morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-23
From: Mt Wilcox South Shelters

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Day 113 Upper Goose Pond Shelter Numerous AT blogs have lists of stuff only a hiker would be interested in. One of these is :¢The Top Ten Shelters on the Trail¢ Top of the list for most blogs is ¢Upper Goose Pond Shelter¢. It was on my mental note of places to stay and today I got to stay there. All night it had been raining torrentially and the morning arrived with no perceptible change. At least I had dry socks to put on even if that wouldn¢t last for long. I was more concerned about the condition of the trail though as I had a steep descent first up. But as it turned out there were not too many rocks to slip up on and the path was generally grippy compacted soil. It was cushioned so going down hill was much easier. Towards mid morning the rain eased up and by the time I made it to Upper Goose Pond ( which to my mind is actually a large lake) my clothes started to dry out. At the shelter I met up with the two caretakers. It¢s one of the few places on the trail that had these and they do a warm and caring job of welcoming everyone. There were about 20 staying the night most of who stayed in the upper floor in a bunkhouse. I chose to tent a little ways away on a tent platform. It was quiet and peaceful. In the bunk room ¢Yardsale ¢ a thru hiker I¢d met several weeks ago had left me a note about my watercolours. He was a faster hiker than I, and he was about 4 days in front of me. It¢s amazing how we all keep in contact! Lots of hikers see me water colouring. These days most folks are doing Volgs. Once upon a time watercolours were what most folks did on their adventures ( I¢m referring here to the 1800¢s!!). Anyways I really enjoy the way it helps me relax and that¢s what I did most of the afternoon. The caretakers did also suggest I take a swim in the lake. (hmmm? I really smell that bad?) I did that and it was so refreshing. The water was incredibly clear and the fish occasionally nibbled at my feet. Also quite a relaxing sensation. The shelter is set up to avoid any soaps or detergents entering the catchment zone so they have set up washing stations with trapping systems to catch any chemicals, food stuffs or shampoos. I took the opportunity to have a shave and wash my clothes knowing it was all safe. The atmosphere at Upper Goose was so  sedative and I slept well that night.
Date: 2019-07-25
From: Kay Wood Shelter

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 115 Holey Shoe Yesterday I slipped on a rock, caught myself and then kept on going. No big deal. It happens many times every day. Only this time my shoe scraped against a sharp rock and sliced my shoe open. I had no idea at the time but last night as I was taking my shoes off I stuck three fingers through the hole. Now I understood why every time I stepped near a puddle of water my feet got wet. Well I was upset. I so wanted to get 700 miles out of my shoes and I was 300 miles short!!! Anyways this morning there was a nearby coffee shop and it was a superb opportunity to sit, rest and work out what I was going to do. I found out there was also an outfitter in the next town who would meet me out the trail head, take me to his store, fit me with new shoes and then I¢d be on my way. They say the Trail provides and it certainly does. I managed to get new shoes, a resupply and then was back hiking again with only a 90 minute stop. That night I was back up in the mountains ready to climb the highest peak in Massachusetts.
Date: 2019-07-26
From: Mark Noepel Shelter

To: Sherman Brook Campsite
Miles today: 11.2

Day 116 Breakfast at GreylockOur camp at the Mark Noepel Shelter was at the perfect location to climb Greylock Mountain which is the highest peak in Massachusetts at 3491feet. It was about halfway up, so in the morning I was up early and on my way. I got into a rhythm and before too long was at the top. There is a Lodge there dating from the 1930¢s, and it serves breakfast. Although I¢d already had a coffee and porridge back at camp I was ready for eggs toast and more coffee. They have a lovely dining room and I spent a long time there, just relaxing and enjoying the view. Pretty soon I was joined by many of my fellow hikers from the night before who are hiking together as a team ( apparently called ¢Team Odour¢ !!). We sat around a long table and had great conversations. Then it was time to go down the other side of the mountain. Pretty much a long 3,000 foot descent into the community of Williamstown. Once there I walked half mile off trail to a supermarket and loaded up on a resupply. It was by now a hot afternoon and like most resupply days the supply point is at the bottom of the hill and the next shelter all the way back up the hill. I had ambitious plans to go a long way but my pack was far too heavy and the temperature much too hot. So when I came to a ¢Pete¢s¢ spring and a camping spot a shorter distance in I called it quits for the day. Finding a level spot for my tent was a challenge, and that soon became a dilemma for many hikers as we all seemed to make a similar decision to call our day short due to the conditions. My dinner for the night was a fresh salad and salmon. It was heavy to haul in, but a delicious meal. Best off, it meant my pack would be much lighter tomorrow as I climbed higher.
Date: 2019-07-27
From: Sherman Brook Campsite

