morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-03
From: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

I hit the trail about 7am. I wanted a fairly early start so I could get to the cabin early and have as much time as possible to hang out and relax. It was fantastic hiking all day. The terrain was pretty decent and I just flew! The weather was perfect hiking weather. Bright, sunny, small breeze and no humidity. There were a lot of day hikers on the trail today. The only other thru hiker I saw was Wall-e, we kept leap frogging each other all day. I got to the cabin about 2 pm. It was .5 off the trail and I was really hoping it was worth the walk. There were a bunch of day hikers about, checking things out. This place was great.There was a big red cabin at the top of the hill. There was a dock for canoes and a "little sandy beach" (which wasn't really a beach but another dock). I sat on the covered porch and ate lunch. I was starving by this point but I didn't want to stop until I got to camp. I sat and relaxed for quite a bit. It was such so peaceful there, its hard to describe. At some point Mighty Mouse came onto the porch. Her and the Germans had been there since noon. I'm glad I caught back up with them! We chatted for quite a while. A little bit later Twinkle-toes came into camp along with another hiker named Par 3 that I hadn't met before. We all hung out for quite a while on the porch. The caretaker came back sometime after 3. He was a pretty cool guy and I wish I got his name. We got permission to take the canoes out for a spin!! It was amazing. Mighty Mouse and I were in one, Mr. Clean and Pinocchio were in the other, and Twinkle-toes and Par 3 swam out to the island in the middle of the pond. Once at the island the rest of us went swimming. It was amazing. I left my phone at my tent and just spent the whole afternoon unplugged. Although I wish i had some pictures. The view from the little island as the sun was going down behind the lake was breathtaking. It was the most fun i've had on the trail in a while. I really need to do stuff like this more often. Slogging miles all day is just no fun any more.After we dried off in the sun for a while we canoed back to the mainland. I changed into dry clothes and set up camp. I went back to the porch to hang out for a while. A lot of hikers came in tonight. Most of them I knew! After dinner, Mighty Mouse, Twinkle-toes and I played cards for a bit. It was close but I ended up winning! I crawled into my tent a little after 8. We had a long day planned tomorrow. I listened to the fireworks exploding over the lake from some of the cabins. Unfortunately I couldn't see any from where I was tenting. Such a great day!
Date: 2015-07-05
From: Dalton, MA

To: Wilbur Clearing Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

Before we left town Mighty Mouse and I went to breakfast. It was a cute little cafe with amazing food and hot chocolate. The Germans left super early this morning, they were displeased about the bathroom situation. So Mighty Mouse and I hiked together again. We hit the trail about 830am. It was another beautiful day for hiking, lovely weather, not too humid. The terrain was pretty decent so far too. At about lunch time we walked through Cheshire, MA. Lo and Behold there was a little food stand right on the trail. It had hot dogs and ice cream, things we were talking about just moments earlier. I got 3 chili dogs and a hot fudge sundae for lunch. It was pretty amazing. we ended up sitting there for 1 and a half hours. A little too long. We still had quite a few miles to do and a pretty big climb. The climb started right as we got back into the woods of course. It was a long way up. We were going up Mount Greylock. From where we started on the road to the peak was about 8 miles. All up hill. It was long. Some steep parts, some decent parts. But it was pretty tiring. On the way up we saw Chimney!! Him and his hiking partners are south-bounding Massachusetts. We chatted for a long time, it was pretty cool to see him, its been a long time. Eventually Mighty Mouse and I made it to the summit of Mount Greylock. And it was a huge disappointment. All you see when you look down is suburbia. Houses and crap everywhere. I was hoping for so much more. Definitely made that 8 mile climb seem like it was for nothing. We sat around at the summit for a bit too long determining what we wanted to do. We still had a few miles till camp. We checked to see if we could eat at the lodge. No such luck, they weren't serving food until 7. And we probably wouldn't have been able to afford it anyways...Mighty Mouse got a can of soda and it cost $2.25. Completely ridiculous. We moved on and decided to eat when we got to camp. The next 3 miles were complete bullshit. It took us a short climb down Greylock, then a steep up to absolutely nothing. The trail then hairpin turned and followed itself back down this freaking mountain. It was the most ridiculous thing in the entire world and a complete waste of 3 miles. Where we then crossed the road again to walk another .3 to camp. It would have been easier and faster to just walk the few yards down the road to pick up the trail, bypassing that stupid mountain. I have never been so irritated in my life. We made it to camp a little before 8. It was a long day. We set up camp and ate. Chatted with the Germans for a bit and then crawled into bed. Tomorrow is resupply and shower day! Cant wait.
Date: 2015-07-06
From: Wilbur Clearing Shelter

