morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

FINALLY! I am caught up with this trail journal. Well, almost.I woke at dawn to the birds singing. Apparently there is a rookery of Peregrine falcons near Trapper John Shelter, but it seemed like a whole menagerie was sounding off when I awoke. I decided to hike ahead of the other SOBO's today, so that I could get to town and take care of business, so I was the first one out of camp, by 6am. There's a hiker term for being the first one on the trail in the morning: Webmaster, because you go through all of the spider webs that have been built overnight.I am the Webmaster.After coming down from Trapper John Shelter, there was a climb up Moose Mt., the last mountain on the AT in New Hampshire. It was a tough morning for me, because I was running low on food and didn't have quite as much energy as I would have liked, but then...I was walking along, close to the top of Moose Mt., when in 20 ft of trail, I came upon three different kinds of berry bushes. Blueberries, Rasberries, and Blackberries. Eureka! They should re-name it Berry Mtn. It took me an hour to walk 100 yards. Yum!Moose Mt was the last climb before the long, slow descent to Hanover, though there were some PUD (Pointless ups and downs) close to town. Now that the challenging terrain is over with, the most difficult thing to contend with is the gap between water sources. H20 is vital, and I was spoiled when walking through Maine, where there were brooks and springs every other mile, it seems.So I got to Hanover this afternoon, went straight to the Post Office, where there was a package waiting for me. I felt like a kid at Christmastime as I opened up a LARGE box of goodies that my Mom and sister had prepared for me. So thanks to Megan for the best cookie bars ever made, and to mom for all kinds of thoughful items: dried beef sticks, trail mix, chewing gum, my favorite tortilla chips, electrolyte drink mix, sunflower seeds, and the most luxurious of all, assorted tea bags. To top it all off, my hometown Mailworker, who's son I used to go to school with, wrote "Good Luck James" on the box and signed her name. How cool right? I wrote her a note on a package that I sent back home. I hope she gets it.Hrm.So.Now I will go find a place to sleep for the night - I hear one of the Frats here at at Dartmouth will put hikers up. Tommorrow I will resupply, foodwise, and head out. Let's see, just enough to get to west Hartford. Then what? I'm going to come up with a schedule pretty soon here. Til then, stay tuned.=====Edit:10:25pm I made my way to Dartmouth Campus Frat Row and after asking around, found myself at the bright blue door of Phi Tau. After a few minutes of knocking, I was welcomed in, showered, and fed home (or frat) cooked indian food, crabapple pie, and ice cream. Score! I'm going to wake up as early as possible tommorow and try to hitch to a nearby town where there's a gear store. I think I need new shoes. THANKS PHI TAU! U ROCK!
Date: 2007-08-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This morning I awoke early, long before anyone at the frat house was stirring. I wrote them a note and stepped out into the drizzling rain. Thinking about getting an umbrella. Lightweight and handy.I decided to take a zero in Hanover after I met some SOBO's who invited me to stay at a free hostel with them, Tigger's Treehouse in Etna, 5 miles from Hanover. I hiked no miles on the AT, and the rest of my entry relates to a ridiculous shoe shopping experience, so read on at your discretion.===================I spent the morning walking around town, shopping for a new pair of shoes. First, I started at Eastern Mountain Sports. I was greeted by a saleswoman who had me try on 10 different types of shoes, all the while explaining how to select a shoe for the proper fit. She did an excellent job. I've been confused about buying shoes my whole life, but no more Unfortunately, all of the shoes at this expensive outfitter had triple digit price tags...even the ones that were on sale. I moved on to LL Bean, and then finally a massive shoe store. No luck at either one. They were all either uncomfortable or just looked flimsy.Each time I tried a new one, I could feel the blisters forming, or see the shoe deteriorating before my eyes.After my early morning orthopedic lesson, I was on the lookout for the right shoe, and none other would do. Ironically, the winning shoe brand turned out to be an old favorite. "Made in China." Mabye it was the $19.97 price tag, but they were a great fit. Pleased with my find, I sat outside the store, eating lunch out of a can and making conversation with a charming Russian exchange worker and her friend. Olga, meeting you was the best part of my day. Tomorrow - my 2nd attempt to escape from the tendrils of Hanover, NH. I'd probably do well to shut my eyes and keep walking until only hear birds again, but I'm going to try and give blood in the morning, and there is this music intrument store I want to check out...
Date: 2007-08-10
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Story Brook Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: scattered clouds

