morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-21
From: Stealth spot mile 476

To: Churchill Scout Shelter
Miles today: 14.2

Storms and heavy rain were in the forecast for this afternoon so I hiked with a little more urgency. I wanted to hike at least 14 miles to the first shelter on Killington Mountain before it all started. The hiking was good today. It was warm and overcast, but very breezy. You could tell storms were on the way all day. It made for good hiking conditions. I made my way through Gifford Woods State Park and there campground which was nice. I was not in the mood to hang out though so I moved through quickly. I finally started making my way up Killington and made it to the shelter just after 3:00pm. It was way to early to stop for the day. It was 4.2 miles up to the top of Killington to the next shelter. I am hiking pretty slow up steep hills now a days so I would not get to the shelter until 5:30-6:00pm. I said heck with it and went charging up the mountain. After about two minutes I stopped and thought some more. It was supposed to start raining around 5:00pm. If I stay at this shelter I will have to hike 16 miles tomorrow, which is very doable. I have been caught in my fair share of storms and heavy rains. It is not fun at all. I decided to go back to the shelter and call it an early day. I will stay nice and dry tonight and will listen to the rain and storms as they come through. Tomorrow I am being picked up by a friend who lives in the area, Gina Raymond, who I went to school with. I had my food for the next five days sent to her and I am staying at her and her husbands house overnight and then getting right back on the trail the next day. This front moving through tonight is bringing much cooler air in. It will feel really good after all the heat and humidity lately. Of course that will mean it will be colder at night too, which I am not a big fan of. So it is only 5:00pm now. I am the only one at this shelter now. I am going to make my dinner and rest. Maybe I will finally watch Forest Gump which I have downloaded on my phone. I will probably just listen to the rain and wind though......and guess what!!! it just started raining. I would not have made it to the next shelter without getting soaked. I am happy, very happy.
Date: 2016-08-22
From: Churchill Scout Shelter

To: North Clarendon VT
Miles today: 15.8

I ended up not being alone in the shelter last night. Shortly after my journal entry a NOBO named Blueberry Crisp showed up and then after him Trout came in and it ended up being the three of us in the shelter. It rained hard most of the night. I had to slide over at one point because a drip developed right above my head. It kept dripping on my head. As usual I did not sleep very well in the shelter, but I was glad to be dry and to have all my gear dry. The morning presented a very wet and foggy trail. It was also much cooler. I was glad for the hardest climb of the day first thing in the morning. I made it to the summit by 9:00am and had breakfast in the shelter there. It was very foggy and windy so I had no views. At about 10:00am the sun came out and the fog lifted. It turned out to be a fantastic day. Temperatures stayed in the sixties and the air was very dry for a change. I wish I could bottle this day up so I could have it when I needed one like it. It was perfect hiking weather. I had a very easy hike off of Mount Killington and into town. The trails were nice and comfortable with a lot off packed pine needles which is so nice on the feet. I hiked the sixteen miles in eight hours and called Gina around 3:00pm. She came and picked me up and then brought me to Hannafords so I could pick up a few things. We then headed to her house where I met her husband and two boys. I smelled pretty bad so I showered and then we all visited before dinner. We had barbecue chicken, potato salad and cucumbers. The potato salad was the best I have ever had. Later on we had cake. After dinner I took care of a bunch of chores before heading to bed, which is where I am now. There is a tv in this room so I am watching the Red Sox as I write. It is suppose to get down into the forties tonight so this is a great night to be inside. I am very thankful for the generosity of Gina and her family for inviting me into there home for the night. So thank you very much Gina.
Date: 2016-08-23
From: North Clarendon VT

To: stealth spor mile 527.1
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: broken clouds

