morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-18
From: NY 52

To: NY 22
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up at 6 am this morning because it was going to rain soon and I wanted to pack up my tent while it was still dry. Also because the Mountaintop Market Deli opened at 6 am. I had a sausage and egg sandwich with saut©ed onions and a quart of whole milk. No sooner had we started hiking at 7:15 then it started to downpour, but only for an hour and it cleared up for the rest of the day. We were looking forward to the parked school bus which is really a hot dog stand at NY 55, but it wasn't there. Fortunately, there was great trail magic 0.3 miles earlier in two coolers full of sodas and snacks. Then we hiked past Nuclear Lake, which is so named because of a radioactive spill that occurred in the 1950's. It is now a pristine lake and I saw three hikers taking a swim even though swimming there is prohibited. We didn't get a chance to tell them that they probably won't have kids as a result. The next highlight was the Dover Oak on County Road 20. It is the largest oak tree on the AT with a girth of over 20 feet and estimated to be over 300 years old. We spent about 30 minutes there talking with people who gave us some energy bars. We reached our intended destination, Native Landscapes and Garden Center on NY 22, at 3:30 pm. The owner for years has allowed hikers to camp on his property, but we have the distinction of being the very last hikers to avail of that hospitality. The owner told me of the incident last night where the hikers were out of control and the police had to be called. That was the last straw for him as there have been too many hikers that have abused his hospitality, even though they are a small minority of hikers overall. There are just some people who have no respect for others and they spoil it for everyone. This is why the Jailhouse Hostel in Palmerton, PA permanently closed this year, and why the Beer Stein Restaurant in Wind Gap, PA no longer allows hikers to camp on their property. Dinner tonight was from Tony's Deli down the road. Hugh and delicous. 740 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-19
From: NY 22

To: Mt Algo Shelter 
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

The campsite at Native Landscapes and Garden Center was terrible. It's in a wedge shaped corner of the property. I was 15 feet from NY 22 on one side and 30 feet from the railroad track on the other side. This track serves only commuter trains and Amtrak. Although each train is only three to eight cars in length, the trains speed by at 60 mph or faster. The first train that came through after I'd gotten in my tent, it was so loud I thought I was going to get run over. In the morning I made the run to Tony's Deli 0.6 miles away. I got a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, pastry and quart of milk for breakfast, and an Italian Combo on a roll for lunch. This is an excellent deli with large and delicous sandwiches. Today's hike contained three 500 to 600 foot climbs and two steep climbs at the end of the day that were rocky and tough. Along the way I left New York and entered Connecticut, the tenth state of this thru-hike. Unfortunately there does not appear to be any delis along the way in Connecticut. I also passed the 2/3 point of the AT. 722 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-20
From: Mt Algo Shelter 

To: West Cornwall Road 
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: few clouds

Yesterday was the first day of my thru-hike that the temperature on the trail was above 90 degrees F. Today was another. My clothes were soaking wet with sweat. I woke up this morning and my clothes smelled like ammonia. Today was another tough day with the high temperatures and humidity. Lots of steep and rocky ups and downs. The St. Johns Ledges were very steep stone steps that descended to the Housatonic River. Then there was a four mile flat walk along the Housatonic River where the mosquitoes were so dense I had to put the head net on. Over the past few weeks I've seen several ribbon snakes. Today I saw two big ones, 24 to 30 inches long. (See pic) After a 700 foot ascent, the trail descended to CT 4, which lead to the village of Cornwall Bridge with a market that has hot meals. On the way down I passed a pretty young woman that was adjusting her pack. I continued on to CT 4 to wait for Uncle D to go to lunch in Cornwall Bridge. The pretty young woman came down first and I talked with her while waiting for Uncle D. She is quitting a two week section hike after one week because her 50 pound backpack was too heavy (she had a 15 degree sleeping bag in the middle of summer) and had blisters. She was going to Cornwall Bridge to begin her journey back home to Wisconsin. Uncle D came down and the three of us decided to hitch the one mile to Cornwall Bridge. With a pretty young woman in our company, we had no problem getting a hitch. We ate lunch at the Cornwall County Market, which has a real deli. I had a big pastrami sandwich and a strawberry shortcake. Uncle D and I tried to hitch back to the trailhead, but without a pretty young woman in our company, no one was stopping for two old men who look like homeless tramps. Halfway to the trailhead is Old Sharon Road, which is the AT bypass that avoids a fording of Guinea Brook, and turned out to be a shortcut back to the AT when coming back from Cornwall Bridge. After another five miles we arrived at the pickup location for the Bearded Woods Hostel. Uncle D and I will slack pack tomorrow to Salisbury and come back to this hostel, while Doc and Drop Bear are zeroing tomorrow and will slack pack the next day. This is a very nice hostel where laundry, shuttles, dinner and breakfast are included in the $50 per night fee. 706 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-21
From: West Cornwall Road 

