morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-08-07
From: Mark Noepel Shelter

To: near Sherman Brook campsite
Miles today: 11.2

It was so hard to get any rhythm today. I felt like a kid that needs to go to the bathroom right after you get his boots and snowsuit on. I had rocks in my shoes, ankle braces too tight then too loose, rain jacket on and off, pack cover on then off, hungry, thirsty, rolled my ankle etc. I wasn't moving too swiftly...surprised Hobo stuck around. But we loved Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts, elevation 3491 feet. It's part of the 12,500 acre Mt. Greylock Reservation. Near the monument was Bascom Lodge--yum, we hung there way too long! I'm proud of my home state. On our way through North Adams these women told us that we could use their hose to get some water. Of course we chatted (because I didn't feel like hiking) and one of the women knew Jeff Clark from my hometown, Nahant, Ma. Mr. Clark taught social studies and drove a Volkswagen Beetle before they were popular. He was soft-spoken; a great man. It made me think of all the gifted educators that I knew that either taught in Nahant or lived in Nahant. They were my role models. I want to thank them all for all that they taught me. I arrived at the campsite and gathered my things. I was going to go over to Hobo's tent for dinner. Now... I've been telling hikers since March not to trip over my guy lines. I belly flopped down... I was fine; ego-damaged; crackers crushed but I didn't hurt myself...yep, that was my day!
Date: 2014-08-08
From: near Sherman Brook campsite

To: Autumn Inn, Bennington, VT
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

It was cold last night, when I got up to pee at 3 o'clock, I could see my breath. I'll have my winter gear back soon--thanks Al. Hobo and I had a super hike today. We walked 11 1/2 hours. The hike was varied, muddy, and pretty. The air was so crisp and the Pine-needles smelled great. No more mosquitoes since having all this cold weather. The people that we met were interesting. I bumped into Cozy again. I last saw her in the Shenandoah's. We crossed into Vermont! I just can't believe how fast it's all going now. What a steep descent it was to get to Rt. 9, Bennington,Vermont. Bennington is a really nice town... hiker friendly. We thumbed into town. It only took two minutes for someone to stop and give us a lift 5 miles down to town. We went to Peppermill's for dinner....delicious. We are at a hotel tonight, yippee!
Date: 2014-08-09
From: Autumn Inn, Bennington, VT

To: Hell Hollow Brook
Miles today: 3.3

We did our laundry, resupplied, saw Chip, Ireland, and RT. We got rides from friendly strangers and ate good food in town. Bennington was a good stop. We were back on the trail by 3:30 and I'm glad that steep climb is over with. We met southbounder, Smiley, from CA. She gave us all kinds of tips about the next town. We were able to warn her about the evil mice in the next shelter. I'm glad Hobo and I are avoiding the shelters. Bliss had her tent and food bag eaten by mice. Lyme has been quite serious this year. I constantly check for ticks. We saw Pocahontas the other day; she is so worried about Batman. His heart was affected by Lyme disease, he's been in the hospital for a week. They figured he had the tick on him for about 4-6 weeks....they're so tiny. Right away Hobo asked if Pocahontas needed money; I thought that was really nice. We only hiked 3.3 miles and we were done! We want to go to bed early and wake up early...it will feel good to be back on schedule.
Date: 2014-08-10
From: Hell Hollow Brook

To: Story Spring Shelter area
Miles today: 15.8

I've been meaning to tell you these things:VT has 149 AT miles, NH 161 miles, and Maine has 281.8 miles. If all goes well I hope to finish my journey the 3rd week in September. It's a small world! When I was talking to Voodoo(25 year old engineer who works at GE in Lynn, Ma.) I asked her if she knew my niece, Cara's, soon to be husband, Peter Accamondo-he works at GE also. She couldn't believe it, she told me that her last name is Accamondo too and that she thinks Peter is a distant cousin! Maybe I'll see Voodoo at the wedding next August(kidding!).The hike today was so pretty and the weather was perfect. Yep, we're having cold nights but perfect cool temps to hike the next day.
Date: 2014-08-11
From: Story Spring Shelter area