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Day 117 Into VermudThe climb out from camp turned from steep, to very steep, to rock scramble. I¢m glad it had not been raining as the rocks would have been scarily slippery. Once at the top of the ridge things flattened out for a while and I came to the state border with Vermont. It¢s affectionately called Vermud by walkers and it wasn¢t too long before I knew why! Somehow the trail seemed to morph into a dark brown oozing swamp! Every other step was a challenge. Sometimes there were rocks to step on, and oftentimes there were not. The worse were those patches of mud which were disguised to look like a rock but were really a sunken surprise! Quite a few times my step descended into the slime, but fortunately not past my sock line!!!The state line is also the southern starting point of ¢The Long Trail¢ and for the next 100 miles of so, it and the AT share the same route. It¢s a popular shorter hike so I was joined by many new hiker faces. We joking also noted that ¢The Long Trail¢ is also the longest river in Vermont! There really was a lot of flowing water adding to the muddy conditions. Not too long after crossing the state line I also came across another highlight: the 1600 mile marker. It felt good to be gradually accumulating more distance. That night I made camp by a large beaver pond. There were lots of these I passed by today. Maybe they are responsible for all this mud??!!!
Date: 2019-07-28
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 118 Wilderness, Mud & Beaver PondsAll night long it seemed that there was a light misty rain falling as I often heard what seemed to be raindrops falling on my tent fly. Curiously my fly was dry in the morning and I then realised that I¢d chosen a tree to camp under that was being eaten out by caterpillars. The raindrops were really small pieces of leaf falling down!! Much of the day was spent in woods with no clear view of what was about me or even what was coming up. I find this frustrating at times, boring even, because even though I¢m surrounded by beautiful trees and mossy boulders that evoke comparisons to ¢Lord of the Rings¢-ish scenery, there comes a point when it starts to all look the same. Several sections today were designated wilderness areas so this did emphasise the remote nature. Then I came to the top of Glastenbury Mountain only as I say I was in a dense forest so didn¢t really know I was on a mountain top.  There was an antique fire tower there dating from the 1920¢s and I climbed on up and had a glorious view that in an instant told me where I came from and where I was going. It was a small tower, with a tiny deck at the top. I don¢t think I¢d be that comfortable standing up there on a windy day. But today was calm and I had a contemplative panorama before me. Coming down the mountain I had plenty of beaver ponds. It was certainly a damp environment and very beautiful too. Trouble is the beavers do tend to foul up the water supply so I had to be careful with my filtering. I arrived at my camp for the night, Story Spring Shelter, quite late in the day. Somehow the remoteness, and picturesque beaver ponds must have made me walk slow. It did have a super fresh, cold spring that was an envigorative elixir to enjoy with my supper.
Date: 2019-07-29
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: William B Douglas Shelter 
Miles today: 15.3

