morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-24
From: Mt. Greylock 

To: Dalton, MA. (Birdcage Hostel)
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Start : Mt. Greylock @1116Finish: : Dalton, MA. (Birdcage Hostel) Weather: Great! Cool, sunny, breezyBreakfast: Granola with blueberries and peachesLunch: Pizza Combos, Chexmix, M&M¢s, chilidog, hot fudge sundae. Dinner: Tortellini, two pudding cups, FPG.Trail Conditions: Downhill (fortunately), very muddy, many roots.Animals: One bear, chipmunk, hawk, birdsPeople: Mickey & Mallory, Atlas, Momma¢s Boy, Freebird, everyone at Birdcage Hostel, Tinker.Well, today was my first time hiking southbound and slack packing. I felt like I was committing two cardinal sins but managed to quash my purist mentality for the day.It was an absolutely beautiful day. The morning was refreshingly cool and crisp with low humidity. The hostel was a buzz with hikers getting ready for the day. I was able to get a ride with Tinker to the post office where I picked up my food drop and my new bottom for my Leki! I¢m really impressed with Leki¢s customer service. When everyone was ready we loaded up the minivans to be shuttled to Greylock.We had 8 or 9 hikers, with all our gear, crammed into Tinkers minivan. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Mt. Greylock is the biggest mountain I¢ve seen since Virginia and one of the biggest climbs since TN. As we drove by its massive base I was really glad I was walking down it. The summit of Mt. Greylock was spectacular. The views had to be at least a hundred miles. I could see the entire town of Cheshire down below and the ridges and valleys we would be traversing for the day. It was so nice up top I felt unmotivated to leave. I checked out the memorial tower and walked up to the top and enjoyed the views.I finally got going and took my time walking. It heated up quite a bit in the afternoon. M&M, Atlas and Momma¢s Boy all got ahead of me. About 8 miles into the hike I ran into Freebird chatting with M&M. I hadn¢t seen Freebird since the Shenandoah¢s. We chatted for close to an hour, and he asked about the Damascus incident, as my legend has really grown apparently.The trail took us thru Cheshire and M&M, Atlas, and I enjoyed some ice cream at a roadside shoppe. It really hit the spot. We pushed on and checked out a great viewpoint at The Cobbles. Everyone pushed on and I stayed there for nearly an hour. The rest of the days hike was easy going. As I neared the road into town I had a bear encounter. It was about 50 yards away and all I saw was a black ball of fur scampering away from me. It was really neat.Back at the hostel I got cleaned up and watched the Olympics with a bunch of the hikers. All in all, it was another great day on the AT.
Date: 2004-08-25
From: Dalton, MA. (Birdcage Hostel)

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 6.3

Start Mt. GreylockFinish: Williamstown, MAWeather: Cool & overcastBreakfast: Count ChoculaLunch: Trailmix, banana chips Dinner: Chicken fajitas, chips & salsa/guacamole ,home made cookies, potato saladTrail Conditions: Steep downhill   Animals: The usualPeople: Wendy & David, Yale students, Mickey & Mallory, Atlas, Momma¢s Boy.After another quasi-comfy night on the futon I brought myself to an upright position and got my stuff ready for the day. Nine of us with our packs all loaded into Rob¢s minivan and we were off to Greylock. The weather had turned from clear skies to overcast and chilly so views were minimal from up top. M&M, Atlas, MB, and myself chilled in the lodge and then started down the mountain for our short day.For the past two weeks M&M, Atlas, and I have been getting psyched up for the stay in Williamstown. Mallory¢s parents have family friends from college who are letting us stay with them for several days. We are all ready for a zero.On the way down I took a good fall but caught myself on a mid-sized pine tree but not before ripping the whole thing out of the ground. Oops. Better than hurting my good-looking hindquarters. We rolled into town in late afternoon and waited at the Price Chopper for our escort to the house. I bought some Count Chocula cereal. That stuff is sooooooo good. It¢s like crack for the trail.An employee from David¢s construction business dropped us off at his house. Wendi and David¢s house (these are Mallory¢s friends) is enormous ¢ at least 4,000 square feet. It will be referred to as the ¢Palace¢. Wendi is an excellent cook and as soon as we arrived she started giving us food! She had made a delicious shrimp platter, mini-mushroom quiches, homemade salsa and guacamole dip with chips, fresh homemade cookies, sodas, and for dinner had prepared homemade chicken and shrimp fajitas, Caesar salad and potato salad, and blueberry pie. Is was absolutely incredible! All of our jaws hit the floor at the opulent sight. We all have our own bedrooms and bathrooms. The house has a swimming pool, pool table, juke box with surround sound, mega-huge big screen TV, and every other cool toy you always wanted as a kid but never had.Needless to say we are staying in the lap of luxury and it is awesome. Thank you Mallory for the invitation to come, and thank you Wendi and David for your gracious hospitality.
Date: 2004-08-26
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 0.0

