morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-13
From: Sharon Mountain campsite

To: Sages Ravine Brook campsite
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 105Mile 1492.6This morning I stopped at the Mountainside Cafe for breakfast. A great place with friendly folks and only 0.2 off the trail. Michigan and Ironfoot were there when I arrived. I had a big, hearty breakfast, a bunch of coffee and read the paper. Great comforts after yesterday's hike in the rain. The trail crosses the Housatonic twice today, once over an old iron bridge. The tractor beam of a town pulled me in again this afternoon. At the Route 44 road crossing, the town of Salisbury is only 0.5 miles and I couldn't resist. Once again, my stomach got the best of me. Salisbury is another quintessential New England town with beautiful old homes. After a deli sandwich and some Mountain Dew, it was back to the trail for the final push to Sages Ravine. The ravine serves as the CT/MA border and tomorrow morning I will be back in the Commonwealth and home for 5 days of R&R! On the way, I summitted Bear Mountain, the highest peak in CT at 2316 feet. There is apparently some controversy over this statistic. As my brother tells me, Mt Frizzell is actually higher with the majority of the mountain in CT, but the summit is in MA. I made it to the campsite around 8. A nice one with tent platforms and bear boxes. I set up my tent and jumped right in. The mosquitos are relentless tonight. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Sages Ravine Brook campsite

To: MY HOUSE - WILBRAHAM, MA!!!
Miles today: 14.6

Day 106Mile 1507.2I crossed into MA early this morning and stopped to savor the moment. It's hard to believe that I hiked here after leaving GA on March 30, 3 1/2 months and 1500 miles ago. I took my customary picture at the state sign and signed the register, welcoming everyone to the home of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots! Sorry Dutchman, but your Yankees pulled the biggest choke job ever in professional sports last fall. The morning was spent climbing out of the ravine and up to Mt. Everett. It was a beautiful climb with some exposed ridge walking with several vistas of the Housatonic Valley to the east. Unfortunately, it was a foggy morning with limited visibility. I picked lots of blueberries today. They were all over the top of Mt. Everett. After the summit, it was a descent to Route 7, where I got picked up this afternoon by my folks. I was home by 5 looking forward to seeing friends and family. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-20
From: Home

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: few clouds

Day 112Mile 1524.8After taking five days off, I found it very difficult to get back on the trail. It was tough to leave the comforts of civilization; showering daily, wearing clean soft cotton clothes, sleeping in a bed every night, driving, an abundance of good food and not hiking. However, I have a restlessness that won't go away until I finish this journey. Only 667 miles to go, six or seven weeks. I can't wait to get to the White Mountains and then Maine and Katahdin. My mom dropped me off around 9:30. When we got to the trail, Woodrose, Muleskinner and Bella were just reaching the road. It was good to see some familiar hikers and they helped me get motivated to get out of the car and start moving north. We dropped off more trail magic from my mom. A big thank you to her for supporting the hikers once again. She gave them a ride to town and I was off. I stopped at the first shelter, the Tom Leonard Lean-To to do something I had been planning for once I got to MA. I nailed a Red Sox pennant to the wall in honor of their World Series victory. Nice. Shelters are called Lean-Tos in MA and ME. I'm not sure why. This afternoon I stopped by Benedict pond, a beautiful spot accessed by a 0.5 mile side trail. I took a nap on the grassy beach and ate lunch. I hiked on to the Shaker Campsite, arriving just before dark. Pacman, Captain Caveman and Out of Step were there. All guys I had hiked with in the past. It was great to see more familiar faces. I was set up and in the tent quickly to avoid the mosquitos. The trail through MA follows some swampy areas and with the heat, they are everywhere. A tough day mentally, but I'm moving north. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-21
From: Shaker Campsite

