morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-22
From: River Road Parking Area

To: US 4 Rutland VT
Miles today: 5.6

Today was short and pleasant. We started on a boardwalk which led to Thundering Falls. The falls were very pretty with great slabs of granite thrust upwards along the sides. A short time later we came to Kent Pond, a very picturesque little pond. The trail crossed the back of the Inn at Long Trail, where hikers are welcome to camp. We walked through Gifford State Park where we are staying tonight. We also joined the Long Trail at Maine Junction. Blondie went the wrong way, so got to walk a little more of the Long Trail than Tracy or me. Before long we came to the parking area and spent the afternoon setting up camp and washing some clothes.
Date: 2014-07-23
From: US 4 Rutland VT

To: VT 103
Miles today: 17.4

We started out this morning bright and early to head up Mt. Killington. Blondie and I were both nervous about the long climb. It turned out to be a very nice day, and for a long time it wasn't too hard. We stopped for lunch at a shelter and met Spiderman and Hummer. Then we started up again. Blondie was soon out of sight and Tracy and I struggled through the rocks and roots, climbing up and up. Just when we thought the top was near, the trail turned downhill again. Around 2:00 we finally reached the shelter at the top of Killington. Blondie had been waiting for a while, and we started up the side trail to the summit. We went most of the way up,then turned around. It was a very hard rock scramble. We started the six mile hike down the mountain. Shortly before we reached the next shelter, a huge thunderstorm rolled in. Tracy and I huddled under our ponchos until the lightning had passed, then started back down. The trail was a river and the streams were flooded and raging. One stream was so deep and fast that we couldn't rockhop and needed to ford it. It was over our knees. Finally we got back to the van and got some food. It continued to pour, and we found the campground a soggy mess, with water in the tents. I'm tired enough to sleep in spite of being so wet.
Date: 2014-07-24
From: VT 103

To: Stealth camp near White Rocks Cliff
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: light rain

We got a late start this morning. Everything was wet and Blondie and I were not moving quickly. Today we slacked about six miles and then got our packs and went a few more miles. The terrain here is very beautiful. Tonight we are camped on a mountaintop. The sunset was just gorgeous. A bird is singing a song in a tree nearby.
Date: 2014-07-25
From: Stealth camp near White Rocks Cliff

To: Darby-Landgrove Road
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: clear sky

It was a short day today. We decided to head down tomorrow to North Adams, MA in order to be able to slackpack the harder sections of Vermont. The trail was nice but not easy. We passed Little Rock Pond, which was beautiful. We saw a loon on the other side of the pond. We met a group of young girls out hiking with a couple of adult leaders. They were part of an adventure camp. It's really nice to see girls backpacking on the trail. There were a lot of boggy areas today with rocks and boardwalks going over them. Blondie slipped on one of the boards and landed in the muddy water. Luckily she wasn't hurt. When we got back to the van we decided to go to Emerald Lake State Park. Foodwalker did our laundry and then took Blondie and me into town to do some food shopping. We met Zig and his dog Zag at Price Chopper. We are now clean, fed and ready for sleep.
Date: 2014-07-26
From: North Adams MA

To: Stealth camp near Pond
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: few clouds

Well, I finally completed a state! We went to North Adams MA and walked into Vermont, which completed all of Massachusetts. It was quite exciting since I have not actually completed any other states yet. We carried our full packs today. It was a day of climbing. Almost the whole day was uphill and a lot of it was rocky and muddy. I slipped off one rock and landed in mud that covered my shoe. In another place I stepped in mud and it actually pulled my shoe off my foot! We camped tonight by a pond. We are in a pine forest and the ground is so spongy it feels like you will sink right into it. Should be a comfortable night.
Date: 2014-07-27
From: Stealth camp near Pond

