morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-08-01
From: Great Barrington 

To: North Mt Wilcox
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: moderate rain

¢Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day.¢ I¢m not sure if singing that children¢s ditty would do us any good, but I¢m desperate at this point. I¢d love to know where this hiking season rates among the wet ones, ¢cause we just keep getting soaked! Today kicked off what is supposed to be four more consecutive days of rain. Ugh, I know the land needs it, but it really dampens people¢s spirits. I¢ve spoken with more hikers on this trail who are discouraged by the constant rain. I get it, it¢s nuts. We woke up wet because of dew this morning, packed up a wet tent. Hiked pretty much all day in the rain, with really heavy downpours in the afternoon. Thankfully it all subsided about 4pm which allowed us time to pitch our tent, and wipe it out before the next band comes through. It¢ll either make you laugh or make you cry, and either way it definitely tests your resolve to be out here.The great news in this day is that we had an excellent hiking day in spite of the rain and we didn¢t get any views to speak of, but our day was mostly spent in huge pine forests, which smell so good and feel great under your feet (even wet)! We didn¢t have any crazy, dangerous trail to hike thru, which is always nice, and we passed two ponds which continue to amaze me. These beautiful bodies of water in the middle of nowhere, and the only way you can get to them is by hiking to them. It¢s like an AT hikers private body of water. Serene, shorelines of trees and boulders...these views really enhance what was otherwise a very dreary day.One other note about today. We were shuttled to and from the trailhead by ¢papa joe¢, a trail angel in this town who helps hikers get to wherever they need to go and doesn¢t charge a dime. He accepts donations but doesn¢t ask for them. He is an amazing gentleman who I want to be like when I grow up! Joe keeps cold soda and Gatorade in his vehicle for when he picks you up at the trailhead, and knows all about the history of Great Barrington. It was a joy and privilege to meet Joe, and I hoe he is able to serve hikers for many years to come.Tomorrow we have 14 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin, our planned destination. It is a very popular place, so it will be interesting to see how many folks end up there. I¢m hoping Curly T and I will be among them!
Date: 2018-08-02
From: North Mt Wilcox Shelter 

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We hiked off the mountain and as we crossed a dirt road, we saw a hand made sign ¢AT Stand - Soda and Snacks¢. Score! A young boy living in a farm house with his family had a fridge plugged into a shed by the Road and it was filled with ice cold drinks and snacks. It¢s the first time we got a can of soda in the north for only a dollar! Nothing like an ice cold Pepsi on a warm day.At that point, we were half way to our destination, Upper Goose Pond Cabin, and were stepping on the gas to get there. This shelter is a very popular destination for south and north bounders. It is in a body of water; it¢s actually a cabin not a shelter; they have canoes to use, and the beach is amazing! And...they serve hot coffee and pancakes every morning. As a result, it fills up fast and being that we aren¢t (fast, that is), we knew we would have to hustle. Fortunately, the terrain was very kind to us, and the rain held off, allowing us to make great time. We arrived at 4pm and got one of the last bunks in the cabin!We immediately threw our gear on our beds and jumped in the lake. It was cold and refreshing, really a great way to cap off a great day of hiking. Tomorrow we have a 17 mile day which puts us right to the edge of Dalton and a 3 mile hike the next day into town. We are looking forward to town time this weekend as we make our push into Vermont!
Date: 2018-08-03
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin 

To: Kay Wood Shelter 
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: moderate rain

