morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-24
From: Pleateau Campsite

To: Glen Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 13.3

Mt. Everett, 3:57pm - Dreams of DistanceAs I reach the summit of Rare Mountain, I rest for a moment. I suck on my platypus hose, drawing cool water deep inside of me. Instinctively, I scan the horizon. Today is a clear day; the haze that normally mars East Coast vistas is present only on the most distant peaks. One such peak stands a lone from the rest, struggling to be seen. It is Mt Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts.My guide book claims that Mt. Greylock is 76 trail miles away. From my vantage point, it appears to be an unfathomable distance to a remote peak. Is it really possible that I will be standing on top if that mountain in just four more days? Surely one can't travel all that distance in 96 hours.And yet I know I will. Taking a final pull of water, I resume walking. Mount Greylock is 76 miles away; Mount Katahdin lies 678 miles to the north.8:06pm - When You're AloneIt's been another lazy day, filled with vistas and baseball. There were a lot of really scenic spots on today's hike, which was convenient because I only went 13.3 miles. I lingered a lot. I spent some time on the observation tower atop Bear Mountain, Connecticut's highest point, chatting with some day hikers and a ridge runner. I took a long lunch on a small bluff overlooking Sages Ravine. This afternoon I killed about an hour soaking in the views from Race Mountain. I turned a corner in the trail and the mountain fell away, leaving me with a sheer face over a valley stretching on for miles.Strangely enough, I didn't see a single north bound thruhiker today. I saw a handful of southbounders and a ton of day hikers enjoying a fine Sunday, but once again found myself separated from the main thruhiker packs. The only others camped out near the lean-to tonight are some section hikers - two I think. They came in and headed straight for a nearby stream. That was two hours ago and I haven't seen them since. No matter, though; I've been learning a lot about the 1919 World Series fix in the meantime.
Date: 2005-07-25
From: Glen Brook Lean-to

To: Mt Wilcox South Lean-to
Miles today: 19.6

7:59pm - Come TogetherSome days everything works out in the end. Take today, for example. Some nasty winds started whipping through the area last night. One of the first sights that greeted me on the trail was a bank of dark clouds on the horizon, just above a red band illuminated by the early morning sun. A storm was brewing for sure. Hanging on to my hat lest it blow away, I descended into the valley, passing a few NoBos (Chainsaw, Nitmunk, and Southpaw) in the process.This particular valley was rumored to be a shrine to the mosquito gods. I lathered up in my DEET, made sure my water bottle was filled, and put on my pack cover, just in case. I meant to cross the four troublesome miles without stopping. I did just that, but to my surprise, the mosquitoes weren't too bad. Maybe the storm scared them off.Towards the end of the valley, McGyver and Just Passin' Thru passed me going south. As you may recall, they are a father/son team that hikes a southbound section each day but moves north from day to day. The father's back is pretty bad, so they're slacking the trail using a support car. An hour or two later as I was climbing out of the valley, I was surprised to see them pass me again, still heading south. Apparently they only planned on a short section today, but Just Passin Thru was feeling better than expected so they did more. It's the first time I've been passed twice by the same Southbounders in one day.I had lunch on some rocks on East Mountain and stopped off in Tom Leonard Shelter two miles later. I was out of water, however the water at the shelter was apparently a long downhill walk away. I gambled I could make it a mile and a half to the next stream crossing. After all, it was a cool day.The operative word is "was." Wouldn't you know it, the sun broke through the clouds after all! It turned out high winds were pushing the storm clouds away, not closer. Of course, the change in weather turned the tables a bit in terms of my water situation. But things worked out nicely. The first road crossing I came to, about a mile past the shelter, had several jugs of trail magic water waiting, along with a bag of fresh bagels. I drank a half liter of water on the spot, filled my water bottles and set off, snacking on a bagel. When I reached the stream where I had originally intended to fill up, I found several sodas floating around and a note congratulating hikers on 1,500 miles well done. To top things off, the next stretch of trail was lined with wild raspberries. Talk about trail magic - it was out in abundance today.I spent the late afternoon lounging around Benedict Pond swimming and reading. A Sobo named Tugboat came by and we talked a bit, swapping advice about the sections we had respectively just covered. Eventually I moved on the final 1.3 miles to the South Mt Wilcox shelter and met the other northbounder present, Free. He says we've met in the past, but I can't recall it. Too many hikers...
Date: 2005-07-26
From: Mt Wilcox South Lean-to

