morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-30
From: October Mountain Lean To

To: Shamrock Village Inn / Dalton Mass
Miles today: 11.8

We are at Dalton Mass. Tonight. We came in for a resupply and to shower. When we got to the hotel we were pleasantly surprised to find that we can do our laundry here and use the computer. What a great break.Carol and I have decided the hike is not fun anymore. Somewhere between the 1000 mile mark and now the fun disappeared. It may come back in retrospect; we will wait and see. It probably disappeared in the heat and humidity.The hike now is a quest. This quest we will see to the end, or as long as our bodies take us. We carry with us a mineral marble given to us by Anne,(a professor at Radbun University). This marble, she told us, would give us strength on our quest. We also have a small piece of Katahdin in a small metal cylinder. This was given to us by former thru hiker Rainbow when he met us in Port Clinton PA. This serves as inspiration. The cylider is kept in the top pocket of my pack and I hear the small chip of rock rattle at times. This reminds me to keep plugging.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-31
From: Shamrock Village Inn / Dalton Mass

To: Mason Hill Hosel / Cheshire Mass
Miles today: 9.3

Today was a very relaxing hike. We awakened and slowly got our stuff packed up. We went to a coffee shop and had breakfast at 9AM. A couple sitting beside us asked us about our hike and were genuinely interested in the details. We talked to them for 10 minutes, gave them our website to follow and took our bump box to the post office. Here we met On the Loose. She is a day behind us but needed to get a package from the post office. We told her about the great Inn we stayed at - laundry facilities and internet. She planned on staying there tonight.We started hiking after 930 AM and hiked up a thousand feet in 4.5 miles and down the other side. Carol carried little food which made her happy and we took minimum water as the temperature was in the low 70's and the humidity was low.About 3 miles from Cheshire we met a couple who told us about an ice cream store on the trail in Cheshire. We went into overdrive and arrived at 2 PM. After a hearty roast beef sandwich and drink we dived into the ice cream. What a treat!We walked the half mile to the hostel (up hill of course). What a beautiful setting. It is a converted barn with antique furniture and the woman running the hostel is so very nice. She drove Carol to town to get a few supplies for tomorrow. Again we want to carry as little as possible because we will be going up Mt.Greylock. This is Mass. highest mountain at 3491 feet. It is a 7 mile hike up and a 7 mile hike down the other side. The saving grace is there is a restaurant at the top.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-01
From: Mason Hill Hosel / Cheshire Mass

To: Redwood Motel/North Adams Mass
Miles today: 14.0

We got up at 5AM and ate breakfast and packed up. We hiked out of North Adams and met On the Loose. It is always good to see part of the hiker family. The hike today was up Mt. Greylock. Mass. highest mountain. We started climbing the 1500 feet up and by 1115 AM we had climbed the 7 miles up. We sat and waited because there was a restaurant on top (Bascom Lodge) and we wanted to have a meal. After about an hour they opened for lunch and we ate a substandard lunch but at least it was extra calories. On top of Mt. Greylock there was a beautiful war memorial that was really beautiful. We bunped into Toothpick and Little Aspen. They were there watching folks hanglide off the Mountain. I always wonder how you learn to do this and stay alive.As we were about to start the hikle down the ranger told us it was the steepest descent in Mass. My knees gave a shudder as he told us this. He was right it was very steep and I was in pain. Half way down we met a mother and daughter and we recognized the t-shirt the mother was wearing. It came from Bondi Beach in Australia. Small world.The hotel we stayed at was very basic but the grocery store was across the steet. As we came back to the motel we got wet in a freak thunder storm. There always seems to be too much to do and too little time.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-02
From: Redwood Motel/North Adams Mass