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We're spending a second night at the Bearded Woods Hostel. The owner, Hudson, drove us back to West Cornwall Road this morning where we began our slack pack to Salisbury. I felt like I was walking on air only carrying a day pack provided by the hostel, water, snacks and my umbrella. Although it didn't rain, the umbrella was useful for swatting at the mosquitoes. The morning hike went 3/4's around the Lime Rock Racetrack where we encountered the sound of rich guys throttling their Porsches around the racetrack all day. The historic Iron Bridge in Falls Village no longer exists due to deterioration, and the AT detours around Falls Village until the new bridge is in place. As a result there is a three mile road walk that is hard on the feet. Arriving in Salisbury around 3 pm, we stopped at the White Hart Inn for a couple of beers, then resupplied at the local market where Hudson picked us up to go back to the hostel. Less than 700 miles (690) remaining to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-22
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Stealth camp before Jug End Road 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Uncle D took a zero so Hudson's wife Lu drove No Worries, Good Enough and myself to Salisbury where we left off yesterday. The hike started with a 1,000 foot climb that was well graded and soft dirt. However the trail became pretty rocky after the peak and Riga Shelter. It was a very pleasant day in the 70s with a cool breeze. Two milestones were reached today. Early this morning I reached 1,500 miles on the AT. Later in the morning I crossed into my native home state of Massachusetts, which immediately threw some challenges at me. Mt Race was a beautiful ridge walk with 180 degree views but the trail was exposed rock which several times went in multiple directions and you had to guess which way the AT went until you see a white blaze. Mt Everett was a steep 650 foot climb in a half mile, all rocks, that represented a training run of the White Mountains. The descent from the summit was 1,800 feet and a lot steeper than the AWOL AT guide indicated. In several places I had to climb down near vertical rock faces. I'm stealth camping with No Worries. The mosquitoes were buzzing most of the day, but at dusk they really get bad. Tonight was the first night I had to eat my dinner inside my tent or I would be eaten alive. 673 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-23
From: Stealth camp before Jug End Road 

To: MA 23
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning I hiked one mile on the AT to MA 41, then a 1.2 mile road walk to Mom's Country Cafe in South Egremont for breakfast, then 1.2 miles back to the AT. Gotta keep eating and it was well worth the extra miles. All of the water sources today that are listed in the AT guide are marsh water until the footbridge at mile 1524.7. I'm surprised at how much marshland there is in this part of Massachusetts. There was a 1,000 foot climb after US 7, but not terribly difficult. I arrived at MA 23 shortly before 3 pm where my cousin Mary picked me up. I enjoyed the time away from the trail at her house with her family, and a delicious steak dinner.
Date: 2015-07-24
From: MA 23

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin 
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

