morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-21
From: Anton's

To: Hemlock Springs Campsite
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I crossed the Hudson River and the 800 miles to go mark!  Both are psychologically important.  Both are also just cool. Another day or so and I will be in New England; the last region for the trail!  And as the "to go" number goes down, I gain more and more confidence that I can finish. After all, I already know I can do an 800 mile hike. The question is can I do one on the heels of a 1400 mile hike.  And with the remainder including the two hardest states (New Hampshire and Maine), will my body continue to hold up?  I guess time will tell.
Date: 2012-07-22
From: Hemlock Springs Campsite

To: Shenandoah Tenting Area
Miles today: 21.0

This morning I took a small step towards more healthy eating.  Early in the day I reached a "deli" and bought a dozen doughnuts and a half gallon of OJ for breakfast.  I looked at the nutrition label and was appalled to see that a dozen little doughnuts amounted to slightly more than 2000 calories.  Total for the meal was close to 3000 calories.  Right then and there I vowed to start eating better on the trail and when I get home.I also met my first southbound hikers today.  We stopped and talked for a few minutes and it struck me that between us we had completed the trail. They had done the tough part and I had done the long part.  If the feeling of finishing is anything like what I felt in that moment bring it on!I reached the campsite and met a couple of women who were southbound section hikers.  They had started in Vermont and were going through New York.  The interesting thing is that both had just completed their first year of med school. We spent a long time talking about how they wound up in med school, what med school is like and what was in front of them.  They both agreed that this month off may be their last vacation for 7 or 8 years.  Wow!
Date: 2012-07-23
From: Shenandoah Tenting Area

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

The thunder storms started about 3:30 in the morning and I didn't have the rain fly ready. So it got a little wet in the tent.  The storms continued until about 9:00AM at which time I started hiking. Met up with Easy Nomad again and we talked and walked for most of the day.  We (along with every other hiker) went to another deli for lunch. After the deli we started walking again.  I had to stop early because my foot was hurting.  Easy Nomad pushed on.Towards the end of the day yesterday I felt something in the arch of my right foot give. I had been feeling that arch  off and on for over 600 miles (since Buena Vista, VA I think), but it never really hurt until yesterday. I stumbled today and it hurt quite a bit. I took that as a sign to stop early and see what is up.  Hopefully, it will be good in the morning.
Date: 2012-07-24
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a nice hike.  The terrain was mostly gentle, and I liked both Nuclear Lake and the Appalachian Trail train stop.  Of course, today I was mostly concerned about my foot.  It only hurt a couple of times all day.  Since I did 16 miles on it, I was very happy.  I guess I will take it one day at a time...  I am definitely sick and tired of dealing with my feet!Today marks the end of the 4th month of my hike. I will try to remember to share my thoughts on that tomorrow, and just do the numbers today. Well, there are 53 days until 9/15 and 735 miles to go.  At 15 miles per day that leaves me 4 zero days, so I am on schedule. My Providence break will muddy those waters a bit, but I don't care.
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Fife 'n Drum, Kent CT.
Miles today: 13.0

Today I finished New York and started Connecticut.  It was a beautiful day; blue skies, not hot, not humid and a cool breeze to keep the bugs at bay.  Also, the foot was about the same as yesterday.As promised, here are my thoughts as of 4 months. I decided to do the trail for the challenge of it and for the camping experience. Now, I hike the trail for the challenge of it and for the opportunity to meet really cool people.  Having camped for 4 months, I can honestly say that charm has worn off. If I don't pitch a tent for a while that will be ok. The real surprise for me has been the people!  The other hikers and the people in the towns are fascinating!  I can truly say that I look forward to meeting as many people as possible.  I still think the trail is both an extraordinary physical and an extraordinary mental challenge.  I still think I will finish the hike, but I also miss family, friends, Karen, and my "old" life. I still LOVE eating as much of whatever I want whenever I want it (or can get it) and losing weight!  The healthier eating is also a good plan (except I still crave Pop Tarts).  I feel privileged to have seen all of the things the trail has to offer so far. Putting it all together, I would have to echo what so many thru  hikers have said, "It's an amazing experience".  It is probably one of those things where words can never completely convey the experience.
Date: 2012-07-26
From: Fife 'n Drum, Kent CT.

