morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-06
From:  Danbury-Landgrove Road Mile 520.5

To: VT 103, Mile 505.7
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: few clouds

I got up at 5:30 and hiked the 3 mile loop (1.9 miles trail) that I was not able to finish yesterday. It only took an hour and a half, but it got me sweaty for breakfast. Since I had walked to the Inn from both ends of the section, I was tempted to skip it, but am happy I did not. Started with beautiful sunrise in the east and ominous wind and rain clouds in the west, but finished before any rain started. Jessie and Dave considered the weather and decided to take a zero; so I will hike on alone. I promised to send her the reference to the study that found adding a patient's picture to a biopsy specimen increased the accuracy of tissue analyst', I think it I'd Daniel Pink's book. Knowing I had to get up early I did not get the sleep I needed last night. May Louise tells me Charles Lindberg had the same problem the night before he flew across the Atlantic. He knew the needed the rest; so he could not make himself go to sleep. As a result he almost killed himself dosing off over the Atlantic. Tom set a schedule that worked with other runs he has scheduled. I skipped 15 miles and started south from the Danby road to reach the road to Manchester Center and the Green Mountain Hostel 18 miles away. Tomorrow he will pick me up at the hostel and take me to the same place on the Danby Road where I will hike north to fill in the missing 15 miles. I will spend the night either with Tom or at a hostel in Rutland and then Tom will take me back to VT 11 & 30 to head south with Amy full pack.Since I did not get on the trail until 10:30 I was concerned about completing the distance before dark. The trail was not bad, but more demanding than I had anticipated. One mountain top had a boulder scramble that made me think I was back in Maine. I pushed hard with almost no breaks and made it with 30 minutes of daylight to spare. It was a day of luck. Thunderstorms were predicted. It looked like rain almost all day and the wind blew like a downpour was coming any minute, but it did not rain on me all day. There were sections that were wet from rain that had fallen before I arrived. When I got to the trailhead and started hitch hiking to town a couple of bored local teenagers who were out cruising picked me up, showed me the cute tourist town, ate a pizza with me, took me to a grocery tore for juice and snacks, and dropped me off at the hostel. Jeff Taussig, the owner of the Green Mountain Hostel is from Bedford, Ohio. He graduated from Bedford High School and still lives in the area. His wife is currently doing computer training work with the City staff. He does not remember him, but he had heard of Mort Ake. City Manager Joe Banta's wife taught his wife in high school. The only character we both remember was Dick Spense, the old fellow with the historic society who apparently is still there overseeing activities in the old City Hall. It is an amazingly small world at times.
Date: 2014-09-07
From: Danbury-Landgrove Road Mile 520.5

To: VT 103, Mile 505.7 
Miles today: 14.8

Delightful day today. Sky was clear. Humidity was down. Temperature was comfortable for hiking. I started feeling rested and confident that I could finish the 15 mile trek easily walking slackpack. Passed an area where native Americans had used the local rocks for arrowheads and other tools and where hikers had created villages of cairns out of small rocks.I took the time for a steep .2 mile side trail to an overlook Tom Shanahan recommended. He likes it so much he took his wife there to propose to her. The view was dramatic. I went there with a freshman orientation hike group from Middlebury College that I had met on the trail the day before. The young people were bright, enthusiastic, and a joy to be around. I, of course, shared a couple of stories. Tom instructed me to call him for a pickup from an overlook with cell service a little less than a mile from the trailhead. He uses the location so frequently that he had taken a couple of plastic chairs to the site so his hikers can sit comfortably and look out over the Rutland Airport while they call him. He took me to the Yellow Deli Hostel in Rutland. It is a fascinating institution in the middle of downtown operated by The Twelve Tribes, a Christian communal group that has other businesses and services across the country and in some other countries. Their main business here is a 24-hour coffee house and deli restaurant. The hostel is an add on service operating above the Deli. The group originated in Chattanooga and according to a Wikipedia article broke away from First Presbyterian Church there while Ben Hayden was Pastor. My folks were long time members of the Church. Hayden was their friend and Pastor and conducted the funeral service for each of them. Before entering the ministry and before a I was City Manager there, he was editor of the Times-News newspaper in Kingsport, TN. While looking up the Twelve Tribes I also discovered that Ben has passed away. The business is well run and the commune members I have talked with are bright, interesting, and at least on first contact do not start evangelizing. I would like to have time to learn more about the organization and it's operation and to explore Rutland. It is an interesting looking, rather large town.
Date: 2014-09-08
From: VT 103, Mile 505.7