Start Williamston, MA Finish: Williamston, MAWeather: Sunny & warmBreakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, blueberries.Lunch: Fajitas Dinner: Turkey club sandwich, nachos, potato chips, chocolate bundt cake w/ice cream.Trail Conditions: N/AAnimals: Tessa the dog, deerPeople: Wendy & David, Mickey & Mallory, Atlas.If life got better than it did today it would be a crime. Seriously. Today was so chill it was insane. I slept in late, but when I did get up a warm breakfast of eggs and sausage awaited my empty stomach. Freshly prepared by Wendi of course.All day the four of us just chilled out big time. I did my laundry and soaked my pack in the swimming pool to rid it of its stench. The other day I found a piece of birch bark that I will eventually send to my sister in the form of a postcard. So I spent some time drying it out, super gluing the edges to prevent it from fraying and cleaning up the writing surface. I think Marcie will really like it.For lunch we just reheated leftovers from yesterday¢s dinner and grubbed out on delicious pie. Gosh, today was just so gravy.Wendi wasn¢t able to cook dinner for us tonight, so she gave us her credit card, called the restaurant she use to own, and we got to have dinner on their dime. The dinner was great, but the desert was the best I¢ve ever had. A chocolate bundt cake with chocolate frosting and ice cream. It was excellent. Wendi and David thanks so much.We returned from the restaurant and put in a movie on the big screen and relaxed some more. This has by far been the best trail magic of this whole adventure. Too bad it will have to end sometime.
Date: 2004-08-27
From: Bennington, VT

To: Williamston, MA
Miles today: 18.4

Start Bennington, VT.@1220 Finish: Williamston, MA. @1923Weather: Hot & humid, overcastBreakfast: Spanish omelet, bacon, mushroom quiche.Lunch: Trailmix Dinner: Spaghetti, French bread, nacho salad, ©clairs.Trail Conditions: Muddy, several good climbs.Animals: Beaver, chipmunk, lizardPeople: Wendy & David, Mickey & Mallory, Atlas, Swedish, Otie, day hikers.Atlas and I decided to do a SOBO slack pack today back to the ¢Palace¢ at which we have been staying. Mickey and Mallory drove us up to Bennington, we made a quick stop to the post office and then hit the trail.The climb out of Bennington was very very steep but eventually leveled out. Over all it was just another chill day of hiking. Our pace wasn¢t blistering, just good and steady. Many SOBO¢s had been taking about how muddy the trail in Vermont is, and the rumors are true. Much of the mud has dried up with the recent sun, however, there was still very many mucky spots ankle deep in places.Along the hike today I passed three beaver ponds. They were really cool to see and the craftsmanship of those rodents is quite impressive. I saw my first beaver ever cruising around his pond. I am excited to see more of their damns as I continue north.We crossed paths with Swedish and Odie, whom we haven¢t seen since Vernon, NJ. We¢ll see then tomorrow in Bennington and we¢ll push north with them.Back in Williamstown we hitched a ride from Jerry, a town local, back to the house. As we rolled in Mickey & Mallory were going out to a gala rehearsal for a theater where many Hollywood celebrities started their careers. Wendi and David had extra tickets and gave them to M&M. So they got to smooze with the likes of Christopher Reeves and Gwenyth Paltrow. Not too shabby.Back at the ranch, Wendi had another splendid meal prepared. I gorged myself on the best pasta I have ever had and watched Training Day on the big screen. Life is good.
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Bennington, VT.

