morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-16
From: William B Douglas Shelter

To: VT11 & VT30 to Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Up early and on the trail at 6:15 a.m. Doc the Creepy Dwarf had left about half hour earlier. The trail was real easy with very little climbing. I was at the VT 11/30 road by 9:15 a.m., made really good time, two miles per hour. Tried thumbing for almost half mile down the road before a pick-up truck stopped to pick me up. Climbed in the back with the lawnmower and weed trimmer and a skateboard. It looked like a dad and his two teenage sons. Had them drop me off at the Manchester Shopping Center and walked across the street to McDonald's for another breakfast. While eating breakfast, I saw Doc walking further into town.When I got close to The Mountain Goat Outfitter, I ran into Doc, he was waiting for the time to get a little later so he could call his wife in California. We talked for a few minutes, this will probably be the last time I see Doc the Creepy Dwarf. Wished him good luck.When I got to Sutton's Place they had no vacancies. I was a little down because they are right in town. Went to the Mountain Goat and they told me about a couple of motels about half mile up the road on Route 7. Walked up the road and got a room at the Aspen Motel. It was a nice room, just too far out of town. After getting a shower and gathering up all my dirty clothes, which isn't much, Bruce the owner of the motel gave me a ride to the laundromat about a mile away. After getting my clothes cleaned, I walked up to the Mountain Goat and picked up my mail drop with my food and other items. Oh! While waiting for my clothes to wash, I got a Ben & Jerry's ice cream, then a sandwich and real potato chips for lunch. Hitched a ride back out to the Aspen Motel.It was almost 8:00 p.m. when I walked back to town, no one would pick up a clean hiker without a pack. Ate supper at the Sirloin Saloon. My brother, Steve, a friend, Dave Hossinger, and I ate here in the early 1970's when we would come to Vermont snowskiing. I ordered the same thing, a terriaki steak and it was just as good now as back then. Walked back to the motel and crashed, it had been a busy day.
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Slept late to 7:00 a.m., no miles today - it is a zero or rest day for me. Being that it is Father's Day and I have been hiking for 25 days, I needed a day off and what better day to take than today. But I was still busy cleaning my gear and waterproofing my boots. Made a bunch of calls back home and even got in contact with Frond and Azaria. I hiked all the way through Virginia with them last year. They are driving up from New York to see me tonight.Walked into town, I got a room at Sutton's Place. It is a lot cheaper and shorter walking into town. Went back to the Mountain Goat, my wife had told me there should be another mail drop for me and it was a package from our daughter Kelley and granddaughter Shanna. Father's Day card and some brownies, Yum! Yum! Nadine said she talked to Kelley and that Kelley and Shanna were in Japan with our son Jeff and they were having a great time. It makes me happy to think that they are together since they haven't seen each other in a couple of years.Took a relaxing slow walk around town. I missed Pirates of the Caribbean 3, it left on Thursday. This is a neat little Vermont tourist town and it has all the needs for a hiker. It has a lot of small restaurants with great food. I ate at a couple for lunch and supper. Getting ready to do some sewing on my gaiters, the stitching is coming loose in a couple of places. There is always something to do. I had just finished sewing at 8:30 p.m. when Frond and Azaria pulled up. They hadn't had supper yet so drove a couple of blocks into town and went to a place call The Harvest Grill. It was a neat little restaurant with Norman Rockwell prints hanging on all the walls. He actually did a painting in here a long, long time ago. I got dessert, a big piece of cheesecake, since I had already had supper. We went back to Sutton's Place and talked until 11:00 p.m. I really enjoyed hearing what they had been doing since I last saw them. A little sad to see them drive away, I wish I could have spent more time with them, but thankful for the time I had.
Date: 2007-06-18
From: VT11 & VT30 from Manchester Center, VT