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Mighty Mouse and I left camp about 730am. It was a easy 3 mile hike down into town. The YMCA in North Adams, MA lets hikers shower for free. That was out first stop. It was only about a mile from the trail but we hitched a ride anyways. The guy who picked us up was super friendly, his son did the trail a few years ago. The people at the Y were awesome!! We were able to shower, use the sauna and pool if we wanted. It was great! After our shower another woman in the locker room offered us a ride. I got dropped off at the laundromat and Mighty Mouse went to the post office. I did laundry and relaxed for a bit. The Germans were there doing thier laundry and Wall-E came in a bit later. Mighty Mouse got back just as the laundry was coming out of the dryer. Next was resupply at the grocery store next door. On our walk over a guy pulled up next to us. He handed me 20 bucks. He kept saying "sorry, but i overheard your conversation" Lol. The only thing I can remember saying was my hair still felt greasy but I only had to wait 3 more days until I could take another shower! Maybe he thought we were homeless, lol! We said thanks as he drove off. After our resupply we went to the Chinese buffet next door. Amazing food! And the 20 bucks the guy gave us paid for both our lunch! Fantastic!We hit the trail late in the afternoon. The Germans had left much earlier planning to hike another 14 miles. Mighty Mouse and I were not going to make it there. We only did 7 to the next shelter. It was pretty hot that afternoon, hottest its been in a while. And of course we had a large climb up. And the trail was still pretty muddy in places. They werent kidding when they said Vermont was very muddy. So much mud. About 4ish miles in we hit the Vermont border!! So amazing. I cant believe that Ive finihsed 11 states already with 3 more to go. Im almost done. Only about 600 miles left to go. Its unreal!We made camp about 5ish. It was a busy shelter too. The first one in Vermont not only for At hikers but its the first shelter for the Vermont Long Trail Hikers. The Long Trail goes the whole way through Vermont to Canada. The At follows it for the first 100 miles. So we are seeing a lot of long trail hikers now. Its interesting to see them. They look so fresh and doe eyed. I'm sure we all looked like that when we started the AT. Now were haggard and hardened, lol. Twinkle-toes came into camp a bit later. It was nice that he caught up. He chatted for a bit, cooked dinner and talked to some of the long trail hikers. It was nice being at camp early, getting everything done and relaxing. We went to bed somewhat early. We planned to leave by 7 tomorrow and do some big miles to catch up with the Germans.
Date: 2015-07-07
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Melville Nauhiem Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: moderate rain

