morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-03
From: Mt Argo Shelter

To: West Cornwall Road then Bearded Woods
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked 16.2 miles today from Mt Algo Shelter to West Cornwall Road where I was picked up by "Hudson" to spend the evening at "Bearded Woods One-of-a-Kind Bunk and Dine" - A family style dinner and breakfast await with free slack packing to Salisbury tomorrow. Hudson is a two-time AT thru-hiker with plans for a third on the horizon. He and Big Lu offer great accomodations in their beautiful home. Last evening, I enjoyed sharing some conversation with two young physicians in the Mount Argo Shelter. "Melted Soul" had recently left his job as an ER doctor in Florida and was joined by his yet to be trail-named friend for a week who was a Cardiology Fellow. Melted Soul, like several other hikers I met today are "flip-flopping" the trail - they started in Harper's Ferry, will hike North to Mount Katahdin, and then fly back to Harper's Ferry to hike South to Springer Mountain, GA. The Appalchian Trail Conservancy was promoting such an approach earlier this years to help even out some of the foot traffic on the trail which is growing each year and was expected to surge in 2016 as a result of the several recent hiking movies, one with Reese and one with what's his name...The trail in CT continued to be challenging with steep ups and downs, with the exception of a walk along the Housatonic River that was nearly 4 miles long. Streams for refilling water were plentiful although with a little drizzle during most of the morning and cooler temps, need to hydrate was less than its been. For anyone mildly interested in the River - here's some Wikipedia info:Indigenous people began using the river area for fishing and hunting at least 6,000 years ago. By 1600, the inhabitants were mostly Mohicans and may have numbered 30,000.[7]The river's name is derived from the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place" or "river of the mountain place".[7][8] It is referred to in the deed by which a group of twelve colonists called "The Proprietors" captured the land now called Shermanand New Fairfield as "Ousetonack".[9] It was referred to by Samuel Orcutt as "more properly the Howsatunnuck" and an early name of "Oweantinock" is also mentioned.[10] The river was also known as the Potatuck or the "river of the falls" until the 18th century.[8][11]The river passes through land that was formerly occupied primarily by native people of Algonquian lineage, typically living in villages of two to three hundred families housed in hide wigwams.[11][12] These native inhabitants burned the forests along the Housatonic Valley in the autumn to keep the underbrush down, a practice which was customary throughout Connecticut prior to European settlement.[13]One notable native was Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke tribe, who still hold a portion of the former reservation on the west side of the Housatonic River, in what is now called the town of Kent.[9]
Date: 2016-06-05
From: Salisbury amd then Bearded Woods

To: US 7, then Jess Treat Hostel
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: moderate rain

Today's hike covered 21.8 miles, first in a little rain, later just cool and breezy, and then topped off with a windy downpour. While there were several significant elevation changes, first to Bear Mountain CT, then to Mount Race, and last to Mount Everett, the first 11-12 miles of the hike were some of the prettiest to date. In the process, I left CT and am now in MA for about another 75 miles.The hike ended near the place where the last battle of Shay's rebellion was fought and I am staying at Jess Treat hostel in Sheffield MA trying to dry out.Some interesting aspects about today - 1) Summitted Bear Mountain, the highest ground in CT at 2316 feet. A monument built in 1865 marks the site2) Tiptoed the steep, eastern ridgeline cliff face of Mount Race which offered expansive views of the Housatonic River valley and Berkshires to the east. 3) Walked through a ravine that was like something out of Jurassic Park - Sages Ravine "tumbles down a beautiful section of forest and rock along the extreme western tip of Connecticut and Massachusetts' borderline." Dark forest and steep hills nearly cover the ravine which is also dense with ferns.4) Crossed the place where the last battle of Shays Rebellion was fought. Here's a refresher on this topic from Wikipedia,-"Shays¢ Rebellion is the name given to a series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt. Although farmers took up arms in states from New Hampshire to South Carolina, the rebellion was most serious in Massachusetts, where bad harvests, economic depression, and high taxes threatened farmers with the loss of their farms. The rebellion took its name from its symbolic leader, Daniel Shays of Massachusetts, a former captain in the Continental army.The uprising in Massachusetts began in the summer of 1786. The rebels tried to capture the federal arsenal at Springfield and harassed leading merchants, lawyers, and supporters of the state government. The state militia, commanded by Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, crushed the rebels in several engagements in the winter of 1787. Shays and the other principal figures of the rebellion fled first to Rhode Island and then to Vermont.Although it never seriously threatened the stability of the United States, Shays¢ Rebellion greatly alarmed politicians throughout the nation. Proponents of constitutional reform at the national level cited the rebellion as justification for revision or replacement of the Articles of Confederation, and Shays¢ Rebellion figured prominently in the debates over the framing and ratification of the Constitution"Sent from my iPad
Date: 2016-06-06
From: US 7, then Jess Treat Hostel

