morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-05
From: Pallisades Parkway

To: Canopus Hill Road
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Southbound:It was a bit tricky to find where the trail crossed that tiny road, but once we found it we set out into the foggy mist. We thought we were 16 miles from the end but realized that we were 18 miles, but the first 5 miles flew. Before long we began running into all our friends. First Grass and UB, then Biscuit, Slim, Slips and Fitz. Lwop and Pez, too. I am glad we went south today, otherwise we would have missed them all. It was cool walking across the Hudson River and then through the animal exhibits at Bear Mountain Park. We climbed Bear Mountain to the tower on top and were able to see 360 degrees. The final climb was the toughest, but once on top we walked along the edge, more great views. The descent to the parkway was quick and mom (Mother Nature) was waiting. We all enjoyed a nice dip in the swimming pool. We found a Chinese restaurant for dinner and now we are trying to finish up journals and re-organize to be back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2004-07-06
To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: broken clouds

Mom and Dad dropped us off at Caopus Rd. this morning. Camel's right--the cinnamon rolls on the Holliday Inn's breakfast bar are the best! And I ate a lot! I couldn't believe how much harder it is to carry a pack than to slackpack. It wasn't until after lunch that I once again felt at one with my pack. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed lots of rest and vistas. We made it to the shelter before 7 pm and chilled out and cooked up some tuna tretazzini. the shelter is really nice, a cinderblock structure with bunks.
Date: 2004-07-07
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today marks our four month anniversary on the trail. The morning started out great, beautiful trail once again! This morning we stopped into Mountain Top Deli to pick up some cheese for our bagels and had a nice hour break. the owners were so nice and friendly. After our second lunch at Morgan Shelter we filled all the water we could and trudged on to Telephone Pioneers Shelter. What a long 7.5 miles! It's always on the nights that you have to conserve water that you're the most thirsty. Oh well, maybe another deli stop tomorrow if there is no water before.
Date: 2004-07-08
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Ten Mile River Lean-To
Miles today: 13.0

It rained a lot last night and the intermittant stream that had been dry last night was running nicely this morning. So we filled up with water and hiked out. At the AT train stop we stopped for a snack, before that however, we marveled at the Dover Oak, it was huge. Than a quick hard 6 miles to Wiley Shelter for lunch then a lazy 4 to Ten Mile River Shelter. What a beautiful river. Scuba showed up. It's great to see some more thru-hikers. We had some great trail magic today. It was a cooler just in from a road crossing, and inside it held what you always hope trail magic coolers hold--Bud Light, Coca-Cola and Gatorade and lots of ice. I sat there and drank an ice cold Gatordade. It was great! Usually we open the cooler and it is empty, but not this time. Thanks Trail Angels!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2004-07-09
From: Ten Mile River Lean-To

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 15.7

We got up extra early to get into Kent to hit the post office, lunch and re-supply. The hike in was easy and time passed quickly. A nice lady picked us up in the back of her truck and drove us to the outfitters. We ate bacon cheeseburgers for lunch, walked to the grocery store, and attempted to send e-mail from the library, but the computers were so slow. We picked up aqua-mira and headed out of town. We hiked slow to the shelter and just made it by dark. Since Derek and Fauna were hiking behind us and they had all the snacks, Scuba shared some of his snacks. I ate too many snacks and I wasn't hungry for dinner.
Date: 2004-07-10
From: Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To

To: Pine Swamp Lean-To
Miles today: 10.0

Today we were very lazy. We left camp at 10 and hiked about 3 miles and stopped for lunch. Then hiked another few miles and stopped for a swim--ice cold! Then a few more miles and we took a break for a snack. Finally at about 6 pm we rolled into the Shelter. Scuba and Marathon were already here. Achilles was on his way out. We rested then cooked a yummy dinner of teriaki with tvp. We dipped water out of the swamp. It was weird, the water was almost bath water temperature! A bit yellow in color, but clear. Mosquitos are very bad here tonight so we are tenting!
Date: 2004-07-11
From: Pine Swamp Lean-To

