morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-17
From: Pittsfield Rd

To: Rte 20 Lee
Miles today: 9.7

Thursday, August 17, 2006. Pittsfield Rd to Rte 20 Lee 9.7 miles, plus Blotz Rd to hornets¢ (or ground bees¢) nest and back about 1.0 miles.Sunny, 70¢s, start about 9AM, evergreen forests, spruce and hemlock. Purple Rose tells story of spruce grouse near Zealand Falls Hut. It doesn¢t retreat because it has no natural enemies. Why? Its meat tastes like Pine-Sol.On the north side of West Branch Rd there¢s a beaver-proof cage protecting the culvert from getting stuffed with saplings.Sign register in October Mtn Lean-To, leaving hellos for Annie and Kevin.Just after County Rd Locomotive Joe. Colorful tattoos on his right arm and left calf. He started April 20, took 3 weeks off. Tonight he¢s going to the Bird¢s Nest in Dalton. He¢s looking forward to hiking ME. He says you¢re coming up to a wonderful fir smell just a little farther south.Here it is. Inhale fresh smell of fir.Hello again: Kevin. TuTone from Pittsburgh PA.   Hurricane. Two Step and JJ, headed for a swim in Finery Pond.Lunch atop Walling Mtn. After lunch, it¢s Amoeba¢s turn to feel bad. Legs swollen, sore, and itchy with bites, pain in left groin. It¢s all she can do to keep up with Zig Zag and Purple Rose.Out before 3, walking again past the little log people faces that someone has placed in their yard. All 3 hikers pose with the statues. Amoeba¢s wide-brimmed hat matches theirs.They decide to leapfrog Zig Zag¢s car to Blotz Rd. At the trailhead, Kevin, again! Second time today. This will be the last time they see him. Goodbye and good luck, Kevin.About 0.5 in from the road, Amoeba is stung by a hornet or ground bee. Wow, that hurts. They hike a little farther and then Amoeba asks if they can turn around. On the way out, hiking past the same place, she¢s stung again.On their way back to the campground, they stop at a supermarket for baking soda and a wastebasket. Back at the campground Amoeba fills the wastebasket with water and baking soda and soaks her legs for an hour. A benedryl capsule reduces the swelling, and the pain. Zig Zag carries an epi-pen which she offers to Amoeba if she develops any signs of systemic reaction (trouble breathing, etc).Purple Rose, Purple Sherpa and Gazelle Man have a great dinner at Joe¢s Diner. Zig Zag and Amoeba eat at the campground, seasonal fruits and veggies. M-m-m-m.
Date: 2006-08-18
From: Pittsfield Rd

To: Gulf Rd
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

Friday, August 18, 2006Pittsfield Rd to Gulf Rd, 10.6 miles, S to N. Cloudy, high 60¢s. A ¢Rose¢ quartz right in the middle of the trail to welcome Purple Rose.Red-orange mushrooms/toadstools that look poisonous. Fleshy succulent fungus on a tree trunk that looks edible.Hello to SOBO Super Nova.Hello to another hiker who was going to hike from Dalton south until his supplies ran out, or until he changed his mind. He has no trailname. ¢No Plan¢?At the sidetrail to Kay Wood Shelter, they meet a father and son (Mark and Patrick) from Hamilton Ontario who are section hiking between Blotz Rd (which they¢d gotten a shuttle to) and Greylock (where they¢d left their car). They ae loving the hike but they are not loving carrying heavy packs. Up and down over Day Mtn, out at Housatonic Rd, then Depot St. Meet Purple Sherpa and Gazelle Man at intersection Depot St and Rtes 8/9. Walk through town and meet them again at Gulf Rd. Hello to Burly Girl and Bugsy the Mosquito Magnet, both from NJ.Back at Pittsfield Rd to retrieve cars, they walk 0.1 to the Wileys house. Cookie Lady is not there. She¢s on her way to pick up Mark and Patrick. But Cookie Man is. He shows Purple Sherpa his auto restorations. He tells them that 2 women have just reported a naked man running into the woods.Thruhikers Mr Miyagi and Blue are finishing the last of Cookie Lady¢s cookies before hiking on.Lush potted plants up by the house. Pick your own blueberries. Tranquil spot on a hilltop surrounded by open grassy fields, then woods.Camping tonight on the lawn at the Burnses in Canaan, after a supper of BBQ chicken, guacamole, sausage, potato salad and corn. For dessert: 6-Threes homemade hand-cranked ice cream, (3 cups milk, 3 cups cream, 3 cups sugar, juice of 3 oranges, juice of 3 lemons, 3 mashed bananas), topped with strawberries, blueberries and peaches brought by Annette.Thank you, Susie, Russell, Will and Annette
Date: 2006-08-19
From: Gulf Rd