(Backdated entry from my journal)I love getting up in the morning. Usually, I lay still in my bag for a few moments, because the pain doesn't begin until I actually move. Once I've hiked for a half-hour or so, the muscles loosen up and my rhythm returns. I'm ususally up at daybreak, which is when I tend to see wildlife. This morning, I shared the trail with a large porcupine. I was careful to give him the right of way.Caught up with Jack, Cat, Timber, Tumbleweed and Smiles, who all had passed me while I stayed in Hanover. I spent the day with them, happy for the company. I learned that Smiles was in the Army and in Iraq. Now that he's out, he plans to walk around the world. He's just getting started with the AT. My pack is feeling pretty light these days. Sometimes, I find myself jogging or even running with outstretched legs on downhills. I like the change of pace and once started, the momentum is irresistable. Shoes are holding up okay, but I'm thinking about a new pair with more cushioning.
Date: 2007-08-11
From: Story Brook Shelter

To: Rutland, Vt
Miles today: 26.0

I was the Webmaster again this morning. The Twisted Sisters were up early too, so I ate my breakfast with them. It was their last day on trail. Coincidentally, I was with them when they got on the trail too. Young at heart, those girls. I'll miss them.Went up and over Mt. Killington today. Coming down, I ran into El Monstro! and walked with him for a while. He's a PCT veteran and seems to have his hike together. I could learn alot from him. El Monstro! and I passed the 500 mile mark later on. A trail angel had supplied a cooler full of soda and crackers, as well as a plastic lawn chair. The chair was a really nice touch.We had good conversation but parted ways in the evening. I hitched into Rutland, Vt to stay with a local religious commune, called the 12 Tribes, which is very hiker friendly. They own a cafe, outfitter, and hiker hostel in downtown Rutland. Alot more to say on this subject. I agreed to a "work-for-stay" arrangement and after a delicious supper, I showered and tucked myself in for the night. My longest day yet, but well worth it to arrive at a comfortable place with friendly people.
Date: 2007-08-12
From: Rutland, Vt

To: Big Branch
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

After a late start from the 12 Tribes hostel and a quick hitch, I was back on the trail @ 10am. Pretty sore from the long miles yesterday, which slowed me down. I thought I had a shin-splint, but it turned out to be just a sore muscle. Ran into Paddy-O at a road crossing, who was helping some NOBO's slackpack and he hooked me up with some Aleve, which helped alot.Still, a slow, painful day.When I reached the top of White Rocks Mtn, my spirits were boosted by the creative rock cairns that populated the summit. Some were balanced in strangely beautiful ways.I'm going to sleep later tommorow and hope that my body heals overnight.
Date: 2007-08-13
From: Big Branch

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: light rain

Got a good night rest, so I left quite early and had 6 mile march and a break by 8:30. As I was headed up Mt. Bromley, a passing thundershower echoed ominously closer. I was quite a way up the ridgeline, but it seemed to be blowing through, so I made my peace with god and continued up. It was quite windy and rainy at the top, but the lightning had stopped. I stopped to rest in a ski hut at the top and had a good time joking with some other NOBO's who were also holed up there. I hiked down the mountain with two day-hikers named Sandy and Mary-Joe who were ex-NOLS instructors. They had lots of enlightening stories about their days of leading expeditions, but had happily retired to family life in nearby Manchester. Still, they told me they enjoyed the proximity to the mountains, which they seemed to be taking advantage of. They gave me a ride to town and on the way, shared the ripest, sweetest mango that was ever consumed. It felt like eating the sun itself. Thanks you two!After a short stop in town, I managed to get a ride back out and was on my way again. I kept chugging along throughout the evening and pushed on to Stratton Pond, though I had to night hike for an hour or so to get there. The sound of Wagonwheel's loud stove led me to the shelter, where I brushed my teeth and passed out immediately.
Date: 2007-08-14
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept late. Felt good to rest the body. Ran into Mala for more trail magic. A very laid back day. I watched the sunset from a firetower and thought about doing more miles, but decided to stop and appreciate for a change. Glad that I did.
Date: 2007-08-15
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Wilbur Clearing Lean-To
Miles today: 31.0