To: Plateau Campsite
Miles today: 17.0

I was amazed at how quick the hike went today. We started out doing 8 miles to the hydro-electric plant near Falls Village. At the plant was a showerhead and faucet sticking out from the side of the building. We have not showered in 6 days...so we showered. One of us showered while the other held up a ridge rest to block the view from the road. The shower felt good. Today during our morning break we saw the largest snake I have ever seen outside captivity! We were sitting on this rock and about 20 feet away we heard all this wrestling around in the woods and we saw two snakes fall out of a tree into the underbrush. They were huge. I couldn't tell what kind they were. Fauna got up to check them out when one slithered across the trail 10 feet in front of her! It was a timber rattler 4 feet long and as big as my arm. Fauna got a picture. I am not sure what it is about snakes, especially large ones, that always makes me exclaim profanities. I am so glad I didn't step on that thing. We got to the camp site about 5:30. It was nice to have plenty of time to set up tents, cook dinner and chat.
Date: 2004-07-12
From: Plateau Campsite

To: Jug End Road
Miles today: 16.7

We headed into town first thing this morning. We picked up our mail drops, re-supplied and got some breakfast. We walked back to the trail and lo and behold, Biscuit, UB, Slips and Fitz all pull up and invite us to slackpack 17 miles with them and stay at Slim's house. So we threw our stuff in the truck and hit the trail. The hike was beautiful. We climbed Lion's Head to a great view. Sage's Ravine was very neat too. The stream ran down through the ravine in several cascades. We hiked along the edge of the ridge on the way up Race Mountain. The descent off Jug End was tough but Slim and Grass along with Scuba were there waiting for us at the road. At that point I realized my wallet was missing. I mentally re-traced my steps and figured I must have left it in Salisbury at the pharmacy. We arrived back at Slim's Family's house near Great Barrington, MA. We ate an amazing dinner, so delicious. Then chilled out. Dragonfly hitched back from Vermont. 30-30 and Giggles were there too. We showered in a really awesome outdoor shower and did laundry. We sat up late chatting. It was such a bittersweet day.
Date: 2004-07-13
From: Jug End Road

To: Jug End Road
Miles today: 0.0

We didn't plan on zeroing, but I didn't mind because the day turned out great. I called the pharmacy in Salisbury to ask if they had found a wallet. They had not found anything. I decided to let John (Slim's dad) take us back later that afternoon to look for it anyway. So we spent the morning hanging out watching movies and resting. We drove into Salsibury at about 3:15, and to my relief the Pharmacy had found my wallet! So I picked it up and we celebrated with an ice cream cone. When we got back to Slim's I helped get some snacks ready to tide everyone over until the chicken dinner that Biscut's mom was fixing later that night. The last time we ate this good was in Pearisburg, VA. W chilled out at Biscut's family's house and spent the night.
Date: 2004-07-14
From: Jug End Road

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We hung out at Biscut's house till about noon and then piled in the car and Slim drove us back to the trail. We walked (ran, really) through a mosquito swamp area. We all had put on 100% deet so we were not getting bitten at first. Scuba was leading us and the mosquitos were absolutely swarming around him. We stopped off at a farmers market for lunch. We split a pint of ice cream for dessert. Once we were back on the ridge the mosquitos were not so bad. When we got to the shelter we were the only ones there. Scuba was with us, too. The clouds looked threatening so we moved the picnic table and set up our tents under the overhang. Scuba hung his hammock inside the shelter and we all stayed dry while it rained most of the night. Someone had mentioned in the register that Massachusettes should be re-named "Mosqitochusettes" and I definitely agree!
Date: 2004-07-15
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Upper Goosepond Cabin
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: scattered clouds