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

We started out from town and immediately started up a mountain. The trail in Mass. was our favorite of all the states so far. It had a little bit of everything. A few miles into the hike we hit Vermont. Immediately the trail was muddy. This is a hallmark of Vermont. I will admit that as we started into Vermont I was a little nervous because I know that the state is very rough and rural. After a half a day these thoughts were gone. It is just like other states. The mountains are getting more challenging, however. When we entered Vt. there was a sign that said we were also on the Long Trail for the next 105 miles. The Long trail was the first long distance hiking trail in the USA. It goes from the southern Vermont border to the Quebec border. About 240 miles.The mud and roots slowed us down and I think we went up Greylock Mountain too fast yesterday and we were tired today.We went by a beaver pond and it was very weird because the trail went right by the dam and the water level was over our heads, yet the trail was dry. It seemed to defy the laws of physics. Beaver's are master builders. Too bad they could not have enlisted a beaver to jam some mud in the BP oil leak months ago.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-03
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We started out hiking a few miles in relative flat trail and then suddenly there was a descent down to the road leading to Bennington Vt. It was 1000 feet down in a mile. Rock steps made from uneven boulders all the way down. I previously have had some close calls on these downhills so we did not talk all the way down. When we got to the road and crossed to the other side there was a bridge with a note to enjoy the trail magic. It was one piece of banana bread and a 19 ounce bottle of water. The note read "I know it is not much but please enjoy". I brought a lump to my throat. People are so very kind. Carol and I shared the bread and water and continued our hike.The last 4 miles of the hike were very tiring, and when we reached the shelter we were surprised to see a large group at the shelter. There was one fella named Lu who was a Canadian. He is an Economist with the Gov. of Canada. We enjoyed talking with him. He feels there is a real estate bubble about to burst in Canada just as it did in the USA.Along with Lu there were other section hikers hiking the Long Trail. We miss the thru hikers hiking the A.T. I think many dropped out during the unbelieveable hot weather in the mid atlantic states. The weather in Vt. is in the 70's but the humidity is high.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-04
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Straton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today is our 31st wedding anniversary. So far we have had our birthdays and mother's and father's day, and now our anniversary on the trail.It poured rain last night and today we started hiking in the fog. There are many beaver ponds in Vt. and there is plenty of water, although it seems a little brownish. We treat it and drink it anyway. The hiking is very remote and there is not much in the way of views so far. We hike in a green tunnel. It sometimes is pretty boring. We hiked up Stratton Mt. today. At 3936 feet it is the tallest mountain in southern Vt. At the top of this mountain is the place were a man named James Taylor (1909) and later Benton McKaye conceived the Long trail and the A.T. respectively. There is a plaque to celebrate this location.When we got to the shelter the same group of section hikers were there. They had blue blazed around Stratton Mt. rather than over it. Lu was also there. He hiked over the mountain and we again enjoyed our time with him. We also met two 70 year old brothers doing a section hike of the Long trail. One was called Ho and the other Hum.The trail today smelled of pine needles. It smelled wonderful.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-05
From: Straton Pond Shelter

To: Green Mt. House 
Miles today: 10.7

The profile showed a pretty flat trail today. Not so. There were two pretty good climbs, but we were going to town and it always make it easier to hike.We got to the road at 1215 PM just as a thunderstorm broke over head. I told Carol the hitch could be tough because people don't want you in the car wet. In about 10 minutes, however, a car was backing up on the highway to pick us up. What a great couple. They drove us to a shopping area 6 miles away were we ate at Friendly's, went to the outfitter and resupplyed. Yesterday we made arrangements to stay at the hostel and Jeff came to pick us up outside the store. At the hostel tonight there are the same section hikers along with Boomer who is recovering from another staph infection.We were able to shower, do our laundry and there is a full hiker kitchen. This is a great hostel. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-06
From: Green Mt. House 

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

We got dropped off at the trailhead and started hiking at 10 AM. The temp. was in the 60's and it was very windy with low humidity. We hiked up a Bromley Mtn. - a ski mountain. There was a warming hut and the ski lift on top of the mountain. The weather was very cool on our sweat laden shirts, so we did not stay long. It was kind of lonely on the trail today. We saw only one SOBO (south bound hiker). The forest was very dense, and the sun was having trouble penetrating the forest. There were many roots in this area of the trail. I get tired of lurching one way and then the other when I step on a root or rock I did not see.We took our time today trying to get use to the big uphills again. When we got to the shelter section hikers E-rock, F-bomb (both teachers were there along with captain slick. Captain Slick (northbound thru hiker) is a captain in the Marines. He is a graduate of the Naval Academy and is very young to be a captain. He is from Philadelphia and lives and dies for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.We had a great time talking with them and getting to know them.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-07
From: Peru Peak Shelter

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

The day started out very well with temperatures in the 48 to 65 degree range. Low humidity also. We read a message that said the bridge over Big Branch Creek was being replaced and we would need to do a 3 mile road walk around it. We fortunately met a SOBO who told us that the Creek was low and we could do a rock hop across it. We took a chance and got across easily. Usually this creek is rushing and used by kayakers. It is a low rain year in Vermont. This is Saturday and the day hikers are out. I have come to dislike day hikers because: they are too perky, too clean, smell too good, carry only a small pack {or even worse only a bottle of water}. They always seem to be walking down hill while we are going up and they always ask the same questions. When did you start? What do you eat? When will you finish etc. We stopped and had lunch at a beautiful pond (little rock pond) and then entered a woods that reminded us of Hansel and Gretle's forest. The trail was pretty tough and about 15 miles is all we can do in a day. We got to the shelter rather late and thought we were alone and then E-rock, F-Bomb and Captain Slick arrived.Since we have been in Vt. water has not been an issue. We have only been carrying one liter each. Water is abundant.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-08
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

