morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-05-29
From: South Mt Wilcox shelter, MA (1540.6)

To: Upper Goose Pond cabin, MA (1556.7)
Miles today: 16.1

Today¢s treadway was relatively well maintained. The 1st 4 miles went very quickly, making a good start for the day. Midway, I paused at the top of Tyringham Cobble, a hill overlooking the village of Tyringham. There are several benches there that provide lovely, contemplative views of the church and its cemetery. It is Memorial Day, and I saw a number of day hikers there looking quietly. Enough said. A surprise today was the perfect retail option for an AT trail food stop. It was a small farm stand that contained a refrigerator, Wi-Fi router, and snacks, cold drinks, ice cream, and fresh eggs.Everything was on the honor system (Venmo bar code provided), and the Wi-Fi hot spot in the middle of a cell signal desert was a huge draw. I got myself an ice cream sandwich - probably a mistake, given that I had a 1000¢ climb next. The rest of the hike was old growth forest, pines, bogs, and pastures. Very rural. Tonight I am staying at Upper Goose Pond cabin. If you had asked me to imagine the perfect shelter for thruhikers on the AT, I would have failed to adequately describe this location, which sits on (naturally) Upper Goose Pond, a stunning body of water situated in the Berkshires. It is a 2 story structure with bunk room above, sitting room below, and porch out front with rocking chairs. There is canoeing and swimming in the lake, and a pancake breakfast. Sooo relaxing. It reminds me of the summer camp in NH I attended when I was young. There are 8-10 hikers here tonight (drawn like moths to a flame), and it is a very convivial gathering. Several hikers are planning on spending an extra zero day here tomorrow. In trail speak, that makes this place a ¢vortex¢ - a place you visit and have trouble leaving.  This 5 day stretch is the longest section I have this spring. I was very aware of the extra food weight in my pack, and am looking forward to working it back down to manageable portions. A lot of dehydrated food to go!
Date: 2023-05-30
From: Upper Goose Pond cabin, MA (1556.7)

To: Kay Wood shelter, MA (1574.3)
Miles today: 17.6

After the obligatory pancake breakfast at Upper Goose Pond cabin (which was very well received), I hiked back out to the trail and continued my trail north. Most of the elevation was early in the morning, followed by rolling hills with few views for the balance of the day. The character of the trail is changing as we progress through the Berkshires, and I am starting to again see the fir forests that I saw in the Smokies. I am also seeing a lot more roots in the trail, which are slightly less annoying than rocks but offer the same potential for tripping and stubbed toes (both of which I saw today). The one view that I saw that was special was this one:The Cookie Lady returns! This is the original ¢Cookie Lady¢ location, but with a new owner providing the same trail angel assistance as before (rumor is that is was a condition in the sale contract). 100 yards off trail, hikers are offered a glass of cold hibiscus tea, freshly baked cookies, and water fill-ups, plus rocking chairs on the porch. If you help with the weeding of their blueberry plants (it is a farm), you can score a home cooked meal. From my past couple of entries, it may appear that food plays a disproportionate role. My only excuse is that our diet is relatively spartan and the exertions intense, and the opportunity to chill out in the middle of a warm day with a cold drink is a great treat. Two days ago i had a lot of water crossings and, for grins, I took pictures of each of them to capture the variation in experience across the day (and of course there are highway bridges, suspension bridges, covered bridges, etc., just not on this day): I thought of these bridges today while chatting with several hikers about why they were hiking. Leaving the military, divorce, college graduation, retirement - so many use a thruhike as a bridge to something new¢¦they just don¢t know what yet. But the one thing they can count on is that they will have plenty of time for reflection. It is impossible to predict as one starts off where one will end.
Date: 2023-05-31
From: Kay Wood shelter, MA (1574.3)