To: just past William B. Douglas Shelter
Miles today: 15.3

We were on our way by 6:30. We hiked 4 miles quickly which brought us to the bottom of Stratton Mountain. We climbed up to the top where there is a lookout tower. This is where Benton MacKaye conceived the idea for the AT. I liked how someone had labeled what we were looking at. It was fun for me to see the Stratton ski resort. We ate a huge lunch and chatted with two women just starting their teaching careers. It made me think of all the Martin County Educators starting a new school year this week. I wish you well and hope the 2014-2015 school year is fantastic. The AT goes right past Stratton Pond. I was so tempted to go in. The water was warmer than the air and it was clean. I didn't go swimming, I knew I just would be too chilly. We found a remote tenting site near a stream and just finished our Mountain House dinner when it started pouring. It's still raining, it's been about 2 hours. On rainy days, I lay a thin plastic paint drop sheet down under my mattress. It's light and it is extra insurance that all will stay dry. It comes in handy to wrap things up too.
Date: 2014-08-12
From: just past William B. Douglas Shelter

To: on Bromley Mt., VT
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Hobo and I packed up our wet tents and hit the road. We saw the tail end of a bear run by when we hit the gravel road. We walked 5.5 miles down to Manchester, Vt. Hobo is a master at thumbing a ride. She sings, dances, smiles (I thought she'd scare people away) but nope they brake for us!!! We had an architect, wine distributor and a mechanic stop. Two people gave us their business cards and told us to call if we have any problems. We saw Tbird and Slug. I picked up some warmer gear and food that Albert had sent. We had an awesome breakfast at 'Up for Breakfast'. We bought more food; bought 4 hamburgers to go! We aired out our wet equipment and talked with a soon to be 1st grader about the orange moon that she saw last night! We hiked 3 more miles ...up a ski slope and enjoyed an incredible view . They're predicting flash floods tonight so we're spending the night in a cool 'warming hut' at the top of Bromley Mountain. I'm so happy.
Date: 2014-08-13
From: on Bromley Mt., VT

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: clear sky

I slept great last night! Toasty warm--no mice. But unfortunately the weather was so bad we saw no sunset or sunrise. We left at 7:00 in the rain and it never let up. We didn't stop until we got to the Peru Peak Shelter at 11:00. We took off all our wet clothes and immediately changed into something dry. We decided to stay put for the rest of the day. It was just too ugly out. I took a nap, ate and played cards. There is never a dull moment in a shelter. There are 9 great people and two dogs in here tonight. One dog arrived filled with porcupine quills in his mouth and belly. Everyone chipped in to help. One guy had a nail clipper, one held the dog's mouth and the other pulled. Poor puppy. Well...it's a clean, newer shelter...cross your fingers we get no mice.
Date: 2014-08-14
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: VT 140..Footbridge campsite
Miles today: 16.0

No mice at all last night. Hobo and I were the first to leave the shelter at 7:00. We wore hats and jackets for the first 5 miles. The views and pine smells were outstanding. The view at Baker Peak was worth the climb. The cairns were spectacular. Some people are so creative. They laid stone upon stone and created interesting art work. The streams are running strong, though we continue to purify out wAter. We took hardly any breaks today. The day flew by. I really love VT.
Date: 2014-08-15
From: VT 140..Footbridge campsite

To: North Shrewsbury (but stayed at hotel in Rutland)
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up and out and over Bear Mountain before 7:30! The view overlooking Rutland Airport was cool and someone had lugged 2 plastic patio chairs up there--we were living large because we had a seat with back support!! We met Lovely Day at the Clarendon Shelter where we woofed down our tuna packets. We then made our way to W.E. Pierce Groceries in North Shrewsbury, VT. What a great country store. It's over 100 years old. It's now a co-op. Locals rallied when they heard that the store might be closing. We munched on macaroni and cheese, carrot soup, pasta salad and penny candy. Two women came into the store and agreed to take us to the Hampton Inn, Rutland-about 10 miles away. What super door to door service! And Sue Doherty Gelber and her twin (soon to be seniors in high school) daughters were there. Sue, Maggie and Katie were checking out colleges in the area and were psyched to find out that Hobo and I could join them for a night. They put us up at the hotel and we also went to the 99 Restaurant for dinner--lobster roll and a margarita, I was so happy! It was so neat hearing what the girls have been doing this summer. It will be really great to see which colleges they choose and what careers they will have. They're wonderful people. And Sue's mom, Carol, gave me two huge bags of snickers and 'extra' tens to buy some yummy food! I just felt so loved and appreciated all the Trail Magic.
Date: 2014-08-16
From: North Shrewsbury (but stayed at hotel in Rutland)