We didnt leave camp till about 730am. It was a dreary morning. Twinkletoes said we were suppose to get thunderstorms. That put a damper on our morning. We moved on out. The trail was very tough today. A lot of ups and downs. And mud. So much freaking mud. You spend the whole day trying to skip around these giant bogs. one miss step and youre ankle deep in muck and most likely its splattered all over you as well. There seems to be no trail maintenance whatsoever. At one point, as i was root and rock skipping i slipped and fell. I ended up snapping a trekking pole. I was standing ankle deep in muck with it oozing into my boot, but i didnt care. All i could think about was my trekking pole. It was the most traumatic thing tats every happened to me, lol. Seriously, it was like my best friend died. I was in shock and had no idea what to do. I had to keep moving so I stuck the broken one in my pack and plodded along behind Mighty Mouse. My hand felt so empty without a pole. I was pretty depressed for a while, lol. At some point I picked up a stick to help me walk. Its really hard to hike in this crap without the 4 points of contact. The stick helped a bit, but it just wasnt the same. we had a very steep climb down into Benninton, VT. I was super slow coming down the mountian. Lots of rocks and mud. And of course it started to rain again. Good grief. At one point Mighty Mouse slipped and fell as well. But when we made it down to the road there was trail magic! Gatorade, fruit, donuts, it was amazing. We chatted with the guy for a bit. Twinkletoes had been there earlier and told the guy we were coming so he waited for us! So awesome. We moved on. The climb out of Bennington was steep and rocky as well. 2 miles to the next shelter. It had stopped raining, thankfully. But everything is so darn muddy. When we got to the shelter we took a break and tried to decide what to do. We had another 8 miles to go to our planned destination. But it was such a tough day, physically and mentally. I told Mighty Mouse it was her decision, i was still too traumatized to make such big decisions, lol. So in our manner of doing things, we flipped a coin. And we stayed. We set up camp and relaxed at the shelter for a while. It started to rain again but it didnt last too long. A southbounder came in and we talked with him for quite a while. It was exciting to meet my first southbounder!After dinner i went to my tent and called my sister. we hadnt really talked since I left Kent almost 2 weeks ago! Good grief! We chatted for a while and then I read for a bit. Early start tomorrow. We really need to make miles. We have to be in Manchester Center, VT on Thursday for Mr. Clean's birthday celebration.
Date: 2015-07-08
From: Melville Nauhiem Shelter

To: Stealth Site at Stratton Arlington Rd.
Miles today: 21.0

We hit the trail about 7am. No rain or thunderstorms that night. A little after we left it started raining and misting. We got pretty socked from brushing against the wet leaves and bushes along the trail that have no been pruned back! So much mud everywhere. The first 8 miles dragged on forever. But we took a break at the first shelter at about 11. It stopped raining and the sun was starting to come out. Twinkle-toes came in behind us. After our break we hiked the rest of the day together. It made the day go by so much faster. The terrain wasnt too bad, except for the mud, and it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. We chatted for hours. As we got closer to the last camp though, conversation died out. We were getting pretty tired. At the shelter there was a school group. The team leader was a pretty interesting guy. Its an after school program and they take a trip every year for a few days. It sounded pretty awesome. The kids have to work hard to get selected to go on the trips. Twinkletoes stayed at camp. Mighty Mouse and I pushed on. We wanted to get a few more miles in to make tomorrow a bit easier. We found some nice campsites by a stream near the road. We set up camp, ate and relaxed. It was a long day and we were pretty tired. We climb Stratton Mountain first thing in the morning. Then into town. I cant wait for a shower and a bed.
Date: 2015-07-09
From: Stealth Site at Stratton Arlington Rd.

To: Manchester Center, VT Green Mountian House Hostel
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We got a 630am start. We wanted to make sure we got to town in plenty of time. We hit Stratton Mountain frist thing. It was a 3.5 mile climb and it wasnt too bad. Along the way we met a guy just out hiking for the day. Hes on vacation from Pittsburg and is headed to Boston for a rollerblading event. He stopped in Vermont for a little bit of hiking. He hiked up with us! He was a pretty nice guy. At the top of the mountian was a firetower. We climbed up and had lunch, it was only 9am, lol but we were starving. Afterwards we climbed back down the other side to Stratton Pond. Here is where we said goodbye to Tom the rollerblader.The trail took us around the pond, which was gorgoeus. Onward we hiked. The trail was super muddy of course. We moved fairly quickly. It was a long day and we were getting pretty tired. And there was a steep climb just before the road of course. At 330 we made it down to the road crossing. It took us a bit to hitch a ride. A kid picked us up, dropped Mighty Mouse off at her motel and me at the post office so I could pick up my box. While in the post office a nice woman started talking to me about the trail. She offered me a ride to the grocery store. I grabbed a few things and then called the guy from the hostel to come get me.Green Mountian Hostel is amazing!! The owner Jeff came and picked me up from the grocery store and brought me back to the hostel. Its only about 1.5 miles from town. The main house is for the hikers! The owner lives in the smaller cabin on the property. The lawn is very well kept and there is a horse in the backyard. The whole main house is for the hikers. We have a full kitchen at our disposal, a living room with TV and movies as well as a computer, a piano and a guitar and couches galore! Up stairs there are bedrooms with bunks, showers and laundry. Everything is so very clean. Its like walking into your own house! I love it. I showered first and did laundry. I ended up having the room to myself! I ate dinner and then relaxed for the rest of the evening. Laying on the couch was pretty amazing!
Date: 2015-07-10
From: Manchester Center, VT Green Mountian House Hostel