To: Mark Noepel shelter, MA (1591.0)
Miles today: 16.7

Oof. Today was an example of the kind of hike profile I hate, ending the day with a 1700ft climb up to the shelter. There were lots of good reasons to do it (chief being that the temperature is supposed to spike to the high 89 tomorrow and this gives me a shorter day), but it is the kind of thing that looms over you all day. As in: I need to get up early so it won¢t be too hot when I do that climb, or I need to eat a big lunch so I¢ll have energy for that climb. The climb itself was ¢ up Mt Greylock, which I will summit tomorrow. And it turns out it was not the end of the world, as the trail was reasonably graded for the majority of the time. Of course, if I can¢t do this climb at this point, NH and ME are going to be really ugly. So the big girl pants went on, and up I went. Other notable features of today¢s hike: breakfast in the town of Dalton (where I couldn¢t shake the impression that the citizenry have mixed emotions about the hikers going through their town), and the first monument to cheese I have seen on the trail, in Cheshire. I am sure the town is quite proud. The rest of the trail was green tunnel today, mostly peaceful and not too challenging. I have been surprised by how many bogs exist at elevation in MA - which leads to board walks and mosquitoes, neither one being a positive add. There was one very nice view, from Cheshire Cobble, where I had lunch. Tonight¢s shelter had some extremely hungry mosquitoes, so I have taken early refuge in my tent. Two college age young men just arrived, apparently on the first day of their hike. I am listening to them discover that their tent is a trekking pole tent by watching the YouTube assembly he instruction video, and realizing that they didn¢t bring the poles. It¢s better than TV sitcom.
Date: 2023-06-01
From: Mark Noepel shelter, MA (1591.0)

To: Williamstown, MA (1600.6)
Miles today: 9.6

I started early this morning to get a jump on the heat wave, climbing through sub-alpine old growth forests to the top of Mt Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. The air was perfumed by spruce, I think - always evocative of the holidays for me. I hit the summit at 8, when the temperature was still 66 degrees (later to hit 89), so mission accomplished. I mentioned a couple of days ago that MA has a number of personal associations for me. One is that my grandfather, father, brother and nephew all attended college at WilIiams, which is located nearby and holds an annual Mountain Day where classes are cancelled and the undergraduates climb Greylock (along with other outdoor activities). I was struck by Thoreau¢s quote above which is etched on a rock near the peak. The summit of Greylock is capped by a memorial tower with 360 degree views of the area. I dropped my pack and scampered up the 89 steps of the spiral staircase to see where I had come from and where I was going. When you are in the green tunnel, you get less of an opportunity to do this than one might think. Great views, but poor pictures due to the haze. I also took the opportunity to stop in at the Bascom Lodge next to the tower for one of their signature blueberry muffins. Then down. And down. And down some more. Actually, about 6 miles and 2800 feet of down, tediously threading through rocks and roots. But almost at the end, I spotted this piece of trail art by another hiker - 1600 miles done! I am spending the night in Williamstown, happy to shower and wash clothes after 5 days out. I also purchased some more insect repellent, as those little critters sometimes seem to be blocking the sun. It is Commencement this weekend, so the town is decorated in purple cows (the Williams mascot). Tomorrow I will cross out of MA and into Vermont, where I am assured that things are going to start getting a bit more rugged. Yeehaw.
Date: 2023-06-02
From: Williamstown, MA (1600.6)

To: Congdon Shelter, VT (1614.7)
Miles today: 14.1

I have a colleague that speaks about the race between Scott and Amundsen to the South Pole as an example of leadership styles. Amundsen¢s team made a point of making progress each day. Scott¢s team waited for better weather windows (obviously I am oversimplifying the events during the expeditions, but this was an important difference). Amundsen¢s team reached the South Pole first and returned safely; Scott and several of his team ran out of food and perished in the attempt. Moral of his story: grind out the miles, or progress, each day rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity. So today, with the temperature forecast to hit the high 80¢s again, with thunderstorms forecast for early afternoon, I ¢¦hiked.  Fast, so I could get to a shelter by 2. But putting miles on the board each day works for me. The day started with the last 4 miles of the MA trail, a well graded 1600 foot climb, with the exception of one section of rocks, a bit of a kick in the pants for leaving the state. Then I hit the Vermont border - 11 states down, 3 to go! Vermont¢s 150 miles begin the transition to a more rugged terrain that will accelerate through NH and ME. The nickname ¢Vermud¢ derives from the propensity of the trail here to transition to mud at the suggestion of rain - and while the trail did get more rugged, I did not (today) experience too much mud. I did see several beaver ponds, and lots of signs of beaver activity.Sadly, though, no beavers chose to make an appearance. Tonight the shelter is full with other hikers also taking refuge from the forecast thunderstorms. It¢s a tricky trade off - as we are all sitting ducks for the mosquitoes in the shelter - but no one enjoys packing up a wet tent. I am looking forward to seeing more of Vermont tomorrow.
Date: 2023-06-03
From: Congdon Shelter, VT (1614.7)

