morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-09-25
From: Clarendon Shelter 1686.3

To: Lost Pond Shelter 1667.7
Miles today: 18.6

I had stopped along the trail today, perhaps it was late morning, having a snack. Along comes a gentleman, hiking northbound at a leisurely pace carrying a daypack. He stops, tells me he¢s from North Carolina doing some hiking in Vt. I hadn¢t gotten two words out of my mouth when he says he knows me. I¢m drawing a total blank, but I tell him my trail name is Opa. All of a sudden he breaks into a big smile and he says ¢....ahhh....Opa from the Four Horsemen....¢. He said he remembered seeing me on the YouTube videos that Capt. Blackbird posted. How about that for notoriety, and what a small word! You can¢t make this stuff up.My hike started today at 0630, I didn¢t want to get packed up and on the trail any earlier as the shelter was full and my ruckus in packing up, no matter how quiet I tried to be, would have woken folks up. Deflating the air mattress is the noisiest activity, there¢s just no easy way around it. I started the day wearing wet clothes, but fortunately it was a nice rain-free day so things dried out. Except my socks, they were still wet when I peeled them off tonite. And stink - peeling them off even made me want to plug my nose. I don¢t remember them smelling so bad last year, must be part of the Opa aging process.Lots of fresh leaves on the ground. There¢s still a lot of green in the trees, so I expect this area may not yet be at peak color.I crossed paths with quite a few northbound hikers today, and in chatting with several of them they are Long Trail thru or section hikers. The LT runs the length of Vt., from the MA border to Canada, and I believe it is around 270 miles long. The say the northern section, from Maine Junction to Canada, is quite difficult. I wish them well. I arrived at my camping spot at the shelter at around 1745, with still enough daylight to hang my bear bag, setup my tent, get water, etc. I did not make dinner here at the camp, rather I fixed myself a hot meal late in the afternoon while on the trail. Shortly after I arrived Red Beard and Milkshake wandered in, they are staying in the shelter. As I type this we are the only ones here, but others may wander in after dark.I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2019-09-26
From: Lost Pond Shelter 1667.7

To: Bromley Shelter 1654.9
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: few clouds

Was on the trail hiking at 04:45.  That¢s just how it generally is when I¢m left to my own devices on the trail: it¢s lights out so early at nite (hiker midnite is usually 20:00 for me) that I¢m generally wide awake by 04:00 if not earlier.The day started out promising enough, relatively mild temps and no rain. My legs were lethargic after a relatively tough day yesterday. That¢s the biggest difference I notice between last year and this year: I don¢t bounce back as quickly as I used to. You¢re just getting older Opa I tell myself, better get used to it.  Onward and upward I hiked. Not too far from the summit of Bromley Mt. (the ski resort), I crossed paths with a northbound hiker and in passing he says to me that he hopes the rain holds off. I knew there was rain in the forecast for later today, so I decided to see if I had cell service (I did) and see what the forecast/radar shows. The time was 11:45. Yowserrs, there was a pretty big line of heavy rain headed my way scheduled to get here before 13:00. I was 1.5 miles away from Bromley Shelter, with about a 250¢ vertical climb still to go to get over the top of Bromley, then a 650¢ descent to get to the shelter. Opa I said, you better muster every ounce of energy you¢ve got in you and GET THE LEAD OUT. Fortunately the trail was not steep, so I was able to hike/jog at a pretty good clip. I don¢t know how the heck I did it, but I got to the shelter at 12:10 and the rain arrived 10 minutes later. I patted myself on the back and said Opa, you¢ve still got it when it counts. Ha!!! That was until I sat down and realized I felt like a truck ran over me! Now in addition to my bad kness that hurt with every downhill step, my plantar fasciitis that periodically flares up, a bad shoulder and a few other ailments, my hips - which heretofore never bothered me - are crying out in pain! Is there a doctor in the house? A mortician? Its been raining  steadily all afternoon, but the shelter is very nice, solid construction with a metal roof. I¢m nice and dry, no issues there. First thing I did whenI got here was to cook a hot meal, followed by a nap. It¢s now 19:15, and I¢m still the inly one here. It rained all afternoon. I hope I feel better in the AM, or it could be a very long day! Tylenol PMsfor beddy bye tonite.On an encouraging note I passed the 200 mile mark on this leg of my journey!I am safe, warm and dry in the shelter tonite. Goodnite!
Date: 2019-09-27
From: Bromley Shelter 1654.9

