morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-31
From: Mt. Algo Lean-to

To: Steward Hollow Lean-to
Miles today: 7.3

Today was going to be like a nero (near zero) day. One reason I had hiked those long miles yesterday was to get into Kent early.  I thoroughly  enjoyed my first cappuccino in over four months and a fresh muffin. They had tables set up outside. I was able to title my photos and get a package ready to send to Mando.  The long wait may be over to see some more pictures with the journals. Unfortunately the outfitters were out of the items I needed. Did get some seam sealer, but not sure when and where I will be able to treat my tent. We were able to do our laundry and get a few food items for resupply. Before leaving town, we had a good meal at the local grill. Besides a cheeseburger, I ordered a calzone to be my dinner. I was definitely over weighted with food and water. This is the first time I came to town and did not spend the night. I would have liked to, but everyone warned that I was in the pricey part of New England. We hiked 7 miles to the next shelter, the Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to. There was a good climb out of Kent up to Caleb's Peak. On the down side, there were a group of girls from the Connecticut Wildness School who were learning to repel down a sheer boulder. It looked like a much faster way to get down than the boulder descent I was having to do. Once down we were walking along the Housatonic River on a wide, level, mostly rockless path.  The river was really cooking with some major drop-offs and rapids. I don't think they run this river.  I also heard it was not the cleanest because of industrial pollution further up river. It didn't look clean. What a shame! The shelter was old and the bugs were out in force, so we tented. Time to sign off. Another good day on the trail.  Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-01
From: Steward Hollow Lean-to

To: US 7 - Horse Tale Farm
Miles today: 15.6

Peregrine and I decided that a week without a shower was several days too many. We looked in the ATC handbook for possibilities. There were some cabins for rent, but they were full. They gave us the name of a B&B. For $75.00 per person, it included a shared room, laundry, shower, breakfast and dinner. Plus they would pick us up and take us back to the trail. Sounded pretty good, so we decided to do it. As so often, the mind is willing but the body isn't quite able to comply. Today was a lot more ups and downs than we have seen in a long time. There was Silver Hill at 1100 feet, Pine Knob at 1200 feet, Surdam Mtn at 1300 feet, Mt. Easter at 1400 feet and a few other no name mountains thrown in with descents down to 600 feet in between.  It reminded me of the roller coaster section we had done in Virginia.   As we were approaching a hang glider view area, I could hear what was some kind of man-made motors. As I got closer, it became apparent that it was a race track. Decided to call someone who would know. Sure enough Fred Kemp told me it was Lime Rock Park, where Paul Newman and other celebrities have sped their cars around a classic 1.53-mile race course. Well I tell you it was very loud even way up in the woods. The Firebirds and Thunderbirds had replaced the robins and wood thrush.  Michael met us at US 7 and shuttled us to the Horse Tale Farm B & B. Yes the farm had two horses. One was a beautiful black draft horse. There were also three dogs and five cats. I almost felt as if I was back at my daughter and son-in-law's place, Coal Creek Farms, except you would have to add another dozen or so horses, fifty chickens, ducks, turkeys, plus a cow and some sheep. It did give you a peaceful feeling. Time to enjoy the farm and a comfortable bed. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-02
From: US 7 - Horse Tale Farm

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

I'm not sure who thought of slack packing to Salisbury, but that is how we hiked today. Michael, the care taker, said he needed to go to the bank in Salisbury. He was glad to drop off our extra gear. As we were starting on the trail, Duck said there was a line of thunderstorms, possibly severe, headed our way. That is all it took for me to speed walk to Salisbury. There was a major climb at the beginning, but it leveled out after a couple of miles. Most of the walk was through an old growth pine forest. The light is very subdued and the pine needles cushion your feet. There was one monolith type rock standing in the forest. I can't imagine how it came to rest up right with seemingly no other large rock around It made you want to go and ask the stone a question. Salisbury is a cute, very small town with lots of wealth. My first stop was Vanessa's house. It is an old New England many roomed home.  Our room had two single beds with a feather comforter and cozy decor. Unfortunately, her hot water heater got red tagged by the gas company, so I was unable to take a bath in the old fashion free standing tub. Next stop was the post office to get my bounce box.  Vanessa didn't realize she was suppose to get the box.  Luckily, I was able to get it before the post office closed at 12:00.  This is a problem in using general delivery. You are tied to their schedule. While waiting for Peregrine and Slo, I had a cappuccino and it was just the best.  We three were able to duck into a cafe just as the skies opened.  Had a wonderful chicken pot pie. I sure miss the good food. The normal fare is either pizza or hamburgers. I worked on my journals while sipping a fruit smoothie as the rain fell off and on. About 4:00 noticed the sun was shinning.  My chores were to reseal my tent and spray my clothes again with Permytherin for ticks. All through Connecticut there have been posters on all the shelters about Lymes disease.  The three of us worked on a schedule for the next week to see where the next re-supply would be.  Then it was off to buy food for four days.  It was a very upscale grocery store so we had some different choices for food. What is amazing is that we are able to organize all this stuff and get it back in our packs. For dinner we had deli sandwiches in our room as we had plenty of organizing to do. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-03
From: Salisbury, CT