To: The Cookie Ladies' house
Miles today: 20.9

Day 113Mile 1545.7I was the last one out of camp this morning. Today, I was looking forward to stopping at Upper Goose Pond and crossing the Massachusetts Turnpike on the AT footbridge. I reached the pond for lunch and ate in the cabin owned by the AMC. Each week, it is run by a different volunteer caretaker. This week, there is a woman from Springfield here with her kids. It's a great spot with a small dock down at the shore. It was hot, so I decided to take a dip. The water was ice cold, but it was a refreshing, poor man's shower. I would like to have stayed, but it was too early in the day and I am meeting Fresh Legs and Sara this weekend and need to put in some more miles to get there. It was tempting though, because they serve pancakes and coffee for breakfast. Shortly after leaving the cabin, I reached the footbridge over the MassPike. I have been driving under it for years thinking about what it would be like to hike the AT and it was great to finally cross it. Then it was a 10 mile hike to the road crossing where the Cookie Lady lives. There was one decent climb, but the terrain in MA has been very easy so far with mostly level walking. Out of Step and Capt Caveman were there also. The Cookie Lady and her husband allow thru hikers to tent on their lawn and use their water spigot. They just ask for a small hand in helping them maintain the blueberry farm they own. I mowed tall grass between the blueberry bushes for about 20 minutes. Although it was the last thing I wanted to do at 8pm after hiking 20 miles, I was glad to help and it was good to push a lawnmower. Later, she sent Roy out with a basket of blueberry cookies. Delicious! The mosquitos were terrible tonight. Once the sun went down, they attacked. The worst they have been yet. I couldn't set up my tent fast enough. I'm getting back into the groove. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-22
From: The Cookie Ladies' house

To: Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 18.9

Day 114Mile 1564.6I made good time getting to Dalton this morning where I was meeting Bear Magnet's mom for lunch. It was nice to finally meet her. It was another hot day and I had my first frozen Coke from the convenience store. It was fantastic, not as good as the DQ Blizzard, but close. After lunch, I had a 10 mile hike to Cheshire where I was meeting Bear Magnet tonight. There were a few climbs, but not bad. I got into town just before the rain. Cheshire is a quiet, small town and home to Draggin, a thru hiker. We are meeting Fresh Legs, Sara and my running buddy, Dave tomorrow morning to hike Mt. Greylock together. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-23
From: Cheshire, MA

To: North Adams, MA
Miles today: 14.0

Day 115Mile 1578.6Bear Magnet and I met Fresh Legs, Sara and Dave around 8:30. We left 2 cars in North Adams and drove back to Cheshire to pick up the trail where I left it yesterday. We dropped off Fresh Leg's and Sara's trail magic, a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper and a 6 pack of beer. Today was a beautiful hiking day, sunny skies and 70's with a nice breeze. It was great having company today on the trail. I continue to hike in a vacuum with few thru-hikers. The highlight of the day was summitting Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in MA. There is an access road that cars are allowed on which leads to the top and the peak was crowded. We had lunch at Bascomb Lodge and then walked around. The war memorial at the summit is an impressive stone structure with a light beacon on top that was originally built for a lighthouse. The views were beautiful. I recommend taking a trip to Greylock even if you drive there. After the long break, we continued north to Route 2. There was a very steep descent about 3 miles from the road, as steep as I have seen yet on the trail. We got back to the cars around 7 and went for dinner at the Miss Adams Diner in nearby Adams. Also a must visit spot if you are in this neck of the woods. Good variety and great food and service. Another great day on the trail. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-24
From: North Adams, MA

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Day 116Mile 1592.7We all slept late until around 9:30. The motel room we rented was vintage, straight out of 1975. I loved it. The others didn't share my enthusiasm. Fresh Legs and Sara went home and Bear Magnet, Dave and I went back to the diner for breakfast. After another great meal, Dave went home and we went to run my errands, a food resupply and laundry. We ate a late lunch and Bear Magnet dropped me off at the trail around 5. Next stop, Vermont. Today was a hot one, so it was nice to be hiking in the evening. About 4 miles north, I crossed into the Green Mountain State, number 12. It's great to be in Northern New England. I am looking forward to some higher elevations and vistas. The Appalachian Trail shares the same treadway as the Long Trail for over 100 miles north until the AT turns east at Maine Junction and heads towards New Hampshire. The Long Trail was actually the nation's first long distance trail, extending the length of Vermont from the MA border to Canada. Due to my late start, I had to hike for about 2 hours in the dark to reach Congdon Shelter. I was hoping to stay in the shelter, but it was full so I set up my tent. Stratton and Killington-here I come. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-25
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: moderate rain

