morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-16
From: Vernon, NJ

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I walked over to "The Mixing Bowl" for breakfast. With a good meal in my belly and enough coffee to climb ten hills, I hit the road. While attempting to look pitiful so someone would give me a ride. a nice older women actually stopped and asked if I was a thru hiker. Of course I said yes, and she then offered me a ride and told me that her husband was also thru hiking. I immediately knew who her husband was because I had just seen two thru hikers (Plodder and Barking Spider) slack packing the day before. Dolly, Plodders wife, dropped me off at the trail head and wished me luck. I thanked her many times for saving me from walking extra miles on dangerous roads out of town. The climb out of Vernon was not bad. It was steep but I took my time and it was over in no time. For about six miles the hiking was relatively easy with some inclines but as the day wore on the hiking became more challenging. Just before crossing into New York I stumbled upon a cooler filled with cold sodas and snack bars for thru hikers. I took a quick break and then kept moving. I had heard that there were possiblities of thunder storms for later in the day and I didn't want to get caught like I did yesterday. By four o'clock I was almost done with my miles for the day, so I decided that I would stop at a nearby ice cream store and indulge myself with an ice cream float. As I was blissfully eating I also saw John and Jim, with another hiker named Shovel. We all looked pretty happy but the rain clouds were starting to move in so we made a B-line for the shelter. Everyone was in good spirits after a moderate day and we sat around and talked for awhile before retiring.
Date: 2007-07-17
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: few clouds

I'm in New York and it is kicking my back end! Lots of ups and downs and scrambling. Around mid day I went thru the Lemon Squeezer which was not much of a squeeze but the trail beyond it had a nice little boulder problem. Later, I stopped at Lake Tiorati for a quick swim and some water. I rested for a good hour and a half before finally moving on. The heat and continous high miles really took a toll on me. I eventually made it to William Brien Shelter where a large youth group were tenting. They were a great bunch of kids, that were excited to be out camping. Unfortunately, I was beat and couldn't get to sleep until eleven o'clock when they finally quieted down
Date: 2007-07-18
From: William Brien Shelter

To: Greymoor Friary
Miles today: 15.0

Subject: day 108I woke up to rain at five o'clock and immediately jumped out of my tent and dragged it under the shelter. John, Jim, myself and the youth camp counselors huddled in the shelter until the rain slowed some. Around seven we started hiking towards Bear Mt. We had a steep long climb up and it hit me hard. I was still low on energy from yesterdays miles and today wasn't any easier, especially with very little rest. I pushed on to the Hudson River and detoured to Fort Montgomery for some lunch. A local, who called himself Moose, bought John, Jim and I two massive Italian subs that really hit the spot. Unfortunately Moose was kind of a lonely soul and he spent a good two hours talking our ears off. We were grateful for his generosity and we left with our stomachs full as well as our ears! As Jim put it, "Nothing is for free".Our aim was to cross the Hudson and make our way to the Greymoor Friary. The "brothers" had a great pavillion that they allow thru hikers to use. When I finally arrived, I took a cold shower and devoured a sausage and pepper sub that I had packed out from the deli in Fort Montgomery.After eating and cleaning up I was feeling a little better but I decided that I was going to sleep later the next day and take it easy hiking.I'm hurting but I'm not giving up. Love you
Date: 2007-07-19
From: Graymoor Friary

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

I had a lot of miles to cover today but I also needed to catch up on my sleep. I took my time getting up and slept in until nine o'clock. I felt a lot better with the extra rest so I decided I would walk for two hours and see how I felt. If I needed a rest I would take a break and hike again when I was ready. Overall, I felt much better and the regular breaks helped keep me motivated. By the end of the day, I had covered more than twenty miles but it was much later than I was used to. As I came down the last hill leading to the shelter I debated turning on my headlamp. I decided to just keep going with the daylight that was left. As I walked I noticed fireflies all around lighting up the trail. This was a nice way to end a long day.
Date: 2007-07-20
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