To: The Hemlocks Lean-to
Miles today: 14.1

Yes, that mileage is correct. I now have hiked more than 1500 miles.  It seemed only a couple of days ago when I was taking a photo of the 1400 mile marker.  There was another reason to cheer.  I am now out of Connecticut and hiking in Massachusetts....ten states down and four to go. It really was a pretty day to hike. There were some puffy clouds that produced only a brief shower. As I was leaving town I saw Serene and Brushstrokes.  They have been slack packing. We've tried to line up shuttles, but so far no success.  To get back on the trail you have to hike about a mile on highway 41. It was a quiet Sunday morning and I enjoyed looking at the old homes and landscaping. Saw a lot of the same flowers that are probably growing in my garden.  The first big climb was up to Lion's Head Mountain. Made myself a cold coffee and viewed the valley below. It is amazing how green the whole countryside appears.  Bear Mountain, yes another Bear Mountain, at 2400 feet was next.    From there I descended to 1300 feet into Sages Ravine. Through this narrow corridor flowed one of the prettiest streams with lots of waterfalls. Duck and Buttercup later told us they had seen two bears in this area. We had lunch by the stream, but no bears. From there I hiked three miles back up to 2300 feet on Race Mountain. On top there were a lot of rock ledges and overhanging cliffs that gave wonderful views of areas east. There were a number of day hikers out enjoying the mountains. Again I descended to 1900 feet and then back up to 2700 feet up and over Mt Everett. I did run into a trail runner... my first in a long time. Cloud was his name and we chatted for several minutes. The Hemlocks Lean-to was a shelter with wooden bunks and a loft as well. I thought I might sleep in the shelter until dusk and the mosquitos showed up.  Tented next to the shelter.  It was Duck, Butter cup, Trout Bum, Peregrine, Slo-go'en with me at the Shelter. I am not sure if we are in between groups or our numbers are going down.  Birds have stopped singing so time for sleep. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-04
From: The Hemlocks Lean-to

To: Tom Leonard Lean-to
Miles today: 14.3

I thought today was going to be easier than yesterday since the trail started downhill. With the name of Jug End, I should have known better. It was a very difficult steep boulder and root descent that took several hours. Once down we were walking through farm fields. Some were planted with corn that was way over my head.  I sure wish I could of had an ear of corn with butter and salt. There was also some bog walking with flat boards and lots of mosquitos. Mixed in were some Hemlock forest. Along the road, there was a very old monument commemorating the last skirmish of a bloody farmers' revolt led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays against the government¢s right to tax.  The incident assisted Federalist in helping them tax in order to maintain an army. Just down the road was a little nursery called the Corn Crib where we got ice cream and could eat our lunch in their gazebo. Back to climbing up East Mountain.  It was only supposed to be 5.1 miles to the shelter, but it sure seemed a lot longer and way harder. It took close to four hours to get there.  I'm tenting with the hope that my tent will dry before morning. We got some showers to end the day. 9:00 PM. Which is hiker midnight and it's raining again.  Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-05
From: Tom Leonard Lean-to

To: Shaker Campsite, Mass.
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a fairly mellow day in terms of ups and downs. I really wanted to try to get to Goose Pond, but 21 miles was a bit too much. The first part of the day's hike was downhill through a forest of mostly pine trees. It seemed like we were going through a lot of wet spots with bogs and of course mosquitos. Finally resorted to Deet 100%. There were more ponds even up higher on the mountains. Benedict Pond was one of the prettiest with a beaver lodge and dam. The air was calm which made for some nice reflective shots. Right after the pond, we ascended to ¢The Ledges¢ which were some rock overhangs at the head of a ravine. There were two Lean-tos. One on Mt Wilcox South and one North, but it was way too early to stop. Again it was a fairly easy hike to the Shaker Camp site. It has two tenting platforms, a privy, a fire pit and a bear box. Slo-go'en treated us to his blueberry muffins baked on my alcohol stove. I really want to try some baking up the trail. We'd talked about skipping Upper Goose Pond Cabin, but Slo-go'en talked us into not missing this most talked about stop. That will be tomorrow's goal.  Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-06
From: Shaker Campsite, Mass.

