morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-03
From: Glenbrook Lean-to

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

I was up and out of the camp area by 6:30; I want to be able to take less time packing up. Getting more stuff ready the night before will certainly help. As I had missed calculated my food supply, I needed to get into Great Barrington for a few items. The full service outfitter there was out of food and fuel; so much for full service. I called Keith Adams and explained my plight to him. It took him about 4 seconds to tell me where to meet him and to get a list of times needed. He is just great to be willing to help me, especially on the holiday (July 4). It was another day of generousity by non-hikers. Stopping at a store, a lady asked me about my hiking and we got into quite a discussion on working in today¢s world. She ended the conversation with giving me a delicious nectarine. While in line at the grocery store, another lady engaged me in the same conversation; she was not aware of the Trail. She invited me to her home for lunch and a swim in her pool saying her husband would love to know more about the Trail. Because of the schedule and I needed to get back, I had to decline.So I took off and got near camp when the forecasted storm broke loose, rain, wind, thunder, and my nemesis, lightening. It was so wonderful to get into camp. There were about 10 older teenagers there who were volunteering a week of their time to work on the Trail. Their work is back breaking labor where they clear brush, cut logs, move rocks, and generally keep the Trail in hiking condition. They are so generous to give their time and labor to that effort.
Date: 2008-07-04
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I started the day thinking I might camp at Shaker sites planning that I needed to meet Keith at 9.Got there in plenty of time (I didn¢t want to hold Keith up if he was early). He showed up at 9 as planned and gets out of the car with a large coffee, cream and sugar. He also brought along a quarter of an apple pie from Stephanie along with the other supplies. It doesn¢t get much better than that.The pie came in handy as I had a tough day of hiking from a distance and topo standpoint. That day gave me a great opportunity to work on my ¢technique¢. The biggest challenge was to hike up hills more slowly; that would help make me for efficient. Other areas I focused on: taking a break hourly along with eating snacks and drinking hourly. Stretching is another area I need to add to my daily workout. Like a lot of things in life, it is so easy to forget about the basics.Overall, I felt like I was getting a preview of what was coming up in terms of variation in terrain.
Date: 2008-07-05
From: Goose Pond Cabin

To: Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today found me a bit tired, probably because I had done 21 miles yesterday AND had constant elevation changes. I ended up taking a zero because I was extra tired. I felt pretty ambivalent about taking a zero as I was anxious to keep going so I could get home; on the other hand it is important to rest when I need to and this trek will end soon enough and I need to enjoy it while here.The Cabin was a very easy place to just relax and enjoy the pond.The caretaker, Debbie, took us to town. Piper bought fixings for bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches that he would cook for us tomorrow.
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton Shamrock Motel
Miles today: 3.0

A nero day for laundry, blog, shower and supplies, mostly updating my blog. The laundry was important as my clothes just stink. The daily rinsing in the creeks don¢t get rid of the hiker stink. My body is in the same category of aroma, and my hair is oily enough to comb any way I wanted, as if it had mousse in it. But it is hiker mousse which consists of sweat, dirt from everywhere, and probably a few bugs (hopefully not ticks).Of course having an air-conditioned room with a TV provides a great respite from the heat and humidity. So I got most of the errands done, and then headed to the library for blog updating. The library policies restricted me to 30¢ and no downloading of anything. Just kind of fr4sutraing to constantly be looking to update and being restricted by local library¢s policies. I did manage to get a few entries posted.
Date: 2008-07-08
From: Dalton Shamrock Motel