To: 1.5 miles before summit of mile Stratton Mountain
Miles today: 13.7

Tom picked me up with two women from the Boston area who. He was taking further south for a section hike north. He explained that when the Yellow Deli first opened they engaged in aggressive proselytizing and were almost run out of town, but the organization changed management and changed its approach. Beautiful day for hiking and although my full pack is heavy with water and three days of food, it did not feel too over whelming after the luxury of slack packing. The elevation changes are not dramatic, but they are constant. The stretches that look flat on the profile map are almost all short ups and downs and most of the trail is strewn with rocks and roots that require attention for every step,I am seeing fewer hikers and almost no north bound AT hikers, It is probably too late for any I meet now to reach Katahdin before the Park closes. I have met several folks through hiking the Vermont Long Trail which coincides with the AT for part if it's length. Through the day I leap frogged with four young people from the Czech Republic. One of the girls was having knee problems and had wrapped her leg in an Ace bandage. At the Stratton Pond shelter I gave her my knee brace. I have not used it since I flipped to Maine. Unfortunately I had just relocated it from the outside pocket to the very bottom of my pack; so I had to unload everything to perform my good deed. I have been excited all day. When I talked with May Louise she explained that she has decided to come support me so I can slack pack daily and speed up completion of my through hike. It is a major disruption of her life and a wonderful gift to me. I was really not looking forward to having to continue hiking through the end of November. With her help and hard pushing to put on miles each day I should be able to finish much earlier. I had hoped to get over Stratton Mountain today, but the days are getting shorter and I ran out daylight. Camping is not allowed at the summit, so I would have had to have gotten all the way over. In anticipation of not making it I loaded up with water at the base and found a flat spot with two trees halfway up the climb where I set up Nathan's hammock. I am getting better at operating with the hammock. It is faster to set up than a tent and can be used in places too slanted or rocky for a tent. I a getting used to sleeping in it. Biggest problem is that I cannot safely use my pee bottle in the hammock, so I have to climb out 3-4 times each night. The process of getting in and out of my sleeping bag and liner while lying in the hammock is not easy.
Date: 2014-09-09
From: 1.5 miles before summit of mile Stratton Mountain

To: Kid Gore Shelter mile 563.8
Miles today: 12.0

It was not real cold last night, probably in the low 40s or high 30s, but it was too cold for me and my gear in the hammock. My bottom side was chilled all night and my feet were numb. I put on extra clothes and made it through the night, but got up early, skipped breakfast, and started hiking to warm up. I may be able to add insulation to the bottom of the hammock by blowing up my air mattress and putting it in the hammock, but since you enter this hammock through a Velcro sealed slit in the bottom, the logistics of getting in and out around the air mattress will be difficult if not impossible. Top of Stratton Mountain was cold, windy, and covered in clouds; so I did not climb the old fire tower there. I regret that I was cold and in a rush to put on miles. The fellow who served as the last fire warden when the tower was active and his wife spend each summer at the summit in their old fire warden cabin there acting as caretaker and tour guide for hikers. It would have been fun to talk with them, but Ruth, the wife, was just getting up when I passed and did not invite me inside.I had hoped to do more miles so my walk to Bennington would be shorter tomorrow, but the surface of the trail remained difficult and I ran out of daylight. I fell a couple of times today after a long period with no tumbles. Only one fall drew blood and it was not serious, just another shin scar. I remain excited about May Louise's promised help and want to reciprocate by pushing for as many miles as possible each day. I had low expectations of the Kid Gore shelter and was concerned that it might be one of the mouse infested ones Casper warned me about. It turned out to be convenient to the trail, relatively clean. And to look out over a beautiful moonlit vista. Southbound couple in the shelter have air mattresses like mine. Rooster explained that he was surprised to find that the weight of his mattress had increased from the accumulated moisture in his breath. He had rigged an inflator with a plastic bag and a piece of hose that solved the problem and made the mattress easier to inflate. He gave me a spare inch of hose so I can replicate his process.It is chilly again tonight, but in the shelter my gear has me toasty. Even my toes are almost warm.Crossed another benchmark today. I now have 800 miles to go.
Date: 2014-09-10
From: Kid Gore Shelter mile 563.8

