morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Sages Ravine

To: Greater Barrington, MA
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

What a great day! Massachusetts and the Berkshires bring some new elements to the trail: fording creeks, beautiful ravines, higher climbs, steeper descents. We hiked hard for five hours and barely made seven miles and were damn proud of them. We climbed Mt Race first. For more than half a mile we hiked the rocky crest, often with a steep drop off to our right. Hush thought it was "fun". Of course we then had to make our way all the way to the bottom before climbing Mt. Everett. Going down was much, a mean very much, like a lot harder than climbing. A walk in the woods my ass. Bill Bryson better hope he never sees me!After we'd been passed by roughly everybody in Massachusetts, including a 10-year old girl in sneakers I asked Hush why we're so slow. What she heard was "turn on the afterburners". We then proceeded to pass the next hikers we saw. Of course, the lady had a cane. I'm not making this up. Later we asked the cane lady and her husband for a ride into Greater Barrington, MA, which they graciously provided.  It's time for laundry and a shower. Since we've been in town I've had a plate of Pad Thai, a 12-inch sub, two cups of coffee, a bowl of soup, a bag of Munchos and I'm about to eat some Peanut M&Ms. I consulted my brother Matt, a PA with an orthopedic background about my knee. Using his telephone diagnostic skills he determined I probably have some arthritis and overuse syndrome going on. This is easily solved by being younger and not hiking. Well, I guess I'll keep going downhill one step at a time. It's slow and looks funny, but I get there, right behind my Honey. Hush's entry: Today was a good day. I was very proud of Lefty. We had to do some hiking today on the crest of a mountain. It had a very steep drop off the side with just a narrow trail. Lefty is afraid of heights and was not thrilled to have to do this section. But he never wavered. He just kept putting one foot in front of the other until he got to a wider section. He was rewarded with a beautiful view he was able to appreciate.We had some great views today too. Waterfalls, rivers, valleys, etc. We even had a doe walk parallel to us for a bit.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Greater Barrington, MA

To: Mt. Wilcox South Shelter
Miles today: 16.1

We got a late start out of Great Barrington this morning. Everything takes longer on foot and we had to go to the laundromat, pharmacy and grocery store. Luckily we got a ride back to the trail from the first car to see us. Still, it was after 10:00 A.M. before we started accumulating trail miles. There weren't any climbs as severe as what we saw yesterday but it was another day of PUDs (pointless up & downs). We had to get off the trail with a little more than three miles to go and hitch to the hostel where a mail drop awaited us. It rained all day and it was so tempting to stay in the cozy warmth. No one else was there. There was a great library, a hot plate, comfortable furniture and a shower. Unfortunately our schedule is out of whack because of the last storm so we had to hike on. The hostel was a half mile off the road so going in and out of there was another mile of walking off trail today. It was a great mail drop though. We finally have more water purification drops. My sweet Mama (by way of my sweet daughter) sent me a pair of shorts to replace the ones I destroyed back in NY. I also got some extra prescription meds so that I won't have to sweat a missed or lost mail drop in the future. We met another couple today, Moose and Wide Load. We're sharing a shelter with them tonight. It's been good to have  someone to relate to in a way we can't with solo hikers. I hope it stops raining. My hiking clothes are soaked as are my shoes. Massachusetts is so pretty. I don't want to miss any more views. You work so damn hard to climb up to the top of a mountain. You deserve a reward at the end, not a mist obscured ghost of a horizon.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Mt. Wilcox South Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Tonight we are at Upper Goose Pond cabin. Although there is no electricity or plumbing, the cabin is an enclosed building with windows, doors and bunks with mattresses of the type found at summer camps. There's a fire burning in the fireplace and 11 hikers sitting around talking about the weather. The rain held off today until 2:30 but it really didn't matter. There are a 1,000 little creeks and springs flooding the trail. We try to keep our feet dry as long as possible but it's hopeless. Puddle jumping just makes you tired and slows you down. When it rained today, if you'll excuse me, it poured. It's was the hardest rain we've seen. It's nerve wracking. You have to decide where to take every footstep. Everything is slippery: mud, leaves, roots, rocks. When it rains in the woods it's loud, even louder when you are wearing rain gear. And, no matter how much you spend on rain gear, you're going to get wet. As a token of my love. I'm giving Hush my last pair of dry socks in the morning. Maybe she'll give me some of her food. I've got my eye on a Payday bar.
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Kay Woods Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: light rain

