morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: NJ 94
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: light rain

Our hike today was over almost before it began. We started at 6 this morning, trying to beat the heat, but we were drenched in sweat by the time we topped Pochuck Mountain. However, we ere rewarded with some great views, including the NJ Monument we had passed yesterday on a distant ridge. It was still early when we met Walking Man, AT class of '99, starting a southbound section. I think he was still using all of the gear from his previous hike, including very heavy, stiff leather boots. It was a very nice chat and I wish him well. There were lots of mini ups and downs and some great bog bridges over extensive swamps, the only drawback being that they were in the sun. By the time we reached the road for a date with the Heaven Hill Farm DirtDog was complaining of stiffness and aching from yesterday's fall, especially in his ankle. That, in addition to the heat, made him decide that we needed a short day and some recovery at Meadow Lark B&B. The delighful owner, Dorothy, soon rescued us and we spent the afternoon lounging in airconditioning. A shower revealed that DirtDog was pretty thoroughly decorated with black and blue bruises and even had a bloody scrape or two that we hadn't noticed before. No wonder he was sore and limping! Later, Dorothy dropped us off in the Village of Warwick where we shopped for incidentals and ate at Yesterday's Tavern. The corned beef on my reubin sandwich was amazing. We followed with dessert at The Pie Shop. We had been warned about the food available on this section of the trail and it is way beyond anything we could have hoped for. I think we are gaining weight!
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Double Springs Gap Shelter 

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

Well I made it! Dimples and I pulled in to Damascus at about 330 this afternoon. Its been rainy and cold for the last 3 days and things don't look to be getting better. Also in town so far are Subman, Red, Grunt, Java, Poptart, 2x4, Mike and Keith and probably some others. Still having a great time, trying to fight this little bug thats been going around. Most hikers have been sick the past week or so. Heald, Space Monkey and Hot Poles should be pulling into town in a day or two. Will update real soon and also will name some of those mystery photos. Thanks for reading and hope to have more soon.
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Long House Drive

To: NY17A
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: broken clouds

We had lots of conversation over breakfast with Dorothy and were late getting back to the trail. Today is supposed to be the hottest yet, but we are well prepared with extra liquids and some fresh peaches. About 4 miles of today's section is along ridges on the NJ/NY state line. After having to climb an aluminun ladder chained to the rocks and then scooting along a ledge with only our grip on the rocks to prevent a nasty fall, DirtDog wasn't too impressed by the other little shoots and rock climbs we had to negotiate. The profile of this section looks completely flat, but the trail is either going up or coming down the rocks, that is, when it isn't running along cap rock ledges. It was a beautiful area with the view of Greenwood Lake from Prospect Rock capturing our attention for a while. Someone has placed a large American flag on the trunk of a tree and it stands well above the surrounding forest. Personally, I said my thank you prayers that it wasn't a wet day; walking was enough work as it was. We stopped for pack-off breaks frequently just to cool down and we both commented on how hot the rocks were becoming under our hands as we grabbed onto them when the trail abruptly turned left and just walked into a normal forest for the last two miles to the road. We are ending our section here because this is where DirtDog spent many of his summers growing up, staying with cousins in a cabin on the lake. We called Anton's On the Lake for a ride, but had enough time to walk the couple hundred feet to the Bellvale Creamery just up the road. This place is so famous that we had been hearing about their delicious ice cream since Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, DirtDog ordered his favorite flavor and ended up biting down on a pistachio shell. I hope it didn't cause any permanent damage.   We were soon at Antons, but just dropped our packs in the room and went to lunch at Murphy's Tavern without a shower. It was well worth it and we ended up having dinner there too. We enjoyed the company of Airborn and Snakeskin and another couple. DirtDog arranged for a rental car to be delivered to us in the morning so we can retreive our car and take a couple of days off until we meet a friend in Maine and catch up with 3 others in Vermont. We will hike the Long Trail, the first nearly 100 miles of which is also the AT and then continue on up to Canada when the AT turns east.
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: moderate rain

DirtDog and I are back on the trail after a few days to reorganize and meet up with friends. We ended up in Williamstown with Mr. Fred, Flyaway and wife Can Do, and Believe. Our intentions are to do the Long Trail, of which the first hundred miles or so are concurrent with the AT. We stayed at the Williamstown Motel and arranged to leave our car there, ate a nice lunch and got a shuttle to the Pine Cobble Trail. Mr. Fred gifted us with very small Canadian flags, small enough so that we wouldn't mind the extra weight. The trip up the Pine Cobble trail was pleasant, for an uphill. We scattered over some nice rocks near the top to cool down and met a group of kids, about 12 years old, that was a summer writing camp. What an awesome way to spend a summer, get a little exercise and see a special part of our country. More photos at the MA-VT border, the official start of the Long Trail. Our progress was slow and the light was fading as we stopped for water at a stream about a half mile before the shelter. We all put up tents and met in front of the shelter for dinner where we talked to Lil' Bit and Heavyweight, who were sleeping in the shelter. I was tired and anticipating a good night's sleep, but it started raining just after 9 o'clock. I waited and waited for it to stop so that I could get out and "visit some bushes," but it rained without letting up all night. I am thankful I waterproofed my tent recently. I finally fell asleep around midnight.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

