morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-15
From: Eastern Mtn Retreat Center

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: clear sky

Started at 7:45. I found a Lyme tick on my right thigh in the morning after sleeping in the hostel's bed and linens. I did not have it on me when I took a shower last night. It was gorged with my blood. I pulled it off. They say if it hasn't been on you for 36 hours, you probably won't get Lyme's disease. I hope they are right. I walked the 1.5 miles back to the trail and met "Red" at the trailhead. I put on DEET for the third time since I started hiking in April. The bogs had a lot of mosquitoes. I didn't sleep well last night since I ate dinner at 9 PM. So today I was low on energy, especially between 12 and 2. I made it to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin by 3:50 and was lying on my bunk before 4 PM. Later I made dinner and washed up in the lake which was very warm before going to bed. I saw an 18 inch long ribbon snake today.
Date: 2003-07-16
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: mist

The caretaker at the cabin was up at 5:15 and I was his first breakfast customer at 5:40. He served blueberry pancakes and coffee. I opted for some of my own hot chocolate, but had 7 pancakes. I was out the door and back on the trail by 6:21. It started raining around 6:15. I counted 55 red salamanders on the trail between Goose Lake and October Mtn Lean-to (8.8 miles). I also saw an oven bird up close. I averaged 2.5 mph into Dalton MA and stopped at Tom Levardi's at 83 Depot Street (right on the AT). He came out and served me a strawberry sundae and Oreo cookies. He invited me to stay the night on his porch too. I left my pack there and went to the post office, called my wife on a phone, and had lunch at the Dalton Restaurant. Then I went to the library and updated my journal and checked my E-Mail. I plan to go back to Tom's and pick up my pack and finish hiking to the Crystal Mtn campsite to tent for the night. But it's still raining. If it stays nasty, I may take Tom up on his offer of his porch for the night.I did stay at Tom's, but opted to sleep in my tent due to the mosquitoes on Tom's porch.
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Dalton MA

To: Massachusetts Ave, N Adams, MA
Miles today: 23.5

After staying in Dalton and sleeping in Tom's yard, I had a good breakfast at Duff and Dels Variety at 6 AM and then got on the trail by 6:45. I made it to Cheshire in 3 hours and 15 minutes arriving around 10. I got some trail magic from a family at a park. I took their photo. I drank a soda and took some candy and gum. Then I got an ice cream cone at T-Treats before heading out ot climb Mt. Greylock. The lady at T-Treats let me use her phone to call the Village Store to ask them to send my found camera home.The trail up Mt. Greylock from the south is very gentle. The view from the tower on top was great as it was a clear day. The trail on the north side of Greylock was steep. I first heard and then saw gliders overhead and soon I saw a tow plane pulling a glider up to join one that was already riding the thermals.When I walked into N Adams I was surprised. I didn't think I would be in three towns in the same day. I had breakfast in dalton, a snack in Cheshire, and now an AYCE Chinese dinner in N Adams. I got some groceries, called my wife, and then tented on the edge of town along the trail.
Date: 2003-07-18
From: Massachusetts Ave, N Adams, MA

To: Maple Hill
Miles today: 20.4

I started hiking at 7:30 and got to the Vermont border at 9. It started raining so I put on my rain jacket. About 10 minutes later I noticed the mouthpiece of my drinking tube from my Platypus water bottle was missing and my water was dripping out. I put my pack down and started back the trail to try to find it. I found it in the middle of the trail about 10 yards beyond where I put on my jacket. When I pulled my jacket down between my back and the pack, I must have stripped the mouthpiece from the drinking tube.I caught up to Milo and Nuke and took a photo of them since they were getting off the trail today at Bennington VT to visit family and I might not see them again. I saw two garter snakes and a red-bellied water snake at a boggy area and got a photo of a buck deer and a green frog.At the Congdon Shelter I met Gadjet who is doing his last section of the AT and a young couple doing the Vermont Long Trail on their month long honeymoon. They'd been married 6 days today. Gadget offered me a shower, laundry, and dinner plus a ride back to the trail. He and his wife are staying at the Autumn Inn in Bennington. I said, "Yes!".
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Maple Hill

