morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-07
From: Dalton, MA

To: Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 9.3

I needed to take care of some business such as laundry, sending journals / email, etc. and would probably not leave Dalton until 10am today. Scott would hike out of Dalton early and I would meet him later in the day at Cheshire, MA. It would be a short mileage day for both of us.I was up early, gathered up my dirty laundry and headed for a place down the block called Duff & Dell's, where I had one great breakfast. For about six dollars I had 2 very large pancakes, 2 eggs, 3 sausage, and a large cup of coffee. A great bargain, and a great way to start the day. I walked about a mile and a half to the laundromat and took care of that business and some journaling. By the time I walked back to the hostel, packed up my gear and started hiking it was 12:30, later than I had hoped to leave.The AT goes through Dalton for about a mile and a half before actually entering the woods, and as I walked along I was admiring some of the houses and gardens in town, thinking about all the projects I wanted to start around my house when I get home.As soon as I was in the woods, the AT went straight up, as it climbed back up to the mountains. I was hustling as much as I could since I needed to arrive in Cheshire before 4:30 to pick up a package at the post office before it closed. There weren't too many sights along the way. I had hiked this section in the past and seen it all before. I arrived in Cheshire at about 3:45 and stopped at an ice cream stand along the way. After ordering some sherbert and coming outside to eat it by the picnic table, I saw Scott and two other thru hikers sitting there. Scott had been there since 1pm and was already set up at the hostel. We all talked about hiking and our recent stay at Tom Levardi's house in Dalton, and before I realized, it was close to 4:30. I hustled down the block to the post office and picked up a food drop I had forwarded here, and then walked to the hostel at Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church. The church allows thru hikers to stay in 2 small rooms in the lower hall of the church. It was just Scott and I tonight. We later met the pastor of the church, a young and very friendly priest by the name of Father Dave. One reason I wanted to stay here is to see if I could attend Mass, which I have not had the opportunity to do, the entire hike. Father Dave said there was an 8am Mass in the chapel, and we were welcome to attend.For the rest of the evening, Scott and I spend a good deal of time talking and getting to know each other and discuss hiking plans.It is suppose to rain tonight so I'm happy to be here.
Date: 2007-08-09
From: Sherman Brook Campsite

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

I was up and out hiking on the trail today before Cheeks and Steps Little. Today's big event would be leaving Massachusetts behind and crossing into the state of Vermont. This happened about 2 miles into the day's hike. I did not see much of any sign welcoming me into Vermont but there was a welcome sign for MA in the soutbound direction. Vermont (Verde Mont) the Green Mountain state is also known to thru hikers as VERMUD, because of the persistently muddy trails. I noticed this right away as I made some miles into Vermont. Patches of the trail periodically have this gooey black mud that you either have to step around or step through. For the most part I tried to step around it but sometimes had to slop right through it.The Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail are one in the same for the first 97 miles in Vermont. At that point the Long Trail heads northwest to it's end in Canada, and the AT heads northeast. The Long Trail is the oldest long distance trail in the United States.This morning's hike started off well but after a while I became frustrated with the lack of blazing. This was especially true for a section of trail that ran over a boulder field. If there are no noticeable blazes on rocks or trees then how can one possibly follow the trail. I unfortunately had to guess a lot, but playing this guessing game is unneccesary and quite frustrating for any hiker.I had been hiking for a while and decided to stop at the Congdon Shelter which was right on the trail. When I arrived, I was surprised to see Scott there. He explained that he had taken the bus to Bennington from Cheshire and decided to hike south to North Adams. He had been thinking about the idea to section hike to Monson, ME, and was having second thoughts about it. I ended up taking a long lunch break with Scott and we talked a long time about his decision to abandon the hike this year. I felt bad that he would not be hiking and was hoping it was not solely related to my need to keep on schedule. He assured me it was a decision made for a number of reasons. I reminded him that he was still young and would have a lot of opportunities in his future to make his dream a reality. We plan to stay in touch via email and I was happy to hear that he would like to climb Mount Katahdin with me in the end. He planned to stay the night at the shelter, but I hiked on for another six miles to the next shelter.The rest of the day's hike took me over some more muddy trail. There was a long climb down to VT Rt9 which is 5 miles to Bennington, VT. This descent was not too bad due to the excellent rock work the GMC (Green Mountain Club) has done here. They basically created a rock staircase all the way down to Rt. 9. When I got to the road I saw Cheeks and Steps Little resting there and getting ready to move on. I took a short break and followed them up a long climb until we arrived at the shelter before dark. The three of us are here along with "Moose" another thru hiker. It looks like rain might be coming.
Date: 2007-08-10
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