One of my (Flex) priorities while hiking this trail was to experience as many of the ¢special¢ places and people that have made the AT such a wonderful adventure. If you read the stories of this trail, you see the same names and places pop up over and over again with great fondness. I had hoped to meet or visit with as much of that as possible. Yesterday, staying at Upper Goose Pond Cabin was a priority for that very reason. Today, stopping at the ¢Cookie Lady¢s¢ house was another. I don¢t even know her real name. All I know is that for many, many years, she has been giving cookies to thru hikers that stop by her house, which is just off the trail. Hikers have written about her for years, so we were not going to miss out on this chance if at all possible. Curly T and I got there mid afternoon and as we were walking into her driveway, she was pulling out. I asked her if she was the Cookie Lady and she said yes, but didn¢t have any cookies for us as she was heading out. I was ok with that, but I did ask for a picture, which she graciously allowed (see pic). I told her she is a legend and thanked her for her service to hikers.Curly T and I moved on, as we had a lot of miles to hike and as usual, the bad weather was moving in. Fortunately, the hiking was favorable like the day before, and we were able to get down the trail in short order. Sadly, we were not quick enough because with an hour of hiking left in the day, all the bad weather you have been hearing about opened up on us. The sky literally went black, and the forest was so dark all I could see was the white blazes in the trees to direct us. Thunder and lightning accompanied the rain, and we found ourselves hiking not in a trail but in a river.  It was crazy how spooky it was, but all we wanted was to be under roof and to get dry.Finally the shelter appeared and we were soon under cover and out of our wet clothes. A hot meal of mashed potatoes, salami, chicken soup and pretzels warmed our stomachs. Tomorrow we only have 3 miles to the town of Dalton, where we have a motel room reserved,and hopefully a breakfast joint close by. We are excited to be dry, clean and full of town food!!
Date: 2018-08-04
From: Kay Wood Shelter

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: light rain

Our decision to stay in the shelter last night rather than pitch a tent turned out to be a wise one. We stayed in the loft of the Kay Wood Shelter and we heard rain fall all night long. We woke up to rain, and we hiked all the way into town while it rained. You get how it all went down...it was raining! And then, just as remarkably, the very moment we stepped out of the woods and into the town of Dalton, yep, you guessed it. It stopped raining! But we just didn¢t care about any of that because it was TOWN DAY! And we were gonna get clean, our clothes were too, and we were going to feed our faces...and best of all, we would be spending the next two days with cousin Alyssa. Yep, we were enjoying this day before it even got started.As we entered Dalton, which the AT passed right through, both Curly T and I fell in love with this quaint New England town. Charming little cape cod homes, rich green grass, white picket fences (yes, seriously), and all of them neatly lined up. Then we passed Tom Levardi¢s home, the one noted by hiker poles rather than a picket fence to mark the boundaries of his property. Tom has allowed hikers to tent in his back yard for at least as long as the cookie lady has been doling out her treats. We can only hope that others will pick up their torches or take on some other act of hiker kindness before too long.We reached the Shamrock Inn and checked ourselves in, ate an amazing breakfast at the Dalton Diner then came back and got cleaned up. Before long, Alyssa showed up and we have had the best day together. Shopping, food, resupply, more food, ice cream, and plans made for hiking tomorrow. We are going to hike ten miles together north and when we hit Cheshire, get an Uber back to town, grab a bite to eat, then Alyssa will drop us back in Cheshire while she heads home. We will still have another 3.5 miles to hike, but Curly T will be slack packing in the morning so it¢s all good. We are excited to get this special time with Alyssa, and perhaps we will get some more with her as we head north.Today has been a wonderful day with family, and as we continue north, are looking forward to more of the same as this grand adventure begins to wind down. Next stop - Vermont and 1600 miles!
Date: 2018-08-06
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 14.0

So, we got up and out the door for a 14 mile hike from Cheshire to Williamstown with a lunch stop in top of Mt Greylock. Curly slack packed one last day (for now), and I left all my food behind except snacks. We had a sunny and hot day in front of us, but no complaints...it beats rain! The climb up Greylock took all morning as it was an 8 mile ascent! Fortunately, it was a slow and gradual climb, which made it pretty easy. Of course Curly flew up those climbs!We arrived at the top of Greylock at noon and a nice lunch was waiting for us. We ate in Bascom Lodge, which also has a bunkhouse for those wanting to stay overnight. It was a cool place and made even cooler by the home made ice cream for sale. A bit pricy but I got home made peppermint ice cream, which I haven¢t had since I was a kid. Definitely took me back!Six more miles awaited us, as well as a hot shower and pizza, so we got moving and the rest of the day was basically downhill. Pretty easy grade and we were back at the house by 430pm. We cleaned up, ate and got our packs ready for tomorrow. We are definitely looking forward to tomorrow, even though it means saying goodbye to ¢One Foot¢s¢ family. It also means hiking into Vermont and crossing the 1600 mile mark! Gonna be a great day!
Date: 2018-08-07
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Tentsite mm 1609.5
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

