morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-29
From: Riga Shelter 

To: View at 1524.6
Miles today: 21.4

There was a large critter in the privy when I headed over to do my business around 5 am. It was still pretty dark and I had my headlamp on. The sides of the privy were open on the bottom and he started making his escape when he saw me coming. At first I thought it was a raccoon but decided it looked like a porcupine. I didn't want to get too close to him! I left the Riga Shelter at 6 am. I had several mountains to cross today and the terrain was more difficult with several steep ascents and descents. First I crossed Bear Mtn., the highest point in CT. Then I crossed the CT / MA State line around 8:30 am. From there, it was up Race Mtn., Mt. Everett, and finally Mt. Bushnell. The next shelter was 24 miles but I only had enough gas for 21.6 miles. I camped at mile 1524.6 where there was a good view of the sunset. This was the hardest day of hiking since entering NY.
Date: 2017-06-30
From: View at 1524.6

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I was on the trail at 5:30 am, my earliest start yet. I had stopped 2.6 miles short of the Tom Leonard Shelter last night. I wanted to make that up plus get to the next shelter, Upper Goose Pond Cabin, which was 21 miles further, so a total distance of almost 24 miles. The terrain was not nearly as difficult as yesterday but it was very humid. The forecast was for rain in the early pm. There weren't many views during the day, just a lot of walking. The weather held out until 4:30, then I got caught in a thunderstorm with about 4 miles to go to the shelter. The rain cooled me off and was invigorating. Other than the mud and making the trail and rocks slippery, this was the best hiking of the day. I got to the shelter around 6:30 pm. The Upper Goose Pond Cabin is a large red two story closed wall structure that will accommodate a lot of hikers. The bad weather drove a lot of people there. Also the caretaker does a pancake breakfast for donations. There were 25 people at the cabin and another 10 in tents. The caretaker showed me a good spot to set up my hammock next to the pond which is really a small lake. I am thankful not to be sleeping in the crowded cabin on the floor even though it is supposed to rain more tonight. I am tired after a second long day of hiking. I have walked 525 miles since Harper's Ferry, WV where I started this trip on June 1, averaging 17.5 miles per day.
Date: 2017-07-01
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I had a nice campsite last night with a good view next to Upper Goose Pond. I decided to forego the caretaker's pancake breakfast and was on the trail at 6 am. It was 20 miles into Dalton where I had two packages to pick up. I had 10 miles in by noon. Around 2 pm there was a white van with an AT logo parked at a road crossing. Rob from Unicoi, TN (about 30 miles from Kingsport) was doing trail magic. He had cold drinks and fruit and snacks. It was just what I needed to get me the last 7 miles into Dalton. There was a light rain on the way in. Unfortunately, only one of my packages (the food box) was at the Shamrock Inn. The other package with my medicine which the USPS has shipped all over the US this week did not show up despite assurances from them it would be there yesterday. The Shamrock Inn was full when I called to reserve a room yesterday. I got a ride 18 miles north to Bascom Inn on Mt. Greylock. I will hike 17 miles south tomorrow back to Dalton and stay at the Shamrock Inn tomorrow night so I can be at the PO Monday when they open. Hopefully my second package with my medicine is there. I think I may go postal!
Date: 2017-07-02
From: Bascom Lodge

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: broken clouds

The stay at Bascom Lodge was nice despite being in a rather small bunk room with 12 other hikers. I was one of the last ones there so I got a top bunk. I slept reasonably well I am sure because I was so tired. While I was last in, I was first out. I got up at 5 am and went down to the lobby and waited for the coffee to brew. I was on the trail at 6:45 am. Today for the first time I hiked south. I walked 17 miles back to Dalton, MA and spent the night there so I can be at the PO Monday at 8:30 am when they open to see if they can locate my package with my medicine. Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in MA, was socked in by clouds when I started. It turned out to be a beautiful day...sunny, cool, low humidity...perfect for hiking. I met the Ridgerunner for this section of the AT, "Sawdog", and talked to him while hiking down the mountain for about an hour. I told him my predicament on my medicine. He gave me his contact info in case I needed any help which was very kind. About half way and around 10:15 am, I came to Cheshire, MA, a small town the AT goes through. I got a snack there at the Shell station. After I started walking again, I began to pass all the north bounders I have met along the trail the last several weeks and explained why I was walking south. I got back to Dalton around 3:30 pm. I stayed at the Shamrock Inn. I got my laundry done and dried some things out. Hopefully I can get my medicine in the am and get a ride back up to Mt. Greylock and resume hiking from there. I am only 10.4 miles from the MA / VT state line. VT has 150.8 miles of AT in it.
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Mt. Greylock

