morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-12
From: RPH Shelter

To: West Dover Road, Pawling NY
Miles today: 17.3

Weather wise, today was a surprising day on the Appalachian Trail. It rained on and off throughout the night and it was pouring when I left the shelter this morning. I found ¢Scorch¢ and the other two northbound section hikers who had stayed at the shelter last night huddled underneath the overpass of the Potomac Parkway, reading and getting ready to cook some breakfast. They looked like they were settling in for the duration. Not me, though. I had heard from a SOBO thru-hiker of a deli about a half a mile off the trail about six miles ahead, that makes an unbelievable ¢grand slam¢ breakfast sandwich. And I had that breakfast sandwich swirling in my sights, rain or shine.As I was approaching Route 52, ¢Scorch¢ caught up with me and together we headed off to get some breakfast.Two hours, one ¢grand slam¢ breakfast sandwich, three cups of coffee, two bottles of water and a slice of pizza later-- it stopped raining, and contrary to the weatherman¢s forecast, BOB made an appearance and stayed with us for the rest of the day. His welcome face was quite a surprise and a welcomed one at that!By the time ¢Scorch¢ and I reached Nuclear Lake in the late afternoon it was downright hot, so a swim was possibly in order¢but at what risk? Did ¢Nuclear Lake¢ mean it was radioactive and we¢d emerge like some mutant creatures from the Black Lagoon? As it turned out, other than a certain iridescent glow and a third eye in the middle of my forehead (just kidding!), I emerged wonderfully refreshed and immediately fell asleep on my z-pad for nearly an hour. The day passed quickly having someone to talk with. ¢Scorch¢ is twenty-two and a recent Biological Anthropology graduate from Duke, who started her hike in late April. Having heard again from some SOBOs that there wasn¢t any water available at the shelter where we had each intended to spend the night, we continued past it to Country Road 20, and found a ride into Pawling. (I must note that it is a lot easier getting a ride when accompanied by a young woman than when I¢m by myself!)At first we were going to stay at the town pavilion, which is available to Thru Hikers for free, but it was just too far out of town. Instead we enlisted the willing support of our ¢Trail Angel¢ driver, Tammy, to take us to the one Bed and Breakfast in town which happened to be located directly across the street from the train station, the local laundromat and the one Mexican, Italian and Chinese restaurant in town. With full bellies, clean clothes, hot showers and the prospects of dry beds in front of us (not to mention plenty of potable water to boot!) we agreed that this was an excellent decision on our parts. I had hiked all day in my sandals, which worked out extremely well, especially in the rain. My feet feel really good and are not waterlogged, as they have been when I¢ve hiked long distances in wet shoes and socks. I think I am on to something really good here in so far as trail footwear is concerned. Now it is time for some serious shuteye.
Date: 2004-08-13
From: West Dover Road, Pawling NY

To: Ten Mile River Lean-to
Miles today: 12.3

As I noted last night, Hitchhiking, with a young female sure works out a lot better than as an old bearded guy all alone! Heading to town last night, the third car we saw stopped picked us up and today it was the first. I wish it were always that easy.The morning dawned dreary and rainy and so, after huddling over coffee in the B&B kitchen, ¢Scorch¢ and I decided that a slow approach to the day would be in order. I returned to bed to journal and read, and before long I was back asleep. By the time I got packed up, did some shopping (toothpaste, watch battery, pizza), and found ¢Scorch¢ who was wandering around town it was 1 pm. But by luck our late start allowed us to miss the rain (except for a few showers). We were still able to get in a good day¢s hike, talking most of the way. I don¢t know of many other situations where unrelated people with such age differences and backgrounds can have the opportunity to discuss things, share points of view, experiences, hopes and dreams as easily as on the Appalachian Trail. We were still working on our respective list of ¢favorite movies¢ when we arrived at Ten Mile River Shelter, just before dark. Along the way the trail treated us to terrain and sights as widely varied as our topics of conversation¢large, open pastures; dense woods; swampy marshes; picturesque streams; and even a tiny railroad station just for the Appalachian Trail, where hikers can, literally, wave down a train to get a ride into Grand Central Station in New York City.About mid-afternoon we crossed into Connecticut, my ninth state so far on this journey, and the state in which I was born and raised. A Section Hiker called ¢Cassidy,¢ ambled into the shelter just before dark and judging by the snoring coming from the lean-to, he and ¢Scorch¢ are already asleep- as I will be too in just a moment. A few faint stars can be seen through the clouds, so maybe tomorrow will offer us a good dry day (I hope so).
Date: 2004-08-15
From: Cornwall Bridge, CT

