morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-12
From: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter 

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: haze

We stayed in the shelter last night because it was forecasted to storm all night. We heard it thunder but no rain came. As a result, we put up with the mosquitoes for nothing! The Deet kept them away for the most part but it was discomforting to hear them by your head all night. We planned to go to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin today so we tried to get an early start. Today's shelter was a 1/4 mile off the Trail so we didn't get to the Trail until 6:45 AM. We had 14 miles to hike and then a half mile on a blue blaze to the cabin. We climbed 2,250 feet but the Trail still seemed more tiring than yesterday. We had an ascent of one thousand feet and a lot more rocks. The mosquitoes were relentless all day and could always find some spot where the Deet had warn off. It was very muggy, and there was absolutely no wind. It sprinkled throughout the day and then started to rain more heavily an hour before we reached the cabin. It was not the most comfortable day! There were a couple of nice views but they were hard to enjoy because the mosquitoes would attack us if we stopped. We made it to the cabin at 12:45 PM and were greeted by Marley and Mystic. Two section hikers Emily and Jenny were also there. The Berkshire Chapter AT Committee maintains the cabin and Grampie is the resident volunteer caretaker for this week. We took a bucket shower and then got our bunks ready for the night. It started to pour at around 3:00, and we were very happy to be at the cabin and not hiking. Dub, Chill, Scoot, and Rightside joined us an hour or so later and then Hobbit arrived at around 7:00. Craig and five others played UNO later--the one hand must have lasted two hours. Cathy got caught up on her e-mail, and then we made dinner.   We made it from various left overs; it's amazing what you'll eat on the Trail. We had some left overs and three hikers actually finished it, unbelievable. It was a fun night with all our hiking friends. Tomorrow we plan to stay with our friends, Phil and Mary Jo, who used to live in our home town. The Trail has been very good to us lately.
Date: 2006-07-13
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: US 20
Miles today: 2.0

We woke to the smell of blueberry pancakes being made-a little better than yesterday's sound of mosquitoes buzzing! We got up at 6:30 AM, and after eating sooo many pancakes, weren't sure if we could make ourselves move, let alone hike the Trail. After saying our good-byes we were surprised ourselves by getting on the Trail at 8:30. When we reached US 20 we called Phil who said the Y-Camp that he ran was a short distance from where we were, and that he'd be there to pick us up in a few minutes. We didn't realize he was so close, but a day off was something we probably really needed. He drove us through the camp and then showed us our accommodations. It was a beautiful home located on the camp's private lake. After doing our laundry and taking a shower we relaxed a while by watching TV and then taking a nap. At 5:45, Phil picked us up to have dinner at the boy's dining hall. It was an excellent meal and lots of fun. We were introduced as Phil's guests, then there was a tribute for the kitchen staff as only 250 Boys could express--applause, whistles, stomping, etc, (see pic). Next came birthday recognition's and camp songs. The enthusiasm was contagious, and it was definitely the LOUDEST place we have been in for quite awhile. After dinner Phil gave us a tour of the campgrounds. The boys are in four villages in Camp Becket (divided by age) with 8 campers and 2 counselors per cabin. We then toured the girl's side of the camp, Chimney Corners, where the infirmary, stables, and new dining hall are located. The dining hall was completed in June 2006 and is state of art. The dishwasher alone is amazing; it has a conveyer system and can clean all of the dishes used by the 250 girls at a meal in 8 minutes, reaching temperatures of 185 degrees! (Craig says Cathy has been on the trail too long to be so impressed with a kitchen.) We returned to the guest house to sleep in a "real" bed and confessed that we feel guilty lying around all day being in such luxury again. Tomorrow we're taking a zero day because Mary Jo and their kids won't be back in town until late tonight and we want to be able to see them.
Date: 2006-07-14
From: US 20