After a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and pineapple, my cousin Mary drove us first to drop off the kids at day camp, then me at the MA 23 trailhead. There was a 1,000 foot climb right off the bat over 5 miles, which was deceiving as the inclines were really steep interspersed with level ground. Later there was another 1,000 foot climb over two miles after Tyringham. My goal today was to hike 19 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin, but I didn't think I would make it as the terrain exhausted me. What surprised me was that the mosquitoes were not out today. I'm not sure if they went to the beach, but they weren't on the trail. So I was motivated to continue hiking because the mosquitoes would surely be back and out for blood. There is a large crowd here at Upper Goose Pond Cabin, which is screened in, has bunks upstairs, canoes for the pond, and the caretakers serve breakfast in the morning. 641 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-25
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin 

To: Kay Wood Shelter 
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: scattered clouds

At 7 am, the caretakers of the Upper Goose Pond Cabin made pancakes and coffee for everyone, a daily routine for them but a treat for us. The trail descended several hundred feet to cross over the Mass Turnpike on a footbridge, then climbed 800 feet where it was supposed to be level after that. The AWOL AT guide, now commonly known as the Book of Lies, showed a flat elevation for ten miles of today's hike. Apparently "flat" on the AT is defined as continuous sawtooth elevation changes of within 100 feet! Rocks and tree roots added to the challenge, and plank walking through the swampy areas. Massachusetts has more plank walks than NJ, NY & CT combined. Amazingly the mosquitoes seemed to be on holiday again today and were mostly, but not entirely, missing from the trail. I stopped for lunch at the October Mountain Shelter and so did the mosquitoes. For them, lunch was on me. Two miles later I stopped to see the Cookie Lady, 100 yards off the trail. She gave me two cookies, not much of a reason to stop except for the lawn chairs occupied by several other thru-hikers stopping for the same reason. I had planned to hike 21 miles today all the way to Dalton, MA, but the tree roots became a predominant feature of the trail today. Those tree roots kept grabbing the toe of my shoes in an unsuccessful attempt (so far) to send me flying face forward. 623 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-26
From: Kay Wood Shelter 

To: Mark Noepel Shelter 
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I only had 3 miles to hike into Dalton, MA, expecting a restaurant breakfast in town. The AT goes through the center of town and on Sunday morning the restaurants along the trail were closed. I settled for a sausage and egg sandwich from Cumberland Farms, which was pretty good, and a turkey wrap sandwich to eat for lunch. I passed the Grace Episcopal Church at 9:45 but their only service was at 9 am. Otherwise there nothing else going on so I continued walking out of town. Cheshire, MA was 8 miles further and I got there around 3 pm, stopping at Diane's Twist for a large maple walnut ice cream and a roast beef sandwich to go for dinner. Cheshire is even smaller than Dalton, so I moved on after an hour long break. I climbed 1,800 feet and reached the Mark Noepel Shelter at 7 pm, started setting up my tent, still wet from last night's rain, when a downpour began. I got 4 of the 8 stakes in when I had to throw everything inside, including myself, and ate my roast beef sandwich waiting for the rain to subside. This thru-hike is a long hike and I'm ready for it to be over, but there are 606 miles remaining to Katadin, and the toughest parts are coming up.
Date: 2015-07-27
From: Mark Noepel Shelter 

To: Williamstown, MA 
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

This morning I hiked three miles for a restaurant breakfast, climbing another 800 feet on top of yesterday's climb, to Mtc Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. At 10 am, clouds surrounded Mt Greylock and visibility was limited. I had a nice omelet at the Bascom Lodge on Mt Greylock. After that, the descent went from 3,491 to 660 feet at Williamstown. I'm staying at the Williamstown Motel, an older but nicely updated motel, where I had maildrops waiting. A special shout out to Jerry Hofwolt and folks at the submarine Bowfin Museum in Honolulu for the trail magic Clif Bars they sent. Thanks! I also had my fourth pair of La Sportiva Ultra Raptors in my own maildrop. The rocks of Pennsylvania and further north put a lot of wear on the soles of my 3rd pair of shoes (see pic). The owner of the motel picks up and returns hikers to the intersection where the AT crosses Rt 2. I had dinner across the street at Desperados where they give thru-hikers a 50% discount. I now have less than 600 miles (597) to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-28
From: Williamstown, MA 