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept great and everything dried so well. See,when we get to hotels we take everything out of our packs in hopes we can get rid of some of the dampness. We resupplied and we were in the lobby of the Hotel repacking when Tonya Shultz, a childhood friend came to visit. She is a retired police officer now living in Bristol, VT. She heard I was in town and wanted to fatten me up. She immediately liked Hobo Nobo and the three of us went to The Inn at Long Trail, Killington. What a treat. I wanted to check it out but I would have had to hike .5 miles down a side trail to visit there. The Inn was built in the '30s and was very inviting to hikers. I signed the log, put a push pin on Stuart, Florida, and checked out all the old photos. We're so lucky to have all this ultra lite equipment now a days. The Inn houses McGrath's Irish Pub. Tonya treated us to lunch..Hobo loved her Shepards Pie. I hope our friend, Ireland, makes it there. He'd love it. Tonya then swung into McDonalds and I bought 4 hamburgers and two apple pies. Hobo and I wouldn't have to worry about making dinner. Yes, they'll be cold and misshapen but we'll eat every scrap. We were dropped off back at North Shrewsbury. It was hard to say goodbye, it had been 13 years since we saw each other and had a lot of catching up to do. Hobo and I trudged up to 3928 feet, to the top of Killington Mountain. We arrived about 8:30.....the days are getting shorter. We had to get our headlamps out. We set up the tents and it started sleeting---yikes it's August!!!
Date: 2014-08-17
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: near Quimby Mountain
Miles today: 11.9

Well, we passed the 1700 mile marker today! Sometimes I just can't believe that I'm actually doing this. Today felt like a really long day. This morning it rained enough to be a real nuisance. I'm so disappointed in my Granite Gear pack cover, it's not doing it's job. We sat on a Trail Angel cooler filled with Capri Sun and inhaled lunch. We didn't want to stop too long because we'd get chilly. The punch was provided by the Hikers Hostel at the Yellow Deli. We heard that it is a very welcoming place but it is a cult trying to recruit...we decided to just drink their punch and not visit. We made it to the Gifford Woods State Park, what a great place that was. The Ranger took our jackets and put them in her personal dryer(they needed serious fluffing up) while we waited, Hobo ate 4 ice creams--2 ice cream sandwiches, 1 rainbow push up, and a choco taco....but who's counting!!! We hung tents and tyvek up to dry on the clothes line. We chatted with Mighty Blue and WeatherMan...we did everything except hike! We were tired...it's slow going because of the mud, slippery roots and rocks. We hiked a couple of more miles and set up camp at the first dry, flat spot that we saw. Hobo made Asian noodles and bagels with cream cheese for dinner. I was frantically looking for my toothbrush and retainer. I was convinced I lost them....oops just found them in my hip belt pocket!
Date: 2014-08-18
From: near Quimby Mountain

To: Winturri Shelter Area
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I forgot to mention when I journaled about Sue Doherty Gelber......she has a great blog www.outsidethecomfortzone.com. She's a wonderful writer with a great sense of humor...check her out!Also, I've been thinking....I want to thank my family for being patient and supportive. I know that 6 months is a long time to be away, and I appreciate you giving me this time.......I'm almost home!Before I started this trip, I thought I had to be so careful about wearing scents.....I thought maybe the bears might come after me if I wear deoderant or use powder. That's false...put on your Swagger, nothing's going to happen. I wish more people did, or at least take a shower when the opportunity presents itself....some thru-hikers stink! Speaking of bear, we thought we saw one up ahead late this afternoon and we were on high alert....it ended up being a dozen wild turkeys...they startled us. Today we went over Quimby Mt. In the morning. The terrain was great and the air was cool...it took us 45 minutes to get up the 1300 foot climb. We're trying to keep track so we can better gauge our time/mileage in the Whites. We know our mileage is going to go down. We loved The Lookout....the tower is right on top of the cabin. We were tempted to stay there for the night but we knew we had to get in more miles. We enjoyed gathering all kinds of information from flip-flippers, Bypass and his wife. They decided to go to Katahdin after they hit Harpers Ferry and travel south. Fast Eddy and Dude were interesting guys to chat with too. It will get down to 40 degrees tonight.
Date: 2014-08-19
From: Winturri Shelter Area