To: US 20
Miles today: 0.0

We had a great night's sleep and didn't wake up until 8:30 AM. We were able to pull ourselves out at 9:30, got breakfast and then watched TV and the campers wind- surfing on the lake. Mary Jo and her daughter Sarah stopped by later and after reacquainting, we all went to lunch at Chimney Corners Dining Hall. It was a little quieter than the boys' Dining Hall but with no less excitement. Phill introduced us again as AT Thru-Hikers who have hiked 1500 miles and will yet walk another 600 miles. The applause was moving. After dinner Mary Jo and Sarah showed us their new home town and then their home. We returned to the guest house later and relaxed until dinner at 6:00 PM. We again ate at Chimney Corners, this time with Phil and Sam joining us. After dinner we sat on the deck of the infirmary where Mary Jo was working until the mosquitoes came out. We then returned to the guest house to relax, eat some more ice cream and watch a movie.   Mary Jo came to visit later after she completed her shift. It was another great relaxing day but tomorrow it's back to the Trail.
Date: 2006-07-15
From: US 20

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Willpower, maybe that's what the AT's all about. Well, at least that's what it was about today. We knew we needed to get back to the Trail but to leave this comfortable house, all-you-can-eat meals and good friends was not easy. Even so, after breakfast we said our good-byes to Phil and Mary Jo, Phil had us back to the Trail by 10:30 AM. When we arrived at the Trail, Happy Feet was also being dropped off. He was slack packing back to Dalton MA where he's been for the past 3 days. He's been staying at Rob's Place, a retired police officer who opens his home to hikers. He said it was a great place and encouraged us to stay there when we get to town. After lying around for two days it wasn't easy getting ourselves moving for the first couple of hours. We only climbed 2,510 feet and most of the climbs were fairly easy. The Trail was hard at times and frequently had sections with rock, roots and muck. Sometimes we had boardwalks but not often enough. We passed a beautiful lake and three swamps, (see pics). The Trail wasn't anything new but a field of green ferns and a lone duck on a pond are still sights where w linger and admire the beauty that surrounds us. We reached Dalton at 6:15 PM and Rob's Place by 6:30. After introductions, we walked a block for dinner and then returned to Rob's for showers. Then we relaxed in the home by ourselves. Rob plays in a band and everyone else went to hear them play. We were too tired from hiking 19 miles and we didn't want to be out late. It was good to be back on the Trail; hopefully tomorrow our bodies and spirits will find it to be easier hiking.
Date: 2006-07-16
From: Dalton, MA

To: Wilbur's Clearing 
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

We knew we had a hard day today so we tried to get on the Trail early. We got up at 6:00 AM, had breakfast at the Dalton General Store, and were then on the Trail at 7:15. We had two long climbs today totaling 4,830 feet. The ascents by themselves weren't that difficult, but when you add in the hot muggy weather, it became difficult and very tiring. The Trail was much like yesterday with a lot of muddy and rocky sections. Our first descent brought us into Cheshire MA, a small community which the Trail skirts. The ice cream stand we had heard about was closed--all that anticipation for nothing! We then climbed to Mt. Greylock where there is an impressive War Monument. The views were OK but would have been a lot better if the humidity wasn't so high.   We ate an early dinner at the Bascum Lodge on Mt. Greylock's summit. BP came in a little later and joined us for hot dogs and fries--they were out of soda, another unfulfilled "dream". At around 4:30 we left for the shelter which was 3 1/2 miles away. The descent there was more difficult than the ascent! We arrived at the shelter at 5:15, but the mosquitoes were intolerable so we put up our tent. We cleaned up in the nearby creek and ran back and jumped in the tent for protection. Feels like our own little island of isolation, where we can hear the night sounds but the bugs can't get us! Cathy read while Craig uploaded. While lying in the tent we both thought that it would be nice if we could just go to the refrigerator and get something to eat and drink but we'll have to wait until we walk through N. Adams tomorrow .
Date: 2006-07-17
From: Wilbur's Clearing 

To: VT-9 Bennington, VT
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: scattered clouds

