morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Just North of Mad Tom Notch (USFS Rte 21)

To: Long Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light rain

We started to stir at around 5:30 am. It was not an inspiring morning. It was drizzling and 60 degrees. We packed everything from inside the tent. Unfortunately the tent had to be packed and it was soaking wet. We got underway at 7:20 am. We had on our pack covers and rain jackets. However, we sweated profusely and soon took off the jackets as we started the 900 foot climb of Styles Peak. We reached the summit of Styles Peak at 8:50 am. Much of the Trail along the ridge line between Styles Peak and Peru Peak is plank boardwalks to prevent damage to fragile areas. It made for easier walking, but the planks were slippery from rain and we had several close calls. From Peru Peak we descended to the Peru Peak Shelter which was to be our lunch stop and possibly our overnight stop. However, when we arrived at the Shelter at 10:55 am we found the shelter was occupied by eight college students from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. They had come into the shelter late the previous night. They had gear strewn all over the shelter.   We were not going to be able to cook our lunch as planned in the shelter. So we set up our tent, minus fly, on an adjacent tent platform. Rocky proceeded to cook a hot lunch while we chatted with the college kids. They were pretty disorganized and we gave them information on trail conditions to the south. Our tent dried somewhat during lunch and we left the shelter area at 11:55 am. As we passed the Griffin Lake area we found that beavers had dammed a steam. As a result the plank boardwalk was actually floating. Swamp Fox got his feet wet, but Rocky took off shoes and socks and crossed the area with no further damage. Next was the climb of Baker Peak. The Peak is a steep cone of ledge, requiring use of hands to scramble to the top. It was made more difficult by the light rain which had started to fall again. The Peak is only at elevation 2850 feet, but it was quite a challenge to get to the top at 1:55 pm.After a ridge walk we descended to Lost Pond Shelter at 3:10 pm. This is not a large shelter, with capacity of perhaps six people. However, it was unoccupied. We set up our tent in the shelter, minus the fly, for bug protection. We were able to dry the tent fly (photo 100) and our pack covers. We are quite comfortable here. We cooked our second hot meal of the day before settling in for the night. Our hot meals are typically dried mashed potatoes, cooked with tuna or salmon, with a variety of dehydrated vegetables.   Swamp Fox occasionally has stuffing mix instead of the dried mashed potatoes and adds chili powder mix. During the day we were passed by two section hikers (Preacher and Bear) and a No Trail Name yet hiker. At our shelter, Parkside, a thru hiker from the borough of Queens, New York City, stopped for water and some conversation. Then he moved on. We don¢t see many people on the Trail these days.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Long Pond Shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: light rain

It was drizzling and 60 degrees this morning. We didn¢t rush to start hiking. The rain stopped before we finished our usual cold cereal breakfast. We hit the Trail at 8 am. It was a downhill walk to our first stop at the Big Branch Shelter which we reached at 9:05 am. By 10 am we were at USFS Route 10 which is the road to Danby. Had there been traffic on the road we probably would have hitch hiked into town as we are anxious for a restaurant meal. However we pressed on to Little Rock Pond Shelter. On the way we met and talked with a rugged looking man from the Carolinas. He had no trail name yet. However, Axeman would have been an appropriate name for him as he had a hickory walking stick with kind of a medieval looking axe head on one end. He made it himself. We reached the Little Rock Pond Shelter (photo 105) at 11:45 am. This is a beautiful shelter with two sleeping levels, benches, a large porch, and a table, all under an overhang. It was a good place to cook a hot meal instead of our usual lunch of granola bars and peanut butter. The Pond, visible from the shelter, is also beautiful (photo 106).After our hot lunch we were on the Appalachian Trail at 12:40 pm. We were going to try to make it to Greenwall Shelter for the night. However a 4.8 mile walk over White Rocks Mountain was in the way. From a cloudy and humid morning the skies cleared during our climb of the mountain. It was not an easy climb, but it was beautiful. We walked through a spruce forest (photo 110) with the smell of spruce around us. Much of the trail was softened by layers of spruce needles. Along the way we saw lady slipper flowers (photo 107, 108) and trilliums. At two locations in the vicinity of the summit, past hikers have made statues out of rocks (photos 111, 112). Some were quite imaginative. This is kind of a magical place! As we descended to White Rocks Cliff outlook we met two men hiking south. We exchanged trail information and they went on their way. We have seen only three hikers today, all men. Rocky wonders ¢Where are the women?¢ We arrived at the side trail to White Rocks Cliff outlook at 4:20 pm, but elected not to go out to the outlook. At 4:43 pm we had descended to the side trail to the Greenwall Shelter (photo 113). We reached the shelter ten minutes later. As there is no one else in the shelter, we set up our tent, minus the fly, in the shelter for bug protection. Our dinner tonight was hot drinks, granola bars and peanut butter. It is 7:30 pm and Rocky is already asleep. It has been a very tough day, but we are well positioned to reach our objective, Inn at Long Trail on US Route 4, in the time we have available for our hike. We have to be home by May 30th.   We are looking forward to a restaurant meal tomorrow morning in Wallingford.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