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept in a little late, but was thumbing by 7:20 a.m. When I walked past a lumber yard, a guy Vince in a pick-up truck was pulling out and asked if I was going to the Long Trail/A.T. Threw my pack in the back and climbed in. I was hiking up Bromley Mountain by 7:45 a.m. It was a nice trail to hike which made the climb easy. Near the top the trail came out on a grassy ski slope. At the top of Bromley Mountain there was a warming hut that was built in memory of Nadine Justin. Beside the hut was an observation tower and right in front of them is where you got off the chairlift during snow skiing season.Coming down the other side of Bromley Mountain wasn't as easy, a lot of rocks and roots and the same for Peru Peak. Had a couple of vistas on Bromley and Peru Peak. Stopped at a dirt road at Mad Tom Notch for lunch. There was a water hand pump there. I was taking a short nap on the platform when a thru-hiker close to my age came by. He left Springer Mountain, GA, on March 2.Didn't see many people today. An older woman in her 70's and three young guys. They were all headed south. Got to Peru Peak Shelter about 3:00 p.m. It was sunny so I was able to hang my clothes up and let them dry. Early supper at 5:00 p.m. I am by myself for today, so far. Gathered some fire wood to build a fire to try drive some of these flies and mosquitoes away. Fred, about my age, hiking south for a couple of days, came in about 7:15 p.m. We got a fire going at 7:45 p.m. and enjoyed sitting and watching the flames and enjoying the warmth. As soon as the sun went down, we were in our sleeping bags.
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Left the shelter at 7:45 a.m. as Fred was finishing packing his pack. The trail ran beside a pond and I had to walk on these long bog bridges. One of them had to be 300 feet long. When I was climbing Baker Peak, you could tell it was going to be a very warm day. Lost Pond Shelter was really lost, it had burned down. Just before getting to Big Branch Shelter, I crossed a suspension bridge that had the weight limit of one person. Stopped at Big Branch Shelter for an hour lunch and rest. There were all these butterflies flying around, over 100 at least. There were Monarch butterflies, I think, and a bunch of black and white butterflies. They flew under my legs and just inches from my head as I ate lunch. Several landed on my pack just a foot from me. A neat experience to see so many butterflies at one place like this.Not far from the Big Branch Shelter I came across two U.S. Forest Rangers clearing blown down trees off the trail. The one with the beard I had seen several days ago on the trail, he was replacing signs then.The day got warmer and it started to zap the energy out of me and I had one big climb and descent at the end of the day that did not make it any easier. It was 5:30 p.m. when I got to Greenwall Shelter. Drew and Malinda, a young couple from Michigan doing a southbound section hike, were already there. Also, there was a Dad with his two teenage sons there but they were tenting out because of the bugs. The bugs were a little pesky today. The water was 600 feet away and coming very slowly out of a pipe in a small stream. As I was cooking supper, Tapper hiked up. She is thru-hiking and lives in Vermont.The sky got dark all of a sudden and it started raining really hard and continued to rain during the night. That made for good sleeping because it cooled things down a little.
Date: 2007-06-20
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Claredon Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Tapper left in the pouring rain, I think she was going to do another 25 mile day. I waited for it to be a light sprinkle and headed out at 6:50 a.m. Within a half hour, the rain had stopped. I only had one difficult climb today and that was Bear Mountain and it was early this morning. At least no bugs.Just before getting to road VT 103, I had to cross a suspension bridge over Clarendon Gorge. That was an exciting experience since the gorge was about 40 feet down and the bridge did a lot of swaying as you walked across it. Got to VT 103 at 11:38 a.m. and started trying to thumb a ride half mile to the Whistle Stop Restaurant but had no luck and had to walk the entire way there. Got me some meatloaf and mashed potatoes with a lot of gravy, followed by a big bowl of ice cream. While I was finishing lunch, an older gentleman named Allen came in and sat beside me and we talked about the trail. I finished up and went out to put my socks and boots back on, I had left them in the sun to dry out some. About this time, Allen came out and I asked him which direction he was going. He was going right in the same direction as the small general store half mile away that I needed to go to for groceries. He gave me a ride to the store and waited for me to buy what I needed and then gave me a ride back to the trail head. There are a lot of good people like Allen who help us hikers a lot on this journey.It was a real steep climb up to Clarendon Shelter and the first 3/4 mile was up this big rock slide. It took me an hour to go only one mile but I was there a little before 3:00 p.m. The sun was out so I put up a clothesline to dry things out. A short time later, The Invisible Man hiked up. He is thru-hiking and left Georgia in early March.It is getting cooler as the sun goes down, looks like a good night to sleep. As I was writing this journal page I watched a little mouse running around outside the shelter.
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Claredon Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: broken clouds

