morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-13
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Greymoor
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: moderate rain

Started early, but even with the wind yesterday, too much smog to see NYC from Black Mountain. It turns out the weather was coming in, not out - the rain started at 6:30.It was really too bad, today was perhaps the most photo-worthy of the hike, and my camera is double bagged from torrential rain.The show begins with views of the Hudson valley (tempered by clouds shrouding the highest vantage points). Next, the trail down from Bear Mountain is a WPA/CCC masterpiece, and the hand quarried granite steps are being extended up the hill by trail volunteers. Everything was deserted in the rain - picnic grounds, beach, ginormous pool. The zoo is a bit old school but still interesting.Crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge was great. Fourteen hundred miles down. Still in New York, but geographically this is New England.I was amazed to find myself at a crossroads store sixteen miles in at two o'clock. If there were anywhere to stay in the next ten or fifteen miles this could be a great miles day, but the only place to stop is the Greymoor center in half a mile. C'est la vie.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Greymoor

To: Fahnstock State Park
Miles today: 11.8

I did not intend a short day, but looking ahead there are poor hostel/motel prospects and I badly needed a shower and dry feet.Two inches of rain yesterday, and the trail is overflowing, knee deep in places today. I hate to give up another half day, but enough is enough.I expected to take care of things at Greymoor, but cold, wind-blown rain, an open walled shelter, and cold water only made it a poor time to get anything wet I didn't have to. The shelter was a bit of a lake by morning, but my overengineered ground cloth came through and everything but the bottom of it stayed dry.The state park was great. Free to thru hikers, it was full but there is a spot they keep for us (three so far). Lots of hot water, and the sun cooperated and dried the hand laundry. I am almost human again. They even ran an extension cord so we could charge everything.With luck, the trail wil drain a bit overnight. Low 58 High 91
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Fahnstock State Park

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: broken clouds

A genuinely great day. Sunny but not hot, trail interesting, but with long, smooth, soft parts.Crossed another interstate, I84. I think there are only three more that cross the trail.Did another deli mart resupply, these are expensive. Very little trail food, and very pricey. Today's caloric staple - cherry cheese danish. Good salami and good sandwiches.The masses seem to have moved ahead, the shelter was empty when I arrived at six. Two more eventually arrived.Low 60 High 91
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Mt Algo Shelter
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

OK, that was work. All morning the trail seemed to be submerged, bogs, trail in streambeds, and bad drainage design. I made out on the fifty percent chance of rain, but my feet were soaked most of the day anyway.The last couple of days there has also been an ongoing game of "bet you can't get across THIS raging torrent alive." Never mind dry feet, I'm happy to have all my bones intact and lung filled with just air. When you look down and the stepping stones are overtopped by a foot of water . . .Made for great scenery, though. The Housatanic tearing down its canyon headed for Ten Mile Mountain was remarkable.The afternoon was a repeat (despite being mostly in Connecticut) of the first day in NY, losts of rock, lots of short, steep climbs. And the occasional raging torrent.Went straight to the tent, despite room in the shelter. The mosquitos are loving the rain and ubiquitous standing water. I was bad, boiled water inside the tent again.Low 54 High 84
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Mt Algo Shelter

To: Mt Sharon Campsite
Miles today: 19.7

So I took a break on Caleb's Peak, noting the view included a cell tower, I got in touch with home to tweak one last maildrop.Seems my wife awoke to a baby skunk in the bedroom, eating catfood. The intended cat (all five pounds of her) was a fierce combatant with the respect of all the toms in the neighborhood, but she turns twenty one next month, and had apparently mellowed a bit. "Meh, I was done with it anyway." In fact, none of the three cats in the house thought anything about a visiting skunk. Perhaps a good thing.How do you top that? It eventually left the way it came in (promptly repaired).The trail is back to its old AT self, which is to say it charges gleefully up every accessible (and some that aren't) piece of terrain. The only real break was a lovely stretch along the river.Made a much longer than necessary side trip to a general store that closed a week and a half ago. Yet another breathtakingly expensive gas station resupply. A brutal windstorm and a bit of rain arrived and nearly convinced me to stop short at a shelter. After a bite to eat the sun appeared and off again. I split the difference and set up at the first of two campsites, leaving time to cook a proper meal before dark.Low 54 high 91
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Mt Sharon Campsite