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

The day definitely started out on the soggy side. It started raining about 4:30 AM and just kept pouring. Finally decided that we just had to pack up and start hiking. Ate my breakfast in the tent and then took down a very wet tent. It is an interesting experience to walk through a rainy forest. Most people would not chose to go hiking in the rain. Today it was mostly very tall pine trees that blocked most of the rain.  I wished my grandkids could have been on part of this walk.  They would have loved jumping in all the puddles and trying to catch all the small toads on the trail. These little peepers are tiny... only half an inch to a couple inches. Then there are these miniature orange salamanders that wiggle along. It rained off and on during the day, but no real thunder storms. When I came to the turn off for the Upper Goose Pond, I decided to take the .5 mile side trail.  This is one of a few cabins that has a resident care taker. It is a double story with a bunk room holding thirteen beds. This one has a gas stove you can use. I took a dip in the pond which was very refreshing. Two guys went out in a canoe fishing. They had fresh fish for dinner  The big draw here is Peggy cooks blueberry pancakes for breakfast. As much as I hate to, I'm probably going to pass on these in order to get on the trail early. Since I dried my tent, I am going to try the bunk room...another hiker experience. I knew more than half the hikers here so I must still be on target. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-07
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, Mass.
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I really hated to miss the blueberry pancakes that Peggy was making for all the hikers. She did get coffee made, so I was able to have a cup before leaving. For me to hike 20 miles, the trail has to be not too challenging and I have to get an early start. Peregrine had gone on the night before because she had two boxes waiting 1.6 miles ahead. We were going to meet in Dalton.  After climbing Beckett and Walling Mountains, the map profile showed an almost flat line. What it doesn't show is all those ups and downs that are fifty feet or less.  It also doesn't show the footing. I will remember Massachusetts for its bogs. There is a lot of small water trickles and seeps that turn the trail into big black squishy areas.  These will suck your boots right off your feet if they were not laced down tightly. The trail maintainer tried to help by placing boards in very wet spots, but these get wet and unstable with wet connecting rocks. There are quite a few swamps and ponds. I made good time and arrived on the outskirts of the town.  It was then that I was able to see more of the sky.  Huge black clouds looked very ominous.  I had a bounce box at the post office. Wendy at the Shamrock motel was able to pick up my box. Tonight we had steak with sweet potato fries. Our timing was good as it rained while we had dinner. I'm sure I won't be so lucky in the weeks to come. Right now the New England area is having a rainy period. Life is good. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-08
From: Dalton, Mass.

To: Chesthire, MA
Miles today: 8.7

I will remember Massachusetts as the pond crawl.  It seems that the trail connects these higher elevation water holes. The recent increase in moisture is becoming apparent. Many places are black sodden puddles that make footing very difficult. I was moving along at a good pace. My boot slipped on the edge of a submerged rock and in a split second I was head down in a mud puddle. I managed to turn my head at the last moment, but I did wrench my neck and hit my nose on a stick when I went down.  Everyone falls out here.  You just hope its a non debilitating injury. For example, heard that Toesocks is off the trail because of a broken ankle. Today I was seeing all types of mushrooms of varying color and shapes. They are an inspiration to maybe do some future fused glass pieces. When I walked into Chestshire, it was still raining hard. Across from the post office was a bronze monument of a cheese press.  There was a hiker kiosk that advertised a B&B who rented to hikers during the week. Well it was Friday, but why not try. Eva, who turned out to one of the nicest people I've met on this trail, said she had just had a cancellation and would come and get us.  Time to take this wet mud spattered body and get clean. The Harbor House Inn was a gorgeously remodeled 1700¢s hotel.  I was in the sunshine garden room, done in tones of blue with antique veneer furniture and a very comfortable bed. In the bathroom there was a clawfoot in which I soaked profusely. This was a great contrast to the trail. There is the peace and simplicity that the trail allows you to experience, but to break away for the night was something I really enjoyed. Mando should have been here. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-10
From: North Adam, MA

To: Vt. 9, Bennington, VT
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Thanks to a very special trail angel, Lipstick, who is married to Raccoon. She offered to drive our packs up to Bennington. Thus we were able to slack pack these miles to Bennington. I have mixed feelings about not having all my gear with me. As it turned out this was one of those days I could have used my pack. The day started off beautifully with clear skies and cool temperatures. Four miles up the trail we found another milestone.  The Appalachian Trail joined the beginning of The Long Trail which goes 263 miles from Vermont to the Canadian boarder. For 105.2 miles the two trails coincide. This trail is older than the AT and served as a model.   More important to me was the leaving of another state and the beginning of Vermont, one of the last three. They have been described as some of the prettiest, but also the most difficult.  Unfortunately, I may miss some of the beauty. Because of all the recent rain, the trail is very muddy. It is a constant struggle to keeps one footing. I am hearing that many are falling. I spend most of my time looking at my feet.  Today I got to see firsthand what all the rain and water is doing.  I had stopped at Congdon Shelter for lunch when I heard the thunder.  At first, there did not appear to be any lightning. The sun came out. I decided to hike the remaining four miles   Big mistake!! Not ten minutes later, the rain came and within minutes it was hailing, thunder and lightening.  All I could do was stand under a pine tree and watch the hail cover the ground. Soon the trail became a stream.  When it seemed that it might be letting up, I decided to again try to hike, but now I am swimming up the trail like a trout.  What I am realizing that with all the recent moisture, the water has no where to go. It begins to collect and run down hill. The trail came to what was normally a small creek, but it has turned into a flash flood stream. I was able to bend over a sapling and use it to hang onto as I crossed the swollen stream.  I sure didn't feel good about being outside at the moment.  I was very glad to see 1.7 mile sign to the road. The many stone steps set by lots of hard working volunteers was a relief to walk down in the rain. I' d much rather go down a steep hill this way than a dirt surface.  Soon Lipstick came by to see if we needed a shuttle. Thank you. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-12
From: Vt. 9, Bennington, VT