To: Stealth Campsite 1637.0
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: mist

Man, those Tylenol PM pills knocked me out - which is a good thing. I was asleep last nite by 20:00, woke up at 04:00 to go pee, then got right back in my sleeping bag and didn¢t wake up till 07:00. Even though I was well rested, my body was very sore from yesterday¢s sprint to Bromley shelter. Opa I said, don¢t do that again - you¢re not a spring chicken anymore. I didn¢t pull/tear anything , but my muscles just ached. I had a fleeting thought of staying at the shelter for most of the day, but the trail isn¢t going to hike itself. It was very slow going for me initially, but I finally gained my stride and was very pleased with the mileage I ended up. Arrived at my stealth campsite at 18:15, with just enough daylight to hang my bear bag and setup my camp. I ate a hot dinner at the piped spring near the summit of  Stratton around 17:00, so I wouldn¢t have to deal with that at camp. I took care in hanging my bear bag, because reports are that there¢s a couple of bears in the area. As far as my water situation is concerned, I feel very confident that I have plenty of iodine pills to get me to Bennington, where I have a maildrop waiting for me with AquaMira. What a rookie mistake that was by me, I really thought I had plenty of AquaMira to get me to Bennington on Sunday. Thanks again Kingfish with bailing me out with the iodine. I¢ve been frugal with the use of iodine by boiling water whenever able, and as of tonite I have exactly 14 iodine pills left. That¢s enough to treat 7 quarts of water , plus I have 2 full quarts of water in my pack tonite, so I¢ve easily got enough water to get me to Bennington. Earlier today near the summit of Stratton there¢s a piped spring with good flow. I know what Night Train would say if he were along, he¢d tell me that I could safely drink the water right out of the spring - and he¢d probably be right. Being the nervous nellie that I am, I boiled it anyway just to be safe.The trails are really nice in Vermont, with gradual ascents/descents and generally not enough rocks/boulders to require  a lot of rock hoping. Vermont is known for its mud on the trail, but so far I haven¢t found the mud to be a real problem. Of course keep in mind that my stomping ground is the Adirondacks, and Whoa Nellie let me tell you that we¢ve got some trails that are so thick with mud, if you misstep you might be there awhile!A special shout out to my friend Bill Schweinfurth, who has been doing his usual yeoman¢s job of regaling me with daily ¢Go Opa¢ pictures from his travels. Thanks Bill, you¢re the best!I¢m hoping to get to Bennington by sometime on Sunday. This AM I thought it might not be till Monday the way I felt, but I think Sunday may now be doable. Hopefully I¢ll be able to facetime with my family when I¢m there.I¢m safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite!
Date: 2019-09-28
From: Stealth Campsite 1637.0

