morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-08-11
From: County Road

To: VT 9
Miles today: 11.2

Charlie, the shuttler, changed pickup time from 9 to 7:30 to 8 to 7:30. Was eventually on trail at 8:03am. Noticed support van at dropoff point. Guy said he was supporting a trail runner.  Turns out ¢Mercury¢ was the young lady trying to break the FKT (fastest known time) for the AT. She passed me later. Turns out due to some shin splints she may be off record time. She has been averaging 45-50 miles per day. She¢ll complete the whole trail-GA to ME in the time I¢m doing my Section hike this year. Yikes! She let me take a pic. My celebrity sighting for the year! I did notice some blood on her shins. Guess I¢m not the only one. The temps were nice 70s but humid. Lots of mud, rocks and roots on trail today. Tough to stride out. Lots of jigging and jagging. Passed a couple of large amazing beaver ponds. Beavers had built their own dams to pond water to build their lodges. Clever animals. Met Hailstone, a section hiker from MD (been working on it for 20 years) and his son. Came out of woods at 3:45pm at exact same time Charlie did. Better than yesterday! Brought his daughter, Becca. She runs the farm where they live. Had an interesting, lively discussion about rabbits, chickens, quail and, her favorite, goats. I learned a lot on the way back to hotel. They stopped on way back and bought drinks, incl a Gatorade for me. Generous! I needed it. Back at hotel I treated myself to an epsom salt tub soak. Ahhh! Back for seafood at that great place of a couple nights ago. Did still have time for laundry back at hotel. Very full day but was pleased with smooth shuttle pickup.
Date: 2020-08-12
From: VT 9

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Multi tasking this morning. Packing up to check out of hotel. Also packing backpack for an overnighter in the woods. This next stretch over Glastenbury Mountain has no access points for shuttle pickup. So on the trail then to a shelter area overnight and hike out second day to a shuttle access point. Good to keep up the outdoor skills. Kept weight down by not packing stove (only non cook items and a Subway sandwich for dinner) And no sleep bag, only a silk sleeping sack. Shuttler said 7:30am pickup. Luckily I was ready early because he said he¢d be there at 7:10. I didn¢t miss a beat and was ready when he showed. He kept my excess gear in trunk for next day hotel checkin. On trail at 8:03am. Uphill at start then a pretty flat day with temps in 70s but a bit humid. Seeing a lot of LT (Long Trail) and local hikers along this stretch. Very uphill at end of day near shelter. Got into shelter area at 3:30. Saw Hailstone and son. Eventually a few other tenters and other hikers using shelter showed up at the site. Had a privy, bear box (to safely store food overnight) and an amazing water source. Mother Nature put a steady source of ice cold water up there in the mountaintop. Of course I filtered it but what a miracle! Started to get chilly so I  ate my sandwich and climbed into my tent by 6. Relax, journal. Good day. It was absolutely quiet up there. A nice change from the room a/c. Was pleased with day and very comfortable being out there ¢ in the wild¢. Farther up the mountaintop was the watch tower which I¢ll explore further tomorrow.
Date: 2020-08-13
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Kelly Stand Road
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

Got a bit chilly overnight. After hot hot hot several weeks ago,  really an amazing feeling. I just put on all my clothes. Got in my silk sack. Curled up in the fetal position and did the best I could at sleep. Did get some. Ate my no cook breakfast in morning. Even packed in a fresh orange to enjoy on the mountaintop. A treat! Packed up and stopped at the watch tower to check out the views. Really could see forever on a crisp,  crystal clear morning. Could see where I¢ve been hiking (south) and where I was going to be hiking (north). All beautiful Vermont green mountains. Rest of day a lot of mud, rocks and roots. Tedious and tough on legs. No momentum. Hiked hard all day and was close to the projected time of finishing at 4:30. Finished at 4:22. Waited a half hour for shuttler. Checked into new hotel in Manchester Center, VT. (Hampton Inn). Despite state rules re: Covid quarantining, etc I had no problem checking in since I was coming off the trail . Beautiful new property. A quick cleanup and I was on my way to a close easy,  good review restaurant. Turns out it was perfect. Cold beer, great eats and super service. There was a nearby supermarket (Shaw¢s) for a few provisions and then back to the room to sort out and clean my gear.  Tough day but got my outdoor overnight checked off. Got my new base established in Manchester Center. Actually all good! Lots of boxes checked today.
Date: 2020-08-14
From: Kelly Stand Road