To: Mark Noepel Lean-to
Miles today: 14.7

Stampeding Cows!!Piper and I got on Trail by 6 am as planned. It is so great to get 10-12 miles in by noon; that gives a bit of flexibility to the day. If the weather gets ugly, like extreme heat or thunder storms, we can finish early. Or if we go a bit further, we still get into the shelter mid-afternoon and can enjoy a relaxing end of the day.Our plans called for us to have a snack at Diane¢s in Cheshire then continue on. We got there before they opened however the owner also got there at that time and offered to open early for us. So we, including Mark and Chrissie had an early lunch then hiked another mile and decided to take another short break. Chrissie went to the local store, bought a bag of ice, and we split it up to up in out water bottles. A great way to have cold water longer on a hot day that included a lot of climbs.I led the way up to start our 2000 foot climb. Getting to the mid point, I came to a plateau where a heard of about 12 cows were feeing in the shade of a tree just off the trail. Walking by them very slowly so as not to upset them, we eyed each other constantly. All the time I have been through cow fields the only worry was stepping cow pies. About 20 past them, I heard a rumbling and turned to see them galloping (if that is what running cows do). Well, I thought I was going to lay a pie; those cows were running very quickly in my direction and all I could do was to wave my sticks in the air and yell like the terrified hiker that I was. They quickly changed direction except for the last one. Talk about indecisive. She kept going from right to left and back again and I just knew she would catch me in the middle of her changing directions. The names I was calling her must have gotten her focused as she veered to the left at the very last moment. I was ready to hit the ground and cover my head. As she headed for the woods, I see Piper sauntering up; the cows must have gotten spooked getting between to hikers and they just took off. All I want to do is hike, now it is dogging cows. That would have made a great video.
Date: 2008-07-09
From: Mark Noepel Lean-to

To: Sherman Brook Camp Site
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

Piper, Dartman, and I headed into Williamsport, which was just two tenths of a mile off Trail. We got lunch and picked up a few things. Mostly I just picked up fresh fruit. Being done early I headed to the campsite, leaving Piper and Dartman to finish their shopping. I should have stayed with them. I got to the camp site 3 minutes after the rain started; it would continue for the next 2 hours which kept me from setting up my tent. The rain lightened up, which let me set up my tent. There was some water in it, but not much.Piper and Dartman wisely waited up the storm in Williamsport and got in to camp shortly after 6:30.
Date: 2008-07-10
From: Sherman Brook Camp Site

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: broken clouds

After a tough morning and just about hitting the wall I took a break at Goddard Shelter to decide what to do about the to rest and decide what to do about the rest of the day. While I had agreed to meet Piper and Dartman at Story spring Shelter, I was completely out of energy and not sure why. Certainly my eating had increased, but that little yellow warning light was going off telling me to stop and rest. That is what I did, along with eating and drinking. After a quart of Gatorade and cheese and pepperoni, my energy level picked up quite a bit. Typically I will drink a gallon of water a day, which includes quart of Gatorade. I drank another quart of water after the Gatorade and felt quite a bit better; I must have let me self get dehydrated. I decided to move on to Melville Nauheim Shelter, a few miles up the Trail and see how I felt. The view from the shelter was just great so I stayed there and used the extra time to do a little planning. My brother-in-law, Lenny was due in next week and I took time to do some planning. It was important to make sure I took care of myself. The upcoming trek through the last 500 miles is the toughest on the trail and I needed to be in good shape for that. The planning worked out as among other things, it turned out my average for the last 10 days was 14.5 miles. Above my targeted average.Later in the afternoon, Jim and Mike Creven, a father and son team, joined me at the shelter. They were going to connect with some other scouts tomorrow.
Date: 2008-07-11
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

My decision to stay here paid off as I got some extra sleep and felt much better for today¢s hike. I headed out around 7:30 and had a leisurely hike, knowing I would end up at Stratton Pond (swimming) by 3:00.Along the way I ran into Trail Magic which consisted of a cooler with bananas on top and ice cold Coke inside. Tasted soo good.¢Got into camp, had a very enjoyable swim and set up the tent.IN addition to the scouts there were 3 brothers there..the Pattersons. Real nice guys (not just because they offered me hot dogs). We roasted the dogs and sat around the camp fire enjoying the evening.
Date: 2008-07-12
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Sutton House Hostel
Miles today: 11.4