To: Goddard shelter, VT (1629.1)
Miles today: 14.4

Well, last night we all hoped for rain to break the heat wave and, sure enough, it rained last night. We were all snug in the shelter which was thankfully waterproof, if not bug proof. I now have an interesting array of mosquito bites which take turns itching. No black flies yet, though. When I woke up, forecast highs had dropped almost 25 degrees. It was great hiking weather for the morning climb, but I began to understand the ¢Vermud¢ moniker, as the previous night¢s rain resulted in numerous mud patches that needed to be carefully picked through. During the day¢s climb up to 3600 ft, the trail transitioned from hardwoods to evergreen forests and trees furred with moss. Clouds were low, and the trail took us up into the misty cloud layer for the afternoon with another temperature drop to the 40¢s. Out came the cold weather gear that seemed like excess baggage yesterday!  A highlight of today was running into Willie, another Trail Journals correspondent who has been hiking a week ahead of me.  I always keep an eye on her entries to get tips for what is coming up  I hope we get to reconnect up the trail  We are camped tonight with a small group of Boy Scouts and their leaders getting ready for a trip to Philmont. True to form, they delivered on a fire made from wet wood. Snuggled up in my sleeping bag tonight.
Date: 2023-06-04
From: Goddard shelter, VT (1629.1)

To: Stratton Pond shelter, VT (1648.6)
Miles today: 19.5

Brrr. It was cold last night, dropping to the high 30¢s, and cold this morning. I was glad I decided to tent instead of staying in the shelter as I think it bought me an extra 5-10 degrees of warmth. It was a long mileage and elevation day, as I was working to set myself up for a resupply visit in town tomorrow. Goddard shelter is near the top of Glastenbury Mountain, so I was hoping to start the day off with some great views from the fire tower at the summit. Nope. The fire tower has been rated unsafe, so there was no ladder. The next part of the hike was down off Glastenbury, back through evergreen forests. I startled a porcupine on the trail, my first sighting of the hike. I wasn¢t fast enough to snap a picture as he waddled off, but was entranced by his silvery quills. The big challenge of the day was climbing up and over Stratton Mountain, at 3936 feet the highest peak in Southern VT. It is also purported to be the location where Benton Mackaye conceived of the Appalachian Trail. We expected great views here but were foiled once more as the low cloud layer blanked everything out. Climbing down, we reached scenic Stratton Pond and settled in for the night, finally getting great views over the lake.One hopeful hiker was fishing, but I think he stayed hungry. The AT and the Long Trail share 100 miles in Vermont, and there are several LTers here as well. Almost everyone is out of food and planning to restock tomorrow.
Date: 2023-06-05
From: Stratton Pond shelter, VT (1648.6)

To: Manchester Center, VT (1659.1)
Miles today: 10.5

Today¢s nearo took me to VT Route 11/30, where I was able to get a lift into Manchester Center. The trail was smooth and undulating through evergreen, hardwood, and birch stands. The rocks have abated somewhat - and their replacement, a deep leafy mix - is gentle on my footsteps. There was a nice overlook of Manchester Center from Prospect Rock, a positive change after the green tunnels/foggy views of the past couple of days. Getting a bit of sun as I dropped down in elevation was uplifting. I laughed when I saw this license plate in the trailhead parking lot. ¢Hiker trash¢ is a name we wear with pride as we re-enter civilization - dirty, smelly, and a bit sketchy - our challenges, adventures and experiences sometimes too difficult to describe to normal folk. There is something about thru hiking that is a great equalizer. If you have done the last 15 miles with me, it doesn¢t really matter if you are a CEO, construction worker, or circus clown. The shared experience creates a unique bond. I am staying at a hotel this evening, primarily for the bandwidth for a couple of business calls. The hot shower felt great, as did the dinner tonight (refreshing to have a break from dehydrated meals). I will fall a bit behind in the hiker river, so it will be interesting to see who I find at the shelter tomorrow night.
Date: 2023-06-06
From: Manchester Center, VT (1659.1)