To: Cornwall Bridge, CT
Miles today: 0.0

A ¢Zero Day.¢ For me this ¢Zero Day¢ from hiking meant two naps, breakfast and dinner at Birde¢s Grocery and Deli, and a 10-mile training run for the upcoming October, Marine Corps Marathon.I finished repacking my food and reworking my plan for the next few days, and now it¢s later than I thought it would be, nearly midnight. Don¢t ask me where the time went.Lights-out! Ready or not. Back to the Trail tomorrow.
Date: 2004-08-18
From: Race Brook Falls Tentsite

To: Great Barrrington, Route 7
Miles today: 9.8

After a good nine and a half hours of sleep, I was ¢up and at ¢em¢ taking on the slippery slopes of Everett Mountain with a vengeance. In spite of my best planning, the trail was just as wet as it had been the night before, and there was no view from the top through the low clouds, which, after I had crossed over the summit lifted as if to taunt me.Before leaving, the top of Everett I stopped to chat with a South Bound Thru Hiker called ¢Creamy¢ (his brother ¢Crunchy,¢ was a few minutes behind him). He told me that one of the three NOBO¢s at Hemlock Shelter last night (Hemlock is located right next to Glenbrook for some reason) was none other than my buddy, ¢Scorch¢An hour or so later, I found her sitting on some rocks along the ridge leading to the Jug-End¢a shoulder of the mountain from which the trail drops down again into the Housatonic River Valley. It was good to see her, and before long we were off for a day of easy walking and fun. By noon we were eating Ben & Jerry¢s ice cream in the gazebo at the Corncrib on Route 7, before heading into Great Barrington to pick up my drop-box, and make some phone calls to get caught-up on office business. ¢Scorch¢¢God bless her¢had a ride lined up for us before we even left the parking lot. After the laundry was done and I had taken a power nap, she and I headed into town to shop, enjoy an early dinner and then take in the 6 pm showing of ¢Collateral Damage,¢ a new Tom Cruise movie. (Overall rating¢¢Ok¢)The long walk back to the Mountain Monument Motel where we are staying justified a stop at a Greek pizza parlor along the way, which, I must admit, put most of the Italian pizzerias in North America to shame.Great Barrington isn¢t exactly a ¢trail town,¢ but it has been a nice place for an afternoon stopover and a very pleasant respite from the rain and the mud of the Appalachian Trail. Tomorrow, however, I am back to it.
Date: 2004-08-20
From: Wilcox North Lean-to

