morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-09
From: Dover Oak

To: CT 55 hiker parking lot
Miles today: 9.5

8/9 2Dover Oak to CT 55 hiker parking lot9.5 milesHouseI slept in until seven this morning and woke feeling hung over. A real coke and a cup of coffee helped nudge me toward human. I sat chatting with Frannie and Chris until hiking started to seem like it was something I was capable of doing. After last night's debacle, I was not about to hike back up that road to rejoin the AT so I could hike the mile and a half back to route 20. Instead, Chris got directions to the real route 20 road crossing a little farther south, by the Dover Oak. My thruhike will not involve the Telephone Pioneers shelter. Alas. The day was incredibly buggy. I hiked almost the whole day in my headnet and was thrilled to have it. I rolled down my sleeves and buttoned things up, too. Yeesh. Gnats and mosquitoes. At the railroad station I ran into Crazy Fox, the Colonel, and Sweet Cheeks. I only saw them for a few minutes. They moved on while I stopped to use the facilities and I never saw them again today. The rest of the hiking was fairly pleasant gentle trail. As the Canadian Geese wrote, New York came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. I was able to use my ancient backpacking knowledge to fix the backpack of a fellow whose clevis pin went flying today. Didn't think I'd ever use that particular skill again. After a short day (based on ease of finding road crossings) Chris picked me up, with ease this time. I'm spending one more evening in the Kimball household. Tomorrow Chris will drop most of my gear off in Kent. With luck I'll pick it up in the evening after I walk in to town. It has been a wonderful interlude here with the Kimballs. Slackpacking aside, I've enjoyed being able to get to know them a little. After my hike tomorrow I'm taking a day off in the expensive little town of Kent. I love cute New England towns.
Date: 2010-08-11
From: Kent

To: Kent
Miles today: 0.0

8/11 3O milesMotelI was literally shaken awake by the train going by this morning. It's impressive how much motion this building gets going. I did not at first realize that I had been in Kent before, but I recognize  the patisserie. Alex Bier once drove us through here on the way home from seeing Glo in New Hampshire. (The patisserie wasn't open then either. I'll have to leave town after ten tomorrow if I want to go there. Which I do. ) So Kent really is the exact image of a cute New England town that was already in my head. Which I find slightly bizarre and hilarious. It's like having the opportunity to visit a dreamscape in real life. I had a pretty good breakfast at The Villager. I want to eat somewhere different for every meal. That should nearly exhaust the dining opportunities here. Kent isn't very large. Which makes sense. Small and cute go together. The more I eat, the better I feel, providing I don't overstuff myself. This is just not a situation I've ever encountered in my life. For most desk workers, food is a pleasure but also a danger. You have to pay attention to not eat too much so you don't feel bloated and unenergetic, and so you don't get fatter. Having food actually work FOR me is unfamiliar. It really drives home how little of my body's potential I typically use during daily life. Sadly, given that it's taken me months of about twelve hours a day of exercise to get to this point, I see that there is just no way I could keep it up at home in the modern world. This poor body just wasn't designed to be sedentary. But that's what it gets at home. My daily walks, horseback riding, and yoga are utterly insufficient. I'm efficiently designed to be a workhorse, a longhauler. My hour or two of exercise a day keeps me sane but barely puts a dent in my exercise deficit. It really does make me sad for myself. On the other hand my ancestors probably would have given an important body part to be able to work with their brains all day, rather than do manual labor. So enough of that pity party. I pretty much exhausted the amusement resources of Kent by walking around for an hour after breakfast. The rest of the day will be filled up by visiting the post office and grocery, eating, and napping. Sounds like a wonderful day. The IGA has a good selection for a small store. I figured it would. The population of Kent seems pretty sophisticated. For instance, you can buy mixed bags of new potatoes in red, white, and purple varieties. I found my favorite artisan breads too. The only things I didn't find were postcards and pint size freezer bags, which I have empirically determined to be nearly extinct in the wild. For lunch I visited the Fife and Drum's restaurant. It's pricy but worth it. I got risotto with sweet corn, ham, and basil oil, and also Eggs Benedict. Either would have been a full meal for most but I'm a thruhiker, dammit. I soldiered on and ate all the delicious food. It's the sort of meal I had hoped to get at the Bear Mountain Inn, where I was forced to settle for a pretzel and a hot dog. It's even better for being unexpected here.
Date: 2010-08-13
From: Stewart Hollow Lean-to

