morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-05
From: Wawayanda Shelter 

To: Slealth camp
Miles today: 22.5

Day 92:When we arrived at the Wawayanda Shelter last night it was just the three of us so I thought I'd take my chances in the shelter with "Train Wreck". "Scooby" decided he'd rather sleep in his tent. My objective was to avoid setting up and taking my tent down in the rain. It rained like crazy and I was happy with my decision.  We decided to get an early start so began the day at 6:00. We passed the New Jersey/New York border and have left New Jersey safely behind us. That's eight states down and six to go. Our plan for today was to hike 26 miles, but it just didn't work out. The hiking today was some of the toughest we've experienced thus far. I especially had a difficult day. I slipped and fell a couple of times on some of the steep declines. New York has certainly been challenging to say the least. I'm looking forward to a fresh start in the morning.  Today was a big day for mosquitoes as they searched for some trail magic of their own in the form of a "Whistler" type 0 blood feast. I finally got to break out the Deet that I have carried with me since Springer Mountain.  The highlight of our day had to be the ice cream we got at Bellvalle Farms Creamery. It didn't come as a surprise to us when we learned that this ice cream shop is rated number two in the entire United States according to TripAdvisor. I had a two scoop ice cream sundae while both "Scooby" and "Train Wreck" had banana splits followed up with a milk shake. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-06
From: Slealth camp

To: Bear Mountain Inn
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 93:We awoke and sat in our tents to the sounds of heavy rain, but our patience paid off as a break in the precipitation allowed us to make a break for it.  To give a bit more information on last night, I was so tired and frustrated that I don't think I could have gone any further. I had taken what could have been a hike ending spill, but managed to hop, jump and land on my feet when I took a misstep on a very steep descent. Fortunately, my hiking partners were both in agreement that we needed to call it quits. Our morning hiking proved that it would have been past 9:00 PM before we would have arrived the night before anyway and validating that we made the correct decision.  The hiking itinerary for the the day was to hit the trail at 6:30 and make up the rest as we hiked. An iconic landmark on the trail called the "lemon squeezer" was one of our early morning challenges. This is an outcropping of two huge boulders that sit at a precarious angle requiring you to manipulate yourself to pass through. Some hikers actually have to remove their backpack to make it through.  We eventually came to Arden Valley Road in the late morning and recalled that there was a state park two tenths of a mile off the trail and our trail guides indicated that this park has vending machines. When we arrived we found candy, soda, and ice cream vending machines. Wait, it gets better...these machines accept credit cards (I love technology). This ended up being a very lucrative stop for the park. With bellies full we marched right back to the trail head and hit it in a serious manner...that is until we got hungry and started planning our next feeding. Careful consideration and planning went into this collective thought process. As it turns out we discovered that between the three of us we actually have one complete brain. The plan was to hike to Bear Mountain Inn, share a room (split three ways is a pretty good deal), order local New York pizza and enjoy it while sitting in the hotel bar. So, it turns out that our collective brain is somewhere around genius level.  Until tomorrow...Whistler
Date: 2017-06-07
From: Bear Mountain Inn

To: RPH Shelter 
Miles today: 26.1
Weather: light rain

Day 94:The Bear Mountain Inn is a beautiful and historic property. Built in 1915, it has long been a popular escape for New York City dwellers. The Inn is so nice that the three of us agreed that we wouldn't hang our tents on the furniture in the room to dry them out. Unfortunately, the room did take on the odor of three thru-hikers. This smell can only be compared to that of three wet Saint Bernards. The room might need fumigation and removed from the hotel inventory for a while.  The pizza we had delivered help substantiate that New York has the best pizza in the world... hands down!!! We left the hotel and made our way back to the trail by 7:00. The trail goes directly through the Bear Mountain Zoo, but we were way to early for their 10:30 AM opening and were forced to take the blue blaze trail around the zoo. We made up for our disappointment by hiking the six miles to the Appalachian deli/convenience store for breakfast and subs to go for lunch. Oh, ice cream sandwiches were squeezed in after breakfast too... We met up with a couple of guys again today that we had seen trail running yesterday. We crossed paths with them at a cross road where they were meeting with their friend and shuttle driver. Trail magic flowed our way in the form of Coke and cookies.   Lastly, I wanted to mention the stone walls we've seen throughout New York. These old dry stack walls are throughout the forest where we have been hiking these last several days. I know nothing of their origin, but we all took several guesses all day. Were they built to delineate property lines or perhaps for keeping grazing animals? Who built them? How did they build them and why? One suggestion I do have is that Pennsylvania should come see what New York has done with their rocks... perhaps they could learn a thing or two...Whistler
Date: 2017-06-08
From: RPH Shelter 