Day 119 Rejoining Old FriendsToday was a day I ran out of energy. It¢s weird, there are some days I get exhausted and others I¢m full of vitality.Maybe it¢s a rhythm of life thing. Just as the world is vibration and nothing in nature is at absolute rest. It seems that everything is in a state of energy flows and in all flows there¢s a rhythm to be found. And so it was that today I was zapped of energy and not brimming with it. I had a large ¢hill¢ to climb: Stratton Mountain at 3936 feet. It had a restored firetower on it with another glorious view. It was also the exact spot where Benton MacKaye conceived the idea of the Appalachian Trail. It¢s also the spot where sitting in his tent in the rain in 1909, James P. Taylor conceived of the idea of The Long Trail that would run along the ridges of the spine of the Green Mountains all the way to Canada. A very special spot. I stood there for a whiles but no great ideas came to me. Maybe those energy flows were too far in the negative!! The trail was very smooth heading down, then it reached a plateau and went flat ( sort of) for a good whiles. Along the way I heard a grunt behind me. Turning I saw ¢The Beast¢ and ¢Sweet¢ again!!! So good to see them. They were off to a shelter another 6 miles away but sadly I had to advise I just did not have it in me to make it that far. Instead a couple of miles further on I turned off the trail and came to a charming shelter built in the 1950¢s. It was late afternoon and earlier than I normally stop. But I was tired, and once I had my tent up and mattress sorted I was off to a very sound sleep!
Date: 2019-07-30
From: William B Douglas Shelter 

To: Green Mountain House Manchester
Miles today: 5.8

Day 120 Time for a NeroI decided on a shorter day today as I was still feeling a little tired. I packed up and was on my way quite early. At the next trailhead was a busy highway at the crest of a saddle between two ridges. Cars naturally slowed down and no sooner had I stuck out my thumb than a lady pulled up and took me into the town of Manchester about 4 miles away. She ran the local pizza restaurant and always stoped to help out hikers on her way to work. She dropped me off at ¢Up for Breakfast¢ which is a very popular breakfast cafe and is upstairs!! I looked at the menu and instinctively I ordered steak and eggs. I had not had red meat in quite a while and perhaps my gut brain was making an executive order! I¢ve got to say I felt so much better after that good feed! From there I went to the local supermarket for a resupply then I called the folks at the Green Mountain Home Hostel who drove on out and picked me up. To my great surprise they had an Australian flag flying outside!!! Inside the hostel was immaculate and had everything a tired hiker would want: comfortable bed, clean bath, spacious kitchen and a homely lounge room. I was in heaven and rested well. That night it was full with about 15 or so and we all agreed this was a top star place to stay.
Date: 2019-07-31
From: Green Mountain House Manchester

To: Campsite near USF10
Miles today: 18.3

Day 121 Trail Magic Party Time My time at the Green Mountain House Hostel was so invigorating. In the morning there was prep and cook your own breakfast. I decided on yoghurt plus a beef patty cooked on the barbecue grill outside. Then a large van was loaded up with 6 north bound hikers and we were off back to the trail head. From there it was a significant climbing day up Bromley Mountain which must have been full of roots, rocks and mud because it was very easy to slip over. But I did not. Others did and I saw some bruised and bloodied limbs! About half way in on the day I met a fast hiker coming the other way who said there was trail magic 8 miles ahead and I¢d better hurry up. Now getting ¢Treetrunk¢ to speed up is a mission I¢ve had all hike. But I rested less, meandered less and tried my best to quicken my pace! Sure enough at the end of the day I came across a blue roofed pavilion with many many hikers boisterously chatting away. There were jugs of every refreshment conceivable! And I joined in the merry throng. What a great way to relax at the end of a strenuous hike. Just on dusk I moved on and in the falling light found a great stealth site not too far away. I¢m told most folks there didn¢t bother. They just kept on having a happy good time.
Date: 2019-08-01
From: Campsite near USF10