To: Outlook Ave
Miles today: 9.6

Saturday, August 19, 2006Purple Sherpa and Gazelle Man may visit the Shaker Museum today and the marble area up by the natural bridge while Zig Zag, Purple Rose and Amoeba hike from Gulf Rd to Outlook Ave. Hello to Ed and Wendy from Peru MA, both scout leaders, Ed wearing 2003 Philmont cap and shirt. A young man trailrunning.Amoeba seeks solitude today, she hikes ahead. She¢s got back-to-back commitments through Oct 15. She decides no more commitments after that. She needs some free time.Hello to Fire from near Bangor ME. She started May 10, hiking with Ice. Fire is a strong hiker, she¢s hiking 23 today, Dalton to Rte 2.Purple Rose, Zig Zag and Amoeba eat lunch on the trail between Gore Pond and the Cobbles. Hello to a couple from north of Watertown NY, wearing Syracuse orange. Her shirt says Real Women Wear Orange. Two weeks ago they hiked Greylock. Now they are doing a triathlon: kayak, bike, hike.Hello again to Ed and Wendy. Ed teaches survival in the wilderness. He says there are no really poisonous mushrooms in this area. The Death Angel mushroom is found farther south. The mushrooms in this area that are not good to eat will taste so terrible you¢ll not want to take a second bite. Ed says the succulent fungus Amoeba saw yesterday is not only edible, but delicious. It¢s called chicken (or hen)-of-the-woods. Break it off and smell it and you can tell right away it¢s going to taste really good. Ed says there¢s a yellow-orange mushroom called boletus that is edible and delicious also. Instead of gills under the cap the boletus has spongy pores. Ed says this year the beechnuts are plentiful. Amoeba¢s family used to gather these and roast them both for personal consumption and to give as gifts. Labor-intensive work.Hello to 2 women section-hiking. They started 3 hours ago in Cheshire. They¢re headed to CT.At the ice cream shop in Cheshire, there¢s a sweet Karin terrier that looks just like Toto in the Wizard of Oz. This one is named Jenny Bo Benny.Zig Zag gets a strawberry ice cream cone and at the PO across the street she mails her credit card payment. A walk through town past a nifty swing shaped like a horse that someone with imagination has made from an automobile or truck tire.On the way to Outlook Ave there are lots of fallen green beechnuts.At Outlook Ave, they are offered a ride by a couple from Pennsylvania.Hello to Tomato Gravy, a NOBO from VA and NM. I¢ve always wanted a VW camper bus, she says as Purple Sherpa pulls up. Tomato Gravy¢s hiking Rte 2 to Dalton today (same distance but opposite direction as Fire), she stayed at Bird¢s Nest last night.To Colrain for the night at Amoeba¢s family¢s summer place. Too late to take in the Heath Fair. Too bad. That¢s one of the best country fairs in the state. Gazelle Man playing the pump organ wows everyone.Retort of fireworks from the Heath Fair, goodnight.
Date: 2006-08-20
From: Outlook Ave