Everyone was up and out this morning heading for the deli on Rte 52. When I arrived on the scene everyone was indulging on numerous deli specialties.   John had aleady eaten a rueben and a pint of chocolate ice cream which he followed up with a chocolate brownie. I ordered four bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, two of which I ate at the store and an Italian sub to-go.    After packing on some much needed calories, I sat back and talked for awhile with two other thru hikers about our impressions of the trail and the people hiking. Coming from a social work background I'm constantly watching and wondering why people are hiking the trail. How people treat hikers from the Southern sections of the trail up to the New England regions is verydifferent. The philosophy of the trail also varied.Most people hiking are white with a very small percentage of Asian, African American and Latino. About half are just out of college or in college and most others are older and retired. There is a smaller group of middle aged people that are in between jobs, affording them the time necessary to hike for six months. Many are hiking for the physical challenge. Cranking out big miles to summit Katahdin like many of the adventureracing shows on TV. Others move slower and spend more time in the various trail towns, while others avoid towns as much as possible preferring the woods.
Date: 2007-07-21
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 22.0

Another great day for a long, long hike. Low humidity and a cool breeze made the miles much easier. Stopped at Tony's deli for a quick bite and hiked with Jim and John for a couple of hours reminicing of our old high school days of running track. I was never that great of a runner but I had a lot of fun especially during spring track season. Today was very significant, I started out in New York and finished hiking late in the day on a ridge top in Connecticut! This will be my tenth state, with MA, VT, NH and ME remaining. It feels pretty good to be back in New England. Towards the end of the day, I crossed the bridge going over the Ten Mile River. In the water were a couple of people fly fishing. I was just thinking about my father while walking by the river and then just a few minutes later I see these guys. I took a few pictures and stood by the shore and watched them for awhile. I've always been mesmorized with the skill involved in casting and the great swooping arch of line flowing through the air as more line is fed out into the river. After watching for some time I kept on and made my way to Bulls Bridge. When I reached the high point, the hiking began to get really tough and to my good fortune I was stung by a bald face wasp. I hiked for a few more hours but decided to call it quits for the day around 8:30pm. This was my eighth 20 mile day since leaving Delaware Water Gap and it felt like it. Tomorrow I'll be hiking across Saint John's ledges in Macedonia State Park. I haven't been in this area in over fifteen years. I'm excited to see some of the trail that I used to lead trips through so many years ago. I will also be meeting up with Carissa, Matthew and Emelia at Housatonic Meadows Campground in Sharon, CT. From what Carissa has told me I guess others will be joining us which should a lot of fun. My friend Jeff (old college buddy) will also be meeting me to hike for a few days. It has been a good day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I just hope I can get some sleep. I have to admit I'm a little concerned about visitor bears. I'm not camped out in the best of spots but it will have to do. ------------------------------
Date: 2007-07-22
From: Kent, CT

To: Housatonic Meadows State Park 
Miles today: 15.0

Subject: day 112    Couldn't make to Algo Shelter so stealthed on top of Schaghticoke Mt. last night. I had two long climbs and then a river walk to Silver Hill which went straight up and then straight down to the road. It was getting late and I didn't want to be late for the picnic. It would have been a really dangerous walk down Rte. 4 so I followed blue blaze to what I thought was an alternative road to town. Unfortunately, the road lead me right back to the trail and not to town. After shouting out a few choice words in frustration, I quickly hiked north until the next trail that lead to the road. I practically ran down the trail and finally made it back to the road where I asked another hiker where the nearest pay phone was (my cell phone had zero reception). Lucky for me the hiker was a trail ridge runner (trail maintainer) and he offered me a ride to the picnic area. As we pulled into the camping area, Carissa and my friends Shirley and Wade pulled up next to us in a mini van. They told me that I had passed the picnic area but they didn't see me until it was too late.   I thanked the ridge runner and after giving and getting some much needed hugs, we all went back to the picnic. It was great seeing everyone, but I was really ripe (I hadn't showered since Vernon, N.J.) and a little self conscious. My wife's grandmother, Mom and friend Nancy had come up as well as one of Carissa's Uncle, Aunt and their children (Karen, Mike, Alison and Tyler). A bunch of our friends, including Wade, Harry and Shirley and their three kids, Heather and Matthew's best buddy Simon, my friend's Sam (Mala)and Lisa and Lisa's son Tyler and even my cousin Craig and his girlfriend Jaime.   It was really fun to see everyone and there was plenty of food to go around, of course. I appreciate everyone making the trip up there.Jeff arrived later in the afternoon and we were lucky that Wade lived right around the corner and offered us a place to shower, and crash, for the night.
Date: 2007-07-23
From: Housatonic Meadows State Park 

