morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-11
From: NY 301, Canopus Lake, NY

To: Morgan Stewart shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Date: 08/11/07Start: NY 301, Canopus Lake, NYStop: Morgan Stewart shelter Miles: 16.0Wx: cool-am, warm-pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Toba, Skip, many SOBO'sShelter: SOBO's Up early at the hotel for their breakfast. Packed our bags and went down to wait for Gene our shuttle to the trail. He arrived at 0730 and we were on our wayy to the trail. It was cool and clear this morning. As we got close to the drop off point it started to get foggy. As we reached the trail a shadowy figure started to emerge on the road. It was Skip! He made it to Clarence Fahnestock State Park and camped there last night. He started hiking with us this morning in the cool, foggy weather. Perfect hiking weather - cool. The trail was pretty easy with some ups/downs but in general it was nearly flat. We took our first break on top of a mt top, xxxxx, where the wind was blowing and there were nice views. Our next big break was lunch at an overlook to farm land and quiet on the east side of the xxxx mt. We reached NY 52 where Toba and I went .3miles to the Deli for some sandwiches for dinner. Tony stayed to watch our packs. The deli has good sandwiches but the service was a little slow since the two young guys were having to much fun jawjacking. Anyway we made it back to the trail and started hiking again. We had 4 more miles to go to the shelter for the night. These were the hardest miles today since we were still tired from yesterdays hike, a bit hungry, and fatigued from the last few days. Zero time in two days - Yeah!! There was a section of the trail that required a 1/3 mile road walk and ended up being longer. We missed the blaze at the stop sign to turn left. Instead we kept going straight for probably another 1/4 mile before turning around. As we were heading back to the inhtersection a nice young lady pulls over and tells us where we need to go. Thank you. It was a 15-20 minute detour that we did not need due mainly from our being tired by this time of the day. We hiked on for the last 4miles and stopped twice for short breaks. One was a nice overlook that was 1/4mile from the shelter. We didn't think we were that close but it turned out to be that way. The shelter area is realky crowded tonight with NOBO' and SOBO's. The shelter has a hand pump for water but the water still needs treating. Skip finally showed up an hour before dark. During our walk today we walked near rock walss again. This seems to happen aas we near a town or road crossing. It makes you wonder who built them, why, and when.
Date: 2007-08-12
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter, NY

To: Wiley Shelter, NY
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

Date: 08/12/07Start: Morgan Stewart shelter, NYStop: Wiley Shelter, NYMiles: 16.6Wx: warm-am/pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Toba, Shelter: Up early again as the sun comes up. Always better to get an early start. I was still tired from the two days before. We need a zero. 10 days is a long time between days off. We started slow but kept a steady pace of about 2.5 mph. It seems we are all pretty tired today but we still have to hike anyway. The trail took us through more areas where rock walls were. It makes you wonder who built these walls. I believe they are old property walls from the 1800's or early 1900's. Some of the rocks were huge. We did pass by Dover Oak today too. It is reportedly the largest oak tree on the trail. Its girth 4ft above ground is 20ft-4inches and it is estimated to be about 300 years old. Other items of note are all the mushrooms along the trail. All kinds, shapes, and colors. We have been seeing a lot of orange newts on the trail. It seems like they were everywhere. Especially, after the rain two days ago. We passed by Nuclear Lake today about midway through our day. There were two fisherman out enjoying the day. We also hiked by the Appalachian Trail train station. This stop is active mainly on the weekends. We also read in the companion guide there is a hot dog stand visible from the trail near the train station. Our hopes were dashed when we got there and saw no hot dog stand. Maybe it's only out there on weekdays. Toba and I hiked the last part of the day until we got to the shelter. We were surprised when we got to the shelter because we thought we still had about 20 minutes to go. This shelter also has a hand pump for water. The water still has to be treated though since tests have found coliform bacteria from time to time. We are all pretty tired and can't wait to get to Kent, CT for a zero day. Wx: warm all day.
Date: 2007-08-13
From: Wiley Shelter, NY