I do not have a lot to say about today. It was another fine day with perfect weather. I started the morning with a lot of energy, probably because I had real food thanks to Gina. I was expecting the same nice terrain I had yesterday, but that was not to be. The trail was filled with many more rocks and roots today which slowed me down, especially in the afternoon. I still enjoyed the day. I love walking in the woods. I am camped alone tonight on the side of the trail. This section of the AT, which is also Vermonts Long Trail, has a poor set up for tenting. To stay at the campsite you have to pay and you have to stay on a wooden platform. My tent is not set up to be on those platforms. I am not even sure if I am suppose to stealth camp on this section of the trail, but it was getting dark so here is where I will tent and sleep tonight.
Date: 2016-08-24
From: stealth spor mile 527.1

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: clear sky

I slept great last night and was wide awake at 4:30am. Finally around 5:00am I started packing up in the dark. I was on the trail before 6:00am and had to use my headlamp for a little bit before the daylight took over. Vermont is nice in a lot of ways. It is quiet and peaceful and the woods are beautiful. The only thing is it is more or a less the same every day. It is mostly hiking in the green tunnel with very few long distance views. There is also a lot of muddy areas that you constantly have to maneuver around. Today did provide a few areas with long distance views, including Bromley Mountain. I saw Mount Monadnock several times. That is home to me. I hike there one or two days a week when I am home. It is an awesome mountain. I can not wait to go back to it. I miss it. Seeing the mountain may not have been the best thing for me today. I do love being in the woods and hiking, but it has been almost five months on the trail with only a few breaks. My energy level was so low this afternoon I just thought a lot about being done with this. I am tired on so many levels, but I will finish. I know I will, but this is not easy and today was a tougher day. I arrived at the Stratton Pond Shelter just before seven feeling totally exhausted. There were two large college groups here. I managed to find a spot to set up my tent. If I was not so tired I would have hiked on in hopes of finding a spot next to the trail up a few miles, but I was done. I hope like heck they go to bed. Right now they are still up and pretty loud. I am writing this with my earbuds in and listening to some old Charlie Pride. It is good stuff. Tomorrow is the climb up Stratton Mountain. I have been told by the NOBO's it is all muddy going up and coming down. I am glad it is first thing in the morning when I am fresh. I have not been seeing nearly as many thru hikers the past few days. The NOBO bubbles has passed through now so it is much quieter on the trail. It is different and I think this is how the rest of my hike will be. Hopefully I can meet some of the SOBO's along the way. I just do not know where they all are. Sweet dreams to me. Sleepy time...
Date: 2016-08-25
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It sometimes amazes me how a good night of sleep can make everything feel better. It is like a drug, a good one. I even slept until almost 6:00am. this morning. I made the climb up Stratton Mountian easily and enjoyed going up to the top of the look out tower. It provided great 360 degree views. After that it was another full day hiking through the green tunnel with no views. It looked the same as the past six days. It was overcast and cooler which made for good conditions. The overcast conditions turned to rain at about 3:00pm. I was about a mile away from the next shelter. I do not want my boots getting soaked through so I took out my rain poncho and threw it over me as the rain picked up. I was holding the poncho out So my boots would be covered. I was just standing in one place not moving hoping the rain shower would pass. The only problem was when I threw the poncho over myself and my pack it was twisted. This allowed water to stream down my back and onto my backpack. When I realized this I quickly took the poncho off while it was pouring down rain and fixed it and put it back on properly. My backpack was now wet, not good. I stood there another ten minutes before deciding the shower was not going to just pass by. I slowly walk then rest of the way to the shelter holding the poncho out so my feet would stay somewhat dry. It worked I reached the shelter around 4:00pm. and my feet were still dry. I decided to call it a day and stay here tonight. So far it is just Beef Jerky and another guy who is sectioning. He is staying here because he did not want to hike to his car in the rain. All his stuff is wet and he has nothing to sleep in. It does not seem like he is to well prepared. I took all my stuff out of my pack and it was all dry thankfully. So it is another shelter night tonight. Hope I get at least a few hours of sleep. Listening to Kenny Chesney as I write tonight. Great memories that make me feel good...
Date: 2016-08-26
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Harmon Hill
Miles today: 16.2