To: VT 9, Bennington, VT mile 578.2
Miles today: 14.4

The moonlight vista from my bed In the shelter was beautiful. I woke to an even more glorious sunrise. Since the other hikers were awake, before I got up I celebrated by playing Tom Paxton's "How Beautiful Upon the. Mountain" on my iPad. While packing and eating breakfast I talked with Rooster & Alice. They are an interesting couple. Both are sustainable living true believers. He spent several years traveling the country living out of his motorcycle saddlebags. Before starting their SoBo trail hike she owned and operated a sustainable living farm. On the trail I stopped for a snack with Wino, a section hiker working on completing the trail who is a NASA employee at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Baltimore. He has an interesting approach. He drives his car to a trailhead, hikes half way to the next trailhead, then hikes back to his car. The next day he goes to the next trailhead north and hikes back to his turnaround point. The process allows him to slackpack the whole trail, but requires him to hike the full length of it twice. He explained that the only places so far where he has not be enable to use his system were the Smokies and the section of Vermont where I met him.. He was struggling with a full pack that he was not used to, that contained too much gear, and that weighed too much. I was delighted with his information. It means May Louise can support me slack packing through everything I have left to finish. I took time to climb the old fire tower on top of Glastenbury Mountain since Stratton Mountain tower was socked in when I passed it yesterday. Impressive vista for 360 degrees. Took some pictures, but camera did not capture impact of the views. Long steep descent to reach the trailhead at Bennington. Lucked out and caught a ride to the motel where May Louise has mailed my Massachusetts and Connecticut maps pretty quickly. Turned out to be a Patel Motel. Room was adequate but light bulbs were so dim that I had to use headlamp to see anything and had to go outside to get wifi signal. Will not stay for a second night. Good supper at a local restaurant a few blocks down the road.
Date: 2014-09-11
From: VT 9, Bennington, VT mile 578.2

To: County Road mile 589.4
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Called Enterprise about car rental. They sent an employee to pick me up. Only had mini van In stock which was more vehicle than I needed, but they agreed to support me for two days of slack packing and to put me back on the trail in North Adams, Massachusetts if I rent the vehicle for a week; so I agreed to the expensive rental. Rental staff took me to a colorful local diner for breakfast before I started. Omelette was probably the most delicious I have had on the trail.I planned an 11 mile hike from the one road access between Bennington and North Adams. My map showed the approach to the trailhead from the east. Enterprise office manager directed his driver to take me to the trailhead from the west because it would be a shorter drive. Unfortunately he did not know his local area well and did not know that the road was discontinuous. A local on an ATV advised us to turn around before the driver got us stuck or damaged the new pickup he was driving. As a result of the error I did not get on the trail until after 2:00 which left me just over 5 hours to hike the 11 miles before dark. The descent to the highway at Bennington from the south side of the trail is even more steep than the one from the north that I hiked down yesterday. It would be very dangerous to do in the dark by headlamp; so I pushed hard with no rest stops to cover the mileage in the 5 hours. Most of the trail other than the final descent was relatively easy and I made it with about 10 minutes of twilight to spare. Although I was irritated by the time it took to correct the error and drive around to reach the trailhead from the correct direction, the drive along the picturesque Vermont rural roads was charming. We will want to come back and spend some more time In the state. Thunder showers were predicted for today. I wore my rain pants and expected to get drenched. Again I was lucky. The whole day was overcast, it sprinkled some, and often the foliage was wet from rain that had fallen before my arrival, but I did not get hit by any significant downfall. The trail was empty. The only folks I saw all day were the four young Czechs and a section hiker who were huddled in a shelter trying to dry out and avoid the mice that infested it. I switched to a nicer mom & pop motel and rewarded my successful hike with a big steak and salad for supper.
Date: 2014-09-12
From: County Road mile 589.4

To: MA 2, Hoosic River, North Adams, MA mile 596.6
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Another benchmark today. I left Vermont and entered Massachusetts Today I took care to make sure before we left that the Rental car driver knew where we were going to spot the rental van at the trailhead in North Adams. I expected today's short hike to be quick and easy. It was, but I started off with a stiff knee that took a while to loosen up. The temperature was comfortably cool for hiking, but just low enough that my fingers stayed cold and numb half the day. I put on my glove liners and the circulation finally returned to them. The Czechs came out of the woods just as I was starting and I passed a few other hikers today. Most were hiking the Long Trail which follows the Appalachian Trail but continues North through the rest of Vermont to the Canadian border. Massachusetts is where the trail is supposed to become much easier so it is possible to walk long distances each day. In general I have been able to move at a decent hiking speed for a good part of the last few days, but to keep me from getting complacent, right after the state line I hit a short steep rock slide section that rivaled sections of Maine and New Hampshire. The woods were pretty, but the few viewpoints I passed were blocked by foliage so I could not see anything. The last stretch paralleled a pretty brook that provides the water supply for North Adams.My motel is outside of Williamstown, MA, an attractive college town. I got to the trailhead and the rented van in time to move in, wash my clothes in a washateria, and get a haircut for my return to civilization. The barber cut my beard closer than I prefer. My hair is getting thinner and needs some length to hide my head and face, but I look acceptable and it will grow back. Having access to a vehicle after six months without one is a nice reminder of what a wonderful luxury it is to have the ability to quickly go any place you want any time you want. I hope I retain the sense of appreciation for the simple luxuries of daily life that the hike's deprivations have given me through the years after I finish the trail.I am really looking forward to the trip to Charlotte for the ICMA Conference and seeing May Louise tomorrow.
Date: 2014-09-13
From: MA 2, Hoosic River, North Adams, MA mile 596.6