To: Rt 11/30
Miles today: 17.5

A restless night anticipating the big hike ahead. Was prepped and ready for breakfast availability at 6am. This Hampton really does a nice job at their free breakfast offering despite the Covid restrictions. Hats off! Took a tray and my fruit, rolls, coffee to my room for social distance eating. Quite nice. Was ready for a prearranged shuttle pickup at 6:30am. Actually showed at 7:20. Oh well! On trail at 8:03. 3.8 miles on a steady up to Stratton Mountain and the watch tower. Not a bad climb. The tower views were amazing. Then a face pace for another 3.5 miles down to Stratton Pond. It was lunch time. I had a bench and I had the most amazing setting. The picture almost captures the serenity and beauty I enjoyed. Felt very privileged to be there. The rest of the day was a lot of grinding out the miles. Various levels of trail beds. Some very nice and quick, some rocky, rooty and slow. About when I was worn down I think my Wingman. Bob, put a hiker there along the Trail for me to stop, chat, rest, recharge. It worked. Wonderful young 30-something thruhiker. Mr. President has done the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and now the AT. He did say the AT is the hardest. He said he got his trail name as he happened upon some girls singing the Marilyn Monroe song Happy Birthday, Mr President sung to JFK. Funny! So I was refreshed and knocked out the rest and was off trail by 6:45. A 10 hr, 45 min , 17.5 mile day in the trail. Whew! The shuttler was late despite our prearrangements but that didn¢t take away my ecstasy at having finished my big day. Surprisingly I was not exhausted. Guess I have my trail legs. A quick shave and shower at the hotel and I was off to the same Seasons Restaurant from the previous night to have what I¢d been thinking about all hiking day- a rack of bbq ribs and beer. Ta-Da! They provided that with their usual great service. Very productive day! Proud of the accomplishment. About 300 miles down this section and a 100 to go. Onward!
Date: 2020-08-15
From: Rt 11/30

To: Rt 11 /30 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Great night¢s sleep with my mind and body knowing I wasn¢t hiking today. I leisurely took advantage of breakfast. Ate in room and enjoyed the coffee. Did a morning shave shower and out for a pharmacy run for moleskin and epsom salts for a foot soak. Successful. Also picked up a few lunch things so I wouldn¢t have to go out again. Caught up on blogging. Always fun to recount the last several days. Txt¢d my shuttler to plan tomorrow¢s pickup and hike. He¢s on board. Mid afternoon decided that nearby ice cream store would be fun. Mint choc chip in waffle cone as the photo shows. Yum! Stopped and enjoyed warm afternoon sun, and my ice cream, on Hampton¢s lovely patio. Soothing! Did manage to find a container to soak feet in salt bath. Thank you, Hampton Housekeeping ladies. Ahhh! Then out to dinner for third night in a row at Seasons Restaurant.  They were very kind and welcoming again! Talked with proprietor. Says he enjoys it and has been doing it for many years. Same server, Katerina, took very good care of me as usual. Fun to watch all the folks dining. One pretty little girl had on a beautiful dress and fancy shoes. She was dining out with her Mom. Sweet! Rested, refreshed, fed, soaked, ready for a day back on the Trail. These zero days are perfect for mind and body. Nice day, Bionic Man!
Date: 2020-08-16
From: Rt 11 /30 

To: Mad Tom Notch Road
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Rested very well knowing it was going to be a short day today. Shuttle pickup points worked out that way. Did carefully bandage a couple of toes. Hot spots needing bandaids and moleskin. So far no infection or pain. Hike on! On trail at 8 and a hike up to the Mt Bromley ski area. Lots of fog and cool temps. Wind chill at 53 degrees. 40 degrees diff from several weeks ago. Yikes. The AT actually goes up through one of their ski runs. Hard to imagine a 3¢ snow base in a couple of months! Found a warming hut at the top. Had a snack then put on my rain/wind jac and cap. Very foggy at summit as the photo shows. Found my way down and passed several day hikers ( it was Sunday - they come out on weekends). Also passed a day hiker who was a local Vermonter and was a previous AT thruhiker, Moo Shoo. He gave me a couple factoids about VT. Second smallest state population (smallest-Wy). World¢s largest granite and marble quarries. Claims their marble is shipped over to Italy for polishing then back to US for sale. Met another thruhiker, Storyteller. He was shirtless. He went over the summit shirtless. Nice young man with a big red beard. Ahh the impetuousness of youth! Charlie and Becca, my shuttlers, showed up just after I was at trailhead. Nice timing. Also carrying two young ladies who just came off trail and were going to stay at Charlie¢s hostel. They were Bad Bunny and Zippy. Sisters, SOBO thru hikers. They said they were from everywhere. Their dad is in the Army. Got dropped off in Manchester at my hotel and after cleanup decided on a Thai dinner in town. Spicy duck with stir fry veggies. Yum! Calmed all that down with a milkshake at the creamery. Fantastic,  cool, short hike day. Amazing seeing the fog capped ski summit.
Date: 2020-08-17
From: Mad Tom Hatch Road 