It was really hard to leave Damascus! I't such a great Trail town with everything conveniently located. Dimples and I got out at 10:30 but did not get into the woods until 12:15. As we walked along the Trail thru town we kept stopping and shopping. We checked out Sundog Outfitters, which has nothing on Mt. Rogers Outfitters. We also ended up eating ice cream at the barn. I helped some guys in there move some furniture and they only charged me a buck for my milkshake. What a deal.Today was supposed to finally clear up but it stayed overcast and cold all day. We expected to stay the night at Sanders Shelter but arrived at 3:30. We decided to push on another 6.4 to this place. I can really notice myself geting into shape. The uphills are almost effortless even with a full pack and six days of food. It rained on me the last mile and I was happy to see the shelter. When I got there a few of my Trail buddies and a few couples I did not recognize told me the shelter was full and that people were even sleeping across the front. Reluctantly I set up my tent. Twenty minutes later Dimples walks in and asks if there is any room. They respond by saying they can squeeze one more in. When I got back from retrieving water Dimples told me there ws room and didn't know why they told me otherwise. I was then told "A-Train, you can sleep in the extra spot." Now that I've already got my tent set up I am gonna pack it back up and let Dimples tent? No thinks, guys, a little late. The old AT adage that says "always room for one more in the shelter" should be modified to "room for one more, depending on who asks". I am in my tent, reading, not feeling incredibly social today. Grayson Highlands tomorrow and hopefully some sun.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

Packing up this morning was a wet affair. The rain let up a bit every now and then, so some of us (not me) timed the packing better than others. At first the trail appeared to have drained fairly well, but then we got into some absolute mud pits and, in places, the water was flowing along the trail like a stream. We had a couple of streams we should have crossed dry on rocks, but they had become swollen, rushing torrents. We navigated across slowly in water up to our knees and walked on through the showers. Once we had to cross a log puncheon next to a dammed beaver pond where the water coming over the top of the dam was about 2 feet higher than the surface we were walking along. I'm so glad that construction of all elements was well done! About a mile before our lunch stop we met a sobo hiker who told us not to worry when we got to a big stream, that the trail paralleled it rather than crossing. We knew exactly what he meant when we came to Stamford Stream. It appeared that the trail was heading right across this mad river which we couldn't possibly cross safely. Peace of mind is knowing that nothing extraordinary is going to be demanded of you. Reading the log book at Congdon Shelter during lunch we learned that Lil' Bit had fallen into the mud from one of the puncheons and was on her way into Bennington to dry out. That sounded like a great idea so we all set out to make it to VT 9. I was able to telephone Bearbag Hanger, who was driving up to support us and he promised to meet us there. During the afternoon the rain finally quit and we enjoyed the next few miles. The views from Harmon Hill were beautiful and then we started the descent to the road. It was absolutely miserable, a mile of uneven and rounded rock steps. Both DirtDog and I fell when our feet slid out from beneath us, but suffered no damage other than bruised butts. Believe, however, wasn't so fortunate when she fell. She bruised ribs, chest and shoulder and had a nasty, bloody gash on her leg. We were all spooked by this descent, but sighting Bearbag's waiting truck was balm for our nerves. We soon had our gear scattered all over the lawn at the Autumn Inn Motel, drying in the sun. The owners were so accommodating and lent us a fan to use to dry our shoes. I could barely keep my eyes open through dinner and was glad to settle into a soft bed.
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

When I woke up toay I realized some strange yellow ligh was peering into my tent.   The sun! Something we have not seen in a week. I started hiking at 7:55, my earliest start. The climb up Whitetop and Mount Rogers was long but switchbacked, which makes for smooth sailing. The mountain was covered in a couple of inches of snow which made it slow going. Grunt, JAva, Redstreak, Squirts and I all hiked for most of the day together. We walked through the amazing Grayson Highlands State Park all afternoon. Since today is Sunday, we must have passed 100 people.The Trail through here was amazing. Looked like Montana more than Virginia. Beautiful ridges and rocky outcroppings all day. We also spotted the wild poinies that graze here. We were albe to get within 5 - 10 feet of them adn snapped pictures. We spent the last couple of hours snapping photos, joking around and just taking it easy. Absolutely great day.
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Bennington, VT