To: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 10.0

8/13 4Stewart Hollow shelter to Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to10 milesTentIt rained on and off through the night. The bugs were no problem. I was happy to be in the shelter. I had company in the form of Anthony, a fast moving southbounder. He's doing 25-30 miles per day. 52 days into his hike he has lost 40 lb. And I don't think he was fat to start with. We had an enjoyable chat about a variety of topics. Before the sun came up I woke and felt the familiar ache in my joints. The lymph nodes are sore too. Another Lyme day. I don't feel too bad to walk but I won't be setting any personal records.  Around mid morning I arrived at the peaceful Silver Hill campsite. It was quiet and serene. I found myself content to just sit and watch birds flitting between trees. Eventually I pried myself away. I wanted to walk the seven more miles to the next shelter, and that was not going to happen with all the serenity going on. The rest of the day was just plugging away. More advil, more hills. No views, nothing really notable to report.  Although at one point I heard a low, menacing growl right next to me. It scared me so much I jumped a shrieked a girlish "eek!". I looked all around but couldn't find the source. It wasn't until ten minutes later when my stomach growled again that I realized it was me. I got to the shelter at ten miles and felt done. I was tired and I hurt, but I got my ten miles in and that's something. There are a bunch of high energy twentysomething southbounders here. It was fun to chat with them for a bit but I am going to pass out now.
Date: 2010-08-14
From: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to

To: Limestone Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 12.3

8/14 3Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to to limestone spring lean-to12.3 miles plus a side trip to Falls VillageTentI woke up at two AM.  After a quick personal trip to the woods, I stood and watched the sky until I saw a meteor go by. And then I got back in the tent. Watching the sky woke me up enough that getting back to sleep took a while. I feel like stargazing is something I should take the time to do on this trip, but staying up late to do so conflicts with the need to walk during daylight. Maybe I'll find the time on one of my days off. I was happy to look up at the stars last night, standing there in the silent dark. Earlier when I turned in, it wasn't silent at all. Owls, bullfrogs, cicadas, and peepers filled the evening with a soothing chorus. I love those sounds. I've never been able to sleep with a radio on, but the natural sounds of a woods at peace are my own personal lullaby. When I woke up not very early in the morning, it was actually chilly. Not cold by any means, but I could feel cooler air around the edges of my quilt. I wore my raincoat while I packed up. I texted JD to ask for my sleeping bag back. I want to be able to enclose myself away from the night air now. The morning briskness gives me hope that I'll see a little bit of autumn before I have to go home. I felt good in the morning. Whatever illness plagued me the last two days seemed to have passed. Plus, I had something to look forward to. First a gas station with a coke machine. (where I had a really expensive coke). Then the Toymakers Cafe in Falls Village, where I had a spinach, Gouda, and egg sandwich and hash browns. Sadly the cook got fancy and included bell peppers in the potatoes. Those are wasted on me. But the sandwich was excellent. On arriving at the shelter tonight I found the trail to be insanely vertical so I backtracked a little and am camped on a little flat spot I found. It's four miles to Salisbury tomorrow and I began the evening with two liters of water so I figure I'll get into town on the dregs. Locals tell me the spring at the shelter is dry anyway, though who knows if they're correct. I am completely unable to decide if I want to stay in town tomorrow or not. It would mean a very short day, which does not entice me at the moment. Shower and laundry aren't exerting a big pull either. And it's only another 21 miles to Great Barrington, though they look like tough miles. I figure 2.5 days to be on the safe side. If I had just a little more food I'd skip town entirely, but I definitely need to shore up my supplies. I hope I sleep well tonight. These trees are very noisy, with lots of creaking and falling twigs. It's a little nerve wracking.
Date: 2010-08-15
From: Limestone Spring Lean-to