I'm just going to get it out if the way. I got us lost this morning before we even got on the AT. There were huge puddles on the side trail from the cabin where we slept. In an attempt to keep our feet dry for at least 10 minutes, I bushwhacked for what seemed like 20 feet. Then I couldn't figure out where to go. We made our way to the shore of Upper Goose Pond through some pretty intense brush until we saw a white blaze.  Never again.We visited the home of a trail celebrity today, the cookie lady. Marilyn Wiley serves free cookies to AT hikers who take the 100-yard trek off the trail to her house. For a nominal charge you can also get Cokes, Klondike Bars and boiled eggs. All of this is served at a picnic table in the yard of her quaint farmhouse beside the blueberry patch her husband tends. Many of the trail memoirs we read before our hike mention the cookie lady. It felt almost like an initiation into a club when her husband brought us our basket if goodies. We made good time today on our wade through the Massachusetts woodlands. The ground is so saturated. Usually we can cross the creeks we encounter using stepping stones or logs laid from bank to bank. Not right now we can't. We had to ford a dozen or more. The mud on the trail is never ending. In places it is ankle deep. Unfortunately the weather forecast is for one to four inches of rain in the next two days. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning to a large section of the state, including the AT. Tomorrow we are hiking into Dalton, MA to ride out the storm. Every hiker at the shelter tonight plans to do the same thing. It's frustrating. I'm going to start posting the address of our next mail drop. Getting a care package would mean the world to us. Things we can use are AAA batteries, hiking socks Men's 13, ladies 8, 40% DEET, any kind of chips, Gluten Free Cookies, Candy, Little Debbie Honey Buns. Lou and Carol PlummerC/O Base Camp Outfitters2363 Rt. 4Killington, VT 05751Mail by June 17
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Kay Woods Shelter

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 3.0

I saw the bravest mouse in Massachusetts last night. We shared the loft at the shelter with Moose and Wide Load. As darkness neared (hiker midnight) we sat on our sleeping mats taking care of last minute chores. I was the first to see the Mouse Devil. I threw one of my Crocs at him. I missed. He popped his head out, laughed and sauntered around the foot of my sleeping bag. We all debated whether we should declare war or coexist. We declared war for about 45 seconds until we ran out of energy. Then we decided to try coexistence. We turned off our headlamps and lay down. Sir Mouselot could be heard running from one side of the loft to the other. I made sure I had no crumbs in my beard while secretly hoping that Moose did. I don't know what the rambunctious rodent did all night but it required him to make a lot of noise. Today we hiked three miles into town, arriving around 8:00 A.M. We walked another two miles in the rain getting sprayed by cars to get near our hotel. Breakfast at a diner was a treat, although I felt sorry for the people close to us. No shower in four days plus mildewed rain gear probably wasn't pleasant. We took care of a few town chores but found out the nearest laundromat was a four mile round trip walk. No thanks. We will wash our clothes in the tub and use the iron to dry them. The hotel staff was kind enough to let us  and two other hikers (Giuseppe and sea Oats) check in early. As usual our packs exploded in the room. We bravely ventured out on public transportation to an outfitter to replace our corroded socks and pick up two tent stakes. Today's NERO puts us another day behind schedule but we have a cushion built into our plans.  It's no biggie. Since we're climbing the tallest mountain in Massachusetts, Mt. Greylock, in two days the rest will do us good. Hush's entry: I found it funny that the men were the most upset about the mouse last night. It was a tiny thing and I was too tired to care much. I was hoping to enjoy my Nero day in town and the first all-you-can-eat buffet that we have seen so far. But after our trip to the outfitter, I was feeling sick and spent the rest of the day in bed. I feel like I was cheated out of my day off and am not mentally ready to hit the muddy, rainy trail tomorrow. Hopefully, a good nights sleep will change that.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Dalton, MA

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

I love shelters at night. The entertainment opportunities are endless.  Watching thruhikers eat is awesome. Generally if there is a town the next day, everyone tries to eat all their food since no one wants to carry that weight. It's nothing to see someone chase tuna with peanut butter, Cheeto powder and some kool-aid. Occasionally you'll here a cry of joy when someone finds a forgotten Snickers bar in the bottom of the food bag. Sometimes eating is a job. You're ingesting fuel. I've seen people take spoonfuls of olive oil just for the calories. We started the climb of Mt. Greylock today. Despite an imposing elevation profile, we made good time. Part of that comes from the rest we had yesterday. We also decided to give up on the shoes we bought in Kent and go back to  trail runners. We also have the benefit of having town food in our system. We'll finish the climb before lunch. For once we really don't know how many miles to hike tomorrow. If we're feeling good and don't have a problem getting our resupply box in Williamstown, we may just hike into Vermont. Signing off from Mt. Greylock, two happy hikers with four happy feet.Lefty & Hush
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Mark Noepel Shelter