To: Bennington VT
Miles today: 5.4

Got up this morning and started walking about 6:00. The pond where we camped was beautiful in the early morning light. We quickly passed by the shelter and continued on our way. The hiking wasn't hard and we planned to meet Foodwalker and continue on our way. Before long the sky grew dark and we started to hear the rumbling of thunder. The last mile before the road was down a steep mountainside and was a rock scramble. The rain started and then grew heavy, making the rocks very slick. Finally we reached the van. We decided to look for a motel as storms were forecast all day. We chose the Catamount in Bennington. It was a great choice. The room is nice and so are the people here. Ann and Al, who run the motel made sure everything was in good shape and offered us beer from their cooler. Steve does trail magic on a regular basis, and Joe made us a barbeque dinner of brat, hamburgers, delicious potatoes with carrots and pineapple, and corn on the cob. They really take care of hikers here. We didn't get many miles today but we sure had a good time. Blondie and I even walked into town to tour it and do a little souvenir shopping.
Date: 2014-07-28
From: Bennington VT

To: Stealth Camp near Glastenbury Mt. Tower
Miles today: 10.4

We started late this morning because there were more thunderstorms. When they had passed, we set out and made good time for the rest of the morning. When we reached Hell Hollow Brook, the bridge was out and so we had to ford the brook. All of the recent rain had it running high, but we managed to get across without falling in. We continued on to Porcupine Ridge, where we had lunch with a nice view. Soon after lunch we heard the rumbling of thunder again. We walked until the storm was just about upon us, then set up tents. We waited out the storm for a while, then packed up again and went on. The rain never really stopped. Another storm rolled through, but we just kept walking through the rain. When we finally reached the shelter, the skies just opened up. I ran for the shelter even though we weren't planning to stay there. We went on up the hill until we found a good campsite under the pines. It is still raining and I have a lot of water in the tent, but I am at least out of the storms. Hopefully it will be sunny tomorrow.
Date: 2014-07-29
From: Stealth Camp near Glastenbury Mt. Tower

To: Stratton Arlington Road
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I have just one word for today...water! Maybe two words....mud. After last night's storms I woke up with lots of water in my tent. Everything was wet, my sleeping bad, clothes, pack, just everything. I packed it up and put on my wet clothes, and off we went. The trail was flooded. It was a regular stream, with little waterfalls and rapids. We trudged through and made decent time in spite of the wet. In the afternoon the water was absorbed a little, leaving deep, sticky mud. Our feet were drenched all day, and our shoes and socks are a horror. One highlight of the day was seeing a beaver pond with a dam and a beaver lodge. Smart little animals, those beavers.
Date: 2014-07-30
From: Stratton Arlington Road

To: VT 11 & 30
Miles today: 17.5

Today we climbed Stratton Mountain, the highest peak in southern Vermont. It was not hard going up. At the top there is a caretaker's hut and and fire tower. Of course, we had to climb the tower. It was a little scary going up. At each landing we could see further. The mountains were just beautiful. We could see all the way to New Hampshire. We could also see Stratton Pond, our destination for later in the morning. We had a snack at the bottom of the tower. Little chipmunks were running around trying to snatch any little crumb we might leave behind. We continued on to the pond, which was lovely and serene.   After that it was a long day of walking, again with lots of mud. The weather was perfect for hiking, cool and sunny. We took a side trail to Prospect Rock, with another great view. Foodwalker picked up hot dogs, potato salad and s'more makings. When we got to the campground we cooked them on sticks over the fire. It was a great end to the day.
Date: 2014-07-31
From: VT 11 & 30

To: Danby Landgrove Road
Miles today: 17.6

We finished Vermont today!! My second state. Congratulations to Blondie, who completed her section hike of Vermont in less than two weeks. She did great! Today was a nice day, although we were tired from the long hike yesterday. We went over four peaks today - Baker, Styles, Peru and Bromley. Mt. Baker had great views at the top, and Blondie loved the rock climb over the top. Styles had great views too, and we stopped there for lunch. We couldn't stay there long though, because thunderstorms were rumbling again, so time to get off the top. Since we reversed our direction of hiking today, we saw many hikers we had seen yesterday. Tonight we are back at the campground. I am almost too tired to write.
Date: 2014-08-01
From: Undermountain Road CT

To: Campsite near Mt. Prospect
Miles today: 4.8

Today we said goodbye to Blondie. We drove her back to her car in Massachusetts, and then headed down to Connecticut to continue where I had left off hiking with Jackrabbit Slim after hurting my knee. We stopped in North Adams to do laundry and food shopping. Tracy and I started south from Undermountain Road about 3:00. The trails here in CT are nice, but the mosquitos are hungrier than we are.
Date: 2014-08-02
From: Campsite near Mt. Prospect