To: Falls Village, CT
Miles today: 11.0

My friend Wade was gracious enough to put Jeff and I up for the night so we could get off to an early start. It was great being able to rest and catch up with friends that I haven't seen in so long. Wade's place always brings back good memories for me. It always amazes me how quickly time goes by. Seeing him reminds me why it is so important to make that extra effort to stay in touch with friends. In the morning Wade took us to get some breakfast sandwiches and then dropped Jeff and I off at the trail head. I thanked Wade for putting us up again but what I really wanted to say was how great a person he is and how much he has grown since we first met. As we hiked towards Falls Village the sky was starting to look like rain. We aimed for the nearest shelter and ducked in just as it started to pour. Soon after we were joined by a whole slew of other hikers. An older couple that had done a lot of climbing in the Gunks showed up, then John and Jim showed up and finally two guys from Chesire, CT (which is the next town over from where I live) showed up. We were one big happy, drenched, hiker family. Everyone of them saw Jeff's pack and immediately said "WOW". One person went so far as to say "now thats a man's mans pack!" Well, I would have to agree. Jeff's pack was freaking enormous. His pack alone weighed twelve pounds. Before he gave me a little of the weight, his packed was 70lbs (ouch). When the rain slowed down we made our way into the sleepy town of Falls Village. One of the locals, who owns a little cafe, allowed us to crash in his backyard and cook out front on some picnic benches. It was still drizzling but we made a large dinner and hung out with Joe and Fransico from Cheshire.
Date: 2007-07-24
From: Falls Village, CT

To: Riga Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The skies looked like they were trying to clear all day. It was almost noon when Jeff and I hiked into Salisbury for some lunch and food to add to our packs, when the sun finally popped out. After eating some good and greasy fried chicken- we were ready! We climbed up Riga Mt. and stayed at the Riga Shelter for the night with great views of the valley below.
Date: 2007-07-25
From: Riga Shelter

To: Glen Brook Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today Jeff and I would be hiking through parts of the A.T. that I led trips thru so many years ago. The valley was filled with clouds when we woke up but as we hiked to the top of Bear Mt. we had some great views of the ridge line and land below. While we were taking a break we ran into an older hiker with his son who was affiliated with A.L.D.H. (Appalachian Long Distance Hiking Association). I had to ask him if he knew Bill O'Brien (Sprained Rice) who had helped me a tremendous amount with my journey. Of course he did! Forward March (the older hiker) was originally from Ct. but now lived in Jamestown, R.I. not to far from where I grew up. We talked for awhile and he told me to tell Bill hello when I got the chance (this would happen sooner than I expected). Jeff and I continued on, enjoying the day and some really good hiking. We dropped down in elavation for awhile and followed a small stream that created some good pools for taking a dip. As we came into Sages Ravine Jeff saw a great swimming hole that he couldn't resist. I hesitated going in and made some lame excuse about it not being sunny. Jeff gave me a sideways look and I realized I needed to get in that cold Mt. water and enjoy the invigorating, refreshing rush of being outdoors because this is what it's really all about. Sometimes it's easy to forget about enjoyment and soaking up the environment and I'm happy Jeff was there to remind me not to just walk on by.   That night we stayed at Glen Brook Shelter, got a campfire going and relaxed under the canopy of hemlocks.
Date: 2007-07-26
From: Glen Brook Shelter