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 122 Rock Garden Virginia provided some of the prettiest hiking today. No mud. No bugs or pesky flies. Lots of gorgeous sights. It started off with Little Rock Pond, a picture perfect lake that was steaming slightly as the morning air was still a little crisp. I sat on a rock and cooked breakfast as a steady stream of hikers staggered up from the festivities from the night before. Everyone seemed to have a tale to tell!!! The path continued on through terrain that was not too steep coming to a couple of rock gardens that gnomes mysteriously had created. Every so often hikers would pass on by and add their creativity to the mix. Later there was a waterfall to take my lunch by. I eased on up to get some water and in an instant slipped on the damped rocks. I think that is about fall number six and like all tumbles on rocks it hurt a bit. But nothing broken, I just lay there a while figuring out where I had misstepped  and how I¢d avoid doing the same thing next time. There was a bunch of hikers taking a rest there, tecalling the adventures from the night before. Then a slack-packer walker came past from the other direction declaring there was trail magic 8 miles forward. That seemed to be a signal for everyone to move on in haste! There was indeed trail magic at Clarendon Gorge, which is a popular swimming spot further on. Once again there was a party like atmosphere and it was the perfect location to enjoy a beer and soak in the sight of the water as it tumbled down a series of rapids. There were rocky deep swimming holes too, the afternoon temperature was warm and many were taking the opportunity for a much needed bath! I stayed awhiles and was tempted to camp as many did. But I knew the next day was going to be a strenuous climbing with many steep ascents. So I moved on to the next shelter at least. Just getting there was a steep gasping boulder climb and I was glad to get it out of the way. I was joined by ¢Jersey Joe¢ a hospice chaplain doing a section hike. He had such a calming peaceful attitude and it was easy to spend a relaxing time in conversation with him before I headed to bed that night.
Date: 2019-08-02
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Rutland
Miles today: 16.7

Day 123 Yellow DeliThe day started with a massive climb up Mt Killington which is a hefty hill and is also a major ski resort. The climb seemed to take all day. The rest of the day was spent coming back down!!! On the way down I met a team of hikers I call ¢The Young Ones¢ who I¢d last seen a couple of months back. It turns out some in the group declared they wanted to catch back up with ¢Treetrunk ¢ as that old man had got too far ahead of them and they needed to restore our hiking order! It was great to see them! Everyone was to meet at the Yellow Deli which is a hiker hostel run by a religious community/cult/sect/family. It¢s also known as the 12 Tribes. At the trailhead we all had our strategies on how to get to Rutland the town it was in 8 miles away. The early/quick ones(not me) caught the free shuttle bus. Others called for an Uber. I just got to the road and stuck out my thumb. Just in time someone called out and said I was hiking the wrong way!!! So I crossed the road and almost immediately got a ride, which did not impress the group waiting for their Uber! The hostel was very clean and homely. That night we were invited to join in their religious meeting. Not many accepted the invitation probably fearing they would succumb and be captured by the ¢cult¢¢s mysterious ways. But I wasn¢t so concerned. The meeting started with singing and dancing with what I thought were middle eastern traditional circle movements. Quite fun to watch. Then there was a Quaker Meeting / Alcoholic Anonymous style sharing. Finally I was provided the best meal I¢ve had in a long long time. All up a great evening. That night I slept well and contented.
Date: 2019-08-03
From: Rutland

To: Yellow Deli
Miles today: 0.0

Day 124 A Zero I decided to join the ¢community/cult/sect/family.¢ But I¢m clean shaven and do not have a pony tail so I didn¢t quite fit in. But I did have a very relaxing time. Rutland is a charming educated town. I learned that Rudyard Kipling wrote ¢The Jungle Book¢ here. I never realised it before but apparently Mowgli represents the British. In the stories, he is seen defeating Shere Khan (ie India) and establishing law and order in a place of deception and deceit. Well I always thought it was about ¢Boy Scouts¢ and their juniors the cubs! Later that night I joined the ¢community/cult/sect/family.¢ for more meetings and food! They are a wonderful resource and answer for some lost souls. But not for me! I went to bed ready for a long hike tomorrow !!
Date: 2019-08-04
From: Yellow Deli