We decided to do a long day to Upper Goosepond Cabin today because we had heard what a nice place it is to stay and that pancakes were for breakfast. We knocked off several miles early and by 2 pm we only had 9 miles left. The terrain was easy and we all felt pretty good, with the exception of Derek's feet. We were sitting in a parking lot at a road crossing when White Lightning walked up. It was our first time meeting him, and what a cool guy! He walked the last 5 miles with us and we all chatted. We made it to the cabin about 8 pm. Not bad for 21+ miles. Grampy was the caretaker for the week and let us cook dinner on the gas stove. There were a few bunks left. It was nice not to have to worry about setting up a tent or about bugs.
Date: 2004-07-16
From: Upper Goosepond Cabin

To: The Cookie Lady's (Pittsfield Road)
Miles today: 11.0

We got up early to eat pancakes at 6:15 am. They were delicious! And the coffee was great. After breakfast we went back to bed and took a nap. It felt great. We decided to only do 11 miles so we were in no hurry. We left about noon and proceeded to have a nice, leisurely day. We met out first Southbound thru-hikers today. Very cool, in fact, Fauna exclaimed, "That's almost as cool as seeing a bear." We paused only briefly to exchange names and wish each other well. The mosquitos are still atrocious. When we got to October Mountain Shelter we stopped for a snack and sat and chatted with Nrchi and Litefoot. We decided to walk 2 more mile to "The Cookie Lady's". The guidebook said overnight camping is possible. The cookie lady, Marilyn, and her husband, Roy, have a blueberry farm and Marilyn does make amazing cookies. We are now camping in their yard. They have a beautiful garden. They left to go out to eat and offered to take us along. When they came back Roy brought us each a can of cola. Such kind, generous people.
Date: 2004-07-17
From: The Cookie Lady's (Pittsfield Road)

To: Dalton
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

Today has been an amzaing day for trail magic. With only 10 miles to hike today, we slept in. We hiked through beautiful weather. Along the way we met Cobol, another southbound thru-hiker. We also met a group of mountaineers. They were splitting logs to build board walks through the Mass. swamps. Fauna asked them if they would pose for a picture, chasing us with the chainsaw. We thought it would be great fun, but the chain saw operator lowered the saw and said very seriouly, "I'm sorry but that would be against park regulations." So we took a boring picture with the mountaineers and we were on our way. When we reached town we were walking down Depot streeet and were beckoned to by Nr-chi and Litefoot. They were sitting on the porch of Tom Levardi's. We stopped to say, "hi" and Tom generously treated us to huge delicious ice cream sundaes. What a great guy! We then headed to the Library and the Nazi librarian gave us each 30 minutes. Enough time to read a few e-mails and write one back to our friends also on the trail but who are hiking ahead and behind us. Once kicked out of the library, Fauna and I decided to go to Mass that was just starting across the street. The kid who sat in front of us was so funny. She held her nose the whole time. Her mom kept giving her that look and putting her hand down but it kept finding its way back to her nose. I am sure our body odor was atrocious but they made us feel very welcome. After Mass we met Derek who had tracked down the location of the Bird Cage--Rob Bird's house, who happens to take in hikers. So we showered, went out to dinner, did laundry and watched movies. We are now hanging out with White Lightning and Mountain Dew. It amazes me the was someone can take in complete strangers and treat them like family. Only on the AT. What a special place this is!
Date: 2004-07-18
From: Dalton

To: Cheshire
Miles today: 9.3

SOBO Slack Pack from Cheshire to Dalton:We woke up around 8 and Mt. Doo had fixed us all a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and potatoes, onions and peppers. What a great cook he is! Rob needed to sleep in so White Lightning and I went out and threw the frisbee around. It was a lot of fun. When Rob dropped us off in Cheshire we stopped at the ice cream store and had hot dogs and ice cream cones. The hike back to Dalton was enjoyable. When we got back to Rob's we showered and ordered pizza. I ran down to the general store and bought the fixings for tomorrow's breakfast. Craig, Rob's roomate, got home and we drove out to where Rob's band was playing. We brought the van back so we could get all of us back to the club. Once we all got there we had a blast. There were tons of older couples tearing it up on the dancefloor. They were so fun to watch. We all danced and danced and danced. We got home about midnight and crashed.
Date: 2004-07-19
From: Cheshire

