morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-25
From: Tom Leonard Lean-to

To: Tyringham MA
Miles today: 13.0

Bama and I were feeling rather luxurious last night since we had a 10-person shelter all to ourselves. Or so we thought. The first visitors barged in at dusk - thousands of mosquitoes screeched in our ears ("Are the mosquitos still screaming, Clarisse?") as we lay ensconced in head nets trying to fall asleep. Next up, the pitter-patter of little mouse feet could be heard throughout the rafters. Whatever. I was frankly too tired to care. But our 1:30AM visitor did get my attention. I awoke to Bama shining her headlamp toward the picnic table. Actually, a loud sawing sound had started to creep into my consciousness before then, making me think "These mice are really big or they've learned to use power tools!" When Bama focused her light on the beast, we could see it was a small porcupine gnawing away at the seat of the picnic table right outside the shelter. The way the little guy was going at it, I don't expect there will be a picnic table there much longer!Today's hike was a fairly easy, somewhat hot and buggy stroll into the small town of Tyringham, where once again we are doing our best homeless impersonation and sleeping in the town's pavillion. Our guide book said to seek permission from the local fire chief first. We've walked up and down the (one) street of Tyringham, even knocked on his door but cannot find him. We figure if he finds us here, disapproves, and throws us in jail, the accommodations there might be a step up from here. However, this pavillion is the Hyatt Regency next to the one we stayed in at Port Clinton PA. There's a pleasant breeze blowing at the moment and my picnic table bed sould suit me fine. A small stream behind the pavillion even permitted a bandana bath and a rinsing of our nasty, sweaty clothes.When I return to work, will Brian (perhaps having read some of these entries) insist I camp in FL state parks when I travel for the online program? Might be no more Hampton Inns in my future.
Date: 2006-07-26
From: Tyringham MA

To: Upper Goose Pond Shelter
Miles today: 8.1

So my nice little Tyringham pavillion turned into something out of an alien flick after dark, only instead of "Day of the Triphids" we had "Night of the Skeeters." I was devoured all night by swarms of the bastards. Between the slapping and scratching, I may have gotten two hours of sleep. When the sun came up, they were gone again... apparently these bugs are just nightime foragers. Should have pitched my tent last night, but there were no mosquitoes hanging around in the afternoon or early evening so it didn't seem necessary. Then later on after the attack I didn't dare leave the armor of my sleeping bag to go pitch it in the dark.But that's all behind me now as I sit on the porch of Upper Goose Pond Shelter basking in the cool breeze blowing in off the lake.   This is one of those places I have been reading about in AT books for years, so we treated ourselves to a low mileage day to give ourselves time to (as Bama says) "enjoy the hell outta that porch!"I've already been for a swim in the lake, which is the perfect temperature--refreshing but not numbingly cool. This afternoon I plan to read in the hammock (there's a hammock here!) and perhaps nap a little to make up for the lack of sleep last night. And to top it all off, theres a caretaker here who makes blueberry pancakes for hikers in the morning. And the bunkhouse has doors and windows with screens which means "Night of Skeeters II" will not be playing at a shelter near me tonight. I have reached nirvana.
Date: 2006-07-27
From: Upper Goose pond

To: Kay Wood Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: haze

Note to self: stuffing a stack of blueberry pancakes down your gullet at 6:30AM and then hiking will make you feel like throwing up until 8:30AM. Practice some restraint. (But damn they were good! Thanks Deborah!)Today's hike was mostly over flat or gently rolling terrain, which helped us do some bigger miles. One highlight of the day came with our visit to the "Cookie Lady's" house. (No, I am not making this up.)Marilyn Wiley and her husband Roy own a home and blueberry farm just 0.1 mile from where the AT crosses some random road near Dalton MA and she is known for the homemade cookies she makes for thru-hikers. The Cookie Lady wasn't home but her husband treated us to some cookies and let us fill up our bottles with water. Standing in his garage, I suddenly exclaimed "Is that a 1970 Opel GT?!" It was a replica of a car I drove through college, only his still runs. What a hoot!You never see these cars anymore cuz they were such lemons - at least mine was. Purchased it second hand in 1983 for $400 and probably put over $4000 into it over three or four years to keep it running. Cute little red speed buggy, but what a bag-o-bolts. Brought back lots of memories (mostly of repair bills I couldn't afford) to see Roy's car there.A few miles later at another road crossing, we ran into the father of Mom. We've been missing Windtalker and Mom by minutes it seems lately, but we see her parents regularly. Today though Vince (Mom's dad) had a very specific trail magic waiting for me: a bag of citrus flavored luna bars - my favorite! I must have mentioned how much I liked them to Windtalker and Mom, so they bagged up a bunch for me.  That was so sweet, guys--thanks!I also ate one of your spaghetti marinara meals for dinner tonight, so the latter part of today's calories were a direct result of you generosity. Between blueberry pancakes, Cookie Lady's cookies, Luna bars, and spaghetti, I am feeling very well fed today. Burp.
Date: 2006-07-28
From: Kay Wood Shelter