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 13.0

Date: 08/13/07Start: Wiley Shelter, NYStop: Kent, CTMiles: 13.xWx: warm-am, hot/humid-pm. Hotel: TonyTiger, Handyman, Toba, Shelter: 10 mile shelter Hot humid afternoon. I was dragging coming into Kent, Ct. The road walk in was hot and I was tired and barely walking. I think I was dehydrated since I wasn't able to keep up. No energy left. We stopped at the Mt Algo lean-to for a quick break and I ate my last bagel to hopefully give some energy to make the last mile. We got to kent and stopped at Caralee's Diner for lunch. We were all starving. I had a cheeseburger and hot dog with root beer for the drink. I was still feeling sluggish so I went to the mens room and washed up some and soaked my bandana to put on my neck to try to cool off. The food helped a lot in the recovery effort. Toba and I went to the church on the corner to ask if we could stay somewhere on their grounds. Nobody was there so we decided to do the hotel instead. We got a room at the fife and drum inn and showered before headed to the laundry. We all headed to the laundry and it started to rain just before we got there. It didn't rain long. We met Twisted Sister, Tengu, and Mr craxxxxx there too. They are SOBO's. After laundry we went back to the rooms and relaxed some before going to eat. We were looking for Skip to celebrate his birthday a day early. We found him at an italian restaurant at the bar. We joined him and toasted a happy birthday to him. Bigfoot came in and we all got a table in the restaurant section until TonyTiger and Barb showed up. We all had a great time. A long day. I didn't feel good during dinner and mostbof tge night. It came on suddenly. I had severe abdominal cramps and thought it would go away later. It lasted all night. We saw G at dinner too and we offered him floor sppace in the hotel if he wanted. He did, so we had three people in one room. Wx: warm all day.
Date: 2007-08-15
From: Kent, CT

To: Pine Swamp Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0

Date: 08/15/07Start: Kent, CTStop: Pine Swamp Lean-toMiles: 17.0Wx: cool-warm-am, warm/humid-pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Toba, Sir PrivywinksShelter: It was a slow day today. We started offwith breakfast at Caralee's diner before hitting the trail.River rd walkLots of ups/downsSaw more sobo's todayGotto shelter at 1800.I was harder to keep motivated.Bugs bad at shelter
Date: 2007-08-16
From: Pine Swamp Lean-to

To: Plateau Campsite
Miles today: 16.6

Date: 08/16/07Start: Pine Swamp Lean-toStop: Plateau CampsiteMiles: 16.6Wx: cool/warm-am, warm/humid-pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, TobaShelter: We were up early and the air had a chill to it. It felt great. Toba started off first to stay warm followed by me a few minutes later. Tony needed to get water but would catch up later. Toba and I kept a pretty slow pace early since we were still feeling a little tired from yesterday. We took a break at the Sharon campsite where Tony was able to catch up. There was no water here. Off we went and our next stop was at Belter's campsite where a spring was and the water was good and cold. We all got water here. After getting water we hiked on until we got to US 7/Conn 112 and then hiked at the edge of a corn field for awhile. We turned down a road after crossing a bridge then followed it until we were back in the woods. The trail paralleled the road and crossed it and headed towards the river. We took a break where the trail meets up with a wheelchair access trail near the old gaging station. It was nice since it had benches to sit on. We followed both trails until it exited near the hydroelectric plant. After following the road again we crossed the river again on an old iron bridge. The trail the followed the river until it got to Great Falls, which was pretty impressive for a cascading water fall. The trail veared away from the river and started up Prospect Mt. It was long gradual climb and we took lunch about 3/4 the way up. After lunch we got on top of the mt a there are still old rock walls on top where people probably lived a long time ago.   It took us a long time to get over the top before we came down near Salisbury, CT. We did not go into town but were in the town limits. The trail took us on a road that passes by a cemetery where there is a water spigot. We all needed water again and we were only .9mi from the campsite. The spring at the campsite is unreliable so we tanked up here with anything that would carry water. We got to Plateau campsite and setup and Toba and I took a nap. We were both tired from the day still. It was a good day of hiking over semi difficult terrain. The weather was not to bad but had an occasional breeze to help cool us down.
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Plateau Campsite