So last night was the worst night of sleep I have gotten during this whole trip. This section hiker who has no business hiking out here kept Beef Jerky and me awake all night. He got cold. What a surprise. Beef Jerky gave him his tarp to wrap himself in. He laid on a hard wood floor with only his wet cloths on all night. He banged around all night with his boots on and the tarp loudly crinkling. It was awful. It rained until 7:00am. The forest was saturated, but I could not stand being around this guy. Beef Jerky and I both left around 8:00am. At first it was nice hiking, then after a half hour the rains came back. I was dancing around again keeping my boots from getting soaked. It only rained for a short time and then after a few hours the sun finally came out. I took my lunch with Beef Jerky. He is a nice guy in his sixties. Funnier then heck. I enjoyed the day which included a lot of rock hoping and jumping to avoid standing water and mud. I stopped at the second shelter of the day around 4:00pm. Beef Jerky came in about ten minutes after me and said did you see the naked girl on the trail. I said no I did not. Apparently I just missed her when I came up to the shelter. I guess her name is Fire Fly and she was totally naked with her pack on while thru hiking north. Beef Jerky was all excited. Talk on the trail is that she is known to do that. Crazy stuff on this trail I tell you. After chatting with Beef Jerky I headed on and he stayed at the shelter for the night. He is going in to Bennington in the morning and I am not. I hope we run across each other again. I hiked on for about four more miles to a place called Harmon Hill. A few day hikers told me about this camping spot and said it was real good. They were not kidding. It is a fantastic spot overlooking the town on Bennington. I got here early enough that I was able to dry all my stuff out in the sun and wind. It is a pretty exposed spot. I had a fantastic sunset. I am very happy and I am going to sleep so good. I am so tired. I have not been too fond of Vermont but this is a perfect last night in this state. My home state tomorrow. Crazy!
Date: 2016-08-27
From: Harmon Hill

To: Petes campsite
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Although I had a great spot to tent last night it took me forever to fall asleep. I think I was too over tired. My mind started racing. Only 300 miles left. In a few weeks this crazy adventure will be over. I started thinking about what life will be like when I come home. When will I go back to work? There were a lot of questions running through my head. I need to just enjoy these last miles and deal with all the other stuff later when I get home. I hiked out of Vermont and into my home state of Massachusetts this afternoon. I just could not get my motor running today so I stopped for the day after fifteen miles at 4:30pm. I am hoping to get to sleep early. Tomorrow I hike up Mount Greylock, which is the highest peak in Massachusetts. I have never been there even though I live in this state. The trail here is way out west and I live in the central part of the state. My Mother and Chuck are meeting me up there and bringing my food drop for the next five days.
Date: 2016-08-28
From: Pete's Campsite

To: Saint Marys Church. Cheshire
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

I slept for nine hours last night. I guess stopping early paid off. I woke up full of energy and excited for my first full day in Massachusetts. I really liked the terrain going up and then down Mount Greylock. I met my Mother and Chuck at the top and we had we had lunch and they brought my five day resupply of food. My brother made it up and gave it too her. My brother Greg has gone above and beyond for me during this trip. We had a argument tonight and I feel bad. He is awesome and the best brother in the world. I love him very much and I can not thank him enough for all he has done for me, not only on this trip but in my whole life. I could not imagine my life growing up without him. He is an awesome guy. So tonight I am staying at a church hostel in Cheshire. There are seven of us here. The churches along the trail have been great. I am excited for another great day of hiking in Mass. tomorrow.
Date: 2016-08-29
From: Saint Marys Church. Cheshire