Last night it rained hard and was still raining lightly when I woke up. It was one of those raw and cold rainy mornings, and no one was moving very fast to get ready and hike. Steps Little and Cheeks were the first two to leave and then Moose. At one point, I considered staying in the shelter for the day, or a good part of it, but when the rain stopped I left to. I thought the trail would be a muddy mess but it actually was not too bad. The cooler weather created great hiking conditions and I moved along at a good pace today. It was an uneventful hike for most of the day, one in which turning out the miles was the only concern.As I hiked on at the end of the day, I passed a number of southbound hikers who said there were a lot of rowdy people at the next shelter. I was concerned and thought it might be a group of locals there for a party. I was looking for a campsite along the way but could not find any level sights, so I hiked on. When I finally reached the shelter I could hear some loud voices, and heard a cheer when I walked in. All of the 20 or so hikers there were either AT or Long Trail thru hikers, and every time a new hiker came in they let out a long cheer. They had brought some beer in from town and the makings for smores. It was really not out of hand and it was great to see so many thru hikers amassed in one location. Some of them I recognized but most were new faces. We all enjoyed the evening, but most drifted off to sleep before 9:30, hardly a rowdy party.
Date: 2007-08-11
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: few clouds

Most of the crowd here last night was gone by the time I left. Today was a beautiful clear day. The morning hike took me up Stratton Mountain. It was a long and hard climb but worth the effort by the time I reached the summit. On the way up the trees, shrubs, and plants start to change gradually as I entered the alpine zone. This is a high elevation area where the trees are mostly evergreen and most are somewhat stunted. The fresh fragrance of pine and balsam fir filled the air and it was wonderful. On the summit of Stratton Mtn. is a firetower and a caretakers cabin. The cabin is usually occupied by a member of the local hiking club (GMC - Green Mountain Club). I noticed some of the crowd from last night were already here eating lunch. "Iceman" is a litle older than me, and "Birdlegs", "Splendora", "Popeye",and Popeye's girlfriend are in their 20's. I joined them for lunch and later climbed to the top of the firetower for some spectacular views. I could see Mount Greylock to the south, which I hiked a few days back. I could see some of the Adirondack mountains to the west in New York and many mountains to the north (probably some of the White Mtns. of New Hampshire).The crowd here eventually hiked on and I lingered a bit longer here. About three miles north I came to Stratton Pond, a beautiful clear lake, surrounded by undeveloped woods. The thru hikers I saw on Stratton Mtn. were also here relaxing after having taken a swim. I opted to pass on the swim (it was actually a bit chilly today), but fired up my stove, made a cup of coffee, and simply sat back and enjoyed the view.The remainder of today's hike took me through some more scenic terrain. I arrived at the Spruce Peak Shelter at around 6:30 and greeted "Moose" and "Buffalo Bobby" who were already there. Moose, who is about my age, has already thru hiked the AT 3 times, this being his fourth hike! I have seen him on and off the entire hike. Buffalo Bobby is 62 and this is his 2nd thru hike. One by one all of the thru hikers I saw today, pulled in for the night. In addition, there are about 6 high school age kids here tonight and a few Long Trail section hikers, definitely a full house. I later learned that the high school kids are all cousins and occasionally get together to camp here for a night. The father of one of them, helped build this shelter in 1986.I heard someone say there is a lot of mouse activity in this shelter, so I layed out my sleeping bag and pad away from the end wall of the shelter. This is where the mice usually run, along the top of the logs. I am turning in early tonight.
Date: 2007-08-13
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

