morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-07
From: Mt Algo Shelter

To: Limestone Spring shelter
Miles today: 28.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a chilly morning but a nice way to start off a long hike. Before leaving I used the privy and there was a bird's nest with a baby bird in it right next to me! It was cool but I felt bad this baby bird had to grow up in a privy!The cool morning weather was nice and after a few climbs, I decended down to the Housatonic river with Two Clicks for a long 5 mile walk along the river edge. These flat sections are nice but dang, they hurt my feet! Two clicks and I finished the beautiful walk then once again climbed. The climbs were tough today. It felt a lot like the roller coaster in northern VA. CT is throwing some haymakers our way! Add on 28 miles of hiking to the mix and man I was beat. We had an early morning coffee stop and got our caffeine fix but 17 miles in during lunch, I had to have more and downed another cup. This is no fancy coffee. This is bottom barrel instant coffee cooked in a camping pot but man it helps! The first cup did a ton but the second didn't have as much of a kick. Regardless of that, the lunch calories helped.After lunch we pushed the remaining 12 miles. A few mellow ups and downs then, to end the day, we had an 800' climb. For some reason I was so tired I struggled with the last few miles. Today pushed me mentally and physically for sure but it's done!We debated staying in the shelter because it was 0.5 off trail. That's a good distance! However, stealth camping in CT isn't really accepted here and there was no guarantee there would be spots at the stream a mile past the shelter so we ended up going down the steep hill to the shelter. It worked out and we were the only ones crazy enough to hike off trail this far until 7 when a thru hiker and her friend showed up. They ended up cooking popcorn and shared with us so that was nice! A tough day but were looking forward to MA tomorrow, hitting the 1500 mile marker and taking a much needed zero in Westfield.P.S: I just want to thank all those people continuing to follow my journal! Lots of you have posted on my Facebook or on the guest book and it makes writing these each night much more worth it! Thanks for the continued support and encouragement!
Date: 2018-06-09
From: MA 41 Egremont, MA

To: MA 41
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The day started off quick with breakfast at a local diner favorite then a trip to Hartford, CT to REI. Mike was extremely generous to bring us here and we did our best to get in and out without spending all our money. I bought some fuel, deet and batteries... All small stuff. Two clicks got new trekking poles and was pumped for those.On the way home we ran to Walmart for a resupply, the liquor store and Stop and Shop for me to pick up a cake I had ordered. Mike's birthday was next week and another friend of mine, Jake Sanborn, had his birthday coming up too. Low and behold a few others that I knew from the area had birthdays in June too and so we acknowledged those too as I'll mention in a minute.Mike had surprised me with a kayaking trip. We have done one every year (Mike, Chris Perkins, Tom Mulligan and I) but unfortunately it didn't look like the timing was going to work as I mentioned I would be in MA on the 8th. Mike and Chris, however, put together a quick trip on the Westfield River though and so we did that today. Two Clicks opted out and slept at the houseThe river was beautiful and we found a rope swing to jump into the water. We enjoyed a leisurely cruise down the river until about 6.When we got everything back to the house, Mike ran to a house warming party he had promised to go to. He wasn't gone long but in the meantime, I began prepping our dinner he had bought-- steak, potatoes and broccoli. While I started that, friends started showing up and I kept them company until Mike returned. I had invited Jake and a few others from the Blandford Fire Department to come by for cake and Mike had invited some of his friends. When I got the chance I showered then we ate and wished everyone a happy birthday. Eventually, after socializing for a bit, I made my way upstairs for a bit of sleep. The sun had really tired me out and I knew I would need anything I could get for hiking tomorrow.Our zero was great and I want to thank Mike so much for allowing us to stay at his home, raid his food and shuttle us around everywhere. I also want to thank Chris for the kayaking and all those who made an appearance at Mike's home last night!
Date: 2018-06-10
From: MA 41