To: October Moutain Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

I must say I am loving hiking in Mass. Vermont was dark, stale, dingy, mucky, and a ton of trees down accross the trail which were a pain. Mass has been open, light, breezy, great footing, and no mud. The trails have been awesome. There is one problem though and that is I have gotten reports that a lot of the reliable water sources coming up in the next few days are dried up. I am not sure how I am going to handle it. I guess we will find out soon enough. Today was a great day of hiking. Yesterday I walked through the town of Cheshire and today I walked through the town of Dalton. It was a long one in a half miles on pavement. It is much harder then you think to walk on pavement as a thru hiker. It is extra hard on the feet and the temperatures are much higher then when in the forest. Short road walks are fine, but long ones kind of stink. I did walk right by a Cumberland Farms around noon. I stopped in and had a few hot dogs and a Powerade for lunch. I talked with another SOBO named Half Size. We then walked to the hostel he stayed at where I filled my water bottle before heading back into the forest. I was glad to be off the streets. It is so much nicer in the woods. I hiked another ten miles before reaching a road where a lady named the Cookie Lady lives. She lets people tent and get water at her house and brings you homemade cookies. I like cookies so I was stopping in. Sure enough she came out and gave me two cookies and they were very good. I thanked her and told her I was not going to stay but was just going to eat my supper and then hike a few more miles. I made it to the October Mountain Shelter around 7:30pm just as the sun was going down. There is only one other person here and he has a very unfriendly German Shepard with him. He is in the shelter and I am tenting near by. I am looking forward to another great day tomorrow just please let there be water.
Date: 2016-08-30
From: October Moutain Shelter

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 18.7

Before I get talking about today I forgot the mention yesterday that I ran into a hiker I have not seen since the first week of my hike. Her name is Special K and she is only fifteen years old. She is hiking the trail alone and doing great. She stayed at Hawk Mountain Shelter on our first night. She had this huge pack and a ton of gear. Well today she had a new much smaller pack and a lot less gear. I hope she makes it all the way. It was really fun to talk with her for a bit. I woke up this am an tried to get to the privy but was once again almost attacked by the dog at the shelter. I got upset with the owner and he said they were just about to leave and I should wait. I said I would not wait and he should control his dog. This dog should not be on the trail and is not friendly at all. He should at least be leashed. After leaving the shelter I had another very nice hiking day in Mass. The trails are the best maintained of all the states I have been in so far. Most people complain about the mosquitos in Mass, but with the lack of water and it being later in the summer I have had no problems with them. I just love these trails. Open, breezy, great footing, some good views, nice fields of wild flowers, some beautiful ponds. The water situation worked out ok. I stopped at a motel around noon, which was only a tenth of a mile of the trail and filled up my bottles. Then at about 4:30pm I stopped at a farm stand where they let you use the hose to fill up. I did carry three in a half liters for the last two miles where I am camped tonight at Shaker Campsite. I am here with a section hiker named Corby. She is very nice and we talked while we both ate our dinners. I was going to hike a few more miles after I ate, but I think she wanted me to stay. There is a big Bear warning poster here. If I left she was going to come too. I new I could not make the next shelter so if I did leave I would have stealth camped somewhere and that did not seem like something she wanted to do. In the end I just decided to stay put here. Who knows, maybe I will get to see another bear. I hiked over 18 miles today. That is plenty. The water situation is going to be iffy all the way to Delaware Water Gap, which is where I will finish. I like not having to hike in the rains, but I need water to drink. The NOBO's say that the locals will put out gallon jugs of water at the some of the trail heads. I hope this is true. I am in my tent now and the crickets are so loud it is crazy, but incredibly relaxing.
Date: 2016-08-31
From: Shaker Campsite

To: South Ergemont stealth in field
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

