morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-15
From: Guilder Pond Picnic Area

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Pancakes for breakfast! I have not had pancakes in a while so it was a pleasant change. I took my time in getting started this morning. As usual, I enjoyed the company of my fellow hikers but it was time to say my goodbyes. No doubt I will be seeing some of them again. Hong Kong Steve and I were heading to Great Barrington so we set off together around 9am. Steve's plan is to stay there overnight and my plan is to go to the post office to collect my package (my sleeping pad) then hike out again. It was about 7 miles to town and mostly downhill. Going downhill is hard on my knees but easier than going uphill. I had a really good view at Jug End. The problem with the hike was that there were some really steep and rocky sections. That made the hike today really slow going. I didn't really care for those sections but that is 'par for the course'. When I got to MA 7 road I waited for Steve and we got a shuttle into town. Many hikers try to shuttle together to share the cost. As you can imagine, we do not carry much cash with us on the trail and you can only use a credit card in certain situations. I will always be a foodie so our first stop was lunch. We went to a Thai restaurant (yum yum). The post office was our next stop. Steve got a package but mine did not arrive. I called the company and there was a problem with the mailing address so it was not sent...bummer! I gave them a new address and had it sent 3 days ahead. I have slept without a pad for this long so a few more days won't hurt I guess. I resupplied a little then hitch hiked back to the trail head. That was a good break even with my disappointment.I started hiking at 2:40pm on a trail that was mostly uphill for the first 4.5 miles. It was not a bad hike. I had a nice view on top then I hiked 3 more miles to the Tom Leonard Shelter. I made good time getting in at 6:15 pm and there were only about 5 hikers camping there. I found a good spot for my tent, took care of all my chores, and lay in my tent at 8:30. The bugs were bad all day and worse at the shelter.I have gotten so far but I have to say that I am really feeling like packing up and going home. I miss home. I miss my life the way it was. I really miss my family. I can see why hikers quit after going this far. I have to change my mindset and focus on finishing. Yvonne suggested I take another break but I really want to be finished with it so I plan to stay and complete the hike. 661 miles to go.
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Leonard Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: clear sky

The night weather was perfect for sleeping. It was in the mid 60's. I started at 6:30am so that I could cover the 21 mile hike to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. There is a pond that we can swim in there, bunks with mattresses and a pancake breakfast again! Those things were incentives for me to walk all those miles. The hike was up and down with some rocks then it got a little easier. I had some really nice views especially those when I was coming out of the woods into a clearing with farmland in the distance. I don't get those views at home so I savor them. There were really cool looking woods today. One part was eerie looking and another section looked magical with green moss covered boulders...very pretty. The past couple of days I have been feeling homesick. It is making my hikes very long. I am getting the attitude that I need to hurry up and finish so I can go home. I am losing that excitement of being on the trail but somehow I need to get it back. Maybe I need a zero in a cool town or something like that. Just 2 more weeks before Yvonne comes up for a visit, I am looking forward to that. I was wanting to do a lot of miles before she gets here but with the way I am feeling, I'm not so sure I will.The cabin is pretty cool. The bunks are all upstairs, about 16, and there is tenting also. It overlooks the pond which is more like a small lake and they have canoes that we can use. I was so happy to get a bunk since I don't have my pad for my sleeping bag! I got my bunk and went straight to the pond to have a swim. It felt great. The water was clear and not cold at all. A guy docked a canoe and he had about 16 bluegill fish. He was going to clean and fry them up for us. I ate my dinner and then ate the fish when they were ready. They tasted very good! Fresh fish are the best. Moose and Raw came in. They are cousins that I had met early on in my adventure. I hadn't seen them in about 6 weeks, I caught up with them and talked about the times we had together. Good memories! Lots of hikers were here tonight...most of them I know. I am not sure what my plan is for tomorrow yet but one thing I know is that I am going to eat pancakes in the morning.
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Kay Woods Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: few clouds

It felt so good to sleep on a nice mattress! I had a great night. It was raining when I woke but it didn't last long. I decided that I need to take my time and enjoy this place. After all, the trail is going to be waiting for me whatever time I leave. This is a pretty location. The combination of the woods and the pond and the sereneness of it all is so calming. Pancakes were on the menu for breakfast. We ate heartily and sat around and chatted before making our way to the trail. One by one the hikers started leaving. I was one of the last to leave getting on the trail at 10:15am. I felt good physically and mentally...much better than yesterday! It was not a bad hike until I hit the rocky areas. I just had to be careful. It was humid so there were many wet, muddy areas and lots of footbridges to cross those muddy, swampy areas. I didn't have many views, just a couple. We are hiking at low elevations right now and don't get back up high for a few days. I am looking forward to hiking higher up for two reasons... it will be less humid and there will be cooler weather!!!! I arrived at Kay Woods Shelter at 7 pm after a long but good day. Unfortunately there weren't any soft ground tent sites so I stayed in the shelter. The bunks were hard there but at least they weren't bumpy like the ground was. Hopefully this will be the last night without my pad! On to Dalton, MA tomorrow for breakfast! Yummy!
Date: 2016-07-19
From: MA 8 Cheshire, MA