To: Finerty Pond
Miles today: 18.7

Today is my son¢s birthday. I wish he could be here sharing some of this experience with me¢that would be a great birthday present for us both!Today was an incredibly hot and awfully humid summer¢s day, I had already stripped once to wring out my clothes by the time the sum was at its zenith. I was thinking about my mother¢s old admonition, that, ¢ Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday¢s sun,¢ when up the trail toward me came a fellow wearing khaki shorts, knee-high white socks, canvas boots, a t-shirt and a jockey hat. As we passed each other he smiled broadly and said in a clipped British accent ¢Jolly warm today, I should say.¢ All I could muster in response was an insane, ¢Arrf.¢ A couple of hours later I stopped for lunch, and to once again wring out my sweaty shirt and shorts. As I was about halfway finished, I was surprised by a pleasant female voice from behind me saying, ¢Let me know when you are decent¢ (Oops!)She turned out to be a local hiker who seemed to have appeared out of the blue or perhaps by some side trail that I hadn¢t seen. At least now she can tell friends that she¢s ¢seen a male bare on the AT.¢Around three o¢clock I detoured a half mile off the trail (so my actual distance for the day is just under 20 miles!), to check out the infamous Upper Goose Pond Cabin. This shelter, which has a friendly caretaker named Pete, is a large, two-story house, complete with lounge, fireplace and kitchen. Each morning Pete cooks trail-famous blueberry pancakes for all of the morning residents. Just as I arrived at the shelter, ¢Scorch¢ was getting ready to take out Pete¢s canoe to explore the pond and invited me to join her. After paddling for a while we returned and I freshened up with a dip before heading off to get in a few extra miles (although, believe me, the temptation to stay and eat some of Pete¢s pancakes the next morning was quite strong!)At dusk, I arrived at Finerty Pond, a lovely spot nestled among some low mountains I¢ve decided to ¢Stealth Camp¢ here in the woods alone. I¢ve set up my tent close to the shore and cooked one of my favorite meals (instant mash potatoes with dehydrated beef stew) while watching a series of thunderstorms circling the pond. Thankfully, they were apparently content to stay in the mountains surrounding me. The storms are lovely to watch from afar, I just hope that they stay there.
Date: 2004-08-24
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a great day for R&R. By 7:30 AM, I had completed 44 laps (11 miles) on the Williamstown College track, after which came breakfast, re-supply, errands, haircut, poolside nap, lunch, laundry, a 1 12 hour massage at a local spa, a fine cigar in the shade of a willow tree, dinner and now bed. Not a bad day at all.
Date: 2004-08-25
From: Route 2, Wlliamstown, MA

To: Congdon Shelter, VT
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

By the time I had gone to the Post Office, eaten breakfast at a local diner, made my final business phone calls and walked the two miles to the Stop-N-Shop in North Adams, the morning was shot. It was 12:10 p.m. when I finally reached the trail.Around 1:00 p.m. I passed a SOBO who mentioned that just 20 minutes earlier he had passed a fellow named ¢Free Bird¢ heading north. ¢Free bird¢ was hiking with a young woman named ¢Scorch¢ and another NOBO by the name of ¢Chicago Joe¢. With this information in hand, I ¢put it in gear,¢ but even so it was close to 3 p.m. by the time I caught up to them. (This is no surprise considering the fact that ¢Scorch¢ and ¢Chicago Joe¢ were both intent on getting in 20 miles today even though they didn¢t get started until late morning, from a shelter on the north side of Greylock Mt.) They, too, were really crankin¢.It was delightful to see ¢Free Bird¢ again. The last time I saw him was at Standing Bear Farm, just north of the Smokies in North Carolina. He and I quickly fell behind the other two, as we talked of people, places and events that we had each experienced during the intervening months. But, as in the past, our conversation soon migrated into the realm of philosophy and theology and became lost in an afternoon of walking and talking.Before I knew, it we were at the Congdon Shelter where ¢Scorch¢ (who was in the process of chewing tobacco for the first time, which involved considerable spitting and giggling on her part) and ¢Chicago Joe¢ who were just getting ready to leave, still intent on trying to get in another 6 miles before sundown. ¢Free Bird¢ grabbed water from the stream then headed out toward some peak that he had heard about, which is located two miles further up the trail. I decided to stay and enjoy the company of Janet, (a section hiker from PA, who, after eight years of diligent work, has only 800 miles left of the trail to complete) and a really nice young couple, ¢Commando¢ and ¢GiddyUp¢, who were headed south. With some help from the rest of us, ¢Commando¢ soon had a roaring fire going in front of the shelter, which is the first one I have had since Fern and I were in the Shenandoah¢s. It was really pleasant. The four of us sat around talking until 9 pm.As I reflect on the day, it is, once again very evident to me how it¢s the people, more than the weather or the terrain or the mileage or any other aspect of the AT, that makes this experience so special. I really like the people I¢ve met out here in the woods.PS: I entered Vermont today, my eleventh state since I began my travels in March.
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Glastenbury Mountain Firetower
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