Last night was the coolest since Goddard Shelter. It was 53 degrees when we started our 4.3 mile, 2000 foot climb of Killington. We left the shelter at 7:38 am. False Summit, who hammocked near the shelter, passed us about half a mile into our climb. At first the climb was quite pleasant: sunny, breezy, and not too steep. However, as we neared the summit of Killington it got buggier. It took us almost four hours to reach Cooper Lodge Shelter near the summit. Cooper Lodge was a big disappointment (photo 124). The condition of the shelter was awful. There was trash strewn about the shelter and it was dirty and damp. It would not be a pleasant place to spend the night.   We tried to rest at a tent platform adjacent to the shelter. (photo 123) However, the bugs drove us crazy. We had a quick lunch and then started down the mountain at 12:05 pm. We had planned to stay at Cooper Lodge, but there was no way we would consider it when we saw the condition of the shelter.On the way down we crossed paths with a number of day hikers who were headed for the summit of Killington. We told them about the bugs and the condition of the shelter. The bugs continued to harass us all the way to the Churchill Scott Shelter. We arrived at the Churchill Scott Shelter at 3:40 pm. The sign to the shelter is not at the side trail junction with the Appalachian Trail, so we almost missed the sign. We set up our tent, minus fly, once again in the shelter. This is a very nice shelter. However, the water source is not good, as compared to other water souces we have seen elsewhere on this trail. At dinner we finished the last of our food supply, except for two granola bars each. The granola bars will be our breakfast. Since our hike ends tomorrow at the Inn at Long Trail, this was good food planning. Actually it was dumb luck that we ran out of food on our very last trail meal. We had five restaurant meals and we found some food in shelters to augment our supply. It is hot, 71 degrees, in our tent, but we are safe from the bugs. Two Massachusetts section hikers stopped by the shelter as we were finishing our dinner. We chatted a bit as they debated whether to spend the night at the shelter. They filled up on water from the lousy source and continued on to US Route 4.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: US Route 4
Miles today: 1.9

As today¢s hike was to end at US Route 4, we took our time leaving the shelter. We ate our last four granola bars and finished the last of our hot drinks for breakfast. We were completely out of food, but we were looking forward to restaurant meals at the Inn at Long Trail. It was a pleasantly cool morning, 57 degrees, when we left the shelter at 7:30 am. During our descent to US Route 4 we came upon many ramps (onion like plants).photos 126, 127) We didn¢t realize that they grew this far north. We had enjoyed their flavor in hike meals during our 2005 AT hike in the south. They added some flavor to otherwise bland hiker dinners. We arrived at US Route 4 at 8:55 am. We walked the 0.9 miles up the hill to the Inn at Long Trail (photos 128,129).   The Inn at Long Trail is extremely hiker friendly and we got a room with breakfast for $65.55. Our first priority was showering for Swamp Fox and a tub bath for Rocky. She loves a tub. It was our first bath in eight days. Then we had lunch in the bar at the Inn at Long Trail. Swamp Fox tried Long Trail Ale for the first time, and really enjoyed it. The bar is quite interesting and is done in the style of an Irish pub. The building includes some big rocks which are built into the building. Great memories for us of our 2008 stay in Ireland. Rocky wanted to go into Rutland where she had spent a night in the Twelve Tribes hostel in 2005. Swamp Fox asked ¢Why do I want to go into Rutland?¢ We went anyway by The Bus, $2 each, into Rutland. To Swamp fox¢s surprise, Rutland is an interesting little city. It is full of older, well maintained buildings and a variety of shops and stores. We visited the Hostel at the Yellow Deli, which is run by the Twelve Tribes community. The Twelve Tribe community is an interesting experiment in communal living in a religious based environment. At the Yellow Deli we each had a delicious and gigantic smoothie. Before heading back to the Inn at Long Trail we bought Chinese take-out for tonight¢s dinner. We enjoyed a large Chinese feast back in our room at the Inn at Long Trail. This was a really nice day.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: US Route 4