To: Congdon Shelter 
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

I checked out of the motel at 10 am and the owner gave me a ride back to the trailhead. The climb out of Williamstown began at 660 feet elevation and included a very steep and tough rock scramble. It was above 90 degrees today, my shirt was soaked with sweat and my arms were dripping with perspiration. But after that, the trail wasn't too bad. I crossed into Vermont this morning, the 12th state of this thru-hike. The Long Trail begins at the MA/VT border and goes 273 miles to the Canadian border, the first 105 miles of which is also the Appalachian Trail until the two trails diverge. So now I'm seeing more people at the shelters with northbound AT thru-hikers, southbound AT thru-hikers, and Long Trail thru-hikers converging. Four miles after crossing into Vermont, I reached the 1,600 mile point on the AT. It's hard to believe that I've been on the AT for four months now. Then the climb finally peaked at 3,000 feet elevation. The dirty water bag for my water filter has begun to leak from a tear developing next to the neck of the bag. I'm going to have to replace it soon when I get to Manchester Center on Friday. 583 miles to Katadin. Posted on 7/31 from Manchester Center.
Date: 2015-07-29
From: Congdon Shelter 

To: Kid Gore Shelter 
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: clear sky

Today included a steep descent to VT 9 which leads to Bennington 5 miles away. I didn't go to Bennington but could see the town from afar on the AT. Warm & Toasty had trail magic from her van in the parking lot on VT 9. From there it was a 1,300 foot climb in two miles, then another 1,100 feet to the summit of Glastonbury Mountain where I climbed the old fire tower for a 360 degree view of the Green Mountain Forest. (See pics). Along the way I encountered two park rangers closing the footbridge over Hell Hollow Brook (pic above). We've been pretty lucky with the weather so far in Vermont, where it has been hot but dry. The AT in Vermont is known as Vermud due to all the mud bogs on the trail, which have been dry the past few days. There's been no cell service in Vermont so far. This and yesterday's journal will be posted when cell service is available. 564 miles to Katadin. Posted 7/31 from Manchester Center.
Date: 2015-07-30
From: Kid Gore Shelter 

To: Stratton Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 15.0

Today I had to summit Stratton Mountain at 3,936 feet. It was a nice day until I got to the base of Stratton Mountain. Thunderstorms were gathering as I climbed up. There is a fire tower at the summit, but I only went to the 2nd platform as the fog and light rain obscured the view. At the end of a 1,300 foot descent, I was within one mile of the shelter when the light rain turned into a torrential downpour, soaking my pants and shoes. Luckily I'm going to a hostel tomorrow where I can dry out. The above picture was taken Friday morning shortly after I left the Stratton Pond Shelter. Stratton Pond is huge, what we generally call a lake. A beautiful and pristine place. 549 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-07-31
From: Stratton Pond Shelter 

