morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-08-08
From: MA2 North Adams, MA

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: clear sky

We knew it would be a tough day to commit to, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a nice (and free) southbound slackpack.Six hikers piled into Tom's truck and he shuttled us to North Adams. During the drive Tom told us about the area and we could see Mt. Greylock in the distance. He dropped us off about 9am and we immediately hit the ascent up Greylock. It was 11:30 when we finally reached the summit of Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in MA. The climb up was very steep. Even though we had less weight on our backs it was still a heart pounder. Greylock was a real sight to see! It has one of the nicest observation towers I have ever seen...it looks like a large chess game peice. Berry, Otter and I walked up the winding stairs in the inside of the tower to the top. From the top you could see 5 states and even Canada. We sat with Otter at the Greylock lodge and ate quickly because we had to be on the move today in order to make it back to Dalton at a decent hour.We hiked fast and hard with Otter, only stopping to visit with our fellow northbounders. We saw Lucky Joe and Moe- it was great to see them again, the last time we visited with them was in Fort Montgomery. Soon after we saw the Birds, followed a couple of hours later by Bones... and then finally near the end of our day we saw Stewball heading north in the early evening. It was refreshing to see everyone and get a good idea of where everyone is. Looks like we're in a great position to be moving ahead, in a big pack of thru-hikers that we know and love.We made it back to Tom's right at 7:00pm. We were beat! We could smell dinner cooking a quarter mile away- we made it just in time. What a lifesaver. Tom cooked a huge meal, southbounders and northbounders alike sat around the table and stuffed themselves silly. After dinner Berry and I got a hot shower and Tom gathered everyones laundry to be washed. We've been really taken care of here!We heard of more hikers that quit the trail. It always astonishes us and we feel sad about it, especially when a hiker has gone 14-1500 miles. We were talking with Tom about it over the meal. He's been serving hikers for 30 years and he said that usually Northbounders hit a wall in NY. Most of us confirmed that- it was certainly true for Berry and I.It's wonderful to experience the changes in landscape. We are filled with motivation to keep moving forward and we are excited about what's to come. Currently we sit under 5 miles away from the VT border.Being raised and having lived most our lives in the south, Berry and I have heard many times that things are a little more "stiff" up north. We have found that not to be true. In fact, everyone we meet is so warm and hospitable. We really enjoy being here, experiencing culture, seeing the towns and meeting the people.Tomorrow it is likely we will "0" in Williamstown, MA. Berry and I haven't been alone for two weeks. even though we are motivated to get into VT, some alone time together will be good for a charge-up.
Date: 2009-08-09
From: Dalton, MA

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 0.0

It has been a great zero day. It started around 7:00am when Bark and I ventured down to grab some breakfast with Tom, Goose, Chewy, Otter and a few other hikers. After a few pancakes and conversations we went back to Tom's house to pack up our tent and get ready to head to Williamstown for our zero. Tom was kind enough to drop us right at the hotel. We said goodbye and gave him a big thank you for his incredible hospitality.We were able to get into a room early and begin getting a few errands run so we could rest at the end of the day. Bark and I headed down to the Mountain Goat outfitter to look for a canister of fuel and some new shoes for me. We had ordered some online and had them shipped to the hotel here. Unfortunately, it seems that my feet have either continued to widen and lengthen, or (hopefully) these shoes just ran small. Either way I am ready for a new fresh smelling pair and we were totally out of luck with the local outfitter. A few more days on the trail until the next outfitter so we will see what happens then.Next on the list of to-dos... lunch! Being from Texas we love and miss Mexican food. When we saw a restaurant called Desperados and headed inside to check it out. Burritos, quesadillas, chips and salsa later we were stuffed. When our server came to see if we needed anything she informed us there was no reason to wait for a check- thru hikers eat for free. WOW! We were so surprised and very excited, and loving MA.Otter visited during the afternoon while we did some work on the computer (emails, pics and journals). We said goodbye to Otter and this evening we have enjoyed a little quiet time with cool a/c and showers. Tomorrow we will hit Vermont in exactly 4.1 miles. Woohoo! 3 more states to go...unbelievable.
Date: 2009-08-10
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Seth Warner Shelter, VT
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