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 14.0

Another storm tore thru in the night with lightning and heavy rain, ending just before dawn.Of course this wet the trail down again. In fact, the AT was full of joys today. Wet feet, slick rock, oceans of mud, swarms of voracious mosquitos (with only scant respect for DEET), poison ivy infested paths overgrown with brambles, and a pervasive mist that ensured everything stayed dripping wet. I've spent better days hiking.With the camera sealed away and nothing better to do, I counted efts in the three miles between campsites. Forty six, or about one every hundred yards. They've been in every state, and are cuter than geckos. I've never run into them before, and now they will be one of those things forever linked in my mind with the AT. They are a great mood lifter.Salisbury did not start auspiciously. The outfitter was closed for the day - inventory. The general store had zip on my list. The grocery, fortunately, was quite nice. A bit like resupplying at Dean and DeLucca. It was expensive, but not as bad as buying everything in a two ounce package at a gas station mart. Even better, they had picaridan (which works like DEET but doesn't eat fabric).When I got far enough out of town to look back at the weather, I turned around and sorted out a room. Indoors in a real bed, a trip to a laundromat, access to power and 3G at the same time . . . done deal.Low 72 High 82
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Thomas Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 27.8
Weather: overcast clouds

It was good to sleep in a bed again, though the rain wasn't as bad as it could have been. Maria was good company and very helpful. She lived many of her eighty four years in Italy's Dolomite Mountains.The trail was still the trail, but the sun was shining, the rocks dry, the mud a little firmer, the bugs a little less aggressive. It never really got warm, a perfect hiking day.Just two things. First, very wet feet. There were several parts of the trail that were completely flooded, with no option but wading thru. I'm begining to get a real aversion to soaked feet.Next, Mass is another no informal camping state. The choices today were thirteen and twenty eight miles. I haven't gone long in a while, so let it roll. With five named peaks before noon, each with at least a half mile of scrambling and rock, it was tough. I finished way later than I'd like, by moonlight. I may need to accept the fast part of the trip is over.Low 62 high 77
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Thomas Leonard Shelter

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The spacing of shelters and whatnot points to twenty mile days today and tomorrow. Another run of worn stitching on my pack forced discretion. A four inch seam is the only thing that attaches the mounting fitting on the hip belt, a third was gone and a third pulled. Oops. A long early lunch stop was in order, to restitch things (with spectra cord) and lock the stitching with cement.That will make the run to the next trail town three days instead of two, and allow more time in town to shop. I        don't know if there are many twenty mile days left in this hike.Another great day, nothing special to see, but less crappy trail than of late. The highlight was meeting a pair of trail maintainers who had homemade oreo cookies for hikers.The mosquitos are back in force, I'm glad I able to get an economy size bottle of repellant in Salisbury.Low 52 High 82
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Shaker Campsite

To: October Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: few clouds

Another good hiking day, but when the trail wasn't rocky it was steep or awash in mud. Just slow going.The red efts are out, and at dusk a remarkably clear-spoken barn owl.I crossed I90 today, the Massachusetts Turnpike and the northernmost long distance freeway.There was a day hiker out randomly distributing treats, and at an inn I stopped at for water (the trail guide indicated hikers could use an outside tap) I was ushered to a water cooler inside and urged to fill up with bottled water. "If you are going to drink it, you better use this, we only use the tap water for washing." And truthfully, there is some very sketchy tap water here, at several places it had been flagged as not complying with drinking water standards.The word is the store I'd hoped to get new boots at only has trail runners, so my stay may be a short one.Low 57 High 84
Date: 2013-06-22
From: October Mountain Shelter

To: Cheshire, St Mary's
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: broken clouds

Shortly after departing I came on the abode of the Cookie Lady, it turns out the AT has one also. She was on her way out, but her husband was happy to sell me hard boiled eggs and ice cream, along with cookies gratis. It turned out he worked for GE Pittsfield in the early days of the Polaris Program. We ended up swapping sea stories for an hour out so.I met a hiker from way back on the trail who now works for ATC surveying invasive plants. He said the EMS store near Dalton carried mostly trail runners, so rather than stopping for the day and shopping, I picked up enough food to get over Mt Greylock and moved on to Cheshire.On a sad note, something seems to be killing the birch trees hereabouts. The forest is littered with dead paper birches, and I haven't seen a healthy one yet. Sad, because birch bark is one of the finer things in nature.Low 59 High 86
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Cheshire, St Mary's

To: Shermam Brook Campsite
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

Up and over Mt Greylock, which turned out to be a fairly mellow climb. Not super hot, but muggy, so unfortunately the view was mostly of haze. The tower is closed (of course) until the stairs can be renovated.With supermarkets in both directions, I opted for Stop and Shop. After getting food to get me to Killington and cleaning out the take-out salad bar, I was an hour short of time to get to the next shelter, so pulled up short at a campsite mid-way up the climb out of town.Beginning in the the wee hours, an adjacent tree began to crack like a pistol shot, every hour or so. If it is the one I think it is, it is leaning the other way . . .Low 67 High 93
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Shermam Brook Campsite