To: Salisbury 
Miles today: 3.4
Weather: broken clouds

8/15 3Limestone Spring Shelter to Salisbury 3.4 milesHouseOnce I put in my earplugs I slept like a baby. When I woke up and got dressed, I was struck by how nasty my clothes were. I decided to nero into Salisbury so I could do some wash. The miles went by quickly, and by 10 I was at the door of a lady who rents out rooms to hikers. After a shower and laundry I was starving to death so I headed over to the Country Bistro for lunch. I wished I could take them with me on the trail. For the record, I had a coke, bruschetta, two iced coffees, curried chicken salad on a baguette, potato chips, salad, and a lemon meringue tart. I felt like I could keep eating until I got bored, but I needed groceries so I paid up and left. Sadly, the bistro won't be open for dinner. The little grocery was well stocked. I love small towns with big town appetites. You just don't find La Brea breads in most small towns.  I was able to buy a lot of favorites, fancy cookies (will be interesting to see if they hold up in the pack), cherries, and a variety of yummy looking foodstuffs. I recommend Salisbury to my fellow yuppie hikers. It's an easy walk from the trail, and services such as bank, post office, pharmacy, and grocery are clustered next to each other. Plus so far the food is great. I'm planning to try the White Hart taproom for dinner tonight. I hear it's good too. I was a bit surprised to find dark circles around my eyes when I looked in a mirror. I do feel sleepy when I sit for any length of time, but I'm not feeling fatigued when I hike. In fact I feel strong and good. Maybe they're left over from my two Lymey days earlier in the week. Stupid spirochetes ruining my looks. Vanessa Breton's house where I am staying seems to have a nap monster. Funny how some houses make you sleepy, isn't it?The White Hart was in fact good, and I got to chat with James and Polly Esta which was entertaining. I have now been convinced to go see a polo match, though I apparently need to buy a hat first.
Date: 2010-08-16
From: Salisbury 

To: Laurel Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

8/16 2Salisbury to Laurel Ridge campsite9.4 miles plus .4 from town and 1.7 foul weather routeTentI had some of my worst insomnia of the trail last night. I thought I was set up for excellent snoozing but it didn't work out that way. The cushiness of the bed did not lead to excellent zzzz. I tossed and turned for hours until I finally took benadryl. And turned off my alarm. I didn't want to be woken early with little sleep. I got moving only a little later than intended. At 8:30 I headed to the bistro for iced coffee and pancakes. Then I stopped at the pharmacy for eyedrops, took pictures of a couple of colorful items in the store, and walked back out of town. It drizzled off and on all day. I was fortunate not to see severe weather. I checked radar several times and nasty red splotches went north and south of me, but my path stayed clear. I didn't see any other thruhikers today but I did pass a few dayhikers and a sectionhiking couple. It was a pretty solitary day, possibly more so because I took the foul weather route around bear mountain. The wet rocks were bad enough where I was, I didn't need to add a steep rocky descent. It added 1.7 miles to my day but it was totally worth it. After that I walked through Sages Ravine, which was quite pretty in a Lord of the Rings sort of way. I hope the picture I took turns out. I kind of wish I had stayed to camp, but I wanted to get more miles in. I camped at the next site, and the tiny tentpads here suck. I'm going to spend all night sliding downhill again. At least the wet weather should clear out tonight. The next two days promise to be pretty. I have a fairly ambitious hiking plan laid out, for me. That's because there doesn't look like good camping before Great Barrington, so I need to try to get all the way there tomorrow. And find my way to a motel in town and buy some groceries. The usual. I've noticed the days getting shorter recently. It's a lot more obvious when you live outdoors. My tendency is to rise with the sun and fall asleep at full dark, so my nights are getting longer. And my available hours of day, of course, are getting shorter. I still have no desire to night hike so dark may cut into my hiking time a bit. I really need to find another novel so I can read in the tent. NOT Stieg Larsson though. He (he? Right?) makes what should be gripping material about as interesting as reading tax law. An amazing but useless talent.
Date: 2010-08-17
From: Laurel Ridge Campsite