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

Start Bennington, VT.@1025 Finish: Story Spring ShelterWeather: Hot & humid, overcast morning, sunny afternoon, thunderstorms in evening.Breakfast: 2 donuts, Count Chocula.Lunch: Trailmix, banana chips, Count Chocula Dinner: ?.Trail Conditions: Long climb for 10 miles, muddy in places, more climbs.Animals: ChipmunkPeople: Sprint Al & Canada Geese, LT Hikers, weekenders, Mickey & Mallory, Atlas, Swedish, Odie.All good things must come to an end I suppose. No more comfy beds, warm showers, gourmet meals, or big screen TV. Atlas and I were out of the ¢Palace¢ around 0845 and being driven back to Bennington by Mallory in the Trail Blazer. We got dropped off at the trailhead and hung out in the parking area for Swedish and Odie to arrive.They showed up along with Barking Spider who is now going by the name Swix and who is from Grand Rapids. I hadn¢t seen him since Port Clinton and he has been hot on my trail.The day started with a 10-mile uphill climb. Yippee! It wasn¢t to steep for the most part but it did wear me down some. The temps were in the 80¢s and it was humid so I sweated buckets all day long. I felt somewhat lethargic so I rested often for several minutes at a time.I met up with Atlas at Goddard Shelter, which has a wonderful view, and enjoyed a good lunch break. The skies had cleared up nicely and the sun was out. There was a great observation tower atop Goddard Mountain so we checked out the hazy views of Vermont. The tower was about 80 feet high, so Atlas and I decided to try a cool photo op. He lay on the ground like he was dead and put his red bandana next to his head. From 80 feet up it looked like he had fallen and was bleeding. Cool. We got some good pictures of it.The second half of the day seemed to go much better although I was just anxious to be done with the day. I passed several beaver ponds to. I arrived at the shelter for the night and there was a good crew of people there, but they made space.I really wasn¢t in the mood for friendly chit chat, and of course some weekend hiker had to just start probing me about my hike. First she told me I started too late in the season, then advised that Pennsylvania was not hot this summer, and that I shouldn¢t cook my dinner in the shelter (it was raining outside) because not what they¢re designed for. I felt compelled to tell her to shut-up but bit my tongue and ignored her. She eventually got the drift that I didn¢t like her.It¢s only 0900 and everyone is already asleep. I¢ll be calling it a night to. I will try and push 23 miles tomorrow, but it will depend on the weather¢¦.it¢s supposed to be raining.
Date: 2004-08-29
From: Story Spring Shelter

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

Start Story Spring Shelter @0815Finish: Spruce Park Shelter @1845Weather: Hot & humid morning, thunderstorms in afternoon, hot & sunny late afternoon/evening, heavy rains & thunderstorms at night.Breakfast: Granola w/ raspberries.Lunch: Trailmix, banana chips, 2 apples, Pepsi, Count Chocula, veggie sandwich. Dinner: Bacon cheeseburger HH, fudge round, chicken fajitas.Trail Conditions: Muddy & wet. Big climb by Stratton, NH Flat rest of the way.Animals: Chipmunk, snake, eft, lizard, birds, moose skull.People: Zork & Rachael, Cara, Jen & Princeton Orientation Group, Atlas, Sprint Al & Canada Goose, Wal-Mart (SOBO).Today was definitely an unusual day. Good, but unusual. First I actually woke up early, around 0630, and left at a reasonable time this morning. I wanted to make it to Bromley, however, the days interesting events thwarted that idea.It was yet another hot and humid day. I am starting to think that fall really will never arrive. I headed out at a slow and steady pace and rested several times within the first few miles. Atlas and I hit the East Branch Divide and ran into a dude named Zinc, who with a buddy were doing a four day relay hike of the entire Long Trail. His girlfriend Rachael hooked us up with some water, trail mix, and an apple. Thanks guys, it hit the spot!The climb up Stratton Mountain wasn¢t as bad as I imagined. I imagined this steep and grueling climb, but it was well graded and an easy 2,000-foot climb. A nice breeze was gusting up top and some monstrous storm clouds were passing over. I ate lunch and checked out some great views from the observation tower. On the descent the storms finally caught up and it rained buckets for nearly and hour. I was completely drenched. However, when I arrived at Stratton Pond the rain had stopped and it was sunny again! I set my stuff out at the pond to dry and chatted with a caretaker Cara. She made Atlas and I a fantastic sandwich with hummus, avocado, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and honey mustard sauce on whole grain bread. It was divine. She also gave us Pepsis. Thanks dudette!The last 7.5 miles were uneventful. We past the owner/founder of Golite ¢ who by the way is an obnoxious rude jerk. Everybody he has passed has had bad things to say about him. The view from Prospect Rock was a great indicator that we are definitely back in the mountains.The shelter here tonight is really a cabin. It is pretty awesome. A group from Princeton is here doing a freshman orientation outdoor course. They are nice kids and we all shot the breeze and they gave us their left over fajitas. Thanks!We got an absolutely terrific rainstorm around 2130. I think it was probably the hardest rain of the entire trip for me so far. The kids from Princeton were camped out under their tarps and got completely drenched. The six of us thru¢s made room in the shelter for them and they are all inside now. We have fourteen in the shelter tonight so it is definitely full. Another good day on the trail. Also, at Stratton Pond there was a moose skull so I wore it as a hat.
Date: 2004-08-30
From: Spruce Park Shelter 