It got colder last night which made sleeping good. Left the shelter at 6:35 a.m. The Invisible Man had left a half hour earlier. It stayed cool and there was a slight breeze blowing, even with the sun out. When I got to a stream near Keiffer Road, thee were some sodas in the stream and a register in a box. The Hiking Gnome and the Outhouse Repairman had left them there for hikers passing through. I drank one just to get the sugar rush for the 2500 foot climb up to the top of Killington Peak.Been seeing several new flowers in Vermont that I have not seen before. Followed a brook up the mountain for several miles and at one point, was on a small ridge with a brook on each side. It is really beautiful hiking through a lot of fir, spruce, hemlock and pine forests. The climb wasn't that bad since it was cool out and stopped on top of Little Killington to eat lunch at 12:30 p.m. Only took a half-hour lunch because I was less than two miles from Killington Peak. Got there at 1:30 p.m. and took the Killington Peak Trail, a blue side trail, straight up and over Killington Peak and down the other side to Killington's ski lift and restaurant. Neither was open yet. I was looking forward to sitting inside and eating food. It was only a 0.2 mile trail but straight up and I had taken off my pack which was a mistake because it made the climb and descent even harder. Took an hour for that little adventure but it was worth it.When I got to the shelter or lodge as they call it, I saw and heard a storm coming so I got my water really fast before it hit. The temperature dropped a lot and now it was cold. Violent storm with hail and heavy rain, the hail was bouncing through the open windows of the shelter. The storm blew by quick and the sun came out but the temperature remained cold.Today was the unofficial "hike naked day," June 21st, but I did not participate and I did not see a soul on the trail today, thank goodness!A group of about 12 Boy Scouts and two leaders came hiking up the mountain at about 4:30 p.m. They are doing a 50-mile hike in five days to get ready for Philmont in July. They are all from Vermont, they are a good group of boys and the leaders are too. Jack, a southbounder going to Harpers Ferry,WV, came in about 7:00 p.m. Just the two of us in the shelter. All the Scouts have put up tent city.
Date: 2007-06-22
From: Cooper Lodge

To: US4, Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 6.2

The clouds drifted through the windows of the shelter last night and this morning. It was almost spooky. Because the clouds were floating in, it was getting damp inside so I took a large plastic bag that was in the shelter and slid it over the end of my sleeping bag last night. That was a mistake because it got down to about 38o last night and the condensation made the end of my sleeping bag wet. Lesson learned.Jack, his trail name is Jacque Cousteau, and I shared information about what each of us is about to face on the trail since we are hiking in opposite directions. He and I left the shelter at 7:35 a.m. He was hiking south and I am hiking north. He is 22 years old and had just finished college and a good time in his life to be hiking the trail. It was raining when we left and it rained off and on, mostly on, all the way down the mountain but the trail was easy hiking even in the rain.I had made good time and reached US 4 at 10:50 a.m. Tried thumbing but it was raining harder and again most people don't want to pick up a wet hiker with a wet back pack. After I had walked about half mile, a guy named Jim stopped and gave me a ride the rest of the way up to the Inn at Long Trail. The Inn was built back in the 1930's for the snow skiers. Good to get a hot shower and put on some clean clothes, and being inside eating a hot lunch.It is always good to be somewhere where I can make calls home. The Inn has an Irish Pub and they are going to have live entertainment tonight. Had a relaxing afternoon hanging out in the pub. Met a section hiker named Cyclops from Maryland, he was wearing a kilt and that is what he hikes in. I have seen a lot of guys on the trail wearing them. He said he has been section hiking the A.T. for ten years and it will take him three more to finish.Went back to my room and packed up and repaired some gear. For supper, I went back to the pub for some hot Irish beef stew and a Long Trail ale. Talked to Cyclops and listened to a guy singing Irish songs and drank some more ale until about 10:30 p.m.
Date: 2007-06-23
From: US4, from Inn at Long Trail