To: Stratton Arlington Road 1635.4
Miles today: 1.6

I woke up this morning at 04:30, and knew right away something was seriously wrong with my left knee. My knee was very swollen, and very discolored - lots of reddish/brownish splotches around the knee, and some of the discoloration had started to spread up my leg towards my groin.  My knee was also very painful to the touch, and was radiating heat. When I¢m in my tent and deflate and roll up my air mattress I¢m normally on my knees; well I could forget that maneuver this morning - there was absolutely no way that I could put any pressure on that knee.I got packed up and started hiking (hobbling) at 05:30, hoping I could get to a road crossing soon. What else could I do? I knew I had to see a doctor. Well about 10 minutes into my hike I crossed paths with two other hikers with their headlamps on (normally I don¢t see anyone on the trail that hour of the day) we stopped and chatted. I asked them how my knee looked to them, and their exact words were ¢Real Bad¢. They told me I¢d come to a gravel road with a parking lot in about 1.5 miles, and there were cars there. They said they were climbing Stratton and expected to be back in about 5 hours and if I was still there when they returned they¢d give me a ride to a medical center. I continued on, and arrived at the parking lot in a little over an hour. Just as I emerged from the woods a former AT thru hiker Eileen was getting out of her car getting ready to start a hike. She told me she was not a doctor but worked at a medical facility, she looked at my knee, and then offered to drive me to the medical center in Bennington.  This was about a 25 mile drive I¢m guessing, she dropped me off at the   Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Emergency Room. The kindness of Eileen was truly overwhelming! I was seen quickly by a doctor who asked a lot of questions, and upon examination said I had an obvious infection, could be either cellulitis, bursitis or some type of tick borne infection such as Lyme disease - although he felt Lyme was only a remote possibility. They put me on an IV with antibiotics and wrote me a prescription, and also drew blood which they will test for any tick borne infections. The doctor said it was a good thing I came in, as left untreated the infection could become very serious. He said I was off the trail for at least 5-7 days, and if my infection on Sunday worsens I am to go to a hospital emergency room. At the very least he wants me to see my primary care physician on Monday.Although Kayanne wanted to make the drive (4.5 hrs. one way) and come get me, it made more sense for me to rent a car from Enterprise and drive home (it was my left knee after all that was infected, so I could drive).It is now Saturday night, and I am resting comfortably in my easy chair. Of course I am very disappointed by this turn of events, but I am alive and kicking (well maybe not kicking right now), and will live to fight another day! Thanks to all of you that have been following along on my journal, more to follow.I am safe, warm and dry in the comfort of our home. Goodnite!
Date: 2019-10-01
From: Stratton Arlington Road 1635.4

To: Stratton Arlington Road 1635.4
Miles today: 0.0

My infected knee was not getting any better, so on Monday (yesterday) morning I saw my primary care physician and he sent me to the emergency room at Highland Hospital in Rochester. They did a thorough examination, more bloodwork, an ultrasound and xrays.  They believe that what happened is that I punctured my skin in a fall (not serious) that I had several days before my knee became swollen, as there is a scab there right on the kneecap. The area around my knee then became infected. That explains why I had some mild feverish chills in my sleeping bag on a couple of nights before the swelling appeared - I didn¢t pay it much mind at the time. It may also explain why I felt totally wasted that day I made the mad dash to Bromley Shelter, and why I crashed/slept for about 12 hours right after - the doctor that is seeing me at Highland (Dr. Chan) felt that the infection had likely already started to set in at that point, it¢s just that the swelling of the knee hadn¢t started in earnest yet. In going forward I guess I need to do a better job in treating cuts: just brushing the dirt away from an open cut/wound, then wiping the blood away with my grungy bandana, followed by the utterance of a curse word or two, does not meet medical protocol.Dr. Chan wants me to receive 5 total doses of the IV/antibiotic before I am discharged. I will get my 5th dose at 22:00 tonite, at which point Kayanne will take me home. Once discharged I will begin taking a 10-day prescription of antibiotics.  The good news in all of this is that the tests did not reveal any blood clots, and no apparent damage/infection to the knee interior.Dr. Chan says I can safely resume my hike once the swelling of my knee has gone done - this might be as soon as a ¢couple¢ days, could be longer. He says I should use good common sense.  Hmmm, we all know how good my common sense has been of late.Although I had previously told my family and several of my friends that I was likely done for 2019, the trail is calling me and I am rethinking that position. Kayanne is supportive of me having a final go at finishing this year; thanks Kayanne, you¢ve been behind me all through this! I¢ve got 277 miles left to finish, and from what I can see of the profiles through Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York the ups/downs are not nearly as pronounced as what they were in say Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont.I will post another update once I see how things look. In the meantime thanks to all of you that have offered your positive feedback and support as I deal with this latest setback.
Date: 2019-10-05
From: Stratton Arlington Road 1635.4