To: Vermont Route 100
Miles today: 3.3

It rained heavily overnight. It was a good night to be indoors under a roof. We had our windows open as the room was warm, as it faced south. However, it made for a noisy night from road traffic. The Inn at Long Trail had a great breakfast for us (photo 130). Following breakfast we checked out of the Inn. We packed up our back packs and left them in the Inn¢s woodshed, as we planned a slack pack for today. We left the Inn at Long Trail at 9:25 am with a light pack with water and rain gear. We walked down US Route 4 to the Appalachian Trail/Long Trail crossing of the highway. At 9:45 am we started north on the Trail. The rain had stopped but it was very humid in the woods. With out heavy packs we walked rapidly. We soon reached Maine Junction (photos 131,132). This is the point at which the Long Trail continues north and the Appalachian Trail heads northeast toward New Hampshire. From Maine Junction the Appalachian Trail climbs to the side trail to the Deer Leap Overlook and then starts to descend to Vermont Route 100. We passed through Gifford Woods State Park and reached Vermont Route 100 at 12 noon. This is the ending point of our hike. From here we had to get back to the Inn at Long Trail. At the road we tried to hitch hike to no avail. So we walked to the junction of Vermont Route 100 and US Route 4. As we started walking down US 4, we saw a bus pull into a commercial center ahead of us. We frantically waved and walked rapidly to catch The Bus before it left. Fortunately the driver waited for us and saved us a road walk of two miles or so. We were soon back at the Inn at Long Trail, where we retrieved our packs. While we waited for our ride back home we had another nice lunch in the bar. Our 14 day hike is over. We covered 93 miles during our hike. Swamp Fox now has 188 miles left to hike on the Appalachian Trail before he can claim to be a 2000 Miler, like his wife, Rocky.
Date: 2012-11-07
From: home in NH

To: home in NH
Miles today: 0.0

I will be getting another opportunity to do some further hiking on the Appalachian Trail this fall after all. We have a four day window in which I hope to hike the rest of Vermont. Last May, Rocky and I hiked as far north as Vermont Route 100. In this four day window I hope to do the rest of the Trail in Vermont from Route 100 to Hanover, New Hampshire; about 42 miles. I am quite enthusiastic about getting back on the Trail. I have been packed for several days. Rocky will deliver me to the Trail on Thursday, November 8th.   Unfortunately the weather forecast for November 8th is pretty awful. A nor¢easter is coming in and rain and snow is predicted the day I start.   However, I learned years ago that you take the Good with the Bad on the Trail. But I have had much more Good during my almost 2000 miles on the Appalachian Trail. By Sunday, November 11th, when I arrive in Hanover the weather should be beautiful.Rocky is quite apprehensive about my safety considering the weather forecast, and the fact that I will be hiking alone. Of course, I was quite apprehensive about her safety when she hikes the Florida Trail without me. However, I have hiked in the rain, in the cold, and alone before. I am quite confident of my abilities and it¢s only four days and 42 miles.Thanks for following our Journals. By the way, in early January Rocky will be doing the next segment of about 104 miles of the Florida Trail.   Fortunately for my peace of mind she will be accompanied by three or four other hikers. As we now take care of my aged Dad, we rarely can hike together these days.See you on the Trail.Swamp Fox
Date: 2012-11-08
From: home in NH

To: home in NH
Miles today: 0.0

We woke up today to a rainy/snow morning. On top of that Rocky had a near accident while driving home this morning. With a possible problem with our Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system, this did not seem like a day to drive 100 miles just so that I could walk into a rainy day.We now have new tires on our car and the VSA problem seems to have cleared up. So I now plan to leave tomorrow when a clearing day is expected. In fact the next four days seem to be good, precipitation free, hiking days.Thanks, Mrs. Gorp for the update on Trail conditions.See you in my next Trail Journal entry from the Vermont Appalachian Trail.Swamp Fox
Date: 2012-11-09
From: Vermont Route 100 (Gifford State Park)