To: Phelps Rd/Rte 2
Miles today: 9.0

Sunday August 20, 2006Purple Sherpa, Gazelle Man and Dixie go to Greenfield and Shelburne Falls. Zig Zag, Purple Rose and Amoeba set Zig Zag¢s car at Phelps Rd and take Amoeba¢s to County Rd in VT to the trailhead about 3 miles north of the MA/VT line.A light rain, mist, temps in the 70¢s, N to S today, start 10:50.Hello again to Gator (Gaiter). Sorry I didn¢t get the spelling of your trailname.Hello to Tom from near Dayton OH. Tom, I hiked with a very special person from near Dayton in 2003, says Amoeba. Early Riser from Ohio.   Tom says, Early Riser goes to the same church I do. I know him. Early Riser¢s son is a policeman and Tom¢s is a fireman in the same town. This trip Tom is hiking on the LT and his wife is sherpa¢ing him, dropping him off and meeting him with the car. Tom joins Amoeba, Purple Rose and Zig Zag for today¢s hike.Hello again to Fire. She talks gear with Purple Rose. Rain jackets. Packs.Hello again to 3-Skip McGrit. Is that your green Honda Element? he asks. We¢ve seen it a lot. He¢s hiking now with Garden Gnome.South of Eph¢s Lookout, as they descend over large slick rocks, Tom says, Is this Eph¢s Lookout or is it Eph¢s look oooouuuut!!!   They are hiking the white-blazed trail, not the bad weather trail. A couple of times they lose the blazes, but near the base of the rocks, the blazing is newer and better.Third hello to Locomotive Joe. He lets Amoeba take a picture that shows one of his colorful tattoos.At Phelps Rd Tom introduces his wife. Happy Trails to you both. Tom, thanks for your companionship on the trail today.
Date: 2006-08-21
From: Notch Rd

To: Outlook Ave
Miles today: 10.0

Monday, August 21, 2006N to S, Notch Rd near Wilbur Clearing to Outlook Ave, 10 miles.Start 11 AM.   Cool, breezy, temps low 60¢s? Gray clouds, some sunshine.Hello to SOBO Laces, started 7-1-2006.Acsend Mt Williams. 2 dayhikers taking a picture of themselves using time delay.Short hike to Bascom Lodge. As in 2003, Amoeba finds the blazing confusing around the summit of Greylock.They check in at the lodge.Third hello to TuTone.   He¢s with Danger. Danger, how did you get that trailname? It¢s my middle name.Hello to 2 couples. The brother of one of them hiked thruhiked last year, trail name Dave from Denver.15-16 people hiking the AT close to the summit.Temps warm a bit.Fir scent, fir forest, quartz.Large swaths on both sides of the trail entirely choked with bindweed.Purple Rose has developed a shin splint. It hurts. Zig Zag falls and slices her right knee. She¢s dressing it when L-Rod comes by. I¢m L-Rod because I¢m a conductor of lightning bolts, he says. He tells the story of being hit by lightning while hiking the AT in NC.Hello to Tinman, wearing a brown leather hat.Hello to a young man whose name I didn¢t get. He¢s lived in Cheshire all his life and he¢s never until today hiked up Greylock from the south on the AT. Today he's correcting that deficiency. He¢s an outdoor lover and a naturalist. A senior at 100-student Sterling College in Craftsbury Common VT which is located in the Northeast Kingdom section of VT. 4-year environmental degrees are offered, with specialization in Conservation Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture, Northern Studies or Outdoor Education and Leadership. He will be leading a group to Labrador/Newfoundland. He¢s traveled to India. He¢s familiar with some of the earth¢s sacred places, especially those on mountains.During supper at Bascom Lodge, they meet a couple from Martha's Vineyard. Amoeba and Gazelle Man begin a round of ¢20 Questions¢. On the 20th question, Gazelle Man correctly guesses ¢freckles¢. One to nothing. Start Game 2. 4 questions into Game 2 bedtime arrives. TBC.Amoeba goes outside. Blustery, chilly, brilliant star-filled sky, dimmed by the light in the tower, which is blazing. She feels close in time to last year on Greylock. Other times over the years on Greylock. Lots of good memories.
Date: 2006-08-22
From: Phelps Rd/Rte 2