To: Wilber's Clearing
Miles today: 11.0

We fixed a delicious breakfast of French toast for everyone this morning. It's a lot of fun to be able to cook in a kitchen. Rob dropped us at the Cheshire post office. Rob is such a great guy! We had a great time staying at his house. It amazes me the hospitality we receive from strangers. What a wonderful and special place the trail is. Hiking up Greylock was nice but muddy. The monument on top was really neat, too. We climbed to the top and could see patches through the clouds. We found a couple of tent sites and bedded down for the night.
Date: 2004-07-20
From: Wilber's Clearing

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

We woke up sopping. It had rained and both tents leaked. We packed up and climbed down the mountain. We were re-supplying at the grocery store so we dried our sleeping bags at the laundromat. After re-supplying we hit the trail and met back up with White Lightning and Mt. Doo. We all headed to the next shelter. We sat at the Shelter trail debating whether to stay or go on when Toke and Grass showed up. We hadn't seen them for a week. We all ended up staying at the shelter writing G-tales and playing Farkle. Best of all, we are now in Vermont.
Date: 2004-07-21
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: few clouds

We got up early and hit the trail just after 7. We were hoping to do 21+ miles. We did a lot of climbing. Vermont is proving to be very muddy. We had a steep downhill then we climbed for about the last 10 miles. We made the shelter just after 8 pm. A long hard day of hiking. Lots of section hikers and Long Trail hikers in the shelter. I squeezed in the shelter and Fauna and Pockets took the last tent site.
Date: 2004-07-22
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Story Springs Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: scattered clouds

We slept in, which was really nice because a lady had a dog in the shelter that barked all night. The fire on top of Glastenbury Mt. was very nice. It was a bit hazy but not bad. The trail was still very muddy. We stopped for lunch at the Kid Gore Shelter which had a nice view. It was a really great day to take it slow and easy. We got to the shelter about 4 pm and hung out chatting and doing crossword puzzles. We thought it might rain and initially planned to sleep in the shelter, but the mosquitos were too aggressive, so we set up the tents. Lots of hikers came in.
Date: 2004-07-23
From: Story Springs Shelter

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

The morning started off nice, overcast but at least no rain, and only a light sprinkle overnight. So at least the tents were dry. We hiked up Stratton Mountain with high hopes of riding the gondola down to the resort for an ice cream cone but when we reached the top Jean informed us it only ran on weekends. So we are on top of an exposed peak. The thunder is rumbling above us and a light sprinkle is beginning to fall. We decided to have lunch and Jean, the naturalist caretaker, invited us into her cabin to eat. It was such a pleasant lunch chatting with Jean and her husband, Hugh. they spend every summer living on top of Stratton Mountain, maintaining the trail. They have a tiny cabin, probably 8' x 8' and they seem some of the most happy and peaceful people I've met. After lunch we headed down Stratton Mt. at a very rapid pace with the storm rolling in overhead. Soon the downpour began and the trail became a soup river of mud. At one point we were knee deep in water. We had decided to get as close to town as possible to get in early enough the next day to pick up our mail drop. So I was relieved to make Spruce Peak Shelter and find plenty of room for the 3 of us. It was a great shelter, it even had a door that closed. Hiking all day in the mud is exhausting. I was so happy to sit down and drain the water out of my boots.
Date: 2004-07-24
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: broken clouds