We were on the Trail by 6:45 AM , motivated by the thought of having breakfast in North Adams. It was only a 3 mile walk, downhill but we couldn't get there soon enough! We got back to the Trail at 9:30, and the temperature was already 80 degrees. The day proved to be one of the toughest we've hiked. It was sweltering, the mosquitoes were rampant, the trail had MANY areas of MUCK, and we climbed 4210 feet. Cathy said it was just MISERABLE. We did see a very impressive beaver dam that created a pond with a 100 feet wide dam. Very cool. We also left Massachusetts and will now be hiking in Vermont for the next 150 miles. We liked Massachusetts both the Trail and it's beautiful Trail Towns. We had a very difficult rock climb leaving Massachusetts which was unlike what it provided the past few days. We also encountered 3 section hikers and 2 southbound thru-hikers, but never saw any of our fellow NOBO (northbound) hikers. We made it to VT 9 at 6:30 PM. We got a ride within minutes and were in at the hostel shortly. Bad news however, the people who ran the place were on vacation so it was closed. We had already hiked 21 miles and didn't want to take another step. As a result we got a motel room which brought a smile to our sad faces. After showers we had a great dinner and then just laid around the rest of the evening. Our bodies are feeling very tired and sore but fortunately our hike is only 15 miles tomorrow.PS: Thanks again for all your writings in our Guestbook, it's always so much fun for us to read them. It was especially good to hear from Lori Lynch a friend Craig worked with 18 years ago. Thanks again!
Date: 2006-07-18
From: VT-9 Bennington, VT

To: Kid Gore Shelter 
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Following a great nights sleep, we left the motel at 10:00 AM, re-supplied and were on the Trail by 10:30. After we had just paid for our groceries a man came in to the grocery store and out of the blue said he'd give us a ride back to the trail after he made a quick purchase. He does Trail maintenance on the section we'll walk first today. Very nice. We climbed 3,680 feet and did 2,000 of it in the first 5 miles. The Trail was easier than yesterday's with fewer mucky sections or difficult climbs. It was also a little cooler, and we had a great breeze for most of the day. It was forecast to storm in the afternoon but never did. We passed several South Bounders including Webster, his wife Mono and friend Agate. When they saw us they greeted us by our names stating that they had followed our journal before starting their Thru-Hike the end of May. It was difficult to return to our hiking in that we had so many questions for each other. We reached the shelter at 5:00 PM and were the only ones there again. After dinner we put our tent up in the shelter since we were still alone, except for all the flies and mosquitoes. We weren't as tired as yesterday but were still asleep by 8:00.
Date: 2006-07-19
From: Kid Gore Shelter 

To: Spruce Peak Shelter 
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: clear sky

We had a visitor in the night. A huge porcupine was gnawing on the shelter where we had been sitting in our sweaty (salty) clothes. Shining the headlamp at him scared him off the first time, but he returned and had to be chased off with a broom! He didn't return and we had a good night's sleep, hitting the trail at 6:30 am. We both really felt energized and actually admitted to having fun hiking today. When we left the temperature was 66 degrees and never got above 80. We also had a light breeze most of the day. At times the forest was a mix of hardwoods & white birch or the just pines. We love the smell of the pines but the hardwoods give a more open view. Craig commented that he felt like he was on Mackinac Island or somewhere in the UP. We saw another beaver pond which was very beautiful, (see pic).   We had one long climb up to Stratton Mountain a 1,800 foot climb. But just before starting we found Trail Magic--an ice chest full of ice & pop. Emily & Magic Rat, Thru-Hikers in 2003 were our Angles.   It made the climb so much easier. We also climbed the fire tower on Stratton Mountain and saw 360 degrees of beautiful views--several bodies of water and 3 different ski resorts. We were still feeling good at the end of the day, so we hiked on to the next shelter--23 miles total and 3530 elevation gain.   We got to the shelter at 4:15 PM and we were again all alone. However a little later a Long Trail hiker, Moss, joined us. He's 19 and is from Vermont.   We made a fire, trying to keep the mosquitoes at bay, while eating dinner. Our shelter is a cabin so hopefully they won't come in.
Date: 2006-07-20
From: Spruce Peak Shelter 