To: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter.
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was not a great day. I left town at about my normal starting time, but had to walk 1.5 miles to get back to the trail.  So I guess that means I got a late start hiking. It also rained for the first hour or two. After that it was sunny and not too hot which was nice, but it was also muggy.  I also had to stop a bit early due to severe storm warnings. I did manage to get set up just before the storm hit, but didn't have time for dinner.  I do like thunderstorms from inside the tent though.I thought I would continue my 4 month observations.  I think I now understand what a pro baseball player goes through. He gets to do something he loves to do; so do I.  He gets to do it for six straight months; so do I.  Each day he will do his thing, whether he wants to or not; so will I. He gets a day off every week or two; so do I.  He is away from family and friends for long periods of time; so am I.  He will get "banged up" and be that way for the rest of the season; so am I.  In the middle of the season he gets a break for a few days; so do I.  He gets to fly in jets and stay in fancy hotels; wait a second. And at the end of the season he has completed an extraordinary adventure; me too.
Date: 2012-07-27
From: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter.

To: Brassie Brook Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a big mile day getting into position to meet my cousins, Pete and Peg, tomorrow.  They will be picking me up and taking me to RI.  I can hardly wait!I passed the 700 miles to go mark early today.  I have about 685 miles left to go and I have walked just about 1500 miles.  Tomorrow I will finish CT and enter MA, my home state for some 20 years.Continuing the 4 month observations, I thought I would describe the typical thru hiker.  The typical thru hiker is a 20 something year old.  There are probably 4 or 5 men for every woman on the trail.  It is amazing, but probably at least 80% of these folks smoke cigarettes.  They hike faster than I could ever dream of hiking, but they usually start later in the day and take  more/longer breaks. So, except for the really serious hikers, I end up near the same place at the end of the day/week.  Some have boyfriends or girlfriends back home, but many do not.  Hence there are some trail romances.  Their reasons for hiking the trail are varied, but many are looking for an adventure before they decide what they want to do in life. Many seem to hope the hike will help them figure out what they want to do in life.  Most seem to get their food sent to them (mail drops), so they go into town just as often as anyone else. However, they don't have much money, so they don't stay at hotels like I do.  They stay at hiker hostels when available or else they hang out in town and then go back to the trail.  I have pretty much missed the hostel part of the "hiking  culture" but that is ok with me.  Beer seems to be a huge treat for these folks. It must be where they get their calories. Most started the hike skinny, so I often wonder where they get the calories to hike.  I will have to ask about that.
Date: 2012-07-28
From: Brassie Brook Shelter

To: The Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Well, today did not go as planned.  I was supposed to do my 17 miles, get picked up and taken to RI, shower, visit with my mom and family, eat a ton of tremendous food and sleep in a bed. Instead it decided to rain again.  I get near the top of the first mountain and it starts lightning and thundering and raining.  I stop and wait it out. So, that blows my schedule and drenches me all in one swell foop.  I start again and it starts storming again.  I get drenched again climbing over wet, exposed rocks in boots with holes but no tread.  I make the next shelter and there is nothing closer to the pickup spot.  So I decide to stay.  Well, RI will have to wait one more day.   On a more positive note, Johnny Walker Red was at the shelter and it was good to see him again.  He, Radio (a guy I met a while back), Sawdog (a ridge runner) and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking.Also, I finished my tenth state today. I am now in Massachusetts.
Date: 2012-07-29
From: The Hemlocks Shelter

To: Rhode Island
Miles today: 8.0

I started hiking the last 8 miles to meet my cousins. Wouldn't you know, it started to rain. Just long enough to get me soaked and the exposed rocks all wet again.  The recent rain is beginning to wear thin. I met one southbound thru hiker (SOBO) who said they brought it with them.  He said that the SOBOs had had a lot of rain. I sort of chuckled, and then realized that it hadn't rained for like 6 weeks until I met my first SOBO. Coincidence?  I started asking around and all the northbound thru hikers (NOBO) agreed it started raining after they met their first SOBO. Coincidence?  It has rained 7 of the last 11 days since I met my first SOBO. Coincidence?  Good chance of rain each day for the next week. Coincidence?  You decide...As I was hiking Johnny Walker Red caught up to me and I finally convinced him to come to RI with me. So, my cousins brought us to the promised land... It's nice!  I'll pick up again in a few days when I return to the trail.
Date: 2012-08-02
From: Rhode Island