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: scattered clouds

It's amazing how little sickness exists in the thruhiking community. Despite living in unsanitary conditions, constant exposure to the elements and a notoriously poor diet, most of us seem to be immune to most ills. That's why Hush and I were surprised to find ourselves feeling a little off this morning on the way down from the summit of Mt. Greylock. I don't think we are sick, exactly, just a little run down from trying to keep up with our friends who've been hiking twice as long as us. That run down feeling coupled with our need to get to town for a resupply box (thanks Anna and Matt) as well as a desperate need to wash our clothes, persuaded us to cut our day at 10 miles, we did climb a mountain after all. The hotel owner picked us up at the trailhead, took us to get our mail drop and (really) gave us his best room. Like the owner of the last place we stayed this guy is of South Asian descent. I wish people who denigrate "those people" could experience the hospitality we've been shown. Tomorrow we cross into Vermont where the AT runs concurrent with The Long Trail for 105 miles. It's the oldest long distance hiking trail in the US, constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club. The trail runs through remote areas with very few road  crossings. I think all of  Vermont is pretty remote. The population of the state capitol is only around 30,000. Thruhiking the AT is too big an undertaking for me to fully comprehend. Seriously, 2,186 miles? We divide the AT into roughly 60 mile chunks. That's four days of hiking, contingent on terrain and weather. Each day we have a goal, a shelter or camping spot. We divide the day even further, selecting a lunch or break spot. I did the same thing in cycling. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, 90% of hiking is half mental.
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

After an invigorating three-mile climb out of the Hoosiac River Valley followed by a mile or so of ridge line rock hopping we entered Vermont, different state, same mud. In fact, some hikers call the state Ver-mudd. I'm not giving up on it but I would like to be able to take my eyes off the trail long enough to appreciate how beautiful everything is. On foot at a two-mile an hour pace the change in plant life and geology is subtle and slow. Over the last 30 miles more marble is cropping up. The forest is thicker. The rocks are covered in moss. I don't know if we will ever get to eat a blackberry. We seem to be moving north with the blossoms. Hush and I are settled into our first Vermont shelter. The are four sleeping platforms capable of holding eight people. When we showed up there were four men, each happily claiming a two-person platform. They made room for us and were friendly but you could see the disappointment in their eyes. Sorry guys, but we are not putting up a tent in the rain so y'all can have a luxury suite. Here's to the hope of a good nights sleep and an early and dry start in the morning. It'll be the beginning of week seven.
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

So far tonight Hush and I are the only ones here at the Goddard Shelter, 3573 feet up Glastenbury Mountain, Vermont. We'd planned to summit today and go on to the next shelter but a wicked afternoon thunderstorm changed our minds. In the space of what seemed like minutes what had been a sunny day went dark, the winds kicked up, thunder rumbled the lightening cracked and marble sized hail poured out of the sky along with the rain. There's not a lot you can do but put on your rain gear and keep hiking, even if you're hiking up the tallest mountain you've climbed on the AT. I know this is starting to sound like a broken record but tomorrow we climb one even higher. We have on our long underwear and down jackets. I'm trying to dry out my perpetually wet shoes. Steam is rising from the inside. I had a cup of hot tea after I got cleaned up and changed clothes. I used it to chase some Stove Top Stuffing, beef jerky, smoked almonds, a honey bun and some Cheetos. Yum!We need to do 19.3 miles tomorrow, including the climb of Stratton Mountain, 3,936 feet. In order to do that we're getting up at 4:45 A.M. so we can begin hiking at dawn. It's going to be a long day, Tater but there ain't nothing else I'd rather be doing.
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: overcast clouds

POSTING THREE DAYS OF UPDATES. PLEASE LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS. Our goal today was the Stratton Pond Shelter. We knew nothing about it except that for the first time, we'd be expected to pay a fee. Hopefully, we thought, it has electricity, running water, trash cans.We had yesterday's shelter to ourselves so it was no problem getting up at 4:45 A.M. and getting ready, no need to be quiet. We made great time all morning despite more rain and the perpetually muddy trail. We had 10 miles done shortly after lunch. Hush took a scary spill over a slick boulder. Despite a scrape and what is sure to be a spectacular bruise, she shook it off and kept hiking.About 2:00 P.M. we crossed the gravel road that marks the beginning of the ascent of Stratton Mountain. There was a van parked there and behind it were a small group of 20-somethings with their shiny hair, clean clothes, and their backpacking gear. They all look like they'd slept in and then went to an all you can eat buffet. I hated them.  No way were they going to beat us up that mountain and claim our spots at the fancy shelter. With Hush leading the way, we assaulted that mountain. We kicked its ass. Stopping only long enough to chew a few caramels, we charged past 3,900 feet with energy to spare. It's a great climb. It was at this summit that the AT's founder, Benton McCay conceived the idea for a national scenic trail. We were pretty inspired at the summit ourselves - by the moose cow standing there looking at us. Score!I don't know what happened to the happy campers. We never saw them again. Maybe the mud, rocks and steepness sent them back to their van in search of pizza and a new blow dryer. We blew down the mountain like the veterans we've become, racing for the super shelter we'd been dreaming about for nearly 20 miles. Guess what? It's just another shelter. Not much different than the others along the trail - except you have to pay for your plywood bunk.
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