Both Curly and I woke up this morning not wanting to move, let alone hike! We both agreed that the nice, soft bed we just spent 2 nights in left us wanting to be home in our own bed. And there lies the problem with spending more than one night away from the tent. It makes us soft! And we¢ve come too far to wuss out at this point...so, we sucked it up, said our farewells and hit the trail by 720am.We knew two things right from the git go...it was going to be a sweltering day and we were going to hike into Vermont, which means mud! Both were absolutely spot on! We crossed the MA/VT border about 930am, and celebrated completing our 11th state and entering our 12th. I try not to think about the distance we have come from, but it¢s hard not to when you consider that 119 days ago we were beginning this adventure in Georgia. And all we have done is follow a white 2x6 blaze marked on trees pointing north. It really is crazy and that became apparent to me this morning.We had lunch after crossing the 1600 mile marker, and put ourselves on cruise control the rest of the day. Naturally, thunder started making noise about 2pm, and just before 4pm the skies opened up . We holed up in a shelter until it blew over and we were back in trail by 5pm. Our destination was still 4 miles away and there was no way we would get there without killing ourselves, so we found a great little campsite 2 miles short, giving us just a tad over 16 for the day. Set up camp, cleaned up, ate and now we are in bed with very heavy eyelids. Tomorrow more rain is forecasted (big surprise) and we hope to do about 15 more miles...we shall see!
Date: 2018-08-08
From: Tent site mm 1609.5

To: Tent site mm 1626.5
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

We stealth camped last night because we could not make it to our planned stop point. It¢s getting tougher now to get up and around at our usual times because it¢s not light at 515am anymore. I got out at 530am and we did our typical morning routine and did hit the trail by 7am. The first two miles were a steep descent down huge rocks. I was so glad we didn¢t attempt that at the end of the day yesterday! Then as usual, it was a steep ¢up¢ and it seemed like that¢s what we did all day. It really beat us up good, especially Curly. She had a rough day and I thought she did great all things considered, she kept pushing through and in the end, we got to where we needed to get. This hike is only going to get more challenging as we get closer to the end. Finding ways to minimize that difficulty is something I need to figure out, especially for Curly¢s sake.After lunch and with 8 more miles to hike, we set out for Glastonbury Mountain. It was the highest peak of the day, and I thought there were enough flat spots along the way to help us get our breath back. But the final ascent up was a doozy! Straight up and about a half mile long! Extremely taxing on the legs and lungs, but 2 cool things at the top. Clear, ice cold mountain water from a stream by the shelter, and the fire tower at the top of the summit.We then made a dash for the shelter about 4 miles away and of course the rain came in late afternoon. By the time we arrived at the shelter all the good tent spots were taken, so we put the packs back on and kept walking. 30 minutes later we came upon a ¢one tent¢ stealth site about 50 feet from a nice, gurgling spring. Fortunately the rain stopped just long enough for us to pitch our tent, eat dinner and jump in the sack. I think Curly crapped out the moment her head hit the pillow! I¢m not far behind...tomorrow it¢s Stratton Mountain and one day closer to town!
Date: 2018-08-09
From: Tent site mm 1626.5