To: USFS 10
Miles today: 12.1

Restless night worried about an early 6:45 pickup. Turns out it was a 7:35 pickup after shuttler delays getting to me. Oh well, was on trail at 7:50 and right into an upgrade. Thing is, with cool temps, I barely break a sweat. Nice hiking! Way up on the ridge I had blue skies above but clouds/ fog below me. Very peaceful. No hikers, no wind, no birds, just quiet. And the rich, alive, wonderful smell of pine trees. Not the dried pine smells I had previously experienced but live pines exuding a luxurious scent.It indeed felt like Christmas. Imagine all the happy memories coursing through me! I smiled a lot. The photo shows pines above and at side of trail.  The photo also shows the boardwalk often placed along the trail. It is as much to protect the sensitive forest floor as it is to keep us hikers out of the mud.  I met a NOBO Section hiker , Quill, who has been at this for 6 years. Says this is her year to finish. She¢s a very determined senior hiker like me. You go, Girl! Finished up at 3:30, got shuttled back to the hotel and celebrated a beautiful day with a thin crust pizza and a huge salad takeout from nearby pizzeria. Started working on the next shuttler up the line. Got input from current shuttler, Charlie. Looks like we¢re going to work this out, thank you very much. Great scent-filled, uplifting day! Onward!
Date: 2020-08-18
From: USFS 10

To: VT 140
Miles today: 8.5

Charlie had to worry about shuttling some Pro hikers (guess they make UTube videos and get paid) so had to pick me up early. On trail at 6:15am. Temps upper 50s, gentle grades, no sweat (literally! :-) ) . The Vermont trails, as I had mentioned, do a great job routing along flowing water. At times the brooks are gentle and soothing. At times they are rushing and adding excitement and vitality to the air. I couldn¢t help but equate the water to the lifeblood of the forest flowing through the brooks and rivers - the arteries. All living things there draw their existence from this precious gift- water. Passed Little Rock Pond. Beautiful setting amidst pine trees. A popular spot but not this morning. Too early. Happened upon a playful cairn garden. Hikers pile up stones in various creative ways. I couldn¢t help but think of rocks as Legos for hikers! :-) Since I started early, I was off trail by 11:45 so had all afternoon to relax, tub soak, clean up, catch dinner and get ready for another early morning tomorrow. Another shorter distance day today. Cool temps and great scenery made it a great day. Another day toward the goal.
Date: 2020-08-19
From: VT 140

To: Upper Cold River Road
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

Turns out that today was actually Pro Hiker day concern for my shuttler. So I drew the early shift again. That¢s OK. Was on trail at 6:15am and could watch sunrise through the trees. Quite magnificent! Did some hard hiking up which was made easier with low temps and humidity. Was rewarded with a lunch break spot offering a million dollar view. A pinch me moment- am I really lucky enough to be enjoying this? More hiking along brooks. Last hour of day the rain started. Not predicted but no worries. Put on cap, rain jac, pack cover and phone sleeve. It¢s only water. Hiked out at 1:40pm. Charlie and Becca there to take me into my new base- Rutland, VT Hampton Inn. Conveniently located near a couple of restaurants and a supermarket. Restocked drinks and snacks (for evening happy hour - civilzed!!) at store then out to closest eatery. It was close and it was good. Seafood served well. So today¢s hike went well despite the rain. Good trail bed, good grades, steady hiking. Finished within projected time. Clicking off the miles!
Date: 2020-08-20
From: Upper Cold River Road

