morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-12
From: Pinnacle Lodge Hostel (AirBnB)

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

10.1 miles2776 ft up2012 ft down Left the hostel around noon after some chat and waiting out the rain showers. The owner told me of a shortcut back to the trail via a snowmobile route. Go up, take a left at the fork, then take a right at the next fork, then when you come to the two bridges, the one of the right is the AT. All well and good but I took a wrong fork into what apparently wasn¢t a trail. Got in too deep to back out and ended up bushwhacking my way back to the AT, stepping in plenty of that famous Vermont mud. I also managed to step in some sort of tree stump or deep hole of some kind... my left leg fell into mud up to my knee, and I immediately recoiled and pulled it out.Eventually found the AT again, which was such an obvious well-worn trail. Thankful for how maintained it is... way better than bushwhacking obviously.While going uphill on one of the climbs I heard some noise in the bushes on the left, and the sound of some big twigs cracking as loud as bottle caps. I stopped but couldn¢t see a thing. A man and his dog behind me stopped way back as well, and I never saw them again... hopefully they simply turned back. But I had to keep going forward towards the shelter, banging my sticks together judiciously more than usual to alert bears of my presence.Peru Peak shelter was an old CCC built shelter right next to a roaring stream with a bridge over it. You could definitely smell that old oily tar smell that old bridges have.At the shelter was just one other hiker, a southbound Long Trail hiker named Old School, because he was using an old style framed backpack. He said he had hiked the AT in 1980, almost 40 years ago now...He ended up being super chatty and nosy, looking at every single thing I was doing and asking about gear and all sorts of things. I guess he was looking to get ideas for gear purchases. He was even commenting when I slipped my hands into my food bag to grab a mint. Just too much, man...I setup my tent on the tent bed, and a trail maintainer came by in the evening to collect the $5 fee needed at a few select sites here in Vermont. I received a little card that I could show at the next place to waive the fee, should I choose to stay there.Had a very good sleep with the stream acting as a white noise generator.
Date: 2019-07-13
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Green Wall Shelter
Miles today: 14.5

14.5 miles2010 ft up2504 ft down Not a lot of notes from today. Saw a tiny garter snake on the trail. No other interesting wildlife encounters for today.I broke up the day pretty well with some nice breaks that kept me going forward.Made it though some weird rock piles that I honestly don¢t really like. These manmade cairns end up cluttering the landscape. They are not natural. I didn¢t want to take a photo there. But there was someone posing for their boyfriend in front of the rocks of course... guess that¢s going on Instagram.Another thru hiker passed me up, but he stopped for water and I passed him up. We were all getting close to the shelter, so I guess I was worried about not getting a tent spot.. I picked up my pace and stayed ahead of all three. They arrived maybe just 60 seconds after I got to camp, all three in a row. Here comes the cavalry! It was crowded but we all found spots luckily.There were a few fireworks shows around 9pm, no idea where or why. Fourth of July was more than a week back, right?Pretty sure I heard some animals walking around at night. Heard something that sounded like a dog growling, but I don¢t think any hikers had dogs that night. In the morning sometime I heard what sounded like a woman going berserk for a few seconds, yelling incoherently. Maybe someone¢s bad dream...
Date: 2019-07-14
From: Green Wall Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