To: Hemlock shelter
Miles today: 13.2

Date: 08/17/07Start: Plateau CampsiteStop: Hemlock shelter Miles: 13.2Wx: cool/warm-am/pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Toba, Skips friend Dan, Bigfoot Shelter: Moosehead & Cul de Sac, Skip, Ranger Jan We got out a little late this morning but who cares. It rained about 10 minutes last night. Just long enough to get me out of my hammock to setup my rain fly. It stopped after I got back into the hammock. Today looks like a tough day by the profile. The first climb was to Lions Head. It is a peak with great views of the area below. The hike between here and Bear mt was really easy because it was almost level the majority of the time. Bear mt had a great view looking into the valley and 360 degrees. It also has a gigantic stone monument on top and was a great place for a break. The climb up was easy but the climb down was steep and stair cased to Sages Ravine. After it leveled off some we got to the ravine and water. The creek there is flowing with plenty of water. The trail follows the creek for about 1/2 mile before it crosses it and into Massachusetts. From there it was a steady climb up to Race mt. We ate lunch after getting to the top. It was nice and relaxing for a change. We headed down and then up again towards Mt Everett which had a steep rocky climb. The views here were no as good as the other mts. We hiked down to Hemlock shelter where three college students were out for the weekend. It was great meeting them. Ranger Jan came stolling into the shelter tonight. We thought he was a month ahead. It's his second day back after 3 weeks off for a family emergency. It's good to see him again. Moosehead and Cul de Sac also came in tonight. They arrived by headlamp. It was a great day today!
Date: 2007-08-18
From: Hemlock shelter

To: Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

Date: 08/18/07Start: Hemlock shelterStop: Great Barrington, MAMiles: 8.0Wx: cool-am/pm. Hotel: TonyTiger, Handyman, TobaShelter: Cold stormy night-45degreesChilly in hammock Cool/windy on ridgesTried hitching for 45 minutesTaxi to Great BASFStayed at days innCold dayHot shower felt greatDinner - pizza, zitiWatched bourne identity on tvToba going back home for awhileShopping at organic storeLunch at subway.
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Great Barrington, MA

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: broken clouds

Date: 08/19/07Start: Great Barrington, MAStop: Shaker Campsite Miles: 17.6Wx: cool-am/pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, HandymanShelter: none Nice day. Water almost an issue Fast last 4 miles-paceTough downhills Tough uphills It started off being a nice day today. The was cool and perfect for hiking. Toba won't be hiking with us for awhile since she is going back home for a few weeks. Hopefully we will see her again the first week of September. It will be different without her. She is a strong hiker and always alert to the surroundings. Tony and I ended up taking a taxi back to the trail. We could have yogi'd have a ride this morning but totally blew the opportunity. We just were not thinking. Since the weather has been cold I asked toba if I could borrow her sleeping bag to use as a quilt to supplement my poncho liner's insulation and she said yes that would be fine. Thank you so much Toba. I probably would be freezing if I did mot have it. We saw a porcupine today on the trail. It climbed a tree as we got closer.We are always worried about water availablity a the end of each day. At the campsite area are Dionisus and Sir Privywinks with us. It was a long day of up and downs.
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Shaker Campsite

To: October shelter
Miles today: 18.7

Date: 08/20/07Start: Shaker Campsite Stop: October shelterMiles: 18.7Wx: cool-am/pm. 50-65Shelter: TonyTiger, Handyman, 6 Sobo's, 3 sectioners Cold morning wake upFeeling great because of colder weather Trail pretty easyTried call credit card svcFast hiking pace on both up/dnRain last 1hour before getting to shelterLots of sobo's here already - tumbleweed, ?, ?
Date: 2007-08-21
From: October shelter

To: Dalton, MA (Shamrock Inn)
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Date: 08/21/07Start: October shelter Stop: Dalton, MA (Shamrock Inn)Miles: 11.8Wx: cool-am/pm. 50-65Hotel: TonyTiger, Handyman. Cold morning waking up and I am feeling great because of colder weather. We still had to be careful on the wet rocks and roots as we hiked. Now is not the time to make a mistake and get hurt. The trail was pretty easy which made for a fast hiking pace on both ups/dns. I had to stop at the Kay Wood Shelter because the name reminded me of my mom since they have the same name. We ran into a cooler with Trail magic just before dalton which was totally unexpected but much appreciated. Arrived dalton and hiked to the hotel. Saw Persistant, Melk, and Ronin. We talked to Laura who runs the hotel. She is very hiker friendly. She said Not Guilty had left the morning before. Oh so close. We rummaged through the hiker box and I found one of my favorite snacks - Nutty Bars. Sorry Luna, I will still leave some for you. We went to eat at Angelina's Subs. Very good food. After dinner we went back to the hotel and just relaxed until bedtime.
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Dalton, MA (Shamrock Inn)