Buffalo Bobby was out first today. I took my time over breakfast, talking with the couple that also stayed in the shelter last night. I did manage to start hiking a little after 8am. Just before lunch today I got caught in a minor thunder shower. I could hear the thunder and knew it was coming, but delayed putting my pack cover on. Once it came, I barely had enough time to pull the cover out and pull it on the pack. Lesson learned, heed the warning. My pack stayed relatively dry but I was soaked from the brief downpour. It was over quickly and the sun shining again, so I stopped at the next shelter for lunch and was able to dry out. As I continued hiking for the remainder of the day I started to notice why Vermont is called the Green Mountain state. I hiked mostly through stands of hemlock, pine and balsam fir, with a minor mix of hardwood species. The fallen evergreen needles cushioned the trail nicely. The rocks and downed trees were covered with a bright green moss and ferns lined the trail and beyond. The sunlight filtering through the trees, especially at days end, highlighted the whole mix of shades of green, and gave the woods a real emerald quality. It was relaxing and tranquil hiking all day through this section of trail. I hiked a full day and arrived at the shelter just before dark, opting for a cold meal. Two section hikers from NYC offered me some tea which I gratefully accepted.A great day on the AT.
Date: 2007-08-14
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

I had been noticing references in the shelter journals over the last day, about a small cafe called the Whistle Stop, about a half a mile from the trail, on Rt 103. Since this was only 2.5 miles from the shelter, I thought I'd stop here for breakfast.Before I reached the road, I passed a beautiful site called Clarendon Gorge. It was a typical river gorge with high rock walls and deep expansive pools of crystal clear water. I lingered there for a while admiring the view and taking pictures. As I crossed the shaky bridge over the gorge, I was thinking how nice it would be to take a swim. I dismissed the idea thinking, I needed to do some big miles today. As I went half way across the bridge, I changed my mind, turned back around, and carefully climbed down to the gorge. I found a nice pool, stripped down, and plunged into the water. Wow, was that water icy cold, but after thrashing around a bit it wasn't too bad. I cleaned up some, dried off and got dressed, and was hiking again in no time. I felt great, and was so happy I made that spontaneous decision. I had passed up opportunities to go swimming, the last couple of days, and did not want to pass up this one. The Whistle Stop Cafe was not far from the gorge at all. It was a beautiful clear and crisp day, I just had a fantastic wake up swim, and now I was going for breakfast. The day was certainly looking up to be a good one. The Whistle Stop Cafe is actualy the original North Clarendon railroad station, and continues to bear the railroad heritage in the way it is decorated. It's a small place out in the country, but the food and service were top notch. I could barely finish the three huge pancakes overflowing the plate. Now I know why this place was so talked about by other hikers. If you haven't yet noticed from previous journal entries, the trail is now running through the heart of Vermont ski country. Part of today's walk was actually on a ski tail. By days end I was hiking high in the alpine zone and at one point past a side trail to Killington summit, a well know mountain with many ski trails. I thought about staying at the shelter near this trail so I'd have time to hike up to the summit, but already at this elevation it was getting cold, and with no winter gear, I thought it would be best to stop for the day further down. Since I was running a bit late I decided not to take the side trip up Killington. I wish I had the time since I heard the views were spectacular. I guess I sometimes justify a decision like that with the knowledge that I have many outstanding view still ahead.It was a long downhill charge to the shelter, but I arrived in time to cook dinner, have some conversation with a southbound thru hiker already there, and then off to bed.
Date: 2007-08-15
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: light rain