To: Shaker Campsite,
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked 17.6 miles today after picking up a resupply box from home (thank you Kim) and being dropped off at the trailhead on Route 7 (Sheffield / Great Barrington area of MA) by hostel owner Jess Treat (thank you Jess). Finished the day at "Shaker Campsite" where there is just one other hiker staying tonight - a woman whose trail name is "Merry Christmas" from PA. Merry Christmas takes a week each year to hike a section of the AT. The trail was relatively bland today which is not a bad thing after picking up a large resupply. The weather was mid-70s with a slight breeze. Plenty of water along the trail as there has been for several days. The two highlights of the day involved Beavers and Shakers.1) Beavers - At mile 1533.7 I came upon a pond which had a number of old, dead trees standing in it, and a number of old dead trees laying in its south end. As I glanced back toward the pond's edge along the trail, I spotted the biggest beaver I had ever seen. By the time I got my mini-IPad out of my pack, the beaver had slid into the water...so all I can give you is a head shot and then an image I found on the web which approximates his/her size. I was amazed at how big a number of the fallen trees were and how precise their trunks had been cut.Some fun facts about beavers you may not have known from Wikipedia - Beaver (genus Castor) is a primarily nocturnal, large, semiaquatic rodent. Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators, and to float food and building material. The North American beaver population was once more than 60 million, but as of 1988 was 6¢12 million. This population decline is the result of extensive hunting for fur, for glands used as medicine and perfume, and because the beavers' harvesting of trees and flooding of waterways may interfere with other land uses.   They use powerful front teeth to cut trees and other plants that they use both for building and for food. In the absence of existing ponds, beavers must construct dams before building their lodges. First they place vertical poles, then fill between the poles with a crisscross of horizontally placed branches. They fill in the gaps between the branches with a combination of weeds and mud until the dam impounds sufficient water to surround the lodge.2) Shakers - I am camping just above what is believed to be the ruins of a small barn that was part of a Shaker Village that existed here for about 100 years beginning in the late 1700's. See picture in photo journal. Shakers lived communally in dormitories and their worship involved dancing...you might guess that they weren't greeted with open arms in these parts at that time.   They were primarily farmers, but also produced maple syrup. While their demise is not well recorded, they were completely out of this area by 1876.Sent from my iPad
Date: 2016-06-07
From: Shaker Campsite,

To: October Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Hiked 18.7 miles from Shaker Campsite to October Mountain Shelter. It rained a bunch last night, but besides a little water on the corners of my tent floor, everything was good and dry when I woke up. While the rain held off today until I reached the Shelter (at which time the sky opened up), the trail was saturated in a number of places, including sections which were flowing like streams. It was a muddy, slippy, sloppy mess.There are three other hikers at October Mountain Shelter, two friends heading northbound for a week, and one solo hiker doing a section moving Southbound. It has been raining on and off with more in the forecast. I hope to get to a churchtomorrow evening in Cheshire which apparently puts up hikers for the evening. The trail today was very similar to the day before. Lots of stream crossings, several beautiful ponds, short but steep ups and downs, and a good amount of relatively flat runs. Heavily forested, so even when the sun shown, it was cool and shady. Highlights of the day included a walk along what I imagine Walden Pond looked like, crossing over the Mass Pike and seeing the AT sign - this time from the trail, and seeing more beaver works of art on trees by ponds that use to be streams. The Mass Pike sign was particularly moving as it is the one I would pass traveling from Boston to visit my dad in Upstate New York in his last years of life.Sent from my iPad
Date: 2016-06-08
From: October Mountain Shelter

To: Cheshire - St,Mary of the Asuumption Church
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: few clouds

Hiked 21.1 miles today from October Mountain Shelter to Cheshire, MA where I am staying in the church hall of St Mary of the Assumption Church. The trail was relatively flat today, wet and soggy for the first part of the day, but generally puddle-free after that. The trail through a portion of Dalton MA and Cheshire MA as well. It was interesting to see a number of very old but well-kept homes as well as an old mill building which looked like it still had some type of ongoing manufacturing. The Moumtains in this section of the AT are known as The Berkshires. You may be most familiar with the Berkshires compliments of Sweet Baby James -"The first of December was covered with snow, So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to BostonThe Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frostingWith ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go." There may actually be some frost on the Bershires tomorro ,as the temperature is dropping rapidly due to a cold fromt moving through.   Wikepedia has this to say about these mountains:"The Berkshires is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The term "Berkshires" is normally used by locals in reference to the portion of the mountain range that lies within Massachusetts. The portion of the Berkshires that extends into Connecticut is commonly referred to by locals as either the Northwest Hills or Litchfield HillDuring the American Revolution a Continental Army force under Henry Knox brought captured cannons from Fort Ticonderoga by ox-drawn sleds south along the west bank of the Hudson River from the fort to Albany where he then crossed the Hudson. Knox and his men continued east through the Berkshires and finally arrived in Boston. This feat, known as the "Noble train of artillery", was accomplished in the dead of winter, 1775-1776."After reading that American Revolution story, I promise not to whine tomorrow after climbing Mount Greylock, which at 3491 feet is the highest peak in MA.One of my favorite things about this part of the trail are the Birch Trees. I included a picture above which helps explain why. Sent from my iPad
Date: 2016-06-09
From: Cheshire - St,Mary of the Asuumption Church