To: campsite near West Hartford Rd.
Miles today: 15.3

We goofed! We misread 'The Pie Lady's' hours of operation in our AWOL guide..... We arrived at 8:30 and she doesn't open until 10:00. Hobo looked so dejected. She had pie money in her pocket and she had been dreaming about a piece of strawberry rhubarb. We continued walking down Barnard Gulf Rd. and we bumped into Tbird. She spent the night up in the loft of a barn that the owners made into somewhat of a hostel. Up in the Attic, there was an old forgotten drum set, sleds, huge wooden cut outs of Frankenstein and Santa, and dolls hanging from the rafters. I'm glad I didn't stAy there last night. I think I would have had crazy dreams. We continued hiking and I saw plastic tubing, wasn't sure what was going on. Hobo said that it was a new way to collect the sap from Maple trees.Pretty cool.   We came to two apple trees and enjoyed some great apples from these neglected trees. Someone left soda for us in a big bucket. We went up mountains and hills. The weather was an A+. The VT water sources are great. We came to a huge field and I couldn't resist. I dropped my pack and did somersaults and handstands! We were out there for 11 1/2 hours walking. It sure was varied and beautiful.
Date: 2014-08-20
From: campsite near West Hartford Rd.

To: In Hanover, New Hampshire
Miles today: 10.4

Our day started by walking through West Hartford, Vermont. It's sad to see how the 2011 flood has still affected these areas. The library was destroyed and has still not yet been rebuilt. The village store is for sale. The next town we hit was Norwich, Vermont. Beautiful homes. We had super weather too. We crossed the Connecticut River and arrived in New Hampshire!! Hanover, New Hampshire is home to Dartmouth College. Main Street was buzzing with activity. So many people were interested in hearing about our journey. We arrived at the Co-op and there was Skippy, Sloth, Southbound and Ireland! We had a super reunion. We were sorry to hear that Chip has Lyme disease. Hobo and I will continue to be vigilant and check every night for ticks. When I was teaching in Florida, Kitty Moeller was in my lunch bunch. She has been working at Warfield Elementary for ever! She's an awesome teacher and knows everyone of those children's names. Well, her sister, Theresa, lives in Hanover. Theresa came to the Co-op and whisked Hobo Nobo and me up and brought us to her home. Theresa's husband, Charlie, made us a wonderful lasagna. Her daughter, Rita, joined us for dinner. I really enjoyed her company. Rita is a teacher in New Hampshire and she's excited about the new school year. She's in her dad's garage making a telescope! My laundry is done, I'm all cleaned up, and I made new friends. Life is good.
Date: 2014-08-21
From: In Hanover, New Hampshire

To: Goose Pond near Etna, NH
Miles today: 14.0

We slept great and had a hearty breakfast. Theresa drove us back to the Co-op's picnic table. It was time to hit the trail. It was overcast for the first two hours and then it started to rain. Because my pack cover isn't keeping the rain out, I first lined my pack with a garbage bag and then put the pack cover on...it worked. The rain stopped and we were able to get tents up, and enjoy are bagels with cream cheese. Skippy joined us for Cheez It appetizers. We got 14 miles in today. It started raining again at about 6:00 and it still is raining.....yikes.
Date: 2014-08-22
From: Goose Pond near Etna, NH