To: Wiley Shelter 
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 95:Ralph's Peak Hikers' Cabin or better known as RPH shelter was a great stopping point last night. It's a unique shelter in that it had been a private cabin at one time and has since been converted to a AT shelter. Anyway, it has a great big lawn area that was perfect for tenting.  We made our plans to start hiking by 6:30 and said our good nights.  Morning came and we were on the trail by 6:30 as planned. We hiked about 5 miles and came to another crossroad that had a deli just three tenths of a mile away... time to take a detour. After a breakfast sandwich, coffee and some ice cream, we got back to the trail. We are going to miss the accessibility of great food so close to the trail. In the meantime, we are taking full advantage.  We met a member of the class of 2013 AT alumni, trail name "Story Time", today. He was out on a day hike and stopped to talk with us about our hike. He was quick to open his pack and share the contents... trail magic!!! A bit later we had arrived at the Dover Oak. This beautiful tree is estimated to be over three hundred years old. While there, "Story Time" showed up to get his car. He came towards us with yet more trail magic. Thank you "Story Time"... we know you understand how much trail magic means to a thru-hiker.  We stopped for the day just before 7:00 at Wiley Shelter. We made camp, ate, hung our food bags and crawled into our tents. A great day hiking, but we are beat. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-10
From: Wiley Shelter 

To: Silver Hill camp site
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 96:I knew it was going to be another glorious day when the sun lit up my tent with an early morning glow. In addition to this, dew levels were down and I got to pack a dry tent... less weight to boot.  We left Wiley Shelter this morning at 7:00 (yep, we slept in an additional thirty minutes, yippie) and crossed the New York/Connecticut border 1.5 miles later. We have officially entered New England and put New York safely behind us. Honestly, New York was fantastic to hike through. The people are wonderful and the food that was accessible to us was amazing. It's a funny thing about how the mountains where we have been hiking are so close to populated areas that you are almost always within earshot of a highway and close to convenience stores, delis and of course New York style pizza. You really can't help but take advantage of these opportunities because they tend to be rare occurrences, but mean so much to a thru-hiker.  One of the local sites we all agreed was a must see was Bulls Bridge. This covered bridge dates back to the eighteen hundreds and has been lovingly maintained. It was well worth the six tenths of a mile off trail to see. The added bonus was the Bull Bridge convenience store where we had our second breakfast, coffee, ice cream and packed our sandwiches for lunch. Like I said, you just can't pass up those opportunities. Once we continued on, we hiked along the beautiful Housatonic River for well over a mile. We did have a number of big climbs today as well. I think they were exceedingly difficult because of how tired we all are. We keep getting up early and hiking late. Most days have been eleven to twelve hours of hiking anywhere from 22 to 28 miles. By the end of the day we are dragging ourselves to our planned stopping point. We are making the best of this journey, but I think we are also ready to finish it up.   One descent in particular called St. Johns Ledges was exceedingly difficult on its own, but add to this how tired we were and it ends up taking twice as long as it should. "Scooby" is getting shin splints, my knees and shins hurt, and "Train Wreck" has sore feet (actually we all do).  It's time to take a Nero... We'll pull into Salisbury tomorrow where "Scooby" and I have a resupply and I also have new shoes waiting on me. We'll check into a hostel, do laundry, take much needed showers, eat some (and eat some more again). The plan is to get a big breakfast on Sunday and put a shorter day, mile wise in. That's the plan anyway. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-10
From: Silver Hill camp site

To: Vanessa Breton Hostel
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: fog

Day 97:Our plan for today was to hit the trail at 6:30 and make our way to Salisbury. We had a few big climbs in the morning, but we hiked like there was a prize waiting for us at the end of day, because there was. Our hostel is run by a lovely woman, Vanessa Breton.  "Scooby", "Train Wreck", myself and a young man we've been leapfrogging who goes by "Honey Badger" took over the entire bunk room.  Although there was the opportunity to go off trail for what "Train Wreck" calls hiker kibble, we all agreed to ignore the temptation and march on to Salisbury. And now a poem;The MountainsTheir beauty makes its daily call,that hikers answer with their all.  They reach for heaven and touch the sky. Our goal to conquer, we don't know why.  It starts each morning with first light, and last all day till twilight.  The challenge changes day by day.  "Is that all you've got"? Is what we say.  Our bodies hardened by what we do, the aches and pains stay with us too.  It's not a game or a race.  It's about getting to that sacred place.  We all march toward the last sunrise, That day will come and so will the prize. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-11
From: Vanessa Breton Hostel