By the time I had gone to the Post Office, eaten breakfast at a local diner, made my final business phone calls and walked the two miles to the Stop-N-Shop in North Adams, the morning was shot. It was 12:10 p.m. when I finally reached the trail.Around 1:00 p.m. I passed a SOBO who mentioned that just 20 minutes earlier he had passed a fellow named ¢Free Bird¢ heading north. ¢Free bird¢ was hiking with a young woman named ¢Scorch¢ and another NOBO by the name of ¢Chicago Joe¢. With this information in hand, I ¢put it in gear,¢ but even so it was close to 3 p.m. by the time I caught up to them. (This is no surprise considering the fact that ¢Scorch¢ and ¢Chicago Joe¢ were both intent on getting in 20 miles today even though they didn¢t get started until late morning, from a shelter on the north side of Greylock Mt.) They, too, were really crankin¢.It was delightful to see ¢Free Bird¢ again. The last time I saw him was at Standing Bear Farm, just north of the Smokies in North Carolina. He and I quickly fell behind the other two, as we talked of people, places and events that we had each experienced during the intervening months. But, as in the past, our conversation soon migrated into the realm of philosophy and theology and became lost in an afternoon of walking and talking.Before I knew, it we were at the Congdon Shelter where ¢Scorch¢ (who was in the process of chewing tobacco for the first time, which involved considerable spitting and giggling on her part) and ¢Chicago Joe¢ who were just getting ready to leave, still intent on trying to get in another 6 miles before sundown. ¢Free Bird¢ grabbed water from the stream then headed out toward some peak that he had heard about, which is located two miles further up the trail. I decided to stay and enjoy the company of Janet, (a section hiker from PA, who, after eight years of diligent work, has only 800 miles left of the trail to complete) and a really nice young couple, ¢Commando¢ and ¢GiddyUp¢, who were headed south. With some help from the rest of us, ¢Commando¢ soon had a roaring fire going in front of the shelter, which is the first one I have had since Fern and I were in the Shenandoah¢s. It was really pleasant. The four of us sat around talking until 9 pm.As I reflect on the day, it is, once again very evident to me how it¢s the people, more than the weather or the terrain or the mileage or any other aspect of the AT, that makes this experience so special. I really like the people I¢ve met out here in the woods.PS: I entered Vermont today, my eleventh state since I began my travels in March.
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Glastenbury Mountain Firetower

To: Stratton Mountain Firetower
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The sound of rain dripping from the boughs overhead into my tent is unmistakable. I had hoped I wouldn¢t hear it again this soon but at 6 am when I woke up; ¢Yep, it¢s rain.¢ I laid in my sleeping bag reading for awhile hoping it would go away but no such luck. Fortunately, however, it wasn¢t a very hard rain and once we were off the summit and out of the clouds it stopped entirely. Later in the day I learned from Hugh and Jean, the caretakers on Stratton Mountain, that Glastenbury Mountain was officially the wettest place in all Vermont. It figures that I would end up stealth camping.Freebird and I spent the day hiking in loose confederation with one another, just as we had earlier this year back in the Smokies. We would go for hours walking apart from one another, and then one would overtake the other and begin an easily initiated conversation, which almost always had a theological end to it. (Freebird is very bright, a Yale graduate, and having been brought up in the Christian Scientist tradition, really knows the bible, which makes our discussions most interesting.)We did the climb to the summit of Stratton apart from one another and I really enjoyed the solo-hike. I used it as a workout session for my marathon training¢climbing 1,500 feet, in 3.8 miles in 1 hour and 30 minutes. The trail to the top of Stratton Mountain from the south is, in my estimation, one of the best graded and conditioned climbs to the top of any major mountain on the whole AT. Freebird would add his sentiments to that. Caretaker Jean, told me that the trail had originally been built by a wrangler who kept horses at the summit for many years, which explains the grade was so consistent and the usual sections of steep, rocky faces been eliminated.The ascent was beautiful, but, upon reaching the top, the clouds rolled in, making the visibility nil just like yesterday afternoon. Again, no views. So, ¢Plan B¢ became ¢Plan A¢. Freebird and I left the trail and walked over to the top of the ski area and headed for town, following the gondola and chairlifts down the slopes. At the Welcome Center, we booked a couple of rooms as the Stratton Mountain Inn and before long we were enjoying steak dinners, preceded by nachos and followed by brownie hot fudge ice-cream sundaes at Mulligan¢s a favorite ski spot of mine from years ago. This meal was very reminiscent of the one he and I enjoyed back in Gatlinburgh, NC several months ago. Hopefully, tomorrow the gondola will be operating as advertised (AT hikers ride for free!) and BOB will show his face; so finally, I might get to enjoy a mountaintop view of Southern Vermont. Now for a unexpected night¢s sleep in a real bed!
Date: 2004-08-29
From: East Dorset, VT