To: Wilbur Clearing Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday ended up being a Nero day (Nearly zero). It was not planned that way but, the storm changed my plan. Many things can make you reevaluate your plan for the day and a storm is definitely one of them. I had a good evening yesterday. I stayed up late watching a couple of movies. Since I didn't plan on leaving early I didn't mind relaxing a bit. My pad arrived and the Cookie Lady is going to shuttle it to me and drop me off at the trail head. The Cookie Lady is a legend on the trail. Her house is 100 yards off the trail and she always has homemade cookies for the hikers. You can rest at her house in her comfy chairs and fill up with water. She has a blueberry patch that hikers are welcome to pick also. She has been doing this for many years. My pack is heavier since I resupplied last night. I was out of food and I definitely can't go on without food. Things have really changed since the beginning. I used to carry about a week's supply of food and slowly, the amount I carry has dwindled. Now, I plan on carrying no more than 3 days supply of food to keep my pack weight down. I am probably at 29 lbs right now which is great. I took care of a couple of blisters that were forming on the outside heel of both feet. I busted them, cleaned them up, then taped them this morning. They felt better right away but the real test was a few miles into the trail. It passed the test! Today I climbed Mt Greylock, the highest point on the trail in MA, a climb of 2100 ft in 7 miles. The hike was not too strenuous and I did not have any views until I reached the top. Bad on Lodge is at the top of the mountain. I stopped in and had a burger for a late lunch. The views of the surrounding area were spectacular. As I started my hike again I went in a pine forest and the scent of pine needles was fantastic! The smell stayed with me for most of the hike which mostly downhill. I arrived at Wilbur Clearing Shelter at 5:30 pm where there were a few renters and 2 in the shelter. Waterfall and Treebeard arrived soon after me and decided to stay in shelter as well. We all ate together and and talked about the trail. I will try out my new pad tonight. No more hard ground! It is supposed to get in the low 50's tonight so some really good sleeping is in store for me. Speaking of weather, it was a beautiful day to hike, the high was 72, and there was a breeze. I am looking to pick up some miles tomorrow.
Date: 2016-07-20
From: Wilbur Clearing Shelter

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

I slept very well last night! It got down to 50 and I did not get out of my sleeping bag until 6:30 am. It took me just about an hour to get pack up my stuff and hit the trail. Within 1/2 mile, I started a 2000 ft descent which lasted a little less than 3 miles. What down must come up so it figures that it was followed by a 2000 ft climb in 3 miles. It was not that difficult but later in the hike my legs were very fatigued. It made the last couple of miles really long! Today's hike was not very scenic. I was in the woods under a thick canopy and the sun hardly made it through the thick vegetation. I walked through North Adams town and to exit the town the trail went up someone's driveway before entering the woods! It was pretty cool. There were a couple of ponds I came up on. en I arrived at Congdon Shelter at 5 pm I was the first one there. A group of hikers started coming in shortly after me. I am meeting more and more southbounders, those who started at Mt Katahdin and are heading to Georgia. We share a lot of information such as trail conditions, difficulty, shelters and hostels. I hope to have another good nights sleep. The temperature is already getting nippy!
Date: 2016-07-21
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: clear sky