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: moderate rain

After a zero day, you expect to feel energized and ready to hit the trail. I am going out with some trepidation. This has a lot to do with the weather. As the weather channel said, New England can't seem to catch a break. Later I talked to some southbound hikers and they were not encouraging about either the condition of the trail or rain. One guy said the trail ahead was as bad as this all the way to Maine.  Another couple said it had rained twelve out of the last fourteen days.  I think it is time for some changes... more sunshine would be a good start. I stopped early today because I got caught in a thunderstorm a couple days ago. This will not do if I'm trying to make miles. The big event of the day was the 1600 mile marker. It was a magic marker sign. It seemed just a couple of days ago I was photographing the 1500 sign.  What it really meant was I now have less than 575 miles to go. The Goddard Shelter is one of the newer shelters made with posts and beams. There are a lot of decorative side supports that are pegged and doweled. Tonight there is a mixture of hikers in the shelter  Sectional hikers Frank and Frank; father and daughter, Kyle and Bob; solo hiker Joel. Thru-hiker Chainsaw has caught up. Chris is a solo hiker who is doing The Long Trail.  There are more camped out in the woods. Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-13
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: few clouds

Last night because of how the shelter was positioned and because the clouds cleared, I was able to see the 3/4 moon and Venus.  I can't remember the last time I saw the moon. It was very luminous and gave light most of the night. When we awoke, fog had rolled in and I thought we might have another rainy day. This shelter was located in an old Balsam Pine forest. The scent was such a welcome relief to the normal aromas we have been experiencing.  It was another three tenths of a mile to the top where an old fire tower sat.  When I climbed to the top there was a 360 degree view.  Spectacular scenery of all the surrounding mountains, but rolling clouds in all directions. I was very surprised that in an hour¢s time, the skies cleared and sunshine poured through the trees. The temperature was in the low 70s making it a perfect day to hike.  I decided this was a day for big miles. The trail started off rocky and rooty with lots of squishy mud puddles. Late in the morning it began to dry up making for some good footing sections. The big mountain was Stratton which started at 2200 feet and went up to almost 4000 feet over 3.4 miles. I saw quite a few day hikers. This mountaintop also had a fire tower. Again you could see the peaks in all directions. Someone had placed their names on the glass. I was interested in Stratton Pond, which is where I was headed. It was 3.2 miles away, but looked to be ten. This is where the shelter was and the first I¢ve seen that you had to pay to stay.  It was a newer built shelter and had a different set up. There were double decker bunks and a loft as well. The cooking area with a picnic table was covered with a good overhang.  Tonight, we hikers were very glad of the protection as the skies opened up. It was raining again! It does make a good sound to fall asleep to, but lousy for hiking.  Fly Right,Ravon
Date: 2008-08-14
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Vt. 11 & 30, Manchester Center
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: scattered clouds

It did rain long and hard last night, but this morning it dawned clear with the sun shining brightly. That makes all the difference. The trail went down by the pond. The fog was lifting making for a nice photo. Cruising Bear who had hiked the AT a number of years ago said he had seen loons yesterday afternoon. The terrain was not that difficult, but I am finding that if I do a long mileage day, the next day my legs tell me about it. Passed a couple of shelters, but did not go to them. My focus today was to get to town. Luckily, I had cell coverage at the highway 11 & 30.  It makes life a lot easier when a taxi service is available. Men hikers don't hesitate to hitch hike, but most solo women hikers do not. The Avalanche Motel is one of the closest to the trailhead, but not in town. What made this motel good was a diner almost next door. Bob's Diner is a retro establishment, complete with a coin operated music player.  There was a live jazz club as part of the motel. Unfortunately, I could not stay awake long enough to hear the band, but heard from other hikers that it was a good band.  There is a report of high probability of rain and thunderstorms. We are debating what to do tomorrow. We will decide in the morning. Fly Right,Ravon