To: Mark Noepel shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Date: 08/22/07Start: Dalton, MA (Shamrock Inn)Stop: Mark Noepel shelter Miles: 13.7Wx: cool-am/on pm. 50-65Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Shelter: Topo, two women Cool morning, great for hiking. It took us a while to get out of town as usual. The first mile was all sidewalk until we got to the edge of town. From there the trail started a gradual accent. We took our time and took many breaks-short and long. We stopped at Gore Pond for one long break and the view was awesome. From there we started to follow a logging/forest road. The Wingfoot guide mentioned the road so off we went. About .2 miles down a no blazes, one of us went back to the pond area to see if/where we may have missed a blaze. Couldn't find the change so we continued down the road for at least a mile it seemed. We decided to turn back at this point and go back to the pond again and all of us look for a blaze. We finally found the trail again at the pond. The blaze was very faint but one about 1500ft further was bright white. 45 minutes and about 1.5 stupid miles later we continued north on the AT. No other problems from there to Cheshire. The trail down into Cheshire was steep but graded well. We stopped at the Post Office first for maildrops and then to eat at Diane's Twist. We saw Topo here and we were also joined by Sir Privywinks. After lunch we headed for the outfitters but it was closed. We then tried to find a store to resupply for 2 days but there was none except a convenience store with snack food items. I grabbed a few items to get me to North Adams the next day with a supermarket. We finally got out of Cheshire and start the long climb up to Mt Greylock. We will stay at the Mark Noepel shelter before the top. The initial climb was very steep for 1/2 mile with one side of the trail dropping off at about 75 degrees down. Pretty steep drop off. Once we finished this climb the terrain took a gradual accent to just before the shelter. The last 1/4-1/2 mile was also a steep climb. We made it and finally got to the shelter about 1915. It was cold (about 50 deg) and a breeze was blowing. We setup camp as fast as we could, ate, then went to bed. Ahhh, the warmth of being under covers and getting warm. Tried to journal but kept falling asleep.Steep climbs to mt greylock
Date: 2007-08-23
From: Mark Noepel shelter

To: Sherman Brook Campsite
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Date: 08/23/07Start: Mark Noepel shelterStop: Sherman Brook Campsite Miles: 11.4Wx: cool/foggy-am/clearing-pm. 50-65Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Shelter: noneStarted off slow today. Still chilly from yesterday. Tony and I have our morning routines down. We will do a short day today since yesterday was somewhat tough and we are giving us a chance to get the trail legs back. Anyone that comes back onto the trail after some time off needs time to adjust again. That's where we are today. It took me about 3 days when I came back on the trail before I felt good hiking again. It will take about the same time. Anyway, it's foggy and cool to start the day. We will be climbing most of the time until we get to Mt Greylock. I love hiking on days like today - cool. The trail takes us through an 'alpine' type region with fir trees and dense areas. Moss covered logs, rocks, and trees are all around. A cool breeze blows through the trees and an occasional foggy patch shrouds the forest. It's serene and quiet as we hike through it barely making a sound. I love hiking through areas like this. As we approach Mt Greylock the fog is thicker and blocks any views past 200m. The tower on top is also shrouded in fog and is visible up close. The surrounding tourist area on top is closed for renovation. I can imagine what the views would be like on a clear day. Oh well. Down we go to North Adams for lunch and resupply. We ate lunch at Friendly's and had dessert then we resupplied at Price Chopper. While sitting and repacking our food bags a very nice young women comes up and asks if we needed a ride back to the trail. We said yes and are very grateful for her generosity. A true trail angel named Becka. Thanks Becka for the ride. Without it we may not have met up with fellow hikers G, Birdstar, and Grizzle. The trail follows the road a bit before turning north again up someones driveway. We almost missed it except for the lady that was there telling us the trail goes up the driveway. We got to the campsite with our heavier packs, setup, and relaxed. We were still full to really make dinner. I carried a banana and apple but ate the banana instead. The apple will be a snack break tomorrow.
Date: 2007-08-24
From: Sherman Brook Campsite