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

8:34pm - The Cabin Down BelowI'd heard that Upper Goose Pond was the place to spend an afternoon so I left early this morning. I was trying for 12 by 12 - twelve miles by noon. Actually, I did thirteen. I decided to look for a good lunch spot after the next road crossing, and found a trail magic cooler just after the road. A lunch spot was found in the company of Graybeard (also on trailjournals www.trailjournals.com/graybeard), Gordon (a section hiker), Free, and the Laugh Factory, composed of Giggles and Box O'Fun. The Laugh Factory also has Box's sister and friend, Molly and Shannon, in attendance. All parties were headed to Upper Goose Pond.I rolled ino the pond with Box o'Fun in tow. Boy, is this a beautiful spot! This pond is nestled deep in the woods with only three primitive cabins along the shore of which one is the "shelter." This shelter is sweet - a large, rustic cabin two stories high. Hang out down below, sleep upstairs, and cook out back. It's got a dock on the lake and I wasted no time diving off it to go swimming in the pond. I couldn't match the Laugh Factory, though - those girls swam all the way to an island in the middle of the pond, maybe a ten minute swim away. Instead, I hung out on the docks with Graybeard and Wayne, the very laid back caretaker.There was also a canoe present. Train, Raindrop and Free took it out for a spin first. When they returned, Malco (a new guy I met today who also started April 2) and I went out. The spring for this shelter is across the pond so we took twenty empty water jugs and filled them up before returning to shore.By this time the cabin was really filling up - Corporal and Ramblin' Man had also shown up. Before nightfall they were joined by LB, Stats, Mad Pumpkin, and Vapors. There's a good chance I'm omitting people, but with such a large crowd it's hard to keep track of everyone. I can't remember the last time I saw this many hikers in a shelter. I've gone from totally alone to surrounded by everyone. What a change.We hung out for a while; Ramblin' Man, Corporal, Free, and I talked politics. Eventually I disengaged and joined the Laugh Factory and others out back where s'mores were being made. Now, however, I'm ready to attempt to get some sleep. The cabin seems relatively mosquito free so it shouldn't be too bad unless it gets hotter than blazes upstairs. At least I've got something special to look forward to tomorrow morning...
Date: 2005-07-27
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: The Birdcage (Dalton, MA)
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: light rain

9:43pm - Free as a BirdThe morning dawned. Birds chirped; the sun shone across the lake. I reached into my food bag and extracted a small nalgene bottle filled with a magical substance. Quietly I slipped downstairs to the kitchen. "Here, Wayne," I said. "Here's a little something special." And like that, we had blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Yesterday I had passed by one of the most incredible blueberry bushes I had ever seen, overflowing with ripe, plump berries. I knew about the pancake breakfast at the cabin and planned accordingly.After eating my fill of pancakes, I hit the trail a bit after eight. At half past noon I reached "The Cookie Lady's House." A nice lady offered a picnic table and water spigot at her house for the use of thru-hikers. I caught up to Ramblin' Man and Corporal there, and Free soon joined us. Then the Cookie Lady herself showed up with some delicious oatmeal cookies for us. All in all, it was a wonderful lunch spot.The four of us hiked together the remaining nine miles to town. We first went to the porch of a local named Tom who is known for taking in hikers, but it didn't look like we'd be able to get a shower there. Words and whispers had reached us on the trail of another fellow named Rob Bird, the owner of the Shell Station. We went there and the attendant called the Birdman. Rob came down and picked us up in his van to shuttle us to his house, The Birdcage. We were just in time - an afternoon Thunderstorm cut loose while we were waiting for him to arrive.Rob is one of the friendliest people I've met on the trail. His hospitality is unmatched. We not only got showers but he did our laundry, giving us some clean clothes to wear in the meantime. He had plenty of sodas in the fridge and allowed us the run of the place. The only disappointment was our timing. We met a section hiker named Donkey Kong at the Shell Station; together we were hikers 995-999 to stay with Rob. Number 1,000 was going to get a free steak dinner courtesy of Rob. An hour later the winner was determined: LB. We all went to an Old Country Buffet for dinner. Both the quality and quantity of the food was outstanding - not bad for a ten dollar meal. Rob went to practice with his band and came back two hours later to pick us up. We were stuffed and moving much slower, but couldn't be happier.And so here I am back at the Birdcage, chilling and watching some TV on Rob's huge screen. Also present are two holdovers from yesterday. Patch is here but feeling a bit under the weather and recuperating. Origami is also here. He's pondering getting off the trail and thinking things over for a few days. I hope he stays on. It's always rough to see somebody leave, and he's come so far. But we all have our own reasons and our own hikes to hike.
Date: 2005-08-01
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