To: Big Branch Shelter 
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

Start Spruce Park Shelter @0740Finish: Big Branch Shelter @1735Weather: Temps in high 70¢s, at least 90% humidity, sun in afternoon, rain in evening.Breakfast: Vanilla CIB, chocolate pop tarts.Lunch: Trailmix, Snickers. Dinner: Corn chowder w/ croutons, star crunch, fudge round.Trail Conditions: Two large climbs, several flat sections. Very muddy and slippery.Animals: Quail.People: Princeton Crew, Atlas, section hikers, Tangent (SOBO), Aussie Brian (SOBO).I slept fairly well last night and got an early start this morning. Nearly all of us were up and moving around 0615. The rain had stopped sometime during the night but lots of water still fell from the trees. Atlas and I said our farewells (he left before me) as he is going into town and will be zeroing with his girlfriend for three days. I probably won¢t see him again until Maine.The humidity today was horrendous. You could literally cut the air with a knife and wring out the water. I made sure to rest often and push fluids. I stopped at Bromley Mountain Shelter and ran into another group from Princeton. We chatted some. Atop Bromley I stopped again and made some phone calls from the warming hut, which is a very nice place. The views weren¢t much more than 10 miles because of the humidity. I hung out a bit with the Princeton kids again and they gave me some of their trail mix. Thanks guys!.We¢re definitely back in the mountains again as most climbs are 1,000 to 2,500 feet in elevation again. However, the trails have been graded well and haven¢t been too difficult. There was a nice vista at Styles Peak so I rested some.Some day hikers at Pen Peak Shelter said there was a thunderstorm warning for our area tonight. Even though the skies were clear and the sun shining I quickened my hiking pace as weather in the mountains can be wily.The last portion of the trail was very pretty. Many of the paper birch trees are beginning to change color and their orange/red leaves blanketed the trail. About a mile before the shelter the skies darkened and thunder started rolling. I booked it in and missed the rain by about 30 minutes.I am staying with several SOBO¢s tonight who are very friendly and have been fun to chat with. It is raining steadily outside, but it is so nice to be dry. Apparently another hurricane just hit the east coast and we can expect to feel the after effects of it for the next several days. I¢ll see what tomorrow holds in store in the morning. But of to bed now.
Date: 2004-09-01
From: Clarendon Shelter 