To: East Dorset, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

A ¢Zero Day.¢ Today was a simple ¢busman¢s holiday¢-- after getting together with friends for breakfast, one of them, Tom, helped me put out water for a 12-mile run along Route 7. It was a hot and brutally humid day and, while I did manage to cover the entire distance, I probably walked at least a quarter of it to keep from overheating. (Where¢s the rain, when I can really could use it ?!¢)The rest of the day was spent napping, grocery shopping followed by a pleasant dinner in Manchester.
Date: 2004-08-30
From: East Dorset, VT

To: East Dorset, VT
Miles today: 0.0

Rather than head back to the AT today as planned, I decided to treat myself to a REAL ¢zero day¢ and indulged myself with an hour-long bubble bath in a giant claw-foot tub; attended a meeting with friends, took a nap after lunch; went to town to get online, updated my journal, and ate a big Mexican dinner before early bed. All-in- all, a very relaxing, peaceful day at a special place in Southern Vermont.
Date: 2004-09-04
From: Lookout Cabin

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

Last night¢s intentions to get up before dawn; to watch the sunrise from the rooftop observation platform with coffee in hand didn¢t quite materialize. What did occur though was a good, solid 11 hours of sleep for two well-intended early-risers. (Although I must confess that I did climb up on the roof to marvel at the heavens and the landscape between 1:00pm and 1:30pm, which was as awesome as it gets!)After breakfast we set out expecting a comparatively easy day of long ridgelines and flat valleys. To our dismay (particularly since Dick¢s shoes were starting to give him blisters!) the elevation picture on our Trail maps weren¢t remotely close to the reality we found. It was another day of more ¢pesky, testy ups and downs.¢So, we took it easy. We stopped after 2 12 miles at the Winturi Shelter for water and heated water for a couple of ¢camper baths¢ which were refreshing even if the feeling of cleanliness only lasted a short while.A while later we stopped for lunch in a cow pasture alongside a stream not far from VT Route 12. I even grabbed a few zzz¢s before heading out and, once again, up the trail.By mid-afternoon we were only four miles from our intended destination and Dick¢s feet were giving him fits, so I left him soaking them in a cold mountain stream, while I hitchhiked into South Pomfret to get food for tomorrow¢s lunch. I returned with some treats for the spirit, too ¢ Snapple pink lemonade and Ben and Jerry¢s ice cream bars.Having heard that the water at the Thistle Hill Shelter wasn¢t very good, I carried a couple of liters of cooking water with me for the last 2 12 miles which I undertook ¢post haste¢ while Dick labored with his sore feet. I arrived at the turnoff to the shelter from the south at the same moment that a SOBO named ¢Pigpen¢ arrived from the north. It was quite funny actually to meet one another face to face in the trail then turn as if entering an elevator that had surprisingly just arrived.,Soon there were five SOBO¢s all in their early/mid 20¢s, and Dick and me enjoying conversation and stories around a campfire Dick built. He and I had a big dinner that included a fresh Summer Squash that was left by a farmer whose field we skirted as a form of ¢Trail Magic¢. It was delicious!It¢s hard to believe that tomorrow is my last day on the AT for a while. It¢s been 27 days since I left Bear Mountain and, while it feels like a long time, I¢m still mentally ready to stay out longer. I¢m not sure my body is easily as ready, though, as I¢ve been getting a lot of unsolicited feedback from my knees these past few days that they¢ve had enough with the uphill/downhill routine already. At the same time, I¢m eager to get back in touch with things at the office and seeing what¢s going on with our clients and our business team. Also, I miss my apartment. I am especially my shower and my potty. Did I mention my bed?!