To: Stealth Campsite 1618.6
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

I got discharged from Highland on Tuesday nite, my knee having responded very well to the IV/antibiotics that they had me on. I will continue with an oral prescription for 10 days, but in general my knee feels really good - much better than it felt exactly 1 week ago when I was seen at the Southwest Vermont Medical Center. The swelling is completely gone, and I¢m able to walk with minimal discomfort. There is still a lot of discoloration of the area around the knee, but I expect that will take awhile to disappear. I apologize to my followers for all the drama (one health issue after another) associated with my hike - but trust me, it is not by choice!Kayanne drove me up to Bennington, VT yesterday and we stayed at the Catamount motel, exactly1 week after my originally planned NERO in Bennington. This AM she dropped me off at the trailhead at 07:30, and from there headed back to Rochester. Thanks once again Kayanne, what would I do without you!!!???I said to myself this AM that it is now time Opa for you to finally finish this thing you started in February 2018. 277 miles left: I¢ve got to get to Vernon, NJ, mile 1358. Thank you so very much to my family, friends and well wishers that have been pulling for me - know that I¢m going to give it my best shot! Kayanne¢s birthday is 10/30, and I promised her I would be home by then.  Talk is cheap Opa, now you¢ve got to deliver!The trail welcomed me back with a cool (frost on the pumpkin this AM) but gorgeous day. In the week that I¢ve been off the trail, the leaves have really turned color; beautiful. If they¢re not at peak right now, they¢ve got to be very close. Lots more leaves have fallen to the ground as well within the past week, the trail is now nicely carpeted. I came upon about a 12 person trail crew this AM, they were scattered a bit up and down the trail. They are from the Connecticut Hiking Club, and have been assigned a section of the trail within Massachusetts and Vermont. I of course thanked them for their service; without the hard work of dedicated individuals like these, who volunteer their time, there wouldn¢t be an AT!I got to my camping spot at around 5:30, glad to still have some daylight left to make camp. I don¢t mind at all pitching my tent in the dark, that¢s easy. Hanging the bear bag in the dark, however, is not my idea of a good time. Even in daylight, it can sometimes be a challenge finding a good spot for the bear bag. Overall I¢m very satisfied with my mileage for the day; 16.8 miles after a 1 week hiatus from the trail, that works for me. It looks like it¢s going to be a brisk evening, but I¢ll be bundled up in my sleeping bag. Physically I feel really good, ready to give the trail another go tomorrow. I am safe, warm and dry in my tent tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2019-10-06
From: Stealth Campsite 1618.6

To: Seth Warner Shelter 1601.3
Miles today: 17.3

I had a visitor during the nite at my campsite, whatever it was it woke me right up.  I heard the rapid scurrying of feet around the outside of my tent, maybe it was a fox, just guessing. It definitely wasn¢t a bear, I don¢t believe they are that light afoot. I didn¢t have any food/toiletries in my tent, that was all in my bear bag hanging quite a ways removed from my tent. In any event I turned on my light, yelled a few times, and eventually whatever it was went away. Nothing like a little company during the nite!Got on the trail at 05:30, I rather enjoy that early morning time before daylight makes an appearance. There is definitely a sense of being alone at that hour, it is a very peaceful time - just me and my thoughts. I¢m also not feeling any sense of urgency at that hour, I can just take my time and shuffle on down the trail at whatever pace suits me (unlike later in the day, where I might be pressing just a bit to make it to a shelter or camping spot).Today was a rather uneventful day.  I hustled to make it to the shelter, arriving at 14:45. There was rain in the forecast for the afternoon, so I wanted to get to the shelter promptly and once there didn¢t want to chance trying to pound out a few more miles at the end of the day. Today was overcast and windy all day, but not cold; I guess I¢d characterize it as a ¢fallish kind of day¢. Lots of leaves were being blown down by the wind.I¢ve only got about 3 miles left in VT before entering Massachusetts. In looking back on the 150 miles in VT, overall I thought the trail was really nice: the ups/downs were generally not overly steep, and for the most part the trail was easy walking. As far as the much talked about VT mud is concerned, I didn¢t think it was that bad. I also caught VT with the fall colors on display, it made the scenic vistas all the more special. In any event, tomorrow it will be Goodbye VT, hello MA. The next 3 states for me are Massachusetts, Connecticut, and my home state of New York - and I haven¢t hiked any of the AT in either of those states. Time to broaden my horizons.Besides myself there is an AT section hiker staying at the shelter, he goes by Tortoise. He is hiking the section from North Adams, MA to Hanover, NH. Today was his first day out on the trail, he¢s 71 years young - and I wish him well!I am safe, warm and dry in the shelter tonite. Goodnite.
Date: 2019-10-07
From: Seth Warner Shelter 1601.3