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

What a fun day! Hiked a big three miles into Dalton MA and ate a big breakfast at a local diner. Then we arranged for my friend Jeanna's dad to come pick us up...Judy and Sylvano Mastrodicasa very generously agreed to let us stay with them. Poor Sylvano drove us all over Massachusetts this morning to pick up our North Adams mail drop and visit various camping supply stores for fuel, boot insoles, and the all important Deet. We spent the afternoon cleaning up and trying to figure out how to work a new washer and drier that may require computer programming skills to operate. Jeanna's Uncle Ed and Aunt Ellen came over for dinner, which was fantastic... sausage and ziti with all kinds of fresh herbs and veggies from Ed and Ellen's garden, including a dessert with their hand-picked raspberries and blueberries. What a treat! Ed and Ellen are quite the outdoorsy types and they have hiked a good bit of the AT north of us (including Greylock, the Whites, Katahdin), so it was interesting to hear what is in store for us in the weeks ahead. Judy and Sylvano have been wonderful hosts...it's easy to see why Jeanna turned out to be the wonderful person she is AND why the last thru-hiker they hosted stayed for three weeks! We promised we'd try to move on faster, although it looks like they are stuck with us for one more night. Sylvano very kindly offered to drive us to the top of Mt. Greylock in the morning so we can slack-pack down its south side in the 90+ degree temps predicted for tomorrow.Megan and Erica, thank you so much for the box of treats! Love all the neat chocolate-laden snacks from Wards (I miss Wards!) and those energy bars will keep me from having to cook breakfast for days, which is a nice break in this heat. The Mountain House dinners and desserts are great, too--all flavors I like.Loved everyone's letters, readings, and the mad-libs are a hoot! Should provide some evening shelter enertainment. John, thank you for the olive-oil packets (they're ingenious!) and your words of encouragement. Loved your pictures, especially the one of use bundled up like Nanook of the North. It's hard for me to believe with our current heat that I will ever need to wear that many layers of clothing out here again. But one can only hope! Off to bed now...in an actual bed in a room with a door and windows! Think I'll read myself to sleep with one of Jeanna's Nancy Drew books (I love that you still have these. Ya killing me!)
Date: 2006-07-29
From: Dalton MA