Waking to the sounds of loons is just magic. Though I was able to see them, their songs were great. I was headed to Manchester Center to connect with Piper and Dartman and along the way crossed the 34 way mark. I had to laugh at the fact that I considered 11 miles a ¢somewhat easy hike¢.(I would find out tomorrow that a good friend of mine is barley able to walk due to a debilitating disease. The fact that I could hike 11 miles made me so grateful for my good fortune.)Coming close to the road and feeling rain coming on, I put on my rain jacket before starting to hitch into town. In the rain for nearly 30¢ and no rides a SOBO, Kim Chi from South Korea joined me. He brought good luck as a car picked us up minutes after his arrival.He and I got into Manchester and headed to ¢Up for breakfast¢; it is known a hiker¢s size meal. After that 2,000 calorie binge, I got settled into the Sutton House.
Date: 2008-07-15
From: Bromley Shelter

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

The day started off with the challenge of my stove breaking and my not having my usual breakfast of 4 packets of oatmeal. It wasn¢t a major crisis, more of an inconvenience as I could always us3 Piper¢s stove. Got on the Trail at 6:10 and had a day of mostly ups and downs. Baker Peak was a bit of a higher climb and got an awesome view of the area. PPiper and I got into the shelter around 2, which gave us time to enjoy the sunny day and a dip in the river. Just perfect.With the extra time, I looked at the upcoming 100 miles; almost intimidating. Lotta sights and a lotta work and a lot closer to the end. A lot of us are beginning to talk about the end, of getting to Katahdin. At the start of my hike in February, I would think of Katahdin and I would dismiss the thought. I had over 2, 000 miles to hike and I needed to focus on that. Now the end is closer and there is a growing anticipation to finish by me as well as other hikers. For some, maybe most, there is a strong desire for the hike to end... Not giving up, just finishing this.Some are anxious to return to their homes, families and life pre-AT as they knew it. Almost certainly this journey will change our lives to some degree or another, how we live and view our life post-AT.Some are staring to wear down physically and/or are tired of the constant physical demands. Or they have pushed too hard and are paying a price now with little energy and/or injuries.For others, there is uneasiness about life post-AT. They maybe faced with finding a job, and/or home and/or ¢life¢.For me, I certainly fall into the first category.I never realized how much I would miss Susan and my life on May Ave. Even though our kids don¢t live with us, the regular contact with them just doesn¢t happen on the Trail. I miss the normalcy of the life I had. There are days (not many fortunately) when I fall into the second category. Hiking the Trail is very physically demanding undertaking. Because of my caution AND luck, I have avoided those injuries that can finish a hike. But there have been a few days when I do feel the effects of having hiked 1,500 miles. And so on those days I feel those effects, I remind myself of my good fortune in being to continue to hike towards my goal. I don¢t seem overly concerned about the third category, of my life post-AT. There is belief that will work it self out, especially knowing some of the steps I took before starting this trek.At the end of the day, every day, I am incredibly grateful and appreciative for the chance to be hike the AT and continue on.
Date: 2008-07-16
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

A new record..packed and out of camp by 5:30. Not having a stove meant not cooking breakfast. But my plan was to hitch to Wallingford for lunch: Wallingford was just a 3 mile hitch from the Trail. I could ¢cal up¢ and be back hiking within 2 hours.While hiking in the morning, I came across 2 huge fields with rock carins everywhere. It looked like this massive art exhibit. My luck with hitching continued as I got a ride within 15 minutes and was ordering this great lunch at Mom¢s Diner within 20'. Lunch was one of the best meals on the Trail: ham salad sandwich, cup of home made broccoli-cheese soup, chocolate milk shake, large order of french fried sweet potatoes, strawberry short cake (of course it was large), and a cup of coffee. I was able to leave before the first belch and other gastronomical activity started.So I¢m back on the Trail around 1:30, where I saw Dartman. He told me a change in plans, the 3 of us were headed to Clarendon Shelter, which meant an extra 3-4 miles.I got to the shelter around 4:30 and went through the evening routine of setting up the tent, dinner, and prepping for tomorrow. As the shelter is next to roads, we were visited by a couple of guys driving atvs. One was Poorboy, a local fellow, who took care of he shelter on his own. That meant delivering newspapers (to read and/or use a firestarter), keeping the place clean, and having flowers on the lawn in front. His work made the shelter very attractive and clean.
Date: 2008-07-17
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge Camping
Miles today: 10.2