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Vermont reminds me of an enchanted forest: very cool, damp, refreshing on a hot day. Today is sunny! I saw moose tracks and poop today. Spent 2 hours at Goddard Shelter drying out my tent and eating lunch. I tried to clean my water filter, but no success. I'll try again in Manchester Center where I can use a faucet. It may be time to get a new filter.Today I passed the 1600 mile mark. Tomorrow I will pass the 3/4 mark, then I'll only have 540 miles to go. I'm getting to where I just want to get done, but the possibilities of seeing moose have gotten me interested in hiking some more. The view from the old fire tower near Goddard Shelter were great. A fellow hiker that lives in NH near N Woodstock invited me to stay at his home when I pass through Kinsman Notch. He offered me a shower, laundry, tenting on his lawn, and a ride back to the trail. I arrived at Story Spring Shelter and tented at 3:20 PM.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Manchester Center VT
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: few clouds

I started hiking at 5:55 and made it to the top of Stratton Mtn. by 8:40 (7.4 miles). I dried out my tent on the fire tower and climbed the tower to take photos of Somerset Reservoir, Stratton Pond, Mt Snow and Mt Bromley ski slopes, and Mt. Washington, 150 air miles away. It was an exceptionally clear day. I headed down the mountain to Stratton Pond and then through the Green Wilderness to William B. Douglas Shelter. Just beyond the shelter I passed the 3/4 point of the AT. I'm beginning to see the end of my journey. I arrived at the VT 11/30 highway at 1:56 after a 21.1 mile day. I caught a ride from a woman who was going to Rutland to buy a new washing machine. She said she drew straws twice with her husband and lost. She was from Montana and missed the wide open spaces of the west. I plan to tent in town tonight and pick up my mail drop tomorrow.
Date: 2003-07-21
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Old Woods Road
Miles today: 21.0

I tented last night at the Rod & Gun Club in town after seeing the Pirates of the Carribean movie and eating dinner at the Pizza place next door and again later at Friendly's. I left town after picking up my mail drop at the Post Office. Liz sent me my Palm, keyboard, and modem along with some food and snacks. Of course, I ate one final meal at McDonalds after breakfast at Friendly's and finally got my water filter cleaned and working again. The weather forecast called for rain starting at noon today and lasting through Thursday evening...four days! So I was anxious to get going before it started so I could make camp before it really rained hard.I started thumbing for a ride around 11:30...no one stopped. Then a Subaru drove by and I recognized Clover, another thru-hiker. As they were stopped at a red light, she asked me if I was going to stay in town. I said, "No, I'm trying to get a ride back to the trail". The light turned green and they drove away, but then turned off the road. Clover jumped out and motioned for me to come and get in. I had my ride and started hiking on the trail at 11:48.I made good time up Bromley Mtn. doing the 2.8 miles uphill in one hour flat. I checked out the ski patrol warming hut and noticed that the "Run Around" ski run follows the AT for the first 0.3 miles. So if you're ever skiing at Bromley and do that run, you have actually skied 0.3 miles of the AT. I continued on since it was overcast and rain looked imminent. I passed Peru Peak and its shelter where Comatose, another thru-hiker said, "Hi". I saw him at breakfast in Friendly's this morning. A little further down the trail I flushed three ruffed grouse. Next I passed the Griffith Lake Tenting area and thought about tenting there before the rain started. But I didn't want to pay $6 to tent and I wanted to do a few more miles today. So I pressed on up over Baker Peak. Going up the exposed rocks, it started to lightning in the distance and was getting very dark. I just made it over the top and into the woods when the rain started around 4:45 PM. I kept walking past 5 shelters which were either full or were fee shelters. Finally, at 8:20 PM, almost dark, during a let-up in the rain, I pitched my tent on a snowmobile trail 1.5 miles past the Little Rock Pond Shelter. Just after I got into my tent, it poured hard all night. I ate my grinder I bought at the grocery store and fell asleep...21 miles today. Oh, I fell twice today and have sprains and bruises to prove it.
Date: 2003-07-22
From: Old Woods Road