To: Mt. Wilcox South Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: few clouds

My visit with family was terrific!  I hadn't seen my family for many months and spending 4 days with them was great!  I also spent the entire time stuffed with food.  I definitely got my strength back. And with the help of Karen's nursing my body did a lot of healing up. All in all I am ready to pound out the last 650 miles.  I also traded in my worn out boots for trail shoes.  These are much lighter than my boots and don't go any higher than sneakers.  I don't know how much the lightness will help because I only did 12 miles today, but I did notice my calves cramping up a bit on the first hill. I think it was due to the different shape, and my calves were fine the rest of the day. I also noticed that I felt every step more than I did with boots. So, my feet are sore tonight, but I think that is the cause.  Overall, I like the trail shoes after the first day.Johnny Walker Red and I started hiking around 11:00 AM.  It was a very nice day today.  Blue skies, not overly hot and not too humid. In fact, I only sweated through my shirt today - awesome!  I got separated from Red at the first shelter because I didn't see it.  I continued on to the next shelter where I met up with Cast Away. I had not seen him since just before Harpers Ferry (over 500 miles).  It was good to catch up with him. We may even hike together for a bit. Red will probably catch up tommorow.
Date: 2012-08-03
From: Mt. Wilcox South Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

I got an early start (6:30 AM) with Castaway.  The hike was uneventful, but around 3:00 PM I pulled into Upper Goose Pond Cabin. Awesome place!  It is a place for hikers to stay. It has a caretaker, bunks, and tentsites.  It is on the pond and both swimming and canoeing are available.  They also serve a pancake breakfast; can't wait!
Date: 2012-08-04
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

I had to take a zero day today.  The little scrape I got on my foot in Providence is infected.  I spent the day nursing it and it is a little bit better this evening than it was this morning.  I will check it again in the morning; I may need to go into town and see a doctor.  This is just the latest in a litany of foot problems, but it is a bit scary.  On a brighter note, my arch seems a whole lot better.  So, I think I have only one foot problem right now.  That seems to be par for the course. If anyone knows where I could trade in these dogs for a new pair, PLEASE let me know.
Date: 2012-08-05
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Rodeway Inn, Lee, Ma.
Miles today: 2.0

Well, the foot wasn't any better in the morning so I made the decision to go into Lee.  Pete (a section hiker I met a week ago and again at the cabin) is also injured and we hiked from the cabin to Lee together. Apparently, there are no doctors in Lee, the nearest hospital is 10 miles away in Pittsfield, the busses don't run on Sundays, and there aren't any taxis in Lee.  So we really couldn't do much.  We checked in at the hotel, ate a nice meal at a sports bar in town, got ice cream at a place named "Lucky's" (it was fate), and then crashed at the hotel.Hopefully, we will have more luck tomorrow.
Date: 2012-08-06
From: Rodeway Inn, Lee, Ma.

To: Rodeway Inn, Lee, Ma.
Miles today: 0.0

Pete decided he was going to skip the hospital and go home for treatment.We had breakfast together at Joe's Diner (made famous in the Rockwell painting of a policeman sitting next to a kid in a diner).  Then I caught the 8:45 bus to Pittsfield and then the bus to the Berkshire Medical Center.  I went into the emergency room, was seen almost immediately and was done by 10:45.It turns out the foot is infected and they gave me antibiotics.  I also had something on my elbow, but the doctor didn't think it was related and felt the antibiotic would help there too.  The doctor told me to wait until Wednesday to go back to the trail, just to make sure the antibiotic is working. I guess it is the smart play, but I am getting anxious about hiking.I went back to the hotel and took care of the foot all afternoon and evening. It was too easy to watch TV all day.
Date: 2012-08-07
From: Rodeway Inn, Lee, Ma.