12:04pm - Build Me Up ButtercupLast Friday (7/29) I awoke just before Lee left for work. I made some breakfast and then walked to the nearby library to check my email. North Adams is a beautiful town - old buildings, church steeples, etc. The library is located in what appears to be a Victorian mansion from the outside. After I was done, I ran into my parents at the exit. I guess they found the note I left at Lee's explaining where I was.I drifted in and out of consciousness on the ride to New York, only waking up fully for lunch. After two hours and change we arrived at Williams Lake Resort, halfway between New Paltz and Kingston and about an hour south of Albany. My grandparents were clebrating their 60th anniversary and my Mom's entire family had come for the affair - all her siblings, their spouses and kids, and a few other relatives, too.We spent the weekend lounging around the lake, exploring nearby trails and caves, and playing shuffleboard. Actually we spent a lot of time playing shuffleboard. It's a surprisingly addictive game. On Saturday night the main affair occurred, a reception honoring my grandparents. My Mom and her siblings all spoke a bit and my Dad showed a brief presentation he had thrown together - 60 pictures for 60 years. Afterwards we all had dinner together, reminiscing about times we'd had with them over the years. The evening was topped off with one of the worst karaoke events I've ever attended. The Wiese clan is not world reknowned for their singing prowess.I slept in late Sunday morning, it's nice to have that luxury. After brunch, I packed my bags and raided the resupply box my parents had brought long. I swapped out my tarp for my hammock tent. The mosquitos have become a bit much. My tarp was bug resistant; the hammock has a mesh top and is actually bug proof.Then it was back to the trail. I said goodbye to all my relatives and my Dad drove me back to Massachusetts. I hit the grocery store to resupply and was on my way. Four miles later I reached the Vermont border; three miles more and I was at the Seth Warner Shelter. I ate dinner and set up my hammock. Gordon was present along with a sleeping hiker I didn't recognize. Another couple was tenting nearby. Before too long an inquisitive hiker named Thunder showed up. I talked to him for a while and then, lo and behold, Vapors showed up. I figured he was well ahead of me, but he got caught up in the life of leisure in Dalton. That's why it's known as the Birdcage - it's hard to leave.I settled into my hammock when it started to rain. Another couple I didn't know arrived just afterwards and left before I got up this morning; they shall forever remain an enigma. Eventually I drifted off to dreamland. Hammocks can be quite comfortable but they take a little getting used to. I'm out of practice, but I'm sure I'll relearn. Perhaps tonight my reflector pad won't slip out from underneath...
Date: 2005-08-01
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: haze

6:47pm - Raspberry BeretI was only going 13 miles today so I slept in as late as I felt. In other words, I slept in until the late hour of 7am. Its funny how quickly you adapt to nature's cycle. I took a leisurely stroll to Congdon Shelter for lunch. My first taste of Vermont matched my expectations: cool, foggy, and muddy. No moose sightings, though. Lots of mud slogs, but no moose.This afternooon I found a raspberry patch worth picking on top of Harmon Hill. I dropped my pack and filled up my berry nalgene. Normally raspberry patches are sparse and only provide a handful or so. It was nice to find an exception to the rule. Twenty minutes and one pint later, I resumed hiking.All that was left was a trip down a steep, rocky hillside and a climb back up the other side. Not long after 4pm I reached the Melville Nauheim shelter, my home for the evening. I'm intentionally slowing my pace down for two reasons. First, I'm hoping the rest of the gang - Professor Nutbag, Low Bridge, Crazy Legs, and Livestrong - catches up soon, I half expected them to be at the shelter last night, but apparently they're an unknown distance back. Second, I want to extend my trip a bit. I've been travelling at 120 miles a week. At this rate, I'll finish in five weeks; I want to take at least six more weeks. I'd like to at least start seeing some leaves change in Maine.At the shelter I met Moose and his father, Scout. Moose is hiking the Long Trail, which follows the AT for 90 some miles before splitting off for the Canadian border. His father is the support crew. Thunder is also present again, along with a newcomer, Sack of Poo, a Long Trail section hiker. We'll all head north tomorrow. Vapors might show up later on - he was planning to hitch into Bennington for resupply and continue to this shelter when done.
Date: 2005-08-02
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: few clouds