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

Another beautiful weather day today, but my shoes were still wet from the rain storm yesterday. Hiking with wet feet is greatly uncomfortable, so I'm glad I only had 10.7 miles to get to VT 11. Ever since New Jersey many of the streams in the woods have the color of apple cider. This is from tannins in the water, which are supposed to be harmless. I finally took a picture of water I filtered today compared to clear water obtained yesterday from Stratton Pond. I still drank it until I came across a stream with clear water. I encountered a lot more mud today due to the intense rain yesterday. However the muddy sections have tree roots and strategically placed rocks to step on to avoid sinking ankle deep into the mud. The latter part of the trail today was a mix of pine needles, soft dirt and rocks to step around. Along the way I passed the 3/4 point of the AT, although it was unmarked. I have a quarter of the trail left, but it's the hardest part. There's a saying at this point that you've gone 75% of the distance and put in 25% of the effort. I reached VT 11 at 1:30 and stuck out my thumb for a hitch into Manchester Center, 5.4 miles down the road. After about ten minutes a woman comes by to pick up another thru-hiker, Goats Beard, and I got a ride from them. They dropped me off in the center of town where I had lunch at China City. Jeff, the owner of the Green Mountain House Hostel, then picked me up. This hostel is part of Jeff and his wife's house with bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen and living room for hikers downstairs. It's a really nice place. There are five other hikers here tonight, two AT southbounders and three Long Trail hikers. I find it ironic when someone tells me they are hiking the "Long Trail", which is only 273 miles long. The AT in several states is longer than that. For dinner tonight I ate two 6 inch Subway grinders (even though Subway does not call them "grinders", that's what they are in New England). Now I'm about to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream that is included in the hostel stay. 538 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-08-01
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Knowing in advance that the Green Mountain House Hostel was one of the best on the AT, I had planned to zero here today. Breakfast ingredients are included with the stay, so I made myself pancakes this morning before other hikers were up. After Jeff shuttled everyone else back to the trailhead, he gave me a ride into town where I got a haircut, bought a Sawyer filter bag at the Mountain Goat Outfitter, had a burrito lunch at Cilantro, waited out an unexpected rainstorm, saw the new Mission Impossible movie, and bought food to cook for dinner. I'm not a Tom Cruise fan, but the movie was pretty good with nonstop action. The stunts were almost comical in how far fetched they were. Back at the hostel, I cooked a steak on the grill with a baked potato and broccoli. It's a full house tonight, including No Worries and Good Enough whom I met at the Bearded Woods Hostel in Connecticut. Also here is Pace Car, who amazingly started in Springer on March 28th, the day after I started, but I had never met her before.
Date: 2015-08-02
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Lost Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning I made myself scrambled eggs with tomato and cheese at the hostel. At 8 am Jeff drove No Worries, Good Enough and I back to the trailhead to begin the 1,420 foot climb to the summit of Bromley Mountain. Near the top, the trail follows a ski slope to the summit. When I reached the summit, with a chairlift operating station that looks like a space ship (see pics), I realized that I'd been here before - skiing 30 years ago. I had a nice 360 degree view as it was another gorgeous weather day today and the visibility looked like a hundred miles. Following an 816 foot descent, the 948 climb up Styles Peak was steep, but rewarded with a nice view and dozens of dragon flies flying about. I crossed four mountain tops today, two of them, Bromley and Peru Peak, being ski mountains. Vermont is proving to be very scenic. 523 miles to Katadin.
Date: 2015-08-03
From: Lost Pond Shelter 

To: VT 103 - Whistle Stop Restaurant 
Miles today: 17.6

Another beautiful weather day, other than the short burst of light rain in the afternoon. There were a lot of scenic highlights today. Early this morning I reached Little Rock Pond (see pics), yet another beautiful lake with pristine water and nothing surrounding it other than forest. I passed through a pine forest where there were two large sites of rock cairns. Parts of the forest were like walking through strands of live Christmas trees. The most challenging part of the day was the 1,100 foot climb in 1.7 miles from VT 140 to Bear Mountain. Another scenic highlight was crossing the suspension bridge over Clarendon Gorge. By the time I got to the middle of the bridge it was bouncing all around as suspension bridges tend to do. Just before then as I was descending toward the suspension bridge, I fell for the 6th time of this thru-hike, trying to walk down on slippery rock. At the end of the day I walked a half mile on VT 103 to the Whistle Stop Restaurant, which allows hikers to camp on its property. When No Worries showed up we walked another half mile to a deli to get dinner. We got there 15 minutes before it closed at 7 pm, but 15 minutes too late for deli sandwiches to be made. We could only get pre-made goods, so I got a big chef salad, a container of macaroni & cheese, a pint of ice cream, a quart of milk and Doritos chips. I gotta eat! Good Enough is tenting here also. 506 miles to Katadin.