Berry and I had a great night of sleep and a leisurely morning in Williamstown. After breakfast we read and watched the weather reports- rain for the next 3 days. Since it was Sunday we were interested in finding a church to visit. We called a number for Community Bible Church and spoke to a very nice lady who was more than happy to pick us up for the morning service. Her husband, Bryce, promptly came by the hotel to pick us up. We really enjoyed the service and met a lot of friendly people who were excited about our hike. We were thankful for the opportunity to attend this morning.Bryce took us back by the trail to the nearest grocery store. The weather looked pretty bad and he offered to let us stay at their home for the evening. We were humbled by the offer but knew the rain was inevitable- we chose to muscle up and go for it! A big thanks to Bryce and the folks at Community Bible Church.Berry and I shopped at the "Price Chopper" for our resupply and got everything sorted out in about an hour. Next, we ventured across the street to "Friendly's" for a quick bite to eat before hitting the trail. We were moving on trail by 2:30pm- slow with heavy packs and full bellies. Everything was gray and wet from low clouds and mist, but no rainfall. The start of our hike was pretty humid. After an hour of hiking we had gained enough elevation to get a cool breeze. In the lower parts of the trail it was creepily still, not a sound, only our breathing and the swish-swash-click-clack of hiking pants and trekking poles.We made it to Vermont! Yes! The rumors are true, we now know why hikers call Vermont, "Vermud." So far so good, not too dirty. We're happy to be in Vermont and anxious to see if the scenes and forests change. We elected to only go to the first shelter because of the gray weather and occasional sprinkles. By the time we arrived it started to rain- Whew! Just in time. Everyone was gathered in the shelter. Goose and Chewey, West, Bullet and Yo Yo from the northbound crew- a couple of southbounders- and SEVERAL hikers who just started the Long Trail, which joins the AT at the start of Vermont, going north, and splits off to spread the entire length of Vermont to Canada.We sat in the crowded shelter for a while and talked with everybody. When the rain broke we quickly set up tent and got nestled away. The nights are getting cooler, we're picking up our winter gear in Manchester Center.... could be a couple of cold nights before we get there, shouldn't be long though.It's now 8:00pm and almost completely dark, the days are getting shorter. Berry's almost asleep and I'm fading fast.
Date: 2009-08-11
From: Seth Warner Shelter, VT

To: Porcupine Lookout Campsite, VT
Miles today: 15.9

Bark and I weathered a few more heavy thunderstorms last night that lasted from around 2:00am until close to sunrise. Our tent was soaked and splattered with mud, but we still had to get up and out to get in some miles for the day. Everyone in and around the shelter was slow moving including Bark and me. The wet gear and "Vermuddy" trails have made most hikers slow down a bit. The fog lingered most of the morning, but after a couple hours of hiking, around 9:30am or so, it was like somebody turned on some lights. Even though there was no sign of the sun, it at least got a little brighter.We ran into a southbounder who was telling us about the moose tracks he had been seeing and some prime locations where some had been spotted. Well the moose hunt is on! None yet, but we are hopeful still. As the day went on, the clouds continued to blow over and the rain miraculously held off. We made it a little over 11 miles at 1 o'clock and hit VT-9, the road into Bennington, VTWe had been advised that this was a great in and out town so we tried our luck with hitching. Goose and Chewy got in on it with us and the 4 of us ended up in the back of a truck with two very friendly labs. The drivers, an older couple, were very sweet and wished us well on our journey. Once in town we spotted the library and many artistically painted moose up and down the street. It was so fun to see them all- each painted with a different theme. We enjoyed our quick stop in town, and were back at the trail head by 4:30pm or so.The trail has been slightly challenging today, but also kind of fun. Vermont is known for being muddy and with the exceptional amounts of rainfall this summer we can see how it got its reputation. We used our trekking poles as measuring sticks and also to help us hunt for rocks that might have given us a more solid footpath. At times our poles would sink halfway up and we would have trouble pulling them back out due to the suction. Overall we fared pretty well except for soggy feet.For the past few states now Bark has been challenging himself to "not fall." It has become his goal to make it through an entire state without any real spills. With only one day behind us in Vermont, he will have to start over in New Hampshire, as today he took a pretty good tumble. He was ok, just a little dirty. Only 2 states left...
Date: 2009-08-12
From: Porcupine Lookout Campsite, VT