To: Glen Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 98:This entry to my journal is going to be very difficult for me. I'll go back to May 8th first... I had just returned to the trail after taking eight days off to allow my feet and shins to heal. I had lost three toenails and had some serious shin splint issues. When I got back to the trail I had hiked a few miles when I came to a forestry road that crossed the AT. I spotted this guy sitting on a stone wall eating a bag of chocolate donuts when I waved politely and asked if he was okay. I started to hike on when I thought that I should turn back around and introduce myself. This guy's name was "Scooby". If you've read previous postings you would know that my new friend and I have hiked about 650 miles since that chance meeting. Let me stress that it is extremely difficult to find someone you can hike with. Different personalities, hiking speeds and just different thoughts on how to achieve what our common goals are makes for a cautious approach when committing to hiking together. Well, my friend and hiking partner has been fighting serious shin splints for over a week now and has wisely decided to take a zero today (possibly more) and then reducing his daily miles. I told him that I'd take some time off with him, but he selflessly insisted I continue. "Scooby" is going to finish his hike, but unfortunately it appears we won't Summit Mount Katahdin together. I spoke with him this evening once "Train Wreck' and I arrived at our planned camp. He is in good spirits... that's just like him, it's who he is.  "Train Wreck" and I had a big breakfast with "Scooby" this morning and I said my goodbyes... it was difficult. It was like saying goodbye to a brother. So, on the trail by 10:00 which is late for us, we agreed on a short day of thirteen plus miles. A couple of the climbs were really tough. Bear Mountain for one, but Mt. Everett really kicked our butts. Our plan for tomorrow is to start hiking by 6:00 AM to take advantage of the early light and cooler temperatures.  Today we exited Connecticut and entered Massachusetts. That's ten states down and four to go. We also passed the 1,500 mile mark as well. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-12
From: Glen Brook Shelter 

To: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 99 As planned, "Train Wreck" and I were hiking at 6:00 AM. We met at the picnic table for coffee, conversation with a couple of other flip-flop thru-hikers and made our way up the trail. The trail ran its way through a beautiful conifer forest a good part of the day. The trail was soft underfoot for all the pine needles. Unfortunately though, the trail conditions were poor at best. Heavy growth hanging over the trail made passage difficult at times. A lot of washouts tell a story of neglect as well. I know all us thru-hikers appreciate the hard work that trail maintainers do on the trail and we always thank any we meet on the trail. My criticism is simply an observation and a fair comparison to the trails in those states already hiked. We can only assume that the trail club responsible is have some trouble with getting volunteers.  I know I've mentioned my personal cravings while hiking in past postings, but lately I simply can't get enough cold Coke cola. We crossed US 7 today and walked to an antique store that had cold sodas today. I sucked down two cokes in about three minutes. The oppressive heat we had today made it impossible to get enough fluids. It looks like we are forecast to have some cooler temperatures in a of couple days...please... We also found ourselves hiking through a swampy forest today that had the mosquitoes and black flies in waiting for our arrival. Our only defense was to attempt to out run them. The problem is that they have wings. It was a losing battle. Score one for the mosquito/black fly team.   "Scooby" update...I spoke with "Scooby" this afternoon and he is planning on a short hike of thirteen miles tomorrow. He took a zero yesterday and today to allow his shin splints the opportunity to heal.  Whistler
Date: 2017-06-13
From: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter

To: October Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: few clouds

Day 100: It was another early start this morning with big plans for the day. We obviously plan our day around where we want to end up, but it's what you can do between point "A" and point "Z" that makes for a memorable hike. I really wanted to get to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin this afternoon for a swim. The cabin is a one hundred year old cabin that is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club or AMC. The hot weather made for ideal swimming conditions that I was not going to miss. "Train Wreck" had indicated that he was not interested, so I was going to go and meet up with him later. Well, once we arrived to the side trail to the cabin he quickly changed his mind. The caretaker, Nancy, couldn't have been more welcoming. We went for a swim and ate our lunch there before moving on to our final destination. Earlier in the day we did come across a little stand with soda and snacks for sale. This is exactly what I had been talking about and suggesting while on my hike. This person has the entrepreneurial spirit that I've been looking for. Soda for one dollar, chips and cookies too. All on the honor system. It was really well done and so welcome after hiking in the heat today. NOBO hikers, turn left on Jerusalem Road mile marker 1540.1, about 150 feet on your right.  We hike through the town of Dalton tomorrow where there will likely be mass quantities of food consumed. We also hope to meet the Cookie Lady tomorrow as well. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-14
From: October Mountain Shelter 