It was a little warmer today but the humidity was still low. We have seen a lot of Moose scat (poo) on the trail but no Moose sightings yet. The book of lies showed a pretty even trail today but of course the ups and downs are blended and you don't get an accurate picture. The forest started out as coniferous then changed to deciduous. As we climbed up the mountains it switched back to coniferous trees again. The trail today was soft under foot due to pine needles. We hiked off the trail half a mile to go to The Whistle Stop Cafe. There we devoured a massive (an Australian term meaning large) amount of food. It was delicious. We rested about an hour and then yogied a ride back to the trail by another patron of the cafe.As we started hiking about 6 bulls with sharp horns came towards us. Carol and I banged our poles together and they dispersed. I had not checked the book of lies before this stage of the hike and we were totally unprepared for the 900 foot climb in a mile. We seem to go straight up over a boulder field. We knew we were at the top when we saw a beacon for the local airport.F-Bomb came into camp late and said he was glad we were still up because he had a gift for us. He knew it was our 31st anniversary on August 4 so he hiked down the road and brought us a chocolate eclair, a candle and a bottle or red wine to celebrate. Carol and I were so touched it brought tears to our eyes. He carried this up the 900 foot climb!!The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-09
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Inn at the Long Trail
Miles today: 11.6

This was a very difficult hike up to Killington. The trail went up to 3870 feet and there were miles of rocks and big roots to go over. There was a snack bar at the top but we did not go up because the food was suppose to be over priced and there was no view due to clouds. On a clear day you can see 5 states as well as the provinces Ont. and Quebec. This is where the state of Vt. got it's name in 1763 "Verd-Mont" (Green Mountain State).We temporarily misplaced the trail and walked over to the ski lift area. We recognized our mistake and quickly found the trail down the mountain. It was a much better hike down then up - although my knees are very sore from the downhills. Once we got down to US 4 we put our thumbs out and a lovely young woman named Sarah in a pickup truck gave us a ride to the Long Trail Inn. This Inn is a must for any thru hikers. It is not expensive and the pub is fantastic. God bless Carol. She left me and my aching knees and took a bus to the market for resupply. When she got back all our recent hiking companions were there and we ate and enjoyed great conversation. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-10
From: Inn at the Long Trail

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We had a nice breakfast at the Inn at the Long Trail and headed out. A hiker named Funk gave us a ride back to the trail. We have known him since the Smokies.Captain Slick caught up to us and set a good pace and the miles just seemed to disappear. There was a steep downhill as we approached the shelter and my knees hurt. F-bomb was already at the shelter when Captain Slick and we arrived. All of a sudden Abel showed up at the shelter. We have not seen Able for a long time. He filled us in on many other hikers we have hiked with. Many are off the trail now. A hiker named just Jill was at the shelter also. She was formerly in the military so Captain Slick talked her ear off. At one point she asked if we minded if she smoked--- then added pot. We said not. So she lit her pipe and immediately offered it to Carol and I. We declined the offer and her response was "Oh I thought you smoked pot because you were Canadian". The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-11
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Woodstock Vt.
Miles today: 13.7

It rained last night and the trail was very slippery. The shelters were at 10 miles and 20 miles. We opted for a hotel between as 20 miles was too far and 10 not far enough. The trail was miles of pointless ups and downs. There were so many we could not keep count. Of course the book of lies showed a relatively flat trail. We stopped for lunch with F-bomb, and Captain Slick at the Wintturi shelter and then walked another 4 miles to Vt. 12 where we all sat and had a pint of ice cream, blueberries and soda. Awe the simple pleasures of life. After our snack Able, F-bomb and E-rock hiked on and we stuck our thumbs out and the 2nd vehicle picked us up and took us to the hotel. There was a grocery store across the road so we got food for dinner and some beer. We had a great eveningCarol always feels upset when hikers move on from us, or we move on from them. She is also remarkably competitive which surprises me. If we can't hike as many miles as someone else she feels apologetic. I constantly remind her we are 30 to 40 years older than most of the hikers and our 1944 and 1946 cardiovascular engines are not as efficient as the newer models.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-12
From: Woodstock Vt.