To: Providence, RI
Miles today: 0.0

The foot isn't better today so I am going to catch the bus to Providence, RI (yes, there is one in Lee).  That way I can be with my family instead of stuck in a hotel room in a strange town. If the foot isn't better tomorrow I will have to go to the docs again. That will mean more delays to the hike if not the end.  I will write again when I know what is going on with the foot / hike.
Date: 2012-08-08
From: Providence, RI

To: Providence, RI
Miles today: 0.0

My dance with the beast ends not with a bang, but rather with a whimper.Today I saw a doctor about my foot and he said that it will be 3 - 4 weeks before I can hike again. He said the infection was serious and he had to open it up and drain it.  That leaves me with a wound that will require substantial time to heal.While I am sad that my hike is done, I am glad it was injury that ended it and not that I just quit.  I also feel grateful to have experienced one heck of an adventure. I don't know when or in how many pieces, but you should all know that I do intend to finish the hike.The final total was about 1545 miles hiked.  I made it as far as where the AT crosses Rte 20 in Massachusetts and there are about 639 more miles to go.I also want to thank everyone who supported me during this hike.  Karen, you were wonderful, even though I know it was difficult.  My family and friends were great.  Thanks to all of the day, weekend, section and thru hikers that I met.  Thanks to all of the people I met in the trail towns.  Thanks to all of the trail angels.  Thanks to all who followed my journal.  I learned things from everyone I met, but the most important thing I learned is that there are a whole lot of good, kind, generous  people in our country!
Date: 2012-03-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I feel like I'm engaged in my annual late winter, early spring activity. I'm planning my backpacking for the year. I am planning on finishing MA (from Guilder Pond) to Bennington, VT then will start from the Inn at Long Trail and head into NH. That part of my hike will start in late May. (I hiked the Long Trail in 2007 so have done all of VT to the Maine Junction.) Then in mid-August, I will pick up where I leave off in NH and hike into ME. My hiking partner, Landcruiser (has journal on this site) will finish her section hike of the AT. We will celebrate and I will plan to finish in 2013.I do love the planning and anticipation. I have been excited about NH and ME since I began this journey in 2002. Now I get to backpack it!
Date: 2012-04-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Plans continue. A lot of what has occupied Landcruiser and me has been logistics of getting to the trail head. We need to start at Guilder Pond in MA. Landcruiser has contact with a person in VT who she met before and it looks like she will get us from the airport in CT to MA. We also think we have figured out how to get from Bennington, VT to the Inn at Long Trail so we can continue our hike hopefully as far as Warren, NH. I'm definitely getting excited about our hike.I'm getting ready to spend a couple of weeks in the Grand Canyon area starting next week. When I get home, plans will begin in earnest. Tentatively we'll start on May 26.I've done about 75 miles of backpacking in the Ozark mountains in Arkansas this spring. AT time is coming and I plan to be ready.
Date: 2012-05-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

One week from tonight I should be in the shelter near Guilder Pond. I've not packed anything but I have my stuff ready to go. I've dehydrated some food this week. I just need to put it all together including my resupply boxes. I'm past ready. I know it is close when I can look at the 10 day forecast on Weather.com and see what is predicted for the first few days of the hike. I can hardly wait to see Landcruiser. We have so much talking to do to catch up on each other's lives. I'm such a lucky dog to have such a super hiking buddy. My next entry should be when my journey begins. Whoopee!
Date: 2012-05-26
From: home

To: Glen Brook Shelter
Miles today: 0.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up at 5AM this morning in MO to catch a plane in AR to fly to Hartford, CT! Logistics to get to the trail are always challenging. The flights were on time and Debbie and I arrived within 10 minutes of each other and our trail angel, Julie, arrived almost immediately to shuttle us to the trail head. We then had the biggest challenge of the day - finding the fuel for out Jet Boils! Here is a partial list of places that did NOT have fuel: Walmart, K-Mart, River Outfitters, Northwest Outfitters, Cornwall Bridge Harware store. Finally found it in Kent, CT that used to be an outfitters but is now primarily an ice cream store. Go figure! (we had tried to get fuel there last year without success) Our journey to Guilder Pond was on lots of back roads. I thought we might be lost but voila, we arrived. We walked 1/2 mile to the shelter and got there at 7 PM. It's Debbie's birthday and I had brought some little individual wine bottles so we wined and talked. Beautiful spot. Debbie has been under a lot of pressure so hopefully she will be able to start to unwind.Nice to start the trip with such a great trail angel. Julie was such a good sport as we looked and looked for fuel. Good beginning for our hike.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Glen Brook Shelter