To: River Road
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

We realized during the evening that stealth camping is not allowed in CT. Since we were already in bed, we decided to chance it. In the morning we were out at first light. We hiked along, hearing water, which was becoming louder and louder. The trail led right along the Great Falls of the Housatonic River. They were spectacular, similar to the Great Falls in Paterson, NJ. We then hiked along the river, both on roads and trails. About 9:00 we met Foodwalker and got slackpacks. It was a long, hard day of hiking. Tomorrow we plan to slack for about 10 miles, and then carry our packs to the campsite.
Date: 2014-08-03
From: River Road

To: Schaghticoke Mt. Campsite
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We started off this morning along the Housatonic River. The path was smooth, and eventually turned into a road. It was very pleasant in the early morning. Eventually, as always, we headed uphill. It was a steep boulder climb to St. Johns Ledges, then another to Caleb's Peak. After more rocky ups and downs, we finally ended up at the road. Foodwalker took us for lunch and ice cream in Kent, then back to the trail where we headed out with backpacks. We climbed up Mt. Algo, and another mountain, both steep climbs. Our campsite is on Mt. Schaghticoke. The mosquitos are lined up on the screen of my tent and get in every time I open it.
Date: 2014-08-04
From: Schaghticoke Mt. Campsite

To: CT/NY Border
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: clear sky

We started right up a boulder climb this morning, up to Indian Rocks. We passed a tent along the way, which was similar to my tent. We got up to the overlook and took a nice break. After the break, we continued on. The trail was nice and we were making good time. Then I saw the same tent as before! I stopped dead in my tracks and whispered to Tracy that we had already passed that tent. Sure enough, wrong direction. We turned around and went the mile or so back to the view for another short break and a message to Foodwalker that we would be late. The downhill to the van was steep and rocky, and I began to feel some serious pain in my right knee. We had lunch at the van and discussed what to do. We are expected in Ohio for a wedding, so we made the decision to go out today instead of Wednesday. We walked the additional four miles to the CT/NY border, a nice walk along the 10 Mile River, then over 10 Mile Hill. My third state finished. We changed our clothes and headed for Ohio. We will be back on the trail in about a week.
Date: 2014-08-11
From: Ohio Wedding

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

This week was spent in Ohio with family for Kevin and Becky's wedding. Kevin was the first thru-hiker in our family. We all love Becky too, so this was a joyful event. I also got to see many family members I only see once in a while, so it was also a great family reunion. My son, Jeff, and his wife, Jenna were there and my daughter, Sheryl and her boyfriend, James too. Of course I really loved seeing them again. I have to say, I really miss my family. Tonight we are camped near the base of Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire. It's our first mountain in the Whites. I am excited and a little scared. It's great to be back in my tent and getting ready to hike again.
Date: 2014-08-12
From: Lost River Rd, Kinsman Notch NH

To: NH 25
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today Tracy McG and I hiked over Mt. Moosilauke with Jackrabbit Swift and Althea. They have joined us for a few weeks to do some of the White Mountains. Mt. Moosilauke was beautiful, but hard going up, much like Mt. Katahdin except there are steps and handholds. The trail follows a stream, which cascades down the mountain. The top was an alpine meadow and very windy and cold. We stopped there for lunch in a little rock alcove. After picture taking we started the long hike back down. It was a great introduction to the Whites. We are camped at the base again. Tomorrow we will skip ahead and do some of the Presidentials.
Date: 2014-08-13
From: Crawford Notch

To: Webster Cliffs
Miles today: 2.7

We spent most of this morning getting to Crawford Notch to begin our hike up Webster Cliffs. We left Althea's car at Pinkham Notch and then drove back to Crawford Notch. We headed up Webster Mountain in the pouring rain. The forecast was for rain all day. The climb was very difficult, slippery, wet and cold. When we got to the cliffs we decided to stop for the day. We set up tents and got on dry things. The wind is fierce and it is still raining. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading. I am cooking early and going to sleep.
Date: 2014-08-14
From: Webster Cliffs