To: Bascam Lodge, Mt Greylock
Miles today: 17.0

Today's slack-pack made for a very enjoyable hike down the southwest side of Mt. Greylock. Trails were a bit muddy in parts from yesterday's rain, but the temps remained cooler at the higher elevations and it was a better day for mosquitoes.Our favorite part of the hike was being dropped off at the top of Mt. Greylock by Jeanna's dad. After a great breakfast, Sylvano dutifully drove us up to the mountain. As the car climbed, it grew foggier and foggier. At the top you could barely see 10 feet, the wind was blowing, and the temps were probably in the 60's. Had to put my rain jacket on for warmth initially (it was off again in an hour). In other words, I was in heaven! No heat stroke! No bugs! Sylvano looks around (as best he can in the fog), doesn't see another soul around, and exclaims "Are you girls gonna be okay? I feel like I am abandoning you!" I guess he was rather unaccustomed to dropping women off in such conditions. We just laughed and wandered off and he agreed to pick us up in Vermont in case we headed in the wrong direction on the trail (it was a little tricky to figure out at first). I know I have family, friends, and colleagues who are generally concerned for my welfare, but this was the first time in 1500+ miles that someone worriedly voiced "What are you DOING out here?" Made me smile. I think Sylvano was relieved to get our call at about 4PM to hear that we had made it back to Dalton safely, albeit a little damper than we started out due to a half hour thunder storm that drenched us.After a run to the store for odds and ends and a heavenly hot shower to wash the day's trail off, we enjoyed Pittsfield's finest pizza from Eastside Cafe with Judy and Sylvano and their friends (also) Judy and Brian. Apparently Jeanna will not leave this town during visits until she has had her Eastside pizza, and I can see why - delicious! And we had a great time talking with Judy and Brian... such fun people and a blueberry pie that was to die for, made from scratch by Jeanna's mom.Bama and I plan to lock ourselves into our bedrooms in the morning so we will not have to leave this wonderful home and its enertaining occupants. We have been so taken care of here. When I wake up in our next shelter up the trail, I just know there won't be two place settings waiting for us at the picnic table with cereal and blueberry muffins. Our stay at the Mastrodicasa home will definitely be a highlight of our journey.Tomorrow, we'll head north again with full packs...back to our REAL jobs. Vermont beckons!
Date: 2006-07-30
From: Bascam Lodge, Mt Greylock

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: few clouds

Sylvano put us back on the trail around 9AM in a fog as thick as yesterday's, but I think he had a little more confidence in our abiliy to find our way down the mountain today.    The trails were wet and slippery most of the day from yesterday's storms, so it was slower going. Our very full packs also weighed us down. We had a steep descent into North Adams and a long climb back out, but then came the reward: state #12! We walked into Vermont and the beginning of the Green Mountains today. I'm very excited to be here - these last three states are supposed to be the most beautiful. The first 100 miles or so in VT follow the Long Trail, which my guide book says was the first long distance trail in the US and an inspiration for the AT. The Long Trail is about 270 miles and ends at the VT/Canadian border. So far VT is the mud state! We hopped from rock to rock during the last couple miles of today's hike to avoid sinking into ankle deep mud (like my poles were). I'm tenting beside the shelter tonight since it seems to be a cool clear night. Another hiker tenting near me claims to have seen a bear cub 75 feet from our campsite an hour or so ago. Not sure where momma is. Hope it's a quiet night.
Date: 2006-07-31
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Sometimes little occurrances out here will demonstrate how much the AT has changed me. Last night I fell asleep with bears on the brain since one of the other hikers tenting beside me had seen one in the area. Around 1AM, the sound of footsteps on twigs woke me. Then I heard what sounded like a tent and/or sleeping bad zipper and the sounds of a head lamp being switched on. A couple of months ago, I would have bolted upright saucer-eyed with headlamp and hiking poles positioned for combat (cuz I'm sure I could take a bear down ). Last night I was too tired to care. When I heard the other hiker stirring, I groggily thought "Good, he's on it. I'm sure he will scream if there's anything to worry about" and went back to sleep. No subsequent screams were heard and I slept like a baby. No way to know if there was really a bear nosing around our tents. Could have been a deer or a moose, which a couple of hikers have seen in VT. I want to see a moose! I have always been fond of their gangly dorkiness.This morning's hike continued to be a rock-hopping muddy one, but temps remained in the 70's until afternoon (it was nearly chilly last night!) Things heated up again during a steep ascent out of a road that leads to Bennington VT. I'm tenting near the shelter again tonight (due to bugs) and my tent feels like an oven at 6:30PM. Hopefully, it will cool off again tonight as the sun goes down.
Date: 2006-08-01
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked most of today in foggy dampness with dark threating skies, but these conditions helped fend off the 90+ degree heat wave that had been predicted. Remained in the 70's most of the morning and may have crept into the low 80's by mid-afternoon. Scott told me today it's 102 in NYC, so I am grateful to have dodged that bullet.A Long Trail (LT) hiker named John whom we have hiked with for the past couple days informed me that the wonderful Christmas tree smelling trees that are lining the trail now are balsam firs. Love that scent...wish I could bottle it up and take it home.I am sitting here at the shelter picnic table at 7PM and it turned into a completely different day within the last hour or so. All the clouds have cleared and a gorgeous breeze is blowing. All of today's humidity seems to have dried up. Took a bath in a VERY cold stream earlier and will crawl into my tent soon and pray that the rumor one hiker had told us about it reaching 100 degrees tomorrow is all a big lie.
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