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked 21.1 miles from St Mary's church in Cheshire MA to the Seth Warner Shelter in Vermont, crossing into the Green Mountain State at about 3:00 pm. The Appalachian Trail and Vermont's Long Trail are concurrent for 105 miles with the Long Trail turning west at mile 1701. The highlight of the day was hiking over MOUNT GREYLOCK, MA's highest point and the focal point of the state's wilderness park. A plaque at the top of the summit notes that the area contains Massachusetts' only subalpine forest. The summit also hosts the 1932 War Memorial Tower, the state's official monument to its fallen soldiers. The picture above is the Memorial getting a facelift.
Date: 2016-06-10
To: GODDARD SHELTER
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: few clouds

Hilked 21.6 miles today to the Goddard Shelter (picture above). The shelter and surrounding tenting area are full of hikers mostly doing a section of Vermont's Long Trail which runs from the MA border all the way up to Canada. Am now in the Green Mountain National Forest. My observation so far is that it is one of the more densely populated forests (tree coverage)I have walked through in the NORTHEAST with a rich underbelly of green plants and bushes. That said, today was the quietest from a sounds of birds perspective and leanest in terms of wildlife spotted. Maybe that's because they all went back to hibernating - the temps at nite are in the low 40's and wind gusts have been up to 25 mph. Apparently, several inches of snow fell on Mount Washington this week with wind gusts up to 85 mph!
Date: 2016-06-11
From: GODDARD SHELTER

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 19.3 miles from Goddard Shelter to Stratton Pond Shelter.   The highlight of the day was the 1800 foot ascent and crossing of Stratton Mountain, the summit on which Benton MacKaye was inspired to propose creation of the AT. The only thing that dampened the event was a downpour which soaked right through my rain gear. My hands were so cold I couldn't zipper my rain jacket up at one point on the walk.   I got to Stratton Pond Shelter at about 3:30 but decided not to push on as the rain had stopped, but the wind was strong and I was chilled to the bone. About a half dozen other hikers had decided to do the same thing. One of the hikers was "Darwin" who with his wife was completing about 500 miles of the trail they had not finished last year. Darwin had gotten Lyme disease last year while hiking through PA. After struggling for days and finally getting it treated at an ER, the couple returned to the Trail, only to have Darwin fall and crack a tooth. This too was treated in Emergency style, with Darwin opting to get it pulled over having a root canal. They returned to the trail once more, only to be pulled off by an illness in the family, at which point, they decided to terminate the 2015 journey and finish in 2016. When they are done, Darwin is going to hike the Pacific Coast Trail from south to north, and then bike the Pacific Coast Highway back south! Amazing!!!
Date: 2016-06-12
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Green Mountain House, Manchester Center
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 10.7 miles to where trail crosses VT 11&13, hitching a ride into Manchester Center. The morning was dry but the trail wet. A VT hiker I met yesterday said that what we were walking through in parts was a STRAIL, part stream, part trail. Looking forward to drying my body and shoes out at Green Mountain House in Manchester tonight where Jeff and Regina host hikers in their home - for $30 you get a bed, a shower, laundry, breakfast, and a ride back to the trail. How great is that!I am currently writing this from a Strabucks in Manchester Center where I will soon call Jeff for a ride to his hostel. Was fortunate to be picked up hitchhiking from the trail by Scott, a native New Jerseyan who now lives with his wife in the area. Jeff drove me to a location where my maildrop was and then to this shopping area with an EMS store and Starbucks. He is a cyclist and is empathetic to hikers looking their way to get into town.
Date: 2016-06-13
From: Green Mountain House, Manchester Center