To: US 4
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Got a reprieve from shuttler and had a later pickup at 7 scheduled. So had time for this Hampton¢s version of its free breakfast in Covid times. The front desk got your order and went into back room to produce it. Pre-packaged egg sandwich for microwave warming in room, bottled juice, coffee, fruit cup. Not to belabor all this food talk but to point out how nimble all the chains are at working in this new pandemic environment. Hats off to them! Shuttler pickup at 7:15. He¢s been battling traffic, fog and lots of law enforcement watching speeds. Hiking by 7:45am up to Mt Killington summit. It took 4 hours but there I was at the last 0.2 side spur up. Do I go? Asked other hikers if the vertical climb was worth it? Absolutely. Off I went. Challenging but oh so worth it. My Killington is home to Vermont¢s premier mountain ski area. Clear day, infinite views including right down into Rutland where I¢m staying. Took time on the way back down to avoid disaster on all the vertical rocks. All good and then back on the AT. Best view for me on the entire AT so far. (Some others might have been better but they always seemed to be fogged in). Up ahead the AT was rerouted to a new alignment. All notes said to go with the old. It¢s the same distance as the new alignment. It is now called the Sherburne Trail. I went the old alignment, now a blue blaze trail. It was great and I finished up at US 4 at 3:50pm a few minutes quicker than my projected time. Charlie and Becca there to pick me up and shuttle me back to Rutland. We spent a bit of time in front of the hotel figuring out the upcoming shuttles Charlie is going to provide. It was great to spend a few extra calm moments with them instead of their usual frantic race off to collect another hiker. Good folks! A couple motivating events today. Summited yet another mountain, saw a sign saying ¢ 500 miles to Katahdan¢, and passed the 1700 mile mark on northbound AT. Feeling pretty strong, counting down the miles this great. Weather a tremendous help. Onward!
Date: 2020-08-21
From: US 4

To: US 4
Miles today: 0.0

After the long one yesterday up to the top of Mt Killington, a zero day couldn¢t have come at a better time. Staying at the Hampton Inn, Rutland, VT shown. Nice folks.  Usual maintenance day- laundry, replenish snacks, rest body. The nearby supermarket, Hannafords, was well stocked and even for lunch items. Started finalizing a shuttler near Hanover, NH after Charlie hands me off. Settled on Joe¢s Transport. Always a crap shoot. Not any reviews out there- especially in a pandemic. Sent him my sked, got reasonable pricing. Check. As luck would have it, rain poured all afternoon. Nice not to be out in it! Thank you, Wingman Bob. Think he worked that one! Pressed the easy button for dinner and back to nearby restaurant. However, Friday is eat out night and so had to wait. These days it¢s waiting outside, on the street corner, and not at the bar. (that dang Covid thing again  :-( ). Fine meal with a little carafe of red wine. Nice wrap for the zero day. Did a final check with Charlie for go time in the morning. I said 7:30, of course Charlie had to tweak it to 7:15am. Oh Charlie! We¢ll see what time it really is in the morning! Rested, ready for more hiking. Ready to wrap this Section up.
Date: 2020-08-22
From: US 4

To: Stony Brook Road
Miles today: 8.6

Morning routine down to a science. Eat, prep, eat, prep, drink coffee, go. Ready for Charlie¢s assigned 7:15 and, yup, he showed later and I got my 7:30 after all. It all works out. Charlie got a new/used SUV. He was excited not to be shuttling those back roads in his usual sedan. Quick, close-distance shuttle and I was hiking by 8. Hiked through a State Park car camper campground. Saturday. Not many people up yet at 9 am when I went through. Then past Kent Pond (despite the name, it was pretty good size). Simply gorgeous! Had kayakers and stand up paddleboarders enjoying the pond. Met a young man with a bright red beard and an accent. Turns out he was Swiss from Grindelwald, one of the prettiest Swiss Alp towns I¢ve visited. Nice chat. Has a VT girlfriend and is hiking for fun until school starts up again. Pretty gentle hiking all day. The incredible new AT thing today was a ladder to help get down one big rock. Nice, beats the alternative!  Got towards my day¢s goal and gave Charlie a one hour notice. He said he¢d be there at 3. I finished at 3:08pm. He finally arrived at 4:30. Guess he¢s covering a lot of hikers. Not a problem. Got out of there before an afternoon rain. Charlie said road was very rough coming to get me. So he was glad he had his new SUV. As we drove back through some really beautiful valleys between the green mountains, Charlie told me all about his ancestors (1800s) owning lots and lots of property. Many cousins live and work in the area to this day. Farming, tree products. Fascinating. While driving, his daughter, Beka, travels with him to take hiker calls and manage schedule as Charlie is driving. Much safer.  :-) It was interesting to hear her wave off other hikers because they had me ¢under contract¢ and had to take care of me. We¢ve been getting along well. Tried a new dinner plan. Buy it all at the nearby supermarket. Yup, roast chicken, onion rings, side salad, ice cream. Back to my third floor room with a view. Enjoyed dinner looking out over rolling green hills and a drop dead gorgeous sunset. Bionic Man, you are one lucky man! Felt pretty strong today. Very favorable temps so it was easier to stay hydrated. Clicking off this miles. Onward!
Date: 2020-08-23
From: Stony Brook Road