To: Tucker-Johnson Shelter 
Miles today: 17.4

Me at the Maine JunctionStart: Clarendon Shelter @ 0934Finish: Tucker-Johnson Shelter @ 1904Miles: 17.4Weather: Cool & Sunny morning, Cold/overcast w/ sprinkles in afternoon/sunny eveningBreakfast: Strawberry CIB, Chocolate PoptartsLunch: Snickers, Trailmix, Dr. ThunderDinner: Chicken Alfredo, Starcrunch, Root BeerTrail Conditions: Muddy, climb up Killington not bad, trail well gradedAnimals: Frog, ChipmunkPeople: Gator, Torch, Freebird, Bennington Group, DayhikersIt got chilly last night so I donned the nylon bivy and was comfortable the rest of the night. I overslept a bit and wasn¢t up until 0815. Oh well, I was tired. I assessed my sock situation and decided I was good to go. I broke off the burnt portion, which is so large it exposes the underside of three of my toes. I didn¢t really notice the hole once I was moving and got zero blisters.I hiked alone the first half of the day all the way up to Cooper Lodge atop Mt. Killington. The hiking was quite easy and I took my sweet time resting often. Early into the day I happened across some trail magic in a stream. There were a slew of soda, chilling in the water, for hikers. I cracked open a Dr. Thunder, let out a loud belch, and sat for like 15 minutes and vegged out on nature.The Governor Clement shelter was a real pit so I passed right by. Along the woods road enroute to the base of Killington, there was an old abandoned car. It reminded me a lot of the old car in the middle of the woods at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. The climb up was long but quite easy. A weird front blew in and temperatures dropped into the 50¢s and looked like it would rain. I caught up with Freebird at Cooper Lodge and we talked with yet another freshman orientation group, this one from Bennington. I was cold so I didn¢t stick around long. For kicks I poked around the gondolas around the ski resort. Mt. Killington is the premier ski spot this side of the Mississippi River. Car Along the TrailI hiked the remainder of the day with Freebird. He is a very interesting fellow. Yale educated, retired professional wind surfer, and experienced hiker. He is a blast to chat with and I have been picking his brain about the PCT, another hike I would like to do in coming years.The highlight of the day came when I reached the ¢Maine Junction¢, where the AT separates from the Long Trail, and beelines for Hanover, NH and eventually Maine. I continue to get closer each day. It is very exciting.Freebird pressed on to find a tent site for the night. I am staying the night alone for the first time in quite some while. I cooked up a good dinner as night fell early. And once again I am going to go to sleep.A mouse just ran about six inches from my head. Brave little bugger he is.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Wintturi Shelter 

To: Happy Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

How Romantic...Start: Wintturi Shelter @ 0833Finish: Happy Hill Shelter @ 1922Miles: 20.4Weather: Clear skies & sunny. Warm temps in high 70¢s. Slight breezeBreakfast: Granola w/ blueberriesLunch: Snickers, fudgeroundDinner: 12 inch turkey grinder w/ all toppings, French fries, Twix, Hershey bar, Milky Way, DonnetsTrail Conditions: PUD after PUD all day long. Beautiful scenery thoughAnimals: Squirrel, Chipmunk, Hawk, Horse, DuckPeople: London Len, Mr. T & Flint, Chicago Rob, Freebird, Reverend Yukon Jack, Assistant Dean of Students for Dartmouth College.It took a little while but I finally managed to thaw out this morning, as a surprisingly warm breeze was blowing through camp. I ate my standard breakfast, went through the motions of packing up and pushed off, the last out of camp.Today¢s hike was PUD after PUD which made the trekking very tedious and slow going. However, all the work was worth the endless spectacular views. Today was definitely one of the prettiest days of hiking I have done on this trip.The day started with four back-to-back 500-foot climbs in the first 5 miles. They were ridiculously steep and it took four hours to do them. The gaps between each ridge were splendid. There were fields of waist high grass, golden rod, red sumac, purple flowers, white flowers, and orange flowers. It was just incredible.After the first big climbs of the day everything else was 100-200 feet up and down between woodland areas and open fields with blooming flowers. The visibility was outstanding and from several peaks there were 360-degree views. The Whites stood out towering in the distance. VistaI strolled into West Hartford around 4:30 PM, quick checked my e-mail at the library, and headed to Rick & Tina¢s Grille for some grub. West Hartford is such a quaint little town with a colonial New England feel. The entire day's hike really reminded me of the setting for Funny Farm with Chevy Chase. Anywho, I was starving hungry and completely exhausted and absolutely decimated the grinder that I ordered. I ate with Flint, who had pushed ahead of the Mean Posse for the day. After an hour they still hadn¢t shown up so I set out the last four miles so I could get to camp before dark. Towering PinesHappy Hill shelter is a real nice place. Rev. Yukon Jack is here, and I haven¢t seen him since Hot Springs (which is fine with me) and has a nice fire going. Also, the Assistant Dean of Dartmouth is here too, he¢s a real nice guy (we didn¢t exchange names). It is well past dark and I don¢t think the Mean Posse will be showing up tonight.I need to be in Hanover early tomorrow to get my food drop and winter gear before the labor Day weekend. I am very excited to finally be rolling into New Hampshire. It is a wonderful achievement. Only several more days until the Whites!