To: Seth Warner Shelter 
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I was at the Dalton post office when it opened at 8:30 am. Carl who I had alerted on Friday about my package with my medicine helped me. What a great guy! Carl has been with the postal service for over 30 years. He put in my tracking number and it showed my package had arrived at Pittsfield, MA a mile away yesterday. He called the Pittsfield post office but they could not find my package. He told me he didn't have that much confidence in them and suggested if I had another option it would probably be wise to start working it. I had already located a Rite Aid pharmacy 2 mikes away in Pittsfield that stocked the medicine I needed. I went back to the Shamrock Inn a block away and got hold of my doctor in Houston and had them fax a prescription to Rite Aid. I heard a knock on the door and it was Carl from the PO. He offered me a ride to Rite Aid to get my medicine so off we went. He dropped me off and told me he would be back in 45 minutes. I verified Rite Aid had my prescription and waited for them to fill it. Everything was going well until they asked me for my insurance card. I gave it to them but Aetna declined to fill the prescription since it had been refilled 10 days ago. My cell phone rang and it was Tina from the motel calling to let me know a package had just been delivered for me. I had her open it up to verify it was my medicine. It was! Thank you, Jesus! About that time, Carl called and said he was out front of the Rite Aid so we headed back to the motel and he dropped me off. Next I needed to get a ride 18 miles to the top of Mt. Greylock. I called Toepick from Michigan who was driving support for her boyfriend and who had given me a ride earlier. She said she was heading up there to meet someone else and she could take me. She picked me up at 11 am and I was back on the trail hiking at noon. I headed down Mt. Greylock then over Mt. Williams. I stopped for a quick around 2 pm at the Mt. Prospect Ledge which overlooks Williamstown, MA. After about 6 miles I walked through Williamstown and then ascended from there. Around 5:30 pm and after hiking 10 miles, I reached the MA / VT state line and the beginning of the Long Trail which follows the AT for the first 100 miles. I walked 3 more miles to the Seth Warner Shelter just at mile 1599.2, just shy of 1600. I camped here for the night. Eleven states down, 3 states to go!
Date: 2017-07-04
From: Seth Warner Shelter 

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I was on the trail at 6 am as I had almost 22 miles to the shelter I wanted to get to. I wanted to make up some for the short day yesterday. Today was the toughest day of hiking in recent memory. The weather was great with sunny skies, cool temperature, and low humidity but today I encountered the black Vermont mud or muck which seemed more descriptive. It started early in the day and I was still mucking through it at the end of the day although it did seem to lessen as I got to higher elevations. Many times during the day the trail had a stream running down the middle of it. I did a lot of rock hopping and looking for logs or roots to step on to stay out of the muck. A couple of times the suction from the mud almost pulled my shoe off. This was very tiring and not natural walking. I had several slips, trips too numerous to count, but amazingly no falls. I made it to Goddard Shelter at 7 pm. I was one tired puppy. I should sleep good tonight. It is supposed to get down to 47! Happy 4th of July! God Bless America!
Date: 2017-07-05
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Prospect Rock
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: broken clouds