I had the shelter all to myself and I slept great! It was 50 degrees again this morning and although I enjoy the cool weather, it slows me down in the morning. I wanted to stay in my warm sleeping bag. I got my act together and set out at 7:30 a.m. My focus after that was to hike 4 miles to VT 9 and hitchike to Bennington for the sole purpose of eating a good breakfast! I can't seem to satisfy my hunger! That last mile down to the road was very steep so I worked up a good appetite. I got a ride right away from a local guy and he started talking and did not stop until he dropped me off! He covered some of his life, the locals, drugs and the weather! He was quite a character. Breakfast was excellent!I loaded up with water and hitched a ride back to the trail head. Once I got on the trail, it seemed like it was uphill for the next 15 miles and looking at the map, it just about was. There were a lot of rocks on this part of the trail so it was slow going. When I arrived at Kid Gore Shelter at 6:15 pm. I got a great FaceTime call from my 3 sisters and mom. It was great to talk to them and share my stories about the daily life of a hiker. They had lots of questions too. That was the highlight of my day!!The weather was nice again with a high of 80 degrees and I am looking forward to more of the same tomorrow with the exception of a storm coming around 2 pm. I will have to start early so that I can climb Stratton Mtn by then, 12 miles. It would be bad to get caught up there in bad weather. My wife just informed me that there is a surprise person coming to hike with me who will meet me at Stratton Mtn Resort sometime in the evening. Tomorrow will be an exciting day!!
Date: 2016-07-22
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Mountain
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I got going a little earlier this morning, 6:30am, but before I left I saw a nice sunrise behind a hill. I haven't seen many of those. I will have to plan on waking up a little earlier to see more of them. It drizzled a bit as I was leaving and the forecast is for a storm around 4pm. The hike today was only 12 miles but it was a HIKE!! I climbed Mt Stratton, a total of 1700 ft, in 3.8 miles. The hills are really affecting my legs especially long climbs. When I reached the top I was rewarded with amazing 360 views of the surrounding area from a fire tower on the summit. It was Benton Mackaye's dream to build the Appalachian Trail. It was the summit of Stratton Mtn where he was inspired to fulfill that dream. I took a side trail to a Gondola at the top of Stratton ski area and I walked all the way down under the gondola to the resort where Yvonne had reserved a room for me. She thought I needed a break and she was right. It was a steep hike down. I'm getting to feel like I don't like ups or downs! Unfortunately for me, the Gondola only runs on Saturdays and Sundays. The resort is large and sprawling. There aren't a lot of people here but there is a wedding and concert tomorrow so I imagine it will be busy later at night. I had a great burger when I came in. Eating was my priority so after that I checked in, took a shower and had a little break from my usual hikers routine.My surprise guest was delayed and didn't get in at the estimated 9 PM. I started dinner with an appetizer and a salad, and I shared the table with a couple from Connecticut. My surprise guest arrived...it was my brother, Sergio! My wife told me there was a surprise for me..now I know who it is! This will be a good break.
Date: 2016-07-23
From: Stratton Mountain

To: VT 11 & 30
Miles today: 13.7

Sergio and I had a good night. It was good relaxing and enjoying a movie and a few drinks with my brother. We enjoyed a continental breakfast at the lodge then we took the gondola up the mountain for some sight seeing. Sergio got a taste of the trail when we walked the mile trail to the summit of Stratton Mtn and climbed up the fire tower for some really good views. It was clearer than yesterday and there were many day hikers up there. The trek back was uneventful. I am glad the gondola is working today because hiking down the mountain again would not be fun for either Sergio or I! When we got back down to the resort we had a very good Philly Cheese steak for lunch. That went down well.My plan before I knew that Sergio was coming was to go to the Green Mtn Hostel and I had already made reservations. We headed to the hostel after lunch and met the owner. He showed us around and then we headed into Manchester Center. We visited an outfitter then a grocery store to resupply a little. I expected some of my trail family at the hostel this evening so I wasn't surprised when we got back to see that more hikers had come in including Aurora and Conundrum. There are 3 rooms upstairs with a total of 7 beds. We all sat in our room and talked for a couple of hours. Our conversations gave Sergio an idea of trail life with all the stories we were telling. We built up an appetite again so Sergio and I along with another hiker went for dinner in town to Ye Old Tavern. It was a very neat place that was built in 1790 and it had a homey feel. We all enjoyed some good food and drinks. It started raining today in the late afternoon into the evening. Tomorrow we will slack pack 5.6 miles. I hope the rain is finished by then.
Date: 2016-07-24
From: VT 11 & 30

To: Mad Tom Notch USFS 21
Miles today: 5.5

Boy did I have a good night's sleep! I needed that.There was a do it yourself breakfast at this hostel. The breakfast supplies were provided and you cooked what you wanted. I mustered up my cooking skills and made two egg sandwiches and had some coffee. Sergio and I hiked south for 5.5 miles over Bromley Mtn and ski slope. It was a nice day for a hike but a little wet due to last night's rainfall. The trail gets slippery when it is wet but we were fortunate not to have any incidents on the trail. When we got to the top of the ski area we met up with Aurora, Conundrum, Hairball and Sweatball (formerly moose and raw). I was able to introduce Sergio to my trail family. Pretty cool! We stayed a while visiting then went on our way. We stopped at Bromley Shelter so that Sergio could see one. He got an idea of where I stay at times. We made it to the road and hitchiked into town. We found a lunch spot there then made it back to the hostel for some ice cream. Sergio met another family member (or is it the other way around), Hong Kong Steve. Sergio and I headed to dinner and had a very nice grilled prime rib. Back at the hostel I sat up with Steve and Sergio talking for a while then hit the sack. Another good day!
Date: 2016-07-25
From: Mad Tom Notch USFS 21