To: Green Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I planned to sleep in until 8...I woke up at 6. But I laid in bed for a while. Its great waking up and knowing that I don't have to hike today! I came down and relaxed in the living room for a while, ate some cereal...all breakfast supplies are complementary! I finally updated my journal! Much easier to do with a computer. About 1030, Jeff dropped me off in town. I met up with Mighty Mouse at the outfitter. She needed new shoes and I needed a trekking pole. Only she was successful in her mission. Oh well, I'll just pick up a single pole when I get to Rutland in a few days. We walked around a few more stores and resupplied at the grocery. We saw Sweet Eyes, Squabbler and Shit to Do and we sat and chatted with them for quite a while. They were planning on seeing a movie. I wanted to see one too but lunch took forever. We went to a place called Firefly. GOod food and good beer. I tried the Long Trail Switchback. Very tasty. Service was very slow and I missed my movie. Oh well. I decided to go back to the hostel and relax for the rest of the day. Maybe lay on the couch and read a book. Days off go by way to quickly. No looking forward to hiking up a giant mountain in the mud tomorrow. I will be crossing into New Hampshire next week!! Cant believe were almost done.
Date: 2015-07-11
From: Green Mountain Hostel

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

Another great night in the hostel. I made breakfast and ate a pint of strawberries. I watched Many Faces cook pancakes for the first time. It was interesting, lol! I relaxed on the couch for a few minutes before we had to leave. It's such a struggle to leave town now. The body and mind are getting weary.We got to the trail head about 845. Might Mouse and the Germans were getting dropped off as well. Leaning against the sign post at the trail head was a nice walking stick with a note 'from a trail angel' Such a good score!! I needed it since I wasn't able to replace my broken one yet. I'm pretty sure I know who left it!We started on up the trail. A climb right away up bromley mountian. It wasn't too bad. It was cool.to walk on a ski slope in the summertime, to see what it looks like. The hill was covered in wildflowers! It was beautiful. The weather was glorious and the view spectacular. Such a great day for hiking. At about lunch time we hit a place called Styles Peak. It was a good climb, never ending. But the was a rock outcropping and a lovely view. There were a whole bunch of us sitting and relaxing in the sun for a while. Taking breaks like this makes hiking so much more enjoyable. A bit later we came down to a nice shelter where we ate lunch. After the shelter was Griffith Lake. So tempting to stay there. Buy it was still early and it was one of the places you had to pay to stay. But it would have been so nice.We made camp about 5. First ones there, we had first pick of the campsites! A bit later Wall-E and Copperhead came in. And another hiker with a dog. The dogs name is Bert, his trail name was Ernie! He said it's 'Ernie and Bert' for legal purposes, lol.Mr. Clean made a fire to keep the mosquitos away. We coozed and chatted. I climbed in my tent to relax. We had a wonderful brook going by the shelter and its delightful to listen to as I lay here.
Date: 2015-07-12
From: Lost Pond Shelter