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: clear sky

Rocky had me at the Trail at 10:20 am, at the Trail crossing with Vermont Route 100. This is where our hike ended last May. It was 39 degrees on a clear day. I had 32 pounds on my back with 53 ounces of water and four days food.After the obligatory photo and good by kiss, I was on my way. (photos 137, 138) There was a little snow on the Trail which made it a bit slippery. Initially I took it slow to get a feel for the Trail.   I reached the lodge overlooking Kent Pond at 10:43 am. (photo 140) The lodge looked to be a great place to spend a night on the Trail, but not today. The Trail continued to be well marked and in good shape. At 11:25 am I reached a trail relocation due to Hurricane Irene. It took me on a roundabout road walk that took only ten minutes to reach the Trail at the foot of the climb up Quimby Mountain. (photo 141) Before starting the steep 1300 foot climb in half a mile (at least that is what the AT Companion says), I stopped for lunch. I had a sandwich and fruit I brought from home. A squirrel watched me enviously as I ate. At 12 noon I started the climb. It was a killer, probably due to my out-of-AT hiking shape. It was steep and took me an hour and ten minutes to reach the top, after many rest stops. The Trail continued along the Quimby Mountain ridge with a number of ups and downs. Here the Trail was not as well marked and or as obvious. I had to spend a lot of time looking for blazes. It was an exhausting afternoon. I started the final descent of the day and reached the Stony Brook Shelter at 3:12 pm. I almost missed the sign directing me to the shelter. Fortunately there was a second sign to the water source, which clued me in that the shelter was nearby. There was no one in the shelter. In fact I never saw another hiker all day. I set up Rocky¢s one person tent in the shelter, without the fly. As I went to get water I had a painful cramp in my right thigh. I often have these cramps in my legs at the start of a multi-day hike. I survived that cramp and others during the evening. Dinner was a soup mix with a pouch of tuna, dried apples, and a granola bar with peanut butter. After other evening chores I was in the tent for the night by 4:30 pm. Sun down was at about the same time. It will be a long night, as sunrise is about 6:30 am tomorrow. This is when I miss my Rocky the most. I wrote the day¢s journal, and then went to sleep. Swamp Fox
Date: 2012-11-10
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

I was awake early as I had to make a privy run in the semi-darkness at 6 am. I had a disorganized morning getting my cold breakfast and getting packed up. (photo 142) However I was still able to get on the Trail by 7:15 am. There was no freeze last night and it was 34 degrees when I left the shelter. Initially there was no snow on the Trail. I soon came to a point where the Trail vertically descended a large boulder. Fortunately the trail maintainers had installed a new aluminum ladder to make the descent. (photo 143) The Trail continued to be clear of snow and easy to follow (photo 144).At 7:40 am I crossed Stony Brook Road and continued along the Trail on moderate ups and downs. I stopped for my first rest of the day at 9:20 am where the Trail crossed Bull Run. I arrived at the Trail crossing of Chateauguay Road at 10:23 am. I took another rest break here. Then another steep climb started but not as difficult as yesterday¢s climb of Quimby Mountain. I reached the top of the climb at 11:20 am and had lunch in the sun on the downgrade. The temperature had risen to 45 degrees on another great hiking day. I made excellent time as Trail conditions were excellent and I reached the side trail to The Lookout at 1:45 pm. I did not take the side trail, but was encouraged by a sign at the side trail that it was only 2.6 miles to the Wintturi Shelter. My objective was to make it to the shelter by 3:30 pm, so that there would be at least one hour of daylight left. Should be no problem today. Wrong!The Trail was wide and the grades were gentle. It was reminiscent of the ¢Tennessee Turnpike.¢ (photo 145). Unfortunately I was so focused on the easy trail conditions that I missed a turn. I continued to follow the ¢Tennessee Turnpike¢ which then deteriorated into a badly eroded dirt road. The dirt road, if it could be called that, eventually descended to a parking area at an intersection of well graded gravel roads. Something was wrong. I had noticed on the descent that there were no blazes along the dirt road. However, the absence of blazes at key points was not unusual on this day. A look at the Trail map told me where I went wrong. I had no choice except to retrace my steps back up the eroded dirt road. This error added at least a mile to my day, along with the additional exertion, which I didn¢t need.I found the turn in the Trail I had missed and continued to Don¢s Rock. The absence of blazes at key locations continued to plague me and I had to carefully examine the ground to pick up slight depressions where the trail was. The leaf cover made it difficult to pick up the trail locations.   I had to continue to search for the disappearing Trail several times before I finally reached the Wintturi Shelter at 2:54 pm. The side trail to the shelter was rather obscure as it was a 0.2 mile bushwhack. However the route was well marked with fresh blue blazes. Despite my difficulties in staying on the Trail, I still had plenty of time for night time chores. I was beat and was in the sack for the night by 5 pm.
Date: 2012-11-27
From: home in Florida