To: Congdon shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Date: 08/24/07Start: Sherman Brook CampsiteStop: Congdon shelter Miles: 12.5Wx: cool/foggy-am, humid/warm-pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman, Brian and Steven Shelter: Alex, Started off slow again today. The morning routine is in chaos. The weather is getting hot/humid again so we need to get going early. 0800 is not early. Today will be a short mileage day. I will continue to hike at my own pace each day so I can keep my conditioning at its peak. Hiking slower seems to be more tiring for some reason. It took us most of the morning to do the 5 miles to the shelter. The terrain wasn't any harder than what we've done already. Just going to slow. The heat and humidity doesn't help any either. I am in Vermont! I never have been in this state so it's something special. At the border we saw Stickman and caught up to Alex again. She is hiking part of the Long Trail through Vermont. Oh yeah, the Long Trail begins at the border too. The trail has been boggy in spots with mud to step through. At least I haven't lost a shoe - yet. Nothing is really different than hiking in Massachusetts. The trail changes so subtley as you keep hiking north. At the last break I decided that I would take my next break at Consultation Mt and wait 20 minutes. If they had not shown up by then I would just hike on for the next 3 miles without a break. This is what I ended up doing and I covered the last 3 miles in one hour and ten minutes. I felt good at that pace but still somewhat tired from before and from the humidity. I got to the shelter and Alex was already there. We talked for a while as I cooled down. She is on break from school and is studying to be a massage therapist. That is exactly what we need out on the trail. I wish her luck. Not much else for the evening. Hope it doesn't rain. I think it will be humid so I put my rainfly up too.
Date: 2007-08-25
From: Congdon shelter

To: Goddard shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: haze

Date: 08/25/07Start: Congdon shelterStop: Goddard shelter   Miles: 14.8Wx: cool-am, humid/hot-pm. Tenting: TonyTiger, Handyman,, Shelter: Cul de Sac, Keefe, Kevin and Brian, The HobbitsPorcupine lookout Hot humidHydrate
Date: 2007-08-26
From: Goddard shelter

To: Stratton Pond shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Date: 08/26/07Start: Goddard shelter Stop: Stratton Pond shelter Miles: 19.4Wx: cool-am/pm. Tenting: Shelter: Cul de Sac, Sir Privywinks, Land Shark, Handyman, TopoPerfect hiking day! After last nights lightning and thunderstorm with rain it was cool this morning. I was up and soaking up as much of the water on my rainfly with a bandana. It will take a sunny day to really dry everything out. I talked with Tony about what their plans are for hiking today. They only plan on doing 8.7 miles to the Story Spring Shelter after waiting to dry their things out for a couple hours. I couldn't wait and didn't want to do a low mile day on a perfect hiking weather day and will meet them in Manchester Center. Off I went in the cool weather and fog. About a mile from the start I was going up a rocky section of the trail and stepped on a rock that sent me flying. The rock was loose and when I stepped on it it tilted to the left and my foot slipped off the rock and I lost my balance. I fell onto a big sloping rock and when my left foot was freed from the wedging in of the other rock I went tumbling off the trail and down about 6 feet. It took me a few seconds to figure that nothing was broken before I hiked on. I stopped at Kid Gore shelter to do some wound maintainance. I clean up the three scrapes and put some Neosporin on them. I hike on a bit sore but feeling pretty good. I get to Story Spring shelter and stop for lunch and to dry some things out. As I was getting ready to leave Ground Pounder and Fry Pan arrive. They will stay here for the night. I tell them I left some snacks in the shelter for Tony. This will help them tomorrow. I head on and run into a Yale orientation group before the road. After a break at the road I start up Mt Stratton. About a mile into this area I run into Topo snacking. We talk a few seconds before I move on. After a long climb we both make it to the top. Cool area. There is an old firetower to climb up for spectviews of the surrounding mt and ponds. About a half mile away is a ski resort and gondola. Cool. Topo and I chat with Jean the caretaker up here before heading down. Stratton Mt wasn't as steep going down as it was coming up. I make it to Stratton Pond shelter and get settled in. Grizzle and Jim are here. So is Land Shark. Eventually Topo shows up as the caretaker, Mitch, comes by to collect $5.00 from those staying. Very nice shelter with lots of bunks, loft, and covered porch. Very nice. Cul de Sac and her friend also arrive later. Sir Privywinks arrives just after dark. Time for sleep. Glad to be okay.