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

I had a great nights sleep. Packed up and we were out of camp a little after 730. We had a great hike first thing. The weather was great, sunny and breezy. We stopped for a snack break at Little Rock Pond. Another glorious spot to have stayed. This one had a fee as well. I'm thinking were going to have to break down, suck it up and just pay the fee at one of these nice places. We chatted with the caretaker on staff. She's employed by the Green Mountian Club. Seemed like an awesome job, hike and camp and be paid. Then she said she had to maintain the privy...no thank you. We moved on. We had a climb up to white rocks. It wasn't too bad. It's great hiking through all the pine forests. It smells great. The ground is soft. It's just lovely. We had lunch by a brook. We soaked our feet and just relaxed by the water. It was a really nice spot. We moved on and had some more climbing to do. This time when we got to the mountian we had a nice look over an airport. There was even a plastic chair to sit on while looking at the view. It was a great spot for a break. But Onward we went. We still had a few more miles. We crossed a gorge over a suspension bridge. Tons of no camping signs but it would have been a great place to stay. In fact there were some people camped around there. The last mile to the shelter sucked. It was a steep rock scramble up the mountian . There were some rock stairs interspersed here and there. I hate when they make us do that crap at the end of the day. Talk about torture. We finally made it to camp and it was full of kids. Ugh. They loud, obnoxious, make noise way too late in the night, hog everything. Its super annoying. We found some tent sites near the Germans and Wall-E over to the side away from the shelter and the kids. Made dinner and remembered I packed out some wine! After I crawled into my tent. It was a long day. Tomorrow is going to be tough but there will be a reward at the end of the tunnel. Killington and Yellow Deli here we come.
Date: 2015-07-13
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Rutland, VT. Yellow Deli Hostel
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

We had an early start this morning. It was going to be a long day. It was very hot and humid to start. I was not in the mood to hike today. We came across some trail magic but it was all gone. So disappointing. We took a short break at the shelter before the giant Killington climb. We had already been going uphill anyways for the past couple of miles. We had another 4.3 mikes to the top of Killington. Overall it wasn't too bad. Not too steep, there were some rough spots but nothing too horrible. It was just long. Very very very long. We got to the top and the shelter was a disappointment. The place was a dump. Too many day hikers go up there apparently. We heard thunder rumbling and dark clouds moving so we didn't go to the peak. It was another steep .2 up with amazing views and a nice lodge to eat at. But we didn't want get caught in the storm.We ate a quick lunch from our packs and hustled down the mountian. It actually went pretty quickly. And soon we were at the road. We got a hitch into town from these guys in a jeep. Nice guys and we got in just in time before the rain started. They dropped us off right at the door of the yellow deli. It looked awesome. We got out of the car and the one of the proprietors opened the door for us. It was a very welcoming place. All the food smelled so freaking good. They grabbed someone to show us to the hostel. The woman gave us the run down. Awesome place. Seperate bunks for men and women, laundry, showers, common room. It was awesome. The soaps and shampoos were homemade. We got cleaned up and went back down to the deli to eat. I had an amazing sandwich and salad. They had root beer on tap which was so good. It was a pretry cool place. The vibe was so happy and cheerful. Easy to get sucked in and stay for a while. It's run by the Twelve Tribes. A religious commune/cult type deal. It was great.After dinner we walked 5 steps to walmart to resupply. I was able to get a replacement trekking pole thank goodness. After we went back to the hostel and just relaxed! So great.
Date: 2015-07-14
From: Rutland, VT. Yellow Deli Hostel

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Great night! And I slept in till about 645. Breakfast was served at 7. Free od charge. We had homemade biscuits and gravy, mate tea or coffee, and fruit. It was so tasty. And all you can eat. Just the small bowl I had was super filling. It was so freaking good. We hung out at the hostel for a while. We finally took the bus back to the trail about 1030ish. It was so freaking hard to leave. So hard. The yellow deli was a vortex. I kept trying to talk mighty mouse into staying. Lol. If we hadn't already stripped our beds we probably would have stayed, lol. About 4 miles in we walked through a state park. We decided to stop for lunch. We sat there for about and hour and a half, lol. Rediculous. But we eventually started hiking again. We walked by a pond and a waterfall. It was pretty nice.We had a climb of course. And it took forever. My book says it was .5 from the road to the top. And it lied. It was was a long climb. But we eventually made it. We got to the shelter and stopped to make dinner. We wanted to hike a few more miles to make tomorrow a bit easier. At camp was a South African couple. His name was Springbok, I can't remember hers but we chatted for a bit while we cooked. It started raining a bit so we decided to rain. We were sure how the storm was going to be or if we could find adequate stealth camping later. We set up tents and chilled for a bit. I went to my tent to relax. It rained off and on for a bit. Hopefully it's done by tomorrow