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

Slept until 5:30 a.m., took another shower just to be under hot water, packed up my gear and went down to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Ate with Cyclops and the two Daves. The two Daves are from Indiana and just finished a section hike. They were involved with the Boy Scouts with their sons and went to Philmont Scout Ranch also. Had some big blueberry pancakes with real Vermont maple syrup. Cyclops had to go and catch a bus to get him to the airport where he was flying back to Maryland.After breakfast the two Daves gave me a ride back to the trail head and I was climbing the mountain at 9:25 a.m. I had a great time at the Inn at Long Trail.I forgot to mention this, but a couple of days ago I met three women going south for a day hike, so I stepped off the trail to let them go by and when I did I stepped into some Nettles and my legs started stinging right away. The leaves from these plants cause the stinging. A short way up the trail, I found some Jewel Weed and took the sap from the stalk and put it on the areas where the Nettles had touched me and the stinging went away. The American Indians also used Jewel Weed to stop the itching from poison ivy. Usually when you see Nettles you will find Jewel Weed growing nearby. The reason I mentioned this is because as I was going up the mountain, both sides of the trail were covered with Nettles and Jewel Weed.At Willard Gap, the Long Trail and the A.T. separate with the A.T. turning east toward New Hampshire. Nate had left a note on the sign at Willards Gap wishing Doc and me good luck on our hike. The trail goes through Gifford Woods State Park and people had their tents and pop-up campers all set up. Two young couples from Massachusetts even gave me a chocolate candy bar to take along for my lunch. The trail then ran beside Kent Pond and went right past the Mountain Meadows Lodge that had sheep grazing in the yard. Got to Stony Brook Shelter about 4:00 p.m. and there was a young hiker named Jukebox already there.It was in the 50's all day today and it is getting colder.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

Got cold last night and at about 3:00 a.m. an owl landed near the shelter and started hooting. Didn't get up until 6:15 a.m. and you could see your breath it was still cold. Jukebox left at 8:02 a.m., he said he doesn't like leaving the shelter before 8:00 a.m.There were a lot of little ups and downs. The weather was better than yesterday, it was sunny and the temperatures got up into the low 60's. Found a sunny spot on the trail to eat lunch just to stay warm. At one point on the trail today I had to turn around backwards to go down this big log ladder.Got to Wintturi Shelter about 2:50 p.m. and went through the usual routine - sweep out the shelter, get water, hang clothes out to dry, cook supper and get my air mattress and sleeping bag out. At 5:30 p.m., the Professor came in. He is in his 50's, lives in New York and is doing a section hike north. At about 7:15 p.m. a thru-hiker named Speedo came in. He is from San Francisco, CA, but moving to Chicago, IL when he finishes his hike. Moved my air mattress and sleeping bag over because I could see holes in the roof. Don't know if it will rain or not. Feels like it is going to be another cool night.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