Day 117Mile 1616.0Due to my late arrival last night, I slept in and was the last one out of camp. Early in the hike, I crossed Route 9, a 5 mile car ride west to Bennington. I considered hitching in for a late breakfast/early lunch, but changed my mind when another hiker told me he had been thumbing for 20 minutes with no luck. It's just as well, I had a big mileage day ahead of me. I later found out that Bear Magnet's mom had left some trail magic at this road crossing about 2 hours after I had passed through. A big thank you to her for supporting the hikers. After the road crossing, it was a long, gradual climb up to Glastenbury Mtn(3748'). The trail in Vermont has been much more crowded than the last several states with more AT southbounders, as well as Long Trail hikers. I have also met more section hikers in the last two days. Today, I ran into Sowega, Nick and Unknown, thru hikers I haven't seen in hundreds of miles. It's good to see more familiar faces and catch up on the trail news. I made it to the shelter with some daylight to spare and was able to get the tent up, filter water and cook dinner before dark. I'm feeling good and looking forward to Stratton Mountain tomorrow. Koko.I finally got some pictures loaded onto the site. Yes, that's me behind the fur.
Date: 2005-07-26
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Manchester, VT
Miles today: 21.1

Day 118Mile 1637.1I was on the trail early to meet Bear Magnet tonight in Manchester. The trail has been very muddy so far in VT. Early in the day I came upon two trail magic coolers at the same road crossing! They are fighting over us now. After a nice TM break, it was a 1600 foot climb up to the summit of Stratton Mountain. It is believed to be the birthplace of the AT, since Benton McKaye(whose idea it was) first thought about an eastern continental trail while sitting in a tree on this summit. I have been looking forward to this peak, because I have skied here many times. I took a side trail over to the ski resort area to see what the place looked like in warm weather with no snow. I took some pictures and ate lunch on the deck of the summit snack bar which was closed. It was a beautiful day, but windy. After lunch, I hiked down to Stratton Pond and jumped in. It was hot and the water was very refreshing, much warmer than Upper Goose Pond back in MA. A nice poor man's shower. After the dip, it was about 10 miles to VT30, the road to Manchester. I made good time and after a quick stop at Prospect Rock overlooking the valley to the west, I was at the road around 6. I hitched into town and met Bear Magnet. A great day on the trail. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-27
From: Manchester, VT

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

Day 119Mile 1647.2Before Bear Magnet left town this morning, we dropped off her trail magic, Ben & Jerry's pints on dry ice in a cooler. Legendary trail magic. I can't imagine finding a cooler and fully expecting sodas, which are great, only to open it up and find ice cream! Thanks to Bear Magnet for the Hall of Fame TM. Weeks later, I am still getting hikers thanking her. After breakfast, it was off to EMS for another shoe exchange. This time, I ended up with Merrell trail shoes. I hope these work out, because I'm running out of shoe companies. I decided to stick around town until after lunch and walked over to the Northshire Bookstore to check email. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, you've got to stop here. It's a great independent bookstore. While eating lunch at the golden arches it began to rain, hard. After waiting it out and resupplying, it was time to go back to the woods. The hitch only took about 10 minutes. As I began hiking, the clouds darkened and I knew that rain was imminent once again. I made it to the first shelter just in time to ride out another quick shower. I wasn't so lucky the next time and got caught in heavy rain on the exposed ski trails on the top of Bromley Mountain. I was able to seek shelter in a warming hut on the summit, unfortunately I was already soaked. There is nothing worse than getting drenched on your first day out of town when you have clean, dry clothes. Once the rain subsided again, I pushed on another 7 miles to Peru Peak shelter, where I stayed the night. I got in just before dark and met a father and daughter out hiking a section of the Long Trail. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-28
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: clear sky