To: Great Barrington
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

8/17 3Laurel Ridge Campsite to Great Barrington12.7 milesMotelI slid downhill all night. As soon as I started walking in the morning, I came upon a perfectly lovely spot with no camping signs all over it. There was a reforestation project going on. This is something I don't understand. Why not leave impact concentrated at the old spot instead of creating a new one and waiting decades for the old one to heal? Compacted ground takes a really, really long time to heal naturally. After that I had a day full of slow, tricky walking. I had to place my feet very carefully going up and down fairly sheer rocks. I lost track of how many times I sat and slid down rocks. My pants are about to lose structural integrity due to the abuse. Despite the care I took, I still had a nasty fall down a slippery rock slope. I was surprised at the bottom to find no serious injury. A wrenched hip, banged elbow, and a sore wrist were all the damage I took. It probably took me less time to fall and get back underway than it would have to find another way around. At some point during all the sitting and sliding, I lost my sitpad which was strapped to the bottom of my pack. Alas. I stopped for lunch and water at a shelter and got a little trail magic. A southbounder gave me half his turkey sandwich. Thanks, three p's!Around four or five I realized I was still a long way from Great Barrington and probably wouldn't make it there tonight. No problem. I'd find water somewhere and set up camp. However, I never found good water. Couldn't find a listed piped spring, streams were dry, and the one larger stream I found was brown and smelled like manure. Yuck. So I walked to the road crossing for town after all. The guide was wrong about some distance, btw. From West rd to the railroad track is way more than .2 miles.  I got to the road just about eight pm. A partially deaf fellow gave me a ride in to town. He couldn't really hear what I was saying, which led to interesting conversation. But he got me here. I had McDonald's for dinner, got a room at the closest motel, and put off grocery shopping until morning. I have slathered a horrendous rash in Boudreaux's Butt Paste and I'm hoping it settles down overnight or I'll be spending an unplanned day off in this motel room.
Date: 2010-08-18
From: Great Barrington

To: Great Barrington
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

8/18 2Zero day in Great BarringtonMotelSo in the morning, my heat rash had not subsided enough to hike. I decided glumly to take a day off. The motel is nice, especially for the price, but I've come to realize that spending a day in a motel room never improves my frame of mind. I had three separate areas of rash, including under my socks. I got neosporin with pain reliever to try to speed healing and get me through the day. And then I sat around all day, trying to let all the unhappy bits get as much air as possible. You would not think it would be this boring to sit around pantsless but it really really is. I got dressed three times today. Once for grocery shopping and breakfast, once for a sushi lunch, and once for dinner. Other than that I stayed in and read a book and watched some tv. Yawn. Dinner was at Friendly's. The ice cream was good, but every other aspect sucked. I am reminded that I am not a child person. I really should not go to family friendly restaurants.One way or another I'm leaving here tomorrow. Either I'm hiking or I'm calling a local friend to come get me.  Much as I want to see her, I hope for the former. I'd rather meet for a meal or spend a night at her house between hikes than take a whole nother day off. I am frustrated that a few square inches of irritated skin can push me around. In addition to the on again, off again skin disturbances, I feel that this hike is making some lasting changes to the old body. Wear and tear type changes. Maybe they would have shown up this year anyway, after I hit the fabled four oh. One can never say for sure. Still, I think I can safely say my attended thruhike has changed my life. Joint damage counts as a life change, right?It may have reinforced some of my antisocial tendencies too. Though I have greatly enjoyed interacting with people I have met, I think my distaste for crowds has grown. Spending six months in my own company has not made me crave the company of all humanity. I could easily and happily live in a much smaller, slower paced town than I do now. Something to think about when future life choices present themselves. On the plus side, the longer this hike goes on, the more I appreciate my husband. I miss him terribly. I'm not giving up on my hike quite yet, but I feel that it's time, and past time, for us to be together again. If I weren't able to be in daily contact with him, I think I would have given up and gone home by now. The updates and pictures I get every day make me happy. It's not like having him with me, but it's an inoculation against loneliness. Once again I thumb my nose at the troglodytes who think phones have no place on the trail. You go be by yourself in the woods. Me, I'm staying in touch with my sweetie.
Date: 2010-08-19
From: Great Barrington