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

It was still raining in the morning so I slept until about 8 when it let up a little. I wiped the condensation from the inside of the tent, shook off the outside, and picked all the slugs off the tent and the Tyvek ground cloth. After packing everything up, I was on the trail by 9 AM. I climbed White Rocks Mtn., but had no view as everything was socked in. I was in a cloud. But when I got to Bear Mtn., I had a view of the edge of the Rutland Airport so I took a few photos. The descent to VT 103 was trecherous and steep. Due to yesterdays rain, the roots and rocks were slippery. I fell two times. The second fall was a great one. My head went flying past where my foot was a second ago and I landed way below that spot right on my wonderfully padded pack. The two bananas I still had in the outside pocket didn't fare too well. They were both badly bruised...more than my ego.I ran into a local guy at the parking area who drove me a half mile to the Whistle Stop restaurant. He told me the weather forecast had been updated, that the main storm had passed last night leaving areas near Rutland without power for several hours, and there was a 30% chance of rain tonight and 70% tomorrow with just localized thunderstorms expected.I indulged myself in the diner with a roast pork dinner and a milkshake. The waitress told me I could only use a credit card if my total was $15 or more. I needed to get another $2 of something. I said, "I'd like a banana split". She said they were out of bananas. I thought about offering my two bruised, black ones. Perhaps they could salvage one good banana from them. But after looking at them closely, I threw them in the garbage can. She checked with the owner and they decided my $13.50 tab was close enough. They were very hiker friendly letting me dry my tent and get water from a spigot out back.I walked another mile to call the Stephens, friends of the Kennistons, who are going to pick me up tomorrow near Sherborne Pass and let me spend the night in their home in Rutland. With all the rain, it will be a welcome break from the trail. I then hiked back to the Whistle Stop, got an ice cream cone, and hiked another 6.8 miles to the Governor Clement Shelter where I tented for the night after another dinner which I cooked myself.
Date: 2003-07-23
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: US 4, Rutland, VT
Miles today: 10.6

I woke up at 4:15 and noticing it was not raining, fell back to sleep only to be awakened by rain at 5:07. I got up and packed everything up in the rain and got on the trail by 5:55. The climb up Killington Mtn was very difficult due to the roots, rocks, and steep terrain. I made a little less than 2 MPH to the Cooper Lodge. Since I had told the Stephens that I would meet them at Rt 4 at 10:30, I was beginning to doubt whether or not I would make it on time. After picking up the pace as it continued to rain very hard, I made good time and arrived at Rt 4 at 10:20. I talked to another thru-hiker, HomeRun, who was looking for a motel to dry out and eventually planned to take the bus to Rutland to get supplies. By 10:40 I realized that the Stephens were not familiar with the AT and would probably be waiting for me at Sherborne Pass. The Thru-Hiker Handbook does not say where the pass is, but merely says the trail comes out on Rt 4 near the pass. I guessed the pass was up at the top of the hill, so I started hiking uphill arriving at the top where Mr. Stephens was waiting in his red pickup around 10:54. Soaking wet and muddy, he still let me get into his pickup and drove me to his home where I got a shower, did my laundry, and dried out my gear while they served me lunch. He drove me to the downtown area where I took my 17 rolls of film to the CVS pharmacy where they said they would put them onto Cd-Roms. I then got a haircut which was badly needed. If I get my photos back in time, I plan to put them on this website tonight and start hiking again tomorrow. If I get them too late, I'll do it tomorrow and take a zero day with the Stephens. The sun has come out a little this afternoon. Things are looking good.
Date: 2003-07-24
From: Hanover NH