I was on the trail at 5:40 am. I wanted to get as far as I could today so I would have a short day going into Manchester Center, VT. Stratton Pond Shelter was 19.4 miles and I wanted to get at least to there. Today I surrendered to the mud. Yesterday it wore me out so I decided to try a different tactic. Yesterday I had tried to pick my way through each patch of mud hopping from anything that would support my weight like rocks, roots, downed trees, etc. Today I decided not to fight the mud and just walk right through it. It was hard to do at first after being told all your life to stay out of the mud. After a while I had my size 12.5 shoe gliding through the mud like a pro. It was actually much easier and less tiring to do it this way. I know one 6 year old boy, Cole Mayhew, who lives near Anacortes, WA who would have had a blast in the mud on the trail today. His mom would not have been very happy with him though when he came home covered in black mud from head to toe. I had a good morning and took advantage of the cool weather. I had 12 miles in by noon. I had a long climb up Stratton Mountain (3940') and went up the fire tower when I got to the summit. I reached Stratton Pond Shelter at 4:15 pm. It was too early to stop walking and I didn't want to waste the daylight. Prospect Rock was 5.8 mikes further and had a good view plus the terrain was pretty easy other than the mud. I got there at 7 pm, set up my hammock and ate my dinner while the sun was going down. Tomorrow I only have 4.8 miles into Manchester Center. That will give me most of the day to get things done in town.
Date: 2017-07-06
From: Prospect Rock

To: VT 11 & 30
Miles today: 4.8

I was eager to get into Manchester Center, VT so I was on the trail at 5:40 am. I only had 4.8 miles to VT 11 & 30. I was there at 8 am and began trying to hitch into town. Twenty or so cars passed without slowing down, mostly luxury SUVs and sedans, who I am sure did not want a smelly hiker in their car. Then an old truck came around the curve and stopped and I threw my stuff in back and jumped in the cab. A crusty old early morning tobacco chewing log cutter named Peter Salo with Finnish ancestry provided plenty of local color as we rode the 5 miles into town. I was hungry for a good breakfast so Peter dropped me off at the Little Rooster Cafe. I had a nice breakfast and several cups of coffee. From there I went to Ted's Barbershop for a haircut and beard trimming. Then it was to the Price Chopper to pick up a few food items. Next I went to the Mountain Goat Outfitter to get one of my hiking poles fixed and to get a new bag for my Sawyer water filter which had developed a pin hole leak. One more stop at the Rite-Aid drug store and I was getting hungry again so I had lunch at Cilantro Burrito. I had one last stop at the post office to mail home a few items I wasn't using to reduce my pack weight a little. Then I called Jeff Taussig from Green Mountain Home and he was there in 5 minutes to pick me up. He and his wife Regina have a great hostel with everything a hiker needs. Jeff has section hiked the AT. I got a shower and did my laundry and relaxed the rest of the day. The hostel was at capacity with a total of 7 hikers. 4 of us are hiking the AT and 3 are doing the Long Trail in VT. I was in bed at 9 am and got a good nights rest. Jeff is taking the AT hikers back to the trail head at 7:30 am. I highly recommend the Green Mountain House.
Date: 2017-07-07
From: VT 11 & 30

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: clear sky

I was back on the trail at 8:30 am. There were several peaks to cross in the morning and early afternoon. First was Bromley Mountain (3263') which skirts the side of a ski area, followed by Styles Peak (3394') then Peru Peak (3429'). After lunch was a rocky ascent up Baker Peak (2635'). I got to the Little Rock Pond Shelter around 7 pm. I was happy with close to a 20 mile day due to being in town last night and the later than normal start. I had on new shoes today. It was nice to have on shoes that were broken in but not broken down. Unfortunately they will not stay nice very long since the forecast is for rain which means more mud. I also had on the compression leg sleeves I ordered to give them a try. The main purpose is to keep my legs from getting nicked and cut up and to keep the dirt and mud off them. They worked well and I was happy with them. They are also supposed to increase the blood flow to your legs and help them recover faster. They are neon green so I am highly visible in the forest now.
Date: 2017-07-08
From: Little Rock Pond 