I left the shelter before the Professor and Speedo at a little after 7:00 a.m., but it wasn't long before the Professor passed me and Speedo caught up with me at Barnard Gulf Road, four miles from the shelter. Both of them will do big miles today.It got warmer last night, that is not the norm. It was probably in the 60's this morning. At 10:30 a.m. I got to Woodstock Stage Road. I needed to go to the general store a mile down the road to buy lunch and re-supply. Not much traffic on the road and I had walked about 0.6 miles when Jake, a young man in an SUV, stopped to give me a ride. He was only the second car coming down the road.At the general store, I got a big grinder, potato salad, fruit salad and a quart of Gatorade. Went across the street at a picnic table and chowed down. After lunch went back to the store and bought my supplies and started walking and thumbing. I had walked almost 0.7 miles when another young man, Matt, stopped and gave me a ride the rest of the way. In that two-hour break, it had gotten hotter which made the next six miles very difficult, especially climbing the mountains.I was about out of water with only about 1/4 mile to go when I came to a road and there was a sign there for the hikers telling us that just 0.2 miles up the road at Cloudland Farm Country Market there was Vermont ice cream and Vermont sodas and free tap water. "It was a sign" so I walked up the road. Blake waited on me and I got two sodas and a pint of ice cream. It was 4:30 p.m. so I ate my sandwich which I had purchased from the general store along with my sodas and ice cream. Blake told me I could hang around as long as I wanted and even showed me a clean stall in the barn I could sleep in tonight if I wanted to. Wrote in my journal and took a half-hour nap. Blake said it got up to 85o F. today.It was about 6:15 p.m. and dark clouds had gathered overhead and the temperature had dropped some so I started hiking down the road back to the trail when I saw two hikers coming down the mountain as I waited for them. Boy was I surprised! It was Bobcat and Sunshine and their dog Romeo. They had got back on the trail and had already caught up to me. I saw them way back in Massachusetts at the Upper Goose Pond Cabin and they were taking two weeks off. They are moving fast and doing a 22-mile day today in this heat. Had.2 miles to go to get to the shelter. They moved on ahead and it was about 7:45 p.m. when I got there. Another thru-hiker was there also, his name was Doctor John and we had met somewhere on the trail last year but neither of us could remember where.It felt good getting to a shelter and not having to cook, all I had to do was get some water and put out my air mattress and sleeping bag. It was going to be a warm night.
Date: 2007-06-26
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Norwich, VT, The Norwich Inn
Miles today: 13.3

Around 11:30 p.m. last night I had a terrible cramp in my leg, it was so bad that I could not stand up to get to my pack so Doctor John got the Biofreeze out of my pack for me. As soon as I put it on, the cramp went away. Had not had that problem before, I think it was because of the heat even though I drank a lot of water.Bobcat, Sunshine and Doctor John left sometime after 5:15 a.m. As I was finishing packing, I saw a shelter mouse watching me, then he ran out into the woods. Romeo had been trying to catch him earlier. I was hiking by 6:25 a.m., it was going to be another hot day. The bugs were as bad as yesterday. The A.T. went through some fields with waist high grass and through a lot of pine forests. At one point, the trees were so tall I could not take a picture and get the tops in it.As I came through the town of West Hartford, VT, I saw a small grocery store but it was not open yet. The man, his wife and daughters were painting inside and said they would be open in three weeks. They gave me a banana and filled my water bottles for me. I have met a lot of kind people on this journey.It was 10:45 a.m. when I got to Happy Hill Shelter and I was really tired. This is a really neat looking shelter made of stone and logs and different than anything I have seen on the trail. Took my boots and socks off to dry them out, ate lunch and took a 30 minute nap. The rest was what I needed. The stream at the shelter was dry, but I felt I had enough water to get me to Norwich, VT. About a mile from town, I found a stream and refilled my bottles. The trail into Norwich is on paved roads through residential sections. The sun was out and the pavement made it hotter, glad I got water.Decided to go to the Norwich Inn since it is only two blocks from the trail and I am really, really tired. A hot shower and something to eat from the bar restored life in me. Washed out my clothes in the sink and hung them over some chairs. It didn't take long for the sun to dry them out.