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

Vermont, state number twelve. Everything is a little less suburban and a little more mountain. There is noticeably less poison ivy, and fewer weeds. For the first time in a long while, the trail is in a national forest.Of course there is still mud, and rocks. Word is a number of thru hikers a week or so ahead were so discouraged by the flooded trails they quit - the lesson is four or five days can make everything almost normal again.I made it to a shelter today just as the rain began. I was the first one here, but now it is full; section hikers and a group doing the Long Trail, which follows the AT for its first hundred miles. The forecast is for heavy rain and the sky is obliging, lightning and all. Bugs or not, no tent tonight.Low 70 High 84
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

A fine day for hiking. A bit into the trail was the Glastonbury Mountain Wilderness, the first bona fide wilderness area in ages. The trail is challenging but well kept. Low spots nearly always have rocks placed to provide a durable walking surface, and where necessary a waterway often flanks the treadway.Up and over the moutain with a brief stop at the summit to climb the fire tower. All good things come to an end, and for the weather it was mid afternoon. At two thirty came light rain, a mile and a half from the shelter things began in earnest. Of course once everything was well wetted down, I happened on the one bit of Vermont trail that hasn't been brushed out in years.The trail was soon underwater, and the lightning in the clouds found its way to earth. I didn't mind when the ridge a quarter mile east was hammered, but when a stray bolt landed a quarter mile west, I was ready for that entertainment to end (it didn't). On cue, the trail disappeared. Backtracking, it took a sharp bend across a brook and headed up the ridge that had been pummeled by lightning twenty minutes earlier. Oh goody.After picking my way up the ridge as slowly as I could without making up excuses (giving the worst of the storm time to find other ridges to hit) I eventually got to the shelter and began the tedious work of drying out as a thick fog settled in.And mid-afternoon tomorrow (indeed, every day this week) it is forecast to do it all over again. Hey, if we didn't live for these days, we'd hitchhike to Baxter. Low 62 High 81
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Upper Manchester, Green Mountain House home hostel
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn't plan to stop here, but I am out of dry socks.The morning was foggy, nothing showed any inkling towards drying. Oddly, no mosquitos. Somebody liked the weather, the red efts were out again.I saw another bear on the way up Stratton Mountain, it took off only fifty yards then stopped and watched me. Not ideal behavior; I'm going to be less casual with food at night.A young bull elk has been harrassing hikers at the summit, I was just as glad to have missed him.The rain began early today, about 11:30, and did not stop until I reached the highway to town at 5:30. Then, of course, the sun came out and everything was beautiful again. Except the trails, the rain was often very heavy and the mountains are past saturated. It was quite a project knocking off the last eight or ten miles.Anyhow, I have clean clothes, clean socks, and have eaten as much as I dare (three hamburgers, a mango-pineapple smoothy, large cobb salad, a pound and a half of potato salad, and a pint of Cherries Garcia). Tomorrow is a new trail day.Low 65 High 82
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Upper Manchester, Green Mountain House home hostel

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The Green Mountain House is superb, and a real value. The morning, on the other hand, was as dismal as yesterday, my feet had been too long hiking while soaking wet, and for a dime I would have punted and spent another day in town. The forecast is for a monsoon tomorrow so one day would become two, so off to the trail.We broke through the gloom on the way up to the trail to a remarkable blue sky at the trailhead. The light was magical along the moderate fourteen hundred foot climb up Bromely Mountain and the view spectacular.The joy of the morning faded with the sunshine during a tedious descent, as the day morphed into another long, wet, muddy trudge. Mid afternoon after only ten miles (but three hours to the next shelter) I called a halt, I needed to have dry feet again.I spent a long quiet late afternoon gathering strength and fortitude for tomorrow, an adventure titled "how far can I walk in pouring rain." I've been there before.
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

No surprise, rain began at 10:30 and was very heavy right through to morning. The adjacent brook was a whole 'nother animal by dawn.Got started at a very gentlemanly hour to let the trails begin to drain. Although there was only light rain off and on through the day, it was very wet hiking.Peaks and wilderness areas, Vermont at its best other than the wet trail. As it was, very slow going. The Keens might as well have teflon soles, slipped repeatedly. Fell once, I was unscathed but a bit of rock neatly sliced a four inch gash in a water bottle I had 'binered to my hip. Glad it wasn't my hip, or I'd have spent the day trying to stop the bleeding. Good news is, my load got two pounds lighter in a blink of an eye.Passed one footbridge with inches of clearance to the stream, lots of submerged bog board. The camera spent most of the day double bagged in the pack.Tough trail and wet feet are a bad combination. Two days to new boots in Killington. It took nearly to five o'clock to do fourteen and a half, had daylight to get to next shelter, but feet were done for the day and had to dry out.Low 62 High 78
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The weather this morning was bright sun and blue sky, howling wind, calm drizzle, and gloomy fog, and that was all in the first fifteen minutes on the trail. There is a lot of weather blowing by, hopefully the worst won't stay.The first six miles were fast and smooth, and only a bit damp. The descent into Clarendon Gorge was tedious and slick, and the climb out was rock steps (or not) straight up a chink in the cliff. Twenty eight efts, not a record, but a lot of pleasant company.It could have been a good mileage day, but the last four miles were straight up Killington Peak, and the thunderheads were gathering. Not my kind of odds, so I stopped short. As it turned out it only rained briefly at the shelter, but I still think the odds are better for a nice view in the morning.I should be able to collect my new boots tomorrow in any case.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Mountain Meadow Lodge
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