To: Stratton Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

So that¢s what today was all about. Fortunately, we only had one big climb today, Stratton Mountain, and the terrain and grade was a bit more forgiving (except the mud). We climbed up through magnificent stands of huge pine trees, every time a breeze came through the scent from those pines was like walking through a Christmas tree lot. In the parts of the trail that were dry, your feet would crunch the pine needles and feel so soft on the pads of your feet. It was a challenging climb, but not one as difficult as yesterday. We arrived at the top and it was 50 degrees with wind chill! For the first time probably since the Smokies in late April, we actually were chilled.After a snack and a trip up to the top of the old fire tower (me, not Curly), we headed north for our final 3.5 miles to Stratton Pond Shelter. We arrived at 430pm and called it a day...our earliest finish in like forever! Cleaned up, ate dinner and socialized with the folks here tonite. Really a lot of fun to hang out and chit chat when you¢re not so exhausted like we normally are. All in all a great day, and tomorrow only 10 miles to the road we hope to hitch a ride from into Manchester Center.
Date: 2018-08-10
From: Stratton Pond Shelter 

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: scattered clouds

That¢s right...Town Day! Today we woke up with a meager ten plus miles between us and perishable food. I¢m telling you, if I didn¢t get out of the way, Curly would¢ve run me over. She claims her pace was due to flat terrain; I say it¢s because of the ¢town day¢ effect. We were on trail by 645am and hit our road crossing at 1130am, honestly a record. Just as we crossed the road and stuck out our thumbs, a trail angel pulled into the parking area and dropped off Tumbles and Will-in-Motion. Apparently they told the driver we were not serial killers or panhandlers because he immediately opened his trunk and motioned for us to get in. Five minutes later we were dropped off in the center of cute, tony, sophisticated and might I add, expensive Manchester Center, Vermont. Very cool place, one where rich people and smelly hikers coexist in almost perfect harmony.First up, big honking burritos with chips, salsa and limeade. Then a big bowl of ice cream (coffee, maple walnut, and vanilla if you were wondering). Then, Starbucks vanilla bean Frappuccino. By the way, I weighed myself today after avoiding the scales for the past month and a half. I¢ve actually gained back seven pounds (wonder how)! Then, resupply at the local grocer. We bought 3 days of food plus dinner to cook for ourselves tonite. Finally, pickup by Jeff who runs Green Mountain House Hostel. What an amazing place. Jeff has this hostel down pat. Super nice, cleanest hostel on trail, tied with Quarterway Inn, and a well oiled machine. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to stay here, it¢s a treat. And I failed to mention that with your stay, you get to buy one pint of Ben & Jerrys ice cream for a buck! A buck people! Anywhere else in America you know what a buck gets you? Nothing. Nada. Zip. But here at this incredible hostel, a pint of ice cream. But I digress.So we got to the hostel, cleaned up, did laundry, and Curly took a nap. I strategized for the rest of our time in Vermont, which I hope to be in New Hampshire in one week. We shall see. Dinner was thick cut pork chops, saut©ed spinach with mushrooms, cucumber/tomato salad, and gluten free toast. Ice cream for dessert. It was a great day and I¢m thankful for days like this. A chance to rest the body, socialize with hikers you might not see on the trail, and get calories in the body. Check, check and check.Tomorrow morning it¢s back to hiking and naturally the forecast is for rain (shocker). But tonite, we are dry, clean, with full bellies and happy hearts.
Date: 2018-08-11
From: Manchester Center 

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

We rested well and woke up refreshed and ready for the day ahead, a day in which we acknowledged 4 months on the trail. It¢s hard to conceive that we have been away from home this long, and as much as we miss and love the folks back home, we really are savoring these final weeks on the AT.Dropped off at the trailhead, we headed north to climb the first of three mountains in this day. We had a pretty easy hike up Bromley Mountain, which is also a ski resort. When we got to the summit, we discovered that the ski lift was running and they allowed thru hikers to ride it all the way down and back up for free! Diversionary tactic number one for the day. So we hopped on and enjoyed magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. After an hour of goofing off, we got back on trail to hike over our second mountain, Styles Peak. It was a little tougher of a climb than previously, but we were rewarded once again with great views and a lunch break. Diversionary tactic number two.After lunch we still had 7.5 miles to go before the day was finished so we set out for our third climb, Baker Peak. It was the most challenging climb because it was a fair amount of scaling rock faces. Curly went right on up like a champ, and we got best views of the day! It was actually cold up on top, as the sun was hidden behind the clouds all day. We got moving not only to warm up, but to make our final push to Lost Pond Shelter. We got in about 530pm and have our tent pitched in front of the shelter. The water source is a large stream below us whose sound is very soothing tonite. We are bundled up as the temps are headed into the low 50¢s and rain is threatening. It is not even 8pm and Curly is out like a light. Time for Flex to do the same.
Date: 2018-08-12
From: Lost zooms Shelter 