To: Fire Wardens Cabin, near Lyme, NH
Miles today: 9.4

Just sayin' Bill Ackerly is a genuine great guy.....I'll tell you more about him later. Hobo and I were in our tents for 17 hours---it wouldn't stop raining. Finally, there was a break in the weather and we packed up our soaking wet tents and left at 11:45. AWOL had written in the AT Guide about the precipitous drop off at Holts Ledge. It wasn't bad but if Winnie was with me, I'd have her on a leash! I'm back to wearing my knee braces (Tommie Copper's); I also had my ankle braces and gaiters on, I was in full gear. We made it over The Ledge and then we met Bill Ackerly, The Ice Cream Man. It was his 86th birthday and it was an honor meeting him. He took my hand, and my heart melted. He walked me to the side yard, where everyone was playing croquet. For 11 years now, he has been providing free ice cream to all the hikers. He broke out a bottle of wine and taco chips to celebrate his birthday. Southbound played Bill's banjo and everyone signed the log book. There were about 15 of us there. He allows us to charge up all our electronics and camp in his backyard. My only regret is we didn't sing him Happy Birthday...I thought of Smitty(my Warfield pal) and her rendition of the birthday song...he would have loved that. I heard he was a psychiatrist, with some affiliation with Harvard. He told me that the hikers inspire him and that he just hopes that we pay the kindness that we receive forward. We pulled ourselves away from Bill's front porch and headed out to hike Smarts Mountain...it started raining. We made it up to the Fire Wardens Cabin-3237 feet--and good thing we did, it's pouring. The capacity is 12 and we have 12 very grateful hikers packed in here tonight. Since AWOL used the word precipitous , Hobo and I started to have fun with it...we turned it into an adverb, conjunction, noun, etc...I nearly fell down laughing when Hobo told me to "walk precipitously because everything is slipperyier than snot". Well, as Dirt Dog (brother Bill) would say, "Embrace the Suck"--sorry, Mom, I know you hate that word but Bill said it first! Precipitously Yours,Cadishack
Date: 2014-08-23
From: Fire Wardens Cabin, near Lyme, NH

To: Near Wentworth, NH
Miles today: 11.0

A hiker came into the Cabin late last night. He hung his wet, drippy shirt right over my orthodics. I had pulled them out of the boots so they could dry better---that didn't work out too well! Hobo and I were the first ones out at 8:20. It seems as if nobody wants to be the first to rise in a shelter. You feel like you're disturbing everyone. It was "embrace the muck" this morning. What a mess, from all the rains. At one point I planted my pole and it was swallowed up to the grip, it really startled me. A hiker that passed us said that he had fallen in. He was pretty muddy! We stopped at Eastmann Ledges to air out our equipment and for phone time. Next stop was Mt. Cube. Lots of sunshine there. We have been so hungry lately. We're ripping through our food bags.We are cowgirl camping again tonight. We just stopped when we felt exhausted.....I can hear the coyotes howling. Few notes: while we were in VT we texted Jack Rabbit (supreme court judge that we had met hiking) but he was in Maui vacationing.My trail name, Cadi, rhymes with Daddy. In New Hampshire, if you can't locate a white blaze, look for a cairn and go in that direction.
Date: 2014-08-24
From: Near Wentworth, NH

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

These hikers aged 20 somethings are funny. Hobo and I have been thinking a lot of the upcoming Whites. We're talking with a lot of hikers who are heading south and who just finished Maine and New Hampshire. One hiker said The Whites were very 'technical', we didn't actually know what that meant but our anxiety started rising! So we planned to hike 10 miles today down to the Hikers Welcome Hostel so that we can get chores done and be ready to attack Mt. Mooseilauke tomorrow morning. On our way up Ore Hill we ran into Sloth and Southbound. Southbound is actually a NOBO who had the misfortune of getting caught early in his journey going the wrong way! They said they were heading to the Hostel too, not to get organized for the Whites but because the Hostel has a huge collection of DVDs!! WHAT!!They were so carefree! I guess we were like that too when we were in our 20s! At the hostel we showered, did laundry, puffed up our jackets and sleeping bags in the dryer, resupplied in town, and I received a box from Albert with new boots, rain pants and a few goodies. We hiked up the hill 1 mile and decided to stay in the shelter. Sloth, Skippy, and Southbound joined us in a game of rummy 500. We also enjoyed talking with a group from Tufts College. They were a great group; they were out for a 5 day orientation hiking trip. Fun, full, exhausting day!
Date: 2014-08-25
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: Kinsman Notch (slept @Carriage Inn, N.Woodstock)
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

We had no trouble going up Mt Mooseilauke. It was a gorgeous day. We enjoyed our picnic lunch up top; we were the only ones there. As we were starting to head down the mountain, Skippy yelled our names and came running towards us with open arms! I think he ate too many of his honey nut Cheerios and was on a sugar high! The hike down was challenging. Hobo's knees screamed and my lower back killed, so we had many pretzel breaks. When we got to the bottom we went right to town, North Woodstock, NH, and bought patellar straps for Hobo. We had a great dinner--haddock plate and vegi Stromboli ---and then went to the Carriage Motel. Lincoln and North Woodstock are really cute little towns, I'm really glad I checked them out. Oh, no mice at the shelter last night!!!