A very good day to hike, and the trails are mostly not awful anymore. A great climb up Killington, but not a fast trail. Not super steep, or rockclimbing or anything, just rough enough ton force you to savor the Vermont woods.I didn't take the short side trail to the summit, this is one of the few days I have somewhere I need to be. New boots at the outfitter in Killington. With the tricky weather of late, I did not want to be late get stuck into tomorrow.The outfitter was great, I bought a three liter Platypus bladder (nobody has two quart replacement Sawyer bladders) and some nibblies to atone for buying boots mailorder.Six miles to the next shelter wasn't happening, so I sprung for a tent space and dinner at the lodge. Dinner was great, baked salmon from a wedding they catered - apparently thru hikers eat very well after weddings.I strolled around the grounds a bit, the new boots are substantial and will take some breaking in.No temps, the battery on my thermometer died. It was supposed to last six months and nobody here has a 2032. Should find on within a few days.
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Mountain Meadow Lodge

To: Winturi Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Awoke to a clear blue sky, wiped out seconds later by foggy overcast. The bad news, my tent was refuge for a score of slugs. The good, they are pretty small here (a score of pacific northwest slugs would weigh a lot more than the tent) and rocket far away with a flick of a finger on the opposite side of the fabric. The woods were magical, birds, butterflies, soft pine needles underfoot. Views were a bit scarce today. The rain began about eleven, but was light, well behaved, and stopped entirely in a few hours. Obligingly, twenty minutes after I was safely situated in a shelter, the sky opened (forecast was 100% chance of heavy rain, to begin at 8am - I'll take the day we got instead).Sixteen miles was a haul in brand new, mostly leather boots, but they worked fine. It is so nice to no longer have to avoid water and potentially slippery rocks, pretty much just walk. The new boots will slip, but only on the worst of rock, I no longer need be paranoid about it. I can tell I need to get a couple of new calluses, but small price to pay.
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Winturi Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Short day, but it didn't feel like it. Some really beautiful spots, but lots of ups and downs, and some of the worst trail I've seen - bottomless mud, many yards of trail simply fallen down hill. Local club needs help.Oh, and much rain. More than an inch last night, as much as that today (raining hard again at 6:15pm). Flash flood warnings, lightning.Two great viewpoints, at the first all I could see was the massive rain cloud rolling in, at the second could not see through the rain.Highlight was trail magic, first in a long time, and just when it was needed. Thanks Sandman's Mom!I imagined a twenty mile day to next shelter, but not yet on these trails and new boots. I called it a day late afternoon with eleven plus, and spent some time pampering feet.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH Tiggers Tree House
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Its hard to get an early start when the rain is still coming down. But not impossible.The trail is, of course, still wet and soft. There are a slew of little meadows and pastures - these usually have superb views. Today, mostly the inside of rainclouds. And to be fair, a fine collection of summer wildflowers. The downside of the clearings is walking through tall, wet grass. Pretty much like walking through a sprinkler.Today's country market was open and, even better, the sun came out. Away with the rain gear, still water and mud, but I can live with that.The walk to Norwich, Vermont and then across the river to Hanover, New Hampshire went quickly. The first order of business was a maildrop from home, the outfitter it went to is out of business. Fortunately, the Post Office simply put hiker mail addressed to them in with general delivery, so I had the package lickity split.Got an answering machine at the hostel, so stashed my pack at the Dartmouth Outdoor Club and went shopping.New insoles, yet another pair of camp/river shoes, and much trail food later, I connected with Tigger's Tree House and have a place to zero for the Fourth.High 92 (new battery)
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Hanover, NH Tiggers Tree House

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I am staying in a very nice pop-up A-frame camper, it is reminiscent of nights on my sailboat on Navy Reserve weekends in Alameda.My hosts are both retired from the Navy, we talked about the old days, gardening, and they drove me to every store with anything I might want for miles around. Sorted stuff out to send small trail food drops ahead, all non-essential stuff (including cooking gear) past the Whites, and a few things home. Oh, and did a lot of mending, and uploaded journal entries (3G is scarce, as is power).Did not wear boots all day, Feet are happy.