To: Tom Lenord Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

Jeff was up early this morning, packing away his tent and working on his blisters, which were not looking good. I was up at six and packed up while Jeff drained some of the infection out of his foot. My blisters seemed to be doing better with no signs of infection. If Jeff had been thru hiking he would definately have had to take a few days off to heal. I've been more than impressed with his tenacity to hike on with his enormous mountaineering pack and oozing blisters. But then again I'm not suprised, Jeff has always put a hundred and ten percent into everything he does. I'm always amazed with his long list of accomplishments and have always felt lucky to have such a good friend. Today we would finish hiking the ridge line that I had led trips thru so many years ago. Jeff was a patient listener as I re-hashed some of the trips I had led and talked about the kids I had worked with. Over the past twenty years I've wondered about the fate of the kids I worked with and if I really had any impact on their lives. This is something I guess I'll never really know. As we descended from the ridge off Jugs End, we walked into the clouds that had settled in the valley. Later in the day they would burn off but for now the forest had an evil luster. As the sun began to warm things up the mosquitos started ganging up on us. MA is known for being a mosquito haven and it was living up to its reputation. We took a quick lunch break and then tackled our climb up East Mt. Out of nowhere, Freed Bird showed up and we hiked together for awhile. Eventually, we reached the Tom Lenord Shelter where we would stay for the night. We did alright, covering around fourteen miles.See you tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2007-07-27
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Benedict Pond 
Miles today: 5.0

After a brief rainstorm last night I woke up around six and checked in with Jeff. He said he didn't get much sleep due to the infected blisters he had. We hiked to Benedict Pond as we agreed we would do in order to meet up with Carissa. We had to wait for a few hours but Carissa eventually found the place which was a bit remote. We let Matthew and Emelia run around for awhile and then we packed up and left for Tolland where Carissa's brother Tommy lives. I dropped Carissa and the kids off and then drove Jeff back to his car in Cornwall Bridge. I thanked Jeff for hiking with me and told him to take care of his feet. Then I drove back to pick up Carissa, Matthew and Emelia and we all drove down to Kent, CT where we stayed the night.
Date: 2007-07-28
From: Benedict Pond 

To: Tolland, MA
Miles today: 0.0

After a good nights sleep, in a bed with a pillow, we woke up around eight and went out for breakfast. When we were done eating we went across the street to a children's book/toy store. Matthew and Emelia had a wonderful time checking out all the different interactive toys. Matthew loved the train set while Emelia went back and forth between the dolls and the musical instruments. As we were walking around the store we ran into a couple that used to rent an apartment next to me when I lived in Middletown. They were dating at the time and so were Carissa and I. They had since gotten married and were now living in Colchester, CT with their four year old son. We were all amazed at how quickly time had gone by. Around noon we headed back to Tom and Ali's (brother and sister in law) house where we would be staying for the night. On the way back we stopped in Winsted so I could get a hair cut, pick up some groceries and get lunch. While shopping, someone from behind me stated that "thru hikers weren't allowed in the store". I thought it was odd that someone would say this, but as I turned around I saw it was Bill O'Brien (Sprained Rice). Bill was at his summer cottage nearby and just happened to be shopping. We tried to catch up as much as we could but had to cut it short as the kids grew restless. It was wierd and great to see Bill, especially knowing that I was/am nearing the end of my journey. We took Matthew and Emelia down to the pond spent a few hours swimming with them before supper. After a long day we put our little ones to bed and crashed ourselves.
Date: 2007-07-29
From: Tolland, MA