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

I tried to upload my AT photos to trailjournals today, but the CVS store scanned them to CD-Rom at a high resolution which is not accepted at trailjournals due to the high memory requirements and long loading times. So I will have to waiit until I finish my hike and get home to add the final photos.I enjoyed my stay with the Stephens in Rutland. Lauston gave me a ride back to the trail near Sherbourne Pass and I started hiking at 11:30. A map at the trailhead shows the AT was re-routed recently. It used to cross Route 4 at Sherbourne Pass but now is about 2 miles longer and the old trail is called the Sherbourne Pass trail. I soon came to Gifford Woods State Park where you can pay $28 to stay in one of their lean-to type shelters. After that I passed Kent Pond where the restaurant has a $5.50 hiker special lunch which they serve all day. I didn't stop. I was hoping to make Stony Brook Shelter by 4 PM where I planned to wait out any thunderstorms that were threatening. By 3:30 it was obvious that rain was imminent. It was thundering nearby. I picked up my pace and arrived at Stony Brook Shelter at 3:50. It was a nice shelter and no one else was there. I was tired so I put my pack inside, swept it out, and sat down to rest. It stated to rain hard almost immediately and! I began to think that this wouldn't be a bad place to spend the night. I could easily make up the ten miles I had planned to do this evening during the next two days. I thought, "Could this be my first ever night alone in a shelter"? It was, but only for about an hour. Altogether 8 more hikers came in: four tented; four shared the shelter with me. I did exactly 10 miles today.
Date: 2003-07-25
From: Hanover NH

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I left the Stony Brook Shelter at 5:45 after waking up at 5:17. The mosquitoes weren't bad at all last night. Not having to pack up a tent does save a little time in the morning. I listened to my mini AM/FM radio that Liz gave me for Christmas last year to use on my AT hike. I declined to carry it most of the way thinking it an unnecessary luxury. But then I saw other hikers using them to listen to public radio and get the latest weather reports. It was great! I did get public radio and the weather which will help me plan my daily hikes better to avoid drenchings. Plus I enjoy listening to light rock and Christian music at times and I even got to tune in to "Delihla" last night before I fell asleep at 9. Today I listened to the radio as I hiked for the first couple of hours. I tried to hitchhike into Woodstock at VT hwy 12, but after 15 minutes I decided to walk another 1.5 miles to Woodstock Stage Road and walk 1 mile on the road to the Teago General Store in Pomfret, VT. There's a ski area here called Suicide Six. The store has a post office and liquor store inside it. I got a turkey grinder and a Snapple mint tea. Then I bought a half gallon of Mint Cookie ice cream since it was only 60 cents more than a pint of Ben & Jerry's. This will be my half gallon challange at the 3/4 point on the trail. I'll have to do this again at the end. If I make it back to the trail and do another 6 miles I will be at the Thistle Hill Shelter and will have done 21.5 miles today. That will leave me 14.6 miles into Hanover NH tomorrow which is just a half mile over the NH border. I plan to re-supply and eat several meals there before moving on.
Date: 2003-07-26
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

I did camp at Thistle Hill Shelter after doing 21.5 miles yesterday. My tent had no condensation this morning when I woke up. I was on the trail by 6:15. I hiked into West Hartford and had to go into the store to ask where the AT went. It is poorly marked in Vermont. I spent over 20 minutes yesterday trying to find the next trail marker. I saved some time today by asking first. The trail also goes on paved roads more in Vermont than any other state it seems. I listened to public radio again for about 2 hours this morning. I especially liked "Car Talk". Those guys are funny.I made it into Norwich VT around 11:30 and then I crossed the Connecticut River around noon into New Hampshire and walked into Hanover around 12:15. The first thing I did was find a frat house to get a shower and leave my pack. I chose Alpha Theta which was the best choice. The president of the house thru-hiked the AT last year. He only allows 4 hikers per day so there are no all night parties and he has strict rules. I wanted to stay in town tonight because it's supposed to rain tonight and be clear tomorrow morning.
Date: 2003-07-27
From: Hanover NH

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Got breeakfast at EBA's at 7 , checked out airline tickets at the library, and got back on the trail at 9:30. Shortly after leaving town and getting into the woods I saw a garter snake. Near Goose Pond I saw two more garter snakes and just before I got to Trapper John Shelter I flushed a covey of 5 ruffed grouse. I heard the perregrine falcons at Holts Ledge, but did not see them. I arrived at Trapper John Shelter at 4:30 and set up my tent after a 16.7 mile day.
Date: 2003-07-28
From: Frankonia Notch

