside mailboxes. These people are great!We grabbed a bit to eat at a CVS that was open all night, then checked into a motel on the edge of town. Vermont was beautiful, although very muddy, but I am happy to be in New Hampshire, on the outskirts of the White Mountains.
Date: 2015-07-01
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

The plan was to get out of town just as soon as I got up and ate breakfast and get a long day in. The plan failed. I looked out the window of our room and saw that it was raining. Heading out into the rain with dirty, smelly hiking clothes is one thing, but getting going after just having cleaned up and cowboy laundered your clothes the night before is completely different. I decided to eat breakfast at the motel and see how it looks after that. Well, it didn't look any better, so MacGyver and I checked out and went into downtown which was about two miles from our motel. We both got separate rides and ended up in separate bakeries. I already had a custard filled croissant and coffee when he called me and said they are giving out free doughnuts to hikers where he is. I didn't want to miss out, so I joined him and did another complete breakfast and the free doughnut. Happy and Werewolf walked into town in the pouring rain and joined us at our table. We drank coffee, talked, and watched it rain for an hour or two. Finally I got bored and went to get my resupply items at the grocery store, and after that we all went to Starbucks and drank more coffee and did any online chores that needed to be done.Scott Jurek, who is going for the AT speed record was expected to be coming through town sometime in the afternoon, and I wanted to be on the trail before he got here so I would be sure to see him as he went by. However, at around 11:00, a lady was talking to us about our hike and said he is already through town. I couldn't believe it. I was extremely disappointed. I was irritated at myself for being such a pansy and sitting inside a Starbucks while this badass ultra runner ran through town in the rain. That is why he is has a shot at breaking the speed record and I do not.Finally at around noon I was so bored with the town I decided to just go in the rain. It wasn't raining as hard as it was earlier. At first I was being extremely cautious about not stepping in puddles and getting my feet wet since they were fairly dry for the first time in days. But that didn't last long, it was impossible to keep them dry and clean, so I just slogged right through the mud and the water. There was a few grassy sections where I had to push through waist high grass and weeds, so now my pants and shirt were soaking wet again. All that work to get dried out and cleaned up and it was useless after just an hour back on the trail.I got to Moose Mountain Shelter a little before 6:00 and just as another downpour hit me and decided to call it a day. At least there is nice weather in the forecast for the next few days.Here in New Hampshire they have the "live free or die" slogan on their licence plates. I guess they love their freedom and fresh air. Even the privy at the first shelter I stayed in the state seemed to be "free". They took the time to build a nice roof for the thing, but walls? Nope, who needs walls?