To: home in Florida
Miles today: 0.0

This is our final Appalachian Trail entry for 2012. We have entered our photos from Swamp Fox's recent hike in Vermont and referenced the photos in the text.We will start a new Appalachian Trail journal for our projected 2013 hike in Vermont and New Hampshire. However, first we will have a new journal for Rocky's Florida Trail Hike #2 will Bob Peoples, Kim, and others to be named later. See you in 2013 and thanks for following our 2012 hikes.
Date: 2011-04-13
From: Spring, Texas

To: View Entry
Miles today: 625.9

When I started my hike in 2010 I had intended to hike to Maine...but after 625 miles I needed to return home for multiple reasons. My goal now is to complete the trail in sections. This year I will be starting where I left off in Pearisburg, Virginia and hiking 385 miles to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Date: 2011-04-14
From: Spring, Texas

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I will use the same equipment I used last year. A BA Mystic 15 degree sleeping bag, Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 , ULA Circuit backpack, Sierra Design rain jacket, Columbia convertible pants, 2 Eddie Bauer quick dry shirts, Marmot fleece, New Balance AT 812 shoes with orange super feet insert, leki hiking poles, pocket rocket stove. I have added a few things...a Marmont windshirt, titanium cooking pot, and ZERO gloves, Another big addition is my IPOD. Some of the things I started with last year but found they were not needed were...my down jacket (it was nice to have but I found if I had my long underwear, my fleece and my raincoat on I could handle below freezing temperatures...this year I will also have my windshirt), a separate stuff sack for my clothes (I found I could fit my sleeping bag and my clothes in one medium size stuff sack), inflatable sleeping pillow (just used my fleece). I started last year going stoveless and within about a week decided on cooking...a hot meal really helps on a cold day. Food wise I am starting out with 5 mountain house dinners, pop tarts for breakfast, peanut butter and tortilla for lunch. Snacks include a mix of fritos, pretzels and nuts. I am also bring a couple of power bars. Water wise I will use two liters of Smart Water...and refill along the way. Gatorade powder will be used to keep up my electrolytes. I treat my water with Aqua Mira. In my next post I will give you my thoughts about my upcoming hike plus some of the particulars of getting back to the trail where I left off last year. Thanks for following along!
Date: 2011-04-16
From: Spring, Texas

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I am flying into Roanoke, Virgina on Tuesday 4/19 and getting picked up by Tom Hoffman. He provides a shuttle service for hikers in the area. It is a 65 mile drive from the Roanoke airport to the Rendezvous Motel in Pearisburg. Hopefully this motel is nicer than the Holiday Motor Lodge that I stayed in last year. That hotel had the worst beds...I could feel the springs in my back. Plus not the cleanest place. But after being on the trail it was a step up from sleeping in a tent. My flight gets in at 2:30PM so by the time I get to Pearisburg it will be about 4:00PM. Instead of hitting the trail immediately I decided Ito stay the night and get out on the trail early the next day. I have given myself 30 days to complete this section. Based on other journals it is doable. Hopefully in another 3 more years I can complete the entire trail. My son Eric will maintain my journal. I will try and email him a posting each day. But I found out last year it can sometimes be difficult. This is due to not getting good cell service ( I do have Verizon which is about the best of all carriers on the AT) or battery problems. Only 3 more days of prep before I head out.