Yow! Today was a day for the record books. I woke up before daybreak to a rustling wind in the trees. A cold front blew in overnight. Perfect hiking weather.I flew through the early morning miles and was in town for a bite and a small resupply before tackling the climb back up to a new ridgeline. Later, I met 4 new SOBO hikers, Skeeter and Puck, both from Maine, as well as Sketch and Sugar, from Maryland. I was with this good company when I crossed into Mass. and we spent a moment celebrating before moving on. For the second time, I managed to pass into town, eat and move out without losing much time. I decided to push on a few extra miles to cap my first 30 mile day. Ironically, the last few miles out of town to the next shelter were up Mt. Greylock, which elevated up 1500 ft in one mile. Needless to say, I spent every last ounce of my energy moving up that mountain, but as the last rays of sunlight reached out to me from an overlook at the end of our climb, I realized that it was the perfect end to a helluva day. Well worth the effort. I'm gonna be sore tommorow
Date: 2007-08-16
From: Wilbur Clearing Lean-To

To: Dalton, Ma
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

After I awoke, I spent the early morning hours climbing Mt. Greylock. At the summit, there is a ski lodge that has been boarded up while road resurfacing is underway. It was a splendid morning to summit and even the noise and the exhaust smell from the road machines couldn't ruin it for me.Situated at the top of the mountain is the Mt. Greylock Veterans Memorial. As I came out of the trees to see this structure in the morning sunlight, I was awed by the majesty that it possessed. As opposed to the chaos atop Mt. Washington, this mountaintop development actually improved my experience. Here's a little extra info about the Memorial Tower:----The Veterans War Memorial Tower was approved by the state legislature in October 1930, supported by Senator Theodore Plunkett of Adams and Governor Frank G. Allen. The memorial was designed by Boston-based architects Maginnis & Walsh, and built by contractors John G. Roy & Son of Springfield in 1931-32 at a cost of $200,000. It takes the form of a perpetually lighted beacon to honor the state's dead from World War I (and subsequent conflicts).The architectural design of the tower, a 93-foot (28 m) tall shaft with eight frieze-framed observation openings, was intended to have no suggestion of Utilitarianism but instead to display classic austerity. It includes some minor Art Deco details such as the decorative eagle on the base. Inside it is a domed chamber for a reverential shine that was intended to store tablets and war relicts from wartime units in the state's history.Although local legislators and residents advocated for local stone to be used, it was ultimately quarried from Quincy (MA) Granite. In part, it bears the inscription "they were faithful even unto death." One of the inscriptions inside the monument is, "Of those immortal dead who live again in the minds made better by their presence", which is a line from a poem by George Eliot. The translucent globe of light on top, originally illuminated by twelve 1,500 watt lights (now six), is said to be visible at night for 70 miles (110 km). The formal dedication ceremony in 1933 by Governor Joseph B. Ely was attended by about 1,500 and broadcast nationally over NBC radio. (Wikipedia)----I spent the rest of my day heading slowly toward Dalton, taking many breaks and stopping to enjoy the forest. My body was tired, and I could not have traveled any faster had I wanted to, but it worked out because I ended up appreciating the slow pace. I popped into the post office in Cheshire to have my missed mail drop forwarded from N. Adams to Dalton. The remaining nine miles to Dalton passed easily. El Monstro caught up with me as I was stretched out, resting and watching the clouds go by. I walked the rest of the way to Dalton with him, though I said goodbye after we had walked through town.I kept hearing about a man in town name Rob Bird who hosts hikers in his house. I had to check it out, and I was definitely ready for a rest.
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Dalton, Ma