Day 120Mile 1670.5Today was another big mileage day. My goal was to get as close to Killington as possible leaving a shorter day tomorrow to the Inn at Long Trail, where I am meeting Bear Magnet and getting off the trail for a couple of days in Burlington. The trail went by Little Rock Pond, a beautiful setting with the mountains in the background. I told the caretaker of this campsite that he had the best summer job. North of the pond, the AT climbs up to White Rocks Mountain, where hikers have created a collection of rock cairns out of the small, white rock found on the mountain. I followed a side trail to the White Rock Cliffs to eat lunch. There were great views of the valley to the west. At Route 103, I hiked 0.5 miles off the trail to the Whistle Stop Restaurant for a few Mountain Dews, a burger and sundae. Fantastic. I love it when prepared food is close to the trail. Draggin was there. After the great meal, I hiked one mile north and tented at the Clarendon Shelter. Koko.
Date: 2005-07-29
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Burlington, VT
Miles today: 16.4

Day 121Mile 1686.9A good night's sleep in the tent after two nights in a shelter. I was hiking just after 7, one of my earliest starts. The day got off to a great start with the discovery of sodas in an ice cold stream a few miles into the hike. Thanks to the Roaming Gnome and Outhouse Repairman. More trail magic was found another couple of miles north. We are getting spoiled here in VT. The AT goes by the Governor Clement Shelter, an old stone shelter which apparently is a have for teenagers, parties and gunshots. It was all quiet on a Friday morning. The hike up Killington was long, but not overly difficult until I reached the side trail that goes to the peak. The AT doesn't actually go over the summit, but I decided that I was so close that I had to climb Vermont's second highest peak. Plus, there was a snack bar on the top where I ate lunch. Mt. Mansfield in northern VT is the highest peak. It was a very steep rock scramble ascent to the top. It was a beautiful day with sunny skies and strong winds. The temperature was in the 80's at the bottom and the 50's on the summit. There were lots of tourists on top who had ridden the gondola up. I got some strange looks, but talked with several nice folks. After a long break, I hiked down to the inn at a good pace and met Bear Magnet just after 3. I was looking forward to some more days off the feet in Burlington. Koko.
Date: 2005-08-03
From: Burlington, VT