To: Black Brook campsite, VT
Miles today: 17.2

Last night we were camped with Otter at a fantastic overlook. We knew that storms were on the way- said to hold possible chances of damaging hail and winds. We heard the winds and thunder coming, then the lightning. Berry and I prayed for safety a couple of times through the night. It only rained hard for about 20 minutes, then we heard the storm go the other direction.This morning everything was gray and wet. We were all slow moving, not wanting to get out of our tents. We talked with Otter through our tent and made sure was awake....he was feeling lazy too. Finally Berry and I did get up and on trail at 9:00am. Otter elected to sleep in a little more and give his tent a chance to dry out.Our hike this morning was fast. We felt good and energized. It started out foggy, but the sun began to come through in little spurts. We had a nice climb up Glastenbury Mtn..the shelter near the summit was very clean and well built. The forest began to thicken on our way up Glastenbury and it has been a beautiful day of hiking.We took an hour lunch break at the shelter (Goddard Shelter), laid some things out to dry and waited for Otter. Otter showed up right as we were packing up to leave. We discussed plans for stopping at the end of the day then me and Berry moved on.On top of Glastenbury was a lookout tower. I climbed to the top for some spectacular views- by this time the sun was out and it continued to shine the rest of the afternoon. The rest of the day Berry and I enjoyed the sunlight and VT forest. We took one break at Kid Gore Shelter and met a young couple who were just married and backpacking in VT for their honeymoon. It was fun meeting them. From there we hiked on about 5 more miles to Story Spring Shelter. On the way we passed a couple of huge lakes that were built by beavers. The trail took us on bog logs just on the other side of the dam. We've seen little beaver dams in creeks down south, but nothing like this- it was amazing!We got to the shelter and waited for Otter to catch up, letting our feet air out and sitting down at the picnic table. The three of us ate dinner and then moved another 2.7 muddy miles to Black Brook.All in all we are quite pleased with the day and especially the weather. We were expecting rain for the whole day. Tomorrow is the big climb up Statton Mtn so we'll see how it goes. We are excited about getting to Manchester Center, VT where we will celebrate Otter's birthday.
Date: 2009-08-13
From: Black Brook campsite, VT

To: Spruce Peak Shelter, VT
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: light rain

We finally made it through a night without rain. Pretty sure it has been a while since that has happened. Bark and I woke up around 7:30am and decided we had better get moving if we wanted to make it up the 1700 feet to the summit of Stratton Mountain. Otter was awake too, but not ready to leave his sleeping bag so we headed out and decided to meet up later. It took Bark and I a while to make it to the top. Although the grade was gradual, we were both wishing at some points it was just steep and painful. The quicker, the better...sometimes. We stopped about three-quarters of the way up for Bark to get a quick sugar charge via some fruit by the foot snacks. Finally about two and a half hours later we heard a voice from inside the caretaker's cabin say "Aw, you made it to the summit." What a great way to greet a tired hiker! We took a seat under some low hanging pine branches to shield us from the rolling fog/mist. June, the caretaker, followed us out and we had a great conversation about the area while we snacked and rehydrated. We stayed around the top for about 20 minutes before it got too chilly to sit still any longer. We threw on our packs and headed down a very gradual and nice descent.The forest floor was beautiful today up and down the mountain. Bark and I filled up on water at a beautiful stream that was flowing so clear and cold we were tempted to just get it straight from the source, but opted to filter anyway. The sun popped out and burned off the fog close to noon, but there were still plenty of clouds around.It was past time for lunch when Bark and I finally made it to Stratton pond Shelter. It was a great place for a long lunch break which ended up being close to 2 hours long due to the afternoon thunderstorm that passed over. Otter, Bullet, West and a couple of day hikers joined us as we hid from the rain. Rain or no rain we had planned on another 7.8 miles so we knew we had to get going by about three o'clock. To our surprise it started letting up about 2:55. Yeah! Bark and I were ready with our new umbrellas, but didn't even need them.Thanks to the hour and a half of rainfall, the trail was back to being muddy, slippery and plain nasty when we started hiking again. We were hiking with Otter for the rest of the day and we had our share of stuck boots and poles. We walked into the shelter right around 7:00 this evening where we set up camp for the night. We had a lovely dinner of chicken ramen alongside Bullet, West and Otter. The temperatures have slowly been getting cooler, especially at night. Bark and I are pretty excited to be getting our winter gear back tomorrow in Manchester. We will have 2.8 miles into town tomorrow and are looking forward to celebrating with Otter on his birthday!
Date: 2009-08-15
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Well well well! The conditions were just too good to pass up! Berry, Otter and I took a zero...we love this place! In part because the Green Mountian House is amazing, and because we wanted to wait for Stewball. Sadly, Stewball didn't show up today and we hear he is another day behind. In any case we are closer to him than if we would've headed out this morning. We are going to make a stop at a friends house in Hanover, NH and we will wait there for Stewball if he hasn't caught up to us.Today we read, napped, watched movies and updated Berry's resume. I had some great conversation time with Otter. John from England showed up in the evening, along with a few more Southbounders. We haven't seen John since central VA! Great to see him.All is good. We're ready to move out in the morning for a full day of hiking. Next good rest will be in Hanover and we are supper excited to be spending time with some great friends there.
Date: 2009-08-16
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Big Branch Shelter, VT
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: few clouds