This morning was great, a beautiful morning for a hike; our packs were light since we had no food left in them and we only waited 5 min. for a hitch. We re-supplied and treated ourselves to new socks at the outfitters, since our others were wearing holes. We did laundry and trekked across town to the library to use the internet. Cheryl, the librarian, gave us a ride back. We enjoyed amazingly delicious pizza, however being the connoisseur of fine pizza that I am, I am delighted to report to you that you can still get tastier pizza in Kansas that I have yet found on the trail. Later we will be heading to the Avalanche Motel (we got the last room). We saw Long Shot coming out of the EMS and stopped to talk to him for a while. When we got to the motel it felt so super to take a shower.
Date: 2004-07-25
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Lost Pond
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

We weren't sure how far we would make it but just hiked and enjoyed the day. The view from Bromley was great. The hike was nice--muddy, but nice. When we arrived at Lost Pond Shelter Shanna and Alex, their Uncle Carl and Cousin Kelly were all there. They shared the shelter and we all slept relatively mosquito-free.
Date: 2004-07-26
From: Lost Pond

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

The best thing about today was that we met a really cool south bounder named 4 Winds. Our original goal had been to make it 3 more miles to Clarendon Shelter but we stopped for a snack and it began to rain lightly and we began talking to 4 Winds and decided it would be fun to stay. So we did. The mosquitoes were relentless and sleeping was difficult. It began raining during the night and continued most of the next day.
Date: 2004-07-27
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: moderate rain

What a low day today turned out to be. It rained all day. Fauna got stung/bit by a ferocious unknown insect/spider. She was in a lot of pain. Emotionally, I felt lower than at any other point thus far on the trip. We made it to Churchill Scott, which was a really nice shelter, to find no one else there. After getting water we looked up the trail to see N-R Chi, Litefoot and OverUnder heading toward the shelter. It was a welcome relief to have good company after a crappy day.
Date: 2004-07-28
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We made a quick stop in Rutland, VT to get more groceries. We got two really great hitches in and out of town. We also saw King Alabar in town and Bramble and LWOP at the shelter. We hadn't hiked/stayed with Bramble since Erwin, TN. It was nice to catch up. It was a (12) short day, and while it was raining briefly we were dry inside a car riding into Rutland. Lucky Us!
Date: 2004-07-29
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: VT 12 AT House
Miles today: 13.7

King Alabar had mentioned that there was a guy that lived just off the trail on VT 12 who would let hikers sleep in his barn, so we decided to head there for the night. We stopped at a really neat look out cabin with a deck on the roof. Beautiful view. It was a decent hike. The mud subsided and it was a nice hike. When we got to VT 12 we saw the barn and walked down to the house. We knocked on the door; there was no answer so we sat down to wait. Soon Dan came out and welcomed us to his place. We got comfortable in the barn and Dan showed up with some beers so we all drank a beer and chatted. When we went to get water from the spigot on the house we realized that we could fix his outdoor hiker shower. Dan had everything we needed so we went to work and re-plumbed a small section of the shower. It was really fun to work with our hands. We had dinner then hit the sack. It was so comfy sleeping on a matress.
Date: 2004-07-30
From: VT 12 AT House

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: clear sky

SOBO SlackWe stopped by the house to tell Dan good-bye and say thanks. Dan offered us coffee and the opportunity to slackpack and spend a day working around the house. What a great opportunity. So, we got a ride to Hanover and walked the 22 miles back to VT 12. It was a beautiful hike with lots of climbs and descents, but we made it. It's always great hiking SOBO because you see so many friends you wouldn't see otherwise. We ran in to Opie, Mt. Doo, LWOP,   N-R Chi, OverUnder, and White Lightening. Red, a really great kid from New Jersey who is hiking part of the trail over his summer break hiked with us. We had many great views and enjoyed walking through the bald-like pastured tops of the mountains. We stopped in West Hartford for milkshakes and watched kids jump off the bridge into the river below. The last three miles were killer. We also saw Long Shot and Tail Wind, but after we saw them I just pooped out. I was so happy to make it to Dan's front porch, enjoy and amazing shower, and feast on oven fried chicken, lemon garlic angel hair and a glass of wine. Dan's girlfriend, Dorine, also joined us and it was an incredibly enjoyable evening.