This was a tough day at the start but, turned out just fine. I headed out in the beginning and went the wrong way, and not just a few hundred feet. No, when I go the wrong way, I go big time. All the way down the gorge and it wasn¢t until I was at the bottom that I recognized an opening in the rock formation. I could probably be at Katahdin by now if I would quit doing that. However it was another opportunity to laugh at my error and move on. Actually, I did let loose a few choice words before heading NORTH!The good news is that today is my 5th month anniversary on the Trail and I broke through the 500 mile mark. Like all other milestones I ask how I have managed to get this far and the answer is always the same. I can certainly take credit for the physical part, but so much support from so many friends and relatives gives me that mental toughness to have endured this the challenges of this trek. Every day I realize how very lucky I am to have that support.The location for the lodge is atop Little Killington Mountain at the tenting site. It was a tough climb up as the Trail seemed to be recently cut and was not very smooth. But the 3 of us (Dartman and Piper) survived and set up tents. The clear sky had us hoping for some stargazing.
Date: 2008-07-18
From: Cooper Lodge Camping

To: The Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 6.0

July 18        The Inn at Long Trail        6 milesI was up at 4am, concerned that a storm was moving in; being on top of a mountain is not the place to be when a storm hits.So the 3 of us headed out around 5 for The Inn, where I was to meet borther-in-law Lenny. It was a quick hike to the Inn. Piper and Dartman camped across the street and I checked in my room.We reconnected and headed into town for shopping and other chores, returing to the Inn later that afternoon.Lenny got in around 7:30, we headed to the bar where we met other hikers. After a few beers and dinner we turned in for the evening.
Date: 2008-07-18
From: Cooper Lodge Camping

To: The Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 6.0

I was up at 4am, concerned that a storm was moving in; being on top of a mountain is not the place to be when a storm hits.So the 3 of us headed out around 5 for The Inn, where I was to meet borther-in-law Lenny. It was a quick hike to the Inn. Piper and Dartman camped across the street and I checked in my room.We reconnected and headed into town for shopping and other chores, returing to the Inn later that afternoon.Lenny got in around 7:30, we headed to the bar where we met other hikers. After a few beers and dinner we turned in for the evening.
Date: 2008-07-19
From: The Inn at Long Trail

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

Lenny and I decided to haead out 9 after breakfast and getting a bit organized. It was then I gave Lenny first hand knowledge of my poor sense of direction. We had gottne directions from Patti, the Inn manager, abotu where to pick up the Trail. When we got to that spot, I started down the path when Lenny asked if we were supposed to go north. "Uh yea" came my lame response as I u-turend and headed inthe right direction.So we are headed off in what I was going to show Lenny a "typical" hiking day. After 2 miles, we passed through Mountain Meadows Lodge. Just had to stop and order a couple fo milk shakes. Then we hiked another 7 miles, got the shelter around 2 andcalled it a day. We joined several hters at hte shelter: Piper, Dartman, Pipp, Hamburgler, Rabbit, and Just Josh.It was our first of 5 of 7 days where we hiked in the rain.
Date: 2008-07-20
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Ardmore B&B
Miles today: 13.7

We all left the shelter at various times and quickly got rained on. The day was just a bit cool, so of course we kept moving. For the most part hiking in the rain went well. Lenny and I stopped at the "On the Edge Farm" where we bought ice cream and other snax. While at the store, Hamburgler came down with the chills so we started talking about looking for an affordable hotel room. That was very difficult since this is a huge vacation area and the lodging is typically a B&B. Dana Pape, the store owner, took pity on us after watching me get no where while on the phone trying to find a motel. Within 2 minutes she had arranged for us (Lenny, Pippi, Hamburgler and me) to get shelter and food as guests of Charlotte and Cary, owners of the Armore B&B. What kind of trail magic is this!! It was a terrific expereince, where we able to get our laundry done, get warmed up, and have very good homecooking. Charlotte asked me where I lived; turns out her father, Howard Baker, is from Glen Ellyn as well. She showed me a book on the history of Glen Ellyn, where her dad shared some of his stories of Glen Ellyn; I showed her where I was mentioned in the same book in my role as school board vp; the world continues to get smaller.It was such a wonderful way to end a day of hiking inthe cold, driving rain. Lenny is probably beginning to wonder how much work this hiking is.
Date: 2008-07-21
From: Ardmore B&B