To: Mizpah Hut Campground
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was cold and rainy. We left our campsite about 7:00. It was another hard climb right from the start and continued all day. It was very scary. On one of the rocks, my foot slipped and I couldn't get another foothold. Jackrabbit was behind me and gave me a push before I fell. Another group of rocks went straight up. I couldn't get up that one and just had a total meltdown. Jackrabbit took my pack up for me so that I could climb it. I only fell twice, once in the mud and once on a slippery, wet boardwalk. I twisted my ankle on the second fall but it seems alright now. We stopped at Mitzpah Hut and got a campsite there. We bought two bowls of potato soup each at the hut and then went back to cook dinner. It's supposed to be very cold tonight. I am having second thoughts about continuing this hike through the Whites. They are more dangerous than I am comfortable with.
Date: 2014-08-15
From: Mizpah Hut Campground

To: Mt. Washington Summit
Miles today: 6.1

It was very cold last night, in the 30's. Isn't this still August? We started straight uphill this morning from the hut and continued mostly uphill all day. The sun came out and warmed our bodies and our spirits. Today's climb was much easier than yesterday. We headed up Mt. Pierce, which was still a lot of climbing on the rocks. We got above treeline and the views were just spectacular. We could see the mountains lined up ahead of us, one after the other, all the way to Mt. Washington. The trail was visible in front of us too, and we could see it going up ahead of us. Usually we can only see a short way on the trails, but now we could see exactly where we would be climbing. We went up Mt. Eisenhower. Jackrabbit took the loop trail to the summit and Tracy, Althea and I met him at the other end. We then went over Mt. Franklin and on to Mt. Monroe. Jackrabbit took the loop trail on Mt. Monroe too and we again met him at the end. The Lake of the Clouds Hut was in front of us and looked just amazing, this hut sitting in the alpine meadow of this great mountain range, with no roads anywhere. We headed inside for lunch. I asked if there were any leftovers and we were offered oatmeal from breakfast. For a little work, they offered to warm it up and add some brown sugar. We accepted happily and were soon eating big bowls of delicious oatmeal while looking out the large picture windows at the trail heading up Mt. Washington. Tracy and I each had a piece of gingerbread. I had been hearing about this gingerbread as far back as Virginia so there was no way I was going to pass it up. After lunch we washed some dishes and then said goodbye to the croo, put on our packs and headed up Mt. Washington. The trail here was mostly loose rock. It wasn't too difficult and by 3:00 we were at the top. I had to keep stopping to look back at the hut and lake below us. I thought I might never see such a magnificent sight again. About halfway up the mountain we were in a cloud and then we only had a little visibility. From the top we could see almost nothing. We went into the Visitors Center and bought pizza. I know, all we do is eat! We decided to get a shuttle back down the mountain as we were very far behind schedule. We went down on the auto road. That is worth doing, and we had an informative driver who was willing to tell lots of stories and answer any questions we had. The shuttle brought us right to Pinkham Notch where Foodwalker was waiting for us. We camped there for the night. In the morning we got showers at the Visitors Center and then started our long drive to Baxter Park in Maine where Jackrabbit and Althea will climb Mt. Katahdin.
Date: 2014-08-18
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Baxter State Park
Miles today: 0.0

We drove to Baxter State Park and stayed for two nights. This is my third time at Baxter and it is starting to feel like home. Althea and Jackrabbit climbed Mt. Katahdin. They didn't have the greatest day for a climb as it was cloudy and drizzly, but they enjoyed themselves anyway. Tracy and I got up at sunrise and went for a walk to see if we would spot any animals. I especially wanted to see a moose. We didn't see any moose, but it was a beautiful time of day anyway. After breakfast we discovered that the van had a flat tire. Foodwalker and the park rangers managed to contact AAA, who drove all the way out to change the tire. Foodwalker drove into town to get the tire fixed and Tracy and I stayed at the campsite and guarded the food which was piled on the picnic table so that Foodwalker could get at the spare tire. In spite of our best efforts, a wily chipmunk managed to sneak into my bag of cookies left from the wedding and steal one! Tracy and I took turns taking a walk and then just hung out, reading and filtering water. We had talked a little of what our plans would be after Baxter. I didn't really want to continue in the larger mountains of Maine and NH. Maybe I am just tired out. We talked of finishing NY and NJ, but in the end decided that I will just head for home after this. When Foodwalker, Althea and Jackrabbit returned, we built a nice campfire. It took a while since the wood was all wet, but we finally got it going. We cooked burgers (veggie for me and Althea) and some potatoes, carrots and onions over the fire and had a last celebratory dinner together. When I get back in cell range tomorrow, I will call Bruce and let him know I am heading home.
Date: 2014-09-30
From: Tiorati Circle, Harriman St. Park, NY