8.8 miles2162 ft up3008 ft downLast night I heard some probable animal noises, some growling, and a random scream that sounded like a woman, but was maybe some coyote? Or maybe just a hiker waking from a bad dream?? Got a little rain overnight but it was pretty dry by morning. I overheard someone in the morning complaining about the steep hike to get the almost-dried-up water source. When I left in the morning I was surprisingly not the last one out - the mother-daughter hikers (Madre and ??) we¢re still setup.I knew this was going to be a tough day with some pretty steep altitude gains, and the shelter I was shooting for about 15 miles away was a pretty lofty goal. It would have gotten me part way up Mt Killington to around 2k feet.Initially I was aiming for lunch at a deli, but I realized it was closed. Found another place also about a 20 minute walk - a breakfast and lunch spot at Rutland airport. But while hiking closer and closer I decided it would be better to keep working through the food in my still heavy food bag, so I arrived at Minerva Hinchey Shelter to cook up a meal. Some time later 4 more hikers showed up, including the mother-daughter duo. There was a quick rain shower that came through later.Took a quick nap there - I think skipping a cooked breakfast was my downfall today.The descent down to VT 103 was pretty steep. This is the type of trail with large boulders and roots that I especially hate in the rain. It was thankfully very dry. And as always the descent seemed so close, and the noises from the highway deceivingly nearby.Crossed over the road and there was a pretty serious steep rocky climb up. Unfortunately damp and wet, but with a lot of good footholds. A lot of this has become a game of trying to find the ideal footholds and foot placement, which is especially critical on downhills (errors there lead to falls...).Got to Clarendon Shelter and called it quits there, 6 miles short of my target shelter. Felt it would be better to get plenty of rest before tomorrow.I kind of passed out on a tent site under the trees for a bit, and the other folks at the shelter were a bit dismayed that they had a weird guy here to deal with.Wonderful strong and icy cold stream goes right by the campsite. There are a ton of folks here tonight around the fire - definitely a bubble of sorts. Mostly younger folks who somehow have energy to socialize after their days which were probably more grueling and longer than mine. I just want to sleep. An Australian guy is chopping up wood right by my tent, dammit. I just want to sleep.A mix of Appalachian Trail and Long Trail folks. Hope it thins out more in a few days after the two trails diverge.
Date: 2019-07-15
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

10.4 miles3556 ft up874 ft down Big climb today up Killington. Left before 8am well-rested. It was a good idea to turn in so early the previous day. The white noise of the nearby stream also worked wonders.Lots of steady uphill - it kept going and going. Nearer to the top, the trail got a lot rougher for some reason. Lots of roots and mud and such, and parts of the trail that were just barely there in the mountainside.Made it up to the shelter finally. I was pushing myself because I thought the grill at the resort at the top closed at 2pm (they actually closed at 3pm). Still had enough time, so I ascended the last 0.2 miles with my pack on. Wow!! What a vertical climb straight up. Lots of nice footholds though, which was good. Only once did I have to put my poles to the side a bit and lift myself up with my hands.Made it to the top and saw a bunch of day tourists lounging around on the rocks enjoying the view. I asked one family if they had a lodge up here with food, and they said something like ¢nah there¢s nothing like that around here.¢ I told them as nice as I could that they were wrong, but I was starting to doubt myself... finally found it by the gondola lift. Prices were super steep, $19 for a burger... I also got a few beers and a fountain drink which I refilled 3 or 4 times for good measure. Enjoyed my afternoon up there and started to head back when they were closing the gondola. Walked back across the rock and had it to myself!Then the journey directly down... it was scarier this time because you could see just how far you could drop. But I took it slow and made it.As expected the shelter was super busy and the tent pads were already taken, so I found some other place to setup my tent and climbed in. Soon some other folks arrived and setup right next to me, since that was the only room available I guess. Didn¢t mind it so much except one guy lit up some marijuana right there... very briefly thankfully.
Date: 2019-07-16
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 6.3

6.3 miles452 ft up2465 ft down Easy day descending the mountain and then resting. When I got to the trailhead, a fellow hiker offered me a ride to the Inn At The Long Trail, where I wanted to have lunch at least. Ended up enjoying the Irish restaurant and checked it. Very reasonable rate, less than $70 for a basic room.Needed to wait around for a bit for a package to arrive (I mistimed it), so I figured I would just have dinner later and then call it a night, then head into Rutland tomorrow and book a hotel there (also affordable rates).
Date: 2019-07-17
From: Inn at Long Trail

To: Quality Inn Rutland
Miles today: 0.0

Lazy day today - took the bus into town and had some iced coffee at Ruff Life coffee. Read my book a bit (The Screwtape Letters). Then ate at the Yellow Deli. They also run a hostel and have a very iffy reputation for being a cult of sorts. I could tell they were a bit unusual, but they were nice to me, and the food was good.Went shopping at Walmart, where it seemed everyone was unreasonably angry and pissed off. Not a fun place.Walked my bags to Comfort Inn, just over a mile away in a rougher part of town, as usual with hardly any other pedestrians and lanes of traffic blazing past right next to me.Hotel was decent! Vegged out the rest of the day.
Date: 2019-07-18
From: Quality Inn Rutland