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up dreading the actual act of movement. All I wanted to do was lay in that comfortable bed and listen to the birds outside. I think myself and many others are getting to a point on trail where it pushes you mentally like crazy.I packed my things and brought them downstairs to the smell of bacon. Mike had woken up early and began cooking breakfast for us. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, potatoes and toast. It was quite the meal and really got me going. After cleaning up and packing the car we began the drive to the trail. It was a beautiful cool day, with overcast skies.At the trailhead we took final pictures and thanked Mike for his extreme kindness. He hoped to meet up with us again and hike a few other sections with us. We began the walk into the meadows we had left off on and for the first few miles we had somewhat level walking on the edges of farms.Slowly, the climbs began once again and the time went by quickly as I worked to reintegrate myself with my surroundings. Getting the ball rolling once again can be hard. Especially when you have to react to vast amounts of stimuli in society, whereas in the woods, stimulus exists but you don't necessarily need to react to it. Constantly reading and interpreting road signs, keeping the beat of the music on the radio, having conversations as opposed to walking and simply listening to my body and navigating the woods. It's a tough transition. I stopped for a long break around 2 at a shelter to catch up on journaling, eat and rest my feet. I had passed over Rt 23 to Monterey which brought back memories of calls for the Fire Department in Blandford on Rt 23. It was weird knowing the towns and areas around you but seeing them from the woods and a completely different setting.I made the final push to the campsite that fell around the mileage Two Clicks and I were comfortable hiking. Before getting there I took a good spill when I was nonchalantly walking along some footbridge over a bog. Somehow I turned 180 degrees, smashed my head on the wooden plank and landed to the side in some tall grass that luckily wasn't wet because it hadn't rained in a while. I was pretty mad and it was quite the spill but honestly I do it so much that I'm kind of getting used to it sadly.I made it to camp at 4:30 and set up my tent, grabbed water and gave a call to Abby. Tonight I was hoping to eat early and go to bed early to make up for the lack of sleep the last two nights. I think I'll sleep pretty well tonight!P.S: I just want to send a quick shout-out to my mom's co-worker, Jan. Thank you Jan for reading my journal and for switching shifts/covering for my mom when she comes to see me. I really appreciate it!
Date: 2018-06-11
To: Kay Wood Shelter
Miles today: 27.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The cool nights are a blessing for my sleep but I know Two Clicks has been struggling with the temperatures in his 40 degree bag. He's working on ways to stay warmer and I think this pattern will probably continue as we get higher in elevation and into the Green Mountains and the Whites.The day started slow as I knew Two Clicks' mom was coming and he had said that if I wanted to join them for lunch to be at MA rt 20 at noon. That was about 11 miles from camp so it made for a peaceful morning. I saw deer grazing in a field, passed a snack shack run by a family on the honor system and enjoyed he beautiful weather. MA has treated us well.Around 1030 I met up with Two Clicks near Upper Goose Pond. This has been a popular talking point when discussing the MA section of the AT. It is run by the AMC with a caretaker as a cabin on donations. We stopped here for a break and marveled at the beauty of the pond. Eventually, we decided, we needed to canoe! They had free canoes to take out after signing a waiver and so we did that. We only paddled out to an island and back but it was beautiful and a great change of pace midday hiking. I highly recommend this place! It would have been cool to stay at but it was too early and we were meeting Mama Two Clicks in a bit. Definitely a place I'll be visiting in the future!We pushed the 2 miles to MA rt 20 after crossing over the Mass Pike and taking our pictures near the Berkshires Sign. When we got there, we waited only a few minutes then Mrs Young's pulled up with Two Clicks' friend Tim as well. We said our hello's then jumped in for a ride into Lee, MA for food! Mrs Young's was gracious enough to buy me lunch and I wolfed down a pizza, root beer and some mozzarella sticks and onion rings while making sure to also drink a water. Everyone ate well and before I left I ran next door to Subway to pack out a sub for dinner. We rolled back to the trailhead and Mrs Young's pulled out all the goodies she had packed for us. I ate a cookie brownie and took a few snacks before saying goodbye and thanking her again. It was a great treat mid day!After leaving Mrs Young's and Tim to drive back to the South shore, Two Clicks and I planned to hike another 16 miles to a shelter. This was a big task for the afternoon as it was already 2pm. The terrain appeared easy though and I turned on the jets and got to business. We passed beautiful lakes and ponds and through some remarkable forest. I have only hiked two small sections of the MA AT but man, these less popular sections are amazing!By the time I arrived at the shelter I was winded and tired. A big day, mile wise, along with an hour break to canoe and roughly 2 hours in town. I'd say we made the best of the day and weather but I know tomorrow will be shorter as we ascend Greylock.
Date: 2018-06-14
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 27.8
Weather: broken clouds