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: mist

It rained quite a bit during the night but I stayed dry. Fortunately it stopped earlier in the morning and I didn't have to pack up in the rain. I was on the trail at 6:40. My goal for the day was to hike 20 miles to the Governor Clement Shelter. The trail was muddy from the overnight rain. It looked like it wanted to rain more and at 11 am a steady rain started. I got soaked but my clothes got a free rinse. The rain continued about 1 1/2 hours, then stopped up just as I reached a shelter. I dried out a bit there while having lunch. The skies were blue from 1 pm to 4 pm when I reached the next shelter. I still had 6 miles to go to the Governor Clement Shelter. I got water and began heading up the next hill. About 30 minutes later it got very dark and another thunderstorm started. This one was worse than the first. I walked in the rain for two hours and then it stopped. I reached the shelter around 7:30 pm. I got set up, had dinner, and climbed in my hammock at 9 pm.At the close of hiking today, I was at mile 1690. The end of the trail in Maine is at 2190. I have less than 500 miles to go!
Date: 2017-07-09
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: VT 4
Miles today: 10.5

I got a great nights sleep. I was so tired when I hit my hammock at 9 pm last night I didn't wake up until 5 am. I was packed and on the trail at 6:30 am. I planned to do 20 miles again today and reach the Stony Brook Shelter. I had a tough stretch early in the morning for 2 miles up a ski trail to Killington. I reached Cooper Lodge Shelter around 10 am and took a break. I checked my phone which has been acting up a lot lately. It got moisture in it during a rain storm a couple of weeks ago and hasn't been the same since. I had used it to take a couple of pictures on the way up the mountain and it was fine but when I checked it the screen was gray with vertical lines. I tried jump starting it with my battery pack which has worked over the last week or so but not even that was working now. A hiker at Cooper Shelter said the view from Killlington Peak was great. I left my pack in the Shelter and took the 0.2 mile side trail up to the summit. It was rocky and straight up. It was cold and windy on top. The view to the west was really nice. There was a huge  antenna and some other communications equipment on top that blocked the view to the east. I had my phone in my pocket plugged in to my external battery pack hoping it would start working again so I could take a picture when I reached the top. Wasn't happening...my phone has developed a mind of its own and only works when it wants to now...very frustrating especially since I have a hiking trail app that has detailed information about each section of the AT I am hiking that I refer to throughout the day. I reached the VT 4 highway crossing around 2 pm after about 10 miles. I checked my phone again and the home view came up but the touch screen kept locking up. Rutland, VT is about 8 miles to the west from here. I decided I needed to go into Rutland and get my phone issues resolved. Unfortunately we get so dependent on our cellphones it is hard to function without them. It made me think back to when I was 17 years old and my mother dropped me off in Elk Park, NC for a 5 day solo backpacking trip and all I had in terms of electronics / information was a flashlight and a paper trail guide! Anyway, I need a reliable phone so I can order medicine tomorrow for delivery to Hanover, NH so it will be there on Wednesday when I get there. Another hiker came along and was going into Rutland. We called the local taxi and split the cab fare. I asked the driver if there was an AT&T store there. There was and it was open until 5 pm. I was surprised since it was Sunday. She took me there. It was 3:30 pm when I arrived. Darrell who helped me was very good and confirmed my phone had water damage. He was surprised it was working at all. Darrell took care of me with a new iPhone 7 in a waterproof, drop proof, idiot proof case. I am staying overnight at the el cheap-o Rodeway Inn. In the morning, I will catch the 7:25 am bus which passes by here back to the trailhead and continue on toward Hanover, NH which is 47 miles ahead. Hopefully I will roll in there mid day on Wednesday. I passed the 1700 mile mark today!
Date: 2017-07-10
From: VT 4

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

The Rutland bus picked me up about a quarter mile from the Roadway Inn at 7:20 am and had me back to the US Route 4 trailhead at 7:35 am for $2...sure beats a $25 cab fare! I started hiking at 7:45 am. In two miles I reached the Maine Junction. This is where the Vermont Long Trail and the AT separate. The Long Trail continues north through VT to Canada and the AT heads east to NH and ME. Four miles later I walked through Gifford Woods State Park, which had very nice trailer sites. A couple more miles and I passed Thundering Falls which was impressive. I had a long uphill after the falls that consumed a lot of energy. At mile 18 for the day at 6:30 pm, I reached The Lookout. This is a privately owned cabin perched on a peak 0.1 miles off the trail that is open for hikers to use. It has a platform on the roof with a ladder with an incredible 360 degree view from on top. I had my dinner there and decided to go 2.5 miles more to Winturri Shelter for the night. It was a nice easy after-dinner walk thank goodness. I rolled into Winturri around 8 pm. I quickly set up before it got dark.
Date: 2017-07-11
From: Winturri Shelter