To: Gifford Woods State Park
Miles today: 3.2

3.2 miles610 ft up868 ft downChecked out at noon and headed to Vermont Tap House. Had an ok wood fired pizza and a great selection of beers. I tried a flight of 4, 3 of them Vermont beers. Caught the bus back to Killington and went to the post office to pickup and drop off stuff. Finished the book I was reading, so I mailed that and another one to mom via slow media mail. Also grabbed some layers from the box I mail to myself - I suspect I will need those soon as I get to the White Mountains.Got a few snacks and lounged around the Deli way too long. Eventually took the bus to Pico Mountain Resort (pronounced ¢pie-co¢) and walked from there back to the trail, just a short distance through the woods to Gifford State Park, a place mostly for car campers, but they did have discounted rates for thru hikers. Just $6 and access to bathrooms, showers, and water taps all over the place.Got a ¢small¢ campsite all to myself - campsite C. Had my own picnic table to myself and was happy - or so I thought. Here was another place where I knew there were folks with their families and here I was along in this world again... got a bit sad but what can you do.Had an ok sleep... but the sound of the traffic on VT 100 was kind of crazy. Lots of motorcycles...
Date: 2019-07-19
From: Gifford Woods State Park

To: Stony Brook Stealth Site 1713.6
Miles today: 7.5

7.5 miles 1954 ft up2174 ft downWalked down to the Deli again in the morning and grabbed a breakfast sandwich and a deli sandwich to go. Also passed by an outfitter and bought fuel and pickle juice (it¢s supposed to help with muscle cramps). They also let me borrow their pliers so I could fit on new tips to my trekking poles. Success!Walked back to the AT and had a bit of a rough day for some reason - I think because my pack just weighs so much after my resupply. Seemed like way more uphill climbs than I expected.Thundering Falls was a nice unexpected roadside attraction, and just north of it at River Road there was trail magic put on by two guys, one who thru hiked in 2013. They gave me a Gatorade and offered me snacks and a hotdog, but I was happy just with the Gatorade! And boy did I need it for the climb up the mountain... got quite soaked with sweat and had to take a few breaks. What a challenge with a full pack especially!Got to some power lines in a clearing and tried to setup for lunch, but the sun was shining down too hard. Found a rock just south in the shade, still with a nice breeze, and enjoyed my deli sandwich and some Chex mix.Finally made it to Stony Brook Shelter, where there has been lots of bear activity. I was feeling pretty spent and starting to get a bit of a headache, I think due to the heat. Would have stayed there, but Guthook and the physical logbook all mentioned a problem bear that kept coming by, unafraid of humans. Decided to keep going a bit north and stealth camp by Stony Brook itself. I know there are bears in the area, so I found a branch pretty high up to hang my food from. Hoping my tent isn¢t bothered tonight...
Date: 2019-07-20
From: Stony Brook Stealth Site 1713.6

To: Trail Angel DanÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Lawn (VT 12)
Miles today: 13.1