Any day that ends with me in some body of water qualifies as a good day. Since we hiked past our planned mileage yesterday, I slept in this morning (to 5:45) knowing we only had about a 10-mile hike to our next shelter...and I was looking forward to jumping in the lake beside it.Just before reaching our biggest climb of the day (and on the AT in VT - Stratton Mountain at 4000'), we encountered a cooler of trail magic beside the trail, care of Emily and Magic Rat who did a 2003 thru-hike. Thanks guys! That coke gave me the burst of energy I needed to hike up Stratton Mountain. That and my new friend Kodiak. Kodiak is a 13-year-old boy out here with his mom and they're thru-hiking the Long Trail. He is an old soul in a young and VERY energetic body, and kept a running commentary going for nearly our entire climb up the mountain. He'd sigh and say something all grown-up like "Yup, this is the only way to see Vermont" and then scurry ahead to catch and pass another hiker so that he could be 'FIRST!' to reach the summit. At the top we climbed a fire tower (I got there FIRST!) and were treated to 50+ mph winds whipping at us and a dim view of surrounding peaks shrouded in clouds.From the summit of Stratton it was only three miles to our shelter and Stratton Pond, so I was swimming before 2PM. There are many comments written in the shelter register about how gorgeous the sunset is over the pond, so I look forward to wandering back down there with a camera. Seems like the more I hike across this land, the more I realize my attraction to water.8:30PM: Just returned from a showing of "Sunset Over Stratton Pond." Two thumbs up and a four-star performance by the loon in the middle of the lake. Great way to end one of my most enjoyable days out here!
Date: 2006-08-03
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Manchester Center VT
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

On the trail by 6:20AM and at Friendlies eating ice cream by 2PM. Actually, I somehow managed to fit a serving of eggs benedict in around noon. Town days ROCK!Bama and I hiked into Manchester Center with completely empty food bags. She had her last two energy bars tucked into her pockets and all I had left were a couple ounces of Gatorade granules and some coffee bags. We're doing our laundry now and the grocery store will be our next stop. Found a great little place to stay here called Sutton's... basically a guy named Frank has opened his house up to thru-hikers. Sort of a B&B minus the second B, but there's lots of restaurants that serve a fantastic breakfast here as we discovered when we arrived.Despite all of our eating, the scales at Sutton's tell me I've lost 5-6 pounds. (Scales at the Mastrodicasa residence reported simular findings, but I didn't believe them.) I don't know if it's humanly possible to eat more than I already am. Probably some of the lost weight can be attributed to the blood that mosquitoes have drained from me in the last 3-4 weeks.Another fraction to celebrate today: 3/4! We crossed the 3/4 point today, yet we still have some of the hardest work ahead of us with NH's White Mountains and some of the southern peaks of Maine. Will get to find out for ourselves in the next couple of weeks.P.S., A big thank you to Dave and Francesca for picking us up and driving us into Manchester Center from the trail. You made our day!P.P.S., I heard from another hiker (Charlie Foxtrot) in the bookstore here that a guy I hiked near for a few days in GA tried to intersect with us at the base of Stratton Mountain. All Charlie could remember is that he was a furniture maker from VT who had to get off the trail because of a foot injury. Hikezilla, was that you???
Date: 2006-08-04
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