A crazy storm rolled in last night with thunder, lightning and wind. I was so thankful that I had gotten a spot in the shelter even if that meant cuddling with Two Clicks. The top bunk was big enough for two people to sleep on but man was it tight. Either way, I slept well! And long!The wind continued to howl in the morning but managed to dry the rain that had fallen. It was definitely hard getting up and reminded me a lot of the beginning of my hike where it was cold and miserable outside. Once I got up though, I was feeling great and I had a wicked good day of hiking. The air was cool enough to keep me warm while hiking and kept pushing me to keep moving. Two Clicks and I had originally planned a 21 to a campsite with an 18 mile nearo the next day but only a few miles in I could tell I was feeling it today and texted him that I would push over Stratton for a 27 to make my nearo more enjoyable. I took 10 minute breaks at the first two shelters I passed and then a half hour lunch at the third. Something about this hiking makes me feel great.VT trails have been awesome! Pine needles to soften the blow to your feet and enough rocks and roots to keep you focused. I was in my own world today and I'm not sure if it was my lack of looking at my phone, good long sleep or the double coffee I had at lunch but man I loved it today!On top of Glastonbury mountain I climbed the fire tower which put me above treeline and in the depths of the howling wind. It was intense but gave me sweet views of the Green Mountains. As the day continued, the skies darkened up and by the time I had climbed Stratton Mountain, 23 miles in or so, there was fog covering the peak, wind blowing and temps of 46 degrees. I didn't climb that tower because of the lack of views and was happy with that choice as I descended the other side and didn't have mild hypothermia. Thermoregulation!!!!Eventually I made it to the Stratton Pond Shelter and didn't have to pay because there was no caretaker here! I got a nice bottom bunk and felt great from my long day with two fairly large climbs. Two Clicks had gotten my messages and pushed here too and we were both excited for food tomorrow once we hiked 11 miles to Manchester Center. Oh, and we met the girl Happy Feet who had left us trail magic back in MA. She is hiking north on the Long Trail and unfortunately got injured so had to slow down. Crazy coincidence!P.S: The sketchy tents the other day ended up not being so sketchy. In the morning as I walked to the privy, a guy was exiting that hadn't been there that night. I imagine a few people in a group set up their tents then did a day hike of some sort. Creepy and very trusting but not murderous like we thought!
Date: 2018-06-15
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester Center VT
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