13.1 miles2984 ft up3478 ft downWas undisturbed by bears all night, and had a great night sleep due to the proximity to the stream. I think I was technically camped way too close to the water. But there was clearly a flattened area there and a great high branch to hang my food from, so it worked out great.Another hot day. Hiked on to The Lookout, which was a privately owned place open to hikers. I had a nice lunch break there, the sweat from my back making a nice wet imprint on the wood wall. This was a really big place with a great view - the catch was that the best view was from on top of the roof, where a little crow¢s nest was affixed, accessible via a very long wooden ladder. Managed to conquer my fear of heights briefly to get up - and once up I took a seat on a bench, which made me feel a little safer and less wobbly. Still scary - I got video and then went back down very slowly. Didn¢t off myself! Success!Stopped in at Winturri Shelter for water and a break, but the mosquitos and flies were overwhelming...Hiked to Ascutney View, which is the 700 mile mark for folks like me out of Harper¢s Ferry... Got a pretty bad selfie to commemorate the occasion, but the lens was so fogged up due to humidity, and every time I tried to clean the lens with my dirty shirt it just made it worse. Getting too dirty...Up ahead there were some pretty thick bushes, almost like I was bushwhacking. I could see the road ahead and was relieved that the end of the day was in sight. But of course the road arrived later than I thought it would. The trail seemed to tease me and meander perpendicular to the road which was clearly ahead. Grr!On The Edge farm store was awesome... I loaded up on snacks and drinks and was so happy to end the day there in a really gluttonous way. I laid down on their bench a bit, recovering from another sweaty day...Just next door was Trail Angel Dan¢s place, but he wasn¢t home. I slipped a tip under his door and setup camp by the river he had out back. Wonderful!I resisted putting the rain fly on, but some thunder in the distance meant rain might be on the way. So I put it on and climbed inside. The air was still and very hot still, and it was unfortunately not a comfortable evening or night.
Date: 2019-07-21
From: Trail Angel DanÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Lawn (VT 12)

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: broken clouds

8.5 miles2949 ft up2006 ft down Woke up and Dan still wasn¢t home. Didn¢t sleep well at all - it was quite hot and humid all night. One of those nights like in Indonesia where it was just hard to breathe. It cooled down a little very late at night, but still kept so hot. I really should have used the outdoor shower at Dan¢s but I was too self-conscious, with cars speeding by right there.Got to Stage Road and did a road walk just short of a mile to a general store which had goodies and cooked up a breakfast sandwich for me. I even had a Killington beer for breakfast... Headed across the street to the library, but it was closed. I hung out a bit anyway, using some nearby Wifi.It was gonna be another hot day, so I had a lot of Gatorade again...Kept walking north and found some random hoses near the trail, strung up around the trees. I thought it was some trash someone left behind... there was even one going across the trail as a trip hazard. Saw more of these strewn up in the mountains around here before I realized these were active maple syrup taps!Made it to Pomfret Road and saw an igloo in the water. There were some Adirondack orange sodas and root beers in there! I grabbed an orange soda and enjoyed it pretty quick.Down the road a bit was even more trail magic - The Back Porch was a hangout at the house of some former thru hikers that were starting their young family. I enjoyed some Gatorades and ice pops and left the suggested money for each.Made it to Cloudland Road, where there was yet another farm I would have gone to on this hot day, but it was closed Sundays.
Date: 2019-07-22
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

8.8 miles2084 ft up2421 ft down Had a very late morning and left just as rain was starting up. For the most part it was a pleasant rain, not too hard. The trees absorbed most of it, and a few drops fell occasionally below that canopy and onto me.While walking I heard a great big crack in the tree ahead and I stopped. I thought maybe some animal was climbing up there, but it was just a branch falling off. It was maybe 15 feet ahead, and it fell onto the trail. If I had been moving any faster it would have fallen right on me... Reminded me of a falling branch a few days back that fell behind me about 100 feet back.Got into West Hartford and saw a blue barn up ahead with the AT symbol on it, with a group of folks having a fire on the porch. I walked across the bridge and was heading the opposite way, but the lady on the porch called out to me a few times and beckoned me it. It was Linda Hart and the Hart family - a trail magic spot for apparently decades. I got some coffee, a soda, and a slice of watermelon - and was sure to leave a tip. There were other hikers there as well, and we were all thankful for the reprieve from the rain.Turns out that hikers were free to tent or stay in the barn, and it was tempting but I wanted to get closer to Hanover, so I headed to the next shelter.Made it to Happy Hill Shelter and saw Detour again (she was at the trail magic house as well), an older lady who was staying in the shelter there.I setup my tent in a gap between the rain - perfect timing. Found a great branch to hang my bear bear from, then cooked up dinner right in front of my tent.Everything on me was pretty wet and smelly. The days of horrible heat mixed with the rain made for a weird concoction that made me smell like some sort of doughy stuff, like pizza dough or something. I really regretted not doing laundry at my last stop... I now desperately needed it.A stream ran right behind the shelter but it was strangely just a trickle and stagnant pools. The next morning it was more substantial luckily, after a whole night of rain.
Date: 2019-07-23
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover
Miles today: 5.8