I have to admit it was a little hard to say goodbye to the Green Mountain House Hostel this morning. However, Bark and I were both itching to get some miles in today. Jeff, the hostel owner, drove the two of us and Otter and Mr. Freeze (Southbounder) all back to the trail head around 8:00am. Like after any other road crossing the first steps on the trail were uphill. We had a 3 mile ascent up to Mt. Bromley. The grade was great and not steep at all. As Bark and I came up the summit we saw a nice ski lift and several signs pointing to ski routes. We decided to climb up to the top of the observation tower after a lot of Southbounders had raved about the great views. They were right! It was a clear morning and we stood on top for a while enjoying the 360 degree views and snapping some pictures. Otter made it to the top just as Bark and I were putting on our packs to head down. He stayed behind to take a few pictures as well, but we knew we would see him later.Bark and I finally made it down to a forest service road and there eating an early lunch was Hatchet, Holdout and Gozer. We were excited to see them as we have been leap frogging along the trail for a while. We sat down and caught a break with them to catch up on trail news and how their hike has been going. We all headed out and up a very steep climb to the top of Peru Peak and enjoyed yet another nice break of Jolly Ranchers and M&Ms. At the top we also ran into a few day hikers who took a few pictures for us and asked some questions about our hike.Hatchet and Holdout headed out first and then Otter, Bark and I followed after. To pass the time the three of us tried to name all of the states and their capitals. We had to stop another group of day hikers to figure out the capital of Wyoming (oops).We ran into Hatchet and Holdout a couple more times towards the end of our hike as well as a large group of about 6 Southbounders. We are now tented right outside the Big Branch Shelter. Ramen was our dinner choice tonight along with a granola bar, some dried fruit and of course, M&Ms. Bark and I are both excited to have our winter gear back- fluffy sleeping bags and our cold weather clothing too. It makes our packs slightly heavier, but we both agree it will be better to get used to it now rather than later on in the White Mountians of NH.Overall the trail was nice today and we even had 3 different great vistas, something we don't see everyday. Still a little muddy despite the dryer, warmer weather, but they don't call it "Vermud" for nothing. My new shoes are giving me a little trouble, but we're pretty sure its just from tying to break them in. No blisters yet, but soreness and hot spots are definitely present. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. It's a beautiful night with no clouds overhead and a cool breeze to go with it. Sure can't complain about that.
Date: 2009-08-17
From: Big Branch Shelter, VT

To: VT 103 (Rutland, VT)
Miles today: 15.9

We got up and out this morning by 7:15am. We're trying to get on a good north hiking schedule. Our goal is to be out every morning by 7-7:15am and finished hiking between 5-6pm. Having time in the evening is key for us... incidentally, it also makes for good journal writing time. Our morning was fun. After a few miles of hiking on relatively flat trail we came upon White Rock Pond. It was a beautiful pond and we took the time to snap a few shots. After the pond the trail turned more rugged. We ran into Goser and Fancy Pants who had stealth camped right off the trail in a difficult section- they were camped in a crazy spot, right in the weeds and thicket. We visited with them for a while and they told us that they got stuck out there last night and needed a place to camp. Where they were was the best spot they could make due. It looked like they plopped down on top of a bird nest. Every time we see Fancy Pants he gives Berry and I a twizzler. We call him the twizzler fairy.After seeing Goser and Fancy Pants we started the ascent up white rock mountain. The forest changed during the ascent and became very pretty, thick, mossy and tall pine trees. We loved this part of our day. On the summit there were man made rock formations all over the place. We see a lot of these. Hikers make little rock stack formations in an area, it's really neat and comical to see. While we were taking pictures of the formations Otter came rolling up. We walked with him to a beautiful vista 0.2 off the trail and took an early lunch break.After lunch the three of us walked down the mtn to a road crossing and then started the very long and painful ascent up Bear Mtn. This definitely hit us hard. Our elevation profile showed the climb to be 500ft, but it was actually 1100ft. I don't know what it was, but that climb kicked our tails! Otter took a break mid way through the climb and then caught up to us while we waited on the other side.By this time we were all tired. We took one last rest at a shelter and then headed the rest of the way to VT103. Right before the highway we crossed a gorge on a suspension bridge. Several people were swimming below in the swift narrow rapids.Berry's toes had a tough day adjusting to her new shoes. Because of this we decided to hitch into Rutland, VT to Back Home Again hostel. Tomorrow we'll take the bus up Hwy 4 to Killington peak and slackpack 17 miles back to Hwy 103 and hitch back to the hostel. By doing this we will achieve our mileage goals and continue the forward progress- all the while giving Berry another day to break in her shoes without having any weight on her back.Rutland is a nice town, but not my favorite. We didn't take much time to see it tonight because we'll be here tomorrow, maybe we will check it out more then. The hostel is full of hikers.The rest of our evening was spent getting to know the hikers at the hostel, lots of conversation...many of the hikers we have never seen before. Goser and Fancy Pants are here, Otter also. We all have the same plan of slacking tomorrow. Hopefully everything will work out.