To: Stealth camp
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 101:Lately, I've been setting my tent up minus the rain fly. We've had warmer evenings and no rain so I've been taking advantage of this opportunity. Another plus is the open views to the night sky, stars and full moon. It's almost like cowboy camping, but you are fully enclosed in a screened tent... no bugs.  I didn't start my hiking until about 6:30 this morning (I was moving a bit slow). My first stop was just 4 miles away at the Cookie Lady's house. I knew it would be too early to expect cookies from this woman who is a legend of the trail, but I stopped by just the same. "Lucky", "2.0" and "Lioness" were tenting on her property so I chatted with them for a bit and filled up on water from the hose bib. No cookies for Whistler, so I was back on the trail and heading to the quaint little town of Dalton, MA. When I arrived I bumped into "Jukebox" and we decided to grab lunch at Angelina's sub shop which has been in business since 1958. The subs were fantastic. "Jukebox" and I got on a conversation about how close to the end of our hike we were. We discussed that anyone still hiking was 'in for the long haul'. In other words, no one that has come this far was quitting. Unfortunately, we've seen hikers forced to come off the trail due to an injury. This being a reminder that we are all just one step from being forced off... quite humbling. "Jukebox" told me how his dad gave him two letters when he first started on March 13th. The first was to be opened at Springer Mountain (I didn't ask the content of the letter). The second letter was to be opened if he ever thought about quitting. "Jukebox" is looking forward to handing that letter back to his father.  My next stop was the town of Cheshire, MA for dinner. I know, crazy right? The trail actually ran right through these towns... awesome! Two subs, sodas and ice cream makes for a happy hiker. Oh, and the temperatures were in the low 70's. To top all this off I saw my second bear today. This one was huge. No pictures or claw marks for proof. I heard a huge sound and saw him running away from me, not very graceful at all either. I can only guess that my hiker body odor had him running for cover.  So I had a friend ask what a hiker does if he finds he is hiking with someone who is not compatible with him/her? As I have posted before, it's difficult to find the perfect hiking companion. One may be faster/slower, impatient or simply have an over bearing personality or maybe just not a very nice person. This happens in the world of long distance hiking. One way to separate is to run a bit slow in the morning and to suggest they go on and that you'll catch up; an effective approach that gives both parties a way out. Try this yourself if you are in such a situation, you'll be glad you did and will definitely enjoy your own hike more.  Whistler
Date: 2017-06-15
From: Stealth camp

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 102:What an incredible day for hiking the AT today. I had stealth camped at the base of Mt. Greylock last night and was ready to take it on after my "first" breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. I stopped in at the Mark Noepel Shelter half way up for a quick break and my "second" breakfast of Pop Tarts. Continuing on, Mt. Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts (just under 3,500 feet). I'm not sure what got into me, but I found myself practically running up that mountain. My food bag being almost empty certainly helped. When I arrived at the summit I had my "third" breakfast at the summit lodge of eggs, hash browns , toast and coffee. Now I was ready for the big descent. I needed to resupply, so I made my way to the Stop and Shop in Willamstown, MA. It was just one half mile off trail, but for some reason miles always seem longer off the trail. When I arrived at the shopping plaza I ran into "2.0" and "Laser Snake" at the Pappa John's Pizza restaurant. They were running a half price hiker special... well OK then. I never imagined seeing myself sitting down to eat an entire meat lovers pizza before. Hiker hunger is crazy.  I had my resupply shopping completed and was back on the trail by 3:00. I'm tenting at Seth Warner Shelter which is 3 miles inside the Vermont border. That's eleven states down and three to go...Whistler
Date: 2017-06-16
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

Day 103:21.6 milesGoddard ShelterIt rained like crazy last night and I was starting to wonder how I'd ever get on the trail. Luck would be with me as there was a break and I was hiking by 6:15. The trail conditions started off pretty good, but then the rain started again. This time there was no stopping. I was soaked to the bone. At first I tried hopping and jumping stone to stone in an attempt to keep my feet somewhat dry. I finally gave up and went stomping through them like my grandson would. He would have loved it... me, not so much.  This section of the trail in Vermont is actually part of the Long Trail. The AT follows/shares the Long Trail for 105 of the 273 miles. The Long Trail actually runs all the way to Canada.   I finally gave up and pitched my tent at 4:30, crawled in, stripped off my wet clothes and put on some warm dry clothes. Dinner fixed, swallowed down and then it was time for very early bed. I can hardly wait to put those wet clothes on in the morning.Whistler