Today was kind of an unusual day. It did not follow the usual script. I awoke to a real cold and raw day with a slight drizzle of rain falling. The plan was to hitch in to Rutland VT, to purchase a few days worth of supplies, and therefore it was not going to be a high mileage day. I decided to sleep in for a while and enjoy the warmth and comfort of my sleeping bag. I later woke up, had a relaxed breakfast, journaled a bit, and had two cups of coffee. As I was reviewing my plans for the next couple of days I realized I had about a day and a half worth of food and there would be other re-supply options the next two days. Instead I decided bypass Rutland and visit an icon on the trail, the Long Trail Inn.I finally packed up and got started at close to 1pm, as the weather improved. It was only a 2 mile hike to Rt. 4. The Long Trail Inn was just a mile down the road and I was able to get a quick hitch. The AT / Long Trail use to go right up to the Long Trail Inn, but was rerouted a few years back, to its present location. The Long Trail Inn, was started by a family called McGrath, and was primarily a ski resort. It presently caters to ski and hiking enthusiasts alike. The McGrath Pub is on the lower level of the inn and this is where I had lunch today. The pub has some great atmosphere and it's walls are decorated with a history of the Irish struggle for independance and the IRA. I was mesmerized by all of this as I ate lunch and downed a few pints of Guinness, and made a mental note to learn more about this subject.After lunch, I was lucky enough to get another quick hitch and was on the trail by 4pm. There were some long straight climbs which were at first a bit hard going with a full stomach. The extra carbs definitely helped later in the day however. I arrived at Stony Brook Shelter a little after 8pm.
Date: 2007-08-17
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