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter 
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Speaking of little things, we were on the trail for about an hour when a family of backpackers came towards us from the opposite direction. Leading from the front were two little twin boys, couldn¢t have been more than four years old. They were dressed in hiker gear to the nines. Bandanas on both heads, hiking boots, backpacks, water bottles, it was incredible. I said ¢good morning boys, you guys look ready to hike¢, and the one out front said in a loud, enthusiastic voice, ¢This is so AWESOME!¢ I was grinning from ear to ear, as was Curly! The Dad had the family dog on a leash and he was clearly enjoying himself, as was Mom, who brought up the rear. We both got a huge kick out of those boys.Later in the afternoon, up top of White Rocks, we came across two Rock Gardens. According to our guide, these gardens were built by magical woodland gnomes! Not sure who actually built the garden, but they both were really cool. Random rock cairns all over the place, and in such a remote location. Again this is the kind of stuff nobody will ever see unless they thru hike.Today¢s hike all throughout the day was beautiful. The scenery and terrain that is. We hiked at mountaintop level through huge stands of pines. We haven¢t seen anything like it since Roan Mountain in Tennessee. The Vermont mountains are lush and green, and we are finally back to seeing clear, cool delicious mountain water. It¢s about time.We actually finished hiking just shy of 15 miles at 4pm, which never happens. We pitched our tent ate dinner and socialized with thru hikers Sunrise and Tuck. Tomorrow we are going to hike over Killington Mountain,the second highest mountain in Vermont. Better than that, there is a ski lodge at the top that has a restaurant we are hoping will be open when we get there. Curly is counting on real food for dinner tomorrow night, so we will need to hoof it. We shall see!
Date: 2018-08-13
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter 

To: Churchill Scott Shelter 
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: moderate rain

Today was definitely a great day of hiking, but also a serious gut check for the remaining 490.9 miles that will come. Yes, we finished our day smack dab on mike marker 1700! That was very cool. We also passed the ¢500 miles to Katahdin ¢ sign earlier today, which was also cool. We hiked 18.5 miles today, which was very cool, especially because we did it here I Vermont (although the motivation was food, as usual). But in the midst of all the cool, we see that some change is definitely going to take place.First, the terrain is getting more rugged and challenging. We spent what seemed like the entire day going ¢up¢. I know that¢s not totally correct, but it felt that way. We did hike up and out of Clarendon Gorge, and hiked over Killington Mountain all in one day. I¢m very proud of Curly for her effort today, she really showed up big time. The climbs are only getting bigger and more difficult.Second, the weather is definitely changing. It feels like in the past two days that we went from summer to fall almost instantaneously. I love this weather (except the rain); the temps are perfect for hiking and the skies are overcast which is awesome as well. But it¢s definitely getting colder. Ugh.Third, we are needing to get into town more often to look after our bodies. They are feeling the effects of 4 months of continuous hiking. Three days max in on the trail and then a town day. We were doing 5-6 days at a time, but nutrition and rest are more important than ever as we close the gap on this hike.Tomorrow we have a 4 mile nearo into Rutland, where we are staying at the Inn At Long Trail. It¢s a favorite of ours with a great Irish pub that serves the best Irish stew! In addition, we get to meet with friends who live up here, once again enjoying the relationships that make this adventure so special.Wednesday it¢s back on trail with the intent to be finished with Vermont and entering New Hampshire on Friday, and spending the weekend with Curly¢s sister Donna and the fam. Can¢t wait!