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

Our departure from Bennington was late because we did laundry this morning. We were in the parking lot when the Laundromat opened at 7:00 (it closed just as we arrived in Bennington last night), but it took quite a while for everyone to pack up. Bearbag is already the holder of rejects from our packs; everyone is in a lightening up mood. By 10:30 we were in the parking lot saying our good-bys to Bearbag and Can Do who has decided that her hike will be her own version of the Long Trail, hiking at her own pace and meeting us along the way. I will miss her company! The climb began along a river and we posed for photos between the halves of a massive split boulder. At the Melville Nauheim Shelter we finally metBbuddy Backpacker. He is an adorable 5 year old boy who wears a superman shirt complete with cape and is doing a thru hike accompanied by his father, Dion. Mom Andrea usually provides support, but she had a couple of days to walk with her little band. I was impressed that she carried Buddy's teddy bear and a bottle of beer for Dion. Now that's trail support! Dion shared his pride in his son as he described the way they have overcome so many obstacles in making this journey possible for Buddy to claim the youngest thru-hiker status. We lunched at Porcupine Ridge, at a nice rocky outcrop with a view, but our attention was on the many hikers that stopped by, some heading north and others south. We met Porch and Tumbleweed, M80, Trooper and their dog Willow and a south-bound Long Trail hiker. Much of the afternoon was a surprising transverse of a saddle rather than a climb, as we had expected on studying the profiles. I recognized the approach to Goddard Shelter and was so glad to arrive after what seemed like a long day. There weren't too many tent sites at this shelter, but we found places among the huge red pine forest just above the shelter. The stream was great and the privy was unique in that it had the entire Dr. Seuss story of the Zaxes. It was hard to get in and out of the privy quickly because one felt obliged to read the rhymes from beginning to end; hope I didn't keep anyone waiting. Taking a break from setting up my tent, I watched two red squirrels playing or fighting in the pines above me. They were a welcome entertainment. Tumbleweed tried to get a fire going, as he does every night, but the wood was just too wet and instead we had a half hour or so of smoke signals and then went to bed. Only Margaret and Patrick and their dog Little Paw slept in the shelter with FlyAway because the wind blowing in was quite cold. Mr. Fred said he registered 43 degrees inside his tent. I'm glad we dried all our gear out or we would have been cold and wet.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was just a great day. The weather was perfect. Sunny, warm, but with nice cool breezes. The scenery was so pleasant and the forest is slowlly becoming green. For 5-6 weeks we have walked through brown branches and leaves and not much else. We left at 9 a.m., took many breaks, and still made it here by 5:45.This shelter has a fireplace in it, so Java was nice enough to start a fire. It's a warm night, and we are camped at 2900 feet. We rarely go above 4000 feet for a while. It's so evident that we are all getting into very good shape. We had a 1000 foot climb and didn't even stop for a second. My feet are hurting from all the rocks, but overall not bad. Life is good.
Date: 2013-07-25
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton-Arlington Road
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

The morning was cold and clear when we started on the short climb up to Glastenbury Mountain lookout tower. What a delightful walk through huge red pines. Mr. Fred had left earlier and we caught him just coming down from the tower. DirtDog went up for the beautiful views while I, having climbed here in 2004, examined the various trails leading to this landmark, many of the routes being marked for snowmobiles. The walking was so enjoyable with the cool temperatures and we soon found ourselves at the Kid Gore Shelter for a short break. We were aiming for lunch at Story Spring Shelter which seemed to take forever. To our great surprise we found trail magic there when we finally arrived. Bearbag and Can Do were there with beverages chilling in the stream. What fun! It was only good timing that we met them here because they were getting ready to return to the truck in the parking lot. We took a long break and shared our goodies with the other hikers coming along and then we followed Bearbag down the mountain and quickly set up our tents at a campsite just a tenth of a mile up from the north side of the road. We all piled into the truck for dinner in town and a stop at a convenience store for goodies for all the hikers we were camping with, including pizza, beer and dog food for Little Paw. It was late when we finally got settled, but it had been a great day!
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Atkins/Relax Inn
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: clear sky

Great day but long. Managed to hike my longest day, 22+, and still have almost a three hour break at Partnership Shelter where we were able to order pizza! Hiking 12 miles on a full stomach of pizza and soda is not recommended! Thought I would lose my lunch. We are at the Relax Inn tonight celebrating Java's 21st birthday.
Date: 2013-07-26
From: Stratton-Arlington Road