All night the rain pattered on the roof of the Shelter. I figured by the morning it would be done but as 5:30 came and the sun rose, the rain continued. It makes the mental challenge of getting up much harder.I made it up and hit the trail shortly after rocking the poncho. The drive was a 10 mile day into town. A perfect Nearo! I cruised these miles and I hate to use the word but it was pretty much flat. Flat seems to be a fighting word on the trail.The rain slowed, mist continued and mostly the water came dripping off the trees making it seem worse. It's funny-- the tree cover typically delays rain when it begins but extends it after it is over.At the road into town, I waited a few minutes for Two Clicks. In the small amount of time, a guy came by twice asking if I needed a ride and both times I let him know I was waiting for Two Clicks. When we were both in the lot, another car drove up and offered us a ride in. No hitching needed! It was great.In town, the woman named Dee gave us a quick tour then we hopped out and made our way to "Up For Breakfast" a popular diner in town. I'm not lying, this was THE BEST breakfast I've ever had. Sorry Hoaty's but they got you beat. I had two french toast, two pancakes, toast, 4 eggs, home fries, sausage and bacon with coffee. I really filled up. A hiker we met the other day rolled into the diner shortly before we left. His name was Mud Flap and he thru hiked the entire AT in 2013 and is now doing the Long Trail. He graciously paid for our breakfast and gave me a ton of insight into Paramedic school. He is a wicked nice guy!After we thanked him and left, we killed time at the outfitter where I bought a new stove and pot-- both lighter and less bulky. We then made our way to Cilantros, a Mexican restaurant. Here we grabbed some local beers and hung out as Mud Flap and Journey joined us. They were both waiting for the bus to bring them to their cars parked along the trail.At 1, Two Clicks and I walked to Price Chopper for resupply and then called the hostel for a ride. We got here and showered, did laundry then caught up on chores. Two Clicks and I played a game of checkers then I cooked Gandalf, Two Clicks and I a dinner of teriyaki chicken with rice and broccoli before the three of us and Hazmat ordered two large pizzas and had ice cream! What a day of eating! Tomorrow we'll be cooking breakfast here then headed back into the woods. We are 3/4 of the way through the trail and have 532 miles left! Woo!
Date: 2018-06-17
From: Greenwall shelter

To: Churchill Scott shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: clear sky

This morning was an early one. Another hiker that had showed up later last night had an alarm go off at 5am. He was up and in shelters,that means everyone else is too. I'd say this is one of the only things I don't love about shelters but their convenience usually supercedes that.I was on trail by 6 and started up some big climbs. We did roughly 6500' of elevation gain today over the 23 miles according to Hazmat. A big day! We hiked over Bear Mountain, the third one on this trail, and up and down a bunch of other climbs eventually to the base of Killington. The profile for the mountain didn't look bad but it was an 8 mile climb in total.Two Clicks and I hiked near each other a lot today and pushed up Killington. At the start of the climb, we hit the 500 mile to Katahdin sign! Less than 500! It was a tough climb especially after having hiked 20 miles already and by the top I was definitely feeling lethargic. What drove me up the mountain though was the restaurant on top. We had to take a 0.2 mile spur trail from the AT to the top and man was it steep! Eventually we made it on the last bits of energy we had and walked into the restaurant after soaking in the view. I've never skied Killington but would love to. It's also a huge Mecca for mountain biking which was cool to talk to a bunch of people headed down the mountain on their bikes!Inside I got a brisket sandwich, fruit and a cookie then downed two switchback ipas and a long trail-- seemed fitting. I definitely got a buzz going and the food was delicious. Eventually Hazmat and Gandalf arrived and joined us before we took off from the peak around 4. We had 4.4 miles left which were mainly downhill. Being buzzed made this fun! And slightly treacherous-- sorry Mom. It was a quick few miles and we showed up to the shelter by 6 to find it empty! The shelter is at the 1700 mile mark! Crazy to think that! What a great day. We put good miles in and hung out in a restaurant for around 2 hours! We both agreed we'll definitely be doing this type of thing more often!
Date: 2018-06-20
From: The woods past Dartmouth college