To: Peru Peak shelter, VT (1669.2)
Miles today: 10.1

A short day today. Needed to wait for the UPS shipping center to open in Manchester so that I could mail my bounce box on to the next point. The ¢box¢ (actually a 5 gallon pail) holds spare repair items, toiletries, contacts, maps, etc that I don¢t want to carry the whole time but want to be able to periodically access.  It was just as well that the day was short though. The air quality index has deteriorated rapidly over the past couple of days due to wildfires in Quebec. I can¢t feel it, but is sure has built up a haze. Here is the view from Mt Styles, one of the two peaks I climbed today:Those of you paying close attention know that I have struck out now on my last 4 peak views in Vermont. No worries today, though, as the trail traversed the Peak Peru wilderness, which was gorgeous - old growth firs and moss, gnarled tree branches, and the only background noise the sound of the wind. Apparently, the Forest Service designates particular sections as ¢wilderness¢. These areas are not available for alternative uses and receive less intervention (trail maintenance, etc) to keep them in a more natural state. Don¢t tell my mother, but the signage warns that rescue might take longer due to primitive conditions.Fine with me, I am hoping to not need rescue. I reached the shelter early and the gnat pressure was high, so I built my first fire (the trick is to use some of your Purell) to smoke them out. Success!As anticipated, I am with a completely different group of thruhikers tonight. Nice people that I hope to see more of.
Date: 2023-06-07
From: Peru Peak shelter, VT (1669.2)

To: Greenwall shelter, VT (1683.7)
Miles today: 14.5

It rained overnight, and the morning was misty and chilly. I chose to spend the night in my tent instead of the shelter to get some privacy and for the additional warmth. The tent was a champ in the rain. The morning hiking was enshrouded in mist, creating interesting perspectives of trail and lake views disappearing into the fog. The first part of the hike took me over Baker Peak, a rock-slabbed summit very reminiscent (in the too bad, never wanted to see this again kind of way) of NY, with the rock slabs at sharp angles and slick with the previous night¢s rain.Took it carefully and made it through without incident. The trail was muddy, as one might expect. Combined with rocks, this creates a bit of a minefield for trekking poles, which can sink low into the mud and then get bent by a rock with forward momentum. Sure enough - one of my trekking poles snapped partway through the day. A field repair will keep me going until Mr. Right can get me a replacement. I know that Vermont is the Green Mountain state, but the overwhelming sense when hiking through here when it is damp is just how green and verdant everything is. It feels like being enveloped in a big green hug - ferns, moss, leaves, undergrowth. And, as proof that Vermonters have a sense of humor, I passed a rock garden right before the shelter. Created by gnomes, apparently. There are only 3 of us at the shelter tonight. It is 0.2 mi from the trail and has an unreliable water source, pushing it down the pecking order in terms of day¢s destinations. But it slotted perfectly into our distance plans, so here we are for another rainy night.
Date: 2023-06-08
From: Greenwall shelter, VT (1683.7)

To: Governor Clement shelter, VT (1698.6)
Miles today: 14.9

It rained through the night again, and I hung out in my tent this morning a bit longer until it eased. I have been largely successful on this segment at keeping my gear and clothing dry, despite the daily rain, so I wasn¢t uncomfortable. Just a bit tired of the dreary skies. Mid-Vermont is a cell phone desert, so it is difficult to anticipate rain start/stop times. As a result, it is a constant topic of information exchange as hikers pass each other. (This is also my excuse for all of the delayed journal entries this segment). Another hot topic right now - Birthday Girl, a 77 year old hiker, is working to finish her AT hike and is moving through this section. She started last March and has been off twice for injuries but keeps trucking. I met her today. She is ¢ smaller than me, carries a pack 50% heavier, and travels about 1 mph (compared to typical thruhiker of 2mph). She gets star treatment at each place she stops. The trail itself today started adding in some more elevation, a ramp up to New Hampshire and Maine. I passed over Clarendon Gorge, then up a tricky rock scramble on the other side (mostly tricky because the rocks were wet). Tomorrow we climb Killington, the highest point on the AT in Vermont. Tonight I am parked at one of the oldest stone shelters on the AT, built in 1929.It will be packed tonight - there is a large slug of hikers (NOBOs, FF¢s, and Long Trail hikers) bunched up together right now, all heading into Rutland then onto the Whites. A bit less than 500 miles left to Katahdin!
Date: 2023-06-09
From: Governor Clement shelter, VT (1698.6)