To: ICMA Conference, Charlotte, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Slept like a log last night even though it was a log that had to get up three times to go to the bathroom. Drive to Albany, NY airport took just a little over an hour. I had time for breakfast at a roadside diner. It was a good day not to be on the trail. Rain was coming down hard when we boarded the plane. My flight was delayed while we waited for a part to repair another plane to arrive, but I made my connections.Sitting in the terminal sipping a mocha and leisurely reading a magazine felt like the epitome of luxury. May Louise was waiting for me at the airport. She had already picked up our Conference registration materials and checked us into our hotel. We drove there, changed quickly, and went to a reception at the NASCAR center. I have no knowledge of and little interest in auto racing, but the displays were well done and I learned a few things. For example, the Hudson Hornet is not just a character in the Disney Cars movie. There really was a stock Hudson Hornet car that won top races in the 1950's. I did not appreciate the extent to which the race cars are specially constructed racing vehicles with an exterior shell that makes them look somewhat like a normal car. There is nothing "stock" about them. I found the display of NASCAR required safety features particularly interesting. We spent most of our time visiting with old friends. John Budesky who was Manager next door in Manassas while I was in Manassas Park had a disturbing story. Our area of Northern Virginia had experienced a large influx of Hispanic residents. The Chairman of Prince William County which surrounds us had built his political career as an immigrant fearmonger. Manassas had been sued and paid a $1 million penalty for over aggressive use of their housing codes to control Hispanic housing. Their bad experience helped moderate our elected official's response when we got citizen complaints about overcrowding next door. In that context one of John's major accomplishments had been to work with a new School Superintendent to get a funding package approved for City and School capital infrastructure. However, tea party activists had stacked the local Republican Party nominating convention, knocked the City's best Council Member off the ballot, and gotten some antigovernment zealots elected. After John left the City one of them proposed at a public Council Meeting cutting the budget for the City Schools a quantum for each Hispanic student they enrolled.   The Conference is going to be fun.
Date: 2014-09-19
From: Bascom Lodge Atop Mt. Greylock, Mile 602.9

To: Crystal Mountain Campsite mile 615.9
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

On the trail after a delicious breakfast and a look around the monument. It was closed for the season; so I was not able to climb to the top. Massachusetts trail is easier than what I saw through most of Vermont but I was not able to travel was fast or far as I had hoped. I reached the campsite just at dusk and had to finish setting up camp and fix dinner in the dark.I took a fall late in the day. Just a bruise on me, but to my irritation I fell on my hiking pole and bent it. Bend is slight so pole is usable, but it prevents me from shortening pole. This time I bent the middle section; so it cannot be repaired with the replacement bottom pieces I purchased. Evening was cold. In reality it was probably not below 40 degrees all night long, but it felt cold to me. My fingers lost circulation making it difficult to set up camp and hang my hammock with fingers that could not feel and had difficulty responding to commands. I almost made myself sick trying to wolf down my supper so I could get in bed and try to get warm.I tried using my air mattress to insulate the bottom of the hammock. It was clumsy getting in and out through the bottom entry hammock around the mattress and then get into my sleeping bag and liner on top of it, but I managed the trick adequately. I was not toasty, but I was warm enough that I was able to sleep through the night.The trail passes through the little town of Cheshire and I had hoped to get lunch there, but the sandwich shop listed in the trail guides being along the route through town was closed down and unlike Vermont there was no trail angel next door passing out drinks and hamburgers.
Date: 2014-09-20
From: Crystal Mountain Campsite mile 615.9

To: October Mountain Shelter mile 631.9
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Morning was overcast and remained chilly. Hot coffee/cocoa mix for breakfast felt and tasted good. Took me until 9:30 to get fed, packed up, and on the trail. With the days getting shorter I need to get up while it is still dark so I have more hours of daylight to hike in.I was pleased that I covered 16 mile and got to the shelter in time to set up and start supper before it got dark. On most parts of the trail I am able to hike at least two miles an hour. Temperature is not as cool as last night and I am staying in the shelter; so it should be a comfortable night. I took time to get a late breakfast/early lunch at a pleasant little coffee shop in Dalton. I like this section of the trail that passes through little town periodically. The change in scenery is pleasant and the daily access to town food is great.Only one section hiker, Ben Bensen "the Hoon", was in the nice large shelter with me tonight. I did not see many other people all day: One couple still heading toward Maine and a couple of section hikers. Since rain is predicted for tomorrow, I plan to hike a short 7.2 miles to a trailhead and then hitch 5 miles into Lee, Massachusetts to a motel to wash me and my clothes. If I can find reliable transportation I would like to get spotted south of Lee on Monday and then slack pack 20 miles back to make up for the short day tomorrow.