5.8 miles510 ft up1391 ft down Packed up my wet tent and knew I needed to air it out later that day...Wandered just a few miles downhill and was soon in Norwich. Found a coffee shop inside an old building with a bunch of shared space. I entered through a Yarn store and the lady there was clearly shocked to see my dirty shirt - a story told entirely by her eyes and expression - kind of funny - I just told her I was a hiker and I apologize for my appearance. But she was nice enough to direct me to the coffee shop. Populated by a lot of housewives, since it was right in the middle of the week...Visited the bookstore next door and picked up a book on midlife crises which had been on my wish list for a while. Felt a bit silly walking around town with that, but whatever.Walked towards the bridge and was ushered towards even more trail magic: some folks from Maine came down to anticipate their son¢s arrival in the area, and they brought over their whole food truck setup. They were grilling up some burgers that smelled great, but I just accepted a soda from them. I wanted to get a proper lunch in town!Crossed over the bridge which marked the state boundary - with ¢VT / NH¢ carved into the concrete to make it official (and another photo op). Finally walked into Hanover!This city is a college town, home to the elite Dartmouth University. It¢s somewhat funny to see the stereotypical fratboys straight out of any 80¢s college movie - dress shirt, shorts, and an overconfident swagger. But here¢s me mostly judging based on appearances. And some folks did the same back - I got one weird stare while looking to cross the street. But there were plenty of other hikers about, so I¢m not sure what that was all about.Had some ramen and tempura at a Japanese/Korean place run by Korean folks, then checked out the bookstore. Interesting store with a lot of vintage stuff, nothing tempting to buy, and besides I already had a brand new book to read...Went by the Post Office to pickup my package, which arrived safely this time...Stocked up at CVS with snacks and dinner, then caught the free bus to Sunset Motel.
Date: 2019-07-24
From: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover

To: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Sunset Motor Inn was comfortable at a comfortable price, so I paid for another night and then was happy to leave my pack behind for a while to wander town again. Relaxed at the pub a long time - had a great local IPA and a big bacon burger with onion rings. A big girl hiking group came in. Also saw plenty of hikers pass by. Must be peak hiking season here!Walked to the Co Op to pickup some expensive resupply stuff. Bought a coffee there to enjoy for a while, but I found out the last free bus of the day was leaving sooner than I thought, so I made my way back to the motel.
Date: 2019-07-25
From: Sunset Motor Inn Hanover

To: Stealth Campsite 1750.7
Miles today: 0.9
Weather: few clouds

0.9 miles66 ft up22 ft downDefinitely got stuck in the ¢vortex¢ of Hanover. Procrastinated the whole day, and spent too much time at the Co Op grocery store. Finally left in the evening and setup maybe a half mile from there, behind the sports fields. Saw some other tents setup right where the trail went back into the wilderness, but I am asocial of course, so I hiked just a bit further to get out of earshot and eyesight of them. Setup in a somewhat wild spot, hung my bag, and called it a night. Lots of bugs as usual, so I was happy to escape to the tent... and I could hear the mosquitos buzzing all around it trying to get in...Tomorrow there would be more progress on getting away from the vortex...
Date: 2019-07-26
From: Stealth Campsite 1750.7

To: Moose Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.1

10.1 miles2861 ft up1341 ft downPacked up and headed north as usual. Some steep areas around Velvet Rocks, where someone setup a thick rope for folks to climb up. Made it to Etna Road and walked about a mile down the road to the town¢s General Store. It was going to be another hot day, so I made sure to drink a lot... buying. Gatorade or two has become a big habit lately.Today apparently marks 1/3 of the trail completed for me... but it came and went without fanfare.Made it to Moose Mountain Shelter and found the whole place was taken over by a big trail family or something. No worries, as I have been setting up my tent lately anyhow. The group was pretty loud and immature, but I guess they were enjoying themselves... I marveled at how much energy these folks had, especially since they had probably hiked farther than me that day...