To: Stealth Camp on June Mountain
Miles today: 9.6

It got light really early (I guess we are more north than at home)& we thought it was later than it was. It was quite brisk. We were on the trail by 6:50AM. The trail was quite tedious and rocky - not difficult or a lot of climbing but ledgy and required a lot of carefully choosing your steps. We were awfully slow.At Hwy 41, I thought there was a country cafe 0.1 mile off the trail. Wrong! I misunderstood the guide book. Got to Hwy 7 where the guide book described a grill 0.3 mile from the trail. Hot & sunny road walk to discover that the grill was closed for a fund raiser and that they were doing a $25 / person pig roast!!!!We went on and started up the mountain before finding a place to camp.We are both feeling the 1st day on the trail fatigue. We were camped early but enjoyed just chatting, drinking water to hydrate, and enjoying the outdoors. Mountain laurel are budding. Saw a beautiful pink lady slipper. We're in a pine forest and there is yellow pollen everywhere.Hopefully it won't be quite a cool as last night which was in the low 40's. It's good to be on the trail.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Stealth Camp on June Mountain

To: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

Slept good last night. In the late evening the mosquitoes were everywhere but I survived. Our hiking day was one of climbing - my best estimation is between 2500 - 3000 ft. It seemed like a hard day. It is very hot and we were both slow on the climbs especially the steep ones. I am frustrated because it was only about 3 weeks ago that I hiked out of the Grand Canyon on the South Kibab trail which is almost 5000 ft in 6 miles (and I did it in less that 6 hours). What is wrong with me today?!Trail was beautiful especially in an area called the Ice gulch. Massive rocks, very dramatic. Saw lots of ferns and beautiful mosses.Glad to have a creek at the shelter. Wonderful to have cool water to rinse the sweat and cool off. Hope to be stronger tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Mileage today does not reflect the 0.3 miles from the 1st shelter to the trail of the 0.5 mile from the trail to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I report this to make myself feel better about how tired I was at the end of this day!Altitude gain was way less than yesterday. I felt better than yesterday. The weather is incredibly hot and humid. The last 2 miles or so felt like forever. The cabin is an inclosed one with a caretaker. It's on this pond and we had a lovely swim in the pond which felt awesome. Felt very refreshed. The cabin was not "handy" - food in the bear canister; gear upstairs; must cook outside; etc. A severe storm moved in about 5:30 PM with lots of lightening and thunder. Temp dropped about 15 degrees in a short time. Lots of rain. There were two other hikers and some kayakers came in from off the lake. It was great to have a secure place from the storm.Debbie is thinking that one of her glaucoma medications may be affecting her performance and energy. Tough time for her today.
Date: 2012-05-30
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Pittsfield Road
Miles today: 11.0

I slept so good last night in the cabin. It was raining and way cooled down. The caretaker fixed coffee and pancakes for breakfast. We were on the trail by 7:30 and today was a much, much better day for both of us. (Debbie did stop her medication). Our energy and joy on the trail was much better. Trail was very wet with lots of puddles and slick rocks. Planned to camp at the Cookie Lady at Pittsfield Rd (have to ask permission first and she wasn't home). Really looking stormy, so we decided to try to hitchhike to the nearby town of Becket. First car gave us a ride. The driver was this lovely grandmother from Costa Rico who decided to mother us. She wanted to take us home with her; she gave us all kinds of food; she was all about helping us.   The little motel in Beckett was also very accommodating. The owners took us to this general store for good and will shuttle us to the trail in the morning.Great to be clean - showers are way under-appreciated in the normal world.Saw lots of beautiful lady slippers on the trail today.