To: Mt Wilcox North
Miles today: 4.0

We woke up to a beautiful day at my brother and sister- in- law's house. Thanks Tom and Ali for letting us stay at your house!! After eating breakfast and packing up we drove back to Benedict Pond where I had gotten off the trail. We had a nice picnic and the kids played in the sand building dams and splashing around. Around 1:30 I had to get going in order to get to the shelter at a reasonable time. We said our goodbyes which are always hard. I got a big kiss and hug from Matthew and Emelia and I was on my way. I hiked into The Mt. Wilcox North lean-to which was empty when I arrived. After eating and setting up my tent another thru hiker named Big Brother showed up. He said he had been behind me for a long time and had hiked with many of the same people that I had but had finally caught up to me. A short time later another hiker came in named Slack Pack. He was hiking a section of the trail from Pearisburg, VA to VT. I noticed that Slack Pack was carrying very little gear. He had no tent and the mosquitos were bad. I gave hime my bug spray in order to save his life or so he could get some sleep. We all retired at a reasonable hour, Big Brother and I in our tents, and Slack Pack out amongst the savage mosquitos.
Date: 2007-07-30
From: Mt Wilcox North

To: Upper Goose Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

I didn't get much sleep last night due to the tossing and turning of one of my fellow hikers who was getting chewed alive by mosquitos. Finally, around three in the morning, I had to ask him to quiet down while the blood was being drained from him. I'm not sure if he was to exhausted to fight the mosquitos off anymore or he lost so much blood that he couldn't fight back but he did stop moving around. I slept an hour later before even considering to get up. The mosquitos were waiting for me the moment I left my tent. I ate quickly and started hiking. The hiking wasn't bad and I took a few breaks but the humidity started to build. I was surprised that there wasn't a thunder storm during the day.    At noon I reached the Main Road to Tyringham and decided to walk the mile into town to check it out. About halfway down the road I met a young woman in front of her house that was being built. I asked her if I was on the right road (DOUBLE CHECKING) and she told me I was but there weren't many food options in town. I guess I looked incredibly dissappointed because she offered me a ride into Lee where I could definitely get some lunch. I was hesitant at first but she said it was no problem so I accepted. She told me she had read Bill Bryson's book "A Walk In The Woods" and she was intrigued with how my trip was going. I have to say, that I owe Bill Bryson a bit of gratitude. This was the second time that I had been given a ride by someone that had read his book. After getting numerous food items for lunch I bought Shannon a cold drink for being gracious enough to put up with my sweaty hiker scent and giving me a ride. She told me that I should definitely stop at Upper Goose Pond for the night and go swimming. I was glad I took her advice.    Around five o'clock I reached the Pond and immediately jumped in for a swim. After cooling off I went up to the shelter (cabin) and got a bunk for the night. There were a bunch of other thru hikers in for the night and a section hiker that I recognized as a volunteer from the A.M.C. center in Harpers Ferry. Although the bunks had matresses and looked very comfortable I opted to sleep out on the porch. Bunk houses tend to pretty noisy at nightwith exhausted SNORING thru hikers! I hope you are sleeping well. Hang in there I'm almost done.   Forty one days and counting. Love you
Date: 2007-08-01
From: Tom Levardi's House

To: Mark Neopal Lean-to
Miles today: 13.0

Got up and grabbed some breakfast at Duff and Dell's Variety. Ihighly recommend this place. Lots of hikers and locals, and good portions.Just across the street was the paper mill that manufactures thepaper that money is printed on. Interesting tid bit of information. Aftera good breakfast, I thanked Tom for his hospitality, wished all theSouth Bounders good luck and took off. The miles went by quick and before I knew it I was in Cheshire. Sitting out in front of the ice cream store was Snow Plow and across the street was my old buddy Flying Turtle. I hadn't seen either of these guys since New Jersey. Earlier, I was also surprised when Mino (Flying Dutchman) caught up to me on the trail. I hadn't seen since Unionville, N.Y. It was a great reunion and seeing familiar faces lifted my spirits. We enjoyed sandwiches and ice cream but eventually had to pull ourselves away to reach the shelter. The climb wasn't bad but it definitely tired me out. I was glad to finally arrive at the Mark Noepal Lean-to with Flying Turtle and Mino for the night. Tomorrow I'll reach the top of Mt. Greylock and head into Williamstown to resupply fpr the next four days. I will also be crossing over the M.A., V.T. border, which means I'll be entering my 12th state!