To: Notch Rd near Wilbur Clearing
Miles today: 3.0

Tuesday, August 22, 20063 miles, Phelps Rd to Wilbur Clearing Notch Rd, S to NPurple Rose, Gazelle Man, Zig Zag and Amoeba. Low 60¢s, sunny, breezy, low humidity. Gazelle Man and Amoeba continue last night¢s game. Is it part of the integumentary system? The what? You know, the skin. Call that the skinular system. OK, that¢s a better name. She wins. Next game Gazelle Man wins, "uvula". Next game, Amoeba loses, "tail hair". 3-1. Coises, foiled again, says Amoeba. Gazelle Man grins.   Next game Gazelle Man loses, "antenna". Final score, it¢s Gazelle Man, 3 to 2. Congratulations GM!Amoeba is loving today¢s climb, her favorite kind of hiking. Legs feeling strong and sure. A red eft is climbing too. Waiting for the others, Amoeba watches it climb up dirt and rocks. These are her favorite creatures on the trail.At the lookout, turkey buzzards are soaring. Gazelle Man plays dead to try to bait them. Guess they're not hungry yet.Out at the road crossing, departing for Syracuse, Jonesborough and Virginia Beach. Great hike, everyone, great week. Next hike in Sept, place TBD, perhaps the Hundred-Mile Wilderness.
Date: 2006-09-17
From: Logging Rd south of West Branch Pleasant RIver

To: Kokadjo B Pond Rd
Miles today: 12.0

Sunday, Sept 17, 2006Logging road south of West Branch of Pleasant River to Kokadjo B Pond Rd, S to N, miles to stealth site south side of Hay Mtn, one-night, 2-day backpack.Amoeba fords the West Branch at the wrong place and has to go back and do it all over again. Purple Rose and Zig Zag get it right the first time!Hello to Joe the Ridgerunner. Purple Rose asks him about incidents this year. He says, a few sprained ankles, nothing more serious. Joe says there might be a stealth site between Sidney Tappen Tentsite and Logan Brook Lean-To, but there¢s nothing official and there¢s no water.High 60¢s, sunny, intermittent breezes. Birds twittering, a sound not heard lately. Woods have been quiet. Sun at their backs the whole day. Good light for pictures.Hello to Karuna Miel, taking her last zero day at the shelter. She¢s treated herself to a slack around the Gulf Hagas trail where she took a beautiful fall foliage photo, colors, especially reds, reflected in the water.Karuna Miel says last night someone brought a ton of trail magic into the shelter: beer, powerade, candy, real food. Recipients were herself, 20 Mile, Kentucky, Baldylocks, Fiddlehead and Rusch Hour.Karuna Miel has had some problems with her hammock and sleeping pad. She gets condensation on her sleeping pad and can¢t figure out why.She¢ll shelter-hop between here and Katahdin, summit on the 25th. Anyone want to accompany me? Purple Rose and Zig Zag decline. Amoeba might have done it but she¢ll be hiking then with Gray Feathers and Memere. Register: 8/16 Eagle Eye and Conductor 9/3 Jelly Bean 9/9 Circuit Rider, Mulligan and Montreal 9/17 F-Bomb, Grandpa Bear and Old Moose.Climb towards the tentsite, meeting SOBO thruhiker (didn¢t get his name) and a couple out hiking for 2 days.Hello to a stretched-out Old Moose at the tentsite. He¢s reclining in front of a Smartwool tree, relaxing on his challenging hike from the Maine/NH line to Abol Bridge.Get water at the spring.2 maintainers arrive. No official sites between here and Logan Brook but the weather forecast is good. You can probably find an open spot to cowboy camp.Maintainers have trimmed, leaving spruce and fir cuttings on the trail for traction. Trail is in great shape.Ah, a stealth spot in the scrub firs.Purple Rose makes spring vegetable soup and Amoeba, who never carries a stove, eats slices of fresh bread with a thick layer of butter and some tomatoes.All 3 hunker down in their sleeping bags, cowboy-camping.Purple Rose and Amoeba are warm in their bags, a little too warm even, but Zig Zag feels cold. Even though the temps are probably in the 50¢s, her 40-degree sleeping bag is not warm enough. How do these bag companies get away with such flagrant misrepresentation of the warmth rating of their bags?Zig Zag puts up her one-person tent and crawls in.The wind picks up. All night long, fir needles, bits of bark, cones and other tree debris rain down on them.All night long, the firs sway in the wind, their roots rocking up and down under the sleepers.
Date: 2006-09-27
From: Rte 27