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

Sergio left just before me today. I really enjoyed his company and the down time. It is good to have family around. The Green Mtn Hostel was great but I must get back on the trail. I hate to say goodbye to a great hostel. Jeff, the hostel owner drove me to the trail head around 8:00am. I checked out my AT guidebook and there seemed to be many shelters on the trail for the next few days. I reached the first two within 5 hrs and I took a break at both. My plan was to go to Little Rock Pond Shelter which would make about 14 miles for the day. I took my time but I didn't want to take too long since the forecast called for rain starting at 4 pm. There was a big steep climb with large rocks to the Bakers Peak and the views were fantastic. I ran into Faye and Mary whom I met a couple of months ago. They were section hiking south through Vermont. They had sent me an email of their plans so I was hoping to cross their path. The last 4 miles were mostly along a creek with nice cascades. The pretty scenery always makes the hike nicer. It drizzled just before I got to the shelter around 4pm but it stopped soon after. I stayed in the shelter with 3 Long Trail hikers, Nar Nar, Vanilla Ice, and Mac & Cheese. The Long Trail is the oldest hiking path in the country. It is all in Vermont and goes from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border for 273 miles. The first 105 miles from the Massachusetts border follows the Appalachian Trail. I may come back and finish the Long Trail one day. The pond at the shelter was very inviting. Nar Nar and I waded in and sat down. There were lots of rocks in it so it was hard to walk but the dip was very refreshing. After that I did my usual housekeeping to get set up in the shelter. There is a group of 3 young ladies who are sisters and are section hiking. All of us sat, ate dinner and talked about the day and our plans for tomorrow. This camp site has a caretaker and it costs $5 to stay. It is worth it because the shelter is nice and clean. I really love that it has a covered porch/deck...one day I will have a house with a porch. For tomorrow, most of us plan to hike 1/2 mile down the road to a restaurant then stay at a shelter that is 14 miles from here. Tonight I was in my sleeping bag by 8 pm and I hope to sleep well.Goodnight.
Date: 2016-07-26
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

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

I think my body is rested from the last couple of days so I awoke at 5:30am, had breakfast and headed out at 6:45am. I Walked next to the pond and enjoyed some nice views with the green hills in the background. The path started out being very rocky with many roots but then there were nice trails intermittently. The temperature is in the high 70's and overcast which is very nice for hiking. I had a steep downhill today that was rough with rocks and loose dirt. I got through it with no slips or falls! Yeah!! I climbed Bear Mtn for some nice views then made it to VT 103 where I hiked 0.5 mile down the road for a restaurant! Extra miles are worth it for good food. Nobo Lobo was there already so I joined him. I met him earlier today while hiking. He is from Mexico but has lived in the USA for many years. This is one of the few times on the trail that I could have a conversation in Spanish. I enjoyed talking Spanish with him. A fish sandwich and hamburger plus 3 glasses of tea is just what I needed. Nar Nar, Vanilla Ice and Mac & Cheese arrived shortly after I ate. We decided to hike to the second shelter which is 7 more miles for a total of 19.7. I hiked back to the trail head and was greeted with 2 steep uphill climbs. After that it was pretty smooth hiking all the way to Governor Clement shelter. I pitched my tent by 4 section hikers. They were set up and had a fire going. Nar Nar, Vanilla Ice, Mac & Cheese, Brah and I joined them around the fire while we ate dinner. We had great hiking conversations and some laughs. It was a nice ending to a long day.
Date: 2016-07-28
From: Kent Pond

To: The Lookout
Miles today: 13.5

My late night slowed me down this morning. I visited with the other hikers, had breakfast and finally got to hiking at 9:30am. I wasn't sure how far I would go but I had to keep in mind that it was supposed to start raining at 2pm. I hoped that I would get to where I was going to stay by then. The trail did not have many rocks today but it had a lot of exposed roots. It was a nice trail that went up and down a lot. There weren't many views at all. I like to see waterfalls so I decided to take a side trail to Thundering Falls. I was so disappointed when I got there because there was no thundering going on...it was dry! Oh well. I ran into Aurora and Conundrum when I took a break. Later I came up on Disco and her mom who came to hike with her for a few days. I saw them off and on until I arrived at a cabin and tower where I planned to stay the night. It started raining before I reached my destination at about 3pm. Since I was under the canopy of the trees it wasn't bad. Arrived at my home for the night, the Lookout, at 4:15pm. It was a large cabin with a ladder going to the top with a lookout perch. The views were 360 degrees and I could see Killington Mtn ski area where I was yesterday. Brah was there and Aurora and Conundrum came in later along with a few other hikers. The rain stopped a little after I arrived. Later we tried to see the sunset but it was too cloudy at that time. As time passed it cleared a little and the northwestern sky turned shades of red and blue...it was beautiful. There were 4 of us up there enjoying the view. This is another reason why I hike, to see views like that. It was a good spot. There are 10 hikers in the cabin and there is still room for more.Tomorrow Yvonne will arrive for a 4 day visit and I am really looking forward to seeing her. It is supposed to storm on the east coast tomorrow morning and the airlines are already saying that they may cancel flights. I hope there are no delays with her flight.   Time to sleep.