To: Mt Wilcox South Lean-to
Miles today: 11.7

8/19 2Great Barrington to Mt Wilcox South Lean-to11.7 milesTentI was thrilled to wake up this morning to a significantly healed rash. I started getting packed up then went to visit the breakfast room. On the way there I ran into James!  He and Polly Esta were staying at the motel too!  How funny. This time I got contact info for them. I called a cab and got driven back to the trail. The weather was gorgeous - blue skies and moderate temps. The terrain was nice too. I found a huge shaded rock with a view of a valley when it was time to stop for lunch, and had an exceedingly pleasant time sitting and watching hawks while I ate. Shortly thereafter I ran into Walker Ride-a-bike southbound. He told me there was little water to be found. I had started out with three liters of water and still had plenty, but it gave me pause. I stopped at Tom Leonard shelter to rest and eat. As I was getting ready to leave I heard voices. They called out "Mrs Joy?"  Turned out Walker had told them he passed me so they knew of me but I didn't know them!  We had a nice chat, and they offered me water from their car at the next road crossing. We walked down to the road, gabbing and having a good time.  I hope to see Icy and Early Riser again. They're section hiking in the area. In the parking lot another car pulled up. A local resident was planning to get some exercise, and he walked north with me for a mile. We chatted the whole way. Geoffrey (I'm dubious of my spelling) told me about changing careers and encouraged me to write in my spare time at home. It definitely gave me something to think about. I was ready to stop any time after that but never found a flat spot. Finally, miles and hours later, I arrived at the next shelter. It was near total darkness when I took my pack off.  I set up my tent, put my food in the bear box, and figured it was another solo night for me. Then I heard a voice saying there was a better shelter. I had set my tent up behind the original shelter, but there was a brand new one downhill!  I  went down to say hi to Grace and Justin, and then it started to thunder. I decided to move into the new shelter. I went back for my gear as the thunder turned to rain. I got everything to the new shelter just as the skies let loose. Whew! Close timing!  And I don't know where all this rain came from. It sure wasn't forecast. I hope it means some streams running tomorrow. I'm afraid I talked Grace and Justin's ears off. Hopefully medical science can provide them with new ones. They now know all the details of my relationships with all the horses in my life. Which just goes to show, you have to be careful who you talk to. I bet they'll think twice before calling out next time.
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Mt Wilcox South Lean-to

To: Tyringham
Miles today: 8.8

8/20 2Mt Wilcox South Lean-to to Tyringham8.8 milesB&BAs soon as it stopped pouring last night, the moon shone so brightly that it glared into my eyes.  And then it rained some more. Very temperamental weather they have here in Massachusetts. It was seventeen miles to goose pond - a much longer distance than I'm comfortable with. Unfortunately there was not conveniently located legal camping midway. So I defaulted to going in to town. Tyringham has a post office, a B&B, and a church. That's it. Luckily for me the B&B had a room available, and the church is having a chicken dinner tonight. So my basic needs are met. Tomorrow I have an even shorter day planned. All this is so I can stay overnight at the hiker renowned Upper Goose Pond cabin. I'm looking forward to canoeing, swimming, and generally relaxing there. The following morning I plan to meet my friend Laurie and take the day off with her. I'm not making a lot of progress here.. But I am enjoying myself and that's key. Plus I hear once I get to Vermont my options are a lot more limited. Best to take advantage while I can.