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 125 Meeting with Trail Shepherds Today was a serendipitous luncheon followed by a sturdy walk!! Just before I went to sleep last night a hiker said someone wanted to see me. I was so exhausted and was embarrassed to appear perhaps less able to make conversation. I was so tired! But there at the door was Ron, ... a friend of a friend ...  of John from Dallas and he invited me to lunch the next day. He was naturally such a charming man and I felt compelled to join him. As it was I invited ¢Jersey Joe¢ join us as we had been walking together and I enjoyed his company. We had breakfast first at the Yellow Deli ( gosh they do good food) then we caught the shuttle bus back up the hill to the trail head. Once there we quickly completed a section of the trail before heading back down the hill to the Long Trail Inn. It was a bit of a round trip but we met up with Ron and his delightful partner Cynthia. Ron actually met us half way up the trail with his hoe. He is a trail maintainer (shepherd) and does a fabulous job at that. Down at the Inn we had a very intellectual and intelligent conversation ( well ... the intellectual and intelligent parts were Joe¢s doing .. I kind of just partook of the Irish Pub refreshments ) Sadly, the trail beckons and after what was a great lunch with new found friends, ¢Jersey Joe¢ and I were back on the trail. The ascents seem to be getting steeper and the time to do them longer. The evening was upon us when we made our campsite. Once again familiar faces were there to greet us. Stephanie, ¢Bellows¢ and the rest of the Odour Team were there and they had made a very welcoming fire. We sat for awhiles listening for a bear that apparently was bothering campers. I¢m sure I heard rustling that night but once again I was too tired to really care. I slept peacefully through whatever disturbance the bear may have created!
Date: 2019-08-05
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Cloudland Shelter
Miles today: 20.9

Day 126 Hiking the HillsI felt the need to get some miles in. The Trail though had other ideas and was a root strew, rock, hillock scramble for much of the time. Thats the way it is some times! Fortunately on some of the descents there were steps and at one point even a ladder to help me along the way! I really appreciated that touch!! About morning tea time I saw a side trail to the lookout hut. It was up a steep hill but I'd heard it had a good view. The owner of the hut had built a platform onto of the roof and what a view it had. The title lookout was so apt. I did a quick sketch and hopefully it'll be ready for the post tomorrow! It was so peaceful up on the lookout I decided to have lunch and it was only when some day hikers came along that I knew I needed to get moving.More steep hills were to follow and oh boy the ascents seemed to get steeper as the day wore on. I didn't see too many hikers and with the fading light I headed to Cloudland Shelter which is an older hut on private land where the Appalachian trail used to go. I was the only hiker there and it seems that it was very rarely used now. However it was in great shape! It was fully dark by the time I had finished my supper and I quickly was off to sleep.
Date: 2019-08-06
From: Cloudland Shelter

To: Norwich
Miles today: 14.4

Day 127 NorwichMy pace yesterday seemed be so slow as I found the terrain most difficult. I was dreading what was to come next. But magically the train turned to smooth pine needle carpet. Suddenly I could step with a happy smooth long stride!! What joy.Coming to West Hartford, the first town in a whiles, I searched for a spigot to get some water. Another hiker strode by and directed me to the Hart family who have been trail angels for many years. They have a lovely porch and I was invited up for a cup of coffee, toasted bagel and donuts. Such a surprise and a welcome break.The trail continued its smooth path. I figured that its close proximity to the major towns of Norwich and Hanover maybe mean it gets a bit more upkeep. I certainly made quick progress. Before I knew it I was in Norwich and did a quick resupply at the local general store.The community have set up a register of folks who are willing to help out Through Hikers. I made contact and sure enough I was invited to the home of Corlan and Richard. They are lovely folks and gave me such a warm welcome. And for dinner pulled pork, with salads. So different from my normal fare!My picture today is from yesterday and is the stunning view from the lookout.
Date: 2019-08-07
From: Norwich

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 17.8

Day 128 New HampshireI had a lovely breakfast with Richard: black coffee and lots of it, plus local jams on toast. Just what I needed to get going. Perhaps though I should have stayed in bed a little whiles longer because I headed out of town the wrong way! then lost my walking poles. My brain must have been way to fuzzy with all the coffee!Today I crossed into my next state: New Hampshire and first up the town of Hanover. It really is a quaint and beautiful community. The Ivy League College of Dartmouth is located there and the university feel seeps through everywhere. Most folks seem to be riding around on bikes, dressed in preppy clothes and heading to one of the many coffee shops where they will read an academic journal!I strolled on through and reaching the outskirts relatively quickly came to The Food Coop. There were lots of hiking bags outside and I was quick to recognize many familiar faces. It seems that many of the "younger" kids had taken a zero to enjoy the university atmosphere. I took time to chat for a while and it seemed everyone was heading to the same shelter: Trapper John.