To: VT-11 & 30 Manchester Center 
Miles today: 2.1
Weather: clear sky

We had no problems with the mosquitoes last night but the mice were trying to get into Craig's backpack. He had forgotten to take out some cookies and there you go... We slept okay but it was very quiet with the windows and door shut, which kept the mosquitoes out; we're used to hearing all the wildlife sounds throughout the night. We were up early because today was "town day" and we only had 2 miles to hike with only 250 feet to climb--our kind of day! Even though our hike was short, it was quite beautiful with several creek crossings. We got to VT- 11 & 30 by 7:00 AM. The first car to pass us started to slow up but then changed his mind and kept going. We felt disappointed but shortly after another car stopped. After introducing ourselves to the driver we asked if he could drop us off at the clossest restaurant for breakfast. He said his name was Richard, and that he was on his way to his one of the restaurants he owns. He said if we'd like he'd love to take us there andt buy our breakfast. That sounded too good to be true! A few minutes later we were sitting on THE BAGEL WORKS deck eating a delicious breakfast personally prepared by Richard. Here we were at first disappointed when the first car kept going but then it allowed us to meet another Trail Angel who made our day. Manchester Center is a beautiful small town, and we were in our motel room by 9:30. After showers we just relaxed until mmm---lunch time. After eating more than we should again, we enjoyed visiting the 2 outfitters, book store and various shops. We had a fun afternoon and a very relaxing evening. The forecast is to remain cool so hopefully we will enjoy tomorrow's hike as much as we have the past few days.
Date: 2006-07-21
From: VT-11 & 30 Manchester Center 

To: Big Branch Shelter 
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up saying how much we would love to stay in bed and zero in Manchester. But our desire to complete this adventure ASAP prevailed, and we were having breakfast at McDonalds at 9:30 and on the trail at 10:30. It began to rain before we had hiked 2 miles; we stood under a pine tree thinking it would pass, but the shower continued until we got our raingear all on--then it started to ease up! It sprinkled lightly off and on all day, just enough to keep the muck sloppy and the grass wet. The AT went up a ski run at Bromley Ski Area, and we took a brief break in a warming hut on the mountain top. We had two surprising "incidences" today. First, a tree limb fell right behind Cathy, just brushing her backpack, but certainly frightening her. Later, Craig slipped on a wet rock and his titanium hiking pole broke off instead of preventing his fall. No injury, but plenty of frustration! Overall, the hike wasn't too difficult; we climbed 3,240 feet, part of which was a very rocky ridge. We also crossed the Big Branch river on a bridge with signage "Bridge Capacity: One Person." We questioned what size person this bridge was going to support... We arrived at our shelter at 6:30 and found Hobbit reading inside. Chill and Titanium, a Long Trail hiker came in later. We first prepared a campfire to try to get rid of the bugs. Then we filtered the water we would need tonight and tomorrow, and finished at the river by cleaning the mud off our legs and feet. Dinner was macaroni & cheese followed by reading by the fire then bedtime.
Date: 2006-07-22
From: Big Branch Shelter 

To: Clarendon Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

We had a great nights sleep in the shelter probably because the sound of the Big Branch River was louder than the snoring. After a breakfast of oatmeal and Tang we were on the Trail by 7:00 AM. When we got during the night the sky was clear so we were hopeful for clear skies today. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. It was cloudy but the rain held of until 10:00 AM. After that it rained hard the rest of the day and the more it rained the muddier the Trail became. We hadn't seen this much rain sine our days in New Jersey. If you like to hike in a downpour, in soggy boots on a mucky Trail, then this would have been a perfect day for you; it wasn't for us. However whenever we looked at each other we could still manage a smile. We would have had a couple of nice views except for the heavy fog. We came to a 1/2 mile long section of stinging nettles. They really made your legs sting much like a bee sting but it lasts for only about a 1/2 hour once we got away from them. The good news was that there was a restaurant a 1/2 mile off the Trail on VT- 103. We reached it at 3:15 and had a great dinner with 4 Long Trail hikers and Chill. It was still raining after dinner so we were being tempted to go to the motel a mile down the road. We're not sure how it happened but at around 5:00 we found ourselves walking in the rain back to the Trail. We had a tough climb but reached the shelter at 6:00. It was quite a large shelter and was dry inside. All the hikers from dinner were also there, deciding not to hike to the next shelter in the pouring rain. We climbed 3,340 feet but the slippery rocks and roots made the climbs very difficult and tiring. It continues to rain and is forecast to do it through tomorrow as well. That should be fun!!!
Date: 2006-07-23
From: Clarendon Shelter 