This morning I wanted to get out and start hiking quickly. I packed my soggy gear and put on my wet clothes and very soggy and muddy boots (wet from yesterdays storm) and hit the trail. Of course the trail passed through some areas with heavy trail side vegetation, so I proceeded to get soaked all over again from the moisture laden vegetation. The day was looking up however, as the sun was shining brightly. The temperature was cool, great for hiking. Today was a big day. I was heading to Hanover, an interesting college town and the gateway to a new state, New Hampshire. The trail passes right through Hanover, and the campus of Dartmouth College. Wet or not, I was enjoying the morning hike and eventually reached the town of West Hartford, VT, where the trail passes. There was a newly opened country store right along the trail in West Hartford and I stopped here for some breakfast since I did not eat any before leaving the shelter today. This place was quite nice, having a deli, and being a sort of short order restaurant. I ordered a breakfast burrito and a coffee and sat down to eat it, with a thru hiking couple, "Gizmo" and "Pizza Man". I then went outside and pulled all my gear out of my pack, spreading it out in the sun to dry.The rest of the afternoon was an easy 7 mile hike to Norwich, which is a Vermont town on the other side of the Connecticut River, before you cross the bridge into Hanover. This section of trail from Norwich to Hanover comprises almost a 2 mile road walk and is the longest section of the AT on a road. It was not so bad however, and I got some good pictures of the CT river and the unusual bridge crossing it to Hanover. Hanover although an interesting college town, is not very convenient for hikers. Most places right in town are very up scale and expensive and there is no place for re-supply or to do laundry. The Dartmouth Outing Club allows hikers to drop their packs off there while they take care of business. I did that and proceeded to try and take care of a problem I encountered today. I noticed while hiking that the boots I bought just 2 weeks ago, were starting to fall apart. I tried unsuccessfully to rectify this at the local outfitter. I then located an EMS about 5 miles out of town, where I could exchange the boots for a new pair.Normally there is a shuttle bus that runs from Hanover to the shopping mall where the EMS is, but at this time of the day, it was not running. So it definitely looked like I'd have to take care of this tomorrow and be here overnight. I eventually found some on campus accomodations for the night, had some dinner in Hanover, and called it a night. Hopefully I can straighten out the boot problem in the morning, re-supply, and leave town at a reasonable hour.
Date: 2007-08-18
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I grabbed my defective boots this morning and walked down the main st. of Hanover to the edge of town where I started to try and hitch a ride to the EMS store 5 miles away. I was somewhat reluctant to hitch, not having my backpack on, and being easily identified as a hiker. Unfortunately the shuttle buses going out to the mall don't run on the weekend, so it was hitch or call a taxi. After about 10 minutes I lucked out and got a ride from a local Dartmouth student.The EMS did not open for another hour, so I killed some time having breakfast at Dunkin Donuts and then wandered over to Shaws Grocery store, also conveniently located here, to shop for my food re-resupply. When I went into the EMS and explained the problem, and showed them the receipt for the shoes I had purchased at an EMS store in Danbury CT, a few weeks ago, they asked no questions and replaced the bad boots with a new pair. I was delighted. Mission accomplished and a good load off my mind. Not wanting to deal with a hitch back, I called a taxi and was back in Hanover in about an hour.I got some lunch and went back to the Dartmouth Outing Club. I packed up and was walking through Hanover at 2pm, on my way back to the trail which entered the woods on the edge of the Dartmouth soccer field. It was another cool and sunny day, ideal for hiking. I actually felt chilly every time I stopped for a break. I passed a lot of day hikers sampling the trail on such a good day. Town stops are welcome, but it was good to be back on the trail hiking again after the added stress encountered on this town stop. I made it to Moose Mtn. Shelter by about 7pm and tented nearby. After setting up the tent near another hiker, and cooking up a hot meal I started a small fire to chase away the unseasonably cold night temperature and sat warmly by the fire eating dinner and talking with my tentsite neighbor.
Date: 2007-08-19
From: Moose Mtn. Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It was tough trying to stay warm last night in my summer weight bag and even harder getting out of it this morning to face these unseasonably cold temperatures. I have my winter bag and some warmer clothes coming in the mail when I arrive in Glencliff, NH, but until then I'll have to do the best I can. I started hiking in my rain jacket, but eventually took it off after I was warmed up. The hike today was a managable 17 miles on paper, but I did not realize the amount of climbs that were ahead. The big and long climb was up Smarts Mtn. (3240 ft.) with a lot of smaller up and downs throughout the day. In the afternoon when I climbed Smarts Mtn. I had zero energy and it was a bit of a challenge just putting one foot in front of the other.When I reached the top of Smarts Mtn. there was an old rangers cabin which now acts as a shelter. There was also a firetower which would have allowed some fantastic views of the White Mtns. I thought the firetower was down the blue trail for the cabin, but I could not find it. I thought it might be on the AT, so I continued along the AT looking for it with no luck. The AT eventually decended off the mountain. I later learned the fire tower was off a blue trail before the cabin. Oh well, all that climbing and no reward of a view.I just wanted to reach the shelter at this point, and that wasn't too bad since most of the remainder of the hike was downhill. We were told earlier in the day there was no water at the shelter and that we should fill up at a reliable stream a mile before the shelter. I did this, and carried that very heavy water almost all uphill (figures) to the shelter. Of course, we actually got some inaccurate information since I found a good water source only two tenths of a mile before the shelter. It was just one of those days today.Something special did happen today. Talk about a small world. At one point this morning while I was hiking, I came to an overlook where I found a young couple resting and admiring the view. I noticed they stayed at the shelter the night before but I didn't get an opportunity to talk to them. I stopped for a break there and struck up a conversation with them. I mentioned to the girl that I was thru hiking and was from CT. She got excited and said she was from Simsbury CT. I then said I was from Vernon and she said she grew up in Vernon until she was 12. As we continued our conversation I found out she is the same age as my son Dave, and remembered him and my daughter from a summer swim team in Vernon. Her name is Heather. I am at Hexacuba Shelter tonight with Speaks Little, 3 other thru hikers, and 6 section hikers. This shelter is very nice and as you can guess from the name, it is a six sided shelter, with loads of room to spread out. It looks like another cold night again.