To: Horns Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: broken clouds

Wednesday, Sept 27, 2006 Rte 27 to Horns Pond Lean-To, 5.1 milesZig Zag breakfasts and gets ready for today¢s hike at the Roadhouse. Amoeba, Gray Feathers and Memere go to Stratton in Amoeba¢s car for breakfast at the diner. Goodbye and good luck to all the thruhikers.They retrieve Memere¢s car at Caribou. On their way, a moose family, antlered papa, mama and calf. Goodbye, you two. It¢s been another memorable hike. You are so much fun. How about 3 weeks next April between TN 421 and Davenport Gap?Purple Sherpa takes Purple Rose, Amoeba and Zig Zag to the Rte 27 trailhead for the next to last leg of Purple Rose¢s hike of the Maine AT, Rte 27 to Safford Brook Trail. Only Bemis remains. After Bemis, Zig Zag will have all of Maine done but about 6 miles between the Mahoosuc Notch Trail and the ME/NH border.Start 11:15. Short hike today. Perfect fall day. Climb up wooden steps to a wooden bench.Hello and goodbye, Hurricane.Ditto, Iroc, Prana, Tomato Gravy, Trail Boss.Beaverpond. Beaver just gnawed down 2 trees, one a fairly large birch.Hello and goodbye, Airlift.At Horns Pond Shelter early. Caretaker has gone for the season. Register goes back to 2003! Neat reading back that far.
Date: 2006-09-30
From: Closed Clearwater Brook Trail

To: Rte 17
Miles today: 8.7

Friday, Sept 29, 2006 zero dayPurple Rose goes with Honey and her sister to get apples.Zig Zag goes to Rumford to run errands.Amoeba goes to Rumford to check the internet and run errands.Checking the internet she learns for the first time about Dave¢s accident back on Sept 20.Yesterday, she checked the gingerale bottle. That was aspartame diet gingerale yesterday. Aspartame always makes her sick.Also yesterday, she developed symptoms of another UTI, probably from not drinking enough. The on-call doctor who is covering says, I remember you. Don't you ever come home? To the Rumford Rite Aid he phones in a prescription for antibiotics.Amoeba picks up the antibiotics and some supplies for Honey and Bear.At the Cabin, a hearty beef stew supper. Just the ticket when the weather is turning cold. Honey, you¢re a phenomenal cook! Honey¢s made a separate special stew just for Zig Zag.Spring Fever joins them for dinner. Saturday, Sept 30, 2006 Closed Clearwater Brook Trail to Rte 17, 8.7 miles plus 0.4 miles of blue blaze trailBear takes Zig Zag Purple Rose and Amoeba to the trailhead. Good thing because it¢s doubtful they would have found it on their own. All the blazing Bear put up last year is gone.Start about 9AM. More perfect hiking weather. Cool. Track a little muddy but not bad considering how much it rained yesterday. Muddy enough to slow them down, however.Bear is right. There are enough rocks and roots on this section to keep you from getting into a good hiking rhythm, to keep you from making time.10:15 Bemis Stream Trail, sign says 7.3 left. They¢ve hiked 1.4.11AM summit of Bemis.Lunch on stone ledges just before the shelter.Traversing Second Mtn Purple Rose and Amoeba discuss hiking together, maybe in August or Sept after mud and black fly season, the 90 VT miles that Zig Zag will have done after she and Amoeba fill her 17.5-mile gap over Stratton Mtn. Perhaps at this same time Zig Zag will hike with her son sections in NH and ME that Purple Rose has already done.Amoeba thinks this is the quietest day she have ever had on the AT. Not a sound.Pretty fall views hiking over Second and First.Very steep descent down First.Ascent to Rte 17. Purple Rose has finished Maine. High fives from Zig Zag and Amoeba. A big hug from Purple Sherpa.Purple Sherpa, Purple Rose and Dixie leave the Cabin for Massachusetts. Amoeba and Zig Zag spend another night with Honey and Bear. It¢s hard to leave The Cabin.
Date: 2006-10-03
From: William B Douglas Shelter