To: Happy Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I was on the trail at 7:30, a bit later than my usual start time. I slept in until 6 am, the latest for me on this trip. It rained off and on during the night but not that much overall so the trail did not get that muddy. I wanted to make it to the Happy Hill Shelter which is 21 miles ahead to leave a short 6 mile day into Hanover, NH on Wednesday. I have my next food drop and medicine to pick up (hopefully) at the post office there. I am also looking forward to looking around town and walking through Dartmouth College which the AT passes by. Accommodations in Hanover are scant. I have a list of Trail Angels who will put you up for the night in their house given to me by Jeff at Green Mountain House Hostel. I texted a lady named Fran on the list and told her I was getting to Hanover early afternoon on Wednesday. She said she could put me up for the night and to call her when I got to town and she would come pick me up. Wow...how nice is that! It looked like it was going to rain all morning. Around 9 am, I reached mile 1723 which is 700 miles from Harpers Ferry, WV where I started this section hike. At noon the skies cleared cleared and the afternoon was sunny although it was humid all day. About 4 pm after hiking 15 miles, I was coming out of the woods and hit a blacktop road leading though West Hartford, VT. A called pulled over and opened the back and offered me and a group of hikers Trail Magic right there on the side of the road. Foghat was the guy's name. He had hiked from Springer Mtn. earlier in the year but had to get off the trail. He had a cooler with Gatorade, water, and beer and an assortment of chips and took our trash. This was my first Trail Magic in VT. I had only 10 miles of the 151 miles of trail in VT left and was beginning to think VT would be the first state I have gone through with no Trail Magic. I reached the Happy Hill Shelter around 7:30 pm.
Date: 2017-07-12
From: Happy Hill Shelter 

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I was on the trail at 6:40 am. I had 6 miles into Hanover, NH. The hike in was easy, mostly flat or downhill. I had a 2 mile road walk once I came out of the woods into Norwich, CT. I passed a guy working in his yard and asked if there was a good breakfast place. He said to go to Lou's in Hanover on Main St. I crossed the Connecticut River which is the boundary between VT and NH after passing through Norwich. I was at Lou's in Hanover at 9:00 am and had a great breakfast including a free donut for AT hikers. Hanover is home to Dartmouth College and a neat little town. The AT goes right down Main Street then turns and heads out of town back up onto a mountain. I went to the post office to get my packages. More postal issues...my medicine was there but my food box was not. For some reason when it left Houston it got routed through Florida and got hung up there and was still in transit to Hanover. The postal supervisor, John, said to check back with him at 4 pm to see if it came in or if there were any scan updates. The waist on my hiking shorts has gotten too big with my weight loss so I went to a Northface store and bought a pair of shorts that are a little tight now but that I will shrink into. From there, I went and walked around the Dartmouth campus which was beautiful. I texted Fran, the Trail Angel, who was putting me up for the night and let her know I was in Hanover and made arrangements for her to pick me up at the post office after 4 pm. I then ran to a CVS pharmacy to get a few items. I killed time in town until 4 pm and went back to the PO. John checked for my "lost" package again. It had not arrived and there were no scan updates. The next scan update would not be until 10 pm. He gave me his number and told me to call him after 6:30 am in the morning and he would be able to tell me where my food package is. I got my medicine package and called Fran to pick me up. Fran lives about 2 miles from downtown. When we got to her house, she showed me my room and I got a shower and did my laundry. We visited for a while, then we went back into town to eat at Murphy's, my treat for letting me stay at her house. I did my shots when I got back and called it a night. Hopefully I will get good news in the morning on my food package. The package also has a sleeping pad in it I will need in NH and ME so I will have to hold in Hanover until the package arrives. I hope it is sooner rather than later. I need to get back on the trail.