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We departed early, as usual, for the 1700' climb up Stratton Mountain. It was cold, windy and overcast, but the climb was beautiful on well-groomed trail and we hardly broke a sweat. In fact, we met a half dozen college kids doing heavy trail work for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corp. They were cheerful as they energetically smashed the bad rocks and moved the good ones into place for a series of steps. Since they had been working in the area for the last three weeks, we were able to walk on some of their fine work. What a great experience for them and what a joy for us! Arriving at the caretaker's cabin wasn't as much fun as I had hoped because the wind was ripping and the temps were in the mid 40s so it was too cold to climb the observation tower for me, a wimpy Florida girl and we shivered through a snack before heading down. As we walked to the Stratton Pond Shelter the sky grew ever more threatening and it finally rained while we were taking our break. I was quite nervous because we were cold just sitting in the shelter and the idea of being colder and wet with only a summer sleeping bag made me dread the night, so I toyed with the idea of walking to VT 11 &30 and spending the night in Manchester Center. All the worrying was for nothing as the weather cleared in the afternoon and we enjoyed the walk along a gravel road and past Prospect Rock back into the woods and on to the William B. Douglas Shelter. This shelter has a door and windows which made it great in bad weather, but rather dark inside. Bearbag and Can Do were waiting for us and we had a very pleasant evening. DirtDog and I could have set up on tent platforms, but instead we tucked into the woods on the summit of the mountain, a truly beautiful setting. We were surprised to meet up with Handstand, a German boy we had met in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. In breaking up with his girlfriend he had decided to do the Long Trail as he had already done the AT.
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Atkins/Relax Inn

To: Knot Mount Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

Didn't leave town until 2:15. Got to talk to Brain whom I haven't spoke with since Hiawassee. Was nice to be caught up on how my friendds are doing at home.It was hot today. And a tough day. Lots of ups and downs. About halfway through the day I really felt sick. I think its all the junk I have eaten the past two days, between ordering pizza and town food. I sat down in the middle of the climb up Big Walter Mountain and was sure I was going to throw up. I didn't, but sat with my head in my hands for 20 minutes. Finally, I forced myself to push on.The Trail was so gorgeous. One section ws so green. Walked through another pretty corn field. I had to sit down again. Eventually Dimples came and convinced me to keep going. It was another 4.5 miles to the shelter. We pulled in at 8:15 just as the sun had gone down. Feeling a bit better but not great. Red Streak is also feeling nauseous. Java, Grunt, Subman, Squirts, Fixy, Pile Up and Mr. President are also here.
Date: 2013-07-27
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Manchester Center
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a quick walk down to the road this morning and breakfast at Up For Breakfast, a tiny place we had heard lavishly and frequently praised. This is a Saturday in one of the most touristy places in Vermont so we had to wait a while for a wonderful breakfast, eating muffins and drinking coffee while we waited. Good people work there! We followed our feast with a trip to the Mountain Goat, the outfitters where we had sent a resupply box. I tried to get some service on my nearly new Steripen which had quit working yesterday, but I will have to call the manufacturers on a weekday. For now we will use our backup water treatment system, the old tried and true Miox. Mr. Fred bought new boots as his had begun delaminating a couple of days ago and we all left with small goodies. We stayed at Suttons B&B near the center of town and spent time at EMS looking for cheap town clothes since Bear Bag will be able to pick us up from time to time. Laundry and ice cream also figured into our busy day, topped with a very expensive and delicious dinner at The Old Tavern where the guys had elk steaks and we all sampled Sweet Tea Pie (not so good). BTW, the rock formation "Spruce Peak" was interesting and I would have enjoyed spending time exploring, especially since rocks don't mean hideouts for venomous snakes, of which there are supposedly none in Vermont.
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Knot Mount Branch Shelter

To: Davis Farm Campsite
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: few clouds

I felt very out of it all day. Didn't help that I had a 2000 foot climb up Chestnut Knob. We hng out at the shelter for 2 hours. The next six miles had no water and we were pretty dehydrated. Grant, Squirts, Redstreak and I put up our tents right by the turn-off to the campsite. The site is 0.5 miles downhill.
Date: 2013-07-28
From: Manchester Center

To: Manchester Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We started our day with the best intentions and arrived at Up For Breakfast just as they opened at 7, loaded into the truck for our return to the trail and it started to rain. The forecast was bad so we decided to take a zero here, but there was no room at Suttons or any other places in town. There is a horse show here for about 6 weeks every summer which can really swell the number of people needing lodging. So we went to the Chalet Motel, fairly expensive but near the trail. DirtDog and I had a good time in the bookstore in the middle of town, an unusual and intriguing place. We had pizza for lunch and met the Aussies and a guy who has already lost 50 pounds. Dinner at Mulligans was excellent and I had a beefalo burger. They only recommend cooking it to medium rare so I felt like quite a carnivore with the juices dripping down my arms. Had a good night's sleep!