I just can not say enough good things about the trail through Mass. It was another wonderful day of hiking. The Berkshires are incredibly beautiful. I passed through so many different type of landscapes today from open woods, to exposed ridge lines, to huge fields filled with tons of wild flowers, to all pine forest. Today had it all. Tomorrow is my last day in this state and I have several steep climbs and descents. I am planning on a shorter milage day. My days out here are winding down and people on the trail keep congratulating me. I still have over 200 miles to go which is a long way. I remember reaching 100 miles in North Carolina and thinking how crazy that was, well now I have twice that left. The water situation continues to be a bummer. I am having to carry two and three liters at a time, which is not good. It is too much weight for me, but I will just keep doing my best with it all. I hate having to ration, but it is what it is. Tonight I stopped at the Appalachian Conservatory which is only a tenth off the trail. I made my dinner there and filled my water containers. It worked out great. It was only 6:00pm. After I ate I checked the weather radar on my phone and rain was moving into the area fast. I packed up quickly and got on the trail. I found a spot after a few tenths of a mile in a field in front of a gate. Good enough for tonight. The shelter was way to far to get to before dark anyways and I wanted to get everything in my tent before the rains came. They still have not come and it is almost 8:00pm. Hmmm. Maybe it missed this area. It sure does feel like it is going to rain though. I had an interesting interaction with a NOBO today. Her name is Croft. It was later in the day and we stopped on the trail and were talking for a bit. She told me she was bummed out because she had to go into Great Bearington because she ran out of gas for her stove. She was going to have to stay in town because of the time of day it was. By coincidence I had two fuel canisters with me. I picked up a full one at Mount Greylock and still had another one that was about a quarter full that I was still using. This was the first time I had been carrying two, but I want to make sure the full one makes it all the way to Delaware Water Gap where I am finishing. I was just thinking today that I could get rid of the quarter full one anytime. I offered it to her and she was so happy. It is really a good feeling to be able to do good for others. Just about all thru hikers partake in doing good for other hikers. It is just the way it is. I love that part of this. Croft and I chatted a bit more before we both headed in opposite directions. The wind is really picking up now outside my tent and the crickets are so loud again. I love this.
Date: 2016-09-01
From: South Ergemont stealth in field

To: Riga Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I woke up to light rain tapping down on my tent above me. I have been sleeping so well in my tent most of the time. The rain let up around 7:00am. I checked the weather radar and there was another band of heavy rain and storms moving in from the west. It looked to be an hour away. I had to decide to pack up and leave or stay and wait for it to come and go. When I was down south I would have packed up and left and then got soaked and then had wet boots for days. I have learned many lessons on this adventure. Sometimes you must wait and be patient in order for things to play out how you want. I decided to wait for the rain to get here before I would leave. That left me in my tent for a few hours. I got my Bible out and randomly picked a place to start reading. It came out to be Romans 12. I read the whole chapter which is not very long. I have read this chapter before and I love it. I encourage you all should read it even if you are not followers of Christ. Then after you read it once read it a second time. It is that good. After reading I tried watching a movie on my phone, but that did not last long. I eventually rolled over and fell asleep again. The rain did come and go and I did not leave my camp area in the field until 10:00am. I was dry and happy. As anticipated it was a day filled with bigger ups and downs. I went up Mount Everett, then Mount Race, then Bear Mountain. All were awesome with great views. The climb up Bear Mountain was a bear. It was steep and straight up, luckily it was not to long. The trail continued to really impress me. I hiked out of Mass and into Connecticut around 3:00pm. Maine has been my favorite state, but I think Mass is my second favorite. As I got into Connecticut I was on the ridge on Bear mountain. It went on for about a mile with great views out to the east. I hiked a lot today on ridges. I was in the sun quite a bit. It felt good. I am at the Riga Shelter tonight and there are only a few people here. It has been nice not having to worry if I will have a place to set up my tent when I get to a camp or shelter area. It was bad down south because there were so many hikers. It has thinned out a lot over the last week. Funny though, I still seem to pass a few NOBO's everyday and some of them are still expecting to make it all the way to Katahdin. I wish them good luck, but I am not sure they have enough time. I have a big mile day planned for tomorrow. I only have a day in a half of food left so I have to be in Kent by Saturday. It should work out fine as long as tomorrow goes well. The crickets are going nuts again tonight. They are my white noise that I sleep too. It seems to be working anyways.