To: Little Rock Shleter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked 19.7 miles from trailhead outside of Manchester Center, VT after being dropped off by Jeff (hostel owner). One of the hikers staying at Jeff's hostel last night was named "Hare Bear."   I had last saw him in Hiawassee GA at the top of Georgia Hostel. That was March 18th!   At the time he was just "Hare", but apparently made a lot of noise one evening trying to hang a bear bag and another hiker mistook the noise for a bear. At that point he became Hare Bear.The weather remained unseasonably cold. Until about 2:00 pm, the wind was strong and it was showering on and off. This part of the trail has offered few views, and when there were some today, fog limited the visibility. Did get one nice view at Baker's Peak and now am staying at a shelter overlooking a beautiful pond.The shelter is full of a group of high school girls who attended a one semester boarding school in Wisconsin together with a focus on environmental science. They have just completed their studies and are on a 17 day hiking trip together before heading back to their respective homes/states. There is also a group of 3 friends from MA. who are college age and doing a section of the AT, and "Portage", an AT thru-hiker taking a semester off from Yale where he is majoring in English. Hopefully all of the body heat will take the edge off the cold.
Date: 2016-06-14
From: Little Rock Shleter

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter, Mount Kiilington
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

Hiked from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, the last several hours climbing more than 2000 feet to the summit of Killington Moutain. No rain today and some spectacular scenery. Just a great all around day. One highlight was being greeted by Leo and Anna on the trail, two Russian immigrants living in Boston. They had taken a week off and were doing some day hikes in the area. When they learned I was a thru-hiker, out from their pack came a power bar, a granola bar, and a nip of Vodka! Leo was a Physical Therapist and wanted to know if I had any aches or pains he cloud help with. Amazing! They promised to drop some trail magic about 30 miles north of here...even more amazing,Besides the last 2000 foot climb, there were two others today of about 1000 feet each. That and Leo's vodka should help me sleep well tonight!
Date: 2016-06-16
From: Kent Pond, Killington...then Carol's

To: woodstock stage rosd, then carol's
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: light rain

Enjoyed a great pasta, meatball, and salad dinner last night at my friend Carol's house who then shuttled me to the Trailhead behind Mountain Meadows Lodge where I slack-packed 21.3 miles to the AT's intersection with Woodstock Stage Road outside of South Pomfret, VT. Walking with just enough food and water for the day is a real treat. The weather was perfect and the trail dry. All of the rest of my gear remained at Carol's as it will again tomorrow when I return to Woodstock Stage Road with the aim of reaching Hanover, NH by 5:00 pm.As tommorrow will be my last day in Vermomt, here are some fun facts, compliments of David Weiler about the Green Mountain State -Vermont was the first state admitted to the Union after the ratification of the Constitution.With a population of fewer than nine thousand people, Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest state capital in the U.S.Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.In ratio of cows to people, Vermont has the greatest number of dairy cows in the country.Montpelier, Is the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.Vermont's largest employer isn't Ben and Jerry's, it's IBM.Until recently, the only way a Vermonter could get a drivers license with their photo on it was to drive to MontpelierUntil 1996, Vermont was the only state without a Wal-Mart.Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream company gives their ice cream waste to the local Vermont farmers who use it to feed their hogs. The hogs seem to like all of the flavors except Mint Oreo.Vermont does not sell alcohol to out of state licenses, you must have a liquor ID in order to purchase alcohol at liquor stores and grocery stores. This doesn't apply to bars, but can affect those traveling through the state
Date: 2016-06-17
From: woodstock stage rosd, then carol's

To: Hanover, then Carlol's
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was magical. It started with Carol Haraden making me a breakfast of eggs, home fries, bagels, coffee, juice and fruit in her home in the beautiful town of Middlebury, VT; driving me 55 miles to the trailhead in South Pomfret where she picked me up yesterday; sending me off with a lunch fit for a king (not Lebron, though); and then picking me up at the end of the day after I hiked 20 miles into Hanover, NH - home of Dartmouth College. About 10 trail miles before Hanover, "Bobbi" pulled her car over as I crossed the White River in West Hartford, VT. She asked if I was a through hiker and when I said "yes", she asked if I was "NOWA" which is my trail name. She then offered me a Snicker's Bar - the hiker's candy of choice due to calories, fat, and protein. Bobbi has been following me and other hikers on Trail Journals and makes an effort to cross paths with hikers and offer them encouragement and a snack. She recognized my ridiculous beard (my words, not hers) and after we chatted a bit, she was off to find other hikers.100 yards down the street, Randy and Linda were offering hikers hotdogs, Mac salad, ice pops, raisins, and cold sodas. I had just eaten so only had one of each! If that's not enough magic for a day, when I got to Norwich, VT (just on the other side of the CT River from Hanover) out in front of "Short n Sweet" and "Greybeard's" home was a cooler full of watermelon and home made bread. I had just eaten of course so I only had one of each...30 minutes later I was in Hanover, where Carol pulled over as I was walking down the road and had ice water and a bag of chips for me for the ride back to her place for my last night's stay with her. I had just eaten of course, so only drank the water