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: few clouds

Well, after a wonderful two days of rest, I'm getting the lead out this morning and heading south again. My stay with Rob has been relaxing, stimulating, and a ton of fun.I've spent the past few days resting mostly, but also meeting the many hikers that have been passing through. Friday morning I tuned up the bicycles that Rob has for the hikers, then watched movies, learned a new card game, and went out for the best Italian dinner I've ever had. Yesterday I did a bit of gear swapping, which I am quite happy with. I traded out my raincoat for a lighter nylon windshirt and an umbrella, which I am excited to use. Also got a new pair of shoes, the last ones wore out in a week. These were more expensive, but should last longer i think.I jammed out Jewish-stle on the shabbas with two guys from New York and some other hikers. We had Rob's entire kitchen rocking and rolling for a while. Super fun!I could find myself staying here for a long time, I think, but the trail is calling my name today, so I will pack up and head out. I should be in New York in a week. The states are really rolling by now.
Date: 2007-08-20
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Mt. Wilcox South Lean To
Miles today: 16.0

Yesterday was a great hike from Dalton. After ten miles, I came to a road, where a large sign proclaimed "U-Pick Blueberries, 1.50 lb" Oh boy! This was also the home of the famed "Cookie Lady", a woman known for her never ending supply of homeade cookies for hikers. After a few cookies and a quick chat with the cookie lady, I spent a half hour picking blueberries. Per tradition, Southbound hikers bring blueberries with them to Upper Goose Pond Cabin and in the morning, the caretaker makes pancakes for everyone with whatever blueberries are available. I wasn't about to let the other hikers at the cabin down, so I lugged 2 pounds(!) of blueberries the next 10 miles so that we could have the berriest pancakes ever eaten.There were seven other hikers that spent the night at the cabin, as well as the caretaker, Jo-Anne, her friend Doug, and her dog. My two southbound compadres, Sugar and Sketch arrived after dark, quite tired, but we had succeeded in making it all the way from Dalton, even though we didn't leave town until 11am. We quickly hit the hay, and dreamed of stacks of pancakes.This morning, everyone was slow to get up. I would have liked to have left much earlier, but I wasn't about to leave without eating a large, free breakfast with the berries I'd picked. Eventually, Jo-Anne got up and moving and I helped her prepare roughly two GALLONS of batter, and the pancakes were oh-so-good .After cleanup, I was finally able to leave about 10am. Another late start, but Sketch was hiking with me, and the miles went quickly. We spent the morning chatting about our lives, girlfriends, making up songs, and stopping to check out the various swamp/ponds that bordered the trail.In the afternoon, a light drizzle began, and I was able to use my umbrella for the first time. You may think that hiking with an umbrella might be clumsy, or downright ridiculous, but it worked perfectly. My problem was that my rain jacket was very heavy, which made it hot to wear. When I would hike with it on, I would get quite sweaty, making me as wet as if I hadn't been wearing one at all. The umbrella is very lightweight, cutting 1/2 lb. off my pack weight, while it also keeps me dry while allowing plenty of ventilation. Score - Umbrella: 1 Rainjacket: 0The late start combined with the rain made for a short day, 16 miles. Sketch and I showed up at Wilcox South shelter around 5pm, where we met NOBO's Bigfoot and Slim. Sketch is 25, from Maryland, has a degree in Excercise Science, and used to be a bodybuilder. He was given his name because he likes to sketch portraits of other hikers that he meets. He also hikes wearing a nylon kilt, which he thinks is pretty cool (pun):P He likes to work out on the trail, to stop muscle atrophy, so I did some sets of pushups with him, which tired me out to the limit. Goodnight.
Date: 2007-08-21
From: Mt. Wilcox South Lean To