To: Rte 11/30
Miles today: 5.8

Tuesday, October 3, 2006, William B Douglas Shelter to Rte 11/30, 5.8 miles plus 0.5 blue blaze trailOwl calls "who who who-who".They're shooting to leave early today.They leave the shelter by 7:20.Red squirrel is running fast and effortlessly through the trees, leaping from bough to bough.Streaky wispy clouds on gray blue background.There¢s a pretty long section of underblazed trail, which slows them down as they look ahead and behind for blazes. Just before they come out to Prospect Rock, there¢s a sign tacked to a tree which says: CAUTION Low Blaze Region of Death and Destruction.A handy trash can. Thanks, whoever maintains this.Road noise most of this hike, there may be construction going on out on 11/30.Hello Thirsty Boots from CT. Doing a double hike of the LT. He hiked S to N, turned around and is hiking back N to S. Amoeba and Thirsty Boots think they met somewhere on the AT last year.Hello to Cosmo hiking from 140 to Arlington Stratton West Wardsboro Rd.Out in just under 4 hours at about 11:15.They go west towards Manchester, take Rte 7 south, exit at the Arlington exit, turn R on South Rd. South Rd ends in a ¢T¢. Turn R onto Kansas Rd. Go over Rte 7 and over a narrow bridge. First R after the bridge is Kelley Stand Rd AKA Arlington Stratton West Wardsboro Rd. About 10 miles to the trailhead. This way takes about 10 miles off the trip but there¢s a lot of travel on a dirt road. Timewise it may be a wash compared to taking 100 south and coming in from the east.Goodbye Zig Zag. Congrats on filling this gap. Now you¢re continuous from Mt Everett MA to Cold River Rd VT! Have a safe trip home!
Date: 2006-11-11
From: Camp Rd

To: Rte 80 Parking lot
Miles today: 8.9

Saturday, November 11, 200660 degrees. No need for extra layers at all. A little overcast, sun poking through here and there.Start at Camp Rd, north to south, Harley, Hurricane Georgia and Amoeba.Hurricane Georgia took yesterday¢s hike in stride. Although only 3.4 miles count, the actual miles hiked were 7.5. Hard to say what today¢s hike is without the Data Book. Amoeba¢s 1998 map doesn¢t seem to dovetail with today¢s trail. 9.5?Hurricane Georgia doesn¢t stray at all from the footpath. She heels alongside Harley. In her former life, her previous owner must have trained her to heel. Hurricane Georgia has the sweetest disposition. Harley thinks she¢d be a perfect Service Dog.The meet lots of hikers on the trail today, about 30 in all. Sunfish Pond. Stop for lunch. Hurricane Georgia testing the waters, but not going out over her head, not swimming. It appears that water in ponds, water in streams, is something new to her.Pass the cairns at water¢s edge.By the south end of Sunfish Pond there are 3 families, parents and some little kids about 4-10 years old. Those kids did great to walk in so far! Over a backpacker stove, one of the fathers is cooking Chef Boyardee ravioli, out of the can. Harley tells them she spotted a kid¢s fleece shirt at the other end of the pond, and hung it on a shrub. It belongs to one of the little boys. His father goes off to retrieve the shirt. What a good feeling when lost articles get matched up with their owners! Tomorrow there will be a sign between the parking lot and Lake Lenape that a cellphone was found Oct 25. Since it's still up, looks like that sign was never seen by the cellphone owner.At the Backpacker Campsite, Amoeba remembers her first stop there in 2003. Vivid memories. Privy is the same. It has toilet paper. The door doesn¢t close. Metal food bear box is the same, a little more rusted. Food hanging wires are the same.Rhododendron.The sunlight illuminates the stream beside the trail for a short while, then it falls so low the stream is in shadow.Hikers are still hiking north to Sunfish as late as 3PM. They won¢t make it in and out before dark.Out at 3:50. It¢s getting dark now a little after 5.