It finally happened. We were driven from the shelter last night by roof rattling snoring. There were three men, one on either side and one above us. After 90 minutes of struggling for sleep after a 19-mile day, we got up and pitched our tent in the mud, dar away from the chorus where we were finally able to get some shut-eye. A relatively quick 10-mile hike got us into Manchester Center, VT well before lunch. We paid a visit to an outfitter to get replacements for our ineffective pack covers. We then attacked a Chinese restaurant, raided a supermarket and called our hostel for pickup. Tonight we are clean and comfortable at the Green Mountain House Hostel, reputed to be the best on the AT. We are pretty impressed. Hikers have the run of a two story modern home, access to showers, laundry facilities, a computer, wi-fi, the kitchen, all the soda you want  and a pint of Ben and Jerry's.  It's close enough to town to order take out. In the morning we get a shuttle back to the trail. All this costs $25 each. Oh, and we got out own private bedroom. We got all this plus 10 miles. Our next mail drop is only 53 miles away. There is nothing in the weather forecast  but mild temps and sunshine. It's going to be a great section to hike, even with a 4,000 mountain to climb. Bring it on. I'm going to start posting the address of our next mail drop. Getting a care package would mean the world to us. Things we can use are AAA batteries, hiking socks Men's 13, ladies 8, 40% DEET, any kind of chips, Gluten Free Cookies, Candy, Little Debbie Honey Buns, Beef Jerky, Summer Sausage, CheeseLou and Carol PlummerC/O Lost River Valley Campground, 951 Lost River Rd., North Woodstock, NH 03262
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Manchester Center, VT

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

When we stay in town, especially if we have wi-fi, I usually don't go to sleep until hours after my normal 7:30 bedtime. Bad habit. I only got six hours of sleep last night. Here in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the climbs are closely spaced. By lunchtime we climbed three mountains, Bromley, Styres and Peru Peak. I felt good. Lunch was nice. I met a hiker, Blue Moon, I'd previously seen only in the shelter registers. As we'd made good time despite the climbs, we decided to treat ourselves to a power nap in the warmth of the little clearing at the shelter where we stopped. Then it happened. I realized we could stop for the day and take the mother of all naps. A small waterfall provided perfect white noise. It wasn't too hard to talk Hush into this indulgent plan. Long Trail hiker, Synth, who we met at the hostel last night was our only company. The only thing to do when we woke up was to work on making our food bags lighter. As we undertook that task, our friend Smokey came rolling in for the night, announcing he'd carried hot dogs and buns over all three mountains for us all. Boy Howdy!It's hard to imagine a better day on the AT. Our feet stayed dry for the first time in weeks. There's beautiful, well maintained trail, great vistas, plenty of water to drink, food to eat and by the morning my sleep deficit will be gone. Hush is right beside me in her sleeping bag. Life isn't just good. It's very good.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Just a couple of miles into the day cane a rock scramble reminiscent of Pennsylvania or southern New York. It looked like a vertical line on the elevation profile of our guide. I knew it was coming but I wasn't dreading it. With things becoming increasingly more difficult as we make our way north through New England, our confidence level has risen to the point where we aren't too intimidated anymore. We know the most difficult part of the trail is just a couple of weeks away. Anything that seems hard now will pale in comparison to what the White Mountains of New Hampshire are going to hit us with. I'm thankful for these mountains. It's good training. One thing we can't train for are the insects. On the descent from the rock scramble (Baker Peak) we hit a patch of mosquitoes so bad they we biting my scalp through my hair. Hush doesn't like DEET but she was slathering it on today. I'm lying in our tent covered with bugs trying desperately to get in and sting, bite or otherwise harass us. I can't post a picture of the funniest thing we saw today, a group of 12 older men celebrating Naked Hiking Day. Sporting boots, socks, trekking poles and nothing else they were resting at White Rocks north of Danby, VT. Hush was not amused. I found it hilarious and actually did take a picture. When I get home, I'll be glad to show you. I took a lot of great pictures today, seriously: the view from Baker Peak, a beautiful mountain pond, a random collection of cairns near White Rocks. Sometimes it gets a little monotonous walking through a green tunnel of trees, staring at rocks, roots and mud. I weighed myself at the hostel in Manchester Center. So far I'm losing around two lbs. a week. No wonder I think about food so much. Rumor has it there's a diner .5 miles off the trail tomorrow about eight miles from here. See you there around 10:00 A.M.