7:57pm - All the World is GreenVermont is known as the green state for a reason. The woods here are nothing short of lush - large ferns, sturdy hardwoods, pines, and a velvet cover of moss for it all. Sure, it's wet - it rained again last night and every twelfth foot of trail is a bog, but it's certainly bringing out the leaves.I enjoyed a solo stroll this morning and had lunch at the Goddard shelter, enjoying its fine view. It's the nicest shelter I've seen so far in Vermont. Curiously enough, it's scheduled to be demolished next weekend. Go figure.Vapors, Thunder and I climbed an observation tower just north of the shelter. It was a beautiful afternoon and we could see for miles. The Adirondacks loomed to our west, the Green Mountains lay north. We spent about two hours up in the tower, discussing everything from boats to California farming techniques to life back home to our thoughts on life since the trail. This is the first fire tower we've seen that had a top platform that wasn't locked, and we took full advantage of it.Eventually we hiked together four more miles to the Kid Gore Shelter, a pretty nice shelter with a pretty nice view. I set up my hammock nearby, Vapors pitched his tent and Thunder claimed a shelter spot. A few hours later, a couple hiking the Long Trail - Crow and Bluejay - joined us.It looks like we'll have a nice night. The skies are clear and the air is clean. There's a few mosquitos buzzing about but that's why I'm now using my hammock. I'm pondering removing the rainfly tonight so I can watch the stars as I doze off to sleep. However, reality will probably trump this idea. As romantic as it seems, I do wear contacts and remove them at night. Stargazing while half blind certainly impacts its mystique.Another day and still no sign of the crew. Maybe tomorrow.
Date: 2005-08-03
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond North Shore Tenting Area
Miles today: 15.2

7:14pm - Are You Real or NotI rolled over in my hammock this morning and caught a glimpse of the sky. It was red. In a flash, I was up. It's been way too long since I watched a sunrise. I only caught the tail end, but it was a good one.I pushed hard early on. The first nine miles today were flat, relatively easy, and had a trail magic cooler toward the end. They were a good nine miles. I then climbed Stratton Mountain - I had pushed hard solely so that I wouldn't have to climb Stratton in the afternoon heat. Stratton can be thought of as the birthplace of the AT. It is where Benton Mckaye came up with the idea of a single trail linking the Appalachian peaks. I celebrated with lunch in the shadow of its fire tower. If it were another year perhaps my lunch would have been different. A nearby peak is serviced by a gondola that leads down to Stratton Village and restaurants. Thru-hikers can ride it for free. Unfortunately this is the first summer it hasn't been running regularly. Since today was not the Fourth of July or Labor Day, I dined atop the mountain instead of at its base.I hiked three more miles downhill to reach Stratton Pond. I went for a swim and then spent a few hours lounging around on a bench that had just been built this morning. I chatted with some Green Mountain Club (GMC) volunteers who were working on a nearby bridge and who had recently constructed a bench from some of the old lumber.Eventually I drifted over to the North Shore Tenting Area and resumed reading Heart of Darkness, which I picked up at Upper Goose Cabin. I took a break when a thru-hiker (The Mad Chapper) offered me some of his leftover hummus. Time for dinner - he saved me the trouble of mixing up my own hummus, and he received a clean pot in return for his generosity.Right now I'm enjoying a view of Stratton Mountain across the pond. It's hard to tell which is more real - the mountain or its reflection in the glassy waters of the pond. It's a clear, tranquil evening, a fitting end to a relaxing day.
Date: 2005-08-08
From: Back Home Again Hostel (Rutland, VT)

To: The Lookout
Miles today: 17.5

8:29pm - Daylight FadingI managed to extract myself from town at a reasonable hour after a huge breakfast at a place named Clem's. There's a bus service between Rutland and Killington so I didn't even have to hitch. Conveniently, the back door of the hostel opens to the station. I was hiking before 10am.The trail started out nice enough, winding through a state park and passing by a beautiful pond. It also split off from the Long Trail about a mile out of town. I guess they kept the good parts of Vermont for the Long Trail. After so many beautiful stretches, the AT has lost its views and re-entered junk forest. It made the afternoon a bit monotonous. I broke things up a bit with an extremely late lunch at Stony Brook Shelter, but high tailed it away quickly after nearby being consumed by a small army of mosquitos.I ended the day at a private cabin atop a ridge simply known as The Lookout. There's an observation deck on the roof providing spectacular views of the surrounding areas. It's amazing how rural Vermont is - it feels like I can see the whole state from up here. I watched the sun go down only a few minutes ago with The Muppets, a trio from Blacksburg. It was an amazing sunset - pink turned to yellow, which caught the clouds on fire before fading to a deep orange. A thin ribbon of red is still stretched across the horizon, hanging on to the last remnants of the day. But even the best sunset is doomed to fade away.
Date: 2005-08-09
From: The Lookout

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

7:54pm - Too Much Time on My HandsGot up early. Sunrise less than spectacular. Hiked a lot - many hills. Took lots of breaks. Picked raspberries. Read book in middle of woods.Arrived at shelter early. Got water. Finished book. Two others present, both southbound. Mike - out for a few days. Moose Tracks - out for a few months.Nice morning, hot afternoon. Many mosquitos.