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 19.9

Day 126Mile 1706.8Bear Magnet and I drove down late last night from Burlington and stayed at the Inn at Long Trail. We were up early and dropped off some trail magic sodas. I went back to the inn to get breakfast and wait out the rain that started this morning. After another extended break, it was tough to get going again. Luckily, I ran into Pacman at breakfast and we decided to hike out together. I needed some help to get motivated. We hiked together for 10 miles to Stony Brook Shelter where he was calling it a day. On route, we stopped at the Mountain Meadows Lodge for the hiker lunch and some sodas. The lodge is right off the trail at Kent Pond. This is where we met Alice the pig. She is a big, black pig who we were told was having a "bad day". I went over to pet her and she just grunted. She never moved out of the sun for the entire hour or so that we were there. After lunch, Pacman and I played the Xmen video game for a good while, until we ran out of quarters. Then it was time to hit the trail again. The terrain was difficult today with some sustained, steep climbs. After leaving Pacman at Stony Brook, I just put my head down and hiked hard for another 10 miles to Wintturi Shelter. The terrain didn't get any easier. I made a quick stop at a private cabin set on top of a hill with an observation deck on the roof. The views were amazing. A tough first day back on the trail, but I'm glad to be moving north again. Koko.
Date: 2005-08-04
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 127Mile 1733I started the day uncertain how far I was going. Some southbounders had told me that a fraternity house at Dartmouth College in Hanover is putting up hikers, so I left that as an option. More of the same on the trail today, lots of ups and downs and little level terrain. I met Mailar and Cliffhanger today. Cliffhanger is a local woman who is hiking this section with Mailar. He got one of my trail magic sodas the other day and wanted to return the favor. He said he would bring me a Mountain Dew to the Happy Hill Shelter this evening when Cliffhanger brought well water up there. The water sources in this section of the trail are drying up or scarce, so she kindly brings water to shelters and road crossings in this area. Very nice. When I got to Happy Hill I decided to push on, because the mosquitos were bad and the pull of town and a good meal was too strong. It was a nice 6 mile hike to Hanover and state number 13, New Hampshire. This was another personal milestone for me on this journey. When I first went to work for Kellogg's 11 years ago, I moved to West Lebanon, NH, which is the next town south of here. I can remember seeing hikers walk through Hanover back then. It was my first experience with the AT and I thought it seemed like a crazy adventure at the time. It was great to be walking through town myself as a thru hiker having covered over 1700 miles of the trail. I got to town around 8pm and went over to the Dartmouth Outing Club to find out about the fraternity accomodations. Unfortunately, I found out from another hiker that they only take 4 people each night and were already full. He told me that he stealth camped in the bleachers of the Dartmouth football stadium last night. It sounded like a great idea, given that my only other options were to pay $200+ to stay at the Hanover Inn or catch a ride out of town to a cheaper motel. The AT goes right through the center of Hanover. It's always interesting walking through town. It was a Thursday night and people were all over town shopping and having dinner and here I come all sweaty and dirty from the trail with a full beard and backpack. I know the beard is getting bushy, because other thru hikers on now commenting on it's size. I'm going to have trouble trimming this thing after the hike is finished. It's become a symbol of the journey and a kind of badge of honor. Maybe I'll just keep it going ZZ Top style. I had a pizza and then some ice cream at Ben & Jerry's. Once it got dark, I made my way to the stadium. I scoped out the area looking for a place to sleep that was under cover in case it rained. It was dark and difficult to see without my headlamp, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I decided to head up to the bleachers and cowboy camp under the stars. This is definately the most interesting place I have slept yet. Koko.
Date: 2005-08-05
From: Hanover, NH

To: Sunset Motor Inn
Miles today: 5.9

Day 128Mile 1738.9I didn't sleep all that well in the bleachers last night. It was very humid and I didn't get any breeze in the stands. I also didn't want to sleep very late in case people were up early walking the track like they were last night. I was up and out of the stadium by 5:30 and back into the center of town to buy a paper and wait for Lou's Restaurant to open for breakfast. After a lumberjack meal, it was off to the Dartmouth Outing Club to check email and update Trail Journals. Bear Magnet was meeting me this afternoon noon in Etna. It was only 6 miles north on the AT, so I didn't leave town until after lunch. The terrain wasn't bad, but it was humid again today and rained briefly. I saw several college kids on the trail today with daypacks and found out that they were members of the DOC participating in the 50 mile challenge, hiking 50 miles from Hanover to Mt. Moosilauke in 24 hours or less. I also ran into Mailar and Cliffhanger again. They were heading south back to Hanover and Mailar had that Mountain Dew he had promised me yesterday. A nice surprise. Thanks Mailar. Bear Magnet met me at 3 at the Etna General Store. Once again, I bought new shoes at EMS. This time, I opted for 3/4 cut, lightweight Montrail boots. I'm hoping these get me to Katahdin. They are Gortex, which will be key in Maine where it is very wet and colder. I showed her around my old stomping grounds. This area has really grown in the last decade. Koko.
Date: 2005-08-22
From: Wilbraham - Home

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I thought I would give everyone a quick update as to where I am. I know the journals have been a few weeks behind. The hike is starting to wind down and I'm not sure if or when I will have another internet connection before finishing. I stayed in Rangeley, ME last night, only 220 miles to go, over 1900 in the bank! I am planning to summit Katahdin on Thursday, Sept. 8 with Bear Magnet, just over two weeks away. I can't believe the journey is almost over. It's been incredible. I've met some great people and seen some beautiful places. I will update the journals as soon as I can. Keep on keeping on. Beantown