To: Rt 12
Miles today: 13.1

It was going to be a long mileage day so Charlie says great to a 6am pickup. Got front desk to give me an early go breakfast bag and coffee. Consumed that  and I was ready at 5:55am. Well ... Charlie¢s new/used truck broke. So he was at front door at 6:45. Despite that I was close to trailhead (he now had sedan and couldn¢t drive me all the way without SUV) and said I had to hike in remainder of way on rocky road. Yet I was on trail at 8am. Whew! What drama! In contrast.... It was a Sunday. I experienced, for a moment, like a couple of years ago in NC, total silence. No birds, no wind, no cars, no planes, nothing. It was kinda reverent! I soaked it in. Rare in our modern world. A bit warmer today. Stopped to refill water to stay hydrated. During latter part of day I flushed a 400 lb bear about 30 yds from me. It took off running - away from me. Too quick for a pic. They are really scared of humans. Also spotted a goat project to eat invasive species. Beautiful animals that eat anything!  Legs a bit achy today. After late pickup and long shuttle back got back into hotel at 7pm. Just out of curiosity, I used the exercise room scale. Learned I¢ve lost 13.4 lbs in this adventure. After a quick cleanup I was again a creature of habit and returned to the same, close 99 Restaurant under very dark, threatening skies. No wait this time. Walked back under dark skies but no rain either way. Lucky! Contacted Charlie- 8am pickup. Yay! Texted new shuttler, Joe, to set up pickup next day since tomorrow is shuttler hand-over day. All good! Cranked out the miles today despite tight legs. All worked out!
Date: 2020-08-24
From: Rt 12

To: Joe Ranger Rd
Miles today: 9.9

Had a great night¢s sleep. Must have been exhausted, Today is move-base day. Packed up excess gear bags and have them moved to Hanover, NH. My 8am pickup was finally 8:25 but ... made it on trail by 9:35. Before that, when I got dropped off, I settled up with Charlie for last couple of shuttles. He threw me a curve ball. Said to pay him what I thought it was worth. Well whatever I paid plus a huge tip must have been spot on because it brought tears to this big burly guy¢s eyes. He shook my hand and also gave me a big Bro-hug.  Also got a hug from Beka. Think, after they shuttled me for two full weeks, that we kinda bonded. It was a great farewell. They went on to Hanover to deliver my gear bags to the hotel. Had two animal sightings today. A young buck deer with only one antler. Guess he lost the challenge! Also saw the tail and rear haunches of a mountain cat along the trail ahead of me. I whistled and shouted as I went past the spot to make sure it was long gone. Hot humid day so did stop to filter water and camel up. (chug as much water right there at the stream so I don¢t have to carry it in my backpack) . Texted new shuttler, Joe, that I was 1.5 hours from pickup point.Finished up at 4:30, a little early, and got picked up on time at 5. Joe is an interesting guy. Tough exterior but can see through it that he is a great guy. Talked a lot about life philosophies on way back into Hanover. We are on same page. Think we¢ll mesh well. Dropped off at 6pm at Six South Street Hotel. It is as nice as it looks on line. In typical pandemic fashion their restaurant is closed. But they also have a pre-order breakfast go bag. Ordered that for morning. Cleaned up and out to a very close (1 block) Molly¢s Restaurant. Great food, cold beer, great service, nice college town vibe. Nice to make this last base camp transition. Check. Watching right foot second toe. Swelling like same toe a couple of years ago on left foot. Will be able to finish but think a trip to podiatrist is in the future at home. Last leg of Section hike.  Counting down the days!