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up in our tents to the typical sound of a bustling city. After tearing down camp, we hiked back into Hanover for breakfast. On the way into town we ran into Hazmat headed for the trail. He was pushing a big day so that he can meet his son Friday and finish his last section of the trail! We got his real name (crazy!) And friended him on Facebook so we could see his pictures then said goodbye. We had a huge breakfast at Lou's where they give hikers a free doughnut! After sitting for an hour we made our way next door to Starbucks where we got coffees and hung around charging our phones up. This gave me the chance to catch up on journaling which was put to the side when we were homeless yesterday and stoked to be in NH.Around 11 we went to Armunto's pizza for a free slice they offer to thru hikers then back to the Co Op for a few things before hitting the trail ourselves. We split up to hike the mileage at our own pace and enjoyed the serenity of the woods. Welcome to NH I said as the climbs got steep enough that the Dartmouth Outing Club, who maintain this section, had put a rope in for the steepness of the climb. I think it finally hit me that I was in NH about an hour in. I just laughed out loud to myself thinking about how crazy that was.I got to the top of Moose Mountain, really the only big climb of the day and hung out on top for a half hour enjoying the quiet breeze, overcast skies and perfect temperatures as I looked at the view that I believe faced south east. It was a nice day and I finished off the hike with 0.8 down hill to the shelter where I was determined to lessen the weight of my food bag and enjoy the night.At the shelter someone had brought a container of nips, chocolate and Advil! Two clicks and I took a celebratory shot when we got there. Then another hiker named Hot Sauce showed up and was determined to make a fire. As Two Clicks and I helped him grab some wood he started it then we all sat around eating and staring into the fire. Soon after, other hikers showed up named Grits and Treeline. It was a really relaxing night and a great Nearo. The water source here was terrible though so I'm hoping my filter works! Still puddles kind of scare me but that's what my filters made for! We shall see in the morning!
Date: 2018-06-22
From: Ore Hill Campsites

To: Gordon Pond Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 19.9

It got pretty cold last night making it a mental battle to get up but we were both on trail around 6:30. We had to climb up and over Ore Hill to NH 25 which was easy. At the trailhead here, someone had left a bag of food. There was a Gatorade and some beef jerky. I thought it was trail magic as it didn't appear to be labeled and so I began drinking the Gatorade. All of a sudden I looked down at the bag and in faint letters it read "Two Clicks." I felt so bad! I had only drank half the Gatorade so I left the other half and waited to confess to him. When he got there, I said "sorry" then explained the situation. We both laughed it off but I owe him a Gatorade. At this road, we remembered something a fellow hiker mentioned about a hostel just off trail. We looked it up and sure enough the hostel named "Hikers Welcome" was 0.3 from us. We had to stop! Here, we each ate a bunch. I had two breakfast sandwiches, a mini pizza, a mountain dew and an iced tea. It was nice to eat a bunch before the climb up Mt Moosilauke.After our half hour break we began the climb. It was tough but nothing the both of us haven't done before and eventually we reached the top. This is the same summit I had climbed last St Patrick's day and skied down. The one my mom, girlfriend and sister were so worried about me they called NH Fish and Game to check for me and my friend Sean. Haha good times... What a great summit and a spectacular view on this blue sky day with little to no wind. We had run into Hazmat, our section hiker friend on the way up. The peak of Moosilauke was the last section for him and when he got up there we held our trekking poles in an arch for him to walk under ceremoniously. He was super thrilled and hugged us both. He even got to share the moment with his daughter. It was really cool to share that moment with him because we thought we wouldn't. He's an awesome guy and he achieved such an awesome goal! Great Job Hazmat! Go Celebrate!We parted ways with him and descended Moosilauke. The descent is crazy steep on the AT as it follows along a waterfall. We passed the shelter we had planned to stop at by 2 pm and decided to push on feeling good. At the base of the mountain in Kinsman Notch, we loaded up on 3L of water to ascend towards Mt Wolf which had no water until the north side. Our plan was to water carry and find some tenting spots.Another hour went by and we made it to Gordon Pond just off the AT. There were some beautiful sites along the pond with great views. We set up for the night feeling happy with our 19.9 mile day of 5500' in elevation gain (3000' of that on the ascent up Moosilauke). It was a great day and we enjoyed eating a majority of our remaining food as we sat by the pond on the perfect eating rock under blue skies. Two Clicks and I are headed into Lincoln tomorrow from Franconia Notch to resupply, eat well and stay in a hostel while meeting my friend Max Janik. Today really felt like we were back home in the mountains we know so well and love hiking!