To: Mt. Greylock 1588.1
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I¢m glad I was in the shelter last nite, as it rained pretty good. It wasn¢t raining when I hit the trail at 05:40, but the rain started again at around 08:00 and went on for the rest of the day. I don¢t know what it is with my rain gear these days, but I got soaked right through to the bone. Brrr....as it started getting chilly the higher up I went.I didn¢t see anyone else on the trail today. Of course once I hit the VT/MA line I lost whatever LT hikers there might have been on the trail. I crossed over into MA this AM, that makes 3 states left to go for me (make that 4 if you count the 8 miles I¢ve got left in NJ).Mt. Greylock is the highest peak in MA, and man it was a long uphill heading southbound. No views at all to be had, so I didn¢t bother going up the tower. Well, I had a stroke of good fortune when I got to the summit, there is a lodge here (Bascom Lodge) and they have a hiker bunkroom. $35 for the nite, and that includes a shower. Being as wet and chilled as I was, it didn¢t take me long to decide: I was spending the nite! This was an unplanned, but most fortuitous, stop. Better lucky than good I say. This leaves me with a longer hike tomorrow into Dalton, but I¢m good with that.So far I¢m the only one in the bunkroom, I don¢t expect there will be many more hikers here. The weather forecast is looking better for tomorrow.I am safe, warm and dry in the Bascom Lodge bunkroom. Goodnite.
Date: 2019-10-08
From: Mt. Greylock 1588.1

To: Dalton, MA 1571.4
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: light rain

Got on the trail at 05:30. It wasn¢t raining, but the fog was thick as soup. Took me awhile to find the trail, and then stay on the trail at the road crossings where the trail jogged. Sometimes these road crossings are not marked with white blazes/signage as well as they could be. A couple times I had to turn on the GPS tracking feature in Guthook to find me way. I have found that Guthook is deadly accurate. Early this AM before daylight I did encounter a big, fat porcupine just moseying along the edge of the trail. He didn¢t particularly care for either me or my headlamp, and in short order he ambled off into the brush. Last evening at Bascom Lodge a NOBO by the name of Calamity Jane, a younger gal, arrived after completing a 30 mile day. Way to go CJ! She recognized that Katahdin was not in the cards for this year, but was hoping to get through NH. Even that goal is pretty aggressive, as I suspect weather in the Whites could become pretty gnarly in a few weeks. I hope she¢s safe!Weather wise it turned out to be a pleasant day. I crossed paths with a couple of hikers, and also a large group of perhaps 20 that turned out to be high school students. I spoke with their leader, and the outing is part of a high school environmental conservation program that the students are enrolled in. They are on a 2 (or was it 3?) day backpack. Pretty awesome!Tonite I¢m staying at the Shamrock Village Inn in Dalton, MA. I arrived at around 15:15. This was a planned stop, I had a maildrop waiting for me, did some resupply shopping, laundry, shower, etc. Tonite for dinner it¢s a sub sandwich and chips back in the room; it¢ll be good to relax while watching some TV.I am safe, warm and dry in my motel room tonite. Goodnite.