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The owner of the Motel graciously gave us a ride back to the trail at 8 AM. The trail showed us everything today, dark forests, farmers fields, tall weeds on the mountain tops. There were lots of blueberries and blackberries on the trail today and I had to keep Carol on task as she loves these berries. As we hiked we saw the tubing used by the folks that tap the maple trees for syrup. They have an intricate network of tubing in the mountains. The tubing carries the sap to a central location.We finally emerged on West Hartford and there was a general store that sold ice cream, sandwiches and drinks, right on the trail. We ate dinner there and moved on. It was 4 miles, mostly up hill to the next shelter. I didn't feel like moving on. We could have camped in town but Carol convinced me that the 5 miles to Hanover tomorrow would be better than 9 or 10. As we hiked we heard the eerie sound of coyote's howling in the distance.We got water a half mile from the shelter and arrived at 645PM. There were a bunch of hikers here but we had never met them before. We enjoyed the company. One hiker, who was a local teacher brought beer and we enjoyed a glass or two of the bubbly. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-13
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Hanover NH.
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: light rain

As we neared our hike in Vt. we noted that the trail did not always go over the mountain as it did in the south. Frequently the trail just skirted halfway up the mountain, and then around it.The temperature was cool this morning and we hiked fast trying to get to Andrea's. After about 3.5 miles we emerged in Norwich Vt. We immediately saw "trail magic from a former thru hiker" We stopped and had watermelon and banana bread. We walked through the town, across the Conn. River and into New Hampshire and Hanover. We walked up towards Dartmouth: and we were about to check the map to see where Andrea's street was located, and when we looked up there it was. We walked to her house and she had a welcome sign up for us. She was at school but one of her house mates let us in and we called her on the phone. She came home in about 15 minutes and reacted to my appearance. I looked like a homeless man.We did some chores and downtown we met F-bomb, and Captain Slick who we introduced to Andrea. We also saw another hiker we had not seen in months AD. It was good to see them all. Our children (Laura in Sydney Australia, Heather in Pennsylvania and Andrea in Hanover NH) paid for us to have a room at the Norwich Inn for the time we spend in Hanover. This is our Anniversary gift. What great kids!Later we met with Sergey, a classmate of Andrea's who thru hiked the trail a couple of years ago, and got some insight on when and how to resupply. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-14
From: Hanover NH.

To: Hanover NH.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We did some chores today. Bought down jackets, boots and other supplies. We hung out with Andrea and had a great lunch. Tonight we will watch television and relax. I planned the trip through the White Mountains and we plan on hiking out on the 16th. It will take us 12 to 14 days depending on the weather to get from Hanover to the Gorham the end of the White Mountains. I can not update the Journal until we reach Gorham where there is a library. We plan on taking a zero day when we get there.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-15
From: Hanover NH.

To: Hanover NH.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today we are putting our winter gear into our backpacks and shopping for food. We will use 3 mail drops for food through the White Mountains. Four days of food mailed to the post office at North Woodstock (Kinsman Notch), 4 days of food mailed to Crawford Notch Camping and 4 days of food mailed to the AMC headquarters at Pinkham notch. Our bump box with the camera charger and medications etc. will be mailed on to the Gorham post office.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day -Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-16
From: Hanover NH.

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Andrea picked us up at the Norwich Inn and drove us to the bottom of her street where we picked up the trail. We walked about a mile in town and then dissapeared into the woods. We did not speak much because we did not want to leave town. We really enjoyed being with Andrea and enjoying the pleasant surroundings of Hanover.After a couple of hours we realized we were not going fast enough to get to Trapper John Shelter so we picked up the pace. There was a substantial climb out of Hanover and as we climbed we were serenaded by thunder. Soon it turned to rain. It rained for about an hour making the rocks slippery. We hiked by a ledge called Holt's that is a perigine falcon rookery. We topped the mountain and started down when we again had some thunder and some short lived rain. When we got to the shelter there was another hiker named Fog and later M.J. Fox came in. We enjoyed the conversation with them. We have noticed the nights are getting colder and our hiking days are getting shorter as there is less sun light.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The hike started off with wet weeds as tall as us. We got soaked by the weeds. After about a mile we saw a sign that read free water and ice cream. We left the trail and walked about 100 feet to a house where a man named Bill was giving out water and ice cream. We signed his log book, and sat with him and talked for about 20 minutes and enjoyed our ice cream. The hike up to the Fire Wardens Cabin was very difficult. There were some sections of rebar to assist hikers, but all in all the hike was steep. Carol climbed the fire tower on top and took a picture. I chose not to as my knees are very sore.When we got to Grant's Creek the bridge was out and being replaced. We had to detour about 100 feet and rock hop across the stream. Once we got to the shelter Carol retrieved water and we noted that N.H. water is frequenly a pale amber colour. It tastes ok however.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)