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 19.3

It rained very hard last night starting at 9:30. The noise of the raindrops on my tent put me right to sleep. It only rained for about 15 minutes yesterday morning, but it was enough to make the trail wet and trecherous. I slipped and fell one time which reminded me to slow down and be careful. The rain last night made for wet and slick trails again today. But today was cool and windy with no rain. I got started at 6:20 and went th 2.9 miles to the first road in an hour. Then the first of many steep climbs began. I saw a red-tailed hawk, a ruffed grouse, and a garter snake toda;y, but as I was listening to my radio at 11 AM I was startled by a roar that sounded more like a tiger or lion.But then I noticed this big, black object out of the corner of my eye coming towards me fast. It was a big bear and she was only 10 yards away. While my brain was still sorting this out, a little cub who was almost on the trail in front of me, ran past its mother and climbed up a tree on the other side of its mother and me. Now I knew what was going on. The mother bear stopped charging me but still was on her hind legs, clawing the air, and roaring at me with an evil look in her eye. I pulled my camera out and was beginning to zoom the lens for a photo, but changed my mind when MaMa bear started towards me again. She was not in the mood for a photo session. I carefully put my camera away and continued walking down the trail away from the angry MaMa and her frightened cub. I have had black bears bluff charge me before several times. They huff and pop their teeth, get up on their hind legs and look ferocious, but this one showed none of those characteristics. She had one thin! g in mind: protecting her cub. And I was a definite threat. She meant business. I thought of that verse in Proverbs about the fearceness of a MaMa bear robbed of her cubs and decided not to mess with this one. This is the 7th bear sighting and a total of eleven bears that I've seen on my thru-hike.I climbed a total of about 3400 feet today and got some fine views from the firetower on Smarts Mtn. I stopped for a half hour to dry out my tent at Eastman Ledges. I made it to Ore Hill Shelter where I tented at 3:45...a 19.3 mile day.
Date: 2003-07-29
From: Ore Hill Shelter

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: scattered clouds

It looks like a clear, sunny day. I started hiking at 6 AM. I made the 9.1 milesor so to the base of Mt Moosilauke around 10. It took me 2 hours and 6 minutesto do the 3.9 miles up the mountain and 2 hours to come down theother side. It was the steepest and most trecherous descent I've seen on the AT.The views from the top above treeline were great. It was a clear day. I alsotook some photos of the trail, waterfalls, and scenery. I got a ride from someother thru-hikers and got into N Woodstock around 3:15. My main objective now isto eat and get groceries for the White Mountains. I'm staying at the CascadeLodge who will give me a shuttle to Kinsman Notch tomorrow and pick me up atFrankonian Notch. So I plan to slack pack that section of the trail...about 16.3miles and stay another night in town. I did 16.9 miles today.
Date: 2003-07-30
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Frankonia Notch
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I got a good night's sleep at Cascade Lodge. The garbage truck was loading dumpsters beneath my window at 4:15 AM, but it was so good to sleep on a mattress with no bugs. I got a good breakfast at Peg's and a shuttl to the trail at Kinsmans Notch by the owner. I was hiking by 8:20. I got to the Ezra Brook Shelter by noon and took a half hour lunch break. Then more uphill climbing which wasn't as bad as yesterday because I was only carrying water and food in my pack for the day. What a diffrence a light pack makes. This is the only time I have slack packed other than the first 0.9 mile of the trail at Springer Mtn. GA. I should do it more often. I hiked down the other side of Kinsman Peak with a family from Cleveland. I saw a ruffed grouse that acted as if she had chicks. I went into the thick hemlocks to try and see them, but I flushed more grouse and could only hear the mother grouse clucking nearby. I found some hidden springs where the grouse were. They had all their nee! ds met in one spot. They could get water without leaving the security of their thicket.I saw my first AMC hut today, the Lonesome Lake Hut where you could buy brownies and hot drinks. It was pretty fancy. I passed a group of young poeple working on the trail on my way down to Frankonia Notch. I arrived at the highway (I-93) at 4:30...a 16.3 mile day which I hiked in 8 hours and 10 minutes including my lunch break. I then had to walk another mile to "The Flume" to call for a ride back to town. I hitched with the same thru-hikers that gave me a ride yesterday instead. They said they were over-budget on their hike also because of all the wet weather, but were staying in a motle anyway. Me too!