To: Brassie Brook Lean To
Miles today: 28.5

Long day today. I got up at dawn and hiked 3 miles down to Great Barrington, got to the grocery store right as it opened at 7, and was back out on the trail by 8:15. Pretty good, eh?8 miles, 4 hours later, I crossed US Rt. 7 to Sheffield. I'd heard about a Farmer's Market there, so I walked .5 mi. down the road to refill water and see what kind of fresh fruits and veggies I could find. I ended up talking to the woman that owned the greenhouse/farming operation there. She heated up some fresh sweet corn for me and we had good conversation about farming. She told me that over that last 50 years, she had witnessed the decline of farming in the area, from over 500 farmers to the 12 farm operations left in the area. Damn. Not much different from where I grew up, I told her. I'll skip the part about her belief in a coming famine, etc but she did paint a pretty interesting picture and stimulate some thoughts on local food production.I ended up buying some of the sweetest peaches I ever tasted and ate them immediately. YUM!I left the "corn crib" feeling refreshed and depressed at the same time, but coincidentally, I soon happened upon the monument of the famous Shay's Rebellion (pictured above) I wondered what the "Regulators" would think about the plight of the small farmer today. Would they encourage us to rebel in light inflation, rising taxes, and politial scandal? Heavy thoughts, too heavy to carry another 15 miles.More drizzle. I climbed up Mt. Everett, to see only grey clouds. Then Race Mtn: a long ridgewalk overlooking Berkshire valley farmland. Clouds were whipping up the ridge and over my head. It was like being caught in a time lapse photography video. Way cool. As the evening drew on, I descended into Sage's ravine, Part of the Mount Washington State forest. It was dark down in the ravine, but as I crossed the border into Conneticut, there was enough light to stop and celebrate with some bread and olive oil.The light was waning as I climbed out of Sages Ravine and up Bear Mountain. By the time I reached the top, a grey mist had settled in for the night, and I hiked the last two miles down in the dark. I arrived at Brassie Brook Lean To at 9pm. There were two SOBO's that I had met at Rob's (Skeeter and Puck) and a northbound girl named Nutella, who I had good conversation with well into the night.
Date: 2007-08-22
From: Brassie Brook Lean To

To: Salisbury
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We stayed up late last night, so everyone slept in for a long time this morning. When we did wake, we went straight back to joking and laughing like the night before.I was hurting from my long day, so I decided to rest and wait for Sketch, who I thought would be coming up behind me. He didn't show up until the afternoon, though. Luckily, Nutella hung out with me for a while, and I was glad for the company.She told me about an organic farm in Sheffield, Ma called Moon in the Pond Farm( http://www.mooninthepond.com ), where she and a few other hikers had stayed the previous day. In exchange for a full day's work, they were able to pitch their tents and eat meals with the farmers. I was interested in the idea from the start, but after Nutella showed me pictures of the chicken slaughter and milking the dairy cows, I was sold. I guess my dad instilled more love for this stuff into me as a child than I though he did. Eventually, Sketch showed up, and we decided to take an easy day down to Salisbury and hitchhike to the farm together so that his friend Sugar could catch up. After a few sets of pullups (Sketch is quite serious about his workout routine, so I piggyback on his motivation) we said goodbye to Nutella and hiked down to the road.Once in Salisbury, we contacted the farm and proceeded hitch the 15 miles back into Mass. We recieved a ride from a local mason/sculptor named John who, in a bout of kindness, took us all the way to the farm. When we arrived, we introduced ourselves, got settled in, and helped sort onions until dinner.Dinner was flame grilled vegetables (potatoes, onions, zuchinni, squash, peppers, all homegrown of course) and pork sausage (also homegrown).After dinner, we said goodnight and agreed to be up at 6:30 for morning chores.We hiked 5 miles down to Salisbury