To: US-4 Rutland, VT
Miles today: 16.4

We had a great night's sleep despite the weather. So good, in fact, that we couldn't pull ourselves out of the sleeping bags until 6:15. Of course it didn't help that it was still raining. It was hard putting on wet clothes, but once we got going it just felt like all day yesterday--yuck but bearable! It rained for most of the day but quite for a short time while hiking up Killington Mountain. The trail rambled up Killington for 4 miles-2000 foot climb with the usual combination of rocks, roots, and mud. Towards the top, we were surprised at the large number of trees that had been uprooted. Trail maintainers had been busy cutting fallen trees and clearing the trail. The pine smell was strong as we passed areas where work had been done and we breathed a "thank you" to all of the volunteers who maintain the AT. No vistas today as we were always in thick fog or rain. We now have fewer than 500 miles left until Katahdin (smile!) Our elevation gain today was 3,930 feet with climbing being difficult at times. It finally stopped raining with 2 miles to go. We got a quick hitch into Rutland, VT and had bunks at the Twelve Tribes Hostel by 4:30.   It's a "Intentional Community" that has a bakery, restaurant and a hostel above the restaurant. They were very friendly people and it was a very comfortable place to stay. They drove us to the Laundromat and then we walked to dinner. Cathy was talking about it being bedtime in that it was about 8:00! Craig persuaded her to make a quick stop for groceries while they were out, then we headed back to the hostel for the night. While walking back to the hostel Craig came up with a new nickname for Vermont, he thought Vermuck was more descriptive of our Trail experience.
Date: 2006-07-24
From: US-4 Rutland, VT

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 0.0

We slept in until 8:30 AM and then had a wonderful breakfast at Clem & Company Restaurant, a couple of doors down from the hostel. During breakfast we discussed how beautiful Rutland is and that the hostel is located in the center of downtown. It didn't take long before we decided to take a zero day. We spent the day visiting the library, the local shops, eating at the hostel's restaurant "Back Home Again Caf©", (see pic). The cafe' and the town in general give one the feeling of being back in the hippie era.   We also repaired Cathy's boots while relaxing. We then decided to go to our first movie in over five months, "The Pirates of the Caribbean". A nice day in town, something we haven't done in quite sometime.
Date: 2006-07-25
From: Rutland, VT

To: Stony Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

We got up at 8:30 AM and then packed up our gear before heading out for breakfast. We ate at a greasy spoon restaurant and suffered with heartburn the rest of the day. We still visited a few shops before going back to the hostel for our backpacks. Hobbit was the only other hiker who stayed at the shelter with us, and he decided to stay a couple more days. We started hitch hiking at 10:30 but we didn't get back to the Trail until 11:30. The forecast was for rain in the afternoon but it stayed away. In fact, it turned out to be a perfect hiking day. It was cool, with a nice breeze and the Trail was fairly dry. The mucky spots were few and short. We climbed 2,490 feet but the steep climbs had nice switchbacks. We didn't have any mountain top views and the Trail views were so-so. We did walk right through the Gifford Woods State Park and then along Kent Pond for awhile, which was quite beautiful, (see pic). We only saw two SOBO Thru-Hikers, and we got to the shelter at 4:00 PM, alone again. We saw in the shelter journal that Marley and Mistic were here yesterday and that Rightside was here the day before. After making a fire, to ward off the mosquitoes, we filtered water and then made dinner. We tried lying in our sleeping bags for awhile but the mosquitoes were too annoying. Since we had the shelter to ourselves and were hearing thunder, we decided to put the tent up inside. Once inside we worked on the journal and pictures and read. The thunder came closer but the rain was very light and it didn't last for very long. The forecast is for rain the rest of the week, but if it's like this, we can live with it!