An early morning rainstorm allowed us to sleep in and lollygag around a little at Sutton's watching the Weather Channel until the storm passed. After breakfast, we caught a ride back to the trailhead. If hitching a ride were this easy all the time, I think I'd throw my car away when I return home. Before we even had our thumbs out, this guy in a pick-up truck approached and asked "You gals need a ride back to the trail?" "Uhhh, sure!" We hopped into the bed of Brian's truck while his very large dog Dana rode up front in the cab, which I found amusing and possibly appropriate (the dog was likely cleaner than we were). A big thank-you to Brian for so kindly hauling us back to the trail--and we noticed he was taking another load of hikers back into town as we hiked off. This guy has a fulltime job helping out AT thru-hikers.The most prevalent characteristic of today's trail continued to be mud. Why do women spend hundreds of dollars on mud spa treatments when they could come out to the AT in Vermont and experience vast quantities of mud for free? I listened to my boots go 'thwop thwop' all day as they suction-cupped over 14+ miles of muddy trails. At one point, I stopped and took a picture of my feet just to document the ooze.One brief respite from mud occurred at the top of Bromley Mountain, where there sits an observation tower that provides a stunning 360-degree view of five states. The scene was quite dramatic with low cloud banks hanging down over some of the higher surrounding peaks. I guess this is also a popular skiing spot, as there were lots of marked ski trails and a lift at the top of the mountain. I tried to imagine how the whole area would look blanketed in snow.Speaking of snow, while there was lots of humidity in the air from the morning's rain, I don't think temps ever rose above the mid-70's today. And tonight I feel a distinct cool crispness in the air. Hint of fall? Please?
Date: 2006-08-05
From: Lost Pond Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: clear sky

Today Mother Nature tried her best to make up for all those searingly hot, humid, bug-filled days she's thrown at us over the past month or so. Apology accepted. With clear skies, dry air, temps ranging from 60-70 degrees, and a steady cool breeze blowing most of the day, I couldn't have scripted a better day. I keep hoping that we've turned a seasonal corner and the dog days of summer are possibly behind us now, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high.In addition to flawless weather conditions, the trail wound beside lots of beautiful creeks and streams today, which always puts a bounce in my step. The climb down into Clarendon Gorge was spectacular. The Mill River looked like it had Class III-IV rapids, which I viewed from the swaying suspension bridge above it.Bama and I had planned to end our hike about four miles earlier today, but a last minute decision made by our bellies lengthened the day. Three miles into the extra four was a highway crossing, and a half mile down that road sat the Whistle Stop Cafe. One bacon cheeseburger, 500 fries, and a hot fudge sundae later, I found myself hiking the final mile to our shelter at sunset up a nearly vertical heap of boulders (and about ready to hurl). I am now officially ready to collapse for the day. Good night.
Date: 2006-08-06
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Woke up CHILLY! It was 57 degrees this morning, according to Windtalker and Mom's thermometer. (They took a recent nero day, allowing us to catch up to them.) I had to hike in a long-sleeved fleece and leggings for the first half of the morning to keep warm. Temps remained in the high 60's/low 70's all day with sunny skies. I can climb all kinds of mountains in THIS weather!...and that's a good thing, cuz I had to. At nearly 4,000 feet, Killington peak is VT's second highest mountain. The hike up to the shelter near the top took us about two and a half hours. We decided to take off our packs and hike the extra 0.2 mile (STRAIGHT UP) to the summit of Killington. Good decision, as the views from there were the best we've seen in VT yet (and we're starting to see some stunning ones). And to top it off, there was a restaurant near the ski lift! I'm doing everything in my power to regain those 5-6 pounds (or at least not lose any more), so I felt compelled to eat 'second lunch' at the restaurant a mere hour after I'd hoovered in 'first lunch' on the way up the mountain. This being summer, the ski lift was being used not to transport skiers but mountain bikers. There was a place outside each gondola on which to hang a bike, and the cyclists rode up the mountain with their bikes on the lift, then rode their bikes down the mountain on a steep gravel trail. It looked like a blast. I was ready to trade in my pack for a bike and join them!   -more added 8/11-For the past day or so , we've enjoyed hiking near Windtalker and Mom again who have paces similar to ours. Also ejoyed meeting the Professor and Jesse James at our shelter tonight...the Professor is a grandfather hiking with his 13-year-old grandson (Jesse James), who gets to skip some of his 8th grade school year to be out here. As you might gather from his trail name, the Professor has had a career in teaching, so young Jesse is being "trail-schooled" while he's out here. Imagine completing an A.T. thru-hike at the age of 13! (What a slacker middle-schooler I was...turning a cartwheel was my biggest accomplishment.) They're both delightful people who seem to be thoroughly enjoying the trail and each other out here.