To: Arden Mountain
Miles today: 6.6

Well, after six weeks of sitting around not doing too much, it was hard to hike with a full pack again. This is my first ever solo hike, and it is in an area known for having a lot of bears. A hiker in NJ, near where I will finish this little section, was killed by a black bear a couple of weeks ago. It is the first time a bear has killed a person in NJ in 150 years. Still, I'm confident that I will survive without any attacks by a bear. I have done part of this section before, from Tiorati Circle to the Long Path and from the Elk Pen Parking Lot over Arden Mountain to the Orange Turnpike. I started after lunch today, and Sheryl walked with me from the parking area a short way on the AT. She then headed back and I went on alone. By the time I got to the Lemon Squeezer I was out of breath. The Lemon Squeezer is always fun though, and such interesting geology. From there the climb down to the Elk Pen Parking Lot was a lot shorter than I remembered. It is freshly paved, so the next time we drive out there we won't have to worry about bottoming out with the car. I crossed the NY Thruway and headed up the Agony Grind, also easier than I remembered although I was tired. When I got to the top I decided to stop and eat dinner. I ate cold beans and tuna instead of cooking and looked at the view back to where I had hiked earlier. I continued on to the top of Arden Mountain and found a nice little camping place. I hung my food and went to bed since it was already getting dark. Later in the night I got up and the stars were all out. I guess I was a little nervous and I didn't sleep well, but still got enough rest for another day of walking.
Date: 2014-10-01
From: Arden Mountain

To: Stealth Camp after Wildcat Shelter NY
Miles today: 11.4

It was a harder day today than I expected. I got up early and packed up camp without eating breakfast. I was eager to get started and decided to stop for a break when I felt hungry. I always have trouble eating first thing in the morning. After crossing the Orange Turnpike, I headed up what looked like the trail. After a short while though the trail just seemed to go nowhere and there were no blazes anywhere that I could see. I headed back down to the road and then saw the faint little arrow on the guardrail that indicated the trail was down the road. Oops. I headed back up on the real trail this time and then stopped for breakfast. Acorns were falling every time the wind blew and for a little while I got kind of jumpy thinking that there were lots of animals that I couldn't see. The trail continued to be very rocky all day with lots of steep ups and downs. I was a little concerned about water today, since all of the water sources seemed to be dry. I found trail magic with a little water left and filled my platypus bottles. Although it was drizzly, it was still warm and humid and I found I was drinking a lot. When I came to a stream that had a little running water, I filled up my dirty water bottle with two more liters, making a total of five liters. Very heavy, but I was afraid I wouldn't find any more. I only met one other hiker today. He was going north and didn't stop to talk, so a quiet day. Around 4:00 in the afternoon, I came upon more trail magic of water. Thank you Trail Angels!! I stopped right there and cooked and ate my dinner using the water I found. I poured out the nasty stream water that I had carried all afternoon and resupplied with clean water before heading on. The last few miles today were flat and easy, a nice change from all of the rock climbing. The scenery has been just spectacular with all of the many-colored leaves. Around 6:00, I found a semi-flat area to camp. There were some black and white striped salamanders there. I haven't seen anything like them before. I turned on my phone to send some text messages, and right then my son Jeff called. He was surprised I was out in the woods. I hadn't really told anyone other than my husband and daughter that I was going. We had a long conversation and then I turned in. I slept very soundly. I guess it was a tiring day.