To: Killington, VT (1711.1)
Miles today: 12.5

It was an early start this morning, shooting to scale Mt Killington and come down the other side in time to have a late lunch at my lodging for the night.  The climb was a 10% grade over 4 miles, gaining 2000 feet. The terrain was not too difficult, so a bit of upbeat music in the headphones got me to the top. In a surprise to no one - the view was again socked in by clouds. Vermont, you are killing me. I was finally able to eke out one marginal cloudy view on the way down. There were a lot of thruhikers pounding down the mountain today, either to Rutland or Killington for resupply. All were trying to beat the forecast rain¢¦unsuccessfully. I hit 3 separate bursts of rain, the last one drenching, left me rolling into the Inn at Long Trail this afternoon with all the appearance of a drowned rat. The staff were extremely gracious as I dripped water and mud on their floor and, within 2 hours, I was showered, laundered, and fed. A lovely feeling of well-being. Three more days in Vermont - hoping to see some sun before I go.
Date: 2023-06-10
From: Killington, VT (1711.1)

To: The Lookout Shelter, VT (1726.5)
Miles today: 15.4

Today started off with a great breakfast (included in the rate) at the Inn, including some delicious and dense Irish soda bread. I was joined by Blueberry (hiking the Long Trail this year) and Handblaze, who touches every blaze he passes (note there are about 80,000 of these). I waddled back up the spur trail from the hotel to the AT and started off on a section of trail that had much more elevation gain and loss than we¢ve seen so far. It was a water day. Small, medium, and large (Thundering Falls) waterfalls. Kent Pond, where I heard my first loon call of the hike (the dot in the center of the picture is a mother loon with 3 babies on her back. Trust me.)And, of course, rain. Three brief bursts in the morning, one soaking. The trail was a bit of a roller coaster, up and down for most of the day, but relatively little technical rock work. We saw a new hiking tool in place today, though, for a big drop. I finished the day at an amazing shelter, The Lookout. Privately owned, it is made available to hikers. It has 4 walls and a widow¢s walk platform on top, from which you can get 360 views of the mountains. After whining about the lack of views for the last week, it felt like Karma had finally delivered. And - news flash - the sun shone this afternoon! On the weather front, we are all about a week out from the Presidentials and Mt Washington. Current weather there? 36 degrees with winds of 30 mph.   We are all starting to pace our hikes for the weather in the White Mountains. It feels similar to surfing, trying to catch a good wave of sunny and not frigid temperatures for the key traverses. Lots of discussion. This early in the season, weather will play a big role over the next couple of weeks. ;Finished the day with a sunset view from the platform.
Date: 2023-06-11
From: The Lookout Shelter, VT (1726.5)

To: Thistle Hill shelter, VT (1741.4)
Miles today: 14.9

When I woke up this morning at 5am (I can¢t seem to sleep much beyond 5:30 while in the trail), I hustled out of bed to check out the sunrise from the top deck of the shelter. I saw yesterday¢s mountains poking out like islands from the fog, an ethereal sight in the dawn sky. Like yesterday, today¢s hike was another roller coaster. I counted at least 6 hills of 300-700¢ in elevation, giving a cumulative total that was reasonably high. I honestly prefer a couple of larger climbs than the repeated smaller ones - but you need to hike the trail you get, not the trail you want. There were some great pastoral scenes today as we hiked through Woodstock VT, and wildflowers bloomed in the meadows. There are many ways to mark distances on the AT. I got a kick out of this one (carefully inked onto birch bark) but decided to pass.The weather was warmer today and mostly sunny. Of course, this heralded the return of the mosquitoes, but it was a joy to see the sun again. One addendum to my comments on Mt Washington yesterday- a colleague emailed me a news blurb regarding snow on Mt Washington. This year¢s June¢s snowfall after just 10 days is the highest ever recorded for any June on record. Brrr! Praying for a brief global warming burst. *Edward Abbey