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This was another day of hiking in the rain, though it did stop around 3. We got into the shelter around 7, after we decided to forgo any night hiking. We had planned a stop in Hanover, NH to do laundry and resupply. I had also planned on researching my Dad's career at Dartmouth as well as updating the blog.
Date: 2008-07-22
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Day's Inn Hanover NH
Miles today: 4.2

Up and on Trail around 6 we crossed the bridge over the Conneticut River, which took me into my 13th state. Hanover is a beautiful town with huge New England charm. We had breakfast, then I went to the library to research my father's career. The staff was extrememly helpful as they broght me his freshman and senior yearbook, along with his transcript and application for admission. Just so cool to read those files over 60 years later. He was in the top 20% of his class. After a few more chores, I headed to the hotel to end the day.
Date: 2008-07-23
From: Day's Inn Hanover NH

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: light rain

After hiking in weather like we had today, it makes one appreciate hiking in DRY weather. Again, rain all day long. It did end shortly before getting into camp. Though we were the only ones at the shelter, I decided to tent camp as did Lenny. Around 11 clock, a storm blew in and with it, came this incredible lightening strike about 50 feet in front of the shelter. All I saw, from BEHIND the shelter where I was tenting, was the exposion of white light and then the I heard the loudest thunder of my life. I do beleive the ground shook and I know that I prayed. Lenny had moved to the shelter around 10 due to a slight leak in his tent.Talk about a ring side seat.
Date: 2008-07-24
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Ore Hll Shelter
Miles today: 19.3

Another day of hiking in the rain, all day.In addtion to everything getting wet, the rain takes a toll after 5 days. The ground is covered in mud, not just a thin layer, but mud up to yor ankles or in some extreme cases, to ones knees. The pervasive wetness is tiring as I walk more cautiously, trying to avoid roots, rocks and other slip hazards. After a while, I quit trying to walk around he puddles on that had built up on the Trail and just walked through them. Everyting is wet now: clothes, shoes, tent, pack, pack cover. The good news is that after tomorrow's hike we will be in a hotel where there is a dry room and laundry.
Date: 2008-07-25
From: Ore Hll Shelter

To: Kancamgus Motor Lodge
Miles today: 16.9

We left camp around 6:20 and had beautiful weather, great miles in front of us, and what would end up being the toughest descent of my hike so far.Lenny and I planned on being at NH112 so we could stay in Lincoln tonight, and he would head home in the morning. Besides hiking, in order to get home, Lenny would hitchhike, take a bus, fly, and then drive home.It¢s been a great week with him.So we start up the mountain, which was a bit challenging, but nothing that much different than what I have done before. The climb up Mount Moosilauke went pretty well and was tough; however the descent redefined ¢tough¢. It was very steep, had plenty of rocks, and for much of it, followed the rushing river down. The climb also had several areas where steps and/or handles were bolted into the rocks to assist us. I found myself getting pretty tense from being nervous; it seemed to me to be a bit dangerous. That meant taking extra time and caution to avoid any slips or falls. We made it down around 6:00, which was about 2 hours later than I projected. I found myself extremely tired and wrung out and very glad to see this day¢s hiking over. Lenny was feeling the same. We hitched to the hotel, picking up a 6 pack on the way. After cleaning up and dinner, we headed to our room and more or less (mostly more) collapsed from the day¢s hike.My final thought before drifting to sleep was to take a zero tomorrow and rest from the workout today.